11-15-2005

AGORA

VOLUME 48 ISSUE 3

November 15, 2005

MONROE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Required GEMA degree available at MCCC Amanda Lundy Copy Editor A new automotive engine manufacturing plant, recently settled in Dundee, MI, brought new jobs and the call for more Monroe County Community College (MCCC) degrees.

Global Engines Manufacturing Alliance (GEMA) builds lightweight engines which can compete on the highly competitive world market.

“Our vision is to be the most competitive engine builders in the world,” Mark Dunning, Head of Human Resource Management for GEMA, said.

To do this, they require employees who are also competitive, skilled, well educated, and engaged in a team effort.

GEMA has also introduced a new requirement for a manufacturing plant job; each employee needs to hold at least an associate degree.

“We respond to community

Return to learn at MCCC

needs,” Grace Yackee, dean of instruction, said. MCCC is providing a path of study for GEMA employees. To create the type of skilled workforce needed, the General Technology degree, already established in MCCC’s curriculum, can be altered to fit GEMA’s requirements.

“Basically, it is a degree with classes that can be specialized,” Yackee said.

“It’s much more customized for the individual.”

This does not mean that MCCC has created a standardized degree just for GEMA. With the assistance of a counselor, any degree can be custom fitted to the student who seeks out this service.

However, Yackee said that the GEMA requirements will “conceptually find a way into our curriculum.”

To help MCCC meet the demands for this technologically based degree, Dr. Parmeshwar Coomar, new dean of industrial

technology, was hired.

“He was already on the same page as us,” said Yackee.

According to Yackee, it is “easier to move a graveyard than change a university’s curriculum.” Thus, the unique opportunity of a changeable degree in the community college setting is often helpful to corporations with specific training needs.

GEMA has unique work

see “GEMA,” page 7

Late start option now available

Down, set, hike!

Jackie Pacheco

Kelyn Dillon

Editor-in-Chief

Reporter

Beginning in the winter semester, Monroe County Community College (MCCC) will be implementing a “Return to Learn” program that would encourage adults to return to college to obtain a degree.

Jennifer Granholm, governor of Michigan, hopes that this program will make learning adults realize how important it is to continue studies after high school.

“A college degree can be the ticket to a bigger paycheck for our citizens and a stronger economy for our state,” Granholm said.

According to a national survey by the Detroit Free Press, 24% of Americans have a post secondary degree. In Michigan, that number drops to 22%. In Monroe County, only a mere 14% of citizens have a post secondary degree. In addition, another study showed that more then 70% of adults in Monroe County do not have a college degree.

Dr. David Nixon, president of MCCC, believes the program is a great way to jump-start the community.

“This is a great way to increase the quality of living and strengthen the workforce. It’s an initiative to encourage Michiganders who may not have a degree,” Nixon said.

school education would be enough to keep them afloat in the modern workforce.

Nixon feels that much of the responsibility of encouraging high school graduates to further their education lies with the parents.

“There are 90,000 jobs available in Michigan for which people are not qualified and 7% of the Michigan population is unemployed. We want to convince parents of the importance of secondary

School closings for Monroe County Community College (MCCC) are rare.

Typically, there was only one option in case of a Michigan snowstormcancellation. If heavy fog took the county by surprise, students, faculty, and MCCC employees would still brave the conditions and drive to campus. That will all change.

The college has implemented a late start procedure effective now. According to Procedure 2.39 (a) of the MCCC Policies and Procedures handbook,a decision may be made to close the college prior to the start of a college day. When this occurs, the decision may be to close the College for the entire day, or for any portion thereof.

“If, for example, we were on a late start and the announcement was made that the college will open at 10 a.m… that’s exactly what it means,” Grace Yackee, vice president of instruction, said.

Dr. David Nixon, president of MCCC, first suggested the idea to the Board of Trustees. The Board implemented the procedure in February of 2005.

“We wanted to make it a little more flexible, so we could do a late start that

see “learn,” page 7

see “weather,” page 7

Agora photo by ALLISON FLESZAR

Faculty members (l-r) Wayne Bezeau, Steve Mapes, Joe Verkennes and Dave Nixon line up against students Katie Hammond and Seth Burson during the student vs. staff flag football match. The staff won the game, which took place last Friday.

However, a common problem is that some adults just do not believe that a college education would be useful. This attitude is carrying on to their children as well, showing that some parents of high school children just do not believe that any sort of college education would be valuable to their child later in life.

Another survey done by the Michigan Parents Culture of Education states that only 27% of parents believe a good education is essential for getting ahead in life. Also, another survey showed that 54% of parents believed their child’s high

Opinion 2 Inside: Bird flu Is the U.S. prepared for a deadly epidemic? (2)

Campus News 3

A&E 6

Feel like parachuting?

Detroit Basketball

If you are an unmarried woman in Florida, it may be harder than you think. (4)

Get the latest on your favorite 2004 NBA champs in a midseason overview by reporter Gary Knox. (6)

In for the long haul Professor Randy Daniels worked his way from the bottom up to become one of the most respected and dedicated men on campus. (3)

Feature 4-5

Energy drinks You may not be the only one dealing with the addiction of the popular drinks. (5)

Spotlight 8

Toledo Symphony Check out pictures from the highly anticipated performance of the Toledo Symphony. (8)

2

Opinion

Agora

November 15, 2005

Tinsel town college is it really a reality?

Linda Whiteside Copy Editor

Agora photo courtesy of WWW.CBSNEWS.COM

Many chickens in China are burned in large pits to fight off the bird flu.

