11-19-2012

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Wind tower installed - Pg. 3

Aug. 26, 2010 1 November 19, 2012Vol. Vol.55, 56,Issue Issue 14

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Survey leads to library changes Melanie Jacobs Agora Staff

MCCC’s library will close an hour earlier next semester instead of all night Thursdays.

Barbara MacNamee, director of Learning Resources, announced the change following a campuswide survey.

The survey revealed that students and faculty preferred shorter daily cuts in hours instead of closing Thursday evenings, which the library began this semester.

The library was required to reduce hours as part of the college’s campuswide budget cuts.

As a result, the library closed four hours early on Thursday

nights.

Following criticism from students and faculty, MacNamee decided to do a survey to search for a better solution.

“They indicated that the four hour cut to Thursday night’s hours wasn’t the right fit,” MacNamee said.

The survey was sent mid-semester via email to all students, faculty, and administrators.

“We also made the survey available if you came into the library or went onto our web page,” MacNamee said.

Some faculty members encouraged students to participate and gave them the opportunity to do

“That’s what we are here for. We want to take care of our students.”

Barbara MacNamee

Director of Learning Resources the survey in class so their voices would be heard, she said.

“I really appreciated that,” MacNamee said. “That was exciting.”

Out of the 361 respondents to the survey, 80 percent were students.

“I was really happy about that, because the students were the ones most affected by this,” Mac-

Namee said.

The majority of the votes pointed toward losing an hour a day, rather than a four-hour block.

MacNamee allowed the voters to have the final say.

“It was the most popular vote,” she said. “And that is what we will do.”

Being able to change the Thurs-

day night hours back to what they were before, and still meet the needs of the budget, is a wonderful thing because everybody wins, MacNamee said.

She encourages students to have a voice and speak up, so that change can be made if something is not working for them.

“That’s what we are here for,” MacNamee said. “We want to take care of our students.”

The new hours of operation will take affect at the beginning of the winter semester. The winter course schedule was taken into consideration as well, she said.

“All things considered, it’s the best fit,” she said.

Tattoos

Hannah Boulton Agora Staff The millenial generation expresses individuality through body art.

There are several reasons MCCC students are coloring themselves with tattoos and piercing their various body parts.

Their reasons range from personal expression to personal empowerment to just being spontaneous and rebellious.

“Despite what some people may think about tattoos, they

have a meaning,” MCCC student, Skylar Hall said. “Getting a tattoo brands a part of your personality onto your skin for a reminder.”

Body piercings and tattoos are a means of expression for some; they’re typically searching for individualism and control of their lives.

Body art is their mark of individuality and control.

Inking and piercing the skin has increasingly gained popularity with the young crowd, and it’s slowly gaining wider acceptance.

Thirty years ago, one in 100 people in this country had tattoos. Now, three out of 10 Americans ages of 1825 have a tatoo, according to stasticsbrain.com.

While society is becoming

Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Friday 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

After a lot of concern over the cuts, the survey produced a solution to the loss of hours, she said.

Access to the library is crucial for a student’s academic career, MacNamee said.

Changing the hours for the winter semester will enable students to have these resources more available to them, she said.

Cafe gets a ‘Grade A’ name

Expressing yourself in

Body art can be a issue with jobs

Winter library hours

Hannah Boulton Agora Staff

more liberated and expressive, and piercings and tattoos are becoming part of mainstream culture, some employers are still having a hard time wrapping their heads around body art in the workplace.

In today’s society, the job market has become an area of fierce competition. The smallest details can be the deciding See, Page 6

MCCC’s cafeteria has a new name, and Adrianna MacAllister has a bunch of free lunches.

MacAllister’s name for the cafeteria — Grade A Cafe — was chosen in a contest sponsored by Kosch Catering.

More than fifty students sent in name suggestions, according to Nathan Lockhart of Kosch, trying to win the prize of free lunches for a year.

MacAllister was spending the afternoon with her boyfriend watching tv and checking her email.

When she came across the e-mail about the contest, she thought it was worth a try.

“The name just popped into my head and I thought it would sure be nice to get a free lunch the two times I am on main campus in the winter semester,” MacAllister said.

MacAllister was among the students who sent in multiple names for the contest. Her other suggestions were, “Grub Hub,” and “Rejuvenation Station.”

Due to MacAllister’s schedule, she isn’t able to come to main campus often.

Next semester she will be on campus twice a week and will be able to take advantage of her prize.

“The food is good, but free makes it much better for a poor college student,” she said.

Flu shots, ways to prevent infection

Carla Crocket Agora Staff

Flu season is here and with it, runny noses and nausea.

Every year a new flu vaccine is made to battle the influenza virus that could be silently attacking our bodies.

Each year the flu bugs evolve, requiring a new vaccination to prevent people from getting the potentially deadly virus.

The flu is a virus of the lungs and symptoms begin one to three days after it has entered the body.

It is unclear how many deaths occur each year from the flu virus.

If you have any other illnesses or are prone to pneumonia, the flu virus could be harsh enough to hospitalize or kill you.

Symptoms of the flu include fever, headache, chills, cough, sore throat,

body aches, and diarrhea.

Each individual is different, and everyone may not suffer from all of the symptoms. If you do contract the flu virus, the symptoms shouldn’t last more than one week. If they do, seek medical attention immediately.

Typically, you are contagious from the day you contract the illness, until one week after.

Certain people shouldn’t get the vaccine without checking with their doctor first.

People who know they have an allergy to eggs or people who have had reactions to the vaccine in the past, should not recieve the vaccine.

Anyone who currently has an illnesses or a fever, should wait until after it has passed to get the vaccine.

Several pharmacies in Monroe County are offering flu shots, which are covered by most health care pro-

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viders.

