VOLUME 81, ISSUE 1
NEWS PG 1-4
COLLEGIATE LIFE PG 5-7
MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 2017
A&E PG 8-10
OPINION PG 11-13
SPORTS PG 14-15
City Market adds a fresh take to Bay City
Read on page 5 A constant stream of customers file in from the street to see what City Market has to offer. Aug. 8, 2017. (Delta Collegiate/Jessica Sierocki)
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LLIC center hosts ice cream social
Delta releases new Saginaw Center plans JESSICA SIEROCKI
Vickie Miller, Linda Krukowski, and Lori Donaldson hand out free root beer floats at the ‘50s themed ice cream social at Delta College. Aug. 24, 2017. University Center, MI. (Delta Collegiate/Tylla Hahn)
Karen Horwath, coordinator of the WRIT Center, showing off her booth with two of her tutors, Ashley Mcnutt and Jamie Dwyer at the ‘50s themed ice cream social at Delta College. Aug. 24, 2017. University Center, MI. (Delta Collegiate/Tylla Hahn)
SAGINAW, MI – The new Delta College Saginaw Center is moving forward after 12 years in the making. According to a Delta College press release, construction authorization was received in the 2018 fiscal year budget by the state of Michigan in July. The 35,000 square-foot building will have a project budget of $12.7 million, which is being funded by Delta and the state. The new Saginaw Center will be located in the 300 block of East Genesee Avenue and is expected to officially open its doors in August 2019. Once the center opens, Delta’s Ricker Center will close, but remains open at this time. Jean Goodnow, president of Delta College, released a statement about the upcoming center: “This investment in current and future students living and working in Saginaw County will increase their level of access to higher education. The new Saginaw Center will create a pathway for more residents to enter the career pipeline.”
An artist’s rendition for the upcoming Saginaw Center which is expected to open in Aug. 2019. (Photo Courtesy: Delta College Press Release)
The center has included community collaboration, and Delta is planning meetings for the upcoming fall to update the community and ask for further input. "Delta College would like to thank all Saginaw business and government leaders including Tim Morales, Saginaw City Manager, as well as state leaders Sen. Ken Horn and Rep. Vanessa Guerra for their support and assistance with this project,” added Goodnow. Bob Emrich, Delta College
Board Chair, also released a statement about what the new Saginaw Center will have to offer. “Since 1961 when we opened, Delta’s Board of Trustees have always been committed to providing local citizens with a college education that’s affordable, top-quality and easy to access. I believe this downtown Saginaw Center will continue to make good on that pledge,” says Emrich.
Delta tuition rises to over $100 a credit hour JESSICA SIEROCKI UNIVERSITY CENTER, MI – For the first time since Delta College opened its doors in 1961, tuition has risen to over $100 per credit hour. For the 2017-2018 school year, tuition for in-district students is $107 a credit hour and $183 a credit hour for out-of-district students. According to Debra Lutz, vice president of business and finance, the proposition to raise tuition was presented to the Board of Trustees during the May meeting where it was supported and approved. “Delta’s increases in costs include much of it in keeping current with new technology. We want to provide students with a high-quality learning environment to give them all the tools they need to succeed. It’s become increasingly difficult to do that with very little increases in our revenue,” says Lutz. According to May’s Board of Trustees meeting minutes, the
next closest option for tuition for the 2015-2016 school year was $250 a credit hour, still making Delta the most affordable option in the area. “Delta College has a longstanding position of keeping tuition as low as possible, and we remain one of the lowest tuition rates in the state of Michigan,” says Lutz. Within recent years, there has been no increase in Delta’s primary source of revenue, property tax revenue. While the Board of Trustees adopted the new budget for the 20172018 school year, the legislative process suggested there would also be no increase in state funding. Enrollment has declined within the last few years. According to Delta’s 2016-17 Strategic Plan and Budget, revenue from tuition and fees has dropped from an estimated $31.5 million in the 2011-2012 school year to approximately
$29.4 million projected for the 2015-2016 school year. Because of these reasons, Lutz says that tuition has needed to cover more of Delta’s costs.
“Delta College has a longstanding position of keeping tuition as low as possible, and we remain one of the lowest tuition rates in the state of Michigan.” - Debra Lutz “We have tried to keep it at minimal amount of increase, and we still do believe that the tuition price remains a really great value to students,” says Lutz. Lutz states that, as of now, students are currently asked to pay only a fraction of the total cost that it takes for Delta to supply students with an education.
“The total cost to provide everything that the college does for its students is $387 a credit hour. Of that, students are charged only 66 percent of that to cover the cost of operating a classroom. I’m hopeful the increase in tuition won’t deter students from going to college because there are very few options that are as cost effective as Delta,” says Lutz. The Board of Trustees also made changes to balance the new budget by slashing costs to save a total of $1.7 million for the 2017-2018 school year. “The largest savings is the re-organization in the academic administration and division chairs as well as reduction in the number of faculty that is being replaced. As enrollment goes down, theoretically we need fewer sections, and therefore we need fewer people to teach those faculty members who are leaving,” says Lutz. There is still a possibility that
tuition will continue to increase for the upcoming school years of offset costs. “Every year there’s a lengthy process to develop the budget. Although it’s not automatic that tuition will be raised, when we crunch the numbers, you can assume that if enrollment continues to decline and at the same time doesn’t reduce expenses, tuition will likely continue to rise,” says Lutz. Even with this continued increase possibility, Lutz is still confident that students are getting the highest quality of education for the amount that they are paying. “There aren’t very many colleges in the state that someone could go to and pay as little as they do at Delta College for what is believed to be a very high-quality learning experience,” says Lutz.
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HUSTLER TALKING: 18-year-old sex worker on the sex industry and gay community
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KELLEN MacGREGOR **Interviewees in this column have been renamed for anonymity** AN INTRODUCTION I was introduced to Mark at a friend’s get-together where I’d known only the host. Having social anxiety when such occasions arise, this particular situation rendered me uncomfortable and lonely. To make matters less awkward, a mutual friend of Mark’s and mine acquainted us by noting our shared interest in filmmakers. Soon thereafter, Mark and I began chatting for nearly 45 minutes when he mentioned his full-time occupation: sex worker. Thrown off guard for a moment, this revelation immediately intrigued me. Prior to meeting Mark, I’d been unaware of the alive and thriving prostitution in the Midwest, let alone in my hometown. I had a lot to learn, so I asked Mark if he would mind meeting again to discuss hustling. He agreed eagerly – in fact, throughout the interview, Mark expressed his wishes to destigmatize sex work and sex workers by contributing his perspective to this article. Two weeks later, Mark met me at a coffeehouse; forthcomingly and uninhibitedly, he told me his story. THE BEGINNING OF A PROFESSION Mark was 15 years old when he had sex for the first time. With the help of Grindr – a gay dating and hook-up app – a middle-aged, married man showed interest, and soon the two had sex. Afterward, Mark felt incomplete and unsatisfied – mostly he thought he deserved an incentive for sleeping with a stranger. So, Mark asked the man for a milkshake, which sparked an idea within him: “I can get paid for doing this.” Three years passed when Mark leapt at the opportunity to initiate sex work; he was legally an adult, he was empirically prepared, and he needed an additional income to pay off student loans.
“If I am the top in the transaction, I typically charge $150. When I bottom, it’s $500, which is something I rarely do, unless I’m absolutely attracted [to the client.]” With a vast inpouring of cash, Mark is debt-free and enjoys a slightly lavish lifestyle, despite still living with his parents. “I never conduct business at home; the clientele must host every time.” This rule has hitherto kept his sex work discreet from his family and friends: “The only people who know about my sex work are my ex-boyfriend, one of my friends, and now, you.”
