1975-03-05; Central Michigan Life

              Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan 48859'
Wednesday, March 5, 1975
Fire chief refutes allegations
of Burger Chef manager
A Feb. 15 fire which destroyed the Burger Chef restaurant was out of
controlwhen the Mt. Pleasant Fire Department arrived on the scene, Fire
Chief Jack Lawson told city commissioners Monday night.
LAWSON READ a memo replying to accusations by Burger Chef
manager Paul Miller in CM LIFE that damage to the restaurant could have
been reduced if the fire department had been more "organized."
"The first fireman who arrived immediately entered the building and
attempted to fight the fire but was driven out of the building by the intense
heat," Lawson said.
DUE TO THE intense heat buildup and the construction material of the
building, Lawson said an explosion occurred which blew the south end out of
the building, including the large plate glass windows.
When this occurred, Lawson said it caused the fire to burn even more
quickly due to an increased oxygen supply.
"FIREFIGHTERS did not at any time cut a hole in the roof of the
structure," Lawson said, referring to Miller's allegations contained in the CM
LIFE article. He said a piece of metal was removed from the roof to achieve
easier access to the materials stored in the attic which still were smoldering.
Lawson said there was apparently a delay in turning the alarm in to the
fire department. He said the Burger Chef manager told a police officer at the
scene he had tried unsuccessfully to put out the fire before the fire department was called.
There have been three previous alarms in the last two years at Burger
Chef, according to Lawson's report. The three fires all originated in the same
area, in exhaust ducts over the cooking area.
Boyd asks for more funds at hearing
CM LIFE PHOTO BY JOHN THOMPSON
SPIDERMAN-Artist Ken Gaunt, Detroit junior, thought of a unique
way to decorate his room door in Thorpe Hall. The drawing is a
representation of the cartoon character that 'defended justice and
battled evil: Spiderman.
by SANDRA L. DICKEY
LIFE News Editor
and
STEVE MORSE
LIFE Managing Editor
Increased funding to allow for
predicted   larger   enrollment   was
requested by President William B.
Boyd   at   a   Senate   subcommittee
nKlegleQ
**tBOPe
■ «?    M
fc#J
o Assembly petition
by ROSS WILKINSON
CM LIFE Rep^tei*   *
Six specific objections were added to the petition
[gainst the General Education Proposal under con-
Ideration by Academic Senate at the Student Assembly
fceting Monday night.
In a discussion of general education, most members
Ixpressed opposition to the proposal and listed reasons
as: the competency exam (which would test
proficiency on several subjects after students have gone
Jtirough the General Education Program); the in-
lexability in choices of classes; the large classes which,
flight result from requiring all students to take certain
jourses and the irrelevancy of low-level classes to
|tudents on specialized programs.
Also listed were the uncertainty concerning the
transfer general education equivalents from other
[Diversities and that 40 curricula can't be covered in on
peral Education Program.
These criticisms will be added to the petition which
lis been circulated since Monday morning. Bill Pilchak,
pent body president, said about 500 students had
ned_ the petition the first day.
In other  action,  Student. Assembly   defeated   a
Mon to form a committee to study whether academic
fquirements   should    be    established    for    student
?anizatioqr officers.
Paul F. Ruiz, executive assistant to student
fganizations, asked Assembly for students to serve on
pcommittee.
1   feel   the    question    of    whether    academic
inurements for organizational officers should  exist
should be studied," Ruiz said.  "I  feel  a  degree  of
responsibility to prevent academic casualties'."
Most Assembly members expressed  criticism  of
the suggestion and noted students with low grade point
averages still could be effective leaders. "What right do ,
you have to say what students can be involved in?"
Norman Siders, off-campus representative asked.
Ruiz noted he would attempt to get students on the
committee even if Assembly chose not to appoint
students. Several members said Assembly should choose
students opposed to the suggestion to serve on the
committee.
In other action, Assembly
— Elected Chuck Korn, Traverse City freshman, as
academic senator. Korn, student body treasurer,
replaces Pat Coe, Laingsburg senior. Coe resigned,
according to Pilchak, because he did not have enough
time to attend the Academic Senate meetings. Coe was
unavailable for comment concerning his resignation.
