ft
L40cAIL/5TATt
The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 5, 1995 - 7A
P" Group teaches
shoplifters to quit,
recover from habit
By Jonathan Hohn
For the Daily
"That's part of my recovery," Terry
said, after he had asked the clerk if the
caramels on the counter were free.
This man is Terry Shulman, a recov-
ering shoplifter who is starting a sup-
port group for shoplifters in Ann Arbor
next week. The name of the group is
CASA - Cleptomaniacs and Shoplift-
ers Anonymous.
Shulman started a similar group in
Detroit in 1992.
Shulman said he believes that shop-
lifting provides an immediate fix. "It is
very similar to a drug addiction. Once
you're hooked on this, the mind starts
to get distracted and needs it more and
more."
Shoplifting, Shulman said, is more
than just a legal issue - its underlying
cause lies deep within a person's exte-
rior. Shoplifting may start as feelings of
anger that lie unaddressed, or when a
person has a deep belief that life has
been unfair to them in some way.
To make up for this perceived unfair-
ness, the person shoplifts to reclaim
some of the lost power, entitlement and
a sense of fairness.
"Shoplifting for me was an acting
out. I wasn't getting what I thought I
deserved so I felt like I needed to re-
claim those things that I deserved,"
Shulman said.
He said college students are probably
the most at risk for shoplifting. The
pressure of grades, relationships, find-
ing a major, anxiety about graduation
and finances may cause students to shop-
lift as an acting out of emotions and
feelings of unfairness in their lives.
Shulman warns that shoplifting may
start out as employee theft and then
progress to taking money out of the
Meeting
o
t
The support group will meet every
Tuesday starting Oct.10 at the
Friends Center Meeting House at
1420 Hill St. from 7-8:30 p.m. Those
intrested can contact Terry
Sehulman at (313) 913-6990.
drawer, and then a person begins to
steal out of stores.
"This behavior has provided with me
a crutch, because if something did not
go well in my life I could tip the scale in
my favor by taking a little object," he
said.
Angelais a recovering shoplifterwho
was in Shulman's group in Detroit. She,
said her problem started because of
great emotional problems she was suf-
fering.
"I was out of control. The obessive-
behavior was taking over my life,"
Angela said.
Angela gives credit to Shulman's
group for her recovery from shoplift-
ing. "If someone would have told me I
would be at the point I am now in my_
recovery, I would not have believed
them. I thought I neverwould stop," she
said.
Shulman wants to see the day when
shoplifting is not only viewed as a legal
problem, but also a condition that needs
to treated like drug addiction and alco-
hol abuse. He wants the court system
and probation officers to send shoplift-
ers to support groups and therapy to get
help for this problem.
Shulman said this group is open to
anyone who has a problem with shop-
lifting. He added, this group is not a
support group with a religious agenda,
but is all-encompassing in its outreach,:
NOPPORN KICHANANTHA/Daily
Vood Works
ark Somoza of Ann Arbor builds a chest at the University's Student Wood Shop. People can use the facility after taking a four-hour training course and paying $25.
I .resmma n
Area associations help
buinsss function iesin A2
"By 1970 a sprawling literary
college will have taken over all of
the central campus area. The col-
lege-with a present enrollment of
13,744 - will have grown to an
expected 16,155 students."
y Melissa Kowalls
or the Daily
Being in business in a town that loses
third of its population for four months
an make for some lean months. Hav-
ig homeless people blocking the front
oor can cut into sales. Trash and un-
ily bushes can turn off potential cus-
mers, too.
To combat these and other problems
rea businesses face, the State Street Area
issociation and South University Area
issociation help keep the businesses stu-
ents are so familiar with "in business."
"The State Street Area Association
vorks directly with merchants to make
he downtown Ann Arbor area as won-
lerful as possible... from promotions
o fixing their street light," said Susan
'ollay, executive director of the State
treet Area Association.
State Street is one of the four mer-
hant organizations working to main-
ai downtown Ann Arbor's business
listrict, Pollay said. The general pur-
>ose of these groups is to give business
wners a way to meet other business
>wners and to act as sounding boards
'or information, complaints, concerns
nd promotional ideas.
The stores in the State Street area are
br the most part independently owned,
naking Association services essential
orsuccess. Some are even family-owned
nd second- or third-generation-run.
"Because we're mostly independent
>usinesses, we have formed a network
o communicate amongst ourselves, and
he State Street Area Association is a
ig part of that network," said Bob
)ascola, owner of Dascola Barbers.
'Businesses want to help out other busi-
esses so that Ann Arbor can remain
:he one-of-a-kind city that it is."
Pollay says her association ofapproxi-
nately 170 businesses holds meetings
nce or twice a week, keeping mer-
hants informed about Ann Arbor "hap-
penings," and gives them the opportu-
ity to ask for help or voice a concern.
This past year, the association spent
$15,000 on painting, planting flowers,
cleaning sidewalks and other general
maintenance to improve the appear-
nee of the business area. Association
monies are also used for promotional
rochures of the State Street area.
