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NEWS: 76-DAILY
CLASSIFIED: 764-0557
www michigandaily. com
Thursday
October 5, 2000
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Student
hockey
ticket
sales fall
Plenty of seats still
available for weekend
lCe Breaker Tourney
By Joe Smith
uy Sports Writer
Three nationally ranked opponents,
including No. I North Dakota, will
be battling it out with the second-
ranked Wolverines this weekend at
Yost Ice Arena - which hosts
arguably one of the "greatest atmos-
pheres" in collegiate hockey.
But there might be something
missing - a sellout crowd.
Ticket manager Marty Bodner said
*sterday that 415 student season
packages were not sold for this
upcoming season. Michigan sold
1,385 season passes out of the 1,800
originally allotted.
Last season the ticket office sold
1,668 student packages. This year's
total package is $35 more expensive.
Although this year's overall price
has increased, with five more games
Michigan's schedule, the average
ice per ticket is $8.48, more than
50 cents less than last season.
Student package sales have
decreased by more than half in the
past three years. The Wolverines sold
3,556 student ticket packages for the
1997-98 season.
"I thought we'd get close, but
demand is going to drop a little bit,"
Bodner said.
Some students, though, still feel
Ot the price is too steep for their
budget.
"I think they're too expensive, it's
kind of a hassle," LSA sophomore
Amir Sitabkhan said. "There are a lot
of games and I don't think I can
make it to all of them."
Making it to every single game
may no longer be an issue, since the
tickets from the 415 student season
kages are now being added to the
9dividual game ticket surplus. This
means that students can buy tickets
for games they want to see and are
able to attend, for an individual ticket
price of either $12, $15 or $17.
Tickets are still available for this
weekend's Ice Breaker Tournament,
which features four of the top 20
teams in the country, including North
Dakota, a team the Wolverines beat
on the very same rink in the 1998
AA Regional.
layers have said that the largely
pro-Michigan crowd in that game
was a huge advantage to the team
coming back from a 3-1 deficit to
advance to the national title game.
"The fans are huge," senior center
Mark Kosick said. In that game, the
fans "were like an extra man out
there on the ice. It was such an
i credible feeling, the fans were
*ng nuts and it really gave us a big
lift."
Michigan fans may have another
chance to make an impact, as the
Wolverines could play North Dakota
for the No. 1 ranking on Saturday if
both teams win in their first games
tomorrow.
"It's important to have the fans
behind us that's the advantage of
playing here at Yost," Kosick said. "If
t fans aren't there and not rowdy
they usually are, its not much of
an advantage for us. We hope they
come out and I'm sure they will."
"We have the potential to play the
number one team in the first week-
end," said Superfan Reza Breakstone,
an LSA junior. "That's huge."
-----------
Co e8ss
confronts
StU d 1
By Robert Gold
Daily Staff Reporter
Michigan State University President Peter
McPherson spoke to a U.S. House of Repre-
sentatives subcommittee yesterday about the
safety of university study abroad programs.
McPherson detailed the safety practices in
Michigan State's program, the largest in the
country, and announced the university's plans
to hold a national study abroad conference
next fall.
U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Holland) said he
held the hearing for the Oversight and Investi-
abroad
gations Subcommittee after reading a series of
articles from The Detroit News during the sum-
mer that detailed study abroad tragedies,
including the death of Ann Arbor resident
Emily Eagen and another student in Costa Rica
last year. A father whose son died in a bus acci-
dent in India also testified yesterday.
The congressman said most universities
run safe programs but more information only
helps improve practices.
"By and large, most schools are doing a
very good job," Hoekstra said after the hear-
ing.
"What concerns me is that there may be a
iafet
ble gap between the best and worst run
ly programs," he said during the commit-
hearing. "That gap is likely to increase if
re is a headlong rush to expand abroad
vities by institutions that are not prepared
to so."
lcPherson said next year's national con-
ence will let colleges share ideas about
ly abroad safety, affordability, and pro-
n quality.
This is one of the areas I've particularly
.hasized at Michigan State," McPherson Michigan State University President Peter McPherson
C Egtestifies before a House subcohnmittles hearing on study
See MCPHERSON, Page 7A abroad programs.
'U'employ ee
chargmed wi th rape
of 14-y7 .ear-odo
Checkmate
By David Enders
Daily Staff Reporter
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for today in
Washtenaw County Circuit Court in the case of a
University employee accused of raping a 14-year-
old boy in Pittsfield Township.
Pittsfield Township Police said 34-year-old Brian
Reed of Ypsilanti approached the boy in the video
rental section at the Meijer store on Carpenter
Road on the evening of Sept. 27. The boy told
police Reed remarked about his choice of movies
then offered him a ride home as boy sat outside.
