The Michigan Daily - Friday, December 9, 1994 - 5
'Marcia'
speaks
on birth
control
By DANIEL JOHNSON
Daily Staff Reporter
About 300 students streamed into
the Michigan Union Ballroom yester-
day, some to learn about birth control
and others to pay homage to pop cul-
ture icon Maureen McCormick, also
Own as Marcia from the '70s TV
show, "The Brady Bunch."
McCormick participated in a semi-
nar called "Birth Control Matters" -
a nationwide contraceptive education
program sponsored by the Upjohn Co.
Whistles and cheers greeted
McCormick as she stood up to ad-
dress the audience. "Of all people, I
bet you never thought I would be the
*eon talking to you about birth con-
trol," she said.
McCormick delivered a brief
speech on the importance of contra-
ceptive use and open communication
among partners. She was accompa-
nied by Dr. Elizabeth Kennard, who
resented a slide show on available
birth control methods. Kennard is an
assistant professor in the department
f obstetrics and gynecology at Ohio
*e University.
"I was really shocked to find out
how many unintended pregnancies
occur each year," McCormick said.
"Almost 2 million women get preg-
nant each year due to the misuse of
contraception."
Duderstadt asks
women faculty
for agenda input
JUDT RKINa
Maureen McCormick, who played Marcia Brady on "The Brady Bunch," talks about birth control yesterday.
Brian Dodge, a student attending
the presentation, gave McCormick a
rose and a book on sex education.
"It was a dream come true to have
... Marcia Brady on stage and speaking
out about sex education," Dodge said.
During the slide show, Kennard
emphasized the importance of birth
control usage by college students. "Most
people think they're in a monogamous
relationship. You may do this six to
eight times in the course of a few years
and so is your partner," she said.
"Birth Control Matters" was initi-
ated by Kalamazoo-based Upjohn -
a worldwide producer of health-care
products -in 1993 after it conducted
a sex survey among college students.
The study indicated that 40 per-
cent of sexually active students had
unprotected sex in the past year.
Kennard's slide show and speech
covered the pros and cons of about 20
different forms of birth control, from
the condom to the Upjohn-created
Depo-Provera.
"We suggest that people use a
condom along with other forms of
birth control," McCormick said. "Birth
control is a shared responsibility."
McCormick and Kennard empha-
sized the importance of individual con-
sultation with a doctor to find out which
type of birth control is right for each
person. McCormick told of mother's
discovery of breast cancer and her
reluctance to ask the doctor questions.
"Please don't wait for the doctor to ask
you the questions," she said.
Since the days of her highly vis-
ible childhood, McCormick has ap-
peared as a guest on hit television
series and in feature films. Most re-
cently, she debuted as Rizzo in the
Broadway production of "Grease,"
and she is working on a country al-
bum to be released in the spring.
Audience members, however,
could not resist asking McCormick
question's about her life as Marcia
Brady. "Which was your favorite epi-
sode?" "What's Alice up to these
days?" "Did you enjoy meeting Davy
Jones?"
Some students questioned
McCormick's role in the seminar.
"She was only here to attract people,"
one student said. "I don't know what
exactly Marcia had to do with it."
In the final moments of the event,
one student asked the inevitable, and
McCormick responded: "Greg and I
were never involved."
By ROBIN BARRY
Daily Staff Reporter
University President James J.
Duderstadt met with women faculty
yesterday to garner input on the Michi-
gan Agenda for Women.
Duderstadt called the agenda,
which was announced last spring, a
multi-faceted initiative to improve the
University's climate for women.
Nearly 100 women faculty
members attended the discussion
held in the Vandenberg Room of
the Michigan League. It was hosted
by the University's Academic
Women's Caucus; the caucus was
founded 20 years ago by University
women faculty to deliberate and in-
form the community about faculty
issues.
Duderstadt appealed to audience
members for input on how to improve
the climate for women at the University.
"It is only through your experi-
ence and your concerns that we are
going to find out where we need im-
provements," Duderstadt said. "We
need to tap into your experience and
build a network and change this
place."
One issue raised at the meeting
was the University's procedures for
granting tenure. The discussion in-
cluded issues of equity and tenure
requirements.
Duderstadt said, "We have to be
sophisticated enough in how we
evaluate people to take into account
differences."
He said the University should be a
place to develop human quality, not
just profit from it.
Concern was expressed about hir-
ing new women under the agenda.
