Symington OKs $21M increase for universities

By Kelly Wendel and Ray Stern
State Press
	In a surprise move, Gov. Fife Symington approved the 
Arizona 1997 Fiscal Year budget as written by the state 
Legislature, leaving in an additional $21 million earmarked for 
higher education.
	Out of the extra $21 million, ASU will receive $4.5 million.
	The $21 million increase over last year's budget pushes 
funding for ASU, UofA and NAU to $630.5 million out of a total 
$4.8 billion state budget. State employees are stuck with a 1 
percent raise, plus $500 for each employee. But they won't feel the 
extra jingle in their pockets until April l997. 
	"We are just glad that the governor is signing the budget, 
because we think it is the right thing to do," said Blake Anderson, 
lobbyist for the Alumni Legislative Network, an ASU lobbying 
organization. 
	Symington had indicated earlier in the week that he would 
use his line-item veto power to kill the extra university funding, 
but a diverse coalition of business leaders and rebel Republicans 
apparently forced the governor to back down.
	Early reports had Symington aides counting heads in the 
House to establish if Symington's veto would withstand an override 
by the Legislature. Although it appears that Symington had the 
numbers for an override-proof veto in the Senate, the governor 
lacked the necessary votes in the House of Representatives, said 
Sen. Gary Richardson, R-Tempe. 
	"There was a very real threat of a veto," he said. 
	The governor signed the bill after he received a 
commitment from the Arizona Board of Regents and the 
University Presidents Council to work on streamlining university 
budgets and rooting out inefficiency.
	"We (ABOR members Kurt Davis and John Munger) took 
the lead on this (and) prepared a letter which said to the governor 
that the process this year has not been good," said Regent John 
Munger. "It has been too adversarial. We need to be more 
collaborative."
	The commitment by ABOR and the UPC stipulates that 
they will work to limit waste in the university systems and sit 
down in May to begin the budget process, rather than schedule 
budget talks in the new year and create a budget in a vacuum. 
Munger said the latter leads to an adversarial relationship. 
	"(Symington) still thinks universities are over-funded and 
need to economize and right size, but he figured that this is what he 
should do in hopes of reaching a compromise and consensus with 
everybody," Richardson said.

Unity Rally draws 400;NAACP's Tillman praises students for stand against racism

By Brian Anderson
State Press
	A campus student group is addressing an important issue by 
taking a stand against discrimination, the president of the National 
Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Arizona 
chapter said at a rally Thursday.
	"Whenever you take a stand about what is right, the rest 
will take care of itself," said NAACP Arizona chapter president 
Oscar Tillman. "We will support these students in what they are 
doing because they are trying to combat racism on campus."
	Tillman spoke to a group of about 400 people at Unity 
Rally '96 in front of the Memorial Union. Students Against 
Discrimination sponsored the rally that provided people the 
opportunity to listen to a diverse group of speakers express their 
concerns relating to racism and other forms of discrimination both 
on and off campus.
	A group of drummers representing the American Indian 
Movement Arizona chapter kicked off the rally with a traditional 
drum-beating demonstration and melodic chant.
	SAD spokesman Dondrell Swanson said the rally's purpose 
was to unify many different organizations in the fight against 
discrimination. 
	"We have support for what we are doing here today from 
groups all over Arizona as well as nationwide," he said.
	Vernon Fuster, an AIMA member, said students' time 
would be much better spent in libraries and classrooms rather than 
on Orange Mall protesting discrimination. 
	"It's sad that the students that we send here to educate to 
become our future leaders ... have to take time out of their studies 
and their lives to form an organization to fight the very institution 
that is supposed be educating them," he said. "We are no longer 
minorities. We are the majority of the world, people of color, and 
this is what scares the hell out of America."
	Even though race is the most common element of 
discrimination, it is not exclusive to the problem, according to 
Lambda League member Greg Marzullo. 
	"A lot of times when we talk about minorities, the gay, 
lesbian and bisexual community is not included," he said. "I don't 
think that people recognize the intense discrimination that is forced 
on my particular minority group. I belong to a group that is banned 
by man, government and God."
	All totaled, 22 individuals and representatives from various 
organizations spoke, read poetry, preached, laughed and cheered.
	MEChA President-elect JosŽ Malvido summed up the day's 
events. 
	"I think it's good that people are just coming to see what it's 
about," he said. "It's an ongoing process. We're just going to see 
where it goes from here."

IFC president Eckel previously accused of sexual assault;County attorney's office declined prosecution in '94 case

By Garin Groff
State Press
	The president of ASU's Interfraternity Council, now in a 
Mexican jail awaiting trial on a rape charge, was accused of 
sexually assaulting an ASU student in 1994.
	Mike Eckel, a 24-year-old senior marketing major, was 
never arrested or charged, said Chief of ASU Police Lanny 
Standridge.
	The allegations came from an 18-year-old student who told 
police in January 1994 that Eckel sexually assaulted her in a 
fraternity house after a party, according to University police 
documents.
	"We investigated the case and forwarded it to the county 
attorney's office, but it declined to prosecute," Standridge said. 
"They said there was no reasonable chance of prosecution."
	Police had no physical evidence of rape, according to the 
report.
	Eckel was arrested in San Felipe last week after a 19-year-
old American woman accused him of sexual assault during spring 
break. Eckel told police the woman consented to sex.
	Today is the last day of Eckel's three-day defense 
presentation in a Mexicali, Baja California, courtroom. If 
convicted, he faces eight to 12 years in prison.

