1998-11-20; Central Michigan Life

              Central Michigan LIFE
Volume 81, Number 36
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
©1998 CM LIFE
79 years of serving the community
Friday
November 20, 1998
12 pages
President Plachta discusses current state of university
8y Liz Wishaw
LIFE Editor
University President Leonard Plachta
discussed the issues of staff and faculty
complacency, financial backing, CMUs
image and restructuring higher education
at his first state of the university address
since the fall of 1996.
Plachta, who focused on what he has
accomplished during his seven years as
president, said the university has
improved in many facets but he still feels
there is more that could be done. He said
he plans to have two more papers out in
the spring that would address all of these
issues in further detail.
In his address Wednesday at Bush
Theatre, Plachta said he saw a need for
change among the faculty seven years ago
when he first took over as president. He
said the level of comfort among the staff
was apparent then and he sees this
returning to the faculty members as creative, and positive tension is missing in
their endeavors.
"I feel that level of comfort and compla
cency may be returning,** he said to the
200-plus in attendance.
One of the main messages he also wanted to get across to the university commu-
get more money into the university," he
said. "My message to you in the next two
years is to control the expenditure side
and enhance the revenue.**
Senate criticized by Plachta
By Li* Wishaw
LIFE Edrtor
The president called upon the
Academic Senate Wednesday during
his address to redefine its role at
CMU, urging its members to conduct a
very thorough examination of its composition.
The current Academic Senate is
cumbersome,7* said University
President Leonard Plachta, suggesting
that one or more consultants could be
utilized in reforming the group.
nity is the need to control its costs because
of limited revenue intake and higher costs
of miming a university.
"We need to enhance our revenue and
The current Senate lacks "objectivity," he said, and he is not happy with
the Senate's "increasing involvement
in university administration."
"I think a redefined, rejuvenated
Academic Senate would serve every*
one very, very well," he said.
The bottom line is the Academic
Senate at CMU is a tired old bureaucracy,** Plachta said.
Guy Meiss, Academic Senate chair,
See SENATE Page 12
He said less money will be available
from the state, making it tougher for all of
the 15 public universities to receive the
appropriate amount of funding.
"The competition is there between the
15 universities. We work together (for the
amount of funding) but compete in a market way," he said.
CMU received $4,296 per full-time student from the state this year, which is tied
for last place with Oakland and Grand
Valley State universities among the 15
schools.
"If we made it up in tuition, it wouldn't
be so bad," he said.
But the tuition setting in the summer
was a modest inflationary rate of 2.3 percent, putting CMU near the bottom of the
list of lowest tuitions with an average of
about $3,600 from each student, he said.
"Why do I make such a case about this?
We receive a total of a little less than
$8,000 for each student," Plachta said.
He said the competition for students
between CMU and such schools as
Michigan State University. Western
Michigan University and GVSU make it
harder for CMU to attract them financial-
See PLACHTA Page 2	
LEI ZHENG • CM LIFE
At Wednesday's state of the university
address. University President Leonard
Plachta discussed the changes that
need to be implemented at CMU.
Sova's mother
files civil
complaint
against police
By Renee Lutz
LIFE News Editor
More than four years after the shooting death
of Thomas Sova, his mother has filed a civil
rights complaint against the Mount Pleasant
Police Department and the incident is again
under investigation.
Vicki Sova has filed a civil rights complaint
with the U.S. Attorney General's office in Detroit,
requesting further investigation into whether
excessive force by two city police officers was
used in her son's death outside her residence in
April 1994. Federal Bureau of Investigation
agents based in Saginaw have been assigned the
investigation, according to a Thursday press
release from the City of Mount Pleasant.
City Manager Paul Preston said the investigation has begun but he does not know the details
of the investigation. However, Preston said
records of previous investigations into the incident will be reviewed by the agents.
"The FBI are assigned the case and the inves-
See COMPLAINT Page 2
Warriner Hall
gets another
makeover
By Laura Michels
LIFE Staff Writer
University President Leonard Plachta's office
and Warriner Hall have recently been undergoing
some changes.
Jan Wagester, executive assistant to the president, said new carpet is being installed in
Plachta's office. The dark wood is also being
replaced with lighter, more modern wood and
some new window treatments are being put in.
Also, in one room, the wallpaper is being replaced.
There are no structural changes ana no furniture will be replaced, Wagester said.
Wagester said it was time for some updates.
"It has been 13 years since anything has been
done to the office," Wagester said. "With the traffic that we have in here, it was beginning to need
a little update."
Redecorating has been going on for about a
month, and Wagester said she expects the
changes to be completed by next week.
Wagester said the budget for redecorating
Plachta's office is $30,000. The second and third
See WARRINER Page 2	
It looks more expensive than it really was'
JEFF ROSCZYK • CM LIFE
Hariey Ellington Design recently received an award from the Detroit chapter of the American
Institute of Architects lor its architectural design of the new music building.
