The Residence Life Fitness and Wellness program presented “Truth or Scare” with Dr. Jennifer Nash, dermatologist from the MidMichigan Physicians Group Monday night in Kulhavi Hall, to inform students of its potential risks.

In her presentation to about 20 people, Nash addressed tanning’s potentially detrimental effects on health. The relatively recent phenomenon of tanning is increasing, which has unfortunately increased cases of skin cancer, Nash said.

Clinton Township sophomore Erica Sell, one of University Recreation’s team leaders, said Nash was also brought in to inform students of sun exposure last year.

“Usually this time of the year people are starting to get ready for spring break,” Sell said.  “Everyone always wants to get a base tan.”

Despite evidence of harmful effects, the $5 billion per year industry is drawing in more people than ever before, Nash said.

She said skin cancer is the most common type of cancer; it is more common than breast, colon, lung and prostate cancer combined.

“Ultraviolet light is a proven carcinogen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,” Nash said.  “UVA and UVB rays can directly damage the cells or indirectly damage the DNA in skin cells, mostly occurring in the epidermis (top layer of skin).”

There is a false conception that the more tanned people are, the more protected they are from the sun, Nash said.

She said just by having tanned skin, DNA is damaged, which causes the skin to produce more melanin.

“Some estimates say that one in three Caucasians will actually develop skin cancer,” Nash said.

Despite what many advertisements preach, vitamin D is not obtained in significant amounts in the process because of the UVA light emitted from tanning beds, Nash said.

“The healthiest way to get vitamin D is from supplements,” she said.

Nash said melanoma is the worst type of cancer with 120,000 cases every year.  It is incurable when it spreads internally.

Skin cancer is preventable, she said, and sunscreen should have a broad spectrum of UVA and UVB coverage.

Nash said despite conceptions that sunscreen causes skin cancer, the chemicals are not absorbed beyond the surface of the skin.

Self-tanning products are a safe and non-toxic substitute for tanning without the carcinogenic effects, Nash said.

“I’m probably not going tanning anymore,” Richmond junior Alea Carlson said. “I was hoping that it wouldn’t be that bad for you.”

Sibs Weekend, which has encouraged students to involve family in their lives on campus since the 1970s, begins on Friday with a “Candyland” theme this year.

“It’s all about the excitement of spending time with siblings and there is something for everyone to enjoy, young and old,” Student Activities Coordinator Damon Brown said.

A life-sized version of the board game, tours of the event center and a movie night have all been added to the weekend’s itinerary, Brown said.

Students and family can take in a carnival, meet the Central Michigan University dance team, attend a club-scene event at Bovee University Center, ice skate and more. A full schedule of events can be found at www.stulife.cmich.edu.

The three-day event that takes place all over campus is intended to give students and siblings time together they might otherwise find difficult living away from home.

“Since I live on campus and don’t go home a lot, it‘s nice having my sister come up to visit and we can do a bunch of the different activities,” Macomb freshman Samantha Licari said.

The event already has more than 1,600 students registered, Brown said.

Parents of students are also encouraged to join.

“We always welcome parents to come and spend time with their son or daughter and their siblings during Sibs Weekend because it is a fun environment for everyone,” Brown said.

Farmington Hills senior Robert Dolecki, the weekend’s public relations coordinator, is ready to energize anyone and everyone coming this weekend.

“I’ll be there to get everyone moving, shaking and having fun,” Dolecki said. “I love every moment of this event and I am looking forward to seeing the end product of all our hard work.”

Though online registration is closed, it is not too late to join in. On-site registration will take place Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. at Finch Fieldhouse during check-in.

The $30 registration fee per sibling/participant covers the cost of entertainment, special events and commemorative shirts and bags. CMU students attend for free, and parents can join for a $10 fee not including shirt or bag.

Any additional questions can be directed to the Office of Student Life at 774-2547 or www.stulife.cmich.edu.

Shingles, assistant vice president of University Recreation, has been part of Central Michigan University’s campus for the past 22 years. He has made it a priority to be a good ambassador in support of the university and its initiatives.

“It is important for people to understand the wholesome nature of diversity,” Shingles said. “It is much more than ethnic diversity, and we must keep a moral compass for that.”

In 1997, Shingles became the assistant vice president of Institutional Diversity. Being the second person to hold this position, he had a key role in making the first university-wide diversity plan. This plan was founded on CMU’s value of diversity within its environment.

As the head of University Recreation, Shingles is responsible for recreation and wellness programs and services at CMU. As part of the Events Center’s mission, the staff works to provide an array of programs. Shingles said he is committed to ensuring a venue that supports all different types of opportunities, people and events.

Shingles is also in charge of hiring staff and recruiting students. He firmly believes diversity starts by making sure it is present within the workforce.

“There is a genesis within diverse planning and understanding of values,” Shingles said. “A diverse workforce benefits everybody in terms of service and relationships.”

