4-28-2011

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GSA hosts Day of Silence - Page 4

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Aug. 26,2011 2010Vol.Vol. 55, Issue April 28, 55, Issue 9 1

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Arthur, Rio provide laughter

pg. 7

Grandmother Name this place! named top MCCC student Johnston, McKenzie win faculty awards Nicole Bolster Agora Reporter

photo by Denise Kukwa

There is no official name for the area in the center of campus.

The Agora begins competition to name the courtyard at the center of campus Matthew Mullins Agora Reporter

University of Michigan has the “Diag” and we have the, well, what do we have?

In the middle of the Admissions, Library, Life Sciences and Tech buildings is a little meeting area with trees and a round walkway.

“I’m not sure what it’s called,” Lindsay Insco, MCCC student said. “It’s not like the college says anything about it.”

The opinion of what the name is varies from student to student.

“The Center Piece,” Drew Patterson said.

“We should call it the Square,” MCCC freshman, Ashley Loudenslager said.

“The Four Corners sounds like a good name,” MCCC freshman Jon Griffis said.

Even David Nixon, the President of MCCC has ideas for what the school could do.

“Personally, I’d like to see a 50 ft. tall Clock Tower... That would be five stories tall, signifying the center of the

campus. It could include a loud speaker system for “chimes” on the hour,” Nixon, said.

The Agora wants your opinion!

What do you want that center walkway to be called?

We will pick the best entry and that will be the unofficial name of the walkway.

You can submit your story right to the Agora in the L building room 202, or email it to Matthew Mullins at mullins1127@yahoo.com.

Dawn Witmer, a grandmother who came back to school to show her grandchildren it is important, came out on top at MCCC’s Honors Night Wednesday.

Witmer won the Faculty Association Outstanding Student Award.

Math professor Mark Naber presented the award to Witmer, who was teary eyed when asked how she felt about receiving the award.

“I was humbled because there were so many other people who deserved the award,” Witmer said.

Witmer is a non-traditional student at MCCC. She is a writing fellow and on the dean’s list for academics.

Naber said she was nominated for the award because she was determined to set an example for her grandkids. She wants them to realize that if grandma can go to college and be successful, so can they.

Cheryl Johnston, professor of Reading and English, won the Outstanding Faculty Award.

Clayton McKenzie, adjunct professor of Biology, won the Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award.

Grace Yackee announced the recipients of the awards for Faculty and Adjunct Faculty. Johnston was close to speachless when she received the award.

“I’m overwhelmed and honored to receive this award. I don’t know what to say. … I’m stunned,” Johnson said.

“This is a great place to teach, the students are great,” Mckenzie said after he received his award.

The first president of MCCC, Dr. Ronald Campbell, attended the event to award the Dr. Ronald Campell Student Government Award. The award was given to Holly Self, this year’s president of Student Government.

Other awards were: Business Student of the Year: Sarah Larson The George Rhodes Writing Fellow Award: John Collins Terri McConnaughey Scholarship: Diane Hill Carol Kish Scholarship: Jeremy Romanos Outstanding Nursing Student: Danielle Corne

Dawn Witmer: Outstanding Student

Cheryl Johnston: Outstanding faculty Spirit of Nursing Award for the US Army/NSNA: Brad Phillips All-USA Academic Team Nominees: Stephanie Dahl and Ricki Spotts Outstanding Respiratory Therapy Student: Melina Miles Industrial Technology Award: Products and Process Technology: Robert D. McCoy Industrial Technology Award:- Construction Management: Scott Atkinson Industrial Technology Award: Welding Technology: Michael Canupp and Kelly Clark Excellence in Journalism: Christina Clark and Jeff Papworth Outstanding Journalism Award: Marissa Beste and Morgan Hofbauer Freshman Chemistry Award: Travis Trombley Organic Chemistry Award: David Sarnowski MASS Mathematics Competition Award: Travis Trombley Outstanding Mathematics Student Award: Chad Orndorf President’s Academic Achievement Award: Andrew Charter, Stephanie Dahl, Veronica Milligan, Qun Roessle, Ricki Spotts, Jayme Wasielewski and Stacey Weber Outstanding Student Program of the Year: Sophomore Respiratory Therapy Student Club

Clayton McKenzie, recipient of the Outstanding Adjunt Faculty Award photo by Kayla Tubbs

Commencement set Friday night Board of Trustees approves tuition increase Tyler Eagle

Agora Reporter

The 2011 MCCC Commencement Ceremony will take place Friday, April 29, at 7 p.m. in H building.

Students Kelly Harness and Constance Huff have been selected as the student speakers. Harness will be introduced by faculty member Kathleen Masters and Huff will be introduced by Mark Hall, the director of admission and guidance.

Faculty members Bonnie Boggs and Dr. Joanna Sabo will be reading the names of the students graduating. Dr. Grace Yackee, vice-

Inside:

president of Instruction, will act as the mistress of ceremonies.

While roughly 618 students are graduating, only 191 students are expected to take part in the ceremony.

Dr. David Nixon, MCCC president, has some advice for the graduating students.

“Cherish the good memories about the friends you made, the things you’ve learned; but most importantly, don’t stop thinking about tomorrow,” Nixon said.

Tickets will be needed to get into graduation. Each student received four tickets with their cap and gowns.

Editorial...............................2 Campus News..................3,4,5 Features..................................6 A&E........................................7 Sports...................................8

Jaymes Dluzen Agora Reporter

Tuition at MCCC again will increase $5 per contact hour beginning Fall semester.

The increase was approved Monday by the MCCC Board of Trustees. The board also raised tuition by $5 last fall.

Since 2009, tuition has increased from $67 per credit hour to $77 next fall.

The board also raised tuition for in-state residents who don’t live in Monroe County $8 to $132 per credit hour.

Non-state residents will face a $9 increase to $147.

The registration fee also was increased from $25 to

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$30.

Reaction from students ranged from angry to understanding.

Kristin Stuecher, who is attending MCCC again next fall semester, was miffed at not being warned about the increase.

“They didn’t say anything to me about the increase,” Stuecher said. “I wish they would have told us something.”

“If they really need more money from us to provide us learning resources, then it is necessary,” said Student Government member Travis Durkin. “It’s hard to know if it is really necessary, though.”

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Editorial

April 28, 2011

Community college education can compete Community colleges always have faced the question – do students get as good a start on their college education as they would at four-year universities?

