Agora - October 29, 2018

Deep dive MCCC offering Marine Biology class Winter Semester.

Page 4

A half-century of the Agora James P. Quick Agora Editor

It all began 50 years ago in February – the Agora printed its first issue on Feb. 22, 1968.

Over the decades, the Agora has put out countless editions and tackled almost every topic under the sun. It has charted the growth and development of the college, its staff and students, plus the communities beyond.

As former staff and advisers look back, not a single one of them seems to have a bad word about their tenure.

Jeremy Potter, now a seventh-grade social studies teacher in Ida, was on the Agora from 1992 to 1994.

“I was on the staff right out of high school,” he says. “I started out as a staffer. By my second year, I was editor with another classmate of mine, Liesl Heck – now Liesl Riggs.”

Potter grins as he remembers his tenure.

“I absolutely, totally loved it!” he says.

“The stress level was high, as you might know, but overall it was a blast. Easily my favorite thing that I did out here for sure.”

From 2009 to 2010, Jennifer Niswender was editor, having joined in 2008.

Now a commercial loans specialist at

Feb. 22, 1968

Feb. 20, 2018

MCCC H ollywoo Studen t’s cele the gol d den ag brate e

Serving

Monroe

Black P anther

Does th e installm newest MCU en much an t live up to th e ticipate d hype?

Page 1 6

County sin

ce 1968 Feb. 20,

Continued on Page 2

2018 Vol. 65,

Issue 5

Disagreeing over Narcan

Marijuana divides campus

For the Agora

Agora Editor

Erin Thomas

MCCC security officers still do not carry Narcan, a drug that reverses the life-threatening effects of opioids when administered during an overdose.

A story in the March 2018 issue of the Agora addressed the college’s handling of addiction on campus.

In that story, social worker Lynn Breeding, who runs a drug rehabilitation center in Monroe, said she cannot think of any reason why college officers should not carry Narcan, the trademarked name for naloxone.

“MCCC should definitely carry Narcan; it’s not just students anymore,” Breeding said. “Addiction is not age specific anymore, I think everybody should have access to Narcan. Every student and staff

Serving Monroe County since 1968

should be trained and have knowledge of how to use it.”

Monroe County sits on the front lines of the opiate crisis.

“Opiates and drugs are being done everywhere whether you want to admit it or not,” said Michigan State Trooper Don Stewart. “Whether you know it or not doesn’t change the validation that opiate addiction and drug abuse is everywhere.”

Psychology professor Melissa Grey is hoping an overdose prevention and Narcan application training session planned for Dec. 12 will bring about change.

The presentation by Unified, an organization based in southeast Michigan that provides access to health care, community research and advocacy, will be open to the public and free.

Continued on Page 2

James P. Quick

The first proposal you’ll be seeing on the Nov. 6 ballot could legalize and regulate recreational marijuana in Michigan.

However, not everyone is happy about that.

Under the proposed law, adults 21 and older could possess and consume marijuana – with licensed businesses able to sell up to 2.5 ounces at a time. Only 10 ounces would be allowed in the home at any given time, with amounts 2.5 ounces or above obligated to be kept in secure, locked containers.

Public polls have shown strong support for the proposal. On the MCCC campus, the tone ranges from enthusiastic support to vehement opposition.

Professor of Math Mark Naber wastes no words in detailing why he’s for the legaliza-

October 29, 2018

Politics inside

- MCCC Board of Trustees - Page 11 - Lara Trump visits Monroe - Page 13 - Proposition 1, Redistricting - Page 13 - District 56 State House - Page 12 tion.

“It would create a revenue source through tax money,” he says. “Not to mention that currently our prisons are full of people who have been arrested for marijuana possession – disproportionately people of color.

“So it is a racist law in its application, usually benefiting privatized, for-profit prisons.”

He also notes that legalization could help people who have issues with marijuana get the help they need.

Continued on Page 11

Vol. 66, Issue 3

2 • Campus News

October 29, 2018

Agora/mcccagora.com

Quartey says college wants to help Continued from Page 1

MCCC President Kojo Quartey thinks the college is doing enough.

“I think as long as we are doing what we can to assist the general problem in the community, then we are fine,” Quartey said. “I haven’t heard that this is a major problem on campus, so I think as things stand, we are fine on campus.”

Again in a recent interview, Breeding expressed her concern for MCCC’s decision, and said addicts often blend in.

“They show up in class, they are smiling and laughing because that’s what they have to do to get through class,” Breeding said. “Those are the students that hide, they don’t want you to see them.”

While Stewart has a front row seat for the severity of the crisis in Monroe, he thinks if MCCC is providing access to help, they are doing enough.

“They are an educational institution, not a rehabilitative institution,” Stewart said. “So, unless they want to get into the business of rehabilitation, then they are probably doing what they are required to do.”

Quartey said he is aware of several stories where faculty and students have been affected by the opiate crisis.

He agrees there is a problem, but says the problem lies in the community, not the campus.

“There is a problem that may not be directly affecting us, but it’s affecting us indirectly here on this campus because we are a part of this community,” Quartey said.

He said campus security officers are not allowed to carry Narcan – a medication used to reverse the effects of opioid overdose – due to liability issues.

“While the police officers can carry it, I don’t think that

The Agora Editors

Cassidy Maier

James P. Quick

Adviser

Dan Shaw

Staff Cheyanne Abel Vanessa Ray Maya Gaynier Todd Salisbury 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 202 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.

“While the police officers can carry it, I don’t think that our security are allowed to carry the Narcan and administer it.

There are some liability issues with that when it comes to risk management.”

Kojo Quartey MCCC President

our security are allowed to carry the Narcan and administer it,” Quartey said. “There are some liability issues with that when it comes to risk management.”

Breeding said if there is a problem with insurance, it might be easy to fix.

“Is it an insurance issue? It could be, but Narcan trainings are free and insurance covers Narcan,” Breeding said. “All you have to do is go to your family doctor and get a script.”

Though they currently have no plans to make any changes, Quartey said the college is working closely with professionals who understand addiction.

“We offer our facilities to the Monroe Substance Abuse Collation,” Quartey said.

Vice President of Student and Information Systems Randy Daniels echoed the president’s sentiments.

“I concur that the opiate crisis is a national/community

problem,” Daniels said. “To that end, I know that Dr. Quartey and Dr. (Joyce) Haver both serve on a communitywide task force designed to battle this issue.”

He said there are counselors on campus, though they can’t provide long-term care.

“We do have several licensed counselors on our campus that are trained for an urgent intervention,” Daniels said.

“We do not provide long-term services.”

Quartey said if the college started to see a problem on campus, he and other administrators would find a way to get the students help.

“If all of the sudden here in our LAL, we find that we have two, three, four, five, or 10 students who come in and have this challenge, then we would find a remedy by perhaps bringing in some counseling service here on campus,” Quartey said.

Daniels said another goal is to treat any acute issues, then take the person somewhere equipped to help them.

“It is our goal to mitigate the emergency/crisis and then refer for further professional help,” Daniels said.

“We do have an agreement with Monroe County Mental Health for an immediate or urgent assessment.”

Quartey wants the community to know the college is trying its best to be supportive.

“We are doing all that we can to support those who are fighting against this opiate crisis here on campus,” Quartey says.

In the meantime, Breeding hopes the college will re-visit its stance on Narcan.

“We care about our students when we are prepared,” Breeding said.

Briefs

Psychologist speaking on campus

A University of Michigan psychologist is talking Tuesday, Oct. 30, at a meeting of the MCCC Psychology club.

The talk by Alyssa Smith of UM’s Program for Risk Evaluation and Prevention will be on “Innovations in Psychosis,” at 12:30 p.m. in Room A-173a.

The talk will include a discussion of psychosis and how to connect to prevention and early intervention resources, according to Psychology professors Melissa Grey and Patrick Wise, advisers of the Psychology Interest Group club.

It is open to all who are interested for academic, personal, or professional development, Grey and Wise wrote in an email.

State of the college talk Friday

MCCC President Kojo Quarter will give the annual State of the College address on Friday, Nov. 2.

