Dec. 4, 2009

Renovations | $1.5 million for brooks hall, 3A coping with MS|

| ford field CMU faces Ohio in MAC Championship today, 1B

Husband, wife help each other, 3A

Friday, Dec. 4, 2009

Central Michigan Life

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

[cm-life.com]

Ross: Presidency a ‘signal honor‘ Timeline of events

December 2002 — Ross begins work as vice president of finance and administrative services at CMU.

July 2005 — The CMU Promise, Ross’ brainchild, is launched. It locked students’ tuition rate for incoming freshmen for five years.

April 2, 2007 — Ross visits Alcorn State University for his interview.

April 3, 2007 — Mississippi Board of Trustees appoints Ross to be Alcorn State University’s 17th president.

June 5, 2007 — Ross takes a leave of absence after he was diagnosed with acute leukemia. The disease prevented Ross from assuming the Alcorn State presidency until January 2008.

Photos by jake may/staff photographer

George Ross addresses questions from the media during a press conference after he was named the 14th president of Central Michigan University on Thursday at the Board of Trustees meeting.

Former finance VP to take over CMU post in March

Jan. 1, 2008 — Ross begins his presidency at Alcorn State.

Feb. 14, 2008 — The CMU Promise is stopped by the Board of Trustees.

Students still under the Promise retained their tuition rate for the promised amount of time.

Sept. 19, 2009 — CMU’s football team defeats Alcorn State 48-0. CMU also signs a Partnership in Education Agreement with Alcorn State.

December 3, 2009— Ross is appointed as CMU’s 14th president.

[inside] NEWS w Campus Conservatives schedule GOP gubernatorial debate, 3A w City, county seeing increase in larcenies, 8A

sports w Sports Editor Andrew Stover breaks down today’s Mid-American Conference Championship game, 3B

CM-LIFE.com w Check the Web site throughout winter break for 24-hour updates!

weather w Today: Snow Showers High 30/ Low 21

MONDAY

SEE A SLIDESHOW

By Sarah Schuch University Editor

Ross, president of Alcorn State University, formerly served at CMU as vice president of administrative and financial services from 2002 to 2007. Ross will begin his presidency on March 1, 2010.

New president comes from a rural background Ross spearheaded now-defunct CMU promise in 2005

By Brad Canze Senior Reporter

Central Michigan University President-elect George Ross cherishes the values of education.

Born in rural Mississippi as a middle child with 11 siblings, education has taken him far.

“There’s been a lot of conversation about our economic situation in this country,” Ross said. “Economic times will be difficult for this country for several years to come. I don’t necessarily want that to be our focus, as strange as that may sound. We have to remember that we are a university, and we need to focus on our students.”

His family moved to Flint when he was 13, where he attended middle and high

school.

He graduated from Flint Northern High School, and went on to undergraduate and masters studies and Michigan State University.

After receiving his master’s degree in business administration, Ross received a Ph.D in higher education administration at the University of Alabama, and went on to post-doctoral studies at Harvard.

Time at CMU After several university administrative jobs, Ross spent five years as CMU’s vice president for finance and administrative services from December 2002 to January 2008.

In that position, he led the creation of the CMU Promise, which set a fixed tuition rate for new students for up to five years. The plan ended in 2008, however, because of economic concerns. Tuition rose 69.7 percent for A ROSS background | 2A

George Ross left Central Michigan University two years ago to become a university president.

In spring 2010, he will return to Mount Pleasant in the same role.

Ross, who was vice president of Finance and Administrative Services at CMU from December 2002 to March 2007, was named the 14th CMU president Thursday at the Board of Trustees meeting. He currently serves as Alcorn State University’s president.

Ross’ contract is not yet finalized, but Director of Public Relations Steve Smith said Ross will have a salary of $350,000 with a $50,000 signing bonus.

Ross will begin his position March 1, 2010, and is planning to leave Alcorn State in early February.

“For George Ross, the kid from rural Mississippi and Flint Northern High School, this is absolutely the signal honor in my career,” Ross said. “I want you all to know that I accept it with humility.”

Log on to cm-life.com to see more images of George Ross and Thursday’s Trustees meeting.

The presidential search committee was formed in April after former university president Michael Rao announced his resignation Feb. 20 to become president of Virginia Commonwealth University.

By the first week of October, 68 candidates submitted applications to succeed Rao. That was narrowed down to eight by the next week and, by the beginning of November, the committee conducted interviews. The committee narrowed the search to its top four candidates Nov. 9.

On Nov. 16, the committee interviewed the remaining four candidates. On Nov. 20, the 13-member committee made the decision to present Ross as their top presidential choice to the rest of the Board, said Trustee Stephanie Comai, committee chairwoman.

A CMU PRESIDENT | 2A

Many surprised, happy with choice Some faculty question timing, presidential pick

By Connor Sheridan Staff Reporter

Board of Trustee Chairwoman Gail Torreano cried Thursday as she said her friend and former colleague, George Ross, was selected to become Central Michigan University’s 14th president.

Her’s was one of many excited and optimistic reactions among the trustees and attendants at Thursday’s Board

of Trustees meeting.

The position of president, temporarily filled by Kathy Wilbur since Michael Rao announced his departure Feb. 20, 2008, will become Ross’ starting March 1, 2010.

“His commitment to academic standards is remarkable,” Torreano said.

She said she was impressed

by Ross when she came onto the Board seven years ago, at which time he was vice president of Finance and Administrative Services.

Torreano said she did her best to remain impartial when considering Ross for the position during the pres-

idential search.

“I think we’re going to be able to look back in years hence and say this is one of the best presidents we’ve ever had,” said Trustee and Chairwoman of the Presidential Screening Committee Stephanie Comai during the announcement.

A mix of reactions Lynn Dominguez, assistant professor of recreation parks and leisure services, said she thought Ross was a good pick, but was surprised at the timing.

A presidental pick | 6A

IN Central Michigan Life NEWSTANDS NEXT WEEK...

FINALS WEEK! Articles on last week of classes, graduation, and stress-busters such as sudoku, word search and crossword

WEDNESDAY

BOWL GAME PREVIEW THE OFFICIAL “UNOFFICIAL” GUIDE TO THE FOOTBALL TEAM’S UPCOMING BOWL GAME

2A || Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 || Central Michigan Life

EVENTS CALENDAR Today w SIB 2010 General Committee Meeting will take place from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in Pearce Hall Room 127. w A Christmas Carol will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Broadway Theatre. w The CMU football team will take on Ohio in the MAC Championship at 8 p.m. at Ford Field in Detroit.

Saturday w Juletide will take place from 2 to 3:30 p.m. and 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Music Building’s Staples Family Concert Hall. w A Charity Ball will take place from 8 to 11 p.m. in Powers Hall Room 136.

Sunday w All I Want For Christmas Is A Trip To Jamaica will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Central Assembly of God.

Monday w Public Debate: Should the U.S. Legalize Marijuana? will take place from 9 to 10 p.m. in Moore Hall Room 105.

Wednesday w President’s Holiday Reception for Current and Retired Staff and Faculty will take place from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the President’s Office.

Corrections Central Michigan Life has a long-standing commitment to fair and accurate reporting.

It is our policy to correct factual errors. Please e-mail news@cm-life.com. Š Central Michigan Life 2009 Volume 91, Number 43

cmu president| continued from 1A

“It was so clear to us that we had such a qualified candidate,� she said. “I think he is a true leader. He builds teams.

He builds the university and everyone involved.�

Ross said he is humbled by the appointment and it is a responsibility he will take seriously. He wants to make sure he is open and transparent. “Not only (will I) hit the ground running, but hit the ground listening,� Ross said.

Transitioning back to CMU At the first of the year, Ross hopes to form a transition team.

He said he will talk to many different groups within the time of his transition. “I bring no pre-conceived notion about Central Michigan University, even though I have a history here. I think it is important that I come to this campus and listen to the constituents of this campus,� he said. “I need to hear about your dreams and aspirations for Central Michigan University. And I need to share mine.

And I’m going to get that collective feedback from across this campus.�

His main interest at CMU is that he shares a common set of values — student learning and faculty engagements for scholarship. “I saw that in my first tenure here. It intrigued me. And when the opportunity came up, I just thought that in this point of time and in the history of this university ... I saw this as a good fit,� he said.

Board of Trustees Chairwoman Gail Torreano said it was very clear that Ross was a man who had very high standards and faces decisions head on. “His commitment of high academic standards is quite clear for all the time I’ve known him,� Torreano said. “He had integrity and standards that are really hard to find today. With George, you get it, it’s right there, and you know it.�

Interim University President Kathy Wilbur will return

to her position as vice president of Government Relations and Public Affairs after Ross takes her position.

Facing the economy Dealing with the economy as a university president is nothing new for Ross.

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour recently proposed merging Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State into Jackson State University in an effort to cut budget costs. According to several reports, Ross questioned the move’s effectiveness and wants ASU to remain independent.

Being a president at a Michigan university in a struggling economy will not be an easy task, either. Ross said he is going to rely on a team effort to make the best decisions possible for CMU. State appropriations continue to dwindle, which has to be compensated by higher tuition rates, Ross said. “I don’t know what we’re going to do in the coming year about tuition. There’s going to be pressure to raise it,� Ross said. “But I am determined as best I can be that student access and affordability are high on my radar. Because if you don’t give opportunities, students won’t succeed. We’ve got to find a way to make this place more accessible.�

Ross knows CMU will have to deal with the economic trials, but he does not want that to be the main focus. He wants discussions instead to be about transforming the lives of the students and moving forward as an academic institution. “We have to make decisions and deal with the economy.

We’re not going to cut, cut, cut,� he said. “Because we cannot afford to decimate programs across the board.

Sometime, the economy will recover and we have to be in a position to take advantage of that.�

Ross looks at the recession as an opportunity to make decisions that might not be made otherwise, but they have to be academic-based, he said. university@cm-life.com

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ross background| continued from 1A

incoming freshmen during the CMU Promise years â&#x20AC;&#x201D; from $179.15 per credit hour to $304.

Ross accepted the presidency at Alcorn State University in Lorman, Miss., on April 3, 2007, but had to postpone his arrival until Jan. 1, 2008, because he was diagnosed with acute leukemia in May. He was treated at University Hospital in Ann Arbor.

Ross will stay as president at ASU until February. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s made great strides here at Alcorn State University,â&#x20AC;? said Clara Ross Stamps, associate vice president of marketing at Alcorn. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accomplished a lot in the time heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been here.â&#x20AC;?

Stamps said one of Rossâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; biggest accomplishments was establishing an underway $47 million construction project to build a new residence hall to house more than one thousand students.

A new era Tears flowed from Gerri Wrightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eyes as Ross was appointed at Thursdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Board of Trustees meeting. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just never thought that this would happen at this university,â&#x20AC;? said Wright, a retired CMU faculty member. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He presented himself as he was, as he grew up and the obstacles he had to overcome to get where he is

now. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up to the occasion and, for me, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a really joyous occasion, simply because of the meaning of having a person of color lead this institution.â&#x20AC;?