One female faculty member said
women "will be branded as special
group - not really as good as the
other guys but we have this mandate
now."
Duderstadt said many of the ini-
tiatives were not gender specific, but
would have a great effect on women.
Members attending the discussion
praised Duderstadt for the initiative
but were cautiously optimistic about
future changes.
English Prof. Emily Cloyd said
the meeting was the most encourag-
ing step the University has taken to-
ward improving life for women in her
28 years at the University.
"But there is a discrepancy be-
tween announced policy and real life
for women on this campus," she said.
Caucus co-chair Cynthia Marcelo
said the dialogue was very positive.
"Now if we can just get deans and
chairs involved - it's the people in
charge who are having the problem
4mnesty
letters, ca
By SAM T. DUDEK
For the Daily
The December holiday season is
he time of year forfamilies and friends
et together to celebrate.
Throughout the world, however,
tWe are people who are unable to
hare in the joy of the holidays and
elebrate with their families because
hey have been wrongfully stripped
f their human rights and freedom.
To spread holiday cheer to such
ople, the University's chapter of
mnesty International is sending
ards and letters to these prisoners. In
a ition to sending cards, Amnesty
rnational sends letters to the lead-
rs of countries holding prisoners in
n attempt to gain freedom for those
wrongfully held captive.
The University's chapter sold T-
hirts in the Union basement yester-
ay to raise money for their letter-
writing campaign.
"The main reason we are having
l
Iternational spreads cheer;
rds go to prisoners, leaders
this fund-raiser is because we write to conditionally released," Potdar said. actively practice it," he said.
many different countries on behalf of "If they have supposedly just 'disap- Potdar said that her organization
prisoners of conscience," said Am- peared,' we ask that their families be tries "to make sure governments up-
nesty International coordinator made aware of their whereabouts." hold what they signed to-thedecla-
Deepali Potdar. Amnesty International, a world- ration."
"We write on behalf of prisoners wide non-profit organization with The University's chapter of Am-
who have been tortured or executed 1.4 million members in 52 coun- nesty International has scheduled the
for their tries, fo- presentation of the movie "The Year
political 'We write on behalf of cuses on of Living Dangerously," for Saturday
b e lie f s, aiding at 1 p.m. in the Union's Parker Room.
religious prisoners who have been t h o s e Potdar said an Amnesty Interna-
beliefs or tortured or executed for their held in tional representative will speak about
s ex ualI captivity the organization's efforts before the
orienta- political beliefs.' in viola- movie.
tion," said - Deepali Potdar tion of "We are just trying to raise aware-
Potdar,an their hu- ness about human rights," she said.
S N R E SNRE sophomore m a n . Following Saturday's movie,
s o p h o - rights. Potdar said holiday cards will be avail-
more. Abdurrahman Baris, from Am- able for people to sign and send to
Along with T-shirts, the group dis- nesty International Group 61 in Ann prisoners throughout the world.
tributed a pamphlet highlighting hu- Arbor, said most of the countries in "We think it is a nice thing to do
man rights violations in Colombia the United Nationshavesigned adecla- for prisoners," she said, "Just to let
and the disappearance of human rights ration of human rights that represents them know that there is still hope and
activist Alirio Pedraza in 1990. the cause of Amnesty International. people are thinking about them dur-
"We ask that these people be un- "However, not all governments ing the holidays."
JONATHAN LURIE/Daily
University President James J.
Duderstadt meets with members of
the women's caucus yesterday.
truly embracing change," she said.
Duderstadt said the meeting with
members of the caucus was important
because many of the agenda's initia-
tives have been in direct response to
concerns expressed by University
women.
"And don't think this is the only
time we're going to chat about this,"
he added.
Duderstadt said he plans to meet
with student leaders and resident ad-
visers next term to activate student
issues under the agenda. 3
CMU rape survivor cries
out at lack of prosecution
Expert des
By MATTHEW SMART
Daily Staff Reporter
An engineering expert attempted
o dispel myths yesterday that there
ill be a shortage of engineers in the
next decade.
Richard Ellis, a sociologist and
tor of the Engineering Workforce
ommission of the American Asso-
ciation of Engineering Societies,
spoke to a group of 70 Engineering
students and professors last night on
North Campus about the changing
environment for engineers in the
workforce.
The seminar focused on the
changes, both national and interna-
t' al, of engineering education and
e ineers in the workplace.
