Transition Team | George Ross to receive final report, 3A Creole crawl About 1,000 dine and dance at 20th annual festivity, 3A
Gymnastics, wrestling win together during joint meet in McGuirk Arena, 1B
Monday, Jan. 31, 2011
Women’s basketball team wins 74-62 at home, 3B
Central Michigan Life
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
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college of medicine
Accreditation, faculty hiring unaffected by recent resignation El-Sawi’s departure a ‘personnel issue’ By Maria Amante Senior Reporter
sean proctor/staff photographer
Chesterfield freshman Anne Saigh laughs with Macomb junior Marissa Mercadante before attempting a calypso leap over Mercadante during their routine for “Stand Alone, Look Pretty” by The Wreckers during the Wednesday night practice of the Infusion Dance Team at the Vision Studio of Performing Arts, 131 E. Broadway St.
The ‘Sway’ of Infusion Dance team readies to perform, practices at new venue By Maryellen Tighe | Staff Reporter
M
embers of Infusion Dance Team have their toes tapping and their hips swaying to hip-hop beats and jazz rhythms. The registered student organization specializes in whatever type of dance most members want to practice. Right now, the group is more jazz and lyrical, said its vice president, Allie Richards, a Cass City senior. Some of the group’s new members have more of a hip-hop background, so the style might change again. “Everybody on the team is really passionate for dance,” she said, “and we try to incorporate all styles of dance into the team.”
[inside] NEWS w College of Humanities and Social and Behavorial Sciences offers new $1,000 scholarship, 5A
Sports w Men’s basketball loses third straight game, 1B w FENECH: Running into Amir Rashid, 3B
cm-life.com w Check out our video about beatboxer Jared Mahone w Visit our photo slideshow featuring images from all last week
Infusion is actively working out a routine to audition for the Honors Talent Show, which will be on March 24. The team is also looking to go to a competition this May, Richards said. They usually perform at least a few times at campus events throughout the year. This year, the team moved their practices to Vision Studio of Performing Arts, 115 S. Main St., thanks to Wixom senior Kim Ehlke. The team used to practice in the halls of Rose Arena, Ehlke said. Now the owner of Vision lets them use the studio for free. “I teach (at Vision) and I do Infusion,” she said. “I dance a lot, it’s a good thing.” The team is self-coached and the dances are a collaborative effort, Richards said. The president runs the practices, but most decisions are made as a team. The team looks for people who have a variety of dance
backgrounds, or are willing to try. They also are always looking for choreographers, Richards said. All members have a hand in deciding who joins the team the next year, she said. There are 10 people on Infusion this year — a fairly standard number. “We don’t look for quantity, just fit,” Richards said. “We all fill in different roles.” One person who just fit at this year’s tryouts was Marissa Mercadante. The Macomb junior missed tryouts when she transferred in last year, but did not hesitate to try out this time. “I had just transferred here last year so I didn’t really know anything ... This year when it came around I was really excited and I tried out,” she said. “I like that I’m able to dance still and I’m with really awesome people A dance | 2A
The accreditation process for the College of Medicine will not be affected by Dr. Nehad El-Sawi’s resignation as associate dean for Medical Education and Faculty Development. Dr. Ernest Yoder, founding dean of the college, said El-Sawi’s job responsibilities have been re-assigned until her replacement is hired. She led the faculty search team for hiring faculty, Yoder said, but the process will not slow down with her departure. “Hiring decisions lay with the dean’s team, the five of us,” Yoder said, “and interviews for new faculty are scheduled.” He said El-Sawi’s departure was not spurred by resentment or anger. “I can’t comment on her reasons for deciding to leave,” Yoder said. “It was her choice; she resigned.”
El-Sawi tendered her resignation effective Jan. 25, according to an internal email sent by Provost E. Gary Shapiro Friday morning. Steve Smith, director of public relations, said ElSawi’s departure is a personnel issue. “We are limited in what we can say in these matters,” Smith said. A national search to find El-Sawi’s replacement will begin “soon,” he said. She could not be reached for comment. Her position was originally announced by Shapiro on May 10 and had an annual salary of $200,000. El-Sawi previously served as the president of the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences’ Institute for Medical Education Innovation for two years. She was a founding associate dean for Curriculum and Faculty Enrichment for the A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona for two years and was the senior associate dean for Academic Affairs for KCU for 15 years.
A dean | 2A
Michigan ranks above national average in higher ed funding cuts By Maria Amante Senior Reporter
Michigan ranks above the national average in cuts to state funding given to public universities, according to a recent study. Funding decreased 1.9 percent from fiscal year 2009-10 to 2010-11, as found by statistics from the Center for the Study of Education Policy at Illinois State University and State Higher Education Executive Officers. Higher education funding declined .7 percent on average nationwide in the same period. Jim Palmer, professor of higher education at ISU and director for the Center for the Study of Education Policy, said the nationwide decline indicates the revenue shortfalls most states are facing. “Higher education isn’t spe-
cifically targeted ... It’s easier for state legislatures to reduce funding for higher education than other aspects of budgets because higher education is a discretionary item in state budgets,” Palmer said. Missouri’s higher education appropriations showed the steepest decline with 13.5 percent. Michigan ranked No. 24. Higher education is not mandatory and also has supplemental revenue in the form of tuition, which many state programs cannot rely on, Palmer said. As state revenues for universities continue to decline, schools become more dependent on tuition and that is why tuition costs continue to rise, he said. Kathy Wilbur, CMU’s vice president of Development and External Relations, said
A funding | 2A
Memories made at father-daughter dance Event continues tonight, Tuesday By Orrin Shawl Staff Reporter
Bob Brown has spent two decades with his five daughters going to father-daughter dances, even though one has already graduated from high school. For the Mount Pleasant resident, it is a memory to be cherished anew each time. “I’ve been coming to father-daughter events for 20 years now,” Brown said. “I enjoyed the food and dancing with my daughters. I had
a great time.” The 27th annual DaddyDaughter Date Night was held Sunday at the Mount Pleasant Comfort Inn Conference Center, 2424 S. Mission St., and will continue through today and Tuesday. Fathers and their daughters of all ages were able to enjoy snacks and refreshments such as brownies, rice crispies and punch, while dancing to music provided by 95.3 CFX and participating in events such as Valentine bingo. The event was sponsored and set up primarily by Mount Pleasant Parks and Recreation and led by Carol
If you go... w 7 to 9 p.m. w Tonight and Tuesday w Comfort Inn & Suites, 2424 S. Mission St. Moody, recreation and special events coordinator. One of the contests was a candy guess where you would guess the number of M&Ms in the jar without going over, Moody said. Another contest was for the coolest dad and coolest date, which was drawn randomly. The final contest was for A daddy | 2A
sara winkler/assistant photo editor
Breanna Onstott, 6, left, and Zeta Zeneberg, 7, sit and work on an arts and crafts activity together while taking a break from the dance floor during the 27th annual Daddy-Daughter Date Night event at the Comfort Inn Conference Center, 2424 S. Mission St. This is the third year the Onstott family has attended the dance.
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