I The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 9,1993 - 3 UGLi renovations ugly Library hours will not be reduced due to construction 4 r By ADAM ANGER DAILY STAFF REPORTER One glance at the Undergraduate Library will reveal that it is truly living up to its name - the UGLi. But although the building may look less appealing than usual, the renova- tion that began this summer is intended to make the library bigger and more beautiful. Naturally,thisisnosmalltask-the renovation will not be complete until Spring Term 1995 and will cost about $11.5 million. "The construction is very much on schedule," said Barbara MacAdam, di- rector of the Undergraduate Library. In total, 30,000 square feet of space willbeadded to the library, allowing for consolidation of the science libraries on the third and fourth floors. Passages will also connect the UGLi to West Engineering and the Graduate Library. The new library is designed to be more conducive to studying, MacAdam said. MacAdam said about 5,000 students walk to the UGLi on a typical day, but added some may avoid the building during the expansion. "I would expect to see some drop simply because the study space won't be as great," she said, adding that she expects the use of the books to remain stable. The heaviest study times, nights and weekends, should be unaffected by the construction because workers will be gone. There is no expected change in library hours and only one floor will be affected at a time. Workers will begin about 8 am. when the library opens, but loud con- struction will stop at about 3 p.m. However, students may need to spend more time roaming around to find the resources they need, as many books are not where they have been in the past. Pedestrian traffic will also be more congested surrounding the library be- cause the plaza in front of the main doors has been reduced to a 10-foot sidewalk. The fourth floor of the UGLi was occupied by the Engineering Library, which was relocated to the Dow Build-: ing on North Campus last year. The vacated fourth floor now houses all the books that were on the second floor, which is now being remodeled.' The, expected completion date of the second floor is January 1994. MacAdam said the completion of the second floor will allow the staff to consolidate basic services, such as the computing center. The reserve reading room is now on the first floor along with study space, current periodicals and course reserves. - Daily Staff Reporter Jonathan Berndt contributed to this report. aThis sign warns students about the construction going on at the Undergraduate Library. New MSA budget cuts off funding to tenants' union Assembly releases. budget proposal By BRYN MICKLE DAILY STAFF REPORTER The Ann Arbor Tenants Union (AATU) is facing eviction from an unlikely landlord - the Michigan Student Assembly (MSA). In their 1994 budget proposal, MSA leaders recommended to the assembly that it cease all student fund- ing ofthe AATU. Thirty-eight cents of every student fee goes to fund the AATU, which last year received more than $28,000 from MSA. The money that was originally slated for AATU will be shifted into the Budget Priorities Committee, where it will be used to provide more funding for student organizations. Pattrice Maurer, one of AATh's two full-time staffers, said the elimi- nation of MSA funding will most likely result in the termination of the 25-year-old union. MSA has given AATU money for the last 10 years. "Atthe best, we will have to charge students $15 for our services," she said. "At worst, the services will be eliminated." She said AATU works to create pro- tenant legislation and monitors land- lords in an attempt to force landlords to adhere to city housing regulations. MSA PresidentCraig Greenberg said MSA will provide AATU with money for one more month, after which AATU must find alternative funding. 'We feel that they should no longer get funding," he said. "But we have no problem with themstaying in business." Greenberg said representatives from Student Legal Services, the Law School's Housing Law Reform Project as well as the University Department of Student Housing can provide the ser- vices AATU offers. "Student tenants will still have op- tions if they are in need of legal aid," Greenberg said. Maurer disagreed with Greenberg. "All student renters are helped by our existence," she said. "A student who is living in a habitable place is probably there due to our efforts." MSA is not the sole source of By ANDREW TAYLOR DAILY STAFF REPORTER The Michigan Student Assembly released a proposal yesterday detailing how it will spend themorethan $200,000 it collects from students each semester. Officials indicate that this year's MSA budget proposal represents a dra- matic change from previous spending plans. Brian Kight, MSA vice president, said the proposal includes a large in- crease in funding for student organiza- tions. MSA's Budget Priorities Commit- tee oversees the distribution of funds to student groups. Last year BPC spent roughly $35,000, but this budget allo- cates $56,000 to the committee. MSA receives most of its funding from student fees. A $2.69 charge is added to each student's semester tuition bill to support the student government. While the proposed budget contains increases in areas such as students' rights, the environment, and MSA elec- tions, other major expenditures of pre- vious years have been cut. Perhaps most significant is the re- duction in funding