NEWS


ON CAMPUS
* Michigan Idol to
hold tryouts
Tryouts for the Michigan Idol
talent contest will be held today
at 9 p.m. on the lower floor of the
Michigan Union. The final prize
for the winning contestant is $500.
Judges will see 50 contestants on a
first-come, first-serve basis. Anyone
wishing to participate should pre-
pare a two-minute audition piece.
Hawaiian scholar
to lecture today
Haunani-Kay Trask, a renowned
scholar of Hawaiian studies, will
give a two-hour lecture on Hawaii
today at 3 p.m. in a fourth-floor
assembly hall of the Rackham Grad-
uate School. Trask has written four
books, including one on the history
of colonialism in Hawaii and two
collections of poetry.
Hillel to show
Philadelphia'
As part of an ongoing series about the
evolution of LGBT imagery in film, Uni-
versity Hillel will host a screening of the
film "Philadelphia." It will be shown at the
Office of LGBT Affairs on the third floor
of the Michigan Union today at 7 p.m.
CRIME
NOTES
! Man found sleeping
in Business School
A man not affiliated with the Univer-
sity was found sleeping in the lounge
of the Business Administration Build-
ing on Tappan Street Monday at about
9 a.m., the Department of Public Safety
reported. The man was described as old,
with a gray mustache and beard. After
DPS officers read him a trespass warn-
ing, he left the area voluntarily. DPS
also read warnings to two other sleep-
ing people in University buildings on
Monday.
Man gets ticket
for public urination
A man was cited for urinating in
public yesterday at about 2 a.m. on
the 600 block of Church Street, DPS
" reported.
Food stamps and
cash stolen from
* hospital
Someone stole food stamps and $20 in
cash from the Taubman Center in the Uni-
versity Hospital sometime between Friday
and Monday, DPS reported.
THIS DAY
In Daily History

Dance Marathon
kickoff a success
Feb. 9, 1998 - "Keep on danc-
ing!" 8-year-old Allison Lawrence
shouted to hundreds of participants
and volunteers in the first-ever
Dance Marathon.
The 30-hour event, held this past
weekend in the Indoor Tack and
Tennis Building, raised $30,000 to
benefit Children's Miracle Network
and Beaumont Hospitals in Royal
Oak and Troy.
"Allison came home from the hos-
pital unable to walk, an we went to
therapy for almost 20 months," said
Beth Lawrence, Allison's mother.
"She's doing wonderful, and we have
CMN to thank for that. This is what
all your hard work and enthusiasm
is for. We are so proud to be a part
of this."
Dancers raised a minimum of
$230, either individually or as a rep-
resentative of a group, in order to
participate in the event.
70 of the 73 dancers who began
the marathon Saturday morning
were still standing yesterday after-
noon.
"This just doesn't happen at Mich-

Nursing student robbed

Police arrest one
suspect, but believe
he may have had
accomplices

By Ashlea Surles
Daily Staff Reporter
A nursing student was allegedly
attacked and robbed by a 17-year-
old male Tuesday night.
As the student was walking to his
vehicle from the Taubman Medi-
cal Library, a stranger reportedly
crossed the street and approached
the victim.
He asked for the time, then
assaulted the 32-year-old student
with a socket wrench and robbed

him of his cell phone and wallet.
The victim fled to a nearby
house, where someone called police
at 9:25 p.m.
The victim sustained no serious
injuries and declined medical treat-
ment, but suffered "numerous hits
on his arms and legs from defend-
ing himself," said Chris Fitzpatrick,
a detective at the Ann Arbor Police
Department.
The suspect was apprehended a
block away from the scene of the
crime and taken to the Washtenaw
County Jail, where he will be held
until his arraignment this after-
noon.
Fitzpatrick said the AAPD was
"pretty familiar with (the suspect),"
adding that the Scio Township teen

was on probation for two other fel-
ony charges.
The teenager attends Stone High
School, an alternative school for
students in the Ann Arbor School
District, Fitzpatrick said.
AAPD Lt. Michael Logghe, said
the motive was "pure robbery."
"There is no known relation
between the victim and the sus-
pect," Fitzpatrick said.
Police said not all of the stolen
items have been recovered, and so
there may have been other people
involved in the robbery.
Serious crime in Ann Arbor
increased last year by 8 percent.
Robberies, which involve violence
or intimidation, increased by 28
percent last year.

