Friday, April 9, 2010
Shoeless | Students go barefoot to help cause, 3A
Leader Advancement Scholars host senior prom, 5A
Jordan Adams finds new baseball team after first one shutters, 1B
Central Michigan Life
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
[cm-life.com]
Budget forum set for April 26 George Ross to present; ‘preliminary decisions’ expected By Emily Pfund Staff Reporter
George Ross is preparing for his first budget meeting since becoming Central Michigan University’s President. CMU will hold its second budget forum of the semester from 3 to 5 p.m. April 26 in the Bovee University Center Auditorium. Ross spoke of the forum Tuesday at the Academic Senate meeting. Like the last forum, which took place Feb. 23, those unable to attend can view the gathering online via Webcast, said Steve Smith, director of public relations. He said the Web address of the Webcast will be announced closer to the date of the forum. “Dr. Ross will be presenting, and his cabinet will be there also,” Smith said. Ross said Tuesday he will discuss “preliminary budget decisions” at the forum. Smith said no decisions have been made yet regarding upcoming budget cuts and the 2010-11 budget is “still a work
Photos by Jake May/staff photographer
Mount Pleasant resident Julie Stinson, center, smiles at her husband, Mike, while sharing a Bible at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church in Shepherd on Easter Sunday. Stinson, 45, was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder that commonly affects kidneys. She was placed on the national organ transplant list for a kidney in fall 2009. “It’s kind of scary,” she said. “I’m not as afraid of the transplant list itself, I trust (the doctors). It’s more the anti-rejection meds and what follows (the surgery).”
Life on a list Department chairman’s wife carries on while waiting for kidney transplant
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“It’s difficult because there is always that fear in the back of your mind,” he said. “I don’t like to talk or think about it because it’s my wife. I’m older, but I always thought she would be there to take care of (Megan).” Julie first knew she had a problem when she was 26 and working at an investment banking firm. “It was a stressful job. I was stressed out and I wasn’t getting enough sleep,” she said. “I had swelling in my joints and pain and swelling in my hands. It
What to cut? Then-interim President Kathy Wilbur requested each of CMU’s budget centers to submit proposals of 3, 6 and 9 percent budget cuts in February, anticipating as much as $20 million to be cut from state appropriations. Michigan’s Senate Appropriations C o m m i t t e e George Ross approved a 3.1 percent cut in appropriations to public universities in March, which could mean more than $2.5 million in cuts for CMU starting Oct. 1 if the plan passes in the Senate and the House. David Burdette, vice president of Finances and Administrative Services, said he and Interim Provost Gary Shapiro “are in continuous discussion” with Ross about budget cuts. “(Ross) has been briefed by Burdette and his advisors and is still digesting what he’s
A budget | 2A
Greek Week kicks off Monday on campus
By Brad Ivey | Staff Reporter
ne name is added to the national organ transplant list every 11 minutes. Julie Stinson was one of them six months ago. The 45-year-old was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus 20 years ago and was placed on the national transplant list for a kidney in the fall of 2009. The condition is a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder that can affect the kidney. Her husband, Michael Stinson, the 61 year-old chairman of Central Michigan University’s computer science department, said it has been a tough road, especially because of the couple’s 13-year-old daughter, Megan.
in progress.” “I anticipate some announcements to come out of that meeting,” Smith said.
By Randi Shaffer Staff Reporter and Maryellen Tighe Senior Reporter
Greeks around campus are preparing for their big week. More than 1,000 students from 10 fraternities and 11 sororities across campus will come together next week for Greek Week, a series of fundraising events and activities. “It’s like homecoming for the Greek community,” said Tom Idema, assistant director of Student Life. “It’s full of competitions which build community and campus charitable awareness.” Each year, the participating Greek students pick a philanthropy to support throughout the week. This year, they chose to raise money for the Isabella County Community Compassion Network. “We can’t do it without groups to support us in this way,” said CCN Director Sue Wroblewski.
Mount Pleasant resident Julie Stinson, center, prays during service at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church in Shepherd on Easter Sunday.Julie said there are many hardships a person with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) must overcome.
spread to other parts. It took almost three months to diagnose; I had to do all sorts of tests. I went to a rheumatologist first then, once my kidneys got involved, I went to the nephrologist.” She said there are many hardships a person with SLE must overcome. “My energy level is down. I can’t do as much as I want to, I need more naps,” she said. “I can’t interact with my daughter as much and I feel guilty. I hope she understands one day.”
April is Organ Donor Awareness Month and about 100,000 are on the organ donation waiting list. With that in mind, the Stinsons want to remind everyone to become a donor if possible. “Everyone should donate after they’ve passed; that’s a no-brainer,” Michael said. “When you realize the value of an organ, that it can save someone’s life, you can feel good A donor | 2A
“The Greek community has such a huge heart for families in need.” Wroblewski said the Greeks will help raise money for a food pantry that will feed more than 375 homes. At each Greek Week event,
A greek | 2A
If you go... Greek Week’s main events w w w w
Comedian Evan Wecksell performs at 7 p.m. Monday in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium. The Greek Academic Games take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium. A kickball game takes place at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in Finch Fieldhouse. Mock Rock takes place at 7 p.m. Friday at the small sports forum in the SAC.
George Ross’ 81-member transition team set in motion Administrators, students soon to meet on committees By Ryan Czachorski Senior Reporter
University President George Ross has a complete list of his transition team members. The team includes a variety of individuals, from members of the Board of Trustees to students. Those involved will help Ross, who began March 1, throughout
his readjustment to Central Michigan University. Bill Yeagley, CMU’s police chief, is on the Community/ Business Priorities subcommittee and said members are focused on bringing CMU together with the community. “We’re just discussing what our assignments are and what piece of the puzzle we have to fit,” he said. “We, as a team, decided how we want to approach that and the information we want to provide. We are gathering information, and the team will come togeth-
er and talk about how we can better the relationship between CMU and the surrounding area.” The team has 81 individuals divided into six sub-committees, which are: academic priorities, student priorities, administrative and staff priorities, alumni priorities, community/business priorities and public affairs and communication. A Web site also is available with information on the group at https://ssl.cmich. edu/transition.
Brittany Mouzourakis Godwin Djietror
A transition | 2A
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2A || Friday, April 9, 2010 || Central Michigan Life
EVENTS CALENDAR
transition | continued from 1A
Today
According to the site, there will be three reports submitted to Ross by the groups. An initial report is scheduled for June 1, with a progress report Oct. 1 and a final report following Feb. 1, 2011.
w Professor J. Mick Tilford of the University of Arkansas will present “Challenges and Opportunities in the Economic Evaluation of Child Health Services” from 1 to 3 p.m. in Grawn Hall’s Pierpont Auditorium.
Highlighting issues The team is co-chaired by Kathy Wilbur, vice president of Government Relations and Public Affairs, and Phil Squattrito, a chemistry professor and chairman of the Academic Senate. The team also includes Trustees John Hurd and Sarah Opperman, along with Steve Lawrence, associate vice president of Facilities Management; Interim Pro-
w The Student Association of Social Workers’ 50th Anniversary Convocation takes place from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Bovee University Center Auditorium.
w The Beta Theta Pi King of the Wing Competition takes place from 4 to 6 p.m. in Warriner Mall. Registration is $35 for a team of 5, and proceeds will benefit Sexual Aggression Peer Advocates.
Saturday
w A Natural Health Layman’s Course in real food nutrition takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Naturopathic Community Center, 503 E. Broadway Ave. Registration is $89. w “The Sound of Music” is playing at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Broadway Theater. The showings are free and presented by Isabella Bank. w The DISCovering a Cure Disc Golf Tournament starts at 2 p.m. at Deerfield Park. The entry fee is $10 for an individual or $20 for a team of two, and proceeds will benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. w OPUS, a dinner and collage concert featuring motown music, begins at 6 p.m. in the Music Building’s Staples Family Concert Hall.
Sunday
w Jock Rock, a mock rock featuring CMU student athletes, starts at 7 p.m in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets cost $4. w To Write Love On Her Arms’ U-Chapter Tour meets at 7 p.m. in Moore Hall’s Townsend Kiva. Tickets are $2.
cm-life.com
donor | continued from 1A
about (donating) for the rest of your life. And the thing people should know is that there is no statistical difference in lifespan after you have donated.” The Stinsons are anxious knowing, at any time, they could get the call for Julie to receive a kidney. “It’s kind of scary,” Julie said. “I’m not as afraid of the transplant itself, I trust (the doctors) — it’s more the anti-rejection meds and what follows (the surgery).”
vost Gary Shapiro; and Athletic Director Dave Heeke. Hesperia sophomore Killian Richeson is on the administrative and staff priorities subcommittee and said he is learning about the university in the process. “It’s kind of interesting being able to see just the interaction some of the faculty have with some of the administration,” he said. “It gives me an insight into the university that I don’t usually get to see.” He said the group is seeking ways administrators should interact with students, faculty and the community, as well as what Ross can do with the information. “So far, we’re trying to get a feel to what each member’s
A dean’s donation When Dean of Students Bruce Roscoe heard Richard Davenport, a former vice provost of academic affairs, had a son in need of an organ, he did not hesitate to have himself checked as a possible match for donating. Roscoe learned he was compatible for Ryan Davenport, 17 at the time, and decided to donate one of his kidneys. Twenty years later, Roscoe said he still has no regrets. “I didn’t have any kids at that time, so I was just like, ‘Boy, I would hope someone would step up if it was my kid,’” he said.
