LOCAL/STATE-
The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, September 4, 2002 - 3
CAMPUS
Museum of Art
features drawings
of Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso's drawings, prints and
oil paintings are featured in a 22-day
exhibit in the Alumni Memorial Hall of
Pierpont Commons and is sponsored
by the Museum of Art. "Picasso: Mas-
terworks from the Collection" will also
present an overview of Picasso's careerr
which lasted more than 75 years. The
exhibition features 31 pieces, including
The Bullfight, Portrait of Fran-
coise and Two Girls Reading.
Pierpont offers
test drive of
Macintosh games
Students can try out new computer
games and software for Apple Macin-
tosh today at Pierpont Commons on
North Campus between 10 a.m. and 4
p.m. The event is free for students.
New York photos
featured in exhibit
Museum of Art curators Carole
McNamara and Sean Ulmer will talk
about historical photographs of New
York tomorrow. McNamara will dis-
cuss "New York Observed" and
Ulmer will discuss "The New York
School: Abstract Expressionism and
Beyond" at the Museum of Art's
West Gallery, beginning at 1:30 p.m.
The event is free
Former 'U' prof.,
lithographer
honored in exhibit
Award-winning lithographer Emil
Weddige will be honored at the East-
ern Michigan University Ford
Gallery from 3-5 p.m. today. Inde-
pendent art curator Kristine Chandler
Will discuss the exhibit titled "Emil
Weddige's Lithographs." Weddige
was a University of Michigan art pro-
fessor and an alum of EMU.
Ansel Adams birth
commemorated
The Museum of Art will commemo-
rate the birth of American photogra-
pher Ansel Adams' 100th anniversary
by displaying 19 works of his art. The
display, containing public and private
collections, begins tomorrow at Alum-
ni Memorial Hall in Pierpont Com-
mons and will run for the 25 days.
Karaoke offered
at School of Art
New futuristic and interactive
karaoke pods can be used at the Art
and Architecture Building tomorrow
between 4:30 and 8 p.m. Visitors can
select songs accompanied to video
such as Neil Young's "Heart of Gold"
or ABBA's "Dancing Queen." The pods
are sponsored by the School of Art and
Design.
U prof. to speak
on social work
School of Social Work Prof. Michael
Reish will speak to members of the Ann
Arbor Friends Meeting tomorrow at 2
p.m. Sponsored by the Peace and Social
Concerns, Reish will give a lecture titled
"The Road Not Taken: A History of
Radical Social Work" at the Friends
Meetinghouse at 1420 Hill Street.
Museum features
work of Mexican
photographer
The Museum of Art will feature'
work of photographer Manuel Alvarez
today in its Twentieth Century gallery.
Alvarez, who turned 100 this year, was
a leading post-revolutionary artist of
Mexico.
Swing Dancing
lessons begin
Michigan Union Arts & Programs
offers swing dancing lessons each
Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the U-Club
of the Michigan Union. East Coast
style dancing will be taught to recorded
music.
Personal control
exhibit begins
Pierpont Commons Arts and Pro-
grams will sponsor a free exhibit
beginning today featuring expressionis-
tic paintings. The exhibit's paintings
convey a "spectrum of emotional and
thought provoking ideas centered
around the locus of personal control."
The exhibit is free.
Munich Massacre
30th anniversary
observed in film
Observing the 30th anniversary of
the Munich Olympics Massacre of 11
Israeli athletes, the film "One Day"
will be shown in Angell Hall Auditori-
um A at 8 p.m. tomorrow. The event is
free and is sponsored by Academic
Multicultural Initiatives.
- Compiled by Daily News Editor
Jacquelyn Nixon.
West Nile infection cases rise in Midwest
By Kylene Kiang
Daily Staff Reporter
The spread of the West Nile virus remains a
concern to residents and local governments as
cases of infection steadily rise in nearly all parts
of the nation.
In Michigan, a 90-year-old Berkley man and an
80-year-old Wayne County man represent the
only deaths caused by the West Nile virus. The
death of a 65-year-old Ferndale man is still under
investigation. On the national level there have
been 673 confirmed cases of West Nile infection
and32 deaths this year.
West Nile virus is transmitted to humans
through mosquitoes that feed on infected birds.
Once the virus enters the body, it travels through
the bloodstream, ultimately interfering with the
body's central nervous system and causing brain
tissue to swell.
Symptoms of the West Nile virus can be treated;
however, there is no cure for the infection. Fatali-
ties are most likely among the elderly, young chil-
dren and others with weak immune systems.
According to the Michigan Department of
Community Health, four out of five people who
are infected do not feel any symptoms. Mild
symptoms include fever and headache, some-
times with skin rashes and swollen lymph glands.
