LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 19, 1997-3
DPS iden ifies
mn, arrests 11
The Department of Public Safety
identified a man whose identity was
i1nown since Sept. 8, and arrested
hhi yesterday based on a Florida war-
rant.
John Federspill, 52, wandered into
the University Medical Center on Sept.
8, claiming he did not know who he
was. DPS discovered that Federspill
- had an outstanding felony warrant in
Hernando County, Fla.
Federspill was charged for exploita-
tion of the elderly by Florida police
oicials. He was detained in the
' htenaw County jail yesterday, and
is waiting for extradition proceedings.
Soft-serve treat
floods cafeteria
An unknown person tampered with
the soft-serve ice cream machine at
Mosher-Jordan residence hall Tuesday
e soft-serve machine remained on
throughout the duration of the night.
By morning, the melted ice cream on
the cafeteria floor flooded the kitchen,
DPS reports state.
Man complains
==e was spit on
A caller was allegedly spat on by a
female Tuesday, DPS reports state.
fhe incident occurred when a male
victim said a female acquaintance spit
on him on the Diag.
The victim said he knew her, and
told DPS officers that she was 18 years
old, DPS reports state.
The female left the scene by the time
a DPS officer arrived to investigate the
incident.
Car destroys Diag
,erhead lights
A traffic incident occurred on the
Thag on Tuesday, DPS officials state.
An unknown person was driving on
the Diag and "ran over" new overhead
lights that stand in the Diag, DPS
reports state.
The overhead lights were to be
installed near the Chemistry Building's
flagpole. DPS officials are searching
finformation on this crime.
Man's computer
account violated
A man's ITD account was violated
Tuesday, according to DPS reports.
DPS officials were able to locate
where the transaction occurred and
find out who signed on to that cmput-
co pu-r account, DPS reports state .
stQuad fire
extinguisher gone
A fire extinguisher is missing from
the Anderson House of East Quad resi-
dence hall, after its contents were dis-
charged in one of the hall's stairwells,
pPS reports state.
A caller reported "possible smoke"
in the south stairwell of the building.
* missing extinguisher has not been
located.
DPS is investigating the incident as a
ssible larceny.
tudent has
Jwdart trouble
A female School of Education stu-
dent was having heart trouble and chest
rs Tuesday.
caller reported the incident to DPS
and was unable to determine if the stu-
dent had heart problems in the past,
DPS reports state.
,An ambulance was called to the
building's East University entrance.
The victim was taken to University
Hospitals.
Building's doors
'a3ndalized
The School of Dentistry Building's
'west doors were smashed in with some
type of blunt object Tuesday, DPS
reports state.
The window facing University Health
Services was broken with a blunt object,
striking the center of the door window,
causing it to spider web out.
DPS has no suspects at this time.
Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
Stephanie Hepburn.
Kaplan files suit against Princeton Review
By Jennifer Yachnin
Daily Staff Reporter
Kaplan Educational Centers
announced Wednesday that they are fil-
ing a lawsuit against The Princeton
Review, alleging false advertising.
The Kaplan lawsuit follows one filed
by the Graduate Management
Admission Council against the
Princeton Review over copyright
infringement.
"They're selling some 60,000 prod-
ucts that are not what they report to be"
said Andy Rosen, Kaplan Education
Centers' chief operating officer.
The GMAC lawsuit pending against
Princeton Review states that the phrase
"GMAT CAT" can only be used by
GMAC, said GMAC President Dave
Wilson.
"We own GMAT tests and test
items," Wilson said. "They alleged they
had two authentic GMAT tests. We are
protecting our trademark. We're not
looking for publicity."
The Kaplan lawsuit alleges that
Princeton Review used false promo-
tional claims to sell books and software
for exams.
Princeton Review spokesperson Paul
Cohen said the company accidentally
advertised falsely, but considers the
promotion as a "honest mistake".
Cohen said one Princeton Review
book stated it included four Computer
Aptitude Test exams, a mistake Princeton
Review noticed a few weeks ago.
