LOCAL/S TATE The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, January 10, 2001-- 3 IHIGHER EDF program offers Internet degree In a landmarkpogran;'I31 Ohio State University students recently started workingtowards their Doce tor of Pharmnacy degrees over the Internet. _ The Nontradition al Doctor of Phan- macy Program held orientation last iveekend at the university in order to familiarize its students with the online classes. The program, consisting of 40 hours of-online course ork and then up to two years of exprtmen- tal rotations, vill allow students to proceed at their o\tn pace. Students can expect to take any- 'kihere from three to six years to complete iheir dgrees. The unive~sty si'd tht the online -egree was designed for increased -flexibiliy for the program~ students, Who are working profcsibns from across Oh 6 * Slacker students !may needlto pay back financal aid Through a new interpretation of the federal aid code, iniKersitieisare now required to prove fhat'students who are receiving federal 'aid are actually attending class. Studens that'hae "u ioffiialy withdrawn" from classes, may have to Wpay back the federal aid that they have received. Many universities are having trou- ble docutmenting that students were attendng class,.siuice an attendance ecord is not avaiabl in any cours- es. Officials from ie 'OUniversity of Mississippi and Mississippi State Uni- versity are reviewing the transcripts of students receiving federal aid to see if they earned a passing grade in classes. Uniersity ofisip'i ~6ffi- vials said they believe nearly 100 Students will have to pay back fed- eral aid. Officials frtinMissssippi State University said theyexpectabut 60 of their students to be affected is a result of the interpretation of the rule. P U. Dayton officials suspend events for homecoming Administrators at the University of Dayton in Ohio have suspended the college's homecoming festivi- ties indefinitily.' The universifty aid the6yuspen- Sion is' due to The upruly behavior_ exhibited in recent years at the cel- ebration. At last yeias fe'stiv iti ight indiv iOuias vu a'i ed aidtf"'the CDayton p9lice and fire departments were called to the scene UC-Davis almost 'dum p student - y to Attcirndy ii thginicvz'si of Cac orni at lgz' eeral otmseInfficee } threatened to take legal action against t student who created thie onliiiedat-' ing service, ucsingles.com. The Univerfity said the use of the 1, "UC" trademark was a misdemeanor,' * and under national law a trademark' ~fringmen . . ~ r Legal 'actih was aVoided wtten ;'bthe creatorofthe Website, a UC- Davis student, agreed to change the., site's name to rneetstudents;com. The Website's creator said he is ,glad the ,ntpriglemen with the uni- versity has concluded but he enjoyedx. the publicity it gave the Website. Since the site was called into ques- ,,;jon, the, service °s. profiles-jumped from 175 students to 334 since Jan. 4.- - Compiled ifom U- WIRE reports by Dailv Staff Reporter Jane Krul. MSA elects new chairs to follow lawsuits By Carrie Thorson Daily Staff Reporter The election of the Michigan Student Assem- "bly's Affirmative Action Task Force chair fueled debate at the group's first meeting of the semester in the Michigan Union last night. At the beginning of the meeting, MSA President Hideki Tsutsumi immediately handed the gavel over to Student General Counsel Alok Agrawal because of the "con- troversial issues" on the agenda. The newly created Affirmative Action Task Force was created to organize students to attend the trial for the suit facing the University's Law School scheduled for next week. Last night the assembly uncontestedly appointed three chairs to lead the committee: Rackham Rep. Jessica Curtin, School of Social Work Rep. Diego Bernal and Rackham student Amer Zahr. During constituents' time, several mem- bers of the Defend Affirmative Action Party spoke in favor of LSA Rep. Erika Dowdell and Curtin to chair the task force. "The most experienced members on that party are Jessica and Erika, and to elect anyone else would be illogical," LSA sophomore and DAAP party member Agnes Aleobua said. Members of DAAP are "the people who have been meeting with lawyers and leaders organizing MLK Day ... and did the Reverse the Drop campaign under the leader- ship of Jessica and Erika. No one else can match what they have done thus far or can in the future," Aleobua added. Bernal initially proposed to run not against DAAP but with