1995-04-28; Central Michigan Life

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Central! |EE
Michigan LI m  E
FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 1995
INSIDE
SPRING
EXAM
SCHEDULE
See page 2
| VOLUME 77, NUMBER 84
MOUNT PLEASANT, MICHIGAN 48859
©1995 CM LIFE
(517) 774-3493
16 PAGES
Parents' computer
generated district
divisions accepted
by school board
By JENNIFER DOWLING
LIFE Staff Writer	
More than 100 people were at the Mount Pleasant City Hall Wednesday to witness the approval of
a new geographic plan to redistrict the area's
elementary schools — but this time it was the
parents who did the talking.
The new proposal was developed by putting students* names into a computer database and dividing
them by geographical regions to get an equal division of students for each school. The database plan
scraps a previous plan by board members that
would have divided students by "socioeconomic status, " determined by which students receive discounted or free lunches.
"I don't think it is appropriate to move children
around by their income," said Carolyn Rohman,
who is running for the school board. "(The board)
learned   a   valuable   lesson   today   about   getting
parents
ON-CAMPUS
REDISTRICTING
Children living in
Washington, Preston
and Northwest
apartments will
attend Fancher
Elementary  in the fall.
Children of Kewadin
Village residents will
attend Vowles School.
involved.
"Once I
learned they
did it with
computer
data, I was
going to
accept it," she
said.
The plan,
which was
approved by
Mount Pleasant School
Board and
goes into
motion in the
fall, comes close to the hoard's original goal to have
school populations around the 300-student marker.
The breakdowns include Fancher Elementary
School, at 336 students; Ganiard Elementary
School, 313; Kinney Elementary School, 321;
Mc Guire Elementary School, 323; Pullen Elementary School, 321; Rosebush Elementary School, 329;
and Vowles Elementary School, 321.
Students living in university apartments will
also be redistricted. Children who live in Preston,
Washington and Northwest apartments will be
attending Fancher Elementary School. Kewadin
Village children will attend Vowles Elementary
School.
The new plan was created by a 23-member board
which consisted of each schools Parent Teacher
Association presidents and elementary principals;
parent representatives; Kathy Howell, assistant
superintendent for personnel; and Kathy Hoyle,
transportation supervisee
But reaction to the plan's adoption was mixed.
"Our goal was to get an approved plan and to
move   on   with   the  task   at   hand,"   Hoyle  said.
"Parents will have to be contacted and there will be
a lot of transitional activity."
Howell said student transitional activities might
involve parent social events or open houses.
Many of the parents attending the meeting said
they were left out of the process.
The "school did not communicate" well so "only
selective people" heard about the plan, said Jean
Strandburg, mother of two Vowles school children.
See SCHOOLS Page 7	
Former VP Hill 'situation is still pending'
Retirement still up in the air, Hill says
By HEATHER NEEDHAM
LIFE Staff Writer
James Hill might be retiring, but that comes as
news to him.
Hill, former vice president of Student Affairs, was
one of 17 CMU faculty and staff honored as retirees
at a reception Wednesday.
And,  the  Board  of Trustees  might  honor him
during its meeting today with an emeritus ranking,
because of his almost 25 years of service — from
August 16. 1970 to June 30, 1995.
Hill, whose position was eliminated in April 1994
when the Student Affairs division was dissolved,
said he was unaware the university listed him as a
soon-to-be retiree. He did not attend the reception
and declined further comment, saying his "situation is still pending.**
Hill
Because the administration
believed Hill might retire, said
University Counsel Eileen Jennings, it was better to include
him as a retiree than not to
include him.
She said they knew they were
taking a risk but "thought it was
better to take the risk."
The     eight     retirees     who
See RETIRE Page 6	
IT'S IN
THE BAG
Thursday afternoon Lisa Niles, Holland junior, works the popcorn
machine at Goodies to Go in Bovee University Center.
And for
dinner...
DUCK!
Nearly 100 students
have food war during
dinner in Woldt
By JENNIFER ACKERMAN
LIFE Staff Writer	
Thursday's dinner entree went airborne in the
Woldt Dining Commons.
An estimated 100 students engaged in an all out
food fight that erupted at approximately 5:45 p.m.
No damage estimate was available, but the fight
made enough of a mess that employees were still
cleaning two hours later.
According to eyewitnesses, the food fight was
short lived and the situation was under control
within a few minutes.
Tim Carter, a custodian in Woldt Dining Commons, said the dining commons staff had heard
rumors of a possible food fight and had food service
employees patrol 1 i ng the dining commons. But he
didn't expect to see those rumors come true.
"People knew," he said referring to head Dining
Services personnel, "But I was kinda surprised.**
Carter said he thought the Dining Services
employees patrolling the dining area might have
encouraged the students all the more.
"That's all they need is a little incentive," he said,
while holding a mop he was using to clean up the
mess that remained approximately two hours after
the food fight.
According to Carter, DPS officials talked to one
individual suspected to be responsible for initiating
the fight.
DPS ofTicals declined to comment following the
incident Thursday evening.
A student who wished to remain anonymous said
the fight was intended to be a "war between floors"
in Emmons Hall and not a protest of any kind.
"It just exploded," he said. "It was out of control
for about 10 to 15 seconds."
The source said immediately following the food
fight. Dining Services employees blocked the exits
so students could not leave.
He also said approximately 10 people were questioned about their involvement after everyone else
was allowed to leave. The 10 are expected to be
questioned further by the Office of Student Life.
Barricades come down,
students like it that way
By JENNIFER PAWLOWSKI
LIFE Staff Writer
The Washington Street barricades came down Thursday, and
many students say they should stay that way.
"Open it," said Alyson Walker, Portage junior. "East Campus
Drive is a mess even just to go straight across Preston Street."
The section of Washington between Ottawa Court and Anspach
Service Drive closed March 20.
A public hearing is scheduled for June 1 at the Mount Pleasant
Planning Commission meeting to discuss whether the section should
See STREET Page 2	
Weekend Mini Prix to take over downtown
Go-cart races running on city streets Friday and Saturday
By JENNIFER PAWLOWSKI
LIFF Staff Wnter	
Enthusiasm and participation in the Downtown Mini Prix
this weekend is exceeding expectations, according to the race
organizer.
Dave McGuire, Mount Pleasant downtown coordinator, said
he was hoping to have 15 to 20
cars in the race, and 22 are
entered.
"We've been absolutely
thrilled," McGuire said. "All the
difTerent teams have been really
enthusiastic."
The Downtown Mini Prix,
sponsored by the Mount Pleasant
Downtown Coordinating Committee, is scheduled for today and
Saturday.
Time trials, which will establish the starting positions for
Saturday's race, begin at 5 p.m.
today. A bigwheels race for chil
dren is scheduled for 10 a.m.
Saturday.
The go-cart races are set to
start at noon Saturday and
should run until about 5:30 p.m.
McGuire said workers were
starting at 8 p.m. Thursday and
working all night to set up the
racetrack.
Downtown streets that are
part of the racetrack should stay
open until 2 p.m. today, he said.
McGuire said the race will be
run rain or shine.
"We're just hoping for good
weather," he said. "If it's raining
hard, well wait until it lets up
and then the drivers have to use
their discretion."
The race took about four
months of planning, McGuire
said.
He said he hit one rough spot
with  some hesitation from the
See PRIX Page 2
THRILLING
CHILLER
cmu track teams
perform well
during lyle
Bennett Relays
vjLZ ~
*****
k /,
SPORTS page 8
'KISS OF
DEATH'
Caruso impressive in
move from t.v. to
silver screen
ET CETERA page 1 2