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NEWS: 76-DAILY
CLASSIFIED: 764-0557
www.michigandally.com
Monday
March 4, 2002
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Crime spree continued
over vacation
By Jeremy Berkowitz
Daily Staff Reporter
While most students flocked to vacation
spots and warmer climates during spring
break, criminal activity was still present in
Ann Arbor last week.
A home invasion occurred in East Quad
Residence Hall on Feb. 24. An RC sopho-
more woke up at around 9:30 a.m. to dis-
cover a man standing in her room holding
her laptop.
The man immediately fled the area, and
the victim called the Department of Public
Safety. The victim described the subject as
a white male, five-foot-nine, weighing 135
pounds with brown hair in a ponytail. The
victim said DPS helped her search the
building and found her keys and a case of
CD's in the bathroom on her hall.
"They were searching the building for an
hour and a half," she said.
The victim also said that DPS had her
look at a picture lineup to try and identify
the perpetrator.
When asked about the security presence
around East Quad, the victim commended
DPS's efforts, but also said that initiatives
have to be taken more seriously by resi-
dents.
"They're doing what they can ... but DPS
can't do everything," she said. "People need
common sense."
This was the fourth home invasion in
University Residence Halls during the
month of February. In a Feb. 2 incident, an
East Quad resident was assaulted by two
suspects. Four days later, a West Quad resi-
dent came back to her unlocked room to
find a man inside. On Feb. 18, larcenies
were committed from three East Quad
rooms by a suspect who stole keys from a
women's shower.
In addition, an LCD projector was report-
ed missing from the University Hospital on
"They're doing what they can ... but DPS can't
do everything."
- Victim of home invasion
and East Quad Resident
the morning of Feb. 27. The last time it was
seen had been five days earlier.
This is the 39th LCD projector that has
been stolen from University property since
December 2000. A $1,000 reward was
offered after eight were stolen last Decem-
ber. DPS arrested a suspect two weeks ago,
but DPS spokeswoman Diane Brown said
she does not believe all 39 were stolen by
one person.
"We believe other people are involved,"
she said.
Students
seek sun
for break
By Shabina S. Khatri
Daily Staff Reporter
Frosty Michigan weather motivated many University
students to take advantage of last week's spring break in
a variety of ways by heading for warmer climates. To
some students, spring break offered much-needed time
to relax and get away from the stress of academia.
LSA sophomore Sarah Tasman, who traveled with
friends to San Diego, Calif., spent her week at the beach.
"We really enjoyed the warm weather and sunshine,
and tried not to worry about homework," she said.
Favorable weather conditions also ranked among the
highlights of LSA senior Janet Herrera's spring break,
which she spent in Mexico with 12 other University stu-
dents.
"It was great. We went to the beaches during the day
and out to the bars at night, doing the typical spring
break thing. I just wanted to be outside all the time,"
Herrera said.
Students who chose to fly to their spring break desti-
nations were forced to navigate Detroit Metro Airport's
new Midfield Terminal, which opened last week,
"It was really nice and pretty, but it definitely had a
few kinks to work out," Tasman said. "There were some
problems with getting our luggage because the convey-
or belt suddenly stopped for no reason. A lot of people
were making jokes about how new and improved it
was."
LSA junior Jordan Batmanghelidi also spent his week
of freedom outdoors, but chose community service over
relaxation. Batmanghelidi, an Alternative Spring Break
site leader, said the volunteer work was time well spent.
"My group and I drove to Stanton River Park in Vir-
ginia and spent the week picking up bottles, clearing
trails and beautifying lake shores. When you live with
nine total strangers you learn a lot about yourself," he
said.
Batmanghelidi said the most challenging aspect of
being a site leader was matching the group's conflicting
personalities into one cohesive unit.
"It's very difficult to make everyone feel included, but
everyone was wonderful, and I had a great time," he
said.
Many Muslim students spent their spring break at
home in order to visit with friends and family for the
Islamic holiday Eid Ul-Adha.
"Eid was a great way to kick off spring break," LSA
sophomore Aliya Chowdhri said. "We could catch up
with everyone we don't normally see without having to
worry about doingany schoolwork."
Prof. gives
lecture on7
impact of
AIDS
By Kylene Klang
Daily Staff Reporter
Airborne
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Swiss join
U.N. with
marginal
approval
GENEVA (AP) - Swiss voters
approved joining the United Nations
yesterday, finding the prospect of a
greater role in today's interlinked world
more compelling than fears that it
would threaten the nation's centuries-
old tradition of neutrality.
