1997-03-24; Central Michigan Life

              Central Michigan LIFE
Volume 79, Number 72
Mt. Pleasant,   MI 48859
©1997 CM LIFE
77 years of serving the community
MONDAY
March 24, 1997
16 pages
LIFE Photos/Ryan Wood
(above)Peter Cottontail dances with Kolina
Lundquist, 10, from Mount Pleasant, and
Amanda Moses, 9, from Vesiaburg during
the 11th Annual Great Easter Egg Scramble
in Finch Fieldhouse Saturday afternoon.
Central plans
academic dept.
audits for April
By Dave Borough
LIFE Staff Writer
On your mark, get set, GO
CMU will begin auditing each
academic department possibly as
soon as April.
Provost Richard Davenport
said it has been a long time since
CMU has audited academic
departments and this is a good
time to review its practices.
"In the past we have had so
many demanding areas where we
are required to audit," Davenport
said. "The academic departments
have not been as high as a priority and the (audit) staff has been
pretty small."
Davenport     said     each    year
CMU, along with every university, must comply with mandatory
federal, state and Internal
Revenue Service guidelines and
as a result has not had the time
to review academic departments.
"I don't see any problems but
some little things may show up
that we can fix," Davenport said.
"It should be pretty routine."
Reviewing academic departments is not a mandatory area
that must be reviewed each year,
he said.
Mary Jane Flanagan, director
of Internal Audit, said they are
still in the process of developing
See AUDITING Page 10	
Levin will visit CMU
to discuss education
By Emily Gerkin
LiFE Staff Writer
Four age groups from 2 to 10 years old scrambled for 2,500 eggs, 200 pounds of candy, and 10,000 nickels at the Great Easter
Egg Scramble on Saturday.   (Above left) The Event offered different games for every age group including parachute games, the
hokey pokey, the chicken dance, and the bunny hop.
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, is stopping at CMU today on the first
day of his statewide tour promoting new initiatives in higher education.
His tour, which lasts two weeks, will focus on the challenges Democrat
Senators are facing to make education more accessible
to students.
Levin will speak at 3 p.m. in the Lake Huron Room
of the Bovee University Center.
During the hour long session, which is open to the
public, he will discuss issues Congress will address
upon its return from spring recess, including maintaining adequate funding levels for student financial
aid and college work study. A question and answer session will follow.
Joyce Baugh, associate professor and chair of political science, said the political science department has
been "scrambling around for four days to get this
together."
Baugh said Levin spoke in one of her classes last year as a guest
speaker, but it was easier this year to have an open forum.
Levin will discuss legislation addressing the unmet needs facing elementary and secondary education.
As a co-sponsor of the bill, "The Education for the 21st Century Act,"
Levin would like to ensure that every 8-year-old can read by the year
2000. Furthermore, the bill would make higher education more affordable for students, reduce debt burdens after college and increase technology literacy.
CMU is Levin's second stop today, he visited Mott Community College
during the morning. Ho will speak at Alma College this afternoon at 4:30
p.m. Ix'fore heading back to Lansing.
LEVIN
Detroit  student  receives
Lem Tucker scholarship
'Lem would have been deeply honored'
By Jennifer Ackerman
L IFF  Eci.tca
Bridget Perkins, of Detroit, received a phone call on March 12 she
will likely remember for the rest of her life.
That morning Perkins. 17, was notified by CMU's Admissions
Office that she had won the Lem Tucker Journalism Scholarship, a
one-year, full-tuition award to Central. The* scholarship is renewable
for up to four years as long as the recipient maintains a 2.75 (J.PA.
"It moved me to tears because I'm the first person in my family to
ever receive a four year scholarship to anywhere," Perkins said in a
phone interview Sunday.
"It feels like a burden has been lifted off of me because I'm able to
finance my education," she said.
Perkins, a senior at Osborn High School in Detroit, was on a
Close-Up trip to Washington D.C. Thursday and was unable to
accept her award at the reception at the International Center- in
Detroit. Her mother accepted it on her behalf.
"1 thank Cod and the wonderful family of Lem Tucker for sharing,
caring and giving such a wonderful gift." said Perkins mother,
Minnie Davis, at the ceremony "How do you thank someone who has
just given you the keys to opportunity. Thanks is not enough.
