Events center | Weekend vandalism will not delay opening, 3A Senior linebacker Matt Bernning commemorative poster, 8A
Volleyball Team ousted in MAC tourney opener, 7A
Student artist profiles, 1B
Central Michigan Life
Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
[cm-life.com]
Bikes not stored on racks will be impounded Monday Police: Bicycles obstruct sidewalk snow removal By Emily Pfund Senior Reporter
perry fish/staff photographer
Alma freshman Amanda Woodbury tries to stay warm while raising awareness of homelessness during the Cardboard City event for National Homelessness and Hunger Awareness Week in Central Park early Tuesday morning. Students built and slept in their cardboard homes to experience what it would be like to be homeless.
Helping
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Students sleep outside, attend vigil to raise awareness By Heather Hillman | Senior Reporter
Kyle Terwillegar huddled in a cardboard box outside of Charles V. Park Library with nothing but a sleeping bag and a coat as temperatures reached the low 30s early Tuesday morning. But the Freeland junior isn’t homeless — he eschewed his bed for a cause. He was one of about 40 volunteers who took shifts sitting outside in cardboard boxes in Central Park during the 24-hour event. Terwillegar said sleeping outside from midnight to 7 a.m. was worse than he expected. He only got about two hours of sleep because of the cold. “I was miserable just that one night; I can’t imagine doing it night after night because I have no other option,” he said. “It was an eye-opening experience for me. Before, homelessness was more of a concept to me, but after sleeping in that box it became real.” As people walked by Tuesday, they could read the messages painted on signs and boxes with facts about homelessness. Cardboard City was just one of the many events being put on in line with Hunger and Homelessness Week. Greenville junior Troy Heffron of the Volunteer Center helped plan
Cardboard City and said it is definitely something they look forward to putting on in the future. “It’s a way to remember to be thankful for what we have and that we have this obligation to be a good community member and give back to others,” Heffron said. “It’s another way that we can raise awareness and understanding about the issue with hunger and homelessness.” About 25 people attended a candlelight vigil Tuesday night to wrap up the event. Attendees stood in a circle surrounded by cardboard boxes as they read true stories of homeless men and
Students who believe a street sign or tree can double as a bike rack should think again. Beginning Monday, CMU Police will cut locks and impound any bicycles locked to anything other than a bike rack. Lt. Cameron Wassman said there are about 100 bikes locked to trees, signs and light posts around campus. “We waited this long to remove them because it took us a while to see how big of a problem it was becoming,” Wassman said. Despite an increase in bike racks on campus nearly every summer, Wassman said the number of bicycles inappropriately locked on campus has not decreased
nearly as much as police had hoped to see. “It’s a matter of convenience,” Wassman said. “As a general rule, there is still empty space in the bike racks.” The bikes need to be removed because they complicate snow removal when locked too close to streets and sidewalks. Areas need to be cleaned up in preparation for the winter season, according to a CMU Police press release. Bikes must be removed prior to snow removal because they act as obstructions. If a student’s bike is impounded, it can be retrieved by contacting the department at 774-3081 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. “Students should have had their bikes registered with us and/or they need proof of ownership (to get the bikes back),” Wassman said. “We’ll do our best to verify and release the property to the
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Ronan Hall renovations 95 percent complete One office moved in, more to follow By Tony Wittkowski Staff Reporter
andrea galvez/staff photographer
Holly junior Raychel Payne prepares to read a story about a homeless man named Michael and his struggles with drug addiction during a candlelit vigil for Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week on Tuesday in Central Park.
“I was miserable just that one night; I can’t imagine doing it night after night because I have no other option.” Kyle Terwillegar, Freeland junior
women and had a moment of silence for every person living without a place to live. Danielle Schmutz, who works in the Volunteer Center for AmeriCorps VISTA, attended the vigil. While Schmutz said she didn’t sleep outside this year, she has participated the past three years and she enjoys
spreading awareness about the issue. “By raising awareness, it inspires people to do more about it. Hopefully one day it will no longer be an issue,” Schmutz said. “That’s why we’re here, so we can help make that change.” studentlife@cm-life.com
Renovations to Ronan Hall are 95 percent complete and one office has already started moving in from Bovee University Center. The Office of International Affairs began the move Monday and will continue until the end of the week. The English Language Institute will start moving into Ronan Hall next week. Several other departments in the UC will make the move during and after renovations. “The project will be completed in December,” said Steve Lawrence, associate vice president of Facilities Management. “The move-in will occur late November through January.” Workers continue to piece together the remaining renovations, said Jessica Ebels, director of Academic Space and Remodeling. “It’s near completion,” she said. “It’s always the last 5 to 10 percent that takes the longest because of the small details.”
Offices moving from Bovee UC: Third floor of Ronan Hall w International Affairs w English Language Institute Second floor of Ronan Hall w Dean of Students w Career Services w Academic Advising w Academic Senate w Residence Life w Campus Dining
Only portions of the second floor need to be completed, Lawrence said, including the installation of furniture, restroom completion and a final cleaning. “Ronan Hall is a very unique project,” Ebels said. “It’s not something we have done in the past.” The offices making the move to Ronan in December include Residence Life and Campus Dining, said Joan Schmidt, associate director of Residence Life. “It’s a five-day move because
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Group keeps Girl Scout traditions alive with local troops Campus Scouts looks to re-establish RSO status By Nora Naughton Staff Reporter
The members of Campus Scouts want to prove to CMU that you are never too old to be a Girl Scout. Britton junior Rebecca Unsicker, president of Campus Scouts, said it is a volunteer group that promotes Girl Scouts and often works with some of the troops at schools in the area. “I have been in Girl Scouts for a large chunk of my life,”
Unsicker said. “I want to try to give back to it because it did so much for me. I also love to volunteer and get involved in the community.” The organization was previously a registered student organization. Sterling Heights freshman Samantha Addington said it is undergoing changes and will be back in action next semester, when the main concern will be spreading the word about the group. She said the group meets at 5 p.m. two Fridays a month in the Down Under Food Court. Boyne City sophomore Sarah Gerberding was in the scouts all the way from kindergarten to her senior year in high school.
“It was a very rewarding experience,” she said. “It’s helped me with so many things, even jobs. Being a Girl Scout was why I won pageants because it showed I was involved in the community and was dedicated.” Gerberding was Michigan’s 2006 delegate for Miss Teen America. She was recently crowned Michigan’s Perfect Teen. She said her years as a Girl Scout prepared her by teaching her to be grateful. Addington feels the scouts have a lot to offer young girls as they go through the highs and lows of childhood. “Girl Scouts is something that has died out and it can
do so much for you,” Addington said. “That’s why we promote it. I think girls who don’t participate in Girl Scouts struggle without it and those who do it become more well-rounded.” Unsicker said her many years spent in Girl Scouts taught her how to be disciplined and organized, and gave her the ability to balance being a student and president of the organization. “It’s going to be a lot of fun once we get going with everything,” Addington said. “Any help is welcome.” -Staff Reporter Mike Nichols contributed to this report studentlife@cm-life.com
victoria zegler/staff photographer
Britton junior Rebecca Unsicker, president and founder of Campus Scouts, meets with members of the new registered student organization to discuss up and coming projects for the spring semester, officer positions and fundraising Wednesday night in the Bovee University Center’s Down Under Food Court. Campus Scouts is coordinating ‘Princess For A Day,’ a selfesteem workshop for younger troops which will be held next semester on CMU’s campus.