It’s a natural concern. After all, Monroe County Community College doesn’t have ivy-colored walls, famous lecturers, or Greek letters on big houses. There’s no championship football team.

What we do have is small classes with professors who concentrate on teaching, not research.

We have hands-on opportunities to learn and one-on-one feedback.

As advisor to The Agora, I watch as students combine classroom instruction with practice on the Dan Shaw newspaper Agora Adviser and website, growing as journalists before my eyes.

They start out hardly understanding what constitutes news, let alone how to write a news sto-

Tyler Eagle

MCCPA winners: Marissa Beste First Place, Student Journalist of the Year; First Place, Headline Writing (tie); Second Place, Front Page Design; Second Place, InDepth News Story (with Andrew Hoppert); Third Place, Informational Graphic (with Andrew Hoppert); Honorable Mention, Marissa Beste Personality Profile.

Asia Rapai will be editor-in-chief of the BG News at Bowling Green next fall.

ry. Two years later, they’re well on their way to careers as journalists, writing solid news stories, sometimes on complicated topics.

When Asia Rapai took Intro to Journalism in the fall of 2008, she had no particular interest in journalism. She knew she liked to write and thought a journalism course would be fun. Her first story read more like an essay for a creative writing class.

Earlier this month, Asia was named editor-in-chief of the BG News, the student newspaper at Bowling Green State University, for the 2011-2012 school year.

That’s an amazing honor for a transfer student. Asia graduated last spring as MCCC’s Student of the Year, along with an armful of community college journalism awards.

But I’m sure she had doubts when she walked into the BG News for the first time in September. Would she be able to compete with students who had attended Bowling Green for their first two years?

Her selection as editor of Bowling Green’s student newspaper just seven months later answered those questions. Bowling Green has 300 journalism majors in a nationally ranked journalism program.

No one at MCCC is surprised

First Place, Personality Profile; First Place, Feature Story; Third Place, Feature Photo.

Morgan Hofbauer

First Place, Headline Writing (tie); Third Place, Column\Commentary Serious; Honorable Mention, Critical Review (with Danny Shaw).

at Asia’s success after transferring. She was a special student at MCCC, combining discipline, hard work and a sharp mind.

But she’s not that unusual. Lots of MCCC students go on to succeed at four-year universities – and at impressive careers. She is just doing it in a more visible way.

Asia’s success should serve as an inspiration for all Monroe County residents.

They can send their sons and daughters to MCCC, confident they will leave two years later prepared to succeed at a four-year university.

Members of The Agora staff also got a recent reminder that MCCC students compete well

Andrew Hoppert

Second Place, In-Depth News Story (with Marissa Beste); Third Place, Informational Graphic (with Marissa Beste).

Dylan Gallagher

Third Place, Editorial Cartoon

The Agora Staff

Third Place, Overall Page Design

against their counterparts.

During the same week that Asia Rapai was selected to lead the BG News, Agora Editor Marissa Beste was named Student Journalist of the Year by the Michigan Community College Press Association.

Marissa and the rest of The Agora staff competed against student journalists from much larger community colleges – some with as many as 30,000 students.

Marissa won five awards; overall nine Agora staffers won 18 awards.

Ironically, advisers of the student newspapers at Michigan community colleges have been arguing over whether to divide the competition into two divi-

Jeff Papworth

Honorable Mention, Sports Column

Christina Clark

Honorable Mention, Feature Story

Chase Dowler

Honorable Mention, Sports Feature.

Ashley LeTourneau

Honorable Mention, Best Use of Photos.

sions – so small community colleges could compete against each other, rather than in the same division as the larger schools.

Competing against community colleges like Washtenaw, Lansing and Grand Rapids, all with many times more students, The Agora staffers held their own, and their editor won the top individual award.

As they walked out of the conference, their heads were held high. There was no doubt in their minds they were getting a college education that competed with the best, anywhere.

(Dan Shaw is an assistant professor of Journalism at MCCC and adviser to The Agora.)

Wake up students: The Fed has too much power Over the last few years, in light of all of the country’s financial troubles, there has been increasing interest and concern amongst Americans regarding the actions and policies of the United States’ central bank, the Federal Reserve.

Oddly enough, many (if not most) people are not really sure what the Fed (Federal Reserve) is, what it does, and why its recent activity has been so detrimental to the economy.

In order to answer these questions, we have no choice but to take a closer look.

A central bank is an institution that holds and lends assets and monies of other banks, large and small. The Fed is the Joe Prestia banks’ bank. It sets interAgora Reporter est rates, discount windows, and (most importantly) issues and distributes currency. Ultimately, the Fed is supposed to help regulate market changes and banking transactions to maintain economic stability.

After two failed attempts at central banking from 1791-1811, and from 1816-1836 - the current version of the Fed was established in 1913.

The first attempt was a federalist measure strongly supported by Alexander Hamilton, and fiercely opposed by Thomas Jefferson.

“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs,” Jefferson said.

In 1913 the Federal Reserve Act was passed in response to a series of banking panics. In charge of drafting the bill was Republican Senator Nelson Aldrich. Coincidentally enough, Aldrich had close ties to rich bankers such as John D. Rockefeller, who was Aldrich’s son-in-law.

Originally the Fed was to issue elastic currency, which is more or less a supply of currency that can be

contracted (removed) or expanded (added to) as a method of fighting economic downturns, in the form of Federal Reserve notes based on the nation’s gold reserve.

In 1945, in an effort to rebuild the world monetary system during the closing years of World War II, 730 delegates met from around the world, setting up the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and creating a system where the U.S. dollar would become the basis for the exchange rate for currencies worldwide.

This was done in an effort to simplify international trade. This resulted in giving the dollar the status of “world reserve currency.”

This system would suffice for the next 25 years, but by 1970, trouble was on the horizon. With an outpour of gold from the U.S. and the irresponsible printing of the dollar, international confidence in the U.S. dollar had declined greatly. The U.S. dollar would remain the core world reserve currency, but due to its inflation and erratic exchange rates, it could no longer be pegged to the price of gold. This would mark the end of the previous system, and the beginning of our current system of fiat currency, which is a system where paper money is no longer based on gold, but on the government promise of its market value.

This new power of elastic currency based on government promise has been a quick treatment for many funding problems since, but has facilitated the financial mess that the United States is in today.

