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The Michigan Daily - Monday, October 25, 1999 - 3A
CAMPUS
Harvard Prof. to
present lecture
on human values
Harvard University Prof. Helen
Vendler is scheduled to deliver the
University's Tanner Lecture on Human
Values, titled, "Whitman on Lincoln:
Aspects of Value," Friday at 4 p.m. in
Rackham Auditorium.
Vendler, a poetry critic for The New
Yorker as well as regular essayist and
reviewer for The New York Times Book
Review and the New York Review of
Books, received her Ph.D. in English
and American literature from Harvard
in 1960.
The Tanner Lecture on Human
Values is funded by a grant from Obert
Tanner and is established at six univer-
sities in the United States and England,
including Utah, Stanford and Oxford.
Past lecturers include author Toni
Morrison and sociologist William
'Julius Wilson.
Engineering prof.
dies at 104
Electrical engineering Prof William
Dow died on Oct. 17 in Bellevue,
Wash. He celebrated his 104th birthday
two weeks prior to his death.
Dow was responsible for creating
and' organizing 13 laboratories and
researco units, including Space Physics
Research, Plasma Engineering and the
Cooley Electronics Laboratories. He
also co-founded the Willow Run
Laboratories - now called the
Environmental Research Institute of
Michigan.
Dow taught electrical engineering
from 1938-65 and served as depart-
ment chair from 1960-65.
"He was a very personable, kind
man," said EECS Prof. George Haddad
who earned his masters and Ph.D.
degrees under Dow in the late 1950s.
The funeral will be held today at 2
p.m. at St. Andrews Episcopal Church
in Ann Arbor.
'U' joins group of
oceanographic
institutions
The University has joined the Joint
Oceanographic Institutions, an organi-
zation of 14 schools that manages the
scientific planning and operations for
the Ocean Drilling Program, the
world's largest international geo-
sciences program.
Until 1997, JOI membership was
restricted to the 10 founding institutions,
but University professors, scientists, and
students have participated in JOI
research cruises in past years. Of 250
institutions that have participated in the
project since 1985, the University ranks
ninth in level of participation.
AIDS research
pioneer dies at 77
University mathematical biologist
John Jacquez, whose research on the
transmission of the AIDS virus gained
international acclaim, died Oct. 16 at 77.
A professor emeritus of physiology
and biostatistics, Jacquez taught at the
Medical and Public Health Schools
from 1962-90.
His research brought to the world's
attention the importance of the primary
infection period for the spread of HIV
and its implications for the develop-
ment of an HIV vaccine. His work with
colleagues won the 1995 Howard Temin
Prize.
Solar car takes 9th
place in race
The University's solar car, Maize
'laze, captured a ninth-place finish in
the 1999 World Solar Car Challenge on
Friday in Australia.
The race spanned 1,800 miles and
took more than 48 hours to finish,
Maize Blaze is the fifth solar car built
by University undergraduates since solar
car racing began a decade ago.
The team is already working toward
a sixth-generation car, to compete in
Sunryce 2001.
- Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
Jeannie Baumann.
Conference exarin1es weight obsession
By Nicole Tuttle
For the Daily
The average woman is 5'4" and weighs 140
pounds, said Jonathon Robinson,. assistant pro-
fessor of kinesiology at Michigan State
University, but the average woman wants to he
much smaller.
Robinson spoke at a corference regarding
cultural perceptions of woren's weight and
beauty held in the Michigan Union on Friday.
Robinson argued that mainstream culture in
the United States focuses too heavily on thin-
ness and overlooks the risks of constant dieting.
"We are always dealing with people's physical-
ness, not everything else," Robinson said.
"Everyone in this country is either fat or scared to
death of becoming fat," he said.
An obsession with weight can lead to a loss of
self-esteem, especially in women, he added.
"Women are not happy with their bodies, and
they often think about their appearance more
often than is use f"
- Barbara Fredrickson
Asst. psychology professor
University of Michigan assistant psychology
Prof. Barbara Fredrickson presented her research
dealing with women's perceptions of themselves
caused by popular culture's sense of beauty.
Fredrickson's studies indicate that women often
feel shamed by their bodies and can devep
depression, disordered eating and sexual dysfu nc-
tion based on this feeling.
"Women are not happy with their bodies, and
they often think about their appearances more often
than is useful," she said.
Ijeoma Nnodim, an LSA sophomore, said she
agreed with Fredrickson's lecture.
"I see all these skinny little girls carrying their lit-
tie water bottles and I feel sorry for them," she said.
"Where I come from, in Nigeria, women have
stuff on them. Dresses at home are cut with places
for breasts and hips," she said. "Dresses here are
cut straight down because women don't want
curves:'
Robinson said that an estimated $30 to $50 bil-
lion are spent yearly on diet products. He added
that 50 percent of young women are dieting every-
day.
"There is no long-term treatment for weight
loss," said Robinson. He indicated that 95 per-
cent of people who lose weight regain it within
a year.
Fredrickson said that weight is part of a larg-
er problem. She cited objectification of women
as a direct cause of weight obsession. She point-
ed out that ads in magazines and TV often treat
.women as nameless sex objects.
She argued that "even people happy with their
bodies engage in disordered eating" for fear of
gaining weight.
