LOCAL/S TATE The Michigan Daily - Monday, March 22, 1999 - 3A , AMP LSA-SG candidates campaign on academics Architecture exhibit opens at Hatcher Library An exhibit on how modern theatre architecture and scenic design erives from the ancient texts of itruvius is now open at the ,University's Special Collections Library on the seventh floor of Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library. Vitruvius was a Roman author who ,wrote guidelines used to design the stage, orchestra and auditorium based on Euclidean principles of .geometry. The exhibit will focus on how dif- forent editors throughout history ve reinterpreted Vitruvius' trea- se. The exhibit, titled "Just Look at the Pictures: Book Illustrations of Theatre Architecture and Scenic Design, 1513 to 1890" will feature illustrations from 35 books ranging from Renaissance woodcuts to Baroque copperplate engravings. The exhibit is scheduled to run through May 28. 3otanical Gardens offers classes The University's Matthei Botanical Gardens will be offering gardening classes. The classes will allow gar- deners to explore new and different techniques for planting spring flow- ers. Classes will include a basic course in growing roses and a hands-on class i classical bonsai. One class will also teach partici- pants how to manage natural proper- ty, including developing trails and protecting wetlands. A weekly morning hike will offer plant explo- ration. Among other events the garden will be holding is the 19th Annual Spring Plant Sale and Marketplace. ke sale is a fundraiser for the gar- ns. , For more information about classes contact the Matthei Botanical Gardens at 998-7061. Council hosts discussion on nuclear wastes The Interfaith Council for Peace & stice plans to host a public discus- sion on nuclear waste in the Great Lakes tomorrow. The organization claims that the Great Lakes, which supply drinking water to 41 million people, are cont- amninated with nuclear waste. .. East Lansing attorney Anabel Lwyer and Michael Keegan who the council describes as a "trouble spot- r and whistle blower" at the Fermi nuclear power plant in Monroe, Mich., will lead the discussion. The event is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p,m. at the Church of the Good Shepard, which is located at 2145 Independence Blvd. Agency changing mailing policies The state of Michigan's iemployment Agency will be changing the way that it mails out unemployment checks to increase -recipient satisfaction. ;.;Currently, the agency sends self- 4ailers, which are folded checks .hued shut. This has spurred com- .l-aint among recipients and the postal office; which claims that the checks often stick together because the glue and cause one person's eck to stick to another's. Unemployment checks will be mailed in envelopes the same day they axe printed. But the speed of processing the checks will not be slowed. .,The agency said the new process will get the checks to recipients just as fast, if not faster, with the new system. The new system will elimi- nate the occasional problems with the glue machine and reduce com- ints of late or missing checks, Wcording to a press statement from the agency. - Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter Yael Kohen. i a- By Angola Bardonl Daily Staff Reporter The College of Literature, Science and the Arts may see some changes after the elections are complete and the new members of LSA- Student Government take their seats. With the ideas candidates have brainstormed, the current LSA-SG hopefuls said they want to create an atmosphere that would improve the academic experience of each LSA student. LSA senior Seema Pai, who is campaigning for LSA-SG president and her running mate John Naheedy, an LSA junior, plan to institute changes in the academic structure of the col- lege. "We want to act as liaisons between students and administration," Naheedy said. "The Communications Committee in LSA-SG has been working, and will continue to work, with LSA students in outreach programs to find out what issues are important to the student body." The most active committee in LSA-SG, said Naheedy, is the Academic Affairs Committee. Through the committee LSA-SG representatives will work to reform math group homework and institute a fall semester break allowing students to have a week off near the Thanksgiving holi- day, Naheedy said. Although different parties back the executive slates, the Pai-Naheedy team are Blue Party members, and the Jeff Harris-Mehul Madia team are Students' Party members, both share the common interests. Now that the Minor Program has been accept- ed by the administration, LSA-SG candidates said that they plan to make sure it is implement- ed. "We want to create a time line for the depart- ments, so that the students will know as soon as possible what specific requirements