LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Friday, February 21, 1997 - 3
s~x '
'U' employee
receives obscene
phone calls
A University Hospitals employee
orted to the Department of Public
Safety on Wednesday that she had
received several threatening phone
calls at work for the past two weeks.
The suspect appeared to be inten-
tionally trying to disguise his voice by
.sounding intoxicated, DPS reports
state.
The messages contained obscene lan-
guage and personal references toward
the caller's past relationships with other
ployees. DPS has no suspects but is
currently investigating the incident.
Computer stolen
from 'U' building
A computer was stolen from the
third floor of the Electrical Engineering
Building on Tuesday night.
The caller stated that a suspicious per-
a had been seen in the building by
Weral other employees. The computer,
which was located in the student com-
puter lab, is worth more than $9,000,
according to DPS reports. DPS is inves-
tigating the case but has no suspects.
Gas station
attendant fends
off robber
* man tried to rob a local Shell gas
tion on Washtenaw Avenue on
Tuesday night, according to AAPD
reports.
The suspect attempted to take money
from the cash register while the clerk's
back was turned. The clerk struggled
with the male suspect and chased the
man from the scene. The suspect is
described as 6 feet tall and 200 pounds.
He was last seen wearing a heavy black
ket and a ski mask, AAPD reports
s ate.
'U' van runs into
parked car, flees
A University catering van may have
struck a parked vehicle on Thompson
Street and fled the scene Monday night,
according to DPS reports.
The van was last seen travelling the
ong way on the one-way street. A
er reported that the van plowed into
a parked vehicle. DPS contacted
University catering services, which is
performing its own internal investiga-
tion.
Items swiped
from parked car
everal items were reported stolen
m a man's car parked on Fuller Road
on Wednesday night.
The caller's front passenger window
was allegedly smashed in, DPS reports
state. Two jackets, a camcorder and
scuba diving equipment worth more
than $1,000 were taken.
DPS picked up two suspects but
released them pending an investigation.
Multiple thefts
*ccur at CCRB
Two cases of theft at the Central
Campus Recreation Building were
reported to DPS this week.
In the first incident, a man's wallet
was stolen from the second floor of the
building's main track Tuesday night.
The caller said his leather wallet con-
tained more than $50, several credit
rds and his driver's license.
n the second case, a caller reported
that several items were stolen from his
open locker Sunday while he was show-
ering in the CCRB men's locker room.
The caller also reported a suspicious
subject following him while he was
working out. He told DPS that he
believes the suspect stole his clothes
and wallet.
- Compiled by Daily Staf Reporter
Ajit K Thavarajah.
NAACP to reach out to college students
By Alice Robinson
Daily Staff Reporter
Gone are the fiery days of civil
rights' protests, but the oldest civil
rights organization in the country is
recruiting new activists - college stu-
dents.
The National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People
announced plans Saturday to begin a
new outreach campaign that would
increase the number of NAACP chap-
NAACP. "A lot of young people ... feel
(the) NAACP has been out of step with
so called 'generation X'
"If we don't train the young people to
be a part of today, then the NAACP will
be nonexistent in the years to come.
The cornerstone of the new youth ini-
tiative will be a 10-city tour, aimed at
increasing youth membership and
encouraging high school and college
students to practice non-violence and
stay in school. The tour will kick off in
ters at colleges
and universities.
The organiza-
tion, which has
been plagued for
years by financial
difficulties and
waning member-
ship, wants to
expand its sup-
port base of
Ildon't think a
lot of young people
are invol ved. "
- Oman Bayi
LSA senior
Was h in g to n
D.C., in August
and will end in
B a l t i m o r e.
Bryant said
Detroit is tenta-
tively on the list
as a stop.
L o r e n
McGhee, presi-
dent of the
about," Bell said. "If someone from a
larger chapter came to the University,
that would clear up questions people
have about the whole NAACP group."
