LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Monday, November 2, 1998 - 3A
MPUS elva
Study: Race in
admissions
benefits blacks
William Bowen, former president of
*rinceton University and co-author of a
new book titled, "The Shape of the
River: Long-Term Consequences of
Considering Race in College and
University Admissions," is scheduled to
speak about the benefits of using race as
a factor in college admissions.
Bowen's study included 45,000 stu-
dents at 28 selective colleges who entered
college in 1976 or 1989. He found that
race-based admissions provided promis-
ing careers for black students.
40 Sponsored by Dialogues in Diversity,
the talk is set for Nov 12 at 4 p.m. in
room 1800 of the Chemistry Building,
with a reception to follow at 6 p.m. in the
Vandenberg Room of the Michigan
League.
Exhibit examines
impact of American
Revolution
A new exhibit at the Clements
Library provides a look at the impact
the American Revolution had on the
rest of the world. The exhibit, titled
"Atlantic Perspectives on American
Independence: 1750-1815," includes
letters, maps, peace treaties and politi-
cal cartoons documenting the world's
reaction to the American Revolution.
The exhibit is free of charge and
will run through the end of the year.
he library viewing room is open
from 1:00 to 4:45 p.m., Monday
through Friday.
Alpha Phi to
sponsor run/walk
Alpha Phi is scheduled to hold a 5K
run and 2 mile walk Sunday, Nov. 8 at
*oon in front of the Harlan Hatcher
Graduate Library. The run starts on the
corner of South University Avenue and
East University Avenue, goes around
Palmer Field and ends on the Diag.
Prizes will be raffled off after the race.
The entry fee is $10 before Nov. 8
and $15 the day of the race.
Registration will be available at the
Central Campus Recreation
Building, North Campus Recreation
uilding, Angell Hall and on the
' iag on Nov. 4. All proceeds will go
the Sexual Assault Prevention and
Awareness Center and the Alpha Phi
Foundation.
Exhibit details
Michigan book
artists' work
The Special Collections Library cur-
rently is presenting an exhibit detailing
the work of 34 Michiganders, titled
"Michigan Book Artists 1998."
The exhibit shows how the identity
of a book is explored by Michigan
artists and is on display until Dec. 23
on the 7th floor of the Graduate
Library.
Christine Swenson, curator of graph-
ic arts at the Toledo Museum of Art,
,will give a talk about the exhibition
Wov. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the Special
Collections Library on the 7th floor of
the Hatcher Graduate Library.
Firm sponsors
millenium art
competition
Anderson Consulting is sponsoring
a contest for students from 15 select-
ed universities across the nation to
enter a work of art depicting the
,changing workforce in the next mille-
nium.
"The Young Artist's Vision of
Change in the Next Century" con-
test is held in conjunction with the
Anderson Consulting Van Gogh
exhibit at the National Gallery of
Art. Entries are due by Nov. 20 and
*he winner from each school will
receive a $1,000 savings bond.
More information can be found at
http://www.ac.com.
- Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
Adam Zuwerink.
Speaker addresses Puerto Rican issuest
By Nick Falzone
Daily Staff Reporter
In response to the 100th anniversary of the
United States' colonization of Puerto Rico, two
campus and Ann Arbor groups sponsored a talk
Friday night to support Puerto Rican independence.
Northeastern Illinois University Prof. Jose
Lopez, who is from Puerto Rico, and others spoke
out against the occupation of the island.
About 60 people attended the event, sponsored
by the Puerto Rican Solidarity League and the Ann
Arbor chapter of the Revolutionary Anti-
Imperialist League, held in Hutchins Hall.
Corey Fielder, a RAIL member, spoke about the
prejudices that still exist in U.S. prisons.
"In prisons, there are higher percentages of
blacks and Chicanos than whites," Fielder said.
"America has committed genocide of blacks and
Hispanics through its mass prison roundup"
Many students in the audience said they agreed
with Fielder's statements.
