March 31, 2010

time to plan your pranks! 1B

Sga | Agnello a no-show at debate, claims bias, 3A

FLIP COVER: Linebackers Bellore, Berning return with younger defense, 8A

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

[cm-life.com]

Most CMU students not affected by loan reform

Trustee’s departure left untold for months

Money put toward Pell Grants spikes because of economy

PR: Change made on Board Web site for visitors to see

By Carisa Seltz Staff Reporter

By Amelia Eramya Senior Reporter

University Communications and Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s administration made no announcement following Trustee Jacqueline Garrett’s resignation last July.

Steve Smith, director of Public Relations, said she resigned July 9, 2009 for personal reasons. That information was first reported last week when three new Trustees were appointed, one replacing Garrett.

Smith said Garrett’s name was removed from the Board of Trustees Web site in July for the public to notice. Jacqueline Gov. Jennifer Garrett Granholm was not aware of Garrett’s resignation until July 29, 2009, said Tiffany Brown, a Granholm spokesperson.

Brown said when a member’s term is up or when one resigns, neither Granholm nor her administration publicize the news.

“People find out about vacancies (through) word of mouth, terms that expire, (and) resignations,” she said.

Conversation in a Central Michigan Life live chat during a February Board of Trustees meeting touched on Garrett’s absence.

Royal Oak senior David Veselenak, CM Life’s online editor, noted the vacancy of her chair during the Feb. 18 meeting.

“It looks like there are a few trustees missing.

Torreano, Garret(t) are the noticeable ones,” Veselenak typed during the live chat.

Renee Walker, associate vice president of University Communications, commented on the chat under the name “CMU UComm.” She discussed her comment with Veselenak after the meeting.

About 15 minutes after the initial comment about missing trustees, Walker mentioned how many were there.

“Good morning. Thanks for the live chat. It’s a great opportunity to share important information.

There are six trustees attending the meeting with one of them via conference phone,” Walker typed.

She also noted the fact that Vice Chair Marilyn French Hubbard was taking part.

“Yes. Vice Chair Marilyn French Hubbard is participating via the conference phone,” Walker said.

Brown said the governor’s office receives applications for the A board | 2A

Photos by libby march/staff photographer

Julie Campbell gives grain to miniature horse Brownie, left, and pony Missy on Sunday afternoon in her backyard in Greendale Township. In addition to Brownie and Missy, the Campbells have nine chickens and three dogs.

no horsing around Greendale Township resident takes pride in her backyard pets

By Sarah Schuch | Senior Reporter EDITOR’S NOTE: Central Michigan Life occasionally sends reporters and photographers in search of features on campus and around the area. This is one story in the ongoing series.

G

REENDALE TWP. — They are furry, slightly dusty and shorter than expected — but Julie Campbell treats them as if they are her children.

Taken from not the best of homes, Campbell, a Greendale Township resident, has given love and a good place to live to two miniature horses, which now call her backyard home.

“Once they’re here, they’re here to stay,” she said.

Her love for animals is not only shown to the horses but also the three dogs, eight chickens and one rooster she has. The appreciation for animals is something she hopes to be pass on to her granddaughters.

The family’s first miniature horse, Missy, was originally bought for her 4-year-old granddaughter.

Brownie, the other horse, is about 6 years old. He stands about two-and-a-half feet tall and is a light brown color with an even lighter mane. Brownie came to the family in December.

He was not given a lot of care or room to run, Campbell said.

“Just neglected a little bit,” she said. “He lived in a dog cage. His best friend was a dog.”

Students at Central Michigan University likely will not notice major effects from a student loan reform signed into law Tuesday.

President Barack Obama gave the Reconciliation bill his stamp of approval, though it included a few differences from the version first approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on March 21.

The law eliminates the nation’s bank-based system of distributing federally subsidized loans to college students.

This reform is expected to spare taxpayers $68 billion over the next 10 years, according to a March 27 news release from the president’s office.

But Diane Fleming, associate director of scholarships and financial aid, said students at CMU will not have to adjust to the reformed system since the university has made loans with the federal government for the last 20 years.

“There’s definitely no changes for CMU students,” she said.

“We have been in the direct lending program since the second year of its inception.”

The Reconciliation bill was coupled with health care reform last week, but was sent back to the House after the U.S. Senate found an error in a Pell Grant section. By Thursday evening, both houses had given their approval.

Public reports show the law also expands health insurance subsidies for middle- and lower-income families and

Julie Campbell kisses her 6-year-old miniature horse, Brownie, Sunday afternoon in her backyard in Greendale Township.

Missy has been with the family for almost two years. At 3 feet, 5 inches tall, she looks quite a bit taller than Brownie, Campbell said.

Clark Campbell, Julie’s husband, said the animals have grown on him. Although he has been around animals all his life, it is a different feeling giving them the amount of care he and Julie do, he said.

His main enjoyment with the miniature horses is watching his 4-yearold granddaughter ride them.

Clark and Julie originally were looking for a miniature goat for their granddaughter, but came across Missy instead.

“I enjoy when my granddaughter is here riding them,” Clark said.

Aspen Campbell, Julie and Clark’s granddaughter, just more than 2 feet,

A LOAN | 2A

LIVE STREAM TONIGHT! 8 p.m., cm-life.com

Kaitlynn Craven, 8, pushes her stepsister, Aspen Campbell, 4, on the swing.

Their grandmother, Julie Campbell, leads their sister, Ashley Craven, 11, as she rides 6-year-old miniature horse Brownie on Tuesday at the girls’ grandparents’ home in Greendale Township.

8 inches tall, is barely taller than Brownie. But she holds onto his mane and rides him around the yard.

Trusting each other The Campbells have worked with both the horses to get them used to being around the family.

Julie said Brownie can be a bit shy and sassy at times, and Missy can be skittish. Missy might not have been treated very well either, she said. “(Missy) shows off, and then she calms down,” Julie said.

A horses | 5A

Student Government Association presidential candidate Evan Agnello and vice presidential candidate Jessica Richard will join us on live stream as we discuss their platform and ideas for campus.

Join us at 8 p.m. and submit some of your own questions!

Evan Agnello

Moving away from the classroom?

Some worry online courses could lead to decentralization of students, faculty

By Connor Sheridan Senior Reporter

paige calamari/staff photographer

Brighton freshman Colleen McNeely listens as Jeffrey Angera, an associate professor of human environmental studies, answers a question during the Student Government Association forum on online learning Monday night in the Education and Human Services Building’s French Auditorium.

The future of class work may not reside in the classroom.

Dave Whale, associate professor of educational leadership, has two daughters that attend Central Michigan University. To them. online

courses seem like no big deal.

“Online learning is a natural extension of everything you’ve grown up with,” he said.

Whale said taking courses online versus taking them in class is a noticeably different experience.

Four CMU faculty members spoke and answered questions about online learning Monday night in the Education and Health Services Building’s French Auditorium.

About 100 people attended the forum, hosted by the Student Government Association.

Merodie Hancock, vice president and executive director of professional education, said students cannot hide in online classes.

“There is no back row,” she said.

Hancock said it makes courses that grade for participation much less subjective, as the sum of the student’s contributions and discussion can be easily collected and reviewed.

However, the new technology does cause some difficulty for professors who are unfamiliar with it, she said.

“Our faculty will be teach-

ing in a manner in which they did not learn,” Hancock said.

Whale said, over time, the gap will narrow.

“CMU does have the commitment to doing this the right way that few other public universities do,” he said.

Helpful for harmful?

Jeff Angera, associate professor of human environmental studies, said in his human sexuality course online students were more open and engaged in discussion.

Some of them even requested A online learning| 5A

2A | Wednesday, March 31, 2010 || Central Michigan Life

Today w Virg Bernero speaks to the College Democrats from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Charles V. Park Library Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

Thursday w A thrift sale featuring clothing, household items and books takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Bovee University Center Lake Michigan and Lake Superior Rooms. w An American Red Cross blood drive takes place from noon to 5:45 p.m. in Kulhavi Hall 142. w A seminar focusing on career development takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Rowe Hall 229. University President George Ross will be a guest speaker.

loan | continued from 1A

Medicare’s prescription drug benefit, adding more than $60 billion to the $875 billion health care reform law also approved last week. “They wanted to make sure that this got done in time,�

Griffin Endowed Chair Maxine Berman said. “They put them together to make sure, since it’s already March, that it would be available, I’m assuming, for fall.�

Berman said unlike Michigan’s constitution, which mandates all bills must pertain to one topic, it is common in Washington politics to include many topics in one super-bill. “If you look over the years, you see it’s very common to have a number of topics that have nothing to do with each other in the same bill,� she said.

Fleming said CMU students who receive Pell Grants will still benefit from the reformed system. The

board | continued from 1A

board constantly, so the application process is not affected if news of a vacated position stays silent.

The application is accessible on michigan.gov and those who apply are required to provide letters of recommendation.

The process also includes, but is not limited to background checks and an interview with Granholm’s administration, Brown said.

Meet the new Trustees Three were appointed to the Board of Trustees last week to replace Garrett and outgoing Trustees Gail Torreano and Stephanie Comai. “Gov. Granholm believes that all three appointees are leaders in their community who are committed to higher education and CMU,� Brown said.

Ronald C. Edmonds, vice president and controller of

money saved from eliminating banks in loan processes will be reallocated to expand funding for the federal Pell Grant program.

If the legislation was not approved, the Obama administration reported an estimated 500,000 students who would otherwise have to be cut from the program and the award reduced by roughly $2,150.

Fleming said the Pell Grant program is currently “running at an $18 billion deficit because it’s not an entitlement program.� “Congress has to appropriate money for it,� she said.

She said $23.9 million has been handed out to 6,517 CMU students so far this academic year in Pell Grant funds. “Last year, including summer, we had 5,060 students get a Pell Grant (costing) $15,933,500,� Fleming said. “We’re already at 6,517 (students) and we’re at $23 million. What that says is that we have a lot more families who, because of plant closings, downsizing, recession, lay-offs, are qualified for

The Dow Chemical Co., will succeed Torreano and has a strong business tie in the community, Brown said.

Kevin F. Kelley, director of senior and veterans services for Wayne County, will succeed Comai and is a CMU alumnus.

Both will begin in January and have terms that last through December 2018.

Robert F. Wardrop II, president and attorney with Wardrop & Wardrop P.C. in Grand Rapids, will take Garrett’s place, effective immediately.

Wardrop graduated from CMU in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science degree in math and economics. He also taught economics at CMU for about two years. “I’m very excited,� Wardrop said. “(I’m) really looking forward to doing what is best for Central.�

He also sat on the Alumni board for 12 years and was president of the Alumni Association for two years.