for the Ann Arbor ... The proposal includes a large Increase In funding for student groups. Tenants' Union (AATU). While nearly $33,000 was allocated last year, only $2,320 has been set aside for AATU for the upcoming months. MSA officials argue, among other things, that the tenants' union pro- vides redundant services already available to students through Student Legal Services. In addition, nearly $2,000 less will be spenton internal MSA opera- tions expenses. The proposed budget includes more than $25,000 in spending for the assembly to maintain member- ship in the Michigan Collegiate Coa- lition. This expenditure is mandated by a student referendum passed during last winter's elections. The proposal will be discussed Tuesday night at the assembly's first meeting. AATU's funds. The city provides a $4,000 contract that allows the organi- zation to provide help to low-income renters. Nonetheless, Maurer said los- ing MSA funding will be the death knell. Greenberg will propose his budget on Sept. 14, and said he fully expects to meet resistance from some MSA mem- bers. He added that he does expect his proposal to pass an assembly vote. Some MSA members have voiced opposition to the budget proposal. Andrew Wilke, an MSA representa- tive from the Law School, said he will attempt to stop Greenberg from elimi- nating the funding. "AATU is one of the few things that MSA does that has tangible results," he said. Researchers at 'U' Medical School close to finding genetic cure for muscular dystrophy By SOMA GUPTA DAILY STAFF REPORTER Researchers from the University School of Medicine may be close to discovering a cure for Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Reports in the Aug. 19 issue of Nature magazine, indicate that the researchers have successfully used gene therapy to cure DMD in mice. DMD results from defects in the dystrophingene.Researchersinserted a corrected copy of this gene into the embryos of mice with muscular dys- trophy.Instead of developing the dis- easeas theynormally would, themice remained disease free. 'We have clearly shown that if you can get the gene into the muscle you can cure the disease," said team leader Jef- frey Chamberlain in a press release. DMD is responsible for almost half of all cases of muscular dystrophy and is one of the most common genetic diseases. This type of muscular dystro- phy is the most common childhood form. According to Chamberlain, the groundbreaking results of the study prove that gene therapy offers the best hope of halting the progression of DMD and Beckermusculardystrophy, amilder form of the disorder, in humans. 'This demonstrates for the first time that it is possible to cure the disease," Chamberlain said. "If you can find an effective way to get the gene into hu- mans, and you can control it properly, then you may have a cure. In this study we found a way to control the gene once its in the muscle; now we need to find a way to deliver it," Chamberlain said. However, Chamberlain warned that animal experimentation can be mis- leading. "The way we did the experiment withmicecannotbedonewithhumans because of the damage to the embryo that can result," Chamberlain said. Chamberlain speculates thatthe best way to deliver a gene safely and effec- tively into humans may be to insert it into an adenovirus-similar to one that causes the common cold. And although the research is geared towards treatment of DMD and Becker muscular dystrophy, it will have impli- cations for treatments of all kinds of muscular dystrophy. "I think the techniques that will come outof this-particularly what we learn about how to get this gene into humans - will be applicable to any muscular dystrophy, " Chamberlain said. This research seems to have had considerable affect on fundraising for muscular dystrophy as well. Last week's Jerry Lewis Telethon, which serves as a benefit for muscular dystrophy, reported an increase in do- nations from last year. "I think the recent success in re- search was part of what got people interested in donating so we gave the research a particularly high profile on the telethon," Muscular Dystrophy As- sociation member Jim Brown said. The Michigan Daily seeks creative folk to staff a BRAND NEW Graphics department. Fill your resume 0 Gain experience on state-of-the-art computer graphic equipment * display your work to 40,000 people every day! Student groups U Rudolf Steiner Institute of the Great Lakes Area, Acting group; 1923 Geddes Ave., 7:30 p.m. Events Q ArtMuseumExibitions, Picasso; Q Hillel Open House, Meet grads, WilliamScharf;Antiquitiesfrom young professionals, and Hillel the Kelsey Museum; From staff, 1429 Hill St., 8:30 p.m. Mother Earth: Pueblo Pottery, 523 S. State St., 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. All items for THE CALENDAR must be mailed or delivered to the Daily at least three days before the event. We do not accept requests over the telephone. Although we try to accommodate all requests, we cannot guarantee that an announcement turned in within three days of the event will be run. All items for the WEEKEND LIST must be delivered by the Friday before publication. THE CALENDAR only prints announcements the day of the event. Announcements for events that charge admission or that fail to mention the event, place, time or date will not be run. Read and et oststudent iojhc G (ecludes 32 oz. sizes exs ieecicalI appliances) ~AI.. ...5.n.' a ii r// cu~rviifC r.Ialo Wl"Irm1 T 1:.1.-T"Ti L .