1998-12-04; Central Michigan Life

              Central Michigan LIFE
Volume 81, Number 40
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
©1998 CM LIFE
79 years of serving the community
Friday
December 4, 1998
12 pages
Trustees talk about policies toward domestic partners
By Shawrta McManus
LIFE Staff Writer
Board of Trustee members discussed
the issue of possibly creating a consistent approach in policies and procedures
toward domestic partners during the
Faculty-Trustees Liaison Committee
meeting Thursday night.
Jim Jones, professor of foreign languages, literatures and cultures, read a
letter to the board regarding CMLTs
Conflict of Interest Policy.
"You have all been quite vocal in
recent years about improving the quality of education and the quality of life at
CMU," Jones said, who is past chair of
the Academic Senate. "One continues to
wonder why that quality seems patently
to exclude any improvements in the
lives and education of lesbians and gays
here."
"I ask why CMU does not allow the
partners of gay and lesbian students,
staff and faculty access to even those
benefits which would cost the university
absolutely nothing, or, at most, very little," Jones added.
Jones also said when he last spoke
with members of the administration
about the issue, they seemed unaware of
the growing numbers of higher education schools that are offering similar
benefits to attract the best employees.
"If you really want the issue, take it to
the bargaining table," said Trustee Sid
Smith. "It's a bargaining issue."
However, Jones said he did not agree.
"Not every student or faculty member
is a bargaining unit," Jones said. "This
should not be an issue that you have to
beg people for."
The Student-Trustees Liaison
Committee discussed several issues as
well, including a report given by Detroit
junior Kelli Clay in regards to a minority student organization proposal to the
board.
The proposal was formed after a historically black Greek fraternity hosted a
dance on Sept. 25 which ended in a
fight. Following this incident, as well as
other dances hosted by minority student
groups, the university set up a committee to address issues of security at university events.
Clay, committee member and Alpha
Kappa Alpha sorority president,
expressed concern over four main
issues.
• Will organizations only be allowed to
admit a certain number of guests based
on the amount of officers for which the
CMU Police Department will pay?
• If a situation arises, such as a fight,
who has the power to make the decision
to stop the party and send the guests out
of the Bovee University Center?
• Why is there a limit on the amount
of guests per CMU student at room
draw dances?
• Why are school identifications
checked and social security numbers
taken at room draw dances, but not at
other student sponsored events?
"These are opportunities to socialize
and network for students of color," Clay
said. "I am just asking that the policy be
consistent for all student sponsored
events."
Jeff Falcusan, Battle Creek senior and
committee member, brought forward
discussion on the CMU nickname.
"I wish the university would change
SeefttUsttsfeS Page 2	
Friends lament at
loss of loved one
By Liz Wishaw
LIFE Editor
CMU student
Scott M. Garrett
will be remembered by his
Mends and family for his caring,
open interest in
others' lives and
his zany personality on and off
the volleyball
court.
Garrett, 26, of
Mount Pleasant, died Tuesday of a
self-inflicted gunshot wound in
Marysville, according to the St.
Clair County Sheriffs
Department.
Garrett's friends will remember
him as someone they could always
count on — either to talk with or
when they needed cheering up. As
a five-year member of the men's
Volleyball Club, Garrett made
friends easily and was looked at as
"the big brother" of the team.
"He was a great guy. There was
no one like Scott Garrett. He was
one in a million," said Betsy
Howard, Mount Pleasant senior
and women's Volleyball Club presi-
GARRETT
dent.
"He was a good
person to have
on your side. You
could always go
to him, he was
like everyone's
big brother," she
said. "He knew
how to make
everyone laugh,
especially in volleyball."
Garrett
coached the
men's club volleyball team this
year. Other volleyball teammates
spoke of his talent at keeping the
momentum going during the volleyball tournaments, including
times he would bring in loud music
to rattle the opponents' cages.
"He was known around the state
as one of the craziest guys," said
teammate Steve Clevenger, Alaska
sophomore. "He would do random
stuff, such as wearing pimped out
clothing and brought a loud stereo
to the volleyball tournaments. He
made volleyball that much more
fun."
See
Page 5
CMU stricken with
four large thefts
By Matt Edick
LIFE Staff Writer
CMU Police are baffled about
four large scale thefts at university maintained buildings that
have occurred in the last week.
Capt. Ron Williams of the CMU
Police said, there is no evidence
at this time to indicate that these
incidents are connected.
"It is unusual to have several
larcenies of this magnitude occur
in such a short amount of time,"
Williams said. "However, I cannot
identify any particular reason
why these would all happen in
such a sort time span."
