1995-05-01; Central Michigan Life

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Central! |EE
Michigan LI m  E
MONDAY, MAY 1,1995
WITH THIS
ISSUE
CMIJFEWBLL
CEASE PUBLI-
CATION UNTIL
MAT 17
Board approves 31 new charter schools
By TODD FETTIG
LIFE Staff Writer
CMU's Board of Trustees
approved charters for 31 schools
at Friday's meeting, putting
CMU in the forefront of the
states charter school initiative.
As many as 29 of the public
school academies are expected to
open this fall thanks to the board
action, which was approved by a
unanimous vote.
"In one day, Central Michigan
University has brought more
diversity and choice within
Michigan's public education sys
tem than the system has produced in 100 years," said Robert
Mills, special assistant to the
president for charter schools.
"The result will be better education for students."
Friday's vote brought the number of CMU-chartered schools to
39. Mills told the board that more
than 4,000 of Michigan's 1.6 million K-12 students are expected to
be enrolled in CMLTs charter
schools by fall.
Each of the 31 schools completed an application process
required   by   CMU,   Applicants
FOOD COURT APPROVED
The Board of Trustees approved applications for 31 charter
schools at the board's annual spring meeting Friday. Among some
of the other actions taken by the board:
■ Approved a $1.6 million food court for the lower level of the
Bovee University Center and Goodies To Go.
■ Approved a 3.5 percent room and board increase for the 1995-
96 school year.
■ Decided not to vote on giving James Hill, former vice president
ot student affairs, emeritus status.
submitted a concept paper, educational goals, a proposed
instructional design, budget and
other information.
Some of the schools still face
obstacles before opening this fall.
Some have yet to obtain funding
or finalize locations while others
face inspection from the State
Fire Marshal.
In other action, the board:
■ Approved a 3.5 percent
increase in student room and
board rates for the 1995-96 school
year. The new academic-year
rate of $4,036 for the standard
room and 19 meals-per-week plan
is $136 more than last year's.
■ Approved a $1.6 million food
court and authorized a five-year
contract with ARAMARK that
supporters say will change the
face of the Bovee University Center. The food court renovation
will bring private food stations
and companies to the Down
Under Club and Goodies To Go on
the main level of the UC. The
board's motion on the ARAMARK
contract will allow the president
or his designee to sign into a
binding contract with ARAMARK at a cost of $25,000 per
month, plus reimbursable costs.
■ Took James L. Hill, former
vice president for Student
Affairs, ofT the list of former
employees they considered for
emeritus ranking. Hill said his
retirement is still pending. The
board, however, did grant emeritus ranking to Gordon Lambie,
former member of the Board of
Trustees, and Jerold Misner, special assistant to the president for
charter schools.
■ Tabled a proposal that
would increase President Leonard Plachta's contracting
authority (not Kim Ellertson's as
previously reported in CM LIFE)
in pressing situations when a
board meeting is not soon scheduled. The motion, would have
capped the limit at $250,000 for
both capital projects and operating expenses. The current limits,
set in 1990, are $200,000 for oper-
The CMU Board of Trustees move through the agenda of Friday's
meeting at the Carlin Alumni House.
ating  expenditures  and  capital
projects of $100,000.
■ Elected officers of the board
beginning July 1. Roger Kesseler
was elected chairman and will
hold that position until June 30,
1997. Robert Young was elected
vice chairman; Russell Herron,
vice president for University
Relations, will resume his current position on the board as secretary; and Kim Ellertson, vice
president for Business and
Finance, will resume his duties
as treasurer to the board. Young,
Herron and Ellertson will serve
until June 30, 1996.
■ Approved the May 1995 list of
prospective graduates.
■ Granted honorary degrees to
the May commencement speakers.
■ Granted the president, with
See TRUSTEES Page 2	
A GENTLE FRIDAY
Nice weather helps to
make festival successful
By JENNIFER DOWLING
LIFE Staff Writer	
CMLTs annual Gentle Friday
celebration went smoothly this
year as it played host to large
crowds and sunny weather.
Gentle Friday is a celebration
to "promote peace, campus harmony and a time to come
together," said Heather Oberlin,
New Era senior and Program
Board member.
Oberlin said the celebration,
sponsored by Program Board,
was started in the Vietnam era,
and has been a yearly event since
then.
Emily Brockman, Waukee
freshman and office manager for
Student Campus Services,
reflected on what Gentle Friday
meant to her.
"I think it's really good. I like
the awareness. We need to do
more recycling and reduce pollution," she said.
