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LIFE CENTRAL MICHIGAN

Curtain Call

Men’s basketball season ends with first-round NIT loss

Wednesday, march 18, 2015 | MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH. | ISSUE NO. 67 VOL. 96

Life in brief metro Residents accommodated after Jamestown fire United Apartments has paid to house residents whose apartments were damaged by a fire Sunday in Jamestown Apartments. Residents will stay at the Baymont Inn & Suites until they can be moved into new apartment units. The current apartments sustained smoke and water damage from a fire that erupted in unit PP 16, causing $60,000 in damage and destroying unit 16. Jared Miller, renter of one of four affected units, said United Apartments has been accommodating. Miller said United provided a team of movers to help residents transition to their new apartments. For Miller, getting a call about the fire was especially alarming. Standing between his two young children, Miller said he was worried all of his belongings had been destroyed. He does not carry renters insurance. “When they called and said there was a fire, I was glad the kids were at their mom’s, but I was worried all of our things would be destroyed,” Miller said. Miller’s residence is below and to the left of the apartment where the fire started, but it suffered very little damage. Inside his home, a residual smell of smoke in his apartment is the only evidence that a fire ever occurred. Mount Pleasant Fire Department received a call at 8:09 p.m. Saturday and sent two of three on-duty engines. The Shepherd Tri-Township Fire Department and Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Fire Department also arrived on scene, with assistance from the Michigan State Police controlling traffic. Witnesses said the fire was extinguished at about 8:30 p.m. Upon their arrival, firefighters found the multistory apartment building billowing smoke and fire from the second story apartment. The MPFD and the Isabella County Sheriff’s Department are still investigating the cause of the fire, while fire and flood remediation companies fix the water and smoke damage. According to police, much of the unit where the fire originated was destroyed by the flames and water, so determining the cause of the fire may not be possible. Mount Pleasant Police Department Public Information Officer Jeff Browne said this fire is a prime example of why students should have renter’s insurance. “Often students can be covered under their parents’ homeowners insurance,” Browne said. United Apartments declined comment for this story. - Jacob Kahn Staff Reporter

CORRECTION In the March 16 edition of Central Michigan Life, Abdullah Ahmed A Dubis was incorrectly identified. He never a student of Central Michigan University. CM Life regrets this error.

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SHAMROCKED

By Malachi Barrett News Editor

India Jackson | Staff Photographer A student wears a festive homemade T-shirt that reads “I’m not Irish, but I’m drunk, so kiss me” to show St. Patrick’s Day spirit March 17 downtown Mount Pleasant.

St. Patrick’s Day social media reveals students learning under the influence By Sydney Smith and Ben Solis News Editor and Staff Reporter

There were five incidents of students being removed from campus due to alcohol poisoning Tuesday, one bringing an ambulance to campus to take the student to McLaren Central Michigan hospital. Five minor in possession citations were given out on campus, one resulting in bringing the student to jail, said Lt. Cameron Wassman of the Central Michigan University Police Department. CMUPD assists any medical call made to campus. Because of the nature of recent St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, Officer Allan McArthur said police were on high alert for students pushing the limits of alcohol consumption. w social media | 6a

Police prepared for St. Patrick’s Day By Jacob Kahn Staff Reporter

Although Main Street was lined with partygoers clad in green before noon Tuesday, the Mount Pleasant Police Department said St. Patrick’s Day 2015 seemed to be quieter than in previous years. Public Information Officer Jeff Browne said the day began fairly calmly. Central Michigan Life accompanied Officer Browne on a portion of his afternoon patrol during St. Patty’s Day. When there is a heavy police presence, crowds tend to disperse naturally. Although MPPD cannot place officers on every street corner all day, there is an increased police presence in the area of Michigan and Main streets, where students gathered outside of fraternity houses. “Drunk people love fireworks,” Browne said. “It’s easy to lob a firecracker into the street from a crowd without getting caught, but it’s dangerous for cars and pedestrians.” Two other squad cars sat near the corner of Main and Broadway Street to diffuse crowds who had been throwing firecrackers into the street. As Browne was driving

Monica Bradburn | Staff Photographer Officer Jeff Browne of the Mount Pleasant Police Department patrols the streets on St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 in Mount Pleasant.

down Michigan Street heading east a firecracker exploded a few yards away from his driver’s side door. Browne brought his patrol car to a stop and waited for two other squad cars to arrive and corral the crowds. A few more firecrackers exploded in the street, with no apparent source. After close to 15 minutes of the squad cars maintaining a position in front of the homes, the crowds voluntarily dispersed and the fireworks ceased.

“People seem to think that there’s a magic force field between the sidewalk and their lawns that police cannot cross,” Browne said. “Just because you’re drinking on your lawn, doesn’t mean the police cannot approach you if you are breaking the law.” When the presence of a few squad cars is not enough, police have to force crowds to disperse. w police | 6a

CMU enacts new Sexual Misconduct Policy After a year-long effort collaborating with many Central Michigan University groups to update policies, a new Sexual Misconduct Policy was established Tuesday. “This policy benefits all of us at the university,” said Title IX Director Katherine Lasher. “It adds quality in the process for both sides and allows a survivor the opportunity to locate available resources on and off campus and keeps them informed during the process.” The Office of Civil Rights and Institutional Equality will now perform sexual misconduct investigations instead of the Office of StuKatherine dent Conduct. Lasher Students found violating the policy will receive sanctions under the Student Code of Conduct. Lasher said faculty members will receive sanctions from Faculty Personnel Services and the dean of their academic college. Human Resources will impose sanctions for staff members along with their supervisor. “Our office will initiate the response and coordinate a first response,” Lasher said. “We look at whether any interim measures will be put into place and move forward with investigation.” Students found guilty of sexual misconduct face suspension at a minimum. Other penalties include a written reprimand, removal from CMU housing, limitations on the times and places where a respondent may be on-campus and revocation of CMU privileges, participation in educational programs, such as training and workshops. Disciplinary probation and prohibition of contact with survivors are also potential sanctions. In the 2013-14 academic year, there were 6 students found guilty of violating the Student Code of Conduct for incidents of sexual assault. The Central Michigan Police Department reported 10 incidents of forcible sex offenses in from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 2013. The Office of Student Conduct keeps statistics based on the academic calendar, from July 1 to June 30 the following year. Sexual misconduct is defined in CMU’s Sexual Misconduct Policy as “unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature committed without consent or by force, intimidation, coercion or manipulation.” Under the policy, dating violence, domestic violence and intimate partner violence, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and stalking and retaliation are prohibited. The policy applies to all CMU faculty, staff and students. University President George Ross released a statement with the official press release Tuesday, in which he called on students and faculty to protect each other and report inappropriate behavior. “We have a responsibility to understand, address and work to eliminate instances of sexual misconduct,” Ross said in the w policy | 2a

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