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One hundred seven years of edztoralfreedom
Wednesday
November 12, 1997
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Med Schi
By Janet Adamy on the num
and Jeffrey Kosseff enrolled in th
Daily Staff Reporters minority stu
Following a national trend, the number of School in 19
minorities who applied to the University's Parts of th
ical School for this academic year Hopwood v.
d ped 17 percent. School and P
The decrease corresponds to a 4.8 percent minority app
drop in the overall number of applicants to the California, T(
Medical School, and an 8.4 percent fall in appli- saw a 17-per
catiops to medical schools across the nation. tions across t
"Clearly, it will be harder and harder for us "The most
to have a diverse student body if we have drop in applic
few r minority students applying to med who research
schol, but this is part of a larger decrease dent at Kapla
around the country," said Lorris Betz, interim tion service.
d of the Medical School. minorities are
qt the decrease had virtually no impact Some exp
ROTC units
celebrate
Veterans Day
By Stephanie Hepburn.
Daily Staff Reporter
. Bagpipes filled the air of Rackham Auditorium yesterday
as Reserve Officer Training Corps members stood tall in uni-
form and commemorated Veterans Day in a remembrance
ceremony.
The University's Navy, Army and Air Force ROTC units first
j d forces to conduct the colors ceremony at North Hall,
then proceeded to Rackham to hear honored veterans speak.
Erin Nalepa, LSA junior and a member of Naval ROTC,
said that hearing honored veterans speak was moving and
motivational.
"It.puts things in perspective and it makes you appreciate
the past," Nalepa said. "It makes you proud of being a part of
a long tradition. All these great people that have gone before
motivate us as we go on to become officers.
"We too can be a part of that tradition. One day we will be
that passionate and will be in the same group as these veter-
Mome veterans lingered in the back of the auditorium lis-
tening to the words of the speakers, their eyes watering as fel-
low veterans were recalled and honored.
The colors ceremony annually retires an old American flag
with a new one. The service also raised flags signifying pris-
oners of war and soldiers missing in action.
Joe Rodriguez, a keynote speaker who was an infantryman
in the Marine Corps during World War 11, said his fallen
comrades were the men who brought us freedom.
"America can never pay you enough for what you have
for us," Rodriguez said. "People think of the
Costitution when they think of freedom. Just go to any mil-
itary graveyard and see the thousands and thousands of white
crosses. That is what America paid for its freedom."
Nalepa said hard work and the pride of veterans has
increased her opportunities as a Naval ROTC cadet.
"We can achieve today because of what the veterans have
achieved in the past," Nalepa said.
See ROTC, Page 2
Ann Arbor to g
new area code
By Gerard Cohen-Vrignaud new area codes ha'
Daily Staff Reporter across the nation.
Friends and relatives have less than a "There is agrow
year before they'll have to stop dialing telecommunicatio
j 313 area code when trying to reach lines, more phones
and touch their University loved ones. Ameritech Public
Ameritech will change the 313 area Mary Roehr. "We
code to 734 in Washtenaw, Monroe and keep in touch no m
western Wayne counties. Greater On Dec. 13, the
Detroit will retain the 313 area code. od will begin. Call
Demand for phone lines has been 313 or 734 area c
growing exponentially for the past sev- egl until July 25,
eral years. Since 1995, more than 95 code will be requin
col minority applications fall
ber of minority students who
is fall's incoming class, with 24
dents enrolling in the Medical
97, as opposed to 25 in 1996.
e country affected by the case
The University of Texas Law
roposition 209 faced a drop in
plications to medical schools:
exas, Louisiana and Mississippi
cent decline. Minority applica-
he country fell 11.1 percent.
disturbing data is a tremendous
ations,"said Rochelle Rothstein,
es the issue. She is a vice presi-
n, a standardized-testing prepara-
"It's interpreted as a message that
not wanted at the school."
erts say minority enrollment
could drop further if the lawsuit filed against
the University challenging its affirmative
action policies is successful.
"If you really ratchet down the system, the
numbers could significantly drop," said Dr.
Herbert Nickens, vice president for commu-
nity and minority affairs of the American
Association of Medical Colleges.
Betz said it is impossible to predict what
effect the lawsuit will have on the number of
minorities who will apply to the Medical
School in the near future, but he said the law-
suit doesn't make it any easier to attract
minorities to the University.
"In the situation we currently find ourselves
in at the University, I think it's something to be
concerned about," Betz said. "I think it's very
important for the medical profession to have a
diverse student body. We are serving the needs
of a very diverse society, and I think we do that
best when we're diverse ourselves"
In 1996, the Medical School underwent a
cultural diversity assessment that found that
minority students and faculty did not feel
welcome at the school.
The study revealed that 95 percent of black
students said they wouldn't stay at the Medical
School if they were offered a position. Eighty-
five percent of black faculty agreed with the
statement that "the environment is cold and
unwelcoming." Similar figures existed for
Hispanics and American Indians.
After the study, the Medical School estab-
lished a Diversity and Career Development
Committee and started a mentorship program.
