LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 23, 1997 --3A
Experts educate
smokers about
lancer causes
Smokers now can be educated by the
state cigarette tax they are paying with
the purchase of each pack.
A computer program designed to
educate users about minimizing the
risks of developing cancer was devel-
oped using $1 million of the revenue
from the tax. The program provides
information about different cancers as
well as the ways in which those cancers
* usually treated.
Health experts from the University
Comprehensive Cancer Center teamed
up with programmers to create the
informational kiosks, which are being
installed in various public locations,
such as libraries and malls, throughout
the month.
Victor Strecher, the kiosk project
coordinator, said she was inspired to
undertake the educational project after
Sing to a woman who said she was
a raid to have a mammogram because
she was afraid of the radiation.
Researchers say
blacks' concerns
underplayed
A recent study by two Universitypro-
sors reveals that concerns by black
ple about pollution and other envi-
ronmental dangers may be misgauged.
Profs. Paul Mohai and Bunyan
Bryant surveyed about 800 families in
the greater Detroit area and found that
concern over environmental issues is
just as strong - or greater -- among
blacks as whites.
Since pollution problems tend to be
worst in poor, minority-dominated
ighborhoods, vocal sentiment in
position to sloppy waste disposal
practices is crucial, Mohai said.
"I don't know if this will have an
immediate impact on public policy, but
I hope so," Mohai said.
Biologist talks on
RNA structures
Ignacio Tinoco, a biologist at the
niversity of California at Berkeley,
I be discussing ribosomal nucleic
acid (RNA) motivic structure on cam-
pus tomorrow.
RNA, a relative of DNA, is a major
player in the metabolic pathways of liv-
ing cells. It assists in important
processes such as protein synthesis.
Despite the vast diversity of RNA
molecules, they tend to have similar
three-dimensional shapes. This occurs
4eause polymeric molecules are all
de of the same four monomeric
units, just in different arrangements.
Another reason for the similarities is
that many RNA molecules share a
common evolutionary past.
Tinoco's lecture is scheduled to
begin at 4 p.m. in Room 1300 of the
Chemistry Building.
Psychologist to
4jscuss evolution
of consciousness
The Institute of Social Research spe-
cial lecture series on human adaptation
continues tomorrow with
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Prof. Steve Pinker's lecture titled "How
the .Mind Works."
The lecture is intended to appeal to a
general audience and is scheduled to
in at 7:30 p.m. on the second floor
o Border's Books and Music on
Liberty Street.
MIT prof. to talk
on Info. Paradox
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology Prof. Samir Mathur will be
visiting the Physics department tomor-
row to discuss the Information
radox, a sticky philosophical off-
wring of the theory of relativity.
This installment of the High Energy
Particle Theory Seminar series will
begin at 2:30 p.m. in room 335 in West
Hall.
- Compiled by Daily Sta/fJReporier
David Bricker
Business school ranked No. 2 in nation
£
By Peter RomerFriedman
Daily Staff Reporter
The University's School of Business Administration lost a
first-place ranking this week for its executive education pro-
gram. Business Week magazine placed Harvard University in
the spot the University had held since 1991.
Business Week started the practice of ranking top BBA and
MBA programs every two years since 1991. Last year, the mag-
azine labeled the University's BBA program the nation's best.
This year's report focused on specific programs at business
schools.
The magazine reported Monday that the University is No. I in
human resources and No. 3 in general management. The only
setback to the University's rankings, however, is the drop in rank-
ing of the executive education program from first to second
place. All other programs have remained constant since 1991.
"We've been No. I since 1991, so we have two reactions,"
said Ron Bendersky, director of executive education. "We're
proud to be No. 2 in the world in executive education but we
would like to be No. 1."
Since 1935, the executive education program has held pro-
grams ranging from 1-4 weeks for young business executives.
Corporations from around the world send their employees to
the $21,000 program for extensive training.
