ewe: 76-DAILY
dvortlsing: 764-0554

One hundredsixyears ofeditoralfreedom

Tuesday
March 11, 1997


"The p
University
Pow
Regent talks
on board's
ast, future
By Heather Kamins
Daily Staff Reporter
As a man in his twenties, Regent
Philip Power (D-Ann Arbor) bought a
handful of weekly newspapers and
built a small publishing empire that
now includes 60 community newspa-
pers.
Thirty years later, Power sits in a
fferent leadership position - this
me, as the senior member of the
University Board of Regents.
His ties run deep into the University.
The Power Center bears his family
name and was built with money donat-
eo by his father.
My father was on the board in the
'50s;' Power said. "My late wife Sarah
was on the board. The only thing that I
contribute (as the most senior member
of the board) is institutional memory."
University historian Robert Warren
said leadership in the University often
emerges among the regents, and often
such leadership stems from the senior
regent.
"Phil came on as a regent in kind of
a sad way, after the death of his wife'"
Warren said. "He has always been an
active regent. When someone is senior,
they have seen a lot, and that does give
,hem the benefit of the perspective of
here the regents have been."
After the statewide election in
November, the board gained two new
members: Regent Olivia Maynard (D-
Flint) and Regent S. Martin Taylor (D-
Grosse Isle). But the board also said
farewell to a combined 40 years of
experience with the departure of for-
mer Regents Deane Baker (R-Ann
4rbor) and Nellie Varner (D-Detroit).
Sc

purpose of the board is not to govern the
well, but to ensure that it is well governed."
- Regent Philip Power (D-Ann Arbor)

U admits
to NCAA
violations

ER

OF

THE

BOARD

By Will McCahill
Daily Sports Editor
The University Athletic Department
admitted in a statement released yester-
day that the men's basketball program
violated two minor NCAA regulations
as the result of actions by a so-called
booster with ties to several current and
former student-athletes.
A joint investigation by the
University and the Big Ten conference
found that the booster made "inappro-
priate offers of extra benefits and assis-
tance to several student-athletes and
members of their families" according
to the statement, released by University
Athletic Director Joe Roberson and
Faculty Athletic
RepresentativeT
Percy Bates.
The report cited
two incidents that
violated NCAA
bylaws. The report
said the booster
was present at the
home of a current
Michigan player
when Michigan Fisher
coach Steve Fisher
was there on an
official recruiting visit while the player
was in high school.
Sources close to the team indenti-
fied the booster as Detroit resident
Ed Martin, who is a known presence
at Detroit high school basketball
games and whose son runs a popular
summer basketball league at
Detroit's St. Cecilia's Church in
which many current and former col-
lege athletes have participated.
Sophomore guard Louis Bullock
said information concerning Martin is
included in the report, from which the
name of the booster was struck before
its release.
According to the report, the booster
is a long-time friend of a current
Michigan player, which a team member
indicated yesterday is sophomore for-
ward Robert Traylor.
The other violation brought to light
by the investigation involved the boost-
er presenting a player with a birthday

cake.
Although the contacts were not made
with the consent of the University, the
report found that the incidents qualified
the booster as a "non-traditional repre-
sentative of the University's ... athletic
interests."
The report described Martin as
"someone who derives some form of
satisfaction from forming close ties
with highly talented athletes."
Michigan players acknowledged
Martin was well-known in the
Detroit high school basketball com-
munity.
"I met him a couple of times," said
Michigan forward Maurice Taylor, who
played basketball at Henry Ford high
school in Detroit. "He's a guy I see
around. I know him. He's a nice guy."
The incidents described in the report
came to light during an investigation that
followed an automobile accident last
year involving Traylor, Michigan for-
ward Maurice Taylor, several other
Michigan players and a recruit, in which
a Ford Explorer driven by Taylor rolled
over and crashed. Under question in that
incident was how Taylor came to have
the vehicle, and the report found that no
violations had occurred on the part of
the University, Taylor or his family.
The report cited several other
attempts by the booster -- that were
thwarted by Fisher - to provide the
players with more substantial bene-
fits.
According to the report, the booster
attempted to purchase plane tickets for
Michigan players and paid for security
deposits for several players' apart-
ments. Upon finding out about the
transaction, and before the players
involved actually signed a lease agree-
ment, "Fisher intervened and the
process was stopped," the report said.
In the statement yesterday, Roberson
criticized the coaching staff for -not
reporting the potential problems imme-
diately.
"While we are pleased that our sys-
tem was able to prevent major viola-
tions from occurring, we are disap-
pointed that internal disciplines and
See VIOLATIONS, Page'5

JOSH BIGGS/Daily
Regent Philip Power (D-Ann Arbor) sits in front of his computer in his Ann Arbor office. After 10 years of service on the
University Board of Regents, Power has become the senior regent.

