LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Friday, March 15, 2002 - 3
Eating disorder awareness group formed
Racial slur written
on Couzens board
A racial slur was written on a dry-
erase board in a room in Couzens Resi-
dence Hall, Department of Public
Safety reports state. DPS has no sus-
pects.
Two arrested for
possession and
throwing cans.
Two people were arrested after offi-
cers observed beer cans being thrown
from their moving vehicle, according
to DPS reports. After the vehicle was
stopped, DPS officers arrested two
people for possession of a controlled
substance and other offenses. The case
is under investigation.
Tape recorders,
tools and batteries
stolen from MLB
Staff in the Learning Resource Cen-
ter in the Modemn Languages Building
reported that three cassette recorders, a
box of batteries, and two Allan wrench-
es were stolen sometime last week,
DPS reports state.
Cell phone stolen
from Law library
A caller reported that his cell phone
was stolen from the Law Library while
he was sleeping, DPS reports state.
Student attacked
with tray in South
Quad during meal
A caller reported that a suspect
threw a tray at him during dinner in the
dining hall in South Quad Residence
Hall Tuesday afternoon, DPS reports
state. DPS questioned the suspect and
escorted him from the building. DPS
said the case is under investigation.
Bullet fragment
removed, held as
evidence by DPS
The University Hospital removed a
bullet fragment from a patient, DPS
reports state. An officer retrieved the
fragment from the hospital to be held
as evidence.
Unauthorized calls
made from office
A person made several unauthorized
long distance telephone calls from a
telephone in an office in the School of
Public Health Building, according to
DPS reports. The cost of the calls
totaled $21.56.
Money stolen from
unlocked case in
Billiards Room
Three-hundred-fifty dollars in cash
was stolen from an unlocked safe in
the Billards Room of the Michigan
Union, according to DPS reports. The
case is under investigation.
Violin stolen from
School of Music
A violin was reported stolen from
the School of Music on Monday, DPS
reports state. The violin was stolen
some time in the past two weeks.
Vandalized parts
of exercise bike
scattered in hall
A caller reported to DPS that an
exercise bike that had been left in the
hallway had been vandalized. The elec-
trical components were shattered and
spread over the hallway. The value of
the damage was estimated to be $50.
Roommate fraud
reported on bills
of credits cards
A caller reported to DPS that his
roommate was using his bank account
to pay his credit card bills. DPS filed a
report.
- Compiled by Daily staff 'reporter
Rob Goodspeed.
By Shabina Khatri
Daily Staff Reporter
Motivated by the message that Eating Disorder
Awareness Week has left them with, students are
responding by showing a renewed enthusiasm in
activism on the issue. Allison Brzenchek, the
week's chief organizer, said the overwhelming
response to Monday's keynote address, given by
fashion model Kate Dillon, was very encouraging.
Pleased by the week's success, Brzenchek, said
the purpose of the week was for students who par-
ticipated in the program to come away with a new-
found appreciation for the need for eating disorder
awareness.
"I hope that as a campus we can start to look at
media and societal factors that impact eating
issues in society. My hope for the week is that it
starts to spark people's interest in advocacy and
activism and get them involved in taking active
roles," she said.
Brzenchek said one way to facilitate changes
within the media is by using our power as con-
sumers to express our dissatisfaction with what a
fashion label stands for.
"All businesses are guided by money and by
writing letters or not purchasing products we could
let them know what should be represented. The
more we organize our efforts, the more power we
have," she said.
Students on campus have taken this notion of
strength in numbers and helped to form the Media
Awareness Eating Disorder Coalition, an organi-
zation founded by Brzenchek to educate the pub-
lic about the serious health risk posed by eating
disorders.
LSA junior Erin Bahl, a member of the fledgling
coalition, has tried to fulfill the group's goals by
creating a video that dismisses the mythical body
image the media perpetuates.
"I have a strong belief that the message the
media is sending out about women's bodies needs
to change. We are forced to look at these bodies
that maybe only 5 percent of women can obtain.
That leaves 95 percent of women trying to look like
something that is just genetically unobtainable,"
Bahl said.
The video, which targets college women, points
out that the average woman is a size 14, and is only
5 feet 4 inches tall.
