LOCAL/STATE The Michigan Daily - Friday, February 2, 2001-- 3 CRIVE Utah professor refuses to return missing computer A computer was reported stolen onday morning from the Taubman alth Care Center, Department of Public Safety reports state. A doctor from the University of Utah was called in connection with the larceny. He has refused to return the computer or purchase it because he said it belongs to him. Basketball fan starts shoving watch at Crisler A subject was ushered out of Crisler Arena Tuesday evening, dur- ing the basketball game against Michigan State after initiating a shov- ing match with several Spartan fans, according to DPS reports. Expensive watch ft unattended, stolen from CCRB A TAG Hauer men's watch, val- ued at $1,200, was stolen Monday evening from the Central Campus recreation Building, DPS reports state. The watch had been left unattended on Sunday. DPS had no suspects. Nitrous oxide can %und in car trunk A canister of nitrous oxide was found in the trunk of a vehicle early Wednesday morning at the School of Dentistry, DPS reports. The can was recovered after Ann Arbor Police offi- cers arrested the driver for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of 4lcohol. l.aptop stolen from Angell auditorium A laptop was reported stolen Mon- day afternoon from Angell Hall Auditorium A, DPS reports state, It was left unattended on Sunday evening about 10 p.m. on a project stand near the exit doors. DPS had no suspects. Sesident reports marijuana smell A student in West Quad Residence Hall reported smelling marijuana Monday afternoon, DPS reports state. Officers issued a warning for burning incense. Clothing stolen *om West Quad A West Quad resident reported clothing stolen from his room Tuesday afternoon, DPS reports. The amount of clothing totaled $185. There was no evidence of forced entry and DPS had no suspects. Items reported taken from room A student at Mosher-Jordan Resi- Once Hall reported a stolen wallet, cell phone and watch Tuesday morn- ing, DPS reports state. His room had been forcibly entered sometime dur- ing the night. Black bag stolen from Union A black duffel bag was reported olen Tuesday afternoon from the Nichigan Union, DPS reports state. The bag contained three pairs of shoes, a shoe brush and a driver's license. DPS had no suspects. Lounge couch reported stolen A couch was reported stolen Wednesday afternoon from a 7th-floor lounge in South Quad Residence Hall, cording to DPS reports. - Compiled by Daily StaffReporter Jacquelyn Nixon. A.% Arbo: By James Restivo Daily Staff Reporter While some students use recycling as a way to make money by returning bottles for the 10-cent deposit, the city of Ann Arbor grossed $270,000 last year due to the combined recycling efforts of both the city and the University. This money raised is then placed into a general budget, which helps offset the costs of the recy- cling programs, as well funding services includ- ing the Police Department, the Fire Department and snow removal. The University has a number of programs designed for trash reduction efforts, said Sarah Archer, recycling coordinator for the University. "We have an extensive array of great programs across a wide spectrum," Archer said. Through the use of bins for both paper and r, 'U' corroborate on recycling . containers, the University recycled 2,300 tons of paper and 123 tons of bottles and cans last year. Considering the University produced 8,100 tons of waste, roughly 30 percent was diverted from landfills, Archer said. The stadium program that went into effect for the 2000 football season also was able to remove 12 tons of bottles from the Big House. "This program is the first of its kind in the nation," Archer said. "Fans can actually partici- pate, and we are definitely proud of that achieve- ment" Recycling efforts began at the University 11 years ago because of "increasing pressure from the diverse groups on campus," Archer said. Although recycling by the University has grown, Archer said she believes students may not be the cause. "The rates are consistently the same in the summer months, which means it's mostly done by staff, not students" Archer said. "I think there could be heightened awareness and participation for students on campus." Bryan Weinert, the manager of resource recov- ery for the city of Ann Arbor, said the joint efforts at recycling between the city and the Uni- versity offer several benefits to both the commu- nity and the environment in addition to enlarging landfill spaces. "By recycling we do not need to utilize our nation's virgin natural resources," Weinert said. "It also results in the conservation of energy because it takes less energy to produce a new item from an old one." The facilities utilized for recycling bring "sub- stantially more jobs than waste removal," giving an added benefit for the city, Weinert said. Once the recyclables are, collected, they are then taken to a material recovery facility with- in the city limits. Last year the city recycled MSAnat 15,000 tons of materials, and composted- 13,000 tons, reducing waste by 41 percent, Weinert said. "We are consistently ranked among the best," Weinert said. For students who live in off-campus hous- ing, one of the largest programs in the city is the curbside pickup, said Melinda Werling,. executive director of Recycle Ann Arbor, one of the nonprofit organizations that assist the city. "Residents get two bins - one for containers, such as glass bottles and aluminum, and the other for paper," Werling said. The city of Ann Arbor recently met the White: House's National Recycling Challenge by- achieving more than a 35 percent recycling rate.a Ann Arbor was also named as one of the nation's top 20 recycling communities by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 1999. 