1998-10-07; Central Michigan Life

              Central Michigan LIFE
Volume 81, Number 17
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
©1998 CM LIFE
79 years of serving the community
Wednesday
October 7, 1998
16 pages
New CMU affirmative action plan to be unveiled soon
By David Bossick
LIFE Staff Writer
A new affirmative action plan
is in the works and a draft of it
will be presented to the community at large by University
President Leonard Plachta within the next month.
Jan Wagester, executive assistant to the president, said the
president is beginning the
process to release a draft of an
afFirmative action plan for feedback from the university community.
This plan will be a revision of
the current affirmative action
plan that went into effect Oct. 1,
1979. This plan was revised only
once before and the previous
revision went into effect Aug. 1,
1989.
"Anyone who wants to will be
able   (to   give)   feedback   to   the
president," she said. "I expect the
campus community will get exposure to this draft in a month or
so."
Plachta intends to expose
everyone at the same time.
Therefore, the plan will not be
formally presented to a specific
group such as Student
Government Association, the
Academic Senate, or the Board of
Trustees   before   anyone   else,
Wagester said.
The draft of the affirmative
action plan will be available by
hard copy, a web page or both. It
is still unknown how the hard
copy would be available or distributed, she said.
It is  not known  whether the
president performed any prelim
inary    research    on    the    plan,
Wagester said. However, Plachta
did   seek   other   people   on   the
plan, she said.
"A lot of people have been
working on it for quite some
time," Wagester said.
Those individuals' names who
have been working on the plan
have not been released, she said.
Background information on the
plan should be released at the
same time as the plan is
released.
"The process for finalizing the
plan will be explained when the
draft is distributed," Wagester
said.
One group is not happy with
the president's process in releasing the new plan.
Jeff Falcusan, SGA Senate
leader and Battle Creek senior,
said, "President Plachta has
made   it   pretty   clear  that   we
See AFFIRMATIVE Page 16
CMU to give
10-15 charters
out to schools
By Shannon Marosi and
Amy Zevchak
LIFE Staff Writers
With 300 applications already in their hands,
and 100 more expected, CMU has opened the
application process necessary to take on more
charter schools.
Central, who is the largest university sponsor
for public charter schools in the United States,
will have no problem licensing more charter
schools to add to its list of the 46 that already
exist, said James Goenner, director of CMU's
Charter School office.
Between 10 and 15 charters will be given out.
However, Goenner said Central could theoretically give out 75, which is the state-wide cap of
charter schools through universities.
"We are looking at quality, not quantity," he
said. The applications are open to any group.
CMU's charter schools are located across the
state of Michigan from Detroit to Midland and
Grand Rapids to Petoskey.
"It is a blood, sweat, tears, pour your heart and
soul out process," Goenner said about the
process for establishing a charter school.
In phase one of choosing the schools, Goenner
and his staff will examine all the applications in
a rigorous review process, or a feasibility or
implementation study.
Then, a number of quality applications will be
eligible to participate in phase two, when the
groups educational and financial plans 'will be
refined, preparing them to start a school. They
will receive the notification in December.
However, not every group that makes it to
phase two will receive a charter. Goenner will
pick only the groups with the most potential, and
those schools will have to submit a comprehensive application in January.
A license acts as an educational goal plan as
well as a curriculum and performance contract.
Goenner cited one of CMU's charter schools in
See CHARTERS Page 16
Plachta's open
door meetings
'going well'
By Angle Fenton
LIFE Staff Writer
The door is open, so come on in — that's the message University President Leonard Plachta wants
students to get.
According to Jan Wagester, executive assistant to
the president, Plachta's open door meetings with students have been going very well.
The meetings are going good," she said. "We had
the first one a couple weeks ago and it was fully subscribed."
Wagester said the Sept. 23 meetings were attended
by six or seven students who had various concerns.
"We had (the open door meetings) for an hour that
Wednesday from 1:30 p.m. to 2: 30 p.m., although I
think we did go slightly over that," Wagester said.
Wagester said the students who came to the meetings met with Plachta for 10 to 15 minutes each.
"The purposes were varied. Triey were bringing forward ideas and concerns. At least two or three of
them came just to meet the president and to let him
know what a fine experience they are having here (at
CMU)," she said.
Wagester said Plachta did not hold open door meetings last year, but he did hold them the two previous
years.
"(The meetings from the previous years) weren't
limited to students, they were open to the CMU community (at large). But this time, it was the feeling
that they (students) have the least access to him
(Plachta), so he wanted to make it specifically available for them," Wagester said.
The next open door meeting with students will take
place from 11 a.m. until noon Oct. 20. Wagester said
students are invited to meet with the president on a
one-on-one basis to share their ideas, concerns,
thoughts and questions.