them. "I wouldn't accept any nomination unless it was me and a DAAP person ... but after talk- ing to Jessica it appears that is not accept- able," Bernal stated. Initially DAAP members were opposed to Bernal's offer. Zahr said he was not opposed to running with DAAP members not only because he felt other groups needed to be included in stu- dent's defense of affirmative action but because of the way DAAP members fervently "This is what we need to mobilize the campus to defend affirmative action." - Jessica Curtin Michigan Student Assembly representative rejected his offer of collaboration. Bernal said he was opposed to being called "a tool of the right wing." Agrawal's executive decision that there could only be two chairs of a committee was appealed. The assembly consented to the appointment of the three AATF chairs. "I'm really hoping that we can work together and (the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action By Any Means Necessary) and DAAP can con- tinue to do the work they've done," Bernal said after being elected. "There's room for every- body." Curtin also expressed optimism about the decision to have three chairs lead the task force. ..ramoffers "This is what we need to mobilize the campus to defend affirmative action," Curtin said. Last night the assembly also allocated S700 to the Environmental Issues Commis- sion for Earthweek 2001 and S300 to the Women's Issue's Commission for advertise- ment of the Vagina Monologues, which is scheduled for Feb. 16. Three new members were recently appoint- ed to the assembly, including Nursing junior Brad Sprecher and LSA junior Mariam Khal- ife. LSA sophomore Zach Slates was appointed as an additional representative to fill the additional seat allocated to LSA. chance 'to Spring training Pro 7 work in public sector BRENDAN O'DONNELL/Daily Joey Pena cuts LSA freshman jason Kidd's hair so he can fit into his lacrosse helmet for the spring. Ford pledgewz~s safet i-mprovemeCnts to SU s before 2005 t DLE lRO-I{-(A-Pyb h stone suggested that Ford raise the rec- Fiu&'6 1i t II 'iir W t 1 ommetendd presasure to 30 psi. Ford, By James Restivo Daily Staff Reporter When Alicia Wilson graduated from the University in 1998 with degrees from the schools of Public Policy and Social Work, she knew she wanted to work in a public sec- tor. But like many students, Wilson was confused about where she wanted to take her degree. "I knew what I wanted to do, I just didn't know how I wanted to do it," Wilson said. Due to her participation in the Coro Fellowship Program, an intensive leadership training organization, Wilson said she was able to "put a will on my passions." The program is a nine-month project in which students with undergraduate degrees get a chance to work in various public sectors of one of six cities, including New York City and San Francisco. Students spend time with nonprofit organizations, labor unions, corporations, mass media groups and government positions, Coro Fellows recruiter Matt Rosen said. "It's a program for self-motivated individuals with leader- ship skills and a commitment to public service," Rosen said. "It gives students wanting to go into public affairs access and opportunity." The program, which starts each year in September, offers need-based tuition assistance and living stipends, Rosen said. Once in the program, students spend three to five weeks at "mini-internships" with the fast pace of life a public offi- cial would have, Wilson said. "It not only helped me prepare for the real world," Wilson said. "It helped me expand my knowledge of what the real world is about." Andrew Thorp, a 1993 alum of the program, said although the program "opened the world" for him, its rigor- ous schedule could be a concern. "It's a very challenging program for those who want to push themselves, but it's not right for everyone," Thorp said. The program is open to students with any interest in working with public affairs, Rosen said. "We don't guarantee employment; but the networking capabilities offer a great place to find the jobs you are look- ing for," Rosen said. WANTED: DAILY Exe PHOTOGRAPHERS. with E-MAIL OR@IADSwimmii TaeKw BRO WNLD@UMIC#.EDUTKwor C accidents in f ord Explorers. Ford Motor Co. will make tire pressure monitors standard in all its sport utilities by 2005. The move weas one of several safety improvements Ford announced yester- day' Toi its popdlar SUV mnodels that defiwei much of its profit. But the other