LC CA~ STATEThe Michigan Daily - Monday Agr 1919t LOCAL/STATE *Race, political ideology, Greek 4fe split lines in admissions factors~ SURVEY Continued from Page 1 support for affirmative action at the University. "My guess is that (the white students) weren't as knowledgeable on the subject as the non- white people because it is more important to Shem. It affects their lives daily so they are more educated on the subject," said Regentin, a Michigan Student Assembly rep- resentative and Defend Affirmative Action Party member. In the sample representing 87 present of the student population, including both undergraduate and graduate students, about 60 percent of respondents favored granting points for applicants with a socio-economic disadvantage. The percentage of non-white respondents O upporting this action - 67 percent - is about 10 percentage points higher than white respondents, of whom 57 percent approved of the action. "There is a large section of the disapprov- ing people of affirmative action who say it can be replaced by socio-economic disad- vantage," Regentin said. Although it is not a legitimate substitu- tion, Regentin added, the effort is not with- #ut good intention, but it is still dodging the question of how to address discrimination. "You take the color out of it," Regentin said, explaining that while a number of eco- nomically disadvantaged applicants may be members of minority groups, the substitu- tion would not combat discrimination. About 90 percent of the students surveyed approved of the use of SAT/ACT scores in the admissions process. A demographic breakdown shows that 94 percent of self- identified white respondents favor the use of test scores and nearly 83 percent of self- identified non-white respondents agreed with the use SAT/ACT scores. But Regentin said he believes standard- ized tests are poor measures of intellectual abilities. "Not that it should be discontinued, we need many factors to evaluate applicants," Regentin said. "It should only be one of many criteria." Respondents who identified themselves with either liberal or conservative affilia- tions also showed strong splits in opinion on various admissions factors. Nearly 61 percent of respondents who said they are liberal also supported using race in admissions, but only 16 percent of conserv- ative respondents said they supported its use. Liberal respondents also were more likely to approve awarding points for socio-eco- nomic disadvantage with nearly 68 percent approval, compared to the conservative respondents 43 percent approval. Although neither group had a majority favoring the use of legacy -points awarded to applicants if family members have attend- ed or graduated from the University - lib- erals were less likely to support points for its use with only 24 percent approval, while 40 percent of conservatives approved the factor. College Democrats President Kelley Boland, an LSA junior, said these percent- ages follow with the liberal ideal to give advantages to people who have been denied privileges in the past. "It could just be a lot of times legacy gets tied to successful parents who went" to the University, Boland said. "Having a parent who went here isn't going to predict a stu- dent's success here." Male and female respondents to the sur- vey also varied in their disapproval of the use of race as a factor in admissions with nearly 46 percent of women opposing race as a factor and 56 percent of men opposing its use. Boland said she thinks this is most likely because affirmative action was designed to benefit women and minorities by attempting to eliminate race and sex discrimination. "Females are more sympathetic to minori- ties," Boland said. Survey respondents also highly approved the use of leadership as a factor in the admissions process. Regentin said questioning the University's award of leadership points is like question- ing the University's desire to attract intelli- gent applicants. Across all subgroups, students strongly approved of the University granting points for leadership achievements with 96 percent of self-identified white respondents and 92 percent of non-white identified respondents approving the use of the leadership. "That was a no-brain kind of answer," Regentin said. Another distinct group of University stu- dents, those involved in the Greek communi- ty, showed distinctly different opinions from those not involved in the Greek community, on the issue of giving points to applicants for athletic ability and race. Fifty-six percent of self-identified mem- bers of the Greek system approved awarding athletes points for admission, while only 35 percent of respondents who said they are not members of the Greek community said they approve of the athlete's points. On the question regarding awarding points for race, 33 percent of Greeks said they approved and 44 percent of non-Greeks approved. Kinesiology senior Brad Holeman, former president of the Interfraternity Council, said he thinks members of the Greek community were not weighing the two questions against each other as an either/or situation. "Greeks understand the importance of extracurricular activities," Holeman said, explaining that many Greeks participated in leadership and extracurricular activities before coming to the University, giving them a greater respect solely for athletic achieve- ment. In terms of diversity, Holeman said the Greek system is diverse, but not representa- tive of the University population as a whole, Do you approve or of the following as a admissions? SCHOLARSHIP ATPLETES& Strongly N n AgreeA s. Don't Know Strongly Disagree. D\7isagree For the entire sample, the marpi f error due to sampling is +4 per E points, and it is larger for sbsmpPes. adding that many minoriies Live other opportunities for a fraternity envsiroBlment such as the Black Greek Syste m and houses for minority students. Holeman said the lack of support trom thu Greek community for gi'n o for Li may be because of the weih of dh p on a person's application ndi not h e tence of them altogether. "A lot of people feel the i' ''a much," Holeman said. "hIat de rot Jovs n- play that race and ethnicity Thoud be k ift tor." Dinomana Timlble calls for firearms BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) - Northern Ireland's top Protestant politician appealed yesterday to the province's major outlawed pro-British groups to hand in weapons as the best way to force the IRA to do the same. David Trimble, elected last year to lead Northern Ireland's still-unformed Protestant-Catholic government, made the appeal on the eve of renewed talks in London to be led by the British and Irish prime ministers. Speaking to BBC television, Trimble said the outlawed Ulster Defense Association and Ulster Volunteer Force should hand over weapons to the disarmament commission established as part of the year-old peace accord. Like their enemies in the Irish Republican Army, the UDA and UVF have been observing cease-fires but have refused to start disarming as the peace agreement anticipated. The IRA's position has ensured Protestant refusal to form any government that includes the IRA-allied Sinn Fein party, which gets enough votes to lay claim to two of the 12 prospective Cabinet posts. Neither UDA nor UVF politicians have sufficient support to merit gov- ernment posts. : Two Pterodactyl skeletons hang as part of an exhibition yesterday at the University's Museum of Natural History located on North University Avenue. STAYING IN ANN ARBOR THIS SUMMER? JOIN THE MICHIGAN DAILY. CALL 76-DAILY FOR MORE INFORMATION. AMSTERDAM-$419 * LONDON-$440 LIMA - $464 - RIO DE JANEIRO - $691 TAIPEI - $880 " BANGKOK - $890 UYDNEY-$I 060 ROUNDTRIP, PLUS TAXES, SUBJECT TO CHANGE The Michigan Daily Finance Department is hiring for Fall/Winter 1999-2000. -Gain valuable experience -Work ten hours a week -Fun working environment Please call Debbie or Courtney 763-3246 for more information, or stop b 420 Maynard to pick up an application. at MM|Travel Council on international Educational Exchange 1218 South University Ave. Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Phone: 734-998-0200 E~I . *M y a_ 7,Ait0 N . N ..1 National Advertising Now Hiring Coordinator s... " You are a student who wants to work at an award-winning .r ., :... .,. .college newspaper .a Vni want to ha ronAnQihl for * i am