Oct. 15, 2020

ELECTION

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seats on city COMMISSION Four commission are up CANDIDATES for the taking

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Zang MICHIGAN Hauck, compete to serve in REP RACE the state House

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE CASTING YOUR VOTE

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OCT. 15, 2020

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! t h g i N e k o a Kar d ar w a r ou y tr e om C d n a a z z i p g n i n n i w ! s k c i t S n i b a C s ou i delic

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PHOTO HIGHLIGHT

CM LIFE

FOLLOW US ONLINE Make sure to read all of our coverage on our website, cm-life.com.

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INDEX NEWS

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Aurora Abraham | Assistant Photo Editor (From right to left) Summer Baldwin, Zack Antoine Jackson, Onyleen Zapata and Ayebah Wilson of the North American Indigenous Student Organization (NAISO) talk after a dance that was part of Indigenous People’s Day Oct. 12 outside Park Library

CITY COMMISSION Four candidates are running for two seats on the Mount Pleasant City Commission.

CONGRESSIONAL RACE Incumbent John Moolenaar and Democrat candidate Jerry Hilliard discuss COVID-19 and flood relief.

STATE REPRESENTITIVE Democratic challenger John Zang and incumbent Roger Hauck offer opinions on pollution and police reform.

EDITORIAL Our editors urge readers to cast their ballots while taking into account the impact of local elections.

PROPOSALS 1 & 2 Voters will decide state public park funding and if search warrants are required to access online data.

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OCT. 15, 2020

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Will Joseph

Olivia Cyman

Joshua Agardy

Barry DeLau II

Four seek election to city commission

By Makayla Coffee Staff Reporter news@cm-life.com

Four candidates are running to fill two seats on the Mount Pleasant City Commission in the Nov. 3 election.

Mayor Will Joseph is seeking another term but commissioner Kristin LaLonde is stepping down from elected office. Three new candidates are running this year for the two three-year terms from Jan. 1, 2021 to Dec. 21, 2023.

Residents planning to vote by mail must register to do so by Oct. 19. Those who register to vote within 14 days before an election must appear in person at their city or township clerk’s office and provide proof of residency. Voters can see which of the seven precincts they can vote at using the map located on the city’s website. The candidates are: n Will Joseph: Served as mayor for the past two years and a city commissioner for almost three years since being elected in 2017. n Olivia Cyman: Originally came to Mount Pleasant in 2015 to attend Central Michigan University. Since then, Cyman has “fallen in love” with the city. This is Cyman’s first time running for city commission, and she currently works at PNC Bank located at 409 N. Mission St. n Joshua Agardy: Owner of Pleasant City Coffee located at 205 W. Broadway in downtown Mount Pleasant. n Barry DeLau II: This is DeLau’s third time running for city commission first running in 2018 and then again last year.

Central Michigan Life reached out to all four candidates and asked questions about their platforms. DeLau did not respond for this story.

How could the city commission help bring affordable housing to the city?

JOSEPH: Affordable housing is one of the issues that is near to my heart when I witness the struggles of our community. There are several ways I advocated and supported to meet this challenge. Eliminating parking requirements and increasing capacity per square acre of housing in certain zoning districts will decrease costs to developers and allow rent to be lower.

Incentivizing development for lower-income housing with tax breaks would provide quality

Incumbent, three newcomers discuss why they want to help lead Mount Pleasant

housing for those who otherwise could not afford it. Finally, making middle housing development easier and legal to build will help to fill our housing gaps.

CYMAN: We need to make housing more accessible to all families and residents to make homeownership more attainable for all residents, increase employment opportunities and expand our local economy. We need to work with local property owners and maintain a positive, collaborative relationship. Additionally, we must restore and protect housing we already have, and when bringing in new business developments, utilizing local contractors. Right now, 62 percent of housing in Mount Pleasant are rental units, and we need to gain a better understanding as a commission of the dynamics between both rentals and owned units in order to set forth changes.

AGARDY: As rental property owners, we see the need for more single-family housing rentals in the future. Student housing is prevalent, but housing for young professionals and families not ready to purchase is very hard to come by. Creating a zoning initiative to allow for rental licenses to be acquired to create single-family housing would be a great benefit.

