On Nov. 21, more than 50 leadership students gathered in the Education and Human Services Building’s French Auditorium where Fewins-Bliss presented for “Leader in Residency,” a Leadership-sponsored event that gives students an insight into the real world, encouraging the incorporation of student leadership skills in future careers.

“Leader in Residency” gives students an idea of what leadership can become for them after they leave CMU, said Assistant Professor of Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services Eric Buschlen.

Fewins-Bliss presented on a variety of topics such as servant leadership, leadership versus management and leadership in difficult times.

The opening slide of the presentation read: “Leaders are developed, trained, encouraged, empowered, grown and built.”

Fewins-Bliss gave students examples of leadership failures in his own life. He covered topics such as the failure to act, the failure to respond and even the failure to fail.

“Analyzing failure is critical,” he said.

Fewins-Bliss went on to show YouTube videos to integrate current events into the presentation, showing the difference between leadership in the classroom and leadership in public issues.

“Leadership looks different outside of your academic career,” Fewins-Bliss said.

The topic covered first was the Sandusky Pennsylvania State investigation.

Throughout the presentation, students regularly participated and gave their own opinions on the topics shown.

Fewins-Bliss went on to show a video illustrating Occupy Wall Street, calling it an “interesting case study in leadership.”

“Through a leadership lens what do we see, what do we think, what does this mean to us?” Fewins-Bliss asked students.

Overall, the students agreed there was the need for more organization throughout Occupy Wall Street groups.

One student said, “No one is there for the same reason — they all feel united but they all have such different ideas and issues to deal with.”

The final video Fewins-Bliss showed was of the pepper spraying of silent protesters at the University of California Davis.

Fewins-Bliss again stressed the importance of leadership, this time relating the lack of leadership at a fellow college and asking students for their opinions on how the college handled the situation.

“Through the presentation students are offered a glimpse into the real world — what’s really out there,” Buschlen said.

The event was sponsored by a grant from the Nash Family Endowment and the EHS Vending Fund.

State Sen. Glenn S. Anderson, D-Westland, Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, his daughter Kelly Bernero, and the Chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party Mark Brewer spoke 9 a.m. Saturday in the Education and Human Services Building’s French Auditorium.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich, was also invited but was unable to attend.

Robert Bower, President of MFCD and University of Michigan junior, said the event was a great opportunity for people to meet.

“It’s about 2012 elections,” Bower said. “It’s all about rebuilding.”

Things discussed at the seminars included the change in legislative districts, the end of collective bargaining and the school aid being raided.

“Specifically, these kinds of events are crucial,” said Lansing junior Virginia Bernero. “I think we were chosen because of our hard work over the years.”

Kelly is involved with College Democrats at U of M, and her sister Virginia is a part of the group at CMU.

Anderson’s speech contained a checklist of everything that has gone wrong in the state so far.

“It’s kind of depressing to see what Republicans have done in nine months,” Anderson said.

One of Anderson’s main points was the involvement of young people in the campaigning process.

“We’re hoping to create a movement to stop the madness going on in this state,” Anderson said.

Brewer also spoke on the impact younger adults have on the voting process, as they had in 2008.

“College students were beneficial in 2008,” Brewer said. “They stayed at home in 2010.”

Another topic discussed was the issue of employment in Michigan.

“We haven’t seen one job directly attributed to what the Republicans have done,” Anderson said.

The Occupy Wall Street movement was also mentioned as a glimpse into the future of politics in the state.

Virg Bernero discussed the question of whether or not the American dream was in jeopardy.

“Politicians in general respond to money and fear,” Bernero said. “This is the movement of our time.”

The screens are needed for the playground facing the south end of campus to provide shaded areas for the preschoolers until the trees grow enough to provide their own shade.

“When we designed the outdoor learning center, there were a lot of trees and natural materials included,” said Cheryl Priest, assistant professor of human and environmental studies. “This is a brand new space, so the trees have not matured yet.”

Priest said when the children play outside there is no place for them to escape the sun. Central Michigan University went to the architects to have the two shade structures designed to match and coordinate with the look of the building, she said. The two structures are being designed so that plants can grow up the sides of them.

“The architect was SHW Group and our contact there is Janice Suchan,” said Linda Slater, director of Plant Engineering and Planning.

Suchan was unable to be reached for comment at time of publication. Slater said Rob Kennedy, owner’s representative of Plant Engineering and Planning followed the construction of the project to ensure it was installed as per the plans and specifications provided by the architect.

The completion date is not yet known. It changes all the time depending on the weather, Priest said.

“It’s weather pending,” said Ron Hoyt of Alma, who has worked with Denali Construction for five years. “The colder it is, the more you have to wear, which limits productivity.”