20s search Under the hood ( I for student members By CarrieThorson Daily Staff Reporter Michigan Student Assembly elections are only weeks away, and students are already preparing and recruiting for their respective parties. The number of parties participating in each election changes each year. The three prominent parties from last winter's election - the Blue Party, the Defend Affirmative Action Party and the Michigan Party - will all be running candi- dates in the March election. "Being part of a party in general is a great resource and a great motivating source," said LSA Rep. Jessica Cash, a member of the Blue Party. Having a network of people supporting you makes running a lot easier, she added. Candidates may also choose to run indepen- dently, such as current assembly President Hideki Tsutsumi and Vice President Jim Secre- to did. Many independents said that it was diffi- cult not having the money and publicity a large party can offer. "It's definitely a lot of work," said LSA Rep. Alicia Johnson, who also ran as an independent. "But I didn't have to subscribe to one party's ide- ologies." The Defend Affirmative Action Party is the oldest party participating in the upcoming elec- tions. It was formed in 1997 after the first law- suits were filed challenging the University's use of race in admissions. "Defending affirmative action is our main con- cern," said Business School Rep. Kurt Johnson. "By running as a member of this party people know up front what I'm about." The Blue Party, the second oldest party on campus, runs by a more broad philosophy, said LSA Rep. Matt Nolan. "We're not focused on voting ideologies," Nolan said. "We all don't have the same ideas." Nolan and Cash emphasized the fact that once elections are done, the Blue Party does not emphasize party affiliation so its members can represent a broad rangeof opinions. The goal of the Michigan Party, a party new to the fall elections, is to create dialogue on campus and to represent under-represented views, said LSA Rep. Doug Tietz. "Student government has failed," Tietz said. "MSA is a do-nothing institution. We're all about making MSA more effective." Past political parties have included the Frat Party, a satirical party run by the staff of the Gar- goyle, a campus humor magazine, and the Wolverine Party, which was disqualified during elections last winter due to a violation of the integrity of the election. RACHEL FEIERMAN/fDaily Ron Paul works on the engine of a car at the Firestone Tire & Service Center on East Huron Street yesterday. etroit's crime rate lowest in 30 years DETROIT (AP) - Serious crimes dropped 5.7 percent in 2000 to the lowest recorded in the city in 30 years, Detroit police said yesterday. The 95,759 major crimes committed from Janu- ary 1999 through December are the lowest since the city began reporting the figures to the FBI in this manner in 1971, Police Chief Benny Napoleon said. Homicides dropped 4.8 percent overall to 396, the figures show, Burglaries fell 13.4 percent and larce- nies were down 7.6 percent. Serious crimes reported to the FBI include homi- cide, rape, robbery, felonious assault, burglary, larce- ny and auto theft. The number of rapes increased by 2.7 percent to 811. Robberies and felonious assaults increased by less than one percent. "One rape is one rape too many," Assistant Chief Marvin Winkler said. "Through education to the public, we hope to bring that number down." Napoleon attributed the overall decrease to a crime task force that began in 1998, more efficient crime prevention techniques by the police depart- ment and Mayor Dennis Archer. After a 12.7 percent drop in crime in 1999, which Napoleon called a "grand slam," he's considering the 2000 drop "a triple with the bases loaded." "Well, certainly I think it is a significant step in the right direction," he said, emphasizing the signifi- cance for southeast Michigan. "Detroit being seen as a safer city helps the region as well as the city of Detroit." Napoleon said while he realizes crime figures will eventually stabilize, he believes the decrease will continue for a few more years. But the reputation of being a crime-filled city is going to take time to change, Archer said. "We don't enjoy the same presumption that other cities have of safety despite the fact that we have a safer city," he said. James Fox, Lipman professor of criminal justice at Northeastern University in Boston, said while the city's crime rate may be at a 30-year low, it's not that low when looking at the rate per thousand for com- parable cities. "Looking at your own track record, you're doing very well," he said. "But don't brag." .; ,. Drug company settles in pxCe-fixing lawsuit LANSING (AP) - State agencies and patients in Michigan could get several million dollars from a settle- ment with a generic drug maker that was accused of price-fixing, Attorney General Jennifer Granholm said yes- terday. The Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general in all 50 states accused Pittsburgh-based Mylan Laboratories of orchestrating an ille- gal, 2,000 percent price increase for the drugs lorazepam and clo- razepate. As part of a settlement with the FTC reached late last year, Mylan will distribute $100 million nationally to state Medicaid agencies and patients. Granholm agreed to that set- tlement yesterday. Mylan spokeswoman Patricia Sun- serf was unavailable for comment yesterday. Granholm spokesman Chris De Witt said the state doesn't yet know its share of the $100 million settle- ment. But Granholm has estimated that nearly one million people in Michigan use lorazepam and clo- razepate. Lorazepam is used to treat anxiety, tension and insomnia and is often prescribed for nursing home patients and those with cancer and AIDS. Clo- razepate is used to treat anxiety and hypertension. Mylan was accused of increasing the cost of a 500-count bottle of lorazepam from $7.30 to $191.50. Bottles of 500 clorazepate were increased from $11.36 to $377, Granholm said. Correction: LSA freshman Rania Fetouh won third place in the essay category of the underclassmen Hopwood Awards. This was incorrectly reported on Page 7A of the Jan. 24 Daily. THE CALENDAR What's happening in Ann Arbor this weekend FRIDAY SATURDAY A "Probabilities and Caus- es: Return from Methuselah," Sponsored by the Philosophy "Jazz Extended," Spon- sored by the School of Music Contemporary Directions Ensemble, ment), 105 S. State St., 764-6800 SUNDAY U "Maize & Blue invitation- SERVICES Campus Information Centers, 764-INFO, info@umich.edu, or www.umich.edu/~info