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China’s NCC meets MCCC Delegation from Ningbo City College trades partnership ideas with MCCC Morgan Hofbauer Agora reporter

Six delegates from a Chinese college visited MCCC to discuss an international partnership.

The president and five professors from Ningbo City College of Vocational Technology traded ideas Wednesday, Sept. 22, with MCCC administrators and faculty on possible exchange programs.

The idea of an international partnership started when Randy Daniels, vice president of Student and Information Services, traveled to Shanghai, China for an educational conference last spring.

At the conference, Daniels met employees from the Ningbo City College of Vocational Technology and later visited their college.

Ningbo City College is a three-year vocational college located in Zhejiang, China, near Shanghai.

It serves nearly 9,000 students, roughly the same as MCCC. “It’s smaller than yours, but I feel proud of our campus,” said Jenny Zheng, an English professor and translator for the Ningbo delegation.

The delegation was scheduled to arrive at 2 p.m., but after an hour and a few wrong turns, they made their entrance at 3.

“When you’re in a foreign country, you get lost sometimes,” head of campus security Bill Myers said, while keeping an eye out for their van.

Zheng apologized for their late arrival before introducing the five other visitors.

Attending from NCC were President Taiwu Li and professors Hang Mingbo, He Junjun, Pan Qin and Shao Yiming.

MCCC staff present included President David Nixon, vice presidents Sue Wetzel, Randy Daniels, and Grace

Left, A conversation between MCCC president David Nixon and Ningbo City College president Taiwu Li, is translated by Jenny Zheng.

Photo by Christina Clark

Above: Members of the Ningbo delegation, from left, Hang Mingbo, Pan Qin, Jenny Zheng, and Taiwu Li admire the art in MCCC’s library.

Yackee, and Joanna Sabo, head of the International Studies Club and professor of Political Science.

After introductions and the informational exchange, potential partnerships were discussed.

Zheng said she hopes for friendship first and then cooperation.

“We hope our students can share the education re-

Photo by Morgan Hofbauer

See NINGBO, Page 3

Monroe gets homegrown sitcom MCCC English prof and other current students, alumni make up cast of new MPACT sitcom Chase Dowler Agora reporter

Public access television has never been portrayed as it will be in Monroe’s new comedic sitcom, Public Access.

The cast and crew of this bi-monthly television series are made up of some familiar faces to Monroe County Community College. One of MCCC’s own English professors, Dr. Bill McCloskey, plays a leading role. Many of the 30 cast and crew members are MCCC alumni or current students, so Dr. McCloskey has some of his fellow cast members in class.

Patrick Dunn, 21 of Monroe, is the director, producer, writer, and also plays a leading role in the show. This show is Dunn’s brainchild that was put into motion all the way back in the winter of 2009.

“It’s definitely been in the works for a long time,” said Dunn.

The plot is based on a fictional college student named Mark Murdock, played by Dunn. Mark is a new and naive intern at his local public access television station.

The fictional television station, called NVENT, is set in the town of Ventnor, somewhere in the Midwest.

Dr. McCloskey plays the drill sergeant director of NVENT named Perry Newhart.

“He’s a hard-ass with a soft side to him.

Photo courtesy of Patrick Dunn

Bill McCloskey, English prof at MCCC, plays the director of a fictional television station in Monroe’s new comedic sitcom, Public Access.

Monroe Public Access Cable TV (MPACT) will air the show at 9 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 28.

He’s the type of boss that likes to put the fear of God in people,” said McCloskey.

“It’s a very extreme character that requires him to be absolutely crazy. Bill did not hold back at all,” said Dunn about McCloskey’s performance.

Carrie the studio secretary, played by Felicity Baker, is a lusty love interest of Mark’s throughout the show.

Jess, played by MCCC student Mackenzie Maxwell, is an experienced intern who spits out words of sarcasm, especially at super hyperactive intern Dick

Inside:

Stoner, played by Chris Slat.

Dunn got inspiration for Public Access from NBC’s The Office. Both are filmed in the same documentary style, which incorporates a handheld camera.

He has done some work with MPACT channel in the past. This experience allowed him to portray the behind the scenes life of a local television station, but with a humorous slant.

“It’s a real experience working with these unique, interesting, and sometimes crazy people of the local T.V. industry,” said Dunn.

The cast and crew filmed almost the entire season of Public Access at MPACT studio. MPACT also provided the equipment to do the actual filming. Dunn hired a professional to do the editing of the show.

Public Access will air its first show on

Photo courtesy of Patrick Dunn

The cast of Public Access, Monroe’s first homegrown sitcom, include, from left, Patrick Dunn, Bill McCloskey, Mackenzie Maxwell, Chris Slat and (laying) Felicity Baker.

the 28th of this month at 9:00 p.m. It is on Charter Cable channel 95 and Comcast channel 21 and 916.

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2 THE AGORA

Editorial

September 24, 2010

Governor race fails to inspire students As the Michigan governor ’s race heats up in the polls, the reaction among students at MCCC seems to be falling flat.

Current Christina Clark Governor Agora Reporter Granholm is ineligible for re-election this term due to term limits. This leaves the spot open for a new person, new beliefs and ideas, and possibly a new Michigan.

The Republicans will be running former Gateway executive Rick Snyder.

According to an online discussion between Jerry Zandstra, the president of the Pro-Life Federation, and Rick Snyder posted on rightmichingan.com, Snyder is a moderate Republican; he is pro-life, except in the case of rape and incest, does not support gay marriage, but believes that gay and lesbian couples can enter into arrangements other than marriage, and supports the second amendment right to keep and bear arms.

Snyder introduced himself to voters as “one tough nerd,” and plans to use his ex-

periences at Gateway to create clean-energy jobs. He has gained the votes of many independent voters by focusing on fixing the economy and his desire to clean up the environment.

“We need to reinvent Michigan” Snyder says in one ad.

In the running against Snyder is the former mayor of Lansing, Democrat Virg Bernero.

According to his campaign website, votevirg.com, he will use his experiences as mayor of Lansing to both clean up the environment, by focusing on alternative means of fuel, as well as creating more jobs in the state by supporting small businesses and embracing the advanced manufacturing capabilities the state has to offer.

He is pro-choice, and he feels that the choice to have an abortion is very personal and is best made by the woman and her family, and also supports gay and lesbian rights.

Bernero has earned the support from the LGBT community as well as union members and this may have contributed to his win during the primaries.

But whether either of these candidates, or any candidate for that matter, will have the votes of MCCC students is yet to be seen.

While I am sure that many students at MCCC are very interested in what is going

on with politics and the upcoming governor’s race, others choose to remain blissfully ignorant about it.

When asked their opinions on the governor’s race the common answers among MCCC students seemed to be “I’m not interested in politics” or “I don’t care.”

This needs to change. This country was founded on the basis that the people should decide what the government should do rather than its leaders in the government alone, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers have died throughout history protecting this cause.

One of these two men is going to be elected, and for the next four years any decisions he makes, involving anything from the economy, environment, gay rights, abortion and taxes is going to affect every single resident of Michigan.

Now is the time to take action and to start caring about what is going on with this race. On Nov. 2 after the votes are tallied, the new governor will be elected; if you don’t like it, and you did not vote you cannot complain.

Every single member of American society, eighteen and older, has the chance to have a voice, to vote. Many of our grandparents have died to protect this right, which many of us have taken for granted.

Take the initiative now, get educated, get registered, and vote.

Agora photo by Denise Kukwa

MCCC students appear to be more interested in enjoying the welcome back barbecue than the race for the soon-to-be vacant Michigan governor’s seat.

Columnist advises students to use coupons to cut costs

Photo courtesy of MCCC.

Students were not allowed to wear stoles from the honor society Phi Theta Kappa at graduation. Members were told they were not allowed because it is college policy.

Honor students denied right to exhibit academic achievements at graduation Graduating from college is a great accomplishment, and most students strive to do their best while pursuing their academic dreams.

One of those academic dreams is to graduate with honors.

I’m a recent graduate of MCCC myself, and I worked hard to achieve that dream, as well as becoming a Phi Theta Kappa member.

Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) is an international honor society for two-year colleges and academic programs. It offers graduates honor stoles, through its web site, to wear on the day of graduation.

