Monday
October 27, 2003
@2003 The Michigan Daily
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Vol. CXIII, No. 38
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wwwmichigandailycom
Plan hes
employee
insurance
payments
ily St eoreri
For several years, University employ-
ees and their dependents paid, on aver-
age, less than 10 percent of their health
insurance premiums. But rising costs are
forcing the administration to think of
new ways to provide health care.
The University released recommenda-
tions to faculty and staff yesterday call-
ing for a new premium-sharing model
policy, which would cover about 85 per-
cent of all premiums for University
employees and their dependents.
In December,
a final plan is COMing
expected to go g
before the exec- tOmorrOW
utive officers Faculty respond
and the Univer- to the University's
sity Board of plan to increase
Regents. It their health insur-
would be put ante payments.
into place start-
ing in 2005.
"We have made no final decisions,"
Provost Paul Courant said at a news con-
ference Friday.
Robert Kelch, executive vice presi-
dent for medical affairs, attributed a 14-
percent increase in the University's
insurance costs each year since 1999 to
longer lifespans and new medicine and
technology.
'That double-digit increase is more
likely to continue than not for the rest of
this decade," Kelch said, noting that
expenditures went from $85 million to
$170 million since 1995. "We're not
looking to reduce quality."
Courant originally discussed these
pending problems at the regents' April
meeting. As a temporary solution, he
announced that all employees would pay
at least 5 percent of their premiums in
2004. In addition, Courant formed a
committee headed by Public Health
Prof. Kyle Grazier to examine new alter-
natives.
Grazier explained in detail the new
policy, emphasizing that it is becoming
more difficult for the University to pay
its insurance bill. Although numbers
were not final, she said the University
would cover about 90 percent of
employees' premiums and 80 percent of
their dependents' premiums - resulting
in roughly 85 percent of costs covered.
Grazier's committee worked for six
months, looking at many possible solu-
See INSURANCE, Page 3A
Democrats duel
in
Detroit
White House
hopefuls
debate Iraq,
tax polic~y
By Andrew Kaplan
and Michael Gurovitsch
Daily Staff Reporters
TON
Democratic presidential candidates listen to Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri answer a question during a debate at the Fox Theatre in Detroit lai
The 90-minute debate is the second of two sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute and Fox News.
DETROIT - In an impassioned display of
speechmaking and fingerpointing, the nine can-
didates seeking the 2004 Democratic presiden-
tial nomination jockeyed for the spotlight during
a nationally televised debate last night.
While certain candidates clarified their
stances on domestic and foreign policy issues,
the hopefuls also competed to curry favor with
the audience by challenging the validity of one
another's platforms and questioning various
political positions they took on past issues. Cen-
tral topics covered during the debate included
the war with Iraq, the Bush administration's tax <
cuts and the economy.
Gathered before a crowd of 3,000 members
NY DING/Daily and guests of the Congressional Black Caucus '
st night. Institute - a body of lawmakers lobbying for
the interests of black and urban-dwelling Ameri-
cans - candidates responded to four lines of
questioning. A panel of three moderators
vhat addressed candidates with questions pertaining
t in to domestic and foreign policy before posing
is questions related to their political reputations.
try is Although all the candidates agreed that Presi-
ence dent Bush has mishandled the post-warmsituation
ence in Iraq, their complaints ranged from misappro-
sible priation of funds to what role the United States
,,t. should play in rebuilding the country.
Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, former supreme
ley Clark allied commander of NATO, accused President
Arkansas Bush of pulling a "bait and switch" on the coun-
try. He said Bush did not devote enough
See DEBATE, Page2A
"We need to
show the
troops we love
them by
bringg them
home.'
- Al Sharpton
New York
"What you
need to do is
get rid of
every dime of
the Bush tax
cut"
- Howard Dean
Vermont
"I think w
you've go
this count
a real abs
of respon
governm
- Wes
Poll shows campuses prefer Bush
By Jameel Naqvi
Daily Staff Reporter
The majority of four-year college
students support President Bush, a
new Harvard University survey
reports.
According to the nationwide poll,
conceived by students at Harvard's
Institute of Politics and conducted by
an independent polling firm from Oct.
3 to Oct. 12, Bush's approval rating is
61 percent among college students
and 53 percent among the general
public.
"There has been a perception since
the sixties that colleges are left-wing
bastions," said Harvard junior John
Chavez, who coordinated the student
volunteer effort at the IOP. The survey
indicates such beliefs are unfounded.
"Outspoken activists tend to be lib-
eral and garner the most media cover-
age," said Steve Macguidwin, presi-
dent of the University of Michigan
College Republicans. "The survey
reveals a silent majority of Republi-
cans at colleges."
The survey shows that students who
oppose Bush are more politically
active than students who support the
president.
But the survey also reveals that col-
lege students disagree with many of
Bush's policies toward Iraq. A majori-
ty of students - 56 percent - said
the U.S. should begin withdrawing
troops from Iraq. Nearly half, 46 per-
cent; said they would avoid a draft if it
were reinstated. Moreover, an over-
whelming majority - 87 percent -
said the Bush administration has been
dishonest about Iraq.