Rite Aid, Walgreens, CVS, and the Monroe County Health Department are all offering the vaccination.

If you have no health insurance, the vaccine costs around $25.

Health Department hours are 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., and 1 p.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Wednesday, and Friday.

Though MCCC is not offering flu vaccines this year, flu shots are required for students in the nursing program.

According to the student handbook, seasonal flu shots are required for nursing students, as soon as the shots are available each year.

Failure to receive the vaccination, could prevent students from participating in clinicals.

The federal Centers for Disease

Control’s website states that people who get flu shots should watch for soreness, redness or swelling where the shot was given, as well as fever and aches.

It only takes 10 minutes or so to fill out the paperwork and to get the vaccine.

Other ways to avoid getting the flu include hand washing, especially after sneezing and coughing.

Washing hands also is recommended when dealing with the public, such as handling food or working with the elderly or children.

Using antibacterial hand sanitizer is another way to prevent contracting the virus when washing your hands is unavailable.

Disinfecting commonly used things such as door handles and television remotes is a good way to prevent the spread of the virus.

Check out The Agora online at

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Photo by Nicki Kostrzewa

Flu shots are offered at several pharmacies.

Bookstore Hours:

Library Hours:

Mon - Tues 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Wed - Fri: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Mon - Wed: 8 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Thurs - Fri: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Sat: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

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Mon - Thurs: 10 a.m. - 7:30 Fri - Sat: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

campus news

November 19, 2012

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November’s holidays, odd traditions Nicki Kostrzewa Agora Staff

November is home to many interesting events and holidays.

Some are nationally known, while others are known by only a few.

Of course, everyone knows about Thanksgiving and those loving traditions.

In 1621, the colonists of Plymouth and the Wampanoag Indians shared in the first autumn harvest feast, which has since been called Thanksgiving.

However, it wasn’t until 1863, in the middle of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln turned Thanksgiving into a national holiday.

However, it wasn’t the history or the Thanksgiving was first celebrated in 1621 between the colonists of Plymouth and the food that Thanksgiving was really about.

Wampanoag Indians.

What our ancestors set out to do was to

make a day that brought us, as a people, closer together.

One day of peace, love, and joy that we could all share together — being thankful for our families, friends, and the things we have in our lives, no matter how small.

And of course, after Thanksgiving there’s Black Friday; the most hellish day of the year.

In the 1960s, the term “Black Friday” was first used to signal the start of the Christmas shopping season.

“Black” in the title refers to the stores moving from red to black — aka, loss to profit.

Of course with all the twisted deals and coupons that stores provided, along with the mass shopping, there is no way that they wouldn’t make some sort of profit.

Last but not least, for you writing buffs, there is something else in November called NaNoWriMo. NanoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is a fun way to start writing your own novel, whether it be for fun or for a class.

The writing starts Nov. 1, with the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59:59, Nov. 30.

It is a great way to challenge yourself and to see how creative you really are.

WARNING: NaNoWriMi isn’t something to be messed with! If you don’t think you will be done in time, do the best you can.

This is no easy task! Write a little each day or else you will be majorly sorry.

Tunes at Noon

Library survey results Melanie Jacobs Agora Staff

Students and faculty were given the opportunity to participate in a survey that would help solve the recent hour and budget cuts.

The top three preferences for closing: -Close one hour earlier Monday-Thursday (at 8:30PM rather than 9:30PM) -Close on Saturdays -Close on Thursday nights -Other ideas included: -Open one hour later in the morning -Don’t take the four hours in one chunk of time from the library schedule -Close Friday afternoon 51 percent of the respondents said that they used the library during the weekdays.

30 percent of the respondents said they used the library mostly on weeknights.

The top three ways respondents use the library assignments, studying database and resource searching 45 percent of the respondents say they use the library multiple times a week.

357 respondents completed the “How has the fall semester Thursday closing affected you?”

157 said they have not been affected.

116 said they were displaced either before or after class and had to find somewhere else to go.

111 said they had to come back to campus another day to complete the work.

The last two groups combined represent 63 percent of the respondents who had been affected in some way.

After reviewing the results it was decided that the Winter semester 2013, Thursday evenings will be restored.

The Library hours will be as follows: Monday-Thursday: 8:00AM-8:30PM Friday: 8:00AM-4:30PM Saturday: 9:00AM-1:30PM

Photos by Jim Southard

Student Government sponsored a special “Tunes at Noon” Concert November 5. Steve Means performed live music in the cafeteria.

The Agora Editorial The Agora is published by the students of Monroe County Community College, 1555 S. Raisinville Rd., Monroe, MI, 48161. The editorial office is located in Room 202 of the Life Sciences Bldg., (734) 384-4186, agora@ monroeccc.edu.

Editorial policy: Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of The Agora staff. Signed columns represent the opinion of the writer. All letters to the editor must include a signature, address and phone number for verification purposes. The Agora reserves the right to edit for clarity, accuracy, length and libel.

The Agora is a student-managed newspaper that supports a free student press and is a member of the Michigan Community College Press Association, the Michigan Collegiate Press Association, the Michigan Press Association, College Media Advisers, Associated Collegiate Press and the Student Press Law Center.

Story suggestions are welcome. Let us know what you’d like to see in The Agora - it’s your newspaper. E-mail submissions: agora@monroeccc.edu .

Editor Nicki Kostrzewa Asst. Editor Hannah Boulton Adviser Dan Shaw

Staff Members Ray Bell Carla Crockett Craig Evans Autumn Jackson Melanie Jacobs Tyler Rogoff Chris Stadtfeld

Planning Black Friday and layaway specials

DeVries wins election Hannah Boulton

Nicki Kostrzewa Agora Staff

Christmas shopping is one of the most intensive and critical parts of the year.

There are things to buy, people to buy for, and things to get done.