The stole is made of gold satin and has the Greek letter logo of PTK on the bottom of the stole, which is worn around your neck.

Unfortunately, MCCC’s policy does not allow students to wear the PTK stole on graduation day. The policy is in place to protect those students that are eligible to be-

Denise Kukwa Agora Reporter

come members of PTK but cannot afford the required fee, or who cannot afford the cost of the stole.

In addition to that, the PTK stole is an honor given through PTK and not MCCC. A possible solution would be for the MCCC Foundation to offer money through its Enhancement Grants Program to help students who can’t afford to become members of PTK or to purchase

the stoles.

The Enhancement Grants supports such initiatives as: “the improvement of student services, the learning environment, or any other aspect of student life as it relates to the college.”

The Enhancement Grants program also supports “the development of appropriate vehicles to showcase talents and accomplishments of students.”

I understand that MCCC has put this policy into place to protect the students that cannot afford the membership fee or stole, but there are resources through MCCC to help students with this.

Is it really fair to tell students, who have worked so hard to graduate with honors, that they cannot wear a stole from an international honor society?

MCCC posts the names of students who have become members of PTK during the school year on the wall in the A building and also in the Monroe Evening News.

I do not understand why MCCC would not offer help to students, through such programs as the Foundation, to help them take part in such an outstanding program as PTK. Being a member of PTK is just another avenue in helping students with their education, as well as to showcase their talents and accomplishments. One of those accomplishments would be to wear the honor stole on the day of graduation.

Apart from this, I must say that being a student at MCCC has enriched my life, not only personally but educationally. MCCC has been a stepping stone in furthering my education and I know that MCCC will also enrich the lives of many more students.

I hope that future students who will be graduating with honors will be allowed to showcase their accomplishments by being allowed to wear the honor stole provided through PTK.

Agora adviser invites MCCC faculty to blog This is an open invitation to the faculty – both full-time and adjunct – to join the blogosphere.

There are many talented members of the MCCC faculty who have lots to offer – beyond what they present in their classrooms.

Some probably have thought about blogging over the past few years, as the phenomenon has grown into one of the national pastimes – the number of bloggers on the Internet has passed 100 million.

But it takes time to get started – to pick a software platform and learn how to use it – and who has extra time.

So The Agora is making it easy.

We’ll set up the blog and show you how to get started. The technology isn’t complicated – just sign on and start writing.

The hope is to create a little corner of the Web site devoted to faculty blogs – a place for professors of all stripes to share with a wider audience some of their expertise, their wit, their passion – or just what’s on their mind that day.

I’ve blogged for nearly four years – sometimes more regularly

Dan Shaw Adviser

than others. My blog is called News Notes, and it’s about media issues for the most part. But when the inclination moves me, I write about anything that crosses my mind.

Since November 2006, my blog has been on www.blogsmonroe. com, the blogging site created

by The Monroe Evening News.

News Notes has received several thousand page views in a month and as few as 100. It’s not setting the world on fire.

But that’s not the point. For me, blogging is three parts getting it off your chest and one part sending your thoughts into the blogosphere. I’ve had feedback that

indicates a few people are regular readers. And occasionally a blog post will make a wider splash and I’ll get reaction from around the country.

Once I wrote, tongue in cheek, about the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry and got a nasty mention on an Ohio Web site.

I’ve occasionally written about topics relevant to a class, and sent students to my blog to start a conversation. It’s a strategy that could be useful for many faculty members.

I don’t have a clear vision of what a faculty blog area on The Agora could look like in a few years. But I have some ideas about what could happen.

If dozens of faculty members accept the challenge, it could be a vibrant, dynamic addition to the college community. It could provide a creative outlet for individual faculty members, while enriching readers both inside and outside the campus.

It also could provide a forum for discussing important issues.

Imagine, for example, a blog by the chair of the new Assessment of Student Learning Committee

with input from members of the committee. An important conversation could be conducted in a transparent manner – with opportunity for anyone on campus to join in through comments on the blog.

Keep in mind that a blog can be written by more than one person.

For example, the English faculty could decide that they don’t want to blog individually, but as a group. They could share their thoughts on what they’re currently reading – what a great chance for literature-lovers to get tips on new books.

Also, note that the blogger can control the comments on the blog by deleting any comment that isn’t appropriate. But the best bloggers don’t delete negative comments – they realize that criticism is healthy.

To get this rolling, I’ve moved my blog to The Agora – although it will still be on blogsmonroe. com, too.

Join me.

(Dan Shaw is the faculty adviser to The Agora. You can find his blog at www.mcccagora.com/ blogs)

My story began way back in 2003 (definitely many years after I was born), when I was presented with the choice to either pay the utilities or buy food.

It was a hard option, because if I paid the utilities, we would starve — but if I bought food, we would be considered “modern camping” because we would not have anything to cook the food on!

Tough choices, and in today’s world it’s not much different for many people — especially in Michigan!

I learned of a Web site that taught people how to shop in stores so everything was close to free, or negative free! Yes, NEGATIVE free. It’s a great term, and people like me get very excited when we hear those two words together in the same sentence.

Negative free refers to items (pick one, any one, your choice) that normally cost money, but when combined with a rebate, coupon, sale and bonus bucks end up being free and negative free!

It sounds impossible, but it’s actually a weekly occurrence for those who pay attention enough!

I’ve taught my youngest daughter my tricks so that she does not have to live on generic Ramen Noodles during her college career.

Going back to 2003, though, I called my sister and she sent me $50 and about 6 pounds of coupons—many of them multiples.

Included were super double coupons (where $1 coupons are doubled to $2). She gave me explicit instructions to “only get what you have a coupon for.”

In my mind, I knew that there would be no way that this would work, and $50 would NOT be enough to provide everything we needed to live on! But, with a prayer and her instructions, we headed to Meijers.

We shopped for three hours, and each of us pushed a basket.

There are three in my family; about half way through, I had

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

Lorrie Mayzlin For the Agora

filled up the three carts and my husband got a fourth cart.

When that cart was filled, and all the coupons had a product to match it, we headed to checkout.

I should note that all the money we had was the $50, as we decided to pay the bills instead of using our small check to buy anything else.

The cashier rang up all of the stuff, and the total before these coupons was $1,128. My husband and I were scared and nervous, as neither of us likes to “put stuff back” at the register.

Then the cashier began taking off the coupons, each one doubling. Thirty minutes later, our bill was NEGATIVE $78, and the cashier gave us the cash back!

I was so excited and happy that we didn’t have to spend the seed money I had, and we got $78 on top of that. I saved over 100 percent that day! I had everything from shampoo and conditioner, to cat food and litter, and even had stuff like toothpaste and laundry soap! FREE! NEGATIVE FREE!!

In each issue of the Agora, you will find money saving tips to stretch your own dollars until they squeak, and hopefully you will learn enough tips so that you do not have to make the same tough choices that I have had to make over the years.

Now, I show everyone who will listen (even strangers at the store), how to get food and household items for free! If any kinesthetic Agora reader wants to learn, just email me at lcmayzl@ gmail.com.

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.

September 24, 2010

Campus News

THE AGORA

Ningbo proposes partnership Continued from Page 1

sources, and that we can offer you something that we have,” she said. “Maybe that’s Chinese culture or Chinese education.”

Nixon said there may be opportunities available soon.

“A number of details need to be worked out,” Nixon said. “However, it fits right in with MCCC’s diversity objectives and the college mission.”

Possible exchanges that may be available for MCCC students could be to stay at NCC’s campus for as little as a month or as long as several years.

Zheng said Ningbo’s professors have much to offer to U.S. students.

“Some professors of our college are very good, for instance Pan Qin. He’s a very famous artist in our country. I think you can get a lot from professors like him.”

Another exchange discussed was faculty from both schools teaching in the other country for a few months.

Zheng said the education in China is a bit different from the United States.

“Maybe American education is more free, because I know American students can learn what they like more freely. However, in our country maybe they are not so free to choose their interest,” she said.

She said in China, however, students usually listen to their teachers more.

“That’s why we want to cooperate with your college, because we hope our students will get different education and will learn different culture,” she said.

Sabo brought up other differences between the cultures.

“I think they have similar academics, but they also don’t have the Internet access, the recourses, and the same type of free press,” she said.

“They may have a newsletter, but the

students likely would not be able to print whatever they want.”