"Most of the time, people don't even know
they have (West Nile virus) or pass (the symp-
toms) off as the flu or a summer cold," said Mark
Wilson, associate professor of epidemiology at
the University. Wilson said that for those with
minor symptoms, their bodies "will eventually
develop antibodies to fight off the virus with no
long-term consequences as a result."
In the most severe cases, a person may experi-
ence high fever, stiff neck, tremors and disorien-
tation, often leading to coma, paralysis or death.
About one in 150 people will experience severe
symptoens.
Despite the unlikelihood of contracting the
virus, Washtenaw County Communicable Dis-
eases Coordinator Linda Lantry suggests that
making a concerted effort to minimize contact
with mosquitoes is the best form of prevention.
Eliminating pools of standing water where
mosquitoes may breed, wearing insect repellent,
maintaining screen doors and windows and limit-
ing outdoor activity during evening hours when
mosquitoes are most active are some of the pre-
ventive measures that Lantry advises.
"You can still have your birdbaths and swim-
ming pools. ... We are just asking the public to be
more aware of the problem," Lantry said.
The war against mosquitoes has already begun
in several Eastern and Southern states where
mosquito spraying has been put into effect.
In Ferndale, mosquito spraying began last Fri-
day. So far, no plans for mosquito spraying have
been discussed by the Ann Arbor City Council.
The Washtenaw County Department of Public
Health does not recommend spraying for either
larvae or adult mosquitoes. Because of possible
resulting toxins, which are likely to provoke res-
piratory illnesses, the costs would outweigh the
benefits, Lantry said.
West Nile virus first appeared in the U.S. in
1999, when seven people in New York City died
from the infection. The first sign of the virus in
Michigan was discovered last summer. In the Mid-
die East, Asia and Africa, the virus is common.
"It is a suspicion that an infected bird, human
or mosquito somehow found its way to JFK air-
port," Wilson said. "It is difficult to find the root
of the problem when the only concrete evidence
you have is the virus itself. There is really no way
of knowing."
Dead birds carrying the virus have been found
in 49 of the 83 counties in Michigan. Crows have
been found to be the most common carrier of the
virus in the state. More than 300 dead crows were
found in Royal Oak last week.
Wilson said that it will not take long for the
virus to spread throughout the entire country.
According to the CDC, all but seven states have
reported human or animal cases of West Nile virus.
"It's likely spread throughout North, Central
and South America within the next five to 10
years. There have already been reports about it
in Canada."
Complete eradication of the virus, even solely
from the U.S., is highly improbable, Wilson said.
"I would say that itis here to stay," he said.
Sixty-six-year-old East Lansing resident James
Peck said he is not concerned about the virus.
"I think the situation has been blown-up by
the media. The chances are so small, but I just
don't know."
Ataalance
Book exchange, airport
airbus among MSA plans
By Tomislav Ladika
Daily Staff Reporter
While some University students were
pursuing internships or traveling over-
seas during summer break, Michigan
Student Assembly executives were
working on key projects. MSA has
already began fulfilling campaign
promises, like creating an online stu-
dent book exchange.
At last night's MSA meeting, MSA
Vice President Dana Glassel announced
aA exchange with Dogears.net, a book
exchange program used by Columbia,
Harvard and Ohio State Universities.
Although students can register on
the website now, Glassel said she
anticipates students will be able to
effectively trade books at the start of
the Winter semester.
"It takes about a semester to get 2, 3,
4,000 people registered to make this
thing successful," she said.
Once enough people have regis-
tered their books online, students
will be able to search for textbooks
by title, author or subject. The web-
site will produce a list of students
offering to sell the books.
MSA President Sarah Boot also
worked on a variety of programs,
including preparing a permanent air-
bus to transport students to Detroit
Metro Airport, creating a plan to
increase student input on the hiring of
female and minority faculty and dis-
cussing the possibility of pushing
Spring Break back a week with Uni-
versity administrators.
Boot said instituting a University-
sponsored airport shuttle is an impor-
tant goal so "after this year people
won't have to worry if it's set up." She
said to do this MSA will have to adver-
tise the shuttle to students earlier in the
year and allow them to register two
weeks in advance.
Boot is also working to increase the
number of female and minority faculty
members, who she said benefit the
education of all students. She plans to
draft a letter to the University faculty,
who make the decisions behind hiring
faculty.
"We realize the administration is try-
ing. We're sure the faculty is trying. But
it's not enough yet," she said.
Another issue on MSA's agenda is a
later Spring Break. Moving the Uni-
versity's Spring Break back one week-
is a realistic possibility, especially if
MSA canlobby Ann Arbor Public
Schools to push their break back along
with the University, Boot said. The two
breaks currently coincide, and many
faculty travel together with their chil-
dren, she added.