On Sunday, $1,100 worth of
property is reported to have been
stolen from a student's residence
hall room on the terrace level of
Herrig Hall. Police believe entry
was gained when an unknown
person or persons broke a window
that led into the room.
The incident is believed to have
occurred sometime between Nov.
25 and Sunday.
Also on Sunday, $850 worth of
property was reported by two students to have been stolen from
their residence room on the terrace level of Saxe Hall.
It is suspected entry was
gained when an unknown person
or persons broke a window leading to the room.
The incident probably occurred
sometime between Nov. 25 and
Sunday.
In Pearce Hall, $7,120 worth of
electronic equipment was stolen
Monday. The equipment was
probably stolen sometime
between Nov. 25 and Monday.
About $7,000 of computer
equipment was stolen from
Computer Services in Foust Hall.
There were no signs of forced
entry, and police believe the larceny took place sometime on
Saturday or Sunday.
SPCefelrgy fe&ofe/es   at> /uhnt^
TONY CEPAK • CM LIFE
Left: Ruth Swanson, of Blanchard, meets with the owner of Home Service, Susan Corcoran,Thursday afternoon to discuss preparations for Swanson's upcoming holiday parties.
New business offers many domestic services
By Monica Paul
LIFE Staff Writer
Need to get errands done, but have no time?
Whether it be grocery shopping, Christmas
gift shopping, or planning a party, a new
Mount Pleasant business may be able to help.
Owner Susan Corcoran, who spent the last
few years in the San Francisco area as a
nanny, began Home Service, 621 S. Lansing
St., about a month ago.
Corcoran lived in Mount Pleasant for many
years before her stint as a nanny in
California.
"I decided Mount Pleasant was ready for
this," she said. "It is a new idea for the area,
useful for people who are too busy with too
demanding jobs or someone who has just gotten out of the hospital."
Corcoran said she decided to pattern her
own business after several she had seen in
California that were popular.
"I was living in Northern California, but I
had a house here (in Mount Pleasant). My
renter called to tell me they were moving. I
had to come back because I had a lot of personal things in the house. I realized I had to
come back for some period of time," Corcoran
said.
So Susan Corcoran decided to start her own
business — Home Service.
Some of the services the business offers
include grocery shopping, running errands,
assistance with party preparation, items
returned for exchange, refund or repair, product research, gift selection and purchase,
evening meal preparations (either for one day
or one week), newcomer assistance (includes
help with unpacking), in-house presence for
service calls, in-home laundry, closet organization, Christmas home decoration at a per
room fee and new mother assistance.
The Snowbird Service is offered for people
that go out of town for vacation during the
winter months. Corcoran will go into the
home and keep things in order.
"It can also include meal preparation for
when the people return," said Corcoran, who
said she would have the house nice and warm
for the customer's return.
The business also caters to seniors.
Corcoran also said people can use the business as a one time service or as long-term
See HOMg itHVtCi Page 2	
Tribe introduces three possible master plans
FROM WWW SAGCHIPCOIwOBSERVEfVNOV16/MAf>HTrV1
This artist's rendition from JJR Inc. is the third of three possible master plans for
the development of the reservation. This option is dubbed the "Tribal Services
Center" and features traffic centered on Broadway Road rather than Leeton Road.
By David Bossick
LIFE Staff Writer
The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe
unveiled three different views of its future
Wednesday, asking for input from its members.
The Community Master Planning
Committee, who is in charge of looking at
development 10 years into the future, makes
recommendations to the Tribal Council on
what it thinks should take place in developing the reservation.
The committee showed the three different
visions of the future at the Tribal Operations
Center.
Connie Diamond, of Ann Arbor-based JJR
Inc., is a consultant for the tribe.
"We want people to be aware of some of the
projects," she said. They can agree with the
projects and add some projects of their own."
Those who stopped in saw three different
sketches of a possible master plan, she said.
Also, there was a map of blocks that represented buildings, allowing those who attended to place buildings where they would like to
SeetWilg Page 2	
mw contamination
case draws agreement
By Darvtd
LVFES***yWmr
The SA^inaw Chippewa Indian
Tribe, along with the ***** of
Michigan      and      the      Saderal
ment with General Motors and tfee
cities of Saginaw end Bay City concerning the cfrflftamination of the
Saginaw River and Saginaw Bay.
A press  release man the
danta were charged with the conta
mination of the Saginaw River mx*A
Saginaw Bay with PCBs and other
hazardous materials.
The two cities and the auto maker
wifl now have to provide the funding
for dredging the contaminated river
sediment. Also, 17 tracts of land will
be set aside for fish and wildlife
restoration and enhancement, the
release said.
S*e BAQmM* Page
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