LOCAL/STATE

The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, April 16, 2002 - 3A


Nintendo ad voted most offensive

Rollerblader found
in UGLI bathroom
A caller reported to the Department
of Public Safety that a female subject
was spotted in the bathroom of the
Shapiro Undergraduate Library wear-
ing rollerblades, violating a University
ordinance prohibiting skateboards and
rollerskates in buildings, according to
DPS reports. The suspect was
described as a white female wearing a
white top, beige shorts and a green
backpack. The caller reported that the
suspect had left the building, so DPS
did not send an officer to investigate.
East Quad residents
found with marijuana
East Quad Residence Hall staff
reported to DPS that people were
drinking in a hallway early Friday
morning, DPS reports state. They were
also in possession of marijuana and an
illegal knife. DPS made no arrests, but
arrest warrants will be sought.
Fireworks set off
at West Quad
A person was reported twice for
lighting fireworks from a room facing
the courtyard of West Quad Residence
Hall Sunday night, according to DPS
reports. Officers were unable to locate
any problems. DPS officers were
unable to locate the suspect.
South Quad resident
caught with alcohol
One subject was cited for minor in
possession and for possessing a fake ID
in South Quad Residence Hall Saturday
morning, according to DPS reports.
Purse stolen from
Frieze Building
A caller reported to DPS that a purse
had been stolen from a grassy area out-
side the Frieze Building at about 4:30
p.m. Saturday, DPS reports state. The
purse was left unattended.
Church Street area
site of underage
drinking, urination
One person was cited for a minor
in possession offense Saturday
evening in the Church Street Park-
ing Structure, according to DPS
reports. Another person was cited
for MIP on Church Street early
Sunday morning. Also over the
weekend, a subject was cited for
urinating in a public place in the the
structure, and five people were also
cited for MIP on Elm Street Satur-
day evening around midnight.
Residents reported
for playing loud
music in West Quad
Officers responded to a report of
loud music in West Quad early Sunday
morning, DPS reports state. They
issued two tickets for minor in posses-
sion of alcohol and one for obstructing
justice.
Backpack, laptops
among stolen items
Over the weekend, callers report-
ed a number of stolen items from
Randall Laboratories, the Chemistry
Building, Lorch Hall and other Uni-
versity buildings, according to DPS
reports. The stolen items included a
wallet, a briefcase, three backpacks

and more than five laptop comput-
ers.
Softball game leads
to broken window
Two staff members of the University
Hospital were playing catch with a
softball at the main entrance of the
hospital and broke the glass of a win-
dow, DPS reports state.
Wedding ring, watch
stolen from hospital
A University Hospital worker report-
ed she had a watch and wedding ring
stolen out of the main operating
women's locker Friday morning, DPS
reports state.
- Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
Rob Goodspeed.

By Shabina S. Khati
Daily Staff Reporter

Amid stiff competition, an advertisement for a Nin-
tendo video game edged out seven other offensive
commercials to emerge as the biggest "loser" of last
week's 18th Annual Sexism in Advertising Contest.
The competition, sponsored by the Sexual Assault
Prevention and Awareness Center, featured eight stu-
dent-nominated advertisements found guilty of strong-
ly objectifying women.
LSA sophomore and SAPAC core member Sailak-
shmi Ramesh said the purpose of the contest was to
raise awareness about and provoke reaction to the nega-
tive media portrayals of women.
"Various companies and magazines deliberately
degrade women to sell their products" she said.

After SAPAC tallied the nearly 300 votes, the results
declared Nintendo's ad for "Cohker's Bad Fur Day"
worse than Bacardi and Jim Beam commercials to
make it this year's most offensive advertisement.
SAPAC members then met to draft a letter to Nintendo
expressing their anger and disappointment.
"We are writing the advertisers to show them people
disapprove of such depictions," Ramesh said.
SAPAC member Lindsay Jolley, an LSA freshman,
said while many people are taking notice of the unfair
media portrayals, there has been a great deal of apathy
regarding the subject.
"People aren't doing anything about it. I know sex
sells, and since it's all about the money it's hard for
people high up in the advertising business to change
the ways that are working so well for them," Jolley
said. "But by writing to these companies at least we

can get them to think about it. They can know, some-
body noticed it. Somebody cared."
Last year's biggest "loser," a Versace advertisement
that Jolley said dehumanized women, was pulled from
print after receiving numerous complaints.
Training and Education Coordinator Alicia Rinaldi
said in the past the combined efforts of many groups
most often caused companies to pull their offensive
commercials.
"Success is based on widespread community out-
rage, and usually occurs once people who react with
anger or disappointment toward an advertisement fol-
low through by responding to the company in ques-
tion," Rinaldi said.
Students can voice their disapproval directly to Nin-
tendo and the other companies by going to SAPAC's
website at wwwumich.edu/~sapac/sexism.html.

E r3 ad n n I5E1 . it tCTe um4Iaiiiiii o t '(rtrls.
Courtesy of SAPAC
Nintendo's ad was voted the most
offensive commercial in the 18th
Annual Sexism in Advertising Contest.

