Wednesday, June 8, 1994 - The Michigan Daily - 3
Student jumps out
~ .-., w 18th story wido
By Michelle Lee Thompson
DAILY STAFF REPORTER
Grace Ko, a 20-year-old business
school student, took her own life last
Wednesday at around 3:35 p.m. by
jumping from her 18th-floor Tower
PlazaCondominiumwindow onto East
William Street below. Ko was to be a
senior in the fall, and was in the BBA
program.
Ko lived with her brother King-
Wai Ko, a graduate student in engi-
neering at the University, who had
been in New Orleans for a conference
when his sister died. Both were native
Hong Kong residents.
According toThe Ann ArborNews,
the police report said there was no sign
that Ko had a roommate. Ann Arbor
Police Sgt. Richard Blake said the po-
lice had searched the scene, including
the trash, to rule out foul play. The
police reported that no note was left.
Althoughshe was arrested forretail
fraud Tuesday, Ko left an unfinished
note in Chinese to her parents, found
later by her brother crumpledinawaste-
basket. In the note, she claimed her
innocence, and said that her arrest,
which was never processed, had been a
mistake. The note contained English
instructionstoforward ittoherparents.
Ko's brother assumed the allega-
tions of retail fraud must have fright-
ened and humiliated her.
Deepak Bhakta, a medical student
and friend of Grace Ko, described her
asquietbuthard-working, genuineand
sincere.
Jeffrey Wilson, a friend and Tower
Plazadoorguard,saidhe already missed
Ko's cheery attitude. "She was the
perfect lady," Wilson said.
Ko's brother also said his parents
providedhissister whatevershe wanted
materially. "She was like a kid ... she
was so innocent," King-Wai Ko said.
Ko said he felt that either the police
or the security guard at the Briarwood
Mall Sears store had mistreated his
sister, possibly inflating her alleged
crime. "I'm very angry with the way
they handled this," he said, adding that
he was considering legal action after
the family had time to grieve.
Facing shoplifting allegations,
Grace Ko claimed that she had not
taken the inexpensive clothing she was
accused of stealing, and she had re-
ceipts for all of it. Her brother later
found receipts in her purse for goods
almost identical to those she was ac-
cused of taking from Sears.
He said he thought his sister's bro-
ken English may have led to a misun-
derstanding causing her to takeher life.
"Our family is very close. We have
a strong bond between us. I believe in
my sister. She wouldn't have done it,"
King-Wai Ko said of his sister. "She
must have been very alone with no one
to talk to. If she had someone to talk to,
this never would have happened."
Ifyouorsomeoneyouknowisthink-
ing aboutsuicide, please contact one of
the following services:
N Washtenaw County Community
Mental Health Services-University of
Michigan-JointPsychiatricEmergency
Services, Ann Arbor - 996-4747
'Ozone House, AnnArbor-662-
2222.
DOUGLAS KANTER/Daity
Slip and Slide
A rollerblader avoids the Palmer Field sprinklers as he circles the track yesterday afternoon.
fces move to Wolverine ower
By Janet Burkitt
DAILY STAFF REPORTER
Three University offices have
packed their bags this summer.
The University's Human Re-
sources & Affirmative Action, Pay-
roll and the Benefits Office moved to
the Wolverine Tower near Briarwood
Mall.
P Faculty and administration said
they are taking great strides to mini-
mize any potential problems arising
from the relocation of the offices.
The University purchased the
property, located at the intersection
of South State Street and Eisenhower
Parkway, in December 1992 for $9
million. The offices, however, did not
move until late May of this year.
"Most of the offices coming out
here are in business and finances.
One of the purposes was to get these
offices out of leased buildings and
onto University property," said Diane
Vasquez, an administrative associate
in the Human Resources and Affirma-
tive Action Department.
She said another intent of the move
was to consolidate University offices
that often function together.
"Before they were all over cam-
pus," Vasquez said. "Now the offices
that do a lot of interacting both with
paper and communication are located
in close proximity to each other, mak-
ing interaction more efficient."
To ease the transition, the Univer-
sity has made an agreement with the
Ann Arbor Transportation Authority
to have a bus running to the building
every 15 minutes. The bus will be free
to students and faculty with Univer-
sity i.d.
Assistant Director of Capital Plan-
ning at the Plant Extension Office
William Dergis does not foresee the
relocation creating any difficulties for
students. "I don't think it will have
much effect at all. The offices moving
are entirely administrative; no aca-
demic offices are moving," he said.
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