How do you plan on tackling race-related issues that arise in the city?

JOSEPH: As mayor, I work to raise the voices of those affected by racism and make sure Mount Pleasant is a welcoming and active community for all. Police Chief Paul Lauria meets monthly with the Human Rights Committee and the Mount Pleasant Diversity Group. Chief (Lauria) is working to reform our use of force and citizen complaint policies to be compliant with national and state guidelines with further guidance by the commission and community groups. As a global community in mid-Michigan, we know the work is never done to be inclusive, equitable and open.

CYMAN: Not only do I prioritize handling

issues that arise with urgency, I believe it is critical to continuously be aware of how each and every decision the city makes will affect groups of people differently. We must be cognizant of discriminatory power structures that perpetuate and uphold systemic inequalities and commit to an approach of racially and socially conscious decision making. We need to lift up voices of marginalized groups — not only when issues arise, but as a fundamental characteristic of our local political system by getting more people involved in the political process.

AGARDY: Mount Pleasant needs to see more minority-owned businesses. I would like to see Mount Pleasant create a more welcoming business climate for such opportunities. Equity of ownership should be achievable to all hardworking members of the community. Ensuring choices that are made at the commission level take into consideration every member of our community equally.

What is the biggest thing you think Mount Pleasant needs to change to improve the community? How do you do it?

JOSEPH: One thing I would like to see changed for a better Mount Pleasant is to retain more of our CMU graduates who can start small businesses, engage organizations and create a more diverse economy. I focused efforts on bringing Mount Pleasant up to date on the desires of young professionals and potential new businesses. This includes improving safety and access to non-motorized transportation, increasing employment and internship opportunities within our city government, shaping our zoning for more multi-use to increase efficiency and lower costs, engaging students at every opportunity and marketing our city to new businesses.

CYMAN: In order to make Mount Pleasant better, we need to make the resources, services, and opportunities of the city more accessible to all residents. Isabella County has one of the highest poverty rates in Michigan at 23.4 percent. In

Mount Pleasant, 35 percent of the residents are below the poverty line. The median household income in Mount Pleasant is less than $38,000, yet the median cost of a home here is over $130,000. I think the two most critical solutions to this issue are expanding affordable housing and increasing viable, sustainable employment.

AGARDY: The biggest room for improvement is creating more economic opportunities. As we are an economic redevelopment ready city, I will push to bring the commission focus of new development possibilities.

Are there things that you think the city could do better in regard to its COVID-19 response?

JOSEPH: The city focused efforts on helping small businesses, communicating science-based information and enforcing Governor (Gretchen Whitmer’s) executive orders as well as orders by the Central Michigan (District) Health Department. The city is dedicated to keeping our residents safe, businesses open, and remain flexible to meet the challenges that come our way. We continue to communicate with the health department, CMU, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, Isabella County, Union Township and the State of Michigan to refine our approach and work together to beat COVID-19.

CYMAN: As a candidate, I would like to see Mount Pleasant not just get through the COVID-19 pandemic, but come out stronger.

As leaders in the community, we need to be educating the public on best practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as well as how, when, and where testing is available. I believe the city worked well with the state and county to follow mandates and executive orders effectively. We need to maintain these relationships. Collaboration and trust in the health department, medical experts, local business owners, and community leaders are essential. We need to make sure we are staying up to date on what is happening on campus (with) how many cases there are, what the trends in cases look like, etc., in order to gain control of the spread, and work with them in whatever ways we can.

AGARDY: I feel offering the outside seating as well as street closures to allow for outside seating without fees for businesses downtown should be extended another year or two.

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OCT. 15, 2020

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Race for 4th District Congressional seat Incumbent Moolenaar, Hilliard discuss COVID-19 response, Midland County flood and college debt relief

By Tess DeGayner Staff Reporter

As the presidential election dominates the nation’s attention, U.S. congressional districts are running their own elections, including Michigan’s 4th District.

The 4th District includes most of mid-Michigan from Cadillac to north of Lansing.

Republican Congressman and member of the House Appropriations Committee John Moolenaar has held the seat since 2015. Moolenaar was born and raised in Midland, has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Hope College and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University.

Democratic candidate Jerry Hilliard grew up in Harrison.

