1987-05-04; Central Michigan Life

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Michigan
MONDAY
May 4,1987
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Officials say hall conflict rooted in racism
OT MARK LaROSA
UFE Surft Wnter
Administrators have determined racial differences caused an April 2 conflict between white and
black students in Wheeler Hall.
A press release said four students involved in the
conflict have been charged with breaking the
student code of conduct by violating other students'
rights. Officials refused to release the names of the
students charged or the charges brought against
them.
Officials conducting the investigation would not
Investigation of Wheeler incident implicates
four students for violations of Code of Conduct
elaborate on some questions, referring to the press
release.
The administrators conducting the investigation
based their decision on more than 40 hours of
testimony from 17 students.
"With evidence in testimony, we found that
normal roommate conflict was complicated by racial
discomfort," said Laura Gonzales, director of the
Office of Minority Affairs.
"In the testimony, we found evidence of racial
name calling and harassment," she added."
The conflict involved Karia Allen, a black student,
and her white neighbors.
After finding a sign that said "bitch" and some
trash bags taped to her third-floor Wheeler door,
Allen, Lansing freshman, and a group of her black
friends became involved in a dispute with the
neighbors, whom she blamed for hanging the sign.
The conflict involved reported derogatory name
calling and physical contact between one of the
black women snd one of the white women.
Approximately 100 black students congregated in
the Towers Residence Hall Complex lobby to
"support their sister."
Caron, one of the white women involved in the
conflict, spoke on the condition she only be identified
by her first name.
She said she was disappointed with the administrator's decision, and said most of the blame for the
incident was unfairly placed on the white women
Please See WHEELER Page 11
Firefighters fought a blaze at 400 W. Broedwey St.. next to
island Perk, for more then two hours Friday at 3:22 p.m.
Broedwey was closed for more then an hour, congesting
downtown  traffic.  According  to  s  police  spokesman, the
demege to the building, owned by Mount Pleasant Supply, 1005
Corporate Drive, is estimated et $20,000 and could increase. The
spokesman said the cause of the fire ts undetermined.
Assault case could
go to lower court
The case of a Corunna senior charged with first degree criminal
sexual conduct (CSC) against a female freshman may return to
district court.
A CSC oomplaint against Timothy Vasicek, 22, was filed Feb. 13 in
Isabella County 76th District Court. The offense allegedly occurred
Dec. 6.
At his pre-trial hearing April 24, Vasicek's counsel presented a
stipulation to return the case to District Court, which has not yet been
decided upon. Usually, cases are returned to the lower court when it is
determined the defendant should be arraigned there in the interest of
fairness. Vasicek waived arraignment Feb. 18, entering a not-guilty
plea.
The CSC charge is first degree because the incident allegedly
involved penetration, personal injury and force or coercion, court
records stated.
Please See ASSAULT Page 14
Ellis slated to present
refinancing plan Friday
BY BRYAN LAVIOLETTE
LIFE Staff Wnter	
President Arthur Ellis is
scheduled to present a report to
the Board of Trustees concerning
CMITs refinancing plan Friday —
but he's not saying what's in the
plan.
Ellis said Sunday he will not
detail the report he plans to give
at the Board of Trustees Friday
meeting. He said he will recommend a plan for refinancing the
University's debt that could free
up to $26 million, part of which
will finance a proposed $16 million
recreation facility.
Ellis added there is no reason to
move quickly on the refinancing
package because there is no need
for the money yet.
"tThe administration) doe*-r't
have to move as fast as everybody
else (involved in the project).*
Ellis said.
"(The University's) job now is to
decide what to do with the
options." Ellis said.
University Architect Anthony
Paparella is working on
blueprints for the proposed recreation facility, to be built on the
south end of Rose Arena. All or
part of the money from
refinancing will be used for the
facility.
Please See ELUS Page 16
Making room
Officials open teaching classes before drop/add
BY ROGER MORGENSTERN
LIFE Copy Frt.r.-.r
About 100 teacher-education students closed out
of classes during pre-registration should receive at
least some of the courses they need before drop/add
period.