The event, which is free and open to anyone, will be at 7:45 a.m. at the Monroe Bank & Trust Headquarters in downtown Monroe.

According to a college news release, Quartey will update the community on the status of projects that are part of the college’s 5-year Maintenance and Improvement Millage, MCCC’s enrollment, numerous grant projects, activities of the Foundation at MCCC, and the college’s adoption of updated mission, vision and core values statements that are being used in a new strategic planning process.

Photo courtesy of ASET Division

MCCC adjunct professors Paul Bowser, from Roush Automotive, left, and Paul Kamprath, from Paul’s Automotive, talk to students at X Tech Oct. 23.

X-TECH celebration held

The ASET Division held its fifth X Tech celebration in the CTC building Oct. 23.

Dean Peter Coomar said more than 160 students from area high schools attended the event, which featured food, exhibits, and presentations by ASET Division faculty.

Faculty who participated included Marty Dubois, Dean Kerste, Lisa Schaller, Troy Elliott, Stephen Hassellbach, Mark Locher and Jack Larmor. Also participating were staff members Mike Reaume and Robert Semanske.

Coomar thanked ASET administrative assistant Cameron Albring for her help organizing the event, as well as members of the college’s Admissions and Financial Aid offices.

He said the 162 high school students included 23 from Monroe High School; 29 from Summerfield, 30 from Dundee, 40 from Erie Mason and 40 from Bedford.

Agora/mcccagora.com

Campus News • 3

October 29, 2018

Celebrating 50 years of the Agora Continued from Page 1

Monroe Bank & Trust, Niswender says that the Agora has helped her in her current job.

“At times, it was challenging,” she says.

“But, I wouldn’t have changed it one bit. It helped me develop many skills, such as leadership skills, that I now find helpful today.”

“Absolutely!” says Emily Chandonnet when asked if she enjoyed her time on staff.

Chandonnet was on the Agora from 2007 to 2009 and editor starting in 2008. She is now a middle school teacher in Palm Coast, Florida.

“It provided me with a wonderful opportunity to not only learn more about journalism skills in writing and design,” she says, “but to take on a leadership role which strengthened me as a person and guided me to a career in education.”

Former adviser Mark Bergmooser remains on-campus, still serving as a professor of Speech, Humanities, and Taekwondo. He explains that he came into the position when the paper was temporarily shut down.

“The Agora was on hiatus, I believe from 1994 to 1996. It had ceased publication in that two-year span,” he says. “There was some low enrollment in ‘90s in terms of staff members.”

He said Ann Orwin, who was an assistant professor of English at the time, taught Journalism and and advised the Agora.

Potter remembers Orwin fondly.

“She was outstanding; she knew when to step in, she knew when to step away. She was really good at holding our staff together,” he said.

“We still keep in touch.”

During spring semester of 1996, Orwin undertook a study on how to get the Agora back up and running.

“She did some recruitment at high schools and things of that sort,” Bergmooser says. “I was brought on board in the Fall of ‘96. I was hired to bring the Agora back.”

At the time, Bergmooser explains, he was a part-time faculty member teaching some speech courses.

“Part of my Communications degree is in Journalism. I started recruiting that fall,” he says. “I visited local high schools, going into their Journalism programs and interviewing people about a Journalism scholarship in an effort to bring the Agora back in the Winter of ‘97.”

Things went off without a hitch, and the Agora did indeed return that January.

“I think we had about eight students that first semester. It was great!”

In Fall of 2008, Bergmooser passed the torch on to the current adviser and professor of Journalism, Dan Shaw.

“I believe, in the end there, that I’d taken the Agora as far as I could,” Bergmooser says.

“It’s hard for me to imagine teaching journalism without having a working laboratory like the Agora,” Shaw says. “It gives stu-

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Niswender

The 2009-2010 staff of the Agora poses in Times Square while attending a National College Media Association convention. From left: Andrew Hoppert, Carla Crockett, Danny Shaw, Ashley Hammer, Marisa Beste, Asia Rapai, Jennifer Niswender, Symone Thomas, and Ashley LeTourneau.

dents a chance to practice journalism – writing, photograph, design, and production – in a very real environment.

“While every staff has fun, it’s also serious. They know thousands of people will read their stories. Their work can make a difference.”

Each person has a favorite part of their time on the Agora.

“It’s funny,” Bergmooser says, “as the adviser, I found that the last thing I used in my time there was Journalism experience and knowledge. It was more my people skills and the communication.

“I loved the late nights,” he says.

He explains that he would teach a taekwondo class around 9 p.m., then head to the Agora to check on the students as they were putting the paper together.

“Sometimes I’d go home – I live close by – and they’d call me and I’d come back until like one or two in the morning,” he said.

Chandonnet and Niswender cite the annual

trip to New York City for the College Media Association’s National Spring Convention.

“Not only did we bond to extreme levels, but everything we learned and experienced I have treasured,” Chandonnet says. “Whether it was getting lost on the Metro, taking a limo to the airport, seeing ‘Phantom of the Opera’ or exploring the city after hours of inspirational workshops, we had each other’s backs and loved getting to know one another.”

“I was lucky enough to be able to attend in 2009 and 2010,” Niswender says. “The conference had many workshops that would eventually help each and every one of us in their journalism career.

“But one of my favorite memories from New York City was when I got picked to be able to tour the New York Times,” she says.

“That is something I will never forget. There is just something about coming home from a conference in the journalism hub of the world that can really motivate you.”

Shaw also loves the New York trips.

“That sign there – ‘You only think it’s a crisis’! That’s perfect! I mean, as an editor or a staffer, especially around deadline time, you feel like the world’s caving in on you. It’s not.”

Jeremy Potter Ida teacher on the Agora staff from 1992-1994

“It’s not only the first introduction to New York City for many of them,” he says, “it’s also a chance to rub shoulders with some of America’s great journalists. More than one student has come home a changed person, committed to the value of journalism in a free society and dedicated to being part of that.”

However, in terms of memories, perhaps none is more exciting and surreal than the one Potter brings up.

“We had just gotten on staff. It was September or October, right around this time in ’92. All the sudden, Dan Quayle decides he’s going to come to Monroe County Community College right in the middle of a race,” he says.

“At that point it was all hands on deck!”

Potter says. “Every single staff member is covering this from one angle or another.”

His excitement, both then and now, is palpable.

“They had it right down there between the A Building and the C Building. I remember seeing the snipers on top of the C Building over there.

“It was surreal for us – especially for me, because I live in Ida. Nothing ever happens in Ida! “The opportunity to cover that was phenomenal.”

Now, looking to the next half-century, the alumni were asked what advice they would give to current and future Agora staff.

“This isn’t just a place where you get to explore the concepts of journalism,” Chandonnet says, “but somewhere you can debate the hard issues while creating life-long bonds and equipping you to be a better person and citizen.”

“If journalism really is your passion, keep writing and pushing your writing to its limits,” says Niswender.

“The long, late nights I stayed at the college – even coming in on the weekends – to design pages and finishing editing so we could meet our print deadline, were really tough but worth it.

“Stay honest, loyal and you must have thick skin. Keep an open mind and stay unbiased.”

Potter gestures to the bulletin board next to the editor’s desk.

“That sign there – ‘You only think it’s a crisis’! That’s perfect!” he says. “I mean, as an editor or a staffer, especially around deadline time, you feel like the world’s caving in on you. It’s not.”

Bergmooser stresses that the Agora is for everyone.

“Anybody can get involved! One of the best editors I ever had – Amelia – was a tech student!”

As for Shaw, he ends with a bombshell.

“This will be my last year advising the Agora – I’m retiring next May,” he says. “Without a doubt, the Agora is what I’ll miss most about MCCC.”

4 • Campus News

October 29, 2018

Agora/mcccagora.com

Photos by Cassidy Maier

High school and college students speak with representatives from colleges and universities at MCCC’s annual College Night Oct. 16.

Students, parents pleased by College Night Cassidy Maier Agora Editor

Hundreds of high school and college students got a glimpse of their future at MCCC’s Oct. 16 College Night.

