LOCAL/STATE The Michigan Daily -- Wednesday, October 9, 1996 -5 Students 'break' for community service B Nick Farr For The Daily Spring break usually isn't uttered in the same breath as community service. For the 300 students selected to take part in this year's Alternative Spring Break program, the two are synony- P ous. "ASB is an alternative to the tradi- tional college trip to Florida or to Cancun," said LSA senior Jose Bartolomei. "It's a more substantial way to spend your spring break." ASB, sponsored by Project Serve, offers students the opportunity to work in a field of their choice during the school year, which culminates in a ser- vice project during spring break. Students in ASB work on community 5cvice projects in sites all over the country Anita Bohn, director of Project -Serve, said ASB gives students, "the ability to make a real contribution around a particular issue they're inter- year's break made an impression on him. ested in." "My experience last year completely Students apply for the program in changed my life. I don't look at things mid-October, choosing up to three the same way," said Bartolomei, who is interest areas. Students selected for the returning as a site leader this year. program meet throughout the year to orient I a and educate themselves ecOnOfi about the issue with which do a spring they will be working. "It's an ASB finan opportunity for students to work on something they're passionate about ... and they can get together with students that are passionate about the same thing," said Rackham student Sanjay Patel, ASB's finance coordina- tor. Bartolomei said his work during last really cal way to break." - Sanjay Patel nce coordinator Because of financial con- straints, only 300 students will be accepted. "We have to turn down a couple hundred students," Patel said. "We get an incredible return gram requires a $50 participant fee, and students must also pay for person- al expenses on the trip itself. "It's a really economical way to do spring break, relative to a $400 trip wherever you go," Patel said. ASB trips are made possible through student fundraising efforts and University funds, a portion of which recently came from a state grant to fos- ter community service programs at the University. "Even with the grant, most of the funding is still student-generated," Bohn said. Bartolomei said the trips are both an invaluable experience and an enjoyable way to spend a vacation. "It isn't a trip to Florida though, where we're partying all the time," Bartolomei said. "It's also not a trip where you're going to do harsh work wherever you go. It's both fun, but it's also a lot of work." ASSAULT Continued from Page 1. entered the unlocked room saying they were friends of the student's roommate. "One touched the victim on the breast before leaving with compact discs belonging to a resident," DPS reported. DPS was unable to locate the suspects. Several female residents of South Quad said they have taken safety precau- tions because of the incident. "Now, me and my roommate always keep our door locked," said LSA sopho- more Kelly Jackson, who lives on the fifth floor of Gomberg Hall. "These two guys knocked on her door and asked for her roommate because her name was on the door. Our RA told us we should take our name tags off our door." Joyce Wright, prevention education coordinator for the Sexual Assault Prevention and Assault Center, said all students should be aware of the people who live around them, especially if unfa- miliar people enter their room. LSA sophomore Shana Thornton said she and her roommate also removed their name tags from the door. "This is getting ridiculous,.Thornton said about recent sexual assault incidents. A female University student also was sexually assaulted last Saturday Morning in the North Campus parking lot across from Bursley Hall. "As far as security goes, I don't think we have enough security," Thornton said. "Even though we have that machine to swipe (identification) cards, sometimes people let other people in." Wright said she does not believe the two weekend incidents were part of a trend. "I haven't seen reports happeninjr in one hall more than another," she said- "Assault could happen in South Quad or East Quad," Wright said. "Assaults take place all over the campus." Several female students at South Quad suggested that the University should institute a new security plan. "One thing they could do is have a security desk at night like at (Michigan State University)," said LSA first-'ear student Melissa Benham. "You have to call and have a friend sign you in (as a guest.)" rate for students involved in the program." This year, all students who apply will be granted an interview. Patel said applicant selection is "partially a random process, and par- tially the site leader's preference." The Alternative Spring Break pro- 'U' grads start own company on the web .......: ........... ::.:::::::::::::::: Dr I' -~~i . By Heather Miller Daily Staff Reporter ' At the Student Housing Locator web site a student can specify how much they want to pay in rent, where they want to live and even how many bedrooms they want their future apartment to have. A simple click of a button locates all local apartments which fit that descrip- tion. The Student Housing Locator is one of the web sites designed by recent University graduates Jacques Habra and Patrick Sarkissian's company, Web Elite. Habra and Sarkissian, who both graduated last 'year, spoke at the Business School last night about their experiences owning their own business. Business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi sponsored the event. Ed Friedman, vice president of pro- fessional activities for the fraternity, said he wanted students who did not want to follow the standard career path to have an opportunity to hear from "two successful entrepreneurs." Habra started Web Elite 18 months ago, and joined with Sarkissian six months later. "I developed a belief in myself, v ich is quintessential to everybody who wants to start their own business," Sarkissian said. The Ann Arbor-based company now has 15 employees and designs web pages for small to medium-sized companies. "There's a tremendous amount of competition (among web site design- ers) in certain areas," Sarkissian said, adding that there are five to 10 web design companies in Ann Arbor. Habra said Web Elite is different from others because it takes "the extra step" "We focus on developing an aesthet- ic and functional web site," he said. Successful web sites are based on design, functionality of the design, pro- motion of the web site and interactivity of the web site, Habra said. Functionality includes making the web site easy to navigate and under- stand as well as clearly conveying the company's identity. "Your web site is a 24-hour salesper- son" because it can be accessed at any time, Habra said. "It's an incredible marketing advantage." Web Elite has created sites for com- panies ranging from the trucking com- pany CAThomas Inc., to Trendway, a furniture company. Business senior Andrew Taylor said Habra and Sarkissian offered a useful perspective. "I thought it was good to hear a cou- ple of youthful entrepreneurs talk about their company rather than a major cor- poration," he said. 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