6A - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, September 8, 1999 U. Texas system to wait for Hopwood ruling By Jason Hunter tDaily T exan (Unive'rsity of Texas 4 AUSTIN, Texas (U-WIRE) - University of Texas System officials will wait for a deci- sion by the 5th US. Circuit Court of Appeals before they consider race as a factor in finan- cial aid and scholarships. In March 1996, Texas administrators sus- pended the Texas system's use of affirmative action in admissions practices after a court ruled that affirmative action policies at the University of Texas School of Law are uncon- stitutional. The Hopwood v. The University of exas .vstem ruling effectively ended affirmative action in all Texas colleges and universities that receive federal funding . More than three years later, Texas Attorney General John Cornvn has rescinded Morales' interpretation of the ruling. Friday Cornvn rescinded his predecessor's interpretation of the Hopwood ruling, open- ing the door for public universities to use affirmative action in scholarships and finan- cial aid. The previous opinion from former Attorney General Dan Morales contended the Hopwood case pertained to every aspect of state universities including admissions, recruiting and financial aid. But Cornyn warned schools around the state not to revamp their financial aid systems just yet, citing unsteady legal ground in light of a pending appeal before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. "We advise state universities in Texas to await a resolution of Hopwood in the 5th Circuit or the Supreme Court before restruc- turing or adopting new procedures for their financial aid programs," Cornyn said. Texas System Chancellor William Cunningham said in a statement that the issue would be brought before the Texas System Board of Regents before making a decision on affirmative action within the system. Currently, the University grants financial aid based on merit and financial need. But there are programs not officially affili- ated with the University that provide finan- cial aid based on race. One such program is administered by the Texas Ex-Students' "We advise state universities in Texas to await a resolution of Hopwood." - John Cornyn Texas Attorney General Association. They offer scholarships to minority students who attend Texas. In addition, the recently-passed House Resolution 2867 allows Texas state universi- ties to match scholarships offered by out-of- state schools to minorities. These programs, as well as the state's "Top 10 percent law" which grants admission to all Texans in the top 10 percent of their graduat- ing class, were developed to combat the effects of Hopwood. The affirmative action laws fluctuation damaging the university, said Texas President Larry Faulkner. "We need to keep from lurching from poli- cy to policy," Faulkner said. "We have some good things going but I'd like to give them an opportunity to develop." MSU students say restrictions contributed to spnng rots By Rebekah Amos The State News (Michigan State Universitvl EAST LANSING (U-WIRE) --Sixty-eight percent of 2,000 Michigan State University students surveyed in the spring said the March 27 and 28 riot was a result of too many restrictions placed upon them by the uni- versity. Sociology Prof. Stan Kaplowitz helped design a study to find possible reasons for and reactions to the March incident, which followed the Michigan State men's basketball team's loss to Duke in the Final Four, and the Munn field riot on Mav 1, 1998. "The survey was designed to help better understand what happened the night of the riots" Kaplowitz said. "To understand the views of the student body and the youths that were part of the event." More than 50 percent of people surveyed said the university is trying to control student drinking too much. "Coincidentally, those who were most inclined to think students were excessively restricted by the uni- versity were the same who were more likely to riot and drink," Kaplowitz said. The study examined many rea- sons for the riots, but drinking and university-imposed restrictions prevailed as the strongest, he said. Kaplowitz said that non-alcohol related factors can- not be overlooked. "Even some students who are not big drinkers may think the university and city act without consulting them," he said. "So assuming that alcohol is the only factor in this equation is false." Up to 10,000 people were involved in the March riot and about 130 people have been charged with crimes elating to the event. About 3,000 people were involved in the Munn field riot, which started as a peaceful protest against a university ban on alcohol on the field during tailgating. Almost half of the students questioned said they had gotten close enough to see what was going on during the March riot. However, almost 70 percent said the riots did not look like something that would be fun to participate in. "What I have found when talking with students is that they do not feel the riots represented Michigan State," said Michigan State President M. Peter McPherson, who declined to comment on the specifics of the study but said he was sure the results would rein- force his statement. Michigan State junior Heather Duke said there was no good reason to riot, but punishments from the police and university were sometimes too harsh. "The police should have followed the regular stan- dards, and I don't think they did that in this case," she said, adding that both police and students got carried away. Duke said the students may have valid concerns when it comes to feeling restricted by the university, but they have to deal with those frustrations in a mature fashion. "Rioting because you're restricted is not going to get students anywhere," she said. "It makes the entire uni- versity and city of East Lansing look bad." FILE PHOTO Researchers at Harvard University found in a study released last month that moderate alcohol consumption, defined as two to four drinks a week, reduced the risk of sudden cardiac death for men. Harvard stud:acohol 1ay ! lreduce risk of cardiac falurec By Elizabeth Vanden Boom 'Ile State News (Michigan State University) EAST LANSING (U-WIRE) - A new report adds evidence to claims that moderate alcohol consumption may have health bene- fits. In the largest study of its kind, researchers at Harvard University found that men who consumed two to four drinks a week reduced their risk for sudden cardiac death by 60 percent. Those who consumed five to six drinks a week decreased their risk by 79 percent. According to the American Heart Association, sudden cardiac death occurs when the heart beats too rapidly to pump blood effi- ciently. It