Society is not kind to [trans sex workers] whatsoever, so I assume neither are clients all the time.” A MISTAKEN COMMUNITY
POWER AND CONTROL Power is a prevalent theme in Mark’s sex work, which also outreaches his business. “I used sex as power with my [former] boyfriend; I used it to gloss over the shitty stuff I did.” Mark feels dominant as a sex worker: He’s the chief negotiator regarding prices; he determines whether or not a client is worth pursuing; and, in retrospect, he began sex work as an outlet for the erasure of yearslong emotional neglect. “As a kid, my parents were full-time entrepreneurs and never showed interest or, frankly, love toward me – they were too wrapped up in their own lives to care.” Morphing unwantedness into desire, Mark concluded that his ability to seduce and charge men to have sex with him was powerful. “The wantedness I wasn’t receiving from my family was instead coming from my [ex-] boyfriend, and now, my clients, which makes me feel even more in charge.” A sense of utter control led Mark to ascertain his dominance, not only physically, but fiscally as well. “If a client wants to do some ‘freaky shit,’ that’s another $50.” One such instance included an affluent, “Gatsby-like old man” wanting to give Mark a three-hour-long massage. “So, the Great Gatsby invited me over just to chitchat in his
jacuzzi and give me a long-ass massage.” Mark charged the client as if he had partaken in intercourse. Fortunately, despite a few odd encounters, no clients have yet tried to harm Mark. “I’m very careful prior to meeting clients – almost like a vetting process. I make sure they live in a nice neighborhood, I make sure they’re not using fake pictures, and I figure out if they’re attractive enough.” LEGALITY AND SAFETY Although exact statistics are hard to come by, prostitution is often dangerous work, with sex workers having a higher likelihood of becoming victims of violence and contracting sexually transmittable diseases than that of those who do not exchange sex for money. In the state of Michigan, engaging in sexual acts in exchange for payment is illegal – Nevada being the only state in the country where prostitution is legal – and can result in the prostitute and buyer facing repercussions such as a $500 fine and a 93-day jail sentence. Mark has not had any run-ins with authorities yet, which he deters by using coded and nuanced language when
Illustration by Tylla Hahn
communicating with clients on apps such as Grindr and Scruff. The aforementioned cipher? Emojis. “You will see tons of sex workers’ bios full of dollar signs and cash-related emojis,” confessed Mark, semi-jokingly. “I personally don’t partake in the emoji, but I’ve talked with a few buyers who’ve replaced their S’s with dollar signs. At this point, they’ve made it blatant what they’re looking for without fully disclosing what they want.” The safety of sex workers differs across the United States and the world, especially when considering the worker’s gender identity. Disproportionately, females, both cis- and transgender, are assault and murder victims and are arrested far more often than male sex workers. “Even though I am privileged to be a male in sex work, there is always a thought in the back of my mind that a new client may end up getting violent.” According to Mark, he cannot speak on behalf of cis and trans female prostitutes, as they have a completely dissimilar experience than he has. “I can imagine they are way more cautious than I am, especially transgender workers.
Being a hustler has allowed Mark to delve further into the gay community, a group with which he’s become more familiar. “[Gay men] want to feel they’re taken care of. [The clients] are excited that I’m young, attractive, and professional, and I think they see themselves in me – kind of in the way parents view their children; they live through them vicariously.” This desire to live one’s life through imagination is not exclusive to the gay community, but is prevalent in the majority of Mark’s clients. “They get to live through me vicariously because I’m living how they’ve always wanted to be when they were my age, but were never able to.” Additionally, the majority never have the chance to do so by having children, which is attributed to society’s pressures toward gay men. “There’s this idea that gay men don’t know how to parent, that they’re [messing] the children up.” This notion leads gay men to believe they do not know how to care for another person; this stereotype has established hookup culture, where casual sex and no-strings-attached attitudes reign. “I like being infantilized – no, I don’t like wearing diapers! – but with my previous relationship, it was fun to act childish in the sense that I liked being taken care of.” Overall, Mark views sex work as a positive, fulfilling occupation for both parties. “Sex work lets people – like the disabled and social outcasts – who normally don’t have sex to satisfy their fantasies.” This is a facet of sex work that is seldom acknowledged, according to Mark. Immoral or rightful, prostitution will continue to be an issue debated by many and undertaken by few, but listening to the workers firsthand allows anyone to know why they do it and the preconceived opinions most have of the nuanced and widespread sex industry.
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NEWS
News in Brief: BASU eAlarm
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AUBRIE SMITH
BASU has a new safety device on the market called the eAlarm. This device is a siren that activates when the top is pulled off, resembling a thumbdrive. The eAlarm is less than one ounce in weight, permitted on airplanes, and reuseable up to 30 minutes of alarm time. According to the BASU website, 68 percent of criminals will leave a crime scene empty-handed after an alarm is sounded, and about 81 percent of bears and other animals were repelled by the eAlarm. This device is small, lightweight, and easy to use. It can be attached to any bag or backpack for immediate and convenient access. For more information, visit BASU.com
RAPE ACCUSER FACES FELONY CHARGES
STUDENT JOB FAIR
AUBRIE SMITH UNVIERSITY CENTER, MI according to Mlive. Mary Zolkowski, 21, is facing After interviewing felony charges after telling Zolkowski again, police noted authorities allegedly false several discrepancies in her stories about a rape stories. happening on Delta College’s main campus according to MLive. Shortly after the report, Authorities allege Zolkowski refused a physical that the student’s mother initially examination and claimed reported an attack on Feb. 22 to the Delta that she did not want to take College Public Safety part in a police investigation. Office. Zolkowski then got in contact with police and claimed she was on her way to her car when a The college student man grabbed her from behind. reportedly apologized for the According to her original confusion during the story, a man raped her while interview, records show. holding her by the face and Zolowski faces up to four throat. years in prison and a $2,000 According to MLive, fine. She is to appear before shortly after the report, Bay County District Judge Zolkowski refused a physical Mark E. Janer on Tuesday at examination and claimed that 1:30 p.m. she did not want to take part in a police investigation Police state that it was later revealed that the courses were dropped previous to Feb. 22,
WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 12 10-noon WHERE: Main campus hallways WHAT TO EXPECT: Various employers from the Tri-City area
Illustration by Tylla Hahn
‘Irene: Child of the Holocaust’ wins Michigan Emmy JESSICA SIEROCKI DETROIT – Living Legends Motion Pictures Productions’ “Irene: Child of the Holocaust” won a Michigan Emmy in the lighting category for The National Academy of Arts & Sciences Michigan Chapter on May 10. The film was shown on Delta’s campus during the winter semester of 2017 where Irene Miller, Holocaust survivor and subject of the film, made an appearance to share her story. Kimberly Wells, assistant professor of electronic media, produced the film alongside director Ken LaPlace from PVN-TV. “I can’t even describe how I Kimberly Wells, assisstant professor of felt. It was two-and-a-half years electronic media, and director Ken LaPlace of facing uphill battles, like no at the 39th annual Michigan EMMYs budget, little artifacts to work celebration at the Sound Board Theatre on with, and piecing together a June 10, 2017. (Photo Courtesy: Kimberly story of a child who is now 83 Wells) years old and convey it in an
impactful way,” says Wells. LaPlace was elated when he heard the film was nominated for an Emmy. “This particular case was special. I didn’t think being outside of the industry that we would have a decent chance at a nomination and being presented that chance was remarkable,” says LaPlace. Wells was appreciative that all of their hard work had led to such an honor. “I was just so thankful that our work was recognized, and that I had been able to be a part of this project. We worked really hard on this film, and I was really proud to be able to share her story,” says Wells. On June 10, LaPlace and Wells took the stage at the Sound Board Theatre and joined the ranks of the 39th annual Michigan EMMY winners.
Both Wells and LaPlace had been to the Michigan Emmys previously. LaPlace had been nominated for 19 Emmy awards for previous projects and won five of those nominations. “Given the number of times that I have been nominated and the number of rejections that I had personally had up until this point, when they announced that we’d won, it was probably the best feeling of winning that I had for all of the Emmy awards that I have won,” says LaPlace. This was Wells’ first time being nominated for one of her projects. “When they called my name, I was shocked. I just couldn’t believe it. It was just a really exciting moment for me,” says Wells. After the ceremony
concluded, Wells and LaPlace were able to see their awards face-to-face. “When you get on the stage, they hand you a ‘dummy’ trophy so after the ceremony was over; you’re taken back to this room that is just wall-to-wall Emmys. Then they give you your own Emmy that has your name on it – it was very impressive,” says Wells. Wells hopes that this award will help motivate her students to work hard to achieve their own goals. “I want my students to know that anything is possible,” says Wells. “Always believe in yourself. No matter what mountain is ahead of you, you can conquer it because showing up is half the battle.”
