Wednesday, September 27, 2006 A PHOTOGRAPHC FORA INTo AES Opinion 4A Dibo catches xenophobic conservatives Arts SA A more serious side of Ludacris Sports 10A Defensive tackle branches in One-hundred-sixteen years ofedtorialfreedom wvww. mic'higandaiy. corn Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXVII, No. 17 2006 The Michigan Daily Athletic department dissects Big House Plan Group behind the alternative plan defends it as a model not intended to be final By Nate Sandals Daily Sports Writer Five days after opponents of the athletic department's luxury box proposal released their "Big House Plan" to renovate Michigan Stadium without adding skyboxes, the athletic department claims to have found multiple faults in the alternative expansion plan. The athletic department is confident that the pro-posed luxury box plan is superior when it comes to finance, design and intangibles, said Jason Winters, the athletic department's chief financial officer. Winters questioned Save the Big House founder John Pollack's claim that the "Big House Plan" could add 10,000 seats around the upper bowl at for a quarter-billion dollars less than the University's proposal. "In their plan, they were using a second con- course, which is extremely expensive," Winters said. "I can stake my reputation on the fact that you cannot do it for $1,000 per seat." Pollack, a former Clinton speechwriter, said last week that the alternative plan's financial analysis was based on one of the renovation options the department considered but did not recommend to the Board of Regents. The analysis concluded that the addition to the upper bowl and the new second concourse surrounding the entire bowl would have a cost of $1,000 per seat. The plan that Pollack based his numbers off of, "Option 2," would add seating for disabled fans, widen aisles and improve restrooms and concessions, just like the luxury box plan and Pollack's plan. But unlike those plans, it would merely renovate the existing press box instead of building a new one. Pollack's numbers also fail to account for the price of moving the scoreboards atop the new rows as well as the cost of construction for a new press box, Winters said. The CFO disagreed with Pollack's conclusion that the "Big House Plan" can be completed for $93 million without an added surcharge on each ticket. "We haven't decided if we are going to do a cost analysis of (The Big House Plan)," Winters said. "But I'm fairly confident that it has enough holes in it that it's not going to pay for itself, so you will need some ticket surcharge." Save the Big House admits that their plan is not perfect, but Pollack hopes that its presen- tation will reveal that skyboxes aren't the only way to meet the construction goals. "This was a very conceptual project," said Jeremy Sphar, one of the four architects who worked pro bono on the group's proposal. "When it came down to a construction sched- ule or even specific construction costs, we were basing that on other precedents." Pollack could not be reached for comment. The proposed luxury box plan - which includes a second concourse along both the east and west sides of the stadium to support the new structures - is budgeted at $227 million See STADIUM, page 7A OLD NEW On Diag, more hate Second day of anti- gay speech by two preachers yields lively religious debate By Walter Nowinski Daily Staff Reporter When Michael Venyah and Chris Lemeiux returned to the Diag yesterday to continue preaching their anti-gay mes- sage, at least four campus offi- cers was waiting for them. Diane Brown, Department of Public Safety spokeswoman, said there were no reports of criminal incidents on the second day in a row in which a crowd of furious students confronted the preachers. On Monday, DPS received one complaint from someone who wanted Venyah and Lemieux removed from the Diag. Police took no action because free speech protections give any- one the right to speak on pub- lic property as long as they are not interfering with a registered event, Brown said. Angry students spanked, drew sexual images on and flicked cigarette ashes at the preachers on Monday. "No matter how hateful his speech may be, it does not give See DIAG, page 7A Talking points What people were saying during the anti-gay protest on the Diag yesterday: "It's nice for us to be all fired up about something." - LSA freshman Arthur Kay on the mob of students sur- rounding Venyah "If he doesn't have atten- tion, his hate and hellfire will go away." - LSA freshman David Merian, pleading with the crowd to ignore Venyah "Know ye now that the unrighteous University of Michigan students will go to hell." - Chris Lemieux, para- phrasing a passage from First Corinithians "It is not an act of hate. It is an act of love." - Alex Hollingsworth, dis- cussing Venyah's preaching TOP: Engineering senior Ben Iwrey, who was fired from his position as drum major this summer, poses in an empty Michigan Stadium yesterday. BOTTOM: Current drum major Iden Baghadchi performs at the Notre Dame football game