UA rep impersonates Fling head, fakes Milli Vanilli story

College senior Dan Singer, a four-year veteran of the UA, represented himself as Fling Co-Director Todd Fruchterman on five occasions in three days, claiming that embattled rock duo Milli Vanilli would be the primary act at this year's Fling. Singer, who is also a member of University Council's steering committee, said last night that he did not intend to discredit student government. He said that he and two other members of the informal group Students Without A Cause spearheaded the hoax and meant it as a joke. The College senior, who has been one of the most visible student government leaders in recent years, called the DP as Fruchterman and said that Fling organizers felt the group would attract students. "They [Fling co-directors] feel that Milli Vanilli has a lot of minority appeal," Singer, posing as Fruchterman, explained. "This is the sort of group that would encourage lots of diverse people to show up." He also said that, due to the revocation of the group's Grammy awards last year, "they'd be cheap." But Fling Co-director Rob Cohen dismissed the claim by Singer. "Milli Vanilli is not coming to campus," he said last night. Fling Co-director Denise Rubin said she was surprised by the prank. "We're disappointed that two prominent campus organizations were forced to be involuntary partners in a totally inappropriate practical joke," she said. She added that it is uncertain whether Singer, who is also a Fling subcommittee chairperson, "still has a place with Fling." "I don't understand his motives or what the point of this was," she said. "It defies logic." There is no evidence that either the UA or the Social Planning and Events Committee, which oversees Fling, participated in or were aware of the hoax, and Singer denied they had any involvement. UA chairperson Duchess Harris said last night that "Mr. Singer's actions were in no way associated with the Undergraduate Assembly." She added that they "do not in any way de-legitimize either the effectiveness or quality of this year's [UA] administration." Fruchterman said last night that he was unhappy with his unwitting role in the prank. "I probably think that his choice [of Fling co-directors to impersonate] was arbitrary," he said. "I'm a little disappointed since I could have done without the nuisance." "I think the whole joke is in bad taste," he added. "I'm sorry I had to be dragged into it." Singer first called The Daily Pennsylvanian Sunday, claiming to be Fruchterman. He asked that a story be printed, revealing that Milli Vanilli was being considered as Fling's primary performer this year, according to "a highly placed Spring Fling organizer." He tipped his hand by revealing his home phone number, which is not the same as Fruchterman's. When Fruchterman was called at home, he had no knowledge of talking to a DP reporter about the music group. Singer was confronted last night and admitted his role in the ploy, saying that a number of SWAC members thought the joke would be funny. College senior Emily Nichols, a member of SWAC and chairperson of Conaissance, said she heard about the proposed hoax at a group meeting, but emphasized that the organization did not approve the act. Singer agreed that it was only he and two other SWAC members who organized the hoax. "I don't consider this of a devious nature, fraud or deception," he said. He added that he hopes the prank will not cause friction between the UA and SPEC. "It's not that I have a bone to pick with SPEC," he said. "Perhaps my character is flawed and I shouldn't be re-elected, but I'm a second semester senior," he added.

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