'ews: 76-DAILY
cfiertising: 764-3554
i ss4 A
y Janet Adamy
Daily Statf Reportcr
Like most University students, Engineering
senior Kimberly Stec is getting excited fr a big
competition this Saturday.
t instead of grabbing a stadium blanket and
thro wing on a Wolverine T-shirt, Stec will slip into
an evening gown to prepare for an event she's been
waiting for since 1994 - the Miss America Pageant.
The winner of this June's Miss Michigan
Pageant, Stec arrived in Atlantic City on Labor
Day to begin competing against 50 other women
for the coveted Miss America crown that will be
warded Saturday evening.
"TO think about the fact that I could be Miss
America is really scary, but it's something that I'm
r.4 for," Stec said.
As the pressure mounts later this week. Stec will
be joined by supportive friends and family.
Nursing junior Dana Schaither plans to take a
Greyhound bus to Atlantic City on Friday night to
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September 10, 1997
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watch Stec in the pageant.
"I know it's the most important day of her life
and I want to be there to support her," Schatfner
said. "What's going to stand out is that she's
incredibly down to earth and I think that's going to
help her out.'
The road to the Miss America Pageant began
when Stec started dancing at age five. She partici-
pated in her first pageant at age 17. saying it pro-
moted academics by awarding contestants scholar-
ships. It also gave her an opportunity to showcase
her dancing skills, Stec said.
"Someone mentioned to me that the Miss
America Pageant program really promotes talent
... so (as a dancer) it was kind of a natural step:'
Stec said.
Stec claimed her first crown in 1995 at the Miss
Heart of Michigan Pageant in Kalkaska. in north-
ern Michigan. Winning the Miss Washtenaw
County Pageant in the fall of 1996 qualified her
for the Miss Michigan Pageant -- which she went
19979?
on to win this past June.
So far. Stec has receix ed S13,000 in scholarship
money that she has put toward earning her degree
in industrial operations engineering S-3.000 of
which she just receix ed for bein a Miss America
Pageant contestant. Stec is taking the year off to
serve as Miss Michigan, but plans to return for her
senior year next fall.
Miss America Pageant festivities began Aug.
28, when Stec met the rest of the contestants at
Disney World for pre-pageant events like photo
shoots and appearances at places such as the
H ard Rock Cafe.
"It was a nice, relaxing time to get to know each
other before the competition gets started:" Stec
said.
Since their arriual in Atlantic Cit.. the contes-
tants have spent their time practicing group perfor-
mance numbers, as well as fine tuningii logistics to
ensure that the shov runs smoothly1 for Saturday's
televised performance.
Road to the Crown
Watch for the Daily's on-location coverage
of the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic
City. The Daily will cover Engineering
senior Kimberly Stec as she vies for the
national crown:
Thursday:
Reports from the scene in Atlantic City
and Stec s preparations for Saturday night.
Friday:
Preliminary round competition and the
emotions the day before the pageant.
Monday:
Results of Saturday night's crowning.
A Rochester native. Stec is a member of the jalz
company at Ann Arbor's Jazz Dance Theater and is
a member of the Uniersity's Society of Women
LInuineers. 1 ast year, she served as the rush chair of
the Delta Gamma sorority.
Despite her nervousness, Stec said she's \erv anx-
ious for the competition to begin.
"The minute, I got (to Atlantic City), I wanted the
See PAGEANT, Page 7
Engineering senior Kimberly Stec is
gearing up for the Miss America
pageant this weekend. This competition
follows her win in the Miss Michigan
pageant in June. Stec will compete
against representatives from each state
for the coveted title.
Keeping up a Corps Tradition
1' ranks
5th in
Corps
Tolunteers
By Beth Shyken
For the Daily
When Andrew Brush was in Sri
Lanka, he had to cross the street to a
Buddhist temple in order to make a
phone call. If there was no one in the
temple, Brush, a 1984 University
Graduate, would go down the street to
local post office.