are needed for the completion of a minor," said LSA sopho- more Marisa Shetlar, who is running with the Students' Party for a seat on LSA-SG. The highlights of the Blue Party platform include Student Outreach, improving LSA Academic Advising, creating an online book exchange and a fall break, altering the use of group work in math courses and implementing a minor program. Through Student Outreach, a program started by the Communications Committee, LSA-SG members said that they want to inform students about LSA-SG and get input from them on how LSA-SG can improve student academic life. In addition to the Minor Program, Student Outreach, altering math courses and implement- ing a fall break, the candidates backed by the Students' Party have plans to change the foreign language requirement, better prepare LSA stu- dents for employment after graduating and to create a standard in grading among multi-sec- tion classes, such as English 125. Candidates are also aiming to provide stu- dents with greater flexibility in fulfilling their foreign language requirement. After completing three semesters of one lan- guage, students could choose to explore a dif- ferent language during their fourth semester. Presidential candidate Harris, an LSA senior, said he would like to work to develop programs that will enhance the practical skills of students as well as their intellectual skills. Initiative helps C 0, 'mixed' students By Yael Kohen Daily Staff Reporter Not all students can identify themselves within one racial or ethnic group, but the Mixed Initiative, founded on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 1996 for bi/multiracial, multi-ethnic, cross- cultural and transracially adopted people, helps those students find a place to call their own. The group was founded because "essentially there was a need for people to talk about this mixed experience," said Associate Director for Admissions and Career Development Tara Young, one of the group's original mem- bers. Mixed Initiative founder Ursula Liang, who began the group during her senior year at the University, said she had a difficult time within social circles throughout her col- lege experience because she didn't know where she belonged. People "come here, they don't know how to fit in," Liang said. But members said that during the years they have received a lot of criticism from other racial and eth- nic groups saying that "mixed" peo- ple are trying to segregate them- selves. "Mixed" people are not just part of one group, and "we're tired" of having to belong to so many dif- ferent groups, Young said. "My intention was not to self- segregate" but to help people reach out to other racial and ethnic groups, Liang said. The group, along with the University's Minority Marrow 'U' student earns chance to compete on JAopary. JEREMY MENCHIK/Daily Woody Williams, a high school student from Cleveland, Ohio, reads his own poetry during an open mike session Saturday during the "Mix: Coloring Outside the Lines" conference sponsored by Mixed Initiative and the University chapter of the Minority Marrow Donor Coalition. "This is the first time that I can say something I am" - Jeremiah Sim LSA junior Donor Coalition, held its third annual conference "Mix: Coloring Outside the Lines," focusing on the mixed experience this week- end. The conference included several workshops to help students begin to identify themselves. Workshops included researching family genealogy, bi/mulitracism, family issues, identity, interfaith and interracial relationships, the media's portrayal of mixed people and transracial adoption. Guest speakers were invited to discuss multi-racial issues at the conference. Lisa Funderburg, a freelance journalist and author, is researching racially integrated neighborhoods around the country, according to the conference program. Naomi Zack, who has a Ph.D. in philosophy, also came to address the group. Her current work includes racial theory and the history of philoso- phy. In an open-mic session, members and non-members were welcomed to share their feelings about their experiences stemming from their racially or ethnically mixed back- grounds. Some students read poetry they had written, while another student read a poem by Langston Hughes and other students spoke about their own past and present experi- ences with being multiracial or multi-ethnic. "This is the first time that I can say something I am," LSA junior Jeremiah Sim said during the open mic session, adding that previous- ly he only knew where he did not fit in. Music sophomore Emilia Mettenbrink said she comes from a mixed background but was never able to fully identify with either By Jeannie Baumann For the Daily As the Wolverines battle for NCAA titles in a variety of sports, LSA sopho- more Julie Ann Cohen is preparing to compete in a different