1998-11-30; Central Michigan Life

              Central Michigan LIFE
Volume 81, Number 38
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
©1998 CM LIFE
79 years of serving the comrmtnity
Monday
November 30, 1998
2 sections, 24 pages
Questions arise over party security policies
Both
sides
express
concerns
By Angie Fenton
LIFE Staff Writer and
Liz Wishaw
LIFE Editor
It started with a party and
has since escalated into several issues of how security
should be handled at minority student organization-sponsored events and the way students of color are treated on
CMLTs campus.
A Sept. 25 dance hosted by
Phi Beta Sigma, a historically
black Greek fraternity, at the
Bovee University Center
ended halfway through the
event after a fight broke out
and a door pane was broken.
This incident, along with the
other dances hosted by
minority student groups,
sparked the university to set
up a committee soon after to
address issues of security at
university events.
Patricke Ward, Phi Beta
Sigma president and Cobb
Hall multicultural adviser,
said the party, which took
place in the UC Rotunda
Room, was going fine, with
his fraternity brothers and
him all watching the party
and keeping things in order.
"We're walking around and
some guys from Saginaw and
a guy from here got into a
fight. So me and my frat
brothers, we went to break it
up and we did get hit in the
process. But we did get everything under control," said
Ward, Detroit junior.
The police were still outside
of the Rotunda Room manning
the security checkpoints when
CMU Police Officer Les Rosan
came into the room and asked
to turn on the lights, Ward
said.
"By the time the police got in
there, we had broken up everything. Everything was under
control," Ward said.
But Rosan said he felt differently.
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LIFE ILLUSTRATION BY RYAN WOOD & TONY CEPAK
Several issues about campus security policies, who minority student organizations report to and which student groups are considered
Greek have been discussed in the past two months. The issues stemmed from incidents at student organization-sponsored dances.
"In the course of escorting
some people out of the building
. . . we had a similar situation
at that dance where the stairwell was once again blocked,"
Rosan said. "I had just told
Officer (Janice) Klein that we
had to get some help over here
to get the stairwell cleared
out." .
Rosan said he had the lights
turned on, and two or three
people were identified by the
fraternity brothers as causing
the problem and were escorted
out of the building. During the
confusion of getting them
through the crowd that was on
the stairwell, someone broke
the front glass pane of the door.
"I don't know who did it. If I
did, I would have been able to
arrest them," Rosan said.
Rosan said when he got outside, he saw someone's arm
swing toward someone else as
if to hit them, but could not
identify either  person,  as  the
crowd was blocking his view.
Another officer showed up
and asked Rosan if he thought
the police needed to end the
party.
"I said, "let's go back inside.'
We went back inside and the
stairwell was still crowded,
we'd reached capacity ....
Because of the stairwell being
crowded, and we had had problems with some of the people in
there already, plus we didn't
get cooperation from the DJ . . .
I didn't think it was safe to continue the party," Rosan said.
Ward said he doesn't understand why the police think the
party was an unsafe environment.
*Tve had friends of other ethnic colors, other than blacks,
attend the parties and they've
said they had a good time. They
didn't feel scared or anything,"
Ward said.
See CONCERNS Page 14A
Tzvo unresolved issues still need further discussion
By Liz Wishaw
LIFE Editor and
Angie Fenton
LIFE Staff Writer
What groups are considered Greek
and what office they fall under has also
been a part of recent on-going campus
discussions. :%:
The Office of Studejjglj |--b*e»
under recent attack JH
cally black sororities and fraternities for
not paying the same amo fctenfcion
to their groups as they <^Ir&ajor-
ity" Greeks.
DeJuan Patrick, priw * af CMU's
Council of the National _feh Hellenic
Council, Inc. and Alpha pi Kappa fraternity member, said he Should be able
to go to Student Life for mS| questions
pertaining to his Greek organisation,
but instead is shuttled over to tne^Office
of Minority Student Services.
"Minority   Student   Services
address minority issues in general. Me
being Greek is not a minority issue. If I
wouldVe pledged Sig Ep (a social fraternity), I would be under Student Life.
"I do not see the rjple that Minority
Student Services can play in Greek life,"
said Patrick, Flint Junior. "They don't
have the resources^to take care of anything above whjtft they're supposed to
take care of. Student organizations are a
Student Life issue."
Ayayj ^ jj3£>ara, interim director of
Minorcty SltSbdent Services, said there is
evidence in the Office of
Student Services' records say-
t minority Greek organizations
should be catered to or taken care of, or
their issues addressed, by her office.
"It is something that I have heard over
and over again in the last couple of
weeks," Fubara said.
See ORGANIZATIONS Page 5A	
Plachta
talks to
By Jared Clark
LIFE Staff VNArter and
Joy Mygrartts
LIFE Assistant News Editor
At Mondays Student
Government Association meeting
University President Leonard
Plachta was on hand to field any
questions SGA had concerning current campus issues.
Plachta could not be any more
specific on possible tuition increases than he already was in his
address Nov. 18, he said, but feels
CMU should receive more money
from both state sources and
tuition.
"It's too premature to say. We are
at the bottom of the list in the
amount of state aid Michigan universities are given — 13 out of 15.
