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Aug. 26, 2010 55,Issue Issue December 5, 2013 Vol. Vol. 58, 5 1
www.mcccagora.com
Monroe strikes back at heroin
Drug rally brings community together; student government forms subcommittee By William Miko Agora Staff
Community leaders are fighting back against an emerging heroin epidemic that is taking a toll on Monroe County. In 2012, Monroe had 40 drugrelated deaths, 15 directly linked to heroin, according to county Health Department figures. This year, Monroe is on pace to pass those numbers, hitting a record high for drug-related deaths in the county. “Monroe has the highest rate of heroin addiction per capita in Michigan,” said April Demers, of the Monroe County Substance Abuse Coalition (MCSAC). Lt. Mary Kapp, an administrative leader with Monroe Area Narcotics Team and Investigative Services (MANTIS), agreed the county has a serious heroin problem. “We need to stop this epidemic before it spreads even more,” Lt. Kapp said.
Panel planned
MCCC president Kojo Quartey will host a panel discussion on the heroin epidemic in Monroe County on Wednesday, Dec. 11, from 6-7 p.m. The discussion will be in rooms 257-258 of the La-Z-Boy Center.
Many professionals say a recent influx of prescription pills is the new gateway for harder drugs such as heroin. Prescription pain medicines such as Vicodin and Oxycodone, which are prescribed for severe pain, are being taken by teenagers and young adults. According to the Center of Disease Control, drug overdose deaths have tripled in the past 25 years, and 75 percent of those deaths are directly related to prescription pain meds. The black market price of these prescription drugs can range from
$10-$60 per pill, if not more, depending on the strength and availability, according to a Monroe resident who attended a recent rally against heroin. “It’s cheaper, and easy to get,” he said. The combination of addiction, availability, and high prices of pain medications can lead some people who become addicted to turn to the cheaper alternative – heroin, Demers said. The issue has surfaced recently at MCCC. Michelle McDevitt, vice president of MCCC’s student government, recently formed a subcommittee to address substance abuse issues and how to spot signs from someone who is using. McDevitt said there was no opposition from fellow student government members when she proposed the subcommittee. She personally contacted April Continued on Page 2
Photo by Reggie Allen
Lynn and Hal Pape remembered their son Steven, who died of a heroin overdose at age18, at the Stand Against Heroin Rally.
New tax levy ‘may be necessary’
Leaving a legacy
By Katie Mullin Agora Staff
Talk of a new tax levy for MCCC is in its infancy stages. Dr. Kojo Quartey, MCCC president, has mentioned in several public settings that the college may ask voters for an increase in its tax levy, which was first approved in 1981. Quartey said the idea is a “delicate situation,” but declining enrollment and falling property taxes are reasons it may be needed. “I’m not saying we’re going to do it immediately, but it’s something we’re going to think about,” he said. Bill Bacarella, Chairman of the MCCC Board of Trustees, said a levy may be necessary. “We have a need, but we need to enunciate to the voters what we need,” he said. Quartey said the proportion of tuition as a percentage of general revenues has increased over the past decade, while state grants and property taxes have declined or stayed the same. “Property taxes have declined and we are not getting any more from the state,” he said. Tuition was 23 percent of the college’s revenues in 2003-2004, and has increased to 37.8 percent for the current year. The annual state grant was at $3.9 million in 2002-2004, and is $4.38 million for the 2013-14 academic year; property taxes were $11.2 million in 2003-2004 and $12.1 million this year. The flat state and property tax revenue has caused the college to raise tuition to meet expenses, which Quartey said was not a popular decision. Quartey said he has support of the board for the discussion of a new tax levy; if approved, it would be the first time in 32 years. “We have to support our programs. It’s all about enhancing and transforming this community,” he said.
Inside:
“We have to support our programs. It’s all about enhancing and transforming this community,” Kojo Quartey
“We transform and enrich lives here.” Quartey also said the college cannot provide quality and necessary services if no money is available. He noted that the college is the only higher education institution in the county and the La-Z -Boy Center’s role of education and entertainment in the community. “There’s no other place like it here,” he said. “We need to define what the money is going to be used for,” Bacarella said about the upcoming steps that would be necessary before a levy is put before the voters.. Quartey declined to discuss how much of a levy increase the college would seek. He said the decision hasn’t been made yet. He said MCCC is a hallmark for the community. “We are this community’s college,” he said. “This county benefits so much from this institution.”
Campus News......................2-4 Features.................................5 A&E.......................................6 Editorial...................................7 Sports......................................8
Photo by Melanie Jacobs-Davis
Dr. David Waggoner gives one of his last lectures before retiring at the end of the semester.
Long-time chemistry professor retiring at the end of semester By Melanie Jacobs-Davis Agora Staff
One of the professors with the most profound impact on MCCC over the past quarter century is retiring at the end of the semester. Chemistry professor Dr. David Waggoner says he is looking forward to retirement after more than 25 years of service with the college. Waggoner has worked tirelessly for the college, the faculty and staff, and the thousands of students he has interacted with throughout hundreds of lectures and laboratories, said Dr. Roger Spalding, professor of Physics & Astronomy. “As another professor at Monroe once said, Dave is truly a Renaissance man,” Spalding said. “He is versed in the sciences and in the arts; he can talk knowledgably about quantum physics and Rembrandt.” His plans for retirement aren’t quite set in stone yet, Waggoner said. “I’m trying to be very open minded about what I might do,” Waggoner said. “I’m not saying I’ll never work again.” He doesn’t, however, think he’ll work in the field of chemistry.
“The idea behind my retirement is to, kind of, get a break from that,” he said. Over the years, Waggoner has led a very active career, involving himself in various projects and committees. It was a little over 25 years ago that MCCC’s chemist in the Math-Science Division decided to pursue other interests, Spalding said. The Math-Science dean at the time, Alan Hileman, asked a chemistry professor at Owens Community College about potential candidates for the job, Spalding said. As fate would have it, they knew a colleague who may be interested in a faculty position at Monroe. “That was how Dr. David Waggoner was hired,” he said. “Dave has become one of the finest colleagues that anyone could hope to have.” When Waggoner discovered the amazing qualities of MCCC, he knew this is where he wanted to be, he said. “One thing in particular that I was delighted about was when I found out they did have an active union here,” Waggoner said. “I wanted to be involved in that right from the beginning.” Waggoner has provided insight about how to handle certain situations, said current union President Mark Bergmooser, assistant professor of Speech/Tae Kwon Do. “Dr. Waggoner is a consummate profes-
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sional,” Bergmooser said. “He has served as a mentor to so many new faculty both in and out of his division.” Waggoner has held various positions in the union over the years, including president. “The union was a big part of my life,” he said. During his time as chief negotiator, he negotiated several important contracts, Waggoner said. One of his biggest accomplishments with the union was a contract he obtained that offered fair pay for faculty who were originally required to work an additional six weeks without additional pay, he said. “We had a long, hard struggle in those negotiations,” Waggoner said. “That was a big win for the faculty.” Along with his many other accomplishments, Waggoner also was a member of the presidential search committee that led to the hiring of Dr. Kojo Quarty. He’s a member of Die Deutsche Sprachgroppe (The German Language group) and has trained for and completed the 26.2 mile Detroit marathon. “Dr. Waggoner exemplifies the ideal higher education experience,” said Vinnie Maltese, dean of the Math-Science Division. “He has done this, not only through Continued on Page 3
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