Presenting today's news
AUG. 25, 1997
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By Genoa Sibold-Cohn and Ginger Scott, State Press
Shorter lines, improved selections and better service are part of the Memorial Union's new vision to better satisfy students.
Additions to the MU include Burger King, Schlotzsky's, Cabana Bob's and Cloud Nine Candy.
The MU Market has also undergone changes. Brand selections have been expanded to the Sub Connection, Rosie and Co. Bakery and Bagel Maker. The Market will also have seven cash registers replacing the previous two.
"We are hoping to cut down line time," said Ann Lagopoulos of Marriott. "Our goal is to be able to service more people. That was definitely our driving force."
The Marriott food service, which has been at ASU for 10 years, renewed its contract with the University on July 1 for an additional 10 years.
Phase One of the construction on the new and improved MU began this summer.
The project has been a "vision" for the past year and a half, Lagopoulos said.
"We turn in a proposal to ASU for what food we think the students will like, and the University makes the final decision," Lagopoulos said.
The University and Marriott participated in a survey last spring to gain insight on which types of food were popular on and off campus.
Also, food committees sponsored by the Residence Hall Association and the MU Activities Board met regularly throughout the year to get student input.
Randy Johnson, Associate Director of the Memorial Union, said that the cost of the
two phases of development is $1.8 million.
"The money is being drawn from the Marriott Corporation," Johnson said. "It is part of their investment resulting from the recent contract negotiation."
The second phase of the project entails renovating and redesigning the Union Square dining hall in the MU. This will push back the restaurants and open up more seating. According to Johnson, "the design will improve the speed of service."
Johnson said the intent is to complete the renovation by summer of 1998.
The lunch time crowds are expected to remain, despite additional food lines.
"I think it will always be congested," Lagopoulos said. "With this many students there's a point when there's not too much more you can do."
By Tara Teichgraeber, State Press
ASU students of the 21st century will have less parking worries, thanks to a recent ruling by the Arizona Board of Regents.
The regents gave ASU preliminary approval Thursday to build a 1,500-space underground parking structure at the southeast corner of Mill Avenue and University Drive.
The 10-acre site is currently occupied by retailers leasing the land from ASU. Existing buildings would be demolished upon expiration of leases in 2000, but the parking structure will be designed to accommodate new retail space.
Although the 500,000 square-foot underground structure will be more expensive than an above-ground structure, ASU Associate Vice President Jennus Burton said he believes the new $15-million lot should be placed underground because of the site's high land value.
The 10 acres are appraised at $6 million, he said.
The new structure will cost $10,000 per space to build as opposed to approximately $4,000 per space for above-ground parking.
Another reason for placing the structure underground, Burton said, is to preserve space for future expansion of buildings on the west side of campus.
"The Northwest corridor (of campus) has grown considerably, and because of the density in that corridor, we don't want to landlock the Colleges of Fine Arts and Architecture and Environmental Design. Placing the structure underground satisfies our parking needs and leaves room for future growth," Burton said.
Burton told ABOR that the west side of campus lacks adequate parking for students, faculty, staff and visitors. ASU maintains 19,700 spaces, but only 1,362 exist on the west side.
Regent Kurt Davis questioned whether more parking spaces were needed.
"We talk about getting out of our cars and cleaning up the environment, so why are we building more parking spaces?" Davis said.
But ASU President Lattie Coor reminded Davis of ASU's commitment to encouraging mass transit use. ASU and the City of Tempe fund FLASH, a free shuttle service in downtown Tempe.
FLASH sees more than 2 million riders each year, Coor said.
"Without that service, this project wouldn't begin to curb our parking needs," Coor said.
Funding for the structure will come from the sale of academic bonds. Construction is slated to begin in May 1999.
By Tara Teichgraeber, State Press
Fellow Sun Devils at ASU East, a campus beginning its second academic year today, still lack a student union, student government and an adequate communication system.
But help may be on the way.
ASU officials on Thursday requested and were on their way to receiving nearly $14 million from the Arizona Board of Regents' general fund for updating the former Williams Air Force Base into a functional educational site suitable for the current student population of about 1,000 students. ASU East is located on Power and Williams Field Roads.
"We went all last year without a student union," said ASU East Provost Dr. Charles Backus. "Students don't have a place to eat or hang out."
Following the takeover of the retired Air Force base, ASU officials have had to renovate facilities to meet current building codes as well as modify the base for student residents.
"The fundamental problem has been converting a retired Air Force base into a campus," said ASU President Dr. Lattie Coor. "The buildings are in pretty good shape. They're not in terrible condition. But all of the things we take for granted on this campus are needed."
The Regents agreed and the request for funding was given preliminary approval.
"You have the support of this board for the survival of your institution," said Judy Gignac, ABOR treasurer .
Part of the money requested would be used to improve existing buildings, vehicular and pedestrian traffic systems, and telecommunication wiring on campus.
Approximately $900,000 would be used for revamping buildings to complying with fire safety codes.
Of the requested funding, $7.8 million would be used to rewire buildings and update them for faster information transfer. Campus officials would use $5.3 million to build a vehicular loop around campus, creating a pedestrian mall in the center.
"Students don't want to walk out of their classrooms and onto a street," said Backus. "They want to feel like they're in a campus environment."
Creating a pedestrian-oriented campus would also reduce risks of pedestrian-vehicle accidents, Backus said.
Mark Roberts, ASU East Department of Public Safety sergeant, said there have not been any accidents involving pedestrians and vehicles, but agreed changes were needed in order to prevent future problems.
"We have to plan to accommodate 5,000 to 6,000 students within the next five years," Backus said.
He added that enrollment projections for ASU East estimate an increase of 20,000 students in the next 15 to 20 years.
"We have to prepare for that," Backus said.
* Campus Communities/Living and Learning Center -- "Fall '97 Kickoff" will have food, live music and prizes. Festivities start at 6 p.m. on the Student Services Building lawn.
* Sun Devil Triathlon team -- First meeting will be held at 8 p.m. upstairs in the SRC classroom. Anyone interested is invited and refreshments will be served. Call 965-3698 for more information.
* ASU Club Water Polo -- Practices begin 7 p.m. at the SRC. For more information, call Chris Lawrence at 736-9871.
* Christian Science Organization -- First meeting of the fall is 4:30 p.m. at Danforth Chapel.
* ASU Young Democrats -- New member sign-up and voter registration will be held on Palm Walk from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 25-27.
* Arizona Horizon Project and Solar Vehicle Team -- General meeting will be held 5 p.m. at the Engineering Research Center, room 593. All students are welcome.
* ASU College Bowl -- Intercollegiate Academic Quiz team weekly practices are from 7-9 p.m. in the Gila Room of the MU. New players are welcome. For more information call 965-2552 or 893-8911.
By Kara Shire, State Press
In response to student and faculty feedback, visitor parking lot rates have been lowered, safer bike lockers have been added and certain parking spaces have been designated for carpools.
Visitor parking lots that previously cost a flat rate of $3 to $4 now cost $1 per hour with a maximum charge of $5 per day.
"Because of concerns from the general public and students, we changed the visitor structure," said Linda Riegel, director of the Office of Parking and Transit Services at ASU.
With metered spaces consistently full, students complained that they were forced to park in visitor lots and pay the flat rate regardless of the amount of time they spent on campus, Riegel said.
The old system also encouraged students and visitors to stay on campus longer than they might have needed to. The new hourly system is designed to encourage turnover and may actually save visitors money.
Another system change is aimed at making parking bikes on campus safer. Concerns about bike theft have led to the addition of seven bike lockers around campus, holding two bikes with space for helmets and other gear. The coin-operated lockers will cost 50 cents per use.
"We're trying to give people a range of choices," Riegel said. "It's an experiment. Let's put it out there and see what the public thinks."
New bike lockers will be added if the experiment is successful and if the budget allows for the additional investment, Riegel said. Each new bike locker costs $1,000, compared to the $500 price tag of a traditional bike rack, which holds 20 bikes.
"I think it's needed," said Andy Root, a junior interactive computer graphics major. "I have had my bike stolen plus the back tire stolen. I've also forgotten my lock key in the lock. Fifty cents, I could handle it, but it would be nice if it was free."
The bike lockers will be installed around campus at locations near Manzanita, Noble Library, Sonora Center Residence Hall, Computing Commons, Wilson Hall and the College of Architecture.
Carpool parking spaces have also been added as a part of Parking and Transit Service's travel reduction program.
Five spaces have been set aside to accommodate carpoolers in Parking Structures 1, 2 and 3 as well as in the Gammage parking lot. Although 20 spaces may not be enough to serve the 725 faculty and staff members who expressed interest in the program, Riegel said she wanted to start small.
"What I didn't want to do is have reserved spaces that weren't being utilized," she said.
