Agora - March 25, 2019

A Great Development Professor Felice Moorman discusses the MCCC early childhood program’s success.

College makes strides toward gender-neutral bathrooms Carla Cohen Agora Staff

Photo and Caption by Lydia Sandefur

Dr. Ron Campbell, first president of the college, was surprised with a cake to celebrate his 94th birthday during MCCC’s “American Regional” winter buffet, provided by the culinary program in the cafeteria on March 15.

Michigan gets the munchies Michael Nixon Agora Staff

Serving Monroe County since 1968

Blockbuster blazes its way to a billion bucks.

Page 16

Page 6

Happy 94th Birthday, Dr. Ron Campbell!

There’s more to marijuana edibles than just pot brownies.

Edibles are essentially any consumable product containing marijuana.

Edibles are now legal in Michigan, and they are regulated in the state. But this raises a variety of questions for people on both sides of the aisle.

Not all edibles will get someone high, and not all edibles are even safe. The effects from consuming an edible are not felt immediately.

“There are pros and cons to edibles,” MCCC student Kelly Daniels said. “I know they’re a lot healthier than smoking, but it’s hard to know how much you’re getting.”

Although edibles are legal under state law, they are still illegal under federal

Captain Marvel

Space cakes, such as this batch from Amsterdam, are a colorful variety of edible.

law, like all forms of marijuana. MCCC accepts federal grants, so they will enforce this law.

MCCC policy bans edibles from campus, along with any other forms of marijuana.

The designation “marijuana edible” itself is an umbrella term for all consumable products containing marijuana that one might ingest.

What normally comes to mind are pot

Continued on Page 2

March 25, 2019

Some LGBTQ students have expressed concern for their safety on the MCCC campus, leading administratrs to start plans for gender-neutral bathrooms.

An e-mail went out to students and faculty last month raising concerns after LGBTQ students were harassed in a campus bathroom.

“I feel like, if you’re going to go to school and walk around campus to get from different buildings, you need to feel like you’re not going to be targeted; you need to feel safe where you’re going,” Hannah Worden, an MCCC student, said.

English professor Carrie Nartker, who teaches Gender Studies courses, raised the issue this winter.

“My students brought this to my attention. It’s not just transgender students who are being harassed or bullied; students from the LGBTQ+ community in general are also experiencing harassment,” Nartker said.

Charlie Gullet, an MCCC student who prefers they/them pronouns, said they know students who have been affected by this personally and have faced bullying on campus. The students have chose to remain anonymous for their safety.

“I think people are uncomfortable and they don’t like change,” Gullet said.

She said every trans person has their own story.

“I know it can be hard, especially when you have someone who might be male to female, some women are just worried that something might happen to them,” Gullet said.

“You might have someone that’s female to male or just even non-binary and they just don’t know which one they are comfortable with.”

All types of bullying, regardless of sex, gender, or orientation, will not be tolerated on campus, Human Resources Director Molly McCutchan made clear in last month’s e-mail.

“There is no part of our campus more personal than the restroom, as everyone should feel comfortable and safe. Please note, ALL students and employees are permitted to use the restroom that corresponds with their gender identity,” McCutchan wrote in the e-mail.

Continued on Page 2 Vol. 66, Issue 7

2 • Campus News

March 25, 2019

Agora/mcccagora.com

MCCC committed to safety and inclusivity Continued from Page 1 The e-mail continued to state that the college has policies in place to protect students and faculty, and any behavior not complying with that should be brought to her attention.

McCutchan said there are plans for gender-neutral bathrooms.

“The college is currently researching the renovation of single-occupancy gender-neutral facilities,” she said.

One of the unisex bathrooms is projected to be in the lobby of the A Building, she said, and others are planned for the new East-West Tech buildings.

Nartker said new bathrooms and anti-discrimination policies may not be enough.

“Part of my concern is that while there are policies in place to prevent bullying, I don’t see how those policies will help protect students or make them feel safe,” she said. “As I said in my e-mail to our Human Resources director, and then to the general campus community, policies are not a panacea.”

The current policies prohibit discrimination, sexual harassment, and bullying.

The illegal discrimination policy states: “It is therefore the policy of the College that no employee or qualified person participating in a College sponsored program, service, or activity shall be discriminated against because of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, gender, marital status, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, height, or veteran status.”

Violating school policy, including bullying, may result in disciplinary action, including expulsion, McCutchan said.

J.T. Vandyne, another MCCC student, thinks repercussions are needed, but that they should be situational.

The Agora

Photo by Dan Shaw

Signs like this one have been placed by bathrooms across campus.

“I would have to leave that up to administration, it depends on what’s really going on,” he said.

One of the issues can be the reluctance of victims of harassment or bullying to report the situation to the administration. They may want to stay anonymous.

Melissa Grey, professor of Psychology and adviser to the Gender and Sexuality Alliance, said the GSA can be part of the solution.

“The GSA has been a place of support and information for people for what their options might be or support in helping a person by accompanying them to make a complaint or develop strategies to deal with harassment,” she said.

Grey added that all students can be part of making the campus more comfortable for everyone.

“I think a lot of people don’t want to be hurtful to others, and that’s a good place to start,” she said. “Going to a website like the National Center for Transgender Equality, or the national LGBTQ task force, and reviewing some of their guidelines on how to be supportive and un-biased.

“The main issue is being respectful and not offending your peers,” she said.

“When interacting with people who you think are transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming, or who are out as such, to educate yourself to be supportive and affirming rather than accidently expressing bias,” Grey said.

If you or someone you know have questions or issues with your safety on campus, Molly McCutchan, director of Human Resources, can be contacted by e-mail at mmccutchan@monroeccc.edu or by phone at 1-734-384-4245.

Editors

Edibles legal in state, not on campus

Adviser

Continued from Page 1

Cassidy Maier James P. Quick Dan Shaw

Staff Cheyanne Abel Claire Bechard Carla Cohen Maya Gaynier Jordan Jewell

Michael Nixon Vanessa Ray Todd Salisbury Lydia Sandefur Rose Younglove

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 102 of the Life Sciences Building, (734) 384-4186, agora@monroeccc.edu.

Submissions: The Agora encourages submissions by anyone in the college community, including free-lance articles, opinion columns, or letters to the editor. All submissions must include a name, 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. It is a member of the Michigan Community College Press Association, the Michigan Press Association, College Media Association, Associated Collegiate Press and the Student Press Law Center.

Story suggestions are welcome. Let us know what you would like to see in The Agora - it’s your newspaper.

Email submissions to agora@monroeccc.edu.

brownies, hash cookies, and space cakes.

However, edibles take on many other forms. There are also cannabis gummies, ice cream, and types of gum to name just a few. Any food can be an edible if prepared with cannabis.

“In addition to placing marijuana directly into food, marijuana-infused cooking oil can be used when frying or searing food, and marijuana-infused butter can be spread directly on prepared food,” justthinktwice.gov said.

Not all edible marijuana products are foods, either. “Drinkables” such as cannabis tea are also on the market.

The main active ingredient in cannabis is a chemical called THC. THC is responsible for getting someone high. If a mixture containing cannabis is cooked at a higher temperature, it will release more THC, giving it a stronger effect.

The preparation of edibles entirely determines their effects.

Both the amount of cannabis added to the edible and manner the edible is cooked determines the outcome.

“Edibles, however, take between 1-3 hours (to take effect) because food is absorbed into the bloodstream through the liver,” justthinktwice.gov said.

THC can be moderated with another chemical called CBD. “We suggest using CBD in foods served toward the end of a meal or serving CBD water throughout the meal to counter any effects from eating too much THC,” cannabis chef Coreen Carroll said.

Some states that legalized marijuana have created specific reg-

Photo courtesy of Cannabis Culture on Flickr

Pot brownies and cannabis-infused caramel corn being sold at Cannabis Day 2012 in Vancouver, BC.

ulation describing the distribution and consumption of edibles.

Michigan does not have a limit on THC levels in edibles.

However, there is a rule stating that the amount of THC in an edible must be stated on its packaging.

Part of Rule 33 (6-A) states that no edibles can be associated with or have cartoons, caricatures, toys, colors, designs, shapes, labels, or packaging that would appeal to minors.

To that end, candy edibles or ones resembling candy are illegal in Michigan.

Student Courtney Kish said they should be regulated more, as the possibility of unintended consequences may happen.

Agora/mcccagora.com

Campus News • 3

March 25, 2019

Students celebrate food and friends Todd Salisbury Agora Staff

The cafeteria was buzzing with students as they came to celebrate National Student Day along with the St. Patty’s Wing Wednesday.

On Wednesday, March 13, students met in the cafeteria to eat chicken wings (traditional and boneless), taste new sauces, and get on stage to sing karaoke.

Student government brought DJ Manny to help with karaoke.

Kaytlyn Kaires was the first to sing on stage.

“I can sing and I wanted to show people that they can do it,” Kaires said. “They don’t have to be scared.”

Tim Feaganes was disappointed, not of the event, but the time it happened.

“I wish I could sing, but I’m sick so I shouldn’t,” Feaganes said.

Feaganes then tried to sing “Take Me

Lucas Verkic (left) and Alexander Maue sing karaoke.

Home Country Roads,” laughing as his voice went in and out.

Flyers were posted around campus for the St. Patty’s Day Wing Wednesday partnered with the National Student Day event.

The event was co-hosted by the MCCC Bookstore and the Kosch Café.

Vendors such as Pepsi and Rockstar were in attendance as well.

“It was a good event,” said Beckie Baker, a sales representative with Pepsi. “We come every year and I think it was busier this year.”

Pepsi’s booth gave out free chips, Pepsis, Mountain Dew, and sampled out the new Mountain Dew Game Fuel, which the cafeteria recently ordered. Rockstar also sampled out new flavors.

Amy Salliotte, the Administrative Assistant to the Director of Auxiliary Services, was happy with the event despite its odd timing.

“It’s usually in October but with the Back to School BBQ, we decided the winter semester would be better.”

However, it wasn’t easy organizing such an event.