U.S. unprepared for bird flu Matthew Pruitt Page Editor Is the bird flu pandemic (H5N1 avian virus) capable of hitting the shores of the United States? According to a press statement given by President Bush on Tuesday, yes it is. “[I am] very concerned about what an avian flu outbreak could mean for the United States,” said the president at a press conference.

The bird flu has been a huge problem in the Eastern nations.

The nations have slaughtered millions upon millions of birds to try and prevent further out-

breaks, but the death toll continues to rise as 64 people in Asia are now dead.

If infected with the flu, the death to survival rate is 50 percent.

The United Nations has warned that the pandemic could kill between 5 million and 150 million people worldwide.

Upon receiving this information, the president put forth a new bird flu plan on Tuesday that costs $7 billion. Even with this amount of money, only 20 million would be able to get vaccinated if infected.

“I am very scared about the bird flu and the potential lack of

vaccines,” Chad Chinavare, MCCC student, said.

The bird flu is very real and could definitely make its way to the United States. As it is now, we are very ill-equipped, and if it happened to make its way here in the next few months, it could mean complete devastation. As of now, the only way to be infected with the avian flu is to come in contact with a bird that has it.

However, it’s only a matter of time before the flu mutates and humans can pass it on to other humans. This is when the possibility of an epidemic becomes very, very realistic.

Have you ever wondered how the movie industry characterizes the traditional college age adult? Is the image of college kids improved by movies or tarnished? Hollywood’s portrayal of young adults can range from silly to violent.

“Animal House” is well known for the pranks and rebellious attitude of its college fraternity members. Does this serve as a stereotype?

“It (Hollywood) stereotypes us as drinking and partying all the time, having sex with as many girls as possible. It’s like we don’t think of anything else,” Ryan Close, MCCC student, said.

Yet movies like “Good Will Hunting” show young adults in a more realistic light. The main character is a man in his twenties who end up hurting those around him because of frustration and guilt. His best friend and girlfriend are both in the nineteen to twenty-five year age ranges as well.

But there are also films that show young adults as extremely

Copy Editor On October 15, 2005, my hometown of Toledo, Ohio did

Socialist Movement (NSM), had a march planned in a predominately minority North Toledo area. Their goal: to protest black gang members who were ha-

Agora photo courtesy of J.D. POOLEY AP

Authorities step in when the riots spin out of control.

what we do best and embarrassed ourselves for the whole nation to point and laugh. The neo-Nazi group, The National

rassing white residents. The march was cancelled due to heavy protesting from residents.

The protestors then took advan-

tage of a tense situation and started a riot that lasted all day and led to the destruction of thousands of dollars worth of property, including a fire at Jim and Lou’s Bar on Mulberry St. My first problem with this situation is with the neo-Nazis.

Aside from the obvious racial stigma that comes with being a Nazi, Nazism has been a dying fad since April 1945. Even before that amongst party members who were more than willing to betray further when the chips were down. Secondly, the white residents who the NSM was claiming to be marching

see “riots,” page 7

The Agora Editorial Policy The Agora is published by the students of Monroe County Community College, 1555 South Raisinville Road, Monroe, Michigan, 48161. The editorial office is located in 202 of the Life Science Building, (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, the Community College Journalism Association, College Media Advisers, Associated Collegiate Press, and the Student Press Law Center.

Mark Bergmooser, Adviser

see “tinsel,” page 7

Don’t hate, renovate!

Riots create loss of pride Jared Hawkins

violent. Leonardo DiCaprio’s “Romeo and Juliet” sought to fit Shakespeare’s tale to modern settings. Young men are portrayed as killers and drug addicts. While the story line requires violence, it also further entrenches the stereotypical teen gang member. On the other hand, there are movies like Reese Witherspoon’s “Legally Blonde” that focus exclusively on Harvard law students. The prestigious college is far removed from gang warfare in L.A. But is focusing on rich college kids accurate?

“Shows like O.C. show the rich kids with button up shirts.

In real life, not everyone can afford button up shirts…You don’t see the kid struggling to buy lunch or the kid who got kicked out because he wrecked his mom’s car,” said Ronnie Riggar, MCCC student. Stereotyping can also extend to youth bands.

“People in bands are always joking about pot. I belong to a band. We don’t have long hair or do drugs. I don’t think it should be a bunch of old guys writing about being

Ashley Braden Assistant Editor I always hear it from my parents: “When I was young, Monroe was a cool place to hang out.”

Learning that from them only poses one question from me; what the heck happened?

Don’t get me wrong; growing up in Monroe has been a pleasant experience. For the most part, the people are friendly. It’s a generally quiet, safe place to live. And I know, what more could one want than a Meijer open 24 hours a day?

But honestly, folks. Unless you’re a senior citizen with a smokin’ Wednesday night card game or a child whose energy can be drained out on Munson Park’s Playscape, you’re pretty much out of luck when it comes to entertainment in this town.

Sure, I like going to the coffee shop to grab a carmello cappuccino (which is deelish, by the way) and it’s always great to troll Wal-Mart for the rollback prices. However, it gets a little old after awhile.

Most of the time, I end up in Toledo or Southgate on the weekends. That’s fine every now and then, but with gas prices as high as they are, it’s discouraging to run down a quarter of a tank of fuel just to see a five-dollar concert or walk around a decent mall.

Monroe has the potential to be completely happening. It seems to me like there is space all over the county that could be utilized.

