NEWS The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, April 19, 2005 - 3A * ON CAMPUS MESA holds festival to benefit children The Office of Multi-Ethnic Stu- dent Affairs is hosting "O-Fest" on the North Campus Diag today from noon to 4 p.m. There will be pie- throwing, root-beer pong and raf- fles. Raffle items include a private flight-tour over Ann Arbor, certifi- cates to Caf6 Felix and comedy club tickets. Raffle tickets are $3 or twoj for $5, and the drawing will be held at 4 p.m. All proceeds will benefit the children at Ozone House. Tickets are also available by contacting OfestRocksMyWorld@umich.edu. U' orchestra performs pieces by Beethoven The University Symphony Orches- tra will be performing tonight at 8 p.m. at Hill Auditorium and will be conducted by Kenneth Kiesler. The orchestra will perform selections from Beethoven and Mahler. A capella group to hold auditions Auditions for 58 Greene, an a cappella group, will be held today and tomorrow from 5 to 11 p.m. in the Michigan Room of the Michigan Union. Walk-ins are welcome. For more information, visit http://www. umich.edu/~58greene. CRIME NOTES, Panel discusses women in science fields By Julia F. Heming Daily Staff Reporter Engineering Prof. Valeria Bertacco said it was not until she entered the science field, that she discovered the stigma surrounding women scien- tists. She said she doesn't think the stereotypes are meant with malice, but that it's hard to avoid the conception that women can't accomplish as much in physical sciences as men can. "(People) still expect an old guy with a long beard to know the most," she said. Three months after Harvard University Presi- dent Lawrence Summers sparked a national debate with a comment on the innate differences in abilities and preferences of women in sciences, the Society of Women Engineers hosted a panel discussion on the controversial remarks with three University of Michigan professors of physical sci- ences and engineering last night. Physics Prof. Timothy McKay said Summers's comments were not appropriate because he disre- garded existing research done on gender issues in the science fields. "For someone with that much authority to speak publicly without understanding the research behind it is disconcerting," he said. The research on the subject includes a recent study by Jacquelynne Eccles of the Institute of Social Research, which followed 1,200 partici- pants from childhood to 30 years of age. The study found evidence for significant differences between the two genders. Eccles said she found women to be less interested in engineering positions because they felt they would be working individually instead of with others. She said women have been seen to be more social than men, as social disabilities are more prevalent in men. Eccles said Asperger's Disorder - a variant of autism in which those affected experience social isolation - is much more common in men. "There are more men who aren't interested in working in social groups - there are brain differ- ences between males and females," she said. "(But) we don't know the extent to which those brain differences contribute to the abilities of men and women." But McKay said cultural influences are a greater factor in dissuading women from entering sciences than these inherent differences. "The cul- tural expectation that people have for what kinds of careers certain groups pursue has an effect on the careers that those groups pursue," he said. McKay said the differences in women's repre- sentation in sciences in other countries is indicative of the influence of cultural norms. Eccles agreed, adding that there are more women than men in engineering in India. The professors at the event spoke about the bur- dens placed on women in physical science fields. While Summers said some women would not want to work in the fields because of the large time com- mitment, Bertacco said the homogenous environ- ment is a greater factor. "It is difficult to work in an environment where you are the only person who stands out," she said. The National Science Foundation's ADVANCE program at the University works to promote women in faculty positions in science and engineering. The program has committees and advisors who work to make the academic environment friendly for women. Chemistry Prof. Mark Banaszak Holl said the program has been beneficial for his department. "We can identify (women) as great candidates, but we can't make them come. We've been able to get them here, and these resources have helped," he said. Another factor Summers cited was the innate preference differences between men and women, who may have more interest in having a family. The professors all spoke against this notion, saying both men and women take time off of their careers following the birth of a child in their families. McKay said two men in his department have taken advantage of this option. "I don't see why I can't have a husband (and this job)," Bertacco