The rest of the wood framing should be done in a matter of one more good day, Hoyt said Feb. 24. Hoyt and 11-year Denali Construction worker Rick Albrecht are part of the team building the new screens.

The area is off limits to the children for the extent of the construction.

Steve Lawrence, associate vice president of Facilities Management, said the solar panels will save the university $15,000 a year in heating and cooling costs during the Feb. 17 CMU Board of Trustees meeting. He told board members the panels will reduce CMU’s carbon footprint by 45 metric tons.

Tom Rohrer, director of the Great Lakes Institute of Sustainable Systems, said the EHS building is the model for the rest of campus to ultimately emulate.

The panels are tentatively scheduled to be installed by the end of the week.

Another environmentally-minded change on campus is demand-driven ventilation.

Carbon dioxide sensors have been fully installed in Moore and Pearce halls, the Student Activity Center, and the Engineering and Technology Building. Rose Arena is 99 percent complete, and the North Arts Studio and University Art Gallery are nearing completion, Rohrer said.

“When carbon dioxide gets to a certain level in building, fresh air needs to be let in,” he said. “We don’t want to exchange air when we don’t have to (heat in winter, air conditioning in summer), because it makes the temperature uncomfortable inside.”

Rohrer said the temperature stays more constant with the sensors while determining the exact level of carbon dioxide — making it safe without using unnecessary energy. The energy company CMU hired provides a rebate that equates to two-thirds of the total project cost. CMU is using its own staff for work on these projects, which also is saving money, Rohrer said.

“Although GLISS is in its first year of actual operation, I am very pleased with our progress,” said Rick Kurtz, interim associate dean of the College of Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences. “We are in the process of developing partnerships with fortune 500 companies, local governments, and school districts. On campus we are working with faculty to facilitate research projects, new academic program development and to continue the implementation of energy conservation.”

Also saving CMU money on energy costs is switching light fixtures. The ET building is under a four-month process of changing from 40- to 28-watt bulbs. Rohrer said the fixtures produce the same amount of light, but save 30 percent on lighting costs.

CMU receives a rebate of one-third of the project cost from power companies Consumers Energy and Detroit Edison.

It is anticipated that GLISS will emerge within a few years as a flagship institute that makes meaningful contributions to sustainability on a regional level, Kurtz said.

“We’re working with Facilities Management to promote these energy-saving projects across campus,” Rohrer said. “It’s just all part of becoming a more sustainable university.”

According to previously published reports, the solar panels would require less steam from the Power House and help the absorption chiller with heating and cooling the air and water.

“Since the EHS Building was already lead-certified and we had to get them installed, this building was our first choice,” said Director of Energy Optimization Mike Walton.

Walton said there are other ongoing projects on campus, including lighting upgrades and demand control ventilation. The upgrades in lighting started a year ago in Grawn Hall and are now making way across campus to other buildings.

“These were solar thermal panels that CMU already had,” he said.

The panels were originally intended for the Student Activity Center to heat the swimming pools and other domesticated water. The decision to move the panels was made to concentrate green initiatives for one building.

CMU received a green award from the American School University for efforts toward becoming a more environmentally-friendly campus.

Former CMU President Mike Rao founded the Great Lakes Institute for Sustainable Systems in 2008; since then, over 14 projects were completed with others in the works for the future.

The list is constantly growing, said Director of the Institute for Sustainable Systems Tom Rohrer.

“Some of the things we were directed to do (in 2008) were to take a look at energy conservation measures and all alternative possibilities,” Rohrer said. “We first had to put together a committee on campus that took a comprehensive inventory of CMU’s costs related to energy, and then created a plan.”

Moore Hall is the test-run for  lighting sensors, Rohrer said. The sensors are motion-controlled and turn off lights if they detect no movement in a room for a set amount of time.

If they are successful, there is a proposal to install them everywhere on campus.

Despite concerns from Michigan residents about the climate’s effect on the feasibility of alternative energy systems, Rohrer has no doubt in his mind about efficiency initiatives at CMU.

“People can talk negatively — the weather is too cold, dark and there is not enough wind — but latent heat for solar panels is still very viable,” Rohrer said.

An updated list of projects can be found by contacting Rohrer in his office in Anspach 106. Each project on the list shows the cost of completion and the annual savings. The list also explains how the majority of the projects will pay for themselves within a few years, as well as show continued savings for the future, he said.

Seven units are planned to be in the Education and Human Services Building, but not all have been installed yet. One is also planned for Wightman Hall and another in Finch Fieldhouse, said Marcus Jackson, specialized technology coordinator.

Another unit is portable and will be primarily housed in the EHS dean’s office.

“While the price tag is typical of a technologically advanced solution, like any good implementation we have designed it with the intent of future-proofing it,” Jackson said. “If we find that we need funding to update or support them, we have a built-in advertising mechanism that would allow us to sell ‘idle’ time to advertisers.”