What has become of the old Fox club? Why not turn it into a concert venue? Monroe County Community College (MCCC) is a huge school. I’m sure there would be quite a few students interested in going to shows locally.

Or how about the merchant buildings at the fair grounds? I bet they would make some wicked places to dance at.

And for all those empty spaces at the Horizon Outlet Mall… why not turn one of

see “renovate,” page 7

November 15, 2005

Campus News

3

Gaming: not just for fun now

Students wait for classes Linda Whiteside Copy Editor Beginning winter semester 2006, Monroe County Community College (MCCC) will start instituting a new wait listing program.

The hope is to alleviate the burden caused by classes filled to capacity.

“Each semester we have several hundred requests from students to get into closed classes,” said Paul Schmidt, Registrar.

“The computer system had a wait list program before but it was very cumbersome and difficult for students to use and we didn’t implement it because we thought it’d be pretty confusing.

The recent improvement, though, that the company has made makes it a very nice system.”

The college is spending a week working out any bugs that may be in the system.

The software used for the wait list is called Colleague. The company, who makes it, Datatel, provides administrative software to seven hundred colleges and universities in across the country.

“We are among the first in Michigan to start using the wait list software,” said Schmidt.

Grace Yackee, vice president of instruction presented the wait listing program at a division meeting.

“It’s not easy for a faculty person to say no, I can’t sign you into a class. Or yes, I can sign you in because you need to graduate,” said Yackee. “To some degree it takes the pressure off of them to be the one who has to make the decision.”

The wait list program will also make it easier for teachers to fill vacant spots in classes.

“I don’t think the wait list will directly affect me, as an instructor,” said Tracey Kling, MCCC professor. “I think it will help students get into classes that their interested in taking. And it will help insure that our sections are full and our classes are full.”

Students can put themselves on the waitlist through Web Pal. The college sends any notices of vacant seats through e-mail.

Some of the classes most affected include developmental courses, general education courses and remedial courses like Math 090.

Agora

Jared Hawkins Copy Editor

Agora photo by HEATHER WILSON

That’s one way to attract women...

After attending a meeting, MCCC maintence and support staff taste tested various pies provided by David Pillette of Mascari.

Students inspire vice president From there, he started substitute teaching. EvenCopy Editor tually, he was hired as a Every life has a story; espe- kindergarten teacher. cially the life of a born and raised “As a teacher I always Monroe man moving through col- enjoyed working with parlege dreams to campus VP. ents and kids,” Daniels “This has really been a jour- said. However, during his ney from where I started to where four years of kindergarten I am now. And it’s been fun,” said education, he felt that Randy Daniels, new vice presi- yearning for psychology dent of student and information take hold again. He services. earned his masters at During the early years of col- Eastern Michigan Univerlege, Daniels intended to go into sity and began his new political science, maybe even law work as a high school school. But as he dove into the guidance counselor, and Agora photo by KRISTINA POPE coursework, specifically psychol- part time counselor for Randy Daniels, vice president of student and information services. ogy, his journey took an unex- MCCC. pected turn. To sum it up, “I fell When the position for in love with human behavior..”

Director of Admissions and Guid- job, and my new responsibilities,” Most college students need to ance became available, Daniels’ said Daniels. Finding a replacework through school, Daniels in- journey made a permanent move ment for his old position is among cluded. As he earned his BA in onto campus. For 10 years, he the many tasks he takes on daily. psychology from the University of was able to work closely with stuHowever, the journey from kinToledo, he worked as a high dents and a staff. dergarten teacher to vice presischool football and baseball coach.

When Lonnie Brunswick, dent of student and information Then one day someone said, “Hey, former vice president of student services has not stopped yet.

“I’m an educator. That’s what I do. I’m just a teacher at heart,” he said. With a dream for the future, Daniels is currently working Randy Daniels, vice president of student and on his doctorate, hoping to one day teach a psychology class at information services MCCC. you’re really good with the kids. and information services, anThough his new position may You should try teaching.” nounced his retirement, Daniels remove him from daily interaction With those words of advice applied for the job. Now, instead with students, Daniels vows to echoing in his mind, Daniels of a staff of about 10 people, he “never loose contact with stuchanged his path again by earning works with whole divisions. dents. After all, that’s why we’re his teaching certificate for K-9.

“I’ve been getting to learn the here.”

Amanda Lundy

This has really been a journey from where I started to where I am now.

“”

Monroe County Community College’s (MCCC) technology department is answering the call of duty for students interested in video game programming.

Starting the winter semester of 2006, MCCC will offer a CIS 267, Intro. to Game Programming.

“It is going to be a course where we program real video games [using] the latest tools,” Chuck Kelly, associate professor of computer information systems, who is going to be teaching the course, said.

“The course will start assuming that the students know nothing and program 2-D games and by the end, we will be doing 3D games for the final project.”

The course came about as a suggestion of students and faculty, was weighed by an advisory committee headed by Paul Knollman, dean of the business division, and ultimately met the approval of Dr. Grace Yackee, vice president of instruction.

“I encouraged these courses because they are a reflection of the current technology and the job market,” Yackee said.

The job market has shown a surge in the availability of Software Engineers. The US Department of Labor shows that about 281,000 jobs in the field exist as of 2002 and that there will be a 46 percent increase to total 409,000 by 2012. Furthermore they rank Software Engineers in the top quarter of earnings amongst the labor force.

“It is up to the students to decide what game they want to program,” Kelly said. “We won’t specifically teach Roleplaying game or first-person shooter programming or any particular style.”

“I’d like to see the final projects demonstrated publicly,” Kelly said. “If [students] allow, I’d like to post them on the college website.”