Vincent Mumford, associate professor of physical education and sport and Shingles’ colleague since 2006, said he admires his passion and active commitment to student growth and diversity.

“Stan isn’t just talk, he makes things happen,” Mumford said. “It is because of his active recruitment and determination that Health Management has become a more diverse program.”

Shingles considers himself an ordinary individual given extraordinary opportunities. He said he believes it is his social and ethical responsibility to give back to the community. He is a member of the local United Way, Red Cross, National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association and Special Olympics game committee.

Nichole Bliss, executive director of United Way of Isabella County emphasized the impact Shingles has on people’s lives.

“Stan is a man of great influence, knowledge and giving his time, talent and treasure,” Bliss said. “He takes time to listen and find ways to solve problems.”

Despite other job offers throughout the years, Shingles has chosen to stay at CMU. He plans to continue his mentorship with students, athletes, faculty and community members. He has seen the university transform over the last 20 years and knows more is to come.

“My values in diversity are consistent with CMU’s,” Shingles said, “and that is a main reason for why I enjoy being here.”

The first event is the faculty and staff tour starting at noon and going until 2 p.m.

Stan Shingles, assistant vice president of University Recreation, events and conferences is thrilled of the new events center opening as well as the festivities leading up to it.

“For our faculty and staff we will be having lunch during the tour,” Shingles said.

Following the faculty and staff tours are tours for students and the community from 2 to 4 p.m.

“These tours are the first opportunity to see inside the new Events Center as well as the McGuirk arena,” said Steve Smith, director of public relations.

The community will be able to see Ticket central, the new box office replacing the current one in the UC, academic areas, the concourse and the 156 by 15 foot mural that depicts various aspects from athletics to biology.

Next on the day’s festivities is the ribbon cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. For this the doors will open at 4:30 p.m. for the public.

Speaking at the event will be University President George Ross, as well as CMU Board of Trustees Vice Chairwoman Marilyn French Hubbard; John Kulhavi, fundraising steering chairman; Mount Pleasant Mayor Jim Holton, Brittany Mouzourakis, Student Government Association president and Garden City senior; and Patricia Janes, an associate professor of parks and leisure services.

The Master of Ceremonies will be Fox Sports Detroit reporter and CMU alumnus Mickey York.

All these events are leading up to the tip-off for the first-ever basketball game played in the arena against Temple at 7 p.m.

Senior Associate Athletics Director Marcy Weston has been at CMU for over 30 years and said this is a crown jewel for campus.

“There will be representation from all groups … everybody who’s been in on planning, and management of this fine facility and into the future,” Weston said.

Smith said the public and campus community will find the center to be multi purpose and accommodating for everything.

“It was built for flexibility,” Smith said.

university@cm-life.com

The university’s deferred maintenance fund trumps that of other universities, but it’s still half the amount needed to finance all the “big-ticket” maintenance issues on campus.

Such projects are typically the replacement of building and utility systems, including roofs, sidewalks and heating-ventilating-air conditioning, said Linda Slater, director of Plant Engineering and Planning. Central Michigan University’s current deferred maintenance budget is $5.7 million.

Steve Lawrence, associate vice president of Facilities Management, said the CMU Board of Trustees has never decreased the deferred maintenance fund and what it receives is generous compared to most universities.

“(The $5.7 million) is much better than many universities have,” he said, “and we’re very fortunate that our budget is as big as it is.”

The fund is a $200,000 increase from previous years, said David Burdette, vice president of Finance and Administrative Services.

Burdette said the budget is one of the single most important positive aspects about budgeting at CMU, as it plays a strong role in maintaining the buildings and the infrastructure.

“I’m very proud of (the amount allocated) because it’s a positive statement from the board of trustees and president that they care about the infrastructure and buildings of this campus,” he said. “We will protect that deferred maintenance budget. It’s really important, not only for current students but for future students.”

Lawrence said the average age of campus buildings is about 40 years.

The fund’s mechanics

Carol Haas, director of Financial Planning and Budgets, said the deferred maintenance fund is like a replacement program so campus facilities do not deteriorate.

“Items have a useful life of so long and you really ought to plan to replace (them) during that time frame,” she said. “Sometimes you can’t do that and then it becomes a deferred maintenance item.”

To extend the time before systems need to be replaced, Slater said, Facilities Management works to implement day-to-day maintenance like roof inspection and repair, filter changes, bearing changes and parking lot crack sealing.

Seven entities on campus participate in preparing and prioritizing the list of projects, which are funded and completed each year, she said, including Athletics, University Recreation, facilities operations, grounds, Plant Engineering and Planning and Residence Life.

“Facility condition assessments of buildings and utilities prepared by architectural and engineering firms are a key input to this process,” Slater said.

