1998-03-20; Central Michigan Life

              Central Michigan LIFE
Volume 79, Number
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
©1998 CM LIFE
78 years of serving the community
Friday
March 20, 1998
14 pages
Merger, MLK Day discussed at committee meeting
By Kelly Burnett and Ebonii Broadus
LIFE Staff Writers
Two Board of Trustees sub-committees met
to discuss department mergers, the probability of canceling classes for Martin Luther King
Jr. Day and other pertinent issues Thursday
evening.
The hot topic for the faculty-trustee meeting
was the intended philosophy and religion
departments merger.
Religion chair Guy New land and philosophy
chair Robert Stecker spoke to the committee
about the disadvantages of a departmental
merger.
"It seems like it would be natural (for the
departments to merge), but they have no common programs, and there is a difference in
methods and teaching," Newiand said.
Stecker agreed, saying, "We are dealing
with two different groups with very different
ideas."
Stecker said the only benefits of the merger
would be a small monetary gain. With one
department, there would be one less chair and
one less secretary.
"We're willing to share a secretary, a Xerox
machine and other supplies if that is the reason for the merger," Stecker said.
Newiand said, "These are two highly-efficient, effective units, and they will be less efficient in the long-run due to compromises that
will have to be made."
Stecker said concentration on teaching and
research would be diverted to creating bylaws and compromises.
If the departments merge, the philosophy
department will no longer be able to get a
grant for a Center for Applied Ethics, Stecker
said.
"The merger of departments would  lower
See MEET Page 2
No action
expected
on tuition
plan
■ New plan would
charge based on actual
class costs
By Ebonii Broadus
LIFE Staff Writer
A new tuition idea may hit
CMU sometime in the future —
differential tuition — but for
right now the issue is at rest.
Differential tuition means students would be charged per credit hour based on the expenses of
each class taken.
For example, if a chemistry
class is taken, the chemicals and
additional materials will make
the course cost more per credit
hour, about $200. And an English
course which requires fewer
materials would cost about $50
MRT par credit hour.
"I think (differential tuition) is
really off the books right now and
the future plans of differential
tuition are rather put to bed right
now," said Jan Wagester, executive assistant to University
President Leonard Plachta.
When asked if she thought differential tuition should be implemented, Wagester said, "It is not
appropriate for me to talk about
that. I do not play a role in that;
the person to ask would be (Vice
President of Business and
Finance Kim) Ellertson."
Plachta could not be reached
for comment.
Provost Richard Davenport
said there are no immediate
plans to implement differential
tuition in this form. He said the
physical therapy program currently adds fees per credit hour
and he could see a similar situation being talked about for other
programs next year, but it is not
an across the board issue.
"It will be very selective,"
Davenport said.
The issue was brought up at a
recent Student Government
Association Senate meeting.
According to SGA Senate Leader
Stephen Thornhill, university
officials anticipate the implimentation of differential tuition at
CMU in the future.
Jerry Scoby, assistant vice
president for Business Affairs
said, "differential tuition is something that we have discussed off
and on, but I do not think that it
See TUITION Page
11
IFLUTUR*
Trad King, Milan senior and executive vice-president of Safe Rides, radios the base as Jeni Koviak, Indian River
senior and vice-president of public relations for Safe Rides, maps out their destination.
Reporter gives
first-hand account
on pick-up service
Angie
Fenton
UFE Staff Writer
Oi
n Saint Patrick's
Day, I had the
opportunity to
spend an hour 'with Safe
Rides, a new group on
campus which provided
free rides within the
Mount Pleasant area for anyone.
The group is hoping to implement the program next school
year so it will be available every weekend school is in session.
The following is an observation of my evening.
11 p.m. We boarded the bus. The driver, who works for
ICTC, just tried to hand one of the Safe Rides members a few
garbage bags. He said he "didn't want anyone barfing all over
the bus" with a laugh. However, Safe Rides is prepared. They
brought along their own buckets.
Safe Ride members are placing "No smoking or drinking on
bus" flyers all over the inside of the vehicle. As we leave to go
on our first run, the driver makes one exception to picking
people up.
"The boss says they've got to be able to walk onto the bus if
we're going to take them," he said.
As I fasten my seat belt, I am prepared for anything.
11:16 p.m. The first stop is at Sweeney Hall to pick up
seven   students   and   drop   them   off  at   West   Campus
Apartments. One girl proclaims she loves "Safe Rides and
See SAFE Page 11	
ALTTUMN
FLUTUR
• CM LIFE
The weather
didn't prevent
students from
enjoying St.
Patrick's Day.
People got
relief from the
rain and a
dependable
ride home.
Program provides
'safe rides'
By Angie Fenton
LIFE Staff Writer
Safe Rides, a program formed by a group of students who
wanted to help provide a safe ride home, took to the streets for
Saint Patrick's Day on Tuesday.
Safe Rides began picking up people at 11 p.m. as part of a
program sponsored by various groups on campus for Saint
Patrick's Day and gave more than 89 people rides.
Because of the cold weather and a late start, the response
was surprising, said Katy Joswick, president of Safe Rides and
Niles freshman.
"But the response was overwhelming," she said. "We didn't
expect it."
Though most of the riders for the evening called because
they were intoxicated, and a couple of passengers were
dropped off at various locations to continue the festivities,
See RIPE Page 11
1
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Crossword   ■              12
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Sports                         6-7
Voices                         4-5
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See page 6
National group aids smokers
By Angie Fenton
LIFE Staff Writer and
Angela S. Vi
LIFE Assistant News Editor
Businesses and people who are
opposed to a proposed ordinance
that would ban smoking in all public buildings within the city of
Mount Pleasant now have a
national group on their side.
Several members of the National
Smokers Alliance visited Mount
Pleasant two weeks ago to work
with the more than 30 businesses
that have expressed interest in
increasing the opposition to the
proposed ban.
According   to   Gary   Auxier,   a
spokesperson   for the  alliance,   a
See SMOKE Page 14
ERIK S SCHERB*CM LIFE
YULIWU
• CM LIFE
Board of Trustee
members Roger
Kessler, Dean of
Students Bruce
Roscoe and
board member
Jerry Campbell
(L-R) look <
documents
given at the
meeting.
Funding
goes to
Senate
By Kelly Burnett
LIFE Staff Writer
On Tuesday, the state Senate
Appropriations Committee recommended a bill to the Senate
that would increase CMU's per-
student funding by 6.6 percent.
This proposal would replace
Gov. John Engler's recommendation for a 1.5 percent across-
the-board increase for all colleges and universities which
was proposed last month.
Joe Chisholm, associate vice
president for Governmental
Relations, said the floor funding for this year is $4,153, and
the proposed floor funding for
next year is $4,300, which is a
3.6 percent increase.
This increase, on top of a proposed    3.0    percent    increase
See FUND Page 11
Affirmative
Action ban
discussed
in Lansing
By Joseph McCarthy
LIFE Staff Writer
The Michigan Senate may
soon see legislation to ban some
affirmative action practices in
Michigan.
A hearing held Wednesday on
the topic brought Carl Cohen,
professor of philosophy for the
University of Michigan in Ann
Arbor, to Lansing to speak on
the issue.
The Senate Committee on
Government Operations heard
testimony from Cohen on
Senate Concurrent Resolution
N, which would amend the
Michigan Constitution, making
it illegal to "use race, sex, color,
ethnicity, or national origin for
discriminating against, or
granting preferential treatment
to, one or more individuals in
public employment, public education or public contracting.3*
See ACTION Page 11	
The National Smokers
coasters to local
petition signatures
Pleasant smoking ban
the proposed Mount