LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Thursday, April 4, 2002 - 3A
RESEARCH
Walk on
Price was right for LSA
sophomore over break
Asian Americans
use Internet more
than other races
Seventy-five percent of English-
speaking Asian American adults
have used the Internet, making them
the largest Internet-using demo-
graphic in the country, according to
a report by the Pew Internet and
American Life Project. Totaling
more than 5 million users, Asian
Americans are also the most active
online users. By comparison, 58
percent of white adults, 43 percent
of blacks, and 50 percent of Eng-
lish-speaking Hispanics are online.
Asian Americans are among the
nation's heaviest users of the Internet
on a day-to-day basis -70 percent are
online during a typical day, which is
significantly higher than any other
English-speaking ethnic group. Fifty-
eight percent of white Internet users go
online on a typical day, along with 48
percent of Hispanics and 39 percent of
blacks.
The study also found that Asian
Americans stay connected for longer
than anyone else. Nearly 40 percent of
Asian American users spend two or
more hours online during a typical day.
About 15 percent spend four or more
hours online.
Dogs, cats not
found in dog food
The presence of pentobarbital - an
agent used to euthanize dogs - in dog
food fueled speculation during the
1990s that pets themselves were being
rendered in certain canned pet foods.
However, scientists from the Food and
Drug Administration's Center for Vet-
erinary Medicine have now proven
these claims to be invalid.
All samples from the most recent
dog food survey in 2000 tested nega-
tive for .the presence of any traces of
DNA derived from euthanized dogs
or cats.
Presently, it is assumed that the pen-
tobarbital residues are entering pet
foods from euthanized cattle or even
horses.
Lying on resumes
increases during
economic declines
In the midst of economic recession,
desperate job hunters in London are
padding their resumes more than ever
with exaggerations and lies, according
to The Risk Advisory Group, a Euro-
pean employee screening firm.
Such fallacies on applications for
British jobs increased by 20 percent in
the last quarter of 2001. Men in their
early 30s are most likely to exaggerate
their skills, employment history and
academic qualifications, according to
the report.
Discrepancies were found in 54 per-
cent of the resumes screened by TRAG
in the last half of 2001.
"The sharp rise in the level of dis-
crepancies between June and the last
quarter of 2001 suggests the typical
mild exaggeration of job-seekers
developed into something more sinister
as recession fears took hold," TRAG
spokesman Andrew Fisher said.
Antarctic climate
changes focus of
scientific forum
Scientists from around the globe
will meet at Hamilton College in
Clinton, New York, later this week
to discuss environmental changes on
the Antarctic Peninsula, the site of
last month's collapse of the Larsen
B, an enormous ice shelf which
extended off the peninsula toward
South America.
Topics to be discussed include the
decay of ice shelves on the Peninsu-
la, the decrease in sea ice cover in
the Southern Ocean around the
Peninsula, increases in mean annual
summer and winter temperatures,
shifts in penguin populations and
changes in vascular plant density
and distribution.
Since the collapse of the Larsen B,
scientists now have the opportunity to
study areas of the ocean floor that were
once inaccessible. They will use the
evidence to clarify the history of the
Larsen B.
- Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
Kylene Kiang.
By Shannon Pettypiece
Daily Staff Reporter
When "Price is Right" announcer
Rob Rodney shouted, "Meredith Sparks,
come on down!" the LSA sophomore
thought her spring break couldn't get
much better, but little did she know she
would win more than $17,000 in prizes
in the next 50 minutes.
"I didn't know what to do with
myself, I was so nervous," Sparks said.
"I never really thought that I would get
on. It was pretty much a big shock."
The episode, which was taped
more than a month ago, aired yester-
day on CBS.
Sparks' prizes included a cruise on
the Mediterranean Sea, a $4,500 pink
evening gown, a digital camera, a home
gym and a pool table.
