Feb. 28, 2014

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Life

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FRIDAY, FEB. 28, 2014 | MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH. | ISSUE NO. 64 VOL. 95

LIFE IN BRIEF STUDENT LIFE

Work-hour limitations suspended

CMU allows employees to exceed 25-hour cap along with working multiple on-campus jobs By Sean Bradley Senior Reporter

SEX TALK

Students packed into the Bovee University Center Rotunda to talk sex, love and relationships with each other at “Live Group Sex Therapy.”

Central Michigan University’s Human Resources office announced Wednesday that its 25hour per week work limitations policy will be suspended until January 2015. The policy change was in response to a provision in the Affordable Care Act requiring employers to offer health insurance to fulltime employees. The university policy was put in place Jan. 5.

Jacqui Pridgeon, director of benefits and wellness for Human Resources, said between Jan. 5 and Wednesday, the 25-hour per week cap was still in effect. On Feb. 10, new federal guidelines were released, detailing the suspension of the federal rule until 2015, she said. An email addressed to those affected by the 25-hour cap was sent out by the university on Feb. 12. The email said the policy would remain the same, despite changes at the federal level, until an HR

evaluation was complete. Pridgeon said the change in policy will allow affected employees to work more hours. “It eases the rules for our nonbenefit employees, which are primarily students,” she said. “Their total hours could be higher than 50 hours per week as long as their supervisors allow them to work extended hours.” The 25-hour regulations impacted many university employees, including student workers, graduate assistants, temporary

staff, Global Campus adjunct faculty and less-than-half-time fixed-term faculty. Even employees who work multiple campus jobs will be able to continue to do so. “They won’t have to worry about the 50 hours per pay period cap,” she said. “They’ll be able to work more hours this year if that’s something they choose to pursue.” Pridgeon said prior to the new regulations being released, the university had no knowledge w WORK LIMITATIONS | 2

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UNIVERSITY

Students find ways to survive 21 credit hours

METRO

By Rachael Schuit Staff Reporter

MICHIGAN SENATE

After a brutal winter Michigan’s Senate approved a $100 million bill Feb. 20 to help fill potholes and clear roads.

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SPORTS

Kyle Wison | Staff Photographer Benjamin Hunt, a first grade home schooled student, points out a feature on one of the many entries at the CDR Library’s LEGO building contest.

KELLY/SHORTS STADIUM

Both the football team and the student section will see a change in seating as they move to the east side of the stadium. w7

While students stress over a full load of classes, Taylor Sullivan scoffs at the idea of taking a measly 12 credits. Sullivan enrolled in 21 credit hours this semester, the maximum amount of hours an undergraduate student can take at a time. “It has its moments where it can be stressful,” Sullivan said, “but if you manage it well, it’s doable.” Sullivan isn’t alone. There are 70 undergraduate students enrolled in 21 credit hours this spring, said Mary Meier, associate director of Institutional Research. Last semester, 72 undergraduates were enrolled in the maximum course load. Reasons vary as to why students go out of their way to endure such an exceptional course load. As a Bay City sophomore majoring in fashion design and general management with a minor in sales, Sullivan is trying to finish school in a timely manner. She said trying to keep it all together takes not only diligence, but a high degree of organization. “I have a planner, a to-do list, and another calendar on my phone,” Sullivan said. She also uses color-coded folders for every class to keep her work and study materials organized. w CREDIT HOURS | 2

Local library hosts sixth LEGO building contest By Wyatt Bush Staff Reporter

TRACK AND FIELD

Renaldo Powell has been chasing CMU’s 60-meter hurdle record for years, now within a fraction of a second heading into the MAC Indoor Championships. w9

Spaceships, scorpion-monsters and scenes from films like “Sherlock Holmes” and “Ghostbusters” were scattered throughout Veterans Memorial Library on Thursday night in LEGO form. At the sixth annual Chippewa River District Library LEGO Contest, Mount Pleasant area preschoolers and retired operating engineers alike partook in a competition that included 111 entries – each attempting to construct the coolest contraption. w LEGO | 5

LIFE INSIDE College education, discrimination discussed during Black History Month panel »PAGE 3 Three gymnasts to have ‘home crowd’ on the road at Northern Illinois »PAGE 8

Kyle Wilson | Staff Photographer Addyson and Mason Thormeir, Dawson John and Carter Jones wait before a rocket launches from a contest entry at the CDR Library during their LEGO building contest Thursday.


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Feb. 28, 2014 by Central Michigan Life - Issuu