1998-11-16; Central Michigan Life

              Central Michigan LIFE
Volume 81, Number 34
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
©1998 CM LIFE
79 years of serving the community
Monday
November 16, 1998
14 pages
Teacher Career Day attracts 230 future educators
By Angie Fenton
and Tiffany Pruitt
LIFE Staff Writers
Middle and high school
students had a chance to
learn about the teaching profession at CMU on Saturday,
and one little girl was shown
a bright path to her future.
More than 230 middle
school and high school students from around the state
visited CMU's campus to
participate in the third
annual Teacher Career Day.
The all-day event, which
was sponsored by the College
of Education and Human
Services, was designed to
encourage students to investigate teaching as a career.
The   keynote  speaker  was
Estus Smith, vice president
and chief operating officer of
the Kettering Foundation.
The   found a-   •-—-----■».
tion is an
operating
and research
foundation
dedicated to
focusing on
what citizens can do
to make
democracy
work as it
should.
D i a n n e   —--—-■■■■—•■-■■•-—■
Mark, assistant professor of
education    and   co-chair   of
Teacher Career Day, said the
day was successful.
"This is the first time we've
"This has been a great
opportunity to hear
about how people feel
about different issues
that are controversial
in today's society."
MARISA POWELL
Jackson freshman
had    this     many    students
before,** Mark said.
Mamie Thorns, assistant
to the dean
of the
College of
Education
and Human
Services,
said the goal
of the program was to
help
increase the
interest in
education in
■——■"■———"■■—— students of
color.
"We know that we have to
invest in our future teachers
. . . and that is really what
we're  doing  today.  We  even
have students here in grades
(third, fourth, fifth,) sixth
and seventh, and we have to
start now working with
them," Thorns said.
"When they graduate, or
are in their senior year and
are trying to decide where
they want to go to school, we
want them to know that they
know they're going to CMU
because of the outstanding
teacher education program
here," Thorns said.
CMU students, faculty and
staff volunteered 'their time
to act as moderators for
group discussions, to lead
various workshops, give
information about attending
See TEACHER Page 2	
Internet,
e-mail access
get upgrade
By Laura Michels
LIFE Staff Writer
CMU's Internet access recently received a
$6,400 upgrade and students are reaping the
benefits with quicker login time and an
upcoming change in their e-mail accounts.
With more than 7,097 students using the
Internet this year — a jump from 1,800 in
1995, an upgrade 'was needed to keep things
running at their current pace, said Robert
Berry, assistant vice president of Information
Technology.
Berry said CMU's move from a class two to
a class one Merit organization means greater
availability of Internet access for students
and a quicker timing to the access. Merit is a
nonprofit organization founded to provide
Internet access and networking support to
universities.
At the class two status, CMU paid $56,200
for Internet access and networking support.
The recent upgrade, in which more than 472
miles of telecommunications cable was
installed, gives CMU six times more Internet
capacity for $6,400 more, Berry said.
The upgrade was paid for by the student
technology fee and administration fees.
"If we are going to charge students a technology fee, we had better make sure we
embrace the technology and provide students
a good path to use it," Berry said.
Berry said students shouldn't worry about
an increase in their student technology fee.
"We are absolutely delighted to spend that
money," Berry said. "People don't usually look
at spending a lot of money to be a good thing,
but, because of what it does for students and
the university as a whole, it is a very positive
thing."
Berry said the upgrade will give students a
competitive edge by better connecting them
with the world.
"We are doing this as a commitment to our
students to make sure they are operating on
the best platforms of technologies available to
them," Berry said. "We will continue to support student access to these kinds of technologies."
CMU's e-mail system will also receive an
upgrade within the next few months.
Students now access e-mail through the
IBM system but it will soon be changed over
to Netscape mail. Netscape mail is web-based,
faster, easier and more convenient, Berry
said.
A trial group of students living in the residence halls will have the opportunity to
switch their e-mail accounts over to Netscape
as early as this month.
All on-campus accounts will be transferred
over the Christmas break. Everyone else will
have the option of switching their accounts
over in March.
"By next fall, (Netscape) -will be the only
mail system Central will support," Berry said.
Berry said there are many positive aspects
See UPGRADE Page 13
Third   mtygi    011*0*
I   NIS  1
I'D
■
Classified
12-13
Crossword
13
Et cetera
10-11
Sports
6-8
Voices
4
To reach CM LIFE
Phone <517> 774-34*3
E-Mail CMLIFEecmuvm.csv.cmlch.edu
Fax number: <517) 774-7*05
Central Michigan LIFE Online
Internet address
http://w%<n*.cmli fe.cmlch.edu
Clinton retreats from brink of war with Iraq
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a familiar
outcome, President Clinton stepped
back from the brink of war with Iraq
after Saddam Hussein played a cheat-
and-retreat game and promised again to
play by the rules.