If the demand is great enough, additional carpool spaces will be added, Riegel said. Interested carpoolers need to register with the Travel Reduction Office to obtain a validation sticker.
By Tara Teichgraeber, State Press
Stress. Depression. Academic pressure.
These are some of the reasons students nationwide are filing into university counseling centers in greater numbers.
Both Teresa Branch, director of ASU's Counseling and Consultation, and Stanley Iwai, associate director, agree that there is an increase in the number of students recognizing their own emotional problems and coming for help.
Yet, what worries University counselors and psychologists is the amount of students coming to the center with more severe emotional issues.
"About 12 percent of our students now are incest survivors," Branch said. "That's a serious issue to bring into counseling."
Other forms of sexual abuse, as well as eating disorders and family crises, are also common issues students bring to C&C, Iwai said.
Residence hall assistants, who often refer residents to C&C, agree.
"Since I started as an R.A., I've definitely seen an increase," said Caitlyn Dockham, who begins her third year as an R.A. this fall.
Dockham said most of the emotional problems she sees in residents stem from homesickness and relationship breakups. However, she admits dealing with more attempted suicides, cases of depression, date rape and even a semester with a student whom she believes suffered from bipolar disorder.
"It's hard because I'm also dealing with these issues," Dockham said.
R.A.'s often go to C&C for help with some of the same emotional issues they see residents go through, she added.
While reasons for the cause of a problem are difficult to pin down and vary with each individual, Branch said the years 18-24 play a role.
"It's a crucial period of separating one's self from family," she said.
Students begin to develop an identity which often facilitates a willingness to open up to one's self and face problems, Branch said.
One of the best ways to handle these problems is with counseling.
"In this society there is a thinking that we need some sort of medication to feel better," Branch said.
C&C counselors and psychologists discourage students from using medication as the only form of treatment, Branch said.
"Without counseling, students won't work themselves through their problems," she said. "They need insight on to how to make better decisions and how to better function."
By Ginger Scott, State Press
The Sun Card is taking the heat off students with new ways to save money and call home.
As of Oct. 1, the Sun Card will be the sole student identification accepted on campus, replacing the old ASU identification cards. The Sun Card will serve as a library card and will provide access to the Student Recreation Complex.
Dale Witenhafer, campus card manager, said the new Sun Card will also function as a Maroon and Gold Card for purchasing food as well as an optional AT&T calling card.
"The Maroon and Gold on the Sun Card will still offer the tax savings," said Ann Lagopoulos of Marriott.
After December, the Sun Card will be accepted at off-campus locations, Witenhafer said.
ASU will also be opening a new account called SunDollars that will allow students to "spend at places the University contracted to service on campus,'' Witenhafer said. This would include places such as the ASU Bookstore.
"Our goal was to put as many functions as possible on one card to make it more convenient," Witenhafer said.
The new equipment installed with the Sun Card will not have the capability to process student accounts with the old ASU identification.
About 30,000 students have yet to change over to the Sun Card. Photos for the Sun Card will be taken in the Cochise room of the MU through Friday, Aug. 29, from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday.
The Sun Card also has a permanent office in the MU where photos can be taken. Witenhafer urges students to take advantage of the dates offered to avoid the crowded lines.
Contributing to this article was State Press reporter Genoa Sibold-Cohn
By Chris Passamano
State Press
Students expecting to get their grades in the mail from summer classes should stop waiting -- they aren't coming.
ASU has discontinued the practice of sending home grades in the mail.
This is effective as of this past summer session, said Janice Garcia, a senior systems analyst for the registrar's office.
"There are several reasons that we stopped the mailing," Garcia said. "Student addresses change frequently so we get returned an enormous amount."
Another reason is the cost of the postage.
"It cost approximately $40,000 a year to mail final grades out in postage alone," Garcia said. "This doesn't include the printing or the paper."
ASU is not the only school to stop using the traditional method of getting students their grades. Other Pac-10 schools no longer mail their grades either.
"The other Pac-10 schools have access to the grades over the phone," Garcia said.
ASU is no different in that aspect.
In 1994, ASU introduced the In-Touch phone system, where students can get their grades as well as find class scheduling and tuition payment information. Students will also be able to access the same information found on In-Touch on the Internet.
"The registrar site has a home page," Garcia said. "It is an interactive site that students can access grades and get their class schedules. This was they can just print it up and they don't have to go to a registrar site to have them print up their schedule."
Many people are already using these Internet sites, Garcia said.
More than 1,300 people looked up their class schedules in the first week and 4,000 students got their grades. Plus the site was accessed over 13,000 times.
Those students worrying that they won't be able to get official documentation of their grades or just want something their mother can hang on the fridge, can still get a hard copy of their grades.
"We still can print out grades onto letterhead with the ASU seal and send it out," said Garcia. "We will also still be sending out mid-term grades to those students with a D or E in a class."
Students looking to find their information can get it on the Internet at www.asu.edu/registrar or they can use In-Touch at 350-1550.
By Chris Passamano, State Press
ASU received a $2 million grant last week which will allow the University's Center for Solid State Science Research to develop state-of-the-art transistors and lithographs.
The grant, given by a microelectronics research lab in Maryland, will be used in the advancement of focus ion beam work.
"Ion beams are used in the making of lithographs," said Jim Mayer, professor of science and engineering. "Here we use them to make very fine dimensions to make designs in the film to make an accurate rendition (of the work that is being reproduced)."
The grant will allow for the setup of a focus ion beam as well as a collaborative research effort with Iowa State and University of California at San Diego. The other ASU participants are Terry Alford, David Allee and David Smith from the Center of Solid State Science Research.
There are two specific goals for the ASU team.
"We are trying to develop a new method for ion beam analysis," Mayer said. "This will allow us to create structures that are less then one-tenth of a micron -- making very small, high density patterns."
To put that in perspective, paper is 100 microns thick.
"The second goal is a state-of-the-art project," Mayer said, "(to) make actual transistors that function at these small figures -- less that a micron. They could be used to make incredibly small computer chips."
But the team first has to get to the point where they can design transistors with the use of the beam and that could take some time, Mayer said.
Nevertheless, he is excited about the work that will be done at ASU.
"This is a next-generation work and a next-generation device -- that's why we were chosen," Mayer said.
By Kara Shire, State Press
The Associated Students of ASU are boosting their efforts to increase involvement in campus government, acknowledging the lack of student participation in previous years.
"We want to have a presence in student's lives," said ASASU President Andy Ortiz. "A lot of times we're not very good at conveying what we have to offer. We want students to not only know what we do but feel what we do."
A public relations department has been set up within ASASU to promote services and opportunities within student government.
Audrey Church, ASASU vice president of student affairs, said she is preparing a letter to send to the 400 campus club presidents informing them of the services available through ASASU.
"The objective is to inform a greater number of people of the resources and opportunities available through ASASU," she said
Employment opportunities on University boards and committees, as well as the safety escort service and student legal council are all examples of hardly used services available through ASASU, she said.
ASASU Vice President Josh Carr said he is planning on visiting at least 100 clubs on campus to inform them of the benefits ASASU has to offer. ASASU will provide funding to clubs.
"Everyone knows they're supposed to get involved," Church said. "Getting involved in ASASU is very ambiguous because it's everything from environmental issues to state affairs.
"I'm sure there are a lot of people from out of state who don't know about the University (activities). I don't think that they don't want to volunteer but they don't know about it."
By Tim Baxter, State Press
Downtown Tempe is getting bigger, but possibly smaller for students, as three large construction projects near completion featuring businesses with limited appeal to the ASU community.
Dave Fackler, Tempe's deputy development services director, said the latest projects were "an indication of the continued health of downtown," but conceded that the businesses moving in may hold limited appeal for students.
"A lot of the restaurants are a little bit higher-end than what we've seen in the past and are a little less targeted towards students," he said. "It's a nice mix, bringing in some stores that are relatively new to the Valley."
The first project, the Courtyard by Marriott hotel, on the corner of Ash Avenue and Fifth Street, is open and operating. The other two projects, one at the corner of Mill Avenue and University Drive and one at the corner of Mill Avenue and Fifth Street, are expected to be completed on schedule by Thanksgiving, said Rod Keeling, director of the Downtown Tempe Community, Inc.
Fackler said that while ASU students and faculty will remain a major part of the downtown market, the goal is to expand that market.
"We're trying to create a downtown for everyone, not just one user group. The students will become a lower percentage (of the market), but not necessarily a lower number. It's an expansion of other markets," he said.
Businesses planning to move into the University and Mill site include P.F. Chang's, Rampage Clothing, Sushi On Mill and a Z Gallerie expansion. At 16,000 square feet, Z Gallerie will become the largest retailer in downtown Tempe.
The Fifth and Mill site will house Lotions and Potions, Gordon Biersch, Blue Burrito Grill and Starbucks Coffee.
