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DALAI LAMA VISIT
With Tibet
in turmoil,
visit to 'U'
still planned
China has accused Tibet's
spiritual leader of inciting
unrest, he has called
for end to violence
By JILLIAN BERMAN
Daily StaffReporter
With tension mounting in China, the Dalai Lama's
scheduled visit to the University next month has
taken on new significance.
The Dalai Lama is slated to deliver a lecture called
"Engaging Wisdom and Compassion" at Crisler
Arena April 19 and 20.
The Chinese government has accused Tenzin
Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama and spiritual leader of
Tibetan Buddhists, of inciting the recent wave of
anti-Chinese violence in Tibet.
As host of the 2008 Olympic games, China is in the
international spotlight and coming under fire from
the United States, Britain and other countries for
using force against the Tibetan protestors. The Chi-
nese government, which has controlled the region of
Tibet since 1951, claims that 19 protesters have been
killed as a result of the protests, but aides close to the
Dalai Lama say the toll is closer to 130.
Gyatso, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and promoter
of nonviolence, told media sources yesterday that he
might resign his post if "things get out of control."
In light of recent Tibetan protests calling for inde-
pendence from China, his upcoming speech would
likely garner more international attention. But some
fear that it might not happen at all.
Prof. Mary Gallagher, the interim director of the
Center for Chinese Studies, said the conflict might
force the Dalai Lama to cancel the event and tend to
more pressing issues.
"There's a lot of things that are happening that
make it more important that the Dalai Lama is some-
where else," she said.
But Gelek Rimpoche, the founder and spiritual
leader of Jewel Heart, the organization bringing the
Dalai Lama to Ann Arbor, said he believes the Dalai
Lama will honor his speaking engagement and come
to the University.
According to the Tibetan government's website,
See DALAI LAMA, Page 7A
N
SAID AL5ALAH/Daiiy
Graduate student instructors picketed yesterday afternoon, demanding a new contract with the University. Late last night, the Graduate Erployees' Organization signed a new contract with
the University, effectively ending the walkout. The sides agreed to a 6.2 percent increase in pay for the first year of the deal, and 3.5 percent increases in the second and third years.
New deal ends GEG walko ut
Members form picket
lines, cancel classes
Sides agree on contract
just before midnight
By JACOB SMILOVITZ
Daily StaffReporter
After failingto reach a new contract
agreement with the University earlier
this week, hundreds of GSIs took to
the picket lines outside of major cam-
pus buildings yesterday, canceling
many classes and forcing some pro-
fessors to find alternate ways to teach
their courses.
That contract was reached late last
night, meaning the walkout will not
continue today.
GEO, the union representing the
University's 1,700 GSls, has been
locked in contentious bargaining with
the University since November. GEO's
twice-extended contract expired on
Tuesday morning at midnight, after
the University's negotiating team
walked away from the table, leading
the group to stage the walkout.
Starting as early as 5 a.m. yesterday
at some University construction sites,
GSIs marched in circles outside cam-
pus buildings like Angell Hall, the
C.C. Little Science Building and the
Chemistry Building.
GEO Vice President Kiara Vigil,
an American Culture GSI, said the
walkout showed the University that
the union wasn't willing to settle for
a contract that didn't meet certain
criteria.
"We're showing the University that
we're not happy," Vigil said. "But that
See WALKOUT, Page 3A
By JACOB SMILOVITZ
Daily StaffReporter
In a culmination of almost five
months of contentious negotiations,
the University and the Graduate
Employees' Organization tentatively
agreed last night to a new three-year
contract for the University's graduate
student instructors.
As a result, GEO - the union that
represents about1,700 GSIs at the Uni-
versity - called off the second day of
their planned two-day walkout. GSIs
were set to picket University buildings
today.
The University and GEO returned
to the table yesterday at about 2:30
p.m. They completed the deal just
before midnight.
"The parties got together and they
juststayed workingatituntilthey com-
pleted the process," said JeffFrumkin,
the University's senior director ofAca-
demic Human Resources. "I'm, very
relieved that it's over and I'm very
happy that the University and GEO
reached a really good contract that's
mutually beneficial to all of us."
