It mainly was high school juniors and seniors, but about 30 to 40 percent of seniors would go to college parties, she said.

“They wouldn’t talk about it much, but you would know (they went),” she said.

Alcohol can become more accessible to high school students through friends and family who attend college.

College students would invite their younger brothers and sisters to parties, and they would invite their friends, Hoyle said.

She said she does not think the college students think about the consequences.

“They just thought, ‘Hey, I’m going to hang out with my brother and sister and if they want alcohol, I’ll hook them up,’” Hoyle said.

Separating high school students from college students may allow for younger people to partake in age-appropriate activities and help avoid underage drinking.

“(High school students) don’t have much to do in Mount Pleasant, except to hang out with college kids,” said Keisha Brown, athletic director and counselor at Sacred Heart Academy. “I think if you give kids things to do that are age appropriate, it will help.”

Hoyle said high school students can find ways to get alcohol anywhere, but she thinks there is more of an opportunity in Mount Pleasant because of the party options and all the parties on Main Street.

The consequences

Mount Pleasant is more apt to issue citations to minors, said Dave Sabuda, public information officer for the Mount Pleasant Police Department.

“Looking in a college town, we are going to experience more MIPs,” Sabuda said.

This becomes a bigger issue with high school students after a senior class graduates, Sabuda said.

“I’m not saying (high school and college students) don’t mix, but it just isn’t two groups you see mix too often,” he said.

In 2008, the Isabella County Sheriff’s Department issued 113 minor-in-possession charges, said Leo Mioduszewski, Isabella County sheriff.

The MPPD gave out 306 liquor violations in 2008, which includes MIPs, open intoxication violations and open alcohol in public violations, Sabuda said.

Jeff Thoenes, principal of Mount Pleasant High School, said he has not had too many issues dealing with underage drinking at the school. He can recall only a handful of situations where there were problems on campus, and the only ones looked at off campus are athletes.

“If they are off campus it’s on their own time, except athletes,” Thoenes said.

Hoyle said she has seen high school students affect their career in sports because of alcohol.

Some solutions

High school students can go to Morey Courts Recreation Center, 5175 E. Remus Road, to be around people their age, Brown said.

“(Before), people had to go to the (Student Activity Center), which they are still being around the college influence,” Brown said.

She thinks the more activities high school age students are given, the less time they will spend around older college students.

With the end of the semester for CMU and prom season for high schools quickly approaching, there might be an increased problem with alcohol, Mioduszewski said.

One strategy law enforcement officials are implementing is to use grant money to start underage drinking patrols during this time, he said. These patrols would include officers from CMU police, the MPPD and the sheriff’s department.

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With a 152-21 vote, the union received 88 percent of the vote.

“This is a tremendous success,” said Mike Hoerger, a Midland graduate student. “We were very excited to see a lot of (graduate assistants) show up during exam week.”

Hoerger said recently, graduate assistants at Florida State University had a similar vote and only received 16 percent of their graduate assistants show up to vote, where CMU had a 40 percent turnout.

Hoerger, who has been taking the leadership position on the union, said the turnout shows a lot about the graduate assistants on campus.

“Knowing the outcome would be this lopsided, they still came out to vote to show they care about having a voice on campus,” he said.

A total of 465 graduate assistants out of 550 were able to vote Monday and today on whether the union would become recognized by the state. Those excluded were research assistants and administrative assistants who have no teaching responsibilities.

Bob Martin, associate vice provost of faculty personnel services, attended the counting of the votes along with about 20 graduate assistants.

“I’m not terribly surprised (by the outcome),” Martin said.

Martin said the next official step for the union is for the Michigan Employment Relations Commission to certify the Graduate Student Union as the exclusive bargaining agent for the graduate assistants. This should take about two weeks, he said.

Hoerger said an interim organizing team will be put together this summer and start deciding on some basics for a contract. In the fall elections will be held for board members.

The law requires both parties to agree on a reasonable time and place for negations, Martin said.

“There has been no direct conversations yet as to when (negotiations will be held),” he said.

Check cm-life.com for more updates.

“A lot of (high school students) babysit,” said Kathy Stuart, assistant principal and academic adviser at Sacred Heart Academy, 316 E. Michigan St. “A majority of them probably don’t work, but once they get to be seniors, they try and find jobs.”

At the beginning of April, 4,112 students are enrolled at Central Michigan University for the summer, and there are 690 high school juniors and seniors in Mount Pleasant.

“I think it’s hard for high school students to find jobs in Mount Pleasant,” said Gene Moutsatson, co-owner of the Book Mark 2200 S. Mission St. “(Because of) both college (students) and that there are not a lot of jobs.”

