LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, February 17, 1998 - 3
CRIME sm
Man throws
beer at student
An unidentified. intoxicated man
threw beer at a resdent of West Quad
Residence Hall Cady Saturday morn-
Sing, according to DS reports. The beer
did not hit the iitended target, and
instead broke a gkss window covering
a fire extinguisher
The caller saiC the man went into
his friend's roon and appeared dis-
oriented. After te incident, the man
left the building refusing to identify
.himself to a residence hall security
officer.
The man was detained after he unsuc-
cessfully attempxed to elude officers by
running between houses. Officers iden-
tified him as a 22-year-old student and
filed a report. Administrative action on
the subject is pending.
DPS officer runs
into parked car
DPS reports indicate that a DPS offi-
cer backed his car into another vehicle
*Thursday evening in Lot M-7 on East
Medical Center Drive.
The officer was staking out a vehi-
cle, believed to have narcotics inside it,
when the officer backed into a parking
space. The officer said he misjudged
the distance between cars and struck
one of the cars.
. He scuffed the car's molding and
broke a reflector off the vehicle. The
owner of the car could not be reached
and his phone number could not be
found. The officer left a business
card on the damaged car's wind-
shield.
Falling dumpster
causes damage
A woman called DPS on Friday
afternoon to report that the lid from a
garbage dumpster dented the hood of
her car, according to DPS reports. The
woman said her car, parked in the
South Observatory parking lot, was
damaged after wind caused the lid to
fall on her car.
Officers reporting to the scene met
the lady in the parking lot and filed a
report.
Nail pierces
victim's hand
An individual called DPS on
Sunday evening to report that some-
one in the Student Theater Arts
Building stapled their hand with a
one-and-a-half-inch nail, according
to DPS reports.
The wound healed on its own and
little blood was visible by the time
officers arrived. The victim was
transported to the emergency room
by ambulance to receive medical
attention.
Cassette tapes
stolen from car
A man called DPS on Friday morn-
ing to report that someone had bro-
ken into his car, parked in the East
Medical Center Drive carport,
according to DPS reports.
The victim said someone entered
is car and stole approximately 15
cassette tapes between 9:40 a.m.
and 10:40 a.m. DPS filed a report,
but no suspects have been appre-
hended.
..Purse taken from
CCRB locker
A woman called DPS on Thursday
evening to report that her purse was
Ostolen from a locker at the Central
Campus Recreation Building, accord-
ing to DPS reports.
Three hours later, an unknown
man left a message on the woman's
answering machine saying he had
found her personal items. He told the
Victim he would call back at another
time.
DPS confiscated the answering
machine tape with the message and
told the victim to inform DPS if the
nan contacts her.
- Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
Jason Stoffer
Students
praise 'U'
professor
By William Nash
Daily Staff Reporter
Before graduation, LSA students
must meet certain course require-
ments, but an unwritten one that
many students have made a priority
is taking a course with English and
religion Prof. Ralph Williams.
Before a lecture to his
Shakespeare class last week, his love
for his job and his students was
expressed in a statement that drew
an "Awww" from his students.
"Gosh, it's good to be with you,"
Williams said. "The times between
sessions really do seem long."
Williams, who has won "a half-
dozen to eight" teaching awards
including the Golden Apple Award
for undergraduate teaching, has been
teaching for 28 years. After he
received his Ph.D. from the
University, he began teaching at
Cornell University.
Williams said he was lured back
to the University because he "loved"
Ann Arbor and prefers public uni-
versities to private ones.
"I care about being involved in
public education," Williams said. "It
makes me proud that a steel worker
at River Rouge and a plumber at
Pontiac - people white, black - all
make it possible for us to be here
together."
Williams teaches a variety ofcours-
es including Shakespeare, British lit-
erature and Bible courses that regular-
ly draw more than 300 students.
"When a class becomes popular
and is offered consistently, the num-
ber of students builds up," said Chair
of the English department Martha
Vicinus. "It is unusual to have those
kind of numbers for that kind of
class."