He thinks he will bring a unique outlook to the Board with his involvement in uni-

federal Pell Grants. That’s a huge increase in Pell Grant eligibility.�

In addition to reforming the distribution process, the health care legislation also included provisions to make repaying loans easier.

For individuals who take out new loans after July 1, 2014, only 10 percent of their income will have to be devoted to loan repayment, down from the current 15 percent.

Loan forgiveness also will set in for those who keep up their payments for 20 years, a reduction from the current 25-year requirement. metro@cm-life.com

Corrections

versity affairs since 1955.

When Wardrop was a student at CMU, he worked in what is now the Down Under Food Court in the Bovee University Center.

When the Board had its meetings, Wardrop managed their lunches. “I used to serve lunch to the Board,� he said. “Now I am one.�

Wardrop said he applied for the Board two years ago, when there were open positions.

He said he was not aware Garrett had resigned until news came he would assume her position.

Wardrop’s father, Robert F. Wardrop, is in the CMU Athletics Hall of Fame. Wardrop’s brother, Mac, also graduated from CMU. “I’m just looking forward to helping with the university and working with the other Trustees and the CMU Administration,� he said. “I’m also looking forward to helping other students and listening to their concerns.�

EVENTS CALENDAR

cm-life.com

!

"#$" %

&

#''(' )') **+ ($($

university@cm-life.com

SPRING SALE! 30% OFF MUFFLERS AND SHOCKS & STRUTS

No Appointment Necessary

HOURS: Mon-Fri. 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Sat. 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

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 2010 Volume 91, Number 72

7iĂŠ"vviÀÊ ÂœÂ“ÂŤÂ?iĂŒiĂŠ Ă•ĂŒÂœÂ“ÂœĂŒÂˆĂ›iĂŠ,iÂŤ>ÂˆĂ€ Air Conditioning • Brakes • Exhaust • General Maintenance Heating & Cooling • Lube/Oil/Filter • Preventive Maintenance Shocks & Struts • Starting & Charging • And Much More!

INSPECTIONS ARE ALWAYS FREE! {ÇäÎÊ*ˆVÂŽ>Ă€`ĂŠ,`Ê­ ‡ÓäŽÊUĂŠ ĂŒÂ°*Â?i>Ăƒ>Â˜ĂŒĂŠĂŠUÊ­™n™ŽÊÇÇ·ÓΣ£

67$< &211(&7(' :,7+ <285 7($0 Exclusive savings for

Central Michigan University students Special savings on BlackBerryÂŽ smartphones from AT&T!

â&#x20AC;˘ High-speed data access to email, the web and more

SAVE

7

%

off basic monthly service charges.*

â&#x20AC;˘ Get everything you love from FacebookÂŽ and MySpaceÂŽ for BlackBerry

Ask an AT&T representative how you can earn money back for your old wireless phone when you buy a new BlackBerryÂŽ smartphone from AT&T!

â&#x20AC;˘ Seamlessly connect to AT&T Wi-FiÂŽ hotspots

BlackBerryÂŽ Boldâ&#x201E;˘ 9000 smartphone white

BlackBerryÂŽ Boldâ&#x201E;˘ 9700 smartphone

BlackBerryÂŽ Curveâ&#x201E;˘ 8520 smartphone

Hurry! Bring your student ID to an AT&T store today and mention FAN # 2661402 http://www.att.com/wireless/cmustudents Available at AT&T: 2014 S. Mission St, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858 *Actual service discount applies only to the Monthly Service Charge of eligible plans and varies monthly depending on your employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aggregate volume of qualified charges. See your AT&T representative for complete details.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Limited-time offer. May require a 2 year agreement on a qualified plan. Other conditions and restrictions apply. See contract and rate plan brochure for details. Subscriber must live and have a mailing address within AT&Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s owned wireless network coverage area. Equipment price and availability may vary by market and may not be available from independent retailers. Purchase of additional equipment, services or features may be required. Not all features available on all devices or in all areas. Early Termination Fee: None if cancelled in the first 30 days, but up to $20 restocking fee may apply to equipment returns; thereafter up to $175. Some agents impose additional fees. Unlimited voice services: Unlimited voice services are provided solely for live dialog between two individuals. No additional discounts are available with unlimited plan. Off-net Usage: If your voice or messaging service usage (including unlimited services) during any two consecutive months or data service usage (including unlimited services) during any month on other carrier networks (â&#x20AC;&#x153;off-net usageâ&#x20AC;?) exceeds your off-net usage allowance, AT&T may, at its option, terminate your service, deny your continued use of other carriersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; coverage, or change your plan to one imposing usage charges for off-net usage. Your off-net usage allowance is equal to the lesser of 750 minutes or 40% of the Anytime Minutes, the lesser of 24 MB or 20% of the MB included with your plan, or the lesser of 3000 messages or 50% of the messages included with your plan. AT&T will provide notice that it intends to take any of the above actions, and you may terminate the agreement. Monthly discount: Available to qualified employees of companies and/or government agencies and qualified students and employees of colleges/universities with a qualified business agreement (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Business Agreementâ&#x20AC;?). Service discount subject to corresponding Business Agreement and may be interrupted and/or discontinued without notice to you. Service discount applies only to the monthly service charge of qualified plans and not to any other charges. A minimum number of employees, minimum monthly service charge for qualified plans, additional AT&T services or other requirements may apply for discount eligibility. Discounts may not be combined. Offer subject to change. Additional conditions and restrictions apply. If you have a question about available discounts and/or your eligibility, you can contact your companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s telecommunications manager. Š2010 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T and the AT&T logo are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property.

BlackBerryÂŽ, RIMÂŽ, Research In MotionÂŽ, SureTypeÂŽ, SurePressâ&#x201E;˘ and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of Research In Motion Limited and are registered and/or used in the U.S. and countries around the world.

inside life Central Michigan Life

3A

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Meetings, reading keep George Ross busy New president introduced to transition team

By Sarah Schuch Senior Reporter

George Ross is still in learning mode after one month as president of Central Michigan University.

With many meetings, debriefings and reading materials to wrap his mind around, the former president of Alcorn State University said time has flown by.

“It’s going fast and furious,” Ross said. “We are engaged in a

very quick learning curve.”

Ross has spent many hours re-learning the university’s budget, he said, and plans on having another budget forum before the semester ends.

At the next forum, Ross said he hopes to share information on some of the preliminary budget decisions.

Barrie Wilkes, associate vice president of Financial Services and Reporting, said another forum would be beneficial with Ross at CMU. “I think it’s important that he be front and center, along with his vice president team,” Wilkes said.

Ross, who took over for interim Kathy Wilbur on March 1,

does not deny he is concerned about the budget, but said he does not want the university to lose track of its goals and stop because of financial concerns.

With a proposed state appropriation reduction of 3.1 percent — an amount considered modest by Ross and other officials — Ross believes CMU will be prepared.

“Am I concerned that we are going to have to make some choices because we can’t be everything to everybody? Yes, I’m concerned about that,” he said.

“You’re never going to have all the information you want, and time has a way of running out A ross | 5a

By Ryan Czachorski Senior Reporter

A retired state trooper filed a lawsuit against the Isabella County Sheriff’s Department stemming from a July 2007 incident.

Al Bland, 83, of Mount Pleasant maintains two officers from the sheriff’s department, Sgt. Jim Hadley and Deputy Kevin Dush, and Sgt. Sarah Cuthbertson of the Mount Pleasant Police Department, used excessive force in an incident taking place at Central Michigan Community Hospital.

According to 2007 police reports acquired under the Freedom of Information Act, Bland is claiming use of excessive force, assault and battery and negligence against the department.

He is asking for more than $75,000.

The suit was filed two weeks ago in U.S. District Court in Bay City. Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski said neither the sheriff’s office nor the county have been served.

“We still have not received anything, and it’s not our job to go looking for it,” he said.

Bland has a condition called aphasia, a brain condition that hinders his ability to communicate and understand communicating. According to the police reports, he said the police thought he was obstructing justice while Bland was trying to indicate the con-

dition to them.

Dush tased him after a struggle, the reports state.

The incident arose when Bland’s wife cut her leg and had to be taken to the hospital. According to the police report filed by Cuthbertson, there was an altercation between the Mobile Medical Response team and Bland at his residence.

“At this time, (the response team) indicated they had been assaulted while at the residence by the patient’s husband and they also had to leave some of their emergency medical equipment because the husband would not allow them back into the residence,” the report states.

Reports show Bland then went to the hospital and waited by his truck, where police met him. The report filed by Dush indicates he approached Bland with the intent to investigate the altercation between the medical team and Bland.

Bland told Dush he did not have to cooperate, it states, because he was a state trooper. A fight ensued.

“Mr. Bland then attacked me (Dush) by shoving me and punching me,” the report states. “A struggle between he and I ensued and he hit me again, knocking my glasses to the ground.”

Cuthbertson and Hadley restrained Bland’s arms, according to the report.

Bland continued resisting the police officers, prompting Dush to tase him before he was taken into custody.

Dush’s report states Bland needed no medical attention after the altercation. metro@cm-life.com

“We still have not received anything, and it’s not our job to go looking for it.”

Leo Mioduszewski, Isabella County Sheriff

Fear Factor

Nathan Kostegian/staff photographer

University President George Ross reflects on his first month as President on Tuesday. He took over for interim Kathy Wilbur on March 1 after serving two years as Alcorn State University’s president.

By David Veselenak Online Editor

Mount Pleasant may remain a member of the Michigan Main Street program despite previous discussions of withdrawing membership.

Michelle Sponseller, the city’s downtown development director, said Mount Pleasant was downgraded from the program’s Select level Jan. 31. Michigan Main Street is a state-run development pro-

gram for downtowns statewide.

The Downtown Development Board voted Friday to remain in the program, but at the Associate level. Joe Borgstrom, director of the Specialized Technical Assistance and Revitalization Strategy Division for the Michigan Housing Development Authority, said this was the first time the program downgraded a city instead of removing it from the program for non-compliance.

“It became clear to us that ... they weren’t fully prepared for the Select level,” he said.

“We wanted to use this opportunity to answer those questions.”

Teams of four will compete during “Fear Factor SHC Live” at 8 p.m. today in the Saxe/ Herrig/Celani lobby. The event is based on the NBC television show in which participants face each other in a series of dares and stunts. Prizes will be handed out.

2010 Census

The 2010 Mount Pleasant Census will be on campus until Thursday to offer students a chance to win cash prizes. The census crew will be in front of the Bovee University Center from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Thursday. Any student who resides in Mount Pleasant and drops off their census form during this time will be given a ticket and entered into a drawing for two $250 and one $500 cash prize.

