1995-10-23; Central Michigan Life

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Central
Michigan
MONDAY,
OCTOBER 23,
1995
VOLUME 78, NUMBER 24
MOUNT PLEASANT, MICHIGAN 48859
©1995 CM LIFE
(517) 774-3493
12 PAGES
SPORTS
Football team runs to
28-17 victory over Kent
CMU's fab freshman
Silas Massey rushed for
over 100 yards for the
second straight game
and helped lead the
Chippewas to a victory
over conference rival
Kent.
PAGE 6
LIFESTYLES
Camp lets people climb
trees with equipment
The Mystic Lake YMCA
Camp and Stables is the
closest spot to climb tall
trees in an unconventional way — with ropes and
harnesses like those
used in rappelling.
PAGE 8
CAMPUS
Sen. Levin speaks out
on direct loans
U.S. Senator Carl Levin
answered student journalists questions on the new
direct loans program in a
Friday conference call.
PAGE 3
WIEATHER
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Trustee, Plachta speak out on PBS
No personal agenda, says Brandon
By JENNIFER ACKERMAN
LIFE Assistant News Editor
One member of the Board of Trustees acknowledged rumors are circulating that he has a
personal agenda to pull the plug on CMU's Public
Broadcasting. But he dismissed the rumors as
being false.
In an effort to clear up misconceptions regarding
his position on PBS, David Brandon, chairman of
the Board of Trustees' Personnel and Finance
committee, said he is not on a personal crusade to
eliminate CMU Public Broadcasting.
"I know there's all kinds of rumors,'* Brandon
said during a phone interview Friday. "It's all a
bunch of fantasy.
"I have no other agenda but to be a good
trustee . . . ," he said. "I have no other agenda but
to serve on a Board of Trustees whose job it is to
make decisions that are in the best long-term
interest of CMU."
Brandon addressed accusations that his appointment to the board in June 1994 was somehow
connected to the PBS controversy.
"I've been on the board a year and a half and I
think to try to draw some correlation between the
fact that I started on the board 18 months ago and
(the PBS controversy) which started over the last
few weeks . . . it's ridiculous," he said.
"I'm amazed that the rumor mill continues to
Grigaliunas questions
CMU's logic in firing
manufacture these myths."
A memo, dated Aug. 2. was sent to President
Leonard Plachta from Russ Herron. vice president
of University Relations and made reference to the
president's "conversations with Dave Brandon."
Brandon said he has met with President
Leonard Plachta, to discuss financial issues, but
considers their discussions routine.
"I've had conversations with the president,"
Brandon said. "It's certainly not out of the
ordinary, considering that I'm chair of the the
personnel and finance committee."
Aside from his discussions with the president,
Brandon said he has never made any recommendations about the future of PBS.
"I've never had a conversation with anyone, nor
have I made a recommendation to anyone
pertaining to the sale or transfer of our PBS
licenses," he said.
Brandon said the real story is to find out who's
behind all the rumors.
"The real story is to find out who on campus is
purposely starting all these ridiculous rumors and
what their motivations are, because someone, with
some kind of political motivation, (has an) agenda
to circulate all this misinformation to satisfy some
self-interest."
See BRANDON Page 11	
Fourth paper 'clarifies
university's position'
By JENNIFER ACKERMAN
LIFE Assistant News Editor	
Attempting to "clarify the
university's position on several
issues" and put it's "interest in
Public Broadcasting in the
proper perspective," President
Leonard Plachta released his
fourth "Presidential Paper"
Friday.
Plachta stressed that no final
decisions have been made
regarding the future of CMU
Public Broadcasting.
"The governor has not
contacted me or any member of
our Board of Trustees about
Public Broadcasting, and we
have made no decisions about
the future of our stations at
CMU beyond our decisions to
study the issue and to ensure
programming for the next year,"
Plachta stated in the paper.
Plachta also pointed out that
the university has initiated
internal reviews of "nearly
everything we do on campus"
including all academic
programs, athletics, the
bookstore, motor pool, printing
services and other auxiliary
services.
According to Plachta, the
review process has been
successful so far and has allowed
the university to "remain accessible by minimizing tuition
increases."
"As you know, we have been
able to eliminate more than $9.6
million from our budget even as
we have improved student
services and added much-needed
programs in physical therapy
and other areas," Plachta said.
CMU has the second lowest
tuition in the state out of Michigan's 15 public universities, he
said.
See PLACHTA Page 12
By JENNIFER ACKERMAN
LIFE Assistant News Editor
President Leonard Plachta
addressed the Public Broadcasting issue and indirectly
offered reasons why the director
of Public Brodcasting was fired
in his fourth "Presidential
Paper," released Friday.
