Page 8-The Michigan Daily/New Student Edition-Perspectives - Thursday, September 10, 1992 Lost on the way to cum laude I was going to attend every class, do every reading, and ace every exam. When I first came to the University, I was just like many of you. I was wide-eyed, confident, idealistic, and ambitious. I knew exactly what I was going to do, and how I was going to do it. But something happened between the time I moved in to South Quad A -E and my goal. I don't know what it was, but it happened. Maybe it was my first 8 a.m. lecture. I had my new backpack, notebooks, pencils - every- thing I would need to get through my 16-credit slate of classes. I was ready. But somewhere between the professor's introduc- tion and Homer's Iliad, I dozed off. I didn't mean for it to happen, but it did. Undaunted by this minor setback, I went to the bookstore. Very fortunately, the line wasn't as long as I had been warned it would be, and I got my copy of The Iliad. I immediately left for the Law Library's reading room where I knew I would get to that reading. There was no question in my mind that the first 100 pages of an epic poem would be no problem - and it wouldn't have. But somewhere between Ulrich's and the Law Quad, well, let's just say that tennis game was irre- sistible. That was OK, though, because I knew I'd get to all of my reading before the first exam. About a week be- fore the exam, I locked myself in my room and swore I wouldn't leave (except for classes and meals) until I got all that reading done. There was no stopping me this time, and I asked my friends not to try. But somewhere between my favorite study chair and the end of that phone call, I realized the error of my ways and decided I could, after all, go to that party. No sweat, I had a week until the exam. Then came the day before the exam. I pretty much realized that doing all of the reading was physically impossible by that point, but still with academic pur- suits on my mind I figured I could at least read the Cliffs Notes, and that I'd be alright for the exam. So I went to North Campus - there wasn't any- thing to keep me from my studies there, nobody knew where to reach me. I was all set. But somewhere between 2 p.m. and when the secu- rity guard at the North Campus Commons woke me up at 11:30, I realized that my will power was lacking. Well, there were still nine hours until the exam. I had my Cliffs Notes, the lecture notes I had photo- copied from a friend who is much more of a morning person than I am, and the actual texts, just in case I needed to check something out. So I walked into the exam at 8:00. I was sure that I could do alright, having read the Cliffs Notes and even recommended portions of the book. But somewhere between the door to MLB Auditorium 3 and the first essay, I decided that maybe I could at least BS my way through the exam. I wasn't really confident when I left the auditorium. Maybe academics arent what college is all about. Some people will tell you that it's critical thinking skills that you really get out of that Cultural Anthropology class, and that five years later you'll be lucky if you remember your professor's name. I guess I took that too much to heart. So here's some advice: Go to every class, and stay awake. Read all your readings in the allotted time. Start studying for an exam early enough that your social calendar can be worked around study times. Get your papers in on time. Trust me, the stress and all-nighters you avoid will make it all worth it. There's nothing worse than walk- ing into an exam with no sleep, and no answers. Oh, and by the way, I got an A-minus on the exam. Guess those Cliffs Notes aren't so bad after all. Co-ops offer affordable housing by Amy Clark In 1932 a group of University students who couldn't find affordable housing in Ann Arbor decided to work together to create their own. The result was the Inter-Cooperative Council, better known as "the student co-ops." Unlike other forms of student housing, the 17 co-op houses are owned and run by the 550 members who live in them. "I like the fact that we're not paying land- lords and helping them make money," said Mark Giordano, a recent graduate. "And I like that there's only 20 people at my house so you can get to meet people pretty quickly." The members work together to keep costs down by buying supplies in bulk and sharing the work needed to run the house. Some stu- dents cook, others clean and others do admin-. istrative work. "It's up to everyone to make sure the house runs well," said Amy Herrup of Vail Cooperative. "But its a rewarding experience because we know we own it." Co-ops aren't for everyone. Members have to be willing to live, and hence, compromise with a lot of other people. "I would recommend it to people ... if they are willing to live with other people and take responsibility for themselves," said grad stu- dent Nauman Chaudhry. The co-ops attract a wide variety of people. "It allowed me to meet people of all differ- ent types, from all over the world, in an envi- ronment that allowed me to be more myself," said LSA senior Bill Woelkers. Other students like co-ops simply because * they think they are fun. "It's kind of charming around here," said John Hackert. "Every day is