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Aug. 26,30,2010 55,Issue Issue January 2012 Vol. Vol. 56, 61

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Vineyard planted on campus Pg. 4

Students raise awareness for Ronald McDonald house Kaitlyn Durocher Agora Staff

MCCC’s Student Government has teamed up with a family that recently stayed in the Ronald McDonald house to bring about awareness for the house’s cause. Gabriel Jordan was born on May 11, 2011, with a heart condition known as Transposition of the Great Arteries. This heart defect means Gabriel’s aorta and pulmonary arteries were switched, preventing her heart from properly pumping blood to her lungs. Gabriel also had holes in both the upper and lower chambers of her heart. At 6 days old, Gabriel had surgery to fix these conditions.

If not for the Ann Arbor Ronald McDonald house, Gabriel’s mother, Kyleigh Jordan, would not have been able to be with her daughter as much as she was throughout the surgery. The Ronald McDonald house provides services to families with hospitalized children. Families who live far away from the hospital are given a place to stay in the house so they can be closer to their child during the hospitalization. “The house is incredible; it has an amazing atmosphere,” says Kyleigh Jordan. At only $10 a night, or whatever donation a family can afford, the house provides private rooms and bathrooms, a kitchen, home-cooked meals, and interaction with other people going through

the same ordeals. Gabriel and her family now want to give back to the house for the services it offered to them while Gabriel was undergoing surgery. The families’ goal is to raise 1 million pop tabs to turn into the Ronald McDonald house by May 17, the one year anniversary of Gabriel’s surgery. That many tabs equals about 637 pounds in weight, which determines how much the tabs are worth upon being recycled. The family also wants to collect 1 million tabs per year, with an ultimate goal of donating a total of 5 million tabs. To get involved, all you have to do is put tabs from any cans in collection jars found around campus. There are jars in

the cafeteria, Cellar, and library. If you wish to donate tabs off of campus you can contact Alyssa Davis, a member of student government, or Tom Ryder , Campus Community Events/Students Activities Coordinator. Also, be sure to like the page “1 Million Tabs for Gabriel” on Facebook to get further information. Today, Gabriel is a smart and gorgeous baby girl. She had an amazing outcome with her surgery and will be able to live a normal life and perform the same tasks as any other children. Gabriel’s success was helped made possible by the Ronald McDonald house. By collecting tabs for Gabriel, students can help others receive the same kind of Student Government is raising money in assistance. honor of Gabriel Jordan.

Community celebrates MLK Day Christina Cusumano Agora Staff

MCCC hosted Celebration VII, a free production in Meyer Theater to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the principles he stood for over forty years ago.  The celebration brought together contemporary songs, gospel hymns, dance routines, poems, and spoken word to remind generations, young and old, of the progress King made in America towards civil rights, equality, and resisting oppression through peaceful protest. MCCC  President David Nixon used the celebration as an opportunity to express the importance of students having dreams.   “No one in my family went to college, so that became my dream,” Nixon said. “What dream do you have that drives you to go to those classes and write those papers?”  Kelly Vining, director of the show, cast a variety of performers, including college students, church choirs, and interpretive dancers expressing what  King  means to them. Keeping faith through adversity, equality, justice, and King’s dream of a more compassionate world were at the forefront of the performances. Mary (Mimi) Epps opened the show with a lovely rendition of “God Bless America.” Following her was Myrna Allen Austin, a talented choir director who performed a soulful rendition of the “Black National Anthem,” originally a poem entitled “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James Weldon Johnson. India Smith, a transfer student to MCCC, performed the spiritual song,

Black History Month Student Government will be holding several events in honor of Black History of Month. Blues artist James Samuel will be performing in the cafeteria on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 11:30 a.m. The film Crossroads will air Thursday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m. in C3, the Little Theater. Blues artist Keith Scott will be performing in the cafeteria at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 27. The annual Blues Series concert series will also take place in February. To learn more, see page 8. “He Wants it All” by Forever Jones. Next to perform was Christopher Holmes, vice president of student government on campus. Holmes read two pieces of spoken word entitled, “Sonnet VII” by Kathleen Delicato and “Diversity” by Gene Griessman. A slideshow of famous photographs of King was presented, set to the introspective song “Man in the Mirror,” by the late Michael Jackson. Richard Hoffskin read an original poem entitled “Still Dreaming” and Demarcus Smith performed an original rap song. Synia Boswell, 15, played the piano and sang “Misty” by Sarah Vaugh and “A Change is Gunna Come,” by Sam Cook. The youngest performers, a kids choir called the Carry Chapel Gospel Group, preformed “I Wanna go to Heaven.” by the band Mary Mary. Dereck Brown, Khadija London, and Destany Parker, members of the dance group God’s Chosen Few, performed a routine based on the importance of praying and individual self-expressions of faith.

photo by Michelle Dangler

Synia Boswell (above) performed two songs at Celebration VII. The two songs were “A Change is Gonna Come” and “Misty.”

“God’s Chosen Few is through our church,” London said. “It’s nice to be here because our group has been separated for a while, but now we get to reunite for Martin Luther King Day.” Epps performed another song, “Crossroads” by Beyonce.

The Monroe Gospel Church Choir performed two hymns, directed by Myrna Allen Austin. “It was our first time  performing for MLK day,” Samantha Brody, member of the choir said. “But I think it went really well.”

Victor McCadd, master of ceremonies, felt that the show did well although there were several changes to the program. “I liked the message of the show,” Kim Daniels, a member of the audience, said. “I liked that the whole show was faithbased.”

DJ Zarza cultivates musical talents at MCCC Mandi Davis Agora Staff

photo by Mandi Davis

DJ Zarza has performed at several MCCC events.

Inside:

Campus News......................2-4 Opinion...............................5 Features..............................6, 7 A&E......................................8,9 Sports....................................10

DJ Zarza could go on to become the next Skrillex, but for now he is just a student who enjoys spinning for his fellow classmates. DJ Zarza, known by the first name of Josh, has been attending MCCC since his sophomore year. He is majoring in computer science and even thinking of picking up a secondary major with math when he transfers to the University of Michigan. Zarza found his musical talent at the young age of 13. The first time he showed his talent was when a friend asked him to compile a playlist for an upcoming party. “A few more parties like that happened, and then I decided rather than making a playlist, I could be like my uncle and start to mix,” Zarza said Mentoring and teaching Zarza all the skills to become a disc jockey was his uncle, Brent Zarza, who has been a DJ himself for 20 years.

“I’d say the music is what led Josh to start deejaying. His own desire to be a better musician compels him to learn new things, anywhere he can,” Brent said. Being a DJ does require a good amount of musical knowledge, background, and definitely requires the skills of carrying rhythm. According to Zarza, having good taste in music is also something that is highly beneficial, but not essential. “Music doesn’t matter. If the DJ is having a blast, everyone is having fun,” he said. Zarza cultivated his musical talent by joining Airport’s high school band in his sophomore year. He played the saxophone, grabbing first chair in the section. “I loved being in band. We played awesome songs that were from wellknown bands like Metallica, My Chemical Romance, and so many other huge band names,” he said. Knowing to play an instrument may

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only be a small benefit to the spinning. The huge benefit to being in band is the conducting; spinning beats is similar to what a band director does. “A conductor has to be aware of the sound of the whole orchestra the way a DJ has to be aware of all the sounds in his ‘composition’ – a mix,” Zarza said. He loved band so much in high school that it gave him the guts to try out for the college symphony band. “While I can play my sax, I can’t compete with the men and women in the MCCC band who have master’s degrees in their given instrument,” he said. Zarza moved on and found a different group that really works with his talent. This group happens to be Michigan Electronic Dance Music Association (MEDMA). MEDMA was founded at the University of Michigan in the fall of 2005. Members of the group range from music lovers, producers, DJs, and even those who just love to get down and

dance; however, it is only open to students and potential students of University of Michigan. “Finding the group was an accident in disguise. I more than likely am going to transfer to the University of Michigan, so making it in the symphony band was not such a big deal,” Zarza said. According to Zarza, all the disc jockey’s in the group take turns spinning for the events. Events draw crowds of more than 500 people. He typically plays for a wide variety of events ranging from weddings, birthdays, school events, to even spinning for MEDMA. According to Zarza, starting off as a DJ can be quite expensive with all the equipment one must have. Getting started at the age that he did, he had to seek alternative routes of finding the funds.

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campus news

January 30, 2012

Briefly:

Roman resigns as Health dean

Dr. Cynthia Roman has resigned her position as dean of the Health Sciences Division and Director of Nursing to accept a similar job at Oakland Community College. Dr. Roman started at MCCC in May of 2010 and her last day will be April 27, 2012 — a little less than two years later. Dr. Grace Yackee, vice president of Instruction, credited Dr. Roman with establishing an excellent relationship with faculty, staff, students, clinical partners, four year nursing programs, the Michigan State Board of Nursing, and the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission (NLNAC). MCCC’s nursing program was accredited by the NLNAC through fall 2013 in order to give the program time to address several problems that surfaced during the acceditation review, Yackee said. Over the last year, Dr. Roman has led the nursing faculty in addressing program deficiencies identified by the NLNAC, Yackee said. The position will be posted soon, Yackee said, with the goal of hiring a new dean prior to Dr. Roman’s last day at the college.

Campus wind turbine planned

An 80-foot wind turbine is going to be erected on the MCCC campus to help students learn in the renewable energy curriculum. Clifton Brown, assistant professor of Renewable Energy, and Jim Blumberg, director of the Physical Plant, have recently meet up with a construction companyto discuss the final designs. “In my previous careers, I have used this exact turbine as a teaching aide,” Brown said. Plans are to have the wind turbine constructed before May. A commercial wind tower is 300-feet tall and can be described as a football field standing up. The tower the college plans will supply small amounts of electricity and provide a hands-on experience for students, Brown said. It will be located east of the Gerald Welch Health Education building.

