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Favorite mid-Michigan fall activities
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 9, 2013 | MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH. | ISSUE NO. 20 VOL. 95
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ACADEMIC SENATE
LIFE IN BRIEF
Johnson fields questions regarding CMU enrollment
METRO
ROAD BLOCK While Deerfield Road is under construction, students have to find alternative routes to get to and from class. w 3A
Faculty discuss in-state marketing By Ben Solis Copy Editor
UNIVERSITY
Riding Dirty
Shannon Millards | Staff Photographer Farwell Logan Douglas, age 16, mud bogs through a ditch of mud in his truck, “Kermit the Frog,” on the property of the Jarman Cattail Party on Oct. 4.
SPEAK UP, SPEAK OUT LGBTQ rights in Michigan were discussed with a panel of students and professionals during Monday night’s Speak Up, Speak Out event. Check out some highlights. w 5A
VIBE
Local family pits mud against machine in summer bog events By Adrian Hedden Senior Reporter
INSTA-VIBE We asked you to Instagram us your favorite fall photos. Check to see if your pictures made the cut! w SECTION B
Life in Brief STUDENT VETERAN ORGANIZATION TO HOST KARAOKE FUNDRAISER, RAFFLE THURSDAY Central Michigan University’s chapter of Student Veterans of America is hosting a 50/50 raffle and Karaoke fundraiser at The Cabin on Thursday at 8 p.m. The SVA will be raffling off various prizes including gift cards and collectible steins. For the karaoke portion, people will have the opportunity to pay $5 to kick off bad singers. Money raised in the event goes toward the Veteran Emergency Relief Fund, a program that offers financial assistance to veterans in a time of crisis, for CMU’s chapter of SVA. The raffle starts at 8 p.m., but karaoke doesn’t begin until 10 p.m. The Cabin is located at 930 W. Broomfield St. By Nathan Clark Staff Reporter
T
idal waves of mud exploded from beneath his Ford stock truck. Logan Douglas was at home behind the wheel and in the mud. “It’s not a competition — it’s just fun,” Douglas said of the summertime events that can host up to 20 vehicles driving through the course’s five acres of mud pits. “It definitely gets hectic. You wish you could run some people over sometimes, but I’ll do this as long as I’m around.”
The 16-year-old high school junior only recently began mud bogging, but his step-father, Doug Jarman, has been organizing bog parties since 1984 on the family’s Farwell crop farm. Although they began as casual get-togethers, crowds at the parties has grown to up to 1,200 attendees. “If you build it, they will come,” Jarman said. “I’d rather they be here than messing around out on the road. This was always a dead piece of land. It’s a swamp for practical purposes.” As the economy shifted, the farm began to suffer, and Jarman needed a way to keep it going. He began developing the 187-acre farmland to host events on holidays over the summer, such as Labor Day and Independence Day. The farm has been in the Jarman family since 1886 and was once a dairy and then beef farm, before switching to crops.
“(The farm) is so small, you can’t make a living off it anymore,” Jarman said. “We had to do something to keep the farm alive.” Jarman is planning a haunted forest event this Halloween with a $5 cover charge, just like all the other events. He’s been amazed, over the years, at the variety of vehicles participants have brought to the mud. “I’ve had everything out here from a Jeep Grand Cherokee to a truck with 66-inch tractor tires,” Jarman said. “Anything from street stock to you-name-it, they’ve had it. It’s unbelievable what you get out here.” Bringing guests from Bay City, Mackinac Bridge and around the west side of Michigan, Jarman is grateful for newcomer dedication to the mud bog.
Although the discussion could be characterized as cordial, questions and concerns about the university’s enrollment management plan dominated Tuesday’s Steven Johnson Academic Senate meeting. The faculty question and answer session came following a presentation on the plan given by Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services Steven Johnson. Acting as an update on what has been completed thus far and future measures for increasing Central Michigan University’s recruiting scope, the presentation also marked the first time Johnson presented newer aspects of the plan to ASenate. Among the myriad questions lobbed at Johnson, senators asked the VP if changes in tuition rates, increased outreach to non-traditional students and region-focused marketing at the state level were aspects of the plan. Regarding tuition rates, Sen. Melinda Kreth, an English professor, asked whether the college would consider Melinda Kreth decreasing tuition rates for 100 and 200 level classes to compete with regional community colleges offering the same courses at cheaper prices. Kreth also advised raising tuition for 300 level and above courses to recoup some of the cost. “I can’t say we’ve talked that specifically about it,” Johnson said. “We’ve talked about differential tuition by program. I think the discussion has always been ‘how
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Olive Garden draws crowd for first day of business By Stephen Cross Staff Reporter
Mount Pleasant’s much-anticipated new Italian restaurant officially opened its doors on Monday. A hoard of people waited outside of Olive Garden in the rain at the Indian Hills Plaza, located at 4062 E. Bluegrass Road. The event, initially announced as a ribbon cutting ceremony, did not feature any ribbon, but still had the welcoming spirit of a grand opening. General Manager Nathan Andrews, who was accompanied by his four-year-old son, Kimo, and his two-year-old daughter, Mia, was both nervous and excited as he for-
mally announced the opening of the restaurant. “I’ve been done with all the paperwork for a while, and I’m ready to open these doors,” Andrews said. “The restaurant is very comfortable and it’s a place where people can have their own privacy.” Andrews said Olive Garden appeals to people of all ages, and he hopes to have a good first week in the businesses’ new atmosphere. With some customers lining up for more than a half an hour before the planned 11 a.m. opening time, it was clear the gloomy weather was not going to hinder business. w OLIVE GARDEN | 2A
Emily Brouwer | Staff Photographer Mount Pleasant resident and general manager of Olive Garden Nathan Andrews, 35, holds his the hands of his children, Mia, 2, and Kimo, 4, while talking to the crowd Monday during the grand opening of the Olive Garden, 4062 E. Bluegrass Road.
October 11TH, 2013 8pm at mcguirk arena
Student tickets starting at
$20
available at ticket central
With Special Guest
Travis Porter
presented by