LOCALISTATE
The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 16, 1997 --3A
25Fr5-AaJ
obesity may be a
genetic defect,
expert says
The Mental Health Research
*stitute is hosting a special lecture
tomorrow on the innate tendency
toward obesity.
The lecturer is leading researcher
Sarah Leibowitz of Rockefeller
University, who studies the way the
body communicates hunger to the
brain. Her recent work suggests that
some people may lack the functional
biochemistry that allows accurate sig-
naling between the brain and satiation
wesors.
The lecture, titled "Brain and
Obesity: What is the conversation and
how does it get out of control?" is
scheduled for 3:45 p.m. in the
Waggoner Conference Room of the
MHRI building.
Researcher talks
about adaption in
4 toxic world
George Williams of SUNY Stony
Brook is the next guest of an Institute
of Social Research special lecture
series.
Williams studies the effectsof
environmental toxification on the
quality of human life and its possi-
ble implications on human evolu-
'tion.
The lecture series features scientists
'ho are active in research areas rele-
vant to micro- and macro-evolutionary
concepts.
The talk begins at 4 p.m. on Tuesday,
Oct. 21, in room 6050 of the ISR build-
ing.
Atom scientists
plan international
qiuclear forum
The College of Engineering is spon-
soring a forum for nuclear engineers
and radiologists tomorrow, which will
feature internationally renowned spe-
cialists.
Undergraduates aspiring to these
fields are especially encouraged to
attend.
The events are scheduled to begin at
J330 p.m. in White Auditorium in the
*ooley building.
Local observatory
helps public
reach for stars
The Peach Mountain Observatory is
holding an open house on Oct. 25, at
a unset, for amateur and professional
stronomers.
The observatory is owned by the
University, and is periodically opened
so the public can use its 24-inch optical
telescope.
Expert help will be provided by
'members of the University Lowbrow
Astronomers. For sample images taken
by the Lowbrows, visit the Website at
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~low-
brows/.
For directions to the telescope and
other information, call (313) 480-4514.
The mechanical
get medieval with
'Sumo robots
Where can students pit their Sumo
Robot against another's for prizes and
; lory?
Imaginative, mechanically minded
engineers are encouraged to submit
their applications now to the 12th
Annual Student Robotics Automation
Contest.
2 Approved entrants are required to
build a program-driven robot for at
least one of 10 events, including the
sumo bout.
The contest will take place March
at Saginaw Valley State
University. For information and
application materials, contact the
-Society of Manufacturing Engineers
at (800) 733 4763.
- Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
David Bricker
Ann Arbor City Council
candidates hold forum
By Kristin Wright
Daily Staff Reporter
Stronger ties with the University, less
taxes and more community involve-
ment were some of the key issues raised
last night at a candidates' forum for Ann
Arbor City Council hopefuls.
Nine prospective councilmembers
met to discuss and answer questions at
the Edison Center in downtown Ann
Arbor.
Among the candidates was
Engineering senior Boyd Stitt, who is
running for a seat with the Libertarian
Party in Ann Arbor's 3rd Ward. Stitt
said running for City Council as a stu-
dent is challenging, but added that he
is ready for the responsibility of the
job.
"I like challenges. I like to work
hard,".Stitt said. "One of the reasons.
why I'm here is because I love the chal-
lenge. I'd like to win this election and I
need your vote."
Stitt said running as a University stu-
dent is not intimidating.
Attendees expressed concern
about how the candidates felt about
taxing non-educational facilities at
the University in order to make up
for the city's budget deficit. The
University is not required to pay
taxes to the city.
Christopher Kolb (D-5th Ward), a
two-term City Council incumbent,
expressed his thoughts on the impor-
tance of a good relationship between
the University and the Ann Arbor com-
munity.
"The University is truly an asset to
the community and we should utilize
it," Kolb said. "I think that if we tried
to, we would definitely destroy work
relations that we have with the
University."
Each individual candidate expressed
concern over issues of personal interest.
David Kwan (R-2nd Ward) said he
supports improving relationships
between the community and the Ann
Arbor Police Department.
