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Aria Wiley, 4, of Mount Pleasant, stands under the parachute at “The Great Egg Scramble” in the field behind Mount Pleasant High School, 1155 S. Elizabeth St. The event, put on by Mount Pleasant Parks and Recreation along with local businesses, has been in place for 20 years.
Saginaw sophomore Kyle Vandeventer said this year’s motto for Central Michigan University’s Program Board was, “Go Big or Go Home.”
Aaron Lesniak got up-close and personal with a drag queen Friday night.
Mount Pleasant continued celebrating National Pride Week with a family-friendly picnic Sunday afternoon. Several families and students ate food, played games and participated in arts and crafts during Pridefest 2006 at Warriner Mall. Children even got a chance to meet Clifford the Big Red Dog and Nemo. “I really wanted to make this event a place for everybody to come,” said Ana Guerriero, director of the Office of Gay and Lesbian Programs. “Just bring out everybody, no matter who they are. Just have a good time and have fun and enjoy this beautiful weather.” Jen Miracle, coordinator for recreational services, made sure all game prizes were ones children would enjoy. “From the very beginning the whole idea was to be able to have some games that kids can play,” Miracle said. “We wanted people in our community who have kids and have families to be able to bring them out and celebrate.” The theme for this year’s Pride Week is “Unity in Community.” “We’re hoping that people will go away with a feeling of some community,” Miracle said. “A feeling like they’ve met some people and this is a welcome place. And that people are here to support one another.” Jennifer Suidan, White Lake senior and co-president of the Gay Straight Alliance, said the event was coordinated to celebrate the idea of unity on campus. “The whole point of Pride Week is to celebrate,” she said. “Celebrate what makes everybody different and at the same time similar.” Expectations were high for the event and people were not disappointed. “We had big hopes for it,” Miracle said. “This is the first time we’ve done this event, so with any event you learn kind of what works and what doesn’t.” She also said getting people involved is an accomplishment in itself. Several students showed up at the event to have fun and see what it was all about. “I came to show my support to the organizations that sponsored this and show my support to all my gay friends,” said Lapeer senior Stephanie Nichols. “I’m a little disappointed that more people didn’t turn out for it, but at least there’s people here, so that’s what counts.” Organizers said they were pleased with the turnout. “Hopefully we can learn from this year and make next year even better,” Miracle said.
Students can enjoy a blend of various dance styles this weekend for a price cheaper than a movie ticket. Orchesis Dance Theater will perform its spring concert 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium. The price for students is $5 and $7 for the general public. The show is almost fully student-choreographed, unlike previous shows, which were choreographed by faculty. Performances When: 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday Where: Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium Cost: $5 for students; $7 for the general public “This makes the show unique because we are performing dances that were the ideas and hard work of our peers,” said Janelle Theisen, Orchesis member and Bay City senior. Flint senior Matt Nicholls is one of seven other seniors who will perform in the Orchesis concert. He said this show will feature a showcase of many different dances. “There will be styles such as hip-hop, swing, ballet, ballroom and modern that will be performed,” Nicholls said. “All the dance styles are there. It really has something for everybody.” Orchesis is a student dance group at CMU that performs several concerts annually. The group also performed in the fall semester and last February. “Students will be pleasantly surprised at how entertaining we are,” said Yvette Birs Crandall, Orchesis artistic director and associate speech communication and dramatic arts professor. “Sometimes they think that our concerts are like that of recitals and think it’s boring, but that’s not the case. This is top-notch dancing and really quality stuff.” Theisen said there is an added bonus at this concert as well. “Our hip-hop dance will be performed live on stage by (rapper Legacy), who recorded the song we are dancing to,” she said. Rhythm and blues singer Christian Nelson also is scheduled to perform the newly recorded song, “Dreams.” Tickets can be purchased by calling 774-3000 or (888) CMU-0111. They also can be purchased at the door or at Central Box Office on the lower level of the Bovee University Center. Box Office officials said tickets are selling well for both days of the concert.
Livonia senior Michelle McManaway, a coach for the Girls on the Run program at Vowles Elementary School, leads a lesson on spending time reflecting on things to be thankful for. The Girls on the Run program is an after school program at Vowles Elementary, 1560 Watson Road. The program takes place every Tuesday and Thursday for 16 weeks and includes lessons, games and stretches.