kills about 250,000 Americans each year Some Michigan State Univeisity officials doubt the study's results will change drinking patterns among Michigan State students. "I think that most students don't need an excuse,' said Dennis Martell, health educator at Olin Health Center. "Research has shown that if students want to drink, they will drink." The study, published in the Aug. 31 edition of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, reported that on average the sub- jects consumed less than one alcoholic beverage a day. However, the risk of sudden cardiac death was found to increase among people who con- sumed more than two drinks a day. Marie Hansen, associate director of Student Life, said she did not think students would use the study as a justification for drinking. "I think they know the difference between (moderate drinking) and getting wasted," she said. The study will not affect excessive drinkers, said Martell, research and policy adviser for the Alcohol Action Team - formed to examine drinking issues at Michigan State. "An excessive drinker usually has a lot ofrea- sons other than health" for drinking, Martell said. But MSU first-year student Jeremy Barnell said although students know the difference between moderate and excessive drinking, they might think the study is enough to justify binge drinking. "They want to drink anyway, and (the study) gives them an excuse to drink," he said. "People know the difference, but I don't think people who want to drink will really care about the dif- ference." The researchers studied 21,537 men over 12 years. All were free of cardiovascular disease and reported information on their consumption of beer, wine or liquor. Among the subjects, 141 cases of sudden cardiac death occurred. Hansen said she believes students are able to understand studies and their implications and that students with genetic risks for alcoholism would not suddenly begin drinking after learn- ing of the study. "They won't say, 'Oh, gee, I better drink, even if I'm at risk for alcoholism, because I don't want to die from sudden cardiac death."' MSU junior Jennifer Reese said students will joke about the study. "They'll say, 'Well, it's good for you to do it,"' she said. No women were included in the study, but other studies have found that drinking more than two drinks a day has been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in women. Do legs make for better prosthetics By Rachel King The Chronicle (Duke University) DURHAM, N.C. (U-WIRE) - Feminists have consistently attacked Barbie dolls for promoting an unhealthy, unrealistic body image in women. Little did they know that the doll's unique physique could create a more realistic body - when placed inside a prosthetic fin- ger. Jane Bahor, a prosthetist who works in the Duke University Medical Center, has discovered that a Barbie doll's flexible legs can be implanted in the joints of prosthetic fingers. She explained that Barbie's joint allows increased mechanical flexibility in a finger, giving patients greater control over their digits. "Although you could previously only move joints that were in the hand (as opposed to the fingers), the plastic in the legs of Barbie dolls allows patients to position fingers in different flexion," Bahor said. "This way the patient's fingers get a little bit more movement." She explained that patients bend, their fingers by pressing them against a hard surface. The fingers remain in a fixed position until reversed. The devices are created by plac- ing Barbie's joint inside the prosthe- sis, thus allowing the finger to move in specific locations without mov- ing the entire hand. Bahor noted that the discovery a significantly increases the flexibility of the fin- ger in question, and that even the smallest amount of movement in such a specialized part of the body can drastically improve its perfor- mance. Glenn Hostetter, Duke medical center's prosthetics clinical supervi- sor, considers Bahor's discovery a significant contribution to the future of prosthetics. "This is a very cost-effective . way of placing an articulating joint in a finger," he said. "She has come up with a solution that no one had previously done and I think that it's going to improve the function of prosthetic fingers." He noted that the use of Barbie doll legs will help prosthetic fingers become more functional than they m are cosmetic. Last year, when Bahor realized the potential use of the doll, she called Mattel to purchase enough Barbies to test her idea. She was pleasantly surprised when Mattel sent her boxes of free dolls. Although her findings are unorthodox, Bahor said she has long been fascinated by the human hand. "When you work with prosthetic hands for such a long time, you real- ize what a beautiful and specialized mechanism the hand is," she said. "When you see how desperate peo- ple can become, you look for any- thing that will potentially improve their situation." KNOW OF NEWS?, CALL 7~fl~i Jazz pizazz Standardized tests could soon record social factors * Parents' education level and family income could serve as factors surveyed on SAT By Jessie Kokrda Cavalier Daily (University of Virginia) CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (U-WIRE) - To help col- leges and universities with the sticky admissions process, the Educational Testing Service, the company behind the SAT, may soon label high-scoring students who have over- come adverse social backgrounds as "strivers." The system still is in the research stages, but anti-affir- mative action activists fear the acceptance of a model which takes into account a student's race. Using survey questions at the beginning of the test, the system would consider 14 factors in determining a stu- dent's environment. Isses such asarents' education level family income she said. Karen Holt, Office of Minority Programs director, said it was unlikely that the system would have much influence on Virginia admissions. "We have a holistic process that takes so much into account during the application process that it probably won't affect us much," Holt said. She said the tool would be more helpful for colleges and universities "that don't have the staff or the time to do what we do here." "Many selective colleges already take into consideration the backgrounds of applicants, but this new system would provide profiles of students on a scale never before seen," said Joyce Smith, executive director of the National Association of College Admissions Officers. "Can you imagine having a database of one million stu- dents annually?" Smith said. "From a perspective of having rich data, it's kind of exciting,"she said.