However, many people still struggle with the idea of going out and blowing so much money at once.

It not only seems like a bad idea, but it would kill most budgets for the month.

With that being said, there are ways for one to overcome these joyous thrills of holiday shopping; one of them being layaway.

Layaway has come and gone from many stores over the years, but it is a very helpful option.

One can put so much into a

layaway account and pay it off in lump sums before the holiday season.

One can get all the gifts they want, the kids are happy, they paid less up front, and things are great.

Stores like Walmart, which holds layaways until Dec. 14, and K-Mart are two places in Monroe that still offer layaway.

With that being said, there are not a lot of options for layaway here in Monroe.

Thankfully, there is another day of the year where one can find things for low prices that won’t hurt their bank: Black Friday.

Despite all the horror stories one might hear about Black Friday, it can be the best way to get the shopping done at cheap, cheap prices.

Some stores, like Target and Walmart, are opening the night before to let shoppers line up early — so when the clock hits midnight, they can use the Black Friday sales.

But for those who enjoy some sleep, you can wake up at the crack of dawn and just go.

Don’t worry about the hair or the make-up, just get out there and start shopping.

Remember your ID, wallet, and funds and get everything done in one day at one place and call it quits.

This way, at the end of the night, one can wrap all their gifts and hide them from the children till Christmas comes along.

Making those quick and best buys is truly an American Dream.

Agora Staff

Former History professorJim DeVries earned a spot on MCCC’s Board of Trustees in the Nov 6 election.

He joins longtime board member Marjorie Kreps, who was re-elected. Losing his spot on the board was another longtime board member, Michael Meyers.

DeVries campaigned for the election by showing up to MCCC events and talking to community members.

The night of the election, Monroe County was still counting votes at 3 a.m. in some districts.

“I went to bed not knowing that I had won,” DeVries said.

The next morning, he received a phone call from a friend congratulating him on winning the election.

campus news

November 19, 2012

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MCCC sees rise of wind tower

Melanie Jacobs Agora Staff

MCCC has taken an interest in the green energy movement by constructing an 85-foot wind turbine on campus for students to study.

It is primarily for students to learn about its inner workings and how to safely construct and deconstruct towers of this kind, according to Renewable Energy faculty member, Clifton Brown.

“Renewable energy is being utilized more and more across the country, and community colleges are adopting this new trend,” Brown said.

“This is basically a tool for training workers that are going into that growing workforce.”

MCCC’s wind turbine is considered “small wind energy” because it is useful in producing enough energy to supplement a residential home and only takes a small group of people to construct.

“In a good wind, it will produce about one to two kilowatts of power, which is almost enough to run a small house,” Brown said.

It took three tries to construct the wind power turbine.

The first attempt ran into problems with supplies.

“The manufacturer sent the wrong parts,” Brown said.

The second attempt was foiled by Hurricane Sandy.

“We just couldn’t do it,” he said. “There were 30-40 mph winds and it was too much to pick it up safely.”

The third attempt was on Sunday, Nov. 4, a sunny but bitter cold afternoon.

“Hopefully, now, the third time’s a charm,” he said as the crew began the work.

With the help of a number of volunteer’s, it turns out it was.

The finished wind turbine rises 85 feet above the ground behind the Health building.

After many hours of collaboration and sheer muscle, the wind turbine was finally up.

The data produced by the tower will be studied by wind energy classes currently held in the West Tech building. When the new Career Technology Center is completed, the class will be moved there.

“We will have our own lab dedicated to renewable energy,” Brown said.

Brown is unsure if the wind tower will be beneficial to the college as far as producing energy is concerned, but he is confident that it will be a crucial learning instrument for students who are seeking a degree in some form of renewable energy.

“Students have the opportunity to learn the science of wind energy,” he said. “They’ll be able to determine what type of renewable energy will make the most sense in each location of interest.”

Photo by Carla Crockett

Volunteers, including several MCCC alumni, work through the long day to put the finishing touches on the experimental wind tower.

The demand for energy has sky-rocketed and there is not enough of it to go around, Brown said.

“If we can meet the demand with renewable energy, that would be great,” he said.

People everywhere need to be as enthusiastic about

renewable energy, Brown said.

Energy is something that comes to us at a cost, as do most things, he said.

MCCC is now one step further ahead in the movement towards promoting renewable energy.

Fiber optics comes to MCCC Tyler Rogoff Agora Staff

MCCC has recently upgraded it’s fiber optic network with plans to expand further in the future.

The Merit Reach-3MC Broadband Stimulus Project is a plan to connect the colleges and universities statewide to each other through a fiber optic network.

This will be an immediate broadband upgrade to almost all spots connected to the network.

According to their website,

REACH-3MC will build 2,287 miles of open-access fiber-optic networking through rural communities across all of Michigan.

This will allow more areas to access the Internet at faster speeds.

By using universities and colleges as their main hub, this will allow faster connection speeds.

As of now, MCCC is on standby, meaning we are not actively connected to the network.

MCCC is in the proccess of becoming an active part of the

network.

Merit Network, Inc. is also planning on connecting the Monroe County Library System’s, Mary Kay Daume Library and Ellis Library.

“It is significant for the history of education in our community when this technology is brought to Southeast Michigan,” President David Nixon said.

Student’s will soon be able to access the higher speed internet from home and at local libraries.

The technological potential for the 2,300 mile fiber optic network will set Michigan up for a brighter future in education.

The ADVA Optical Networking equipment will have a speed of 10 gigabits per second. There will be approximately 40 main hubs, each with a potential to produce a 10 gigabits per second speed.

Each hub will have a maximum cap of 1 gigabit per second initially, with the ability to upgrade to the higher connection cap.

“It is significant for the history of education in our community when technology is brought to Southeast Michigan.”