Although most of the new tenants are national or regional chains, Keeling said he did not believe the area was losing its hometown flavor.
"(Over-commercialization) is probably the number one issue we've dealt with and we talk about it every meeting," he said. "What we're looking for is not corporate versus mom and pop, we're looking for businesses that are unique and differentiate the area.
"I'm not going to say every business has done that but I think it's working well. These restaurants are not Denny's," he said.
By Tara Teichgraeber, State Press
The Arizona Board of Regents on Thursday honored Phelps Dodge Corporation and Valley philanthropists Robert and Katherine Herberger with Regents Awards. The awards are in appreciation for outstanding service to Arizona's public universities.
"This is the Regents' way of saying thanks to the many people who have contributed to higher education in Arizona," said ABOR President Rudy Campbell.
Phelps Dodge has donated $7.8 million to education over the last 10 years, including $5.7 million in college and university scholarships.
Robert and Katherine Herberger have donated or pledged more than $3 million to ASU Colleges of Business, Fine Arts, Public Programs and Architecture and Environmental Design.
The Herbergers have also been active volunteers at ASU. Robert Herberger, 92, served as a member of the College of Business Dean's Advisory Council, is a former director of KAET Channel 8 and was a trustee for the Fine Arts Association. Katherine Herberger, 85, was the first female chair of the ASU Foundation Board during 1982-1985 and has participated in other ASU organizations.
"We give because it's the right thing to do," Katherine Herberger said.
By Tim Baxter, State Press
With a liquor license once again safely in hand, survivors of a fierce corporate squabble between the Electric Ballroom's present and past owners are attempting to clean up the mess.
The license was shelved Aug. 1 when then-partner Sean O'Hayre went to the state liquor board expressing concerns about charges of sexual harassment filed against another Ballroom partner, David Castello, in 1996.
The two-week shutdown cost the club $82,500, owner Jim Torgeson said.
Following legal action and a $3,000 payment to O'Hayre, Torgeson and partner Don Schumacher are the only remaining owners of the Tempe nightclub, located at 1216 E. Apache Blvd.
The liquor license is safe, Torgeson said.
But while Torgeson is open for business, he is facing another liquor board hearing in October regarding the sexual harassment charges. Another unspecified charge is "in the pipeline," said Myron Mufeldt, chief of investigations for the State Liquor Board.
"If you look at the statistics I have fewer liquor violations than anyone," Torgeson said. "I have fewer underage drinking violations than anyone in this town."
Mufeldt said that was not true.
"There are licensees that don't have any," he said. "The Ballroom has had problems in the past, so that can't be less than not having any."
The Liquor Board is engaging in "flat out harassment," Torgeson said.
Mufeldt said that was not true either, and the Board was not involved in the latest controversy.
"There's a corporation struggle going on, we had nothing to do with that," he said.
Corporate clashes have been a constant at the Electric Ballroom since its opening.
When After the Gold Rush closed in October 1992, Schumacher and partner Dennis Muck retained control of the property.
When the Ballroom opened in September 1994, the corporation remained After the Gold Rush, Inc. Torgeson and Castello (also known as David Seven) were listed as the business owners.
Schumacher and O'Hayre, who works for Muck, owned the property.
Currently, Torgeson holds the liquor license under the name After The Gold Rush DBA (doing business as) The Electric Ballroom. Schumacher also retains an interest in the business. Muck, O'Hayre and Castello do not.
In May, Torgeson applied for a new sales tax license under the name How the West was Won, Inc.
Phyllis Ortiz, Tempe's licenses services supervisor, said it is possible for a liquor license and sales tax license to be under different names, but said she was concerned who actually owns the club.
While battling business partners and the State Liquor Board, Torgeson has also run afoul of the city of Tempe, most recently over zoning and landscaping issues.
"When they got their use permit (in 1994) it was on the condition that they do some clean-up work," said Terry Mullins, the city of Tempe's deputy director of development services. "When they came back for another permit we advised them that they needed to go back to the council.
"Right before the meeting he (Torgeson) met the minimum ... leaving the rest for future consideration," Mullins said. The Ballroom's next scheduled meeting with the zoning board is in March 1998.
Torgeson said he didn't believe the city is persecuting him, although sometimes it does feel like they are.
"There's been people that have told me the city wants to push this into a redevelopment project," he said. "I think there's people that would like to see me gone, but I don't think there's any concerted effort. When the world's knocking at your door, it's easy to say they're out to get you."
The Electric Ballroom falls within the boundaries of the Apache Boulevard redevelopment plan.
City councilman Dennis Cahill said the city would rather have a successful business than an empty building in the redevelopment.
"We consider any business on the boulevard valuable," he said. "Empty business is not good for the redevelopment of that area. This city council will do anything it can to help them get by.
"It would be against the law for us to pick him out," Cahill added.
By Genoa Sibold-Cohn, State Press
Man's best friend has a new backyard in cyberspace.
Eidea, a technique developed by the Institute for Studies in the Arts, allows computer users to create artificial creatures such as worms, spiders and wolves in a virtual reality environment.
The technique is the result of a three-year project to provide artists with a way to interact with the computer, said Robb Lovell, director of interactive media research for the Institute.
Eidea is currently open to graduate students of the Fine Arts department as well as collaborating artists and will be accessible to ASU students in the near future. Research is in the finishing stages at the Computer Commons Gallery.
"With this technique, the agent is outside of the artist," said Lovell. "The agent is in the computer."
The computer user first selects a creature which responds to his or her movements through sensors and video cameras placed in the room. Once the creature has been selected, it has the ability to control its own moods and movements.
The user has the capability to control the life cycle of these "virtual reality pets" by feeding them, impregnating them and killing them. The creatures exist in coordination with the movement, sound and light of the environment outside of the computer.
"This is all related to the intelligence stage," Lovell said. "It is a place for computers to interact with humans."
Each creature has a genetic code, composed of a DNA strand of 2,500 numbers. The strand contributes to the speed, dexterity, strength, eyesight and body size of the creature.
The virtual reality atmosphere rotates through the four seasons every hour, portraying the real world. As the seasons change, bird colonies migrate and produce sounds.
John Mitchell, director of the dance multimedia learning center and resident artist, is responsible for the sounds produced. External synthesizers, sampling cards and Apple Quick Time musical instruments are used to simulate the sounds of the natural world.
"Artificial life simulates natural processes and serves as a self-generating tool," Mitchell said.
He also said that the sound devices are integrated into the Eidea program to illustrate physical interaction among the creatures. Bees buzzing in a field of clover and stream water are among the natural processes that Eidea is able to mimic, Mitchell said.
Ten channels of sounds travel through space and develop sounds associated with each creature. Computers are utilized to distribute sound, infrared lighting and interactive communication with the creatures.
Lovell said that although the user has control over the creations, the computers play the role of the artist.
"The art serves as an installation piece," Lovell said. "It is looking at ways to make computer more creative."
The technique will be on exhibit in the Computing Commons Gallery beginning September 4 at 3 p.m. and will continue through October 2.
"I want people to feel like cyberspace is spilling out into the room," Lovell said. "This allows people to be more creative and to manipulate aspects of the work."
By Brian Anderson, State Press
Tempe Police continue to sift through evidence in their search for the killer of an ASU student found strangled in her apartment three weeks ago.
Fiona Yu, a 21-year-old business major, was found Aug. 4 in the second floor hallway of her Cypress Gardens apartment, located east of campus at 1015 S. Stanley Place.
Yu's roommate, Kazu Ito, a 22-year-old purchasing and logistics major, returned home about 5:15 p.m., but did not discover Yu for another 45 minutes.
The victim was found clinging to life with head injuries and marks about her neck, said Sgt. Toby Dyas, a Tempe Police spokesman.
She was taken to Tempe St. Luke's Hospital where she died shortly after arriving.
Dyas said the front door was locked and there were no signs of forced entry. He added, however, that the suspect may have entered through a locked arcadia door at the rear of the apartment, which Ito told police could be shimmied and shaken until popping open.
Ito has since moved from the apartment and could not be reached for comment.
Dyas said Yu was found with her pants down, but said that a report determining whether or not she was sexually assaulted will not be released until later this week.
Dyas said police continue to investigate leads in the case, but conceded that "the longer (the investigation) goes, the harder it is to solve."
David Lucky, Yu's 20-year-old neighbor, said the victim was quiet yet conversational.
"She's real friendly ... a little shy," he said. "When we were outside drinking beer, she would come out and talk to us. It's pretty bad."
After combing the apartment in the mostly student-occupied complex for clues to the events of that early evening, Tempe Police will consider using DNA in hopes of hunting down a suspect, Dyas said.
"We are going to look at a lot of scientific information," Dyas said. "There are so many possibilities."
Radawna Michelle, crime prevention coordinator for the ASU police, said students should not shirk personal safety measures simply because they are in a seemingly safe university setting.
