LOCAL/STATE The Michigan Daily - Monday, January 25, 1999 - 3A " " AMPUS 3 'U' faculty to receive Henry Russel award University faculty members Thomas Wales, Alexander Ninfa and Ann Marie Sastry have been named recipients of the Henry Russel Award. The honor is given to faculty members for scholarly achievement. Hales found a solution in August to the oldest unsolved problem in mathematics about the densest possible packing of equal solid spheres in three-dimensional space. Hales affirmed the theory of math- ematician Johannas Kepler that states the densest packing is achieved if the centers *f the spheres are in the form of a face- centered cubic lattice. Ninfa's work in the regulation of nitrogen metabolism in Escherichia coli has uncovered important details of gene regulation in bacteria and is applicable to more complex organisms. Sastry's received the award for her research in fibrous materials, which has allowed further investigation into behav- opr using a theoretical framework. The faculty members are scheduled to receive their awards March 9. The Henry Russel Award was established in 1925 to honor Detroit resident Henry Russel, who received three degrees from the University. Griffiths named in top 25 on Web list University Chief Information fficer Jose-Marie Griffiths was amed one of the top 25 women on the Web by San Francisco Women on the Wcb, an organization that promotes professional development for women working with the Internet and other related fields. The honor recognizes outstanding women in the nation who are exam- ples of successful business women working with the Internet and in new media industries. Griffiths is responsible for the University's information technology division which includes telecommuni- cations, networking, computing and infrastructure. The Web organization considered more than 200 nominations. A list of the Top 25 Women on the Web can be viewed at http://wwwtop25.org. t.ecturer to speak on news credibility The department of communication studies and the Howard R. Marsh Center for the Study of Journalistic Performance are sponsoring a public lecture by Anthony Collings, a Howard R. Marsh Center visiting professor. Collings is scheduled to give the free cture, titled "Restoring Credibility to e News Media" today at 4 p.m. in the Koessler Room of the Michigan League. Collings began his career in journal- ism with the Associated Press, later joining Newsweek and CNN. Slusser to show multimedia art Play Mode, an exhibition incorporat- ing video works, photographs, interac- e sculpture, painting and other forms 6f media from American, Mexican, Brazilian, Canadian and Cuban artists, is on display in the John Paul Slusser Gallery until Thursday. The gallery is located in the Art and Architecture Building on North Campus. Regents grant 5 emeritus titles * The University Board of Regents granted five University retiring faculty members emeritus titles last week. English Language Institute assistant ;Librarian Patricia Aldridge; statistics Prof. Bruce Hill; Barbara Murray, a bearborn campus associate professor of business economics and finance; Ronald Olsen, a microbiology and immunology professor; and Edward -Schwartz, an associate professor of sychology in the department of pedi- rics and communicable diseases received the retirement honors. - Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter Michael Grass. 'U' AIESEC: By Michael Grass Daily Staff Reporter After being named the most outstanding local committee in the nation one year ago, University members of AIESEC were triply honored this month when they were named not only most outstanding local committee again, but also most respected and most improved. AIESEC is the largest non-profit, student-run organization in the world, promoting global awareness through business and economics. Started in 1948 to promote cultural understanding between European nations, it now has branches in 87 countries at 750 univer- sities worldwide. AIESEC arrived at the University in 1963. Committee members said being named the most improved local committee in the nation gave them a sense of pride. "It was nice to have our efforts recognized," said LSA sophomore Kate Denton, AIESEC Michigan vice president of corporate rela- tions. "That one (most improved honor) is what we are most proud of," said Engineering senior Jon Opdyke, president of AIESEC Michigan. Opdyke said the local committee accomplished many things dur- ing the past year on its way to being named the most improved local committee in the nation. "We sent the most students abroad than any other local commit- honored for improvements "It makes the world a smaller place and shows that we actually have a lot of similarities." - Kate Denton AIESEC Michigan vice president of corporate relations tee," Opdyke said. AIESEC Michigan sent 19 students to Brazil, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and Venezuela. One of the largest accomplishments of the year by the local com- mittee was the assembly of an AIESEC resource Website available for everyone to use, Opdyke said. The honors were announced Jan. 2 at an AIESEC national confer- ence in Indianapolis. AIESEC Michigan was among 40 committees from colleges and universities across the nation at the conference. AIESEC Michigan is the most selective local committee in the nation, Opdyke said. "We run it like a business," Opdyke said. As a result of the selection process, the chapter has only 60 members. "People look up to you when you are from AIESEC Michigan," said Business junior Dan Preston, vice president of alumni and pub- lic relations. With a new year starting, AIESEC Michigan is beginning many projects including working with the University's Russian department to help bring students to an AIESEC program in Russia. AIESEC Michigan is also working with the University's linguis- tics department to bring students to various language teaching cen- ters around the world. In addition to working with DaimlerChrysler A6, AIESEC Michigan is helping to expand a company into Brazil. AIESEC Michigan will continue work with Metro Detroit public schools in business and global educational experiences. Working with people from all over the world, AIESEC breaks down barriers that often