City Market adds a fresh take to Bay City
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JESSICA SIEROCKI BAY CITY, MI – A lively buzz and tempting aroma fill the air as soon as customers walk into the new City Market located at 401 Center Ave. in Bay City. Whether patrons want to grab a fresh, quick bite for lunch or indulge in a tasty treat for dessert, City Market offers a wide variety of delicacies fit for the whole family. Amanda Pennell, worker of the Pennell Farms stand, sells farm-fresh fruits and vegetables from her family’s farm located in Vassar and has loved being a vendor at the new marketplace so far. “We draw the attention of customers from all over the area – not just in Bay City – who are interested in different kinds of products. I think shoppers like it because there’s a lot to see in a single location,” says Pennell. Pennell will continue to sell produce at City Market, even during the growing off-season. “We’ll have our locally grown produce a Brewtopia serves up a variety of steaming beverages made from the freshest vailable and for sale even up roasted coffee beans found around the globe at City Market on Aug. 8, 2017. until winter, as well as the produce that does not grow (Delta Collegiate/Jessica Sierocki)
in Michigan, like bananas. We make sure that all of the food we sell is of the highest quality,” says Pennell. City Market officially opened on June 7 and has had a nonstop stream of customers ever since. Breanna Michael, worker at Those Nature People Herb Haus, is impressed with City Market and what it has to offer. “I really like the setup of this market compared to some of the other ones that I’ve worked at before. It’s great because you get to see a variety of people, and a lot of what’s sold here is organic and natural, so you know where your products are coming from,” says Michael. Signature dishes are served at restaurants inside the market where customers can get a taste of the Mediterranean at Ro Ro’s, or classic sushi favorites “with a twist” from Sambuca Cafe. Marlee Gunsell, originally from Unionville, loves to stop by City Market for a bite to eat on her way home from work with her friend Chris Walkowski. “I love to come here and be able to get really fresh sushi.
City Market brings a lot more variety to this area in terms of what people are able to eat and buy. It’s just a great little place to visit,” says Gunsell. Walkowski enjoys the atmosphere that City Market adds to Bay City. “Coming here is a good way to spend the day in Bay City. You can get some great ice cream or smoothies here and take a walk down toward the river. It really adds to the uniqueness of our town,” says Walkowski. City Market also hosts a variety of special events for adults and children alike. Patrons can learn how to become a master chocolatier, while kids make special crafts or watch the art of balloon animals in the making. The City Market is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. The market is closed on Sunday and Monday. To view a full list of vendors and special events, visit City Market’s website: http://www.citymarketbc.com.
Collegiate Club Feature: Phi Theta Kappa JESSICA SIEROCKI UNIVERSITY CENTER, MI Leadership, scholarship, fellowship and service: These are the four cornerstones of the nationally recognized honor society that have been followed for the past 100 years. “We try very hard to make sure that we have opportunities in all four cornerstones. They really guide what we do, how we do it and why it’s important,” says Crystal Starkey, advisor of Phi Theta Kappa Xi Delta Chapter. The purpose of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society for twoyear colleges is to recognize and encourage scholarship among students, to provide opportunities for leadership and service, and for stimulation of interest in continuing academic excellence, according to Delta’s Clubs and Organization page. To become a member, students are required to have 12 completed credits from Delta College and to have a minimum
of a 3.5 GPA. A fee is also included when signing up. Sam Rechsteiner, president of Phi Theta Kappa Xi Delta Chapter, is proud of what the society has to offer for its members. “Phi Theta Kappa gives members l eadership opportunities within other community colleges. We can be involved with Members of Phi Theta Kappa from Delta, Mid Michigan and Mott Community College different events state- meet together for fellowship at a Loons game on Aug. 11, 2016. (Photo Courtesy: Amy wide, and even Conrad) nationwide, along new people from Delta as well as Action.” This project involves with being focused on a local all members who wish to be other community colleges that I level,” says Rechsteiner. involved as well as the presiding would have never met Phi Theta Kappa is involved otherwise,” says Rechsteiner. officers. The theme of this year’s with events in and outside of project is still being discussed. Each year, Phi Theta Kappa is Delta, including working with required to partake in a research “It’s not good enough to just the Michigan Blood Drives and project that involves some sort say you agree with some sort of hosting fellowships with other cause. You have to understand of action in the community or community colleges in the area. on campus called “Honors In what you’re “I’ve gotten to know a lot of
supporting and also be a force of action for your community. That’s what we represent as being involved with Phi Theta Kappa,” says Rechsteiner. Over 130,000 students are inducted annually nationwide adding to the preexisting three million members since 1918. Phi Theta Kappa also awards over $37 million each year in scholarships to members across the United States. “It opens up the doors for so many scholarships, and it’s a great addition to your transcripts, but you also get to meet a lot of new people who can give different insights to some of the projects that we work on,” says Rechsteiner. Meetings occur once a month in A009. To learn more about Phi Theta Kappa, visit www.phithetakappa.org. For any questions about the Xi Delta Chapter, contact Starkey at crystalstarkey@delta.edu.
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SITTING DOWN WITH MARK BROWN MAZEN ZIA Mark Brown, and English and film professor here at Delta, was interviewed during the 2017 winter semester by English 115 student Mazen Zia.
makes movies wonderful is that communal, shared experience. Having that as a class is super satisfying.
Q: What’s the nicest thing a student has said to you, something that stuck with you? A: Actually, I just got an email from a student a couple of weeks ago who was one of my first students when I came to Delta. She just wrote me to say that my class helped her in her major at SVSU, and helped her pick a minor. She said my classes made her a better student and a better writer. She said that she found things that she loved because of my class. Including, apparently, her fiancé. I always arrange my students based on alphabetical order based on first name, and she’s Valerie, and he’s Zach. They both took English 111 and 112 with me. So now, they’re all in love, and engaged, and it’s because of me! Knowing that I made a difference in helping someone find something that they love, like a major or an author, or even knowing that you played a role in them finding the person that they love, that’s a nice thing.
Q: Do you have any tips for someone trying to make their way into a film-related career? A: If you’re interested in the production side of it, then just do it. Learn how to run a camera, learn how to edit. Watch films critically instead of just for pleasure, and then try to go make your own. The more you do things and do the things that you love, the more likely it is that you will find success. Do the weirdo, quirky things that you love. Sam Raimi is a little bit out of vogue now, but when he was making the “Spider-Man” trilogy, he was one of the biggest A-list directors on the planet, and he got that way just by doing weird, quirky little things that he liked to do. People who really just lean into what they love, whether or not they become the biggest director in the world, they’re still doing what they love, and they’re bound to be happier and to create things that make the world a more interesting place. If you’re interested in the more academic side of film and in studying it as a subject, be open to new stuff. Don’t think you know everything, be open to possibilities.
Q: You have your doctorate in film; what was that process like? A: Long. Really long. I went to Wayne State; I did two years of coursework, and there were a few elective courses that weren’t film-related. I took a comp class, a theory class, and some other stuff. But I had a film class every semester, and those were really fun. Again, I was in there with really smart people who really liked film. You make friends, and you go out to dinner before class every Thursday, and you English and film professor Mark Brown have kind of a cohort – that’s the speaks with a student about his capart that I liked the best. After reers. Aug. 24, 2017. (Delta Collegiate/ the coursework, you have to take Jessica Sierocki) a qualifying exam, a prospectus exam, a foreign language exam, for pleasure. Except we’re in a and then comes the dissertacollege-level class studying film. tion. It took me close to eight Whether you liked it or didn’t years, because in the interim, we like it doesn’t shed any light on what it means, how that meaning moved from Detroit to Illinois, and because “life” kept was achieved, how the different happening. components of film came together to create that meaning. That’s what the classes are all about, giving us a better way to talk about more interesting Q: Have you ever shown a film things in the film, other than, with little-to-no reaction from the “Did you like it, or did you not audience? like it?” A: The film that comes to mind is “Double Indemnity.” I showed Q: Can you name any moments that, thinking everyone was that make the frustrating ones going to love it as much as I did, worth it? and that they were all going to A: This semester, I’ve got a full talk about how awful, evil, and class for Intro to Film with a sexy Barbara Stanwyck was; but lot of legit film buffs. At least there was nothing. It was like I’d five students are really serious. dropped a stone down a Two of them have probably bottomless well; there was just seen more movies than I have. no splash at the bottom. They They’re really smart, but they’re literally had nothing to say at all. not know-it-alls. They want I think some people just needed to talk to other people about an easy class. what they think, and they want to learn. Even though they’re Q: When you ask people what they knowledgeable, they’re not think of something, and then they arrogant. The class is this really answer with “I hated it,” how do interesting combination of you counter that? people who are open to stuff. A: I preface all my classes by I showed them “Stella Dallas” saying that the whole point of the from 1937 – this really over-theclass is to move beyond “liked top, black-and-white it” or “didn’t like it” language. So, melodrama – and they loved you didn’t like it – so what? Or, it. Even though it was old and you loved it – so what? Those are very different from most of just pure emotional what we see in movies today, reactions. Those aren’t invalid, of they were open to seeing what’s English and film professor Mark Brown poses with in his office with his trademark action figures, film books, and more. Aug. 24, 2017. (Delta Collegiate/Jessica Sierocki) course, because we go see movies great about it. Part of what Q: What is your process for deciding the curriculum for your classes? Does it change over time? What influences it? A: Each class has a different focus. With the American Motion Picture class, it’s very specific – I show American movies that speak to American identity and consciousness. In Intro to Film, I pick auteurism as a focus, so every week we work on a different auteurist director and look at his or her thematic and aesthetic approaches to their work. We spend a week on Hitchcock, and then another on Coppola, or Edgar Wright. And in Genres of Film, I organize the class by looking at both old and new takes on a given genre. So we’ll watch one film that’s “classic,” and then we’ll watch a more contemporary, usually revisionist version of that same genre. Beyond that, I pick movies that I want to watch and that I’m excited about.
