U
NATION/WORLD
The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, December 8, 1999-- 9
Scientists'
technique
spurs pig
growth
WASHINGTON (AP) - Here
come the super pigs. Medical
researchers using gene therapy have
figured out a way to make young hogs
grow 40 percent larger and faster.
Scientists say the technique, which
stimulates production of the pigs' growth
hormones, would be a boon for livestock
farmers - and eventually could even be
u d to treat children with growth prob-
i and to prevent muscle deterioration
in AIDS and cancer patients.
"We think that over the long term this
is going to be a defining technology that
will change the face of how agriculture is
done" said the lead scientist, Robert
Schwartz, a professor of molecular and
cellular biology at Baylor College of
Medicine in Houston.
The prospect of biotech hogs also is
liky to raise new questions in a grow-
i worldwide controversy over geneti-
cally engineered food. The United States
already is locked in a trade war with the
European Union over the EU's ban on
beef from cattle injected with hormones.
"I don't think most consumers are
ery interested in eating hormone-
reated meats," Rebecca Goldburg,
enior scientist for the Environmental
Defense Fund, said yesterday.
MRE
ontinued from Page 2.
iane Brown said the female residents
ound alternative housing last night.
Director of Housing Public Affairs
lan Levy said University policies
rohibit students from burning any
ype of candles in residence halls.
"The policy is still in place during
anukkah," he said. University
sing requires residence halls to
ake arrangements to light menorahs
n lounges, Levy said.
A similar fire in Mary Markley
esidence Hall resulted from a
enorah in 1995.
Students' desensitization by two
alse fire alarms less than a month
go was apparent as the students took
heir time leaving the building last
ight. Kinesiology first-year student
Qle Poquette said, "Everyone
light it was just a prank."
Many students said it was not until
hey witnessed three fire trucks
arked outside of the building that
hey realized the seriousness of the
ituation.
There were no injuries reported.
Ati
Seattle police chief resigns
.
ater violent WTO protests
White on red
SEATTLE (AP) - Seattle's police chief announced his resignation
yesterday, becoming the first political casualty of the violent protests
that disrupted the World Trade Organization conference.
Police Chief Norm Stamper had been harshly criticized by civic lead-
ers, police officers and others for his handling of the demonstrations last
week that cost downtown merchants nearly $20 million in lost sales and
property damage.
The protests got so out of hand that the National guard was called in
and a curfew was imposed.
Stamper, 54, said he had planned to announce his retirement in
January but did so now in hopes of removing politics from the exami-
nation of what went wrong.
Mayor Paul Schell has also come under fire. But at a news con-
ference with Stamper at his side, he repeated that he will not
resign.
Stamper said he will cooperate in any investigation of the police
department's role in dealing with the demonstrations.
But he declined to answer several questions yesterday about the riot-
ing.
He did say some accounts putting blame on him were inaccurate. "I
don't accept the label of either victim or martyr," he said.
The mayor praised Stamper for his "sense of duty and sense of
responsibility," and said he had tried to talk Stamper out of leaving when
he was told of the chief's decision Sunday.
Stamper's resignation, which takes effect in March, also follows near-
ly nine months of turmoil over the integrity of the police internal inves-
tigations section.
Relations between Stamper and Seattle's 1,200 uniformed officers
have often been strained during his nearly six-year tenure.
"He has not been in touch with the rank-and-file," police union pres-
ident Mike Edwards said.
"His style is to not have a hands-on approach, and I think that has
been a mistake," he said.
. Edwards said police officers lacked crowd-control equipment such as
smoke grenades and tear gas last week, and found themselves on the
streets for days with little food or rest.
Police critics have also said that tear gas and rubber bullets were
fired indiscriminately and that innocent workers, shoppers and
residents were swept up in the arrests of more than 500 people
Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.
No serious injuries, but downtown merchants have reported more than
$2 million in property damage and $17 million in lost sales.
But the police also had many supporters.
Hubert Locke, a criminal justice expert at the University of
Washington, said police "had an impossible situation to begin with"
during the WTO meeting.
"The judgment of most people is that the police maintained, with
some exceptions, a fairly professional stance," he said.