WEATHER FORECAST Today High 47/Low 29 Partly Cloudy
Saturday High 64/Low 39 PM Showers
Sunday High 64/Low 38 Partly Cloudy
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roles are,” he said. “I need to find a way to represent the students without crossing into what the student priorities team does.” Student Government Association President Jason Nichol is co-chairman of the student priorities committee and said he is excited for what the group could do. He said the group is meeting at 7 p.m. April 19 in the Charles V. Park Library Auditorium. “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for this team to highlight student issues and we’re thankful that Dr. Ross is interested and truly committed to making CMU a student-centered institution through hearing ideas and comments the student priorities committee has,” said the Mount Pleasant senior.
budget |
university@cm-life.com
The events Comedian Evan Wecksell is scheduled to perform at 7 p.m. Monday in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium. Students are encouraged to donate clothing, said Samantha Duncan, Delta Zeta President and New Baltimore junior. “Usually, in the past, we’ve had speakers on hazing and how Greek life is portrayed, and how it’s not like that at all,” Duncan said. The Greek Academic Games take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium. Students will compete in their knowledge of Greek and CMU facts and geography, Duncan said.
Roscoe is passionate about organ donation and emphasizes there is no long-term physical effects of donating. “How can you not do it? To think of how many lives can be enhanced by a donor is remarkable,” he said. “It’s something you always feel good about doing,” It all comes down to helping your fellow human being, Roscoe said. “Take care of one another, take care of the guy next to you,” he said. “If I can do this to help him, help him. That’s what it’s all about, taking care of one another.” university@cm-life.com
Corrections 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.
© Central Michigan Life 2010 Volume 91, Number 75
budget, and I don’t see that happening any time soon.” The meeting is open to the public and in an e-mail to the university sent on Thursday, Ross expressed hope many will participate. “I welcome and encourage the participation of faculty, students and staff as we continue our positive momentum and forwardlooking vision to advance our university,” Ross said.
continued from 1A
learned and analyzing it,” Smith said. Burdette said the decisions for any announcements made will be made in the next several days. No announcements made at the forum will be final, he said. “It’s a process,” he said. “The legislature and the governor must approve the
university@cm-life.com
greek |
“Instead of doing a Jeopardy or anything like that, (we’re) doing a life-size game,” Duncan said. “We’re supposed to bring lightly used books.” Thursday night’s events and donations focus around sports, said Ryan Herbst, a Delta Chi member and Clinton Township Junior. Donations of new and lightly used sporting equipment will be accepted at a kickball game at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in Finch Fieldhouse. Greek Week concludes with a night of music at Mock Rock, which begins at 7 p.m. Friday in the Student Activity Center. Teams will compete to a mix of music — one song from each of the last ten years — in the largest event of the week, Duncan said. “It’s kind of like a whole week where we come together as one,” Herbst said. “Mock Rock is a blast.” Last year, Phi Sigma Phi and Delta Zeta won Mock Rock and Greek Week overall.
continued from 1A
students will have the opportunity to make different donations, including clothing, books and money.
studentlife@cm-life.com
What’s on the Web A look at what you can find off the printed pages
cm-life.com
On
On
Video See a video from the TOMS Shoes walk Thursday.
facebook.com/cmlife TALK WITH US: Do you plan on attending the budget meeting on April 26? Why or why not?
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Your success is our goal.
Higher learning. Higher earning. At Western Michigan University’s Grand Rapids regional site, the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program teaches the business knowledge and professional skills required in today’s global environment and prepares individuals to function effectively in administrative and leadership positions.
Open House June 17
Students in the Grand Rapids MBA program are able to network with area peers and create business connections in a face-to-face environment. If you’re looking to build upon your bachelor’s degree, consider the WMU MBA program the ultimate resume builder. Master of Business Administration s Offers a choice of concentration in marketing, management, finance, accounting, or computer information systems. s Prepares students to function effectively in administrative and leadership positions. s Promotes engaging discussions and workplace solutions that can be put into practice the next day. Best of all, our convenient evening classes meet from 6 to 9 p.m. so you can have a job, an education, and a life. Visit www.wmich.edu/grandrapids/mba or call (616) 771-4100 for program details and admissions requirements.
inside life Central Michigan Life
3A
Friday, April 9, 2010
Hinck finds ‘great opportunity’ in serving CCFA 21-year CMU veteran to become associate dean By Theresa Clift Staff Reporter
Shelly Hinck will be the new associate dean of Central Michigan University’s College of Communication and Fine Arts. “I thought that this would be a great opportunity for me
service learning coordinator. She also has served on the Mount Pleasant School Board. “In these Shelly Hinck experiences, I was able to develop skills that will help me as the associate dean,” she said. Although she said she is excited, she is approaching her new position with a bit of a
to serve the CCFA,” she said. Hinck was selected at the end of March, and her position is effective July 1. Her new responsibilities include involvement with curriculum issues, affirmative actions for the college and interdisciplinary programs. Her primary responsibilities include curriculum management and support for the dean. Hinck has been at CMU for 21 years and has worked in the Volunteer Center and as a
Web kit to aid charter schools
heavy heart. “I will miss the interactions that I had with students and being in the classroom; that was something I really enjoyed,” Hinck said. “However, I know I will still be able to serve the students, just in a different way.” Salma Ghanem, dean of the College of Communication and Fine Arts, is pleased with the choice. “She has got great communication skills,” Ghanem said. “We are going to miss Profes-
sor (Al) Wildey, who is stepping down, but I think CCFA is going to have a good team with Dr. Hinck aboard.” Hinck succeeds Wildey, who served as the interim associate dean of CCFA and will return to the department of art. “I think she’s going to do a great job,” Wildey said. “She has a lot of enthusiasm, interpersonal skills, and a communication background.” university@cm-life.com
Lake Isabella resident Wayne Pelmear, 66, calls a square dance as his wife Jan, 65, dances with her partner Monday at the Isabella Commission on Aging, 2200 S. Lincoln Road. “I can’t remember not square dancing,” Pelmear said. jeff smith/ staff photographer
The Oak Street pedestrian bridge connecting the southern part of Island Park to the historic Borden Building property will be closed today until mid-June for restoration. Those who use the bridge should use the Lincoln Street Bridge to access Island Park. The concrete holdings of the bridge will be demolished. The Mount Pleasant City Commission voted Oct. 11 to rehabilitate the bridge instead of replacing it. For more information, visit the city of Mount Pleasant’s Web site at mt-pleasant.org.
There is still time to join a team for Relay For Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. The event takes place from 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. April 23 and 24 in the Student Activity Center. For more information or to sign up for a team, visit relayforlife.org/cmumi.
Attorney General candidate visiting campus
Mike Bishop, state Senate majority leader and attorney general candidate, will be at Central Michigan University at 9 p.m. Tuesday in Anspach Hall 169. Bishop will meet with College Republicans and will cover his current agenda as majority leader, as well as his future agenda. Bishop is an advocate of a smaller, more efficient government. The event is open to the public.
By Brad Ivey Staff Reporter
A board gear | 7A
Bridge closure
Relay For Life teams
g lo ba l awa r e n e s s
‘Board Gear’ aims to help officials keep up with tasks
The responsibility of running a Central Michigan University-authorized charter school might seem large to some. But for the 350 board members who guide 58 different high schools around the state through CMU’s Center for Charter Schools, things could get much easier. The center recently launched “Board Gear,” a Web tool kit aimed at helping board members keep up with the tasks of the job. The center wants to help board members as much as possible, said Jim Goenner, executive director of the Center for Charter Schools. “Our goal is to have high performing schools that will stand the test of time, and we think that board members are a big part of that,” Goenner said. “Board Gear” offers the Board Channel, which provides video messages about events and issues pertinent to that month. The Board Calender provides a place for members to see what is happening daily and view upcoming events and issues. Philip Browne, board president at Cole Academy in Lansing, is happy with the new tool. “It is a great Web kit to have,” Browne said. “We have two brand new board members, and to have that single place at your fingertips to go is phenomenal. You can’t really ask for a better resource.” Browne said it will help the board members serve their schools even better than before. “The most important thing is kids learning and spending the money the right way,” he said. “If you’re not doing that, I don’t know what you’re doing.” “Board Gear” cost about $45,000 and was paid for by the center. While officials are happy with the kit right now, they
[Life in brief]
Hospice volunteer training
photos by sean proctor/staff photographer
Rochester Hills freshman Chris Corrigan, center, walks with other participants during the “One Day Without Shoes” march Thursday afternoon. The nationwide event, sponsored by TOMS Shoes, is designed to spread the message that shoes are a luxury which some children do not have.
Shoeless Joes Students walk barefoot Thursday for TOMS Shoes cause
Smoke-free hotline
By Ryan Taljonick | Staff Reporter
Due to the smoke-free air law that takes effect May 1, the Michigan Department of Community Health will provide resources for business owners on its Web site. Business owners will be required to follow a five-step implementation process. They can visit michigan.gov/smokefreelaw or call the hotline, 1-866-59SMOKE, to get more information on the new law, such as limited exemptions allowed, frequently asked questions, tools to prepare for the law and tobacco dependence treatment information.
