Central Michigan University Athletics
CMU Chippewa Pride Week Set
8/30/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 30, 2000
MOUNT PLEASANT -- Supporters of Central Michigan University are encouraged to "show your pride" during the week leading up to CMU's first home football game on Sept. 9.
Sept. 3-9 has been designated "CMU Chippewa Pride Week." Students, faculty, staff and local community members are encouraged to wear maroon and gold, fly CMU flags and celebrate the university's academic and athletics strengths and accomplishments.
"Chippewa pride and school spirit have always been a part of CMU football games," said Gary Friedman, associate director of athletics. "We want our fans to demonstrate that spirit to coach Mike DeBord and the team when they play in Kelly/Shorts Stadium Saturday afternoon. But we also want to extend that feeling of pride beyond athletics."
The athletics department is working with the public relations and marketing office to promote programs, activities and accomplishments that engender university pride, said William Jenkins, associate vice president for public relations and marketing.
"This is an exciting time for CMU," said Jenkins. "With new President Michael Rao, a growing student enrollment, new facilities on campus, our new classification as a national research university, and strong academic programs -- there's a lot for students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members to feel good about. We should take pride in living and working at CMU."
As part of CMU Chippewa Pride Week, Sept. 8 has been designated "Maroon and Gold Day" on campus. CMU cheerleaders will randomly distribute "Show Your Pride" t-shirts to students, faculty and staff wearing CMU colors.
In addition, faculty and staff will be recognized during the football game and university "points of pride" will be communicated throughout the week.
"There is much to be proud of at CMU," said Jenkins. "We are a university on the move. We encourage everyone to display their pride and feel good about being a part of CMU."
CMU POINTS OF PRIDE
* CMU is classified as a "doctoral/research" university, a prestigious distinction granted by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to less than 7 percent of the more than 3,800 higher education institutions in the nation.
* CMU student-athletes captured their fourth straight Mid-American Conference Academic Achievement Award this summer. The award is given to the MAC school with the highest grade-point-average among its student-athletes. Nearly 400 Chippewa student-athletes had a 3.07 cumulative average for 1999-2000.
* A new health professions building that is now being designed will house some of the university's most noted programs, including three graduate programs that rank in the top 100 nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report -- audiology, speech-language pathology and physician assistant training.
* Many of CMU's more than 900 faculty are noted for their research. For example, biology professor Joy Doran has drawn national attention for her work on the potential of using the by-products of sugar beets as an alternative source of fuel. History professor Eric Johnson is the author of "Nazi Terror: The Gestapo, Jews and Ordinary Germans," a book that has received international attention and positive reviews. CMU faculty members have distinguished themselves in many other areas, including Huntington's disease research, agricultural policy, education, communication disorders, small business development and organizational psychology.
* Every member of CMU's August 1998 and 1999 graduating classes of physician assistants passed the national certification examination, placing their performances in the top 5 percent of all PA programs in the country.
* CMU was one of the first public universities in the nation to offer a four-year scholarship and accompanying academic program specifically for student leaders. The university's prestigious Leadership, Education and Development (LEAD) program awards up to 40 scholarships each year to high school students who demonstrate leadership potential.
* The health education honorary Eta Sigma Gamma has been named the top chapter in the United States for five straight years and 15 times in the last 17 years.
* Guy Gordon, news anchor for WXYZ-TV in Detroit, Sandy Petykiewicz, publisher of the Jackson Citizen-Patriot, Brett Holey, director for ABC News, actor Jeff Daniels, Jeffrey Caponigro, president and CEO of Caponigro Public Relations in Southfield, Gail Torreano, president of Ameritech in Michigan, and NBA star Dan Majerle attended CMU.
* Emmy Award-winning sportscaster Dick Enberg earned his bachelor's degree at CMU and still considers it his top choice: "If I had to do it all over again," he says, "I would go back to CMU."
* Kevin White, athletic director at the University of Notre Dame, holds a master's degree from CMU. He says Central Michigan "is one of the great places in the country for an education."
* Robert Griffin, a 1947 graduate, is a former member of the U.S. House and Senate and Michigan Supreme Court. Marjorie Anderson Griffin was valedictorian of Central's 1944 graduating class. The political science department recently established the Robert and Marjorie Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government in their honor.
