1981-02-02; Central Michigan Life

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Central Michi
LIFE
Vol. 62 No. 53
©   1981 CM LIFE
Mount Pleasant, Mich. 48859
14 pages
Monday, Feb. 2,1981
CM LIF&Gery Melow
Keynote speaker the Rev. H.J. Coleman kicked off Black History Month Sunday.
Black History festivities underway
by DAVE ELLIS
LIFE Staff Writer
Black History Month at CMU
officially opened Sunday with
President Harold Abel urging
"all members of the University
community to partake of its
richness."
Speaking before a moderately
p&cketf- 'University Center
Auditorium audience, Abel said
he was disappointed more
people are not participating in
Black History festivities, but
pledged to work for greater
cultural diversity at CMU.
The opening ceremonies were
sponsored by the Organization
for Black Unity.
"We are a nation made up of
the contributions of minorities,"
Abel said, "which make it richer
than any one group could alone."
Keynote speaker at the
ceremony   was   the   Rev.  H.J,
See related story page 6
Coleman, of the Church of God in
Christ in Saginaw.
"Blacks must continue to seek
out the higher education
necessary to raise the economic
level of blacks," Coleman said,
urging "blacks to go to school
and   get   something   on   your
brain.
"If you don't have anything on
your brain, you won't be able to
move up in society," he said.
"We can't win with guns and
knives and fire, but we can win
with knowledge."
Also speaking at the opening
ceremony was Sharon George,
student activities coordinator,
and Vice President for Student
Affairs James Hill.
Former Minority Student
Development Office Director
Cleophus Melvin, who had been
scheduled to speak at the
ceremony, did not attend due to
a family emergency, said Tobin
Williams, OBU president.
Melvin, who currently is on
educational leave, has come into
conflict with the Administration
recently over the closing of the
office.
The observation of Black
History Month dates back to
around 1927 when Carter G.
Woodson, a Washington-based
historian, started it, said Martha
Brown, associate professor of
history.
Black History Month is observed nationally, with most
schools and colleges participating in some way.
Groundhog grants LIFE interview
(Editor's note: Being the top-notch reporter she is, LIFE Staff
Writer Sandy Mclfugh has all sorts of sources. In celebration of
Groundhog Day, she tracked down one such rodent for an exclusive
interview.)
.Today is Groundhog Day —the day when a little rodent determines how much more of this winter "bliss" we must endure before
spring.
In keeping with good journalistic procedures, LIFE went underground to get this story, and let me tell you, it was dirty work.
Tracking down a groundhog is no easy task, due to the increased
inches of snow and the fact groundhogs' tunnels are kind of tough to
fit through.
After an hour or so of hard tracking, I finally located a groundhog
that graciously granted an interview.
Woodward C. Groundhog, known as "Digger" to his friends, stuck
his nose out of his tunnel long enough to answer a few questions and
depart little gems of wisdom as to what groundhogs must go
through every Feb. 2.
• Digger enjoys his profession of being a groundhog, but says he
could live without forecasting the weather.
"I really am perfectly corftent just digging tunnels and doing
earthly things," Digger said. "What I don't understand is why
humans feel they must disturb this peaceful scene by standing there
and just watching."
..Digger explained by saying he thinks it's hilarious to watch
people standing there, freezing, while he takes his time making an
appearance.
"You must admit it would be rather humorous," Digger said.
"Don't get me wrong* I like people, it's just you (people) do some
strange things."
Digger added he usually waits for an opportune time to peek out
of his hole to see his shadow.
"What's the sense of coming out too early? I mean, I wouldn't
want to blow it too soon -*- look at the hostages. Your media has
milked that for everything it can get, so I figure I'll makp the people
wait a little/* Digger said.
He hastened to add he doesn't want to sound cynical, but says he
got the impression humans like suspense.
Digger refused to comment on his methods of predicting the
length of the remaining part of winter, but did say he was not afraid
of his shadow.
"That's just another myth," Digger said. "I am not afraid of my
shadow, but it does play an important part in Groundhog Day, so I
let it slide."
