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Monday, Feb. 11, 2013
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Midland consulting firm to launch second campus newspaper ‘We’ll be asking our readers to read us in addition to CM Life’
soon as next fall. Michael Westendorf, CEO of Sterling, Hoffman & Co., said Sunday Central Michigan Tribune will begin circulation as a free weekly print product and website, competing with student-run publication Central Michigan Life. Tentative plans are to launch the publication in the fall. “CM Life is one of the best student newspapers in the country,” Westendorf said. “We’re not seeking to replace it as the most comprehen-
By Justin Hicks Senior Reporter
A Midland-based consulting group will announce plans today to launch a second newspaper on campus as
sive news source on the campus of Central Michigan University. We’ll be asking our readers to read us in addition to CM Life.” Central Michigan Tribune will begin hiring this spring, and Westendorf says the publication will not discriminate between utilizing students and professional journalists. There are currently no plans to operate on campus, and the publication will be privately funded by Sterling, Hoffman & Co.
While an editorial direction hasn’t been decided on, Westendorf said his publication will focus on analysis and long-form journalism. “It’s hard to say what our niche will be, other than objective news about what happens at CMU,” he said. “We tend not to cover anything outside the university, and we have an unwritten policy not to cover anything that The New York Times could cover better.” Westendorf is the chief executive officer for The Saginaw Valley Jour-
nal, a competitor to The Valley Vanguard, the student-run newspaper at Saginaw Valley State University. He founded the paper in 2009. “I saw a need in Saginaw, and, quite frankly, I’m a journalism nerd,” Westendorf said. “I worked at the student newspaper there, and I didn’t like what I saw. I saw things that could be fixed and could just be eliminated.” A NEWSPAPER | 2
Gov.’s budget proposal could mean $1.6m more for CMU By Samantha Smallish Staff Reporter
women have held the positions at the same time. “We’ve come a long ways, baby,” Ling said. Both women have years of experience in local government. Ling was on the County Commission from 1976-80, then was reelected in 1982 and served until 1984. Next, Ling went back to teaching English and social studies at Mount Pleasant High School, retiring in 2006 after 25 years. She began serving on the City Commission in 2008, after winning election in 2007. She served as vice mayor for two years before being selected as mayor last month. Tilmann got involved with local government in the late 1980s, serving on the Parks and Recreation Com-
The $50.9 billion budget plan proposed by Gov. Rick Snyder on Thursday would increase Central Michigan University’s state funding by about $1.6 million. The proposed budget includes a two-percent increase in appropriations for public colleges, universities and community colleges. Universities will also be expected to keep tuition and fee rate increases under four-percent each year or else risk losing state funding. Lawmakers implemented a similar tuition restraint mechanism into the current fiscal year budget. CMU Director of Federal Programs and Government Relations Toby Roth said Snyder’s proposition is taking higher education down the right path, and if CMU receives the full two-percent increase in funding, the university would receive about $1.6 million more in funding for next year. “I think it’s a good start,” Roth said. “Two years ago, Snyder cut higher education by 15 percent, last year raised it by three-percent and is now proposing to (raise) it twopercent. We are headed back in the right direction.” Under Snyder’s proposal, the amount of funding a school receives depends on its ability to meet certain performance standards such as graduation rates, the amount of research being conducted and the number of graduates in high-demand degree programs. Roth said these performance standards are weighted on various factors, so there is no set number to securely determine if a school is meeting these standards. Roth also said the amount of money the university receives is not necessarily set in stone. “Last year with the budget plan, (Central Michigan University) didn’t receive close to what the governor proposed,” Roth said.
A MAYORS | 2A
A SNYDER | 2A
VICTORIA ZEGLER/PHOTO EDITOR
Mayor Kathy Ling, left, and Vice Mayor Sharon Tilmann, right, pose for a photo Wednesday at City Hall in Mount Pleasant. Ling and Tilmann were elected Jan. 14. Both women have years of experience in local government.
Moving forward Kathy Ling, Sharon Tilmann serve as Mount Pleasant’s first female mayor-vice mayor duo By Emily Grove | Senior Reporter
As she sat, slowly stirring then sipping her coffee at the University Cup, Mayor Kathy Ling recalled a time nearly 40 years ago when her gender was used to restrict her. It was the 1970s, and Ling was serving on the Isabella County Commission. After serving for a short time, a newly elected group joined Ling on the commission, where she was the only woman. Ling had been serving as the chair
of the two-person finance committee when she was informed there would have to be a bit of a demotion, if only for appearances’ sake. “The chairman said I would be staying on the committee, but he looked at me and said, ‘Of course
you’ll understand, I will have to make the man the chairman of the committee because it would be very embarrassing for a man to be on a committee with a woman as chair,’” Ling said. “You’re kidding me. And you let him live?” Vice Mayor Sharon Tilmann interjected jokingly with hints of disgust and disbelief. Of course, Tilmann said she can also remember a time when the classifieds section was divided by male job openings and female job openings. Tilmann said the managerial positions were mostly for men, while women were supposed to be secretaries. Now, Ling and Tilmann serve as the mayor and vice mayor, the first time in the history of the Mount Pleasant City Commission that two
Fun., CMU alum Andrew Dost win Grammys for best new artist, song By Samantha Smallish Staff Reporter
Indie pop band Fun., featuring CMU alum Andrew Dost, took home Grammy awards for Best Song and Best New Artist Sunday night in Los Angeles. The group was nominated for four other awards, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Duo/ Group Performance for their hit single “We Are Young,” Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year for its album, “Some Nights.” A group of Central Michigan University students joined together to watch this year’s Grammys for a more personal reason. One fan in particular, Dost’s cousin and Virginia junior Abby Palmateer, was sporting Fun. attire and fond memories growing up with Dost. Upon hearing that her cousin was up for Grammy
nominations, Palmateer said she was very excited. “My mom called me right away and told me the news. She said I should brag about it on campus,” Palmateer said, laughing. As a child, Palmateer remembers family gatherings with Dost, despite living far apart during their childhood. During the band’s first performance, when they sang “Carry On,” Palmateer sang along. Dost is a 2005 CMU graduate who majored in journalism. He was a Centralis scholar, receiving the university’s top full-ride academic scholarship. He started his musical career at CMU with a band named Anathallo and spent his weekends performing in different venues around the Mount Pleasant, Lansing and Detroit areas. Cadillac senior Kori Marvin is a fan of the band and said he was very enthused
when he found out about the band’s Grammy nominations. He said once he found out Dost was a CMU graduate, he became more interested. “I’m a fan of the band, and, a few months ago, I found out (Dost) was a CMU alum,” Marvin said. “I’m rooting for him.” Cheers and applause rang through the university center as Fun. won Song of the Year. “I’m really excited,” Palmateer said. “I can just hear all of our family cheering right now.” Kelly Clarkson beat Fun. for a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album. The band also came up short in Best Pop Duo Performance (Gotye & Kimbra) and Album of the Year (Gotye & Kimbra). The other awards the band was nominated for were not announced as of press time. university@cm-life.com
Central Michigan
INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL
BROOKE MAYLE/ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
CMU grad student Bruce Lin, left, watches with Chelsea senior Katy Steklac as 2005 alumnus Andrew Dost and FUN. band member performs at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards Sunday night during the CMU Grammy Watch Party in the Bovee University Center.
February 8-10 & 14-17 For a complete Festival Guide to movies, places & times:
www.cmfilmfestival.com