LOCAL/STATE CAMPUS Lighting a flame Expert speaks on assistance with contraception Susan Kahn, director of the Hadassah International Research Institute at Brandeis University will be speaking at a talk titled, "Repro- ducing Jews: A Cultural Account of Assisted Contraception in Israel," sponsored by the Center for Judaic * Studies. The lecture begins today at noon in the Lane Hall seminar room. Musician performs new CD on campus Kristy Hanson will be performing new music live in the piano lounge of Pierpont Commons today at noon. Her concert, titled "Music at Midday," will feature Celtic, folk and original songs, reflecting her work on "Half the Moon." Prof reads from "A Christmas Carol," acts like Dickens Charles Dickens scholar and Eng- lish Prof. Emeritus Bert Hornback will read Dickens' popular holiday story, "A Christmas Carol," to mem- bers of the University community tonight at Clements Library at 7 p.m. Hornback is world-famous for his Dickens performances, in which he even dresses as Dickens, wearing a Victorian costume. Before he begins the story, Horn- back will discuss current political events with the audience, something he feels Dickens would do., A compilation of holiday songs performed by a vocal trio of Univer- sity students will accompany the reading. Chamber music to be performed by Music students A student ensemble will be led by Harpsichord Prof. Edward Parmen- tier in a concert titled "Early Music Ensemble." Pieces of baroque chamber works are on the program, including Couperin's Les Nations, Monteverdi's "Ecco, Silvio" and arias by J. S. Bach. The concert will also feature choral works by Peter Philips, O Michael Praetorius and Orlando di Lass. The performance begins at 4 p.m. tomorrow in Blanche Anderson Moore Hall. Alum screens film, holds discussion The Department of Film and Video Studies is screening "Unforgettable," a film by University alum Mark Mara- bate. Set in a small cabin in Northern Michigan, movie tells the story of a dark, haunted night. Following the film, Marabate will answer questions from audience members. The film begins tomor- row at 6 p.m. in the Natural Science Auditorium. A capella group to perform in various * languages, genres Kol HaKavod, a Jewish a cappella group, will hold its fall concert Sat- urday at 7:30 p.m. The group per- forms songs from several different music genres, including Israeli rock, traditional and contemporary Jewish music and original songs. Songs will be in English, Hebrew, Yiddish or Ladino. The concert is at Hillel Green Auditorium. Curator discusses Chinese art exhibit The Museum of Art is sponsoring talk titled "Masterworks of Chinese Painting: In Pursuit of Mists and Clouds," by Maribeth Graybill, Asian art senior curator to discuss a current Chinese art exhibit. Local Chinese painting scholar James Cahill, owner of the collection, will make opening remarks about the exhibit. The talk begins Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Museum of Art. Students perform classical pieces at band concert Profs. Michael Haithcock and Timothy Reyinsh lead the Sympho- nvRad n ~ nner .t rca. nf-- The Michigan Daily - Friday, December 6, 2002 - 3 Contamination from Bhopal gas disaster highlighted in film By C. Price Jones Daily Staff Reporter Dissatisfied with the cleanup of a chemical disaster in Bhopal, India that occurred 18 years ago, University students and Greenpeace activists protested with a candlelight vigil in front of the home of Dow Chemical Co. Presi- dent and chief executive officer Mike Parker in Midland. The Tuesday protest occurred midway through a week of action to remember the Bhopal disaster and ended last night with a video documentary that showed the continuing effects of the contamination. "The victims of Bhopal have been waiting for 18 years," said Ryan Bodanyi, a co-facilitator for Justice for Bhopal, a student group that co-organ- ized the week's events. "We should bring this issue home to Mike Parker because the contami- nation is causing hundreds of thousands of people to suffer." The gas disaster at the Union Carbide India Limited Plant on Dec. 2 and 3, 1984 occurred when methyl isocyanate poured out of a tank and spread into the nearby area by wind, killing 4,000 people and affecting 400,000 others, by some estimates. The disaster was legally resolved by Union Carbide in a $470 million settlement that was placed in a trust fund for the Bhopal victims. "We don't think that anybody should certainly forget the tragedy," Dow spokesman John Musser said. "But legally the matter was settled ... absolutely." Musser added that the protestors' actions were "pushing the limits" and were with obvious intent to intimidate Parker. The documentary presentation by Indian filmmaker Nadeem Uddin focused on the remaining chemical tanks that are infecting the drinking water and the lack of action taken on the part of Union Car'bide. The presenta- tion's footage also showed the prolonged depression common to the population and the physical deformities resulting from the con- taminated soil and water. One point of contention between Dow and the protestors is the settlement's compensation for only the victims and not the environment - namely, the decontamination of the drinking water. Suits are still pending concerning the com- pensation of Bhopal's environment. "It's self-suiting for Dow to decide when the liability ends even though the court cases are ongoing," Bodanyi said. He added that Justice for Bhopal aims for Dow to clean