One hundred eleven years of editri0freedom
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NEWS: 76-DAILY
CLASSIFIED: 764-0557
www.michigandally.com
Monday
December 3, 2001
Vol. ' , No. 44~~~ An ror ihia 201Te.ihga.al
Job offers, prnhf
expe cted
1bto drop
for grads
By Ted Borden
Daily Staff Reporter
A.P
By Shannon Pettypiece
Daily Staff Reporter
A professor in the University's School of
Dentistry is appealing the dismissal of a law-
suit he brought against the University last
year.
Dentistry Prof. Keith Yohn sued the Univer-
sity Board of Regents in December 1999,
alleging that failing grades he and a panel of
three other professors gave two recent School
of Dentistry graduates were inappropriately
changed.
The case was dismissed by U.S. District
Judge Victoria Roberts in May. The 6th Cir-
lIleges g
cuit Court of Appeals is expected to give a
decision on the case in the spring, Yohn said.
"The court must decide whether the regents
and or their administrative interests in inflat-
ing the grade of students and giving the stu-
dents social promotions and diplomas
outweighs the teacher's interests in protecting
an unsuspecting public from an unskilled or
incompetent student who had graduated from
the U of M," Yohn said.
Yohn said he believes the grades were
changed because of the students' personal ties
to the University.
"One student was a daughter of a faculty
member; she is also a minority student. The
As the nation's economy remains
mired in recession, employment oppor-
tunities are beginning to dry up, particu-
larly for college students. A Michigan
State University survey released last
week shows that for the 2001-2002 aca-
demic year,
"All th- companies
rade inflation
other student is the daughter of an opthamolo- reported the failing grades to interim Associ-
gist and he donated money to the University," ate Dean Robert Feigal, he informed the panel
Yohn said. that the students would be allowed to retake
Yohn said he and a panel of faculty mem- the examination. When the students were re-
bers grading the course unanimously decided graded by another panel, they received pass-
that the two students, who had already failed ing grades.
the course once, should receive a failing "Without authorization from the executive
grade on the first part of an examination. committee, without a legitimate reason, and
According to School of Dentistry policies, in violation of the School of Dentistry's writ-
because the students had previously failed the ten statement for scholarship and promotion,
course in addition to another course, they the students were allowed to perform another
could have potentially faced dismissal from examination," Yohn said in a written state-
the school if they did not pass the examina- ment. "The students were awarded grades of
tion, Yohn said. "C" and "C+" and were promoted to the third
Court documents state that when the panel See LAWSUIT, Page 7A
Beta to be
third d ry
fraterrnt
aBy Jacquelyn Nixon
= Daily Staff Reporter
bonuses and
the added
are expect-
ing to hire
6 percent
to 13 per-
. t f Tr
cent ewer
perks have people.
disappeared." are still out
there, but
- Graham Curchin it's going
Chicago equity trader to take a
variety of
resources to find them," said Lynne
Sebille-White, assistant director of
recruitment services at the University
of Michigan's Career, Planning and
Placement office. "Jobs are going to
take a longer time to find; it's not
going to happen overnight."
The annual survey, conducted by
Michigan State Collegiate Employment
Research Institute and based on feed-
back from 286 employers nationwide,
also stated that starting salaries are pro-
jected to grow between only 1 percent
and 3 percent over the next year, with
fewer companies expected to offer
bonuses and other lucrative incentives to
attract potential employees.
"Right now, everyone's cutting back,"
said Graham Curchin, an equity trader
at Bank of America in Chicago. "All the
bonuses and the added perks have dis-
appeared. Companies are only spending
money on what they consider essential."
Sebille-White said health care and
pharmaceutical companies are continu-
ingto recruit in Ann Arbor, while
Sadvertising, marketing and consulting
firms have decreased the number of
offers being made. But "companies
value the quality of students here and if
companies are scaling back (recruiting),
U of M is one of the last schools to go,"
she said.
With job prospects declining, stu-
dents are debating their post-graduation
plans.
"It's been very tough to find jobs
because of the economy" said Michigan
Engineering senior Ciara Stella. "It's
uncharacteristic (for engineers). You can
still get internships, but it's hard with
full-time jobs."
Stella said she is currently weighing
other options, such as graduate school
and traveling abroad because "the two
main companies I am interested in are
not hiring."
LSA senior Dan Brody, who plans to
graduate in the spring with an econom-
ics major, said he is also encountering
difficulty in finding a job.
"I worked at a firm over the summer
and got an offer in August," Brody said.
"A month later, it was rescinded. ... I
hope that things-get better in the spring."
AP PHOTO-
Mourners cry at the funeral of Nir Haftsadi during his funeral at Mt. Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem yesterday. Haftsadl, 19, was an Israeli
soldier killed Saturday night when two Palestinian suicide bombers blew themselves up at a crowded downtown Jerusalem pedestrian mall.
25 die in suicide bombings;
Hamas clms resoiblt
90 militants rounded up
following attacks by three
suicide bombers in Israel
JERUSALEM (AP) - After a series of
suicide bombings against Israel that killed
25 people and wounded nearly 200, Yasser
Arafat ordered dozens of Islamic militants
arrested and promised harsh action. But
Israel was deeply skeptical, with hard-liners
calling for the removal of the Palestinian
leader.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon cut
short his U.S. trip to rush home after meet-
ing with President Bush, who denounced
the bombings as "horrific acts of murder."
Bush and other world leaders pressed
Arafat to crack down on militants. The
Palestinian leader "must do everything in
his power to find those who murdered inno-
cent Israelis and bring them to justice,"
Bush said.
Images of bodies lying on sidewalks and
blood-smeared survivors crying out in
agony filled TV screens, and Israelis had a
growing sense that 14 months of Israeli-
Palestinian fighting had reached a cross-
roads.