Projects and funding

When prioritizing projects, Lawrence said they address the most serious things first, like roof replacement and safety issues, so none of the projects that roll into future years become hazardous.

Slater said the project prioritization process is very inclusive because it gives her team a better perspective of which projects need to be addressed first.

“We get different perspectives and it really helps us get to the right priorities,” she said.

Slater said the next big project on the books is to redesign and replace the heating-ventilating-air conditioning system in Anspach Hall.

Lawrence said the amount of projects completed each year varies depending on how expensive they are.

Barrie Wilkes, associate vice president of Financial Services and Reporting, said most other universities that run into budget problems often look to cut deferred maintenance funds to solve or help solve the issues — but not at CMU.

“Our board has been very firm that they aren’t going to (cut the deferred maintenance budget),” he said. “They are going to continue to support deferred maintenance.”

Haas said if funds are not allocated to deferred maintenance projects, then the list grows and the facilities will deteriorate.

“So you really have to keep up on it so the facilities don’t deteriorate and cost you more in the end,” she said. “If you let something go so bad, then it could end up costing you more in the end to fix what’s deteriorated plus any other subsequent damage.”

To stop deferred maintenance from growing, Haas said Facilities Management needs closer to $12 million a year. However, she said CMU doesn’t generate enough revenue to increase the deferred maintenance budget.

“We are making strides to keep deferred maintenance from growing … although we do have needs that exceed that,” Haas said. “They don’t even have enough funds to do just normal maintenance. The needs are always greater than the funding.”

Stan, assistant vice president of University Recreation, and René, associate professor of physical education and sport, have been married since 1992. They first crossed paths at Illinois State University.

“When I first met her, I was actually watching a football game and she was an athletic trainer,” Stan said. “I just saw her on the sidelines. And you know when you see somebody and you are like ‘wow she is cute.’”

After dating, the couple has since moved around professionally, going different directions within the sports industry. René is in academics and Stan is in administration.

Stan has been employed at Central Michigan University since 1989. One month into their marriage, René was offered a job to teach physical education at CMU.

“Luckily everything fell into place because we didn’t both have to relocate,” Stan said. “She just relocated here.”

As the head of University Recreation, Stan oversees all recreation, leisure and wellness programs, services and facilities at CMU.

The two have always strived to work and live in the same region if possible — even if that means not taking a job because there is not an opportunity for the other professionally. In July 2009, they were both offered positions at their alma mater of ISU but chose to remain at CMU.

“We’ve had lots of opportunity to go to other universities, but we’ve always assessed our situation here,” Stan said. “I stayed at CMU because I believe in the quality of education.”

Making a difference

One of the activities they are involved in is United Way; they have co-chaired for CMU’s drive for the past three years.

Nichole Bliss, executive director of United Way, said the Shingles have been instrumental in leading the campaign on campus.

“We wouldn’t have been able to reach the amount of people or the amount of support without them,” she said. “The two of them really give their time, talent and treasure.”

Giving time to help mentor is also important to the Shingles.

Detroit resident and CMU alumnus Vershaun Jones knows firsthand how valuable the mentoring is. The CMU alumna and former CMU women’s basketball player received countless advice from the Shingles, ranging from career tips to educational advice.

“They were like my parents away from home,” Jones said. “If I needed to talk to them about something (or) get advice, I would consult with them along with my parents when (making) decisions.”

Those decisions ranged from staying on the basketball team at CMU, getting a masters degree and even career advice.

“I think that meeting them and the relationship we had has definitely been a blessing to me,” she said.

René, who refers to Jones as her ‘daughter,’ said it’s important for students to want to find a mentor because they can help students not only personally but professionally, because she too has had mentors.

“I didn’t get here by myself,” René said. It is important to give back. I try to do that for my own students to provide that support in whatever way.”

As of last week, $56,905.66 had been raised, said Stan Shingles, co-chair of the CMU fund drive and vice president of University Recreation.

“It’s about our community and serving individuals in our tough economic times,” Shingles said. “There is a lack of food, clothing and shelter that people in our community don’t have. It’s about helping others in need.”

United Way of Isabella County hopes to raise $480,000 by January 2011, said Nichole Bliss, the nonprofit’s executive director. This money will fund heath and human services programs for the American Red Cross and Big Brothers and Big Sisters.

“Our mission is to engage citizens in the community-wide effort to support human services that impact people’s lives,” Bliss said.

The money will also go toward Child and Family Enrichment Council, Salvation Army, Women’s Aid and 21 other agencies.

Several student organizations and individual residence halls are participating in fundraisers for the United Way, Shingles said.

CMU has been proactive in trying to make the goal. Most recently, campus dining had a flex donation drive, Shingles said. Faculty and student employees also have the opportunity to donate through payroll deduction,

Last year, CMU increased the goal for the United Way funding, despite of the economic times, Shingles said. Although CMU did not meet the goal last year, the university is taking on the challenge again this year.

