,ocwt/SxAxt The Michigan Daily - Thursday, January 11, 1996 - 3 A PART OF HISTORY Duderstadt's legacy to be marked by construction, social programs ua1 au Study: Backseat passengers safer car crashes A new University study found pas- sengers in the back seat often sustain less severe injuries during a head-on crash than those in the front seat. Researchers Donald Huelke and Charles Compton of the University's Transportation Research Institute found that 21 percent of belted front-seat oc- cupants suffered greater injuries than belted rear-seat passengers. Only 8 percent. of belted rear-seat occupants fared worse than those in front, while 71 percent had about the same level of injury. For unbelted passengers, 29 percent in the front seat fared worse than those in the rear while 11 percent in the back seat sustained greater injuries. Sixty percent had the same level of injury. All injuries were measured using the Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale. astronomer: Orion Nebula is nursery for stars The recent discovery of hundreds of ,stars in a glowing cloud ofgases is more evidence that planets form by the same process, University astronomer Rich- ard Teske said. Astronomers using the Hubble Space 9elescope found the new stars in the Orion Nebula, located at the midpoint of the sword in the constellation Orion the Hunter, marked by three stars at the belt. Observers who view Orion are look- ing toward a vast region about 1,500 light-years from Earth where an im- mense amount of gaseous and dusty material floats in space between the oars. Scientists believe the force of gravity gathers these huge clouds of gases and dust together to make groups of stars. The clouds' own gravity, acting over millions of years, gradually condenses them, squeez- ing gas and dust together to form stars. Teske said about 150 of the 700 new stars also have disks of enough leftover Iaterials to create planets. U' researcher's new book focuses on poor families Although the national debate on social programs has focused on wel- fare reform and cutting social spend- ing, a University researcher believes iblic policy should focus on an eco- 'omic environment that has lowered the standard of living for millions of ,families who do not receive welfare. In hisnew book, "America Unequal ," social work and public policy Prof. Sheldon Danzinger says that supple- menting the earnings oflow-wage work- ers and increasing job prospects for the unemployed are the best ways to reduce poverty. 4Powerful economic forces have di- inished the economic prospects of millions of Americans and caused ris- ing hardship and poverty," Danzinger said in a statement. Danzinger co-authored the book with Peter Gottschalk, a professor of eco- nomics at Boston College. "Employers have reduced their de- mand for less-skilled workers and less- experienced workers. As a result, and through no fault of their own, millions workers have more difficulty finding jobs," Danzinger said. The authors advocate a transitional public service employment for those who want to work, but cannot find regu- lar jobs. "America Unequal" is published by Harvard University Press. - Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter Cathy Boguslaski. use uj study says By Kiran Chaudhri Daily Staff Reporter Contract with Nike, students storm- ing the Fleming Administration Build- ing, the Code ... Maybe these will be the things Presi- dent James J. Duderstadt will be re- membered for after he retires from his position at the University in June. However, there is "a need to separate how he will be remembered from how he should be remembered," said history Prof. Nicholas Steneck, an instructor for the class "The History of the Uni- versity of Michigan." "Duderstadt is the first president who has articulated and consciously said that we need to re-invent the Univer- sity," he said. "And you don't find that too often," added Margaret Steneck, who co- teaches the course. "As he sees educa- tion in the future, it will be very differ- ent than in the past. He came into the job with a sense of needing to change the University in a fundamental way." Nicholas Steneck cited Duderstadt's "vision" as one of his best qualities when compared to past presidents. Thomas Roach, a former University regent and now president of the University's Alumni Association, simi- larly noted how "Duderstadt's plan- ning horizon is much more out in the future than we've typically seen before. "The institutions that he's imple- mented today are designed to give a boost into the 21st century." Others said Duderstadt was not goal- oriented enough. "However valuable Mr. Duderstadt's presidency was for certain activities of the University, it certainly worked to the detriment of undergraduate liberal education," said English Prof. Leo McNamara. "He is too into the moment - maybe for egotistical reasons or for how he wishes the University tobe viewed from the outside," said chemistry Prof. Tho- mas Dunn, who works with McNamara on the faculty's Senate Advisory Com- mittee on University Affairs. "If you do things too quickly... you may be mortgaging your future possi- bilities. (With Duderstadt), we got the building program and too much action - indigestible," Dunn said, referring to the almost $1 billion worth of construc- tion Duderstadt oversaw. "Building is important and (Duderstadt) made a great contribution to building ... but he may have gone a little too far." Roach defended construction as one The drug is stronger and more dangerous now, compared to 1960s ,; ., k ,k sk rk tk tk t B President James J. Duderstadt, shown here at football coach Gary Moeller's suspension in May, has provided a lot of material for the history books - including $1 billion in construction and an increase in women and minority presence on campus. DETROIT (AP) - For about $, a person can get enough marijuana to produce a high and can ingest other drugs and become addicted, research- ers and therapists say. "It's about as easy to come by 4 a cigarette and a very close second to alcohol as the drug of choice these days," said Barry Silverman, an evalu- ator and outpatient therapist at Henry Ford Health System's Maple Grove chemical dependency treatment ceter in West Bloomfield Township 1iar Detroit. "In southeast Michigan, emergercy room visits for illnesses or injuries In- volving marijuana use are up 115 per- cent in the past three years," said Rich- ard Calkins, chief of evaluation and data services for Michigan's Center for Substance Abuse in Lansing. Silverman said that not only is mAri- juana stronger today than it was when many parents used it in the 1960s; it carries other dangers. "It now often comes mixed with PCP (a hallucinogen) or cocaine, and is as addicting as any other drug. And it can lead (teen-agers) quickly to cocaine and heroin," he told The Detroit News for a story published yesterday. Dr. Steven Gaynor of the Walled Lake school district said some children even admit their parents supply them with marijuana. "These parents think, 'If I give it to (my children), I can control it.' The trouble is, back when they were using the drug -- and many still are - there wasn't as much research on how bad it really is," he said. At state-funded drug treatment cen- ters, the number of admissions for mari- juana abuse among those 18 and under were level from 1981 until the early 1990s. Now they're showing sharp increases: by 41 percent in 1992-93 from 1991- 92; 46 percent in 1993-94 over 1992- 93; and 56 percent last year over 1993- 94, according to statistics cited by the News. "In 1991, those under 18 accounted for 13 percent of all admissions," Calkins said. "Today it's 42 percent." of the more visible parts of the president's seven-year tenure. "We can't do as many things or be as innovative without the equipment (and) new facilities," Roach said. Roach said Duderstadt also will be remembered for other programs that he initiated during his administration. Roach cited the "Campaign for Michi- gan"- a mass effort to solicit more than $1 billion in private donations over five years. "It's the largest campaign for gifts that has ever been mounted by any public university, ever," Roach said. Roach also noted the Michigan Man- date, a program Duderstadt created to in- crease minority presence at the University. Dunn said he felt Duderstadt used the mandate to "have the University reflect the kinds of people who are in the com- munity." "But the problem is that the Univer- sity isn't really ... supposed to reflect the community - it's meant to be a resource for the community," he said. "That's not a popular view these days." Roach, on the other hand, described the mandate as the "hallmark" of Duderstadt's term and added that Duderstadt's "top-down," highly cen- tralized management style was essen- tial in pushing the program forward. "Without that kind of decision-mak- ing," Roach said, "the issue could have been talked to death and never have moved forward." While Roach saw this leadership style as an asset, Dunn said it caused a neglect of faculty input. "They were frequently ignored on too many issues," he said. He also implied that Duderstadt's pro- fessional background, first as a professor and later as the dean in the College of Engineering, was a disadvantage. "I think his view was directed from a professional school's point of view - he has a parody that there is a technological solution to every problem," Dunn said. But Nicholas Steneck attributed Duderstadt's engineering background as an advantage in carrying out his long-term goals: "Engineers are future- oriented." Steneck said that from the students' perspective, "there's no doubt that the students will remember ... the Code" as the biggest issue of Duderstadt's reign. Yet Steneck was quick to point out that it was not Duderstadt who initiated pro- ceedings on a student code of conduct. "That code has been in process since Fleming," he said, in reference to Robben Fleming, who served as University presi- dent from 1968-1979 and again in an interim rolein 1988."ButitisDuderstadt who will be remembered for that." Roach expressed a positive view of the relationship between Duderstadt and students. "I don't remember any stu- dent complaints about isolation or inac- cessibility," he said. "Now, the rela- tionshipbetween the administration and (the Michigan Student Assembly) is as good as ever. "But people are always going to com- plain that they're not getting enough. I don't think there's anything to be gained by criticizing," Roach said. Looking back on the overall adminis- tration, Margaret Steneck said, "whether he has succeeded or not, only time can tell. Only the future can tell if he's one of the University's great presidents. Ask someone 50 years from now." 'U' aids inweather forecasting research Hot or Cold? Determining the weather outlook Dems court seniors as each week is an ongoing process at National Weather Service. The operation includes several steps. Research stations across the countryI launch weather By Will Weissert Daily Staff Reporter Accurate forecasting, like that done every day in the University and sur- rounding area, allowed East Coast resi- dents to prepare for one of the largest storms of the century. Because modern weather forecasting involves the use of super-computers, computer-generated models and hun- dreds of complicated graphs and charts -it is a high-tech operation. The entire weather-forecasting pro- cess begins around 6 a.m. every morn- ing when National Weather Service sta- tions all over the country and the North- ern Hemisphere simultaneously launch data-collecting weather balloons, said Brian Tilley, a meteorologist at the