LOCAL/STATE --
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The M chipan Da h Tuesday, Sentember 14, 1999 - 3
@CRIME
I
Students shift routines t i
Racist literature
found in School
of Social Work
*A man called the Department o:
Public Safety on Sunday afternoon tc
report that he found racist literature
lying on the floor in the front lobby o
the School of Social Work, DPS reports
state.
The caller found two sheets of paper.
each containing 200 to 300 words with
derogatory comments about blacks.
The leaflets were captioned "Wake Up
Whitey!"
PS searched the rest of the build-
and found no other racist mes-
sages.
A report was filed.
Wallet stolen
from 'U' student
A female University student
reported her wallet was taken out of
her purse while she was lying in her
bd in Mary Markley Residence Hall
day night.
The suspects were described as a
female wearing a gray windbreaker
and an unknown male wearing a hat
and v-neck Michigan logo shirt, DPS
reports state.
They were last seen heading
towards the sixth floor of the build-
ing,
A report was filed.
Sudent bumps
head in women's
restroom
A University student alerted DPS
officials that she had bumped her head
on a machine in the women's restroom
last Thursday, according to DPS
reports.
he student was bleeding but no
ical attention was required. The
student requested a ride to University
Health Services.
Thieves use meal
tickets to get free
Wendy's food
The Wendy's fast. food restaurant in
the University Medical Center received
t counterfeit meal tickets Friday,
DPS reports state.
The tickets included fraudulent
name, authorization and account infor-
mation, but their requests for food were
honored.
N report was filed.
Man damages
door in fit of anger
I e exterior door on the east side
f the Michigan League was dam-
ge'd by a disgruntled guest who was
ocked out Saturday, DPS reports
tate.
The man hit the door after realizing
e would be unable to enter the already
ocked building.
The repair and replacement of the
oar is estimated to cost $8,000.
aller blames valet
missing money
aller told DPS officials the valet
d'parked his car at the University
ieical Center stole money from a
ttqt he left in the vehicle, DPS
s state.
The money has not been recovered.
A report was filed.
R ms stolen during
est Quad move-in
1 -student moving into West Quad
esl4ence Hall on Sunday reported
.hat a box containing CDs, a CD
} ayer and a pair of sunglasses was
tolen from his vehicle, DPS reports
fate.
A report was filed.
an finds cracked
r windshield
A man reported Friday his vehi-
le's windshield was cracked the
>'evious weekend, DPS reports
sate.
The caller said he suspects a stone or
rock was the cause.
A report was filed.
- Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
Gerard Cohen-Vrignaud.
By Jodie Kaufman
Fr the DAy
As hours tick by and night falls on
Ann Arbor, arriving safely home
becomes a common question across
campus.
Although Ann Arbor crime statistics
do not compare to metropolises like
New York and Los Angeles, the city is
not crime-free.
LSA junior Barika Butler said "I
would not say I feel unsafe but I
don't like to walk alone. I feel vul-
nerable and like to take precau-
tions."
LSA sophomore Carolina Sanchez
shared the same concerns.
"I've never really felt threatened but
for additional safety my boyfriend
walks me home," she said.
Many alternatives to walking home
alone are available to students who are
out late on campus. The Shapiro
UndergraduateLibrary is a hub for sev-
eral organizations.
Safewalk, an organization run jointly
by the Sexual Assault and Prevention
Agency and Department of Public
Safety has an office at the UGLi.
Safewalk assigns pairs of volunteers to
escort students anywhere within a 20-
minute walking radius of the UGLI by
request. The pairs include either two
female or one male and one female stu-
dent.
Safewalk is available from 7:30 p.m.
until 2:30 a.m. Sunday through
Thursday and from 8 p.m. until 11:30
p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Northwalk, the North Campus
division of Safewalk, is also avail-
able to get students home safely. It is
based in the Bursley Residence Hall
Lobby and offers escorts from 7:30
p.m. until 11:30 p.m. Sunday
through Thursday.
Northwalk co-coordinator Graham
Lenz, an LSA junior, said "it is impor-
tant for students to feel safe and it is
impossible to learn effectively if you are
worried about something - especially
safety."
On average, each division sendt hui
between six and 10 escOrts a night.
Lenz acknowledges that the number
isn't extremely high, but he said "if
we prevent one person from being
assaulted a year, we've done a good
job."
