LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Monday, November 23, 1998 - 3A
.CAMPUS "
Prof. named
Russel Lecturer
The University Board of Regents
bestowed the highest honor for
senior faculty members on Jack
Dixon, professor of biological chem-
istry and chair of the University's
department of biological chemistry.
He will deliver this year's Henry
Russel Lecture, an event scheduled
for March 9.
Dixon has been a faculty member
since 1991. Previously he was the
Harvey W. Wiley Distinguished
Professor of Biochemistry at Purdue
University.
The University Research Club
ominated Dixon, and the nomina-
tion was confirmed by the Board of
Regents at their Nov. 19-20 meeting.
The Russel Lectureship was estab-
lished in 1925 with a bequest from
University alumnus Henry Russel of
Detroit.
Nobel winner to
speak at 'U'
Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott is
the latest member of the University's
visiting writers series. He is sched-
uled to give a poetry reading on Dec.
2 and a lecture titled "Painting and
Poetry" on Dec. 3.
Aside from receiving the 1992
Nobel Prize for Literature, Walcott's
accomplishments include an Obie
Award for his play "Dream on
Monkey Mountain" He also received
the Editor's Choice for Best Books of
1990 in the New York Times Book
Review for "Omeros," one of his 10
notable books of poetry.
Walcott is a native of the West
Indies but resides in Boston during
the academic year, teaching at
Boston University.
Panel to include
'U' researchers
Mei-yu Yu and Amy Seetoo,
Nursing researchers, have been
appointed to the National Policy
Council of the National Asian
Women's Health Organization.
NAWHO is dedicated to promot-
ing the health of Asian women. Yu
and Seeto will conduct research with
the Centers for Disease Control and
Orevention and the National Cancer
Institute.
Yu founded the Healthy Asian
Americans Project in 1996 to study
breast cancer prevention among
Chinese, Filipino and Korean
American women. Seetoo is in
charge of the Chinese American por-
tion of the program.
rof. to speak on
Russian economy
Thomas Weisskopf, economics
professor and director of the
Residential College, is scheduled to
give a lecture titled "The Economic
Crisis in Russia" from 7:30 p.m. to
9:30 p.m. in the Founders room of
the University's Alumni Center on
Nov. 24.
The speech is part of the Coffee
*ith the Faculty series sponsored by
the Alumni University and Alumni
Association.
The talk is expected to highlight
the current economic struggles in
Russia, focusing on the overlap of
political and economic changes in
the dynamic Russian economic sys-
tem.
Tickets to a series event costs $10,
Ond admission to all five sessions
costs $40.
Website tackles
student questions
The Information Technology
Division has created a new Website
to assist in beginner- and advanced-
level training on more than 200 top-
ics.
The Website provides information
n Microsoft Word, Excel, Access,
Outlook, Powerpoint, C++, Java,
HTML and many others. Other
courses available help users become
certified Novell or Microsoft net-
work administrators.
The site is accessible from ITD's
education page at
www.itd.umich.edu/education.
Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
,- Marta Brill.
I
Thompson addresses board
By Jennifer Yacmin
Daily StaffReporter
Michigan Student Assembly President
Trent Thompson spoke about student
concerns, assembly projects and student
activities in his address to the University
Board of Regents on Friday.
MSA Vice President Sarah Chopp also
spoke to the regents about the issue of
academic integrity at the University.
Thompson emphasized the importance
of developing a trusting relationship
between the University and the assembly.
"We can bridge this gap if both stu-
dents and administration were as open
and direct as possible about all issues,"
Thompson said.
Thompson addressea the issue of cre-
ating a student regent position on the
board and explained the reasoning
behind the assembly's continual cam-
paign to establish the seat.
Regent S. Martin Taylor (D-Grosse
lie) said he was surprised by Thompson's
references to distrust between the admin-
istration and student body.
"It sort of baffled me a little" Taylor
said. "From my standpoint, I don't dis-
trust the students. I'd like to learn a little
about the distrust."
"A good 10 percent of the reason why
MSA desires to have a student regent is
simply because during (the board's)
closed session we feel that we are, in a
sense, left in the dark," Thompson said.
Speaking over the quiet laughter of
several regents, Thompson continued to
speak about the assembly's mission.