David Nixon

MCCC president

Did you know…

You can finish your bachelor’s degree on the MCCC Campus!

Siena Heights University has a degree completion center right here on campus! Undergraduate classes available in:

• Accounting

• Bachelor of Applied Science

• Business Administration

• Multidisciplinary Studies

• Professional Communications

• Psychology

a n e i S Graduate classes available in Leadership. Contact Siena today at (734) 384-4133 or stop by our office in L-221.

campus news

November 19, 2012

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Students dig history in Temperace

By Katie Mullin For the Agora

After the Roman Empire had fallen and Europe was beginning to awaken, something very different was happening in what is now Temperance, Mich.

The year was around 1200 A.D. and several Native American families had staked their camp in a field not far from the Whitman Center – land that has been occupied for the last 150 years by generations of the Adams family.

Enter Dr. Kenneth Mohney, associate professor of Anthropology at Monroe County Community College, who was invited by the family to investigate the mysterious earlier inhabitants.

“Here is a place where you and I live,” Mohney says. “You are touching a place where they lived and you were the first person to touch it in 800 years. We need to bring these people back to life.”

The Adams’ farmland was transformed into an archaeological site last spring by Mohney and his students. In May, Mohney brought his archaeological fieldwork class to the site, where each student got hands-on experience in the field.

Others who assisted the students on the site included volunteers from Michigan State University, the University of Toledo and the Michigan Archaeological Society. Among them was a pottery expert, who helped identify the period, based on the pottery style.

The site was now a puzzle board, and the pieces of the puzzle were being revealed, one by one, as the team stumbled upon interesting findings.

Evidence of postholes and pits was revealed throughout the excavation. Mohney said the postholes indicated that the early inhabitants built wigwam-type structures.

The wigwams probably were circular, conical dwellings that included a central hearth inside for cooking and warmth, he said.

For the roofing, they may have used cattails or animal skins that

The marks on these pottery shards helped experts date them between 500 and 1200 A.D.

Photos courtesy of Ken Mohney

From left, MCCC students Robert Waltbillig and James Jay work on the Adams site archaeological dig near the Whitman Center last summer.

“You are touching a place where they lived and you were the first person to touch it in 800 years.”

Dr. Kenneth Mohney were woven into mats.

The pits that were found were not only used to prepare food but also served as wastebaskets, Mohney said. Some of the findings of what they threw away revealed fragments of pottery and stone and charred pieces of animal bone.

Mohney said it’s likely the families gathered in large groups during the summer, then dispersed into smaller ones like the Adam’s site for the fall and winter.

As the team progressed in their excavation, details started to emerge on what the people ate there. Some of the leftovers in-

cluded traces of burned nutshells and charred animal bone.

“They were so focused on the nut harvest,” Mohney said, adding, “We know they were hunters.”

These hunters may have congregated along the rivers during the summers as the soils there are rich and the wildlife plentiful, Mohney said.

“They may have even lived along the Raisin,” he said.

Mysteries still surround the site, like missing pieces to a puzzle.

Mohney explained that, according to Professor Emeritus David Stother’s research at the University of

Toledo, the people around the Adams’ site appeared to have been forced from the area, due to pressure from groups in the Sandusky Bay region. The people then relocated to the Saginaw region.

Mohney said that supporting evidence for Stother’s theory can be seen in their pottery, which disappears from the Sandusky area and makes a sudden re-emergence in the Saginaw region.

But the story does not end there.

The puzzle pieces can be unearthed if there is more funding for excavations and testing, such as the animal bones that were found.

“We need funding for things like carbon dating,” Mohney said.

“We have an idea what some of these species represent, but not exactly as we need someone to analyze the bones.”

Mohney said he hopes a grant can provide the necessary funding. Meanwhile, he anticipates that additional excavations of the site are on the horizon and there is much more beyond the 40 square meters they excavated this spring and summer.

The Adams’ site is significant because it lets us see a part of the archaeological record that often escapes notice, Mohney said. Because it is away from major waterways, only a small number of sites of this type have been professionally investigated, he said.

Mohney urged the public to be aware of their surroundings.

“I think it’s important to understand where we came from,” he said.

Movie reverses student’s opinions on poverty Tyler Rogoff Agora staff

Photo by Tyler Rogoff

MCCC’s International Studies Club painted the spirit rock for the “Crossing Boarders,” event.

Briefly: Students, staff can compete in holiday decorating contest Student Government is sponsoring a Holiday Campus Decorating Contest.

Any office, hallway, bulletin board, or any other approved locations are acceptable.

The winner will receive a $50.00 Visa Gift Card and will hold the traveling trophy in their office for the entire year.

All entry forms should be submitted to Tom Ryder by Monday, Dec. 10.

Judging will take place on Friday, Dec. 14 from 11:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m.

Chili Cook-off provides funds for Reaume Scholarship MCCC’s Chili Cook-Off raised over $1,000 for the Kimberly Reaume Scholarship Fund.

Kelly Scheer earned first place in chili with her Cream Cheese Chicken Chili.

Jean Reaume received first place in soup with her Pasta Fagioli.

Larry Bell received an honorable mention for making soup and chili.

The International Studies Club hosted a special screening of the movie “Crossing Borders” in honor of International Education Week.

“Crossing Borders” is a documentary that follows four Moroccan and four American students during a trip through Morocco.

They discussed the stereotypes that each group is educated to believe about the other, and broke down the fallacies that each group has about the other.

On their journey, each student learns that the students from the opposite culture are completely different than they expected, based on the stereotypes that the media and others have implanted into their heads.

They learn throughout the documentary that they are far more alike than different, and learn as much about themselves as they do

about the opposite culture.

Dr. Joanna Sabo, adviser of the International Studies Club, invited the crowd of about 70 people to a short discussion after the screening, which was held Thursday, Nov. 15.