— Referred to Program Board a request for an
honorarium to bring Evelyn Reed, a feminist and
socialist anthropologist, to lecture here. Members noted
Assembly does not have money available for speakers
now.
— Allocated $74 to send two students to the
Michigan Higher Education Students Association
convention in mid-March.
— Approved Bette Cogger, South Lyon senior, as
executive assistant to the student body president at a
salary of $50 a semester.
— And announced Assembly incurred a debt of $600
on the John Dean lecture.
hearing on the budget Monday in
Lansing.
IF CENTRAL DOES not
receive an increased appropriation,
the quality of programs will suffer,
according to Boyd. "If we do not
have funding, we are in great
trouble," he said. "We will lose our
productivity."
Gov. William G, Milliken's 1975-
76 budget recommendation appropriates funds for 14,786 students.
However, the University is
requesting funds for 15,344 based on
its projected enrollment increase for
next year.
"That is a very modest
prediction," Boyd said. "I could make
a case for adding as many as 1,000
students for next year, We are
cutting that in half."
Boyd argued the enrollment at
Central has increased steadily for
the past three years, while other
universities in the state have
maintained or lost enrollments.
"The state appropriates a
smaller amount'to the education of
Central students as compared to any
other institution in the state except
Ferris," Boyd said.
MILLIKEN recommended
Central receive $1,452 per student
next year, the second lowest amount
in the state. (Ferris State College
receives $1,427 per student.)
If CMU does not get the increase in funds, Boyd argued, high
school students wanting to attend
Central will be forced to go
elsewhere.
"If you send them elsewhere,
unless you send them to Ferris, it is
going to cost you more because we
are your most cost-efficient school,"
Boyd explained.
In comparing Central to other
schools in the state, Boyd said, "I am
talking about look-alike institutions,
which teach the same type of
courses. Why do you give more to
them than us?"
, "Central, through tuition paid
by students and other internal
means of generating income, is
producing a larger percentage of the
total costs then our sister institutions," he said.
"OUR SUCCESS PUTS us in
jeopardy," he continued. "I take
pride in it, but I have anxieties
because of it."
In reacting to Boyd's request,
Sen. Carl D. Purcell, subcommittee
member, said, "Quite frankly, we
can't afford it."
Purcell, D-Redford, noted
Milliken's budget recommendation is
based on a proposed increase in
income taxes. If the increase is
passed by the legislature, Central
will have "a much better chance" for
receiving extra funds, he said.
Subcommittee Chairperson
William Huffman, said, "They (the
legislature) will never increase taxes
it
that much to give Central what
wants."
Huffman, D-Madison Heights,
suggested limiting (capping)
enrollment as an alternative to
increased funding (see related
story).
However, Sen. John Toepp, R-
Cadillac, believes "it is very safe to
assume Central will be paid for the
increase in enrollment."
TOEPP, WHO has served or.
the Senate Appropriations Committee for nine years, said, "We have
always funded universities for increases in enrollment."
Both Toepp and Boyd said they
were pleased with the hearing.
Toepp said, "It was a very good
budget hearing" while Boyd termed
the two-hour session "positive and
useful."
"It was possible for coherent
arguments to be developed," Boyd
said. "I never felt cut off."
President opposes
enrollment limit
by STEVE MORSE
LIFE Managing Editor
and
SANDRA L. DICKEY
LIFE News Editor
If Central's enrollment is limited
by the state legislature next year,
"the consequence will be to threaten
us  with   beirig  a   second-class  institution,"   President   William    B.
Boyd told a Senate subcommittee on
the budget here Monday.
Boyd said he opposed limiting or
capping   the    enrollment   because
"there is no effective way" to cut
enrollment if CMU should exceed the
predicted figure.
Actually, Central would not be
required to comply with an
enrollment cap. However, the
University would receive no additional funds for enrollment exceeding the limit.
