dan in real life
football preview 10 pages to get you ready for season, 1b
Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009
staff picks How do we think LeFevour’s last season will go? 2B
You might be surprised once you really get to know him, 1B
Central Michigan Life
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
[cm-life.com]
Brooks Hall research could be in jeopardy Freezers shut off during renovation may have ruined DNA samples By Aaron McMann Staff Reporter
Code violations that forced university officials to rush to open Brooks Hall for the start of classes were not the only issues following construction.
Two freezers containing 7,000 to 8,000 samples of DNA from two student research projects were turned off. Bradley Swanson, associate professor of biology, returned from a conference in late0June to discover the freezers in Brooks Hall Room 152, the Applied Technology in Conservation Lab. “We don’t know how long they were turned off for because faculty was told not to go in,” Swanson said. The freezers were supposed to stay on the entire time, he said.
Swanson was disappointed when he found them turned off, but did not have much time to think about it because he was preparing for a forensic science camp. Steve Lawrence, associate vice president of Facilities Management, confirmed the freezers were turned off. “I’m aware of the power getting turned off to a freezer this summer; however, I don’t have knowledge of the extent of the impact on (research) project(s),” Lawrence said in an e-mail to
Central Michigan Life. A little too warm One graduate and undergraduate student’s research were affected, Swanson said. The freezers were originally set at minus-20 degrees Celsius, and were found at 26 degrees Celsius, which left open the possibility for degraded DNA. “DNA is stored at low temperatures because it can be degraded if exposed to high temperatures,” Swanson said. “The bonds that link individual
Fitness
(iPump Pilates, iMap My Ride) w
Whether it is Demetri Martin, Eve 6 or the upcoming Stephen Lynch, Central Michigan University’s Program Board has been bringing all kinds of entertainers to campus. Bringing entertainment, however, comes at a cost. With a $37,000 price tag for Stephen Lynch to replace comedian Zach Galifianakis, who was set to receive $40,000, Program Board has to be prepared to shell out bigger dollar amounts for performers. Although Program Board keeps all profits from tickets, the profits usually only make up the cost of the event, if that. “In order to bring these folks to campus, of course there is a dollar amount to it,” Coordinator of Student Activities Damon Brown said. “We don’t try to gouge students but, at the same time, Program Board has a financial responsibility as well. We try to find a ticket price that allows us to break even or as close as possible. “We aren’t trying to make a profit, but (we have to figure out) how much are we comfortable with losing.” Brown said Program Board has $290,000 to spend on entertainment, encompassing comedians, musical acts, movies and any other events they organize. The money comes from the Central Programming Fund, money put aside specifically for entertainment on campus. Brown said for each event, Program Board has to pay all costs for the entertainment
Around the house
(Home Sizer, Chef, Brain Challenge) w
Going out
(Rocket Taxi, Shazam, Eventful) w
Fun and games
(Cro-Mag Rally, Texas Hold ‘Em, Scrabble) Source: Apple.com
MCT Photo
[inside] NEWS w Thousands stolen from Campus Dining each year, 3A
By Connor Sheridan Staff Reporter
w New law requires buildings one fire drill a year, 6A
Central Michigan football fans will have a new identity when they come to Kelly/Shorts Stadium’s student section. “It’s the Maroon Platoon,” said Mike Dabbs, the assistant director of marketing, promotions and community relations for Central Michigan University athletics. The choice of student section names was put to a vote open to all students and alumni on Central Michigan Life’s Web site, among other locations. “We did one on Survey Monkey with CM Life. We (also) did a tab vote
w Pair of sophomores lead running game, 3B
CM-LIFE.com w Check for a video on ‘Thrill the World’ practice
weather w Sunny High 75/ Low 47
Cast of upcoming celebrities brought by Program Board
* Cosponsored by On the Fly Productions.
and production costs, which sometimes can cost as much as the performer. Program Board President and Muskegon junior Dave Breed said the group could probably make back what it pays for some entertainment by charging more for admission, but members do not feel good about forcing students to pay more than they have to.
Bigger acts Breed and Brown said many students ask for big acts but, with a $290,000 budget, the group cannot bring those acts to campus without raising ticket prices or drastically reducing the amount of entertainment. “It’s tough to find the right fit,” Breed said. “Students want to see the cost low.” In an interview with Central Michigan Life in July, Kyle Dysarz, the student assembly chairman for the Associated Students of Michigan State University, said their aim is much like Program Board’s because they don’t look to make money. “We (see it as) investing (the students’) money,” Dysarz said. “We look to take a hit and not make revenue.” Brown said because East Lansing is a different demographic and can have events at the Breslin Center, it is tough to compare
A entertainment | 2A
‘Maroon Platoon’ now official name of student section
w Some departments sharing resources, 6A
sports
metro@cm-life.com
w Sean Astin: $13,000 w Fabolous: $25,000* w Stephen Lynch: $37,000
By Eric Dresden Student Life Editor and Brad Canze Senior Reporter
Elizabeth Thompson said she has an application for her iPhone that most people might not know exists. “I have (a sex) offender locator,” the Flint sophomore said. She said she is not sure why she has it, but keeps it on her phone nonetheless. Users never know when certain applications might come in handy. Either way, the notion of cell phones as mere telephones that fit in a pocket is a thing of the past. A Iphone | 5A
Some of the types of applications you can throw onto your iPhone: w
$290,000 budget limits number of performances
By Connor Sheridan | Staff Reporter
App it up
company is expected to begin testing this week, a process that will span several months. U.S. Sheet Metal in Saginaw, one of the contractors working in the hall over the summer, denied knowledge of the freezers while on the job. Block Electric Co. of Weidman declined comment, while MidState Plumbing & Heating, Inc. of Mount Pleasant and Serenus Johnson Construction of Bay City could not be reached.
Program Board’s balancing act
There’s an App for that Plethora of fun, not-so-fun applications for loyal iPhone users
pieces of DNA (nucleotides) together can break. This results in a single piece of DNA fracturing into several smaller pieces of DNA, which may not be usable for our needs.” Swanson did not know how the research was affected and said tests would need to be done to find out if any damage was done. “I need to stress that we don’t know yet if any research projects were affected yet,” Swanson said. CMU and the insurance
and we did a survey at cmuchippewas.com,” Dabbs said. Other options included “Chip Crew” and “Pleasantville.” The athletic department also polled students at MAINStage and Get Acquainted Day. Voting officially ended Friday. “(Maroon Platoon) was overwhelmingly the choice. It was unanimous,” Dabbs said. “This is the first solidified effort to name the student section.” The reaction Ashley Billcheck, a Dearborn junior, said she likes the new name. “I think it sounds good. It brings out our school colors and hopefully our school spirit will be shown by
How you voted w Maroon Platoon – 51 percent w Chip Crew – 33 percent w Pleasantville – 16 percent that,” Billcheck said. Staff members also seemed happy with the results of the vote. “Maroon Platoon (is) funny. I think it’s the most catchy,” said Angie Dalton, Residence Life Coordinator for Fitness Facilities and Wellness. “Platoon symbolizes group unity. I think it gives them a theme. Something that students can identify with.” For the Athletics Department, it was the perfect occasion to offer a
name to its contingent of loyal fans. “It’s a great time for this because of the success of the football program and high attendance,” Dabbs said. Several students are already planning on joining the Platoon. “I’m excited for (the football games),” said Stephanie Snyder, a Shepherd freshman. “I want to go to the Michigan State one (Sept. 12).” The idea for naming the student section was talked about with the Student Government Association last year, but was never decided on. “I think it’s great. We finally have an identity for our student section,” Dabbs said. studentlife@cm-life.com
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