He has a bachelor’s in Business Education, Physical Education and Biology from Central Michigan University. He has a master’s of business administration from the University of Michigan-Flint and a master’s of arts in Sports Administration from Central Michigan University.

What issue is most important for your district?

MOOLENAAR: Right now, the most important issue is defeating the virus and helping Michigan workers and small businesses recover and rebuild. There was a strong economy before the pandemic with low unemployment, and in some cases, the number of jobs available was higher than the number of people looking for work. We need to rebuild the economy, so graduates from CMU, and all Michigan workers, can pursue good-paying job opportunities. We also need to help small businesses. Small businesses are crucial to so many of the communities in mid and northern Michigan, including Mount Pleasant and the area around CMU. I will be working to support policies that help those who need it most, including a $2,000 child tax credit for working families, forgivable loans for small businesses, and funding for job-training programs that prepare workers for opportunities in the skilled trades.

HILLIARD: There are many important issues. However, to me it is the economy of our future. We need a long period of wages rising faster than prices, which is the only way to raise the standard of living for working families. We can do this by raising the minimum wage to a living wage with benefits and creating more competitive markets by changing the way we subsidize large corporations. In the past, we have subsidized large corporations without requiring them to return to society at least as much as they received in subsidies. My plan is to only subsidize companies that are paying at least a living wage and benefits such as healthcare. I see no reason why the U.S. Government should subsidize companies who take more from society than they return.

How will you help college students?

MOOLENAAR: Current and incoming college students have had their education plans thrown into disarray by this pandemic. Many students started the fall semester unsure of how their classes would work and if they felt safe returning to campus. Providing funding for colleges and universities to

tive order so we can start protecting our citizens based on the most recent scientific research.

How will you make efforts to improve healthcare benefits during the pandemic?

MOOLENAAR: One of the most consequential changes to the way healthcare is delivered since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic is increased use of telehealth. I have been a strong advocate of telehealth for years as it is especially beneficial to residents of my district who struggle to find doctors reasonably close to home. I will advocate for maintaining changes that have made telehealth services more widely available, especially for Medicare beneficiaries.

HILLIARD: The quickest way to improve healthcare benefits is to expand Medicaid to everyone who does not have adequate medical coverage. The system is already in place and would be able to begin coverage almost immediately.

What still needs to be done for Midland residents recovering from the flood?

MOOLENAAR: Following the devastating flooding experienced here in Midland in May, I worked closely with federal, state, and local officials to secure resources needed to begin our community’s recovery. This included a bipartisan letter $ $ Governor Gretchen to President Donald Trump supporting Whitmer’s major disaster declaration request for federal ® ® ® g community assistance. This declaration grantedgour access to various resources through FEMA, themb Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help our area rebuild. There is still lots of work that needs to be done to make our community whole, and I will continue to keep working to ensure we have access to necessary federal resources.

HILLIARD: Since the failed dam is privately owned instead of federally owned, it is more of a State of Michigan problem.

The federal solution would be to subsidize Michigan with funding that would help pay for replacing the failed structure. This could be done by stand-alone legislation targeted for Michigan or as part of a major infrastructure bill that is Expires Expires V V V desperately needed.

What type offfpolicies would you support for police reform?

MOOLENAAR: The tragic death of George Floyd revived an important conversation about racism and bias in the United States. I welcome this discussion and support peaceful expression of the First Amendment right to protest. Congress was recently $ Buycriminal justice reform. able to come together and pass bipartisan I believe this coalition can once again come together for the betterz on !® as a cosponment of the American people. I have also signed funding ® sor of the JUSTICE Act, which would increase ® for body mb g cameras, improve access to disciplinary records so bad officers cannot simply jump from one department to another and invest in improved police training, with an emphasis on de-escalation and duty to intervene. A majority of the JUSTICE Act’s provisions have earned bipartisan support.

HILLIARD: When we look at police reform, we have to remember that most officers are dedicated to helping their jurisdiction.

But like any organization, there are people who have their own agenda. Funding does have to be restructured so there are more social workers, psychologists and teachers in the police workforce.

There should be more conflict management training and psychoV testing for officers. Hiring policies V Vmore Expires Expires logical have to strive for diversity in the workforce.