Wars that we otherwise could not have afforded have been financed by this system. Social programs that we could not have afforded have been funded by this system.

Most of America would probably never become aware of the unjust power of the Fed had it not been for the financial crisis we are currently in. People were saying, “Why does AIG deserve to get bailed out? If I file bankruptcy, nobody bails me out!”

During the last several years of Alan Greenspan’s tenure as the Fed’s chairman, he set the interest rate near zero. Greenspan believed that this would encourage liquidity, but it gave large firms the opportunity to borrow from the Fed irresponsibly.

Game on.

When a law known as the Glass-Steagall Act, which forbid investment banks to own or “hold” commercial banking entities, was repealed by congress in 1999, Pandora’s Box began to open, and the stage was set for what would become one of the worst financial crises in U.S. history.

Banks began giving out loans to people who could not afford to pay them back. Predatory lending caused the value of homes to rise fictitiously, and created what is known as a bubble. These mortgages were repackaged, then traded on the market as “mortgage-backed securities.” Investment companies encouraged investors to buy into these investment vehicles by guaranteeing solid returns and deemed these securities as AAA-rated. The reality of the situation was the AAA-rated investments were actually toxic and high risk.

Finally, in 2008 the bubble began to burst. Borrowers started defaulting on their loans, and all those so-called AAA-rated investments were worthless.

The stock market began to crumble as investor confidence declined. Giant firms such as Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, Fannie May, Freddie Mac, and AIG were in bankruptcy.

Check.

Then something interesting happened. See, one of the Fed’s purposes is to act as a lender of last resort. This creates a loophole where large firms can invest irresponsibly because they are deemed “too big to fail.” Then U.S. Secretary of Treasury Henry Paulson used fear tactics to pass hundreds of billions of dollars in bailouts in the form of TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program). AIG was bailed out (amongst others).

Checkmate.

Some companies even profited from both the collapse and the bailout, most notably investment firm Goldman-Sachs (counterparts in trading toxic assets with AIG. They then made bets against those investments for a profit, and received a ton of money from the TARP).

Maybe it’s just me, but the fact that Paulson was CEO of Goldman-Sachs before his tenure as Secretary of Treasury is a wee bit unnerving. Also, Obama-appointed Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner was instrumental (along with Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke), in giving away the bailouts.

Prior to public concern, Bernanke publicly asserted that the markets were stable and assured people not to worry. After the bailouts were approved, Bernanke then requested the injection of money into the banking system to ensure liquidity, and continues Greenspan’s tradition of low interest rates.

When asked at a congressional hearing where and how the TARP money was distributed, Bernanke arrogantly retorted, “None of your business.” Techni-

Advice on being a military girlfriend Nicole Bolster Agora Reporter

Many women have been dealing with husbands, sons, and boyfriends leaving them to join the military.

My boyfriend recently left for the Marine Corps. It is a lot harder to deal with than many people think. I am going to give some advice on how to survive a significant other leaving for the military.

The best thing to do is to stay busy. If you stay busy, the time will go by faster and you won’t be thinking about how much you miss him all the time.

Write as many letters as you can. Even though he is not there with you, when you write letters it feels like you are talking to him.

Although the letters are for him, it helps you because it feels like you are still communicating with him. He will really enjoy receiving the letters, too.

It can help to talk with other people who are in the same situation. There are chat rooms that consist of people in the same situation as you.

Many of the people you will

encounter in your daily life will not know what you are going through, so being able to talk to someone who is going through the same thing really helps.

Keeping a calendar is helpful as well. I have a countdown on my calendar until he comes home, so I can cross off each day. This helps because it makes me feel like I am working toward being able to see him and it’s nice to see the days get crossed off.

Try not to be selfish and stay positive. I know it’s hard not to blame him for leaving you and not being able to talk to him, but you have to remember that he is doing this for our country. He is doing this for every American, not just you.

He is becoming a respectful and proud man because of this, so if you look at the big picture, it won’t make you mad at him but proud of him. This will help you stay positive.

Don’t think of the worst and try not to mope around about it.

Keep busy and write letters and the time will go by fast.

cally, Bernanke was correct. According to the Federal Reserve Act the Fed does not have to disclose many of its internal dealings, even under audit. This is because the Fed is not technically part of the U.S. government. Although it is supposed to be subject to Congressional oversight, it is a private-government hybrid, and uses this position to facilitate its secrecy.

Only in the last few months has the Fed been forced by the Supreme Court to release partial information of TARP’s distribution.

So where does all this money come from, considering our national debt has reached an all-time high?

It comes from thin air, almost literally. The Fed requests that the mint produces and sells it currency for pennies on the dollar, then revalues the currency at face value. This money (both material and electronic) is then used and distributed as the Fed sees fit. The dollar is inflated, and therefore devalued.

This use of elastic currency causes the little bit of savings that most Americans have to become worth even less. Prices rise, especially as production slows, and commodities like oil and food become more expensive. This would not be so bad if wages kept up with the inflationary curve, but they have become stagnant. Through this mechanism, as the old saying goes, “The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” Wars are funded with this fiat currency, and the money is re-circulated into the military-industrial complex. All of this fuels the alarming statistic that 99 percent of wealth in America is aggregated into the top 1 percent of its population.

Although the problem can be diagnosed, the search for a cure continues. The actions of the Treasury department and the Federal Reserve have shown that the power of few can be retained at the expense of many without morality being at all considered. Considering that the faces and policies that facilitated this disaster remain the same, a silver lining is out of view. Injections of more disease cannot make a sick patient better.

I hope that Jefferson was wrong. I pray that inbetween switching stations from Dancing with the Stars to American Idol, Americans will start to wake up, before his prediction becomes a reality more so than it already has.

The symptoms of our current system are only beginning to bear the rotten fruit from the toxic fertilizer used to facilitate its own influence. If this spoiled fruit is what America is having for breakfast, what’s on the menu for lunch? As for dinner, well… we might just have to go hungry.

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 Photo courtesy of Nicole Bolster

Agora reporter Nicole Bolster and her boyfriend Matt Pitcher must now make contact from miles away since he joined the Marine Corps.

Adviser Dan Shaw

Staff Nicole Bolster Mariah Bruce Christina Clark James Dluzen Matthew Mullins Jeff Papworth Joe Prestia Kayla Tubbs Whitney Patterson

Campus News

April 28, 2011

THE AGORA

X-Tech features look at tech center

Mike Laroy

For the Agora

MCCC’s new technology center is not scheduled to begin construction until July, but a bevy of people got their first glimpse of what the new technology center would look like, as well as what it would offer.

