IC0 4 ar News: 76-DAILY Advertising: 764-0554 One hundred seven years ofeditorndfr edom Wednesday October 22, 1997 V i W CY _ r 1 01111111111111111 ----I Mulroney highlights cooperation Neal Lepsetz Daily Staff Reporter Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney dis- cussed the United States' role in the international commu- nity and emphasized the importance of continued American involvement both politically and economically at a speech on campus yesterday. "Trade enriches and empowers great nations, allowing the United States to provide leadership and stability," Mulroney told a near-capacity crowd at the Business hool's Hale Auditorium. The program was the second of the J. Ira Harris Distinguished Lecture Series at the University, which began two years ago with a speech delivered by 1996 vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp. Mulroney spoke of the benefits of participating in free trade agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, but warned of a current trend hindering the development of U.S. free-trade relationships with other nations. "There's a big and heavy cloud on the horizon," 1ulroney said. "The momentum under American leader- ip is about to be lost." Leaders of Western Hemisphere nations agreed in 1994 to work on developing a free trade agreement between the Americas by 2005. But due to the lack of congressional support in the United States, many nations, such as Chile, have inked agreements with other nations in the region. Chile, one of the richest South American nations, signed a free trade agreement with Canada, Mexico, and the Mercosur countries of South America. As a result, Mulroney said, the United States is losing jhut on markets that would further enrich the American onomy. "Trade creates jobs," Mulroney said. For college grad- uates especially, he said he feels it will make a difference in the availability of future opportunities. "America's grad- uates desperately need what comes from international trade," Mulroney said. Mulroney discussed how the importance of not practic- ing economic isolationism is growing as China's global status becomes more economically oriented. With its cur- rent rate of population growth, China will need a much neater production capacity to sustain itself. Mulroney See MULRONEY, Page 7 Book blasts Michigan Mandate By Jeffrey Kosseff [Daily Staff Reporter While the University's affirmative action policies are being challenged in federal court through a suit filed last week, a University alum is challenging their effectiveness in a recently released book. Frederick Lynch, a professor of gov- ernment at Claremont McKenna College, devoted a whole chapter in his book, "The Diversity Machine," to flaws in the Michigan Mandate, an affirmative action program that was instituted by former University President James Duderstadt in 1988. "The underlying mission of the Michigan Mandate is that we change the culture of the campus by changing the color of the student body," Lynch said. "The Mandate has not really changed much on the campus" Through efforts in the areas of finan- cial aid, academic programs and admis- sions policies, the Mandate aimed to increase diversity in the faculty and stu- dent body. The proportion of minority students at the University increased from 13.5 percent in 1987 to 25.4 per- cent in 1996. "My own belief is that the Michigan Mandate has clearly made the campus more diverse, the numbers indicate this," Duderstadt said. "It has signifi- cantly reduced racial tension, as any comparison of racial incidents and activism before, say in 1986, as after- wards would indicate, and improved the quality of the student body and the institution, again, based on actual data" Lynch, however, said the Mandate increased tension on campus. "By emphasizing race and gender, you increase tension," Lynch said. "I found there was an underlying resent- ment because of financial aid prefer- ences." For his research, Lynch interviewed more than 80 University administrators, faculty and students in addition to look- ing at minority statistics. Lynch said it is difficult to view the University from a macroscopic level. "One of the problems with doing research at U of M is that it is so big," Lynch said. "The only generalization you can make about the U of M is that you can't generalize." Susan Rasmussen, the University's associate director of affirmative action, said the Mandate is not the first affir- See MANDATE, Page 7 JOHN KRAFT1D Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney offers gratitude for a trophy in honor of his keynote address yesterday at the J. Ira Harris Lectureship Series. Dean B. Joseph White presented the award. Car thefts on rie n county MSA gives $70K for service programs By Susan T. Port Daily Staff Reporter University student tuition dollars and a new com- n@ity service board will combine to provide $70,000 for service projects. As a result of a ballot question passed by students last spring, each student pays an additional $1 fee to fund community service. The Michigan Student Assembly voted this semes- ter to create a board of seven members, chaired by one MSA executive and one person not affiliated with MSA, to direct the funding allocations. MSA President Mike Nagrant said the importance of having one MSA representative and one non-MSA ber on the board is to have a dual perspective on k issues. The MSA representative should hold the assembly accountable, while the other student should be someone who has knowledge and background in community service, Nagrant said. "This is a brand new project," said LSA sophomore Heidi Lubin, who co-chairs the board. "We just got this massive effort to make sure people are aware that it's there." Nagrant said he hopes the funding commitment by MSA will spark more interest in working on commu- service projects. think you can never have too much of a good thing," Nagrant said. "(The funding) will hopefully encourage as much