Trivial Pursuit leads
to big win and fame
By STACEY SHONK
For all you Trivial Pursuit fanatics
out there, this is one you shouldn't miss.
"What is former Canadian Press jour-
nhlist Scott Abbott's claim to fame?"
-He's the co-inventor of Trivial Pur-
suit, and a very rich one at that.
'ABBOTT spoke about his and friend
Chris Haney's multi-million dollar idea
y'esterday at the Michigan Union in the
first of the programs in American In-
stitutions Entrepreneur and Innovator
Series. "In a moment of weakness," the
firmer sportswriter told about 30
people. "I said that I would be happy to
come if expenses were looked after and
I 'got two prime tickets to the (Illinois
vs. Michigan) football game."
Abbott said the Trivial Pursuit had its
origins in an argument over which of
the two friends was "the world's best
Scrabble player." After a couple of
months of disagreements, Haney
finally bought a Scrabble set. He com-
riented that "this must be the sixth
Scrabble game I've bought. There must
be a lot of money in these. We should
invent a game. What should it be
about?"
"Trivia," Abbott answered.
Abbott and Haney brought on two
mjore partners, Chris's brother John
and lawyer Ed Warner. "We figured if
we made it there would be enough to go
around, and if we didn't we would need
a lawyer before the whole thing was
over anyway," Abbott said.
"NONE OF US considers ourselves a
businessman," Abbott said, but added
tlat his and Haney's media backgroun-
ds were more of an asset than a
detriment. "Today's headline becomes
tomorrow's trivia," Abbott quipped. In
fact, Abbott and Haney used their
Canadian Press passes to pose as jour-
nalist and photographer to gather in-
formation on the games business.
Abbott said they followed non-
traditional marketing lines while
developing the game, and ignored 90
percent of the advice they were given.,
"Thomas Edison said genius is one
percent inspiration and 99 percent per-
spiration., That's certainly true if
you're talking about our Genius Edition
...Sometimes we say if we know how
much work it was going to be, we might
never have started it, but I don't really
berlieve that, Abbott said smiling.
"That's only beer talk."
"We believed in (Trivial Pursuit)
fully .. . It appealed to us and we knew
if it appealed to us it would appeal to
people in our generation." Of course,
Abbott doesn't deny a little bit of luck.
"A lot of good ideas, I'm sure, never
make it to the market, and even once
they have, they fail. We've certainly
ridden the long shot home. There's no
doubt about that."
Trivial Pursuit games have captured
approximately 15 percent of the board
game market, and Abbott claims
"We're scrambling to keep up with
demand, we're still catching up from
the kick-back demand of June of '83."
Abbott says the Genus II Edition will
be out for Christmas in Canada, but not
in the States. The Canadian and
American editions are different,
however, and Abbott warns that unless
you want questions like "what is the
capital of British Columbia," you
should wait for the American edition.
The Michigan Daily - Saturday, October 27, 1984-- Page 3
"
Repairs on AGD
sororioty months
from cometon
By LAURA BISCHOFF
After living almost one month in the covered by their insurance policy with
Kalmbach Center Alpha Gamma Delta Aetna Life and Casuality according to
Sorority members are still waiting to Disch. Assistant Fire Chief Henry
move back to their house which was Mallory estimated earlier the cost of
damaged by fire. And they will be the damage was in the ballpark of
waiting a few months more - until $150,000 to $200,000.
January in fact. THE KALMBACH Center, a Univer-
Residents of the sorority house at 1322 sity-owned building, was formally used
Hill in September moved into the by the business school, but they vacated
Kalmbach Center at Washtenaw and it to move to the new Business Ad-
Cambridge after an electrical fire ministration Building on East Univer-
damaged the third floor. sity. The Universtiy is leasing the cen-
"WE DECIDED to keep the 'chapter ter to the sorority chapter until they can
together (at Kalmbach Center)," said move back to their home.
LSA junior Mary Anne Sirc. Many of the residents find the center
The original plan was to have the to be too much like the dorm. Said Ann
residents whose rooms were located on Pillsbury, "As a senior, I personally do
the second floor move back after the not still enjoy dorm life ... 1322 (Hill
building inspectors approved it. The St.) was a lot more homey."
third floor residents were to return af- Kim Fairfield, an LSA junior said,
ter the construction was complete. "It's not a home, the rooms are a lot
"There's still a lot of work going on at smaller, but everyone is getting along
the house," Sirc said. and we're glad we can stay together."
CONSTRUCTION permits are now in She added, "We are looking forward to
order so the renovations can be moving back home in the first weeks of
finished, said house mother Joanne January."
