MSA elects committee chai

The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, November 29, 1995 - 3

Ohio school cuts
tuition by 29%
Muskingum.College, a small, private
school in the hills of rural eastern Ohio,
is planning to slash its tuition to help
-'draw more students.
'' For the 1996-97 academic year, tu-
lition will drop by $4,000 -29 percent
=u- for students enrolling for the first
time, from $13,850 to $9,850.
A spokesman for the American Coun-
cil on Education said such actions are
r.Mare.
"I have not heard of anything like
that," David Merkowitz told The Asso-
,= ciated Press. "It is indicative of the
degree of competition we are seeing in
higher education based on price."
Muskingum officials made the deci-
sion after extensive economic analysis
convinced administrators that the school
could bring in more money by charging
. tess.
: Women sue
t Vanderbilt over
radiation tests
Five women have filed a federal class-
action suit against Vanderbilt Univer-
sity as a result of a study involving
radiation tests on pregnant women in
,1946.
U.S. District Judge John Nixon gave
a preliminary ruling earlier this month'
approving financial compensation for
damages suffered by the plaintiffs.
The Vanderbilt Hustler reported that
the women received a dose of nutri-
tional iron that contained a radioactive
tracer as part of the prenatal care they
received from the university. The study
was on iron-deficiency anemia.
The suit, listing Vanderbilt and five
other defendants, alleges that the plain-
tiffs' civil and constitutional rights were
violated during the experiment.
' Jeff Carr, Vanderbilt's general coun-
el, told the Hustler that the primary
issue is if the school received the con-
sent ofthe test subjects, and if radiation
actually harmed the women.
'Scientist says
volcano may have
killed dinosaurs
A massive volcanic eruption may
have been responsible for the extinc-
tion of the dinosaurs said J. Keith Rigby,,
anassociateprofessorofcivil engineer-
ing and geological sciences at the Uni-
'"'ersity of Notre Dame.
His theory is that a large-scale volca-
° "nic eruption spewed dust and otherpol-
°lutants into the air, resulting in environ-
'. mnental changes that ultimately led to
the extinction of the giant animals.
Rigby's idea contradicts the currently
accepted theory that a giant asteroid hit
%the Earth, causing living things to either
freeze or starve to death.
Rigby gathered much of his evidence
'from airbubbles contained in fossilized
amber.
The research done by Rigby and his
associates will be published for the first
time in January.
Notre Dame
Stadium expands
Notre Dame Stadium, wheretheFight-
ng Irish football team battles its oppo-
,, ents, is currently under construction.
SAs part of a $50-million project, the
.university is extending the stadium up-
>vard and outward. There will be 22,915
more seats, increasing capacity to

80,990.
The construction has caused many prob-
lems with parking around campus, forc-
ing students out of many of their lots.
Criticism has also arisen about the loca-
-Lion of the new student section.
- Compiled by Daily Staff
Reporter Lisa Poris from
staff and wire reports

By Michelle Lee Thompson
Daily Staff Reporter
The Michigan Party, Wolverine Party
and Students' Party all gained victories
in last night's committee and commis-
sion chair elections for the Michigan
Student Assembly.
LSA Rep. Fiona Rose said the vote
signified the assembly's move toward
nonpartisan day-to-day operations.
"What we're able to do is recognize
the leaders in the assembly ... without
the partisan bickering," Rose said.
Study: GOP
budget plan
sbifts costs
to thestates
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Re-
publicans' proposed budget would shift
more of the cost of balancing the fed-
eral budget to state and local govern-
ments is more than they can absorb,
according to a study released yester-
day.
The GOP budget plan--which Presi-
dent Clinton has promised to veto -
would shrink Michigan's projected
share of federal aid by about $10.4
billion over seven years, the Center on
Budget and Policy Priorities said.
Republicans donot have enough votes
to override Clinton's veto, but their
plan represents a star'ting point for ne-
gotiations with the White House to bal-
ance the budget by 2002.
The study ranks states starting with
those projected to lose the most federal
aid under the bill passed by Congress to
balance the budget and cut taxes -
called the reconciliation bill. While
Louisiana ranks No. 1, Michigan fares
better at No. 29.
Michigan would receive $65 million
less in federal grants in fiscal year 1996
under the GOP plan than could be ex-
pected under current law - amounting
to 2 percent of projected state sales tax
revenue or $7 per person, according to
the Center, a liberal nonprofit institute
that researches government programs
affecting low- and middle-income
people.
That amount would reach $3 billion
in 2002, a loss of $310 per person or 22
percent of projected state revenue from
sales tax, personal income tax and the
single-business tax combined, the study
said.
"The budget reconciliation bill would
result in a major shift of responsibility
for funding government benefits and
services from the federal government
to states and localities," the study said.
"The magnitude of this shift is far be-
yond the capacity of states to absorb."
Republicans have said they would
not touch Social Security in balancing the
budget. That program, combined with
defense spending - which Republicans
voted to increase - and interest pay-
ments on the national debt account for
about half the federal budget.
Federal grants to state and local gov-
ernments makeup about 30 percent of the
remaininghalfofthe federalbudget, which
is subject to budget tightening.
The largest federal grant program is
the Medicaid health care program for
the poor, accounting for about 40 per-
cent of all federal dollars flowing to the
states.
The study concludes that states -
including Michigan-would lose about
a quarter of federal Medicaid payments
in 2002 compared with funding under