“A lot of paperwork needs to be completed at the state and local level,” Peter Coomar, dean of the Industrial Technology Division, said.

“It should take 14 months from start of project to finish.”

The 71,300-square foot facility, which will take approximately $17 million to construct, will include many classes. Ten of them were on display during the XTech event on Wednesday April 20.

“A state of the art facility that will prepare residents of the region and county in particular for the 21st century jobs,” Coomar said.

“This is a long-anticipated need, not a

want.”

During the four-hour open house, attendees were encouraged to do things such as weld various metals, draw with the CAD (computer aided-design) equipment, and run certain state-of-the-art machine tools.

In the product and process technology classroom, every person who stopped by to see what Professor Bob Leonard and his class were doing was given a keychain made by students.

DTE Energy was also on hand at the XTech event. They provided information for people that are interested in a career in nuclear engineering technology.

An outline regarding the new nuclear engineering program was made available to people who attended.

The outline included classes that accumulated to a total number of 68 credit hours over five semesters – an average of over 13.5 credit hours per semester.

“All existing programs including new ones in the area of Green Construction,

Agora Reporter

Photo by Tyler Eagle

Andy Dryer explained how the auto tech program’s dynamometer worked by spinning the wheels of the car during acceleration.

Alternative Energy, Nuclear Engineering Technology, Automotive Service and En-

gineering,” Coomar said.

Photo by Morgan Hofbauer

Domien Schepers (left) from Belgium and Joo-Young Baek (right) from South Korea sit in the lobby outside of the library.

Agora Reporter

Not much else can put the edge on a resume like a study abroad program – but there are so many options.

One option, run through the MCCC International Studies program, is the study abroad trip every two years, which includes three weeks overseas and three weeks in class on campus for six college credits.

The spring 2011 study abroad trip will include stays in Austria, Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic. The group will leave May 10 and return May 30.

“The students are going to see a lot,” said Joanna Sabo, club advisor. “Postcommunism, growth in capitalism, growth in productivity, and people there are generally happy but they do have economies that are struggling.”

There is no information yet regarding the 2013 study abroad trip.

Another option to study abroad for a longer duration would be finding an exchange program. One such program, Youth for Understanding, is located on the MCCC campus.

One perk to using an exchange program is the guided assistance that comes with it.

Megan McCaffery-Bezeau is the YFU coordinator at MCCC, who coordinates the living, transportation, and class arrangements for the students.

“If there’s help that they need with changing a class or a bus schedule, they can come to me. I can help them,” she said.

McCaffery-Bezeau wouldn’t be able to get an American MCCC student through to another country, but she can be of assistance. For those interested, please call (734) 384-4258.

“They could contact me and I could obviously get them in the right direction, with the right people,” she said.

Joanna Sabo said she can also give students various options. For those interested, please call (734) 384-4297.

There are currently four exchange students at MCCC through YFU, and they are all here for different reasons.

Axel Missirliu, from Paris, described studying abroad as an opportunity to open your mind.

“It’s the point of the whole thing,” he said. “Let’s go somewhere else, do something else, learn something else, from other people. It’s been a really fun experience.”

Joo-Young Baek, from Seoul, South Korea, said one reason behind her decision was to gain independence from her home and family.

“In my home, my parents always take care of me, and they protect me,” she said. “I just want some change, or something new, and somewhere else where I don’t know anybody.”

Studying abroad is also a great way to hone a foreign language, which is one of the reasons why Domien Schepers, from Alcan, Belgium, told YFU he wanted to study in the U.S. “I wanted to improve my English so

I wanted to go to a country where they speak English, and the United Kingdom was a little too close for me, so I decided to go a little farther.”

Joo-Young said the experience has overall improved her language skill as well, although it was difficult at first.

“I have to speak English to survive,” she said. “It is easier [now] than when I first came here. I learned English since I was in third grade, but I just know how to read and write.”

In January, another South Korean student arrived at the college, giving JooYoung a native tongue to speak with.

Eunjung Bae temporarily goes by her Americanized name, Grace.

There are some downsides to using an exchange program, however.

McCaffery-Bezeau said her greatest challenge is to find a host family to take in a student for a whole year. The volunteer families are diverse, which can make the cultural transition easy or difficult on the students.

“This is my first time that I live with someone else, not my family; so at first it was not easy to adapt to new circumstance, not as comfortable as my house, but they are very nice to me,” Joo-Young said.

Axel lives with host-parents and a younger host-brother and he said everyone gets along. Living in a house with other people was the only way to learn

MCCC still considering arming guards Matthew Mullins

Opportunities available for studying abroad

Morgan Hofbauer

3

the American lifestyle, Axel said.

“You learn how American people really live. You really get to know how it works out,” he said. “I really love it.

There’s no difficulty at all.”

In comparison to a large host family, Domien lives with just one man.

“It is not like a traditional host family, so that’s different, but it’s going really good,” he said. “Sometimes it’s really hard to miss your friends and family. You have to make the best out of it.”

Another downfall to YFU is that classes at MCCC won’t transfer back to a student’s home country. Because of that, students have a sort of freedom to pick what classes to take.

“I’m going to med school when I get back to France,” Axel said. “Whatever I do here will not be brought back, so I take fun classes. I took theater, and some mass media stuff; that’s what I’m interested in, and then stuff that will be useful in my life, like I took a speech class too.”

Other students will take classes that relate to their major, like Joo-Young.

“I take classes I would like to major, like elementary education. This is what I want to study. Or like health class,” she said.

One universal difficulty when studying abroad is finding a welcoming group of friends.

“Making friends and getting to know people, it’s just so weird because most

Cultural differences

It’s hard to notice what others would consider oddities in your own culture, but step into another country and be prepared for culture shock.

Three of the foreign students at MCCC noticed several differences from life in their country to that in the U.S.

Driving

“In Paris there’s no way, no point in driving. And here everything is based around a car. You can sit in your car all day,” said Axel Missirliu from France, where a driver’s license costs around $1,000.

Independence

“I think Americans are more individual, more independent,” said Joo-Young Baek from South Korea. “College students are really independent, work for their own money. We work in Korea too, but it’s not that necessary.”

