LOCALISTATE The Michigan Daily - Thursday, November 20, 1997 -3A Report shows abused children display disorder More than half of emotionally and hysically abused children suffer from ost-Traumatic Stress Disorder, University psychologist Sandra Graham-Bermann said in a soon-to-be published report. In a paper to be published in the January 1998 issue of Emotional abuse, Graham-Bermann presents her finding that a majority of abused chil- dren either experience regular flash- backs to their trauma or suffer from leep disorders. The emotional damage caused by the abuse manifests itself at an early age, rather than being hidden until some rev- elation at adulthood, the paper states. Walking helps after menopause A study done at the Division of Ikinesiology found that post- menopausal women who walk for exer- cise may reach different health goals depending on their walking speeds. Conducted over an eight-month peri- od, the study found that post- -menopausal women who walk at a slow, 18-20 minute-a-mile pace gain increased sensitivity to insulin. Brisk walkers lost slightly more weight than slower walkers, but slower 'alkers lost slightly more body fat than brisk walkers. Kinesiology Prof. Katarina Borer, who was involved with the study, said the results need to be further examined before the full implications of their impact can be understood. Friends may alter Onoods of elderly Having a best friend doesn't help older Americans feel better, according to a recent study conducted by University psychologists Jennifer Lansford and Toni Antonucci. The survey of 328 older men and women also found that the elderly don't 'el like they could count on their best friend to help them if they became ill. The study also found that bad friend- hips have the power to depress older people, while good friendships can cheer the elderly substantially. Lansford and Antonucci presented their findings at the 50th annual meet- ing of the Gerontological Society of America in Cincinnati this week. Students afraid to ask for math Students struggling in math are the least likely to ask for help, according to a recent study conducted by Education Prof. Paul Pintrich. According to the study, students who do math to attain understanding are likely to view help as beneficial, while students focused on doing math to &emonstrate high ability or receive wards often feel threatened when ask- ing for assistance. Alarms prevent :=edicine misdose d Bottlecaps and wristwatches that beep are easy, effective ways to remind older Americans to take their medicine, according to a report by cognitive psy- chologist Denise Park. Park, who works at the Institute for Social Research, found that people :4ges 65-75 made the fewest mistakes in taking high blood pressure medication, vhile those ages 55-64 made the most mistakes. *-- Compiled from staff reports. Video conference links 'U' to higher education debate m By Peter Romer.Fuedman Daily Staff Reporter While campuses nationwide have been tuned into the lawsuit against University admissions, some scholars are using the flames from the discourse to heat up debate on race relations in higher education. A nationally broadcast debate between six scholars yesterday introduced a wide range of ideas on how to combat anti- affirmative action campaigns in higher education and improve campus relations. More than 75 University students and professors crowded into the Alumni Center to hear expert opinions on the past and future of affirmative action. While some speakers conceded that affirmative action may become extinct, they promoted pro-active attempts to create diversity and understanding through action on college campuses. "I tell my students that the era of affir- mative action in higher education is over," said Raymond Windbush, a pro- fessor of social justice at Fisk University. Windbush said California's Proposition 209 and legal precedents in cases like Hopwood v. University of Texas Law School will eliminate minorities from many universities. Panelists defended affirmative action programs as a way to compensate for the insufficient high school educations received by many minority students. "In the very selective schools, we know that there are very few high-scor- ing African Americans and Latinos," said Harvard Law Prof. Christopher Edley. "The schools are not preparing them to do well on standardized tests. We offset the discrimination of standardized tests by having affirmative action programs. "The public is misunderstanding that standardized tests measure merit, which they do not." Sumi Cho, a law professor at DePaul University, said she and the other panelists are concerned because the political right is opposing affirmative action programs in an attempt to "resegregate America." "We are not going to stand by while our institutions are being resegregated," Cho said. "We've got to begin to talk about long term strategy we can use to fight the conservative right." The speakers promoted direct action with substantive outcomes, saying that passive, noncontroversial discussion is not enough. "We should not talk about what we agree on," Edley said. "We must try to talk about the stuff we're fighting about. Then you can figure out strategy to fix it. Finally, we should find strate- gy to go beyond talk into actions." Even though the discussion focused on race in higher education, a number of the panelists transcended racial issues and introduced class as another factor. "We must frame it that (poor educa- tion) affects the average white students who have less access," to quality educa- tion, said Juan Lara, access and equity policy specialist. "We need to get it to the class issue." Increasing anti-affirmative sentiments may in fact be due to class rather than racial discrepancies, said Kata Azoulay, a professor at Grinnell College. "I have the suspicion that part of the backlash is a silent backlash of poor whites," Asoulay said. "We don't really hear about the janitors' and the bus dri- vers' children, or the poor rural children. They're not going to Yale or Columbia." Assistant Provost John Matlock said the University is at the center of the dia- logue on race relations. "This is a place of opportunity, where success is more than a test score," Matlock said. "It's about perseverance and life experience. All our high schools are not equal. We still have a long way to go in education in general" Matlock said the University has come a long way in its strides toward achieving diversity. "The University is different than it was in the 1970s. I can't imagine what it would be like to go back to that time with a resegregation across the nation. Students get cheated and the country gets cheated," Matlock said. RSG elections focus on students' needs 