“We’re down in some vendors because it was in a smaller area, and weather closings and delays made planning difficult,” Salliotte said.

It is hard to figure out a time that works for both the middle college students and the traditional students, she said.

Assistant Professor of Speech and Tae Kwon Do, Mark Bergmooser, values the importance of student events.

“I think student events are important at a

Photos by Todd Salisbury

Students enjoy eating a variety of wings in the cafeteria.

community college,” Bergmooser said. “It can bring students and that’s a good thing.”

Despite the posters and signs put up around campus, some students, like Cody Kosanovich, didn’t know the event was happening, However, Kosanovich was happy it coincided with Wing Wednesday.

“Wings are kinda the best thing they do,” he said. “I have never had a bad wing here.”

Oscar Reyes had a similar opinion on the wings.

“The wings are fire,” Reyes said as he bit into one of his traditional wings.

Reyes did however say he would not be singing karaoke.

Kosanovich, among others, went on stage.

He sang “Arms Wide Open” by Creed.

“It felt pretty good singing in front of people,” he said afterward.

Will Blackwell and Brandon Szparapowski sang “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen.

Blackwell said it was a fun song to sing.

Students, Alexander Maue and his friend Lucas Verkic, sang “In the End” by Linkin Park.

“Personally, I really wanted to have fun, honor Chester (Bennington), and try a vocal duo,” Maue said.

Maue said he is usually shy about singing but wanted to get more comfortable with it.

Verkic, however, had a different reason for singing.

“He made me,” he said as he looked at Maue. “He promised to buy my wings too.”

Student Government movie night stalls out Todd Salisbury Agora Staff

Not even Ansel Elgort could bring out MCCC students.

Student Government hosted a movie night March 14, and showed the action film “Baby Driver,” starring Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, and young-star Elgort.

The movie was released in 2017 and is about a talented getaway driver, trapped in the heist life looking for a way out.

“Baby Driver” has a score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed over 225 million at the box office.

However, students did not floor it to the event.

Jeff Stead, a student at the event, thinks the weather played a role.

“It was the first nice day we had in a while,” Stead said. “People want to spend time outside.”

Stead said he was happy he went to the event though.

Students in attendance eat popcorn while watching “Baby Driver.”

“This was a good opportunity to see a movie, I think my favorite scene was the first car chase,” he said.

Stead is referring to the opening scene where the main character Baby, played by

Elgort, is driving a group of robbers after a heist in a red modified Subaru that he weaves in and out of traffic, spinning around the cops of Atlanta.

This was the first movie night hosted by

Student Government in years.

“The last movie night was a few years ago,” said Tom Ryder, Director of Campus and Community Events/Student Activities.

“It was the movie ‘The Party Animal’ with a toga party as well.”

Ryder and others in attendance don’t think the starring of controversial actor Kevin Spacey played a role in students not attending.

“I wasn’t affected by scenes with Spacey,” Stead said. “If a movie is good, its good.”

Ryder believes the warm weather played a role in the poor turnout but was still happy to have hosted a movie night for those in attendance.

“All we can do as a group is put pieces in place,” he said.

Ryder said Student Government would brainstorm again and think of new ideas for student events.

With the weather warming up, he said an outdoor movie night has been discussed.

4 • Campus News

March 25, 2019

Agora/mcccagora.com

Faculty, college disagree over syllabus template Michael Nixon Agora Staff

Administrators have proposed the idea of a standard syllabus template that would require certain content to be mandatory.

This hasn’t been received well by some faculty, who feel it infringes upon their academic freedom.

The dispute has made it uncertain when or if a syllabus template will be put into effect.

Currently, professors have freedom to create a syllabus in any way they choose. Most try to tailor them to the needs of their students, according to Mark Bergmooser, a Speech professor who is president of the faculty union.

“A syllabus is really a faculty member’s blueprint for their class,” Bergmooser said.

“How they’re going to put it together, a roadmap for what they want to cover.”

Vice President of Instruction Grace Yackee had hoped a uniform syllabus format would help with the confusion some student’s face.

“It is simply a format the college would like to adopt in order for students to more easily access important class and college information,” she said.

According to Yackee, the decision to implement a template was initially recommended by a team of peer faculty and administrators authorized by the Higher Learning Commission.

Yackee said it requires much of the same information professors already present.

She said the template would be about four pages long, two concerning class information, followed by two concerning college information.

Bergmooser noted that the template would require professors to include information most do not currently think is necessary, such as inclement weather policy, a transfer statement, and Title IX information.

The first template proposal was presented to the faculty during Fall 2018, and a revised version was proposed during Winter 2019.

However, it was rejected by faculty, Bergmooser said.

The dispute between the faculty union and administrators has brought the notion of a standardized syllabus to a halt. According to Yackee, the matter has been referred to legal counsel.

“All of this other stuff you’re probably not going home and reading,” Bergmooser said. “You’re looking for a calendar, you’re looking for a grading procedure, and you’re

looking for some basic things.”

Bergmooser believes a standardized syllabus poses a threat to academic freedom.

Yackee disagrees, saying required criteria are the norm at other colleges.

“Academic freedom is really more about absence of censorship in teaching and research,” she said. “The intent of implementing a template for syllabi is not about censorship or restricting faculty’s choice of textbook.”

Bergmooser also said he thinks general college material required on syllabi could put faculty in legal dilemmas.

“Part of my concern for faculty members is that if a standard syllabus were put out there, we would then be held accountable for the stuff that’s in it or not in it,” Bergmooser said. “And that could affect our terms of em-

Global Studies degree beneficial to students Maya Gaynier Agora Staff

Students with an interest in learning more about global affairs should consider working towards the Global Studies Degree Designation at MCCC. Professor of Business and Economics and Global Studies Coordinator Wendy Wysocki said there are benefits to having the degree.

“We live in a global environment, we have a global economy. I think no matter where you work, you’re going to be doing things and run into people with different cultures and different backgrounds,” Wysocki said.

“So having this global awareness, I think, really helps you to be successful in those areas.”

The global studies degree designation is a stamp on a student’s transcript that can be earned while completing any degree of choice or while following transfer guidelines.

This is an opportunity for students to learn about global issues and multicultural influences, on top of earning their degree.

“And essentially, what this would do would give them a stamp on their transcript that shows they have this global awareness; they’ve learned some things about different global areas,” Wysocki said.

The Global Studies Degree Designation has been offered since 2015 and was started by former MCCC professor Joanna Sabo.

Upon Sabo’s retirement in January 2018, Wysocki became Global Studies coordinator.

According to the college policy, completing this designation will help student’s articulate international trends and issues, appreciate, understand and communicate effectively with international cultures, explore the effects of globalization in their own field of study, and gain awareness of how global growth will impact their own world.

To earn this degree designation, there are three main requirements. First, students must take one Global Studies Required Course from a list of about 10 courses.

Photo by Maya Gaynier

Wendy Wysocki’s Global Studies office in the C Building

Students must also take 15 credit hours from a list of Global Studies Satisfier Courses.

There are over 50 courses that qualify for this list, as they have global components.

“These courses have at least 25 percent of their course content in a global environment,” Wysocki said. “So it has international theme, talks about international cultures, some are international business.”

Lastly, students need to attend at least three Global Studies lectures, workshops, seminars, or speaker presentations approved by the Global Studies advisor.

“They also have to partake in some activities that show they’ve increased their global awareness,” Wysocki said.

The MCCC study abroad trip can count towards these required activities.

“Every other year the college likes to promote a campus wide study abroad opportunity. Usually there are three or four classes that students would take and go on the study abroad trip. The other years we do smaller trips that tend to be more program-based.”

Wysocki said this year students will be going to the British Isles in May. “Those requirements basically have them learn some things about different global environments,” she said.

She feels that having this degree designation can be very helpful for students when

applying for jobs in the future.

“Several students have said that having this on their transcript has helped them, that employers have looked at that and recognized that they’ve had some exposure to global topics and issues,” Wysocki said.

“That’s sometimes made the difference, having that on their transcript compared to other students who haven’t had that exposure.”

This designation also helps students stand out when transferring to other institutions.

“It shows that they have an interest in this and that they have some background and awareness,” she said.

Having the Global Studies Degree Designation has also helped MCCC grow in its educational offerings.

“It provides another level of education for students. Many of the students that participate in the designation go on the study abroad trips, which expands their horizon even further,” Wysocki said “So I think for the college it really helps to provide another area of learning for students that they might not otherwise get in their courses.

It helps educate the community as well.”

To apply for this designation, students can pick up the forms at the Admissions Office or outside Wysocki’s office, C-216. Wysocki feels that the forms can be easily understood, but students should feel free to come to her with any interest or questions.

Currently, 15-20 students are participating in the program, with at least two students graduating with the designation this semester.

Wysocki encourages students to explore this option because having an awareness of global affairs and issues is beneficial in everyday life.

“As they say, the world is much smaller. We communicate internationally, we have international businesses in Monroe County,” she said. “So the more you can show that you have some awareness to the global environment, I think, the better off you are.”

Agora/mcccagora.com

Campus News • 5

March 25, 2019

Last chances for free tax help Carla Cohen Agora Staff

The April 15 deadline for filing taxes is less than three weeks away. To avoid being possibly audited, you can visit the MCCC campus for help.

There are two more chances to get help from the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program on campus at MCCC. Every Friday since March 1, there has been an opportunity to get help with taxes; April 5 and April 12 are the last two dates available to receive assistance on campus this year.

Located in the lobby of the Career Technology Center, tables are set up to have you fill out needed forms. Caleb Walker, a MCCC student, has been there from the beginning helping people get set up.

“You have to fill out the intake interview forms,” Walker said. “Then, once they are finished filling that out, they bring it back up here and we check it over and make sure they have everything.”

Most people have set up appointments beforehand, ensuring they will be seen on a specific date.

It’s best to make an appointment online at: www.monroeccc.edu/vita They do accept walk-ins, but it is a first come, first served basis.

Teresa and James Jaeger were one of the many waiting to be seen.

By 10:15 a.m. on March 15, a line already had formed.

