Centralight

Honor System the CMU Program celebrates 50 years of student success Ryan Lewis, senior There are many firsts in Alfonso Salais Jr.'s Spanish program at Everett High School in Lansing. March 29, 1961 CMU's Honors Program was founded. It was one of the first in the state and the Midwest region. 1968 The first director - Dennis Thavanet – was appointed. 1970 The Honors Program office gets a home in Park Library. 1971 Larzelere Hall became the official Honors dorm and still remains the residence hall with the largest concentration of Honors students on campus. 1989 Formalization of the Centralis Scholarship program. 1990 The first class of Centralis Scholarship recipients enrolled at CMU. Mid-1980s The program required 26 credits of designated Honors course work and a 3.5 GPA. 2001 The Honors Program Alumni Board formed. 2006 Relocation of Honors Program office to Powers Hall. 2009 Honors course offerings to students reached more than 100. Salais, '94 M.A. '05, created the state's first and only high school mariachi ensemble, an award-winning, ethnically diverse group that travels around the country promoting Spanish and Latino culture through music. And the Milken Educator Award – which is like an Oscar for teaching – winner's students often receive first place in Central Michigan University's Foreign Language Day Competition, for everything from original Spanish-language skits and songs to interpretive readings of Spanish poetry. But working hard to be first is nothing new to Salais. At CMU, Salais was a member of the first class of Centralis Scholars, and he cofounded the university's Latino fraternity, Sigma Lambda Beta, in 1992. "When I was in high school, I was quiet. I kept to myself," says Salais, who grew up in Lansing. "CMU opened up the world for me. And I need to do the same for others." During the past 50 years, the CMU Honors Program has had a significant impact on many lives, like it did for Salais. More than 10,000 students have been served by the program during the last half century. And the program keeps growing – as does the social and academic responsibilities. Director Phame Camarena says Honors students must complete a capstone project – basically original research or a creative endeavor – as a program requirement. More than just classroom projects, the final products from this work are often presented or published professionally. BY SARAH CHUBY, '03 M.A. '11 Combined with expectations for service, global citizenship and overall academic achievement, Honors students are challenged to make their work meaningful. "Honors goes beyond having a high GPA – it is learning to make thoughtful decisions and to serve others," Camarena says. As part of his capstone project, Ryan Lewis, a senior from Holland, Mich., used his woodworking skills to create a new seal for the Honors Program – just in time to celebrate 50 years on campus. Sitting in the Engineering and Technology Building, Lewis puts the finishing touches on the seal – using skills he learned from his grandfather, a carpenter, and his mentor, industrial education assistant professor Alan Papendick. "I love woodworking and I have done it since I was a kid. This is the piece I am most proud of," Lewis says. "It will be on campus for years to come. And I improved on my techniques through working closely with Professor Papendick and having to focus on this project." Camarena says personalized attention from the faculty and enriched educational opportunities are perks of the Honors Program, but the students are required to give back the same personalized attention to others. And it goes beyond tutoring classmates or doing weekend volunteer work. Honors Program Director Phame Camarena and Associate Director Judy Idema 12 centralight spring '12

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