Williams, who directs the religion
studies department, has become
famous for his energetic style and
his unique mannerisms.
"I sat in on his Shakespeare and it
was like watching a production,"
said LSA senior Amy Liszt.
MSA supports
proposed lecture
mentorship plan
PAUL TALANIAN/Daily
English Prof. Ralph Williams lectures yesterday during his English 367
Shakespeare class in the Modern Language Building.
He's also known for shaking each
students' hand before class, his
rubrics of the day, and asking stu-
dents to answer "yea or nay" if they
understand the lecture.
But what many students said they
remember most about him is his
genuine concern for them and their
needs.
"I don't know a more personable
person on campus," LSA senior
Julia Feder said. "Whenever you talk
to him he makes you feel like the
center of attention."
If students had one complaint about
Williams it would be his popularity.
"He is a very busy man," Feder
said. "He makes extra office hours,
but if you want to see him, you usu-
ally have to wait a long time in line."
Williams said he enjoys a variety
of interests during his little spare
time away from students.
He enjoys architecture, landscap-
ing, and he tries to help with social
and economic issues. Williams also
enjoys law, medicine and art.
"I could've been head-over-heels
happy doing a half-dozen things,"
Williams said.
Since he started teaching at the
University, Williams said he's been
involved in the lives of 15,000 to
20,000 students. His experiences
with them are countless, he said.
"It is the ongoing day-by-day
experiences, which are a vital part of
me," Williams said.
Williams, who is 56 years old,
said he plans to stay at the
University until his retirement. He
said he aims to retire at age 65.
"I want to retire at 65 for a couple
of reasons" William said. "I want to
have more time to write, so that
when I leave this world. I will have
left behind the words I weave."
Williams said he also wishes to
pursue some of his other interests
and he wants to give some of the
graduate students a chance to fill his
spot.
New resolution needs
approval to establish
mentorship program
By Kristin Wright
Daily Staff Reporter
The Michigan Student Assembly
passed a resolution last week to
establish a lecture mentorship pro-
gram designed to advise first-year
students enrolled in large introduc-
tory-level courses.
If the resolution is approved by
University administrators and faculty,
professors and graduate student instruc-
tors from these courses would select five
juniors or seniors who took the courses
the previous semester and "seem to know
how to get an 'A'," said LSA Rep. Sarah
Chopp.
Student mentors would be avail-
able to answer questions that first-
year students may not feel comfort-
able asking professors and GSIs.
"1 think that people come to this
University and it can be very intimidat-
ing," said Chopp, an LSA first-year stu-
dent. "By large lectures and by being a
freshman, you can be overwhelmed. I
think this will be beneficial because it
will allow freshmen to feel more secure
in their lectures."
Chopp said she plans to write a pro-
posal letter that would need the support
of the deans of each school at the
University.
After gaining dean support, Chopp
will send letters to the department heads
and seek their approval of the program. If
department heads deny the program,
Chopp will seek the individual backing
of professors.
Chopp campaigned with the lec-
ture mentorship program idea during
State busir
DETROIT (AP) - A magazine that
tracks states' success in attracting new
businesses said yesterday that Michigan
topped the nation last year with 1,285
new enterprises investing at least $17.4
billion.
Site Selection magazine announced
the results at a news conference in
Lansing, attended by Gov. John Engler
and other state officials.
The magazine, published in
Norcross, Ga., has tracked industry
locati,=n trends for more than 40
MSA elections in November.
If the plan is implemented, the names
of the student mentors and contact infor-
mation will be printed on course syllabi.
Mentors would work with primar-
ily first-year students, but could
work with sophomores enrolled in
introductory courses.
LSA first-year student Sara
Spielman said that talking to peer
mentors would create a more com-
fortable relationship between stu-
dents and course advisers.
"If you're talking to a student, (it
would) be less formal," Spielman said.
"You can get more of an insider's per-
spective rather than an authoritative one."
Chopp said first-year students may
have a difficult time in classes because
they don't know juniors or seniors who
have already taken the courses.
"We're kind of at a disadvantage
for networking," Chopp said.
