LOCAL/STATE
The Mchgan Dal - Monday November 1. 1999 - 3A
Authors7 to
.d 4
t speak at visiting
writers series
The Visiting Writer's Series con-
tinues this month with four sched-
tiled events.
English Prof. Charles Baxter is
scheduled to speak at the Rackham
Amphitheater at 5 p.m. on Nov. 4.
J Baxter, the author of six books of
fiction and one book of poetry, will
readfrom his works.
His latest novel "The Feast of
Love" is scheduled for release in
qay 2000.
' Univesity alum Larissa Szporluk,
author of "Dark Sky Question," and
recipient of the 1997 Barnard New
Women Poet's Prize plans to read
fromn her poetry in the Rackham
Amphitheater at 5 p.m. on Nov. 9.
Nobel Prize-winning author
Seamus Heaney wraps up the
November series with two appear-
anees.
Heaney, an author of 11 collec-
ions of poetry and three books of
criticism, teaches at Harvard
University.
B_4th lectures are set for Rackham
Amphitheater, on Nov. 15 at 5
p.m.and Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
''A reception is planned following
tieaney's Nov. 15 appearance, at 6
p.m. in Rackham's Assembly Hall.
undamentalist
authors to speak,
sign books
Authors Norton Mezvinsky and
Israel Shahak plan to visit the
'University on Nov. 4 to sign their
,book, "Jewish Fundamentalism in
Israel" at the Michigan League. The
book-signing will begin at 7:30 p.m.
& the Hussey Room.
lezvinsky is a professor of histo-
ry' at Central Connecticut
university.
lie is has written several works on
e'ish history Zionism.
Mexvinsky is also the friend and
student of Elmer Berger, a classical
geform Jewish opponent of
.ionism and supporter of
Palestinian rights.
a Shahak is a professor of chem-
stryat Hebrew University. He is a
veteran activist for democratic val-
,,es. in Israel and a survivor of the
Holocaust.
ITZone provides
iugh-tech
environment
*Amn Arbor's IT Zone, a non-prof-
-t organization established to foster
h igfh-tech industry growth in
isu theastern Michigan, is set to
,,eVn. today in conjunction with
sppsor Microsoft Corp.
The Launch Pad, the first stage of
tlAe project, is a conference to join
intrepreneurs, potential investors
and . service providers with
University students, staff and facul-
ty.
The focus of the center is on
launching new programs, but com-
panies with technology may use it to
hold meetings and participate in
grams involving information and
gJVpation.
The University's Chief
tl lfOrfnation Officer and
Itffination Technology Division
Chair Jose Marie Griffiths said, "It
the first of its kind to offer a bal-
ce of think tank, marketing enter-
prise and an entrepreneurial net-
working environment; which poses
Washtenaw County as the technolo-
gy4b of the 21st Century."
;Exhibit displays
images of women
"Women in Pants: . Images of
Resistance" is the latest display
e ing held in the Residential
lege's Art Gallery.
The display is a collection from
the work of Catherine Smith. The
work. is on display at East Quad
Residence Hall until Nov. 7.
It is being sponsored by the
Institute for Research on Women
and Gender, the department of soci-
Slogy, and the Residential College.
- Compiled by Daily Staff
Reporter Tiffany Maggard.
Conference focuses on science, leadership
By Sana Danish
Daily Staff Reporter
INDIANAPOLIS -This weekend, a group of 12
University students and two staff members partici-
pated in the third annual Women in Science and
Engineering "Strategies for Success" student leader-
ship conference held at the joint Indiana University-
Purdue University Indianapolis campus.
The Committee for Institutional Cooperation, an
academic consortium composed of the Big Ten
schools and the University of Chicago, organized the
conference, which was co-sponsored by the National
Science Foundation and the 15 campuses of the CIC.
Director of the University of Michigan's WISE
program Cinda Davis said the conference provided
an opportunity for participants to form lasting net-
works with their peers in science and engineering
disciplines.
