LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Friday, March 6C, 2001- 3
Shortage of nurses, students hits Midwest
U' offers reward
after fire alarm
system damaged
The University is offering a reward
f up to $1,000 for information lead-.
ng to the arrest and conviction of
those responsible for the damage to
the Alice Lloyd fire alarm system on
Feb. 22.
A person or persons sprayed ammo-
nium chloride onto the fire alarm
..panel, thereby disabling the system
ana causing $8,000 in damage.
Additionally, Housing security staff
increased patrols to perform a "fire
watch" during the remainder of the
vening and the throughout the next
y until repairs were completed.
Anyone with information should
contact DPS through the confidential
tip line at (734) 763-9180.
Student reported
missing by parents
Parents concerned for their son's
well-being made an inquiry to the
*epartnent of Public Safety on Tues-
.dav afternoon, DPS reports state.
The parents had not heard from him
in over a week. The West Quad resi-
'dent was believed to be visiting
friends in Canada and has since
returned. His mother was unaware of
his additional travel plans, according
-to the report.
.fEmployee argues
diV ith driver, tosses
bottle at 'U' bus
A bus driver reported a subject
,threw a bottle at the bus from his
vehicle at the corner of South State
Street and South University Avenue
on Tuesday afternoon, according to
DPS reports.
There was verbal contact between
e drivers of both vehicles. The sus-
ect fled northbound on State in a
vehicle. The vehicle was traced to a
University employee, but he was not
driving a University vehicle. There
were no damages or injuries and an
investigation is pending.
{Woman hit in back
with Wendy's cup
A subject was waiting for the bus in
*ont of Bentley Historical Library
Monday morning when a small red
sports car drove by, DPS reports state.
The three males occupying the car
threw a Wendy's cup full of pop at the
caller which hit her in the back.
DPS had no confirmed suspects in
the incident,.
Man drops cell
phone from ladder
l A subject was climbing a ladder
.,and damaged his cellular telephone at
the Institute of Science and Technolo-
gy Monday afternoon, DPS reports
,estate. The telephone became inopera-
ble after he dropped it.
2 employees fight
at McDonald's
A Pierpont Commons McDonald's
anager reported an assault of one of
her employees by another employee
Tuesday evening, according to DPS
;reports.
The victim was kicked and injured,
,but declined to call an ambulance.
She was taken to the hospitai by her
manager.
The victim was unaware if the other
apect was still in the area. Follow-
contact was made with the sus-
pect's mother. There is a pending
nvestigation.
Computer stolen
from loading dock
A computer was stolen Tuesday
morning from the loading dock of a
lot in the 1500 block of East Medical
Center Drive, according to DPS
reports. Videotapes of the area indi-
*te a delivery person may have been
responsible for the theft.
The vehicle was tracked down and
the computer was recovered. Th(-re is
a suspect and an ongoing investiga-
I (.
Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
Jacquelyn Nixon.
By Karen Schwartz
Daily Staff Reporter
Nursing school enrollment has
dropped nationally by 21 percent in
the past five years and the University
has nearly mirrored the trend with a 15
percent decline in undergraduates dur-
ing the same period.
This has implications for hospi-
tals and other nursing centers as
well as for the educational facilities
the nurses attend.
The issue, which first appeared on
the East and West coasts, is now also
affecting the Midwest. University
spokeswoman Sally Pobojewski said
the number of job openings is up with-
in the University Health System,
which includes three hospitals as well
as outpatient clinics.
This year the average number of
positions available has risen from a
previous average of between 75 and
100 openings to 150 openings.
"If we're looking at a trend, we do
have more openings now than we did
before," Pobojewski said. "It's an
issue we're certainly taking very seri-
ously here."
She attributed the problem to the
high demand for highly qualified and
skilled nurses, as many hospitals are
looking to hire top candidates.
"It's taking longer to fill vacancies
in specialty areas such as intensive
care. All hospitals want to hire these
people," Pobojewski said.
The University Health System cur-
rently has a 7 percent vacancy, with
153 out of 2,200 positions open.
To recruit the best from the avail-
able pool and retain the current staff,
Pobojewski said, the system is part of
a program called "Becoming an
Employer of Choice," which is aimed
at creating an environment in which
people prefer to work.