measures, such as better brakes and rollover protection systems, had been planned for some time. The tire senstrs are "a direct reaction to; 'll call it, increased sensitivity of engineers contended that at 26 psi, there was a margin of safety large enough to handle regular pressure loss, but the company eventually went along with the tire maker's suggestion. The tire pressure sensors, along with the other improvements, will be offered on the 2002 Explorer. Inglis said the sensors would be standard equipment, while some of the other safety features would be optional. The system uses a sensor that mounts inside the tire and BRENDANO'DONNELL/Daily University alum Alicia Wilson speaks to students interested in the Coro Fellowship Program yesterday at the Gerald Ford School of Public Policy Annex on Huron Street. Alumni include Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.). Jennifer Niggemeier, director of career services for the University's Gerald Ford School of Public Policy, said the Coro Fellows Program can be very helpful to both those entering the work force, as well as students who want.to attend graduate school. "It has a very solid program," Niggemeier said.'It gives you a broad overview of issues from multiple prospective." The only requirement to apply is an undergraduate degree or experience in organizations such as the military or Peace Corps. Applications can be found at irilwrcoro.org, and infor- mation also is available from the Ford School of Public Policy. rcise away those EXTRA POUNDS :h FITNESS Register for classes NOW! ng, Water Aerobics, Yoga, Kickboxing, Step, n Do, Hip Hop, Ballroom Dance,Butts & Guts, Super Circuits!!! Call 764-1342 for more information or www.umich.edu/-umove people to tire-related issues' said M'a'tin Inglis, head of Ford North America. TIre pressure was one of the major areas of inquiry mnto problems that led to the recall of 6.5 mil- lion Firestone tires,. Tire presssure sensors will be offered on 2002 wirelessly transmits warnings about over- or under-infla- tion to the vehicle. Inglis also said the company was Explorer. most mounted on Ford Explorers. Tread separations of ATX, ATX 11 and Wilder- ness AT tires have been tied to thousands of accidents and about 140 deaths. The pressure determines how much weight a tire can hold and influences how much heat builds up in the tire. Ford had recommended that the Fire- stone Wilderness AT tires on the Explorer be inflated to 26 pounds per square inch, in part to improve the sta- bility of the vehicle. But in an analysis released last month, Bridgestone/Firestone said a Wilderness tiie inflated to 26 psi on an Explorer could fall below industry standards for weight capacity if left unchecked for four months through normal pressure loss. After the recall, Bridgestone/Fire- studying devices that automatically inflate tires to a set pressure. Several automakers offer tire pres- sure sensors on luxury or sports cars. Ford says its system was more sensitive than those used in most other vehicles and more adapted to off-road use. The other safety features Ford will offer on its SUVs include: Anti-lock brakes that sense which wheels have the best traction and can distribute braking force. A system of air bags, seat belts and sensors that measure the severity of a crash and adjust the force of air bag deployment and seat belt tension. ® A side curtain air bag system that responds to side impacts and rollovers. The curtain is designed to prevent pas- sengers from being ejected from the vehicle in rollover accidents. ,.. p .. _, _ _ __,,. - _ -- q . ._ .,... THE CALENDAR What's happening in Ann Arbor today x , t:; e .; _ ., 7 i EVENTS "Myth From Reality: The UM Affirma- tive Action Lawsuits," Sponsored SCommunity~ Service Commission by the Office of Lesbian Gay Bisex- M 6:30 , vc Com an ual & Transgender Affairs, 7:00 Union M :A Chambers, 615-MNSAr p.m., Michigan Union, Parker S Uon ena mbissues, Commission Room, 763-4186 MeEn n, 7.ss-,s *Comisn AnnAror Support Group, 6:30 Ubp.m., First-Baptist Church, 512 Union iSA Chambers, 615Du~m E. Huron, Room 102, 973-0242 S ExorcisigYehudit: Documenta- Meal and Discussion, 5:30 p.m., tion, Community Interests, P h American Rantist Camnus Fel- Automobile Design, Sponsored by ART PRO TE MTand the Ann Arbor District Library, Bob Elton will speak, 7:00 p.m., AADL lower level Multipurpose Room, 327-4200 SERVICES Campus Information Centers, 764- INlgr_ infn(@tjmich edu. and .1 I la