said. "Why would a man be able to work 50 hours a week and a woman couldn't? Only because your grandmother didn't." Eccles's study found that the controlling fac- tors in the low numbers of women in science and engineering are a result of a lack of confidence at a young age, brought about by both parents and teachers. "Parents are more likely to attribute their daughter's math achievement to hard work rather than talent," she said. "When you tell a girl that she's doing it because she's working hard, she doesn't draw the same confidence." The study also discussed the influence of the classroom setting on young women, as physi- cal science and engineering classes tend to focus on competition with other students over overall improvement. Holl said it is important for all instructors to look into this type of research. "We try to provide enough differences in the learning approaches that are offered in the class to appeal to all the different learning types," he said. Joe Serwach, a University spokesperson, said the presence of women in these fields has been impor- tant in scientific study at the University. "If any of these women had not gone into science, all of these things that they discovered would not have been known. The University is trying to improve the cli- mate so that we can have a more diverse workforce and a more diverse student body," Serwach said. McKay stressed the importance of not alienat- ing women in these fields because of both the need for diversity and simply raw numbers. "Being a leader in science and technology in the U.S. is essential - we need more than our fair share of smart people. We need everyone who is qualified to be working on it," he said. Engineering sophomore Elizabeth Perez decided to organize the event, she said, when Summers's comments put a damper on her motivation. She said she has seen the stereotypical attitudes that her male peers hold while working on group projects. "(They say), 'You do the write-up, we'll crunch the numbers.' You wonder, is it my abilities that are flawed?" she said. "It's really uplifting to hear that the Michigan faculty don't have the opinions that women don't have the abilities to participate in these fields," Perez added. Student injured by vehicle A subject was struck by a vehicle Sunday while on her way to class, the Department of Public Safety reported. The driver of the vehicle assisted the subject to her class, and the victim sustained a minor injury to her left ankle. Woman assailed by stranger A woman was punched in the face by a stranger as she walked down the 400 block of South Fourth Avenue at about 11:15 p.m. Sunday, according to the Ann Arbor Police Department. wihe woman said she was walking wiha friend when a man ran up, punched her in the face and said, "I got you." The woman said she had never seen the man before, said police. The woman was bleeding from the mouth and was taken to the University Hospital. There are cur- rently no suspects. Student robbed on East U. A University student living on the 800 block of East University Avenue awoke to an intruder in his bedroom early Saturday, the AAPD reported: The student said the man ran out after being confronted. According to reports, a housemate returned 45 minutes later, at about 2:15 a.m., and noticed that several items were DRUGS Continued from page 1A addiction psychiatrist and director of the Chelsea-Ann Arbor Treatment Center. Sufferers with ADHD are believed to lack certain neurotransmitters - chemicals released by brain cells that influence the action of other brain cells - in the frontal lobes of their brains. This is the area of the brain closest to the forehead with the most advanced brain functions, responsible for coordi- nating our actions and planning our next moves while blocking out other impuls- es we may have. Without it, the ability to concentrate and block out impulsive actions is impaired. "You want to think of the brain as several areas," Karam-Hage said. "There are impulse-generating areas and impulse-controlling areas. With ADHD, the frontal lobe is not working to inhibit other areas of the brain." For narcoleptics, or people who fall asleep uncontrollably, amphetamines function the way other kinds of stimu- lants do - they promote wakefulness. For narcoleptics and healthy people, the stimulants can cause the brain to pump out much more of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the frontal lobes, keeping a person awake, alert and "wired." According to the National Institutes on Drug Abuse, common side effects to these drugs are the jitters, feelings of nervousness or paranoia, and anxiety - an experience akin to drinking too many cups of coffee. Students who take Adderall or Dex- edrine often report staying awake for extended periods of time. They also swear by the fact that the drugs impart a heightened focus and ability to concen- trate. But in his opinion, Karam-Hage said, "For the person (using these drugs) who