Minority enrollment up, ABOR report says;Graduation rates between ethnic groups still show disparity, however

By Ray Stern
State Press
	Minority enrollment at the state's universities have handily 
exceeded goals set two years ago, according to a report presented 
at the Arizona Board of Regents meeting at the UofA Thursday.
	The report showed that the percentage of minorities at the 
three schools has gone from 11.4 percent in 1987 to 18.9 percent in 
1995. At ASU, percentages jumped from 10.6 to 17.5 in the same 
time period.
	But despite the increases in enrollment, the report 
emphasized a few areas that need improvement.
	"I think it's always exciting when you can increase upon 
stuff like that," said Student Regent Mark Davis. "But we have a 
long way to go."
	The board's goal for graduation rates was met only in the 
Hispanic category, and notable disparities exist in graduation rates 
between the various ethnic groups.
	For first-year students who started school in 1986 to 1988 
and graduated in six years, the numbers were as follows: 52.1 
percent Asian Americans, 47.6 percent whites, 39.7 percent 
Hispanics, 27.5 percent African Americans and 13.2 percent 
Native Americans.
	"There's a great deal to accomplish as far as reducing the 
gap between minority and non-minority graduates," said Regent 
Eddie Basha.
	"It's hard to close that gap," said Saundra Taylor, UofA 
vice president for student affairs who helped present the report.
	Another aspect of the report that sparked debate was the 
continuing low rate of college eligibility for minority students. 
	The most current figures available show that Hispanics and 
African Americans lag almost 20 percentage points behind the 50 
percent of eligible whites.
	Munger and Basha reacted defensively when UofA officials 
Taylor and Jose Colchado, dean of the College of Communication 
Arts, proposed undertaking another study to examine the issue.
	"I'm concerned about societal and family life," Munger 
said. "Are we going to study that?"
	Basha asked, "Why don't we institute solutions instead of 
another study?" 
	Colchado asked Basha why he was not proposing the 
solutions.
	"I have spoken for three years (on the subject) and nobody 
listens," Basha responded.
	Later, Basha said it was extremely important to commit to a 
concept of a "seamless web of education" in order to boost 
eligibility levels.
	"We have to extend ourselves to the early level Ñ the 'K' 
level, the pre-K level," he said. "Every major study done in 1968 is 
no different than any major study done today. (They) indicate 
unequivocally that the most important component of a child's 
education is the child's parent. That hasn't changed a bit. But that's 
part of extending ourselves out into the community Ñ to teach 
those parents that don't know what they're doing. Not all parents 
are literate. Not every parent cares."
	Munger gave a slightly different angle on the same 
message. 
	"Part of the solution is getting the message out to people 
that education is not a community responsibility," he said. "You 
have to have a collaborative effort Ñ families, community, all that 
Ñ but the primary responsibility has to be the families."
	Munger emphasized that he did not want to eliminate 
helpful programs, but instead place a higher priority on family 
involvement.
	However, Colchado said choosing how to best spend the 
state's finite resources to tackle this problem is difficult.
	"Universities cannot in and of themselves solve the 
problem. It takes total community commitment," he said. "If you 
have parents who are illiterate, chances are they will not be able to 
communicate (the importance) of education, so one thing to look at 
is literacy programs for parents."
	In other action, the board:
	- Further considered a tuition indexing scheme that would 
raise tuition in a predictable manner over a number of years. The 
proposed increases would supposedly keep a lower per-year 
average tuition hike than in recent years.
	- Reviewed modifications to the tenure system.
	- Announced new collaborative efforts to expand new 
technologies such as distance-learning.

Baumgartner: 'I know the system'

By Tim Baxter
State Press
	One of a series profiling the candidates for Associated 
Students of ASU president.

	Junior psychology major Mark Baumgartner has been 
involved with the Associated Students of ASU since he came to 
ASU three years ago.
	"I know the system," he said. "I know how to (make 
changes). It needs to be done, and it needs to be done right."
	Baumgartner said his long experience with ASASU would 
help him cut through the red tape and get things done.
	"ASASU has all this bureaucracy and nothing gets done," 
he said. "I know every aspect of ASU."
	Baumgartner was raised in northern California and came to 
ASU after graduating from a San Francisco high school. Since 
starting college, his accomplishments include:
	- member of the college council during his first two 
semesters
	- founder of a club called Students Taking Initiative
	- college council vice president of the College of Liberal 
Arts and Sciences 
	- member of committee that brought the GOP debate to 
ASU
	- currently the student lobbyist
	Baumgartner also holds several positions in the Delta 
Sigma Phi fraternity and was an ASU soccer player for two years. 
	"And I like art and music, the same as everyone else," he 
said.
	As president, Baumgartner hopes to have teacher 
evaluations published and have a cap on tuition or index it to the 
rate of inflation "so you'll know what it's going to be when you 
come in as a freshman."
	"Probably most important would be (developing the) ASU 
experience Ñ restoring pride and tradition to ASU," he said. 
"Some of the ideas are creating a spring fling like (the UofA) has 
and creating a room to display ASU's heritage, possibly in the 
Memorial Union."