The health system's recruitment
team is keeping tabs on national mar-
ket trends and looking for new ways to
find and keep the most qualified possi-
ble employees, she said.
School of Nursing Dean Ada Sue
Hinshaw said she thinks the way to
expand the applicant pool is to estab-
lish nursing as a profession open to
both men and women with diverse
backgrounds.
"Then we'll see more people com-
ing in to the profession," she said.
"The major shortage issue for the
school means a drop in enrollment and
people who are going to be out there
to take care of patients and families,"
Hinshaw said.
Hinshaw said women today have
many career choices and are choosing
to accept higher-paying jobs in fields
like law, business and medicine
instead.
National statistics agree, she said, as
research shows the number of young
women choosing nursing has dropped
38 percent in the past 25 years.
Hinshaw said the field should invite
more male participation and that stu-
dents as a whole don't realize the oppor-
tunities nursing holds as a career.
"They picture someone who takes
care of a patient in a hospital," Hin-
shaw said. "That's a very important
part of what we do but there are also
many other opportunities."
Other options in the nursing field
include working with schools or
community health, going to gradu-
ate school and providing primary care
as a nurse practitioner, doing clinical
research or starting a business.
She added that jobs are offering
incentives from bonuses to flexible
work schedules to higher pay rates for
people interested in nursing and that
now is a good time to get into the field.
"These grads are being wooed by
major agencies around the country and
that gives them lots of opportunities of
where they want to go and what they
want to do when they finish. You can
pretty much name your own spot,"
Hinshaw said.
ABBY ROSENBAUM/Daily
The University's School of Nursing has seen a 15 percent decline in the number of
undergraduates during the last five years. Nursing Dean Ada Sue Hinshaw says the
field needs to be established as a viable career option for both men and women.
Waiting around
DeGrow announces intent
to run for attorney general
.i
.t
.$
By Hanna LoPatin
Daily Staff Reporter
[ESSICA iNSfOND'
Law student David Dologite waits for the Night Ride cab in front of the
Michigan Union with his friend Alison Altschuller, who is visiting from Boston.
Students giving up
their favorite items
for- lenten season
In the world of political campaigning, declaring candi-
dacy for a position is a complicated process of specula-
tion that begins years before the election takes place.
Oftentimes, any action taken can be considered a sign of
potential interest.
State Senate Majority Leader Dan DeGrow has put
himself in that position by announcing this week that he
is forming a committee to look into running for Michigan
attorney general next year.
Though the proclamation may seem non-committal at
face value - DeGrow's spokesman said the Port Huron
Republican won't decide for another month or so - it
was prompted by last week's announcement that current
Attorney General Jennifer Granholm had filed papers
with the Secretary of State suggesting that she was run-
ning for governor.
Neither announcement is official, but DeGrow is
already enduring criticism from the opposite side of the
aisle.
"With DeGrow as attorney general, the fox will no
longer be guarding the hen house, the fox will be in the
hen house," said Dennis Denno, spokesman for the
Michigan Democratic Party. DeGrow has "done nothing
to fight for consumer rights," Denno said.
Meanwhile, DeGrow spokesman Aaron Keesler said he
isn't yet ready to campaign on behalf of his boss. It is too
early in the game to have a concrete list of objectives, he
said.
Even though Keesler would only confirm that DeGrow
is "kicking around" the idea of running for attorney gen-
eral, he expressed confidence in the senator's ability to
win should he decide to put his name on the ballot.
"He's been in a leadership position for a long time now,
We feel like we can beat any candidate no matter who it
is," he said. "There's a lot that he can accomplish as attor-
ney general."
"Attorney general would be a big job, but when you
take that step to run for governor it consumes all aspects
of your life and I don't think he was ready for it," Keesler
said, adding that DeGrow's primary consideration in his
"With DeGrow as attorney
general, the fox will no longer
be guarding the hen house,
the fox will be in the hen
house. '
- Dennis Denno
Michigan Democrat Party spokesman
campaign plans will be his family.
In his statement DeGrow addressed the gubernatorial
race and the candidacy of Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus.
"I have served with Dick for a number of years and can
say, without question, he possesses the vision, experiencea
and drive to lead our great state in the new century,"
DeGrow said.
