LOCAL/STATE The Michigan Daily - Monday, April 16, 2001-- 3A T\r Exams force changes in students' Easter plans [Hopwood Awards to include novelist National Book Award-winning nov- alist Andrea Barrett will speak at the Iopwood Awards Ceremony tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. at Rackham Auditorium. The annual Hopwood Awards recog- nize University graduate and under- graduate students' poetry, fiction and nonfiction writing. Ann Arbor poetry slam expands "The Dog Slam": Ann Arbor Poetry 0lam will be held tomorrow from 8 .m. to I 1 p.m. in the IHeidelberg Rathskeller, at 215 N. Main, fora price of S4. This is usually a monthly event, on -le first Tuesday of every month, but 'due to its popularity, a second night in the month will be established. "The Dog Slam" features open mike ses- sions and a variety of slams, including theme slams, multiple-voice slams. *age-prop slams, wrestling-hold slams and other slams. Organizers encourage all people in Ann Arbor to "shed your restraint, col- lect those enscribbled bar napkins from your blazer pockets, and grace our stage with some poetry (or what- ever loopy folderol you would like to 'fob offas such)." I Scientist explains local archaeological frauds from 1890s The Michigan Archaeological Soci- ety will host University archaeology research scientist Lisa Young Wednes- day at 7:30 p.m. in room 201 of the Modern Languages Building. Young will hold a free discussion titled "The Soper Frauds and Pseudo- I ience in Archaeology." She will dis- cuss fraudulent clay, stone and copper tablets depicting biblical scenes, dis- covered in central Michigan in the 1890s. Poet to read, speak on family history Elinor Benedict, will read from her debut collection, "All That Divides s," a series of poems exploring her z i.tural inheritance from a rebel aunt who left her family to "marry a China- man" in the 1930s. All That Divides Us was chosen for the May Swenson Poetry Award by Maxine Kumin, a poet who calls Bene- dicts poetry "clear, direct, yet artful." Benedict, a Tennessee native, is a founding editor of Passages North lit- erary magazine at Northern Michigan *niversity. The free reading will be held at Shaman Drum Bookshop on Thursday at 8 p.m.. after which Benedict will sign her work. Forum on election reform planned .A public panel, including state and federal election officials, will discuss election reform from 9 a.m. to 1 1:30 *m. Friday in the Michigan League's Vandenberg Room, sponsored by the . niversity Department of Communi- cation Studies, the College of Litera- tire, Science and the Arts and the Office of the Vice President for Research. Two sessions will make up the pro- gram, one on the current electoral prac- tice in Michigan and the vote-by-mail *ocedures in Oregon. The other session will focus on the prospects for election tform in the area of standards of prac- 'hde and the use of computers. Speakers will include Vicki Ervin, director of elections in Multnomah County, Ore.; Chris Thomas, director of elections in the State of Michigan; Pene- lope Bonsall, director of Oflice of Elec- Iion Administration for the Federal Election Commission: and Craig Don- santo, director of the Election Crimes ranch f'or the U.S. Department of Jus- ice. University communication studies Prof. Michael Traugott will moderate both panel discussions. Traugott is a nationally known expert on elections, polling, public opinion, campaign reform and the impact of the news media on American politics and voter behavior. Comipiled by Dail' StafReporter Whitney Elliott. By Shannon Pettyplece Daily Staff Reporter Unable to spend the holiday with their families, students with fast approaching final exams or out of' state families were forced to celebrate Easter creatively this year. Engineering freshman Thomas Phillips said he was unable to spend Easter with his family because he had to study for his final exams. "That's one of the reasons I didn't go home, 'cause I knew if I went home I wouldn't be able to get any work done and I have to study," he said. Phillips' holiday celebration schedule was also different this year because he was at school instead of home. "I stayed out till 5 in the morning watching movies and stuff, then I slept till 5 in the afternoon," Phillips said. LSA freshman Erin Ealba said finals prevented her from celebrating like she has in the past and that it was difficult not to be able to spend time with her family. "Normally I just go out to dinner and stuff." Ealba said. "I didn't do anything today cause I had finals -- I have like three things due tomorrow." LSA sophomore Kindra Coleman decided not to trav- el home for the holiday, but said she was still able to enjoy a traditional Easter with a family from her church. "I went to church with one of my friends and after church I went to dinner with one of the church families." Coleman said. "We watched the New York/Philly game - - your typi- cal African-American Easter . then we ate dinner and then I went home." Coleman said although she was able to enjoy her Easter Sunday the conflict between exams and the holiday have made it diflicult to prepare for finals. "When I go to church I'm usually there all day," Coleman said. "It just takes out one more study day." Other students said they were able to spend time with their families, but in a different setting than in previous years. LSA freshman Brooke Bearup said her family came frotn Traverse City to spend Easter with her. - "I went to Kalamazoo and I visited family. We went to church and had an Easter brunch," Bearup said. "My family came to visit me instead of me going to visit them." Although Bearup was able to see her family, she said her hectic end-of-semester schedule prevented her from spend- ing the amount of time with her family she would have liked. "I needed to get back and everyone just wanted me to stay and chat," said Bearup. Colleen Batty, an LSA freshman, said having family out of state made it impossible to spend time with them for East- er but was able to celebrate with a friend's family. "My family is in Arizona so I stayed here and went to a friend's house and had dinner with their family," Batty said. Batty also said she felt