brooks hall | building open after rush construction, 3A
| nature’s wrath Willie Randolph returns home after overcoming Katrina, 1B
Flashmob| Students ‘sneak’ around MAINstage, 3A
Monday, Aug. 24, 2009
Central Michigan Life
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
[cm-life.com]
More than $5,700 of items stolen from Main St., Polo Village
the ‘main’ event
Police handed out 73 MIP citations during weekend By Jake Bolitho Senior Reporter
chris bacarella/staff photographer
Monroe freshman Kara Waldecker and Egypt senior Mohamed Farag ride “The Scrambler� Sunday afternoon at MAINstage. The event also gave students a chance to check out registered student organizations and see a free concert by Eric Hutchinson.
Freshmen get a fun introduction to college By Joe Borlik | Senior Reporter
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[inside] NEWS w CMU cheerleaders get ready for the season, 3A w CMU, LaBelle lawsuit goes to court in January, 4A w Vote on the new nickname for the student section at cm-life.com, 8A w Local man going to court over animal cruelty, 8A
sports w Football team to play MSU at Kelly/Shorts in 2012, 1B
CM-LIFE.com w Check the Web site for a video from MAINstage.
weather w Sunny High 79/ Low 58
most the night with Egypt senior Mohamed Farag, a friend she met about a week ago in Barnes Hall. The duo sported colorful balloon hats and took part in many of the event’s games and rides. They ate free food, played A mainstage | 2A
libby march/staff photographer
Pop singer and songwriter Eric Hutchinson performs as the headline act at MAINstage Sunday night. Hutchinson is known to play guitar and piano, as well as sing.
Alcohol violations In addition to the thefts, the department issued several alcohol-related citations during Welcome Weekend. The MPPD, CMU Police Department and Isabella County Sheriff’s Department issued about 73 minor in possession citations Thursday through early Sunday morning. MPPD officers issued more than 50 citations alone.
A welcome weekend | 9A
State hurrying as it finalizes budget Appropriations expected by Oct. 1 By Jake May Senior Reporter
or Kara Waldecker, 2009’s MAINstage was an experience like no other. As an incoming freshman from Monroe, she has never been to anything quite like the event. “This is a good way to make friends and make fun of each other,� Waldecker said. “The free food was my favorite part.� MAINstage, held every year the day before classes begin at Rose Ponds, gave thousands of students a chance to check out student organizations, go on rides and see a free concert by recording artist Eric Hutchinson. Waldecker came with a group of friends and spent
The Mount Pleasant Police Department is investigating the thefts of numerous items Saturday at four Mount Pleasant residences. The first burglary took place around 5:30 a.m. in the 1000 block of S. Main Street. The MPPD valued the stolen items at $2,385. A larceny of three laptops valued at $1,500 took place at approximately 11:34 a.m. in the 1000 block of S. Main Street. At 1:41 p.m., an iPod, iHome and laptop valued at $900 were reported stolen from a unit in Polo Village, 900 S. Douglas St. Five minutes later, the MPPD reported two laptops valued
at $1,000 were taken from a nearby apartment in the same complex. The close proximity and time differential between the last two crimes do not necessarily confirm they were committed by the same person, said MPPD Sgt. Dan Gaffka. “I wouldn’t speculate that it is the same person at this time,� he said.
Tempers continue to flare between state senators and representatives as they hurry to finalize the state’s budget by the end of September, hoping to avoid an Oct. 1 state government shutdown. For students, the main concern is state appropriations through the education budget. Education is always a high priority when resolving Michigan’s budget, and government officials are arguing over the amount the state will appropriate to each university or college. The state awarded more than $83 million to CMU for the 2008-09 academic year. With more than a month left, Michigan’s House of Representatives and Senate agree
the education budget needs to be cut, but how much is the question they fight over. Toby Roth, Central Michigan University director of government relations, said he does not expect any movement or resolution on the issue until after Labor Day. “I think we do know what type of money we are going to get,� Roth said. “CMU is budgeting to last year’s appropriations, as it seems very possible they will be in the same range. President (Barack) Obama’s stimulus plan is holding education harmless, or at least it should be. The Senate wants to cut; the House won’t have it, but we are confident we will end up close to even.�
How much to give? On the high end, the House wants to alleviate as much economic stress as possible, suggesting $82,760,500 for all
A state | 2A
Legislation introduced to allow concealed weapons on campus By Hilary Farrell Senior Reporter
Legislation introduced Thursday in the Michigan Senate would allow concealed weapon permit holders to carry a weapon on college campuses, including Central Michigan University, if approved. “Students, faculty and visitors, who have permits and have undergone the proper training and background checks, should have the right to carry a concealed weapon for their protection while on campus,� said Sen. Randy Richardville, RMonroe, in a press release. Richardville, who sponsored the bill, said the right to carry a gun at universities is important because of recent violence on college campuses. “Unfortunately, our nation has seen an increase in horrific
shootings on college campuses in the last few years,� he said. “Those who receive the training and have been authorized to carry concealed weapons should be allowed to protect themselves against this type of violence.� Kurt Mueller, the eastern regional director at Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, said the organization wants to grant licensed adults the right to carry a gun on college campuses. He said responsible gun owners do not pose a threat and would be able to help if there was an attack on a campus. “Should an attack occur (on campus) anyway, the odds of someone being able to offer meaningful resistance improves dramatically if responsible adults are allows to carry concealed firearms,� Mueller said.
Sound off w Should Michigan pass legislation that would allow concealed weapon permit holders carry weapons on CMU’s campus? w Comment on cm-life.com A good idea? The idea to allow concealed weapon permit holders carry weapons on campus is making headway in Michigan. Michigan State University’s Board of Trustees voted June 19 to allow concealed weapons on its campus, although weapons are not allowed inside buildings. There are 40 states in the nation that have right-to-carry laws and 36 of those states require carry permits. Mueller said 19 states leave the decision to carry concealed
COMES TO CMU!
Students’ reaction New Jersey freshman Dan Suarez said he has not given much thought to bringing guns on campus at CMU because it has not really affected him. He said he feels guns on campus are not a good idea. “I don’t think there’s a need
for weapons at all,� Suarez said. Tara Grace Hanner, a Farwell junior, said guns on campus could cause issues. “I’d be against it,� she said. “It makes it easier for problems to happen.� In Michigan, guns also are not allowed in sports arenas and stadiums, hospitals, casinos, public and private day cares, bars, large entertainment facilities and religious buildings. In order to apply to carry a concealed pistol in Michigan, the applicant must be at least 21 years old, a citizen of the United States and a Michigan resident for at least six months. The person also must complete a pistol safety training course and have not been convicted of a list of crimes including reckless driving and failure to stop after an accident. metro@cm-life.com
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weapons up to schools and 30 states prohibit concealed carry on campus by statute. Donald Dawkins, public information officer for the Michigan Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau, said the federal government does not decide concealed weapons decisions. “If Michigan changes (its laws), we would just enforce them,� Dawkins said. Decisions on concealed weapons are decided by the individual states and counties who face the issue, he said.