12-8-2010

Holiday traditions tree - Page 6

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MSU and UM head south to bowls pg. 5

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Aug. 26, 2010 Issue5 1 December 8, 2010 Vol. Vol. 55, 55, Issue

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Mission to Mars could help world

pg. 2

Holiday traditions MCCC students, faculty discuss their favorite customs during the holidays Morgan Hofbauer and Christina Clark Agora Reporters

Photo by Christina Clark

A tree in the bookstore, decorated with supplies students can purchase.

Families around the world have different traditions for celebrating during the holidays.

Students and employees at MCCC are no different — they each celebrate in their own unique way.

Holiday traditions include food, family get-togethers, church, and, of course, gift-giving.

Professor of Political Science Dr. Joanna Sabo said she always gave her daughter pajamas to open on Christmas.

“She’s in her 30s [now] and I still give her pajamas to open every year for Christmas,” Sabo said. “Now she’s doing it with her three sons, so they all have pajamas to open up on Christmas Eve.” The Carpenter’s Christmas Album has also played an important part in the mother-daughter Christmas tradition since her daughter was very young.

“Over the years, we’ve updated it. We’ve given each other albums and tapes and CD’s, and now she wants the MP3 of it,” Sabo said.

It isn’t a Sabo holiday without the raspberry linzers, a dark chocolate cookie with raspberry in them.

“If I don’t make them, my family gets really mad, so I make them every year,” she said. “They’re kind of labor intensive and expensive, but they’re there every year. I’ll give them to my family and friends and the lady that does the gardening at my condo.”

But Dr. Sabo’s favorite holiday tradition is dinner at her brother’s house, which has been part of her holidays for 15 years.

“He does it very seafood style,” she said. “We have cold stone crab, which is my favorite food.”

While Joanna Sabo is at her brothers chowing down on crab,

MCCC student Omar Ferdin is opening presents with his family and eating his favorite holiday food, cold leftover ham.

“We don’t wait till Christmas morning to open presents, we do it Christmas Eve at midnight,” Ferdin said.

“We make the kids go to bed around 8 o’clock, and then the parents wake them up at 12:01. We’ve been doing it since I was a kid, and now my kids do it.”

For some students, like Patricia Austin, music can bring holiday joy.

Austin likes listening to “All I Want for Christmas is You,” by Mariah Carey, and, of course, Jingle Bells.

Despite this classic Christmas approach, Austin and her family have created their own holiday bingo game for gifts.

“My family gets together and we usually have a Christmas party every Saturday after Christmas. For gifts, each kid gets a paper bag and the adults get gifts to give the kids, and we play bingo,” she explained.

“Each kid pairs up with an adult and when the kid gets bingo, they get a gift for their bag. When they’re done, the adults do the same thing and if they get a cover-all, they get to pick a gift from a big tote. So everyone spends $5 on a gift and we do that every year,” she continued.

Some families play games on Christmas, others have playful arguments about things that are very important to them.

Klarissa LaFlure’s family makes the same Christmas dinner year after year; homemade sweet and sour chicken, and year after year they “argue” over who gets the honor of making it.

But even though they argue, as all families do, they have deep rooted traditions.

See HOLIDAY, Page 6

New Career Tech Center closer to reality Marissa Beste Agora Reporter

MCCC is another step closer to having its proposed Career Technology Center.

The Michigan Legislature approved MCCC’s Construction Authorization for the proposed Career Tech Center, according to Sue Wetzel, vice president of Administration and executive director of the The Foundation at MCCC. The Dec. 3 action by the Legislature has provided state funding for 50 percent of the construction costs for the proposed 71,300-square foot Career Technology Center. The total cost is estimated at $17 million.

“We can be excited, but we’re not breaking ground tomorrow,” Wetzel said.

MCCC is now waiting for the Governor to sign the bill.

“If she signs the bill, that authorizes us to the next step,” Wetzel said.

Construction of the La-Z-Boy Center and the H building both also came after the college received 50 percent of the construction costs from the state.

The Career Tech Center is planned for the space between the H and L buildings.

It would replace the East and West Tech buildings, which have outdated

technology. The East and West Tech buildings would be remodeled for other needs on campus.

On Nov. 3, MCCC submitted the Career Technology Center Program Statement and Schematic Design to the State Budget Office.

The document was prepared by the Career Tech Center Steering Team, Hobbs+Black Architects, and the Industrial Technology Division faculty.

The State Budget Office then sent its formal recommendation for approval of MCCC’s program and planning documents to the Legislature’s Joint Capital Outlay Subcommittee on Nov. 12.

Through an appropriations bill, they had requested support for the total project cost of $17 million, so final design and construction can begin.

On Nov. 30, the Joint Capital Outlay Subcommittee unanimously approved the project, and recommended that the total cost and construction authorization for the project be established in an appropriations bill.

The project was then inserted into an appropriations bill which had to be passed through the House, Senate, and

See TECH CENTER, Page 3

Inside:

Photo by Marissa Beste

MCCC President David Nixon, Dean Vinnie Maltese, and Vice President of Administration and Executive Director The Foundation Sue Wetzel look at architect drawings of the proposed Career Technology Center that were shown at the college Oct. 5.

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2 THE AGORA Editorial TSA pat-downs are a necessary evil December 8, 2010

The Travel Security Administration lieve this is true. They subject themselves (TSA), part of the Department for Hometo the screenings when they purchase a land Security, has been catching flack for plane ticket. It is not as if the TSA were their increased security measures at airports. searching pedestrians who happened to be walking down the sidewalk. That would Many travelers have given their airport be a violation of our rights. security horror stories to the news media.

