1996-09-11; Central Michigan Life

              ^aua-mmi
Central Michigan LIFE
Volume 79, Number 8
Mt. Pleasant,   MI 48859
©1996 CM LIFE
77 years of serving the community
FRIDAY
September 11,1996
16 pages
Loan amounts increase by $10 million
■ Students borrowed
$47 million during
1995-96 academic year
By Angela Cook
LIFE Staff Writer	
The amount of money borrowed
in the form of loans seems to be
increasing every academic year,
said the director of Scholarships
and Financial Aid.
According to Terry Viau, director of Scholarships and Financial
Aid, about $47 million was taken
out in loans by CMU students
during the 1995-96 academic
year. This is a $10 million
increase from the previous year,
Viau said.
Undergraduate students bor
rowed $38.8 million of the $47
million, with the remainder being
borrowed by graduate students.
Viau said she blames the
increase of student loans on the
tuition and fee increases, and students taking longer then four
years to graduate.
Viau also said approximately
10,000 CMU students take out
loans every year. After graduation, the students who took out
loans have a debt of about
$14,000 to $16,000.
She expects the amount of
money for loans to increase next
year.
Viau said other financial means
students rely on, such as Pell
Grants,   are   not   increasing   or
keeping up with current tuition
rates. The maximum Pell Grant
for the 1995-96 school year was
$2,440 and it has increased only
$70 for this year, Viau said.
"The other programs have not
kept pace* with increases in cost,"
she said.
In 1993, Viau said 4 percent of
CMU students were unable to
pay back their loans.
Viau said loans are worth it
though because she sees loans as
an investment.
"An education you will always
have," she said.
According to Jody Christensen,
Greenville graduate student, she
is $25,000 in debt from her years
as an undergraduate.
She cited the cost of room and
board in residence halls as one of
the primary reason she took out
her first loan of $1,700.
Juan Carlos Casillas, Los
Angeles graduate student, is
$7,000 in debt.
He said while he does not
regret taking out the loans, he
wishes there were other ways to
pay for a college education.
UI regret that I live in a system
where I have to take out loans,"
he said.
He said he considered taking
out additional loans before he
entered graduate school. After
some thought he decided going
further into debt would be worth
it.
Cassillas said he had to take
out additional loans as a gradu-
SEEING RED
$47 million was taken out on loans
during the 1995-96 academic year,
$10 million more than last year.
II
Undergrads
Grads
LIFE Graphic/Jeff Rauschert
ate student because the* graduate
assistantship program he is a
part of was cut.
Board expected
to pass vote
on technology
initiatives
By Len Padilla
LIFE Staff Writer
HERRON
Members of the CMU Beard of Trustees are
expected to pass a motion Friday authorizing the
president to spend $2.4 million for technology initiatives.
If passed, President Leonard Plachta will be
authorized to spend $2,450,000 for the 1996-97 fiscal year on installing a new network, and improving computer technology for students, faculty and
the library.
Russ Herron, vice president of I
University Relations and Board of
Trustees secretary, said he does
not foresee any problems with getting the initiative to pass at the
Board of Trustees meeting.
"Since it's being recommended
by the administration, there
shouldn't be any problems,*'
Herron said. "The board has been
very supportive in the past regarding technology issues."
According to a proposal released by CMU's
administration, it will require approximately $2.4
million in 1996-97 to fund the undertaking.
Funding for the initiative will come from a variety of sources, including funds from the student
technology fee, state appropriations for technology,
and the capital budget.
Almost half of the money called for in the initiative will be used to install an expanding campus
network, the proposal said. The $1.3 million project
will begin a four-year expansion of a network called
an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network,
which will provide for data, video and voice technology.
Additional portions of the initiative call for student computer and technology improvements, a
technology grant program, improvements in library
technology and for a technical learning center in
instructional support services.
Also at the board meeting, the president is
expected to sign and ratify a tentative collective
bargaining agreement with the Faculty Association
for 1996 through 1999
"I'm 99.9 percent sure it will pass," Herron said of
the collective bargaining agreement which the
Faculty Association agreed to last week. "It will be
nice when it's finalized."
In addition, the Board will also take action on
issues dealing with an agreement with the
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff to link the two
campuses via interactive television. They will also
decide on a revised student code of conduct, and the
replacement of vanities in Larzelere and Robinson
residence halls.
LIFE Photos/Gabriel Guerrero
REBUILDING
MOUNT PLEASANT
(above)Scott Shaver of Bay City finishes putting neon tubes on one of
his signs in downtown Mount
Pleasant Tuesday with the help of
Ray Nagy. (left) Both Shaver and
Nagy use scaffolding for the job.
