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FEELIN’ LUCKY?
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CMU sees fewer St. Patrick’s Day citations
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 | MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH. | ISSUE NO. 68 VOL. 95
LIFE IN BRIEF METRO
THE BIRD ROBBED OF ABOUT $400 ON ST. PATRICK’S DAY Hundreds of dollars in tips were stolen from The Bird Bar and Grill in downtown Mount Pleasant, Monday. Manager Ben Breidenstein said between 11:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m., $300-400 was taken from behind the bar, while a staff member counting the money stepped away for “about a minute.” “It was pretty disheartening,” Breidenstein said of the theft. “It was St. Paddy’s day, it was busy here and we were working hard for it. That was the main thing for us.” Breidenstein said the money stolen amounted to half of about $800 in tips collected at the bar during a 5 to 11:30 p.m shift. He said the bar was at its 200-person capacity during the entire shift, and it would be difficult to identify the customer responsible. The police were not called, Breidenstein said, because he doubted the money could’ve been recovered. “Even if we did have any iota of who did it, it would be a difficult thing to prove,” Breidenstein said. “The way we look at it, that was our personal money we were deprived of. If it was a theft from the bar, we would have definitely involved the police.”
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Student hospitalized after head injury Sophomore, 20, airlifted to Grand Rapids for surgery By Orrin Shawl Staff Reporter
A New Buffalo sophomore was airlifted by helicopter to St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Rapids on Monday after fracturing her skull at a 908 S. Main St. residence. Abbey Dixon, 20, was injured while going down a stairway at an off-campus location where local authorities responded at 6:57 p.m. Courtney Dixon, Abbey’s sister, said she had brain surgery Mon-
day night, and her condition has improved. “They took the neck brace off of her and she’s breathing on her own, but she has a long way to go to recovery,” Courtney said. “She’s in a lot of pain, and she needs a lot of prayers and support.” Korbi Forker, a friend of Abbey and her family who lives in Chicago, was with the family at the hospital for support. When Forker arrived at the hospital, she found out Abbey had a
fractured skull and a neck injury. “During the surgery, her left side wasn’t responding at all, so we were really worried that there wasn’t going to be any response for a few days,” Forker said. “She can move both of her arms and both of her legs. She can squeeze her hands and she’s breathing. That was a miracle.” Abbey’s Facebook page has been filled with wishes to get well, and her family and friends have been sending their prayers to her, Courtney said. “An overwhelming amount of
Baker ‘regretful’ for intoxicated campus incident By Ben Solis University Editor
events coordinator for the registered student organization until being appointed as vice president in November. Two months later, Taylor became president of the chapter at the start of the 2014 spring semester as the previous president moved on. He also works at the Veterans’ Resource Center, which helps military students on campus with advising, as well as providing financial aid collected through fundraisers. The center recently helped two student veterans find housing in Mount Pleasant – a project Taylor said was very rewarding to him. “They were ecstatic that they finally had places of their own,” Taylor said. “Helping these veterans get what they deserve is very personal to me and it gives me a real sense of pride.” Taylor decided to join the military his freshman year of high school after the events of Sept. 11, 2001. He chose
Students in professor Sean Baker’s journalism classes were notified by email Monday that he would not be teaching for the next two weeks. Baker told Central Michigan Life that he was taking a “personal leave of absence due to ongoing health issues.” “On Saturday (March 1), I went up to work after having a few margaritas,” Baker said. “I was intoxicated. I didn’t want to go home and went to Sean Baker work instead, Professor which was the first thing I did wrong. “I am regretful for what happened that day, and the effect it has had on CMU students and my family.” College of Communications and Fine Arts Dean Salma Ghanem confirmed Baker had taken leave from teaching his classes. The absence follows several “personnel” issues involving Baker and his interactions with other journalism faculty members. “I cannot comment on the incident,” Ghanem said. “I can neither confirm nor deny whether he has been suspended or fired.” Former journalism department chairwoman Maria Marron contacted the Central Michigan University Police Department regarding Baker’s erratic behavior on March 1, the same day CMU hosted a high school journalism conference in Moore Hall. Marron filed for, and was denied, a personal protection order against Baker on March 4. A PPO is a court order restricting a person from making threats or violence toward another. A plaintiff must show cause and have the order approved by a judge for it to take effect. The PPO was denied by Isabella County Circuit Court Judge Eric Janes because Marron “failed to allege sufficient facts to show that immediate and irreparable injury, loss, or damage would occur prior to a hearing.” “Sean Baker has a history of being intoxicated at work, although the university has not been able to get the ‘evidence’ it needs to begin a case against him,” Marron wrote in her PPO request. “Various colleagues and students have reported his slurred speech, his stumbling around and his agitated demeanor.” Baker admitted to CM Life that
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YOUTH IN REVOLT
CM Life breaks down incident reports over the past year by age, alongside arrests made on the infamous St. Patrick’s Day.
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SPORTS
Shannon Millard | Staff Photographer No longer going on long patrols in Afghanistan, CMU’s Student Veterans of America chapter President Shane Taylor smiles in the Veterans’ Resource Center in Warriner Hall, ready to assist other student veterans.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
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From soldier to scholar SVA president applies life lessons to college By Shawn Tonge Staff Reporter
LIFE INSIDE
Wrestling sharpens strategy, focus before NCAA championships »PAGE 2B RSO spotlight: Volunteer, solve problems with the Statistics Club »PAGE 5B
metro@cm-life.com
Journalism professor takes leave of absence
-Adrian Hedden, metro editor
The Chippewas will host the first two rounds of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament, starting at 7 p.m. against IUPUI Thursday night at McGuirk Area. The Chippewas were undefeated at home during the regular season.
people have been calling, texting and Facebooking,” she said. “It’s really nice to get support from everybody.” The St. Patrick’s Day case was handled by the Mount Pleasant Police Department with CMUPD assisting in the case. MPPD Public Information Officer Jeff Thompson said the incident was reported within the South Main Street area. Because the case is still under investigation, MPPD can’t release additional details.
Marine Infantry Corporal Shane Taylor opened a new tin of chewing tobacco as his convoy made its way through the streets of Fallujah, Iraq. The unit had been under an increasing number of attacks since the end of Ramadan, but they felt they were safe during their security patrol. Taylor was raising the tobacco to his mouth when an IED struck the vehicle in front of them. As the dust cloud began to clear, the confusion and chaos of the initial blast gave way to gunfire and incoming rocket-propelled grenades. The driver of the Humvee floored the gas pedal, driving away from the
ambush to the MEK Compound, a Marine base also known as Camp Fallujah. Taylor, a Harrison junior, shared his account of the attack at a panel discussion on Nov. 14, 2013 to raise awareness for veterans on campus. Held in Dow 127, he and three other veterans spoke about their time overseas and how those experiences have affected them at Central Michigan University. “It took me a long time to adjust and transition from that military mindset to life as a student, to really understanding that difference,” Taylor said. “Student Veterans of America helped me a lot in that process.” After his tour of duty, Taylor spent several years going from job to job, unsure of what kind of career he wanted. He began studying at CMU last fall and decided to pursue a degree in sports management. The 27-year-old joined the CMU chapter of SVA the following semester, where he served as treasurer and