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Freshman gets past day one jitters

(08/30/06 4:00am)

This is the first story in a weekly series chronicling a day in the life of unsung members of the CMU community. It’s Monday morning and Grand Rapids freshman Christina Carpenter is walking wide-eyed to her first class of her college career. She weaves her way toward the Health Professions Building through a steady stream of students, her eyes darting back and forth nervously from the ground, trying not to make eye contact too long at the ocean of strangers before her. Carpenter had taken the time to locate the Health building before Monday, so she has little trouble tracking it down. But getting past her first-day nerves is a different story. “It’s just such a big step forward from high school,” she said. “Everyone here is a mature adult.” Her first class of the day, Fundamentals of Injury Prevention, begins at noon. She slept in until 11 a.m. Though she found the building and then her classroom with ease, despite its distance from the Towers, she still looked a little wary. “Last night, I kept having weird dreams about going to the wrong building or the wrong classroom,” she said. Carpenter found herself in a situation Monday not uncommon for incoming freshmen. Northville sophomore Maggie Koet said problems she faced her freshman year developed from a lack of organization. “I slipped up because I partied too much,” Koet said. “Keep up with academics and don’t let yourself fall behind.” Carpenter found her classroom Monday without a glitch. Still, she drummed her fingers nervously while she waited for class to start. “I felt a lot better once she (the professor) started class,” she said. “I wasn’t nervous anymore and I felt comfortable.” Her first class of the day was over by 1 p.m., giving her a two and-a-half-hour break before her second class. At 3:30 p.m., she ran off to American Government, finding her classroom as easily as she found her first. She made conversation with the people sitting around her. But starting fresh, Carpenter said she has yet to make any new friends, other than her roommates. “I’m scared without my friends,” she said. “It’s really hard because I don’t really know anybody and my roommates know a lot of people.” Haslett junior Zach Norman said he also had problems finding new friends his freshman year. “The hardest part about being a freshman was gathering the courage to just go with people — especially people that I didn’t know that well,” Norman said. Carpenter’s roommate, Deanna Ortiz, a Howell freshman, isn’t too worried about Carpenter, however. “She’s shy at first, but once you get to know her, she’s really nice and laid back,” Ortiz said. Carpenter said she doesn’t have any specific game plan for utilizing her time or balancing her work load, but said she knows she doesn’t want to procrastinate. She said she misses home mostly her friends, parents and her dog Mason, a Border collie. But her mom calls her everyday, and she plans to make monthly trips back home to visit.

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2006/08/freshmangetspastdayonejitters

Photo of the day

(08/30/06 4:00am)

Chippewa Marching Band Director James Batcheller concludes Tuesday night’s practice with a pep talk to fire up the band. “This group bleeds maroon and gold,” he said. The group will perform Thursday night in Kelly/Short Stadium a program called from Screen and Stage, which includes music from Broadway and motion pictures such as “The Mask of Zorro,” the rock drama “Tommy” and recent hits from “Rent” and “Wicked.”

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2006/08/photooftheday-91

MAINstage offers Greeks chance to recruit freshmen

(08/28/06 4:00am)

MAINstage was Justin Mullins’ first chance to introduce Greek life to a new crop of students Sunday. “People come in and they want somewhere to belong,” said the Grand Ledge senior and social fraternity Phi Sigma Phi member. “We can show them a good time. We’re not just about partying. We have brotherhoods.” Mullins said he knows what it is like to be a young student on this campus. He feels joining a fraternity or sorority could be a good thing for many students. Phi Sigma Phi was just one of several Greek fraternities and sororities that were attempting to sell themselves at the event. “It’s working,” Mullins said. “It looks like we’re pulling in 10 guys already.” Mullins said first impressions always are important. “This is the first thing freshmen coming in see,” he said. “We want to be here, make a good impression and show them what we’re all about.” Jimmy Fillmore, Grand Rapids junior and Phi Kapa Tau social fraternity social chairman, said he was encouraged by the things he saw at MAINstage. “Recruiting has been going really well,” he said. “We’re getting a lot of genuine interest and people who are asking questions and wanting to know what we’re about.” Fillmore said he knows how important an event like MAINstage can be for his fraternity. “It informs them what kind of opportunities fraternities and sororities have to offer,” he said. “Whether they’re freshmen or transfer students or they’ve been here.” Fillmore said events throughout the year will help get the Phi Kapa Tau name out as well. “We have a rush week where we’re going to have a movie night at the house,” he said. “We have a variety of events that will allow people to get to know us and get to know what we’re about as a fraternity.” Mullins said he has high hopes for Phi Sigma Phi. “We’re hoping to go above and beyond this,” he said. Phi Sigma Phi, along with many of CMU’s fraternities and sororities, has several activities during the year to keep busy, including charity events and fundraisers.