J
oanna Wysocki could see her breath as she removed small rocks from the bottom of her feet. After walking barefoot through the wet, cold weather, the Detroit sophomore now understands the importance of owning a pair of shoes. “I’m interested in the sort of thing where you put yourself in the place of other people,” Wysocki said. “It’s cold and wet, and our feet are in pain. It allows us to feel what (people without shoes) go through.” Wysocki was one of about 35 students who marched Thursday afternoon from the Bovee University Center, down Washington Street and into the courtyard between Pearce and Anspach halls. Many other students went the entire day shoeless for “One Day Without Shoes,” an event sponsored by the TOMS Shoes footwear company that includes college campuses across the U.S.
The goal was for participants to experience firsthand what children without shoes in developing countries go through. Fraser senior Allison Guzik and Chesterfield senior Laura Embry founded the TOMS Shoes branch at CMU as a registered student organization. TOMS Shoes donates one pair of shoes to a needy child for each pair of shoes sold on
Participants of “One Day Without Shoes” walk across campus Thursday afternoon to spread the message that not all children experience the comfort of shoes. The nationwide event is sponsored by the TOMS Shoes footwear company.
its Web site. This is the first year the “One Day Without Shoes” event has been recognized at CMU, Guzik said. “We started the event at Central because we thought the campus would really embrace a good cause,” Guzik said. “It allows you to become aware of a global issue.” Embry said most people take shoes for granted. “We’re encouraging people
to go part of the day barefoot so they can realize the impact a simple pair of shoes can have on someone,” she said. “We can put our shoes back on after this walk, but many kids don’t have that option.” Bearing the weather Embry was excited despite the poor weather conditions A toms | 7A
In dancing, it’s fair to be square Local couple finds love through favorite pastime By Lonnie Allen Staff Reporter
Wayne and Jan Pelmear are a square dancing couple ready to make you move — and they have been for more than 40 years. The Lake Isabella residents put modern Western square dancing into motion at the Isa-
Volunteer training will be offered May 17-19 and May 24-26. Hospice philosophy, patient confidentiality, nursing for non-nurses, communication, bereavement and spiritual care will be addressed. Completion of all sessions is required, but makeup sessions may be available. Applications can be picked up from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at Woodland Hospice, 2597 S. Meridian Road. They also can be found at woodlandhospice.com. Pretraining interviews are required and will begin May 3. For more information, contact Char Birgy at 773-6137 or send an e-mail to char@woodlandhospice.com.
bella County Commission on Aging two years ago. It is what they say they have a passion for. “It is a great way to meet people,” Jan said. “The first time I learned to square dance, I met Wayne.” The two met while attending Michigan State University, where Jan, 65, learned to square dance. The Pelmears will celebrate 45 years of marriage Saturday. For Wayne, the passion for square dancing came quickly. Dancing was part of the cur-
Heidi Fenton, Managing Editor | news@cm-life.com | 989.774.4343
riculum at the one-room schoolhouse the 66-year-old attended in Coldwater. Wayne said he has square danced so long, he does not remember not square dancing. “Henry Ford was heavily involved with square dancing,” he said. “Ford ended up buying a resort in Massachusetts, so hecould hire Benjamin Lovett, a dancing master. Ford would have Lovett go around to schools in Michigan and teach square dancing.” A dance | 7A
Museum opening
The Museum of Cultural and Natural History will celebrate its grand opening from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the corner of Bellows Street and West Campus Drive. The event is open to the public. The museum will have an interactive exhibit through September for kids of all ages to experience the power of magnets.
Les Liaisons Dangereuses
The play Les Liaisons Dangereuses will play Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Moore Hall’s Bush Theatre. The play starts at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday. The play was written by Christopher Hampton and is directed by Keeley StanleyBohn. It depicts seduction, revenge and human malice while exploring the love, intrigue and betrayal among aristocracy of 18th-century France. Tickets are available at the Central Michigan University Central Box Office in the lower level of the Bovee University Center or online at centralboxoffice.cmich.edu. Tickets also can be ordered by phone at 774-3000.
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 Friday, April 9, 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 | Trey Zeigler could be a Mount Pleasant hero — that is, if he plays at CMU
A new superstar?
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ne big story going unnoticed by many at Central Michigan University is the future of Trey Zeigler. Zeigler, the son of CMU men’s basketball coach Ernie Zeigler, wrapped up his senior season at Mount Pleasant High School earlier this semester ranked among the top prospects in the country.
He averaged 24 points, 10.5 rebounds, four assists and two steals as a shooting guard this year and was pegged No. 30 overall by ESPN. Big-time basketball schools such as Michigan, Michigan State, Arizona State and UCLA have big interest in Trey. Even Duke, which just won the national championship, reportedly expressed interest.
One other school, however, remains in the mix — Central Michigan, primarily because of Trey’s father and the proximity to home. Obviously, it is Trey’s decision. Going to a bigger school means being in the national scope, playing other top teams in the country and the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament year after year. There is more
tradition, more history and more attention to be had at any of those schools. But CMU has to be a promising prospect. Think of what would happen if the No. 30 player in the country played for the Chippewas. The men’s basketball program would instantly be revitalized, creating an excitement unseen since Chris Kaman, now the starting center of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, led the team to a Mid-American Conference championship in 2003. Trey has the potential to be the poster boy for CMU athletics, much like quarterback Dan LeFevour was for the football team the last four years. He also would get to play in a revamped CMU Events Center, which will be complete in time for basketball season. On a slightly wider scope, the impact on Mount Pleasant business would be tremendous. The football
team has done its part in bringing thousands to Mount Pleasant every home game — translate that sort of excitement to the winter months. And it is not as if Trey wouldn’t receive national attention in Mount Pleasant. Kaman and Dan Majerle, a three-time All-Star with the Phoenix Suns in the early 1990s, were both drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft. Neither had the high school credentials Zeigler has. In short, Trey could be the Mount Pleasant hero — at least while he’s here (college basketball players can declare for the NBA Draft at any time). Of course, the possibility of the No. 30 player in the country staying in Mount Pleasant is not exactly likely. But we hope Trey gives strong consideration to playing for his father at Central. There are benefits to be had at CMU despite its status among the upper echelon of men’s basketball programs.
WAYNE STAYSKAL [CARTOON]
Nathan Inks Columnist
Snyder v. Phelps Freedom of speech, freedom of religion and right to assemble are some of the most valued rights given to us by the U.S. Constitution. So when there is a conflict between them, the resulting court case is sure to be a hotly debated one. The Supreme Court has recently agreed to hear one such case, Snyder v. Phelps. The Snyder family was holding a funeral for their son, a Marine killed in battle. Fred Phelps’ infamous Westboro Baptist Church picketed at the funeral, with their usual “God hates fags” and “Thank God for dead soldiers” signs. The Snyder family won a lawsuit, claiming invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress. However, the ruling was overturned an appeals court. The case hinges on a few points: 1) Does Hustler v. Falwell apply to victims who are not public figures? 2) Does freedom of speech trump freedom of religion and the right to assemble? Does Hustler v. Falwell apply to victims who are not public figures? To answer this, we look at the background of Hustler, a case that arose after pastor Jerry Falwell was crudely parodied in Larry Flynt’s Hustler magazine. Falwell sued claiming intentional infliction of emotional distress. However, the Supreme Court sided with Flynt. At the heart of the Court’s decision was that “the First Amendment is bound to produce speech that is critical of those public figures who are ‘intimately involved in the resolution of important public questions or, by reason of their fame, shape events in areas of concern to society at large.’” The right to assemble trumps freedom of speech here. The Court has upheld limitations on speech in the past, including limitations on protesting around abortion clinics. Surely, the right to peacefully hold a funeral is more sacred than the right to an abortion, and the government has the right to restrict speech when that speech is meant to inflict emotional distress on another person. The Court should overturn the appeals court decision and rule with the Snyder family.
[our readers’ voice]
To a “diverse” Central Michigan University Call me old-fashioned, but I think pride and honor should be reserved for things that require you actually having done something, some conscious action. Not things that you just had handed to you in the crapshoot of the genetic lottery. Having pride in something you couldn’t have played a role in deciding isn’t just intellectually dishonest, it’s also a destructive idea since it encourages people to tie up their personal identity with what essentially amounts to trivial cosmetic particularities. We need to replace diversity with a more constructive and positive notion. We need notions that recognizes variation in human culture but at the same time does not divide people into groups according to ethnicity and then tell them to be proud of the outcome of what is, in essence, a genetic accident. Not a colorless world, just one in which color is no longer important. If we are ever to get down to solving the really difficult questions of our world, we must first recognize and celebrate what brings us all together.
