9-23-2011

gora A

Faculty contracts extended - Page 4

THE

Aug. 26, 2010 Vol.Vol. 55,56,Issue September 23, 2011 Issue13

Injured NFL player Kevin Everett shares his story

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BBQ wows students

Learning Bank may close its doors; grant funding ends Tyler Eagle

Staff Reporter

Agora photo by Michelle Dangler

Students randomly burst into dance at the Fall 2011 Welcome Back BBQ. The students pictured above were doing the Cupid shuffle. For more photos of students dancing and of the BBQ, check out page 8.

Students burst into dance, do the Cupid shuffle Mandi Davis Staff Reporter

Tunes could be heard across campus Tuesday, Sept 13, at the Welcome Back BBQ. The event, which is the first of the year sponsored

by Student Government, was a huge success, according to Tom Ryder, Student Government adviser.

“It was hard to tell how many people actually came, because people were coming and going,” Ryder said.

He estimated about 600 attended, with more than 400 hot dogs and 36 veggie burgers consumed by the crowd.

Midas, which provided deep fried food, actually

ran out before the event concluded.

“I enjoyed the barbecue. Weather was nice, food was great, music was a nice variety, and many different clubs were there,” student Victoria BushawBichot said.

Christine Keshney, another student, found the event to be a good way to kick off the school year.

“Student Government did a great job. It is nice to have events like these because it brings a sense of belonging,” she said.

Robert Brent, another MCCC student, was divided on how he felt on the random bouts of dancing.

“The people dancing were simultaneously hilarious and repulsive,” he said.

MCCC Student Government will be hold an organizational meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 12:30 p.m. in the Student Government room in The Cellar in basement of the A building.

Students who are interested in participating in Student Government are encouraged to attend the meeting.

Nominations for officers and committee chairs will be taken at the meeting. Elections will be held at the following meeting, on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 12:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Tom Ryder at 734384-4201.

The Learning Bank Network, a center that provides basic adult education, may close its doors when its funding grant runs out at the end of September.

Created to help community members receive post-secondary education, The Learning Bank has helped many individuals. MCCC is one of the partners that operate the center.

Vuncia Council, director of The Learning Bank, said several of the students enrolled at The Learning Bank are people who’ve recently been laid-off.

“There are so many students out of work,” she said. “They need access to higher education.”

Council also said there has been a demonstrated need for the network. The current class of 70 is the largest enrolled so far, with 20 more waiting to be admitted to the program.

“We’re getting far more students than we thought we would,” she said.

With new policies requiring minimum COMPASS scores for entry into several MCCC classes, John Joy, director of Lifelong Learning, expects to see an increased need for classes that help students prepare for college-level work.

“We would pick up a significant number of folks,” he said.

Council also said the cutoff scores will increase the need for programs like the Learning Bank.

She also mentioned the Learning Bank’s convenient times.

“We’re the only day-time program in the area,” she said. “I think we will see even more students in the winter term.”

“Several students from the college attend classes at The Learning Bank to better prepare for classes and specific programs,” she added.

This is not the first time that The Learning Bank’s funding has run out.

It previously operated on a $300,000 grant for the 2009-2010 year. After the grant expired, another grant was secured for the 2010-2011 year, but was less, totaling $200,000.

According to Joy, that’s the minimum amount required to keep the program going.

“We applied to a couple grants out there,” he said. “With state funding the way it is, we just don’t know.”

Cost of gas affecting students Survey shows MCCC students are adjusting budgets to compensate Lorrie Mayzlin Staff Reporter

MCCC students were polled at the Back To School BBQ regarding how they afford gasoline with today’s prices.

Sixty-two percent of the students responded that they cut into their food budget to afford gasoline, while an additional 53 percent indicated they spend less on entertainment.

Thirty-five percent of the students said they use public transportation, 20 percent work longer hours, 15 percent cut from their utility budgets, and smaller percentages indicated that gasoline prices do not affect them due to their parents paying for gasoline or simply not caring what gasoline costs.

In ten years time, the price at the pump has more than doubled. According to gaspricewatch.com, ten years ago, the national average for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was $1.53 per gallon.

On average, the United States Energy Information Agency (USEIA) es-

Inside:

First of three parts

Agora reporter Lorrie Mayzlin will be analyzing the results of the survey and offering tips for saving money in a three -part series.

Check out page 5 to read about ways to beat gasoline prices. timates that the cost of crude oil makes up about 50 percent of the pump price, with the other half determined by federal and state taxes (10-20 percent), refining costs and profits (5-10 percent), and finally distribution and marketing (10-20 percent).

Gasoline prices in the Monroe area have peaked above the $4 mark and also have fallen below $3 on a rollercoaster ride over the last several years.

The shifting prices have made it almost impossible for residents to budget for these fluctuations, forcing them to cut elsewhere in their family budgets.

Opinion...............................2 Campus News......................3,4 Features...............................5 A&E......................................6,7 Photos......................................8

The Agora Gasoline Survey

Food budget - 62% Entertainment budget - 53% Public Transportation - 35% Work longer - 20% Utility budget- 15% Gas prices don’t matter - 9% Someone else pays - 6% 200 MCCC students were selected at the Welcome Back BBQ to take part in the survey. Participants were entered into a drawing for a prize of a $10 McDonald’s gift card. The winner will be announced on Thursday, Oct. 6.

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MCCC students were asked what they’re cutting from their budgets to buy gas.

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Opinion

Sept. 23, 2011

Study abroad: Experience of a lifetime I’ve had a taste of Study Abroad, and I want more.

I tagged along on MCCC’s 2011 Study Abroad trip to Central Europe – 20 days in Austria, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic.

It was an experience of a lifetime for me, and confirmed that I want to be part of more trips with students.

It’s hard to find words to describe how cool it was exploring some of Europe’s greatest cities with a couple dozen college students and two amazing professors.

It’s one thing to Dan Shaw walk down narAgora Adviser row, cobble-stoned streets between 500-year-old buildings, to sip coffee at sidewalk cafes on the edge of grand squares, or to visit historic sites where the world we know was shaped.

It’s quite another to see the towering cathedrals, majestic castles and spectacular scenes through the eyes of 19-yearolds, while an amazing art professor describes the artwork and architecture, and a dynamic political science professor explains the politics and culture.

I could tell dozens of stories. But here are two:

Poles telling communism jokes

One of our side trips was to Nowa Huta, a model Soviet city built on the outskirts of Krakow, Poland.

The Soviet Union, fresh from taking over most of Central Europe after World War II, wanted to build an ideal city of the future to use as propaganda in convincing Poles that communism was a good thing.

During the height of the Soviet era, more than 40,000 people worked at the Vladamir Lenin Steelworks in the heart of Nowa Huta, which translates to “New Steel Mill.”

But many of the steelworkers became members of the Solidarity movement, and Nowa Huta was a hotbed of Solidarity protests, which eventually toppled the communist government.

Enter our tour guides, who turned out to be a seriously funny duo of young Poles.

They were part comedians, part historians and part cultural commentators. They laughed their way through the tour, with the former Soviet leaders taking the brunt of the jokes.

They had a serious side, too. They admitted that Nowa Huta today is split between advocates of the emerging democracy and older folks who yearn for the good old days when they had free food,

Next up: Africa, Asia, Europe?

free medical care, a job and an apartment provided by the state.

This was an amazingly interesting place for Dr. Joanna Sabo and her comparative politics class. Where on earth could you find a better classroom for comparing political systems?

And Dr. Sabo was nothing short of brilliant, not letting a “teaching moment” pass without pointing out the significance, or challenging students to connect what they read in the textbook with what they were seeing, first-hand.

Where should MCCC’s Study Abroad Trip go next?

Go to www.surveymonkey.com/s/ TSDFWF7 to vote on what region you think the next trip should explore.

The choices are:  Africa: Nairobi, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara, and the Serengeti.  China: Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an and Hong Kong.  Spain: Madrid, Barcelona, Granada and Seville.  The British Isles: London, Stratford, Belfast, Edinburgh.  Western Europe: London, Paris, Florence, Rome, Venice, Munich.