Disch. Engineering junior Ellen Reid said
An electrical fire in the crawl spaces that the Kalmbach Center is "quite a
between the ceiling and the roof caused hike - five minutes farther (from
extensive damages to the third floor of campus) than our other house." But
the building. The second and third despite the inconvenient location, Reid
floors suffered mostly smoke and water said, "We're fortunate that this houses
damage. It is suspected by fire officials 70 people so we aren't scattered around
that the fire started in the fan motors of . the campus. . . 1322 (Hill St.) is more of
the third floor bathroooms. a 'home house' than this but your home
The official report is not yet com- isn't the place, it's the people you're
pleted. All the reconstruction work is living with."
Daily Photo by MATT PETRIE'
Scott Abbott, one of the creators of Trivial Pursuit, lectures in the Pendleton
Room of the Union yesterday afternoon. Abbott's game is one of the most
popular games across the nation.
Shapiro, school. officials
denounce Voter's Choice
R hhouAssociated Press
,Rush hour
Runners arrive in New York City for the Sunday marathon. Although many of the participants flew into the city, they
won't have that luxery this weekend when they'll have to run 26 miles.
By KEVIN KELLY
If voters approve Proposal C, the tax-
cut measure on the state's November
ballot, the University might "have to
transform (itself) akin to a private
university," President Harold Shapiro
said yesterday.
Shapiro told area education leaders
at a press conference that he opposes
Proposal C, dubbed Voter's Choice,"
for two reasons: As president, Shapiro
said he must fight a measure that could
cost the University $38 million in state
aid. And as a citizens he said he doesn't
want to see the state legislature operate
under minority rule.
VOTER'S CHOICE, would roll back
all state and local taxes to their Dec. 31,
1981 levels and require voters to ap-
approval of any future tax increases.
A popular vote would also be required
for any new fee, license, user fee, or
permit unless first approved by four-
fifths of the state legislature.
State tax revenues would plummet if
the rollback passes, and the University
could lose so much state aid that tuition
might skyrocket - as much as 19 to 21
percent next fall, University officials
have said.
THE PRESS conference, held at
Eastern Michigan University, came in
response to State Superintendent of
schools Phillip Runkel's charge that
local officials aren't doing enough to
campaign against Proposal C.
"As president, I normally withhold
personal opinions on public issues or
ballot proposals," Shapiro said in a
statement released at the press con-
ference.
"However, the magnitude of this
threat to higher education and the
state's revitalization leads me to urge
the citizens of this state to rise to this
challenge and once more turn back
those who would dismantle government
services at all levels. It is imperative
that Proposal C be defeated on election
day."
EMU PRESIDENT John Porter said
he doesn't think people really under-
stand what Proposal C is all about.
If the people really want to change.
the way tax levels are set, "then let's
change it," Porter said. But he added
he wants to be sure people know what
they are voting for.
Porter said he was shocked to learn
recently that half of all Michigan voters
support the proposal. "We are shocked
into action," he said.
PORTER SAID he can't assume that
EMU would survive. The loss to the
university in revenue would be just un-
der $5 million dollas, prompting a $300
increase in tuition, "an unacceptable
increase," he said.
According to Rodney Benson,
executive director of the Ann Arbor
Chamber of Commerce, 54 private
organizations as well as 80 school
districts across the state have spoke out
against the proposal.
In a statement issued from Traverse
City yesterday, former Gov. William
Milliken spoke out against the tax-cut
plan, saying it poses a "very real
danger of causing severe damage to our
state's current economic recovery."
"MAJORITY rule in this state on the
basic issues of financing government
services for citizens would be lost," he
added.
And Gov. James Blanchard yester-
day denounced the Republican-
controlled Senate for not fighting
Proposal C. "All we hear is silence out
of the Republican senate. They spent us
into bankruptcy and they won't even
help us," he said.
In a related matter, a key supporter
of the tax-cut proposal yesterday filed
an injunction against Promote
Michigan, a group campaigning again-
st the proposal, to top what he called
"misleading" advertising.
JAMES DeMAR, a Utica barber who
heads up Voter's Choice, filed a suit
in the Oakland County Circuit Court,
claiming tht the television, radio and
flyers paid for by Promote Michigan
say the proposal would cripple the state
and its services.
A brochure distributed by Promote
Michigan for example; says on its
cover: "Proposal C means trouble for
Michigan. It will: force business to
close and lay off workers, cut off impor-
tant senior citizens programs ..."
The proposal would not necessarily
lead to a loss in tax revenues because
-HAPPENI NGS-
Highlight
The Office of Major Events presents Santana, performing in Crisler Arena
at 8 p.m.
