1998-04-24; Central Michigan Life

              Central Michigan LIFE
Volume 79, Number 83
Mt. Pleasant,   MI 48859
©1998 CM LIFE
78 years of serving the community
Friday
April 24, 1998
12 pages
LEI ZHENG •
CM LIFE
Hippies danced to
the music provided by local bands
at Thursday's
Earth Day celebration at CMU.
On Earth Day, Cosmic Band'rtos
Pleasant, performs songs.
LEI ZHENG • CM LIFE
performed on campus. Matt Ruffino, from Mount
CMU
community
celebrates
Earth Day
LIFE Staff Reports
In celebration of Earth Day, various environmental groups, students and alumni, assembled together near the Park Library pond to celebrate the
event.
The Student Environmental Alliance were the
organizers of the event and had a booth of their own
set up for students to look upon.
"We are the original organizers for this," said
Alison Batkiewicz, Berkley junior and member of
SEA. "We're doing this for awareness."
The theme of their booth was "Can your butts."
This promoted the disposal of cigarette butts and
tried to eliminate the myth that cigarette butts are
biodegradable.
Batkiewicz said they really wanted to make the
day a festivity.
"The activities put a lot of celebration into this,"
she said.
By 2 p.m. the lawn was full of students, some
dancing and others just enjoying the weather.
Among the environmental groups with booths displayed were members of the Student Social Work
Association, giving away free flowers.
Sara Hollern, Mount Pleasant junior and member
of SSWA said she was proud to be representing her
association.
"Part of our organization is involving community
and participating," she said. "It's a good cause and
we want to try to get others involved."
Treasurer of Students Against Driving Drunk
(SADD) and Rockford senior Becky Slot said their
organization was there to help promote Earth Day
but also advocate kindness to animals.
"We want to help out and try to promote friend li-
See CELEBRATE Page 2
CMU picks
associate VP of
Institutional
Diversity
By Julia Jones
LIFE Assistant News Editor
David Williams of Amherst Massachusetts has
been hired as the new associate vice president of
Institutional Diversity.
Williams, an educational consultant and former
administrator, will take over the position June 29.
The five finalists in the search, including Williams,
were interviewed in open forums in late March and
early April.
After the interviews a search committee of faculty
and staff evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of
each candidate and sent the results to Provost
Richard Davenport, who in consultation with the
head of the search committee and Dean of Graduate
Studies, Carol Bee re and key staff members, made
the final decision.
Davenport said he made the decision based on
strengths and weaknesses evaluated by the search
committee and reference checks.
"I just think we're extremely fortunate to get someone of Dr. Williams' caliber."
Davenport said Williams joins CMU with a significant amount of administrative experience and experience in diversity and student affairs.
"He's a veteran administrator," Davenport said.
"He understands the issues relating to diversity. I
think he will hit the ground running," he added.
Stan Shingles, who is a member of the search committee and is holding the AVP for diversity position
on an interim basis said he was pleased with the
decision to hire Williams.
"(Dr. Williams) brings excellent leadership and
experience to the position," he said.
Shingles said Williams has served in several positions at various levels from faculty to Provost.
Shingles took over as an interim in July of 1997
upon the departure of Cornell Morton. He said he
was never a candidate for the position by choice and
he plans to return to hia position as associate director of Campus Recreational Services after Williams
takes aver.
In regard to Shingles' job as interim AVP for
Diversity, Davenport said, "Stan has done an outstanding job... I think (he) has laid the ground work
for a nice, smooth transition."
Search committee member and director of Native
American Programs Martin Reinhardt said, "IVe got
the greatest confidence in Dr. Williams. I look forward to working with him in relation to Native
American issues (and other diversity) issues."
Beere said of the appointment, "I am positively
delighted. He was my first choice. I think he brings
experience and vision that will be tremendously
advantageous to CMU."
Beere said she thinks Williams' strength is the
experience that he's had.
"He understands higher education and he under-
See DIVERSE Page 10
Car burned during
hate crime on campus
By Clayton Mastaw and
Jason Sweeney
LIFE Staff Writers
One vehicle was set on fire
and two others were vandalized
early Tuesday morning in Lot 1.