She said that the classroom activity in the U.S. is much more casual than in other cultures.

“I’m going to guess from my experience in other Asian cultures that they probably have a much more formal classroom environment,” she said.

Another difference is the cost of living. One semester stay in a dorm at NCC amounts to roughly $90.

Yet the biggest difference between China and the U.S. is the political systems. Sabo explained that China is taking on economic aspects of capitalism.

“China is interesting because they’re one of the first large communist countries to try opening up their markets without letting go of a Communist-principled government.”

Sabo said other leaders from other schools internationally were not always as cheerful as Li. “One thing that I thought was very interesting was that their president appeared to have a great sense of humor,” Sabo said. “I think he liked to have a good time.”

One event that led to laughter came at the end of the discussion when both presidents thanked each other for their time.

They referred to MCCC’s president sharing the same name as former U.S. president Nixon – ironic because Nixon broke the political ice between China and the United States.

“The icebreaker,” Nixon said after Li thanked him by title and name.

“Nixon is very, very famous in our country,” Li said.

The room filled with laughter.

“They can go back and say they met President Nixon,” Sabo said.

Sabo explained later that Nixon is well

Photo by Christina Clark

From left: Taiwu Li, Pan Qin, and Jenny Zheng in the La-Z-Boy lobby.

Photo by Christina Clark

He Junjun looks at a photo in the La-Z-Boy Center.

respected in China, despite his reputation in the U.S. “A lot of people in the United States remember President Nixon for almost being impeached or being a crooked president, and the truth is he was one of the best presidents we’ve had for international relations,” she said.

“That ice he broke with China has continued to melt.”

After potential ideas were discussed between the schools, the delegates went for a tour of the campus.

They saw the Admissions building, the courtyard, the Meyer Theater, the Life Science building, and the library, taking many pictures along the way.

Before leaving, several staff from MCCC joined the delegates for dinner.

Communication was a major aspect of the dinner, as there was a translator at only two of the three tables. Sabo was at the

table without the translator.

She said they were still able to talk about sports, social customs, potential partnership ideas, and their students’ ages through gesturing, struggling through words, and an occasional interpretation from Zheng.

“It was interesting how we were able to communicate and learn about each other and have a few discussions with a total language barrier,” Sabo said.

At the dinner, Sabo also gave the delegates United Nations pins as gifts on behalf of the International Studies Club.

The club bought the pins for the purpose of future gifts, while visiting the UN in a previous year, Sabo said.

Though nothing is certain yet, plans are in the process for the door between MCCC and Chinese education to be opened.

(Christina Clark also contributed to this story.)

3

Ningbo City College facts The Ningbo City College of Vocational Technology (NCC) is a state-run full-time post secondary vocational education facility located in the 7,000-year-old city of Ningbo, China.

NCC was established in March of 2003 out of The Vocational Education Center of Ningbo, which was established in 1992.

Like MCCC, the campus of Ningbo City College is divided into two separate campuses.

The college has partnerships with eight universities around the world: Western New Mexico University and University of North Alabama (both in America), International University College of Technology Twintech in Malaysia, University of Angers in France, Queensland Institute of Business Technology in Australia, Woosong University in Korea, Middlesex University in England, and Seneca College in Canada.

The college partnerships allow NCC to provide its students with study programs that include: Two years of classes at NCC, then one year at one of the partner universities; two years at NCC and two at a partner school, and certification training.

NCC offers four bachelor programs, 34 diploma programs, eleven professional groups that cover 37 majors for students attending and graduating from Ningbo. In order to graduate students must earn two certificates: A NCC diploma as well as an occupational certificate.

Areas of study for these certificates include tourism, art design, communication, agriculture, forestry, electronic information, and finance.

Of these programs, eleven professional groups including accounting, culture, agriculture, civil engineering, tourism, foreign language, computer, intelligent control, art design, harbor logistics, and trade.

Study abroad students promote 2011 trip

By Sarah Folk

As a child I had dreamed of being a world traveler and seeing all the magnificent places in the world.

In May 2007, I traveled with MCCC on its first Study Abroad trip to Western Europe. We visited England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Vatican City, Greece, Turkey, and G e r m a n y, all in 21 days.

Looking back, it is hard to pinpoint one Sarah Folk particular country as my favorite. I loved them all and each one had some unique aspect.

One of the sites we visited in London was Buckingham Palace, for the elaborate pageantry of Changing of the Guard. I watched in amazement as the soldiers and their horses were steadfast and unaffected by the noise of large crowds and flashing lights.

Later, we visited Big Ben and the House of Parliament and their architecture was magnificent. We had one of our first lectures there and were brought back to reality that this was “study” abroad.

We traveled to Paris via the English Channel on the super-fast 18-car Eurostar. We first headed to the Louvre to witness many wonderful masterpieces, including the Mona Lisa. The Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower also were breathtaking.

Lucerne, Switzerland, is another picturesque area. I loved the mountain scenery of the Swiss Alps, as I looked out my hotel window each morning. In Switzerland we had a free day to explore the city on our own.

Most of the group opted to shop and see all the fairytale buildings.

We toured Picasso’s museum and

saw some of his family photos and artwork.

The adventurous ones decided to hike in the mountains. Their group left the 80-degree sunny weather and started to head up the mountain. The further they ascended into the mountain, the worse the weather got — it eventually became a whiteout.

We visited three cities in Italy: Florence, Rome and Sorrento. In Florence, we observed the Statue of David, Uffizi Palace and its connecting bridge, Ponte Vecchio. Some of us chose to go to the marciccio “flea market.” As we explored the city, we came upon a bronzed statue of a boar.

The legend was that if you rubbed its nose and dropped a coin, if it landed in the fountain you would return to Florence one day. Yes, my coin landed in the fountain!

In Rome, we had a few of our lectures in the Colosseum, Rome’s first permanent amphitheater. It fit 50,000 spectators, and was home to nasty, staged gladiator battles.

We saw the Forum Romanum and Pantheon, a temple to “all the gods.”

During some free time we went to Trevi Fountain to throw our coins, in hopes that we would return to Rome one day. In Sorrento, overlooking the Bay of Naples, some of us headed for the beach to walk and gather shells from the Mediterranean Sea. Vatican City is the world’s smallest country, but it was far from underwhelming. We visited the Vatican Museum, with its storied Sistine Chapel, featuring a ceiling fresco done by Michelangelo in 1508. We also saw St. Peter’s Basilica and the famous Swiss Guard.

In the evening we boarded a night ferry to Brindisi — our adventure was to continue in Greece.

After a restful sea voyage, we disembarked at Igoumenitsa, a port bubbling with activity between the Greek islands and Italy.

We weren’t to stay long, how-

By Sara Richter

Students from the 2009 Study Abroad trip to Southeast Asia pose in the ruins of Angor Thom, an ancient city in Cambodia.

ever — we soon headed off to the Meteora region, well known for its well-preserved, stunning Byzantine art and architecture.

We were joined by an expert local guide and began a tour of the Parthenon, atop the Acropolis in Athens and widely acknowledged as one of the world greatest architectural feats.

While surveying the city we were able to see Mar’s Hill, where democracy was started.

Our last few days we took a 3day cruise to Mykonos, Patmos, Rhodes and Kudasi, Turkey. The first island we visited was Myknonos, one of Greece’s Cyclades Islands.

I loved the little island church on this island and its other surrounding buildings.

Rhodes is one of Greece’s most popular resorts. Not surprising, considering it is said to be a gift to Helios, the sun god, from Zeus.

As we rounded up our day of learning about the island, we had a new boast: we were Rhodes scholars!

The last stop took us to Kusadasi, a Turkish village along the Aegean coast. This country and its culture was the most different, so it felt very foreign. We learned to embrace the culture and live like the Turks do.

After 21 days we had to say goodbye to our European adventure and head home.

This experience was life changing and made me think differently about how I view life, other cultures, and how Americans take too many things for granted.

I am forever thankful to have been able to attend MCCC’s first Study Abroad.

I am looking forward to new experiences as I travel again with the college to Eastern Europe in May 2011.

My Study Abroad was in 2009 to Southeast Asia. Our group traveled to Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia.

The stories I could tell you about each nation’s people would make you laugh, cry, and realize that we all really are not that different from one another.