South-Eastern Michigan NWS Station in White Lake. The balloons are in the air for an hour and travel to altitudes of 100,000 feet, collecting data including temperature and humidity, at various altitudes, he said. The NWS takes the information col- lected by the balloons and combines it with ground observations. After work- ers collect all of the data, they send it to a super-computer in Washington, D.C., that produces everything from a 24-hour forecast to a I 0-day forecast, Tilley said. It is then the task of meteorologists to sit down and interpret all of that data and produce a plain-language forecast. Once meteorologists have produced a forecast, it is placed in a computer data- base that uses satellite links to send the forecast to subscribers nationwide. "All of this is pretty routine," Tilley said. Today, most of the weather forecasts on the radio are not produced by the radio station but instead come directly from the National Weather Service, said Gordon Evans, news director at WAAM radio in Ann Arbor. "We don't have our own meteorologist or weather department," he said. "Weuse National Weather Service reports." In addition to forecasting the weather nationwide, theNWS hasbegun to work closely with universities across the country who are researching weather forecasts. "We are working to reestablish a connection with day-to-day weather forecasting," said assistant Prof. Peter Sousounis, a University meteorologist. "Our final goal is to have our research be used in forecasting the weather." The University's meteorology depart- ment receives the same data generated by the National Weather Service and then runs research models. The depart- balloons to gather data. Balloons hover for an hour collecting temperature and humidity readings. Balloon data is compared to ground level observations. A supercomputer then compiles the forecast.. ment compares its results with those produced by actual NWS operating models, Sousounis said. The University's department looks at trends in its models in an attempt to forecast the weather. "The models aren't always going to be right, but you can, look at trends," Sousounis said. Today, five-day forecasts are as ac- curate as two- or three-day forecasts produced 10 years ago, Tilley said. Both he and Sousounis attributed the in- creased forecast accuracy to improved technology, such as Doppler radar and faster computer speeds. "Computer technology has been a real factor in this field," Tilley said. "The balloons I mentioned we've been using for 50 years, but a lot of the advancements have had to do with in- creased technology." state House LANSING (AP) - House Demo- crats made a play for the senior citizen vote yesterday by pledging to fight cuts in health care for the elderly, even as they acknowledged their proposals have almost no chance of success. Gathering nearly two-thirds of House Democrats for a news conference just prior to the kickoff of the 1996 legisla- tive session, the caucus fired its first major volley in its bid to regain the majority in the 1996 elections. Demo- crats, who in the last session shared power with the Republicans, have been in a slim 54-56 disadvantage since a year ago. opens Thirty-four Democrats signed a"g4ar- antee to Michigan seniors and families." Later yesterday, the Legislature;re- turned for its first - albeit brief|,- session of 1996. House members con- ducted business for about 45 minutes, while senators met for about 30 minutes. Continuing the breakneck speed which marked the first half of the two- year legislative session, the House ap- proved, by a 77-26 vote, new high-tech driver's licenses. A companion bill allowing similar new identification cards for state em- ployees also passed, 79-25, and was sent to the Senate. A tellers face charges of theft The Associated Press Two former Ann Arbor Comerica Bank tellers were charged with embez- zling more than $800,000 and indict- ments against two other former tellers are expected within two months, au- thorities said. After all the charges are filed, the total allegedly embezzled could exceed $1 million, investigators said. Marilyn Watson, who worked at an Ann Arbor branch for six years, ap- peared Tuesday in federal court in De- troit on charges she embezzled $127,000 in 1994 and 1995, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Gorland. A federal grandjury indicted a former teller at another Ann Arbor branch, Christine Draffen, onDec. 14. She was charged with embezzling $696,000 from April 1991 to October 1995. Both could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted. No depositor funds were affected, Comerica spokeswoman Kathy Pitton said. The bank's losses were covered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. What's happening in Ann Arbor today GROUP MEETINGS U AIESEC Michigan, International Student Happy Hour, 662-1690, Ann Arbor Brewing Company, 9 p.m. U Campus Crusade for Christ, Real Life, 930-9269, Dental Building, Kello gg Auditorium, 7-8:15 p.m. U Reform Chavurah, weekly meeting, Hillel Building, HillI Street, 7 p.m. U Volunteers in Action, dinner for the homeless, First Methodist Church, Dow Chemical," physic al/ana- lytical seminar, Dr. Simon Bare, sponsored by Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Building, Room 1640, 4 p.m. U "Messiah Bible Study," spon- sored by Lutheran Campus Min- istry, Lord of Light Lutheran Church, 801 South Forest Ave., 7 p.m. U "Sex, Power, and Resources: The Ecological Background of Mating Systems." Bobbi Low, STUDENT SERVICES Q Campus information Centers, Michi- gan Union and North Campus Com- mons, 763-INFO, info@umich.edu, UM .Events on GOpherBLUE, and http://www.umich.edu/-info on the World Wide Web Q English Composition Board Peer Tu- toring, Mason Hall, Room 444C, 7- 11 p.m. Q North Campus information Center, 4 great scores... . - i I I m I