Although one specific program fell in ranking, Business stu-
dents praised the school for its overall rankings and for the
quality of the education it provides.
"These rankings are huge," said MBA student Steve Kahn.
"I'm a full-time MBA. The rankings are extremely competitive
and impact how much money we'll make when we get out of
here."
MBA student David Elliot said the University's Business
school does not conform to the same criteria the magLine uses.
"if you look at the criteria rankings use, U of M doesn't use
the same criteria" he said. "The school uses GMAI scos. but
they won't exclude a strong student. They're not as ocused on
the rankings as others are, but it's impressive how well they do."
Bendersky said there are few differences between larvard's
first- place program and the University's program.
"We're slightly behind Harvard" Bendersky said. "The dif-
ference in this analysis is so close that it basically comes down
to Harvard and Michigan."
Charles Ferguson, director of marketing for the executive edu-
cation program, said he thought Business Week changed the
University's ranking to stir things up. "They have to keep it inter-
esting to change things to alter the dimensions," he said.
Bendersky said a ranking can affect the applicant pool for
business schools. "A No. I ranking has an impact," Bendersky
said. "They'll look to go to the top school. If you're going to
spend a lot of money and time, you might as well go where you
get the most market value."
But Bendersky said this global ranking is not the most
important thing and that long-term relationships with compa-
nies are crucial to job prospects for Business graduates.
"We won't let ranking direct us" he said. "We'll strive for
quality education. Most of the companies that send students to
us have long-time relationships with Michigan. We develop
strong relationships with our customer base.
"They know the quality of our program over time. If we
dropped out of the top 10, then there would be concern."
Bendersky said the executive education program is improv-
ing significantly. "We're growing, and that is ultimately the test
of a good product," Bendersky said. "We deliver high impact,
usable ideas that will have great effect for companies."
LOUIS BROWN/DaiJy
Scott Wilton, a Business graduate student, walks out of the Kresge Business
Administration library yesterday.
County hears requests for
children's pro am funding
By Peter Meyers
Daily Staff Reporter
Children's programs in Washtenaw
County have professed a financial need
three times greater than the funds coun-
ty commissioners can give.
The Washtenaw County Board of
Commissioners met last night to begin
the budget hearings it holds every two
years. The 1998-99 budget includes an
unprecedented $475,000 for Children's
Wellness Grants. These grants, which
still do not cover all the funding
requests, support children's programs
throughout the county.
Representatives from various pro-
grams came forward to supplement
their formal grant proposals with in-
person testimony of their program's
need and value to the community.
The 28 programs that applied to the
board included programs for homeless
children, sex education, drug prevention,
crime prevention and food distribution.
Many were non-profit organizations,
such as Parents Together, an organiza-
tion focusing on drug prevention and
teen-age pregnancy that works out of
southern Ypsilanti. Parents Fogether
representative Ledon Yuille commented
on the poor quality of the Parents
'ogether grant proposal in his address.
Yuille said the proposal had been
written on a damaged typewriter
because the orsganization cannot afford
better equipment. "We would like to be
looked at for the quality of the work we
do rather than dotting every I and cross-
ing every T" Yuille said.
Robert Bachman, a teacher at
Whitmore Lake, noted that the demon-
strated need in Washtenaw County far
exceeded the resources. Bachman pointed
out that 28 programs had asked for S 1.7
million in grants, even though less than
half a million funding dollars existed.
Jennie McAlpine of Childcare
Network came before the commission-
ers to plead for expansion of the
Children's Wellness Grants program.
"Where there's a will, there's a way,
and I don't see why we can't work to
expand the program to a million next
year and 1.5 million after that,"
McAlpine said.
Washtenaw County Commissioner
Vivienne Armentrout (D-9th District)
apologized for not being able to fund al
of the programs.
"We all sit up here rather stiffly but
we are moved by what you say"
Armentrout said. "Not being fundedis
not a judgment on your program."
