I LOCAL/STATE The Michigan Daily - Friday, April 14, 2000 -3 YRRIME Patient smoking in hospital room 4gnites blaze A patient at University Hospitals was in critical condition after a fire broke out in his room shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday, Kara Gavin, spokes- woman for the University Health Sys- tems said yesterday. Department of Public Safety investi- gators ruled that the fire was caused by the patient smoking in his room. The Ann Arbor Fire Department responded t the fire and officials confirmed that hospital sprinkler system kept the blaze contained to the patient's room. There were no other injuries, but the unit was temporarily evacuated, Gavin said. According to DPS reports, the patient had been warned before about smoking, and hospital staff previously had confiscated lighters and cigarettes from him. DPS reports said the *tient's bedding was made from flame-retardant materials but oxygen being used by the patient is believed to have accelerated the fire. Patients were still being returned to the unit yesterday. Two men found taking pictures with pants down n Two teenage males were seen 'ing pictures in a bathroom at the School of Education Building on Tuesday night, DPS reports state. One was reportedly taking pictures of the other as he sat on the toilet with his pants down. DPS did not report having any suspects. Woman assaulted t Arbor Heights A female employee was kicked in the shoulder by an Arbor Heights Juvenile Center resident Monday night, DPS reports state. The extent of the woman's injuries were unknown and the suspect later escaped from Arbor Heights before being returned to the facili- ty by DPS officers. Items stolen from ending machine A vending machine on the first floor'of West Quad Residence Hall was broken into Wednesday evening, according to DPS reports. The glass on the front of the machine had been removed and all the items were missing. DPS did not report having any suspects. elan walking on East U. insulted Two unknown people called a man walking along East University Avenue on Tuesday night by a derogatory name, DPS reports state. Both sus- pects reportedly had facial hair. Shower curtains tolen from South uad bathroom Six shower curtains were stolen from a bathroom in South Quad Residence Hall on Wednesday afternoon, DPS reports state. DPS did not report having any suspects. DPS units unable ) locate burglars DPS officers aiding the Ann Arbor Police Department in a search for rob- bery suspects in the 600 block of Mon- roe Street on Monday night were unable to locate anyone involved, DPS reports state. Employee reports desk lamp stolen A female employee of the Kellogg e Center found her desk lamp miss- ing upon returning to her office Mon- day, DPS reports state. DPS is investigating the incident. - Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter David Enders. Group aims for access to administration By Tiffany Maggard Daily Staff Reporter Latino students on campus may now have a new effective means of attaining leadership and influ- ence at the University - by going straight to the top. Members of the Collegiate Leadership Develop- ment Program have met weekly throughout the semester with high-level University administrators including interim Dean of Students Frank Ciancio- Ia. During the meetings, administrators familiar- ized the students with the roles of their jobs so students will be able to contact individuals who can help them make a difference in the Latino commu- nity. LSA junior Janet Padilla, who worked on the program with LSA senior Nick Delgado, said CLDP is an alternative means to making Latino concerns heard on campus rather than through other facets of activism like public protests. "Our goals are to have constructive, bilateral conversation between the administration and the Latino community, because usually we have to be outside screaming and protesting - trying to get heard," she said. Padilla said the program, which has been suc- cessfully implemented at several universities across the nation, including University of California at Los Angeles and Michigan State University, has five fundamental missions, which entail familiariz- ing Latino students with University officials and the internal structure of the University and making officials aware of the students' talent and potential. CLDP member Rosio Suarez, an LSA freshman, said the group was eager to implement these goals. "We wanted to talk to administration and see how Latinos were represented on their agendas. We wanted to make sure our voices were heard more at U of M," she said. Padilla and Delgado introduced the program to Cianciola earlier this semester after learning about it through the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute based in Chicago, from which the pro- gram originated. Cianciola said he was impressed by the program when it was brought to him and believes it has proven itself successful. "Basically, as I reviewed "Our goals are to have constructive, bilateral conversation. -Janet Padilla LSA junior the proposal, I thought it was an opportunity to have substantive conversation between students and faculty. Whenever you can have that kind of dialog, it's a good thing," he said. LSA sophomore Victor Soto, a CLDP member, said the group was able to probe several of its con- cerns about minority representation on campus - concerns not exclusive to Latinos. He said CLDP members, when working with University Director of Undergraduate Admissions Ted Spencer and Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Lester Monts, had the opportunity to address their concern for the drop in minority enrollment and the need for more minority faculty members. Padilla said the program will continue next year, but members are still aiming to make it an official University program. Soto said he and other mem- bers of CLDP are committed to making that hap- pen. Soto said CLDP members from this semester's session plan to see that student representatives of the Latino community make incoming Latino stu- dents aware of the program during fall orientation so it will remain strong and successful. "I thought it was a positive experience - we met with a lot of people, were made aware of who the administrators are. It helped humanize them ... it also helped me understand what they go through. A few of them really fight for students, but they have to go through a lot of redline and politics; Soto said. I RC students fight against new course grade policy By Jacquelyn Nixon Daily Staff Reporter With the Residential College plan- ning to use letter grades for courses in addition to narrative evaluations, many RC students who gathered in East Quad's Madrigal Lounge last night said they had not been given a chance to voice their opposition to the changes. "There wasn't much interaction between the administration and the RC students and we weren't allowed to react. We haven't been given the opportunity to voice our views. We've just been given the grandfather