Oberlin said Gentle Friday is
"just a time to relax and hang out
before exams because after a long
semester and a long winter, it's
nice to just chill," she said.
Corey Newman, Jackson
sophomore, said, "It's the last day
to relax and be with people you
care about before you hit the
books-
More people attended this year
because of the good weather and
the virtual reality tent, she said.
"It's been really popular so far."
Vendors, volunteers, and student organizations were on hand
to provide Gentle Friday-goers
with food, music, information
and fun activities.
"I love all the free stuff. Free
cotton candy, hot dogs, chips,
candy T-shirts, condom kits, key
chains. It's great," said Lisa Carr,
Troy freshman.
One of the day's main attractions was the virtual reality tent.
"There's six different adventures, each of which takes four
minutes. One's a boxing match
and one you shoot people, then
there are four other adventures,"
said Brad Bissonette, Troy freshman and virtual tent volunteer.
Students kept the virtual reality machines busy all day.
"It was cool," said Jaclyn
Andrews, Grand Rapid* freshman. "It was kind of weird
because if you moved your head,
it moved with you."
LIFE Photo ANDY KUEVORN
Virtual reality was a popular activity during Gentle Friday at Warriner Mall. Free food, magic and four
local bands were part of the annual celebration to help promote peace and harmony.
Demolition
of 48 Preston
apartments
scheduled
for next week
By TRACEY CONNER
LIFE Staff Writer	
Four Preston Apartment
buildings will be torn down this
summer to make room for the
new music building, which will be
built next to Moore Hall.
According to Eric Zinn, Preston
Apartments supervisor for
buildings A, B, C and D, no date
has been set for the start of the
demolition, but work will start
sometime after commencement
exercises.
"The university has hired a
separate company for the tearing
down of the buildings, so (Preston
employees) are waiting for a date.
It will be sometime right after
graduation," Zinn said.
The demolition will take down
buildings A, B, C and D, which
consist of 48 apartment units,
eight laundry rooms and 12 storage rooms, Zinn said.
Students currently housed in
the apartments have already
sought other living arrangements.
"Some are moving off campus
See PRESTON Page 16	
One referred to Student
Life office after food fight
One student is being referred to the Office of Student Life for
disciplinary action in connection with a food fight that broke out
Thursday in Woldt Dining Commons.
According to a report from CMU's Department of Public Safety,
officers responded to a complaint involving damage to university
property at 5:44 p.m. Thursday, and were able to identify those
suspected to be responsible for causing the disturbance.
The report did not list the value of property damage that resulted.
According to DPS officals, the investigation has been turned over
to the Office of Student Life at the request of CMU Housing and
Dining Services.
The name of the suspect could not be released because of confidentiality laws.
Businesses offer finals-week alternatives
By EMILY GERKIN
LIFE Staff Writer
Local businesses and CMU
have worked together to offer students safe, alternate activities to
celebrate the end of the school
year.
The goal of the program is to
get students involved in activities
other than drinking to glorify the
end of exams, said Mark Minelli,
manager of Health Advocacy Services.
"In looking at literature for
substance   abuse   prevention
programs, alternative activities
are the leading reason for not
participating in drinking activities," Minelli said.
"National surveys have
requests from students that say,
'Give us something to do.* And the
core drug and alcohol survey we
did at CMU last spring said focus
groups provide alternatives to
drinking," he said.
To answer these requests for
safer substitutes, Minelli and
members from the community
have put together a list of activities planned for Thursday.
In addition, local establishments are offering discounts and
specials to all CMU students.
Some of the alternate activities
planned include discount canoe
rentals at Buckley's Mountainside Canoe Livery, 4700 W.
Remus Road; miniature golf discounts at the Golf Center, 2280 E.
Broomfield Road; and food discounts at the University Cup Coffee Co., 1027 S. Franklin.
"We tried to make the activities
something students could make a
date out of or do in groups,"
Minelli said. "Hopefully we will
have enough choices for students
to have a nice evening."
Although alternatives to partying have been planned some
students are skeptical of their
effectiveness.
"I think they gotta do what
they think is right but I don't
think it's going to work. It could
just cause the students to react in
a negative way instead of a positive way," said Darrell Mason,
Heartland sophomore.
"I'm sure if people really
wanted to do these things they
See FINALS Page 16	
SERIES
SWEEP
cmu softball team
wins four games
against Miami
SPORTS page 1 0
CHARMING
PERFORMANCE
Johnny Depp stars in
a new movie . 4Don
j van demarco
ET CETERA page 12