Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY
December i, 1999
Vol. 107, No. 69 | Athens, Georgia
Fair.
High 53 | Low 25 | Thursday 61
i
ONLINE; wwwredandblack.com j
University researchers
have concluded that ■
corn that sleep on
waterbeds are
happier, more
comfortable and
produce more
milk. PAGE 2
An independent student newspaper serving the University of Georgia
ESTABLISHED 1893, INDEPENDENT 198
BECKY REID I Tat Rt„ a Blac.
▲ Jordan Meeler, left, and Tien Cheng are enrolled in the UGA Pre-K program locat
ed at the McPhaul Center. The girls are playing during recess.
Saturday’s bad fumble
call on mind of Adams
By CHANDLER BROWN
The Red a Black
University President
Michael Adams said the con
troversial fumble call in
Saturday's Georgia-Georgia
Tech game was the result of
referees getting too involved in
the game.
“The errors come when you
become the game and stop
being a spectator," Adams
said. “I think that's what hap
pened here."
Speaking at a scheduled
media briefing at his Lustrat
House office Tuesday, Adams
told reporters he was willing to
support using instant-replays
in the final two minutes to
avoid such questionable calls
in the future. (Professional
football already uses instant-
replay).
At issue is a call by SEC offi
cials who said Georgia running
back Jasper Sanks fumbled on
the Tech 1-yard-line. Television
replays appeared to show
Sanks was down before the
fumble, and a top SEC official
later admitted the call was
wrong.
The story was carried on
CNN and appeared in national
newspapers. It became widely
accepted as a bad call — which
cost Georgia the game — by
sports commentators and
newspaper columnists.
Nonetheless, Georgia fans
were forced to accept the
Bulldogs’ 51-48 loss in over
time.
“I’m usually over games by
noon Monday,” Adams said.
“I’m still not over this one.”
In the briefing, Adams also:
► said he supports continu
ing to use high school grades
and “some form of standard
ized test” to determine fresh
man applications. Those fac
tors alone, he said, can predict
how well a student will per
form academically in college.
>■ said the selection of new
Vice President for Legal Affairs
Stephen Shoemaker was
slowed by the University’s
ongoing legal battle over affir
mative action. “There’s only so
many hours in the day,” he
said, referring to the time he’s
devoted to the subject. (He
wouldn’t discuss the case
because it’s in litigation).
► announced the creation
of a Chief Information Officer
(CIO) position to oversee com
puter operations.
► said the University was
“almost 100 percent” ready for
Y2K, the year 2000 conversion
expected to disable some com
puter systems.
► said he was waiting for a
report from Vice President for
Student ^Affairs Richard
Mullendore that would make
recommendations on a stu
dent judiciary overhaul.
“University’s dispositions are
better when they handle their
own problems rather than
using litigation,” Adams said.
By CHANDLER BROWN
Thb Red a Black
Although former Soviet leader
Mikhail Gorbachev’s visit this
Friday is expected to draw nation
al media attention, officials say
the event probably won’t fill
the 9,000-seat Stegeman
Coliseum.
Gorbachev,
who served as
president of the
Soviet Union in
1990 and '91 and
as leader of the
Communist
Party before
that, is sched
uled to deliver a
free, one-hour
speech at 7:30
p.m. Doors open GORBACHEV
at 6:30.
Because tick
ets aren’t being issued, it’s impos
sible to know how many people
will show, said University
spokesman Tom Jackson.
“I don’t think we’ll fill the coli
seum,” Jackson said. “I hope peo
ple will take the opportunity to
come out and hear him, but I
don’t think we’ll fill all the seats.”
Political science professor Loch
Johnson said students are busy
with papers and studying for
finals, which may deter some from
attending.
“It will be disappointing if a lot
of people don’t go," he said. “I’m
very excited about it. I’m spread
ing the word.”
The coliseum will undergo
somewhat of a transformation to
look more like a speaking arena
than a basketball court.
The Lady Bulldogs take on
LSU Thursday night at 7:30, leav
ing Physical Plant workers only
about 20 hours until the former
world leader enters the building.
Gorbachev is scheduled to
travel by rented limousine from
Atlanta with Georgia alumna and
CNN executive Pat Mitchell, who
helped coordinate the event,
Jackson said.
The limo will be met on Ga. 316
by a fleet of University police cars
that will escort Gorbachev into
town, Jackson said.
About $25,000 has been ear
marked for security, but
GORBACHEV SPEAKS
When & Where: 7:30 p.m. Friday
at Stegeman Coliseum
Admission: Free
University Police Chief Chuck
Horton said details of his plan to
protect Gorbachev won’t be
released for safety reasons.
As for rush-hour drivers who
may be disrupted by the motor
cade, Horton would say only, “It
will be as quick and painless as
possible.” He would not say
what streets, if any, would be
closed.
Horton, who has a degree in
political science, said he was
thrilled Gorbachev was coming.
But because his security falls
squarely on Horton’s shoulders
(Gorbachev doesn’t travel with
his own security detail), it will
be a stressful night, Horton
said.
“It can be a headache," Horton
said. "We don’t want our universi
ty to be embarrassed, or our
state."
Horton said his department
has been charged with protecting
such high-profile campus visitors
as George Bush, Prince Charles,
A1 Gore and Jimmy Carter.
Gorbachev is scheduled to
arrive just in time for a 5 p.m.
news conference, where he'll
answer questions from reporters
and a group of invited students.
