Bang the gong – and other reflections on Honors Tradition and Change…

Both tradition and change are central to the heart of any great university. Tradition provides continu-ity across generations and helps both past and current cohorts of students and faculty feel a shared con-nection to their University. At the same time, intellectual challenge, discovery, and creative work remain central to the mission of the University - all designed to create change that radiates out from the Universi-ty, through our disciplines, and into society - moving us progressively forward into new uncharted territory.

In this vein, what a wonderful year it has been to revisit and celebrate CMU Honors traditions during this celebration of our 50th anniversary. Whether you are a past or current member of our Honors com-munity, hopefully there is something about a cherished tradition reflected in the pages of this edition of Honor Bound that taps into your experience with Honors. From where I sit, though, the next fifty years for Honors looks even more exciting but will most certainly be full of change!

The promise of Honors will not come from resting on successes achieved in the past; rather, it will come from embracing new opportunities and taking the initiative to lead the University in its ongoing efforts to promote the academic excellence and personal development of Honors students who will be-come scholar-citizens leading our disciplines, society, and world to change for the greater good.

As part of these efforts you should continue to see:• An increase in the percentage of Honors students that engage in a significant international educa-

tion experience as part of their undergraduate careers• Honors students taking a stronger leadership role within the University to promote high academic

standards and achievements• A revised Honors curriculum with new courses designed to explicitly promote core Honors values

and classes that coordinate with CMU’s updated General Education plan • Initiatives to increase the success of Honors students from under-represented groups including first

generation and low income families• An increase in the number of students that are listed as co-authors and presenters for professional

publications and conferences• The development of our University Honors Journal to better disseminate our student work within

and outside our Honors communityAnd of course we will do this while maintaining our friendly, student-centered approach, as a

reminder to all that it is possible to have both a strong mind and a warm heart!Also changing this year is the leadership of Honor Bound with two new student co-editors coordi-

nating the effort to communicate the Honors experience to all in the Honors community. Best wishes to Megan Gill and Kelly Schiess who are taking over the editorial reigns for Honor Bound with this edition. No doubt the look and feel of Honor Bound will change under their leadership and I am confident that the tradition of an exceptional and award winning Honors newsletter will continue.

So what about that gong? For decades now, scores of Honors students have come to the Honors Office to submit the final copy of their Senior Honors Project with little fanfare or recognition – often after sleepless nights filled with final reviews, revisions, and the quest to get final approval signatures. Starting at the end of the Spring 2012 term, Honors students submitting their final projects have been en-couraged to bang the Senior Project Gong now mounted on the wall in the Honors office. The sound has become a signal for all in the office to pause for a moment and to acknowledge this significant milestone for our Honors students. So if you are a current Honors student looking ahead to your Senior Project, you will most likely take part in helping to establish a new tradition - you will bang the gong! And to all of our past graduates receiving your latest copy of Honor Bound, let me invite you back to visit with us in the of-fice and to share your memories of Honors…and because you already completed your Senior Project, you are also most certainly invited to bang the gong!

Honor BoundA CentrAl MiChigAn University honors ProgrAM student PublicationVolume 17, Issue 2

Spring 2012

www.cmich.edu/honorsThe CMU Honors Program is a nationally-recognized Honors Program winning seven national awards over the past eight

years, including the coveted National Honors Student of the Year Award and six national student publication awards.

Message from theDirector

Director Phame Camarena, Ph.D.

Highlights...Full table of contents on p. 2

Honors student Jaczkowski awarded Fulbright Scholarship

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5 th

AnniversAry

1961-2011

New Honors Online Journal showcases

student work 4Honors courses abroad teach global perspective

6Honors students

hear Dr. Jane Goodall speak on campus

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The Honors Program is aiming higher and achieving more (H)ONLINEHonor Bound is now online!

Be sure to check out

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for online-exclusive Honors Program news, features and opportunities!

Scan the QR codes througout this issue with any device capable of

barcode scanning to be taken directly to exclusive (H)ONLine content!

CMU student notified of Fulbright awardGrant to help Stephanie Jaczkowski teach English in PolandBy: University Communications

Central Michigan University senior Stephanie Jaczkowski of Clinton Township has received notification that she has been awarded a Fulbright grant and was one of 10 applicants from across the nation to be offered a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Poland.

Approximately 1,700 grants are offered annually through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, and there were nearly 10,000 appli-cations received for the 2012-13 competition.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between U.S. citizens and the people of other countries. Jaczkowski is the fourth student in CMU history to be offered a Fulbright award.

This distinguished academic award will provide Jaczkowski the opportunity to teach English at the University of Gdańsk in north-ern Poland, where she studied abroad in 2010.

“I had a study trip to visit Gdańsk when I studied abroad two years ago, and the thought of applying for a Fulbright scholarship hadn’t even crossed my mind,” said Jaczkowski, a po-litical science and integrative public relations double major. “Being offered this scholarship is a culmination of all the hard work I’ve done, and it shows what happens when you take advantage of opportunities people give to you.”

Jaczkowski said she is proud of her Polish heritage and that Polish culture has been a part

of her life since her dad, Joseph, introduced her to Polish dancing when she was 4 years old. In 2008, she was the American Polish Century Club Heritage Princess, a contest based on knowledge of Polish culture.

It is because of her interest in Poland and her strong academic background that Phame Camarena, director of the CMU Honors and National Scholarship Programs, strongly encouraged Jaczkowski to apply for the Ful-bright.

“When I first met Stephanie she had just returned from her trip to Poland,” said Camarena. “She was so excited and committed to continue working in Poland that it was a natural fit for her to apply for this scholarship.”

Studying in Poland through the Fulbright award will help Jaczkowski develop her Polish language skills. She said she plans to attend graduate school and study public policy as well as Russian and Eastern European studies. She aspires to work in Washington, D.C., as an analyst of Eastern European politics and potentially return to Poland.

Jim Wojcik is a CMU journalism faculty member who has taught Jaczkowski in public relations courses and oversaw her program internship with the National Taxpayers Union.

“I’m so happy for her. She’s a really hard-working student who’s not afraid to take chances and is not afraid to fail,” Wojcik said. “I like seeing that excitement and passion in the students.”

Throughout her years at CMU, Jaczkowski has been active in the university’s Honors Program and College Republicans as well as attending conferences throughout the state and nation.

She also has completed internships with the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research and with the National Taxpayers Union in Washington, D.C.

“Everything I’ve done is interrelated, and it’s happened like a domino effect,” Jaczkowski said. “Each time I’d take advantage of one op-portunity, it led to another and then another. Hopefully it all will continue on to something bigger.”

Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leader-ship potential in their fields. The program op-erates in more than 155 countries worldwide.

Study Abroad ......................6-7

Capstone Projects ............14-15

Academics ..........................4-5

Student Organizations ....10-11

Professional Experience ...... 13

Beyond Graduation .......16-19

Special Events ...................... 12

Annual Events ....................8-9

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Jaczkowski

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Honor Bound

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Be sure to check out

honorboundonline.blogspot.com

for online-exclusive Honors Program news, features and opportunities!

Annual Provost AwardsHonors Students receive recognition from Provost at SRCEE

Inaugural Recognition DinnerHonors Student involvement recognized at formal dinner in Powers BallroomBy Megan Gill | Editor

The inaugural Honors Program Student Recogni-tion Dinner was held Friday, April 27, to honor stu-dent involvement in a variety of Honors Program events, organiza-tions, publications.

“We spend a lot of time honor-ing students as they graduate and leave the university, but we don’t spend

enough time recognizing them while they are still here,” Honors Program Director Phame Camarena said in his opening remarks.

Honors student workers, students who serve on the Honors Council, the Honors Program Online Journal board, Honors 100 Mentors, and the writers and editors of Honor Bound were amongst those recognized at the dinner. Honors students who participated in the Honors-affiliated Club Quiz Bowl team, the Talent Show student director and emcees, as well as the Honors Philanthropic Society (HPPS) and Honors Outreach Network (HON) leadership and committee chairs were also recognized for their efforts. Finally, along with giving the keynote address, Honors Program Alumna Heidi Hampton announced the 2012 Honors Program Alumni Scholarship recipients.

Hampton’s keynote, which emphasized the importance of leading by example and serving the community, framed the initiative that students at the dinner had demonstrated over the course of their college careers.

The Honors Program Legacy Award, a newly created distinction for students who have made lasting changes to the Program, was also presented.Graduating seniors Kyle Terwillegar, who redesigned the style and layout of Honor Bound and created the Honors Facebook page and blog, as well as Dani Rossman, who planned the Recognition Dinner itself, were the 2012 awardees. Together, the two also initiated the Honors Winter Charity Ball in February 2010.

“This award will help us recognize students whose influence will be felt long after they graduate,” Honors Program Associate Director Judy Idema said.

Photo by Judy Idema

Photo by Kyle TerwillegarOver 75 Honors students were recognized for their involvement in Honors registered

student organizations, Honors publications, Honors mentoring programs, and Honors

special events.

Each year the Provost and Presi-dent select and recognize approxi-mately 12 stu-dents on campus whose research, scholarship, and creative endeav-ors are done at the highest level. This year five of the eight Provost Award recipients were Honors Students.

Provost Gary Shapiro recog-

nized these students at the Student Research and Creative Endeavors Exhibition (SRCEE) on April 18, 2012.

Emily Cook was recognized from the College of Business Administration for her research on SAP curriculums at U.S. Universities.

Kimberly Hanson from the College of Health Professions was recognized for her research on healthy lifestyles.

Angela Hellow from the College of Health Professions was recognized for her Honors Senior Research Project “The Qual-ity of Life in Families of Children with Pediatric Dysphagia.”

Jenna Urban was recognized from the College of Business Administration for her research into the growing trend of U.S. citizen retiring in foreign countries.

Malorie Urda was recognized from the College of Educa-tion and Human Services for her research into the stretch and recovery of four knit fabrics.

These students continue to strive for their best work, and are continuing to display the values of the Honors Program as they aim higher in their work and achieve more meaningfully through their aspirations and goals.

The Honors Program continues to encourage its students to work hard and get involved within their field of study.

By Kelly Schiess | Editor

Photo by Judy IdemaHonors student, Malorie Urda receives her award from Provost Gary Shapiro

at SRCEE in April 2012

National Scholarship Program Nominates Six Students in First YearIn its first year as a formal program on campus, the National Scholar-

ship Program has flourished. Six students were nominated for a National Scholarship, all of them members of the Honors Program, and of those, one student was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship.