The college is also offering Intro. to Computer Security (CIS 216,) starting winter semester 2006, taught by Ron Hong, instructor of computer information systems. They will be covering the basics of computer and network security, encryption, and computer viruses.

4

Feature

Agora

November 15, 2005

Laws of lawlessness lead to laughter Tonya Huffman Photographer People can be arrested for almost anything these days, from disorderly conduct to reckless driving.

“My brother got arrested once for indecent exposure for peeing on the side of a building,” Kim Harmsen, Monroe County Community College (MCCC) student, said.

Many people believe laws can be a nuisance yet others may find laws can save someone’s life. There are hundreds of laws out there, many are commonly known, yet others tend to be less discussed.

“Some friends and I, along

with about 300 others were state of Michigan must ask her husband’s permission if she wishes to cut her hair. watching illegal street racing, and A couple of Michigan’s we all got loitering tickets, but I laws come across more got out of it,” Jason B. Polger, shocking than thought MCCC student, said. provoking. It is legal, yes A few laws in the legal realm legal, for a robber to file a today can cause a few thought provoking moments. One such law suit, if he or she got hurt in your house. Also, any law may entice laughter such as: person over the age of 12 It is illegal to get a fish drunk in may have a license for a the state of Ohio. Something like that makes one wonder, what handgun as long as he or she has not been convicted of a exactly was running through the felony. minds of those who created this Other strange yet law and how does one get a fish drunk exactly? intriguing laws are as Ohio is not the only state that followed: ·California- Sunshine is makes laws of considerable guaranteed to the masses. question. Michigan does not fall Agora photo by TONYA HUFFMAN ·Florida- A special law far behind in the quest for Florida law: if an elephant is tied to a strange laws. A woman in the parking meter, it must be paid for. prohibits unmarried women

from parachuting on Sunday or she shall risk arrest, fine, and/ or jailing. ·Indiana- It is illegal for a liquor store to sell cold soft drinks. ·New York- The penalty for jumping off a building is death. ·Texas- It is illegal to drive without windshield wipers. You don’t need a windshield, but you must have the wipers.

The list of these eccentric laws could go forever and ever just to boggle the minds of those who read them. It seems as though our founding fathers and those who succeeded them did not only contribute laws to arrest; they added a bit of humor to keep laughter in life.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) John Burkardt Web Page Editor It is approaching wintertime and most college students admit that they can occasionally become ‘cranky or ‘moody,’ which for most, is likely caused by too much homework and stress.

Someone may even crave his or her favorite sugary snack once in a while. All this is relatively normal behavior.

That being said, what if this behavior continued on a daily basis for one, two, or three months straight?

What if someone had trouble getting out of bed in the morning, or had problems overeating at certain times in the year on a yearly basis?

may be blame of wintertime blues

The answer may be more than a case of the wintertime blues. These are the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) So what is SAD? According to the National Mental Health Association, SAD is classified as a mood disorder associated with depression episodes that are seasonal in nature.

The major difference between other forms of clinical depression and SAD is that most forms of depression, if left untreated, can last for long periods of time. This is not so with SAD. Most often SAD becomes a problem in the fall and winter

when the days get shorter and the weather gets colder. In the spring and s u m m e r m o n t h s , however, SAD subsides. In this regard, SAD depression can be linked to seasonal allergies.

Women and teenagers are at a higher risk for SAD. SAD is believed to be linked to the secretion of a sleep related hormone called melatonin in the brain’s pineal gland. Melatonin is secreted at

increased levels in the dark and may be the cause of the symptoms of depression linked with SAD. Thus, when the days get shorter and darker there is an increased risk for SAD. Another cause of SAD may be the shift in the human ‘biological clock’ due to the changes in sunlight patterns.

These shifts in circadian rhythms may cause people to be “out of step” with their daily routine.

There is help for SAD sufferers, however. Treatments for SAD include phototherapy or bright light therapy, where, according to mentalhealth.com, light boxes of lights visors shine ‘natural’ light into the retina.

SAD sufferers seem to respond well to treatment in the short term, but scientists have relatively little idea of how light therapy affects people long term.

Antidepressants are also available as another form of treatment. Scientists are testing to see whether drugs and light therapy combined help in relieving symptoms more than they would if used separately.

Smile a smidgen: students, staff share stories “It started when my friends chuckle is the number of and I were heading home from “deaths” in the family that occur Photographer a night of dancing and decided when a test comes around.

Have you ever heard the to go through a Taco Bell drive William McCloskey, saying “laughter is the professor of best medicine?”

English, agreed Well, it really is. In with Dr. fact, according to a Mohney and medical study done by a said he always University in California, laughs around laughter does more than the time hunting hurt your stomach or season starts almost bring you to and half of the tears. male students in Laughter reduces his classes all stress hormones, relaxes “become ill.” muscles, enhances There is an Agora photo courtesy of WWW.ASANA.NET immune system, reduces article at pain, and helps with www.dbooth.net blood pressure, respiration and thru for dinner. Well we pulled called “248 ways to annoy other things. up to the window and our friend people.” The article included Many students and Broc said ‘Hi, this order is to these top ten ways to irritate professors at Monroe County go,‘” said Shawn O’Neil, MCCC those around you: Community College (MCCC) student.

1: Leave your turn signal on for shared stories of what makes Dr. Ken Mohney, assistant fifty miles. 2. Reply to them laugh to let others know professor of Anthropology, said everything someone says with what makes them smile. something that really makes him “that’s what YOU think.” 3.

