1977-10-10; Central Michigan Life

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Volume 59 No. 18
Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48859
Monday, Oct. 10,1977
Dean may resign
UHS board
st
by SUE BERG
and
DAVID N.BR ABO Y
LIFE Staff Writers
A University administrator
may resign his post on the
University Health Service
(UHS) Advisory Board today.
Dean of Students James Hill
said Thursday he had decided to
inform UHS Director Director
Dr. Howard L. Varney of his
resignation due to a "conflict of
interest" between his administrative and Board positions
during a meeting between the
two men today.
However, Hill said Friday he
may not resign his Board post as
originally intended.
"I have decided to get
feedback from other sources
before I make a final decision on
whether to resign," Hill said.
"But if I do resign, then I will
ask Dr. Varney if perhaps
someone else from Student
Affairs can become the
representative for the Administration."
Hill explained that on the
Board he gives the Administration's viewpoint on
various UHS issues, including
budget allocations.
Varney weighs all Board
recommendations when, he
determines his budget request,
which then is submitted to Hill.
.,<**&&& i&$!sy**ft**siw&s»«^
Hill must then review the
budget request and pass it on to
the President's Council. This
means he can influence the UHS
budget request twice before
sending it to the President's
Council for final approval.
The Board itself is comprised
of several medical and nonmedical members, Varney said.
Included on the Board are
representatives from: the
Administration, CMU Health
and Physical Education
Departments, the Department
of Public Safety, the CMU
Business and Finance Committee, the Student Advisory
Committee, Central Michigan
Community Hospital and
Central Michigan District
Health Department.
Also on the Board are UHS
Nursing Director Marilyn
Demlow, senior physician
Russell Ragan and Varney.
Meeting only two or three
times a semester, Varney said
the Board has no decisionmaking power, but acts as an
advisory committee for him, the
University and the local medical
community.
"Basically, the Board's
purpose is to have communication between all
departments so they can help
one another and get the job
done," V.arin.?y sa*d-
"Five-five-five, Who'll give a five?" With a quick tongue and a
strong voice, Sam Brannan, full time CMU mathematics instructor and part time auctioneer takes bids on books at the
Clarke Historical Library Thursday night Brannan, a
professional bid caller since graduating from auctioneering
school in 1954, devotes his weekdays to classes but takes
Saturdays off to attend auctions all over northern Michigan
(LIFE photo by Tom Ward).    ;"
—Huntington co-owner says failure to
return deposits accidental—page £
—Globetrotters cavort their way back to
CMU—pageS
^Preview of 1&77 Homecoming Queen
candidates—paged
-*Chlp grldders squeak by Huskies—page
10
»~MAG cage playoff may become reality—
page 12
Also to be discussed in today's
meeting,is an Administration
plan to survey student opinion
on a number of issues concerning the UHS. The meeting
also will center on the future
financing of the UHS following
Hill's Sept. 29 decision to
reinstate UHS weekend inpatient care.
Hill said Thursday details of
the discussion will remain
confidential until after the
meeting.
It's only natural for little boys to get into mischief on a Saturday afternoon, even if that includes
damming up the pond by Shorts Stadium.Getting their feet wet are (left to right) Keith Whitehead, John,
Kyle McLoud and Hunt Whitehead, all of Mount Pleasant (LIFE photo by Peter Luke).
Chlorine harms none here
Dow probing gas leak
by BECKY HAAKSMA
LIFE Staff Writer
No injuries were reported on
campus Friday afternoon when a
cloud of chlorine gas which
escaped from a Dow Chemical
Co. plant in Midland passed
through Mount Pleasant,
University Health Services and
Central Michigan Community
Hospital officials said.
An investigation is being
conducted by Dow officials into
the cause of the leak. The
chlorine seriously injured eight
workers and forced thousands to
evacuate their- homes and
schools south of Midland Friday,
an Associated Press (AP) report
said.
The eight workers
hospitalized were listed in
serious condition following
exposure to the gas but later
were reported in improved to
fair condition, according to the
AP.
Authorities suspect corrosion
on a valve was the cause of the
leak in a line leading to a
chlorine tank at the Dow Chlor-
alkalf plant, the report stated.
Twenty to 30 gallons of liquid
chlorine escaped from the line at
the plant about 9:45 a.m. Friday
and turned to gas upon contact
with the air.
The gas cloud entered Isabella
County just after 1 p.m. Friday
and reached Mount Pleasant
between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.
officials said.
The area was reported clear
at 2 p.m. Friday after the cloud
dissipated and drifted north of
Mount Pleasant.
On-carapus precautions were
taken Friday when the cloud
More than quick lips
needed to run auction
by JIM FISHER
LIFE Staff Writer
The mathematics instructor
placed a bowl-shaped hat
squarely on his head, stepped
onto an overturned wooden
crate and called for bids on the
first item.
Unfortunately for .his
students, Sam Brannan was not
auctioning high test grades, but
rather books from the Clarke
Historical Library.
Brannan has donned a
professional auctioneer's hat
since 1954, when he completed
auctioneering school in Mason
City, Iowa. He presently works
for the Jim Brannan Auction and
Realty Firm of Charlevoix,
which is owned by his brother.
