1998-11-09; Central Michigan Life

              Central Michigan LIFE
Volume 81, Number 31
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
©1998 CM LIFE
79 years of serving the community
Monday
November 9, 1998
14 pages
Alcohol poisoning death at MSU raises awareness
By Heather VanDyke
LIFE Assistant News Editor
Michigan State University
junior Bradley John McCue
drank 24 shots Thursday morning as he celebrated his 21st
birthday.
His friends thought it would be
funny to paint his nose red and
write "24 shots" across his face
when putting him to bed that
morning. Unfortunately; McCue
didn't live to laugh about it.
McCue is now a statistic as his
death is one of many recent college-related   alcohol    poisoning
cases in the country
Recent reports are showing
alcohol poisoning is not only common, but fatal. McCue's blood
alcohol level was reported as 0.44
— more than four times the legal
limit to drive in Michigan.
"It is a very tragic situation,**
said Mark Minelli, manager of
CMU's Health Advocacy
Services. "(This situation) shows
that we have to keep telling people that people can overdose on
alcohol. People forget that,** he
said.
Universities with alcohol-re 1 at-
v person ua$ c o\m \n-:ii too mi < n \t <
• no response when being talked to or shouted at
• no response to pinching or being poked
• cannot be stood up
• will not wake up
slowed respiration, clammy skin and a rapid pulse rate
• slurred speech
If any of the above is true, seek medical attention
ed deaths make up a long list and
include not only MSU, but the
University of Michigan,
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology,        University        of
Virginia   and   Louisiana   State
University.
According to a Nov. 7 article in
The Detroit Free Press, studies
have found up to 40 percent of
college students binge drink.
Minelli said binge drinking
varies with individual body
weight and size.
The definition of binge drinking is five drinks in a sitting for a
male and four for a female, and
that may not be a huge amount of
alcohol over a long period of time,
but students cross the limit of
deep drinking and safe drinking.
It depends on your body weight,**
Minelli said.
And his friends didn't see the
warning signs that McCue was in
danger, after they put him to bed
for the night.
"Obviously 24 shots in an
evening is extremely dangerous,"
Minelli said.
Of the 15 Michigan public universities, CMU is one of three
receiving national recognition for
its efforts to manage alcohol
problems, which include such
activities as peer, group and individual counseling.
Minelli said CMU is in the
process of receiving another
award as well.
See ALCOHOL Page 12	
National City
compl
FOA
By Angie Fenton
LIFE Staff Writer
The merger of First of America with National City
has been officially completed and business is running smoothly.
The merger, which was officially completed on
Oct. 31, has gone well, said Barbara Theunissen,
vice president and branch manager for National
City Bank of Michigan/Illinois.
"I personally have never been through a conversion of this size, this magnitude, before, and I feel
that prior to the conversion, National City made
every effort to train us (at First of America) and
bring us up to speed on their procedures and their
forms and their operational systems, so that we
would be best prepared to have good information for
our customers," Theunissen said.
Not withholding a few "minor glitches,"
Theunissen said the merger has gone well.
"We've been able to answer most of the questions
which have come our way, we've gotten support for
the ones we can't answer. I think the team is pretty
upbeat," she said.
Campus First Accounts have now changed to
requiring a $2 monthly maintenance fee which
includes 15 debits per month by any method, including checks, ATM withdrawals and point of sales
purchases. There is a fee of 50 cents for each additional debit, regardless of the balance.
The maintenance fee will be waived if a minimum
daily balance of $200 is kept, or an average monthly balance of $400.
Theunissen said National City employees have
been encouraged by the patience and the willingness of the customers to seek information.
Theunissen said the inquiries of customers have
given employees the opportunity to become acclimated to the new environment.
The legal merger occurred on March 31, but the
official name change and conversion to National
City operations occurred Oct. 31, all of which took
place in stages, she said.
A merger of such "magnitude" takes work and
that is why Theunissen said some customers may
have experienced inconveniences.
On Oct. 30, some customers were unable to use
their ATM cards.
"Because of the nature of the coding of those
(ATM) cards, pure First of America ATM cards were
changed and new National City cards were mailed
to all account holders at the permanent address
they have listed on file or whatever address their
See MERGER Page 2	
Mother Nature's mulch
MEEGAN REID • CM LIFE
Emma Currie, Gay lord graduate student, rakes leaves along with Susan and Emily Pyecroft in
their back yard on Washington Street Sunday. The roommates were trying to make the leaf
pick-up deadline for the city of Mount Pleasant.
Disney offers
fun internship
for students
By Olivia Munoz
LIFE Staff Writer
Learning can be fun —just ask Walt Disney World
College Program participant, Kevin Shankie. Canton
senior.
Shankie, a community recreation major, spent the
spring semester of his junior year working at Walt
Disney World in Orlando, Fla. and attended several
business seminars which focused on leadership,
philosophies of guest service and the history of the
Walt Disney Company.
Shankie completed his term and extended his stay
through the summer, working at the theme park's
"Blizzard Beach" as a super greeter. It was Shankie's
job to open up the park, work with the guest relations
department, and be in the park all day assisting visitors.
"Walt Disney is a really fun place to work," Shankie
said.
Accommodations were provided by Disney, with
weekly reductions for housing taken out of Shankie's
check. He roomed with five complete strangers, also
on the College Program.
aIt was almost like the 'Real World' because it was
six of us just thrown together for a semester,"
Shankie said. "But most of us ended up being really
good friends."
This past spring, Shankie and others were put up
in Vista Way Apartments. Participants can choose to
live in a six-person or a four-person apartment,
although there is a difference in cost.
