LOCAL/STATE The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, April 2, 2002 - 3 First day of registration goes smoothly Resident ingests unknown fluid A caller reported that a person ingest- ed an unknown car chemical in Alice Lloyd Residence Hall Friday. The liquid was believed to be transmission fluid, Department of Public Safety reports state. The person was transported to the University Hospital Emergency Room. Large rock thrown in to car window A very large rock, estimated at 20 pounds, was thrown in to the front left window of a car parked in the Hubbard Street parking lot over the weekend. The vehicle owner found his glove box open after leaving the vehicle in the structure overnight, DPS reports state. Person found drunk outside Northwood A caller reported Saturday that a person was standing in the middle of a courtyard in the Northwood V Family Housing Unit possibly drunk. The per- son was charged with a minor in pos- session and released, according to DPS reports. Early morning fight breaks out in Union A fight was reported early Sunday morning at the Michigan Union between two males and a female. A person said he was punched in the mouth before the suspect fled on foot, according to DPS reports. The suspect was described as a white male, 6-foot-4. Markley resident attempts suicide A Mary Markley Residence Hall resident was transported to the Univer- sity Hospital Emergency Room Thurs- day after sustaining self-inflicted cuts on her forearm in a possible suicide attempt, DPS reports state. Woman taken from Chem Building for alcohol overdose A woman was transported to the University Hospital Emergency Room from the Chemistry Building for a pos- sible alcohol overdose Thursday evening, according to DPS reports. Man found snoring disrupts professor, assaults officers A man was reported sleeping in a restroom outside of a professor's office in Angell Hall Friday, after the man's snoring caused the professor to lose focus of his work and call DPS. DPS officers arrived at the scene, where the suspect assaulted them, reports state. The two officers received injuries, and the suspect was jailed. West Quad resident * charged with MIP A West Quad Residence Hall resi- dent was taken to the University Hospital Emergency Room Friday for possible alcohol poisoning. The resident was charged with a minor in possession, according to DPS reports. Person damages computer after tripping in office A caller reported Friday morning that he tripped over his computer, knocked it on the floor of his office and damaged the screen and case, DPS reports state. The incident occurred at the Industrial & Operations Engineering Building. Cell phone stolen * from unlocked car A caller reported Saturday morning that his cell phone was stolen from his vehicle parked in the Church Street Parking Lot. The vehicle was unlocked, according to DPS reports. - Compiled by Daily News Editor Lisa Hoffman. Registrar's Office encourages people to use new extended hours. By Kara Wenzel Daily Staff Reporter Despite delays during past semesters' regis- tration periods, students were able to register for classes yesterday on Wolverine Access without a problem. "We monitor the system comprehensively between seven and two in the morning every day," Linda Green, coordinator of system communications for the Michigan Adminis- tration Information Services, said. "We've had a good day today." Many students agreed there have not been any problems with registration so far. "I've never really had any problems, but I usually get pretty early registration times," LSA junior Dinah Ramirez said. Last semester, many undergraduate stu- dents in the first registration group were unable to register on their designated regis- tration day due to problems with the Wolver- ine Access website. Every student in the remaining registration group was pushed back two days to allow computer specialists to fix the problem. "We identified the problem very quickly, but it took some time to resolve it," Green said. "So we had to set up a temporary old fashioned registration system with pen and Green said it is possible the system could encounter delays and glitches in the next two weeks. "As more appointments come up during this week, the evening hours will get very busy," she added. "The more students who try to register at the same time, the busier it will get, so we're encouraging students to ule the new extended hours between 12 and 2 a.m. and late mornings to register." Green said last fall there were not many students using Wolverine Access during the new extended hours. "But it's a good time because there's not much use of the system, so we encourage stu- dents to use it then." Last semester, the Registrar's Office intro- duced a backpack system to allow students to search and store their course selections online before they register. "It was something students said they want- ed and we've had lots of good feedback from it," Green said. Green said using 'the backpack or at least working out a schedule beforehand on paper can help minimize delays. "Planning ahead certainly is one way stu- dents can make sure they get in and out