LOCALI TA TE

The Michigan Daily - Thursday, January 29, 1998 - 3A

Child poverty at
25-year high, 'U''
prof finds
Child poverty has reached new
heights in the United States, accord-
ing to a study by Social Work and
Public Policy Prof. Sheldon
Danziger.
Danziger's study shows that child
poverty is at its highest level in 25
years and is more widespread than in
many other industrial nations. Infant
mortality rates in the United States
are also relatively high, the study
found.
The study indicates that the slow
growth in living standards, the high
number of unstable marriages and
the increased number of children
born out of wedlock in the United
States contribute to this problem.
The United States' large military
budget during the Cold War may
also have decreased spending on
social programs that would have
1 elped children in the 1970s and
980s, the study reported.
The results of the study will be
used in a study sponsored by
UNICEF called "Child Poverty and
Deprivation in the Industrialized
Countries, 1945-1995."
'U' Hospitals
researchers find
link to glaucoma
A research team led by Dr. Paul
Lichter at University H ospitals
found a direct correlation between
glaucoma and the genetic disorder
nail-patella syndrome.
The study was recently published
in the American Journal of
Opthamology.
Twenty-four subjects afflicted
with nail-patella syndrome were
examined in the study.
Lichter, director of the W.K. Kellogg
Eye Center, and his team found that
more than half of the subjects had glau-
coma.
The study was not able to prove
that glaucoma is caused by the gene
that causes nail-patella syndrome.
About one in 50,000 people suffer
from nail-patella syndrome. It caus-
es mutations to joints, kidneys.,
*tones and fingernails.
ITD to work on
millenium glitch
in 'U' computers
The University's Information
Technology Division is hard at work on a
cure for the millenium bug - a glitch
hat will affect computers worldwide at
Widnight on Jan. 1, 2000.
The millenium bug - also known
as Y2K - will affect older comput-
er systems that do not include centu-
ry numbers in dates.
In these systems, the year 1998 is
written as "98" to save disk storage
space. When the year 2000 hits,
these computers may incorrectly
interpret the year as 1900.
The Y2K bug will render some
*ardware, such as the Intel 80286
processor, completely useless.
In addition, any databases that
include dates of birth or business trans-

actions will need to be upgraded.
ITD has been working on a solution
for the year 2000 problem since the early
1990s.
To ensure campuswide compliance,
ITD will contact vendors for any needed
replacement products and software
*pgrades for University hardware and
software systems,
Problems with software and data-
bases written by University faculty
and students are much more diffi-
cult to fix.
ITD officials said these personal pro-
grams will need to be tested for compat-
ibility or thrown out by the individual
users.
ITD's general strategy is to make
as few changes as possible while
till ensuring complete University
year 2000 compliance.
-Compiled by Daily StaffReporter
Sdm Stavis.

iberal arts in demand, study says

By Rachel Groman
For the Daily
Students graduating with liberal arts
degrees can expect more job opportuni-
ties and a significant hike in salaries,
according to a report released this
month by the National Association of
Colleges and Employers.
About 330 colleges and universities
across the United States, including the
University, participated in the group's
study.
"We are in the midst of a booming
economy with a very tight labor market,"
said Camille Luckenbaugh, NACE's
director of employment information.
Recent college graduates are in espe-

cially high demand because there are
not enough experienced workcrs avail-
able in the market, the report said.
Luckenbaugh said the su1cces of LIb-
eral arts graduates can be attributed to
the fact that they have "'traditionally
been on the lower end of the pay scale,
which gives them a lot of room for
improvement."
Starting salary oflers for liberal arts
graduates are expected to be 6.5 percent
higher than last year's offers and almot
percent higher than this years average
increase for all starting saaries Libera
arts graduates can expect an average
starting salary of S28,875, according to
Job Outlook '98. the annual report by

!ithin a minimized job market,
liberal at V eraduates seem to be the
most qlalified because of their
broad rang c of knowledge,
ILuckenbaugh said. Many jobs now
reqiu ire exteilsive training, regard-
lcss of whether the employee is
experietced or new in the field. As
a result, employers' biggest concern
is that the applicant is well educated.
"One of the things employers are
alw ays looking for in a candidate is
good comminiication skills - a skill
which makes liberal arts grads very
desirable," Luckenbaugh said.
Luckenbaugh said she "can't stress

enough the importance of being com-
puter literate," and has found that
employers are "willing to train people
that don't have the traditional 'comput-
er science' degree" because ofits neces-
sity in today's technological world.
Offering in-house training opens up
positions to liberal arts graduates "that
weren't open 15 years ago."
Some University students said that
broad studies in liberal arts are good
preparations for the job market.
"Applications are increasingly asking
for analytical skills,'said Rackham stu-
dent Irfan Nooruddin.
Many students do not worry about
the broad nature of a liberal arts degree.

