LOCAL/STATE The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, October 28, 1998-- 3 OEHIGHER EDUCATION Poll's results shows diversity is a priority The first-ever poll on diversity sponsored by the Ford Foundation showed that people believe the nation is not meeting its require- ments for diversity in higher educa- tion, by The Hatchet, George Washington University's student newspaper, reported. According to the results, 97 percent of Americans who were surveyed said in the upcoming years they expect they will have to work with people who are *rom different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. GW officials said students should be surrounded by those who are dif- ferent from them in order to be pre- pared for the next century. Students said they should make the effort now to learn about others who are unlike them. GW administrators said the uni- ersity actively seeks minorities 0rom 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and is making the effort to have a diverse student body. Virginia governor requests inquiry University of Virginia officials claim they have already disclosed all of the necessary information, but Gov. James * ilmore said he is seeking further nformation in dealings of where the money the university receives comes from and how funds are spent, the Cavalier Daily reported In an interview with The Washington Post, Gilmore expressed his concern about where the money was going. He questioned whether foundation funds were going to help students or into business ventures. 0 Donors can give money to specif- ic parts of the university by dona- tion money to non profit organiza- tions which help certain depart- ments. Iowa State announces new business initiative Iowa State President Martin Jischke nnounced a $35.5 million College of Business initiative Friday, the Iowa State Daily reported. The business initiative will generate public and private funds for a new building, scholarships, a faculty endowment and program enhance- ments. Jischke said the initiative is part of ISU's mission to strive to have the best 4*usiness school it can. But members of the College of Business Advisory Council said goals could not be reached because of finan- cial hurdles. The university is asking for $10 mil- lion from the state and $25.5 million from alumni and friends. The ISU Foundation will solicit private donations. The goal of the initiative is to have $25.5 million raised by the year 2000. A couple has already invested $10 million the College of Business initiative. Due to the largest first-year class in UCLA on-campus housing sparse years combined with a guarantee for housing for first- and second-year stu- dents, many University of California at Los Angelos residents were forced to live in study lounges for a semester, The aily Bruin reported. More than 50 students on campus were placed in study lounges because of inadequate accommodations in the dorms. - Housing officials said they had to try to avoid the problem of overcrowd- ing by placing 51 percent of on-cam- pus residents in triples. But according to housing officials, the problem of overcrowding occurred because UCLA accepted a *ubstantially larger number of stu- dents on appeal after the housing deadline than ever before. -Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter Susan T Port Timber! 'U' to host 8th regional APA conference s to of Students and scholars discuss development Asian American KELLY MCKINNELL/Daily A tree in the atrium of the Chemistry Building fell down yesterday, causing a slight safety hazard in the busy Central Campus building. Harper informs MSA of pns for new multicultural initiatives By Nika Schulte Daily Staff Reporter After seven years of meeting on the East Coast, the regional East of California Conference, the largest Asian Pacific American academic conference in the nation this year, will be held this weekend at the University. The event, with the theme "Mapping the Geographies of Asian American Studies," will bring hun- dreds of students and scholars from universities, including Princeton University and University of Illinois, to Ann Arbor to discuss the develop- ment of Asian American Studies Programs on college campuses throughout the nation. Gail Nomura, director of the Asian/Pacific American studies pro- gram, said hosting the conference at the University asserts that Asian American studies programs exist outside of coastal schools. "Having the conference here puts the University on the map for our field and brings students in contact with the best in the field," Nomura said. Nancy Chen, a graduate student intern with the Office of Multi- Ethnic Student Affairs said the event, which is the fall conference of the Association for Asian American Studies, allows students the opportu- nity to meet scholars whose work they might read in class. "It is very odd to get a collection of people with such a wealth of knowl- edge of APA issues," Chen said. "If students are interested in the issues, they can come and talk to the sources." In addition to the workshops that will continue throughout the week- end, there will be a free, public liter- ary reading by nationally known authors such as Barbara Tran and Heinz Insu Fenkl. The reading is set to take place at 6:30 p.m.. at Hutchins Hall in room 132. Another highlight of the weekend is a free performance featuring "A Grain of Sand Reunion Trio." The group, whose music became anthems for the early Asian American Movement, is scheduled to play at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Modern Languages Building in Auditorium 4. Although the reading and the con- cert are free and open to the public, students interested in attending the workshops on Friday and Saturday need to register by contacting ecoc.students 4um ich.edu for more in formation. By Jennifer Yachnin Daily StaffReportcr Associate Vice Provost of Student Affairs E. Royster Harper addressed Michigan Student Assembly members last night about the Transforming Our Communities project. The project, which is aimed at improv- ing University students' multicultural experience, also involves an evaluation of the Multi-Ethnic Student Affai Office, created in the mid '70s. "We promoted and talk about how diverse the University of Michigan is,.. My experience is that we are living sepa- rate lives or separated lives," Harper said. Harper discussed the problems of seg- regated student groups and the creation of a more "comfortable" community, where students both live and learn. "Most of the time we are doing diver- sity ... with the folks who are having the experience," Harper said. If