1991-09-30; Central Michigan Life

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News
In Brief
STATE
Wish foundation
in demand
£ ROCHESTER HILLS —
Business is booming for a
suburban Detroit foundation
that tries to make wishes
come true for sick Michigan
children.
~> Former Oakland County
'Prosecutor Brooks Patterson
founded the Rainhow Connection in 1985r which also
has been supported by
WXYZ-TV personalities
Marilyn Turner and Jack
Kelly
ir. The group has about 70
volunteers and gets financial
support from a variety of corporations and individuals. It
usually has about 15 wishes
in the works at one time. The
work has increased in recent
months — 134 of its 179
wishes have been granted
within the past l'/_ years.
NATIONAL
Most Death Row
inmates are black
7 WASHINGTON —Amid a '
congressional debate on how
to impose the death penalty,
the Justice 'Department :-"■
reported Sunday that blacks
stiil make up a much larger
share of Death Row inmates
than of the nation's population.
y. The department's Bureau
of Justice Statistics said that
a» <=>f Dec. 31v 1990/ blacks ^
comprised 40 percent of pris- ;
oners awaiting death penalties. The 1990- census found
the U.S. population is 12.1
percent black.
h- The study did not calculate
what percentage of the over-
. ajtl U.S. federal and state
prison system, population is
comprised of black people.
': In 1987, the Supreme
Court ruled that statistical
evidence of discrimination is
insufficient to render death . -
penalty statutes unconstitutional.' '
^/ Last week, the House Judiciary Committee approved
and sent to the House floor a
bill allowing legal challenges
to death sentences based on
statistical showings of race '
discrimination. The Senate
rejected a similar provision '"■'■'-
last summer.
INTERNATIONAL
Religion returns to
Soviet Union
! DUSHANBE, U.S.S.R. —
On Sunday, the word came
from a gilt Bible held aloft by
a bearded priest. Saturday
morning, it was a Torah, 300
years old, carried around a
synagogue.   Friday,   it   was
, Korans by the score.
"T As Central Asians slam
shut the works of Karl Marx,
, they are flocking back to the
classic mosaic of scriptures
, that shaped their lives over
the centuries, and nurtured
them in secret during three
generations of communism.
Pr A religious revival began
cautiously across the Soviet
?Union in the late 1980s, part
of Mikhail S. Gorbachev's
perestroika. In the republics
of Central Asia, however, it
has grown into an unsettling
social drama.
& Young people are reviving
|;the faiths- of their grandpa-
brents, some so fervently that
Headers fear underlying tensions may flare into ethnic
: ^violence in a mostly Islamic
^region shared by dozens of
^minorities.
■**"
Compiled       from       the
iated Press and staff
Blues weekend
Mississippi musician rocks Rubbles
Page 8
Central
Michigan
Never say die
Field goal gives CMU tie
Page 10
MONDAY
September 30, 1991
VOLUME 74VDUMBER 15
Amount pleasant, Michigan 48859 ^^^imfMM-© 1991 cm life ^MiM^^WH (517) 774-3493
No trial for former student-athlete
Colbert pleads no contest to reduced CSC charges; sentencing is Nov. 12
By Crystal Harmon
LIFE Assistant News Editor
Former CMU student-athlete
Terrance Colbert pleaded no-
contest Friday to reduced sexual
assault charges and awaits sentencing Nov. 12.
Colbert entered a plea of no
contest to charges of assault with
attempt to commit sexual penetration, said Larry Burdick,
Isabella County prosecutor. Colbert originally was charged with
third-degree criminal sexual conduct for a September 1989 incident.
Students
also fear
looming
FTE cuts
By John Dobberstein
UFE Copy Editor ' •
News of the University plan
to eliminate 58 faculty full-time
equivalents for the 1992-93
academic year has some CMU
students concerned.
Several students fear a cut in
faculty will result in fewer classes and a higher student-faculty
ratio and will inevitably affect
the quality of education at Central.
Some students already feel the
pinch of large classes and a small
number of teachers.
Tracy Peliotes, North Muskegon junior, said there are already
staff problems in her major area
of study, management informa-
ton systems, which is a growing
Held.
"There already aren't enough
teachers, and if there are cuts in
staff, students won't have enough
classes," Peliotes said. "We had
one class added this semester
because one section had too many
students."
Jennifer Baranski, Mount Clemens sophomore, is skeptical
about the planned cuts and what
might have led to them.
"The students come here for
education first," Baranski said.
'The school should educate first
and facilitate other interests
later.
"They can spend money on big
buildings and sports programs all
they, want, but they still should
be competitive in in school."
. Baranski said she has three
large lecture classes and one
smaller class.