By Angela M. Teubert
LIFE Staff Writer
The design of CMU's music building has captured an award for the designer's inventiveness.
Hariey Ellington Design of Southfield received
an award on Fridav from the Detroit chapter of
the American Institute of Architects for its design
of CMU's newest building.
Hariey Ellington Design, a more than 90- year
old business, submitted the design and photographs of the building to the chapter, which
were then sent to Atlanta to be judged by a blind
jury of nationally recognized architects.
There were 17 awards in three categories of
small project, interior and building. Hariey
Ellington Design captured one of the six building
awards and, along with the contractor and CMU,
received a plaque.
Early on, the music department said the building should be light and airy. As a result, Hariey
Ellington designed both of the performance halls
with large windows that allow natural light in,
said Paul Urbanek, project designer for the firm.
Roger Rehm, assistant to the dean of the
College of Communication and Fine Arts, said he
felt the finished design turned out very well.
Rehm said, "It was clearly designed to be a
focal point on campus."
Urbanek said some of the credit goes to the
builders, Three Rivers Construction. "They did
an excellent job," Urbanek said.
Cullen McCarthy, Mount Pleasant senior and
music major, thinks the new music building is
beneficial.
"The technology is far superior to what we
used to have in our old building and the
increased size enables us to have more practice
and classroom space," said McCarthy, who is also
the drum major for the Marching Chippewas.
Chuck Workman, Owosso sophomore and
music major, said he agrees with McCarthy.
"I like the architecture and I think the facilities
are really technically excellent," Workman said.
Workman said he has been to music buildings
on other campuses and CMU's music building
has been by far the most superior and best looking facility.
Rebecca Whittaker, Horton junior and music
major, said she likes the modern look to it but
thinks ifs out of place among the other campus
buildings.
"Ifs good to look at, walk through and go to a
concert in, but I spend every day there and ifs
not good for actual use, " she said.
Rehm said he thinks the building was a good
use of taxpayer's money — although it looks like
it cost more.
"It looks more expensive than it really was,"
Rehm said. "It really shows what you can do with
a limited budget and a lot of imagination."
Urbanek said that it has designed buildings for
universities all over the country, including the
Western Michigan University's music school,
Michigan State University's Wharton Center
and Saginaw Valley State University's business
school and performing arts center.
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Tribe sets date for District I Tribal Council primary elections
By David Bossick
LIFE Staff Writer
The Saginaw Chippewa
Indian Tribe has set the date
for the primary election for
District I Tribal Council members.
According to a press release
Thursday, the primary has
been scheduled for Tuesday.
The polls will be open from 8
a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Public
Safety Building, located on the
corner of Leaton and Broadway
roads.
The Saginaw Chippewa
Tribal   Clerk's   office   issued   a
list of 38 candidates running in
the primary. Current Tribal
Council members        Alvin
Chamberlain, David Otto,
Mary Lynne Chippeway, Shelly
Foster, Tom Kequom, Timothy
Davis, Ben Hinmon and Tribal
Chief Kevin Chamberlain are
seeking reelection. Council
members Thelma Henry-
Shipman and Arlene Molina
are not seeking reelection.
Others running for the council are Rachel Bennett, Esther
Chatfield, Beatrice Colwell,
Lucille Coronado, Dorothy
Dale, Raymond Davis, Timothy
Davis, William Federico,
Damian Fisher, Shelly Foster,
Gail George, John Hart, Alvin
Jackson, Catherine Jackson,
Delmar Jackson, Delores
Jackson, Ronald Jackson,
Ronald Johansen, Maynard
Kahgegab, Jeanette
Leaureaux, Patrick Mena,
Steven Pego, Clinton Pelcher
Jr., Milton Pelcher, Anne
Peters, Julius Peters, Patricia
Peters, Dolly Reuckert, Terri
Reuckert, Bernard Sprague,
Valerie Sprague and Denise
Vasquez.
This   primary   election   was
originally scheduled on Nov. 24
but was postponed because of
the continuation of establishing valid Tribal rolls.
These elections are being
held in accordance with a civil
suit against the Tribal Council
where a previous election was
invalidated. Some members
were elected but were unable
to take their posts and these
members sued the council in
this civil suit.
Tribal Council then implemented a plan approved by the
Tribal Court to hold a valid
District  I   election   and   estab
lish valid Tribal membership
rolls, as previously reported.
Within the plan, the council
appointed an independent
enrollment committee to
review the files of 500 District
I voting members, previously
reported. The committee would
also make recommendations
regarding these members* status.
According to the Tribal
Observer, Nov. 16 issue, a total
of 54 people have been notified
that    the    documentation    in
See TRIBE Page 12