LOCAL/STATE

The Michigan Daily - Thursday, January 29, 2004 - 3A

C RD-V IE
DIPS apprehends
trespassing thief
in 'U' Hospital
University Hospital staff discovered
a man trespassing in the hospital Tues-
day. The suspect was arrested for tres-
passing and larceny, and the case is
being investigated by the Department
of Public Safety. Upon his arrest, he
was transported to the Ann Arbor
Police Department for an outstanding
warrant.
Unknown CCRB
thief steals
victim's pants
A University student reported a wal-
let, cellular phone, and pair of jeans
stolen from the Central Campus Recre-
ation Building Tuesday. All items were
stolen from the same individual, but no
estimated value is currently known.
DPS has no suspects in the incident.
Computer, bags
stolen from
Hutchins Hall
A computer valued at $2,000 and
a backpack were taken from
Hutchins Hall Tuesday, as reported
to DPS by the victim, a University
student. The computer was located
inside of a black bag, and the back-
pack was red.
Both items were taken from the
first floor hallway in the northwest
corner of the building. No informa-
tion is known about the contents of
the backpack, or possible suspects in
the incident.
Basketball player
taken from CCRB
to emergency room
DPS reports indicate that a visitor
to Central Campus Recreation Build-
ing was transported to the University
Hospital Emergency Room on Sun-
day after suffering an injury while
playing basketball. The incident was
reported by a staff member at the
CCRB, however, the injury was not
life-threatening.
Building reception
area flooded by
leaking water
DPS was notified of a flood Sunday
Jp1he: a toroom 1044 ixt th Plant
Operations Building, near a reception
area. A water leak caused the flood,
and Building Services was notified to
clean up the water. The water damaged
furnishings in the room, but a cost esti-
mate is not available.
Media Union
staffer receives
harassing mail
A Media Union staff member report-
ed having received a sexually harassing
e-mail Monday. Because DPS is cur-
rently investigating the situation, infor-
mation regarding the identification of
possible suspects could not be released.
Student passerby
witnesses hit-and-

run car accident
A moving vehicle collided with a
parked vehicle Tuesday and then
drove away, according to a DPS
report. A student observed the hit-
and-run accident, which is being
investigated by DPS. No one was
injured in the accident.
Laptop stolen
from Business
School office
A Business Administration building
staff member reported a laptop was
stolen from a locked room Tuesday.
DPS reports no signs of forced entry
into the subject's office. The value of
the laptop is not known.
Suspect strikes
jackpot at campus
vending machine
A Media Union vending machine was
discovered to have been broken into yes-
terday, according to DPS reports. The
report has not been finished, as DPS
could not contact the vending company
for a damage estimate. The suspect
removed several items as well as the
change in the machine.
. ~ p ..

'Last lecture' lauds political
activism of today's students

By Adrian Chan
Daily Staff Reporter

More than 400 people packed the
Mendelssohn Theater at the Michigan League
last night to hear a distinguished professor's
"ideal last lecture."
Given by Golden Apple Award-winning
History Prof. Matthew Lassiter, the lecture,
titled "Alienation, Apathy, and Activism:
American Culture and the Depoliticization of
Youth' is not actually his last - rather, it is a
ceremonial privilege bestowed annually upon
the award's recipients.
The Golden Apple, sponsored by the Uni-
versity Hillel and Apple Computers, is given
to outstanding teachers who "teach each lec-
ture as if it were their last," according to the
award's website. Students nominate an inspir-
ing teacher and Hillel's Students Honoring
Outstanding University Teachers chooses the
winner from among these nominations. This
year, SHOUT chose Lassiter from a pool of
more than 600 nominations.
Before Lassiter's lecture began, quotes
from students nominating Lassiter were
shown on a large projection screen mounted
onstage.
LSA sophomore Sam Stalker, who has had
Lassiter for two classes, said he agreed that he
is an outstanding teacher, in part because of
his unusual accessibility.
"He's knowledgeable about everything but
doesn't place himself above students," Stalk-

er said. "I've never seen a GSI or professor
who you have to wait in line to go to his
office hours. Every time you go, there's a
line of like five or six students waiting to get
into his office."
Lassiter chose "Alienation, Apathy, and
Activism" as the subject of his "last" lecture
because he wanted to show that American
youth aren't as depoliticized as many people
think. He said he believes that this issue res-
onates with students. "This is a student-given'
award and I wanted to give a lecture relevant
to things going on today," Lassiter said.
"Young people are a lot more interested in
these issues than they're given credit for."
To illustrate his point, Lassiter compared the
youth activism and culture of the 1960s to that
of their modern counterparts through three
events of 1999 - Woodstock '99, the
Columbine and Littleton school shootings and
the "Battle for Seattle" World Trade Organiza-
tion protests.
These events, Lassiter said, illustrate the
media and political institutions' trivialization of
today's youth activism by portraying advocates
as angry, privileged and aimless.
For instance, when Woodstock '99 erupted
in rioting and violence, the media cited this as
an example of privileged youth senselessly
rebelling against society - a sharp contrast
with the 1960s civil rights protesters, he said.
However, Lassiter said, the Woodstock '99
incident was actually a rebellion against cor-
porate culture and consumerism, which the

