I One hundred ten years of edixorzWdfreedom tit, 'amilk qmppw NEWS: 76-DAILY CLASSIFIED: 764-0557 www michigandaily. com Thursday October 5, 2000 ., B . g. :6,^ 0 . ... -: ,: I 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