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WEDNESDAY, FEB. 12, 2014 | MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH. | ISSUE NO. 56 VOL. 95
Landmark marriage equality case to be heard in federal court »PAGE 1B
LIFE IN BRIEF
Advising Workbench still three years away
STUDENT LIFE
Advising platform will aid students registered at CMU in 2011 or later
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By Kurt Nagl Staff Reporter
GAME DESIGN PROFESSOR
CMU professor Tony Morelli creates video games for children who are unable to play games off the shelf due to visual and hearing impairments.
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METRO
Photo Illustration by Taryn Wattles | Staff Photographer Bitcoin is a new currency that was created in 2009, where transactions are made without middle men. There are no transaction fees and no need to give your real name.
New Money
Bitcoin is ‘not on the radar’ of CMU By Sean Bradley Senior Reporter
SAYING GOODBYE
One final goodbye. See what it was like in the last hour, of the last day that Lil’ Chef was open.
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DADDY-DAUGHTER
For Mark Cox and his daughter Sarah, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2010, family bonding events like the Daddy Daughter Date Night mean so much more now that she’s been cleared of the disease.
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VIBE
Two investments of $100 last July was all it took to pull Andrew Coutts and his friends down the rabbit hole of “cryptocurrency.” Created in 2009 by an anonymous Internet user, the cryptocurrency known as Bitcoin, quietly sprang up around the world. The digital currency began to change the way people did business, from buying tickets for sporting events to purchasing food. Coutts, an Ohio senior, said Bitcoin is gaining traction worldwide, revolutionizing the way people think about currency and how it can be used. “I equate it to the invention of the Internet,” Coutts said. “This is the equivalent in the financial sector.” He and his friend Nick Dobson, a Grand Rapids senior, began with small investments into Bitcoin. “(When) we started, we got a millionth of a Bitcoin,” Dobson said. “We started with little coins. And then we just started day trading.” Originally with modest goals of paying off their student loans, their journey into Bitcoin began. There was just one problem. Business markets around the world haven’t fully accepted, cryptocurrency as a viable monetary unit. Cumbria University in London began using Bitcoin in conjunction with some of its courses earlier this year, but the proposition is not likely at CMU, said Barrie Wilkes, vice presi-
dent of Finance and Administrative Services. “We’ve had no conversations about Bitcoin,” Wilkes said. “It’s not on our radar right now.” The only way it could be accepted by CMU is if it were regulated by an agency recognized by the federal government, Wilkes said. The NBA’s Sacramento Kings will begin accepting Bitcoin on March 1 for the purchases of game tickets and merchandise. Bradley Wachler, senior associate athletics director at CMU, echoed Wilkes’ sentiments about accepting Bitcoin. “It’s not something we’re familiar with or something we’ve considered at this point,” he said.
BETTING ON CRYPTOCURRENCY
A main concern about Bitcoin for CMU is its financial safety. “I know there’s been some concerns with its security, so that’s always a concern for us,” Wachler said. “If it’s consumerfriendly, that’s what we’re always focused on.” w BITCOIN | 7A
HISTORY OF VALENTINE’S DAY Despite the wide array of flowers and chocolates enjoyed on Valentine’s Day, hardly anyone knows the history behind the holiday.
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LIFE INSIDE
The Grove donates $5,000 to Volunteer Center »PAGE 6A The cost of Valentine’s Day: Students nickel and dime their way into each other’s hearts on Feb. 14 »PAGE 5B
What is Bitcoin? Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency that began in 2009. It is obtained using a process called “mining,” where the user’s computer is constantly searcing for answers to a complex math problem.
Bitcoin’s backbone is the “block-chain.” The “block-chain” serves as the permanent record of every transaction that’s ever occurred. As each block in the chain is solved, the algorithm becomes more complex, making Bitcoins value increase.
Despite acting as the main conduit for students to self-assess graduation and degree requirements, the two-year-old Advising Workbench platform won’t be fully operational for another three years. As the program exists now, specific student degree information for those enrolled in seven Central Michigan University colleges remains unavailable online. This information may not be fully accessible until 2017. Only students who enrolled at CMU in the 2011-12 academic year and later will have access to information regarding progress toward their major and minor. Jared Peless, senior web developer and an Advising Workbench team member, said the decision to exclude students who enrolled before 2011-12 came down to timing. “We thought that by the time we got it done, those students are likely graduating or deep into it,” Peless said. “It’s a lot of work, and (adding those students) would have delayed something else.” The Advising Workbench team is working on information for major, minor and degree requirements and releasing it as it becomes complete, said Registrar Karen Hutslar. Denise McBride, associated director of administrative systems delivery, said completing the Advising Workbench is a top priority for the university. McBride added that CMU first tried the project in 2007, but it ultimately failed. “It was not the right commitment, but now the commitment is correct,” she said. Another roadblock of full implementation was the loss of a web developer, who was instrumental in the workbench’s design. The goal of the Advising Workbench platform aims to replace an often complicated, paper-heavy academic bulletin system, as well as to reduce student reliance on academic advisers. Most of all, the completed platform could give students a better understanding of how to graduate on time. Farmington Hills senior Carleen Quint, who believed she was a lot closer to graduation than actuality, is one those students. Communicating with CMU advisers for a year, Quint found out unexpectedly that she needed a second major to fulfill her degree requirement. “It was frustrating because they knew I was coming,” Quint said. w ADVISING WORKBENCH | 6A
Pharmacies face flu shot shortage, a few still available By Orrin Shawl Staff Reporter
Many pharmacies in Mount Pleasant are out of vaccines during the middle of flu season. Some pharmacies, like Rite Aid at 117 N. Mission St., gave more than 800 patients flu shots since August. Rite Aid Pharmacy Manager Jai Iserhoth said his pharmacy is down to its last 10 shots. “With it being the tail end of the flu season, we probably won’t be getting any more shots in stock,” Iserhoth said. Iserhoth’s pharmacy isn’t the only one that gives customers flu shots during the fall. Walgreens, 903 N. Mission St., attempts to get its shots sold in September. Walgreens pharmacist Sarah Baumann said the pharmacy at her
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store still offers flu shots, but the fall is when they have the most options for vaccines available. “It is a little late, but I would definitely advise students to come in if they have not done it at this point,” Baumann said. “Right now, we have two shots available. There’s one that covers for three strains. The other one covers four strains. Both shots contain the H1N1 strain.” The process for getting a flu shot at a store is simple. The customer pays for the flu shot either with their insurance or with traditional payment methods. Then they fill out a questionnaire, and the pharmacist gives the shot. “We give you the shot, and then we ask you to stay about 10 minutes to make sure you don’t have any allergic reactions,” Baumann said. w FLU SHOTS | 2A
Katy Kildee | Staff Photographer Pharmacist Heather Dunakin demonstrates how she prepares a flu vaccine to administer to a patient at Meijer on Tuesday at the store on Pickard Street.
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