The Michigan Daily -Monday, April 22, 1991 - Page 3

TAs rally at Cube
on third day of
work stoppage'

by Gwen Shaffer
Daily Staff Reporter
GEO (Graduate Employee
Organization) members and sup-
porters did not let the rain and wind
dampen their spirits at a rally out-
side the Fleming Administration
Building Friday.
Faculty and undergraduates also
gathered to voice their support for
the union members, who are seeking
higher wages and smaller classroom
sizes in a new contract with the
University.
The lack of progress in negotia-
tions led to last week's three day-
work stoppage. Talks between the
University and GEO will continue
tomorrow.
Biology Prof. John Vandermeer
opened the rally by assuring the
TAs that other University employ-
ees back their efforts for a fair con-
tract.
"A small number of faculty vo-
cally support you, and a larger num-
ber of faculty quietly support you,"
Vandermeer said. "We applaud your
militancy in the face of threats.
"Take it easy, but take it," he
said.
GEO members cheered loudly as
Michelle Chilcoat, a TA in the.

Romance Language department,
spoke next.
"I've been upset lately and I
can't put my finger on it. Maybe you
can help me out by answering a few
questions," Chilcoat said.
"Do we believe in a classroom
atmosphere that makes students and
TAs feel like we are worth some-
thing?" she asked.
"Yes!" the crowd loudly
replied.
"What is education without in-
structors?"
"Nothing!"
"If we continue to raise our
voices and make noise, the adminis-
tration will be forced into negotia-
tions and make a contract that all of
us can live with," Chilcoat said.
Political Science TA Alan
Zundel cheered the crowd on with
his comments concerning tomor-
row's mediation session.
"I'm glad to see you here. I'm
not glad I have to go back in that
mediating room on Tuesday. I'm
tired of hearing the same story week
after week, month after month. And
you should be tired, too," Zundel
said.
Zundel predicted that the admin-

Political Science TA Alan Zundel leads GEO demonstrators in a rally on Friday in front of the Fleming
Administration Building.

istration will eventually be forced
to concede to GEO demands.
"The administration told us if
we had a one-day work stoppage, no
more mediation. What happened?
More mediation. I don't know what
else they're going to say, but I know
what you can say - we are win-
ning!" Zundel told the crowd.
"Push those bastards," one en-
thusiastic rallier yelled.
Zundel said the GEO contract

demands are more important than
just changing working conditions.
"This is about respect. We
should be able to keep our wages
above inflation, when (the adminis-
tration's) go way above inflation,"
he said.
GEO organizer Ingrid Kock said
the union is serious about its de-
mands.
"On Wednesday we'll either be
presented a contract or we'll be or-

ganizing for graduation commence-
ment to send the whole country a
message about how Jim Duderstadt
doesn't value education at the
University," Kock said of this
week's steering committee meeting.
Many TAs said they felt the
rallies were helping their cause.
"It shows there are a lot of
students unified and support GEO,"
said Communications TA Chris
Martin.

ACT-UP
awaiting
hospital's
responcse
by Jami Blaauw
Daily Staff Reporter
Despite vigorous efforts, ACT-
UP (AIDS Coalition To Unleash
Power) is still waiting for the
University Medical Center's re-
sponse to allegations it is not treat-
ing AIDS patients properly or pro-
viding staff with the necessary
training to care for them.
ACT-UP is accusing the hospital
of withholding treatment deter-
mined to be too expensive, granting
insensitive and delinquent personal
care, and the lack of special em-
ployee programs for treating AIDS
patients.
"The accusations were so unjus-
tified that I found them insulting,"
said Dr. Robert Fekety, chair of the
hospital's AIDS Task Force. "The
hospital has done many things to
improve the care for AIDS patients
that haven't been publicized and
perhaps ACT-UP does not know
about."
Fekety refused to comment last
week on what action the hospital
would take regarding ACT-UP's
demands.
"I think there needs to be better
coordination and better care for
AIDS patients," said David Ostrow,
an associate professor of psychiatry
and faculty associate at the VA
Hospital and a member of the medi-
cal center's AIDS Task Force.
An anonymous employee gave an
example of the poor training of-
fered to hospital employees when
she attended employee orientation
in the summer of 1990.
"I received a pamphlet during
the training on hepatitis and when I
asked for one on AIDS, the nurse
told me that it was not a big enough%3
problem at the medical center and
didn't know where I could find that
information," said the neuropsy-
chology employee. "This sort of in-
formation should have been accessi-
ble to me."
ACT-UP's literature quotes an
anonymous AIDSrpatient who
claimed that his room was not
cleaned by the housekeeping staff
and said that needles and blood-
stained gauze littered the floor for
over a week. This patient later -
sought AIDS treatment on his own
because he was barred from treat-
ment with AZT because of the cost.
ACT-UP sent copies of these
testimonies and others, along with
their demands to Dr. Fekety and
University President James
Duderstadt and plans to contact
state legislators to increase pressure
on the Medical Center.
It is not known if or when the
hospital will issue a response.