"We hope students will get a chance to meet
women in science and engineering from other
schools, as well as hear faculty and learn strategies
"I thought the message of involvement in
mentorship was very important."
University Medical Center post-doctoral research associ
for succeeding in science and engineering,"she said.
About 200 students, from undergraduates to post-
doctoral research fellows, participated in activities
including lectures and presentations, workshops,
small group discussions and campus and lab tours.
Among the speakers at the conference were
Catherine Didion, executive director of the
Association for Women in Science, associate direc-
tor of the CIC Jean Girves and Karen Klomparens,
dean of the engineering graduate school at Michigan
State University.
Topics presented included the importance of men-
torship, conflict resolution in academic and profes-
sional settings, the power ofleadership and de elop-
ing individual leadership styles.
In a presentation welcoming stdents and stafto
the conference, Girves highlighted the signiicance
of the CIC and WISE initiativ e.
"Fourteen percent of all the Ph.D's in science and
engineering earned by women in the nation are from
the 15 campuses of the CIC' she sad.
Students were offered a variety of workshops and
tours and could select to participate in two of the
activities. Workshops included "Negotiating Your
First Position", "Presenting Papers and Posters" and
"Success Strategies For Applying to Graduate
School" ' S A sophomore noh N mie said the
most benetial i of thL ' ne was the
w ork shop she an ded
I reay hk th m e n nd Aplins for
a Job in ndusti' presentaion '',she said. A; Thcr was
a, Procter and (jmbl representati e there w ho is in
charge of reading 10P000 resumes a \ear. and it was
realy helpful to hcar hi ps
.Jean \Moran. a post-doctoral research associate at
the l.n iversitv \Med ical Center. said she also gained
useful imtbrmat on a the conference
"I thoug ht the message of imvolvement in mentor-
ship was very importnt." she said.
But'-some participants w ere cintial about aspects
of the conference
L SA sophomor didoma Nnodim 2id she felt the
organizers did not include enough events for the
undergraduate contingent at the conference.
"The way the conference was structured, it
seemed like _graduates and post-oc toral fellows)
were foremost on their mnds she said
Sorority members sponsor
clothing drive competitiuon
By Lindsey Alpert
Daily Staff Reporter
The Alpha Delta Pi Sorority is fighting the "War for
Warmth" by holding its third annual clothing drive.
Clothing donated during the drive - a contest
between Greek fraternities and sororities on campus -
will be given to the St. Joseph Mercy Neighborhood
Health Clinic.
The clinic distributes clothing and provides inexpen-
sive health care to needy families in Washtenaw County.
The clothing drive was started two years ago by an
Alpha Delta Pi philanthropy chair.
"The main reason the drive was started is because it
gets the whole community involved," said current Alpha
Delta Pi Philanthropy Chair Katie Hamilton, an LSA
junior. "Also, it's a worthwhile project, not just a philan-
thropy project."
The first year was a competition between the
University and Michigan State University. More than
4,000 articles of clothing were collected during the inau-
gural year.
This year, the drive is a competition between campus
fraternities and sororities because MSU decided to
forego participation in the drive. The winner, the house
that collects the most clothing per member ratio, will
receive a pizza party sponsored by Pizza House.
Shurgood Storage has also aided the drive by providing
discounted storage for the clothing before being donated.
Students and community members can donate clean,
wearable clothing at participating sororities, fraternities, co-
operative living houses or at the Hillel's campus office.
Because of increased interest in the drive, several co-
ops, Hillel and the Black Greek Association have been
"This is a terrific Project
because all the clothes go
to needy fam,,iies. "
- Andrea Pisani
Alpha Delta Pi public relations chair
JOANNA PAINE/Daily
LSA-Student Government President Seema Pai speaks with fifth-grader
Richard Tyler, who was visiting the University with other children Friday.
School children
experience college;
invited to participate in the drive this year.