This year’s nominees include: John Phillips, Rhodes Scholarship Nominee; Alex Strong, Fulbright nominee; Erica Maylee, Truman nomi-nee; Marina Maraskine, Goldwater nominee; Jaime Coon, Udall nominee; and Stephanie Jaczowski, Fulbright Scholar Recipient who will be teaching English in Poland in the fall.

The nominees were recognized by Provost Gary Shapiro and Dr. James Hagemen, the Interim Vice Provost of Research and Sponsored Programs, at the Student Research and Creative Endeavors Exhibition (SRCEE) on April 18, 2012.

These six were the first ever National Scholarship nominees from CMU, and the National Scholarship Program looks forward to continuing to rec-ognize top students in the future.

For more information on applying for national scholarships, please con-tact Dr. Phame Camarena, Director of the National Scholarship Program.

Rhodes, Truman, Udall, Goldwater among the awards for which students were nominated

Provost Gary Shapiro (far left) and Dr. James Hageman (far right) recognize the National

Scholarship nominees at (SRCEE) in April 2012

By Kelly Schiess | Editor

Spring 2012

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Vision

The CMU Honors Program will serve the University

by fostering a diverse community of scholars committed to academic excellence, intellectual

engagement, and social responsibility.

Mission

Providing high academic ability students with unique

educational opportunities and experiences, the

CMU Honors Program challenges students to aim higher and to achieve more academically, personally,

and professionally for the greater good of our

disciplines, our society, and our world.

Core Values

The primary values that guide the implementation of the Honors Program

mission include:· Critical thought,

scholarly inquiry, and creative expression

· Respect and appreciation for diverse peoples and ideas in a global society

· High standards for integrity and

personal aspirations

· Active citizenship and service for the greater good

Honor Bound Mission

Honor Bound is a student-produced newsletter

that serves the Central Michigan Honors Program

community by keeping its members – past,

present and future – well informed of the unique

personalities, achievements and involvements associated with the Honors Program

and its core values.

Wilderness Experience for Leadership DevelopmentRPL 360H: Honors students make annual spring break trek to hike the Appalachian TrailBy Dani Rossman | Senior Contributor

New Honors Program Online JournalStart-up journal project founded and led by two Honors studentsBy Ben Harris | Senior Contributor

A new online journal for the Honors Program was founded this spring by two motivated Honors students.

Houghton Lake senior Justin Wigard and Walled Lake junior Kelsey Whing have been named co-editors of the publication.

“We are building this from the ground up,” Whing said.

Wigard said they hoped to have the first edi-tion published in late summer or early fall, and then publish an edition once a semester after that.

The audience for an Honors senior project is usually small, Wigard said, and often limited to the contributing professor, the Honors student and the Honors Program Director, Phame Camarena.

“We plan to showcase all the different works Honors students are doing,” Whing said. “A lot of it is unknown, or you’ll only hear about it through your friends.”

Since many publications are already switching to online formats and Central Michigan University recently designed a new website, the decision to offer the journal only online will help it be more

adaptable, Wigard said. Whing has been scouring other online Honors

journals to see what is working well and what isn’t.“We want to produce a high quality product

that people will be proud to show their parents or that the Honors Program can show prospective students or alumni,” she said.

Whing and Wigard agreed they want the project to be sustained after they graduate, so they are already searching for their replacements.

“We have to document absolutely everything we do,” Wigard said.

Whing said creative works as well as academic works were acceptable for submission, as long as the creative work was of the same caliber as a well done academic work.

“We want more than just one spot of inspira-tion for a creative piece. Instead of one photograph, we want a photo story,” she said.

Wigard said the journal will strive for an even mix of creative and academic works to properly represent the diversity of disciplines in the Honors Program.

For many college students, spring break is a time of rest, relaxation and warm weather, but one group of CMU students spent spring break doing the exact opposite. Students enrolled in RPL 360H: “Wilderness Experience for Leadership Development” spent the week backpacking in the Appalachian Mountains of the Red River Gorge in Slade, Kentucky.

Students spent six nights sleeping in tents, hiking the trails, and navigating the wilderness. They were respon-sible for carrying everything they might need on their own backs.

Although the students learned about surviving life in the wilderness, some of the most important lessons revolved around leadership and cooperation. Each student had the opportunity to act as “leader of the day,“ dur-ing which time they were responsible for planning the route, deciding on where to break for water and lunch and determining how to navigate the weather.

Students were also reminded of the importance of unplugging from electronics and connecting with those around them.

“This trip reminded me of the importance of turning off the computers, televisions, and cell phones, meeting new people, and spending time with friends, family, and roommates,” Bay City Junior, Ashley Popp said.

As part of their trip, students spent a day cleaning up a trail that was littered with debris. Popp said that she was reminded of “the importance of enjoying the environment, but also making the effort to leave as minimal impact as possible so that future generations can also enjoy it.”

During the trip, students experience weather of every type; heat, cold, snow, and rain. For many of the students, this was the most challenging part. During the first few days of the trip, the temperature dropped below freezing.

Besides immersing themselves in the great outdoors, this is an enriching leader-ship opportunity, even for students who have been involved in past leadership roles.

“In addition to encouraging academic achievement, Honors is committed to chal-lenging students to grow in ways that will prepare them to change the world for good. The self-awareness and confidence that comes from this experience can only help prepare our Honors students for future opportunities where they will be leading by example and action,” Honors Program Director Phame Camarena said.

For six days and nights these Honors students slept in tents and hiked on the Appalachian Trail.

Photo courtesy of Megan Pacer

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Honor Bound

For six days and nights these Honors students slept in tents and hiked on the Appalachian Trail.

Twelve students enrolled in HON 321L: “Latino America in the U.S.” spent the semester learning about Latino American culture, culmi-nating their experience with a service learning trip to Miami, Florida over Spring Break. While there they gained a very real sense of the culture of the

area and the difficulties that the community faces.“The most surprising thing about Miami

is that technically you are still in the U.S., but

culturally you are someplace entirely different,” sophomore Morgan Singer said. “It was an amaz-ing experience.”

“It was interesting because we assume that everyone has to speak English coming to America, and that’s not the case,” first-year student Ashley Pollock said. “In that area it’s not a necessity to be able to speak English.”

In the eight weeks prior to their trip to Miami, the class spent time learning about the Latino and Chicano cultures in the United States. Professor Alejandra Rengifo, who is originally from Columbia and also teaches Spanish at Cen-tral Michigan University, said she wanted to teach this class to spread cultural awareness to students outside of the Spanish program.

“I wanted to give them an insight-ful look of what the culture is all about here in the states,” Rengifo said. “I wanted students to discover us (Latinos/Chicanos) from another perspective.”

While in Miami, students spent time volunteering at a local childcare center and an English center which teaches people of all different ages and skill levels to speak English.

“It was a really unique experience to interact with people who are so passionate about learning English and are so passion-ate about being in a country that we take for granted,” senior Dani Rossman said.

Students also had free time in Miami to visit different places to interact with local resi-dents and do research for their final projects, on topics such as education, body image, healthcare and religion.

“I was able to walk away with the only definition of what an American is that I’ve ever been able to come to: people who want to be free and have freedom,” junior Caitlyn Homrich said with the approving nods of her classmates. “It doesn’t matter what culture a person comes from, freedom is the one thing that ties all Americans together.”

HON 321G: Design for GoodThe Coe Township Library moves into a new building after much assistance with renovation and rebuilding from a class of Honors studentsBy Amy Crockett | Senior Contributor

HON 321C: Latino America in the U.S.Honors students learn about Latino American culture in class before experiencing it first-hand on a week-long service learning trip to MiamiBy Heather Hillman | Senior Contributor

Service has long been one of the pillars of the CMU Honors Program. In spring 2012, eight Honors students put this pillar into action by taking part in the HON 321G: Design for Good service-learning course. This course focused on renovating a new library for a local mid-Michigan community.

The Coe Township Library, part of the Chippewa River District Library System, is located in historic downtown Shepherd, Mich. The former library was only 900 square feet, but, with the help of these eight Honors students and many community members, it was moved across the street to a vacated pharmacy building. The new library is approxi-mately 4,000 square feet.

“The library was my favorite place to go as a kid. I think it’s important for everyone to have access to a good library,” Davison junior Roxanne Harris said.

These students were responsible for tearing down parts of the old pharmacy build-ing, designing and decorating the new space, developing original and functional ideas, painting the interior, laying carpet and tiles, coordinating volunteers, promoting the new library, and much more.

Harris said her favorite part of the project was the demolition because it was something she had never done before. HON 321G and interior design professor Sue Bowlby said she loved how the course brought together Honors students from across all disciplines and

class standings. The students had a wide variety of majors, including: interior design, public relations, and speech- language pathology. Each student brought unique experiences, perspectives, and ideas to the project, she said.

“You’re taking the skills you learned in other classes and applying them in a real setting, but you’re also learning things you never would have in other classes,” Harris said.

As a new service-learning course, HON 321G also challenged students to become leaders of the project, Birch Run sophomore Bethany Ciolek said. “We have to make our own way while working together with other people as we go,” she said. Ciolek said, despite challenges, the class was able to make a difference in other people’s lives by providing the Shepherd community with a much-im-

proved library. She and Harris agreed they really enjoyed participating in a class so focused on serving others.“This class seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I didn’t want to miss it,” Harris said.

Honors students help renovate old pharmacy building to house new 4,000 sq. ft. library in Shepherd

Photo courtesy of Amy Crockett

Honors students immersed themselves in the Miami community while researching specific topics such as education, body

image, health care and religion.

Photo courtesy of Taylor Galmarini

Honors students received make-overs from the girls at a Miami childcare center in which they volunteered.

Photo courtesy of Alejandra Rengifo

5

Spring 2012

Planning to study abroad? First-year students entering Honors

Program in Fall 2011 and Fall 2012:

$1000 scholarships are available for short-term study abroad courses

$2000 scholarships are available for full-term study abroad courses

students entering Honors prior to Fall 2011 planning to study abroad in the spring of 2013:

Limited scholarships are available to assist those who are planning to study abroad. Pick up a

scholarship application in Powers 104.

Applications are due october 5, 2012

The End of the World? Honors students study Mayan culture and math in class to prepare for a spring break study abroad experience in MexicoBy John Phillips | Senior Contributor

Everybody knows that the Mayans predicted the world’s end on December 21, 2012. Everyone has been exposed to the warning that the ancient Mayan calendar ends on this date, which some have postulated marks the world’s end. Over spring break, Honors students taking HON 321M “The End of the World: Mayan Math” traveled to Mexico as the culmina-tion of an eight week course at CMU in which they learned about the importance of mathematics to Mayan history. Luckily, they learned that the end of the world is probably not something to worry about.