1 l 1 i i I 1 i LOUIS BROWN/Daiy John Sweetiand speaks with University President Lee Bollinger and LSA Dean Edie Goldenberg after they cut the opening; ribbon for the new Gayle Morris Sweetland Writing Center. Wriin cnter honor.s By Janet Adamy "It's unusual to have significant gifts of this nature deuot Daily Staff Reporter ed to these types of programs," Bollinger said. Members of the University community gathered yesterday Bollinger said it is important to focus on writing becaue to dedicate a new writing center to a woman who believed a it is something many students have trouble with during sentence should march. after college. "As a scholar, as a teacher, I think we all sha The Gayle Morris Sweetland Writing Center honors the the experience of writing as one of the most difficult thin; former editor and owner of "U, the National College we do," Bollinger said. "There are few things more satisfying Magazine," who used to describe herself as "one hell of a in life than having written something that you're proud of tough broad:' She is the late wife of University alumnus John Goldenberg said that when the idea ofthe writing center wa Sweetland. first mentioned more than a year ago, she never dreamed Housed in Angell Hall, the center will train graduate stu- would become a reality in such a short time. dents to teach writing and work to incorporate the teaching of "It was an instant fit of his ideas and our interests," writing into all disciplines across the University. Goldenberg said. "I am enormously pleased to recognize John, "(Writing) is becoming, in some as one of(LSA's) friends." places, an endangered species," Lauren Shubow, president of Sweetland said. "We are creating a "N't was an insrant fit the LSA Student Government; center that is saying its goal is to emphasized the need for improv- make writing an important part of of his ideas and our ing students' writing and said ond the curriculum." " of students' biggest complaints is' Sweetland donated the $5 million inn resis. the quality of teaching. needed to fund the center because - Edie Goldenberg "This center has the capacity to he felt it was an appropriate way to LSA dean assist in both of these regards," honor his late wife, who was a grad- Shubow said. uate of Pasadena College. English Prof. Ralph Williams "Writing was a part of her life and that's what she did so said he is excited about the new center. well," Sweetland said. "I thought this was the best place in "It's my conviction that we need more time given to writ= the country to do this. There aren't many schools like ing and this center will lead the way in showing ways woclh Michigan." responsibly do that," Williams said. Although LSA Dean Edie Goldenberg said the center will Sweetland said he made the donation because he feelsthat define itself over time, the group of graduate students and successful alumni have a responsibility to give back tot. faculty who are Sweetland Fellows are in charge of deciding University in order to keep it strong. - how the center will proceed. "It's earned the accolade 'the leaders and the best' University President Lee Bollinger said the new center Sweetland said. "My hope is that the Gayle Morr corresponds with the University's commitment to improving Sweetland Writing Center will be regarded as one oftbe, teaching and emphasizing the liberal arts. academy-changing additions:' By Reilly Brennan Daily Staff Reporter While the campus is abuzz over Michigan Student Assembly and LSA Student Government elections, another important University organization is holding its elections this week. The Rackham Student Government, the elected graduate student governing body representing the interests of more than 6,000 students, will be filling its open representative seats for the fall term throughout this week. RSG Co-president Anne Reeves, a fourth-year graduate student, said that although RSG is not well known on campus, it does play an important role as a mediator between graduate students and the administration. "We're the go-between. RSG is a ser- vice organization that specifically focuses on the needs of graduate students," Reeves said. "When a graduate student has a problem or concern, we are here to help" The government, which consists of 13 seats and two co-presidents, also appoints graduate students to various campus organizations, such as the Student Relations Committee. Another function of the government is to allocate funds to student organizations, most of which are graduate student groups, Reeves said. RSG representative Mitch Rohde said RSG's small size makes it a lesser- known, but often times more-effective assembly. "We don't do things that are ground- breaking in nature. We don't take stands on the Middle East or current political issues," Rohde said. "We're smaller and address the specific needs of graduate students. As a result, I think we're more effective:' Rohde added that compared to other bigger organizations, RSG has the abili- ty to focus on individual students. "I'd be a little apprehensive going to a long, arduous MSA meeting," Rohde said. "Students know they can feel free about approaching us" Rohde said one of the concerns recently brought to the attention of RSG members concerned parking in University lots late at night. Recently, graduate students have been denied access to University parking structures after normal business hours. Rohde said that since most research and lab work continues into the evening and sometimes early morning, this pre- sented a problem for a majority of Rackham students. "Now, students can apply for parking passes for after-hours use in the Thompson and Church street struc- tures," he said. "We're hoping graduate students will go to our homepage and vote or come directly to Rackham," Reeves said. The elections are held this week until tomorrow at 5 p.m. Student can access online voting at http://www.umich.edu/~rstugov/. ..U >::, Help yourself by helping others... 4- , 4. p-. S GROUP MEETINGS U "Black Undergraduate Law Association," 327-4032, Michigan Union, Kuenzel Room, 7 L "circle K," 763-1755, Michigan Union, Anderson Room, 7 p.m. U Dance Marathon Dancer Mass Meeting, 764-4861, Michigan Union, Anderson Room D, 9 p.m. Q intervarsity ChristianFellowship, 647-6857, Chemistry Building, Room 1200, 7 p.m. U Shulchan lvrit, 769-0500, Cava Java, Downstairs area, 5:30 p.m. U University Aikido, 668-0464, Intramural Sports Building, Wrestling Room, 5 p.m. Coalition on Accuracy and Advocacy about Abuse, Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N. Fourth Ave., 6-8 p.m. U "Labor Organizing Teach-in," Sponsored by College Democrats, Michigan Union, Sophia B. Jones Room, 7 pm. 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