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 I I I wva.