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 Ii ____________________________________________________________________________ What's happening in Ann Arbor today interviews, and Other Practical World Wide Web Strategies," Sponsored by U Northwalk, 763-WALK, Bursley Alliance for the Mentally IlI of Lobby, 8 p.m.- 1:30 a.m. Washtenaw County, St. U Psychology Academic Peer Advising, Drvh Cnth£r7-Z711 iFa~ct HA4IL PAnm136 GROUP MEETINGS Q Conference on the Holocaust Mass Mtni_43 E LiIIAPI1499 Hili 5St..7 soups like our Zuppa Toscana. That's Italian generosity. And I