LIFE CENTRAL MICHIGAN
NO PLACE TO RUN
MONday, SEPT. 29, 2014 | MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH. | ISSUE NO. 16 VOL. 96
Chippewas fall to 2-3 on season with loss to Toledo in conference opener »PAGE 6
Life in brief homecoming
Medallion hunt clue nO. 1 ‘u.p.’ Each year, Central Michigan Life publishes the first clue in the hunt for the elusive Homecoming Medallion. For more information on the clue and the search, contact the office of Damon Brown, director of Student Activities and Involvement at 989-774-5323 or by email at brown2dm@cmich.edu.
Southern hospitality
Happy hunting!
a-senate More objections being raised to UP guidelines Academic Senators will hear an objection to the rejection of a new University Program Group IV-C course during Tuesday’s meeting. Pat Williams, the chair for the General Education Committee, told senators during the Sept. 16 meeting that the courses in the program seems too broadly focused. “There is some ambiguity in the wording,” Williams said. “The course looks like it would treat the subject globally. There should be some kind of single unit.” A-Senate will meeting at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday in Pearce 138. It is an open meeting and open to the public. Katherine Ranzenberger, News Editor
university Phi Chi Theta hosting networking dinner Fine dining and the chance to make valuable connections await at the Phi Chi Theta Networking Etiquette Dinner on Oct. 3. From 1 - 5 p.m. in the Rotunda and Isabella rooms at the Bovee University Center, students will be taught how to network professionally conduct themselves with proper etiquette techniques. Over 10 companies will attend the mixer, which is followed by a complimentary dinner at 2 p.m. Some of these featured companies included Dow Corning, Prudential and Quicken Loans. The event is free to all CMU students, who can register at pctnetworking event.wix.com On the day of the event students must bring their CMU ID and a valid photo ID. Malachi Barrett, Senior Reporter
LIFE INSIDE EDITORIAL: Homecoming week is a perfect time for community to fire up »PAGE 4 Saudi students celebrate National Saudi Day »PAGE 3
Katy Kildee | Staff Photographer Ludacris asks fans to put their hands in the air during a concert on Sunday in McGuirk Arena.
Ludacris rolls out hits at free show
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By Alaina Jaster Staff Reporter
he students poured in and the fog poured out of McGuirk Arena on Sunday as fans waited to see the Ludacris performance. Doors opened at 7 p.m. for this free concert, but the show didn’t really start until almost 8:30 p.m. The concert was put on by the CMU Program Board and was run by students. Ludacris was chosen due to a poll where he had the second largest amount of votes. The winner was not available for a show, and Ludacris was supposedly dropping a new album this previous summer, but did not because of his work as an actor. “I was kind of surprised that Ludacris was performing, but I like his music,” sophomore Brittany Edwards said. “My favorite song ever is probably ‘Blueberry Yum Yum.’” Due to Ludacris’s music hiatus, a lot of students weren’t as excited as the board hoped for, which caused
the tickets to become free for students. The Office of Student Activities and Involvement and the Program Board handed out the remaining tickets and reimbursed those who purchased tickets. Josh Palmer, president of Program Board, came to the decision to book a hip hop artist such as Ludacris because students wanted to bring back Hip Hop Week, a lost tradition at CMU. “We are very excited to kick off homecoming week and finish off the return of Hip Hop Week with this concert. It’s been a great way to engage with students this past week and the coming week,” Palmer said. When deciding which act to bring for the concert, Program Board made a poll and Ludacris was the second most wanted artist according to the list. Since Ludacris was available, Program Board booked him, Palmer said. w ludacris | 2
HOmecoming M e d a ll i o n
Students ready to hunt for the gold By Kelsey Smith Senior Reporter
Searching for the Homecoming medallion is something that Shelby Township sophomore Sarah Scalici has been anticipating for weeks now. After barely missing the medallion last year, Scalici is back for more. Each year, hundreds of students search every nook and cranny on campus in hunt for the medallion. Clues are given out at 9 p.m. each night during Homecoming week. Actors, defined as keepers of the clues, provide clues and more in depth information regarding the medallion’s location leave their positions on campus at 10:30 p.m. each night. Clues can be found on twitter, the medallion hunt Facebook page and on OrgSync. The hunt was created in 2003 by an assistant director of Student Life who wanted to create a homecoming event that would be both fun and challenging. Scalici is excited to continue the hunt as a part of Beddows Hall this year. Searching for the medallion has brought her closer with the members of her residence hall, but also helps her gain a sense of CMU pride and spirit. “I’m participating mainly for two reasons. One being that I am the most competitive person I know, so it’s kind of a pride factor,” she said. “Two, it really does build community. When you are so stressed out and you stay out until midnight with random people that you don’t know well, you have this camaraderie. The hunt amps you up, and you build up a little family and community within your hall.” Members of Beddows Hall will be grouping up into teams to tackle the medallion hunt. Each night the groups will plan their hunting process and create effective strategies. Planning future moves and possible medallion locations is only a small part of the strategic process. “The most exciting part is the actor aspect, because you look like a maniac walking up to random people on campus and talking to them and it’s hard to believe whether they are an actor or not,” she said. “It’s also an adrenaline thing, I’ll be making plans all day and then bring them up to our meetings each night.” The bonding experience is what Shelby Township sophomore Makenzie Furber enjoys the most about the hunt. Being able to come together and spend nights with her friends and roommates in search of one goal has made her student life at CMU that much more worthwhile. w medallion | 2
Alumni reflect on CMU, reasons for coming home By Megan Pacer Senior Reporter
No matter the distance or the years since graduation, alumni of Central Michigan University will descend on campus this week to relive their glory days and to rekindle long lost connections with old friends. Whether it be an old roommate, friend, fraternity or sorority connection or mentor, former CMU graduates will enjoy the university’s 90th celebration. Michael Waas, of New Jersey, received his bachelor’s degree in political
science in 2005, and left CMU with his master’s degree in political science in 2007. This will be his first time returning to Mount Pleasant since graduation. Waas founded an a capella group, Central Harmony, which has been performing since 2005. Waas also was involved with the Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center and the Leadership Institute during his time on campus and plans to visit them as well. “It’s exciting to know so many of the things you were involved with are still going strong today,” Waas said. Several alumni expressed interest in the areas of campus they visited most
Soup and Substance
during their time at the university. “For me, I think it’s a kind of mixture of things,” said Darlene Nowak, a 1987 graduate. “It’s coming back to see the campus and to see what’s going on with the campus.” Linda Leahy, a 1982 graduate from Midland, said that while seeing the university change over the years can sometimes be sad, she knows progress is a good sign. “It’s always so much fun to come back to campus to see our old stomping grounds,” she said. “Plus to see what the campus has done, how much it’s growing.”
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Seeing old college friends, tailgating, visiting professors, and catching up with mentors brings back many memories according to Dale Wernette, who received his master’s in business administration in 1971. Wernette began attending the school’s homecoming celebrations in 1962, and has only missed a total of four homecomings since then. Originally from Remus, Wernette said coming back to the area allows him to reconnect with family while revisiting his college years. w alumni | 2