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. 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