4C - New Student Edition - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, September 5, 2001 ANGELL LESSON Mass meetings acclimate new students to 'U' MEETINGS Continued from Page 1C "With an organization the size of the Muslim Students' Association there end up being so many different committees and activities that people end up finding their niches and do something they enjoy along with other people who enjoy the same activities," Tarsin said. Phi Alpha Delta, Pre-Law Fraternity, President Vince Pecora explains that the mass meeting is used to introduce mem- bers roles and benefits. "The students interested in pledging learn what is expected of them and also what they can expect from the board," Pecora said. How formal or informal the meeting is depends on the student group. The Muslim Students' Association mass meeting is a mix of the two, Tarsin said. "There has to be a certain element of professionalism in order to introduce all of the activity related committees, yet in order to create an atmosphere of friend- ship and a 'community' the element of informality soon follows naturally," ABBY ROSENBAUM/Daily Meetings occur all over campus andiet any time of the day, such as this Blue Party meeting. There are plenty of options for students to get involved. Tarsin said. Pecora had a similar response explaining how a certain degree of pro- fessionalism needs to be maintained due to the informational nature of the meet- ing, but on the other hand it is not very rigid either. Typically mass meetings include a question/answer period in their program and encourage students to be inquisitive. Generally the program at these meetings aim to be informative about groups' pur- poses goals, and activities. Mass meO ings 'give new students a glimpse of the typical atmosphere of their gatherings. The.ie meetings also provide new stu- dents an opportunity to explore various grouqps and find out if the group is for then. Mass meetings are an excellent way for wew students to get an introduction to a group and its members and chance to get involved all in one me ing. FILE PHOTO Angell Hall has been a campus icon for nearly 80 years. The building is representative of architect Albert Kahn, who also designed West Hall. ampus landmark has rich history U' takes steps to embrace minorities By Rosemary Metz Daily Staff Reporter .The graceful sweep of Angell Hall is one of the architectural jewels which adorn the Ann Arbor campus. Regal and stately, Angell Hall's proud history is interwoven with the life and times of the University. Designed by Albert Kahn, Angell Hall is a member of the cultural center of central campus, which ,includes Clements Library and Hill Auditorium. West Engineering, now West Hall, is Kahn's first architectural triumph on campus, completed in 1904. . Named for James B. Angell, third President of the University, Angell Hall is an artistic rendering of his ideals and vision. The building stands four stories tall, with basement and attic floors, pro- viding access to diminutive roof-top observatory. Costing one million dollars, the building was completed in 1924. Origi- nally, Angell.Hall housed several class- rooms, quartkrs:for the University, President, and LSA offices. Architect Kahn provided 152,000 square feet at a time when space needs were to be max- inized. President Angell, a native of Ver- mont, was hired by the Regents in 1871 from Brown University. His Presidency is the longest in the history of the Uni- versity, spanning 38 years. Angell brought national attention to Michigan when, in 1880, U.S. President Ruther- ford B. Hayes appointed him to Ambas- sador rank to China. Later, President Grover Cleveland appointed Angell to the Deep Waterways Commission which studied the feasibility of canals, forerunner to the St. Lawrence Seaway. Basking in this new glow, the Universi- ty was honored by commencement speakers of the day, which included Teddy Roosevelt, Carrie Nation, and a young British journalist who showed slides of South Africa and the Boer War: Winston Churchill. However, President Angell never veered from his focus on education. "The University of Michigan is dedi- cated to providing an uncommon edu- cation for the common man," Angell said. Architect Albert Kahn was the eldest son of a rabbi, born in. Germany in 1869. The family emigrated to Detroit in 1880. His once said that his father "encouraged me by buying me drawing boards and various materials for sketch- ing." From early on in his life, Kahn enjoyed drawing. He was awarded a scholarship for study abroad. Kahn was especially inspired by Romanesque architecture. This inspiration is reflect- ed in Angell Hall. Stately columns welcome the stu- dent, faculty, visitor to Angell Hall. At the base of each column, Kahn has craftily embossed the Four Muses of the Liberal Arts: History, Poetry, Phi- losophy and the Arts. A frieze is carved into the central portico rooftop. Emblems of the University and the State of Michigan are carefully etched alongside words taken from the North- west Ordinance: "Religion morality and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind. Schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged." Although there are many buildings on the campus, many of them reflect their architectural period inception, Angell Hall is unique for its beauty, grandeur and sense of Michigan (and U.S.) history. A proud campus landmark, Angell Hall delights the eye and awes the mind. President James B. Angell and Architect Albert Kahn had a keen sense of humanism and higher education, and both have left a rich legacy here at Michigan. By Elizabeth Kassab Daily Staff Reporter For hundreds of underrepresented minorities, an acceptance letter from the University is the culmination of years of recruitment efforts by various groups associ- ated with the University - but the work does not stop there. Once minority high school students are accepted to the University, more efforts are made to ensure that they enroll, and after enrollment the University community continues its efforts, striving to provide an environment that keeps students from leaving before graduation. FRom student groups to University-related outreach programs to alumni clubs, a network of people under- take the task of showing underrepresented minorities "that higher education is not as impossible as sometimes it seems," said LSA sophomore Celso Cardenas. Blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans are identi- fied as underrepresented minorities, and recruiters target these groups because statistics show they are the least likely to seek a college education. Hispanic students are the youngest and fastest-grow- ing part