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2006/08/mainstageoffersgreekschancetorecruitfreshmen

Mountain town moonshiners

(08/28/06 4:00am)

Essexville senior Pat Harris of the Mountain Town Moonshiners plays during the Business After Hours, a get-together for local business professionals in the Health Professions Building. Harris,, who plays the bass, said that the crowd at the event was different then usual for the Moonshiners, but that “it is cool to see people getting into it.” 

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2006/08/mountaintownmoonshiners

About 1,000 make it to Rose Ponds for Sister Hazel

(08/28/06 4:00am)

Alternative rock group Sister Hazel worked to make students feel like part of the band Sunday night. Near the end of its performance during MAINstage at Rose Ponds, one of the band members picked up a microphone and held it out to the audience, letting the crowd sing the chorus to the hit song, “All For You.” More than 1,000 audience members sang along to the song, waiving their hands in the air. “Colleges have always been kind of the lifeblood of the band,” said lead singer Ken Block. He referred to the band as “campus virgins” to CMU, having never played here previously. That fact didn’t seem to make a difference though, as the crowd stayed on its feet, clapping along from the beginning to the end of the show. The band sang popular hits, such as “All For You,” “Champagne High” and “Change Your Mind,” along with songs from its new album, “Absolutely,” set to be released Oct. 10. “I really liked how they interacted with the crowd,” said Flint junior Stacey Ringwelski. Opener John McLaughlin warmed up the audience, but as soon as Sister Hazel went on stage, the crowd surged to its feet. “I had never heard of him (John McLaughlin) until today,” said East Lansing junior Joe Hamilton. “He had a little bit of a slower sound at first, but then he got the crowd pumped up.” Although many students appeared to be fans of Sister Hazel, some were not so familiar with them. The band’s enthusiasm, however, won some people over. “I knew of the band but never knew their name,” said Flint junior Will Calhoun, who had never seen Sister Hazel before. “It’s amazing to be that close to them.” Timmy Foster, On the Fly Productions music chairman and Warren sophomore, said he was pleased with McLaughlin and Sister Hazel. “They (Sister Hazel) were a great band to work with — very laid-back and down to earth,” Foster said.

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2006/08/aboutmakeittorosepondsforsisterhazel

Senior hopes to pump up crowd as Flying C

(08/28/06 4:00am)

So what exactly is a Flying C? Warren Cleary might have the answer. The Georgia senior wants to skydive into Kelly/Shorts Stadium during halftime of CMU home games. While he’s falling, he would form his body into the shape of a “C” to bring CMU’s Flying C logo to life. The outdoor recreation major has more than 200 skydives under his belt and does light maintenance and helps train beginners for Central Michigan Skydivers Inc., 5453 E. Airport Road. “If our (logo) is going to be a Flying C, let’s see a Flying C,” Cleary said. After landing on the field during halftime, Cleary said he would run through the crowd in his jumpsuit while waving a flag. He said he also would use a water balloon gun to shoot T-shirts at the spectators and possibly hold a raffle. Cleary is welcoming suggestions and help through his 500-student-strong Facebook group, Flying C. For his services, Cleary is asking the university for as much as $10,000. “I would buy a maroon and gold parachute, maroon and gold jumpsuit, jump insurance and fuel, pay a pilot and rent a plane and still have money left over for next season,” he said. Cleary said he first started thinking about skydiving to pump up the crowd at Kelly/Shorts when he was a freshman, but he was not an experienced-enough skydiver to seriously consider asking the university until this year. Nick Williams, associate athletic director for External Affairs, said CMU had a skydiver drop in during the first night game at Rose Arena in the mid-1990s. “We’re always looking for something exciting to add to the game from a fan and spectator point of view,” he said. “The novelty of it would be fun.” Williams said he has spoken with Cleary and no decision has been made yet, but the university would need to look into possible liabilities and work out the timing so as not to cause any delays for CMU’s televised football games. Desmond Sharkey, owner of Central Michigan Skydivers, said there are a lot of elements involved in skydiving into the stadium. “Weather conditions play a factor. If it’s an average day, (the jump) shouldn’t be a problem,” said Sharkey, who has made more than 6,000 jumps in his lifetime. He said a football field is not a small target for a competent and experienced skydiver such as Cleary. “I believe that Cleary will draw additional people to come see games and it will also help pump up the fans if they see something new and different from what they’re used to,” said Ryan T. Anderson, grounds team captain and Kalamazoo senior, in an e-mail to Central Michigan Life. Anderson would be in charge of monitoring the conditions on the ground and relay them to Cleary. “This is something that’s done at colleges quite frequently and it could be done here,” Cleary said.