The heroes of humanity may have had different journeys but, at the end of the day, they were first and foremost part of the human family. The sooner we recognize this, the sooner we can create an environment in which pride and honor results from real work and achievement. It should not come from a random spin of the genetic wheel of fortune. This is the promise of humanism and it is exactly what this university needs. Though I am certainly willing to admit that I could be wrong and am open to suggestions. Nicholas Cavallo California graduate student
Columnist ‘betrayed his own ignorance’ Jason Gillman, Jr.’s column “Exploiting Ignorance,” in the April 7 issue opposes gubernatorial candidate Virg Bernero’s call for a state-owned bank. But Gillman betrays his own ignorance when he states that “If a bank thinks it won’t benefit from making a loan . . . , the loan won’t be written.” This is a nice theory, but has no rela-
tion to reality. What is the current worldwide recession due to but banks making ruinous loans that wrecked both the banks and the economy, however much they may have benefitted individual bankers? Moreover, there are times when loans should be made for the public good, even if they will not be financially beneficial, and this almost always requires either a publicly owned bank or the equivalent. Also, the trend toward mergers and buyouts of many local banks means that there is no guarantee that local funds will be locally banked unless the bank is publicly owned and not subject to a takeover. There are legitimate arguments against a state-owned bank, however, including the possibility that the bank will make loans neither for profit nor for the general public good, but for the benefit of politically well-connected narrow special interests. Gillman’s column is an example of how legitimate political debate has become almost impossible in this country. Mark Herman Mount Pleasant resident
C M Y o u | What do you think of ethnicity on the 2010 Census?
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
Alex Washington Staff Reporter
Negative labels “Negro” offensive, should be removed from Census Cracker. That is what I scribbled next to ‘White’ on my 2010 Census. I stared at my Census for several minutes trying to take in the fact that the government looked at me as nothing more than a (well-educated) Negro. I was angry, hurt and disappointed and debated if I wanted to fulfill my American obligation and be counted for another ten years. What is a Negro? The way I was brought up to understand it, Negro was one of many terms said to African Americans to make us feel less than what we are. A Negro was forced to pick cotton for 400 years and hanged from trees if that Negro chose not to. A Negro was not a member of society. A Negro wasn’t a human. A Negro was beneath the roadkill that lays on the side of US 127. Yes, Negro was used during the days of Jim Crow, but those days are long gone. Robert Groves, the director of the Census Bureau, apologized for ‘Negro’ being an option on the census and, in the same breath, said 56,000 people wrote in Negro on their forms in 2000. While this may be true, the 2000 census results show that more than 34 million African Americans were counted for and, if my math is correct, that 56,000 make up .165 percent of that population. I have a hard time believing the Bureau opted to leave that term on there to make less than one percent of the African American population happy. However, I cannot place all the blame on the Census Bureau. For the last three census counts, ‘Negro’ was nicely printed next to Black and African American. Why haven’t we paid attention before? Maybe the rise and popularity of the Black Panther Party in the 1970s caused it to be ignored in the 1980 count. Maybe crack making its first appearance in the inner city during the ’80s is why it was ignored in the 1990 count. Maybe the gang wars of the ’90s caused it to be ignored on the 2000 census. Maybe it was because of all these things that my mother, uncles, and aunts never noticed they were allowing the government to continue looking at them as nothing more than Negroes. What makes the United Negro College Fund using the term different from the Census Bureau is that UNCF is not a government body. It was founded by individuals who chose to identify with that term and even they no longer go by their formal name. They are simply UNCF. Actually, I want to thank the bureau for reminding me that labels, no matter how harsh or outdated, still exist and, while I may not identify with a term, that’s not stopping little Billy next to me from thinking I’m nothing more than a well-educated Negro. So thank you, United States Census Bureau, and send the head Negro in charge — President Barack Obama — my love.
[letters to the editor]
“It’s very limited and needs more options.” Angelica Hobson,
Detroit senior
“The options are fine as it is.” Tyler Parsons,
Mason senior
“There were lots of options for Hispanics, but not other ethnicities.”
“I don’t think it’s necessary.” Dana Thomas,
Detroit junior
Erica Smith,
White Lake 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.
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Central Michigan Life || Friday, April 9, 2010 || 5A
[News]
Sheriff seeks funding for mental health care
Mioduszewski says county taking on new costs By Edward Schutter Staff Reporter
nathan kostegian/staff photographer
Members of CMU’s Phi Alpha Delta chapter act as jurors Tuesday at the Isabella Court House as part of a mock trial.
Pre-law fratenity puts peers on mock trials, practices skills By Staff Reports
Jaime Leyrer was nearly arrested and put in jail Wednesday night for possession of drugs. But the Saginaw senior never felt the intense pressure of contemplating a future behind bars. As she faced a panel of jurors — comprised of her peers — Leyrer had the knowledge it was all in good humor. The Saginaw senior participated in a two-day mock trial court case Tuesday and Wednesday as part of an activity with Phi Alpha Delta, a co-ed pre-law fraternity. The same case was given to two separate groups of prosecuting and defense attorneys, a judge, jury and a defendant. “I was happy with the results,” Leyrer said. “I think it was fair.” Leyrer played Linda Larson, a 17-year-old Central High School student charged with possession
of Quaaludes, an insomnia drug found in her 2004 Camaro. After evidence from three witnesses and much deliberation on both sides, the 13-person jury on both nights found her not guilty. Vassar sophomore Kirstin Miller led the courtroom participation and said both nights went well. “A lot of times, our focus is getting into school and we’re not seeing the action,” she said. “This does a good job of introducing the basics.” The Phi Alpha Delta team members have been preparing for the mock trial since February, meeting once a week to practice, Miller said. “Most of them have never done anything like this and they had to learn how to try a case,” she said. ‘Life-like’ Ishpeming senior Ryan Buck played a jury member. He said he voted not guilty because the evidence was
not reasonable. “The testimony and witnesses were circumstantial, and we did have reasonable doubt,” he said, “so we had to come back with a verdict of ‘not guilty.’” Detroit senior Tabitha Smith played an undercover officer who found the drugs in the Camaro. Smith’s experience as a witness was lifelike and nerve-racking. “It felt like I was really in it,” Smith said. “This was a fun experience. I was nervous because it was the first time I ever learned how criminal cases are conducted in real life.” The judge for the case was real-life defense attorney Bill Shirley, who said the team’s work paid off. “I thought, for students who were never trained in law, they did fine — they looked like they put their time into it,” he said. studentlife@cm-life.com
Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski has submitted a request to the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe for funding that will cover expenses for mental health care among county jail inmates. Community Mental Health is used to provide mental health care for inmates and, since CMH is a state organization funded by counties, Mioduszewski said the county is taking on new costs. “In the past, Community Mental Health paid the entire bill,” he said. “We have never
had to deal with paying these types of bills before.” Frank Cloutier, public relations director for the tribe, said he is unable to talk about the sheriff’s request pending a review of all necessary information. “I can confirm that we have received the request from Sheriff Mioduszewski,” he said. “However, the deadline for submissions was March 31, 2010, and all requests have not been formatted for (tribal) council review.” Cloutier said tribal officials plan on announcing a decision at their annual press conference. The time of the press conference has yet to be determined. Mioduszewski said he would like to see a contract made with Health Professions Limited if funding can-
not be provided by the tribe. Health Professions Limited has contracted with correctional facilities since 1995. “They are going to provide the necessary services that we need in the jail,” Mioduszewski said of HPL. “They can provide the necessary funding that we haven’t had to pay in the past, but are paying now.” He said the decision to make counties contribute funding to Community Mental Health was a total surprise. “We had no fair warning that this was even going to happen,” he said. “It’s not that we have a problem with Community Mental Health, but we are dealing with issues that have never been dealt with before.” metro@cm-life.com
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6A || Friday, April 9, 2010 || Central Michigan Life
www.cm-life.com
[News]
Now is not too early to become an entrepreneur
‘they seem so excited’
Students looking into starting businesses before graduation By Ariel Black Staff Reporter
photos by jeff smith/staff photographer
Tendercare residents Bonnie Behrenwald, 73, plays with a balloon as Louie Winchell, 75, dances at the third annual Senior Prom on Thursday evening at Tendercare Nursing Home, 1524 Portabella Trail. Both residents were awarded prizes for participating; Winchell for being the ‘dance floor flirt’ and Behrenwald for being ‘most adventurous.’