"It does concern me, but I don't regret
(aiming for a liberal arts degree) because
there isn't any other course of study or
school that interests me enough to focus
on," said LSA junior Jide Mbanefo.
Mbanefo said he wants to eventually
go to graduate school and is not bothered
by the tact that studying psychology as an
undergraduate may not lead to related
career.
But LSA sophomore Anna Lee said
she is "afraid there's going to be a ceil-
ing" if she has only an undergraduate
liberal arts degree when applying tor
jobs.
The report found that only 5.2 per-
cent of liberal arts graduates choose


Students, fac 1
to discuss IT,
fluture role at'

By William Nash
Daily Staff Reporter
In an effort to gauge the University
community's technology needs, the
University's Information and
Technology Division is meeting with
groups of faculty, students and adminis-
trators.
The groups, which are still in the
early stages of formation, will discuss
the future of LTD's role on campus.
"So far (the groups) have reacted
more to current issues," said ITD
Executive Director Jose-Marie
Griffiths. "What we need is to push to
think of what direction computing is
headed."
The participants in each group rep-
resent the different types of computer
users.
"I think it's important to get input
from the different sectors and to try to
clearly define the role of ITD," said
Barbara MacAdam, who heads LTD's
educational and information systems.
The groups will meet with ITD rep-
resentatives to discuss computing needs

at the University. Il) will then use the
results of these discussions to determine
how to distribute its resource.
The discussions with students re
sparked by an increasing demand far
lTD resources.
"There has been an increase in stu-
dent expectations" Grifiths said.
Griffiths said students' pre-college
experience with network services has
jumped from 17 percent in the I19%-97
school year to 80 percent this year.
The higher demand is visible
around the campus, said biology Prof:
Lewis Kleinsmith.
"During finals if yout walk to one of
the computing sites, lines can t ery
long," Kleinsmith said.
Kleinsmith said he ws a imioniat-
ing force" behind the I nix e rsit
decision to upgrade to the \\ ndows
NT network system.
Faculty menibers' concerns include
the maintainence of programs ater
upgrades occur and being able to on-
municate efficiently w ith both stu-
dents and other faculty.

EMILY NATHAN/O a l
SA first-year student Betsy Stahn waits in line for an express e-mail station in the Angell Hall computing site yesterday.
Students, faculty, and administrators will meet to discuss changes in ITD.

When the University began purchas-
ing more computers that use Windows
\ I users had problems operating the
news softx-are. IlTD had to upgrade many
oI ts own computers and departmental
computers to resolve the problem.
"In the future, I think lTD should
consult people in the U niversity before
making big changes in the local sys-
em' said astronomy Prof. Gordon
,lacAlpine.

Faculty also are concerned about
being able to send documents and e-
mail between departments without
translation hassles. Problems occur
when documents created on different
formats are exchanged.
"It's amazing how difficult it is to
transfer a document over campus, even
for people with computer experience;"
Kleinsmith said.
A solution to the department's

transferring difficulties would be to
centralize the different units. By'
creating one central system for ITD,
Computer Aided Engineering
Network, Medical Center
Information Technology, and the
other smaller servers, there would
be no transfer problems.
"A federated approach would allow
the departments to work together and
could increase efficiency," Griffiths said.


UAAO holds vaned
views on diversit

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http-lwww.pu.umich.edu/dly


By Susan T. Port
Daily Staff Reporter
Learning does not only occur in the
lecture halls of Angell Hall, but also out-
side the classroom where students from
different racial backgrounds are given
the opportunity to debate issues, eat
lunch together and learn from each other.
The recent lawsuits challenging the
use of race as a factor in the University's
admissions processes and students' own
beliefs on affirmative action have caused
one campus minority group much dis-
tress. Some Asian Americans said they
have been used as a wedge group in this
debate.
Marie Ting, program coordinator
in the Office of Academic
Multicultural Initiatives, said many
people try to convince Asian
Americans not to support affirmative
action because they do not directly
benefit from it. Ting said she dis-
agrees, saying Asian Americans ben-
efit from affirmative action because
of the diversity on campus.
Asian Pacific Americans "are in
the position to set an example and
rise above self-interest and when
they do, it will be a demonstration
that affirmative action is a public
good and that self-interest have not
part in this moral issue," Ting said.
Ting said Asian Americans on campus
support affirmative action. The United
Asian American Organizations, the
umbrella group for 15 percent of Asian
American groups, publicly support affir-
mative action.
"Asian Americans are people of color
and still suffer from discrimination, yet
those groups who are the source of dis-

crimination try to cons ince Asian
Americans that they should be against
affirmative action, Ting said.
Rudir Patel. a member of f \AAO said
Asian Americans are supportiv e of atl-
mative action at the University. Patel sai
he chose to attend the L nix ersity because
of its diverse student body.
In many debates, Asian Americans are
said to not gain anything from ainirma-
tive action, said Tait Sye, Asian Pacific
American coordinator for the
University's Multi-ethnic Student A.fins
office.
"I think there are a lot of miscon-
ceptions about affirmative action,"
Sye said. "Many do not have the big
picture. Asian Americans are always
targeted as being excluded from
affirmative action. They read that
and believe it."
Sye said many Asian American stu-
dents recognize there are a lot of'inequal-
ities and affirmative action is the only
solution for improving today's racial cli-
mate.
LSA sophomore Minh ran said lie
feels pressure to support affirmative
action. Iran said there is merit in the idea
of affirmative action, but does not like
the way the program is carried out.
"I feel like I am supposed to believe in
affirmative action because I am a minor-
ity" Tran said. "I personally feel forced to
take a certain opinion."
Ting said Asian Americans should
speak up on campus and refuse to be
used in the debate.
"We will not be used," Ting said.
"Asian Americans need to cotnvey to
people that we won't be used in this
debate."

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Correction:
® The Alpha Kappa Delta Phi sorority was misidentified in yesterday's edition of the Daily,
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