quickly," she added. Students seem to agree the new backpack feature is useful. "It hasn't been a problem registering since I just entered all of the classes in my back- pack and everything worked," LSA freshman Sarah Smith said. "It seems like there is always something new to figure out every semester, but so far it has been pretty easy," Ramirez said. paper. "However, once the again, it stayed up." system came back up Bumpin' away AATU kicked out of Union, prompts allocationq uestions DEBBIE MIZ E/Daily Members of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity and Kappa Kappa Gamma sorouity play against each other in a game of volleyball yesterday as part of Greek Week. Clean Community Program amended By Maria Sprow Daily Staff Reporter 4 m U By Jordan Schrader Daily Staff Reporter The Ann Arbor Tenants Union, formed to protect tenants' rights against unscrupulous landlords, is now being evicted by its own landlord - the University. The Office Space Allocation Committee, which distrib- utes offices in the Michigan Union to student groups, has denied AATU's request to retain its office. OSAC member Peter Apel, an LSA senior, said the committee's decision is final. "AATU is not a true student group in that it does not have student leadership," Apel said. "Because it is run by an employee, they're more like an organization masquerading as a student group." A number of student volunteers work for AATU, but the union is directed by Amy Kullenberg, a paid employee. A board of 11 people, including five students, controls the organization. Kullenberg disagreed with OSAC's assessment saying, "We feel like we addressed all their concerns. We feel like we're a legitimate student group.... We provide a real stu- dent-driven service." "(OSAC) seems to be a kind of secret society," she added. "It's just a group that comes together to do these particular things, and then they disband, and there doesn't seem to be any accountability." Three Michigan Student Assembly members, three Michigan Union Board of Representatives members and two other students make up the committee. Members of various student groups also voiced their uncertainty about OSAC's decision-making process. LSA senior Eric Feldman, who chairs the College Democrats, said the committee's decisions are often arbitrary. "They don't really understand the nature of what groups do," he said. "They're making decisions based on low amounts of information." The College Democrats went through a lengthy reapplica-, tion process before receiving their office space this year. Feldman said part of the problem is that OSAC does not meet with student groups, basing its decision solely on information submitted in an application. Kullenberg agreed that OSAC's decisions should be held to public discussion. "We feel like that (OSAC's) process has been very secre- tive," she said. "We requested a meeting with them and they denied it." Agreeing that his board would benefit from student group input and clearer standards, Apel said he would like to see a student group liaison on OSAC and a clarification of which qualifications should take priority in making decisions. "I think OSAC suffers from having vague policy," Apel said. "There's so many factors we're supposed to consider, it's difficult to consider which factors are applicable." But OSAC member Brandon White said if the commit- tee's latitude to make an individual decision on each case is reduced, it will lose its ability to give offices to small but growing and worthy groups. He gave the example of Dance Marathon, which he said had little influence on campus when the group first applied -for office space but has since become an organization with a major presence. "Had we denied them an office space because of num- bers, we wouldn't have the grandiose events like we do now," White said. Although Apel said AATU provides a useful function for the community, he compared it to student service groups like the Sexual Assault Prevention and Aware- ness Center that receive space as University depart- ments. "When you look at what they are as far as their organiza- tion ... they're more like a department 'of the University than a student group," he said. AATU would like to change its status to something like that of SAPAC ,but needs time to make the transition, Kul- lenberg said. In the meantime, she said office space is vital for the services the union provides the University communi- ty. "We need to have a physical space that students and community members can come to for services," she said. An office in the Michigan Union is ideal because of its central location near many campus housing areas, she said, adding that it would be difficult to find new space because AATU has traditionally been antagonistic toward landlords. Even if the group does find space, she explained, "the cost would be prohibitive." With a $1 increase in student fees to fund AATU pending approval by the University Board of Regents, the union may have more money to spend. But Kullen- berg said she is worried the union's new need for office space will consume that money, prohibiting it from being used to help