Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Roc I{)> IE(1( IS BACK~V

r.. r k.
I' x '

Weather

Opinion 4

Sam Singer defends
the dollar

Sports 8 Eric Ambinder on the
class of Michigan
State basketball

441a44g

M. s8
LOW: 38
TOMORROW.
Was3

One-hundredfourteen years ofeditorialfreedom
www.mzchigandaily.com Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXV, No. 107 2005 The Michigan Daily

Speaker choice irks grads

IJohn Seely Brown, former
Xerox scientist, will speak at
commencement next month
By Karl Stamptl
Daily Staff Reporter
Seniors hoping for a big name for this
spring's commencement speaker expressed
disappointment at the announcement of a
lower-profile figure, John Seely Brown, former
chief scientist of Xerox Corporation.
"For students who've worked their butts off
for four or five years, he's not going to inspire
us at all," said LSA senior Nareg Sagherian.
"Maybe someone like a CEO of a big company
would or a chief justice of the Supreme Court.
Someone who's got a bigger name."
Brown, a University alum, will speak on
April 30 at 10 a.m. in Michigan Stadium. He
has worked on developing artificial intelligence
and was instrumental in expanding corporate
research to include subjects such as organiza-
tional learning and nanotechnology.
"John Seely Brown combines visionary
thinking with a clear-eyed understanding of
how science affects people in everyday life,"
University President Mary Sue Coleman said.

"It is with gratitude and pride that we recog-
nize this celebrated alumnus with an honorary
degree."
Some students do not share Coleman's
enthusiasm. After learning that Brown would
be the speaker instead of a more prestigious
orator like Neil Armstrong, who will be speak-
ing at the University of Southern California's
commencement, Education senior Sara Greg-
ory said she would not attend commencement.
"I was waiting to see who the speaker would
be," she said. "Since it's not a big name, I don't
think it's worth it."
Instead, she plans to attend the School of
Education's smaller, more intimate ceremony.
Sagherian said the University lags behind
other schools of comparable academic reputa-
tion in the caliber of commencement speakers.
Several other seniors who expressed this con-
cern cited Michigan State University, which
snagged Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,
who was then President Bush's national security
advisor, last year.
MSU has not yet announced this year's
speaker, but other schools have, including
Duke University (Chilean President Rich-
ard Lagos), Emory University (former "NBC
Nightly News" anchor Tom Brokaw) and Stan-
See SPEAKER, Page 7

f- i

WHO WOULD Y yCHOOSE?
Vikas Reddy,
Engineering junior
Larry Paige, Google co-
founder and U alum:
"Everything (Google
does) is altruistic, and
they still manage to make
Jacqui Colston,
LSA senior
Nelson Mandela:
"He's one of the greatest
revolutionaries of our time.
He was a pioneer for his
people and a reflection of
the courage and resilience
it takes to really blaze trails."
Nehu Patel,
LSA sophomore
Bill or Hillary Clinton:
"He was a really good
president and they are both
really good leaders."

Greeks aim
to raise more
cash this year
By Carissa Miller
Daily Staff Reporter
Greek Week 2005 has arrived, and the Greek com-
munity has planned a multitude of crazy activities and
contests - including a wings-eating contest, an X-Box
tournament and the "Greek Olympics" - to raise money
for various charities. This year, the Greek community
has increased its fundraising goal, hoping to raise at
least $60,000.
Through yesterday's Diag Day events, fraternity and
sorority members from the Interfraternity Council, the
Panhellenic Association and the Multicultural Greek
Council collected over 5,000 pounds of canned food
for local food gatherers and raised over $1,200 for the
campus chapter of the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Funds
raised during Greek Week will also be directed to the
Coach Carr Cancer Fund, Camp Heartland, the Well-
ness Community of Ann Arbor and Big Brothers and
Big Sisters of Michigan.
Travis Foley, co-director of the Greek Week steering
committee, said much of the money was raised over the
last two weeks through the efforts of individual houses
and donations from local businesses, such as Big Ten
Burrito, STA Travel and Buffalo Wild Wings. In addi-
tion to traditional events, such as the blood drive and
various house-sponsored contests, Foley said a large
part of the money is raised through ticket sales to Mr.
Greek Week - a Miss America-type pageant of frater-
nity members - and Sing and Variety, the culminating
event of Greek Week.
Foley said the steering committee's biggest addition
to this year's Greek Week has been the iTunes Affiliate
Program. Through this program, 10 cents of every $1
song downloaded through an iTunes link on the Greek
Week website goes to Greek Week charities. Foley said
the iTunes program has raised about $1,000 so far.
Greek Week co-director Lauren Rueber said another
important part of Greek Week is the Journey of Hope
* presentation, which takes place in Rackham tonight.
At the presentation, Greek Week beneficiaries and
Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr speak to Greek and
campus community members, and children from the
Make-a-Wish Foundation and Camp Heartland share
their stories.
"Journey of Hope motivates the community," Rueber
said. "Everyone can see what they are doing this for."
Panhel spokeswoman Lindsey Fediuk said Greek
Week is not only a good way to raise money to support
local charities, but also a good way to highlight a differ-
ent side of the Greek community.
"Greek Week not just a series of party events, which
it can look like at times," Fediuk said. "(It) is a great
0 opportunity to see how strong the Greek community
really is and what we can accomplish when all the hous-
es get together and put their time and effort into some-
thing. People are proud to show their letters."