The boy accepted the ride after Reed allegedly
drove by three times in his pick-up truck. At 10:30
p.m., Pittsfield Township Department of Public
Safety officer Mark Haddow found Reed and the
boy in nearby Montibeller Park in Reed's pick-up.
Neither was wearing clothing, according to police.
Reed has been charged with three counts of third-
degree criminal sexual assault. He was arraigned
Friday, and posted 10 percent of his $2,500 bond.
Reed has. been employed in the Office of the
Dean of Students as coordinator of Student Organi-
zation Accounts Services since June 8, 1998.
No information has been made available on
Reed's status in the University.
See RAPE, Page 7A
VP debate, should
contrast Bush, Gore
By Hanna LoPatin more tranquil atmosphere. "I tend to feel more
Daily Staff Reporter relaxed and comfortable thinking about these two
debating," Ballenger said.
While the dust from Tuesday night's Presidential Ballenger noted that Gore's personal demeanor
debate is still settling, the running mates will have at the debate, including rolling his eyes and sigh-
their turn to duel as vice presidential candidates ing loudly.
Republican Dick Cheney and Democrat C A M P A I G N "He hurt himself," Ballenger
Joe Lieberman get ready to debate fusaid.
tonight. ; But tonight's debate will be a
Unlike Tuesday's debate, which took different story, Ballenger said.
place with the candidates standing at _ _ _ __ _ "They're both much more
podiums,,CNN news anchor Bernard self-assured individuals.
Shaw will moderate with Cheney and Lieberman (They have) fewer personality complexes, idio-
seated at a table at Centre College in Danville, Ky. syncrasies, foibles that will lead them to make
Editor of "Inside Michigan Politics" Bill Ballenger people feel uncomfortable," Ballenger said.
said another difference viewers will notice is a See DEBATE, Page 7A
JUSTIN FITZPATRICK/Daily
University Transportation Institute employee Krishnan Sudharsan plays chess against Alex
Lehmann at a month-long tournament at theWashtenaw Chess Club on Main Street yesterday.
Religion weighs heavy
on the minds of voters
By Hanna LoPatin
Daily Staff Reporter
More than 200 years ago, the founding fathers of the
United States included a stipulation in the Constitution
that requires a separation of church and state. But with
issues from morality to prayer in schools to
vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman's
breakthrough nomination, religion has
reared its head into the 2000 campaigns.
With the balance of the Supreme Court
dependent on the next President, many issues
like prayer in school and abortion could be
dramatically changed in the near future, with
religion lingering in the background.'
"Coy. Bush has always made it clear that reli-
gion plays a very important role in his life," said Part thr
Bob Hopkins, a campaign spokesman for sunin
Bush/Cheney 2000. until E ed
Bush has emphasized the "power of religion RELIC
and has put forward a plan to reach out the reli-
gious community," Hopkins said.
"He wants to use the power of faith to save and change
lives, and he's done that here in Texas."
Hopkins said Bush wants "to establish an office of faith-
ree
f st
ric
161
change that for "effective faith-based organizations."
As for the effect of Lieberman's nomination on the reli-
gious tone of the campaign, Hopkins said, his presence has
put additional focus on the candidates' religions.
U.S. Congresswoman Lynn Rivers (D-Ann Arbor)
said that although Lieberman's nomination has brought
religion into the spotlight, it's not the candi-
dates that bring up religion, people discuss
what interests them. " I feel comfortable say-
ing it's not an issue I discuss."
Raised in a Christian tradition, Rivers said, "I
believe in compassion, service, but I also
believe in separation of church and state."
Bob Bykowski, Republican candidate for a
seat in the State House of Representatives, said
he was pleased with Lieberman's nomination,
e in a but does not think that his religion will have a
'se big effect on the Jewish voting population.
)n Day: "Most people will look at the person and what
3N they stand for," Bykowski said "People nowadays
really look at a candidate and what they stand for
the most part."
Editor of "Inside Michigan Politics" Bill Ballenger also
said that Lieberman's religion factor largely into the elec-
tions, "People don't vote for the vice-president," he said.
Part of the parking lot wall at Yost Ice Arena was torn down this week to make
pulling out onto State Street safer for drivers and pedestrians.
ld Fer Feld wall
tornH down for," safety
Faceoff I
Oe Michigan
hockey team is
already ranked
No. 2 in the
nation. The puck
drops tomorrow
night on the -
2000-01 season '
By David Enders
Daily Stafr Reporter
either side of the wall," Executive
Associate Athletic Director Mike
Stevenson said. "We've had a number
of near misses."
-~ V .f ~LI M V -VIVV.
Parts of the wall separating the Yost