For first time in two years, number of black, Hispanic students applying to UC has increased By Lori Aratani Knight-Ridder Newspapers For the first time in two years, the number of black and Hispanic high school students applying for freshman admission to the University of Cali fornia has increased, UC officials an nounced Wednesday. Applications from the two groups, which historically have had low en rollments at UC, rose despite the scrapping of race-based affirmative action policies. Many UC officials had feared the end of affirmative ac tion for undergraduates this year would scare off minority applicants. Overall, applications for the fresh man class of 1998 increased by 8 per cent -- the largest one-year jump in a decade But the real test of what the end of race-based admissions will mean for the UC system, will come in March, when students begin receiving their acceptance letters. And a clear picture of the make up of next year's fresh man class will have to wait until May, when students who have been ac cepted decide whether or not to en roll at UC . "Certainly these numbers indicate You're majoring in what? By Sunni DiNicola CPS Imagine telling your relatives at the next family reunion that you are ma joring in crafts-arts entrepeneurship, antique auto restoration, adventure sports, or horses. Yep, it's true. A handful of colleges around the country are breaking with the traditional mainstream curricu lum, While these studies do not elimi nate core courses like English and math, they do help those looking to turn a hobby into a career. Teaching small business skills seems to be a vital part of most pro grams. Trinity College in Vermont might just squelch that "starving art ist" image with their major in crafts arts entrepreneurship. The interdisci plinary program teaches students how to make not only bowls, quilts and rocking chairs, but also some dough. It requires students to take art classes, four business classes, design a busi ness plan and complete a semester long internship. In most cases, these programs were spawned from industry demands. Many of these professions are hurt ing for new employees and managers who not only have specialized talents, but understand the "big picture" and are versed in business and communi cation skills. Some also wanted to lure people back into trades that have faded. To ensure he "can find a machinist under 60," comedian Jay Leno, an avid vintage car collector, endowed a scholarship at McPherson College's antique auto restoration program. In fact, it was another car buff that started the program in 1976 with a donation that included his $250,000 car collection. The four-year college in Kansas, offers an associate's degree in restoration. Students learn metal finishing, painting, machine work, engine re building, trim and upholstery while also tackling courses in small business management. Actual restoration work is done on a wide assortment of cars from 1920 Model T Fords to 1965 Mustang convertibles. According to the school, the program differs from vocational programs in that not only is the craftsmanship vital, but so are skills like "pride in workmanship, problem solving, logical thinking and attention to detail." Working closely with the industry through internships is key to the suc cess of these programs. Students in Laramie County Community College's popular equine studies pro gram intern with ranches, stable man agers and equine breeders. They also help produce a professional horse show. These offbeat programs can also be a stepping stone into a four-year pro gram. At Garrett Community College that a large number of under repre sented minorities do consider the uni versity hospitable enough to apply to," said Dennis Galligani, UC vice president for student academic ser vices. "Whether that puts to rest all of the questions around that issue, I'd be reluctant to go that far." Greg O'Meara, a guidance counse lor at San Jose's Del Mar High School said he's not surprised by the in creased number of students applying to UC campuses, because the num ber of students applying for college in general has increased steadily over the years. "I think there's a growing awareness among students -- espe cially in Silicon Valley -- that future employment requires a college edu cation," he said. "Local businesses we work with are really stressing that to our students." Galligani cited several reasons for the increase in applications: the growth in the high school population, the rise in the number of eligible high school seniors and stepped -- up re cruitment and outreach programs. Last fall, UC President Richard Atkinson also sent letters to 13,000 students, urging them to apply. Some lived in areas where application rates in Maryland, students earning a two year degree in adventure sports often move on to get a bachelor's degree in exercise physiology, health, physical education and outdoor recreation. Others go on to become guides, rang ers, sports program directors and man agers in the outdoor retail industry. The adventure sports program is not only mentally rigorous, but physically demanding as well. "I'vc done white water canoeing, ice climbing, ropes, rock climbing, skiing, snow boarding, winter camping, search and rescue and wilderness survival," says gradu ate Crystal Shaffer, who loved the program so much she has stayed on as program secretary. At first, Shaffer just wanted to find an outdoor activity to share with her husband. "I picked a rock climbing class and I was absolutely pertrified since I am afraid of heights!" says Shaffer, who successfully completed the class. "It became a catalyst