Duderstadt holds joint conference to " discuss rising costs The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, October 25, 1989 - Page 3 Searchers fear 22 dead in explosion by Mike Sobel Daily Staff Writer President James Duderstadt joined the president of the Association of American Universities (AAU) and the acting chair of the AAU's Execu- tive Committee in a press conference yesterday to address questions about price-fixing, rising costs, and neglect of undergraduates both at institu- tions across the country and at the University itself. Robert Rosensweig, the AAU President, and William Gerberding, the AAU chair, spoke with Duder- stadt at the Campus Inn following a morning meeting of the group. Meetings are held by the association ' twice a year at different universities to discuss issues relevant to research institutions. Gerberding, who is president of the University of Washington, said the group discussed issues including rising education costs, future funding for research, and the perennial ques- tion of undergraduates' role at a re- search university. ' "We don't spend a lot of time talking about undergraduate educa- tion," he said, referring to the ten- sion between research pressures and undergraduate needs, "but the discus- sion was triggered today." Rosensweig added that the group is "probably going to put together a task force to take a look at the is- sue." * Duderstadt emphasized that "the challenge (of a research university) is to draw from unique resources of re- search and give it to the undergradu- ates." He attributed the steady rise in tu- ition at the University to the fact that state financial support has dropped below the national average. Gerberding, whose university's tu- ition is set by the state legislature, added that "Michigan has more con- trol over their destiny because they control tuition." Duderstadt suggested that without tuition increases, which could be used to pay faculty salaries, the Uni- versity's quality would drop to the bottom third of the nation's schools. He went on to point out that the University has to keep increasing costs because it has a host of re- sponsibilities outside of research such as commitments to sports pro- grams and medical care. "The only way to reduce the cost of an ins titu- tion like this is to reduce those re- sponsibilities," he said. Rosensweig, a University alum- nus, said that despite a favorable climate toward education under the Bush administration, the huge na- tional deficits are going to force uni- versities to trim their academic pro- grams, probably by foregoing ex- pansion in certain departments. When asked about recent accusa- tions of price-fixing among the country's universities, Rosensweig said that it was an issue for the at- torneys of the respective universi- ties. Gerberding pointed out that the focus of the investigation is on in- dependent and private institutions while the AAU is made up of both public and private universities. "If the question had come up, it would have emptied half the room," Rosensweig said. PASADENA, Texas (AP) - Emergency crews searched the charred, twisted rubble of a plastics plant yesterday looking for 22 miss- ing workers feared dead in the fiery explosion that hurled wreckage miles away. At least two people were killed and 124 were injured. "There's just nothing left," Harris County Sheriff Johnny Klevenhagen said after venturing into the still- smoldering plant No. 5 at the Phillips Petroleum Co. complex. Officials located but could not remove the body of a second victim yesterday, partly buried in mounds of concrete and steel beams. They said it would take heavy equipment to fully search the ruins. One body was found Monday. Fires that followed the blasts and were fueled by highly flammable chemicals had been contained in small areas. Only a thin column of smoke rose from the plant yesterday, 24 hours after the first explosions, which shattered windows three miles away and were felt 25 miles away. "It is devastated," Klevenhagen said. "Major, major damage. It's go- ing to take extremely heavy equip- ment to remove