After setting up people with scheduled appointments, four

Photo by Vanessa Ray

MCCC graduate Kristine Skinkiss, left, has her taxes prepared by MCCC student Kathleen Arnold.

walk-ins were accepted, and two had to be turned away.

“We have had a full schedule, it’s been pretty busy,” Accounting Professor Parnella Baul said.

They accept up to 10 appointments a day to ensure there is enough time per person to get the assistance they need.

According to Baul, the length of time needed can vary.

“It’s between an hour and an hour-and-a-half, depending

on the complexity of the tax return,” Baul said.

Items needed are a valid photo ID, Social Security card, W2’s from jobs this tax year (2018), and other earning statements. A copy of last year’s tax return and bank account and information for receiving your tax return is also helpful.

Internships in the works for MCCC

Cassidy Maier Agora Editor

The college is in the process of creating an internship program.

Some think this should’ve happened years ago.

“I cannot for the life of me understand why we haven’t done internships at this institution since the day we were founded,” said MCCC President Kojo Quartey.

The college, which was founded in 1964, assembled a task force last year to put an internship program in place.

Quartey isn’t the only one on campus who thinks internships should’ve already been a part of life at MCCC. “I want us to start seeing internships the way universities see internships,” said History professor Edmund La Clair. “Where it’s an integral part of both the learning process and a part of the networking to find your career.

“For example about 22 percent of college students say that their education was immediately useful to the job they are doing today, even though the majority will say that they valued the college education they got.”

He cited the Middle College’s field placement program for students. Middle College Principal Robert Krueger came to one of the first task force meetings and talked about the program, La Clair said.

Under this program, students in their final

“The community college student is a hard working student and many times they have to work while they’re going to school. I just think this is going to be an add-on.”

Paul Knollman Dean of Business Division year spend 40 unpaid hours in a field placement setting, Depending on the nature of where they’re placed, the students have a variety of opportunities to observe and participate.

Krueger doesn’t consider this an internship or job shadowing, instead choosing to think of it as field placement.

Students have gotten paid jobs, been admitted to universities, and gotten summer internships through the networking and opportunities that have come out of the program, he said.

“I think all students should have the opportunity,” he said.

He recounted getting 60 hours of field placement through the introduction to teaching class he attended at his first year at MCCC. “Without that field placement, I don’t know that I would’ve continued wanting to be a teacher,” he said. “I think all kids should have the opportunity available to them.”

Others think this is the perfect time to add a more formal internship program.

“I think this is going to be an added value; I don’t think it’s held anybody back by not having it,” said Paul Knollman, Dean of the Business Division.

“And I’ll tell you why: so many of our students work already. The community college student is a hard working student and many times they have to work while they’re going to school,” he said. “I just think this is going to be an add-on.”

There have been informal internships at the college. Among these are the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program and Journalism students working at area newspapers and TV stations.

MCCC alumna Veronica Gabriel works at WLNS-TV in Lansing.

She interned at MPACT, Monroe’s public access TV station, and at Channel 13 in Toledo, during her time at MCCC. While at Channel 13, she learned the ba-

sics of a newsroom, including the roles and responsibilities of reporters, photographers, and assignment desk editors. She learned how to put together stories and the differences between writing for print and for television, she said in an email.

This created a stepping stone to other things.

“This internship was very hands on and beneficial because of that. Having the experience also helped me get my second internship at a larger TV station at FOX 2 in Detroit,” she said.

Current MCCC student Timothy Feaganes is part of the VITA Program.

Getting the work experience made him decide to switch his major from Accounting to Engineering.

“Without VITA and getting that in-person experience, I would’ve stayed with financial for a while and ended up switching up later on. I think we need internships now to see if you actually like it or not,” he said.

Knollman was optimistic that the new internship program could happen by the Winter semester of 2020.

Quartey was even more optimistic.

“I think the announcement should come before the fall semester and we should be able to start this coming fall — fall of 2019,” he said.

“Our students need these opportunities, and they deserve these opportunities to give them that competitive edge. It’s something we must do,” Quartey said.

6 • Campus News

March 25, 2019

Agora/mcccagora.com

Early Education program grows up Claire Bechard Agora Staff

MCCC’s Early Childhood Education program has been included in a $1.25 million grant from the University of Toledo.

Early Childhood Education professor Felice Moorman began teaching at MCCC in January 2012 and cares for the program she has since helped grow.

“This grant helps better prepare our program students to meet the needs of each and every child in their communities,” Moorman said.

According to Moorman, MCCC was fortunate to receive such a large grant, and the professor thinks it is a testament to how far the program has grown.

“I am unsure of the criteria UT used to select community college partners, however, all community college partners have earned NAEYC accreditation,” she said.

“I believe that the program becoming accredited in March 2017 may have been a factor in the decision.”

The grant, which covers a period of five years, was awarded to UT by the Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

Stephanie Wozniak, the other professor of Early Childhood Education, is also excited about the grant.

“The grant is titled the ‘Great Start for Higher Education’ project,” Wozniak said.

“The selection process to participate in this grant was competitive and we are very honored and excited to be a part of this!”

Moorman is especially passionate about teaching the future of America.

“I began my career teaching in the classroom with young children,” she said. “Fostering a young child’s growth and development has always been my passion.”

Having children of her own is what led Moorman to teaching in a college setting.

“After the birth of my second son, I took time off and began teaching part-time at

Photo by Vanessa Ray

Felice Moorman has watched the Early Childhood Education program grow, and looks forward to seeing future developments

EMU. It was then that I realized I also loved teaching adults,” she said. “My role at MCCC allows me the best of both worlds in a wonderful and supportive college community.”

Wozniak said she is interested in the career enhancing and personal growth opportunities the grant will provide.

“I am looking forward to the professional development I will receive as part of this study with the emphasis being on supporting children and families through inclusive prac-

tices,” she said. “Anything that supports me in preparing my students to go into the community and support children and families is very exciting to me!”

Wozniak said the grant will continue to enhance the bond between the schools.

“We continue to have a positive relationship with UT’s Education Department,” she said. “Articulation agreements between MCCC and UT have been in place for some time and create ease of transfer for our students.”

Robots fill MCCC gymnasium for championships The crowds came out to support the robots.

The MCCC/Knaubusch VEX Robotics Middle School State Championship took over MCCC’s gym as friends and family watched middle school students and their robots compete.

The robots of thirty-two teams from around Michigan had two minutes to score points by performing various tasks.

“We’ve had very few hiccups today. The kids have been having fun,” said Jeff Demaray, the co-coordinator of the event and advisor of Team Virus 3547.

“Can’t ask for much more, right?”

Photo by Cassidy Maier

Two rinks were set up in the gymnasium for the robot competition.

After spending the last seven years in the Early Childhood Education program, Moorman has been able to watch the program she built flourish.

“I am proud of the work that the ECE program faculty have done to ensure a high quality education for our students. It feels wonderful to be recognized for our achievements. Partnering with UT will further enhance student coursework, building upon the strong education already in place.” she said.

Students can apply for 2019-2020 Agora editor The Agora, MCCC’s student newspaper, is taking applications for editor for the 2018-2019 school year.

Students interested in the position should contact Agora adviser Dan Shaw for the application.

While previous experience on the Agora staff or completion of courses like Intro to Journalism are helpful, they are not required, Shaw said.

“Anyone who is interested in journalism and thinks they have the leadership skills to manage a staff is encouraged to apply,” he said.

The Agora publishes eight times a year, every 3-4 weeks during fall and winter semesters. It also manages www.mcccagora.com, a website with news updated regularly during the academic year.

The Agora editor is paid at the Student Assistant rate for 8-10 hours of work a week during the semester.

Applications for the editor position are due to Shaw by April 5.

Agora/mcccagora.com

Campus News • 7

March 25, 2019

Students spend break dissecting pigs Heather Reamer For the Agora

While some of my classmates enjoyed the warm sands, on a southern beach somewhere, the rest of us signed up to participate in a heart and lung dissection.

The Respiratory Therapy Program’s community service project was held in Monroe County schools.

On March 7 and 8, I attended Airport Community Schools in Carleton, Michigan to help with their dissections.

The MCCC adjunct faculty members, Bonnie Boggs, BS, RRT and Terri Langton, MEd, were our faculty leaders.

This was my first time participating in the

Fifth grade Airport students disect a pig lung and heart with MCCC Respiratory Therapy students.

lung dissections; we received a lot of help from the parents that had volunteered from the school.

On the first day, I walked in and helped Terri wash the lungs in the lab before taking them upstairs to the classroom.

Parents started walking in and immediately asked if we needed any help. They were all greatly involved and loved helping the kids have a good time.

The set-up was the longest part on the first day, but with the help from the parents it went more smoothly than I thought.

The lung dissections were a big part of the kid’s day.

Parents were saying that the kids talked about the dissections all the time.

“Pig lung dissection was fun and very informative. Children and adults were in awe during the process. This was a very enjoyable experience and the instructors were amazing!” one parent stated.

Some of the Airport District parents return to the dissections each year and say that they enjoy not only for the kids, but for their learning experience as well.

When everything was situated, the classroom teachers guided their students in and you could tell the excitement on the kids’ faces.

Bonnie instructed the kids on the anatomy of lungs and surprised them with the heart as well.

Many of the 5th graders dove right into

Heather Reamer assists student with disections.

dissecting, while some of the students were a little bit timid at first.

The parents and teachers were very encouraging and tried to make it a positive learning experience for the students.

After the dissections, the class was showed our displays about tobacco smoking and e-cigarette information.

As a student, I got the experience to teach and show them my knowledge.

Participating in the dissections has helped me grow as a student.

Getting up front of the class has not only

Photos courtesy of Bonnie Boggs.

helped me speak in front of people, but has also helped me teach what I know.

Bonnie and Terri do so much for the program, they encourage the kids greatly and help us RT students become more confident in our studies.

The Respiratory Therapy program at MCCC has always had the respiratory therapy students participate in teaching and even have instructors that are former students.

