Students gathered for the first ever “The Amazing Relay Race” Wednesday night and fifteen teams of five to 10 people came to compete for the Maroon Cup.

Stations were set up throughout the SAC to test the participants’ physical and mental prowess. From swimming a lap to solving Pixar movie-themed puzzles, students competed against the clock and against students from the other teams.

The Original Towers Team walked away victorious, with Merrill Hall and Kappa Kappa Psi fraternity coming in second and third respectively.

“I didn’t have fun at this event — I had a blast,” said Allendale senior Jonathan Becksvoort, of the Original Towers team.

The first station required students to shoot a free throw, the next teammate solved a brain teaser. Another teammate had to swim one lap and the next solved a puzzle. Then the teams moved to the indoor track to run two laps.

The final two events were questions on assorted trivia, from when CMU was founded to what the largest city in Europe is, and hula hooping 10 times.

After completing each station the team member who finished got their passport, a folder provided for the event, signed by the homecoming committee member who was in charge of that station. Each station also had bonuses allowing the team to get time taken off their total, by finishing in a certain time or getting all of the questions right.

Not much information was released before the event so teams did not have many ways to prepare for the event.

“We did some cheers and listened to some pump-up music before the event,” said Chelsea Culter, a Carleton sophomore of the Sweeney Hall team.

So far the Homecoming committee has not decide if they will hold this event again next year.

“It will just depend on the people who are on committee next years” said Samantha Fleming, an Allen Park senior and Homecoming committee member. “We were really happy with the turn out. We had more people at the relay than were at the Quest for Central Spirit.”

The drive, a part of Homecoming Week events, is a contest today and Thursday between Central Michigan and Western Michigan universities to see which school’s students can donate the most blood.

Donations will be accepted from noon to 6 p.m. today and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday in Sweeney’s basement.

“The Red Cross helped advertise the event for us. We are competing against the other halls around campus to see who can donate the most,” said Watson junior Caitlin Hall, who helped organize the blood drive. “It’s all part of the Central vs. Western competition.”

Halls will combine efforts to donate more blood than WMU, a 14-year tradition.

Detroit senior Melanie Tolbert is one of the leaders for Women In Leadership Community, which helped put on the event.

“We put on a lot of charitable events. Later this month we are putting on a Big Brothers, Big Sisters event in Midland,” Tolbert said. “The blood drive is just one of many events that we help in.”

Sweeney Residence Hall Director Faye Reber expects a great turn out.

“We usually have a great turn out and great numbers. It is something that has become a tradition for Sweeney Hall in the last three to four years,” Reber said.

Erin Radick is excited about the blood drive, but disappointed she couldn’t donate.

“I’ve donated blood twice before, but I recently got a tattoo so I won’t be able to this time,” Radick said.

Jet’s Pizza is giving away free slices of pizza to anyone that attempts to donate during the blood challenge which started Monday and goes to Oct. 28 at locations across campus including the Towers, Bovee University Center, Student Activity Center, and Emmons and Sweeney halls.

According to www.redcrossblood.org, the goal for the blood drive competition is 961 units of blood, which could save up to 2900 lives.

The blood will go to patients who need it for a variety of reasons, from routine surgery, to trauma, to diseases such as sickle cell, and cancer, according to the website.

Interested donors can call 1-800 RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment.

But this semester, Sweeney got a Y chromosome injection.

“It’s still 258 girls to 88 guys but hey, at least it smells good.” Cory Mueller said.

Mueller, a Brighton freshman who lives in Sweeney, said he likes the hall’s new co-ed status because it is nice to have an extra hand with everything.

Rand Revoldt lived in Merrill Hall, formerly an all male residence hall, for two years and often visited Sweeney, an all-female hall at the time, because they were so close together.

“You meet some great people living in the residence halls,” the Grand Rapids sophomore said.

Joan Schmidt, associate director of Residence Life, said the change was made because less and less people had requested the single-sex residence.

She thinks the transition has gone well so far.

“It seems a bit livelier, people seem pretty happy there,” Schmidt said. “So far, it appears to have been a good change.”

Sheila Pichla, a Bad Axe sophomore,  lived in Sweeney last year and said the hall seems to be more of a community now.

“It’s nice that it is much more social this year,” she said.

Schmidt said she was shocked not many people complained about the change before school started.

“There were a few residents from last year who were concerned because they were in the 12 percent that wanted to live in that environment,” she said. “I was honestly a little surprised that we didn’t hear from new freshmen and parents.”

Carleton sophomore Chelsea Culter lived in Sweeney last year and still does. She said it was strange to see boys come through the doors on move-in day.

“It’s been a lot more friendly and people have kept their doors open a lot more,” Culter said. “It’s weird how boys can affect that.”

-Senior Reporters Ryan Taljonick and Heather Hillman contributed to this report

Shaun Holtgreive, associate director of Residence Life, said 49 cameras were installed in Merrill, Sweeney, Beddow and Thorpe halls. Upgrades were implemented to the cameras in Saxe, Herrig, Celani and Fabiano halls, as well as the Towers residence halls.

