By Ted Yoakum Staff Reporter The inventory inside the typical Western Michigan University student’s backpack is becoming more precious than ever, with laptops, tablets, e-readers and other gadgets all competing for space against the stalwart of the American educational system: the textbook. However, in this era of hyperconnectivity, where people can access the Internet on [...]
Erin Gignac News Editor He walks down the alley and steps in the cage. Hands wrapped, pep talked, mouth guarded and probably breaking a sweat, Hector Garcia sizes up his competition. “It’s weird because one of the biggest guys I remember fighting was so stocky looking,” said Hector Garcia, a Mixed Martial Arts fighter. “I [...]
By Kelly Mason Staff Reporter Kalamazoo has transformed into a winter wonderland. Over the past week, lake-effect snow has blanketed the southwest region of Michigan, leading to the annual road plows and salt trucks moving across campus and the city. Western Michigan University uses snow melt systems at the entrances to most of the buildings [...]
By Kassie Charnley Staff Reporter The Humanities Center in Knauss Hall welcomed Brian Kalt, associate professor of law at Michigan State University, for an ethics lecture on the Ninth Amendment on Friday, Jan. 20. As stated in the Constitution, the Ninth Amendment declares that “the enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be [...]
Katie TerBerg Staff Reporter Few students can claim that they are financially stable, and with the influx of the Michigan “college tax,” their resources might become even more scarce, according to Bridge Magazine. Currently, Western Michigan University holds the eighth highest college tax rate of any public university in Michigan. In recent years, Michigan’s higher [...]
By Erin Gignac News Editor Clean water is scarce. Bathing conditions are tough. Most people still live in tents. Americans might associate these living conditions with homelessness in the United States. However, this is the daily condition of people living in Haiti. In Port Au Prince, thousands are still living in unacceptable conditions, President John [...]
The Western Herald sat down with Branden Lewis, candidate for the 27th season of The Real World. Q: Tell us about your opportunity for The Real World TV show? A: Well, pretty much around last September, when the 26th season started, was when I saw auditions for the 27th season. I quickly submitted an email [...]
By Gabi Crowley Staff Reporter As far back as Western Michigan University’s Public Safety Department Police Captain Carol Dedow can remember, the university has always received complaints concerning the lack of student parking on campus. Campus is considered “pedestrian-friendly,” according to WMU Admissions’ web page. Most parking lots are exterior to main campus, causing students [...]
By Catie Dymond Staff Reporter After all the Christmas cookies and New Year’s celebrations, it is time to hit the gym and start the new year off right. Western Michigan University offers many opportunities for its students, faculty and staff to stay in shape and prepare to meet New Year’s resolutions. “Typically, we have about [...]
By Ted Yoakum Staff Reporter College students are used to looking for that next jolt of energy to help power them through the following hour of dull lectures, whether it comes via a venti cup of Starbucks coffee, a can of Rockstar energy drink or from a vial of Five Hour Energy. Owners of electric [...]
Writer’s block is a foreign word in T. Geronimo Johnson’s vocabulary. Rough drafts should flow fast, furious and free. “That’s when you discover a lot,” he said. Johnson’s poems and short stories earned him a spot as the visiting writer and professor in the Department of English at Western Michigan University for spring 2012. He [...]
Tayler Cattera Staff Reporter The 2012 presidential election is now in full swing and candidates’ promises and proposals of how to fix the many problems facing America have been heard across the country. But there are some people that are more than skeptical that any of these promises will be met after the election because [...]
Taylor Larson Staff Reporter Every few weeks, the eggshell walls of Gwen Frostic change colors, though not from buckets of paint—rather, the gallery transforms into a whole new space by its décor, the works of student artists. Transformed from sculptural installations to yards of spun fabric, proactive charcoal sketches, stuffed animals, or highbrow, avant garde, [...]
Kelly Mason Staff Reporter “My bill for Western was $41,000 for both semesters.” That’s how much freshman Quincy Sadro had to pay for his first year in college as a member of the aviation college at Western Michigan University, the third best school in the country for aviation. In addition to tuition, room and board, [...]
Nathan Palcowski Staff Reporter Coming to the East Ballroom of the Bernhard Center on Thursday, Jan. 26 is an event simply referred to as the “mini Bronco Bash.” Western Warm-Up is an event put on for transfer students that are new to Western Michigan University. The Western Warm-Up is a way for not only [...]