Ross understands why people may see his appointment as significant, but said he would rather focus on the power of higher education and what it did for him. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There may be a sense

of pride amongst African Americans, but there should be a sense of pride amongst everyone,â&#x20AC;? Ross said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just a rural farm kid that got an education.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not special, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m one of 12 kids. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m the only one that got an education. That is the only thing that differentiates myself from my brothers and sisters.â&#x20AC;? university@cm-life.com

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inside life Central Michigan Life

3A

Friday, Dec. 4, 2009

$1.5 million allocated for Brooks Hall repairs Nearly $8 million in renovations this semester

By Brad Canze Senior Reporter

Brooks Hall is receiving another $1.5 million for renovations.

Steve Lawrence, associate vice president of Facilities Management, said $1,420,000 of that money will go toward renovating and upgrading heating and cooling systems, control systems for heating and cooling,

and remedying “noise issues” with already-installed equipment.

“It’s a big building, and it’s an old building,” he said. “You probably don’t realize the sheer amount of equipment when you have a building like that.

There are so many rooms and so many floors.”

The remaining $80,000 will go to replacing old and damaged carpet in classrooms, Lawrence said.

Of the $1.5 million for the project, $300,000 will come from the Deferred Maintenance Fund, while $1.2 million is coming from general

university funds.

The original renovations, including installation of underground water pipes and air conditioning ducts, originally cost $5.65 million with an additional $750,000 approved in September.

The Board of Trustees unanimously agreed to allocate the money at its Thursday meeting.

“This is actually the third allocation of money,” said Trustee Brian Fannon of the renovation project.

Lawrence said there were “size issues” with some of the equipment, and the heating and cooling equipment was noisy.

Govenor candidates to debate on campus

Payback At the meeting, Fannon said the university will seek a refund from the engineers of the original renovations.

“It’s a design issue, from how the renovation was designed,” he said. “After the building was opened, the problems came up. So you need to take care of the issue, determine if somebody made a mistake, which we think they did.”

David Burdette, vice president of finance and administrative services, said the majority of the repairs will not be intrusive to classes or other

academic activity.

“This allocation of funds will allow us to get it right, and the majority of the work will be done over the holiday break,” Burdette said.

The focus is to make the repairs, Lawrence said, and afterward, the university will deal with seeking refunds for the original work.

“We’re focusing right now on making repairs to the building and getting systems to run properly,” he said. “After we finish that, we’ll work on the other issues.” university@cm-life.com

Anishinabe Santa

Anishinabe Santa will visit the Ziibiwing Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at 6650 E. Broadway Road. He will be available for photos and will get his sled duct-taped together.

Quartet performs

ashley miller/photo editor

Mount Pleasant resident Dan Digmann laughs with his wife, Jennifer, after receiving the 2009 MS Achievement Award during the Annual Meeting and Recognition Breakfast on Nov. 21 at the VisTaTech Center in Livonia. The couple, both diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, met at a National MS Society program called “Finding Your Buried Treasure.”

Finding strength to overcome

Husband and wife cope with multiple sclerosis, inspire others with disabilities

By Jake Bolitho | Senior Reporter Dan Digmann felt a little out of place when he first met his wife seven years ago.

It was at a special program for people with multiple sclerosis, a disease of the central nervous system that affects roughly 400,000 Americans.

The day-long program was originally intended for women only, but the organizers forgot to announce that.

Digmann showed up to find he was one of a few men there.

The staff referred him to a table where Jennifer, his future wife, and another young individual with MS, sat.

“He walked into a program intended for women, so I expected him to be a boyfriend or a husband of some woman,” Jennifer said. “It was love at first sight for him, and I was just smitten.”

As the conversation warmed up, the two realized they had a lot more in common than just MS, including a competitive love for fantasy football, Bruce Springsteen and sports in general.

The couple married in 2005 and now live in Mount Pleasant.

Since then, the two have been a driving force behind disability awareness in the mid-Michigan area and beyond.

Jennifer was first diagnosed with MS in 1997 and lost her ability to walk several years later. Dan was diagnosed in 2000 and has a different form of the chronic illness. He still remains physically active.

“We’re like night and day, just the opposite ends of the spectrum of the disease,” Dan said. “MS affects everybody differently.”

Running over adversity Dan spends much of his off-time training for longdistance races, despite the advice of his doctor who originally told him to take the exercise lightly.

Point well taken, but point well ignored, Dan said. If there was anything he could do to prove he was stronger than MS, it was running for miles.

“Running is like a litmus test of how I how I am doing,” Dan said. “If I’m still running well at a decent pace, then the disease hasn’t gotten to me yet.”

During lengthy jogs, he has a tendency to start dragging his left foot.

One night on South Mission Street, not too far into his run, Dan fell face-first into the pavement.

Five stitches and another fall later, he suddenly felt pessimistic about the disease’s condition. Dragging his left foot was a common issue he learned to deal with,

but he rarely fell. Could it be the illness was finally catching up to him?

Jennifer had a different theory about the problem’s cause.

“I told him, ‘It’s those stupid shoes — I’m getting you a new pair,’” she said.

Sure enough, it was the shoes. The couple bought a new pair and the tumbles came to a halt.

Feelings of uncertainty toward Dan’s future still lingered, however.

Earlier this year, Dan surprised himself during an eight-kilometer run at the Crim Festival of Races in Flint. He finished ninth out of 31 participants in his age group and 166th out of more than 750 runners.

It was a pinnacle achievement for an athlete who had developed serious fears during the months leading up to the race.

A disabilities | 9A

Stimulus funds curb additional budget cuts University unsure if money alone is creating jobs

By Joe Martinez Staff Reporter

Central Michigan University received $1,379,973 of the $787 billion in stimulus money through Oct. 30 from the federal government.

The funds are part of The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was signed into law Feb. 17 by President Barack Obama.

The university is eligible to ap-

Central Michigan University and Central Michigan Community Hospital’s Wellness Central Fitness are joining together to whip the community into shape. An annual weight loss program comprising of meal plans, exercises guidelines, group meetings and weigh-ins will start Jan. 5. Julia Keepper, CMCH Wellness Central Fitness supervisor, said the program is based on a combination of exercise, calorie restriction and lifestyle change. Visit cm-life. com to read the full story on the program.

The local Toys for Tots chapter wants to challenge all Central Michigan University students attending the MAC Championship. Toys for Tots is asking fans to donate one toy for every touchdown the Chippewas score from 8 to 11 p.m.

Friday at Ford Field in Detroit.

Toys can be donated at any local business that has a box.

The challenge is voluntary, but would be appreciated and help celebrate CMU’s participation in the game. For more information, contact Lucinda Clark at 621-7505.

By Luke Dimick Staff Reporter

A debate | 6A

Weight loss program

Toys for Tots

Couples Therapy

George, Snyder confirmed to attend; others invited

CMU’s Campus Conservatives plans to bring Michigan republican gubernatorial candidates to Central Michigan University for a debate in February.

The debate will take place at 7 p.m. Feb. 2 in a location to be determined.

State Sen. Tom George, RKalamazoo, and Ann Arbor businessman Rick Snyder confirmed their attendance. Invitations also were sent out Nov. 24 to Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, Attorney General Mike Cox and U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland.

“It’s a critical time in Michigan right now, and we need to see who the candidates running for governor are so students can get involved and say, ‘Do I like this candidate or don’t I?’” said Hart junior and Campus Conservatives President Bryant Greiner.

“The economy’s down, and we know someone is coming in new next year and we want to get students thinking who they are going to vote for in the primaries.”

George, a medical doctor, was elected Tom George in 2002 to the state Senate after serving one term in the state House.

Snyder, the former president and chief operating offi- Rick Snyder cer of the computer company Gateway, Inc., is Chair of the Board, CEO and a co-founder of Ardesta, a hightech venture capital firm in Ann Arbor.

Former Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis and Inside Michigan Politics editor and former Griffin Endowed Chair Bill Ballenger will moderate the debate.

“Bill Ballenger is a pretty big name in the state, so we thought he would be a great moderator

[Life in brief]

ply for $2,342,100 through a state appropriations bill that allows state universities to apply for a one-time grant to fill any budget shortfalls. Any money the university receives through the appropriations bill will be deducted from the appropriations the university receives from the state every year, said Barrie Wilkes, associate vice president of financial services and reporting.

Even with the stimulus money coming in, the university is still unsure if the “extra” money is being received.

“The question that I think is difficult to answer, looking at these (research) grants, ‘How many of these grants would have

been awarded anyway?’” Wilkes said. “Is all of the stimulus money additional money on top of what already would have been spent?

Essentially, it’s a net zero.”

Even though no additional funds to the university’s budget appear to be coming in, the stimulus money is saving the university from making additional budget cuts, he said.

According to recovery.gov, the ARRA funds retained or created 16 jobs at CMU with a grant of $172,531 in the Federal Work Study program.

The university is unsure if the funds alone have created new jobs.

“We get FederalWork Study ev-

ery year,” Wilkes said. “So how do we determine that there are new jobs created versus what would have been created anyway?”

The number of actual positions created or retained is difficult to account for, said David Burdette, vice president of finance and administrative services. Those jobs are calculated by the full-time equivalent formula.

Full-time equivalent is measured by how many employees are defined as full-time by their employers. A full-time employee has their FTE number counted as “1.” If an employee works less than full-time, their FTE number is counted as a fraction.

The Work Study program

counts a student employee’s FTE number based on their pay rate, which is a fraction, said Carol Haas, director of financial planning and budgets.

“It might not necessarily be new positions,” she said. “There are positions that are maybe saved because, otherwise, we wouldn’t have had that money and those dollars were allocated to specific students for them to continue to work.”

Thus far, the university has received $180,428 of the funds.

Federal law prohibits the university from receiving the funds before they spend it, Wilkes said. university@cm-life.com

David Veselenak, Managing Editor | news@cm-life.com | 989.774.4343

“The Peter Ostroushko Quartet” will perform from 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday at Moore Hall’s Bush Theatre. Ostroushko is an American folk musician who plays the violin and mandolin and performs regularly on the “A Prairie Home Companion” radio program. He has worked with various musicians, including Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, and his compositions were featured by Ken Burns for the PBS documentary “Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery.” Admission is $5 for students and $15 for the general public. People can purchase tickets from the Central Box Office. For more information, go to wcmu.org or contact John Sheffler at 800-727-9268.

Adapt to the world webinar

Students can learn how to adapt to the fast-changing world from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Tuesday in Rowe Hall Room 229.

The event is a webinar from the Center for Creative Leadership and is free for CMU staff and faculty. It is $5 for the general public. For more information, contact Nate Holmes at 7746447.

Habit workshop

A workshop teaching people to become highly effective takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 10 and 11 in Rowe Hall Room 213. Amy McGinnis and Kim Voisin will give presentations during the two-day workshop. Both are accredited in the Seven Habits for Highly Effective People Signature Program and the Seven Habits of Highly Effective College Students. The cost is $105 and includes food and a Franklin Covey Workbook.

For more information, contact Nate Holmes at 774-6447.

Commencement

Fall Commencement takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12 in Rose Arena.

Three ceremonies will be included, which will be divided by degrees and will be held at 9:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Each will include a guest speaker.

Daniel Loepp, president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, will speak at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony. Mary Kramer, vice president and publisher of Crain Communications, will speak at the 1:30 p.m. ceremony, and Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson is scheduled for 5 p.m.