The Bovee University Center Rotunda will be transformed into a gateway to the world Sunday. Students from about 40 countries will share their cultures with other CMU students from 2 to 5 p.m. during the annual International Expo, sponsored by the International Club Office of Institutional Diversity and International Education. This year’s theme is “Your Passport to the World.” “This is a chance for international students to share a part of their country, culture and history with their fellow CMU students and faculty,” said Tracy Nakajima, international students coordinator and International Club adviser. The event will feature foods from around the globe and videos exploring different regions of the world. “Students will be presenting pictures, clothing, games as well as other things from their country,” said Richmond Otoo, Ghana junior and International Club vice president. There also will be a Tae Kwon Do demonstration by Japanese students and a Latin American dance performance. “This is a good opportunity for CMU students to meet international students, and also they can go and learn things about their heritage that they previously didn’t know about,” Nakajima said. Otoo said students will learn about cultural awareness and clear up any uncertainties they have. “It is a tool that promotes cultural awareness,” he said. “It is beneficial to students who are studying abroad because they can go and visit those countries.” Nakajima said she expects to see about 500 visitors. People should keep an open mind about the expo, Otoo said. “We encourage people to, at some point, travel to these locations,” he said. “But with this, we can bring those unique things close to home – it is a big learning experience.”
Jonathon Gruenke recently placed 16th nationally in the Hearst Journalism Awards Program Picture Story/Series Photo Competition III. The Allen Park senior said he was shocked when he heard the competition results Monday. “I couldn’t believe it, I was in shock,” he said. “I wasn’t even expecting to place in the first competition.” His photo story, “Cheryl’s Story,” looks into the life of a blind and autistic 12-year-old girl, Cheryl Stahl. Journalism instructor Kent Miller said the project is unique because of the nature of the situation. “The story itself was very moving, very deep,” he said. “I think because Jonathon spent so much time with her and her family that he was able to capture very intimate moments.” Gruenke said he knew Stahl from a previous project and realized how unique she was. “Even though she’s extremely handicapped, she does not let it get in the way of her life,” he said. The story details Stahl’s experiences and challenges with her family and peers at school, and Gruenke said he hoped people who saw the story would take away a new perspective. “Life is hard and it’s really what you make of it,” he said. Miller has had Gruenke as a student in two classes. “He works hard on every assignment,” he said. “He obviously is a very trustworthy, kind and gentle person to be able to make photos like these.” There were 47 entries in the nationwide Hearst Journalism contest. Miller said news photography is a very competitive field, but he believes Gruenke will do well. “He’s going to be successful, he’s successful now,” he said. Gruenke won third place in the College Photographer category in the Michigan Press Photographer Association’s Photographer of the Year contest earlier this year with the same photo story.
Dance instructors from across the globe will be in Finch Fieldhouse this weekend teaching students how to swing dance. The Swing Dance Workshop is hosted by the registered student organization Swing Kids and will feature live 1930s jazz performances by “The Gypsy Strings of Detroit.” The event starts at 7 p.m. today in Finch 113 with a free dance. Lessons begin 11 a.m. Saturday and end 6 p.m. Sunday. Costs include $25 for a full weekend pass and $15 for a day pass. Brandi Vermillion, West Branch sophomore and Swing Kids president, said the workshop is a bargain. “Professional dance instruction for only $15 dollars is amazing,” she said. She is excited for the event and the chance for Swing Kids to come together and meet with other students across campus. “This is the biggest thing we’ve done all semester, so we’re real pumped,” Vermillion said. Participants will learn how to dance the high energy “Lindy Hop” and “Charleston” from professional instructors Keith McGee of Manchester, England and Bryn Morin from Ottawa, Ontario. Ann Arbor senior Matt McLean, the event coordinator for the Swing Dance Workshop, said students will enjoy this unique opportunity. “Students should go to give themselves a chance to decompress and spend a weekend doing and learning about something fun that they may not have otherwise done,” he said. “These dances aren’t just historical, they are energetic, fun and fairly easy to learn.” He also said the workshop has a personal significance to him. “This is the biggest and most ambitious event that Swing Kids has ever put together with the help of the Student Budget Allocation Committee,” he said. “It is also the last event I will organize at CMU since I will be graduating in the summer, so I’d like to go out with a bang.” For more information, visit www.rso.cmich.edu/swingkids.
Comedian Jason Stuart liked to play doctor as a kid.