S t u d y Abroad has provided me with many opportunities. After returning to the United States, I have been accept- Sara Richter ed to The University of Michigan and received an internship with an environmental non-profit I currently work for The University of Michigan-Dearborn in their first ever Civic Center, where I am in charge of the Alternative Breaks. I also became an AmeriCorps member, serving with Habitat for Humanity for the next year.

Each of these opportunities became possible because of the lifechanging experience that study abroad provided me.

The things I had the opportunity to learn, and people I have been able to meet, have helped me with references for my current positions.

Study Abroad with MCCC was such a great experience. The cost was reasonable, the classes were very informative, and the teachers are the most down to earth and understanding individuals that you will ever meet.

The other college students that I had the pleasure of traveling with became friends that I am still traveling with and keeping in contact with.

The defining moment for me on my journey to discovery was one night in Can Tho, Vietnam. The Victorian Hotel we stayed at is

Not too late for 2011 Students have until Oct. 1 to sign up for the 2011 Study Abroad trip to Eastern Europe.

The 3-week trip includes Austria, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Students can earn six transfer credits, and partial costs can be covered by financial aid.

Interested students should contact Professor Joanna Sabo, jsabo@monroeccc. edu or Professor Gary Wilson, gwilson@monroeccc.edu.

one of the most beautiful and expensive hotels in Vietnam.

On one side of the hotel was the Mekong River. On it are floating houses, and people on Sampans (small boats) traveling to and from land selling their fish. On the other side of the river was a multicolored tent market place.

I stood on my balcony overlooking the marketplace one night talking to my roommate at around 11 p.m.

“You see that woman down there,” I commented. “She has been down on that street selling her food since 7 a.m. this morning. She does not know it, but she has touched my heart.”

We both knew that this trip was not going to be our last to Southeast Asia.

As I write this, my friend in my story is contacting me on Facebook from her dorm room in NYC. She said: “We are connected, you and I, and one day we will return just like we said we would that sobering night.”

I will be attending the 2011 Study Abroad to Eastern Europe.

My hope for this trip is to experience my family’s heritage and reunite with some of the 2008 Study Abroad friends.

4

Campus News

THE AGORA

September 24, 2010

Mediator to help in faculty negotiations Marissa Beste Agora reporter

MCCC’s faculty and administration have decided to bring in the assistance of a state mediator to help with the ongoing contract negotiations.

“The job of the mediator is to sift through all the chaff and figure out what all the real issues are,” Dr. Patrick Nedry, chief negotiator for the faculty, said.

The negotiations have been going on since last spring, and there are only a few issues left.

The faculty’s contract, which was set to cover 2006-2010, expired in August, and the faculty are now working without a contract. The faculty’s pay and benefits have continued based on the previous

contract.

According to Robert Boonin, an attorney with the Ann Arbor office of Butzel Long who was hired by the college to help with negotiations, the teams were having trouble with the last few issues and decided to bring in a state mediator.

The teams have met ten times so far since negotiations began.

“There wasn’t a lack of meeting,” Nedry said.

According to Nedry, there wasn’t always agreement between the teams, but there were plenty of places where there was agreement. The mediator will attempt to find some middle ground between the two teams.

“I would say the meetings have been reasonably

productive and constructive,” Boonin said. “We were able to resolve a number of issues. It’s overall been a very professional and productive round of meetings.”

At this point in the negotiations, the remaining issues tend to tilt towards the economic, Nedry said.

“Economics are always an issue and a concern, and agreeing on what’s fair and reasonable and possible and what isn’t going to compromise our future, both of the institution and of the faculty; we’re all concerned about that,” Nedry said.

The mediation process takes time because it depends on the availability of the mediator and the others involved who need to be assembled.

“If the district’s position is as positive as the PR release is, this will probably be resolved fairly quickly and fairly amicably,” Nedry said.

“The art of the possible is what negotiating is all about.”

The first meeting with the mediator has not yet been scheduled.

The faculty team consists of chief negotiator Patrick Nedry as well as Tracy Rayl and Terri Kovach.

The chief negotiator’s job is to be directly involved in bargaining and activities related to negotiations, Nedry said.

The college’s team includes Robert Boonin, who serves as chief negotiator, as well as Randy Daniels, Molly McCutchan, and Grace Yackee.

BBQ welcomes back students Student government hosted barbecue kicks off fall semester

Christina Clark Agora reporter

MCCC’s Student Government helped to celebrate the new school year with their annual Welcome Back Barbeque.

The purpose of the barbeque was to welcome students back and hope that they have a good semester, Tom Ryder said as he tossed miniature footballs to passersby.

The area of campus by the La-Z-Boy center was littered with students lounging under trees and at picnic tables.

All were bobbing their heads to the music or eating the food that was passed out by the sponsors. Students seemed to be having a good time.

“It’s a great idea to get the students together.” said MCCC student Samantha Huff.

Those that attended the barbecue were able to look into the many clubs and activities the college has to offer students.

Members from the Culinary Club, International Students for Social Equality, International Studies, Math and Science Society (MASS), Military Veterans Club, Student Nurse Association, Ignite Young Adult and Campus Ministry, Dance and Theatre and the volleyball and bowling teams were all present.

Each of these clubs had stands set up so that students could join or receive additional information if they were interested.

Throughout the campus, music from the local band “The Injured List” could be heard.

The band is made up of students from Washtenaw and Adrian College.

Members include lead singer Nathan Marks, guitarists Kyle Sudak and Wil Deyoung, bass player Steve Ayer and drummer Dylan Miller.

“They’re pretty solid dudes” MCCC student John Harness said as he watched the band play.

The band was started in August 2007, Marks’ freshman year of college. Since then, they have played 144 shows, including the barbecue.

As well as original songs written mainly by lead singer Marks, the band also covered the songs of many well-known bands, such as Blink 182.

“We like to experiment,” Marks said from behind his keyboard.

The band rocked the campus from the start to the end of the barbecue.

“They’re impressive” Harness said. “[The college] should have more picnics, and they should play at all of them.”

Around noon the band fell silent and the chatter died down as Tom Ryder stood on a picnic table and called for everyone’s attention.

At the same time the barbecue was going on, a funeral was being held for Kimberly Reaume, an employee from the admissions office who died Friday. A moment of silence was held in her memory.

Agora photos by Denise Kukwa

Top: Student government members Travis Durkin and Christopher Holmes manning the grill.

Left: Local band, “The Injured List” performs at the barbecue.

MCCC enrollment tops record - 4,723 students Agora staff

MCCC has reached a record enrollment of 4,723 students for the fall semester.

“Michigan’s economy has crashed, and MCCC is one of the key first responders in our region and in the state,” MCCC president David Nixon said.

“The students are coming to us for a hopeful future, so it is no surprise we have record enrollment.”

MCCC has gained 99 more students compared to last year’s enrollment of 4,624, which is a 2 percent increase.

According to Nixon, it is the largest amount of students MCCC has had in its 46 years.

For the 2010-2011 academic year, MCCC expects to have more than 9,000 students.

These students enroll in noncredit courses such as the lifelong learning courses and business and industry training.

The amount of credit hours taken this fall has also reached a record high of 42,809, which is 971 more than last year.

Headcount Credit Hours Billable Contact Hours

2007 2008

2009 2010

4,433 4,514 4,624 4,723 +2% 38,123 39,224 41,838 42,809 +2% *

*

46,865 47,803 +2% * not available for prior semesters

Courtesy of Randy Daniels, vice president of Student and Information Services

The chart depicts the final enrollment comparison of registrations and credit hours for Fall Semester 2010 as of the “Count Date” which was on Wednesday September 1.

The original student enrollment record was set in 1993 at 4,057 students, and the next record occurred in 2004 with 4,177 students.

Since then, the college has gained about 91 students every year until this year.

As well as the record enrollment this fall, MCCC has gained: ●126 female students.

● 85 part-time students. ● 130 non-traditional students (students age 21-50). ●103 in-state but outof-district students. ● 34 out-of-state students. ● 58 students participating in health-related two-year occupational programs.

Briefly

Hoop tournament planned

A basketball tournament will take place Oct. 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Health building.

The registration deadline is Oct. 18, and the cost is $60 per team.

The tournament is open to the public. There is a limit of 10 teams who will each play a minimum of three games.