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John Moolenaar

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help them prepare to resume classes was one of my priorities in Congress. That’s why I was proud to support the CARES Act, which created a $14 billion Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund to help institutions of higher education. As classes resume across the country, we will get a betterExpires sense of what kind of assistance is still needed to ensure higher education can continue safely.

HILLIARD: We have to make college more affordable for students who are currently in college by subsidizing colleges like we did for the Baby Boomer generation. When the WWII generation came home from winning the war, they decided they were going to make this country into what it should Buy be and invested heavily in the education of their children. The result was a generation that created more wealth than probably any generation in history. Investing in young people pays society back many times over as was proven by the success g of the Baby Boomer generation.

What’s the next step for COVID-19 response at the federal level?

MOOLENAAR: Both sides must work together to find a reasonable compromise regarding additional legislation to support the American people and the economy during these challenging times. Right now, I am working to support legislation that would help small businesses and families, as well as hospitals and those on the frontlines of the pandemic.

HILLIARD: The next step will depend on who wins the presidential election. If President Trump wins, most likeExpires ly nothing will change. If Joe Biden wins, he has a plan in his platform that will go into effect on day one, using science-based best practices to protect the American people. To make it effective immediately, he will have to sign an execu-

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MICHIGAN How Trump is losing appeal in Mitten state, and why the polls are trending blue B Y A N D R E W M U L L I N H A S S O C I AT E E D I TO R

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he 2020 general election will be written into history as one of the most polarizing and impactful events of modern times.

While many aspects of the election seem unpredictable this year, political scientists are noticing a “blue trend� as poll numbers widen, especially here in Michigan. Another Republican flip, like in 2016, is becoming less likely.

On Nov. 3, voters will decide between Democratic nominee Joe Biden and President Donald Trump for the highest office in the country. Many issues from race to trade could influence how the battleground state will decide between the two candidates, as well as the current political climate.

On top of the presidential election, there is a heated U.S. Senate race between incumbent Democrat Gary Peters and Republican challenger John James. This election could also mark the beginning of the end of the Baby Boomer voter bloc.

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POLLING AND MICHIGAN FLIPPING Looking at the national polls, Biden has an ever-widening lead over Trump with voters. As of Oct. 14, Biden had a 10.4 percent lead nationally according to a FiveThirtyEight polling average. Biden had 52.3 percent over Trump’s 41.9 percent.

In Michigan, Trump is not fairing much better. As of Oct 14, FiveThirtyEight has Biden up by 7.9 percent in an average of presidential polls. Biden had 50.6 percent of voters, with Trump having 42.7 percent.

These polls support Grassroots Midwest CEO Adrian Hemond’s projection for the Nov. 3 election. Grassroots Midwest is a nonpartisan political consulting firm based out of Lansing.

Hemond said he expects Biden to win Michigan. For him, the only remaining questions are by how much and if that will result in more down-ballot victories for Democrats.

Michigan remains a purple state that leans democratic, Hemond said. Vanguard Public affairs President and Managing Partner TJ Bucholz agrees.

The Central Michigan University alumnus said 60 percent of Michigan voters vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate regardless of who is on the ballot. The remaining 40 percent of Michigan voters in the middle pose a challenge to political parties.

Hemond said a Republican presidential candidate rarely wins Michigan’s votes. However, the party regularly wins state positions, such as secretary of state and the governor’s seat.

“Voters here generally vote for the candidate that they think is the best and party affiliation is generally not as important,” Bucholz said.

Prior to 2016, the last time Michigan voted for a Republican president was for Ronald Reagan in 1988, according to 270towin.com.

ISSUES AND CANDIDATES Hemond said this presidential race is not like the one in 2016. His reason: Biden generally polls better than Hillary Clinton did, especially in rural counties like Isabella County. Isabella County voted red in 2016.

Since Biden has experience chasing white, working-class voters when representing Delaware, he can reach out to them better than Clinton could, Hemond said.

“Biden polls considerably better with non-college-educated, working-class, white voters,” Hemond said. “That does not mean that he is winning with them (over Trump), particularly with men. He is not, but he’s not performing abysmally like Hillary Clinton did with that constituency.”

is made up, that’s reflected in the polling data.”