“It gives us the ability to monitor doors and respond to unauthorized doors being propped open,” Holtgreive said.

The cameras on the exterior of the residence halls are next to entrances and side doors, as well as in the main areas of the floors. Holtgreive said the cameras on top of buildings did not provide the quality of picture he was looking for.

He said the parking lots and building perimeters of campus will be left up to Central Michigan University Police, not Residence Life.

“We have got the areas of concern for us (covered),” Holtgreive said.

Cost: $150,000

The cost for the cameras’ wiring and software for Merrill, Sweeney, Beddow and Thorpe halls was $150,000, Holtgreive said. The upgrades to the Towers area, along with Fabiano, Saxe, Herrig, and Celani halls did not cost Residence Life because it was equipment they already had, said Coordinator of Residential Security Ben Witt.

CMU Police Chief Bill Yeagley said there are more than 300 cameras on campus. He anticipates more cameras will be installed in parking lots and on buildings throughout the campus as remodels and money permits.

He said CMU Police has regular meetings on safety and security for the campus.

“Lighting, the design of the building and cameras are all discussed,” Yeagley said. “Whenever there is a renovation done to a building on campus, we give our input on where cameras should be installed.”

CMU Community Police Officer Mike Sienkiewicz said the cameras are used for mostly after-the-fact situations. It is a tool of review if needed. However, there is some live monitoring, he said.

“I have it set up in my office so, if I need to, I can watch the main areas where people move the most,” Sienkiewicz said.

Those include the main entrances of the halls and the stairwells, he said, which, in the past, have had incidences of vandalism and crime.

Witt said the cameras enhance safety and improve on current systems that work in residential security.

“They are an invaluable resource,” Witt said. “We also have a change in philosophy by adding security to the perimeter instead of only concentrating on the interior.”

North Campus residence halls are older buildings, and camera installation is yet to be determined, Holtgreive said.

“We are still evaluating to upgrade or replace those facilities,” he said. “Once that decision is made, we will then know where we stand on camera installation.”

Clark had a way to voice her concern with Interim University President Kathy Wilbur Wednesday night at a student forum held by Wilbur in Sweeney Hall.

“Sweeney has been my home for the past three years,” Clark said. “I love it here.”

However, because of the transition, she is considering living off campus next year.

“It’s more of a personal choice,” Clark said.

Clark was hoping Wilbur and her colleagues had been discussing a new possible same-sex option for next year.

Clark would even be okay with a same sex floor, she said.

Wilbur was open and thoughtful to the idea.

“I think that’s a fair question, there should be something for everyone,” Wilbur said. “I appreciate your concerns.”

Clark and nine other students gathered around the Sweeney lobby for the third installment in the series of four student forums taking place this semester.

Wednesday was definitely the smallest turnout so far, Wilbur said.

There were conflicting opportunities such as the Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black lecture being held in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium, she said.

“I always enjoy talking with students who take the time and want to be there,” Wilbur said.

Besides the Sweeney transition, Wilbur also addressed student questions regarding other rumors floating around campus.

Other topics of conversation included the Michigan Promise, the north campus and the Bovee University Center remodeling, athletic cutbacks and apartment costs versus residence halls.

Wilbur said the broken Michigan Promise is a decision of Gov. Jennifer Granholm and there isn’t much Central Michigan University can do.

In addition to these topics, Wilbur was also asked personal questions such as what her favorite part about being president is.

“I get to review the menus for events,” Wilbur said. “And I also get the opportunity to be on campus and interact with students more than my last job.

“About every other day there’s a little surprise that drops on my desk.”

Sweeney Hall, part of south quad containing Beddow, Merrill, and Thorpe halls, is the last remaining single-sex hall at Central Michigan University.

All four were same-sex halls several years ago. Merrill and Thorpe were all-male, while Beddow and Sweeney were all-female. Beddow and Thorpe became co-ed in fall 2007, and Merrill made the switch this year.

“We have been looking at and evaluating the percentage of students choosing Sweeney Hall as their first or second choice as a housing assignment the last couple of years.” said Michelle Veith, the Assistant Director of Residence Life. “Each year, the number requesting Sweeney as a top choice has diminished with this year only 12 percent choosing it as their first choice.”

Ultimately, the choice to change the hall came from the students.

“We look at the trends with sign up and try to adjust what we offer accordingly when possible,” Veith said.

Around Michigan, all other colleges are entirely co-ed, with the exception of Michigan State University’s one all-female hall, Veith said.

“It reflects the change and demand of our students.” said Faye Reber, Sweeney’s Residence Hall Director. “There are mixed emotions, but a lot of people are welcoming the change.”

Shelby Miller, a White Lake freshman, is one of those students.

“I wish it was co-ed right now,” she said.

Others are still a bit hesitant on the change.

“I’m against it. I feel there should be something that allows students to live how they live,” said Hudson sophomore Danielle Clark. “There are other girls who don’t want to live in a co-ed area.”

Many thought the transition would have been easier if certain floors in Sweeney remained all-female.

However, the change within the hall has a positive factor as well.

“All fill very quickly, and are a top choice for freshmen choosing their hall,” Veith said.