Centralight

The promise of a new graduate Calendar Letters By Marcie Otteman Grawburg, '87 Executive director of alumni relations Spring has fi nally sprung around campus and commencement is close at hand as I write these words. At a recent graduation fair on campus, I had the chance to talk with students who are leaving CMU to embark upon the next chapter of their journey in the world. My question to each of them was, "What are your plans when you leave Mount Pleasant?" Some had jobs lined up and plans set, others were waiting on answers from grad schools. Still others seemed a little lost, not truly ready to leave this place that has become home over the last several years. Those conversations got me thinking and remembering my own excitement and fear about stepping into a new frontier and leaving the comfort of the campus and town that had been my life for four years in the mid-1980s. I didn't stay as connected to campus during that time after graduation as I would have liked. I wish I had now. Of course, that was a wisdom that developed over time. I wish I would have taken advantage of all the things the Alumni Association had to off er, including alumni chapter events. If I were graduating today, I would stay connected via social media and use the professional opportunities of LinkedIn along with the social aspects of Facebook and Twitter. The newly minted alumni I meet today are taking advantage of those opportunities and staying in touch with us. They are checking out the benefi ts of being connected with their alma mater. In this issue, you will meet 10 of our inaugural class of "10 Under 10" alumni award recipients. We sought nominations for graduates between 2003 and December 2013 who answered that "What are your plans … ?" question with verve and determination. We hope they'll inspire you, as they have inspired us, to grab the reins, no matter your stage in life. Alma Mater here us now, evermore we praise thee, hear us pledge our sacred vow ever to defend thee. Congratulations to all the graduates, past and present, 3 centralight summer '14 July 21 Traverse City scholarship golf outing, Traverse City Golf & Country Club 25 Day of Fun at Michigan's Adventure, Muskegon August 27 Alumni gathering at Doobie Brothers concert at Freedom Hill, Sterling Heights September 7 Chicago Cubs vs. Pirates, Wrigley Field, Chicago 15 Great Lakes Bay Region scholarship golf outing, Apple Mountain, Freeland October 4 Homecoming vs. Ohio University, Mount Pleasant campus Summer Theatre Summer University Theatre presents "The Smell of the Kill," "Murder by Natural Causes" and "The Complete World of Sports (Abridged)" from June 25 to July 12 on campus and in Whitehall. Search for "Ticket Central" on cmich.edu for more information. This is a small sampling of the many alumni events throughout the U.S. Please visit alumni.cmich.edu for a comprehensive listing. Thank you for the latest edition of Centralight. This is one of the best editions I have read. Excellent and interesting content, great photography, and beautiful design. I sent it on to my CMU freshman and my high school senior-about-to-be-a- CMU-freshman, especially for them to read about the stand- out alumni. Not only for ideas on how to get the most of their college experience, but to reinforce the pride of CMU. Keep up the great work! – Kristy LeVasseur, '98 I would like to comment on your story about Bill Boyd … As you know, Bill had a lot of experience with student unrest at UC Berkeley. After CMU students had staged a sit-in, Bill met with the student body in Warriner Auditorium. I can remember him sitting on the edge of the stage while students yelled at him. He handled it calmly and soon had student attention as he answered their questions. … – Bill Grigaliunas Director of Public Broadcasting, 1963-1995 9 centralight spring '14 8 centralight spring '14 You remember them from your college days – those rabble rousers, athletes, class clowns and leaders whose personalities always seemed larger than life. Then you went your separate ways and you always wondered, "Whatever happened to …" Well, wonder no more. We checked in with eight of the biggest campus personalities from across the decades to reminisce about their time at CMU and ask about life after Central. BY TERRI FINCH HAMILTON, '83 now? are they 8 centralight spring '14 Where PHOTOS COURTESY OF CLARKE HISTORICAL LIBRARY William Boyd, president of CMU from 1968-1975 Racine, Wis. Retired What he was known for at CMU: One of Central's most beloved former presidents, who left a legacy of peace during a politically charged time The backstory: "I'll tell you one thing," Boyd says. "I'll probably be the oldest person in this story." At 90, Boyd is as charming as ever. That charm came in handy during his days at CMU as he pioneered collective bargaining with the faculty unions. You can thank his administration for CMU's beautiful campus. "It was mostly parking lots," Boyd recalls. "We tore them out and put in berms." Boyd also knew how to smooth things over. "After Kent State, there was a lot of rioting on campuses," he recalls. "A village sprung up of student tents and shanties. After a few days, it got to be quite a sanitation problem." Boyd compromised with the students, letting them camp out at night if they took down their tents during the day. After a few days, the students packed it in for good. After Central: After leaving CMU in 1975, Boyd was president of the University of Oregon for five years. He gave the OK for a movie to be filmed on campus. You may have heard of it – "Animal House." "I thought the nation needed a funny movie," he says about granting the Hollywood producers' request. They even used his office for Dean Wormer's digs. "It was a lot of fun," Boyd says. "The barbers in town loved it. Any students who wanted to be extras in the movie had to get a 1950s haircut. So the barbers were rich." Boyd moved to Racine, Wis., in 1980 and was president of the Johnson Foundation until his retirement. Then he and his wife, Karen, traveled the world – India, Bhutan, New Guinea, Northern Australia and the Pacific Islands. These days? "Well, I'm 90, so I have less energy than I had 20 years ago," Boyd says. He's legally blind so he feeds his hunger for reading with audio books on history and current events. Any message for the CMU folks who remember him? "Tell 'em I love 'em," he says. >

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