Wednesday, October 20, 2004 ODD COUPLE TEAMS UP ON ICE ... SPORTSWEDNESDAY, PAGE 12B Opinion 4A Science 5A The University's secret civil rights fight How the 'U' is handling a dearth of flu vaccines i DuuitaiIv Arts 9A EA Sports makes golf fun in "Tiger 2005" w ww. m ich iandaiy. com Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXV, No. 14 V2004 The Michigan Daily 'U' looks into reports of hazing By Emily Kraack Daily News Editor Certain houses in the Greek system are facing allegations of extreme hazing practices on their pledges, and the University has begun looking into those claims. Interim Dean of Students Susan Eklund, who took over for former dean Ed Willis in early August, said the University is investigating hazing claims from this month's pledging activities that involve at least five fraternities and two sororities. She said resident advisors familiar with the Greek system had brought forward some of the reports from pledges living in residence halls. Eklund said the Office of Student Conflict Reso- lution is investigating the incidents and police have Allegations of illegal pledging activity involve seven houses in Greek system been notified. Although she declined to name the Greek houses included, she said incidents brought to her attention were confined to the Greek governing bodies Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Association, with none in the councils that oversee minority fraternities and sororities. Eklund described a variety of hazing abuses, all involving heavy drinking. Included among the incidents was one which Eklund described as "very disturbing," in which members of a sorority were summoned to a fraternity chapter house and were "strongly recommended" to drink heavily. Clothes were allegedly torn off the women, who were then STATE OF THE ART led into a cramped room with intoxicated mem- bers of the fraternity's pledge class. Eklund said that what followed reportedly included widespread sexual activity. Another incident involved 15 members of a fra- ternity pledge class forced to drink excessively and then wrestle with older members of the fraternity. Reports say the pledges were then forced to strip to their underwear and stand in a room with open windows on a cold evening. Eklund said that one pledge required medical treatment after the inci- dent. Other allegations Eklund mentioned included obscenities written on drunken pledges in perma- nent marker and drunken fraternity members pad- dling their pledges. Ann Arbor Police Department Lt. Mark Hoorn- stra said he is investigating one hazing allegation which occurred Oct. 6, but that "it's real sketchy as to whether or not any actual hazing occurred" during that incident. He said he has heard that the Office of Greek Life has seen a "substantial increase" in the number of hazing reports received this year. University spokeswoman Julie Peterson stressed that the University has no definite evidence yet. "All are allegations at this point, absolutely," Eklund said. Eklund said that IFC and Panhel members had been notified of the allegations at a meeting. "My understanding is that students took it very serious- ly," she said. She added that the violations occurred at a very small number of chapters on campus and that responses to a similar situation last year had been productive. IFC President Casey Bourke said he had seen some of the reports. "I think it's a big problem right now that we're going to fix," he said, adding that the IFC hazing task force is investigating. "We're not going to tolerate it - we had a long discussion on it, the most serious I can remember See HAZING, Page 8A Hospital taking steps to clear up overcrowded ER By Leslie Rott Daily Staff Reporter Engineering sophomore Derek Deveaux sat in an artificially lit room cramped close togeth- er with 20 other people. Complaining of chest pains and shortness of breath, he ended up at the University Hospital's emergency room, after waiting for a day in the hopes that his symptoms would subside. Deveaux said he arrived at the hospital at 6 p.m. and waited five hours in a crowded room just to see a doc- Each time tor. When he told one of e the nurses that the pain get a e in his chest had gotten the numbe worse, she told him that there was nothing p tientsg she could do for him - he would just have to wait his turn. When - he finally was seen, he Chair of emerg said the doctor looked Univ at him for 10 minutes, and sent him home with medication. Deveaux's experience of waiting several hours for care is not uncommon, and is a symptom of a nationwide dilemma among hospitals: overcrowded emergency rooms. William Barsan, a physician and the chair of emergency medicine at the University Hospital, said packed emergency rooms have become typical in hospitals across the country. In 1996, there were 6,200 emergency rooms in the country and more than 90 million annual visits, Barsan said. By 2002, there was a decrease in the number of emergency rooms to 4,037, while annual visits increased to more than 114 million. The Centers for Disease Control and Pre- vention confirmed these statements in a recent news release, citing "a continuing increase in the number of Americans seeking medical care in hospital emergency departments, even as other data show the actual number of emer- gency departments on the decline." The issue can be especially pertinent to col- lege-age students, who have the second highest rate of visiting emergency departments behind the elderly, according to the CDC. "Persons aged 75 and older continue to have better, r of )es up." William Barsan gency medicine, versity Hospital the highest rate of emer- gency department visits (61.1 per 100 persons), while the next highest rate was for persons aged 15-24," a March report from the center states. In order to determine who needs to be treated first, hospitals must "sort out who is most likely to need medical attention right away," Barsan said, adding