The Italian Oven, 2336 S. Mission St., has about 46 employees right now, and only one of those is a high school student, said Una Ebert, general manager.

Only 5 percent of their open interviews over the summer will be high school students, compared to 85 percent that will be college students, Ebert said.

“We have alcohol here, so whoever works here has to be 18, which excludes a lot of high school students,” she said.

The only position open to individuals under 18 is a dish washer, Ebert said.

Laws cause minors to miss opportunities

The college town may not be the only factor blocking high school students from getting jobs.

“The bigger problem is that a lot of places can’t hire (high school students) anyway because of liabilities,” said Doozies Ice Cream owner Clyde Dosenberry. “That’s where most of them lose out on a job. They aren’t old enough.”

Minimum wage for a minor is not as much as it would be for someone 18 or older, but employers are still hesitant to hire them, he said.

The Youth Employment Standard Act limits the activities that minors can do and also the hours they can work, said Jack Finn, director for the wage and hour division of the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Book Mark is one business that does not hire anyone under 18 because of liability issues. It is more of a precaution to not hire minors, especially if they are dealing with the hot coffee at the store, Moutsatson said.

Minors cannot drive and work an outside help, which excludes them from jobs such as being a pizza delivery driver. Minors cannot work with bakery machines, paper product machines or punching and shearing machines, among others, according to the act.

An exception

Doozies Ice Cream, 1310 E. Pickard St., works in a similar fashion, but might offer some hope to high school students.

Doozies is open from April until October and has a mix of college students and high school students during the summer, Dosenberry said. A lot of the college students there, however, started in high school. Dosenberry said he likes to hire students when they are in their junior year of high school and have them continue to work each year if they attend CMU.

Out of the 24 employees that work at Doozies, about 60 percent are college students and 30 percent are high school students.

“They have to be here one summer to be 80 to 90 percent efficient at making everything,” he said. “We could have some college students graduating so I want to get some younger people so they are here for awhile.”

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Julia Wallace, executive vice president and provost, spoke with the chairs of the college Monday and gave them 48 hours to offer feedback on the decision.

“I didn’t feel a rush to get started right into it a week after (Karen Adams) passed away,” Wallace said. “There’s a matter of respect you need to give to someone.”

Adams, who had been dean of the College of Education and Human Services since 2003, died April 7 at MidMichigan Health Center-Midland, following an allergic reaction to initial chemotherapy treatments for cancer. She was 58.

Koch, former associate dean of the College of Education and Human Services, was already acting interim dean when Adams was on sick leave.

“I will try to maintain consistency within the college. I wish I would have come into this situation in different circumstances,” Koch said. “We will try to maintain momentum that the college came in with under Karen Adams.”

Wallace said appointing an interim dean was hard for everyone involved in the college.

“Every time we look around, we cannot believe that happened (to Adams),” she said.

Koch said everyone in the college has been working as a team and she really appreciates it.

She hopes to have information about an interim associate dean for the college by next week. Koch guesses that a search for a new dean will not start until the fall, as summer is quickly approaching, but she does not know for sure.

“These things take time,” she said.

Phame Camarena, chairman of the department of Human Environmental Studies, said the department suffered a great loss after the death of Adams, as she was moving the college forward with new initiatives.

“I would especially hope that our interim dean would be able to provide some stability and offer calming leadership to help smooth the anxieties in this time of uncertainty,” Camarena said in an e-mail to Central Michigan Life.

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Ten to 15 vendors will be at the fair from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Veterans Memorial Library, 301 S. University Ave.

“The goals for (Central Michigan Autism Society of America) is to educate, support and advocate for individuals,” said Julie Lorenzen, secretary for the group.

At this fair, parents can educate themselves on what is available in the community and get support knowing there is a group of parents with autistic children out there, she said.

The hope is that this event would show resources in the area that people might not be able to find on their own and get them at a reasonable rate, said Penny Bearden, vice president of Autism Society of Michigan and treasurer for Central Michigan Autism Society of America.

“Our goal is to bring some quality stuff that people could access up here,” she said. “Half the battle is not knowing that (resources) exist.”

Vendors include recreational and educational resources, community providers, state agencies, advocacy groups, therapists, adult resources, camps, schools, transitional programs, consultants and food including allergen free.

A taste of what’s there

They will have options from books to children’s toys, Bearden said.

Nana’s Sweeties, a home-based business that makes sensory therapy items, will be showing its products at the fair.

Kathleen Lewis, creator of Nana’s Sweeties, works from her home in Clarkston making weighted vests, lap buddies, neck buddies and blankets to help calm children.