Representatives from over 50 colleges, including Central Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University and Wayne State University were on hand to provide information to students.

Joyce Haver, one of MCCC’s counselors, said attendance for the event was high.

“Dr. Quartey and Dr. Daniels estimated over 500 people parents, students, guardians, friends,” Haver said. “We were surprised at the number of grandparents that attended.”

One of those parents was Kristin Rutan.

“I like the one-stop-shop, just to get the general information,” she said.

Rutan was visiting with her two teenagers, Kedzie and Conner. The three agreed they were surprised by how many colleges were there.

Every college that registered showed up, and there were a few who hadn’t registered that also came.

Carrie Blagec thought she had her top college choices already picked out, until she came to College Night.

She learned a lot and it made her start to look at other schools, she said.

“I never thought that maybe I could go to Michigan State,” Blagec said. “Now that I know that I probably can, I probably will.”

Conner (left) and Kedzie Rutan sign up to receive information from Adrian College.

Having all of the representatives come to MCCC was really convenient for some students.

“It’s amazing, having them all gathered here makes it really easy and simple to talk to anyone and get the information you need,” student Derek Egner said.

“I thought it was good,” said Conner Rutan. “I like how all the colleges from around Michigan came here.”

Haver explained that College Night at MCCC was conceived in January of 1978, and first took place in October of that year.

It used to be held in the cafeteria, until the Gerald Welch Health Education Building was built. It then moved to the gym there.

“I think in this age of digital media, it gives them an opportunity to meet one-on-one to ask a question on a personal level,” she said.

Haver said it took a lot of work to plan College Night, but it was worth it.

A large group of MCCC employees that included Lauren Pillarelli, Bryan Rorke, William Bennett, Mary Lyons, Mark Hall, Peggy Jacob, Steve Mapes, Lisa Reaume, Nicole Schermbeck, and Jennifer LaDuke helped with the event.

Lauren Pillarelli has worked at the college since 1991 and has always helped with College Night.

“I’ve always thought it was great because all those colleges come and it just makes it easier for a high-schooler or even a student here to go up and get to talk to each representative and find out exactly where they want to go,” said Pillarelli, an administrative assistant to Admissions and Guidance Services.

Student Government was also involved in making sure the night ran smoothly.

“They are absolutely invaluable, and I wrote them a note and I put compliments on that little note to them and Tom Ryder. I think he does a magnificent job coordinating Student Government,” Haver said.

Agora/mcccagora.com

October 29, 2018

Campus News • 5

Kites, clubs, and Crane Wives Rose Younglove Agora Staff

College games, food, and music were all available at MCCC’s Welcome Back Fall BBQ. Students enjoyed visiting with classmates, the opportunities to join new clubs, catering by Buffalo Wild Wings, live music, and games, including corn hole and spin to win from various booths.

Kelly Heizerling, director of Purchasing and Auxiliary Services, represented the MCCC bookstore with promotions and a spin to win booth offering candy and MCCC pens.

“We were busy the whole time,” she said.

A crowd of about 120 MCCC students, high school students, and faculty members turned out for the event.

“It was really good. I’ve never been to one before and I think the turnout was tremendous,” Heizerling said.

Live music from the Crane Wives added to the festivities. Emilee Petersmark, one of the guitarists and singers for the folk band, was able to step back in time as she and her bandmates revisited the college campus.

“We’ve been playing a lot of college shows this summer and it feels out of touch,” Petersmark said. “Our community is very post campus and it makes me feel good to be here.”

The band played hit after hit, with students and faculty tapping their toes to each original song.

“My favorite song to perform is

Vern Baldois flies a kite.

Metaphor,” Petersmark said, “because it’s slower and really harmony driven, which I think is really cool.”

The band had a similar beginning to many MCCC students; Petersmark said she and the rest of the band all met back in college.

“We’ve been playing in a band for about eight years now,” she said. “I was graduating and then everyone else was graduating and we just decided we were going to do it.”

Student Caitlyn Laura, 18, said she is a fan of the group’s music and has been listening to their songs since last year.

“It was nice of the band to come back because they were supposed to perform in the La-Z-Boy last year and it was cancelled,” Laura said, “so they came back for the BBQ, which was cool.

“The live music was a bonus. My favorite [song] is ‘Take Me to War.’” Laura is entering her second year at the college and hopes MCCC hosts anther welcome back event next year.

“The vibe of all of it was a really good atmosphere. I hope to see it again,” Laura said.

Music was not the only form of self-expression on campus. While some students walked around, playing games and eating food, others represented clubs and activities.

College students Jessica Stamper and Declan Landis represented the school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance.

“We’re hoping to find new members and spread the word about what we do, and our outreach program,” Stamper said.

Stamper works as the GSA’s secretary, and Landis as the club’s co-chair. Stamper hopes to acquire new interest in their group.

“We are a club that focuses a lot on very family-oriented activities, on bonding and safe spaces,” Stamper said. “We also focus on outreach.

“We visit other high schools and tell them about how to start a GSA, how to run a GSA, and we’ve been working with MCOP in the past to make homeless shelters more LGBT-inclusive.”

Clubs old and new were welcome at the event. Lauren Pillarelli, Administrative Assistant to Admissions & Guidance Services, represented the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

Pillarelli explained the group is trying to have a more active presence on campus. She then explained the benefits of joining the honor society.

“Students can join and then be as active or not active as a member,” Pillarelli said.

“Once you join [PTK] you are a member for life, and this goes on your resume.”

Kellie Lajiness, teacher of the school’s Ballroom Dance Club, was also in attendance.

“I founded the club in 2010 and it’s been going pretty strong,” Lajiness said.

“One of the main things we like to do is we hold a monthly party that’s open to the public in H139,” she said.

Photos by Vanessa Ray

A student speaks with members of the M.A.S.S. club at their table at the barbecue.

This month, the club will be hosting a Halloween-themed party on Sunday, October 21 from 5:00-7:00 p.m.

“We try to make it really affordable because ballroom can be really expensive so it’s $3 per person, or $5 and bring a friend,” Lajiness said.

“Monster Mash” will include the option to wear a costume, with fun prizes for the top three costumes.

The welcome back festivities featured several colorful kites and professional kite flyers.

Cajie D’Cunha, the school’s grant writer and coordinator, is hoping to introduce a new club to the campus; one that will fly and design kites.

Representing the activity were competitive kite flyers Roger Tompkins from Ypsilanti, Vern Baldois from Cleveland, and Gina Ignazzitto from Cleveland. “[Kite flying] is a great activity, great exercise and everyone in the kite field smiles and enjoys themselves,” said Ignazzitto.

Ignazzitto says she has enjoyed flying kites for 29 years. She, Baldois, and Tompkins are all members of the American Kite Association, and have flown kites all over the world.

“It elevates our spirits,” she said.

“I saw one of the kite flyers in Sterling State park a couple of weeks ago and I invited him over,” said D’Cunha.

D’Cunha welcomes any students interested in beginning this club to contact him.

“The whole idea was to generate interest and see if students would be interested because it is a lot more than flying kites. These guys actually design kites and there’s a lot of physics that go into it,” he said.

“This is a whole new world, y’know?”

The large, colorful kites soared through the air as The Crane Wives began their next song and students laughed over games and food.

“It seemed like everyone had a really good time,” Heizerling said.

Student Jesse Stamper, Gender and Sexuality Alliance secretary, worked at their table.

6 • Campus News

October 29, 2018

Agora/mcccagora.com

Sports clubs offer more for campus life Todd Salisbury Agora Staff

While MCCC does not have collegiate sports, students still have the chance to be active in sports on campus.

Students have organized a 5-on-5 basketball club as well as a volleyball club. The basketball club meets on Thursdays while the volleyball club meets on Mondays and Wednesdays. Both are at 7:30 p.m.

Megan McCaffery-Bezeau, the Fitness Center coordinator, assisted in organizing the basketball club.

“It’s a fairly relaxed league, but also competitive play, so there’s score keeping, but they call their own fouls,” she said.

