Agora
The Vol. 50, Issue 10
April 15, 2008
MONROE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Scholarships survive in ink Cassie Kane Staff Writer
Many students attending Monroe County Community College (MCCC) plan on transferring to a four-year college or university. One of the major concerns for these and many other students across the nation is money. For most people, paying for college is no easy hill to climb. A number of businesses have created financial aid programs for college students including Ford Motor Company and Demma Corporation, and there are state tests offered during high school which present an opportunity to earn money for college. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to acquire some of these financial assistants. MCCC student Nick Bomia is one of those people. “I was like a point away from winning the MEAP scholarships at my high school,” Bomia said. “It’s sort of unfair because state tests like the MEAP are really for the incredibly smart kids in high school. My teachers never prepared me for it.” Luckily, there are is a light at the end of the tunnel. There are hundreds of thousands of scholarships and grants available that do not require tons of paperwork, or have strict requirements. On FastWeb.com—a website dedicated to finding scholarships for people based on certain criteria—there is a $1,000 scholarship offered to boys over 6 feet 4 inches tall, or a girl over 5 feet 10 inches. It does not seem like a lot of money, but just think, if a student receives five or six of these types of grants worth $1,000 each, he or she will have at least $5,000 for college. There are more scholarships and grants like these which MCCC students are unaware. One way to look for these scholarships is through the local li-
brary. Cindy Green, a community li- these scholarships existed,” Falken- with college. The internet is a relibrarian at Dorsch Memorial Library, burg said. “I wish someone would able source because you will find new is surprised that few students know have told me sooner so I could have grants which may not be in any of about the various opportunities out started turning in applications months the books you might find in a library. there. ago.” Most websites require people to sign “There are books, which are someThe library is not the only place to up for an account in order to search for times updated every so often, that list find scholarships and grants to help financial aid, but some do not. Popular different scholarships and grants,” Green said. “Some pertain to a person’s ethnicity, community service, extracurricular activities, or even a short essay. Students looking to transfer to a four-year college where tuition will be more costly should stop by a library and ask to see one of these books. Of course they’re important for anyone looking to go to any college.” In the MCCC library there is such a book. The College Blue Book lists over two thousand scholarships sponsored by government agencies, private parties, and business professionals. Examples of scholarships listed within the book include scholarships for those with cystic fibrosis, and scholarships for students majoring in horticulture, construction, sculpture, botany, law enforcement, and many other career fields. Nikki Falkenburg of Agora photo by Cassie Kane Monroe High School These books are just two examples of the many resources availplans on attending able to college students searching for scholarships and grants. MCCC next fall. “I had no idea all
internet information sources include FastWeb.com, FedMoney.org, and CollegeBoard.com. More information about scholarships and financial aid may also be found on campus by calling MCCC’s financial aid ofiice at (734)-384-4135.
Former Detroit mayor Dennis Archer to visit MCCC campus Casey Cheap Staff Writer
Former Detroit mayor Dennis Archer will visit Monroe County Community College (MCCC) on April 23. Archer’s speech will last from 8-9 a.m. in the Meyer Theater located in
Dennis Archer Former Detroit Mayor
the La-Z-Boy Center. Both students and faculty are encouraged to attend this presentation. The topic of Archer’s discussion will be “Keys to Success in Our Diverse World.” Archer is expected to give insight on diversity based on his experience in both the political and business worlds. Although his presentation is not an official “Big Read” event, it ties in with the diversity issues the “Big Read” deals with. Besides his success as a politician, Archer has also been known for giving speeches such as the one he will present at MCCC. “Some people who have heard him speak say he is a very eloquent speaker,” Molly McCutchan, Director of Human Resources, said. Whether one speaks of the political or business world, Archer’s message to students will still be the same.
INSIDE Editorial...............................2 Campus News....................3 Feature..........................4 & 5 Community News..............6 A&E.....................................7 Spotlight.............................8
“He will be discussing diversity,” McCutchan said. “We will all someday work with a diverse population.” According to a press releases obtained by The Agora, Archer was named one of the “100 Most Influential Black Americans” by Ebony magazine. The National Law Journal named Archer one of the “100 Most Powerful Attorneys in the U.S.” Before Archer’s tenure as a public servant, he was president of the Wolverine Bar Association (1979-1980). He also served as Chairmen for the Detroit bar Association (1973-1975), was an Associate Professor at the Detroit College of Law (1972-1978), and an Adjunct Professor at Wayne State University Law School (1984-1985). Archer taught disabled children in Detroit Public Schools (1965-1970) after he earned his B.S. in Education from Western Michigan University. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-
Exploration of cell phones Recycling stops on campus.....................3
letter fraternity established for African-Americans. In 2004, Archer was appointed to the Western Michigan Board of Trustees by Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm. Archer is among the most prominent politicians in Michigan. He was appointed an Associate Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court in 1985. Most know Archer however, simply as the former mayor of Detroit. Archer was preceded by the controversial Coleman A. Young, and often got credit nationwide for changing Detroit’s grungy image and decreasing the city’s crime rates and population loss. He served two terms as Detroit mayor (1994-2001) and was the creator of “Angel’s Night,” a program used to scale back arson in Detroit the night before Halloween. Archer is also credited with the current construction boom in downtown Detroit, which started as a direct result
of the construction of Comerica Park and Ford Field. During his last year as Detroit’s mayor, Archer also became the president of the National League of Cities. Since his political career ended, however, Archer has also proved just as savvy in the worlds of business and law. Archer was the first African-American president of the American Bar Association (2003-2004). He is currently sitting as the Chairman of the high profile Michigan and Washington, D.C. law firm Dickinson Wright. The firm includes more than 200 attorneys. In the business world, Archer sits on boards for such corporations as Compuware, Johnson Controls, Inc., and Masco. The Monroe County Chamber of Commerce’s Koffe Club is sponsoring this event.
Tata Motors buys Jaguar............................6
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Tigers disappoint...........7