LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Monday, January 11, 1999 - 3A
O CRAMPUS
Off-Campus
Housing Fair to
inform students
University Housing is scheduled to
ponsor its annual Off-Campus
Housing Fair today from 2 to 5 p.m.
in the Ballroom of the Michigan
League.
University students will be able to
speak with rental company represen-
tatives, vendors and staff from the
Housing Information Office to
answer questions about housing
options and rental availability.
Information about off-campus
organizations such as the Inter Co-
*perative Council and the Henderson
House will also be available.
There is no charge to attend the
event. Amy Starr in the Housing
Information Office can be contacted
at 763-3205 for further information.
International
artists display
ivork at Slusser
The traveling art exhibition "Play
Mode" will be at the Jean Paul
Slusser Gallery of the School of Art
and Design through Jan. 28.
- Seven international artists from
such places as Vancouver and
Mexico City are displaying their
work in the gallery. The work itself is
a multimedia mix, ranging from
video and photos to sculpture and
sainting.
"Play Mode" was organized and
curated by Anne Walsh of the Art
Gallery at the University of
California at Irvine. The exhibi-
tion's purpose is to explore "the idea
that everyday life is as much 'per-
formed' as it is lived spontaneous-
ly.">
Many of the works are interactive,
such as a sculpture that moves once
*et in motion by participants.
Engineering
group celebrates
25th anniversary
The Society of Minority
Engineering Students, an organiza-
tion that helps to promote the success
of underrepresented Engineering stu-
dents, is celebrating its 25th anniver-
ry this month with various activi-
ties and programs.
Through the January events,
SMES hopes to increase awareness
of their services for minority engi-
neering students and further the net-
working for the students.
On Jan. 18, SMES will hold a
Martin Luther King Day symposium
from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the East
oom of the Pierpont Commons to
iscuss minority and diversity issues
in the College of Engineering.
For more information, contact
Melinda Woods at 764-2042 or e-
mail SMES at smes25th@umich.edu.
SAFE House to
hold seminar
The Ann Arbor domestic violence
center SAFE House will hold a sem-
nar this Tuesday centering on how
ends and family can support sur-
vivors of domestic violence.
The seminar will be the kick-off
for the new SAFE House friends and
family support group.
SAFE House is located at 4100
Clark Road. For more information,
-call 973-0242.
=U' students
weeded for
Dance Marathon
Students who want to participate in
the Dance Marathon but are not interest-
pd in dancing for 30 hours straight are
encouraged to help morale the event by
providing energy and encouragement.
Generally, the moralers' jobs are to
keep the spirits high at the dance
throughout their 3 to 5 hour shift.
Woralers can also keep the dancers
limber through massages.
A Moraler Retreat will be held on
Jan. 31. The Dance Marathon will
take place on Feb. 6-7.
Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
Adam Brian Cohen.
Judge gives lawsuit class-action status
By Katie Plona
Daily Staff Reporter
In step with a ruling in a similar lawsuit
against the University last month, a
Detroit judge has decided to give
the second admissions lawsuit
class-action status - potentially
increasing the number of applicants
impacted by the final ruling.
The class certification could
allow applicants with similar quali- Admi
fications - as the white applicant
who sued the University to be Ofl
retroactively admitted to the
University if the University loses the case.
Federal Judge Bernard Friedman ruled
Thursday that plaintiff Barbara Grutter will
represent the class, which could contain thou-
sands of applicants from the time Grutter
LON
LSs
tri
applied to the present.
The Washington, D.C.-based Center for
Individual Rights filed suit against the Law
School on Grutter's behalf more than
a year ago. The white applicant
claims she was unfairly evaluated
during the school's admission
process because race was used as a
factor.
Grutter applied to the Law School
in 1996 and she was placed on a
dions waiting list until June 1997 when her
'jal application was denied. She argues
that "the law school uses race as a
'predominant' factor, giving minority appli-
cants a significantly greater chance of admis-
sion than students with similar credentials
from disfavored racial groups," court docu-
ments state.
Last month, another Detroit judge gave a
similar ruling of class-action status to the law-
suit challenging the College of Literature,
Science and the Arts. The two plaintiffs in'that
lawsuit, which CIR also filed, make charges
similar to Grutter's.
One of the plaintiffs, Michigan State
University sophomore Patrick Hamacher, will
represent the class in the undergraduate lawsuit.
In an official statement released Friday,
University spokesperson Janet Mendler said
the class-action certification does not have
significant implications on the University's
admission practices.
"As in the undergraduate case, the
University does not feel a class is necessary
because the University would follow the deci-
sion of the courts even without a class,"
Mendler said.
",..the University will
continue to vigorously
defend its admission
practices. "
r#
- Janet Mendler
University spokespersorn
"This decision does not affect the merits of
the case and the University will continue to
vigorously defend its admission practices as
lawful and essential to good education." p
CIR senior legal counsel Terry Pell could not
be reached for comment.
I
MSA plans to begin
online book exchange
.
By Jewel Gopwani
Daily Staff Reporter
A new wave of book-buying is
sweeping the Web, and efforts by the
Michigan Student Assembly may add
strength to this increasingly popular
purchasing trend.
Slated to begin at the end of this
term, an MSA-sponsored online book
exchange will open on the Web.