Kyle Haener, the club president, took charge during the Winter 2018 Semester.

“We did it last winter and the participation definitely was higher this year, this fall semester,” Haener said.

The basketball club has between 50 and 60 participants who make up six teams, Haener said. Every week each team plays a game against a different opponent.

Games start with a jump ball at half court,

where a player from each team tries to tip the ball back to their teammates. The games consist of two 18-minute halves. A student assists by operating the scoreboard.

Four of the games this season have gone into overtime.

The club has a regular season of six weeks and will host a playoff. Teams will be seeded based on wins and losses.

First place may receive an award, possibly a small trophy, Haener said.

He also explained that while the deadline to sign a team up has passed, it is still possible to join as an individual player and be assigned to a team.

Volleyball has been on campus on-and-off since the 1970s.

Two years ago, the club started again and Lisa Schendel, administrative assistant to the Business Division, began assisting with organizing the volleyball club during the Winter 2017 Semester.

According to Schendel, it was slow to get off the ground.

“By the end of that semester, we had maybe eight to ten students that were participat-

Photo by Todd Salisbury

Volleyball club members play a game in the gymnasium in the H Building.

ing,” she said.

Schendel took over as the adviser during the Winter 2018 Semester.

The volleyball club had around 54 rotating members during the Winter Semester, Schendel said.

“This year, it’s been a little bit slower of a start. We’ve got probably around 12 to 18 active players showing up,” Schendel said.

While participation is lower, students still enjoy the club.

Tim Feaganes is a student who joined the club last year and is now the club treasurer.

“I think the best part about volleyball, for me at least, is I can bring my friends who go here and have fun,” he said.

Feaganes said he enjoys the lack of a strict schedule and the fact that the club is free.

He also discussed how, through the club, he has made new friends and now sees them outside of the club and school.

Jason Bean is one of the new members of the club and joined to meet new people.

“It's pretty fun; everyone here is pretty cool,” Bean said.

While the club is doing well, more participation is always appreciated.

“We want more students,” Schendel said.

“Anybody is welcome.

“All player levels; we do not discourage.

I will take the time to work with students on different skills if they want.”

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Agora/mcccagora.com

Campus News • 7

October 29, 2018

Footprints from the past

Left: Dan Shaw enjoys dinner with owner Sami at the Cana Wedding Guesthouse.

Right: A girl celebrates the sunrise on the summit of Mount Sinai.

MCCC professor plans talk on trip through the Holy Land Dan Shaw

I

Agora Adviser

’m not sure when I decided to share this trip with others.

I’ve traveled a lot, but I’ve never felt it necessary to schedule a room and invite the public.

Somewhere along the way, I realized this was different. The experiences were too poignant, too profound, too life-changing, to keep to ourselves.

Maybe it was when we stood at the summit of Mount Arbel, with cliffs falling below us and the Sea of Galilee spread out beyond, listening to the soft chords of a lone guitarist sending a familiar hymn into the wind.

Maybe it was the next day, standing on the Galilee shore, on the rock where Jesus told Peter to “feed my sheep.”

Or maybe on another summit, after climbing Mount Sinai, reaching to the sky as Moses must have.

My wife and I planned our own three-week trip through the Holy Land, mostly in Israel but also including stops in Jordan and Egypt.

We took mostly local transportation – buses, taxis and lots of walking, and mostly stayed in

guesthouses and hostels. That got us away from the tour groups and into the homes of real Palestinians – Jews, Christians and Muslims.

It meant a few scary moments, but many more heartwarming contacts with people who welcomed us into their homes and their communities.

Our trip was built around the Jesus Trail, a relatively new experience in the Galilee region of Israel, where Jesus spent most of his life.

We walked 40 miles in four days, following something like the route Jesus must have taken when he set out from Nazareth to Capernaum to begin his teaching.

The trail wove through meadows and forests, orchards and farm fields, villages and small cities.

At one point, it followed the high fence and barbed wire of a military base.

The first night was in Cana, where the first miracle was described. We spent another night at an Orthodox Jewish kibbutz – a glimpse into another culture. One night was at the base of Mount Arbel, which some scholars think is

the wilderness where Jesus spent 40 days praying.

The next day we climbed down the Cliffs of Arbel, with our backs to the spectacular view of the Sea of Galilee, as we held on to iron handholds driven into the side of the cliff.

The trail passed over the Mount of the Beatitudes, past the beach where Jesus fed the multitudes with a few loaves of bread and fish, and next to the village where Mary Magdalene lived.

At one point, it followed an ancient Roman road, with the stones still in place. Archaeologists think it was the main road east from Nazareth to Tiberius in Jesus’ time.

That would make it the single place where we most likely actual-

Talk set for Nov. 15

Walking the Jesus Trail (and other Holy Land adventures), a video and conversation with Dan and Kathy Shaw 12:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, in Room A173a.

ly walked in Jesus’ footsteps.

Of course, we also hit the obvious sites – the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, which marks the spot where Jesus was crucified and resurrected; the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, where Christ was born; and the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, where the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary.

We also made it to some of the important Jewish and Muslim sites, like the Wailing Wall and the Dome of the Rock. And we ventured into the desert for spectacular visits to ancient Petra in Jordan and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

I describe our trip as one-third pilgrimage, one-third adventure travel, and one-third typical American tourism.

I hope anyone interested in any of those three kinds of experiences will consider joining us on campus for a video and a conversation at either 12:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. Nov. 15, both sessions in Room A173a.

My wife, Kathy, and I are anxious to share our own life-changing moments with you.

Left: The Dome of the Rock, the third most holy site in the Muslim world, with the Mount of Olives in the background.

Right: Dan Shaw climbs down the Cliffs of Arbel, above the valley where Jesus did most of his teaching.

Agora/mcccagora.com

Campus News • 8

October 29, 2018

Wanderlust

by Alexandra Burt

As my soul beats against its cage, The rust of wind appealing, I cannot shake this feeling, Singing of sorrow and rage.

The sea as a briny mistress, Beckons me with her siren call, However entranced as her thrall, My corpse remains listless.

Poetry Night continues to be a hit Writing Center event given Halloween theme Rose Younglove

I awaken with open eyes, To the horizon lain before me, As my soul preps its wings, My broken heart flies.

My body follows its plea, Awaiting what freedom brings.

Agora Staff

Baked goodies, candy, costumes, and spooky poetry - what more could students ask for?

All of these were found at the Writing Fellows annual Poetry Night. Poetry Night is held twice a year, once in the fall once in the winter. Set up began at 6:30 p.m. and the event started at 7:00 p.m.

About 20 students attended the event, many of whom shared original poetry. Student Ryleigh Byrne read her Images submissions and her humorous writing. Her poem

of a man who died of a natural causes, a gunshot, had everyone laughing.

“He died of natural causes.

He was shot in the head and, naturally, he died,” Byrne said.

Aleija Rodriguez, head of the event committee, hosted the event alongside the decorative skeleton. The group jokingly named the skeleton as a competitor in the costume contest.

The winner of the costume contest, Kayla Maddox, receivied a large bucket of candy. The writing fellow Madwore a Hello Kitty costume and face makeup. Rodriguez

read several works of Edgar Allen Poe, including “The Raven.”

Modern poetry was also read, including excerpts of Brave New Voices. Brave New Voices is the largest spoken word festival of its kind. Students listened intently to verbal poems like “Somewhere in America” and “Rape Joke.”

Other writing fellows, such as Noah Black, read modern poetry by comedians. Students laughed as Black read excerpts from comedian Bo Burnham’s poetry book “Egghead.”

Photos by Rose Younglove

Top: Rodriguez’s bony co-host.

Middle: Spooky kitsch. Spookitsch?

Bottom: Students Kay Hodges, Kayla Maddox, and Jenna Magrum.

Former MCCC professor returns as visting artist Ted Vassar displays art, details history as artist Cheyanne Abel Agora Staff

Former MCCC professor Ted W. Vassar made an appearance on campus on Oct. 23 as a Visiting Artist.