All-American barbecue

The Phi Mu sorority hosts a barbecue fundraiser from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Wesley Foundation, 1400 S. Washington St. The sorority is raising money for the Special Olympics this summer. Tickets are $4 from a Phi Mu member or $5 at the door. Burgers, chips, potato salad, cookies and root beer floats are planned. Information on how students can volunteer at the Special Olympics also will be available. For more information, contact Hailey Uribe at uribe1hg@cmich.edu.

Colonel visit

jeff smith/staff photographer

Student Government Association presidential candidate Brittany Mouzourakis, a Garden City senior, and vice presidential candidate Dave Breed, a Muskegon junior, answer questions prepared by the election committee and the audience at the Student Government Association presidential debate Tuesday in the Charles V. Park auditorium. Their opponents, Troy junior Evan Agnello and Highland junior Jessica Richard, choose not to participate in the debate.

DEBATELESS DEBATE Agnello drops out of SGA debate, claims bias

T

wo podiums rested on the stage of the Charles V. Park Library Auditorium during Tuesday’s Student Government Association Debate.

Only one was used.

With the absence of Troy junior Evan Agnello, Brittany Mouzourakis, the current SGA vice president, was the only featured candidate.

Agnello said the debate would be biased because it was moderated by SGA. “There was no ground rules, no real organization,” Agnello said. “Students deserve to hear both sides.”

Lake Orion sophomore

Joe Graffeo, a senator for the College of Business, was asked to be the mediator 48 hours prior to the debate.

He was picked to replace another who was needed in New York.

Mouzourakis, a Garden City senior, said Agnello’s absence was disrespectful to the election process.

“When Evan decided he did not want to show up today, he disrespected the integrity of the election, the curiosity of the student body and the hard work of the current SGA members who took the time to advertise and host the event,” Mouzoura-

kis said. “His campaign, his platform, is nothing but a house of cards.”

The debate Mouzourakis and her running mate, Muskegon senior Dave Breed, covered questions involving the inception of Central Michigan University’s College of Medicine, promoting diversity, SGA stipends, budget issues and SOS surveys.

The five questions were presented to the candidates by the Election Committee at a press conference A sga | 6a

City downgraded in Michigan Main Street program DDB voted Friday to remain at Associate level

Pancake fundraiser

The Delta Zeta sorority hosts a pancake fundraiser from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the Delta Zeta House, 810 S. Main St. Proceeds will benefit the Central Michigan University Speech and Hearing Clinic. Tickets are $3 from a Delta Zeta member or $5 at the door. The event also will feature a pancake eating contest.

Former state trooper sues Sheriff ’s Dept.

83-year-old claims excessive force

[Life in brief]

City officials began debating in October for inclusion in the program. City commissioners considered a motion to withdraw at a Jan. 25 meeting, but decided to postpone the vote until they had more answers for questions.

The city’s Downtown Development Board had several concerns with the program, including the level of involvement the DDB was required to have, the level of funding and making Sponseller an employee of the DDB and not the city.

Borgstrom said he requested a proclamation from the DDB and the commission by May 1 stating they wish to

remain as an associate member. Borgstrom said he received the proclamation from the DDB Friday, but had not received one from the commission.

Sponseller said it will not appear on the commission’s April 12 agenda. She said she still needs to confirm with Borgstrom whether the city needs to approve another resolution, since it already approved an associate level resolution last year.

“We’re trying to see if we really need another one,” Sponseller said.

She said the DDB had other concerns as well, including membership requirements for

Heidi Fenton, Managing Editor | news@cm-life.com | 989.774.4343

DDB members.

At a Jan. 25 special session with the commission, DDB member Kriss Roethlisberger asked why only residents could serve on the board, when others who have businesses downtown could not. City Manager Kathie Grinzinger cited a condition in the city charter that limits who could serve on appointed boards.

Sponseller said the issue has been talked about for a couple of years, but no action has been taken.

“The charter has to be (amended) by a vote of the people,” she said. metro@cm-life.com

Col. Elaine Edwards speaks at 6 p.m. today in the Industrial Engineering and Technology Building 116. Edwards is a 1981 CMU journalism alumnus whose speech, “Marketing Army Officership,” is part of the Col. William B. Nolde lecture series. Edwards is the director of marketing for U.S. Army Cadet Command, where she orchestrates all aspects of the national-level marketing of the Army ROTC program. CMU’s military science department is helping sponsor the event.

It is free and open to the public. For more information, call 774-3049.

Quilt exhibit

A co-sponsored exhibit with the Multicultural Education Center and the Network for Women takes place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday in the Bovee University Center 125.

The exhibit will showcase work created by CMU faculty and staff. It is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Ulana Klymyshyn at klymy1au@cmich.edu or 774-7318.

ROTC Shadow Day

Detachment 380 of the Air Force ROTC encourages students to come to “Shadow Day” from noon to 6 p.m. Thursday at Michigan State University.

The event is designed to help students understand what it is like to be an ROTC cadet. Participants will listen to briefings from Air Force officers and cadets about the Air Force ROTC and scholarship opportunities.

Students also will participate in group leadership projects.

For more information, contact Emily Donaldson at emilycdonaldson@gmail.com and (517) 355-2168.

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

voices

“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

Central Michigan Life

4A Wednesday, March 31, 2010

[cm-life.com/category/opinion]

Brian Manzullo, Editor

in

Chief | Will Axford, Voices Editor | Heidi Fenton Managing Editor | Eric Dresden, University Editor | Jackie Smith, Metro Editor

EDITORIAL | University and Mount Pleasant should work together to attract students

Exploring town

T

he city of Mount Pleasant is an integral partner of Central Michigan University.

From local businesses supporting university events to students venturing out to buy groceries, the surrounding business district is impossible for anyone on campus to avoid. Unfortunately, most students aren’t inclined to explore beyond campus.

City officials and the university should work together so students will venture out and explore the surrounding area.

One such program aimed to achieve this is the campus connector, a program that could create synergy between the university and Mount Pleasant.

The campus connector is an

initiative to attract more students into the heart of Mount Pleasant. Main and Washington streets would be redeveloped for increased aesthetic appeal. More lights would be installed along with a bike path, making students and city residents feel safe when traveling between the university and downtown.

Downtown Mount Pleasant has

more to offer than just bars, despite what most of-age students may say.

In addition to small local businesses ranging from bookstores to bicycle shops, there is an excellent selection of local eateries that can offer students a break from the numerous fast food chains on Mission Street.

Island Park also is located downtown, offering a free and fun way for students to spend their afternoons when they need a break from studying and classes.

Sounds like a great plan, right? It is a good plan. Hopefully, progress is made sooner rather than later.

The project was proposed more than a year ago. The city applied for $115,000 in grant money back in January to help start the project. In February, eight-foot sidewalks and new bike lanes were suggested for Main and Washington streets.

Another major advantage would

be a way to escape traffic back-ups on Mission Street. With alternate routes available to get downtown and to other parts of Mount Pleasant, traffic around the campus may be more dispersed, encouraging travel.

Students could stimulate the local economy, especially if they knew what downtown had to offer.

The campus connector is a great way to encourage student interaction with the city of Mount Pleasant. Since the city is a student’s home during his or her college career, local leaders should work with the university to make Mount Pleasant an easier place to get involved in.

Students would no doubt be more inclined to be part of the community, especially if the city made them feel welcomed to come downtown and explore.

The campus connector could be the starting point.

Jason Gillman Jr. Columnist

‘Obamacare’ bad for us C

[our readers’ voice]

Agnello’s reason for not attending SGA debate My decision not to attend the Student Government Association debate last night was due to the fact that the event would be moderated by the SGA Elections Committee.

Appointed by our opponents, the SGA Elections Committee is a biased party, prejudiced against my candidacy.

The co-chair of the committee has even engaged in harassing my supporters and campaigning for our opponents.

Attending the debate would only justify this unfair behavior.

Students deserve a debate and election run by a neutral party, not SGA politicians helping to elect their friends.

Our opponents have stated SGA stipends are not funded through

tuition dollars, but rather private donors.

The fact of the matter is evidence has been obtained from the Dean of Students proving all SGA bonuses are paid through the general fund - money that comes from the cash-strapped students and taxpayers.

We shouldn’t have to question whether SGA works for us or the administration.

Unfortunately, what happened last year with “FAILGATE,” many have to assume the latter.

When ESPN Magazine is quoted as saying, “What they’re doing at Central Michigan should be investigated by Congress,” it looks bad for CMU and it looks bad for our student government.

I am confident that when students take a look at which candidate really represents them, and their interests, they will make the right choice next week.

Evan Agnello Troy junior Candidate, SGA President

From cm-life.com on Agnello’s no-show Tuesday chip alum says:

Why would anyone partake in a debate that has zero ground rules?

Heck, I hear they don’t even know if there will be two podiums. And the whole debate has been a sham.

Student Government Association announced this debate before even confirming the participants.

CM Life bashed Campus Conservatives for their botched governor debate. This is even worse.

At least they had rules. Who would debate with no rules? And the questions are given out in advance. What kind of debate is that? Seriously! That’s pathetic. I also understand there have been three moderators in three days.

They can’t even find anyone to moderate the debate. I can see why Agnello won’t touch the debate with a 10-foot pole.

C M Y o u |What do you think of the quality of the buildings on campus?

Central Michigan Life Editorial Brian Manzullo, Editor in Chief Heidi Fenton, Managing Editor Joe Borlik, Student Life Editor Jackie Smith, Metro Editor Eric Dresden, University Editor Andrew Stover, Sports Editor Ashley Miller, Photo Editor Will Axford, Voices Editor David Veselenak, Online Editor Chelsea Kleven, 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

Time is money Apply efficiency to all aspects of your life

B

DON WRIGHT [CARTOON]

ongratulations.

Due to U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak getting suckered by President Barack Obama’s executive order, which can be rescinded at any time by the president or contradictory legislation, all you “Obamacare” supporters got your law approved.

I have some questions for you supporters, though: Are you that economically illiterate that you don’t realize provisions requiring coverage for those with preexisting conditions will drive insurance companies out of business? Or is it that you’re banking on that happening so you can push for further government intrusion into our lives?

The economics of the preexisting coverage provision aren’t complex.

Requiring insurers to charge the same premiums across the board for those with and without preexisting conditions will lead to skyrocketing premiums. No surprise there — increased expenses will require increased premiums.

Of course, insurers won’t have the ability to mitigate these increased premiums by not accepting those with preexisting conditions. This has been (correctly) analogized to buying homeowners insurance only after your house is on fire.