See BUSH, Page 7A
AP PHOTO'
President Bush waves yesterday after
arriving at the White House from Camp
David.
SPREADING THE WORD ON THE DIAG
Preachers, groups try to gain* converts
By Aymin Jean , 44
Daily Staff eorter *;
Standing on a bench in the Diag,
Dave Sackett started to preach. Facing
him, a crowd of students clad in black
was - surprisingly - not speaking.
As the gay community recognized
closeted homosexuals with an hour of
silence Oct. 6, Sackett preached the
word of God.
To the best of his knowledge,
Sackett, an LSA senior, is the only
student street preacher who prosely-
tizes on the Diag.
Last week and throughout the fall
semester, a number of religious groups
and individuals - primarily Muslims
and Christians - reached out to
passersby in the Diag. Among these
groups, individuals aimed to convert,
encourage debate or simply raise
awareness for their religions.
Sackett said he realizes other street
preachers have been met with animosi-
ty and tried to distance himself from
their negative image. "You don't hear
compassion in their voice. It doesn't
seem like they're really concerned
about your soul. It seems they feel bet-
ter by making you feel worse," Sackett
said. "I hope that people could feel the
compassion in my voice."
Sackett focuses primarily on sin and
tells fables to illustrate his points. His
style is noticeably conversational, using
phrases like "c'mon," and often
addresses the crowd as "we." After
r.ndiv n p mpfrnm r.thp ~. hnr rof PvP-
Like many
others who
use the
Diag as a
public
forum for
displaying
their
religious
beliefs,
preacher
and LSA
senior
Dave
Sackett
spreads
his
message
Friday to
passersby
on the
Diag.
(CURTIS
HILLER/
Daily)
on campus
the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgen-
der community, Sackett recalled one
girl from the crowd who approached
him and asked about his feelings on
homosexuals. "(It is) a sin against God.
But is it any worse than any other sin, I
don't know" he replied.
Sackett is not the only Christian
evangelist on the Diag. Peter Payne,
who is involved with InterVarsity
Christian Fellowship, has a different
approach to the Christian faith and the
Bible. He preaches "Intelligent Chris-
tianity 101."
"I'm trying to persuade people that
there may be more to be said for the
Christian faith as a rational option,"
said Payne, who has a doctorate in phi-
losophy. "I don't try to persuade people
that all rational people have to believe
the Christian faith is true, because there
is no rational calculus that tells you
how you need to weigh different argu-
ments," Payne added. He does not
believe that one can definitively prove
that any particular belief or worldview
is true or that one is more rational than
another.
But Payne realized he was unlikely
to persuade or convert people on the
spot. He said his speeches are more
comparable to "philosophy-Christiani-
ty lectures." The aim is to spark reflec-
tion, he said.
Miner said this approach might be
more helpful.
"I would be more apt than do some-
thing with him than with a random
stret preacher. Ithink thait's a better
Engineering
sophomore
Jason Oh uses
the new dual-
processor,
dual-monitor, °
Power Mac G5 nAgelHl
on Thursday.
(JEFF
LEHNERT/
Daily)
Students see double
with new monitors
in com uting sites
a
,f
'6
New Macs feature
faster processing, twice
the desktop space
By Michael Kan
Daily Staff Reporter
Touted by Apple as the world's fastest
personal computer, the Power Mac G5 is
now available for student use at Univer-
sity computer sites. The new machines'
most noticeable advantage over their
predecessors is a second monitor that
gives users more desktop space.
Since the end of Fall Break, Power
Mac G5s have gradually been replacing
the older Macs in the Angell Hall com-
puting site. By Nov. 4, the Fishbowl will
have 79 Power Mac G5s for student use.
The School of Education's media center
has 2ao dde~d 19Qof themn to its colle~c-
with computer technology, said Boof
Jones, the Fishbowl's computing site
manager. "G5s are very fast computers,
a top-of-the line machine," Jones said
He added that the computer comes with
better hardware that can operate the
newest software.
When first using the Power Mac G5s
in Angell Hall, LSA junior Chris Corne
lio said, "I noticed that the computers
were much faster." He also noticed that
each one in the Fishbowl had two mom-
tors rather than one. The Power Mac
G5s in the School of Education alsp
each have an extra monitor.
"The (second) monitor provides users
with extra desktop space," said Jeni
Spamer, a consultant at the School of
Education's media center.
The classes Education students take
use a lot of animations and graphics
Sname~r said.and 2an fextra monitot
also a lot of bad news. The wages of
sin is death. So please think soberly
about that."
LSA sophomore Meghan Miner is
rnraret~ito1 Q1 ih Pv~n aelistc
listen," Miner said.
Sackett said he was not trying to be
confrontational by speaking to students
during their hour of silence, part of
6~ 1
.I