Ronia-Isabel Cabansag: Hey Eagles, Ronia here. I just wanted to jump in before your news briefing to announce that we’ll be releasing a bonus episode tomorrow concerning the Board of Regents meeting that was held last week. If you don’t know, the Regents discuss all sorts of things that are relevant to you – new programs of study that get approved, changes in tuition rates, news on the new health center, concern about a shortage at Swoop’s Pantry – lots of stuff. That episode was put together by our editor-in-chief here at the Echo, Mr. Andrew Lenzo, and guys, this man is good. So, we hope you tune in to that as well, but for now, here’s your Monday news briefing from our new regular host, Liz Hornyak.
Liz Hornyak: In this week’s news, a recap of President Smith’s State of the University Address, news on EMU’s deposit on 11 acres of contaminated land, and an important new partnership between Student Government and the EMU Foundation.
I’m your host, Liz Hornyak, and we’ll be discussing all this more on today’s edition of the Eastern Echo Podcast!
President James Smith delivered his second annual State of the University address on Tuesday, Oct. 15th. He discussed the causes behind the $60 million in budget deficits acquired between the 2011 and 2017 fiscal years. He went on to discuss a multiyear turnaround program, as well as the voluntary employee retirement incentive program. The university has since doubled their unrestricted financial reserves and has been removed from the Higher Learning Commission’s financial watchlist, granting accreditation to the university for ten more years.
In other news, the university paid an additional $400,000 deposit toward the purchase of 11 acres of land near campus as of June 4th. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the soil and groundwater of the property are contaminated because of industrial manufacturing of auto parts, steel and building supplies that began in 1937. Ninety-one thousand, five hundred dollars have already been allotted to cleaning the property. The university will pay an additional $2,205,000 at closing should they choose to complete the purchase.
Randomly selected students, faculty and staff at Eastern Michigan University have been invited to participate in an online survey about EMU’s campus climate. The survey will help EMU’s Diversity Campus Climate Assessment Committee identify the strengths and challenges of making Eastern a more diverse and inclusive campus. More information on the DCCAC and the Campus Climate Assessment is available at emich.edu/diversity/assessment.
In Student Government, Domenic Dame and Duaa Aljirafi were sworn is as new senators at the Student Senate meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 27th after running against Mustafa Aggour and Zakariya Abuzir.
Student Gov has also teamed up with the EMU Foundation to fund a project called the Student Emergency Fund, which will aid students who are struggling financially. According to Student Body President Ethan Smith, “Students can apply to this fund for a one-time monetary grant for up to $750 that does not need to be repaid if they find themselves experiencing an unforeseen crisis.” The fund is now active, and students can apply for the grant as long as they meet certain requirements. Applications can be emailed to Professor Doris Fields at dfields1@emich.edu.
In local news, writing tutoring service YpsiWrites held its grand opening at all three branches of the Ypsi District Library on Saturday, Oct. 19th. Attendees were invited to work with trained volunteer writing coaches two respond to writing prompts. YpsiWrites, housed in all three Ypsilanti District Library locations, consists of trained consultants who are available to writers with any kind of writing projects.
Here are the events you can look forward to on campus this week:
On Monday, join registered dietitian Callie Gavorek for her monthly Teaching Kitchen from 6 to 7 at Crossroads Marketplace. Attendees will be making No Bake Mason Jar Pumpkin Pies. Students can register through the link provided on the EMU Events Calendar.
Professor Pamela Nadell of American University will be in the Student Center Ballroom from 7 to 9 to talk about and sign copies of her new book “America’s Jewish Women: A History from Colonial Times to Today.”
On Tuesday, the “Find Your Fit” interactive workshop will be held from 4 to 5:30 in the Student Center Ballroom as well as on Wednesday from 11 to 12:30. The workshop is intended to help students identify engagement opportunities that will boost their campus experience.
At 5, a workshop titled, “What To Do When Witnessing Uncomfortable Situations,” will be held in Room 300 of Halle Library. The event will focus on identifying what a bystander is, as well as ways to intervene on behalf of others when they are unable.
A Wellness Fair and lecture will take place from 3 to 6 in the McKenny Ballroom. The event will focus on healthy lifestyle, dietary options and work with caregivers of those with Dementia. The fair begins at 3 p.m. and the lecture begins at 4:30.
From 6:30 to 9, the Student Center Auditorium will be showing “The Mask You Live In,” the Official Selection of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. The film follows boys and young men as they struggle to stay true to themselves while negotiating America’s narrow definition of masculinity. A discussion will follow the screening.
EMU Theatre is bringing back Performance Hour with this month’s theme “Nightmare on Quirk Street!” A description of the event on the university calendar reads, “Join our hosts Aric Bird and Sarah Gunter for a fun-filled hour showcasing the joy of performance.” The event will be held from 4 to 5 in Room 125 of Quirk.
On Friday, students can stop by Room 270 of the Student Center from 3 to 5 for a chance to win a winter car care kit. They can also learn tips for winter driving and how to prepare your vehicle for the cold. The event will be hosted by EMU PD and the Office for International Students and Scholars.
Graduate students are invited by the English Graduate Student Association to attend Resume Building Night from 4 to 5:30 in Room 202 of Pray-Harrold.
At 7, the volleyball team will begin their home game against Northern Illinois.
On Saturday, the football team will be playing a home game against Buffalo at noon, and the volleyball team will face Western Michigan at 8.
Full-length articles covering each topic of today’s news briefing are featured on easternecho.com. As always, print editions are available across campus all week. We’ll be back on Monday with an updated news briefing for you, but until then, be sure to listen to our bonus episode of the Board of Regents meeting!
Have a great week, Eagles! This is Liz Hornyak signing off.
Cabansag: The Eastern Echo Podcast is directed by Ronia-Isabel Cabansag and produced by Rylee Barnsdale. This episode was written by Ronia Cabansag.