Some students said the NAACP
should clarify its mission and goals
regarding young people.
"I think it's a step," said LSA senior
Omari Bayi. "I don't think a lot of
young people are involved. I don't even
see what they're doing.
"Sure enough, it is a positive step, but if
there is no agenda, then what's the use?"
To help universities set up new affili-
ations with the NAACP, Bryant said
representatives will meet with students
at both largely white universities and
historically black institutions to gauge
each school's needs.
McGhee said the University's NAACP
chapter, which was restarted two years
ago, currently has around 70 members.
The group was first formed in the 1950s.
"We have a pretty diverse chapter and
they're pretty supportive," McGhee said.
In 1995, after McGhee helped re-
charter the organization, the group had
about 50 members.
NAACP officials in Detroit said they
are waiting for the rest of the cities on
the 10-city tour to be announced.
Detroit boasts the largest membership
of any NAACP branch in the country.
"We certainly hope (Detroit is) one of
the cities:' said Llenda Jackson-Leslie,
director for media marketing and youth
services in Detroit.
young people by
reaching out to disenchanted youth. At
the group's 88th annual meeting in New
York City, President Kweisi Mfume
announced plans to establish a mini-
mum of 200 college NAACP chapters.
Representatives of the coalition said
the campaign is just one aspect of a
complete overhaul taking place at
NAACP headquarters.
"It's needed because the NAACP is in
the process of undergoing a complete
makeover," said James Bryant, National
Youth and College Director of the
U nii v ers it y 's
NAACP chapter, said Mfume's plan is a
welcomed announcement.
"I think his whole idea is on track.
and I applaud his efforts," McGhee said.
"And certainly, if he comes here we'd
like to be part of his efforts."
LSA junior and NAACP member
Tinika Bell said NAACP officials
should consider the benefits of visiting
the University.
"I know a lot of people really don't
want to get involved (in the NAACP)
because they really don't know what it's
University NAACP President Loren McGhee said she is pleased with NAACP
President Kweisi Mfume's efforts to reach out to students.
Local fifth-graders get
Slimey with 'U' students
By David Rossman
Daily Staff Reporter
After the lunch room was cleaned, 40
fifth-grade students filed back in to
make another mess.
The wide-eyed children listened
eagerly to instructions given by
University Engineering students and
proceeded to make slime.
In recognition of National Engineers
Week, University future engineers visit-
ed Northside Elementary School in
Ann Arbor yesterday to spark children's
interest in science and technology.
"This is fun because it's messy," said
fifth-grade student Ryan Workinger.
"And you can get something cool out of
(the slime)."
When slime time was over, University
Engineering students performed several
experiments for the children.
In one presentation, a dialogue
between the two generations of students
attempted to show why the level of
foam in a glass of pop rises when salt is
poured into the glass.
The elementary students had their
own theories, and many were almost
on-target. After all, the two fifth-grade
classes at Northside are currently
studying chemical reactions.
"We're studying different mystery
powders," said student Shi'meka
Young. "We're using heat, iodine, vine-
gar and powders to see what happens
(when placed in certain chemicals)."
The National Society of Black
Engineers and Society of Women
Engineers organized
the University's
involvement with the
community this week.
Engineering sopho-
more Jenni Tittjung, a
member of SWE, coor-
dinated the Outreach to
Schools program on
the elementary level.
"(The kids) are so
smart, and they know so much."
Tittjung said. "It's real encouraging."
Many of the questions posed by the
class revolved around concern for the
life span of slime, which they carried
home in small plastic bags.
Eventually, though, the University
students fostered the children's interest
in engineering concepts. The class har-
moniously filled the air with "ooohh's"
and "wow's" at the thought of working
on an aerodynamic car design.
"The activities were good because they
w ere hands-on," said fifth-grade teacher
Ebony Brister. "We do a lot of our own
hands-on experiments in class, too."
