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cm-life.com
Friday, Nov. 16, 2012
HISTORY
TEAM TWILIGHT
Holocaust survivor Martin Loewenberg recalls story of survival » PAGE 4A
Fans line up to see the sold-out premiere of Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 2 » PAGE 3A
Heeke aware of altercation involving athletes
football expected to reach ncAA benchmark
By Eric Dresden Editor-in-Chief
By Ryan Zuke Staff Reporter
Athletics department officials say they are aware of a Saturday night altercation between several CMU student-athletes. Athletics Director Dave Heeke acknowledged there was an altercation after being asked about a dispute involving multiple members of the CMU football and track and field teams during a meeting Thursday with Central Michigan Life about the athletics budget. “The athletics department is aware of an issue involving multiple student-athletes,” Heeke said. “We’ve encouraged those people who are involved in it and have concerns about it to contact Dave Heeke local law enforcement if they see fit to do that and are wishing to do that. “We’re sitting here waiting to see if we’ll get feedback from local law enforcement.” Heeke said he became aware of the incident on Sunday evening but wouldn’t comment any further about the incident or inquires about whether coaches from both programs had met about the dispute. “If it’s determined that any student athletes were directly involved, they’ll be held accountable and disciplined accordingly,” Heeke said. Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski and CMU Police Chief Bill Yeagley told CM Life Thursday that their respective departments are not investigating any CMU athletes at this time.
With one home football game remaining, Deputy Director of Athletics Derek van der Merwe says the football program will be compliant with the NCAA’s attendance provisions. Central Michigan University must average 15,000 in attendance this season in one of two ways: a headcount system or a paid attendance system. Van der Merwe said it will most likely use the paid attendance method, the most common method used by schools in the MidAmerican Conference. “You use actual tickets sold, not how many people are in the stands,” he explained. “Even if a season ticket is not utilized, they still count, or if a person purchased tickets that were not used, they can still be counted. And if sponsors purchase tickets, they can still be included.” Students are the only group counted the same in both methods. According to CMU athletics, the average attendance so far this season is 17,504. But a different number would most likely have to be submitted to the NCAA if the season ended today. When CMU athletics announces the estimated attendance after every game, that number includes student groups (band, cheerleaders, working staff and possibly players), which cannot be used when submitting its final attendance numbers. Last year, the average estimated attendance was 15,291, but CMU athletics reported to the NCAA that it was 10,466 — well below the Division I benchmark needed once every two years. But this year, most likely using the paid ticket system, van der Merwe said he has a firm understanding of how many tickets must be sold for Saturday’s game against Miami. “There is enough variance in how many tickets have already been sold, that we will be okay going into the last game,” he said. “We have enough of a sold, buffer, essentially, that we will be okay.”
sports@cm-life.com
online audit system to be implemented in January By Kyle Kaminski Staff Reporter
Students will be able to eliminate some of the stress that comes with scheduling thanks to the implementation of Central Michigan University’s new online audit system. The program began phase one testing Oct. 8 for more than 70 faculty and staff volunteers. The first stage of testing allows for the online audit of general education requirements for undergraduates, the master of science in administration degree for all students in the program and an advising workbench where faculty and staff can access student demographic and academic information. “It sounds like a good plan to me,” Professor of Geography James Pytko said. “Having been a student here myself, I know how scheduling conflicts can go. Hopefully this can help make things easier.” A AUDIT | 2A
aNdreW kUhN/StAFF PhotoGRAPhER
MAIN: Bridgeman freshman Jennifer Weingart participates in the candlelight vigil held Wednesday evening near the Fabiano Gardens. Weingart is taking part in Homelessness Awareness Week where students spent the night in cardboard shelters next to the Charles V. Park Library. TOP: Students participating in Homelessness Awareness Week. BOTTOM: Mount Pleasant senior Will Hemmert talks to friends in the cardboard shelter they erected from nearly 40 boxes Wednesday night near the Fabiano Gardens.
Boxed out
Cardboard City raises awareness for homelessness Ryan Fitzmaurice | Staff Reporter
It was about 19 degrees out. Nine students snug-tight, side-by-side vertically in a box, bundled in winter clothes, rubbing against each other; any closer together, and they would be on top of each other. They would stay like this all night.