up the contaminat- ed site, provide access to clean water and research the medical and health impacts of the survivors. Dow Chemical Co. merged with Union Car- bide in February 2001 when Dow purchased the company's stock. "The settlement is peanuts compared to the full sum," said Rob Fish, toxics campaigner with Greenpeace. "The settlement is a small fraction of what was necessary, and the amount was not negotiated with the survivors. ... The Bhopal tragedy will not end until the U.S. multinational Union Carbide, now Dow Chemical, accepts its liabilities in Bhopal." The Greenpeace and student protestors at Park- er's residence offered to pay for Parker's airplane ticket to Bhopal so that he might correct the envi- ronmental damages, but he declined. JOHN PRATTIDaily Rackham student-Gary Brouhard and LSA sophomore Jeff Removic participate in the Men Against Violence Against Women candlelight vigil last night on the Diag. PERCEPTION Continued from Page 1 their sexualities in an attempt to diminish the effect of stereotypical images and to avoid fueling degrading ideas. She recounted her experiences as a lawyer in New York City working to provide legal assistance to minority women with HIV so they could apply for disability benefits. She said she observed a collective reluc- tance to speak publicly and openly about would FUNDINGmoyh money Continued from Page 1 "therew more for the University of Michi- pausing gan. But S Sen. Alma Wheeler Smith (D- was th Salem Twp.), top Democrat on the have vo Senate committee, voted against the "The executive cuts. off men She said the income tax reduc- sions,"s tion, which she blamed for much of who cha the state's current budget woes, Gov.- should have been paused to pre- now in serve higher education funds and luxuryE revenue sharing. took ov The order is likely to increase the James cost of college, she said. spokesr "That income tax cut has a value But C for the average household ... of $30 with al a year," Smith said. "The students year. aren't out of the woods. Their par- "The ents aren't out of the woods. But by beginni God, you saved $30 in personal to have income tax." -- Schwarz said while a tax freeze Kass their bodies. Pearson noted that these stereotypical ideas are still having an effect in modern society as a result of a 500-year legacy of racism. "How do those images play themselves out today?" Pearson posed to the audience. She used the example of the celebration of black women with big buttocks and breasts as another way to objectify black women, even within their own community. She said the harm lies in the value that it places on exter- nal standards of beauty. have provided the necessary to protect higher education, was no hope whatsoever of the income tax cut." Smith said halting the tax cut e only solution she could ted for. governor was able to buy embers with certain conces- she said of the two senators anged their votes. elect Jennifer Granholm will herit a balanced budget, a Engler did not have when he ver from his predecessor, Blanchard, Engler man Matt Resch said. Granholm will have to deal ballooning deficit for next cuts made today are just the ng (of those) that are going to be made," Schwarz said. Daily News Editor Elizabeth ab contributed to this report. r RC Continued from Page 1 track faculty who teach in the RC," Owen said. Owen also denied rumors of a hir- ing freeze. "All LSA (faculty) have been told that the college cannot fund as many new positions as we would like because of an expected reduction in our state funding," Owen said. RC students still remain upset about the recent change in 2001 as grades were added to the traditional written evaluations. The decision to implement grades to the RC's cur- riculum has upset some students, while administrators believe the change necessary. Weisskopf said the grading was implemented after a two-year discus- sion and committee formation between RC and LSA administrators and RC students. Grades are necessary because of "increasing demand ... for GPAs and grade measures" placed on RC stu- WE KNOW IT'S FINALS TIME AND IT'S IREEZING COLD OUTSIDE, BUT NEWS STILL HAPPENS, SO LET US KNOW ABOUT IT. 76-DAILY. dents, Weisskopf said. "Some stu- dents are happy, some students are unhappy," Weisskopf said, emphasiz- ing the ever-present student division on grading. Owen agreed with Weisskopf's assessment on the grading change. "The change to grades plus narra- tive evaluations was done based upon recommendations from an external review of the RC, and also because a number of government agencies, graduate programs, and agencies that provide scholarships and fellowships demand grades rather than narrative evaluations," Owen said. Some RC students feel grades take away the value of the evaluations and forcethe RC to assimilate to LSA standards. RC senior Joe Mueller expressed his discontent with using grades. Giving RC students letter grades is a "devaluation of evaluations," Mueller said. "Generally the senti- ment is classrooms are more com- petitive." Two Main Sessions: . Registration begins May 21 - July 2, 2003 July 7 - August 15, 2003 April 2003 www. summer. gwu. edu email: gwsummer@gwu.edu phone: 202.994.6360 THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY WASHINGTON DC GW is an equal opportunity institution. Tlosf Thuczct PC-LL. 6tkA - ae.D. 2Ot1 Carols 3ervice Join us for our annual service of carol singing and hearing the Scriptures of Advent and the hirth nf Christ Jeus_ bujuw.. %4lu brdLdg