The Michigan Daily - Monday, September 21, 1992 - Page 3 Mattress lights on fire in Markiey Firefighters say * reading lamp caused accidental flames by Michelle VanOoteghem Students living in Mary Markley Residence Hall had an early morning wake-up call yesterday when a mat- tress fire required residents to evacuate the building. The fire started around 3:40 a.m.: *Sunday in Room 4338, shared by first-year students Ken Haskett and Mitch Kaplan., Kaplan's mattress apparently caught fire after direct exposure to his reading lamp, Haskett said. Both students were asleep at the time and awoke to the smell of smoke. Haskett then pulled the fire alarm outside the room, setting off alarms throughout the building. As the building was being evac- uated, Markley Resident Adviser Robert Resio put out the fire with a nearby extinguisher. Fraternity leaders expect large rush by Angela Dansby all over campus, and in some houses, new Fraternity members say they are looking forward to a successful rush this year as a re- sult of an overwhelming turnout at the mass meeting last Wednesday night. "It was really packed," said Interfraternity Council (IFC) President Bruce Namerow. "I haven't seen it so heavily packed in the four years I've been here. "Although there currently seems to be a decline in rush across the country, it has picked up again at the University of Michigan," con- tinued Namerow. "I think this is because we have taken the necessary steps to improve our- selves." Cracking down on alcohol and party poli- cies has helped revamp the system, Namerow said. For example, alcohol may not be served at parties open to the public. Party-goers must have invitations or be on a guest list. No kegs or common sources of alcohol may be served at closed parties exceeding the house capacity. Glass bottles cannot be brought on the premises. "These changes have given us a chance to regroup ourselves and let the focus be on the positive rather than the negative. Finally, the right things are getting attention in the Greek system," Namerow said. Last February, the IFC formed the Social Responsibility Committee to ensure that fra- ternities and sororities adhere to the new pol- icy changes. "I think this is a positive step," remarked Jon Rose, president of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. "Self-policing makes things a lot safer, especially liability-wise." Last year, fraternity rush declined signifi- cantly, Rose said. Rush attendance was down memberships decreased by nearly half. The decline seemed due in part to the strict sanctioning and regulating of parties, said Jon Carlson, president of Sigma Nu Fraternity. "Partying does attract people, and the new policies definitely hurt the Greek system," Rose said. "However, people are adjusting to the system now. They see that it works and that they can still have fun." "Upcoming freshmen don't know any dif- ferent and current Greeks have just learned to accept it," added Carlson. "Last year was just a period that the Greek system had to go through. People are looking at it for better reasons nowadays." Furthermore, public opinion has largely improved as a result of a significant reduction in alcohol abuse and sexual assault being taken more seriously, said Stuart Kieland, president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. "In the past, fraternities were associated with bad attitudes and negative stereotypes," Kieland said. "But things have really turned around. There is more respect for the Greek system now." Additionally, the IFC has been promoting fraternities by sponsoring public events around campus. Last Tuesday, students grooved to tunes by the band Dig on the Diag. On Friday, the IFC is sponsoring a Reggae Bash at Palmer Field from 3-9 p.m. Featured bands include Trinidad Tripoli and Harambe (formerly Itol). "We want people to see that alcohol isn't necessary in order to have fun," Namerow said. Fraternity Rush runs until Thursday. KRISTOFFER GILLETTE/Daily LSA sophomore and rushee Steve Bauer meets and greets Beta Theta Pi member Erik Peterson yesterday during the first day of fraternity rush. Fraternity rush will take place until Thursday, Sept. 24. 'I thought the fire was small enough to contain. I grabbed an extinguisher and put it out until there was no more smoke. The security officers then arrived and asked me to evacuate the building.' - Robert Resio, Markley resident adviser "I thought the fire was small enough to contain. I grabbed an ex- tinguisher and put it out until there was no more smoke," Resio said. "The security officers then arrived and asked me to evacuate the building." Six firetrucks responded to the call. The firefighters arrived to find one corner of Kaplan's mattress burned and quickly concluded the fire was accidental, Fire Battalion Chief John Schnur said. "The heat from the light bulb is what started the fire," Schnur said. Schnur added that the light, a 75- watt bulb, was the maximum power allowed in the lamp. No lasting damage was done to the students' room and the charred mattress has been removed. While firefighters investigated the incident, Markley residents re- mained outside for nearly a half hour. Markley resident and first-year student Mike Silk said, "At first no one took it seriously - people were walking in and out. After a while people began to realize that it was a real fire." First-year student Ruth Kalinka said she was not awakened by the fire alarms. "I was. sound asleep. My roommate had to wake me up," she said. "We weren't even sure that there was a fire until the fire trucks arrived." Haskett and Kaplan do not expect U-M action to be taken against them. "It was an accident, something very small. Thankfully no one