separate people from different cultures, Denton said. "It makes the world a smaller place and shows that we actually have a lot of similarities," Denton said. For the birds atino/a activists focus on 1dentity, strong community Latino/a professors, alumni speak about their experiences during panel By Yael Kohen Daily Staff Reporter Focusing on a strong community, education and identity, students gathered for a panel discussion on Latino/a leadership Saturday in the Cezar Chavez lounge of Mosher- Jordan Residence Hall. Social rights activist Mario Vasquez, a panel member, empha- sized the importance for Latino/as to understand and identify with their heritage. Vasquez, a University alumnus, worked to organize a stronger Latino/a cultural presence at the University when he was a student in the early 1970s. Vasquez said he attended the University at a time when it lacked academic and non-academic pro- grams for Latino/a students on cam- pus. To change that, Vasquez said he worked to increase his culture's repre- sentation at the University by distribut- ing applications to Latino/as through- out the state of Michigan. In the years since Vasquez attended the University, Latino/a organizations, including the Lambda Theta Phi frater- nity, have been active in the University community. "We put on numerous community service programs, cultural and edu- cational programs," said LSA sophomore Juan Calzonzi, a Lambda Theta Phi member. "Our main focus is to help the Latino community in any way we can." Other stressed Latino/as speakers on the panel the importance for to have a strong voice in the community. Social Work associate Prof. Lorraine Guitterrez said empower- ment can get people to act "on their own personal behalf and on the behalf of the communities." Guitterrez explained what she described as the three aspects of empowerment: The importance of con- sciousness by knowing one's self and one's history; the importance of com- petence - recognizing that there are still problems in the world to be fixed; and the importance of connection - working within a community to make it better. Other panel speakers agreed that having a strong community is imper- ative to empowerment. Social Work associate Prof. Robert Ortega agreed with Guitterrez and added three more words that he said were important to remember as a Latino/a: Discipline, focus and responsibility - which he termed "DFR." "DFR ... you have to differ," Ortega said, adding, "if you did everything the way everyone else did, nothing changes." Another panelist, University alum Nora Salas, has been working in Detroit to aid the Latino/a com- munity in the Xicano Development Center. Salas agreed with Guitterrez and Ortega but added one more criteria for leadership - desire. "You have to know what you want to do or it won't work out," Salas said, emphasizing that a sense of obligation is not enough; desire is equally important. Many students who attended the panel agreed with Salas. Leadership "has to come from your heart," Calzonzi said. But Salas was slow to refer to herself as a leader. "I think of myself as an organiz- er," she said, explaining that an organizer is someone who can go into a community and gather people for community action. "The organiz- er's ultimate goal is to put them- selves out of a job." Visitors to Belle Isle, Mich. feed the island's fowl yesterday. The 30-degree temperatures were more comfortable for the birds than for humans. Lawmaes tlaunch sesina ai esoState of the Sate C J A LANSING (AP) - Michigan law- makers kick off the new session in earnest this week, gathering for the annual State of the State address and beginning debate on pay raises for top elected officials and a cut in the state income tax. House Speaker Chuck Perri (R- Kalamazoo Township) said the House will deal with the State Officers Compensation Commission report that recommends raises for elected officials. Under the commission's proposal, Gov. John Engler would get a 9 percent raise this year and next, while Supreme Court justices would get an 8 percent increase this year and 4.5 percent more in 2000. Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus and all lawmakers would get 3.5 percent increases this year and next. The increases automatically take effect unless the Legislature rejects them by a two-thirds vote in each cham- ber by Feb. 1. Senate leaders say they have no intention of taking up the matter in that chamber, making it all but certain that the raises will take effect. But some Democratic and Republican newcomers in the House have criticized the propriety of taking raises in their first week on the job. Perricone voted against the commis- sion's recommended pay hikes in 1995 and 1997. But he has changed his mind this time around. "There should be a different pay scale for department directors and the governor. Because the governor is com- mitted to recruiting the best talent for Michigan, that salary range for director has bumped up against what he makes as governor," the House speaker said. Perricone called the 3.5 percent hike for lawmakers fair and reasonable. "They have to step away from what they are doing for six years, take a pay cut in some cases and face media scrutiny," he said. Despite Perricone's preference to accept the pay increases, he said he won't stop other members who feel a need to protest the hike. "Oh, there will be a vote. I have not counted noses. I don't know where the members are," he said. A handful of representatives have noisily opposed the hikes, including Rep. Andrew Neuman (D-Alpena) and Rep. Scott Shackleton (R-Sault Ste. Marie). AS it ME NOBODY lives by BREAD alone. So we throw in SOUP & SALAD, too. UNLIMITED SOUP, SALAD & BREADSTICKS LUNCH: $4.95! -When we say unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks, we're not kidding. So even though it's only $4.95, you still get as much as you want of all three - fresh garden salad, warm garlic breadsticks and great soups like our Zuppa Toscana. Correction: N The University has not received an offer to endow a professorship from the government of Turkey. This was incorrectly reported in Friday's Daily. What's happening in Ann Arbor today EVENTS 0 "Fellowship Information for SERVICES International Graduate Students."