The Michigan Daily -Tuesday, April 23, 1991 - Page 3 International Fest provides food, fun and entertainment Language Lab's second annualfest ttracts 200 students, faculty, staff Canadian truck . s , _ . . . _ by Bonnie Bouman Attending the second annual International Fest, students and staff today crowded a Modern Languages Building room decorated with multicolored Chinese lanterns and greetings in foreign languages. "We're just trying to promote language - that it's fun, that cul- ture's fun," said organizer Kathy kemp, who estimated that 200 peo- Entertainment included a cake- walk, folk music with piano and vi- olin, and Russian music. At one point colored balls flew through the room as 15 students at- tempted to juggle. First-year stu- dent David Zaret, who traveled the world juggling before coming to the University to study Engineer- ing, performed before tutoring participants in "the language of drivers protest by shutting crossings WINDSOR, Ontario (AP) - said Constable William Annand of Canadian truck drivers shut down the Ontario Provincial Police. border crossings to commercial Truckers also stopped commert traffic yesterday to protest what cial traffic at the Blue Water Bridge they say are unfair tax, fuel and in- between Sarnia, Ontario, and Port surance costs that favor their U.S. Huron, Mich., yesterday morning- competitors. The independent drivers said they hoped for a repeat of last May's Independent drivers blockades that choked off truck hope for a repeat of traffic at various U.S.-Canada bor- last May's blockades der crossings and forced some auto plants to cut production. "All it's about is Canadian peo- but the protest appeared to end b- ple losing their jobs," said an auto fore noon, Canadian Press reported parts hauler who was one of about Passenger traffic continued unifi 100 protesters at an intersection terrupted at all three bridges. near the Ambassador Bridge leading George King, an attorney for the to Detroit. He declined to give his Canadian Transit Co., which own name, saying he feared reprisals. the Ambassador Bridge, said bordo A banner hanging from two officials would seek a court injune poles said "Canadian Truckers tion to end the standoff. ! Fighting Back," a slogan also em- The truckers said the Canadiai blazoned on T-shirts worn by many and Ontario governments failed t4 protesters. live up to promises to help Canadiar "My husband used to work for a truckers compete with thei trucking company," said a protest American counterparts, who pa organizer, who also declined being less for gas, insurance and taxes. ' identified. "They shut down and Transport Canada, the federa said, 'Sorry, we're moving state- department responsible for regulat side."' ing the trucking industry, decline' However, a protest at the comment yesterday afternoon bfr Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, about planned to issue a statement later 25 miles north of Buffalo, N.Y., had spokesperson Rene Mercier sai broken up by yesterday afternoon, from Ottawa. {" U- t 1$ t'? 1 . 'We're just trying to promote language - that it's fun, that culture's fun' - Kathy Kemp- International Fest Organizer ple participated in the Language Lab-sponsored event. The relaxed atmosphere showed as language students, international students, and staff all mingled to- gether, chatting and eating food which ran from fried chicken to taboule. A French 231 section took turns cooking crepes in one corner. "Everyone's pitched in," said Kemp, media distributing coordina- tOr for the Language Lab. juggling." "I think it's a fun thing..." said Sean Cronin, a junior in Russian and Eastern European Studies. "I'd like to see something... more exotic... like Indonesian or Arabic." Cronin did enjoy the dancing by Native Americans. Members of the University's Native American Dance Troup per- formed a Jingle Dress dance and a Women's Fancy Shawl dance, to rhythmic, drumming music. Engineering first-year student David Zaret teaches the "language of juggling" at the international fair held yesterday in the Language Lab in the Modern Language Building. "I'm kind of surprised," said Lance Murphy, an LSA junior who came to the Fest only because a sec- tion for one of his classes met there today. "I thought it was going to be one of those boring academic type things, but it's been quite interesting." "I'm sure we'll do it again next year," said Lisa Rice, secretary for the Language Lab. "It's kind of a way to end the year for the stu- dents... gives them a chance to relax." 0 km I Innovative chemistry course stresses creativity, free-thinking :A 4 by Rebecca Donnenfeld Daily Staff Reporter In the past, most science and pre- med majors were forced to take large introductory chemistry classes to memorize general princi- ples and quantitative calculations. - For the last two years, however, University students who do well on their placement exams have had the opportunity to take part in a pair of innovative new Chemistry courses, Chemistry 210 and 211. Chemistry 210 is a lecture called "structure and Reactivity," and Chemistry 211 is a lab called "Investigations in Chemistry." Both are completely different from the standard introductory chemistry class, Chemistry 130. Chemistry Prof. Seyhan Ege, who helped design the new curricu- lum, said the classes are different because students are given problems with open-ended answers which they must work out on their own. Students are also given opportu- nities to work together in what is called "cooperative learning." "Science is a cooperative ven- ture," she said. "Scientists must learn to share their data with one another and take down data care- fully so that it can be shared." Chemistry Prof. Richard Lawton said students come into the course with misconceptions