Snyder delivering early on promise of bipartisanship

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the November 15, 2010 edition of Central Mochigan Life.)

Gov.-elect Rick Snyder talked the talk, now he is starting to walk the walk.

During his campaign for governor, Snyder, a political novice, promised to bring bipartisanship back to Lansing to get Michigan back on track.

So far, he is off to a great start.

Republicans should take advantage of opportunity; will not get another soon

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the November 5, 2010 edition of Central Michigan Life.)

A second chance.

That was the common theme among victorious Republicans on Tuesday night.

It first came from Senator-elect Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who said in his victory speech the Republican wave across the country that catapulted the GOP into the majority in the U.S. House, cut the Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate in half, and saw numerous gubernatorial and statewide races go for the GOP was “not an embrace of the Republican Party but a second chance.”

It is a chance that must not be squandered because, as demonstrated by Tuesday night, the American voting public can be very unforgiving at the polls.

Students saw what happens when smart meets crazy during Westboro Baptist Church event

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the November 3, 2010 edition of Central Michigan Life.)

There is an old expression that goes something like, “Never argue with an idiot because they’ll take you down to their level and then beat you with their experience.”

Shirley Phelps-Roper is many things. She is a hateful, spiteful, mean-spirited angry bigot whose words and actions are a disgrace to anybody who calls themselves a Christian or professes a love for Jesus Christ.

But she is no idiot.

Michigan Promise scholarship should not be guaranteed by candidates who can not deliver

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the October 8, 2010 edition of Central Michigan Life.)

Politicians really must think college students are dumb.

That is my only answer as to why Michigan’s politicians keep telling college students that they will bring back the Michigan Promise scholarship.

The Michigan Promise is gone and much like ‘N Sync, never coming back.

Cable news needs to rediscover ethics

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the October 6, 2010 edition of Central Michigan Life.)

The decline in quality of the American cable news networks is nothing new.

Fox News and MSNBC have been steadily carving out their niche as a place for partisan blowhards to preach to their choirs while CNN has become the most trusted name in “info-tainment.”

CNN once had the most revered brand name in broadcast journalism and still features some of the best political analysis on television and their election-night coverage is second to none.

Where CNN is erring these days is their new emphasis on entertaining news, rather than just news.

Time to take back tailgating in lot 63

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the October 1, 2010 edition of Central Michigan Life.)

Football fans and party seekers alike again face the year-old dilemma: Is it even worth it to tailgate in lot 63?

After the month that has seemed like years since the last home football game, the Chippewas return to action Saturday against Mid-American Conference West rival Ball State and the controversy over tailgating will once again return.

There’s no need in going over the administration’s failed tailgating policies that is killing game attendance and school spirit — they are horrible and we all know it.

Competing Facebook events have already sprouted up inviting students to tailgate either in lot 63 or to tailgate on Main Street.

From where I sit the answer is clear on where to spend your Saturday afternoon: Lot 63.

Both parties standing in way of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the September 24, 2010 edition of Central Michigan Life.)

What should have been a monumental and historic occasion was reduced to a political ploy for votes and ultimately failed, leaving a legal form of discrimination in place.

On Monday, a provision that would have led to the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the military law that prevents gays and lesbians from serving openly failed to garner the 60 votes needed to block a Republican filibuster in the Senate.

While pundits from both sides will try and lay blame at one specific group, there is plenty of blame to go around here.

Debates in gubernatorial race unnecessary

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the September 20, 2010 edition of Central Michigan Life.)

Political debates are dull, tedious and boring, and thanks to this year’s gubernatorial candidates, Michigan voters may be spared from them.

The sides representing Democratic candidate Virg Bernero and GOP candidate Rick Snyder have not been able to compromise on how many debates should take place, when or where the debates should take place, the time they should be and who the moderators should be.

Fine, just scrap the whole idea.

Not all conservatives are far-right extremists

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the September 15, 2010 edition of Central Michigan Life.)

As someone who freely admits to being politically conservative, it always angers me when people just assume I am tuned into Fox News 24/7 and I already have a ballot punched for Sarah Palin in 2012.

I do not watch Glenn Beck or even think Sarah Palin is qualified to run as much as a Dairy Queen.

I have no doubt President Barack Obama was born in Hawaii; not Kenya, Senegal or the forest moon of Endor. And I am not alone.

Report the truth, no matter how ugly

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the September 13, 2010 edition of Central Michigan Life.) 
Matt Dobek committed suicide.


Those were four words that the Detroit media establishment would not print for a week.

Dobek, a CMU alumnus and 2009 inductee of the CMU Journalism Hall of Fame, was found dead Aug. 21 after hanging himself at age 51.

Yet, if you only relied on media reports, you would have had no clue that Dobek took his own life.

1,553 tickets issued in first week at CMU, 30 percent of parking violations voided

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the September 1, 2010 edition of Central Michigan Life.)

Central Michigan University Police issued 1,553 parking violations during the first week of classes.

Out of those violations, 453 tickets were voided, said Kim Roshak, office manager of CMU Parking Services. There are 54 citations still pending, as of Tuesday afternoon.