She said she discovered she could make the vests on her own, improving cost and individuality.

“When (my daughters) started looking on Web sites, (the vests) were very expensive and very ugly,” Lewis said. “It was like hanging a sign on a kid’s back that said ‘I have disabilities.’”

The representative will help advocate for the parents and help them better understand the process, Lorenzen said.

There will also be a rummage sale to benefit Central Michigan Autism Society of America and a books and resource sale to benefit the Autism Society of Michigan during the event.

The fair is free and open to the public.

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Julia Wallace, executive vice president and provost, spoke with the chairs of the college Monday and gave them 48 hours to offer their feedback on the decision.

“I didn’t feel a rush to get started right into it a week after (former dean Karen Adams) passed away,” Wallace said. “There’s a matter of respect you need to give to someone.”

Koch, former associate dean of the College of Education and Human Services, was already acting interim dean when Adams was on sick leave.

“I will try to maintain consistency within the college. I wish I would have come into this situation in different cercumstances,” Koch said. “We wil try to maintain momentum that the college came in with under Karen Adams.”

See cm-life.com for further updates.

The Grand Rapids freshman said she is most allergic to grass just as it is coming up and fresh cut grass.

“I get really tired and miserable actually,” she said. “If your eyes are watering all the time, it gets frustrating.”

There is no miracle cure for allergies, but as part of 35 million Americans suffering from spring allergies, students have found several ways to combat them.

Nasal sprays are the first recommended treatment for allergies, said Allan Riggs, a physician’s assistant for University Health Service. But a lot of people do not like to use the sprays, he said.

The next option is allergy treatment pills. There are the regular antihistamines, such as Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec, that help with runny noses and itchy eyes, Riggs said.

Any antihistamine that has a “D” after it, like Claritin-D, will help with stuffy noses, he said. Claritin-D contains seudoephedrine, which is a decongestant that shrinks blood vessels in the nasal passages, the cause of a stuffy nose.

The last option is allergy shots. Patients will gradually be given a larger amount of the allergen in the shot so their body will develop immunity to it. This is for patients with severe allergies, Riggs said.

Johnson said she rarely takes allergy pills and only does so when her symptoms are bad.

“I don’t let it hold me back. It’s something you deal with,” she said. “Claritin covers you for 24 hours. (I) just take it when it’s really bad.”

Those with allergies should minimize walks in wooded areas or gardens and check the forecast, according to the Cleveland Clinic Web site. Staying indoors as much as possible on hot, dry, windy days when pollen counts are generally the best.

Also, stay inside as much as possible between 5 and 10 a.m., when pollen counts are usually very high, the Web site said.

To prevent symptoms from getting worse, wear an inexpensive painter’s mask when mowing the lawn. Taking a shower and washing clothes to remove pollen that may have collected in hair and on clothes will also reduce allergy symptoms.

Grass and pollen are the biggest causes of spring allergies because they are both very prevalent during the spring time, Riggs said.

Not quite here

Allergy season has not quite hit Mount Pleasant yet. According to weather.com, there is medium to low pollen activity in the trees, but no activity in the grass or the weeds.

Individuals who haven’t had allergies before can develop them still this year, Riggs said.

“The more you get exposed to things, the more likely you are to be allergic to it,” he said.

Once flowers, trees and grass start to bloom and the grass begins to come up is when allergy season will officially start, Riggs said.

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Officials said her death was caused by an allergic reaction to the chemotherapy treatment, and it was unlikely to happen.

“It is a rare complication. It’s unclear to me whether that is indeed what happened,” said David Howell, a doctor Central Michigan Community Hospital.

Chemotherapy can be administered through the mouth, but more often it goes through the veins, Howell said.

Chemotherapy works in a way that the medication can alter the cancer cells, he said, so they can survive or reproduce.

An allergic reaction to chemotherapy is very rare, Howell said. Certain medications can affect certain aspects of the circulatory system or immune system that the body has a hard time controlling, resulting in an allergic reaction.

“They generally can be taken care of in a quick action so nothing fatal happens,” Howell said. “The risk of having an allergic reaction is less than one in 100.”

And the risk of having a fatal allergic reaction is even less, he said.

Howell said early prevention for any cancer is important.

In 2008, more than 1.4 million new cases of cancer were reported in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.

In the case of breast cancer, it is recommended that women get mammograms on a regular basis starting at the age of 40, he said.

“The next best thing is to try to detect (cancer) as early as possible,” Howell said.

One in every 220 people will get breast cancer by the age of 40 and one in every 50 will get it by the age of 50, Howell said.