"The prison system is definitely a continual tool
of oppression," Education senior Sara Falls said.
"And Michigan is the third most incarcerating
state in the nation."
Lopez, who took the stage following Fielder,
also focused on American prisons.
"Look inside American prisons, and you will
see about 1.5 million people," Lopez said. "About
70 percent of them are young people of color."
Currently there are 15 Puerto Rican political
activists in U.S. prisons, including Lopez's brother,
Lopez said. These men and women have been
jailed since April 4, 1980, for conspiring to over-
throw the United States govemment. Lopez said
he believes these charges are contradictory.
"They were exposing colonialism, which is a
crime against humanity. It's not a crime to struggle
against this," Lopez argued.
Lopez's speech also examined the history of
Puerto Rican oppression under colonialism. This
persecution began in 1511 with the first Spanish
attempt at Puerto Rican colonization and has con-
tinued until now, Lopez said.
"It's been an accumulation of resistance
against Spain and the United States," Lopez
said. "We have been put under the worst condi-
tions possible. It is under that adversity that we
have recreated our" identity.
Lopez insisted that Puerto Rican colonialism is.
a historical problem resolvable only through inde-
pendence.
Until an emancipation occurs, Puerto Ricans will.
continue to resist American oppression, Lopez said.
"From 1898 to 1998, it has been nothing more than-
a colonial offensive to get rid of the Puerto Rican
nation," Lopez said. "But we have had hundreds of.
thousands of Puerto Ricans who have resisted."
Many students said they enjoyed Lopez's speech
- especially learning the history of the issue.
"I didn't know that much about Puerto Rican
history," said Liz Budnitz, an LSA senior. "It's
something this University community needs to
become more aware of.:
I
Dance Marathon Dlag rally
raises interest, recruits helpers
By Josh Kroot
Daily Staff Reporter
The crowd in the Diag did the electric
slide while the DJ spun some tunes on
the steps of the Harlan Hatcher Graduate
Library,
More than 50 people participated
Friday in the Dance Marathon Rally on
the Diag, encouraging students to sign up
for the event.
"We're out here to generate publicity
for Dance Marathon," said LSA senior
Craig Cucinella, the external director for
the program.
Dance Marathon, an annual event
scheduled for Feb. 6-7, raises money for
the Children's Miracle Network and
William Beaumont Hospital - organiza-
tions that provide medical care to chil-
dren who could not otherwise afford it.
Individuals or organizations sponsor
Dance Marathon participants, who dance
to DJs and live performers. Dancers
remain on their feet for the duration of
the 30-hour event.
Last year's marathon was the first at
the University. It included approximately
70 dancers and 400 volunteers, and
raised $35,000, Cucinella said.
Event planners expect this year's
marathon will be larger.
"We are anticipating that size will at
least triple," said LSA sophomore
Vikram Sarma, the program's dance rela-
tions chair.
Organizers plan to hold events
throughout the year to publicize Dance
Marathon. "We will be having a swing
night on Nov. 16," Cucinella said.
The event, open to all students, is
scheduled to be held in the Michigan
Union Ballroom from 8-12 p.m. and will
feature free swing lessons.
Sarma said the publicity has been
effective thus far.
"We had three people signed up last
year at this time" Sarma said. "This year, i
we've already signed up 35 people in one
week."
Students who participated in Dance
Marathon last year described it as a very
emotional experience.
. "The key moment came in the last'
hour of the marathon, seeing all of the,
families come up on stage and thank-1
ing us all," LSA sophomore John Perri,
said.
Cucinella said the event's mood is
"indescribable."
"People who entered the building did
not want to leave;' he said.
The marathon will be held at the
Indoor Track and Tennis Building.
Students interested in participating in the
event can contact the organizers via e .
mail at umdm.info@umich.edu.
APA
Continued from Page 1A
"These are internationally renown professors that are
leaving. For the University to let it happen is upsetting," Pai
said.
