E In WI IWt Weather Tonight: Chance of flurries, high around 130. Tomorrow: Chance of flurries, high around 230. One hundred szi years of editorial freedom Monday January 27, 1997 Medstart speaker talks on impoverished children By Brian Campbell Daily Staff Reporter Award-winning author and activist Jonathan Kozol decried the living conditions of the nation's poorest children while discussing what role the medical system should play in improving their lives * conference Saturday for health professionals and students. Kozol, the keynote speaker of the fifth annual Medstart conference, spoke about the lives of black and Latino/a children growing up in New York's South Bronx, one of the nation's most impoverished neighborhoods. Kozol spent two years talking with children, parents and priests in the South Bronx, which led to his most recent book, "Amazing Grace: The Lives of Children and the Conscience of a N tion." Wozol spoke to more than 400 University stu- dents, faculty members and Ann Arbor residents during the opening address of the Medstart confer- ence, which aims to improve the lives of children by bringing together health professionals and students from various fields including medicine, social work, dentistry and law. The conference included workshops throughout the day to promote children's health. Dr. Timothy Jordan, a motivational speaker for self-esteem and personal growth, gave the midconference address. "We're trying to ensure a promising and secure future for the children of Michigan, and of the world, by increasing education and access to care," said Angela Wandera, assistant professor of ortho- dontics and pediatric dentistry, who gave a work- shop about oral health and safety. During the conference's keynote address, Kozol spoke about the poor hospital conditions in the South Bronx, where diabetes, hypertension, asthma and cancer are prevalent, and where one-quarter of all children are born to mothers living with HIV/AIDS. Kozol said he knew one woman who spent four days in a hospital waiting room before being treated for a fever. Eron Friedlaender, a Medical fourth-year student, said she's witnessed the urban decay to which Kozol referred, and thinks it's beneficial for people to be aware of the abject conditions facing such children.: "I kind of know what's out there. It's good for people to hear about this," she said, adding that she thought Kozol's speech was "wonderful and inspir- ing." In addition to the state of urban hospitals, crip- pled by bureaucracy and a lack of supplies, Kozol emphasized the importance of neighborhood aes- thetics. "You surround people with ugliness and they begin to feel ugly - why can't they make any- thing cheerful for the people who live here?" he asked the crowd at the Medical School's Towsley Center. "My kennel where I leave my puppy smells better than this building (an apartment complex in the South Bronx) and my puppy can go outside without fear of being killed. No nation that loved its children would allow them to grow up and die in such a place," Kozol said. Sasha Polakaw, an Ann Arbor Community High School senior, said Kozol's vivid narration helps to raise awareness about inner-city environments that are inconceivable to people who haven't seen them. "I've been shocked by reading his books," See MEDSTART, Page 7A Kozol Drug therapies fight AIDS The Washington Post WASHINGTON - The arrival of new combination drug therapies is Sidly transforming the AIDS epidem- i in the United States, prolonging the lives of many AIDS patients and keep- ing many healthy enough to stay out of the hospital. Recently gathered evidence even suggests that use of new drugs, espe- cially those in the expensive protease inhibitor family of medicines, may 'U' awaits first NCAA certification New terapy * Viral-load testing and protease inhibitors are responsible for changes in AIDS care. W Nine anti- H1N drugs are urrently on We market itn the U.S. # Three-drug -combination strategytwhich includes a pro- tease inhibitor, is growing in popularity. lower the cost of treating many peo- ple infected with the human immunodeficien- cy virus (HIV), according to sev- eral presentations at the Fourth Conference of Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, a five- day AIDS meeting that ended in the nation's capitol yesterday. While AIDS researchers won't know for years whether those trends will last, many at the con- ference said they JEANNIE SERVAAS/Daily Sonny Jeon jams at the grand opening of the League Underground on Friday. erground' lounge and restaurants open in League By Katie Wang Daily Staff Reporter The University today plans to enter the final stage of a laborious -6-month process of applying for its first NCAA certification. A five-member visiting committee, composed of members from peer insti- tutions is scheduled to spend the next few days visiting campus, before mak- ing a recommendation about the University's future with the NCAA. "I feel very good about our opera- tions," said Percy Bates, faculty athlet- ics representative for the University's NCAA Athletics Certification Steering Committee. "I feel we should be certi- fied, but there are no guarantees." Despite the University's _ _ opposition fourN years ago, the N NCAA passed a resolution requiring every of Division I school to apply --Pr for certifica- tion within a Faculty athletic five-year cycle set by the NCAA: Division I is composed of about 300 schools, including the University. "The University opposed this when it came up for vote because we felt we didn't need any more regulations in this area," said Walter Harrison, vice presi- dent for University relations. Thus far, 92 schools have received certification, which is comparable to receiving individual accreditation in other professions. "NCAA certification is a stamp of approval," said Bates, who is also a pro- fessor in the School of Education. "Members of the NCAA have come together and agreed to a set of