current law, forcing states to reduce
benefits or the number of people eli-
gible for the program.
Much of the federal aid would be
transferred to the states in lump-sum
payments, called block grants. Entitle-
ment status would be dropped for pro-
grams such as Medicaid in favor of
states determining who qualifies.

The vote - a brief one in which only
two chairs were contested - was the
first item of business for the assembly,
which inducted newly elected repre-
sentatives from LSA and many smaller
schools last night.
New LSA Rep. Michael Nagrant was
elected chair of the Peace and Justice
Commission and vice chair of the Cam-
pus Governance Committee.
The governance committee appoints
students to various University commit-
tees.

"It's a real excellent way to get stu-
dents' voices heard in the University
community," Nagrant said.
Former federal and collegiate liaison
Andy Schor, anew LSA representative,
was elected External Relations Com-
mittee chair.
Schor proposed changes to the com-
mittee last night, including adding a
community relations liaison to the com-
mittee, which he said would "help stu-
dents get out and volunteer in the com-
munity."

Now MSA committee & commission chairs
Budget Priorities: Pharmacy Rep. Matt Curin (Wolverine)
Vice Chair: SNRE Rep. Karie Morgan (Students')
Campus Governance: LSA Rep. Probir Mehta (Students')
Vice Chair: LSA Rep. Michael Nagrant (Wolverine)
Communications: LSA Rep. Olga Savic (Students')
Vice Chair: LSA Rep. Brooke Slavic (Wolverine)
Rules and Elections: LSA Rep. Paul Scublinsky (Michigan)
Vice Chair: LSA Rep. Dan Serota (Wolverine)
External Relations: LSA Rep. Andy Schor (Wolverine)
Vice Chair: Engineering Rep. Jasmine Khambutta (Wolverine)
Womens' Issues: Emily Berry
Academic Affairs: LSA Rep. Srinu Vourganti (Wolverine)
Peace and Justice: LSA Rep. Michael Vagrant (Wolverine)
Students' Rights: Anne Marie Ellison
Environmental Issues: Engineering Rep. Bryan Theis (Independent)
Health Issues: Public Health Rep. Maureen Comfort (Students')

TA0,union,

I]y

optimistic about
contmact talks

By Stephanie Jo Klein
Daily Staff Reporter
Negotiators from the University ad-
ministration and the Graduate Employ-
ees Organization say they are optimistic
about the status of current contract nego-
tiations, set to continue this evening.
Last week's negotiations for GEO's
10th contract saw a doubtful group of
GEO members facing what they per-
ceived to be an uncompromising group
of administrators.
After the last session. GEO members
say they are more optimistic about the
progress.
Eric Dirnbach, a Rackham student
and chemistry teaching assistant, said
GEO members felt their proposals were
being listened to more carefully, due to
increased levels of discussion.
"We went through the issues we had
submitted previously," Dimbach said.
"We went through them (point by point).
I felt like we weren't just talking to a
stone wall."
GEO member and French TA Peter
Church agreed.
"They actually talked about issues
and interests, rather than taking sort of
an administrative position of yes or
no," he said.
Members ofthe administration's bar-
gaining team said they have not done
anything differently.
"There hasn't been a change in my
view on the University's part. Maybe
it's that the GEO group is getting used
to the bargaining process," said Bar-

bara Murphy, one of the
administration's chief negotiators.
A member of the GEO bargaining
team, Dirnbach said he felt both teams
were getting closer to understanding
each other.
"It's not quite bargaining until they
pass counterproposals back to us, but
it's close," he said.
Murphy said the administration ex-
pects to put together several counter-
proposals in the near future to add to
those they have alreadv.nresented.
Dimbach said he looked forward to
more communication. "We're hopingthat
the fruitful discussion at the table contin-
ues at future sessions. It will expedite the
whole process and we'll finish up faster.
"We don't expect to get everything
we want. We expect to negotiate, to
have some back and forth, some good
discussion," Dirnbach said.
Workgroups on the major issues of
the GEO contract have facilitated such
discussion.
Murphy said the informal forums al-
low discussion without the constraints
of the bargaining table.
"I have to give GEO credit for (creat-
ing the workgroups). It was theirideato
create (them). I participated in one so
far and found it very interesting and
useful," she said, adding that she hoped
to schedule a workgroup on the issue of
affirmative action.
Tonight's negotiations are scheduled
to focus on GEO's academic excel-
lence forum.