the debris. "The problem we're finding is that there are areas of the plant we just can't get to. We're going.to have to bring in a bulldozer to make a road." Klevenhagen and a crew of fire- fighters, safety inspectors and a med- ical examiner made the first foray 'There's just nothing left.' -Harris County Sheriff Johnny Klevenhagen into the ruins at the complex outside Houston. The plant, which produced 4.5 million pounds a day of polyethy- lene plastic used in everything from milk jugs to grocery sacks, erupted in a series of explosions that began just after 1 p.m. Monday, sending debris flying as far as six miles away. Phillips environmental director Bill Stoltz said a seal blew out on an ethylene loop reactor, in which chemical reactions take place to cre- ate polyethylene out of ethylene, a component of natural gas. The seal break released hydrocar- bon vapor which ignited. What a foursome Tim Cunnane, LSA sophomore, and Mark Marucci, LSA junior, sit on the diag yesterday with Annie, a dog, and Missie, another dog. Homecoming aims to involve students Daily Staff Writer In past years, Homecoming has been a week- end for alumni, a time for former students to re- turn to Ann Arbor for nostalgic festivities and reunions. However, organizers of this year's homecom- ing festivities, which begin today, are confident that this weekend will see much more involve- ment by current students. "Homecoming is just as much an event for students as it is for alumni," said LSA sopho- more Debbie Waxman, co-chair of the Home- coming Committee, run through the University Activities Center (UAC). "We have planned it as an activity for the whole school." The four-day festivities begin today at 1 p.m. on the Diag with "Cup Day," where collector's cups filled with popcorn will be passed out free of charge for three hours. Later tonight, O'Sullivan's Eatery and Pub, this year's "Homecoming Headquarters," will be hosting the "Kick Off Party," where "specials ga- lore" will be given out, according to O'Sullivan's Assistant General Manager Dave Alford. The bar will lower its age of admission from 21 to 18 beginning tonight through Satur- day night. Tomorrow, the Diag will be host to more homecoming hype when maize and blue pom poms and balloons are given out. Then, tomor- row night, Dooley's will host a Go Blue Bash. The hysteria should reach its climax Friday. First, unrelated to the UAC events, The Evans Scholar House will host its traditional Car Bash on the Diag from 3 to 5 p.m, when passers-by can take a sledgehammer and hit an old car for charity. At 6 p.m., a Homecoming parade consisting of current and alumni Michigan Marching Band members, present and past Michigan cheerleaders, three or four floats, and local boy scouts and girl scouts will make its way down South University to State Street. Led by grand marshall Willy the Wolverine, paraders will eventually end up on the Diag for a pep rally, where they will be addressed by Michi- gan Athletic Director Bo Schembechler and the two captains of the football team, Derrick Walker and J.J. Grant. Finally, Saturday morning at 10 a.m., home- coming traditions continue with the Mudbowl at SAE Fraternity at the corner of Washtenawand South University. AtSthe same time, a Go Blue Brunch atthe Track and Tennis Building, usually frequented by alumni but open to all students, will conclude the pre-game hype. Box lunches for $8.50 will be available. The Michigan-Indiana football game will be- gin at noon. Homecoming Committee Co-chair Steve Joppich hopes that this year will "bring backthe homecoming spirit." "It will be nice to see the return of pride, and pep that you should see at these events, but hasn't been seen in years," he said. In addition to the UAC- and Greek-sponsored activities, South Quad is hosting Cafeteria Mad- ness Days. Organized by the South Quad Coun- cil, individual sections of the residence hall will compete against each other in events such as egg- tossing, jellow-slurping, and contributing tothe making of the South Quad float. The wining house gets a new VCR and a $200 donation to the charity