If you have an interesting item for Life in Brief, let us know by e-mailing the newsroom at news@cm-life.com

voices Central Michigan Life

4A Friday, Dec. 4, 2009

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

– The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

[cm-life.com/category/voices]

Brian Manzullo, Editor

in

Chief | Will Axford, Voices Editor | Matthew Stephens, Presentation Editor | Lindsay Knake, Metro Editor | David Veselenak, Managing Editor

EDITORIAL |University president elect George Ross will have to make tough choices

T

Get to work

With state funds slashed, enrollment declining and an even bleaker picture for the next 2-3 years in terms of CMU’s budget, Ross will have to demonstrate good leadership and earn the trust of the students. It is their money that is most important — their increasing tuition better go toward benefitting them.

he Central Michigan University Board of Trustees surprised the rest of CMU when it named George Ross the 14th university president Thursday.

After all, despite setting a goal of naming the successor to interim Kathy Wilbur for Jan. 1, nowhere on the Trustees’ agenda did it say they would name a new president Thursday.

Ross is a former vice president of finance and administrative services at CMU and, right now, is the university president at Alcorn State University.

He has a lot to work out at CMU as he takes the position of university president.

Here is some advice from the editorial board on how he can leave a lasting legacy on the university:

Leadership The first thing Ross will have to do is distinguish himself as a leader.

He cannot be a carbon copy of former university president Michael Rao, whom Ross worked for before leaving for Alcorn State.

Rao put into motion a $24-million medical school at CMU, along with several other multi-million-dollar projects and left before even a groundbreaking.

Money Ross has to keep a sharp eye on both the university budget and CMU’s image.

Money at Central is tight, and is expected to be tighter in the next few years. He will have to cut excess spending from the budget, using valuable tuition dollars on what CMU needs to survive.

The new university president was involved in 2005 with starting the CMU Promise, which set a fixed tuition rate for up to five years for new students.

However, with only the ability to raise tuition for incoming freshmen and cuts in state appropriations to deal with, the university

had to raise tuition higher than normal. Now CMU is among the top third most expensive of Michigan’s 15 public universities after being one of the cheapest several years ago.

Ross would be wise to keep the university from breaking similar promises — and letting CMU suffer the consequences.

Students Finally, Ross should take time to meet with students, just like interim president Kathy Wilbur did this semester.

Wilbur met with students in classrooms and residence halls, allowing for more one-on-one dialogue between students and the administration. Ross should do the same, making sure that students know who he is. The more in sync he is with students, the more he’ll know what students want.

CMU is not in the best of shape as of late. A new change in leadership could turn things around, or make them worse. We’ll have to wait and see if Ross will be the leader that CMU needs.

ROSS KITTREDGE [CARTOON]

Sherrie Keaton Senior reporter

A year of highs and low This year has been nothing short of amazing.

The first African American president was inaugurated into the Oval Office in January, making an astonishing history with promises of “hope” and “change.” Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir was issued an arrest warrant for war crimes against humanity in March for the genocide in Darfur.

Our economy has seen troubled times, too. There has been an influx of evictions, repossessions, U.S. unemployment rate increases and the U.S. bankruptcy and bailout of GM and Chrysler.

Yet, even though many of us are not unscathed by the disparaging news of our economy, housing and broken promises in Michigan colleges, we should remember our past is what we made of it. Our future is what soon will be.

2009 was not only a tough year for many individuals, but a lesson in what it means to be resilient, unwavering, compassionate and inevitably human.

Personally, I plan on bettering myself academically, personally and professionally. And it’s not just about receiving better grades, but changing my life and those around me in society. It can be anything that makes a positive change.

2009 is a year that has taught America to appreciate the important things such as health, with the H1NI virus frightening many. We also remembered to appreciate life when the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, died in June.

This year has taught us to be thankful as well. No matter how dismal it may have been, many of us still are able to obtain our education, with enough resources to finance it.

For me, I am very appreciative of you, the reader, for allowing me to be your columnist.

There will be new promises and new reasons to believe 2010 will be better, because it will be accompanied by a better you.

[our readers’ voice]

Responses from CM-Life.com on Supreme Court Justices column timbankful says:

Under rule 10, a petition for certiorari is only granted by the Supreme Court for the following reasons: 1.) To resolve a conflict in the interpretation of a federal law or a provision of the federal constitution.

2.) To correct an egregious departure from accepted and usual course of judicial proceedings.

3.)To resolve an important question of federal law, or to expressly review a decision of a lower court.

Gillman’s Thesis statement: “Jason: There are exactly nine people in this world who can tell you what the Constitution means.

I am not one of them, and neither are you.”

That is so utterly ignorant that I doubt it’s factual.

It seems odd that Gillman would focus on the Kelo decision when the most obvious over-reaching of the court was Roe vs Wade, which denies unborn United States

citizens their constitutionally protected right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

I also believe they are also being denied their right to due process.

After all, shouldn’t each unborn United State’s citizen be granted a court hearing prior to his or her execution?

John says:

The problem with the Supreme Court, when dealing with the Constitution, is when judges feel that it is a living document that can be interpreted differently over time.

The Constitution should be obeyed and understood by those not only on the bench, but in the rest of government. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Ben Lazarus

Legally, only nine people have the final say on interpretation of the Constitution. In reality, the Court is powerless if those people

in power charged with upholding its verdict choose to engage in civil disobedience.

I think what Jason is referring to is that the Supreme Court often makes mistakes. Consider Dred Scott or Plessy v. Ferguson.

Anyone abiding by those precedents until the time they were overturned would at the very least lack good judgement, and that is key because a ruling is only as valid insomuch as it is enforced.

So it is then up to individuals to determine the extent to which a Supreme Court decision interprets the Constitution, if any at all.

As the saying goes, the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.

The point I’m trying to make is that is it ultimately the authority of the individual to determine what is ethical, and subsequently “constitutional”. It is wrong for anyone to diffuse responsibility unto another person or entity, including the Supreme Court.

C M Y o u | What are your plans for winter break?

Central Michigan Life Editorial Brian Manzullo, Editor in Chief David Veselenak, Managing Editor Matthew Stephens, Presentation Editor Eric Dresden, Student Life Editor Lindsay Knake, Metro Editor Sarah Schuch, University Editor Andrew Stover, Sports Editor Tim Ottusch, Assistant Sports Editor Ashley Miller, Photo Editor Will Axford, Voices Editor Caitlin Wixted, Lead Designer Advertising Lindsey Reed, Katie Sidell Advertising Managers Carly Schafer, Shawn Wright Multi-Media Marketing Coordinators Professional staff Rox Ann Petoskey, Production Leader Kathy Simon, Assistant Director of Student Media Neil C. Hopp, Adviser to Central Michigan Life

Michael L. Hoffman Columnist

Some silly resolutions Not all New Year’s goals should be serious The new year is fast approaching.

The closer it comes, the more we hear about the ever-persistent New Year’s resolution.

It is an opportunity to start anew and make any changes in ourselves we so desire. This is true, and resolutions are good ideas that can really help people better themselves and those around them.

Yet I notice a consistent problem with New Year’s Resolutions – people set goals that are too unattainable.

I say we change things up a bit, keep people on their toes by not only setting attainable goals, but also have some fun and set goals that are completely absurd.

There are several goals I am setting come Jan. 1, 2010. My first goal is to make it to 2011.

I assume most of you have the same goal. I am just putting it in writing.

Also, more typically, I would like to get back into some sort of shape, preferably a shape which allows me to run a few miles without dying or passing out.

I also tend to be a pretty scattered person and try to do about one million things at a time. I think 2010 will be the year I start focusing on only a few things on a time. I’d say no more than three is a goal I can master.

And speaking of being scattered, I am going to attempt to be more organized this upcoming year. Put things in their proper place, fold my clothes, etc.

That is four goals so far for 2010, but I’m not finished. My other goals are a tad less practical than the previous ones.

These are just for fun.

Come January, it will be my goal to give five strangers high fives in one day. I’ll just walk up to someone and say, “High five?”

Sure, people might think I’m a little (or very) strange but, if they get a kick out of it, then I’m satisfied.

I have worked in food service since I was 16 and, I’ll be honest, it can get a little mundane.

So I am going to try to come up with as many ways to say, “Have a great day” to my customers as I can.

Not only will this supply me with endless entertainment, but I know that if some long-haired barista told me, “I hope your day goes swimmingly, sir!” I’d be excited about it.

My last goal, however, is more in line with my original goals. It’s practical. I am going to do my best to keep a pleasant demeanor most of the time, because positive (and negative) moods rub off on other people.

Ever sit next to that person who is so irritated to be in class?

That always frustrates me. And I, as most people, like to be in a good mood, so I’m going to try and do my part.

Remember, don’t get too serious or illogical with your New Year’s resolutions. Keep them attainable and have some fun with them.

[letters to the editor]

“I’m actually planning a big going-away party for a friend who is going to Iraq.”

Mikaela Baker,

Ypsilanti freshman

“I’m going home and making lots of food, like holiday cookies.”

Jarrod Fletcher,

Muir sophomore

“I’m going to Chicago for a couple days before Christmas and to a Red Wings game the day after.”

Nicole Mackowiak,

libby march/staff photographer

Central Michigan Life is the independent voice of Central Michigan University and is edited and published by students of Central Michigan University every Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the fall and spring semesters, and every Wednesday during the summer.

The online edition (www.cm-life.com) contains all of the material published in print.

Central Michigan Life is is under the jurisdiction of the independent Student Media Board of Directors. Articles and opinions do not necessarily reflect the position or opinions

of CMU or its employees.

Central Michigan Life is a member of the Michigan Press Association, the Michigan Collegiate Press Association, the Associated Collegiate Press and the College Newspaper Business & Advertising Managers Association.

Central Michigan Life’s operations are totally funded from revenues through advertising sales. Editions are distributed free throughout the community and individuals are entitled

“I have to stay and work for Soaring Eagle.

The money is good, though.”

Aaron Korson,

Mount Pleasant junior

Shelby Township sophomore to one copy. Each copy has an implied value of 75 cents.

Non-university subscriptions are $1 per mailed edition. Copies of photographs published in Central Michigan Life or its online edition (www.cm-life.com) are available for purchase at http://reprints.cm-life.com Central Michigan Life’s editorial and business offices are located at 436 Moore Hall, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, telephone 774-3493.

E-mail | voices@cm-life.com Mail | 436 Moore Hall Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 Fax | 989.774.7805 Central Michigan Life welcomes letters to the editor and commentary submissions. Only correspondence that includes a signature (e-mail excluded), address and phone number will be considered. Do not include attached documents via email. Letters should be no longer than 300 words and commentary should not exceed 500 words. All submissions are subject to editing and may be published in print or on www.cm-life.com in the order they are received.

www.cm-life.com

Central Michigan Life || Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 || 5A

[News]

CMCH to partner ranks higher than national average with medical school CMU University sees 88 $75-million biotech building still seeks state funding

By Hilary Farrell Senior Reporter

Central Michigan Community Hospital will work with students at Central Michigan University’s School of Medicine.

“Central Michigan Community Hospital is a tremendous partner for our developing medical school,” said interim Medical School Dean Cam Enarson. “We’re pleased the medical students (can) use CMCH as a component of education.”

