LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Thursday, February 11, 1999 - 3A
(ESEARCH
New or c
substance to help
disolve oil spills
A researcher at Louisiana State
aiversity developed an organic sub-
" stance designed to dissolve the oil from
spills and then disappear with the oil.
Gary Breitenbeck, a soil microbiologist
and environmental researcher, began
working on the project out of a concern
for Louisiana's wildlife and waterways
that were being harmed by small spills
nearly every week.
-The product, which Breitenbeck
>named "bagasse," is produced from
Wr cane rhine reacting with ammo-
-oxygen atmosphere under high tem-
peratures and pressures. Benefits of the
new product include its natural origins,
its effectiveness in wet and dry condi-
tions and its possibly stimulating effect
on Louisiana's sugar cane industry.
Until now, the only method of clean-
'ing up an oil spill was burning the area,
which kills much wildlife, Breitenbeck
said.
rders for bagasse have already start-
coming in to the university from
around the world. Researchers have a
licensing agreement with AltFuels Inc.
to sell the product once it is ready for
commercial use.
Screening could
reduce cancer risk
Investigators at the University's
Health System concluded that popula-
*-based screening for Helicobactor
pylori could significantly reduce the risk
'of gastric cancer at a reasonable cost.
"The screenings, which would only be
required once in a lifetime, have the
potential to be more cost-effective than
piammography and prostate cancer test-
frig, researchers claim. Their study, pub-
lished in Archives of Internal Medicine,
utilized computer simulations to ana-
V the health and economic conse-
quences of screening.
H pylori infection, classified by the
World Health Organization as a group I
carcinogen, has well-established links
to nost peptic ulcer diseases and gastric
cancer. Gastric cancer strikes early in
life, so in each life saved by screenings,
a,significant number of life-years would
be' gained.
The study was conducted by
earchers in the Consortium for
.Ath Outcomes, Innovation and Cost-
Effectiveness Studies, a research unit
funded jointly by the University's
,departments of medicine and surgery.
Cervical cancer
vaccine tested
A vaccine being tested at five cancer
centers across the nation may have the
*ity to fight a virus that is one of the
most common causes of cervical cancer.
Several types of the human papillo-
mia virus have been linked with cervical
cancer. An approximated one in five
people have molecular evidence of
being infected with HPV
The Center for Infectious Diseases is
offering a $75 stipend to participants in
the study to compensate for each visit.
Injections of the vaccine will be given
three times during a six month period.
out 700 to 1,000 women around the
nation are expected to participate in the
study.
Heart program
looks successful
Because of a new program at the
University Health System, thousands of
Michigan coronary artery disease
ents may be able to forego heart
ery for an aggressive alternative
approach to treatment.
"After two years in the program,
called Coronary Alternative Treatment
;Strategies, none of the participants have
had heart attacks or bypass surgery.
The program brings patients together
with a team of University physicians,
nutritionists, social workers and exercise
physiologists to work out lifestyle
changes.
begins with a two-week residential
about nutrition, cooking, exer-
cise and stress reduction. A two-year
home program, in which patients make
regular visits to the University and exer-
cise facilities, follows the first segment.
- Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
Asma Rafeeq.
Rape survivor writes about experiences
By Jaile Winkir
Daily Staff Reporter
Last night, at Shaman Drum Bookshop,
University alumnus Patricia Weaver Francisco intro-
duced her new book "Telling'" which is an account
of her experiences and survival after being raped.
"I had no intention of ever writing about this"
Francisco said.
She began writing the book in 1991, 10 years
after she was raped. Francisco said she wanted to
mark the anniversary in a very deliberate way.
"I have a very happy life right now," she said.
Francisco graduated from the University in
1973 with a bachelor of arts in journalism. She
went on to write many books and teach at Hamline
University in St. Paul, Minn. She is also a found-
ing member of Arts Action Against Domestic
Violence.
Many of the people who attended Francisco's pre-
sentation last night nodded their heads in agreement
"I had no intention of ever writing about this,."
- Patricia Weaver Francisco
Author of "Telling"
while they listened to Francisco read excerpts from
her book, her first ever work of non-fiction.
"Right after it happened, I went out and looked
for accounts from women," said LSA senior
Danielle Gordon, who is also a rape survivor. She
added that she used poetry as an outlet for her
experiences and assumed other women did too.
Shaman Drum Bookshop author events coordi-
nator Paul Roberts said book-signing and book-
reading events usually draw in students. "This is
very much a town crowd," Roberts said.
"I'm surprised that there are so many men"
here, said Justin Vidovic, a Canton resident.
Vidovic said he was happy with the easy tone of
the discussion following the reading. It is rare to
have a large group talking freely about a taboo
subject, he said.
The crowd of about 20 people asked Francisco
questions and offered suggestions for other books
to read dealing with rape survival.
Vidovic said he thought many of the people who
came to the event have had some personal experi-
ence with rape, or experience with helping a loved
one.
Shaman Drum's publicist Alex Crampton said
she has read many books with similar themes,
adding that this book stands out because it was
written by a professional writer.
"It's an extremely articulate account of an expe-
rience that is otherwise, and often, unspeakable,"
Crampton said. "That is what makes this book a
gift."
Francisco recalled a University professor telling
her "You'll do something with words but you'll
never be a newspaper person." She also told the
crowd about her days protesting in the late '60s in
Ann Arbor and her experiences writing for The
Michigan Daily.
"The landmarks you don't know you're accu-
mulating in your soul ... there's something power-
ful about it," she said.
Francisco praised University programs like
Northwalk, Safewalk and the Sexual Assault
Prevention and Awareness Center.
"The fact there are institutional (precautions) on
this campus is lucky," Francisco said. She added
that all students should strongly insist on their
safety and take advantage of these programs.
