The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, October 5, 1994 - 3 .Organization strives to personalize large lecture classes By SAM T. DUDEK Daily Staff Reporter The professor stands rigid behind her podium, drearily articulating the tiner points of quantum physics. The guy behind you has been snoring for lhe past 20 minutes. The two people in front of you continue their discus- ion on this weekend's big game. This is the world of lecture halls. One organization on campus, how- ever, is trying to change this. The Center for Research on Learn- ing and Teaching (CRLT) is sponsor- ing a series of workshops for profes- sors and staff to attempt to improve the educational value of large classes. Bringing together faculty from various schools on campus, the "CRLT Series on Teaching Large Classes" is an open discussion on improving large class settings. Connie Cook, the director of CRLT, said her organization supports "the advancement of learning and teaching" at the University. Cook, who is also a professor of higher education, said the workshop series is an important step toward improving learning because "large 'We have been impressed with the interest and enthusiasm faculty members have shown in the topic and see this as a part of our mission of improving undergraduate education.' - Barbara Hofer workshop organizer About 70 faculty members attended CRLT' s workshop Friday presented by Maryellen Weimer, an instructor from Penn State Liniversity. Weimer presented here"seven areas of challenge"in teaching large lectures. She called for more student involve- ment, in order to stimulate more think- ing. "Notes of the professors become the notes of the students, without ever passing through the minds of either,,, she said. Fielding questions and comments from University professors, Weimer lectures affect so many undergradu- ate students." Barbara Hofer, who helped orga- nize the workshops, expressed plea- sure with the interest in the program. "We have been impressed with the interest and enthusiasm faculty mem- bers have shown in the topic and see this as a part of our mission of improv- ing undergraduate education,"'she said. Panelists praise efforts to make campus accessible By TRACEY ROGERS ___ For the Daily Members ofapanel discussion yes- terday praised "Investing in Ability" week and said the University had made strides to make the campus aware of the problems of people with disabili- ties. About a dozen people attended the small, informal meeting to hear from a panel of five men with disabilities from the local community in the Pond Room f the Michigan Union. Don Anderson, who led the discus- sion, is the director of the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living, which provides emotional support and en- courages members to come out and socialize through setting certain goals. He began by defining what a dis- ability is. "A socio-political phenom- enon of how society perceives a person, >t how a person perceives himself." Panel members discussed the ef- fects of public opinion on them, and expressed their opinions of the public. When asked about the areas ofhandi- capped accessibility on the University campus that are lacking, the overwhelm- ing response was parking and the side- walk conditions. Glenn Ashlock, an employee in the University Hospital, said the Univer- *ty has made strides to improve acces- sibility at the hospital. "In my opinion, it would be called manageable, yet there is still room for improvement." Many said they supported the call for a "Universal Design" of all build- ings worldwide to facilitate the needs of people with disabilities. Disabilities include everything from utilizing a wheelchair to being deaf or blind. They also argued that all people, not just those with handicaps would benefit from this design. At the University, much has been done to assist the disabled community. In the Angell Hall auditoriums, a spe- cial hearing device is available for those with hearing loss. More recently, the addition of stenographers to type lec- tures for those who do not know sign language has begun. In 1990, the Americans with Dis- abilities Act (ADA),was enacted mak- ing it illegal to discriminate in employ- ment against aqualified individual with a disability. Anderson said the disabled community sees this as their declara- tion of equal rights in society. Each year since, Brian Clapham, the ADA coordinator for the Univer- sity, has organized events to raise pub- lic awareness. He, along with volun- teers from the community offer their time to speak to the public. "If I expect people to understand where I am com- ing