1994-04-20; Central Michigan Life

              ■
WEDNESDAY
H: 89 to 00
L: mid 30*
MOSTLY
SUNNY
H
Open enrollment
Military science welcomes all
Pag* 6
Waiting patiently
JV baseball players want a chance
10
THURSDAY
H: 55 to 00
L: mkS 30s
MOSTLY
SUNNY
Central
Michigan
■■i    . * -. .
<5i7) rrirsm
a^L-.- :/    . . .. .-,, a-
CMU leaders air views on Student Affairs disbanding
Kehetian 'still in state of shock' over
decision to dissolve entire division
By Marjory Raymer
LIFE Assistant News Editor
One member of CMlTs Board
of Trustees has expressed concern over President Leonard E.
Plachta's decision to dissolve the
Student Affairs division.
In a Tuesday phone interview
with Trustee Mitch Kehetian,
who was attending the national
meeting Association of Governing Boards of Universities and
Colleges in Washington, D.C.,
Kehetian said although he has
full respect for Plachta and his
presidential decision making, he
was anxious about the recent
restructuring plan.
"I was very initially upset by
the announcement; I guess I am
still,** said Kehetian, chairman of
the Student Affairs Committee.
"I'm still in a state of shock."
Plachta announced in a Sunday press release that effective
May 9 James Hill, vice president
for Student Affairs, will be
released and all eight units in his
division directed to a different
division in an effort to "conserve
and improve." Plachta also was
attending the conference in
Washington, D.C.
In an interview after returning to Mount Pleasant, Plachta
said "My goal truly is to improve
services.
"If anyone  has concerns,  it's
because they cannot yet be certain of the details.9*
Plachta said he will announce
the specifics of the plan at his
address scheduled for 2 p.m.
April 27 in the Bovee University
Center Auditorium.
Kehetian said his concerns
remain even though Plachta
assured him in a Tuesday morning meeting that the move would
not be a dismantling of Student
Affairs. All offices will stay
intact.
"When I talked to the other
trustees," Kehetian said, "they
all seemed surprised too, but
< Plachta > tells me 'Don't worry.'
Rut  I do worry about how the
Faculty Association, A-Senate
dismayed at survey's wording
LIFE Staff Reports
Concerns about a CMU image survey sparked
complaints and prompted the Academic Senate and
QMatteAMHWatm? tr* <**T\tt * itetalled analysis to
the administration of what they consider to be the
survey's flaws Friday.
The survey, created in conjunction with the
National Institute for Organisational Research in
Oakton, Va., was sent to all faculty and staff members, selected students, parents, alumni, non-
matriculated students, high school students and
guidance counselors. The analysis was sent to
President Leonard E. Plachta and Rubs Herron,
vice president for University Relations and secretary to the Board of Trustees.
Herron, who was attending the Association of
Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges
national meeting in Washington, D.C, over the
weekend, said he has not had a chance to read the
analysis. However, he said he was confident in the
NOIR and stands by the survey.
"If the Academic Senate and Faculty Association
have their act together so well that they can pick
apart a survey point by point then maybe they are
capable of doing more for the university and students,** Herron said.
ii If the Academic Senate and
Faculty AssocJatfOfr^rave therraeL
together so well that they can pick
apart a survey point by point then
maybe they are capable of doing
more for the university and students.
II
Plachta, who also was attending the same meeting, said the survey is designed to help CMU understand more about the opinions of various groups.
Plachta said he has not had a chance to review the
report but said he had very little involvement with
the survey.
David Smith, A-Senate chairman, said much of
the concern centers around how the results will be
used given the flaws in its construction.
W.F. Walker Johanson, president of NIOR, said
See SURVEY Page 13
VPs offer differing views
on fate of WISE's petition
LIFE Staff Reports
After gaining some initial
administrative support, it seems
the book might close on Women
Initiating Social Equality's petition to remove three magazines
from the campus bookstore.
Monday WISE presented to the
administration its petition to
remove Playboy, Playgirl and
Penthouse magazines from the
bookstore.
The petition was given to
James Hill, vice president for
Student   Affairs,   who   showed
LIFE
ON THE INSIDE
MORE NEWS
3
VOICES
4
ETCETERA
•
SPORTS
19
CALENDAR
14
CLASSIFIEDS
14
CMU HISTORY
14
POUCE
14
some support. But Hill does not
make the final decision.
Hill said he listened to WISE's
concerns and although the bookstore does not report to him, he
said he would speak on WISE's
behalf to President Leonard E.
Plachta and Kim Ellertson, vice
president for Business and
Finance, who oversees the bookstore. Plachta said Tuesday he
was not familiar enough with the
issue to comment.
Ellertson said though the petition has not been presented to
him, his decision probably would
allow the magazines to remain in
the bookstore.
