Weatr
TODAY:
Wednesday
January 8, 2003
02003 The Michigan Daily
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Vol. CXIII, No. 69
One-hundred-twelve years of editorialfreedom
Cloudy
during
the day
clearing
bylate
eveninag.
ARM
LOW: 35
'1tomorrow-.
37123
wwwmkhigandaily.com
-----------
ego IBM - -- ---------------- ----------------- ---- M-
Consumer
confidence
rises amid
war threats
By Lydia K. Leung
Daily Staff Reporter
Consumer confidence rose last
month despite concerns about a
possible war with Iraq, slow
improvements in the job market and
the restarting of a North Korean
nuclear plan, according to the Uni-
versity's Index of Consumer Senti-
ment.
The index rose to 86.7 points in
December from 84.2 in November,
indicating consumers are more opti-
mistic about the economy than in
the previous month.
These numbers are still far below
the recent high of 96.9 recorded in
May 2002.
Although the survey showed an
improvement in consumer confi-
dence, consumers are still cautious
with their spending, according to
reports from the Bank of Tokyo-
Mitsubishi and UBS Warburg.
Retail sales indicate that this was
the worst holiday shopping season
in almost 30 years.
"For most consumers, they are
now in a hunker down mood," Busi-
ness Prof. Joel Slemrod said.
"The situation in Iraq and in
North Korea have a lot of uncertain-
ty to the future for both ... is one
reason that both consumers and
businesses are adopting a certain
wait-and-see attitude and why con-
sumers are looking to build their
assets rather than to spend".
Slemrod said the proposal to end
personal income taxes on corporate
dividends, a centerpiece of the eco-
nomic plan announced by President
Bush yesterday, is not likely to
stimulate much additional consumer
spending.
"Taxes are reduced, but the
majority of consumers are unlikely
to go out to spend that money and
they are more likely going to save it
or pay down their debts," he added.
LSA sophomore .Joe Galante is
among those who feel optimistic
See INDEX, Page 7
INS deadline
looms closer
for foreigners
By Layla J. Merritt
For the Daily
Citizens of some foreign coun-
tries who are in the United States,
including University students,
could face deportation if they do
not register with the Immigration
and Naturalization Service by Fri-
day.
That is the deadline for the sec-
ond group of non-immigrant aliens
to register with the INS under the
newly implemented National Secu-
rity Entry-Exit Registration Sys-
tem, which requires male aliens
older than 16 and holding tempo-
rary visas to complete a special reg-
istration with the INS.
The registration, which must be
met by one of three deadlines,
began Dec. 16 and ends Feb. 21,
and is only applicable to persons
from 22 countries - which, except
for North Korea, have large Muslim
populations. Citizens from Algeria,
Lebanon and North Korea are
among those who must register by
Friday, while Saudis and Pakistanis
have until Feb. 21.
Law Prof. Nick Rine said there
are hundreds of thousands of peo-
ple in the United States who do not
have proper visas. Of the 19 Sept.
11 hijackers, three were in the
country on expired visas.
"If they are not in a legal status,
they can be detained. Detention
means they are put in jail. The INS
is renting a lot of space right now,"
he said, adding that in Michiga non-
immigrants are sent to jails in Cal-
houn or Monroe counties.
INS officials said 400 men were
detained in Southern California
after the December registration
date, but most were released within
three days, the Associated Press
reported.
Slim Mchela, a finance student
who is permitted to study at Eastern
Michigan University on educational
visa, registered with the INS five
weeks before his deadline.
Mchela was required to check in
with the INS at the airport on his
way home to Tunisia over Winter
Break.
"Each time I leave to go to anoth-
er country, I have to call the immi-
gration officer to come and
fingerprint and photograph me,"
Mchela said. Although Mchela
reported that the INS officers were
sympathetic, he said he was initial-
ly annoyed by the extra attention he
received in the airport.
