1991-04-05; Central Michigan Life

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Writers rate six newly-released albums
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Thank you, thank you
Baseball team sweeps twinbill from Ferris
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Central
Michigan
FRIDAY
April 5, 1991
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Police study racist letter sent to student
by CRYSTAL HARMON
Lir-F   Sr-3f  W-'-~-r
A female CMU student who
received a racist hate-letter
plans to press charges if
campus police identify the
letter's author.
The woman, who asked
CM LIFE to withhold her
name, said she received the
letter March 26 in her Calkins
Residence Hall mailbox.
The handwritten letter,
signed "Sincerely yours. KKK."
contains live jokes about
"niggers'* and an insulting
poem.
"Why would somebody sit
down and spend their energy
on something so stupid? I don't
know how anyone could act so
stupid and ignorant." she said.
The woman suspects the
letter allegedly from the Ku
Klux Klan was actually written
by another resident in Calkins,
an    all-female    residence    hall.
She said the letter may have
been written by a Calkins
resident who has complained
about house and rap music
being played too loudly.
The woman contacted CMC's
Department of Public Safety
and filed a complaint about the
letter. She said DPS sent the
letter to a crime lab. and took
handwriting samples from at
least one woman.
DPS Director John McAuliffe
confirmed the letter was sent to
the Michigan State Police crime
lab for analysis, but said his
department has no suspects at
this time.
"i We have* no one we
consider a suspect." McAuliffe
said.
The writing and delivering of
the letter is officially called
ethnic intimidation and is
against the law. he said.
Ethnic intimidation or
harassment   is   illegal   under  a
1 9S8 amendment to the Public
Acts of 19:31. The law prohibits
physical contact, destroying or
defacing property or making
verbal threats to an individual
based on their race, color,
religion, gender or national
origin.
It is a felony punishable by
imprisonment for not more
than two years, or by a fine of
nut more than $5,000. or both,
the law states. It also allows an
individual to file suit against
anyone who commits the
offense.
DPS has not received any
similiar complaints and the
incident is believed to he an
isolated one. McAuliffe said.
The harassment was reported
to DPS by the woman March 27
at   1 1 :47 a.m.
Steve Clark. assistant
director of Minority Affairs.
said the incident "exemplifies
th«.* racist attitude that  is alive
and well at CMU."
Clark could not remember a
racial attack of this type and
magnitude since he came to
CMU 2'/_> years ago. He also
said he does not know if the Ku
Klux Klan is operating on
campus.
"They're not registered as a
student organization." he said.
"Racist actions are covert."
The woman wrote a letter
about the incident and sent
copies to several University
officials, including President
Edward B. Jakubauskas and
the Board of Trustees.
In the letter, the woman
urges CMU to take action. In
part, it states. "We as African
Americans demand respect on
this campus. If we are not given
the respect we deserve, we as
African Americans will take
act ion."
Pride Week speaker
cites Indian needs
by RANDY PETERSON
Concerns about the relationship of Indians to the larger
society were aired Wednesday
night as part of Native American
Pride Week.
Ted Holappa. executive
director of the Michigan
Commission on Indian Affairs,
spoke in the Moore Hall Kiva
about such things as the difficulties of Indian students in public
schools.
"There is a question as to
whether you have any tradition
after 12 years (in public schools)
where there are no Indian
teachers, where there are no
Indian principals " he <aid
Main   edu'atoi*- tend to think
the problem with Indians is that
they are Indians. Holappa said.
"Their community is the
problem. Their family is the
problem. If only they tried to fit
in. they would do better,"
Holappa said, giving an example
of what he believes is the
teachers' mentality.
One teacher involved in a
study even said "it's all right to
have ail this pride in your
heritage, but you should do it in
your country."
"That one confused me a bit."
Holappa said.
Holappa said for many Indian
students,   there  are  two  choices
-•    * RELATE p  o- 12
Sociology prof outlines
two sides of feminism
by ANTHONY BATKIE
L.f-f S:.:-- VY' *-r
mi**,-.--*-!**?. Morrthnn 2r-"> people- attended Arlene Kaplan Daniels' lecture or» th-r
women's   movement   Thursday   night,   examining   the   radical    and
conservative feminist perception of the movement.
The discussion, titled "Careers in Feminism." examined a study of
traditional volunteer activities in the early days of the women's
movement.
Kaplan Daniels, professor of sociology at Northwestern University
in Evanston. 111., has edited many books about women and careers.
She has more than 40 papers published in sociology journals dealing
with her work about women and sociology.
In the early 1970s she did a study about a women's group called the
Women's Equality Action League. She looked at reasons why the
women volunteered, strategies and tactics of the group and where the
women of the group were trained for such work.