"That's not what we see on TV and we need to
change that," Bahl said.
In addition to participating in the Media Coali-
tion, other students on campus are also taking
the initiativeto spread awareness about eating
disorders.
LSA senior Erin Mote helped to create Greek
Speak, a joint effort in which Students Promoting
Eating Disorder Education and Knowledge will
train members of the Greek community to become
peer facilitators and discuss eating disorders in the
upcoming weeks.
"Our community is not exclusive to having eat-
ing disorders. But for a lot of people within the
Greek community it's important to be aware of the
pressure on young women to be a certain way. We
need to change the conversation around the dinner
table from, 'oh my gosh, you how much I ate
today,' to something else," More said.
Not wanting to exclude men from the issue of
eating disorders, Dillon mentioned that to help
change the problem, men should be supportive and
go beyond that by getting involved in advocacy and
activism.
LSA senior Derek Arciniaga took this advice and
designed a website that offers information about the
impact of eating disorders on males.
"I wanted to try to get some resources out there
for guys who want to know more about eating dis-
orders. Like women, what men see in magazines,
on TV, and in movies is an ideal body type that is
impossible to obtain for most men," Arciniaga said.
The website points out the long-term mental
repercussions of eating disorders as well as the
behaviors that lead to them. "Compulsively work-
ing out and binge eating are some symptoms that
indicate a general dissatisfaction that men have for
their bodies," Arciniaga said.
Table, ball and cue
UHS offers group support
to smokers trying to quit
JESSICA YURASEK/Daily
Jewel Woods, doctorate student in social work and sociology, shoots pool In
the Billiards room at the Union.
SAPAC wl choose
new president soon
By Annie Gleason
Daily Staff Reporter
Quitting smoking may be one of the
most difficult ordeals a person has to
endure, but the University Health Sys-
tem offers hope to students wishing to
kick the habit by offering group support
sessions through its Tobacco Consulta-
tion Service.
The latest program began Wednesday,
but new sessions are offered each month.
The program is designed to help quit-
ters manage the physical, as well as psy-
chological, withdrawals associated with
quitting smoking.
Program Director Linda Thomas said
she highly encourages participants to
use physical aides such as gum, patches
or medicine such as Zyban, but that
non-physical factors are important too.
"The majority of time (in the classes)
is spent on the psychological aspects of
tobacco abuse," she said.
Thomas said a person smoking one
pack of cigarettes a day has enough
practice puffing that it becomes second
nature. She said the program employs
different techniques to help smokers
avoid the impulse to light up.
"Smokers tend to smoke cigarettes
in the same places," she said. "Some-
times it helps to drive a different route
to work, or chew on cinnamon sticks
or frozen grapes."
Participants in the program can chart
their success by taking periodic carbon
monoxide measurements. Thomas said
one participant had an unusually high
carbon monoxide level of 51 parts per
million, and was able to lower it to three
parts per million with the help of the
program.
"It was really encouraging for her to
see results."
She said group sessions offer several
advantages for smokers.
"You're getting the support of a lot of
people going through the same process
that you are;'" she said.
The success rate of an individual quit-
ting on his or her own and staying
smoke-free after 12 months is 2.5 to 5
percent, but the rate of participants in
the group is 37 to 40 percent. Thomas
attributes much of this to the tri-monthly
follow-ups that the program conducts
for a year after participants quit.
Thomas said she hasn't seen much
undergraduate participation in the pro-
grams.
She said her program could be doing
more on campus to get students
involved, but a main problem is most
likely the lack of desire by students.
"Younger people don't see themselves
as being addicted," she said. "They say
things like 'I've decided to quit when.
I'm 25."'
Student smokers have tried varied
"The people around
me would have to
quit too ... it's too
tempting"
- Sara Ceaser
LSA junior
methods for quitting including patches,
gum, herbal cigarettes, cold turkey and
quitting with friends, but many hadn't
heard of the seven-week program.
LSA junior Sara Ceaser said she
thought quitting with people she knew
would be more effective than breaking
the habit in a support group of strangers.
"I smoke in situations where I'm used
to smoking," she said. "The people
around me would have to quit too ... it's
too tempting."
Engineering junior Frank Duff said he
has no plans on quitting during school.