CMCH, 1221 South Drive, declared its partnership with CMU’s medical school at Thursday’s Board of Trustees meeting, and is the first hospital to sign a partnership with CMU’s school. The school is in talks with other hospitals as well, Enarson said.

The partnership, signed Dec. 1, extends through 2016.

CMCH President and CEO Bill Lawrence said he is “absolutely sure” partnering with CMU’s medical school is beneficial.

“This is a spectacular opportunity,” Lawrence said. “It brings so much to our hospital.”

Students will likely work with CMCH during their first two years of school, Enarson said. Having students involved in the hospital will help all employees, Lawrence said.

“It kicks everyone’s game up,” he said.

Students also will bring the newest concepts and ideas to the hospital, Lawrence said, keeping CMCH current in comparison with other hospitals.

The medical school’s groundbreaking ceremony and the official establishment of a private fundraising campaign is planned for Feb. 17 and 18, said Interim Univer-

s t u d e n t-at h l e t e g r a d u at i o n

sity President Kathy Wilbur.

Phone interviews for the four open associate dean positions will occur in mid-December to January, Enarson said, and the finalists will attend campus for an interview next semester.

The Board also said it is pursuing appointments for four associate deans.

Biotechnology building The Board of Trustees approved a project request for a new biotechnology building.

The proposed 126,000square-foot building will cost $75 million, with an estimated annual operating cost of $1 million.

The Board said it did not know the likeliness of it being funded by the state. The question, Wilbur said, is if this is the appropriate time for the state to fund such a project.

“Funding is available at the state level,” she said.

If approved by the state, the building would be built east of the Education and Human Services Building.

CMU sent a request in last year for the building to the state, but the request was denied.

The university expects to make a required match for funds through private donations and university capital funds.

CMU has added 248 new donors this year and is up $270,000 in donations from last year, said Ted Tolcher, interim vice president of Development and Alumni Relations.

“This is phenomenal in this economic time,” he said.

The proposed building has been brought up in trustee meetings for the second year.

The design phase will begin immediately, according to Board of Trustee documents, and construction would be expected to begin in a year if approved. The estimated completion of the building would be 18 months after construction begins. university@cm-life.com

percent rate overall from 1993-2003

By Aaron McMann Staff Reporter

When it comes to graduating athletes, Central Michigan University is doing better than the national average.

CMU graduated 88 percent of scholarship athletes who attended the school between 1993-94 and 2002-03, higher than the 79 percent national average, according to the graduation success rate report released Nov. 18 by the NCAA. “I’m very pleased with the overall performance of our student athletes,” said Athletic Director Dave Heeke. “While it precedes me, it doesn’t surprise me because it’s always been an emphasis point for us.”

In addition, 62 percent of athletes graduated during the 2002-03 academic year, more than CMU’s overall 57 percent graduation success rate.

The numbers According to the latest data compiled for the 1999-2002 cohorts, 11 of the 12 NCAA athletic programs at CMU had a higher GSR than the federal average.

The field hockey team had the highest success rate of all athletic programs, graduating 100 percent of its scholarship athletes and matching its success from the 1998-2001 numbers.

The wrestling team graduated its athletes with a success rate of 95 percent, nine points higher than the 19982001 cohorts and a 21-point jump in its number from the 1995-98 cohorts. Women’s soccer, which has won several academic awards in the past few years for high team grade point averages, graduated 94 percent of its athletes, a stark contrast from the 55 percent national average.

Heeke said while gradu-

ation success and team grade point averages are good indicators of one or another, they do not always correlate.

“It goes back to overall success,” said Jason Holtman, associate athletic director of student-athlete development and sports administration.

“Good GPA does not equal graduation and graduation doesn’t mean that you have a good GPA.” The men’s basketball team graduated 86 percent of its players between 1999 and 2002, 59 percent higher than the federal GSR. However, Heeke said there is some concern with the team’s future rate after transfers following last season and the dismissal of Jacolby Hardiman from the team over the summer.

From 1999 to 2002, the football team graduated 71 percent of its scholarship athletes, compared to the 66 percent national average.

Holtman attributes the above-average numbers to the CMU’s quality of recruiting.

“It’s the type of students that our coaches are bringing in to our institution,” he said. “The level of academics of our students coming in is very strong.”

Men’s cross country and track and field graduated 67

percent of its scholarship athletes, on par with the national figure, while the women’s basketball team fell below the 88 percent average at 84 percent.

“In relation to general student body, we always hope we’re graduating at a higher level because we expect a higher level of our student athletes,” Heeke said. “We expect a higher level of performance.” sports@cm-life.com

CMU’s Graduation Rates

w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w

Overall: 88 percent, 1993-2003 Field Hockey: 100 percent Wrestling 95 percent Soccer: 94 percent Women’s Cross Country: 94 percent Women’s Track and Field: 94 percent Softball: 87 percent Men’s Basketball: 86 percent Women’s Basketball: 84 percent Volleyball: 80 percent Gymnastics: 78 percent Baseball: 71 percent Football: 71 percent Men’s Track and Field: 67 percent Men’s Cross Country: 67 percent

6A || Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 || Central Michigan Life

presidential pick| continued from 1A

“I was a little shocked that the announcement was made without any public forums or interviews on campus that I knew of,” Dominguez said.

Trustees performed the search process in private, they said, to protect the candidates’ current jobs, since many are currently presidents at other universities.

Dominguez said she hopes Ross will focus on undergraduate studies.

Tim Boudreau, interim journalism chairman, said the decision came as a surprise to him.

“I have some misgivings about bringing someone back who left

Debate | continued from 3A

to ask the questions,” Greiner said. “With Saul Anuzis being the former Michigan Republican Party Chairman, he’s got the experience, and we thought it would be a good gesture to have him be a part of this.”

Anuzis served as chairman of

the university just a couple years ago,” Boudreau said.

Ross served as vice president of Finance and Administrative Services from 2002 to 2007, when he left to become president at Alcorn State University in Mississippi. David Burdette replaced Ross following the departure.

Student Government Association President and Mount Pleasant senior Jason Nichol was a member of the Presidential Screening Committee.

Ross seemed to be committed to students and student interest, Nichol said.

“I couldn’t be happier about the selection,” he said.

the state party from 2005 until 2009 and was among the candidates for chairman of the republican National Committee earlier this year.

Ballenger is a former legislator, state racing commissioner and deputy assistant secretary in the administration of President Gerald Ford. He has been editor of Inside Michigan Politics since founding the publication in 1987.

[News] Sam Kottamasu, vice chairman of the Board of Trustees, was pleased with the result of the presidential search.

Ross’ experience in finance and fundraising, including being the primary architect of the CMU Promise tuition plan, were strong considerations along with his general excellence in leadership, Kottamasu said.

“You see the tremendous enthusiasm in the room,” Kottamasu said after the meeting adjourned.

Wife ready for move Ross and his wife, Elizabeth, were visibly pleased with the announcement and were already making plans.

“I”m excited for my husband and his career,” Elizabeth Ross

“Without even having all the candidates to respond yet and to already have the two big-name moderators decide to put their faith in us is great,” Bryant said.

“We are extremely happy.”

Setting it up Campus Conservatives is exploring options for a venue for the debate.

“As of right now, things are still up in the air,” Greiner said.

said. “I’m looking forward to supporting him and being in the community.”

She said she was not looking forward to the winters, but she doubts anyone in Michigan does. Instead she is looking forward to volunteering in the Mount Pleasant community.

George Ross said he is excited about the opportunity to lead CMU and to return to Michigan, where he attended high school and graduated from Michigan State University.

“I’m just excited about being back,” he said.

-Staff Reporter Maryellen Tighe contributed to this report university@cm-life.com

“We are currently working to get Plachta (Auditorium).”

Greiner said he is hoping for a lot of interest.

“We look forward to hopefully being on TV to show the campus off in a good way. To show that we have a great place to have debates and stuff like that and to put our names out there as Campus Conservatives.” studentlife@cm-life.com

www.cm-life.com

‘Winterizing’ cars can save money, headaches

By Melissa Torok Staff Reporter

Cold weather can be hard on cars.

This is why Wade Sackett, manager at Muffler Man, 101 S. Mission St., recommends getting them checked while it is still somewhat warm.

“Make sure the car can withstand the cold,” Sackett said.

“You don’t want to be stranded in the middle of winter.”

He also recommends holding off on buying a new battery unless absolutely necessary.

Students can save money that way, he said.

“Have it checked out first,” Sackett said.

Rick Souder, owner of Souders Service Center Inc., 1035 S. Mission St., said car maintenance is more than simply checking the battery.

He said the belts, heater, tire traction, car fluids and spark plugs need to be examined.

“One recommendation is to have the car looked over, have the tires tested, have the condition of the antifreeze tested

or a free maintenance check.”

Souder said.

He said antifreeze prevents the car’s engine from overheating and the water in the radiator from freezing.

The most common car concerns in the winter are the battery and windshield wipers, Souder said. Blades can cause students problems.

“One thing students fail to do is clean the snow off their windshields,” Souder said. “If the wipers are frozen down, it will cause a problem with the wiper motor.” Souder said.

He said forgetting to turn off the wipers creates driving problems.

“I see kids in a hurry who operate their wipers and forget to turn them off, then the wipers freeze. This will cause the gears to strip out,” Souder said.

“It’s quite common in the winter, but it’s not just the cold that does it, it’s the snow and ice.”

Windshield wipers freeze and stick to the windshield, making driving difficult. studentlife@cm-life.com

www.cm-life.com

Annual University Campaign ahead compared to last year Effort seeks to fund academic departments

By Theresa Clift Staff Reporter

The Annual University Campaign is ahead of schedule.

As of Tuesday, the drive has raised $533,000, but gifts are still being processed until Dec. 18. The goal this year is $770,000.

“I am confident we will reach our dollar goal due to the fact we are $60,000 ahead of where we were the same time last year,” said Director of Annual Giving Bryan Griffin. “We are also on track to hit 1,000 donors.”

He said the last week of the campaign, being this week, is very important to reaching the goal. As of Nov. 30, 704 donors had contributed. The actual totals will not be known until about Jan. 1.

Griffin believes this increase is caused by a number of factors.

“I think that the economy is better — also, we’ve been publicizing a lot more,” he said. “By letting people know what the campaign is about, they’re getting used to it.”

People can designate where they want their money to go.

Any valid account on campus, including departments, scholarships and endowments are available for gifts.

“People are basically giving back to the university in some

way, which is great,” Griffin said.

Art of donating Tom Masterson, associate dean for the College of Health Professions, is one of the cochairs of the campaign and said there are many ways for the money to help CMU maintain its educational experience.

It may take several years for a scholarship to earn the base funding needed to be distributed, Masterson said.

“So this campaign is a great way to help accumulate that funding so we can pay out the award quicker,” he said.

This is the fifth year the university will match $1 for every $2 given, he said, causing more people to donate because they know their dollar goes even further.

There are two main ways to give a donation — online through the CMU Portal or by mailing in a form. Employees can log on and click “give to university campaign” and fill out the information, which includes choosing a department to give to. Twice a year, the department mails out forms to fill out.

“Most people are giving online now, which is great,” Griffin said.

The main purpose for the campaign is to help maintain CMU’s standard of excellence, Masterson said.