Tempe lands new mall project

By Kelly Wendel
State Press
	Shoppers, start your credit cards.
	The great East Valley mall wars are over, and Tempe's the 
winner. 
	The City reached an agreement earlier this week with a 
consortium of developers who, by this fall, will break ground for a 
new 1.2 million square-foot mall at the intersection of I-10 and the 
Superstition Freeway. 
	Tempe also entered into a revenue sharing plan with 
Chandler as part of the agreement to place the Arizona Mills Mall 
in Tempe. The arrangement gives Chandler $5.3 million from sales 
tax revenues, including $3.5 million from Tempe.
	The mall is slated to open in the fall of 1997 and will 
generate an estimated $2 million in sales taxes annually.
	The agreement comes after more than a year of competition 
between two rival development groups. The Simon Property Group 
of Indianapolis and the Mills Corporation in Washington, D.C., 
were developing a mall located on Priest and Ray Roads in 
Chandler. The Taubman Group of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and 
the Grossman Company of Phoenix worked on the I-10 and 
Superstition Freeway property.
	The rivalry created a fierce competition for tenants in the 
malls, and the two development groups sued each other. But 
developers say they have dropped the suits and have joined forces 
to work on the new Arizona Mills Mall, acting as co-developers. 
	"We believe this agreement benefits all parties Ñ the 
customers in the Phoenix market, the cities of Tempe and 
Chandler, as well as share owners in our organizations," said 
Robert Taubman, President and CEO of Taubman Centers. "We're 
convinced that this development will be one of the most productive 
and unique retail shopping destinations in the Southwest."
	Under the agreement, Mills will manage the construction 
and Taubman will provide accounting and other managerial 
services. Mills, Taubman and Simon will jointly supervise property 
management for the center.
	The developers are looking to place 12 anchor stores and 
200 retail outlets in the mall. Although developers are involved in 
many negotiations with retailers, Jim West, a consultant for the 
Taubman Groups, said the developers have already lined up a Saks 
Fifth Avenue outlet, an Oshman's sporting goods store and a 
Harkins Cinema with 20 to 25 movie screens.
	"This mall is going to provide a really convenient discount, 
value-oriented shopping destination for anyone that lives in the 
East Valley," West said. "People will come from around the Valley 
because the Arizona Mills Mall will have broader service than your 
typical mall."

Editorial: Boos & Bravos

BRAVO Ñ To the passage of the 1997 state budget Ñ with a 
$21.5 million hike for the university system intact.
	Gov. Symington had threatened earlier to use a line-item 
veto on the university budget increase. But public pressure by the 
universities' legislative supporters Ñ such as Sen. Gary Richardson 
of Tempe Ñ won the day for the hike.
	We appreciate these legislators' efforts on behalf of the 
cause of higher education. And we definitely feel that Symington 
deserves a big BOO for trying to kill the funding with a line-item 
veto.
	Exactly what does Symington have against state 
universities, anyway? We can't all go to Harvard, Fife.

BOO Ñ To the mess created by the Wednesday deadline on green 
card renewal.
	After being told by the federal government that their cards 
were good for life, the feds changed their minds Ñ and forced the 
country's resident aliens to renew their cards. The renewal wasn't 
free, either Ñ resident aliens got stuck with a $75 fee to get the 
new, computer-coded cards.
	We can see the need for a new card, one that would be 
harder to counterfeit. But putting such a stringent deadline on 
resident aliens to renew the cards was unfair. Having them pay $75 
to get the new cards was only adding insult to injury.
	We doubt the cards cost the government $75 apiece to 
produce. These people were soaked unnecessarily.

BRAVO Ñ To the Students Against Discrimination for a 
successful and moralizing rally Thursday.
	If this rally has an enduring image, it will certainly be 
diversity. Hundreds of students from every race, nationality and 
culture attended the rally. Speakers ranged from the Rev. Oscar 
Tillman, president of the Arizona NAACP, to Rabbi Barton Lee of 
Hillel.
	Most importantly, the rally emphasized campus unity in the 
struggle against racism. It was precisely the message that ASU 
needed to hear.
	We hope that this event will have positive effects for the 
rest of the semester.

BRAVO Ñ To the conviction of the Menendez brothers on 
charges of first-degree murder.
	Erik and Lyle Menendez claimed that they were acting in 
self-defense, fearful that their parents would kill them rather than 
let the family be torn by an incest scandal.
	But the details of the case made this claim seem ludicrous. 
The brothers stood to inherit a fortune with their parents dead. 
They purchased the shotguns used in the murders the day before 
the slayings. Then, at the time of the murders, they fired 15 
shotgun blasts into their parents.
	These were the actions of cold-blooded murderers Ñ not of 
someone defending themselves. These murders were brutal in the 
extreme. The Menendez brothers were adults Ñ if they feared for 
their lives, they could have left home.
	We're glad that the jury was able to see through their 
ridiculous argument and gave these two killers the sentence they 
richly deserved. Does anyone else hope these two get the death 
penalty?

