I WN 'Elan rNir News: 76-DAILY Advertising: 7640554 One hundred seven years of editorialfreedom Tuesday January 20, 1998 COMMONIlllllillifjlk= .. ;. min F 'U' staff y we can' wa It' salaries hit new heights By Janet Adamy nd Heather Kamina ily Staff Reporters University President Lee Bollinger was granted a 4.5 percent salary increase at Friday's meeting of the University Board of Regents. The board also received the annual Faculty and Staff Salary Record, which lists all University employees' salaries for 1997-98. Topping the list was Gilbert Omenn, who serves in the newly created post of executive vice president for med- *al affairs and makes $500,000 annually. Bollinger's raise brings his salary to $287,375, and was approved after the board's first evaluation of Bollinger since he became president. Regent Andrea Fischer Newman (R- Ann Arbor) voted against the raise, but she said Bollinger "has done a fabulous job as president." "I feel I'm always voting against tuition increases and housing rate creases," Newman said. "We can keep our increase to tuition and salary in line." Bollinger will be evaluated by the regents again in Aug. 1998 with the possibility of another raise, in order to place him on the same track as the rest of the University's faculty. But Bollinger's salary pales in com- parison to Omenn's, whose $500,000 salary is nearly twice that of last year's top breadwinner, former University esident and Engineering Prof. James uderstadt. Duderstadt's 3.5 percent raise bumps his salary to $282,214. "That's a national market issue," said Provost Nancy Cantor. Omenn's "peers in his profession at comparable institu- tions are extremely well compensated." University administrators' pay increases dropped an average of 30 per- cent this year, making it the second year in a row that University faculty *pped the pay increase list. Faculty and administrative salaries rose an average of 4.9 and 2.89 percent, respectively. Despite a recent effort to boost faculty pay increases, administra- tive turnover and restructuring may account for the discrepancy. "I don't think you can draw a con- clusion on these areas," said Lisa Baker, associate vice president for University relations. With four people new to the executive bard this year, University officials attribute the low administrative increase average to the high flux among execu- tive posts during the past year. "There was a lot of turnover. So much of the top did not get merit raises for new positions - like Lee and myself - so they were not counted," Cantor said. But Cantor said that although the new administrators throw off the aver- e, a push has been made to lower ministrators' pay increases. "I think it is going down a little bit," Cantor said. "It has been a consistent intent to raise faculty salaries in line See SALARIES, Page 2A West honors King legacy By Rachel Edelman Daily Staff Reporter The intensity, vision and drive of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was personified by Harvard Prof. Cornel West yes- terday as he spoke to a captivated audience about the legacy of King's work, affirmative action and racism in society. "Is it possible to embody a sense of hope as we move into the 20th Century?" West asked the audience. "It's certainly possible, but unclear as to whether we as a people have that capacity. At the moment, things don't look good, but they've never really looked good if you look closely' West, the keynote speaker for the 1998 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Symposium, spoke before a packed audience of thousands of students, faculty and community members at Hill Auditorium yesterday. West, who is a professor of Afro- American studies and philosophy of religion at Harvard University, has been described as one of the most important African-American intellectuals today. West's work attempts to broaden the scope of individual development and democracy. "Martin Luther King, Jr. was calling for each and every one of us to become mature - a passionate emergence of reality and all the sorrow and sadness that comes with it," West said. "In that short period of time, he was able to leave such a tremendous impact.: West warned the audience about the dangers of defying King's work and vision, and urged people to look at King's life from a historical perspective. See WEST, Page 7A JOHN KRAFT/Daly Cornel West, Harvard University professor of Afro-American studies and philosophy of religion, speaks to an above-capacity crowd at Hill Auditorium yesterday. West's address served as the keynote speech for the University's 1998 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Symposium. BSU Unity March remembers King By Gerard CohewVrignaud Waily Staff Reporter Police blocked off South University Avenue and South State Street yesterday to let 300 Black Student Union Unity March participants recognize the memo- ry of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "I think it's important to remember Dr. King's words," said LSA junior Kyndra Griffin. "We don't get special privileges for having black skin. We're here because of the quality of our intel- lects. We need to be preaching and fighting for equality." The demonstrators