Religion

“I’m from a family that is not very religious at all, and France is a secular government,” Axel said. “It’s completely forbidden to have a cross or anything that shows any religion at all, it’s completely forbidden by the law, so you keep your religion to yourself, you don’t share it very much.”

Government

“[The U.S.] is really different government-wise,” said Domein Schepers from Belgium. “For example, education is paid by the government for us, so it goes a lot easier,” he said. “But we have to pay a lot more in taxes, so we’re still paying for our education, of course.”

Firearm policy

“In France there are no guns,” Axel said. “You’re not allowed to have a gun in any way. And here everybody is having guns.”

Activity

“I used to live in the big city, so crowded, so many people,” Joo-Young said.

“Here in Monroe it is not that crowded, it is peaceful. And I like it here because it is peaceful and quiet. Some people say it’s boring, but I like it.”

High school

“Everybody in high school [here] tells me, ‘we don’t learn anything in high school,’” Axel said. “I think that’s sad. Maybe they need some challenges and they don’t get it. I worked from 8 to 5 every day during the week.”

people already have their friends and their group of people that they hang out with,” Domien said.

Homesickness is another issue that foreign exchange students face. Joo-Young said it’s been hard without her family.

“I miss them a lot. I want to go home, but now the spring comes, there are only a few months left, so I will make the most of it.”

Most of the students agreed, however, that leaving Michigan in June will be more difficult than when they left their home countries.

“When I left Belgium I could say I’ll be back in a year. When I leave here I’ll have to say I might be back someday,” Domien said.

For the same reason, Axel said he’s sure he’ll be devastated to leave Michigan.

McCaffery-Bezeau said that while the YFU program is expensive, it costs more for a student to come on their own. However, coming alone is possible.

MCCC student Valerie Biwa, from Namibia, Africa, obtained a student Visa to return to Michigan. Valerie’s family once lived in Flat Rock, so she had college experience at MCCC before.

“I got the opportunity to come back,” she said. “You are never too old to learn, so I gave up everything and came back here. I have to stay for a few years because I am on a student visa, not a cultural exchange program, so I have to, you know, finish my two years for my associates.”

One perk to using a student visa is the freedom to pick the location and college.

Valerie was able to select MCCC, in comparison to the YFU students.

“I liked the college; it’s small and more intimate, not like a huge college or university,” she said. “Here it’s small and more intimate and you get more attention. You are able to grasp stuff more.”

The universal issue of homesickness will always persist though, whether traveling is done independently or through a program. Valerie said she often misses her mom.

On her second trip to the U.S., however, she has learned some techniques to stay in touch with her family, such as frequent phone calls and Skype.

“I talk to my mom every week. I know they’re far away, but when I talk to them on the phone, it’s just like they’re in another city,” she said.

There are many options to study abroad and the benefits are obvious, said Sabo.

“Absolutely employers are looking for a global experience,” she said. “Colleges like NYU and Duke University now require a study abroad component to graduate.”

Aside from an improved resume, the cultural experience is beneficial. JooYoung sounded sure of herself when she said, “this one year experience will make me a different, more better person.”

For more information or options regarding studying abroad, visit www. studyabroad.com.

MCCC officials are still looking into arming security guards.

“I’m just investigating the options for that,” Randy Daniels, Vice President of Student and information services said.

In January, officials discussed the possibility of arming guards.

College security is relevant not only for student safety, but also because politicians often visit.

“What happened with that politician in Tucson, we have politicians on our campus all the time,” Daniels said.

The security force cannot arrest or open fire on any suspect. The most they can do is call 911.

“We have a non-engaging security force, “Daniels said.

“They are not to engage in anything unless there is bodily harm or threat.”

Despite the lack of an armed security force on campus, there is little crime at MCCC, Daniels said.

“I’d say we are a very safe campus,” Daniels said.

“Even in the parking lot we do not have a high rate of crime.”

MCCC doesn’t solely rely on their security guards to enforce the law around campus.

“We also work very closely with the sheriff’s department and the state police,” Daniels said.

There are always scares on days like April 20, which is the anniversary of the Columbine shootings.

College security forces raise their awareness on days like these, to help prevent this from happening elsewhere.

“Our security force is well in tune with the rise in security levels,” Daniels said.

There are many ways for the school to reach out to the students in case of an emergency, including the AlertNow system.

“AlertNow gives us a warning in a variety of ways,” Daniels said.

Daniels, who also heads security related problems, said he is very intent on keeping this a safe place to attend.

“We are trying to do all that we can to deter crime,” Daniels said.

“We have enjoyed a very safe campus.”

Security Incidents There were four reported troubles with subjects on campus.

There were two reported medical emergencies.

Calendar of Events • Commencment Ceremony – April 29 • Last Day of Winter Classes – April 30 • ‘Collage Concert’ – 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. May 1 in the Meyer Theater • Grades Due from Faculty by 4:30 p.m. – May 2 • Grades Available via WebPAL after 12 p.m. – May 5

MCCC student dies suddenly Agora Staff

Philip Michael Halstead, a student at MCCC, unexpectedly died of natural causes on Friday, April 22 in the emergency room at Toledo Hosipital.

According to his obituary in The Monroe Evening News, Halstead enjoyed playing his guitar, hunting and playing Frisbee golf.

He attended services at St. Mary’s Catholic Church and also at Redeemer Fellowship Church.

He is a 2007 graduate of Ida High School. He was a resident of Temperence, MI. Memorial contributions may be made to the S.E. Michigan chapter of “Young Life.”

The address for “Young Life” is P.O. Box 94 Ida, MI 48140.

4

Campus News

THE AGORA

April 28, 2011

GSA speaks out with silence

Briefly: Joshua Meyers to join MCCC staff Joshua Meyers is the new coordinator of developmental and external affairs, beginning May 9.

Meyers will coordinate fundraising activities and assist in the college’s external relations program.

Since 2005, Meyers served as field representative to U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn.

He was named the 2010 MCCC supporter of the year.

Three new faculty members hired Three new faculty members were approved Monday night by the MCCC Board of Trustees.

Dr. Maris Fonseca is the new associate professor of Biology. Fonseca earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

She has taught biology at other community colleges and universities, in addition to considerable work experience.

Dr. Melissa Grey is the new assistant professor of psychology. She holds Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Science degrees in clinical psychology from Eastern Michigan University.