Capt. Ron Williams of the
CMU Police Department said
three vehicles were damaged
after having the letters "F-A-G"
spray painted across them.
He said the interior of the
first vehicle, a 1993 Saturn, was
destroyed when it was subsequently set on fire.
Williams said the "hate
crime" occurred between 11 p.m.
Monday and 12:25 a.m.
Tuesday.
Alexis Lindsay, Holland freshman, Jamie Watson, Mount
Pleasant resident and Joshua
Lukens, Mount Pleasant sophomore, said they were walking
past the lot around 12:30 a.m.
when they smelled something
like burning rubber.
"They were making a lot of
noise," she said. "We were walking through the area," said
Lindsay. "We saw the smoke
and then the fire coming out of
the window of one of the cars."
Then, she said Lukens ran to
the emergency phone and called
the police.
With the use of fire extinguishers,    Williams    said    the
police were able to reduce the
fire to a smoldering level by the
time the fire department
arrived.
The two other vehicles
involved, a 1991 Chrysler
Le Baron and a 1989 Ford Probe
were not to his knowledge damaged by the fire, Williams said.
There is no known reason why
these particular cars were singled  out,  he  said.  "We believe
YULI WU •
CM LIFE
Around 12:30
Tuesday morning three cars
were vandalized
and one car was
set on fire.
they were picked randomly."
Jerome Brunnemer, Okemos
junior and owner of the '93
Saturn which was on fire,
declined comment.
Carin Reck, Saint Johns
freshman and owner of the
Chrysler LeBaron spray painted with a 'G', said, "I don't know
what (the vandals) deserve, but
they should have to pay in some
See BURN Page 2
Discrimination suit
filed against Valassis
By Angela Cook Reid
LIFE Staff Writer
Nine individuals, calling
themselves the Valassis Nine
are pursuing
legal action
against Valassis
Communication
Inc. — owned
by Dave
Brandon, chair
of the Board of
Trustees — for
discrimination
on the basis of
race and sex. Brandon
Brandon, president and CEO
of Valassis, could not be reached
for comment but said in a prepared statement that the suit is
unfounded.
"Our company has set numerous local and national standards
in the area of employee relations," he said. "In fact we have
twice been named one of the
'100 Best Companies to Work
For' in the entire nation," he
said.
Brandon is referring to the
December Fortune magazine
article that ranked Valassis one
of the best 100 companies to
work for in America. He said
this evidence alone proves
Valassis is not a discriminatory
corporation.
"We intend to aggressively
defend our position and our
well-earned good name against
See SUIT Page 2
Medical reason prompts Jones to leave SAC
By Kelly Burnett
LIFE Staff Writer
There will be one less familiar, friendly
face at the Student Activity Center next fall.
Tom Jones has decided to leave his position
as director of Campus Recreational Services
due to medical problems.
Jones said since the SAC opened in 1990,
he has had problems with keeping his blood
pressure under control because of stress.
"My high blood pressure was fully under
control until 1990, which I think was my
most stressful year. Since then, my blood
pressure hasn't returned to normal," he said.
Jones said it has taken him six years to
make this decision, but he finally concluded
he needed to make a lifestyle change.
"I decided five grandchildren and an
impending marriage are my priorities right
now," Jones said.
He said he regrets having to leave the SAC
and his colleagues, but it is necessary.
"I love this place, but I had to get out of it.
It is time for a change because of my health,"
Jones said.
Even though Jones is leaving the SAC, he
will still be at CMU in a professor capacity.
Jones said he is certain there are people
who will say teaching is not easy, but he
thinks he is up to the task.
"I realize teaching is difficult, but I won't
be working 60 hours a week, taking my work
home with me, and getting calls in the middle of the night."
He also said he can bring something to the
classroom that perhaps no one else on campus can.
"With 20 years of facilities planning and
design, I think I have the expertise no one
else can give. This is an opportunity for the
university to win, and me to win," Jones said.
Jones said he is not sure what classes he
will be teaching, but he does know he will be
in either the physical education and sport
department or the recreational parks and
leisure department. There is a possibility of
his time being split between the two departments.
"Both departments have courses I am qualified and eager to teach," Jones said.
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The baseball team defeated
Akron in two games
Wednesday but dropped a double-header to MSU Thursday.