Professors Donna Ericksen and Tibor Marcinek from the CMU Mathematics Department took a group of Honors students to the Yucatan Peninsula after spending the first eight weeks of the semester learning about the Mayan his-tory, mathemat-ics, and culture.

In Mexico, the group visited famous histori-cal Mayan sites such as Chichén Itzá, Xel Ha, and Tulum. This was an excellent opportunity for students to get hands-on learning

outside of the classroom. Students are often relegated to learning from textbooks and lectures about places they have never been, never will see, and therefore cannot quite grasp.

“I was able to see and experi-ence many things that helped to enrich the material learned during the course of the semester,” said Midland senior Michael Gustin.

Morenci junior Tommy McVay agreed stating “No matter how many videos and pictures you see, nothing can quite prepare you for the awesome site of the great pyramid [Chichén Itzá] the first time you see it.” McVay went on to marvel at how “a civilization that some people consider to be primi-tive can have created such amazing things.”

Honors Courses AbroadHonors courses travel to China and Britain for three weeks to study global citizenship and the history of medicineBy Nicole Schram | Senior Contributor

After exams are finished and students are all packed to go home, a group of Honors students are traveling to England on May 15th with Dr. Phil Hertzler for HON 321E: “History of Biology and Medicine in Britain.” This course is open to all Honors students but geared more for health professions or biological science stu-dents.

Students have the opportunity to visit Darwin’s boyhood home and museums containing his collections, along with the historic site of the British Navy, and potentially the Royal Academy of Sur-geons.

Along with traveling to different sites learning about the his-tory of particular aspects of biology and medicine, they will also travel in the footsteps of one of the most well-known scientists, Charles Darwin.

“You learn about these discoveries in books, but it’s a whole lot more real when you can see where the discoveries happened” Hertzler said.

A second Honors course taking place this summer is HON 321C: “Honors Global Citizenship: Bejing.”

On June 20, Dr. Donna Erickson, Dr. Cathy Warner and a group of Honors students are traveling to Beijing, China as Honors Program ambassadors.

The class will be hosted by and work with students of North China Technical University. The Honors students’ daily duties will include helping Chinese students practice English, working on a good-will ambassador project in the nearby area, or traveling to his-torical sites around Beijing such as the Forbidden City and Tianan-men Square.

Although this is a new course, Warner has taken similar classes to China before.

“I am very hopeful that the American students and the Chi-nese students will be able to learn much about each other’s culture,” Erickson said, “That the class becomes immersed in the culture of China.”

This year the Honors Program commissioned a group of faculty to draft a master course syllabus for a new Honors Global Citizen-ship Course. Once approved, the number and range of Honors faculty-led courses abroad should increase greatly.

In the past, Honors courses abroad included a business course in China, an Irish theatre course, a Harry Potter course in England, an Italian Renaissance course in Florence, and service-learning courses in Oaxaca, Mexico.

After learning about the ruins in class, the Honors students were able to see Chichén Itzá in person during a study abroad trip

to the Yucatan Pennisula in Mexico.

Photo by Donna Ericksen

See the Honors Program for more details or with any questions.6

Honor Bound

Honors Courses Abroad

Going to Europe was on the list of things that I always wanted to do, but it was continuously put on my list of dreams deferred as plans fell through. I made excuse after excuse about why I would not be able to study abroad while in college.

Last fall, I finally got up the gumption to commit to study-ing abroad in Groningen, the Netherlands, for the entire spring semester. Quite frankly, I am not really sure how it happened, but I went to an appointment with an advisor, planning to do a summer program, and I left signed up for a full semester in a place I had never heard of and whose native language I did not speak. Come to find out, this spontaneous, non-Laura-like thing was the first step of an experience that has transformed me into the person that I’ve always told myself I wanted to be, but was too busy to actually become.

Throughout college, and high school to be honest, I have always overwhelmed myself by taking too many classes and committing to too many jobs and extracurriculars, causing me to count down to the end of the semester for my personal san-ity. This semester, I left behind everything that I knew, got the first stamp in my passport, and promised myself that I would take advantage of every opportunity that came my way while abroad.

More so than any other, this was a semester that I never wanted to end. Instead of rushing through my life, I am finally allowing myself to live. I’ve stopped making excuses for why I cannot do things and started figuring out how I can make them happen. I’ve started booking trips on a whim to places I never thought I would go, caring less about doing the practical thing and more about doing the once-in-a-lifetime thing. Instead of spending my entire weekend studying, I’ve spent my weekends traveling, experiencing new things and meeting new people who have taught me about their cultures and convinced me that there is so much more I want to see and do.

I’m finally looking at my bank account, not as a place for earning and saving, but as a means of experiencing and doing. I’ve learned to take care of my responsibilities during the week and, instead of booking my life full of stress, I’ve booked it full of missions to accomplish. In a month, I’ve been to five different countries, with many others planned, and I have come to real-ize that I shouldn’t love what I’m doing for where it’s going to get me in the future, but I should love it for what I can experi-ence in the present.

Spending a Semester Abroad...Two Honors students reflect on their experiences abroad

Looking Back: The NetherlandsBy Laura Eickhoff | Senior Contributor

Denmark: A Day in the LifeBy Amberly Dziesinski | Senior Contributor

From the first morning I awoke in Den-mark, I under-stood why this was the land that inspired Hans Christian Anderson. The trees were cov-ered in a glittery frost, and as I waited for the bus, the sun’s first rays explod-ed onto the hazy purple sky. I had to pinch myself to remember that this was not a fairy tale: Denmark was to be my home for the next four months.

During my time studying abroad in Copen-hagen, every day was an adven-ture.

The average weekday began with my morning run – not for exercise, but to make it to the bus on time for my commute to the city for classes. At the Danish Institute for Study Abroad, the combination of Danish professors and American classmates created an interesting atmosphere of cross cultural idea shar-ing. I learned just as much about America from them as I did about Denmark from my host family.

After class my head was always spinning with new perspec-tives on everything from politics to painting. To relax, I would wander down the winding cobblestone streets, window shopping and attempting to avoid the innumerable bicyclists. If I could find my way back to the train station in time for dinner, then the afternoon was considered a success.

On many evenings we would have frikadeller (traditional Danish meatballs), my favorite. Everyone in the family helped to prepare the meal; even the dog serenaded us with an inter-esting prelude on piano, and we howled along with laughter. Then we would sit for an evening of “hygge.” It’s a Danish word with no exact English translation, a word to describe the cozy feeling of spending time with those closest to you.

Most evenings consisted of watching Danish X-Factor, but if I was lucky, we would play a round of indoor soccer first (and if I was really lucky, we wouldn’t break anything). When these hygge nights concluded, I was always exhausted, but also eager for whatever excitement the next day would bring.

I came to Denmark not knowing anyone, and now, I have a second family. Yes, it was scary to board the airplane to a place with unfamiliar customs and an impossible language, but stepping out of my comfort zone for a semester abroad was an incredibly rewarding experience.

Sometimes, you just have to jump, and I promise you, the reward of experience gained will almost always outweigh the feeling of nervous butterflies in your stomach. So go, explore, do, jump: the world awaits!

Photo courtesy of Amberly Dziesinski

Photo courtesy of Laura Eickhoff

Junior Laura Eickhoff was able to visit many other countries and learn about their history and culture

during her semester abroad in the Netherlands.

Sophomore, Amberly Dziesinski spent a semester in Denmark, living with a

family and embracing Danish culture.

7

Spring 2012

Superhero TalentEighteen acts compete in the 11th Annual Honors Program Talent Show By John Lennon | Staff Writer

New Club Quiz BowlHonors students Amberly Dziesinski and Amanda Erwin start first-ever Honors Quiz Bowl teamBy Jaime Coon | Senior Contributor

From bassoons playing Lady Gaga to interpretive readings of poetry, the 11th Annual Honors Program Talent Show boasted some of the best acts Central Michigan’s Honors Program has to offer. This year’s theme was “superheroes in the city.” With this in mind, the dynamic emcee duo of Nicholas Varner and Benjamin Krinke set out to discover the talent Honors students have to offer.

The show delivered many unique talents including Broadway performers, dancers, and musical acts. Associate Director of the Honors Program, Judy Idema, stated that over time, there have been trends among the type of acts featured. The 11th installment of the talent show featured more musical acts than in previous years in which there were many more comedy and slam poetry acts.

“This year, there were a lot of crowd favorites,” Idema said.The show gives Honors students a unique opportunity to

showcase their talents. Although many acts applied, some newcom-ers needed a nudge. This came in the form of recruiting talent in the HON 100: “Introduction to Honors” class that all first-year students must take. This year’s show features seasoned performers as well as many newcomers to the stage, Idema said.

Though this talent show is fun for all those who attend and participate, there still remains the competitive side of this great event. With a wide variety of acts, determining winners can be a task in and of itself. The judges, including faculty and students, “base much of their decision on audience response,” said Idema.

This year, the top three performers included a medley of Lady Gaga tunes performed by the bassoon quartet of Katy Steklac, Cierra Button, Katie Buzzo, and Matt Williamsen, an interpretive reading of Ellyn Maybe’s “Ball and Chain Record Store” performed by Rebecca Jones, and a jazz rendition of Train’s “Drops of Jupiter” performed by the band Blue Bird Sky.

Blue Bird Sky was chosen as the 1st place act for the talent show. This trio consists of sophomore Rick Peake, junior Sam Easter, and junior Sean Soard. Their performance turned out to be a crowd favorite, and they were able to take home the gold

“I had originally forgotten that the talent show was a competi-tion… Once they announced third place I remembered it was a competition. Then I heard who third place was, and I instantly wrote us off,” said Peake.

This seemed to be a shared sentiment among the members of Blue Bird Sky; however, when the announcement came in, the group was ecstatic that their work had paid off.

With top notch events such as the Honors Talent Show, the unique abilities of individual students are able to be highlighted in a way that shows just how extraordinary the students of the CMU Honors Program truly are.

What is the value for jerk when acceleration is constant? What diatomic molecule is held together by the strongest triple bond known to science? What 1987 sitcom starred a pre-Friends Matthew Perry? What well-known cubist artist had an obsession with minotaurs? These questions—and many more—encompass the subjects involved in a new Honors-affiliated RSO started just this year, Club Quiz Bowl.

