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FRIDAY, SEPT. 6, 2013 | MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH. | ISSUE NO. 6 VOL. 95
WHAT'S INSIDE STUDENT LIFE
A light in the darkness
Senior Kelly Markatos remembered by friends By Ben Solis Staff Reporter
CREDIT OR DEBIT? Students worry about overspending, avoid credit cards w 3A
UNIVERSITY
UPDATE Meixner to see final pretrial meeting in two weeks w 3A
Q&A
The death of Holland senior Kelly Markatos rocked the Central Michigan University community, but among those who will miss her the most are her best friends and former roommates Alyssa and Jenna Szymanski. Markatos knew everything about the Szymanksi sisters: The sound their footsteps made as they walked into the West Campus Village apartment she shared with Jenna; the sound their fists made as they knocked on her door. After all, they had practically been like sisters for the past four years. If it was her walking in, Markatos always made sure they knew it, too. “If we were at the door, she’d always ask, ‘Who is it?’ even though she knew exactly which one of us was there,” said Jenna, a senior from Troy. “When she came in she’d always yell, ‘Kelly’s home!’ She just always wanted you to know that she was around. She never wanted to be alone.” w MARKATOS | 2A
Courtesy | Jenna Szymanski Students gather to honor the memory of Kelly Markatos, a Holland senior who died Tuesday morning, with a candle-lit vigil Wednesday night in front of the Bovee University Center.
WHAT’S ON HIS MIND A sitdown with Provost Gealt: CMU’s new provost talks enrollment, engaging with students and more w 5A
TONY vs. FOOD
BRING IT ON Metro Editor Tony Wittkowski is set to take on Mount Pleasant’s most fearsome food challenges w 2A
SPORTS
STAFF PREDICTIONS How will CMU fare against FCS powerhouse New Hampshire on Saturday? Our sports reporters make their picks w 4B
BOOKSTORE
Charlotte Bodak | Staff Photographer Sophomore running back Saylor Lavalli runs down the field during the CMU vs. Michigan game Aug. 31 at the Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor Michigan. CMU lost 59 - 9.
Home Opener: Chippewas step up to challenge Kristopher Lodes Sports Editor Football is opening Kelly/ Shorts Stadium at 3 p.m. Saturday at 3 p.m. with a team full of questions. The Chippewas lost its
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The defense that gave up 59 points at No. 17 Michigan is welcoming New Hampshire, a Football Championship Subdivision team (formally known as Division 2), who is ranked No. 8 in the nation and
runs a high-tempo spread offense that puts CMU on upset alert. It’s only week two, but the Chippewas season could already be in danger. w FOOTBALL | 1B
Public transportation a roadblock in recruiting By Ryan Fitzmaurice Staff Reporter
T-SHIRT EXCHANGE Bring any non-CMU college tshirt to the CMU bookstore to receive a free CMU shirt
starting running back Zurlon Tipton for the season with a broken ankle and starting quarterback Cody Kater for 4-6 weeks with a broken clavicle, putting sophomores Alex Niznak and Saylor Lavallii in the spot light.
While Central Michigan University attempts to extend its recruiting reach farther out-of-state, the biggest headache for the university could be getting students to campus when they do. Senior Associate Director of Admissions Kevin Williams said his staff is now expanding its midwest recruiting and targeting, and beginning to recruit from states on the other end of the country including Florida, Texas and Seattle in response to declining enrollment. When reaching out to these prospective students, Williams said transportation problems have become evident. “The biggest comment I get from parents from out-of-state students is this: We think Central Michigan is a great school and a great institution, but how am I going to get my child there without buying them a car?” Williams said. Busing companies like Greyhound and Indian Trails have limited services to Central and Northern Michigan because of the lack of traffic heading
toward those areas of the state, said Denny Adams, director of public relations and marketing for the Isabella County Transportation Commission. Students who arrive at the Metro Detroit Airport only have a few options. A Greyhound bus arrives at 12:10 p.m. where it proceeds to make stops in Southfield, Ann Arbor and Jackson before transferring passengers to another bus in Lansing. The bus arrives two hours later at 7:12 p.m. in Mount Pleasant. If students miss the bus, they wait another day until the next bus arrives or rent a car.
OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS ARRIVING IN FLINT ARE JUST AS LIMITED
University officials have started to meet with ICTC, Adams said, exploring options on how to expand public transportation in Mount Pleasant. “In the case of international students, you couldn’t ask students to fly 16 hours from the other end of the earth and have to wait another 24 hours for the next bus,” Adams said. “That’s absurd.” Students in larger cities, such as Kalamazoo and Lansing, have much greater access to transportation
Katy Kildee | Assistant Photo Editor Dexter senior Sara Goble waits for her bus to arrive and take her home after class Thursday at the bus stop near Moore Hall and Bush Theatre.
services than CMU students. Without addressing transportation issues, Williams said the university will continue to face difficulties when recruiting out-of-state and international students. “We have the opportunity and potential to be one of the most successful universities in the state,” Williams said. “But this needs to be addressed first.”
CMU has been on par with similar-sized universities when it comes to attracting out-of-state students. In 2012, CMU enrolled 1,359 out-of-state students, while Western Michigan University attracted 1,282, and Eastern Michigan University only brought in 557. Among universiw PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION | 2A