Vassar, who retired in 2016 after 47 years of teaching, returned to the college to give a presentation of his artwork at the La-Z-Boy Center and discuss how he became the artist he is today.

Over the years, Vassar has made numerous pieces of artwork that have won many awards.

Vassar has used various mediums for creating pieces such as acrylic and oil paint, and while he states that he does not have a favorite medium of choice, he began to make watercolors known for their organic shapes in the early 1980s.

Known as the Linear Entanglement Series,

Vassar creates linear movement watercolors that have a unique twist.

Vassar stated that one day his grandchildren came home from McDonalds and had 3D glasses, so he put them on and decided to look at his paintings.

He noticed the effect the glasses had on his paintings created more depth, so he began painting compositions, toggling back and forth from regular view to checking his work with his new tool.

Vassar even threw in a pair of glasses for the buyer, because he said not all 3D glasses work, the viewer needs a special kind. When asked what kind he would prefer to use, he said the red and green lenses don’t work well, but the cheapest kind you can find do work.

Vassar was elected Board of Trustees to the Ohio Watercolor Society in 1999-2004 and became President in 2004, being reelected in

Photo by Cheyanne Abel

Vassar’s Linear Entanglement series will be on display in the library.

2006. He is also a member of Toledo Artist Club and Michigan Watercolor Society, where his paintings are signified in many collections.

His Linear Entanglement Series collection is made of many textures fused with watercolor. Some of the various items he uses to get his textures from include kosher salt, bubble wrap, and stencils.

Vassar states that he doesn’t plan his pieces like some artists do. For him, everything is trial and error.

“If it worked, I’ll leave it. If it doesn’t work, paint over it,” he said. “It’s only paint.”

Instead of taking a planned approach to his work, he likes to enjoy the journey and see where his imagination is going to lead him.

Vassar’s artwork is on display in the C Building’s library from Oct. 23 through Nov. 21.

3D glasses are provided and a live demonstration will be held on Nov. 20 at 5:30.

Agora/mcccagora.com

Campus News • 9

October 29, 2018

New marine biology course offered Tracy Rayl instructs Life in the Ocean

Todd Salisbury Agora Staff

Students at MCCC now have a chance to dive into the study of the oceans with a new course coming Winter 2019 Semester.

Life in the Ocean is an experimental Biology course taught by Tracy Rayl, assistant professor of Biology.

The course will be structured as a level-100 course and has no college-level prerequisites. It is open to majors and non-majors.

“It’s been something that’s always been in the back of my mind and now just seemed like the right time to move forward with it,” she said.

Rayl arrived at MCCC in Fall 1999, after working for the Department of Environmental Quality as a marine biologist at the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary in Louisiana.

While there, she assisted in writing a management plan to combat pollution and wetland loss that the estuary was facing.

“Estuaries are one of the marine

environments that we will cover in Life in the Ocean,” Rayl said. “I will be bringing that practical experience to the classroom.”

Rayl’s favorite.

The American eel is born in salt water, but swims back to fresh water during adolescence. After it has grown, it will then swim back to salt water to spawn. To switch befresh and salt water requires “I knew there was tween a metamorphosis. student interest. I Rayl said she also will talk about thought it would be careers that deal heavily with the environment. something different to ocean While there is no lab for the enhance our Biology course, Rayl said that she plans bringing in preserved sharks offerings. I’ve had on for the class to see, among other students already tell me activities. they’re going to take it” Rayl said it is also possible that the class may go to The Toledo Tracy Rayl Zoo and Aquarium to observe othAssitant Professor of Biology er animals that will be discussed.

The course also will discuss the impact of humans on the marine environment through issues of polAside from estuaries, the course lution and over-fishing. will cover topics such as marine According to the National Oceanimals, marine seaweeds and anic and Atmospheric Adminisplants, and specific ecosystems tration (NOAA), most pollution in like coral reefs. the ocean comes from activities on One such creature that will be land, both coastal and far inland. talked about is the American eel, One of the biggest sources are

Photo by Todd Salisbury

A display in the Life Sciences Building promotes the new Marine Biology class.

Photos courtesy of Tracy Rayl

A sperm whale is seen coming out of the water off the coast of New Zealand.

runoff from a collection of small sources like farms, trucks, and septic tanks.

Other forms of pollution come from point sources like oil spills or leaks from damaged factories and water treatment centers.

“Even though we live in Michigan and it seems like we’re so far away from the Atlantic Ocean, which is closest to us, we’re actually tied to the ocean every single day of our life,” Rayl said.

Our oceans do much for us, from providing the food we eat, to medicines, and of course recreational tourism.

“The economic health of the United States is tied to the oceans that surround this country,” Rayl said.

According to the UN’s maritime regulatory sector, the International Maritime Organization, maritime transport accounts for over 90 percent of the world’s trade and is the most cost-effective way to move goods around the world.

Much of the ocean is undiscovered, according to the NOAA. The ocean covers more than 70 percent of the world, but roughly 80 percent of the ocean is unmapped and unexplored.

Discussion of the course started during the Winter 2017 Semester and was approved by spring, Rayl said.

Kevin Cooper, dean of the Science and Mathematics Division, was excited about the new course.

“I knew there was student interest,” Cooper said. “I thought it would be something different to

enhance our Biology offerings.”

Rayl said she already has received emails from eager students with questions about the course.

“I think students need to register right away for it,” she said.

If the course has good results, it can be taught up to two more times as a special topic before the college would have to decide on making it a permanent course, Rayl said.

Rayl spotted dusky dolphins in the South Pacific Ocean.

-

y k o o Student Government Sp 10 • Campus News

October 29, 2018

Agora/mcccagora.com

Student Government sponsors Halloween events, decorates campus

Rose Younglove Agora Staff

As temperatures drop and Student Government works the night away, their sponsored Halloween party approaches.

This autumn, Student Government planned several festivities including the Welcome Back Fall Barbecue, decorating the campus for fall, Trunk or Treating, and the new Halloween party.

Students also are looking forward to a new and improved Halloween event, the Blacklight Boo Bash.

The event will take place on Friday, Nov. 2 from 7-11 p.m. in the “The Cellar” in the A Building. Another Halloween event, Trunk or Treat, was a Student Government event focused on the children of Monroe.

The event, held Oct. 26, featured games in the gymnasium and candy. Car trunks were covered in spooky decorations as candy was given to young trick-or-treaters.

Not only were the gym and parking lot decorated for Halloween, but the rest of the campus was also decorated.

Student Government partnered with Life Bridge Church for the Trunk or Treat.

The Blacklight Boo Bash is one of many events by government members, and students are eager for more.

Student Chelsea Belair, 20, says she is looking forward to what Student Government will bring to MCCC. “I hope that new Student Government members will bring fresh and unique ideas for the student body,” Belair said.

President of the club, Samantha Beaudrie, says this will be the first time they have held the event in four years.

Photos by Rose Younglove

Above: a simple, yet effective, costume - a plague doctor mask paired with a witch hat.

Right: a special MCCC Jack-o’-Lantern.

“Miranda (Benardo) and I are co-chairing the event and I think it is going to be a really fun event for students to come and dress up for Halloween,” Beaudrie said.

The holiday is popular among students.

The October chill, music, candy apples and hot cider are some of the favorites.

“I always look forward to Halloween,” Belair said.

Participants at the event will also have the opportunity to win prizes. The winning students will each receive a gift card in the costume contest: $30 for first place, $20 for second place, and $10 for third place.

The party will provide pizza, lemonade, punch, and other snacks as students dance the night away to music provided by DJ Martin.

“School events are a great way to meet people,” Belair said. “And celebrating Halloween is so much fun!”

Student Government member Miranda Benardo will be co-chairing the event with

Above: a Tyrannosaurus rex queues for candy alongside others at the Trunk or Treat.

Right: Disney costumes abound as Merida gives Mr. Incredible some treats.

Beaudrie. Benardo said she is looking forward to seeing students getting involved and having fun.

“I think it’s really important to have activities for students to attend and just let lose sometimes,” she said.

