1996-07-24; Central Michigan Life

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Central I IC C
Michigan LirC
WEDNESDAY,
JULY 24,
1996
VOLUME 78. NUMBER 97
MOUNT PLEASANT, MICHIGAN 48859
©1996 CM LIFE
(517)774-3493
10 PAGES
Group finds CMU responsible
for charter schools actions
By Heather IM. LaFave
LIFE New* £d*tor	
A man representing a citizens*
group from Detroit told the Board
of Trustees at the Thursday
Board meeting it is responsible
for the inappropriate actions of a
CMU charter school.
During the public comment portion of the Board meeting. Alan
Schenk of the East Lafayette
Community Action Council voiced
the groups concern about the university's contracting the
Woodward Academy as a charter
school.
ELCAC consists of approximately 10 former school teachers
who are opposed to the opening of
Woodward Academy.
Schenk told the Board the academy has been ignoring rules instituted by CMU as well as state
regulations in its correspondence
with the parents of potential students.
He said academy officials have
told parents the school is chartered when it isnt, issued enrollment acceptance letters before the
school's contract was signed and
has not been informing parents
that the school is for "at-risk
youth."
Schenk said the group is concerned with the academy, future
location in the old Lafayette
Clinic building in the Greek Town
section of downtown Detroit.
He said the building has
asbestos problems and there is
inadequate outdoor recreation
space.
Schenk said the "strong community opposition shouldn't be
ignored."
"What over-sight is going to be
exercised by CMU over this academy?" he asked. *I suggest if s not
free from doubt that the Board is
responsible  (for the  actions  of]
academy officials) *
"I welcome you to ask me to document everything I have said
today*
According to Bob Mills, director
of CMlTs Charter Schools Office,
much of the information Schenk
presented to the Board was distorted.
Mills said the group has a history of protesting the school and
attempted to sabotage funding for
the school.
The office documented the
groups complaints and concerns
during a four hour meeting with
ELCAC on June 13, he said.
After the meeting, the complaints were followed up by an
investigation by an independent
consultant. The consultant
inspected the building, interviewed academy officials and provided an overview of the situation.
The consultant, John Romaine
of JCR & Associates, stated in his
review: "Woodward Academy will
open in the fall of 1996 with an
excellent building, full enrollment, complete staff, solid financial base and strong educational
plan.*
Mills said the school has
received high praise from educators, parents, community members and corporations — who have
pledged more than $250,000 in
donations to the school.
Ameritech alone has provided
Woodward Academy,  which wiil
See CHAfCTEiteygg TO
Library evacuated Tuesday
By Dave Borough
LIFE Staff Writer	
and Rachel Sprovtsoff
LIFE Copy Editor	
Anyone who was studying at the Park
Library Tuesday got an unexpected study
break when smoke and the sound of a fire
alarm polluted the air.
A motor belt began to burn in the air-conditioning system of the Clarke Historical
Library, and a patron of the library notified
a library employee about the smoke, said
Evelyn Leasher, library employee
"*About three staff members investigated
and decided to pull the alarm.*" she said.
Once the alarm was pulled CMU*:
Department of Public Safety responded to
the call and they decided to call the fire
department, Leasher said.
The fire squad responded to the call within five minutes after it was placed, she said.
Leasher said the library was evacuated at
12:15 p.m. and people were allowed back in
approximately an hour later.
The Mount Pleasant Fire Department was
able to locate the problem.
Nothing was damaged, but smoke had
spread through the library by other air-conditioning vents, she said.
"It  smelled  and  there  was  a  thick  fog of
moke," Leasher said.
She said people cooperated and it was good
to see the fire procedures working.
Soma Hernandez, Lansing junior, said she
was working on the third floor and could
smell the smoke but didn't see anything.
"I thought it was a fire drill,'" she said. "It
was interesting."
Other people who were in the library on
the lower floors had gathered outside while
fire fighters were entering the building and
said they were unaware of any smoke.
Leasher said the air conditioning was
working just fine after the incident because
Facilities Management fixed it.
Student beating
deadly disease
LIFE Staff Wr.ter	
Jennifer  Gregoria,   Southgate
senior, has a new birthday and a
new blood type.
How you ask? Two months ago
she received a bone marrow-
transplant to fight cancer, which
involved getting her brother's
blood type as well as a new lease
on life.
Her medical condition started
in June 1995. She began experiencing backaches and chest
pains. But she thought it was
from helping her friends move,
lifting furniture and other hefty
items.
When the pain worsened she
went to the hospital, thinking it
was the flu, but learned instead
that tumors were growing in her
chest and lymph nodes.