The teachers at Airport are big supporters of their students and go to the trouble of extra work to arrange this experience for them.

Thompson invites MCCC to studio Cheyanne Abel Agora Staff

MCCC visiting artist Kenneth M. Thompson invited students and faculty to his sculpture studio on Feb. 21 to further explain his career, and give aspiring artists insight on the process of creating and selling artwork.

When Thompson first started his artistic journey at Siena Heights University, he was studying painting and printmaking and was encouraged to take 3D design and began taking sculpting classes. This is what inspired Thompson to be the sculptor he is today.

Thompson created a studio, Flatlanders Sculpture Supply & Art Galleries, in Blissfield, Mich., to sell stone and carving materials.

This is where sculptors can buy some of the tools needed for work, and evolved into the location where he and his assistants spend most of their time creating and repairing sculptures from several materials, varying from bronze castings to Kenneth M. Thompson stone carving.

Students were given time to browse through various pieces, ranging from small ceramic pots to gigantic metal figures located at the entrance of the building.

As Thompson reviewed the information shared at a visit-

Photos by Vanessa Ray

Thompson’s sculptures displayed at the MCCC Library.

ing artist event at the college on Feb. 5, he further explained how he started a company to allow students to showcase their work.

Seventeen years ago, Thompson created a company called the Midwest Sculpture Initiative to give students the opportunity to display their outdoor sculptures to the community.

According to Thompson, the company has had close to 220 sculpture shows and will be displaying 270 pieces of artwork from nearby exhibits. Locations include Adrian, University of Toledo, Belleville, and more.

Flatlanders has successfully helped sculptors in the past by paying artists to have their work displayed in the show and selling various pieces of work.

Last year, Flatlanders sold 16 percent of the 262 sculptures. That created an opportunity for sculpting students to earn money and become more familiar with the marketing aspect of displaying and selling their work.

“If it’s related to sculpture, then it’s probably good for Flatlanders,” Thompson said.

Students were given a tour of the back of the studio, where Thompson and his assistants create their sculptures.

Thompson walked the group through the process of sculpture-making from small-scale designs, sketching, and molding, and showed the various tools used and how they are operated.

During the summer, Thompson and his assistants will wash and wax sculptures. Thompson explained that the reason they do this task in the summer is because bronze is a popular material used for sculpture making. Because bronze absorbs light and heat from the sun, it makes it easier to wax, because it absorbs light.

Thompson and his assistants create sculptures and castings of their own, but also collaborate with other artists to help them turn their ideas into sculptures. However, these sculptures are never advertised on the premises, because they belong to the artist who created the concept.

“It’s their idea, we were just the ones who made it into a reality for them.” Thompson said.

8 • Campus News

March 25, 2019

Campus News • 9

Agora/mcccagora.com

An author, a rodeo queen, an actor, oh my! One Book comes to MCCC

Author recounts relative’s kidnapping Lydia Sandefur Agora Staff

Scott Zesch, author of “Captured: A True Story of Abduction by Indians on the Texas Frontier,” spoke at MCCC about his book and the untold stories of children abducted by Native Americans.

Zesch appeared twice on March 20, first in the morning in the atrium of the La-Z-Boy Center for a question and answer session with students and staff, then in an evening speech in the Meyer Theater.

Zesch’s book is a companion read to this year’s One Book, One Community novel, “News of the World,”

by Paulette Jiles.

Zesch explained how he first began researching the topic of abducted children in the American West.

“I got interested in this story when I accidentally found the grave of my Comanche-captive ancestor. There wasn’t much of a marker, the one date that was there, I thought was incorrect,” he said.

“Originally, all I was going to do was find out Scott Zesch enough about him to get some dates for a marker and to find out when he was with the Indians.”

Zesch also offered insight into his research process.

“When I am researching a new topic that I don’t have a very solid background in, I always start by reading the scholarly literature that is available on the topic

and using that as a starting point,” he said.

He emphasized the importance and validity of sources that are not available online.

“So many of the documents I used had not been digitized and are not available online,” he continued. “I actually did go through boxes of documents that had never even been microfilmed. You want to make sure that when you are doing primary research, you don’t want to limit yourself to what is available online.”

The use of these primary sources is not without difficulty.

“If I found a letter that I wanted a copy of, sometimes I could copy it off the microfilm printer. If I couldn’t, I would actually be there with my laptop or a note pad and hand transcribe all of these letters.”

The process was time consuming, but ultimately it proved to be important research for his book.

“It was a slow process, but it turned out to be something invaluable,” Zesch said.

Zesch said the entire research process took 18 months.

“The core research took me about nine months. That involved several trips, primarily to Oklahoma,” he said. “I spent about nine months gathering information about these kids, and the writing of the first draft was about another nine months.”

Zesch’s evening presentation opened with a video introducing Jiles.

“I write books about people who are driven by external events,” Jiles said.

“News of the World” is a historical fiction novel that revolves around a young girl who was captured

by Native Americans and her integration back to her “original” life.

This closely relates to the work of Zesch, as he has collected nonfiction accounts of captured children.

Scott Zesch, the author of “Captured: A True Story of Abduction by Indians on the Texas Frontier,” talked about the kidnapping and return of one of his relatives.

Photos by Lydia Sandefur

Zesch began his presentation with a reading of the prologue from his book.

“I decided it was time to find out who this shadowy figure (his distant uncle) really was, or at least get enough information to give him a decent headstone” he read.

Zesch began to find that his ancestor was not alone, and in fact, many captured children went through sim-

ilar situations.

“To better understand my ancestor’s captivity, I expanded my search to include eight other children,” he said.

Zesch described the way many of these children came to be captured.

“The Southern Plains Indians went on raids in Texas mainly to get more horses,” he said. “The Comanches

in particular depend on horses, not only for transport, but also for currency. Horses were their main form of wealth,” he said.

He said the children were seen as prizes and victory over their enemies.

“These captives taken by a raiding party were seen as spoils of war, in fact they were practically the property of the person who took them,” he explained. “Their

MCCC hosts a book sale, artifacts, roping demonstrations, and a singing actor Jordan Jewell Agora Staff

The 2019 One Book, One Community (OBOC) program has chosen to feature “News of the World” by Paulette Giles. The program encourages the community to come together through the power of reading, enhanced by a month-long series of events.

“One Book, One Community is about a lot of things, but to me, it’s about reading,” Dan Shaw, journalism professor, said at the event kickoff.

“News of the World” tells the story of Jefferson Kidd, a confederate veteran, delivering a young girl named Johanna, who was kidnapped by Native Americans as a child, across Texas.

The OBOC kickoff included a used book sale, Native American artifacts from the Monroe County Museum, roping demonstrations, and an exclusive presentation from Genot Picor.

Carrie Nartker, Professor of English, was in charge of the committee who planned the event. Inspired by “News of the World,” she wanted to bring the Old West to Monroe.

“There’s something for everyone to enjoy. Adults can read the book and participate in the events, and there are companion reads for younger kids and activities for them as well,” Nartker said.

Roping demonstrations were put on by the Michigan State University Rodeo Club. The club often reaches out within communities to teach about ro-

Photos by Vanessa Ray

2019 Miss Michigan State Rodeo Queen Lilly Manning deomonstrates roping (left). The MCCC Writing Fellows organized a book sale in the Meyer Theater atrium (above). Genot Picor, an interpretive performer, acted and sang as a character from “News of the World” (right).

deo and the West.

“A main goal of the club is to promote Western heritage and try to educate people about the Old West and different things like that because in different parts of the country rodeo is still a huge part of people’s lives, it’s still a huge part of our economy with the beef and agricultural industry,” Lilly Manning, 2019 Miss Michigan State Rodeo Queen, said.

The evening concluded with a theatrical performance by Picor, an interpretive performer with focuses in folklore.

Picor embodied the character of John Calley, the husband of the main character Johanna in “News of the World.”

The event featured musical performances of “Polly Wolly Doodle” and “Oh Johanna,” a play on the classic “Oh Susana,” as the stage was filled with the strums of Picor’s guitar.

Picor also told many Native American tales, employing a method of “hand talking” to tell the story of two brothers in an eternal race influencing the shifts in the weather.

The audience was encouraged to participate through singing along, learning a San Antonio wedding dance, and voting on the “flirtiest Latina,” with four girls learning the enticing moves used on Jefferson Kidd.

OBOC will continue hosting events, including films, discussions, and lectures for all ages through April 6. Calendars of events can be found throughout campus.

captor could use them as household servants, could trade them to someone else for horses and blankets, or in some cases could sell them back to the government for ransom.”

Zesch went on to describe the stories of several captive children and the effects of their captivity.

The Native Americans did not treat the children poorly, he said.

“After these children had been with an Indian family for a few months, it was fairly common for them to be adopted as sons or daughters of that family. These adopted children became converts to the Indian way of life,” Zesch explained.

He compared the stories of the young boys versus girls. He believes that in many cases the young boys had a much harder time adjusting to their original lifestyle after their abduction.

He explained that many of the men who had been captured went on to have troubled lives, often having many failed marriages, where their women counterparts were more likely to fall back into their original lifestyle.

That being said, Zesch said that a vast majority of the captured kids were able to go on to live a normal life.

“Most of these captives eventually readjusted to white society, but it was difficult. In fact, I think they spent the rest of their lives somewhat in limbo between the two cultures,” Zesch said.

Eventually, Zesch was able to give his ancestor the headstone that Zesch felt he deserved.

As a former Peace Corp volunteer, Zesch said he could relate to the experiences of the captured children, experiencing a new culture and then having to readjust to “normal” life.

“The best way to dispel bigotry and the fear of people who are different is to live among them and to get to know them as individuals instead of this generic ‘other’,” he said. “Once people start to do that, all of the stereotypes start to fall away.”

Agora to host panel discussion on journalism Agora Staff

Some of the top journalists in the area will discuss the state of news in today’s world during a panel discussion at MCCC March 26.

The panel is part of Monroe County’s One Book, One Community program, which this year is reading “News of the World,” by Paulette Jiles.

