1986-09-18; Central Michigan Life

              Central
Michigan
THURSDAY
September 18,1986
VOLUME 70, NUMBER 8
MOUNT PLEASANT. Ml 48859
*   .Jj CM LIFE
8 PAGES
Wafer rompln'
The verdict's in:
University calendar
remains the same
BY PAT HOUSLEY
LIFE Staff Writer
Not all residents tried to avoid tha rising water. The area
youngsters made a playground of the water-filled parking lots
behind Immanuel Lutheran Church on Bradley Street.
CMU will adhere to ita published calendar despite the cancellation
or five days of classes alter last week's storms.
Acting Provost Janice Reynolds submitted three alternatives to the
Academic Senate Tuesday: 1. Extending classes one full week. 2.
Starting exams on the Saturday before exam week and finishing
exams one day early. 3. Leaving the calendar intact.
Although Reynolds supported the first alternative, senators voted
30-13 to keep the existing calendar.
After much discussion, the majority of senators decided faculty
members could individually adjust their syllabi to make up time lost
because of power outages and flooding this past week. After meeting
with staff and discussing alternatives. University officials agreed.
"Classrooms. laboratories and other facilities will be made available
for additional class meeting times to accomodate instructional needs,"
the release stated.
Angeline Boulley, New Buffalo senior who addressed the Senate,
said students would not want an extra week of classes.
"Some of us have jobs lined up. I think students would rather do
extra work than stay an extra week," she said.
John Monahan, associate professor of psychology, said he had
already rearranged his schedule, and thought some of the classes
could be made up on Saturdays or evenings.
Donna Born, associate professor of journalism, said this was not
much different from the power outage last winter, when students also
missed a week of classes.
"We adjusted our syllabi then. I don't see why this is a different
situation than before," Born said.
But other professors who were against the motion cited the need for
wma daaaes to follow, a sequence atnd said studenta would be losing
but without an extra week.
Robert Chaffer, associate professor of mathematics, aaid the
materia] in some of his courses haa to be covered before students can
go on to other subjects.
"If students do not have the opportunity to contemplate the
material, and it can't just be added in an extra day, they will drop the
course or fail it." he said.
Ptease See VERDICT Page 6
CMU electrician injured
in repair mishap at Merrill.
A University electrician was taken to Central Michigan
Community Hospital about noon Wednesday after being
electrocuted in an accident in the Merrill Hall vault.
Duane Peacock, of Mount Pleasant, was working in the Merrill
vault when he was hit with 7,000 volts of electricity, said Jon
MacLeod, assistant vice president for Physical Plant.
i MacLeod said Peacock sustained burns on his hands and feet
and will remain in CMCH for several days to be examined for
possible internal injuries.
MacLeod said Peacock was finishing his work in the vault
when the accident occurred. He was putting away his tools when
a wire from one of his tools hit the hot side of a lightning
arrestor.
'Lull' in rainstorm proved fatal
BY JOHN D. GONZALEZ
Lift:  Asv'jU-H  Ni-WS trl'Sr	
As Physical Plant officials
were nestled in their beds Sept.
10. visions of rain had abandoned
their heads.
"We thought the worst was
over." said Grounds Superintendent Peter Gorton, referring to the
night that record rainfall
drenched Mount Pleasant and the
CMU campus.
An apparent "lull" in the storm
— which eventually caused an
estimated $3.5 million in campus
damages and sent students on a
"fall semester break" — sent
physical plant officials home after
what they thought was a brief
scare of violent rain.
"We thought the storm had
subsided, and things looked
like. . .they were on their way to
recovery," Gorton said
Wednesday
Jon MacLeod, assistant vice
president of Physical Plant, left
for home last Wednesday about 10
p.m., and Gorton decided things
were under control at about 12:30
a.m. Thursday.
I^ater that morning, Physical
Plant workers were notified the
storm was building and extra help
was called in to take care of some
of the "hot spots," Gorton said.
Foust Hall, Telecommunications, Robinson Food Commons,
Calkins and Trout Halls, and the
Center for Learning Assessment
Services needed immediate attention, and personnel quelled the
problems with wet/dry vacuums.
"Foust Hall and Telecommunications were the places most
threatened by water at the time,
but it looked like staff efforts were
enough." Gorton said.
Another calm in the storm —
about 11 p.m. Sept. 10 — seemed to
hold true Gorton and MacLeod's
beliefs that the storm would cause
no more damages. But those hopes
were washed away.
"About 1 a.m.. heavy rains
began to descend upon campus,"
Please See FLOOD Page 2
Fall-flood amuck
Pair traverse Midwest in search of colleges, good time
(Editor's Note: The sudden class
cancellation after last week's
flooding gave students a chance to
enjoy some time off. Some went
home. Some stayed in Mount
Pleasant and braved the elements.
Others, like CM LIFE Sports
Editor Ken McDonald, went on a
little trip. Here's his story.)
by ken Mcdonald
LIFE Sports Ed.tor	
So maybe it wasn't worthy of
MTV. Heck, we didn't have a
television camera. We didn't have
any camera. No crew of producers,
directors and workers in some big
mobile home. Just two guys in a
1985 Renault Alliance that
provided both transportation and
housing accomodations.
But what we did have was time.
Not much, mind you, just a few
days. However, we had plans. Big
plans.
We were amuck. Amuck in
America.
Well, maybe not America. How
about Amuck in the Midwest?
The goal: Try to see as many Big
Ten universities and major
colleges in the Midwest. The rules:
There were none. It was all-out.
anythir.g-goea    road   tripping.
There   was   no   destination,   no
travel plans.
12:15 a.m., Sunday: We're off
It started out as an average
Saturday night. But midway
through a euchre game, my fate
for the next three days would be
sealed. I had wanted to leave — to
take advantage of this mini-spring
break — but was unable to find a
comrade.
I began asking people sitting
around the table. After a couple
rejections, I struck gold. I asked
my euchre partner, Scott
"Scooter*   Engle,   Union   Lake
senior, if he wanted to leave. He
said. "Yes."
The next problem was finances.
We had none. And, at midnight,
getting money out of my bank,
which has no money card
machine, was impossible. A pair of
phone calls home solved that
dilemma. We each landed about
$80. We were off.
12:30 p.m., Sunday: A roadblock
The next chore was getting the
borrowed money. A trip to my
home in Livonia was in order. Yet
that trip almost ended the Amuck
Please See AMUCK Page 6
The Amuck Crew's Voyage
Indiana
Time: 3 days
Distance:      1.066
miles    (outside   of
Michigan)
Route:    Nine   interstate   freeways   and
various other roads
Universities: Six
LIFE LINE
INSIDE
Briefly
The last lecture sessions for Period
I (or MTU OSS 105 students ts today.
Testing cards, although beyond last
week's expiration date, will be
honored at the testing center (CLAS)
until new cards can be printed.
Once in a century
Although more ran * on tf* way t won't lop
last week i record KtSng jionra
Temporary quarters
Foundation bbwout bees EX* tenty to
movcMopreidn'thouMcnBdcMrs
/Page 2
Wash out
/Page 3    Rtaxma everywhere
kabet* County Road Commotion irwes
today lo donas nunoous bridge ttpmn
Chips nab Vandals
CMU boctal turn artrts season open*!
aganst Idaho's pass aaack
/Page 4
/Page 7
WEATHER
Mostly cloudy Thursday with
scattered showers Highs mid 60s lo
mid-70s Mostly doudy Thursday
night and Friday with scattered
showers north, scattered thunder -
showers south Lows Thursday night
50s to around 60 Highs Friday
mid-60s lo mid-70s