Leader Advancement Scholars host ‘senior’ prom Tendercare residents get up and move Thursday night By Heather Hillman | Staff Reporter
M
abel Smith was named prom queen Thursday night — at the age of 89. Smith was one of about 50 Tendercare of Mount Pleasant residents who attended the annual Senior Prom. She did not let her walker throw off her groove. “I used to dance a lot – I love it,â€? Smith said. “Now I can kick my feet up again!â€? The event was hosted by Central Michigan University’s Leader Advancement Scholarship recipients. Tables were dressed in brightly covered table cloths and sprinkled with colorful flowers; pink, green, yellow and purple streamers adorned the ceiling, giant flower cut-outs hung on the wall and balloons were scattered across the floor. Residents, dressed in their best clothes, danced the night away to oldies music in the decorated hall. Berkley junior Ellen Theriault is the head of the LAS Community Service Committee and ran the event. This is the program’s third year hosting the event at the 1524 Portabella Trail residence. Theriault said students did the residents’ make-up and nails before the big dance. “It’s so good to see them out and enjoying themselves,â€? Theriault said. “They seem so excited to get all dolled up for the night.â€? Whether dancing, playing with balloons, or simply sitting and talking, the participants and about 30 volunteers were all smiles throughout the night. Connie Kapff, director of activities at Tendercare, said residents really love all the extra attention. “They come here to live, so we party like this all the time,â€? Kapff said. “Some residents don’t get company so, when students sit and visit with them, it’s so special.â€? Amid all the fun and excitement, the students gave awards, such as best dressed, best dancer and most flirtacious – along with small prizes. Bonnie Behrenwald, 73, was deemed “most adventurous.â€? She never left the dance floor. “It’s been awhile since I’ve done something like this,â€? Behrenwald said. “I’m having so much fun, though.â€? This was Allison Warsinske’s first dance at Tendercare, and the Marysville junior said she enjoyed every minute of it. Warsinske was all over the dance floor as more and more residents began to break out of their shells and boogie. “I like to see people have fun, the residents really seem to enjoy it,â€? Warsinske said. “It makes you feel really good to give back.â€? studentlife@cm-life.com
Entrepreneurship does not need to stay on the back burner until after college graduation. Some students are jumping at the opportunity to go into business while still taking classes and are getting a head start on building a solid base of experience in the process. Shepherd junior Laura Lauer has gotten connected with a larger company and has realized the benefits of her involvement with sales. “I have been selling Mary Kay for the past few months,� Lauer said. “I had a really hard time finding a job here and, because I can go by my own hours with Mary Kay, I was drawn to it.� Mount Pleasant resident Aaron Dome, known as the “Middle Man,� began his own business with the same name after he went with an idea that popped in his head. “I pick up fast food and deliver it to people,� Dome said. “It made sense to me ... This is my third year with my business.�
can fulfill the customer’s needs.� Lauer said the job helps improve her communication skills and teaches her about advertising. “I get the word out with flyers, business cards and promotions, such as a free makeover,� Lauer said. The business marketing and aspects of working with a company such as Mary Kay are great experiences for any future career, Lauer said. “Any job like this can be a benefit for what comes after college,� she said. “I am studying health fitness and rehab and psychology.
With anything in the health field, I’m going to have to work with people and present information in a way they will understand.� Before students launch into beginning a business, Fitzpatrick encourages them to visit the LaBelle Entrepreneurial Center. He said they have several resources students can take advantage of. “The LaBelle Center is here to help form business plans,� Fitzpatrick said. “Launching a business in college is a great opportunity for market research.� studentlife@cm-life.com
start a business? Chuck Fitzpatrick, director of the LaBelle Entrepreneurial Center, said students need to consider one main aspect before creating their business. “The question people need to ask before starting their own business is, ‘Is there a customer?’� Fitzpatrick said. “They also need to decide whether or not they
Tendercare resident Bonnie Behrenwald, 73, dances to YMCA with Leadership Advancement Scholars volunteers at the third annual Senior Prom Thursday evening at Tendercare Nursing Home, 1524 Portabella Trail.
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“They come here to live, so we party like this all the time. Some residents don’t get company so, when students sit and visit with them, it’s so special.� Connie Kapff, Director of Activities at Tendercare
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Choir traveling to China in June CMU students to perform during country’s Expo By Annie Harrison Staff Reporter
New Baltimore senior Grace Knoche cannot wait to travel abroad for the first time this June. Knoche and about 80 other members of Central Michigan University’s Concert Choir will perform at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China. “I think just representing our country will be a great experience,” she said. The expo takes place from May 1 to Oct. 31, and more than 70 million people are expected to attend over the six-month period, said music professor Nina NashRobertson, the director of choral activities at CMU. The choir will be in China June 7-16. The CMU students will perform with the Steiner
— in fact, the weather only made the event more of a real-life experience, she said. “We’re glad the weather didn’t cooperate today because it makes a bigger impact,” Embry said. After walking in the event, Megan Linsley wondered if her frozen toes would fall off her feet. “I thought it was such
dance | continued from 3A
Chorale and Grant High School choirs. Nash-Robertson said the Oriental Art Center is “the Carnegie Hall of Shanghai.” She will conduct the choirs and a Chinese orchestra as they perform Faure’s Requiem. Lansing junior John Pauls said the choirs have practiced the Requiem for about a year. “It’s just one of those things that puts Central’s music program on the map,” he said. “It shows the world that we have an amazing music program and it allows for our students to become more culturally aware.” Nash-Robertson said the choirs will perform American and Chinese folk songs at the World Expo. “I think doing both Chinese and American music will show respect and honor those cultures, and I think the Chinese people will really appreciate it,” she said. Experiencing China The choirs also will visit the
toms shoes | continued from 3A
Central Michigan Life || Friday, April 9, 2010 || 7A
[News]
Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and other famous locations, said Midland senior Adam Federspiel. A total of 105 people are flying to the expo, NashRobertson said. She said the cost of the trip was $3,100 per person, including flight tickets, three meals per day and admission to tourist attractions. Livonia senior Kirsten Renas is looking forward to experiencing the cities. “I think it’s equally exciting to be performing at something of this magnitude and to be exposed to a culture that’s so entirely different from our own,” she said. The CMU choirs will hold their final spring concert of the year at 2 p.m. April 25 in the Music Building’s Staples Family Concert Hall. Nash-Robertson said the concert will feature much of the same music the students will perform in China.
Wayne is a member of the International Association of Square Dance Callers, which includes people who direct square dancers. He said he learned to call as a member of his local 4-H club at age 13. Callers inspire and ensure participating dancers move at the same time. For every four couples, Jan said you have a square. The more squares, she said, the more fun — and it is easy to learn. For all ages Thomas Holland, 11, said
continued from 3A
a good cause,” the Mason senior said. “It’s definitely eye-opening. Some kids do this every single day.” She said it was difficult to walk through the nasty weather without shoes. “It’s almost like fasting. When you experience something like this, it gives you a peek into what others experience everyday.”
are not standing still with the idea. “We already have ideas to enhance it further,” Goenner said. “This platform allows us to be connected to these schools around the state in a more timely and dynamic way.” Cindy Schumacher, deputy director of administration at the center, said the technology will be a huge asset. “It’s about providing resources to board members,” she said. “We tried to develop something easy, something they could use often.”
studentlife@cm-life.com
university@cm-life.com
as A&M. “What would be nice is if they could get more people to come,” Chudej said. “Anyone can learn to square dance.” The Pelmears moved to the area from East Lansing a few years ago after retiring. Their passion for square dancing keeps them occupied throughout the week, when they travel all over the state. From Gaylord to Flushing and other cities, they take their dance around to meet friends. “Dancing keeps you young,” Wayne said. “Square dancing exercises your brain and your body.” metro@cm-life.com up
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people of all ages can participate. “I never been here before and I am out there,” he said. It is 10-year-old Holly Chudej’s second year with the group. Her father, Marvin Chudej, is her dancing partner. “I started last year at this time,” she said. “I try to make it every Monday night.” Her favorite move is the “grand right and left.” “It is when you go in a circle, alternating right and left hands, until you come back to your partner,” she said. Marvin Chudej, 55, of Mount Pleasant has been dancing since his 20s and learned while attending Tex-
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NCAA tourney expansion | CMU coach Ernie Zeigler on board for more MAC representation, 4B Central Michigan Life
Sports Weekend Friday, April 9, 2010 | Section B
Finding a home Ticker Friday Basketball
Zeigler ‘very close’ to extension Men’s basketball coach Ernie Zeigler said Wednesday he is “very close” to signing a new contract to remain at CMU. Zeigler has one year remaining on his current deal and would make $175,446. “I have not signed one as of yet, but we are coming very close and hopefully that’s something that will be happening here in the next Ernie Zeigler few days,” Zeigler said. Athletics Director Dave Heeke confirmed Thursday that a multi-year deal is in the works. Several sources close to the situation said it likely will be a four-year contract. “I think we’re down to the very final stages of putting a deal in place,” Heeke said. “I’m very positive something will be done in short order.”
Trey Zeigler’s decision nears According to multiple sources close to Mount Pleasant High School senior guard Trey Zeigler, the highly-recruited son of CMU men’s basketball coach Ernie Zeigler, will announce his Division I intentions next week at a news conference. The Spring signing period begins Thursday. Trey is in Louisville, Ky., this weekend to play in the Adidas Derby Festival Basketball Classic, an all-star game in conjunction with the Kentucky Derby. He has posted the following five finalists on his Twitter account: Arizona State, CMU, Michigan, Michigan State and UCLA.
Freshman catcher finds Central Michigan after first choice cuts baseball program By Aaron McMann | Staff Reporter
A
text message lit up freshman Jordan Adams’ phone in February 2009 while he competed in the Iowa state high school wrestling tournament. It was Steve James, coach of the Iowa Select club team, asking if he had heard the news: the University of Northern Iowa, where the 6-foot-3, 215 pound catcher committed to play baseball for just four months prior, was considering ending its baseball program amid budget concerns. “I think he thought I had already known about it, but I had no idea,” Adams said. “I talked to my dad and he said it was just a rumor because he didn’t want me freaking out during the wrestling tournament.” Despite ongoing speculation, Adams and his family were under the impression the program was stable. “Being from the area, it’s always been a rumor that UNI was going to cut baseball,” said Tony Adams, Jordan’s father. “In the state of Iowa, wrestling isn’t going anywhere. They brought in a new (athletics director) and he said in the Des Moines Register that he would not cut any programs.” Adams, who wrestled for three years and finished third in his weight class during his senior year, quit football after tearing the labrum in his shoulder his freshman year. He said it was after that he decided his dream was to play collegiate baseball at a Division 1 level. But then the rumors became reality.
matthew stephens/senior photographer
A change | 4B
Freshman catcher Jordan Adams originally committed to Northern Iowa, choosing the Panthers over the Iowa Hawkeyes. But when he found UNI was cutting its baseball program, he was left without a team, and Iowa had already filled its void at catcher. But CMU coach Steve Jaksa showed interest, and Adams quickly joined the program.