The country will become the United
Nations' 190th member after sitting on
the sidelines for more than five
decades. Only the Vatican remains out-
side the world body.
During the Cold War, Switzerland
feared U.N. membership would sweep
it into the battles between East and
West. More recently, opponents have
feared having to submit to the political
dictates of the Security Council.
The Swiss have practiced forms of
neutrality on and off since the 13th cen-
tury, but the principle was laid down
formally in the 1815 Treaty of Paris
that ended the Napoleonic Wars. In that
pact, European powers guaranteed the
"perpetual neutrality" of Switzerland.
The Swiss themselves made it part
of their 1848 constitution. Treating
both sides in a war evenhandedly has
remained a guiding principle since,
although recent historical reviews have
said Switzerland went too far in help-
ing the Germans in World War II.
The popular vote gave the bid for
U.N. membership a comfortable 55-45
percent approval, but the crucial sec-
ond hurdle - approval by at least half
the country's cantons, or states -
received a much narrower 12-11 result.
The referendum had the highest
turnout in a decade, with 58 percent of
qualified voters participating. Switzer-
land's three or four annual referendums
often draw only 40-50 percent of voters.
Small mountain cantons - most of
them German-speaking - voted heavily
against the United Nations. But the
French-speaking cantons of the west and
key German-speaking cantons of central
Switzerland prevailed with their yes
vote. It was a sharp reversal of a similar
Swiss vote in 1986, when 75 percent
rejected U.N. membership, backing
opponents who said East-West polariza-
tion would compromise Swiss neutrality.
Alta, Utah local Creighton Lowe launches a backfilp in Devil's Castle last Tuesday. j
our of Sout reveals res
versionY of Civil Rights story
By Tyler Boersn
Daily Staff Reporter
Spring break for one group of students was
a deeply emotional experience in which they
explored the ideas and sites of the American
Civil Rights Movement and discovered its
legacy and the ongoing struggle for human
equality.
Sponsored by the Lloyd Hall Scholars Pro-
gram, a 14-student class and two teachers
went on a 2,500-mile tour through the South
to meet with many of the movement's organ-
izers and leaders, and to witness firsthand
how the movement really worked.
"It is so much fun to see students connect
with a subject on so many different levels,"
class organizer Joe Gonzalez said. "To watch
students get so inspired - that is just beauti-
ful."
In Cincinnati, the class met with the Rev.
Fred Shuttlesworth, a prominent leader in the
1963 Birmingham, Ala., Civil Rights march-
ies.
The class also met with organizers of the
1964 Freedom Summer in Mississippi, who
See CIVIL RIGHTS, Page 7A
Consumer confidence dips
after four months of gains
By Tepdorden
Daily Staff ReporterII Consumer sentiment levels since $ept. 11
Kathleen Collins, assistant profes-
sor of internal medicine, emphasized
the global impact of AIDS yesterday
as part of a lecture titled, "HIV and
AIDS: The Current Crisis."
One of the five leading causes of
death in the world, AIDS has devas-
tated the lives of more than 36 mil-
lion people and carries a death toll of
more than 20 million people world-
wide.
Most consumers no longer expect a rapid economic recov-
ery or feel positive about future job prospects, but they
believe the national recession is over, according to University
surveys. As a result, consumer spending attitudes are weaker,
the University's Index of Consumer Sentiment announced Fri-
day.
"Many consumers think the recession is over ... but that
the recovery is going to be weaker than expected," Richard
Curtin, director of the University's Surveys of Consumers,
said, noting an index reading above 90 is high enough to sup-
port a recovery.
The survey has received increased attention in recent
months as economists and market analysts look for signs that
the economy is moving out of recession. Consumer sentiment
is widely considered to be a harbinger of consumer spending,
which has remained high throughout the 12-month recession,
despite lowered investment spending by businesses. Con-
umermnding aount for aout two-thirdk of all economic
JOHN PRATT/Daily
Assistant professor of Internal medicine Kathleen Collins addressed students last
night regarding the state of AIDS in the world.
three adults in the region being a car- tend their homes," Collins said.
rier of the disease. In addition to lack of proper edu
"Subsistence families are especial- cation about the disease, Collins also
I~ U- __A I,;t ;~-+U-.-on "-m na tathe i rt. ,. i en -z M
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to
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ment fell for the first time in four months from January's level
of 93.0 to 90.7. The number is still markedly higher than last
September's reading of 81.8.
These findings support last week's statements by Federal
Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan to the House Committee
on Financial Services. Greenspan emphasized that while a
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