Films
AAFC - Masque of the Red Death, 7 p.m., NIGHT OF THE Living Dead,
8:45 p.m., Nat. Sci. Aud._
Cinema Guild - Danton, 7 & 9:30 p.m., Lorch Hall.
Cinema 2 - The Rules of the Game, 7 p.m., Grand Illusion, 9 p.m., Angell
Aud. A.
Alternative Action - Road Warrior, 7:30 & 9:15 p.m., MLB 3.
MED - Videodrome, 7:30 p.m., American Werewolf in LOndon, 9 p.m.,
MLB Aud. 4.
Latin American Culture Project - The Good Fight, 8 p.m., Halfway Inn,
East Quad.
Hill-Street Cinema - The Bicycle Thief, 8 & 9:45 p.m., 1429 Hill Street.
Performances
Theater & Drama - Play, Antigone, 8 p.m., Trueblood Theatre.
Brecht Co. - Tjhirteenth NIght, 8 p.m., Residential College Aud.
Performance Network - Dance Theatre II, 8 p.m., 408 W. Washington.
School of Music - University Choir, 8 p.m., Hill Aud.; Clarinet recital,
Randi Davidson, 8p.m., Recital Hall.
Ark - Footloose, 8 p.m., 637S. Main.
Musical Society - Royal Winnipeg Ballet, 8 p.m., Power Center.
Meetings
Ann Arbor Go CLub - 2 p.m., room 1433 Mason Hall.
Miscellaneous
Shapiro
... criticizes Proposal C
Altered
test times.
hassle
students
By SEAN JACKSON
Professors wh have announced in the
middle of the semester that exams will
not be held during the class period have
prompted Peter Steiner, Dean of the
LSA College, to hand down a specific
memorandum outlining the guidelines
for scheduling exams to prevent con-
flicts between courses.
According to the memo sent last week
by LSA faculty, some students had been
informed halfway through the course to
attend the examination even at the ex-
pense of attendance at other scheduled
academic activities," or drop the class
and pay the penalty for missing the
exam.
THE NUMBER of students this effec-
ts is hard to judge, according to
Assistant LSA Dean Eugene Nissen.
"It's hard for me to tell how many hve
been inconvenienced, I'm aware of
about 15 or 20."
The problem stems from large
classes that have multiple sections
where there may be the need for an
exam to be scheduled in a time other
than during the class.
Large departments, such as
voters could, after 90 days, restore
taxes to their current levels, DeMar
said.
But Don Stypula, a deputy director of
media relations for Promote Michigan.
said the proposal only clearly states onE.
thing - that taxes will be rolled back.
The proposal fails to "clearly
establish" the process by which voters
could increase taxes and fees, he said.
It'sonly designed to harass our effort
to communicate to the people," Stypula
said.
But DeMar said, "I have a far more
basic concern than the voting public is
not receiving accurate information and
that what they are receiving is
misleading information."
A hearing on the issue has been set
for Wednesday.
Daily staff reporter Laurie DeLater
and United Press International filed
reports for this story.
Staff asked tofund fight against tax-cut
(Continued from Page 1)
with the letter. Regent Deane Baker
(R-Ann Arbor) said the University
should not meddle in lobbying against
state taxpayers.
"I'm not comfortable at all with this
kind of solicitation," Baker said, ad-
ding that he had been informed of the
letter Thursday.
"I can see where a faculty member
could be concerned (about their job) if
they received a letter and didn't want to
contribute," he said.
BUSINESS Prof. Herbert Hildebran-
dt, former chairman of SACUA, said he
had no objection to the letter because
faculty members can decide for them-
selves whether to contribute.
"I'm not sure that I'm going to donate
money, but I was not offended by the
letter," he said.
Shapiro could not be reached for
comment.
The three deans said they planned to
make donations of their own. Whitaker
and Duderstadt had planned on con-
other schools and students to bear the
burden of tuition as high as private sc-
hools. University officials have said
tuition could climb as much as 19 to 21
percent as a result of the rollback.
Regent Thomas Roach (D-Saline)
said last night he was "delighted" that
employeees would contribute finan-
cially to Promote Michigan because the
latest public opinion poll showed
that Michigan voters favor Proposal C
by a slight margin.
Continuing Medical Education - Course, "Magnetic Resonance &
Ultrasound Physics," 8 a.m., Towsley Center.
Latin American Culture Project - benefit for medical aid to Nicaragua, 8
p.m., East Quad, Halfway Inn.
... . . -I_ r - T D.1 L '7.fl-) h m M nl l
'
I