City Council member Richard Conlin said he was on the streets last
week and found that officers were acting responsibly.
Conlin praised Stamper as a community-oriented chief who had
improved relations with minorities.
Stamper also revealed in his letter of resignation to the mayor
that because of the disorder, President Clinton nearly canceled his
visit after months of calling the conference vital to U.S. free-trade
interests.
"We all had a very serious conversation about whether all the venues
the president would visit were secure;" he said.
AP PHOTO
People walk duringa snow shower In Red Square, In
fron of St. Basil's Cathedral In the background, In
Moscow yesterday.
PLEDGES
Continued from Page 1
allegations.
Pledges said the activities were conducted by
"pledge educators" while the pledges were stripped
down to their underwear.
"From what we know, it's one of the worst hazing
houses on campus;" said one of the four pledges who
described the activities yesterday. He added that, in all
the pledge activities, "There was no physical abuse"
The pledges said the BB gun used Monday had
been purchased by the fraternity's chapter President
Brad Lundy, an LSA sophomore. Lundy could not be
reached for comment.
Pledges said the gun was fired into the air during
other pledge activities this semester. On Monday
night, assuming the gun was empty, one of the pledge
educators aimed and fired at individual pledges' eyes,
temples and back before a BB discharged from the
gun, injuring the seventh pledge in the line.
"It's terrible - and there is some resentment," one of
the pledges said. The same pledge, in regard to his state-
ment about the rough nature of the activities, said, "A
number of these activities are traditional activities."
"There is resentment towards the older brothers," a
second pledge said, but added that "it was a select few
that focused their time toward" hazing.
"I have a positive feeling towards most of the broth-
ers in the house," he said.
The group of Pi pledges said Monday's shooting
was not the first time a fellow pledge needed medical
attention this semester.
Two pledges were admitted to the hospital for alco-
hol poisoning, and another pledge was sent to the hos-
pital hours before the BB gun incident after being
"There is resentment towards the older brothers
..n it was a select few that focused their time
toward" hazing.
- Fraternity pledge
Alpha Epsilon Pi
struck with a snowball containing a rock during an
activity in which pledges were stripped down to their
boxers and pelted with snowballs by members of the
house, the pledges said.
Of the active fraternity member that threw the
snowball, "his only concern (of the incident) was
whether it would affect his getting into the business
school," the second pledge stated.
A third pledge in the anonymous group described
an incident when two pledges were taken to the
University Hospitals' emergency room after ingesting
too much vodka.
"I was sick of it and refused to participate," he said.
The same pledge said that in another incident, all
but two members of the pledge class were dropped off
four and a half miles from the fraternity house, locat-
ed at 1620 Cambridge St., and forced to find their way
back to the house.
The two remaining pledges, who stayed in the
house, were required to take one shot for every five
minutes that the other pledges were gone. The main
pledge group was absent for more than one hour, dur-
ing which time the two pledges ingested more than 20
shots of alcohol each.
The fourth pledge in the anonymous group talked
about a separate incident when two students became
intoxicated and repeatedly vomited during a pledge
activity.
The pledge educator's reaction was to "laugh hys-
terically," he said, and the educator refused to escort
the intoxicated pledges home until the remainder of
the pledge class had witnessed the incident.
The students also mentioned being "tarred" with
syrup, feathered and forced to take bites of raw fish.
As for speculation that the students will depledge
and join another fraternity, the first pledge said "the
entire situation is uncertain. We have to discuss
amongst ourselves."
University spokesperson Julie Peterson restated the
University's position on abusive pledge activities last
night. "The University is absolutely against hazing,"
Peterson said.
"I think that sometimes students think that it's
funny," she added. "Hazing puts our students in dan-
ger and it is intolerable."
The house will remain on suspension until the nation-
al chapter finishes its investigation into the incident.
The University suspended the chapter Monday after
the event and is conducting its own investigation.
Fraternity members could be charged under the Code of
Student Conduct. The Ann Arbor Police Department is
considering criminal charges in the matter.
Funky Celtic Wear
Made in Ireland
eFleece Jackets
*Backpacks
*T-Shirts
In Lobby @ 306 S. Main
Fri-Sat 12-9
Sun 1-5
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