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This place is crawling with Chips (and I love it) By Marcie Otteman Grawburg, '87 Executive director of alumni relations I cannot trace a path throughout my career without touching the name of a fellow CMU alumnus or alumna who helped me along the way. With each career transition and job interview, it was always a comfort to know that on the other side of the desk, there was someone who had walked my same campus, sung my same fight song. Maybe you have experienced that same camaraderie at your office. As the location where we spend more hours in our day than anywhere else, the kinship that arises from fellow alumni at work can go a long way. Calendar February 2 CMU alumni skate day, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit 5 Orlando Magic vs. Detroit Pistons, Amway Center, Orlando, Fla. 8 Jazz Weekend, Mount Pleasant campus March 14 Red Wings game and alumni social, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit April Nowhere is that more apparent than here at CMU, which employs 1,500 alumni – the largest concentration of any employer. Over the past 15 years, I've been privileged to work alongside people who not only went to school here but have made it their mission to help future Chippewas along, too. In this issue, we uncovered some interesting stories of alumni at work, from a trio of former roommates with a wildly popular radio show to a school in Florida where one-third of the teachers are CMU alumni. 5 Opus XVII, Grand Rapids Christian High School, Grand Rapids, Mich. 24-27 University Theatre Dance Company Concert, Bush Theatre, Mount Pleasant campus This is a small sampling of the many alumni events throughout the U.S. Please visit alumni.cmich.edu for a comprehensive listing. We found some common traits in offices where there are large concentrations of alums: 1) we alumni stick together, have fun and support each other in all kinds of workplace environments; 2) we like to help out our fellow alums by networking and paving the way for employment opportunities; and 3) CMU alumni are known – and hired – for hard work and a solid work ethic. By the way, if you happen to be in the market for a new career in 2014, we've also included some tips from our Career Services office, with free job-searching services available to all alumni. Letters We received dozens of heartfelt letters in response to our "Lasting Lecture" feature including several beloved CMU professors. Here are a few excerpts: "The 'Lasting Lecture' is a wonderful series of articles. I'm copying the articles to send to my great-nieces and nephews – lots of wisdom and life lessons contained within those pages." – Janet N. Mendler As your alumni director, I want to remind you that your relationship with CMU doesn't end with commencement – far from it. We encourage you to take advantage of the many regional alumni events and online resources Gary Gagnon: sake of learning' we have available for you. It's about 'Striving and struggling for the the being Forever Maroon and Gold. tin lastureg lec And next time you see a fellow Chippewa near the water cooler, don't be shy with your "Fire up, Chips!" In the event that your other non-CMU coworkers are a little jealous, just tell them there is still time to be a Chippewa ... we have graduate school here, too. Marcie finer points of You may not remember the lectures, but your mathematics or history professors you do remember those few notice. who made you sit up and take in a way that Maybe they challenged you felt frustrating, pushed you sometimes could beyond what you thought you to you and achieve. Maybe they listened you to find your voice. encouraged you will never They changed your life, and forget them. than a few CMU is fortunate to have more ranks. We of these professors in our faculty words of asked several to share some subject wisdom that go beyond their really speak to matter – those lessons that life is all about. what to you, their Here are their lasting lectures beloved former students. PHOTOGRAPHS BY PEGGY BRISBANE put the The Swiss have a saying, "Let's Let's church in the middle of the village." of the table put everything in the middle the question now. Why are we here? That's most I always begin with, and it's the you're an important thing to ask, whether person athletic coach, a parent, a business off a box, … If you're just here to check you. If you well, I can't be of much help to challenge really want to learn, grow and I dare you. yourself, I'm your guy. Let's go. "Forget about the points, forget about the damn money. Make it about being part of something meaningful." or in the We are not in the classroom – to learn. world – to know. We are here you Once learning becomes the goal, trying open yourself up to taking risks, that we ideas on for size and realizing are can live with imperfection if we sake of striving and struggling for the culture. learning. We must create this students Even at 8 o'clock in the morning, to instinctively know why they have important learn, and they know why it is – some to them. I don't mean points about students estimated they earn them, 30,000 points in college. I ask "Where do you keep these points? them after What do you plan to do with college?" Show me instead someone and I will who is fired up about learning, success. show you a path to unstoppable we After graduation, instead of points, about make it about the money. Forget the points, forget about the damn of money. Make it about being part a sense something meaningful. Create your best of value. Make it about being will and doing your best. The money right follow. If you're doing it for the reasons, the rewards will follow. in our This requires a paradigm shift to value thinking – not only do we need hold each learning, but we also need to you expect other to a higher standard. If what great things of students, guess It applies happens? You get great students. life, in to everything. It works in family people. coaching, in working with young who When you have young people it isn't are failing, it's usually because clear what's expected. They don't know what excellence looks like. I had a high school English teacher, Terry Carnahan, '54. And his classroom been was unlike any classroom I'd ever There in. He called on us incessantly. his was so much accountability in classroom. He was very demanding, us had exacting standards and made period. struggle and strive every class When you create high expectations they and hold people accountable, • blossom right before your eyes. Gary Gagnon is an assistant professor of marketing and hospitality services administration who was named Michigan Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the He Advancement of Teaching in 2005. and his wife, Lori, have six children. As told to Cynthia J. Drake Former students say … is still, 'I don't want I use with my staff and colleagues "My favorite Gagnon quote that a motto I always refer to want to see the baby.' That is I had at CMU." to hear the labor pains – I just He is hands-down the best professor when making business decisions. manager, Stafford's Pier Restaurant, Lindsey Bur, '07, assistant general Harbor Springs What is the question?' and wrote, 'The answer is yes. "He walked up to the whiteboard offices of all the hotels I have in the break rooms and back experiences for I have posted this statement in the business of making memorable worked in. In hospitality, we are your vocabulary." 'No' should never be a part of both guests and team members. Residence manager of the Courtyard and Ryan Frederick, '05, dual general vention Center Inn by Marriott Houston Downtown/Con centralight fall '13 6 centralight fall '13 "Love the piece about Gary Gagnon. He was the best professor I had at CMU. He teaches in a way that makes it fun to learn. His methods are brilliant, and I still think about the things he taught me today, nearly 10 years after I left his classroom." – Kim Sonefeld 7 "Great article on Dr. Mark Francek. I had him for over 10 classes at CMU from 1991-1995. He was the one who gave me the passion to be the geography professor I am today." – Brian Steinberg centralight winter '13 3

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