The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, April 17, 1990 - Page 3

Thomas describes n
pres.-press relation

Athletic dept. has
$15million debt,
lacks minorities

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by Noah Finkel
Daily Editor in Chief
Dean of the White House press
corps Helen Thomas must have felt
slightly out of place yesterday.
She wasn't clad in her trademark
red dress and she didn't get to ask the
first question to the United States
President at a news conference.
But in yesterday's Union appear-
ance before 150 people, Helen
Thomas still found plenty of oppor-
tunities to get under the skin of the
nation's last seven presidents.
As United Press International's
White House Correspondent,
Thomas has covered presidents from
John Kennedy to George Bush. In
her highly-anecdotal speech, Thomas
detailed the usually suspicious rela-
tionship between the president and
the press.
"Every president," said Thomas,
"has had trouble with the press."
She quoted Kennedy as saying
that he began "reading the press
more, but enjoying it less," on be-
coming president. She termed what
the often-vulgar Lyndon Johnson
said about the press as "unprintable."
At a meeting with reporters con-
cerning the environment, Thomas
remembered Richard Nixon saying it
was appropriate "to talk about pollu-
tion when so many reporters are in
the room." Jimmy Carter, she said,

looked to the heavens for help: "Lord
forgive them, for they know not
what they do."
But Thomas reserved stinging
criticism for the last two presidents,
Ronald Reagan and George Bush.
She described Reagan as a "hands-
off, Chairman of the Board" leader
whose subordinates were able to au-
thorize the blowing up of two
Libyan jets without waking him.
Reagan was so out of touch,
Thomas said, that he should have
been in the jury box for the recent
Oliver North and John Poindexter
trials because "he was the only one
who hadn't heard of the Iran-contra
affair."
Thomas said Bush is a more in-
formed president than Reagan and
more adept at handling the White
House media. He "has gone out of
his way to court the press," she said.
Many reporters are invited to
Bush family social events or even to
go jogging with the president in the
early-morning hours. "I got invited
to the opening of the horse shoe
pit," said Thomas.
But she did criticize the current
president's penchant for secrecy. She
termed the press coverage of the re-
cent Panama invasion a "fiasco" and
a "joke" because the press was virtu-
ally locked up at a military base for
the first few days of the invasion and

Dean of the White House press corps Helen Thomas addressed a crowd
of 150 at the Union yesterday. She detailed the often-suspicious

relationships between the press and
Kennedy to George Bush.
has never been given exact casualty
figures.
Thomas called Bush "the luckiest
president in recent history." For
Bush, "everything is coming up
roses:" dictatorships have fallen in
Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union,
and Nicaragua all during his term.
But Bush has "been behind the
curve when he should have been
ahead," she said, adding that his

every U.S. President from John

by Adam Benson
Daily Sports WriterI
Although the Wolverines may
look good in the Big Ten standings,l
Jack Weidenbach, interim athletic di-I
rector, said yesterday the athletic de-
partment is about $1.5 million in+
debt, and lacks minorities in highI
level positions.+
Weidenbach and Faculty Repre-
sentative Douglas Kahn spoke at
Rackham Auditorium to the faculty+
senate assembly. Weidenbach spent
the majority of his time talking
about affirmative action efforts in
the Athletic Department.
"We have some retirements com-
ing up in the next year or two,"
Weidenbach said. "Then we will be1
able to do something about affirma-
tive action."
Weidenbach said the athletic de-
partment has hired three women
coaches since his promotion in
March. He also defended the hiring
of the baseball, basketball and foot-
ball coaches, all of whom were
white.
Dr. Gayl Ness, the chair of
SACUA, asked Weidenbach when
they could see more minorities in
the athletic department but Weiden-
bach could not give a specific an-
swer.
Weidenbach seemed most con-
cerned about the financial problems
facing the athletic department. The
athletic director said the department
would finish with a $1.5 to $1.6
million dollar deficit this year.

"We are looking at a rather flat
revenue," Weidenbach said. "The re-
ally big problem facing college ath-
letics is how we will face the ex-
pense side of the ledger."
Weidenbach said if the expenses
could not be reduced, the athletic de-
partment would have to consider
eliminating programs.
Much of the question and answer
period after the presentation focused
on graduation rates in the depart-
ment. Weidenbach's graduation rates
were based on the numbers of se-
niors graduating, whereas Kahn's
numbers were the percentages of ath-.
letes graduating that had entered,.
Michigan five years ago. However,
the two figures were not the same.
Kahn said the men's and'
women's tennis and swimming'
teams were all at or near 100% grad-,
uation rates and the hockey team had
shown the most improvement in rep
cent years.
But the basketball and football
teams were not so encouraging.
Weidenbach said four of five of this
year's senior basketball players,
would graduate, but Kahn noted that.
only one of three players entering
five years ago would graduate saying
the figures were "not so good."
The graduation rates for football.
had always been reported at nearly
100%, but Kahn said only 57% of_
those players who started Michigan,
five years ago would graduate.
Kahn also said 77% of the total
number athletes graduated, but only
59% of the minority athletes gradue-
ated.

opinion polls ratings are
because "the people havel
'do not disturb' sign,"

high only
held out a

The Detroit-raised Thomas was
brought to the University by the Ca-
reer Planning and Placement Office's
Public Service Intern Program,
which helps students find internships
in both the nation's and the state's
capital cities.