in South Bend on Sept. 23. The drum major was quietly Af'A fired from his post in July. A IvE4mJ',E replacement stepped in, revealing : the marching band's ... By Gabe Nelson Daily Staff Reporter Engineering senior Ben Iwrey can't stand going to Michigan foot- ball games anymore. The shame of sitting in the bleachers instead of marching with the band on the field would be too much. In July, Iwrey went from being drum major to nothing in less than a week. Jamie Nix, director of the Michi- gan Marching Band, fired Iwrey and promoted LSA senior Iden Baghdad- chi to the drum major position. Months earlier, on April 18, Iwrey had won a hotly contested competi- tiondefeating Baghdadchi and Engi- neering senior Rob Reed to become the student leader of the band. Although Iwrey had played clari- net for the marching band since his freshman year, he had no experience as a drum major. He decided to stay on campus over the summer to learn the ropes. After three months of work at Revelli Hall, the marching band's home on East Hoover Street, Iwrey thought he was making great prog- ress. "I was under the impression that I was forging some great relationships with the staff," Iwrey said. He was surprised to learn the staff thought otherwise. Nix and his staff, unhappy with Iwrey's work during the summer, gave him a letter on July 19 that said they were considering demoting him from his post. It listed about a dozen instances when Iwrey allegedly acted in an unprofessional manner. "Over the course ,of the past sev- eral weeks, as you have begun serv- ing in this highly public leadership and service role, you have demon- strated repeated inability to conduct yourself in a professional manner as required by the higher standards of this position," Nix wrote. Iwrey was shocked. "There was some tension between me and Professor Nix, but I was con- See BAND, page 7A What are the drum major's responsibilities? Perform a pregame routine, including the "back bend" and the "goalpost toss." The drum major takes off his hat, bends backwards and touches his head to the ground. He then runs to the end zone and throws his baton over the goalpost. If the drum major drops the baton, legend says Michigan will lose the game. Serve as the band's public face and the liaison between the band and the staff. Instruct the marching band with vocal and whistle commands. Spellings backs ideas to simplify college choices, track students GETTING SACKED Former 'U' president says education secretary had strong support among leaders at speech From staff and wire reports Education Secretary Margaret Spellings launched plans yesterday to redefine the college experience, prom- ising less confusion and more results for families. Spellings said she would make a handful of changes on her own and start building support for some of the more sweeping ideas that came from her higher education commission. Chief among them is the creation of a massive information-sharing system, opening up greater review of how col- leges and universities are performing. It would require vast data collection on individual students, already raising privacy concerns in some corners. Spellings also pledged to make it easier for people to apply for financial aid and to compare the price and the can't buy a home or start a family? value of one school to another. She None of this seems fine to me." spoke of more federal college aid but President Bush said yesterday that would not endorse a specific request to he strongly supports the initiative. But raise Pell Grants, as her commission even with the leverage of her office and wanted. Bush's ear, Spellings Former Uni- Spe no'swill need help to turn versity President Y the ideas into action. James Duderstadt, overarching theme is In most cases, she who served on will need support the commission, to make everything from Congress, gov- attended Spell- ernors, state boards ings's speech at about college easier of education and a the National Press complex mix of pub- Club yesterday. for families, lie and private col- He said that her leges. speech was met with strong support Her overarching theme is to make among the higher education leaders in everything about college - choosing attendance. one, affording one, succeeding in one Sensitive to how colleges would - easier for families. Parents should react to her plans, Spellings heaped be able to shop for a college as simply praise on them. But she mocked the as they shop for a car, she said, with idea that everything is fine. a clear expectation of what they will "Is it fine that college tuition has out- get. paced inflation?" she asked. "Is it fine Spellings admitted she's been frus- that only half our students graduate trated, as a mom, in getting those on time? Is it fine that students often answers herself. Her oldest daughter, graduate so saddled with debt that they See SPELLINGS, page 7A AARON HANDELSMAN/Daily Ann Arbor resident Greg Nelson plays footbag near the Diag yesterday. Nelson participates in a hackey-sack club called the Flying Aces. i A r