Page 6-The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 5, 1991
Stuff
Sick of Meijer? Try
Property Disposition
by Tami Pollak
Daily Staff Reporter
At 3241 Baxter Road on North
Campus, you can't keep a gorilla
cage on hold for more than 24 hours
and you can't use American Express.
That is, unless your cage costs
more than $100. Then Hugh Wenk,
manager of University Property
Disposition, will be happy to take
your credit card. But it's cash or
check only for a smaller purchases.
Ranging from $0.69 to upwards
of $55,000, with inventory running
the gamut from a worn, plastic, no-
function digital watch to an elec-
tron microscope that detects as-
bestos fibers, Wenk's warehouse
serves as shelter for the Univer-
sity's year-round garage sale.
And while there are no curbside
announcements previewing this
roadside attraction, University stu-
dents, personnel, area residents, ma-
chinery dealers and apartment man-
agers know a bargain bunkbed when
they see one.
"Those beds are maple. Maple!
That's the second hardest wood next
to oak!" exclaimed area apartment,
owner Allan Seger as he stroked a
bunkbed in the warehouse.
"If you think about it, the U of
M is ripping people off," Seger said.
"These beds are in perfect shape.
And they're selling them for $60
and buying new ones built out of
what, metal tubing, for $200, $300!
Governor Engler would go crazy if
he only knew!"
And although no adminstrators
from University Housing were
available yesterday to respond to
Seger's debunking of the bed resales,
both Wenk and his sales assistant
Aaron Walls explained the mer-
chandise available in their ware-
house is sold only after attempts are
made to recycle back in the
University.
"As far as the bunk beds are con-
cerned, it is our understanding the
the University is going to a longer
bed," Walls said. "Also, with so
many students building lofts now,
dorm basements are overflowing
with beds, so they're sent here."
Beyond boudoir furniture, Wenk
attitude is "Why ask why?"
"Our job is disposal. Like that
electron microscope. We got it in,
we checked around. None of the
other departments here needed it. So
we called Michigan State - God
help us - but we did check with
State and with Wayne," Wenk said.
"Finally (the University of)
Louisville came up with an offer so
we sold it. We're not in a position
here of being someone's exchequer
and determing whether the Univer-
sity should or shouldn't sell it."
And none of the customers in the
University outlet yesterday seemed
too disturbed by the resale items
either.
"The desk I bought has stuff
stuck to it and it's marked up," said
LSA Senior Mike Cowsert. "It re-
'U' reps.
leave for
South
Africa
by Henry Goldblatt
Daily Administration Reporter
Four members of the Univer-
sity community leave today for a
two- week fact finding trip to
South Africa. The team will ex-
plore the educational opportunities
in South Africa and meet with
African National Congress leader
Nelson Mandela.
Vice Provost for Minority Af-
fairs Charles Moody, Director of
the University Center for African
American and African Studies Earl
Lewis, Interim Vice President for
International Academic Affairs
Harold Jacobson and graduate stu-
dent Moffat Mogane will visit
universities in four cities.
Moreover, the group will pre-
sent two awards to Mandela - a
University honorary degree and the
"Dream Keeper Award," a yearly
award the University presents dur-
ing the Martin Luther King Day
symposium. The University Board
of Regents voted to award Man-
dela an honorary degree in 1987.
Jacobson said the purpose of the
trip is three-fold: to explore the
possibility and lay the foundation
for academic exchanges; to provide
educational opportunities for
Black South Africans; and to ex-
plore areas for research.
Jacobson said the trip's timing
was important because of the politi-
cal changes that have occurred in
South Africa over the past few
years. "We couldn't have done (the
trip) unless the changes which oc-
curred... were in process."
Jacobson said the trip is not in-
tended to explore the possibility
of reinvesting University funds in
South Africa. The University com-
pletely divested from South Africa
during a five-year process that
ended in December 1988.
0
0
University warehouse sells used campus equipment ranging from vacuums to dentist chairs.
ally doesn't bother me, but I guess
I'm surprised the University is get-
ting rid of it."
While getting rid of desks,
lamps, and bookcases doesn't pose
too much of a problem for Wenk in
the back-to-school season, it's get-
ting rid of the "dead items" - hos-
pital gurneys, the unrefrigerated
centrifuges, the antiquated dentist
chairs that still move up and down,
and the defunct Wang computers -
that gives the south side of Wenk's
warehouse a 'Rocky Horror meets
Graceland'-type ambiance.
thing to anybody. They're certain
items that come in and we mark for
University use only. But (some
items) like the incubators, people
who raise exotic birds come in for.
They just love them," Wenk said.
It's customers such as the exotic
ornithologists, the man who trans-
formed a gorilla disection cage into
a sandbox and later into an aquar-
ium, and the Wolverine aficionado
who just purchased seven Univer-
sity buses who make Wenk's job
fun.
And although Wenk makes every
effort to ensure all his resale items
are safe, there is no cosmetic touch-
ing up. So if you're looking to study
what flavors of gum the regents
stick under their table during meet-
ings, or what Duderstadt does when
he sneezes at his computer with no
kleenex in sight, be sure to check out
the University relics between 12
and 4 p.m. weekdays.
Hey, who knows, maybe you'll
get lucky and land on Madonna's
mattress. Go on, take the dare.
"We'll sell p
l
)retty much a
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