They complained of being “groped,” “fonSome passengers have filed sexual asdled,” or “singled out.” These are all valid sault charges against specific security complaints that could make anyone irate. workers. Even though I believe that the The solution to this problem lies with the pat-downs are legal, the workers could Chase Dowler Agora Reporter passengers. Just don’t fly. still be found guilty. It is inevitable that some lazy, unprofessional security workers Passengers plead that their rights are being violated with the intense security, but I do not be- are going to stray from their intended duty.

One-way missions could lift world’s morale

With the recent flood of wars, economic collapses, and political gridlock, does the twenty-first century need its own “small step for man” to prevent its own great depression?

Political squandering and natural disasters have filled the media, refusing to leave room for any inspiration.

One former NASA scientist, Jim McLane, may have formed an idea that could boost the world’s morale – a one-way, solo mission to Mars.

Morgan Hofbauer While many have reacted negatively to his Agora Reporter idea, McLane told the Universe Daily that the only way to Mars is with the goal of a short time frame, and a “get it done” attitude.

The largest hurdle with a two-way-ticket in terms of money and technology is the issue of launching off mars, McLane said. Additionally, with no return trip and only one person on board, the size could be smaller and the amount of supplies would be less costly and complicated.

Plus, nothing screams “get it done” like a solo volunteer flying roughly 36 million to 250 million miles away to a planet without oxygen, with no option of turning back.

The proposal, titled “the Spirit of the Lone Star,” was named after pilot Charles Lindbergh and his 1927 solo flight from New York to Paris.

“Lindbergh was someone who was willing to risk everything because it was worth it,” McLane said. “I don’t think it will be hard to find another Lindbergh to go to Mars. That will be the easiest part of this whole program.”

Furthermore, the lone astronaut would have constant communication with Earth.

Though he is the only one widely known to propose a solo trip, there are many others now considering the idea of a trip with no return plan.

The Journal of Cosmology featured an article in 2008 which also suggested a one way trip to the red planet.

Paul Davies, a professor at Arizona State University, and Dirk Schulze-Makuch, a professor at Washington State University, proposed that the mission have several astronauts, with the overall intention being permanent colonization.

The process of colonization would not be an easy feat.

Water exists only unpurified and beneath Mars’ surface, and oxygen

Many travelers have given their airport security horror stories to the news media. They complained of being “groped,” “fondled,” or “singled out.”

The TSA needs to have stricter guidelines for their workers to follow. It is their responsibility to employ vigilant, educated security workers who will not use their job position for sinister actions.

America has too many homegrown enemies to have lackadaisical security measures. Not even a year ago, the Underwear Bomber flew into Detroit.

The man lit a bomb concealed in his underwear as his plane landed on the runway. Luckily, he was the

Photos courtesy of NASA

(Above) A photo of Mars’ Science Laboratory. A NASA scientist currently has an idea to send an astronaut on a one-way mission to Mars.

(Below) An image of Mars seen by OSIRIS, an astronomical instrument.

can only be gathered from the water.

Davies told the State Press that the life expectancy on Mars might only be 10 years because of space radiation and the general troubles that come with life on a new planet.

For that reason, Davies said the project would look for astronauts around 60-years-old, though still in excellent shape.

Both theories propose that before the astronaut(s) left, unmanned landers would first take the necessary supplies to the planet, such as living accommodations, food, solar panels, and communication equipment.

The ideas also share similarity in the possibility of sending additional astronauts after a colony has been established.

As for money, the trip would still cost nearly $50 billion with the professors’ theory. According to Schulze-Makuch, however, that’s an 80 percent reduction of cost compared to round trip.

President Barack Obama announced that he too wants NASA to think beyond the moon toward Mars.

His speech, delivered in April 2010, announced the restructuring of NASA’s financial program and future plans.

The president said he hopes to see a U.S. astronaut on Mars by the mid 2030’s, rather than NASA’s former goal of a seventh trip to the moon in 2020.

In contrast to President Obama’s patriotic goal, McLane said he thinks the mission would be a global effort.

“The whole world would get behind it,” he said. “We’re all humans, and the idea of sending one of our kind on a trip like that would be a wonderful adventure for the entire world.”

As of late October 2010, NASA has announced that it is now looking at the idea of a one-way trip to Mars, with the objective of an eventual

self-sufficient colony.

Though technical issues persist in planning a manned Mars landing, and a feat so great will take years to accomplish, at least some true ambition is being shown.

Compared with droning politics and war technology, the innovative proposal casts a hopeful light toward an exciting future achievement.

Tired of “Shawty?” Give metal a try Most of today’s most popular hits on the radio disgust me. I drive to wherever I need to be and naturally the first thing I do is turn on the radio.

All I here is pointless, non-passionate garbage that has been used to make the artist obscene amounts of money that they don’t need.

The lyrics to some of the songs are ridiculous.

“Baby I like it,” or “Shawty’s like a melody.” I don’t know what you like. But what in the world is a shawty, and putting your voice through an auto-tuner does not make your “lyrics” good.

There are so many other obscure genres, bands and artists, whose music is absolutely amazing and means something more than how much money it can bring in. But not a lot of people know of them.

I know what you’re thinking, that this girl is trying to make you listen to Beethoven or Mozart or something like that. No, not at all, I’m talking about metal.

Metal is a genre of rock music developed in the late 1960s and 1970s, largely in Northern Europe and the United States. It has roots in blues, and psychedelic rock, and can be defined by amplified distortion, emphatic beats, and overall loudness. Early metal bands included well known bands such as Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.

This genre of music has been mistaken as devil worship by many close-minded people. This idea is wrong.

While the sub-genre of metal known as black metal does support anti-Christianity, and wear

only one to be damaged.

Only a few weeks ago, the largest cache of explosives ever to be found in the U.S. was discovered in California. Regrettably, this invasive security practice is necessary.