Dancing a jig in a museum

When art professor Gary Wilson led a group of students into the Czech National Gallery in Prague, he didn’t really know what to expect. He has an incredible bank of art knowledge in his head, but this was a museum he didn’t know much about.

The museum was huge. Just to have a place to start, we headed for the 19th century European art. The group of students had hardly passed through the archway into the exhibit when Professor Wilson stopped and nearly shouted, disturbing the hushed quiet.

He was standing before a large painting by Alfonse Mucha, one of his favorite artists.

“I almost danced a jig,” he explained later. “And the students were just as excited, seeing me get so excited.”

For the next three hours the professor treated the students to mini lectures on dozens of paintings and sculptures by the great artists – Picasso, Rodin, Gauguin, Cezanne, Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir and Klimt, among many others.

He put each piece of art in context, explaining the brush strokes, the lines of the sculpture, and telling stories about where the artist was in his life.

At first, the museum employees seemed about to break up the tour. Professor Wil-

Video coming soon

Photo by Dan Shaw

Professor Gary Wilson describes the painting style of artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir in the Czech National Gallery in Prague.

To help explain what Study Abroad, MCCC-style, is all about, journalism professor Dan Shaw produced a 30-minute video on the 2011 trip to Central Europe.

The video will be available soon, and will be shown on campus several times. Watch The Agora website, www.mcccagora.com, for information on the video.

son was probably trampling their rules of museum etiquette. But when they realized how interesting he was, they began discreetly following along, listening in.

I never would have expected Prague to have a museum of this quality. But that’s the point of the trip – to learn. Prague’s castle district is the largest and among the most spectacular in the world. Between the 14th and 19th centuries, Prague was

one of the great cities of Europe, at one point capital of the Holy Roman Empire.

There were way too many other highlights to mention, from the ancient baths in Budapest (yes, we went swimming) to the tragedy of the Nazi death camps at Auschwitz; from a Czech national league soccer match to a mountain climb in the historic Carpathians.

What’s next

A Polish tour guide explains how a Soviet tank found its way to a neighborhood park in Nowa Huta, a former Soviet model city that is a suburb of Krakow, Poland.

Dr. Joanna Sabo and her camera were constant companions.

Dan Shaw is an assistant professor of Journalism at MCCC and Agora adviser.

I’m hooked, and I’m now looking forward to 2013.

Where do professors Sabo and Wilson plan to go from here? That’s partly up to me, and to you.

I went on the Central Europe trip to learn how to lead the Study Abroad program. Dr. Sabo had announced that she wanted to turn the reigns over to someone else. I volunteered.

Thankfully, both professors Sabo and Wilson want to go along to teach during the next trip, planned for May 2013. I’ll lead the trip, and the three of us each will teach a class. I plan to offer a three-credit photojournalism course. Students can take one, two or all three, for a total of nine credits.

This fall, we’re conducting a survey to help decide where the next trip should go (see link above).

Professors Sabo and Wilson have traveled with students to Western Europe (2007), Southeast Asia (2009), and Central Europe (2011).

Where should we go next? Please vote on your choice. And consider joining us in May 2013.

Cartoon by Jacob Thompson

Parking looking like Black Friday Let's face it, more of us are finding ourselves on campus this semester due to the scheduling of classes.

A year ago, in Fall 2010, the classes were more plentiful and if one class didn't fit your work or home schedule, it was easy enough to find the same class in a different time slot that you could work with.

As a result, during Fall 2010 parking lots were full, but only during certain times of the day. As an example, last fall, I had difficulty (obviously) finding any morning parking in front of the L building (not out by Lorrie Mayzlin Raisinville Road; I mean close to the doors of the L Staff reporter or La-Z-Boy Center), nor anywhere in the number 6 or number 7 lots.

This problem was swiftly resolved in the afternoon, as the best lot for my classes (lot 7) offered a choice of spots in the early afternoon.

Fast forward to Fall 2011. We all know that enrollment is down by 5 percent, per an article written for the August issue of The Agora by

fellow staffer Taylor Pinson; but what gives with the parking now?

Most people avoid shopping on Black Friday every year because parking and logistics is a nightmare! For some of us, myself included, on a good day when there are no holidays, if we spend any amount of time in a store, we wander out with our purchases and the first sentence is always, "now where did I park my car?"

Black Friday each year magnifies this problem; add to that the crowds and it's further compounded by the fact that it's still dark outside.

Parking on campus is like Black Friday everyday now!

The time doesn't matter, it's still two incoming cars waiting for one car to leave, even at 6 in the evening. It's frustrating.

This semester found many of us upset because the class selection was so limited. For those students holding down full-time jobs and trying to get their degree, they found that the classes they needed fell right in the middle of their work day, which meant that they had to choose classes that didn't necessarily pertain to their degree program, or were forced to choose a different degree program altogether.

The other day, while walking to the A building to grab a bite to eat, another student walking out of the building stopped me and said, "If you are going to go get something to eat, you might want to wait awhile, there is no place to sit in the cafeteria."

I didn't think that was possible until I went to look for myself, and sure enough, there was not one single chair to sit on in the cafeteria!

So for every car that is parked in the parking lots, all those students seem to be taking lunch at the same time. Did I mention how frustrating that is?

In the year that I have gone to MCCC, I have NEVER seen the lot for the La-Z-Boy Center and the lot for the H building filled to the point where cars were parked to the road — until this semester.

Are we sure that enrollment is down 5 percent? It doesn't look that way. I am now on campus more often than I am home: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays..

I am going to be so tired of Black Friday parking and Black Friday lunches, that by the time Black Friday rolls around, I won't want to go anywhere, because sometimes crowds are just too much.

The Agora Editorial Policy The Agora is published by the students of Monroe County Community College, 1555 S. Raisinville Rd., Monroe, MI, 48161. The editorial office is located in Room 202 of the Life Sciences Bldg., (734) 384-4186, agora@monroeccc.edu.

Editorial policy: Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of The Agora staff. Signed columns represent the opinion of the writer. All letters to the editor must include a signature, address and phone number for verification purposes. The Agora reserves the right to edit for clarity, accuracy, length and libel.

The Agora is a student-managed newspaper that supports a free student press and is a member of the Michigan Community College Press Association, the Michigan Collegiate Press Association, the Michigan Press Association, College Media Advisers, Associated Collegiate Press and the Student Press Law Center.

Story suggestions are welcome. Let us know what you’d like to see in The Agora - it’s your newspaper.

Submissions of stories or photos also are welcome. E-mail them to agora@monroeccc.edu or bring them to our office.

Staff Members Editor Tyler Eagle Assistant Editor Nicki Kostrewza Designer Morgan Hofbauer Adviser Dan Shaw

Staff Mandi Davis Michelle Dangler Lorrie Mayzlin Matt Mullins Taylor Pinson Tyler Rogoff Jacob Thompson

Campus News THE AGORA 3 MCCC welding program grows Sept. 23, 2011

photo by Taylor Pinson

The welding program at MCCC has seen growth in recent years. Jason Karamol demonstrates techniques at the Hurd Rd. facility.

Accelerated classes begin Ventower offers opportunities Nicki Kostrzewa Staff Reporter

At MCCC, Accelerated Beginning Welding Courses are now being offered to the students at the Welding Center on Hurd Rd. This ten-week course is expected to prepare its participants for numerous jobs, such as welders, solderers, brazers and cutters.

“The Accelerated Welding Program was created to train unemployed and dislocated workers to become welders,” said Joseph Czapiewski, the coordinator of the Welding Grant.

There are currently 190 students participating in the class; of whom 129 will be granted certification.

Some of the other students found jobs, causing them to drop the course. Other students didn’t finish all the required assignments to gain the certification.

All students enrolled in the program will earn 12 credit hours. Also, if the students complete all projects in the class, they can receive three different certifications; Level I

Entry Welding (AWS QC10), Level II Advanced Welder (AWS QC11), and Level III Expert Welder (AWS QC12).