Journalism is threatened from a variety of directions, and the panel members will discuss some of the challenges and how they’re coping.

Panel members include Dave Murray, the managing editor of the Toledo Blade, Zoe Clark, the program director of Michigan Radio, and Khalil AlHajal, an evening editor and special projects manager MLive.

The panel discussion will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, in the La-Z-Boy Center at MCCC. The event is sponsored by the Agora, the student newspaper at MCCC, and the moderators will be James P. Quick and Cassidy Maier, current editors of the newspaper.

10 • Feature

March 25, 2019

Agora/mcccagora.com

MCCC professor taking tour group to China Maya Gaynier Agora Staff

MCCC students and community members will have the opportunity to experience China’s unique culture and history.

Dan Shaw, retiring journalism professor at MCCC, is leading a community trip to China in May of 2020.

He said the trip will be similar to past MCCC Study Abroad trips that he has led, but is not an MCCC-sponsored trip.

“I’m doing this as an individual who is leading a trip to China, but totally with the college’s support,” Shaw said.

The trip is being offered on the off year of the college’s Study Abroad trips, Shaw said, so it will not negatively impact MCCC’s 2021 trip. It’s already too late to sign up for this year’s May trip to the British Isles.

“I don’t want to do anything to hurt the college program,” he said.

Shaw is experienced when it comes to Study Abroad trips. He has been on five of MCCC’s trips, and was a leader of four of them. He has visited more than a dozen countries leading students and community members.

“When I announced that I was retiring last fall, one of the things I assumed I’d have to give up is going on Study Abroad trips,” he said.

However, Shaw was contacted by Explorica, an educational travel company, to lead a community trip. Shaw chose China because he has always wanted to experience its culture.

“It’s a place I don’t want to die without having seen,” he said. “It’s too important, culturally, historically, and in the modern day, geo-politically.”

Additionally, Shaw wants people to gain an awareness of China because of the country’s emerging place in the world.

“China has become not only our biggest trade partner, but also the other superpower in the world,” he said. “We should know more about China and be more aware of what’s going on there.”

The May 2020 trip will be 11-13 days long, but many details depend on the number of people interested in the trip. If fewer than 15

Dan Shaw with his camera on a Study Abroad trip in Prague in he Czech Republic.

sign up, the group will be paired with others, giving less opportunity to customize the trip.

Either way, the four main destinations will be included.

“We’re definitely going to Beijing,” Shaw said. “From Beijing we’ll make a day trip to the Great Wall.”

After Beijing, the group will visit Xi’an, famous for its Terracotta soldiers.

“It’s also a delightful historic city with other great things to see, such as fortresses, temples and palaces,” Shaw said.

The group will then fly to Shanghai.

“It’s like going into another world. Shanghai is one of the handful of most modern, progressive cities in the world: things like skyscrapers and advanced technology,” Shaw said.

After Shanghai, the group will fly to Hong Kong, the former British colony that remains a crossroads of civilizations.

Shaw also hopes to give travelers a free day in both Beijing and Shanghai.

“I think on these trips it’s important for people to have time to just get out in the city and explore on their own a little bit,” he said.

Shaw is excited to take photos in these cities.

On many Study Abroad trips he taught a photojournalism course. While this trip is not sponsored by MCCC, the college is open to offering courses if there is enough student interest.

Shaw encourages students to go on the trip because having a knowledge of Chinese culture can be beneficial for their futures.

“I think this trip would look really good on your resume. Employers all over the country have relationships with China,” Shaw said.

Shaw expects travelers to learn a lot about the country.

“These are educational tours,” he said.

“Explorica is great at finding quality local guides who really know the area. This isn’t tourism, it’s educational travel.”

Shaw also wants to stress the safety that travelers can expect to experience when traveling with Explorica.

“Explorica is an experienced company at keeping its travelers safe. They know how to do it. They’re good at it,” Shaw said.

Shaw is also experienced with these types of trips and is confident he can keep travelers safe.

Additionally, he said he thinks China will be a relatively safe place for travel.

“While China may seem strange and foreign, these are modern cities that we’re going to be going to, with modern police forces and very low crime rates,” he said. “We’re not going to dangerous parts of the world.”

Many community members are already looking forward to another trip with Shaw.

Linda Lauer attended a Study Abroad trip to Italy and Greece and took Shaw’s photojournalism course.

“He made the trip interesting, informative and fun. He has a relaxed but engaging approach that made everyone enjoy their travels and learn simultaneously,” Lauer writes in an e-mail.

An Explorica tour group visiting the Great Wall of China.

Shaw is excited to invite community members on this trip, but there are a few requirements travelers should be aware of.

A passport is needed, which can take several months to acquire.

Additionally, background checks will be performed on everyone who signs up.

Shaw stresses that people with health issues can still go to China. However, travelers should be prepared to walk several miles a day.

“People who aren’t capable of a lot of walking should probably not go on this trip,” Shaw said.

The cost of this trip will be about $4,280 for people under 23 and $4,850 for older travelers. The added cost is to accommodate a twin room. People who sign up before April 10, 2019 will receive a $200 discount.

The cost includes all travel expenses and entrance fees, as well as breakfasts and dinners and most of the lunches.

Photo courtesy of Explorica

Shaw is ready and willing to taste authentic Chinese food.

“I love Chinese food, but when I say that I’m talking about American Chinese food,” he said. “I have a feeling that Chinese Chinese food is going to be even better.”

He said travelers with special diet needs don’t have to worry; Explorica will provide options for all kinds of diets.

To view the itinerary and get more details, visit the trip website, www.explorica.com/ Shaw-4418. This is also where travelers can sign up to go on the trip.

Shaw hopes to have everyone signed up by late fall, so there is plenty of time to make sure everyone is prepared.

“I would be remiss to not mention that one of the great parts of Study Abroad is the camaraderie of the group. You get to know people who become lifelong friends, because those 13 days immersed in another culture just bring you closer together.”

Agora/mcccagora.com

March 25, 2019

Feature • 11

Students react to admissions scandal Vanessa Ray Agora Staff

For students currently stressing about applying to a four-year university, the recent allegations of wealthy parents cheating to get their children into school has raised questions about the college admissions process.

News broke earlier this month of celebrities and wealthy individuals paying to have their children admitted into elite universities.

The cheating ring was orchestrated by William Rick Singer, CEO of a college admissions prep company called The Key. U.S. attorney Andrew Lelling said Singer was selling two avenues for admission.

“One was to cheat on the SAT or ACT,” Lelling said. “And the other was to use his connections with Division I coaches and use bribes to get these parents’ kids into school with fake athletic credentials.”

Singer pled guilty to four charges March 19, and said all accusations brought against him by prosecutor Eric S. Rosen were true.

Two of the celebrities indicted are Lori Loughlin, known for her role as Aunt Becky on “Full House,” and her Target fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli.

Lori Loughlin (middle) poses with her daughters, Oivia Jade (left) and Bella.

The couple allegedly agreed to pay bribes totaling $500,000 to have their two daughters, Bella and YouTube star Olivia Jade, designated as recruits to the University of Southern California (USC) crew team – despite the fact neither ever participated in the sport.

For students at MCCC, some of whom

hope to transfer to highly selective colleges, the news of the scandal is upsetting.

“People who actually need and want the degrees aren’t getting in,” said student John Fowler.

Nursing student Kayla Maddox said the thought of someone cheating to get into nursing school is terrifying.

“From a science and health major’s perspective, I think it’s dangerous,” she said.

Maddox also thinks those involved should be ashamed of themselves.

“I think it’s embarrassing for the kids,” she said. “But I also feel they know what’s going on.”

Olivia recently came out and said she never wanted to go to college in the first place and blames her parents for pushing USC on her.

In an August 2018 YouTube video, Olivia expressed her disinterest in attending classes.

“I don’t know how much of school I’m gonna attend, but I’m gonna go in and talk to my deans and everyone, and hope that I can try and balance it all,” she said. “But I do want the experience of like game days, partying. I don’t really care about school, as you guys all know.”

Student Hannah Preston does not empathize with Oliva and believes what happened is unfair.

“I think it’s wrong that they took spots from other people who worked hard just because they have rich parents,” she said

Charity hosts murder mystery tour Rose Younglove Agora Staff

Charites and murder typically don’t go hand in hand, but for Monroe’s Family Counseling and Shelter the annual Murder Mystery Dinner is essential to the organization.

The Family Counseling and Shelter is a non-profit organization located on 14930 LaPlaisance Road Suite 106.

“It’s unique for a nonprofit organization,” director Crystal Martin said.

Martin also mentioned the event’s silent auction.

“We receive lots of support from the county and local businesses,” she said.

The silent auction will be March 30 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and the dinner will begin afterwards. The auction will feature prizes, which could include Toledo Mud Hens tickets, Splash Universe tickets, and Detroit Princess Riverboat Cruise tickets.

The dinner will be $50 per person or $80 per couple.

“We’re the only one that has been doing them [mystery dinners] in the county and I think that makes it a cooler thing,” Martin said. “Plus we try to do raffles, which you don’t do at other events.”

One of these raffles is the balloon raffle, which involves 100 balloons with red and blue bandanas, for this year’s Wild West Theme. Participants purchase a $10 balloon

and gather in a group to pop a balloon, revealing the prize within, which could include gift cards worth $5-$50.

“So you pay $10 for a balloon and you’re most likely going to get your money back,” she said.

The dinner involves participants going around the gymnasium to solve the murder mystery from clues put together by the cast.

The cast is composed of various members of the community, such Kaye Lani Rae Rafko, who was crowned Miss America 1988.

Martin said the dinner is the largest source of the organization’s funds.

“The shelter doesn’t bring in any money, so there are always a lot of needs financially,” Martin said. “We cover everyone’s food but we don’t receive any reimbursements towards food.”

The shelter provides a variety of services, including prevention programs, art classes, and S.M.I.L.E. for children of divorce. The shelter also provides identification.

“If they come in the middle of the night and have no documentation, we get all their new documentation for them, like driver’s license, birth certificates, social security cards, so we pay for all that,” Martin said.