Ociel Torres Staff Reporter One of the main goals for Western Michigan University is to create a safe and diverse learning environment for all of its students. Now that there are a growing number of international students coming to WMU, it seems that CELCIS, a leading program at WMU, can take the pledge of diversity [...]
Erin Gignac News Editor Most people have been locked in their residence hall bathroom one or two times by their prankster roommates. However, being trapped for an entire weekend presents some unique challenges, which involve consuming copious amounts of toothpaste and using toilet paper for chilly nights. “It’s total survival mode in the dorm bathroom,” [...]
By Sam Stachurski Western Herald For some students, a new semester means new classes and sometimes even a new roommate. For others, it means playing catch up after doing poorly in a class. Thankfully, there are ways to come back from doing poorly in a class or even having a bad semester. But there are [...]
By Kassie Charnley Western Herald Kelly Mccarthy and Greg DeGross have a few things in common. Both are juniors here at Western Michigan University studying Graphic and Printing Science. Both Mccarthy and DeGross have recently received scholarships and they will be competing in the Phoenix Challenge later this spring with a team of other students [...]
By Bethany Bohlen Photo & Art Editor Liz Aitken, WMU sophomore majoring in art education, will be presenting a show in collaboration with Holly Rae Quist on Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. in Kohrman Hall, room 1206. Q: How would you describe your show? A: An art exhibit where the pieces are rooted in the [...]
By Sam Stachurski Western Herald The spring semester at Western Michigan University brings plenty of changes, including new shows going on in the WMU’s Department of Theatre. The spring semester at WMU will feature shows such as hit Broadway shows, a play written by a WMU faculty member and even a dinner comedy in downtown [...]
By Ociel Torres Staff Reporter The Board of Trustees held its last meeting of the 2011 calendar year on Thursday this week. The 30 minute meeting, which was held at the Bernhard Center, highlighted some features that will be running in the Spring Semester of 2012 here at Western Michigan University. The eight members of [...]
By Laura Levin Staff Reporter From books to cold, hard cash, book buyback is the time of year that most students anticipate. “At the end of the semester we’ll buy back students textbooks. If it’s a book that’s been adopted for a future course at WMU, we’ll pay them half of the new price,” Terry [...]
By Sam Stachurski Staff Reporter Now that finals are starting, students are likely to be spending more and more time at the library, trying to cram in a last-minute study session; what few students realize is just how much Waldo Library has to offer. The Library will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 a.m. [...]
By Kelly Mason Staff Reporter With finals week here, students are only days away from a well-deserved break from the stress of studying. Caught in the rush of anticipation of going home for the holidays, students may forget the closing procedures taking place this week and over break. Quiet hours will begin on Saturday, Dec. [...]
Cody Janczewski Staff Reporter University Theatre can confidently check the box for an exceptionally successful fall 2011 program complete with multiple standing ovations, sold out performances, and of course, the cherry topper: absolute phenomenal acting. With such a highly respected and successful performance season thus far, let’s recap: “References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot” [...]
Taylor Larson Staff Reporter Situated high in a corner of the Gwen Frostic School of Art, Mindi Bagnall’s creation, “The World Wide Web,” carries an ominous message. The intricate tangle of delicate dollhouses snared in a spider’s web of cables signifies the emergence of cyberspace into the real, concrete world and what happens when technology [...]
Taylor Larson Staff Reporter Like the smooth, steady swing of jazz, Michael Dunn’s paintings have rhythm, a lively pulse and colorful beat. They also have shape, albeit a strange one—twisted and contorted, representational of space and time. Much like the music they resemble, Dunn’s paintings are free, unstructured and flowing, and can be viewed through [...]
Cassie Stagner, sophomore: Stagner helped found the Saint Claire Butterfly Foundation, which raises money for abused children, social services, and re-adoption. “I love doing that kind of work, I think it is important to help children because they can’t help themselves,” Stagner said. Kyle Berryman, sophomore: Berryman volunteered to help a disabled police officer clean [...]
By Nathan Palcowski Staff Reporter Howard Wolpe, a retired professor at WMU and a former U.S. representative died on Oct.25 at his home in Saugatuck, Mich. Wolpe was 71 years old. Wolpe was Western Michigan’s first distinguished visiting professor. He taught political science at WMU for five years before making a reputation for himself as [...]
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