1979-02-21; Central Michigan Life

              State money bind may Jolt CMU
byPETEENGARDIO
LIFE Ass't. News Editor ,
Central is in serious danger of losing up to $1 million of this year's
allocation, several state officials confirmed Tuesday.
A deep deficit in the state budget has forced the governor and
legislators to reassess the 1979 allocations to state universities,
Gerald Miller, state budget director, said.
University officials said Tuesday such a reduction would not
mean program cuts here this semester, but it certainly would
damage CMU financially next year.
Miller hiet with members of the Senate Appropriations Committee Tuesday to discuss the state's financial problems, which
surfaced several weeks ago.
However, Miller and Sen. William Huffman, D-Madison Heights,
gave different accounts of what action the state will take.
"He (Milliken) will issue a cut in his recommendations," Huffman
stated following the meeting. '1 anticipate at least a 3 percent cut in
higher education." The governor^ office "is talking about 4 percent," he added.
Miller denied budget reductions for colleges are certain, but
admitted they strongly are being considered.
Such a reduction would not lower the proposed 6.7 percent increase for CMU for 1979-80, Miller said, but it would reduce the base
from which that percentage is applied.
The governor's office has not decided when such reductions in
CMU's $27 million 1979 allocation would begin, Miller said.
If state payments are decreased before July 1, the end of CMU's
fiscal year, the University could wind up with a heavy deficit - a
deficit which would approach $1 million if the 4 percent cut is used.
(See "Budget cut—" page 2)
Volume 60 No. 58
**•    1979   (Vnir.il Mirhigan I.IKK
Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48859
Wednesday, February, 21,1979
2;
in
back WHIP
in office space rift
by CHRIS CROSS
LIFE Staff Writer
The Women's Health and Information Project
presented President Harold Abel with more than
2,000 student and faculty signatures Tuesday
supporting WHIP's need for more office space,
but no decisions were made.
Jennifer Aho, WHIP member, said WHIP has
not decided whether or not it will accept the offer
the Administration made to WHIP last week.
WHIP was supposed to have decided Tuesday.
"I guess we have more time than we thought
we had," Aho said.
Last week Ed Brown, director of University
Health Services, offered to take the University
health educator out of the space allotted for
WHIP.
The concern for more office space began last
fall when revamping plans scheduled WHIP to
move from its present location in Foust to a
smaller space currently used to store linen and
food carts at the University Health Center.
Aho said she is not very encouraged with the
outcome of the meeting but said, "President Abel
knows we obviously had a complaint about
confidentiality and that's why he removed the
health educator. But I still don't think he's
convinced about the space."
Abel said he does not wish to comment about
the meeting with WHIP coordinators.
Aho said she "got the feeling that lots of others
(See "WHIP—" page 2)
prices escalate
in face of shortage
by JIM FISHER
LIFE News Editor
Area motorists should expect
no reprieve from runaway gas
prices even if oil production in
Iran returns to normal, local oil
companies say.
With fuel pumps here already
showing increases of as much as
eight cents since Christmas, the
chances of fuel prices hitting 80
cents by summer are looming
stronger, they say.
Meanwhile, drivers are filling
up their tanks as usual, according to oil companies, who
say they have received no cuts
in fuel allocations from suppliers, and are in no immediate
danger of imposing rationing
here.
"Last week the price raised
two to three cents, and it will go
up a penny or two pennies a
week," said Paul Tocco,
secretary of the Beard Oil Co.,
5644 E. Pickard.
"It's tight and it's getting
tighter. By April or May gas
prices may get 10 to 20 cents
higher," he said.
Tocco said gas prices are
slightly lower in Mount Pleasant
than in other parts of the state,
with city stations charging 71 to
72 cents per gallon of regular
compared to an average 76-cent
cost elsewhere in Michigan.
Increased activity in Iranian
oil fields, which have been
dormant in the face of civil
strive in that country, would not
significantly ease the escalating
prices, the oil companies believe.
About 2.5 percent of American
oil imports come from Iran.
(See "Prices— page 2)
n
-CM UFE PHOTO BY STEVE FECHT
'New Blackness'
Lar Roberson performed exerpts from "Visions of a New Blackness" Tuesday night in
Warriner Auditorium, as part of the Rod Rodgers Dance Company performance. The
dancing troupe appeared as part of Black History Month, sponsored by the Organization for
Black Unity and Minority Student Development Office.
Third winter Olympics start today
by BERNADETTE JOZWIAK
LIFE Managing Editor
With each ending there comes
a new beginning and so it will be
tonight in Mancelona with the
start of the Great Lakes Winter
Special .Olympics. The games
will end months of preparation
and anticipation as much as they
will begin three days of outdoor
fun for 850 mentally impaired
athletes.
The lighting of the Olympian
torch and the pronouncement
"Let the games begin!" will
come at the third annual event's
opening ceremonies at 6:15 p.m.
on Schuss Mountain. The agenda
for the rest of the night will find
the athletes taking a Winter
Wonderland Tour, complete
with ice sculptures and
storybook characters, making
snow sculptures themselves,
sliding down hillsides in in-
nertubes, better known as
"tubing," and watching a magic
show set to take place at Schuss.
After becoming acquainted
with   the   Olympic   activities
through clinics taking place
today, the athletes will be ready
Thursday and Friday for the
actual competition which encompasses winter sports from
skiing to snowshoeing and from
skating to broomball.
But the 850 athletes, ranging
in age from 10 and up and
traveling    from    throughout
Michigan, Illinois, Indiana,
Kentucky, Ohio and Canada will
not be the only ones having fun
at the games which will be both
at Schuss Mountain and at the
Hilton Shanty Creek Lodge in
Bellaire.
Nearly   300   Volunteers   including about 175 members of
(See "Olympics—" page 2)
In brief
Panhellenic Council, Interfraternity Council
and the American Red Cross are sponsoring a
blood, drive Thursday and Friday at St. Mary's
Church, 1405 S. Washington St.
Those wishing to donate blood may sign up
between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. today outside the
University Center Reservation. Blood will be
taken between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Thursday
and Friday. Walk-ins are welcome.
Campus
Norman Dietz,
director of bands at
CMU, has announced
he is retiring in June
after 33 years at the
University.
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