Jesuit said even though voters are not enthusiastic to vote for Biden, many people are excited to vote Trump out of office. This enthusiasm is higher with voters than it was with Clinton in 2016.

President Donald J. Trump

Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden

SENATE & HOUSE RACES The senate race between Peters and James might be a tricky spot for the Republican Party to gain a foothold. As of Oct. 11, Peters is up by 4.8 percent in a Real Clear Politics poll average.

Peters is at 47.4 precent and James is at 42.6 percent.

On top of that, Peters has an incumbency advantage and has been consistently leading in the polls, Hemond said. The senate race is still in play, but John James’s chance to become senator depends on how many voters cast a ballot for Trump.

“If Joe Biden wins Michigan by five points or more, John James is a dead man walking,” Hemond said.

The Michigan house of representatives will be very close no matter which party takes control, he said. The democrats need about five or six seats to have a majority in the house, and Hemond is confident the party will flip two seats.

This leads to a factor that may have affected the last presidential election in Michigan — trade. David Jesuit, department chair of the Political Science department at CMU, said Trump spoke about the loss of manufacturing jobs to globalization and free trade. Trump spoke about renegotiating NAFTA and criticized Clinton’s support of it. Just addressing the issue gave Trump a base of support in Michigan, he said.

Trade policy might be one of the deciding factors for voters between the candidates, Bucholz said.

“Trade is the only positive factor for a Michigan voter in Trump’s favor because he’s been anti-China, which generally plays well with Republicans,” Bucholz said.

Hemond also said the Biden campaign is focusing on the economic downturn from the coronavirus pandemic under the Trump administration.

Public opinion polling of Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has been wretched for him, in Michigan and nationally, Hemond said.

On the other side, he said the Biden campaign has been heavily criticizing Trump over his management of the pandemic.

Racial dog-whistling also played a role in Trump’s victory in 2016, Jesuit said. Trump’s usage of immigrants as scapegoats for job losses

as one example, he said. These dog whistles may have played a role in Isabella County pivoting to Trump after Barack Obama won the county in the previous two election cycles, he said.

“After (Trump) won the election, I and others saw somebody driving around with a neo-Nazi flag in the Menard’s parking lot,” Jesuit said. “(Trump) taps into that, whether or not he will admit it. White nationalists have picked up (on it).”

With the Black Lives Matter movement dominating public and social media discussions, Bucholz said the movement will motivate more people to go to the polls this year. This will give a boost to democrats across the country.

Access and the nature of voting in Michigan is also a vastly different picture in 2020 than in 2016. In 2018, Michigan voters passed a ballot initiative that expanded voting access by ensuring straight-ticket voting, moving the voting deadline to 15 days before the election, among other actions.

The pandemic is allowing many people to vote absentee this election cycle, with about 350,000 ballots turned in as of Oct. 6, Hemond said.

“At this point, it’s pretty much too late to persuade anyone,” Hemond said. “Everyone’s mind

GENERATIONAL SWITCH This election could have bigger implications than state politics and the presidency. With many top leaders in Washington D.C. like Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnel, Biden and Trump himself entering their mid-70s to early 80s, it’s safe to assume many of them won’t be leading the country by the end of the decade.

This leaves the 2020 presidential election in an odd place. This could be one of the final hurrahs of the Baby Boomer generation. Bucholz said the Baby Boomers will begin to take a step back in the next four years, with Generation X taking the reins in politics.

“This is going to be the last year that a Boomer will be at the top of the ticket,” Bucholz said.

This could influence policy direction moving forward. Bucholz said he sees Generation X steering the country to a more moderate political position away from the generally conservative Baby Boomer generation.

However, Hemond sees Generation X as “political nihilists,” and views this as more of a social problem.

“If nothing matters and nothing is real, I’m not sure how you predict what sort of outcomes that has for society,” Hemond said. “The few historical examples we have to point to are not encouraging.”

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Hauck faces Zang in state representative race Candidates discuss students’ return, COVID-related issues and police reform

By Ben Jodway Staff Reporter news@cm-life.com

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ount Pleasant resident John Zang and incumbent Roger Hauck will face each other in the Nov. 3 election in hopes of winning the 99th state representative seat.