The shelter operates out of an 18-bed facility for women and children. The funds from the dinner pay for repairs to the house.

The shelter is for women and children who ‘are in immediate danger of an intimate part-

ner.’

“That’s what our federal grant criteria are,” Martin said. “It’s a 90-day shelter and people can call our crisis hotline which operates 24/7.”

The hotline number is 1-734-242-7233.

When women come in with their children, they have free food, clothing, shelter, and counselling.

The shelter also offers free legal services and a full-time case manager which helps them find jobs and housing, helps them with paperwork and more.

“When you’re leaving your abuser and you’re trying to get off on your own this is super overwhelming,” Martin said. “So these are the ways we try to make things less overwhelming so you can move towards a positive path and start fresh.”

Dana Marshall, the shelter’s volunteer coordinator, said government grants have specifics requirements which make it difficult to cover all of the organizations costs.

“You can’t use federal grant money for prevention at all,” Marshall said.

Marshall and Martin both said the sexual assault program is also extremely important.

“I think it just depends on who you are and what you need,” Marshall said. “For the past two years we have had a sexual assault full time.”

The shelter also offers counseling. College students who cannot afford high copays or

do not have insurance can find refuge in the counseling office.

“If we do not take your insurance, we do things on a sliding fee scale. Which means we will base copays on your income so you can come for as low as $20,” Martin said.

The murder mystery dinner is the organization’s largest fundraiser. These funds support all of the offered programs, including counseling, shelter, and sexual assault.

“It’s also a good way for people to know about your programs and services by coming to your event and being a part of it,” Martin said. “Building that camaraderie between the members of the community is so important.”

The staff is motivated by the smiling faces they know and the tragedies they have seen.

“We’re not here to make the big bucks.

We want to help people and I think what we offer is something you can’t really get anywhere else around here the way we do it,” Marshall said.

Martin agreed the staff is motivated by their cause.

“They are working here because they believe in what we do and what our mission is,” Martin said. “Everyone at some point in their life needs some kind of help. If we didn’t have our agency and other agencies in our county that are there when people need them…

“Where would they go?”

12 •Feature

March 25, 2019

Agora/mcccagora.com

Relays to improve campus cell reception James P. Quick Agora Editor

Can you hear me now?

If not, don’t worry – cell phone repeaters are to be installed on the MCCC campus, bringing with them far better mobile signals.

Installing them, however, is not quite as easy as one would think.

“One of the problems we have on-campus is that there isn’t proper room for it,” said John Wyrabkiewicz, MCCC’s Network and Systems Architect. “With putting this in, we have to have rooms to place the equipment. Since the technology was added in the late ‘90s and it was only added for what was needed, there wasn’t proper room given. So they’re doing that right now.”

Wyrabkiewicz said the actual system involves contracting with all the major cell phone carriers (Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon) to allow the college to repeat their signals on-campus.

“When we do that, part of the contract is they’ll tell us what cellular tower we’ll pull their signal from. We then bring that in and use the internal campus fiber to distribute it across all the buildings,” Wyrabkiewicz said.

The campus’s fiber-optic system is going to be updated as part of the 2016 millage request.

“Our goal is to make technology always available on the campus,” said Wyrabkiewicz.

“The problem with the fiber is that there’s an update – we’re going to make it go in two

directions. So, say, if someone in construction is digging and they hit the wrong spot, it doesn’t take the campus down.”

For now, however, it’s just a matter of waiting for rooms to fit the repeaters and putting out a bid to contractors. From there, a cellular system will be built on campus.

“Now, it’s not as simple as most people may think. All the cellular signal is in a licensed range.

The federal government actually auctions that range off. It goes for billions of dollars,” Wyrabkiewicz said. “So that means when the carriers purchase that spectrum it is theirs to do what they want with, and if someone else transmits in those ranges, that is against the law.”

This gives the carriers the right to send teams in to remove unlicensed repeaters.

“They could, if they wanted to, rip your equipment right off the wall,” Wyrabkiewicz said.

But the college needs to cover all the major carriers, which gets very costly, very quickly.

“It’ll be somewhere between $800,000 and $950,000,” Wyrabkiewicz said. “That’s why it’s been a long-term project and had to be a millage-type request.

“It’s not something simple. You can go out and buy repeaters – but if it causes interference or if any of the carriers drove by and noticed we were pushing out signal, well, that’s where I get back to them coming in to rip the equipment off the wall.”

The repeaters are not small objects, either.

They have a required space of 8 feet by 4 feet, mounted to a wall, for all the different pieces of equipment necessary.

“You’ve got equipment that’s going to amplify signal,” Wyrabkiewicz said. “You have to adjust the signal, so it has to be very accurate, and it’s going to go out to antennas. What in essence happens is that on the primary building, it’ll go out to all the major carriers, it’ll pull their signals into the unit and process that.”

Unlike repeaters you can buy for home, Wyrabkiewicz explained, the ones coming to campus take the signal in and create an entirely new copy of it.

“It’ll be the highest quality you can get,” Wyrabkiewicz said. “This will be like having a micro-cell tower in every building.

When done correctly, it will be very good, just like standing by a cell tower.”

Many are excited by the prospect.

“I like it because on campus there’s a lot of dead cell coverage areas where I’ll be on the phone and suddenly it says ‘call failed’ or ‘call dropped,’” said student John Fowler, whose provider is Sprint. “We don’t have good coverage around here, so I like the idea that we’re bringing out more.”

Adjunct psychology professor and former Writing Fellow Tennery McCutcheon didn’t mince words about feeling this was an overdue development.

“I think that it’s been needing to be done

Photo by James P. Quick

The process is long, but John Wyrabkiewicz is hopeful that this project will improve signals for students and staff

for a long time!” she said. “Cell phone reception on campus is horrendous. Makes it very difficult if you’re trying to look something up to share with the class or get emails during a classroom period. I think it’s absolutely necessary and should have already been done.”

Even people who’ve never had reception issues on-campus feel this is a good thing.

“It’s a good thing for people that have that issue, but I personally don’t have it,” said student Emily Neubauer.

No date has been set for completion of the project, according to Jack Burns, director of Campus Planning.

Home workouts beating Fitness Center Claire Bechard Agora Staff

Students won’t have to worry about gym-timidaton in an empty gym.

While MCCC has a free and fully-operational gym on campus, many students prefer to exercise in the comfort of their own homes.

“On average, when I’m working, mornings to early afternoon. I see

between 10 and 25 people during my shift,” Kyle Haener, desk worker for the fitness center, said.

When asked about their working out habits students seemed sheepish.

“I don’t work out, but I should,” student Elliot Hurley said.

Many students were open about their habits as well.

“I exercise every weekday and

Photo by Vanessa Ray

Claire Bechard runs on a treadmill in the MCCC Fitness Center.

take the weekends off. I used to go to the YMCA, but purchased weights and supplies to exercise at home, allowing myself to do it at any time,” Writing Fellow Noah Black said. “I run in the morning before school and lift weights and boxing in the afternoon after classes.”

There is a trend among students, home exercise. It allows students a flexible schedule to do as they please in privacy.

“I don’t like working out in front of other people it makes me anxious and self-conscious,” Hurley said.

Larger gyms like Planet Fitness have tried to combat this with no “gym-timidation,” a tactic to curb judgment and create a less intimidating environment for patrons.

Yet the anxiety still keeps people away.

According to an informal student survey at MCCC, 55 percent of participants chose home exercise.

Other college students who cannot find the time to go somewhere and exercise and found ways of multitasking their exercise and academics.

“I’ll do one set of reps and then study for ten minutes. Or, I’ll shoot hoops and then take a break to work on homework,” John Fowler said.

Even walking around campus can be a simple from of easy and accessible exercise.

“Most of my activity comes from walking around campus. I haven’t been able to find an exercise routine that I enjoy and that fits into my schedule.” Emma Much said, who is an alumni of MCCC. Many students struggle to find the time to work out.

“Sometimes I find it really difficult to try to fit in working out between my classes and work,” student Rylee Holek said.

“Exercise and physical activity are a great way to feel better, boost your health and have fun,” says the Mayo Clinic. “For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity a week.”

Getting this recommended amount of exercise can be filled

easily by just stopping by in the fitness center, which is located in the H Building.

With an array of weight lifting machines and free weights, treadmills, and ellipticals. There are so many different ways to exercise and stay healthy.

“I like the gym. It’s convenient and I don’t want to pay $10 to $20 a month to work out,” Fowler said.

If you have a 45-minute break between classes that’s the perfect amount of time to get a few sets of reps in or to even jog on the treadmill.

Getting in your exercise may require you to wake up and show up to the gym at 8 am, but your body will thank you by lasting longer and looking better.

Fitness Center Hours

Winter 2019 Monday through Thursday 8:00am to 7:30pm Closed Wednesdays from 10:30am ‘til 12pm.

Friday and Saturday 9:00am to 3:00pm

Closed Sundays, holidays, and any other time the college is closed.

Agora/mcccagora.com

Arts & Entertainment • 13

March 25, 2019

Michael Nixon Agora Staff

Space Travel not out of this world

Michael Nixon Agora Staff

Remember that stuff we were promised about space travel, Mars colonies, and aliens in the 1950s? Well, it’s finally happening.

The first space age started with a bang and fascinated the world.

The desire for space travel created during this time continues in many people, including students here at MCCC. As soon as humans start walking, they must decide: how do we get from here to there? Usually these plans are spontaneous; however, concerning the space age, they were delayed by decades, or canceled altogether.

Then, on July 3, 1969, Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon.

For decades, it appeared space travel and colonization were within reach. ‘Getting from here to there’ was close at hand, but then progress stopped.

“It’s hard to escape the idea that we are going backwards… At the time of the moon landings you would have thought we would already be on Mars by now,” astronaut Leroy Chiao said to Reuters in 2012.

Chiao was a crewmember on the last space shuttle mission before the program’s cancelation.

It has now been half-a-century since man first stepped foot on the moon. The Space Shuttle program has been dead since 2011, and the International Space Station is soon to be retired.