Indian train explosion kills 80 passengers

NEW DELHI (AP) - A leaking
gas cylinder exploded in a moving
*ommuter train yesterday and set off
a fire that left at least 80 people dead
and 65 others wounded, news reports
and officials said.
Reporters at the scene said the
explosion and fire killed at least 100
people.
Fire swept through two of the
train's 16 cars as it traveled near
Kumrahar in Bihar state, 500 miles
goutheast of New Delhi. The fire be-
Wgn at 9:30 a.m.
Firefighters eventually extin-
guished the blaze, but "The heat was
so intense no one dared to enter the
train for at least a half-hour after the
fire," said S. K. Sharma, the top
civil administrator in the region.
Sharma said a cylinder of oxy-
acetylene gas, used in welding, was
found in one of the gutted cars.

"The outer shell of the bogies
(cars) was intact, but the inside was
terrible," Sharma said in a telephone
interview.'
Mathew John, director of safety
for the Federal Railway board in
New Delhi, said two cylinders of gas
caught fire. He said one of the cylin-
ders was leaking and apparently ig-
nited when someone lit a match.
Ram Naresh Singh,aa survivor,
was quoted by Press Trust of India as
saying that because "I would not be
able to save anyone and would get
killed myself, I jumped off the
train."
The United News of India quoted
local officials as saying at least 80
people died and 65 were wounded.
The Passengers Welfare Associa-
tion said the train had no emergency
brake.

"It is the most neglected train
running in the state. There is no
light, no water, and even no alarm
chain." said association President
Rameshwar Pandey.
Press Trust of India said many
bodies were buried under smoldering

wooden berths and heaps of luggage.
Bihar is one of the poorest of In-
dia's 25 states.
The train, which was traveling
from Mokammeh to Arrah, is widely
used by morning commuters to
Patna, the state capital.


Pres. Bush accused of
environmental inaction

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WASHINGTON (AP) -
Delegates from 17 nations gathered
for a White House conference on
global warming amid criticism
yesterday from some participants and
environmentalists that the Bush
administration isn't dealing with the
problem.
Senior administration officials
said the United States will call for
increased international research on
both the science of global warming
and the economic implications of the
"greenhouse" effect when the two-
day conference begins today.
But as delegates arrived,

environmentalists chastised President
Bush for not calling for specific
actions to ease the global warming
problem, including commitments to
make specific reductions in
greenhouse pollutants.
The Sierra Club, which
announced a TV advertising
campaign to highlight concern about
global warming, called the White
House conference an attempt by the
administration to shift the focus of
the issue away from the need for
pollution controls to a debate over
economic considerations.

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THE LIST
x What's happening in Ann Arbor today

Meetings
LaGROC-- -The Lesbian and Gay
Mens' Rights Organizing Com-
mittee meets at 7:30 p.m. in
Union 3100; 7 p.m. to set agenda
Women's Club Lacrosse -
practice 4-6 p.m. at the Sports
Coliseum (5th and Hill)
UM Cycling - team meeting and
rollers riding 6 p.m. in the Sports
Coliseum
'Arab-American Anti-
discriminationcCommittee -
meeting at 7 p.m. in the Union
(check board for room)
Asian American Women's
Journal - editors meeting at 5
p.m. in South Quad's Afro-
American Lounge
Ann Arbor Committee to
Defend Abortion and
Reproductive Rights
(ACDAR2) - new members
meeting at 5:15 p.m., general
body meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the
Union
Women's Issues Commission
of MSA - meeting at 6:30 p.m.
in 3909 Union
Iranian Student Cultural Club
meeting at 7:45 p.m.. in the
Michigan League
TARDAA (Time and Relative
Dimensions in Ann Arbor) -
meeting at 8 p.m. in 2413 Mason
Hall
Indian And Pakistani
American Students' Council
- weekly meeting at 6:30 p.m.
in the Ambatana Lounge of South
Quad
Students Concerned About
Animal Rights (SCAR) -
meeting at 7 p.m in the Union
Wolverine Room
Jewish Peace Lobby - meeting
at 7:30 p.m. at Hillel

- a discussion of film at noon in
1524 Rackham
A.K. Ramanayan - poetry
reading at 4 p.m. in East
Conference Room of Rackham
"First Hand Report from
Nicaraguan Election" - Ann
Marie Coleman speaks at noon in
the International Center
David Brower - speaks as part
of Earth Day Celebration at 8
p.m. in Rackham Amphitheater
"Did the Messiah Come 2000
Years Ago?" - a taped lecture
presented at 7 p.m. in room 126
East Quad
Furthermore
ECB Peer Writing Tutors -
available for help from 7-11 p.m.
at the Angell and 611 Church St.
computing centers
Safewalk - the night-time safety
walking service runs from 8 p.m.-
1:30 a.m. in Rm. 102 UGLi or
call 936-1000
Northwalk - the north-campus
night-time walking service runs
from 8 p.m.-1:30 a.m. in Bursley
2333, or call 763-WALK
SPARK Revolutionary history
Series - 'The American Party:
From Revolution to Stalinism"
discussion at 7 p.m. in B122
MLB
Arts Chorale - the choir
performs at 8 p.m. in Hill
Auditorium
Early Music Ensemble - the
group performs works by Bach
and Handel among others at 8
p.m. at the School of Music

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