1998-04-27; Central Michigan Life

              Central Michigan LIFE
Volume 79, Number 33? 9
Mt. Pleasant,  Ml 48859
©1998 CM LIFE
78 years of serving the community
Monday
April 27, 1998
14 pages
Hate crime Tuesday results in inquiry
By Heather Van Dyke
LIFE Staff Writer
As a result of the car fire that occurred on
Tuesday morning, the Detroit based
Triangle Foundation, representatives of gay
and lesbian rights, came to CMU to discuss
the issue with Dean of Students Bruce
Roscoe.
Tuesday it was reported that two vehicles
were damaged after having the letters, UF-A-
G" spray painted across them and one vehicle was set on fire in Lot 1.
Jeffrey Montgomery, interim executive
director of the Triangle Foundation said he
was disgusted at the car vandalism and that
students should feel "horror and disbelief."
"If   a   similar   event   had   taken   place,
spelling    N       on it, it would have been
crystal clear [African-Americans] were being
targeted," Montgomery said. "We were boldly
labeled something that should astound people."
Montgomery said this isn't the first anti-
gay crime that has occurred at CMU.
Montgomery was referring to several incidents that took place three years ago at
CMU, including vandalism to a gay and lesbian student support office in November of
1995 and the destruction of 11 library books
dealing with the topic of gays, lesbians and
bisexuals.
"We are here now, at the request of CMU
students and faculty," he said.
Roscoe felt the meeting with Montgomery
was very successful.
"It was very productive. It was open and
direct." Roscoe said. "I think he left with the
sense that Central is responding appropriately to the vandalism done to the cars."
Roscoe said he sensed Montgomery's concern for gay and lesbian students on campus.
See CRIME Page 2	
CSC reported to
Mt. Pleasant Police
By Clayton Mastaw
LIFE Staff Winter
A 22-year-old female student reported to the Mount Pleasant
Police Department April 20 that she believed she had been sexually assaulted while at an apartment complex on the 900 block of
East Broomfield Road.
Police Chief Martin Trombley of the Mount Pleasant Police
Department said because of confidentiality, he would not disclose
details of the incident or a description of the suspects at this time.
He said the assault is reported to be first degree.
ISee CSC Page 2	
Tenth annual Powwow goes 'exceptionally well'
Concert
features
Native
American
artists
By Clayton Mastaw
LIFE Staff Writer
Festivities for the tenth annual
CMU Powwow kicked off at 7
p.m. Friday at Finch Fieldhouse
with musical performances by
Raphael (Szykowski) and Keith
Secola and the Wild Band of
Indians.
Martin Reinhardt, director of
Native American Programs, said
this is the first Friday night concert held for the powwow.
After completing a sound
check, Raphael took center stage
and began entertaining an audience of more than 100 people.
Raphael, a
Kuna/Rappahannock sin ger,
began his performance with the
title track off his album "Half-
Breed Blues" and followed it up
with "Doubling Down" and "Hold
Back the Fried Bread."
He set the tone immediately, by
getting the crowd involved and
teasing them.
"I really want to be humorous
tonight because I'm in a silly
mood," Raphael said.
The crowd laughed and
applauded his on-stage presence,
lyrics and jokes.
He 8aid his album, "Half-Breed
Blues," is about the legacy of
genocide suffered by both sides of
his family, Jewish and Native
American.
Raphael said he decided to play
at the concert because he wanted
a chance to work with Martin
Reinhardt.
Raphael said he has been
singing since he was about eight
years old.
"I guess I began singing professionally around the early 1980's,"
he said.
After performing for more than
an hour, Raphael set the stage for
Keith Secola and the Wild Band
of Indians.
They performed a blend of traditional Native American music
with a 1990's style of rock and
roll.
Secola performed many songs,
including the traditional "Honor
See CONCERT Page 14	
TONY CEPAK ♦ CM LIFE
A mosaic off colored feathers, beads and fur formed a procession as Native American dancers participate in the
Grand Entrance dance kicking off the 10th annual Powwow, Saturday afternoon in Finch Fieldhouse.
Two-day event draws about 1,000 spectators
By Clayton Mastaw
LIFE Staff Writer
Drum beats thundered throughout
Finch Fieldhouse
as Native American
dancers moved gracefully
to the music, marking the
beginning of another
CMU Powwow.