Ex-priest holding book signing

Dr. Marvin Josaitis, an author and former local Catholic priest who resigned on philosophical grounds, will speak at Monroe County Community College and hold a book signing for his two new books. The presentation and book signing, which is free and open to the public, will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8 in the La-Z-Boy Center, Meyer Theater. Josaitis served as a priest at St. Michael’s Church in Monroe from 1967-69, then resigned from the priesthood and left the Catholic Church. He went on to serve as an associate professor of philosophy and English at MCCC from 1969-76. He served in a number of positions in corporate America, before retiring in 1998 to pursue other interests, including being a hospice volunteer, pianist, realtor and author. “Breaking Grand Silence (A Former Catholic Priest Speaks Out)” is published by Tate Publishing Company and was released Dec. 6. “Pennies From a Heav’n: The Joy of Making Family” was also published by Tate Publishing. It was released on Dec. 13.

Chaffin heads CTC campaign

MCCC has picked Douglas Chaffin to run its fundraising campaign for the Career Technology Center building. Chaffin is the president and CEO of Monroe Bank & Trust, and had worked on MCCC’s campaign for the La-Z-Boy Center in 2003. “We consider ourselves incredibly fortunate to have Doug at the helm of the campaign,” said MCCC President David Nixon. The CTC will cost $17 million to build, with half of the money coming from the state of Michigan. The campaign is charged with raising the $8.5 million needed to replace the money MCCC used from its reserves to pay for its half of the project.

Contributor

Tired of the new semester already? The Whitman Center is helping to bring some excitement to the mundane class schedule. Three upcoming events and exhibits will take place soon at the Whitman Center. The Winter 2012 Enrichment Events will have a different display for February, March, and April. Did you know that more than 1,900 people were buried in unmarked graves in the Toledo State Hospital Cemetery? MCCC, in association with Gardens of St. Elizabeth, will host an event which will feature speakers from the Toledo State Hospital Cemetery Reclamation Committee discussing the restoration of the cemeteries and the efforts to identify those buried by name. On display will be an overview of the history of mental health in the United States. This event will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 8, from 7-8 p.m. in room 9. In March, students can expect to see beautiful art in Whitman’s lobby. March will be art appreciation month.

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MCCC heading to Spain

The Sagrada Familia, left, one of the world’s most famous cathedrals, is still under construction in Barcelona. The Alcazar Castle in Toledo, above, was built in the 3rd century by the Romans and rebuilt in the 16th century. Both will likely be visited by the MCCC students visiting Spain on the 2013 Study Abroad trip.

Study Abroad announces destination, plans trip Nicki Kostrewza Agora Staff

Spain and all its wonders is the next destination for MCCC’s Study Abroad students. Journalism professor Dan Shaw, who will lead the Spain trip, has been working for the last two months to plan the details. “Doing all this research for the trip has opened my eyes about how exciting Spain will be to visit,” Shaw said. In an online survey during fall semester, Spain was chosen as one of the top three locations students wanted to visit. Details are still being worked out, but a side trip to Portugal or Northern Africa may be worked into the mix, Shaw said. The trip is planned to be roughly 16 to 20 days, with a week spent in Barcelona. Joanna Sabo, the International Studies Club adviser who has led past trips, said she’s excited about spending time in the east Spain seaport. “I have heard in Barcelona you’re in a very posh, sheik, modern part of downtown one minute, then a very, very old Spanish colonial city the next,” Sabo said. Highlights the club is certain to see, according to Shaw, include Museo del Prado, which ranks as one

world’s greatest art works. “In Barcelona you’re in a very “I am looking forward to seeing this art,” he said. “I have been teaching for 41 years, and now I’m posh, sheik, modern part of down- finally seeing what I teach about.” town one minute, then a very, very Sabo, who has led three other MCCC Study Abroad trips, also will be going on this adventure. old Spanish colonial city the next.” She intends to teach comparative politics. Joanna Sabo “I want them to learn a lot about comparative govInternational Studies Club adviser ernments, just by looking in that one country,” Sabo said. Shaw plans to teach Photojournalism. of the must-see art museums in the world, holding “I think a Photojournalism course really fits Study some of the finest collections of pre-20th century EuAbroad, because it teaches students how to tell storopean art. Another likely stop is the Alhambra, a fifteenth ries with pictures,” Shaw said. In last year’s trip to Central Europe, students and century palace and fort that is considered to be one of the world’s best examples of Moorish architec- faculty spent 20 days in Austria, Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Students were able to exture, located in Granada. Another feature of the trip, Shaw said, will be perience life on the cobble-stoned streets and see the Sagrada Familia, a world-famous cathedral de- the grand, towering cathedrals. “I believe the students, the college, and the comsigned by Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona. Students who go on the trip can register for none munity benefit from MCCC study abroad, and I or all three of the classes that will be offered. How- would love to see it expanded to offer an opportuever, the faculty members recommend only taking nity each year,” said Vinnie Maltese, dean of the Science/Mathematics Division. one or two of the classes. A video of the 2011 trip is available on the Agora Gary Wilson, one of the professors participating in website, www.mcccagora.com. Students interested in the trip, will be teaching an art appreciation course. He said he’s thrilled at the chance to see some of the the Spain trip should contact Shaw, Sabo or Wilson.

Two employees receive “enriching” awards Kaitlyn Durocher Agora Staff

Two members f the MCCC staff —Penny Bodell and Vicky Lavelle — won recent “Enriching Lives Performance Awards.” Bodell, who is the administrative assistant to the V.P. of Student and Information Services, won the September-October award. Lavelle, who is a technician in the Culinary Arts Program, won the November-December award. Bodell works in the Student Services department, where her job duties consist of everything from dealing with student’s requests and concerns to editing the college’s catalog. “If someone is honest and deserving, the college finds a way to help,” Bodell said when asked if she ever gets frustrated with her job duties. Monthly emails are sent out to the

Whitman Center hosts events; mental health featured in exhibits Autumn Jackson

mcccagora.com • The Agora

Todd Matteson, Associate Professor of Art at Lourdes College, will be giving a crash course in art appreciation. On display will be 25 reproductions of some of the world’s greatest artists, along with information about their lives. Also on display will be the work of future artists, our own Bedford Township elementary school students. March’s event dates and time are to be announced. For the semester’s home run, April will be incorporating America’s favorite past time. April’s theme is “From base ball to baseball: Evolution of the early game.” Rich Adler, local baseball historian, will speak about the early development of baseball. On display will be Baseball: Across a Divided Society, from the Library of Congress. This will consist of twenty images depicting early baseball (1860s-1920s). This event will be held on Thursday, April 19, from 7-8 p.m. in room 9. For more information, contact Sandy Kosmyna, Director of the Whitman Center at 734-8470559, ext. 22.

staff from Molly McCutchan, Director of Human Resources, asking for nominations and announcing the recipients of the award. Bodell discovered she had won the award through one of the monthly emails. She said she was grateful and touched to have even been nominated. The winner receives a certificate and a traveling award they can display until the next recipient is chosen. Vicki LaValle was honored for her interaction with students in the culinary program. This award has been given out since March, 2010, McCutchan said. There have been nine award winners since that time. A person is nominated based on their demonstration of the college’s “ICare” brand values, which are: investment, community, accessibility, responsiveness, and enrichment.

Penny Bodell

Vicki Lavelle

Anybody can nominate a person to be the recipient of this award, McCutchan said. It was started in an effort to recognize staff for their work performance.

Not only does this award recognized worthy employees, but it also demonstrates what MCCC’s vision statement is all about, she said.

Student enrollment down 7 percent Taylor Pinson Agora Staff

Student enrollment at MCCC is down 309 students, or about 7 percent from this same time last year. MCCC has faced declining enrollment numbers for the last four semesters. Mark Hall, MCCC’s Director of Admissions and Guidance Services, presented a report about the decline in a Board of Trustees meeting on Jan 23. “Every community college in Michigan is down in enrollment,” Hall said.

Hall also mentioned that MCCC has increased academic standards, including score cut-offs and prerequisites for taking certain courses, designed to improve student success rates, which has affected enrollment. “Any time you raise your standards, it limits your pool of potential students,” Hall said. Changes to the Federal Pell Grant regulations enacted in July 2011 were a major cause, forcing 128 students to drop classes after they were denied financial aid, he said. Other factors cited as reasons for lower enrollment included the Affordable Health Care

Act, fewer high school students in Monroe County, and the end of No Worker Left Behind and other job re-training programs. MCCC isn’t alone. Hall said the surge in enrollment that has affected community colleges nationwide in the past few years is expected to end as the economy improves. “As the economy picks up, we tend to lose students,” Hall said. The decrease in enrollment has brought the number of students at MCCC back to it’s 2008 level, he said.

Moorman new early childhood professor Michael Mayzlin Agora Staff

Felice Moorman is a new addition to MCC’s faculty, teaching Early Childhood Development. Moorman said she’s looking forward to working with students in the program. “I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with future early childhood educators, helping to facilitate their development as future teachers,” Moorman said. The Early Childhood Development position at MCCC is a perfect next step for her, Moorman said. It will blend her love of children with her love for working with future teachers. This semester, she is teaching ECDV-105, ECDV-106, ECDV-107, ECDV-210, and ECDV-218 courses. Moorman’s career began as a third grade

“I realized that while I will always love working with young children, I really enjoyed working with adult future teachers as well.” Felice Moorman

Early Childhood Education professor

teacher in a public school district in Southeast Michigan. After the birth of her children, Moorman took a leave of absence to stay home. It was during that time that she decided to complete the coursework for a graduate degree. After finishing her Master’s Degree in

Early Childhood Education at Eastern Michigan University, Moorman was asked to join MCCC’s Early Childhood Education faculty as part-time instructor. “During this teaching experience, I realized that while I will always love working with young children, I really enjoyed working with adult future teachers as well,” she said. Moorman, her husband, children, and a 1-year-old Goldendoodle, Fuzzy, reside just outside of Ann Arbor. She and her husband enjoy running, an activity that began this past fall. Both of them participated in several 5K races. She said she always loved sports and physical activity, but running is now her favorite pastime. “I can run whenever it fits into my schedule and it helps me let go of any stress from the day,” Moorman said.

campus

mcccagora.com • The Agora

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January 30 2012

Local musicians perform in Celebration VII Artists inspired by event Michelle Dangler Agora Staff

photo by Michelle Danlger

India Smith performed Forever Jones’s “He Wants It All.”

