LOCAL/STATE The Michigan Daily - Monday, September 18, 2000 - 3A NSS Lecture to focus on Frost's time in Ann Arbor Robert Frost's time in Ann Arbor will be the focus of discussion tomor- row at the University's Detroit Obser- vatory, as Information and Library Studies dean emeritus Robert Warner will lecture about the poet's excur- sions in Ann Arbor during the 1920's. The free event will be held in the Observatory's meeting room at 3 p.m The Observatory is located at 1398 E. Ann St. at Observatory St. *Rutgers prof. to speak on school libraries, students The School of Information and the University Library will sponsor a lec- ture by Prof. Carol Kuhlthau of Rut- gers University at 3 p.m. on Wednesday in the Ehrlicher Room in " 411 West Hall. 'Library Cultures Exploring Dimensions and Change" is a series of free lectures including KuhlthaUs speech titled "Libraries and Learning in the Information Age School." Kuhlthau, chair of the library and information science department in the School of Communications, Informa- tion and Library Studies at Rutgers, was nationally recognized for her con- tributions in the advancement of *instruction in a college or university media center. Her work includes creating user- centered library services, improving learning in digital libraries, and rede- veloping school libraries for the new millennium. For more information, visit un'usi.unich.edu/Iiiar/y -c'ultw-es 0'U' begins visiting writer series this week with Dolan The University's visiting writer series begins Thursday, Sept. 21 with Western Michigan University Assis- tant English Prof. J.D. Dolan. Dolan's presentation of a fiction reading will take place at Rackham Amphitheater at 5 p.m. * Dolan's work has been published in Esquire, The Nation and Best Ameri- can Sports Writing 1999. He recently published his first book, "Phoenix, a Brother's Life." He has also received the Jeanne Charpiot Goodheart Fiction Prize and fellowships from the Constance Saltonstall and Irving S. Gilmore foundation, and the Idaho Commis- ' ion on the Arts. For more information, call lan Reed Twiss at (734) 647-6471. Polish Union holds conference in honor of 20th anniversary The Polish Solidarity Trade Union will hold it's 20th Anniversary confer- ence titled "The Silences of Solidari-. ty" beginning Thursday, Sept. 21 at Rackham Amphitheatre. The conference opens with author .rPawel Huelle's talk, "Three in a Boat, Solidarity, Walesa, and I: The Gdansk Perspective on Poland's Road to Free- -dom," at 8 p.m. y The University's Center for Russian and East European Studies will spon- sor the conference, which features Poland's recent foreign minister' Bro- *nislaw Geremek. Geremek helped found the soli- darity trade union in 1980, served as an aid to Lech Walesa and is a current member of Polish Parlia- ment. He will deliver the annual Coperni- cus lecture at the close of the confer- ence Saturday at 4 p.m Other Solidarity activists will hold panel discussions throughout the con- ference at Rackham. For more information, call (734), 764-0351. ---Comileld by faiv Sraff Repore'r Lisa Hoff nan. Panelists discuss higher education future By Karen Schwartz For the Daily University School of Education alum Dolores Cross wonders whether higher educa- tion is being pushed aside. Cross, who serves as president of Morris Brown College in Atlanta, said she believes states often give more money to elementary and secondary education than to universities and colleges. "Are we being overlooked?" she asked about the allotment of funding from national and state government. Cross joined two other School of Education alumni - Ted Marchese, executive director of the higher education magazine Change and Paul Lingefelter, executive director of the State Higher Education Executive Officers - in a program Friday that focused on the changing nature and future of higher education. The discussion was sponsored by the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education and the School of Education and held in the school's Schorling Auditorium. The panelists' comments simultaneously were broadcast on the Internet, and panelists addressed concerns from both audience mem- bers and online viewers. "The interaction between the people on the Internet and the speakers was one of the most valuable aspects of our program," said Sylvia Hurtado, director of the CSHPE. "We're bring- ing people together.... This is how we're going to stay on top of these issues and challenges." The panelists addressed issues including the access and quality of higher education, the role of the Internet in higher education and funding for postsecondary institutions. They deliberated the difficulty of getting sup- port for institutions that provide not only for students who are well prepared for college, but also for those who are underserved at the pre- college level. "We in higher education are more unsophisti- cated than we can afford to be to teach students who are not well-prepared," said Lingefelter, recognizing the pressure and need to improve the quality and capacity of teachers. Quality institutions should be involved at the pre-college level, Cross said, and be willing to reallocate resources to help underserved stu- dents succeed and overall be interested in the success of their students. "When I look at the corporate sector, I see they have the same problems with the retention and advancement of minorities," Cross said. The challenge then becomes teaching people how to create, use knowledge and to make. ELLIE WHITE/Daly School of Education alumni Ted Marchese, Dolores Cross and Paul Lingefelter discuss the future of higher education during a panel discussion in Schorling Auditorium yesterday. opportunities to learn readily available, March- ese said. Online education can offer students that opportunity through distance learning, he said, although there are disadvantages such as a lack of face-to-face interaction. The trend in distance learning has been dri- ving higher education institutions to become more technologically advanced, Marchese said Distance learning could support the emergence of new private services for better informatiol, and as the Internet drives down prices, it courl also advance the quest for quality in education, he said. t !iV to I11.i 1lt Ul..)tUIIVV IVU1 lll11 L. 1IlL ) V v \rl! U2! 