“What’s so great about this campaign is that we can designate which programs, scholarships and services will receive our contribution,” he said. university@cm-life.com

[News]

Central Michigan Life || Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 || 7A

CMU confident it will receive $2.3 million from stimulous funds Federal stimulus dollars sought Central Michigan University has the opportunity to apply for a one-time grant up to $2,342,100 to benefit students.

The funding available in Michigan is to help reinstate appropriations cut in the higher education bill. The applications will be reviewed by the Governor’s office with the intent to issue awards prior to the end of 2009.

Interim Provost Gary Shapiro said the funds will be used for need-based financial aid.

“I am very confident that we will receive all of that funding,” Shapiro said. “This is exactly what the state is looking for — targeting the funds at needy students. I would find it difficult to believe they wouldn’t support (our funding).”

He said $450,000 is to be reserved for students with emergency financial needs by discretion of the financial aid office.

Interim University President Kathy Wilbur said all of the funds will be used for need-based financial aid, including some funds used to assist freshmen and transfer students eligible for the Pell Grant and lost the Michigan Promise or Michigan Competitive scholarships.

Trustees elect new officers The Board of Trustees elected new officers for the 2010 calendar year. Trustee Stephanie Comai was elected as Board chairwoman and will take over for Gail Torreano. Sam Kottamasu was elected to a second term as co-vice chairman, and Trust-

ee Marilyn French Hubbard was elected to a first term as covice chairwoman.

Endowment fund investment policy The Endowment Fund Investment Policy was amended to allow the addition of private equity and credit, non-investment grade, fixed asset classes.

This shift of funds reduces the Investment Grade and U.S. Equities fund ranges by 5 percent.

“Private equity could be funds that aren’t traded over the stock market that are private investments and (the credit fixed class) could be bonds that are not AAA rated,” said David Burdette, vice president of Finance and Administrative Services.

He said all they are changing is the range of each asset class to allow the addition of the new assets.

“All it really does is give our outside fund managers the ability to tweak the investments,” Burdette said. “It decreases the risk and increases the return. We’re diversifying the portfolio, which spreads the risk and also, we believe, will get a greater return.”

Acquisition of confocal microscope The National Science Foundation has provided a grant of $463,150 for the purchase of a confocal microscope for use by faculty in the areas of developmental biology, cell biology and neuroscience.

Interim Provost Gary Shapiro said the microscope will replace an outdated microscope and will be used for multidisciplinary research and teaching.

“It supports an undergraduate microscopy program, which is the only program of it’s kind in the state, and a very excellent

biology department,” he said.

“It certainly has an important consequence for our students.”

Authorizer oversight information system The Center for Charter Schools entered an agreement with Corporate Computer, Inc. in 2003, and the Board of Trustee approved a renewal of the agreement.

The agreement allows the Center to market, sell and distribute the Authorizer Oversight Information System. The system was designed to oversee the schools in the charter. The agreement brought in about $100,000 this year and about $300,000 over the past couple of years, said Trustee Stephanie Comai.

-Information compiled by Staff Reporter Luke Dimick. news@cm-life.com

8A || Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 || Central Michigan Life

www.cm-life.com

[News] campus crime

Larcenies down, burglaries up Isabella County sees opposite trend in recent years

By Jake Bolitho Senior Reporter

jake may/staff photographer

Lesley Withers, associate professor of communication and dramatic arts, has been on sabbatical this semester and has been logging research, publishing and presenting work on avatars. Withers’ avatar name is Lesley Blackburn, as you cannot choose the last name.

Professor uses sabbatical for virtual reality teaching

By Kelli Ameling Staff Reporter

associate director of the Faculty Center for Innovative Teaching.

Lesley Withers is working on her sabbatical to show how teaching in Second Life benefits students and teachers.

Second Life is a three-dimensional online virtual environment in which users create avatars to explore, interact with other residents, learn, recreate and shop with local currency, according to information in Withers’ sabbatical research.

The associate professor of communications and dramatic arts said the sabbatical gives her “opportunities to take this project to the next level.”

She has been working with colleagues — John Sherblom from the University of Maine and Lynnette Leonard from Nebraska University-Omaha — for more than a year with her actual sabbatical being this semester.

“Its cutting-edge with a lot of distractions,” said Dan Bracken,

The sabbatical Withers said a sabbatical — a semester off to conduct research — begins by writing a proposal, which has to be accepted by faculty and the dean.

Once it is accepted, she said the next step is applying for a grant.

The point of her sabbatical, Withers said, is to show how a virtual environment, such as Second Life, can be used in the classroom in certain situations, “For what Lesley is using it for is a good idea because of her field of study,” Bracken said.

CNN did a segment on Second Life and now has its own avatars and station, which CNN does segments from, Withers said. This is where she initially got interested in Second Life.

Technology allows people to do many things by using it, but

it also has drawbacks, she said.

“Second Life is great for role playing, reenacting and group work,” Withers said.

She described her teaching through Second Life as a hybrid of lecture and group work, but focuses more on group work.

“It is not a replacement for face-to-face,” Bracken said of the teaching method.

Effective tech Withers interviewed students Thursday about the Second Life project to add to her sabbatical and said she its interesting to see what students think.

Over Withers’ sabbatical, she traveled to Maine, Wisconsin and Illinois to present her research and to show how to teach using Second Life.

Since Withers has started her sabbatical, with the research she has found, she is able to have book chapters in the final process. university@cm-life.com

The number of on-campus burglaries has increased considerably over the past several years, but general larcenies have seen a nearly 50 percent drop.

Burglaries saw consistency through the majority of the decade, but spiked to 34 in 2008 from 13 in 2007. So far this year, there have been 26 reported burglaries, according to statistics provided by Central Michigan University Police Chief Bill Yeagley.

Larcenies at CMU also showed little change leading up to 2009. CMU Police investigated 193 such crimes in 2008 — fairly similar to other recent years.

However, there have been only 98 reported cases this year.

Based on his brief tenure with the CMU police, Yeagley said he can attribute the sudden decrease to programs organized by the university to prevent thefts.

“I think all of the recent prevention efforts have helped,” he said. “In past years, you could walk through the library and there would be laptops lying all over the place unattended.”

The higher number of breaking and enterings this year has mainly been because of a serial burglar, Yeagley said.

“It’s pretty uncommon to have a serial burglar but, fortunately, we were able to find him and arrest him,” he said.

County: increase in larcenies The Isabella County Sheriff’s Department has witnessed the opposite. Larcenies have seen a significant increase to 463 during the 2008/09 fiscal year, which the agency now measures its sta-

tistics by, from 307 in 2007.

Meanwhile, burglaries have slightly decreased to 211 from 268 during that same time period.

“Larceny is up, and that may be a sign of the hard economic times,” said Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski.

Mioduszewski echoed Yeagley’s thoughts on spreading awareness about how to prevent breaking and enterings. The word needs to be better relayed to off-campus students, he said.

The department’s annual report was presented to the county Board of Commissioners last Tuesday, and also indicated a decrease in traffic stops to 4,678 over the past fiscal year from

8,896 in 2007.

Isabella County Commissioner John Haupt said the sheriff’s report was very helpful financially.

“We had a lot of questions about financial items, and he helped us answer those,” he said.

The Mount Pleasant Police Department has not seen major changes in larcenies and burglaries.

Burglaries went to 132 so far in 2009 from 156 in 2008. Larcenies decreased to 309 from 369.

Staff reporter Edward Schutter contributed to this report. metro@cm-life.com

www.cm-life.com

Central Michigan Life || Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 || 9A

[News]

“But look at me, I’m happy.

Thank God that I still have as much as I have.”

Mount Pleasant resident Jennifer Digmann drives her power wheelchair into her minivan after getting a manicure Nov. 20 at GiGi Nails, 1222 S. Mission St. The passenger seat of her handicapped-accessible Chrysler Town & Country is removed to allow room for her wheelchair.

Jennifer Digmann, Mount Pleasant resident

Photos by ashley miller/photo Editor

“Push me out the window,” Dan Digmann said while encouraging his wife to stretch and push out her legs Nov. 24 in their Mount Pleasant bedroom. Jennifer no longer has the ability to walk due to her secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis.

Above: Mount Pleasant resident Jennifer Digmann embraces her husband, Dan, after he lifts her out of her wheelchair to transfer her to their bed before stretching and exercising her impaired legs Nov. 24 in their Mount Pleasant bedroom. Since the couple met when she was already in a wheelchair, Jennifer was nervous for the first time Dan saw her stand due to her height. He loved that she was taller, Jennifer said.

Right: Mount Pleasant resident Dan Digmann stretches and prepares to go on a jog while talking with his wife, Jennifer, after work Nov. 4. Although he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis nine years ago, he still frequently runs in longdistance races. “If I’m still running well at a decent pace, then the disease hasn’t gotten to me yet,” he said.

disabilities | continued from 3A

No strangers to CMU The pair can now be seen taking graduate courses in different academic halls throughout Central Michigan University.

Originally from Iowa, Dan has become more than acquaintances with the local Mount Pleasant community.

He has been employed by CMU for the past decade. As assistant director of creative services, he serves as a writer and editor for many of the university’s publications.

Although Jennifer is newer to the area, she has been surprised at the level of accommodation students and residences have offered her.

“They really do what they can to make things accessible (for people with disabilities),” she said. “I don’t ever encourage people to get disabled but, if you get disabled, this is the nicest community.”

The couple has a group of caregivers who assist Jennifer around the house while Dan works. Jennifer enjoys handling much of the daily activities on her own, including grocery shopping and cooking.

Both the Digmanns travel around the state to take part in various speaking engagements. The two spoke at CMU during the Disability Awareness Fair in October.

Dan hopes people take what the couple says and apply it to their own lives. While most of the audience members may not be disabled, the general theme of the speeches is to take a positive perspective on life.

Jennifer recalls the day when she was first diagnosed with MS. The thought of being in a wheelchair at the time was not

“If I’m still running well at a decent pace, then the disease hasn’t gotten to me yet.”

Dan Digmann, Mount Pleasant resident

a pleasant one, but she said it is something she has been able to adapt to.

“When you are newly diagnosed with this disease, I am the picture of the disease that scares the crap out of you,” she said. “But if you look at me, I’m happy.

Thank God that I still have as much as I have.”

Life lessons learned With 21 combined years of experience with the disease, Dan and Jennifer have learned one useful lesson: Do not be afraid to ask for help.

Jennifer said, at first, that is one of the most difficult parts of dealing with being in a wheelchair. However, after a certain amount of time, she found everyone she asked was willing to do simple favors, such as grabbing an item from the top shelf at a grocery store.

It also is an easy opportunity for people to feel good about themselves, Dan said.

The two are reluctant to use the word “inspiration” to define the way they impact other people. Instead, they prefer “hope.”

“When you hear people talk about the good you have done and what your story has done, it’s very humbling,” Dan said.

“That’s what inspires us to be more vocal with our stories.” university@cm-life.com

10A || Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 || Central Michigan Life

www.cm-life.com

[News]

Former professor takes off for Smithsonian

Michael Cooper, Delta College director of disabilities services and Central Michigan University alumnus, speaks to an EDU 107: Introduction to Education class Nov. 6 as one of three speakers on a diversity panel speaking about disabilities. When Cooper attended CMU in 1972, he was the only student with a wheelchair on campus.