"We have a small box here with some clothes in it."
said Luther Co-op Member Ken Thompson,.an LSA
sophomore. "We're not part of the competition, but
we're participating anyhow."
"We hope to collect at least 2,000 articles of clothing
this year," said Hamilton. "So far, we have 900 to 1,000
articles."
The drive - which kicked-off in October - will con-
tinue through the end of this week. The clothing will be
donated thereafter and the winning organization will be
announced on Nov. 7.
The Neighborhood Health Clinic was chosen as the
benefiting organization for the drive. In the past, the
drive has donated clothing to Purple Heart, but organiz-
ers said they were unable to reach the group in May
when organization for the drive began.
"This is a terrific project because all the clothes go to
needy families," said Alpha Delta Pi Public Relations
Chair Andrea Pisani, an LSA junior. "It's not like it's
money. We know that people that need the clothes will
get them and it will benefit everyone."
By Hanna LoPatin
Daily Staff Reporter
The eyes of LSA senior Nick
Delgado lit up as he listened to group
of 10 and 11 year-olds discussing the
amount of partying and studying they
each did in their first year of college.
"We just finished a simulation of
freshman year," he explained.
For more than a month, Delgado
visited a fifth-grade class at
Washington Elementary School in
Flint as part of the College Bound
Program, sponsored by the
University Office of Academic and
Multicultural Initiatives. He taught
students different aspects of college
from financial aid to how to fill out-
applications to doctorate degrees.
The program culminated on
Friday when the students visited
the University for a tour and a
slew of creative activities per-
formed with the help of several
campus leaders. "It's so cool for
the kids to sit down with the cap-
tain of the hockey team or the
president of student government,"
Delgado said. "Top leaders on
campus have come to support
this."
LSA senior Bryan Ackerman,
executive director of Dance
Marathon, said that although he came
from a different background than the
elementary students, he understood
the importance ofthe program, which
"instills in kids' minds what's needed
to get into college and shows the
importance of going," he said.
Kinesiology senior Darius
Taylor, a member of the Michigan
men's basketball team, met the
elementary students at West Quad
Residence Hall before weight lift-
ing to sign autographs - a task
which he patiently completed. "I
hope I can encourage them,"
Taylor said when he was done,
"but I don't want them to think
that sports are the only way for
them to go to college."
Elementary school teacher Mark
Johnson, a University alum, said
Delgado chose his class for the pro-
ject after a discussion with a mutual
friend.
Johnson said he uses the program
to motivate his students. "They are so
excited about this," he said.
Martin Portillo, one of the fifth-
graders, said he was glad to be a part
of the College Bound program.
"I think it's fun and educational,
because when you get to college you
won't be confused," he said.
Portillo's fellow student, Treena
Saldana, agreed.
"I like it because it tells you about
the future so you will be prepared and
won't have to go through anything
difficult,' she said, taking time off
from an activity that involved map-
ping out the next 15 years of her life.
"You'll know what to do when you
first get to college."
The fifth-graders said they already
knew what they wanted to do after
high school.
"I want to go to Harvard or Yale
and be a lawyer," Portillo said.
"I want 'to be an archaeologist
and go to Harvard or Stanford,"
Saldana said.
Although some students are deter-
mined to attend some of the most
selective schools in the country, nei-
ther Delgado nor Johnson worry that
they are setting the kids up for disap-
pointment. "We've given them expo-
sure to the infrastructure and it's up to
them to make the right decisions,"
Delgado said.
Johnson said students who set high
goals now will be the ones to
embrace all opportunities.
"They could go to community col-
leges, learn a trade, or even be a doc-
tor or a lawyer - whatever they find
for themselves!' Johnson said.
Delgado said he is confident that
the results of the program will be pos-
itive. "The College Bound
Foundation keeps track of all the stu-
dents throughout their entire educa-
tion. We should see results in a couple
of years," Delgado said.
The program "has given me a
greater perspective and taught me to
never give up in the public education
system. I have a renewed hope" he
said.
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