Shankie made $5.60 per hour working in the theme
park, but at the end of the summer was making $6 an
hour and "there were a lot of chances for overtime,"
Shankie said.
Aside from the working and playing aspects,
Shankie said he did a lot of learning.
"There are so many things you learn — responsibility, surviving in business, working at a Fortune
100 company.
"You grow up a lot when you're down there. You
realize quickly that there's no mommy and daddy to
help you out," Shankie said.
One of the highlights of his experience, Shankie
said, was meeting people from all over the United
States and other countries.
"It's a really good time because you meet so many
people. In fact, that's where I met my fiance,"
Shankie said.
"rd like to go back and go through the Advanced
Internship Program," said Shankie, who will apply
for it this spring.
See DISNEY Page 2	
\   S   I   I)   I
The CMU football team fell to
the Thundering Herd of
Marshall University Saturday
by a score of 28-0. It was the
second time CMU has been
shut out this year, the first
being to Iowa at the beginning of the season.
Classified
12-13
Crossword
13
Et cetera
10-11
Sports
6-8
Voices
4
To reach CM UFE
Phone: (517) 774-3493
E-Mail. CMLIFEecmuvtnxsv.cmich.edu
Fax number: (517) 774-7909
Central Michigan LIFE Online
Internet address:
hltpJ/www.cmH f e .cm ich .ed u
Local police agencies led on high speed chase Saturday
By Matt Edick
LIFE Staff Wnter
Officers from CMU Police,
Mount Pleasant Police, Tribal
Police and Michigan State Police
departments coordinated their
efforts Saturday in an attempt to
corral an unknown subject that
had fled from an Isabella County
Sheriffs deputy after a routine traffic stop.
According to the deputy; who
declined to give his name, the man
who was driving a gray Chevy
Camaro had been traveling north
on Isabella Road at approximately
6:15 p.m. Saturday when it crossed
the center line and nearly side
swiped his southbound patrol vehicle.
"After I witnessed him cross the
center line and nearly hit my vehicle," the deputy said, "I turned the
car around and engaged my flashers. I succeeded in pulling him over
near Bluegrass Road.
"However when I exited my
patrol vehicle, he spun his tires
and fled the scene."
After the suspect left the scene,
the deputy stated that he called for
assistance from police agencies in
the surrounding area and began to
pursue the vehicle.
However, the chase was terminated after 10 minutes after police
feared that the chase could cause a
problem because the suspect was
driving erratically and committing
several felony, civil and misdemeanor traffic offenses.
The deputy said, The suspect
ran red lights, swerved into the
pathway of other vehicles on the
road and placed in danger many
civilians who were out that night."
Isabella County Sheriffs
Deputies, with the help of local law
enforcement, began an investigation into the background of the
potential driver minutes after the
chase was called off.
Several hours after the pursuit
was terminated, the sheriffs
department discovered the vehicle
parked in the main lot at the
Soaring Eagle Casino. The vehicle
has been impounded. At this time,
the driver has not been located.
Sheriffs department officials
said a warrant has been issued to
the Isabella County Prosecutor
and they expect to have their suspect in custody within the next
couple of days.
Leader Advancment Scholarship provides opportunities
By Amy Urbanowski
LIFE Staff Writer
CMU's Leader Advancement Scholarship
has proved to be a great incentive for recipient Kristin McCaulliff, McBain freshman.
McCaulliff is part of a group of 40 freshmen who received the award that honors
them for not only good grades, but also community leadership. A dinner tonight at The
Embers, 1217 S. Mission St., will recognize
these individuals for their achievements.
McCaulliff said that there were nearly 400
applications turned in last year for the
award, and that she was very happy to be
one of the 40 selected. This award gave her
the opportunity to meet other people and get
involved in campus events, she said.
She said, "(The Leader Advancement
Scholarship) really made Central stand out.
It was definitely one of the deciding factors
in which college I would choose. It was giving me money for something that I'd do anyway. I planned on getting involved in any college that I went to."
In order to be eligible for
this award, McCaulliff and
the others needed a 3.0
grade point average in high
school, and active roles in
school and community
activities.
McCaulliff said that she actively participated in a wide variety of things in high
school and she feels this led to this honor.
She devoted her time to student government, debate, forensics, choir, National
Honor Society, cheerleading and church and
community service.
The SCHOLARSHIP
RECIPIENTS WILL GET A
chance to dine with
the Lion's Club
tonight* See the
story on page 12.
A personal profile was also filled out to display current grades and the events and programs participated in.
The scholarship is only offered to high
school seniors wishing to
attend CMU in the follow
ing year.
McCaulliff said that she
and the other recipients are
obligated to take certain
courses, involve themselves
in community activities and
partake in school-oriented groups to maintain the scholarship requirements.
She said she also needs to aid in retrieving
new leadership scholars, and add input in
selecting the students that have applied. In
the future, she will serve as a mentor to the
new recipients.
If McCaulliff keeps her GPA up to around
a 3.2 and executes all of the required tasks,
she will receive tuition for 12 credit hours
each academic year. This adds up to $4,800
per year. McCaulliff said, "It hasn't been too
difficult keeping my grades up. Studies come
first and I always put that before activities.
Right now (my GPA) is around a 3.4 or 3.5."
She said that she maintains good grades
by managing her time wisely and not just
sitting around.
She said that she's happy with her decision to come to CMU because she likes the
campus and the professors because they're
friendly and willing to help.
McCaulliff currently participates on the
debate and forensics teams, and plans to
double major in interpersonal communication and political science.
am