University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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September 5, 1997 Mother Teresa: Selfless giver Over the last few decades the name Mother Teresa of Calcutta has become synonymous around the world with charity and selfless giving of the human spirit. In 1948 she founded the Missionar- ies of Charity, a religious order composed of Roman Catholic nuns in Calcutta, India. Her life was dedicated to helping the poor, sick and dying around the world, particularly those in India. Her hard work and genuine care of unfortunate souls brought her much acclaim and many awards, in- cluding the Noble Peace Prize in 1979. Mother Teresa passed away on Sept. 5 due to heart failure at the age of 87 in a convent in Calcutta. Through- out her life she touched many souls. Mother Teresa ' s followers greatly mourned her death but planned to continue her work around the world. Her followers and helpers believed as Mother Teresa , The poor are with you still. There is much Her followers and helpers believed as Mother . . - Mother Teresa: ThefounderoftheMissionariesofCharitvandwinnerofthel979Nobel Teresa, The poor are With you Still. There IS much Pea ce Prize passed away in September leaving behind a legacy of selfless dedication to work to be done. by Michelle McCombs the poor and sick. September 29, 1997 Binge Drinking: Deaths caused by alcohol Associated with the freedom that comes with college living, many students tested the limits including their tolerance to alcohol. According to a survey published in 1993 four out of every ten students at the University were considered binge drinkers, that is they consumed five or more drinks in one sitting every couple of weeks. A 1995 survey of 140 four-year colleges reported that 84 percent of college students were considered binge drinkers and 44 percent were repeated binge drinkers, binge drinking at least once a week. University staff and students faced a sobering issue Sept. 29 after an 18 year old MIT first-year student died from alcohol poisoning. This incident followed the alcohol-related death of a 20 year old Louisiana State University student on Aug. 26. Both incidents were associated with fraternity pledging creating a push for the Greek system and college campuses across the country to go dry. Many university leaders across the country debated banning alcohol on campuses in order to battle student overdrinking, while others believed that college students are old enough to make their own decisions whether or not to drink, by Michelle McCombs - - September 22, 1997 Redux 8 Fen Phen: Diet pills dangerous The Mayo Clinic warned in May 1997 that two popular diet drugs, Redux and fen-phen, may cause heart valve problems. Redux, approved by the FDA in April 1996, stimulated produc- tion of the brain chemical serotonin making people feel full. The FDA learned of four cases of heart valve damage in Redux users by Sept. 1997. Fen-phen consisted of the combined ingredients pondimin and phentermine; the latter appeared to be safe when used by itself. In the Mayo study, 24 women appeared to develop heart valve problems after taking fen- phen. Estimates of the number of patients on fen-phen in the United States ranged from 9 million to over 20 million. After pulling these drugs from pharmaceutical shelves in Sept. 1997, an herbal remedy, St. John ' s wort, became popular despite little scientific evidence of its effectiveness in weight loss. bv Caroline Yalker After assuming the position as twelfth president of theUni- versity of Michigan on Feb. 1, 1997, Lee Bellinger was formally inaugurated. L Univer- sity student Tainara William ' s was killed by her live-in boyfriend, Kevin Nelson. Nelson was shot by a DPS police officer.

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August 31, 1997 Princess Diana Dies: Fatal accident takes the People ' s Princess ' s life When I first heard the news of Princess Diana ' s death, I could not believe it. The idea of her dying seemed surreal and preposterous. Reality finally set in when the live coverage from the Paris wreckage hit American news stations. My mouth dropped to the floor. All I could think was, How did this happen? I always thought that a woman of Diana ' s caliber was untouch- able because of the entourage of body guards that would follow her and the public that loved her. She could count on being protected by shields of love and admiration. Obviously, fate had another plan on the early morning of Sept. 1,1997 for, the people ' s princess. The entire week leading up to the Princess ' s unfortunate demise was hectic and chaotic. The media, already obsessed with Diana ' s separation from Prince Charles, began to intrude on her brewing relationship with Dodi Fayed. After they returned from their 10-day cruise in the Mediterranean to a suite in Paris ' Ritz Carlton hotel, the paparazzi followed close behind. The paparazzi spoiled Diana ' s plans for the afternoon of her death. Diana and Dodi predicted that their evening plans to have dinner in a public restaurant would be virtually impossible. Their evening consisted of jumping from one restaurant to another in order to elude the swarms of photographers. They finally found some refuge inside of the Ritz restaurant called Espadon. After their meal, Dodi and his entourage plotted to decoy the photographers so that he and the Princess the paparazzi foiled their plan when some of the photographers recognized Diana in Dodi ' s black Mercedes Benz along with Dodi, Henri Paul (the driver), and bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones. Witness say that the chase that resulted in tragedy did not begin until the driver of the Mercedes pulled off at the first red light in an attempt to take the photographers by surprise. At that point, the outcome was inevitable. The news of Diana ' s death left people of every race, culture, creed, andcountry in astonishment. The people ' sprincess soon became a common phrase to anyone who mentioned the princess ' name. This travesty not only rocked the nation, but outraged everyone as well. The world needed to blame someone or some- thing for the incident. The paparazzi was the first suspect, then Henri Paul when it was discovered that the amount of alcohol in his system was four times the legal limit. Although tragic, the Princess ' death was not in vain. Her death sparked the culmination of new laws which entitled celebrities the right to privacy. Diana ' s death also helped MADD ' s (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) campaign inform people of the repercus- sions of drinking and driving. It ' s odd for it to take a princess dying to shed light on problems with drunk driving and the paparazzi ' s disregard for privacy, commented senior nursing