students. AATU's eviction means other, more legitimate stu- dent groups can use their space, Apel said, stressing the large amount of space needed by the union. "An (AATU) office means three other student groups would be pushed off. They're not three times the student group everyone else is." Rackham student Jessica Curtin said AATU deserves the space and the decision against it is motivated by dislike of the union by MSA representatives on OSAC. "I've been on MSA for several years and there's always been people opposed to giving money to the AATU and sup- porting them," she said. "I definitely think it's political dis- crimination against the AATU." She said her group, the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action and Integration and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary, was denied space until recently because committee members see it as a politically radical group. "The decisions have to be made on a more objective basis," she said. "I think there's too much room for political discrimination or audience." Students living in off-campus housing will now officially have to be extra careful to pick up any litter found in their yards, after members ,of the Ann Arbor City Council voted last night to amend parts of the Clean Community Program. The amend- ments would make it easier for the city to fine and ticket landowners whose yards are considered unsightly due to solid waste. Though the new amendments could cause rental companies to fine tenants who do not follow the pro- gram, Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje said the new provisions were not designed to harm students. "It's really kind of a student- friendly ordinance because they are the ones that have to live there," he said. The program would require that both tenants and landlords be given a warning that their lawns are too clut- tered. If the clutter is not picked up, the landlord will be fined, but that fine can be transferred to students if it is added to the leasing agreements. Hieftje said the number of yards that currently fail to meet the city's standards for cleanliness are over- whelming. "In 12 minutes (driving), we spot- ted 20 properties that would be tick- eted under the new ordinance.... There was one yard that had 28 or 30 newspapers in their yard." he said. "They have been given plenty of notice." Members of the American Federa- tion of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 369, the local labor union for city employees, spoke in front of the council to voice concern over the speed and status of their cur- rent contract negotiations, which have been in progress for the last nine months. "The city prides itself as being pn the cutting edge of many things, but labor union contract negotiations do not seem to be one of them," Union President Don Ratliff said. "The --in L4IIIIIIuti we spotted 20 properties that would be ticketed under the new ordinance. - John Hieftje Ann Arbor Mayor city's negotiating tactics seem to be treating us like an illegal substance, in other words, 'just say no,' to our requests." Union member Jeff Kahan said despite the city's refusal to compro- mise, the union is not considering undergoing a work-action, such as the day-long walk-out members of the University's Graduate Employee Organization staged during their con- tract negotiations, because it would disrupt city life. But he added that he believes the union's decision to decline taking those measures has remained unnoticed. "Our dedication to professionalism has not resulted in contract negotia- tions being expedited," Kahan said. The members asked council mem- bers to not cut the wages of the city's employees in exchange for heavy wage increases for city administra- tors and directors. "Their salaries were recently increased in order to attract a higher caliber of person and I'm not saying that these individuals do not deserve that money, I'm just asking for the same consideration for my fellow union members," Ratliff said. "Your city employees' lifestyles are sinking. How does it look when your low-income hous- ing projects are becoming the low- income AFSCME employees housing projects?" City council members did not comment about the negotiations dur- ing the meeting. p 1 correwtion: The Holi celebration was sponsored by the Indian Students Association and not Hindu students, as was reported in yesterday's Daily on page 7A. THE CALENDAR What's happening in Ann Arbor today tAdvertiesers: The deadline to place an ad in our graduation section is Tuesday, April 2 at 2:30. This broadsheet section offers the chance to congratulate or say farewell to all the University of Michigan graduates- wish them well or welcome them to your company as The Michigan Daily reflects on major events of the past four years. EVENTS "9/:1. From a Gaza Refugee Camp: Did the Children Dance?"; Spon- Center University Choir and Concert Band Perfor- mance; Sponsored by the School of Music, 8 Sponsored by the Univer- sity Museum of Art, 10 a.m., Museum of Art Alumni Memorial Hall SERVICES Campus information Centers, 764INFO, info@umich.edu, or www.umich.edu/ info S.A.F.E. Walk, 763-WALK,