Students talked about how the participants in the documentary had tough discussions and debates, which led to a mutual respect as each group started to understand that stereotypes about the opposite group were false.

The discussion then shifted to the mass amounts of poverty seen in the screening.

“Most people in third world countries spend most of their time trying to make food,” Sabo said.

“It’s a good lesson about poverty.”

The poverty discussion transitioned into discussing crime rates in poorer areas of third world countries, as well as areas of America.

“People who are poor will do

what they have to do,” Sabo said.

Sabo also discussed a poll taken before and after a previous screening of the movie. Before watching the film, about 84 percent of viewers linked violence and terrorism with Muslims, while only about 6 percent matched them with hospitality. After seeing the documentary, those numbers were reversed.

The group also discussed whether or not it was right to just have the American students travel to Morocco instead of both visiting the opposite country.

“It was a good idea for Americans to see it for themselves instead of from the news,” student Chris Murphy, a former member of the International Studies Club, said.

For more information on the International Studies Club and the Study Abroad program, contact Sabo.

Political science students attend Michigan convention Three dozen MCCC students were among 770 Michigan students who attended the Michigan Student Political Issues Convention at Henry Ford Community College in October.

Students met in breakout sessions to choose the issues that are most important to be presented to Michigan legislators.

Political Science Professor Dr. Joanna Sabo took the 36 MCCC students to the convention.

Two Monroe students noted below addressed the entire plenary session to make their remarks regarding the list of issues.

MASS holds coat drive for Salvation Army House The Math and Science Society is sponsoring a drive for non-perishable foods, coats, and gloves for the Salvation Army Manor House.

Collection boxes around campus will remain on campus till Tuesday, Nov. 20.

National Roll Call Day honored servicemen, woman MCCC participated in National Roll Call day in honor of American service men and woman.

At 12:30 p.m. Nov. 12, in the Administration Building cafeteria, Student Government members read off the 222 names of service members

Brent Borcsani, Eric Bodoh, Evelyn Smith and Megan Fenig were among the three dozen MCCC students who attended the Michigan Student Political Issues Convention in October.

from Michigan who died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

At 2 p.m., a minute of silence was held campuswide in honor of the fallen heroes.

Whitman holds display on World War II and Holocaust The Whitman Center is hosting “Parallel Journeys: World War II and the Holocaust,” during the month of November.

Stories presented include those of Anne Frank and Traudl Junge (Adolf Hitler’s personal secretary). The display is on loan from Kennesaw State University.

Assistance open for students studying for final exams Tutors will be available to help students on Thursday, Dec. 6, from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Learning Assistance Lab. Tutors will help review concepts, provide study tips, and answer questions.

No appointments are necessary. Light snacks also will be provided to students throughout the evening.

Cash raised for breast cancer Thanks to the students and staff of MCCC, Student Government collected $224.73 towards Breast Cancer research. The money will be donated to the American Breast Cancer Foundation.

A&E

November 19, 2012

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Odd ending to Twilight Saga WARNING: SPOILERS INCLUDED Carla Crockett Agora Staff

A book that sold an estimated 3.7 million copies its first day hit the big screen last week.

Starting at 10 p.m. Thursday, crowds ranging from eager teenagers to romanticizing middle-aged women lined up to buy their tickets for Breaking Dawn, Part II. Phoenix Theatres in the Mall of Monroe decided to show the movie earlier and in more theaters, making it the only movie to play in all of their cinemas.

As the lights dimmed, the opening scenes showed Bella Swan, played by Kristen Stewart, waking up as a newborn vampire.

Bella, after a quick, awkward, and humorous “bite to eat,” gets to really see her child, Renesmee, for the first time.

The obviously computer-generated baby looked too perfect, making her appearance disturbing.

The film is PG-13, but felt racy as Bella and Edward tore into each other like a sex education seminar.

As the story progressed, Taylor Lautner, who plays Jacob Black, pleads with Bella’s dad, Charlie, to hear him out, so the Cullen’s will stay in Forks.

Jacob then starts taking his clothes off, making the scene uncomfortable ­— like a middle school locker room.

After a misunderstanding between the ever famous Volturi and the Cullens, an old story is told. The story is of a time when immortal (or vampire) babies were created.

The camera then pans to an adorable 2-year-old with blood-red eyes and blood-stained lips.

It looked as though he was dressed for trick-or-treating.

Toward the end of the movie, Aro, head of the Volturi, let’s out a strange exclamation of excitement, scaring the audience and also making them erupt in laughter.

The best effect in the movie, Bella’s newly realized ability of shielding thoughts, actions and harm, was surprisingly shown very realistically.

Once the fight started between both parties, the ground split into two and a wolf fell into the pit — looking deep into what felt like the audience’s soul.

The movie ended with an oh-so-touching flashback and rolling of the entire cast’s credits for all five movies.

The $8.75 to watch this sequel was only justified by muffled laughter and wondering, “Will Bella ever stop stuttering?”

Black Ops 2 offers new maps, killer zombies Nicki Kostrzewa Agora Staff

Black Ops 2 is the most recent installment of the Call of Duty series.

For those of you that are diehard fans, I bet you haven’t left your game system in the past few days.

This game has its ups and downs, just like the others, but it something that we have and will continue to live on with as gamers.

The campaign of the game is just like all the others of series.

There are twists and turns, but like normal they all seem very short.

However, I feel this is because most fans are in it for the multiplayer and zombies, and the gaming industry knows that.

Before we get into those things I would still like to say that when you go to “knife” someone, there still seems to be like a lag, giving your enemy a time to hit you.

I know this happens to everyone, but it continues to happen throughout all the games it seems.

Then there are the maps, which I felt they did well giving you an even number of small and large.

