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One hundred eleven years ofeditorialfreedom
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NEWS: 76-DAILY
CLASSIFIED: 764-0557
wwwmichigandally.com
Tuesday,
March 5, 2002,
e Na
United
Way ends
funding of
Boy Scouts
By Kara Wenzel
~'Daily Staff Reporter
a.Peepin torn
E -
causes doubt
over securi
The Washtenaw United Way
Board of Directors voted last
Wednesday to discontinue giving
community funds to the Boy Scouts
of America because several of their
supporters expressed concern about
the Boy Scouts policy against
admitting homosexuals into the
organization.
Every fall, the United Way has a
fundraising campaign and the Univer-
sity is a major supporter. Last fall the
University brought in over $1 million
of the $8.8 million raised.
In the futune, the Boy Scouts may
still receive funding from United
Way if donors specify their money
go directly to the Boy Scouts, but
no additional undesignated funds
will be given to the Boy Scouts.,
Bob Poole, executive director of
the Great Sauk Trail Council, said
"our relationship with United Way
has always been a good one and I
think they were basically pressured
into this situation by U of M. The
real victims here are kids."
Poole said the Boy Scouts
received about $94,000 in commu-
nity funds from United Way last
year. Starting in July 2003, no more
money from this fund will be given
to the Boy Scouts.
The Scouts receive about $33,000
in designated donations, Poole said,
only about a third of what the com-
munity fund provides.
"As you know, we had several
public sector employers express
concern about the Boy Scouts poli-
cies," Charlotte Luttrell, Washtenaw
United Way marketing director,
said. "Also, we are in the process of
planning our 2002 campaign."
* The Washtenaw United Way
building was set on fire two weeks
ago, in an incident that authorities
ruled as arson. Luttrell said the fire
did not influence the board's deci-
sion to cut funding for the Boy
Scouts in any way.
The University community was
not the only group to voice concern
to United Way about Boy Scouts'
policies.
"I think the United Way was lis-
tening to a number of constituents
when they made this decision," Uni-
versity spokeswoman Julie Peterson
said. "Members of the University
community were among those with
concerns, and so the University
passed those concerns on to United
Way."
The Michigan Student Assembly
and some faculty groups have spo-
ken out against the University's
connection with United Way
because they think the Boy Scouts'
policy against homosexuals seemed
inconsistent with the University's
See UNITED WAY, Page 7
KELLY LIN/Daily
Students and residents of the Ann Arbor community rallied yesterday on behalf of Palestinian rights In Israel. The rally started
on the steps of the Michigan Union and ended on the Diag.
Palestinian protesters
call fior end to fighting
By Jeremy Berkowitz
and Rob Goodspeed
Daily Staff Reporters
Students were welcomed back to
classes yesterday with freezing temper-
atures and the increasing crime wave
plaguing campus this year. Another
peeping tom incident, the 12th since
October 2001, happened in South Quad
Residence Hall yesterday morning.
An LSA freshman was showering
when she heard someone come in the
bathroom and saw her towel move.
"There was a shadow in the stall next
to me," she said. "I looked down and
there was someone's face"
Although she was not wearing her
glasses, the victim described the victim
as a young black male.
Last month, University Housing in
collaboration with the Department of
Public Safety introduced new safety
precautions in the residence halls after
noticing a growing pattern of peeping
tom incidents and home invasions. The
precautions included locking all
entrances 24-hours-a-day and increas-
ing the presence of DPS officers. Still,
there have been three incidents in the
three weeks since the precautions were
introduced.
Engineering freshman Dana
Badeen said she does not believe
locked doors will prevent crime activ-
ity from occurring.
"If anybody wants to get in, the door
locks aren't going to stop them. ... I
wouldn't mind showing my ID at the
door if it would keep someone from
looking at me in the shower," she said.
LSA freshman Erica Irland said
the recent crimes have made her
more cautious.
"In the beginning of the year, I wasn't
as careful;' Irland said. "When I sham-
poo, I'm afraid to shut my eyes. A lot of
the other girls I talk to know what I'm
talking about."
DPS spokeswoman Diane Brown
defended the department's efforts say-
ing crime prevention is a collective
responsibility which involves the offi-
cers, faculty and students.
"There is only so much that a public
safety department or university can do;"
she said. "They can only go so far par-
ticularly in a place that values commu-
nity responsibility."
Brown said that, while there has been
a rise in incidents, people are giving
more accurate descriptions of suspects
and suspicious people.
"Thieves are willing to be seen," she
said.
Brown also said that, despite the rise,
most of the incidents have fortunately
See CRIME, Page 7
By Karen Schwartz
Daily Staff Reporter
More than 100 activists carried Pales-
tinian flags and signs calling for justice
and an end to the Israeli occupation of
the West Bank and Gaza Strip in a
protest yesterday throughout campus.
The event, which traveled from
the steps of the Michigan Union to
the Diag, began with a memorial and
reading of the names of the people
killed in the Middle East conflict
since last Thursday.
Event organizer Fadi Kiblawi, a
member of Students Allied for Freedom
and Equality, cited the loss of life on
both the Israeli and Palestinian sides
that took place over the University's
Spring Break and said the protest was
intended to send the message that
"enough is enough."