Quiz Bowl is a team-based trivia competition similar in style to Jeopardy. The Club Quiz Bowl founders, co-presidents, and Honors stu-dents Amberly Dziesinski and Amanda Erwin were both quiz bowl cap-tains in their respective high schools. After winning the Claude S. Larzelere Trivia Challenge hosted by the Honors Program last year, they realized that a quiz bowl club should be started at CMU.

“The Claude S. Larzelere Trivia Challenge reminded Amberly and me how much we had enjoyed quiz bowl in high school,” Erwin said. “Think-ing about it, quiz bowl was the one thing I had been missing in my new college experience at Central Michigan University.”

A year and fifteen members later, this Honors RSO has biweekly practices and has traveled as far away as Northern Illinois University for tournaments.

Michael Jennings, a first-year Honors student, has been participating in quiz bowl since 7th grade and is glad that he can continue his hobby in college. He especially enjoys the fun and whimsical nature of the team.

“We’ve done all sorts of things like rap the questions or played in the dark just because it would make practices a little different,” Jennings said.

Meetings are for practicing for tournaments, Erwin said, but also for having a good time with friends.

“I enjoy the learning atmosphere,” she said. “There is always something new to learn and always a fascinating story behind someone’s knowledge of a topic. Practices sometimes turn into storytelling sessions.”

Steven Hall, another first year Honors student, had never participated in quiz bowl before this year.

“Practices are very casual, and that’s part of the reason I enjoy them so much,” he said. “The informality, coupled with the fact that everyone is able to participate because the questions run the gamut from organic chemistry to geology, is what makes it fun.”

Erwin is extremely thankful for the support of the Honors Program, and sees the relationship between the two as fitting.

“Quiz Bowl promotes interdisciplinary academic collaboration, which is also a value of the Central Michigan University Honors Program,” Erwin said.

With a growing team and more academic and pop culture tourna-ments in their future, Club Quiz Bowl is an RSO poised to become a serious competitor among other universities. However, it’s not all about winning, Jennings said.

“Its more than just a team that competes around the state,” he said. “We are all friends who do it not because we need to win, but because we all want to have fun and learn new things.”

Senior Ben Krinke and Junior Nick Varner, emcees and superheros for the night, led the Honors Program on a search to find the most talented Honors students. There were a variety of acts including songs, poems and dances.

In its first year, the fifteen

members of Club Quiz Bowl practice twice

a week and have traveled

to many competitions around Mich.

and out of state. Photo courtesy of Amberly Dziesinski

Photo by Tamika Hawkins | Senior Contributor

HonStars take first place for the second time By Katherine Gibson | Staff Writer

8

Honor Bound

250 Attend Winter Charity Ball2nd Annual Honors Winter Charity Ball raises $2,500 for Global Philanthropy AllianceBy Kera Linn | Staff Writer

Tenth Annual Trivia ChallengeHonStars take first place for the second time By Katherine Gibson | Staff Writer

End of Year Picnic in the SunTo celebrate the culmination of the Honors Program’s 50th Anniversary year, students and faculty picnic on Gentle Thursday before finals week

The Honors Program Philan-thropic Society hosted the 2nd Annual Honors Program Winter Charity Ball in the Powers Ballroom on the night of February 17th, 2012. With approximately 250 students attending, HPPS was able to present the Global

Philanthropy Alliance (GPA) with a check of $2,500.

The Global Philanthropy Al-liance, founded by Anne and Doug Petersen, benefits a variety of youth-led organizations in Africa. These organi-zations are seeking funds for commu-nity projects through grants. They have completed twenty-two projects and are working in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa.

One such project GPA has sup-ported is the Aglow Rescue Center, an organization in Kenya seeking to empower youth by giving them skills and education in agriculture and busi-ness. Aglow provided 300 youths with the necessary skills to better their com-munity, which now has a sustainable system of community development.

Judy Idema, advisor for the Hon-ors Program Philanthropic Society (HPPS), worked with the Honors Ball

Committee in planning the event. “The Charity Ball was started in 2011 by Honors students Kyle Terwillegar and Dani Rossman who initially came up with the idea,” Idema said.

Rossman and Terwillegar headed the committee this year as well, but added a third co-chair, first-year student Katie Conley. The com-mittee selected an “Around-the-World” theme and decorated the ballroom accordingly. Each table was designated a certain country such as Africa, France, India, and Australia. The menu was international and included eggrolls, quesadillas, meat skewers, and churros.

In its first year the Ball raised approximately $1,100 for the Women’s Aid Service with attendance of 160 students. This year’s ball doubled last year’s proceeds. Idema also expressed confidence in the continued tradition

of the Honors Ball due to its great suc-cess.

In addition to the Ball, the Hon-ors Program held a reception for Anne and Doug Petersen. A dozen planning committee members attended to learn about the good works of GPA and to meet Anne and Doug in person. The Petersens expressed gratitude for the donation, which will be used as a grant for their next project.

“What’s really great about the Honors Charity Ball is that it’s youth giving to youth, and I love that,” Mr. Petersen said.

The snowy weather on Friday, Feb. 24 wasn’t enough to keep stu-dents away from the Ninth Annual Claude S. Larzelere Trivia Chal-lenge, which was held in the Park Library Auditorium.

Nine teams of Honors students competed against each other for the title of champion, and ultimately the HonStars, featur-ing seniors Colin Russell, Andrew Monson, Michael Gustin, and John G. Phillips, were victorious.

After the team Ron Paul 2012 secured third place, there was a final round between the HonStars and The Golden Horde to determine who would win the competition. The final round was a nail-biter, not only because the award for first place was on the line, but also because of the history between the two teams.

The HonStars won the Trivia Challenge in 2010, but they came in second-place in 2011 after losing to The Golden Horde. During the last round, the HonStars team was working hard to take back the title of champion, while Team Golden Horde was trying just as hard to maintain it. Both teams performed spectacularly; the final score was 25-24.

The HonStars team members were gratified by their win.

“We were hurting after last year,” Phillips said. “We put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into this competition, and it feels great to be back on top.”

In order to ensure a victory, the HonStars enlisted the help of their friend, Travis Rodgers.

“I’ve been training them all week,” Rodgers said. “They’re a great team, and I’m proud of them.”

Russell captured the spirit of the event perfectly:

“I enjoy trivia and working with my friends to show off what we know.”

The trivia challenge has become a beloved Honors Pro-gram tradition, with both the team members and the audience sharing knowledge and laughter. Hopefully it will continue for many years to come.

At right: Jim Dunn, Kirsten Hissong, Michele Kissick,

and Nathan Kistler enjoyed the dance.

Right: Amy Crockett and Erin Thomas win the Wheelbarrow race.

Photo by Tamika Hawkins | Senior Contributor

Photo by Tamika Hawkins | Senior Contributor

John Phillips, Andrew Monson, Colin Russell, and Michael Gustin were glad

to reclaim their title.

Photo by Kyle Terwillegar

Left: Honors Director, Phame Camarena plays

Human Ring Toss

Photo by Nicole Simon

Photo by Kelly Schiess

The Honors Ambassadors, Nicole Archambault and Sean

Kennedy were crowned.

The Honors Outreach Network and the Honors Program along with Larzelere Hall hosted a picnic and field games in the Lar-zelere courtyard to celebrate the end of the year. There was a 50th Anniversary cake, a bounce house, and field games such as Spa-ghetti Hair, Human Ring Toss, the Wheelbarrow Race, and Arm wrestling. Students and faculty competed for the most wins.

9

Spring 2012

Children’s Hospital Comittee: Redesigning Treat-ment Rooms to Keep “Brooke’s Dream” AliveHPPS partners with Child Life Student Association, along with child development and interior design classes to redesign treatment rooms for the Detroit Children’s HospitalBy Nichole Rombach | Staff Writer

HPPS: A Record YearWith several new committees the Honors Program

Philanthropic Society had a record year of giving

HPPS Oaxaca CommitteeOver $600 raised for orphanagesBy Andrea Peck | Staff Writer

It is amazing what can be accomplished when inspiring circumstances allow for people to come together in order to make a difference.

This past year, the Honors Program Philanthropic Society (HPPS) has successfully col-laborated with the Child Life Student Association (CLSA), along with students from a child development seminar and an interior design class in order to redesign five treatment rooms at the Detroit Children’s Hospital of Michigan (CHM).

The project, “Brooke’s Dream,” was inspired by CMU graduate Brooke Wise. While completing her internship Wise was working to redesign one of the treatment rooms at CHM in order to make it more child-friendly. Her work, however, was interrupted when she tragically lost her life in a car accident in the fall of 2010.

“Brooke had hoped that other rooms in the hospital could be transformed in this way too,” Dr. Pam Sarigiani said.

Sarigiani is the primary coordinator of this project. She was contacted by one of her stu-dents who hoped that she would get involved and help preserve Brooke’s legacy.

Additionally, Sarigiani’s class devoted part of the fall semester to researching methods used to aid children in cop-ing with stressful situations. This new information was then utilized to generate preliminary design concepts for the treat-ment rooms.

The group of fifteen stu-dents worked in four groups, which were “each focused on a different technique a child life specialist might use in order to help children cope with painful procedures,” Sarigiani said.

The four strategies focused on were: Guided Imagery and Cognitive Distraction, Deep Breathing and Relaxation, Sen-sory Distraction and Therapeutic Story-Telling.

Realizing the class would need funding to continue work-ing on Brooke’s dream, Sarigiani contacted HPPS and CLSA, who immediately embraced the cause and began fundraising.

The two student groups toured the treatment rooms on the morning of Friday, Oct. 28, and “returned to Mt. Pleasant energized and ready to make a difference,” Judy Idema, Associate Director of the Hon-ors Program, said.

In the spring, Brenda Skeel’s interior design class picked up where Sarigiani’s class left off, utilizing these techniques as a springboard to arrive at the final design concepts.

The group of twelve students spent their time learning more about child life principles and unique design

considerations for health care environments before presenting their ideas to the hospital.

The designs to be imple-mented include: an “I spy” themed room, a dandelion room, a silly birds room, an animal shapes room and a sky sailing room. This is in addition to the original “if pigs could fly” room designed by Brooke.

HPPS fundraised through-out the year for the project, selling caramel apple suckers, putting feather extensions in people’s hair, delivering candy grams, selling window cling snowflakes, putting on a self- defense class and selling St. Patrick’s Day merchandise. With the help of CLSA, over $1000 was raised, and the room renova-tions are nearly complete.

Those involved plan to make another trip to the hospital early next fall in order to see the finished product. Brooke’s dad hopes to be present for the dedication of the rooms.