being away from her family bas not only difficult for her but also for her parents. "I'm sure it was difficult for them 'cause I'm thle youngest" 'Batty said. ELLIE WHITE Daiy Political science Prof. Harold Jacobson, who is retiring this year, speaks at the Jack L. Walker Conference on Political Affairs Friday as Desmond Dinan looks on. Walker conference rveturn-stocampus By Karen Schwartz Daily StaffReporter After a four-year hiatus, the JackL. Walker Conference on Political Affairs made its comeback to campus on Friday. Previously an annual event, the con- ference addressed U.S. and European integration and the issues surrounding trade policy, industry structure and general U.S. and European Union inter- action. Desmond Dinan. professor of inter- national commerce and policy at George Mason University, gave the keynote address. He discussed the effects of the Bush Administration on the U.S. and E.U. relations. The event also featured a panel discussion with Dinan, University political science professors and a European Commission advisor from Washington. The Undergraduate Political Science Association picked the conference topic and is one of its co-hosts. UPSA president Mark Sherer. an LSA senior, said his goal for the year was to bring the event back after its four-year absence. Sherer said he was pleased by stu- dent and faculty turnout and that he fit it was worth it to bring in new voices and give people the chance to hear their perspectives. "It's a chance for undergraduates to interact with scholars who'd usu- ally only be at big scholarly confer- ences - this is our chance as students to bring it to an undergrad- uate level," he said. He added that students don't always. have the opportunity to interact with international relations experts. and that after reading these scholars' works it's nice to meet some of the people in the flesh. "I think we've accomplished our goal here today," he said. "We cov- ered a wide spectrum 'of ages and education and created an engaging experience for undergraduates and faculty members." LSA junior Jessica Fogel said she found the conference educational and interesting because it gave her informa- tion and ideas from a variety of' stand- points. "I really liked that they brought in a professor from another school." she said. "I think it's neat to get the differ- ent perspectives." The conference was held this year in honor of Harold Jacobson, a political science professor retiring at the end of the year. "It's good that the undergraduates have revived the Walker conference." Jacobson said. "They chose a very good topic to focus on an issue of concern that students should be paying attention to. WRnT FOR THE SUMMER DAILY. CALL 7DALY. Does Food, Weight, Or Exercise C!ONTRO0L Your Life??? STARTING THURS. 4/26 "EATING ISSUES AND BODY IMAGE THERAPY GROUP" 5:30 - 6:45 PM SHERI SZUCH, PHD 741-8584 SUZANNE BATES, PHD 668-0077 Admissions exams ar highly ieveraged tests. Answering even a few more questions correctly can improve your ranking by many percentiles. At EXCEL, we focus upon the key distinctions that result in great scores. Lin to anticipate the exam's thinking, manage your time more efficiently, & develop effective exam strategies. EXCEL provides clear, systematic instruction, succinct study notes & accurate admissions advice. COMPREHENSIVE EXAM PREPARATION INDIVIDUALZED & AFFORDABLE E 1CL1117 South University Test Preparation 996-500 0 IL I, M iitia members host 'tax-blast' to unwind o. REC SPORTS INTRAMURALS The University of Michigan Department of Recreational Sports INTRAMURAL SPORTS PROGRAM WHAT'S HAPPENING BANCROFT (AP) --Dr. Carmen Steigman resents the S50,000 in taxes she has to pay this year, so she took plea- sure in firing a 5-inch bullet into an IRS tax form this weekend. "Yes, it was kind of gratifying," said Steigman, a Farmington Hills patholo- gist. "It was like, 'Here, Uncle Sam, this is for you.' At the "Tax Blast" on a remote farm in Shiawassee County, Steigman and about 75 other people paid S2 per bullet for the experience of firing a .50-caliber Browning rifle -- the type of weapon used to stop military tanks --- into tax forms pinned up as targets. The Michigan Militia and its Wayne County brigade sponsored the Saturday shootout. A .50-caliber gun brought by Dave Franey of Wyandotte was a favorite with the earplug wearing crowd. "I love raw power. It's the same reason I love V-8 cars. I just enjoy shooting. After shooting that, it felt like I needed a cigarette -- and I don't smoke," Steigman said. Since 1995, the Militia and other groups have used the Tax Blast -- held in Bancroft about 64 miles northwest of Detroit _ to recruit members. Steigman wasn't eager to sign up for the militia, but said she had a good time. Worried at first by rifle-toting, camou- flage-wearing security guards that greet- ed her as she drove up to the farm, the Garden City Hospital employee said she relaxed with the rest of*the group. "I expected a bunch of crazy people, but these people were courteous. I didn't see any alcohol and I didn't even hear one swear word. This group isn't what I expected it to be" Steigman also got to hear about beliefs and ways of' militia members, including Albion resident Melvin Harris. le hasn't paid income or property tax since 1995. "No, I don't like taxes," Harris told The Flint Journal. "I recently got a notice of levy saying I owe $14,299.91. But I'll never pay that to a fiction gov- ernment that doesn't exist. There's no money. Its all an illusion." Harris, an ironworker at a Lansing- area factory, doesn't have a telephone or driver's license as part of his beliefs that the U.S. government has too much con- trol over people's lives. Genesee County Militia member Jerry Runkle of Clarkston said he pays his taxes, but likes to attend events like the Tax Blast to socialize with other members and support the right to bear arms. "A lot of people link us with hate groups" Runkle said. "But we're not. We're more of a group who wants to keep our rights where they are at. I would like to see my grandkids grow up and have the same freedoms and good times that I had when I was a kid." 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