Here comes the sun

Spnngest to celebrate end
of term on Nor Campus

By Annie Gleason
Daily Staff Reporter

Students looking to celebrate the end of classes
tomorrow may finally have a reason to make a trip to
North Campus when the Engineering Council holds its
10th annual Springfest celebration on the North Cam-
pus Diag from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The celebration generally draws about 5,000 students
and is free.
SOBE Beverages and ESPN Magazine have combined
to create the Rock 'N Rip tour, which will take part in
the celebration for the first time this year.
The tour is specifically designed for colleges and uni-
versities.
"They'll be doing extreme skating, they have a half-
pipe and a DJ, they'll be doing tricks to the music,"
said Chitra Laxmanan, an engineering sophomore and
event organizer.
Also a part of the tour is the XBox area that will
include big screen televisions and other entertainment,
including video games.
"The companies are going to be giving away a lot of
free stuff," said Harshvardan Modi, an event organizer
and Engineering freshman.
MSA donated $4,000 for the celebration, distributing
most of the money toward the large inflatable toys,
including a gladiator game, a human dart game and a
bungee run.
In addition to the extreme skaters, other live enter-
tainment includes performances by four bands mainly
composed current and past University students, includ-
ing Donkey Punch.
Similar to previous years, there will also be a dunk
tank, computer smashing and a raffle offering more

"They'll be doing extreme
skating,* they have a half-pipe
and a DJ, they'll be doing
tricks to the music"
- Chitra Laxmanan
Engineering sdphomore and Springfest organizer
than $1,500 in prizes.
The annual competitions between different engineer-
ing societies will also take place this year.
"There's a volleyball tournament, tug-of-war ... and
the winner gets a trophy," Laxmanan said.
Even though the competitions are between engineer-
ing students, the celebration is open to all University
students, faculty and staff.
"It's an end-of-the-year celebration and a way for the
seniors to say goodbye," said Alexis Marz, an Engi-
neering freshman and event organizer.
The celebration also offers students one final chance
to relax before finals begin.
"Just come and enjoy yourself a little bit," Laxmann
said.
If students need other incentives for attending, Lax-
manan said lots of free food will be provided.
Over $20,000 has gone into planning this year's cele-
bration.
Donations for the event were provided by various
University colleges and schools, the Michigan Student
Assembly, UMEC and several outside sponsors.

KELLY LIN/Daily
LSA senior Zach Abrams gets some reading done while enjoying the sunshine
on the steps of Angell Hall yesterday.
MSA will vote on
fre;e aivrport shuttle
at tonight'31s m--eeting


By Tomislav Ladika
Daily Staff Reporter

Out-of-state and international
students will be provided free trans-
portation to Detroit Metropolitan
Airport after they finish with
exams and leave Ann Arbor for the
summer if a resolution creating a
University-sponsored shuttle passes
at tonight's Michigan Student
Assembly meeting.
If approved, the resolution will
allocate $2,400 from MSA's funds
for the creation of a shuttle leaving
once a day for the airport - in the
afternoon on April 18 and 19 and
then at 7:30 a.m. every day during
the week of finals.
Engineering junior Elliott Wells-
Reid, who organized much of the
project in conjunction with several
MSA representatives and the Uni-
versity's Parking and Transportation
Services, said MSA is risking the
funds on a project that may not be
successful and will not make money
because it wants to convince the
University to expand the service
during Thanksgiving and Winter
breaks next year.
"We're willing to take a gamble
to convince other University depart-
ments to continue doing this,"
Wells-Reid said. "We're trying to
prove this is something that works."
Each shuttle can carry a maxi-
mum of 30 students, each carrying
one piece of luggage. Seats can be
reserved by e-mailing
umairbus@umich.edu and are
assigned on a first-come, first-
served basis. The on-campus bus
stops will be located at the Michi-
gan Union, the Hill area and Burs-
ley Residence Hall. It will drop
students off at a number of airport
terminals.
Although local taxi services are
more flexible, considering the Uni-
versity shuttle will only leave once
a day, Wells-Reid said he hopes stu-
dents will sacrifice a small amount
of convenience for a lot of money.

Transportation to Metro costs $49
using MetroCars Inc. and $38 via
Ann Arbor taxi, according to statis-
tics provided by Wells-Reid.
LSA junior Rahul Iyengar, one of
16,056 out-of-state students at the
University, said he will not mind
taking a shuttle early in the morn-
ing if his flight leaves by noon, but
if he is flying in the afternoon, he
will find a few friends and split the
costs of a cab.
"I think it can help half the peo-
ple," he said.
MSA Vice President Dana Glas-
sel, who flew to her home in Cali-
fornia after finals last year, said the
shuttle is scheduled in the morning
because most students' flights
depart around 10:00 a.m. and
because it is recommended that
travelers arrive at airports much
earlier since Sept. 11.
Glassel said the luggage limita-
tion is necessary because the Uni-
versity is using transit buses with
little carry-on space. She said she
believes it will not be problematic
because most out-of-state students
send their possessions home using
packaging trucks, a process much
cheaper than airline shipping.
Although Boot and Glassel took
over leadership of MSA just two
weeks ago, the shuttle was quickly
created because the assembly want-
ed to gauge the interest of the stu-
dent body in the project and prove
"MSA does what it promises,"
Glassel said.
"We want to jump into projects
right away," she added.
Because so many MSA candi-
dates campaigned for the creation
of a University shuttle to the air-
port, one will be required to sit on
each bus to supervise the process,
Glassel said.
The key to the shuttle's success
will be to promote the service,
Wells-Reid said. Resident advisors
and various student groups will be
asked to inform students about the
service.

I



THE CALENDAR
What's happening in Ann Arbor today


EVENTS
"Jung (War): In the Land
of the Mujaheddin";
. Sponsored by the Inter-
national Institute, 6-

Peace Corps informa-
tional Session Meeting;
Sponsored by the Peace
Corps, 7 p.m., Room 9,
International Center
"Bachelor of Fine Arts"

Vice President for
Research, 4-7 p.m.,
Michigan League
Artbhreak Smorgnabrd:


SERVICES
Campus information
Centers, 764-INFO,
info@umich.edu, or
www.umich.edu/~info
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