FOR EXAMPLE, if the
legislature decided to fund Central
for only 15,000 students at the
projected $1,452 allotment per
(see "Subcommittee "   page 8)
I'M Ml MM! M l    'I" 1'"
Shoplifting. *, fn-depth view
rv	
tore managers explain apprehension policy
(Editor's note: This is the second in a three-part series exploring
,, Jptifling in Mt. Pleasant. The first article dealt with how much the
hplifting costs the average citizen. This article primarily deals with
Wwmtion and legal penalties faced by shoplifters. The third article will be
P mtervkw with an anonymous shoplifter.)
by DAVID SOBEL
CM LIFE Reporter
a Two-hundred sixty-five people were arrested for shoplifting in Mt.
feasant last year, according to Captain Ed Barr of the Mt. Pleasant Police
partment, and according to the national average, only one in 12 shoplifters
I apprehended. This would mean an estimated 3,180 shoplifting instances
Nf every year in Mt. Pleasant. •
■ IN GIANT WAY alone* 180 people Have been apprehended since July 27,
™> according to Dave Rusch, head of security at Giantway and Giant
fores. '   .
°f the people apprehended for shoplifting, how many are prosecuted?
, Speaking for Giantway and Giant stores, Rusch says, "We prosecute
Fyone. It doesn't make a difference if the item stolen is worth 10 cents or
P. We call the police on everybody and everybody has to go to court."
However, all stores in Mt. Pleasant do not prosecute like Giantway. The
°»Der stores which cannot afford a stall ol plainclothesmen, usually only
psecnte for high value items, .
I W17 stores contacted in the Mt. Pleasant area, three stores prosecute
PPMters regardless of what is taken and regardless of the shoplifter s
ason for taking it. Eight of the stores take into consideration the value of
IIS"* t3ken> ^e 'shoplifter's reason for taking it, the attitude of the
Wntaj and the age o* the sex of the perpetrator before. deciding to
WUfctfto remaining five stores; in almost allcased, do not prosecute.
\. Sl»ne stores do not prosecute because Of the expense involved. One
store manager, who refused to be identified, said, "It costs me more to
prosecute for a 69 cent bottle of wine than it is worth. If it's going to cost me
a $150 bucks to* prosecute, then why do it?"
Another reason some stores don't prosecute is because of the manner in
which a shoplifter must be apprehended.
In order to apprehend a shoplifter, he or she must be outside the buying
area carrying concealed goods. "To catch them, we have to wait until they
are past the counter and by that time, they're gone," one manager said.
Another manager also claimed he rarely confronted women suspects
because of the problems encountered in searching women.
Other stores also objected to the red tape of filling out the necessary
reports and papers. As one store manager said, "The time and the money
involved in prosecuting is prohibitive." He added, "Everybody should
prosecute, but the time and the cost, well, would you?"
DAVID ROZZA, co-manager of Kroger, puts the cost of prosecuting
shoplifters at $192 a week. Rozza said he spends 10 to 12 hours a week just
for prosecuting shoplifters. Twenty hours of the employes' weekly time are
employed in prosecuting. Rozza said at $6 an hour, the cost comes out to be
about $192 a week.
The police are another reason the stores won't prosecute. The manager
of State Discount said, it takes police 20 minutes to get to the store and as
the manager put it, "it's a task to hold a suspect that long."
Giantway apprehended the most shoplifters (180 in five months) of the
17 stores. The remaining stores' apprehention rate was anywhere from three
to four per week, to one or two a month, to one or two a year to none at all.
The shoplifters apprehended tended to be of both sex and ranged in ages
from 12 to 24. Teenagers made up the majority of the shoplifters.
Aside front the monetary cost, the personal cost of shoplifting also is
great. What happens to a person apprehended for shoplifting?
According to law, there is no specific charge for shoplifting. Instead, it is
classified as larceny in a building, which is a felony. The maximum penalty is
four years in jail and a $10,000 fine.
According to Barr, it doesn't matter whether persons have taken a
nickel's worth of merchandise or $99 worth, they still can be prosecuted for a
felony. Once convicted of a felony, persons can't vote or become a member of
a profession licensed by the state of Michigan.
IN MT. PLEASANT, shoplifting is written into a city ordinance and
therefore is treated as a misdemeanor charge.However, Barr insisted it still
can be prosecuted as a felony at the discretion of the prosecutor. Barr added
anything taken worth more than $100 is automatically considered a felony.
In most cases the shoplifter on a first offense will be charged with the
misdemeanor of simple larceny which carries a maximum penalty of 90 days
in jail and a $100 fine. The usual sentence given for shoplifting on a first
offense usually is much less severe than the maximum simple larceny
penalty.
However, one judge is being sued by an Allen Park man who says the
(see "Store managers " page 14)
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