These certifications will allow employers to know that students meet certain minimum requirements.

Two months after meeting these requirements, students will receive their certifications. Students will also still be asked to perform a weld test prior to employment.

Ventower, a new Monroe business, also will be looking at certified students from MCCC for employment opportunities.

Jason Karamol and Justin Schmidt will be instructing these courses on campus. Karamol is a Certified Welding Inspector and instructor; he is also a graduate of Owens Community College.

Schmidt, who is certified in welding and cold water extraction, graduated from Ferris State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Welding Engineering Technology.

The new welding programs are opening many doors for students.

Briefly: Enriching Lives Award Chris Bulin received the MCCC Enriching Lives Performance Award for July/August.

“She is an asset to the Health and Sciences Division,” said Dean Cynthia Roman, Bulin was more than ex- Chris Bulin cited to receive the award.

“I was very honored,” Bulin said. “It brightened up my week.”

Great Pumpkin Pursuit MCCC’s annual Great Pumpkin Pursuit is on Oct. 22 in honor of Marilyn Schroeder.

Early registration is until Oct. 14 for $20 and late registration for $25, up until the day of the race.

Registration on the day of the race will start at 1 pm in front of the Health Building.

Proceeds from the race will go to a scholarship in memory of Schroeder, a Monroe community physical therapist for over 20 years.

For more information, contact Tom Ryder at tryder@monroeccc.edu or (734) 384-4201.

National Student Day

The first annual National Student Day is Oct. 6 from 10 am to 3 pm. This is taking place inside the Cellar and outside the Bookstore in the A Building.

Festivities include: Food, games, prizes, free giveaways, MCCC t-shirt design contest and Bookstore specials throughout the day.

For more information contact the Bookstore at (734) 384-4140.

Matt Mullins Staff Reporter

Going green is a term that has been thrown around. But it’s not just a phrase anymore; it’s becoming its own job field.

Despite the economy being in the gutter and students spending thousands of dollars a year at colleges, a new job market is on the rise — and already in Monroe.

In 2008, Ventower Industries was founded and on Aug. 9 this year they came to the Port of Monroe.

“Ventower Industries is a full service fabricator and supplier of utility scale, wind turbine towers,” Ventower’s website states.

This means jobs for future welding graduates. ”Ventower has stated that they would consider hiring students from the program,” said Joe Czapiewski, MCCC’s Welding Grant Coordinator.

Ventower isn’t your average welding job, though; the company requires further training after what the college offers.

“Ventower uses submerged arc welding, a process we do not teach at the college at the present time,” Czapiewski said. “Justin Schmidt, the Welding Grant Instructor certified welding inspector/certified welding educator, has

Culinary Students MCCC’s sophomore culinary students will have a line of organic food provided by local farmers and Monroe community markets for the Oct. 1 sustainable living event, sponsored by the River Raisin Institute.

The event will take place at 5 p.m. in MCCC’s Dining Room in the A Building.

There will be refreshments from the culinary students, a silent auction and a chance to tour MCCC’s new vineyard.

Tickets are $25 and can be bought by calling Sharon Venier of the River Raisin Institute at (734) 240-9754.

For more information contact Danielle Conroyd at (734) 240-9750.

The culinary students will also be opening their restaurant, Cuisine 1300. The autumn season begins on Oct. 21.

They are now accepting reservations at the Cashier’s office.

New EMU transfer agreement MCCC and Eastern Michigan University have signed an agreement to allow product and technology students to transfer up to 101 credits towards a degree at EMU. Students who complete the MCCC portion of the curriculum, which will award them an associate of applied science in product and process technology, will only need to take as few as 39 credit hours at EMU to earn a bachelor of science in product design and development.

“Now the method to transfer is seamless and visible, and it helps students see that they can easily get a bachelor’s degree in the area of manufacturing, ” Bob Leonard, the assistant professor of manufacturing technology, said.

Last year featured the redesigning of the product and process technology program to prepare students for the future of manufacturing.

Among the available jobs in manufacturing that graduates can chase include CAM operator, CAD/CAM technician, CNC programmer, CNC set-up technician, CAD tool engineer, machine technician, machinist, process planner lab technician, and production control specialist.

This is the second joint program in MCCC’s

Industrial Technology Division with EMU.

Auto Show/Craft Show The 25th anniversary of the MCCC Auto Show will be held on Sunday, Sept. 25, with free admission, and will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The auto show is open to all models and makes, and will feature a craft show, swap meet, music

by The Tequila Mockingbirds, and concessions.

Roush Fenway Racing’s number 99 Aflac Ford Fusion, driven by Carl Edwards in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, will be on display, courtesy of Aflac Racing and Daly Merrit, Inc. Tickets for the Ultimate Tailgate Raffle scholarship fundraiser will be available for $5 for one ticket or $20 for 5. The first place package includes Detroit Red Wings tickets, University of Michigan football tickets, a 10.1 inch Android Tablet, and more.

Space Presentation at Whitman Dr. Laura McGearth, professor of astronomy and coordinator of the Apploid Planetarium at Lourdes College, will give a presentation titled Space to Explore.

The presentation will focus on NASA missions that explored the moon, the solar system and the galaxy. The event will take place at the Whitman Center in room 9 at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28.

Various space exhibits will also be on display.

Meyer Theatre Events

The Tango Tea will take place Saturday, Oct. 15, at 7:30 p.m. and also on Sunday, Oct 16, at 3 p.m.

Tickets will cost $20. Seating will be on stage and will be limited to 160 people. MCCC’s Inside Out Dance ensemble and director Kellie Lajines will be performing.

The musical production A Grand Night for Singing will take place Friday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct 29 at 7:30 p.m. Another performance will also take place on Sunday, Oct 30, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15.

The Agora Chorale and Band will be performing on Monday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.

been trained by Lincoln Electric on this process.”

The problem that emerges with Ventower’s special technique is that the college can’t afford to teach it.

“The grant money cannot be used to purchase that equipment, which is expensive,” Czapiewski said.

Even though the college can’t afford to teach it, Ventower doesn’t require sub arc welding experience; they only label it as a nice to have, according to Ventower’s website.

“The class meets the minimum requirement for employment at Ventower,” Czapiewski said.

This means good things for welding students, especially students of the newly stated accelerated welding program.

Ventower is excited about its move to the Port of Monroe.

“I am grateful for the commitment and the efforts of our shareholders, employees, contractors and the unwavering support of our economic development and training partners who contributed to building this state of the art facility,” said President /CEO Gregory Adanin.

“It is and always has been our goal to become an integral part of the industry supply chain and be part of advanced wind energy component manufacturing, education and innovation,” he said.

Students take to Facebook, post memories of MacMullen Agora Staff

Student Jakup MacMullen, died in a collision with a Freightliner in an Aug. 31 accident.

MacMullen swerved while driving a Ford Excursion into another lane on N. Monroe St. Jordan MacMullen, brother of the deseased, and the truck driver, Robert Swonger, were taken to Oakwood South Jakup MacMullen Shore Medical Center in Trenton for treatment.

Both were expected to recover without any permanent injuries.

Jakup was a 2011 graduate of Monroe High School. He was cared for and loved by many. Many family members, friends, and community members posted their thoughts and memories on Facebook, such as: “God took you knowing you would make a perfect angel, you will be missed by so many, but God gave us the ability to close our eyes and look inside our heart and there you are helping us all stay strong,” Jordan Finley posted, a student of MCCC. “I know that you’re with me, but I sure miss your smile and hugs real bad right now,” posted Adrienne Poupard, a current MCCC student.

“I am truly so sorry for this all of you, along with his family and loved ones are in our prayers. I know he left this planet way too early but he is forever in your hearts,” posted Kimberly Petroff-Smith, another student of MCCC. “You were the sweetest kid I knew,” posted MCCC student Katie Brooks. “Winking and smiling all the time.