"Just because (students) go to (ASU) doesn't mean they are immune to crime," she said. "Tempe is an urban environment and crime can occur here just as it does in other urban environments."
By Chris Passamano, State Press
ASU is working with Maricopa County in an attempt to become the first law school in the nation to incorporate on-campus justice courts.
"The discussions and negotiations have been going on but no final decisions have been made yet," said Robert Dauber, clinical professor in the ASU law school and director of the mediation clinic. "We expect a specific proposal sometime this fall."
The proposal would be to build a new courthouse on ASU land. It would be a collaboration between ASU and Maricopa County in which the University would donate the land and the county would pay for the building. The courthouse would be built where the local bar, The Dash, once stood -- on the south side of Apache Boulevard (west of Rural Road).
The proposal must be voted on by the County Board of Supervisors before it is finalized.
"We think that there is a high probability that we will have the votes on this proposal," said Supervisor Fulton Brock, whose district covers Tempe.
There would be advantages to the University besides being the only law school in the country with a working court in the school, Dauber said.
"The idea would be to construct a facility that would house the Tempe Justice court and its support," said Dauber. "Also, a series of mediation rooms, classrooms and a research lab would be in the facility. Hopefully a suite of offices for a dispute resolution clinic too."
University police and students would also benefit from the facility.
"The court would be close and accessible for disputes," Dauber said.
Law students will be able to view court proceedings in the new building, said John Ore, Tempe Justice of the Peace.
"The back wall would be a window wall with about 45 seats, so students could view the busiest court in the county," Ore said.
Financially, this would also be beneficial to the county.
"There would be a lot of money saved by the county," Ore said.
The Justice Court currently rents the building in which it is housed (1845 E. Broadway Road), paying about $120,000 a year, Ore said.
"The current facility is about 8,000 square feet, but only a portion is designed for the court," Ore said. "A new building (on ASU land) would cost about $2.7 million to build, with about 15,000 square feet -- operating at about $80,000 to $90,000 a year. This would save $30,000 to $40,000 a year."
Even though the cost of the building could be over $2 million, the building would start to pay for itself almost immediately, Brock said.
"I think that it would pay for itself in five years, but sometime between four to seven years," he said. "It depends on the size and complexity of the building."
An opportunity like this should be taken, Brock said.
"It should get passed," Dauber said. "It's a great idea. It may cost money, but it's a great idea."
ASU police reported the following incidents over the weekend:
* A female employee reported that someone removed items from her desk in the Engineering Research Center.
* A woman not associated with ASU was arrested, cited and released for an active warrant from ASU Police. She could not post bond and was booked.
* A University employee reported that someone criminally damaged her vehicle in Lot 39.
* A man not associated with ASU was arrested for drinking and driving with a blood alcohol level above .10 and running a red light at Stadium Drive and Sixth Street.
* A male student reported that a hit-and-run accident occurred in the Band Field parking lot.
* A male student at the Goldwater Center became sick and was transported to a local hospital.
* A female employee reported that she lost four ASU keys.
* A female employee reported that someone removed her wallet from Matthews Center.
* A male student reported that someone removed his bicycle from Palo Verde East where it was locked up.
* A man not associated with ASU said he was assaulted by a male at Sun Devil Stadium.
* Three men not associated with ASU were beating each other up at Sun Devil Stadium.
* A University employee reported that someone removed a wallet from a room in the Nursing Building.
* A man and a woman not associated with ASU were involved in a civil dispute at Tempe Center.
* A man not associated with ASU was arrested, cited and released for driving on a suspended license at 808 E. University Drive.
* A man not associated with ASU reported that someone removed four hubcaps from his vehicle while it was parked in the Karsten Golf Course parking lot.
* A man not associated with ASU was arrested, cited and released for drinking alcohol in public at 410 Adelphi Drive.
* A man not associated with ASU was arrested, cited and released for unlawfully using a license at 735 E. University Drive.
* Two men not associated with ASU were arrested, cited and released for drinking alcohol in public along Alpha Drive.
* Two men not associated with ASU were arrested, cited and released for stealing at Sun Devil Stadium.
* A man not associated with ASU was arrested, cited and released for disorderly conduct and assault at Sun Devil Stadium.
* A small glass pipe was impounded for destruction.
* A male student reported that someone removed his backpack and its contents from a locker at the Student Recreation Complex.
* A female student reported getting harassing phone calls.
* A juvenile male was arrested for shoplifting at Tower Records in Tempe Center. He was released to his mother.
* A man not associated with ASU reported that someone attempted to burglarize his Ford pickup while it was parked in the East Practice Fields parking lot.
* A male student was arrested, cited and released for possession of illegal substances and drug paraphernalia at Best Hall.
* A University employee reported that someone vandalized a door at the Memorial Union.
* A male student was arrested, cited and released for underage possession of alcohol at 1250 E. Apache Blvd.
Compiled by State Press reporter Brian Anderson.
By Ed Odeven, State Press
CAMP TONTOZONA -- Bruce Snyder's five-year rebuilding project at ASU paid huge dividends last season as the Sun Devils produced an 11-1 overall record and their first Rose Bowl berth in a decade. Snyder was the consensus pick for National Coach of the Year and his players earned nationwide recognition and accolades, too.
As the upcoming season approaches, Snyder offered his thoughts on the 1997 Sun Devils.
Q: What are your goals this season for the Sun Devils?
A: We don't want to drop way back from where we've been. Now, there are so many things in a game that you cannot control, that are uncontrollable. You can't control the officials. You can't control a lot of things in a game. So I don't believe our goals should be totally result focused. If we win, we are nice people. If we lose, we are just horrible people. That doesn't make sense to me, because there are too many uncontrollable issues. The important thing is we continue to build on a tradition, playing well and being competitive in the fourth quarter. We'll win some of them. I would be disappointed if we weren't a bowl team. I think we are going to keep making ground and not falling back to mediocrity or less than that.
Q: Do you feel that since your program is now in place, ASU can "rebuild" and still be a bowl team?
A: I think the outside is looking at us as we are rebuilding. Internally, we are not. We are slipping new names into spots. Now, to go 11-0 and be 1:40 away from being 12-0 that is probably unrealistic. That kick against Washington (with two seconds remaining) may go wide left this coming year instead of down the middle. I don't want us to be rebuilding. I don't want to ever rebuild again.
Q: Who are your top offensive weapons? Defensive weapons?
A: We have a number of weapons offensively. You look at the two tailbacks (Michael Martin and J.R. Redmond) they are both weapons. I think Lindsey Jackson's a weapon. I believe that the way Kenny Mitchell has practiced, he is becoming a weapon. And (wideout) Creig Spann as fast as he is, (too).
Now, defensively right now there are no real "stars," but you got to believe that Damien Richardson is one of the most solid players in the Pac-10. He's played a lot of plays. He's smart. So he's got to be a weapon. On the defensive front, now I think we need one or two guys to really step it up and be better than everybody else. That could be anyone from Paul Reynolds to Jeremy Staat, to of course, Pat Tillman. Some of these (other) guys just need to step it up.
Q: Despite the loss of standout Jake "The Snake" Plummer, will the lesser-experienced QBs (Steve Campbell and Ryan Kealy) be expected to maintain Plummer's well-balanced attack of 1996?
A: Here are the two deals: One, in any one particular game, you figure out the best way to win it. If that means running it 60 times than you do it. If you got to pass it 60 times than you do it. To win is the most important thing. The balance isn't an objective. I just think it gives you the best chance to win. Now, we recruited the quarterbacks to pass. We did not recruit them to hand the ball off. We've got to establish that we will pass the football. We cannot win the (Pac-10) championship without passing the football.
Q: Departed seniors Steve Bush and Devin Kendall were a vital part of last season's offense. Compare them with this season's tight end duo of Zack Romero and Kendrick Bates.
A: Those two last year were tremendous. They were tough, smart seniors. Zack is more in that mold. He's consistent and smart. He's a senior. Consistency is really important for him and he's really good at it. Kendrick is on the other hand in terms of being a little less consistent right now, because he's young. His upside is probably better than all of them. He's taller. He runs faster (and has) great hands. The potential is like here (way up), whereas the others were just real consistent. If we can make Kendrick consistent, we'll have a tremendous 1-2 punch.
Q: Describe Grey Ruegamer's transition from right tackle to left tackle (the position vacated by All-American Juan Roque).
A: First of all, he's really developing into a leader. He realizes that it's a vote of confidence when we moved him over. He appreciates our confidence in him. I think he found Spring Ball tougher on the left side than he originally thought. But right now, I see him playing that left spot like it's a natural for him, just like we thought. I think he's going to be very good on the left side. He's a tough, tenacious mean guy and I think he'll be just fine there.
Q: Who looks to be No. 1 contender to replace Derrick Rodgers as the team's leading pass rusher?
