Ninety-nine years of editorialfreedom
Vol. I C, No. 131 Ann Arbor, Michigan -- Tuesday, April 11, 1989 Copyright 1989, The Michigan Daily
It's
Official:
Fisher
is
M'
USSR
ethnic
unrest
'continues
MOSCOW (AP) - Troops fired
shots to disperse a rally yesterday in
Soviet Georgia, and the Kremlin
sent Foreign Minister Eduard She-
vardnadze to try to end a week of
ethnic unrest in the southern region.
A general strike closed schools,
stores and factories, and halted some
mass transit in Tbilisi, the Georgian
* capital of 1.2 million people, located
1,650 miles southeast of Moscow,
residents said.
The government newspaper
Izvestia reported that cars moved
through the capital Monday in a
column with their horns honking,
headlights on, and with flags of
mourning for those killed in the
strife.
On Sunday, a clash between
troops and pro-independence
protestors killed at least 16 people
and injured more than 100, according
to Soviet officials.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Gennady Gerasimov said today had
been declared a day of mourning.
Without providing details, he said all
the deaths announced Sunday were
civilians, and they include 10
women and six men trampled when
soldiers broke up the protest.
The unrest and strike went on
yesterday despite a ban on public
gatherings, imposition of an 11
p.m.-6 a.m. curfew, and patrols by
soldiers in tanks.
As many as 1,000 people ignored
the restrictions and massed at Tbilisi
tate University at midday "to in-
form each other about what was go-
I ng on and decide what to do next,"
said Zurab Zhankarashvili, a member
See Soviet, Page 5
Coach'
NCAA victory
brings coach
handshake deal
BY STEVE BLONDER
Michigan already had a baseball stadium named
Fisher, and now they have a permanent basketball
coach by the same name.
Michigan Athletic Director Bo Schembechler sur-
prised no one, yesterday morning, when he announced
Steve Fisher would have the interim removed from his
title, and that he had been rewarded with an open-ended
contract worth a reported $500,000 per year.
Fisher's base salary i- believed to be in the
neighborhood of $90,000 per year with the rest
coming from basketball camp, television and radio
shows, and other endorsements.
"I do this knowing Steve will bring a fresh, new
approach to the program," Schembechler said. "This
man has my full support and he can count on me. This
begins a new, fresh and exciting era of Michigan
basketball."
To Fisher, the past few weeks has been a dream-
come-true beginning with the Wolverines run through
the NCAA tournament and culminating in his being
named coach.
"The dream lives on," Fisher said. "I stated before
to pinch me on Tuesday, but I don't want to wake up.
This is the culmination of a dream-come-true. It defies
description in words.
"There is no finer job in America."
Fisher also announced that assistant coach Mike
Boyd will remain at Michigan as the top assistant
coach, and that Brian Dutcher, who was a part-time
assistant coach last season, will be retained on a full-
time basis.
Schembechler had a few choice words for those peo-
ple who criticized him for not naming Fisher earlier.
"I wasn't going to be pressed and I wasn't going to
make an emotional decision," Schembechler said. "I
was cool, calculating, and studying this decision from
every angle. But it just kept coming up Steve Fisher.
"He's my choice and I'm going to do everything I
can to see he's successful."
Privately, ex-coach Bill Frieder and his supporters
had been saying a lack of support from Schembechler
contributed to Frieder's decision to leave.
No candidate besides Fisher was interviewed for the
job, and Schembechler made his final decision Friday
afternoon, after talking to, among others, other
coaches and University President James Duderstadt.
See Fisher, Page 8
DAVID LUBLINER/Daily
a press conference
Michigan athletic director Bo Schembechler and new head Basketball coach Steve Fisher rub elbows at
today. Schembechler revealed the news of Fisher's appointment, which came as no surprise to anyone.
Adam
Schra r
When Steve Fisher walked into
Crisler Arena this morning to accept the
basketball head coaching job at the Uni-
versity of Michigan, he had to feel like
someone who had found out about his
surprise birthday party before it ever
happened.
After all, every single media outlet
had reported that Fisher had received the
job, making the actual naming as
shocking as April's bad weather in
Michigan.
Fisher knew the end of the
story, but enjoyed it anyway
"I don't suppose it's any secret,"
Athletic Director Bo Schembechler said
on his choice for head coach. "It's a real
privilege for me to culminate my search
for a new basketball coach by naming
Steve Fisher the head basketball coach
at the University of Michigan."
