LIFE CENTRAL MICHIGAN
capstone exhibition Graphic design seniors display a call to action through artwork
monday, april 13, 2015 | MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH. | ISSUE NO. 77 VOL. 96
Life in brief Honors
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RuCK THE MOUNTAIN
Honors students volunteer at Rosebush Manor
Students teach the elderly how to use technology to stay in touch with loved ones.
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Editorial
Speed up
Michigan’s proposed speed limit increase legislation would keep our roads safer.
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Woodfire
Photos by Monica Bradburn | Staff Photographer Grand Rapids junior Loissa Harrison prepares to punt the ball down the field during their game against Bowling Green on April 11 at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
Fired Up
Ceramic students keep the fire going at the wood kiln for 54 hours. w5
Comerica Members of the CMU Rebels Rugby team cheer for their teammates as they play against Ferris State University on April 11 at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
Harrison Township senior Jessica Koskinen runs down the field to steal the ball from Bowling Green player during their game against Bowling Green on April 11 at Kelly/ Shorts Stadium.
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Student organizations denied funding as SBAC dries up By Jordyn Hermani Staff Reporter
Showdown with sparty
Baseball heads to Comerica Park on Wednesday for the annual Clash at Comerica against MSU.
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Baseball
Registered Student Organizations in need of financial support to pay conference or registration fees will receive no funds from the Student Budget Allocations Committee. SBAC, the organization responsible for paying registration fees, bringing in guest speakers and funding RSO-centered projects, has run out of money.
SBAC Chairperson Shelbe Klebs said this happens every year. “The fiscal year (for SBAC) goes from July to July, so our budget gets established about the middle of July,” Klebs said. “It would hopefully last to the following July or at least May but (it doesn’t).” More than 20 requests for funding were received by SBAC during spring break alone. Since then, more RSOs have been denied.
“There is a number of RSOs that I do think (SBAC running out of money) will really hurt,” Klebs said. “Especially when you get smaller RSOs, a lot of times they get a substantial amount of their funding from outside sources like SBAC and department funding. It’s at that point in the semester where a lot of that money is starting to dry up.” SGA Vice President Maggie Blackmer said she does not see SBAC running out of funds as a
negative, but she is “glad” to see students utilizing it. “I would rather have the money run out and we no longer have any funding to give, rather than have an abundance of money no one can use and (RSOs) didn’t know they could use,” Blackmer said. SGA is in the process of requesting an increase in the funds. The current budget, which funds organizations such as SBAC and Program w SBAC | 2
Some students have trouble maintaining scholarships By Brianne Twiddy Staff Reporter
clean sweep
The CMU baseball team took every win of a three-game series against EMU this weekend. w8
LIFE INSIDE COLUMN: Help contribute to the history of CMU by utilizing the Clarke Historical Library
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COLUMN: Keno Davis is worth every penny
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After waking up at four every morning to go to work, Brandon DeChane found it hard to focus on his classes. That was his first semester. Now, the Marysville freshman freshman finds himself at high risk of losing his academic scholarship after being placed on probation at the end of first semester. He plans on attending community college next year to make up for the loss of financial help. “It affected my grades because I was tired a lot,” DeChane said. “It was hard to wake up at 4 a.m.. and then go to class after.” About 85 percent of scholarship recipients retain their scholarship each year. The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid sees a high renewal rate on scholarships. Academic scholarships require students to take 30 credit hours a year and retain a grade point average of 3.25. The most common reason for students losing scholarships is not maintaining their grade point average.
“We noticed a majority of the students who have trouble, have trouble their first year,” said the director of scholarships and financial aid Kirk Yats. Kirk Yats Yats advises students to monitor their progress throughout the semesters. The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid does not evaluate a student’s GPA until the end of the year, so if the scholarship is at risk after the first semester, working to obtain the grades needed to bring the grade point up to par is suggested. Howell senior Josh Harrison started to attend SI sessions for classes once he realized that due to failing two classes first semester, he was going to lose his scholarship for the following year. “I wasn’t motivated, and I was adjusting to a life change of coming from a home with a lot of rules to a place that I could do whatever whenever. I couldn’t properly balance school and my social life,” Harrison said. “I’m
doing much better this semester after having a few months to find how to manage my time better. I plan on finding additional scholarships to make up for the cost if I lose it.” After the first semester, if a student’s grade point is lower than their scholarship requirement, a success coach will contact them. If the student’s first semester grade point is too low, Yats recommends talking to an adviser and beginning to search for additional scholarship opportunities. “The key is to get them in early or make them aware early that they have renewal requirements that they have to hit, or else they won’t keep their scholarship,” he said. Central Michigan University gives out more than $16 million in total scholarships, including merit scholarships, institutional scholarships and annual scholarships. It’s possible to earn enough additional scholarships after losing an academic one. Registering for FAFSA is the first step to potentially make up for a lost scholarship, he said. Checking with
departments, parents’ employers and local businesses for additional scholarships is also an option. Students also have the opportunity to appeal to keep their scholarship. The chances of being approved is “high if providing a documentation” of a reason for the low grade point, like health issues and family or roommate issues. “We are typically quite lenient in approving those appeals, especially if their grade point is in the range that they can make it up in the next semester or year,” Yats said. Attending a community college for a few years or taking out loans is another option. However, Yats warns that overborrowing could be problematic because the office doesn’t want students to be in heavy debt upon graduation. “We always warn to borrow maybe a little less than they need. However, in some cases, borrowing loans could be one option to pay the financial costs,” Yats said. “Students borrowing a small amount of money is a good thing to help build credit. Create a budget and sit down and figure out what you really need.”