March 19, 2012

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LIFE CENTRAL MICHIGAN

Tap dancer Ellie Sciarra draws from legacy to teach CMU workshops, 3A

Central Michigan University

Gymnastics team wins second-straight MAC title, 1B

| Monday, March 19, 2012

[cm-life.com]

Facilities master plan put on hold

n o co n f i d e n c e

Snyder mum on vote against CMU admins

Process to resume upon start of fall semester

By Catey Traylor Senior Reporter

By David Oltean Senior Reporter

After former Central Michigan University President Michael Rao stepped down in July 2009, the school’s facilities master plan was put on hold, Associate Vice President of Facilities Management Steve Lawrence said Friday. In an email to Central Michigan Life, Lawrence wrote that the facilities master plan was delayed while the university’s Strategic Planning Committee finished the strategic plan for other aspects of the university. “A completed strategic plan will be a key for guide for the updating of the campus facilities master plan,” Lawrence said. “We will begin the master planning process in September 2012 after students and faculty return, so they can be involved in the process.” The master plan highlights three aspects; academic priority, auxiliary and buildings. The plan was scheduled to begin once Academic Prioritization was complete, Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services David Burdette said in October. Provost Gary Shapiro introduced his report on Academic Prioritization in October, while University President George Ross announced the allocation of $5.8 million to programs considered Category 1 or 2 during the February board of trustees meeting. Grand Rapids-based architectural company URS Corporation will be invited to campus this summer to work toward completing the master plan. The company was originally expected to visit in November or December but was called off with the plan delays, Burdette told CM Life on Wednesday. Once complete, the facilities master plan will lay out what CMU’s campus is expected to look like in the next 20 years, including all building renovations and new structures. Currently, building projects including the new graduate student housing facility, Anspach Hall renovations and plans to create a new data center on campus have been outlined in the facilities master plan. A plan | 2a

“tougher” plant materials. Part of Gorsich’s current experimental process consists of a section of DNA, called a plasmid, placed in the nucleus of a yeast cell, where it alters the yeast’s ability to produce beneficial antioxidants. Yeast cells with the new DNA are placed in an oxidant solution alongside those without.

State and local officials are not commenting yet on recent issues of transparency at Central Michigan University. Calls made by Central Michigan Life to the offices of State Rep. Kevin Cotter, R-Mount Pleasant, and Gov. Rick Snyder last week regarding the state of CMU’s governance and transparency were not returned. And there have been no actions taken by the university’s board of trustees regarding the rising number of departments endorsing the Academic Senate’s Dec. 8 vote of no confidence against University President George Ross and Provost Gary Shapiro, or the questionable allocation of $10 million toward the Events Center. Last week, Vice President of Developmental and External Relations Kathy Wilbur and Director of Athletics Dave Heeke apologized for confusion the $10 million allocation may have caused the public. The two sat down with reporters Thursday afternoon, emphasizing the board’s actions — approving the use of reserve funds for the $22 million facility — were done in a public setting. Wilbur and Heeke later issued a joint statement to CM Life citing the same points. Though not every department’s vote was unanimous — 16 of CMU’s 37 on-campus academic departments have endorsed the A-Senate’s vote of no confidence against Ross and Shapiro — many citing a lack of transparency and collaboration between faculty, staff and administrators. The 16 departments are comprised of more than 500 of CMU’s tenured, tenure-track and fixedterm faculty members. Despite the rising number of faculty members expressing a lack of confidence in university administration, CMU Board of Trustees Chairman Sam Kottamasu reaffirmed his confidence in Ross and Shapiro during a Feb. 16 board meeting. CMU Board of Trustees will meet for the last time of the spring semester on April 12.

