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One hundred six years of editoriadfreedom
Monday
March 10, 1997
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Deadline
extended
for U'
applcants
4,000 minority and
top students informed
in letters
By Heather Kamins
Daily Staff Reporter
fter a decline in applications from
scholars and minority students, the
University extended the undergraduate
admission deadline an extra month and
actively encouraged students of these
two groups to apply to the University.
The University extended the dead-
line for admissions until March 1, for
all applicants, and made specific
efforts to gain applications from minor-
ity high school students and students
with high grades and standardized test
,ares, said Vice President for
niversity Relations Walter Harrison.
"We tried to encourage African
American students and students with
high grades and test scores t9 apply,"
Harrison said. "We tried to get in touch
with these people and coerce them to
apply."
University Director of Admissions
Theodore Spencer said the University
targeted these groups by sending about
*00 letters to minority high school
students and top scholars who had
shown interest in the school but had not
submitted applications.
Spencer said the letters were sent to
minority students with minimum grade
point averages , of 3.4, American
College Testing scores of 25 and
Scholastic Assessment Test scores of
1,100, and to non-minority students
with minimum grade point averages of
and scores of 30 on the ACT or
,480 on the SAT.
The letters stated the application
deadline had been extended and that
the two required essays could be sent in (Above) Mid
later with a separate cover, Spencer Wolverines
said. 1991. (Rigt
"The University sent letters out to
zop scholars and minority students
because we saw the numbers going
down in both these areas" said Lester S tu
Monts, vice provost for academic and
multi-cultural affairs. "We felt it was
our obligation to get information to all By Alan Go
of those students." Daily Sports 1
Spencer said the letters were not sent Universil
to give special treatment to any specif- see the Wo
ic group but to improve the quality and disappointi
the diversity of the incoming class. son.
"Had the number of in-state applica- Some st
tions stayed low the same letter would just fine se
have gone out to all in-state students," their bid
fencer said, referring to the low num- Tournamen
rs released by the University. "I think
"It turned out that applications were NIT bid ou
low among these two groups. We sent a Mark Will
letter and extended the deadline to bracket was
those students," he said. After th
President of the campus chapter of revealed, st
See APPLICATIONS, Page 7A much.
AN EXT strane
Students stranded
in Mexican airpor
By Ericka M. Smith
Daily Staff Reporter
As some students leave behind bathing suits, sun
and beach balls to return to class today after spring
others have found themselves stranded in their t
vacation spots.
At least 4,000 college students traveling with T,
Break Travel agency have found themselves st
Mexico after the Federal Aviation Administration gr
the agency's charter planes.
LSA senior Andy Smith, one of many students si
in Mazatlan, Mexico, contacted his parents in Long
on Friday night after learning his flight to Detroit
Airport had been canceled.
"Our first concern was just to get him home," '
mother, Shirley, said yesterday.
"I have great confidence in his problem-solvin
ities," she said. "My overwhelming emotion is ju
ness that he worked hard for this spring break,
ended up being a character-building experience
than a vacation." Shirley said her son made h
travel arrang ements and will return to schoolt
'M' basketball
settles for
Michigan not invited to par- decision ba
Universitya
ticipate in NCAA basketball gram.
tournament Earlier in
would accep
By John Leroi season expe
Daily Sports Editor for next seas
The news was expected by most fans, but not But yeste
by the Michigan basketball team. For only the team if its
second time in 11 seasons, the Wolverines were admitted the
not invited to the NCAA tournament. .ed that Mich
After a brief team meeting late last night, nament bid,
Michigan coach Steve Fisher announced that the extend their
Wolverines will accept a bid to play in the "Our goa
National Invitation Tournament. The Wolverines aren't playi
will host a first-round game against Miami (Fla.) Conlan said
on Thursday. win this thin
"This is also a big tournament," Fisher said. "If you ca
"We want to go into it like it's the biggest tour- be playing a
nament in the world because it's the one we're. the worst thi
in." Although
Many members of the media speculated that he said ever
Michigan would not accept a bid to the NIT if it staff was pa
did not receive an invitation to the NCAA tour- "I didn't
nament. Neither Fisher nor any other Wolverine Fisher said.
would discuss whether Michigan would play in action. I did
the NIT before the NCAA tournament field was wonder why
announced. body didn't
After the Wolverines learned they hadn't The decis
received an NCAA bid, Fisher said during a tele- one for ther
conference that he and the team would make a
NIT
ased on "what was best for the
and the Michigan basketball pro-
the week, Fisher said Michigan
t an NIT invitation if he felt the post-
rience would "jumpstart" the team
son.
rday he said he wouldn't take the
"heart wasn't in it." Although he
players were extremely disappoint-
higan did not receive an NCAA tour-
Fisher said every player wanted to
season.
