The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 10, 1993 -3 MCC creates new local chapter by KAREN TALASKI DAILY STAFF REPORTER Although many University students have not heard of the Michigan Colle- giate Coalition (MCC), they need not worry. The organizers of this student lobbying group plan on making them- selves heard - both here and in the legislature. Through the efforts of campus MCC representatives, the recently created lo- cal chapter hopes to be one of the stu- dents' new friends. The University has been a member of MCC since 1984, participating in its fight for educational equality from a statewide perspective. With the change to a local chapter, organizers say MCC will be able to make student voices much louder in issues pertaining to stu- dent rights. "We've already started working on statewide issues as well as local ones," * saidFrikaGottfried,MCCmemberand co-chair of MCC's women's caucus. "Our chapter will be doing campaigns and organizing students on campus." Local MCC representatives have already written a new constitution and bylaws. However, Gottfried stressed the fact that the new chapter will not cause a separation from the rest of the organi- zation. * MCC Chair Kellye Roberts said she felt adding the University as a charter was a political move on the part of local representatives who saw this as ameans to make themselves more independent. "Becoming a chapter gives (MCC members) a formalized name for the students involved," Roberts said. But Gottfried responded that the lo- -cal chapter plans to complement the state organization. "We're not going to be taking up issues MCC opposes," she said. Eight of the fifteen Michigan public universities - including all three Uni- versity campuses and Michigan State University - are members of the Lan- sing-based coalition. Much of the funding for the state- wide MCC comes from MSA, as a part of a referendum passed in the last elec- tion. MCC receives 35 cents from each University student. MCC is currently involved in lobby- ing for 12 different pieces of legislation affecting students around the state, rang- ing from an amendment that would expand employment opportunities in work study programs to proposing a tuition cap that could not surpass the rate of inflation. Gottfried cited tuition increases along with dwindling financial aid as part of the reason why organizations such as MCC are so important. "The universities are becoming in- accessible to the students," she said. "We're not fighting against the admin- istration, but for the students." Gottfried also stressed the signifi- cance of student lobbying. "Legislators need to hear us as students and as their constituents because we are abig voting block," she said. State Rep. Lynn Rivers (D-Ann Ar- bor) has worked with MCC in the past and said she felt it was important to continue to do so. "In my district, there are thousands of people who are representated by MCC," Rivers said. "I try to do what- ever I canin the interests of our constitu- ents." EVAN PETRIE/Daily Many students had trouble finding parking spaces for their bikes yesterday. New students survive their first classes Large classes and campus both excite and intimidate first-year students By MONA QURESHI DAILY STAFF REPORTER RisaNishino waited patiently in class yesterday with two other stu- dents for her teacher to arrive. Her teacher never showed. Nishino, a LSA first-year stu- dent, received her initial taste of college classes yesterday, and while she may not have learned much, she did discover that many University discussions are not held on the first day of school. For many students new to the University, adjusting to the norms of academic life seemed intimidat- ing yesterday as they asked upperclass students for directions. LSA first-year student Tansy Rodd admitted to being nervous at first but found other students to be cordial and supportive. She said, "If they see you lost, they'll ask, 'Do you need help?"' Some new students appeared to have used the past week on campus It's not like high school anymore. You get a lot of work for the first day. Weeknights are out. I'm going to be in the library. It's no joke anymore. - Tansy Rodd LSA first-year student well by exploring the University and learning where their classes are. LSA sophomore Luke Angel transferred to the University from Michigan State University and checked out his classes earlier this week. "I still get lost, though," he said. Angel said the University ispuz- zling because the campus is meshed into the Ann Arbor business dis- trict. He said this blurring of bound- aries makes it more difficult for him to figure where his classes are located. But whether in East Lansing or Ann Arbor, students found Big Ten school classes to be overwhelming compared to the size of high school classes. LSA first-year student Amy Zandarski said the number of stu- dents in her European History class in an Angell