was hurt," Haskett said. The only reminder of the fire lingers in the air. Kaplan said, "It smells like a campfire in here." L U-M's Shady Trails Camp speaks to its members by Renee Huckle On the northern shores of Lake Michigan is a part of the U-M few people see. Only the staff members and a group of children with special needs share in a unique experience. The setting - 26 wooded acres along Grand Traverse Bay - is home to Shady Trails Camp, a camp for communicatively-impaired children. "The mission of the camp is to provide excellent speech, language and hearing services," said camp administrator Minnie Bluhm, a 1982 U-M graduate. The 60-year-old camp was first established as a fluency camp for children who stutter, and in 1949, the Kresge Foundation gave the U-M money to buy it. "I think Shady Trails is a sterling example of how the university provides not only an excellent educational institution to the state and nation, but provides a service back to the tax-payers of Michigan.' - Holly Craig, Communicative Disorders Clinics director On-site Camp Director Joane Pierson said, "Many children live in environments where they're not suc- cessful in communication. Our goal is to enhance language skills and enhance their self-esteem." Now operated by U-M's Communicative Disorders Clinics, Shady Trails offers therapy for chil- dren with a variety of communica- tion impairments. Ninety-five per- cent of the children are from Michigan. "I think Shady Trails is a sterling example of how the university pro- vides not only an excellent educa- tional institution to the state and na- tion, but provides a service back to the tax-payers of Michigan," said Communicative Disorders Clinics Director Holly Craig, who received her doctorate from the U-M. The 55 staff members - includ- ing nine speech and language pro- fessionals, interpreters for the deaf, a special education teacher, and recre- ation staff - incorporate various activities into the campers' therapy to improve their language skills and boost their self-esteem. "We all have strengths and weaknesses. If you can give them a strong positive self-esteem, they'll be able to overcome any of those deficits, and that's my goal in life with these little guys," Pierson said. Pierson added that many of the recreation staff members are univer- sity students - both from the U-M and other colleges - who are studying a variety of disciplines. LSA senior and staff member Jenniffer Kleinow said she discov- ered Shady Trails in a newspaper ad and decided to spend her summer in northern Michigan. "Camp gave me a good chance to see what speech pathology as a whole is like," Kleinow said. "The greatest thing," she said, "is being able to see improvements in a short time. Things are really happening here." Because of her experience at Shady Trails, Kleinow said she might pursue a master's degree in speech pathology. Bluhm said she would like to see other students and staff members from various disciplines within the U-M incorporated into the camp. Former Shady Trails campers had high praise for the program's be- cause it helped them pursue successful careers. John Vitolla, a former camper, Campers and staff look on as a U-M Shady Trails Camp staff member uses sign language to narrate a student skit at the open house this summer. said Shady Trails helped him im- prove his childhood stutter. Now a staff member, Vitolla said Shady Trails is important because it gives the children the opportunity to be in a different environment that is often healthier than ones experienced at home. In addition to Shady Trails, the U-M Communicative Disorders Clinics has two other clinics: the residential aphasia clinic for people with language disorders resulting from strokes and other traumas, and the outpatient service clinic for peo- ple with speech, language and fluency disorders. Craig said the residential aphasia clinic has gained international recognition because it is the only program of its type in North America and draws people from all over the English-speaking world. Even 40 years later, one former camper said he has fond memories of his experience. David Megdell, a trial attorney in criminal defense in Flint, Mich.,: spent several summers during the 1950s at the camp to combat his stutter. "(Camp) was a great experience. It was a camp with a purpose," Megdell said. The Daily encourages its readers to voice their opinions. All letters should be 150 words or less. All op-ed pieces should be no more than 3,000 characters. The editors reserve the right to edit all letters and columns for style and space. Send all letters and columns to: The Michigan Daily, 420 Maynard, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. T-EHONOROFYOUR ENE S EQUESTED. If you've achieved a Grade Point Average of 3.0 or higher and have at least 12_ - ATF Tuesday, September 22, 1992 Student groups U Newman Catholic Student As- sociation; RCIA, 7p.m..; Lector training,7p.m.; Bible study,7:30 p.m.; 331 Thompson St. U Michigan Women's Rugby Club, practice, East Mitchell Field, 8- 10 p.m. U Shorin-Ryu Karate-Do Club, CCRB,Martial ArtsRoom,7:45- 8:45 p.m. Events U "Freeing the National Archival Legacy from Soviet Controls: The Case of Estonia," lecture by Dr. Peep Pillak, Archival Admin- istration of Estonia, Lane Hall Commons Room, 4 p.m. J Gargoyle Humor Magazine, mass meeting, Student Publica- tions Building, 420 Maynard St., 7 p.m. 1 Students Concerned About Ani- mal Rights (SCARR), mass meeting, Michigan Union, Pond Room, 8:30 p.m. 1 U of M Asian American Student Coalition (UMAASC), mass meeting, Michigan Union, Pond Room, 7:30 p.m. Q "Veiling and civilization (in Tur- key)," iecture by Prof. Nilufer Gole, Depa . :nt of Sociology,