4 Page 2 -The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, February 3, 1988 Addict tells of (Cootinued ft-om Page)) summer after his senior year. He thought he had the problem under control. In 1977, his senior year, Arch was named to the developmental division of the U.S. ski team, which consists of the top 60 racers in the nation and is "the stepping stone" to the Olympic team. WRIGHT never went any farther with the U.S. team. That year, he flew to South America for summer training. But after getting caught partying one night, he was kicked off the team. Officials had noticed his tendency to be a "wild man" during his- year of skiing; Wright said he often broke curfew and other rules. In the fall of 1978, Wright attended the University of Utah where he joined the ski team. Overwhelmed by the freedom at college, he began "partying like a madman." HE WAS a total failure in school. Despite his skiing talent, he got kicked off the team before the season started, because he seldom attended practice. He was expelled from school twice but managed to get back in. After a year at the university he had five credits and a .1 grade point average, but Wright remembers he still had no desire to quit using drugs. "I was rationalizing all of my problems, making excuses for the problems that were coming up in my life - not making it with the national team, not making it with the University of Utah, not making in college and in school," Wright said. HE ADDED that he was unwilling to look seriously at his problem. "The funny thing is from ever since that coach [at Burke] talked to me, I knew in the back of my mind that I could have a prdblem, and so I'd address it every once in a while, and I'd try to control it," he said. Wright said he would go through' periods of control when he wouldn't drink. But to counteract the periods of sobriety, the drug use would increase. The same happened with his drinking if he quit drugs. He did I had every reason in the world to be my problem objectively and say 'Thi! you're sinking yourself," - Arch Wright, Business have periods of abstinence, of seemingly total control - Wright said many people don't realize the fact that addicts can sometimes go through periods of control. During these periods, Wright said, addicts rationalize their problems. If they can quit they believe they are not addicted. An addict can make it to through the week or even months without get- ting stoned, but the addiction does not go away. It returns - sometimes even worse than before, he said. SKI-RACING was still an integral part of his life, so he would control the abuse during ski season. But like all addicts, his tolerance continually increased; he would have to use more and more drugs in different combinations to get the same feelings. "It took me one or two beers when I was twelve, and in the end literally I could not get high, no matter how much cocaine I ingested on a given night, no matter how much I drank. I'd get very sick, but I wouldn't get anywhere near the fun type of jolly carefree attitdde that I see all the time and that I remember from when I was first using," he said. Wright's ski career continued to develop. During the winter of 1979, at age 19, he lined up the necessary contracts and sponsors and turned professional. During a time before mandatory drug testing, drug use was readily accepted in the pro skiing world; the atmosphere in- creased his drug use. WRIGHT'S best professional season was in 1982 when he had one of the fastest personal qualifying times and racing times in a competition in Powderhorn, Co.; he defeated racers who had top five ranking in the country. Wright felt he could "go anywhere" wit managing l impossible; hi wrapped up in At this po escalated to tv day, sometime night, at $10 longer able toj prepare for s cheated, lied support his ha apartment, he apartment to always using I instead of payi WORKIN popular Salt I Wright dealt d said the presti which include( an orthopedic him to rational recovery themselves to stop, but this is nearly able to look at impossible. After reading articles s is ridiculous, written by recovered addicts, Wright realized he needed professional help. He checked himself into a 10-week in-patient treatment center. School senior It was the most important decision of his life. h his racing. By 1983, THE TREATMENT was a mix his life became of gratifying growth and agonizing is entire identity was soul searching. Wright said he had cocaine. no idea how to lead a normal life, be int, his cocaine use responsible, or live without the wo to three grams per crutch of drugs and alcohol. -s up to eight grams a During therapy, Wright said he 0-$120 a gram. No became more aware of himself and mentally or physically his environment. kiing, Wright stole, "There's so much stuff that one and dealt drugs to deals with when recovering, abit. Without his own emotional issues and really moved from friend's addressing the reasons why we used. friend's apartment, A lot of it is denial, of you name it, his cocaine as a ticket denial of problems at home, ng rent. problems with yourself," he said. G as a bartender in a Lake City night spot, After treatment he enrolled in a rugs from the bar. He community college. The 