“It’s an opportunity for students to take a break from their studies and let go of some stress.”

The event will have music by DJ Martin.

Benardo said Martin was the DJ for the Sweetheart Ball and has played other college events.

“We can expect a variety of music from him,” Benardo said, “from current music to some good throwbacks. Since it is a Halloween bash we can assume that there might be some Halloween songs in the mix, like

Thriller for example. Mainly songs that students will want to move to.”

Admission is $5, or $2 and a canned food item for those in need.

The canned food items will be donated to Oaks of Righteousness, a local community service group that Student Government has worked with previously.

These fall activities are some of Benardo’s favorite aspects of Halloween, she said. She listed the apple orchards, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, haunted houses, and trick or treating.

“Halloween brings everyone an opportunity to step out of their shoes for a day and be whoever they want to be,” said Benardo.

Agora/mcccagora.com

Election 2018 • 11

October 29, 2018

Candidates discuss tuition, enrollment Vanessa Ray Agora Staff

The MCCC Board of Trustees is replacing two seats.

To help residents with their decision at the ballot box Nov. 6, a forum was held Thursday evening in the A Building.

Last month, Dr. Edward Feldman was appointed to temporarily fill the vacancy created by the June 27 resignation of Marjorie Kreps.

Feldman is not running for re-election, and the remainder of his term expires Dec. 31.

The board opted not to make an appointment to serve out the remaining term of the late Dr. James DeVries, who died Sept. 13.

That board seat also expires on Dec. 31.

Two new trustees will be elected for sixyear terms beginning Jan. 1.

The seven candidates currently vying for the two spots are Florence Buchanan, David Heilman, David Kubiske, Krista Lambrix, Darrell Moore, Jack Schwab, and Gerald Williams – and all candidates but Buchanan were present for the forum.

Photo by Vanessa Ray

Board of Trustees candidates, from left, Gerald Williams, Jack Schwab, Darrell Moore, Krista Lambrix, David Kubiske, and David Heilman.

MCCC student Joseph Manley moderated the event, asking questions submitted by both student organizations and members of the crowd.

Enrollment, tuition, and online classes

were the hot-button issues of the evening.

“Looking at enrollment is the number one need,” Moore said. “We need to utilize the technical colleges and offer more classes.”

If the college wants to increase enrollment,

Lambrix said more online classes is one of the first places the school needs to start.

“The college needs to offer a full online degree,” Lambrix said. “There are many in

Continued on Page 11

Recreational marijuana legalization up for vote Continued from Page 1 Melissa Grey, professor of Psychology, mostly agrees with Naber.

“Criminalization is not an effective preventive or treatment approach for marijuana use problems,” she says in an email. “It is also understandable to have concerns about the potential for marijuana abuse or other negative consequences from its use.

“I emphasize that all communities in Michigan need and deserve to have affordable access to substance abuse treatment and mental health care.”

Students’ opinions are more mixed.

“Recreational marijuana… that’s more of a moral topic,” student Claire Bechard says. “It’s hard for the federal or state governments to judge how much is recreational or how much is overuse.”

On the other hand, she does see the overall benefits.

“I think the legalization of marijuana will lead to benefits in our community,” she says. “It obviously has helped the cities that have legalized it. It’ll help our tax reform, and hopefully that’ll lead to improvements in our city and our roads.”

Middle college student Mia Frost doesn’t feel strongly about

recreational use.

“I don’t use it recreationally, though I do have friends that do it,” she says. “I’m unopinionated about it.”

Megan McCartney, another student, feels it’s more an issue of “to each their own.”

“Personally, when I was a kid I used to smoke it to get high. As an adult, I don’t,” she says. “But I think there are people out there who feel they need it for whatever reason – relaxation or whatever – and hey, this is free America.

“It was legal before, why isn’t it legal now?” she added.

McCartney is referring to the period before the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, which nationally outlawed marijuana. Prior to that, states had been listing it as a poison as early as 1906, despite evidence to the contrary.

Much like Naber and Grey, McCartney feels that criminalization does little.

“Compared to some of the other crimes that are out there, marijuana is the least of our concerns here in Michigan,” she says. “We have bigger fish to fry, like sex trafficking, the opioid epidemic, and things of that nature.

“Furthermore, it’s pertinent for people like myself who’ve had sig-

nificant medical issues in the past.”

McCartney explains that she has had back surgery and sustained damage to her nervous system.

Medical marijuana has helped her far more than prescription opioids, the latter of which ended up becoming an addiction that doctors jumped through hoops to fix at great insurance cost.

Middle college student Olivia Gould, meanwhile, isn’t as happy with the idea of legalization.

“I’m not a fan of it for recreational use,” she says, “but I guess it’s okay if people within the age limit are doing it within the confines of the rules.”

The biggest voice of opposition on campus comes from Kojo Quartey, MCCC’s president.

“Aside from the deleterious or harmful effects of marijuana that can be harmful to individuals, let me tell you a personal story,” he says.

Quartey details a story of five friends from his soccer team who smoked weed. For them, it was a gateway drug to harder substances like cocaine.

“They began with smoking marijuana, then they laced it with other drugs like cocaine or whatever you could lace marijuana with,” he says. “Five of those individuals began to have mental issues, and

then, you know where they are now?

“All five of my friends are dead because it was a gateway to other forms of drug use! That’s a personal story from me.”

Lacing marijuana with other drugs, such as cocaine, embalming fluid, or ketamine, among others, is usually done to produce specific psychoactive affects according to the American Addiction Centers.

However, their website goes on to explain that, at least in the case of cocaine, the lacing is almost always done by the user, not the seller. Recorded incidents of sellers lacing cocaine into marijuana are not common.

As for marijuana being a gateway drug, things are more interesting.

“Reassessing the marijuana gateway effect,” a scientific study

by Andrew Morral, Daniel McCaffrey, and Susan Paddock, says that marijuana can be a gateway drug, but not for the reasons one would assume.

The study, funded by the RAND Corporation’s Drug Policy Research Center, gives multiple reasons why they came to the conclusion, but the most pertinent would be this.

“Something like a marijuana gateway effect probably does ex-

ist,” the article says, “if only because marijuana purchases bring users into contact with a black market that also increases access to hard drugs.”

Legalizing marijuana would certainly solve that problem.

Most other resulting problems of legalizing it could be mitigated by a clause within the proposal.

Cities could choose whether or not their municipality allows marijuana-selling businesses.

The proposal also allows up to 12 marijuana plants to be grown in the home. Any marijuana sold would be subject to a 10 percent tax, plus the existing 6 percent sales tax.

The tax revenue will be split three ways – 35 percent will go to education, another 35 percent to road upkeep, and the remaining 30 percent to municipalities and counties with marijuana businesses.

An anti-marijuana rally was held Oct. 25 on the MCCC campus. It was attended by almost 40 people, including former state Sen. Randy Richardville, Monroe Mayor Bob Clark, and MCCC Board of Trustees Chairwoman Annette Dowler.

A community panel on the topic will be held in the A Building’s dining room from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 30.

12 • Election 2018

October 29, 2018

Agora/mcccagora.com

56th District race heats up Maya Gaynier Agora Staff

Citizens of the 56th District in Monroe County will be voting for a State Representative Nov. 6.

Incumbent Jason Sheppard, R-Temperance and his opponent Ernie Whiteside have been competing for votes.

Jason Sheppard and his wife of 16 years Melissa, live in Temperance with their St. Bernard, Daisy May. Ernie Whiteside, and his wife Delia live in Monroe with three of their six children.

Sheppard was a two-term County Commissioner for the 8th District then two-term 56th District State Representative.

Whiteside began his political endeavors as a Libertarian but felt real change could not occur unless they were getting people elected.

Whiteside started aligning himself with the Democratic party as he felt they were passionate and desired good outcomes.

Since then, Whiteside has been very active in the party. He has been the chair of the local progressive club, treasurer for the Monroe County Democratic Party, and has held an alternate seat on the Monroe County Board of Canvassers for five years.

Sheppard feels being the State Representative for a third and final term will allow him to accomplish many of his goals for the district.

