Issue III February 2013

LAS Shaped my Career p2Grad Schools p2

Follow your Dreams p3 Namaste p3

SAPA p4Special Olympics p4

Science is Fun p5Happiest Place on Earth p5

Program Board p6LAS goes Greek p7

2012-2013 StaffCo Editor-in-Chiefs: Cheyenne Badder Angela DigiovanniDesign Editor: Rachel QuinnStaff Writers: Anthony Cavataio David Grays Amber Harchuk Kelsey Lancina Josh Palmer Stephanie Pocsi Janelle Urban

Spoiler Alert!

By: Brandon Kieft

My name is Brandon Kieft and I am a Junior at CMU in the LAS program. I am majoring in the Pre-Graduate track of Biology and minoring in Leadership. In the fall of 2014 I will be attending a grad-uate school with inten-tions of a PhD, in hopes of someday becoming a professor at a university and running a research lab in bacterial patholo-gy or host-pathogen interactions. My interests are reading books and journals for leisure, running, camping/hiking, and cooking. Currently, I am involved in a few excellent programs/po-sitions at CMU: First, I am a staff mem-ber of the Leadership Institute

and the coordinator of its Lead Team program. In this position, I interact with virtually all LAS students and do many behind-the-scenes activities of the Lead Teams. The bulk of my work comes in the beginning of each semester and the summer, where

I create long-term goals of the program and put together teams of LASers. Second, I am the President of the CMU chapter of the Mortar

Board Senior National Hon-or Society. Our honor society mainly focuses on academic success and community service, and we participate in activities such as the Tale Waggers pro-gram, the Adopt-a-Highway pro-gram, presentation of the CMU Freshman of the Year award, and

other volunteer work. Lastly, I am involved in CMED (CMU College of Med-icine) cancer research at the Center for Applied Research and Technology. I work under the direction of Dr. Daniel Griffin and am working on developing a whole-cell cancer vaccine for melanoma and pancreatic cancer via immunostimulant production and lethal irradiation. I’ve had an amazing experience here at CMU and an invaluable opportunity to be involved in the LAS program. I always feel the need to brag about the program because it is truly the “right” way to enter the college atmosphere. It’s helped me establish life-long friend-ships and prepared me for higher education.

How LAS Shaped my CMU career

By Janelle Urban

Jacob WhiteJacob is currently apply-ing to PhD programs in Clinical Psychology and has received a number of interviews. Jacob

plans to make his final decision after hearing back from schools in March.

Nicole OlsonNicole has been accepted into Central Michigan University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program.

Katelyn BlairWith double majors in Social Work and Psychology, Katelyn has applied to PhD programs at the Uni-

versity of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Wisconsin-Milwau-kee, and the University of Mich-igan. Katelyn has also applied to Master of Social Work programs at the University of Michigan, Grand Valley State University, and Michi-gan State University.

Kristin TurbiakKristin has been ac-cepted into Boston University’s Doctor of Physical Ther-

apy School. She would like to specialize in Women’s Physical Therapy or Neurology (essen-tially, working with individuals with spinal cord injuries).

Katie GoodwinKatie has been ac-cepted into Central Michigan University’s Physician Assistant Program.

Janelle UrbanJanelle is currently applying to Master of Speech-Language Pathology Programs and plans to begin in

the fall.

Kara WaldeckerKara plans to attend graduate school, be-ginning next fall.

Nicole SimonNicole plans to apply to Physician Assistant School this summer and begin graduate school in 2014.

Lindsey BlodgettLindsey has been accepted into Michi-gan State University’s Veterinary School.

Anna DunkelbergAnna plans to attend law school next fall. She has been accept-ed to the University of Charlotte, Regent

University, Thomas Cooley School of Law, and the University of Detroit Mercy. She plans to wait to hear from Michigan State Uni-versity, the University of Toledo, Elon School of Law, the College of Charleston, and the University of South Carolina before making her final decision. She would like to eventually practice employment or corporate law.

Grad Schools

By: Loryn Roberson

Leader Advancement Scholars are constantly flood-ed with things to do. Bal-ancing work, school, volun-teering and countless other commitments we willingly put ourselves in charge of isn’t always easy. As the fall semester came to an end, I felt over-whelmed with stress. Luckily, a new hot yoga studio, Mount Pleasant Hot Yoga, recently opened downtown. Hot yoga is a traditional yoga practice in which the room temperature can reach up to 120 degrees. The studio offers a relaxing environment. The lights are often dimmed, candles are lit, and it has an incredible sound system. By warming up the body, yogis are able to stretch muscles deeper and practice balancing more effectively. Each class varies depending on the instructor and level of hotness. I first attended a free community class on a Satur-day afternoon and fell in love. Hot yoga offers me an escape from the everyday commotion of college life. By taking an hour and half each day for my-self, I feel much more rested and energetic throughout the week. Hot yoga has allowed me to grow spiritually and physically. It is a journey for both the body and mind.