The 10th annual event on
Saturday and Sunday drew
about 1,000 spectators to the
two-day CMU and Mount
Pleasant tradition.
During the Grand Entry, the
Native American dancers
entered the dance circle from the
eastern direction. Three Eagle
Staffs, signifying        Native
American contemporary times,
led the way, forming a circle
around the arena.
Martin Reinhardt, director of
Native American Programs, said
the powwow went "exceptionally
well."
There was a lot of community
participation and the event was
better   organized   than   in   past
See POWWOW Page 14	
years, he said.
Booths circling center stage
"were set up by venders.
Numerous handcrafted goods,
including baskets, dream catchers and deer skins, were sold.
There was also beadwork formed
into necklaces, jewelry and various assortments of clothing and
moccasins.
Other venders provided concession stands, featuring
authentic powwow foods, including Indian tacos, corn soup, fried
bread and chili.
"The venders are doing well,"'
Reinhardt said. "I just hope
everyone's been able to have an
Indian taco."
Reinhardt said dancers were
dressed in and wore regalia, costumes that are decorated elegantly with intricately detailed
beadwork and feathers.
Most of the regalia are handcrafted, but many tribal members now use glass beads and
manufactured materials,
Reinhardt said.
"In older days, everything
would have been handmade," he
said.
Other dances at the powwow
included the Jingle Dress Dance,
TONY CEPAK • CM LIFE
These hand carved wooden animal sculptures
were one many Native American crafts that
were purchased from vendors at the Powwow.
CMU PBS
receives
$10,000
donation
By Julia Jones
LIFE Assistant News Editor
CMU Public Radio can now
upgrade to digital equipment,
thanks to a $10,000 donation.
Public Broadcasting officials
announced Friday that its radio
station received a $10,000 gift
from the Aid en and Vada Dow
Family Foundations - a
Midland-based charitable organization that helps the arts,
along with other endeavors.
Tom Endres, director of business services for Public
Broadcasting, said the foundation contacted the station in
the fall about a possible donation.
Endres responded with a proposal and two foundation representatives     came     to     Mount
See PBS Page 14	
Two
treated,
released
after car
accident
UFE Staff Reports
Two Mount Pleasant residents
were taken by ambulance to
Central Michigan Community
Hospital Saturday morning after
a four car accident.
Police officers from the Mount
Pleasant Police Department
responded to a report of a car
accident at 11:28 a.m. at the
intersection of Mission and
Broomfield roads.
Sgt. Dan Gafifka of the MPPD
said three vehicles were stopped
at a traffic light in the southbound lane of Mission Road
when a fourth car came from
behind and hit the third car,
causing a chain reaction.
He said it was reported that a
fifth car had also been involved,
but was unsure whether it was
true.
A 38-year-old Mount Pleasant
female and an 11-year-old Mount
Pleasant female were injured
and were taken by ambulance to
CMCH where they were treated
and released.
1    X    ^    1    1 i   \
CMU men's baseball  played
this weekend. See sports on
page 10 for game results
Classified              12-13
Crossword                  12
Et cetera                     8-9
Sports                     10-11
Voices                         4-7
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Fax number <5t7)774-7805
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Graduate student receives $73,500 grant
By Matt Edick
LIFE Staff Writer
Deborah Shear, Grosse Pointe
graduate student, was recently
honored as the first CMU student
to receive a three-year $73,500
National Science Foundation
Graduate Fellowship award.
The award is an amazing
accomplishment for anyone, but is
clearly an exceptional achievement for a student who was
ranked 525 out of 528 graduating
high school students.
"I really never expected to ever
go to college," Shear said. 1 really
had to push to be admitted. I
think that it is a testament to
Central Michigan. They took a big
chance on me considering my
abysmal high school record."
Shear is pursuing her master's
degree in psychology and she conducts research in CMLTs Brain
Research Laboratory. She has
already received a fellowship from
CMU for $7,500 which she says
prompted her to apply for the
NSF grant.
Shear   had   to   compete   with
See GRANT Page 2
TONY CEPAK
• CM LIFE
Deborah Shear
CMU graduate
student, says
Sprague-Dawly
mice, like the one
month old she is
holding, are the
only kind she
uses in her
research on
Huntington's
Disease.