Central Michigan Life
Monday, April 25, 2011
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
[cm-life.com]
STATE BUDGET Gov. Snyder’s pension, K-12 education plans met with mixed reactions
SPORTS
Freshman walk-on leaves basketball team, 1B
CMU takes two of three at Ball State, 1B
ACADEMICS New art class to offer Islamic perspective, 6A
Temp. instructor shot, killed near home in N.C. Robert L. Barber called ‘great and knowledgeable’ By Maria Amante Senior Reporter
A man his students called a “great and knowledgeable” instructor was gunned down and killed late last week in North Carolina. On Friday morning, Robert L. Barber, a temporary, ProfEd
employee of the Doctorate of Health Administration Program, was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel two miles from his home in Charlotte. He was 64. Steven Berkshire, director of health administration, said Barber taught at CMU for six years and was currently teaching a health care finance course online. “(He was) intimately involved with our program,” Berkshire said. “Several students are mortified he’s gone, and talking about how much he’s been
a help to them, not only to their degree but also their career.” Barber also worked as a director of financial services Robert L. Barber at Carolinas HealthCare System. Barber was married to Debbie Barber and had two adult stepsons, Eric and Brian. His family declined direct comment, but said Barber was an active man who had many
hobbies including Corvette racing, running, crossword puzzles and genealogy. A family member said he was a lifelong military man and educator, teaching at up to three or four schools at once while simultaneously working as a hospital administrator. Berkshire said Barber was walking home from a coffee shop in a “very safe” area. The Charlotte Observer reports Barber may have been shot during a robbery, but Charlotte officials have not confirmed or denied that claim.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said in a statement the shooting occurred at a local business 10:20 a.m. Friday. A police description lists the suspect as a tall and skinny black male, last seen running down a local Charlotte street. Berkshire said Barber was well-liked and respected personally and professionally. Barber was a retired Air Force colonel, Berkshire said. Barber was on campus in Mount Pleasant a couple times a year, Berkshire said, and he related well to his students.
“He’s definitely one of those professors who will take the extra time necessary when a student needs help,” Berkshire said. Denita Weddle, a doctor of health administration student, said each student’s background was irrelevant in Barber’s classroom and his only priority was developing health care professionals. She said the university has lost a great and knowledgeable instructor.
A barber | 2A
Expected Agreement
UTF, CMU to vote on contract this Thursday By Mike Nichols Senior Reporter
Matt Sprague disagrees. “How difficult would if be for seven guys to move a rock and a body?” the Lapeer sophomore said. “I don’t even think Jesus was real.” The disciples’ martyrdom is proof that they told the truth, LaMew said. No one would endure torturous death for something they had faked, he said. “I don’t think I could go to my execution supporting a lie,” he said. “The most credible answer for what happened in the New Testament was that (Jesus) really rose from the
The term “temporary faculty” may not exist at CMU if the Union of Teaching Faculty agrees to new contract terms. UTF and CMU administrators expect to ratify a bargaining agreement on Thursday after months of discussions. UTF represents 340 adjunct faculty members. Jim Eikrem, assistant communication and dramatic arts professor and interim president of UTF, said the tentative agreement was reached April 18. If approved, the agreement will be good for four years. He thanked UTF members who participated in the negotiations on Wednesday during a rally to celebrate the development. “In a time when there is a lot of erosion of unions, this is a beacon of hope,” he said. “But we must still continue to support all the other unions in our state and country.” According to previously published reports, adjunct faculty will be referred to as “lecturers” and will be eligible for multi-year appointments following four years on campus and a performance review. Lecturers on campus for five or more years will see multi-year contracts as well. The resolution would give adjunct faculty more benefits and better pay. The annual increases are not as high as CMU’s average cost-of-living numbers when expressed as a percentage across the unit, according to a UTF Contract Summary document. But the increases correlate with inflation numbers and are competitive with wage increases won by similar bargaining-faculty groups in the U.S. Dan Kukuk, campaign coordinator for the American Federation of Teachers Michigan, said the agreement provides more job security and gives wage increases to UTF members. “It’s good to know that people supporting each other in Michigan can make
A easter | 2A
A UTF | 2A
jeff smith/staff photographer
Ghana senior Charlene Ofosu prays during a moment of silence during one of two Easter services on Sunday morning at His House Church, 211 W. Broomfield St.
Not any given Sunday More local residents than normal attend church on Easter; students go home By Mike Nichols Senior Reporters
For many in Mount Pleasant, Easter is one of the most important religious holidays of the year. Though for others, it’s just another day. On Sunday, local churches celebrated the anniversary of Jesus Christ’s resurrection. Easter is one of the largest days of the year for church attendance, said Tom Dennis, Mount Pleasant Community Church congregational pastor. Regular attendance numbers are usually about 1,300, but on Easter, MPCC, located at 1400
W. Broomfield St., expected about 3,000. “The statistics tell us that visitors will decide in the first seven minutes whether or not they’re going to come back,” Dennis said. “That and Christ’s admonition to love each other make it very important for us.” MPCC Senior Pastor Brian LaMew preached of why Christians believe in the resurrection, saying it was a literal historic event rather than a myth. Quoting supportive scholars, lawyers and journalists, many of whom had originally been opponents of the idea, LaMew said the evidence points toward the story be-
Inside w Kids hunt for Easter eggs at scramble event Saturday, 3A ing real. “Every single one of us needs to investigate the evidence,” he said. “If you like Mythbusters, this is going to be good.” Theory by theory, LaMew explained to his congregation why he believes Jesus did rise again. The idea that the disciples stole the corpse, he said, is unrealistic because of the sealed stone and the guards.
Marveling marsupials Mount Pleasant woman owns, sells sugar gliders out of home By Michael L. Hoffman Student Life Editor
Walk into Lynn Martel’s house and you will likely be greeted by a 9-year-old rottweiler named Meg, but that is not her only pet. Martel of Mount Pleasant is also an owner of six cats and a bearded dragon, though the pets she is most
proud of are her 16 sugar gliders, which she breeds and sells from her 7540 E. Broadway St. home. Sugar gliders, small marsupials native to Australia, she said, are some of the best pets she has ever owned. “They are great pets,” she said. “They take work and dedication, but it is really rewarding.” Martel said she began breeding the animals about five years ago after seeing some at a convention. Since then she has become the leading breeder in midMichigan and founder of the Mid Michigan Glider Group.
The reason raising gliders takes dedication, she said, is because the animals are nocturnal, have a relatively specific diet and, like many other pets, require attention from their owners. She said she did not purchase any gliders until she did the research on what it takes to own one. One of her biggest motivations as a breeder is to educate potential owners. “(Martel) was so supportive and helpful,” said Tonna Kleinhans, a Lansing resident.
Don’t Miss ... NEWS w New RSO, 9/11 Truth, questions validity of Sept. 11 attacks, 3A w EDITORIAL: UTF, CMU tentative agreement should leave adjunct instructors proud, 4A
SPORTS w Softball goes 1-3 at Ohio, Akron over weekend, 1B sara winkler/assistant photo editor
Mount Pleasant resident Lynn Martel has been recognized as the leading breeder of sugar gliders in mid-Michigan. She started breeding after rescuing a glider from a pet store that provided a less-than-ideal environment for the animal. Now housing 16 different gliders in her home, Martel says it’s all about the passion that drives her business.
A sugar glider | 7A
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