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ONLINE AUDIT: First phase of system released Wednesday; entire program to be implemented by 2015 » PAGE 3
SPEAK UP, SPEAK OUT: Future of politics, major national issues discussed at first event of semester » PAGE 5
cm-life.com
Friday, Jan. 25, 2013
LOVE AND CARE
ROAD TO VICTORY
Volunteers help animals with training, socialization » PAGE 3
Ben Bennett striving for more, a national title, in senior season » PAGE 7
Heeke: Enos doing things ‘the right way’ Football coach given new 4-year contract, pay raise By Justin Hicks Senior Reporter
“Your past is not your future; it’s not even your present.” Nathaniel Mark, a Williamston sophomore, was incredibly impressed. “I just took away a lot of wisdom from his speech,” Castillo said. “He has the capacity to know things we can’t know because of where he’s been.” Keego Harbor sophomore Julius Cantuba agreed.
Dan Enos is the right kind of guy, CMU athletics Dave Heeke echoed Thursday following the announcement of the football coach’s new four-year contract. “(The contract) shows we’re going to have a staff that does things the right way; a staff that recruits the right kind of student-athletes, that provides leadership for those student-athletes the right way,” Heeke said. CMU’s head football coach received a new four-year contract Thursday—he had three years remaining on his previous deal—that will keep him through December 2016. The deal includes a new base salary of $285,000 in addition to a list of potential bonuses that total $214,000. “Dan has been under the same contract for three years without a base salary increase,” Heeke said. “After observing what’s occurred over these years with the growth of the program and the success we had last year, we felt it was appropriate to reward him accordingly.” His previous deal, which was extended through 2015 in February, had a base salary of $250,000. Enos will receive $350,000 if CMU terminates his contract and will have to pay CMU the same amount if he chooses to opt out of the contract early. Some milestones worthy of additional compensation in his new contract include earning seven or more victories ($6,000-$36,000), winning the Mid-American Conference ($15,000), qualifying for a bowl game ($12,500) and winning a bowl game ($15,000). Enos is also eligible for bonuses tied to attendance at home games, recruiting 60 percent of scholarship student-athletes from Michigan and having players maintain a 2.6 cumulative GPA. “Every head coach in the country has incentives like these; it’s just another way to reward success,” Enos said. “I’m very happy and pleased that the efforts that our coaches and players have put forth have been rewarded and recognized.” Enos and Heeke both acknowledged the extension’s benefits from a recruiting standpoint, providing comfort for incoming student athletes.
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VICTORIA ZEGLER/PHOTO EDITOR AND CHARLOTTE BODAK/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
MAIN: Retired General Colin Powell speaks to a sold-out arena comprised of students and faculty Thursday night at McGuirk Arena. Powell was invited to CMU as the Honorary Guest Speaker for Martin Luther King Jr. Week. Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was also the first of two consecutive African American office-holders to hold the key Administration position of U.S. Secretary of State. TOP: A member of the ROTC smiles as he watches Retired General Colin Powell take the stage. BOTTOM: Retired General Colin Powell hugs University President George Ross after taking the stage.
‘Compromise’ Powell emphasizes trust, leadership to sold out-crowd Thursday night By Neil Rosan | Staff Reporter
Retired four-star general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell called for continued faith in the United States and compromise in Washington when he spoke to a sold-out crowd in McGuirk Arena Thursday.
“It doesn’t take a super man to change this nation; it takes super people,” Powell said. “This country is changing, and both parties need to change with it.” Powell played a key role in four presidential administrations and was the first African American to serve as Secretary of State. He was brought to Central Michigan University as the keynote speaker in the university’s celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. week. Powell opened his speech
with a discussion about the influence the Constitution as a “living document” should have on politicians. “The government has to change and grow as this nation continues to change and grow,” Powell said. “Change is part of what we are as a diverse group of people.” He also expressed the need for compromise between the Democratic and Republican parties. “I hope in the weeks and months ahead that both sides will reach out,
because we can’t fight and demonize each other anymore,” Powell said. “Let’s find a compromise and move forward.” Powell used King’s legacy as a man of compromise and change to illustrate his point. “Martin Luther King had to fight a great war for equality,” he said. “He did what no one else could and held up a mirror to the country and asked, ‘Is this what the Founding Fathers wanted?’” A POWELL | 2
Powell’s speech draws clamor, admiration from audience By Ryan Fitzmaurice Senior Reporter
Mount Pleasant senior Paul Barlow looked at the McGuirk Arena, covered with fold-up chairs. People were only starting to file in, but Barlow could feel the excitement. “There’s a special vibe going on in there,” Barlow said. “A special energy.” Twenty minutes later, all that could be heard was the quiet tapping of marching
boots. The sold-out crowd of more than 5,000 in the arena stood on their feet in respect and absolute silence as soldiers marched the American flag up to the podium. Even a murmur could have drowned out the sound of the boots. Partly in respect for the flag, the utter silence was also in anticipation of Colin Powell. Kwabena NkansahAmankra, a Ghana senior, agreed. “At the beginning you could just feel it,” Nkansah-Amankra
said. “Something was going to happen.” When Powell a man who played a prominent role in four presidential administrations, serving in positions such as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State, finally appeared on stage, the tension was immediately released. Powell seemed completely normal. Midway through his hourlong speech, he told the story of his years in college. It wasn’t one you’d expect a prominent
figure to tell. Powell did not do well in college, at least not in his academic classes. His ROTC classes were a different story; he was getting straight A’s. The school officials decided to add his ROTC scores into his GPA average, giving him a 2.0 GPA. “Good enough for government work,” Powell exclaimed, and the audience laughed as though on cue. After the tale was over, he added words of wisdom.
Ross: Calendar change focus needs to shift from money to academics By Jackson Seedott Staff Reporter
Central Michigan University President George Ross said discussions regarding the proposed academic calendar change need to focus on the academic impact it would have on faculty and students. “(Currently), there is no committee dedicated to the academic impact (of the proposed changes),” Ross said in a Wednesday meeting with Central Michigan Life’s editorial staff. “And I think that is where you start
to question things.” Last week, the Academic Senate postponed voting on the proposed calendar changes to Tuesday. The proposed changes came to light as a result of the new faculty collective bargaining agreement in 2011. If the proposed calendar changes are adopted, CMU would begin fall semester classes after Labor Day. Other universities such as Western Michigan University and University of Michigan-Ann Arbor follow a similar calendar. “They may or may not
bring the motion forward on Tuesday,” Ross said. “I hope that when it does come up, it will be defeated.” Ross said if changes to the calendar were to be made, it makes a difference in academics, and that aspect has not been considered enough. Proponents of the calendar change argue it gives students who hold jobs over the summer more time to work and allows students and faculty who have children of their own to have more time to spend with them. One of the biggest
concerns of the proposed changes is the cost to the university. “(If the calendar changes), there will be a financial impact, but I think if we’re going to examine changing calendars, we have to begin with the academic impact, and we haven’t done that,” Ross said. As previously reported by CM Life, if the academic calendar were to change from a 16-week to a 15-week calendar, it would cost the university approximately $2.5 million. A ROSS | 2
TRISHA UMPFENBACH/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
University President George Ross answers questions during the president’s report during the Academic Senate meeting on Jan. 15 in Pearce Hall. “Our campus takes about $1 million a day to run,” Ross said.