from, it is up to me to educate them," Ashlock said. An employee helps load a student's computer from the Computer Kick-off sale into a taxi yesterday. Computers amrve o campus, ready for student pick-up talked on how to personalize lectures. accommodate different students needs, managing disruptive behavior and how to simply enjoy lectures. "I can't stay awake in lectures" said LSA sophomore Hope Mier. She said that note-taking is difficult as well. "You don't hear a thing (the lecturer) is saying because you're too busy taking notes." She said she en- joys discussions "because they are more personalized." Chemistry lecturer Brian Coppola will conduct the next CRLT work- shop Oct. 13. Clinton urges vote on, GATT, Newsday WASHINGTON - After a day of uncertainty, the Clinton administra- tion and congressional leaders yester- day decided to roll the dice and call for a vote on a sweeping trade agree- ment today. The decision came after many House members of both parties began to raise doubts about the trade accord and whether debate on the measure should be delayed until after the No- vember elections. Already, a proce- dural maneuver by a key lawmaker last week forced the Senate to delay its vote until Dec. 1. The trade deal, an expansion of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade that has governed world trade since World War II, would reduce tariffs around the globe and create a World Trade Organization to mediate trade disputes. GATT is a top legislative priority of the Clinton administration, and several weeks ago it appeared to be sailing smoothly toward easy pas sage. But opponents of the agreement - including supporters of one-time presidential candidate Ross Perot - have seized upon the delay in the Senate to sow doubt among House members. "We're going ahead," House Ma jority Leader Richard Gephardt (D Mo.) told reporters yesterday after meeting with Republican Leader Rob- ert Michel (R-Ill.) "It will be a close vote. We think it's possible and we're going to do it." A glum-looking Michel agreed it would be a close vote and said he hak no idea how many Republicans would support the procedural rule allowing debate on the GATT legislation. As with the crime bill earlier this year, the vote on the procedural rule is the main hurdle for GATT. House members can vote against the rule thus not allowing the bill to proceed - and still maintain they would sup- port the legislation. If the rule passes; both sides say, GATT will then pass easily. The Clinton administration is counting on Republican support to pass GATT, because many Demo- crats oppose lifting trade restrictions that might result in job losses. But sources said discussion was quite lively at a meeting of Republican House members yesterday. Woman spotted near empty car, polCe say By SAM T. DUDEK Daily Staff Reporter The Sports Coliseum held one of its biggest events of the year yesterday, but the bleachers were completely empty, no athletes were competing and the scoreboard lights were off. The Coliseum floor served as the computer pick-up area for this year's Computer Kick-off Sale. With aisles of boxes and checkout lines, the sports arena better re- sembled a grocery store than an ath- letic arena. Phil Harding, manager of the University's computer sales program, said this year's sale went quite well. He said the top-selling computer was the Macintosh Performa 636 with CD-ROM. "We sold about 650 of those," Harding said. PowerMacs were also a big seller, attracting about 600 buyers. Overall, the kickoff sold about 1.800 Macintosh computers, near the 1993 total, and 250 IBM/Zenith comput- ers, down from last year. Harding said the Kick-off experi- enced the greatest drop in the number of printers sold. He blamed the slow sale of printers - about 700 less than last year - on superstores that now have comparable prices. "It is really important that Univer- sity students use computers as an edu- cational tool," Harding said. He said the University sells these computers because it lets the school gauge what type of machines students are using. "One way we can help (students) is if we know what they're buying." One aspect of this year's computer sale that Harding was especially pleased with was the absence of viruses. Last year, many of the disks sold at the sale were plagued with a virus that created a number of problems. "This year we do not have (a vi- rus,)" he said, "So in that respect we've done a lot better." The computer pick-up ends today at 7 p.m. Students with questions about their orders can call 74-SALES. DETROIT (AP) - The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Depart- ment