Thursday's book auction,
featuring volumes which had
accumulated at Clark Library,
was one of several "community
service" auctions Brannan
handles each year. His services
more commonly are demanded
for business liquidation sales,
farm and household goods
auctions and real estate transactions.
For his efforts, Brannan
receives a minimum fee plus a
percentage of the auction's
gross receipts. He maintains,
however, his interest in auctioneering primarily is
philanthropic.
"I enjoy helping people. There
is a certain satisfaction in
successfully converting items to
new buyers," Brannan says.
During Brannan's 14 years at
CMU, his weekdays mainly have
j been devoted to his classes, but
j Saturdays he takes to the road
j to attend auctions throughout
* northern Michigan.
"fye traveled as far as 200
miles to do an auction, but I
usually cover an area between
' Grayling and Sault Ste. Marie,"
Brannan said.
Brannan cites the tools of the
auctioneer's trade as knowledge
of current market -values and,
not surprisingly, a strong vriice.
In contrast to his reserved
personality as a math instructor,
Brannan becomes a whirlwind of
noise and motion when he hops
on his "stage."
"Five-five-five-Who'll give
five? Do I hear four? Four-four-
four-Anybody four? Three and a
half-three-three-Help me!
Anybody give three-twc-one-a
dollar bill-Who'll give a dollar?"
Brannan says more than' a
quick tongue is needed to
master the art of auctioneering.
"Anybody can learn the lingo.
Success depends on one's
knowledge of business activities
and merchandise values."
At Thursday's auction,
Brannan resembled an aspiring
politician, wringing his hands
before darting a pointed finger
directed at those in the crowd.
Experienced auction-goers
concealed their bids with brief
nods or glances, but Brannan
picked up every one without
altering his frenzied pace.
What kind of bid would be
required for an "A" in Brannan's
math class? "That all depends on
how much money you've got," he
quipped. Then the unassuming
math instructor used the tools of
his second trade to let out a
hearty laugh.
was reported headed for the
area, a Department of Public
Safety (DPS) official said.
One precaution taken by the
DPS was to notify the Physical
Plant. Officials were told to turn
off all intake motors in residence
halls and classroom buildings so
air would not be brought in from
the outside, Capt. Ronald
Williams said.
Robert B. Long, Physical
Plant director, said building
mechanics were instructed to
turn off ventilation systems
after the Physical Plant was
notified at about 1:30 p.m.
Friday.
Custodial foremen were told
to check for open windows and
two housing officials were
notified so resident assistants
could be asked to check for open
windows in dorms, Long said.
Married housing residents
were instructed to keep children
inside while the cloud passed
and DPS patrol cars watched for
children playing outdoors,
Williams said.
"We were told young children
and people with severe
respiratory ailments would be
most likely to feel ill affects,"
Williams said. "Our efforts were
concentrated in areas affecting
these people first."
According to Williams, the
Health Center was notified the
cloud would be passing through
the area but there were no
reports of persons suffering any
affects from the cloud.
CMU waits for Social
Security bill changes
(Editor's note: New legislation for revamping
the U.S. Social Security law has been proposed in
Washington. In the last of a three-part series on
Social Security and how it affects CMU's budget,
CM LIFE today assesses the proposed changes to
the Social Security program and how CMU administrators, officials from the local branch of the
Social Security Administration and federal
lawmakers feel about the changes./
byPAULRAU
LIFE Managing Editor
CMU officials know the University will be
§aying a greater portion for employee's Social
ecurity benefits soon, but are maintaining a
calm attitude as the proposed changes advance to
the early planning stage in Washington, D.C.
"We made a percent estimate of how much
more we will have to pay, and rolled that guess
into the budget," Arthur Ellis, vice president for
Public Affairs, said. "We've done a careful
analysis and we're not worried about the
situation." '
While projecting optimism, Ellis did note one
proposal brewing in the federal government
could have a substantial impact on the CMU
budget.
Under a plan apjproved Tuesday by the U.S.
House Ways and Means Committee, the wage
base, the level up to which employers and employees * would contribute matching Social
Security payments, would be raised to $19,900 in
1978,
Under current law the wage base is $16,500 and
is scheduled to be $17,700 in 1978.
"If the wage base goes to $19,900, that's the
kind of substantial change which could affect our
budget," Ellis said. "It's not going to happen, but
if it did, I'd cry a lot."
Currently employers and employees pay
matching Social Security shares of 5.85 percent of
the employees salary; this figure will increase to
6.05 percent Jan. 1.
If the wage base is increased to $19,900 by the
House bill, CMU would pay approximately $133
more than it had anticipated for each of the
University's employees making at least $19,900.
Ellis said a figure representing the total
amount of Social Security payments made by the
University is not kept, but is included within
other totals. For instance, he said CMU expects
to pay out $3.5 million in Social Security and
retirement benefits to CMU employees during
the 1977-78 school year. '
He also declined to release the amount which
CMU budgeted for Social Security payments for
faculty members during the current school year.
"Once we start putting the numbers out, people
start to have the building blocks to work backward to what we budgeted for faculty salaries.
I'm not willing to talk about it," Ellis said. '
Members of CMU's faculty union have been
bargaining a new contract with the University
since May 25. All economic areas of that contract
still are unsettled.
(See "Social Security—" page 8)
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