Column: Rally united diverse crowd for common cause

Dondrell Swanson
Guest Columnist

	My heart is overfilled with joy. I have just come home from 
Unity Rally '96, an event that I will undoubtedly remember long 
after I leave ASU this summer.
	Nearly a month ago about 50 students representing 
Students Against Racism (now Students Against Discrimination) 
including myself, protested at the Republican Presidential debate. 
What we were protesting was the onslaught of racist incidents that 
have occurred at ASU and the irony of candidate Pat Buchanan's 
presence (with his racist ideals). I was involved in the protest 
because I knew that what was going on was wrong and protesting 
(as they did in the '60s) was my way of showing it.
	About three weeks ago, I was verbally assaulted by 
someone as I left the Student Services Building. My desire to bring 
about change was intensified because I knew the ASU community 
was better than that. I left that confrontation angry and confused. 
However, I was content with my decision not to physically retaliate 
to his threats.
	Since then, many things have happened. Some of them 
have been bad and deserve no further attention. However, some 
wonderful things have also happened. One is the dialogue that has 
occurred between SAD and the senior administration of ASU. 
SAD has presented many suggestions to President Lattie Coor and 
Provost Milton Glick about ways to improve the University. The 
dialogue has been productive and vital to proving that the ASU 
community is better than the incidents we have been bombarded 
with recently.
	Thursday, SAD hosted a rally. Not a protest, but a peaceful 
and positive rally. We had several goals, including the following: 
To raise the consciousness of our community about the cross-
cultural effects of discrimination and to unite our community. We 
wanted to show everyone with the common goal of unity and 
productive change what we could accomplish. Furthermore, we 
wanted to share with the community the results of our meeting 
with the administration. 
	What we accomplished was not something that can be 
quantified. When I reminisce on this rally, I will remember many 
things. However, most importantly, I will remember what kind of 
day it was:
	- It was a day when we showed a great deal of respect for 
the similarities that exist within all cultures.
	- It was a day when more than 300 students listened to the 
messages of many different people ranging from the Nation of 
Islam to the Lambda League to the Hillel Jewish Community.
	- It was a day when we listened to the editorial of a very 
concerned student and the plight of the distinguished American 
Indian Movement.
	- It was a day where I looked into the crowd and saw 
international students, Muslim students, Chicano/Chicana students, 
White students, Asian students, Christian students, Gay and 
Lesbian students and many others and a song with the theme of 
freedom continually ran through my mind. 
	- It was a day when my decision to walk away from an idiot 
was applauded and the dreams of a group of emotionally 
committed students became a reality.
	Yes, it was wonderful and worthy of praise and we are 
overjoyed at the rally's success and our progress with the 
administration. Now, we must recognize the work we as a 
community must do. 
	It is time for us to build upon the positive emotions of the 
rally within ourselves and our social circles. 
	It is time for us to hold the administration responsible for 
everything they have said they would provide us. To ensure they 
aid our community in restoring an environment where education 
can live and discrimination can be put to rest. 
	I want to take the time to thank everyone who delivered a 
message at the rally Thursday. I want to thank everyone who 
attended the rally, even those who just stopped by for a minute. I 
want to thank the people behind the scene who worked hard 
helping SAD host a productive rally, specifically, Jesus Trevino 
and Lanny Standridge. The rest of you know who you are. In 
addition, I want to thank the more than 200 caring ASU students 
who signed up to be new members of SAD. I also want to thank 
the current members of SAD for sticking to our principles and 
doing what we said we could do. However, most of all, I want to 
thank all the people who intensified our passion for change through 
hate mail, jokes and threats. Specifically, the idiot who verbally 
assaulted me. 

Dondrell Swanson is a senior public relations major and 
spokesman for Students Against Discrimination.

Column: Greek life begins with party

Michelle Carson
Columnist

	In my short career here at ASU one aspect has continued to 
fascinate me Ñ a group of students that have constantly annoyed 
and baffled my senses. 
	These people are very selective in who they consider their 
friends, and extremely open to any type of microbrew, ale or malt 
liquor. The universal greeting from one to another is, "Hey, were 
you at happy hour last night?"
	They adorn themselves with symbols of wealth, prosperity 
and the American Way. It is inevitable that they are the bankers, 
lawyers and politicians of tomorrow. But for today, they are 
concerned only with formals, vacations and happy hours. 
	Any milestone of daily life is reason to have a T-shirt 
made. They have a barbeque or a volleyball game or a party, they 
have T-shirts to celebrate. It wouldn't surprise me if they had T-
shirts made just for getting up in the morning, showering, eating, 
etc. 
	They are the Greeks of ASU. And you should be scared. 
	I have always felt that fraternities and sororities looked 
really good on paper. As the ASU General Catalog states, 
"Programs are coordinated by the Interfraternity Council and the 
Panhellenic Council to foster communication between chapters, to 
reward scholastic achievement and to promote University and 
community service projects." Sounds great, doesn't it? 
	But to actually see the enormous service that Greek Life 
has brought to the community, you'll have to look for awhile. With 
the exception of a few coin or food drives held once or twice a 
year, Greeks on campus haven't been putting down the longneck to 
help their fellow man. 
	I know that many fraternities and sororities do try to help 
the community, but be honest. When you think of a typical Greek 
here at ASU, I can bet the image isn't someone serving food to the 
poor. 
	In writing, ASU may hold to the belief that the Greek 
community is composed of hard-working, selfless men and 
women. There is nothing wrong with an environment that stresses 
friendship, confidence and learning. But after seeing the Greeks 
here at ASU, it's not hard to see them for what they really are. 
	I had my first glimpse of the underbelly of Greek life when 
I mistakenly picked up a copy of the Greek Review Newspaper. At 
first, I thought it must be a joke, surely Greeks wouldn't do 
anything to tarnish their already rusty reputation by publishing a 
testimony to their inherent alcoholism and bad writing skills. 
	But I was wrong. 
	The "newspaper" is 36 pages long, the magnitude of which 
are various ads for Tempe bars who host "Greek nights" and happy 
hours. The cover story is titled, "The Greek Review goes out ... 
PROPER ID REQUIRED." Four stories dealt with various aspects 
of alcohol and legal drinking age. The editorial is about the editor's 
hatred of people who are 21 (she just turned 20). There is an article 
detailing the life of a Greek over 21. 
	After reading the entire paper, it seemed obvious to me: 
These people's lives are engulfed by alcohol, fake IDs, planning 
formals and congratulating new "pledge classes." 
	The most interesting and entertaining article in the 
publication is one that discusses the media bias against Greeks here 
at ASU. It's laughable, really. It is the job of any media to report 
the news, and the job of the opinion staff to analyze it. In my first 
semester here at ASU, an African-American man was assaulted on 
the lawn of a frat house and our student body president, also a 
fraternity member, was arrested twice for embarrassing conduct in 
public. 
	Now, I don't think any reporter made these incidents up. 
This is a common example of the way the buck is passed. Instead 
of getting mad at the story in the paper, the blame lies within the 
house itself and the attitudes within it. 
	Also, the staff must have some obsession with crack-
cocaine. In a promotion for the paper itself, the staff claims that the 
paper is "More fun than being addicted to crack." Well, maybe it's 
just me, but I consider having a molar pulled with no anesthesia 
more fun than being addicted to crack. 
	They continue the theme of "crack" in an ad for writers and 
more staff. It reads: "Crack addicts need not apply." Well, after 
managing to read the paper, I think that talented writers need not 
apply either.  
	The back page of the paper has a full-page ad for the 
Tempe Hooters. The ad pictures a beautiful woman in her 
anything-but-modest Hooters uniform holding a plate of wings. 
Not surprising, I guess. I'm sure that the second floor of Hooters is 
a worthy hangout for frat boys. They can stare at the waitresses, 
busy degrading themselves, and wonder what house they're from.   
	I've been wrangling with the term "Anti-Greek" for awhile 
now. I know people who are members of a fraternity or a sorority, 
and I am willing to admit that not every Greek is a spoiled, 
alcoholic, self-centered Republican. But after my uncomfortable 
encounter with the Greek Review I have come to my conclusion: I 
am decidedly Anti-Greek. 
	I cannot bring myself to respect organizations that act like 
babies, drink like fiends and kiss Lattie Coor's ass on a regular 
basis. 
	Maybe if they would grow up and take some responsibility 
for something that occurs on the other side of Alpha Drive, they 
wouldn't have such a problem with the State Press "media bias."

