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One hundred sixyears ofeditoriadfreedom

Tuesday
February J1, 1997

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Jury orders
Simpson to
pay $25M
* damages
eWashington Post
SANTA MONICA, Calif. - In a
tunning financial punishment that
xceeded even the plaintiffs' expecta-
ons, the civil trial jury that last week
lamed O.J. Simpson for the murders
f his ex-wife and her friend yesterday
o .d him to pay the victims' fami-
tie 25 million in punitive damages.
That award, bringing the combined
otal of compensatory and punitive
damages to $33.5 million, could leave
the fallen football star, sportscaster and
television pitchman with a lifetime of
debt unless it is reduced or thrown out
on appeal.
The six-man, six-woman, mostly
white jury deliberated for more than
five hours before reaching its split-vote
dages verdicts against Simpson,
who-was acquitted in 1995 of the 1994
slashing deaths of Nicole Brown
Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
Without identifying themselves by
name, eight jurors and alternates told a
news conference that the evidence
against Simpson
had ranged from
"above a prepon-
derance" - the
civil trial standard
- to "beyond a
reasonable doubt"
One juror, a white
woman, said: "It
was 100 percent
for me. I really
Simpson believed Mr.
Simpson was
guilty. We went through all the evi-
dence, and it had nothing to do with
Simpson's skin"
he jury voted 10 to 2 to award
Goldman's family $12.5 million, far
more than legal experts had expected
because of the $8.5 million in compen-
satory damages already awarded to the
family last week, when Simpson was
unanimously held liable for the deaths.
The jury also allotted $12.5 million to
Nicole Simpson's estate, whose benefi-
ciaries include her two children now
lig in O.J. Simpson's custody.
The jury voted 11 to I on whether to
award punitive damages to each of the
families and 10 to 2 on the amounts.
The lone holdout on awarding damages
was a Jamaican-born man who also has
Asian ancestry. He and a white woman
in her twenties voted against the
amount of the awards.
Almost all the jurors who spoke to
reporters, with the exception of one
k woman who served as an alter-
n*, said they did not find Simpson to
be a credible witness when he took the
stand in his own defense.
"He really should have got his story
straight before he got up there," the
white woman juror in her twenties
said' One white male juror said, "I find
See SIMPSON, Page 2

A LEGG UP

Low minority
applications
raise concerns
Numbers dip close to 15 percent

By Janet Adamy
Daily Staff Reporter
The University's incoming class may be more
ethnically homogeneous than last year's class if the
current trend in minority applications remains
steady.
Provost J. Bernard Machen announced yester-
day to the Senate Advisory Committee on
University Affairs that the number of minority
applications has dropped significantly since last
year - a decrease of about 15 percent, according
to Ted Spencer, the University's director of admis-
sions.
Although more than 1,000 applications sit
unopened in the Office of Undergraduate
Admissions, Machen said there is reason to be
worried about the decrease.
"We are concerned that (the lack of minority
applications) is too big to recover without extraor-
dinary numbers," Machen said.
Vice Provost for Academic and Multicultural
Initiatives Lester Monts said the decrease is
something of concern to administrators.
"This is something we had clues about even
before Christmas break, that all applications were
down, especially minority applications," Monts
said.
Spencer said the largest decline has been in the
number of African American students applying to
LSA - down 16-17 percent.
"I am concerned about the numbers but we're
not at the point where we're about to panic because
the more information we receive from the applica-
tions, the more encouraged we are," Spencer said.
"But at the same time, we know that this is a
national problem and that tends to be not so
encouraging."
Most Ivy League schools, the University of
California at Berkeley and the University of Texas
have received fewer applications from minorities,