Football Humanitarian Bowl, MAC partner The Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl has entered into agreements with the Mid-American Conference and the Western Athletic Conference to feature teams from each in the game for the next four years. The MAC will send its third bowl-eligible team to Boise, Idaho, for the game, while the WAC will consider placing a team there that will draw the most fan support. Idaho beat Bowling Green in last year’s Humanitarian Bowl. — Daniel Monson
9
Games started
3
Home runs
7
Runs batted in
Baseball resumes MAC play vs. Akron
Bitzer hires agent Former CMU men’s basketball player Jordan Bitzer has hired an agent in hopes of landing a deal to play overseas. Bitzer, a 6-foot-3 guard, has tabbed Jan Lugtenburg, a basketball agent with Court Jordan Bitzer Side, an agency based in The Netherlands. Bitzer has continued to work out with the team in Mount Pleasant since the season ended.
Jordan Adams chose Northern Iowa over Iowa in the recruiting process. When he found out UNI’s baseball program was being cut, CMU coach Steve Jaksa reached out and gave Adams an opportunity.
By John Evans Staff Reporter
The CMU baseball team looks for its third Mid-American Conference series win of the season this weekend when it faces Akron. The Chippewas (15-11, 5-1 MAC) are 6-0 at home as they start a threegame weekend series starting at 3:05 p.m. Friday at Theunissen Stadium. Senior right-hander Jesse Hernandez called his team “prideful” when referring to playing well at home and getting a series win. “We like to protect what is ours,” he said. “We don’t want to let other people come in and run in our house.” There will not be any changes to a pitching rotation that picked up a sefile photo by ashley miller ries sweep last weekend against Ohio. Hernandez starts on Friday and is Freshman left-hander Dietrech Enns will move back to the bullpen after starting a mid-week game last week when CMU hosts followed by sophomore left-hander Rick Dodridge at 2 p.m. Saturday and Akron in a weekend series.
junior right-hander Jake Sabol at 1 p.m. Sunday. “We feel comfortable with our rotation — we thought they all pitched well in their respective roles,” said coach Steve Jaksa. “... We are 5-1 with those guys starting in two series. If we can come out of here 8-1, we will be doing good.” The Zips are led by sophomore Drew Turocy, who has a .413 batting average, four home runs and 31 runs batted in this season. Akron (14-13, 2-4 MAC) is on a four-game losing streak after being swept by Toledo last weekend. The Chippewas were successful in their first two conference series this year, taking two of three from Miami (OH) and sweeping Ohio last weekend. Their 5-1 record ties them for first in the conference with division foes Toledo and Ball State. Jaksa said the team has goals for each weekend to stay on task
g y m na s t i c s
CMU faces top teams at Regionals No. 1 Alabama leads group of team’s four ranked opponents By Nick Conklin Staff Reporter
The CMU gymnastics team faces a daunting task Saturday at its NCAA Regionals tournament. Four of the No. 24 ranked team’s five opponents also are ranked in the Top 25. The main
challenge comes from No. 1 Alabama (regional qualifying score of 197.25). However, No. 12 Nebraska (196.355), No. 13 Illinois (196.255), No. 20 Kentucky (195.600) and unranked Michigan State will pose a few challenges when CMU competes in Lexington, Ky. But CMU coach Jerry Reighard said the team will not shy away from the spotlight. “I think that after what we showed at the MAC Championship meet — we are prepared for this stage,” he said.
CMU has scored some of its highest marks this season when facing ranked opponents. It tallied its season high on the vault against then-No. 14 Denver, scoring a 49.2. It scored its second highest floor routine against then-No. 23 Arizona State, when it notched a 49.075. Many individual records were set against top competition, with senior Katie Simon and junior Andrea de la Garza A NCAA | 4B
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for its overall goals. “A series win is another step closer to your goal, and each individual weekend has its own set of goals,” he said. “If something happens that you don’t want to, you want to make sure it is not because you weren’t ready to go. You want to make sure you are putting your best foot forward.”
Loss to Michigan Michigan denied CMU’s opportunity to extend its win streak to seven games Wednesday in a 13-7 victory. Junior Matt Gerbe picked up his first win of the season for the Wolverines, allowing zero earned runs over 3 and 2/3 innings. CMU junior right-hander Bryce Morrow recorded his first loss of the season, allowing eight earned runs over 3 and 1/3 innings. sports@cm-life.com
Junior Cheryl Conlin scored a 9.75 on the balance beam at the MAC Championships on March 27 in Bowling Green, Ohio. CMU will start on the balance beam this weekend in the Regional Championships. file photo by Matthew stephens
2B || Friday, April 9, 2010 || Central Michigan Life
Former players enter 3-point contest Bitzer, Houghton earn invitation By Daniel Monson Senior Reporter
file photo by matthew stephens
Junior Amanda Patrick went 1-for-4 in Game 1 of Wednesday’s doubleheader against Oakland. In Game 2, she went 0-for-1. She is batting .313 with four home runs and 11 runs batted in in 2010.
Softball faces MAC’s top pitchers Milian, Simpson have conference’s best ERAs By Matthew Valinski Staff Reporter
The CMU softball team’s bats should get tested this weekend as it faces the top two Mid-American Conference teams in earned run average. The Chippewas play Ball State (21-8, 1-1 MAC) in a doubleheader Friday and Miami (OH) (16-15, 1-1 MAC) Saturday and Sunday. BSU has a 1.60 ERA; Miami ranks second with a 2.04 ERA. Elizabeth Milian, the reigning MAC Pitcher of the Year, leads Ball State. Milian, a senior right-hander, is 15-2 with a 1.11 ERA. She is second in the MAC with 146 strikeouts, and opponents are hitting just .175 against her. Miami has its own ace in sophomore Jessica Simpson, last year’s MAC Tournament Most Valuable Player after leading the RedHawks to the tournament title. She is 11-8 with a 1.28 ERA. “Both Simpson and Milian, we’ve seen before, and we need to make adjustments to both the umpire strike zone and what pitches they are throwing,” said coach Margo Jonker. “It is all about making adjustments
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[Sports]
in the batter’s box for us to be successful against those two.” The Cardinals are 19-4 in their last 23 games with a 2-1 win against No. 3 Missouri on March 19. Milian held the Tigers to four hits. BSU is 15-1 when it scores three or more runs. The Cardinals offense is led by senior Jessie Ware, who has provided the power in her first year playing for Ball State after having spent time at three other colleges. Ware leads the team with a .424 batting average, .818 slugging percentage and 22 extra base hits. She leads the team and the MAC with 42 hits, 32 runs scored and nine triples. Ware has benefited from having sophomore catcher Amanda Montalto hitting .313 behind her in the order after receiving first-team All-MAC honors last season. CMU senior Kari Seddon and freshman Kara Dornbos are the projected starters this weekend. Dornbos leads the team with a Kara Dornbos 1.88 ERA in her first year and said the key to her success comes from not giving in to any batter. “As a pitcher, you always have the ball, so you have to show you have confidence,”
What’s on tap Up next:
Britni Houghton knew she was going to face Michigan’s best 3-point shooters Saturday at Michigan’s 3-Point Shootout at the Palace of Auburn Hills. But one of the members of that group includes the country’s best long-range shooter. Houghton, a CMU senior forward, will compete against University of Detroit senior guard Brigid Mulroy and three other women as a part of Michigan’s Slam Dunk Championship and 3-Point Shootout at 7 p.m. CMU men’s basketball senior guard Jordan Bitzer also will participate, facing five players in the men’s competition. The winners of the respective shootouts then go head-to-head to determine the state’s best overall long-range shooter. The groups include a mix of collegiate and high school players. “I’ve never been in a 3-point contest before in my life, so it’s
going to be a new experience,” Houghton said. “... It’s going to be a fun way to end my career in a Central Michigan jersey.” Houghton shot 17-of-48 (35.4 percent) from behind the 3-point arc this past season. Mulroy, who won the women’s 3-point competition last week at the Final Four, led the nation in 3-point shooting percentage, making 50.5 percent (92-of-182). After making just 1-of-5 shots from long range her freshman season, Houghton started taking more shots and hit a careerhigh 25 in 2008-09. “For the longest time, I definitely did not consider myself a 3-point shooter because, throughout my entire career, even in high school, I played (power forward),” she said. Preparation Bitzer, who has been considered a 3-point threat since he was a freshman, has the highest percentage — 40.4 percent (72-of-179) — of the three collegiate players participating. He goes up against MidAmerican Conference rival and
fellow senior Carlos Medlock from Eastern Michigan, who made 75-of-224 (33.5 percent) 3-pointers this past season, and Oakland’s Johnathon Jones, who hit 41-of-126 (32.5 percent). “I always watch the pros do it and then the colleges at Final Four do it too. It’s just an honor to be selected for this and to represent Central Michigan and, hopefully, I can do a good job of that.” Bitzer’s 196 3-pointers rank third all-time at CMU. He ranked third in the MAC this season in total made behind teammate Robbie Harman (105) and Medlock. He has played at The Palace once before, when CMU lost against Robert Morris 73-60 on Dec. 20, 2008. He said the cavernous shooting environment will not pose problems. “Playing in big venues like the Palace and Quicken Loans (Arena in Cleveland) and other arenas, there’s nothing really new,” Bitzer said. “I’m sure the surroundings won’t wow me at all.” sports@cm-life.com
Today: Doubleheader at Ball State Saturday: at Miami (OH) Sunday: at Miami (OH)
Who’s hot: Freshman third baseman Summer Knoop reached base all five times Sunday against Toledo, going 3-for-3 with two walks and two runs. She also had four defensive put-outs from third base.