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Delta Dos and Don’ts: A guide for new students
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JESSICA SIEROCKI Whether you’re a student fresh out of high school or coming back to school to learn something new, adjusting to college life can be difficult, even at a community college like Delta. Here are a few tips that will help make the transition to becoming a Delta Pioneer a bit easier. 1. Do park in the wing where your last class of the day gets out – trust me on this. If you have classes on opposite sides of campus, the last thing you want to do is walk ten minutes out of your way after sitting for hours on end and carrying a backpack that feels like it weighs a ton (which it very well might with all those textbooks and whatnot). 2. Don’t make a habit of skipping class. Classes at Delta are just as important as any university, and they have the same consequences. If a student misses too many classes, the
professor has the right to kick them out of the class. Just remember when you’re waking up every morning that you’re paying for your education, so why would you throw that money away? 3. Do keep a snack or drink in your bag in case of emergencies. Nothing is worse than being hungry while you still have to sit through two more hours of lecture. Plus, you’ll be in control of what you bring, so you can save yourself the $1.50 it takes to buy a pop from the vending machine. 4. Don’t compare your educational goals with other students. Earning a degree might not be the path you’re taking, and that’s okay. Being a Delta
then plan on transferring afterward. Just make sure that whatever you choose to do, you always talk to an advisor to make sure your education plans run as smoothly as possible. 5. Do take advantage of the T/LC and WRIT Centers located in the library. I cannot stress enough how much both of these free services have helped me keep a solid GPA. The tutoring center offers help for difficult core subjects, including all math levels, economics, and accounting, while the Illustration by Tylla Hahn WRIT Center workers help with all aspects of student doesn’t require you to constructing a college-level get an associate’s degree. Delta paper. The tutors are there to offers a variety of certificates that help you succeed in school and will add an extra edge to your help you understand subject résumé. Some students come matters to better your education. to Delta only to take general classes at a more affordable rate
6. Don’t be afraid to get to know your professor. One of the biggest perks of Delta is the smaller class sizes where the professors actually make efforts to get to know your name and personality. If you’re having problems with an assignment, don’t be afraid to approach them in person or send them a quick e-mail. Remember, they’re just people, and their job is to help you succeed in their class. 7. Do try to get involved or meet new people. Everyone needs someone to talk to outside of class, and joining a club or finding a job on campus will help you meet people who share your interests. If nothing seems to stand out to you, you can always make your own club. Be creative and have fun at Delta. Just because students don’t live on campus, it doesn’t mean you can’t make your years here just as fulfilling as they are at a four-year university.
Delta student tackling local opioid crisis through film JOSIE NORRIS The word “stigmatic” has multiple definitions. In the medical world it can refer to a physical mark. In botany, a stigma is part of a pistil in a female flower that receives pollen. However, the word is most commonly used in the realm of society as “stigma” – something that is shameful. Delta student Garret Morgan is the director and co-writer of “Stigmatic: Our Opioid Crisis” and explains that the film “gradually builds all this together. So, first you’re given the definition, and it kind of explores each thing.” “Stigmatic: Our Opioid Crisis” touches on all three definitions as he and fellow filmmakers show that the national opioid epidemic is in the backyard of the Great Lakes Bay Region. ‘Stigmatic’ focuses on the national opioid epidemic by way of mid-Michigan. Obviously we started with Bay County, where we’re from,” explains Keith Schnabel, who co-wrote and produced the film. The opioid epidemic is personal for the two, as one
Writer Keith Schnabel (left) and director Garrett Morgan (right) talk about their film “Stigmatic: Our Opioid Crisis.” April 21, 2017. (Delta Collegiate/ J. Maxim Schofield)
of their classmates from high school recently died from an overdose. The feature-length documentary is not the first documentary project Schnabel and Morgan have undertaken. A year ago Schnabel and Morgan were hired through McLaren to make videos for Safe Journey, a task force aimed to reduce the use of harmful substance use before, during and after pregnancy. As they talked with individuals who were experts and those who dealt with substance abuse themselves, the
topic of opioid addiction came up multiple times, and they knew there was a story to be explored in a long-form piece. “I think people – when they think about the epidemic – they don’t really think about it in the scope of their hometown,” explains Morgan. Schnabel hopes the film makes the opioid epidemic personal for people. “It’s one thing to see on CNN that in the abstract that there is an opioid epidemic… I sincerely hope that seeing Saginaw streets and Bay City streets and local
residents who are in recovery themselves and local medical professionals that work at McLaren who deal with this every day. Hopefully that makes it real because it’s happening right here right now.” Morgan and Schnabel went to school since elementary school together and have made several videos in the past, but nothing on the scale of a feature-length documentary. Last winter, the duo created a documentary about the ongoing Flint water crisis for a political science class project. “Stigmatic” was a “huge learning experience” for Morgan, as the film’s creators made the film on “very, very much a shoestring budget” as Schnabel explains. “We’ve had a blast working on projects,” says Schnabel. “Just because we’ve been doing it for so long, it’s very easy to work together and know where your ideas are coming from,” says Morgan. For Morgan, the filmmaking process changed the way he looked at the community
he’s lived in all his life through talking with people he would have never otherwise met. “There’s this personal connection of all being a part of this community. And especially when I found out about that classmate of mine, all of the sudden it’s [the epidemic] personal, and then you start talking to people about it that you never would have talked to before. You start to realize that everybody knows someone [affected by it],” says Morgan. Next month, both Morgan and Schnabel will be moving out of the area to continue their education. Morgan will be attending Ferris State for his bachelors in television and electronic media production while Schnabel will be taking course with Second City. The two described “Stigmatic” as a final bow of sorts. “This is very much a swansong to a filmmaking partnership, but also to our hometown,” says Schnabel. Announcements will be made on the film’s Facebook page.
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We now return to your regularly scheduled column – This Is Art
JACK RECHSTEINER After another summer that seemed both endless and short-lived, the school year has returned, and along with it, so has our recurring local creative column: This Is Art. If you aren’t yet familiar with the column, don’t worry. We’re still a relatively fresh face as part of the Delta Collegiate. This Is Art is here to act as a hub for local news and features on all the creative and artistic endeavors in the area. As you see more of This Is Art appearing in the Delta Collegiate, the hope is that it will be a friendly and familiar space for everything happening with the music and art that’s close to
home. Delta College, along with all the places surrounding it, has so much creativity and talent worth recognizing. The Bay Area is full of musicians, painters, writers, producers, photographers, and artists of all kinds that are producing great works all the time. We actually have so many active artists that the area has multiple art galleries, multiple performing arts theaters, and multiple music venues. And the best part is that the people here support it! Every year there are two separate week-long art and music festivals that happen across the Tri-Cities, and every
year crowds of people turn out for them. We’re fortunate enough to have all of this happening near us, but there’s also a lot that we have here that we don’t hear about it. This Is Art plans to give a spotlight to the undiscovered artistic efforts in our community. The goal of This Is Art is to connect readers with art news as well as being a collection of artist features, show announcements, and a place for you to see your own work in print. All of this is with the intention to help our art community grow with a do-it-together
attitude. This Is Art is a public, all-inclusive, hands-on space that should feel like it’s just as much yours as it is mine. I’ll be doing my best to cover all that the area has to offer, but please, if you are an artist looking for an outlet, or you know someone who is, if you’re involved with something exciting happening, or if you just have something you want to talk about – get in touch! I want to hear from you! Looking ahead to the rest of
the upcoming school year, each installment of This Is Art will be focused on what’s happening locally, but it’ll also be centered around you. I want to feature the things that you want to see. If you have any questions, suggestions, ideas, or submissions, you can send them all to thisisartcollective@gmail.com. You can also talk to us and get connected with updates between Collegiate issues at @DCJackRech on Twitter.