Learning Disability Society recognizes 'U' faculty

by Rebecca Donnenfeld
Daily Staff Reporter
Twelve professors and teaching
assistants have been recognized by
the Learning Disability Society
(LDS) for their help in accommo-
dating students with learning dis-
abilities.
LSA senior Emily Singer, the
founding president of LDS, said the
six-member society nominates
"caring and concerned" members of

the faculty every term to show their
appreciation for their extra sensitiv-
ity.
Award recipients for this term
include: Psychology Prof. Evan
Heit, Political Science TA Cornell
Hooten, Psychology Prof. Drew
Westen, Psychology TA Elizabeth
Kleschnick, Psychology TA
Michael Davis, Psychology Prof.
Terry Orback, Sociology TA Mark
Fiegberg, Biological Anthropology

Prof. Kim Hill, Physics Prof.
Walter Grey, History TA Anne
Schaefer, and History TA Brad
Horton.
Singer said teachers are chosen
not only for extra help that they
give to students but also for teach-
ing methods that are organized and
easy to follow.
"Learning disabled students of-
ten have trouble with short atten-
tion spans," she explained.

"Teachers who are enthusiastic and
clear make it easier on learning dis-
abled students."
She cited Drew Westen as an ex-
ample of a professor whose enthusi-
asm and emphasis on the importance
of teaching has made learning easier
for students.
LDS members said teachers as-
sisted students by giving untimed
tests, holding extra review sessions,

and allowing students to present
papers and projects orally.
LSA first-year student Jonathan
Ellis and senior Ethan Leonard, both
LDS members, said their psychology
TAs allowed them to present term
papers orally.
Leonard believes the awards can
increase awareness of what can be
done to help learning disabled stu-
dents.


" Anti-toxics advocate speaks at
by Gwen Shaffer

'U' as part of Earth Week

Daily Staff Reporter


When Lois Gibbs moved into
Love Canal, she hoped to raise her
family in a nice, clean suburb.
Instead, the American Dream turned
out to be a toxic nightmare for
Gibbs and hundreds of other Love
Canal residents.
Gibbs, whose speech "On the
Frontlines for Environmental
Justice" was part of Friday's Earth
Week activities, is a leader in the
anti-toxics movement and founder
of the Citizens' Clearinghouse for
Hazardous Waste.
Gibbs told the crowd of more
than 60 that humans are destroying
the earth.
"I didn't go to college, I don't

know the science of how we are do-
ing it, but I've experienced it first-
hand," she said.
After moving into Love Canal,
Gibbs' son developed epilepsy,
asthma, liver problems, and an im-
mune deficiency. When Gibbs'
daughter Melissa was two, she was
diagnosed with a rare blood disease.
"My baby's body was covered
with bruises the size of coffee cup
saucers," Gibbs described.
At the hospital, Melissa went
through a painful procedure to get a
bone marrow sample. "I listened to
my daughter screaming for me to
protect her - that's the effect of
low-level toxics on people. That's
what happened to my family, and

I

my family wasn't alone," Gibbs
said.
Fifty-six percent of children in
Love Canal were born with birth
defects. In October, 1980, after a
long resident-led fight, 900 families
were successfully evacuated from
Love Canal, Gibbs said.
"After that, I decided I needed to
help other people," she said.
"Everyone is affected by toxic
waste, whether they believe it or
not."
Low-income, rural, and minority
areas are most likely to be targeted
as toxic waste sites, Gibbs said.
"In the South, almost every poor
Black community has a pollution
problem," she said.