Bill Grigaliunas, former
director of Public Broadcasting,
questions the logic behind Plachta's reasoning.
In the paper, Plachta
responded indirectly to the
argument that Bill Grigaliunas'
First Amendment rights were
violated when he was fired Sept.
29 from his position as director of
CMU's Public Broadcasting.
"Free speech is something that
applies to each of us in certain
situations as we represent
ourselves," Plachta said. "It
protects our right to express
opinions and engage in open
debate as individuals. But the
U.S. Supreme Court has said
clearly that an employer,
including a governmental
employer, can expect its officials
to accurately represent that
organization's views."
Plachta never names Grigaliunas in his Presidential Paper.
But he does quote statements
made by the American Association of University Professors and
the Association of American
Colleges regarding academic
freedom and free speech.
According to those groups,
"Although faculty should be free
to discuss their subject in the
classroom, they do not have free
rein to introduce matter
unrelated to the subject at
hand."
The    statement    continues
Officials
By CINDY TROMBLEY
LIFE News Editor ___
If the Michigan State Police
post located in Mount Pleasant
ever moved, local law enforcement agencies would miss it,
officials said.
Lt. Frank Hughes, post
commander for the Mount
Pleasant Post of the Michigan
State Police, said rumors started
circulating about six months ago
that the post would be moving to
Clare. That's when Clare was
looking into a new building for
its police department.
Hughes said Clare officials
had contacted him. And because
of  the   Mount   Pleasant   post's
stating,   "As   members   of   a
learned    profession,    faculty
should be free from censorship
but   should      at   all   times   be
accurate, respect the opinions of
others, and clarify that they are
not institutional spokespersons."
Grigaliunas said when he was
the   director   of  Public   Broadcasting he "was in a staff position
and not considered faculty. He
said   he   doesn't   see   how   the
statements  from the American
Association of University Professors   and   the   Association   of
American Colleges apply to his
case.
"I think when they talk about
academic freedom, they're
talking about what you can say
in a classroom," Grigaliunas
said. "(Plachta) is really trying to
differentiate between faculty
and staff."
Grigaliunas said he spoke out
because "I was afraid we were
going to lose Public Broadcasting.
"I thought Leonard's speech
really didn't tell us anything
new," Grigaliunas said. "I still
think he's holding out. I felt the
whole paper was full of half
truths and excuses. It basically
defies common sense."
As examples, Plachta said
fund raising for CMU's PBS is
"exceptionally high" and that he
had some concerns about the size
of the university's subsidy.
Grigaliunas said fund raising
costs are approximately 22 cents
per dollar raised, while other
public broadcasting stations in
Michigan average around 30
cents.
Grigaliunas also said the
subsidy   compared   to   other
See REACTION Page 2
AREAL
NUTCASE
condition, moving is always a
consideration, Hughes said.
•There's nothing definite —
not even close to definite," he
said.
Clare City Manager Vince
Pastue agreed that contact was
established, but any plans were
preliminary. Pastue said the
Clare facilities are not suitable
for a modern police agency so
alternatives are being considered.
"It's very* very, very preliminary at this point," he said.
And local law enforcement
officials are happy the post is
staying put.
"I'm   glad   that   they're   not
Police post would be missed
    ...      .        .   '    -     ..    ..w * «i™~ _L»flL. «t^ii ■ Mlmmatrnw   of   Mount   Pieasa
moving. We like them here," said
Isabella County Sheriff Barry
DeLau. "However, if they did
make the decision to move, we
would have no choice.
"They'd still patrol our
county . . . where they're housed
doesn't make that much difference," he said. "Our working
relationship would still
continue."
DeLau said he wouldn't anticipate additional problems if the
post moved because Isabella
County would still be patrolled
by area agencies as well as the
state police.
"We have an outstanding
working  relationship," he  said.
"We get along really well.
DeLau said the Clare location
would be more centrally located
to serve both counties, but
there's a need for the state post
in Mount Pleasant.
"I don't see that it would have
a significant affect on us at all."
said Ron Williams, associate
director of CMU's Public Safety
"The only difference would be
that their post would be moved.
"It's good to have them in
Mount Pleasant . . . but we don't
see it as a major change. I like
having the post here because
they have a lot of good people
working at the post," he said.
According to Martin Trombley,
director of Mount Pleasant
Public Safety, the good working
relationship between Isabella
County, Saginaw Chippewa
Tribal Police and other area
enforcement agencies would
continue even if the state police
moved.
Trombley said if that possibility ever starts looking like a
reality, Mount Pleasant should
have the opportunity to submit
an alternative proposal to the
state.
"I wouldn't want to see them
move." Trombley said. "The
working relationship between
enforcement agencies has been
See POLICE Page 10