Health | Cobb Hall expands hours to four days, 5B Beards are back in facial fashion, not just for winter warmth, 1B
CMU loses on the road at Buffalo 72-43, 6A
Post-grad Jobs | Program sees high place rates, 3A
Central Michigan Life
Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
[cm-life.com]
17% of sophomores with renewable scholarships opt out Living off campus considered cheaper by many students By Theresa Clift Staff Reporter
Editor’s note: Every Wednesday, CM Life will publish an in-depth piece, examining different issues.
Michael Robinson Chavez/Los Angeles Times (MCT)
A man mourns as he holds up an Egyptian newspaper of those killed during the protests in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday Feb. 6. Protests began Jan. 25 against the current regime and to end President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule. As of Jan. 29, more than 105 deaths were reported and about 2,250 people were injured, including police officers and protestors.
Two professors impacted by conflict in Egypt Protests portrayed more violently than in reality, London says By Ariel Black Senior Reporter
Unconfirmed reports that an associate political science professor from CMU was attacked with a group of protesters in Egypt have recently circulated among faculty. Moataz Fattah is in Egypt on research leave, said Orlando Perez, political science and department chairman. Fattah’s condition, additionally, is unknown and he could not be reached for comment. “He has been active with his students at Cairo University and the protest,” Perez said, “but beyond that, I would rather ask him before divulging any additional information to the newspaper.” Protests began Jan. 25 in Egypt to end President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year reign. Fattah teaches Middle Eastern politics and Islamic studies
at Cairo University. He, however, is not the only individual close to CMU affected by the conflict. Dave London, a former CMU professor of advertising, teaches at the American University in Cairo. He is flying back to Egypt Saturday after evacuating when the political riots began. London was advised to postpone his teaching position in Cairo and fly back. He arrived in the U.S. from Egypt Feb. 1. “I was torn,” he said. “I thought of my background in journalism and that, if something important happened, I wanted to be there.” London was in the U.S. until Jan. 26, which he said was why he did not understand what began happening in Egypt the day before. London said social networking sites allowed news to leak even though the government controls the media. “I knew something significant was happening when I arrived back in Cairo,” London said. “The taxi took us to my apartment, but since it’s a gated community, the security would
By Anthony Fenech Senior Reporter
Check out a photo gallery of the conflict in Egypt, including thousands protesting, military standoffs and emotional outbreak for lost lives.
Egypt’s government at odds over role of constitution CAIRO — The embattled Egyptian government on Tuesday named panels of jurists to reform the constitution in an effort to regain the initiative in shaping Egypt’s future from protesters. Tens of thousands of antigovernment protesters who gathered in Cairo’s main square Tuesday quickly rejected the committees and refused to negotiate until U.S.-backed President Hosni Mubarak steps down. Many of
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them called for suspending the constitution and reasoned that they shouldn’t have to adhere to a rule of law that Mubarak doesn’t respect. The tug of war underscores the central question before this nation of 80 million people, the touchstone for the Arab world: Will it evolve into a constitutional democracy through a prolonged reform process or does it first require a dramatic shakeup by ousting Mubarak as head of state? Newly appointed Vice President Omar Suleiman announced in a televised ad-
Will there be changes? CMU is not considering changing its scholarship requirements because of this issue. Fleming said the university believes strongly that living in a residence hall is a very significant part of the college experience and it encourages students to do that. “All of the merit awards are constantly being reviewed to see if they should be increased,” Fleming said. “They will never be decreased.” The current values of the merit awards were increased three years ago. Next year, the Academic Honors Elite scholarship will be eliminated. This was awarded to high school seniors with GPAs over 3.6 and ACT scores above 25. This decision was made at the Office of the Provost for economic reasons. “It was felt that those
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By Hannah Allam MCT Campus
Seventeen percent of sophomores with one of CMU’s nine renewable scholarships chose to forfeit them last year so they could live off campus. Renewable scholarships start at $2,000 a year for four years as long as full-time students live on campus for their first two years and maintain a 3.25 GPA. These scholarships are awarded to students in their senior year of high school and are used as a recruiting tool. Diane Fleming, associate director of client services for the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, said about 25 percent of incoming freshmen typically receive a renewable scholarship. “We are the only four-year public school in Michigan that has such a generous renewable merit scholarship,” she said. The number one reason students choose to give up their scholarships to live off campus, Fleming said, is because they think it will save them money. However, she said no student has brought back data to explain that forfeiting their scholarship has that impact. “Students are convinced
that they can live more economically off campus than they can on campus,” Fleming said. “They also want the independence of living in an apartment instead of a residence hall.” Students can appeal to live off campus and still receive their scholarships because of economic and severe health reasons. Sault Ste. Marie sophomore Angela DiMartino wrote such a letter last year and her request was granted. “I explained how my dad’s income decreased last year significantly,” DiMartino said.
dress that committees of legal experts would hammer out amendments to Egypt’s constitution, which now sets no presidential term limits, restricts political candidacy and leaves little room for judicial oversight in elections. Some political analysts warn that drafting a constitution from scratch could lead to open-ended debates on minutiae. They said a more efficient approach might be for the opposition to work with committees to strip away executive powers and prepare a presidential candidate for
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the September elections. This would weaken the presidency even if the protest loses steam, they said. “The regime can wait them out — unless the crowds keep coming,” said Tarek Masoud, an assistant professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government who closely monitors Egyptian politics. Agreeing to work with the reform committees would involve a huge leap of faith by the opposition. Mubarak would remain in office during A egypt | 2A
Steve Jaksa likes being first. Two years ago, the Central Michigan baseball team was part of Midnight Madness and the first college baseball game of the 2009 season against Florida Gulf Coast University. The Chippewas finished first in the Mid-American Conference last season with a 20-7 regular season mark. And this year, the team will be part of the first collegiate game played at Detroit’s Comerica Park, when they renew their rivalry with Michigan State on April 20. “I always like being first,” head coach Jaksa said on Tuesday. “This is a unique thing and it’s a special thing,” he continued. “We have a really good alumni base in that part of the state and sometimes they don’t always get a chance to come up here. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Jaksa, along with CMU Athletics Director Dave Heeke and 2009 MAC Freshman of the Year Dietrich Enns, will be on hand at Comerica Park today for the game’s official announcement at a 10:30 a.m. news conference. Representing the Spartans will be head coach Jake Boss and senior first baseman Jeff Holm. “I’m really pumped,” Enns, a sophomore lefthanded pitcher, said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to play in a major league park. We all watched those games growing up and it’s going to be a great honor.” In his rookie campaign, Enns compiled a spotless 7-0 record out of the bullpen, appearing in 20 games while recording a 2.12 ERA. The April 20 meeting will be the second time he competes on a major league diamond. In high school, the Frankfort, Ill., native pitched in a showcase game at historic Wrigley Field in
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