LOCAL/S TATE
The Michigan Daily - Monday, September 27, 1999 - 3A
CAMPUS I"
Fire damages
Solar Car team's
equipment
A fire Tuesday morning in the
niversity's Solar Car Team's work-
space in a Pittsfield Twp. warehouse
damaged some of the team's equip-
ment, but not any needed to race in
the Australian World Solar Car chal-
lenge Oct. 17.
Investigators are still working to
determine the cause of the fire and
assess the damage, Project Manager
Nader Shwayhat said. No one was
injured in the fire.
But the fire did damage molds for
,e current car MaizeBlaze and
equipment and machinery used in
production of the cars, Shwayhat
sai d.'
He added that the damage caused
by the fire could be a setback for the
2001 team because of the damaged
production machinery.
Betts named new
*entistry chair
Norman Betts has been named the
new chair of the School of
Dentistry's Department of Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgery and Hospital
Dentistry.
Betts is a University alum and
1986 School of Dentistry valedicto-
rian. In addition to his academic
accomplishments, Betts was consid-
ered by many to be an outstanding
dent-athlete. In April, the Athletic
Department awarded him the Gerald
R. Ford Award for excellence in
scholarship, sports and society.
Betts played on the Michigan
Football Team between 1978 and
1981.
He earned his master's degree
fron'the University in oral surgery in
1990.
niversity fills
chief investment
officer position
The University Board of Regents
appointed L. Erik Lundberg to the
newly created position of chief invest-
ment officer. Lundberg was selected
from a national pool of candidates and
will start work Oct. 1.
undberg will be responsible for
Developing investment policies for
the university's nearly $4 billion in
financial assets.
He will then make recommenda-
tions to the regents for their approval
of University investments.
Lundberg's position combines the
work previously done by the
University associate vice president
and treasurer.
tchool of Social
Work to endow
professorship
Nationally known child welfare
expert William Meezan will be inau-
gurated as the first Marion Elizabeth
Blue Endowed Professor in Children
and Families at the School of Social
Work. Meezan has a doctorate in
tal work from Columbia
University, has written many books
and has taught at multiple universi-
ties nationwide..
The ceremony is scheduled for Oct.
5 at 3 p.m. in the Comprehensive
Information Resources Center in the
School of Social Work building.
For more information contact the
School of Social Work Development
at (734) 763-6886.
uclear weapons
forum planned
Various University departments
Acid other groups are hosting a com-
n'iTy forum on the topic of nuclear
weapons. The forum will be held on
Oct. 8 at 1:30 p.m. in the Rackham
Amphitheater.
Topics will be discussed in a
3 e of seminars on various aspects
nuclear weapons, including tech-
nical, military and political issues.
Organizers hope to promote and
eduete others about their stance to
abolish nuclear weapons.
For more information, call 663-
1870.
Compiled for The Daily by Lisa
Koivu.
Band pre ors charity concert at League
By Caitlin Nish
Daily Staff Reporter
The son of a political refugee from Cuba and lead
singer of the alternative rock band Sugar Pill, Greg
Epstein, said he understands the need and for an
organization like Amnesty International and the
work its members do.
Epstein's band performed Friday night in a bene-
fit concert for Amnesty International in the
Michigan League Underground, citing his personal
experiences as motivation to perform and donate the
band's $300 earnings to the organization.
Epstein has witnessed the work Amnesty
International has done with human rights violation
cases and made emotional and professional connec-
tions to the group's work.
"Ever since I was little and wanted to be a rock
musician, I saw big concerts done for Amnesty
International," he said.
The money raised during the two-hour concert
will benefit various Amnesty International causes.
"We haven't set the money aside as of vet but we
have a lot of different events coming up to bring the
word of Amnesty to campus," said Mary
Hollingsworth, an LSA third-year student and a
coordinator of the Amnesty International University
chapter.
"The most important thing to remember is that
even though we are stu(ents and even though we are
miles away, we can affect what's going on. Human
rights violations are committed all over the world,
and we can do something," Hollingsworth said.