Program BoardBy: Josh Palmer Are you interested in en-tertainment, event planning, and meet-ing new people? You should consider checking out CMU’s premier event planning team-Program Board. Consisting of multiple committees that program in di-verse areas of interest, PB con-stantly strives to develop inno-vative and engaging programs at either a free or low price to students and the surrounding community. PB works to make a difference in the social and educational aspects of students’ lives. LAS Junior and Program Board Concert Chair David Grays mentions, “Being able to be a part of Program Board has been a great experience for me. I have learned so much and have grown in my abilities since I initially became a member of the organization. LAS prepared me to take on this leadership role through my experiences in the classes, retreats, and friend-ships.” LAS Junior and Program Board Vice President Mark Fairbrother told us, “My time in CMU Program Board has been dynamic, demanding, and highly rewarding. Being that I hold specific ideas about the future of Program Board, I have faced many challenges in my

pursuit of change. Those challenges have only served to shape me into a more inclusive, patient, and critical-ly thinking leader. LAS has equipped

me with multiple teamwork strategies and taught me how to accommodate different leader-ship styles. Continuously, LAS has granted me association with the campus’s most promising young leaders. From Freshmen to Seniors, LAS connects the most influential student leaders. Those connections have opened up opportunities for co-sponsor-ships with RSOs and allowed me to provide LAS-learned insight to my non-LAS coun-terparts.” Students who become active in this organization come from a variety of different aca-demic programs and are able to develop new skills that are ver-satile with any career path. The easiest way to become involved with Program Board is to attend their weekly meetings in the UC Mackinaw Room on Wednes-days at 8pm. Be sure to check them out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up to date with all of their upcom-ing events such as the Condom Casino Tour and spoken word poets Kinetic Affect. Program Board-Get with the Program.

Namaste

LAS scholar Mark Fairbrother (back left), the Vice President of

PB, poses with B.O.B. and the exec-utive board.

LAS Students Anthony Cavataio, Josh Palmer, and David Grays pose at the meet-and-greet with former Olympian Domi-

nique Dawes.

LAS Junior David Grays serves as the Concert Chair on

the Executive Board

By: Amber Harchuk

January was Stalking Awareness Month, an issue that is important to raise awareness about. One out of eight females will be stalked while in college. And one in thirteen men will be stalked in their lifetime. Of-ten, many people who come to college are escaping a stalker. SAPA, Sexual Aggres-sion Peer Advocates, put on events to raise awareness about the issue. SAPA is a group of advocates for survi-vors of sexual aggression, which includes sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence, and harass-ment. SAPA runs a 24/7 crisis line (989-774-2255) and online chat service (sapa.cmich.edu), as well as holding programs across campus and for classrooms and organizations. For Stalking Awareness Month, SAPA made a wall in Towers to spread awareness

and offer resources. They also held two programs to give more information about the topic. The first program took place on January 16. It was an informa-tional program to explain dif-ferent types of stalkers and how to notice signs of stalking. The second program was the follow-ing week, January 22, where the director of SAPA, Steve Thomp-

son, gave more informa-tion about stalking and what can be done on our campus. SAPA also had informational tables in the Down Under Food Court

to hand out Silver Ribbons, the ribbon for Stalking Awareness. To give a very brief over-view, here are just a few things that were discussed during these events.1 in 8 women will be stalked while in college.1 in 13 men will be stalked in their lifetime.3 out of 4 people who are stalked know their stalker.

43% of stalkers are former intimate partners. Only 15% of people who are stalked report to the police. The important thing to remember is to take stalking very seriously. Stalking can progress quickly. Some steps to take are to notify your stalk-er to stop. Notification can be given through any form: verbal, written, technology. Once noti-fication is given, keep a log. A log would be a list of everything that occurs with that stalker. The log should include time, date, location, and a brief description of what happened. This not only gives more information to the police if you would like to press charges, but it also makes it easier to file for a personal pro-tection order. Stalking is a very real thing and can be very scary. If you, or anyone you know, are being stalked here are some resources for you.SAPA (989) 774- CALL (2255)Mt. Pleasant Police (989)772-5911

Stalking

Special OlympicsBy: Stephanie Pocsi

On February 5th, CMU students left Mount Pleasant to begin volunteering with the Special Olympics Michigan 2013 Winter Games. These volunteers included LAS students from many generations as well as students that are affiliated with the LI. After arriv-ing in Traverse City, students settled into their rooms and started interacting with the athletes. Some of the students went to Shanty Creek Resort to help with Skiing/Snowboarding lessons. Others went to partici-pate in the Young Athletes Pro-gram which works with children ages 2-7 to help get them ready for competition. On Wednesday morning, students went to their different

athletic competition areas. The Olympic sports at the Winter Games include Cross Country Skiing, Downhill Skiing and Snowboarding, Indoor Special Events, Outdoor Special Events, Figure Skating and Snowshoe.

