Tuesday
September 30, 2003
©2003 The Michigan Daily
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Vol. CXIII, No. 21
One-hundred-thirteen years ofedftorialfreedom
Scattered
showers
throughout
the day and
partly cloudy
in the
evening.
1I: 57
LOW: 39
Tomorrow:
Y5.':1
wwwmichigandailycom
in ME;
Bush
signs 'do-
legislation
WASHINGTON (AP) - While
court fights continued, President
Bush yesterday signed legislation to
ratify the Federal Trade Commission's
authority to set up a national do-not-
call list that could lead to fines for
telemarketers.
"The public is understandably los-
ing patience with these unwanted
phone calls, unwanted intrusions,"
Bush said. "Given a choice, Ameri-
cans prefer not to receive random
sales pitches at all hours of the day.
The American people should be free
to restrict these calls."
Businesses that solicit people on the
list for telemarketers could face fines.
Federal Communications Commission
Chairman Michael Powell said earlier
yesterday his agency would enforce the
penalties because the FTC was prevent-
ed from doing so by a federal judge's
order.
"FCC rules have not been disturbed
by recent court cases," Powell said.
His intervention was the latest twist
involving the list containing more
than 50 million telephone numbers
sent in by people who say they don't
want to be bothered by telemarketers.
U.S. District Judge Lee West ruled
in Oklahoma City early last week that
the FTC lacked authority to run the
registry. That prompted Congress to
quickly pass a bill clarifying the
agency's role.
Bush signed the measure at a White
House ceremony yesterday afternoon.
However, the legislation did not
address other court fights that have
thrown the list into legal limbo.
Despite rulings against the FTC,
the FCC still has the power to penal-
ize telemarketers who call listed num-
bers, potentially fining them as much
as $120,000 depending on their
industry, FCC spokesman David
Fiske said. Before the court chal-
5ee BUSH, Page 5
Latinos upset
by Spanish
media merger
By Tomislav Ladika
Daily Staff Reporter
Last week's merger1
leading Spanish-langua
and radio companies in
conglomerate has drawnc
University students beca
man of the new com-
pany is a
non-Hispanic Repub-
lican.
"There is so much
power being put into
the hands of people
who are not support-
ive of Latinos," said
Engineering junior
Florentino Maldona-
do, an organizer of the
Latino Media Merger
Forum that was scheduled
East Hall last night.
Raul Alarcon, chief ex
of rival Spanish Broadca
was expected to speak ab
of the merger and why i
been declared illegal, 1
from Miami was delayed
The multi-billion do
between the
ge television
to one media
criticism from
use the chair-
which was approved by the Federal
Communications Commission last
Monday, joins Univision Communica-
tions' television, music and Internet
resources with the Hispanic Broadcast-
ing Company's radio media.
Univision's three television stations
reach out to 97 percent of Hispanic
households, while
"The Bush HBC controls 65 radio
stations in 17 Hispan-
administration ic markets, according
needs the Latino to an Univision news
release. Hispanics
vote to get him constitute the nation's
r l elargest minority with
about 35 million peo-
ple, 14 percent of the
- Edgar Garza U.S. population.
Engineering senior Univision will
become the parent
d to be held in company of HBC, which will be
renamed Univision Radio.
ecutive officer Controversy over the deal arose
sting System, because Univision, which now controls
out the effects about 70 percent of Spanish-language
t should have advertising revenue, is headed by
but his flight Chief Executive Officer Jerrold Peren-
several hours. chio, a conservative Italian-American.
llar merger, See HISPANICS, Page 5
Symphony Band
Director Michael
Haithcock leads the 74-
member orchestra
during its first concert
of the year, held last
night in the Power
Center for the
Performing Arts. The
group performed music
from Wolfgang Mozart,
Arnold Schoenberg,
Gustav Hoist, David Del
Tredici, Sergei
Prokofieb and Samuel
Barber. The band's
next concert, titled "A
Gershwin Spectacular,"
is scheduled for Oct. 24
at 8 p.m. in the
Michigan Theater.