clause," RC sophomore Sanjay P Hukku said. The new grading policy was announced to students this week through an e-mail from RC Director Tom Weisskopf. "It is standard practice within the LSA College to hold external reviews of departments and units at intervals of approximately every 10 years. The LSA College takes these reviews very seriously because they include recommendations for improving the unit and that serve as the basis for long range planning," LSA Dean Shirley Neuman and Associate LSA Dean Robert Owen said in the e-mail. "An important consideration in this decision involves the way narrative evaluations are weighed by admissions committees of graduate and profes- sional schools," the statement said. Another one of the changes that will be made concerns the number of pass/fail credits allotted to RC stu- dents. "Currently RC students have more than 30 pass/fail credits, and the new plan with only given them 30 credits like all other LSA students," Hukku said. "The college has decided to accept the recommendation of the external reviewers, and has requested that the RC convert its grading practices to conform to these of the rest of the Col- lege. Present RC students will not be affected by this change," the statement said. Owen attended an LSA Student Government meeting Tuesday. LSA- SG passed a resolution during their meeting urging "RC faculty students and LSA faculty, students and adminis- tration to keep an open mind in all demands." The resolution also called "for further consideration by the dean's office for the concerns of RC faculty" "The dean's main concern was to give RC students an opportunity for getting into grad school," RC sopho- more Rachel Razgunas said. Hukku, who attended yesterday's meeting with Owen, said "he ended the meeting saying that this change is a part of many changes to come." A few members of the RC faculty were present to hear student's opin- ions and discuss the relationship with RC and LSA faculty. "There are those at the RC who are not on the tenure track and they aren't respected. We have a higher percent- age of them than LSA. It's kind of a class war," RC lecturer Katherine Mendeloff said. The new plan is scheduled to be implemented in Fall 2001. Some stu- dents said they fear those who have already been accepted into the RC will arrive in a program that has become too similar to LSA. "We want to maintain diversity. We're not better or worse than LSA students, we're just different, Hukku said. DAVID ROCHKIND/Daily LSA sophomore Sarah Marks makes posters yesterday to protest the decision to change the Residential College's grading system from written evaluations to letter grades. , MILE Continued from Page 1 students. We're not exploiting students because they can choose to buy it or not buy it," Fuentes said. "We hate the per- verts out here and the people who come out of town. It gets way out of hand." Ann Arbor resident John Gabriel, who set up shop outside of West Hall Engineering Arch, said that there is a difference between selling T-shirts and putting pictures on the Internet. "It's unfortunate that the mass media and especially the Internet has dampened the spirit of the event. It was originally for students and alum- ni," Gabriel said. Department of Public Safety Spokeswoman Diane Brown agrees that the problems associated with Naked Mile stem from its now chaotic atmosphere. "This is not just a student issue, if it was just a student thing per- haps it would be a whole different event," she said. "Our students have demonstrated many times this year they are capable of making their voices heard in non- violent situations, but what about the people who are coming to our campus this weekend? Do they have the same non-violent request?" Many of the spectators inundating Ann Arbor tonight are from areas all over the country and even the world. Naked Mile photos have cropped up even on international Websites. Fears of being seen on these sites are keep- ing many students from running. "I don't like the idea of someone taking my picture and putting it on the Web so I'd never run the Naked Mile," said LSA sophomore Emily Hebert. While these sites show runners carousing, they don't show the stu- dents arrested for indecent exposure, minors in possession of alcohol or run- ners groped and assaulted. DPS estimates that last year alone, the event garnered between 8,000 and 10,000 people. With crowds tonight expected to exceed last year's, a ques- tion arises as to the physical safety of the runners and their vulnerability in being filmed or videotaped. Runners will be snaking their way through crowds of spectators, reporters and camera crews. Brown even referred to the event as running a "gauntlet.: "A lot of people get the impression that this is an endorsed, sponsored and planned event and that there will be barriers up," she said. "This is not what this is, this is a dangerous event." Business owners whose shops line the path don't seem particularly wor- ried. "In years past, except with street litter we haven't had any structural damage," Campus Rentals manager Bruce Dekracker said. But DPS is concerned with more than just litter. The possibility of run- ners being physically or sexually assaulted is a great one. "When there is that size a crowd with that much inebriation, there is very little we can do to prevent some- one from being raped," Brown said. She added that since the Naked Mile is not endorsed nor planned by the University and because the cost of keeping an ambulance on hand for medical emergencies runs thousands of dollars, medical assistance will not be supplied. "If we find someone who needs an ambulance we'll call for it and then figure out how to get it to where the person is," Brown said. She added that if police are dressed in added protection, such as riot gear, it is not to intimidate spectators and runners, but to protect the police force. I IM9 COULDN'T FIND A SUBLETTER FOR THE SUMMER? STAY IN ANN ARBOR AND WRITE FOR THE DAILY. CALL 7G-VDAI LY FOR MORE INFORMATION. Lessons That Will Last A Lifftime. Put that college degree to use by enrolling into the Air Force Officer Training School. Upon successful completion of the Off icerTraining School, you will become a commissioned Air Force officer with earned respect and benefits like - great starting pay, medical and dental care, management and travel AIM HIGH opportunities. For more on how to qualify and get your career soaring with the Air Force Officer Training School, call 1-800-423-USAF; or visit our website at www.airf*rce.com www.airforce.com THE CALENDAR What's happening in Ann Arbor today EVENTS readings and discussion of Yid- Maurer's "Fade," about a dis- dish literature selections and abled rock star. RC Auditorium, Scott Rogers, contemporary folk- singing Yiddish songs, JCC, East Quad, 8:30 p.m., 647- rock, Amer's, 8 p.m. 2935 Birch Hollow Dr. 1:30-3 4354 * "The Zoo Story." Soon sored by . .m., s 9..71-90n a it c ...l,. Part-Time On Campus Cutting-edge RP ANT h U111 lE IMP 1111 KnEE