I is to be playing when other teams
ing," Michigan co-captain Travis
. "We want to go to New York and
ng.
n't get up for a game, you shouldn't
at this level. Getting to the NIT isn't
ing that could happen:"
the final decision was left to Fisher,
ybody on the team and the coaching
rt of the decision.
make (the decision), we made it,"
. "Everybody had a piece of the
dn't want to go and have everybody
we went. I didn't want to go if every-
want to be there.
ion to play in the NIT wasn't an easy
players:
See GAME, Page 7A
MAAETMYER/Daly~
chigan co-captain Robert Traylor carried a dejected look along with his baggage after the
were left out of the NCAA tournament. The team opted for the NIT for the first time since
ht) Michigan's bench celebrated as the team came from behind to beat Ohio State yesterday.
dents not pleased with NIT
Adenbach
Editor
ty students aren't excited to
lverines suit up again after a
ng 19-11 campaign this sea-
udents said they would feel
eeing the Wolverines bypass
for the National Invitation
nt and call it a season.
they ought to turn down an
t of school pride," LSA junior
iams said after the NCAA
s announced last night..
e NIT field of teams was
udent feelings didn't change
"1 don't think they should've accepted
an NIT bid at all," Engineering senior
John Lee said. "Michigan, with its kind
of talent, shouldn't stoop that low."
The sentiment among students was
that the NIT is a tournament for small-
er schools, or institutions that don't
have the name recognition of a school
the size of Michigan.
"I'm surprised that they accepted the
bid," LSA first-year student Nick
Lossia said. "This school has such a
great reputation ... and has become
such a recognized team that the NIT is
a letdown for them."
As the field of 64 teams for the
NCAA Tournament was being
announced. fans across campus
watched the telecasts on CBS and
ESPN announce the teams one by one.
When the selection shows ended with-
out naming Michigan in any tourna-
ment brackets, the initial fan reaction
was one of more disgust with the team
than of anger at the nine-member
NCAA selection committee.
Wolverine coach Steve Fisher was tar-
geted for blame most often by students.
"At this point, I'm so disappointed
with Fisher's coaching that I don't care
about this team anymore" LSA sopho-
more Jim Hadgis said.
LSA sophomore Josh Cohen offered
a suggestion for a personnel change.
decision
"I want (former UCLA coach) Jim
Harrick here next year," Cohen said.
Now the question is whether or not
fans, to whom Fisher appealed for sup-
port last month, will turn out to see the
Wolverines when they host Miami
(Fla.) at Crisler Arena on Thursday.
"I'm not going to go out and buy a
ticket," Hadgis said. "I'll only go if I
can go for free."
But there is at least one Michigan fan
who is happy to see the Wolverines
march onward with their season.
"At least we got the NIT," LSA junior
Aaron Alhadoff said. "Absolutely I'll
go. I'll paint my face. I'm going to get
into it."
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Hospital budget cuts
worry community groups
By Brian Campbell
D~aily Staff Reporter
Recent budget cuts at University Hospitals have
left community groups and health care advocates
worried about the potentially dismal implications
for patients and hospital employees.
To deal with rising costs and more efficient
competitors, University administrators have
adopted a three-year plan to cut $200 million from
the hospital budget.
Sixty million dollars was reduced from last
year's budget, and another $70 million is sched-
uled to be cut this year.
"The driving force in all this is that our health
care practices have to be more cost-effective" said
Kenneth Trester, director of planning and market-
ing at the University Medical Center.
"Managed care is driving down reimbursement
rates and we have to learn to live within the rev-
enue we get."
But amid the drive for efficiency are concerns
that community input is being neglected. Dr.
Catherine Wilkerson, a physician at Flint's Hurley
Medical Center and a member of Physicians for
tive levels," Wilkerson said. "The important thing
is to have the community members involved in
making those decisions.:
Ann Arbor City Council member Tobi Hanna-
Davies emphasized the close ties between the
University and the community, but said she would
like to see greater involvement by hospital admin-
istrators.
"The administration has been listening, but the
University is a public asset and there needs to be
more extensive public discussion; Hanna-Davies
said.
Trester said cuts will lower employee wages and
benefits and reduce clinical practices.
Last year, 1,200 full-time hospital employees
were released in order to reduce costs. Trester said
high-operating costs stemmed from the hospitals"
affiliation with the University.
"We're a teaching institution;' Trester said. We
have costs associated with teaching. Our medical
students and our labor costs for wages and bene-
fits are higher than at comparable hospitals:'
Members of community groups said possible
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