LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Thursday, January 4, 2000 - 3A
'U,
By Jen Fish
Daily Staff Reporter
reports significant financial growth
Use of tobacco
products declines
among teenagers
According to a survey conducted
by the Institute for Social Research,
titled Monitoring the Future, the use
of several drugs has decreased sub-
stantially over the last few years.
The surveys used 45,000 students
in grades eight, 10 and 12, and
showed that the use of inhalants, LSD,
crystal methamphetamine and Rohvp-
nol have all decreased by 25 to 33 per-
cent from their peak levels reached in
1996 and 1997 due to the changes in
the availability of marijuana.
sThough the declines have been much
smaller, researchers also hgve seen a
decrease in the use of crack cocaine and
cocaine powder among students.
Researchers have seen the largest
decline among eighth graders, with a
farily consistent level amongt students
bf upper grades. Even with the
declines, drugs including ampheta-
mines. barbiturates, tranquilizers, hallu-
inogens besides LSD, opiates other
than heroin and alcohol, did not witness
asignificant decrease.
This year, the survery also showed
an increase in the use of ecstasy in all
grade levels, heroin in 12th graders
and steroids in 10th graders.
The survery was instated 25 years
ago because of a series of grants made
by the National Institute on Drug
Abuse, which is oncof the National
histitues of Health in the U.S. Depart-
ement of Health and Human Services.
It shows representative samples of
students from public and private
schools across The United States.
Researcher offers
model of Pangea
The position of Pangea, an ancient
supercontinent that began falling apart
.more than 200 million years ago to
form seven continents, has been
solved, according to University
researchers and the Geological Survey
of Norway.
Using geological evidence, the
researchers created several models to
show how today's continents fit
together before the seperation of
Pangea. The most popular model,
called Pangea A, shows South Ameri-
ca touching the southern edge of
*North America, and it shows Africa to
the east of South America, adjacent to
the Atlantic coast of North America.
Using the magnetic fields of the
Earth within rocks, geologists have
found information which disagrees
with Pangea A; and hope to use the
magnetizaiot ,recrd 4orloeate thee
exact latitude of the rocks when the
magnitazation was recorded millions
Oof years ago.
Geology Prof. Rob Van der Voo
feels that the southern continents
should be farther north than the
Pangea A model because of studies
using the magnetic data.
An an effort to combine classical
Pangea studies and the new magnetic
research, Van der Voo and Trond
Torsvik, a colleague from the Geolog-
ical Survey of Norway, hope to find
out if the Earth still rotates on the
.same dipole components, such as the
,north and south magnetic poles, as it
i before Pangea split apart.
New way to fix
kspacecraft found
Researchers from the College of
Engineering believe they have discov-
cred the way to fix a spacecraft while
*airborne by creating machines that
learn from experience to detect prob-
pems and fix themselves.
MACE II, a demonstrational device
6f a self-reliant, adaptive machine,
docked at the International Space Sta-
tion in September, making it the first
experiment aboard the space station.
The week of Dec. 15 began MACE
If's first mission, which is to detect
problems with hardware and technolo-
gies on board the spacecraft, named
Atlantis, and correct any problems
which may arise.
MACE II uses algorithms that allow
it to adapt to changing conditions with-
i4t using any ground controller.
Researchers call this technology fre-
quency domain expert control, which is
an advance beyond MACE I, which
could only test and fix gained controls.
Compiled by Daily StaffiReporter
Lisa Hoffman.
The University is starting the
new millennium with a strong
financial foundation and an eye
toward environmental sustainabili-
ty, according to reports presented at
the last month's meeting of the Uni-
versity Board of Regents.
Chief Financial Officer Robert
Kasdin presented the University's
financial report for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 2000. Citing
increases in private gifts, invest-
ment returns and research awards,
Kasdin said the University is "in
excellent financial health."
Kasdin also said the University's
financial status is "a result of tight
control on expenses by faculty and
staff, as well as maximization of
various revenue streams ... as well
as the generosity of the state."
The state appropriation to the
University was S394 million, an
increase of 5.7 percent from the last
fiscal year. Another significant
increase was in the area of new
research awards, which totalled
S654 million, up from 5452 mil-
Iion.
Gifts to the University also
increased substantially as well,
from S177 million to S231 million.
The University's investment port-
folio also performed well, achiev-
ing a 43.6 percent return on
investments. This placed the Uni-
versity in the top quartile in the
country as tracked by Cambridge
Associates.
The University's continued finan-
cial security has earned it a "Aaa"
rating from Moody's Investor Ser-
vice.
The University is one of the first
two public universities in the coun-
try to earn this distinction, Kasdin
said.
The board also was presented
with two plans for maintaining and
increasing the University's environ-
mental sustainability.
Terry Alexander, Director of
Occupational Safety and Environ-
mental Health, told the Board the
Rulgl1
University has taken existing pro-
grains that are in place to comply
with state and federal regulations
and "taken them to the next step."
Some of the University's initia-
tives include collaboration with the
city' of Ann Arbor for renewable
energy, recycling campaigns in
Residence Halls and Michigan Sta-
dium and alternative de-icing mate-
rials to replace sand and salt use.
Students representing the "Sus-
tainable University of Michigan"
initiative also addressed the Board,
asking the University to consider a
plan that continues present pro-
grams while also considering envi-
ronmntal responsibility and
environmental impacts.