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2006/08/seniorhopestopumpupcrowdasflyingc

From rustic to resourceful

(08/24/06 4:00am)

White cinder block walls, cold tile and bare bed frames are what greet students when walking into their dorm rooms for the first time. Most can agree it is not exactly the most stylish place to live. But, after a week, the interior design of the residence halls can be drastically changed. “I bought the majority of my dorm stuff at Bed, Bath and Beyond and Target,” said Unionville freshman Sarah Alegria. “My roommate and I plan on buying the boldest and brightest things we can find to snaz up our room.” Customizing the dorm room, however, might not be an inexpensive process. According to the National Retail Federation, back-to-school sales rank second only to holiday shopping. College-bound students and their parents spent $3.6 billion last year just on decorations for their dorm rooms or apartments. Posters, Pictures and Message Boards With one poster, a student can showcase his or her personality, while making the room a little less ‘blah.’ Poster themes fit any personality. Everything from movies like “Animal House” to the periodic table of drinks are popular choices to tape to walls across campus. Essentials posters medusa lamp pictures desk lamp message board carpet futon shelves hangers DVD player mini fridge scoop chair alarm clock bean bag “I had posters of Jay-Z, the movie ‘Blow,’ Jessica Simpson, Hilary Duff, Sublime, Brooke Burke and Victoria’s Secret model Adriana Lima in my dorm last year,” said South Lyon sophomore Eric Lloyd. Lloyd said he bought a couple of his posters at the back-to-school poster sale in the Bovee University Center Rotunda. Lloyd’s reason for hanging posters on his wall is because it allows people to know what he likes. “Plus Adriana Lima is beautiful,” he said. Message boards also are popular for socialization. By hanging a dry erase board on the door, students can receive a variety of messages from neighbors. “I’ll get drunken messages and phone numbers, but if people also need me and I’m not there, they can just write it on the board,” said Brighton sophomore Rachel Weingartz. Lighting A popular fixture to hit the dorm room scene is the medusa lamp — a metal stand sprouting five different shades of lamps, all of which can bend to different angles and add some dorm room funk. String lights also are a way students can lighten a room. Sterling Heights sophomore Melanie Maltese hung up string lights for Christmas, but decided to keep them up the rest of the year. “They served as a great substitute for the (overhead) light, which I thought was too bright, and I was too lazy to take them down,” Maltese said. Seating and carpet Futons can be a college student’s best friend when it comes to seating. They manage to fit the length of many rooms and also have the added bonus of folding into a bed. Funky chairs like bean bags and scoop chairs are another type of seating students can use to decorate their rooms. “My roommates bought two (scoop chairs) because they looked cool and they’re easy to put away,” said Plymouth sophomore Laura Hamilton. Bean bags are another option because they are light and easy to move. Many students use them to lounge in when playing video games or watching television. Carpet or rugs are options to help students escape cold, hard floors or soften their steps.

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2006/08/fromrustictoresourceful

Union Township approves new bar

(08/24/06 4:00am)

Students living near the corner of Bluegrass Road and Collegiate Way eventually will have a new watering hole to patron. Union Township officials on Aug. 9 approved a liquor license transfer for a new bar, Coco Joe’s Beach House, which is to be part of the Bluegrass Crossing strip mall currently under construction. David and John Hunter of Mount Pleasant, who co-own and operate area entertainment spots Wayside Central, 2000 S. Mission St., O’Kelly’s Sports Bar and Grill, 2000 S. Mission St. and The Cabin, 930 W. Broomfield St., are planning on opening Coco Joe’s sometime in the spring. “I’m sure a lot of students that live out there will work for us,” John Hunter said. Plans for the bar are in the early stages right now, but Hunter said hopefully things will start to look more concrete in a few months. An architect still needs to draw up floor plans, he said, but things should really get going by March. One thing that is certain about the new hotspot, he added, is that Coco Joe’s will be more of a restaurant and bar. David Hunter said one of the more appealing features could include “dueling pianos.” “We might want to do something like have a piano bar on Wednesday nights, then have the dueling pianos Thursday nights,” he said. “But we’re still very early on with the planning.” Woody Woodruff, Union Township zoning administrator, said Coco Joe’s will be located at the west end of Bluegrass Crossing. The east end of the building will house Los Cuatro Amigos, a Bay City-based Mexican Restaurant. “The plaza will offer another entertainment spot, another restaurant and more choices obviously geared toward college students,” Woodruff said. Molly Krasun, Allen Park junior and University Meadows resident, said the bar is a good way to eliminate drunken driving because it’ll be close to apartment complexes with big student populations. “I would rather go to the new bar because you can walk home and not worry with finding a ride,” Krasun said. James Hopkins, Sterling Heights senior and Village at Bluegrass resident, said the owners made a wise decision when picking the bar’s location. “Give it a few years and this corner will be rocking,” he said. “Everything is coming up over here.”