Most citations issued were for not properly displaying a parking pass, which is called a “Failure to Display,” Roshak said.

“If a student comes in the Parking Services office with a ticket for failure to display and purchases the required parking permit, we will, as a courtesy, void their parking citation,” she said.

Students seek to ease tax stress

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the February 10, 2010 edition of Central Michigan Life.)

Sometimes, students may feel like they need to learn a new language just to understand tax forms.

W2, 1040, 1040 short, 1099 — many have no idea what all these terms mean.

But two Central Michigan University students want to help.

More tax breaks this year for students

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the February 10, 2010 edition of Central Michigan Life.)

The only two things guaranteed in life are death and taxes.

For most students, death is well off, though some would welcome it before paying taxes.

As the April 15 tax filing deadline approaches, there are more opportunities for students to receive a bigger refund than in recent years.

“It’s a good year to be in school,” said Nina Cunningham, public relations director of Liberty Tax. “There are more breaks than there were last year.”

Wilbur addresses transition, budget processes

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the January 29, 2010 edition of Central Michigan Life.)

The university presidential transition and looming budget cuts were the main topics of discussion as Interim University President Kathy Wilbur addressed Campus Conservatives Tuesday night.


The meeting, which took place in the Bovee University Center’s Lake St. Clair Room, continued a series of forums that Wilbur has hosted with various student groups around campus.

“We were very pleased to have Interim President Wilbur come to our meeting and speak with us,” said Hart junior Bryant Greiner, president of Campus Conservatives.

Michigan Senate candidate Michael Trebesh visiting campus Tuesday

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the January 11, 2010 edition of Central Michigan Life.)

As Central Michigan University prepares to kick off the winter semester, local politicians are beginning to kick off their campaigns.


One such candidate is Michael Trebesh, who is speaking to Campus Conservatives at 8 p.m. Tuesday in the Bovee University Center.

The location at Bovee has yet to be announced. The event is free and open to the public.

Stimulus funds curb additional budget cuts at CMU

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the December 4, 2009 edition of Central Michigan Life.)

Central Michigan University received $1,379,973 of the $787 billion in stimulus money through Oct. 30 from the federal government.


The funds are part of The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was signed into law Feb. 17 by President Barack Obama.

The university is eligible to apply for $2,342,100 through a state appropriations bill that allows state universities to apply for a one-time grant to fill any budget shortfalls. Any money the university receives through the appropriations bill will be deducted from the appropriations the university receives from the state every year, said Barrie Wilkes, associate vice president of financial services and reporting.

Even with the stimulus money coming in, the university is still unsure if the “extra” money is being received.

Q and A: Chuck Klosterman

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the December 1, 2009 edition of Central Michigan Life.)
Editor’s note: Staff Reporter Joe Martinez spoke with Chuck Klosterman Monday night about pop culture, journalism and his writing.


Joe Martinez: As a pop culture “guru,” what do you define pop culture as in 2009?

Chuck Klosterman: To be honest, right now, it seems like pop culture is the only culture anyone cares about. I don’t see a lot of interest in things that would be considered high culture, even sort of by academics. It seems like even the “New Yorker” basically covers popular culture. It seems to be more central to the way people living than any other tier of arts and entertainment.

Klosterman discusses pop culture

(NOTE: This article originally appeared November 30, 2009 at CM-Life.com)

Chuck Klosterman is not a advocate of the Unabomber


“Once again, I am not a fan of The Unabomber,” Klosterman said.

That was one of many bizarre statements by made by author and pop culture guru Chuck Klosterman during his lecture Monday night in the Plachta Auditorium. The lecture was free and about 125 students came to the event.

Public Broadcasting continues its growth; hopes to have Flint station up by month’s end

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the November 23, 2009 edition of Central Michigan Life.)

Central Michigan University Public Broadcasting hopes to have WFUM-TV of Flint up and running by the end of the month.


Ed Grant, general manager of CMU Public Broadcasting, has had enough on his plate with WCMU-TV complying with the federally mandated conversion from an analog to a digital signal.

And that was before the CMU Board of Trustees agreed to purchase WFUM-TV of Flint for $1 million from the University of Michigan.

“There’s been some good, bad and ugly,” Grant said of the conversion. “It’s been an extremely expensive conversion for everybody, commercial stations as well as non-commercial stations. It cost us about $14 million.”

The acquisition of WFUM, which will extend from Bay City to metro Detroit, will nearly quadruple CMU Public Broadcasting’s audience, Grant said.

Interviews for next CMU president begin in November

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the October 16, 2009 edition of Central Michigan Life.)

A total of 68 candidates submitted applications to succeed Michael Rao as university president.


This number increased from 43 after the first soft deadline of Oct. 1. The final deadline was Monday.

The Presidential Search Screening Committee met that day to begin a review of all submitted applications. The committee will select a small number of candidates to interview and present two to six semifinalists to the Board of Trustees, said presidential search screening committee chairwoman and Trustee Stephanie Comai.

The Board will then interview and select the next university president from that group of candidates.

Comai said interviews will start in November and she hopes to have a new university president announced by Jan. 1, 2010.