Today, Brush works for a computer
firm that requires him to use the
Internet and communicate across con-
tinents. Vie is in contact with people all
over the world. But communications
were very different in 1991-93, when
he volunteered in the Peace Corps.
Commitment, adaptability, spirit of
adventure and willingness to serve oth-
s are just a few qualities required for a
ace Corps volunteer. The University
has a long past of producing students
who fit this description - in fact, the
University is the fifth-ranking institu-
tion for the number of Peace Corps
recruits it sends out each year. After 36
years, 1,281 University alumni have
participated in the service program.
As a Peace Corps Volunteer, Brush
Itaught English in the only English
training college in Sri Lanka, an island
Stion off the coast of India. lie expe-
nced a new culture, language, fami-
ly and attitude.
I rode on buses for two years, and
they were always crowded. Sometimes
I'd have a seat, sometimes I wouldn't,"
Brush said. 'If there were six inches of
space next to me, I would be asked to
move over for another person. When I
got back it was lonely driving in my
own car.
Perhaps the University's historical
involvement in the Peace Corps has
contributed to its high ranking.
John F. Kennedy announced the
concept of the Peace Corps from the
steps of the Michigan Union on Oct.
14, 1960, when he was running for
president. He expressed the need for
volunteers and within weeks, 1,000
University students signed a petition
calling for the establishment of the
Peace Corps program.
Court case
affects Texas
admissions
. State lawmakers say the law firm
that prosecuted the Hopwood case
may file a suit against the 'U'
By Jeffrey Kosseff
Daily Sai tReporter
When CherylI lopwood filed a lawsuit challenging the
admissions program at the University of Texas School of
Law. she was unaware that three yeats later her name would
symbolize the nation's anti-affirmative action movement.
"I would never have planned it," I opwood told the Michigan
Daily yesterday. "I really had no idea it would be so big.
I hopwood's successful lawsuit claimed she was not admit-
ted to Texas's law school because of affirmative action pro-
rams that faxvor minorities. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of
Appeals ruled the law school's preferential treatment of
minorities violated the 14th Amendment.
Since the ruling. the Texas attorney general has abolished
many state affirmative action programs that lie believes to be
against the Ilopwood ruling. His decisions have greatly
affected minority enrollment in the Texas law schools.
In 1996, 3I black and-42 Mexican=Americnn students
began studies in the law school, and this year. four black and
25 Mexican-American students started at the school, which
has a !raduating class of about 475 students.
"I am glad the case has brought the issue to light,"
Ilopwood said. "The changes they have made so far are
good.
Since May, the Center for Individual Rights, the law firm
that represented Hopwood. has interviewed about 70 people
who claim the University of Michigan's affirmative action
policies have unfairly denied them financial aid or admis-
sions. State Rep. David Jaye (R-Macomb), one of four
Michigan lawmakers spearheading the lawsuit, said lie
expects a class action lawsuit to be filed later this fall.
Hopwood said that during the suit, the law firm was devot-
ed to her case.
"They are very enthusiastic." Hopwood said. "They've all
been very supportive."
See HOPWOOD, Page 8
Blood shortage
plagues region
By Heather Wiggin
Daily Sti Reporter
Ihospitals nationxide are on the verge of a blood shortage
that one local official says could be "a catastrophe."
"Our situation now has been a sustained.shortage this
entire summer" said Jeff Weathers, director of hospital ser-
vices for Red Cross. "Nobody has died yet, but we're very
close to a catastrophe happening."
Donor blood is in huge demand on a national level. Since
B3OHDA DA MIN CAP D h
Joseph Dorsey, the Peace Corps campus coordinator, informs students about Peace Corps opportunities at Festifall Friday on the Diag. The
University sends the fifth largest number of volunteers to the Peace Corps of any university in the country.