MIKE HULSEBUS/ Daily Artist Anthony Wilson, center, along with Sam Hollenshead, with camera, talk to Ann Arbor resident Ivano Zamperia about Wilson's travel- ing art, titled "A New American Century." The artists are making a film on people's reactions to the portraits of Bush administration fig- artists take their work (andpolitics) on the road that he would nonetheless not want to have to decide who should be treated first. Such decisions prove to be problematic, not only for those trying to receive care, but also for the hospitals that have to deal with severe overcrowding. Despite the increase in the number of patients, hospital budgets are shrinking, Barsan said. This means that even though the number of patients is increasing, funding allocated to hospitals may not grow at a rate that will allow hospitals to accommodate all the new patients. There are many reasons for the increase in hospital emergency room visits. Sicker patients, shorter hospital stays leading to See PATIENTS, Page 7A By Ekiyot Saini Daily Staff Reporter Huge, visually imposing paintings of President Bush and his foreign policy team brought tears and jeers from spectators at the Ann Arbor Art Center yesterday, creating heated political discourse. Two local artists are causing such commotions with their moving exhibit of political paintings, A New American Century, which is traveling to cit- ies in the Midwest and the South, beginning with Ann Arbor. Anthony Wilson, who created the artwork for the exhibit, displayed six large oil canvases on West Liberty Street, portraying President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfield, Secretary of State Colin Pow- ell, National Security Advisor Condolezza Rice and Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. Wilson, working in conjunction with photogra- pher Sam Hollenshead, is recording viewer reac- tions on camera and engaging them in political discourse, in hopes of capturing what he called "this very unique time." "(The art) bring's people's emotions to the surface, usually positive, but some real fury as well." - Anthony Wilson Artist Political polarization has led to political discus- sion among the like-minded, but no real discussion exists across partisan lines, he said. "No one wants to be painted as a bad person" for supporting Presi- dent Bush or for opposing him, he said. Hollenshead said by creating an ethnography of the election, he hopes to help "to understand this country and to understand the people by speaking one on one and get an emotional reaction." "The ultimate goal is to facilitate an honest dis- cussion" among the public, he said. The dialogues about politics that the artwork * n : "A New American Century" art exhibit. Two local artists have painted several renderings of top politicians, in hopes of sparking political dialogue between patrons. DPS reports steep rise in MIP tickets espoused among Ann Arbor residents has been mixed but generally positive, the artists said. The art "brings people's emotions to the sur- face, usually positive, but some real fury as well," Wilson said. "We are tired of doomsday politicians;' said Odile Hugonot-Haber, who viewed the exhibit and is the chair of the Woman's International League for Peace and Freedom, which works to achieve conditions for peace, freedom and justice. "People in the community need to put more pressure on the politicians. This country has forgotten what war means," she said. See ARTWORK, Page 8A By Melissa Benton Daily Staff Reporter ELECTIONS 04 On Mideast conflict, talks vs. reforms Although no one wants to receive a minor in possession of alcohol citation, if you find yourself getting one this year, you're definite- ly not alone. The Department of Public Safety has recorded a significant increase in MIP viola- tions on campus this year. From Aug. 25 to Oct. 9 this year, 129 MIPs were handed out, compared to 80 MIPs handed out during the same time period last year. DPS Capt. Joe Piersante said there could be many reasons for the increase, but pointed specifically to the larger freshman class and an increase in pledging activity among the fraternities and sororities. "Those are the only two definitive things I can point to. The rest is just speculation," Piersante said. He said DPS officers have noticed more students out at night because of fall Rush for the Greek system this year. "Whether that contributes to the overall increase, I don't know, but there has been an overall increase in pledging activity at night where alcohol is involved," Piersante said. Interim Dean of Students Sue Eklund also said she has received reports of more pledg- ing activity. "There have been more reports this year that have gotten all the way to my level," she said. But Alan Lovi, spokesman for the Interfra- ternity Council, said there has been no change in pledging activity this year. "There's nothing different this year than any other year. Nothing more, nothing less," said Lovi, an LSA senior. Piersante said he has noticed a problem with binge drinking among all students this year, but it's hard to tell if there has been an increase, because like assaults, hospital- izations due to binge drinking don't all get reported to DPS. "One of the things we are concerned with about underage drinking is binge drinking. We've had to transport a number of kids to the hospital this year. My sense of it is that we're getting several of those every week- end," Piersante said. See CITATIONS, Page 7A By Farayha Arrine Daily Staff Reporter As a Middle East analyst and self-described evangelical Christian, Michael Evans has been hard at work promoting President Bush's plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Kerry pushes for peace negotiations; Bush stresses Palestinian adjustments seek representation from more moderately aligned politicians. Massachusetts senator has also said he supports the construction of an Israeli wall in the West I i Pif-mfnnann ho io i