the University multicultural experi- ence was working properly, Harper said, "it wouldn't be as hard as it is for every- body to make a contribution to multiple communities" The program should take about four years to complete, Harper said. "You are training every generation of students who come into Michigan," she said. Students can find information on the program's Website at http:/www umich.edu/~dofs/transition.htmn.L Assembly members also defeated a ballot referendum to make the Community Service Board, which sup- plies funding to student groups, a perma- nent sub-group within the assembly. Budget Priorities Committee Chair Dave Burden objected to the referendum because, he said, CSB often creates loop- holes for student groups to be funded more than once by MSA. "This has been abused and its going to continue to be abused," Burden said. Tomorrow, members of the assembly's Communication Committee plans to meet with Director of Recreational Sports Mike Stevenson to discuss improvements to the Central Campus Recreation Building. Communication Chair Joe Bernstein said the committee is focusing on the CCRB because of the three athletic facil- ities "it's the worst" The committee is collecting signatures for a petition that will be presented to administrators in about a week. "If we can prove to the administration that we have enough student support, they'll give us money' Bernstein said. EAD THE DAILY.:, e,,...,.....;. Emlymn Th11IDPnlD A fl nitiesPOSITIONS EARN HOLIDAY atParke-DavisD LLAR /B LD DOLLARS/ BUILDJ Pharmaceutical Research YOUR RESUME " The Worldwide Drug Safety Surveillance department at Parke-Davis is currently hiring students/extems to perform data entry of adverse event information. " Typing and computer skills as well as familiarity with database concepts are essential. These positions will cover the afternoon/evening shifts Monday through Thursday (5pm-1 1pm),~ and run 4-6 months. Successful candidates will have an understanding of medical terminology. " Preference will be given to students studying healthcare professions (pharmacy, nursing pre-medicine, etc.) and in at least their 3"1 years of study. " Interested students should fax their resume to: Parke-Davis Worldwide Drug Safety Surveillance, Attention: Student Positions, (734) 622-2721 or mail their resume to Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Research, Drug Safe Surveillance Attention: Student Positions 2800 Plymouth Road Ann Arbor, M1 4810b. E-Mail resume using DS§_Queries@wl.com, Aitention Student Positions. O RJC"DAVEmployment Opportunities MSUexamines use of 'date-rape drugs' By Sarah Lewis Daily Staff Reporter Despite having no reported incidents of date rapes due to drug use on campus, Michigan State University's Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council called a meeting last week to discuss the use of Rohypnol and Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate, commonly referred to as "date-rape drugs" Rohypnol, also known as "roofies" and "rope," comes mainly in the form of small tablets that are tasteless, odorless and colorless when dissolved in a drink. GHB can be ingested in liquid or pill form, said Sarah Heuser, training and education coordinator of the University 's Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center. She said other names for GHB are liquid ecstasy and scoop. The drugs are illegal in the United States and "they are commonly used as substitutes for heroin and cocaine," Heuser said. State law charges posses- sion of roofies as a felony. "They are used quite a lot for setting up women for rape," she said. If roofies or GHB is slipped into an unsuspecting person's. drink, they can take affect in as little as 20 minutes and remain in the system for up to 12 hours. GHB can cause comas or even be lethal. "A person only has to take a few sips to be affected," Heuser said. "It's like a walking alcohol blackout." She said roofies and GHB can cause short-term memory loss in addition to the blackouts, so rapes involving these drugs are hard to prove. Kelli Milliken, a senior at MSU and the Panhel president, said the meeting was called to talk about things that were happening on campus. "The meeting was to inform all the chapter members what types of drugs are out there, like roofies and GHB, and educate them about what the side effects are and how to notice it," Milliken said. She said the meeting was prompted by reports of sexual assaults connected with the drugs, coupled with the recent death of LSA first-year student Courtney Cantor. Milliken said one objective of the meeting was "to make sure the campus and the rest of the community is informed. It's happening not only in the Greek system, but in the dorms, off cam- pus and in the bars," she said. MSU junior Ryan Bladzik, the social chair of Delta Upsilon fraternity, said three houses on campus "had incidents that may have involved drugs." At last Wednesday's meeting at MSU, the Council discussed ways to implement programs like the "Buddy System" and how to educate people about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. "This was the first time this issue has permeated the Greek system at Michigan State University," said Bladzik, adding that one woman at the meeting said she was recently drugged in a bar. DPS spokesperson Beth Hall said there have never been any reported inci- dents of drug or roofie-induced rapes on campus. The University's Panhellenic Association, Interfraternity Council and University Health Services are scheduled to sponsor national speaker Mike Green at Rackham at 7 p.m. on Nov 18. His talk will include issues about drugs. Heuser said that if someone thinks they have been given roofies or- GHB, they should go to the hospital immedi- ately to be tested before the substance leaves the system. SAPAC counselors can be reached at its 24-hour crisis line at 936-3333. S J I I Senior Portraits will be taken daily Sept. 28 - Oct. 31 at the Union. i I___I L~zLL.ARIz GROUP MEETINGS U Amnesty International Mi Michigan League, Hen Room, 623-9299, 7 p.m. Q College Republicans M What's happening in Ann Arbor today with Family Members with Mental 'SERVICI Illness, Sponsored b Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Washtenaw UCampus eeting, County, St. Clare Temple Beth INFO nderson Emeth Building, 2309 Packard www Rd., 7:30-9 p.m. Worl leeting, J "American Red Cross Disaster Relief C 1998 W 111nr- r .t.-.a.a .. Cn ncnot , Ku.. MS s information Centers, 763- info@umich.edu, and .umich.edu/-info on the Id Wide Web Winter commencement infor- Call today to set up your appointment! ENSIAN I