11 . )U I4A.. Poll finds Michigan residents support Medicare overhaul ELLLIEWHrITE/UDily University alumni Ned and Joann Chalat laugh with Bill Gosling, director of the University Library System, Friday at a reception recognizing their donation of more than 200 children's books to the University. 'U' thanks donors fore childre4V-%n's books LANSING (AP) - High drug costs are a burden on Michigan res- idents, many of whom support a major overhaul of the federal Medicare program. On the top of the list of needs'? Cheaper prescription drugs. The matter could become a major issue in who wins the Nov. 7 presidential election in Michigan. "It's very hard to manage your money and buy the drugs you need to stay alive," said 81 -year-old Genevieve Mortier of Harrison Township. "The cost of taking drugs is too high. There are people out there not taking drugs and dying. "I'm listening to the candidates and anything they can do to help me pay for prescriptions would be helpful," Mortier said. Mortier isn't alone in her opin- ion. Four out of five likely Michi- gan voters want some changes in Medicare, according to a poll con- ducted by The Detroit News. Twelve percent of polled voters said they would support a complete overhaul, while thirty-two percent support major changes. Slightly more Democrats and independent voters say they want changes in the system than Repub- licans do. The poll suggests that policies on federally subsidized health care and prescription drug costs may play a major role in the presidential race in Michigan. Indeed, Medicare has become a major point of debate between the major party candidates for presi- dent, Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush. The federal system was developed 35 years ago to provide senior citizens with federally subsidized health care. Mortier told the News for a Sun- day story that she must get by on a monthly Social Security check for S894, while a SI50 chunk of that money goes to medicine for dia- betes and blood pressure control. In Michigan, 1.4 million seniors get Medicare benefits and 170,000 lack private or state-provided Med- icaid insurance to cover prescrip- tions. At the same time, drug cost* across the nation have risen more than 50 percent since 1989. George Bush is calling for more market competition for Medicare patients, along with S158 billioti for prescription subsidies over 1d years. Al Gore is calling for federal entitlements to the tune of S253 bil= lion over 10 years. Both candidates call each other's plan insufficient. But it's up to Michigan voters to decide for them- selves. According to a recent poll by Thq Detroit Free Press, Gore leads ir Michigan and other key Midwest- ern states by a modest percentage. But Michigan Gov. John Engler, a Republican, said Sunday on NBd TV's Meet the Press that he thinks it will be a tight race up to election day. "It's very hard to manage your money and buy the drugs you need to stay alve. " - Genevieve Mortiet Harrison Township resident By Kristen Beaumont and Benjamin Chess For the Dail For the past 50 years University alumni Joann and Ned Chalat have scoured antique bookshops world- wide looking for books of illustra- tions by Arthur Rackham. Now the Chalats have decided to share their collection by donating it to the University. On Friday the University held a reception to thank the Chalats for their donation of the more than 200 children's books they have collected during their travels. Rackham, who is not related to Horace Rackham of Rackham Grad- uate School, published more than 3,300 illustrations in classic chil- dren's literature of the late 19th Cen- tury. Carolyn Balducci, Residential College professor of' children's liter- ature, said the collection of Rack- ham's books would benefit the study of children's literature at the Univer- sity. "Hris unique interpretation of these stories are essential to the study of children's literature," Balducci said. "It forms a beauti- ful addition to the library resources." She hopes that the books will help foster more programs in writ- ing children's literature at the uni- versity. "It's a treasure very difficult, if not impossible, to collect today," said Bill Gosling, director of the Univer- sity's library system. Joann Chalat said the couple decided to donate the books to the University because "we wanted the books to stay together and we, want- ed them to be cared for." The books are now housed in the Special Collections Library on the seventh floor of the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library. The books are available to read in the library, but are not circulatin. "We do make them available to anyone who asks for them. That was one of our concerns,, said Peggy Daub, a librarian for the Special Collections Library. Katherine Beam, senior associate librarian for the Special Collections Library, said she hoped the collec- tion would help to develop a stronger children's literature section at the University. Some titles in the collection include "Cinderella," "Mother Goose" and "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." The collection also includes Rack- ham's own personal copy of the 1906 edition of "Peter Pan." The book even contains markings by Rackham and his publisher in the margins. The collection also includes per- sonal letters and magazine articles written and illustrated by Rackham. The Chalats had been considering what to do with the collection for some time. While it was hard to part with their collection, the Chalats were pleased to know that their books will be cared for and enjoyed by many in the years to come. "These books are charmed," Ned Chalat said. "If you let them, they will charm your lives, just as they have charmed ours." - Daily Staff Repoter' Anna Clark contributeld to this repolrt. THE CALENDAR What's happening in Ann Arbor today .EVENTS Possibilities," Sponsored by the World Wide Web "Gene Therapy for Brain Tumors and Center for Judaic Studies, Profes- U Northwalk, 763-WA LK, Bursley O"ntherCaners art Tors Gene sor Isaiah Gafni will speak, noon, Lobby, 8 p.m. - 1:30 a.m. OtherCancers, Part of Gene 3040 Frieze 763-9047 Safewalk, 936-1000, Shapiro p.m., 5623 Medical Science "First Day to Final Grade," Spon- LibraryStudentMediation p.m. - 2Services,:30 am. Building 2 sored by Shaman Drum Book- 7397, mediationSeumich.edu, N "Lieberman, Koufax, Maimonides," shop, book signing, 4:00 an diwwumich.edd ,..:,-n., c'h- nriim .nn- chnand www.umich.edu/-"sdrp ........:...... .}?? f L LLL \ LLL- \-L t . \