Hijacked is one of my favorites, there is still room to snipe, but not so much that you can’t just run around with dual wielding hand guns.

Carrier is another good one.

It’s a rather large map, which just makes it that much more fun.

What I noticed about people playing on this map is that everyone really stays on top of the ship.

Everyone knows there’s a bottom section of the ship right? It is just as good as the top!

Another wonderful thing that they did with this game is making it easier to choose your weapons and attachments.

They went through the trouble laying everything out with some

kind of descriptive icon so the player knew exactly what they were getting.

A good portion of the fans love the Nazi zombies from the past, but I feel that you will love the zombies of now.

The new way they did zombies really opens it up for the players.

Not only do you take a bus to the many different locations, but the action comes along for the ride, letting you shoot zombies as they try to infiltrate the bus.

The locations are also very appropriate for zombie rounds.

The designers this time went with an “end of the world” look.

Not to mention the fact that if you are really into playing through everything, you have to build things with scrap parts to get from place to place more successfully.

I have to give a Black Ops 2 a 10 out of 10 for one of the best games in the past few months.

Halo provides impressive game play, graphics Tyler Rogoff Agora Staff

The first installment in the Halo series by 343 Industries is a raving success.

Halo 4’s campaign is very good.

The storyline is engaging, although somewhat predictable, and the level design is mostly an improvement over earlier games in the series.

The storyline is short, however, and a full playthrough only takes six or seven hours.

Many parts of the story also seem to hint at other games, although this could just be a coincidence.

The opening cutscene has a hint of a Mass Effect feel to it, and other small things, such as a star map that looks similar to the star maps in Knights of the Old Republic, also appear.

The ending to the campaign is probably the best ending of any Halo game to date.

Even when it is somewhat expected, the ending still invokes an emotional response.

But while Halo 4’s campaign is a very solid mode on its own, multiplayer is where the game really shines.

Halo 4’s multiplayer is a vast improvement over Halo: Reach.

Online play is much smoother and has very few lag issues, even

when playing with a full game of 16 players.

Connection speed also seems to play less of a role as it did in Reach.

The addition to loadouts scared some by making it appear to be a type of Call of Duty clone, but armor abilities are extremely balanced.

There is no one ability that is dominant over the others as in the Call of Duty series, and each gun has a spot where it is the best available option while also having a weakness.

The one weakness to multiplayer on Halo 4 are the maps.

As players are given the option to pick one of three maps before every game, it seems that the majority of games are being played on the same maps.

It can lead to a feeling of repetitiveness when playing four straight games of Dominion on Longbow or five games of Big Team Slayer on Ragnarok.

There is a reason that certain maps are dominating in voting, though.

Halo 4 does not have a great variety of good maps.

Complex might be the worst map ever in a Halo game.

Solace is a pretty weak map as well.

But 343 Industries has three

map packs planned for Halo 4, and hopefully these additional maps will improve the available choices.

Halo 4 also introduces Spartan Ops, which is a weekly campaignstyle game type.

Each week, a new episode of 5 chapters is released, and is a continuous story.

Through two weeks, it appears that the maps used will cycle with new parts opening up each week and used parts being closed off, with some overlap.

Spartan Ops is a combination of campaign and multiplayer.

Players can play Spartan Ops solo, but it is designed more in the mold of being played in co-op mode.

So far, Spartan Ops has been impressive and well worth the time to play.

The story isn’t very intriguing yet, but the playthroughs have been quite fun with the occasional challenge.

Halo 4 is by far an improvement over Halo 3 and Halo: Reach.

Will it come to surpass Halo 2 for multiplayer? Possibly.

I give Halo 4 a 10/10, and is a must buy for everyone who is a fan of the shooter genre, and especially if any Halo game was enjoyed previously.

Photos by Nicki Kostrzewa

Top: There was an option with Black Ops 2 to buy a “Care-package” version. Inside the care-package there sits a NQ-27-Dragon Fire, a copy of the game itself, and real life game challenge coins with the game logos on them.

Bottom: The NQ-27-Dragon Fire was one object that came with the $180 package. This drone comes with a stand, a mini-gun, controller and a charging unit.

Features

November 19, 2012

Art on the human body Students show off their individualism Continued from Page 1

factor between two candidates.

These deciding details can be anything from confidence to presentation. And along with a person’s presentation comes his or her appearance.

The nation’s largest retailer, Walmart, doesn’t allow facial piercings (i.e. eyebrow, nose or lip). They do allow tattoos that aren’t offensive; “offensive” tattoos must be covered up.

Borders, until recently one of the nation’s largest booksellers, viewed body art and piercings as something that makes a worker more interesting and a definite plus.

Ford Motor Co. allows everyone from senior executives on down to have tattoos and piercings. The only exception is that factory workers are asked to refrain from piercings that could endanger factory settings and/or worker safety.

Wahoo’s, a California-based chain of fish taco restaurants, allows employees to strut their tattoos in its restaurants and corporate office (specifically graphic designers, and even the owner).

Company policies differ with every career and this should be taken into consideration before permanently altering the skin.

“Anyone considering getting a tattoo should think about what their future holds. If you are going to be a stockbroker for a living, having

Multiple earrings - from one to a dozen or more - are a common style.

Expressing yourself, MCCCstyle

Shooting stars adorn a hip - one of the most popular spots for tatoos among women.

Gauges make room for much larger earrings, offering more flexibility for expression.

mcccagora.com • The Agora |

6

holes in your ears the size of baseballs can possibly cause some clients to not trust you with their thousands of dollars,” said MCCC student Tyler Davis.

Tattoos are permanent, expensive, and extremely painful, especially when they’re removed. If these pieces of art were not accepted in the workplace, every person who plans to obtain a “respectable” job would be forced to remove all of their visible tattoos and piercings.