RIGHT: This sculpture of various colored crayons was created by Nathan Sawaya as part of the Art of the Brick exhibit currently on display at Midland Center for the Arts. Aug. 8, 2017. (Delta Collegiate/Jessica Sierocki) MIDDLE: This sculpture entitled “Pop-Up Book” is a fan favorite with visitors at Midland Center for the Arts. Aug. 8, 2017. (Delta Collegiate/Jessica Sierocki) LEFT: Children build their own creations creations to life using LEGO® pieces in the Snap Zone at Midland Center for the Arts. Aug. 8, 2017. (Delta Collegiate/Jessica Sierocki)
Art of the Brick exhibit fun for the whole family
LEFT: This piece entitled “Yellow” is made from 11,014 yellow LEGO® bricks and is currently on display at Midland Center for the Arts. Aug.8, 2017. (Delta Collegiate/Jessica Sierocki)
JESSICA SIEROCKI MIDLAND, MI – Explore your inner child while walking the halls of Midland Center for the Arts’ new exhibit, The Art of the Brick. The exhibit was created by Nathan Sawaya, a renowned contemporary artist, and consists of over 80 pieces made entirely out of Lego bricks. Some pieces are original creations, while others are Lego brick renditions of classic art pieces including works like “The Thinker” and “The Mona Lisa.” Debbie Anderson, director of education at MCFTA, is pleased with how the exhibit has been received from visitors so far. “People seem to be enjoying it because there are so many unique creations in the exhibit.
The artwork is great, and people love seeing and being inspired by all of the different types of pieces. They are so different from each other, ranging from art history pieces to representational ones,” says Anderson. Each piece informs just how many Lego bricks Sawaya had used to make his masterpieces, some toppling over thousands just for a single sculpture. “What’s unique about this exhibit is that it’s really a fine arts exhibit that uses a toy to create the art. It uses materials that everyone is familiar with and that everyone can relate to,” says Anderson. Anderson encourages those who have not seen the exhibit before to come and enjoy what it
has to offer. “We had about 20 percent of this exhibit here before but now Nathan Sawaya has added so many more pieces to the collection and we want people to understand that there’s just so much more that they’ll be able to see this time around,” says Anderson. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday until 8 p.m., and Sunday from noon until 5 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults and $12 for kids 14 and under. The Art of the Brick display will be running until Sept. 3. For more information, visit www. mcfta.org or call (989) 631-5930.
RIGHT: The Art of the Brick exhibit created by Nathan Sawaya can be seen until September 3, 2017 at Midland Center for the Arts. August 8, 2017. (Delta Collegiate/ Jessica Sierocki)
Hell’s Half Mile reveals lineup for 2017
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JACK RECHSTEINER
Hailing from Hamtramck, The Prude Boys set up on the HHM reveal party stage to deliver a taste of the music to be announced later on in the night. Aug. 10, 2017. (Delta Collegiate/Jack Rechsteiner)
BAY CITY, MI - After 12 years, Hell’s Half Mile Film & Music Festival has no plans of slowing down and will once again be bringing new sounds and films to the Tri-Cities. Taking place from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1, the 12th annual Hell’s Half Mile Film & Music Festival will feature four days of events, live music, and films for attendees to delve into. The 2017 launch party was held in downtown Bay City at Unity Park on Thursday, August 10, and revealed the roster of independent films and the lineup of bands for this year’s festival. The sun peeked through an overcast sky, with the alley-size park strung up with strands of overhead light bulbs and Hell’s Half Mile pennants. Music selections from the Lightnin’ Licks Vinyl Preservation Society set the ambiance along with a summer breeze that mixed with the smells of scented candles scattered around the scene set on all the different tables. The event officially got underway with a surprise performance from the Crooks, a local choral group. The ensemble’s first and final performances got the attention of attendees to turn toward the stage as they began singing a set of summer-themed songs. The Crooks were formed specifically for the Thursday night reveal party by Hannah Duncan. Duncan was asked to bring some community theater productions to this year’s Hell’s Half Mile stage after the success
they had performing the American Idiot musical at the 2016 festival. “Hell’s Half Mile perpetuates everything going on in the area and keeps Bay City growing. Every year it helps Bay City get cooler,” says Duncan. Following up the Crooks were the Prude Boys, a three-piece band where the third Prude Boy is actually their female bassist and vocalist. Coming all the way from Hamtramck, the band delivered a healthy serving of catchy garage pop that felt like it would have been right at home as the hypothetical soundtrack for one of the indie movies from the festival film roster that was about to be revealed. The music wrapped up neatly at 9 p.m. Some people milled around talking with each other, but everyone in Unity Park was waiting on the whole reason for the event: the announcement of the music and movies to be appearing at this year’s Hell’s Half Mile Film & Music Festival. The event crew quickly deconstructed the band stage and replaced it with a large projector screen to broadcast the lineup for this year’s festival. Alan LaFave, festival director, stepped up to the microphone and began to thank everyone for helping Hell’s Half Mile reach its 12th year. He said that he knows everyone is excited to see what is planned for this year and first introduced two new free events of the festival: a non-profit
Featured Bands:
Full Length Films:
The Old Adage Northwoods Improvisers Shawn Butzin Sidewatcher Blanca Luz PALACES The Messenger Birds Braidedveins High School Sweetheart Sorry Hunny Gringo Star Terrorpigeon! Kostka
The Scent of Rain and Lightning The Sounding Teenage Love Bomb (Vindmøllernes Sus) Moss Lost in Paris (Paris pieds nus) 44 Pages Quality Problems The Strange Ones The Peacemaker Sundowners Fits and Starts Wexford Plaza Kate Can’t Swim The Crest Undocument Bark Big Bear
organization showcase that will Volunteers for the festival are full-length narrative film “For be held Oct. 1 at the Delta always needed, and volunteering Flint,” a motion picture about Planetarium and a time travel and junk food called allows you to have fun while partnership with the Michigan “FUTURE,” and a documentary meeting people and earning Made Marketplace, which will festival passes. Opportunities that looks at Michigan’s heroin bring Michigan vendors, food include party support, event epidemic “Stigmatic: Our Opitrucks, music, and art to downsetup, sales, film, photo, and oid Crisis.” town Bay City for Saturday and sound tech. For more informaDon Hessell, film Sunday of the festival. tion about volunteering, tickets, programming manager, took the LaFave then turned the or festival events, visit their stage next and talked about how microphone over to Cole website at www.hhmfest.com. this year’s movie selection was Waterman, music programming narrowed down to 18 films from manager, to present the bands of 500 total movies that were being this year’s festival. After considered. The full film roster expressing how sincerely excited is detailed below. he was for all that will be “A lot of great films didn’t happening at this year’s Hell’s make the cut – but a lot did. We Half Mile, Waterman played a did the hard work for you and video on the projector screen are bringing you only the best of that had clips of all the bands the best,” Hessell said. coming to Bay City for the music festival (the full lineup is detailed above.) Following the band announcements was a preview for the Michigan Matinee, which is planned to be a full afternoon of made-in-Michigan shorts and films on Sept. 30. The video showcased snapshots from the various shorts and The 2017 Hell’s Half Mile Film & Music Festival launch party was held in downtown Bay City at Unity Park and revealed this year’s lineup of independent films and bands. Aug. 10, 2017. finishing with (Delta Collegiate/Jack Rechsteiner) trailers for the
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Bay City music festival gets mark of Excellency
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JACK RECHSTEINER BAY CITY, MI – Excellency Music Festival has reached its second show of the year and is still bringing big name bands to the Tri-City area. A crowd of people gathered at the Prime Event Center in Bay City to see the building transformed for a day into an all-day, multi-level, three-stage music festival on Saturday, Aug. 19. The lineup featured a diverse range of genres from acoustic to indie to punk with the roster even featuring two local rappers. Every band that performed at the festival was Michigan-based, including headliners Forest Green, Flint Eastwood, and I See Stars. The festival started off with Boy From School taking one of the main stages at noon. Bands performed throughout the entire day and on into the night with the help of two side-by-side main stages and various artists performing on a separate acoustic stage. “I came to support my friend, Seth Patrick, but I have been really pleasantly surprised by how much I’ve enjoyed the other bands that played today,” says Joannah Lodico, Excellency Festival attendee. The three stages kept music center to watch the performances until the concert wrapped up at 11 p.m. The festival is one of the biggest productions that Excellency Music puts on, and have done a winter and a summer festival. The amount of people coming out to the events shows that the Tri-Cities has a lively and active
community looking to support local music. “A lot of people from Excellency have been stopping in for coffee today. There’s been a shop,” says Tony Groulx, a barista at Harless + Hugh Coffee in Bay City. Since starting Excellency Music in the fall of 2015, founder Troy Weiler has focused on giving Michigan bands a spotlight, especially those in the Tri-Cities. The 2017 summer installment of Excellency Music Festival showcased hometown favorite Forest Green who shared the main stage with other Tri-Cities acts Vital Sea, Seth Patrick, Brando, Get Stoked, and Rounding Third. Each local band was welcomed onstage by a warm reception from the crowd. Fans and musicians traveled from all over the state to Bay City for the summer Excellency Music Festival. A few bands and fans in attendance had never been to the Tri-Cities before, including A Year in New York from Detroit. Weiler heard about A Year in New York, and they were one of the bands he reached out to about playing Excellency this summer. After seeing how many of their friends were also playing the festival, A Year in New York felt they had to say yes. City, but we’ve seen a lot of friends and made some new ones. Electric Kitsch is down the road, and that place is cool. We’re loving our time in Bay City,” says Michael Miller II, the guitarist for A Year in New York.
