News: 76-DAILY Advertising: 764-0554 PEA kl,4an Untti One hundred six years of editoriadfreedom Monday March 10, 1997 _.. VI CV ..4.A--7--g 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." amd$5 for l~d ~' dunt For mom 764-M7. NDED SPRING BREAK ts d glasses break, tropical k Take-A- uck in ounded tranded Island t M etro Smith's ng abil- ust sad- and it . e mores is own tomor -~w1l 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 h <: I