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cm-life.com
MONDAY DEC. 2, 2013 | MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH. | ISSUE NO. 41 VOL. 95
Enrollment, revenue higher than expected
Life in brief
Graduate Student Union reaches possible bargaining agreement Central Michigan University and the Graduate Student Union announced a tentative agreement on Wednesday that would establish a contract through June 30, 2016. The collective bargaining agreement would be effective upon ratification. “They’ve come to a contract that they both like, that is mutually beneficial,” said Director of Public Relations Steve Smith. Smith said the GSU and university have been negotiating the contract for the past few months. Further details will be released by the university once the contract is ratified by a vote. A date for the vote has not been set. “They are going to set a ratification date,” Smith said. “That would be the next step. Both sides have agreed not to discuss the contract until it is ratified.” Representing 475 graduate student assistants, the GSU’s previous contract was ratified in 2010 and extended until this year. “Three-year contracts are generally the norm,” Smith said. According to the GSU Facebook page, the union advocates for the rights of graduate students as employees by interceding at the department, college, university and state levels. The organization cites the goal of ensuring graduate students are secure and satisfied financially and professionally so that they can contribute the full scope of their ability to the pursuit of academic achievement. -Adrian Hedden Senior Reporter
SGA PASSES resolution asking for $1.8 million A resolution requesting the Campus Programming Fund be increased to $1.8 million passed Nov. 25 at the last Student Government Association meeting of the semester. The resolution passed both in the Senate and in the House of Representatives with a vote of 80-21, sending the resolution to SGA President Marie Reimers for her approval before introducing it to the board of trustees on Thursday. An amendment to the resolution introduced at the Nov. 18 SGA meeting requiring the fund to be raised on par with tuition increases was dropped after being voted down in the House, 76-25. Reimers told the House that, according to Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services Steven Johnson, CPF has an impact on student retention at Central Michigan University and is worth the effort to bring the fund up to the $1.8 million. Additionally, the student disability service resolution, asking the university to add more funding and workers to Disability Services, along with the divestment resolution, asking the university to become less invested with oil companies, were passed in both the House and Senate. -Nathan Clark Staff Reporter
Budget Priorities Committee to host public forums By Adrian Hedden Senior Reporter
Katy Kildee | Assistant Photo Editor Freshman Sergio Campo of Spain, freshman Morounfoluwa Ogundipe of Nigeria, freshman Sebastian Brass of Germany, freshman Amanda Quek of Singapore, and freshman Caro Jacobs of Germany dine together on Oct. 29 in the Fresh Food Company cafeteria in East Campus.
Unbreakable bonds International students offer support, stories during dinners
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By Kate Woodruff Staff Reporter
or a group of international students at Central Michigan University, studying abroad in the United States brought the expectation of a quality education. What they didn’t expect was to form life-long friendships. These students, coming from all over the globe, gather in an informal group each night to share dinner and conversation about their cultures, countries and experiences in the United States. German foreign exchange student Caro Jacobs said the group of international students has become like a family to her. “Being a part of this group has helped me a lot,” she said. “It’s nice to know there will always be someone here to talk. I’ve found it was easier to make friends with international students because we all had orientation together and kind of established a group.” Since many students returning to CMU have the advantage of already established friendships, Jacobs said it was easier to approach those who didn’t know anyone. w INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS | 2
CMED raises $21.3 million for Saginaw branch By Adrian Hedden Senior Reporter
The College of Medicine has raised $21.3 million toward its funding goal for CMED East in Saginaw. Receiving $25,000 from the Mid Area Community Foundation and $20,000 from the Bay Area and Saginaw community foundations, the gifts put CMED at 85.2 percent of its funding goal of $25 million for the added location. Sharon Mortensen, CEO of the
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Midland Area Community Foundation, said CMED’s proposed mission of addressing regional physician shortages in the Great Lakes Bay Region and across Michigan is a dire concern for the people of her community. “The access to care is an issue to people in this community,” she said. “We really believe this is supporting a real need in our area. It was exciting to support this regional medical school. It’s great to be a part of CMED and what it is going to do in our community.”