Spencer and SACUA members said.
Spencer said that while the number of in-state
minority applicants has remained somewhat
constant, the number of out-of-state minority
applicants has decreased substantially.
The only major change in the application
process was an additional response to the essay
question on this year's application. But
University officials said they do not feel the
extended question has deterred applicants.
"No matter what, the people that apply to
Michigan are pretty competitive, so I can't see
how writing another paragraph would impact
the competitive students that would apply
here," said Louis D'Alecy, SACUA's incoming
chair.
In an effort to bring the number of minority
applicants up to last year's unusually high rate,
Spencer said, the University is contacting all
minority students that requested applications and
giving them the option of turning in their applica-
tions immediately. They may send in their essay
questions at a later time.
LSA sophomore Jack Stanton said he "dis-
agrees wholeheartedly" with this effort.
"I'm disappointed that the University is not
observing strict guidelines regarding the ethnic
status of the people that are applying," Stanton
said.
"I think we go to an elite University and it
should be a strict process by which people are
admitted to our University," Stanton continued.
Through phone calls and personal letters, the
University is informing minority applicants
about visitation programs the University plans
to hold 3-4 times a week. These would allow
applicants to tour the campus and meet with
minority students.
"In the past, our spring program for minority
See ADMISSIONS, Page 7

WARREN ZINN/Daily
Michigan hockey center Mike Legg takes in the sites of New York City yesterday during a trip to the
Big Apple to accept an ESPY award for "Outrageous Play of the Year."
[eggs goal scores ESPY


By Mark Snyder
Daily Sports Writer
NEW YORK - While the trophy told a tale,
the smile was the story.
Michigan hockey center Mike Legg's grin
last night stretched from ear to ear as he won
an ESPY for Outrageous Play of the Year at
ESPN's annual ESPY awards ceremony held at
Radio City Music Hall. His visage accurately
displayed the pride shown by a college student
trapped in the public eye.
Legg was also one of three finalists for Play of
the Year. Former Michigan great and Heisman
trophy-winner Desmond Howard edged out Igg
for the award with his 99-yard kickoff return for
a touchdown in the Green Bay Packers' win at
the Super Bowl over the New England Patriots.

Normally, Legg shies away from attention,
allowing teammates to garner the recognition off
the ice. But in this instance, Legg shifted the
spotlight onto himself.
Last March, at the NCAA West Regional Final
in East Lansing, Legg stood behind the goal with
the puck, his team trailing by a goal and on the
brink of elimination. Michigan needed a goal,
and this was Legg's opportunity to contribute to
the effort.
He did - in spectacular fashion.
Legg picked up the puck on the blade of his
stick and flung it into the net over Minnesota
goalie Steve DeBus' left shoulder. The game
(which Michigan would eventually win on its
way to the national championship) was tied, and
See LEGG, Page 11


*uving in harmony

Event's timing
raises questions
By Alice Robinson
Daily Staff Reporter
Ten students who attended- the University-sponsored
Leadershape training seminar last August discussed the many
cultures and ideals that make up the student population. But
the timing of Diversity Days, their plan of action for examin-
ing the University's different communities, is raising the eye-
brows of some student leaders.
One student leader said he supports the event but doesn't
agree with the organizers' timing of the week. "If they were
to do programming this month I would hope that it would be
to heighten our awareness of the African American history,"
said LSA junior Peter Tate, president of the Black Greek
Association.
"That doesn't take away from the fact that it is good pro-
gramming that they're doing. I just think it's bad timing," Tate
said.
Organizers said they saw a need for this type of program a
long time ago.
"We discussed the complexity of our student population and
noted a need for a program which allowed students of all types
to work together on a common goal," Jennifer Darmanin, co-
cordinator of Diversity Days said in a written statement.

ADDLE SMITH/Daily
An Indian dancer gets ready to perform a traditional cultural dance at the Diversity Days celebration.
Yesterday kicked off the first day of Diversity Days, a new program to celebrate different cultures.
irst'versay'
explores rolve of rlgo

By Alice Robinson
Daily Staff Reporter
The opening event of Diversity Days featured
deep introspection, unique role-playing and a
chance to learn about different religions.
Centered around the theme "Religious Studies,"
the first evening set aside to
celebrate diversity on cam-
pus drew about 100 people
b v to the Power Center last
night.

University performing arts troupes amused the
audience with realistic scenes depicting the stereo-
types that often surface in minorities' daily lives.
Williams said the word "religion" encompasses
a wide variety of meanings. "On my understand-
ing, religion does not necessarily involve an affir-
mation of God," he said.
Throughout his remarks, Williams referred fre-
quently to renowned writers, including Plato,
Socrates and Emily Dickinson.
Williams, a former winner of the Golden Apple

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