For many people, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a time of reflection, remembrance, and celebration. It is a chance for everyone to come together — regardless of race or creed — and express their joy at the leaps and bounds in civil rights that Dr. King made. The evening of January 15 was no exception. It was a heart-warming event featuring poetry readings, soloists, choirs, a mime act, and a hearing-impaired, but beautifully talented pianist. Well received by the crowd, people in the audience were standing up, clapping, cheering, and singing along with the performers. The atmosphere was one of love, acceptance, and unity. In that theater, there was no ‘black’ or ‘white,’ or anything in between. There was only pure joy and a living example of what the world can be if skin color is only overlooked. For one performer, a Monroe High School senior, it was also a chance to shine. Mary “Mimi” Epps, 17, did indeed shine when she stepped up to the microphone. She wowed the audience with her passionate rendition of God Bless America — the first musical performance of the evening — and wowed them

again when she later performed a cover of Beyoncé’s Listen. Listening to her sing, it was clear that she loved what she was doing. However, when one stops to talk to Mimi, one learns that singing is not all she is passionate about. No, this girl has dreams of becoming a chef. “I want to go into Culinary Arts,” she said. “Singing and cooking — that’s my passion.” Mimi was funny, sweet, and glad to talk about her passions during her brief interview. She also mentioned that one of the other performers, part of the mime act, was her brother. Another performer, Student Government’s vice president, Christopher Holmes, recited two inspiring poems about diversity. Poignantly setting the stage for the night’s celebration, Chris read Sonnet VII (Kathleen Delicato) and Diversity (Gene Griessman). At the end of the reading, Chris gave his own parting words on diversity and also enlightenment. “Those that forever let the sun set on their ignorance give way to enlightenment.” “It was inspiring to be part of the celebration honoring Dr. King, what he stood for as a man, and his many contributions to society,” he said. “Being chosen to express what diversity and equality means to us at MCCC was a wonderful opportunity that I would graciously accept anytime.”

photo by Michelle Danlger

Mary ‘Mimi’ Epps performed “God Bless America.”

Students receive insight at MLK diversity fair Shana Kritzer Agora Staff

photo by Michelle Danlger

Myrna Allen Austin performed “The Black National Anthem” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

photo by Michelle Danlger

Members of Krishna Conciousness also attended the diversity fair. Its booth featured traditional Indian fudge known as Burfi.

The halls of MCCC’s A Building were filled with the rhythmic sounds of jazz on Jan.16. The enchanting notes heard were those of Flute Juice Productions, playing in the cafeteria to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Flute Juice is a musical entertainment company that provides music and lectures to colleges, universities and many others all over the world. MCCC students were treated to a lecture on “Jazz and the Civil Rights Movement,” from 10 to 11 a.m. Beginning at noon, a musical performance took place featuring Pat, the pianist, Nic, the bassist, John, the drummer, and Galen¸ the Flutist. “We enjoyed playing for you and the other students as well,” Galen said. “We enjoy keeping the flame burning of America’s only original music, jazz.” Many students were present to listen to the smooth flow of jazz coming from the band’s instruments. Victoria Bushaw-Boichot, a student at MCCC, was thoroughly enjoying the performance, even taking the time to get up and dance. “I love this band,” BushawBoichot said. “I saw them before at Jazz Fest. They are wonderful.” In addition to Flute Juice, the hallway in the administration building was brimming with clubs and organizations from numerous diverse backgrounds. MCCC was represented by the

International Studies Club, the International Students for Social Equality Club, the Ballroom Dance and Drama Club, the GayStraight Alliance, Student Government, and the Criminal Justice Club. In addition to the college clubs, quite a few outside organizations donated their time to the Diversity Fair, including: Islamic Religion, Persons with Disabilities, Native American Culture, and the International Society of Krishna Consciousness in Detroit (ISCON). The Native American Culture showcased hand-beaded items. Members of the Krishna group taught students how to make Indian fudge known as Burfi and distributed samples. Students and faculty enjoyed learning about different cultures, and taking a few hours to appreciate the entertainment. “I really loved the turnout to see the spectrum of different cultures, and different groups that come together to show their support for diversity,” said Brandon VanBelle, a student at MCCC and member of the Gay-Straight Alliance. “I stopped at every table that I can to understand about the different ethnicities, politics, and religion on what makes them diverse,” he said. In the background, students could hear the famous speech made by Martin Luther King Jr., played on a television. The Diversity Fair not only was a celebration of King’s life, but a way to commemorate the freedom and equality he worked so hard to bring to the nation.

photo by Michelle Danlger

A dancing and miming group known as God’s Chosen Few performed at the event. Members of the crew included Khadija London, Derreck Brown and Destany Parker.

photo by Michelle Danlger

A group known as Islamic Religion participated in the diversity fair. Its booth passed out literature regarding the Islam religion.

photo by Kaitlin Bereczky

A group representing the Native American culture exhibited beaded jewelry.

photo by Michelle Danlger

The band Flute Juice performed for students and faculty in the cafeteria.

January 30, 2012

campus news

mcccagora.com • The Agora

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Vineyard finds home on campus

Culinary program begins wine-making process Shana Kritzer Agora Staff

When people think of wine, usually it begins with Italy, or maybe France, even possibly with California’s Napa Valley. Rarely does Monroe County come to mind. That’s all about to change, thanks to Chef Kevin Thomas and the Bacchus Society. Bacchus is the god of wine — the society is a mix of faculty, support staff, and administration. The Bacchus Society was formed with the exclusive goal of creating a viticulture and enology program at MCCC. In other words, students will take part in the study, science, and production of grapes and wine. Last year, while watching the installation of solar panels at the college, a brilliant idea was hatched to erect a vineyard on the college campus. Wine is no stranger to the state of Michigan, and more importantly, Monroe County. Monroe was once the birthplace of the commercial wine industry in Michigan. Joseph M. Sterling planted his first vineyard in the Monroe area in 1863. Later, Sterling became the first in Michigan to commercially produce wine under the Pointe Aux Peaux Wine Co. of Monroe in 1868. At one time, over 1,000 acres of grapevines were grown in the county. Sadly, Monroe’s wine industry seemed to die along with it’s founders. In comes the Bacchus Society. With a enhancement grant of $1,000 dollars from the MCCC Foundation, the vineyard was started. The vineyard began with 30 grapevines planted on the far southeast end of the campus. The vines are Vignoles, which are a medium bodied, white wine.

photo courtesy of Mark Spenoso

MCCC will be the first community college in the state to have its own vineyard. With the addition of the vineyard, a program in viticulture and enology has become a possibility, one which Chef Kevin Thomas (above) hopes to explore.

They were chosen based on their hardiness. Any vines grown would need to be able to survive the harsh Michigan seasons. Grape vines need good climate, adequate rainfall, cool breezes at night and sunny days. Every three weeks during growing season, the culinary students, along with

the society, head out to the vineyard to till the soil, pull weeds, and train the unruly vines to grow on trellises. Not many community colleges can boast that they have their own vineyard. In fact, in the state of Michigan, only larger schools have such an opportunity.

Chef Thomas is thrilled at the learning experience this will provide for current and future culinary students. “We want to be the first community college in the state of Michigan to offer a program in viticulture and enology,” Thomas said.

While the vineyard is “sleeping” through the winter, students are still able to learn about wine making. There is currently a batch of wine fermenting. This batch was made from locally grown grapes since the newly planted Vignoles won’t produce wine quality grapes for a few years. The wine should be ready within the next 30 days. The vineyard not only benefits the students, but will be a benefit to the community as well, Thomas said. He is hopeful the vineyard could be expanded, possibly in locations around Monroe County. Ideally, the Bacchus Society hopes to be able to use the wine produced by the college for special events on campus, such as the college’s 50th anniversary in 2014. While the ultimate goal would be to sell the wine produced at the college to the community, that goal is a long way off. The main focus is to bring a Certificate Program in Enology and Viticulture to MCCC, adding to the current Culinary Arts Program. “This has just taken off,” Thomas said, “ I get excited just talking about it.” Culinary students will be part of bringing back the history of wine to Monroe County. The vineyard, dubbed V1300 by the society, will get ready for 30 more vines set to be planted in the spring. V1300 will soon be home to numerous varieties of white and red grapes. The name given to the vineyard was in part in honor of Cuisine 1300, and the “V” stands for Vision, Viticulture, Veritas, Vignoles, and Vineyard. The Bacchus Society hopes to soon begin accepting donations toward the V1300 project, which could assist to bring back the county’s rich heritage in wine.

photo courtesy of Mark Spenoso

The culinary program has harvested grapes from the vineyard and in the future hopes to produce wine that can be sold and used for college events.