If only the Department of Homeland Security would be this aggressive toward securing our borders, then I would be happy.

corpse paint — face paint to create the illusion of corpse-like decay — metal itself can be divided into sub-genre after subgenre of music, many that have nothing to do with Satan.

From the shrieking vocals and frantic drum lead sound of Christina Clark Agora Reporter black metal to the clean vocals and sweeping guitar riffs of power metal, the guttural vocals and dissonant instrumentation of death metal to folk, thrash, doom, heavy, progressive and sludge; metal is more complex and inspirational than most think.

Vocalists sing about what they know, or what they believe in. Whether it be the plight of the pagans from the Christians as the black metal band Forefather sang about in their song “Ours is the Kingdom” to more comical songs like having sex with a flight attendant in a crashing plane as power metal band Edguy did in their song “Lavatory Love Machine.”

No hotels, motels or holiday inns; most of today’s huge artists are in it for the money, because most of the songs out there make no sense, there’s no passion, beliefs, or anything.

Metal bands are not in it for the money; in fact most of them do it for fun, and don’t even want

the fame.

Vocalist Athelstan of Forefather said in an interview with Masterful Magazine. “I don’t want to be a pagan metal money machine. I don’t want to pose on stage and [touring is] a lot of hassle that I don’t want to fill my life with.”

Others will tour, but hold down steady jobs.

King ov Hell, the former bassist for black metal band Gorgoroth, is a kindergarten teacher.

I’ve seen metal shows where bands played their hearts out for a crowd of 75 fans, and shook every fans hand afterward. I’ve seen a band act as a stage hand for their show, and watch the bands they’re touring with. I’ve seen a metal artist who was paralyzed from the waist down head bang while singing his song from his wheelchair.

I’ve watched shows with other fans, fans who weren’t acting like idiots. The passion for the music is evident, and ongoing.

Two other misconceptions with the genre are that Nu-metal, Scream-o and 80’s glam bands are considered to be metal (which is not true, they are sub-genres of rock), and that to listen to metal you have to look like gothic kids. You know, the kids at the mall in black t-shirts, pants three sizes too big with a million pockets and zippers, and eyeliner darker than a sharpie marker. This also is false, these mall core kiddies are trying way too hard.

So if you’re sick of the junk that they are playing on the radio, if you’re sick of Weezy, Gaga or Britney, give metal a try.

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

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

The Agora reserves the right to edit for clarity, accuracy, length and libel.

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

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

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

Staff Members Editor Marissa Beste Assistant Editor Tyler Eagle News Editor Morgan Hofbauer Photographer Denise Kukwa

Staff Christina Clark Chase Dowler Darin Curson Susan Biela Jeff Papworth Adviser Dan Shaw

Campus News

December 8, 2010

THE AGORA

3

New Web site can help students get a job Tyler Eagle

Agora Reporter

The Workforce Development Office’s new online system, College Central Network, is drawing increasing numbers of MCCC students and faculty.

The network, which is intended to help students and alumni find employment, became active on Aug. 1, according to Heather Kipf, the administrative assistant for the Workforce Development Office.

“People seem to like the new way. They can basically do it on their own. They can submit a resume whenever they want, even at 2 a.m.,” Kipf said.

Since Aug. 1, 463 students have registered with the network, along with 137 alumni. The total number of jobs that have been posted is 141.

The network can be found at www.collegecentral. com/monroeccc. It allows students and alumni to search through various job postings, some centered in the Monroe area, and some nationwide.

Barry Kinsey, the director of workforce development, praises the capabilities of College Central.

“We love the new network. It is very user-friendly, so much more efficient. It opens up a lot of options to students,” Kinsey said.

Some of the services offered through College Central include videos instructing people on how to dress or how to prepare for a job interview, manuals on how to construct a resume, and an option that helps students create a career portfolio.

The way it works is employers have the ability to register with the College Central, and from that

A screenshot of MCCC’s new College Central Network Web site, www.collegecentral.com/monroeccc, which is intended to help students and alumni find employment.

point on can view any resume that a student or alumnus files.

Kinsey thinks this technology will be very helpful, and believes the networking opportunity that it offers is essential to success.

Club speaks to raise money Tyler Eagle

Agora Reporter

MCCC’s International Studies Club hosted the annual Speecha-Thon on Dec. 2 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The fundraiser consisted of several members of the club reciting famous speeches from various events throughout history. Speeches from people such as Harry Truman, Eleanor Roosevelt and Hilary Clinton were presented.

The event, which will be the club’s last major fundraiser of the year, was conducted to help raise money for the 2011 Study Abroad Trip. The money will help cover student expenses.

Those who participated were stationed inside the A Building outside of the Bookstore, while another station was set up inside the foyer of the library.

The participants worked in five-hour shifts.

Donations were collected two ways: people could place money into the jars that were placed next to the speakers, or could pledge money for every hour a speaker talked.

Dr. Joanna Sabo, the club advisor, said she was happy with the students who participated “I am very proud of them, especially the ones in the library foyer, because it’s so cold,” Sabo said.

She said she also is pleased with the response the event received.

“I’m proud of the campus community who supported us; this has always been a popular fundraiser,” Sabo said.

Donations can still be given in the name of the Speech-a-Thon until Monday, Dec. 13. Those wishing to donate should contact Dr. Sabo.

“You probably won’t get a job out of the newspaper anymore. Networking is so important. I just might come across a job that someone might be interested in and I will send them an email,” Kinsey said.

One aspect of the network that current students may find helpful is that any vacant student assistant position on campus is listed there.

In order to apply for a student assistant position, a student must be registered with College Central Network.