event unsuccessfully attempted to force on a
counterculture institution such as Woodstock.
In addition to Woodstock, the combination
of the media's focus on the anticorporate vio-
lence in Seattle and the zero tolerance policies
adopted by schools in the wake of the
Columbine shootings - policies regarding
violence and drugs - discouraged students
from political activism, he said. "(These
events) served to criminalize political move-
ment in youth," Lassiter said.
Lassiter said despite these challenges, there
have been a number of youth activism success
stories, including the exposing of the preva-
lence of sweatshop labor among major corpo-
rations. And, said Lassiter, youth activism
should only increase in coming years as more
students leave college uncertain about their
futures.
"I think the bad job market is the best thing
to happen to college graduates in years," said
Lassiter. In closing, Lassiter urged his audience
to follow this trend. His final advice, to "choose
to be citizens in a democracy rather than con-
sumers in a shopping mall" was greeted by rau-
cous applause and a standing ovation.
University alum Brandon Zwagerman, a for-
mer student of Lassiter, said he was impressed
with the lecture and moved by its message.
"I'm inspired to do something with myself
right now instead of sitting around apathetic. I
thinks it's hopeful now that people don't have
the cushy job market and will get involved and
try to make the country better."

MIKE HULSEBUS/Daily
History Prof. Matthew Lassiter, the winner of the annual
Golden Apple award, gave his "last" lecture yesterday, a
tradition for recipients of the award.

Leadership, experience key for housing candidate

By Alison Go
Daily Staff Reporter

As a potential candidate for the
University's permanent housing direc-
tor, Michael Coakley
says his 20 years of
experience in housing
would make him an
asset to the University.
In a public interview
in the Michigan Union
yesterday, Coakley dis-
cussed his experience as Om
resident advisor of the
first coed floor at the FOURTH
University of Illinois at PRT
Urbana-Champaign in PART
the late 1970s. Coakley
has also held leadership positions
such as director of the office of resi-
dential services at Wright State Uni-

versity and assistant director of resi-
dence hall life at Western Michigan
University.
Coakley is the executive director of
Student Housing and Dining Services at
Northern Illinois Univer-
sity, where he runs an
operation including 19
residence halls, eight
dining facilities and
6,200 students, with a
$42 million budget.
According to Coak-
IN(A ley, aside from the
responsibility of han-
A FIVE- dling a large operation,
the transformation of
ERIES NIU's dining services is
indicative of his accom-
plishments as their executive director.
In 1996, NIU was one of the worst-
rated dining systems, but it is now

ranked seventh in the nation, he said.
"When I first came, dining was a
loser," he said. "We have turned it
around, and now, after two years, we
are actually supporting housing."
Changes in the dining system at
NIU include implementing meal
hours extending from 7 a.m. to 11
p.m. and establishing a Sunday
brunch serving more 1,200 students
in a single facility each week.
For the University, Coakley envi-
sions a plan addressing "issues any
comprehensive housing organization
should address," such as accommo-
dating a varied student demographic.
"We have a much more diverse
population that attend institutions of
higher education," he said. "The insti-
tution should be representative so stu-
dents believe they have a place within
the institution."

Coakley also anticipates adding
housing facilities and modernizing
existing facilities on campus, a pro-
posal already introduced by Vice
President for Student Affairs E. Roys-
ter Harper.
"There are buildings that don't pro-
vide the type of amenities that this
generation of students and parents
have come to expect," he said.
In order to accomplish these goals,
Coakley has traditionally relied on
focus groups and keeping communi-
cation lines open to generate input
and ideas. The first step to change, he
said, was listening to different groups
like faculty and staff, who have past
experience and visions for the future,
as well as current students who can
express the issues they feel are most
relevant.
Students who met Coakley yester-

day said they agreed that he was com-
mitted to communication.
"He seemed very passionate and
was listening to everything we were
saying," said LSA senior Sharon
Mitchell. "He was very open to new
ideas and he didn't dismiss anything,
no matter how silly."
Coakley is the third candidate to
make presentations at the University
this week. The public interviews were
held by a search advisory committee,
which Harper assembled. By late
March, Harper said she will make the
final decision on which candidate will
fill the dual position of director of
University Housing and assistant vice
president for student affairs.
The final candidate, Fred Fotis
from the University of British Colum-
bia, will speak today at 2 p.m. in the
Michigan Union Kuenzel Room.

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