MCCC student Rehanna Boissonneault, wanted to get gauges during her freshman year. She later was happy she didn’t when she met a girl who had gauges and needed to have surgery to fix her ears for her job.

The risk of not being able to obtain a respectable job is not a serious concern for some students.

MCCC student Brad Grodi has small gauges and has aspirations of being a lawyer.

“I have years of college left before I can even start applying for jobs,” Grodi said.

When Grodi got his gauges, he knew he would have to keep his business life professional. To hide the gauges, he bought glass gauges that are hard to see even at a close distance.

“Honestly, if I wore my usual gauges, I don’t think I’ll be taken seriously because I’d be seen as a punk or unprofessional. Also, if I go any bigger in gauge size, it’d be unsuitable for any professional career,” Grodi said.

Many MCCC students agreed that there should be boundaries for tattoos and piercings, such as a face or neck tattoo and the largersized gauges.

“I don’t have any issues with body art, but I do when it comes to altering the face,” said MCCC student Carly Hicks.

“People say tattoos are to be unique and show personality, but your face is the most unique thing about you. I do not understand why someone would do that.”

Other students say there are not any boundaries and that body art is a person’s way of expressing themselves.

“I am currently accessorizing with eleven piercings and am in the process of getting tattoos that have symbolic meaning to me,” said Michael Ansell.

My body is my canvas and there should be no boundaries, Ansell said.

“If you disagree with the fact that I support tattoos and piercings in the workplace, that is perfectly fine, but you are saying that I shouldn’t alter my own body with things that I find meaningful,” he said.

Whether tattoos and body piercings are permanent, temporary, or a fad, it’s unlikely they will fade out anytime soon.

Using the back of the neck to send a message is another trend.

Dermel piercing of the lower back provides a setting for a variety of kinds of jewelry.

A five-point star on the forearm makes a statement that is easily visible, but also easily covered by long sleeves.

editorial

November 19, 2012

mcccagora.com • The Agora

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Puerto Rico craves statehood

ritories.

Although the House of Representatives would redistribute seats to stay at 435 members, Puerto Rico would automatically be able to send 2 Senators to Congress, bringing the Electoral College pool to 540 votes.

Based on population, Puerto Rico could have as many as 6 electoral votes upon statehood.

For fifteen existing states including Iowa, New Hampshire and Utah, which each have less than 3.5 million people, that could mean a loss of electoral influence.

Regardless, President Obama has voiced his support for Puerto Rico upon application for statehood.

If the move does go through, Puerto Rico would be the first new state in over 50 years.

Hawaii became the 50th state in August of 1959, mere months after Alaska joined the Union in January.

What may not occur to some, however, is the boost to the economy which could result from a Puerto Rican statehood.

For the flag-making industry at least, there would be huge orders to fill in order to replace all the 50star flags around the country, at foreign embassies, military bases, and so on.

Questions remain, as Puerto Rico would have to draft a state constitution and begin paying federal taxes.

Until then, however, Americans will just have to wait and see.

Chris Stadtfeld Agora Staff

While President Obama and Mitt Romney squared off Nov. 6, Puerto Rico was a little sneaky.

For the first time since the effort began in 1967, Puerto Ricans voted to become a state with over 61 percent of the vote.

Congress would have to ratify Puerto Rico’s statehood, but the BBC reports that Congress has never said no.

All this means something very simple: the United States of America may soon have a flag with 51 stars.

The vote, however, was overshadowed as the Tea Party lost ground around the country, President Obama won re-election, and marriage equality and recreational marijuana became legal in multiple states.

Regardless, the repercussions of Puerto Rico becoming the 51st State could be dramatic, farreaching, and instant.

For example, the Electoral College map would take a new shape.

Each state automatically gets one legislator in the House of Representatives and two Senators.

Those totals combine to mean that state’s Electoral College influence, pinning the minimum at 3.

For states low in population like Alaska, Delaware, and Vermont, such is reality. Nobody can steal Electoral College votes from them.

But Puerto Rico is home to 3.7 million people, placing it 29th out of all the states and American ter-

School life American’s shouldn’t vs. real life be afraid to say sorry Nicki Kostrzewa Agora Staff

There comes a time within college life that everyone needs to sit back and take a big reality check.

As college students most of us feel invincible.

These are the first few years of our lives that we are out on our own and we are control of what comes of our actions…surprise!

The world isn’t like you thought.

The teachers don’t accept late work, the tests are harder, and there is less one-on-one time with each professor.

Everything that is needed for that class is on you and only you.

There is no saying that “my car wouldn’t start” or “I was sick.”

That kind of stuff just doesn’t work anymore.

We are individually responsible for our lives and our futures—and our professors know it.

With that being said, students are not the only ones who need reality checks from time to time, professors and other staff members do too.

When it comes to our professors, some of them expect us that after the first week of class, we should know everything that the class entails.

We are still college students, and this is all constantly a new learning experience.

Don’t always assume we know what’s going on and leave us alone with a ton of work to do— walk us through it.

Don’t tell us that you (the professor) is doing all the work, help us students help you.

Not to mention don’t assume we are all lazy good-for-nothings.

Some us try really hard or have more than just college on our plates.

Some of us are raising kids, paying bills, looking for work, or work as much as we go to school.

Some professors think that way, but it’s a very small percentage.

I know some of them are reading this thinking; “Give me a break” when in all reality students deserve one just as much as you do.

We are just like you—we cry, we have heartache, and we work to provide for ourselves or others.

And I’m sorry, but me putting food on the table will always come before anything else.

If the teachers themselves have been through those hardships, they would know that you can never really see the people who are having a hard time, who have problems.

Don’t expect everyone’s life to be full of sunshine and rainbows is all that I’m saying.