has received four reports of pos- sible sightings of the Ortonville woman missing since her car was found alongside a highway. "It hasn't been confirmed, but the indications are that these people have said it's a strong possibility this is the erson we're looking for," Washtenaw ounty Sheriff Lt. R.J. Smith said. A deputy found 28-year-old Dawn Marie McGowan's car Satur- day morning along Michigan 14 in Ann Arbor Township. Its engine was running, the doors were un- locked and McGowan's purse was on the front seat. Her parents said they last saw her about 9 a.m. Fri- day. Sunday's sightings occurred be- tween 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. within three miles of where McGowan's car was found, Smith said. There had been no further sightings as of last night, "so we're concerned that if it is her, she's still out there and has not made contact with anybody" Smith said. Twice on Sunday the woman had contact with people. "A couple living in the area was approached by a woman matching her description asking for water," Smith said. The couple said the woman ap- peared distraught and didn't want any further contact. Two motorists traveling on U.S. 23 reported seeing a woman match- ing McGowan's description and, later, a worker at a retirement com- plex saw her, Smith said. Assisted suicide law sparks legal debate LANSING (AP) - Assisted sui- cide took center stage at the Michigan Supreme Court yesterday with lengthy arguments focused on whether the terminally ill have a right to a doctor's help in ending their lives. The four combined cases - three of them involving criminal charges against Dr. Jack Kevorkian - were the first to come before the high court, as it opened its 1994-95 term. The court allotted two hours to hear arguments, but went past that by 45 minutes as the justices peppered attorneys with questions. Many of the questions focused on the claim by Kevorkian's attorney, Geoffrey Fieger, that "the right not to suffer" already exists in the U.S. Constitution's privacy guarantees. "It's really already been decided," Fieger said. He added that the issue was only surfacing now because of scientific and medical advances that prolong life, but at the cost of dignity and quality of life. "The only reason we're here today is because of the machinations of sci- ence," he said. He said assisted suicide should be seen as the logical follower to the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abor- tion. The high court found a privacy right to allow women and their doc- tors to make decisions on abortion and that involves a third party, a fetus. "Here we only deal with mentally competent dying adults," he said. He urged the court to recognize that right and in doing so wiping out the state's 1993 ban on assisted sui- cide and two murder charges against Kevorkian. The murder charges were dismissed by a lower court, but rein- stated by a May 10 Michigan Court of Appeals ruling. P 9 Group Meetings U Christian Service Commission, Saint Mary Student Parish, 331 Thompson St., 7 p.m. " Golden Key National Honor Society, general membership meeting, 995-9297, Michigan Union, Parker Room, 7 p.m. " Hellenic Students Association, 998-3451, Michigan Union, Kuenzel Room, 8 p.m. " Hindu Student Council, 764- 0604, Michigan Union, Pond Room, 8 p.m. Jewish Lesbian, Bisexual and Gay Collective, social group, Hillel, 7:30 p.m. 0 Michigan Student Assembly Mass Meeting, 763-3242, Michigan Union, MSA Cham- bers, 6:30 o.m. p.m. [ U-M Students of Objectivism, 913-5530, Modern Languages Building, Room B 122,7:30 p.m. U U-M Taekwondo Club, 747- 6889, beginners welcome, CCRB, Room 2275, 7-8 p.m. Events Q "Bosnia: Before, During, and After the War", photographic exhibit, North Campus Com- mons, 7 a.m.- 11 p.m. [ "Careers in Dentistry", Career Planning & Placement, 5:10-6 p.m. U "Council for Disability Con- cerns Annual Meeting/James Neubacher Award", Fleming Administration Building, Re- House", Business School, Patton Room 2011, 10-11 a.m. Q "Lord of Light Eversong", Lutheran Campus Ministry, 801 S. Forest, 7 p.m. Q "Organic Seminar", Karin A. Stein, Chemistry Building, Room 1640, 4 p.m. Q "Peace: God's Gift, Our Call- ing" discussion group, Luth- eran Campus Ministry, 801 S. Forest, 6 p.m. Q "Ukraine: East and West, Compromise or Confronta- tion?", OksanaMalanchuk and James Clem, Lane Hall, Com- mons Room, noon Student services Q 76-GUIDE, peer counseling o r .0p..' For all you love-sick puppies- SWEETEST DLAY IS APPROACHING! 'ROW w But this year, forget the flowers, the candy, the card, the expensive & crowded restaurant. BE SPONTANEOUS & ORIGINAL U -.