She said she would like to sell the
evening gown on eBay and possibly the
pool table. And if any of Sparks' friends
are wondering, she will be taking her
mom on the cruise.
Although Sparks is not a super shop-
per, she was able to win the prizes and
showcase showdown by listening to the
audience's advice.
"I was so overwhelmed that I could
barely think," Sparks said. "The people
in the audience who are more rational
said things back to me."
The largest amount won in "Price is
Right" history was $88,865 - that win-
ner was also a college student.
Despite rumors that the show's con-
testants are indiscriminately selected,
they are actually hand-picked by the
producers who talk with guests before
the show and select people they believe
would make good contestants.
"You think they select the contestants
randomly, but they really don't. Every-
one goes through a mini-interview. ...
They pick people they know will go on
there and be excited," Sparks said.
While Sparks may have won more
money in prizes than most students have
fet to earn in their entire life, she will
have to pay hefty taxes on all her prizes.
According to the Internal Revenue
Service, all prizes won from lotter-
ies, television and radio shows must
be reported as income.and the win-
ner must pay the according state and
federal taxes. Since Sparks' prizes
were not in monetary funds she will
have to come up with the money for
the taxes.
Sparks added that Bob Barker, the
show's host, was similar to how he
appears on TV and joked with the con-
testants and answered their questions
during the breaks.
Cover charges for house
parties illegal, rare in A2
PATR -ICK JUNE/Uaiy
First year Law students Dan Persinger and Claire Whitman enjoy a walk In the
Law Quad together yesterday afternoon.
Recent study finds
-rude beha vilor on
the rise in America
By Shoshana Hurand
Daily Staff Reporter
Forking over a cover charge to gain
entrance to a student-hosted party to
dance and drink the night away is not the
norm at the University of Michigan, set-
ting it apart from the social scenes of
other colleges in the state.
Sgt. Ed Stuck of the Ann Arbor Police
Department said that "blind pigs" - the
illegal practice of charging a fee for
entrance into a party that serves alcohol
- are not common around Ann Arbor.
"I don't think that you see it that
often," Struck said. "Students are kind
of reluctant to pay a cover at a private
party when they can go to a bar."
Jonathan Friedman, an LSA freshman,
said cover charges for parties are a rarity.
He added house parties may not charge
for entrance or alcohol because people
will just go to a different gathering.
But free entertainment is not universal
to all college campuses.
"I do find that at other colleges they
do have cover charges;'Friedman said.
Western Michigan University fresh-
man Colleen Murie said most parties in
Kalamazoo require some sort of fee.
"We don't have to pay to get in,"
Murie said, but added that $5 is charged
for a-cup to cover the cost of a keg of
beer.
This occurs at house parties because
- fraternities at Western Michigan are not
allowed to provide alcohol, she added.
Charges to enter a party are not.per-
mitted at fraternities at the University of
Michigan.
"You cannot charge a cover for parties
at all," said Daniel Berglund, Interfrater-
nity Council vice president for the
Social Responsibility Committee. Alco-
hol purchased for social events "is paid
for by the individual brothers" of the.
hosting fraternity, Berglund added.
Cover charges are in violation of the
IFC constitution, which requires all.
members to abide by local, state and
federal rules.
"It is a violation of the liquor control
code" said Dan Bragdon, supervisor of
the enforcement division of the Liquor
Control Commission. Considered the
operation of an unlicensed bar, the
felony is punishable by up to one year in
prison and/or a fine of no more than
$1,000.
Violations of this code are not
brought to the LCC. Because charging
a fee for alcohol without a license is a
criminal offense, cases are dealt with
at the local level - although state law
is incorporated into the city ordi-
nances.
Besides being faced with a felony for
charging people to enter and drink at a
party, hosts may also be charged with a
misdemeanor if minors are allowed to
possess and consume alcohol. Conse-
quences can include up to 90 days injail
and upward of $1,000 in fines.