sort of fun com- pany. Clark is a member of the Inter-Cooperative Council. FILE TO Co-op residents prepare dinner for their housemates. ICC members enjoy dividing up household chores to make their co-ops run smoothly. Students also vote on all house decisions. Center educates students about sexual assault, helps survivors by Christopher Powers and Stephanie Santos The University Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center (SAPAC) was started in 1986 in re- sponse to students' growing concern about the preva- lence of sexual assault and the need for education as a means of prevention. According to FBI statistics, one out of three women and one out of 10 men will be sexually assaulted in her or his lifetime. Because so many of these sexual assaults are committed by people between the ages of 17 and 24 and because 60-80 percent of these attacks are committed by someone that the survivor knows, it is extremely important for college students to talk openly about issues of sexism and sexual assault, especially acquaintance rape. SAPAC provides an educational service by offering programs in which trained male and female student fa- cilitators lead discussions about acquaintance rape and prevention strategies, as well as other workshops deal- ing with rape culture, sexism awareness, or sexism in advertising. Students, faculty, and staff are welcome to participate in the peer education program or in other programs. They can plan awareness-building activities; do community outreach; or staff the Counseling Phone Line, in which trained peer counselors provide confi- dential crisis intervention and counseling to survivors of sexual assault and sexual harassment, as well as their friends and families. Other services provided for survivors include support groups, professional counseling, and assistance with hospitals, the criminal justice system or University offices. SAPAC is also concerned with coordinating physical safety on campus. By working with offices such as the University Department of Public Safety and the Transportation Department, specific projects have been designed to heighten the level of safety on campus. These include the Nite Owl bus service, as well as Safewalk and Northwalk, which people can call for a pair of volunteers to walk them anywhere within a 20- minute walking distance at night. Volunteers work in female-female and male-female teams so women using the service do not feel threatened. Watch for annual Sexual Assault Awareness Week activities in October. This is a time for the entire University community to increase its awareness about sexual assault and how to end rape on campus. Powers and Santos are Peer Education co-coordina- tors at SAPAC. A student performs a war dance during a Native American Students' Association function. NASA promotes awareness of Native American interests LASC rejects intervention * by David Austin The Latin American Solidarity Committee (LASC) works with the people of Latin America as they seek to exercise their right to self deter- mination. LASC works to change U.S. policy toward Latin America so that the human and political rights of the people there are respected by both our government and by gov- 9 emments in Latin America. LASC was formed in 1979, shortly after the Sandinista Front toppled the U.S.-backed Somoza dictatorship in Nicaragua. Through- out the '80s, LASC worked to end aid to the United States' proxy army, the contras, and to educate people here about the reality of life in Since that time LASC has broad- ened its outlook to work on issues in other countries. LASC's direct action work has taken on several forms. LASC has organized rapid response networks to respond to human rights abuses and letter writing drives to elected LASC members have a variety of political view points. officials to influence legislation. On various occasions LASC members have committed acts of civil dis- obedience protesting aid to the El Salvadoran military, aid to the Nicaraguan contras and C.I.A. re- cruiting on campus. Educationally, LASC has orga- nized several film series on Latin America, written opinion pieces for publication in local media, and held teach-ins about Central America. LASC has also organized study groups. LASC members have a variety of political viewpoints, but non-inter- vention is a common denominator. LASC meets every Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. in the Michigan Union. Austin is president of the Latin American Solidarity Committee. by Michael Dashner The Native American Student Association (NASA) was formed in 1975 with a commitment to pro- mote the interests and awareness of Native Americans at the University. The membership of NASA con- sists of students in various University schools with majors as varied as history, biology, business, education, music, natural resources and engineering. The backgrounds of each member are equally diverse. Some students were very active within traditional Indian communi- ties while others came from urban environments. All members have a common desire to become more in- volved with their Native American heritage. Each year NASA sponsors sev- eral social, political, spiritual and cultural events open to the public. Past events have included