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One hundred six years of editorialfreedom

Wednesday
November 27, 1996

All40*~

Students flock to
Metro to catch flights

BOUND

Clinton ends

t 0
p,

pledges

commitment

By Kaee Plona
Daily Staff Reporter
Whatever mode of transportation they
use during the Thanksgiving holiday, for
many University students the destination
is the same - home sweet home.
Many out-of-state residents opt to fly
home for Thanksgiving, but earlier this
mek, freezing rains and snow threat-
to halt students' travel plans.
Northwest Airlines' media
spokesperson Marta Laughlin said 45
flights were cancelled Monday night
from Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
Joy Cobb, a Northwest reservation
sales agent,
said Monday's
delays and can- Thin
cellations were
due to "freez- re
S rains and IT f
icing." geting b
Lauglin also
said 31 inbound r r~
flights and 15
outbound
flights were Northwes
cancelled yes-
terday morning,
but encouraged students not to worry.
'Things are pretty much getting back
*order," Laughlin said. "Detroit looks
good."
Most students who had reservations
yesterday afternoon did not experience
delays or cancellations.
Art and Design first-year student
Marnie Hancock waited outside the
Michigan Union yesterday for
Commuter Transportation to take her to
the airport.
"I heard on the radio that you are sup-
*sed to get there two hours early,"

Hancock said.
Other than getting to the airport early,
Hancock said she did not anticipate any
problems with her flight.
Many in-state students plan on travel-
ling home by car.
"My dad is picking me up," said LSA
first-year student Erica Romblom, who
lives in Michigan.
For students who experienced delays
due to flight cancellations Monday and
yesterday, Laughlin said Northwest plans
to put them on later flights.
Contrary to popular belief, today is
no longer the busiest travel day of the
year, at least for
Northwest,
Laughlin said.
"It's kind of a
spread-out
o~h demand,"
ck to Laughlin said.
"This is the first
year we've expe-
rienced this sort
Marta Laughlin of leveling off."

Mc
'4
AN

Los Angeles Times
BANGKOK, Thailand - Capping a
12-day tour through Asia and the
Pacific, President Clinton yesterday
stressed U.S. commitment to the region
while pledging not to impose a vision
of government on any other country.
At the same time, however, he sin-
gled out Myanmar (formerly called
Burma) for a special rebuke, calling it a
nation that has failed to move toward
democracy and has
tolerated a majorT
narcotics trade.
Clinton's com-
ments came at the
end of a postelec-
tion journey
through Australia,
the Philippines and
Thailand during
which he met with
Asian leaders, won
an agreement for a Clinton
top-level summit
with China, helped push through a far-
reaching trade proposal cutting tariffs
on information technology and rein-
forced U.S. ties to Pacific Rim govern-
ments.
Throughout the trip, the president
suggested that the region has become at
least as important to U.S. long-term
interests as Europe, a significant shift
from Washington's traditional focus
across the Atlantic.
"Three years ago I took my first trip
overseas as president, to Japan and
Korea," Clinton told an audience at
Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

st

t spokesperson The four most
hectic travel days
of this season for
Northwest are: Sunday, Dec. 1; Saturday,
Nov. 30; Thanksgiving; and Monday,
Dec. 2.
Laughlin said the airline has spread
out its passenger load, by offering sales
on less popular flights.
"That means we should have a quiet
holiday," Laughlin said.
Visiting family and friends and eat-
ing a hearty Thanksgiving dinner rank
at the top of most students' lists of
things to do while home.
"We're going to Wisconsin to visit
my grandmother and aunt and uncle,

JOSH BIGGS/Daily
LSA sophomore Rob Aaronson waited yesterday for his flight at Metro Airport.

and I'm going to shop all day Friday,"
Romblom said.
Hancock said she couldn't wait to be
home and to sleep in her own bed.
Many students see the long weekend
as a time to catch up on homework and
prepare for finals, while others said they
are not going to even think about school.
"I'm leaving all my books in the
room," said Engineering sophomore
Eric Wakild.