“I still have unfinished business that needs to be done,” Sheppard said. “I feel that we’re getting to that point where some of the things I’ve wanted to accomplish will come to fruition.”

Whiteside said he is running for state Representative in order for Democrats to have a voice in the capital.

Sheppard and Whiteside are both working towards finding more money to fund Mon-

roe County’s roads.

Sheppard is all for a possible increase in the sales tax, if it were designated strictly for roads.

Whiteside feels the roads cannot be improved until the tax structure is improved.

“We are failing to tax appropriately,” Whiteside said.

Additionally, Whiteside wishes for Michigan to stop earmarking funds for the road.

“The roads just have to be maintained and I don’t think we should allow ourselves to be shackled by earmarks and those kinds of fake limitations,” Whiteside said.

Both Whiteside and Sheppard have strong opinions about legalizing marijuana.

“I’m in favor of it,” Whiteside said. “It’s not that I’m in favor of people using marijuana recreationally, I’m opposed to people going to jail for it, their careers ruined for it, losing their driver’s licenses for it.”

Sheppard, however, feels this ballot proposal has too many flaws and needs to be restructured.

“This particular ballot proposal is wrought with some issues that we have to deal with because there’s no structure,” Sheppard.

Both men also have diverging views when it comes to funding college.

Whiteside supports free tuition for students and working on how this could be made possible.

“Free to the student and free to the parents.

I’m 100% with that,” Whiteside said. “But it still has to be paid for and we have to have a payment model.”

Sheppard disagrees, saying students need to be invested in their education. However, he agrees the college system should be restructured.

“I would like to see some structure for students who cannot afford it to be able to get

Photos by Vanessa Ray

Jason Sheppard (left), R-Temperance, and Ernie Whiteside talk during a candidates forum in the Meyer Theater last month

the college that they need,” Sheppard said.

“But also be in a job market where they can pay that back.”

Whiteside also wants the students at MCCC to be mindful of intergenerational oppression. He feels the older generation is receiving benefits the younger generation will never have the opportunity to receive.

“Intergenerational oppression is the social

injustice I would be most worried about if I was a college student,” Whiteside stressed.

Sheppard would like students to know he loves working with MCCC. “I was very happy to get in our budget last term,” Sheppard said. “The funding needed to do the renovations that you see going on around here with the state dollars that were needed.”

Candidates push for online, night classes Continued from Page 10 this county who cannot get to a physical classroom.

Kubiske said, in addition to online classes, the school should investigate offering more night and even weekend classes.

“There is a whole untapped section of the community who might attend MCCC if there were class offerings which coincided with their jobs,” Kubiske said. “There are people who would like a chance to move forward.”

Heilman said the board needs to assess the needs for both traditional and non-traditional students, and work with them while staying current.

“I know that present and future needs look much different than past decades,” Heilman

said. “Keeping the college current and teaching need-based and STEM classes is what we need to look at.”

Williams said his experience teaching in a lower socio-economic area showed him the importance of an affordable education.

“We need to keep our tuition affordable and attainable,” Williams said.

He also discussed the possible effects the looming DTE tax cuts might have on tuition.

Though much of the evening was spent discussing change, the quality of MCCC’s professors was something all six candidates could agree on.

“One of the best parts of this college is the professors,” Schwab said. “We have excellent professors who chose MCCC because their first love is teaching.”

Student Government members Emma Hoffman (left) and Katilyn Chadwell listen to the candidates speak about the cost of tuition at MCCC.

Agora/mcccagora.com

October 29, 2018

Election 2018 • 13

Fate of gerrymandering up for vote Lydia Sandefur For the Agora

This November, Michigan voters will be given the opportunity to choose how their vote counts.

Voting districts are drawn every 10 years after the U.S. Census is tallied, and in many states, including Michigan, these districts are drawn by the Legislature.

Because of their desire to stay in office, many people fear politicians often create districts in which their party is more likely to win.

This process is called gerrymandering and, according to a Princeton study, both major political parties are guilty of it.

According to Emma Winowiecki of Michigan Radio, Michigan has become one of the most gerrymandered states in the country.

“Democrats won over half of the votes for state House in 2016,” Winowiecki said. “But Republicans won most of the seats.”

Michgan Republican’s redrew district lines in 2010.

MCCC student Aleija Rodriguez says the problem needs to be addressed.

“Gerrymandering has become a national epidemic that has received some attention but is being blockaded by most politicians,” he said. “It unfairly turns districts into colors instead of people and determines the winners of elections long before the election itself is held.”

The group Voters Not Politicians has led the effort to change the tide on the issue of gerrymandering.

They have proposed a change to the state constitution which removes the redistricting power from the politicians and puts it in the hands of an independent commission.

This change will be up for vote as Proposal 2 on Nov. 6.

According to the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, the proposed commission would consist of four Democrat-affiliated, four Republican-affiliated, and five independent members, all randomly selected and

Michigan’s oddly-shaped 14th congressional district, is one example of political gerrymandering. overseen by the Secretary of State.

The commissioners cannot be elected officials, nor can they run as an elected official.

In addition, they cannot run for office for five years after their appointment to the commission.

The commissioners are not required to have any political or policy experience, they are simply supposed to represent the general population of Michigan.

While Proposal 2 eliminates the legislature from the redistricting process, the role of the Secretary of State will expand.

Not only will the Secretary of State oversee the selection process for commissioners, he or she will also act as a non-voting member of the commission tasked with determining the logistics of the redistricting and pro-

viding technical support to the commission.

In addition to the Secretary of State, commissioners will also be allowed to hire consultants and staff to help collect and analyze the data while planning.

The proposal also requires a minimum of 15 public hearings throughout the one-year allotted planning period.

This is to ensure that the public has input and that the commission is well informed while making their decisions.

All of this does come at a cost.

James Lancaster, an attorney representing Voters Not Politicians detailed some of the expected costs in an interview with Paul Egan of the Detroit Free Press “The commission is expected to cost at

least an extra $5.5 million a year,” Lancaster said. “Based on a formula by which an amount equal to 25% of the current budget of the Michigan Secretary of State would be appropriated to support its work.”

An analysis by the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan concludes the proposal gives the citizens an important choice about the redistricting process.

“The changes set about in Proposal 2 pose a choice to voters of what is more important in redistricting; transparency and imposition against bias, or accountability and efficiency. The amendment would improve voters’ access to the redistricting process.”

MCCC student Joseph Manley agrees with the proposal, especially the importance of the strength of the individual vote.

“I believe giving redistricting power to an independent committee, over partisan legislatures, brings more strength to an individual’s vote,” Manley said. “The current system has had a history of politicians drawing districts in a way that benefits them and their party during elections.

“Independent redistricting attempts to remove partisan agendas from the equation.

Proposal 2 gives more Michiganders the chance to have representational congresspeople and give the rest of the nation something to follow.”

While to many, Proposal 2 is a welcomed change, it is not without opposition.

A lawsuit by a group backed by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce claimed the changes the proposal would make to the constitution would be too broad.

They say such a change should only be made at a constitutional convention.

According to Michigan Radio, a lawsuit was taken to the Michigan Supreme Court, which ruled 4-3 against the argument, ensuring the proposal’s spot on the ballot.

Whether or not Proposal 2 will be accepted is to be determined by Michiganders on Nov. 6.

Lara Trump campaigns for Sen. Tim Walberg in Monroe Agora Staff

Senior adviser to the Trump campaign, Lara Trump, came to speak in Downtown Monroe Tuesday Oct. 23.

Accompanied by two secret service agents, the President’s daughter-in-law addressed a full house at the Republican Headquarters.

According to Trump, Republican-led policies her father-in-law and Congress have pushed helped Michigan get back on its feet.

She added that one new unnamed plant is coming to Michigan and will bring with it 3,000 new jobs.

After her speech, Trump spent a good 20 mins. shaking supporters hands before being wisked away to her next stop.