"It's very easy to repeat the calls for
a halt to the cycle of violence, but if
the past 17 months have taught us any-
thing, it has taught us that words won't
do it," he said. "The root of the cycle
needs to be pulled, and that would be
the Israeli occupation of the West Bank
and Gaza and the continued denial of
basic human rights of the Palestinian
people."
See PROTEST, Page 7
U
ranks second in number
_- _ k
Vt a. 'V
of Peace Corps volunteers
By Shannon Pettypiece
Daily Staff Reporter
Forty-two years since the Peace Corps
was first proposed by presidential candi-
date John F. Kennedy on the steps of the
Michigan Union, the University continues
to lead the country in civil service, rank-
ing second for the number of graduates
currently serving in the Peace Corps.
Currently 76 University alums are serv-
ing in the Peace Corps in 135 countries.
The University of Wisconsin at Madison
is the only school that outranks the Uni-
versity of Michigan, with 96 former stu-
dents in the Peace Corps.
This year's second place ranking is an
improvement for the University.
It ranked sixth last year with 69 alumni
serving.
"The Peace Corps has enjoyed a strong
relationship with these great schools over
the years, and we are grateful for the
ongoing recruitment support provided to
the Peace Corps by the faculty and staff,"
Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez said
in a written statement.
"To support President Bush's goal to
double the number of Peace Corps volun-
teers over the next five years and build
upon the valuable humanitarian work of
Peace Corps at home and abroad, we will
be creating more opportunities for Ameri-
cans to serve around the world and to
bring those experiences back home," he
added.
Marry Beth Damm, associate director of
the Edward Ginsburg Center for Commu-
nity Service and Learning, said she
believes a combination of the poor econo-
my and the events of Sept. 11 have had an
equal effect on students' interest in 'the
Peace Corps and other service programs.
"I think the economy has a large effect,
personally. I come to find when the econ-
omy is difficult the number of student
interested in the Peace Corps goes up,"
Damm said.
But University Peace Corps representa-
tive Lisa Bobrowski said she believes
many of the students counted in the rank-
ing made the decision to volunteer before
Sept. 11 or the economic recession.
The increase in students interested in
volunteer work can not be isolated to the
Peace Corps, Damm added.
"I have noticed a number of applica-
tions for Teach for America going up and
when that that happens Peace Corp's usu-
See PEACE CORPS, Page 7
FOR A FAIR
CONTRACT N{W
Vi,
'I
I
Ann Arbor ranked third
* sa est U.S. city for women
KELLY UN/Dali
University alum and GEO staff member Rodolfo Palma-L.ullon
collects ballots yesterday on the Diag for a possible strike.
Profs. plan
for possible
GSI strike
By Jordan Schrader'
Daily Staff Reporter
By Rahwa Ghebre-Ab .
Daily Staff Reporter Safest Cit
Ann Arbor rank
The more than 19,000 female stu- small cities for w
dents at the University should be
pleased to know that Ann'Arbor has 0 Madison, Wis.
been named the third safest small city in Alexandria, Va. r
the country for women in a study con-
ducted by Ladies' Home Journal. The survey exE
Cities were ranked on various factors, the number of w
including the city's economy. The econ- 'ment and healthc
omy was examined by the size of the
wage gap between males and females, Healthy habits
the percentage of women-owned busi- ined, including t
nesses and the overall job growth. attendance.
The lifestyles of the city inhabitants
were also considered, including the availability of ladies'
restrooms and whether women will have good hair days
based on prevailing weather conditions.
"I've never had any problems here," Tanya Hosking, an
amr n- atChnM nnn nnWi urm- trot-ta."Everv-
y rankings
ked third among
romen's safety,
ranked first, and
anked second.
armined lifestyles,
omen in the govern-
care availability.
swere also exam-
he frequency of gym
halls.
for women and whether or not women
are more or less likely to practice
healthy habits, like going to the gym or
getting mammograms also topped the
lists.
University employee Judi Stonik said,
"Ann Arbor is a place with great
schools and a lot of good comes from
that."
Among the other cities in the top ten
are Madison, Wis., and Alexandria, Va.,
taking the first and second spots respec-
tively.
Some students did not find the study
surprising despite the recent string of
peeping toms and thefts in the residence
With the possibility of a graduate stu-
dent instructor walk-out on Monday and
an extended strike afterward, University
professors face the loss of an integral
part of their classes. Some faculty mem-
bers expressed 'tentative support for the
GSIs' right to strike but agreed classes
will go on without them.
"My sense is the faculty in general $, ~
supports GSIs," English Prof. Laurence
Goldstein said.
Engineering Prof. Bruce Karnopp O k
said he has reservations about whetheraPg3
strike is appropriate, explaining that GSIs have a duty
to their work. He conceded it may be one of the few
ways they can pressure the University to address their
"I've never really felt threatened on this campus. It's
pretty safe," Pharmacy junior Sejal Parikh said.,
Other students do not believe Ann Arbor is particularly
saf or danerous
LSA freshman Shelly Kitain (left) and LSA sophomore Jennifer
Alban stand at the city limits on Washtenaw Road. A report
released yesterday ranked Ann Arbor the third safest small city
In the U.S.
Ladies' Home Journal surveyed cities across the country
: :
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