Mortensen said the decision to donate to CMED was the result of a needs assessment conducted by her grants committee. She said she is confident CMED’s dedicated student body will be successful in treating nearby, medically underserved communities. Seventeen of CMED’s inaugural class of 64 students are from the Great Lakes Bay Region. Fifty-eight are from Michigan.
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CMED FUNDS Saginaw branch GOAL: $25 million Present: $21.3 million
85.2%
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CMU student air lifted to hospital after car accident on Broomfield Road By Tony Wittkowski Metro Editor
Life inside Speakers chosen, students prepare for December commencement »PAGE 5 New D-Box seats offer viewers new movie going experience »PAGE 6 Tipton provides play of the game with 216-yard run
Katy Kildee | Assistant Photo Editor Freshman Caro Jacobs of Germany, dressed as a cat for Halloween, feeds a grape to sophomore Roberto Lopez of Mexico, who is dressed as a Roman emperor, on Oct. 31 in the Fresh Food Co. Residential Restaurant on east campus.
Enrollment numbers and revenue projections might be higher than initially predicted. Earlier projections for fiscal year 2015 saw an $18 million funding deficit, resulting from declines in enrollment. Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services Barrie Wilkes issued an update earlier this month, which described higher enrollment and smaller funding reductions. Students enrolled in 9,000 more credit hours than predicted, adding $3 million in revenue from tuition. This revenue will be used to offset the deficit, Wilkes said, and will allow CMU’s academic colleges to plan for smaller reductions. “Anytime you build a budget, you use a bunch of estimates,” Wilkes said. “It’s not a precise science. We don’t want to build a budget that is too Barrie Wilkes optimistic.” According to Wilkes, the colleges were asked to prepare separate plans for three, six and nine percent declines in funding. Now, the colleges might only need two plans, at two and four percent reductions. “It’s just a plan, in case. Right now we’re not planning for any reductions,” Wilkes said. “We have made the cuts to already address any reductions. The budget is balanced.” Gov. Rick Snyder will propose a budget in February, Wilkes said. He also expected enrollment numbers to be more accurate as next semester begins. “As we go further into spring, we’ll have a better idea of enrollment,” Wilkes said. “Students will be more solidified in their commitment.”
Katy Kildee | Assistant Photo Editor Shelby Twp. sophomore Anthony Cavataio displays a white board with his advice for freshmen during Leadership Safari on Aug. 13 next to Finch Fieldhouse.
A Shelby Township sophomore was struck by a car Wednesday on the corner of Broomfield Road and Mission Street and airlifted to a hospital in Saginaw. Anthony Cavataio, who is studying event management at Central Michigan University, was hit by a car while walking across Broomfield Road heading toward campus. Vincent Cavataio, Anthony’s brother, said he was hit at 1:30 a.m. “He was air lifted to St. Mary’s in Saginaw an hour after he was brought to (Central Michigan) McLaren,” Vincent said Firday. “He is in critical condition.” Vincent, who is a graduate student from Shelby Township and former CMU Student Government Association president, said he spoke with Mount
Pleasant Police Officer Kipp Moe about the driver and the circumstances surrounding the accident. MPPD Public Information Officer Jeff Thompson could not be reached for comment for this story. Vincent went to the hospital after his brother’s accident and has been paying attention to the recent news reports on his brother, as well. “We were supposed to go home the morning of his accident,” Vincent said. “A lot of news sources have been misreporting.” During his time at CMU, Anthony has been involved in the Greek community with Phi Kappa Tau, Leadership Safari and is a Leadership Advancement Scholar. Zack Kowalski, a senior from Grosse Ile and member of Phi Kappa Tau, was contacted by one of Anthony’s friends after the accident.
“He’s really involved,” Kowalski said of his fraternity brother. “He helped with the public relations in our chapter, and he was just elected to vice president.” After the fraternity was notified of Anthony’s accident, a Facebook page — “Anthony Cavataio: Our Man of Character” — was created to support the injured sophomore. “We are trying to collect any letters or notes for Anthony on how much people appreciate him,” Kowalski said. Phi Kappa Tau is looking for letters from other chapters and Greek members to write about how Anthony has made an impact on the community. According to the Facebook page, those who want to write may drop letters off at the Phi Kappa Tau house at 906 S. Main St. metro@cm-life.com