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.

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.

Warm weather, a shining sun and blue skies – the poetry gods are obviously fans of Theodore Roethke.

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the April 24, 2009 edition of Central Michigan Life.)

Warm weather, a shining sun and blue skies – the poetry gods are obviously fans of Theodore Roethke.

A small group of English language and literature professor Robert Fanning’s advanced poetry class gathered outside the Charles V. Park Library to participate in a marathon reading of Roethke’s poetry, all part of a series of events celebrating the 100th anniversary of Roethke’s birth.

Roethke, a Saginaw native and graduate of the University of Michigan, was a two-time winner of the National Book Award and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1954 for his book “The Walking.”

The small group took turns reading poetry, eating muffins, drinking coffee and giving out snaps as passersby occasionally partook in the proceedings.

Harbor Beach junior Steven Roggenbuck said he attended to celebrate Roethke’s contributions to literature.

“He’s got a lot variety, writes a lot of passive descriptions of nature, also a lot of goofy stuff,” he said. “His work with sound is very enjoyable.”

Wall Street Journal writer to speak Tuesday for Black History Month

(NOTE: This article originally appeared in the February 9, 2009 edition of Central Michigan Life.)

Black History Month events at Central Michigan University will run throughout February, with Lee Hawkins of MSNBC and the Wall Street Journal giving the keynote address tomorrow.

Hawkins’ speech takes place at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium. The speech is the featured event of Black History month and what Minority Student Services is looking forward to the most, said Shant’l Raines, a graduate assistant from Farmington Hills.

Hawkins earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was the editorial page editor of the Badger Herald student newspaper. He covered General Motors at the Detroit bureau of the Wall Street Journal and has worked as a business reporter for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and the Wisconsin State Journal.

His forthcoming book, “Newbos: The Rise of America’s New Black Overclass,” is expected to be published by Gotham Books in June.

“What we want everyone to come out and see is Lee Hawkins,” Raines said. “We want people who will expand on black history.”