doesn't have ADHD, I think it is an illu- sion that they are concentrating more." In contrast, the consequences of these drugs are well documented. The areas of the brain that control pleasure and addiction are loaded with dopamine. "With Ritalin and amphetamines, you run the risk of addiction if you're not careful," Karam-Hage said. The Drug Enforcement Agency has classified amphetamine-based stimulants under the Class II schedule, carrying restric- tions on prescriptions and refills of the medication. A 2005 report in the journal Addic- tion by Sean McCabe, acting direc- tor of the University Substance Abuse Research Center, surveyed illicit pre- scription stimulant use at four-year universities. At one college, up to 25 percent of respondents indicated that they had abused stimulants during the past year. It was also found that more competitive universities had higher rates of stimulant abuse. The pharmaceutical community is moving toward alternate treatment options with drugs that control nor- epinephrine, another neurotransmit- ter found in the frontal lobe. Sold under the brand names Wellbutrin and Strattera, they are slower-act- ing and lack the dopamine kick of amphetamines. The epinephrine drugs are less likely to be abused, though they can take up to several weeks to show an effect. Karam-Hage believed that the popular conception of using "study drugs" to enhance academic perfor- mance during the upcoming exam period was still misplaced. "It's not even the ethics - it's simply not effective," the psychiatrist said. "So you're shooting yourself, not in the foot, but in the head, right?" By Christina Hildreth Daily Staff Reporter By the end of the week, the multi-bil- lion dollar corporation that is the Uni- versity of Michigan is expected to have a new executive officer. University President Mary Sue Coleman and University Regent Rebecca McGowan's (D-Ann Arbor) announced yesterday their nomination of Sally Churchill for University vice president and secretary. Coleman and McGowan will present their recom- mendation at Thursday's University Board of Regents meeting. While Churchill's approval as executive officer would require a majority vote, the board is expected to confirm the nomination. As vice president and secretary, Churchill, who currently works for the University as an attorney in the Office of General Counsel, would serve as the primary communicator between the regents and Coleman, as well as performing other duties. The vice president and secretary, McGowan said, is a position that "is central to the board being able to fulfill its role of corporate gover- nance." The decision was made after a two-month search by a board sub- committee. McGowan said the applicant pool included many "very experienced people, largely from the University." After reviewing all the applications and completing a handful of inter- views, the board's search committee selected Churchill, a University alum. "Certainly the subcommit- tee and the president (agreed) that Sally Churchill was our person," McGowan said. The search came on the heels of former Vice President and Secretary New vice president to be approved this week Lisa Tedesco's resignation in Feb- ruary. Tedesco had served as vice president for seven years. Tedesco, who taught in the Universi- ty's School of Dentistry before serving as vice president, will return to aca- demics at the University of Columbia, where she will pursue a fellowship, said Carol Volker, an administrative assistant in the Office of the Vice Pres- ident who worked with Tedesco. As an assistant general counsel, she has represented the University in a wide variety of cases, includ- ing those involving various building projects and environmental issues. If confirmed as University vice presi- dent and secretary, she could deal with similar issues upon taking office May 1. "(Churchill) works on so many of the issues, many of which have enor- mous financial implications that come before the board," McGowan said. * Wth 11.0This Ad! Andrew Bird . the Mysterious Beck Doers Productn of Eggs *no further discounts available *offer Expires 4/21/05 . -----7 missing, including wallet. an iPod and a THIS DAY In Daily History 0 Administration has no plans to increase tuition April 19, 1961 - University administrators announced yesterday they have no plans to recommend the University Board of Regents raise tuition, despite an expected state budget that would appropriate $6.6 million less than the $43.9- million figure the University had requested. Help us introduce our two new dishes, Angel Hair with Fresh Asparagus and v ~Chilled Asparagus .omnaine Salad, offered only now w en asparagus is in season. You couldeat b y free at odles Company for a year and wrin two roundtrip N sA ^:tickets to anywhere Frontier Airlines flies in the continental U.S. o if you're incredib ly fresh and wholesome, or just look good in green, enter at our restaurants or at noodes.corn. Rules A - - II. . a -.