.Study: Female students' LOCAL/STATE- The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, September 9, 1998 - 5 attire affects exam performance By Nika Schulte Daily Staff Reporter Inaddition to the number two pen- cils and extra erasers most students use to prepare for test days, LSA first- year student Margaret Battersby makes sure to have her flannel pajama pants and a sweater. Battersby said she wears the outfit because it is comfortable. "I need to be relaxed," Battersby said. "I do better when I don't stress out." While many people might not think that what is worn during a test can affect the outcome, a recent study finds a woman's comfort level about their appearance during a test can impact the results. The research was conducted by University Associate Professor of psychology and women studies Barbara Fredrickson, as well as Rackham graduate students Diane Quinn and Jean Twenge. The study, which appeared recently in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, contained two main experiments, one of which used 40 male and 42 female students from the University. Participants were told they were participating in a consumer behavior study. After trying on either a sweater or a swimsuit and evaluating the product, participants were instructed to keep the clothing on to answer further ques- tions about the products' comfort. During that wait, participants took a math test, which they were told was for another researcher. Based on their high school stan- dardized test scores, men's scores did not vary based on the clothing they were wearing, whereas women who wore the swimsuit during the test did worse than women wearing sweaters. The results were exactly what the group hypothesized, Fredrickson said. "There is a peculiar orientation toward not appreciating yourself from your perspective, but from the perspective of an observer," Fredrickson said. "Seeing yourself from another perspective is taxing and attentional resources are finite. As a result, other tasks are going to suffer." While dressing comfortably allows some students extra pride in test-tak- ing abilities, others use an opposing strategy. LSA junior Viticia Thames said that when she does not feel prepared for an exam, she will dress-up in an effort to boost her confidence. "Dressing-up gives me more confi- dence," Thames said. "No matter what, I've got it together." But some students said they do not believe self-consciousness affects academic performance. LSA sophomore James De Vaney said he thinks women are more self conscious than men, but he assumed it only impacted them socially. "I didn't think girls would be affected academically. I thought it just determined whether they were shy ot out-going," De Vaney said. Fredrickson said she is conducting further tests of the academic affects of self confidence. Artist fights to save his work Campus political groups seek new members DETROIT (AP) - The artist who created the piles of old shoes and painted polka dots known as the Heidelberg Project said yester- day he has changed his mind about dismantling it - on the same day the deadline for its removal passed and members of the City Council vowed to use bulldozers to demol- ish it. "The best place for Heidelberg is right here," said artist Tyree Guyton, wearing a polka-dot hat and standing in front of some of the painted car hoods that make up the 13-year-old project. "I don't want to move it." Visitors from 75 countries have come to the Heidelberg Project, where 200,000 signatures fill guest books. Named for the street where it is located, the installation of so- called junk art consists of houses and green lawns adorned with stuff that most people might lose in the depths of their basements. Neighbors have complained, how- ever, that the project is causing a health hazard and drawing more traffic than the street was intended for. At a meeting yesterday, the City Council again extended for two weeks the deadline it gave Guyton to dismantle the project he had orig- inally asked for an Aug. 24 dead- lire, and then asked for an exten- sion. But now Guyton refuses to remove it at all. "It's hard to turn your back on all these people who want you to stay," he said, as children and other supporters surrounded him. "This project was created for the peo- ple." Some council members did not look kindly on the fact that the deadline came and went with little progress in removing the project. "I view this to be a slap in the face," council member Kay Everett said. "It needs to be gone now. If it can come down tomorrow, fine." Marcia Bruhn, director of the city planning commission, has been pro- viding reports to the council on the progress of dismantling the project. But so far, she said the progress has- n't been much. "Ihey cleaned up some areas ... but at the same time have added new pieces," she said. The council doesn't have the power to tell a city department to dismantle the project. That decision must be made by Mayor Dennis Archer's office which has also said the other residents' interests must come first. "We recognize the artistic value of the project and that the artist places on it," Felix Sharpe, Archer's legislative liaison to the council, said yesterday. "However, the mayor respects the larger concerns of the residents of the Heidelberg area with regard to health hazards and traffic con- By Kelly O'Connor For the Daily In preparation for a hectic cam- paign season, two University politi- cal groups will be holding their first mass meetings of the year in the upcoming weeks. The two groups, on opposite sides of the political spectrum both hold mass meetings to promote aware- ness of current political issues and to encourage students to become involved in politics. LSA junior Kelley Boland, politics among students," Boland said. "I don't think this year will be any different." College political groups often have high-ranking politicians speak at their mass meetings. The College Republicans mass meet- ing will feature speeches by well known political figures such as Ann Arbor Mayor Ingrid Sheldon and state House candidate Garret Carlson. But the main speaker is being kept under wraps. "That name is not being released at m president of the campus chapter of the College Democrats, said she is "New members can expect to ghet hands on experience .."f this time," Silver said: "I'll just say that it is s o m e o n e very well known." T h e C o l1 e g e Democrats group does not have a AP PHOTO Detroit artist Tyree Guyton has been in battle with the members of the Detroit City Council for years over the dismantling of his Heidelberg Project. gestion, etc." private land. Even if the city eventually moves Guyton said he wants to keep the in and dismantles the project, it project alive no matter what hap- won't be able to take away every pens. last painted shoe or rub away the "They have the power to knock it last traces of every polka dot. Some down, and I also have the power to of the displays, Bruhn