LSA junior Kristin Steele said she
was going to use the extra free time to
catch up on her economics class.
Whether or not students will be doing
their homework, the majority said they
will enjoy a filling Thanksgiving din-
ner.
9 Due to the holiday, The Michigan
Daily will not publish tomorrow or
Friday.



Engineering to
rework courses

"Now, shortly after my re-election,
again my first trip is to Asia, to
Australia, the Philippines and
Thailand."
Clinton digressed briefly from his
observations about U.S. commitment to
the Pacific to single out Thailand's
neighbor to the north and west -
Myanmar - for a presidential scold-
ing.
"The role of drugs in Burma's eco-
nomic and political life and the
regime's refusal to honor its own pledge
to move to multiparty democracy are
really two sides of the same coin, for
both represent the absence of the rule of
law," Clinton said. "Every nation has an
interest in promoting true political dia-
logue in Burma.
Later, the president and first lady
Hillary Rodham Clinton toured
Bangkok's Grand Palace, a spectacular
Buddhist shrine that features the
Temple of the Emerald Buddha. At one
point, after leaving one of the walled
compound's gilded buildings, the presi-
dent exclaimed: "Have you ever seen
anything like it? Unbelievable."
Clinton later attended a state dinner
in his honor, hosted by the world's
longest-reigning monarch, King
Bhumibol Adulyadej, before leaving
yesterday night for Elmendorf Air
Force Base in Alaska and then back to
Washington.
As the Clinton administration sees it,
the president's Asia swing represents a
move forward from the more halting,
uncertain efforts in foreign policy dur-
ing the president's first years in office.
Republican
governors
examine
gender gap
GRAND RAPIDS (AP) -
Republican governors were given a
sobering presentation of their party's
troubles with female voters yesterday
and asserted that a more compassionate
tone and a focus on education were the
cure.
Republican National Committee
Chair Haley Barbour said party
research showed that Bob Dole and
congressional Republican candidates
fared even worse among female vot-
ers that was suggested in media exit
polls.
"You play a huge role in demonstrat-
ing to those voters why they should be
voting Republican," Barbour told the
closing session of the three-day
Republican Governors Association
meeting.
"The 32 Republican governors are
the most powerful, the most influential,
the most popular Republicans in
America,' he said.
Exit polls at
voting 'places
showed that
women supported
as President Clinton
over Dole, 54 per-
cent to 38 percent.
In House races,
women supported
Democrats over
Republicans, by
Engler 54 percent to 44
percent. Dole and
other Republicans
generally ran even or ahead among
male voters.

The No. I priority of our party has
to be dealing with this,' Illinois Gov.
Jim Edgar said in an interview. "If the
gender gap continues like this on a
national level, we are going to continue
to get beat badly.'
Post-election GOP polling painted
an even bleaker nicture than the exit

By David Rossman
Daily Staff Reporter
In an effort to overhaul curriculum
and offer students the opportunity to
graduate in four years, the College of
Engineering recently adopted
"Curriculum 2000" - a plan stemming
from almost a decade of work.
Faculty said the new coursework plan
will allow students increased flexibility
* scheduling and will reduce the
amount of time students spend pursuing
their Engineering degrees to four years.
"I've been told you can (graduate) in
four years - but that was by faculty,"
said Engineering first-year student
Brett Basdeo. "Many students said

"That's fantastic - (tuition) was
kind of a concern of mine," Basdeo
said. "I'm an international student, and
my scholarship only covers four years."
Several of the 100-level three-credit
courses in Engineering will be merged
into two four-credit introductory cours-
es for incoming students beginning
next fall - resulting in a more compre-
hensive, timely education for students.
"Right now, 100-level courses are not
even getting into engineering concepts
yet," Basdeo said. "The three-credit
system would not allow you to graduate
in four years."
Engineering first-year student Stacey
Waxton said she likes the sound of the
new plan.