There are roughly 40 positions on campus, but since they’re popular, they don’t stay vacant for long.

Kipf believes that the positions are good opportunities for students.

“They’re so great for students. They really work around your schedule,” Kipf said.

To apply, students may fill out a paper version in the office or can find an online version. For the online version, students can either type all of the information in and send it through an email, or print it out and turn it in to Kipf.

Kipf stresses the importance of filling out the application fully, especially the line regarding the position desired.

“You have to specify what position you’re applying for. If you don’t, then we won’t process it,” Kipf said.

People interested in registering must log on to the website and apply for an ID and password.

The Workforce Development will then receive a notification and approve the application, which gives the applicant full access to College Central Network.

Photo by Denise Kukwa

Katie Mullen speaks in the A building during the International Studies Club Speech-a-Thon.

Architectural drawings by Hobbs+Black Architects

Architectural drawings for the proposed Career Technology Center. MCCC is currently waiting for the Governor to sign the bill that would allow them to move to the next phase of bringing the Center to life.

Tech Center closer to reality Continued from Page 1 be signed by the Governor.

“All three of Monroe County’s legislators, Sen. Randy Richardville, Rep. Kathy Angerer, and Rep. Kate Ebli supported the bill and were instrumental in guiding it through the process,” Wetzel wrote in an email.

After the bill is signed by the Governor, MCCC will be authorized to proceed to the Preliminary Design Development Phase, which includes: Project Management Agreement, a letter certifying that the college has in its possession the funds that fully satisfy the 50 percent match requirement for the project, proof of ownership of the property, and a Phase I Environmental Survey of the property.

According to Wetzel, at this phase MCCC

will have to guarantee to the state that they know where the rest of the money required for the building is coming from.

MCCC’s Foundation will manage the fundraising for the building with a campaign team, who will figure out a campaign goal.

The phase also includes the Preliminary Design and Planning Submittal, which provides further detail and definition to the planned project, and a Preliminary Design Review by the Department of Management and Budget –Facilities Administration (DMB-FA).

If approved, MCCC will be notified that it can continue to the next phase, which is Final Design/Construction Documents.

“At this point, the College will work with the architect to prepare the final design and construction documents which take the proj-

ect to the level of detail required for bidding and construction,” Wetzel wrote.

“This is submitted to the DMB-FA for Final Design/Construction Documents Review. If approved, the college will be notified that it has been authorized to bid the project.”

The next phase will be Bidding and Award.

MCCC will bid the project, put the results in a table, and send the table to the DMB-FA for approval. Once approved, MCCC will be authorized to award the construction contact.

MCCC will also provide the DMB-FA its cash flow projections for the project.

After those phases are completed, MCCC can enter the Construction Phase.

If things stay on the proposed timeline for the phases, the college can look at breaking ground this summer, Wetzel said.

Proposed schedule for Career Tech Center MCCC has submitted the following schedule to the DMB-FA, outlining the proposed timeline for the phases.

Preliminary Design: February 2011 Review and DMB-FA Approval: February 2011 Final Design: May 2011 Review and DMB-FA Approval: May 2011 Bid: June 2011 Review and DMB-FA Approval: June 2011 Construction Contract Award: July 2011 Construction Begins: July 2011

4

Campus News

THE AGORA

December 8, 2010

Negotiations fail to settle faculty contract Chase Dowler Agora Reporter

MCCC faculty members and administrators are still haggling over a new contract for the faculty.

The most recent negotiating session was held on Nov. 23 and lasted over seven hours. With the assistance of the college’s mediator, the two parties discussed a short list of options for settling the negotiations. Ultimately, they could not agree upon a new contract.

Vice President of Instruction Grace Yackee is ready for the negotiations to be finalized.

“I was hopeful that we were going to get it wrapped up, but there still seems to be some sort of

obstacle keeping that from happening. Frankly, it’s somewhat frustrating,” Yackee said.

Faculty President Mark Bergmooser was not satisfied with the outcome of the meeting.

“We are still where we were before the meeting.

We’ve come to a standstill here,” he said.

The college’s mediator has the responsibility to decide when further talks should be held to break the standstill. The next meeting is expected to take place before the end of the fall semester.

“I think it’s in everyone’s interest that it be finalized sooner rather than later, but at this point, that will depend on whether the mediator believes meeting again will be productive,” Yackee said.

The Michigan Legislature recently approved monrey for a new career technology building on MCCC’s campus. The new building could play a role in the negotiations.

“I think it’s hard for the district to claim that it doesn’t have money to pay its employees when it can afford a $17 million building,” Bergmooser said.

MCCC’s Annual Report to the Community shows that $12.8 million of the college’s $32.8 million revenue went to the instructors in fiscal year 2010, which is 39 percent of the college’s revenue.

“This is not about the money issues,” Bergmooser said. “I’m curious whether the people who are making the decisions are actually in the negotiations room.”

Dr. Patrick Nedry, one of the three members of the faculty bargaining team, said he hopes to leave for semester break without the contract weighing on his mind.

“The District has been reluctant to confront the financial problem,” Nedry said. “But we’re always optimistic.”

The ongoing dispute has drawn the attention of MCCC students and alumni online. The college’s Facebook page has had over thirty concerned individuals show their support electronically.

“I value MCCC faculty. They have helped me decide who I want to be in life,” posted MCCC student Michael Beers.

Criminal Justice Club forming on MCCC campus

Chase Dowler Agora Reporter

MCCC has a new Criminal Justice Club growing on campus.

Students interested in going into law enforcement, political science, psychology, and other related fields will gain experience from the clubs activities.

Penny Dunn, assistant professor of Criminal Justice and an ex-police officer, is organizing the club.

“We had the same kind of club at Henry Ford (Community College), and it provided students with a lot of info,” said Prof.