AmenCorgs to expand,
encourage colleg'e students
By Nick Bunkley
Daily Staff Reporter
President Clinton, in a speech yes-
terday at the University of Maryland
at College Park, announced the launch
of a nationwide recruitment campaign
for the AmeriCorps service program.
The six-month national campaign
will culminate in AmeriCorps' five-
year anniversary, said Harris Wofford,
CEO of the Corporation for National
Service, which runs AmeriCorps. He
said the drive began yesterday with
promotions on MTV and will include
recruiting visits to colleges and high
schools.
AmeriCorps is a domestic descen-
dant of the Peace Corps program that
former President John F. Kennedy
first announced on the steps of the
Michigan Union in 1960.
Peace Corps volunteers number
7,500 today, Wofford said, while
AmeriCorps boasts a membership of
40,000.
The AmeriCorps program material-
ized after Clinton's call for a national
service organization soon after his
1993 inauguration.
Students who join AmeriCorps-can
earn $4,725 toward their college edu-
cation for a one-year full-time com-
mitment. Some students also receive a
living allowance and college credit.
Although financial incentives draw
"A merCorps has come of age"
- Harris Wofford
CEO, Corporation for National Service
some students into the program,
Wofford said, "It was not set up as pri-
marily a way to go to college. It was to
meet critical needs of our country
with this type of service."
The University operates the largest
AmeriCorps program in the state of
Michigan, said adjunct Public Health
Prof. Toby Citrin, the University's
director of community-based public
health.
Paired up with a 20-member com-
munity organization known as the
Michigan Neighborhood Program,
University graduate students in eight
schools spend time outside of class
performing service projects in Detroit,
said Social Work and Urban Planning
Prof. Barry Checkoway, director of
the Center for Learning Through
Community Service.
The program allows students to
gain hands-on experience in their field
of study and in other areas.
"Students can not only be getting
theory through lectures and books but
can also be putting it into practice,"
Citrin said. "Students who participate
always tell us that these are some of
the most valuable experiences they've
had."
Clinton has proposed a 24 percent
increase in funding for AmeriCorps,
Wofford said. The additional alloca-
tion of $106 million next year will
allow for 100,000 new members by
2002.
Some of the money will go toward
President's Students Service Awards,
which would match the value of local
scholarships up to $500, Wofford said.
One student from every high school is
eligible for the award, selected on the
basis of outstanding service.
Wofford said the government's
commitment to funding AmeriCorps
is well-deserved.
"AmeriCorps has come of age,"
Wofford said. "If (the younger) gener-
ation shows that it is a 'do-something
generation,' Congress is ready to back
them."
The University's AmeriCorps pro-
gram, a division of CLTCS, is only
available to graduate students but
undergraduate students are eligible for
other AmeriCorps programs in the
state.
CHRIS CAMPERNEL/Daily
Students in Mosher-Jordan Residence Hall celebrate Black History Month
with a special meal in the dining hall last night.
History events
draw crowds
By Sarah Lewis
Daily Staff Reporter
Nearly two weeks into Black
History Month, students can still take
part in the many activities sponsored
by both the University and a number
of student groups.
Lisa McRipley, interim coordinator
at the office of Multi-Ethnic Student
Affairs, said this year's events have
been well-attended so far - not only
by students, but also by people from
outside the University community.
"We want to improve on that for
next year," she said, adding that the
Black History Month participants
have been made up by a diverse
group of people.
"We're seeing a lot of participation
and it's an exciting thing," McRipley
said. "Not just black students, but
students of all races come. That's a
positive. That's exactly what we want
to see."
"COTO: Chocolate on the
Outside,' a play that drew about 500
audience members Tuesday night,
has been one of the most popular
events, McRipley said.
The play focused on different
issues affecting the black community,
she said, including "difficult topics"
like hair texture and skin color.
"We're always wondering how to
define ourselves as black people;"
McRipley explained.
LSA junior Theresa Oney, who
attended the play, said it was "deep
and really good" because of the
issues it confronted - including
interracial dating, being a "sellout"
and black colleges.
She also mentioned the diversity
of participants involved in Black
History Month activities.
"I think it's equally important for
everyone to attend," Oney said. "But
it tends to be students of the same
race. They're going to identify with it
the most."
She added that for most ethnic
events - whether it's Black History
Month or an Arab cultural activity -
people outside that race or ethnicity
may not know enough about it to get
involved in the organization of activ-
ities.
"I would be very surprised if white
people took the initiative in plan-
ning" Black History Month events,
Oney said.
Tonight, Kinesiology Profs. Keith
Harrison and Tom George are sched-
uled to speak on "The Black Athlete:
Culture, Myth and Media" at the
William Monroe Trotter House from
6 to 8 p.m.
Harrison, who teaches on the sub-
jects of race relations, cultural
images and sports, said the talk will
focus on stereotypes about black
males in athletics and how it affects
their academics.
"In higher education there's a lot of
stereotypes about African-American
males," Harrison said. "They're sup-
posed to be athletes.'
Harrison personally relates to the
subject, he said, because he is a black
male and played football in college.
"People still ask me if I'm on the
football team:' he said, adding that
people see the image of black males
as athletes more than any other pro-
fession, especially because of the
way black athleticism is portrayed by
the media.
He said the media often focuses on
drawing a distinction between
"good" black athletes like Grant Hill
and "bad" ones like Dennis Rodman,
although white people aren't the only
ones guilty of stereotyping.
"The visibility of the African-
American athlete is so prevalent,
people feel comfortable making
those assumptions," Harrison said,
adding that these assumptions made
on college campuses are often due to
a lack of diversity among students.
GRoup MEETINGS Sponsored by Students of Friends of the Michigan League,
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