"At first, it bothered me because
I was the only one. The whole plane
was waiting for me because I have
an Arab name." Mchela said.
See INS, Page 7
BRETT MOUNTAIJN/Daily
New parents Jaehak Woo and Youngsook Seo of Wixom, pass characters and Christmas decorations in the lobby of C.S. Mott
Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor yesterday afternoon.
Mott gets high marks
in magazine's rankings
By Michael Gurovitsch
For the Daily
As her six-year-old son Sokia receives his fourth
round of chemotherapy, Deborah Kelbert takes notice
of the superior level of care he recieves at the C.S.
Mott Children's Hospital.
Kelbert said the staff makes an effort to always
include rice, one of Sokia's favorite foods, on its menu.
"They really care about the kids. They also treat the
whole family," she added.
Child Magazine has also noticed the hospital's quali-
ty of care too. It ranked Mott as the fifth best pediatric
care facility in the nation. Mott, the only hospital in
Michigan to be named in the top 10, was ranked ninth
in last year's study. Top honors went to the Children's
Hospital of Philadelphia.
Mott officials are pleased with the results.
"We have a commitment to continually improve,
which is part of our culture," said Patricia Warner,
assistant hospital director.
"We don't do that for the rankings. However, receiving
national recognition for our excellence is energizing."
Karen Cicero, senior editor of Child Magazine, cited
Mott pediatric cardiology program, dialysis program,
neuroblastoma research and emotional support services
as reasons for Mott selection. "Mott has 50 support
groups for patients and families, the most of any in the
survey. They also distribute over 17,000 new books to
patients through the giving library," Cicero said.
"We are one of the best congenital heart children's
hospitals in the world," Warner said.
Child Magazine investigated the estimated 100 full
members of the National Association of Children's
Hospitals, then narrowed its search to 54 based on
information provided by the Joint Commission of
Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, an inde-
pendent, non-profit organization.
The magazine then sent surveys to the hospitals,
which were developed by a panel of pediatric health-
care professionals. "The survey itself was very compre-
hensive," Warner said. She added that the survey
See MOTT, Page 7
Granhoim inherits
tbleak outlook for
higher ed, funds
ISR plans survey of local Arab values
By Emily Kraack
Daily Staff Reporter
The University's Institute for Social Research has
an ambitious New Year's resolution. This spring, the
ISR is set to launch a study investigating social val-
ues within the Detroit-area Arab American and
Chaldean community. In addition, investigators
hope the study will begin to break down stereotypes
held by many non-Arabs.
The principal investigators are Profs. Wayne
Baker and Ron Stockton of the University's Dear-
born campus. Stockton said he believes the study
will show the Arab American community shares
many of the traits valued by non-Arabs. "I think
you'll find a lot of convergence," Stockton said. "I
think we'll find that Arabs and non-Arabs are very
similar on a whole variety of things."
Specifically, Stockton cited that - like other
Americans - members of the Arab community
are very family-oriented. He said the Arab-Ameri-
can community is also diverse, something com-
monly associated with American society but often
overlooked when referring to Arab Americans.
"(There are) wealthy and poor Arabs, Christians,
Muslims and different groups within those cate-
gories," Stockton said.
LSA senior Ehab El Sharkawy said tha, in his
experience, values within the Arab community are
much the same as values in other American groups.
"For the most part, the values are similar," he said.
"It's not like we have this alien system of values
that conflicts," adding that both groups value
democracy, freedom of speech and religion, honesty
and hard work.
An investigator for the ISR survey team, polit-
ical science Prof. Mark Tessler said a main goal
of the study is to give a voice to the people of
the Arab-American community. "There's a lot of
misinformation and stereotypes about the com-
munity, and we hope to dispel those," he said.
Accurate portrayals of their community is
important for Arab Americans, Stockton said,
which is why many leaders of the community are
working with the survey team. "We want to do it
right," Stockton said. "There's so much bad
information."