This rapid turnover has left an
unusual gap of experience in its mem-
bers - none of which have served a
full term as regent.
"Up until the time that Regent
Baker left the board he was the institu-
tional memory, Power said. "There is
no doubt that with the turnover on the
board in the last 10 years, losing that
kind of experience hurts.
"I think also that the University is
facing some very new problems,"

Power said. "If there was ever such a
thing as an 'old boy network' on the
board ... well, that doesn't exist now.
That allows the board to confront fresh
problems with a fresh prospective."
Maynard said Power is very well
qualified to handle the responsibilities
that come with the senior regent role.
"He does have a lot institutional
knowledge and wisdom," Maynarvd
said. "There is a tradition that the
senior member provides a lot of

knowledge and insight. I think he has
a lot of the depth and background to
do a very good job."
During the past year, the board has
spent a significant amount of time
involved in one of the most extensive
presidential searches in the University's
history. The board faced a great deal of
criticism and scrutiny during the search
process, including a lawsuit filed
against them by three local newspapers.
See POWER, Page 7

I

ape all
National organization
to interview Beta
'Theta Pi members
y Jeffrey Kosseff
nd Jenni Yachnin
ily Staff Reporters
Every member of the University
chapter of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity
will be interviewed by a panel of the
organization's alumni as part of an
investigation into the alleged rape of a
w man in the fraternity house early
fday morning, Feb. 28.
"We really want to get to the bot-
tom of this," said Steve Tetrevski,

eged at fraternity house


president of the University chapter of
Beta Theta Pi. "We are going to find
out where every brother was at that
time."
"There is so little information at
this point in time, that I can't say any-
thing," Tetrevski said. "Everything is
third- and fourth-hand information.
We are cooperating with our nation-
als, alumni, Interfraternity Council
and the University."
Erv Johnson, director of communica-
tions for the fraternity's national chapter,
said they have just begun the investiga-
tion into the incident, and so far they
have not found any "substantial evi-
dence"

"It has no basis," Johnson said.
Ann Arbor Police Department
Sergeant Larry Jerue said AAPD is cur-
rently handling the case, but the alleged
victim has opted against pressing
charges.
"The victim did not want criminal
prosecution," Jerue said.
Jerue was not able to say if the
alleged rapist is a member of the frater-
nity.
"The fraternity has not done any-
thing wrong," Jerue said.
Beta Theta Pi members say they are
also unsure if the alleged rapist is a
member of their fraternity.
IFC Vice President for Educational

Programming Jeff Kosiorek said he
is uncertain of the investigation's sta-
tus.
"I don't know where Beta's inves-
tigation is at right now," Kosiorek
said. "At this point, they are not cer-
tain if it was a member of the frater-
nity."
Tetrevski said the fraternity "is
just looking for information right
now. We can't speculate if it's even a
brother."
There have been reports that alcohol
was involved and the alleged rapist is
an acquaintance of the woman, Jerue
said.
See RAPE, Page 7

Setting up


Mi
i
By Brian Co
Daily StaffRe
A string
talizations
led some h
whether a
in the maki
ast we
ersity
cal mening
home in O
Since Do
University
ease which
I nt.,nfl -o

mingitis

blamed



sypmtons for meningitis

'C.'
:;;

students' deaths
ampbeh cating that the cases are isolated.
porter Dr. Sid Gilman, chair and professor
of student deaths and hospi- in the University's department of neuro-
at two state universities have surgery, said he is concerned about an
ealth experts to speculate on epidemic developing, affecting mostly
meningitis epidemic may be young people.
ng. "Meningococcal meningitis tends to
ek an Eastern Michigan travel in epidemics and particularly
student died of meningococ- affects children and young adults,"
itis, that she contracted at her Gilman said.
hio while on spring break. Dr. Caesar Briefer, director of the
,cember, two Michigan State University Health Service, said the
students have died of the dis- meningitis cases do not constitute an
they contracted on the East epidemic.
k - m an- tn-,hrc ha..e -t "va Ppennles hould knn tha tthis inot

Fever
Vomitin
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Stiff neck
Back pain

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headaches

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No University of Michigan students
have reported contracting the disease,
although some students received antibi-
otic treatment at UHS after being in
contact with Michigan State students,
Briefer said.
"Fortunately, we haven't had any
cases of bacterial meningitis on this
campus," Briefer said.
Briefer said the last case of meningi-
tis at the University occurred two years
ao. leading to one student's hospital-

Gilman said he worries that if stu-
dents contract the disease, they might
not seek treatment until it's too late.
"My concern is that it may go unde-
tected," Gilman said. "The person that
has the disease may only think they
have the flu and delay treatment."
Gilman urged that in light of the
recent cases, anyone who suffers from
flu-like symptoms should see a physi-
cian immediately, and be tested for the
disease.

t


- Rom IWASI