The women in this sample were mostly conservative, middle-class,
white and highly educated Kaplan Daniels said most women in this
group resisted "radical" feminist issues, such as abortion and
homosexuality.
"Tiie gay issue wu.-> so unimportant." she sa;J.
But today no women's group would take such a stand on homosexual
lights or abortion, she said.
The women surveyed expressed a distinction between women who
were educated and economically independent and those who wanted to
stay away from "politically unwise" i.-sues. she said.
Kaplan Daniels said the group recognized the need for extremist
views. Extremist women made their projects look conservative and
were more likely to get accepted by the "old-boy network."
She also talked about tactics early feminist groups used to demand
attention to their causes, including exaggerating to the press the
number of members in their groups.
Today, white-middle class women have their own interests and live
comfortably. She said the nation is witnessing a conservative period
lor the women".- movement, adding women are more knowledgeable
today. She said she hopes the knowledge is not lost.
"So many woman think they have it made." Kaplan Daniels said
about women at Northwestern. But when they graduate into the "real
world" and look around they will find they will want to fight in order to
combat the forces working against them, she said.
University employee
charged with assault
A ("Ml employee has been arraigned on two separate sexual assault
charges.
Alvm Foster Jr.. 30. was arrested April 3 and charged with
attempted fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and fourth-degree
esc. He pleaded not guilty to both charges.
Fourth-degree esc means sexual contact was made through force or
coercion and it is a high court misdemeanor punishable by up to two
years in prison and a $500 fine. Attempted fourth-degree esc is a
misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $250 fine.
Two different women, one of them a CMU student, reported being
sexually assaulted by Foster. Mount Pleasant freshman and Facilities
Management employee.
The attempted fourth-degree assault reportedly occurred March 2fS
at Northwest Apartments; the fourth-degree assault allegedly
happened March 1.
A pre-trial hearing is scheduled at S:30 am. Monday in Isabella
County District Court on the attempted assault.
Foster's preliminary exam on the assault charges is Tuesday at 8:30
a.m.
LIFE Photo Jeffrey Sauger
Brigette  Bechtold,  associate  professor of economics,  says  there are  many  problems with  the  current  minimum
wage  system.     Bechtold  says  the wage  provides  a  ceiling   rather than  a floor for wages.
Prof: minimum wage doesn't measure up
by ERIC BAERREN
Lrfc   St.r*  '3— ter
Try to imagine receiving only
25 cents an hour to work
That was the hourly rate when
the federal minimum wage
became law in 1938. said Brigitte
Bechtold. associate professor of
economics. A quarter in those
days is worth about six dollars
now. she said.
Bechtold studied minimum
wage issues as a member of The
Minimum Wage Study Commission that reported to Congress
and President Jimmv Carter in
the 1970s.
The minimum wage increased
Monday from $3.^0 to $4.25 per
hour.
Like most anything. Bechtold
said the minimum wage system
has its problems.
"We abuse this legislation by
turning minimum wage into
maximum wage," she said.
A monitoring system is
needed,   she   said,   which   could
ifiHow can one pursue happiness if they
have to work all the time to pay the bills. S9
.•;V^3^.''L; I!Brigitte Bechtold
y.--^--^3:Wi Associate professor of economics
help ensure the wage increases
enough to keep up with the cost
of living.
The law requires employers to
pay employees the minimum
wage for up to 40 hours each
week, and time-and-a-half for
each additional hour. Bechtold
said.
Minimum wage earnings are
no longer sufficient to sustain a
family of four at the poverty
level, she said. The minimum
wage is well below what it
should be. though, she said,
adding a fair living wage in the
'90s is about $b an hour.
Working     at     the     current
minimum wage, it takes two
full-time jobs to provide enough
money for a four-member family
to survive, she said.
In addition to the financial
problems associated with living
on minimum wage, she said
regulations governing minimum
wage are violated by employers.
Some employers may tell
workers they are exempt from
regulations, or they may employ
illegal aliens.
The Wage and Hour Division
of the U.S. Department of Labor
is supposed to prevent violations, but is only able to investigate     reported    violations,    she
said.
Minimum wage earners a-re
exploited, especially in the fast
food industry. Bechtold said.
Some employers tell their
employees they cannot clock in
until the first customer comes,
she said. Such practices are not
acceptable, she said.
Flmployers are supposed to
pay workers from the minute
they begin working to the* time
they stop, she said.
Violating the Fair Labor Act
not only violates federal
statutes, hut also violates the
workers' inalienable rights
guaranteed by the Constitution.
"How can one pursue happi-
ne.-s if they have to work all the
time to pay the bills?"
In the future, she said she
expects minimum wage to
increase more frequently.
"I think there is going to be
more and more pressure on
legislators to provide better
wage levels," Bechtold said.