F.Y.I.
F.Y.I.
Please send items for F.Y.I. to: F.Y.I. Editor, AGENDA, 220 S. Main St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104.
Scholarships Awarded
The Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living is pleased to announce the winners of the 1997 John Weir Scholarship. Mobin Takawul received the top prize of $1,000. Kyle Hall received second prize of $500 and Brandon Richmond and Michelle McDonald both received $250 scholarships.
The scholarship committee received applications from a large pool of graduating high school seniors with disabilities, each having impressive, individual experiences of initiative and advocacy. The committee awarded four other outstanding candidates $100 scholarships. Congratulations!
Volunteer for Choice
Planned Parenthood of Mid-Michigan is looking for volunteers to help staff their booth at the 1997 Ann Arbor Art Fair, July 16-19. Volunteers will talk to fair goers, answer questions and give out information. Training provided. To find out more call 973-0710.
Writers Union Wins Organizing Grant
Then S. E. Michigan local of the National Writers Union, UAW local 1981 (SEM-NWU) has received a $1,000 grant from the National Writers Union to begin an Academic Writers Organizing Campaign. The grant is recognition on the part of the union's national leadership that economic and working conditions or academics are steadily getting worse.
"Faculty often work for years without getting into the better-paying tenure track," noted co-author of the proposal, Amy Rose. "They have no job security and few or no benefits.
...Unfortunately, and often out of ignorance or fear, they give away all their publishing rights. Many, for instance, let book publishers steal their copyrights because contracts are written by publishers' lawyers and academic writers don't assert their rights to retain them."
The other co-writer, Ken Wachsberger, has long worked on on the campaign to unionize lecturers at Eastern Michigan University. He says he can see a natural alliance between the teachers' unions and academic writers.
ACLU Posts New Address
Persons who wish to submit complaints to, or seek advice from the Washtenaw County Branch of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), should send a written statement to: P.O. Box 8083, Ann Arbor, MI 48107. Or fax your concern to 313-662-2713. The ACLU does not have a telephone number in Washtenaw County.