This strong interest in the Peace
Corps has continued over the past 37
years. While the University of Michican
is fifth in recruiting. the University of
Califiornia at Berkeley is at the top otthe
list with 2.960 students having joined
the Peace Corps. Berkeley is fbllowed
by the University of Wisconsin with
2.237 volunteers and the University of
Washington. with 1.990. 1 ar'ard
University, one ofonly three private uni-
versities in the top 20. comes in at No. 4,
with 1,966 volunteers.
According to Joseph Dorsey, the
Peace Corps campus coordinator, the
birth of the Peace Corps came on the
steps of the Unioii.
"The nature of this campus breeds
volunteers." Dorsey said. Dorsey
explained that as a volunteer in the
Peace Corps, one must have a sense of
mission - not necessarily a mission to
humanity, but rather a mission of self-
improvement.
As a return Peace Corps volunteer
See PEACE CORPS, Page 8
CU,
alumnus remembers
days in Peace Corps
By Gary Marsh
Speeial to theI)ly
There it was, spelled right out on the radio:
The Peace Corps: a two-year
adventure to some remote.
exotic place in the world
compliments of Uncle Sam.
You don't ha'e to carry a tun.
(a very big deal in 1961) ...
and you are going to loxe it."
BIut there was no mention of
snakes. intestinal parasites.
skin fingus. malaria, mud
houses, civil revolts and 130
Marsh inches of raiii.
When the telegram arrived inviting me to train-
ing, few of my friends could pIronounce my desti-
nation and nobody knew for certain where it was.
But 12 weeks after dropping out of school, quit-
ting my job and selling my car, I arrived in Gabon
- 104.000 square miles of' tropical rain forest on
the west coast of Africa - ready to build a school
ill OCeryjungle clearing. Thirty-seven other guvs
from as many camnipuses across the cotntirv had
the same idea. Toether. we were Peace Corps
Project Gabon I. (Tanganyika 1. a group of' sur-
xevors. preceded us in east Africa by a I'w
months.) There was no limit to our enthusiasm
and idealism.
Il the (first month, fungus grew on the roofs of
our tents, and they leaked. By the second month.
our tents had thatched roofs. By the third month.
we abandoned the tents to life in mud wattle hoiUs-
See EXPERIENCE, Page 8
MSA opens doors for meeting
By Susan T. Port
Daly Staff Reporter
University students yesterday had their first look
at what Michigan Student Assembly members say is
a new and more organized student government.
SA hosted an open house yesterday to intro-
tce new University students to the assembly,
which serves as their voice to the administration.
Following the meeting, MSA met for the first time
to discuss the agenda for the semester.
MSA Vice President Olga Savic said that not
only first-year students, but also many student
leaders came in to learn about MSA. The atten-
dees discussed campus issues had the opportunity
Benninghoff said that after listening to MSA
President Mike Nagrant speak at the New Student
Convocation he decided to find out more about
MSA. Benninghoff said lie decided to stay for the
meeting to get a stronger grasp on the role MSA
plays at the University.
"I am glad I.came today to the open house,"
Benninghoff said. "I think it would be more help-
ful for me to watch a meeting."
During the meeting, committee and commis-
sion chairs outlined their goals for the semester.
The meeting agenda also included discussion of
student tenant issues and MSA election dates.
. As the meeting began, an MSA member pro-
the beginning of'luly. the blood
supply has been extremely lowy
in southeast Michigan. Type 0
is the blood type iii highest
demand. Carried by 40 percent
of the population, Type O can
be safely infused to nearly all
patients in jeopardy.
Weathers said when he
counted blood levels Monday
morning, there were only four
units of Type O: he usually
sends out 260 units each day to
57 hospitals around the region.
Each unit of donated blood is
separated into red blood cells,
Giving Blood
*To donate blood, you
must beat least 17
years old, weigh more
than 110 pounds and
be in good health.
The closest
American Red Cross
blood drawing site is
2725 Packard Rd. To
make an appointment
to give blood, call
800-GIVE-LI FE.
plasma and platelets. Patients usually need only one of the
three blood components.
"Your blood can save three lixes" Weathers said. "You
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