I was surprised to read over the
weekend that Grand Valley State
University is in the same boat and
spends roughly the same amount
per student we do," Plachta said.
Plachta also would not comment
on any future action to be taken
against the Academic Senate, stating that regardless of what the
Senate finds, "ultimately the
Board of Trustees has the final
say."
Addressing another question,
Plachta described his attendance
at Senate meetings as being at
about half of the meetings this
semester and said he doesn't have
the means by which to attend all
the Senate meetings.
"I don't have the luxury of the
time to attend all the meetings.
The provost is there sometimes
when I'm not and I do receive all
the same mailings that (Senate
members) do," Plachta said.
A question arose concerning how
quickly the Park Library project
will be finished as compared to the
stadium project.
*Tt all depends on where the
money for the projects is corning
from and a completion date has
been set, but it can change,"
Plachta said.
Another topic of discussion at
the meeting focused on the university mascot issue. Plachta said he
feels the mascot issue is "to complicated (of an issue for just him) to
answer."
The price of CMUs phone service and 'ways to curtail the cost of
the service to students was also
brought up at the meeting. Plachta
said he would be happy to look into
the issue.
Relating to the campus safety
issue, Plachta said he does not feel
he can adequately answer whether
there are enough lights on campus
to ensure safety.
*T don't know whether there are
enough lights or not. I guess HI
leave that for others to decide. I
can appreciate a sense of security
when walking at night," Plachta
said.
In other news, Resolution F98-
006 was brought before SGA The
resolution declares SGA's general
support of the Academic Senate.
The resolution was tabled and is
currently under discussion.
A letter sent to SGA from Paul
Preston, city manager, was mentioned thanking the students of
CMU for their conduct during
Central/Western Weekend.
See the special holiday section beginning on page IB.
Classified       12A-13A
Crossword
Et cetera
Sports
13A
10A-11A
6A-7A
Voices
4A
To reach CM LIFE
Phone (517) 774-34*3
E-Mail CMLIFEeconuTmxav.cmirh.cdu
Fax number. <S17> 774-7909
Central Michigan LIFE Online
Internet addreaa
http://wwwr.cmll fe.cmich.edu
Plachta waits for feedback
By Jared Clark
LIFE Staff Winter
The Affirmative Action Protocol draft
and the current Affirmative Action
Council's future were prevailing issues at
Monday's Student Government
Association meeting.
University President Leonard Plachta
said the Affirmative Action Council will
remain. However, Plachta said until he
receives public feedback, he cannot comment on whether he will include the council in the Affirmative Action Protocol and
he also said he cannot guarantee any student representation on the council.
"Yes, (there will be an Affirmative Action
Council). I haven't seen the feedback.
That's the whole purpose, of course. The
protocol that's in the hands of the public
right now is a draft. I'm waiting for the
feedback, suggestions and criticisms.
'We're at that stage now and until I
receive that I don't know (if I will include
the council in the protocol). Trie entire representation is still being considered at this
time," Plachta said.
Plachta said he is not only planning to
work with the current council, but said he
has presented things this way to receive
criticism from a variety of sources in order
to create a better Affirmative Action policy.
"1 deemed it a useful technique for an
opportunity to give everyone a chance to
react, and so I don't think we will leave
anybody out. We're waiting for everyone's
input," Plachta said.
An announcement as to what lies ahead
for the Affirmative Action Council most
likely will not be made until next semester,
Plachta said.
"Yes, (an announcement will be made)
after we finalize the present protocol,
sometime early next semester," Plachta
said.
Ziemba, Kirkpatricks settle
By An gala S. VandanbarQ
UFE Assistant News Editor
A $175,000 settlement for all claims ham
been put on the record for the death of former
CMU student Michael Kirkpatrick, according to Isabella County court records.
Kirkpatrick was struck and killed by a
truck driven by Ronald S. Ziemba, after
Ziemba had been drixuong at the Shaboom
Pub Club, 106 Court St., in October 1996.
Ziemba pled no contest to negligent homicide ami attempted felonious driving in May
1997. Ha was charged with driving while
impaired, causing death and serious injury.
Kurt MacDonald of Gayiord, Kirkpatrick's
passenger, was severely injured in the accident.
Ronald T. Ziemba, Ziemba s lather, was
ordered by Isabella County Chief Judge Paul
Chamberlain Oct 28 to take a pre-j udgement
creditors exam in order to decide whether to
settle the civil suit by Kirkpatrick's family.
The examination was to determine if
Ronald T. ZJernha had any assets to pay settlement costs in the case.
Kirkpatrick's surviving family accepted a
settlement for $100,000 in August from
Richard Swindlehurst, owner oi Shaboom
Pub Club. The lawsuit against Swindlehurst
was dismiiieil in early October aa a result of
the settlement.
The Kirkpatricks had sued Swindlehurst,
charging that Ranald S. Ziemba had been
served alcohol at the bar prior to the incident
which killed their son.
Trje case will probably not go forward with
its previously scheduled trial on Dec 14 if the
settlement becomes an order. If the trial does
occur, it is expected to last two to four days,
according to court records.
LIFE Staff Wnter Erin O'Neill contributed
to this article.
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