Nnodim said she wished that people would stop
worrying about appearances. "Respect yourself
regardless of your weight" she said.
SEED plants hopes of 'U'
for grade school children
Semi-annual program teams 'U'
students with Detroit area school
children.
By Charles Chen
For the Daily
The dream of attaining higher education came a step
closer for 100 fourth-grade students from Noble
Elementary school in Detroit as they visited the
University campus Friday.
In its third year, Students Establishing Educational
Dreams sponsored the event in hopes of encouraging
underrepresented students from Detroit to continue their
education.
LSA junior Becky Kinney coordinated the event along
with 10 other students.
"We wanted to get the kids excited about their educa-
tion now," Kinney said. "We wanted to show them
school as a totally different life."
This event also included the participation of 50 stu-
dent volunteers from the University who were paired up
with two fourth graders to take to different events
throughout the day.
As a part of the program, students shared their experi-
ences from college and expressed the importance of fur-
thering one's own education. LSA sophomore Sarah
Hoople said, "We wanted them to see more in the world
and that they have the opportunity for higher education."
The campus day began for the students with an inter-
active motivational speech by Doug Lewis, director of
Student Legal Services. In his presentation, Lewis
stressed that, "Life is about choices, you have to choose
what is right to do."
His message was for the students to understand that
"dreams are important," but that they must "make choic-
es with good information," which will impact their
dreams.
Also, as a part of their day, the fourth graders were
treated to presentations on art, astronomy, sign language
and computers.
Noble Elementary faculty member Michelle Veiten
said, "It is absolutely wonderful for the children to be in
the program, to gain exposure to college life and see stu-
dents interacting."
Noble Elementary is limited in its resources and stu-
dents. "They don't have any art classes or computers for
the students," Hoople said. While they are limited in
what they can provide for their students, programs such
as SEED give disadvantaged children hope and a vision
for the future.
"We want for them to see that no matter what the situa-
tion is, they can work hard and get here too," Hoople said.
The program not only allowed elementary school stu-
dents to gain exposure to college, it gave some
University students the chance to interact with children.
"I love little kids and it's important to help them. If we
make a difference in one kid, it's all worth it," said
Engineering sophomore Sarah Niemec.
SEED is a semi-annual program, and members plan to -
bring another class of elementary students to campus
this spring.
DAVID KATZ/Daily
University students play in the Charity Bowl Flag Football Tournament at
Palmer Hill yesterday to benefit the Children's Leukemia society of Michigan.
Chari event tries
to tackle leukemia
By LUsa Koivu
Daily Staff Reporter
The blue sky, blowing wind and
the frigid air didn't deter University
students from participating in the
inaugural Charity Bowl Flag
Football Tournament at Palmer Field
yesterday to benefit the Children's
Leukemia Society of Michigan.
The event - sponsored by the
Alpha Chi Omega sorority, Sigma
Phi Epsilon fraternity and University
Students Against Cancer - drew 24
teams of eight people each to com-
pete in football tournaments for
women's, men's and co-ed teams.
J.R. Griffin, an LSA junior and
philanthropy chair for Sigma Phi
Epsilon, said everyone had a great
time.
"The tournament went as well as I
had expected since this is the first
year. It can.only get better," Griffin
said.
The goal was to raise $500, but
Engineering junior Kristen Cieslak
said, the amount raised was nearly
double what organizers expected.
"We raised about $1,000. We will
donate all of the money to the
Leukemia Society and they can
decide what they want to use the
money for," Cieslak said.
"I wanted to participate because it
brings everyone together to play
football and also because it's for a
good cause," Engineering junior
Beth Roman said.
Engineering senior K. Mannah
Kallon said he felt the same way.
"I really like playing football and
it's great to be able to come out here
and play with my friends," he said.
Although the event resulted from
collaboration between many differ-
ent people, Engineering junior Lia
O'Connor initiated the idea last sum-
mer.
"I attended the University
LeaderShape program this past sum-
mer, and we all had to come up with
a vision of something that we would
like to change within the University.
My goal was to improve the Greek
system by bringing it together with
the entire University to show that the
Greek system does do good things,"
O'Connor said.
Any group of eight people could
sign up to play at a cost of $50. For
$75, each player could receive a
charity bowl T-shirt. Twenty-seven
teams registered to play.
"We had many groups outside of
the Greek system sign up to play,"
O'Connor said. "We had a group of
boys from South Quad Residence
Hall, USAC, people from the Sister-
Sister program, and members of
LSA-Student Government."
Valentine thinks that the cold
weather may have deterred a few
people from showing up.
"Three of the girls teams didn't
show up but everyone else did, so
we've had an excellent turnout," said
Veronica Valentine, LSA junior and
Alpha Chi Omega president.
LSA junior and member of USAC
Lauren Gudritz said the event was a
good learning experience.
"This is the first year and it's
going really well. We are learning
what to change for next year to make
the event even bigger," Gudritz said.
"Next year we would definitely
like to get more people involved,"
Valentine said.
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Correction:
* University Regent Larry Deitch (D-Bloomfield Hills) was named to democratic presidential candidate Bill Bradley's statI
election committee. This was incorrectly reported in Friday's Daily.
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