Griffin Forum / Awe & Wonder concert / 

Political leaders discussed the state’s stretched budget and the role of higher education in Michigan’s economic future during the Griffin Policy Forum in November. Seated from left to right are House Minority Leader Craig DeRoche, Speaker of the House Andy Dillon, forum moderator and host of WKAR’s “Off the Record” Tim Skubick, Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, and Senate Minority Leader Mark Schauer.

State's top legislators visit CMU for Griffin Policy Forum

A crowd of more than 700 students, faculty and citizens had the unique opportunity to observe Michigan’s top legislators debate issues affecting the state’s future during Central Michigan University’s Griffin Policy Forum Nov. 6 in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium.

The semiannual public forum, “Now What? Managing the Budget Crisis While Promoting a Positive Future for the State of Michigan,” brought together the top four ranking political leaders in the state Senate and House of Representatives.

The panelists included Speaker Andy Dillon of the Michigan House of Representatives, Minority Leader Craig DeRoche of the Michigan House of Representatives, Majority Leader Mike Bishop of the Michigan Senate and Minority Leader Mark Schauer of the Michigan Senate.

Tim Skubick, host of WKAR’s “Off the Record,” moderated the forum.

The political leaders discussed options for managing the state’s stretched budget, allocating funding for higher education and preparing Michigan’s workforce to compete in a global economy.

They also disclosed their gubernatorial aspirations, with all but Bishop ruling out a bid for the governor’s race in 2010.

DeRoche, a 1991 CMU graduate, says he always looks forward to returning to his alma mater, adding that the forum is an excellent way to bring CMU students, the community and political leaders together to discuss key issues for our state.

“We want to give people a chance to get a deeper understanding of what matters to them,” DeRoche said. “I hope we also can draw on our visions for better days in Michigan, so that we can all come together and move this state in a different direction.”

The Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government was established in 1999 through private donations to CMU. It provides continuing support to fund the salary and associated costs of a government and public policy expert who serves as a faculty member in CMU’s political science department.

The Griffin program seeks to build interest and increase engagement in politics among young adults, faculty and the general public. The endowment honors former U.S. senator Robert Griffin and his wife, Marjorie Griffin, both distinguished CMU alumni.

This was the first forum organized under the direction of Gary Peters, who began his term as CMU’s Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government in August.

For more information about the forums, visit www.chsbs.cmich.edu/griffin.

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CMU students join homeowner Roslyn Ezell (center) in front of her new porch and freshly painted house. The students traveled to Mobile, Ala. for one week in May to assist with Hurricane Katrina rebuilding efforts.

Overcoming Katrina

Students help hurricane survivors regain comforts of home

Although two years have passed since Hurricane Katrina devastated numerous communities in the Gulf Coast region, a group of 25 Central Michigan University students found no shortage of opportunities to help when they organized a week-long trip to Mobile, Ala., in May.

The CMU students, along with two students from the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University, assisted homeowner Roslyn Ezell complete several construction projects on her property.

“The interior of the home had suffered severe water damage because the roof blew off during the storm,” said senior Kadi Janssen, who was making her second trip to the Gulf region. “Roslyn and her family had moved all of their belongings into the family room while they worked to repair the other rooms. The walls weren’t painted and the floors were stripped down to the floorboards, so it wasn’t a very comfortable living space for the family.”

Ezell lives in the home with her daughter and three grandsons and often opens her doors to other friends and relatives in need of a place to stay.

The CMU students installed drywall, painted all of the rooms, repaired the porch and added a railing, built a stairway to the front of the house, and cleaned up the yard.

“Roslyn is in her late 60s, and she had done everything she could physically do, but she still needed help with the larger projects. The repairs were costly and laborious, so it was very helpful to have a large volunteer group like ours working on her home,” said Janssen, who is majoring in social work and psychology.

Sophomore Michelle Fitzgerald, who also was making her second trip to assist with Katrina related disaster relief, says that seeing the homeowner’s gratitude made all of the hard work worthwhile.

“Hearing Roslyn say that our efforts had made her dream come true was an amazing moment,” said Fitzgerald, who is majoring in Spanish and social work.

“I have always enjoyed service projects, especially those with my peers. We always have fun together, and it’s important to me to help people and make a difference in whatever way I can.”

Janssen says that although many news reports have shown successful rebuilding efforts, the devastation remains prominent in some neighborhoods.

“It was difficult to comprehend how many areas had been left untouched or unchanged two years after the storm,” she said. “I wanted to travel outside of my comfort zone and see the devastation and rebuilding efforts in person rather than relying on news reports.”

Junior LaMarcus Howard, who is majoring in social work, echoes that observation and is concerned by the number of people in the Gulf region who still need assistance.

“I was most surprised to discover that many lower-income families are just now finding the means to fix the damage to their homes. It is very depressing to see these families living in houses and on properties that were damaged two years ago.”

“I am proud that we were able to turn a house filled with pain by Hurricane Katrina into a house filled with joy by people who care,” said Howard.

The students organized the trip through Volunteer Mobile under the leadership of Janssen, social work student Chrissy Michels, and social work program director Susan Grettenberger. Sociology, anthropology and social work department chair Mary Senter also traveled with the group and donned her chef’s hat to cook every meal for the large group.

“I am so proud that these folks cared enough to participate in the Hurricane Katrina rebuilding efforts,” said Grettenberger. “This trip showed them what a positive difference a few people can make in the lives of others. It also provided them with real world experience about the lives of others and about the inequity that exists in the United States. It will help them be even better social workers.”

CMU students paint a room during their week-long trip to Mobile, Ala. They received their work assignments from the organization Volunteer Mobile.

 

 

 

 

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