for change in my life." Shaffer says she relished the per sonal relationships with fellow stu dents as they faced challenges to gether, such as in wilderness survival class. "We learned about survival skills not like eating worms and stuff like that it was more about your mental attitude and logical things you would do in a survival situation." While most of these are skill one of-a-kind programs, some pioneering majors eventually catch on. Missis sippi State University says that in 1971 it became the first institution to offer a degree in landscape construc tion. Now that curriculum is the model used by the Associated Land scape Contractors of America in cer tifying college programs. At the University of Arizona, Race Track studies worked its way into the Bachelor of Science program. Stu dents majoring in Animal Science can specialize in either animal industry, pre-professional training or the race track industry. Students study the breeding, production, marketing and use of animals in agriculture, enter tainment and companionship. They also learn equine genetics, nutrition and reproduction as well as the busi ness aspects of racing and livestock management. Again, industry demands prompted the addition of this program. "There were not a lot of higher ed people working in racing," says Doug Reed, program coordinator. The industry was changing and needed more savvy business strategies to keep up the popularity of the sport. The effects of new technologies, such as simulcast ing (races being broadcast from one track to another) also created a de mand for new skills. "I tell my stu dents that is one thing they really have going for them; it's not like there are a lot of people out in the industry al ready with experience in this." National Campus News Thursday, February 5, 1998 The Behrend College Collegian - Page 5 have been low. Others were members of groups that historically have en rolled in small numbers. Nearly 59,000 high school seniors applied to the University of Califor nia system. UC officials said there were declines in the number of white other and Asian-American applicants but said that may be due in part to the large number of students who de clined to state their ethnicity. White other applicants decreased 10.1 per cent in 1998, while Asian-American applicants decreased by 1.8 percent. Unlike previous years, optional questions on ethnic, racial and gen der identity were separated from in formation used to make admissions decisions. Between 1997 and 1998, the number of students who declined to state their ethnic background tripled -- from 2,2.86 to 7,085. Galligani theo rized that because race is no longer a factor in student admissions, students did not feel the need to identify them selves. UC officials were clearly pleased by the increase in applicants. "These significant increases in ap plications at every campus are testa ment to UC's high quality and strong appeal, not only to high school stu- Big Mac on campus causes sizzling row in Malaysia By Reme Ahmad Reuter KUALA LUMPUR A plan to open a McDonald's restaurant on the campus of Malaysia's oldest univer sity has whipped up a fiery debate in the nation's capital. Supporters of the plan say McDonald's will offer clean sur roundings and fast service at its res taurant near the entrance of Universiti Malaya's Kuala Lumpur campus. Critics charge that the venerated institution, known as UM, has sold out to commercialism and Western neo colonialism. The debate was sparked by a letter to a newspaper signed by J.P. Dulles of Tunbridge Wells, a holidaying En glish academic who once served in Malaysia. "My trip to Malaysia was only marred by one particularly galling incident: This was my first visit to Universiti Malaya, which should now be perhaps renamed University McDonald's!," he wrote in the New Straits Times in mid-January. "It is a well-known fact that the political leadership of this country has been at the forefront of criticizing the West for its attempts at 'cultural im perialism'. Am Ito conclude that this prodigious fight has been lost on the green fields of UM?" he asked. Newspaper editors jumped in. "It is interesting that some people who were vocal in fighting against imperialism and neo- colonialism not long ago, have now given the permis sion to allow a symbol of colonial ism to destroy UM," Johan Jaaffar, group editor of Utusan Malaysia, Japan sports outcry over second student gang rape By Janet Snyder Reuter TOKYO - - Japanese sports has been rocked by a new gang rape in volving top university athletes that has led to the resignation of the speed skating coach for the country's Win ter Olympic team. Fall out from the scandal set off a feminist outcry and smeared the reputation of Japan's glamorous uni versity athletes who receive the adu lation of American college sports stars. In the latest sex attack report, au thorities said on Thursday night five ice hockey players from Tokyo's Nippon Sport Science University raped a young woman after a party at one students' home last May. The attack was revealed two days after police arrested five members of Teikyo University rugby team on dents in California but also to students across the nation and foreign coun tries," Atkinson said. Leading the increase were Chicano- Mexican-American students, whose applications increased by 10.1 percent to 5,239. Black student applications went up by 3.1 percent to 1,965. At the same time, applications from students with South and Central American backgrounds decreased by 3.1 percent this year, For any student UC is a great bar gain said 17-year-old Pearl Yu, a se nior at Mission