LIFE CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Catching up with Cooper
FRIDAY, OCT. 17, 2014 | MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH. | ISSUE NO. 23 VOL. 96
Life in brief Police MPPD investigates larcenies Mount Pleasant Police Department is investigating a string of car larcenies that occurred throughout the community last weekend. Police lodged Ryan Hughes, a 28-year-old Mount Pleasant man on Saturday morning for larceny from a vehicle, resisting an officer, damaging property and attempted larceny of a vehicle. Public Information Officer Jeff Browne said he was officially arrested on Wednesday, Oct. 15, on those charges. He is not a Central Michigan University student. Browne said it is not yet known whether Hughes is connected to the string of car larcenies. He said MPPD has identified three separate groups committing the thefts in Mount Pleasant, Isabella County and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe reservation. Not all suspects are in custody yet. Browne said the MPPD is requesting help from the community to identify these suspects, and people are encouraged to report incidents of tagging if they see them occurring. Check back with Central Michigan Life for updates on this story.
Central Michigan Life sits down with the CMU football team’s starting quarterback »PAGE 6
More students seek counseling
University offers free service, but there might be a wait this semester
Where students can go for help Foust Hall is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call (989) 774-3381 to set up an appointment. Counseling appointments can be made with the Human Development Clinic at (989) 774-3532. Once a referral form is completed, the client will receive a phone call from a counselor to set up the first appointment.
By Rachael Schuit Staff Reporter
Last week, 187 students sought help from the Central Michigan University Counseling Center. Ross Rapaport, director of the center located in Foust Hall, said free counseling is offered to students. Students typically dealing with grief and loss, managing their stress and anxiety, survivors of sexual assault, those with dysfunctional families and those new to the United States can take advantage of support groups that offer a safe space for students to draw strength from
Cori Kromrei | Staff Photographer The counseling center is located inside Foust Hall, and recently they have been seeing more activity due to increased enrollment.
their collective suffering. This semester’s 26.5 percent freshman enrollment increase, has resulted in more students utilizing the
counseling center to adjust to university life. Rapaport said he anticipates an increase in demand for counseling based on the higher freshmen enroll-
ment, however students who need help are distributed across all class standings. “We’re seeing proportionally many more students (this year) w counsel | 2
A global connection
Megan Pacer, Staff Reporter
Metro Pho Viet to occupy former Lil’ Chef Vietnamese cuisine is coming to Mount Pleasant next month. The Nguyen Family will convert what once was Lil’ Chef into Pho Viet, a Vietnamese sit-down restaurant on Mission Street. The restaurant will use the Nguyen family’s traditional Vietnamese recipes of rice dishes, meats, vegetables, and Vietnam’s national dish Pho. The restaurant serves meals from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. and offers take-out. The building is still being remodeled. Appliances, decorum, and a new sign are still being added. The Nguyen Family is not new to Mount Pleasant business. The family owns and operates both The Nail Parlor and Sky Salon on Mission Street. The restaurant will be managed by 27 year old, Phuong Nguyen. Courtesy Photo | Felix Famoye
Andrew Surma, Staff Reporter
campus Speak Up, Speak Out to host election forum With a little under a month until the Nov. 4 general election, Speak Up, Speak Out will be hosting an open forum presentation designed to enlighten students on the larger issues facing voters. The event, titled “What Matters in This Election?” will be hosted at 7 p.m. in the Park Library Auditorium. Informational videos, panels and featured guests will be able to answer any questions attendees may have. Griffin Endowed Chair in Political Science Gary Randall and Central’s own political science Professor J. Cherie Strachan will be in attendance. Jordan Hermani, Staff Reporter
LIFE INSIDE Editorial: Resident assistants provide valuable services to students. »PAGE 4
Felix Famoye teaches a graduate level mathematical statistics class at the University of Lagos.
Nigerian-born statistics professor receives Carnegie Fellowship, recruits students to CMU By Malachi Barrett News Editor
Nigerian-born statistics professor Felix Famoye is bringing knowledge back to his native country in May. He also hopes to bring motivated students from the far away country to Central Michigan University. Famoye is one of 100 scholars to be awarded the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship, a program that groups African-born aca-
demics in the United States and Canada with higher education institutions in African partner countries. The ADP program offers fellowship of 14 to 90 days in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania or Uganda. The University of Lagos in Nigeria welcomes back Famoye, who previously developed their mathematics programs while there on the Fullbright Fellowship from 2009-10. “Generally African countries
have different types of programs, but don’t have the money to develop them,” Famoye said. “Carnegie does (the fellowship) as a form of helping developing countries’ higher education.” Fellows have three main objectives: teaching, conducting collaborative research with the academic staff and advising their curriculum. Famoye also wants to recruit post-graduate students to CMU. “The fellowship gives a big advantage for both universities. I
try to find very good students to recruit,” Famoye said. “Facilities (in Nigeria) are limited. The lab facilities here are well equipped, so they can come here and finish their research then go back and complete their PhD.” The resources available to students who enroll at CMU are on a whole other level from what students experience in Nigeria, Famoye said. He has recruited w famoye | 2
Committee considers projected enrollment drop, solutions By Zahra Ahmad News Editor
To address projected declines in enrollment, Central Michigan University’s Budget Priorities Committee discussed possible recruitment strategies at its Thursday meeting. The Budget Priorities Committee also presented CMU’s operating budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year at the meeting, focusing on fall enrollment data and projections for the next few years. The budget was explained by a panel of university administrators including Steven Johnson, vice president of enrollment and student services, Barrie Wilkes, vice president of finance and administrative services, and Provost Michael Gealt. The committee discussed expenditure changes, recruitment
and retention plans, along with future challenges. Though there was an increase in freshman enrollment this year, a projected decline in the number of the state’s high school population over the next few years is expected to be the university’s biggest challenge. “Michigan’s high school enrollment is dropping. Even though CMU’s entering freshmen enrollment has increased this year, it is projected to decline due to other factors,” Johnson said. Factors impacting future enrollment also included a decline in community college enrollment. “Twenty five out of 28 community colleges said they expect enrollment declines for the 201415 fiscal year,” Johnson said. Johnson also presented four projected growth markets: community college transfers,
international enrollment, master competency and adult completers. “[In regards to recruitment initiatives] a Steven Johnson market analysis by the “Michigan’s high college board school enrollment and ACT is is dropping. Even being done. though CMU’s enThere will tering freshmen also be an enrollment has in[initiative] to creased this year, increase outit is projected to of-state expandecline due to sion,” Johnson other factors.” said. The increase for out-of-state expansion will be done through collected SAT data, which has never been done
before, and NACAC college fairs. To target the university’s biggest challenge, the states decline in high school enrollment, CMU will increase high school and community college visits along with bus trips and special group visits to campus. Other attempts to improve recruitment involve increased college day events, such as “CMU and You,” and the creation of the Alumni Ambassadors Program, which has 16 alumni as of now. The previous marketing campaign showed to be successful and will be implemented again for the 2014-15 fiscal year. These strategies include CMU TV spots, three smart bus wraps and advertisement on Pandora. “Our site had over 900,000 visits due to our commercial on Pandora, a music outlet many students use,” Johnson said.