So when 2014 rolls around and this provision comes into effect, don’t be surprised when insurance companies go out of business because people aren’t buying until they get sick. Even if people paid the penalty for not carrying coverage, it would still be much cheaper than carrying it.

I would certainly imagine the Speaker of the House and the President would understand the economic impacts as I described.

These people are not stupid. This leads me to believe that these individuals, and others like them, are just plain advocates of further government intrusion.

If these increases in government intrusion — in relation to health care or otherwise — continue, I wouldn’t be surprised to see people, and possibly businesses, engaging in civil disobedience again.

Michael L. Hoffman Columnist

enjamin Franklin was a man of many talents.

He was an inventor, politician, writer, womanizer and more.

But one of my favorite aspects of Franklin is his ability to be quoted, at almost any time.

“A penny saved is a penny earned,” is one of his most heralded quotes. But I much prefer the phrase, “Time is money.”

Franklin was onto something when he said that. Just imagine how productive people would be if they treated their time like money. We’d be so much more efficient.

There is an episode of the television show “The Office” when Holly of Human Resources is running a meeting about “office ethics” and, aside from stealing office supplies, the issue Holly wanted to drive home was “time theft.”

Time theft, according to Holly, is when a worker spends excessive time doing non-work related activities — whether it be hanging out by the water cooler, flirting with reception or being Michael Scott.

I notice that I am a time thief. I steal time all the time. But unlike Jim, Pam, Dwight and Michael, I don’t steal an exorbitant amount of time from work, but from myself.

Franklin would find me an embarrassment to efficiency sometimes. But I am trying to improve.

I am trying to take heed of Holly’s “don’t be a time theft” message.

Another anti-time wasting slogan I endorse is the Minutemen’s “we jam econo.”

The Minutemen was a 1980s punk band from San Pedro, Calif. known for its minimalist lifestyle.

“We jam econo,” according to bassist Mike Watt, means they were not doing things in excess.

In an interview with Chris Bilton for Brooklyn, Vegan Watt said, “It’s not just a slogan. It’s a credo.

Because, coming from working people, and there ain’t a lot of materialism, you could make things happen.”

This is what everyone should do.

We should all make things happen without having to break the bank or waste too much time.

Punk rock in the ’80s was very efficient and achieved more than anyone ever thought it could.

Rockers did it with almost no money. Watt says they did it “econo.”

I say they did it by spending too much time at the water cooler.

Holly wanted the Scranton branch to be like the Minutemen.

She wanted them to treat every minute like it was a dollar they were spending.

Time is money.

We should all strive to live like the Minutemen. We should all try to look at what we have and make the most of it. The Minutemen lived the American dream by definition. They looked at their capital (instruments, a van and gut-wrenching determination) and achieved their dreams.

To live “econo” is to live the American dream. Let’s take what the Minutemen did and run with it.

[letters to the editor]

“Generally, (the buildings) are good.”

Alexis Bailey,

Detroit freshman

“The dorms are a little out of date, like Thorpe, Beddow and North campus.”

“Finch is old and needs to be more accessible to the handicapped.”

Courtney Riehle,

Josh Thigpen,

Jenison freshman

Temperence junior

“Generally, they are good. I spend a lot of time in the EHS building and it’s very nice.”

Aaron Scott,

Jackson junior

jeff smith/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

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

[News]

Sociologist will speak on cross-cultural early education in various countries

By Mike Nichols Staff Reporter

A renowned sociologist will speak at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Bovee University Center Auditorium.

William Corsaro’s presentation will focus on the crosscultural studies of early education in various countries.

The event kicks off the 50th Anniversary of CMU’s sociology, anthropology, and social work program.

“His main thesis is that to understand children, you need to be right there with them,” said sociology professor David Kinney. “By doing this, you see that children not only are learning about becoming adults, but also creating their own unique peer culture.”

Kinney said the event was planned around Corsaro’s availability.

“He’s a leading scholar known around the world and it’s not every day we can get such a pioneer to come here. We’re very fortunate,” Kinney said.

Brigitte Bechtold, chairwoman of the sociology, anthropology and social work program, said every sociologist knows the name “Corsaro.”

“It’s nice that we can involve

horses | continued from 1A

noting how she will nod her head “yes” when asked about a treat.

Clark said the horses’ attitudes have improved since the animals came to live with them, but he and Julie are always focused on continued improvement.

It is heartbreaking to know that some people mistreat their animals, Clark said.

But he believes the horses fit in well at their home.

Brownie is starting to get comfortable with the family after taking a few months to settle in.

Amber Campbell, Julie and

academic people from outside the campus,” she said.

Corsaro was chair of the Indiana University department of sociology, where Kinney conducted his doctoral research.

Corsaro was on Kinney’s dissertation committee and helped guide his research.

“He’s a brilliant man, a great teacher, and just down-toearth,” Kinney said. “He taught me how to conduct in-depth qualitative research, interviews and observation of children in schools and communities.”

Someone to learn from Corsaro has worked with children in the United States, Italy and Norway, and has written numerous volumes on the subject of children.

His work has been featured in the New Yorker, the British Broadcasting Corporation, National Public Radio and even in classes at CMU. South Carolina senior Lee Mckeel is majoring in sociology and youth studies.

“We’ve learned a lot about him from classes,” Mckeel said.

“He’s definitely taught me to value children in their own respect, not just for their potential as adults.”

Mckeel said Corsaro’s work is Clark’s daughter, brings Aspen and her stepdaughters, Kaitlynn Craven and Ashley Craven, over to the house often. And if they can learn anything from being around the animals, she hopes it is respect.

important because it emphasizes the contribution of children’s culture. She is excited to meet him.

“You don’t really care about any of these famous people who have contributed until after they’re dead, like (Sigmund) Freud,” Mckeel said. “But I actually get to see him while he’s

ross | continued from 3a

before you get all the information you want.”

Ross acknowledged another tuition increase is in CMU’s future because of reductions to state appropriations. When appropriations decline, tuition has to go up.

That is the equation, Ross said, but he hopes to keep it as modest as possible.

The budget forums are important to keep the conversations going, said Wilbur, vice president of Government Relations and Public Affairs.

“By the time we would meet again, we will know a little bit more about what the legislature is thinking,” she said. “I “They got to have their trust in you. You got to have your trust in them,” Clark said. “The place might not look like much, but we take good care of the animals.” metro@cm-life.com

still alive.”

Kinney looks forward to seeing his old friend.

“He’s very engaging and his talk is relevant not just for faculty and students, but also parents and anyone who plans to have children,” he said. studentlife@cm-life.com

don’t think the next one will by any means the last one.”

Open to talk During the transition period, Ross wants to get to know the campus community.

“Don’t be surprised when I ask a group of students to come have pizza and Pepsi with me, and they may have no official position on this campus,” Ross said. “(It’s) just to talk and see what’s going on.”

Central Michigan Life || Wednesday, March 31, 2010 || 5A

online learning | continued from 1A

he leave the class discussion boards open after the lecture was finished.

Mary Senter, professor of sociology, anthropology and social work, said she has some skepticism for entirely online courses.

She said a greater focus on online classes could lead to decentralization

He might be seen sitting outside on a bench eating a sandwich, Ross said. He hopes to utilize those instances to talk with people.

That’s one thing Ross wants to accomplish with the transition team — open communication.

The team had its first meeting Thursday. It was the first time Ross had met a lot of the team members.

The transition process involves sharing data and infor-

of students and faculty, which would harm the prevalence of higher education in research.

She said the reason the United States has the best research base in the world is due in part to faculty and students all gathering in one place together with research labs and equipment. studentlife@cm-life.com

mation to keep things consistent. Ross wants the transition process to create permanent communications channels, not only from the president to the campus, but from units across the campus as a lasting legacy of the transition.

“I want, really, not only to introduce myself to the university, but for the university to re-introduce itself to itself,” he said. university@cm-life.com

6A || Wednesday, March 31, 2010 || Central Michigan Life

[News]

New textbook model expected to cut costs up to 50 percent Program can be beneficial to some CMU faculty

By Ryan Taljonick Staff Reporter

What if textbooks cost half as much and focused on key information instead of pages of useless facts?

A new textbook model in the works claims to do just that.

Cengage Learning, a company that specializes in providing multimedia learning tools for students and universities, has developed a new textbook model called 4LTR Press.

“With 4LTR Press, students are provided a visually engaging layout, succinct yet thorough topical coverage, fewer vignettes and boxed materials delivered through a compact paperback format,” said Allyson Covington, marketing coordinator of 4LTR Press, in an e-mailed response.

“With 4LTR Press, you’ll find perforated Chapter-In-Review cards at the end of the textbook, outlining key items of each chapter.”

The decision to use 4LTR

Press textbook packages across universities ultimately belongs to individual instructors and not the school, said Lindsay Brown, director of corporate communications for Cengage Learning.

Implementation at CMU Brown said some faculty at CMU have already adopted textbook packages for business, marketing, management and mathematics.

“Instructors across the campus are also looking at several other 4LTR Press solutions across various disciplines,” she said.

Covington said the model combines redesigned textbooks with online learning tools to provide an interactive and focused learning experience for students. It is expected to cut textbook costs by up to 50 percent.

Cengage Learning held a meeting at CMU March 18 to discuss how students are studying and what tools they are using to learn.

More than 7,000 students have provided developmental input at the company’s nationwide meetings.

“The 4LTR Press develop-

mental philosophy was really to start with students,” said Neil Marquardt, director of 4LTR Press. “Ultimately, the over-arching goal is to help people like you succeed to do better in your classes, to fit into your busier lifestyles, to get better grades, to show up to class more prepared.”

Marquardt described 4LTR Press as a learning package that combines printed textbooks and online learning tools.

“The online tools are MP3s, quizzes and, in some cases, cell phone applications,” Marquardt said.

Brown mentioned other interesting online tools.

For some subjects, she said, tools such as virtual field trips, learning games, videos, interactive quizzes and minisimulations are available.

“Some of these tools work better for different disciplines,” Brown said.

Cengage Learning offers 41 different 4LTR Press packages. Existing packages focus primarily on various fields of science, math and business.

Is it effective?

Marquardt said the 4LTR

Walt Disney trip memorable for leadership students

By Melissa Torok Staff Reporter

Walt Disney World Resort is known for its family atmosphere and good times.

But for 11 Honors students, it was an unforgettable learning experience when they took part in the Walt Disney World’s leadership program during spring break.

The students attended three seminars taught by the park’s faculty. Classes discussed cultural diversity, confidence building and leadership skills.

“It was cool how it all related to leadership,” said Saginaw senior Mary Klenk. “it was an experience I’ve never had before.”

Though the group worked a lot throughout the week, it also had time for fun. The group visited Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, MGM and Epcot.