Gary Okihiro from Cornell and Columbia universities,
echoed the importance of faculty to Asian American studies
programs.
"Student bodies change. Student interests change "Okihiro
said. "Faculty are more permanent. They are the key in deter-
mining the curriculum."
Pai added that attending the conference helped her gener-
ate ideas as to what actions students can take to ensure the
strength of the program.
"There are definitely concrete strategies we can capi-
talize on," Pai said. "The most important thing is to get
the faculty."
DARBY FRtEDLS/Daaty
Eastern Michigan University Prof. Alfonso iilingworth-Rico speaks at the Dia
de Los Muertos celebration, held in the Michigan Union yesterday.
Me xanstudents
celebrate El a
de los Muertos
University students working to further the program are not
alone. Students from Oberlin College who attended the con-i
ference also are trying to expand Asian American studies pro-"
gram.
"Going into the 21st Century, students need to be prepared-
to live in a multi-ethnic society," said Maria Kong, a sociolo-
gy major from Oberlin College.
"We want to present the histories of a group that has
been marginalized," Kong said. "Those experiences are;
part of an experience that all students should learn:
about" .
Rhoe said he's pleased that undergraduate students had a
significant role in this year's conference
"There was more progress than in years past," Rhoe said.:
"I really feel this progress will set permanency and continu4
ity in future conferences.
The next EOC conference will be held in November 1999°
at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
a
p
- - - - .
r
By Dan Weiss
Daily Staff Reporter
The idea was to remember the
dead, and they did - with music,
food and laughter.
Community members yesterday
celebrated the Mexican festival El
Dia de los Muertos, also known as
The Day of the Dead, in the Michigan
Union, following a weekend of
events that included a dance and a
comedy performance.
The event was modeled after the
traditional Mexican ceremony, which
originated in Mexico 500 years ago
when Catholic and indigenous tradi-
tions met.
Brightly colored decorations,
called papel picado, hung from the
ceiling, and at the front of the room
stood a large altar holding various
objects important to the ceremony,
including candles representing the
dead, colorful flowers called teloache
and ofrenda - offerings to the dead.
The celebration was in marked
contrast to traditional American
mourning for the dead.
"The way people in the U.S. deal
with death is very black," said Diego
Bernal, co-chair of the student group
La Voz Mexicana. Bernal noted the
bright colors and the rich food of the
celebration. "It's supposed to be fun."
The evening began with a perfor-
mance by the Native American drum
group Treetown. The group sat in a
circle singing and loudly beating a
drum. Following Treetown, Eastern
Michigan University Prof. Alfonso
Illingworth-Rico gave a presentation
on the history of El Dia de los
Muertos.
He spoke about how people in
Mexico make their way to cemeteries
on El Dia de los Muertos to remem-
ber their dead relatives and friends.
Scrubbing the graves, he said, is very
important, as is laying real flowers.
"If you want to cry on the tomb,
you have to come early in the morn-
ing," Illingworth-Rico said. He
added, however, that for the most part
"men don't cry" in Hispanic cultures.
After his presentation, the cere-
mony began. One by one, people
walked up to the altar, lit a candle and
spoke about the dead they were hon-
oring. Far from somber, they remem-
bered their dead with amusing stories
that often drew laughter.
Karla Lopez, a student at Eastern
Michigan, remembered her grand-
mother by noting her good cooking.
"She could heal the sick with her
food," Lopez said, telling a story
about her maternal grandfather
falling ill at the ocean and being
revived by her grandmother's cook-
ing. "He was amazed because he had
never felt so good."
Although most people devoted
"ofrendas" to family and close
friends, one woman remembered the
singer Selena, and another Jesus
Christ.
After the offerings, people ate
from a banquet table of traditional
Mexican dishes, which included a
pastry called pan dulce, whose sweet
aroma is supposed to call forward the
spirits of the dead.
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