But the betting is that Saddam will
turn defiant within months and interfere with U.N. weapons inspectors — as
he's done about a dozen times since the
Persian Gulf War. "Candidly, I think it
will be a gigantic surprise if he does comply, but I hope he does," said Sen. Arlen
Specter, R-Pa.
Once again, the question is 'what happens next time. Clinton said the best
long-term solution is a new Iraqi government, and he pledged to intensify
support for Saddam's opponents.
After coming so close to attack, the
swift White House retreat raised doubts
about Clinton's threats and whether
Arab nations would stick out their necks
again to stand with the United States
against an unpredictable Iraq.
"Our Gulf allies must be just shaking
their heads at the Clinton administration," said Eliot Cohen, a professor of
strategic studies at Johns Hopkins
University who directed a Pentagon
study of the Gulf air war. "If you're
Saudi Arabia or Qatar or Bahrain, you
MEEGAN REID • CM LIFE
Norma Bailey, assistant professor of teacher education and professional
development, speaks to visiting middle and high school students in Powers
Hall Saturday about how teachers can gat to know their students.
Trial date set
for CSC case
By Erin O'Neill
LIFE Staff Writer
A trial date has been set for a local criminal
sexual conduct case early next year, which
involves a former CMU student.
Former CMU student Chris C. Snider, 21, of
Rochester Hills is charged with third degree
criminal sexual conduct. Snider, along with his
lawyer, John Howell, met with Isabella County
Assistant Prosecutor Mark Duthie Thursday
afternoon for a settlement conference.
A trial date was set for 9 a.m. Jan. 11. The
trial is expected to last three or four days, and
will involve five to six lay witnesses and five
expert witnesses.
According to court records, the possibility for
settlement is unlikely.
The charge against Snider stems from a complaint filed by a 20-year-old female CMU student in April after an off-campus party.
The alleged incident occurred at the Mount
Pleasant Super 3 motel where the young woman
and a group of people had been drinking at a
social event on April 29, involving students from
a CMU human sexuality course. The woman
was a group facilitator for the class and Snider,
who was not enrolled in the class, was not invited to the social, according to court records.
The alleged event occurred in the early morning hours of April 30.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of 15
years in prison upon conviction.
Average AafZT
scores rebound
By Heidi Armock
LIFE Staff Writer
The performance of new CMU freshmen on
the American College Test has remained steady
over the past several years, as has the emphasis
placed on the scores.
ACT scores have remained about the same for
incoming freshmen for the past several years,
said Betty Wagner, director of Admissions.
Scores have ranged from a high of 21.7 points
in 1995, to a slight drop to 21.3 points in 1996.
In 1998, they again averaged 21.7 points.
"You could make a case that (admittance)
standards have increased," Wagner said, referring to the slight increase in the average student
grade point average from 3.18 in 1995, to 3.24
in 1998.
"We are just trying to do what everyone is —
admit the best and brightest of Michigan students (to CMU)."
Wagner said ACT scores remain an important
factor in considering students for admission to
CMU.
Although there are no studies showing a clear
correlation between students' performance on
the ACT and their success in college, the ACT is
"one more predictor" for academic success,
Wagner said.
Other factors important in considering a student's application for admission, Wagner said,
include academic grade point average, participation in extracurricular activities and consistency
of performance.
"(Consistency of performance) gives us an
indication of whether we will have to worry
about falling grades," Wagner said.
However, some students viewed the ACT
scores in a different light.
Jamie Sheldon, Marshall freshman, feels that
ACT performance doesn't accurately predict a
student's performance in college. "Absolutely,
positively, without a doubt — no."
Adam Gray, Harbor Springs freshman, said
the test is unable to determine a student's work
ethics.
"It just tests intelligence — not your willingness to work and that's what's important in college," he said.
Chrissy Patton, Wyandotte freshman, had
another perspective on the ACTs.
"A lot of people don't test well. ACTs don't have
a lot of effect. Good study habits are more important and the effort you put into it," Patton said.
SABRINA BURTON • CM LIFE
Above* Third Eye Blind lead
vocalist Stephen Jenkins performs for a crowd of 4,500
Friday in Rose Arena.
Left: Brand! Geo it, left, coordinator of hearth services,
gives a high five to Michelle
Rick, Davidson freshman, for
giving the correct answer on
the -Wheel of Safer Sax-
game. This was one of the
several tents at the MTV
Campus Invasion Friday.
For more details about the
concert and the Campus
Invasion, see the Et cetera
section on page 10.
BILL SCHUMANN • CM LIFE
think the Americans flinched. You
wouldn't say Saddam flinched. He's had
another confrontation with the United
States where he gets to go back to the
status quo ante without having paid for
it."
"This will not be the last go round,"
Cohen said. "It's xn Saddam's nature to
keep pressing. Ifs in our nature, the
nature of this administration, to threaten but not be sure they mean it."
David Kay, the first chief of the U.N.
arms inspection team in Baghdad, said
Saddam   got  out  of this jam   without
See CUfSITON Page 2	
■haearu