The Honors Program Philan-thropic Society Oaxaca Committee raised more than $600 for the up-coming Honors Program student service course in Oaxaca, Mexico.

The trip took place from May 6-27. While in Mexico, Honors students worked with children at local orphanages. The $600 was used to purchase new bathing suits for the children for a field trip they will be taking to the ocean.

“A wealthy woman has offered to take the entire staff and children at the orphanage to the beach for two days, all hotel, food, and transportation included,” course instructor, Dr. Ed Long said.

“The kids have no swimming suits,” Long said. “Most of them have never even seen a pond or a lake, as they basically live in a desert.”

The rest of the money will be used at the other orphanage, where a new building was put up last year.

“We are painting the room upstairs, and then our students will be doing a puppet show for the children on the last day we are at the site,” Long said.

“Any remaining money will be used to purchase shoes for children new to the orphanages.”

During the spring semes-ter, members of the commit-tee planned and hosted various fundraisers and events to raise the money for the orphanages.

Some of the fundrasiers in-cluded filling shoes with monetary donations, a salsa dancing class, a cover charge at the Honors Talent Show, a La Senorita restaurant fundraiser, and a hot chocolate bar.

These fundraising efforts helped expand our reach to the community and not just CMU, Oaxaca committee co-chairperson and first-year student Natalie Flowers said.

With Dr. Pam Sarigiani, HPPS and CLSA students visit the “If Pigs Could Fly” treatment

room originally designed by Brooke Wise.

Photo by Judy Idema

10

Honor Bound

Children’s Hospital Comittee: Redesigning Treat-ment Rooms to Keep “Brooke’s Dream” AliveHPPS partners with Child Life Student Association, along with child development and interior design classes to redesign treatment rooms for the Detroit Children’s Hospital

HPPS: A Record YearWith several new committees the Honors Program

Philanthropic Society had a record year of giving

Photo by Judy Idema

Spring 2011

POINT OF VIEW

Striving for ExcellenceWorking with local and nation philanthropies, HPPS

served communities across Michigan and beyond

Detroit Philanthropy CommitteeCommittee prepares to adopt Detroit Non-Profit that has the greatest needBy Amanda Jaczkowski | Senior Contributor

Relay for LifeHPPS and HON team up to partipate in CMU’s Relay for Life

The Meaning of ServiceThe Honors Program explores how best to define its core value of service

By Alex Woolworth | Staff Writer

The Honors Program Philanthropic Society (HPPS) Detroit committee is devoted to helping Detroit non-profits improve the lives of those in need. The Detroit Philanthropy is involved in not only raising money for charities, but also raising awareness for the positive initiatives in Detroit such as Hostel Detroit, a new non-profit started by Honors Alumna Emily Doerr.

Last semester, a group of 11 HPPS members spent the weekend in Detroit touring the city and taking in historic sites and landmarks to gain a feel for areas that still need improvement, as well as areas that are bringing about change. Some of the places the group visited include the Motown

Museum, Central Station, the Packard Plant ruins, and the Heidelberg project. The tour was arranged by Doerr.

“It is wonderful to see growth in Detroit through the many ways that people are reviving the city,” senior Dani Rossman said.

While in Detroit, the students stayed at Hostel Detroit.

According to first-year student Sasha Rudow, hostels are a “cool alternative to staying in a hotel”.

In addition to the Detroit trip the group spent much of their year fundraising. Fundraisers completed in 2011-2012 included a Buffalo Wild Wings fundraiser and an April Fools Day 5k race.

Next fall the philanthropy committee will select a Detroit-based charity in which it can become involved. Not only will the group donate money but they will work at the chosen site as well.

“We want a charity that’s working to make the city a better place, a charity that sees potential in Detroit like we do,” Rudow said.

Reflecting on her involvement with the group, Rudow commented, “I live in the Metro Detroit area and I know that there are good as-pects of Detroit; I want our focus to be helping to bring the not-so-good parts up to par with the rest of the city. Plus, you can always learn more!”

Central’s Relay for Life was April 21-22 at the Indoor Activ-ity Center track. The event lasted 24 hours from 11 a.m. Saturday to 11 a.m. Sunday. Honors Outreach Network (HON) and the Honors Program Philanthropic Society (HPPS) partnered to raise nearly $2,000 for the American Cancer Society.

This year Central’s Relay for Life, a tropical themed event where “Cancer is a Beach,” raised over $60,000 for the American Cancer Society.

The joint Honors team began with a goal of raising $1,000 for the event and quickly reached it. Then they created a second goal of $1,500 which again was reached.

Kristina Graham, the captain from HPPS, and Dani Cowles, the captain from HON, joined together to help the Honors Program raise $1,300 through a can drive and an HPPS St. Patrick’s Day sale. The team members did individual fundraisers as well.

They raised a total of $1,954.50 including $200 raised at the event. At Relay the Honors students also sold hair wraps and feathers.

There was also entertainment provided throughout the night with different bands playing; games were scheduled, and different events such as Mrs. Relay and Zumba.

“I have done this event before, but this was my first time staying the entire time,” Graham said. “Doing Zumba at three in the morning was my favorite!”

The two Honors RSOs had many meetings before Relay to create a banner and to prepare everything for the event.

“I enjoyed everything about it this year; it was a lot of work, but it was definitely worth it.” Graham said, “We worked really hard and I’m glad it was successful.”

Service is an important core value for the success of Honors students, professors and the Program as a whole. However, the meaning of service is different for every student. Honors students can view service as helping their community, their school or even having a fundraiser to help a national or world charity. Service is not just ‘community service’ as many people believe. It is a multi-dimensional concept that the Honors Program is continuously working to define and enhance.

Given the abundance of support within the Honors Program, most students go above and beyond when it comes to helping their commu-nity in a variety of ways. The Honors Program has a requirement for each student to complete 120 hours of community service during their time in the Program. However, classes such as HON 321D: “Service Learning on Beaver Island” and HON 321L: “Latino America in the U.S,” as well as many other Honors courses give students the opportunities to become active citizens in a local or national community and complete the require-ment with ease.

An important part of the Honors experience is having each student find out what service means to them.

“Working for the community with the Honors Program has been a great introduction to my college career,” first-year student Kaiti Blundy said. “I have learned even the small things can mean so much to the people that I can aid from my time volunteering.”

“There is no one official definition of service,” Honors Program Direc-tor Phame Camarena said. For some guidance, Camarena explained that the Honors Program is trying to encourage students to consider “inten-tional actions for the greater good - not just for their selfish gain.”

Regardless of the motivations to serve others, the Honors Council agrees that there are many valuable lessons and outcomes that will come as students serve others. In the end, though, it will be up to each student to find the meaning of their service for themselves.

The Honors Program plans to continue promoting opportunities to maintain its emphasis on service because “to whom much is given, much is expected.”

By Justin Wagoner | Senior Contributor

Hair wraps and feathers were a successful fundraiser for HPPS

and HON at Relay for Life.

Photo by Alex Woolworth | Staff Photographer

11

Spring 2012

Jane Goodall at CMUHonors Program students see Jane Goodall, world famous primatologist, lecture on campus about social changeBy Sarah Donetti | Senior Contributor

Honors Professor Brings Author Mat Johnson to CampusStudents have the opportunity to attend a reading by graphic novelist Mat JohnsonBy Justin Mustonen | Staff Writer

Ski Trip with OIAThe Honors Program partners with the Office of International Affairs to send students on a weekend ski tripBy Colin Russell | Senior Contributor

How can a Michigan winter weekend be spent better than at a ski resort with friends? That was precisely what some Honors students were thinking when they signed up for the Honors Program International Goodwill Ambassador Ski Trip.

In an effort to help welcome some of CMU’s international students to the country, students were given the opportunity to attend a weekend event at the Treetops Resort in Gaylord, Michigan, for a reduced price.

Students from all over the world come to Mount Pleasant every year to study in a foreign country, just as CMU’s own students travel all over the world for the same experience. The event

at Treetops was an attempt to give those international students an introduction to our culture and a chance to experience a few differ-ent aspects of the United States in a more intimate setting. For many international students this was their first experience with snow and skiing.

Honors students had opportunities to interact with the interna-tional students, including the bus ride to and from Treetops, two days of skiing, and group meals at the lodge.

During the weekend the students were also able to snow tube at the resort.

“We had a blast,” senior Kenny Hayes said. “We got to meet people we normally would not have in a fantastic setting. It was nice to get away for a weekend.”

Prior to this trip, over forty international students joined the Honors Program in walking the Mackinac Bridge over Labor Day weekend 2011.

These two trips were the first of many such events to come. The Honors Program wants to expand its relationship with international students in the future. Because of the success of these events, there is little doubt that many more experiences like it will soon be available to CMU Honors students.

When CMU faculty member and Honors Professor Nicole Sparling discovered author Mat Johnson was going on tour to promote his new book, she was quick to seize the opportunity to invite him to CMU. Having seen Johnson perform previously, Sparling recognized the potential impact Johnson’s work could have on students. Johnson performed one of his readings for a group of CMU students this past February.

A man acclaimed by critics to be a brilliant satirist and an astute social commentator, Johnson’s most recent novel Pym combines these two qualities into a fantasy world that critiques the inherent racial aspects of 19th century literature. In his presentation, Johnson discussed the histori-cal role of African Americans in the comic book world while describing how his work has extended this role in a variety of ways.

Johnson is both “an incredibly cool person” and someone who is “down to earth and engages with students well,” Sparling said. Sparling has been teaching Johnson’s graphic novel Incognegro in her African American literature class, and when her students were assigned a creative response assignment many of them selected Johnson’s work as their topic.

“He is relatable to students,” Professor Sparling said, “not only because of the graphic novel medium, of which many students are fans, but also because he is an engaging individual with an interesting life story.”

Johnson’s presentation allowed students to take a time-out from their studies while learning about a topic relevant to their lives in a unique and interesting way. Johnson’s reading fit well within African American History Month and the strong attendance along with positive responses from students made this event successful. Sparling said she hopes to invite Mat Johnson back to CMU’s campus in the future.

Dr. Jane Goodall, one of the most celebrated primatologists in the world, visited the university this semester to share her insights.

Dr. Jane Goodall has been working in the scientific world for over fifty years. Her speech in McGuirk Arena on March 28 recounted her experi-ence getting into field work with chimpanzees, what she learned there and her hopes for what the current generation can accomplish for the world.

“Every single day every single one of us makes a difference,” Goodall said. “We have a choice as to what sort of difference we’re going to make.”