"There are some individual
freedoms at issue here," he said.
"If you don't like that kind of
thing, you don't have to buy it;
you don't have to look at it.
There aren't too many things
in this world that aren't controversial. There are plenty of reasons why people might be
offended by (the magazines)."
He said the movement seems to
be supported by a small portion of
the campus population. If it came
to his attention that it was a
widespread concern, he would
consider it more carefully, Ellert-
Evelyn Dodt, president of
WISE, said the group will continue trying to get the magazines
removed from the bookstore,
despite Ellertson's comments.
"Misogyny, sexism, racism,
homophobia cannot be left the
way they are," said Dodt, Dearborn junior. They must be eradicated from society.
"I can't say what the next step
is but we're not just going to
forget, because we care about the
men and women on this campus,
we care about the image of this
campus and we care about the
safety on this campus."
Dodt said she could not comment further until she talked the
issue over with other WISE members at next Monday's meeting.
MI don't think (the magazines)
enhance the bookstore in any
way, and it certainly doesn't need
the money/ Hill said.
Hill said that doesn't mean the
magazines should not be sold, but
he ia not sure they help promote
the environment the university
tries to uphold. Hill suggested
the administration consider that
the magarinee are available
through other Mount Pleasant
merchants.
li The only thing I can
say to him is that he
has my highest
respect. But this better work. II
Mitch Kehe>tlan
campus community — especially
the students — will talk.
"This could seem to be a symbolic gesture that says students
don't matter, and it seems to be
especially negative considering
all the hoopla about the
student-liaison committee.
The only thing I can say to him
is that he has my highest
respect,** Kehetian said. "But this
better work."
When   questioned   about   the
See BOARD Page 2
SGA denounces action,
encourages students
to contact president
By Emily Gerkin
I IFE Staff Writer
Student Government Association Monday condemned the administration for dissolving the Student Affairs division.
In efforts to establish SGA's position, a resolution was passed, under
President-elect Eric Shumate and the new executive board, in opposition to the dissolving of Student Affairs. The final clause of the resolution stated:
"Be it further resolved that Student Government Association condemn the actions of the administration which clearly places the student
concerns, student voice and the "student as customer* philosophy last
when considering changes in our learning environment."
President Leonard E. Plachta announced this weekend that the
division will be eliminated, and that its departments would be con-
See SGA Page 16
life Photo/Jaaon W*m**ms*m*
Nearly 200 people took part in the 14th annual Take Back the Night/
Traffic stops as 200 march in
annual 'Take Back the Night'
By Todd Fettig
LIFE Staff Writer
Chants of "Women Unite! Take Back the
Night!" and "Two, four, six, eight — down with
violence, down with hate," echoed through the
streets of Mount Pleasant as 200 people marched
in the 14th annual "Take Back the Night" rally.
The stream of people stopped traffic by walking
through a red light at the corner of Main and High
streets and ignoring a Mount Pleasant police officer's effort to clear the road.
The mass continued marching, passing Warriner Hall and reaching Finch Fieldhouse at 8:45
p.m. for a post-hike reception of speakers and
music provided by local group "Mutteruhthe-
munth "00111 bad.'"
The rally began at the corner of Main and Broadway streets at 8 p.m.
Donna Graves, director of women's studies,
applauded the crowd's composition of both men
and women, calling it a "very diverse group."
Joyce Henricks, associate professor of philosophy, discussed concerns and definitions of sexual
harassment, especially in the campus community.
Henricks told the crowd of experiences in her
college career, a time when she said professors
pressured students into sexually degrading situations.
Henricks said "Honey, 111 give you an A for a
lay," pressures still exist on campuses today, especially with recent accusations of harassment at
CMU.	
She applauded Anita Hill for coming forth and
charging now Supreme Court Justice Clarence
Thomas with sexual harassment and her contribution in publicizing and defining the offense.
However, Henricks said there still is a ways to
go.
"I can't tell you how sad it is for me when students come and tell me of events that they don't
define as sexual harassment."
During an open microphone segment of the
reception, an area male high school student apologized for former behavior and called for more
events.
"Malcolm X and Martin Luther King are both
dead," said Jeremy Wood, Oasis High School
sophomore. "It's going to take a few more dead
women to stand up and make a difference."
Wood said television programs, music and society contribute to the degradation of women by
treating them as sex objects.
Evelyn Dodt, president of Women Initiating
Social Equality and Dearborn junior, spoke out
against pornography at the rally, calling it a portrayal of men's power over women.
"It is safe to say nomographers think of women
as less than human."
Other speakers included Miss Isabella County
Jill Seidelman, who spoke on sexual assault; Robert Hough, associate professor of religion, who
discussed men's roles in preventing rape and the
campus organisation called the Rape Prevention
Program for Men.
\
A