initiative in that area as possible" Lubin said the board's purpose is to support com- munity service activities. "We are hoping to encourage collaborative groups on campus that will have services that benefit both the community as well as the University," Lubin said. "We are not funding the student group but the specific pro- ject." Nagrant said the grants will allow groups to spend more time on projects instead of on fundraising. "They will be able to concentrate on doing more service work and less time on fundraising, he said. LSA junior Eric Allenspach said the student group in which he participates has applied for $20,000 in community service funding. "We are applying for starting a coalition Habitat for Humanity spin-off," Allenspach said. He said the group is a coalition of student groups like Project Serve, Panhel, the Interfraternity Council and other organizations. Allenspach said Habitat for Humanity turns away vol- unteers because oftheir abundance. Ifthe spin-offgroup received funding, University students would receive pri- ority to work on the projects, he said. Allenspach said with MSA's contribution, this com- munity service project's goal is approachable. He said "They will be able to concentrate on doing more service work and less time on ferndrising. " - Mike Nagrant MSA President the competition between service groups is fierce because there is a large demand for funding. Allenspach said the committee makes the process eas- ier. Allenspach said that "last year the possibility of get- ting a fraction of the money for a house was a long- term goal." The board is currently accepting applications from community service groups on campus. The deadline for applications is Friday. There is a workshop tomorrow from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Michigan Union to give applicants a chance to voice their concerns and questions by filling out an application. Inside: MSA passes resolution to support North Campus nursing services. Page 3. Report says car theft in Washtenaw County at a five-year high By Alice Robinson Daily Staff Reporter The Michigan Association of Insurance Agents released a report this week stating that auto theft in Washtenaw County increased by 4.3 percent last year. The report also stated that auto theft for the entire state was at its highest in five years, largely due to an increase in stolen cars in Detroit. Ann Arbor Police Sgt. Larry Jerue said auto theft can result from a variety of motives. "It's difficult to say what the motive sometimes may be," Jerue said. He pointed out that joy riding and obtaining auto parts are two likely motives for stealing cars. "Any unauthorized driving away of the automobile belonging to (another) is considered auto theft," Jerue said. "There's certainly differ- ent styles of auto theft." Jerue said a student borrowing a friend's car and not returning it falls under the definition of auto theft. AAPD Lt. David Lovell said police officers always keep their eyes open for stolen vehicles when cruising around Ann Arbor. "We arrest the driver if he's dri- ving a stolen car," he said. The Michigan Association of Insurance Agents, which issued the report, is a trade group that works out of Lansing. Despite the overall increase in Washtenaw County in 1996, the Department of Public Safety docu- mented only 29 University car thefts last year, representing a sharp dropoff from 1995, when 47 car thefts were reported. Despite the trade group's find- ings, students who drive on and around campus say they do not take many precautions to avoid auto theft. "I just lock my doors, that's about it," said Kinesiology sophomore Chad Henman, who said he drives from home to class every day. "I don't think it's common (because) I don't hear much about it," he said See CARS, Page 7 'U' researcher links magazine images to eating disorders Gerard Cohen.rignaud Staff Reporter From Melrose Place to Mademoiselle magazine, media images of glamorous- ly thin women permeate popular cul- ture. According to recently published research by communications studies assistant Prof. Kristen Harrison, the media may share part of the blame for eating disorders and other unhealthy obsessions in women. "The obsession with being thin is a ural trend that the media are capital- izing on," Harrison said. "Young kids watch a lot of TV and they are influ- enced by what they see. I think media images play a big role in the way women think they should be." Harrison surveyed 232 female under- graduate students at the University of The findings, which were recently published in the Journal of Communication and the Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, also show that women who frequently read fashion magazines are more likely than occasional readers to possess "a drive for thinness" and dissatisfaction with their bodies. Harrison's research indicates that media exposure accounts for about 5-10 percent of eating disorder problems. "The mass media is one of many problematic causes," Harrison said. "When you're dealing with an epidem- ic type of problem, something that is responsible for 5 to 10 (percent) is a significant factor." The findings also indicate that about 15 percent of surveyed women meet the female students agree with the findings, saying the media's role is critical in women's perception of their own bodies. "I think that popular culture has a very negative impact on women's body image because they set unrealistic and unattainable standards for women," said LSA senior Monisha Shetty. "A lot of these images are put forth as ideals. They can undermine self-esteem and make young women feel inadequate." Other students said the impact of the media depends on an individual's reaction. "I think it depends on what kind of person you are," said LSA junior Sara Parent. "Some people are very confi- dent and will not be affected at all. Others look at the images and think they're not meeting the perfect stan- dards the world sets." ,..