See APPLICANTS, Page 2
Minority Applicants
to 'U' Medical School
The number of minority applicants for this
year's entering Medical School class dropped
more than 17 percent from 1996.
8495
692
571
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Protesting atrocities
Admissions
director defends
affirmative action
By Reilly Brennan
Daily Staff Reporter
At a meeting of the LSA Student
Government last night, Director of
Undergraduate Admissions Ted Spencer
defended the University's application
process and admissions criteria.
Spencer said the admissions process
does not treat mem-
bers of different
races by special
standards.
"There's no stan-
dard that applies to
any different race,"
Spencer said.y
LSA Student,
Government
President LaurenS
Shubow said Spencer
Spencer's speech opened the lines of
communication between administration
and students.
"There are a lot of misconceptions
going around campus right now about
affirmative action and admissions;"
Shubow said. "I think it's important that
Spencer and other members of the
administration keep the students
informed."
In the wake of the recent lawsuit
against the University, Spencer
declined questions about the ranking of
admission criteria requirements, but he
did reiterate that "race is used as a fac-
tor in admissions."
"One of the values that this University
holds important is its diversity," Spencer
said. "We spend lots of dollars to make
sure we have the image that students who
might come here want to see."
Assistant Director of Admissions Jim
Vanhecke said that most people only
focus on the racial aspect of admis-
sions.
"There are so many items we look at
when going over an application,"
Vanhecke said. "People don't ask about
legacies anymore. We don't know why
race is the only issue that people get
worked up about."
Pointing to the nationwide decline in
the number of graduating high school
seniors, Spencer trumpeted the
University's overall rise in the amount
of students applying to the University.
"We're in a demographic trough."
Spencer repeated throughout the
evening. "We have better and more peo-
ple applying every year. Why?
Recruiting has played a big part."
Despite Spencer's remarks, LSA stu-
dent government members raised ques-
tions about the use of standardized tests
in admissions, which some say are
biased in their assessment of racial and
cultural backgrounds.
Spencer said the University looks for
the best-qualified students who excel in
areas other than test scores.
"I don't know if the tests are biased,"
JOHN KRAFT/Daily
University students gathered on the Diag yesterday to rally in support of a movement to close the
U.S. Military's School of the Americas. For complete coverage, see Page 7.
get
ve been implemented
wing demand for new
ns services, more
more modems'" said
Relations Director
enjoy the ability to
natter where we are."
optional dialing peri-
ers who dial in either
odes will be connect-
when the new area
red.
Area code changes
What: Area code will change from
313 to 734.
Who will be affected: All residences
and businesses in western Wayne,
Washtenaw and Monroe counties.
When: The new area code will take
effect Dec. 13. Optional dialing will
end July 25, 1998, making the 734
area code necessary when placing a
call.
The Information Technology
Division has been working on raising
University awareness of the impending
area code change.
See AREA CODE, Page 7
Muslim
women
address.
myths
By Katie Plona
Daily Staff Reporter
The lush, green interior of the
Rackham Amphitheater filled with
more than 50 people last night as two
women spoke about misconceptions
commonly associated with Muslim
women.
The event, titled "Unveiling the Myth
about Muslim Women," was organized
by the Muslim Students Association for
national Islam Awareness Week. Also
included in this week's events are a
movie presentation tonight and Islamic
jeopardy, which runs through Friday.
Both Muslim and non-Muslim peo-
ple attended last night's speech and
asked the speakers a wide variety of
questions, expanding the knowledge
about women in Islam, as well as the
religion itself.
LSA senior Razan Asbahi, who mod-
erated the discussion, said it served to
promote understanding and dispel
stereotypes about women in Islam.
"That's why the speech is going to-
sort of set the record straight," Asbahi
said.
Contrary to what many people may
believe, Islam teaches fairness regard-
Remembering heroes
LSA senior Veronica Arriola plays Islamic Jeopardy with the assistance of LSA
senior Mohammad Katranji in the Michigan Union yesterday.
Narbaez, who addressed the inquisitive
audience last night. Narbaez is a diyah,
or activist, who travels the country pre-
senting lectures.
Najah Bazzy, a transcultural nurse
consultant at Oakwood Hospital &
Medical Center in Dearborn, spoke
about how many people don't under-
stand the issue of modesty in Islam. For
example, a common stereotype holds
that women who wear scarves are
oppressed, though the scarf connotes
modesty.
"I ask you not to feel sorry for
Muslim women with hijab, but honor
them," Bazzy said, urging people to
challenge morality issues in the United
behavior as well as dress.
LSA sophomore Saima Khan said
she was pleased with the event's
turnout, although she hoped for higher
attendance.
"There's just so many misconcep-
tions about women in Islam in this
country that need to be addressed, and
especially on the U of M campus,
where so many Muslim women are cov-
ered," Khan said.
Education senior Suzan Asbahi said
one of the important points to raise
when speaking about misconceptions of
women in Islam is the concept of
choice.
"I think that when people talk to
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