“It’s something we are very excited about,” said Sarah Adams, WCMU public relations coordinator. “It will allow us to do what we do better.”

The competitive USDA grant received by CMU Public Television is part of the United States Department of Agriculture Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program, administered by the Rural Development Utilities Programs.

The grants were awarded to rural public broadcast stations nationwide based mainly on coverage pattern and quality, said Ed Grant, general manager of WCMU. He said it was an intensive and objective application process.

WCMU plans to use the grant to equip its mobile production truck with high-definition digital equipment. The new equipment, including a satellite uplink system, will allow WCMU to broadcast from anywhere in central and northern Michigan.

“Any place we need to be, we can be there with the equipment truck,” Grant said.

Grant said he suspects it will take around a year to outfit the truck with high-definition equipment. WCMU is focusing on existing projects related to the switch from analog to digital broadcasting.

“(The grant will) help us take a step forward in our overall mission of educating, entertaining and inspiring,” Adams said.

The staff of WCMU, the campus community, elected officials from the WCMU coverage area and a representative from the USDA gathered at the CMU Public Broadcasting Center on Oct. 18 for a ceremonial check presentation, Adams said.

“They had the ceremony with the big check in front of the van,” Adams said.

At the ceremony, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Director for Michigan Gene DeRossett presented a ceremonial check to Grant.

DeRossett said the department’s mission statement is centered on improving the quality of life for rural communities, and what they do every day is an honor, Adams said.

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The Office of Institutional Research reports it is the most popular major at Central Michigan University.

“I have always wanted a career in the medical field, and the sciences have always been a favorite of mine,” Saginaw senior Megan O’Brien said. “When I came to Central, I was considering the physical therapy and physician’s assistant programs.”

She said the clinically-based labs, state of the art equipment, small classes, and great professors and staff make it a well-built program.

The Health Professions Building houses the latest health fitness equipment, such as an electrocardiogram and exercise testing equipment, said David Wisner, assistant professor of health sciences.

“The new Health Professions Building has improved the quality of how we deliver the program,” Wisner said. “We have an undergraduate-based cadaver anatomy course, which is rare at the undergraduate level.”

A lot of the classes in CMU’s undergraduate program aren’t offered elsewhere until the graduate level, professor of health sciences Paul Visich said.

Visich teaches junior- and senior-level classes related to clinical exercises, such as cardiogram interpretation. He said his classes also teach students how to appropriately evaluate a patient’s health risk factors and how to prescribe exercises and lifestyle modifications.

“All of our students have an internship experience the summer of senior year in a clinical or corporate-type center,” Visich said.

He said this experience makes graduates marketable in the workforce.

This undergraduate degree offers many different possibilities after graduation, Visich said. Graduates of the Health Fitness in Preventive and Rehabilitative Program can be hired right out of college in both clinical and corporate settings, he said.

Another option for graduates is continuing their education in graduate programs or medical school, Visich said.

In response to the large shortage of nurses across the country, some graduates enroll in a one-year accelerated nurses program for a registered nurse degree, he said.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, health care industry occupation wage and salary employment are expected to increase 27 percent through the year 2014.

Because of the obesity issue in this country, cardiovascular disease will continue to be a large problem, Visich said. These graduates are needed to help combat this disease, he said.

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Chippewas vs. Broncos.

LeFevour vs. Hiller.

And Finlayson vs. Pelto. For the Pelto and Finlayson families, Central/Western Weekend is an opportunity to spend some quality time together and debate whose school is superior.

Rachel Pelto is a Walled Lake junior, and her cousin Chuck Finlayson is a Central Michigan University 2008 alumnus.

Brothers Tyler and Travis Pelto, Rachel Pelto and Finlayson’s cousins, attend Western Michigan University.

“We joke around about the rivalry,” Rachel Pelto said.

Every year the cousins and their parents go to the Central/Western game together, and the parents take the kids out for breakfast at a local restaurant, Rachel Pelto said.

“We gave each other a hard time when we decided where we were going to go to college,” Rachel Pelto said. “My cousin Chuck was excited when I decided to go to Central.”

Travis Pelto is a sophomore at WMU and said even though he does not focus on the game itself, he still enjoys the weekend.