That message resonated with students in the Honors Program.“Our choices don’t just affect us, but also those around us and even

future generations,” senior Amy Crockett said. “I think this quote from Dr. Goodall relates really well to what we’re taught in the Honors Program—helping people, giving back to our community, and developing a worldview past our own front doors.”

Crockett was with other students from Honors Outreach Network who attended Dr. Goodall’s speech together.

Sophomore Mary Menter was able to attend not only the speech but also a private question and answer session beforehand, where she received additional information about how Goodall began her research and contin-

ues it today.“In talking about

research [Dr. Goodall] got me fired up to go for what I really want to do,” Menter said, “especially in researching and the senior project for the Honors Protocol.”

Junior Kelly Schiess found Goodall’s accom-plishments from a female background inspiring.

“We are always trying to aim higher and achieve more

meaningfully, and who better to learn about that from than Jane Goodall?” Schiess said. “She lived in a time when women did not join the scien-

tific community, but she did anyway. She set her aims higher and worked to achieve her goals, and in her lecture she urged us to do the same.”

Students and faculty alike were spellbound by the call to action

from primatologist, Jane Goodall.

Photo by Alex Woolworth | Staff Photographer

Photo courtesy of Office of Int’l AffairsHonors and International students were able to ski

and snow tube at a ski resort for the weekend.

12

Honor Bound

Undergraduate Research Paves the Way for Honors StudentsHonors students travel nation-wide and internationally to present their researchBy Megan Pacer | Staff Writer

Internships in the Governor’s OfficeThrough Career Services, Honors students in any program or major have the opportunity to intern in Lansing with the Michigan state government for a semester or longerBy Kelsey Whing | Senior Contributor

Each year, undergraduate students at Central Michigan University are given opportunities to present work and research at conferences and meetings at the regional, national, or international level, according to Honors Program Director Phame Camarena.

These conferences not only allow stu-dents to contribute new ideas within their disciplines, they also serve as opportunities to network with potential graduate schools and programs. This prestigious feature of undergraduate work at CMU, according to Camarena, is what helps the students who participate to distinguish themselves in the academic community.

“Professional conferences are at the heart of the academic enterprise in every academic field,” Camarena said.

Several CMU students have found this to be very true as they draw nearer to gradu-ation. Senior Adam Picard of Richland is a Meteorology major who presented at this year’s Annual Meeting of the American Me-teorological Society in the student conference section.

Picard presented a poster that detailed a meteorological phenomenon that struck the

city of Mount Pleasant in 2010, and took first place for his presentation after competing against an estimated 170 other students.

“It took the entire semester to complete,” Picard said, recalling all the work that went into his in-depth case study. “There is a ton of information you have to go through.”

Senior Sarah Naples of Saginaw also experienced the benefits of undergraduate research when she presented her work at the Michigan Speech-Language-Hearing Asso-ciation as part of her Senior Honors Project.

Prompted by her professor, Dr. Hicks-Kennard, for ENG 175: “The Nature of Language,” Naples presented her research on African American vernacular in schools and how teachers can level the playing field when it comes to education. According to Naples, the best part of the conference was getting to see examples of other treatments being used in her field and networking with some of her existing clients.

“I feel like I’m prepared for anything now,” Naples said; she has since been chosen for a Master’s Program at Ohio University involving about 20 hours of research per week.

As one of many students who are famil-iar with undergraduate research and confer-ences, senior Elizabeth Powers of Muir has attended multiple national and international conferences since she began her undergradu-ate work. This year she was able to present both a poster and an academic paper at the meetings of the American Anthropologi-cal Association and the Society for Applied Anthropology.

“It’s helpful in the professional develop-ment sense,” said Powers. “You can do a lot of networking.”

Powers, who also presented research that had been done for her Senior Honors Project in Ghana last summer, explained the value of receiving feedback at conferences. Along with the practice and networking, the conferences provide an opportunity to gain advice for those who plan to continue work in a profes-sional setting.

“It’s also really nice to get questions,” said Powers, who will be attending the University of South Florida to pursue a dual Master’s Program in Applied Anthropology and Public Health.

The Honors Program has a long-standing tradition of scholarship and leadership not only on Cen-tral Michigan University’s campus, but also in the Capital City through an internship program.

The Capital City Internship Program, set in Lansing, helps connect students with internships in several offices. Students are able to complete internships in the governor’s office, state legislative offices, state department offices, and lobbying firms.

The internship program is jointly run between CMU Career Services and Government Relations.Michael Zeig, an Honors alum and one of the first Honors students in the capital, became the coor-

dinator of the internship program, emphasizing the importance of this program for all Honors students.“This provides Honors students with an important professional development opportunity, which can

aid their future coursework and employment prospects,” Zeig said. “The skills learned through an intern-ship help students apply practical knowledge in future classroom settings. Internships are also important for students to gain experience prior to graduating and to build a professional network.”

Zeig also highlighted the positive outcomes of participating in an internship program like Capital City.“This program has had a strong track record of former interns moving into good positions following graduation,” Zeig said. “Employers

value individuals who have a working knowledge and experience with the state government bureaucracy.”This semester Honors Student Amber Miller had an internship in the governor’s office. Miller’s experience was challenging but rewarding.“The one awesome thing about my internship is that my co-workers and my supervisors all stressed the idea that you don’t have to know

everything, you just have to know how to find it,” Miller said. “This was such a valuable experience for me because, as an Honors student, I know how much pressure we put on ourselves to get good grades and have all the answers, but in real life having all the answers is not nearly as important as knowing how to use your resources to find them.”

The Honors Program hopes to continue its working relationship with the governor’s office in the future and to continue helping to create dedicated, determined, and hardworking students.

“The tradition of having an Honors student in the governor’s office began with Michael Zeig. His work in Governor Granholm’s Of-fice helped launch Michael professionally and the quality of his work reflected positively on both CMU and the Honors Program,” Honors Director Phame Camarena said. “That is why we continue to work with the University to place our top students in the Governor’s Office – it is a great experience for our students but also helps to ensure that the professionals in the Governor’s Office are seeing the best of what CMU students have to offer.”

Photo courtesy of Michael ZeigMichael Zieg with Governor Jennifer Grandholm during

his undergraduate internship.

13

Spring 2012

Placing the CapstoneHonors Senior Capstone Project spotlight

Ryan LewisPassionate about woodworking, Lewis handcrafts a masterful wooden seal for display at Honors Program special eventsBy Taylor Arnett | Staff Writer

Heather FlowersAfter traveling to Belize, Flowers returns with new home-care techniques for children with speech disordersBy: Sam Easter | Staff Writer Heather Flowers’

senior project is differ-ent in a big way. The Traverse City senior’s capstone experience took her to Belize, where she applied what she had learned in the speech pathology program at Central to home-care situations

with children in Central America—a fitting choice for the Child Development and Speech Pathology double major.

“I didn’t want to do it just to have a piece of paper to turn in,” Flowers said, and her closest advisers agree that the experience exceeded that standard.

“She had the whole package,” said Dr. Suzanne Woods (Flowers’ project adviser), “and that made it probably one of the more powerful experiences for a senior project that a person could have.”

Flowers’ research was unique in that it not only brought back new infor-mation on Belize but was an immersive experience as well, something Woods expects Flowers to continue learning from for years to come.

Flowers’ project was a retrospective study that examined her experience and brought back new information on current Belizean home-care techniques for children with speech disorders. To a great extent, the Central American country is uncharted territory for her field.

Her first field experience brought challenges she hadn’t expected. Though her CARE-Belize supervisor had a wealth of knowledge from working in the field, she looked to Flowers’ classroom experience for diagnostic advice. Flowers, who had only taken six communication disorders classes prior to her internship, was willing but reticent.

“I wanted to make sure that if I was telling them things, knowing that they would follow it, it would be one hundred percent correct,” said Flowers

Much of what Flowers did involved visiting remote villages. When she arrived, oftentimes she would find a child with a neurological disorder such as autism, Downs syndrome, or other issues that affected their ability to speak. These were essentially related to what Flowers referred to as “neurological mental retardation”.

Flowers’ job was to help provide families with basic ways to help their child interact and use speech. She started at a basic level, telling the family members to speak slowly, to make sure the child is watching their mouth, and sometimes even to put the child’s hand on their throat to help them learn vocal cord use.

After she returned, the most difficult part of the project was the writing process.

“I could have written hundreds of pages on my summer depending on how I wanted to frame it,” Flowers said.

In the near future, Flowers is looking forward to graduate school, likely the next step towards her career (though she hasn’t decided for sure yet). She’s applied to five universities, but CMU remains her top choice.

Honors Director Phame Camarena sees Flowers’ project as something that will help her with this process and go on her résumé, but he also believes the experience can be more valuable than just part of an application.

“The Honors Program is committed to promoting active and global citizenship,” Camarena said. “My hope would be that this experience reinforces a lifetime commitment to both for Heather.”

As for Flowers, even though her time as an undergraduate will soon draw to a close, she’s looking to take as much from this final semester as she can.

“I never thought it would go this fast,” Flowers said.

After 130 hours of woodworking, senior Ryan Lewis finally completed his Honors senior project creative endeavor: a handcrafted 3-dimensional wood inlay version of the Honors Program seal.

The seal was constructed in parts using a variety of materials including walnut, maple, and glass panels. The process from start to finish was very labor intensive and can be seen in photographs on Lewis’ Facebook page. Lewis employed a number of woodcrafting methods including computer design, a variety of special tools, as well as hand sanding, staining and paint-ing.

Lewis also made a stand for the seal and included technology so that the glass panels can be lit up when displayed at special events.

A Grand Rapids native, Lewis credits his grandfather with help-ing him become involved with the art of woodworking. Lewis spent every Saturday in his grandfather’s wood shop, the place where his love for woodworking began.

“My first projects were building airplanes,” Lewis said about his simple start. “I thought they were the greatest thing.”

A counselor at his high school recognized Ryan’s many talents and encouraged him to apply for the Centralis Scholarship which he eventually received.

An industrial arts major, it was no surprise that Lewis chose to do an ambitious woodworking project for his Honors Senior Project. Wood-work has had such a great impact on his life and this project would be the perfect culmination of all he has learned at CMU.

Lewis’ advisor choice came easily. Alan Papendick was a professor Lewis had for several classes and who pushed him to work hard through the program.

When selecting an advisor Lewis suggests, “Get a faculty member that you get along with, that you know really well. And use them to facili-tate your process and progress.”

The Honors Program Seal is a wonderful gift to the Honors Pro-gram—especially on our 50th Anniversary,” Associate Director of Honors, Judy Idema, said, “We have already displayed the seal at Honors events such as the Honors Winter Charity Ball and Honors Graduation. It brings a touch of class to Honors festivities and we will treasure it for years to come.”