that's not the case."
As part of a mis-
sion to keep pace
with changes in
engineering
field and to pre-
p students for a
wide range of jobs
after college, the
College of
Engineering began
in 1987 to look at
ways to improve
its undergraduate
curriculum.
In 1995, then-
'Associate Dean
Michael Parsons

Curriculum Changes
May Ease Graduation
Curriculum 2000 aims to help
Engineers graduate in four years.
* Several 100-level three-credit
courses will be merged into two
four-credit classes.
* Engineering students will still
need to take 16 credit hours in the
humanities and social science.
3 Changes will affect students who
enter next fall - the class of 2001.

"I think this
would be great,"
Waxton said. "It is
very frustrating -
asking myself if I
have to take 17 or
18 credits a semes-
ter to graduate on
time. That's really
stressful.".
Parsons said the
changes in the cur-
riculum reflect
changes in real-
world applications
of engineering.
"A lot of the dri-

JOSH BIGGS/Daiy
Ekow Wankah, an University adviser, answered questions in the University-sponsored minority symposium for prospective first-
year students last night at the Dearborn inn.
Utmin es
'U'seeks0 attraCt mlntn eS

was appointed to lead a task force to
look at implementing changes to the
curriculum.
Parsons wanted to finalize
Curriculum 2000 during his last term as
associate dean in April.
"Last year, this was one of the final
things I wanted to get accomplished,"
rsons said. "We have accepted our
students' argument."
The issue of increasing the scope of
an undergraduate Engineering degree
also translated into looking at ways of
getting students through the system
faster.

ving force in what we did is going on
throughout engineering education,"
Parsons said. "We have to look at
broader concepts of engineering, not
just preparing students for a career."
The two introductory courses being
developed for next year evolve out of
the Engineering 103, 104, 105 and 106
curriculums, Parsons said.
Current introductory courses offer an
introduction to personal computing and
some programming experience for stu-
dents who have not previously demon-
strated programming skills.
While some of the changes can be

By David Ros man
Daily Staff Reporter
DEARBORN - Reinforcing the
University's commitment to diversity,
the Office of Undergraduate
Admissions looked to recruit a broader
spectrum of students at the 14th annual
Minority Student Symposium last
night.
The recruitment event, titled "The
Pursuit of Excellence," attracted more
than 300 minority high school students
from around the state to the Dearborn
Inn.
James Vanhecke, assistant director of
the Office of Undergraduate
Admissions, said he was pleased with
the turnout and asserted that it was a
reflection of the University's dedication
to diversity.
"People need to know that we're not
just pumping (minority recruitment) up
this year," Vanhecke said. "This is a
o+-- nn -m mantAA-h n has hne

two University professors, answered
questions from 'students and their par-
ents.
Later, students mingled with faculty
representatives and 16 minority
University students who attended as
part of the event.
"I wanted to get all the information I
could to help me make my decision
(about which college to attend)," said
Mirelle Syrja,
a senior at
Mount Thisgi
C I e m e n s
High School. st d nt
More than
500 minority to rmeet W
students from
high schools staff, "f
all over south-
eastern
Michigan Univers
were invited
hc .n nih -

top students," Ridout said.
"People say, 'Wow, Michigan has to
recruit?"' she said. "Yes. We're compet-
ing with a lot of other schools. This
gives the students a'chance to meet with
our staff."
The panel of faculty members and
administrators seemed to offer the most
excitement of the evening as English
Prof. Ralph Williams lightened the

we qwFthe {
a chance
ith our
Sheri Ridout j
ity admissions
counselor '

mood.
Students posed
questions ranging
from where resi-
dence hall bath-
rooms are located
to the amount of
student-faculty
communication
that exists on 'cam-
pus.
Parents showed
concern over the
isue of Earaduate


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