“We got to go into the park before it opened,” Klenk said, recalling an experience riding the California Soarin’. “It was just us and our instructor; we got to go on the ride all by ourselves.”

Today’s the last day Donate to the Head Start program, an organization seeking to produce education for children in low-income families. w Where: Powers Hall 104, EHS Building Ryan Lambert, an Illinois graduate assistant, went on the trip and said group members expanded their leadership abilities.

Getting a Head Start The group did not work on just the courses — it also had the challenge of organizing a fundraiser.

“The rewarding part of the class wasn’t just about what we learned at Disney, but implementing what we learned,” Klenk said.

Together, the students created the group “Students Helping Students” to help raise money for the Head Start program — an organization dedicated to provid-

SGA DEBATE | continued from 3A

beforehand. About 15 audience members had a chance to ask questions of their own.

With the economic decline, there was talk of 3, 6 and 9 percent budget cuts and funding for the College of Medicine.

“We want to make sure the one thing that isn’t touched

is the campus programming fund,” Mouzourakis said.

She said with a 72 to 73 percent retention rate, the university needs to find ways to bring students back year after year.

Stipends also were discussed, and Mouzourakis explained how SGA’s budget works.

“SGA has continued to decrease their budgets over the year,” she said. “But we will

ing education for children in low income families. They collected new school supplies and gently used children books for those in the program.

“As university students, we’ve already had the education,” Klenk said. “It’s important for us to give back and to get younger students on the right track.”

The group’s main goal is to increase student awareness about the Head Start program.

The Honors students divided up various leadership roles to different parts of the group.

“I’m excited for what they will do, part of the learning experience is taking ownership of the project,” Lambert said.

Collection boxes can be found in the Honor Student Office in Powers Hall 104 and in the Education and Human Services Building.

Donation boxes also were placed around local elementary and high schools.

Today is the last day for the collection. studentlife@cm-life.com

not get rid of it completely.”

Running for SGA Treasurer unopposed is Hesperia sophomore Killian Richeson.

During his speech, he mentioned maintaining stability in SGA by trimming the budget.

No other debates will take place before the election, which begins Monday and goes until April 11. Students can vote at vote.cmich.edu. university@cm-life.com

Press model has received an overwhelmingly positive response from students and faculty.

However, not all agree it is an effective learning tool when compared to traditional text books.

Marquardt said that some instructors feel that the 4LTR Press textbook package is not as comprehensive as traditional textbooks.

Because the redesigned 4LTR Press textbooks focus much more on key elements in each chapter, a lot of supplemental reading is cut from the books.

As a result, negative feedback generally focuses on the loss of this information. studentlife@cm-life.com

www.cm-life.com

cm-life.com/category/sports

‘backers |

OUTSIDE THE LINES | Meet track runner Shanaye Carr

Making their mark Bellore totaled 132 tackles last season, more than Berning’s 108. Bellore’s 9.4 tackles per game ranked fifth in the Mid-American Conference, while Berning’s 7.7 ranked 16th. Behind Berning, 35 tackles separated him and

State | continued from 8A

John Manzo: What would you say your main hobby is during your limited free time?

Shanaye Carr: During my free time, I like singing, and I also play three instruments.

Sometimes when I go back home, I play them.

jake may/staff photographer

the next-highest tackler on CMU’s roster.

The linebackers’ play sparked a rise from eighth to second in the MAC in rushing defense from 2008 to 2009.

Last year, CMU gave up 122.9 rushing yards per game.

And a total defense that ranked 105th in the nation in total yards allowed per game in 2008 rose to 29th.

But in 2010, it is all about

Bellore and Berning. The duo will be looked at first and foremost to soften the blow in the post-LeFevour era.

“We have to come together and realize we are the sole voice of the team and there’s no coucil or anything,” Bellore said. “It’s up to us to take the team where we want to take them.”

What’s on tap

the lineup.

“Coach brought us all in and told us to kick it up a little bit,” Cornstubble said.

“And, to be honest, we did when we came back with that eight-run inning. From there, it was just having fun and playing basics.”

Theunissen, who finished the game 3-for-6 with three RBIs and two runs scored, hit his third home run of the season in the fifth inning.

CMU added three more in the ninth, including a pinchhit, two-run double by sophomore Scott Phillion.

Senior Billy Anderson went 3-for-6 with an RBI while junior Brendan Emmet finished 2-for-4 with four runs scored.

Up next:

YOUNG | continued from 8A

leadership in myself and Vince Agnew, so we feel we’re pretty experienced back there,” Seay said. “We have a lot of guys with potential and have been waiting their turn. We’re working to get better every day, holding each other accountable and building trust.”

Enos said sophomore defensive backs Jahleel Addae, D.J. Scott and Lorenzo White, expected to see significantly more playing time this season, have all looked good so far in spring workouts.

“Guys are going to have to step up and make plays all over the field,” Enos said. “In college football, that’s what happens — you don’t have the luxury to keep guys year after year. They can’t afford to sit around and wait — they have to grow up fast.”

Who’s hot: Sophomore first baseman Nate Theunissen hit his third home run of the season vs.

Valparaiso.

Telling tale: The last time CMU played on the road against MSU, it lost 20-3 to its in-state rival (April 1, 2009). ning to extend its lead and put the game away. Cornstubble and sophomore Nate Thuenissen both picked up two hits in the inning as the Chippewas batted around Avery Cunningham and Anthony Hollis, a Grand Rapids Community College transfer, in the fall. Enos called Cunningham a “big, physical safety” and said both will be given an opportunity to earn a spot.

“We’d like to redshirt them all, but there may be a couple of guys stepping up and playing somewhere else,” Enos said. “As we all know, it’s tough to come in. These guys are all learning the system right now so, when they come back in the fall, they’ll be a step ahead.”

Despite the unit’s lack of experienced depth, Agnew said the secondary is headed in the right direction.

“We had a lot of seniors last year, but the advantage

JM: With the team always on the road, what’s on the iPod? SC: What’s on the iPod? Usually Rick Ross — Everyday I’m Hustlin’. It’s pretty much my motivation song.

JM: Being from Lansing, are you biased for the Michigan State Spartans?

SC: I am somewhat biased for the Michigan State Spartans.

Senior linebackers Matt Berning, right, and Nick Bellore take a quick break between drills at Tuesday’s morning practice at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

Today vs. Michigan State ourselves in the distance in the second half.”

Both teams traded runs in the fifth inning before Cornstubble connected with a two-out single that scored the go-ahead runs and put CMU up 6-4.

“There was a base open so I knew they were going to throw an off-speed pitch and I layed off the first two,” Cornstubble said. “He gave me a fastball and I hit it. I just did the job — if everyone does their job, we’re going to win a lot of ball games and we all did that today.”

CMU hit for eight runs on eight hits in the eighth in-

JM: Do you have a favorite fast food restaurant as well?

SC: Not any in particular but, if I had to choose one, I’d say McDonalds.

Staff Reporter John Manzo sat down with women’s track and field runner Shanaye Carr, who would like to be Michael Jackson for a day.

continued from 8a

contributions from younger players, including junior Kashawn Fraser and sophomore Casaer Rodriguez along the defensive line, and junior John Carr, sophomore D.J. Scott, sophomore Jahleel Addae and sophomore LaVarus Williams in the secondary.

But during the transition to new coaches and systems, Bellore said even he needs a learning curve, but everyone accepts the transition.

“I feel like a freshman because everyone is at square one learning the defense,” he said. “I think it’s coming along practice by practice, and that is all you can ask for.”

Central Michigan Life || Wednesday, March 31, 2010 || 7A

[Sports]

JM: If you could have one super power, what would that be and why?

SC: If I could have one super power, I would want to be able to fly, so I could get everywhere pretty quickly.

JM: Who do you think will win the NCAA basketball tournament out of the Final Four?

SC: Oh, State for sure. I believe State, for sure.

JM: If you could only pick one food to eat, what would that be?

SC: My favorite food is baked macaroni.

JM: Do you have a favorite restaurant in Mount Pleasant?

SC: I love Qdoba!

JM: Besides track, what sport(s) would you like to play instead?

SC: Besides track, I love volleyball. So if I didn’t do track, that’d definitely be a sport I would try to pick up.

JM: If you could trade places with anybody for a day, who would that be and why?

SC: Anybody for the day? I actually think I would trade places with Michael Jackson and see exactly what happened.

JM: What would you like to be when you grow up?

SC: I want to be a doctor specializing in general surgery or an anesthesiologist.

JM: If you had a million dollars, what would be the first thing you’d buy and why?

SC: I would buy a pretty large house. I’d buy my mom a house and my dad a house. After that, I would probably save. sports@cm-life.com

sports@cm-life.com

Stay in the game with

Services Offered: • Physical/Gynecological Exams • Allergy Shots • Illness and Injury Care

Quick notes Sophomore Joe Kinville, who re-joined the team this year after leaving during the 2009 season, has moved to defensive end from linebacker. Enos said he is the only player to make any major position change thus far.

After practicing Tuesday, CMU will continue spring practice again today and Thursday before taking a break for Easter weekend. sports@cm-life.com

• Immunizations • Travel Health Clinic • Onsite Laboratory and Pharmacy

200 Foust Hall 774-6599 Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

sports@cm-life.com

of having a lot of seniors is that we had lot of guys to learn from,” he said. “I feel like, mentally, we’re progressing (better) than before. We’re not as young as we seem on paper.”

University Health Services

103 Cobb Hall 774-6599 Monday’s Only, 8 a.m.-Noon

www.healthservices.cmich.edu

s d a e r o h w

? e f i cm l “I read CM Life not only to learn the latest about news and sports, but also to keep up with issues that are

Surprise Another surprise is redshirt freshman Evan Ray, who impressed the coaching staff in the first couple of practices before going down with an injury.

CMU welcomes freshmen

important to students. Even when I can’t always pick up a print copy, I know I can go online 24/7 to check out what’s happening at CMU.”

ANGELA HERNANDEZ

PRSSA President

CM Life reader for 4 years.

CMU BRICK PROGRAM

The better question may be...

See what we are building

Who Doesn’t?

IN PRINT • ONLINE

Central Michigan Life www.giving.cmich.edu/senior

OUR READERSHIP GROWS DAILY!

CM-Life.com

436 MOORE HALL • CMU • MT. PLEASANT (989) 774-3493

Follow us on: acebook

and

sports Central Michigan Life

8A

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

[cm-life.com/category/sports]

Baseball plays in-state rival MSU today, blow outs Valparaiso Theunissen, CMU bats find success in middle innings

By Aaron McMann Staff Reporter

The CMU baseball team gets its first shot this season at beating an in-state rival when it plays Michigan State at 3:05 p.m. today in East Lansing.

