LIFE CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Catching A new role
monday, april 6, 2015 | MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH. | ISSUE NO. 74 VOL. 96
Senior catcher Tyler Huntey calls the shots for baseball »PAGE 1B
International enrollment doubles since fall 2012
editor’s note Central Michigan Life fires reporter for faked interviews Central Michigan Life was informed April 1 that a story published in the Monday, March 30 online and print edition about the Clarke Historical Library contained fabricated interviews. After researching the situation, the allegations were found to be true and the reporter was fired. We have removed all of his work from cm-life.com. On behalf of the entire CM Life staff, we apologize to the staff at Clarke Historical Library, and thank them for bringing this to light. We also apologize to our readers for this egregious error. CM Life does not tolerate plagiarism, fabricated interviews or any unethical or unprofessional behavior. We encourage students and faculty members to bring any editorial content issues to our attention immediately. You can contact me at 7744338 or editor@cm-life.com. - Mariah Prowoznik Editor-in-Chief
life in brief ccfa Recommendation sent to Provost for CCFA dean The College of Communication and Fine Arts dean search committee has sent its recommendation for the next dean to Provost Michael Gealt. The last CCFA dean candidate to interview, Steven Block, had his forum March 26. The two other candidates, Shelly Hinck and Janet Hethorn, had their interviews and forums in February. Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson, dean of the College of Education and Human Services and head of the search committee, said the committee has finished their work and the decision now in the provost’s hands. Faculty, staff and students who attended the forums could submit written feedback after hearing each candidate speak, and the committee considered their feedback when making the recommendation. The committee also reviewed feedback from the individuals who interviewed the candidates. She said the provost will review the candidates based on what he’s looking for and the committee’s input. “(The search committee was) a very committed and very thorough group,” Pehrsson said. - Paige Sheffield Staff Reporter
student life
making a name in beer brewing
Wyandotte senior Andrew Mayros crafts his own beer in the basement of his house.
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LIFE INSIDE EDITORIAL: Religous Freedom Restoration Act allows for discrimination »PAGE 4A Greek Week chapter partners announced »PAGE 5A
By Deshia Dunn Staff Reporter
Claire Abendroth | Staff Photographer Dr. Adhikari has worked with his Armed Conflicts, Forced Migration and Conflict Resolution class to collect items for care packages for refugees through Bethany Christian Services.
Measuring the human
Toll Political Science faculty studies effects of conflict, displacement in home country of Nepal By Grant Lefaive Staff Reporter
If all refugees in the world were to comprise one nation, that nation would be the 26th largest in the world. Not since World War II have there been so many displaced by conflict. While that may be hard to believe for those living in Michigan, it has been the project of Central Michigan University faculty Prakash Adhikari’s life. Adhikari, who grew up in the northeast Taplejung district of Nepal, spent three years studying the Nepalese Civil War that tore apart his country. This civil war pitted the Communist Party of Nepal, led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, against the reigning parliamentary system that had been opposing leftist reforms. This conflict led to the deaths of an estimated 17,000 civilians and displaced 100,000 more, according to Insight on Conflict. As a CMU faculty member since 2011, Adhikari brought his refugee experience to Mount Pleasant. Adhikari organized a collection for refugees living in Michigan with the help of students in his POLS 398A: Armed Conflicts, Forced Migrations and Conflict Resolutions class and Amnesty International CMU, a registered student organization. This collection was scheduled to end March 25, but students and faculty are still donating items. As of April 1, 258 items, including silverware, toothbrushes, razors, toilet paper and hangers have been donated to the collection effort. The items will
“I wanted to find out what makes these people stay. Are they not afraid of death? What is keeping them? That is what got me into studying refugees.” Prakash Adhikari, Political Science and Public Adminisration Facult y be given to relocated refugees through the Refugee Development Center in Lansing. “These people are really in need,” said Amnesty’s vice president Mallory Walton. “We’ve been getting a really good response from students.”