''I don't think it would work right
now, just because I'm in school and
there's too much else to concentrate on,"
he said.
,John Cheriane, an LSA junior,
summed up the general student senti-
ment, saying "I don't think finding a
support group is the problem.... I think
the problem is sub-consciously not actu-
ally wanting to quit."
By Shoshana Hurand
Daily Staff Reporter
The final candidates for the director
position at the Sexual Assault Preven-
tion and Awareness Center came to
campus this week as the search com-
mittee continued the selection process.
Search committee chairwoman
Kathleen Donohoe said the process
began one year ago with a pool of 47
potential candidates. There are now
three finalists: Kelly Cichy, director of
Women's Center in Carbondale, Ill.,
who also works with Southern Illinois
University; Joan Dovekas, Director of
Clinical Services of Lake County
Council Against Sexual Assault; and
Pamela Shifman, Director of Equality
Now, an international organization
fighting violence against women.
Donohoe said the search committee
was looking for candidates with a vari-
ety of qualifications. Nominees need
to have a passion for combating vio-
lence against women. She also added
they must have "some knowledge of
student development."
In addition to working with the
SAPAC staff, which includes 60
student volunteers, applicants must
be able to collaborate with organi-
zations on campus, do administra-
tive tasks, network, manage people
and "inspire and motivate people
from the rest of the community,"
Donohoe said.
Mary Beth Seiler, director of Greek
life and search committee member,
also said that SAPAC is looking for
someone who is very knowledgeable
about sexual assault prevention and
awareness.
"Students will respect that," she said.
Seiler stated that she was excited
about the candidates' credentials. "I am
personally very impressed," she added.
The search committee will com-
pile reports about each of the nomi-
nees with the input of all those
involved in the applicant process.
After reviewing this information the
final decision will be made by Vice
President for Student Affairs E.
Royster Harper.
"We were very pleased with the par-
ticipation of the search committee,"
Donohoe said. She added that the
group was comprised of students, fac-
ulty and staff.
Donohoe said that because all of
the nominees are directors at their
current jobs, it is unclear when the
new SAPAC director will begin the
position.
"It may be a couple of months," she said.
House passes raise for
unemployment checks
LANSING (AP) - Unemployed
workers would see the cap on weekly
unemployment checks increase from
$300 to $375 under a bill overwhelm-
ingly approved yesterday by the state
House.
Although House Democrats argued
the bill didn't provide enough relief for
jobless workers, the chamber voted 92-
11 to approve it.
House Democratic Leader Buzz
Thomas of Detroit voted for the bill
after calling it a "cruel hoax."
"I'll support this bill because we have
to do something," he said. "We had an
opportunity for months to do better."
The bill would not require unem-
ployed workers to wait a week before
receiving their first check. Severance
pay would reduce state benefits under
the legislation, which now goes to the
Senate.
House Democrats repeatedly
accused Republicans, who have a 58-
51 majority in the chamber, of break-
ing their promise to increase benefits
to $415.
Republicans originally proposed
increasing unemployment benefits
from $300 to $415 with a waiting
week but opposition by conservative
members of the caucus reduced that
increase to $362.
Some House Republicans had want-
ed to add the waiting week but Democ-
rats strongly disagreed with the
provision, also opposed by unions.
The old version of the bill was sent
back to the committee after it was clear
it didn't have enough votes even
among Republicans to pass.
"You have made some promises and
we expect you to stand up for them,"
said Rep. Julie Dennis, a Democrat
from Muskegon.
House Democrats failed to win sup-
port for an amendment to raise the
$300 cap on weekly unemployment
benefits to $415 and increase benefits
by 5 percent for those below the cap.
THE CALENDAR
What's happening in Ann Arbor this weekend
FRIDAY
International Issues Day;
Sponsored by Edward
Ginsberg Center for
Community Service;
toral Program, 2:00 p.m.,
Angell Hall Auditorium C
SATURDAY
Japan Cultural Festival;
Sponsored by Japan Stu-
Discovering and Exploring
Women's Sources; Spon-
sored by the Women's
Studies Dept.. 2 - 4:00
SERVICES
Campus Information
Centers, 764-INFO,
info@umich.edu, or
www. umich.edu/~info
SA .F .Wealk.76-WALK.
.i