At Honors graduation, graduates gathered around the seal to have their photo snapped with faculty, Honors staff, and family members.

Looking back on his Capstone experience, Lewis said he “really sees the value in it. I personally feel like I learned a lot from the process of completing my senior project.”

After having the opportunity to be a part of the Honors Program and using his passion as his Capstone project, Lewis is ready for the next step. He plans on finding a teaching job so he can help students like him learn how to enjoy woodcraft.

Photo courtesy of Heather Flowers

Photo by Tamika Hawkins | Senior Contributor14

Honor Bound

Heather FlowersAfter traveling to Belize, Flowers returns with new home-care techniques for children with speech disorders

What are Honors students working on?Below is a sampling of Honors senior projects worked on in the 2011-2012 academic year.

third / JUnior yeAr FoUrth / senior yeAr

1st Semester 1st Semester2nd Semester 2nd Semester

your senior Project Proposal is due by the end of the second semester of your third / junior year.

however, you should begin work on it well before this due date.your completed senior Project is due by the end of the first semester of your fourth / senior year.

Senior CapStone projeCt tiMeline

NAME PROJECT NAME ADVISOR NAME

Amy Casady The Effects of Hippotherapy on Balance in an Adult with Multiple Sclerosis: A Case Study

Deborah Silkwood-Sherer

Sarah France Brand Engagement: A Comparative Analysis of Chevrolet, Ford, and Chrysler Mobile Brand Campaigns Elina Erzikova

Rebecca Frantz Beita Coffee: Exploring Multi-Function Cafes used in Cross-Cultural Contexts Cathy Ganoe

Kimberly HansonThe Relationship between Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors and

Participation in a Graduate Level Physical Therapy or Physician Assistant Program

Roop Jayaraman

Erica Hayes Painting the Skies: A Novel Matthew Roberson

Kenneth Hayes Genetic Evaluation of Moose Colonization of Isle Royale Bradley Swanson

Kristina Hermann Comparative Analysis of E. coli Toxin Genes in the North Branch of the Chippewa River

Andrew Scott McNaught

Nathan Inks The January 7, 2008 Severe Thunderstorm Event and Its Impacts on the Mid-Michigan Area Ashton Peyrefitte Jr

Katlin Jehnzen Nonverbal Communication Adaptations in Male-to-Female Transgendered Individuals: A Qualitative Study Suzanne Woods

Sarah NaplesDealing with African American Vernacular English Dialectal

Difference: How Teachers and Speech Language Pathologists can level the Playing Field

Catherine Hicks-Kennard

Stephanie Radtke The Influence of the Construction of the Baroque Trumpet on the Music of Symphonic Literature Bruce Bonnell

Ashley Smith Allopregnanolone Therapy on State-Induced Anxiety in an Animal Model of Stress Disorder Justin Oh-Lee

Danika Stone Division One Collegiate Athletes: Effects of Morning Practice on Later Energy Levels Jane Ashby

Jenna Urban U.S. Citizen Retirement in India or Taiwan: Issues, Perceptions and Marketing Strategies J. Holton Wilson

Joshua VanSluyters Effects of Telomerase Inhibitors on Prostate Cancer Cell Growth Rebecca Uzarski

15

Spring 2012

Join honors on FacebookCentral Michigan University

Honors programThis is the official page for students in the Honors Program to stay connected with one other and with the Program. Be sure to “Like” this page to get important updates, event listings and other content.

Central Michigan University Honors and Centralis alumni Group

This group is a way for all graduates of the CMU Honors Program to stay in touch. It is officially

sponsored by the CMU Honors Program.

Scan the barcodes below to visit the page!

or go to facebook.com/CMU.honors.Program

Honors Alumni Board Scholarship Winners AnnouncedMegan Gill and Erica Maylee recognized for academic and co-curricular successBy Tara Vancil | Staff Writer

Each year the Honors Program Alumni Board selects up to two outstanding students to receive a minimum $500 scholarship for their demonstration of academic excellence, involvement in extracurricular activities, and dedication to community service. This year’s recipients, Megan Gill and Erica Maylee, exemplify dedication and excellence in their roles as students, volunteers, and members of the Honors Program.

Both Gill and Maylee have shown remarkable involvement in leadership roles on campus and in the community.

Gill is currently co-editor of Honor Bound and also served as an Honors Mentor for HON 100. She also works as a Fresh-men Orientation Mentor during the sum-mer months. Additionally, Gill is extensively involved as the Chair of the College Repub-licans, through which she volunteers on cam-paigns with the Isabella County Republican Party and the State Republican Party.

Along with holding several leadership roles, Gill is an active volunteer for many orga-nizations. She has volunteered with Outdoor Opportunities and Circle K, through which she served at local elementary schools, the soup kitchen, the mobile food pantry, and the Community Compassion Network.

Gill recounted her most memorable volunteer experience as a week spent on Beaver Island for the course HON 321D: “Service Learning Beaver Island.” During her time on the island she volunteered with local organi-zations and learned about a community very different from her own.

Also contributing to her unique learning experiences outside of CMU’s campus, Gill spent five weeks during Summer 2011 study-ing at Kingston University in England.

“Every group or project I have been involved with has helped shape me into the person that I am today,” Gill said.

Maylee currently serves as the President of the International Criminal Court Student Network (ICCSN) at CMU. In this position she promotes the values of human rights and human justice, and works to support the Inter-national Criminal Court (ICC) by organizing events to promote awareness and involvement in the Mt. Pleasant community and on cam-pus. With ICCSN, Maylee has attended con-ferences that address issues of human rights. Most recently, in March 2012, she attended an international conference, “The Lubanga Trials: Lessons Learned” in The Hague, Netherlands.

In addition to hosting events and attend-ing conferences, Maylee participates in weekly radio shows on philosophical issues and inter-national justice in partnership with the CMU Ethics Center.

She also blogs about the International Criminal Court for romestatute.com, IJ Cen-tral, and the Hague Justice Portal.

As an active member of the Academic Affairs Committee, Maylee serves as a Student Government Association House Representa-tive.

Maylee has also volunteered extensively throughout her college career. She partici-pated in the renovation of the Purple Martin Nature Center and Lakeside Inn in Rogers City, Michigan. Her other volunteer activities include working Lenten fish dinners for Sa-cred Heart Parish, helping with the Red Cross Mobile Food Pantry, and serving as a Model

United Nations Chair for competitions at local high schools.

Both Gill and Maylee highlighted the value of extracurricular activities and volunteer-ing as a supplement to their education.

“The practical experience I gain from vol-unteering and participating in extracurricular activities is extremely valuable for my profes-sional development as I prepare for graduate school and a career in public service at the international level,” Maylee said.

“My involvement in areas that coincide with my career goals, such as my work with the College Republicans and as a co-editor of Honor Bound, will help me to succeed in the next phases of my career,” Gill said. “Not only will I graduate with a degree, but I will also have experiences in campaigns and written communication, which will help me with my overall goal of becoming a political speech writer.”

Maylee credited the Honors Program for their significant contributions to her devel-opment. “I am very grateful to the Honors Program,” she said.

The passion that Gill and Maylee display for education, involvement, and service makes them worthy recipients of the 2012 Honors Program Alumni Board Scholarship.

Photo by Tamika Hawkins | Senior ContributorErica Maylee is an Honors Senior.

Photo by Tamika Hawkins | Senior ContributorMegan Gill is an Honors Senior.

Mentors are a very important part of the Honors experience, and this past semester, two Honors Teacher Education alumni came back to campus to discuss their experiences and give advice to current Honors students pursuing degrees in Teacher Education. Alumni Maggie Siecinski and Alfonso Salais Jr., M.A., were the featured speakers.

Maggie is a recent alumna, and she discussed her experiences at CMU and how they paved the way for her, post-graduation. She stressed to the students in attendence that getting involved at CMU was key, and that any connections made through activities in college can be key to getting a job after graduating. Her biggest piece of advice to Honors students about the Honors Senior Proj-ect was to be patient and wait for the right project; you will find it.

Alfonso, part of the first ever Centralis class, graduated in 1994, and has been teaching ever since. He spoke of great profes-sors and mentors that he had during his time in the Honors Pro-gram and how they challenged him to aim higher and work harder.

Alfonso worked with friends on his Honors Senior Project to start the first Latino fraternity at CMU. The fraternity is still ac-tive, and Alfonso challenged all in attendence to make their senior project something of which they could be proud.

These two alumni shared powerful messages about the future, and the students who were there were able to see where they could be in several years.

Mentors are an invaluable resource for students and the Hon-ors Program hopes to continue to offer mentor events in the future.

Photo courtesy of H. Hampton

16

Honor Bound

From Program Board, Homecom-ing Com-mittee, and various vol-unteer op-portunities around the Mt. Pleas-ant area, to graduate

school and volunteering during a natural disaster, Heidi Hampton has accomplished much both during her time at CMU and since becoming a Honors Alum.

After graduation in 2005 Hampton continued her education at Michigan State, obtaining her Mas-ters in Human Resources and Labor Relations. In 2006 she had a summer internship with General Mills, and after graduation landed a full time position there, which she has held ever since.

During her time at General

Mills, Hampton has held differ-ent Human Resources positions throughout the Midwest, but she recently returned to Michigan, where she is currently the Human Resourc-es Manager at the Reed City plant.

Just as the Honors Program en-courages its current students to give back to the community, it instilled in Hampton a strong passion for giving back to her community. Since graduating from CMU she has been involved in Adopt-A-Highway clean up, food pantry organization, Relay for Life, and disaster relief.

Most memorable of all the volunteer experiences for Hampton, however, was volunteering during the 2008 flood in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Hampton and her husband were watching the 10 p.m. news and saw that Cedar Rapids was desperate for volunteers to help sandbag a well, which was the city’s only source of water. At the time of the newscast there were only ten volunteers and when Hampton and her husband arrived there were over a thousand.

“While it was the most power-ful natural disaster I have been affected by, there was no comparison to how powerful it was to be a part of an amazing community with such strong spirit to persevere and thrive,” Hampton said.

Though it has been a few years since Hampton graduated, she still remembers what being in the Honors Program meant for her. She learned the value of making connec-tions with many people.

“They were confident in my abilities, invested in my success, and committed to help me reach my full-est potential,” Hampton said.

During her time at Central, Hampton was involved in the CMU Honors Program as well as the larger CMU community. She partici-pated in Program Board, Society for Human Resource Management, Student Life activities, and various other volunteer opportunities.

