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The Eastern Echo Monday, June 29, 2026 | Print Archive
The Eastern Echo

Sports

Golf

Eastern Michigan’s Golf Coach Bruce Cunningham retires after 30 years

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After 30 transformative years at Eastern Michigan University, Head Men's Golf Coach Bruce Cunningham announced his retirement on May 24. Cunningham, who led the team to multiple Mid-American Conference titles, leaves a legacy of excellence, and the newly established GameAbove Golf Performance Center ensures EMU's continued success in collegiate golf.





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Eastern Michigan baseball falls in 11-inning thriller to Northern Illinois, 15-14

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In a thrilling extra-innings showdown on May 17 at Ralph McKinzie Field, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team was edged out by Northern Illinois University, losing 15-14 in 11 innings. Brendan Kleiman led the Eagles with a standout performance, hitting a home run for the second straight game, driving in three runs, and scoring four times, tying the season's run record for EMU.





Mens Baseball 2/24/23

Johnson matches career best with four RBIs despite baseball's loss to Bowling Green

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Despite a powerful performance from Junior Lucas Johnson, who drove in four runs with a home run and a double, Eastern Michigan University's baseball team fell short against the Mid-American Conference champions, Bowling Green State University, losing 8-6 on their Senior Day. The Eagles will now set their sights on a matchup against Michigan State University in East Lansing.





Derrick Fries, a white man with short hair, running in black shorts and a blue shirt with the number '144' pinned to him.

Local professor Derrick Fries nominated for Michigan Sports Hall of Fame

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Eastern Michigan University professor Derrick Fries' lifelong dedication to sailing and athleticism has granted him a prestigious nomination for the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. With a career spanning nearly three decades in competitive sports and a profound impact on sailing education, Fries' achievements are being celebrated on a statewide level.


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Homestead High senior Taeley Mahler commits to Eastern Michigan ahead of volleyball season

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Homestead High School's volleyball standout Taeley Mahler solidified her collegiate aspirations by officially signing with Eastern Michigan University on December 4, 2023. The EMU Eagles will kick off their preseason with an exhibition game against Hillsdale College on August 19 at the Gervin GameAbove Center in Ypsilanti, Michigan. This match will offer Mahler and her teammates an early opportunity to showcase their skills as they prepare for the upcoming season.


Image shows a student athlete with their back to the camera, wearing a green jersey.

EMU is set to soar at the 2024 MAC outdoor track and field championships

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EMU's track and field teams are gearing up to make their mark at the 2024 Mid-American Conference outdoor track and field championships, set to kick off at the Northern Illinois University soccer and track and field complex in DeKalb, Illinois, from May 9-11. The Eagles would achieve their 25th men's, 13th women's MAC outdoor track titles.





Eastern Michigan University’s “Enlighten U” has been ranked the top mental health podcast in Michigan by FeedSpot, a platform that compiles blogs, podcasts, YouTube channels, newsletters and other sites in one location.

“Enlighten U” is a podcast geared toward students who are experiencing mental health challenges. Melissa Thrasher, EMU's executive director of media relations and social media, and Lolita Cummings, an EMU public relations professor, serve as the co-hosts. Each episode is released around the 15th of every month and features a student or alum and a subject-matter professional.

Lolita Cummings in an interview with The Echo said that this is not the first time the No. 1 mental health podcast in Michigan has been awarded to "Enlighten U."

"We've been the No. 1 mental health podcast in Michigan from the very beginning," Cummings said. "I think it's an indicator of the fact that what we are trying to do, we are doing well, and that is important."

At the start of each "Enlighten U" episode, Cummings and Thrasher state that the "Enlighten U" podcast is an award-winning show.

"A couple of years ago, I won the best in PR for good campaign from Public Relations Society of America for the marketing and promotions program, because it's important that we get this, the word, out to everyone and about the podcast," Cummings said.

Thrasher and Cummings are both extremely proud of their podcast, but these awards and recognitions are not why they continue with it.

It is important to Cummings that she serves all of her students' needs. She noticed that before the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health of many of her students was declining. When the students came back after the pandemic, Cummings noticed that her students' mental health was even worse. Due to this, she began brainstorming with one of her students about how she could help.

"She [the student] said to me, 'We watched a lot of podcasts while we were off.' So I said, 'Okay, I don't know anything about podcasts, but I will meet you all where you are.' So that's where the idea came from," Cummings said. "I am able to not just serve their academic needs, but I'm also able to serve their mental health needs. And to get the feedback from them, that is really helping, and is everything to me because the students are the ones who tell us what issues are impacting the most. Those are the issues that we bring to the table at 'Enlighten U.'"

Cummings encourages students to not only watch and listen to "Enlighten U" but to also spread the word about the podcast.

"One of the things we want to do is get the word out about this podcast to as many people as possible, across the nation, across the world," she said. "The need is not limited to our campus — the need is universal; it is worldwide. My goal at this point is obviously to continue to produce quality shows that reflect the mental health challenges that students are facing, but also get it out to wider audiences so we can help more people."

For those who are interested in engaging with "Enlighten U," the podcast can be found on YouTube and Spotify.