Michelle Carson is a freshman studying journalism.

Letters to the Editor

Letter: No sympathy for Eckel

	This is in regard to the editorial on Wednesday, March 20. 
	Whoever wrote this article needs to take a step back and 
start reading what they write. If I'm not mistaken a couple of weeks 
ago, this same editorial said that the ASU basketball players ought 
to be severely punished and the proper steps taken for their future 
career here at ASU. 
	On Wednesday it was written how sorry this person felt for 
Eckel. Something about innocent until proven guilty. Yet, that 
didn't seem the case for the three freshmen. They were severely 
chastised. It seemed as if they were already guilty. And now, the 
charges have been dropped against them. So, what I want to know 
is why is Eckel getting your sympathy? What makes him so 
special? 
	The three players were charged for things ranging from 
sexual assault to intimidation. Eckel is being charged with rape. 
Now, I am not justifying the actions of Prince, Harris or Gervin, I 
am simply saying that if you are going to bash someone for assault, 
bash everyone. Not just the athletes, the fraternity brothers too. 
	The article went on and on saying how "concerned we are 
for Eckel's welfare." Well, count me out of that "we." If you are 
going into another country, knowing that the laws are much more 
harsh than those of the United States, and are planning on getting 
intoxicated, well then what ever decisions you choose to make, 
God bless you. As far as I'm concerned, he's where he's at because 
he chose that path. So, please, no more "Poor Mike."

Rebecca Plunkett
Sophomore
Elementary education

Letter: Headline words should be chosen more carefully

	This letter is regarding the headline on the front page of the 
March 20 State Press: "Basketball players avoid prosecution in sex 
assault case." When I read the headline I started to get mad because 
the use of the phrase "Basketball players avoid" led me to believe 
the story would be about the players not being prosecuted because 
of some manipulation of the system by them or the athletic 
department in their favor. The use of the word "avoid" implies, in 
this context, that they or an agent acting for them somehow 
unfairly affected the investigation or decision to favor the men.
	The truth, as presented in the article, is that there was not 
enough solid evidence to prosecute them. There may have been 
some kind of active "avoidance" by them or the athletic 
department, but the story does not imply or prove such an 
occurrence.
	The problem is that as writers you have a unique duty to 
chose words that accurately and clearly reflect the objective facts 
you are reporting. The editorial staff may not have to be objective 
(although they should construct well-thought out arguments), but 
the reporting staff absolutely should be held to the highest standard 
of objectivity.
	I have never been in a journalism class, but I assume they 
train writers to develop a good vocabulary and use it well. 
Especially for headlines. Many people only skim the headlines. 
And I think most skimmers came read into the headline that the 
players unjustly "got off."
	The three men made bad choices, no doubt. They may, in 
fact, be guilty. The fact is that they were cleared by the system. 
And you can't blame them for that. In particular, we must assume 
they did not commit the crimes of which they were accused. In 
general, though, we must critique the system that seems to treat 
victims as criminals and rarely seems to procure just punishment 
for accused rapists.


Steve Herro
Faculty associate
Communication

Walk-on Ford shocks defending champ at NCAAs

By Dan Miller
State Press
	MINNEAPOLIS Ñ If anyone at the NCAA wrestling 
championships hadn't heard of ASU sophomore Shawn Ford 
before Thursday night, they have now.
	Ford, a walk-on who is unseeded in the 126-pound weight 
class, stunned Iowa's defending NCAA champion Jeff McGinness, 
6-4, in the second round in front of 12,508 mind-blown fans at the 
Target Center. 
	His improbable feat helped him join four other Sun Devil 
wrestlers in the championship quarterfinals of the three day 
tournament which begin at 11 a.m. today.
	McGinness, the No. 2 seed, beat Ford, 14-1, in a dual 
match in Tempe on Feb. 11.
	"So far this is the biggest win of my career. This is a pretty 
good moment right now," said Ford, who was still bloody after a 
McGinness head-butt opened a gash over his left eye late in the 
match. 
	Ford, who needed six stitches to repair the wound, also was 
on the receiving end of an overhand shot to the head as time 
expired. McGinness' show of frustration prompted the referee to 
deduct one team point from top ranked Iowa's tournament leading 
32.5 points. 
	"We approached it from the standpoint that anything can 
happen," said Coach Lee Roy Smith, who didn't even know who 
Ford was when he came to a practice last year wanting a chance. 
"That's a great victory for him. We said let's go in and make your 
career here."
	Ford, who went 18-19 this season and qualified for 
NCAA's by taking third at Pac-10's, worked part-time at Blimpies 
last year until a crack at the starting lineup moved him to quit.
	"He's still a walk-on but I think that's going to change," 
Smith said.
	If Ford wins his next match, he will assure himself of All-
American honors (top-8 finish).
	Senior defending national champ Markus Mollica (167 
pounds), senior Steve St. John (134), sophomore Aaron Simpson 
(177) and redshirt-freshman Casey Strand (190) also won their first 
and second-round matches and are one match from achieving All-
America.
	Simpson, the 12th seed, pinned fifth-seeded Mike Geurin of 
Lock Haven (Penn.) in 6:09 of his second-round bout. 
	ASU sophomore Matt Suter was defeated in his second-
round match and must now wrestle back. 
	ASU is in a three-way tie for eighth place headed into 
today's action.