visits by Lakota and Ojibwe medicine men and women along with writers, po- ets, artists and scholars. The end of each school year brings the annual Ann Arbor Pow Wow. This festival of dance and music is recognized as one of the top Native American celebrations in North America and attracts cham- pion dancers and singers from across the United States and Canada. To further promote the Native American culture, NASA formed the U-M American Indian Dance Troupe with two goals in mind. First, the Dance Troupe teaches new members the various dance styles and the meanings of tradi- tional Indian music. Secondly - by performing both for the University community and for local schools and groups - the Dance Troupe increases awareness and appreciation of Native American people. Dashner is the Native American Student Association's advisor. Asian American Assoication provides a groove Levy is the Daily's Summer editor-in-chief RECYCLE-UM doesn't throw away a good thing by Danielle Miller RECYCLE-UM takes its com- mitment not to "throw away a good thing" very seriously. A major goal of RECYCLE-UM is to make it easy for students and Ann Arborites to make a difference in protecting our environment. Some of RECYCLE-UM's best- known projects are the annual col- lection of used carpets from the dormitories at the end of the year and resale during the fall move-in, our annual "REPEAT PERFOR- MANCE" sale of used clothing and other items on the Diag during Earth Day, promotion of local businesses with earth-friendly habits with "RECYCLE-UM APPROVED" stickers, and public education projects such as a showing of the Lorax by Dr. Seuss. We expect to develop new pro- grams and projects in the fall to fur- ther the goals of an environmentally conscious University and community. Be sure to look for RECYCLE- UM carpets when you are moving into your dormitories. You can save money as well as landfill space when you buy one. Miller is a member of RECYCLE- by Al Chan Sometimes, it can be hard to find your groove at the University. The classes are large and everyone al- ways seems on the go. Amidst the academia, the studying, and the ex- ams, people sometimes forget the other reasons why they came to the University - to make new friends, to share new experiences, and to learn more about themselves. The Asian American Association (AAA) can provide students with those new friends and new experi- ences. AAA has more than 200 members from all class levels and fields of study. Our purpose is to serve the needs and goals of Asian- American students on campus. We provide opportunities for students to get involved on campus and meet each other. These events may be social (dances, semi-formals), political (weekly workshops on important topics), or philanthropic (charity fundraisers). You also may join the Big Sib/Little Sib program, which pairs new members with old members. AAA members automatically be- come members of the United Asian American Organizations (UAAO), the umbrella group for the University's Asian-American stu- dent groups. UAAO offers its own programming and events throughout the year including the Annual Halloween Charity Dance and Food Drive and an AA students' spring conference. In addition to these events, UAAO will be working throughout the year to establish an Asian American Studies Program at the University. Chan is president of the Asian American Association. Ann Arbor Tenants' Union helps students deal with landlord problems, find affordable rental housing by Jeri Schneider Almost all students live in rental housing at some point during their years at the University. Each year, 64.5 percent of students must enter the local rental housing scene or commute to classes. According to recent U.S. Census data, Ann Arbor rents rank among the highest of comparable cities na- tionwide. Ann Arbor rents rose 86 percent from 1980 to 1990. The University has developed no student housing since 1972, and has (IPstrove(1 245 iunits of stuident the means to pay the high rents that landlords charge, nor do they have the time to challenge landlords on an individual basis. High rents often force students to leave school and prevent low-income students from attending the University at all. The Ann Arbor Tenants' Union (AATU) was established in 1969, as informational brochures, workshops, and newsletter provide tenants with quick and easy information about tenants' rights. We work with lawyers, city administrators, and elected officials to insure that the city's housing code is enforced to protect tenants from hazardous and uninhabitable ing has historically come from the Michigan Student Assembly, which receives its funds from a small fee that every student pays with tuition. Last fall, MSA cut its allocation to the AATU by 46 percent. As a result of the cut, we had to lay off one of only two full-time employees, which has caused a reduction in all our services. This summer, the University Board of Regents voted to freeze the student fee at last year's level. This means MSA is once again strapped for funds and limited in its ability to Students who live in private rental housing are subjected to landlords who simply want to milk tenants for as much money as they can get. Students are particularly vulnerable I