Appointments are not necessary, although students
will meet with the president in the order in which
they arrive. The president's office is located in
Warriner Hall 106.
Open door meetings will also take place 3-4 p.m.
Nov. 12 and 4-5 p.m. Dec. 7.
Condom-nation
TONY CEPAK • CM LIFE
Condoms are effective in preventing sexually transmitted diseases if used properly. Approximately 36,000 condoms are ordered annually by CMU.
Condoms available at many locations on campus
By Stacy Tadajewski
LIFE Staff Writer
With the risks of HIV infection, as well as other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), condoms have
become a popular method of protection among students.
The excuse of not having access
to condoms doesn't cut it anymore
either, according to the -university's Health Advocacy Services
employees. Condoms are available
in many places on and off campus:
in restrooms, some resident assistant rooms, convenience stores
and gas stations, in  addition  to
University Health Services.
Mark Minelli, manager of
Health Advocacy Services, said
his office typically orders three
lots of condoms a year, which
results in 36,000 condoms annually. These condoms, in packets of
three, are available in the
Wellness Resource Center, Foust
106, and are free of charge for students.
Minelli said the condoms come
with literature on how to properly
use them and information on
STDs.
"Condoms are very effective in
preventing HIV and STDs when
How TO EFFECTiVEIJY USE A CONDOM
•Use latex condoms which have a nonoxynol-9 spermicide.
•Use a water-based lubricant (Not Vaseline or baby oil).
•Put extra spermicide in the reservoir tip.
•Pinch the end of the condom to create room for the semen.
•Unroll carefully on the penis when it is erect.
•Hold on to the base of the condom after ejaculating so it does
not slip off.
•Never try to reuse a condom.
used  consistently and  correctly,"
he said.
Minelli said Central offers
Lifestyles condoms, which are an
American-made product and meet
the Food and Drug
Administration's approval.
"It's one of only a couple of com-
See CONDOMS Page 2	
RHA hears food service gripes
By Joy My grants
LIFE Staff VNfriter
A major issue involving ARAMARK, the company that manages and provides all on-campus
food service, was brought to the attention ofthe
Residence Hall Assembly at Monday's meeting.
Kate Balconi, Wolverine Lake junior,
addressed the assembly during the issues committee report and stated that many students
feel that there is a difference in the quality of
service and food since last year.
"If issues doesn't do anything with it, we are
prepared to go public," Balconi said. 'The quali
ty of food has decreased in many areas since Fve
been here. They're not having any variety,
which a lot of students aren't happy with. You
can only eat mashed potatoes so many nights in
a row."
Balconi said she would prefer to go through
the university in taking care of the matter but
said it would not be effective.
"I don't see it happening," Balconi said. "We
protested against (University President
Leonard) Plachta last year and he got a raise.
See RHA Page 2	
Fieger to visit CMU
UFE Staff Reports
Geoffrey Fieger, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, is visiting CMU at 3 p.m. today at Warriner Mall.
The event is fully sponsored by Women Initiating
Social Equality (WISE).
Irene Kepler, president of WISE and Sterling Heights
junior, said it is important for WISE to bring Fieger to
campus because both he and WISE are supporters of
social equality.
"One of his political spiels is that he's not a politician
and there's no reason to believe what he's saying about
See FIEGER Page 16	
Brandon uses block 'M' without consent
By Liz Wishaw
LIFE Editor
Board of Trustees chair David
Brandon started his campaign for a
seat on the University
of Michigan Board of
Regents earlier this
month with signs,
posters, and even a
plane flying over
Spartan Stadium last
weekend advertising
his run for the seat.
Part ofthe campaign
includes  a  2   1/2-inch
square decal with the
block "M" and the words
Regent."
BRANDON
"Brandon for
But Brandon forgot to ask U of Ms
Athletics department for permission to
use the block "M."
U of M spokesperson
Julie Peterson said last
week that the university
had been notified that
Brandon had been using
the block "M" without
permission.
Those who are campaigning for the regent
positions may use the
university seal or block
"M," Peterson said, but they must ask
permission.
"We do work with the regents if they
do consider using the mark," Peterson
BRANDON
FOR REGENT
said. "The royalties charge is waived,
but we would want them to follow the
guidelines in using the
block "M" or any of the
other marks."
She said a letter would
be sent to Brandon, notifying him that he would
have to immediately discontinue using the block
"M"        On        Tuesday,
Peterson said she did not
know   if the   letter  had
been sent out yet.
It  is   unknown   how   many  of the
decals Brandon had made or how many
have been distributed because he could
not be reached for comment Tuesday.
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