One hundred eleven yearsofedorlnfreedom
NEWS: 76-DAILY
CLASSIFIED: 764-0557
wwwmichigandaily.com
Thursday
April Ui, 2002
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Drinking problems increasing at
'U,
By Rob Goodspeed
Daily Staff Reporter
A recent nationwide study has confirmed what
surveys have already shown at the University - that
rates of alcohol use, and its associated effects, are
increasing. While administrators plan a number of
new outreach and educational efforts in an effort to
combat alcohol abuse, the University is limited by its
participation in a nationwide alcohol abuse preven-
tion marketing study.
"Its been within the last couple years we've had
a lot more alcohol-related incidents," said Tom
Baez, a clinical psychologist for Counseling and
Psychological Services, who participated in
National Alcohol Screening Day, an educational
program organized by University Health Service,
Counseling and Psychological Services and the
Department of Public Safety.
The program, held yesterday in the Michigan
Union and today at Pierpont Commons from noon
to 2 p.m. includes a student alcohol questionnaire,
educational information about alcohol and an
exercise simulating intoxication with a pair of beer
goggles.
"The philosophy of campus has been one of
education and intervention," Baez said, adding that
in addition to individual counseling at CAPS and
resources at University Health Service, there are a
number of Alcoholics Anonymous groups on cam-
pus.
A new nationwide study released this week con-
cludes that alcohol use and abuse continues to be a
growing problem on campuses nationwide, conclud-
ing that 1,400 college students die each year in alco-
hol-related incidents.
The study also found that one in five students
surveyed had engaged in binge drinking in the pre-
vious two weeks and estimates that binge drinking
contributes to 500,000 injuries and 70,000 cases of
sexual assault or date rape each year. Additionally,
the study found that 400,000 students between 18
and 24 reported having unprotected sex as a result
of drinking.
"I think that (education) is a wonderful resource to
have out for people who decide to drink ... but it's
not going to deter them from drinking," LSA sopho-
more Jessica Smith said.
"Students who want to drink will make that deci-
sion based on factors such as their social group,"
Smith said. "It's not as though people feel the need to
make others drink."
Drinking and binge drinking rates among Uni-
versity students increased between 1999 and 2001,
according to a study commissioned by University
administrators. According to the Student Life Sur-
vey released in March, 86.percent of students
reported that alcohol use represented a problem on
campus.
"I knew there'd be a lot of drinking," said LSA
freshman Rohini Singh, "It's all over the place ...
we're desensitized to it."
The survey showed increases in the amount of
binge drinking, especially among women.
"We definitely see students whose academic per-
formances are impacted by alcohol use," said Susan
Szpunar, a pre-health LSA academic advisor. "There
are resources (about alcohol) ... but students fre-
quently don't know what's available."
Some students agreed that while educational pro-
grams are useful, they aren't well known.
"I wouldn't really be sure where to go," Singh said.
"I feel like facts are really useful," she said. "If a
girl finds out there's 240 calories in a beer, they'd
think twice about drinking it."
The University is currently engaged in a number
of ongoing outreach and education efforts regard-
ing alcohol, but their actions are limited by the
University's participation in a nationwide study to
analyze the effects of certain types of alcohol mar-
keting techniques.
Called the Social Norms Marketing Research
Project, the five-year study pairs 16 schools
See ALCOHOL, Page 7A
DAVID ROCHKIND/Daily
LSA sophomore Chris Perry tries on a pair of beer goggles, which simulate a
persons vision after having anywhere between three to eight drinks In an hour, as
onlookers fill out surveys.
Gas prices
will increase
temporarily
By Ted Borden
Daily Staff Reporter
Drivers should expect higher prices at the gas pump
this summer, due to an increased demand for gas and
current conditions in the Middle East.
Already prices are about 20 percent higher than in
the past month, and they could increase even more,
experts say, though they stress this will not become a
long-term issue.
"Refining capacity is still quite limited in the U.S., so
I am sure we will see gas prices rise with the high
demand for refined gasoline that comes with the sum-
mer driving season," Business School Prof. Richard
Sloan said, noting "most consumers expect this", yet oil
prices could easily come due in the near future.
"Yes, this is the highest price increase in a six to eight
Inside: The oil crisis week period in a number of years,"
continues to rise s John Schmitz, head of equity strategy
OPEC declares it at Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati,
will not pump more said. "But on a real basis with adjust-
oil to replace what ed prices, oil is actually cheaper now
Iraq is withholding. than it was 30 years ago and gas has-
Iage 2s wn't gone up at all."
Page 2A Schmitz said an annual increase
in gas demand during summer months is typical and this
year's increases should be usual, despite an Iraqi oil
embargo and a recent decline in Venezuelan exports.
Prices for crude oil soared Monday when Saddam Hus-
sein announced Iraq would cut off its exports for 30 days
or until Israel withdraws from Palestinian territories.
Iraq, a member of the Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries, produces 2.3 million barrels of oil
a day and exports 1.8 million barrels a day, primarily to
Europe and the. U.S. Meanwhile, exports from
Venezuela have shored up due to a strike. But the oil
market has calmed in the past two days as Saudi Arabia,
the world's largest exporter of oil, has promised it will
not allow for a shortage.
As for the effect on the current economic recovery, both
Schmitz and Sloan downplayed the possible consequences.
"Will it derail the economy? No, because there are
many other factors at play, including the eleven cuts in
interest rates," Schmitz said. "Gas is a small part of a
consumer's expense profile."