A: We have some guys that hope to fill it: Quincy Yancy, Derrick Ford, who had his best off-season, most motivated I've seen him; and it's Terrelle Smith's first time playing because he was a partial qualifier this last August. Those three guys and maybe Hamilton Mee are in the mix. As of right now, none of them are performing like Derrick Rodgers. But that's what they are hoping for. Derrick Ford has similar speed. Terrelle Smith almost (does). Quincy Yancy is not that quick, but he's got some other things. His arms are long. He's got some other attributes. To put it all into one, that's the tough part.
Q: What does Mitchell Freedman's return mean to the Sun Devil secondary?
A: He's a veteran player. He played in big games. He made some big plays. God, he helped beat Nebraska. He played in the Rose Bowl. You can't just create that for somebody. They have to live through it. So, to have him back gives us all that experience, plus he's a very good player. He's an edgy, moxy kind of player. He needs to keep the line towed. As he's done, he's been terrific. And he makes us a better secondary when he's playing.
Q: What are your biggest concerns heading into the season-opening game versus New Mexico State?
A: One, we don't know anything about New Mexico State. Their staff is brand new. We have no idea what they are going to do. Two, we've never had game week and classes at the same time. Before, game week was on our second week of classes, so we had everything kind of sorted out. They knew where the classes were, then started our game-week preparation. This year it's all in one. So, I'm worried about that.
Q: How disappointing is it to be without top recruits Justin Taplin (academically ineligible), Ralph Zarate (academically ineligible) and Davaren Hightower (injured) this fall?
A: I'm disappointed and they are disappointed. You know what, they are going to be with us. Each one of them has a burden that they have to overcome and we want to support them with their struggles. We all have struggles. You have them. I have them. They'll get here in January, or whenever it is and away we roll. We'll be fine.
Q: What players have emerged as new stars during Spring Ball and Camp Tontozona?
A: I don't think we are ready to say. What the new guys have not done is play in the game or watch the game. I knew Jake (Plummer), Juan (Roque) and Keith (Poole), because they had played and you could tell that they were going to have a great year and had the capabilities. Right now, some of the new players have never done it. They've never tackled anybody. Like Tariq McDonald, he looks real good. Terrelle Smith looks good. Those guys have not played. So I think it would be really premature to say they have some greatness ahead of them, because we really don't know.
Q: Who do you look at as the leaders of this team?
A: Well you have to start with the players that are seniors that have played and played in the Rose Bowl. Those guys understand how it all works. That's (Grey) Ruegamer. It's Damien Richardson, Jason Simmons, Vince Amey. Those are terrific leaders. As I've said before and I've been quoted, I believe on a team it's not your leadership. We need a lot of the team to follow those guys without question. And that's how you do it. They've just got to be better followers and then we'll be fine.
Q: It is your job to inspire and motivate the Sun Devils. What inspires and motivates Bruce Snyder?
A: I think in terms of winning games, it's my inner drive to be the best coach in America. I want to be the best. I've built some programs (Utah State and California). I know I'm good. I just keep driving to do that. But the day-to-day toil of it all is dealing with young people and they deserve a good coach. They don't need a jerk. They don't need a lazy person. They don't need a soft person, and so I owe it to them to be as good as I can be. That's what motivates me.
By Ed Odeven, State Press
The local kid beats out the tallest quarterback in ASU history.
Redshirt freshman Ryan Kealy was named the Sun Devils' starting quarterback Friday by head coach Bruce Snyder.
Steve Campbell, a 6-foot-8, 240-pound junior, is now listed at No. 2 on the depth chart for the season-opening game versus New Mexico State.
Snyder had weighed the pros and cons of starting Kealy or Campbell after both QBs received significant playing time during Spring Ball and Camp Tontozona.
"I thought it was good that we got it behind us before too much more time," Snyder said Saturday after practice at Sun Devil Stadium. "I didn't want to have a decision made on Friday next week. That doesn't make sense."
What made sense to Snyder was giving the starting nod to Kealy.
"Ryan is very mobile in the pocket," Snyder said. "I don't think he's a runner and I don't think he's a runner in terms of maybe taking off like Jake (Plummer). But he's very good in the pocket about moving six feet that way and throwing a strike. He's a little bit ahead of Steve in that regard. And I think with more and more playing time he's just going to get better."
Having him available for four years "did not play into the decision," Snyder said. "It really did not. I promised that at every position we were not going to use youth, religion, state, country, age, scholarship as a criteria. Those were non-deals. The deal was, 'Who do we think can perform the best?'"
And right now, Snyder feels Kealy.
"He has a number of different throws," Snyder said. "He throws over the top very nicely, but he has a sidearm (throw) and an under (arm throw). He has really good peripheral vision, a good feel about where his receivers are."
Kealy, a 1995 graduate of St. Mary's High School in Phoenix, had an unbelievable prep career. He completed 64 percent of his passes for 6,351 yards and 83 touchdowns. As a senior, Kealy had 41 TD's and 2,682 yards passing, while only tossing three interceptions and was a highly-sought after commodity. He was a Parade All-American and was ranked as the seventh-best quarterback in the nation.
Kealy is anxious to begin work as the No. 1 guy.
"I like this town," said Kealy, a 6-2, 196-pounder. "I was born and raised here. I really like the coaching staff and the players and I think more than anything the environment."
Despite the "pressure" of replacing Jake Plummer, Kealy is taking a calm approach to his new job.
I'm not going out there trying to fill Jake's shoes," he said. "I'm just gong to go out there and be myself. I'm just trying to go out there and improve every game. Hopefully I won't have any setbacks but you always do. I'm just going to go out there and work through the tough times and take the good with the bad."
Said Campbell: "It's a big disappointment. I really wanted to be the starting quarterback here. But I'll play the backup role and help the team any way I can. I'm just going to go out there and try to improve and fill my spot on the team."
In limited action as a Sun Devil, Campbell has completed 11 of 24 passes for 113 yards.
When asked to rate his Camp Tontozona performance, Campbell said it was a "B-/C+ feeling. I definitely would have liked to have had a better camp, but it wasn't a bad camp."
Although Kealy and Campbell have a competitive relationship, they have been on good terms during the battle for the starting job.
"We were friends throughout the whole thing," Kealy said. "We've always been good friends. It never changed throughout the whole thing whether he was starting or whether I was working with the ones (first unit) or whether he was working with the ones it never changed."
By Randy Jones, State Press
For those Sun Devil fans who were lucky enough to get out of the frying pan of Tempe for the summer, here is a wrap-up of what happened in ASU athletics while you were enjoying your daddy's swimming pool in Jersey.
Basketball woes continue
The ASU men's basketball team got more bad news this summer as forward/center Okeme Oziwo was seriously injured in a car accident near his home in Glendale, Calif., on Aug. 9.
The 6-foot-8, 215-pound Oziwo fell asleep at the wheel while driving home from a late-night movie.
Oziwo suffered two broken bones in his left leg, a broken hand and a deep flesh wound.
ASU also must cope with the loss of junior shooting guard Gee Gervin.
Gervin transferred to San Jacinto College in Pasadena, Texas.
Sighting a lack of playing time and a desire to play point guard, Gervin took his 6.9 points per game average on the road.
ASU football/KMVP radio
On the road? Wondering where to get your fix of Sun Devil football?
KMVP (860 AM) and the ASU athletic department have secured their radio affiliates for the 1997 football season, KMVP General Manager Chris Gallue and ASU Athletic Director Kevin White announced on Friday.
KMVP begins its first year as the flagship station of ASU athlectics. In the Phoenix area the games will be simulcast on KTAR (620 AM).
The entire ASU football radio network is as follows:
KMVP (860 AM) and KTAR (620 AM) in Phoenix, KTUC (1400 AM) in Tucson, KAAA (1230 AM) in Kingman, KATO (1230 AM) in Safford, KDJI (1270 AM) in Holbrook, KIKO (106.1 FM) in Globe/Miami, KVWM (970 AM) in Show Low, KYBC (1600 AM) in Cottonwood and KYCA (1490 AM) in Prescott.
ASU athletics among best
Capping off a very successful year, which included one national championship (women's golf) and top five performances from the football squad (No. 4) and women's gymnastics team (No. 2), the Sun Devils finished 13th in the Sears' Directors Cup competition.
The finish was an eight -place jump from No. 21 in 1995-96. The Pac-10 claimed seven of the top 25, including Stanford's first-place showing.
The Cup rewards athletic programs which succeed in all sports, both men's and women's. It awards points by NCAA national finish in both fall and spring sports.
Michael Haynes inducted to HOF
Former All-America defensive back Michael Haynes joined the NFL's Hall of Fame on July 25.
Haynes played for ASU from 1972-75 and was a three-time All-WAC selection along with being an All-America in 1975.
In the NFL, Haynes played for the New England Patriots from 1976-82 and the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders from 1983-89.