(See "Ground hog"—page 14)
rNM
Contract talks
begin today
by DAVE ALEXANDER
LIFE Editor
The first collective bargaining session between the Faculty
Association and the Administration is set for today and both sides
agree the negotiations will be conducted in private.
The session is at 3 p.m. in the President's Conference Room of the
University Center, according to a joint FA/ Administration release.
In the same statement, some ground rules were established including closing all sessions to the public and press.
The two sides bargained the last contract in public but this time
they have agreed to the closed sessions. Administration spokesman
R, William Dunham explained:
"It seems to me that the experience both teams had in 1977 with
open bargaining made both teams realize closed bargaining is more
productive," said Dunahm, vice provost for faculty contractual
relations.
FA spokesman and past President Al Lewis echoed Dunahm's
concern.
"The FA team felt like the main concern was economics and
salaries," Lewis said. "The problem of the two is handled best in
closed session."
Even with closed sessions, Dunham and Lewis vow to keep the
public and the press informed about the negotiations. The joint
statement said information on the sessions will come from Lewis
and Dunham.
The specific way the information will be released is going to be
discussed at today's first session, Lewis said. He added the releases
could be joint or separate but there will be "regular contact with the
press in some form."
Presently, the two sides will meet Mondays and Fridays for day.
sessions, Lewis said. This may be increased as bargaining heats up
and each side has a better feel for the proposals on the table.
The other ground rules established in the joint release were:
—a tentative agenda to be established for each meeting.
— all negotiable items must be on the table by Feb. 16.
—a common set of minutes to be used by both teams.
(See "Bargaining"—page 14).
Td go again/
hostage says
by TOM HENRY
LIFE Staff Writer
CM UFEJGng Hollobaiigh
EAST LANSING-Former
hostage Richard Queen told
about 500 journalists here
Saturday the U. S. has become
united and self-confident in the
aftermath of Iran's kidnapping
of 53 Americans.
Queen added he believes the
benefits of the 444-day crisis
were so significant he would go
back into captivity if similar
results were assured.
"Looking at the positive side,
it has helped the country," said
Queen, the featured speaker at a
luncheon for the Michigan Press
Association's annual convention.
"We are stronger, wiser and
more united than before, and I
certainly see that as a
tremendous gain.
"What I went through in 252
days and the disease I got was
more than worth it to the
country," Queen said.
"I would gladly go through it
again and I think the others
would, too."
Queen, 29, served as a consular officer for the U. S. Embassy in Iran before he and the
52 other Americans were
captured Nov. 4,1979.
He returned to the U. S. last
summer because he was stricken
by a form of multiple sclerosis.
Queen emphasized he does not
have any bitterness toward the
Iranian    people —only    their
government.
He said the crisis showed the
Iranian government "is not in
any power until they have heads
On the chopping blocks.
"They have got to make
themselves coming out of this
smelling like roses," Queen said.
"But they will be used by op-
"I would gladly
go through it again
and I think the
others would,
too."—former hostage Richard
Queen
ponents who will say they sold
out to the U.S."
He said it was no coincidence
Iran released the remaining
hostages at the time Ronald
Reagan was inaugurated as
president.
"They definitely wanted it
taken care of before Reagan
took office," Queen told LIFE.
When asked why, he readily
responded, "Because they're
afraid of him."
Conflicting reports have
(See "Queen"—page 14)
In Brief
The deadline for mailing Family Financial
Statements for the 1981-82 school year is today.
All students planning to work on or off campus
next year also should file statements if they
haven't already done so.
Campus
Today marks the.
opening of the Week of
the Tuba.
page 7
Sports
It was a productive
weekend for the CMU
wrestling team, as the
Chippewas swept
three matches,
page 10
Index
Arts and Leisure  7
Classifieds... 13
Comment ..............\ 4
Doonesbury . v....! 1 4
Horoscope         jo
Off the Wire ,'p\\2
Sports  10
Spotlife !! 13
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