students voted to support at the.be- ginning of the year. THE LIST What's happening in Ann Arbor today t> I i . . r 6 'h t T { is, t t X, t Y . { t s ro i t t t i t f t i tl 1 t ~ 3 r r i i t t i t T t t t t t + i a t e + + Meetings UM Asian Student Coalition - 7 p.m. in Mason Hall Rm. 2413 Women's Lacrosse - 9-11 p.m. at Tartan Turf Women's Lacrosse - practice from 9-11 p.m. at Tartan Turf Women In Communications 4:10 in 2050 Frieze Bldg. Latin American Solidarity Committee - 8 p.m. at the MichiganUnion; ask at the front desk for the room Women Worshipping in the Christian Tradition - 7 p.m. at 218 N. Division; sponsored by Canterbury House Episcopal Stu- dents Asian Studies Student Associa- tion - 7 p.m. in the Lane Hall Commons Rm. Stilyagi Air Corps - science fic- tion and fantasy club; 8 p.m. in Union Rm. 2209 Speakers "The Soviet Crisis and the Tasks of the Fourth Interna- tional" - national secretary of the Workers League David North Frankfurt Book Fair - Chris- tian Hart-Nibbrig, visiting Max Kade pi-fessor, 4:30 in the 3rd Floor Conference Rm. of the MLB "Entrepreneurship In Russia, China & The U.S." - Prof. Kiesner, winner of the 1989/1990 Zell/Lurie Fellowship; 4:30 p.m. in Rm. K1310 of the Business School "Thinking Media: Culture and Communication in the Work of Armand Mattelart" - Timothy Brennan; 2d lecture of the Collo- quium on Critical Theory; 8 p.m. in Rackham's West Conference Rm. "The discovery, excavation and study of Jiangzhai prehis- toric village settlement" - Prof. gong Qi Ming, Director of the Shaanxi Institute; 4-6 p.m.; in Rm. 4518 of the Natural Science Museum "Roots and Prospects of the Palestinian Uprising" - Saleh thesis" - Jae Don Lee of the Chemistry Dept.; 4 p.m. in Chemistry 1640 "Friends Helping Friends: How to Support a Survivor of Sexual Assault" - a brown-bag discussion led by Kata Issari, SAPAC counselor; noon in the South Quad West Lounge "Parameter Estimation in the Poisson/ Gaussian Regime - Prof. Alfred Hero; 3:30 p.m. in 1443 Mason Hall Furthermore Central American Beans & Rice Dinner - a chance to sup- port groups which do direct aid in Central America; 6 p.m. at the Guild House Fine Art Videotapes - shown at noon in the UM Museum of Art; today's artist is Nevelson Pre-Interviews - Caterpillar Inc. 5:15-7:15 p.m. in 1301 EECS Safewalk - the night-time walk- ing service is open seven days a week from 8:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; 936-1000 Northwalk - North campus night-time walking service, Rm. 2333 Bursley; 8 p.m. - 1:30 a.m. or call 763-WALK "Ojibwa Basket Making: The Tradition Lives On" - the ex- hibit is on display from 9-5 at the U-M Exhibit Museum ECB peer writing tutors - available at Angell-Haven and 611 Computing Centers from 7 to 11 p.m.; Sunday through Thursday French House Open House - 5-8 p.m. at 613 Oxford Free Tutoring - for all lower- level math, science and engineer- ing courses; UGLi Rm. 307 7-11 p.m.; South Quad Dining Hall 8- 10 p.m.; Bursley's East Lounge 8-10 p.m. CP&P Programming - Inter- view Lecture, 6-7 p.m. in the CP&P Library; Employer Presen- tation of Annenberg School of Communication, 3:30-5 p.m. in MLB 2011; Employer Presenta- tion of Rand Corporation, 4-5 p.m in CP&P Conference Rm. rr1/111 rp""rv r r7 I /7 W T" VW rrf r r/7 a r"W'Vfl V]k T O"t RIDE THE WAVE.. . Use and Read Zbe i big= Dily Classifieds The Soviet Crisis and the Tasks of the Fourth International " , , , . , '> a! +. .. . Veinw 5ae 'e 4o,... hear David North, national secretary of the Workers', League and author of Perestroika vs. Socialism: Stalintism and the Restoration of Capitalism in the USSR, present. a Marxist analysis of the policies of the Gorbachev regime. STUDENT EMPLOYMENT Now Hiring Full Time & Part Time! *Flexible Hours * Competitive Salary* *Cash Tips Daily * Free Parking * DOA Wednesday, October 25, 7 PM University of Michigan Mason Hall Room 2440 IDEAL FOR STUDENTS! *PART TIME CLERICAL* *RETAIL CLERKS " CAKE DECORATORS* FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL (IN DETROIT): (313) 875-4745 2111 Packard 300 S. Main 668-6058 761-7532 .- ithIJ' vn, ir n'