She has taught a variety of psychology courses.

Edmund La Clair is the new assistant professor of History. La Clair has earned a Master of Arts in history from Central Michigan University, as well as 53 graduate semester hours in history at Wayne State University beyond his master’s degree.

He has taught a variety of history courses at the community college and university level.

Nursing program reaccredited The associate degree in nursing program received reaccreditation status April 20 by the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission.

A few conditions accompanied the accreditation, which will result in another visit by the commission in 2013.

March of Dimes to be held A March of Dimes will be held at Sterling State Park Sunday, May 1, and about 50 MCCC support staff will be attending.

Registration will begin at 11 a.m., followed by the opening ceremony at 11:40. The walk will begin at noon.

Class repeat policy approved The MCCC Board of Trustees Monday approved a limit of three times that students can repeat a course.

The procedure passed through the Academic Review Committee before being presented to the Board.

Here is the text of the new policy: “Students are allowed to attempt the same course no more than three times. Each course in which the student has received a grade, pass/fail credit, or audit will count as one attempt.”

MCCC furthers social networking The college has joined Twitter in addition to Facebook.

To follow MCCC, go to www.twitter.com/monroeccc.

Photo courtesy of Mandi Davis, Secretary of MCCC GSA

MCCC President Dr. David Nixon stands with Gay-Straight Alliance members Ashley Locke, Brandon VanBelle, Mandi Davis, and Kimberly Ruttenberg to raise awareness of bullying through silence.

Tyler Eagle

Agora Reporter

Members of MCCC’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) silenced themselves on Friday, April 15 in a demonstration to raise awareness of bullying.

The demonstration, known as the Day of Silence, took place in the A building outside of the Admissions Office. Several club members tied an array of colorful bandanas around their mouths to symbolize their vow of silence and also passed out literature to those who stopped by their booth.

MCCC’s Day of Silence was part of a national campaign by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and was one of several colleges and high schools to take part.

The Day of Silence was contrived to bring attention to harassment against teens for their sexuality.

Mandi Davis, secretary of the GSA, took part in the demonstration and felt that it was important to get her message out to other MCCC students.

“We’re trying to show you we’re tired of the bullying,” Davis said.

Davis wants more people to take the time to educate themselves on how similar gay and bisexual people are to straight people.

“We want you guys to understand that yes,

“It’s our right to have this day and the freedom to express ourselves in public.”

Kimberly Ruttenberg Treasurer of MCCC GSA

we have attractions to the same sex or even both sexes. But we’re really a human being just trying to live like a straight person,” Davis said.

“Day of Silence to me is very important, especially with hearing about all the teen suicides that have come from bullying against the LGBT community. Why bully someone? If you don’t have something nice to say, then just ignore them or get to know them before you judge them. That could be one life you could save,” Davis said.

Davis said she thought some people who stopped by the booth were opposed to the message, but didn’t let it deter her from her goal.

“I could see some people were like coming by and looking being like ‘oh, they’re doing that day of silence.’ I just stood there and stood proud and tall. I am taking a stand against bullying,” Davis said.

Kimberly Ruttenberg, the GSA treasurer, said she was also proud to take part in the event.

“Its our right to have this day and the freedom

to express ourselves in public,” she said.

Davis feels that the event had a very deep meaning and that it also served as a reminder of teens who have committed suicide because of bullying.

“We are honoring those who have fallen or who have taken their own life because of bullying,” Davis said.

“To me it was powerful, knowing that I knew that any of us that took part in the event got our word out by being silent.”

Visit: www.mcccagora.com/ media to see a video of Mandi Davis sharing her opinion on the Day of Silence.

How MCCC makes a difference

cess Technology Bob Leonard said he usually puts CNN on before his classes start and discusses news briefly with his students, which sparked the idea.

“We started talking about doing something for them because not only did they deal with the tsunami and the earthquake, they’re dealing with aftershocks and a nuclear crisis,” Leonard said.

Jake Roach and Steven Kodysh have done most of the work on the project and can sometimes be found selling the magnets in the A building.

“It’s nice to be able to contribute to something,” Roach said. “People are completely out of homes and they need our help as much as anybody else does.”

For more information on the SME Club or to purchase a magnet, contact Leonard at bleonard@monroeccc.edu or by phone at (734) 384-4114.

Morgan Hofbauer Agora Reporter

Clubs and programs at MCCC are trying to make a global impact, and you can take part.

From the recent Japanese crisis to the ongoing issue of starvation and poverty, MCCC students and employees are creating easy ways for others to make a difference as well.

International Studies Club: Money raised for hunger

The International Studies Club on campus recently took donations to combat hunger and poverty through the Heifer International organization.

Through Heifer International, donations can purchase and send livestock to struggling towns. To promote self-sufficiency and group progress, each family must agree to give one of the animal’s offspring to another needy family.

“It’s about getting a whole village off its feet,” said Joanna Sabo, advisor of the International Studies club. “You don’t just plop a cow there and you’re done.”

The club was able to send chicks last year through their fundraising. This year they will be able to send either two sheep or a water buffalo with the approximate $300 raised.

The Heifer International catalog includes 26 different options, ranging from $20 for a flock of chicks, geese, or ducks, to a $10,000 donation towards livestock development.

Sabo said that the club will continue to promote Heifer International every year. Donations can be made at any time and will be saved for the next year’s purchase.

For more information on the International Studies club or to make a donation, contact Sabo at jsabo@ monroeccc.edu, or by phone at (734) 384-4297. For more information on the organization, visit www. heifer.org.

Newman Club:

Survivor speaks of genocide The Newman Club invited a survivor of the Darfur genocide and Sudan civil war to speak at the college April 14 in an attempt to raise awareness.

Do something Photo by Morgan Hofbauer

MCCC student Jake Roach is one of several students in the Product and Process Technology program who is making metal cut-out magnets of Japan to sell. The proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross.

Abubakar, who goes by his first name only, told a group of nearly 100 people his firsthand experience of Sudan life – being arrested, interrogated, tortured, and nearly killed by his own government.

This same government has caused the deaths of an estimated 400,000 people and the displacement of another estimated 2.5 million people.

To read Abubakar’s story, visit www.mcccagora.com/Sudan-survivor-speaks/.

The Newman Club is a Catholic group on campus that promotes the justice and teaching of Jesus Christ. The club has focused on humanitarian issues and social justice.