National Engineers Week - founded
in 1951 by the National Society of
Professional Engineers -- is celebrat-
ing its first year at the University.
Activities began
Sunday with a speech by
Tony Glinke, president
of' Ann Arbor Plastics.
During this past week,
there has been a mouse-
trap car runoff, Lego
bridge-building contest
and an egg-drop coinpe-
WI ('tRM (: LX z, 402
tition.
The week's events will
be capped off with a paper aiplane
contest at 10:00 a.m. today i the
Francois-Xavier Bagnoud building, and
an informal dance tomorrow evening at
9:00 p.m. in the Michigan League
The dance is free and open to all
University students - but college stu-
dents aren't the only ones watqiing
every penny.
There's not much the sophisticated
fifth-grade students haven't planned for
yet - one child asked how muchlingi-
neers are paid.
2CYA
JOSH BIGGS/ Daily
Joseph McClain, director of clinical engineering at the Walter Reed Army Medical
Center, gives the keynote speech for National Engineers Week yesterday.
Engneer speaks
on future o field
By Brian Campbell
Daily Staff Reporter
While quoting liberally the maxims
of ancient Greek and Roman philoso-
phers last night, clinical engineer
Joseph McClain reflected on the human
aspect of bioengineering and anticipat-
ed the field's future.
McClain, director of clinical engi-
neering at the Walter Reed Army
Medical Center in Washington, D.C.,
was the keynote speaker for National
Engineers Week - established to recog-
nize the wide-ranging achievements and
societal influence of engineers.
"What I try to do is show engineers
and technicians where the roots of the
technologies come from, where we are
today, and where I see us going in the
future to carry us into the next millen-
nium," McClain said.
McClain said many engineers don't
receive recognition for their work
because people frequently take for
granted things like watches, cars and
the cities in which they live.
"In many cases, the people behind
the scenes, the (people) that make life
easier, don't always get recognized,"
McClain said. "Sometimes they
become very humble and don't wave
their flag enough."
While some people believe bioengi-
neering is a new field, the science actu-
ally began at the turn of the century
when the German physicist Roentgen
discovered X-rays, McClain said.
Engineering first-year student
Monica Wheat said she was
intrigued by the history of bioengi-
neering.
"I didn't know any of the history
behind the profession before I came,"
Wheat said. "I liked it a lot."
McClain emphasized the difference
between the medically-oriented field of
bioengineering and clinical engineering,
which is a managerial profession.
McClain said the future of technical
employment will require a highly spe-
cialized and diverse workforce, exten-
sive on-the-job training, improved com-
munication skills and the ability to cope
with rapid change.
"Our field is constantly evolving as
we move toward the next millennium,"
McClain said.
"And if we are constantly changing,
why are we so opposed to change?" he
asked the crowd of about 40.
orrection:
The University Board of Regents approved a 1-percent raise in residence hall rates for next year as part of a two-year, 2-per-
cent raise plan to cover debt service. The plan was implemented last year. This was incorrectly reported in yesterday's Daily.
What's happening in Ann Arbor this weekend
f :. ,:
FRIDAY
a"Conversations with Courtney
Clixby," sponsored by Unions
Network Television, channel 24, 3
p.m. and 8 p.m.
r"Delivering Shabbat Meals," spon-
sored by Hillel, 1429 Hill St., 3-
Free Mumia Coalition/ARA,
Trotter House, 1 p.m.
QI"The Funktion," Dance, sponsored by
The Institute of Electronic and
Electrical Engineers, Michigan
League, 9p.m.-1 a.m..
Q "Weekly Rummage Sale," sponsored
by Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor,
Viwni Riidio 00Onjt Frs
Nonviolence," Weekly meeting,
sponsored by Student Greens,
Michigan League, Conference
Room 2, 7-9 p.m.
J "External Relations Committee,"
Weekly meeting, sponsored by
ERC Committee, Michigan
Union, MSA Chambers, Room
39O5 :45- n m
m