Allison Fleszar

Decline to be seated at a restaurant, and simply eat their complimentary mints by the cash register. 4. Deliberately hum songs that will remain lodged in co-workers brains, such as “Feliz Navidad”, the Archie’s “Sugar” or the Mr. Rogers theme song.

5. Sit in your front yard pointing a hair dryer at passing cars to see if they slow down. 6. Ask people what gender they are. 7.

Inform others that they exist only in your imagination. 8. Buy a large quantity of orange traffic cones and reroute whole streets.

9. Change channels five minutes before the end of every show.

And number ten: Finish all your sentences with the words “in accordance with the prophecy.”

MCCC student Zac Thomas said that his friend Josh always makes him laugh with stories about getting his license, and high school.

Many Professors said that

their children and grandchildren are the source of their laughter.

“My three year old son’s knock, knock jokes always make me laugh” commented Lori Jo Couch, assistant professor of English.

Cheryl Johnston, assistant professor of reading and English said that her grandchildren’s giggle alone makes her smile.

There are so many things that cause people to laugh. With the winter coming soon and seasonal depression setting in, it is important to take time to laugh about things and enjoy every day.

If laughter seems to be scarce, look up a joke, call up a friend and tell it to them. Ask them to do the same for you.

Spend at least eight minutes of each hour laughing about something. Laughing should help make each day a little more enjoyable. .

Agora 5 Feature Black Friday: holiday madness

November 15, 2005

Sarah Queen Copy Editor After Halloween, the holiday shopping season is in full swing.

November brings us Thanksgiving and the biggest day of the year, for bargain hunters anyway. The day after Thanksgiving has become the biggest shopping day of the year. It is often referred to as “Black Friday” in the retail world.

“The origin of Black Friday comes from the shift to profitability during the holiday season.

Black Friday was when retailers went from being unprofitable, or “in the red,” to being profitable, or “in the black”, at a time when accounting records were kept by hand and red indicated loss and black profit,” according to www.retailindustry.com.

Thousands of holiday shoppers get up early after their turkey dinners to hit the stores for the best buys they can find. “ It all depends on who I’m with for Thanksgiving, sometimes I can find the energy but I’m usually too impatient,” Kelly Lajiness, dance teacher at MCCC, said.

Monroe County is full of stores that will be catering to the early morning crowds. WalMart, Target, Elder Beerman, and Old Navy are a few stores that will be flooded with giftseekers.

“The mall is opening at 6 a.m. and I guarantee there will be people waiting to get in, this is my first year here and I’m sure it’s going to be overwhelming,” Jamie Fultz, Target employee, said.

Local news stations cover the shopping line-ups every year, and Wal-Mart is always on the list of locations.

“Outside the store kind of reminds me of a ticket master line, it’s craziness,” Michelle (last name unavailable) Wal-Mart employee, said.

Will MCCC students be up at the crack of dawn in order to buy the latest gifts for the cheapest prices?

“I usually go out shopping that morning with my mom, if you get up early enough you can find some awesome deals,” said Cassie Cohen, MCCC student.

“I do all of my shopping on that day, it saves me a lot of money and that way it gets done early,” Melissa Smith, MCCC student, said.

Fighting the Christmas crowds has become a holiday tradition, and stores will continue to welcome the insanity.

Addicted to bull Allison Fleszar Reporter “Red Bull; The energy drink that gives you wings!”

It is true that a can of Red Bull will boost your energy and give you a rush, but what else does Red Bull do? According to health studies, Red Bull does a lot more than you may think.

Although Red Bull is the only energy drink approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are many health risks that come along with this addictive can of get-up-and-go. In fact, countries like Norway, Denmark and France are so concerned about the can’s contents, they have banned the sale of Red Bull all together. Canada just recently joined the buzz, and has already had problems with kids drinking too much Red Bull. According to CBC News, a high school student who drank

four cans of Red Bull before his basketball game collapsed on the gym floor and died.

The fact is, there is so much caffeine in Red Bull that it dehydrates your body and does not replenish what is lost after physical workouts, which puts strain on the heart.

Information from Health USA states that tests done on the ingredients of Red Bull exhibited anxiety, irritability, a high sensitivity to noise, sudden jumps and self mutilations.

Another issue with Red Bull is mixing it with alcohol.

Alcohol and Red Bull can be a deadly mixture, yet, jagerbombs are one of the number one selling drinks at night-clubs across the nation.

see “Red Bull” page 7

Agora photo courtesy of WWW.GRANDSTANDEVENTS.CO.UK

The day after Thanksgiving, also known as “Black Friday” is the busiest shopping day of the year.

Cozy winter events Dave Herndon Page Editor Many activities are coming up in the near future here at Monroe County Community College (MCCC). These things include events for the college student, as well as events for everyone within the community.

Here’s a look at some of the upcoming events: On Thursday, Nov. 17, singer, songwriter and author Tom Treece will give a presentation.

Admission will be free to anyone as he celebrates the release of his new book Return to Vietnam on the Wings of D.O.V.E. An account of one veteran’s healing.

Treece will have copies of the book on hand. A portion of all pro-

ceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to the D.O.V.E fund, to help rebuild Vietnam.

Two nights later, on Saturday Nov. 19, comedian Richard Jeni will give a performance, also in the Meyer Theatre. Jeni has been referred to as ‘one of the best comics who ever lived,’ and was voted as one of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time by Comedy Central. Tickets to this apperance are on sale for $35 each at the Meyer Theatre box office.