The displays will inform students about events happening on campus and also provide a directory, Jackson said.

“I’ve tried it and think it will be great for students because of the touch screen,” said Naomi Munn, EHS coordinator of outreach and marketing. “Even those with disabilities, because there is a button at the bottom to lower the keyboard so people in wheelchairs can reach it.”

Funding for the digital displays was built into the original design of the EHS Building and was incorporated as part of the overall project, he said.

People can type in the names of faculty members and the screen will display a map showing where they are located in the building.

The displays were manufactured and designed by a company called Innovative Computers based of Belleville.

The newly constructed EHS building was chosen to have seven displays for a few reasons, Jackson said.

“Our job is to implement technology in the building,” he said. “It seemed like something has been missing in the hallways. We have been using paper to show where classrooms were.”

Jackson said he tried to design the display to solve many of the issues he had with finding information on campus.

Michael Reuter, director of distributed computing and technology operations for the College, said the display will also be promotional.

“There will be a donor page which will feature a lot of the people that have helped the college get to where it is today,” Reuter said.

The system features an environmental screen with updated information about how much energy the EHS Building is saving compared to other buildings.

Jackson and his partners plan to put more screens up around campus in the future, possibly including the Bovee University Center and Events Center.

“My goal in all of this is to have something that students could go to anywhere on campus,” Jackson said.

Features yet to be implemented are “Campus/Building Maps” and a “Giving Back” section that highlights scholarships and awards available to students, as well as fundraising events.

There will also be a live CNN feed and up-to-date weather.

However, the plans are not set in stone as far as content and functionality, Jackson said.

The displays will be fully operational with all features in places by early or mid-November. The team is open for suggestions to what people want to see in the displays.

“Our hope is that it is going to be as effective as other people want it to be,” Jackson said. “We get to add other features that people think will be cool to put on it.”

These were the traits five elementary school students said their ideal teacher must possess at Monday night’s “Viewpoint: A Kid’s Perspective” forum in the Education and Human Services Building’s French Auditorium.

Fourth-grader Bekka Christie thinks before answering a question Monday night in the French Auditorium at the EDU building during "Viewpoint: A Kid's Perspective." A panel of "expert" second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth graders offered their ideas on what it takes to be a good teacher to CMU students in the teaching program. (Matthew Stephens/Senior Photographer)

The crew of “expert panelists,” as organizer Renee Papelian called it, came to talk about their ideal classroom experience. The group answered questions from a full hall of more than 200 students pursuing degrees in education.

“These kids know what they’re talking about because they experience great teachers each day,” said Papelian, the director of ProfEd at Central Michigan University.

The five children were in the second to sixth grade. The second to fourth graders came from Pullen Elementary School, 251 S. Brown St., and the fifth and sixth graders from McGuire Elementary School, 4883 E. Crosslanes St.

The panelists fidgeted in their seats and the younger ones had to stretch up to speak into the microphone, but they answered each question thoughtfully and impressed audience members such as Alahna Vondette.

“I was surprised by their reaction to the questions,” said Vondette, a Hemlock senior who wants to become a middle school teacher. “They were more mature than I thought they would be.”

The children described what a good teacher should be like and then responded to questions about topics such as classroom decoration, best forms of discipline and use of technology.

“Be strict when you need to but, otherwise, just be fun and nice,” said third grader Lauren MacDonald.

The audience was in nearly unanimous uproar when the three oldest students raised their hands to say they had cell phones.

A panel of "expert" second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth graders offered their ideas on what it takes to be a good teacher to CMU students in the teaching program Monday night in the French Auditorium. (Matthew Stephens/Senior Photographer)

Misheka Vasquez-Floyd frequently text messages many of his friends.

“A bunch of people. Mostly girls,” the sixth grader said to a burst of applause.

Lake Orion senior Dave Kase was surprised to hear the kids wanted structure and teachers that set and enforce rules.

Though Vasquez-Floyd and fourth grader Bekka Christie had a mostly positive impression of homework, MacDonald had already had her fill of it.

“I have it like every day, seriously,” she said.

Cortez, an adjunct professor of History at Saginaw Valley State University, is working on her doctorate at CMU. Having already taught at Mid-Michigan Community College and SVSU, Cortez is taking three classes on qualitative analysis on the weekends in the EHS Building.

“It’s very clean and efficient,” Cortez said. “I like how it’s made with green technology.”

The green technology has added many different elements, including bigger windows, to let in natural light. The four-story, $50 million building opened in 2009 to house the College of Education and Human Services and the Center for Charter Schools.

“The smart boards are great,” Cortez said. “The technology just takes some getting used to.”

The technology includes RoomWizards and CopyCams, which are meant to help the classroom learning process for students.