Photos by Vanessa Ray

Lara Trump listens while Sen. Tim Walberg (left), R-Tipton, speaks at a campaign rally stop at Republican heaquarters in Monroe. Lara Trump speaks (right) to a room full of supporters on the importance of voting for her father-in-laws party.

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The Good, the Bad, and the Titanically Ugly “Attack on Titan” shows more than simple good vs. evil fight Vanessa Ray Agora Staff

What’s in the basement?

The question that’s been plaguing “anime-onlies” since the first episode of “Attack on Titan” (AoT) aired back in 2013, is on its way to being answered this season.

Unfortunately, due to a delay, fans are going to have to wait just a little bit longer.

At the end of episode 49’s “glitchy” ED, Wit Studios informed fans they would be taking a short break, with the second half of season three starting up again in April 2019.

There have long been speculations if season three was going to be a split cour, however, it was not officially confirmed until last week.

So far, episodes 38-49, the Uprising Arc, have aired, and I, like most who have read the manga, am eagerly awaiting episodes 5061, the Return to Shiganshina Arc. Warning: From here on out there will be both anime and manga spoilers. Anime spoilers will go through episode 49, and manga spoilers will cover up to chapter 72.

A little recap for those who haven’t watched the anime/read the manga in a while or at all.

In the world of AoT, man-eating titans have taken over and humanity has locked itself up behind three concentric walls – walls Maria, Rose, and Sina. The only hope those behind the wall have is a small group of elite soldiers called the Survey Corps, whose job is to go beyond the walls to fight the titans.

AoT begins as a very cliched Shonen anime, with the young protagonist, Eren Jaeger, who, after watching as his mother is devoured, makes a promise to “kill all the titans.” He’s edgy, hot-headed, and motivated solely by revenge.

Eren starts off as the type of character avid anime watchers have seen multiple times before, and is no different than Luffy from “One Piece,” Ichigo from “Bleach,” or Goku from “Dragonball.”

The worldview in the beginning of AoT is very black and white, with obvious lines drawn between good and evil. The audience is led to believe every bad guy is intrinsically malevolent, and the virtuous heroes will prevail. It is rife with the idealistic markings of the standard Shonen anime.

However, we soon learn AoT is not a good versus evil story. The world our protagonists inhibit is cruel and unrelenting, and as you watch the first season and move into the second, you begin to realize you are, in fact, watching a Seinen series.

Season one and two are full of moral ambiguity and mind-blowing reveals. The complexity of the entire 104th and their development is what makes us care about their safety.

Jean Kirstein, the cocky, selfish jerk who originally hated Eren due to his closeness with Jean’s crush, Mikasa Ackerman, ends up turning his back on an easy life in the Military Police – his whole reason for join-

ing the military, in favor of fighting the titans with the Survey Corps.

Fan favorites Reiner, Annie, and Bertolt, all ranking high in the initial fan poll, turn out to be the ones who destroyed the wall.

Going into the third season, class differences and economic disparity as well as bigotry and othering are tackled.

Through it all, the question of who really is good, or could anyone be good or evil given the circumstances, hangs over the story.

One of the best aspects in all of AoT is witnessing the change in Eren, which starts in episode five. The day after graduating training, the Colossal Titan – the one who kicked in the wall of Eren’s hometown of Shiganshina – shows up.

With titans pouring in, Eren, confident in both his and his comrades abilities, orders his squad to move out. His idealistic worldview and belief he will “kill all the titans” is quickly destroyed when his squad is promptly wiped out and he is swallowed alive.

Inside the stomach of the titan, Eren screams in desperation. He doesn’t understand how it all happened – how he is going to die without killing a single titan.

Even though Eren survives the ordeal due

to his abilities as a titan-shifter, we find out quickly that anyone can die, and in the cruel world of AoT, ideals are meaningless. What matters is fighting for survival.

One of the most famous lines in the anime is spoken by Mikasa while the woman “worth 100 soldiers” is trying to spur the rest of the 104th into action.

“If I win, I’ll live; if I don’t, I’ll die,” she stoically states to her shell-shocked comrades.

“But if I don’t fight, I can’t win, so fight!”

Watching Eren develop from a simple, idealistic, and righteous hothead into a complicated, pragmatic, and at times ruthless character is the reason he is my all-time favorite protagonist.

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October 29, 2018

Arts & Entertainment • 15

‘Last Man Standing’ returns to airwaves Maya Gaynier Agora Staff

The much-anticipated sitcom “Last Man Standing” is back from the dead.

Last Man Standing first premiered on ABC in October of 2011. This sitcom ran for 6 seasons before being cancelled.

“Last Man Standing” has returned this fall and premiered its seventh season on FOX. When the show was canceled, a petition from fans spec-

ulated that it was because of the conservative views of the main character Mike Baxter, played by Tim Allen. “‘Last Man Standing’ is one of the only shows on broadcast television, and the only sitcom, that is not constantly shoving liberal ideals down the throats of the viewers. And sadly, that is likely the real reason the show has been cancelled,” the petition stated.

However, ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey explains the real reason why the show was canceled.

Despite differing political views, the cast of “Last Man Standing” are portrayed as getting along.

She said scheduling, ratings, critical acclaim, and ownership were all considered when canceling the show. Dungey stressed that political views were not considered in the decision to cancel the show.

“I wouldn’t say that was the deciding factor,” she said.

The premiere episode drew eight million viewers, a number that had not been reached since season four. Additionally, it was FOX’s most-watched comedy on any night in almost seven years.

However, fans have mixed reactions to this reboot.

One area of displeasure involves the recasting of Mandy Baxter, the middle daughter on the show. This was a big change, as fans had grown to love the actress in the original six seasons. Unhappy viewers sent many negative messages to the new actress, Molly McCook, including the hashtag #NotMyMandy.

McCook spoke out against these negative reactions.

“The people who are trolling and being very negative are never going to be happy with such a big change,” she said. “But the hardcore fans of the show have been extremely supportive, which was so helpful.”

Despite the political comments on the show, fans find the family aspect more important. “‘Last Man Standing’ was not just selling conservative ideals though as some of the characters in the show are clearly of the liberal persuasion,” the petition stated, “yet the characters on the show all manage to get along and take care of one another despite their politically opposed views.

“The show is about more than politics though, it is about family.”

Nancy Travis, who plays Vanessa Baxter, also stressed the importance of the family aspect on Last Man Standing.

“We’re a show about a family who has different viewpoints and that family still manages to find their way to each other and be a family,” she said.

‘Attack on Titan’ takes on corrupt government Continued from Page 15 For those who loved all the titan fighting and gore of season one and two, the first part of season three, with the new squad Levi taking on the corrupt government, might sound boring – however, it is anything but.

As an avid reader of the manga, I would encourage anyone who has only watched the anime to take this time during the break and start reading the manga.

The manga is released every month in Bessatsu Shonen in Japan and is available on sites like Crunchyroll and Amazon on the eighth or ninth every month.

It is currently on chapter 110 and the twelfth episode of season three ends with chapter 72.

There is so much nuance and brilliance in Hajime Isayama’s manga. If I just watched the anime without reading the manga, I don’t know if I would love it as much as I do.

Seeing how deliberate Isayama is with his characterizations, and the amount of care he puts into crafting his story, has been one of the great joys of reading the manga. Not to mention it’s a lot of fun to be one of those super cool manga readers who says “that didn’t happen in the manga!” a million times every episode.

While I wanted to focus this review on both the anime and manga, I would be remiss to not at least mention my displeasure with the way Wit has handled this season.

AoT is one of the most popular anime of all time – second

only to “Death Note,” and above the likes of colossal hits like “Naruto,” “Code Geass,” and “One-Punch Man.” Its manga sales rival “One Piece,” something many thought no contemporary manga would ever do.

With that kind of worldwide acclaim, there is absolutely no excuse for Wit’s lack of transparency and communication.

Had it not been for Japanese fans showing their version of

TV Guide, no one would have known I cannot think of a single other large or even mid-level anime where something like this happened.

Wit has had issues from the start, and I truly hope they take these next few months to get it together, because AoT has the potential to be one of the best anime of all time.

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