Junior right-hander Matt Faiman (0-0, 2.57 ERA) will make his second start of the season. Faiman has pitched

seven innings in two appearances. He started CMU’s 13-3 win against Concordia on March 17, allowing one earned run on four hits in five innings.

Michigan State is 16-4 on the season and has won 10 consecutive games, including a four-game sweep of Oakland University this weekend.

“They (the players) know who it is,” said coach Steve Jaksa. “I think they’re aware that we have been playing pretty good ourselves. We’ve had quality games against them and we’re looking forward to it.”

CMU won two out of three against Michigan State in 2009, defeating the Spartans 7-6 at Dow Diamond in Midland and 9-8 in 10 innings at Theunissen Stadium. MSU beat CMU 20-3 at Cooley Stadium (formerly Oldsmobile Park) earlier in the season.

The Chippewas are 60-44 all-time against the Spartans.

Tuesday win Senior Dale Cornstubble went 4-for-5 with three runs batted in and a run scored as CMU defeated Valparaiso 17-4 Tuesday at Emory G.

Bauer Field in Valparaiso, Ind. J u n i o r right-hander Bryce Morrow picked up his first win of the Bryce Morrow season, giving up three earned runs on seven hits in five innings pitched. Junior Mike Nixon allowed one hit in two innings of relief, while freshmen Scott Marinier and Brock Guetzke also pitched an inning of shutout relief.

“They did a nice job,”

Jaksa said. “ W e ’ r e The score pleased with Bryce — it was his first start in a couple years and he got to 80 pitches in and we knew he was probably getting a little tired.

(Nixon) threw two really efficient innings with a low pitch count, and once we broke it open, we were able to open up the bullpen.”

CMU (11-9, 2-1 MAC)

17 4

“We have a chance now to prove ourselves as a senior class. Before, it was the Dan LeFevour era. Now, we want to prove ourselves as football players and leave our legacy.”

Matt Berning, senior linebacker

What remains at the

Core

file photo by matthew stephens

Linebacker Matt Berning tackles WMU running back Brandon West on Oct. 17 at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo. CMU won 34-23.

A

look at the preliminary depth chart during spring football practices reveals turnover at two levels of the defense.

On the back end, defensive backs Josh Gordy, Kirkston Edwards and Eric Fraser graduated. On the defensive front, defensive ends Frank Zombo, Sam Williams and Larry Knight depart as well.

But senior linebackers Nick Bellore and Matt Berning remain at the core of the defense, putting CMU coach Dan Enos at ease in some regards.

“Those guys have played a lot of football around here, and they have been productive,” Enos said. “When someone has played, you have immediate respect from people, and one thing those guys do is work very hard and lead by example.” be even more magnified than last season.

“It’s something Matt and I have been developing for a number of years here,” he said. “I think it is really starting to hit us that we are seniors.

This is almost over.

There is no one else to look to — it’s us or nobody.”

With six seniors on the defensive roster — only five with experience — the defense will look for more

jake may/staff photographer

A ‘backers | 7A

Senior linebacker Nick Bellore goes through position drills in the south end zone of Kelly/Shorts Stadium at Tuesday’s practice.

Bellore was fifth in the Mid-American Conference last year with 9.4 tackles per game.

Staff Reports

The CMU softball team enters its home opener already matching last season’s win total.

At 12-7, the Chippewas host Oakland in a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. today at Margo Jonker Stadium.

CMU has won 10 of its last 11 games, including two shutout victories in a dou-

Senior defensive back Vince Agnew called the improvement made in the football team’s secondary last season a change in mentality.

After finishing 118th out of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams and allowing more than 285 yards per game through the air in 2008, the unit improved to 72nd in the nation and sixth in the Mid-American Conference last season.

“We made an effort to be the best group that we could.

You have to protect our name, our field — you’re working for a lot of different things,” Agnew said.

“Nobody wants to be Vince Agnew the reason you lose games. Nobody wants to look at the paper and say the secondary lost the championship.”

However, that improved secondary — allowing less than 208 yards per game — entered spring practice without Kirkston Edwards, Eric Fraser, Josh Gordy and Tommy Mama, who exhausted eligibility following last season’s turnaround.

Junior free safety Dannie Bolden, who started all 14 games last season, Agnew, and senior free safety Bobby Seay lead a unit that also includes four sophomores, two redshirt freshmen and two true freshmen.

“We have good senior A YOUNG | 7A

Butch Jones (UC) contract released

Softball opens home slate with same win total as ‘09 bleheader last Wednesday against Detroit Mercy.

Pitching and defense have stood out for CMU during the winning streak, as the team has given up up just seven runs in the last five games.

Coach Margo Jonker said the team needs to work on all units playing at a high level together, rather than relying on one facet at at time.

“It’s a combination of everything coming together — that’s been the key this year,” she said. “If we score a lot of runs, the defense relaxes more. If pitching and defense do a good job, the people in

Defensive backfield welcomes new faces

By Aaron McMann Staff Reporter

By John Evans | Staff Reporter

Jonker wants all facets of the game to come together

A State | 7A

Departures force secondary toward youth infusion

Linebacker duo headlines returning starters on defense

And one thing is evident from the beginning of spring sessions: This is no longer quarterback Dan LeFevour’s team.

“We have a chance now to prove ourselves as a senior Dan Enos class,” Berning said.

“Before, it was the Dan LeFevour era. Now we want to prove ourselves as football players and leave our legacy.”

Bellore, the lone non-senior captain last year, said the duo’s ability to lead will

opened the game with two runs in the first inning on a Valparaiso throwing error. A triple by senior Ricky Clark (2-for-4, one RBI) in the third gave it a 3-0 lead through the top of the third.

Valparaiso fought back in the fourth inning and tied the game at 3 after a pair of singles, a throwing error by freshman Jordan Adams and double by Valparaiso second baseman Paul Heinkel.

“They hit the ball and we made one mistake,” Jaksa said. “We were able to put

the batters box relax more. It all has to come together.”

But in last week’s doubleheader against De- Kara Dornbos troit, CMU’s pitching performance overwhelmed Detroit-Mercy.

Freshman Kara Dornbos, redshirt freshman Sarah Patterson and sophomore Courtney King combined to give up three hits, helping the pitching staff lower its team earned-run average to 2.48 through the first 19 games.

Oakland The Golden Grizzlies are in a transitional state.

Coach Glenn MacDonald retired midseason Monday after more than four seasons at the helm. MacDonald finished his career as the winningest coach in OU history, leading the program to two NCAA Tournament appearances.

Jonker said she does not know what to expect from the Golden Grizzlies with a new coaching staff. She said she is not sure how their team will react, but accountability still lies on CMU. “We need to be on top

of our game like we were against Detroit,” she said.

“Every team is a challenge for us.”

Jonker said CMU softball has a strong, dedicated following, and the home atmosphere will energize her team.

“Just being able to play in front of our own followers will be awesome,” she said.

“Playing in the comfort of our own field that we practice on is great.”

The nightcap will start shortly after the conclusion of the first game. sports@cm-life.com

Andrew Stover, Sports Editor | sports@cm-life.com | 989.774.3169

A quick look at the former CMU coach’s pay day:

Base pay:

$1 million/season — includes money for radio/ television shows, clothing and shoe contracts, all not paid by the university.

Incentives: w$100,000 for making BCS Bowl. w$50,000 for making any other bowl. w$50,000 for winning the conference regular season outright. w$25,000 for sharing the regular season conference championship. w$35,000 for a top 25 finish. w$25,000 for earning conference coach of the year. w$25,000 for National Coach of the Year. w$10,000 for a victory over a top 25 team.

Central Michigan Life

B

campus vibe

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

[cm-life.com/category/vibe]

A day of celebration for those playing pranks or perhaps getting revenge

By Connor Sheridan | Senior Reporter

K

endarius Mann will never forget one April Fool’s Day prank his father played on him as a young child.

The Redford freshman was eating spicy hot wings and his dad gave him a tall cup of “water” to wash down the scalding chicken.

But the cup was not filled with water — the refreshing beverage turned out to be vinegar.

Mann said the incident caused

him to learn a lifelong lesson on being cautious. But this April Fool’s Day, he plans on getting revenge.

“I’ll probably tell my family my car broke down and then show up at the door this weekend,” Mann said.

With today’s technology, pranks are no longer constrained to buckets precariously placed above doors or carefully hidden rubber chickens.

Lisa Gervenak, a Western Michigan University alumna who lives in

Grand Rapids, used Facebook to trick her friends for April Fool’s Day 2008.

Gervenak became the girl who cried “Marriage!” when she and her boyfriend changed their Facebook relationship status to “engaged.”

“Everybody believed it, and it was really hilarious,” Gervenak said.

The tightly orchestrated prank included fake engagement photos complete with a ring and a flowery note posted to her profile.

Gervenak and her “fiance” received several voicemails and dozens of congratulatory and angry messages on Facebook the next morning.

“People called both of our parents, and our parents knew we were full of crap,” Gervenak said. “Our parents were the only ones who didn’t really believe it.”

A April fool’s | 3B

Want to play a prank?

Here are some conventional ideas for college students to generate some April Fool’s laughs. w If your roommate is a deep sleeper, just carry him or her off with a few friends to the middle of the campus when he/she is sleeping. w Empty your friend’s shampoo bottle and put baby oil in it instead. ­w At 2 a.m., knock on your friend’s door with a camera with a flash and a cap gun. As soon as they open the door, take a picture with one hand and shoot the cap gun pointing to them and run away. They will think for a moment that they have been shot at.

w Set your friend’s alarm clock to 4 a.m. and hide it in the corner of their closet. ­­w Put a flame close to the smoke alarm in the middle of the night (Don’t light anything on fire, however). ­w Take a bunch of grapes and put one grape on everything in the fridge including bottles and food. w If there is only one toilet on your floor, lock it from inside using a rope trick and put a pair of old boots in them as if someone is sitting on the seat.

Some jokes courtesy of thefoolsday.com/college-prank-ideas.html

illustration by chelsea kleven/design editor

Thursday makes for a fun day of practical jokes Resources available for you to plan the ultimate prank

M

y advice for everyone this week is to drop out of Central Michigan University and pursue a career in underwater basket weaving.

Also, the best way to receive an A in that difficult class is to write your entire final paper with macaroni noodles.

April Fools!

Granted, this may not be the best prank ever played on a reader for April Fool’s Day. Last year, British publication The Guardian announced it would publish solely via Twitter.

A more complicated farce appeared in Sports Illustrated, detailing a fake New York Mets prospect who threw a 168 mile-per-hour fastball after training in a Buddhist monastery.