Businesses fight school funding

Michigan Chamber
of Commerce leading
coalition to kill K-16
funding proposal
LANSING (AP) - The Michigan
Chamber of Commerce leads a coali-
tion trying to kill a proposal that would
guarantee state universities, commu-
nity colleges and K-12 schools annual
funding increases equal to at least the
inflation rate.
The coalition says the plan would lead
to higher taxes or cuts in other essential
state services.
"We think this will circumvent the
budget process and put funding for one
special interest group on autopilot - and
that's inappropriate," chamber president
Jim Barrett said yesterday.
The group that wants to adopt the
proposal is called the K-16 Coalition for
Michigan's Future, which includes several
education groups.
Supporters of the proposal say it would
give some financial relief to schools that
Proposal
looks to
shrink
Legsau
Proposal would
diminish representation
in the State House by
50, and 18 in the Senate
LANSING (AP) - The latest
proposal to shrink the Legislature
is coming from an unlikely place:
one of its own.
State Rep. Glenn Steil Jr. (R-Cas-
cade) introduced a measure yester-
day that would drop the House from
110 to 60 members and the Senate
from 38 to 20. The proposal would
save taxpayers nearly $5.5 million a
year in salaries for lawmakers, Steil
said.
"We don't need 148 legislators
here in Lansing," he said.
The proposal follows the kickoff
last week of a petition drive initia-
tive to eliminate the Senate and
leave Michigan with a one-chamber
Legislature.
Steil said his measure - which
also requires voter approval
- addresses voter concerns that
checks and balances would be lost
with a unicameral Legislature.
"I am doing this to create more
responsible government," he said.
The joint resolution also would
extend term limits from six to 12
years in the House and from eight
to 16 years in the Senate, which
Steil said would ensure lawmakers
have enough experience.
Steil will face an uphill battle
winning over his colleagues, where
he needs backing from two-thirds
of both chambers to put the issue
before voters.
Ari Adler, a spokesman for Sen-
ate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema
(R-Wyoming), said each sena-
tor already represents more than
200,000 people. The concern with
having bigger districts is lawmak-
ers would be stretched too thin,
making it harder to respond to con-

stituents.
"Adequate representation would
be a question," Adler said.
Steil said most major deci-
sions are made by the governor,

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The K-16 Coalition's proposal
The K-16 Coalition for Michigan's Future says it has
collected enough voter signatures to put its proposal
before lawmakers or voters. If passed by the Legislature
or approved by voters, the proposal would:
Provide annual funding increases equal to the inflation rate
for public K-12 schools, community colleges and universities.
Reduce the gap between districts that receive the most and
least per-pupil funding.
Cap employee retirement costs charged to local K-12 districts,
community colleges and universities.
Fund school districts with declining enrollment based on their
average student enrollment over the previous three years.

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have faced tight budgets in recent years.
They say insufficient state funding has led
to teacher layoffs, closed school buildings
and slashed programs.
The K-16 group wants lawmakers to
pass bills that have already been intro-
duced. But they are prepared to take their
issue to voters in November if necessary.

The group will decide late this month
whether to submit petitions seeking a bal-
lot proposal to state elections officials. If
the signatures are certified, the Legisla-
ture would have 40 session days to vote
on the proposal. If the Legislature did not
pass the proposal, it would go to voters in
November.

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Take a FREE practice test at this event and
you'll receive a detailed score analysis and
exclusive strategies to help you prepare
for Test Day!
Saturday, February 11th
SoMf M fmnus

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