The lights before Christmasv
Corey Johnson, 8, wraps Christmas lights around the railing of his family's
Jackson home. The Johnsons plan to string about 5,000lights.
sold teen-age son to
settle her drug debt

I 1

DETROIT (AP) - Policebegan yes-
terday to unravel the tangled story of a
15-year-old boy who spent months with
drug dealers andusers-a world where,
authorities say, his mother sent him to
settle her crack cocaine debt.
Investigators sortedthrough conflict-
ing accounts of whether the boy went
voluntarily, sold drugs, was sexually
abused and became a crack addict him-
self.
Police found him about 12:30 a.m. in
a small, rundown house in a neighbor-
hood frequented by drug dealers and
prostitutes. A man with him, described
by police as a dealer with a long record,
was arrested.
Inspector Michael Hall saidananony-
mous tipster phoned in the boy's loca-
tion after police made an appeal for
public help through the news media
Monday night.
Hall said the boy's mother left him
with another drug dealer to settle a
$1,000 debt several months ago. He
said the boy denied that, but that other
evidence indicated the report was true.
Sgt. Shelley Foy of the police child
abuse unit said she was convinced the
boy was sold and that he went along to
protect his mother. She said his re-

sponse was common in neglect cases
nvolving drug-addicted parents.
"They've learned to protect their par-
ents. It's all they have."
The boy's grandmother said she
talked to him for about 10 minutes at the
county Juvenile Detention Center and
that he appeared addicted to crack. She
said he told her, "Mama, I need help."
Theboy had been living with his grand-
mother until he disappeared several
months ago, but the mother still held
custody. The grandmother said she
planned to ask the juvenile court to give
custody to her. Foy said the whereabouts
of the boy's fatherewere unknown.
"He's as sweet as he can be," the
grandmother said. "He's got one
hangup: It's his mother. He loves her."
Police were still searching forthe dealer
who bought the boy. His name and de-
scription were not released, though Hall
said authorities knew his identity. He said
the man had an extensive drug record.
The identity of the 34-year-old man
who was with the boy also was not
released. Hall said the Wayne County
prosecutor was considering charges
against him and the 33-year-oldmother,
who was in the county jail on an unre-
lated burglary charge.
Senate panel OKs
welfare revisions
LANSING (AP) - Landmark wel-
fare revisions designed to move people
off public assistance and into jobs or
community service won approval yes-
terday in a Senate committee.
The Senate Families, Mental Health
and Human Services Committee voted
3-2 on the two bills, with majority Re-
publicans in favor and minority Demo-
crats opposed. The Democrats offered
few alternatives and little criticism of
the legislation, which recently passed
the House on a bipartisan vote.
It now goes to the full Senate, which
is expected to open debate on the
issue tomorrow. It is exnected to be

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What's happening in Ann Arbor today

GRouP MEETINGS
Q American Baptist Student Fellow-
ship, free meal, meeting, 663-
9376, First Baptist Church, Cam.
pus Center, 512 East Huron, 5:30-
7 p.m.
Q AIESEC Michigan, general member
meeting, 6621690, Business
Administration Building, Room
1276, 6 p.m.
Q La Voz Mexicana, meeting, 994.
9139, Michigan League, Room D,
7 p.m.
Q Ninjutsu Club, beginners welcome,
761-8251, Intramural Sports

verine Room, 7:30-8:30 p.m.
EVENTs
a "Graduate School Night and Schol-
arship Presentation," sponsored
by Undergraduate Anthropology
Club, LSA Building, Room B134, 7
p.m.
U "Hindu Festivals and Gods," Dr.
Goswami, sponsored by Hindu Stu-
dents Council, Michigan Union,
Pond Room, 8 p.m.
0 "Legislating Labor in Armenia Dur-
ingthe Transition," Anahit Ordian,
brown bag lecture series, spon-

national Center, International
Center, Room 9, 2 p.m.
0 "Resident Staff Position informa-
tion Meeting For Gay Male, Les-
bian and Bisexual Students,"
sponsored by Residence Educa-
tion, East Quad, 2nd Cooley
Lounge, 7-9 p.m.
STUDENT SERVICES
O Campus Information Centers,
Michigan Union and North Cam-
pus Commons, 763-INFO,
info@umich.edu, UM*Events on
GOpherBLUE, and http://

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