"I think that it's important that people
in neighborhoods are comfortable with
the officers who patrol their neighbor-
hoods," Kwan said.
Stitt said the only problem with the
current police force is that too much of
its time is spent being concerned with
"nonviolent" criminal acts, such as
marijuana use. Libertarians tradition-
ally support the legalization of mari-
juana.
Candidates also were asked by the
community to express what issues are
of the most importance in their cam-
paigning.
Pat Vereen-Dixon (D-1st Ward) said
"customer satisfaction" is key to a
cohesive and successful community.
LOUIS BROWN/Daily
Rachel Tiedke and Judith Miton facilitate a discussion between candidates running
for Ann Arbor City Council.
"What I'd like to see happen is more
public dialogue and more public
process," Dixon said.
Patrick Putnam (R-4th Ward) also
commented on the most important issue
in his campaign.
"The biggest problem for Ann Arbor
is apathy" Putnam said, referring to low
voter turnout in City Council elections.
"How do we know what you want ifyou
don't tell us?"
But Kolb said it is up to individual
councilmembers to vote their con-
science when considering issues of
importance.
"A sign of true leadership is when
you vote what you believe is the best
vote for the city Kolb said.
I
Bill aims to give students
incentive to take HSPT
S'
PAUL TALANIAN/Daily
Many students are now heading to the bottled water section, instead of the
soft drink section, to quench their thirst.
Demand for bottled
water hIts ne w high
Proposal adds HSPT
scores as criteria for
state scholarships
By Jeffrey Kosseff
Daily Staff Reporter
Six state legislators attempted to
increase the validity of a comprehen-
sive high school assessment test this
month by proposing a bill to revamp the
state's scholarship decision policies.
The bill would add the High School
Proficiency Test, which Michigan
schools began offering last January, as a
criteria for applicants to the Michigan
Competitive Scholarship Program. The
tests are not currently required for high
school graduation.
"We want the test to mean some-
thing," said state Rep. Kwame
Kilpatrick (D-Detroit), a co-sponsor of
the bill. "It should mean more than just
a mark on a student's transcript."
LSA first-year student Nikki Falzon
said that when she was a junior in high
school, most of her classmates took the
test, but they did not have much incen-
tive.
"We were told it wasn't a big deal at
the time," Falzon said. "But maybe it
would be a big deal in the future."
State Rep. Jessie Dalman, the bill's pri-
mary sponsor, said there are a few incen-
tives to take the test included in her bill.
"In order to qualify for any state com-
petitive scholarship, you would have to
have taken the HSPT," Dalman said.
Now, with the scholarships, more
students might be apt to take the test,
she said.
Previously, the strongest factor in
determining scholarship recipients has
been the American College Test results.
"The ACT will still be the determin-
ing factor,: Dalman said. "Wejust think
there should be some type of awards for
outstanding performance on the HSPT."
Another co-sponsor of the bill,
state Rep. Ron Jelinek (R-Three
Oaks), said the he hopes to propose
bills in the future that give non-col-
lege-bound students incentive to take
the HSPT.
"Students who go straight to work
after high school say, 'Why should we
take this test? Nobody looks at it,"
Jelinek said. "The HSPT is for every-
one."
Jelinek said he hopes to propose a
bill to encourage employers to pay a rel-
atively high wage to graduates who per-
form well on the HSPT. Dalman said
Jelinek's proposal might raise objection
from many employers.
"With that bill, we run into federal
labor and wage laws," Dalman said.
"I'm not sure if we can do that."
Kilpatrick said the only possible flaw
in the bill is a shortage of funding.
"We don't know if there will be
enough money in the Michigan
Competitive Scholarship Fund to
reward the additional people,"
Kilpatrick said.
Wanda Fedewa, a clerk in the
Department of Education's assessment
office, said that since Michigan schools
began to offer the HSPT in 1996, the
"vast majority" of Michigan students
"It just didn't :.
seem to be a t
test of acadernid,
ability."4
-- Nikki Pi
LSA first-year studat
took the test in an attempt to imrss
college admissions offices.