“I’m not huge into sports, but it is fun to go back and forth about the whole Central/Western thing,” he said.

Tyler Pelto said he looks forward to the Central/Western game every year.

“It’s always fun to get all of the cousins together,” the WMU junior said.

Tyler Pelto said the cousins usually spend time at each others’ apartments and go to parties together.

Finlayson is currently a law student at DePaul University in Chicago.

He is planning on taking the train from Chicago to join in the Central/Western family festivities, Rachel Pelto said.

“We’re keeping our tradition alive coming together every year for Central/Western Weekend,” Rachel Pelto said.

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The Bovee University Center Rotunda Room will be transformed into an intimate coffee house setting for acoustic folk-rock musician Dave Tamkin’s performance at 8 p.m. today. Central Michigan University is a stop on his national solo tour.

Tamkin, an artist out of Chicago, is known for his unique style of rhythmic acoustic rock. He has shared the stage with groups like Guster, Willy Porter, Butch Walker, Rusted Root and the Violent Femmes.

“He plays with a band called Dave Tamkin and Co. and plays over 230 shows a year,” said Crysta Heckman, a Program Board member and Pinconning sophomore.

Heckman said this year’s Coffee House is going to be very similar to last year’s event.

“We try to set up an intimate atmosphere for the audience with an up-close and personal setting with the artist,” she said.

Program Board usually has mellow artists for the Coffee House concerts so students can hang out, drink coffee and just listen, said Dave Breed, Program Board concert chair and Muskegon sophomore.

“Dave Tamkin has a really nice acoustic sound; he’s (a) really personal guy and he writes his own music,” Breed said.

He said Program Board receives a lot of press kits and CDs from artists interested in playing at CMU.

“We had a huge bin of CDs from the press kits. We finally sat down and listened to all of them, and we really liked Tamkin’s sound. We looked into getting him to play here,” Breed said.

Breed said Tamkin’s music has been playing on the Program Board Myspace page, myspace.com/cmu_programboard.

“I checked him out online and really liked his style of music,” said Program Board member Kirsten Trombly, a Perry freshman.

Samples of Tamkin’s music are available at DaveTamkin.com.

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“Our supply is very low,” said Dave Weston, American Red Cross community coordinator.

Every summer the Red Cross experiences a drop-off in blood donations because most people are busy on vacation and enjoying the weather – not thinking about donating blood, Weston said.

However, summertime is not immune to car accidents and hospital visits.

Usually the Red Cross has caught up to the summer blood deficit by this time, Weston said.

Nevertheless, the Red Cross reports blood donations were down 5 percent during the week of Labor Day.

“That amounts to over 130 blood donations, or enough blood to help save about 400 lives,” said Shawn Montry, director of donor recruitment of the Great Lakes Blood Services Region. “Not a day goes by that thousands of people in Michigan hospitals need blood for emergency or ongoing medical care.”

The Great Lakes Blood Services Region reports its blood supplies are just over one day’s supply, and the supply of Type O is very low. The Red Cross reports at least three days’ worth of blood is needed to be considered adequate for meeting emergency needs, and a five-day supply is considered optimal.

“We need to have everyone possible to come out and donate. Help us save lives,” Weston said.

Students will soon have their opportunity to contribute to the cause.

Weston said the next local Red Cross blood drive is noon to 5:45 p.m. Sept. 25 at St. Mary’s University Parish, 1405 S. Washington St.

The CMU vs. Western Michigan University blood challenge will take place from Oct. 13 to Oct. 23. The competition is to see which school can give the most blood.

“It’s a tradition at CMU,” Weston said. “This is not just a competition – we’re partnering with WMU to save lives.”

On average, 5 percent of a community’s population donates blood and 9.6 percent of the CMU community, including students and faculty, donates blood, Weston said.

Jessica Kloeckner, a Dansville freshman, helps out by donating her time.

“I volunteer at blood drives and help with the patients,” she said.

Bonnie Alger, a Conklin sophomore, donates plasma at BioLife Plasma Services, 4279 E. Bluegrass Road, twice a week, and has donated blood in the past.

“I know it’s really needed,” Alger said.

Donors must be 17 years old, over 110 pounds and in good health to be eligible to donate blood.

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