CMU BRICK PROGRAM
she said. “Because if the hitter doesn’t see that, then they will crush the ball.”
Miami The Chippewas then travel to Oxford, Ohio, to play a Miami team that is 5-1 in its last 6 games. Simpson has started 18 of the 31 games for the RedHawks and has 107 strikeouts. Sophomore Daniela Torres leads Miami with a .363 batting average and a .615 slugging percentage, while senior two-time first-team All-MAC selection Sarah Billstrom has a team-high seven home runs on the season. In 11 innings against Central last year, Simpson gave up five hits total in two games. sports@cm-life.com
See what we are buildin
www.giving.cmich.edu/senior
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Men’s side sending their best
t r ac k an d f i e l d
Women split for two meets out West
By Nick Conkln Staff Reporter
By John Manzo Staff Reporter
The women’s side of the CMU track and field program looks to get back to form after a rain-shortened meet concluded last weekend’s WMU Invitational in Kalamazoo. The 31st annual Sun Angel Track Classic in Tempe, Ariz., will be more competitive compared to last weekend. Universities attending include No. 12 Brigham Young, Colorado State, Boise State, Iowa State and in-state rival Michigan State. Although most of those universities are not included in CMU’s region, the meet will showcase talent from around the West and Midwest. The Chippewas also will compete in the Mesa Classic, a lower-scaled meet about 11 minutes from Arizona State University at Mesa Community College.
file photo by sean proctor
Sophomore pole vaulter Ashley Esparza vaults at the Jack Skoog Open on Feb. 19 at the Indoor Athletics Complex.
Senior sprinter Cara Dukes said southern schools have the advantage of usually avoiding bad weather. The team has practiced through rainy conditions since Tuesday. “Practice has been going really good,� she said. “Southern teams have the capabilities to compete in that warmer weather but, if you’re good, you’re good and you’ll bring it if you have to.� Coach Willie Randolph said his high expectations temper the mood during the week’s practices, however. “Everybody is working hard right now,� he said. “Me being impressed takes more because it doesn’t happen as much in practice. I’d like to see what happens at the meets because practice is practice.�
Mental preparation In practice, Dukes is preparing mentally as well. She competes in the 400-meter run and, from experience, said she puts more focus on the start and finish. “The whole race is important, but the start and finish are my most important concerns,� she said. There is a sense of hunger around the track facilities, and this weekend’s meets are the next stepping stone toward the MAC Championships in May, Dukes said. “Mentally and physically, we are prepared,� she said. “We want it because, as a team, we were so close the first time, and now we are even hungrier than last time.� sports@cm-life.com
Lacrosse coach wants faster starts By Matt Herrod Staff Reporter
The CMU club lacrosse team looks to break out of its seasonopening slump this weekend with two games in Indiana. CMU (1-5) plays Ball State (0-7) at 6 p.m. Saturday. Coach Brad Thomas said the first step toward improvement is getting out to a better start. “We’re going to increase the intensity of our warm-up,� Thomas said. Senior defenseman Andrew Tillman said he expects the team to continue to play with intensity, as he feels it did after the beginning of last weekend’s game against No. 1 Michigan.
Central Michigan Life || Friday, April 9, 2010 || 3B
[Sports]
CMU lost 19-1 Saturday, but it slowed Michigan’s pace after a 9-0 score at the end of the first quarter. Michigan was held to two goals in the second. Ball State is in its fifth year under head coach Chris Berju. Of its 23-man roster, 17 are underclassmen. “They’re a much-improving team from years past. Their record doesn’t indicate their play,� Thomas said. Ball State likes to play within its midfield, Thomas said. Sophomore midfielder Skylar Simons has 13 goals and two assists in seven games. “We’re going to make (Ball State) play faster than their use to. If we can execute and get
groundballs, we’re capable of winning,� he said. Sunday CMU faces No. 19 Indiana , which comes in with a four-game win streak, at 1 p.m. Sunday. Indiana (6-1) has four players with double-digits goals. Its leading scorer is freshman attacker Sam Dillon with 16 goals. Thomas said the team will use a variety of different looks on defense to slow IU down. “We’re going to force them into situations where they’re uncomfortable by switching our defense to keep them on their toes,� he said. sports@cm-life.com
The top performers for the men’s track and field team will compete Friday and Saturday in the 31st annual Sun Angel Classic in Tempe, Ariz. More than 30 teams will be represented in the twoday meet, including some ranked competition. No. 7 Auburn, No. 13 Oklahoma, No. 20 Brigham Young and host No. 10 Arizona State headline the list. Michigan State and CMU are the only two representatives from Michigan. For individual purposes, the meet will be used to qualify athletes for regional and national competition. Among the CMU athletes who will compete are thrower Greg Pilling, who
looks to make major strides in his attempt to return to All-America status in the discus. Coach Willie Randolph said he is excited for Pilling and the Chippewas to continue to progress. “There are some holes we’re trying to fill in,� he said. “And Greg Pillings is doing a great job for us, which will help balance us out.� The field portion of the men’s meet begins Friday with the discus. Freshman Alex Rose has made progress under throwing coach John Ridgway, Randolph said. Rose has been an understudy to the senior Pilling. “(He) is learning a great deal from coach Ridgway in the throwers area which will definitely pay off,� Ran-
dolph said. For the runners, sophomore David Ashcraft posted a time of 48.77 seconds in the 400-meter dash at the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, N.C., and he will make the trip to Tempe. Also making the trip are junior hurdler Branden Post and senior pole vaulter Marcus Breidinger. Although facing highcaliber opponents this weekend, Randolph said he is confident in his team’s mental state, and has prepared it accordingly. “It’s a different environment, and it lets us see who has the best training cycles,� he said “it’s extremely competitive. It will be at a high level and we are excited about it.� sports@cm-life.com
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4B || Friday, April 9, 2010 || Central Michigan Life
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[Sports]
Zeigler, Heeke see NCAA expansion as positive By Daniel Monson Senior Reporter
On April 1, the day before this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Final Four in Indianapolis, NCAA Vice President Greg Shaheen outlined the possibilities of a 96-team Division I menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball tournament, that could begin as soon as next season. It was not met with much praise. Critics pointed to this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s big upsets, Butlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s run to the Final Four and overall booming interest as a sign that the current 65-team bracket is flawless. Other questions arose about the NCAAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motivation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; additional revenue â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and the possibility of more missed classes in the middle of a semester for teams that advance furthest. CMU and Mid-American Conference officials say the lack of details about a 96-team tournamentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s selection process makes it difficult to gauge how it would affect the conference. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m kind of sitting on the fence right now, largely because none of us have received sufficient information to make a really good determination whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good thing or a bad thing,â&#x20AC;? said MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Historical data would suggest that we would likely get multiple teams into the event.â&#x20AC;? The NCAA Board of Directors convene April 29 to possibly vote on proposals that could end the associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 11-year, $6 billion television deal with CBS, expand the tournament and sell television rights the highest bidder or combination of bidders. But Steinbrecher said there is no such proposal drafted yet. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If there is a contract proposal in place â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and as of today there is not one â&#x20AC;&#x201D; (the board of directors) would give it consideration at that time,â&#x20AC;? Steinbrecher said. CMU Athletics Director Dave Heeke said he thinks an expansion would benefit the MAC. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good for programs like ours to have an opportunity to be in postseason play,â&#x20AC;? Heeke said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very positive
file photo by matthew stephens
CMU coach Ernie Zeigler said he is in favor of NCAA Tournament expansion if it helps conferences such as the MAC gain access into the tournament.
move. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like it dilutes the overall tournament.â&#x20AC;? Possible revenue Steinbrecher said the tournament generates more than 95 percent of the NCAAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s revenue. With some athletic departments struggling to keep other programs afloat, Steinbrecher said more games would help that much more â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but making a decision solely on money would be irresponsible. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is no doubt that one of the driving forces behind looking at an expanded field is the need to continue to grow the revenue of the association,â&#x20AC;? he said. The NCAA returns the majority of the money generated to member institutions. Each year, teams are playing not only for their own programs, but also for the rest of the teams in their conference. Money is allocated by tabulating â&#x20AC;&#x153;unitsâ&#x20AC;? that are earned by how many games a
team plays in the tournament. This season, Ohio earned two units for beating Georgetown and advancing to the second round. Steinbrecher said the Bobcatsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tourney stay will earn the MAC between $1.2 and $1.4 million in the next six seasons, as the units become more valuable each year. This year, the MACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s six units for the past six NCAA Tournaments were worth $222,206 apiece, a total of $1,333,236. In the MAC, the money is split 13 ways between programs. Other conferences do it differently, Heeke said. But each MAC school received $102,557, an average of $17,092 per year. Heeke said the financial benefits of expansion could be too much to pass up. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s some revenue there,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But unless you go deep into the tournament, there is not significant revenue.â&#x20AC;?