But some students said they might
not have time to serve as mentors.
"It is a good idea and freshmen would
benefit from it," said LSA sophomore
Eric Ford. "But I personally would not be
a mentor because I would not have time."
Chopp said she wants mentors to work
on a voluntary basis. She said she hobes
first-year students will not be the only
beneficiaries of the program.
"Keeping in touch with professors"
and using the program as "something
to put on a resume" are rewards for the
mentors, Chopp said.
"I'm hoping that that will be enough
of an incentive. I really want this to be a
voluntary thing," Chopp said.
Chopp said she plans to integrate the
program into the LSA curriculum. by
fall and eventually implement the pro-
gram in the University's other schools
and colleges.
less gro ws
years.
For 1997, Michigan led the nation ir
new business projects, the magazine
said. Michigan received its Governor's
Cup award.
"We've watched Michigan's turn-
around through our annual rank-
iings," Site Selection Editor Tine
Venable said in a news release.
"From 23rd just a few years ago, tc
seventh, then sixth, and now winninj
the Governor's Cup, it's been ar
impressive rise to the top."
Students share poetry, prose
at Cafe Shapiro in UGLI
By Melanie Sampson
Daily Staff Reporter
The usual buzz in the Shapiro
Undergraduate Library was ampli-
fied by the prose and poetry of
University students last night as the
front atrium was transformed into
Cafe Shapiro, an event that is part of
the University's celebration of the
Year of Humanities and Arts.
Last night's program, sponsored
by committees of library staff mem-
bers in collaboration with the
humanities department, consisted of
three students reading original
works.
The readings, which began last
week, will take place again tonight
and tomorrow evening at 8:30.
The committees worked together
to find a new atmosphere for stu-
dents to share their work.
"One of their aims was to get links
out to campus where you might not
expect it," said committee member
Peggy Daub, head of the special col-
lections and arts libraries.
The committee asked English pro-
fessors teaching 200- and 300-level
courses to choose students who had
produced exceptional work last
semester and ask them if they were
interested in participating.
The students said they took part
for various reasons.
LSA junior Stephanie Stowe said
she felt honored to be asked by her
professor to read.
"1 felt really great about that,"
said Stowe, who hopes to be an
English teacher.
LSA sophomore Nation Kehoe,
who participated in the event, said
he thought it would be an enjoyable
experience to listen to prose and
poetry written by his peers.
"I definitely wanted to be a part of
it," Kehoe said. "I thought it would
be fun."
Daub said that one of the purpos-
es of the event was to create an
atmosphere for writers and other
interested students to flourish on
campus.
"The whole goal is to become a
place where students can come to
hear their peers read from their own
writing," Daub said.
She said that this was the first
opportunity for many of them to
publicly present their writing.
"A lot of them have told me they
have never had a chance to read their
writing before," Daub said.
One difficult obstacle to over-
come was the bustling atmosphere
of the library.
"The one thing I am disappointed
in is the acoustics," Daub said. "The
kids have to work a little harder."
Kehoe also said he was disap-
pointed with the setting.
"I'm a little upset it's in the
library," Kehoe said. "But I think it's
a great idea."
The setting had benefits as well,
such as allowing a variety of stu-
dents to stop by between meetings
and studying to hear the free read-
ings.
"I'm interested in poetry and
interested in seeing what work is
produced," said Engineering first-
year student Nir Kraukauer, who
watched the readings while waiting
in line for a computer at the library
last night.
Daub said she has received a
tremendous amount of feedback
from the event.
"I'm very pleased with the
response of the readers and the audi-
ence," Daub said.
Stowe, who read a fiction story
and two works of poetry, said she
chose to read her favorite personal
works.
"I think the poems best reflect what
I write poetry-wise," Stowe said.
The event may be a great benefit
for aspiring writers, Stowe said.
"I think it helps us as writers to
have a forum like this," Stowe said.
Daub said that overall, she felt the
program has been effective and that
many people have already asked her if
it will be held again in the future.
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What's happening in Ann Arbor today
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appointment.
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