Democratic candidate Zang entered the primary for the state representative seat just before the deadline. Republican incumbent Roger Hauck has been working in the State House to draft responses to COVID-19.

Zang previously served as Mount Pleasant’s director of public works. The division Zang saw in the country inspired him to run and work toward becoming a congressman to bridge the gaps between Democrats and Republicans.

Hauck, who was elected in 2016, was first a Union Township Trustee and worked on a farm for 25 years. He funded workers who identified PFAS sites that leaked into drinking water.

Central Michigan Life questioned Hauck and Zang about the coronavirus pandemic, school openings and the environment.

What do you think about students returning to school this year, both private and public?

HAUCK: My focus for students returning to school was to give flexibility to our local school districts to establish reopening plans that best fit their unique situation. I also wanted to ensure that those plans included some form of two-way communication between the teacher and student if they couldn’t meet in person. I was pleased that we were able to work with the governor to come up with a bipartisan plan that achieved that goal.

ZANG: This should not be a political decision made by politicians. We are in the middle of a pandemic. Public health officials in conjunction with school administrators and teachers should be deciding. The state government should make sure that schools have PPE, and financial support to make facility modifications to increase the opportunity to open schools safely. Central Michigan University did a good job of preparing for students to resume in-class learning. However, large social gatherings without masks and social distancing showed the seriousness of this contagious virus.

What other coronavirus-related issues are you interested in tackling?

HAUCK: Throughout the pandemic, a little over 1,400 people contacted my office for assistance with their unemployment claim. Sadly, many people had to wait weeks and even months for assistance. While we gave the department millions of dollars to staff, the system and the process was too antiquated to handle the load. During my discussions with constituents, it

Roger Hauck

John Zang

was apparent that most delays could have easily been avoided with a better process. For example, about 10 percent of people that contacted my office accidentally clicked the box stating they were not a US Citizen. This tiny mistake could not be fixed online. They had to call the overloaded call center and wait on hold for hours – often not getting through. This is just one example of many that we could easily change to make the process work better.

ZANG: The coronavirus has created havoc with the state budget, which will affect every department and employee in the state. The financial impact will be felt at the local level too and with businesses and workers throughout the state. I am the best candidate to deal with these important and lasting issues.

What social values will help you make fiscally sound decisions?

HAUCK: I would like to continue to uphold mutual respect for one another and individual rights.

ZANG: Citizens are entitled to safe and reliable services and infrastructure. I understand finance and fiscal management, but priorities for limited funds must reflect what is important to residents – such as public schools, infrastructure and the environment… (The) state-to-student cost shift in paying for Michigan public university education has put a terrible burden

on college students and young adults. This is unfair to them and hurts Michigan’s economy. Other important values include my concern for the state and federal government dismantling laws that protect the environment and defunding agencies that protect the environment. Additionally, Michigan legislators have not funded infrastructure to any meaningful level and as a result, Michigan’s infrastructure is in bad shape.

Michigan has river pollution issues, including the Chippewa River. What would you do to fix that?

HAUCK: Protection of our natural resources is very important to me. I believe we have an obligation to ensure that we have safe and clean water. So, when I learned that raw sewage was flowing into the Chippewa River in Beal City, I took action.

I fought to secure $3.1 million dollars in the state budget to build a sewer system in the area.

ZANG: I worked with the Chippewa River conservancy and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe as they worked to verify the source of pollution to the Chippewa River. I worked with officials from Nottawa Township, engineers and Mount Pleasant to sign an agreement allowing the Beal City Area to transfer sewage to Mount Pleasant for treatment. This construction is already underway. This solution for waste water treatment in Nottawa Township and the ensuing agreement will result in significant financial benefit for the affected residents and will protect the North Branch and the Chippewa River from E. coli contamination.

There’s been a lot of talk about police reform. What reform do you think needs to happen? What power do you think the State House holds over this?

HAUCK: I think we can make a lot of progress on police reform in Michigan. I support more training requirements to become police officers as well as continuing education. I believe things like de-escalation tactics and implicit bias training are already being adopted by many departments but codifying in state law would ensure everyone is on the same page. With that being said, training costs money. The suggestion from those on the left that police departments should be defunded is ludicrous.

