LOCAL/STATE Wednesday, December 13, 2000 - 3 GHER ED ock pageant ms at Harvard abor wages Harvard University's Living Wage ampaign last week staged a mock hristmas pageant, including an origi- ak play, carols and speeches. This was the campaign's first major rotest of the year and more than 100 pectators endured the cold weather to ee the outdoor performance. The ampaign was organized by the Pro- 'ressive Student Labor Movement, .hich demands that the University ay all Harvard workers a S10.25 inimum hourly wage. The mock pageant was part of a eries of creative efforts aimed at draw- ng attention to working conditions at larvard that has been going on for two ears. The play's plot was a spoof based n Charles Dickens' "A Christmas arol." The dean and president of the niversity were portrayed as paying overty-level wages to the school's 'mployees, subcontracting union jobs, saintaining an air or secrecy and refus- ng to consider the demands of workers, tidents and community members. Massachusetts state Rep. Jarrett arrios and Cambridge City Council- man Marjorie Decker made speeches. he City Council passed a living _age for the city of Cambridge last pring and has long supported Har- ard's living wage campaign. . Kentucky revises athlete alcohol University of Kentucky Athletic Director Larry Ivy announced a revi- sion of the student-athlete alcohol pol- icy last week. The new policy will allow students charged with driving under the influence of alcohol to remain on scholarship and continue racticing with their team. The student offenders will be on suspension from competition for one year. The changes mean suspended ba'sketball player Jules Camara will be able to retain his scholarship but he will not be playing before next season. The revision comes from the advice of a committee Ivy formed in October to examine the University's current zero-tolerance policy, which stands as ne of the NCAA's toughest. U. Missouri to allow Napster The University of Missouri's Facul- ty Council Information Technology Committee decided that until a court deision is made, students can contin- ue downloading music from sites like apster to campus computers. But Information and Access Tech- nology Services may prohibit students from uploading material onto campus computers. The reasoning is that the material "eats up big chunks of band- cidth and then slows down e-mail and other things online," committee chair- man Mike McKean said. McKean said a downloading ban 'Would not occur until a court decision is made prohibiting such behavior. Record Companies sued Napster, a ile-sharing music community last December for copyright infringement. lass action suit could repay MSU towing fees Michigan State University students may receive money back for having their cars towed away due to an invalid owing ordinance. A 1983 court deci- sion rendered the university's ordinance invalid, ruling it was not in substantial -conformity with Michigan's Uniform Traffic Code - the state laws on which municipalities base traffic laws. The university's Board of Trustees will be discussing an amendment to the ,odinance this week. Despite the court ruling, the University has continued to tow vehicles and charge their owners. Students still have to pay a ticket charge for parking in a tow-away zone. Students who have older tow-away costs they want refunded will have to participate in a class action lawsuit, but students with recent towing charges can contest the cost at an informal hearing. - Compiledfiom t U- WIRE seports by Duir Sltff ReporterJolie Kainan. Winter gradTu Y .T e St Smoke caused by the construction outside the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies building has some worried about carcinogens. Carcno e s esent By Kristen Beaumont Daly Stab Reporter Air quality concerns have been raised in response to emissions released duri ng construction at the Horace H. Rackham Graduate School building. Workers and passers-by recently complained about smoke that was being released from the construction. The University has received complaints that it is difficult to breathe around Rackham. In addition a complaint has been made about the odor of the smoke. To apply a tar sealant to the roof, it must be melted in a kettle, and as a result of the burning a yellow-green smoke is released nto the air, said an employee of Ann Arbor Roofing Co. There is a slight level ofcarcinogens present in the emissions, but aCilttes and Operations spokeswoman Diane Brown said students and workers are at no risk from the emissions. "All activity has been reviewed, and workers and students should be safe. The construction company is not exceeding pollution standards and they are well within the EPA requirements," Brown said. She added that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration at the University has set standards to pro- tect the construction employees work- ing at Rackham from being overexposed to emissions. The Ann Arbor Roofing spokesman saidle it msbeets norkng around tar sealant liii nooe thani 311suits and ha~s had no heal th problems from the fumes. He said the heated tar can burn skin,and it is not desirable to inhale the fumes