The three stages kept music flowing between each band as people kept flooding into the event center to watch the show, such as Silver Age’s performance on the Excellency main stage. August 19, 2017. (Delta Collegiate/Jack Rechsteiner)
The total solar eclipse at totatlity seen from Short Mountain in Tennessee. Aug. 21, 2017. (Delta Collegiate/ Jack Rechsteiner)
Planetarium visitors wait in line for the solar eclipse to begin in our area for a chance to view the rare event on Aug. 21, 2017. (Delta Collegiate/Jessica Sierocki)
Solar eclipse sweeps across Bay City JESSICA SIEROCKI
BAY CITY - The clouds through the doors of Delta College’s planetarium on Aug. 21 to get a safe glance at the since 1979. Visitors were given the choice of watching the live feed from NASA’s website or seeing it with their own eyes through one of the planetarium’s solar telescopes. Jennifer Cox from Bay City brought her children to the planetarium, hoping they could experience an unforgettable day. “I was excited to hear that they had telescopes to look at the sun because we weren’t able to get [eclipse] glasses in time. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I am just glad I’m able to educate my kids about cool things like this,” says Cox.
Nancy Douglas, planetarium and Learning Center coordinator, was in charge of the free solar viewing event in Bay City and was pleased with the turnout. “I think the event was fabulous. We’ve had about 300 phone calls so far with 150 messages waiting for replies about what was going to happen on campus today, and more are just expected to come,” says Douglas. Eclipse glasses were in demand in order to view the eclipse safely. Douglas claims the planetarium sold out of their estimated 1,500 glasses weeks before the eclipse and couldn’t get any more from their manufacturer. Sue Post, a native of Essexville, was excited about the opportunity to get a great view of the sun through one of
the planetarium’s telescope. glasses anywhere, no matter where we looked. Eclipses don’t happen very often, so we wanted to make sure that we got the best view that we could,” says Post. Douglas was thrilled so many community members came to share in this encourages others to visit the planetarium more often. “We are the only planetarium in Bay City, and event. The next eclipse visible in the United States won’t be here until 2024 – and you never know if you’ll be here to see the next one – so it’s amazing that we get the opportunity to share this great moment,” says Douglas.
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Opposites attract, but do they stay together? AUBRIE SMITH
Illustration by Tylla Hahn
‘THE SOLAR ECLIPSE TURNED MY SON GAY’ KELLEN MacGREGOR “Mother knows best:” a mantra, a motto, a lifestyle – but does Mother even know, let alone know the best, better than the rest? Sherrie Lipschitz, a Bay City native, thought she knew her own offspring like the back of her hand. After Monday’s solar eclipse, however, Lipschitz’s eight-yearold son came out as gay, dumbfounding the Lipschitz household. “The whole family was viewing the solar eclipse while picnicking in Wenonah Park,” Lipschitz described, holding back tears. “When the moon was in front of the sun and the sky got dark, Jacob began to sing – that’s when we knew.” “Believe” by Cher, sung by a wispy soprano voice, echoed across the park, turning all the skygazers’ heads. “I was completely bemused,” confessed Lipschitz. “The only thing I could say was, ‘Sickening…’” As soon as Jacob ended his tasteful rendition, which was replete with two octave changes and frequent
vibratos, applause and hollers erupted from his siblings and parents. “Yas, hunty!” exclaimed Jacob’s older sister. “Homeboy is serving tilapia and salmon tonight!” Every Lipschitz praised Jacob for his debut performance, except his younger brother, Troy, who “felt like [Jacob’s] interpretation was too contrived.” Troy continued to critique his sibling: “If you’re gonna do Cher, it has to be effortless and seemingly autotuned – even amateurs know this.” The Lipschitzes continued to picnic as Jacob vogued and sashayed. Each mistake in footwork or gyrate was met with “Sissy that walk!” from one of the Lipschitzes, which prompted Jacob to tidy up his routine. Soon, Jacob’s show attracted the attention of passers-by. One such onlooker, 72-year-old bald-headed Milly Barns, scornfully approached the boy: “Excuse me, young man, but I do believe you snatched my wig.”
Across the city in Essexville, a similar event took place at the Wilsons’ abode. “I came home from work around 5 p.m. – everything seemed fine,” explained Catherine Wilson, mother of Isaac, 14. “Then I saw what Isaac had been doing all day.” Wilson continued to elaborate on what her 14-year-old son had done to the family’s living room. It was completely re-decorated! The sofa pillows matched the curtains, the coasters matched the carpet, a white fur rug was placed under the coffee table – this place has never looked better!” Isaac even revamped his own appearance, shedding his preteen apparel by replacing it with cashmere turtlenecks, wool cardigans, suede loafers, flooded trousers – all very à la mode, to say the least. “Isaac, I love your sweater!” proclaimed Catherine Wilson to her son. “Thank you, Mother. It’s Galliano.”
In the three months I’ve been dating my boyfriend, my best friend has asked me what I see in him about 12 times. It’s not that he’s not a nice guy, because he is. We just have nothing in common. When I told him I was writing this, he said, “We do have some things in common,” and, realizing that the only thing he could thnk of is our shared love for “Moana,” he quickly changed the subject. For the first month, our differences really bothered me. I worried that I wouldn’t know what to say when he brought up his hobbies, or that he would find me boring. I worried that he would lose interest. Let’s face it, studying for the LSAT two years before I have to take it isn’t the biggest turn-on. But as the months have passed, and our relationship remains stable, I have come to
realize that our differences are what keep us interesting. We make fun of each other for our interests, and we open each other up to new things. I’m binge-watching “Planet of the Apes,” and he’s…well, he cooks me dinner sometimes and likes my cat. Our relationship is a lot like “Along Came Polly.” I mean, he even carries hand sanitizer in his pocket. What more of a Reuben move is there? I’ve often heard that people don’t want to date themselves, that opposites attract. But as seen with Reuben and Polly, obstacles can take over the relationship. They can become too much. What do you do when that happens? You stick with it. You sharpen your communication skills. You learn new things and go on new adventures together. Open your ears and listen to their wants, their needs, their interests. So watch anime with them, listen to them play guitar, get caught up on memes for them, and take part in their interests. Care about them like you want them to care about you and your own interests. You open up and accept the love, and you make your differences your strength.
OPINION
FAFSA is pushing me out of college while paying other students to fail? AUBRIE SMITH
I understand that we do not live in a society where college is completely funded by the government. I understand that you expect me to contribute to the cost of my education and I have no problems with that. What I don’t understand is why you expect my parents to pay my way. My parents grew up in a different generation. They didn’t need college to get them where they are. They have made it extremely clear to me that college is a choice, not a necessity. I have five siblings, some of whom have made the college choice as well, whereas others have chosen a different path. Though my parents are better off than they were when they were raising my five siblings, who are significantly older than me, why should I expect them to fund my college tuition when they couldn’t afford the same for my siblings? I am no more entitled to my parents’ money than they were or are. Making me put my parents’ income on the FAFSA cheats me out of the money that I watch everyone else get, and it’s pushing me out of college. I have a full-time job, a part-time job, and a 3.98 GPA. I go to a community college and I’m thousands of dollars in debt because I
can’t afford it. Instead, my money goes to my car, my apartment, my utilities, and my general cost of living. Have I put away some money? Sure. Can I put away $2,000 three times a year for school? Absolutely not. Can my parents put that away for me and continue to save for retirement and pay their mortgage? Absolutely not. Watching other students only work part-time, live with their parents, fail classes, and then profit off of their financial aid checks at the end of the semester crushes me. Why do I work so hard? To be crushed by financial stress? I, under no circumstances, want to insinuate that people who get refund checks, or support themselves with financial aid, are lesser than me, or don’t work as hard. My financial ability to pay for college is just that, my ability. My parents’ income has nothing to do with my income, my tuition, or my way of life. I have been financially independent for over two years. Your system is flawed, and it’s pushing kids who work hard out of college. What’s your address? I just want to chat.