"If they pass the sections of thq) st,
they become endorsed in the subct
areas" Fedewa said. "But if the sudo~ts
don't take it, they still graduate .
Falzon said the HSPT concen'rafd
on specific material that was notta O
in her classes. *
"A lot of the science on the HSPT
was not covered in our courses'" she
said. "How were we to be tested pn
it?"
Falzon's classmates' scores on 'he
HSPT greatly differed from thir
scores on other achievement exai s,
she said.
"Some people who did not pass pis
of the HSPTs got a 33 on the ACE,"
Falzon said. "It just didn't seem to b a
true test of academic ability." A
Dalman, however, contends that le
HSPT is an effective measure of many
abilities. -
"It's a high performance. 1 &t4"
Dalman said. "It's not just a basi tints
test. It's very challenging, and iCpasds
the bar."
By Margene Erikson
Daily Staff Reporter
At stores across the country, bot-
tled watter is threatening to take
over the soft drink isle. Many stu-
dents are on top of the trend, shun-
ning sugary drinks for a more natur-
al thirst-quencher.
"I think what we're seeing in this
country now is what has been in
European countries for years," said
Jennifer Levine, director of commu-
nications for the International
Bottled Water Association. "In
Europe, bottled water is a part of life
- it's on the tables at lunch.
America is beginning to become a
bottled water country also."
Students addicted to bottled water
can get a fix at several campus
stores, including the Diag Party
Shoppe and White Market.
"I get tired of pop and caffeine
and want an alternative, so I usually
drink about two bottles a week,"said
LSA sophomore John Fencyk. "I
don't spend too much money on it
because I buy it in bulk."
The Diag Party Shoppe, which is
located on S. State Street, offers 14
different brands of water, including
mineral, spring and purified. They
range in price from $.99 for a small
bottle to $3 for large ones.
The Diag Party Shoppe sells 120
bottles of water a day, and on aver-
age, 95 percent of the buyers are stu-
dents. White Market, which is locat-
ed on E. William Street, sells 100
bottles every two days and about 80
percent of the customers are students.
Just like the coffee trend before it,
bottled water also can become an
expensive habit.
"I don't buy a bunch of little bot-
tles. I find it's more reasonable to
buy the gallon. I spend from about
$.60 to $.90 for these," said LSA
junior Naima Carver. Carver also
added that she doesn't buy into the
advertising - she just thinks bot-
tled water tastes better than Ann
Arbor tap water.
Even thought it's still a small
industry, bottled water companies
are on the rise to meet growing con-
sumer demand.
"I've been with Cap 10 for seven
years and it's been continuous
growth over those years" said Glen
Davis, quality assurance manager
for the Cap 10 Water Company in
Plymouth.
Much of the increase in sales
may be due to increased advertis-
ing, which in some cases aim
directly at younger people. Many
companies have their own
Websites, including Water
Concepts, which sells Water Joe.
The Website even has a place for
visitors to offer their suggestions
on different uses for Water Joe,
which is caffeinated. Some
responses range from "making ice
cubes with it" to "putting it in the
fishbowl."
Davis said the Food and Drug
Administration categorizes water
brands according to their contents
and how the water is collected.
Mineral water often includes min-
erals like calcium, but also contains
some undesirable elements. Spring
water must be gathered from a san-
itary underground source, whereas
purified water ,only has to be fil-
tered, Davis said.
Questions about water content
and bottled water labels can be
addressed to the International
Bottled Water Association at 1-800-
WATER-11 or on the Web at
http://www.bottled waterorg.
'GROUP MEETINGS
Q Circle K, 764-7808, Michigan Union,
Pond Room, 7 p.m.
C3 intervarsity Christian Fellowship,
Modern Languages Building,
Room B116, 7-8 p.m.
League, Michigan Room, 12-1 p.m.
O "Ring of Fire: The Taste of Southeast
Asian Cuisine," Mini Course spon-
SERVICES
U Campus Information Centers, 763-
INFO, info@umich.edu, and
www.umich.edu/-info on the
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wva.