Administration fills research position

Jamie DeLeeuw hired as faculty member, to work with professors

Christina Cusumano Agora Staff

MCCC has filled a research position that has been open for the past five years. Jamie DeLeeuw, who started work in January, will be serving MCCC as Coordinator of Institutional Research, Evaluation, and Assessment. Deleeuw’s position, eliminated in 2006 as a cost saving measure, involves evaluating whether MCCC and its programs are effective, ultimately to improve the institution by means of research, evidence, and evaluation. “The purpose of my job is to further assess and enhance institutional effectiveness, which includes supporting faculty and the assessment of student learning at the course, program and institution levels,” DeLeeuw said. DeLeeuw will work with the Learning Assessment Committee, which is developing a process to help professors assess how well students are learning in their classroom. “None of what I am researching will be on anybody’s record,” DeLeeuw said. “I am here to analyze the broader picture and help instructors better communicate to students.” DeLeeuw, an avid researcher since college, was happy to hear about MCCC’s “culture of evidence” for the decision-making process. “I’m a research nerd,” DeLeeuw said. “I found this job through higher education jobs online and what drew me to this institution was your mission statement and the emphasis on evidence.” Grace Yackee, vice president of instruction at MCCC, said DeLeeuw’s love of research will be an asset to MCCC’s faculty. “She gets it,” Yackee said. “From the moment the search team first met Jamie, it was clear that she understood the role of IR (institutional research) in a community college setting.” Yackee hopes DeLeeuw can help answer an important question: Are students think-

ing, acting and able to do what is expected they should upon graduation, both in general education and specific programs? To research this question effectively, DeLeeuw said she will spend a lot of time with faculty, supporting their student assessment activities. DeLeeuw earned her undergraduate degree at Grand Valley State University, where she majored in political science and psychology. She earned a master’s degree in Psychology and a Ph.D in Community Psychology at Wichita State University in Kansas. Community psychology, a relatively new discipline, was introduced in the 1960s when a group of psychologists where unhappy with the ability of clinical psychologists to handle broader social issues. “I wasn’t interested in Clinical Psychology so much, but helping individuals and communities on a broader spectrum,” DeLeeuw said. “It’s about looking at multiple variables for the bigger picture.” DeLeeuw finished her dissertation in 2010, which involved research on animal shelter dogs at the Kansas Humane Society and the factors predicting adoption vs. euthanasia. She returned to GVSU is 2011 to teach psychology and, not surprisingly, do research. Yackee felt DeLeeuw’s career prepared her well for her new position at MCCC. “She has handled a wide variety of research projects in a variety of environments, including private sector, public sector in higher education, community, as well as non-profits. Her Ph.D includes an emphasis on research methods and analysis, and she has experience in college teaching, research in higher education and community organizations.” As for working at MCCC, DeLeeuw says she feels very welcomed and valued. “She is smart, articulate, and very likeable,” Yackee said. “She readily offers methods and solutions to research-related needs and dilemmas.” Outside of work, Deleeuw enjoys foreign

Presentation cancelled due to bird death Nicki Kostrewza Agora Staff

photo by Michelle Dangler

Jamie DeLeeuw has accepted a position at the college as the coordinator of institutional research, evaluation and assesment. She will be working with the Learning Assesment Committee, a group which is comprised of college faculty members. DeLeeuw began her duties in January.

“. . . what drew me to this institition was your mission statement.” Jamie DeLeeuw Coordinator of Institutional Research, Evaluation and Assessment

movies and working out. She is a huge supporter of animal rights and has spent time advocating for them. She published a paper, the Call to Action Community Psychologist, and conducted

several studies including, “Support for Animal Rights” and a factory farm educational study. Much of her research has involved animals, animal psychology, and the agribusiness of factory farms.

Friendly faces from the Erie Shores Birding Association gathered in room 201 in the Life Science building on Jan. 18 to discuss one of nature’s most beautiful creatures, birds. At this meeting, Mary Seeth, owner of Wings, Paws, and Prayers, an animal rehab shelter, was supposed to be their guest speaker. Sadly, one of Seeth’s birds, which she was going to bring with her and present to the group, died just hours before the meeting. In light of the development, Seeth was unable to deliver her presentation. Members of the meeting kept it going with heavy hearts and sad faces. The meeting’s main focus was on birds seen and photographed this past month by members. Then, to fill in the gap of the guest speaker, the movie “Above the Grand Canyon” was played. The movie talked about nature and how it has constantly changed and formed over the years. Despite this setback, the Erie group plans on continuing to provide guest speakers for the rest of the year. The Erie Shores Birding Association typically holds its meetings at MCCC.

opinion

5

January 30 2012

mcccagora.com • The Agora

How not to break up with your girlfriend

Cartoon by Jacob Thompson

The etiquette of how to properly end a relationship

Letter to the editor

“She said it’s not my habit to intrude; Furthermore, I hope my meaning won’t be lost or misconstrued; but I’ll repeat myself at the risk of seeming crude; there must be fifty ways to Michelle leave your lover.” - 50 Ways Dangler to Leave Your Agora Staff Lover by Paul Simon Indeed, there are many ways to leave a girlfriend, but there is such a thing as

a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way of doing that. Breakups are difficult and painful, but sometimes for the best. The best way, no matter how hard, is to break up in person. There is no way to make such a task any less stressful, but there are certain methods that should always be avoided. Here are a few simple rules to live by to ensure that an already hurtful experience is not made worse for either party involved.

a means to breakup. This is a cheap way out of a confrontation, and considered by most as tacky and cowardly. Chatroom coversations gone awry (especially ones that occur at odd hours of the night), sudden, unexplained relationship status changes on social networking sites, emails, etc., are all unacceptable. They are just a few examples of methods that should not be used.

Rule 1: The Web

Rule 2: The Phone

Facebook, AIM, email, MySpace, or other social media are great tools for communication. They allow people to talk to each other over a distance quickly and efficiently. However, they should not be used as

The telephone, in all its forms, is another great means of communication. However, calling on a landline, a cell phone, or talking through text message is not an acceptable means of breaking up. Just as with dumping a girl via the internet, leav-

ing a girlfriend over the phone is, to a lesser extent, cowardly. Suddenly changing a personal phone number to break up with a girlfriend is also not good. It is, though not as bad as the internet, grossly impersonal.

Rule 3: The ‘Other ’s

Post-it notes, through friends, sending a “new girlfriend” to break up with the current girlfriend, trashing friends’ houses in fits of jealousy, or any means other than than face-to-face — these are all unacceptable methods of breaking up. These means, like the others above, are cheap, cowardly, and impersonal ways out. If a guy cannot grant a girl the courtesy, respect, and dignity of a face-to-face

breakup, then why is he in a relatioship? To employ any of the aforementioned tactics is immature and insensitive, and disrespectful to the soon-to-be ex-girlfriend. It makes a girl feel like she was not good enough or important enough to be faced. Personally breaking up is harder to do, but it is still a courtesy to a girl. In addition to avoiding the above ditching methods, there are certain other things that should be put on the “taboo list.” Breaking up because of a lost job, cheating on a girlfriend and then accusing her of cheating, breaking up on a holiday, birthday or anniversary, are a few examples of other relationship no-no’s. Breaking up, making up for Christmas, then breaking up again, and cheating on a girlfriend with young girls and then stalking

MLK Jr. day a sign of hope Shipshewana remains a vacation destination Employee responds to critique Recently we were made aware of someone who visited Shipshewana and wrote about her disappointing experience in this paper. We are sorry she was disappointed, and we don’t mind criticism, but when those criticisms are not based on fact and put into print, we need to address those issues and invite the reader to form his or her own opinion. We are not sure what her expectations were but the Shipshewana Flea Market has never been an “all Amish” market. All of Shipshewana is a unique blend of Amish and “English” entrepreneurs working together to do business. We are driven by the desire to do honest work and give others the opportunity to exchange goods and earn a profit…just like any other place in the world which offers goods and services to the public. We are not driven by “greed.” The goods offered at the Flea Market and Shipshewana vary. The statement was made that there are “no Amish goods” here and only foreign made goods are available. You will find things from many locations which offer a variety of goods and prices. You will also find Amish made goods which offer quality, craftsmanship and character. The statement that there were “no Amish vendors, no fruits, vegetables,

Amish furniture, fine fabrics, fresh flowers or fresh honey” is simply untrue. This description is not about Shipshewana. You can’t go anywhere in Shipshewana and not find some of, if not, all of these items. For approximately 300,000 visitors the Shipshewana Flea Market is a place to visit not just once but many times – not just in a lifetime but in a summer…and for some, in a week! Please go to tradingplaceamerica.com, shipshewana.com or backroads.org to discover for yourself why Shipshewana is a worthy vacation destination. Rene Halstead Shipshewana, IN

Editor’s Note: This letter to the editor is in response to an opinion piece written by staff reporter Lorrie Mayzlin. The article, which detailed Mayzlin’s vacation experience, appeared in the Sept. 22, 2011 edition. To read this article, visit mcccagora.com/opinion. Rene Halstead is the director of the Marketing Department of Shipshewana Auction Inc.

Ryan Smith Contributor

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” Martin Luther King Jr. The great Dr. Martin Luther King spoke these words nearly forty years ago, but when one stops to consider what hope really is, there’s no concrete answer. It seems that hope is something vague and nebulous. It is wrapped in neat packaging, maybe with a nice little bow, and either given or stolen away. The world is intimately familiar with Dr. King’s message and accomplishments, but his concept of hope is one that is largely overlooked. When faced with such a conception of hope as Dr. King’s, how does one hold on to something that is intangible and keep its flame burning in their hands? When anyone on earth has the power to steal that flame away, to take the stars from the sky of life, how can hope be protected? Give it away. Give it to another person in their time of need, when they have been robbed of its grace, when their skies have gone dark. In the passing of hope to another, hope rekindles in ourselves; the flame that drives us to endure the chaos of modern daily life grows. Eventually, that gift will be returned its giver, because hope can’t be stolen from one if one no longer claims ownership. Of course, as Dr. King said, there will be disappointments along the turbulent path of life. Hope is not infallible, it is not perfect, in the same

photo courtesy of David Erickson

Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his infamous “I Have A Dream” speech on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963.

way that people aren’t. Yet, just like people, hope can be regained, and it is never truly lost. At some point in life, the crushing realization that everything has gone completely contrary to the carefully plotted plan appears. It is in that moment that hope is extinguished. One by one, day by day, the stars in the sky that guide us fade away. Accept that disappointment; acknowledge that life is more often a sour lemon than the sweet lemon-

ade produced from it. However, also keep in mind that that same disappointment is always finite, and that a lemon can easily be made into lemonade, given the right tools. Let hope be that tool, the lynchpin that holds everything else in life together. Give hope to others and, in turn, find it renewed within. If hope is given the chance to float up, it will, for as Dr. King said: “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.”

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. Email them to agora@monroeccc.edu or bring them to our office.