Dunn.

Members will learn about dif-

ferent opportunities in the criminal justice field from guest speakers, and trips to correctional facilities.

The group will focus on the police corrections process, juvenile detention, victims’ services, and similar topics.

Once the club is established, Prof. Dunn would like to incorporate an internship for the members.

Meetings for the club have not yet been scheduled, but are expected to start during this winter semester.

To receive email updates about the Criminal Justice Club, contact Prof. Dunn at padunn@monroeccc.edu.

Campus employees launch war against fat Chase Dowler Agora reporter

MCCC employees will be teaming up for a war against fat following the new year.

College employees from all five academic divisions have been invited to form teams of three to five members.

The team that loses the most weight as a whole wins the college’s “Congressional Medal of Honor.”

Along with this elusive award, the lightest team will be awarded a Top Secret Prize.

The rules of engagement stress that no individual will have their weight revealed.

Weight gain and loss will be tallied every Monday to find each team’s percentage of weight loss.

Agora photo by Denise Kukwa The teams’ stats will be updated weekly to keep the battle going.

Participating employees are DTE employees have begun work on installion of the SolarCurrents project, a 500-kilowatt solar panel system, on the MCCC campus. The projscheduled to report for duty Jan. 10. ect, which will be the largest installation on a college campus in Michigan, is scheduled to be completed in February.

Solar project under way

Gay Straight Alliance plans Chicago trip Aleksandr Martinez For the Agora

The Gay Straight Alliance at MCCC hopes to travel to Chicago Pride next year, but club members need to raise money to pay for the trip first.

The GSA held an officers’ meeting recently to discuss the progress of fund raising for a trip to Chicago Pride in June of 2011.

Tim Prayther, president of the GSA, said the total amount needed for the trip is $2,500 and the cost for each person will run about $350 dollars.

He said the cost could change based on the number of people who sign up to go. At this time, there are about 10 people planning to attend the event.

Prayther noted that it is important that any club members who commit to going don’t change their mind.

“Cancelations would set the group back as a whole, having to change all the hotel arrangements to fit the new number of members attending the trip,” he said.

The job of calculating the cost of the trip, includ-

ing hotel and other expenses, was given to the club treasurer, Edwin Laswell.

Also during the meeting, Prayther said he intends to contact Ozone House, an Ann Arbor homeless shelter, in order show support for homeless gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders, and youth who are questioning.

“The purpose of working with Ozone House is to support their cause in helping LGBTQ’s that are homeless for many different reasons,” he said after the meeting.

Prayther, who also is a member of student government, said he plans to try to get that group’s support to work with Ozone House.

Also attending the meeting were Brandon VanBelle, who is the vice president, and Laswell, the treasurer. They talked about meeting times for the rest of the semester and a new meeting time for Winter semester.

A topic of conversation at upcoming meetings will be a bake sale to raise money for the Chicago Pride trip, Prayther said.

Dorcey-Naber, Council receive awards V. Council to receive award for Nov./ Dec.

Dorcey-Naber nominated for Sept./Oct. award

Morgan Hoffbauer Agora Reporter

Tyler Eagle

Agora Reporter

Administrative assistant Penny Dorcey-Naber received MCCC’s Enriching Lives Performance Award for September/October.

Dorcey-Naber is the assistant to Vinnie Maltese, the acting dean of the Humanities/Social Sciences Division. Maltese also is dean of the Science/Math Division.

The Enriching Lives Performance Award is awarded to faculty members who exemplify one of MCCC’s brand values: investment, community, accessibility, responsiveness and enrichment.

Anyone can nominate a college employee for the award.

In announcing the award, Molly McCutchan, the director of Human Resources, quoted the person who nominated DorceyNaber.

“Penny does so many tasks above and beyond the duties for our division,” the nominator said.

“Since Vinnie Maltese became our “shared” dean, I have observed Penny taking on more of

Penny Dorcey-Naber

the load; such as fielding requests from students and adjunct faculty who come to the office when Vinnie is in his ‘other’ office.”

The nominator added that Penny goes out of her way to help whenever needed.

“I was out of the country when I got the call that a student came to take the exam I forgot to drop off. Of course, I called Penny.

Penny dropped what she was doing, got the exam out of my office, made copies and took them to the RCTC.” Dorcey’Naber’s willingness to help whenever a faculty member has an emergency also was mentioned.

“There have been other times when a faculty member was ill, or needed a substitute, or a test proctor and Penny interrupts the flow of her work to handle it in a timely fashion.

“In other words, our ‘emergencies’ often become hers. When handling these interruptions Penny does so with grace and patience.”

Maltese is supportive of Dorcey-Naber’s achievement.

“Penny is very deserving of the Enriching Lives Performance Award and I am very pleased that she is the recipient of that honor,” Maltese wrote in an email.

The November/December recipient of MCCC’s Enriching Lives Performance Award is Vuncia Council, Learning Bank coordinator.

The five qualities recognized by the award are: investment, community, accessibility, responsiveness, and enrichment.

In a letter sent to all MCCC e-mail users, Director of Human Resources Molly McCutchan listed the various ways that Council meets the criteria.

In terms of investment, McCutchan wrote that Council goes above and beyond every day to get people interested and excited about higher education, even by reaching out door-to-door in some cases.

The Learning Bank is a center in Monroe that provides adult education and GED preparation, in addition to seminars, tutoring, career counseling, and direct access to employers.

With her work helping underprepared or undereducated students, McCutchan said Council

Vuncia Council

has done a phenomenal job working positively with the community.

In addition to coordinating Learning Bank activities, Council also assists with counseling and committees. Through this accessibility, she meets with faculty and staff regularly to develop more connections between MCCC and the Learning Bank.