"It must be understood that we are at a
turning point," said Cabinet Minister Matan
Vilnai. He did not say how Israel would
retaliate but warned the Palestinian Authori-
ty was "endangering its existence" by not
cracking down on militants.
The carnage began in Jerusalem just
before midnight Saturday, when two suicide
bombers set off their nail-filled bombs on
Ben Yehuda street, an area of cafes and bars
packed with young Israelis. Ten people,
mostly teens, were killed, and 150 were
wounded.
At nooh yesterday, another Palestinian
blew himself up in a bus in the northern
port city of Haifa, sending bodies flying and
destroying the vehicle. Fifteen people were
killed and 40 injured.
The Islamic militant group Hamas
claimed responsibility for the bombings, in
retaliation for Israel's slaying of a Hamas
leader nine days ago. Three suicide attack-
ers were killed in the bombings. Hamas said
its gunmen were behind the shooting Sun-
day of an Israeli driver in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli soldiers killed the two gunmen in
that attack.
Near the West Bank city of Jenin, the
army said troops shot and killed four armed
Palestinians. The four approached an army
position with the intention of carrying out
an attack, the army said.
Echoing Bush's comments, Russia, Ger-
many, France, Italy, Britain and the Euro-
pean Union demanded Arafat move against
groups backing terrorism. Pope John Paul II
told. pilgrims at the Vatican that the attacks
were "sorrowful and worrisome" and urged
prayers for peace.
Arafat promised to take harsh action
against the militants and declared a state. of
emergency in the Palestinian areas. Palestin-
ian police, accompanied by journalists,
began rounding up Islamic militants.
An official, speaking on condition of
anonymity, said 90 militants have been
arrested, including senior Hamas leaders
Ismail Abu Shanab and Ismail Haniya.
See BOMBINGS, Page 7A
Members of the campus chapter of Beta Theta Pi fra-
ternity have decided to adopt substance-free living as
their primary effort to rededicate themselves to the "val-
ues and principles that were the foundation of its exis-
tence."
"At first it was a little difficult (to gain the members'
support), but this is what we have to do if we want to be
strong in the future," Beta Theta Pi President Michael
Basford said. "We really feel like all the houses will be
substance free in the next five years. This is getting
ahead of the game for when that time comes."
Basford said conversation with alumni and liability
concerns also had an impact on their decision to become
alcohol-free, a policy which has already gone into effect.
Both alumni and representatives of the national fraternity
have assisted the chapter throughout the rededication
process.
"When we work with the chapters we view it as a part-
nership to find out the direction we're heading and the
direction we'd like to see the chapter headed," said Mike
Kokkinen, the fraternity's national director of risk man-
agement.
In a written statement issued Friday, the fraternity
apologized to the Greek and University communities for
its conduct and violations of the Office of Greek Life's
social policies.
Basford said it was necessary for the fraternity to apol-
ogize as it rededicates itself.
See BETA, Page 7A
Presidential
search fr
-announced
By Elizabeth Kassab
Daily Staff Reporter
The Chicago-based consulting firm A.T. Kearney Execu-
tive Search Corp. will help the University Board of Regents
identify candidates for the soon-to-be vacant presidential
position, University officials announced Friday.
"We're absolutely thrilled. We're very pleased to be serv-
ing the University as it undertakes this important search,"
said A.T. Kearney's vice president and managing director,
Shelly Storbeck, who will be heading the search.
A.T. Kearney was selected after the regents held inter-
views with the firm and other prospective consultant firms.
The relationship between A.T. Kearney and the Universi-
ty is not a new one.
"It has assisted the University in various other searches at
different levels, and so there is experience there," said
Regent Olivia Maynard (D-Goodrich). She added that A.T.
Kearney had handled those searches well and was very
forthright in working with the respective search committees.
"They had really followed through."
A.T. Kearney was involved in the last provost search,
which brought Nancy Cantor to the University. The firm
also worked with the University in the searches for the cur-
rent chancellor of the Flint campus and the deans of the
College of Literature, Science and the Arts and the School
of Business Administration.
Business Prof. Joel Slemrod, who chaired the search that
resulted in the appointment of Business School Dean
Robert Dolan in May, worked with A.T. Kearney during the
See SEARCH, Page 7A
Drink and be merry a
' senior to help
pick state quarter
By Louie Meizish
Daily Staff Reporter
LSA senior Steven Roach was award-
ed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
when he was named by Gov. John
Engler to the Michigan Quarter Com-
mission last week.
Roach, an art history and organiza-
tional studies major who has worked for
Christie's Auction House and the Pro-
fessional Coin Grading Service in Los
Angeles, will work with 24 other com-
mission members to choose from
among the numerous designs submitted
for the state's quarter, expected to be
released in early 2004.
The commission is chaired by former
state Department of Education Superin-
lic officials such as Binsfeld and Ellis,
but also coin collectors, artists, business
officials and even a former astronaut
from Michigan, Jerry Linenger.
Roach said does not want a promi-
nent Michigan landmark, such as the
Mackinac Bridge, to be featured on the
state's 25-cent piece. He prefers a famil-
iar aspect of life in the state, such as the
scene on Vermont's quarter, which fea-
tures a man collecting syrup from trees
with mountains in the background.
"It's something that's indirectly asso-
ciated with Vermont," he said.
"I'd ideally like the state quarter to be
University of Michigan-related, but
there are a lot of alumni from other
Michigan schools on the committee, so
that probably won't happen," he said.
BRETT MOUNTAIN/Daily
Ex-Martha Cnk resident and Regent Emeritus Trudy Huebner enovs hors d'oeurves before the
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