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The Collegiate Tries It : Adam tries a woman’s beauty regimen for seven days ADAM PRZESLAK the week-long routine I’d be doing would include charcoal face masks for the both of us. I figured that after seven days of using women’s shampoo, conditioner, face wash, deodorant, and lotion that I’d smell like a walking and talking display for Bath & Body Works. To my surprise, however, the women’s shampoo, conditioner and body soap apparently smell similar to men’s cleaning products. Adam Przeslak tries a charcoal Directly after taking facial as part of his seven day beauty my first shower using regimen. Aug. 14. 2017. (Delta Collegiate/ women’s products, I shoved Adam Przeslak) the top of my head in my fiancée’s face awaiting her When I sat down to the first to tell me how it smelled. editors’ meeting of the “I thought you were going to Collegiate, and the idea was start using my shampoo,” she proposed of me trying a said. She wouldn’t have even “women’s beauty regimen,” my known, had I not told her. Which initial thought was: “Who did I leads me to believe that women’s wrong, and how bad was it to get shampoo and conditioner are this story assigned to me?” just higher-priced versions of I then went home to Ashlee, men’s products. my fiancée, who was perplexed Thankfully, for this week-long as to why I’d voluntarily want to experiment I didn’t have to go smell like a field of roses when I out and buy the essential sweat and rub the smell of “sun pieces of a woman’s beauty regikissed apple” onto my skin daily. men because most of them She then had a very positive reAshlee had sitting in our bathaction as I described that part of room. I just glanced at the prices
Protesting: What’s it good for?
of women’s shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and similar products and was utterly shocked at the price-gouging. I assume most stores jack their prices up on women’s products because our society expects women to spare no penny in the everlasting quest to remain beautiful. Another shocker about women’s hair products, besides the outrageous prices, is the fact that the description on the bottles often don’t live up to the actual result of the product. While I could notice a slight fruity smell in my hair, which isn’t all that different from a ‘male brand’ like AXE, I didn’t really notice my hair staying all that ‘soft’. After using both shampoo and conditioner in my beard it did become soft for about twenty minutes before hardening up again. So just an FYI ladies: shampoo and conditioner do not really apply well into facial hair it seems. I tried to rub lotion onto my arms, hands, elbows and knees as much as possible but I’d be lying if I said I accomplished this at least once every day. There was so much beautifying to remember to do in a day and thus so much to easily forget. I actually noticed the lotion making my skin smoother on
Nazis, white supremacists, and leaders elected via ethnocentric populism – suddenly, 2017 feels more like the 1940s. After the happenings in Charlottesville, Millennials are forced to decide what side they’re on – the alt-right or the alt-left – but remember, “I think there’s blame on both sides.” Here at the Collegiate, we just want to know when protesting became the thing to do every time someone gets upset. The United States of America is no stranger to protests, which have ranged from the Boston Tea Party, to the African-American Civil Rights Movement, to the Stonewall riots. Albeit the dichotomy between nonviolence and destruction that these demonstrations had presented, most of the U.S.’s historic and modern protests advanced and continue to progress rights for previously oppressed individuals. All in all, protesting has done more good than
rough areas like my elbows. So, unlike the hair care products, it seems the lotion actually does what it claims. Also, I’m sure anybody within a mile radius could smell the stench of a thousand sunkissed apples radiating off of me. Guys, if you’re in need of an interesting and new date night idea for you and your significant other, try doing face masks together. They really don’t have to be anything fancy or expensive, either. I just grabbed a couple charcoal masks from Wal-Mart that were about three bucks each. At points it felt like I had just
been slimed on an early 2000s Nickelodeon game show but mask was definitely rejuvenating. It provided my face with a cold yet, at the same time, warming sensation. After fifteen minutes Ashlee and I removed our face masks and felt our newly smoothedover skin. I’m not quite sure why these are marketed exclusively to women but I feel that men could benefit from these masks as well. Then again that’d just be another thing that goes against society’s norm of men being the rough, gritty ones while women remain soft and clean. Also, I’m not sure if deodorant companies think that women don’t sweat or something but all women’s deodorant is a complete joke. I tried a couple different big name brands of women’s stick deodorant and neither really was antiperspirant. If anything, they were antiantiperspirants. I almost felt as if I was sweating more because I was concerned with how sucky my deodorant was and how bad it was going to let me sweat through my shirt.
Adam Przeslak used these feminie beauty products in place of male products for seven days to test the difference. Aug. 14. 2017. (Delta Collegiate/Adam Przeslak)
bad to this great nation, all thanks to our freedom to do so. The First Amendment guarantees all Americans the freedoms of speech, press, religion, assembly, and the freedom to petition. However, many believe that certain groups do not fall under this constitutional protection to congregate in public, such as assemblies with hateful ideologies or violent tendencies. Though we come from different backgrounds and have different beliefs, we tend to agree on one thing: Protesting should, by any means, be violent. People have their own beliefs, their own opinions, and the freedom of speech allows us to express those thoughts and ideals to the public. What is not a right of ours? Freedom of violence. The Collegiate staff also agrees that no matter what your wants are, human rights should come first. A huge chunk of our history is full of peaceful protests to better human rights, and
what kind of a nation are we to protest for backward growth? Hey, at least we have “record employment rates.” Though President Trump seems to think that more jobs somehow correlates to less racism, we aren’t so sure. We may not have answers to the racism issues in our country, but we know that violent protests and a president that won’t place blame aren’t really going to get us anywhere. The statue may have been significant, but did people really need to die because of it? No matter what your beliefs are, you have the right to speak them – but for the sake of everyone, do it with words and peace, and not at the expense of innocent lives. Whatever you believe in, take a step back and ask yourself if it’s pushing America toward a more positive tomorrow. Helpful hint? Genocide is not the answer.
COLLEGIATE DISCLAIMER Since 1961, the Delta Collegiate has been written and produced by Delta students for students without any input or oversight by administration. The paper does not represent the views of Delta College, its faculty, staff or administration.
Stories are selected by the student staff members to bring reliable information and entertainment to our readers. If readers would like to see the staff cover specific issues or events, feel free to contact us and we will do our best to include the various views of Delta students.
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MEET THE NEW EDITORS
For any comments about specific articles or to voice other concerns, please contact us at deltacollegiate@gmail.com.
Aubrie, co-editor-in-chief, is 21 years old, was born, raised, and is living in Bay City. She is in her final year at Delta, soon transferring to Michigan State University for pre-law. In her free time, she likes to binge-watch “Friends” and consume her body weight in iced coffee.
AUBRIE SMITH
@DELTACOLLEGIATE @DELTACOLLEGIATE
Jessica Sierocki, co-editor-in-chief, is 21 years and is from Saginaw. She is in her final year at Delta and plans to transfer to Northwood University to pursue a degree in hospitality management to be an event coordinator. Jessica loves to photograph anything she sees, as well as to spend time with her friends and to travel to new places.
JESSICA SIEROCKI
DELTA COLLEGIATE
Jack Rechsteiner, managing editor, is 22 years old and a native of the Tri-Cities. He is in his final year at Delta after deciding to sell his start-up coffee shop to pursue a degree in linguistics. Jack describes himself as a “writer, adventurer, and Renaissance man.” Most other people say, “He’s pretty all right, I guess.”