ZANG: Police departments are only as good as the men and women who wear the badge. I am proud of the Mount Pleasant Police Department and its leaders. They are exemplary in their efforts to maintain equal treatment for all.

I know this is not the case everywhere. I know there are issues of systemic racism in our society. State governments can do a great deal to make bias against Black, Latinx, Native Americans, LGBTQ and others less and less. School funding and infrastructure funding are examples of how to help, as is health care availability as well as monetary jail bond and sentencing requirements, and amending Michigan’s Elliot Larson law to protect LGBTQ rights, working to increase job opportunities and school/training for physically and mentally challenged residents, to name just a few.

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EDITORIAL STAFF

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EDITORIAL |

HH HH HH HH HH HH H IF YOU WANT CHANGE

VOTE

College students can make lasting impact by casting their vote this year

I

n a year like no other, 1 million voters across Michigan have already cast their ballots ahead of election day Nov. 3.

It is paramount that college students participate in this election. Educate yourself. Research the candidates who appear on this year’s ballot.

Then, make sure to cast your vote – whether mail-in or in person.

The results of this election goes beyond who will be sitting in the oval office the next four years. The impact begins at a local level. Local government officials play an important part in implementing change in our communities.

Social justice reform, climate change policy and COVID-19 safety are action issues that start in our hometowns and in the state of Michigan.

By participating in this year’s election, you play a part in electing Michigan Supreme Court justices, local judges and state legislators. These elected public servants will make decisions that affect our lives and the lives of our children.

Our voices matter more than you might think. This year will be the last that Baby

Boomers have the largest political influence by generation and have candidates at the top of the ticket. Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden are both in their mid70s.

Over the next decade, Gen X and Millennials will assume a greater role governing. The ballots cast by Millennials will make a greater impact than in previous elections.

Generation Z voters will also begin to have a greater impact in national politics. Voting rates

among college students more than doubled between the 2014 and 2018 midterm elections, according to a study by Tufts University.

Another dramatic spike in political engagement this fall will only benefit a country in dire need of change.

This election will impact the start of our professional careers. The people who are elected in November, while for a limited time, will write policies and pass laws that will affect millions of United States citizens just like us.

This has been the most divisive presidential election in United States history. It has caused divisions among family members and friends.

Don’t let that discourage you from exercising your right to cast your ballot. In fact, casting your vote might make you feel pretty good after months of political ads, unwatchable debates and 24-hour election coverage. It’s finally time to have our say.

Our future hangs in the balance this November.

Do your part.

Vote.

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF...................................Isaac Ritchey ASSOCIATE EDITORS .................Michael Livingston Andrew Mullin Courtney Pedersen SPORTS EDITOR................................Austin Chastain PHOTO EDITOR...........................Rachael Yadlowsky ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR.........Aurora Abraham MULTIMEDIA EDITORS............................ Ben Ackley ENGAGEMENT EDITOR .................... Jamie Rewerts Isabel Karnes COPY EDITOR ....................................Amalia Kalergis PRESENTATION EDITOR...................Sarah Brownell DESIGNERS............................................Madison Skop Jon Hearth REPORTERS ...........................................Teresa Homsi Ben Jodway Brendan Weisner Makayla Coffee Christian Booher Katherine Schultz Stephanie Kennert Noelle Gray Barbara Garcia McKaela Chapman Noah Wulbrecht Malina Wojtylo

ADVERTISING STAFF AD MANAGERS ..........................................Connor Turpin Lauren Frailey ACCOUNT MANAGERS............................... Autumn Reis Ian Gapp Russell Vollick Samantha Sweeting Julia Springer Ainsley Young ______________________________________________ All letters to the editor or guest columns must include a name, address, affiliation (if any) and phone number for verification. Anonymous letters will not be printed, except under extraordinary circumstances. CM Life reserves the right to edit all letters and columns for style, length, libel, redundancy, clarity, civility and accuracy. Letters should be no more than 450 words in length. Longer guest columns may be submitted but must remain under 750 words. Published versions may be shorter than the original submission. CM Life reserves the right to print any original content as a letter or guest column.

Please allow up to five days for a staff response, which will include an expected date of publication. Submission does not guarantee publication.