Registration packets can be picked up at the Fitness Center in the Health building, or the Office of Lifelong Learning in the La-Z-Boy Center.

For more info, contact Karen Turner at ksturner@monroeccc.edu or at 419-384-4423.

Vote for community book

Residents of Monroe County are being asked to vote on which book they want to read with the community in the spring of 2011.

“The project is transitioning from the Big Read Monroe to One Book, One Community of Monroe County because MCCC’s application to participate in The Big Read for a fifth consecutive year was unsuccessful,” said Big Read Monroe coordinator Beth Kohler.

“While we don’t have the funding of a federal grant to help us with our programming this year, the committee continues to have a strong desire to plan the best month-long reading program possible.”

The nominated books are: The Color of Water, A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride; For One More Day by Mitch Albom; Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life

and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt by David McCullough; The Help by Kathryn Stockett; Three Cups of Tea; One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson; and Watership Down

by Richard Adams.

Voting is taking place now through September 30 at http://www.monroeccc.edu/surveys/forms/ communityread.htm.

Nursing gets site review visit

MCCC will host a site review visit by a team from the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission (NLNAC) on Oct. 19-21 for the continuing accreditation of its associate degree in nursing program.

Those who are interested are invited to come to the meeting scheduled Oct. 20 at 4 p.m. in the LaZ-Boy Center, rooms 257-258, to meet the visiting team and share comments about the program.

MCCC’s Department of Nursing completed a Self-Study Report on the associate degree in nursing program in preparation for the site review visit.

Cuisine 1300 sets dates

Cuisine 1300 has two seatings: 11:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m., Monday through Friday, from Oct. 15 to Dec. 8.

Cuisine 1300 will be closed: Wednesday, October 20th: Closed Monday, November 22nd: Closed Wednesday, November 24th: Closed Monday, November 29th: Closed

September 24, 2010

Campus News

THE AGORA

MCCC explores sex trafficking Whitman Center to host lecture by world expert

Loan program helps students afford books, supplies Susan Biela

Agora Reporter

James Dluzen Agora reporter

Twenty-two miles from Monroe lies a city with a secret.

Toledo is ranked fourth in the country for the most child prostitution and human trafficking, behind Miami, Portland, Ore., and Las Vegas.

Dr. Celia Williamson, a world renowned expert on human trafficking, said she is trying to put a stop to the horrifying and disgusting epidemic that is child sex slavery.

“It is something that the public needs to know,” Williamson said.

In a Sept. 28 presentation at the Whitman Center, Williamson will talk about the issues of human trafficking.

Williamson has published several research articles on the subject of prostitution and human trafficking, and has received numerous grants to study the subject.

She was the founder of the Second Chance program in Lucas County, which works with trafficked girls and women.

The program won the 2010 national FBI award for its work with rescued victims.

She was an active force in securing an FBI Innocence Lost Task Force in Lucas County, which works to rescue children from the sex trade in Toledo.

Similarly, Williamson has organized and co-chaired six National and International Conferences on prostitution, sex work and human trafficking.

Some of the main points the presenta-

5

Agora photo by Sarah Dudley

The Human trafficking exhibit will be at the Whitman Center until Sept. 30.

tion at Whitman will cover are the signs of human sex slaves, how you as a citizen can help, that this is happening right next door, and that America is not the only one suffering.

Additionally, Williamson will be talking about SOAP, Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution, which also works to rescue child soldiers in third world countries.

“This isn’t just happening here or there. “This isn’t just happening It’s going on everywhere,” said Williamhere or there. It’s going on son.

Until Sept. 30, the Whitman Center has everywhere.” an exhibit on labor and sex prostitution, Dr. Celia Williamson and how it affects citizens everywhere.

Human Trafficking Expert Statistics from other countries and a reallife story from a child prostitution survi- vor are posted on boards in the Whitman lobby.

Help is available for students who need a few extra dollars to purchase books or supplies for their classes, whether they are receiving financial aid or not.

There is a special, short-term loan program that students can apply for throughout the semester.

The loans can cover expenses for books, uniforms and supplies required for a class.

Artists, culinary students, nursing students and welders all have benefitted from this program.

Applications can be made up to Nov. 1, however it is best if students can apply one month before the semester starts. The loan must be paid back by Nov. 24.

The requirements include a minimum 2.0 grade average and tuition must be paid in full. Preference is given to fulltime students.

Tracy Vogt, the Financial Aid director, said the college has a variety of resources for students.

“Many times, students are not aware of all the financial aid that is possible,” she said.

“There have been times when we couldn’t award the scholarships because students weren’t aware of all the resources available.”

The college has more than 50 scholarships, Vogt said. Whether it is the form of grants, scholarships or work study programs, aid is available, she said.

Students should contact the Financial Aid Office if interested.

Students react to U.S. troop withdrawal Tyler Eagle

Agora reporter

MCCC students are having mixed reactions to the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

After President Barack Obama upheld his campaign promise of ending the six year military war, students at MCCC are thinking about several different aspects of the war and who it has affected.

Patricia Austin, 18, thinks of the families of the deployed soldiers.

“I think it’s great that the troops are returning home. This war has gone on way too long and I know that many families are grateful that their loved ones will be coming,” Austin said.

Adrienne Poupard reflects on the lives lost, both American and Iraqi.

“I think that it is about time the troops are being pulled out of Iraq. We should have never been there in the first place and thousands of soldiers as well as in-

nocent civilians lost their lives,” Poupard said.

According to CNN.com, 4,736 U.S. and Coalition forces have died during the war.

A report released by the Department of Defense states that 4,226 American soldiers were killed while deployed.

That same report goes on to say that over 31,000 troops were injured.

As for the people of Iraq, a report done by the Iraq Ministry of Human Rights states that, as of October 2009, over 85,000 civilians have died during the war.

Not all students are exactly happy to hear about the troop withdrawal. Karianne Kidd, 18, wonders about the ramifications of leaving Iraq.

“I think that if we withdrawal now it would be a big mistake,” Kidd said.

“There is so much going on and there is so much that still needs to be resolved.

We need to finish what we started.”

Arianna Johansen thinks the withdrawal has more do with a lack of leadership over necessity.

“Once we’ve declared war, we should commit to it wholeheartedly and go at it with everything we have. We haven’t done that with the War in Iraq; our efforts have become more and more reluctant.

Obama’s not willing to lead our soldiers to victory, so I don’t think it even matters anymore--let him withdraw the troops,” Johansen said.

While all combat brigades have been withdrawn from Iraq, around 50,000 troops remain. And even though they are only present in a support capacity, their safety is still a concern. A safety that is very fragile, especially with several antiMuslim sentiments taking place in the US. With controversy surrounding a planned Mosque four blocks away from Ground Zero and several vandalized Mosques across the country, soldier safe-

ty is already being compromised enough, as well as relations between the U.S. and countries in the Middle East.

The latest in line is the spectacle that was made concerning a planned mass burning of Quran books, the religious text associated with the Muslim religion.

The burning, which was planned to take place on Sept. 11 at a church in Gainesville, FL, did not go through, but managed to cause a strong reaction in students.

Benjamin Romero, 18, feels that it would negatively impact the troops still in Iraq.

“The Quran burning would have been exceptionally bad because it would have caused a lot more problems than it could have ever solved,” Romero said.

Some students had stronger reactions.

Kidd is glad that it was canceled, and feels that nothing could have come from it. She also feels that Pastor Terry Jones, the organizer, was just trying to cause

trouble.

“The burning was stupid and I’m glad he didn’t do it. It would have made the angry people who want to hurt our country angrier. And why do it? It makes us look just as bad as those who want to hurt our troops and us. What would it even accomplish? Nothing! Would it end the war? How about no,” Kidd said.

“It was a stupid idea to begin with and I am ashamed that the man can call himself an American and a Christian,” Kidd added.

Poupard is more sympathetic to Muslim followers who are being unfairly blamed, and detests the Quran burning wholeheartedly.

“It was adding fuel to a fire that doesn’t need to grow larger and secondly, it was out of pure immaturity. Not all Muslims had something to do with the 9/11 bombings. In my eyes two wrongs don’t make a right,” Poupard said.

6 THE AGORA Campus News Learning Bank saved by grant

September 24, 2010

By Christina Clark Agora reporter

The Learning Bank Network has received another $200,000 grant, providing money for another year of operation.