The first letter of each word in the article’s subhead reportedly spelled to readers that the article was an April

Hilary Farrell Columnist Fool’s Day joke.

Google is a professional in April Fool’s Day jokes, launching several per year.

Notably, Google launched “Gmail” right before April 1, 2004, leading many to be-

lieve the service was another hoax.

As we are all aware, “Gmail” is very real.

For those out there with very real crushes on very real nerds (I myself am included in this group), a quick search of Google pranks is a great conversation starter.

I am not kidding.

Various events exist worldwide because of April fool’s Day, including the Edible Book Festival.

If you are interested in “eating your words,” you can visit books2eat.com.

Say you’re looking to pull a prank. Where do you start?

Roommates, family, coworkers and friends are all great targets.

My favorite jokes are those that are not harmful, including placing hard-boiled eggs in the regular egg carton, rubber-banding the kitchen spray nozzle, switching keyboard keys and wrapping everything someone owns in tin foil.

A lot of jokes work well in the office, provided your office is not an entirely professional place. A joke that

COMMUNITY EVENT

A pranks | 2B

14th Annual

Zeta Tau Alpha

Crown Classic

6K Run/Walk for Charity April 24, 2010

never fails is placing tape under the ball of every computer mouse so none work properly.

As aforementioned, roommates are perhaps the best targets of all. If your roommates are heavy sleepers, you can set every clock in the house two hours early.

Anything involving glue also is a great idea, such as gluing every pen cap a roommate owns to its pen.

Other suggestions are placing shaving cream in

powered by:

Sponsored by:

Central Michigan Life I SLAND PARK, MT. PLEAS ANT

RUN FOR WATER

LIVE EARTH

Email RUNFORCHARITY2010@GMAIL.COM for details

2B || Wednesday, March 31, 2010 || Central Michigan Life

DVDs: 1. “Sherlock Holmes” 2. “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” 3. “Alice In Wonderland: Special Edition”

CDs: 1. “Raymond v. Raymond” Usher 2. “Freight Train” Alan Jackson 3. “All In Good Time” Barenaked Ladies

Video games: 1. “Borderlands Double Game Add-On Pack: The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned / Mad Moxxi’s Underdome Riot” (Xbox 360) 2. “Montessori Music” (Nintendo DS) 3. “Margrave Manor 2 The Lost Ship” (Windows Vista / XP)

TOP FIVES 1. “How to Train Your Dragon” $43.7M 2. “Alice in Wonderland” $17.7M 3. “Hot Tub Time Machine” $14M 4. “The Bounty Hunter” $12M 5. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” $10.1M

Singles: 1. “Rude Boy” Rihanna 2. “Nothin’ On You” B.o.B Featuring Bruno Mars 3. “Telephone” Lady Gaga Featuring Beyonce 4. “Need You Now” Lady Antebellum 5. “Break Your Heart” Taio Cruz Featuring Ludacris

Albums: 1. “Need You Now” Lady Antebellum 2. “Here I Am” Marvin Sapp 3. “Battle Of The Sexes” Ludacris 4. “The Edge” Various Artists 5. “The Fame” Lady Gaga

movie review

Family film a marriage of comedy, storytelling

By Ryan Taljonick Staff Reporter

Animated family films are usually light-spirited cinematic adventures that folks of all ages can enjoy.

“How to Train Your Dragon,” by DreamWorks Animation, provides a great combination of cute laughs and important life lessons.

Hiccup, voiced by Jay Baruchel, is a young viking who hopes to one day become a courageous dragon slayer like the other vikings in his village.

However, as the runt of the village, he lacks the strength and prowess inherent in his people and is a disappointment to his father — one of the strongest vikings in the land.

In a stroke of luck, Hiccup finds an injured dragon, quickly befriends the beast and discovers dragons aren’t quite as evil as his people believed them to be.

Through this coming-ofage tale, Hiccup must use his new knowledge of dragons to earn his people’s respect, impress the beautiful Astrid (America Ferrera), and prove to his friends and father he is

By Anthony Colarossi The Orlando Sentinel (MCT)

ORLANDO, Fla. — As socialmedia sites such as Twitter and Facebook have grown in popularity, they’ve also attracted hate groups in greater numbers, targeting everyone from immigrants and gays to Jews and people of color, a new report says.

“The Internet is a powerful thing for hate groups,” said Mark Weitzman, director of government affairs with the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which this week revealed results of its annual accounting of online hatred.

“It’s cheap. It’s instantaneous.

It’s global,” he said.

Weitzman’s organization

Music:

Video games:

Oh Brave Youth

Cave Story (Wii/PC)

- Ben Weissenborn

Tweets of the week

Follow @CMLIFE on Twitter.com

“How To Train Your Dragon” w

w w

pranks|

Cast (voice): Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera Genre: Family animation Rating: PG

continued from 1B

roommates’ socks and rubbing Vaseline on toilet seats and car door handles.

As my roommates are active April Fool’s participants, I am hiding my socks, car, my egg carton and anything I own with a handle.

If you need more ideas, you can visit aprilfoolzone.com or thefoolsday.com.

HHHH done, but your eyes may feel a bit sore by the end of the film. If you enjoy light-spirited films, this one is definitely worth checking out. studentlife@cm-life.com

The most important thing to remember today is to not play a prank you would not personally find funny.

The second most important thing is to keep your questions coming for next week’s advice column!

As a reminder, you can contact me via e-mail at farre1hl@ cmich.edu or anonymously on my Formspring account at formspring.me/HilaryFarrell. studentlife@cm-life.com

Hate groups increasingly using social media, report says

BEAT WRITER PICKS Comprised of members of Grand Rapids local legends Still Remains, Joust, the Last Broadcast and the Vigilantes, yet sounding unlike any of them, Oh Brave Youth is one of the freshest things to come out of the city in a while. Bearing a sound that’s loud, fun, raw and totally B.A., Oh Brave Youth is guaranteed to rock you out of your awkwardspectator-stance and into a frenzy of rock-and-roll cool. With a live show that’s just as fun to watch as it is to listen to, Oh Brave Youth is absolutely not to be missed!

no longer a boy.

“How to Train Your Dragon” presents a fantastic marriage of comedy and storytelling. The plot is perfect for an animated family film, but this movie isn’t just for kids.

The journey the characters must undertake offers plenty of laughs.

Toothless, the dragon that Hiccup befriends, is adorable. The audience will quickly fall in love with the character.

Many viewers will be able to relate to at least one of the characters in the film. But more importantly, the plot offers a situation that many people will relate to as well.

Though the real world isn’t under attack by dragons, it is inhabited by young people who must learn what it means to discover their individuality and become comfortable with who they are.

“How to Train Your Dragon” easily compares to other DreamWorks Animation films such as “Madagascar” and the “Shrek” series.

The cinematic quality is fantastic, and the storytelling is equally as good.

The 3D animation was well

Great games don’t need multi-million dollar budgets.

All they need is one person with vision, dedication and a lot of spare time to work.

“Cave Story,” a sidescrolling indie game from Japanese developer Pixel in the vein of titles such as “Super Metroid” and “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night,” has been available for free on PC since 2004 and an updated and higher-resolution version was released last week for $12 on WiiWare. Don’t miss this charming title’s intense platform action and unexpectedly touching story.

found some 11,500 sites devoted to any “ism” one can imagine — including those spewing anti-Semitic, anti-Christian and anti-Islamic sentiments. It represents a 20 percent yearover-year increase.

A few things are particularly troubling about the trend of online terror and hate, Weitzman noted. Among them, the lack of fact-checking, editing and, for the most part, any professional guidelines, which can make a lot of what is posted online appear authentic. And use of social media will help attract younger people — tech-literate kids whose political and societal beliefs are still being formed.

“Sure, they’re going to target young people,” said University of Central Florida sociology professor Jay Corzine, who studies crime and police issues.

A 45-year-old who may not be computer savvy and has a deep-rooted political belief system is probably not as attractive to an extremist group as an impressionable 17-year-old plugged into social networking, Corzine said.

“Facebook takes the issue of hate speech very seriously and our team of professional investigators reacts quickly to remove reported content that violates our policies,” Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said in an e-mail, adding the site encourages users “to flag anything they feel violates our policies using the report links located throughout the site.”

This is the 12th year the Wiesenthal organization has conducted the inventory. “It’s an awareness campaign,” Weitzman said of an effort to get in-

formation to law enforcement, academics, media and the public. “We’re not looking to revoke the First Amendment.”

One recent illustration of the reach of online terror efforts is the case of Colleen LaRose, who called herself “JihadJane.” Federal authorities said the Pennsylvania woman used e-mail and YouTube videos to help recruit people for suicide attacks and other violent acts.

The center’s research also found online games that depict the elimination of groups such as Mexican immigrants and gays.

Some of the organization’s latest online research parallels findings the Southern Poverty Law Center published earlier this month. SPLC noted an increase in “extremist groups” with anti-government senti-

ments during 2009. Those include “Patriot” and militia groups. It attributed the rise in such groups to country’s troubled economy, its changing demographics and some of President Barack Obama’s policies.

However, SPLC’s Intelligence Project director Mark Potok said his organization counted only about 670 U.S.-based hate sites in 2009.

The Internet and social networking, in particular, continue to be valuable tools for hate groups. Forums, blogs and discussion boards often serve the purposes of these organizations better than a stagnant Web site, Potok said.

Hate sites are like most others in one key respect, Potok said: “If the content doesn’t change, they don’t get many visitors.”

Are you a resident of the city of Mt. Pleasant?

Be sure to drop off your completed census form at City Hall 12pm – 6pm on March 23 - 25, or at CMU’s Bovee UC 11am – 5pm on March 30-April 1 for your chance at winning a

$ 250 OR 500 CASH GIVEAWAY!

$

- Connor Sheridan

www.mt-pleasant.org/2010census

PARTY STORE

NEW STUFF

[campus collage]

BEER PAYMENT CENTER AT Bottle & Barrel PARTY STORE 773-6652

773-3331

Pickard Party Store 773-6448

hours:

M-W 9-12am Th-Sat 9-1am Sun 12pm-12am

1635 E. BROOMFIELD RD. BROOMFIELD MALL

M-W 9-12am Th-Sat 9-1:30am Sun 12pm-12am 222 SOUTH WASHINGTON DOWNTOWN

M-Th 8am-11pm Fri-Sat 8am-12am Sun 12pm-10pm 5114 EAST PICKARD

BOTTLE & BARREL

Miller High Life Light 24-pk bottles

.......

Labatt Blue & Light 18-pk cans

.........

10.99*

$

10.99*

$

Busch Light 18-pk cans

. . . . . . . . . . $8.99*

Natural Light . . . . . . . . .$8.99* 18-pk cans

Miller Light . . . . . . . . . $13.99* 20-pk bottles

57.99!