Michael Kent, acting dean of the school of
Education. Health and Human Services, said after
meeting with several officials, including Registrar
Paul Schmidt and Deborah Slade, assistant vice
provost for planning. in>truction and research,
Wednesday and Thursday, students who absolutely
need classes this summer are now being bumped
into courses before the May 18-19 drop/add period.
"The real effect is those students don't have to go
to drop/add," Kent said.
The increased number of students who want into
teacher education, coupled with a priority change
that makes non-degree students schedule after all
undergraduates, caused several hundred students
to be closed out of teacher education classes.
After the meeting Wednesday, officials asked the
Registrar's Office to gather more data on the several
hundred students who are signing up in the Teacher
Education and Professional Development Office
(TEPDl and giving their reasons for needing the
classes.
Associate Registrar Ron Finch said of the several
hundred names on the TEPD sign-up sheet, a little
more than 100 were determined to need those
classes.
Finch said he and four assistants went through
the   TEPD   Thursday   list   and   checked   names,
making sure students really needed the classes, had
pre-registered and were admitted to the teacher-
-.education program.
Finch said Friday when his stafT checked the list
they found many students had not pre-registered or
been admitted to the teacher-education program.
"Some, after a close look, didn't qualify after all."
he said.
Kent said late Thursday afternoon the group of
officials met and decided to bump those students
with the documented need into classes.
Finch 6aid 16 students who initially received no
classes during pre-registration will receive their
needed classes, barring time conflicts.
Schedules and fee cards were mailed to these
students Friday, with a May 14 payment due date.
Statements also are being mailed early this week
to students who already have summer schedules
and are being bumped into the classes they need.
Please, See REGISTER Page 16
DPS searches for male in
attempted abduction case
Department of Public Safety officials are looking for a man
who allegedly tried to abduct a 21-year-old female near East
Campus Drive Friday.
DPS Capt. Ron Williams said the female was walking south on
East Campus Drive at 9:48 p.m. when a man drove up next to her
in a two-door, light-blue hatchback vehicle, and asked her for
directions.
The woman reported the suspected grabbed her wrists and
attempted to pull her into the vehicle, Williams said.
Williams would not say whether the woman is a CMU student.
The suspect is described as a medium-height, heavy-weight
white male in his late 20s with a mustache and brown, wavy,
disorderly, shoulder-length hair.
An  artist's  rendition  of  the
suspect.
A-Senate slated to debate writing proposal
BY MARK ALLEN
ilFE Asiisl.irt *,e.*.s i el \v
The Academic Senate is
scheduled to continue its debate
Tuesday about whether 50
percent of a University Program
course's grade should be based on
written work.
The A-Senate recessed Tuesday
after failing to vote on an April 14
motion which would define the
phrase "a significant amount of
meaningful writing" as writing
which accounts for 50 percent of a
course grade.
The phrase waa adopted last
year as a guide to the amount of
writing to be required in UP
courses under Writing Across the
University Program.
Three faculty members offered
changes in the proposal at last
Tuesday's meeting, but the
A-Senate recessed without
making a motion on any of the
proposals.
But a compromise proposal is in
the works and will be presented
Tuesday when the A-Senate
reconvenes, said David Guenther,
Please See WRITE Page 16
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LIFE LINE
Briefly	
Wish today I taut. CM UFE ceases
pubtcjaton mH May 20
INSIDE
Return to tradition
Students can again voa lor homecnrrririg *—. —.
fcnj quten and court /f 3Q6 O
Good times
Mayfest celebration s njrxrwfXi once
agm
/Page 6
Stress test
Students can learn to beat earn umk
stress
Crowned again
/Page 8
SofcbaB team wtns third conracaiSve
MAC eat
Rndtag treedonvPegc 10
/Page 12
INDEX
UFE-wire p^ge2
Combing Campuses page 3
Comment page 4
Bloom County page 4
Entertainment page 6
Pobce Reports page 11
Sports page 12
Classifieds page 15