San Jose High. There was never a doubt she'd apply to a UC campus. In fact, she applied to seven of the eight campuses. "It's natural to apply to the UCs," she said. "They're public institutions, which means they're cheaper than private colleges." UC Riverside posted the largest gain in applications with an 18.4 per cent increase. It was followed by UC Santa Barbara at 14.4 percent; UC Irvine at 12.3 percent increase; UC Santa Cruz at 11.6 percent; UC San Diego at 11.4 percent; UCLA at 11.3 percent increase; UC Berkeley at 10.1 percent; and UC Davis at 4.1 percent. wrote in a column. Utusan is the country's largest selling newspaper. Universiti Malaya defended the move, saying the fast-food chain went through proper tender procedures to win the bid. UM public relations officer V.T. Ratnam said a survey among its 4,000 staff and 20,000 students had found they welcomed the idea of Big Mac on the menu. "Students say it is convenient. And it is clean and fast," Ratnam told Reuters. Ratnam said the university had probably come under criticism for locating the restaurant near its en trance and putting up a large sign an nouncing the opening of the outlet. Perhaps to pacify its critics, UM has decided to have other food stalls around the McDonald's restaurant. McDonald's Malaysia's corporate communications manager, Robitahani Zainal, said the restaurant chain had outlets in universities and colleges around the world, including Thailand and Singapore. The fast-food giant has 110 outlets in Malaysia excluding the one at UM, although it still trails rival chain Ken tucky Fried Chicken which has over 200 restaurants. McDonald's Malaysia is 49 percent controlled by U.S.-based McDonald's Corp and 51 percent by Malaysians, of which 26 percent is held by busi nessman Vincent Tan, a close associ ate of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. The remaining 25 percent of the Malaysian stake is held by McDonald's Malaysia's managing director, Mohamed Shah Abdul Kadir. charges of raping a 19-year-old of fice worker at a karaoke bar last No- vember. The two incidents stood out in a country which idolizes student ath letes, and in a society which up to now has mainly kept a code of si lence on sexual violence against women. Rape cases rarely are reported in Japan because feminists say the stigma attached to the victim is too great. "A woman who reports a rape gets treated like something dirty, like it's her fault," said Wako University pro fessor Yuko Kageyama. "It deters women from taking their cases to po lice." Police said the hockey players were arrested in July, but freed after a lawyer prevailed on the victim to drop charges. Kyodo news agency said the play- Campus News: Around The Nation by College Press Exchange Students Following Chelsea To Stanford PALO ALTO, Calif. Chelsea Clinton may have started some thing. Stanford University has received a record number of freshman ap plications for the upcoming fall se mester. The admissions office re ceived 18,714 applications 11 percent more than last year, when Clinton applied to the university, school officials said. Only 1,610 students will be ac cepted. Campus officials say Clinton may have played a role in the increase but prefer to tout the university's faculty, which includes 14 Nobel Prize winners. "When you have a famous stu dent like Chelsea who chose wisely to come to Stanford, a lot of people have taken notice of us who might not have before," Bob Kinnally, dean of undergraduate admissions, told the San Francisco Chronicle. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva said 451 students questioned at Michigan, ,the University of Florida and Port land State University is Oregon Showed less tolerance-for - racial dif ferences duritg,personallnterviews than they did on written (Negri° r Ohio -- The 40 w n ;, aft was a SalltarY.lloo46s4iK gaited . In manf ° caeess,Bondla-Silva told triiited AVMS intentatiOnal, stu *4 Ol trein family e°lll- " dents expressed written support for Stant companions Were two dogs he 4 r* affirmative;action and interracial Adored and more than 3,600 col marriage but later made comments lectibles surrounding the popular .children's series, Behar the el containing "an arsenal of semantic P Wig. maneuvers to conceal racial opin . ehant For more than 10 years, he wrote Babar Fan Makes Contribution To Kent `State -- a lave., For example, of the 90 percent of his love for children rtabar came to repiesent— to Ants,,7 3Y ridges B.l"'Hadiaar‘shtaefkftinL":„.=.' Meinzen Hildebrand, an English - professor at Kent State University. only 30 Percerithdd'that'vieW duxes Meinzen Hildebrand, a Babas.' ing personal nterviews; scholar, also appreciated the series Bonilla-Silva said many stunents —first penned brilsom daalonho,m^:4l:, I:sueportlihnerociai mar_ 011 , 103 r— that .e.df"6lkOM - 6710Wi ka " 111 # 11e 0*C trab ° 10 . the *filmy and famifyitini. ' ' ;'4l* cuudren•" Their shared appreciation helped convince Boonshaft that his beloved collection, valued at more than $200,000, would be in safe bands at `Kent State. Kent's Special CoHee. INDIANAPOLIS -- Officials at tions hopes to have everything ' Indiana-Purdue University are still sorted and on public display this looking for someone who sent rac fall. ist letters to 26 first-year, black law When he died in August at age 47, school students. . . 'A nanshaft had ama s sed an amaz- The one- page letter,Signed " R ay, ing collection. There are 1,277 . A.. si sn :t m iti c i z i s a ni rma tt ve ac .. „Bahar books; 110 Babar toys, in- .'L i onu and warns' students , that chiding a 3-foot-tall marionette val- :4,