The Learning Bank Network is an adult education program that opened in downtown Monroe in February as a part of the statewide No Worker Left Behind initiative.

The program is designed to prepare students for post secondary schooling, and also for the five exams required to get a GED. The program offers skill-building seminars, career counseling and individual tutoring, along with basic life skill training, parenting classes, direct access to employers and internships.

“We’re very excited about the funding. It will allow us to stay open; we weren’t sure we would be able to without it.”

Vuncia Council

Learning Bank Coordinator Since the opening, 101 students have entered the program; ten already have earned their GEDs with a 98 percent test score rate.

“There are numerous success stories that can be told,” John Joy said in an email to MCCC staff. “But suffice to say this program is truly changing lives in our community!”

Originally, the learning bank was

awarded $300,000 by The Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth (DELEG). The grant received was one of ten, and will be expiring on the Sept. 30.

Only recipients of the original grant were eligible to receive more funding, and only five of the ten will be receiving grants this year.

The application for a $200,000 grant

was submitted by MCCC Grants Coordinator Beth Kohler and Learning Bank Coordinator Vuncia Council. The application was recommended for approval

by DELEG, and was confirmed on Sept.

14.

“We’re very excited about the funding.

It will allow us to stay open; we weren’t sure we would be able to without it.”

Council said.

“We will be looking into expanding the network to students at Orchard and Airport.”

In addition to expansion, the progra m will be looking into raising money for scholarships to non-credit programs at MCCC, recruiting more tutors, and Power Pal; a program designed to assist students with visual, auditory and other learning disabilities.

Sponsors of the program for the last 18 months have been Monroe County Community College, Monroe Bank and Trust, Monroe Public Schools, Southeast Michigan Community Alliance, Michigan Works, Monroe County Intermediate School District, Monroe County Opportunity Program, City of Hope, CEC, Arthur Leslow Community Center, City of Monroe, Monroe County Library System, and United Way. They will be joined this year by the Retired Senior Volunteer Program and Monroe Rehabilitation Service.

“We have some exciting plans for the next year, and will continue to seek opportunities for growing and expanding this initiative.” John Joy stated in the email.

College employee dies after long illness Tyler Eagle

Agora reporter

Agora photo by Denise Kukwa

Students in the MCCC nursing program get instruction from a student assistant during a recent laboratory session.

Nursing expands to meet demand

By Tyler Eagle

Agora Assistant Editor

Growth in the MCCC nursing program has led to the creation of two full-time positions in the nursing division.

Two previously adjunct faculty members, Holly Boylan and Dawn Lymond, have been hired as full-time nursing instructors.

Dr. Cynthia Roman, dean of the Health Science division and the director of nursing, is looking forward to working with the two new faculty members.

“I’m very excited; it’s definitely needed. They will be an asset to our division.

They’re very well prepared. They both hold MSN degrees and both come with teaching experience,” Roman said.

Roman’s nursing division was recently faced with a need for two full-time instructors for two of the nursing programs at the college. The process included interviews

by a search committee comprised of instructors, administrators and faculty, and a classroom demonstration to that same committee and any college faculty who were interested in attending.

While the positions were open to college employees and people outside the college, both Lymond and Boylan had advantages over other candidates: the jobs they previously had were similar to the ones for which they were interviewing.

Lymond’s job as the nursing skills lab coordinator puts her in contact with all 120 students in the Registered Nursing program. Some of the labs focus on skills used on obstetrician and pediatric patients, an in-depth look on post-partum issues, and even pediatric medicine.

Boylan works with the 20 students in the practical nursing program, also known as the LPN program. The practical nursing program, which started in 2007, has received a large response, which led to the

creation of Boylan’s position. She teaches theory classes as well as practical nursing labs.

Both Boylan and Lymond have been adjusting well to their new positions.

“I’m glad to be back. It’s been good, busy, but basically the same job, just an expanded version,” Lymond said.

“The adjustment has been fairly easy as I have been the PN Lab Coordinator and Lab Instructor for the past year and carry on many of those same responsibilities. However, one thing I was not used to are the many meetings that I now need to attend!

The MCCC Faculty and Staff have been very welcoming which makes a pleasant experience,“ Boylan said.

Boylan also praises MCCC’s nursing programs and the quality of the education offered.

“MCCC’s nursing programs produce high quality nurses that are well respected

in the community. I really enjoy the positive feedback that we receive from our clinical affiliates about the quality of our students,” Boylan said.

MCCC’s Registered Nursing program is highly selective. Out of over 200 applicants, only 30 are accepted per semester.

All students who complete the program pass the licensure exam, according to Roman, who has nothing but praise for the students.

“I feel proud! The program has a great foundation, excellent instructors and students who are high achievers,” Roman said.

Admission to the Registered Nursing program is based on a point system, which selects students to fill the open slots. Things such as GPA, credit hours and classes factor into the process. The practical nursing program (LPN) admits 20 students per year, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Kimberly Reaume, 27, an administrative assistant in the Financial Aid office, died unexpectedly Sept. 10 after battling a long illness.

Reaume was a former MCCC student who worked part-time as a student assistant beginning in 2004.

Reaume became a full-time financial aid assistant in 2006. Her responsibilities included awarding and managing scholarships, as well as sponsored billings.

“Helping students seek financial aid was her forte,” college president Dr. David Nixon said. “And those attributes eventually earned her a full-time job.”

According to the obituary in the Monroe Evening News, she was a loving daughter, sister, aunt, and friend.

A lover of animals, but especially cats and penguins, she was kind, thoughtful, and a very giving person.

“During all the time of her illness, I never heard her complain.

We are saddened by her death and grieve for family,” Nixon said.

The support staff of MCCC is currently setting up a scholarship in Reaume’s name. Donations may be made to The Foundation at Monroe County Community College.

People seeking to donate money via check should write Kim Reaume Scholarship into the memo portion.

“She was a dedicated employee and kind individual who enjoyed helping people,” said Tracy Vogt, director of Financial Aid. “Kimberly was a true inspiration and will be dearly missed,” Vogt said.

Reaume’s memorial service was officiated by Father Bill Tindall and took place at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church on Tuesday, September 14.

Victoria McIntyre brings skills to new job Morgan Hofbauer Agora reporter

Most MCCC employees were sad to hear of Lynn Goldsmith’s retirement, but her departure has brought a new face to the staff.

Upon the news that Goldsmith, former executive assistant to the president and Board of Trustees, would be retiring, the college posted the position internally.

Of the 28 employees who applied, Victoria McIntyre, an adjunct English teacher at MCCC, was hired.

Prior to her teaching job at MCCC, McIntyre was an assistant to the president and secretary to the Board of Trustees at Monroe Bank and Trust.

“Victoria McIntyre has exceeded expectations, proving once again that experience counts,” MCCC President David Nixon said. “Her unique experiences already working as an assistant to a president and board secretary made her the right person for the job.”

Additionally, he continued, McIntyre was no stranger to MCCC or to working in an educational environment.

McIntyre began teaching at MCCC after obtaining her master’s degree in English Literature.

“I knew I had to learn more about what I had been studying,” McIntyre said.

“Teaching is a great way to keep learning.”

At MCCC she has taught English 090 and English Composition I and II. Aside from her master’s degree, McIntyre has obtained an Associate’s Degree at MCCC and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Siena Heights College.

McIntyre has visited and taught at other schools across the state on the topic of bees.

“I’m the bee lady,” she said. “Kids love it and so do I.” Aside from bees, another hobby of hers is developing and manufacturing all-natural skin care products. Natural enough, she says, that most ingredients are recognizable and edible.

Some ingredients include olive oil, beeswax, oatmeal, powdered milk, and essential oils.

“I often challenge people to identify the ingredients in their skincare products,” McIntyre said.

Her lip balm is currently being sold in Macy’s in Chicago as well as other local businesses such as Alive Naturally, Danny’s Fine Foods, and Hiller’s Markets in the Detroit area.

McIntyre has also presented at MCCC on the dangers of over-the-counter skin

Agora photo by Morgan Hofbauer

Victoria McIntyre working in her new office

care products.

As for her previous position, McIntyre said it won’t be too difficult to fill, as she only taught one or two classes.