You truly were a sweetheart. You were taken away way

4

THE AGORA

Campus News

New employees adjusting to MCCC Director of Financial Services

Tyler Eagle

Staff Reporter

Deborah Beagle is MCCC’s new director of financial services.

Beagle, who started at the college on Aug. 22, is assuming the duties of former business manager Dan Schwab, who retired in June.

Beagle is not new to managing a school’s finances as she worked at Summerfield Public Schools for seven years as the business manager.

“There is a lot of crossover,” she said. “But there is still a lot to learn.”

Beagle holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Adminis-

tration with a major in accounting from Adrian College.

She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and has worked in the private sector. She also carries a certification as a Chief Financial officer from the Michigan School Business Officials Association.

Currently, she is working on the state audit for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. Schwab is slated to return and help her with this process.

Beagle is adjusting to MCCC well.

“I’m taking it one day at a time,” she said. “I’m glad to be here; I’m excited to be a part of this.”

Staff Reporter

Welding Instructor Taylor Pinson Staff Reporter

Jason Karamol likes to make teaching welding entertaining.

“We have a lot of fun. We get to play with electricity and fire,” Karamol said.

This is Karamol’s second semester teaching at MCCC. He got his associate degree in welding from Owens Community College, and taught there as an adjunct instructor for two years. He also has certificates for gas tungsten and gas metal arc welding and worked as a contract welder for four years.

“There are eight styles of weld-

ing. I teach all eight of them, and how to use the torches,” said Karamol.

Karamol teaches Welding 115 Accelerated Welding, a five-hour long class from Monday to Friday.

“It’s a pretty intense class,” Karamol said, adding that the students have to deal with a lot of information in a short amount of time.

Upon completing the program, students receive QC10 certification, qualifying them for entrylevel welding jobs.

“It’s definitely a foot in the door for a job,” Karamol said. “If you like to work with your hands, this is definitely the class to be in.”

Jason Karamol

Professor of Nursing Taylor Pinson Staff Reporter

Kimberly Lindquist didn’t have long to settle into her new position as a nursing program professor.

“My first day on the job was the first day of the semester,” Lindquist said.

Lindquist teaches advanced medical surgery and leadership courses.

Lindquist praised the leadership course’s integration of online components.

“I really enjoy teaching the leadership course,” she said. “I think the online features give students the chance to articulate themselves.

It’s the wave of the future.”

Lindquist graduated from

MCCC in 1982 with an associate’s degree in nursing.

“I have a lot of respect for this program,” Lindquist said.

She went on to get a bachelor’s from Easter Michigan University and her master’s from the University of Toledo, both in science of nursing.

She’s been a nurse for twenty years and has fifteen years of teaching experience, with five of them as a full-time educator. She still works in an emergency room at Mercy Memorial Hospital.

Lindquist said she was very excited to be teaching at her old school.

“It’s been a long-term goal of mine to teach here,” she said. “I’m really happy to be here.”

Board approves contract extensions for faculty, maintenence employees Tyler Eagle

Deborah Beagle

Sept. 23, 2011

MCCC’s Board of Trustees approved one-year contract extensions for the college’s faculty and maintenance employees in a special meeting on Sept. 14.

The vote was unanimous, with six board members present.

The contract extensions were in response to Michigan Senate Bill 7, which has passed both the state House and Senate.

The bill is now at the governor’s level, awaiting his approval or veto.

If Gov. Rick Snyder signs the bill, MCCC employees will be responsible for covering 20 percent of their health-care costs, which would cost employees $900 to $6,000 a year in lost pay.

Action to extend the contracts had to be taken by Sept.

15. The bill would honor contracts that are in effect or those extended by that date. The bill would go into affect Jan. 1, 2012, if signed by the governor.

The faculty association’s 2010-2012 master contract was extended a year to expire on Aug. 23, 2013 Under the agreement, the 67 full-time faculty members’

health insurance will remain unchanged, until a new contract is negotiated, beginning in August 2013. The faculty’s wages will continue to remain frozen. Faculty wages have been frozen since 2009.

The 20 full-time maintenance personnel’s health insurance will also remain unchanged. Maintenance wages will also continue to remain the same, as they have been frozen since 2008.

Their agreement will now expire June 30, 2014.

William Bacarella Jr., chairman of the MCCC Board of Trustees,. released a statement regarding the Board’s actions.

“In approving the extensions, the Board recognized the efforts of the Faculty Association, Maintenance Association and the administration of the college to work together to come up with a solution that was in the best interest of the college and these two groups,” he said.

MCCCFA President Mark Bergmooser supports the extension.

“MCCCFA is pleased with this,” he said. “This is a step in the right direction. It’s a win for every side.”

A majority of the 67 full-time faculty members approved the extension at a faculty associa-

tion meeting early Sept. 14.

Faculty negotiators had been working on a tight deadline to deliver a proposal on extension of the existing Master Agreement.

In an email to faculty members, Bergmooser thanked negotiation team members for their work on the proposal.

“I want to publicly acknowledge and thank Chief Pat Nedry and team members Tracy Rayl, Carrie Nartker and Jim Vallade for all their hard work regarding this matter,” he wrote.

Bacarella stressed that the college is doing its best to show employees how much they are valued.

“Our goal is to minimize the financial impact of this legislation on every single employee affected; with the signing of these two extensions, we believe we made a significant step in that direction. However, our work is not done,” he said.

Two non-bargaining groups, support-staff employees and administrators, would be affected by the new law when it takes effect Jan. 1.

“The college has formed a taskforce charged with developing strategies that will meet the restrictions and minimize the financial impact on these employees,” Bacarella said.

Bowling Club begins third season, competes Sept. 24

photo by Nicki Kostrzewa

Kimberly Lindquist

The Bowling Club practices at Nortel Lanes in Monroe. The club is still looking for students to join.

Nicki Kostrzewa Staff Reporter

Correction

The photo that accompanied the profile of nursing professor Tracy Giacomini in the Aug. 25 edition of The Agora was inaccurate. A photo of Kimberly Lindquist appeared instead.

Giacomini is pictured to the right.

The Bowling Club is entering its third year in operation, and club members say the future is looking bright.

“The pool of available student athletes has been greatly increased by the growth of local high school bowling programs,” said Kevin Greer, one of two bowling coaches for the team.

MCCC Bowling Club will have its first tournament on Sept. 24 at Nortel Lanes starting at 8 a.m. More than 30

Midwest colleges and universities, with both men’s and women’s teams, will be participating. Each bowler will face ten opponents in one day.

The club has not elected student officers yet this year. The coaches are Greer and Don Jones.

Students are asked to come to practice on Wednesday nights at Nortel Lanes and possibly other locations; they are also asked to practice on their own time.

Students are encouraged to join the team anytime; howev-

er, they must be academically eligible with a 2.0 GPA. They must also be currently enrolled in at least 12 credit hours to compete in any tournaments with the team.

If they do not meet these requirements, they can still join the club, but they cannot compete.

Students are still encouraged to join the club. and should contact Tom Ryder (tryder@ monroeccc.edu), the club advisor, or Kevin Greer (kgreer@ Guardian.com) for more information.

Dream 97.5’s future remains unknown Taylor Pinson Staff Reporter

Dream 97.5’s fate remains unknown almost three months after MCCC cut funding to the radio station and ended its partnership with Monroe Public Schools.

“The good thing out of all of this is that the station is still on the air,” said Milward Beaudry, Dream 97.5’s radio technician and an adjunct professor at MCCC. The station’s current troubles have affected students at MCCC. The future of the college’s broadcasting program, as well as the student broadcasting club, is uncertain.

“We do not know if [the classes] will be offered after Fall 2011,” said Joe Verkennes, MCCC’s Director of Marketing. “We are waiting for the final disposition of the radio station to determine if we can continue to offer classes. The club is in limbo until final status of the courses are decided.”

Monroe Public Schools has been looking for a new partner to help share the cost of maintaining Dream 97.5. There are currently three proposals on the table,

one from Monroe Public Access Cable Television, MPACT, and two from the Monroe County Intermediate School District.