princi- ples. "We have agreed for intercollegiate r' C0' athletics, these are the principles we will agree to." In compliance with the certification process, every school is required to conduct a self-study of the university and its athletic department. In September 1995, the University formed a steering committee to conduct the required self-study in areas of gover- nance and commitment to rules compli- ance, academic integrity, fiscal integri- ty and commitment to equity. The University's resulting 177-page report was submitted to the NCAA for review in November. Today, the final stage of the certification process begins when the visiting team conducts a series of interviews with members of the Athletic Department. The visiting commit- tee is expected to make a recom- mendation to the prova "! NCAA for certi- fication based on f. Percy Bates this week's visit. reprsenttive "There should representative be no reason at all we shouldn't get certification," said Joe Roberson, direc- tor of athletics. "The bottom line of the whole report is that we have a good Athletic Department." Harrison, who chairs the steering committee, said he is confident the University will receive certification. "We did a thorough job, and I'm fair- ly confident that the peer group will be impressed with what we've done,' Harrison said. Other members of the steering com- mittee include former University President James Duderstadt, interim President Homer Neal and Dean of Students Royster Harper. Some of the recommendations of the steering committee's report include: See NCAA, Page 7A found little reason to revise the gener- optimistic outlook that when reports of successful "triple-drug" ther- apies were presented at the same meet- ing a year ago. "We obviously don't have a crystal ball, but the overall picture at the moment is that we can control the virus well, and we can have an impact on the disease for prolonged periods of time," said David Ho, head of New York's Aaron Diamond AIDS Research *nter. "We're consolidating the headline news of last year," said Douglas Richman, an AIDS physician at the University of California at San Diego, and the chair of the conference. "We have a much more solid, deeper under- standing of what we can do with these potent (drug) regimens." Two innovations appear to be largely responsible for the changes in AIDS e in the last year. One is "viral-load ting," which permits a physician to measure the amount of HIV circulating in a patient's bloodstream and thereby guide treatment. The other is use of protease inhibitors, a class of drugs with an unusual ability to quell virus replication. There are currently nine anti-HIV drugs on the market in this country. A strategy rapidly gaining popularity is to W three of them at once. A three-drug combination almost always includes a protease inhibitor. The goal is to stop the virus from replicating. That goal has been achieved if, after several months of treatment, no virus is found in the viral Tnai Tf;+t han'+ heanhit-v;eda a new 3,000-square-foot lounge with stage and two restaurants opens By Jeff Enderton For the Daily Students crowded the Michigan League last week for the opening of the Lounge Underground, a new entertain- ment and food center. "Our goal is to make this a student place," said Michigan League Program Director Benita Murrell. "We cannot compete with the (Michigan) Union. We have to find our own niche." ,The celebration lasted from 8 to 11 p.m. Thursday and Friday nights and featured live a cappella music from Amazin' Blue and The Gentlemen on Thursday, and rock music from Drive Train and The Lap Dogs on Friday. "We are trying to draw attention to ourselves," Murrell said. "We are trying to make the Lounge Underground a place for student gathering and student entertainment." The need for greater study space encouraged the expansion. "We heard from students that there wasn't enough space to do everything," said Michigan League Director Bob Yecke. "Students are looking for an alcohol-free and a smoke-free environ- ment." Door prizes and gift certificates were given to the first 200 people at the opening. Visitors also could also enter a grand-prize drawing for a bike or a Coca-Cola cooler during the cele- bration. Students said they liked the overall atmosphere and location ofthe Lounge Underground. "It seems like a good place to study," Medical School first-year student Jen Ballard said. "If you're coming from the Hill or the Medical campus, it's closer (than the Union)" The 3,000-square-foot lounge spade provides a large study area along with a stage for performers. "It has a laid-back atmosphere," said Music School senior Josh Osborn. Thursday nights will serve as variety nights, with a wide range of entertain- ment. Friday nights will feature rock music, Murrell said. In the future there will be a large mural painted by Sara Ratbom that will See LEAGUE, Page 2A Former 'U' golfer to gve $2.6M to Athletic Department today t __ _.. ,. By Prachish Chakravorty Daily Staff Reporter John Schroeder, a professional and former Michigan All-American golfer, will present the University Athletic Department with a donation of $2.6 million today to support a career coun- seling program. Joe Roberson, director of athletics, said the donation will benefit student athletes by preparing them to compete in the workforce. "I think what it will do (is) provide them with a light at the end of the tun- nel" Rohronsn aiid "There are far but more important than improving the recruiting is to improve the oppor- tunity for the student athlete to end up, with a meaningful job," Roberson said. The decision to fund career-place- ment services was reached after some brainstorming and suggestions from Schroeder, Roberson said. "Because of John's own feeling that that would have been something that would have been more useful to him, (the idea) germinated out of that con- versation," Roberson said. The Athletic Denartment is host- i ® .. .