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The Eastern Echo Wednesday, July 1, 2026 | Print Archive
The Eastern Echo

Scott Mullin

The Eastern Echo
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Wellness Woof Howl-oween

There were tricks and dog treats this past Tuesday, Oct. 31 on the fifth floor of the Rec-IM Building as students gathered, some in costume, for a therapeutic Halloween experience during the latest installment of Eastern Michigan University’s Wellness Center’s Wellness Woof program. 

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Entertain your Mondays with WWE

It’s no secret that Monday nights in Ypsilanti aren’t usually bumping, especially in winter. Cold weather is still here, keeping people inside, which is perfect timing for ABC reality shows like “The Bachelor” to air, but what about the people who aren’t into watching shows like that? For those not into an evening of whiney bachelorettes and wine, then pizza and pro wrestling might be a better suited combination for a fun friend filled night on campus. WWE’s flagship show has been on TV for over 20 years and can be seen on the USA network from 8-11:07 p.m.

The Eastern Echo
News

Two books to help crunch time managment

Good news –Two Months to go. Bad news – Only two months to get it done. Time management, a concept preached about by work managers, coaches and your emotional aunts during your high school graduation party, has grown into a big money business with lots of products like trendy planners, blogs and books written to turn your “struggle time” into “clobbering time.” Time management isn’t just about watching deadlines; it’s about planning goals and breaking each goal down into smaller achievable steps.

The Eastern Echo
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Seven tips to survive Super Bowl gatherings

You don’t need to be a fan of sports to enjoy Super Sunday. This weekend millions of Americans will gather together in bars and homes sharing food and laughs while watching a new NFL Champion take its throne. For many of you, this might be the very first year you attend one of these annual sports ball shindigs.

Why go out to eat in the depths of winter when you can get the same exact food, like this Chicken Wrap from Tower Inn, delivered at your door?
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Food delivery tips

Have you ever woken up without hitting that snooze alarm, showered, looking your best and ready get some food with friends, then you open the door to face the world and BOOM... winter’s wind hits you like John Cena beating your face with a bag of ice? Welcome to Michigan.

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EMU student provides Thanksgiving meals to less privileged families

With great Lions tickets, dinner at daddy’s and a 5 a.m. wake-up call for Black Friday, I honestly felt that I was going to be “the man,” when it comes to celebrating Thanksgiving weekend traditionally; boy was I a turkey. This past weekend, Russell “Tae” Smith, a Public Relations sophomore at Eastern Michigan University, showed his thanks to the universe by making sure to give back to the less fortunate families in Detroit, something he’s done and enjoyed for about 10 years.

The Eastern Echo
News

Campus Life hosts laser tag in Student Center

The EMU Student Center Grand Ballroom was transformed into a war zone on Tuesday as hundreds upon hundreds of campus warriors deployed for some serious laser combat. Students braved lines that lasted over an hour and a half as Campus Life hosted Laser Tag, an evening of fun where students donned equipment, grabbed laser guns and battled each other in a dark room filled with foam obstacles, cool lighting effects, and of course, loud music.

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Why go out to eat in the depths of winter when you can get the same exact food, like this Chicken Wrap from Tower Inn, delivered at your door?

Why go out to eat in the depths of winter when you can get the same exact food, like this Chicken Wrap from Tower Inn, delivered at your door?

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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.