The grant that funds the Learning Bank recently expired, leaving its future uncertain. A grant was received, but resulted in a $100,000 difference in its budget.

Council showed responsiveness not only by aggressively seeking out and securing the funding, but

by the measures she has instilled since, McCutchan wrote.

“Vuncia did not blink at finding ways to ensure continued service (in fact, expanded services) with less funds, including cutting her own salary by 25 percent,” she said.

Lastly, Council exhibits enrichment with her continued dedication to the Learning Bank.

“If you have met Vuncia, you understand how her presence, her excitement, her poise and confidence, and most important, her commitment to increasing access to higher education for even the most challenged student, enriches lives… enriches the College,” McCutchan wrote.

Campus News THE AGORA 5 MSU, UM head south to bowls December 8, 2010

Spartans take on Alabama in Citrus

Wolverines tackle Mississippi State

Agora Reporter

Jeff Papworth

Jeff Papworth

The Michigan State Spartans and Alabama Crimson Tide meet in the Citrus Bowl, which may be the most intriguing non-BCS bowl match up.

Most experts say it has the feel of a BCS bowl.

Many people are frustrated with the BCS because the 11-1 Spartans were not given a BCS bowl bid and the 8-4 UConn Huskies were.

There is also a legitimate gripe about Wisconsin getting a Rose Bowl bid over the Spartans, who beat the Badgers and have the same record as Wisconsin does.

However, the Alabama Crimson Tide offers a good match up for Michigan State. Alabama lost by one point to Auburn and it cost them a chance to play in the SEC Championship.

The Spartans will face two good running backs in Heisman winner Mark Ingram and a faster running back in Trent Richardson.

Crimson Tide quarterback Greg McElroy is an underrated part of Alabama’s offense. He has passed for 2,767 yards.

The biggest storyline in this matchup is Nick Saban facing off against a team he left at the curb in 1999. After a 9-2 season, he abandoned his team for Louisiana State.

Michigan State and Alabama followed very different paths this season. Alabama started out being ranked No. 1 in the country, while Michigan State did not receive a single vote in the first AP poll.

Alabama started out the season 5-0, before losing to South Carolina. They lost two more games during the season to No. 11 LSU and No. 1 Auburn by a total of four points.

Michigan State’s season was defined by two trick plays named “The Little Giants” and “Mousetrap” “The little Giants” was used against the Fighting Irish in over-

Agora Reporter

Photos courtesy of Dell Callihn

Michigan State running back Le’Veon Bell, left, and Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, right, both are going to bowl games this winter.

time to clinch the victory.

Then one hour after the game, coach Mark Dantonio had a heart attack and had to sit out two games, but MSU pulled out a victory in both games.

After beating Michigan and Illinois they had to play their first game outside the state of Michigan and they struggled mightily, but the fake punt named “The Mouse Trap” helped them clinch a victory.

After winning their first eight games they had a devastating 37-6 loss at Iowa, but unlike previous Spartan teams, they responded and finished off the rest of the teams on their schedule to go 11-1.

While it is not what most Alabama fans wanted at the beginning of the season, or what Michigan State fans wanted after a successful season, it will still be one of the most interesting games in the bowl season.

Toledo to go to Caesars Bowl Little Caesars Bowl will host the University of Toledo and Florida International The Toledo Rockets and Florida International Golden Panthers will stay in the colder confines of Detroit, unlike most of the other bowl teams.

The Little Caesars Bowl will host two teams that should more than happy with the bowl bid since the Rockets have not been to a bowl since 2005 and the Golden Panthers have never been to a bowl.

The Michigan Wolverines return from their two-year bowl drought to face a good team in the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Mississippi State’s best win, against the Florida Gators, does not look as it did in the middle of the season. But they were 3 points away from beating No. 1 Auburn and they also took BCS bowl bound Arkansas into overtime before losing.

Much of the news surrounding Michigan has been off the field.

Athletic director David Brandon has not said if coach Rich Rodriguez will return next season and it has frustrated most of the fan base.

One of the only positive stories coming out of Michigan is Denard Robinson winning Big Ten offensive player of the year.

Many Michigan players are happy with the bowl destination since Florida is a recruiting pipeline for the Wolverines.

Some Michigan players from Florida include Denard Robinson, Vincent Smith and Jeremy Gallon.

The Gator Bowl has a lot of interesting match ups, including two coaches who both like to run the spread offense.

It will also be interesting to see how Michigan’s offense plays against the Bulldogs defense, which allowed 17 points against a Cam Newton-led offense.

This will be the first time Michigan and Mississippi State have ever faced off.

Rich Rodriguez was 2-0 against Mississippi State, when he coached at West Virginia.

Rodriguez told the media he might bring cowbells to practice like he did at West Virginia to simulate the Bulldog fans, who use them when the opposing offense is on the field.

This game will center on one of the hottest coaches in the country in Bulldog Head Coach Dan Mullen and Rich Rodriguez, who is on the hot seat at Michigan.

Other teams gear up for variety of bowls Jeff Papworth Agora Reporter

Two high powered offenses will meet in Glendale, Arizona for the BCS national Championship.

Auburn and Oregon both rank in the top 10 in points scored.

Two of the top players in the nation will be showcased in this game.

Oregon running back LaMichael James leads the nation in rushing yards with 1,682 and also has 169 receiving yards.

Auburn quarterback Cam Newton has captured the attention of everyone this year, including NCAA investigators.

A former Mississippi State player accused Newton’s family of taking money to play at Auburn,

but the NCAA said Newton is cleared, since they think Newton was unaware of his parents asking for money.

On the field, Newton has broken the all-time record for rushing yards by a quarterback in the SEC conference with 1,409 yards.