Gibbs said the only way citizens
can fight toxic waste is through po-
litical activism.
"There is no scientific proof be-
cause the studies aren't being done.
The government has the best experts
money can buy," Gibbs said. "Those
who would like to come on our side
can't because of funding."
Gibbs said the federal govern-
ment and polluting corporations
have a close relationship, making it
difficult for environmentalists to
be influential.
"Legally, its okay to discharge
this stuff into the environment ...
(and) to kill one in 10,000 people,"
Gibbs said.
Gibbs emphasized not only do

citizens have an obligation to ensure
companies do not ruin the earth,
they have the power to fulfill that
obligation.
"Our government has a vested
interest in polluting corporations
because they give money to cam-
paigns," Gibbs said. "We can force
the government to care if we use our
ability to change things. We can
speak out."
Students said they felt Gibbs'
emotions came through to help get
her point across.
"You could feel her pain," said
LSA first-year student Jennifer
Bayson.
"I really like the way she's giv-
ing instructive ways to reach out to
ordinary people to get things done,"
said Natural Resources first-year
student Fred Werner.


Correction
In this Weekend'sBest of Ann Arbor issue, the Daily neglected to recog-
nize two winners. In the Best Mexican Food category, Chi Chi's restau-
rant tied for first, and the Crown House of Gifts also tied for first in the
Best Greeting Card category. The Daily apologizes for the error.
THE LIST
What's happening in Ann Arbor today

JOSTENS
GOLD RING SALE


Meetings
Enact, weekly meeting. DANA Bldg.,
Rm. 1040,7:00.
People of Color Against War &
Racism, weekly meeting. West Engi-
neering, 1st floor Center for African &
Afro-American Studies Lounge, 5:00.
U of M Asian American Student
Coalition (UMAASC), weekly mtg. E.
Quad, rm 124, 7 p.m.
Students Against U.S. Intervention
in the Middle East (SAUSI), weekly
mtg. Hutchins Hall, rm 220, 8 p.m.
U of M Outing Club, mtg. Union,
Welker Rm, 8 p.m.
Speakers
"Liberal Politics in the Arab World,"
Lisa Anderson of Columbia
University. Eldersveld Conference Rm,
5638 Haven, 4 p.m.
"Proust et L'Art," Anne Borrel.
MLB, 4th Floor commons, 4:30.
"Geometry and Non-Parametrics,"
Richard Liu of Cornell University. 429
Mason, 4 p.m.
"Organometallic Chemistry on Ni-
Mo and Ni-W Bimetallic
Templates," Michael Chetcuti of the
I T~_.__.. -..C-A... -T1. . f"1+.-D A

Fr.-Sat. 8-11:30. Call 936-1000 or stop
by 102 UGLi. Also at the Angell Hall
Computing Center 1-3 a.m. Sun. -
Thurs. Call 763-4246 or stop by the
courtyard. The last day of service will
be Wed., April 24.
Northwalk, nighttime safety walking
service. Functions Sun.-Thurs. 8-1:30
am., Fri.-Sat. 8-11:30. Call 763-
WALK or stop by 2333 Bursley. The
last day of service will be Wed., April
24.
ECB Peer Writing Tutors available
to help with your papers Sun.-Thurs.,
Angell/Haven Computing Center, 7-
11:00 p.m.; 611 Church Street Com-
puting Center, Tue. and Thurs. 7-11:00
p.m., Wed. 8-10:00. p.m.
U of M Karate-do Club. For info call
994-3620. Every Monday, CCRB,
Small Gym, 8-9:00.
U of M Tae Kwon Do Club. Every
Monday, CCRB Martial Arts Rm., 7-
8:30.
U of M Ninjitsu Club, Monday prac-
tice. Call David Dow (668-7478) for
info. I.M. Bldg., Wrestling Rm., 7-9:00.
American Chemical Society, tutor-
ing. Chem Bldgrm 1706, 7-9.
Coursepack Recycling Project. Bring
iio rnrenn~ t ~ihin

Order your college ring NOW
Stop by and see a Jostens representative
Monday, April 22 thru Friday, April 26,