"If we did build a strong relationship
of trust with the administration, then it
would be a natural step for us to acquire
a student regent;" Thompson said.
Regent Olivia Maynard (D-Goodrich)
said she enjoyed listening to the report
and understands Thompson's perspective.
Maynard said she appreciates hearing
the verbal version of the assembly's
monthly briefings of the board. Maynard
added she is glad there seems to be more
communication between the two bodies.
With great enthusiasm, Thompson
also explained to the board the activities
of several campus student groups, includ-
ing Circle K International, the Indian
American Students Association, LSA
Student Government, Project Serve, the
University of Michigan Engineering
Council and Dance Marathon.
"All of these projects and programs are
quite impressive accomplishments, but
... this is just a small sample of what this
student body does," Thompson said.
In his report, Thompson relayed sever-
al of the assembly's current projects,
including creating the Know Your Rights
Cards - a joint project with the
Department of Public Safety to creatc a
wallet-sized card with the rights studerfts
have when approached by an officer. The
assembly is scheduled to discuss the
card's content during its weekly meeting
Tuesday.
Thompson concluded the assembly
report by addressing four ongoing issues:
appointing more students to University
committees, curbing binge drinking,
restructuring the assembly and revicwirlg
the Student Code of Conduct.
"One point I would like to make clear
about the Code of Student Conduct is
that if it is to accomplish its goal of edit-
cating and protecting students, it needs to
be a living, breathing document,
Thompson said.
In her address, Chopp discussed acad-
emic integrity at the University.
"I want a Michigan degree to stand for
much more than academic intelligence,"
Chopp said. "We want to change the cli-
mate on campus and move academic
integrity to the forefront"
- Daily Staff Reporter Katie Plona
contributed to this r epoh.
'
considern
ALLISON CANTER/Daily
Pin Thomas, a renowned author and poet, spoke Saturday in the Wedge
Room of West Quad as part of Puerto Rican Week.
Speaker addlresses
" e s
dirity, unitynn
Latino/a commuesnity
By Jennifer Yachnin
Daily Staff Reporter
The University's Athletic Department currently is discussing
the possibility of creating a subscription sports Website and
company to create sports Websites for other universities.
"This is all in the planning stage," said Associate Athletic
Director for Media Relations Bruce Madej.
The University created its free M-Zone sports website at
http://wwwv:mgoblue.com earlier this year, although plans orig-
inally called for a subscription website, where users would pay
a fee to view materials.
Among the features of the current M-Zone Website are news
releases, links to the Athletic Department Ticket Office and
short film clips, including former Michigan basketball player
Robert Traylor's backboard-shattering dunk in November
1996.
Madej said the current Website is being used to gather user
feedback. Several changes to the site are being discussed,
including if it should remain free.
"The current Website is out there to give everyone an idea of
what we can do," Madej said. "Where M-Zone goes is still a
matter of discussion.
"My concern is the current website," said Madej, adding that
he would like to see the Website made more accessible and eas-
ier to navigate.
Senior Associate Athletic Director Fritz Seyferth said dis-
cussions about the Website have been ongoing for about a year.
"It's got a long way to go," Madej said. "We've got a lot of
people to discuss this program with:"
pay Website-.'
Another possible Athletic Department project - involvir,
several Business School classes, the Information Technolo
Department and the Technology Management Office - wouvl
create Websites for other universities' athletic departments.
Seyferth said the company, if created, would not be run
the University but would pay a fee to the University for tl
research involved in the company's creation.
"It's being looked at and evaluated at this time," Seyfertp
said.
No name for the company has been discussed, he added. .
The creation of either project is not dependent on the othe,
Seyferth said.
Forming the company is only part of the group's focus.
Madej said the group will consider the interests of other uni-
versities, funding for the project and the plausibility of gener-
ating revenue when deciding whether to form the company.
Many Michigan sports fans use partial subscription services
such as the ESPN Website at http://espn.com to find game
scores and articles about their favorite teams.
LSA junior Marc Aaron said he uses the ESPN Website
"religiously."
"The writing quality is good," Aaron said. "The stories are
up soon after the game ends ... I can find out everything about
the game if I missed it."