"We had four linear pencil and paper
tests that create one CAT test, but we
only had one CAT," Cohen said. "For
anyone who calls (with complaints) we
will give them a CD-ROM with the
three tests or a full refund."
LSA senior Steve Ellis said the law-
suit will make him think twice about
which books he will purchase.
'When (a Princeton Review book)
says it has so many tests, I expect that
many tests, not parts," said Ellis, who
was looking through the reference
books at Border's Books and Music on
East Liberty Street,
Kaplan officials are upset that the
false advertising may slant the market
against them.
"From a competition standpoint,
someone making a choice based on the
promotion on the book will pick the
Princeton book because of what it says
it has," Rosen said. "(Princeton
Review) has come under a flood of
attacks because of advertisements that
are basically misleading."
Rosen said Kaplan will seek a restrain-
ing order against Princeton Review that
requires the company to label the mis-
takes on cited products, a request Kaplan
made before filing the lawsuit.
Cohen said Princeton Review had
turned down Kaplan's request because
most of the products, which have been
in stores for six weeks, are nearly sold
out. The new, corrected products will
arrive in stores in October.
"We considered (stickering) but we
didn't deem it necessary," Cohen said.
"It had already sold so well, and it was-
n't based on the false information."
According to a Princeton Review
press release, only one customer com-
plained about the mistake, and received
a full refund.
"The company views Kaplan as
doing this as a marketing tool for them.
We did not intend to mislead anyone,"
said Amy Conway, state director of
Princeton Review graduate programs.
Conway, who is based in the
Princeton Review center located on
South University Avenue, added that
students with complaints or questions
about the books are directed to the cown
pany's toll-free number.
Several local bookstores said they
had received no complaints about the
products mentioned in the lawsuit.
"If there is a lawsuit, they haven't
said anything to us or had a recall on
anything," said Marvin Davis, sales
manager for Ulrich's Electronics. "We
haven't had anyone return software with
complaints related to that."
Assistant manager at Borders Books
Jim Kirk said he had not heard of the
lawsuit.
Students face
credit challenges
By Asheley Riley
For the Daily
When students first step onto cam-
pus, they are attacked by a barrage of
credit card companies, banks and tele-
phone services all promising gifts and
bonuses for new customers.
Many first-year students are excited
to learn that just by signing a piece of
paper they get a piece of plastic, which
guarantees $500 -$5,000 worth of cred-
it.
But students may not want to rush to
the mall yet.
"Students who spend money on
things they don't really need shouldn't
have a credit card," said Katie, a First
of America MCard representative.
"Credit is good only if you are very
responsible with it. Once you're in debt
it can be a never-ending battle," she
said.
Small bills and unexpected purchas-
es can add up quickly for students new
to college life.
"Well, I spend a lot of money on
food, that bothers me a lot," said Talli
Saltzman, a SNRE first-year student.
Dana Fair, a publications coordina-
tor for the University Housing
Information Office, suggested that stu-
dents keep a careful track of their
financing.
"Make a weekly budget, how much
you are going to spend on going out,
books, clothes, etc.," Fair said. "Get in
touch with your financial aid depart-
ment if you are having real trouble
managing your money."
Some first-year students seem rather
optimistic about their brand new cred-
it histories.
"I haven't bounced any checks yet,
because of my check protection pro-
gram, so I am planning to apply for
more credit," said LSA first-year stu-
dent Theresa Vidalon, who's a patron
of The Michigan Credit Union.
Vidalon said she prefers The
Michigan Credit Union over First of
America's plan because it offers cheap-
er per-check rates.
Fair said the MCard may be a good
alternative to credit cards for students
because they will not be tempted to
spend cash, and they can only use the
card at certain stores and restaurants.
Credit cards are more than just
delayed payment for purchases. Most
companies have added fees and inter-
est rates if patrons don't pay their bills
completely or on time.
"If you want to spend $5 on a snack
at the gas station, it can end up really
costing you $10 if you don't pay it on
time;" LSA junior Chris Traugott said.