Newton has also thrown 28 passes for a touchdown and only been intercepted six times.

The Ducks are more balanced with a defense that is ranked 14th in points allowed, while Auburn is ranked 54th in points allowed, but Auburn has been tested more than Oregon.

Ohio State and Wisconsin also earned BCS bowl bids.

Wisconsin will play the undefeated TCU Horned Frogs in the Rose Bowl. It will be a matchup of the 3rd and 5th best teams in the country.

This will be TCU’s second consecutive BCS bowl. Last year they lost 17-10 to Boise State. The Badgers have not been in a BCS bowl since 1999.

The most interesting matchup will be Wisconsin‘s No. 4 ranked offense going against TCU’s No. 1 ranked defense.

In the Allstate Sugar Bowl, it will be a duel between two very talented quarterbacks.

Ohio State Quarterback Terrelle Pryor and Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallet have accounted for 59 touchdowns combined.

The 7-5 Iowa Hawkeye’s have a tough test against No. 12 ranked Missouri in the Insight Bowl.

Iowa will have to rebound after closing out the season with three straight losses.

Illinois will face the Baylor Bears in the Texas Bowl.

Baylor hadn’t been in a bowl game for 16 straight seasons.

Illinois will be looking for a win, so they can be above the .500 mark to end the roller coaster of a season.

Penn State will be playing against Florida in the Outback Bowl.

Many thought this was going to be Jo Paterno’s last season, but he assured Penn State he will return another year.

Northwestern will play the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Ticketcity Bowl.

After a 5-0 start, Northwestern lost five of its last seven games.

They hope to rebound from a bad ending to the season and a devastating loss to Auburn in overtime in their bowl game last season.

Rich Rod under critique, despite record Jeff Papworth Agora Reporter

When Rich Rodriguez accepted the job as the head football coach at the University of Michigan, he did not know what he was in for.

Before he could start relocating to Ann Arbor, his family was receiving death threats and his children were being bullied at school by West Virginia fans.

Once he arrived at Michigan, the endless stream of events that have caused some people to dislike Rich Rod continued.

It started when he gave the No. 1 jersey to a cornerback.

This went against a tradition, which started with Anthony Carter, that only the greatest of wide receivers could acquire the No. 1 jersey.

The real cause for this, however, was a major figure at Michigan not stepping up and showing Rich Rod all of the Wolverine traditions. A person like Bo Schembechler would have shown Rich Rod the ropes.

Now, it is important that the head coach learn some of the traditions on his own, so he can promote the program to recruits effectively. But something as miniscule as a jersey number that had not been worn since 2004 can easily be missed.

Athletic director David Brandon said the most important thing was for Rich Rod to show progress. Winning three games in his first year, five games in his second year and seven games in his third year is progress.

It just so happens to be the path of the coveted coach Jim Harbaugh, the Stanford coach many Michigan fans hope will replace Rich Rod. Harbaugh won four games in his first year, five games in his second year, and seven games in the regular season in his third year.

Some people think Michigan’s 0-6 record against Michigan State and Ohio State is a reason why Rodriguez should be fired, but those programs already have their wheels turning.

Ohio State won its sixth consecutive Big Ten Championship this season, while Mark Dantonio is in his fourth year at Michigan State and some players that he recruited are now upperclassman.

One of the things the critics of Rich Rod continue to put forth is that his offense will not work in the Big Ten. They point to the Wolverines’

Photo courtesy of Dell Callihn

slow starts against Iowa, Penn State, Michigan State and Wisconsin, and their failure to get it going at all against Ohio State.

Even with their struggles, that cannot be a legitimate argument because Appalachian State, Texas, Oregon and many other teams have had success against Michigan in the Lloyd Carr era using the spread.

Plus, Ohio State was dismantled in the 2006 BCS National Championship by a team that uses the spread in Florida. The struggles they did have this season are because of a first-year quarterback leading the offense, not because the spread doesn’t work in the Big Ten. There is a reason eight teams in the top ten have at least a secondyear starter at quarterback.

In the two biggest games of the year, a spread team and pro style offense went head-to-head.

No. 1 Auburn played at what was then No. 11 Alabama and after Alabama went up 24-7, Auburn’s offense put it together and won 28-27.

In another game that featured No. 2 ranked Oregon and No. 4 ranked Stanford, Oregon’s spread attack prevailed after being down 21-0, to win 52-31.

What people have a legit gripe about is the dreadful defense Michigan has right now.

In three years under Rich Rod, the points allowed have increased every year, but Rich Rod should be given one more chance to hire a new defensive coordinator. If you look at Illinois, they cleaned house on the defensive side of the ball and went from 96th in points allowed to 53rd this season.

What Brandon needs to look at is Rich Rod’s prior success at West Virginia because, while improving by two wins every year should put Rich Rod over the top, his success at Morgantown is what should give Rich Rod leverage.

From 1891 to 2000, West Virginia had four 10-win seasons. After a couple seasons at West Virginia, Rich Rod had three straight seasons of 10 wins or more.

That would make Rich Rodriguez a step up since he finished his last three years 32-5, while the last three years at Michigan without him was 27-11.

While his defense has been bad, during his last year as head coach of the Mountaineers they finished seventh in points allowed nationally and fourth in total yards allowed nationally.

As many critics as there are, there are just as many people who see the bright future Michigan has.

Sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson won the Big Ten offensive player of the year this season, when during the pre-season he was fighting for his job at the quarterback position.

With a win in their bowl game anything is possible next year.

Michigan is returning 19 starters. Four of the teams in the top ten in the BCS right now had an 8-5 record last year: Auburn, Stanford, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Plus Michigan State had a 6-7 record. Four out of those five teams had a defense that did not rank in the top 50 in points allowed.