"Ann Arbor is so unique ... people
don't realize that just by walking five
blocks off campus, they can find
Kerrytown - practically a separate city
INYES*T #
South Univ. association
helps new merchants
* I
By Melissa Kowalls
For the Daily
Similar to State Street, the South
University Area Association is an or-
ganization working toward keeping
downtown Ann Arbor a healthy, vital
business area.
The South University Area Asso-
ciation began 25-30 years ago and is
the smallest of the city's four associa-
tions, composed of 5{ businesses.
"Each section of downtown repre-
sented by an association is very differ-
ent and must be marketed differently,
which is the reason for four area asso-
ciations," said Andie Dreyden, direc-
tor of the South University Area Asso-
ciation.
Dreyden said businesses on South
University Avenue change hands so
frequently that her association is used
more for promotion and marketing of
the area than for merchant relation-
ships.
"The associationprovides snow re-
moval, trash removal and basically
wants the area to remain prosperous,"
said Tom Rule, manage of Tower
Records.
The Streetscape on South Univer-
within a city," Pollay said. "You can eat at
Sweet Lorraine's, buy a pumpkin on Sat-
urday morning at Farmer's Market, or go
experience Zingerman's, andpeople need
to know it's all here in Ann Arbor."
The four directors of the downtown
Ann Arbor Area Associations meet once
a month to plan ways of promoting
downtown businesses.
"We each have our own area's spe-
cific promotional needs, but we know
that proving to people how beneficial
shopping anywhere in the downtown
area is, is even more important," said
Andie Dreyden, the director ofthe South
University Area Association.
Both associations, along with Main
Street and Kerrytown Area Associa-
tions, are currently working on a joint
project. The four are producing a walk-
ing map of Ann Arbor. The map will
support local businesses by offering
sity was a recent project of the asso-
ciation. "We are very pedestrian-
oriented," Dreyden said, "and the city
let us play a big role in improving the
South University business area ...
lots of planted flowers and benches."
Dreyden said the organization as-
sists members with any needs they
have and deals with area problems.
"The largestproblem for South Uni-
Iversity businesses is parking," Rule
said. "There justisn't enough parking
and full-time students and shoppers
have to share what little there is. The
Association is trying to find a way to
solve our space dilemma, but we
haven't figured anything out yet,"
The summer also proves to be chal-
lenging for merchants on South Uni-
versity.
"June isn't too bad because many
students are still here, but July is great
with the art fair, it is like bringing in
four Christmas shopping days into
the summer," Rule said. "August is
awful."
Dreyden said the art fairs not only
promote and help out the businesses,
but also markets the University and is
one ofher association's biggest events.
ideas of where to go for specific prod-
ucts and identifying "must-visit" Ann
Arbor sites.
Pollay said the association also helps
merchants keep their businesses alive
during the summer months, partially
through the summer art fairs.
"The students are the main source of
business for many stores throughout
the school year, but summer survival is
challenging," said Gary Clark, man-
ager of Van Boven's.
The development of the Ann Arbor Art
Fairs was the solution to the summer's
problems. The four merchant associa-
tions organize the fairs, which allow busi-
nessesto display their goods along down-
town streets, and bring in anywhere from
300,000 to 500,000 people annually.
"The stores can make in four days
what they wouldn't normally make in
an entire summer," Pollay said.
Teach English in junior and senior high schools in Japan /
Learn about Japanese culture and people
Gain international experience
" Have an excellent command of the English language
* Obtain a bachelor's degree by June 30,196
" Be a U.S.citizen
* Be willing to relocate to Japan for one year
' t
Applications are now available for program beginning August 1996. For more information, contact The Consulate
General of Japan, 200 Renaissance Center, Suite 3450, Detroit, MI, 48243-1301, (313) 567-0120, or call
1-800-INFO-JET (1-800-463-6538).
i i
9. IWMREaEs s644IS
NWL SROUTING COATEE SUGGCESTS,
I7VE BEN AROUlND HEEALOT, AND V VE
gAFGUN 10 IUNDERS5TAND W'HAT
THIS5 WHOLE "CFFEE HOUSE SCENE' IS
A LL ABOuT
:tt:
THI$ W 4LE IDEA Th4TTHERI5 A WORKER'S5
'ARTY vOLUTION AT CAF E PRE5O I5
A BUNCH OF ceAP,MAO. ALL I 5EE
M~OUND) HERE 15 OvEkWORKEP TA./5
AND APEThETIC 5"UUDENTS WHO REED
AR:IFIC CAL AD'RENALINE. 'M1-ESS
MASSES' ARE ONLY ?,APERED MAL.L-
CHILVREN T D CAE (MORE ABOUTRE
AyE 6.F4KE X 7N7IERFUU
YOUJ FOOL!'OWW O1 U~i
DISCOUNT THE LECITAMACY
OF THI.S REVOLUTION! RISE
UP, 45S! LET THE
R2EVL)LU7ION BEC,(N!
I1
- I