8B - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday,_September 3, 1997 COMMENTARY U' campus groups engage in wide range of activities In terfraternity Council Mass meeting: Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Michigan Union Ballroom The University's Interfraternity Council is the umbrella organization for the 31 fraternities on campus. With 2,500 men in 31 fraternities, the University's IFC is one of the largest in the nation. The IFC is as diverse as the University itself; there is a fraterni- ty for every student. The fraternity system at the University is full of tradition and histo- ry. Fraternity rush, or the official recruiting period for fraternities, is designed so that prospective members (rushees) become familiar with the sys- tem. More importantly, rush is designed so that the rushees become familiar with the active members, or brothers, of each individual fraternity. Men's fall rush begins Sept. 21. During rush, any student interested in joining a fraternity is invited to visit each chapter during the week of rush. Some chapters may even hold recruitment activities before rush begins. In actuality, the rush process is nothing more than the formation of new friendships. Information about each fraternity and rush is available on the World Wide Web at htpa:f//w. umich.edu/~if/, or by call- ing the Office of Greek Life at 936- 3686. By Mike Ingher, Intefr-aternity Council vice presidentfor recruitment. Inter-Cooperative Council TIe Student Co-ops, also known as the nter-Cooperative Council, were founded in 1932 by students trying to find a way to afford college during the Great Depression. Over the years, stu- dents have continued to work together to provide themselves with affordable, con- venient housing that's also lots of fun. Today we have 18 group houses and 1 apartment house scattered throughout North and Central campuses. Because students created the co-ops to meet their own needs (not those of some landlord) the ICC offers eight- month fall-winter and two- or four- month spring-summer contracts.Our houses range in size from about 75 to 12 members. ihe average house holds about 30 people. North Campus attracts a large grad- uate-student population and a sizable international student population - about 50 percent. Central Campus is a large, diverse group, mostly comprised of undergraduate students. Because co- ops are open to all students, each house is made of members coming from a variety of backgrounds. What brings us together is our dedication to creating the best living atmosphere possible. The cost of living in co-ops is gener- ally at least $200 less than the residence halls. Each member contributes about 4 hours of work per week to the house to further keep costs down. Members have the choice of a wide range of jobs, from cooking and cleaning to planning par- ties, serving on the Board of Directors or writing promotional material. Shared work and decision making create close house relationships -it's what turns our houses into homes. During your first year at school, stop by any of our houses or our central office at 337 E. William St. to find out more about us. You can also call us at 662-4414 or check out our Web page at wvww.ice.umiinich.org. -- By A'mv Clark, director of member services. Mortar Board The Mortar Board is defined as the "foundation upon which the rest of your life is built upon." The alpha chapter of Mortar Board national senior honor society at the University of Michigan was founded in 1918, and since then has sought to serve the University of Michigan based upon our ideals of service, scholarship and leadership. We are a group of senior student leaders who share the common vision of a better campus, and work throughout our last year here to mak- ing that a reality. This year we are planning to connect students through a campus summit, help change the senior-year experience and serve as mentors, sharing what we have learned along the way. - By Probir Mehta, Mortar Board president. Breaking the news, making the deadi nes Dail staff workS to inform 'U community By Josh White Daily Editor in Chief For some, The Michigan Daily means a quick diversion from lecture or a daily crossword. For others, it is the most complete resource on campus for University news, sports and com- mentary about events that shape the University community on a daily basis. But for more than 175 students, the Daily is a chance to learn about the exciting business of journalism while working every academic day to produce a meaningful and informative publica- tion, something that takes a wide array of talents and a diverse staff. Daily staffers work as reporters and editors for the arts, editorial, news and sports sections; they take photographs and produce graphics; they create the Daily's online edition and make sure our copy is clean; and they physically produce the newspaper on our advanced desktop publishing system, from the computer to the printing press. And that is only half of it. In addition to the Daily's editorial side of the paper, there is the business side, which manages the almost $1.3 million annual operating budget. Selling advertising, planning special sections, managing credit and finance and designing ads for our numerous clients are just a few of the roles business staff members fulfill on a daily basis. In a fast-paced, fun environment, these staffers learn what it is like to operate a substantial business on their own. And, contrary to what many believe, the Daily receives no University fund- ing. In order to ensure editorial inde- pendence, the Daily is supported entirely through the advertising it sells, MARGUARET MYERS/Daily LSA senior Erin Marsh, the editorial page editor and summer editor in chief, pastes pages before they go to print later In the night. The Daily is entirely student run and receives no funding from the University. which means the paper relies on stu- dents to produce, maintain and support its every effort. The Daily's student editors have final say on content and provide the paper with guidelines and policies to guide it in future years. As far as college newspapers go, The Michigan Daily has both a unique arrangement and a top-tier reputation - both of which work to make it one of the best collegiate newspapers in the country. Staff members last year took 19 Gold Circle Awards to the Columbia Scholastic Press Association's annual contest - close to twice the number of awards present- ed to any other publication. In addition to having the No. I photo- graph in the nation last year and the No. 2 news story, staff members took more than half the sports writing awards and the paper was named the third-best designed paper in the country. We con- stantly strive to pass our experiences on to each and every student who walks through our doors at 420 Maynard St. And joining the staff is as easy as that - students just have to come to the office and show an interest in working. In order to work for the Daily, students must meet each section's minimum requirements, which usually means writ- ing a story about once a week and work- ing short production shifts. And every student can start immediately. Daily staff members and editors are students in the College of Engineering and the Business School, in addition to LSA. Students do not have to.be English majors or plan a career in journalism in order to work at the Daily; some of our most successful staff members in recent history include pre-med stu- dents, Business School students and students who planned to go to law school. And without a journalism pro- gram at the University, the Daily is an excellent way to learn about the basics while producing an informative and interesting publication. The Daily is a newspaper for the stug dents, and in that light the daily offers commentary on the most prominent issues in the community, on topics rang- ing from national and international events to campus government and Ann Arbor. The Daily also has a daily lettes section, which allows individuals in tIV University community to tell campus what they think. Via e-mail, at dailjJet- ters@eumich.edu, or by stopping by with a letter, each student can commetfi about the campus or about us. To join an interesting group of stu- dents in their pursuit to inform the cam- pus and learn from each other, and to be part of a 106-year tradition, all you have to do is walk through our front door. There is a place for you. KEEP UP TO DATE ON ALL THE LATEST IN NATIONAL AND LOCAL NEWS, SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT. READ THE DAILY. DAILY. m U U