Space exploration has entirely been taken over by satellites, rovers, and telescopes.

NASA’s manned Mars mission is scheduled for 2034, fifteen years away.

Although the notions of manned spacetravel, colonization of other worlds, and extraterrestrial contact are nothing more than science fiction to some, others see a more promising and exciting future in space ahead of us.

“Land on Mars, a round-trip ticket – half a million dollars. It can be done,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said.

Musk, co-founder of PayPal and Tesla, is the leading figure in the New Space Age. Musk’s SpaceX is the frontrunner in the race for Mars.

It is not just brash billionaires who share

in the excitement of our future in space; this optimism is felt right here on the MCCC campus.

I conducted a tenquestion space interest poll of Professor Amy Wendling’s statistics class and found remarkable levels of enthusiasm for space travel.

All who responded agreed that space travel was relevant to humanity, and exactly half of those strongly agreed.

In addition, not only did they believe it was relevant, 70% of students in the class believe space travel is vital for preventing human extinction.

When asked whether we will make great strides in space travel and colonization in the next few decades, 75.76% of participants said yes. If all goes as scheduled, these optimists will be correct.

Manned spaceflights scheduled in the near future include one from Virgin Galactic.

This will be the first commercial spaceflight, sending private individuals into orbit including Leonardo DiCaprio and Justin Bieber.

In 2023, SpaceX plans to send Japanese

“We are only but an insignificant speck of dust in the everlasting universe. It is impossible for there not to be life out there somewhere. Perhaps we are not advanced enough as a species to be worthy of making contact just yet.”

Marc Johnson MCCC Student billionaire, Yusaku Maezawa, around the moon. This will be followed by two manned ships to Mars in 2024.

Over a quarter of the students interviewed believe space travel is not worth funding when compared to healthcare and defense, and they are also in luck.

The manned missions that will take us to space, around the Moon, and ultimately to Mars in the near future are privately funded by companies.

These companies, such as Virgin Galactic, United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin, and most importantly SpaceX, are engaged in a new space race, dubbed ‘the Billionaire Space Race.’

Human space travel is not the only factor at play though. In 2017, a major event shed new light on the possibility of extraterrestrial contact.

A bizarre space object, named ‘Oumuamua, wandered into our solar system, perplexing scientists with its alien, sometimes artificial attributes.

‘Oumuamua is the Hawaiian word for scout or messenger, a name astronomers believe befitting of this oddly shaped, wandering object that defies the sun’s gravitational pull.

‘Oumuamua as seen from space, defies grafitational pull and continues to mystify scientists.

Astronomers debate ‘Oumuamua’s mysterious origin.

Some say it is a “fractal snowflake,” born in the creation of another star system, and others believe it could be an alien spacecraft.

Professor Avi Loeb, Chair of Harvard’s astronomy department, is open to the possibility that ‘Oumuamua is an alien spacecraft.

“If we keep saying something is just a rock and just dismiss any other hypothesis, we will never check whether we are right,” Professor Loeb said to the Express.

Professor Loeb isn’t the only one open to the idea of extraterrestrial life.

82% of students surveyed stated they believe in some form of alien life. 42% believe in complex extraterrestrial life, including civilizations.

“We are only but an insignificant speck of dust in the everlasting universe. It is impossible for there not to be life out there somewhere. Perhaps we are not advanced enough as a species to be worthy of making contact just yet,” student Marc Johnson said.

From civilian space travel, to Mars colonies, to possible alien contact, one thing is for sure, we have a lot to look forward to, so bring on the New Space Age!

14 • Opinion

March 25, 2019

Agora/mcccagora.com

40 Days on Fifth Avenue: ashes in New York Claire Bechard Agora Staff

The Agora’s first day in New York was not your average Wednesday.

“Happy Ash Wednesday! Is that something you say, ‘Happy Ash Wednesday’?”

Kansas, our energetic waiter at Ellen’s Stardust Café, said after seeing me with ashes on my forehead.

Celebrating Ash Wednesday, one of the most holy days of the year in the epicenter of American Catholicism.

Easter is the pivotal religious celebration for Christians. While Christmas is observed as the birth of the Lord, Easter is a feast of redemption and new life from death. But, before the celebration of Easter, Christians prepare themselves through Lent.

Lent is a period of 40 days (minus Sundays) for Christians to reflect on themselves and their actions. A Christian’s Lenten journeys begin on Ash Wednesday, or the following Sunday in Protestant denominations.

The Agora had come to Midtown Manhattan for the CMA National College Media Convention. After 19 consecutive years of receiving ashes in Monroe County, I celebrated the holy day with hundreds of New Yorkers at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue.

While it isn’t the New Year in the Church, many view Ash Wednesday as a day of rebirth.

“We rise again from ashes from the good we’ve failed to do, we rise again from ashes to create ourselves anew.”

This is a line from the song “Ashes” that is sung on Ash Wednesday.

It is a period of redemption. The famous line “from dust you came, to dust you shall return” symbolizes the Christian view that we are mortals humbly living in bodies that will soon decay and return to the earth.

The ashes are made from the palm branches that were blessed and used on the previous Palm Sunday.

It was very powerful to walk through one of the oldest and most popular churches in North America. I was one of the thousands receiving their ashes that day.

This was the church that the F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda were married in, and was built over two-hundred years ago in 1878. Partaking in this tradition in such a prominent place was breathtaking.

Seeing fellow tourists and New Yorkers with ashes made me feel a part of a larger community. This sign of connection was the sign of the cross proudly bore on our foreheads.

Photo by Vanessa Ray

Bechard smiles after having ashes placed on her forehead in St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Lent is often viewed as a time to “give up” something. This is because of what Jesus of Nazareth did before. He went into the desert to fast and pray.

Jesus gave up food and water for 40 days, many Christians today just give up chocolate.

Lent relies on three main goals: prayer,

fasting, and almsgiving. Therefore, many Christians take these 40 days to focus on being more generous or including more prayer and meditation in their lives.

It is a very personal journey of self-reflection and discovery. By the end of the 40 days, I always feel that I have accomplished something important and feel like I have grown in my faith.

Microplastics: our clothes are the problem Vanessa Ray Agora Staff

The horror caused by plastics infiltrating our oceans is no secret.

Plastic pollution kills millions of marine animals every year and has even made its way to our dinner tables.

However, what many of us don’t know is where these microplastics are coming from.

Ask any eco-conscious beauty lover about the small, smooth, plastic beads in face scrubs, and they will wax poetic about the horrors these beads wreak on the ecosystem.

However, according to Michelle Wong, a PhD chemist from Australia, beauty products are not the only problem.

While discussing skincare on her YouTube channel, Wong addressed two of the biggest culprits.

“The vast majority of microplastic waste in the environment doesn’t come from beauty products,” Wong said. “It’s from laundering synthetic fabrics and tires.”

Now, tires – that makes sense. But washing clothes? What?

“Whenever you wash any sort of plastic-based clothing like polyester and acrylic, tiny fibers break off while your clothes are bashing around inside the washing machine,” Wong said.

“And these tiny fibers can’t be filtered out by your washing machine.”

A 2011 study by ecologist Mark Brown revealed that 85 percent of the synthetic fibers

Microplastics found in the stomach of a sea bird

found washed up on the beach – and in the stomachs of sea animals – comes from the clothes we wear.

Wong detailed how these fibers reach beaches.

“When all the water washes through your clothes, it makes its way into the (waterways), carrying these tiny fibers along,” Wong said.

It’s estimated a single load of laundry could release hundreds of thousands of these synthetic fibers into the ecosystem.

Imogen Napper, a marine scientist at the University of Plymouth, conducted a study in 2016 to shed some light on the microplastics from clothes.

“Think about how many people are washing their clothes on a daily basis, and how

many clothes we all have,” Napper said.

It’s currently estimated that nearly 90 percent of all seabirds have pieces of plastic in their guts.

So, what can we do?

I am religious about recycling. I try to always buy organic and avoid single-use plastics whenever possible.

I do all this while wearing my nylon/ spandex leggings – and, even knowing the problems caused by microplastics, I don’t see myself retiring my beloved Lululemon Align’s anytime soon.

Stretch jeans, polar fleece vests, and comfy yoga leggings. For many of us, items like these make up our daily uniform.

Banning these fabrics – which are loved for their inexpensive price and versatility in

multiple climates – is not something I foresee happening.

So what other options are there?

The easiest way to combat microplastics is to only purchase clothing made from cotton, wool, or hemp. Unfortunately, with over 60 percent of the current manufactured clothing containing microfiber blend, this may be difficult.

We can also refrain from over-washing our clothes. I used to wash my jeans every time I wore them. Now, I go a few wears between washes.

You can also purchase items like the Guppy Friend or the Cora Ball, both of which mimic the natural filtering abilities of coral – trapping the tiny plastic pieces before they have a chance to go down the drain.

As far as long-term solutions, scientists in Italy and Spain have created a microplastics filter for washing machines. They are also working to create coatings which will prevent the material from wearing down – though some environmentalists warn coating could create a whole new set of problems.

We can also call on clothing companies and ask them to utilize biodegradable plastics and natural materials.

In a capitalistic society, the best way to help is through our wallets. When we purchase from eco-conscious brands and companies, we send a clear message to other retailers.

Creating a better world begins with us.

Agora/mcccagora.com

Arts & Entertainment • 15

March 25, 2019

Weezer hits some right notes, but mostly falls flat Lydia Sandefur Agora Staff

2019 has been a productive year for the once iconic band, Weezer.

With the release of two albums in the last three months, Weezer has been desperately grasping for the limelight they once held 25 years ago.

The self-titled Teal Album was this first to be released this year on Jan. 24, 2019.

This is the twelfth studio release and the fifth self-titled album to be released by the band.

The album was released following the success of the band’s cover of “Africa” by Toto.

This album consists entirely of cover songs ranging from TLC’s “No Scrubs,” to Electric Light Orchestra’s “Mr. Blue Sky.” The album is successful in that it was released in the peak of the “Africa” meme, however; it is nothing special musically.