Then on December 9-11, Santa’s Winter Wonderland

comes to MCCC. Current and previous students alike have created a north pole-like atmosphere, complete with Santa Claus that provides fun for the entire family. Admission to the winter wonderland is only three dollars a person and includes refreshments. This will be open from 5-8 p.m. each night.

These and many other events are coming soon to MCCC. For more information on these and other events check out the college website at www.monroeccc.edu.

To wash or not to wash Kristina Pope Page Editor A few weeks ago, ABC News broadcasted a special report on the rising rate of infections in U.S. hospitals that lead to thousands of deaths every year. There have been patients at hospitals who were admitted for minor injuries and light surgery who died from an infection they received while under hospital care.

This seems hard to believe because so many hospitals have hand sanitizer dispensers in patient rooms, and health care workers commonly use gloves.

The problem stems from something we do several times a day. Wash our hands.

Upon discovering this information, we may jump to the conclusion that this is the fault of the select few people in the world who consider handwashing a waste of their time.

That is a false notion.

Sure those who refrain from washing their hands add to the problem, but the root comes from those who do wash their hands.

It is shocking to learn that the people who consider soap and water their friends, and even use them often, still spread germs

and harmful bacteria.

The problem is how we wash our hands. One common mistake many people make when washing hands is excluding friction. In order for the bacteria to be removed, we have to scrub both hands together with soap and water.

Also, most of us do not wash our hands for a long enough time.

To thoroughly clean our hands, we should combine soap, water, and friction for a duration of 30 seconds or more. If we do not, the purpose is basically defeated.

A final step, we should all follow, stems from wasting water. Thankfully, not much

water.

Question 1: What is the first thing you typically touch after using the bathroom?

Answer 1: The faucet.

Question 2: What is the last thing you touch after washing your hands?

Answer 2: The faucet!

To avoid recapturing the harmful bacteria you just washed off, do not grab the faucet with your freshly cleaned hand. Let the water run, and turn it off with the paper towel you use to dry your hands. However, there is a setback to this method.

Not all bathrooms have paper towels;

some only include hand dryers!

Kathleen Masters, a nursing professor, believes students in her class should already know proper handwashing techniques.

“Our Freshmen nursing students are taught proper hand washing early in the nursing program. I don’t specifically teach them because I don’t

see “laziness” page 7

A&E Coming ISOL rocks southeast Michigan 6

Agora

soon

Queen of the Screen Sarah Queen Copy Editor Coming soon to a theater near you...

Shhhh… the previews are starting.

“Beneath heaven lies hell, beneath hell lies... the cave.”

What?

How many times have we all went to the theater and been remarkably surprised by the absurdity of the taglines and trailers for upcoming movies?

I pride myself on being able to pick the good films from the bad simply by watching the trailer. Here are some quick rules of the art of trailer judging: 1.) If the star of the movie is a reality television star, you would be better off staring in the mirror and reciting dialogue than sitting through this surefire train wreck.

2.) If the movie seems to be completely filmed in one color (like “Sahara,” in which so much tan was filmed I felt as though I had fallen into a sand dune), you may as well go to the beach.

3.) If the trailer revolves around the repetition of the main characters’ name and occupation, “ I am Domino, I am a bounty hunter” you may want to ask yourself, “Is this the only information that I am going to get out of this film?”

And the answer: yes.

4.) Finally, if the movie is: a) based on a video game (“Alone in the Dark”), b) completely about wine (“Sideways”), or c) stars Hilary Duff as an outcast (“The Perfect Man”), you need to run. Get out while you can.

On the other hand: 1.) If the movie is directed

by Clint Eastwood or stars Hillary Swank, Oscar will be calling, so you may want to give it a chance.

2.) If the trailer has an amazing soundtrack such as “Elizabethtown,” apparently the director took the time to

see “coming,” page 7

November 15, 2005

Heather Wilson Photo Editor The Illegitimate Sons of Liberty (ISOL) is one of the new, up-and-coming bands in Monroe County. ISOL is made up of four members; Dr. Petepat (Guitar and Vocals), Charlie Reed (Drums), Jason Daker (Bass and Vocals), and Colin Everett (Guitar and Lead Vocals).

All of the members are graduates of Monroe High School. Everett is a former Monroe County Community College student and now attends Eastern Michigan University. Reed is a film student and also has a job as a carpenter. Daker is a chef, but is currently unemployed, and Petepat is a server at La Fiesta restaurant in Monroe.

The band has been together since September 2003 under the name of Subpar. Just this past August, the band changed their name to ISOL. The guys met each other because Everett and Petepat were playing together in a band, and Reed and Daker were playing together in a band.

Eventually the two separate bands played together.

“It’s just fun,” Daker said, when asked about why the band was put together.

Their musical influences come from different places. The band’s main influences are The Dead Kennedys and the MC5.

When it comes to the comaraderie in the group, there are some tensions just like in all bands.

“It sometimes happens in the process of when we are tuning.

Every time when it comes time

Pistons gear up for NBA season Gary Knox Reporter

ready talented front line players on the Piston roster. However, he has a good chance to contribute in the future. The Pistons’ other draft picks, point guard Alex Acker and forward Amir Johnson, have a chance to make the team but will see limited playing time — if any at all. Johnson, selected right of high school, looks to be headed to the Pistons developmental league team in hopes of adjusting his skills to the NBA level.