McIntyre, who started her new position on July 19, said the job so far has been wonderful.

She said what she likes best about her position so far is her co-workers.

“We are all in this together and the feeling of camaraderie is very satisfying,” she said. “Working together toward a common goal, and interacting with people can never be replaced by any technology or by any machine.”

McIntyre said she is learning her new position and will be gearing up for the Board of Trustee’s first 2010-11 meeting on Sept. 27.

“There’s been that learning curve that I’m getting through, but I’m plugging along and there’s been a lot of great help,” she said.

A&E

September 24, 2010

THE AGORA

7

The future of video games?

Microsoft Kinect vs.

Sony Move

The Sony Move

Darin Curson Agora reporter

Motion-sensor gaming, buttons or body?

At this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), both Microsoft and Sony unveiled the latest in video game technology.

Microsoft announced the upcoming Kinect for Xbox 360, which is a motion sensor that uses your body as the controller.

All you have to do is simply step in front of the sensor and it recognizes you, responds to your gestures, and listens to you.

As well as the Kinect, Microsoft announced there will be 15 games that will be available this holiday, including, “Kinect Adventures,” “Kinectimals,” “Kinect Joy Ride,” “Kinect Sports,” “Dance Central,” and “Your Shape: Fitness Evolved.”

The Microsoft Kinect

Photo courtesy of Microsoft

The Microsoft Kinect offers family fun while connecting all of your favorite movies, TV shows, music, and live sports into one motion-sensored system.

“Your living room will become a zoo, a stadium, a fitness room or a dance club,” Kudo Tsunoda, creative director for Microsoft Game Studios, said in a news release.

“You will be in the center of your entertainment.”

Sony came with a different attitude.

With controllers that resemble the Nintendo Wii, Sony Move has 1-on-1 tracking in 3D space, meaning you can move

the controller in all directions.

There is also a navigator controller, which is similar to the Wii nunchuck but connects wirelessly and is amped up with buttons.

“We are transforming the way consumers interact and consume content in the living room and we’ve been redefining this entertainment experience now for 15 years,” Jack Tretton, CEO and President of SCEA, said in a news release.

Sony has an advantage when it comes to games.

They will have their own Playstation Move games, and also other already popular games such as; “Infamous 2,” “Grand Turismo 5,” “LittleBigPlanet 2,” and “Killzone 3.”

Microsoft Kinect is bumping up the competition and stepping it up a notch when it comes to watching movies, listening to music, watching TV, and com-

municating with family and friends.

Kinect takes your favorite movies, TV shows, music and live sports and puts it all in one place, enabling you to interact controller-free.

You can watch your favorite movie in HD or watch a college bowl game by simply saying “Xbox, play,” or go through your entire music library by waving your hand.

One of the biggest issues for consumers is price. The Sony Move has proved to be a bit more inexpensive than the Microsoft Kinect.

If you are planning on buying the Sony Move, this is what you will need; Controller: $50, Navigator Controller: $30, and games: $40/each.

Sony is also offering a bundle for $100 which includes: eye camera, controller, and Sports Champions game.

The Kinect hub alone will run you $150 and games will be $60.

There’s also a bundle available for $399 which includes; a 250GB slim Xbox 360, motion tracker, spare controller, and the game Kinect Adventures!

You can pick up the Sony Move on Sept. 19 and the Microsoft Kinect on Nov. 4.

The era of sequels and remakes Morgan Hofbauer Agora reporter

I’m beginning to think that all of Hollywood’s best and worst classic films, which we’ve loved to grin or cringe at, are being slowly replaced by Pods.

For those who haven’t seen 1956’s “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” or its four remakes and two parodies, Pod People are the human look-a-likes that begin to replace every single person in the world.

So I believe the term “Pod Films” is a pretty accurate term for the recent epidemic of remakes and sequels; they try to resemble the original but in reality they are just emotionless copies.

Over 2009 and 2010, there have been a total of 40 sequels and 27 remakes.

In 2002 and 2003, however, there were only 19 sequels and one remake.

Den of Geek is an Arts & Entertainment website, self-proclaimed to be a lively home of geeky movies, TV shows, interviews, comics, and games.

They have counted 55 remakes and 86 sequels currently in development.

These numbers raise the question; where is the originality in the film industry?

Or, an even better question: How many overpaid directors does it take to recycle an overly-done plot and add 3D effects?

Movies like the 2010 summer-hit “Inception” are practically being inducted into the imaginary film hall of fame – not necessarily because of awesome special effects, but because the ideas are so original.

If I’m paying $10 a ticket, I want to see some hard ingenuity up on the screen. If the industry is getting too cheap for good, original movies, let the ticket prices follow.

To be fair, not all remakes and sequels are garbage.

An excellent summer film, “Toy Story 3,” did exactly as a sequel should.

Not only did the third installment keep the familiar, child-like appeal to it, but it also added a new, mature angle.

Audience members who have grown up with the characters were able to witness a very appropriate end chapter to a series that has been loved for years.

Then you have the “Saw” series. The directors may think they’re continuing to delve out surprises every year, but realistically there is not a shred of originality anymore.

Yet again, another installment of Saw will be released near Halloween – “Saw 3-D.” Yet again, people will flood to movie theaters to see the same twists and death scenes that have been showcased over the last six years.

Resident Evil: Afterlife $26.7M profit?

Yeah, that’s evil Morgan Hofbauer Agora reporter

Not only is the fourth installment of the Resident Evil series a failure on several levels, but it is giving life to yet another sequel.

The film begins where Resident Evil: Extinction left off; Alice and her gang of clones are zeroing in on the head of Umbrella Corporation, Albert Wesker. The perfect set-up for an action packed film.

Instead, the director Paul Anderson must have decided to give the axe to this plot and

quickly kill off the clones and allow Wesker to escape.

This let down, along with the long slow-motion scene early in the film, sets up the following 80 minutes to be as equally dull and drawn-out.

As a sequel, the film completely disregards the vibe of the installments before it.

Rather than keep the suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat aspect, Afterlife presents constant unrealistic action without any surprises.

In previous movies, and in the games especially, there was a realistic aspect. Guns were precious and bullets had to be reserved. The characters were fighting for their survival.

In Afterlife, Alice has a seemingly limitless supply of ammunition and weaponry. She either has a gun, meets someone with a gun, or stumbles across an entire arsenal.

Anderson relied so heavily on the 3-D cinematography that he left out an important aspect – substance.

The film series is on a steady decline from superb suspensehorror to stereotypical action.

Worse yet, viewers are painfully aware by the end of the movie that the director and producers aren’t finished milking the series for everything it has. Though it has not yet been officially announced, be prepared for yet another installment.

Point being: Stop beating a dead horse and let some series just die out.

Remakes are a touchier subject.

Films can be powerful, and anything powerful can develop a very strong fan base. If you don’t believe that, run past a “Twi-Hard” who has camped out for 96 hours to see “Eclipse” and yell, “I hate Twilight.”

Once a director publishes a film, it is no longer his/hers alone to sell off.

When movies are redone carelessly, it is extremely insulting to the original’s fan base.

A perfect example is the 2010 “Clash of the Titans” revamp.

Compared to our technology, the 1981 original appears to be a poorly made film with bad effects; but it has and will forever be a loved classic.

Though the adaptation attempted to put an appropriate, modern spin on the old favorite, I think they let most viewers down. The film was inaccurate with Greek mythology at times, the plot was dry, and the acting was pretty terrible.

Even better, “Clash of the Titans 2” is already in development and will be released in March 2012.

On the other side of the spectrum, the 2010 remake of the 1978 film “Piranha” was generally liked by many critics.

Two things “Piranha” director Alex-

andre Aja did in his favor were choosing a film without a strong fan base, and adding a new element to give the adaptation a persona of its own.

The added B-movie style of the film left the original to be, whereas “Titans” chewed up the original, spit out its mangled remains, and sprinkled some action on top.

Point being: Think of the fans and stop violating classic films for cheap entertainment.

One controversial remake currently in development is Lionsgate Studio’s attempt at “Dirty Dancing.”

This film influenced an entire time period; it was, for the sake of comparison, the 1980’s equivalent to “Twilight.”

Now the beloved original is swirling down the toilet, as “Uptown Girls” screenwriter, Julia Dahle, takes a few good whacks at the plot.