Each Safewalk and Northwaik team
is equipped with radios connected with
DPS officers in case of any difficulties,
The Night Owl - a division of the
University transportation system --
offers late night bus trips beginning at 7
p.m. from the UGLi to and from the
North Campus Recreation Center every
half hour and to and from the Stadium
C Lot near Crisler Arena until 2 a.m.
Supervisor of Bus Operations Bitsy
Lamb said "there is some demand for
night transportation and we want to
make sure people can find it."
The Night Owl is usually used by
students who live off campus and need
to get back to their cars and students
who live farther away from Central
Campus, Lamb said.
T here is also the Niaht Ride ti
serv ice offered by Y low Ciab from
I I p.min. nil35:43 a.mi. Mionday
through Friday and from 7 p..
through 8 am. Saturday and Sunday.
ht is a shared ride program and costs
Sd per person
ellowa Cab Customer Serv ice
Representativ e Velma Neal said the idea
behind Nigzht Ride is "to help get peo-
pie places at night and prov ide safety'
The wait cn be 30 minutes though, s0
it is adv ised students plan ahead when
usingz the serv ice. T he cabs will go an -
where in the Ann Arbor city limits and
to the Ann Arbor-Saline Mijer.1
LSA senior Elizabeth .Johnson said
"I feel fanIrv safe on campus, but I
usually get the Night Ride at the
ULi.
Some students said they feel safe and
don't need to use any of these services
offered.
Lsa junior Desmon Leone said "I
bas e no problem waing around"
But many students are somewhat
Uiv s ity crime
statistics:
1996 1997 1998
Forcible rape: 3 4 3
Forcible fondling: 12 7 12
Robbery: 5 13 5
ate 11 18 19
Murder and
non-negl gent
manslaughter; 0 1 0
-- /nfrmation provided hv the
Department of Public Safety.
concerned and take a few precautions.
"I make a point to not go out by
myse f I always go out with friends"
L SA Iirst-year student Katie Easton
said.
Solar car prepares for
Australian competition
Paul Kuttner
For the Daily
The Stuart Highway, an 1,800-mile stretch of
road from Darwin on the northern coast of
Australia to Adelaide in the south, is dominated
throughout the day by "road-trains," vehicles made
up of three semi-trucks linked back-to-back.
But on Oct. 17, these automotive behemoths
will speed alongside 40 new arrivals running on
the power of the Australian sun, and one among
them, standing less than three feet off the ground,
will be shining maize and blue.
Weighing about 700 pounds, requiring six tons of
equipment and powered by 2,000 solar cells, Maize
Blaze is the Michigan Solar Car Team's newest cre-
ation. The solar car program is celebrating its 10th
year by participating in the World Solar Challenge, a
race that will decide which team is head of the pack
in solar car technology.
The race begins Oct. 17, Darwin, and is expect-
ed to finish four or five days later in Adelaide.
Some team members and the solar car left yester-
day for Australia, remaining team members will
join them before Sept. 26.
The University team includes a total of 150 stu-
dents from 14 different concentrations - 20 of
whom will travel to Australia. Many students join
as first-year students, like LSA first-year student
Eric Beaser, who learned about the program at
Festifall, and some stick around for all of their col-
lege years.
No member of the team has been to Australia to
examine the road, but a quick glance at a map
shows only one city between Darwin and Adelaide
along the route. The scenery will consist of "rocks,
rocks and more rocks", explained Beaser, who will
become interim project manager when the team
goes down under.
After a couple of days, the Maize Blaze team
may not see another team for the duration of the
race, and even the "road-trains" will show up only
every hour or two.
"One of the most difficult parts will be staying
focused," Team Leader Jed Christiansen said.
"Making sure we are constantly staying on the ball
will be challenging"
The solar cars will travel only during daylight
hours, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, and the win-
ners are expected to make the trip in about four or
five days. All teams must finish in nine days.
Unlike former races in which the team partici-
pated, when they stayed in motels and residence
hall rooms for the night, the Maize Blaze crew will
simply have to pull off to the side of the road wher-
ever they are at 5 p.m. each evening and set up
camp for the night.
Maize Blaze made its inaugural run this summer
in the intercollegiate "Sunrayce" from Washington
D.C. to Orlando, where the team placed a disap-
pointing 17. In a race with a speed limit of 55
miles per hour in a vehicle that the team projects
could reach 100 mph, the University team found
themselves at some points averaging about 20
mph.