They called the cardboard box “the Burrito,” and when asked why they designed it this way, Barryton freshman Alex Barron, while squiggling actively to get his neighbor’s elbow out of his gut, said: “We’re friends.” They were only nine out of 80 participants in the annual Cardboard City event, where students make overnight shelters with only cardboard boxes to raise awareness for homelessness. A candlelight vigil was held at 9 p.m. Wednesday in dedication to those suffering from homelessness. Prizes were also given for the most informative box, the simplest but most efficient box and the most creative box. Barron said the cause was relevant to him because his family moved into a Ronald McDonald house for two
weeks due to financial problems when he was a child. “We want to raise some awareness,” Barron said. “People are going to walk over in the morning and see nine people in a box. What’s that all about?” Nick Martin, a Commerce Township freshman, who laid three people away from Barron, said homelessness is a problem he’s never really been aware of. “My hometown; I never really saw it,” Martin said. “Small town and all that.” The event was sponsored by three local organizations who work to end homelessness: the Community Compassion Network, Aramark Food Services and the Continuum of Care. Erin Ruding, an employee of Listening Ear and a member of the Continuum of Care, helped organize the event. She
said homelessness is not often what we picture it to be. “Homelessness does not look like what it does in the movies,” Ruding said. “It’s not just someone with a grocery cart walking around; they could be staying with different friends every week, they could be staying in their car, they could be living in storage units ... that’s $40 a month. They can afford that.” Ruding said Cardboard City makes a significant difference in regards to homelessness. “The fact that you are willing to risk your health and experience what homeless individuals go through every night, that makes a big impact on the people who see it,” she said. Central Michigan University’s rotary club also took part in the event. With several cardboard boxes they taped together, they built a space where 15 of them planned to spend the night. They didn’t build a roof, because they got lazy. “We mostly just plan to stay warm by cuddling,” Port Huron sophomore Alex Zawicki said. “ We plan to take advantage of our collective warmth.”
Zawicki, who attended the event last year as well, said the event helps him empathize with the homeless. “It definitely makes you experience it out, what being homeless feels like,” Zawicki said. Canton sophomore Cody Sheeler and Dearborn sophomore Patrick Phillips won the most creative box award, with what one of the organizers called “the Centipede.” They, on the other hand, didn’t know what to call it. “We didn’t even try, we just took 50 or so boxes, cut them up and made this,” Sheeler said. “I don’t know, I guess it works.” To get in the centipede, which was a pair of large boxes, with a number of progressively smaller boxes branching off of them, Sheeler and Phillips had to open up the top, step in foot first, sit down in the box and then finally lie down. “We used up all the boxes in Menards to make this,” Phillips said. “ We checked back just a week ago, they had no more boxes left. We used them all.” studentlife@cm-life.com
ross shares personal stories, emphasizes importance of education By Samantha Smallish Staff Reporter
A relaxed University President George Ross removed his tie and poured himself a cup of tea Thursday night as he prepared to speak to students of the Honors Outreach Network. Ross spoke about his life and experiences at his first fireside chat in the Larzelere back lobby. He reminisced on old childhood memories, spoke of his education and gave words of advice to the audience of about 40 students. “You can’t look at a person and know their story,” he said. Ross was born to cotton farmers in Mississippi and
is the seventh of 12 children. Although his parents encouraged him and his siblings to get an education, Ross was the only one to follow through. “I’m the first and only one out of us 12 to graduate from college. I’m the first one to graduate from high school, for that matter,” he said. Ross credits his early teachers with keeping him on track and helping him reach his academic goals. He claims these teachers saw something in him that he didn’t see. “There’s nothing special about me,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of help along the way.” A HONORS OUTREACH | 2A
taYlor Ballek/StAFF PhotoGRAPhER
CMU honors students speak with President George Ross during the Honor’s Outreach Network’s third fireside chat Thursday Evening in the lobby of Larzelere Hall. “Remember that everyone has a struggle and everyone has a story,” Ross said.
THE CHIPPEWAS VARSITY SHOP IS
NOW OPEN! (located inside Kelly/Shorts Stadium)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17 CMU vs. MIAMI
www.cmubookstore.com
A TICKETS | 2A
Gameday Hours - Open 11:30am until one hour after game ends Main Store Hours: 9am-3pm