El Sharkawy, who was born and raised in
Detroit, said he believes the key to clearing up
misconceptions held about the Arab community
lies in giving the community a personal face.
"There is a large population of Americans who
have not interacted with Arabs," he said. He added
that he feels this makes people more prone to use
stereotypes.
El Sharkawy also said the media disseminate
misinformation about the Arab community. "The
media plays a huge role in people's perceptions," he
said. The survey's effectiveness "depends on how
well those results are publicized," he said.
The study continues the ISR's annual tradition
of surveying 1,000 Detroit-area residents to
learn more about specific issues. Past studies
sought information on smoking, health issues
and education. After the Detroit race riots in
1967, the survey focused on racial attitudes of
whites and blacks.
The survey will involve face-to-face inter-
views with what Stockton described as "scientif-
ically randomly selected" Arab Americans and
Chaldeans as well as 500 randomly selected
members of the Detroit population in general.
Detroit has one of the largest and most diverse
(Arab and Chaldean communities in the world.
Chaldean refers to a group of Christians from
northern Iraq. There are about a quarter of a mil-
lion people of Arab or Chaldean origins living in
Detroit, according to Stockton.
New governor faces
budget challenges
affecting the University
By Christopher Johnson
Daily Staff Reporter
While a new governor has taken
the helm of the state government,
the trend of declining provisions for
higher education will likely contin-
ue this year. Gov. Jennifer
Granholm's spokeswoman, Mary
Dettloff, said Granholm would
allow more funding if the money
were available, but the $1.8 to $2
billion deficit will most likely
reduce the grant to the University.
Granholm will release her budget
proposal in March.
"It's a complicated mess that
we've inherited from the last
administration," Dettloff said. "The
first year or two is going to be very
difficult because of the enormous
budget deficit we face. The cuts
will probably be very painful and
pretty much everything is on the
table."
The only area of state funding
that would assuredly retain all pre-
vious funding will be K-12 educa-
tion, Dettloff said.
The state establishes its budget
plan in a method similar to that of
the federal government. The gover-
nor proposes a budget to the state
Legislature for its members to
review, amend and approve.
Former Democratic state Sen.
Alma Wheeler Smith expressed
similar doubts that the state govern-
ment could retain its previous fund-
ing for higher education.
"Unless the Legislature takes a
couple of steps, there will definitely
be cuts in the University appropria-
tions from last year," she said.
Smith said that the Legislature
might avoid the budgets cuts if it
delayed the income tax reduction
planned for this year.
"If the cut were delayed, the Leg-
islature might not reduce (funding)
from last year's appropriations or at
least not to the degree it would be
otherwise," she said.
Having experienced a reduction
in funding from the government
during the last fiscal year, Universi-
ty Provost Paul Courant said he is
preparing for a similar cut in
March.
"We've taken a small cut already.
See BUDGET, Page 7
Paper creations
1500 years of Bibles
on display at library
By Andrew McCormack
Daily Staff Reporter
Some of the rarest Biblical documents in the world are now on display in an
exhibit at the University's Collections Library, a division of the Harlan Hatcher
Graduate Library.
The display, "From Papyri to King James: The Evolution of the English
Bible," ends Saturday.
"It chronicles the development of the Bible, with emphasis on the New Testa-
ment, from the year 119 to 1611.
"Visitors to the exhibit really are able to get a sense for how the text first
looked and how it survived until the printing press," said Kathryn Beam, curator
for humanities collections in the Special Collections Library.
"The bulk of the exhibit is original material - papyri, medieval manuscripts,
and the early printed bibles."
All of the documents on display come from University collections, she said.
See BIBLE, Page 7
DANNY MOLOSHOK/Daily
Students Katrina Alspaugh and Kristen Donnay
observe Oragmi being made in the Union.
The University's Special Collections Library is featuring Bibles as part of "From Papyri to King James:
The Evolution of the English Bible," which ends Saturday.