LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, October 30, 2002 - 3
THIS WEEK
lem . ata "
Palestinian conference funded by MSA
Oct. 30, 1970
Almost 150 women yelling mili-
tant slogans and howling witches'
shrieks marched through Ann Arbor
"haunting and hexing" nine symbolic
places including University President
Robben Fleming's house, the Law
Quad and a pornography store. They
chanted, "Beware we warn all merce-
nary men, we women are rising, we'll
be back again!"
Oct. 30, 1971
A contingent of anti-Vietnam War
Veterans released 100 black bal-
loons - each representing 15,000
American and Asian deaths - to the
accompaniment of taps during half-
time of the Michigan-Indiana foot-
ball game.
Oct. 30, 1973
University sophomore James
Warner, who spent six years in a
North Vietnamese prison camp after
being shot down in Oct. 1967, spoke
to a small crowd at the Modern Lan-
guage Building about the harsh treat-
ment he received at the hands of his
captors.
S Oct. 31, 1912
The "long heralded and long-
sought after" first issue of The Gar-
goyle went on sale. The issue
contained "shocking exposes of fra-
ternity methods calculated to inspire
the coldest shiver in the heart of the
boldest freshman."
Nov. 1, 1947
Nearly 100 students attempted to seal
off the West Hall Engineering Arch with
cinder blocks as a late Halloween prank,
completing three layers. Reports said the
police approached and said "I'll give you
exactly two minutes to get out of here. If
I find any of you on the streets after two
minutes, I'll run you in for loitering."
When the students did not move, one
was arrested. The rest of the students
were driven away by security guards
wielding fire hoses.
Nov. 1, 1954
The Literary College faculty voted
to ask the school to grant severance
pay to a professor who was dismissed
for refusing to testify before the House
Un-American Affairs Committee.
Nov. 2, 1936
In a Daily poll of University faculty
members, 10 voted for the Communist
Party's presidential candidate Earl
Browder. A University regent said all
10 should be dismissed, while another
said, "It is a good thing that we do have
some Communists here. It is up to our
youth and our intelligent men ... to
keep our thinking progressive."
Nov. 2, 1983
A University official said the first
steps of divestment from racially seg-
regated South Africa would begin dur-
ing that month. Sale of the estimated
$54 million of stock was approved by
the regents in April, and was delayed
as officials worked to determine
which companies had a substantial
number of employees in Michigan -
a qualification exempting a stock
from divestment.
Nov. 3, 1956
About 30 demonstrators protested
the campus visit of Russian offi-
cials observing American elections.
The Latvian, Lithuanian and
Ukrainian students met the Russians
in the Michigan Union holding
posters proclaiming: "Don't Deal
with Henchman" and "Latvia wants
freedom."
Nov. 3, 1970
The Undergraduate Library was
shut down for the sixth bomb threat
in four days. The building was evacu-
ated after a caller threatened to deto-
nate a bomb, but no sign of
explosives was found.
Nov. 4, 1968
More than 2,000 students rallied on
the front lawn of University President
Robben Fleming's home to demand
that he end all military research at the
University. The protesters also asked
that students be given a greater voice in
University affairs. Fleming met the stu-
dents on his porch and said, "All war
research has both military and civilian
applications."
. I E 1; Qa2d
MSA sponsored tailgate
party Saturday will educate
students about ballot proposal
By Carmen Johnson
Daily Staff Reporter
After debate stirred at last night's Michigan
Student Assembly meeting as constituents
spoke for and against MSA funding the Pales-
tine Solidarity Conference held in mid-Octo-
ber, MSA passed a resolution to fund the
conference.
MSA's Community Service Commission
should not fund the conference because the
conference was not community service, some
constituents said.
MSA passed the recommendations of $5,300
budgeted for the Palestine Solidarity Confer-
ence held on Oct. 12 through 14.
Rick Dorfman, founder and President of
Michigan Student Zionists said the conference
was negative toward Israeli's and Jews.
CSC co-chair Erin Hartle said the commis-
sion holds a neutral viewpoint and supports
activism when funding projects.
"We have a broad definition of community
service. (Students Allied for Freedom and
Equality's) application for funding the confer-
ence fell under community development and
organization. Eleven members of the commis-
sion all agreed," Hartle said.
"The purpose of the conference was to pro-
mote hatred of Jews and Israel. Our student
government has no obligation to fund their
racism and bigotry," Law student David
Wolkinson said.
Law student Amer Zahr, an organizer of the
event, said administrators and Department of
Pubic Safety officers monitored the confer-
ence.
"We met with administrators afterwards and
they did not bring up any problems. MSA reps
should feel comfortable funding the confer-
ence," Zahr said.
"The community service commission funds
projects not groups. We judge how much we
fund by the application and interview. That's
how we stay neutral. I can understand why
some would feel that way about the conference
but we stay viewpoint neutral," Hartle said.
To educate students about Proposal 4,
which would eliminate the Michigan Merit
Awards program, MSA passed a resolution to
fund a tailgate party before the football game
against Michigan State University on Satur-
day.
"The tailgate will raise awareness among
young voters. This proposal is very relevant.
Because of the game, we hope to reach many
students," said Christine Hammer, External
Relations co-chair.
To advise students on how to manage income
after college, MSA passed a resolution to fund
a "Life After College" seminar organized by
"Cap and Compass" a corporation specializing
in financial advice. The seminar will mostly
like be held Nov. 21.
Vice-President Dana Glassel announced a
successful first day of the Newspaper Reader-
ship pilot program and encouraged feedback.