said, are on put it back up," he said. looking for- ward to the upcoming meeting. "We are expecting between 100 and 150 people, but we'll know bet- ter after Festifall, which is where we get most of our new recruits," Boland said. Campus political leaders said they expect the gubernatorial election to increase student involvement in campaigning. Incumbent Gov. John Engler, running for his third term, is opposed by Democrat Geoffrey Fieger. "We expect high numbers of stu- dent participation. A large number of Democrats do not even support their candidate, Geoffrey Fieger, and many will not be out to vote," said Engineering senior Adam Silver. "This will be a great year for Michigan Republicans." But Boland said she anticipates increased activism by Democrats. "In past presidential and guberna- torial election years, we have definitely seen a peaked interest in -- Adam Silver Engineering senior Anti-Defamation League satisfied with Fieger's apology for anti-religious comments speaker slotted yet. Most important, both presidents say they want to get information out to as many students as possible and let them know how they can partici- pate in the upcoming campaign and other political activities. "New members can expect to gain hands on experience in the Republican American political sys. tem," Silver said. "Members of the UMCR will help candidates by flier- ing, chalking, rallying, etc. This is a great experience for a. political sci- ence major or anyone who wants to make a difference in Michigan poli- tics." The College Republicans will hold their mass meeting at 8:15 p.m. on September 17 in the Pendleton Room of the Michigan Union. The mass meeting for College Democrats will be held September 15. No location or time has been announced. LANSING (AP) - The Anti-Defamation League, which last week called for Michigan Democratic gubernatorial candidate Geoffrey Fieger to apologize for comments it viewed as anti-religious, said yesterday it's satisfied with Fieger's apology. "We are satisfied that Mr. Fieger understands the implications of his past remarks and that they have no place in civil discourse, especially from someone in public life," said Abraham Foxman, the league's national director. The league received a letter yesterday from Fieger xpressing "deep regret for any pain or offense" that his past statements might have caused to Jews and other religious groups, and stating, "I wished I never had made them." Last Wednesday, Foxman wrote a letter to Fieger in which he said, "We find your widely reported past comments likening Orthodox rabbis to Nazis and holding certain Christian beliefs and practices up to ridicule to be shockingly offensive, outrageous and unacceptable. "We are also troubled that you have tried to explain them away rather than acknowledge that they were wrong and offensive." Foxman was especially upset with a February 1996 letter Fieger sent to the Jewish Community Council in Bloomfield Hills after the Council of Orthodox Rabbis of Greater Detroit criticized Jack Kevorkian. In the letter, Fieger wrote, "When an organization such as the orthodox rabbis take (sic) an extremist view which reflects a fundamental intolerance of indi- vidual freedoms, they are far closer to Nazis than they think." Fieger once said that assisted suicide advocate Kevorkian - a Fieger legal client --- needed a gun permit to protect himself from "nuts like Maida," referring to Detroit Cardinal Adam Maida, who has condemned Kevorkian's actions. And he has said that many people in Jesus' time may have regarded him as a "gootball," another com- ment that has raised hackles. Fieger campaign spokesperson June West said last week that Fieger's comments have simply been taken out of context. But in a telephone conversation Thursday with Foxman, Fieger acknowledged that his comments to the rabbis had been inappropriate, even if he made them after he said the rabbis called him a murderer. "For rabbis to call me a murderer is intolerable to me," Fieger told Foxman. But "I shouldn't have said that. And I apologize for saying that ... I should have turned the other cheek." Fieger spent much of the last week speaking with religious leaders and explaining -- and apologizing for - his remarks. On Friday, he was endorsed by the Ecumenical Ministers Alliance, a political action com- mittee that represents over 100 Detroit pastors and churches. On Thursday, Fieger won the endorsement of Michigan Clergy United, which has 150 member con- gregations around the state. ichigan after ivil war aged to get said in a statement. Abraham worked iriting, and with the families of the Zubers and veral stops Vinton to help the three make it home. msterdam, Becca Zuber said she and her hus- band planned to resume their mis- s all other sionary work after the violence start- ited from ed in early August. But as things got Zubers and worse, they stayed in the house where eft behind, they had been living for their three- n (R-Mich) month stay. Missionaries back in West M being trapped n Congo by c Since 1948 Wee vt w.. mgn to be HELP WANTED All Positions Available Apply at Locations Mr LL3JJ['NJP University of Wisconsin-Platteville "If you have built castl.,s in the air, your work nerd not be Gust. That is where they should be. Now put he foundations under them." -Hcery David'Fhorcau ' -- Learn Your Way Around The World " Study abroad in England, Mexico, Japan, or Spain * Courses in liberal arts and international business * Fluency in a foreign language not required * Home-stays or dorms with meals " Field trips * Financial aid applies (except for summer session) ROMULUS, Mich. (AP) -- On the seventh try, a suburban Grand Rapids couple finally were able to leave Congo after their missionary stay had 0been extended by a civil war and unco- operative officials. "We're tired and smelly,* but we're happy to be back," Chad Zuber said Monday evening, shortly after arriving with his wife Becca at 1Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The Zubers, both 21, live in Jenison near Grand Rapids. A third West Michigan native, Steve Vinton, flew to Houston to be united with his family there, Chad Zuber said. The Zubers were teaching English at a Bible institute in Kindu, Congo, when civil war broke out five weeks ago. They tried to leave the country one week short of their intended stay but failed when officials told them they couldn't leave. The governor of Kindu told the cou- ple six times that they could leave, Zuber said. Each time, the couple walked 45 minutes to the airport, only to be turned away by gun-carrying officials. "It was a complete letdown. Each time, I told myself, 'I'm not going to get excited,"' Becca Zuber said. Finally, the Zubers mana the governor's promise in w a six-day trip home with se in Africa and one in A Netherlands, followed. The U.S. Embassy and Americans were evacua Congo on Aug. 15, but the. Vinton were accidentally l U.S. Sen. 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