The Michigan Daily-Thursday, September 17, 1987- Page 5
UM-Dearborn student
paper protests new advisor
By RYAN TUTAK
Current and former editors of the
University's Dearborn campus stu-
dent newspaper say the appointment
of a faculty member to advise the
paper this school year opposes the
spirit of a student-run newspaper.
Carolyn Kraus, a lecturer in the
humanities department, was
appointed advisor of the Michigan
Journal last April by Joseph
Wright, the Dean of Student Affairs.
Former Journal Editor Kevin
Evans said the newspaper faces im-
mediate consequences by Wright
naming an advisor affiliated with the
University.
"By appointing a faculty advisor,
objectivity is totally lost," Evans
said. "The paper becomes nothing
but a (public relations) tool."
Despite this criticism, Wright
said Kraus is the best person for the
job under tlh circumstances. He said
she can best restore the damaged
reputation of the Journal under
Evans' term as editor because she
understands both the faculty and the
students.
"I think Kevin did a very adequate
job. But he had a knack of irritating
the faculty and students," Wright
said. "The best thing to do to get
back the faith of the community and
the campus was to appoint someone
with professional journalism experi-
ence."
Journal bylaws state that "the
advisor shall hold no other position
within the University and... is nor-
mally appointed by the Dean of
Police Notes
Student of Affairs, in consultation
with the Editor and the (chairperson)
of the Student Media Board." Kraus,
a writer for Metropolitan Detroit,
refused to comment on the legality
and implications of her appointment.
Kevin Evans, the editor of the
Journal when Kraus was appointed,
and Shirley Horn, the current editor,
both said they were not consulted.
"(Wright) told me after she was ap-
pointed," Evans said.
The Media Board, an advisory
his responsibilities in the new by-
laws that he is formulating for the
now-defunct Media Board. .
Grace Kennedy, the Features Edi-
tor at the Journal, said the appoint-
ment of Kraus may not affect the
editorial freedom of the paper now,
but "could open the door to Univer-
sity influence" in the future.
Wright said several faculty mem-
bers recommended the dismissal of
Evans because of the controversial
content of his articles. Wright said
'By appointing a faculty advisor, objectivity is totally
lost. The paper becomes nothing but a (public relations)
tool.'
- Kevin Evans, former editor of The Michigan
Journal
the Detroit Free Press and a letter of
disapproval from the Detroit City
Council.
Dean Wright said the contest was
funny, but resulted in bad publicity
for the school. "It was embarrassing
for the campus," he said.
Gary Graff, the Music and Radio
Editor at the Detroit Free Press who
served as the Journal advisor for
two years before Kraus, said the
contest was taken too seriously. "It
wasn't libelous," he said. "No com-
plaints were raised until a story was
done by a radio station."
Graff said the University overre-
acted to the controversy that Evans
generated. "They never had anyone
PASS
IT
AROUND!
take initiative like he did," Graff
said. "They just didn't know how to
handle it."
One way the University tried to
handle the controversy, Graff said,
was to manipulate the selection of
the new editor. "(The University)
wanted more control over the paper,"
said Graff, adding that he was
"purposely kept uninformed about
what was going on."
Wright said allowing Evans to
participate in the selection process
would not be beneficial to anyone.
"There was no way I was going to
let Kevin back into the conflict,"
said Wright, adding that the students
and faculty "were fed up with him."
The Student Media Board, which
Evans was on, recommended candi-
dates for editor to the dean. Since it
was disbanded, the dean appointed an
ad hoc committee of faculty and stu-
dents to recommend candidates, but
Evans was excluded because the pa-
per "was becoming a cliquish club"
of friends, said Wright.
The Michigan Journal is subsi-
dized by a portion of the $19 student
government fee and advertising.
committee to the dean about campus
media affairs, was not consulted be-
cause it dissolved last November
when its two co-chairs resigned.
But Dean Wright said he is not
required to abide by the bylaws be-
cause they are not a formal adminis-
trative guide. "Those bylaws were
never meant to demonstrate my
(responsibilities) to the paper," he
said.
Horn said that Wright's interpre-
tation of the paper's bylaws is scary
because "the implication is that the
bylaws are not laws. We have no
guarantee of our freedom."
Wright said he intends to clarify
he saw nothing wrong with the arti-
cles, but said complaints he received
indicated that Evans was "improperly
addressing issues to students."
Evans attributed one story to a
fictitious reporter named "Ben
Dover," which promptedsthen re-
porter Horn to quit because of its
sexual connotation. "I didn't want
my stories printed next to that,"
Horn said.
Last October, Evans ran a contest
which promised ten gallons of gaso-
line to the person who guessed the
number of fires that would be set on
"Devil's Night." The contest spurned
stories in the New York Times and
ARE YOU A
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WHERE: Ensian Office,
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BRING PORTFOLIO!
Assault
Ann Arbor police are investigat-
ing last night's assault of a
University student, said Sergeant Jan
Suomala. The first-year student told
police he was beaten up and cut in
the head by three teenagers. The stu-
dent said he was walking near the
corner of East University and South
University at about 2 a.m. when he
noticed the youths.
The youths approached him and
asked for money. One of the attackers
grabbed the student and punched him.
While the student tried to defend
himself, one of the other attackers
apparently cut him with a knife or
other sharp object. The student re-
ceived several stitches at University
hospital, and was then released.
Bite
Ann Arbor police are also
investigating an incident in which a
man's finger was bitten off by an ac-
quaintance, according to Suomala.
The man said he went to visit an ac-
quaintance in an apartment in the 300
block of Liberty and they started ar-
guing over the acquaintance's girl-
friend. They began wrestling and
punching each other, until the man
felt the acquaintance bite down on his
finger. The victim told police he
asked several times for the finger
back, but the acquaintance would not
oblige. The victim was treated at
University hospital before being re-
leased.
by Steve Blonder
.Advisory
committees
contributed
to criteria
(Continued from Page 1)
evaluate the applications and nomi-
nations of candidates. Roach said the
regents, executive officers, and
members of the advisory committees
will begin interviewing candidates in
September.
Although Roach expects the
board to select a successor by Jan-
uary, University officials do not ex-
pect the new president to promptly
take office. Roach said he expects
the regents to appoint an interim
president either this week or at the
October board meeting.
GO BLUE!!!
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