AAPD Lt. Chris Heatly said regard-
less of the age of party guests, hosts can
still be charged with a felony if they
require a cost for entrance or alcohol.
"The bottom line is if you're serving
alcohol and you're making people pay
for it you're violating liquor license law"
Four Michigan State University stu-
dents are accused of furnishing a place
for minors to drink alcohol after host-
ing a party and requiring a cover charge
for entrance. An 18-year-old Delta Col-
lege student died after drinking at the
party.
By Christopher Johnson
Daily Staff Reporter
Have you ever been at the theater
watching the most touching scene
of a film when suddenly an
unchecked cellular phone interrupts
the passionate moment with a
cheery jingle? When you're driving
and you activate the turn signal to
change lanes, does it seem to you
that the cars next to you speed up so
that you can't pull in ahead of
them? Have you ever encountered a
maniacal sales clerk who seemed
more likely to ring your neck rather
than your purchase?
If you can recall any of these acts
or similar incidents of rudeness,
you can be assured that they do not
indicate your personal misfortune,
but instead a growing trend of rude-_
ness in America.
A recent study by the organiza-
tion Public Agenda found 79 per-
cent of Americans believe
discourtesy has become a prevalent
problem and 61 percent think that
rudeness has become worse in
recent years.
"I think that the results indicate
that life is becoming more difficult
because of increasing selfishness,"
said Jean Johnson, senior vice pres-
ident of Public Agenda.
"We had a lot a response to the
survey. People are talking about
what they've been sensing for
awhile," she added.
The participants offered several
examples of discourtesy in others,
including the intrusiveness of tele-
marketers and the loud use of pro-
fanity in public areas.
Some noted that parents allow
their children to act recklessly and
fail to instruct them in good behav-
ior.
The most popular setting for dis-
courtesy seemed to be retail stores.
Many who were interviewed report-
ed incidents of rudeness at stores
from both customers and business
agents.
Three in four participants said
they have often seen patrons treat
sales clerks rudely and nearly half
said they have left a store because
the staff acted rudely to them.
Some participants even recog-
nized rudeness in their own behav-
ior.
More than one-third confessed
they drive aggressively and 17 per-
cent admitted they use cellular
phones in a loud or ,annoying man-
I don't think it's
necessarily so
recent, but it's
become more
apparent in our
generation"
- Kimberly Wilson
LSA sophomore
ner.
But the study also found some
consolatory results.
Most of the participants believed
that blacks, gays and handicapped
persons have received better treat-
ment in recent years.
Many participants also said the
Sept. 11 attacks caused people to
become more polite, at least tem-
porarily.
Surprisingly, the study found lit-
tle regional variation in that results
of differences between rural and
urban areas.
Older participants also tended to
have better views of the behavior of
Americans than those of younger
generations.
Participants offered several
explanations for the recent perva-
siveness of discourtesy in American
life.
They said the crowding and
anonymity of modernity encourages
rudeness and that many people
respond to rudeness from one per-
son with rudeness to another.
Several also said the entertain-
ment media's depiction of rudeness
as humorous or stylish promotes
bad behavior.
Many students agreed that rude-
ness in society has become more
prevalent.
"It's really commonplace and
doesn't stick out to me," LSA soph-
omore Ron Harris said.
"I don't think its necessarily so
recent, but it's more apparent in our
generation," LSA sophomore Kim-
berly Wilson said.
Public Agenda maintained its
results may suggest possibilities to
make business more efficient.
Members of the organization plan
to meet with agents of many indus-
tries in the next year to determine
new methods that would rectify that
need for a friendlier society.
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THE CALENDAR
What's happening in Ann Arbor today
EVENTS
"Is World Peace An
Impossible Dream?";
ing, Facilitated by Derek
Yip Hoi, 7:30 p.m., Angell
Hall Auditorium D
* "The Evil Jazz Quintet"
Auditorium
"The Otherness of Med-
ir-a Fdea-.n.n"-qnn-
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