History GSI Colleen Woods, the lead
negotiator for GEO, said she was ecstat-
ic that the negotiations, which started
in November, are finally finished.
"This is a major, major victory for
our union," she said. "It is a historic
contract."
The union has yet to ratify a final
See CONTRACT, Page 3A
All four Greek councils unite for Greek Week
FOOTBALL SEASON TICKETS
Amid grad student concerns,
office rescinds ticket policy
Office decides to REVERSING FIELD
Charity event kicked
off last night with
show at Power Center
By MARTA DEBSKI
For the Daily
Each year, participating fra-
ternities and sororities compete
in Greek Week - a 10-day fund-
raiser starting this week to help
support charities like the Ameri-
can Diabetes Association, the
Make-A-Wish Foundation and
Meals on Wheels Association of
America.
This year's theme, "Four Coun-
cils, One Dream," modeled after
the "One World, One Dream,"
theme of this summer's Beijing
Olympic Games, refers to the
decision by all four of the Uni-
versity's Greek councils to par-
ticipate in this year's festivities.
Those groups include the Inter-
fraternity Council, Panhellenic
Association, National Pan-Hel-
lenic Council and Multicultural
Greek Council.
Sorority and fraternity mem-
bers compete as teams inthe Greek
Olympics including kickball, relay
races and a water balloon launch,
State Street Day which will include
a Wii bowling tournament, Corn
Hole, Tug of War and Guitar Hero,
and the Rock Day, which includes
an egg toss, dodgeball and ping
uphold plan to get rid
of partner seating
By LINDY STEVENS
Daily StaffReporter
In an e-mail sent to students
Monday night, the Athletic Ticket
Office announced it would revert
to using credit hours to determine
seating priority for student foot-
ball tickets, rescinding a policy
that would have based priority on
class standing. The e-mail said the
Athletic Department has decided
to uphold its decision to discon-
tinue partner tickets for graduate
students duringthe 2008 season.
The decision to return to credit
hour-based seating means gradu-
ate students who did not receive
their undergraduate degree from
the University will have some of
the best seats in the stadium's stu-
dent section. Before the Athletic
Department rescinded the policy,
though, these graduate students
would have had the lowest seating
priority.
The e-mail announcing the
change came shortly after Marty
Bodnar, the University's athletic
director for ticketing, met with
a group of graduate students
After facing criticism from many gradu-
ate students, the Athletic Ticket Office
rescinded its football student ticket
policy Monday night.
The original plan would have given
freshmen higher seating priority than
graduate students who earned their
undergraduate degree at another school.
Under the new policy, graduate students
can no longer buy partner tickets.
angry about the policy. The pro-
posal would have placed gradu-
ate students who didn't receive an
undergraduate degree from the
University below incoming fresh-
men.
Dentistry student Aaron Larock
said he was satisfied with the
revised policy and appreciated the
University's approach after meet-
ing with Bodnar on Monday.
Larock said he was pleased that
the University didn't follow the
policy of other Big Ten schools
that put a cap on the number of
student seats available.
The University of Wisconsin at
Madison limited the number of
available studenttickets to 10,500,
according to The Badger Herald,
See TICKETS, Page 7A
Greek Week began yesterday at the Power Center with the crowning of Mr. and Miss Greek Week yesterday. This perfor-
mance, which featured members of various Greek chapters, took place before the coronation. This year's program differs from
past years because all four Greek councils were involved in the planning of Greek Week.
pong.
Each participant is asked to
donate a minimum of $7, said
Halie Bojovic, the co-director of
Greek Week.
"This year we are hoping to
raise over $80,000," she said.
Bojovic, a senior in the School
of Music, Theatre and Dance and
a member of Delta Gamma, said
she wanted to set this year's events
apart by involving more Greek
houses.
"We have changed a lot of
things in Greek Week this year
to create more unity and spirit
among the teams," she said. "We
wanted to encourage as many
chapters to apply to increase the
unity."
Of the 47 chapters participating
this year, nine are Multicultural
Greek Council or National Pan-
Hellenic Council groups, the most
participation from those councils
Greek Week has ever seen, Bojovic
said.
LSA junior David Mickey, presi-
dent of the Multicultural Greek
See GREEK WEEK, Page 7A
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