but construction companies Continue to use the sealant on roofs. "W' ve been usi" i t for years, and no one has stoppedtl is" he said. There have been technological developments that can eliminate the emissions from the smoke. fly--tech Products Inc. of 'Cleveland, Ohio, pro- duces and sells an after-burner system that sucks out the smoke produced by the kettle and releases it into a collec- tion receptor off to the side. "The system is about 99.9 percent efficient, said Mark Paine, a territory manaer for Hs -ech Products Inc. "There is a s iit level of carcinogens in the smoke but no more than is released by a car Paine said such a system is usually used for construction near schools and businesses. But a typical 612-gallon kettle costs about S12,500 and the after-burner sys- tem adds about S10,000 onto the cost. In response to the complaints about the oder of the smoke, Brown said the construction company is working to reposition the kettle burner. Brown said the construction poses no risk to students or workers at Rackham. "We have to charge the construction contractor with adhering to health and environmental regulations," she said. "We are a proactive environmental safe- ty epstent.isand e regltasrly stpass s'exectautisildtesuit-entss" By Jaimie Winkler Daily News Editor Unlike the Spring Commencement ceremony, whichcele- brates a significantly larger number undergraduate seniors, Dec. 17's winter commencement combines undergraduates. masters' candidates and doctoral candidates. For the 2000 students expected to participarte in Sunday's winter commencement, the ceremony will be a little more intimate than the one held in spring. The ceremony, to take place in Crisler Arena, is set to accommodate about participating 2,000 students and thou- sands of spectators. "Because there are a smaller amount, it just lends itself to being a little more intimate," said Jacque Dunham, co-irec- tor of University development and event planning. Duttham added that each graduate crosses the stage to shake hands with the dean and either University Provost Nancy Cantor or President Lee Bollinger. Other differences separate the Winter Ceremony from the Spring. Only about 3,000 students are eligible to walk in December, including fall and summer graduates. Students who finish a degree program in August can attend either the May or December graduation ceremony. There is no summer ceremosy. Because of the smaller number of graduates, the Crisier ceremony is open to all undergraduate and graduate students. Many schools opt out of individual ceremonies, but host receptions, Dunham said. Rende Leslie Safra, an economics major, will be this semester's student speaker. Safra is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and a James B. Angell Scholar. She was a leader of the Conservative Minyan in the B'nai B'rith Hillel Founda- tion for Jewish Life in Ann Arbor and teaches third- through 10th-grade students in afternoon religious school and tutors bar and bat mitzvah students. Safra has based her speech on an Emerson quote which she ties to the benefit of receiving a liberal arts education at WANT TO WRITE NEXT SEMESTER? CALL 76-DAILY, Food For Thought The Legacy - The Poetry A "No B.S." War Storyf We went to Vietnam, And some of us came back. That's all there is - Except for the details. by: Jim Gray 1st Air Cav. Division Ad sponsored by: Gary illie & Astociaes, RealtorsY iwww.garylillie.coma S i h niversit ' ater 3 112 years has its pluses and tm i sS ii st. .Wii:e si's done with exams, she also desn' iss t 'axe the city early. TI si cete y edis tnpt Safia to graduate in hi imbi s uii she s.aid it adds to the benefits of an early A cout, S tmi said she regrets not having a departmental citemienc m 5 SIts nice to know that I'll have a more inti- m tee ci mn" she said 1 ar prety ire at a coluhege this big:' Safia said, adding that xx hing u,1)ss the stage to shake hands with administrators xxill lie nce. ii es ad. an accomplished writer, will deliver the 'sitm ienet tddress. Leonard's works include mostly hilr I i s scsctirns, but his most famous works include o 4 _I' ad ciGet Shotty" I ciiiiitrtel u bachelor's of philosophy degree from the ii seisimy I 1tr oit 11 1950 and has since written 36 books. "I'1 so I I'ore Leonard will be a very interesting speak- Campus Iokstores xiill be selhing graduation attire until the crm;ns scinus. "We'll probably start cleaning up on the 1 7h stit hi \aritey, manager at Michigan Book and S us iicacuss," g s mad tasselscwill be available on the s, sfii rslitioi. "I depends on your size," she said. The cermsy begins at 2 p.m., with a 1:15 p.m. round-up fo ntlse and candidates in the Crisler Arena tunnel. rI ip. n stuets can pick up tickets in the Michigan iin_ Pti iR,sd Room today and tomorrow between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p m. Ix ma tickets are available on a first-come, first- ser ed basis beginning Friday. Uiicer mtaduate graduation attire, sold at all three book- storex , .idls cap, gow and tassel. For graduate students, a set includes cap, gown, tassel and hood. Only The Michigan Anion Bookstie and Michigan Book and Supply sell mas- ters aid doct rl sets. Iarly ticket distribution for the Winter Commencetmnit ceremony ends tomorrow. ool Clothes! 