Whitmore Lake High School also
applied for a grant from the county.'
"I got hold of the grant from (assbi-
ates in) the juvenile court system
because they were concerned with the
number of students from our area in
their system," said Luanne Easlic, a
social worker and parent professional.
Easlick asked for money to help keep
at-risk students occupied at the school.
"Fifteen percent of the students. (at
Whitmore Lake High School) have p=
court cases. We have to find sonie
for these kids to do," she said.
Most programs were not from Ann
Arbor, but from the more economically
depressed areas in the county such as
Whitmore Lake and Ypsilanti.
The Children's Wellness Grants pro-
gram is modeled after the City of Ahn
Arbor's children's wellness program.
EMILY NATHAN/Daily
Winona l.aDuke, a Native American environmental activist, speaks at Rackham
Auditorium about nuclear waste legislation and "environmental justice."
Minorities hurt
-m-orebypollution,
speaker argues
By Gerard Cohen-Vrignaud
Daily Staff Reporter
Winona LaDuke, respected Native
American and environmental activist
and author, spoke before a packed
house yesterday at Rackham
Assembly Hall.
LaDuke addressed what she termed
"environmental justice!'"saying.Native
Americans and other minorities are
hurt more severely by environmental
problems than white Americans.
In 1988, LaDuke received the
Reebok Human Rights Award. In
1994, she was named by Time
Magazine as one of America's 50
most promising leaders under 40
years old.
LaDuke works as campaign direc-
tor for the White Earth Land
Recovery Project. White Earth hopes
to reclaim the land taken from Native
Americans. To date, White Earth has
bought 1,300 acres of land, after pre-
vious efforts to regain the land
through the legal system ended when
the Supreme Court ruled that the
statute of limitations had expired.
"The American government and
American corporations have made
refugees of native peoples," LaDuke
said.
LaDuke condemned the logging
industry for the clearcutting of trees
and devastation of Native American
land. "We're a forest culture and it is
hard to be a forest culture if you don't
have trees," LaDuke said. "A forest is
worth more standing than cut."
LaDuke also told the story of the
Mohawks, who saw their land pollut-
ed by General Motors and other
industries surrounding their reserva-
tion. LaDuke emphasized that the
government was no longer enforcing
the rights of individuals, and instead
defending corporations.
In addition, LaDuke addressed the
proposed Nuclear Waste Policy Act of
1997, which would gather much of
the nuclear waste in the United States
and dump it near Yucca mountain, in
the middle of Native American terri-
tory. She called the act "shameful"
and "racist" adding that such a thing
would never happen in a suburban
community.
LaDuke implored her audience to
play an active role in rejecting this bill,
which has passed the Senate and is cur-
rently under consideration in the House.
The future of America depends on
grass roots movements, LaDuke
stressed. "The only way change is
made in this country is through indi-
viduals, individuals standing up and
having a voice," she said.
The event began and ended with
the singing and drumbeating of the
Treetown Singers, a local Native
American musical group.
LaDuke was introduced by LSA
senior and Native American Student
Association co-chair Jodi Cook.
"Winona LaDuke is a powerful native
woman in the community," Cook
said. "She lays out the reality and
really gets you motivated."
_ _
lULL
QLLWD 1k
What's happening in Ann Arbor today
GROUP MEETINGS
U CircleK, 764-7808, Michigan Union,
Pond Room, 7 p.m.
J intervarsity Christian Fellowship,
R47-68;7. Chemistrv Ruilding.
patients, The Cancer Center,
Room 426 on level B-1, 7-8:30
p.m.
J "Meltdown! Higher Education Faces a
New Millennium," Lecture,
Sponsored by Rackham Graduate
www.umich.edu/-info on the
World Wide Web
U Northwalk, 763-WALK, Bursley
Lobby, 8 p.m.- 1:30 a.m.
[ Psychology Peer Advising, 647-
3711 East Hall, Room 1346, 11
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