Thcs MrA~hioin Daily -- W cnecsdav.Februarv 3. 1999 - 3
MMEFW INV*F,
*HIGHER
EDUCATION
Governor asked
to intervene at
u of Arizona
Attorneys for Arizona Gov. Jane
Dee Hull reviewed a letter last
week from four University of
Arizona faculty members pleading
that "something desperately needs
.to be done" to end the University's
hostile environment for black
women and other minorities.
Th letter asked for outside help
remove the acting director of the
African sidies department at the
,rniv ersity.
The faculty said that staff in other
departments are not forced to work
with their department head if they
don't meet faculty approval.
One of the faculty members who
signed the letter was removed from
the department head position in
:-1996 and filed a lawsuit alleging
that she was discriminated against
because of her race and gender.
* The claim was validated by The
U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, but the
university has asked the commission
to reconsider.
Ohio State may
delay start of
.classes for Y2K
Continuing to examine The Ohio
State University's options for com-
puter failure due to the Y2K bug, a
task force is discussing a university
shutdown that would postpone the
first day of the winter 2000 term.
The task force, which has dis-
cussed a shutdown for more than
four months, is considering the
option in order to prevent the possi-
bility of students returning to build-
ings that may not have heat or elec-
tricity.
University representatives for
student and urban/community
affairs said if such a measure were
to be implemented, the decision
would need to be made by the end
of this winter term in order to
adjust university calendars appro-
priately.
While the task force is in charge
* of considering the possible solu-
tions, the group will defer to univer-
sity administrators for the final
decision.
UW set to place
hazardous waste
site near housing
S A proposal to put a hazardous
waste processing site near a
. University of Wisconsin residence
hall was approved last week by the
Madison Plan Commission.
The site, considered an
"Environmental Management
Center," will replace two older sta-
tions and is scheduled to open in the
spring of 2000.
UW-Madison safety department
representatives said shops and
offices have already been con-
structed and the processing site will
complete the final phase of the pro-
Tet.
The safety department reassured
students that the site will be regu-
larly inspected by both federal and
state government officials.
Duke students
set fire following
basketball game
Following last week's basketball
victory over arch-rival University
of North Carolina, Duke University
students started a blaze that con-
sumed 11 campus benches and
filled a residence hall with smoke
and flaming embers.
The blaze came only one year
after students retaliated against a
police enforced ban on bonfires.
Although students stood in the
middle of the flames, the Duke
Police Department reported only
one injury of a student who fell
from one of the benches.
- Compiled by Daily Staff
Reporter Nika Schulte.
LOCAL/STATE
A mayor addresses MSA, urges involvement
By Jewel Gopwani
Daily Staff Reporter
Ann Arbor Mayor Ingrid Sheldon held her
annual visit with the Michigan Student Assembly
at its weekly meeting last night.
During her visit, Sheldon encouraged MSA to
work with the Ann Arbor city government on
issues such as housing, student safety and parking.
Sheldon shed light on the problem of parking
near campus. "We will be rebuilding the Fourth
Street parking structure," Sheldon said. "It will
be a larger structure."
After opening the floor for questions, LSA
Rep. Sumeet Karnik asked for Sheldon's opinion
on the Ann Arbor Police Department's relation-
ship with students at the University in light of the
recent raids of campus parties by police.
"We have some real concerns in our communi-
ty about underage drinking" Sheldon said.
Sheldon spoke on behalf of the AAPD with
regards to its recent actions. "Sometimes harsher
enforcement is required," Sheldon said.
Also at last night's meeting, Engineering senior
Dave Burden confirmed that he will be resigning
Senior representative resigns,
Sheldon encourages city work
from his position as Student General Counsel, an
executive office position in the assembly. But
Burden said he will remain in the assembly as an
Engineering representative.
Burden said his decision was prompted by the
assembly's decision to take a stance against the
U. S. sanctions on Iraq at its meeting last week.
Before approving the agendaat last Tuesday's
meeting, Burden moved for the resolution "con-
doning the lifting of the UN sanctions on Iraq" to
be removed from the agenda.
Burden's resolutionawas not approved, and the
resolution passed by a small margin.
"I decided before I heard from other con-
stituents," Burden said about his resignation.
But Burden said his decision makes a differ-
ence in regards to his relationship with the stu-
dent body.
"As an executive officer I feel a responsibility to
defend the assembly's actions,"Burden said. "I
don't want to be in the position to defend its
actions."
Business Rep. Will Youmans, who presented
the resolution to condone the lifting of sanctions
on Iraq,nsaid MSA should address any topic that
students feel is important. "If there is a concert-
ed effort by students to bring an issue to their
representatives' attention, then it is this kind of
activism that should be embraced and consid-
ered," Youmans said.
MSA President Trent Thompson said he disap-
proves of Burden's resignation.
"As SGC, it was unprofessional to decide to
step down once he already committed to this
position," Thompson said. "But he disagreed on
what the assembly wants."
RachamE Rep. Josh Trapani was elected by
consent of the assembly to fill the post of SGC.