CHANGE | continued from 1B
On Feb. 23, 2009, Northern Iowa held a news conference to announce its decision to eliminate the baseball program from its list of sponsored sports, citing a 9 percent reduction in state funding that would cut $500,000 to $600,000 from the athletic department budget. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It took me by surprise,â&#x20AC;? Adams said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I got recruited, the big deal there was that they were going to build a brand new field on campus or they were going to put a bunch of money into the field they shared to upgrade that. Every indication was that the program was going to get stronger.â&#x20AC;? Northern Iowa Athletics Director Troy Dannen gave players and supporters about two months to raise the $1.2 million needed to fund the program for three years. While players and supporters scrambled to find the money to keep it alive, many began looking elsewhere for other opportunities. FROM IOWA TO ... MICHIGAN? After it became apparent the program was not returning, Adams and his father took matters into their own hands. The both of them went online and did research, looking for schools in need of a catcher. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We e-mailed a bunch of schools, and CMU was one of the schools that got back to us,â&#x20AC;? Adams said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was into the Perfect Game (video) stuff, went to showcases and I played for a bunch of different coaches that could reference me. Really, they had never seen me play.â&#x20AC;? CMU was one of the schools that received an e-mail from Adams. After watching video and talking to other coaches, CMU coach Steve Jaksa called Northern Iowa coach Steve Huller, who he had a relationship with through previous meetings between the two schools. Sensing the program was not going to return, Heller gave Jaksa his full blessing on acquiring Adams. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We knew we were interested in Jordan, we knew he signed there, and I finally called Coach Heller and talked to him about it,â&#x20AC;? Jaksa said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At that point, we started talking to Jordan. We arranged a visit, he came up here and liked what he saw. We were fortunate enough to get him.â&#x20AC;? Tony said his son made up his mind immediately after a making a trip to the state, visit-
file photo by matthew stephens
Freshman catcher Jordan Adams looks for the ball as he begins to round third base Tuesday against Illinois-Chicago at Theunissen Stadium.
ing CMU and Eastern Michigan, which also offered Jordan a scholarship. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once we left Central Michigan, his mind was pretty much made up,â&#x20AC;? Tony said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He had opportunities to go to other schools and he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to do it. He fell in love with Mount Pleasant â&#x20AC;&#x201D; it was more like Northern Iowa, not Ypsilanti, with that big-city setting. Everything felt right for him.â&#x20AC;? SPORTS STAR Jordan Adams jumped on the radar of schools fairly quickly in his high school career. He played baseball for five years at Newman Catholic High School in Mason City, Iowa, where his dad was the coach. The summer after eighth grade â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Iowa schools play summer baseball â&#x20AC;&#x201D; he made the varsity team and finished second-team all-state. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was kind of crazy the way it happened,â&#x20AC;? Adams said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was on (junior varsity) a little bit and then I worked my way up to the backup catcher role. I started one game and went 3-for-4 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; did really well â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and then I had a couple pinch hits and I kept hitting the ball pretty well, so I got moved to the starting right fielder for the rest of the year.â&#x20AC;? Adams went on to finish firstteam all-state for the next four seasons with his dad at the helm, at which point he committed to UNI over more prominently known Iowa. A decision, Jordan said, that he made because of familiarity
and proximity to home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I liked their baseball program a lot better,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nothing against Iowa, but I felt more comfortable with coach Heller. With the coaching staff there, I felt that the program was going in the right direction. Everything just felt to fit better for me there.â&#x20AC;?
Weighing tradition CMU menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball coach Ernie Zeigler said he is in favor of expansion â&#x20AC;&#x201C; only if it has benefits for conferences similar to the MAC. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the general consensus (among coaches) is that it should be good because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to give more access,â&#x20AC;? Zeigler said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I talked to others who said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hey, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not broke, why are we fixing it?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;? One of those is CMU assistant coach Darren Kohne. He likes the tradition of the 65-team tournament and said the NCAA likely is trying to grab revenue from rival postseason tournaments such as the College Basketball Invitational and CollegeInsider.com Invitational. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think I see a big improvement of the at-large bids,â&#x20AC;? Kohne said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The NCAA wants to monopolize the money that the tournaments are making. The schools that are more in favor of this are the bigger schools. Most of all, the midmajor schools are not in huge favor of this.â&#x20AC;? Kohne said expansion would also devalue college basketballâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s postseason. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to coexist with an expanded tournament, now all of a sudden youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got 175 teams making the postseason,â&#x20AC;? Kohne said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just way too many.â&#x20AC;? One option that has been discussed is to grant NCAA bids to champions of each conferenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regular season and conference tournament. The current system only allows conference tournament champions to secure bids. The 32-team National Invitation Tournament (NIT), which used to be a competitor but now is operated by the NCAA, likely would be eliminated if expansion is adopted. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If it expands to 96, all it really is doing is combining the NIT and NCAA Tournaments ... With the interest the tournament has across the country, it would definitely be a win-win situation if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expanded,â&#x20AC;? Zeigler said. sports@cm-life.com
Jordanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father considers the relationship the two developed through baseball as something special. He and his wife, Pam, plan to be in attendance this weekend for CMUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s series against Akron, cheering Jordan on just like they would have had he donned the purple and gold. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Any father that coaches his son, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll always tell you itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good experience,â&#x20AC;? Tony said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We set guidelines that baseball is baseball and once we got home itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father-son and we wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t talk about baseball unless he wanted to. I love the game itself and Jordan grew up the same way. He loved the game, too, and he kept wanting to get better and do things that make him better.â&#x20AC;? Since joining the Chippewas over the summer, Adams is batting .200 with seven runs batted in through 15 games as the backup catcher to senior Dale Cornstubble. But more than any statistic can tell, Adams has enjoyed a level of comfort. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love it here,â&#x20AC;? Adams said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nothing against Northern Iowa, but I truly think I would like it here more. I think I wouldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve picked CMU over Northern Iowa had CMU offered me in the first place.â&#x20AC;? sports@cm-life.com
file photo by matthew stephens
MAC Freshman of the Year Britney Taylor scored a 9.7 on the uneven bars at the MAC Championships on March 27. She was one of two CMU gymnasts to score 9.7 or above on the event.
NCAA | continued from 1B
putting up high scores against Denver and Arizona State. de la Garza posted 9.8 or higher in each event against the Sun Devils on March 5. Simon posted her highest score on the vault against Denver and Brigham Young (9.875). While Simon remained steady through the regular season, one of her goals from the beginning was to place well at Regionals with the hopes of moving on as a team to the next level. The team needs to finish in the top two to advance to Nationals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to go to nationals as a team,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have never done that as a team, and that is the ultimate goal.â&#x20AC;? The teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s RQS of 195.365 placed it into the tournament for the seventh time in the programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history. Reighard said he was happy with the ending to the regular season and excited it was able to close out as MAC champions. The team has to repeat its success to stay alive. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It will be an absolute team effort, so everybody has got to hit, and I am confident we can do that,â&#x20AC;? he said. Tough Competition The NCAA National Championships take place April 22-24 in Gainesville, Fla. CMUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest finish at Regionals came in the 2003 season, where it tied for second with Auburn. Alabama comes into the meet averaging 49 or higher in all events, with an average score of 196.877. Leading the Crimson Tide is Ashley
Priess, who averages 39.422 per meet in the all-around category. Priess also ranks second nationally on the balance beam with a score of 9.89 per rotation. Nebraska may pose a threat on the vault, where Erin Davis averages a 9.9, tied for third nationally. Kentucky comes into the meet ranking in the top 25 in four statistical categories, its highest spot in the floor exercise (14th). It is led by senior Hillary Ferguson, who posted a 9.8 or higher per meet in the floor exercise. Michigan State enters the meet having lost earlier in the season to CMU, on Feb 7, in the State of Michigan Classic. The team was previously ranked in the top 25 before the loss, and it sits at No. 27 with an RQS of 195.110.
Rotation The lineups for the tournament were announced March 29, which slated CMU to lead off the meet on the balance beam. Although the Chippewas struggled on the beam during the year, they won the event at MAC Championships (49.025) and senior Jessica Suder placed first with a 9.875. Simon placed second, scoring .025 behind her teammate. Reighard said the fate of the entire meet lies on the first rotation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The tell-tale event will be the event you start on,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to know where we stand after the first rotation.â&#x20AC;? The remainder of the meet will see the Chippewas compete on the floor exercise, uneven bars and vault in that order. sports@cm-life.com
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