Robert Vergiels, Monroe Public Schools’ public relations director, said the school district will pick up more of the station’s operational costs until a deal can be finalized.

“We are working on a series of shortterm contracts with Milward Beaudry for operation of the station until we have a permanent agreement in place,” Vergiels said.

Vergiels added that students from the broadcast classes will continue to use the station daily, and that the negotiations would not interfere with running the radio station.

“Partnering talks will continue to evolve, but that is where we are for now.

Listeners won’t notice any changes,” Vergiels said.

In addition to his work at 97.5, Beaudry also teaches several communication courses at MCCC. “It’s a unique experience, and it’s a great opportunity for students to develop

their communication skills,” Beaudry said of the radio station.

Beaudry said the current situation has not affected students in the more advanced classes, but it has adversely affected those in the Communications 250 course this semester.

“Their on-air experience has been limited this year,” Beaudry said.

Students previously had the opportunity to receive 20 hours of on-the-air training. This year has proven much more difficult, although Beaudry has been working hard to ensure that students will still be able to get their time in for this semester.

“My hopes are they’ll be able to get their 20,” Beaudry said.

Beaudry also serves as the club advisor to MCCC’s broadcast club, and has been looking into alternative means of broadcasting, such as television. He contacted students in the broadcasting club to gauge their interest in the idea, but is still waiting for most of them to respond.

Beaudry himself expressed concern about the number of people and the amount of time required for a television

“It’s a unique experience, and it’s a great opportunity for students to develop their communication skills.”

Milward Beaudry

Adjunct professor of communications and Dream 97.5 radio technician production.

“For all the years the club has been in existence, the club has focused on radio,” Beaudry said. “It’s a lot easier to do.”

Beaudry expressed his hope that MCCC would find some way to continue developing its communications program, adding that communication courses help students.

“It goes beyond just radio and television,” Beaudry said. “Communications can really help people elsewhere in their lives.”

Beaudry encourages any student interested in broadcasting or video production to contact him. He can be reached via email at mbeaudry@monroeccc.edu.

Campus News

Sept. 23, 2011

Choices for help

THE AGORA

5

WHO AM I?

Win a $10 Amazon Gift Certificate

There are 40 computers, two black and white printers, a color printer, and a scanner in the Regional Computer Technology Center.

Students turn to Writing Center, Learning Assistance Lab Mandi Davis Staff Reporter

Students have two places to turn for help with coursework on the MCCC campus – the Writing Center and Learning Assistance Lab. Also available to students is the RCTC – the Regional Computer Technology Center, in the W Building, where computers are available and proctored tests can be taken.

“The Writing Center is an awesome resource, so I am glad it is available for those who need it,” student Deanna Boberg said.

Boberg used the writing center to help finish a paper for her Children Literature’s class. She not only received help, but got credit in the class for using the Writing Center.

Since the Writing Center opened up in 1988, it has helped approximately 40,000 students, Timothy Dillon, director of the Writing Center, said.

Students can schedule an appointment by calling the Writing Center at (734) 384-4167 any time from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. They can also drop by the Writing Center, located on the second floor of the C building.

Appointments are half-hour sessions in which the writing fellow assists the student in the writing process. Writing fellows also offer their services via email and fax.

Writing fellows are nominated by members of the faculty. They go through rigorous training, including the advanced composition course.

“The advanced comp class helps teach tutors the basics of the

Agora photo by Mandi Davis

Writing Fellow John Collins works with student Laura Brewer in the Writing Center, located on the second floor of the C Building.

tutoring and more insight on the writing process,” Jay Hathaway, veteran writing fellow, said.

Hathaway, who has been a writing fellow since Fall 2010, enjoys being involved because it gives him social interactions with others.

Students who need help other than writing can receive tutoring in almost any topic at the Learning Assistance Lab. Services offered by the LAL

include: one-on-one tutoring, individual and group sessions, and supplemental instruction. Conveniently, the LAL is in the same location as the Writing Center.

“Appointments are two halfhour sessions per week, per subject,” Kris Gerlach, director of disabilities for the LAL, said.

Students can make appointments by calling the LAL at (734) 384-4167. Walk-ins are also welcome; appointments can be made if tutors are not available.

“The advanced comp class helps teach tutors the basics of the tutoring and more insight on the writing process.”

Jay Hathaway Writing Center fellow

Individual and group tutoring is offered to students who need help in study skills and even are struggling with homework. Tutors range from students who have passed the class to a faculty member with a master’s degree in the subject.

Some courses even have student leaders — usually a student who passed the class previously.

They attend class and lead regularly scheduled study sessions.

Most courses require access to a computer, but that may be a problem for some students. Not to mention that some students may not even know what a hard drive is.

The RCTC is an open lab that provides free support services for all currently enrolled students to help with developmental skills.

COMPASS Testing takes place in the RCTC, which also provides both online and paper and pencil proctored testing.

Students have access to 40 computers, two black and white printers, a color printer, and a scanner in the RCTC. “On average, about 260 students are in the RCTC on a typical Monday through Thursday and Fridays average less,” Karen Kuhl, director of the RCTC, said.

Students log onto the computers using their college e-mail for the username, and their email or Blackboard password. The computers in the RCTC system have been upgraded with Microsoft Office 2010.

Fall hours are: Monday thru Thursday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and closed on Sunday.

Rex was born in Batavia, NY in _____. In his young life, he stood guard at a mansion in Geneva, Ohio, until new owners moved him to Monroe. Once in Monroe, he greeted school children and the community for almost 40 years. In 1973, vandals beat him until he needed major reconstructive surgery, which was performed by Monroe County Community College professor ___________ _____________ and his students. In 1990, he was given a new job to greet Monroe County Community College staff and students. Where is he located ____________________________?

To qualify for a drawing for a 410 Amazon gift certificate, students need to fill in the blanks above, including the location. Email your answers to lmayzlin@ my.monroeccc.edu with “Who Am I” in the subject field. The drawing will be held on the last day of each month for a $10 Amazon gift certificate.

Please include your name and your student email address. Winner will be announced in the Agora in the following edition. Agora staff members, their family, and all MCCC staff members and faculty cannot participate.

Students can join emergency team Michelle Dangler Staff Reporter

While walking through the Health building, students may have noticed a couple of flyers for something called C.E.R.T. A Community Emergency Response Team is a Citizen Corps organization that trains average citizens in proper disaster preparedness.

The training that C.E.R.T. provides has many benefits, both for those who receive the training and for those who know the trainees.

It is helpful at home, in the workplace, and elsewhere.

New team members are taught how to handle situations such as earthquakes, weather disasters (tornados, etc.) and fires, when regular emergency responders (police, fire, EMS, etc.) cannot be called or respond immediately.

Beginners are trained in basic first aid, CPR, triaging, scene assessment, crowd control, and other necessary life-saving skills.

The local team may also provide extra training to broaden their members’ knowledge in the

area of disaster preparedness.

If students want to join C.E.R.T., there are many teams across the United States. According to its website, more than 1,100 communities have formed teams and listed themselves on the C.E.R.T. Directory.

One local community with a team happens to be Bedford — the team that posted the fliers.

To join, contact Kenneth Kilman of the Bedford Township team: klkilman@aol.com or 419261-4020.

More information can be found on the C.E.R.T. website: http:// citizencorps.gov/cert/about.shtm.

A Citizen’s Preparedness Exercise is currently being advertised by the local C.E.R.T. for Saturday, Nov. 5. The flyer notes that “victims” are needed for the event (people from the community pretend to be injured to help the new team members with their training).

To learn more, contact Monroe County Emergency Management at www.co.monroe.mi.us/emd, or by phone, 734-240-3135.

Save money on transportation, entertainment

By Lorrie Mayzlin Staff Reporter

About a third of students surveyed at the fall Welcome Back Barbecue said they are cutting back on their transportation costs because of the rising cost of gasoline.

Obviously, taking the bus is one way to save gas.

Lake Erie Transit operates nine fixed routes in Monroe County, in and around the city of Monroe.