A biofuel | 2a

A vote | 2a

photos by charlotte bodak/staff photographer

Fremont senior Meagan Postema pipettes containers, preparing them for sporulation, for research in the Genetics Lab in Brooks Hall Wednesday morning. “I love what I do,” Postema said. “I like the unexpected aspect of research and the opportunity to discover something new everyday.”

fueling the future Biology professor Steven Gorsich, students researching biofuel processes

S

By Sam Easter | Staff Reporter

ustainability, cleaner resources and a way to separate a biofuel supply from food supply have all been top-shelf issues for environmentalists in recent years. Steven Gorsich, assistant professor of biology at Central Michigan University, is doing his part to resolve some of those issues; he and his lab team are taking a look at the ins and outs of biofuel production. More specifically, they’re looking at ways to streamline the process. Most ethanol is made using cornstarch in a relatively simple reaction using yeast that yields biofuel. The problem with this method, though, is that it draws on food products to yield energy sources. Gorsich’s project examines processes that use plant-based waste products like corn stubs, grass clippings and woodchips. “Using agriculture materials that are also used for food consumption by humans or livestock will increase the price of food at the supermarket,” Gorsich said in an email. “Using waste products to make ethanol is better, because it doesn’t directly affect food cost.” The problem his lab is looking to overcome is that most of these materials are “tougher” than cornstarch and so

their fermentation process requires an acid additive. “In order to get the sugars out of that, it requires a tougher pre-treatment,” Gorsich said. When the yeast starts to break down the plant material, the acids put a cap on the efficiency of the process. It results in what Gorsich refers to as “oxidative damage,” when oxidants (chemicals that adversely affect the

Fremont senior Meagan Postema prepares containers for research under the Polymerase Chain Reaction hood in the Genetics Lab Wednesday morning in Brooks Hall.

fermentation process) like the acids are too high for the process to continue properly. His lab’s solution isn’t to tweak the reaction’s chemical content, though; it’s to genetically change the yeast. Gorsich’s lab is looking for ways to make yeast more resistant to higher levels of oxidants, something that can boost the productivity of fermentation in those

s t u d e n t g o v e r n m e n t a s s o c i at i o n

[INSIDE]

Gawronski, Dvorak win election By Ryan Fitzmaurice Staff Reporter

Macomb junior Justin Gawronski was elected the next president of the Student Government Association with 37 percent of 2,096 votes, with Alma junior Anna Dvorak as his vice president. Gawronski and Dvorak received 775 votes in the election, defeating the second place ticket, Romeo senior Kevin Richmond and his vice presidential candidate Andover senior Scott Cooke, who received 22 percent, with 447 votes. Three other tickets also ran. Hesperia senior Killian Richeson and Schoolcraft sophomore Shane McGoff received 20 percent, 398 votes.

Warren senior Connor Gallagher and Carleton junior Andrew Clark came in fourth with 13 percent, 265 votes. Sparta junior Spencer McKellar and Fenton sophomore Sean Rositano came in last place at 9 percent, with 181 votes. Although Gawronski indicated he was poised to incorporate many small changes to make the SGA efficient, he said his initial focus would be to transition the SGA from one administration to another. “I want to really make the transition as smooth as possible,” Gawronski said. “I want business as usual. I want committees to keep doing what they are doing. I want the legislative bodies to

keep working on what they have been doing. I want to keep the SGA effective in this transition.” Current SGA President, Vincent Cavataio, a Shelby Township senior, said he thought Gawronski and Dvorak were a great choice by the student body and have the tools necessary to effectively run the SGA. “Justin and Anna come from diverse backgrounds, and they are heavily involved with the university,” Cavataio said. “They know how the SGA works, how the college’s administration works and most importantly, how the students work.” Cavataio said the new administration faced many issues coming into the new position. “They’ll need to continue

w Professor says filling out NCAA tournament brackets could lead to gambling problem later in life, 3A

file photo by bethany walter

Macomb junior Justin Gawronski and Alma junior Anna Dvorak address Student Government Association members on Feb. 7 in the Charles V. Park Memorial Library Strosacker Room for the introduction of each of the five president/vice president tickets that appeared on the ballot this election. Gawronski and Dvorak won the candidacy after 7 weeks of voting.

to focus on moving all the major signings and audits to an online format,” Cavataio said. “They’ll also need to focus on the sustainabil-

ity committee and continue to bring that committee into fruition.”

93 Years of Serving as Central Michigan University’s Independent Voice

A sga | 2a

w His House Christian Fellowship offers free rides on St. Patrick’s Day, 5A w Free tax assistance provided for low-income senior citizens, 5B

[ CM- LIFE.COM ] w Check out V ideo Editor Adam Kaminski’s preview of this week’s weather


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March 19, 2012 by Central Michigan Life - Issuu