Where the money
comes from
The University's current operating
funds are about $3.4 billion, and
cone from a variety of sources:
0 State appropriations: $394
million
UStudent tuition and fees: $544
milion
8 Private gifts: $231 million
V Research grants: $554 million
6 Hospitals and other similar
activities: $1.3 billion in revenue
r
1r
Moving on up
Sundergraduate
case pleases most regents
By Jen Fish
Daily Staffl Rporter
Just before the University Board of Regents' meeting got
underway last month, members of the Board and University.
executive officers were talking animatedly among them-
selves. In fact, the meeting started nearly 20 minutes late.
There was a lot to talk about.
The previous day Federal district Judge Patrick Duggan
decided to grant a motion for summary judgment in favor
of the University in the lawsuit challenging the use of race
as a factor in undergraduate admissions.
"I'm thrilled," said Regent Larry Deitch (D-Bloomfield
Hills) of the verdict.
In a written statement, Regent Kathy White (D-Ann
Arbor) wrote that she was "profoundly and deeply elated
that the court has found that the University may consciously
consider race in admissions to attain education benefits
inherent in diversity."
"I am excited that the University will be able to continue
to seek diversity in student enrollment. This will make the
University a better and stronger academic institution," she
concluded.
At least one regent expressed concern about Duggan's
finding that while the University's current system is permis-
sible, the "grid system" used from 1995-1998 was not, con-
stitutional.
"I thought it was a very interesting decision in that
(Duggan) found a distinction between the two sys-
tems," said Regent Andrea Fischer Newman (R-Ann
Arbor).
"The question is whether the results were different. It's a
"This will make the University
a better and stronger
academic institution."
- Kathy White
Regent (D-Ann Arbor)
question of process. The question that hasn't beer
addressed was would they (defendants Patrick Hammachce
and Jennifer Gratz) be admitted under the new system ...
she said.
Recently re-elected to the board, Deitch and Rebecca
McGowan's (D-Ann Arbor) support of the lawsuits was at,
issue in their bid for re-election.
During the campaign, it was asked if a change in the bal
ance of power in the board would alter any future particip -
tion in the lawsuits, which have been predicted to go asEfa
as the Supreme Court.
Because of the powers granted to the Board by the state
it could theoretically direct University President Lee
Bollinger to settle the lawsuits.
But there seems to be little doubt now that the University
will continue to defend its policies.
"This board will support an appeal," Newman said.
Fellow Republican David Brandon (Ann Arbor
agreed.
"From my perspective, the train has left the station," h.
said. "Everyone else has a realistic view that .there's a long
road ahead."
AILY ONLINE
4NDAIL Y.COM
JLbN(;A Ufl"i -O '( ly
Engineering sophomore Erik Schroeppel struggles yesterday to open the door
to South Quad Residence Hall after winter break.
Students take
advantage o
book exchange
READ THE D
WWW.MICHIGA
By Elizabeth Kassab
Daily Staff Reporter
Shelves filled with textbooks
crowded the Pond Room of the
Michigan Union yesterday, as part of
the Student Book Exchange that runs
until Saturday.
The Student Book Exchange is a
nonprofit, student-run organization that
holds a book drive during the first week
of every semester. Students can sell their
unwanted textbooks and search for
materials for this spmester's classes.
"It's for students, by students," said
Education senior Hank Opoku, who is
volunteering at the book exchange for
the third year.
Today is the last day for students to
bring in books they want to sell. Stu-
dents can buy books tomorrow and
Saturday.
Student Book Exchange President
Bennet Borsuk said the exchange
normally lasts five days, with three
days for selling books and two days
for buying. But because this semes-
ter begins on a Thursday instead of
the usual Wednesday, Borsuk said it
was not practical to start on Tuesday
since not many students were in Ann
Arbor. The group also decided not to
extend the drive because students.do
not have classes on Sunday and can
easily pick up books and checks,
said volunteer Jennifer Carroll, a
Kinesiology senior.
Students decide the prices of the.
books they sell. Borsuk said recom-
mended students try to sell their books
for less than the used price but more
than the sell-back price in any of the
bookstores on campus.
"Students can put any price. You can
price your books at S500, but they're not
going to sell," Borsuk said. "People
make good judgment calls on pricing."
Students keep 85 percent of the
money from-their sales, with the
remaining 15 percent going to the Stu-
dent Book Exchange. Borsuk said the
nonprofit organization uses the money
to cover the cost of renting space in the
Union and advertising on campus.
"It's a good opportunity to save
quite a bit of money," Student Book
Exchange Vice President Mike
Thompson said.
Engineering senior Jennifer Zieg
said she agreed, but also said she does
not always find all the books she need-
ed, especially for upper-level classes
because they are often smaller classes
and students sometimes keep their
books.
LSA senior Erin Muladore said
the bookstores will not buy back
many of her books because the read-
ing lists change for the classes she
takes. But she has had luck selling
them through the Student Book
Exchange.
Borsuk estimated that about 2,000
books and 800 students will find their
way to the Pond Room during the
four-day drive. Sunday students will
be able to pick up the books that did
not sell and checks for the books that
were sold.
All books that are not retrieved are
automatically donated to the Student
Book Exchange for the next semester's
book drive and students lose the
opportunity to sell them back to book-
stores for any money. Many of these
books end up in the "clearance" sec-
tion, Borsuk said. Often outdated,
these books usually sell for one or two
'dollars.
Thirty volunteers, many from the
service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega,
aid the seven Student Book Exchange
officers to ensure the book drive runs
smoothly.
I..-
I
THE CALENDAR
What's happening in Ann Arbor today
srE rrc %FR ICT-%
m