It also offers door-to-door pick-up for residents in Frenchtown Township and Bedford, with a one-hour call-ahead schedule system.

It has 28 buses serving about 400,000 riders in Monroe, Bedford, and Frenchtown Township.

The Monroe areas buses operate from 6:55 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. on Monday through Friday, and 9:35 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. on Saturdays. There is no service on Sundays or holidays.

Buses in Bedford only operate Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Monthly passes for unlimited rides are available for $25 for students. They are issued on the first of every month and are good for that month only. You can also purchase booklets of 40 tickets (20 rides) for $20.

Both of these can be obtained at the Telegraph Road Transfer Station, across from Sonic Drive-in

First of three parts

Agora Staff Reporter Lorrie Mayzlin will be offering solutions and suggestions in a three-part series to help readers stretch their budgets.

The first part examines using public transportation, and how to stretch an available entertainment budget.

Part 2 will cover saving money on food, and Part 3 will include a tips in a variety of areas.

Standard fare is $1 each way, with free transfer tickets. There is no leeway provided for transfer tickets – they must be used as soon as the transfer bus arrives to your location.

Some cities, such as Ann Arbor, offer a free transfer ticket that has a 1 hour or more expiration on it, thus giving you the opportunity to shop or rest before catching the next bus.

Elderly and handicapped passengers with appropriate ID can ride each way for 50 cents.

The buses are clean and graffiti-free, and are seldom full. While it may take longer to get from school to another point of interest, it is helpful to note that $1 each way per ride is very cost effective compared to the cost of gasoline per gallon.

It gets cheaper if you purchase the student bus pass. In order to make this

choice cost effective, you would need to ride a minimum of 13-round trips per month.

Entertainment

Many students indicated on The Agora survey they are getting their gasoline money from cuts in their entertainment budgets.

The survey did not break down the various things included in this category, but they probably include movies, dinner out, going to the mall, going to clubs, travel, etc.

This is a broad category, but here are a few ways to get some of these activities back in your life free or close to free.

Look for specially marked packages, or “SMP’s” for many products like Kellogg’s or Nestle or M&M/Mars, which

give you the opportunity to use the Universal Product Codes, or UPC’s, to obtain free movie tickets or concessions by mail or online.

Watch the Sunday newspaper to find coupons good towards the purchase of these items. As we near Halloween, you will see an increased number of SMP movie ticket offers on the bags of candy you are going to purchase to hand out anyway—you might as well get something for yourself, too.

If museums are your thing, you can stop at any library and pick up free museum tickets for areas Detroit or Toledo.

Fall is a great time of year to visit one of the many orchards in the surrounding communities. Most are free, offering a chance to watch cider being made, sample goodies from the bakery area,

and visit with a variety of animals. For a nominal charge, you can take your children on wagon or pony rides.

While you are at the library, if you find that you have eliminated DVD/VHS rentals as a way to cut down your entertainment budget, remember that with your library card, you can “rent” movies, DVDs and CDs. Usually you can rent them for 3 days, and it costs you nothing.

If you are looking for something to do with young children, you can bring back family game night. The best time of the year to buy board games like Monopoly, Life, Chutes n Ladders is near Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

These games are often loss-leaders for stores, and offered at a fraction of the everyday prices. Every year for the last five years, Milton Bradley has offered a refund by mail for all of its games, with no less than a choice of 10 games to pick from.

There are many families who have cut out internet access at home as a way to afford other things, including gasoline. If you are part of this group, you can use computers free of charge at the public libraries and on campus at MCCC. Many newer TVs have built-in receivers. When connected to an antenna, they can be used to view over-the-air digital channels for free.

These are the same local channels that some cable companies, such as Comcast, charge $19.99 a month for. Older TVs will need a digital converter box, which costs about $40.

6 THE AGORA A&E Kevin Everett speaks at MCCC

Sept. 23, 2011

One on One

He played with a football as he talked.

He was clearly in pain, and you could see how easy it was for him to flip back four years to his dream job, playing football for the NFL Buffalo Bills.

His demeanor was one of resolve and inner strength, as he revealed that he is in constant pain, with some days worse than others.

Kevin Everett saunters slowly, and every movement is calculated.

As he signs autographs, his hand trembles a little. Pictures and conversations make him appear exhausted.

Agora staff reporter Lorrie Mayzlin sat down with Kevin Everett an hour before he took the stage at MCCC to talk about his experiences as a football player who was seriously injured and is now a motivational speaker.

LM: If there is one positive thing you could find to summarize your life now, what would it be?

KE: I have a strong faith, I am very optimistic. I can do this, and help others who struggle.

LM: If you had the opportunity for a “do-over” in life, would you?

KE: No. I’ve accomplished all my goals so far in life—but I am still working toward new goals.

LM: What is the single-most important impression you would want to impart on others?

KE: I would like to impart that you should never give up on life.

Life is always going to be tough, but you learn to deal with the tough times. I am living proof, you can overcome.

LM: There are many motivational speakers out there; what makes your journey and your message unique?

KE: I am unique because I have been someplace and I am starting all over again. I have a new view and take on life. Some motivational

speakers have never had to experience both sides of life – from before they could walk, talk, and do everything to not being able to do anything after an accident or sickness. I have done both.

LM: What one lesson have you learned so far in your journey?

KE: I have learned that you’ve got to maintain your faith in good times and in bad times.

LM: Do you think it was a miracle that brought you to the MCCC campus today?

KE: Yes and no. I think it was divine intervention now because one week before my injury, the doctors had used the stadium for a seminar and training for spinal procedures, and one week later in the same stadium, I was the first person they had used them on. They had the cold saline in the ambulance that they started giving me on IV to ready me for surgery at the hospital. I believe that the reason my spinal injury helped me beat the odds is because the paramedics were right there for me, and God was there telling me it would be ok and that I should relax.

LM: Is there anything special that you’re doing with your experience besides motivational speaking?

KE: I started the Kevin Everett Foundation to help others who are low income and can’t afford things they need, like wheel chairs, ramps, etc.

LM: How do you raise money for this foundation.

KE: We take donations and do fundraisers, and the money I get from doing speeches helps the foundation.

Everett’s willingness to share his life with strangers is admirable, but his story is told best with his eyes and body language. While he carries himself well, his eyes make it clear that he misses being who he used to be.

Photo by Michelle E. Dangler

Former football player Kevin Everett speaks with Agora reporter Lorrie Mayzlin before his performance in the Meyer Theater.

Photo by Lorrie Mayzlin

Former football player Kevin Everett spoke at MCCC on Sept. 10. After a sports injury broke two vertebrae and damaged his spinal cord, Everett has turned to motivational speaking.

Injured football player shares motivational story with students Tyler Rogoff

Staff Reporter

Former Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett shared the story of his recovery from an injury with guests at MCCC. Everett was 25-years-old when he injured himself covering a kickoff. He broke the third and fourth vertebrae in his neck and suffered a spinal cord injury, which immediately paralyzed him from the neck down.

Everett’s football career began at Thomas Jefferson High School, in his hometown of Port Arthur, Texas.

He always felt he would become a basketball player, until a football coach told him the NFL offered far more opportunities to make a living than the NBA. Everett made the switch to football and said it was one of the best decisions he made.

Everett’s first major obstacle in life came during his senior year of high school. After accusations that an English teacher was giving him grades, the school decided to move him into another English class, an Advanced Placement course.

The final semester of his class was difficult, and the teacher failed him, which left him academically ineligible for a Division I school. This forced him to enroll at a community college, and Everett chose Kilgore Community College in Texas.

Everett earned the required grades to qualify for a Division I school during his time at Kilgore. In his two years there, his school won a national championship and he was also named an All-American both years.

He transferred to his dream college, the University of Miami, where he enjoyed a solid career as a college star.

Everett attributed his faith in God as a major factor in his ability to withstand the adversity.

“My faith carried me through many difficult things,” Everett said.

Everett was picked in the third round by the Buffalo Bills in the 2005 NFL Draft.