photo courtesy of RM Photo Service Prince Charles, William, Harry, and Earl Spencer: The Royal family mourns the death of the People ' s Princess. After a high speed chase with the paparazzi, Princess Diana died when the Mercedes she was riding in crashed. student Gary Castenada. by Bernadine Williams could make the best of the remaining, yet already ruined, evening. Unfortunately, September, 1997 photo courtesy of RM Photo Service Montserrat: For several days in Sept. the volcano Souriere Hills erupts causing devastating effects for over 12,000 residents of the Caribbean island, many who evacuated their homes. Montserrat Volcano: Paradise lost under lava After four centuries of rest, the volcano Souriere Hills became active again two years ago posing a constant threat to the lives of the inhabitants on Montserrat, a Caribbean Island. All but a third of the 39 square mile island was rendered uninhabitable and thousands fled the location. Many of those who stayed sought shelter in camps set up in relatively safe areas. Again a sudden eruption on June 25 sent hot molten lava and rocks spewing across the island at 1 50 m.p.h. Several residents were killed and many more lost their homes. The sky was blackened by ash-filled smoke plaguing the island with darkness. Fewer than 4,000 citizens of the original 12,000 remained on the island fearing if they left they would never be . able to return. Others refused to leave until the British government compensated them for their losses. Radio Montserrat general manager Rose Willock stated, If everyone leaves Montserrat will become just another island that was. For months the volcano continued to belch out hot gases and erupted regularly. Those who stayed lived with appalling conditions in tent communities. Often there were up to 30 pe ople per tent and 50 people for one toilet. London paid for the passage of islanders who wished to settle in England. After reluctantly giving up on the hope of continuing a life on Montserrat, farmer Basha Lewis boarded his family on a ferry for England. Lewis said, I don ' t know what I will do when I get there, but the only choice I have is to put my best foot forward. | 1 - August: UPS employees August 9: An Amtrack August 11: President August 18: A New Or- August 28: NATO troops 1 V) went on strike causing train derailed in Kingamn, Clinton made his first use leans ' jury ruled against were attacked by Serbs with 5. major delays in shipments. The U.S. Post Office worked Arizona due to a flash flood causing abridge to buckle. of line-item veto. He struck three provisions Dow Chemical Co. in the nation ' s first class-action firebombs in one of NATO ' s worst confrontations in 4 3 overtime to help compen- More than 1 50 people were from a federal budget and trial over silicon breast im- Bosnia. One American was 1 sate. injured. tax-cut law. plants. injured. by Michelle McCombs r 90 Retrospect

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October 5, 1997 Promise Keepers RaDy: Thousands of men gather in DC to pray The National Mall was filled with an estimated 800,000 Christian men on Oct. 4 for the Promise Keepers rally. Roughly the same number of men participated in the Million Man March two years previous to this rally. Seeking spiritual renewal in a nation of moral decline, hundreds of thousands of men gathered outside the White House to demonstrate theirfaith. Men flocked in by the bus loads, and hours were spent in devotional prayer and song as the men owned up to their own failings and vowed to help lead others to the Lord. The Promise Keepers committed to seven promises: honoring Jesus Christ through worship, prayer and obedience to God ' s word in the power of the Holy Spirit; pursuing vital relationships with a other men, understanding that he needs brothers to help him keep his promises; practicing spiritual, moral, ethical, and sex ual purity; building strong marriages and families through love, protection, and biblical values; supporting the mission of the church by honoring and praying for his pastor and actively giving his time and resources; reaching beyond any racial and denominational barriers to demonstrate the power of biblical unity; and finally influencing his world, being obedient to the Great Commandment (Mark 12:30-31) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28: 19-20). There were several women ' s activist groups, including the National Organization for Women, who went to Washington to protest the Promise Keepers rally. These groups believed that the Promise Keepers were preaching an altogether different and hid- den message. The women feared that the men were being pushed to take control of both homes and society, setting back hundreds of years of women ' s advances. by Michelle McCombs October, 1997 Democratic Party Under Investigation White House charged with illegal fund raising In October of 1997, Attorney General Janet Reno, in conjunction with the justice department, expanded her investigation of fund raising within the Democratic party. The investigation included fund raising at the White House and the administration ' s handling of videotapes of coffees hosted by President Clinton, which were released. This investigation into the handling of the videotapes was the first step toward possible obstruction of j ustice charges to be brought against the White House. However, Harold Ickes, the head of Clinton ' s 1996 fund raising effort informed the media that he believed the methods used by Clinton and the Democrats were completely legal. The Detroit News reported that, Ickes defended the fund raising efforts insisting while, ' mistakes were made ' , he did not believe Clinton, Gore, the White House or party violated the law. The Republican party remained upset with the handling of the investigation and continued to ask Reno to appoint a special prosecutor to the job. photo courtesy of RM Photo Service Janet Reno: Reno was the first female attorny general of the United States, nominated by President Clinton in 1993. Reno lead the investigation into the White House fund raising. byVirginaHiltz photo courtesy of RM Photo Service President Bill Clinton: Clinton addresses the nation during a press conference. Throughout his two terms in the White House, Clinton and his administration were under investigation for several different accusations. m ' 1 i 1 VB i October 2: A Navy F 14 October 6: An Eastern October 11: After J P i Tomcat fighter jet crashed off of the East Coast into the Atlantic Michigan University stu- dent was shot in the chest outside of Margaret Wise months of investigations, the men ' s basketball coach Steve Fisher was ts Ocean. One crew mem- Hall. He was hospital- fired by Athletic Director JK ber was rescued. ized in fair condition. Tom Goss. 92 Retrospect