It is surely to be another echo of the numerous, modern, dirty-dance films such as “Step-Up” and “Save the Last Dance.”

Other films in development that may spark interest include “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” a prequel to the movie “Alien,” taken on by Ridley Scott, and a sequel to “Avatar” to be released in 2014.

A Nightmare on Elm Street A nightmare indeed Morgan Hofbauer Agora reporter

Though the violence may have kept some audience members jumping or cheering in their seats, the revamped “Nightmare on Elm Street” consisted mainly of unsurprising twists, redundancy, and over the top pedophilia.

One thing director Samuel Bayer completely abused and overused was the confusion of sleep or consciousness. This was a clever tool from the original franchise that led to exciting twists, but when it is used

every five or ten minutes, the tactic becomes tacky.

Instead of keeping audience members on their toes with the twists, I was tired of jumping in my seat for no real substance.

The acting wasn’t bad when the film allowed for actual character development, but the lead role disappointed me the most.

Jackie Earle Haley is no Robert Englund. Once the make-up burns were added, his face just looked gross and bizarre, but more importantly, I’m not sure if there is a purely sadistic bone in his character’s body.

One reason I love Englund’s portrayal is because he lets you hate him.

Haley’s adaptation on the

other hand made me feel almost sorry for him.

The new Freddy is obviously a very sick man, but there are scenes that would lead you to think he’s almost innocent in his confusion and disturbed madness.

Lastly, the new century brought a torrent of gutsy, pedophilic tones that were merely hinted toward in the original franchise.

Overall, lovers of blood will enjoy the movie for shock and gore value, but a successful remake of the acclaimed1984 film was far off par.

One audience member even announced while exiting, “I’ll have to remember not to suggest that movie to anyone.”

8

Sports

THE AGORA

September 24, 2010

Robinson, Michigan off to great start Jeff Papworth Agora reporter

The Big House and Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson look unrecognizable compared to last year.

In his first start, Robinson broke the Michigan record for total yards with 383 against Uconn. In the next game, against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, he broke his own record with 502 yards.

Robinson became the first Michigan player to win consecutive National Player of the Week awards for his performances against Uconn and Notre Dame.

Through three games, Robinson remains first nationally, with 1,230 total yards.

To kick off the beginning of the Michigan Stadium rededication ceremonies, Keith Jackson presented “A bigger, Big House” to the rededication crowd.

Keith Jackson is known for naming Michigan Stadium as “The Big House.”

The Big House had a record crowd for a football game with 113,090 people in the Uconn game.

Most fans loved the new look of Michigan Stadium.

“Just the idea of changing the Big House, such an iconic structure, was a little bit concerning to me, but having seen the way the project has evolved, especially now seeing the completed project. I am

100 percent happy with what happened,” Michigan fan Rod Kusumi said.

The renovations cost $226 million.

Along with the luxury and press boxes, there are around 3,000 club seats on the east side. The west side has 650 chairback seats.

They also made the aisles and seats wider and built more restrooms, concession stands and public safety services.

After the Big House video was played, some of the people involved with implementing the new luxury and press boxes walked to the ribbon that was tied to the poles holding up the “Go Blue” banner at the middle of the field.

After the ribbon was cut by former University of Michigan athletic director Bill Martin, they set off fireworks on both sides of the field.

Michigan did many other things to commemorate the Big House rededication, from jets passing overhead to clouds appearing to read “Go Blue.” The “M” logo also was created in the sky.

Among the highlights was an appearance by Brock Mealer, brother player Elliott Mealer.

“The struggle and triumph of a team member’s brother was as much a part of the coaches’ and team’s excitement as all of the football pageantry of the historic day at the Big House,” Kusumi said.

Spartans also off to perfect start

Michigan State is undefeated through three games.

The Spartans capped off the 3 gamestretch with a win against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

Michigan State sealed the victory with a fake field goal that Spartan Coach Mark Dantanio called the “little giants.”

Michigan State’s strength seems to be their running game. They have two talented players who are capable of starting.

Freshman Le’von Bell was the first running back in Michigan State history to rush for 100 yards in his debut. In

the Spartans second game against Florida Atlantic, Edwin Baker accounted for 183 rushing yards.

In the third game against Notre Dame, the amount of carries each running back was evenly distributed and Bell got 114 rushing yards with 17 carries and Baker got 90 rushing yards with 14 carries.

After the thrilling win against Notre Dame, Michigan State head coach Mark Dantanio suffered a heart attack.

ESPN reported Dantanio is expected to make a full recovery.

For now the assistant coaches are handling Dantanio’s responsibilities.

Photo courtesy of Dell Callihan

Michigan offensive lineman Elliot Mealer walked with his brother, Brock, through the tunnel and onto the field before the first game. Brock had been told by doctors that there was a 99 percent chance he would never walk again after a car accident.

Glory to God 1%

Player’s brother recovers from accident to lead team onto field

Jeff Papworth Agora reporter

Doctors told Brock Mealer there was a 99 percent chance that he would never walk again, but his mother gave him hope by believing he could.

Brock had severe injuries in a car accident on Christmas Eve in 2007. His father and girlfriend died in the accident.

Brock’s brother is Michigan offensive lineman Elliot Mealer.

Starting in October 2009, Brock worked with the Michigan football trainers.

Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez and trainer Mike Barwis set a goal for Brock to walk through the tunnel on the first day of the season.

“It has driven me, everyday that I’m in there when I’m watching that countdown clock to the first game against Uconn,” Brock told WTKA 1050.

As Brock took small steps to the “Go Blue” banner, wearing a shirt that read “Glory to God 1%”, the crowd applauded loudly and never let up.

As he reached the destination point, he touched the “Go Blue” banner and there

was a last ovation from the crowd.

“I thought it was inspirational,“ Michigan fan Dan Snyder said.

Brock is the first Ohio State student to touch the banner since 1973, when it was pulled down in a vicious manner by Ohio State football players.

Brock is currently a graduate student at Ohio State University.

Brock had always followed the Buckeye’s closely when he grew up, but now he has had a change of heart since he has begun training at Michigan.

MCCC students prepare for archery season Chase Dowler Agora reporter

The first of October is a date that no Michigan bowhunter can forget — it is the opening day of archery season.

But before any hunting takes place, bowhunters must prepare themselves. Hunting is not as simple as walking into the woods and shooting whatever is seen.

Hunters must purchase their gear and practice with it. Hunting land needs to be scouted for areas with the highest amount of deer traffic.

MCCC student Tom Nordyke, explained how he has geared up for this bow season.

“I’ve been practicing with my bow about three days a week, twenty minutes each time. And I drove down to one of the areas I hunt in Ohio to walk the woods and look for deer sign,” Nordyke said.

His gear includes the Bowtech 101st Airborne compound bow, Demon arrows, Rage 100 grain two-blade broadheads, Mossy Oak camouflage, and a Summit climbing treestand.

The Summit climbing treestand allows him to climb a tree without

Photo courtesy of Nick Pinizzotto

Outdoor columnist Nick Pinizzotto’s climbing treestand.

Photo courtesy of Thomas Nordyke

Thomas Nordyke, 19, of South Rockwood shows off a buck he killed in Holmes County, Ohio.

the use of a ladder. The platform and the seat of the treestand are two separate halves. He locks his feet into the platform section

and buckles his waist into the seat section. Both sections have a cable wrapped around the tree.

This setup allows him to change

treestand locations without much hassle.

“My climbing treestand lets me

move to wherever I think the deer are going to be moving at,” Nordyke said.

This could give him the edge on that big buck this year.

Michigan had 285,000 registered bowhunters last year.

Ohio is the only state that sold more archery licenses with 300,000.

The 285,000 bowhunters from Michigan choose to hunt deer with a bow for many reasons.

One reason is that archery season lasts two and a half months, while firearm season is only fifteen days.

Another reason is that bowhunters like the challenge of getting close enough to a deer to hit it with a bow and arrow. Hunting deer with a firearm, on the other hand, does not take as much skill.

“I like the outdoors and the feel of nature around me. A kill is just a perk to the whole experience.

It’s about enjoying nature for what it is and what it has to offer,” said MCCC student Andrew Grow.

The days are getting shorter and the leaves are starting to turn. The woods are starting to smell like fall. Bow season is almost here.