STUDIES ABROAD
Adhikari, who traveled to the United States after earning his masters degree in economics from Tribhuvan University in Nepal in 1997, took an interest in a lesser-known aspect of conflict research: the human toll. “Not many people are interested in studying refugees, which I thought was interesting because people are interested in understanding the causes of war, but not the causes of refugees, or the plight of refugees and the challenges they face,” he said. “I could have gotten data from anywhere and just written it and been finished. I thought, since I was already spending time writing a dissertation, why not do something
that is interesting and something I like, and so I picked this.” After fighting to receive the $12,000 Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant from the National Science Foundation in 2008, Adhikari began the lengthy process of studying displaced persons in Nepal. “I wanted to study the causes of flight. So I studied people who left, people who stayed behind and people who left and then came back home,” he said. “If you want to understand why some people flee, you need to understand why some do not.” Countries such as Afghanistan, which has been in conflict since before Adhikari was born, should be empty by the logic that the fear of harm is a universal motivator. If everyone thought that way, the country would be empty of civilians, he said. Somalia, which has been without a recognized government for decades, is still populated. w toll | 5a
The number of international students has grown to 1,088 students this semester, the most in the history of Central Michigan University’s foreign exchange program. Students interested in studying at CMU originate from many countries, including Nigeria, China, Saudi Arabia and Germany. The body of international students has grown at a rapid pace within the span of just a few years. In fall 2012, there were 583 international students enrolled in the program. In 2015, that number has nearly doubled. To keep up with the large expansion in international students, the Office of International Affairs has had to grow as well. A recent addition to the team, International Student Adviser Megan Hoffer said word of mouth has played a large role in the increase of international students. “Students have told us they’ve had a great experience while here, and when they go back to their home country, they encourage other students to attend CMU,” Hoffer said. Hoffer works closely with many of the foreign students. Her job is to help them become more comfortable with their living situation, and to provide them with a worthwhile experience overall. Aside from coming to CMU specifically for their academic programs, other students like Jiang Lee, a freshman from South Korea, wanted to enjoy the cultural atmosphere of being in America as well. She recalled that although it was a rewarding experience, and continues to be, it was difficult transitioning from South Korea to America initially. “I had taken almost five years of English and I was confident in my speaking skills, but once I got to America, I had the hardest time trying to understand the people around me and trying to communicate with them,” Lee said. Even though Lee faced problems, she was happy to have gone through the experience. “I loved watching myself grow and become more comfortable in a foreign place,” she said. Although the reasoning for each international student attending school outside of their country varies from one to the next, Hoffer said many students come because CMU offers the field that they want to study, and has a lot of great academic programs that are known nationally and worldwide. Nahm Le, a freshman from Vietnam, moved to CMU in August for its marketing program. Singapore junior Livia Tong used a study abroad program to major in business, one of the university’s most nationally recognized programs.
CMU paid $145,475 to play in Bahamas Bowl By Malachi Barrett News Editor
Institutional bowl game expenses for the 2014 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl were submitted to the NCAA April 1. Expenses for transportation, meals, lodging and other costs totaled $595,474. Central Michigan University paid 25 percent of the expenses, $145,474, while the Mid-American Conference provided a $450,000 stipend that covered flight costs and meals for 239 players, staff members and cheerleaders. Ken Mather, associate commissioner for media and public relations for the Mid-American Conference,
said bowl distribution payments are arranged with the specific bowl game years in advance. Payments are not dependent on which team participates in the game. The $450,000 covered 75 percent of bowl expenses for CMU. Mather said the MAC does not disclose how this distribution amount is determined. Transportation expenses totaled $371,542, and $116,310 was spent on meals for the four-day trip. Room costs at Atlantis Paradise Island were provided free to CMU and opponent Western Kentucky, while passports for all players were paid for by CMU w bowl | 5a
Courtesy Photo | University Athletics Quarterback Cooper Rush evades a sack during the first half of the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl Dec. 24 2014 in Nassau.