Binge drinking
continues to rise

on

U,

Jacqueline E. Howard
Daily Staff Reporter

Campus surveys show that whil
ber of students who choose to drink
tuate, binge drinking among thos
consume alcohol is increasing.
"The intensity of the drinking
those who do drink is increasing," s
Flax, coordinator of the University
and Other Drug Prevention Progran
On a national level, research sho
lar trend. Karen Murray, a consulta
chus and Gamma Peer Education
studies alcohol use among young
colleges and universities in Ohio,
Kentucky and Indiana. Her resea
that, although the rate of college stu
drink has remained steady for ye
drinking is increasingly becoming
"Since 1997, the number of stu
drink alcohol has not drastically
What is different is the high-risk b
she said.
The National Institute on Alco
and Alcoholism gathered research1
excessive alcohol use by college-
viduals is a significant source of ha
research indicates that 1,400 colleg
die each year as a result of unintent
ries related to alcohol.
"Alcohol misuse is the number
health problem for institutions of h
cation across the U.S.," Murray sai
The results from the most recent
campus-wide Student Life Survey,

campus
in March 2003, show that the rate of binge
drinking among undergraduate students who
choose to drink was 50 percent, an increase
e the num- from 42 percent in 1999.
may fluc- In addition, there are several high-risk sub-
e who do groups - groups of students with the high-
est percentage of alcohol abuse. For instance,
habits of according to the survey, 76 percent of students
aid Patrice living in fraternities and sororities report
's Alcohol engaging in binge drinking, compared with
m 58 percent of students living in apartments,
ws a simi- 38 percent of students living in residence halls
nt for Bac- and 34 percent of students living outside of
Network, Ann Arbor.
adults at Flax said alcohol-related deaths on college
Michigan, campuses result primarily from binge drink-
rch shows ing, which University researchers define as
dents who having five or more drinks for men and four or
ars, binge more drinks for women in one episode.
a problem. Many incoming students quickly fall into
dents who the habit of binge drinking, as they participate
changed. in drinking games and take shots with students
behaviors," who have been involved in this risky behavior
for years, Murray said. She said binge drinking
hol Abuse is especially dangerous for freshmen because
that shows their bodies are unaccustomed to such a heavy
aged indi- intake of alcohol.
rm. NIAA "Students don't understand that alcohol is a
ge students drug," Flax said. "Intoxication makes people
ional inju- extremely vulnerable."
Many students agree that alcohol abuse is
one public an issue that needs to be addressed at the Uni-
igher edu- versity.
d. "Binge drinking and drinking in general
ly released is a problem on campus, as I'm sure you're
conducted See DRINKING, Page 7

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DAVID TUMAN/Daily

University students set up a keg of beer.

New website helps grad students with theses

By Olga Mantilla
For the Daily

In an initiative to provide online organiza-
tional and planning support to graduate stu-
dents and faculty involved in the dissertation
process, information and technology experts
at the Rackham School of Graduate Studies
and the Duderstadt Center have teamed up to
create an interactive website to respond to the
needs of doctoral students.
The website, called Grad Tools, was
launched this December after more than four

years of research conducted by a University
team assigned to determine what needs of stu-
dents, faculty and staff at Rackham could be
met with technology.
So far, only 500 of the 6,600 Rackham
doctoral students have logged into Grad Tools
since its launch. Some of the website's features
include a checklist of dissertation writing
tasks, a document-sharing feature for collab-
orative work and a calendar that can be viewed
by dissertation committee members.
"These resources work as a roadmap for
students to follow in completing their studies,"

Monique Washington, assistant to the dean for
admissions and academic services at Rack-
ham said.
The Grad Tools project team hopes that
more Rackham students will take advantage
of the website's resources, which Washing-
ton said will fill the gap of communication
between students and their dissertation com-
mittee.
The decision to focus on the dissertation
process was the result of a series of focus
groups and a commissioned study conducted
to look at the potential for an electronic thesis

and dissertation effort at the University.
Michelle Bejian-Lotia, a usability specialist
at the Duderstadt Center's Usability Support
and Evaluation Lab who designed the study,
said the goal was to find new opportunities to
support graduate students online. "Grad Tools
establishes common ground and understand-
ing of how and when things need to be done,"
Bejian-Lotia said.
Mark Clague, an assistant professor of musi-
cology who has asked students in his classes to
sign on to Grad Tools, agreed.
See GRAD TOOLS, Page 3

Number of women in state Legislature on severe decline

Some point to term limits,
which restrict representatives
to six years, as a factor

Things have changed since 1998, when the num-
ber of women in the Michigan House of Represen-
tatives reached a high of 31. Today, there are only
19 women. Making up just 17 percent of the 110
_- _ +- i.- - -; n,,h _10o ,- rln

Rep. Pam Byrnes (D-Washtenaw) said she
agrees. "It's not easy for women to take this time
out of their lives," she said.
The representatives also had other ideas for the
- ca ofhe n - nnhp ofwn n vr c n

for office may turn women away from the posi-
tions. "Your opponent will look for flaws," she
said. "I'm sure women don't want to expose their
family to this," she added.
Wmn', nte...n to hei. aiis cold ls

support of the party.
"Obviously our end is always to recruit the
best candidates possible, and they are often of a
diverse nature," he said. Bailey did not report of
anv recruitments eifical , lfor w men



I

F I

i

I