Editor Tyler Eagle

Assistant Editor Nicki Kostrewza Adviser Dan Shaw

Staff Members Christina Cusamono Mandi Davis Michelle Dangler Kaitlyn Durocher Shana Kritzer Miles Lark Robin Lawson

Lorrie Mayzlin Michael Mayzlin Matt Mullins Taylor Pinson Tyler Rogoff Jacob Thompson David Topolewski

fGOP primaries gain momentum eatures

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January 30 2012

mcccagora.com • The Agora

Mitt Romney

Newt Gingrich

Rick Santorum

Ron Paul

Former Massachusettes Governor

Former Speaker of the House

Former Pennsylvania Senator

Texas Congressman

Former Georgia Governor

Students discuss opinions on candidates, potential Obama re-election Miles Lark Agora Staff

The race to win the GOP nomination is heating up as four candidates vie for the chance to run against Barack Obama for the presidency in the 2012 election. These candidates are former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former Georgia Congressman and ex-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and Texas Congressman Ron Paul. For the past few months, Romney has been the strongest in the polls, until the Iowa Caucus. Romney went in confident that he would carry the state and continue his run for the nomination. However, he lost to Santorum by a slim margin, 34

votes. Romney won the New Hampshire primary, then Gingrich took his turn, beating Romney by 12 points in the South Carolina primary. Gingrich won a little over 40 percent of the vote and Romney received 28 percent. Santorum follwed in third place with 17 percent of the vote, with Paul trailing. The debate over who should face Obama in the fall is gaining momentum at MCCC. Many students don’t think that any one of the Republican candidates have a chance beating President Obama. “I feel bad for the conservatives in a way, the Republican Party is split into Tea Party members who would never vote for regular Republicans and the regular Re-

publicans who would never vote for a Tea Partier,” Tyler Brettschneider said. “Romney is the best candidate because he is the only one who hasn’t made himself look like an idiot on national television,” he went on to add. Student Dylan Jobin doesn’t really think that any of the Republicans have a chance of winning, but has been paying close attention to the race.. “I think that Gingrich needs to drop out, so Mittens (Romney) has a chance of winning the nomination,” he said. On the other side of the issue, there are Republicans who would never vote for Obama, but who also don’t think that any of the candidates have a chance of beating the incumbent president.

Gary McClain doesn’t like President Obama and his stance on many of the issues “I don’t agree with Obamacare and I don’t think that he should have pulled troops out of Iraq,” he said. McClain also said that he hasn’t really been paying attention to any of the candidates. “If Obama continues to run for the office, then he is going to win,” he said. Some students continue to support Obama. Student Kris Lampson is among them. “The State of the Union address was great. I though it was awesome that he said people like me who are in the 1 percent need to pay our fair share of taxes.

Obama all the way,” Lampton said. Michigan’s primary will be held on Feb. 28, but before the primary happens, eight other states will hold their primaries or caucuses. The first of these is the Florida primary, which will take place on Jan. 31. Nevada’s and Maine’s caucauses will take place on Feb. 4. Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri will hold their primaries on Feb. 7. During this time, there is a very good chance that one of the four candidates will drop out. If the South Carolinia primary results say anything, it will either be Paul or Santorum. Despite running in previous elections, this electoral season marks the farthest Paul has advanced.

Coupon clipping proves to be way of life Third of three parts

Agora Staff Reporter Lorrie Mayzlin has been offering solutions and suggestions in a threepart series to help readers stretch their budgets. The third part examines how readers can utilize coupons to minimize the impact of the current state of the economy. photos by Lorrie Mayzlin

Left: Binders offer an easy to manage system that helps shoppers keep coupons organized. Right: Using the coupon system, Lorrie was ablle to purchase dozens of candy bars for 50 cents. Lorrie Mayzlin Agora Staff

My best shopping trip ever was $1,198 worth of products for negative $78 out of pocket, and I was paid to leave. While my total is impressive, it is not as common as television shows purport. Welcome to the world of couponing and refunding. I have saved hundreds of dollars every year at grocery stores by using coupons and refunds that are available to everybody. The average family can easily slice 50 percent or more from its grocery bill, every week, year-round. When people hear about my tales of dreamy deals, they ask if I am “one of those extreme couponers.” The answer is no. This show has been detrimental to those of us who have to coupon and refund to make ends meet. The show is on television not to help viewers coupon, but to raise ratings and make stockholders money. Stores are now revamping their coupon acceptance policies to accept less, thus hurting the families it was meant to help.

The Basics

Clip and save every single coupon you can find for products that you use or would be willing to try. You can throw brand loyalty right out the window. You can find coupons in magazines (like the exclusive Wal-Mart magazine

called All You) and newspapers, along with tear pads, wine or beer tags (coupons found on the neck of beer and wine bottles), coupons you receive when you check out at a store (called Catalinas), coupons mailed to your home, or even those you download to your discount shopper card or cell phone. Coupons are literally everywhere. As you are shopping, look for peelie coupons on products you are purchasing. Don’t forget you can print coupons and refunds too! Some stores take internet-generated coupons; some stores do not. When you download coupons to your card, you can NOT use a physical coupon for the same item at checkout; this is called “stacking” and is against most store policies.

Organization Many people simply use a plastic recipe box with tabbed paper to separate the coupons into categories, however my preferred method is a photo album that you can get from Wal-Mart, K-Mart or Meijer’s, and then separate your coupons into like-groups and insert where you would normally have pictures. By using a photo album, you can organize your coupons according to the aisle in which their matching products are found, or you can make one album for food products only and another album for house, pet and non-food items.

As you clip coupons, put them directly into your choice of filing systems. Do not shove them in the kitchen drawer or in your purse – you will lose them or forget to use them.\ How do you know what to clip? Clip everything within the categories of products you use. Forget about being brand loyal. For example, if you use margarine, clip every margarine coupon you can find; if you use batteries, clip all brand name coupons for batteries. Do not pass up good coupons just because the brand is unfamiliar to you. Brand loyal shoppers buy the same product month after month and year after year. Brand loyalty costs a LOT of money. Manufacturers LOVE these types of people, because once you are hooked, they will never have to convince you to purchase again. By ignoring that different products go on sale weekly, the brand loyal customer pays full price when it’s not necessary. Let’s say that you use Tide detergent, which normally sells for about $7.99 a box. You will pay the full price rather than experiment and buy the same size (or larger) in a different brand, and you will ignore a $2 savings because “it isn’t my brand.” The bottom line is, all detergents will clean your clothing. Every manufacturer would like us to believe that their product is better than their competition, but it really makes no difference. One common argument is, “there are no

coupons for things I buy.” If you feel that way, ask yourself, “do I use toilet paper, toothpaste, soup or paper towels?” “What about deodorant, margarine or pet food?” There are coupons for just about every product in every store. The truth is, everyone can save money with coupons, and it takes no more time than an exercise regimen, and once you are used to working out, you no longer count the minutes dedicated to this event. All coupons, wine tags, and beer tags change with the seasons and upcoming holidays. As an example, starting around the end of April, wine tags and beer tags will start appearing for items dedicated to Fourth of July, including aluminum foil, hot dogs, hamburger, etc. Around September, you will see coupons and wine tags for Halloween, and starting November 1, you will see stuff for Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving and Super Bowl.

Using Coupons The first step in using coupons is to take your binder or file to the store every single time you shop for anything. There is nothing more frustrating than to buy an item and realize that you had a coupon for it at home. There are many different ways to coupon; the first way is called a DOUBLE PLAY – where you match a sales

price with a coupon. The second way, which is better than a double play, is a TRIPLE PLAY – this is where you use a coupon at a store that doubles the coupon and the product is on sale. However, realize that the very best you can ever do, is called a QUADRUPLE PLAY. The Quadruple play is where you use a coupon, on a sales priced item, at a store that will doubled the coupon and there is a rebate for the product or you get a “Catalina” at the register. As an example, Meijer had 3 Musketeer Mind candy bars on sale for 75 cents each, but if you bought 30 of them you would get a free $10 gift card. With simple math, that would mean spending $22.50 out of pocket for 30 of those candy bars – getting $10 back. But I had 22 coupons in my binder for $1 off any Mars candy bar, and a whole bunch more I hadn’t cut out of the flyers yet at home! WHAT A STEAL! My fantastic find got me 30 candy bars for $22.50, minus 22 coupons for $1 each – or 50 cents out of pocket. And I qualified for the $10 gift card, so 30 candy bars cost me NEGATIVE $9.50. That simply wasn’t enough for me – the next day I returned with more coupons and did the deal several more times. The candy ended up going for Halloween. For more information or to learn how to coupon to save your money for your next vacation, feel free to contact Lorrie at lmayzlin@my.monroeccc.edu

Josh Zarza becomes MCCC’s unofficial DJ, work pleases students CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Needing help with getting started with the equipment, Josh could only think of one person, his mom Karen Zarza. “Helping Josh with the cost of the equipment was a hard decision. I did have reservations because that money could have been used toward his education. Then I realized that part of his education is his life experiences,” Karen said. This life experience was one that took Karen a while to get used to. “I was happy and I tried to be supportive, although, I don’t really like him being out until 3 or 4 a.m.,” she said. Zarza also has done things with the community college. Hanging out in The Cellar was how he got to be part of the Student Government. “It is not what you know, it is who you

know,” Zarza said. When students realized that he knew how to spin, he was asked to spin at a couple events at the college. “First, it was the black light party, the Welcome Back BBQ, and then it eventually leads to the Halloween Bash,” he said. The Halloween Bash was the recent event that Zarza has performed at where the crowd heard his mixture of Halloween songs with everyday hits. It is without a doubt that Zarza has made fans at the college. Kristopher Lampson had nothing but praise. “He is a great DJ, hands down,” Lampson said. Another student who attended the event, Klarissa LaFlure, also enjoyed his performance. “His performance at the bash was great,”

LaFlure said. Dylan Jobin, Zarza’s best friend, has been at an event Josh has performed at for moral support. “I love watching him work and I can really tell he loves it, too,” Jobin said. The feeling of making a party successful is something Zarzah enjoys, and it is one of the many things that keep him wanting to pursue more events. “Before I started deejaying, I wasn’t as comfortable meeting new people and now it is something I have to do,” Zarza said. With Zarza, it doesn’t matter how many people he plays for. He enjoys giving people a great time to remember, with music that gives it a memory. “I’d rather play for an event of 50 who love the music than play for a room full of 2,000 who don’t care for the music,” Zarza said.

photo by Mandi Davis

Josh Zarza (left) and Student Government president Travis Durkin (right) examine playlists during the Halloween Bash.

