Tuesay
October 22,2002
02002 The Michigan Daily
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Vol. CXIII, No. 34
One-hundred-twelve years ofeditorialfreedom
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Sniper continues to wreak havoc in D.C. area
By Maria Sprow
Daily Staff Reporter
It's been almost three weeks since the Wash-
ington-area sniper began randomly attacking the
nation's capital, targeting victims while they
walk to school, mow their lawns and pump gas
into their cars.
The attacks have caused residents living near
the Washington area to change their routines,
stay at home more and go out less. Schools
have closed down. Grocery shopping is no
longer a priority.
"Everybody here is talking about it a lot. A lot
of parents are cautious," George Washington
University sophomore Annie Blinkoff said.
"My mom called me freaking out (Sunday)
and told me never to go outside again. I told her
I'd be careful, but there's really nothing I can
say," she added. "On campus, people for the
most part feel safe, but venturing off-campus -
most people try to avoid it."
"People are making it a point to stay close by,"
added her friend, George Washington sophomore
Sarah Weintraub.
Although the Montgomery County Police
Department yesterday seized two men taken
from outside a Richmond, Va. gas station, it was
only hours until authorities told The Associated
Press that the men were not involved in the
shootings and would be deported for immigra-
tion violations. The men were arrested after
police officers received a call from an unidenti-
fied person, believed to be the sniper, who some
believe is becoming more and more brazen with
each killing, officials said.
Nine people have died and three, including a
13-year-old boy, have been critically wounded
since the shootings started Oct. 2.
The victims come from a variety of back-
grounds and occupations. They include a land-
scaper, a taxi driver, a nanny and a father of six.
The ages of the victims range from 13 to 72.
With almost every shooting, the sniper has
mocked and taunted area police officers.
One shooting occurred across the street from a
police station, and authorities believe the sniper
has left several messages behind during other
shootings, including at least one tarot death card
that read "Dear Policeman, I am God," according
to The Richmond Times-Dispatch.
"This is a very difficult case," White House
spokesman Ari Fleischer said during his Oct. 15
press briefing. "This is a very trying case and a
difficult time for the communities involved, the
families involved. And law enforcement at the
federal level and the state level are doing every-
thing in their power to help resolve the crimes."
Though some have speculated that the shoot-
ings are the work of a terrorist, Auburn Universi-
ty sociology Prof. Tom Petee, co-editor of the
journal "Homicide Studies," said it's most likely
this serial killer is murdering for the excitement,
rather than political reasons.
See SNIPER, Page 7
M- Ta
U' asks judge to overturn
sexual harassment verdict
By Jeremy Berkowitz
Daily Staff Reporter
The University filed a motion Friday in
Washtenaw County Circuit Court asking to
overturn the verdict or grant a new trial in the
Maureen Johnson sexual harassment lawsuit
against the University. The motion will be dis-
cussed in court Nov. 13.
The University is asking the former presiding
judge to void the jury's verdict or grant a new
trial due to a lack of sufficient evidence and
failure to release certain medical records
regarding Johnson's psychological state.
"The evidence submitted at trial is insuffi-
cient as a matter of law to support the jury's
verdict on the hostile environment sexual
harassment claim," the University's attorneys
said in a brief. "Defendants have no way of
knowing what discovery regarding Plaintiff's
medical treatment might have yielded; Defen-
dants were denied the opportunity to find out."
Johnson, a former Music student, filed a law-
suit in 1999 against the University and former
Music Dean Paul Boylan on claims of sexual
harassment, retaliation, race discrimination and
discrimination. In the claim, she alleged she
was sexually harassed by former Music School
Prof. Pier Calabria during the 1997-1998 aca-
demic year. According to a brief written by
Johnson's attorney, Miranda Massie, Calabria
repeatedly made sexual advances and remarks
toward Johnson., "I can't-believe you're wear-
ing this sexy leopard shirt," Calabria allegedly
said to Johnson one day at her work-study job.
After complaining to Calabria, Johnson said
she was demoted in his orchestra. When she
went to University officials, like Dean Boylan,
she said they were unresponsive to her situa-
tion. Johnson withdrew from the University in
1998. Last April, Johnson's case was tried in
Washtenaw County Circuit Court. The jury
awarded Johnson $250,000 in damages.
University spokeswoman Julie Peterson said
this brief was filed because the University dis-
agreed with the jury's verdict.
"We've said pretty firmly that the University
does not tolerate sexual harassment and the idea
of having an environment free from sexual
harassment is very important to us," Peterson
said. "But in this particular case, we believe the
University did everything it should have done
and we believe the verdict was incorrect."
But Massie said the evidence against the Uni-
versity was overwhelming at trial. In regards to
medical records not provided, she said she gave
all records of Johnson's sessions with a marital
counselor but excluded notes from sessions with
Johnson and her husband together, and just her
husband's sessions because she did not think
they were relevant for the trial, adding she origi-
nally excluded other information in Johnson's
sessions, but later released them when she real-
ized she was wrong with the disclosure.