"I love the spirit of Lem Tucker. Spirits never die." Davis said.
In her scholarship essay, Perkins wrote about the impact she will
have on promoting minorities in journalism. She outlined her plans
to establish herself as a journalist and teach at a junior college or
public high school in the Detroit area.
"Minorities'voices need to be heard," she said.
When asked what she plans to do when she gets to CMU, Perkins
said, "I just want to do everything."
By Jennifer Ackerman
I IFE  Editor dtui
Liz Wis haw
LIFE Assistant News Fetor	
Not all of those who attended
the Lem Tucker Speaker Series
in Detroit had the opportunity to
meet Tucker before he died in
1991, but many left the ceremony
with an appreciation for his lifelong accomplishments.
Approximately 500 people
gathered for event that featured
keynote speaker Ed Bradley of
CBS's "60 Minutes" Thursday
evening in Detroit to keep the
spirit of Lem Tucker alive at
CMU.
CMU administrators,
Michigan journalists, business
owners and politicians attended
the $100-a-plate affair at the
Internationa! Center in Detroit
to commemorate Tucker, a 1960
CMU graduate and broadcast
journalist, and support, a scholarship in his name.
Mayor Dennis Archer was
unable to attend, but his wife
Trudy Archer attended the benefit and spoke a few words on his
behalf"
"Such an event as this can be
truly called historic," she said.
"Lem Tucker paved the way for
young black journalists and
those that came after him."
University President Leonard
Plachta said he was pleased at
the turnout at Thursday's event.
"Thanks to you, Lem Tucker's
legacv will live again," Plachta
said  '
Tuck it's accomplishments
were plentiful in number. Not
only was the Saginaw native one
of the first African Americans to
work as a television network
reporter, he was the first African
American student elected student body president at CMU.
Tucker was one of CMU's top
forensic students and aspired to
win two Emmy Awards for his
news coverage.
A video presentation of
Tucker's life was shown highlighting his davs with CBS News,
ABC News and NBC News.
Copies of the tape were given to
Tucker's wife, Re nay, and daughter, Linn.
Courtesy Photo/Robert Barclay
Ed Bradley, President Leonard Plachta and Linn Tucker, daughter of
Lem Tucker attended the Lem Tucker Speaker Series Thurday in
Greektown, Detroit.
Linn said after watching the
video she was able to see some of
the things that were important to
her father and be able to show
her daughter, whom Tuck it
never had a chance to meet, what-
her grandfather was like.
Renay said, "I am truly humbled by the response to tonight's
activities.
"Lem would have been deeply
honored.   .   .  thank   vou  to  all  of
See TUCKER Pat
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E,  ■■•■ !
Classified
15
Crossword
15
Et cetera
12-13
Sports
8-9
Voices
4-5
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http-V/www.cmliie.cmich.edii
Rather uneventful
Minimal discussion, questions were presented
By Emily Gerkin
I II f   Staff Writer
"Rather uneventful" were the words
University President Leonard Plachta
used Last week to describe his annual trip
to Lansing.
Plachta gave a 45-minute presentation
Wednesday to the House Appropriation
Subcommittee on Higher Education.
Besides highlighting some of CMU's
stronger programs, he also requested further state funding for the university.
Plachta said there was very minimal
discussion and questions from the panel
members following his presentation.
"It was not strongly encouraging, but
nothing that I didn't expect or am upset
about," he said.
In his presentation, Plachta told the
subcommittee the state should avoid
across the board increases like the one
Gov. John Engler has proposed in his 199H
budget. Under the governor's proposal,
CMU will  receive an  increase of 2.5  per-
by panel during Placlita's trip to Lansing
cent
Plachta said such increases only "broadens the gap between the richer and poorer-
schools."
While emphasizing some of Central's
stronger programs, such as the physical
therapy program, the new physicians
assistant program and CMU's recent
advancement in technology, Plachta also
tried to show the panel how the university
has been successful despite its low funding
from the state.
The presentation made by Plachta, and
presidents from four other Michigan universities, wrapped-up over a month of subcommittee meetings and presentations.
Panel members will submit their decision April 9 to the House Appropriations
Committee, who will submit their proposal to the entire House floor.
Once the State House has made its decision, the Senate will start their own investigations "on the road." Members from the
Senate will visit CMU on April 25
3