A dire need for the Pistons was to strengthen their bench production. Insert free agent signings Maurice Evans and

The Detroit Pistons concluded last season’s playoff run with a disappointing game 7 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. To erase these bad memories, team president and general manager Joe Dumars was given the task of using a short off season to tweak the Pistons into a stronger championship contending team.

The first order of business?

“Relieve” Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown of his coaching duties. Brown became a major distraction due to his lingering health problems and rumored flirtations with other NBA teams. Both the Pistons and Brown got what they wanted out of their separation. The Pistons rid themselves of a wandering-eyed coach, and Brown was able to pursue his dream of coaching the New York Agora photo courtesy of DETROITPISTONS.COM Knicks. Dumars Pistons player Chauncey Billups goes up wasted no time and for a shot against Steve Nash of the hired a more offen- Phoenix Suns. sive minded coach, Flip Saunders, to open up the Dale Davis. Evans was signed Piston offense. to add a scoring punch and With their coach in place, it shooting touch backing up startwas time to dip into the NBA ing forward Tayshawn Prince. draft and free agent market. On Veteran power forward Dale draft night the Pistons selected Davis will be used more often in forward Jason Maxiel as their the playoffs. His mission? Play 26th pick. Maxiel, an undersized tough defense against premiere but aggressive and long armed player, will be lost amidst the al- see “Pistons,” page 7

Agora photo courtesy of ISOL

Members of the Illegitimate Sons of Liberty are (l-r) Jason Daker, Dr. Petepat, Charlie Reed and Colin Everett.

for Daker to tune, Reed will just start playing away not even paying attention,” Everett said.

“We never get violent, we just cuss, scream, and yell at each other,” Daker added.

With all the different types of shows that they have played, one memory stuck out for them.

“There was this concert where they were throwing pretzels at us. Then there was a guy in the audience that was heckling us. People outside were com-

ing inside just to yell at the guy to say he sucked,” Reed said.

At one of ISOL’s shows you can see an array of different things. A couple of the things to look out for are Petepat’s fire breathing and the band’s tendency to break things. You can check out the ISOL’s MySpace ( w w w. m y s p a c e . c o m / theillegitimatesonsoflibe). At that website, you can also check out their up-and -coming show list.

Windy city rock: Spitalfieldbringslove, energy, power tunes Ashley Braden Assistant Editor They are yet to do a “bad thing.”

Chicago-based band, Spitalfield, has actually been cranking out the good things for quite awhile now.

Formed in 1998, the band has since recorded four albums (“Faster Crashes Harder” in 2001, “Cloak & Dagger Club EP” in 2003, “Remember Right Now” in 2003, and “Stop Doing Bad Things” in 2005), toured in seven countries, undergone a number of line-up changes, and signed with major label, Victory Records, to get to where they are today.

Original member and Spitalfield frontman, Mark Rose, claims the band’s music is pretty straightforward.

“We’re just an upbeat, driving rock band,” he said.

Spitalfield is not the mundane, MTV-overplayed-pop-punk, however. Their relatable lyrics and buoyant melodies have gotten them recognition from Absolutepunk.net and Alternative Press magazine, and they have also had over 590,000 music plays on Purevolume.com.

“Our songs are just about everyday life experiences. Living

each day in a different city has really inspired a lot of our music,” Rose said.

The band just recently returned from touring Europe with labelmates Silverstein, Hawthorne Heights, and Bayside. They take off on their co-headlining tour with Plain White T’s on November 25.

“Expect a lot of Chicago love on that tour,” Rose said.

“There’s going to be a lot of energy.”

Spitalfield, Plain White T’s, The Audition, and Dropping Daylight will be hitting up the Toledo, Ohio venue, Headliner’s, on November 29.

“Anyone who is into music on any level would have a good time at these shows. There are four bands that are all slightly different and bring something new to the table,” Rose said.

“There’s something for everyone.”

Tickets for the Toledo show are available in advance through Ticketmaster for $10, or on the day of the show at the door for $12.

For more information on Spitalfield, including tour dates, news, and photos, visit their website at www.spitalfield.net.

November 15, 2005 from “GEMA,” page 1 shifts. Employees have a four day workweek which allows for a five day weekend about 17 times a year. With this nontraditional workweek, employees’ schedules change frequently.

“This has been one of the problems for providing training,” John Joy, Dean of Corporate and Community Services, said.

“Often, employees can’t sign up for a class that meets, for example, every Tuesday, because they would end up missing half the classes.”

According to Joy, to work with GEMA’s different concept of operation, MCCC has attempted to make the degree as flexible as possible, and has encouraged on-line classes.

MCCC has been involved with GEMA since the concept was launched about two years ago.

“David Nixon and John Joy

from “learn,” page 1 education,” Nixon said.

Theoretically, if parents or learning adults could be convinced to return to college and further their own educations, it would persuade their children to do the same.

In the Mix

are truly visionaries of the future.

When they came to us, they already understood the importance of developing a highly educated, engaged, and competitive workforce,” Dunning said.

At the time, they did not even have a plant yet. “When GEMA came to town, we provided our facilities for interviews. We also provided the facilities for their basic training for group leaders,” Joy said.

“We do that with virtually anyone in the county, both here and on-site. We use full-time, adjunct, or venders if we don’t have the capabilities of teaching what they need.”

Overall, MCCC has been successful in catering to the needs of corporations, students, and the community as a whole.

“They have been the best partner we could have hoped for in providing the best ideas to help continue teaching,” Dunning said.

Granholm believes that for adults, the benefits of returning to school will outweigh the financial burden.

“If only a few courses or a couple of semesters stand between you and a degree, it makes perfect sense to return to learning,” Granholm said.