Michigan Habitat for Humanity President Ken Benson said he has built houses with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter for 20 years. “I’ve traveled around the world with him,” he said. “He’s quite a guy.” Benson spoke on behalf of the international nonprofit organization Wednesday evening to a crowd of 25 in Bovee University Center’s Lake St. Clair Room. His strongest statement, one he reiterated many times, was that it takes one person to make a difference. “Many nonprofit (organizations) are crying for people to come out of school and lead them to the future,” Benson said. “Every one person can make a difference for Habitat and for the world.” Founded in 1976, Habitat for Humanity is dedicated to building “simple, decent and affordable” houses for those who are less fortunate, according to its Web site. It has built more than 200,000 houses around the world in more than 100 countries. Marysville sophomore Haley Rank was impressed with Wednesday’s speech. “He did a great job at explaining everything,” she said. “I’m part of the Habitat on campus and I learned a whole lot more. It opened my eyes on how to get more involved and make a difference.” Homes are built with volunteer labor and are sold with no interest charged to the mortgage. Benson got involved with Habitat 20 years ago and has helped start more than 80 affiliates in Michigan. “We are the number one charity in the country,” he said. “We’ve surpassed Red Cross and we’ve surpassed the Salvation Army.” Benson has helped the organization build 3,000 houses and aid 12,000 people in Michigan alone. A campus organization for Habitat also was started last fall by a group of students, including Dundee junior Katie Herberholz. “There’s a lot of people at Central Michigan University that don’t know a whole lot about Habitat,” Herberholz said. “It’s good to have someone come here to educate about it.” Benson’s visit was part of Act, Speak, Build week, started by the Habitat organization at CMU, to raise awareness of substandard housing.
Illinois graduate student Scott Simon provides electronic beats with the marimba lumina for the eBand performance Tuesday night in the Staples Family Concert Hall. Lake Ann junior Andre Sonner keeps tempo with the drum in the background.
Speech Communication and Dramatic Arts Professor David Ling said he wants to retire.
Singing, dancing and a whole lot of enthusiasm is what it took for three fraternities and one sorority to win the Greek Week karaoke contest.
Student musicians improvised every note they played during a jazz concert Tuesday. eBand performed their final concert at CMU this year during a jamfest in Staples Family Concert Hall. George Hess, band director and music professor, said it was the first time the band did a concert like this. “I am very pleased with the way the show went,” he said. “We practiced for it but with this kind of show you have to listen to each other which takes a lot of effort; it is the most important but difficult thing for a musician.” eBand played jazz-type music with unique instruments ranging from guitar synthesizers to wind controllers. The wind controllers were a favorite of the audience because of their unique sound. Bad Axe sophomore Alex J. Smith said he liked them because of all the different noises they made. The wind controllers, which look like electronic clarinets, could make sounds similar to flutes, whistles and trumpets. “The concert was definitely interesting,” Smith said. “To me it was just a bunch of randomness and it was kind of hard to enjoy because it was so random.” The concert was split into two 30-minute pieces: “Tribute to Miles” and “Tennis Without a Net.” Hess said “A Tribute to Miles” was improvised right from the start and was all about communication and playing with each other. The idea for the piece came from Miles Davis’ “Bitches Brew” electronic jazz album, he said. eBand is made up of seven CMU students and Hess. Mount Pleasant senior Ryan Hess and Kentwood freshman Randy Gist played the wind controllers, Mount Pleasant senior Nathan Powell and Hess played the guitar synthesizers, Illinois graduate assistant Scott Simon played the marimba lumina, Mount Pleasant graduate assistant Neil Anderson-Himmelspach played the bass, Lake Ann junior Andre Sonner played the drums and Flat Rock senior Jeffrey Szekely was on percussion.
Around 100 students and Mount Pleasant residents experienced their past and saw their future all in one sitting Saturday. A record number of people attended the sixth annual Psychic Fair, sponsored by the Open Grove Society in the Bovee University Center Rotunda. “We did extremely well this year,” said Laura Potts, Litchfield senior and Open Grove Society president. “We were just shy of 100 (people) last year, and we were already at 70 by 1:30 p.m.” RSO members used tarot cards and runestones to give psychic readings to students. Tarot cards can be used to tell the past, present or future while runestones are small stones with symbols on them, each having a different meaning, that predict the future. Algonac junior Kimberly Pawelski said she has attended numerous psychic readings in the past. “I like to hear what they say,” she said. “She said I am trying to figure out who I am, and I’ll agree with that.” Washington senior James Logan said he is rather new at reading for strangers, but said he has been reading for his friends for years. “Mostly I read from a book depending on the card the person draws,” Logan said. “I read a little bit from the book and usually people end up saying, ‘Oh, I get what you’re saying.’” Mary Jeakle, who works at Windwalker Products in Jackson, has been attending shows for the past 15 years. “I got started in this because I like the pretty stones and making necklaces, so I sell them to feed the habit,” she said. “It’s a fun hobby.” Shelby Township freshman Kelly Case said it was her first time getting a psychic reading and she had fun. She said she was skeptical, however, of what she was told. “He kept telling me I was looking for something more serious in life and that I just needed to hang out,” Case said. “He had a lot of long pauses, so I don’t know if I believe him.” The fair is the group’s largest fund-raiser of the year, Potts said. Readings cost $5, with $3 to $5 going to the Humane Animal Treatment Society (HATS) organization to help the Isabella County Animal Control, 1105 S. Isabella Road.