But, another major setback occurred before his first professional season even started. In pre-season training camp, Everett blew out his knee, shredding major ligaments and ending his season before it started. Everett became very discouraged.

Everett’ second professional season was a typical season for an NFL player. He had the normal bumps and bruises all players acquire through a full season, but suffered no major injuries. He was a reserve, mainly playing on special teams.

His third season in Buffalo began as a major breakthrough. Everett had finally achieved his dream of becoming a starting NFL player, but that dream did not last long.

On Sept. 9, 2007, in the third quarter of the third game, Everett was covering a kickoff. When he tackled Dominik Hixon, Everett’s helmet hit Hixon’s shoulder pad. Everett fell to the ground motionless as soon as he made the hit, and his body slightly twitched while he attempted to move. He had no feeling in his body from the neck down.

“I couldn’t feel anything. I tried to give my teammates a thumbs-up, but I knew I couldn’t,” Everett said. “But God told me

everything was going to be alright.”

Doctors used a cold saline injection to stop and attempt to reduce swelling on their way to the emergency room. This procedure had been learned a few weeks before his injury, at a seminar at the Bills’ home stadium. It is widely considered the reason Everett was able to recover from the injury.

Everett was rushed into emergency surgery. Doctors removed his third and fourth vertebrae, and used a bone graft along with screws and a metal plate to stabilize the spine. Everett’s mother and girlfriend were waiting in tears when he woke up.

Everett had a “why me?” mindset in the time after his surgery. Eventually though, he told himself that everything happens for a reason.

Everett shocked doctors worldwide when he regained the ability to walk after months of rehabilitation. He was given an extremely small chance to regain full motion of his body, but Everett overcame the odds.

Everett said that one of the most emotional moments of his life came when he was able to walk onto the Bills’ field pregame to the roar of the crowd.

Although Everett was able to regain full movement, the pain has not, and will never, go away.

“I suffer pain 24/7,” Everett said. “I’ll be on medication the rest of my life to control spasms. I feel pain from my neck to my toes. You have to learn to deal with it.”

Everett now runs the Kevin Everett Foundation instead of playing football.

Better gameplay with Madden 12 Tyler Rogoff

Staff Reporter

Madden 12 made several great improvements since Madden 11, but the game still lacks some key fundamentals for online play like trade logic, player contracts, and randomized draft classes. The game is available for $59.99 new at Gamestop, and $47.99 used.

As the NFL season starts, fans all across the country dream of their team holding the Lombardi Trophy, signifying Super Bowl champions.

In Madden 12, any player can build their team and do exactly that.

Madden 12’s gameplay is the most noticable improvement over Madden 11, since the game runs much smoother than past years. No more do players seem to skate across the field, and tackling appears much more realistic.

Players now have traits, which detail how they will play. Michael Vick will often scramble when pressure is coming or a play breaks down, while Tom Brady is a statue in the pocket and will throw the ball the majority of the time. Josh Freeman leads clutch 4th quarter comebacks, but Tony Romo has a tendency to choke when the game is on the line.

The biggest benefactor game-mode-wise is Franchise mode, which has had a complete overhaul of the offseason, along with scouting. Scouting is now taken care of in 4 week increments in the regular season, as you can choose 15 players every 4 weeks to uncover information about.

Players will show up as having a positive hit power or negative acceleration, for instance. In the offseason, players are scouted through the NFL Combine, pro days, and individual workouts, which each portion unlocking new attributes.

The draft has been addressed as well. No longer will five fullbacks be projected to go in the first round. Players go by where their talent and position indicates. Occassionally, a punter or kicker will go in the second or third round, but those players are

instantly among the best in the league.

But for draft classes, Madden’s generated classes far outshine the NCAA imported classes. Madden classes have plenty of sleepers to go along with busts. In one season with the Detroit Lions, their 2nd round pick, a defensive end, came in as a 68 with D potential, while their 5th round pick, a center, came in at 85 with A potential.

Undrafted free agents, who are randomly assigned to teams to fill the preseason roster, occasionally turn into very good players. NCAA imported classes leave a lot to be desired, as sleepers are extremely rare.

Top picks come in at far too high of an overall, and busts are just as rare as sleepers. All undrafted free agents seem to be wastes, as nobody wants a cornerback who is slower than an offensive tackle.

The biggest addition to Franchise mode, though, seems to be the change of offseason signings to an auction style bidding.

Players, once given an offer, will be on the clock for a minute and thirty seconds.

Teams bid up on those players to however high they are willing to pay them, and at the end of the timer, the team with the highest bid will sign that player.

Gone are the days of offering 20 players contracts instantly and signing most.

While Franchise mode has received solid improvements, Online Franchise was left mainly untouched. The only change to this bare bones mode is the addition of MyLeagueManager, a website that can track things like salary cap and team rosters.

Trade logic, player contracts, and randomized draft classes are still missing, meaning a player could sign every top free agent, then trade Dan Orlovsky to the Patriots for Tom Brady, Wes Welker, and BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

This is inexcusable, as the mode has been like this for three years. Anybody who doesn’t want to have to run their Online Franchise on the web doesn’t have any sort of control over what happens, and player teams can become insanely loaded instantly.

Ultimate Team, one of the most fun game modes, went mostly untouched. The main new addition to Ultimate Team is legends, which are only available in packs which must be purchased with actual money, unlike all other packs that can be purchased with Madden Coins, earned through winning games against online opponents or CPU controlled NFL teams.

Also added is the ability to invite a friend to play Ultimate Team against, but this results in a lower amount of coins being awarded after a game to circumvent players boosting with a friend to get more coins.

Madden 12 has had some solid upgrades, and if you did not like Madden 11 due to the playstyle, it is well worth picking up.

If you were a fan of Madden 11 and can live without updated rosters, then Madden 11 is the game to keep, as the upgrades out of gameplay don’t warrant a full price purchase.

Of Electronic Arts two football games this year, NCAA Football 12 seems better suited for online play, as Online Dynasty may be the best online sports gaming outside of the NHL series’ EA Sports Ultimate Hockey League.

If someone is an offline only gamer, then the choice depends on whether that person is a bigger NFL or NCAA fan, as both games have their flaws but are playable.

Madden 12 gets a rating of 7.5 out of 10; a solid game, but not a game changer.

A&E

Sept. 23, 2011

THE AGORA

7

Forget gimmicks: music needs talent Review by Michael Mayzlin Contributor

It seems nowadays that unless you have some type of a “shock factor,” it would be difficult for artists to sustain a career in popular music.

Madonnas and Lady Gagas come around every ten years or so. Some artists stick around a bit longer than others, but eventually their shtick gets very old, very quickly.

The following artists don’t really have a gimmick. They aren’t there to shock or offend, but simply to perform quality music for your listening enjoinment.

world. Their latest 2011 album “Group Therapy” already produced a couple of number one electronic dance hits including my favorite “Sun and Moon.”

Above and Beyond is all above innovation in synthesized sound.

Sky Ferreira: I have a confession to make about something I am not proud of.

I was at American Eagle. It was there that I heard the song “Obsession” by Sky Ferreira.

Loved the song. I took my cell phone out, and recorded a snippet of it so I could find it later.

Sky Ferreira started out as a sensation on MySpace where her songs still exist.

Her musical style is an extension of what was lost when Avril Lavigne grew up: gutsy and angry post-teenage rock music with a twist of electronica blended with fabulous vocals.

Sky Ferreira is not all about one style of music though. She is more of a mixtape material where you get a bit of everything.

The British DJ group Above & Beyond offer a progressive, synthesized sound, and a couple number one hits.

Above & Beyond: These three prominent British DJ’s have been around since 2000.

The trio is popular because of their progressive, forward-thinking production style and collaborations with the biggest names in the electronic dance music scene.

Above & Beyond’s tracks are constantly being played by DJs around the

Sky Ferreira mixes music styles and fabulous vocals to produce a gutsy electronica album.

Ana Tijoux, uses Latin music with Spanish rap to make a mysterious and enjoyable presentation.