kind of college tournament - College Jeopardy. Cohen said she is "very excited" about the opportunity to compete on the award-winning game show. She said she has always loved playing at home and thought it would be fun to try out. "I did it on a whim. I wasn't even sure if it was something I wanted to do, Cohen said. "But I decided to go for it and just see what happens." During the University tryouts, which took place at Pierpont Commons on North Campus on March 12, Cohen went through a series of tests before she qualified for the show. It began with a 10-question preliminary round, fol- lowed by a 50-question pretest. From this test, coordinators selected 12 names from a group of more than 80 Jeopardy! hopefuls - the last of which was hers. "I couldn't believe it when they called my name," she said. Cohen and other finalists then played a mock ver- sion of Jeopardy!, complete with TV monitors and an eight-second time limit in which to answer questions. Contestant coordinators also conducted interviews, telling the students that if they receive a Federal Express package later in the week, they had been select- ed for the show. Cohen received her package Thursday, but actually found out the day before. She said she returned to her home and had a voice mail mes- sage that said, "This is Jeopardy! Please call us." After finding out that she made the show, Cohen said she felt, "stunned, shocked, and so excited." In order to pick 15 students from the tens of thousands who auditioned, Hea4 Contestant Coordinator Susanne Thurber said the coordinators look pri- marily at test scores, but also at contes- tants' energy and game-playing ability. "We try to spread it out throurghout the country. Often students don't under- stand why they didn't get picked, but there are so many good kids," Thurber said. Publicity Director Rebecca Erbstein agreed, saying the selection process is not only hard for coordinators, but for students as well. "It's very difficult to select the con- testants because there are so many amazing students. Coordinators gv through a long and difficult process' she said. Craig Barker, an LSA junior wh" won College Jeopardy! in 1997; recalled his experience as "really good. Everybody there was fun and support- ive. It was a really interesting feeling (being on the show) since it was a total- ly new experience." He said he would advise Cohen t6 "practice as much as you can. Mak6 sure you know what your weaknesses are and try to cover them. Above all just try and have fun." Cohen said that is exactly what she plans to do. She added that her strategy is just to enjoy herself. "I've always had fun playing along, on TV, and I'll play to have fun when; I'm on the show,"Cohen said. She is guaranteed to play in at least: one game and even more if she makes it to the final rounds of the tournament, Cohen is scheduled to leave fors Chicago in April to tape the show, which will air during the first two, weeks of May. group. "I didn't feel people my situation until I member of this Mettenbrink said. understood became a group," 15th Annual Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Circle Awards The Columbia Scholastic Press Association presents awards each year to student journalists who have excelled in their field of work. The Michigan Daily staff received 18 awards this year. We would also like to congratulate the Michiganensian on earning a Gold Crown award, one of the highest honors in college journalism. - Heather Kamins, Editor in Chief The Michigan Daily 4 Single Subject Presentation 1st place: "We're No. 1" book by The Michigan Daily Sports writing 1st place: T.J. Berka Honorable Mention: Sharat Raju Sports feature 2nd place: Sharat Raju Sports Column 2nd place: Jim Rose In-depth News Feature 2nd place: Katie Plona and Peter Romer-Friedman Health News 3rd place: Gerard Cohen-Vrignaud Health Feature 3rd place: Gerard Cohen-Vrignaud Health Opinion 3rd place: Megan Schimpf Spot News Photo 3rd place: Warren Zinn Photo Story 3rd place: Margaret Myers and Warren Zinn Honorable mention: Nathan Ruffer Spot News PortfolIo 2nd place: Warren Zinn Sports Photo 3rd place: Warren Z inn Sports Portfolio 1st place: Warren Zinn Overall Design Honorable mention: the Michigan Daily News Page Design Honorable mention: Heather Kamins and Erin Holmes Honorable mention: Heather Kamins and Adam Zuwerink Gold Crown: The Michiganensian Correction: The Greek Week Education Forum is scheduled to take place tonight, this was incorrectly reported in last Monday's Daily. * The School of Information ranked third in The U.S. News & World Report. This was omitted from Friday's Daily. What's happening in Ann Arbor today EVENTS U "Prosecution in the Criminal SERVICES Your event could be here. U a-mpusI-n.orm--ion Center-,-763 I I.-,.er.m U Campus Information Centers, 763- [ I = ===MA