Baseball = $$$
Four 1996-97 Sun Devils have traded in their Maroon and Gold uni's for a weekly paycheck.
Pitchers Ryan Bradley (Yankees), Jason Verdugo (Giants), Jaymie Bane (Angels) and outfielder Dan McKinley (Giants) all signed professional contracts during the summer.
The four signees bring ASU's all-time total to 262 players, by far the most in collegiate baseball.
New diving coach
Following in the footsteps of legendary coach Ward O'Connell, who coached at ASU for 23 years, will be former Olympian Mark Bradshaw.
Bradshaw was a member of the 1988 Olympic team and finished fifth in the 3-meter competition.
Men's tennis inks one
The ASU men's tennis team signed Peter Dani of Hungary to study and play tennis.
Dani, a native of Budapest, was a member of the junior Hungarian National Team. He helped lead them to the quarterfinals of the Sunshine Cup before being defeated by the United States team.
ASU Hall of Fame adds five
Five former Sun Devil student-athletes will be inducted into the ASU Athletic Hall of Fame during Homecoming activities prior to the Nov. 15 ASU-Oregon football game at Sun Devil Stadium.
The five new members include former women's golf NCAA champion Kanielle Ammaccapane, All-America linebacker Vernon Maxwell, All-America track and field athlete Rick Walker and NCAA gymnastics titlists Kim Neal and Lisa Zeis.
By Josh DeFamio, State Press
The Arizona Cardinals needed a little help from some familiar faces to avoid its first winless preseason since 1990.
Rookie quarterback Jake Plummer, a second-round pick out of Arizona State, led the Cardinals on a 10-play, 37-yard field goal drive in the final minutes to give Arizona (1-3) the 15-13 victory over the Oakland Raiders (2-2) on Friday night.
"We've been in (the two-minute drill) with the Cardinals everyday in practice," Plummer said. "We go in to the two-minute drill with 1:30 left and one timeout left...when you get in there with 1:47 and two (timeouts), you're salivating."
"He showed a lot of poise on that last drive," Raider quarterback Jeff George said. "I like to see that in a young quarterback. He showed what he is made of, and not a lot of rookies can do that."
The Raiders had one last try, but another former Sun Devil, defensive tackle Brent Burnstein, wrapped up third-string signal caller Donald Hollas to end the game.
For Burnstein, who had been cut and resigned by the Cardinals earlier in the week, the hit could not have come at a better time.
"It felt great," Burnstein said. "It was just a rush going through me...in my home stadium, making the big play at the end."
The comeback came at the end of a sloppy game that saw no offensive touchdowns and 11 turnovers.
The first one came just 16 seconds into the game, as Oakland's Tim Brown caught a George pass, gained control, then fumbled for no apparent reason. Arizona linebacker Ronald McKinnon recovered the ball at the Raider 24 yard line.
The Cardinals converted the turnover into a 25-yard Kevin Butler field goal, the first of five Butler 3-pointers on the night.
With the Cardinals nursing a 6-3 lead in the second quarter, the Raiders scored the only touchdown of the contest. Oakland cornerback Larry Brown intercepted a Kent Graham pass -- a pass thrown right to Brown, eerily reminiscent of Brown's two picks off of Neil O'Donnell in Super Bowl XXX held in Sun Devil stadium -- and returned it 38 yards for the score.
The Cardinals added another field goal, and went into the half trailing 10-9.
The second half began with boos directed at Graham as fans were expecting Plummer to take over.
"Jake's got a big fan base here," Graham said. "And that's the reality of the situation." It could be tough all year. You never know."
Graham responded by throwing an interception to the Raider's Perry Carter to end the drive and Graham's night.
"Sometimes that's tough to play under," Graham said, referring to the crowd reaction. "But that's what you have to deal with. You've got to play under pressure and I realize that."
The two teams traded fourth quarter field goals to set up Plummer's heroics. Butler kicked the game-winning, 42-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining.
Despite the win, the Cardinals offense failed to score a touchdown for the third time in four preseason games, a fact that seems to cause no concern to some defenders.
"I think once we get going, and they put the full package in, you're going to see some more diversity," All-Pro cornerback Aeneas Williams said. "Certainly, you're going to see a more polished Kent Graham. I'm not concerned at all."
The defense, on the other hand, was stellar, keeping the Raider offense out of the end zone and forcing three turnovers when Oakland had the ball in the red zone.
From Staff Reports
The ASU women's soccer team opened and closed its exihibition season with a 5-1 whitewashing of Northern Arizona University at Sun Devil Soccer Field on Friday.
Sophomore forward Aisha Thomas tallied the first hat-trick in Sun Devil soccer history, scoring two unassisted goals and taking a feed from freshman Karine Inoue for another.
Sophomore Jill Rivard, at the 7:00 mark and freshman Erin McGinnis, at 71:17, scored ASU's two other tallies.
Good news for the Sun Devils was the return to action of both goalkeeps who missed nearly all of ASU's 16 games last season.
Senior Amy Moxley had two saves while playing the first half, and sophomore Erin Reinke stopped three Lumberjack shots.
The Sun Devils open up their second regular season with a match at Colorado on Aug. 29.
By Ed Odeven, State Press
Ex-ASU point guard Stevin "Hedake" Smith and two former teammates are the focus of an ongoing investigation into an alleged point-shaving scandal that occurred in 1994, The Arizona Republic reported Friday.
The federal grand jury investigation, which began more than three years ago, is investigating claims that a gambler paid Smith "tens of thousands of dollars to either lose games or keep the games within the point spread", an anonymous source told The Republic.
The anonymous source also said that two other unnamed Sun Devil players may have been paid.
Repeated attempts last weekend to reach Stevin Smith and his Utah-based agent, Benny Smith, were unsuccessful.
Federal investigators have supposedly trimmed their investigation to 20 people, including bookmakers, gamblers, Las Vegas casino employees and the three ex-Sun Devils.
FBI investigators plan to interrogate every member of the 1993-94 team, former Sun Devil center Jay Knollmiller told the Tribune. Knollmiller was a freshman that season and was interviewed by the FBI four weeks ago.
Carol Knollmiller, Jay's mom, was reached by phone Saturday and she said her son has declined to comment on the interrogation.
ASU men's basketball coach Bill Frieder has been advised by ASU's general counsel not to comment on the investigation.
Cynthia Jewett, an associate general counsel for ASU said Friday that the University "cannot comment on the specifics of the investigation."
Although no exact timetable has been set to issue indictments, one source told The Republic that indictments could be given before the end of this year.
Suspicious activity
Stephen Nover, a former Las Vegas Review-Journal sports writer, first broke the story on March 6, 1994 "that unusual betting patterns prompted many Las Vegas sports books to stop taking action Saturday (March 5) on the Washington-Arizona State college basketball game."
The host Sun Devils missed their first 14 shots of the game, but rallied in the second half to win it 73-55.
Three other 1994 games in which suspicious gambling and point-shaving allegedly took place were: in a Feb. 19 game against USC, the host Sun Devils were 9-point favorites, but lost by 12 (68-56); in a Feb. 24, game ASU was a 1.5 point favorite against Oregon, but lost by seven (87-80); in a March 3 game, visiting ASU was a 3-point favorite versus Washington State, but lost by nine (80-71).
The majority of the money in those four games was bet against the Sun Devils.
Nick Bogdanovich, sports book manager at Binion's Horseshoe in Las Vegas, told the Las Vegas Review -Journal in 1994 that Saturday's game between Washington and Arizona State was "the most noticeable unnatural wagering pattern he had seen since the point-shaving scandal involving the Tulane University basketball team in 1985.
Ex-Sun Devil Ron Riley, who played for the Rockford Lightning of the Continental Basketball Association last season, was contacted by the State Press in March.
Despite allegations against his former team, Riley remained indifferent.
"I really don't feel anything about it, because I really don't know too much about the situation," he said during a phone interview. "I know it popped up in '94. It came up for a second and went away. It's been three or four years now and I haven't heard anything about any of the players. Nobody has. I really couldn't answer any of those questions."
Riley, who played at ASU from 1992-96, said he is unaware of any wrongdoing by his former teammates.
"Not that I know of, I really don't think so, " he said. "If it was somebody I'm sure they would've known who it was and I'm sure they would've found somebody by now."
A Possible Connection?
Nover said he had a phone conversation in early January with a man who claimed to be an illegal gambler.
The man, who wished to remain anonymous, said he lost thousands of dollars betting on ASU in 1994 and was in trouble with some bookies.
When Nover asked for more specifics about what people were involved, the source offered a simple clue. He said, "Think about 'Aspirin.'"
Amount Disputed
Although The Republic reported that a $1 million bet was placed on the Washington-ASU game in Las Vegas, the Caribbean and through illegal bookmakers, an Aug. 6 story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal disputed this claim.