All in all, with Rich Rod, Michigan can win national championships.

With coaches like Jim Harbaugh they can win Big Ten Championships, but nothing more.

In the last five years, three teams have won the championship using the spread. It will be four out of six after this year.

6 THE AGORA Holiday Traditions

December 8, 2010

I have my boys over every year and exchange gifts.

Usually I give them Red Wings tickets.

-Bob Leonard, MCCC professor

We have cold stone crab, which is my favorite food.

-Joanna Sabo, MCCC professor

When you walk into my family room, it’s like you’re in a winter wonderland.

Nicole Bolster, MCCC student

[Our] holiday tradition is getting a Christmas Eve present when we get home from Christmas Eve service. It’s always similar pajamas for me and my sister.

-Klarissa LaFlure, MCCC student

We don’t wait till Christmas morning to open presents, we do it Christmas Eve at midnight.

-Omar Ferdin, MCCC student

Sometimes we make a game out of what the gift is, if it’s a really big present.

My family gets together and we usually have a Christmas party every Saturday after Christmas. For gifts, each kid gets a paper bag and the adults get gifts to give the kids, and we play bingo.

-Julie Edwards, Sienna Heights rep

-Patricia Austin, MCCC student

The first Christmas I remember is when I got my first electric train.

David Nixon, MCCC President

Students and faculty discuss holiday traditions Continued from Page 1 “[Our] holiday tradition is getting a Christmas Eve present when we get home from Christmas Eve service. It’s always similar pajamas for me and my sister,” she said. “Ever since my sister was born we had similar pajamas for Christmas. We still do and she’s 17 and I’m 22.”

While some MCCC students and faculty celebrate Christmas with a personal touch, others celebrate with time-honored traditions like decorating.

“When you walk into my family room, it’s like you’re in a winter wonderland,” MCCC student Nicole Bolster said.

“My dad has in our family room a 12’ tree, and he has three trains going around the bottom of it. He’s got a dancing Grinch, a dancing Santa, and different Santas in all of the corners of the room.”

Bolster and her family “do the normal thing.”

They wake up in the morning, get gifts, and have extended family over.

Similar to Bolster’s traditional holiday, MCCC President Dr. David E. Nixon likes to center his holiday on family.

“A lot of the holiday traditions have always been around family but now that our kids live all over the country, we spread our Christmas out,” Nixon said.

“We’re pretty traditional.”

When his children were young, Nixon and his

family would go to church, after which they would open presents. Until his children grew older, some presents were reserved for Santa to bring.

“The first Christmas I remember is when I got my first electric train,” Nixon said. “So I hope that some of the things we did for our kids will be that memorable for them as well.”

Julie Edwards, a board member of MCCC’s alumni association and representative of Sienna Heights, also keeps family and church alive in her holidays.

Before attending midnight mass on Christmas Eve, her whole family gets together.

“Grandparents, aunts, uncles – all into one house, so it gets pretty crowded,” Edwards said.

On Christmas morning, a smaller group of immediate family gets together for a small breakfast to break away from the hustle and bustle, and open their presents.

“Sometimes we make a game out of what the gift is, if it’s a really big present,” Edwards said. “For example, my step-mother bought my dad a trip to Las Vegas for Christmas. Instead of letting him open one envelope that said ‘hey, you get a trip to Vegas,’ he opened one envelope that said ‘go to where sleeping dogs lie.’ In the doghouse there was another envelope and another clue. He finally had to unscramble the letters and said, ‘Las Vegas! Awesome!’ It was fun, I wanted one.”

But, who doesn’t want their dream gift for Christ-

mas. To some, the perfect gift is a vacation discovered by a game, and to Bob Leonard, MCCC instructor of Product and Process Technology, getting his hands on tickets to a game is very important to his holiday celebrations.

“I have my boys over every year and exchange gifts,” He says. “Usually I give them Red Wings tickets. We have a big traditional Christmas, and a big traditional dinner.”

As natives of the United States, we know of four holidays celebrated around this time—Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, and Christmas, but others around the world know other December holidays.

For instance, Dec. 6 was an insignificant day to many at MCCC, but for Dr. Magdalena Kotanova, an adjunct German language professor, it was the anniversary of a tradition she has celebrated since childhood – St. Nicholas Day. “When I was growing up, we were very scared of St. Nicholas Day because our parents would always say if we were not listening, then the devil would come for us instead of St. Nicholas,” Kotanova said with a laugh.

In the Slovakian town she grew up in, it was tradition that children would be visited by three holiday figures on the eve of this celebration: St. Nicholas to determine whether the tots have behaved; an angel to give the good kids their presents; and a devil to frighten the ones that were bad.

Kotanova recalled other traditions surrounding St. Nicholas Day that she celebrated as a child.

“It was very exciting, especially for the kids,” she said.

On Dec. 5, the children clean their shoes and leave them out overnight. In the morning, either candy or coal would be inside, left from St. Nicholas.

The celebration is in honor of the saintly philanthropist, who died on Dec. 6, 346 A.D. The story of St. Nicholas later served as much of the inspiration behind the American Santa Claus.

December holidays are abundant in Slovakia, including Advent, Christmas, and Sylvester.

Advent marks the beginning of the Western liturgical year and is the preceding season to Christmas on the Christian calendar.

Sylvester falls on New Year’s Eve and is celebrated much like the U.S. 4th of July or Superbowl, Kotanova said.

“You’ll hear fireworks all night. Friends are together, going to restaurants or going to dances,” she said.

Despite the variety of holidays, Kotanova said Christmas is her favorite.

Whether you celebrate the holidays by running from a devil, or by eating your favorite meal of seafood or cold ham, we all have our classic or quirky holiday traditions.