After taking a year off, Bay Port Graduate Student Brenda Gaeth returned to a new building with better accommodations for becoming a counselor.

“The openness of it was incredible,” Gaeth said. “I loved how everything was accessible. Loved the classes, as well.”

A professors perspective

The building’s resources also won over many professors.

Since the addition of the building, there have been training sessions to help the professors fully equip their students. Allowing for students, as well as the professors to interact with other colleges.

“Because we have such high technology, our students are able to get exposure,” said Marguerite Terrill, professor of Teacher Education and

Professional Development. “Through this, we are able to interact with other universities, which is professionally enriching.”

Terrill said the three of the major departments that deal with teacher education are Teacher Education and Professional Development, Counseling and Special Education, and Human Environmental Studies.

One thing the EHS Building did was to bring all three of these departments together. Before the move, TEPD was in Ronan Hall, CSE was in Rowe Hall and HEV in Wightman Hall.

“It’s wonderful — it’s been a great transition,” Terrill said.

“In the past 10 years, the university has probably changed more than in the previous 20,” said chemistry professor Bob Howell, who has worked at CMU for 32 years.

Howell said there has been a large influx, at least in the chemistry department, of young faculty and a university-wide increase in focus on research that was not seen 10 years ago.

He said one instrumental person in these changes was former University President Michael Rao, who served from 2000 until June 2009, when he left for the presidency at Virginia Commonwealth University.

“He was just very dynamic and very positive,” Howell said.

In addition to the increased focus on research, there also is an expansion of graduate programs throughout the university, including programs in audiology, health professions, history, education, and material science.

Technology

Another large change on campus has been the addition of technology and a technical support staff.

“They’re giving us ideas of how to use technology in the classroom,” said health sciences professor Rich Parr, who has been teaching at CMU for 43 years.

The technical support does not touch on the fact that 10 years ago, there was almost nothing in the way of computer labs for classes, said English temporary faculty Carol Riddle.

There also was a physical expansion of the university into new buildings. Some more recent additions and renovations are the Education and Human Services Building, the Health Professions Building and the renovation of the Charles V. Park Library.

“I used to know campus really well — now, I see an address and it’s in some building I’ve never been in,” said Riddle, who has been a faculty member for 20 years.

Keeping up

With these expansions into new buildings, there also is a growing number of students. On-campus enrollment has increased to 20,444 in 2009 from 17,789 in 1999.

That is a concern for some faculty who feel it may become difficult to keep up the level of their program with the growing class sizes.

Professor David Gillingham of the School of Music said the completion of the Music Building has given the program more notoriety — although it is able to be more selective with students, the classes are getting larger as well.

“It’s amazing that we can do as much as we do with the faculty we have,” Gillingham said.

Because of many of the changes buildings and the emphasis on research at CMU, Howell said he has noticed a shift in the image of the university.

“If you look at what’s happening to the university — our image nationally is much better than it was,” Howell said.

The children wanted to know what types of spiders they were. They searched online and looked at pictures.

“One was sticking out his tongue,” Fanning said.

To do the research, the students used Mac Minis.

The Office of Information Technology installed the computers in the preschool Tuesday in the College of Education and Human Services building for children’s use.

There will be four 22” Acer monitors connected to Mac Minis. Each monitor cost $175 and each Mac Mini was $750, totaling out to $3,700 for four sets.

“In a lot of ways, it creates a more interactive environment for them,” said Michael Reuter, director of Distributed Computing and Technical Operations.

Reuter said if children use computers at a young age, they will be prepared to use them in the future.

“We truly want children to view themselves as researchers,” said Cheryl Priest, faculty director of the CDLL. “We have to give them many types of tools to engage in that process, and this (computers) is one of the tools.”

The children will have social interaction with other children and teachers and be able to construct their own knowledge, Priest said.

Jackie Weller, lead teacher of CDLL, said allowing the children to investigate gives them a chance to have a hands-on learning experience.

“We’re helping to facilitate that investigation,” Weller said.

They research it, document it and print it, Priest said.

“Rather than answering children’s questions, we encourage them to become researchers,” Priest said.

Into a piazza

The computers will be placed in the hallway of the CDLL at children’s levels.

“We’re looking at the hallway as more of a piazza, which is a gathering place in Italy and it is found in the schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy,” Priest said. “We’re using the computers, as well as many other things, to transform it into a piazza.”

Not only will the children be able to conduct research on these computers, but they also will be able to play music and upload photos they take in class.

“We try to bring music into the environment,” Priest said.

Basic programs will be on these computers, such as iTunes, iPhoto and office programs to document the research.

However, learning games will not be uploaded onto the computers.

The CDLL does not want to encourage the children to spend lengthy time periods at the computers where they will be in a trance mode, Priest said.

“We really want to focus on how to use a computer in a more beneficial and sophisticated way,” Priest said.