Weather Thursday September 18, 2003 02003 The Michigan Daily Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXIII, No. 13 One-hundred-twelve years ofeditordfalreedom TODAY: Sunny throughout the day and mostly cloudy by night, with winds at 13 to 14 mph. HIYx+: 78 t LOW: 59 Tomorrow: 71151 wwwmichigandailycom Ore. prof sues Pipes for website criticism By Tomslav Ladika Daily Staff Reporter University history Prof. Juan Cole was one of eight professors singled out by a campus watchdog website for allegedly teaching a biased view of events in the Middle East almost a year ago. Now an Oregon professor is taking action by suing writers Daniel Pipes and Jonathan Schanzer, who accused him of being a "left-wing extremist" and for calling Israelis "baby killers" in an 2002 New York Post article posted on www.campus-watch.org. Douglas Card, adjunct sociology pro- fessor at the University of Oregon, said he filed a defamation suit after Pipes refused to remove the article from the Campus Watch, which is run by the Middle East Forum, a Philadelphia- based think tank. Pipes, a self-proclaimed auditor of higher education, heads the Middle Eas- Forum, while Schanzer is a member of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Campus Watch is devoted to monitor- ing professors teaching about Middle Eastern issues, and articles posted on the website have criticized several profes- sors across the country, including Cole and Card, of being biased against Israel. The site also listed the University as biased. The article written by Pipes and Schanzer accuses Card of calling Israel "a terrorist state" and telling students that on their final exams they should support Card's belief that Israel "stole land." Cole, who said al-Qaida was only an irrelevant fringe group two weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, responded to the lawsuit by calling Daniel Pipes "a serial slanderer of anyone who dis- agrees with him. "I am glad to see Professor Card stand against Pipes's sleazy tactics and wish him well with his lawsuit," he added. Cole declined to specify why he con- siders Pipes a slanderer and did not com- ment further on the issue. Pipes, who was recently appointed amid controversy to the board of the U.S. Institute of Peace by President Bush, said he had no comment on the lawsuit when contacted yesterday. Schanzer did not return messages left at his office. Card said although his decision to file suit was "long and painful," he spent months trying to negotiate a compro- mise with Pipes last year. "I became sick at heart to see that See LAWSUIT, Page 5A .California dreamin Female faculty increase their numbers at i u 9 The University hired 43 female science and engineering faculty to the Schools of Medicine, LSA and Engineering By Aymar Jean Daily Staff Reporter University programs in science and engineer- ing made significant headway over the past year in the recruiting and retaining of female faculty members. Provost Paul Courant announced on Monday several advances in a University-wide initiative to increase female representation in the sciences. Part of the National Science Foundation's ADVANCE program, the University's plan has been in effect for about one year. "I believe we have made good progress this year in all four of the areas I've outlined - recruitment, retention, climate and leadership (of female faculty)," Courant said in Monday's address. In the past year, the University hired 43 female instructional track science and engineering facul- ty, about half of whom are in the clinical depart- ments in the School of Medicine. Six teach in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, and seven in the College of Engineering. Evita Nedelkoska, vice president of the Society of Women Engineers, believes the University cre- ates a hospitable environment for women engi- neers and feels that it's moving in the right direction. "The University does a great job of creating an environment where you don't see engineering as a male-dominated field. The real world displays the stereotype of engineering being male-domi- nated. In a sense, the University's positive envi- ronment is motivating," said Nedelkoska, a mechanical engineering senior. ADVANCE differs from other recruitment and retention initiatives because it is data- based. The administration uses both quantita- tive and qualities data to evaluate the circumstances of women in the faculty and the hiring practices of professors. "Through the program's advisory committees, they recognized that there was a need to change university practices; we had to change traditional ways of recruiting. Faculty members tend to hire people like themselves, so if we really want a See ADVANCE, Page 5A Varsity athletes too* can get the blues By Evan McGwvey For'The Daily irve& w Brian Turner sells his spray paint artwork on State Street yesterday. A Santa Barbara, Calif., resident, Turner has been traveling across the country by bus and hopes to finish his trip in New York. Spirituaity helps soe blacks cope with stress. By Bron Daniels Daily Staff Reporter "We as people will not be broken and are instru- ments of own destinies," said LSA Okuna Odaba, a self-described born-again Christian. For more than 20 years now, Social Work Prof. Robert Taylor, his wife Linda Chatters and author Jeff Levin have been conducting research on the aspects of religion that blacks extol. Taylor and Levin said they