The band does little in altering the songs to make them unique renditions. The Weezer cover of A-ha’s “Take on Me” sounds nearly identical to the original.

The songs are impressively similar, which make for a very entertaining first listen, however the longevity of the album is questionable given that listeners can just as easily listen to the original song.

Weezer released two albums this year, the Black Album (left), and the Teal

The band did nothing to incorporate their style or sound into the covers which in-turn, is boring.

The album is merely a ploy to profit off of the attention the band had gathered from the “Africa” cover.

The Teal Album is in no way a bad cover album, just a boring one. Its largest success was garnering the attention of the internet for the release of their second album of the year.

The highly anticipated self-titled Black Album was released on Mar. 1, 2019.

Since releasing the Blue Album in 1994, the band has struggled to reach the lofty standards that they had originally set for themselves 25 years ago.

This album feels like another step in the wrong direction.

This is not to say there are not good songs on the album, “Can’t Knock the Hustle” is an incredibly catchy, enjoyable song that easily gets stuck in the head of the listener.

The fifth song on the album, “Piece of Cake” feels the most Weezer-esque. It consists of boppy beats and melodramatic lyrics

that are synonymous with the band.

Many other songs on the album are evidence the band is attempting to change direction.

The second song on the album, “Zombie Bastards,” acts as an anthem against those who hate on the new direction the band is going.

“Die, die, you zombie bastards” is sung about a dozen times throughout the song which adds to the emotions of the song, but almost in a child-like way. It is a simplistic yet succinct message against the “haters.”

With a career as long as Weezer’s, it makes sense they would want to change direction.

The problem is not entirely with the sound.

The album does not feel full. There is no consistency and sound and feel between songs, its almost difficult to listen to the album as a whole, in order.

It is evident that the band is experimenting, but just as all experiments go, many aspects of this could be considered a fail.

Many of the songs have lost the original sound and feel of Weezer, leaving songs that sound like every single other pop song.

25 years ago Weezer created an amazing album, one that still follows them today, and it seems that this time, they could not quite live up to its standards.

Compassionate care for your betta fish Cheyanne Abel Agora Staff

We see them in pet stores, malls, and even supermarkets, crammed in a tiny cup sitting on a shelf. The beautiful betta, or Siamese fighting fish, are native to Southeast Asia and are commonly used as pets and décor.

However, there are many misconceptions about how to properly care for betta fish.

Male betta fish are known for their vibrant colors and long flowing tailfins. They are most popular among buyers and can grow up to 3 inches in length. If you’ve ever wondered why they are kept alone in plastic cups at the stores, it is because they are very aggressive and cannot be housed with other male bettas. Failing to keep them secluded from other males will result in fighting to the death.

Female bettas can grow the same length as males, but have shorter tailfins and are a muted/dull color. According to japanesefightingfish.org, it is safe to house female bettas together if they are in a group of five or more. Females are known to get a little aggressive as they sort out their territorial roles, but do well if kept in a 20-30 gallon tank.

Contrary to belief, fish bowls and vases are not a good environment for your betta.

Because vegetated rice paddy fields are the fish’s natural habitat, it means that your fish friend will not be happy in a small bowl. It

Photo by Cheyanne Abel

A male betta fish swims in a solitary tank.

is recommended that betta owners use a filtered tank, no smaller than 5 gallons. Be sure to include a heater because they are tropical, and prefer temperatures between 75-80 degrees.

Bettas are also very intelligent and active.

They learn to recognize faces and voices, and love to be kept in a room full of people where there is a lot of movement. These fish can get bored or stressed, and love to be where the action is. Rearranging the tank occasionally provides them with new areas

to explore. Add toys, such as betta logs and hammock leaves, and treats of bloodworms and daphnia for enrichment as well.

You can also teach your betta fish tricks.

Move your finger along the edge of the tank and often they’ll follow it. Try to dangle their food right above the surface and it will jump out and snatch it. Providing moss balls will not only be fun to nudge around the tank, but also act as a natural filter that can remove ammonia and other toxins from the water.

You may be wondering, if male bettas

cannot be kept with other males, can they be kept with other kinds of fish? Japanesefightingfish.org, along with other fish experts say that male bettas can have tank mates but, to “TAKE CAUTION!” There are specific rules to keep your tank a coexistent environment.

Betta fish should not be kept with bigger or colorful fish because they will be intimidating to your betta. It is also important to make sure you do not house them with “nibblers” because they will pick at your betta’s beautiful fins and cause stress. So, what fish can you add?

Algae eaters and small, non-aggressive fish that swim in schools are your best options to add to you tank. Neon tetras and a couple of guppies, preferably females, will stay out of your betta’s personal space. Be sure to include hiding spots in your tank and allow your betta fish at least 5 gallons to himself.

Now that you have your tank set up and your water warm, feel free to save a local betta from its small store container! A betta’s lifespan is between two and five years, but sometimes live longer if they are taken care of correctly.

Finally, don’t beat yourself up if they don’t survive as long. Sometimes, poor living conditions from storekeepers and transportation can cause an early death. Just remember to keep the tank clean and warm, and your betta will be a happy and healthy companion.

16 • Arts & Entertainment

March 25, 2019

Agora/mcccagora.com

Captain Marvel dominates box office Marvel's latest film another rousing success in spite of sexist haters Rose Younglove Agora Staff

“Smile more!”

It’s a common phrase I, and most other women, have heard before. Whether we’re too thin, too fat, too talkative, or have "no personality," women are highly accustomed to being judged. Oftentimes positive characteristics used to define men (intelligent, a leader, funny) are twisted to become derogatory when discussing women (know-it-all, a bitch, too loud/obnoxious).

Portraying women negatively is nothing new; even superheroes like Captain Marvel are rejected with abject skepticism.

It all began with a small comment from star Brie Larson concerning diversity in journalism. Being a student journalist myself, I decided to investigate the controversy which had sparked so much outrage among conservative white men. To clarify, I am not throwing politics around just to enrage readers – this really did happen.

The issue began last year during Larson’s press tour for her Oscar role in “Room.”

Larson explained her desire to promote diversity in journalism back in February with an online newspaper, The Irish Times.

“About a year ago, I started paying attention to what my press days looked like and the critics reviewing movies, and noticed it appeared to be overwhelmingly white male,” Larson said.

She mentioned the poor reviews of “A Wrinkle in Time” and the lack of attention brought to diverse films from white male film critics.

“I don’t need a 40-year-old white dude to tell me what didn’t work about ‘A Wrinkle in Time,’” Larson said. “It wasn’t made for him!

I want to know what it meant to women of color, biracial women, to teen women of color.”

Like it or not, Larson is correct when discussing film critics – they are overwhelmingly male and white.

Star Brie Larson was told to "smile more" by misogynists.

In Sep. 2018, USC Annenberg and TIME’S Up Entertainment released a study of 59,751 reviews of 300 top films from 2015 to 2017. Of these reviews, only 21.3% were written by female critics. The remaining 78.7% were from male critics, with 65.6% being white males. Angered male fans did everything from attacking Larson’s expressions, photo shopping her smiling to “fix her”, and writing negative reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and low ratings of the film.

I found it rude and unprofessional for viewers, and especially journalists, to so directly attempt to derail a positive female role model for little girls.

Spoiler alert: I will not be calling Brie Larson a “man-hater,” nor will I demonize her for expressing an opinion based on facts.

“Captain Marvel” was a fun, action-packed, charming movie with energetic characters and a funny cast. Like all hero origin stories, Marvel introduces our hero as misplaced and unaware of her approaching destiny.

We first see our hero as a fierce woman in a black and green ensemble, and her name is Vers. Vers lacks the charm of Captain America or the wisdom of King T’Challa but it’s not entirely her fault. Due to a mysterious attack she cannot remember her real name or anything about her former life as a human. But what Vers lacks in memories she reclaims in personality. Though it sometimes gets her into trouble she is funny, vigorous, and ready to fight. Think Tony Stark with superpowers.

Captain Marvel often scratches the surface of something great and is clearly a Marvel movie with a healthy amount of banter between friends, action packed fights, and a list of pump up songs. Perhaps it is the lack of Captain Marvel in Captain Marvel as Vers does not discover she is Carol Danvers until near the ending of the movie. The film may have benefited from a longer running time, but as a hero origin story? It works. Carol Danvers is a soldier, a pilot, a super hero but she is also a human woman and is relatable in many aspects.

Men may have criticized the movie for “attacking white men” or saying Larson doesn’t smile enough but I have news for them.

Women don’t always smile. Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, and sometimes we get pissed. There is also the insane possibility that women don’t smile all the time. We’re not housewives in a 1950s sitcom. This is acknowledged in the film when a stranger tells our hero “Honey, smile more.” She ignores him and later steals his bike to continue her mission. From that moment on I knew she was the hero we deserve.

Carol Danvers is a hero not because she does not struggle but because she continues in spite of her struggles. She does not back down when Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) reveals himself as the true villain and challenges

Captain Marvel has been another smash hit for Marvel Studios, and is closing in on a gross of $1,000,000,000.

her to a battle. Rogg insults her throughout the fight, and demands she fight without her powers to “prove herself to him.” This is also a common experience for women. Exceling in one area results in some men challenging you so they can continue feeling superior and further demean your accomplishments.

And how does Captain Marvel respond to this tactic? She blasts Rogg into a wall.

Captain Marvel is the hero women relate to because we have experienced men telling us to smile, saying we’re too fragile to fight, demanding we “prove ourselves” to them.

If men want that to change they have to change themselves, or stand up for women and tell those who act in such a way to stop.

You’re right, not all men are the same. If you want to be different you have to speak out against men who are misogynistic. Captain Marvel is a great hero because she speaks out against inequality, something we can all benefit from doing.

Women deserve this representation. We deserve to see ourselves in superheroes; we deserve to see ourselves in multiple superheroes – black women, white women, Asian women, Hispanic women, Jewish women, Middle Eastern women, etc. Every group deserves to see themselves in a hero. Filmmakers, take notes: reach higher, further, and faster.