But Sloan did note that if oil prices continue to rise in
the future, "this would hurt economic recovery."
As for the return of last year's energy crisis, Schmitz
* See OIL, Page 7A
DEBBIE MIZEL/Daily
LSA sophomore Daniel Aghion joined more than 200 students in supporting Israel by holding up the Israel flag in front of East Hall yesterday
afternoon.
Students hold pro-
Rally held 24 hours after
Palestinian supporters
marched through campus
By Shannon Pettypiece
Daily Staff Reporter
Several students draped Israeli flags over
their shoulders as a crowd of more than 200
sang Jewish folksongs and chanted "com-
promise not terrorize" yesterday.
Organizers said the purpose of the rally
was to make the pro-Israeli voice on cam-
pus heard.
Yesterday's demonstration came 24 hours
after Palestinian supporters silently
marched through campus bound and
gagged to draw attention to the suffering of
Palestinians in the Middle East.
American Movement for Israel co-chair
Samantha Rollinger, an LSA junior, said
many students 'on campus feel uncomfort-
able speaking out in support of Israel.
"I see a lot of students on this campus who
support Israel or sympathize with the cause
who either feel that they are not educated on
the issue enough or that it's not their place to
speak up. But clearly today's rally gave them
that opportunity," Rollinger said.
Rollinger, like many students at the rally
had ties to the region through friends or
irael rally
family members. One protester, Hadassab
Max, a Social Work graduate student, has a
sister in Israel.
"I don't support everything the Israeli
army does, but I definitely support Israel's
right to exist," Max said.
Germanic politics Prof. Andrei
Markovits, who also has friends and distant
family members in Israel, said he has
noticed a trend in anti-Israel support on
politically active U.S college campuses.
"There is a sense that supporting Israeli
is also supporting the United States, and
leading American universities, such as (the
University of) Michigan, Berkley and so on
See RALLY, Page 7A
Troops go
into Ber
Zeit after
withdrawal
JENIN, West Bank (AP) - Israeli
forces moved into the central West
Bank village of Ber Zeit early today,
witnesses said, just hours after the gov-
ernment announced it was leaving
three other villages.
Tanks rolled into the village --north
of the commercial center of Ramallah
- and troops quickly occupied the
police station and began doing house-
to-house searches, witnesses said. The
soldiers met no resistance, they said.
Earlier yesterday, Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon delivered a blunt mes-
sage: Israel will not pull back until
Palestinian militias are crushed.
Despite his pledge to continue the
offensive in the face of intense U.S.
and international pressure to call it off,
Sharon's defense ministry announced
late yesterday troops were pulling out
of West Bank villages of Yatta,
Qabatya and Samua.
Yatta and Samua are near the south-
ern city of Hebron, and Qabatya is near
the northern city of Jenin, where some
of the most fierce fighting has been
reported.
Sharon's statement earlier yesterday
defied increasingly impatient U.S.
demands for a withdrawal from Pales-
tinian towns - to be delivered in per-
son tomorrow by Secretary of State
Colin Powell - and came hours after
an Islamic militant blew himself up on
a bus in northern Israel, killing himself
and eight passengers.
Speaking to cheering soldiers at a
post overlooking the battered Jenin
refugee camp, Sharon said he
explained to President Bush that "we
are in the middle of a battle" which, if
abandoned prematurely, would only
require another round of fighting later
on.
"Once we finish, we are not going to
stay here," the former general said.
"But first we have to accomplish our
mission." He added that unless Israel
crushed the militants, the phenomenon
of suicide bombings "could spread like
a plague around the world."
Earlier in the day, Israel's Security
Cabinet affirmed the decision to con-
tinue the offensive. By nightfall, resist-
ance was subdued in the Jenin camp -
where fighting has raged for days and
where 13 Israeli soldiers were killed
Tuesday in a sophisticated Palestinian
ambush - and in the old town of
Nablus, the largest West bank city.
Powell insisted his peacekeeping
mission was not threatened by Sharon's
refusal to halt the incursions. "My mis-
sion is not in the least in jeopardy," he
told reporters in Spain.
Powell, who arrives in Jerusalem
later today, said he intends to meet both
Sharon and Palestinian leader Yasser
Arafat. Sharon said Powell would be
making a "tragic mistake" in meeting
with Arafat, who has been confined to
SFeminist Fair attempts to
debunk myths of feminism
By Shabina S. Khatri
Daily Staff Reporter
Innovative games, appetizing food
and enlightening information mixed in
the Diag yesterday during the annual
Feminist Fair, a colorful and education-
al event that aimed to debunk the
myths surrounding feminism while
raising awareness about women's
issues.
LSA junior Vered Jona, one of the
fair's core organizers. said the term
"The idea is that there's a lot of neg-
ative press that goes along with the
word 'feminism.' Today we're trying to
break the stereotype that feminism is
an angry girls movement," she said.
LSA junior Mari Poulos said she
was pleased with the message she
received from the fair, which was
sponsored by the Feminist Leadership
Alliance.
"I do consider myself a feminist but
not a stereotypical feminist. I'm not a
man-hater like people think feminists
Jona added that "feminism means
empowering women to take control of
their lives and make decisions for
themselves. Every woman, regardless
of race, ethnicity and sexual orienta-
tion can be empowered and lead a life
that's stronger."
One factor that set this year's FemFair
apart from past years was the sheer vari-
ety of student group co-sponsors.
The list included Violence Against
Women, Planned Parenthood, the Sex-
ual Assault Prevention and Awareness
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