Tests revealed Gregoria was
suffering from non-Hodgkins
lymphoma and it was spreading
fast. Both her brothers and her
sister were tested for transplant
compatibility.
In one week, the Gregoria family learned that her older brother, Joe, had a pc^rfect match in all
six categories for medical transplants.
Gregoria, 23, and admitted
into the hospital received her
transplant May 16. It is customary that transplant recipients
celebrate transplant day as their
new birthday.
She will be celebrating May 16
as her new birthdav for the rest
Lego Logic
LIFE Photos/Bryan Bosch
(above) Chris Sabourin, Midland senior, organizes a race for a science camp sponsored by
the Science/Mathematic/Technology Center
in Brooks Hall Tuesday. Campers use problem solving skills to design and build Lego
machines operated and powered by computers   This is the first year the department has
sponsored such a camp.   "We wanted to provide an academic experience for [the kids]
that would be fun and excite them in areas
of science, math, and technology," Claudia
Douglass, director of the SMTC said,  (left)
Dov Lang, 11, of Mount Pleasant adds the
finishing touches to a merry-go-round. The
two week camp, which started last week,
consists of students from kindergarten
through the 12th grade from the mid-
Michigan area.
LIFE File Photo
Jennifer Gregoria, Southgate senior, is pictured at a spring benefit concert to raise money for her bone marrow transplant. She is
in good spirits following her bone marrow operation.
of her life. And she has her
brother's blood type since his
bone marrow is now producing
her body's blood.
Gregoria _ transplant utilized
the peripheral stem procedure.
This involves separating the
donor's blood into components,
capturing the stem cells which
will be used in the transplant.
These stem cells were collected
in a syringe and injected into
Grc*goria after her own bone
marrow was killed off to make'
room for the new marrow.
The actual procedure took two
days and went very well.
Gregoria said. She was out of the
hospital after 20 days. And
because of the peripheral stem
cell procedure her brother did
not require surgery or anesthetic.
Maryann Gregoria, Jennifer's
mom, explained the first 100
days after surgery are the most
critical for bone marrow transplants. She said Gregoria had a
scare just 30 days after the operation, when she was having
trouble breathing.
It turned out she had chemo-
toxicity in the lungs. Gregoria
said doctors successfully cleaned
out the toxic condition with antiinflammatory drugs and
steroids, which helped boost her
energy level and her appetite.
Gregoria. positive attitude is
the biggest weapon in her recovery.
She is positive, upbeat and
determined to fight, her mother
said. Gregoria is also using the
Internet   to  talk   to   people   who
have or are going to have bone
marrow transplants.
She brought her laptop with
her to the hospital and communicated with others via the Bone
Marrow Transplant talk group.
The BMT talk group exchanges
information about procedures
and recovery details, helping
each other cope with and survive
their battles.
According to Gregoria, the
hardest part of her recovery is
dealing with the side effects
from the medicine she's taking.
Gregoria also finds it difficult
wondering if a body ache or pain
is just a twitch or cause for
something catastrophic.
She said she tries not to panic
but must be cautious because of
her weakened immune system.
Gregoria said her positive attitude, her family and her friends
have all contributed to her recovery and the relatively few side
effects she has had.
Her brother, Joe, is her hero
and she believes she wouldn't be
here today without his life-saving bone marrow donation.
She plans to encourage others
to get tested and register to be a
bone marrow donor because it is
needed by so many people and it
is a gift of life.
Gregoria plans to remain as
active as possible and hopes to
help others learn about and handle bone marrow transplants.
She also wants to promote
bone marrow registration drives
and benefit events, like the one
See MARROW Page 10
Roberts to speak at
commencement Aug 3
By Heather N. LaFave
l IFL News l d.tor	
The  Board  of Trustees passed
a       resolution!
last week to
award Douglas
Roberts,
Michigan's
treasurer, an
honorary doctorate of Public
Service.
Roberts   will
be     the     com-
m e n c c^ m e n t
speaker for the August  graduation ceremony
According  to  a   press   release,
Roberts has been involved with
state government for 23 years in
various positions including
deputy director of        the
Department    of   Management,
deputy superintendent of Public
Instruction and director of the
Senate Fiscal Agency
He received his master's
degree in economics from
Michigan State University He
also has an undergraduate
degree in business administration    from    the*    University    of
press    release
not  be reached
Roberts
Maryland,    the
stated
Roberts  could
for comment.
At Thurscir.^'s Poard meeting,
President Leonard Plachta said
thert* are 1,852 perspective graduates for CMU's first-ever summer commencement.
The ceremony will take place
at  10 a.m. Aug. 3 at Rose Arena.
Jan Wagester, executive secre-
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