“Within the last couPhoto by Morgan Hofbauer ple of years, the events Abubakar, a survivor of have had a social justhe Sudan conflict, told tice theme,” said Mark MCCC students about Bergmooser, one of the his story. co-advisors of the club.

“The intent I guess was to do social awareness type things, from homelessness to hunger to even global events.”

Last October the club invited another survivor of Sudan to speak at the college, named Jacob Atem.

To read Atem’s story, visit www.mcccagora.com/ features/lost-boy-of-sudan-speaks-at-mccc/.

Abubakar said the first step in helping the issue is to raise awareness in yourself and in others.

In terms of aid, Sudan refugee camps are desperate for assistance. For more information on the Darfur issue and how to help, visit www.savedarfur.org.

SME Club:

Aid manufactured for Japan Several members from the Society of Mathematics and Engineers Club designed a way to aid Japan.

Shortly after the tsunami hit, students thought to create metal cut-outs of Japan using the manufacturing machinery. With a magnet glued to the back, the students sold these pieces for $4 to fund-raise for Red Cross aid to Japan.

Club advisor and instructor of Product and Pro-

Additional help is needed and can be offered off campus for a variety of issues.

For ideas and information, visit www.dosomething.org. Joanna Sabo suggested contacting the Red Cross or even local churches for volunteer or donation opportunities.

“You can get involved in the International Studies Club here on campus,” Sabo said. “There are also mission trips; there are alternative spring break trips.”

Sabo said even a few dollars sent to an organization such as Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch can help. She once donated $50, which bought $450 worth of food.

“People don’t realize that with our cost of living, five dollars might mean fifty dollars overseas,” Sabo said. “It pays to just start small.”

In addition, donations are often tax deductable.

As for the projects on campus, support has been gained through students, faculty and staff alike.

MCCC President Dr. David Nixon purchased a Japan magnet from the SME club, and gave support to the various clubs for making a difference.

“I commend MCCC faculty and staff who are leading global awareness discussions on campus,” Nixon said. “The learning objective in all of this conversation is for students to realize personal growth by associating with people and cultures different from them.”

April 28, 2011

Campus News

THE AGORA

5

‘Color of Water’ author speaks at MCCC

James McBride tells students to ‘aim high’ Mariah Bruce Agora Reporter

Bestselling author James McBride spoke to a packed house at the Meyer Theater in the La-Z-Boy Center Tuesday, April 4.

“I liked him,” said Lauryn Dempsey, a student at MCCC. “He was really funny.”

She attended the speech because McBride’s memoir, “The Color of Water,” is one of her favorite books and also because she received extra credit in one of her classes.

She said she now plans on reading another novel written by McBride, “Miracle at St. Anna.”

During the event, which was part of the One Book, One Community program, McBride spoke candidly on a number of topics, including the process of writing “The Color of Water.”

“Writing is the act of continual failure,” he said.

“You keep going, and eventually something will catch fire.”

McBride also encouraged students to keep trying and aim high, even when times are tough.

“The problem with students like yourselves, from places like Monroe, isn’t that you’re not smart

enough,” he said. “It’s that you don’t think high enough.”

One point McBride wanted to drive home was that if he could be successful, anyone could be.

“When I was in school, I never did anything that would indicate the fantastic success you see before you,” he joked.

“Don’t believe the hype. There’s nothing I’ve done that you can’t do,” he added.

People can be successful no matter where they come from, he believes.

“They ain’t no smarter than you in New York.”

Possibly the biggest point McBride made was that hate and discrimination do not do anyone any good.

“Don’t listen to the hate. It’s going to do nothing but tie you down,” he said.

“We’re all just human beings trying to get through another day.”

McBride concluded by taking several questions from audience members. A book signing was held in the atrium after the event.

“The Color of Water” is available for sale at the MCCC bookstore.

Photo by Whitney Patterson

One of the messages James McBride, author of “The Color of Water,” told to the audience April 4 was to always “aim higher, even when times are tough.”

Panel discusses One Book, One Community novel Jaymes Dluzen Agora Reporter

Discussions on faith, family, education and race filled the La-Z-Boy atrium on Tuesday, April 12.

The Agora, MCCC’s student newspaper, hosted a panel discussion titled “Education, Faith and Family” as part of the One Book, One Community events.

The questions and discussion centered around the strong faith, family, and education references in this year’s One Book, One Community novel, “The Color of Water” by James McBride. Panelists shared their opinions of these themes and incorporated their own stories into the discussion.

The panelists for the discussion included Tinola Mayfield-Guerrero, adjunct professor of Sociology at MCCC; Sanford Stein, a history professor at the college; Vuncia Council, coordinator of The Learning Bank Network for Monroe County; and Rahwae

“It was absolutely terrific. It touched on all the themes of the book, and we had an excellent group of people to talk about it.”

Cheryl Johnston Assistant professor of English and reading Shuman, adjunct professor of Anatomy and Physiology at MCCC. The master of ceremonies for the event was Marissa Beste, editor of The Agora.

The reactions from the crowd were positive and constructive, ranging from first time panel attendees

“ ”

to English professors.

“I’ve never attended a panel before,” said Brian Pearch, “I hope to learn more about James McBride, and he definitely overcame a lot”.

Pearch was a first time observer for a panel discussion. He attended because of the extra credit that was offered for his class.

Penny Dorcey-Naber, assistant to the Dean of Humanities/Social Sciences, was also in attendance, selling copies of “The Color of Water.”

“I expect a thoughtful discourse of the various themes of ‘The Color of Water,’” Dorcey-Naber said. “ We’re at our best when we tap into the common humanity,” Stein said.

Throughout the evening, the panelists answered questions on the various themes. Many of the questions evoked emotional and intellectual answers.

Mayfield-Guerrero said she thought the panel was the right thing to do.

“It was absolutely necessary,” said MayfieldGuerrero. “You want to have these different perspectives.”

Several audience members said the panel discussion was a great place to learn about different race, family and religion issues.

Council said she thought the diversity of the panelists helped make the discussion relevant. She related the panel discussion to what McBride went through.

“The diversity of the panelists reflects what he had to deal with,” she said.

“It was absolutely terrific,” said Cheryl Johnston, assistant professor of English and reading.

“It touched on all the themes of the book, and we had an excellent group of people to talk about it.”