Hall auditorium blew her away. Coming from a small town in western Michigan, the sheer num- ber of people in University's classes shocked Zandarski. But she said the most difficult partof her first day washer Spanish class. Zandarski cringed when her Spanish teacher warned her and her classmates that she taught French last year and occasionally switches between French and Spanish with- out realizing it. Rodd confessed that students in her Spanish class encounteredmass confusion yesterday when her TA said she would communicate with them solely in Spanish. "My Spanish teacher doesn't speak English, so I don'tknow how we're supposed to get anywhere," she said. On the way to classes, new stu- dents whohad beenhere for thepast week saw landmark sites like the Diag or Ingalls Mall go from a Siberian no man's land to a scene from a bustling Hong Kong town, with bicyclists ruling the sidewalks. "I had a bee fly into my hair," Zandarski said, smirking as she re- lated the rest of the story. "As I was trying to get it out, a guy almost knocked me over with his bike. He said, 'Move it. Get out of my way."' But she added that she thought the casual air about where students decided to sit, i.e. anywhere, amused her. As another day at the University caine to a close, new students were relieved to pull the covers over their heads. But the new University students said sleeping away troubles and dreaming of silly grade school mo ; ments will not change the cold real.° ity. They will have to adjust. "It's not like high school any #' more," Rodd said. "You getalot of work for the firsCt day. Weeknights are out. I'm going to be in the library. It's no jok anymore. 'Vo a DPS begins crime watch program in dorms By WILL McCAHILL i DAILY STAFF REPORTER Although students rarely call their; dorm hallway a neighborhood, the Uni- versity Department of Public Safety (DPS) is implementing its own version of a neighborhood crime watch pro- gram in University residence halls. Under theplan, University residence hall employees - including resident advisors and kitchen staff - will help DPS keep dorms safe by immediately reporting anyone who looksoutof place. Sgt. Benny Chenevert, DPS crime prevention coordinator, said the Resi- dence Hall Watch program aims to edu- cate students and encourage vigilance in residence halls. "The main thing is to give everyone an awareness of their surroundings," Chenevert said. Chenevert said he hopes having a large number of people involved in the program will help DPS keep intruders out of residence halls and make the halls safe. "Police can't be everywhere, but you don't always want them every- where," he added. DPS tested the Residence Hall Watch program in West Quad last year, and when it received a favorable response from staff and students, it spread to all the dorms. Corrections The plane which carried the banner "Congratulations Mark - the Bernsteins" was not rented by Sam Bernstein. This was incorrectly reported in the May 2 Daily. The Daily apologizes for the problem this may have caused the Bernstein family. Pattrice Maurer is the only full-time staffer of the Ann Arbor Tenants' Union. This was incorrectly reported in yesterday's Daily. Chenevert said the most common type of crime committed against Uni- versity students is simple larceny, in- cluding the theft of bookbags, purses and other unattended valuables. Even a short trip to the bathroom or aquick study break can result in the loss of valuables, Chenevert said. A quick visit to the room next door can also be a problem if the door is left open, espe- cially if that trip stretches itself out into a longer visit. To guard against the loss of money, Chenevert said he urges students not to leave large amounts of cash in their rooms and to open checking accounts at local banks to make such personal stashes unnecessary. Chenevert also cautions students against lending their student identifica- tion cards to other people, no matter how well they know the person. SELECT SECONDHAND QUALITY USED ITEMS 122 S. Main (in the basement) Mon-Sat. 11-9 668-0747 -THIS ring IS 1+ a l of cr'yosphet-,c pari~viQ F~neSueSl~4-3 -n P (Ie d eA rhiiq* Friday Q Chinese Christian Fellowship, weekly meeting and speaker Preacher Mike, Dana Building, Room 1040,7:30 p.m. Q Hillel, Shabbat Services, Conser- vative, Orthodox and Reform services, 7 p.m. U Saint Mary Student Parish, Ro- and new members welcome, CCRB, Room 2275, 7:30 p.m. Saturday 0 ArtMuseumGermanexpression- ist graphics from the museum collection, through Dec. 5 U Festival Choir, weekly meeting, 2011 Helen, 2 p.m. Michigan Public Radio Stations, Michigan Theater, 7 p.m. " Film Classics Series, Les Enfants du Paradis, Natural Sciences Auditorium, 7 p.m. " Gargoyle Mass Meeting, Student Publications Building, Room 104, 12noon U Phi Sigma Pi, first meeting for iL~&TC',ns UTS fsYaop p-dth lts xovy ForureJts Yovr F; g ,r. ,e7::;. Can am.r i n11 am. 4 nm I