"(Large classes) don't bother
me, but I would prefer smaller
classes."
Dean Heavrin, Trenton junior,
See REACTION Page 2
The original CSC
charge is a
felony punishable by a
maximum
15-year
prison term.
The reduced
felony charge
carries a
maximum
sentence of 10 years imprisonment.
• "This (plea) accomplishes the
purpose of*obtaining a conviction
on a serious sexual-assault felonv
COLBERT
without having to put the victim
through trial," Burdick said.
"Frankly I'm quite surprised that
Mr, Colbert took the offer, but it
was his decision to make."
The original CSC charge is a
felony punishable by a maximum
15-year prison term. The reduced
felony charge carries a maximum
sentence of 10 years imprisonment.
The charge itself is quite
unusual, he said.
Colbert's attorney Bruce
Havens did not return phone
calls to his home Sunday.
"I can't think of when anyone
has been charged or pleaded to
that (charge) right now," he said.
Burdick said the no-contest
plea means Colbert neither
admits nor denies guilt, but the
plea may not be used to determine guilt if a civil suit arises.
The plea also gives the judge
permission to look at certain
documents, including police and
prosecution reports, to determine
sentencing.
In addition, Judge Paul O'Connell will consider a pre-
sentencing report from the
Department of Corrections. Colbert and the alleged victim will
have an opportunity to address
the court.
LIFE Photo/Brent Henderson
MAKING WAVES: Brent Phillips, Richmond sophomore, (left) and Jon Hunt, Grand Rapids senior,
send out music over the radio waves at 91 Rock FM Sunday night.
While the felony charge carries
up to 10 years imprisonment,
Burdick said he didn't think Colbert will receive such a long sentence.
When determining sentences,
judges consider a set of state
guidelines unless there are
unusual circumstances, he said.
Using the guidelines, the judge
completes a chart, assigning
points for factors such as past
record and nature of the crime.
"Mr. Colbert has no past record
that I am aware of," Burdick said.
See COLBERT Page 2
NABET,
Central
put talks
on hold
By Cindi Smith
UFE Copy Editor	
-Initial optimism for a contract
agreement between the University and Public Broadcasting bargaining teams is now on hold.
Instead, the National Association of Broadcasting Employees
and Technicians Local 412 plans
to file fact-finding regarding the
University within the next week
with the Michigan Employment
■ Relations Commission.
Only one of the groups need file
for a non-binding fact finder to
look at arguments of both sides,
said Linda Hyde, union president. Each party presents their
best offer and attempts to justify
their positions. The fact finder
makes a non-binding decision.
'It's a third-party opinion,"
Hyde said.
During a dinner break in
Thursday's bargaining, Hyde
said she felt confident a settlement was near. After dinner,
however, "the proposal I felt optimistic about fell apart. That was
really disappointing."
The University's economic
proposal is for a zero percent
increase in wages, Hyde said.
"They have not changed their
position on wages since May 22."
"Nobody can settle for zero,"
she said. "We believe that there is
a way to address the budget
problems and still treat our people fairly and equitably."
NABET was trying to find a
way to give up some benefits and
put more money into wages, speculating the University would
match the wage amount, Hyde
said. The University agreed
NABET was flexible and creative, but turned down their prop-
See UNION Page 2
New state budget includes
more money for higher ed
By Chad Bush
LIFE Staff Writer
State lawmakers passed a $7.7 billion budget
early Saturday morning for the fiscal year that
starts Tuesday.
Education programs received across-the-board
increases, while all other state programs received
cuts or stayed the same.
Public schools and community colleges, as well as
state universities, will receive more state money
this year. CMU will receive an estimated $58.6
million for state fiscal year 1991-92. This represents
a 4.1 percent increase from last year's appropriation.
"I'm pleased that in a year when there are many,
many departments getting cut, higher education
remains a priority," said Joanne Emmons, R-Big
Rapids. Emmons voted to pass the legislation.
"(Higher education) didn't get it nearly as badly as
the rest of the state."
President Edward B. Jakubauskas said although
he's pleased higher education has priority in the
state budget, it "doesn't solve our problems by a long
See BUDGET Page 2
Marijuana
weekend in
over
raid
:, Area law enforcement teams
seized approximately $250,000
worth of marijuana plants Friday in a drug raid.
3> A news release from the
Mount Pleasant post of the
Michigan State Police stated no
suspects were arrested at the
three southern Isabella County
residences where police confiscated 43; mature marijuana
plants between 4 and 8 feet tall.
State police, officers were
assisted by the Michigan
National Guard, Isabella
County Sheriffs Department,
Shepherd Police' Department
and the Department of Natural
Resources.
The state police are hoMt
the evidence and <
investigation to
ers.
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