"On this Website, students will be able
to type in the book's title, author, course
and attach their e-mail address to sell
their book," MSA Communications
Chair Joe Bernstein said."Students look-
ing for books would get a list of e-mail
addresses of people with books to sell."
MSA has been organizing the
exchange since September and will not
charge students to use it.
Costs are minimal, Bernstein said.
"The only thing it will actually cost is the
(Information Technology Division)
space."
Bernstein said he thinks the online
book exchange will be beneficial to stu-
dents. "They'll provide more money on
payback and charge less for used
books,' he said.
In addition to offering students a
deal, MSA hopes to give bookstores a
run for their money.
"We want to provide a little bit of
competition," Bernstein said.
"Bookstores are realizing that students
are getting smarter about book buying."
MSA's online book exchange is one
of quite a few of new Internet textbook
services seeking to infiltrate bookstore
markets.
Launched in August of 1998, the San
Francisco-based Big Words Inc. sells
textbooks through the Internet at what
co-founder John Bates describes as 15-
25 percent less than bookstores. Big
Words boasts it has a wide selection of
textbooks because of its connections
with approximately 150 publishers.
On Friday Big Words will also start
an online book exchange and a text-
book rental program.
"Bookstores have definitely noticed
that there is something happening on-
line," Bates said.
MSA Rep. Rory Diamond said he
likes the idea of online book buying. "I
ordered two books from Bigwords.com
and saved a total of 45 percent,'said
Diamond, an LSA sophomore.
Bookstores are keeping an eye on this
new technology, but because the online
textbook business is a young one, they
have not seen it cut into their customer
base.
"Customer service will outweigh
benefits from the Internet," said
Michigan Union Bookstore Manager,
John Battaglino. But he discourage(
students from spending book money
outside the community.
Although Battaglino said he supports
campus efforts to organize an online
book exchange, he claims the Internet
book-buying business "is a fad."
Shaman Drum Bookshop Textbook,
Organizer Bob Currie said the online:
book business "really hasn't affected us
right now."
The president of BookSwap another
online textbook venture that focuses orb
exchanging, argues that the Interne]
book-buying business will not take sig4
nificant market share from bookstores{
The Nevada-based BookSwap was
founded two years ago and receiveg
about 1,000 visitors a day from 4,000
universities.
John Wright, president of BookSwap
said, "It's not going to put bookstore4
out of business.'
But the Internet's pervasiveness may
allow MSA to threaten bookstore prices.t
"Eventually bookstores are going td
realize that the student government ij
finding ways to circumvent them;
Bernstein said.
DANA LINNANE/Daily
LSA seniors Cynthia Mahesh, Cecile Danal and Ami Shah practice in the
Michigan League for Saturday's Encompass cultural show.
Show tohighlight
wo "I
orldc
stress unity
By Asma Rafeeq
Daily Staff Reporter
Just less than one week away
from the University's first-ever pan-
ethnic cultural show, participants of
"Encompass: Many in One" are get-
ting ready for the big day.
Planners say the task, by nature,
is a challenging one for an infant
organization, requiring the coordi-
nation of 180 participants from 13
different student groups.
But that's what makes the
Encompass show unique -bringing
together people of different back-
grounds in one combined effort.
Allen Narcisse, co-coordinator of
Encompass, said that although there
have been
many indi-
Dina Patel, a Business
Administration senior. "That usual-
ly doesn't happen."
Preparing for the show has
already brought many participants
of different backgrounds closer
together, said co-coordinator Shelby
Wong, an LSA senior.
"Along the way, you naturally
establish friendships," Wong said.
Students branched out by per-
forming pieces from cultures other
than their own.
LSA senior Cynthia Mahesh,
choreographer of a traditional Tamil
Indian dance that was also per-
formed at the Indian American
Student Association Cultural Show
this fall, said
the participa-
r
1
A
vidual cul-
tural shows
on campus,
none have
Thirteen student
groups coordinated
tion of non-
Indian stu-
dents in the
da n c e
9
*
1pov
attempted to the show.
b r i n g
together eth-
nic groups
from all corners of the world.
The idea for the show and newly
formed Encompass organization,
which is putting together the
event, grew out of a concern that
many students remain socially seg-
regated.
"You hear a lot of students say that
there is a lot of diversity on campus,
but still not enough interaction
between groups," said Narcisse, a
Business Administration senior.
The show, scheduled for Saturday
at 8 p.m. in the Michigan Theater,
will feature Congolese, Persian and
salsa dancing as well as a Korean
Traditional Performing Arts Group
and other performances.
Organizers said they hope to
attract a crowd that is just as varied
as the performances.
"The best part is how diverse the
audience is going to be for this
show," said Encompass organizer
enhances the
performance.
She said
the partici-
pants who aren't Indian American
often suggested adding moves that
had a little different style.
"They bring a little bit of their
own culture into it," Mahesh said.
SNRE first-year student Norah
Rabiah, a participant in an Arabic
dance, said that although she had
never done Arabic dancing before,
she foundit came naturally to her.
"I've always been kind of timid,
but (our choreographer) was
always up there saying 'come on,
this is part of your culture,"'
Rabiah said.
She agreed with others at a dress
rehearsal yesterday that one of the
best parts of the show was getting to
know the other participants.
Tickets for the show, $7.50 for
the main floor and $5.50 for the bal-
cony, are available at the Michigan
Union Ticket Office and will also
be available at the door.
N OBODY 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
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