6

Features Pinking the Town

THE AGORA

April 28, 2011

Photo by Joe Prestia

High school student Grant Morgan, with his mother Sue Morgan, attended the duel enrollment informational night hosted at the Whitman Center. Director of the Center Sandy Kosmyna, (right) answered their questions.

Dual-enroll students can get a head start Whitman Center holds event to help Joe Prestia

Agora Reporter

As the 2010-2011 school year nears its end, area high school students are considering dual enrollment as a possible option for next fall.

Students who dual enroll are getting a head start into life after high school educationally, financially, and experientially.

“Students get to experience college while still in high school, plus the state pays for their classes while a student is dual enrolled,” said Sandy Kosmyna, Director of the Whitman Center.

Grant Morgan, a student in attendance at the April 21 Dual Enrollment Event

from Bedford High School, was excited about the opportunity.

“I think dual enrollment is a good thing because of the free college credits, and it will help me make decisions about school in the future,” Morgan said.

There are 19 different classes at MCCC available to students wishing to dual enroll, mostly in areas of study such as welding, computer information systems, and electronics.

Credits earned for these courses will count towards students’ degrees at MCCC after high school, and are also transferrable to most universities and other colleges.

According to Kosmyna, the annual number of high school students who are dual enrolled is about 200, out of about 400 who apply.

Photo courtesy of Cheryl McKay, MCCC professor of Accounting

About 25 MCCC accounting students helped with the Susan G. Komen Detroit Race for the Cure by decorating over 100 pink ribbons to hang along the raceway. Adviser Cheryl McKay said many students dedicated their ribbons to someone they lost to breast cancer.

Japan faces new dangers, struggles Radiation spreading, 6 to 9 months before problem to be resolved source.

A chest x-ray gives about 1 to 2 millrem to the whole body. Physical symptoms don’t usually appear until the body has reached 100 rem, or 100,000 millirem, in a single dose.

Levels over 100 microsieverts, or 10 millirem, per hour have been measured at four locations less than two miles from the plant, according to Kyodo News.

The Japan health ministry released a list of 99 different kinds of food found with radiation, including milk, leafy vegetables and fish.

The 12-mile evacuation zone was widened on Friday to include several other towns with high exposure. The change added about 10,500 people to the 70,000 to 80,000 already evacuated.

TEPCO is paying $600 million to 50,000 of the evacuees.

A citizen’s group from Fukushima said that small amounts of radioactive iodine were discovered in the breast milk of four women living east or northeast of Tokyo. The highest sample was from an 8-monthold baby’s mother, at 981 picocuries, or 36 becquerels per kilogram.

The government of Japan has made no radiation safety limit for breast milk consumed by infants under one-year-old, but for tap water the limit of toxicity is 100 becquerels per kilogram.

Morgan Hofbauer Agora Reporter

An earthquake, tsunami, nuclear crisis, and more than 400 aftershock quakes over 5.0 magnitude – now Japan, and the world, face yet another danger: radiation.

Radioactive material, in greater levels than previously thought, has leaked from the stricken Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant every day since April 5, said data released from the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan on Saturday, April 23.

Reactor unit 1 has released 154 terabecquerels per day nearly every day of April, the data said. One terabecquerel is one trillion becquerels.

The Fukushima crisis has been rated a maximum level 7 in severity on the international nuclear event scale, the same rating as the 1986 Chernobyl event.

The nuclear complex, containing six reactors units, was dealt several blows over March. For more information on how the crisis happened, visit www.mcccagora.com/features/crisis-evolved/.

Reactor units 1, 3, and 4 suffered hydrogen explosions early in the crisis that tore through parts of the roof. Reactor unit 2 suffered an explosion that ripped through the inner containment vessel.

About 67,500 tons of radioactive water have accumulated at the plant, the utility firm estimates. Some of the water has leaked into the Pacific Ocean.

Resolving the issue

Radiation spread The company that owns the nuclear complex, Tokyo Electric Power Co., known as TEPCO, said on Thursday that the radioactive water that leaked for six days into the ocean contained 20,000 times the annual allowable limit for the plant, amounting to 520 tons.

On April 4, TEPCO began dumping 11,500 tons of water with low levels of radioactive iodine into the Pacific Ocean to free space in storage tanks for more toxic water.

The water released had up to 500 times the legal limit for radiation, while the water then stored had about 10,000 times the limit.

In the beginning of the crisis, radioactive materials were first detected in eastern Russia on March 14 and the west coast of the U.S. on March 16.

According to several experts, the levels were magnitudes lower than anything hazardous, the Associated Press reported.

Traces of radiation have even reached the southern hemisphere, according to the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization.

The risk associated with idiodine-131 contamination in Europe is no

To view an interactive timeline of nuclear accidents, visit: www.dipity.com/mhofbauer/nuclear-accidents

Photo courtesy of Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention

Water in the four unstable reactors at Fukushima has boiled and precipitated, leaving fuel rods exposed to the air. This infrared photo shows the accumulation of heat in reactor units 2, 1, 4, and 3.

longer “negligible,” said CRIIRAD, a French research body on radioactivity. Pregnant women and infants in France and Europe have been advised to avoid “risky behavior,” like consuming fresh milk or vegetables with large leaves.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission estimated an acceptable level of radiation at 100 millirem a year. The Environmental Protection Agency set a standard of no more than 15 millirem per single site or

TEPCO announced April 16 that they aim to bring damaged reactors to a stable condition called a cold shutdown in six to nine months, ending the crisis, the Kyodo News reported.

The utility said it would need three months to steadily reduce radiation and another three to six months for radioactive emissions to be controlled.

Fixing the crippled reactors is now at a standstill.

TEPCO sent robots into reactor units 1, 2, and 3 and they discovered that radiation levels are too high for workers to enter. The data obtained found levels to be between 4 and 57 millisieverts per hour.

The government recently changed the ceiling on allowed exposure for workers from 100 to 250 millisieverts. Even with the new amount, workers could only spend about four and a half hours in the No. 3 reactor before they reached the 250 millisieverts ceiling.

The heat and humidity limit time even further.

Repair crews would only be able to stay in reactor units 1 and 2 for 50 minutes and 15 to 20 minutes respectively due to the heat and humidity, a professor from Shinshu University told the Mainichi Daily News on Wednesday.

The company, however, has not released a change in its 6 to 9 month goal.,

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