April, 19, 2013

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UNIVERSITY:

Graduate Student Union in middle of bargaining process » PAGE 3A

PHILANTHROPY: Greek community hosts American Red Cross Blood Drive » Drive PAGE 5B Friday, April 19, 2013

cm-life.com EYES ON THE GOLD

FEET DON’T FAIL ME NOW

Crystal Bradford invited to World University Games tryouts in May » PAGE 1B

University Theatre Dance Company brings variety of dances to stage stage » PAGE 1B

John Douglas White sentenced up to 85 years for murder of Rebekah Jane Gay By Tony Wittkowski and Megan Pacer Senior Reporters

VICTORIA ZEGLER /PHOTO EDITOR

Mount Pleasant resident John Douglas White, 55, left, appears before Judge Paul H. Chamberlain during his sentencing in the murder of Rebekah Jane Gay on Thursday at the Isabella County Trial Court, 200 N Main St

John Douglas White, 55, was sentenced Thursday in Isabella County Trial Court to a minimum of 56 years and three months in prison after pleading guilty to the Oct. 31 murder of Rebekah Jane Gay, essentially locking

him up for life. Chief Judge Paul H. Chamberlain gave White a minimum sentence of 56 years and three months to a maximum of 85 years. “I find that your sentence today is proportionate to the seriousness of your crime,” Chamberlain said at the Isabella County Building, 200 N. Main St. “Some

people have no place in the community, and you are such a person. I don’t see a reason why you should ever be released.” Isabella County Prosecutor Risa Scully said the court’s guidelines should consider the nature of the crime and its effect on the family. “The guidelines do

not take into account the deviant sexual act that Mr. White perpetrated upon Rebekah’s body,” Scully said. “And, in this particular case, the emotional injury should be and cannot be scored as points on a sentencing grid.” Scully addressed White’s past crimes against females, which include a 1981 stabbing and a 1995 homicide. Defense Attorney Gordon Bloem said the court should take White’s reasoning for skipping trial and pleading guilty into account before determining his sentence. A WHITE | 2A

Mount Pleasant under water

Flooding a concern on campus; city parks closed after heavy rains

By Justin Hicks and Emily Grove Senior Reporters

The deluge of rain in Michigan the last two weeks has left some areas of Central Michigan University and Mount Pleasant under water. Steve Lawrence, associate vice president of Facilities Management at CMU, said flooding is a concern at this point in the spring season with the increased rainfall. “Because it has rained extensively, the ground is saturated, increasing the likelihood of flooding,” he said. “The intensity and duration of a rain event will determine if flooding occurs.” Mount Pleasant had recorded about 1.69 inches of rain as of Thursday afternoon and was expected to receive another one to two inches Thursday night in addition to strong storms, according to The Weather Channel. CMU’s One Room Schoolhouse experienced flooding Thursday afternoon, and the Industrial Education and Technology building suffered from ceiling leaks, though neither incidents were called into Facilities Management. A FLOOD | 2A

MAIN: Redford freshman Sabryna Groves walks back from class through a massive puddle due to flooding by recent weather conditions Thursday afternoon near the Fabiano Botanical Gardens. TAYLOR BALLEK/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

LEFT: Grand Haven junior Brittany Hild, left, passes a sand bag to St. Clair Shores senior Marie Morgan, right, in an effort to prevent water from rising into the foundation of the Bohannon One Room Schoolhouse, Thursday at the corner of West Campus and Preston Street. BROOKE MAYLE/ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

RIGHT: A wooden bridge is submerged underwater after large amounts of rainfall Thursday on Three Leaves Drive causing flooding throughout Mount Pleasant. VICTORIA ZEGLER/PHOTO EDITOR

Global Campus VP Merodie Hancock named to head Empire State College

PROVOST SEARCH

Schmaling

stresses student engagement

By Brianna Owczarzak Staff Reporter

By Kyle Kaminski Senior Reporter

Karen Schmaling says the key to student success is engagement on campus. Schmaling is one of three candidates chosen as finalists to fill Provost Gary Shapiro’s spot when he retires at the end of the academic year. She participated in an open forum in the Bovee University Center Thursday, where she focused her discussion on student engagement and retention. “My experience with undergraduates has been an allaround success,” Schmaling said during the forum. “For me, it’s all about parsing the undergraduate experience and making sure students are successfully engaged for retention and graduation.”

KIRSTEN KEARSE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Washington State University Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Karen Schmaling, one of three provost candidates, addresses the faculty and student body during a public forum Thursday afternoon in the Bovee University Center’s Ausable Room.

Schmaling began her career in academics, where she held staff and faculty positions at the University of Colorado and the University of Washington School of Medicine in the psychology department. “I’m a clinical psychologist by training,” Schmaling said during her opening statements. “The first 13 years of my career have been primarily focused on medical schooling and psychology. Then, I discovered administration.” In 2001, Schmaling made the move to administration, holding various upper-level

positions at the University of Texas and University of North Carolina. She is now at Washington State University, where she holds the office of Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Aside from her opening statements regarding her educational and professional background, Schmaling left the remaining time for a question-and-answer session for the audience. Several questions were addressed, including her views on collective bargaining. A PROVOST SEARCH | 2A

Vice President of Central Michigan University’s Global Campus Operations Merodie Hancock is expected to be the next president of Empire State College in New York. SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher announced that she would be recommending Hancock for the position, according to a Thursday news release. “I’m honored that Chancellor Zimpher is making this recommendation to the SUNY Board of Trustees,” Hancock said in the release. “Empire State College, like CMU’s Global Campus, is dedicated to nontraditional and innovative student learning. I believe this recommendation reflects the prominence CMU’s Global Campus has established in delivering rigorous academic programs and, perhaps more appropriately, our 70,000 successful alumni making a difference around the globe.” Empire State College is an extension of the State University of New York,

which was founded in 1971 as an institution focused on nontraditional learning and teaching, according to the ESC website. College faculty mentors guide ESC students through designing their own degree programs. Hancock was named a semifinalist for the position in late February along with Fred Hurst, senior vice president for extended campuses at Northern Arizona University, former Empire State College Provost Meg Benke, David Schejbal, dean of continuing education, outreach and elearning for the University of Wisconsin Extension and Upper Iowa University President Alan Walker. Hancock has served as vice president of CMU’s Global Campus operations since 2007. As VP of Global Campus, Hancock has seen enrollment in CMU’s off-campus programs rise significantly. As previously reported by Central Michigan Life, Global Campus undergraduate enrollment increased by 13 percent from fall 2011 to fall 2012, from 2,341

students to 2,642 students. While graduate enrollment declined by roughly four percent during that time period, total enrollment increased by 1.4 percent to 7,189 students. “I would like to extend my congratulations to Hancock on this tremendous opportunity with Empire State College and express my appreciation for all she has done for CMU over the past six years,” Provost Gary Shapiro said in the release. “Her leadership has resulted in major improvements working with on-campus faculty and deans while expanding CMU’s prominence in online education.” CMU’s Global Campus reaches more than 50 locations throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico, as well as offering online classes globally. A national search for a replacement for Hancock has not yet begun. Hancock was not available for comment in time for publication. university@cm-life.com