The concert was free to the public, although a
donation was requested at the door.
"We contacted Sugar Pill because we wanted
them to come and play. It was Sugar Pill's idea to
donate the money we were going to pay them to
Amnesty" said LSA sophomore Gabriel Sandler, the
Michigan League programming assistant.
Epstein said Sugar Pill didn't take its decision to
donate the money lightly.
"As an independent record label and band, it is not
easy to give the money away;" Epstein said. "We are
very serious about our music and sharing it with any-
one possible. Money is not as much of an issue as
who we can help:'
Epstein's friendship with Abby Schlaff, a commu-
nity outreach coordinator affiliated with Amnesty
International, helped lay the foundation for the ben-
efit concert, which was two years in the making and
finally came together this September.
A recent University graduate who concentrated in
Chinese studies, Epstein knew that the Michigan
League Underground's accessibility to students and
community made it the right place for the concert.
"We felt that the other venues weren't inclusive
enough; they had age restrictions or were frequented
by only a certain type of people;" he said. "We want-
ed some place where all people would be welcome"
The crowd ranged in age from high-school stu-
dents to adults, supporting Epstein's assumptions
about the Underground.
"The idea behind the Underground is to have a
place where students could come together. It is a way
of opening up the League to students," Sandler said.
Most concert-goers heard about the benefit
through Amnesty International advertising or word
of mouth. "I came because Amnesty came to the
rooms at my residence hall talking about the concert.
I thought that it would be something cool to do," said
LSA first-year student Luke Vermeulen.
For Amnesty International's next event, members
will sponsor a speaker on Columbus Day in October.
"We have a woman from Guatemala speaking who
had seven family members killed during the civil
war because they protested human rights violations.
The Treetown Singers are opening, and it is open to
anyone in the community," Schlaff said.
The free event will be held in the Michigan
League.
Unveiling truth
Psychology
111 lectures
broadcast on television
AP PHOTO
Michigan State Rep. Mark Schauer (D-Battle Creek) helps unveil a new
statue of abolitionist Sojourner Truth on Saturday in Battle Creek.
A'subuhi r oe
dilversity, acceptancer
By Dan Krauth
For the Daily
When nearly 1,310 students are enrolled in
Psychology 111, things tend to be a little crowded. That
is why for the first time in nearly a decade, an LSA class
is being broadcast live on the University Cable System.
"I think as the bugs are worked out this might be a
wave of the future for big enrollment courses" said psy-
chology Prof. Christopher Peterson, who teaches the
overcrowded Psychology I lI class.
Peterson lectures to 600 students in his "live" discus-
sion class located in a Modern Languages Building
auditorium, while simultaneously students are in anoth-
er classroom watching him on a TV monitor and still
others attempt to watch him from home.
At the same time of discussion, the lecture is being
broadcast live into the residence halls via the
University's Cable System on channel 9.
Video tapes of the lecture will be on reserve at the
Language Resource Center.
"So students who missed them can see them later at
their convenience," Peterson said.
Lecture notes are available on the Internet and an
optional coursepack containing all of the lecture notes
available at Dollar Bill Copying on Church Street.
"It's great. I missed lecture, but I was able to see it on
cable and get my notes off of the Web," LSA first-year
student Elizabeth Fiema said.
Psychology I l l currently has one of the largest
enrollments at the University due to the opening of a
third section, said University spokesperson Joel
Seguine.
Psychology has always been a very popular class and
many students are taking it as an elective, he said.
In the past two years, the number of students in each
lecture section were around 600, which still holds true
today.
The class' size is large compared to the average class
size at the University which is 70 students, Seguine said.
But, it is not the largest. During the 1997 fall semester,
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there were 900 students enrolled in two sections of introj
ductory chemistry.
Peterson said a possible problem that could arise from
the distance learning is that students watching the lec,
ture on a monitor are not able to ask him questions. I
"Plenty of GSIs are in the video room to supervisgst
and answer questions at the end of class" Peterson said.