and insecuri- ties over the freedom the professors give them. "I spend a lot of time promoting the 'you're-doing-OK' philosophy and reassuring them that they won't be penalized for 'mistakes. It re- quires much enthusiasm, effort and hard work." One example of the new, creative approach to learning is the method students use to analyze unknown samples, Ege said. Students are given After the first year of the course, more students signed up to be chemistry majors' - Seyhan Ege Chemistry Professor a substance and told that another classmate has a matching substance. The students then work together to find their pairs and then analyze them. "The students seem excited and interested. After the first year of the course, more students signed up to be chemistry majors than in pre- vious years," she said. LSA first-year student Joel Rubenstein said he agreed that the course has a more creative approach to chemistry. "For exams, (the professors) want you to take ideas and use them in analogies. Instead of just memo- rizing reactions, we learn how the reactions work." He said although he has decided., to switch his major from chemistry to physics, he felt that many stu- dents have found the new course interesting. Financial support from the National Science Foundation and corporate donors have made the pro- gram available to first-year students. In addition, the University's Chemistry department has received nearly $600,000 in contributions to purchase instrumentation for the course. The Daily honors our winners in the 1991 Detroit Press Club Foundation 's student awards: Jennifer Mattson Jennifer, an opinion staffer, won first place in the Expression of Opinion category for her editorial "Doing No Good: 'U' officials perpetuate homophobia on campus." Adam Benson Adam, a 1990 graduate and former sports staffer, won first place in the News Reporting category for his piece "Blacks in the Athletic Department." Woman raped by ex-boyfriend A woman was raped by her ex- boyfriend last Wednesday, Ann Arbor police reported this weekend. According to reports, the man assaulted the woman in an upstairs bedroom of a home on the 2700 block of Adrianne. The woman is pressing charges. Two young women were also as- saulted at a drugstore at Briarwood Mall this weekend. Police reports said the women were shopping in the CVS store when a man loitering in their aisle grabbed them both by their but- tocks. The police have classified the as- sault as fourth degree criminal sex- ual conduct. TVs and beer stolen over weekened There were two break-ins within five blocks on South Forest this weekend. Ann Arbor police reported that about 7 a.m. Friday, a homeowner discovered a television set and stereo equipment were missing. Police believe the burglar used a key to get in the apartment, al- though there are no suspects. Earlier Friday morning, a man was caught trying to escape a South Forest home through a window with a bag of clothes. Reports said the the com- plainant's roommate caught the. suspect while he was slipping out the window. The burglar gave the clothes back and fled immediately. A VCR and television set were also stolen from an aparment on the 400 block of Benjamin this weekend, as were a collection of compact discs from a dorm room in Mary Markley Hall. Ann Arbor police also reported the burglary of four cases of beer Saturday night from a business on the 2000 block of Fuller. Drugstore cowpoke hits local pharmacy Seven hundred dollars worth of narcotics and cash were stolen from the Community Pharmacy, 3014 Packard, sometime between 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon and Sunday evening. According to reports from Ann Arbor police, the burglar cut a holes in the roof of the drugstore, and somehow managed to disarm the, alarm box. Investigations are continuing. ; Laughing gas disappears -nop~ laughing matter. Several tanks of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing g,; were reported stolen from the Dental Building, 1011 N. University. According to reports from thei University's Department of Public Safety and Security (DPSS), the; tanks were discovered stolen early yesterday morning. The tanks are valued at more than $1,000 each. Nitrous oxide, as well as being an effective anaesthetic, is also used' for "whip-its," a homemade intoxi- cant. ! l THE LIST What's happening in Ann Arbor today Meetings Recycle U-M, weekly mtg. 1040 Dana, 7 p.m. Kaffeestunde, weekly German con- versations. MLB third floor confer- e#ce room, 4:30 p.m. German Club, weekly mtg. MLB, RPm. 2004,7:00 p.m. Anthropology Club, weekly mtg. dominick's, 7:30 p.m. Time & Relative Dimensions in Ann Arbor, weekly mtg. Call 971- 2072 for info. 2439 Mason Hall, 8 am. Ultimate Frisbee Club, weekly mtg. New members welcome. Fuller Park, lower fields, 5 p.m. Students Concerned About Animal Rights, weekly mtg. Dominick's, 7:30 p'm. Fr.-Sat. 8-11:30. Call 936-1000 or stop by 102 UGLi. Also at the Angell Hall Computing Center 1-3 a.m. Sun. - Thurs. Call 763-4246 or stop by the courtyard. The last day of service will be Wed., April 24. Northwalk, nighttime safety walking service. Functions Sun.-Thurs. 8-1:30 am., Fri.-Sat. 8-11:30. Call 763- WALK or stop by 2333 Bursley. The last day of service will be Wed., April 24. ECB Peer Writing Tutors available to help with your papers Sun.-Thurs., Angell/HavenComputing Center, 7- 11:00 p.m.; 611 Church Street Com- puting Center, Tue. and Thurs. 7- 11:00 p.m., Wed. 8-10:00. p.m. Women's Rugby Practice. U of M Club Sports. Coliseum, 8-10 p.m. Candlelight Vigil, sponsored by the It took Galileo 16 years to master the universe. You have one night. ,.' 1 r t g F It seems unfair. The genius had all that time. While you have a few - --"' , _.____ _.r , . _.,+r . t' '""y+" '" "" ' I R