Summer Weekly ~be £tdltg3uu amig I,. T:o'TTN"; 'r;I I M. One hundred two years of editorial freedom stdts on Au us~t 2f 19991 FREE BEER99 Really! ,%U4S. Forest Forest Post Apartments Basement, Center Kight's! MSA Presents: GET YOUR Are sytuden tfunds MONEY BACK pa PARTY Monday, August 2nd 9:00pm'till.... I Aildetic Director search questioned r- By BRYN MICKLE DALY NEWS EDTOR As the search for a new athletic director (AD) enters its final phase, questions remain about the search pro- cess. Last year, a12member committee was formed by President James Dud- erstadt to find acceptable candidates for the AD position. Headed by Farris Womack, the University's vice presi- dent and chief financial officer, the search committee was composed of University communitymembers.They were taken from four select pools - faculty, student athletes and alums. One athletic department adminis- trator, Jeffrey Long, was asked to par- ticipate in the search. When questioned about their in- volvementmostcommittee members responded with afinm "no comment." Only one participant, Stacie McCall, was willing to talk about the search. Director of University Relations Walter Harrison said the AD search was no different from any other Uni- versity search, except the level of se- crecy involved. "Dr. Womack stressed to the com- mittee the importance of keeping the search confidential given intense pub- licandimediainterestin this position," Harrison said in an electronic mail message. be we went to considerable effortto ati ret both women and people of color as candidates." Walter H aris Dmetor of Unioveay Relationa Harrison said the AD search is not related to the University's pending Open Meetings Act (OMA) case. The Ann Arbor News and the Detroit Free Press are suing the University over its last presidential search. The papers arguedthattheselectionof James Dud- erstadt violated a state law that orders searches for presidents of public insti- tutions be open to public scrutiny. Harrison said the AD search dif- fered because it is conducted by the president instead of the Board of Re- gents. A university's governing board conducts a presidential search and is subject to the OMA, he said. The University's Board of Regents, however, must give the fusal approval to any AD candidate recommended by Duderstad. "He hopes to have a candidate to recommendtothe Boardof Regents by itsSeptembermeeting,"Harrisonsaid. "But that is not a firm deadline." Current Athletic Director Jack Weidenbach will continue to oversee the athletic department until his suc- cessor is named. Other questions remain concern- ing the pool of candidates the commit- tee submitted to Duderstadt. Last week, the Daily reported a list of likely candidates for the AD posi- tion. The list was composed of only men, of which only one - Reggie McKenzie - was not Caucasian. Harrison said the committee's at- temptto findfemale candidates as well as those ofcolor was one reason for the delay in the search. "I believe we went to consider- able effort to attract both women and people of color as candidates," Harrison said. John Matlock, director of minority affairs,saidtheBoard ofRegentsshould give an explanation if an African American is not selected for the posi- tion. "It's easy for people to write their own script," he said. Peggy Bradley-Doppes, the asso- ciate women's athletic director,refused to comment on the AD search. It is believed she was an initial candidate for the position, but she was not included on the list of finalists. as this printed through the MSA copier? Please keep tis conf idential, in regards t o 9y t Party Not at my pad says MSs Brian Kight By JEN DIMASCIO DAILY NEWS EDITOR On Monday, students, faculty and orientees meandering across the Diag may have spotted flyers proclaiming the existenceof aparty that night at the home of the Michigan Student Assembly's Vice President Brian Kight. The flyer (above) stated that free beer would be offered and MSA funds sponsored the fete. But the party never took place. Kight's high-school friends from Pittsburgh printed the advertisements as apracticaljoke on their stoic buddy. Kight said they used to yell, "Party at Kight's," out of the school bus win- dow. "Itwasaninsidejokethatthey took to anew level," Kight said. When Kight discovered the prank that evening, he collected as many flyers as possible to piece together the charred remains of MSA respectabil- ity- Whilehe searched for errant flyers, Kight said three or four party-seekers arrived at his home, but left when no stale lager could be smelled. Buttheinitialincidentwasnotwith- out repercussions. Kight received calls from Univer- sity administrators who wanted an ex- planation for the party. MaryLouAntieau,theUniversity's judicial advisor; realized the flyer was a farce but said it was an unfortunate occurrence. "I feel very badly that someone wouldmisusetheMSAlabel,"Antieau said. "Ifhehadgivenalcoholtominors it would be in violation of the alcohol policybutwereceivednoinformation as to the existence of a party." Kight said he was surprised at the clamor the joke generated. "It would be funnier if it hadn't happened to me," Kight said. U' denied six city streets By WILL WADE DAILY STAFF REPORTER The University and the city of Ann Arbor are currently negotiating the details of a new parking lot which would meet the needs of both. Thesecretnegotiating sessionshave centered on a proposed new road on University land. When the Ann Arbor City Councilsteadfastlyrefusedtogrant the University's request for six city streets, the parking lot proposal be- came a possible compromise. The parking lot will be built in SouthFullerParkacrossthestreetfrom Fuller Pool, Superintendent of Parks and Recreation Ron Olson said. It will be available for University parking during the day, and used for public parking in the evenings and weekends. Olson said the city has wanted to build another parking area in Fuller Park for several years. The University requested permis- sion in June to build a parking lot which could be shared with the city. The University needs more space to accommodate construction workerson theplannedCancer andGeriatrics Cen- ters. After construction finishes, the lot couldbecomepermanentdaytimestaff parking, Olson said. WhentheUniversity'sproposalwas reviewedby the Parks Advisory Com- mission, the commision's surprising answer was to link the request to the ongoing Oak Way negotiations. City and University officials have been haggling all summer over the proposed relocation of Oak Way. The planned expansion of the Veteran's Administration hospital wouldrequireOakWay,anearby street, to be moved a few hundred feet east onto undeveloped University-owned land. The original plan would route the road directly through a grove of an- cient oak trees. Responding to public outcry, the City Council asked the University in May to surrender about six acres of land east of the trees, permitting the road to be moved and saving the oaks. The University in turn requested thepermanentclosureofsixcitystreets near Central Campus, Medical Center and Athletic Campus. Officials from the city and theUni- versity have been deadlockedin secret negotiations ever since. See OAK WAY, Page 2