Justin Sessink, Mount Pleasant sophomore and guitar player for the Saginaw-based rock band, The Sono, performed at Thursday’s Battle of the Bands at Rubbles, 112 Washington St. The Sono won third place in the contest.
Ruth Schluchter was back on campus Saturday night because she wanted to help the School of Music and hear selected performances. “It just sets your soul on fire,” said Schluchter, a Waterford resident and CMU alumna, in regards to the music featured in the School of Music’s Opus IX. About 262 people purchased tickets to the event, which helps fund scholarships and equipment purchases. Last year, $25,000 was raised for the school, said Christine Alwood, director of stewardship and donor relations. But the event is more than a fund-raiser. “It’s an opportunity to provide the public with evidence of our students’ talent,” Alwood said. Student and faculty talent was mainly showcased during a collage style concert in which each musical piece was immediately followed by another and performers were placed all around the Staples Family Concert Hall. The variety of performers included a drum soloist, two CMU vocal choirs, a trombone choir and vocalists. “I think it was spectacular,” said Randi L’Hommedieu, chairman of the School of Music. “What a wonderful, warm and appreciative crowd to play for.” He said the highlight of the evening for him was seeing Robert Lindahl, conductor of the trombone choir and music professor, join the students in a kickline during their performance. Megan Reid, Saginaw senior and vocal performer, said the crowd was a big factor in the concert’s success. “It was a fun concert, quick with good music and a great crowd,” she said. Reid sang “Vanilla Ice Cream” from the show “She Loves Me.” All performers had to audition for spots in the gala, spots that Opus chairwoman Helen Chase said are very coveted. “The music is outstanding,” she said. Schluchter also said she was impressed with the students beyond their musical ability. “The students are all so friendly,” she said. This year’s theme was “New Year’s in April: A Fool’s Fete,” since April 1 used to be the day the new year was celebrated. Before the concert, hors d’oeuvres were served and College of Communication and Fine Arts Dean Sue Ann Martin and University President Michael Rao addressed the crowd and thanked Opus sponsor, TIAA-CREF Financial Services.
April is the time of the year when most students finally are able to warm up to Michigan’s weather.
The audience at Common Ground’s Hip Hop and Rock Showcase might have put their underwear on Saturday morning without much thought. However, once the show began, the topic was hard to ignore. Flint senior Darryl “Martel” Hardy performed his original song, “What Color Panties?” as a part of the third annual talent show in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium. Hardy, one of 13 acts during the night, said he performed to promote his solo album, which could be released as early as October. He said he wasn’t satisfied with his performance. “I always think I could do better,” Hardy said. The Hip Hop and Rock Showcase featured mainly dance and musical numbers by a variety of groups from Central Michigan University. The Saginaw Valley State University Dance Team also performed. Satara Holliday, Belleville senior and Common Ground president, said she was pleased with the turnout of nearly 200 people. “We had a week to promote, (but) I think the crowd was good,” she said. Common Ground opened and closed the show with original dances to a diverse selection of music. “I think we did well, but of course, like any dancer, you can always improve on things,” Holliday said. Dione Monday, founder and Harrison Township alumna, also performed a solo hip hop tap dance for the delighted crowd. Several groups had religious themed routines. Divine Order Gospel Choir and Victorious Vessels of Praise performed songs and dances with Christian overtones. “There were a lot of different things. The choir was a good addition,” said Eddie Spencer, Muskegon junior and forward on the men’s basketball team. “It’s nice to get a little gospel here and there.” Onsted freshman Ashley Forche danced with CMU’s competitive pom club. She said the group was thrilled to contribute to the showcase. “We like performing here at the school, to support CMU,” Forche said. “When Common Ground invited us, we were excited to come and perform with them.”
