CMU continues to encourage students to Take Care
Since its creation in 2004, the Take Care initiative has encouraged Central Michigan University students to be kind, conscientious and to look out for themselves and others.
Some students have voiced their confusion about the Take Care initiative, saying they are unsure whether it is a program or a mission statement.
“I still don't know much about Take Care program, although I am aware it exists from the various promotional items handed out,” Livonia senior Lance Kortesoja said.
Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Tony Voisin said Take Care is not a typical program, because there is no group to join or meetings to attend. Take Care is simply a message to students and the Mount Pleasant community.
“You can’t necessarily put your finger on Take Care. It is very much an initiative and campaign to encourage, educate and motivate people,” Voisin said. “CMU has a tradition of being a very friendly, open campus and being very welcoming, so we wanted to capitalize on that and develop this initiative that we could then promote to encourage people to take care of each other.”
The initiative was created under the supervision of former Dean of Students Bruce Roscoe after a string of violent events both on and off-campus caused fear among the student body.
To promote a safe atmosphere, Roscoe convened a group of faculty, staff and students to create a campaign that would discourage the bystander mentality and encourage students to actively help one another.
Since then, the campaign has been advertised around campus as a constant reminder to students that helping others is an important part of the CMU community.
“I think CMU is known for being a caring community; that’s a draw for students to come here, so you’re taking something that is really an innate part of this university and this community and making this philosophy more visible,” said Care Team Coordinator Deanna Johnson.
The campaign has undergone a small revamp within the past year, according to Voisin, as fresh advertising has been created, including new brochures and a poster series that will appear around campus in the coming months. The advertising features a newly designed Take Care logo.
The revamp will not change the purpose or goals of the initiative – only the way the message is spread.
“We all have an opportunity to use this philosophy, whether it’s in class, on the weekends or at a football game, even if it’s not in Mount Pleasant,” Voisin said. “We want to impress upon people what it is to be a good citizen and a good person.”