LAS Senior Brandon Hil-sabeck and I were both located at Cross Country Skiing for the third year. We keep coming back to this event because of the peo-ple that work there as well as the athletes that we get to interact with. LAS Junior Adam Cable worked on the hill all day for Alpine Skiing and Snowboard-ing. LAS Sophomores Kelly Gwardzinski, Grace Gimesky,

and Hallie Bills worked on In-door Special Events. LAS Fresh-man Rachel Quinn is a Media intern for Special Olympics. Even LAS Alumna Krislene Dye was at the games completing a multi-generation LAS family!

Kelly Gwardzinski says, “My week at Special Olympics was one of the most rewarding volun-teering experiences I have had. It is so humbling to see how proud the athletes

are when they are competing, no matter place they get. It is an awesome experience to share with all of the people that you meet!” The games hold a special place in all of our hearts. While I cannot know how everyone felt about the games, I do know that this is an event that changes you at least a little every time you go.

By: Nicole Simon

The primary objective of my LDR 402 project, Science is Fun! Science Fair Mentoring Program is to share my passion for science with the youth of our Mount Pleasant community. I want to show these students that science can be fun and that they can see and experience sci-ence first-hand. I want them to apply what they learn from the program to create their very own science fair project that will be used to teach other students their age and their parents about what they are interested in. The program will be tak-ing place at the Mount Pleasant Discovery Museum. It provides a hands-on learning environment that is safe and family friend-ly. The program will be split into three components: lessons with demonstrations, mentor-ing, and the final science fair. Over fifteen future educators studying at CMU are interested in being a part of the program already. These science enthu-

siasts will be working together to develop three lessons with exciting demonstrations in biology, chemistry and phys-ics. There will be two oppor-tunities for these students to

practice demonstrations in a classroom setting. One will be for one of Ms. Angela McGuirk’s

introductory college chemistry courses here on campus and the other will be in front of Ms. Sharyl Majorski’s Opportunities for Talent Development lab. After the three lessons, the ele-mentary students will be paired up with the Central students to come up with a project that they will work together on. The older students will help the younger students figure out what they are interested in and be there to mentor them through putting the project together. The program will end with a science fair in which the students can show off all that they have learned to both their parents and peers alike. The advisor of my proj-ect, Ms. Angela McGuirk, has

been monumental in the initial organization. She has provided me with multiple resources and wise advice. Her enthusiasm is contagious and her passion for chemistry is inspiring. Overall, I hope that the elementary students will not only fall in love with science, but also become confident in their abilities and gain a role model to look up to. Students will learn much more than what an acid or base is or how to make an erupting peroxide volcano. They will learn that they can do what-ever they put their minds to. In addition, I hope that the volunteers from Central will benefit by gaining valuable experience and making friends with people who share the same interests. Their dedication will be rewarded with opportunities to network and an exhibit in their teaching portfolios. If you are interested in volunteering, please email me at simon1ne@cmich.edu .

By: Kelsey Lancina

LAS Junior Steven Steele will be learning alongside Mick-ey Mouse this semester. Well, maybe not exactly… but he will be earning 12 credit hours in Orlando, Florida through The Disney College Program. Steven is looking towards his future with this decision. “It’s not helping me graduate any faster, but it will hopefully help me get a job in the event management field after I gradu-ate in 2014”, says Steven. Steven has also found time to connect with a few fel-low Chips. He was able to spend

an entire day at Epcot with friend and fellow CMU student Sue Li. Steven also met up with LAS Sophomore Shelby Martin for breakfast to share their expe-riences in the program thus far. It’s not all fun and games;

Steven is working in merchandise at Dis-ney’s Contemporary Resort gift shops. The 70-degree weather is not the only perk of his location. “I can watch Magic King-dom’s Wishes Firework

Spectacular from the store when I work at night”, says Steven. Steven is being educated on everything Disney. He is cur-rently enrolled in a class called Creativity and Innovation. Ste-

ven also plans to take advantage of seminars featuring executives from within the Disney Corpo-ration. Not only is this a great career builder, but Steven knows that he is also creating lifelong memories and relationships. “My location is great because I can meet people from other departments and hopefully make connections in the hospitality and conference hosting depart-ments of the resort.” Steven Steele is clearly enjoying his time at the Happi-est Place on Earth and is open to provide more information for anyone curious about the experi-ence. “If anyone is interested in applying for the Disney College Program feel free to contact me anytime.”

The happiesT place on earTh- afTer cenTral of course!

Science is Fun

L.A.S. Goes GreekSpring 2013

Matt MaasSigma Pi

ΣΠ

Sam McNerneySigma Pi

ΣΠ

Lydia MillerAlpha Chi Omega

ΑΧΩ

Cam WilsonSigma Pi

ΣΠ

Adam RonningPhi Mu Alpha

ΦΜΑ

James WilsonBeta Theta Pi

ΒΘΠ

Kevin MorrisPhi Sigma Pi

ΦΣΠ

Keep your eye out for the next issue of the Leadership Letter! Brought to you by the Public Relations LEAD team. If you have an article ideas or wuld like to guest write an article please

feel free to email Cheyenne Badder:

badde1cs@cmich.eduAngela Digiovanni: digio1aa@cmich.