During his report, Thompson introduced the
new Ambassador Program to the assembly. The
program will allow each MSA member to choose
a few student organizations to visit and discuss
the assembly's projects.
Thompson said the program will also be an
opportunity for members of other student groups
to initiate projects with the assembly.
"We will be building connections with student
organizations;' Thompson said.
Budget Priorities Committee Chair Sumeet
Karnick announced that student groupsaseeking
funding from the assembly must submit an appli-
cation by 5 p.m. today.
"At this point it looks like we're going to have
around $120,000 for next semester;' Karnick said.
Groups geared towards community service
have until tomorrow at 5 p.m. to submit an
application for funding from the Community
Service Board.
Mini-courses offer chance
to explore creative classes
By Susan t. Port
Daily Staff Reporter
Studentswhobwant to escape the con-
fines of the library can spend a few
hours each week indulging their cre-
ative side by taking part in academic
and non-academic mini-courses.
The University Activities Center is
offering i I non-academic mini-cours-
es, including bartending, swing dancing
and sign language.
LSA junior Teja Shah, the coordina-
tor of the courses, said he expects swing
dancing and bartending to be popular
this semester.
"I think there is a swing craze going
on in the nation right now," Shah said,
"The traditional classes: bartending,
ballroom dancing, yoga have been
around for awhile and will sell out."
The courses are popular because stu-
dents are able to select an area they
have are interested in but do not have to
worry about homework or grades in the
course, Shah said.
"The aim is to expand students' inter-
est and to explore the non-academic
side of students," Shah said.
Shah said many of the courses run for
six weeks. Registration will continue
through Feb. 12 and classes begin Feb.
"They offer things not offered
- Abby Wald
LSA junior
15. He added that the classes "represent
courses that students like."
LSA junior Abby Wald said she is
considering enrolling in one of the
courses, adding that a class like swing
dancing would be a great stress reliever.
"I think it's a good opportunity to
meet new people;' Wald said. "They
offer things not offered normally."
But students interested in taking a one
credit course in an academic area can
also select from several mini-courses.
Robert Wallin, director of academic
information for the College of
Literature, Science and the Arts Robert
Wallin said there are a number of cours-
es available in academic disciplines
such as physics and astronomy.
"The courses are pretty regularized
and are taught mostly by regular profes-
sors " Wallin said.
Wallin said he is amazed at how
many students choose to take a one
credit class.
Mini-courses "have grown in the sci-
ence department; a large number of stu-
dents are looking for a one credit topic,"
Wallin said. "A large number of stu-
dents do not want to take any more than
seven credits for their science distribu-
tion."
Wallin said students sometimes
choose to elect a one credit course
because after they drop other classes
that cause them to fall below 12 credits.
In these cases, the mini-courses can
compensate for the lost credits and raise
the student to full-time status.
Wallin said the courses focus on top-
ics that may become a part of a larger
class and often surprise students with
the amount of work they demand.
"It gives professors the opportunity
to get together with students and work
on a self-contained topic," Wallin
said.
DANA ULNNANE/Daily
LSA junior Mara Lunareads yesterday in the Michigan Union Art Lounge
where a Chicano/a art exhibit is on display through Feb. 13.
Week celbrats
Chicano/ahitr
By Yael Kohen
Daily-Staff Reporter
La Voz Mexicana and Alianza,
two campus Latino/a groups,
will celebrate Chicano History
Week by hosting cultural events
that aim to have students experi-
ence and learn about Chicano/a
culture.
The collage of events that
began Jan. 30 will continue
through Feb. 13.
"A week wasn't really
enough," said LSA senior
Veronica Sanchez, an Alianza
member.
A Chicano/a is a person of
Mexican descent who is born in
the United States, said LSA
senior Diego Branal, co-chair of
La Voz Mexicana.
He added that the name
Chicano/a has "serious political
connotations" because it "infers
a belief of political activism."
But this week will focus main-
ly on cultural aspects of
Chicano/a history - including
art exhibits, storytelling, dances,
performances and other social
gatherings.
An art exhibit featuring work
by Chicano artists began Jan. 30
in the Michigan Union Art
Lounge and will continue
through Feb. 13. A cultural din-
ner featuring traditional Mexican
food has also been held.
The events are aimed to be
more cultural than to promote
student activism, said Nursing
junior Raquel Casarez, secretary
of La Voz Mexicana.
Alianza and La Voz Mexicana
sent out e-mails, made banners
and fliers, advertised in the Diag
and held fundraisers to support
the events.
"For some, it's bringing home
life to the University, and others
it's learning about their identity,"
Branal said.
Starting in mid-March, the
Latino/a community will be cel-
ebrating Latino History Month.
The month-long series of events
is different from Chicano
History Week because it will
include all Latino/a peoples and
not just people of Mexican
descent.
La Voz Mexicana is working
hard this year to incorporate
other Latino/a campus groups
during Latino History Month,
Branal said.
Branal added that the groups
are "Christening our place with-
in the greater Latino communi-
ty."
,
y
IL{ CALENDAR
What's happening in Ann Arbor today
-'+ .. 1Y ,+..... "r .. . - r . .r,.,. .,.