27-year-old ge of his customers - business school senior will work at a d a noted attorney and public accounting firm in San surgeon - helped Francisco in the spring after he ize his own addiction. graduates. Although he made $8,000-$10,000 a month by dealing, his $2,000 a week habit made meeting expenses impossible. Looking for bigger thrills, Wright said he often borrowed friends' sports cars and rallied at high speeds in the mountains with his mind "blown away" on cocaine. Also, while high on drugs, he began participating in a dangerous sport called gelande jumping, which is similar to Nordic ski flying - the jumper may travel 200 feet at a speed of 65-70 miles per hour at a height of 200 feet in the air. BUT AFTER doing cocaine all night on New Year's Eve in 1984, Wright decided he could no longer live a life revolving around cocaine. He said every addict must hit a personal bottom - a time when they can no longer deal with the life they lead - before considering quitting. He flew home to Michigan thinking he would take a few weeks off to get his life in control. He said many addicts think they can will HELPING others to stay away from drugs and alcohol has helped Wright recover further. He has spoken at fraternity houses, high-. schools and junior high schools. Also, Wright is the University's representative for the Ann Arbor Leaders in Prevention Task Force board of directors. He is also a member of the Business School student counsel. His recovery, he said, is a continuing process and he is still going through major changes and growth. "My life is so much better than I ever imagined it could be. Even the best times before, when I was at the glory of my ski-racing, the feelings that I have inside and how happy I am about myself and my life now is. no comparison to the highest times I had before. It's like I have addressed a problem that has made life so much more worth living and any- body can do that." IN BRIEF Compiled from Associated Press reports Reagan lobbies for Contra aid WASHINGTON - President Reagan made a last-ditch effort to sal- vage his $36.2 million aid package for the Contra rebels yesterday by promising to release money for arms and ammunition only if Congress agrees. In an Oval Office address shunned by three major television networks, Reagan argued that tomorrow's vote in the House amounted to nothing less than "win or lose for peace and freedom. It is yes or no to America's national security." "Our support is needed now - tomorrow will be too late," Reagan said, pleading support for the Contras' battle against the leftists govern- ment of Nicaragua. It was unclear whether Reagan's last-minute maeuver would sway those undecided about tomorrow's crucial vote. Index drop may mean recession WASHINGTON - The government said yesterday its chief economic forecasting gauge fell for a third consecutive month in December, the traditional, but not infallible, signal of an impending recession. While some economists said the three downturns were indeed foretelling an end to the record five-year peacetime expansion, other analysts disagreed, contending that 1988 will feature slower growth but no outright downturn. The Commerce Department's Index of Leading Economic Indicators has taken on added significance since the record 508-point decline in stock prices which occurred on Oct. 19. The 0.2 percent December decline in the index followed a sharp 1.2 percent November drop, which had been the biggest setback in more than six years, and a smaller 0.1 percent decrease in October. FBI head admits flaw in probe WASHINGTON - FBI Director William Sessions said yesterday that the bureau's investigation of a group opposing the Reagan administration's Central America policy was "not properly directed" in all instances. Sessions said that since members of CISPES were in contact with people from other organizations, a "limited investigation was conducted to follow up information that was not complete. The focus remained on CISPES, not the other organizations, and was to round out or develop information on the scope of activities and influence of CISPES." But the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights, which last week released some of the FBI documents it obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, contended that the investigation "covered hundreds of groups and individuals who were engaged in activities protected and encouraged by the U.S. Constitution." Israeli army, Palestinians clash; one protester wounded OFRA, Occupied West Bank - A Palestinian was wounded yesterday in new clashes with the Israeli army, Arab reports said. Jewish settlers vowed to carry out vigilante justice if the army failed to protect them. The Palestine Press Service and officials at al Ittihad Hospital said soldiers shot a 21-year-old Palestinian, Said Yassin, in the pelvis after protests in the West Bank city of Tulkarem. The Arab-run agency also said 20 Palestinians were beaten by soldiers during a demonstration in the nearby village of Habla. In Washington, Secretary of State George Shultz told Congress he had undertaken a new Mideast diplomatic initiative designed to provide "a greater sense of political control" to the 1.5 million