Make an appointment:

734-384-4167 When you mix alcohol with the Red Bull you become overly dehydrated which speeds up dehydration, causing you to pass out with a larger chance of not waking up. It clearly says on the can: Not recommended for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, caffeine

from “riots,” page 2 for did not want the march to take place. This means that all the Nazis accomplished or could have hoped to accomplish is firing up a few tempers.

My second problem is with the residents who apparently either don’t realize that the Nazis didn’t own what was being destroyed or could have cared less. It seems that most of these people just wanted an excuse to get a free TV and maybe flip a

would give us an opportunity to announce it even as early as the night before,” Yackee said.

The individual in charge of making the decision to use late start or cancel classes is Randy Daniels, vice president of student and information services.

“During those times when the weather conditions are less than desirable, the Vice President of Student Information services takes into account weather reports, driving conditions, road conditions (primary and secondary), projected snowfall throughout the day and makes the decision on whether or not to close the college,” Daniels, said.

To make sure the right decision is made, Daniels will seek guidance from a few colleagues.

“I’ll be talking to maintenance to see what’s happening out there. I’ll be watching the

from “renovate,” page 2 those into an indoor mini-golf or laser tag?

C’mon Monroe. You’re the home of General George Custer.

You’re the home of La-Z-Boy. Can’t you be the home of good

sensitive persons or to be mixed with alcohol. Do not consume more than 500 ml per day.

So why do we ignore these health risks?

Because Red Bull gives you wings! That’s why! The addiction is growing, but take a second to think about your health before you crack open another can of Red Bull. few cars.

All that was accomplished by these brilliant individuals was the creation of ammunition for the Nazi cause and a bad reputation for an area which already had a bad reputation in a city that seemingly now and forever will have a bad reputation.

So in essence, all that was accomplished by this entire situation was the angering and dishonor of everyone who is in any way connected with it as well as all of Toledo.

weather, and I’ll be driving the roads,” Daniels said.

According to both Daniels and Nixon, the late start procedure applies to heavy fog.

Also, students have several means for finding out if classes are cancelled, including local television news channels, local radio channels, the snow line (384-4223), or long distance snow line (877-yes-mccc ext.

4223).

“I’ve had to use the internet,” Sheryl Trujillo, MCCC student, said.

If a heavy storm misses the campus but affects other areas, according to Nixon, the students are responsible for making the decision on behalf of their own safety.

Those in charge of the procedure are optimistic; it will be an advantage to the college community.

“Time is of the essence… I’m going to do my best,” Randy Daniels said. weekend fun, too?

Think about it and get back to me. I’ll be the girl stuck at home listening to her grandma reminisce about the good old days… right before she heads off to Wednesday night Bingo with the girls.

teach the Freshman level courses.”

Julie Fields, MCCC student, works part time at Bob Evans.

“Were not required to wash our hands before our shift starts,” Fields said.

However, the case is different for Lynn Ptaszynski,

Taco Bell employee.

“We have hand sanitizers available, we’re required to wash our hands, and we wear gloves,” Ptaszynski said.

It would be unfair to focus all the attention on the medical and foodservice field. Everyone has to be more mindful of hygiene for this problem to be alleviated.

from “tinsel,” page 2

from “Pistons,” page 6

from “laziness,” page 5

Writing not your thing?

Give the Writing Center a ring!

from “Red Bull,” page 5

from “weather,” page 1

seventeen and eighteen. It should seventeen and eighteen year olds writing,” Riggar said.

So what’s my conclusion?

Maybe Hollywood should take a more balanced approach to the traditional college kid characters instead of concentrating on violence, sex and drugs.

“I would portray them the same way as adults, more round and less one-sided,” Alex Adams, MCCC student, said.

big men Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan. The Pistons hope to receive additional help from their under utilized 2nd over all pick in 2003, Darko Millicic.

This season, ignore the talk of the Miami Heat, a team who made the unfortunate mistake of signing Antoine “I never saw a shot I didn’t like” Walker, making it to the NBA finals. The Detroit Pistons will be there in June ready to reclaim their NBA Title.

Buy your tickets now!

from “coming,” page 6

CORRECTIONS

plan an audio as well as a visual reaction.

3.) If the movie is a sequel to a good movie, you know you’re going to watch it. Even though we probably shouldn’t.

4.)Finally, IF the trailer sparks a direct emotion, the film will most likely do the same. Trust your gut.

I am utterly disgusted when a really funny Geico commercial is the highlight of pre-show entertainment. At least now, if you follow my guidelines, you can save yourself the agony of deciding if now is the time to go get popcorn.

There were a few errors in the previous issue of the Agora. To see the correct issue, you can visit our website at http:// www.monroeccc.edu/ agora/index.html.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Agora

7

Reader’s Voice Do you find energy drinks addicting? ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Amy Vore

“I only drink them to stay awake.”

Chance Larkins

“Nope.”

Bob Pettit

“I don’t do energy drinks, but I enjoy coffee. Bread may be the staff of life, but coffee is life itself.”

8

Agora

Spotlight

November 15, 2005

3?

What’s Happening @ MC

The Toledo Symphony Orchestra delivered an encore performance in the Meyer Theatre at Monroe County Community College on November 4.

The orchestra was under the direction of Chelsea Tipton II, and they performed music that ranged from country all the way to pop. They also included a Bernstein overture and various other medleys.

The black tie-optional affair was a follow up to a performance given last year by the orchestra.

Agora photos by HEATHER WILSON AND KRISTINA POPE