1995-04-24; Central Michigan Life

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Michigan LI T E
MONDAY, APRIL 24, 1995
INSIDE
PARENTS WILL
TELL HOW
THEY'D REDRAW
DISTRICT LINES
See page 3
VOLUME 77. NUMBER 82
MOUNT PLEASANT. MICHIGAN 48859
Ol 995 CM UFE
(517) 774-3493
14 PAGES I
Plachta wants Arts & Sciences cut in two
Change may be only first of several
'big steps forward/ president suggests
By MARJORY RAYMER
LIFE Editor	
The highly-anticipated, "significant"' academic reorganization at CMU will, at the very
least, include dividing the College of Arts and Sciences, but
President Leonard Plachta said
the restructuring could — and
should — go much farther than
one college.
The intention is to say as a
minimum we are going to split
the college into two . . . That's the
minimum type of thing though. I
think it is an optimum time to
look at the structure of the entire
academic division," he said in an
interview Saturday.
Plachta announced his vision
of   academic   reorganization   at
CMU in the second of his "Presidential Papers/* a series of statements by the president that
replaces his previously
announced spring public address.
The split of the College of Arts
and Sciences will create the College of Science and Technology
and the College of Arts and
Humanities. But, further reorganization should be considered at
every level of the academic structure, Plachta said, including
departments, schools and colleges.
"I think the time has come in
which we cannot aflbrt to make
small incremental steps,** he
said. "It's time to take big steps
forward."'
To do this, Plachta will appoint
a task force to be led by an "inde-
Senior officers back plan, faculty oppose it
By SCOTT ANDERSON
LIFE News Editor
Plachta
pendent
facilitator.'*
The president said the
specifics of
the task force still are being
developed, including how many
individuals would he appointed,
who would serve, under what credentials and when it will be
created.
However, Plachta did say that
he originally had hoped to have
appointments made by the end of
the semester, although he
doubted that given current time
restraints he would be able to
meet that goal.
"With the task force, I am concerned about results. I want to do
See ORGANIZE Page 2	
The president's plan to split the College of Arts
and Sciences comes as "no surprise" to its dean.
"That's very much in line with the proposal the
college made to the president,** said John Haeger,
dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
"In my own view, I like the model of the two
colleges," he said. "The college has talked about
reorganization for two years.**
Haeger said he thought the split of the college into
liberal arts and technology divisions was positive in
that it will help "highlight** the two sections as
separate entities.
"Arts and Sciences is such a huge part of the
university,*" he said. "This structure will provide a
great deal more of representation . . . for all these
diverse groups."
In the second "Presidential Paper,** released Friday, President Leonard Plachta stated he will seek
suggestions from a task force appointed by himself
on how to improve the existing academic structure.
Haeger said he believes the college will be a part
of this process.
"I  think the College of Arts and Sciences will
4 £ Any plan should start by asking
what is the mission of the university and off the college, and then how
does the program review dictate to us
what changes need to be made. I
don't feel an arbitrary separation of
the colleges does that. 9 9
GUY MEISS
associate professor of journalism
clearly have a great deal of input," he said.
But not everyone in Arts and Sciences shared
Haeger's positive opinion of the decision.
John Robertson, president of the Faculty Association, disagrees that this decision will be beneficial to
the college.
"I wish President Plachta would listen more to
the Arts and Sciences faculty," said Robertson, professor of history.
"I think people are getting sick and tired of the
See REACTION Page 2	
GRAVEYARD
SHIFT
LIFE PhotoJENNAH SPITZLEV
Participating in the "Be My Neighbor" clean-up day. Amy Jean Miller, Crystal Falls senior, Tom
Vantuyle, Clinton senior, and Jennifer Lambrecht, Hazel Park senior, help rake up debris at Riverside
Cemetery. Volunteers cleaned up public areas all over the area during the all-day event.
High St. construction postponed, will now begin May 8
By JEREMY DICK MAN
LIFE Staff Wnter	
Delays by the state have put
ofT the closure of High Street,
which was initially scheduled to
begin today.
Closing the road between Mission and Main streets for
upgrades of city water and sewer
lines will be delayed until May 8.
The city originally planned to
start replacing the water main
between Kinney and Main
streets and put in new sewer and
water mains at the intersections
today. However, the date has
been pushed back because its
June plan for reconstruction was
delayed, according to Duane
Ellis, director of public works.
High Street, or M-20, between
Mission and Main streets was
scheduled to be closed through
June lO while the utility work is
completed. This will now be
extended until the end of June,
Ellis said.
The state will start its process
of reconstruction after the Fourth
of July, he said. Officials have
said   construction   on   the   road
could last until November.
When the state does begin
work, it also will extend the closure to the Chippewa River
Bridge for maintenance and to
repave the road.
Motorists will still be able to
cross High Street on the
north/ south intersections of
Main, Washington and University streets, Ellis said.
"All the north and south streets
will be kept open to the best of our
ability, but periodically one or
two may have to be closed," he
said.
Once the state begins its part of
excavating High Street, it will
close one intersection at a time,
Ellis said.
The city also plans on closing
one intersection at a time when
they start the utility work, he
said.
"It should not be a tremendous
efTect," he said.
Once the project is started on
May 8, the detour will reroute
traffic from M-20 both south to
Broomfield Road and north to
Pickard Avenue, Ellis said.
Forum apartment
totally gutted by
fire; no one hurt
By BRAD MONASTIERE
LIFE Staff Writer	
The Mount Pleasant Fire Department is still investigating the
cause of a Saturday blaze, which completely destroyed a CMU student's
apartment and damaged several others.
No one was hurt in the fire, which started in Forum Apartment
C-107, at approximately 8 p.m. Saturday.
Lt. James Collin, Mount Pleasant fire marshal, said the entire apartment unit was "basically destroyed" by the fire.
"We are finishing up an overhaul of the structure," he said Saturday.
"The time of the alarm was 8:31 p.m. and we responded within minutes.
We arrived to find the entire lower unit engulfed in flames. It took us
about 40 minutes to get the fire under control.
"We have no idea at this time as to what caused the fire," he said. "We
are in the process of investigating."
One woman lived at apartment C-107, 950 Appian Way, according to
See FIRE Page 7	
Militia commander: Feds
trying to 'discredit' group
by linking it to bombing
By SCOTT ANDERSON
LIFE News Editor	
Last week's arrests of two suspects in connection with the
Oklahoma City bombing is
nothing more than an attempt by
officials to violate the rights of its
citizens and to "taint" the image
of the Michigan Militia, according to a local organization leader.
Robert McNealy, the commander of the Isabella County
Michigan Militia, said he thinks
the apprehension of the suspects
is a plot by the U.S. government
to "discredit" the group.
"Three days agor the first thing
I said when I saw this is that the
government is going to blame it
on some patriots," McNealy said
See MILITIA Page i 1	
Robert McNealy
TODAY - 55/35
piirtly sunny
TUESDAY - 55/35
mostly cloudy
NO-HITTER
CMU pitcher Lee
Gardner blanks
Ball State batters
SPORTS page 8
STEPS TO
SUCCESS
Entertainer. CMU
grad Brad Slaight
shares showbiz
pointers
^f^ -**
ETCETERA page 12