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MONDAY, NOV. 18, 2013 | MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH. | ISSUE NO. 37 VOL. 95
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CENTRAL WESTERN WEEKEND
LIFE IN BRIEF SPORTS
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ROLE PLAYERS STEP UP Tony Annese and Mike Kinville haven’t had much time on the field, but they came up big in the Chippewas win Saturday against the rival Broncos. w 1B
Local comic book shop owner proud to celebrate country’s super hero heritage
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RECLAIMING THE CANNON
WRESTLING Wrestling had a strong weekend, going 2-1 in duals and beating Utah Valley in the home opener. w 3B
UNIVERSITY
CONVERSATION PARTNERS Conversation Partners Program creates friendships across borders, teaches culture w 3A
Samantha Madar | Staff Photographer Senior running back Zurlon Tipton, center, holds the Victory Cannon over his head after defeating Western 27-22 on Saturday at Waldo Stadium.
UNIVERSITY
Samantha Madar | Staff Photographer Sophomore running back Saylor Lavalii pushes through Western’s defensive line on Saturday at Waldo Stadium. The Chippewas won 27-22.
Gregory Cornwell | Staff Photographer Junior wide receiver Titus Davis catches a pass from quarterback Cooper Rush on Saturday against Western Michigan. The Chippewas topped the Broncos 27-22.
Officials, donors say no to fossil fuel divestment By Ben Solis Staff Reporter
Despite cordial meetings, Central Michigan University officials have rejected calls from a student activist group to divest, or remove, the university’s investment in fossil fuels. Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services Barrie Wilkes said doing so would be in direct conflict with his “fiduciary obligations” to the university’s donors and investment board. “We have a responsibility to the donors that have given money to our endowment,” Wilkes said. “In fact, we have a legal fiduciary responsibility to invest those funds in the manner that we believe is going to produce the highest amount of income. If we were to divest in all the companies that are engaged in fossil fuel activities, I would not be meeting my legal requirement to invest those funds. Quite frankly, our donors would have a big problem with that if we did it as well.” Earlier this semester, the activist group known as Divest CMU met with Wilkes about divestment. The meeting symbolized a Barrie Wilkes continuation of the group’s work to end the world’s reliance on fossil fuels by calling on universities and other entities to defund Big Oil through mass divestment plans, according to Walled Lake sophomore and Divest CMU member Mariah Urueta. Among its stances, Urueta said if CMU divested along with other smaller universities and community colleges, it would be the first major university in Michigan to pull its stock out of oil. Such a move, she added, could have great effects on CMU’s enrollment, retainment and college yield rates. “In terms of transparency, economics and sustainability, on all of these issues, we could pave the way,” Urueta said.
YOUR GUIDE TO GAME HIGHLIGHTS
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WAR WITH WORDS CMU’s Word Hammer poetry slam gives students and alumni a chance to flex their literary muscles. w 3A
Christian night club celebrates one-year anniversary By Megan Pacer Senior Reporter
Life inside What’s your opinion of the website geared at organizing student RSOs? »PAGE 3A Check out SGA’s efforts to bring relief from the cold to Mount Pleasant’s homeless population. »PAGE 5A
Volleyball loses season finale to Ohio, narrowly misses out on MAC tournament »PAGE 4B
OID
BE SMART & AV
The words “Christian” and “night club” are two phrases that normally don’t go together. But on a Saturday night at Centennial Hall in downtown Mount Pleasant, the Christian night club known to many as the Phi Light Lounge celebrated its one-year anniversary. Students and community members enjoyed food and drinks during an open mic night where they were encouraged to share personal testimonies, poetry and music. Founder Johnny Jones, a senior from Detroit, started Gamma Phi Delta last year with the intent to bridge the communication gap between members of different churches. The Christian night club has grown in popularity over the past few months, and Jones expected the largest turnout so far
at around 80 people. “As a body of Christ, we’re supposed to commune with the whole church,” Jones said. “This is an event that kind of promotes unity and networking with many Christians that you might not see on a Sunday morning.” In addition to open mic opportunities, visitors participated in what Jones called a cipher, which is a rap group experience that takes place around a central boom box. Event Coordinator and Jackson graduate student Darryll Stinson emphasized the importance of embracing different styles of rap music and celebrating differences. “It gives people a chance to network and experience diversity,” Stinson said. “We want to show some of these rappers who aren’t Christian that it’s OK to be a gospel rapper.” w CLUB | 2A
Morgan Taylor | Staff Photographer Kalamazoo resident Nick Reynolds, 23, performs a piece he wrote during the Phi Light Lounge’s one-year anniversary celebration at Centennial Hall in downtown Mount Pleasant.
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