Gaming experts claim that bettors spent only $250,000 in Las Vegas and the Caribbean and no more than $400,00 through illegal bookmakers.
By Matt Paulson, State Press
This is part one of a five-part series on ASU/Pac-10 football
When any football coach is asked to list his keys for victory, inevitably his response will include the following two answers: eliminate the opposition's big plays and execute on all the little points.
Accomplishment of the latter is perhaps nowhere more important than on special teams.
In the waning moments of a tight game proper placement of the football can be the difference between a win and a loss (see Robert Nycz's field goal vs. Washington).
The pace of a game can be set in a matter of seconds with proper blocking that leads to a momentous kick return (see Terry Battle's 99-yard kickoff return vs. UCLA).
Getting off the ball quickly can lead to a blocked field goal and swiftly change the momentum of a contest (see Brent Burnstein's two blocks in the Rose Bowl).
These are just a few examples of how the special teams came through last year when called upon. However, with the best offense and defense in the Pac-10, having great performances by the special teams wasn't vital for the Sun Devils to win every week.
This year, though, with the loss of 14 starters, the play of the special teams should have more of an effect on ASU's won-loss record.
Here's what to expect.
Kicking
Senior Robert Nycz, the best place kicker in the Pac-10 last year and one of the tops in the nation, returns as the leader of the special teams. The semifinalists for last year's Lou Groza Award was superb in point after touchdown tries (60 of 60) and 11 of 16 on field goal attempts.
With Nycz, special teams coach Dick Arbuckle knows the Sun Devils will be a major scoring threat whenever they're inside the opponent's 30-yard line.
"We have confidence that he (Nycz) will be able to perform," Arbuckle said. "He's a proven performer under pressure. If he's called on to step out and hit a field goal, he's going to do it for us. He's a great weapon."
Look for the field goal squad to be the most dependable and consistent part of the special teams.
On the punting unit, the Sun Devils lose Lance Anderson's solid leg and his 42.6 average. However, they have two powerful booters in senior Marcus Williams and freshman Stephen Baker, who have been pushing each other for the right to step in.
Because of William's experience, head football coach Bruce Snyder said he will get the starting nod.
Returners
The most experienced and dangerous part of the special teams squad will be the kick returners. ASU returns sophomore J.R. Redmond (31 punt returns for 260 yards; two kickoff returns for 83 yards), junior Ricky Boyer (13 punt returns for 129 yards) and junior Marlon Farlow (five kickoff returns for 106 yards).
Redshirt freshman J'Juan Cherry steps in to lessen the blow of losing Terry Battle. Battle was the top kickoff returner in the Pac-10 last year with a 31-yard average and two touchdowns. Cherry is one inch taller and 10 pounds heavier than Battle. Also, he's one of the fastest guys on the team. He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.2 seconds.
Arbuckle sees this unit as his deepest and said, "the toughest part will be deciding who to pick to start."
Redmond and Farlow won the starting jobs for kickoff returns. Redmond will again be the top choice for punt returns. If he sees extensive playing time, Redmond's goal of having 1,000 yards in returns might not be so impossible.
Final thoughts
*The Sun Devils had better average starting field position than their opponents in seven of 11 games last season. They will need at least a duplication of that performance in order to challenge for the Pac-10 Championship. With dominant returners and solid kickers, the protection and coverage teams will determine whether or not this becomes a reality.
Snyder echoed these sentiments.
"All in all, as long as our protections and coverages are good, I think we're going to be real good (on special teams). I think we need to be considering how young we are on other parts of the team."
*Look for 6-foot-8 redshirt freshman Quincy Yancy to make his presence known when opponents attempt field goals.
Nycz suffered the wrath that Yancy can unleash during Camp Tontozona.
"Our field goal block team is doing great," Nycz said. "Quincy Yancy already blocked three of my field goals in camp. He's doing a great job. I expect him to be like Burnstein."
*Overall grade A-
The fall semester always seems like a new beginning -- no doubt a holdover from the lazy days we spent over the summer as kids. As a starting point, the first day of school is even more important than the first day of the year. Like a holiday, the stores are having sales and are stocked up with new things to buy for this momentous occasion enjoyed by pre-schoolers and graduate students alike.
For some, summer is still a roughly three-month period meant for nothing but vacations, long hours curled up near the television and lounging by the pool. Others know a different summer, one that sweeps us up in a vast whirldwind of maniacal work and endless errands and stress.
Either way, the first day of the fall semester, with its deluge of new problems and challenges, forces us to reevaluate ourselves, start over, and generally forget everything that came before this day.
As the editors of your student-run newspaper, we won't throw all precedent out the window, of course.
We'll continue to distribute more than 18,000 papers to various racks around campus and the surrounding community every day Monday through Friday, and they'll always be free for you to pick up and enjoy.
Inside those papers, you'll continue to find the same dedication to the spirit of journalism you've always found in the State Press, though we might show it a bit differently than in the past.
We'll try to enlighten you about the various events and goings-on around campus, inform you about the good and bad things that affect the University, make you laugh, and occasionally, (when you read about tuition going up, for example), make you cry. We hope you'll never feel informed until you've read your daily State Press.
Our opinion writers might piss you off mightily sometimes, but that's OK, too. As one of the largest daily newspapers in the state, we're bound to offend some people as we encourage others. But we allow many diverse ideas in our opinion section, even if some are grossly unpopular and don't reflect the views of our staff. Our paper is run by students, not the Man.
And don't forget: if we print something that gets your emotions going, if we make a mistake, or if you just like seeing your name in ink, we want to hear from you. We'll reserve plenty of room in our opinion section for letters to the editor and guest columnists. All letters to the editor must be turned in by noon daily, and should be typed and double-spaced.
We're proud to offer you the same great product millions of students have enjoyed before you, but we're also proud to be part of this new semester now begun, and all the great opportunities it represents.
Ready or not, here we go.
Matt Morgan, Opinion Editor
All die-hard Sun Devil fans please make themselves known.
It is time ASU joins the ranks of the truly spirited schools. School spirit and pride are as important to the "university experience" as anything else. When I think of spirit, names like Nebraska, Notre Dame and UCLA come to mind. Why doesn't ASU?
Not too long ago, ASU was considered a "party school." It's true. All kinds of national polls said so. Our esteemed administrators spent years trying to eliminate that reputation, and their efforts paid off. Now we're known mostly for our academic excellence -- quite a transition if you ask me.
But when the party days left, so did our spirit. Our lack of spirit shows, and it hurts.
I can't remember the last time I found what I needed in a store's "vast" ASU section. After wading though Michigan, Notre Dame and Florida State jackets, shirts, hats, boxers, pennants and mugs I might find a token ASU shirt. But then again, maybe not.
In the store's defense, it only sells what's popular. So why isn't ASU apparel popular?
Take football for an example. During my freshman year, my friends and I got season tickets. We went to every game. My friends would arrive late and leave early. They would leave at halftime if we were losing, and they would leave if we were winning. They just didn't seem to care. Getting drunk took a higher priority than loyalty to the school.
In some college towns, those who don't support the team are considered outcasts. People who are not loyal to the school are the exception rather than the rule. Now think about Tempe for a minute. It almost seems as if people who wholeheartedly support the Sun Devils are the exception. There's something wrong with that.
I spent three frustrating years watching the football team go down in flames. Now last year was wonderful. It was as if I alone had been rewarded for my unwavering support.
Being on campus during the football season last year was a unique experience. Students actually seemed to care about belonging to this institution of higher learning. I saw pride in every "Shuck the Huskers" T-shirt. I saw spirit in the sweatshirts and backpacks that people sported on campus. It was a beautiful thing.
The miracle season last year gave us the foundation for tradition.
It would be naive of me to think a tradition of spirit and pride might happen overnight -- it takes time. So let's build on what we have. Let's build from last year's athletic successes and run with it.
I want a tradition of Sun Devil pride. It is time to "fight for the old maroon."
I'm terrified we'll revert to the fair-weather support that people have come to expect from us, after our football team's first regular season loss (it's inevitable).
If we expect to get any respect, we need to demand it. We must don the maroon and gold and go ballistic at games. We need to actually sing the fight song when the band plays it (that's the music that always ends with those of us who care saying A-S-U three times).
I am calling for a resurgence of ASU loyalty, especially for the students. Break out the pitchforks! Learn the fight song! Cheer, cheer for ASU!
Being a student is more than simply attending classes, although that is a great part of it. Being a Sun Devil is an identity -- a state of mind -- and something to be extremely proud of.
Give 'em hell, Devils!
Matt Morgan is a senior studying journalism.
Steve Stein, Guest Columnist
Well, the Cardinals start their season this weekend. The Rattlers will be just finishing theirs. And the Suns start theirs in a month.
The real question worth asking is, "Who really cares?"