Ana Tijoux: She is a daughter of Chilean exiles living in France.

That fact alone should provide her with enough material to sing about, but she doesn’t just sing. She is also known as a rapper.

Her second album “1977” came out last year and a song with the same title instantly became a hit.

“1977,” the single, is so good that it was featured in an episode of AMC’s original series “Breaking Bad,” along with other songs from this album.

Ana Tijoux’s raps are mysterious in presentation, and the fact that they are all in Spanish, makes her songs even more unique.

Her storytelling flows smoothly along with beats and Latin samples, and although I am not personally a fan of “traditional” hip hop, Ana Tijoux is very good at what she does.

I am off to Abercrombie & Fitch to see what they have playing in the store.

The next big hit may just be hiding past the $90 jeans with holes at the knee.

Youtube star Ray William Johnson, host of the Youtube channel “Equals Three,” reviews viral videos at a faster, and funnier, rate than Tosh.0.

Equals Three trumps Tosh.0 Nicki Kostrewza Staff Reporter

YouTube is usually filled with random videos made by young juveniles in their mothers’ basements.

Once in a great while you’ll come across one decent YouTube channel.

So far, however, the best one to date is that of Ray William Johnson, aka equals three (=3)!

Johnson reviews viral videos twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, and posts them to his Youtube channel and website, RayWJ.com.

He also makes the “Your Favorite Martian” music videos; which usually make fun of things that are slightly ridiculous and are annoying to the common person.

This show is hilarious! Some of the best videos of all time are found here,

as well as the best comments. Of course certain things are cencored for those of younger ages, and also to make it a semiappropriate show.

Johnson has the pop and flair to grab his viewers’ attention. He stays very close to the camera and gives you great examples about whatever point he is trying to make.

The best part about this show is the fact that you can discover viral videos sooner than you’d be able to with something like Tosh.0.

Not to mention the fact that Johnson is ten times funnier than anyone else to date.

This show may not be for everyone, but for those who enjoy laughing while watching other people’s mishaps, or just need something to make themselves laugh, Equals Three is where it’s at.

2001 Gibson Supreme guitar is worth the cost Matthew Mullins Staff Reporter

With the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, former U.S. President George W. Bush was recently in an exclusive interview with National Geographic, where he described the eventful day in 2001 from his perspective.

This week I sat down and played a 2001 Gibson SG Supreme, probably the second most respected SG yet behind the SG Standard.

The Supreme is made completely in America. The fret board is made of ebony with a neck of maple.

The body is cut in a way that makes access to all 22 frets a cinch.

The body is made with mahogany and a maple top, making it slick, sleek and beautiful.

Bush did what had to be done David Topolewski Contributor

He was the most powerful man in the world on the day of the worst terrorist attack in American history.

As I watched George W. Bush’s exclusive interview with National Geographic, it became clear that the former president was just a person like you or I on Sept. 11, 2001.

However, he had the tremendous responsibility of leading a nation of 300 million strong that day.

And that he did.

Bush displayed what is essential of any leader in a crises; he remained calm, made tough decisions, and vowed that America would deliver justice to the terrorists that committed the cowardly attacks.

“If the leader is not calm its likely many others will not be calm either,”

Bush said.

A leader, by definition, is a guiding or directing head. A group’s confidence will shrink if their commander appears shaken or confused.

Sitting in a classroom of children and media members with cameras rolling, the President responded with extraordinary tranquility, and I have the upmost gratitude for that.

Politics aside, President Bush’s presidency could very well be defined with making tough decisions, which is something that must be done but isn’t easy on neither the heart nor mind.

He admits that it came with great distress to give the order to shoot down unresponsive planes, but he believes it was a necessity in a time of uncertainty.

He did what had to be done; knowing if his orders were carried out it was possible for innocent Americans to be killed.

But it was his responsibility to stop any

further attacks. Thankfully his order did not need to be followed through.

After a day of running for security issues, Bush demanded to be taken back to Washington. He needed to address the nation and he did not want the terrorists to have the satisfaction of seeing the U.S. President deliver a speech to the nation from a military base.

His voice was soft and it was confident,. The Texan asserted his tough demeanor in his speech from the oval office.

“America and our friends and allies join with all those who want peace and security in the world, and we stand together to win the war against terrorism,” he said.

His words should have filled the evil men who orchestrated the attack with fear, because, as America would soon prove, no matter how long it may take, we will find you.

Nothing says power like a Gibson Burstbucker (the pickup in the guitar’s body, for those of you who don’t play), and this guitar has got it.

When played out of any standard Crate, Fender, or Kustom amp, this guitar has easily the best distortion to clean that I have ever played.

The golden hardware makes the guitar more exotic and fashionable (if that’s what you are into).

The slick maple neck makes for easy slides, but the fact that it is a wide set neck, makes reaching frets awful for those of you with smaller hands.

Going for around $1,500, it’s a steal.

So keep playing your same old song and dance; or you can pick up this golden axe, while it’s still around.

“Tha Carter IV” impresses fans Mandi Davis Staff Reporter

After three years of recording, Lil’ Wayne fans are finally enjoying songs off “Tha Carter IV.” In an interview with XXL, Wayne hinted that this could be his last album.

Wayne began recording mix tapes for the album in late 2008 shortly after the release of his sixth studio album “Tha Carter III.” Despite critical acclaim and great record sales, sessions were put on hold to release two other albums in 2010, “Rebirth” and “I Am Not a Human Being.”

After all the delays, the new album was finally released to digital retailers on Aug. 28, following Wayne’s performance at the MTV Video Music Awards.

His performance included his latest singles, “How to Love” and “John.”

“How to Love,” being the highest peaking single on the album, became Wayne’s fourteenth top ten hit and the best performance single on the album.

It took Wayne fans off guard as it is the first song about women who don’t know love.

“6 Foot 7 Foot,” featuring Cory Gunz, is the lead single that was released from the album. This was the first track recorded for “Tha Carter IV” following his release from Rikers Island, where he served time for illegal procession of a weapon. The song reminds me a lot like “A Milli,” but on steroids.

A third single released from the album, “John” featuring Rick Ross, debuted at twenty-two on US Billboard Top 100.

The songs title refers to the musician John Lennon, as it appears to be a tribute to the

death of a

great

After fans waited three years for its release, Lil Wayne has hinted that this could be his last album.

star.

“She Will,” featuring Drake, is another big hit from the album that was released weeks before the album was due for release. The song was originally to feature Rick Ross, but Drake helps Wayne make it pop. It debuted at number three, which was his second highest charting hit overall, next to “Lollipop”.

“The Interlude” featuring Tech N9ne is the perfect song to mix up the album. Not only is Tech N9ne in the song but a verse is also song by Andre 3000.

In his song “Mirror,” featuring Bruno Mars, Wayne makes it clear that he is thankful to all his fans.

After playing the album several times, I give it a 9/10. It has a few spots where songs could have been arranged differently, but overall Wayne knows what his fans like.

8

THE AGORA

Photos

Sept. 23, 2011

MCCC knows how to dance!

Agora photos by Tyler Eagle and Michelle Dangler

Top: Students randomly busted out into dance throughout the Welcome Back BBQ. Student Government sponsored the event. Music, food and various giveaways were part of the festivities.

Left: Student Government members enjoy watching students do the Cha-Cha slide.

Bottom: Dr. Joanna Sabo, professor of political science (2nd from the left), has no problem jumping in and doing the Cupid shuffle with her students..

2nd Above: Cody Kegraris (left) and Blaine White (right) rock out, enjoying the music and beautiful weather.

Above: Even local radio station My 89.3 WMIM stopped by to see the festivities.

Upper Right:Victoria Bushaw-Boichot loves to dance, especially to rock music!

Lower Right: Several MCCC students know how to do the Cha-Cha Slide.

Photos Above: Tom Ryder, Student Government advisor, estimates that there were more than 600 students and employees present at the BBQ. Several clubs and student organizations set up booths to attract news members. Food was provided by Midas and also Buffalo Wild Wings.