1}telievable Prices! Plato's Closet is a cool, new retail store that buys and sells gently used, brand name teen e shoes and accessories such as: r t and more. Chegk us out the next time you're looking for cdbl clothig, outerwear, shoes, CD's and acces- nonies all at great prices for both girls & guys. At Plato's Closet, it's easy to save money and hook great at the same time. CLAT S I b r a n d NameT" " n W e s " 4 2459 W. Stadium Blvd. Ann Arbor (734 669-9242 i Westate Shopping Center at 1-94 & Jackson Road Store bours: Monday - Saturday 10am - 8pm, Sunday 12pm - 6pm Assembly votLes to action s fr--*e By Jane Krull u ilyumS sumRepcrt In a crowded meeting characterized by sudden outbursts and character attacks, the Michigain Student Assembly passed a proposal to form an affiirative action task force in a vote of 31-6. "I am sure that my freshman class will be disappointed to hear that you guys can't control yourselves proper- ly," Engineering freshman Ryan Iaag said to the assembly. Ilaag said he attended the meeting at the suggestion of Rackham repre- sentative and Defend Affirmative Action Party founder Jessica Curtin, who spoke and handed out flyers dur- ing the first 10 minutes of his Physics 140 lecture. The affirmative action task force was proposed by Curtin, former Peace and Justice Comrmission chair, the week after she was ousted from her position by current PJC chair James Justin Wilson. "There is no precedent for MSA putting up obstacles for reps who want to work on an assembly supported issue," Curtin said. "The reason that there is opposition to the task force is that there are reps on this assembly that are opposed to afirmative action." During constituents' time 14 people spoke in favor of forming the task force and two spoke'against. Luke Massie, an organizer of the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action By Any Means Necessary, said that if the assembly deems the position of "SuperIan" worthy of a task force, than affirmative action should be given one as well. "Every rep that votes against this Defend A firmative Action Task fiorce shows that this assembly takes Super- Fan' more seriously than defending affirmative action and integration in society, Massie said, "If these issues go to trial and we lose, and we as VISA leaders didn't do anything to fight for ou school, I will resign as Superan,' LSA Rep. Reza Breakstone said. LS A junior Dustin Lee said forming an affirmative action task force "would set a very dangerous precedent that the University doesn't want to get involved with - if somebody loses a chair, they can come back the next week and set up a task force to get that power back. Wilson said he doesn't see the for- mation of the task frce as the end of his work with affirmative action. "I ran for P&J chair with the inten- tion of bringing levelheadedness to the affirmative action debate. This vote doesn't bring an end to that possibility, but I am afraid it allows some abuse,: Wilson said. The assersbly also unanimously passed funding O55 to the Interna- tional Students Affairs Commission for the funding of a holiday dinner for those students who are unable to make it home furthe holidays. Picl'V gV Te Mihiga Paly t~ty "8f If4 Fig.f1 LeV's s know Fellmkei al 'ttr What's happening in Ann Arbor today EVENTS versi ty, 764 0395 Andrew's Episcopal Church, 306 0 "Are Your Health Issues Related N. Division at Catheine, 662-4466 0 End Of Term Party, Sponsored by to Alergies?" byoioCE by the Department of Near East- ire Peeplen Food Co-tughal SERVICES ern Studies and CMENAS, by Robert Konter 7:00 p ini 4:30-6:30 p.m., 3050 Frieze PFC. 216 N. Fourth Ave. Pr d Campus Information Centers, 764- Bolding, 764-0314 or 764 runsti reored. 94 diO,ifm. c.eu, and 0350 4yg mao to umch~e -u ino on the U "Realities of Ufe under Apartheid," EUniversity Symphony Orchestra, World Wide Web Sponsored by the Museum of Sponsored by the School of * Northwahk, 763 WALK, Bursley Art ArtVideos, Mama Awethum Monc, Kenneth Kiesler con- Lobb 8 m 130 am. examines the daily lives of 5 duets 800 p i., H5I Auon * Satewaik, 936 1000, Shapiro black South African women um, 764-0583 Liha y I isy b8 pm. - 2:30 a.m. University of Michigan Museum U Advent Organ Recital Series, Organ- U Student Mediation Services. 647 of Art audiovisual room, 12:10 ists Timothy Tikker performs, /39/ s. n aion dumicn.edu, p.m., 525 S. State at South Uni - 12:15 p.m. 12:45 pm., St. it va i iariS / sirp CALENDAR POLICY: The calendar's purpose is to provie a p tae for oigni z.tion to ano re ev in s open to the University community. But we can only print announcements me ay sits ent Anu t eci s for ees that charge admission will not be run. All items for THE CALENDAR must be mailed or delivered to th , r"y - , iled to d0iyn( umi ; Iych.edu at least three days before publication. Events on Friday, Saturday or unday must bi suitted y p . Wedasmy prior to the event. We can not accept requests over the telephone, and ot oup n 'h a mu n it un ' ied in w thin Sthree days of the event will be run. circulaiongmchgjbno iy*or 1"