Palestinians who live in the occupied territories. EXTRAS Punxsutawney Phil predicts premature primavera PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa - Punxsutawney Phil, a groundhog with a knack for weather forecasting, yesterday predicted an early spring for only the ninth time in 101 years. After the furry legend was plucked form hisluxury burrow at dawn, he looked around at a crowd of reproters, photographers and several hundered Groundhog Day celebrants. But he couldn't see his shadow in the rain. That's a sure sign of an early thaw, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. Phil's closest friends in this Western Pennsylvania town of 8,000 say his forecasts haven't been wrong in the 101 years he's been making his predictions. "He's been right every time - according to us at least," said William Null, secretary of the Grooundhog Club and director of the town's Cham- ber of Commerce. "Some people have challenged that, but that's OK." Groundhog Day tradition has it that if a groundhog sees its shadow af- ter crawling out of its burrow, six weeks of winter will follw. If it doesn't, spring is just around the corner. Phil has predicted an early spring only eight other times in the history of the celebration, null said. They occurred in 1890, 1902, 1934, 1950, 1970, 1975, 1983, and 1986. HY CONFORM TO THE NORM? 4 It would have been easy to play 'follow the leader' in the technology race. But at Tandem, we chose to venture off on our own, with a proprietary technology and a new set of ideals. Now in the mul- tibillion dollar on-line transaction processing (OLTP) market, we're the company that's setting the pace, with a full array of high performance low-end and high-end systems that change the way businesses process information. Within Tandem, you won't be expected to 'look and act like everyone else.' Al- though you'll be working with some of the most knowledgeable technologists in the business, your ideas won't be lost in a crowd. Small development teams and an interactive approach to each project ensure that you'll have the op- portunity to apply your creativity. Large-scale support of each project guarantees the resources you need to achieve. It's easy to find a company that's more conventional, more traditional than Tandem. But since we've come this far by independent thinking, we see any other philosophy as just plain unnatu- ral. By not conforming to the standard, we ve been able to enjoy uncommon success. You can too. at Tandem. TANDEM COMES TO CAMPUS Finance majors and MBAs/Marketing with an interest in a sales career, come see what Tandem is all about. Over refreshments you'll meet informally with Tandem employees and discuss professional opportunities in your field. INFORMATION SESSION: 4:30-6:30 P.m. Michigan Room Monday, February 8 ON-CAMPUS INTERVIEWS: Tuesday, February 9 For more information, contact your Placement Center. Or, send your resume to College Recruiting, Tandem Computers Incorporated, 10300 N. Tantau Ave- nue, MS55-12, Cupertino, CA 95014- 2599. We are an equal opportunity emnlover m/f/h/v. Vol.XCVIII-- No.86 The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. Subscription rates: January through April -$15 in Ann Arbor, $22 outside the city. 1988 spring, summer, and fall term rates not yet available. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and the National Student News Service. E ,ditor in Chief ........REBECCA BLUMENSTEIN Photo Editors.....................KAREN HANDELMAN Managing Editor ............MARTHA SEVETSON JOHNMUNSON News Editor.............................EVE BECKER City Editor ...........................MELISSA BIRKS PHOTO STAFF: Alexandra Brez, Jessica Green, Ellen Features Editor ............ELIZABETH ATKINS Levy, Robin Loznak, David Lubliner, Danny Stiebel, Lisa University Editor........ ....KERY MURAKAMI Wax. NEWS STAFF: Vicki Bauer, Dov Cohen, Hampton Weekend Editors.......................STEPHEN GREGORY Dellinger, Ken Dintzer, Sheala Durant, Heather Eurich, ALJAN PAUL Steve Knopper, KristinE LaLonde, Michael Lustig, Alyssa WEEKEND STAFF: Fred Zinn. Lustigman, Andrew Mills, Lisa Pollak, Jim Poniewozik, Melissa Ramsdell, David Schwartz, Steve Tuch, Ryan Tutak, Rose Mary Wumnmel. Opinion Page Edit",s..JEFFREY RUTHERFORD Display Sales Manager..........................ANNE CALE SOUTHWORTH KUBEK OPINION STAFF: Muzamnil Ahmed, Sarah Babb, Assistant Display Sales Manager......KAREN BROWN Rosemary Chinnock, Molly Daggett, Noah Finkel, Jim DISPLAY SALES STAFF: David Bauman, Gail Belenson, Herron, Eric L. Holt, Joshua Ray Levin, I. Matthew Miller, Lauren Berman, Sherri Blansky, Pam Bullock, Jeff Chen,. Steve Semenuk, Mark Weisbrot, Mark Williams. Tamny Christie, Milton Feld, Lisa George, Michelle Gill, Sports Editor.......................................JEFF RUSH Matt Lane, Heather MacLachlan, Jodi Manchik, Eddy Meng, Associate Sports Editors...................JULIE HOLLMAN Jackie Miller, Shelly Pleva, Debbie Retzky, Jim Ryan, Laura ADAM SCHEFTER Schlanger, Michelle Slavik, Mary Snyder, Marie Soma, ADAM SCHRAGER Cassie Vogel, Bruce Weiss. PETE STEINERT NATIONALS: Valerie Bteir DOUG VOLAN LAYOUT: Heather Barbar,. SPORTS STAFF: Steve Blonder, Steve Cohen, Richard TEARDOWN: Tara FotO. T I. I