Shaver has installed signs at
Rhynos Car Wash, 425 S. Mission
Street, Shaboom  Pub Club, 106
Court and The Brass Saloon, 128 S.
Main.
LIFE Photos/Gabriel Guerrero
Theft
defense:
lock up or
insure it
By Jeffrey J. Stacer
LIFE Staff Writer	
A new school year means new
reported theft on campus.
According to Detective Jeff
Pickler from the Department of
Public Safety, there were
approximately 339 cases of
reported larceny in 1995,
including residence hall and car
theft.
Cindy Zuker, personal lines
manager for the General
Agency Co., 525 E. Broadway,
said insurance will help protect
students* belongings.
"I think theft is the primary
reason to buy renter's insurance," she said.
Zuker said students living in
residence halls are probably
covered by their parents' insurance.
According to Dave
Weisenburger, vice president of
the General Agency, parents'
insurance policies will usually
cover 10 percent of their household belongings away from their
home.
Weisenburger said parents
need to check their policy
because each company is different.
However, student renters or
leasers are usually not covered
under their parents' insurance,
Zuker said. He said this is
because the students are then
no longer dependent on their
parents.
Students can usually get
$6,000 worth of coverage for
less than $100 per year at
General Insurance Agency,
Zuker said. She added thart
each person in the apartment
needs to buy his or her own
insurance.
According to Jan Trionfi,
director of Risk Management
and Insurance, CMU does not
offer theft insurance for students in the residence halls.
Pickler said students need to
know how to protect themselves
against theft.
"Larceny is really a crime of
opportunity," Pickler said.
He said students can do several things to keep their possessions from being stolen.
Pickler suggested students
engrave all personal property
with a drivers license number
and record the make, model and
serial numbers of expensive
personal property.
Storing large amounts of
money or expensive jewelry in
residence hall rooms or apartments is a bad idea, Pickler
said.
Pickler said it is also important to lock residence hall rooms
whenever they are unoccupied.
Any loss of property should be
reported to DPS immediately,
he said.
Pickler said there is a high
correlation between reporting
crime and recovering stolen
property.
I   N  S  I
D
E
Classified
15
Crossword
15
Etcetera
12-13
Sports
8-9
Voices
4-6
To reach CMLIFE
1    Phone 774-3493
]    I   Mail  CMLIFE#fmuvm.csvcmichfdu
1    Fa* number <517)774-7805
Central Michigan LIFF Online
Internet address  http://141.209.72.l6
Students should plan ahead
when moving into apartments
By Jennifer Hunt
LIPL Staff Writer
If the current on-campus
housing situation is a sign, students planning to move off-
campus next fall should start
the search for the right apartment soon.
Officials at some of Mount
Pleasant's apartment complexes say their facilities are filled
to capacity, and they believe the
trend will continue into next
year.
A leasing agent at Timber
Creek Apartments, 3300 E.
Deerfield Road, said the complex fills quickly every year,
this fall being no exception.
"We have a long waiting list
of people who are still looking
for apartments." she said.
The leasing agent said all 236
available units are full.
Timber Cr.uk offers a $90
savings to students who sign a
12- month lease. All tenants
sign a binded lease, which
holds everyone living m the
apartment responsible for rent
payments, the leasing agent
said.
The estimated cost of a two-
bedroom apartment, inrludmg
all utilities except cable, is
between $570 and $640 per
month.
"Rent has gone up m the past
couple of years, but, there's not
much difference between last
year and this year," she said.
Timber Creek also offers
something extra for students
who sign early leases.
"We offer big incentives for
those people signing leases
between January and May. We
give tru-iii certificates for businesses such as WalMart," she
said
The tenants of Kdgewood
Apartments, 712 Edgewood
Drive, sign joint leases, which
hold everyone* living in the
apartment responsible for rent
See RATES Page 11	
THE EARLY BIRD GETS THE APARTMENT
BENEFITS OF SIGNING LEASES EARLY
ACCORDING TO LOCAL LEASING OFFICERS
WHY?
Bigger savings
Better choice of apartments
Possible Perks: TVs or VCR's
WHEN TO BEGIN?
The sooner you start looking,
the better the apartment you'll find.
Most people begin mid-to-late October.
WHERE?
Timber Creek, Edgewood, Park Place, Casa Loma, United,
Chippewa Village, Lexington Ridge, Chip Arms, Main Place
WHAT'S AVAILABLE?
Wide selection now. However, once lease signing kicks in,
 options will be fewer	
LIFE Graphic/Jeff Rauschert