Wright could be missing in action

By Randy Jones
State Press
	The 10th-ranked women's gymnastics team's chances of a 
Pac-10 championship were dealt a severe blow this week with the 
neck injury of sophomore all-arounder Meagan Wright.
	"Meagan took a pretty hard fall off of the beam 
Wednesday. There is no significant damage to anything," said team 
trainer Julie Elliott. "It is really sore. Which makes it hard to do the 
difficult moves she does. We are following her day-by-day...we'll 
see how she performs."
	Wright, who has been named Pac-10 gymnast of the week 
twice this season, believes she will compete at the Championships 
which are being held 7 tonight at Oregon State.
	"I'm real stiff, but I'm going to be all right," she said. "I 
might not compete in all the events, probably just a couple."
	Despite the injury, both the team and coach John Spini 
believe the team is primed to bring home the title. Before spring 
break, the Sun Devils were on a hot streak, winning four straight 
meets, averaging almost 195 points.
	"It will be a pretty big blow to us, but we are definitely still 
capable of stepping up and having a change to win with or without 
her," said Spini.
	Putting the possible loss of Wright into perspective was 
senior Katie Freeland.
	"Yes, it will hurt us somewhat. She's a leader for the team," 
she said. "But in other ways, no, we've got strong people that can 
step up in every position."
	 Freshman Lisa Vincijanovic believes that not having 
Wright will be tough. "It may hurt us a little, especially on floor. 
Her tumbling is wonderful," she said. "But I think we're ready."
	Last year, the Sun Devils placed second, losing to UCLA 
by .25.
	Spini especially likes the team's place in the rotation. 
UCLA, Oregon State and UofA all end the competition on a bye, 
while ASU ends on the beam.
	"The rotation is good. We'll have control over our destiny 
more so than anything else," he said.

Rivals go head-to-head in series

By Ron Matejko
State Press
     The 16th-ranked ASU baseball team continues its nine-game 
homestand with three games against rival UofA starting at 7 
tonight at Packard Stadium.
      Despite defeating Dartmouth last Tuesday, the Sun Devils have 
dropped four of their last six games, all conference losses, but 
Coach Pat Murphy isn't concerned.
     "In the Six-Pac there's going to be a point in everybody's season 
where they're going to lose four out of six," he said. "Five of these 
teams have been ranked in the top 12 at some point of the season, 
so you're talking about six of the best teams in the country."
     This is the first meeting of the season between the teams, with 
ASU (16-10, 3-6) taking four of six games from the Wildcats (19-
14, 3-6) last season. Despite UofA's winning record its pitchers 
have a combined ERA  of over six.
 	Freshman left-hander Phill Lowery (5-1, 3.54 ERA) will 
bring his 90-mph fastball to the mound for the Sun Devils, while 
Matt Hendron (4-2, 6.43 ERA) will start for the Wildcats.
     ASU is currently tied for fourth in the conference, but only one 
game separates third-place from last.
	"It's real important to get off to a fast start," said junior 
catcher Cody McKay. "When you start off slow like this you really 
start to doubt yourself. There might be a little doubt right now in 
our heads, so it's important to knock it out so we know deep inside 
that we are a really good team."
Mills Update
	Freshman left-handed pitcher Ryan Mills has been cleared 
to play after being out since Feb. 4.  Mills suffered a non-displaced 
fracture of his jaw when he was hit by a line drive in a game 
against Loyola Marymount.
   Murphy said Mills should be back on the mound again soon.
	"Mills isn't ready yet mentally to pitch at this level of 
competition," Murphy said. "He'll need a couple more outings 
before he's ready to go, but he's a great competitor so you just 
might see him out there."
	Murphy said Mills has been pitching in ASU's 
developmental games and is experiencing no ill-effects from the 
injury.
	Murphy also said he hasn't yet heard from the Pac-10 about 
any possible suspensions stemming from the brawl against USC on 
March 17.

