football | indiana no longer on 2010 schedule, 3B Students work on screen printing, 3A
Book Mark closing after 37 years, 6A
Friday, Jan. 22, 2010
Central Michigan Life
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
[cm-life.com]
Bishop’s 5 percent pay cut plan unfair, profs say State majority leader: employees need to make sacrifices
By Jaimie Cremeans Staff Reporter
Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop proposed a 5 percent pay cut to government employees and educators — including college professors — as part of a series of reforms. The cut is part of a plan that
he said could save the state $2 billion and supplement a $1.6 billion deficit on the horizon for next year. The 5 percent proposal, specifically, would remain level for the next three years. Many Central Michigan University professors do not see eye to eye with the cut — they believe it is unfair and would hurt Michigan’s education system. “It seems to me that there are other places in the state to cut that wouldn’t affect teachers’
already-notvery-high pay,” said assistant philosophy and religion professor Andrew Blom. Janet Lein, professor of Mike Bishop foreign languages, literatures and cultures, said decreasing pay for professors and teachers would discourage qualified educators from staying in Michigan. “You don’t get the best teach-
ers by cutting their salaries,” she said. “Teachers are one of the groups of people in this state that work above and beyond to help students and we don’t get paid any extra for it.” ‘Teachers are our future’ Bishop stated on his Web site that he knows the proposal will generate some hard feelings, but he thinks the cuts are necessary. He said everyone in Michigan is suffering through hard times and government employ-
ees, including himself, need to “make some sacrifices” to best serve the state’s citizens. In the reforms, Bishop proposes an estimated $615 million in savings by reforming public employee health care and another $70 million to $118 million in savings with police and fire. He identifies upwards of $363 million of possible savings in K-12 school spending, $160 million-plus of savings in Medicaid and $1.2 billion of savings in public employee compensation.
Lein said it is already unfair that teachers make less than most other white-collar employees. Cutting pay, she said, would only heighten the inequality. Mike Griffin, a secondary education major at CMU, said he would be disappointed if Michigan reduces teachers’ and professors’ salaries. “It sounds cliché, but teachers are our future,” the Romeo senior said. “And, lately, there’s
A Cuts | 2A
Faculty uneasy over medical school funding $5 million to be set aside each year for project By Amelia Eramya Senior Reporter
photos by jeff smith/staff photographer
Monroe sophomore Gabbrielle Webb, right, Bloomfield Hills sophomore Danielle Mansoor and Macomb junior Melissa Fortuna speak with Greenville junior Shannon O’Donald, center, about Greek life within Delta Zeta in front of their presentation board Wednesday at the Meet the Greeks events in Carey Hall’s Real Food On Campus.
Slice of Greek life More than 100 students attend recruiting event in Towers By Brian C. Barton Staff Reporter
K
Bay City freshman Kaitlyn Allore flips through a sorority’s scrapbook Wednesday at Meet the Greeks in Carey Hall’s Real Food On Campus. Allore was looking to make friends and be involved.
aitlyn Allore never thought she would be a sorority sister. But after Wednesday night, the Bay City freshman has the Greek life on her mind. She is considering joining Phi Sigma Sigma. “Truthfully, I can’t explain what sorority life could bring me because I never thought about going Greek,” Allore said. “But I hope to meet new people and find out if this really is something for me.” Allore was one of more than 100 students — many of them freshmen — that packed Carey Hall’s Real Food on Campus on Wednesday night during this
year’s annual spring recruitment event, “Meet the Greeks.” Allore and the others had one thing on their minds: exploring Greek life. The event gave students a chance to sign up for Greek events and, within the coming weeks, the sororities and fraternities will decide whether to accept them as members.
Peter Lawrence is excited to attend his fourth March for Life rally in Washington, D.C. The Dexter graduate student is one of 16 Central Michigan University students headed to the march this weekend. March for Life is an anti-abortion event held annually on the Jan. 22 anniversary of Roe V. Wade, a landmark 1973 U.S.
Supreme Court case that legalized abortion. “I want to lend a voice to everyone there,” Lawrence said. “I believe every person’s life is valued, from conception to death.” The students will meet with other Michigan universities in Ann Arbor and travel to the capital in three charter buses. From there, they will join thousands of other antiabortion activists marching along Constitution Avenue
to Capitol Hill, holding signs and banners. “There’s a lot of chanting along the way and some groups pray the rosary,” Bay City junior Toni Dicksen said about the feeling of high energy during the march. ‘Once-in-a- lifetime’ opportunity Participants are united by a common anti-abortion belief. They hope to influence
A Medical school| 5A
SPORTS WEEKEND
Hold your own Every Panhellenic Council sorority and Interfraternity Council fraternity was represented. Each chapter had its own station with presentation boards explaining what it means to be a member. AGREEKS | 6A
Students to march in D.C. anti-abortion rally By Melissa Torok Staff Reporter
Interim University President Kathy Wilbur’s request for cost centers to devise potential budget cuts has triggered concerns among many faculty members about Central Michigan University’s developing medical school. Wilbur spoke at Tuesday’s Academic Senate meeting about her request for plans of 3, 6 and 9 percent budget cuts and the responsibility of department leaders to identify potential problems should a funding cut be implemented. But faculty members were concerned over the money being set aside for CMU’s school of medicine. “My concerns that I added were related to the increased transparency and the cost for the medical school,” said Laura Frey, associate professor of counseling and special education. Currently, $5 million has been set aside annually from the operating budget for the medical school project, said David Burdette, vice president of finance and administrative
services. The amount will be sufficient, he said, as long as planning for the school continues at its current pace. Kathy Wilbur The funds are set aside over the course of five years, or through the extent of development, Burdette said. Each year, any remaining expenses will carry on to the next, in addition to the funding. Frey said setting aside money for the medical school in dire economic times is not financially prudent when departments must, at the same time, slice their budgets. She asked Wilbur whether the money being set aside would be available for other colleges across campus if the project did not continue. Wilbur said they could be used. “I did appreciate that at least she was indicating that the funds could be used,” Frey said. Wilbur believes, realistically, cuts will have to be made to the general budget either way. “We have to be prepared,” she said. “I do not hold out great hope that there will be
their representatives to reject abortion policies, including those in the proposed Health Care Reform bill. “It’s not like we’re against Health Care, but abortion is not universally recognized and shouldn’t be funded by taxpayers,” Midland senior Sheri Krotzer said. Krotzer has traveled to the march five previous times but, this time, she orA ANTI-ABORTION | 2A
Mid-American Conference men’s basketball preview, 1B [inside] NEWS
CM-LIFE.com
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sports
The Mt. Pleasant Bridal Association Presents the
w Wrestling routs EMU in Ypsilanti, 1B
28 th Annual Bridal Expo 2010 at Mt. Pleasant Comfort Inn & Suites Conference Center
3UNDAY *ANUARY s PM
for Look age P l a i c Spe Y! TODA