William Pretzer now a curator at museum

By Theresa Clift Staff Reporter

jake may/staff photographer

First student in wheelchair remembers campus accessibility Cooper now director of disabilities at Delta College

By Tony Wittkowski Staff Reporter

Some things were not accessible to everyone on campus in 1972.

Central Michigan University, like in the rest of the state at the time, had no clear mandate to make everything accessible. Michael Cooper was a transfer student then from Ferris State University, where he was involved in an accident.

Cooper was waterskiing July 4 when he fell in three feet of water, breaking his neck and leaving him paralyzed. He spent five months at the University of Michigan hospital and would be the first student at CMU in a wheelchair.

“Ramping was still new,” said Cooper, now the Delta College director of disabilities.

“But in the back, there were usually ramps for cargo.”

There were always stairways and steps around campus, where Cooper would have to ask for help or go around to the back of the building, where cargo was loaded and unloaded.

Rehabilitation ACt Buildings, restrooms and theaters were hard to get into for Cooper. Handicap policies at CMU were basically nonexistent.

There was no handicap parking until 1976, Cooper said. When he first arrived at CMU, he and the administration were scratching their heads on what they were going to do.

The Rehabilitation Act of

1973 made it so any organization had to comply with legislation over restrooms and an increased awareness along with better access, Cooper said.

“I benefited the most with physical barriers,” he said.

“There needed to be a structural change to the environment.”

Now, CMU and all its academic buildings are accessible.

“Whenever we make upgrades, we are sure to make a path,” said Susie Rood, director of Student Disabilities Services.

A helpful friend One person who helped Cooper get around campus easier was Charles Westie, a professor who used to teach psychology.

“Chuck taught me everything,” Cooper said. “He had lost his knee in World War II on the beach of Normandy, so he tried to change things.”

Westie’s car was ticketed and towed often at an attempt to change parking. Westie along

with Cooper, issued grants to help better the university and make it more accessible.

One of the grants they made was worth $400,000 for an elevator that went up one floor.

“It seems like a million years ago,” Cooper said. “He took me under his wing and he showed me how to make grants in the first place.”

Cooper reached his undergraduate degree the same year he arrived. However, he stayed until 1976 as a counselor assistant and graduate assistant to Westie. From there, he left for Midland to work as a facilitator in the Big Brother program.

In rehab, Cooper came to the realization that there was a gap. He was 24 when he broke his neck and was good at navigating around campus.

Yet, with the disability, he became aware of the gap in which many people were still getting used to the idea of someone in a wheelchair.

“I came out of my shell that year,” Cooper said. “And I’ve never stopped learning.” university@cm-life.com

William Pretzer has gone from Central Michigan University associate professor of history to curator at the new Smithsonian museum in Washington, D.C. Pretzer was at CMU since fall of 2006 and began his new job at what is officially called the National Museum of African American History and Culture in October.

“In late 2008, the director of the African American museum, who is charged with creating the museum, called me and asked if I’d like to join his staff as senior history curator,” said Pretzer, who also was director of CMU’s Museum of Cultural and Natural History.

The Smithsonian Institu-

tion is composed of 19 separate museums and research centers in Washington, D.C., and is funded by the federal government and private contributions. In 2003, Congress passed legislation instructing the institution to build the new museum.

The building will be constructed at the base of the Washington Monument, within the site of the White House and the Lincoln Memorial, and will open in 2015. It will cost about $500 million — 10 times the cost of the new Education and Human Services Building.

A ‘good fit’ Pretzer had been the main curator at Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn for 21 years and held several prominent positions. What got him noticed was the fact that he was the person to identify and buy restoration for the Rosa Parks bus, overseeing the entire exhibit.

He also has worked on sev-

eral other projects that have received national attention.

His CMU coworkers agree Pretzer is a good fit for the position in Washington.

“He was an obvious fit because he has tremendous museum experience, which made him well-known in the field,” said Timothy Hall, chairman of the history department.

Pretzer and his family moved to Washington in October, when he started work.

Before the museum opens, he has many responsibilities to prepare.

Some of his job includes participating with design, making decisions about exhibits, rounding up artifacts and working on interactive exhibits.

“I work with a group of other historians and museum people to decide what historical stories we will tell in the exhibits,” Pretzer said. university@cm-life.com

www.cm-life.com

Central Michigan Life || Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 || 11A

[News]

Dorm room decked out for the holidays

By Luke Dimick Staff Reporter

One roll of duct tape, two rolls of wrapping paper, two packages of construction paper, three rolls of scotch tape, 24 candy canes, 35 hours of decorating and a spent $24.

One holiday-decorated residence hall room? Priceless.

Grand Rapids freshman Stacy Siereveld, Richmond sophomore Kathryn Van Ha and Illinois freshmen Taylor Galmarini and Hannah Faleer began decorating their study room Nov. 1. They used lights, a paper fireplace, a decorated tree, Christmas stockings, wrapped presents and much more to deck out their room with holiday spirit.

“We over-do everything,” Galmarini said. “We decorated a little bit for Halloween, but Christmas is our favorite holiday.”

She said the room and door took about a week to decorate, but the process was accompanied by a lot of Christmas music and peppermint mochas.

“We would just get spurts of ‘lets do it now,’ and then work on it for two hours and then take naps and then stay up until 3 a.m. decorating,” Galmarini said. “It took days of brainstorming because we didn’t know exactly what we were going to do. The fireplace on the furnace was a no-brainer but, for everything else, we had to wing it.”

Faleer said the decorations came from her house or were bought collectively with her

libby march/staff photographer

Illinois freshman Taylor Galmarini, left, and Illinois freshman Hannah Faleer relax under their paper chains and snowflakes Tuesday in their “Christmas room” in Larzelere Hall. The roommates began decorating Nov. 1 and have been adding to the decor ever since.

roommates.

“We had people telling us we decorated too early, but our season ends on Dec. 12, when we have to go home,” she said. “I’m not sure when we are going to take them down. I want to wait until at least after the break.”

Siereveld said not only did they spend time decorating their room, they also took the

time to buy gifts for each other and place them wrapped under the tree.

“We all have a class together on Tuesday, so we will probably exchange the gifts after that,” she said. “It will be a nice break during finals week.”

Aside from decorating and exchanging gifts, they also started a new tradition of

“sleeping in Christmas.”

“It’s where we sleep out here under the Christmas lights,” Galmarini said. “We take turns going two at a time and sometimes three. It started when I came out here one night because I saw a spider in my room and it made me angry.” studentlife@cm-life.com

Even Santa knows that Great gifts come from

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Cm-life.com | See the Web site for coverage of other CMU sports.

Central Michigan Life

Mac championship Friday, December 4, 2009 | Section B

Defending History

“It’s not how you start, but how you finish.”

-CMU coach Butch Jones, after the team beat Michigan State 29-27 on Sept. 12

Game Breakdown w Andrew Stover breaks down today’s game, 3B

Preview w Football team is in familiar setting for MAC game, 3B

Parking w Check out a map of the area around Ford Field, 4B

game-by-game w See how each team got to Friday’s game, 5B

photo by matthew stephens/presentation editor

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2B || Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 || Central Michigan Life

CMU INSIDE

|||||||||||| MAC CHAMPIONSHIP Media Coverage:

P l ay e r s t o Wat c h C e n t r a l M i c h i g a n C h i pp e w a s Dan LeFevour- QB

Antonio Brown- WR

Nick Bellore- WLB

Allen Ollenburger- OG

Profile This week, LeFevour was named the MAC’s offensive player of the year and most valuable player.

Profile Brown has more than 1,200 total yards from scrimmage and has averaged 8.9 yards per carry on 36 carries.

Profile Bellore is sixth in the MAC with 112 tackles and has three sacks, two intercptions and 10.5 tackles for loss.

Profile T h e first-team All-MAC lineman is CMU’s lone senior along the line.

Why to watch In five games at Ford Field, he has accounted for 16 touchdowns and has averaged 325 total yards. In 12 games this year, he leads the MAC with 39 total touchdowns.

Why to watch He is prominent in defending the run and the pass.

Even if Ohio quarterback Theo Scott is immobile, Bellore will be tested against the Pistol offense.

Why to watch He is the arguably the MAC’s most explosive player, and he has become LeFevour’s go-to guy. He has to make plays on the season’s biggest stage.

Why to watch Butch Jones said it is extremely difficult to get to the second level and block linebackers Noah Keller and Lee Renfro.

That will be Ollenburger’s main job.

O h i o B o b c at s Taylor Price- WR

Noah Keller- MLB

Gerald Moore- FS

Profile S c o t t sprained an ankle against Te m p l e , w h i c h could limit his mobility and ability to tuck and run.

Profile Price is Scott’s favorite target, totaling a team-high 51 receptions and 733 yards. He also has five touchdowns.

Profile Keller is second in the MAC in tackles (122) and also has two sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss.

Profile With six interceptions,Moore leads an Ohio team that has a MAC-high 19 interceptions and a plus14 turnover ratio.

Why to watch Ohio’s offense will go only as far as Scott takes them. Last week against Temple, he had his best game of the season and threw for 324 yards.

Why to watch Price will be even more prevalent in the passing game because of a LaVon Brazil’s injury. Even if Brazil plays, Price will see more passes come his way.

Why to watch CMU coach Butch Jones called Keller and fellow linebacker Lee Renfro disruptive. The tandem will limit the CMU running game and limit LeFevour’s scrambling ability.

I t hink people need to underst and t hat we, o bviously, don’t snea k up on anyone — everyone always plays t heir best a gainst us.”

-CMU coach Butch Jones

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Why to watch If Ohio has any chance in this game, it is because its defense creating havoc and giving its offense the ball with favorable field position.

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[MAC championship]

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cm-life.com/category/sports

[MAC Championship]

game breakdown

Central Michigan Life || Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 || 3B

preview

Central has strong Team in familiar setting edge against Ohio

Sports Editor Andrew Stover breaks down the 2009 MidAmerican Conference Championship game between CMU and Ohio at 8 tonight at Ford Field in Detroit.

Quarterbacks Ohio senior quarterback Theo Scott sprained his ankle in the second half of the Bobcats’ game against Temple last Friday. He is listed as questionable by his coach, but he is expected to play. However, a sprained ankle will definitely limit his mobility and make him completely one-dimensional. Scott has progressed as a passer this year since senior Boo Jackson was deemed inactive for the remainder of the season back in September. However, his athleticism will suffer.

Advantage: CMU. Even if Scott was 100 percent healthy, it would not matter. Ohio coach Frank Solich said it best during Monday’s MAC teleconference.

CMU senior quarterback Dan LeFevour is tough to bring down below the waist because of his thick lower body. He is equally difficult — near impossible — to bring down with arm tackles.

LeFevour is CMU’s most dangerous rusher out of the spread offense, but he also possesses the MAC’s best passer efficiency rating (155.72). He totals a conference-high 39 touchdowns (25 passing, 14 rushing).

Running backs The Bobcats possess one of the truest forms of “running back-by-committee” in the MAC. With senior Chris Garrett leading the way with 129 carries and 549 yards, Ohio has two other running backs with more than 50 carries (junior Vince Davidson — 63 carries, 255 yards; sophomore Donte Harden Bryan Schroeder — 57 carries, 220 yards).