found that religious participation through prayer and communal church life strengthens spiritual sustenance and can serve as a safeguard against unexpected stressors. "The notion of self worth and resiliency in reli- gious traditions has perpetuated through time with- in the black community," Taylor said. Their studies used a survey to primarily under- stand Christianity in the lives of African Americans. Their assessment of data has produced insight regarding the "positive associations between aspects of religiosity like prayer and Bible reading with overall satisfaction with life," Taylor said, referring to "Religion in the Lives of African Amer- icans;' the book he co-authored with Chatters and Levin published this year. Taylor and Levin said they found that religious participation through See RELIGION, Page 5A Each week, Michigan track team member Stann Waithe deals with classes, daily practice and six hours of team-appointed study hall. Outside of ath- letics and studying, he does not have much time left for socializing. "So far the only people I've hung out with are teammates. You hope to meet people in classes but so far the only people I know are from track," said Waithe, an LSA freshman. The pressures of Division I athletics combined with academics often leave athletes, especially freshmen, distanced from their peers. Hockey team member Mike Brown and his teammate Jason Dest both say they feel the differ- ences between student-athletes and non-varsity-ath- letes are natural. "It's our life, we came here to play hockey and go to class," Brown said. "I'd rather be playing hockey and have a busy schedule then just sit around all day," Dest added. Both Dest and Brown highlighted the help their coaches have given to the players. "Our coaches care about us, they gave us a (writ- ten) guide to help us with academics and stuff," Brown said. Engineering senior and West Quad resident advi- sor Neal Moyer sees loaded schedules as the main rift between student-athletes and other students. "The athletes on my hall are busy. Their schedule is tough. When they are around they are great, cracking jokes and having fun with all the guys. But they are almost never here;' Moyer said. Women's gymnastics Coach Beverly Plocki said she feels that student-athletes have an advantage in terms of integration into the University community See BLUES, Page 5A Panel tackles issues raised by rulizgs in lawsults By David Braison and AdIdr Dutt Daily Staff Reporters Students who missed the outcome of the nation's affirmative action debate had the chance to catch the highlights last night. A panel of administrators assembled in the Michi- gan League Ballroom to discuss the outcome of April's U.S. Supreme Court affirmative action deci- sions and the revised admissions process the decisions resulted. "We're not using a point system anymore," said Theodore Spencer, director of the Office of Under- graduate Admissions. He was joined by a panel con- sisting of General Counsel Marvin Krislov, LSA Dean Terrance McDonald, and Prof. emerita Patricia Gurin. Spencer and McDonald described the new application process as having increased faculty input - with faculty reviewing applications. Applications contain more questions about stu- dents and their family's background and place greater emphasis on their socioeconomic situation. Short-answer questions were added and expanded as well as an optional essay to discuss awards, honors and significant experiences. Students also have the option to include SAT-II, AP and IB scores. New Fuel cells promise clean emission but not in near future By Adam Supernant For the Daily A project that could revolutionize everything from the way people drive their cars to the way toasters run, hydrogen fuel cells are one of the lead- ing technologies in decreasing the world's reliance on oil, gas and coal. Despite several obstacles, fuel cells could be the solution to Earth's dimin- ishing fossil fuel supply and increasing energy demand. "Whether hydrogen is used directly as a fuel or indirectly as part of fuel cell, it would in all likelihood be an improvement over most things we use today to drive engines, heat spaces and operate appliances;" said retired Urban Planning Prof. Mitchell Rycus. Demonstrated by the blackout last month that paralyzed New England and the Midwest, some say there is a growing necessity for alternative ener- gy sources that do not revolve around traditional fossil fuels. In response, the U.S. government and special interest groups like the National Hydrogen Association have launched initiatives to develop renewable energy sources and create a power grid that would Environmentally, hydrogen fuel cells are sound because their only exhaust is water vapor. fuel cells involves a reaction between a hydrogen fuel source and oxygen that, with the help of a catalyst, produces energy useable in cars, household appliances and ideally power plant operations. Environmentally, hydrogen fuel cells are sound because their only exhaust is water vapor. Economically, the market for hydrogen production is vast because it could be derived from an infinitely renewable resource - water. The new technology is still in its early stages and questions regarding the acquisition of mass quantities of hydrogen have yet to be answered. "However, the problem has always been, where do you get the hydrogen? 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