Jan. 15 2014

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DISCOVERY MUSEUM Facility celebrates anniversary, plans outdoor expansion

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WEDNESDAY JAN. 15, 2014 | MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH. | ISSUE NO. 45 VOL. 95

Art dept. enrollment, revenue declining

LIFE IN BRIEF SPORTS

By Ben Solis University Editor

MEN’S BASKETBALL Tonight, men’s basketball will travel to Bowling Green as both teams battle to secure their first Mid-American Conference victory. w 10

The College of Communications and Fine Arts’ art department is feeling the pressure of campus-wide low enrollment, igniting a major restructuring and a rotation of its course offerings. The college is down nearly $1.6 million in projected revenues from last year. In effect, some fixed-term faculty members teaching 2D and 3D studio art classes might be out of a job. “They’re being laid off and will be collecting unemployment soon,” said David Stairs, a graphic design professor and head of the graphic design unit. “Some Salma Ghanem of them have been here since the mid-1990s; some are alumni. I’m sure they’re disappointed.” According to CCFA Dean Salma Ghanem, the art department has experienced a significant drop in enrolled student credit hours since fall 2011, which has caused nearly a 32-percent drop in enrolled student credit hours. In 2011, the department had students enrolled in 6,713 credit hours. That number fell to 5,576 in 2012, and dropped again to 4,767 in 2013. These numbers reflect the totals at the beginning of each fall semester. Other units, such as the communication and dramatic arts department, have experienced a downward trend in enrolled student credit hours as well, but not nearly to the degree of the art department, Ghanem said.

VOICES Justin Hicks

In the shadow of history

Editor-in-Chief @justinphicks

PROVIDING CONTEXT AND CLAIRTY Editor-in-Chief Justin Hicks explains coverage of Delta Chi suspension, responding to community outreach. w4

Alice Littlefield Collection Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture & Lifeways | Courtesy TOP: “Opening Day” titles this photo of the childeren’s first day of school at the Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School that opened June 30, 1893 - June 6, 1934 with an average enrollment of 300 students per year. Taylor Ballek| Photo Editor BOTTOM: On Nov. 22, 2013, this portrait was taken at Crawford Street, where the historic site of the Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School remains that was in operation from 1893-1934. Native American children were either forcibly taken from their homes or sent here under the idea that they would be getting an education. Over 200 children died and were buried on this land.

UNIVERSITY

Abandoned Native American boarding school brings to light one tribe’s struggles

FIRE SAFETY New fire suppression systems are being installed in South Quad, but some residence halls are still without sprinkler systems. Find out which ones inside. w 10

By Adrian Hedden | Metro Editor

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s he stepped cautiously through the overgrown grass, glancing at the crumbling brick and dilapidated buildings that once housed his ancestors, Craig Graveratte began to understand the tragedy behind his turbulent upbringing. “Now that I know about this, I can begin to forgive my grandma for what she did,” he said. “The 4 a.m. beatings were part of her way of life. With my children, that cycle is broken. With the tribe acquiring the land, that healing process has begun.” On the site of the Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School,

STATE OF THE STATE

Greek rock vandalized outside Brooks Hall »PAGE 8 Success for men’s and women’s track and field depends on leadership »PAGE 11

professor w ART DEPT. | 2

By Catey Traylor Senior Reporter

Central Michigan University has a $940 million impact on the state of Michigan, according to a recent report made by the Anderson Economic Group. The Anderson Economic Group, commissioned by The Presidents Council-State Universities of Michigan, prepared a report analyzing the economic footprint of Michigan’s 15 public universities. The report breaks down each university’s impact in two sections: The economic footprint, which measures the employment, earnings and spending in a region that are related to economic activity created by the university, and the economic impact, which measures the employment, earnings and spending in a region caused by the university.

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“This report underscores higher education’s importance in its financial impact on our local communities,” said CMU President George Ross in a press release. “Simply put, the data shows the state’s investment of $73 million in CMU this year also is an investment in the state’s economy.” The report concludes that all of Michigan’s public universities combined to account for $23.9 billion in economic activity. In Isabella County, CMU’s main campus location, the university generates about $117 million in economic spending annually. This trend is similar across Michigan, where each county hosting a main campus benefits from the economic impact of a university. According to the report, wages and benefits for CMU’s 2,707 faculty and staff members total $243.9 million. In addition, CMU spends $167.5 million on non-payroll items, which include instruction,

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CMU has $940 million impact on state, helps local businesses

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CMU graduate student faces 11 felony charges, has preliminary exam Friday »PAGE 3

David Stairs, graphic design

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Life inside

“If the enrollment challenge comes around and you’ve cut programs, you’ve made yourself less flexible. It’s a crap shoot and a guessing game. You take your best shot and hope you’ll be right.”

studying the site’s environmental impact. “We could use it as a teaching tool, so people can see how they lived.” The boarding school wasn’t like other schools. Taken forcibly from their homes, from 1893 to 1934, Native American children were made to work in the fields and were stripped of their customs and language. Because of little documentation, there is no way to determine what form of abuses took place during the boarding school’s time in operation. All the tribal council and family of the remaining survivors have are w BOARDING SCHOOL | 6-7

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PREVIEW Snyder’s fourth State of the State address is just one day away. CM Life will have reporters in the Capitol to bring you coverage as the governor speaks. Check out next issue.

iron rings still hang in the sunlight four feet off the ground. The names of students are desperately etched into the brick as they were chained to them, to suffer the punishment of the elements. Graveratte’s mother will not set foot on the property. His grandmother wanted the building destroyed, but some hope to preserve the area to continue building awareness for a time in America’s history largely forgotten. “I would like to see some type of museum built to bring back the history,” said Graveratte, a Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe member

research and operations. Students, both on and off campus, spend a total of $380.5 million for room and board, books and supplies, apparel and meals and entertainment. The report does not ignore alumni presence in the state either, estimating about 80 percent of CMU graduates remain in Michigan. According to Ross, this is a point of pride for the university.

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“CMU is truly a statewide university serving students driven to discover and achieve,” he said. “We are proud that 92 percent of our students are from Michigan, and 80 percent remain in the state after graduation.” w IMPACT | 2A

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Jan. 15 2014 by Central Michigan Life - Issuu