He then will have a private dinner
at University President Michael
Adams’ mansion on Prince
Avenue.
After the 7:30 speech, for which
Gorbachev is being paid $75,000,
he is to be whisked back to
Atlanta, Jackson said. He will
not take questions from the
audience.
Jackson said he expected sev
eral local and national TV sta
tions, including FOX News
Channel and CNN, to cover the
visit.
Although he speaks nearly flu
ent English, Gorbachev will have
an interpreter whose voice will be
heard slightly louder than his
own, said Matt Peterson, execu
tive director of Global Green
USA, a division of Gorbachev’s
Green Cross International.
Opening with or without Ezra Williams
Reducing turnovers a season goal of men's team
By DARREN EPPS
Thb Red a Black
First, he retook the science
portion of the high school gradua
tion test. Then he took it again,
finally passing the exam. After
being able to participate in condi
tioning drills with the team, fresh
man standout Ezra Williams can
finally... practice.
But the Marietta native still
can’t play.
Three weeks after learning he
passed the test, the men’s basket
ball team still is awaiting the go-
ahead from the NCAA Eligibility
Committee to play Williams as it
prepares for Tennessee State
tonight at 7:30. The matchup is
the first regular season home
game for the Bulldogs this season.
“Not having Ezra may have
cost us a game or two,” said head
coach Jim Harrick, who expects
word from the NCAA by next
Tuesday. “We were close against
N.C. State and Kansas, and he
might have been the differenced
But the only person who may
be more frustrated than Harrick
MEN’S BASKETBALL
vs Tennessee, 7:30 p.m.
Radio: WNGC-FM (106.1)
is Williams himself.
“It’s great to be back and part
of the team, but I really want to
play," Williams said. “It’s been
tough having to watch the games
on TV.”
But Harrick knows Georgia (1-
3) must cast aside frustrations
Williams’ absence has caused and
focus on a problem that plagued
the Bulldogs at the Great Alaska
Shootout last weekend —
turnovers.
“Our biggest weakness so far
has been the huge amount of
turnovers we’ve had,” said
Harrick, who watched his team
commit 26 turnovers against
Louisville Saturday. “If we had
turned the ball over less against
tonight. The Tigers fell to
Northern Iowa 68-60 last week,
but guard Jamie Roberts had a
huge game, scoring 20 points and
playing all 40 minutes.
Tennessee State provides a
much-needed break from
Georgia’s rigorous schedule.
Despite facing N.C. State, Kansas
and Louisville already In the
young season, the Bulldogs must
face Georgia Tech, Wake Forest
and Minnesota before 1999 is over.
The two junior college trans
fers — forwards Anthony Evans
and Shon Coleman — have pro
vided most of the spark so far this
season. Evans is averaging 16.5
points a game while Coleman is
chipping in 14.8 points a contest,
a far cry from previous Bulldog
teams that relied on guard
play.
“We’re a lot better than I
thought we would be, and we’ve
gotten real good play from Evans
and Coleman,” Harrick
Kansas, we might have won that
game." we rut down on our turn
It-is-unulrai liow much of a get more consistency
challenge Tennessee State (0-1) perimeter, we’ll improve even
will bring to Stegeman Coliseum more.”
TIME FOR RECESS
Ecolo
looks to
expand
By MIRANDA MANGUM
The Red a Black
Spread across campus and
strained for space, environmen
tal faculty are looking for a
school of their own. But should
it be a college or an academy?
The Environmental Programs
Enhancement Committee held
its fifth forum Tuesday on how
to enhance the ecological and
environmental programs at the
University,
“We’re anxious to have a
change," said Ron Pulliam of the
Institute of Ecology. “We’re look
ing at where we are now and
looking at other universities.”
At the forum, the EPEC
debated two options — either an
Academy of Environmental
Programs or an Open College of
the Environment.
Both options would have a
dean and permanent faculty.
The academy would have
about 12 permanent faculty
appointments while staying in
current departments, said Tim
Denny, a plant pathology profes
sor.
“The academy would be less
disruptive,” Denny said. “It
would be more readily accept
able.”
The second option of a col
lege would be more permanent
and more like current colleges at
the University, he said.
The college or academy
would move three or four
departments from the Franklin
College of Arts and Sciences.
One faculty member said the
academy idea isn’t well-defined
and the option of a college is
more realistic.
Denny said neither option will
get off the ground unless there is
substantial new funding.
“The options are predicated
on the belief there will be new
sources of funding available,” he
said.
Denny said University
President Michael Adams, who
proposed a school of environ
mental sciences in a January
speech, indicated there would
be money available. But those
funds won't be an option until
the committee makes a definite
proposal, he said.
Alan Jaworski, head of the
botany department, said a place
to house a new environmental
program is necessary.
“It's very obvious we’re short
of space,” Jaworski said.
Denny said both the academy
and the college have a lot of sup
port, and it’s still too early to say
which the EPEC will recom
mend.
“These proposals are not
going to be full-blown with
details,” he said “We're leaving
many details unaddressed.”
Denny said the committee is
supposed to give a recommen
dation to Provost Karen
Holbrook by the end of January.
UP CLOSE
A A University researcher’s
photo stands up to the
competition. Story, Page 2
Top security
expected for
Gorbachev
Projections: Stegeman won 't fill
INSIDE TODAY | News: 2 | Opinions: 4 | Variety: 5 | Sports: 7 | Crossword: 5