(BRENDAN
O'DONNELLIDaily)
Women get better
aebgraduate degrees
[ l
MEAT
Preparatiorn processes
those wantzg meati
upset
ree me
:als
By Evan McGarvey
Daily Staff Reporter
Last spring, University alum Supriya
Kelkar noticed something peculiar
about her vegetarian Lipton pasta sauce.
It tasted distinctly "meaty," she said.
She examined the back of her label and
none of the ingredients contained meat,
but the words "natural flavors" gave her
pause.
Concerned, Kelkar, a vegetarian, got
in contact with various manufacturers
including Campbell's soup division and
Unilever Best Food Services, Lipton's
parent company. In a series of e-mails,
both Lipton and Campbell's acknowl-
edged that some products, even those
believed to be vegetarian, could contain
dairy, egg or meat products.
"I contacted these companies, and I
was told it was safe to assume that the
products I had probably had meat,"
Kelkar said.
The term "natural flavors" can
include any "substance designed to
impart flavor derived from a spice, fruit
or fruit juice ... meat, seafood, poultry,"
according to the Food and Drug Admin-
istration's website.
The explicit contents of "natural
flavors" must be listed in a product
only if the ingredient is a potential
allergen, said John Faulkner, director
of brand communication for the
See MEAT, Page 5
Study concludes
women are better readers,
outnumber men in
undergraduate programs
By Aymar Jean
Daily Staff Reporter
Girls are generally better students
than boys, according to a recent
study that has momentarily settled a
major skirmish in the battle of the
sexes.
A study that involved 42 industri-
alized countries, including the Unit-
ed States, found that girls are better
readers than boys and tend to get
better grades. The study was con-
ducted by the Organization for Eco-
nomic Cooperation and
Development.
The study reported that three out
five National Honors Society mem-
bers are girls, and that girls out-
number boys 124 to 100 in
advanced placement courses.
In 2000, 44 percent of girls tak-
ing the SAT reported an A average,
while 35 percent of boys reported
the same. In addition, in 39 out of
the 42 industrialized countries
involved in the study, girls earned
more university degrees than men.
At the University, 51 percent of the
students that received undergradu-
ate degrees in 2002 were female.
KH. f b w
^ 4-,
W 0
cZ~,cO a
80
60
40
20
0
MenU
Degree type
While women outnumber men in
number of bachelor's degrees
obtained, men still earn more post-
undergraduate degrees than women.
In 2002, 56 percent of graduate
degree conferrals and 54 percent of
professional degrees went to men.
"There remains a pipeline issue,
for as you go into higher levels of
education, you see fewer levels of
female degree candidates. So, while
we might say that girls and women
See GENDER GAP, Page 5
Journalist, 'U' alum speaks to students on
accuracy of Middle East media coverage
By Alison Go
Daily Staff Reporter
With current media focused on the Middle East, coverage
often concentrates on death, but one journalist found a statis-
tical imbalance in the presentation of Israeli and Palestinian
casualties.
According to the research of Alison Weir, a University
alum and freelance journalist, 150 percent of Israeli children's
deaths were headlines or lead paragraphs in the San Francisco
Chronicle, while only 5 percent of Palestinian children's
deaths were reported. Figures over 100 percent represent a
death that was reported multiple times. The numbers used
were from the first six months the second uprising in 2000.
"The news coverage of a region that has been considered
"The news coverage of a region that has been considered one of the
most dangerous areas of instability ever since I was a child is distorted,
biased and disastrously incomplete."
- Alison Weir
University alum and freelance journalist
In a similar study, statistical analysis revealed that 70 per-
cent of Israeli deaths were being reported, while only 3.6 per-
cent of Palestinian deaths receivedcomparable coverage in
the San Jose Mercury News.
Weir attributes the inconsistency in reporting the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict to the minimal number of interview
sources in the area, the manner of the killings themselves and
nnnncrnn rhlcIint
"The image of Palestinians as fanatic Muslims, dangerous-
ly anti-American is routinely reinforced, and largely accepted
without question," Weir said. "I decided to go and see for
myself."
The event attracted both local activists and students person-
ally and politically involved with the conflict.
"I'm glad that more students are getting aware of the Israeli
Apartheid situation"said Blaine Coleman. an Ann Arbor res-
1
JONATHOANIESFT/ily