Christiansen said the nine days of overcast skies
and thunderstorms that plagued the cars during the
race. Upon later inspection, the team found that
water had made its way under the solar array and
JESSICA JOHNSON/Daily
Members of the University's Solar Car team make final adjustments to their car Sunday. The team is
headed to Australia today for the World Solar Challenge.
"basically just shorted everything out."
But Maize Blaze arrives in Australia it will
come equipped with a new solar array, some
lighter replacement parts and a fresh coat of paint
- thanks to team sponsors.
The rush to get $60,000 extra to fix up the car
before the World Solar Challenge was a little
rough on Nadar Shwayhat, the team business man-
ager. The car itself costs an estimated S1.5 million.
But the team T-shirt boasts an impressive list of
corporate sponsors that have helped fund the
team's projects. The sponsors include Ford Motor
Co., who donated vans, IBM and Manufacturing
Data Systems Incorporated, a local company run
by University alum Chuck Hutchins, who has been
a strong supporter of the team.
Shwayhat said talked to McDonalds Corp. about
a joint advertising campaign and to Hot Wheels
about a possible series of mini solar cars. "They
seemed a little bit interested," Shwayhat said about
Hot Wheels. "And we're still thinking about it for
the next team."
Despite the results of Sunrayce, Christiansen
said he feels confident that the team and its newly
equipped car will be ready for the challenges of
the upcoming race.
"For me, I'm most excited about showing what
our car can do. In the Sunrayce, I know that our car
was much better than we placed," he said. "I firmly
believe that we are one of the best cars in the world."
Christiansen's teammate Beaser laughed and
said, "I just want to kick some butt."
Exhibit celebrates
sexologist s work
LIKE TO WRITE?
COME TO A MASS MEETING AT 420 MAYNARD ST.
TONIGHT AT 7:30. CALL 76-DAILY FOR MORE INFO.
By David Enders
For the Daily
Students who have trouble concen-
trating on their books may find some-
thing more interesting to study in the
Michigan Union - sex.
The personal belongings of Magnus
Hirschfeld, a prominent early 20th-cen-
tury sexologist, and the subject of much
of work is the subject of a current exhi-
bition in the Michigan Union's Art
Lounge.
The Institute for Research on
Women and Gender, which is sponsor-
ing the exhibit, is hoping that interdisci-
plinary programs planned to add to the
exhibit during the next two weeks will
draw more visitors to it.The institute is
organizing a dramatic reading, a sym-
posium on sexual science and a show-
ing of a rare film Hirschfeld made in
1919.
Hirschfeld "was one of the first
generation of medical scientists to
study human sexuality," said history
Prof. Martin Pernick, who will partici-
pate in a question and answer session
after the film.
Hirschfeld used the censorship-free
era of post-World War I Germany to
found the Institute for Sexual Science
in 1919, but his actions were met with
censorship, persecution and the
destruction of his institute and much of
his work as the Nazis came to power in
the early 1930s.
"The difficulties he faced as a Jew
and a gay physician and as an advocate
of sexuality in Nazi and pre-Nazi
Germany illustrate the tasks he set out
for himself and the painful historic
ironies he encountered," Pernick said.
Jim Steakley, a German professor at
the University of Wisconsin, will join
Pernick to discuss the film, which he
compares to movies about gay rights
during the 1960s.
"Unfortunately, it's only a fragment
of the original movie. It's quite melo-
dramatic, it shows how a homosexual
man is hounded into suicide" Steakley
said.
"Hirschfeld was the most princi-
pled, the most outspoken advocate of
equality for (the lesbian gay bisexual
transgendered community) before the
modern gay rights movement;'he said.
Hirschfeld also championed sexual
education and contraception. He con-
ducted some of the first studies on
homosexual behavior and defended
Oscar Wilde when he was arrested for
committing homosexual acts.
"People came from all over the
world to study under him;' said Alisha
Fenty, the program coordinator for the
Institute for Research on Women and
Gender.
The exhibit is on loan from the
Magnus-Hirschfeld-Gesellschaft in
Berlin, a museum and center for sexol-
ogy research founded in Hirschfeld's
honor.The exhibit consists mainly of
photos and unpublished documents and
is on display until Sept. 30. It can be
viewed between 7 a.m. and 2 a.m.
Monday through Saturday and Sundays
from 7 a.m. to midnight.
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