Scott also has 61 carries from the quarterback position, but he will be limited with sprained ankle.

In similar fashion, CMU’s stable of backs — sophomores Bryan Schroeder and Paris Cotton and junior Carl Volny — have picked up steam as the season has progressed. Schroeder leads the way with 414 yards, including a career-best 128-yard performance last week against Northern Illinois.

Advantage: CMU. The Chippewas’ three backs combine for 1,369 rushing and receiving yards. Ohio’s three combine for 1,170 rushing and receiving yards. And CMU also has 969 rushing yards from LeFevour (650) and junior wide receiver Antonio Brown (319).

CMU offensive line vs. Ohio defensive front seven Ohio has been a middle-ofthe-pack team in the MAC at getting sacks (18), but the defense’sstrength lies in linebackers Noah Keller and Lee Renfro (the latter having his face and some somewhat cocky quotJake Olson ables plastered along the walls of CMU’s practice facility, used as motivation). But he may have a reason to be cocky — the two linebackers combined for 27 tackles last week against Temple.

Advantage: Even. For as good as Ohio’s front seven has been, CMU welcomes back redshirt freshman left tackle Jake Olson to the lineup, which gives the unit a boost. The veteran-led interior line has meshed with the two young tackles (Olson and Rocky Weaver) to form one of the conference’s best lines.

Ohio offensive line vs. CMU defensive front seven With two seniors at the defensive end positions — Frank Zombo and Larry Knight — and an interior that features an active Sean Murnane and a loadof-a-man John Williams, the defensive line has done its job to free up one of the top linebacker duos in the conference. Juniors Nick Bellore and Matt Berning combine for more than 200 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, five sacks and two interceptions.

Advantage: CMU. Even with just 20 sacks, this is a dominating front seven that has quietly taken away pressure from the offense and the secondary.

CMU wide receivers vs. Ohio secondary Juniors Antonio Brown and Kito Poblah, along with senior Bryan Ander- Bryan Anderson son, will all have opportunities to get yardage. LeFevour will likely put up gaudy passing numbers and find the end zone.

But what Ohio does to keep things close is live and die off the turnover. Ohio has a plus14 turnover margin, eight better than any team in the MAC. Freshman safety Gerald Moore leads the defense with six of the team’s 19 interceptions.

Advantage: CMU. The Chippewas have the advantage, but it is up to LeFevour to make smart decisions and limit big defensive plays from an opportunistic secondary.

Ohio wide receivers vs.

CMU secondary Even with senior Taylor Price leading the group, Ohio is awaiting the health status of junior wide receiver LaVon Brazil. Brazil averages 60.9 receiving yards per game, compared to Price’s 61.1 per game. If he is not good to go, fellow junior Terrence McCrae will see an extended role in the offense.

CMU starting cornerback Josh Gordy played last Friday against Northern Illinois for the first time since getting hurt against Boston College on Oct. 31.

Advantage: CMU. With Gordy being out and Fraser getting banged up against Toledo, CMU has allowed its depth to get playing time. Now, with everyone healthy, the unit is probably better than it was prior to November. Brazil will give Ohio a formidable one-two punch if he plays. If he does not play, CMU can focus on Price completely.

Coaching CMU’s Butch Jones has orchestrated what might be CMU’s best season in program history. But this one is tougher than it seems. Ohio’s Frank Solich has pushed his team forward despite serious injury concerns all season, starting with the loss of Jackson.

Advantage: CMU. An undefeated MAC schedule and an upset win over Michigan State, there is no wonder why Jones is generating hype for other job openings.

Prediction Ohio is battle-tested after beating a one-loss Northern Illinois team and an undefeated Temple team in backto-back weeks. But judging by what CMU has done to nearly every team in the MAC, it seems the only one able to beat the team is itself. With shades of 2006 ...

CMU 31, Ohio 10

By Andrew Stover Sports Editor

after hurting his shoulder last Friday against Temple.

Senior quarterback Dan LeFevour has played arguably his best football in five career games at Ford Field.

He has thrown 11 touchdowns to four interceptions, averaged 325 yards of total offense and added five rushing touchdowns.

It is something coach Butch Jones said he expects out of his quarterback against Ohio in the 2009 Mid-American Conference Championship at 8 tonight at Ford Field in Detroit.

“The great players play their greatest when a championship’s on the line,” he said.

“We’re going to need that again from Dan.” But LeFevour and CMU will be up against one of the MAC’s most opportunistic defenses.

Ohio leads the conference with a plus-14 turnover margin and has 19 interceptions and 16 fumble recoveries.

“They do a great job of stripping the ball from you on each and every snap,” Jones said.

“You just try to educate your kids, and it’s going to take great discipline and great fundamentals to take care of the football.”

Ohio also has a tandem at the linebacker position that has garnered the Chippewas’ attention. Junior middle linebacker Noah Keller is second in the MAC with 122 tackles; senior weak-side linebacker Lee Renfro has 93.

“They’re definitely all over the field, and they’re definitely going to make their plays. That’s something you just got to accept,” LeFevour said. “They’re going to make their tackles, they’re going to make some plays, but how do you handle that when they do make plays? Can you bounce back or not?”

In the secondary, Ohio is led by freshman Gerald Moore, second in the MAC with six interceptions. Senior strong safety Patrick Tafua is questionable

Other injuries While CMU has been aided by improved health in recent weeks — senior cornerback Josh Gordy returned last Friday against Northern Illinois after missing two games with an injured hamstring, and redshirt freshman offensive tackle Jake Olson is expected to return to the lineup tonight — Ohio has seen the negative side.

Senior quarterback Theo Scott and junior wide receiver LaVon Brazil, along with Tafua, are deemed questionable earlier in the week because of injuries sustained against Temple.

Scott (sprained ankle) told local media he will play, and Jones said he has prepared his team as if all three will play.

Junior linebacker Nick Bellore said Ohio’s offense is not based solely around those two players, but there are things only Scott can bring to the table.

“He’s a dynamic playmaker, whether he’s throwing the ball (or) running the ball,” Bellore said. “What stands out is he’s got an amazing deep ball ... and he’s obviously an athlete.”

Familiar place Since 2006, CMU has played

at Ford Field in five games — two MAC Championships and three Motor City Bowls — going 3-2. The 2006 MAC Championship game saw CMU beat Ohio 31-10. It was LeFevour’s freshman season.

“I just remember being nervous, first time playing for a championship,” he said. “I just remember once I made that first drive and we went down and scored, everything kind of seemed to slow down for me.” sports@cm-life.com

Weekend Schedule Track & Field

at Saginaw Valley 3 p.m. Friday Gymnastics

Intrasquad meet 1 p.m. Sat., Rose Arena Men’s Basketball

at Illinois State 8 p.m. Sat. Women’s Basketball

at Valparaiso 2:35 p.m. Sat.

4B || Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 || Central Michigan Life

Q & A with Jones

By Dave Jones Senior Reporter

Butch Jones has seen quite a bit in third season as football coach.

Now he is seeing his first-place Chippewas prepare for the MidAmerican Conference Championship game at 8 tonight at Ford Field.

Despite a busy week of practice, Jones took time to look back at the regular season and ahead at the approaching championship game in a conversation with senior reporter Dave Jones.

Dave Jones: How’s preparation for the game going?

Butch Jones: I think the preparation has gone extremely well — it’s basically been kind of a short week for us, so it’s been very fast. But I think our kids have been very focused and I think they know what’s at stake Friday night.

DJ: And even though you guys were picked in the preseason to be in this game and win it, was there any doubt that you guys would make it?

BJ: No, there was no doubt at all. I think that’s a tribute to everyone in our football program.

We’ve had the bullseye on our chest each and every week and I think this is the first time in a number of years that a team that was Butch Jones picked to win it has actually ended up in the championship game. And I think people need to understand that we, obviously, don’t sneak up on anyone — everyone always plays their best against us. There’s a little bit more of being the hunted than being the hunter and our kids have responded to date, thus far, very well with one more challenge ahead of us.

DJ: Going back to last season, you missed out on the chance at three championships in a row.

Does that just add to the resolve to get back there?

BJ: You know, I think you can never take winning for granted.

And sometimes, I think people think it comes easy, and it doesn’t.

Our kids were hurt, but they were focused and they were hungry and we started this journey back in January, when we came together as a football team after the

cm-life.com/category/sports

[MAC Championship]

bowl game. And every man to a man pledged to each other that they were going to work as hard as they possibly could and, now, that hard work is playing off and now we have to finish it. But for this team to be going back to be playing for a third championship in four years is very special, and I think it takes a very special group of individuals and we’re very excited about the opportunity that we have.

DJ: You’ve had some triumphs on the field this season – some obvious ones. Has there been anything that you feel has gone unnoticed?

BJ: Well, I think all the sacrifices and all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes, with the guys playing hurt and the guys playing injured. People see the product on Saturday or on game day, but they don’t see the progression through the course for the week or the course of the season. I see a team that has really held each other accountable — they’ve taken a responsibility for their actions and their work ethic has been second to none. I think all those things that go into winning on the field on game day — all those little things — have become very special.

DJ: But what has been the hardest part about this season?

You’ve mentioned a number of things – the sacrifices, the injuries, the bullseye on your backs since the start of the season.

What’s been the most difficult?

BJ: I think it’s been a long season, and it takes resolve and it takes resiliency to be up emotionally for each and every week because you know you’re going to get everyone’s best shot. And even when you go play the Michigan States, the Boston Colleges and the Arizonas, they’re not going to take you lightly and you know what you’re going to get.

And I think our schedule this year, with four out of the five of our games being on the road in October, I think our non-conference schedule in the type of caliber of opponent we’ve had to play and just being up emotionally to play each week, people have doubted this football team.

You can go back to Northern Illinois — “they have nothing to play for ... they’re not emotionally up.” And then we come out and take care of business and it’s been a business-like approach each week. sports@cm-life.com

Game guide: Directions to Ford Field

By John Evans Staff Reporter

Here are some directions and other important information for you to get to Ford Field for the Mid-American Conference Championship at 8 p.m. today in Detroit.

How To Get There From Mount Pleasant: Take US-127 South to I-96 East.

Take I-96 to I-75 North (also known as the Fisher Freeway) and exit at Grand River Ave. (Exit 50). Take the I-75 service drive across Grand River and Woodward Avenue.

Turn right on Brush Street and continue for one block to Montcalm and turn left.

Ford Field will be on the left.

From Grand Rapids: Take I-96 East to I-75 North and exit at Grand River Ave. (Exit 50). Take the I-75 service drive across Grand River and Woodward Ave. Turn right on Brush Street and continue for one block to Montcalm and turn left. Ford Field will be on the left.

From the southwest MetroDetroit suburbs: Follow I-75 northbound and exit at Gratiot Ave. Follow Gratiot Ave., Ford Field will be on the left.

From the northern MetroDetroit suburbs: Take M-10 (Lodge Freeway) South and exit at Grand River Avenue.

Follow Grand River to the I-75 service drive and turn left. Continue across Woodward Avenue and turn right onto Brush Street. Go down one block and turn left onto Montcalm. Ford Field is on the left.