Recognizing possible warning signs of cancer and taking quick action can lead to early diagnosis, according to the World Health Organization Web site. Early signs include lumps, sores that fail to heal, abnormal bleeding, persistent indigestion and chronic hoarseness, according to the Web site.

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Currently, insurance companies in Michigan do not cover autism treatments, but do cover things such as cancer and juvenile diabetes, said House Majority Floor Leader Kathy Angerer, D-Dundee.

“I believe that’s wrong. I think that is something our children need to live their daily lives,” Angerer said. “They can’t discriminate.”

Autism is a disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills, according to the Autism Society of America’s Web site.

Treating autism can cost a family $50,000 or more a year, Angerer said.

Anne Miller, assistant coordinator for academic affairs, said she has easily spent $25,000 to $30,000 on treatments for her autistic son, Scott, since he was born 17 years ago.

Anne Miller said the cost only includes what was spent out of her own pocket, she said.

She pays $250 a month for her son’s medication.

“Nothing involving autism has been covered by insurance, period,” Anne Miller said. “It doesn’t matter how good your insurance is. You have to be very creative on how (to) find ways to get their insurances to pay.”

Vicki Barnett, D-Farmington Hills, said this bill is really about fairness of medical coverage.

“With proven treatment therapies that work, why are we letting young children slip through the cracks?” Barnett said.

Scott Miller used to go to music therapy for $95 a session, once a week for more than a year and a psychiatrist once every three months, which cost $150 each session, Anne Miller said.

After arguing with the insurance company bought a special computer for her son from her own money.

The computer, called DynaVox, is used to help her son speak.

“It is his voice. It allows him to speak and tell us he is going to have a seizure or has to use the bathroom,” she said. “Why would they pay for him to have a wheelchair and not pay for this?”

The computer cost $6,900, she said.

Its been frustrating, Anne said. Medical conditions are covered, but therapy specifically for autism is not covered under the label of autism unless a way is found around it, she said.

The Michigan House of Representatives will consider this bill, and Angerer is hoping the Senate will be on board.

“When health insurance companies discriminate against autism, a lot of children go without any treatments,” Angerer said. “I’m optimistic because so many Michigan families are hurting. With this one simple change, children will be helped.”

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan opposes the bills, saying they are government mandates, according to an article in The Detroit News.

A petition for this bill can be found at housedems.com/petitions.

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Scott Miller functions like he is two years old and is nonverbal, but has made great strides in battling his disorder.

“In our son’s case, everyday life is truly difficult,” Anne Miller said. “But he’s taught us so much for someone who doesn’t speak.”

Thursday is Autism World Awareness Day, which is the beginning of Autism Awareness Month. One in every 150 American children live with the disorder.

The month is used to get the word out about support available families dealing with autism and to increase knowledge, said Holly Hoffman, assistant professor of counseling and special education.

“If people have limited life association with (autistic) people, they base it on movies or something like that,” Hoffman said. “We just like to increase the accurate widespread information.”

Hoffman said autism can affect an individual’s communication and social skills, as well as cognitive skills in some cases.

Their sensory system is also affected. If something is too hot, too loud or too tight, it really bothers them, Hoffman said.

Hope for improvement

Scott was diagnosed when he was two years old, and the most challenging part is trying to get the most out of his education, his mother said.

She expects his remaining education to be very productive, but she constantly wants more from his education than people are willing to give, she said.

Currently, Scott attends West Intermediate Middle School, and next year he will be at Mount Pleasant High School.

He has to have an aid with him during the day, and he will never be able to live by himself. But Anne Miller doesn’t give up hope for her son.

“You move on, and you read up on it, and you fight like crazy,” she said.

There are resources to help individuals with autism, Hoffman said.

Students can benefit from physical and cognitive therapy to get their sensory system more balanced. They work with visual learning and communication, she said, so they have a way to get their voice heard.

“People can be successful if they have the appropriate support and possibilities,” Hoffman said. “The sky is the limit.”

Day in the life

Anne said she is lucky that Scott is behaviorally stable. One challenge is being able to take individuals with autism out in public.

“You get stared at everywhere you go,” Anne said. “If you want to know what it’s like, go with me to Wal-Mart.”

Anne’s sister will look back at the people staring and ask them what they are staring at, but she just ignores it, because she just thinks people are curious.

“I look at Scottie and he’s almost 6 foot 3 (inches) and skinny as a rail, but he’s very gentle and very inquisitive, and there’s such a personality there,” she said. “And you will never know that until you spend time with him and see it his eyes.”

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