ASU wrestler looks on with disbelief

By Dan Miller
State Press
    MINNEAPOLIS Ñ Now the that the heartbreak of missing the 
NCAA Championships has begun to sink in, ASU junior Danny 
Felix is trying to cope.
   "Why?" Felix asked Thursday after watching the first session of 
the tournament from the stands at the Target Center. "I worked so 
hard. I spilled everything I had out in practice for this moment."
	Felix, an All-America who was to be the No. 5 seed in the 
118-pound weight class, was forced to withdraw from the tourney 
Wednesday when he failed to make weight by the 5 p.m. deadline. 
As a result of his last-second pound-crunching endeavor, Felix was 
overcome by dehydration and cramps which prompted the 
coaching staff's decision.
	"It just caught up with me. It caught up with on my body," 
admitted Felix, whose natural weight is about 132 and has had 
problems with his weight control all season.
	"I was in the right frame of mind, but physically I just 
couldn't push it any further."
	Now Felix will focus on preparing for the national freestyle 
season in which he will be a contender at 125.
	"I just need a little break," said Felix, who plans to return to 
action in April. "But the more time I take off, the worse it will get. 
I just need to stay active and wrestle hard in tournaments like I 
would have here."
	This year's tourney would have been Felix's third NCAA 
appearance in as many years. Now, with one year of eligibility 
remaining, Felix said he will strongly consider moving to the 126-
pound weight class.
	"Basically it's proven that the weight (118) is hard for me to 
make so it's probably better off if I go up a weight," Felix said.
	Felix, a three-time Pac-10 champion who finished the year 
27-8, had already twice beaten the tourney's No. 1 seed, Iowa's 
Mike Mena. A few insiders believed Felix had a legitimate shot to 
win it all.
	"I knew I was going to win it," Felix said, shaking his head 
in disbelief. "I've been to enough tournaments. I was on a roll. You 
just know the time you put in."
	But in what could arguably rank as one of the most 
significant setbacks in ASU wrestling history, that time and effort 
will not be rewarded this year.
	"I've already been here twice. It was a different feeling that 
I had coming back this time," Felix, whispered, struggling to fight 
back tears. "It's hard to see it end like this."

Coach Frieder experiences 'most disappointng season' of career

By Damian Shaw
State Press
	How did men's basketball coach Bill Frieder follow up 
ASU's first visit to the Sweet 16 in 20 years? He followed it up 
with the worst season he could remember. 
	"This has probably been my most disappointing season in 
all the time I've been coaching," Frieder said. "We didn't 
accomplish what we set out to accomplish and it really wasn't the 
type of season I'm accustomed to."
	The Sun Devils finished 11-16 overall, and 6-12 in the Pac-
10, a stark contrast from the season before. In the previous season 
ASU finished 24-9. 
	"I was very disappointed, I'm not going to hide that," 
Frieder said. "I think the only saving grace this season was that the 
(players) continued to play and never gave up. Everytime it looked 
like we weren't going to win a game, we'd win a game or two, right 
on down to that last one against (California). 
	Probably one of the only bright spots for the Sun Devils 
was the play of swingman Ron Riley. Riley, who has never missed 
a game in his Sun Devil career, which spanned 116 games. He 
averaged 20.1 points a game for the Sun Devils his senior year. 
Riley, who finished his career with 1,834 points, amassed the most 
points ever for an ASU basketball player. 
	"Ron had a great career for us. I'm very proud of Ron and 
very happy he played for me," Frieder said. "Even though this 
season wasn't what we all wanted, he had a great career for us at 
Arizona State. He was a part of a lot of great victories and lot of 
great accomplishments, such as going to the Sweet 16."
	As the season wound down and it seemed nothing else 
could go wrong for the team, three ineligible players that were 
projected to lift the team out of mediocrity next season, were 
arrested. Tommie Prince, Rico Harris, and George Gervin were 
arrested on charges ranging from aggravated assualt, threatening 
and initmidating, kidnapping and sexual assault. The county 
attorney this week chose not to press charges. While the three 
players future with the team and the school is in question, Frieder 
maintains that it is not affecting the program. 
	"There's no controversy," Frieder said. "These kids have 
not been charged and it's just a matter of what we're going to 
decide to do with them and I think it's going to be a long while 
before that decision is made."
	Frieder added that ASU has three scholarships to offer this 
spring and he expects to use them all. Frieder already has received 
an oral committment from a six-foot guard Eddie House out of 
Oakland earlier this week.The signing date for Division I 
basketball is April 10. The Sun Devils added 6-foot-9 power 
forward  Ryan McDermott from New Mexico, who signed in 
November.

Devil earns All-America status

From Staff Reports
	ASU senior Joanne Currah earned All-America honors for 
the fourth consecutive season yesterday at the 1996 NCAA 
Women's Swimming Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich.
	Currah placed 13th in the 500-yard freestyle in 4-minutes, 
50 seconds.  Senior teammate Chris Jeffrey finished 34th in the 
same event with a time of 4:54.10. 
	Sun Devil freshman Tiffany Houser was 27th in the 200 
individual medley with a time of 2:03.96.
	After Day 1 of the NCAA Championships, ASU is in 24th 
place. Stanford is in the top spot followed by Southern Methodist 
and Georgia. 
Women's tennis host Aggies	
	The 14th-ranked ASU women's tennis team will host New 
Mexico State noon Saturday at the Whiteman Tennis Center.
Final home meet for Men's gymnastics
	The men's gymnastics club team will host its last home 
meet of the season 7:30 Saturday night at the P.E. West 
Gymnasium.
	Taking on the Sun Devils are defending Collegiate National 
Team Champions UCLA, the Olympic Training Center (OTC), and 
members of the U.S. National team doing exhibition performances.
	Water Polo visits Tucson
	The ASU club water polo team will play in the Cactus 
Classic at 2 p.m Sunday in Tucson.