Ellis said many people have been
redicting a shortage of engineers
and engineering educators in the
next 8 to 10 years. He said that the
statistics don't show such a short-
age will occur.
cribes change in future workforce
Speech attempts to prove shortage
of engineers in next decade a myth
Ellis also said that the market for
engineering services is increasing. He
commented on how the media likes to
talk about "hot" fields. "It is almost a
sure bet that an individual will have
unique situations that will override" a
choice to pursue a field the media has
deemed hot.
The way in which engineers work
has changed dramatically, Ellis said.
Companies perform tasks in teams,
which are sometimes spread out over
continents, and have parts of projects
contracted out to other businesses.
He said he used to think Detroit
automakers and IBM wouldn't be able
to continue to compete because they
resisted change in the way they oper-
ated. "But I drove here in an Eagle
Talon with aThinkPad under my arm,"
meaning that they have adapted to
current market trends.
"What constitutes a job is murky,"
Ellis said. He added that there is no
such thing as a permanent job today.
Many engineers now work on projects
as consultants.
Companies that used to hire people
for life have begun to lay off employ-
ees in the last decade. He cited IBM as
an example of a corporation that has
had a reputation of patriarchal hiring,
meaning they hire a person and keep
them on for life. But IBM has laid off
large numbers of employees in the
past few years.
He said that unlike IBM, General
Electric corrected problems before
downsizing became necessary. Ellis
claimed industry has decreased the
number of layoffs. "Downsizing has
probably peaked," Ellis said.
A woman in the audience said
some of her friends who had gradu-
ated recently expressed concern that
they wouldn't be able to find jobs
because they were white males in a
time of racial and gender quotas. Ellis
said this perception is common, but
not accurate. He said competition is
going to get tough and engineers will
have to use their abilities to the best,
regardless of gender or race.
"He covered a lot of interesting
topics and a lot of issues important for
engineers," said John Cookson, pub-
lic relations officer of the student chap-
ter of the American Society for Engi-
neering Education. '
U The student chapter of the
American Society for Engineering
Education will host another seminar
Jan. 19 at 4:30 in Room 1504 G.G.
Brown, titled "Post-doctoral posi-
tions: What's the scoop?"
From Staff and Wire Reports
MOUNT PLEASANT - A stu-
dent who accused six men and a boy
of gang-raping her in a Central Michi-
gan University dorm room says au-
thorities betrayed her by failing to
prosecute her assailants.
The CMU student reportedly at-
tended the University of Michigan
last year, where she was allegedly
raped at gunpoint.
The Isabella County prosecutor
said he found insufficient evidence to
charge the seven. The university is to
hold disciplinary hearings in January
for three of the men who are students.
The 19-year-old freshman, who
spoke on the condition she not be
identified, said the university, police
and prosecutor betrayed her and said
she has hired a lawyer.
"I would rather die than leave this,
than just go on like nothing ever hap-
pened," she told the Detroit Free Press
yesterday. "They've taken so much
away that the only way I can get
something back is by knowing that
somehow I did what I could and I
didn't just sit back and let somebody
else do something for me."
She said she left an off-campus
party Oct. 1 with three men who said
they would take her home. She said
she was drunk and doesn't remember
how she got to the dorm room.
But the woman said she is certain
she didn't consent to having sex with
the three men and four others. The
seven included three Central Michi-
gan students, three non-students and
a 16-year-old high school student.
The teen declined to talk with po-
lice. The others, ages 18 to 20, told
campus policethat they were certain
the woman agreed to sex with them
and that she initiated it.
The campus newspaper reported
that the CMU student at the center of
the controversy attended the Univer-
sity of Michigan last year, where she
was allegedly raped at gunpoint.
In a letter written by her father to
the campus newspaper, he wrote that
his daughter was raped while attend-
ing a Big Ten university. Because of
the attack, the letter said she trans-
ferred to CMU to "be with friends and
feel safe."
Isabella County Prosecutor Larry
Burdick said a thorough investiga-
tion produced too little evidence to
warrant charges. He said several wit-
nesses from the men's dorm sup-
ported their contention that the
woman consented.
Two of the witnesses and one of
the suspects passed lie-detector tests,
the Free Press said.
Friday
U CREESHolidayParty,LaneHall
SpeakerDr. Niel L. Marsh, Chem
Building, Room 1300
Q Shabbat Services, Hillel, 5:30
Saturday
Lord of Light Lutheran
Church, 10 a.m., 668-7622
Student Services
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