"I gave it to (the University's attorneys) and
that was that," Johnson said, adding that every-
thing was settled until the end of the trial.
"They were frantically looking for an excuse to
undermine our case."
In the brief, the University said Johnson was
misrepresented because the records could have
given other evidence to explain her distress.
Constitution Party
wants government
control reduced
JONATHON TRIEST/ Daily
Jimmy Lee Rodgers, originally from South Carolina, has been residing in Ann Arbor for more than 25
years. The city's new shelter aims to help people like Rodgers.
Ciy fAnn Aror
C b s
tbul n 0ewU It
The party will appear
on the Nov. 5 ballot as
the U.S. Taxpayers Party
By Louie Melzlish
Daily Staff Reporter
The United States is on the wrong
footing - that's the message of the
Constitution Party, one of five "third
parties" fielding candidates on the
Nov. 5 general election ballot in
Michigan.
But one problem the Constitution
Party faces is that it does not appear
under its current name, but rather as
the U.S. Taxpayers Party, its official
name until 1999.
At the time the party sought to
change its ballot designation, state
election officials told party members
changing the name would require
thousands of signatures all over again
as if the party had just been formed. -
So at least through the 2002 elec-
tion, Constitution Party nominees for
office in Michigan will appear with the
U.S. Taxpayers Party banner until the
party takes up the issue with the state
after the elections.
"The government's only role is to
protect you from me and me from you.
It's not to provide things - that's
socialism and
communism. But
we've got a big
bloated govern-
ment in Lansing,"
said Clara Pilchak,
the Constitution
MICIGANl Party nominee for
ICUHIG U R Dslieutenant gover-
ELECTID nor. "We can
do wnscale gov-
2OO 4.1ernment a whole
lot."
The Constitution Party generally
favors less taxes, smaller government,
few restrictions on gun carrying and
outlawing abortion.
"We are very definitely anti-abor-
tion, there's no reason for it," Pilchak
See TAXES Page 7
By Christopher Johnson
Daily Staff Reporter
The Shelter Association of Washtenaw County
staffs three facilities to support the homeless
looking for shelter in Ann Arbor. One building
sits in the middle of a flood plane while another
was condemned before it became a shelter. The
waiting list for a bed exceeds 100 names, and
those who sleep in the barracks-like facilities
must travel six blocks to receive food at the day-
shelter, which attempts to feed 125 people for
lunch each day with a kitchen about the size of a
cooking area in a studio apartment. The day-shel-
ter, formerly a warehouse, also features health
See SHELTER, Page 7
New INS website will
monitor foreign students
Sparks flying
By Nausheen S. Khan
For the Daily
The academic status of international stu-
dents in regard to their immigration status
while enrolled at the University will be moni-
tored by a new online data base by headed by
Immigration and Naturalization Services.
Items reported in the data base, scheduled
to launch by Jan. 30, include student enroll-
ment information, change of name or address,
any disciplinary action by the University as a
result of the student committing a crime and
early graduation, said Rudie Altamirano,
director of the International Center.
Last year, the Uniting and Strengthening
America by Providing Appropriate Tools
Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism
Act mandated full participation in the Student
to monitor international students until SEVIS
fully functioning.
"SEVIS is an Internet system that provides
users with access to accurate and current infor-
mation on non-immigrant foreign students,
exchange aliens and their dependents," Altami-
rano said. Reporting performance begins with
the Interim Student Exchange Authentication
System, requiring electronic evidence of visa
document authenticity in order for the visa to
be issued, he added.
Due to stricter rules and regulations, Altami-
rano said students should keep themselves
updated on issues regarding their trips.
"Right now we're experiencing visa delays. I
think it's critical for our students and scholars
who are planning to enter the United States to
plan ahead, to give themselves ample time and
allow for visa delays," Altamirano said. "My
U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), a leading congressional
opponent of the Iraqi war resolution, speaks at the Union.
Kucinich tells
'U' activists to*
create change
By Samantha Woil
Daily Staff Reporter
U.S. Representative and world-known activist Den-
nis Kucinich (D-Ohio) spoke yesterday with students
and community members on the various issues sur-
rounding war and peace with Iraq, calling upon mem-
bers of the University community to organize as a
group in order to implement change in the future.
Many students - who said they were exhausted from
all of the pro-war rhetoric being expressed by certain
media and the Bush administration - actively partici-
pated with Kucinich in a discussion over many of the
critical issues embedded within this hot debate.
Kucinich stressed the importance of grassroots
activism and encouraged audience members to "show
people the power that they do have" and reach out in
order to get other community members involved and
educated.
"The voting movement didn't start in Washington -
it started in the streets," Kucinich said, emphasizing the
significance of communities on a local level becoming
Mike Haataja, an employee at TH Steel, welds at the Tower Plaza
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