I always thought the fun in sports was in participating rather than spectating. Instead, each Sunday the nation sits in its collective Lazy Boy watching big, huge guys smash into each other for two hours. Oh, and of course, drinking massive quantities of beer. The only "participation" involved is flipping the remote to the best game, as well as using the toilet quickly enough during commercials so one doesn't miss anything.
A friend of mine recently compared professional sports to the gladiator competitions in Roman times. Do we get a vicarious thrill out of seeing a free safety nail a receiver with a hit hard enough to cause a concussion? Why do the sports segments constantly replay Dennis Rodman kicking a photographer? Is it exciting for us to see a batter charge the mound when he thinks the pitcher throws at him? Have we increasingly condoned a level of violence in pro sports that would be repulsive to most of us in our personal lives?
Sports should be about improving one's mind, body and spirit. It should be a uniting of mind and body to achieve incredible physical feats by men and women united in their determination to excel and win. Is this what pro sports is truly about? Or are there other goals that supersede simply winning?
It's obvious that professional sports has to be a business in order to pay the bills. However, in the last twenty years it has become more than simply a business. The business aspect has taken over. Owners hold cities hostage, threatening to leave if the cities don't build new stadiums for them. And the players are just as guilty of money-grubbing.
Although player free-agency was necessary 20-plus years ago to guarantee players would not be treated like cattle by the owners, it's obvious by any estimation that things have gotten out of hand. For example, how many times in recent years has a professional sports team remained entirely the same from one season to the next?
Players are always looking for the best "deal," while owners are always figuring out the best way to get under the salary cap. Both sides, of course, are forgetting how important the team concept really is. Compare that to the great Celtic and Yankee teams of the 1950s and 1960s where players essentially stayed together for many years in the same organization.
The phrase "show me the money" has become the all-important consideration in professional sports, whether one is an owner or a player. Loyalty to a team or a city is a joke to many players and owners today, no matter what professional sport is involved. Just ask Art Modell, owner of the Cleveland Browns, who moved his team to Baltimore simply because Baltimore offered him more money. It obviously didn't matter to Modell that the Cleveland Browns had the most rabidly loyal fans on the planet. In the end, money won out.
When Hank Aaron was growing up, he couldn't believe he could get paid to play baseball. He was shocked. He was perplexed that he could make lots of money playing a game that he loved more than anything else. How many players today have that same attitude or gratitude for the natural talent they have been blessed with and the astronomical sums they are able to make due to free agency? Furthermore, how many owners look at players as people with families and not just marketable assets?
There are exceptions, of course. Some players and owners care about more things than just the balance sheet. Cal Ripken signs autographs for hours after every game. Kevin Johnson contributed his extensive earnings from basketball so an inner-city center for kids could be built in his home city of Sacramento. John Stockton negotiates his own contracts without an agent and takes less than his market value out of loyalty to his team and city. So, obviously, all is not lost. I'd argue, however, that the above examples are becoming fewer rather than greater. Is it any wonder that the owners and players look increasingly alike?
Now the real question: Where do fans fit into all of this? Most fans don't understand what pawns they are becoming in the bigger chess game. They should -- they're the ones financing it. The next time one of those fans buys that $4 hotdog and $5 beer at the game, maybe they'll have a sudden insight as to what the word "sucker" really means.
Steve Stein is a senior studying psychology.
I wanted to express my total disgust and shock that you would print pornographic materials in the State Press. I am referring to the Aug. 5 issue which contained an explicit photo of sexual positions on the front cover and, inside, a disturbing and too-enlightened article about the local sex clubs, titled "Swing Your Partner," by Kara Shire. The article contained graphic details of sex acts performed in these clubs and was written in a tone that condoned, encouraged and promoted participation in the promiscuous activities of the club.
I personally feel that the activities portrayed are immoral and found the article very offensive, but even for those who do not share my views, the sex club activities are private and personal and should not be plastered all over the State Press, which in essence gave a very large advertisement for a very controversial type of business. In this era of AIDS, the State Press should definitely not be promoting casual sex with multiple partners. Guidelines for journalistic responsibility and good taste were certainly not adhered to!
I was appalled by your publication's glamorization of smut and feel that it would be totally inappropriate in any newspaper but especially in the State Press, which is mainly aimed at the young people at ASU. Wouldn't the students' parents be surprised and shocked to see what the University-sponsored student publication is promoting? Certainly not family values!
I am all for "freedom of the press" but not in regard to pornographic, degrading, offensive and damaging material! The article mentioned is a disgrace to the State Press and to ASU. I sincerely hope that the State Press can clean up its act and be a positive influence in our young people's lives instead of a negative one.
On the cover of the Aug. 5 issue you proclaim "Anything Goes," but I am fervently hoping this will not become the credo of your publication. I strongly urge you to give very careful consideration about what is printed in the State Press in the future.
Barbara L. Guilliams, Secretary, Department of Theatre
I make it a hobby to disagree with the opinion writers of the State Press because, for one, you seem mentally distorted in your belief that we care what y'all think, and two, like a bunch of pansies you guys love to gang-tackle people whenever they step out of line. Most of the time I find that the writers of the "State Mess" offer very little merit or credibility to their arguments.
Take for example, Chris Passamano, whose lackluster commentary of the Jeff Hoffman incident sounded way too naive, ignorant and outraged for me to support his position. Passamano's style of delivery resulted in his argument falling on deaf ears. Look, I don't at all condone the alleged actions of Hoffman (who denies doing anything that led to his arrest), however I am most disappointed in the way that Passamano attacked Hoffman by saying that Hoffman "thought he was God." Your statement didn't lead me to believe that Hoffman was some sort of punk, arrogant athlete because I know better. Instead, I looked at Passamano as somebody who has a serious inferiority complex and raging jealousy towards athletes. His article was a waste of space because it didn't accomplish jack. All it said was, "I'm Chris Passamano and I'm mad at Jeff Hoffman. I don't like him anymore. My favorite Sun Devils are Juan Roque and Pat Tillman. Jeff Hoffman should be a better person and then I'll like him."
Look, the only problem is that idiots like Passamano ascend athletes to a pedestal and, subsequently, neglect common sense by not resolving the fact that they are people just like you and me. Subordinating yourself to an inferior rank of athletes will make you hostile and angry towards them when they let you down. We are all considered adults here at ASU and we should act as such if our student athletes are acting wrong. Nah, not Passamano, he'd rather jump up and down on Hoffman's back, Jeff Paulk's back, or Jake Plummer's back like a pansy on a trampoline. If Passamano really loves ASU football like he confesses, then he shouldn't be so apt to jump the gun. I can understand his disappointment, but I can't see how he can sell out on ASU athletes by trying to embarrass them when they step out of line. Hey Passamano, the real ASU fans will support any Devil through thick and thin in these type of circumstances. Either show more loyalty to the team or move to Tucson if you want to act like a UofA mom.
Michael Miller, Senior, Broadcasting
RAY STERN Editor
CARYL MICALIZIO Night Editor
JENNIFER NETHERBY City Editor
CADONNA PEYTON Asst. City Editor
MATT MORGAN Opinion Editor
JODI BAFUNDO News Editor
PAT SHANNAHAN Photo Editor
RANDY JONES Sports Editor
ED ODEVEN Asst. Sports Editor
DEANNA DARR Magazine Editor
LEYLA SALMASSIAN Asst. Magazine Editor
REPORTERS: Brian Anderson, Tim Baxter, Chis Passamano, Ginger Scott, Kara Shire, Geneo Sibold-Cohn, Tara Teichgraeber.
SPORTS REPORTERS: Josh DeFamio, John Graber, Lori Haro, Matt Paulson.
COPY EDITORS: Lorie Roberts, Christi Foist.
PHOTOGRAPHERS: Beth McGovern, Paul Besing, Brad Lang, Jeremy Hein.
COLUMNISTS: George D. Rose, Sr., Steve Stein.
CARTOONISTS: Brian Fairrington.
PRODUCTION: Jeff Chua, Adrianna Garcia, Kai Haisch-Risley, Allison Hurt, John Kestner, Wendy Luney, Sara Pike, Hub Zemeke.
SALES REPRESENTATIVES: Toby Brooks, Christy Camp, David Goodwin, Holly Ingram, Jonathon Negretti, Jess Rankin, Shane Siren, Kathy Welsh, Robyn Wilson.
CLASSIFIEDS: Sean Lebinson, Cayse Oswald, Lisa Parhiala, Jeanette Pluiom, Joy Thompson.
The State Press is published Monday through Friday during fall and spring semesters, except holidays and exam periods, at Matthews Center, Room 15, Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz. 85287-1502. We do not answer questions of a general nature.
The State Press is the only newspaper exclusively published for and circulated on the ASU campus. The news and views published in this newspaper are not necessarily those of the ASU administration, faculty, staff or student body.
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