The Michigan Daily -_ eekend, etc. Mag 6B - The ichigan Daily - Weekenietc. Magazine - Thursdayoovember 4, 1999 S 'V Alk "I o a oto ou ate hri duy oic uprvsr rcot Students escape problems by helping alleviate others' By Sarah Blitz I )y As mrtsWicr With oxverwhelming force, an unde- niablv positive trend is sweeping the UniVeCrsitv campus. Students and facul- tv alike are selflessly gixving back to the Ann Arbor communit . They are acer to volunteer for local, national and wxorldwide prorams with interests uch as work inc w ith children and the cldcrly clani. up the cnvironllent, and .! rkin2 to rid poxertv and dis- c rimsinsation No attcr what olunteers con sdcr thcn intentions to havc been for gtting inxolved in the community (mlanx cited boredom or res'ume paddcin as an ini- ial motiVtat ion} b\ oini ng the increas- in - Ann Arbor N olunteer population, 'sndenvs consitentlv report fcling enjoyment and a sense of fulfillment. If they can rise through the ranks of a group that is one of the most appreciat- ed on the local scene, so much the bet- ter. Catherine Pavulet, an LSA junior, said her frequent volunteer work is exclusivelv for fun. "It's nice to do something non-academic sometimes and to be around some non-University people e ery so often," Pavulet said. .It's good to get involxed and offer your help to the organiations that need a little assistance from the community in running a smooth program [" .SA junior I.auren Charme concurred. "It's a arcat wav to make a difference and to meet new people. Both enjoy regularly volunteering approximately txo to fixe hours per week to help the community. "It's not important that you give all of your free time to serve the community though," LSA senior Monica Fedrigo said. "If you just give an hour or two per week. or get involved in a seasonal money drive, you are giving an invaluable ser- vice to the community. Not to mention, the recipients of your efforts will be cxtremely appreciative and you'll feel really good about yourself too." The University offers numerous out- lets for students and faculty alike to get involved in not only the local commu- nity, but the national and global com- munities as well. Innovative programs like Project Serve, an umbrella organi- zation Ior six other community servxice organizations on campus, and Circle- K. an international community servi e club including over 10,000 members in over 500 groups in 12 countries, make it even simpler to aid people from around the world without ever leaving the comforts of Ann Arbor. Through Project Serve, hundreds of students work together in a common goal for social change. In the process, they learn about leadership, work towards real solutions to real communi- ty problems, collaborate with each other as xvell as with other groups, and gain knowledge about the social prob- lems they are attempting to allev iate. Through Alternativ e Spring Break (ASB), an opportunity for members of the university to spend spring break doing service at one of thirty-one sites nationally, Project Serve is one of manv campus service groups to participate in a blossoming trend. Some of the other xolunteei opportu- nities specifically tailored for spring break include Collegiate Challenge. sponsored by habitat for Humanity, and St. Marv's Appalachian Spring Break. Libby Reece, a junior at the University, is a member of Project Serve's ASB leadership team. Originally, she "got involved in the pro- gram as a freshman to meet new friends and to make a difference." "I worked at an HIV'AIDS site called the Living Room in Kansas City my first year (in college)., Reece relat- ed. "My uncle died of AIDS that year and working with the program was a healing process for me. Volunteering helped me get through it a little better. We just hung out with the patients and prepared some meals for them. It was great!" After the program, like many others trhust into intense experiences, Libby felt she could see just how many people in the nation live Without sup- port. She said, "I made life long rela- tionships just working for one week at the Living Room." As a member of the leadership team, Libby is now working hard to place the nearly 400 University members that will participate in ASB this year into fun, affective, and rewarding projects around the country. But before volun- teers can leave on their adventures. they spend several hours per week rais- ing money for theiir cause. learning about their issueand researchinnlocal institutions where they will volunteer throughout their stav in the area. In the presence of so many such opportunities, interested students find in nearly impossible not to find a cause they are interested in helping. Hands down, there appears to be a contagious- ly positive attitude among local volun- teers. "I have gained such a sense of ful- fillment through seeing the smiles on people's faces when I come to spend time at the nursing home," proclaimed Lauren Charme. Catherine Pavulert said, "I have gained a sense of respon- sibility through volunteering. I hax e learned not to take what I haxve for granted. The people I work with at the forensics center get excited when the volunteers come and throw a small party for them, and they get broccoli and dip." DPS Continued from Page 10B disadvantage. "Most of my friends have moved out of the dorms specifically because of that," said Brown. "I'm not comfortable with any type of law enforcement, regarding my situation as a minority in the U.S. But I wish they could be more considerate to students on this campus." Another area where students have con- cerns regarding DPS has to do with par- ties of black Greek organizations. "A lot of students of color feel that the Union isn't really a student union," said MSA Vice President Andy Coulouris. "There is a large presence of DPS at functions held there - they look at that as a slap in the face to a large population of the student body." "I don't think there's any animosity towards specific DPS officers and their treatment of students;' observed LSA junior Monique Giflord. "But many students ask 'Why do they have to be here?'"' said Gifford of DPS' presence at all black fraternity patties. "We are required to be in any University building whcre parties are held, including the Union." Lewit said. "It's simply based on geographical loca- tion, not who is sponsoring the parties." Vice President for Student Affairs E. Royster Harper said DPS presence at black Greek parties is a result of the fact that black fraternities don't have houses and have most of their functions in the Union, an "open building of the Univers- ity where it's required that a certain num- ber of DPS officers be present for activi- ties involving large numbers of students." The history of segregation in this country, whereby blacks formerly could not buy houses in Ann Arbor, led directly to the current fact that most black frater- nity parties are held in the Union and are subject to DPS regulation, Harper said. "If you had most of your parties there, it could feel that way, she said in response to students' concerns regarding possible discrimination. "There is a general position (on behalf of) the administration to reduce the pos- sibility of incidents that occur," said William Bess, the newly-appointed direc- tor of DPS. Bess also added that larceny and alcohol abuse have been the most frequent problems on campus. "If an individual has a complaint about a specific officer, they can notify an on- duty police supervisor or cont Oversight Committee. We are w to complaints from students' Bes The DPS Oversight Committee sisted of elected faculty, staff at dents, and functions to consider ances against DPS from the comn "We have not received many plaints from students regarding said Committee Chair Stephen l- adding this may be because stude unaware such an option exists. Harper also said that the Divi "YES, I LOVE YOI UNDIES, BUT i'r TMYTO CHECK MY The HoneyBuff Awaits You... Graduate with Experience. Learn to Get Published Today! Getting Published Makes You the Expert. Writinlg for Publieatioi Video or Book By Erik Bean available now at Amazon.con A- C. EJ O 4t t3 0 Getting an article published is something no one can ever take away from you, an important complemen to your degree, resume, and future. For details visit: The Online Magazine Article Writing Workshop FreelanceWorkshop.com I A SOLO PIANO CONCERT !CoIor Copies' I Only Wit Coupon; 8.Sxi 1 1 No Editing; Exp. 12/30/99 DlIlar Di11 C 0 p Y 1 G 611 Church Street Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (734) 665-9200 ef fox) 930-2800 Michigan Theater ANN ARBOR Thursday, November 11 7:30pm Tickets Available at the Michigan Union Ticket Office and all Ticketmaster outlets Info and Charge By Phone 734-763-TKTS or 248-645-6666 Arbor aivn and the Sa iation Ar}twi/I be ho/ding a food deite at the concert: please join us in support by bringing a donation 4, of non-perishable canned food to the show p myTal1k.1 Listen and respond to your email ov S9 gSn p - o a , Earn extra cash as an on-campus my] campus recruiter at campusrcps@my