Posthumus joins Sen. John Schwarz (R-Battle Creek):
in the pool of possible GOP gubernatorial candidates.
Both have declared they are looking into the position.
In the game of campaign rumors, one person who isn't
biting is State Sen. Bill Schuette (R-Midland). Rumored
to be another attorney general candidate, Schuette is
keeping mum for now.
"This is Dan's day," he said of his colleague. "I wish
him well."
Should Schuette choose to run, the candidate would be
chosen at the state Republican convention in August
2002. Primaries will be held to determine the Democratic
and Republican tickets for governor.
As for a Democratic candidate for attorney general -i
provided Granholm wins the crowded Democratic guberf
natorial primary - Denno said he is unable to speculate'
on any possibilities.
"She just made her announcement, the ink's not even
dry yet," he said. "Many qualified candidates will step
up."
By Karen Schwartz
Daily Staff Reporter
LSA sophomore Rana Irby loves
eating red meat, but for the next few
weeks she's going without her favorite
food.
Irby is abstaining from eating red
meat in observance of Lent, the 40-day
period between Ash Wednesday and
Easter which emphasizes reflection
and self-evaluation for Christians.
"It's all a significant part of who I
am and my faith. It enables me to
focus more on God by getting rid of
the stuff that takes a lot of my
thoughts," Irby said.
Father Jerry Vincke of St. Thomas
the Apostle Catholic Church said Lent
is a chance for people to think about
others' needs and ask forgiveness for
their sins.
"It's just a way to examine our lives
really and ask ourselves, what am I
doing with my life? Am I just con-
cerned about myself?" Vincke said.
Lent began Feb. 28-- Ash Wednes-
day -- and will conclude Easter Sun-
day, April 8.
"We can look at our lives and see if
we're really following the way God
has called us to be," he said. "If we're
really honest with ourselves we know
that there's a gap. Lent is time of
becoming free from sin and basically
trying to have an interior conversion a
time of conversion of our hearts into
union with God."
First Presbyterian Church Pastor
Michael Lindvall also said the holiday
emphasizes introspection but added
that Protestant tradition views Lent as
a spiritual and intellectual discipline as
opposed to something that requires the
absence of an enjoyable food.
Lindvall described Lent as the time
when Christians walk through familiar
stories again and look for deeper
meaning and an application to their
daily lives.
During Lent, he said, the Bible sto-
ries read and preached upon are stories
that talk about and lead up to Christ's
crucifixion and resurrection.
"What Christians do during this
period of time is walk alongside or
behind Christ and as Christ under-
goes the experiences of holy week to
identify with what Christ experi-
enced," he said. "People identify
with it and it becomes an act of iden-
tity with the one we follow as we
remember his experiences and his
strengths."
Many students observing Lent said
that they make a special point of trying
to go to church on Sunday during the
40 days, but whether they can attend
church or not they still take the time to
contribute to the community or give up
something significant.
Engineering freshman Joe Mullins
said trying to give up red meat, his
chosen sacrifice for the season, was
difficult but worthwhile
"Jesus spent 40 days in the desert,"
Mullins said, "and you're supposed to
take that upon yourself and do your
own little sacrifice for 40 days."
LSA sophomore Emily Roschek
said she usually picks a favorite item
to give up but this year for Lent she
decided to do volunteer work.
"You're supposed to give something
up or try to do something for others,"
she said. "I thought I'd do something
good for the community this time."
For Residential College senior Ali-
son McCarthy, Lent is a family tradi-
tion and a test of willpower.
"It's a kind of novelty to give some-
thing up for 40 days," she said. "Plus
my mom calls me up and asks what I
gave up and if I eat meat on Fridays,
because you're not supposed to eat
meat on Fridays during Lent."
,
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THE CALENDAR
What's happening in Ann Arbor this weekend
.A3
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Student
Publications
Building
and get an application from
FRIDAY
2 "The Rhetoric of Punish-
ment: Transportation in
Colonial South and South-
Amphitheater (4th floor),
994-6244
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
O "Set of Eight: Routines and
Reveries," Sponsored by
SERVICES
Campus Information
Centers, 764-INFO,
info@umich.edu, or
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Production Department.
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