traveled across campus with banners celebrating the efforts of various minority student groups and warning against recent anti- affirmative action movements. "It's important talking to people about these issues," said LSA senior Corey Fielder. "This march is partly about getting people organized in reaching out to the community." The march was slated to start at noon, but low turnout postponed the event about 15 minutes. By noon, only about 20 or 30 ralliers had shown up and Ann Arbor Police Department offi- cers told the organizers they would only block the streets if at least 50 protesters participated. Some participants were disappointed that the march's turnout seemed so low. "It's depressing because it's gotten a lot smaller since my freshman year" said University alumnus Karriem Watson, who returned to campus to participate in the march. "I think there's a sense of "It& 's going to take a rallying point to brring change to the University." - Stanley Slaughter University Alumnus complacency in the community." As the march got underway, more people joined. By the time the ralliers reached the Diag, there were about 300 people marching. "Without Dr. King, I would've never been able to go to the University," said University alumna Marsha Slaughter. "Even with so few, if people turn out, it's for the good. Throughout the United States, there is a lot of apathy." University alumnus Stanley Slaughter said the march is important because it stands as a visual symbol of unity. "Putting money into programs that diversify the community will bring pos- itive effects," Slaughter said. "It's going to take a rallying point to bring change to the University." Several student organizations partici- pated in the march, including the Black Student Union, the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action By Any Means Necessary, the Society for Minority Engineering Students and Phi Beta Sigma. is ~disculsses SOCle By Katie Plona Discussion about accessibility to education and employment, affirmative action and the influence of the enter- tainment industry kept more than 700 people engaged for four hours yester- day during the first-ever MLK Colloquium at the University. The colloquium, one of 103 events included in the annual University sym- posium honoring the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. -- now recog- nized as the country's largest campus MLK celebration - attracted individ- uals with various perspectives and from various backgrounds. For the majority of the afternoon, audience members, one facilitator and seven panelists, ranging from Theodore Shaw - associate director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. - to rap artist and noted political activist Chuck D challenged each other with unique viewpoints. MLK Program Coordinator fara Young said the colloquium was orga- nized with the intention of offering audience members more one-on-one interaction between panelists and each other about numerous pressing topics. LOUIS BROWN/Daily "I want people to get some informa- Jamar Whitfield and Timothy Shackelford march as part of the Black Student tion and struggle with this," Young said. Union's Unity March in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, yesterday. See COLLOQUIUM, Page 2A Goss: Safety jnust come first By Katie Plona Daily Staff Reporter Athletic Director Tom Goss said he would have halted the Michigan wrestling program had the National Collegiate Athletic Association not implemented national regulation changes. But the NCAA announced last week that it will immediately enact several rules to make wrestling safer. The changes includ- among other restrictions, banning wrestlers from using rub- er suits, laxatives and saunas in their workout practices. The national organization also restructured previously relaxed weigh-in times to conform to stricter deadlines, stat- ing that wrestlers must weigh-in no more than two hours before the match for which they are trying to qualify. The changes came swiftly after the death of three collegiate Head over heels 'U' MLK symposium one of largest in U.S. By Susan T. Port Daily Staff Reporter In an attempt to commerate both the man and his ever-lasting message, the University is staging the nation's second largest celebration in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. With more than 100 events held during several days, the -University's MLK symposium is by far the largest celebration being held on any college campus in the United States. The symposium is second in size only to festivities being hosted by the Atlanta-based King Center. While the MLK symposium is focused a lot on affirmative action, among other issues, there is a lot of attention that is focused on us' said MLK program coordinator Tara Young. Young said King's work did not just center on one class or race, which is one of the reasons the symposium "has multiple reflections." "It's to celebrate and honor Dr. King,"Young said. "It's also to continue the dialogue that he would still be doing if he was still alive." University alumna Philina Adams, who was on the programming committee, said yesterday was unlike other holidays. +{ll< L tr - +-n- -,, ae ca 1 :. Y