Shock the world.
Fisher, who has more tournament
wins this season alone (six) than ex-
coach Bill Frieder did in nine years
(five), admittedly will make things dif-
ferent than they were under his predec-
essor. After the problems that Frieder
had with the "Athletic Director," it is
understandable why this nameless power
figure would want a change.
"Steve Fisher will bring a fresh new
approach toMichigan," Schembechler
continued. "He has my full support. He
can count on me. I'm looking forward
to a new, fresh, exciting era of Mich-
igan basketball."
See Rib, Page 8
Students rally to demand 3
action from'U' on racist fliers A
BY MICHAEL LUSTIG
Leaders of several student groups
yesterday called on the University
administration to respond to the sur-
facing of racially-derogatory fliers on
campus and the faculty vote which
rejected a proposed required class on
racism.
The student leaders spoke at a
back again," as long as such actions
persist.
- University Provost and Vice
President for Academic Affairs
Charles Vest and Vice Provost for
Minority Affairs Charles Moody
have released statements deploring
the appearance of the fliers. Vest's
secretary said the Provost was in
'The University hasn't been as public as it should be
with how it is handling the incidents.'
Barbara Ransby, UCAR member
"The University hasn't been as
public as it should be with how it is
handling the incidents," United
Coalition Against Racism member
Barbara Ransby, a Rackham graduate
student, said after the protest.
She said the Tell Someone pro-
gram is one way in which the Uni-
versity encourages people to come
forward, but she added, "we're not
sure what happens once someone is
told."
Rackham graduate student George
Liu, a member of the University of
Michigan Asian Student Coalition,
challenged University officials to
take the lead in fighting racist atti-
tudes and attacks.
Jocelyn Sergeant of the Minority
Organization of Rackham echoed
Liu, demanding that the University
"take steps to secure the safety of the
entire population," which, she point-
ed out, includes people of color.
Zeid Zalatimo of the General
Union of Palestinian Students men-
tioned the first racist flier which ap-
See Protest, Page 2
rally in front of the Fleming Ad-
ministration Building, which about
50 students attended.
Rackham graduate student Cathy
Cohen, a member of People Orga-
nized for Women, Equality, and
Rights, said it is unfortunate that the
University permits an environment
in which racist fliers and attacks
abound. She warned that protests
"will be brought back and back and
meetings all day yesterday and was
not aware of the protest.
An open meeting with Vest and
Music School Dean Paul Boylan,
head of the newly-formed Task Force
on Campus Safety and Security, has
been planned for Thursday evening.
Students are invited to discuss their
concerns about the recent incidents
with administrators, the secretary
said.
Jernigan admits city can't
make 'U' pay for damage
Members of several campus groups - including the United Coalition Against Racism, the Black Student
Union, and the Minority Organization of Rackham - protest on the Diag yesterday to demand that the
University administration take specific action against the racist fliers found on campus last week.
Groups gear for abortion case
BY NOAH FINKEL
Ann Arbor Mayor Gerald Jernigan
acknowledged yesterday that the city
cannot force the University to pay
for the damage resulting from the
NCAA basketball championship
celebration on South University
Ave.
After. Michigan won the champi-
flfl h1n rlt ate fn..nA n n..
tention to charge the University for
the cost of damage to the city, Uni-
versity President James Duderstadt
said last weekend that the University
will not pay.
Though he realizes the University
is not legally responsible for the
damage, Jernigan said he will still
send it a tabulated bill.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Both sides in the abortion
rights dispute are mobilizing to battle for the state
legislatures that will decide the highly charged issue if
the Supreme Court, reshaped by Ronald Reagan, re-
treats from the 1973 decision legalizing abortions.
"We are the majority," proclaimed Molly Yard,
president of the National Organization for Women after
a rally Sunday sponsored by abortion rights activists
attracted at least 300,000 people to the nation's capi-
tal.
Police officials determined the 300,000 figure;
26. The ruling could significantly alter the court's
1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which gave women the
right to an abortion.
If the justices, as expected, restore to the states
some powers to regulate abortions, the high-stakes
battles for state legislative control could have a pro-
found impact on the ongoing battle to control the re-
drawing of House districts to conform to next year's
Census.
The national Republican and Democratic chairs al-