But student in his "live" lecture tend not to ask ques-
tions.
Many students still are not sure how the broadcast sys
tem works. "I heard that a lot of people would miss lec-'
ture and try to find it on cable and couldn't" said LSA
first-year student Amy Hinman.
By Shabnam Daneshvar
For the Daily
Amidst the myriad of groups and orga-
nizations that populate campus, multicul-
tural groups strive to unite many students
by promoting diversity acceptance and
appreciation.
A'subuhi, the multi-cultural council that
serves West Quad, Betsey Barbour, Helen
Newberry and Cambridge residence halls
kicked off their group's program last night
with an informal talk on diversity issues
and events for the academic year.
"I'm here because I'm interested in
what's going on. I heard about groups
like this all last year, but never had the
chance to join. I'm here now," LSA
sophomore Arti Desai said.
According to Diego Bernal, minority
peer advisor for A'subuhi, which means
"The Next Morning" in Swahili offers stu-
dents a "literal multiculturism" by wel-
coming students from not only all races,
ethnicities, genders, religions and sexual
orientations, but from any social econom-
ic class or physical ability as well.
"If we are at the point of tolerating
differences, we aren't where we need
too be. It's not enough to tolerate any-
more, we need to embrace and wel-
come the differences;' Bernal said.
Multicultural groups like A'subuhi
promote activities like a Halloween
haunted residence hall for children of
different races because "if someone has
a prejudice against a certain group, it's
harder to refuse and prejudice against
kids," Bernal said.
A'subuhi, like many residence halls
multi-cultural committees also coordi-
nate social gatherings, political discus-
sions, poetry readings and basketball
and video game tournaments.
Minority councils also offer counsel-
ing and help for those students experi-
encing racial tensions or other prob-
lems. Peer advisors act as resources for
students and "work to relieve racial ten-
sion," said Alicia Harris, the minority
peer advisor assistant for A'subuhi.
"We like to feel that we are more
approachable and there for students who
may want to speak with us. We help
enhance their college experience;'she said.
Bernal says that where most groups
and events on campus cater to the major-
ity of white students, minority councils
serve those students who may wish to
celebrate the cultural activities they had
always experienced growing up.
"I had one student come to me in the
past and ask me how he could go about
celebrating his Hindu festival of lights,"
Bernal said. "We dug around, got space
and money and several people took part
in the event. It was just something he
had always done at home and wanted
to continue here:
Groups like A'subuhi attempt to help stu-
dents take advantage of many cultures.
"It's more than just a "We are the
world" type of program; it's more like a
"We are here" deal, make it what you
want," Bernal said.
_________________________________________ .
1-94 accident s 4
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) - Four
people returning from a Detroit Tigers
game were killed when the car in which
they were riding ran off the road and
struck a parked fuel-hauling truck, state
police said.
A fifth passenger, a 21-year-old man,
was taken to Oakwood Hospital where he
was listed in serious condition last night,
said hospital spokesperson Jennifer
George-Robinson.
The names of the four killed, three
men and a woman between the ages of
21-23, were being withheld pending noti-
fication of family members, state police
Sgt. Dennis Betts said.
At 4:45 p.m. Sunday, the car carrying
the five people was traveling on
Interstate 94 in this Detroit suburb when
it ran off the road. The car came back
onto the shoulder when it hit the truck,
which was broken down, Betts said.
am e
Market Research Panel Discussion:
Thursday, September 30 1999
5:00-6:30 PM in the Career Planning and
Placement Programs Room, in the
Student Activities Building
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... L L
What's happening in Ann Arbor today
GROUP MEETINGS
FR ean~ln fn. .n.....mmn -m
U "The Last Graduation" film on edu-
cation in prisons, Sponsored by
the Maoist Internationalist
www.umich.edu/-info on the
World Wide Web
fNorthwalk, 763-WALK, Bursley
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