gora A
Faculty contracts extended - Page 4
THE
Aug. 26, 2010 Vol.Vol. 55,56,Issue September 23, 2011 Issue13
Injured NFL player Kevin Everett shares his story
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BBQ wows students
Learning Bank may close its doors; grant funding ends Tyler Eagle
Staff Reporter
Agora photo by Michelle Dangler
Students randomly burst into dance at the Fall 2011 Welcome Back BBQ. The students pictured above were doing the Cupid shuffle. For more photos of students dancing and of the BBQ, check out page 8.
Students burst into dance, do the Cupid shuffle Mandi Davis Staff Reporter
Tunes could be heard across campus Tuesday, Sept 13, at the Welcome Back BBQ. The event, which is the first of the year sponsored by Student Government, was a huge success, according to Tom Ryder, Student Government adviser. “It was hard to tell how many people actually came, because people were coming and going,” Ryder said. He estimated about 600 attended, with more than 400 hot dogs and 36 veggie burgers consumed by the crowd. Midas, which provided deep fried food, actually
ran out before the event concluded. “I enjoyed the barbecue. Weather was nice, food was great, music was a nice variety, and many different clubs were there,” student Victoria BushawBichot said. Christine Keshney, another student, found the event to be a good way to kick off the school year. “Student Government did a great job. It is nice to have events like these because it brings a sense of belonging,” she said. Robert Brent, another MCCC student, was divided on how he felt on the random bouts of dancing. “The people dancing were simultaneously hilarious and repulsive,” he said.
MCCC Student Government will be hold an organizational meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 12:30 p.m. in the Student Government room in The Cellar in basement of the A building. Students who are interested in participating in Student Government are encouraged to attend the meeting. Nominations for officers and committee chairs will be taken at the meeting. Elections will be held at the following meeting, on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 12:30 p.m. For more information, contact Tom Ryder at 734384-4201.
The Learning Bank Network, a center that provides basic adult education, may close its doors when its funding grant runs out at the end of September. Created to help community members receive post-secondary education, The Learning Bank has helped many individuals. MCCC is one of the partners that operate the center. Vuncia Council, director of The Learning Bank, said several of the students enrolled at The Learning Bank are people who’ve recently been laid-off. “There are so many students out of work,” she said. “They need access to higher education.” Council also said there has been a demonstrated need for the network. The current class of 70 is the largest enrolled so far, with 20 more waiting to be admitted to the program. “We’re getting far more students than we thought we would,” she said. With new policies requiring minimum COMPASS scores for entry into several MCCC classes, John Joy, director of Lifelong Learning, expects to see an increased need for classes that help students prepare for college-level work. “We would pick up a significant number of folks,” he said. Council also said the cutoff scores will increase the need for programs like the Learning Bank. She also mentioned the Learning Bank’s convenient times. “We’re the only day-time program in the area,” she said. “I think we will see even more students in the winter term.” “Several students from the college attend classes at The Learning Bank to better prepare for classes and specific programs,” she added. This is not the first time that The Learning Bank’s funding has run out. It previously operated on a $300,000 grant for the 2009-2010 year. After the grant expired, another grant was secured for the 2010-2011 year, but was less, totaling $200,000. According to Joy, that’s the minimum amount required to keep the program going. “We applied to a couple grants out there,” he said. “With state funding the way it is, we just don’t know.”
Cost of gas affecting students Survey shows MCCC students are adjusting budgets to compensate Lorrie Mayzlin Staff Reporter
MCCC students were polled at the Back To School BBQ regarding how they afford gasoline with today’s prices. Sixty-two percent of the students responded that they cut into their food budget to afford gasoline, while an additional 53 percent indicated they spend less on entertainment. Thirty-five percent of the students said they use public transportation, 20 percent work longer hours, 15 percent cut from their utility budgets, and smaller percentages indicated that gasoline prices do not affect them due to their parents paying for gasoline or simply not caring what gasoline costs. In ten years time, the price at the pump has more than doubled. According to gaspricewatch.com, ten years ago, the national average for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was $1.53 per gallon. On average, the United States Energy Information Agency (USEIA) es-
Inside:
First of three parts
Agora reporter Lorrie Mayzlin will be analyzing the results of the survey and offering tips for saving money in a three -part series. Check out page 5 to read about ways to beat gasoline prices. timates that the cost of crude oil makes up about 50 percent of the pump price, with the other half determined by federal and state taxes (10-20 percent), refining costs and profits (5-10 percent), and finally distribution and marketing (10-20 percent). Gasoline prices in the Monroe area have peaked above the $4 mark and also have fallen below $3 on a rollercoaster ride over the last several years. The shifting prices have made it almost impossible for residents to budget for these fluctuations, forcing them to cut elsewhere in their family budgets.
Opinion...............................2 Campus News......................3,4 Features...............................5 A&E......................................6,7 Photos......................................8
The Agora Gasoline Survey
Food budget - 62% Entertainment budget - 53% Public Transportation - 35% Work longer - 20% Utility budget- 15% Gas prices don’t matter - 9% Someone else pays - 6% 200 MCCC students were selected at the Welcome Back BBQ to take part in the survey. Participants were entered into a drawing for a prize of a $10 McDonald’s gift card. The winner will be announced on Thursday, Oct. 6.
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MCCC students were asked what they’re cutting from their budgets to buy gas.
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