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DELTA COLLEGIATE STAFF
Aubrie Smith Co Editor-in-Cheif aubriesmith@delta.edu
Adam Przeslak Sports Editor adamprzeslak@delta.edu
Tylla Hahn Page Design & Illustrator tyllahahn@delta.edu
Jessica Sierocki Co Editor-in-Cheif jessicasierocki2@delta.edu
Kellen MacGregor Page Editor kellenmacgregor@delta.edu
Crystal McMorris Advisor
Jack Rechsteiner Managing Editor jacobrechsteiner@delta.edu
Cody Wiedenbein Page Designer codywiedenbein@delta.edu
crystalmcmorris@delta.edu
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SPORTS
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Pioneers reach NJCAA World Series, bringing Delta its most successful season yet ADAM PRZESLAK UNIVERSITY CENTER, MI The Pioneers’ baseball team had quite an exciting spring and summer, to say the least. Sixth-year head coach Dan Smith, now a District B Coach of the Year award-winner, piloted the team on a lengthy run through the postseason into late May 2017. After two wins against Schoolcraft in the semi-finals and finals of the Region XII tournament the Pioneers were named regional champions for the first time in the school’s history. Following their regional title, Delta advanced to a bestof-three-games super regional to take on the Elgin Spartans in Illinois. Elgin put up too good of a fight for Delta in the first game of the series as they took the win 6-3 after a trip into extra innings. Looking to overcome their early disadvantage in the series, the Pioneers put Tyler Kirkwood on the mound in game two. Kirkwood put away nine batters and gave up three runs in five innings. Sophomore Ethan Lesperance was brought in afterward and gave up two runs while retiring two hitters in three innings. To cap off the game Ty Jones was brought in for the final two innings and was credited with the save. The Pioneers won the game 9-5 while remaining alive in the series. In the winner-take-all final game of the series Delta proceeded to dominate. By the
PLAYERS AND RECOGNITION Head Coach Dan Smith NJCAA District B coach of the year Hunter David (freshman) Delta’s offensive player of the year, 1st team All-MCCAA, MCCAA All-Freshman team Tyler Kirkwood (sophomore) Delta’s pitcher of the year, Honorable Mention All-League, All-Region XII team, and SIUTA award for pitching excellence Z Westley (sophomore) Delta’s defensive player of the year, 2nd team All-League, All-Region XII honors Sophomore Dean Marias squares around to put down a suicide squeeze as Zack Booth makes the break for home against Prince George Community College in the World Series. (Photo Courtesy: Dan Smith)
fifth inning the Delta squad was up 7-1 with another four innings to go. Coach Smith remembers his thought process during this moment in the game vividly. “Now it’s just a matter of keeping your focus and not allowing them to get back in the game. You know, keeping your foot on the gas,” Smith said. Smith also recalls the dominant performance by Justin Jurek on the mound early in the game. He credits Jurek’s pitching as a major contribution to their 14-3 win. Following that win, the Pioneers traveled down to Greeneville, Tennessee to take
part in the NJCAA World Series, another huge first for the program. Delta’s men entered as the seventh seed into the tournament and dropped their first game to two seed Niagara County Community College in a heartbreaking 15-3 fashion. A glimmer of hope still prevailed for the Pioneers, however. A 6-4 win against Prince George’s Community College kept the team alive for another day of the tournament. But, a tough Century College team overran the Pioneers 13-8 bringing Delta’s postseason run to an end.
Justin Jurek (sophomore) All-Region XII team, Region IV/XII Gold Glove Award
This 2016-2017 team racked up more individual and team Dean Marais (sophomore) accomplishments, which can Honorable Mention All-League, All-Region be found in the chart to the XII team, first player to appear in every right, than any previous year’s game of the season for Delta team. Despite all the awards, trophies, and honors Coach Lew Finch (sophomore) Smith preaches that he doesn’t Delta’s Joe Award winner, MCCAA do his job for the hardware. All-Academic honors “It’s going to get dusty, it’s going to wear with time, but Zack Booth (sophomore) I’ve always felt that my job as MCCAA All-Conference Academic honors, a coach is to make sure that 2nd team NJCAA All-Academic our player’s best interests are first and foremost,” Smith Aaron Esparza, Mitch Morley, Tyler Snover says, “Hardware doesn’t mean (all freshmen) as much as making sure our 3rd team NJCAA All-Academic honors, players continue to succeed in MCCAA All-Conference Academic honors life. That’s what I think makes me a good coach.”
RIGHT: Peyton Jurek and Jesse Torres celebrate a hit against Century College in the World Series. (Photo Courtesy: Dan Smith) LEFT: Tyler Kirkwood receives congratulations as he exits the game in the seventh inning against Prince George Community College in the World Series. (Photo Courtesy: Dan Smith)
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COLLEGIATE COMMENTARY
Tigers struggle as season wraps ADAM PRZESLAK
Illustration by Tylla Hahn
COLLEGIATE COMMENTARY
Fantasy Football Watch: Don’t pass on OBJ ADAM PRZESLAK With the New York Giant’s Odell Beckham Jr. recently taking a horrible hit to the legs in a preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, he has dropped down the draft board for many ‘experts’. With a good reason, I suppose, knee and leg injuries often plague football players for much longer than the original amount of time their medically advised to stay on the sideline. Unlike most leg injuries in the NFL, Beckham actually managed to get off field under his own power. He did it with a slight limp and sort of collapsed on the sideline once he got off, but regardless, he was in control. The Giants currently project that Beckham will be out for one or two games. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if he just misses the remainder of the preseason and plays the first regular season games.
So, while other experts tell you to pass on Beckham in earlier rounds of your fantasy drafts, I say go for it. Beckham is easily a third rounder, so if he is still there after the middle of the second round in your league, I cannot express strongly enough that you grab him. He’s consistently the Giants’ top performer and is Eli Manning’s number one target. For the past three years he’s had at least 91 catches, 1,300 yards and ten touchdowns. WIth numbers like that, and knowing that as long as he’s on the field the Giants will feed him the ball, it’s safe for me to declare him a must-grab in any draft. With so many people passing on him in early rounds because of his supposed injury, it’s a possibility he’ll slide right by the competition into your WR2 slot.
With only a little more than thirty games remaining in the Tigers’ season any chance of a sort of postseason run is out of the question. On Tuesday August 23 the Tigers took on the Yankees in a game that served well as a representation of Detroit’s entire season. The Tigers pitching staff put on a show of major inconsistencies during the game and manager Brad Ausmus did not hide his feelings about it. Ausmus told reporters postgame, when asked about Tigers’ pitcher Matt Boyd, “The truth is with Matt Boyd, at this point, he’s going to have to learn how to pitch or there’s going to be a move made with him.” Boyd, during the game in question, gave up seven runs and seven runs, including one home run, in just 2.1 innings. Although it wasn’t his greatest performance, Boyd can at least say he wasn’t on the mound to give Yankees player Aaron Judge a chance to end his
thirty seven game long strikeout streak. Judge had struck out in every game for the past thirty seven games and that came to an end thanks to our very own Detroit Tigers. Tigers’ pitcher Warwick Saupold was on the mound for the pitch that Judge hit an RBI off of in the seventh inning. Previous to that Judge had been walked three times by the Tigers’ pitching staff throughout the game. So, not only did the Tigers suffer an embarrassing 13-4 to the Yanks, but they also became the first opponent of the Yankees in 37 games to allow a hit from Aaron Judge. The RBI from Judge aside, giving him three walks in a single game isn’t anything to be too proud of either. The Tigers currently sit in fourth place in the AL Central, above only the Chicago White Sox and behind the Indians, Twins, and Royals respectively.
THE COLLEGIATE’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW ADAM PRZESLAK It’s that time of the year again folks, college football season has started and the rivalries are already flaring up. It’s the part of the year where we can put aside all our differences from recent political happenings to focus on why we truly hate each other, for supporting our favorite team’s rival. Returning third year head coach Jim Harbaugh will lead his Michigan Wolverines team, who are ranked eleventh in the country on the AP poll, into the Advocare Classic on Saturday Sept. 2 to face off against the the seventeenth ranked Florida Gators. The Michigan game is one of many set to take place in the first big weekend of college football going on between two nationally ranked on a neutral field. The Advocare Classic will be held at the AT&T Stadium
in Arlington, Texas, the home stadium of the Dallas Cowboys. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30pm with television coverage on ABC. Harbaugh’s Wolverines will begin the season as the lowest team ranked in the Associated Press top 25, at the eleventh spot, in the Big Ten conference. In front of them is ninth ranked Wisconsin, sixth ranked Penn State and the 2016 college football playoff semi-finalist Ohio State Buckeyes stand second overall in the nation. Michigan State hopes to have a much better 2017 season after a very rocky 2016. The Spartans posted one of their worst overall records, 3-9, in recent memory as well as an unfortunate record in conference play at 1-8. Eleventh year head coach Mike Dantonio brings his MSU team into a matchup against
Bowling Green on Saturday in East Lansing. The game, set for kickoff at noon, doesn’t look too impressive when compared to Michigan’s game against nationally ranked Florida but will determine just exactly what sort of season the Spartans are in for. Television coverage of the game can be found on ESPNU. Other local Division I schools in action this weekend include Central Michigan taking on Rhode Island at home in Mt Pleasant on Thursday Aug. 31 at 7:00 P.M. Eastern Michigan will host Charlotte on Friday Sept. 1 at 6:30 P.M. in Ypsilanti. Western Michigan faces the highest ranked national team of all the Michigan schools this weekend as they prepare to take on fourth ranked USC on Saturday at 5:15 P.M in Los Angeles.
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