January 30, 2012

features

mcccagora.com • The Agora

|7

Unemployment on MCCC’s mind

Political issues conference reveals student concerns David Topolewski Agora Staff

Students at MCCC and across the state agree that unemployment is the most important political concern. More than 600 students who attended the Michigan Student Political Issues convention ranked unemployment as their biggest concern. The convention, held at Henry Ford Community College, included 21 MCCC students led by Dr. Joanna Sabo, professor of political science. According to Sabo, the 21 MCCC students also agreed that the most important issue was unemployment. Sabo added, however, that students also were concerned about U.S. soldiers and overseas wars. “They also wanted to see the troops come home,” she said. Unemployment, however, was the big concern. “We need jobs,” Matt Fhanestock said. Fahnestock, who lives in Carleton, said he thinks it will be tough to get America going again without jobs. “If we don’t have jobs, people can’t buy things; if people don’t buy things, business suffers. If business suffers, then America suffers,” he said. According to Michigan’s official website, the state’s current unemployment rate is 9.3 percent, almost 1 percent higher than the 8.5 percent rate of the entire country. Gay marriage also was rated as an important issue by the students who attended the convention, but some MCCC

students did not agree. “I don’t think gay marriage should be an issue,” Molley Kellie said. Kevin Barron acknowledged gas prices as a major political issue but also stated his view on gay rights. “I’d say gas prices, but restrictions on gay rights are also important to me,” he said. Currently in Michigan, Gov. Rick Snyder and the Republican majority in the legislature support a ban on gay marriage. Ten years after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, terrorism tied for the 13th spot of 23 issues voted on at the political convention. MCCC student Dustin Morrison said he thinks we must stay on the offensive against terrorism. “People have to understand they are our enemy, period,” he said. Also at 13 on the list was the move to lower the drinking age. MCCC students found this to be unncessary. “The fact the drinking age is an issue is a little silly,” said Juliana Prine. “Of all the other issues, it seems unimportant.” Despite the many diverse political issues at the convention, unemployment was the reoccurring theme. “Unemployment, I’m worried about it for when I graduate, “ MCCC student Branden Berns said. Students also listened to a list of politicians speak. Former congressman Bart Stupak gave the keynote, followed by long-time congressman John Dingell. Sabo said listening to Dingell speak is a real opportunity.

photo courtesy of Joanna Sabo

Joanna Sabo, professor of political science, took several MCCC students to the Michigan Student Political issues conference at Henry Ford Community College. Students listened to politicians such as John Dingell and attended workshops.

“You got to see someone who sits down to speak with President Obama on a daily basis,” she said. After hearing several speakers, Sabo

did confess the students lost enthusiasm. “The more politicians that got up and spoke, the more students lost interest,” she said.

She does believe that it is a worthy experience for the students. “I would take students again - it’s that valuable,” she said.

MACRAO offers chance to minimize cost of transferring Taylor Pinson Agora Staff

A recent study shows that the most major Michigan universities are over-priced. Twelve of the fifteen public universities in Michigan cost more than the national average for similarly ranked schools, according to a recent analysis by Bridge Magazine. The three schools that aren’t currently above the average are U of M’s Flint and Dearborn branches, and Wayne State. Grand Valley State was the highest above the average cost, coming in at nearly $6000 per year above the median for it’s group. U of M’s Ann Arbor branch came in about $4000 higher per year than it’s median. EMU was about $2000 per year above its. One way potential students can reduce the amount of money they pay for their

education is to take advantage of something called the MACRAO Transfer Agreement. MACRAO stands for Michigan Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers. The MACRAO Transfer Agreement is a program that allows students at community colleges to transfer up to 30 semester credit hours towards general education requirements at a fouryear college. The agreement was signed in 1972. More than 50 Michigan colleges participate in the MACRAO Transfer Agreement. “It’s a big benefit for students,” said Mark Hall, MCCC’s Director of Admissions and Guidance Services. “Getting the MACRAO stamp on their transcripts is a tremendous advantage.” The agreement allows students to go to a more affordable community college and take many of the lower-level classes

that are required by four-year institutions, and transfer those credit hours to meet the general education requirements of the four-year school the student intends to go to. “It’s a big deal for a transfer student,” said Hall. “This is a well-rounded general education curriculum.” Students interested in meeting the requirements for MACRAO are required to take six credit hours of english composition, eight credit hours of social science courses, and eight hours of humanities courses, and a combined eight credit hours of math and science classes, which must include a course with a laboratory. Students interested in the program should talk to their MCCC college advisor about which classes to take. Additional information about the MACRAO Transfer Agreement can be found at on the college’s website.

photo by Taylor Pinson

Eastern Michigan and Siena Heights University, both of which have programs through MCCC, utulize the MACRAO. Amy Westover, pictured above, works in the Eastern office on campus.

A Look Around Campus

Upper Left: Professor Joanna Sabo and the International Studies Club visited the Arab marketplace in Dearborn, where students were able to try ethnic foods and embark on a shopping trip.

Above: Professor Patrick Nedry’s Quality Management class had a tour of the Spartan Steel Coatings plant in Frenchtown Township. The tourr offered students interested in the field a hands-on look.

Left: Students and faculty were given the opportunity to donate blood at Student Government’s blood drive. The drive was held in honor of Nathan Hayes, an MCCC student who suffered liver problems earlier this year.

A &E rts

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January 30 2012

ntertainment mcccagora.com • The Agora

Standing ovations greet “Sister Mary” Lorrie Mayzlin Agora Staff

As soon as Sister Mary arrived on stage, the crowd was reprimanded for not greeting the sister appropriately. True to form for Catholics reminiscing back to grade school, the entire theater responded with, “Good morning, Sister.” Her reply? “I don’t know about you people, but it’s 7:30 at night here.” The Late Nite Catechism 3 played to a sold out show of more than 600 on Friday, Jan. 27. Sister Mary had fun picking on the crowd for being tardy to class, chewing gum in class, and of course talking on a cell phone while sitting in the front row. She picked out married couples as her first victims, and narrowed it down to two couples who had each been married 61 years. As she questioned their length of marriage, secrets to success, religions and how many children and descendents they had, she handed out Miraculous Medals and prayer cards. One couple, Ralph and Jean Setzler of LaSalle, received Miraculous Medals and a statue of Mary because they have six sons, 17 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. Their daughter-in-law, Heidi Setzler, attends MCCC as a nursing student. Ralph and Jean became stars of the show as they were called upon several times to participate on stage. “This show is such good en-

Agora Photos by Michelle Dangler and Lorrie Mayzlin

Top Left: Sister Mary offers nstructions; Bottom left: Sister with Brandon Marie, an audience member who was banished to the forgiveness chair at the back of the state; Above: Sister at her podium.

tertainment,” Jean said. “I don’t mind being called to stand up.” Sister was quick to remind the crowd that back in the day, nuns would have jars on their desk with red crosses on them, and students were able to give what change they had to buy a pagan baby. In those days, when the class would reach $5, they met their class goal and money would be sent to a mission in a far-away country to baptize a pagan baby to

be raised in the Catholic faith. A guest who came in late for class, was told to put $1 into the jar for pagan babies. Because the guest only had $5, Sister was ecstatic that a baby could be purchased with just the one donation. Each person who stood up in the audience was asked about their middle name. As one gentleman approached the stage to move the podium for Sister, she asked his name.

“Sister, my name is Brandon,” he said. Sister then asked his middle name, and he responded: “Marie. Sister, my middle name is Marie.” The crowd roared with laughter, and Sister punished Brandon Marie for getting smart. He was sent to the back wall of the stage and required to sit in the forgiveness chair, facing the wall, until he felt forgiven.

Sister had many funny quips regarding various orders of nuns in the Catholic faith. For the Felician Sisters (motherhouse in Livonia), who are a predominately Polish order of nuns, her salute was “Daj mi buziaka i da mi piwo,” which translates into “Give me a kiss and give me beer.” For the Irish-oriented Dominican Nuns, Sister said that when they get old, they get Irish Alzheimer’s, which means they for-

February Blues celebrates 25th Miles Lark Agora Staff

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Monroe County Library’s Black History Months Blues Series. The library system will present 10 different blues shows around the county at different library branches throughout the month. Every musician who will play is an alumnus of the series. The gem of the series, The Big Gig, will take place Feb. 25 at Monroe County Community College’s Meyer Theater. The series will begin on Jan. 31 at the Ellis Branch Library. Big Gig emcee Rev. Robert B. Jones, Ann Arbor harmonica king Peter “Mad Cat” Ruth, and series creator, Tim McGorey, will reveal stories on the series, video of the series and of course some music. The show will begin at 7 p.m. The second show will be held at the Carlton Library at 7 p.m. on Feb. 7. Blues man and entertainer Samuel James will regale the crowd with dynamic musicianship, compelling story telling and songwriting. The third show will be on Valentines Day, Tuesday Feb. 14, in downtown Monroe at the Dorsch Memorial Library. Local Ann Arbor singer/songwriters/guitarists Shari Kane and Big Dan Steele and Lansing singer/songwriter Rachel Davis team up for a night of songs and stories about love and heartbreak. The following days it’s Moozapalooza at Ellis Library. Nashville based singer songwriter Farmer Jason will sing children ‘s songs about his wild and crazy life down on the farm. Included are songs like “Punk Rock Skunk, and Moose on the Loose.” The following morning, Farmer Jason will play Bluesapalooza, a show that many of the county’s youth will attend at the Meyer Theater. The following day, on Thursday Feb. 16, guitarist Johnnie Bassett and vocalist Alberta Adams, the “king and queen of Detroit Blues,” will perform together. They will play at the spot where the se-

get everything except grudges. When it came time to pick on Monroe’s order, the IHM (Immaculate Heart of Mary), she referred to them as the, “I Hate Men” order. Ilene Kazensky, liturgist at St Anne’s Catholic Church, appreciated the humor. “This is such a fantastic show, and that just shows that we Catholics have a sense of humor. Sister is quick witted, sounds just like the nuns we had in school back then, and I liked the audience participation.” Kazensky graced the stage to help Sister with a game called Compatibility, which pitted two couples against one another, as Sister’s “Vanna White.” Ilene played the part well, strutting hands on hips while announced the scores to the crowd throughout the game. According to Sister Mary, Episcopalians are just Catholics with money, and Lutherans are considered Catholic Light. Former MCCC President Ron Campbell, who attended the show, announced that he was a “Lutherist,” which is a combination of Lutheran and Methodist. Sister Mary announced that there is a phone app available to help Catholics in the confessional so they don’t forget the sins they have committed during the week. Sister Mary was portrayed by Mary Zentmyer, a Catholic who was born and raised in Chicago. Zentmyer played Sister Berthe in The Sound of Music and holds several degrees.