of the population, and yet they are among the least likely to attend college. Donney Moroney, coordinator in the Office of Multi- ethnic Student Affairs, said she worries that this trend will lead to a country in which a sizable Hispanic popu- lation will not be represented in the leadership of soci- ety. A two-way exchange brings middle and high school students to Ann Arbor from around the Midwest to expose them to a college environment. Classes and other programs take University students to targeted communi- ties as tutors and mentors. The programs areaimedparticularly atunder-xrepre=' sented minorities to let them know that higher education is a realistic option even if none of their relatives have attended college. Programs continue through high school and the col- lege application process. "Admissions only accept students that we think will be successful," said Jim Vanhecke, senior assistant director of undergraduate admissions. "We try to step up minority recruitment to ensure that we have a diverse class." Once qualified students have been accepted to the University, the task shifts from convincing them that higher education is neclessary to persuading them that the University is the right place. "We try to, recruit as4many of our underrepresented individuals as personally as possible," Vanhecke said. He pointed to the annual Spring Welcome Day that attracted approximately 800 prospective students from around 3t* country to. be introduced to the campus this year, one of the largest turnouts even. Volunteers also make personal telephone calls to under-represented minority students who have been accepted to answer any questions the prospective stu- dents may have.. "Michigan is not beehind anyone," Vanhecke said. "From what I can see, we are at the forefront of recruit- ment." However, the Univeisity does have problems keepir under-represented mirmority students enrolled, Moroney said. Retention rates are significantly lower for underrepre- sented minorities than other groups. The most recent available statistics show that six years after enrolling as undergraduates, 53 percent of Native American students, 59 percent of blacks and 69 percent of Hispanics earned a University diploma. In contrast, 86 percent of white students and 87 perce:zrt of Asian Americans graduate in six years. Any combination oif a number of motives influen students to withdravy from the University, but L sophomore Rosio Suiarez said some students are dis- heartened when they come to the University "expecting to find a big community, and they don't." "Students feel culturally unsafe, insecure," Moroney said. In order to combai' feelings of isolation and loneli- nes, ,student groups malw~ ieffort-io create a niche 'wherestudents can feel c able and relate to each other, Moroney added. "NASA serves as ka place where students can con and share something similar," said Engineering senior Darren Goetz, a co-chair of the Native American Stu- dent.Association. While some Native American students come to the University from urtoan upbringings, others come from more traditional backgrounds or reservations, he said. "If you're religious, it's analogous to going to a place where there aren't any churches," Goetz added. Student groups provide a "home away from home" that make the University more friendly. You'll have to have a' Macintosh computer for scheduling, and email, and coursework, and papers... s51 Anne Swenson ' :Senior, School of Engineering at the University of Michigan and mp3 's and dvd's, and movies, and games, and all the fun extras... you'll just want one. So get a Mac!" Engineers design vehicle for Mars By Maria Sprow Daily Staff Reporter Humans living on Mars is soon to be science, not fiction, proclaimed a May announcement made by National Aeronautics and Space Administration officials. New esti- mates report that humans could be on Mars within two decades. But there's much to be done in the meantime. Helping out in the process is the University's School of Engineering. The school is working on the Mars Rover, a terrain vehicle that will assist human exploration on Mars, serving as a mobile home and research center for three people for up to two weeks. The team, consisting of almost 50 University students, the majority of whom are undergraduates, is cur- rently working on their first rover named Everest. After finishing Everest, they will go on to build a more complex vehicle, called Olym- pus, which will be completely remote controlled. "What we are doing is building a vehicle that would be necessary when humans travel to Mars," said Anna Paulson, the project manager of the University's Mars Rover Pro- ject. "In order to explore the sur- face, they need to be able to get around ... the vehicle that we are building can travel 600 miles." After they are complete,: the rovers will head to Nevada to a Mars testing station, a simulated environ- ment where they will encounter the same obstacles they would on the actual planet. Paulson said neither Everest nor Olympus would likely make the actual journey to Mars, but testing them on the Mars habitat could prove useful when designing new prototypes. "We expect the process of build- ing a rover to take several proto- types," said Paulson. "We expect that in a few years when an actual Mars rover is going to go to Mars, it will be based on our design." The project started last year when Mars Society had a design conitest to build a vehicle that could. also function as a living space and labo- ratory. The University was chosen as one of three teams to work on the project. Students can view interior and exterior pictures of the rover on the web at marsrover.engin.umich.edu. One of the biggest challenges fac- ing the team initially was the amount of space allotted for the vehicle. "The vehicle had to fit into a C- 130 spacecraft ... it has very tight- space requirements, width and height," said Engineering senior Warren Strong, one designer of Everest. "We figured out all the dif- s - Courtesy or me Mars Rover leamwetsite The Everest was designed by University students for Mars Society. ferent types of things that would into the vehicle and tried to find to. optimal arrangement for the smallest possible size." Despite the various challenges, Strong said it was a good experience for him to work on it at the under- graduate level. "There's no class on Mars robotic design, and a lot of things that you learn in class are not directly related to this project," he said. "This prO ject is a lot different than some of the other student projects on cam- pus. "We're not about competition. The goal of our project is pure research. It's a higher goal than a straight competition."