Additionally, over the summer MSA
Treasurer Liz Mullane began fulfilling
the Students' First Party's promise of
increasing communication between stu-
dent groups and the MSA this summer
by e-mailing organizations with high
membership or activity rates.
Mullane said she hopes to meet per-
sonally with them - 75 to 100 organi-
zations total - and discuss how MSA
could improve its funding process for
student groups.
"People really want to sit down and
meet with MSA," she said.
Mullane said she also worked with
University administration and a
Graduate Student Instructors task-
force to initiate a pilot program for
students to evaluate their GSIs half
way through the term.
She said the goal of the evaluations is
to let faculty and GSIs know "if there
are problems, or if GSIs are doing a
great job in certain areas," so they can,
make the necessary changes midterm.
JESSICA YURASEK/Daily
LSA sophomores Rose Shaver and Katherine Gora buy posters at
the Michigan Union poster sale yesterday afternoon.
ew proposal could
threCaten future of
MEAP scholar ships
THE BIGGEST BACK TO SCHOOL
P STIR SAL6E
O t
hoes
By Louie Melzllsh
Daily StaffReporter
The chances for a proposed state
constitutional amendment getting on
the ballot were diminished yesterday,
a move that opponents of the propos-
al say could save the college scholar-
ships awarded to some in-state
students.
But Citizens for a Healthy Michi-
gan, promised to file, an emergency
court appeal this morning, a
spokesman for the committee said.
In a vote along partisan lines, the
Board of State Canvassers, which
certifies candidates and ballot pro-
posals for state elections, rejected a
proposal that would earmark -
within the state constitution - $300
million annually from the state's set-
tlement with tobacco companies.
The $2,500 MEAP Merit Scholar-
ships for in-state college tuition,
awarded to Michigan high school
students who pass a series of aca-
demic proficiency tests, would be
threatened by a successful passage of
the proposal because the scholar-
ships' current funding source is with-
in that $300 million.
A coalition of Michigan college
student assemblies is opposing the
proposal, although the University
of Michigan Student Assembly has
yet to join the coalition. MSA Pres-
ident Sarah Boot said a resolution
to join the coalition may be dis-
cussed next week.
Supporters of the proposal say the
state has not adequately funded
health care and smoking prevention
efforts, which they said was the orig-
inal intention of the class action law-
suit filed by numerous state attorneys
general several years ago.
Opponents say it is unwise to set
in stone a $300 million appropriation
that would be untouchable to elected
state legislators.
Should the ballot proposal pass
any Merit Scholarship payments
scheduled after Dec. 31 may have to
be cancelled, opponents say. The
scholarships are usually divided into
two parts - one-half paid in the fall
and one-half paid in the winter.
A majority is needed, to approve
ballot proposals and only two of the
four canvassers - Democrats
Stephen Borrello and Dorothy Jones
- voted in favor, while Republicans
Elizabeth Hardy and Timothy Ward
opposed it.
The supporting group chastised the
board, saying the canvassers exceed-
ed their authority in blocking the
proposal.
"It's an obvious political vote -
the governor (John Engler) and the
Republicans don't want this ballot
question at all and this was their last
line of defense," Roger Martin, a Cit-
izens for a Healthy Michigan
spokesman, said.
Hardy and Ward said a successful
proposal would infringe on the gov-
ernor's ability to veto appropriations.
But, Martin said, "It's not the job
of the Board of State Canvassers to
determine the effect of a ballot pro-,
posal to determine how it might
affect the state. That's up to voters."
The chair of the opposing group,
People Protecting Kids and the Con-
stitution said the board made the
right decision.
"This is an outrageous arrogate of
the constitution," state Sen. John
Schwarz (R-Battle Creek) said. "It
distorts the constitution and it
attempts to put in the constitution
language that will never belong in
the constitution."
Martin, of the pro-proposal group
Citizens for a Healthy Michigan, said
the group will file an emergency
appeal to the Michigan Court of
Appeals and will likely appeal any
unfavorable rulings there to the state
Supreme Court. But in its meeting
today, the group also certified three
petitions.
The ballot must be finalized by
Saturday.
The canvassers unanimously
rejected another proposal which
would mandate treatment, rather than
jail time, for nonviolent drug offend-
ers. The group supporting that initia-
tive also promised a court appeal.
Proposal 1: straight party voting
Proposal 02-1 will ask voters to
approve or reject a law banning
straight-party voting. Proposal 02-2,
if approved, would allow the state to
sell $1 billion worth of bonds to fund
sewer system improvements. Propos-
al 02-3 is a proposed constitutional
amendment that would give state of
Michigan employees the ability to
collectively bargain.
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