Strolling through
Third party promotes use
of science in its platform
By Samantha Woll
Daily Staff Reporter
Voters anxiously seeking alterna-
tives to the Democratic and Republi-
can parties may find themselves in
agreement with what supporters say
is the fastest growing new political
party in America - The Natural Law
Party. The NLP, founded in order to
"bring the light of science into poli-
tics," prides itself in offering new
ideas, new principles and new solu-
tions to America's current problems.
"The Natural Law Party is scientific
method applied to society's problems,"
said Douglas Dern, NLP candidate for
the U.S. Senate.
"America's problems are human prob-
lems - crime, drug dependency, domes-
tic violence - even pollution result from
a narrowness of vision that fails to com-
prehend life's essential unity," explained
John Hagelin, the NLP's presidential
candidate in a written statement. "The
only way we can overcome these prob-
lems is though the expansion of con-
sciousness - education that actualizes
the full potential of the brain."
Candidates say that it is time for a
change in the way that the current Amer-
ican administration is being run. "Gov-
ernmental theory and policy are rooted
in obsolete 19th century principles,"
Hagelin said. Dern said that these
changes are simply a part of evolution.
"Our country is in the state it is in
"our country is in the state it is in
because many of our leaders have
forgotten that in order to survive we must
follow the natural laws of our existence."
- Kathleen Oakford
Wayne State University Board of Governors candidate
because many of our leaders have for-
gotten that in order to survive we must
follow the natural laws of our existence,"
said Kathleen Oakford, candidate for the
Board of Governors of Wayne State
University, in a written statement.
Applying the abstract ideas of this
party to concrete problems facing the
state of Michigan, Dern emphasized
the importance of finding alternatives
to fossil fuels. "By buying foreign oil,
we are funding terrorism," he said.
Dern added that Michigan has the
potential of being on "the cutting
edge of an alternative fuel car."
Dern said the NLP does not view
issues as simply problems and solutions,
but rather changes that need to occur in
the way that individuals view things.
"The Natural Law Party believes
that society's consciousness should
change," Dern said.
For example, instead of focusing on
abortion, "why not focus on ways to
completely eliminate unwanted preg-
nancies," Dern said.
The main goal of the NLP during
this election is to get 1 percent of the
vote in order to stay on the ballot.
Dern also said the NLP has plans to
form a third party coalition in order to
compete with the other two parties and
raise awareness that voters have more
than one choice.
"Then people can vote on candidates
for who they are," he said.
Michigan's other NLP candidates
include Michael Kitchen for the State
Board of Education and David Arndt
for the University Board of Regents.
"The problems of world peace can
only be solved from this most basic
level," the Student Natural Law Party
Club stated on its website.
"When the people are in tune with
natural law, the community no longer
violates the laws of nature; then the
country gains the support of natural
law, and the world rises to a life free
from suffering."
A man walks through Nichols Arcade between State Street and
Maynard Street last night.
Wst Nil virus falls
victim to cold after
hurting50eople
p I
LANSING (AP) - Frost and colder
temperatures appear to have killed off
mosquitos and stopped the transmission
of the West Nile virus in Michigan,
according to the state health department.
The mosquito-borne virus has killed
40 people in Michigan and sickened 472
others so far this year, Geralyn Lasher,
spokeswoman for the state Department
of Community Health, said yesterday.
Michigan had the second highest
number of West Nile deaths and illnesses
behind Illinois, which had 45 deaths and
714 illnesses, according to the U.S. Cen-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nationally, 3,391 people were sick-
ened by the West Nile virus this year and
188 were killed, according to the CDC's
website.
Michigan's health department will
continue updating its tally of West Nile
deaths and illnesses as it tests blood
samples from people who may have
contracted the virus in August or Sep-
tember, Lasher said.
If a person demonstrates serious
symptoms of encephalitis or meningi-
tis, medical providers take a sample of
spinal fluid to test for the West Nile
virus. If symptoms are less severe,
blood samples are taken. Blood sam-
ples are typically tested after samples
of spinal fluid.
"We got a lot of blood samples that
we're catching up on now," said Dr.
David Johnson, chief medical executive
for the health department. "Blood sam-
ples are no longer coming in to any
appreciable degree."
Johnson said he thinks the department
will be finished testing samples before
Thanksgiving.
The average age of those who con-
tracted the virus in Michigan this year
was 57, the state health department said.
The average age of people who died
after contracting the virus was 74.
Wayne County, the state's largest, had
the most West Nile cases with 154, the
department said. Oakland County
reported 152. Other counties with proba-
ble or confirmed cases of the virus are:
Health officials this
summer saw a
dramatic spike in the
number of calls they
received from people
wanting to know
more about the West
Nile virus, named for
the Ugandan region
where it first
appeared in 1937.
Ingham and Ottawa, eight each;
Kent, 51;
Macomb, 71.
"I don't think anybody really expected
to see the number of cases we saw this
year in Michigan or even nationally,"
said Mike Mullet, spokesman for the
Kent County Health Department.
"But we come away with a lot more
knowledge than we had a year ago.
Come next spring, people will have a
basic knowledge that a lot of the reduc-
tion is up to an individual."
Health officials this summer saw a
dramatic spike in the number of calls
they received from people wanting to
know more about the West Nile virus,
named for the Ugandan region where it
first appeared in 1937.
Health officials recommended wear-
ing long sleeves, socks and pants. They
also suggested draining standing water
that may become a mosquito breeding
site, such as from flower pots, pet bowls,
clogged rain gutters, swimming pool
covers and discarded tires.
Most people infected with the West
Nile virus don't have any symptoms,
according to health officials. But even
those who have the virus and don't have
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