The United States should follow Europe’s example.

To a lot of Americans, such a concept is foreign, unwelcome, and blasphemous.

We hate foreigners. We demand people speak English in the United States, and ask they speak it in their own countries to cater to our vacation needs.

Then we wonder why the rest of the world hates us.

And then we get upset when President Obama has all the nerve to show a little humility and apologize for all our arrogance.

How dare he? After all, there is no way that we can be the villains of the world.

Americans are always the good guys.

The sad part is, plenty of us are guilty. A reality check is in order, but it’s a consistently ignored item on the menu.

Meanwhile, Europe and China – the “grand villains” of the world, in too many American eyes – are beginning to very seriously lead the way.

For example, France has engineered a fake tree that harvests the energy exerted with the kinetics of children’s play to yank green house gases out of the atmosphere and yield oxygen instead.

Elsewhere in Europe, car guys have invented a car that runs on compressed air.

European countries are beginning to see higher standards of living, greater invest-

Servers work hard for small tips, loose change Carla Crockett Agora Staff

I know that most people think that waitressing is an easy job, and that a monkey could do it, in most instances, this is true.

Even though the basics of waitressing are simple - seating a table, getting drinks, taking food orders, delivering food, refilling drinks, clearing plates and giving the check - it’s more complicated than it sounds.

You have to deal with many types of people and you have to look for many different things.

Certain people want to talk to you about your life, and what they did during the day. Others, want peace and quiet and will glare each time you try to say anything.

You learn to read people by their body language, what they say to you and the way they behave.

Some people can make your job harder. They want you to run and give them everything separately. For example, they will ask for more ice for their drink, then when you return they ask for napkins then they’re rude and don’t say thank you. They make you work hard for them, and leave you with change on the table.

Other people will not understand when you have six tables that you won’t be there every five minutes.

As a waitress, I have learned to read people. I know what they want and how often to go to a table.

It is also your job to make sure that other tables get what they need too.

You have to run food for other waitresses, seat customers, take carry-out orders and make sure the waitress aisle is clean.

The job isn’t as cut-and-dry as it seems. There is a lot more to it than

what people think. Also, the condescending remarks and sarcastic customers make the job harder than it needs to be.

Many customers are shocked to find out that in Michigan waitresses earn $2.65 an hour plus tips. Over the years, as minimum wage has gone up, the waitressing wage has stayed the same.

If customers could take the time to understand the stress of working hard each day and coming home with $30, they might tip better.

My tips go toward the 10 bills I have each month. I have to stress each month trying to make enough to cover my bills, gas for my car, food, and other basic necessities.

So, next time you go out, think before you speak to your waitress and remember that your tipping is basically her paycheck.

“We bloat our military, bloat our egos, stick to oil like it’s our life’s blood, and Americans are so stuck in this set of Chris Stadtfeld Agora Staff ways that we make ourselves blind to the progress other people are making.” ments in education, infrastructure, and green energy, and all the while, the United States is caught in the turmoil of infighting.

This no-apologies attitude must stop if, for example, we are to raise our literacy rate above that of Lithuania – a country most of us probably haven’t even heard of.

In a country where to show humility is to show weakness, this is an uphill battle.

Moreover, the soldier worship around the country sets off a red flag any time Defense funds find their way to the chopping block, regardless of what kind of leanerand-meaner goal is behind it.

We bloat our military, bloat our egos, stick to oil like it’s our life’s blood, and Americans are so stuck in this set of ways that we make ourselves blind to the progress other people are making.

That’s dangerous, because a lot of Americans consider those emerging leaders as enemies and serious rivals.

Part of solving a problem is admitting it exists.

Americans need to acknowledge this problem. Unfortunately, they’re too busy calling the French and the British the most arrogant people on the planet.

Never mind, of course, that the same people who think that are the first ones to make threats if you even hint that America is flawed.

As a part of the global community, the United States needs to rise to the challenge and remind ourselves that humility is not equal to weakness.

For that reason, President Obama’s “apology tour” was a good idea and a necessary measure to re-secure our standing with the rest of mankind.

I’m a big believer that remaining a superpower on the world stage is not a matter of always having a bigger stick than the other guy.

I find it pitiful that I often seem the only one to be thinking that.

Sports

November 19, 2012

mcccagora.com • The Agora

|8

EMU–Monroe •

Master's in Curriculum and Instruction

• Bachelor's in

Nursing

Miguel Cabrera was awarded the title of MVP with a total of 362 points.

Cabrera awarded MVP, holds triple crown Tyler Rogoff Agora Staff

Detroit Tigers’ slugger, Miguel Cabrera , now has the Most Valuable Player award to go along with his Triple Crown this season.

Cabrera won MVP over the Los Angeles Angels’ phenom rookie Mike Trout. Cabrera got 22 first place votes to Trout’s 6 and a total of 362 points to Trout’s 281. Trout won the Rookie of the Year award, however.

Tigers have taken home the MVP trophy in back-to-back seasons, with starting pitcher, Justin Verlander winning the honors last year.

Cabrera is the first Venezuelan born player to win MVP. Trout was favored by many of the more

sabermetric-focused analysts and fans. It’s due to his league leading in Wins Above Replacement of 10.7 to Cabrera’s 6.9, according to ESPN. WAR is a summary of a player’s allaround contributions to his team and weighs their ability to create or prevent runs.

WAR is calculated slightly different depending on the formula used by the statistician or website.

“I was a little concerned, I thought Trout was going to win because they put his numbers over me,” Cabrera said.

Cabrera was backed by the traditionalist statisticians, with Cabrera winning the Triple Crown and leading the American League in home runs, batting average, and runs batted in.

(R.N./B.S.N. completion)

734.384.4321 • monroe@emich.edu ep.emich.edu/monroe EP4030

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