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)uderstadt bids Universit presidency farewell
Wednesday
S19, x1996
ennifer Harvey and Katie Wang
News Editors
"I am basically a builder," said James
uderstadt of his years as president of
e University.
Since Duderstadt took office in
988, the University has undergone
tst changes: cosmetic, financial,
ructural and compositional. When
eofficially steps down at the end of
is month, he will walk away know-
ig he has influenced great and
sometimes con-
trove rs i al
change at the
University.
"This Univer-
sity is better,
stronger, more
diverse, and more
exciting than it's
ever been in its
history," he said
yesterday in an
interview with The Michigan Daily.
Duderstadt will step down from from
the presidency on June 30 and Vice
President for Research Homer Neal will
take over as interim president.
Duderstadt announced last fall he
would resign the presidency and return
to teaching in the College of
Engineering.
"I'll miss the day-to-day interac-
tion with some truly remarkable peo-
ple, some of the most talented people
in higher education," Duderstadt
said.
Duderstadt said he is proud of his
role in shaping the University.
"At the beginning we had a set of objec-
tives we felt to be certainly challenging,
almost impossible, and they have been
achieved," he said.
Duderstadt cited increased diversi-
ty as one reason for the University's
improvement during his presidency.
Under Duderstadt's presidency,
minority student enrollment as more
than doubled to about 25 percent of
the student body.
He also praised Vice President for
Student Affairs Maureen Hartford for
improving relations between students
and administrators.
"There is open dialogue and a better
understanding of the students;" he said,
"There is an increased level of respect
in the administration for student con-
See DUDERSTADT, Page 2
)PS relations criticized
n committee report
y Jennifer Harvey
aily Managing News Editor
*fter three months of intense invests-
stion, the University's Department of
ublic Safety Oversight Committee
leased a "preliminary" report on
Monday detailing the findings of its
vestigation into DPS.
The report stated that two major
roblems exist for DPS: a poor rela-
onship with minority members of the
ampus community and a "gap between
DPS) and a large portion of the student
in general."
ccording to the report, the commit-
e had been asked by University
resident James Duderstadt and mem-
ers of the Board of Regents to conduct
n investigation of issues associated
with the Feb. 17 arrest of Office of
Academic Multicultural Initiatives
Director John Matlock at the Central
Campus Recreation Building and a
general investigation of DPS. The
report also said Matlock's attorney,
Dick Soble, requested the investigation.
The request for an investigation came
after the case was reviewed by the
Michigan State Police.
"The administration's decision can
only be interpreted as an expression of
distrust in the objectivity of that
Department ... ," the report said.
"We have received the report and are
in the process of reviewing it," DPS
Director Leo IHeatley said yesterday in
an official statement. "The Department
See REPORT, Page 7
student inmate Lujan
W mmits suicide in jail cell
;y Laurie Mayk
~nd Katie Wang
kilrv Editsrs
The waiting in
he case against
.rystal Lujan is
ver several
nonths earlier
han expected.
an, an LSA Lujan
ophomore, was
ound dead Saturday night in her pri-
ate cell at the Washtenaw County Jail.
A preliminary investigation has report-
d the cause of death to be suicide.
Lujan had been in custody for almost
aine months, awaiting pretrial and trial
ssignments for murder and arson
charges. She was accused of plotting and
taking part i the September beatitg
death of 47-year-old Daniel Rice and
torching the Baits residence hall room of
Lujan's former lover, who will be a
junior in the School of Music this fail.
Washtenaw County Lt. R.J. Smith
said guards found Lujan dead, hanging
by her bed sheets while they were mak-
ing indiscriminatory rounds Saturday
night.
Smith said Lujan gave no indication
that she was going to commit suicide.
Both an internal and complete investi-
gation will be made, Smith said.
John Toomey, Lujan's attorney, said
he was surprised to hear of the 24-year-
old's suicide when lie called his secre-
See Lujan, Page 2
Matt Wimsatt, a recent University graduate, paints the scene as people in the background wander through the Peony Garden
in Nichols Arboretum on Sunday. A live jazz band added to the festive atmosphere.
Peony Garden Party highlights Arb flower collection
* Admirers gather to
enjoy blooms, enter-
tainment
By Anita Chik
Daly Staff Reporter
The smell of flowers drifted through
the Peony Garden in the Nichols
Arboretum. Colors of red, pink, white
and yellow, along with jazz music and
the laughter of visitors, heightened the
Peony Garden Party to a peak last
Sunday.
Many people brought their cam-
eras to capture the peonies in full
bloom, while some strolled along the
27 beds of peonies to learn their dif-
ferent names and varieties. Those
who wanted to know about the culti-
vation and history of peonies gath-
ered to question the volunteer gar-
deners during the party.
Anne Teitelman, a Nursing graduate
student, said she enjoyed seeing the var-
ious types of peonies.
"It's nice to see the different vari-
eties and how different the peoties
can be," she said. "There are so many
different kinds and I never know."
Although this is the third year that
the Friends of the Nichols Arboretum
organized the Peony Garden Party, it
was a new experience for many of the
attendees.
Virginia Palmer, of Alma, Mich.,
said she was really impressed by the
garden.
"It's so spectacular to see all dif-
ferent kinds in one place. The fra-
grance is so pronounced," she said.
See PEONY, Page 2
THIS WEEK'S
3 NSIDE NEVUS 9(TS
U administrators travel to 9 Richard Ford to read at
South Africa. Borders.
16 SPORTS
Yost1Ice Arena construction
continues.