From Northern Michigan: Take I-75 South to I-375 and get off at the exit for Madison Avenue. Turn right at the first

light. Ford Field will be one block on the left.

For updates on road conditions, visit michigan.gov/ mdot for updates. Drivers also can call 1-800-381-8477.

Parking Parking in the Ford Field lot will cost between $10 and $20 for the garage. There are other places to park as well, such as the parking lot off Madison Avenue by Comerica Park.

The Courtyard by Marriott in the Renaissance Center also offers parking for a maximum of $10 for a 24-hour

period. The people mover, Detroit’s lightrail system, will then take fans to the Greektown exit for a 50-cent fee.

Items Not Permitted At Ford Field, items such as backpacks, banners, noisemakers, food, strollers, fireworks, camcorders, tripods, and cameras with a lens bigger than 50 mm are not permitted. Go to fordfield.com for the complete list of items not permitted into the stadium. sports@cm-life.com

cm-life.com/category/sports

[MAC Championship]

Central Michigan Life || Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 || 5B

game by game

game by game

Central Michigan |

Ohio University Bobcats | 9-3, 7-1 MAC

10-2, 8-0 MAC Sept. 5 at Arizona, L 19-6 The Chippewas opened the season with a Pac-10 opponent on the road. The Wildcats jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first quarter, but CMU was able to keep them out of the end zone until midway through the second quarter.

However, CMU’s offense was held scoreless until the fourth, when senior quarterback Dan LeFevour scored on a 5-yard run. His two-point conversion attempt failed but, by that point, the Chippewas were already down two scores.

Sept. 12 at Michigan State, W 29-27 One of the biggest wins in program history came on the leg of senior kicker Andrew Aguila. After CMU failed to convert on a two-point conversion and found itself down 27-26, senior wide receiver Bryan Anderson recovered an onside kick and, with 28 seconds remaining, LeFevour completed all three of his pass attempts to get Aguila to the 25-yard line. There, he narrowly made a 42-yard field goal with three seconds remaining to give CMU the twopoint win.

Sept. 19 vs. Alcorn State, w 48-0 Central Michigan cruised to its largest margin of victory in decades as the team opened its home schedule. It was the ground game Carl Volny that led to the victory with the Chippewas rushing the ball 44 times as a team with seven different players getting a carry. As a team, the Chippewas rushed for 178 yards, but they were led by junior Carl Volny, who came off the bench to run for two touchdowns and 101 yards on 18 carries.

Sept. 26 vs. Akron, W 48-21 LeFevour tied his own school record with six touchdowns as the Chippewas opened their Mid-American Conference schedule with a decisive win at home against the Zips. He rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns while completing 23-of-31 passes for 197 yards and four touchdowns. The defense followed up its shutout performance from a week earlier by giving up just 196 yards of total offense to Akron while forcing two turnovers.

Oct. 3 at Buffalo, w 20-13 The defense bent, but did not break, as the team jumped out to a 13-0 lead, but allowed the Bulls to get to within three points just before halftime.

LeFevour’s 27-yard pass to junior wide receiver Antonio Brown to cap a 10-play, 89yard drive stifled any chance Buffalo had at a comeback.

LeFevour accounted for 366 yards — 98 rushing and 268 passing — with two passing touchdowns to Brown and Anderson to seal the win.

Oct. 10 vs. Eastern Michigan, w 56-8 The Chippewas’ offense tallied 521 yards — more than doubling Eastern Michigan’s 255 — as they routed the Eagles for a victory on Homecoming. LeFevour accounted for 363 yards — throwing for 318 yards and rushing for 45 — with three touchdown passes and one on the ground.

Junior linebacker Nick Bellore led the team with 10 tackles.

Oct. 17 at Western Michigan, w 34-23 Bellore’s 50-yard interception return inside WMU’s 5-yard line gave CMU all the

momentum to end an otherwise closely contested first half against its rival. In the end, it was the Central Michigan that came into Waldo Stadium and walked out with bragging rights.

Oct. 24 at Bowling Green, w 24-10 The Falcons took the Chippewas into halftime down 1410 after kicker Matt Norsic made a 40yard field goal with seconds remaining in the half. But CMU came out in the second half to Andrew Aguila hold Bowling Green scoreless en route to scoring 10 points on an Andrew Aguila 38-yard field goal and a 9-yard pass from LeFevour to Anderson to give the game its final score.

Oct. 31 at Boston College, l 31-10 LeFevour was forced out of the game with a migraine headache in the second half and the defense allowed its highest point total thus far for the season. Both teams kept each other out of the end zone for most of the first half and Aguila broke the scoreless tie with a 34-yard field goal late in the second quarter. But Boston College went on to score 31 unanswered points en route to victory.

Nov. 11 vs. Toledo, w 56-28 CMU started slow by allowing the Rockets to march down the field and score on the game’s opening drive.

The Chippewas scored soon after on a 33-yard pass from LeFevour to Anderson to tie the game. After allowing another Toledo touchdown to begin the second quarter, CMU came back with 49 unanswered points en route to a nationally televised win.

LeFevour led the team with six touchdowns — two rushing and four passing ­— to go along with his 29-for-36 passing for 341 yards.

Nov. 18 at Ball State, w 35-3 LeFevour turned in a fivetouchdown performance as the Chippewas scored early and never looked back on the road against the Cardinals.

L e F e v o u r Bryan Anderson completed 25-of-28 passes for 344 yards and four passing touchdowns, beginning on the team’s opening drive, when he found Anderson in the end zone from 10 yards out. The Chippewas’ defense kept Ball State out of the end zone and allowed just a field goal late in the first half. It forced a fumble and stopped the Cardinals twice late on fourth downs.

Nov. 27 vs. Northern Illinois, w 45-31 The Chippewas closed out the regular season and finished their conference record a perfect 8-0 with the postThanksgiving win over the Huskies. They took a 10-point lead after a 13-yard receiving touchdown by sophomore running back Bryan Schroeder from LeFevour and an Aguila 24-yard field goal.

Schroeder rushed nine times for 128 yards and two touchdowns — including an 80-yard touchdown run — and caught four passes for 41 yards and a touchdown.

Compiled by senior reporter Dave Jones.

Sept. 5 vs. Connecticut, l 23-16 A late comeback attempt failed for Ohio, which dropped its season opener at home against the Huskies. UConn’s Jordan Todman scored on a 5-yard run to put his team up 23-7 at the start of the fourth quarter. But the Bobcats came back with an 11-yard pass from Theo Scott to Riley Dunlop, and Matt Weller was good from 50 yards to get to within a touchdown, but the comeback was stifled.

Sept. 12 at North Texas, w 31-30 (2OT) In the fourth quarter, cornerback Kenny Jackson returned an interception 69 yards for a touchdown and a three-point lead, 20-17. But with less than a minute remaining, North Texas kicker Jeremy Knott made an 18-yard field goal to send the game into overtime. There, the teams traded field goals before North Texas scored on a 7-yard run.

But Taylor Price caught a 15yard touchdown pass Kenny Jackson from Scott and also caught the two-point conversion that followed to seal the win.

Sept. 19 vs. Cal Poly, w 28-10 Ohio scored first on a 23yard interception returned for a touchdown by linebacker Erik Ejike. From there, the Bobcats built a 28-3 lead en route to their first home victory of the season. Scott finished with 236 passing yards and three touchdowns on 14-of-27 passing. Price was his favorite target with nine catches for 135 yards and a touchdown. The Bobcats’ defense forced a fumble and intercepted Cal Poly twice in a decisive win.

Sept. 26 at Tennessee, l 34-23 The Bobcats held tight with the Volunteers for the most part until late in the third quarter, when Tennessee scored to go up 31-20.

Ohio could only manage a pair of field goals in the second half and suffered its second loss of the season. Scott dropped back 52 times and completed 30 passes for 319 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Oct. 3 at Bowling Green, w 44-37 Scott rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown and threw for 203 yards and two more touchdowns as the Bobcats held off the Falcons in an offensive shootout. Going into halftime up by a touchdown, 20-13, Bowling Green got to within four on a field goal before Scott found Price for 35-yard touchdown. BGSU — led by quarterback Tyler Sheehan — got back to within a touchdown, but the Ohio offense was too much for the Falcons late in the game.

Oct. 10 at Akron, w 19-7 It was a defensive showcase against Akron as the Bobcats forced three fumbles, broke up five passes and intercepted two more. In addition, they re g i s t e re d Lee Renfro a sack and three tackles for losses and were led by linebacker Lee Renfro, who

finished with nine tackles, five solo. Ohio took a 3-0 lead into the half before Melvin Payne blocked a punt in the end zone and fell on it to go up 10-0.

Oct. 17 vs. Miami (Ohio), w 28-7 Miami came out to score on its opening series, capping a 10-play, 80-yard drive, topped off with a Zac Dysert 1-yard touchdown run. But Ohio came back to score 28 unanswered points to seal the win.

Donte Harden rushed 15 times and ended with 121 yards and two touchdowns. Scott completed 15-of-28 pass attempts for 163 yards and two touchdowns and an interception.

Oct. 24 vs. Kent State, l 20-11 The Bobcats scored first on a 22-yard Weller field goal, but were held in check until late in the forth quarter, when LaVon Brazil returned a punt 87 yards with a little more than two minutes remaining. Meanwhile, Kent State scored 20 unanswered points to put the game out of reach for the Bobcats. Scott was taken out of the game after completing 8-of-15 passes for 62 yards and two interceptions. Tyler Tettleton replaced Scott and completed 7-of-15 passes for 111 yards

and an interception with no touchdowns.

less than a minute-and-ahalf remaining.

Oct. 31 at Ball State, W 20-17 Ohio went into the fourth quarter trailing 10-9 on the road in Muncie, Ind., but took the lead after Weller’s field goal was good from 41 yards. Ball State came back to take the lead with a 35-yard pass from Tanner Justice to Jeremy Hill, but Scott came back to lead the Bobcats to the decisive touchdown on a 7-yard pass to Terrence McCrae. The play capped a sevenplay, 58-yard drive.

Nov. 21 vs. Northern Illinois, w 38-31 With just more than 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Ohio was trailing 28-24 after NIU capped an 11-play, 71-yard drive with a 26-yard touchdown pass. But Scott found Prince for a 7-yard touchdown and Julian Posey returned an interception 41 yards to retake the lead for the Bobcats and put them up 10 points.

Nov. 10 at Buffalo, W 27-24 A 14-play, 93-yard drive that lasted less than two minutes brought the Bulls to within a touchdown going into halftime. A Weller 46-yard field goal put the Bobcats up 10, but Buffalo came back to cut the lead to three and tie the game on a 26-yard field goal.

But Ohio drove 53 yards to Matt Weller get Weller into field-goal range, and he was good from 47 yards with

Nov. 27 vs. Temple, w 35-17 Scott threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns while completing 17-of-21 passes and no interceptions. He also rushed for 69 yards and added another two touchdowns on the ground as he led the Bobcats to their fourth consecutive win to close out the season. Ohio pulled away in the second half when Scott ran for a 17-yard touchdown and found McCrae with a 4-yard touchdown pass to take a 26-10 lead en route to a MidAmerican Conference Championship game berth.

Complied be Senior Reporter Dave Jones.