Softball coach pleased heading into classic

By Damian Shaw
State Press
	The softball season is only half over, but so far ASU coach 
Linda Wells likes what she sees. 
	"I think they're emotionally ready," Wells said. "We know 
that everybody can play, and we're probably going to win some 
and lose some, but when we're playing our best there's not a lot of 
teams that can beat us."
	The Sun Devils (16-10, 1-1) will face five non-conference 
foes in the Diamond Devil Classic, starting with a matchup against 
Southern Utah at 5 tonight at Sun Devil Club Stadium. That game 
will be followed by another contest against New Mexico.
	Wells isn't the only one with high expectations for the team 
this weekend. Senior third base Alyssa Johnson said anything less 
than perfection would not be acceptable. 
	"I expect us to win five games, and I think anything less 
than that would be disappointment," she said. "I think spring break 
was a little disappointing. I think we felt we should have won all 
but one of those games, and that's going to really push us to win all 
five this weekend."
	The Sun Devils split their games over the break, 3-3. 
	Junior pitcher Carrie James, who had a win last week 
against defending national champion UCLA, thinks that a good 
performance by the Sun Devils this weekend could key a strong 
drive into the Pac-10 season which begins full-fledged March 30. 
	"We definitely will do well against the opponents we're 
playing this weekend. I think if we play well we should win all of 
our games," James said. "That should give us more confidence 
going into conference play. We're doing a good job now, we just 
need to keep our intensity level up, especially in the double-
headers."
	On Saturday, ASU plays Central Michigan at 4 p.m. and 
then Virginia at 6 p.m. Finally, on Sunday, the squad wraps up the 
weekend against Southern Utah at 4 p.m.

Track and field hosts home meet

By Randy Jones
State Press
	After a spring break of somewhat limited squad action, the 
Sun Devil outdoor track and field teams will be competing a with a 
full team as they host the first of three consecutive meets Saturday 
at Sun Angel Stadium. 
	"I think our team is right on schedule," said interim-Coach 
Ken Lehman. "This meets a little bigger than our last few meets, 
and they get bigger as the year goes on."
	The ASU Invitational begins with field events starting at 
8:30 a.m., with the women's hammer throw and running events, 
with the women's 5,000 meters, at noon.
	The Sun Devils welcome nine programs from across the U. 
S. to the meet. Competing with full squads will be BYU, Colorado 
State, New Mexico, Rutgers, Southern Utah. Schools with only 
partial units include Adams State (men), Central Arizona (men), 
Southern Connecticut State (men) and Texas Tech (women).
	Home field advantage will be a nice plus for the team. 
Knowing the track, its surface and its little imperfections is always 
a plus, said field events coach Steve Lemke.
	Some big names for ASU have nagging injuries, but 
Lehman doesn't expect it to sideline anyone for the meet, except 
indoor All-America Fiona Daly who has a lingering quadricep 
muscle injury.
	All-America Shante Williams and jumper Anthony Hazard 
are nursing slight hamstring problems, while NCAA indoor 
qualifying hurdler Gaute Gunderson has a sore knee. 
	Lehman is happy with many of the teams performances 
thus far in outdoors. The team already has three provisional NCAA 
qualifiers. All-Americas Avia Morgan (400m) and Lorieann 
Adams (800m) from the running events, and Mika Laiho (hammer-
throw) from the field. Also, the women's 4 X 400 meter relay team 
missed provisional status by one second.

ASU police reported the following incidents Thursday:
- A man was arrested for shoplifting and possession of drug 
paraphernalia and marijuana at Stabler's Market in the Tempe 
Center.
- A student who became ill at West Hall was transported via 
ambulance to Tempe St. Luke's Hospital.
- An employee lost three University keys.
- A student who was injured in the Nursing Building was 
transported to Tempe St. Luke's Hospital.
- A student's backpack was stolen from the ASU Bookstore.
- A man not affiliated with ASU was arrested on four outstanding 
warrants from ASU police. He was not able to post bond of $1,256 
and was booked into Madison Jail. 
Tempe police reported the following incidents Thursday:
- A transient was arrested for violation of a protection order after 
he returned to his father's house. The man told police he wanted to 
kill himself.
- A man was arrested at Safeway, 900 E. Broadway Road, for 
alleged public consumption of alcohol and criminal damage. He 
was drinking in the public lot and dented a parked vehicle. 
- A man was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs after 
being involved in a traffic accident. The man was slow to respond 
to a police officer's questions and had slurred speech and watery, 
bloodshot eyes. When asked for his driver's license, he presented a 
Visa card. He failed a drug test at the police department.
Compiled by State Press reporter Garin Groff

	Campus clubs and organizations may submit written entries 
to the State Press in the basement of Matthews Center. Requests 
will not be taken over the phone or via fax. 
	Deadline for requests is noon the day before publication 
and entries will not be accepted more than three working days 
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	Entries must contain the full name of the club or 
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discarded.
	The Today Section is a daily calendar of events printed as a 
service to the ASU community. Requests are accepted on a first-
come, first-served basis and are printed as space permits.

- AIESEC Ñ General meeting with a presentation by Steven P. 
Snyder, president of 21st Century, Inc., on how to conduct 
international business. Stay with us for happy hour. MU Pinal 
Room; 4 p.m.
- Alcoholics Anonymous Ñ Daily campus meeting. Newman 
Center, Aquinas Hall in the basement; noon to 1:15 p.m. Campus 
Women's Group meeting. Newman Center, Aquinas Hall in the 
basement; 10 a.m.
- Asian Bible Fellowship Ñ Car Rally Ñ a scavenger hunt using 
cars. Everyone welcome. MU Coconino Room 224; 7 p.m.
- Hispanic Graduate Student Association Ñ General meeting to 
form committees Cinco de Mayo events and Carmen Tafolla's 
performance. Refreshments served. Social Sciences Bldg. 101; 5 
p.m.
- Literacy Outreach Ñ General meeting. MUAB Conference 
Room; 2 p.m.
- Northlight Gallery Ñ Closing reception for "Beyond the Silver 
IV." Public welcome, refreshments will be served. Matthews Hall, 
Northlight Gallery; 7 p.m.