Half Barrel $ only

Keg - Reserve Only!

cm-life.com/category/vibe

[VIBE]

april fool’s | continued from 1B

Gervenak and her boyfriend got engaged on New Year’s Eve 2009. She changed her Facebook status to “It’s real this time guys.”

She said she got the idea for the prank after another prankster changed her Facebook relationship status after accidently leaving her profile open on a public computer.

The panic that resulted made her realize people take the social Web site just a little too seriously, she said.

Just joking around Brown City junior Nate

sean proctor/staff photographer

Jackson senior Alex Hutt, drummer for the rock band The Deputies, performs on stage as part of a battle of the bands sponsored by Modern Rock 91.5 on March 19 at the Underground in the lower level of the Riverwood Resort, 1313 E. Broomfield Road.

Deputies crave a vintage sound Band recently debuted beneath Riverwood Resort

By Michael L. Hoffman Staff Reporter

The Deputies are trying to do something they don’t see happening in music as of late — play straight-up rock ‘n’ roll.

“We feel our music bridges generations,” said guitarist/ vocalist Bob Bousson. “It’s music that our parents as well as friends would listen to.”

The band is comprised of Bousson, a Sterling Heights senior, bassist Mitch Anderson and drummer Alex Hutt. It made its debut at a battle of the bands about two weeks ago at the Underground beneath Riverwood Resort, 1313 E. Broomfield Road.

Though the group has been together for three months, Bousson and Anderson have been playing music together for about a year.

Anderson is influenced by bands such as Led Zeppelin and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

The Rothbury junior said the members try to do everything “analog” to maintain a vintage sound.

“I have the newest amp in the band, and it’s from 1971,” he said.

The vintage sound is very important to The Deputies and, on stage, the band sounds like Black Sabbath mixed with CCR and sprinkled with a little ’90s rock, creating a familiar, but unique, sound.

Hutt, a Jackson senior, said he enjoys playing ’60s and ’70s rock because it allows him to show off influences not based in rock ‘n’ roll.

“Honestly, I take a lot from jazz,” he said. “I just really love that old-time jazz music.”

Going analog In the near future, the band is hoping to record an album, but will only do it one way.

“There’s this great studio in Grand Rapids that does reel-to-reel tapes and has all analog equipment,” Bousson said.

Anderson said he much prefers the sound of analog recordings as opposed to digital.

“Analog is warmer, more organic,” he said.

Central Michigan Life || Wednesday, March 31, 2010 || 3B

nathan kostegian/staff photographer

The Deputies, trio comprised of CMU students, play in a battle of the bands March 19 at the Underground.

Sean Proctor/staff photographer

Sterling Heights senior Bob Bousson, the guitarist and vocalist of The Deputies, performs on stage as part of a battle of the bands sponsored by Modern Rock 91.5 on March 19. “We feel our music bridges generations,” Bousson said.

Bousson and Hutt agree it is important to record analog if they want to maintain a similar sound to the band’s live act.

The Deputies do not take themselves too seriously — which, they think, is crucial.

“(Bob and I) have a running joke at work,” Bousson said. “We are always telling the guys we aren’t coming into work next week because we’ll be off playing arenas.” studentlife@cm-life.com

Gould has used his authority as a student manager at the Down Under Food Court for pranks.

He played an April Fool’s joke on his girlfriend, Troy senior Michelle Sobodos, who works with him.

“Last year, I wrote her up for touching me while we were working,” Gould said.

The write-up had the exact response Gould had hoped for.

Gould was not regretful as he sat next to his former victim and retold the story in the lobby of the Bovee University Center earlier this week.

“It was mean,” Sobodos said.

Some people take April Fool’s Day very seriously. Jordan Spence is the daughter of an original prankster.

The Mount Pleasant junior said her father has glued slippers to the floor and relocated cars while their drivers were asleep.

She said he claims to have even driven a motorcycle through his high school from time to time.

Spence laughed when she considered whether his misadventures were more for his own enjoyment or to teach a strong lesson to his victims.

“Maybe a little bit of both,” she decided. studentlife@cm-life.com

4B || Wednesday, March 31, 2010 || Central Michigan Life

video game review

Final Fantasy XIII good, but has a few flaws

By Ryan Taljonick Staff Reporter

“Final Fantasy XIII” is quite different from its predecessors.

The latest installment of Square Enix’s popular roleplaying franchise offers a wonderful blend of storytelling and fast-paced action. But it is not flawless.

The plot centers around a woman named Lightning and a handful of characters living on a floating world known as Cocoon. A governing body — the Sanctum — creates the laws of Cocoon and polices the world. However, Cocoon is largely protected and controlled by a non-human species known as fal’Cie. The benevolent creatures live in harmony with the humans, assisting them in security and prosperity.

Yet when a hostile fal’Cie from Pulse — the feared world below Cocoon — is discovered, peace comes to an end. As always, it’s up to you to save the world.

“Final Fantasy XIII” is very fast-paced compared to previous Final Fantasy games. It also is very linear in its progression. There is no world map, no towns to visit and no open exploration. Though there is a brief section toward the end of the game where there is a

“Final Fantasy XIII” w System: Xbox 360, PS3 w Genre: Role-Playing w Rating: Teen

HHHH little less linearity, for the most part, you will be running down thin corridors and pathways.

The battle system in “Final Fantasy XIII” also is unique. By the game’s midpoint, each character will have different “paradigms” available for use. The paradigms are character roles, such as a medic that can heal your party, a commando that uses physical attacks or ravagers that use magical attacks.

The paradigms can be changed at any point in a battle, allowing you to adapt to any situation quickly.

During each fight, a segmented active time battle gauge fills up. Each attack or spell you use costs a specific number of segments, allowing you to freely choose what abilities to use and when to use them. This makes the action feel much more involved and fast-paced compared to traditional turnbased battle systems.

Through winning battles, characters obtain Crystarium points — the equivalent to experience points — which are used to develop character skills and attributes through a grid-like system, similar to that found in “Final Fantasy X.” However, “Final Fantasy XIII” is not without its flaws.

The linearity of the game, though not terrible, does take away from the overall experience many have come to expect in a Final Fantasy title. The game also contains some cheesy dialogue and voice acting, a problem that seems to plague recent games in the franchise.

Flaws aside, “Final Fantasy XIII” offers a compelling plot, likeable characters and beautiful graphics.

Be sure to check it out. studentlife@cm-life.com

cd review

She & Him’s ‘Volume Two’ playful and harmless Zooey Deschanel provides sweet, innocent voice

By Ben Weissenborn Staff Reporter

“Volume Two,” the second album from songwriting duo She & Him, is a catchy, upbeat affair with a sound just as cute and inoffensive as member Zooey Deschanel herself.

The duo includes Deschanel — also an actress — and folk-rocker M. Ward.

When Ward and Deschanel announced they had paired to work on music together, the collaboration between the then-dating duo seemed like a great fit: Zooey’s innocent sweetness was the perfect match for Ward’s smoky, soulful brand of folk.

What “Volume One” offered was pretty much exactly what one would imagine: Deschanel’s squeaky-clean voice was front and center, easing its way through undeniably catchy melodies, while Ward’s simple, lush arrangements offered a downy sonic bed upon which Zooey’s voice could rest.

The result was a solid batch of catchy pop songs that sounded like distant cousins of ‘70s AM Gold hits.

What appears on “Volume Two” isn’t a whole lot different.

It wears its inspirations on its sleeve and Deschanel’s n o t - p a r t i c u l a r l y- s p e c i a l voice is still at the heart of these songs. Ward’s lush arrangements are as lovely as ever.

One small difference is the use of backing vocals.

Almost every single track features Beach Boys-style soaring, reverberated wordless vocals.

It’s a nice touch, though it loses its effect rather quickly, considering how often the trick is used.

Despite its rather bland, totally inoffensive nature, “Volume Two” has a handful of really strong standout tracks. One such track is opener “Thieves,” which skips with a slightly Latin rhythm from verse to soaring chorus to verse.

The real gold is in the track’s last minute, when Ward’s arrangements break free with orchestral reverence.

Oddly enough, it sounds an awful lot like the ending of “Volume One” opener “Sentimental Heart,” which goes out in a similar fashion.

Unexpected a cappella closer, “If You Can’t Sleep” is another one of the album’s gems.

Deschanel’s multi-tracked humming replicates a giant, pillowy string section while she bids the song’s subject goodnight: “In your dreams, I’ll touch your cheek/And lay my head on your shoulder.”

Though “Volume Two” may not offer anything wholly original, it certainly succeeds in acting as a musical incarnation of Deschanel herself: sweet,

cm-life.com/category/vibe

[VIBE]

“Volume Two” w Artist: She & Him w Genre: Folk

HHH timeless and harmless.

completely

studentlife@cm-life.com

Women’s rugby endures the bruises Team placed third of 20 college teams last fall

By Sherri Keaton Senior Reporter

Ask Morgan Thumser about her arms and legs and she will proudly show off her blackish-blue bruises.

The Hesperia senior received them while playing on the women’s rugby team, Rugby Rebels, at Central Michigan University.

Once, a doctor thought the bruises developed from another source.

“I said ‘I play rugby, big deal.’ They understood and didn’t ask questions after that,” Thumser said. “It’s like a battle wound; we’re proud of them.”

About 20 women are part of the Rugby Rebels.

The sport is a mix mainly between football and soc-

cer, with punting, passing, touchdowns and scoring.

The only protective gear worn by the players are mouth guards.

“I don’t think more protection is needed. It would not be the same,” said Lansing junior Amanda Gray, a rugby player. “It wouldn’t be rugby, it would be something else.”

Frankenmuth senior Alexis Kadolph is the group’s president and captain. “(Students) learn to participate on a team and have lots of fun. It’s giving people an opportunity to do something other than school,” Kadolph said.

She first heard about rugby after finding a team flier in the Charles V. Park Library.

The team is like a family with “moms” and “kids,” Kadolph said.

Thumser said encouraging newer players is important.

“Outside of rugby, I do things with my ‘kids,’ it makes it easy to have somebody to talk to,” she said.

The team competes against other colleges from September to October and made the playoffs in October 2009.

“We had a dedicated team that wanted to go,” Kadolph said. “We ended up taking third place out of 20 teams — that was the best rugby since we’ve been on the team.”

Just like a family, arguments arise between the moms and kids. But in the end, they are still a family and a team.

“It is such an intense sport. You get out on the field and there’s nothing left when you get off the field,” Kadolph said. “They’re my family. You get mad at them and you resolve your issues.” studentlife@cm-life.com