Aaron said he uses both the free and pay features on :the
ESPN site and although he doesn't use the M-Zone site now,
he would consider using the site if it became a subscription
location.
"It would probably be more comprehensive," Aaron said;
By Nick Faizone
Daily Staff Reporter
Piri Thomas, a highly recogni
Latino author and poet, addre
audiences Saturday about raci
diversity and unity among all hut
beings.
Many view Thomas, the authc
"Down These Mean Streets," as
first Latino to inform non-Spar
speakers of life in the Latino/a1
rios.
As keynote speaker for Pu
Rican Week, he spoke extensi,
about his life in New York's Spa
Harlem to his audiences in West Q
Residence Hall.
Throughout his speech, Tho
spoke of the difficulties he encc
tered growing up as an Afro-Latir
"in the streets, they couldn't de
if I was a nigger or a spic," Tho
said. "So they called me both."
Though Thomas said he suff
constant
harassment
because of "Everyft
his skin
color, he ComS o
claimed he -
had a mouth 15
happy
childhood.
He advised
members
of the audience to act in the same'1
itive manner as he acted.
"No child was to be born as a 'i
than,"' Thomas said. "That's v
'minority' means. We are all 1:
beautiful."
Thomas also stressed the iml
tance of women in his life, claim
his mother Dolores especially
influenced him.
"My mother taught methat no r
was 100 percent man and no wo
was 100 percent woman," Tho
said. "Being gentle and tender is r
sign of weakness; it's one ofstreng
Maria Elena Cepeda, a Rack
third-year student, especially enj(
Thomas' views on Latino mascu
ty.
Wing
ou 4
st
Rackh
the streets. At the age of 22, he was
involved in a shootout and was arrest-
ed for armed robbery, among other
offenses.
Thomas spent the next seven years
in the maximum security ward of the
Comstock State Prison in New York.
He said his experiences there changed
his life.
"In prison, I realized the cruelest
prison was the prison of the mind,"
Thomas said. "I prayed I wouldn't be
buried there, and I said I would do my
very best ifI got out."
Thomas said he knew he had to do
something to remember his family
and express his feelings while incar-
cerated. He said he discovered the
joys of writing as a way of recalling
the past.
"I went back in time to see the
scenes and relive the feelings all over
again," Thomas said.
Thomas began writing "Down
T h e s e
thatStreets," an
D autobiogra-
if ls phy chroni-
£ ~cling his
etFy. life on the
- Gilberto Simpson streets of
am first-year student Sp a n is h
Harlem,
while in
prison.
It was published in 1967 - 10
years after his release from prison -
and immediately brought Thomas
critical acclaim.
Since the publication of his book,
Thomas has been traveling the world,
trying to educate others about achiev-
ing world peace and unity.
Many of the audience members
appreciated Thomas' positive mes-
sage.
"The message that he conveys
through his poetry is that we are all
one community, LSA senior
Jasmeen Khilji said.
Though Thomas talked about uni-
versal issues in his presentation, he
employed nonconventional tech-
niques to express his thoughts.
Thomas used Spanish throughout
his presentation to express his feel-
ings more accurately. He also inserted
poetry and prose, authored by himself
and other contemporaries throughout
his speech - a personal touch many
audience members enjoyed.
"It's interesting to see the way he
speaks and flows;' Rackham first-
year student Gilberto Simpson said.
"Everything that comes out of his
mouth is poetry"
Don't forget about ME!
Don't forget about ME!
Don't forget about ME!":
EX TEND ED!!!
Due to high demand, Senior Portraits
have been extended for one week. Photographers
WILL NOT be returning in the Spring
so this is your only opportunity to have your
picture in the 1999 Michiganensian Yearbook.
Don't be left out of your graduating class!
"I liked his thoughts on men being
maternal and paternal at the same
time," Cepeda said. "Not being afraid
to recognize the feminine side, it's
very important and pertinent to the
Latino culture."
When Thomas' mother died when
he was 15, he became disillusioned,
realizing he had to learn to survive in
the streets alone. He forgot his par-
ents' wisdom and became involved in
Harlem's drug underworld.
For seven years, Thomas lived on
t
What's happening in Ann Arbor today
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