Wrestling handles EMU 29-3 at McGuirk Arena, 1B
Friday, Feb. 18, 2011
Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera accused of DUI, 5B
Union Township | Medical marijuana regulations possible in future , 5A
Central Michigan Life
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
[cm-life.com]
University prepared for 15% state higher education cutbacks Amount reduced dependant on tuition increases By Maryellen Tighe Staff Reporter
CMU will be more aggressive in its fiscal planning after Gov. Rick Snyder announced plans for a 15-percent cut to higher education in his 2012 budget. The university has been involved in contingency planning for a while, but administrators will now step up their efforts, said Kathy Wilbur, vice president of Development and External Relations. CMU has until next semester before the budget cuts will impact it because the state government runs on an Oct. 1 fiscal year, University President George Ross said. The university had heard rumors of 15-to 20-percent cuts prior to Snyder’s Thursday announcement. “The conversation has always been 15 to 20 percent, at least the last couple weeks,” Ross said. “We’ll be huddling up the beginning of the week to see where we are with prioritizations.” The university began budgeting for reductions last spring, when it made $5.2 million in
cuts through personnel and other cost reductions, Ross said. This is a start toward covering the $12 million reduction that Rick Snyder may be needed if Snyder’s proposed budget is approved. The 15-percent decrease in university funding will save the state $222 million, according to Snyder’s proposal. Eighty-three million dollars will be set aside to award universities which do not raise tuition more than 7.1 percent. “That 15 percent is actually contingent on complying to that rate cap; the cut could be deeper (if they don’t),” said state Rep. Kevin Cotter, R-Mount Pleasant. “If CMU were to raise tuition at an amount not to exceed 7.1 percent then there would be an opportunity to recapture some funds ... if they were able to do that then the cut would be 15 percent.” There are no proposed cuts to community college funding and it will stay at the 2011 level of $296 million. “We’re certainly very pleased A budget | 2A
board of trustees
Kaitlin Thoresen/staff photographer
Dionysio Basco, Jackson McQueen, and Rafael Agustin perform skits as part of the N*gger Wetb*ack Ch*nk performance at Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium Thursday evening. The three showed the ways minorities are effected by racial slurs.
Comedy show encourages understanding stereotypes ‘N*GGER WETB*CK CH*NK’ mixes laughs with messages By Annie Harrison | Staff Reporter
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Erica Kearns/staff photographer
The CMU Board of Trustees begins its meeting Thursday in the President’s Conference room in the Bovee University Center. Prior to the meeting the board was given a tour of the Real Food on Campus residential restaurant located in the Towers, The Market and Fresh Foods Company on east campus.
Pearce, Powers capital outlay proposal approved Inside w Trustees tour RFoC, 5A
By Maria Amante Senior Reporter
CMU is set to renovate Pearce and Powers halls, but state backing for the initiative remains uncertain. A $24.5-million capital outlay proposed renovation for Pearce and Powers halls was approved Thursday at CMU’s Board of Trustees meeting. Following Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposed 15-percent cut to higher education, University President George Ross said he “cannot speak to” if the proposal will be approved by state government. “(Snyder) is attempting to ‘right-size’ our state,” Ross said. “He has inherited a tremendous budget deficit.” The request includes upgrades to classroom furniture, floors, lights, windows, roofing, doors, fiber optics, ceilings and a new heating, ventilating and air conditioning system to both buildings. It was submitted to the state Jan. 20 pending board approval. “We spend a considerable
amount of time coming up with the best proposal for campus,” said Steve Lawrence, associate vice president of Facilities Management. Before the plan can come to fruition, the Capital Outlay Subcommittee must approve the capital outlay funds for the university. Other business Trustees approved a 2-percent increase to graduate assistantships and graduate athletic assistantships. Master’s candidates and nondegree graduate students or a specialist candidate with less than 30 hours beyond a bachelor’s degree earn $9,800 to $14,400. The board approved an increase of $10,000 to $14,700 rate for these students effective next year. Doctoral candidates or specialist candidates with 30 hours beyond a bachelor’s earn $10,850 to $19,000. Next year, A BOARD | 5A
he only race that matters is the human race. This was the message of “N*GGER WETB*CK CH*NK,” a comedy show that analyzes language and race in the U.S. Rafael Agustin, Dionysio Basco and Jackson McQueen have toured the act in 41 states. “America was supposed to be a great melting pot, but it’s more about segmentation,” Agustin said. 1,100 students filled Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium Thursday to watch the three actors of different ethnicities share their personal struggles with cultural identity said Program Board president Steve Lewis, an Algean senior. The actors began the event by listing common stereotypes about their ethnicities. They said stereotypes are often untrue and people lose their identities when they are labeled.
Fewer H1N1 cases reported on campus since last year By Odille Parker Staff Reporter
The University Health Center has seen a decrease of about 74.4 percent in the H1N1 cases compared to last year. Helene Vossos, nurse practitioner at UHS said 23 cases have been reported on campus so far this season — from the 90 cases in 2009-10. CMU is treating H1N1 prevention alongside the seasonal influenza virus. “Rather than treating H1N1 individually, we are provid-
ing a seasonal vaccine that includes a protection (for H1N1),” Vossos said. “The influenza vaccine includes protection for influenza A, B and H1N1.” Contributing to the quick spread of H1N1 last year was the similarity to the seasonal flu’s symptoms. Vossos said patients tend to have a fever, prominent headaches, muscle and joint aches, extreme exhaustion and sometimes a sore throat with sneezing and stuffy noses. Holland sophomore Tyler Patterson was part of the
Fe b r u IaDrAyY
ring to the show’s title. Prudenville sophomore Jenny Mendham said the show was eye-opening and hilarious. “It made me realize just how unfair it is,” she said. “Language should bring us together, not tear us apart.” Bay City junior Kasey McFarland said she was impressed with the performances. “I wasn’t sure what to expect, but they went off with a bang,” she said. McFarland said she appreciated the actors’ direct approach to the discussion of language and race. “I feel like with a subject like race, there’s no other way to go about it,” she said. Keisha Janney, assistant director of Minority Student Services, said the group performed at CMU a few years ago and it was invited back because of popular student demand. Janney said “NWC” effectively examined the use of language in society.
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“If we’re not what the cliches say we are, then what are we?” Basco said. They said each ethnicity has positive qualities and people should not be confined to stereotypes. Basco said he is tired of the stereotype that all Asians are intelligent and joked that if he were black, he would be considered cool and tough. “You realize those are just more stereotypes, right,” McQueen said. “Yeah, but I like yours better than mine,” Basco responded as the audience burst into laughter. The performers acted out humorous scenarios including a “Chinese Superman,” a “black Santa” and a “Latino Jesus.” After the audience’s laughter calmed, the trio said the skits were only funny because many see the scenarios as improbable. They said negative stereotypes can limit people’s potentials. “Three words that label people that became ways to hurt people,” McQueen said, refer-
NEWS w SGA partners with OIT for PrintQ fund, 3A
unlucky bunch to contract H1N1. Patterson had the Swine Flu for about two weeks last October. While at Ferris State University, the doctor told him he had the common cold. After displaying flu-like symptoms for the following week, Patterson received a second opinion back home, where he was diagnosed with the Swine Flu. “Overall, this was the worst experience with sickness that I’ve ever had,” he said. “I just
w Man charged with assault, robbery at Wal-Mart, 3A
SPORTS w Men’s basketball looking for first road win in 2011, 1B w Enos hires receivers coach, 1B
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