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2006/08/uniontownshipapprovesnewbar

Wilson tells students to challenge authority

(08/24/06 4:00am)

The Bush Administration’s policies have caused other countries to stop following America’s lead. That’s what a former U.S. ambassador told about 1,400 freshmen Tuesday at the Student Activity Center as part of CMU’s annual Leadership Safari. “Leadership, by definition, requires followers,” said former ambassador Joseph Wilson IV. Wilson was acting ambassador to Baghdad immediately before the 1991 Gulf War and was the last U.S. diplomat to speak to Saddam Hussein before the current conflict in Iraq. Having met Hussein six times, Wilson said the Gulf War took the dictator from “a major-league hassle to a minor-league hassle.” Wilson encouraged students Tuesday to dissent against the Iraq war. “The cost of confronting the administration is a small price to pay compared to (the price paid by) the families of 2,600 Americans,” he said. Wilson and his wife, former CIA agent Valerie Plame, filed a lawsuit July 13 alleging certain administration officials intentionally released the identity of Plame as part of a plan to punish Joe Wilson for his dissent. Some of those officials named in the lawsuit include Vice President Dick Cheney, political adviser Karl Rove and former vice presidential aide I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby. Wilson, in his diplomatic career, has served as U.S. ambassador to Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe and helped to direct African policy for the National Security Council under former President Bill Clinton. He worked as a diplomat for 23 years before leaving for the private sector in 1998. “I have been highly critical of (the Bush) administration’s approach to the Gulf and Iraq and in particular ... about the administration’s misuse of intelligence,” Wilson said. The CIA sent Wilson to Niger in 2002 at the behest of the vice president to investigate claims Iraq tried to obtain uranium from the African nation. He then wrote an opinion article published in the New York Times on July 6, 2003, that questioned the Bush administration’s claims that Niger had sold yellowcake uranium to Iraq. Then-CIA director George Tenet issued a statement July 11, 2003, that confirmed Wilson’s claims that the president should never have said Iraq tried to obtain uranium from Niger. Many students were pleased with Wilson’s presentation. “His service to our county is incredible,” said Grand Rapids freshman Maria Spicketts, a Safari participant who met Wilson and bought a copy of his book, “The Politics of Truth,” after the event. Detroit freshman Krystal Leonard said she agreed with Wilson’s views on leadership. “Somebody has to lead by example,” she said.

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2006/08/wilsontellsstudentstochallengeauthority

Photo of the day

(08/24/06 4:00am)

Caledonia freshman Laura Hillen rests on the floor of Finch Fieldhouse Wednesday before the start of the Safari Spotlight Challenge. Groups practiced dance routines and skits in various places around campus before performing in front of all the students involved in this year's Leadership Safari.

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2006/08/photooftheday-89

A workout alternative

(07/26/06 4:00am)

Many students find it easy to bond with friends when they’re at the bar or having a few drinks at home. But the employees at Flexible Health and Wellness want to encourage students they can improve relationships in other ways as well. “We want people to bond over health, not necessarily beer,” said Chief Executive Officer and program developer Colleen Milligan. “Although beer is OK.” Located in downtown Mount Pleasant, 121 S. University, the non-profit wellness studio has only been open for a few weeks. Upon entering, patrons are greeted with bright lights and the smell of aromatherapy, both designed to give an energy boost to customers. Flexible Health and Wellness offers yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates sessions, as well as massages and Ayurvedic health education classes. Milligan said yoga wasn’t readily available to Mount Pleasant residents and students. “Downstate it’s common, but up here it hasn’t been available except on campus,” she said. Yoga has several benefits, including relieving stress and anxiety, she said. Milligan said the reason she felt the need to open the center for students was because of the amount of stress students experience. “I want to see us manage it (stress) better,” Milligan said. Jessica Wilson, Marquette junior and Flexible Health and Wellness Pilates instructor, said she thinks yoga is easy and less time consuming than other forms of working out. “That’s what’s great with yoga, you don’t have to do 45-minute workouts,”  Wilson said. Milligan said she herself was never a big athlete and that’s why she chose yoga. The wellness studio offers various programs for seniors and children in addition to its regular programs. However, Milligan said she does expect more student participation when the fall semester starts. Milligan and Wilson said yoga is good for all body types. “We never judge and never make your body do something it won’t do,” Milligan said. Student prices for a drop-in session are $5. Packaged plans also are offered. Sessions are offered daily at 7 a.m., noon and 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. More information is available at Flexible Health and Wellness’ Web site at www.flexiblehealthandwellness.org.

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2006/07/aworkoutalternative