1
KELLY MCKINNELL/Ouily
Using her credit card, a University student buys a few items at Ulrich's Bookstore and Electronics on East University
Street. Credit problems plague many students.
"I also bounced a lot of checks my first
year."
Trouble can arise just by using a
checking account. Students still have
to keep track of various bills and a
checking account balance.
"If you aren't keeping track of all
your purchases, especially if the
money's your parents', you can easily
spend $200 on snacks alone' LSA
sophomore Martin Bruce said.
Some tips for credit management:
* Assess how much credit would be good for you. Make a budget.
Apply for credit with low Annual Percentage Rates.
Pay off all credit bills on time and, if possible, pay more than the mini-
mum balance due.
Call your creditor immediately if you think you may have trouble paying
on time.
Check out options other than credit, for example Entree Plus points,
CashChip, etc.
Source: Unicor Funding Inc.
Officials warn of parking
pennit scams at 'U' lots
More than 70 parking
permits were stolen from
cars parked on campus
By Alice Robinson
Daily Staff Reporter
The square, metal sign in front of a
parking space in the lower level of the
Thompson Street parking structure
reads in bold, white letters, "Reserved
for permit"
Students and staff members alike
Antieau pointed out that students
who make copies of parking permits on
sophisticated copy machines cause
another hazard for DPS. "A lot of stu-
dents are making passes on their own,"
she said.
Another parking permit scam
involves strangers who steal permits
from cars, and then try to sell them to
students or staff members.
The stranger will often approach an
unsuspecting student and try to sell the
permit, Antieau said.
said he understands what can provoke
students to create counterfeit permits
on copy machines. "It would certainly
solve the problem, if you don't have
one;" Scott said.
Engineering first-year student Mike
Nye said that he hasn't heard that park-
ing permit theft is such a serious prob-
lem.
"I haven't noticed it myself" Nye
said. "Although I suppose if it were my
permit, them I would be somewhat per-
turbed:'
Hall said that most of the permits
stolen last year belonged to University
staff.
If DPS officers find a car with a
stolen student permit inside, they
will usually wait a short period for
the owner of the car to show up, and
then have the car towed, Antieau
said.
I. S
know that
Department
of Public
Safety offi-
cers are seri-
ous about
this warning
- and that
permits are
hot com-
modities.
"A lot of students are
making passes on
their own.3"
- Mary Lou Antieau
Assistant to the VP for Student Affairs
"They'll get
into a conversa-
tion with them
... and when
they find out
that the student
has a car, but
doesn't drive
(they will)
offer a parking
p e r m i t ,"
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Airbrushing availaft
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Mon-Wed Full Set $25/Fill-Ins $13
Students $20/s$2
Thurs-Sat Full Set $25/Fill-Ins $15
Students $22/$i13
Manicure &iedicure $3u
TEL: (313)434-8953
Hours: Mon-Sat 9:30-7:30/Sun. Closed
Fountain Square Shopping Center (Next to Builders Square)
2878 Washtenw Avie.
Ypsilanti, MI 481R7
Last year, more than 70 hanging
parking permits were reported stolen
from vehicles while parked on campus.
This year, University officials are
warning against purchasing permits
from anywhere other than parking ser-
vices.
Mary Lou Antieau, assistant to the
vice president for student affairs, said
parking passes are used inappropriately
in several ways.
"I'm interested in students who steal,
and students who place a pass in their
car and say, 'Hey, it's mine,' when it's
not," Antieau said.
Using a stolen permit is a misde-
meanor, since the student is in posses-
sion of stolen property.
Antieau said.
Students say they are upset that
parking permits are being stolen.
"When there's a legitimate way to
go about getting a permit and things
are so limited ... it's kind of a prob-
lem," said Rackham student
Michelle Meredith, who was
retrieving her car from the com-
muter lot near Crisler Arena on
Wednesday afternoon.
DPS spokesperson Elizabeth Hall
said she hopes the parking permit prob-
lem will decrease with more student
awareness. "Our main message is, don't
buy a hangtag from anybody other than
parking services," she said.
LSA first-year student Brandon Scott
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