MCCC prof featured in art show By Miles Lark Agora Staff

The Rev. Robert B. Jones will emcee the Big Gig on Feb. 25. Here he’s show performing at MCCC in 2010.

Agora photos by Ashley LeTourneau

Johnnie Bassett is one of the many alums of past Monroe Blues Series performers. Here he’s show performing at the Meyer Theater in 2010.

ries began 25 years ago in 1988. The show will start at 7 pm at the Navarre Library. The following Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m., Bedford Library will host blues and boogie woogie piano player Mark “Mr.B” Braun. The Michigan native has played with mu-

sicians such as John Hammond and Duke Robilard. He has been featured on such shows as “All Songs Considered” and “Mountain Stage.” On Saturday Feb. 25, the gem of the series will held at the Meyer Theater. The Big

Gig will feature the who’s who of the last 25 years of the series. Rev. Robert B. Jones will emcee the show, and also will perform. He will be followed by Ann Arbor Harmonica king Peter “Mad Cat” Ruth, Muddy Waters guitarist Bob Margolin, Blues Series favorite Ann Rabson, mandolin master Rich Delgrosso, boogie woogie piano player Daryl Davis, Detroit blues singer Thoretta Davis, Ann Arbor rockers George Bedard and the Kingpins, and drummer Mike Shimmin. The show will start at 7, and there will be an intermission. The last show will take place where the month began, at Ellis Library on the last Tuesday of the month, at 7 p.m. Feb. 28. This last show will be a memorial for a blues series great, Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong. His son, Ralphe Armstrong, guitarist Kalamay with multi-instrumentalist John Reynolds and special guest Rich Delgrosso, will celebrate his life and his musical career.

Texas Gov. Perry is fed up with Washington David Topolewski Agora Staff

Rick Perry is fed up. The Texas Governor lays out exactly who and what he is fed up with in his book, “FED UP! Our Fight to Save America from Washington.” “Now, do not misunderstand me, America is great,” writes Perry. The governor goes after Washington, D.C., and expresses his feelings about the abysmal job Republicans and Democrats both have done. Perry, a Republican, calls out the mistakes of members in both parties, including his friend, former President George W. Bush. He dismisses the fact that he decided to write FED UP! because he seeks higher office. Rather he wrote the book because he be-

Review lieves America is great, “but also America is in trouble.” The governor designates his second chapter to explain why states matter. He simply states “Americans want to live free.” Numerous times he defends his stance on states’ rights with excerpts from the Federalist Papers. States allow us to live with people of like mind, which he explains in a personal story. “Texans, on the other hand, elect folks like me. You know the type, the kind of guy who goes jogging in the morning, packing a Ruger .380 with laser sights and loaded with hollowpoint bullets, and shoots a coyote that is threatening his daughter’s dog,” he writes. Washington is bankrupting the country, the

governor says. He puts numbers on the page explaining “Runaway Entitlement Spending” and “A Culture of Reckless Spending.” Federal interventions in health care and education have helped Washington expand its power, he says. In his criticism of the federal health care overhaul, Gov. Perry pokes fun at Nancy Pelosi’s statement that they have to pass the bill so they can find out what is in it. As governor of a border state, Perry attacks the federal government’s inability to secure the nation’s borders. He shares stories of illegal immigrants committing crimes, describing numerous murders. Gov. Rick Perry has been quoted saying, “I do not believe Washington needs a new coat of paint. It needs a complete overhaul,” and in “Fed Up!” Perry makes the argument that Washington is the problem and only an overhaul will fix it.

An MCCC professor will be featured in Monroe Magazines Artist Showcase next weekend in the IHM Motherhouse Ballroom. Art professor Gary Wilson will be one of 14 artists at the showcase Feb. 3-5. This is Wilson’s second year at the event. He plans to show 50-60 of his own ceramics. Many of his pieces are both functional decorative cups and biblical themes. The thirteen other artists and studios who will be featured include: Blue Turtle Studios, Mary Gaynier, Patti Kerr, David Larkins, Christy LaRoy, Laura Lemke, Jiro J. Masuda, Sylvia Pixley, Catherine Rehbien, Kim Phoney, Laurie Sharkus, Nancy Lee Smith and Richard Sowa. All of the artwork and items from local businesses will be sold off in a silent auction, with 25 percent of the profits going to the River Rasins Centre for the Arts. Two different events will take place at the IHM Motherhouse Ballroom. The first will be on Friday, Feb. 3, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Reservations will be needed and it will cost $35 a person. The second event will also take place at the IHM Motherhouse Ballroom. It will be a free event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4. Professor Wilson’s art has been featured in Monroe Magazine in the past. He has handpicked four MCCC students to also be featured in the event. Erika Van Kark, Laura Strimel and Kaitlyn Bereczky are all ceramicists, and Nick Wilson is a painter. Wilson has been making art work since he was a teenager. “I was failing out of Spanish when I was in high school so I dropped the class, and I took illustration in its place,” he said. “I first took it because the class was full of girls, and I was a teenage boy. After I started it, I figured out that I was good at it.”

arts & entertainment

January 30, 2012

Software you can chose for mixing beats

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Two and a Half Comics bring smiles to crowd

Michael Mayzlin Music columnist

With the emergence and availability of advanced music-making and DJ software, even an amateur musician or DJ can practice their craft in a comfort of their own home. Some of the more advanced programs may not be financially affordable to a regular college student, but there are cheaper alternatives. Virtual DJ 7 ($299 at www.virtualdj. com) is a full-featured, professional DJ/VJ (Video Jockey) bundle that for starters requires nothing more than a laptop and a pair of speakers. Virtual mixing decks, a mixer and the rest of bells and whistles are easy to control with a click of a mouse. Virtual DJ supports MP3 songs and flash videos. Beat matching feature assists perfectly in creating a seamless mix. This program also gives you an advance capability to use an external USB controller. For amateur musicians who are thinking about simply connecting a keyboard or a guitar to a computer, there is Audacity (free at www.audacity.com). Audacity is a linear audio editor that is also capable of capturing sound coming in through your computer’s USB port. If your instrument has USB capabilities, you can simply plug it into your computer and start playing. This free software option is perfect if you’re not looking to do any kind of advance recording with a band. Audacity works great though for simple sound capturing. My favorite advanced music-making software is Propellerhead Reason ($449 at www.propellerheads.se). This incredible program will allow you to create complete musical masterpieces with or without any physical instruments. Composing with Reason is like spending time in a multi-million dollar recording studio where everything you need is available to you. In Reason, you build your virtual music rack out of dozen of available virtual instruments and effect panels that include synthesizers, drum machines, delay/reverb panels, a distortion processor, and mixing/mastering just to name a few. There is a capability to virtually rewire the entire rack to produce personalized touches in your composition. Thousands of sounds are included and ready to be played and tweaked in your virtual instrument rack. Music editing and recording is linear, which makes for a straight forward and simple operation. I wrote a few compositions using Reason and I have to say that the results are outstanding. Fruity Loops Studio ($99 at www. image-line.com) is another favorite full-featured music-making program along with Garage Band which is normally already included with a purchase of a Mac. The options a limitless to what you can do when you combine the power of a PC with an instrument that you can already play. All you need is about 10 songs and from there, it is a short

mcccagora.com • The Agora

Comedians Bart Rocket and Scott Wood and Bart’s little buddy Woodie – Two-and-a-half Comics – performed Jan. 13 in the Meyer Theater. When five people came into the theater late, Rocket grabbed the microphone and called out, “Come on in! Can I get you anything… like a watch!” That pretty much set the pace for the whole show. Later, Rocket pulled out Woodie and his half-pint friend offered a statement on how his girlfriend’s teeth are just like stars. “They come out at night,” Woodie said. The show was a family event for all ages. At one point, Bart took a piece of paper, used his oragamic skills and folded it into a wonderful paper rose. He then pulled a 9-year-old girl from the audience – Monroe resident Lauren Swallow - and lit the paper flower on fire, right before her eyes. What was left was a genuine, dewy, real-life red rose, which became a gift for Lauren to take home. Later, when asked if she was nervous, Lauren replied, “a little bit.” When asked about her favorite part of the show, her face lit up and she replied, “My rose!” Wood finished off the show with his western mannerisms and enough panache to impress the audience. Wood’s resume is extensive, including work for Disney, Pixar and Wii games, as well as voice impersonations of Barrack Obama, John Travolta, and Nicholas Cage.

Story by Robin Lawson Photo by Lorrie Mayzlin

Fallen Empires lacks the lyrical tune it needs Nicki Kostrzewa Agora Staff

Snow Patrol’s latest album, Fallen Empires, currently sits as the third most popular album in the United States — something that should shock us all. Usually alternative rock music done by bands is highly popular with fans because it offers so much more compared to a regular, single genre. Alternative music allows bands to mix multiple forms of music together; this in turn peeks

every hard core music lover’s interests. Snow Patrol was formed back in 1994 at the University of Dundee. The band now resides in Bangor, Ireland where they record their music and enjoy their ever growing lives. Members of the band go to include Gary Lightbody (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Nathan Connolly (lead guitar/backing vocals), Paul Wilson (bass guitar/backing vocals), Jonny Quinn (drums/percussion), and Tome Simpson (keyboards/samples).