Students are very supportive and generous of causes at CMU, said Kim Voisin, assistant director of Residence Life.

“United Way is an organization that gives back,” she said.

Davis, assistant director of fitness and wellness for University Recreation, began work at Central Michigan University this semester. She oversees the Fitness and Weight Training Center, personal training, facilities and staff, while thinking of new ways to get students out of their rooms and into the gym.

“I don’t even feel like this is really my job,” she said. “I love coming to work every day.”

Davis received her undergraduate degree from Bowling Green State University in human movement science and her master’s from the University of Toledo in public health.

She heard about the position at CMU through a conference held by the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association in Anaheim, Calif.

This year, University Recreation has a full schedule of over 40 group fitness classes offered weekly.

Classes offered include turbo kick, Zumba, yoga, Piyo, cycling, strength training and more. Davis teaches a cycling class from 7 to 8 a.m. on Tuesdays. Even at such an early time slot, the 15 bikes available in the center court cycling room are usually full before the class starts, she said.

“My main goal this year is to provide the best fitness/wellness programs and opportunities possible to CMU Students,” Davis said. “I hope to get as many students involved in our University Recreation programs as possible and promote healthy lifestyles on all levels.”

Bark River graduate assistant Brooke Derouin, who is pursuing her master’s in sports administration, said she is impressed by Davis’s dedication to her new position.

“Layne has an optimistic approach to life. Her passion for fitness and making an impact on others is apparent,” she said. “Finding someone that is as committed and determined in improving the experience CMU students, faculty and staff and community members have when they use our fitness programs is really something special.”

Davis said she developed the desire to help students achieve healthy bodies and minds.

“What attracted me to this position was the opportunity to work with students on fitness and wellness programs,” she said. “I believe that this is a great opportunity for them to build healthy habits that they can continue throughout a lifetime.”

It’s money Central Michigan University is seeking back from the project’s contractor. Altogether, the board of trustees on Thursday approved $1.5 million to be allocated to the new structure.

Stan Shingles, assistant vice president of University Recreation, events and conferences, said outdated building codes from the 1970s and unknown structural issues with the existing facility contributed to the design problems.

“When we started talking about blending the old with the new,” he said, “there were so many unknown factors that just popped up.”

Of the $1.5 million, $750,000 will be used to fix the “unforeseen conditions, design errors and omissions.” A total of $100,000 is for internal signage enhancement and $650,000 is for a 30-foot-by-10-foot video board and related video equipment.

David Burdette, vice president of Finance and Administrative Services, said design issues became apparent as construction progressed on the Events Center during the “ambitious design schedule.”

The list of design errors is quite long, said Steve Lawrence, associate vice president of Facilities Management.

“There are many of them that are very significant, very high cost to repair and correct,” he said to the board, “but absolutely necessary to complete the project.”

University reserves will finance the $750,000 needed to repair the design errors up front.

However, Lawrence said he and his team will work with the design and architectural firm to determine the financial responsibility of the repairs through a process of mediation.

“We are going to try and get every penny we can get (back),” he said.

University President George Ross said the university has undergone mediation to recover funds from design errors in the past.

He said the architectural team hired to design the Health Professions Building was required to pay back the university for several costs. The costs were associated with replacing every window in the building after a mediation process found the firm at fault.

“We have built a lot of buildings on this campus,” Ross said. “Sometimes, there are errors.”

Ross estimated it could take at least a year to get reimbursed by the insurance company.

The board also approved the allocation of additional funds for repairing damages to campus buildings after two floods this summer, including the Events Center.

The Events Center will receive $500,000 for repairs to locker rooms and a storage area that were damaged during a June 3 flood. Another $500,000 is being allocated to transfer rubberized flooring deemed biohazardous from one landfill to another.

A total of $3 million will be used to repair 39 campus buildings that were damaged during the Aug. 11 flood.

The exact allocation amount for each building was not available.

Video equipment

Future revenue from the athletics department will fund the video board and related video equipment.

Shingles said the video board and equipment was included in the original plan for the facility. However, they were omitted as time progressed and it became apparent components had to be cut to stay within budget.

Shingles said additional funding was requested because they felt the video board and equipment would be important assets to the Events Center.

“We realized that we were in a lot of ways not creating the facility that we wanted to create (without the video board and equipment),” he said.

Director of Athletics Dave Heeke said the equipment is not just for the athletics department, but will be used for concerts and graduation ceremonies as well.

“Those pieces will be used for a variety of events,” he said.

Heeke said there is a funding mechanism already in place to repay the reserve account. Repairing the flood damage and adding the new equipment will not interrupt the timeframe for completion, he said.

The $100,000 requested for internal signage enhancement will be funded through university reserves.

Heeke said the signage will be used for helping people navigate through the facility and for decoration purposes.