“I never felt like I was lost in a sea of people,” Hampton said. “In-stead, I felt like I had the opportunity to make an impact.”

Hampton has served on the Honors Alumni Board since 2005, and she was recently the featured speaker at the Honors Student Rec-ognition Dinner.

Heidi Hampton: Honors Alumna Reflects on her ExperiencesHampton applies lessons from the Honors Program about service and leadership to her career and life after graduation By Kait Germain | Senior Contributor

Teacher Ed Mentor EventHonors alumni return to campus to talk to current Honors students about Honors and their teaching experiencesBy Kelly Schiess | Editor

Honors Alumni MentoringBoth students and alums value mentoring processBy Ken RumseyHonors Program Advisor

When I was a student at CMU the last thing on my mind was trying to find a mentor in my chosen professional

field. I thought that the process of going to graduate school or getting a job was just something I needed to discover on my own through trial and error. What I didn’t know at that time was how much of an impact a mentor can have on an individual.

What can an alumni mentor offer you? The answer is a glimpse into your future.

A mentor has taken that graduate school exam as well as interviewed for jobs and graduate programs, and they have experience in the profession. Students have many questions and concerns about what lies ahead of them, and quite often alumni mentors have the answers.

The Honors Program Alumni Mentor Program was established to connect successful Honors and Centralis alumni with current CMU Hon-ors students. As the Honors Program Advisor, I get to see all the positive aspects of the mentor-mentee relationship. Over the years, I have received exceptional feedback from the students about their mentoring experience. In some cases students have received job shadowing opportunities and even internships that stem from their mentor experience, but most of the time they get valuable unfiltered advice from someone who knows their occupa-tion. The impact this can have is immeasurable.

The benefits are not limited to the mentee. Over the last three years the Honors Program has brought alumni mentors to campus to speak with Honors students. In 2011, the Honors Program had a Communica-tion Disorders mentor event where Honors Alums Jenna Brusie, James Rickmon and Pam Ansell spoke. Here are some of Pam’s comments on participating in the event:

“Hi Ken,I just wanted to thank you again for the opportunity to come back and speak

to the amazing CMU Honors Students. It was an amazing experience for me to reflect on what I have done, and

hopefully inspire some students in the process.If anyone would like to contact me for further questions, or to come and

observe me, I am always welcome to that. Thanks again!” -Pam AnsellFor students, connecting with an alumni mentor is taking your educa-

tion to the next level. For alumni, volunteering to be an alumni mentor is one of the best ways to give back to the Honors Program. If you’re interest-ed in finding an alumni mentor or becoming an alumni mentor please send me an email at rumse1kt@cmich.edu or call the Honors Program Office at (989) 774-3902.

Mentors are a very important part of the Honors experience, and this past semester, two Honors Teacher Education alumni came back to campus to discuss their experiences and give advice to current Honors students pursuing degrees in Teacher Education. Alumni Maggie Siecinski and Alfonso Salais Jr., M.A., were the featured speakers.

Maggie is a recent alumna, and she discussed her experiences at CMU and how they paved the way for her, post-graduation. She stressed to the students in attendence that getting involved at CMU was key, and that any connections made through activities in college can be key to getting a job after graduating. Her biggest piece of advice to Honors students about the Honors Senior Proj-ect was to be patient and wait for the right project; you will find it.

Alfonso, part of the first ever Centralis class, graduated in 1994, and has been teaching ever since. He spoke of great profes-sors and mentors that he had during his time in the Honors Pro-gram and how they challenged him to aim higher and work harder.

Alfonso worked with friends on his Honors Senior Project to start the first Latino fraternity at CMU. The fraternity is still ac-tive, and Alfonso challenged all in attendence to make their senior project something of which they could be proud.

These two alumni shared powerful messages about the future, and the students who were there were able to see where they could be in several years.

Mentors are an invaluable resource for students and the Hon-ors Program hopes to continue to offer mentor events in the future.

17

Photo courtesy of H. Hampton

Spring 2012

HONORS STUDENTS?Have you met these

Ryan Maurer

Amanda Irwin

Majors: Accounting and Accounting Information Systems

Class Standing: Junior

Honors Involvements: Honors 100 Mentor, Centralis Competition Volunteer, Volunteered for the Mobile Food Pantry, and attended events such as the Honors Program Winter Charity Ball and Honors Program Talent Show

Favorite Food: Stuffed Crust Pizza

Campus Involvements: Scholarship and New Member Education chairs for Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, Campus Ambassadors Program, Student Accounting Society, Leadership Safari Guide, Golden Key International Honors Society, and Bible Study Leader

Favorite Honors Class: TAI 170H with Dr. Jill Taft-Kaufman

Did you know? I am from the East Coast and am one of those crazy, fanatic New York sports fans. My favorite teams are the New York Jets, New York Mets, New York Knicks, and the New York Rangers.

Majors: Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences Class Standing: Junior

Honors Involvements: Honors Quiz Bowl Co-Founder and Team President, Honors Stratford Shakespeare Festival trip, Goodwill Ambassador Ski Trip, Detroit Hostel volunteer, and Claude S. Larzelere Trivia Challenge

Favorite Food: Dim Sum

Campus Involvements: Alzheimer’s Disease Research in Dr. Steinhilb’s molecular biology research lab, chemistry and biology tutoring for student athletes, conversation partner for international students, and Alternative Breakss Favorite Honors Class: HON 102S with Dr. Gorsich Did you know? One of my long-term goals is to backpack the entire Great Wall of China.

Photo by Tamika Hawkins | Senior Contributor

Photo by Tamika Hawkins | Senior Contributor

18

Honor Bound

Majors: Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences Class Standing: Junior

Honors Involvements: Honors Quiz Bowl Co-Founder and Team President, Honors Stratford Shakespeare Festival trip, Goodwill Ambassador Ski Trip, Detroit Hostel volunteer, and Claude S. Larzelere Trivia Challenge

Favorite Food: Dim Sum

Campus Involvements: Alzheimer’s Disease Research in Dr. Steinhilb’s molecular biology research lab, chemistry and biology tutoring for student athletes, conversation partner for international students, and Alternative Breakss Favorite Honors Class: HON 102S with Dr. Gorsich Did you know? One of my long-term goals is to backpack the entire Great Wall of China.

fun. Keyboardist, Andrew Dost, Fondly Recalls Time in CMU Honors ProgramExperiences with the CMU Honors Program and Honors Senior Project helped launch Andrew Dost’s musical careerBy: Alayna Smith | Staff Writer

Glee, Chevrolet, Rolling Stone and the Super Bowl - what do these things all have in common? The answer: they all can’t get enough of the energetic sound of fun.

fun., a three-piece band out of New York, did not waste any time gaining national attention. Following the release of their debut album Aim and Ignite, fun. landed tour spots with Panic! at the Disco, Paramore and per-formed at Coachella, a huge annual concert event in Cali-fornia. The band released their second album, Some Nights, in February, and the single “We Are Young” was No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for weeks.

For keyboardist Andrew Dost, this whole adventure began at Central Michigan University as a Centralis student in the Honors Program.

Dost said his time at CMU allowed him the opportunity to grow as a musician and largely prepared him for his work with fun. today.

“I grew up in Northern Michigan, and there wasn’t anyone writing songs up there,” Dost said. “[It was great] to come to Central with so many people writing songs and being creative, this incredible exchange of talent. I loved to be part of a music community like the one at Central while I was there.”

Dost said that without the Honors Program’s flex-ibility and encouragement of his creativity, he may not have been able to complete his senior project

and graduate.For his senior project, Dost wrote a musical.“The fact that they allowed me to do that and saw the

merit in something like that was amazing, and because of that I could graduate and now have a musical I’m really proud of. The fact that they were willing to do that and go out on a limb like that for me shows how incredible they are.”

His musical, Hey Columbus!, chronicles the voyage and adventures of Christopher Columbus and is even

available for purchase in stores or on iTunes.

Dost said he had always felt suc-cessful just being able to play music he loved with his friends.

“Hearing our song on the radio is unreal,” Dost said. “To be driving around your hometown and hear your song

come on the radio is a special and magical feeling.”Dost said he learned many important lessons during

his years at CMU, and he still recalls his time here fondly. His experiences while at CMU showed him that his musi-cal aspirations were attainable, he said.

“People are the ones writing these songs, it’s not scientists in a lab or just Bob Dylan,” Dost said. “It’s people around me and here with me.”

Check out some songs

by fun.

“Some Nights” is fun.’s newest album!

“We are Young” was a number 1 Billboard hit!

Andrew Dost, keyboardist and singer in the popular band fun., was always

interested in music while growing up, and he loved being a part of the

musical community at CMU. His Honors Senior Project, a musical

entitled Hey Columbus! is available for purchase in stores and on iTunes.

Check out fun.’s website!

Andrew Dost, Nate Ruess, and Jack Antonoff (left to right) make up the band fun. Andrew was a CMU Honors student and looks back on those years with pride.

Photo courtesy of Billboard.com

Photo courtesy of Andrew Dost

“To be driving around your hometown and hear your

song come on the radio is a special and magical feeling.”

See if fun. will be touring near you

this year

19

Spring 2012

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage

P A I DMt. Pleasant, MI 48859

Permit No. 93

Honor Bound Staff

Central Michigan UniversityPowers 104

Mount Pleasant, MI 48858

Phone: (989)774-3902Fax: (989)774-2335

www.cmich.edu/honors

5 th

AnniversAry

1961-2011

Editors

Megan GillKelly Schiess

Senior Contributors (Has contributed in 3+ issues)

Jaime CoonAmy CrockettAmberly DziesinskiSarah DonettiLaura EickoffKait GermainBen HarrisTamika Hawkins (Photo)Heather HillmanAmanda JaczkowskiJohn G. PhillipsDani RossmanColin RussellNicole SchramJustin WagonerKelsey Whing

Staff Writers

Taylor Arnett Sam EasterKatherine GibsonJohn LennonKera LinnJustin MustonenMegan PacerAndrea PeckNicole RombachAlayna SmithTara VancilAlex Woolworth (Writing and Photo)

A New Tradition Once their senior project is finished, students bang the gong to celebrate!

We know that Honors students work very hard on their senior projects, and they deserve to be recognized when they

finish. Students now have an opportunity to tell the world (or at least all of the Honors Office) that their project is complete by banging the gong!

Photo by Megan Gill

Senior, Sarah Naples was the first to participate in the new tradition by banging the gong to

celebrate the completion of her senior project.