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. LIKE TO WRITE? SKIP CLASS? DON'T SLEEP MUCH? SO DO WE. JOIN THE DAILY CALL 76-DAILY FOR MORE INFORMATION. f 4 . r4,.~ IPs I.