______________________________________________

Central Michigan Life, the independent voice of Central Michigan University, is edited and published by students of Central Michigan University every Thursday during the fall and spring semesters. The newspaper’s online edition, cm-life.com, contains all of the material published in print, and is updated on an as-needed basis.

Central Michigan Life serves the CMU and Mount Pleasant communities, and is under the jurisdiction of the independent Student Media Board of Directors. Dave Clark serves as Director of Student Media at CMU and is the adviser to the newspaper. Articles and opinions do not necessarily reflect the position or opinions of Central Michigan University. Central Michigan Life is a member of the Associated Press, the Michigan Press Association, the Michigan Collegiate Press Association, the Associated Collegiate Press, College Newspaper Business & Advertising Managers Association, the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce, Central Michigan Home Builders Association, Mount Pleasant Housing Association and the Mount Pleasant Downtown Business Association. The newspaper’s online provider is SN Works.

Central Michigan Life is distributed throughout the campus and at numerous locations throughout Mount Pleasant. Non-university subscriptions are $75 per academic year. Back copies are available at 50 cents per copy, or $1 if mailed. Photocopies of stories are 25 cents each. Digital copies of photographs published in Central Michigan Life are available upon request at specified costs.

Central Michigan Life’s editorial and business offices are located at 436 Moore Hall, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, telephone (989) 774-3493 or 774-LIFE.

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RESIDENCE LIFE

VIP “POWER HOUR” @ the SAC VIP Power Hour

A private hour at the SAC for two halls to build relationships & communities

Schedule Oct. 18- Nov. 1 Sign up for dates below

Beddow & Thorpe Herrig & Fabiano Robinson & Calkins

Sunday, October 18 Sunday, October 18 Monday, October 19 Tuesday, October 20 Wednesday, October 21 Thursday, October 22

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Saxe & Celani East open (all halls) Cobb & Kesseler Merrill & Sweeney Larzelere Emmons & Woldt Carey & Kulhavi Towers open (all halls)

Sunday, October 25 Sunday, October 25 Monday, October 26 Tuesday, October 27 Wednesday, October 28 Thursday, October 29 Sunday, November 1 Sunday, November 1

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Each VIP “Power Hour” will include opportunities North open (all halls) to participate in socially distanced activities including: Campbell & Troutman -Fitness Center -Weight Training Center -Basketball -Volleyball, Wallyball

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Your hall directors will communicate on how to sign up for YOUR POWER HOUR First come, first served - 50 students per hall per night

“WE INSPIRE INSPIRE ENGAGEMENT” ENGAGEMENT” “WE

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City identifies cyberattack Mount Pleasant responds to security breach, IT staff restores hardware

By Michael Livingston Associate Editor news@cm-life.com

M

ount Pleasant city officials identified a remote Ransomware attack on its computer and phone systems on the morning of Oct. 10.

The city’s firewall remained secure and the city does not plan to pay a ransom, according to an Oct. 12 press release.

City Manager Nancy Ridley said the individual or organization was able to hack into the computer system and lock city officials out.

The hackers left behind an email that Ridley said the city contacted and have not received a response.

“We’ve been able to access the system with our IT staff and they’ve been working to restore all our hardware from our backups so that we can just recreate what we had without dealing with the person or organization that breached our system,” Ridley said.

At this time, it is not believed any personal

information has been breached. Ridley assures there was also no access to state election computers and all ballot and voter information is secure.

Additionally, Ridley said the water and wastewater systems run on a separate network and were not compromised by the breach.

City officials temporarily cannot send or receive emails, accept payments or issue building permits.

“It’s impacting city staff but it’s also impacting people that use our services,” Ridley said.

“Our website is still available to the public but we can’t access it to update it right now.”

The Michigan State Police is conducting an independent investigation of the cyberattack.

“It’s a slow process because we want to make sure whatever we restore is not compromised in any way,” Ridley said.

As of Oct. 13, city email and phone services were unavailable. If there is a public safety emergency, call 911 or Central Dispatch at (989) 773-1000. All other city services are still available and there is no delay in trash or recycling services.

C E N T R A L M I C H I GA N L I F E

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Election Day is November 3.

You can vote early.

You can vote by mail.

You can vote on Election Day. Go to voteamerica.com/students

VoteAmerica.com

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