Now, like with every band, there are a few good things to say about Snow Patrol. One being that some of their instrumen-

tal work and their lyrics go well together; they also incorporated a bit of a blues and country sound into a few of their songs as well. They also seemed to experiment with some techno, which when done for the first time, can come out bad but Snow Patrol did an okay job at it. Now here comes the part where ill things start being said, in this case some really ill things. A good portion of the songs on this album didn’t flow at all; the lyrics and the instrumental work following behind it were just all

atrocious. Then there were some points were the vocals were just too much; they tried explaining too much with their words what this song was about, drowning out all the background music. The rest of the complaints are just to the fact that the songs were poorly done. They didn’t flow, they didn’t sound right, anything that makes a song a band one, could be said for a great chunk of this album. To simply put it this album gets a 3 out of 10, and even that is pushing it.

ture The Weekend. Nicki Minaj helps Drake out with giving the album its second single, “Make Me Proud.” Together the two make this song stand out with the lyrical and beat relationship that even makes it seem that the album is who Drake is proud of. On the deluxe version is where you can find the third single, “The Motto,” that features Lil’ Wayne. Containg elements that Drake helped with in Wayne’s

“She Will,” this one helps end the album. Drake named the album “Take Care” after having production for the album taking close to a year. With the time spent on it, it made number two spot on the Top 50 albums of 2011. Overall, this album has a great musical and lyrical flow that isn’t so noticeable in “Thank Me Later,” giving this album a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Take Care is better than Thank Me Later Mandi Davis Agora Staff

Taking more time was something that Drake definitely made noticeable in his second studio album, “Take Care”. Drake’s second album was released on Nov. 15. It was one of the highly anticipated albums of 2011. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard charts, selling 631,000 copies within the first week.

“Take Care” is more dark, lowtempo, and senous than “Thank Me Later,” with a mixture of hiphop, electronic, and R&B. It features many artists like Lil’ Wayne, Nicki Minaj, The Weekend, Rihanna, & Rick Ross. “Headlines” was the leading single off the album and had hit the charts with its defining scheme for the album. No song shapes this album like “Headlines” with a beat and flow that most rappers cannot even

get with a perfect transition into the next song, “Crew Love” fea-

2013 Dodge Dart makes triumphant entrance Ted Boss

Agora Staff

With the 2012 International Auto Show in Detroit, there was a lot of hype about a new line from Chrysler - the Dodge Dart made its return. At first I was skeptical because they rebuilt it as a compact sedan. When I saw it with my own eyes, my tune changed. This little car is pretty amazing. With a base price of $15,995, the Dart really appeals to the small-car crowd. The Dart is based off the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, but they look nothing alike. The Dart has an enlarged platform that gives it better handling all around, with a four-inch-longer wheelbase and a slightly wider track. I like this cars aggressive stance. There will be three drivetrain options: a 2.0-liter Tigershark inline-four producing 160 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque, and a 1.4-liter turbocharged MultiAir four cylinder

with 160 horses and 184 lb.-ft. of torque in which I believe will be the most fuel efficient engine of the three. The Transmissions at launch will be the six speeds: one manual, one automatic and a dualclutch gearbox with the turbo mill. A nine-speed automatic is slated for 2013. There is a really cool seveninch TFT (Thin Film Transistor) display available to take the place of the analog gauges, which is in turn paired up with an 8.4-inch touch screen panel at the center of the dash. The Dart boasts an interior space with a total of 97.2 cubic feet. With 35.3 inches of rear legroom, it has more than some mid-size cars. Buyers looking to customize the Dart will be happy to see 14 available interior and trim variations. Buyers will also be able to choose from 150 accessories that range from an integrated Wi-Fi system to aerodynamic add-ons.

Chrysler says that the Dart will feature the first wireless charging station for phones and other battery-powered gizmos. Just install a device-specific case and lay the item in the charging zone. The battery gets topped off without having to plug in wires. The Dart will make Chrysler very competitive in the C-Class of cars this year - somewhere they have not been since the Neon was in production. As for fuel economy, this is one of the most exciting things for me, boasts a whopping 40 milesper-gallon. The 2013 Dart will be available in SE, SXT, Rally, Limited and R/T styles. It will also have the full-LED wraparound tail lights available, like the Charger. The 2013 Dodge Dart is scheduled to hit dealerships this summer, I just wish now that I had the money to purchase one 2013 Dogde Dart was on display at the 2012 North American International Auto Show of these gems.

Photo by Chris Mehki

sports mcccagora.com • The Agora

January 30 2012

10 Basketball league adds athletic diversity to MCCC Tyler Rogoff Agora Staff

The MCCC intramural basketball league started again on Jan. 27. Games will be played every Friday for seven weeks. The league is free of charge for all players. Games are refereed by a player from a team not playing in that game. Anybody interested in playing must have attended the first meeting to be eligible. All games will be played on Fridays at 11 a.m. and noon, and players were divided into five teams of eight using the schoolyard selection method. This is the second running of the basketball league. The first league also had five teams and ran for five weeks during fall semester. The Cybersharks won the first running of the league by going undefeated in their games. Nick Jordan captained the Cybersharks. Also on the team were Ian Schubargo, Bryan Spotts, Blaine Whitlow, Josh Thornsberry, John Stahl, and Henry Jones.

photos by Tyler Rogoff

The addition of an intramural basketball league brings oncampus athletic activities to a total of four. The other three are volleyball, bowling and the running club.

Tigers welcome Lions have several needs to fill Prince Fielder Ted Boss

Agora Staff

Tyler Rogoff Agora Staff

First baseman Prince Fielder has signed a 9 year, $124 million contract with the Detroit Tigers. Fielder’s father, Cecil Fielder, played for the Tigers from 1990-1996, and his son would take batting practice at the teams. A young Prince started hitting shots into the upper deck at Tiger Stadium at twelve years old. “At the old ballpark, Cecil, after Tiger games, would come up to the box and bring me food and say ‘thanks a lot’ and he’d sit down and all we’d talk about is Prince, and Prince is gonna do this and Prince is gonna do that,” owner Mike Ilitch said. “Prince started putting it in the upper deck, and I told him you don’t have to come up here anymore and tell me about him.” Fielder, who was born in 1984, spent much of his childhood growing up in Detroit. “It’s awesome, I don’t know what to say, it’s an awesome moment,” said Fielder. “I’m glad I get to be here with my family, one of my sons. It’s awesome, a special day. I can’t wait to get it going.” With Fielder signing to play first base, current first baseman Miguel Cabrera will move to third base, where he played when breaking into the majors with the Florida Marlins. Ca-

Photo Courtesy of Steve Paluch

Newest Tiger: Prince Fielder

brera will look to lose 15-20 pounds to prepare for the transition. Many are skeptical about Cabrera’s move back to third base, though. With Fielder’s reported demand to play first base instead of being a designated hitter, concerns have risen in the event that Cabrera cannot successfully convert back to third base. “Yeah, I mean, I’m a team guy. I’m sure we’ll talk about it. But right now, I’m confident Miguel can do a good job at third base,” Fielder stated when asked about the possibility. Fielder became a viable option for the Tigers to sign when designated hitter Victor Martinez was lost for the season with a torn ACL in offseason training. Martinez is expected to return to his role as the designated hitter next season. It is assumed that Fielder and Cabrera will occasionally fill in the designated hitter slot this season to give them breaks.

With the regular season being a lingering memory, the Detroit Lions have some pressing needs to address before the 2012 season. There are many free agent players available that the Lions could benefit from signing. Let’s start by position. Offensive Guard, Offensive Tackle and Center are all positions of need. All too have current players on the downside of their career. (Over 30) Offensive Guards on the market that the Lions may look at for future employment would be Carl Nicks, G, New Orleans Saints. Nicks is a pro bowler with super bowl experience and would bolster the offensive line greatly. Next Position would be Offensive Tackle. Demetrius Bell. OT, Buffalo Bills, Would be an excellent pick up if the Bills let him slip through the cracks. He is a good pass defender on the blind side

Photo Courtesy of Bill Striffler

Lions taking a huddle to pick their next play

and an even better run blocker off the edge, something that has been a thorn in Detroit’s side for years. The Center position is a place of need in the fact that Rayola is in his thirties and mediocre at best. It would seem though that Detroit would do best in waiting for the draft to address this in that the

free agent market is not stacked well enough to find someone better and younger. Linebacker is a position for the Lions that is in great need of bolstering. If we are able to keep Stephen Tulloch, then we would only need to add Anthony Spencer, OLB, Dallas Cowboys to the

mix to have a solid front 7. As for the back field, I would be absolutely delighted if Schwartz was able to snipe yet another Tennessee player in Cortland Finnegan, CB, Tennessee Titans. He is an outstanding Cornerback and would really tighten up the Lions backfield. As for the draft, there are a few different players I would like to see Detroit address. In the first round, with the 23rd pick overall, I would like to see the Detroit Lions select Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida St. University. He has what it takes to really bolster the left side of the line and help in keeping Matt Stafford healthy. I will have my full Mach Draft in the next issue. In a local turn, nfl.com has Audie Cole, ILB, N.C. State, a player that hails from Monroe, going in the third round to the New York Giants. Wouldn’t that be neat if he could get back home and come to the Lions? I think so.

Wings lead in points at midseason Tyler Rogoff Agora Staff

The Detroit Red Wings have cruised into the all star break with the most points in the NHL. The last two times the Wings led the league in points at the all star break, they went on to win the Stanley Cup. Goaltender Jimmy Howard has been leading the league in wins for the majority of the season, and was the first to thirty wins for the second straight season. The only other goalie to be the first to thirty

wins in consecutive seasons was Martin Brodeur. At the break, Howard has 30 wins to go with 11 losses and one overtime loss. Howard is also tied for second in the league with five shutouts. The Wings balances has been fantastic all season, having the fifth most goals scored a game while allowing the sixth least goals per game. The special teams have been pedestrian though, with the twelfth best power play with an 18.5% success rate, and only have the twenty second best penalty kill, stopping the other team

81.2% of the time. Center Pavel Datsyuk is leading the team with 53 points on the season, averaging a little over a point a game, and is also leading the team in power play points, with 17. Winger Johan Franzen has been a two way force, leading the team in goals with 19 and having the highest plus/minus of any forward on the team with 25. Defenseman Ian White, an offseason addition, has been solid on the blue line, and is tops on the team with a plus/minus rating of

27. White has been the defensive partner of captain Nicklas Lidstrom, the reigning Norris Trophy winner, who has 28 points on the season to go along with a plus/minus of 22. The Red Wings look to be serious Stanley Cup contenders this season, but with an aging team, the window this this current core could be closing. Lidstrom is 41 this year and could retire after this season, while Datsyuk is 33. Franzen, Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall are both on the other side of thirty as well.