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January 13, 2014 Volume 20, Issue 11
The student publication of Washtenaw Community College Ann Arbor, Michigan
Counseling Department changes course More specialization in counselors needed to better serve students
By MARIA RIGOU Editor
Washtenaw Community College’s Counseling Department is undergoing some major changes that will possibly affect the student body, starting this month. In a statement to the Board of Trustees on the Nov. 26 meeting, Jennifer Baker, president of the faculty union, recognized that there is a need for more support staff in counseling. “The faculty have been raising the need for more counselors for some time now,” Baker said. “Yesterday we Jennifer Baker were informed that we will be hiring one replacement counselor. Instead of additional counselors, the administration’s current plan is to replace two previous counseling positions with full-time advisers at the lowest level possible by the terms of our contract.” In April of this year, WCC President Dr. Rose Bellanca promised that she would hire three new staff members to replace the division counselors that the college has lost through retirements. In July, the faculty union was told that instead of hiring new counselors, the current full-time licensed counselors would be moved to the divisions, leaving no licensed counselors in the Counseling Center, according
Deep freeze
A polar vortex brought more than a foot of snow and the coldest air in decades to the region last week.
KELLY BRACHA | WASHTENAW VOICE
Arctic weather benumbs school-bound students in their tracks cars out of more than a foot of snow, calling tow trucks and ravaging grocery stores on Saturday to stock up Winter break is a time to kick for the week were probably the last back, relax and escape the worries things on students’ to-do lists for their of stressful student life. But this final days off. Those who needed to get to school year, a polar vortex that hit last week brought not only piles of snow to meet with an adviser, register for and bitterly cold air, but also anxi- classes or buy their books found it ety and frustration to students as nearly impossible with hazardous driving conditions and sub-zero temthey prepare to return to classes. Killing hours while stuck in air- peratures that prevented salted roads ports around the country, digging from thawing. By NATALIE WRIGHT Managing Editor
Students who were out of town visiting family and friends for the holidays ran into obstacles when they tried to return home during, and in the aftermath, of the storm. Road conditions were dangerous, buses and trains stopped short of their destinations, or didn’t run at all. And across the country 13,801 flights were cancelled and 66,400 delayed between Sunday and Wednesday, according to Flightaware. com, a website that tracks flight status and statistics.
At Detroit Metro Airport, 355 flights that were expected to arrive in the four-day stretch never departed, and 516 were delayed. On Wednesday, hundreds of unclaimed lost bags were lined up in the baggage claim area, and relieved travelers could be heard swapping war stories from their battles with the airlines. Chicago and St. Louis, connecting FREEZE CONTINUED A3
Cold shoulder WCC remained open despite the frigid cold
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Farewell to a man of many hats — and a feather in one
What remains of Happy’s Pizza. A fire engulfed the Main Street pizza joint last Tuesday at about 2 a.m. KELLY BRACHA | WASHTENAW VOICE Strolling through the snow-covered campus in sub-zero temperatures last week. KELLY BRACHA | WASHTENAW VOICE
By NATALIE WRIGHT
By MARIA RIGOU
Washtenaw Community College bid adieu to one of its most versatile administrators last week. Faculty and staff gathered in the Morris Lawrence building Thursday afternoon to say goodbye to Ross Gordon, director of Career Services, and to reminisce on his successes Ross Gordon and stand-out personality. Those who worked closely with Gordon were quick to comment on his enthusiasm for his job. “His energy level is outstanding,” WCC President Rose Bellanca said. “And he has just done so much for the school and the students.” Gordon began his tenure at the college in 2009 when he was hired as a curriculum specialist, a temporary assignment. In the almost five
While many other schools and public agencies were closed, Washtenaw Community College’s main campus remained open on Tuesday, Jan. 7, and Wednesday, Jan. 8, despite the weather alert warnings of record low temperatures caused by a polar vortex. Ann Arbor Public Schools system and Eastern Michigan University closed Tuesday due to inclement weather, as well as the WCC Livingston extension site. The Brighton and Dexter extension sites had been closed Monday through Wednesday; they belong to the public school system, which closed because of the weather for three days in a row. WCC’s President Dr. Rose B. Bellanca and her leadership team decided that campus was to remain open last Tuesday. The winter semester in-service for all faculty and staff was held on the main campus. According to Jason Morgan, director of government and media relations, the college does not have a specific policy on cold-weather closure, and it is analyzed on a
Managing Editor
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case-by-case scenario. The policy differs from the public school system, where there might be students waiting for the bus in the extreme temperatures, explained Morgan. “WCC closed on Monday (Jan. 6) because the roads were horrible,” Morgan said. “The city, county and court systems were also closed Monday.” Despite the college remaining open, employees were asked to analyze their options. “Employees should stay home if they do not feel safe driving to school,” Morgan said. “(We have employees that) live out in the country and stayed home, maybe because they were snowed-in or maybe because the roads were not safe.” Morgan recognized that the Washtenaw County Road Commission did a great job in plowing the roads just outside WCC. Regardless, students and faculty needed the extra day to finish registration processes. Tuition payment deadline was moved from Jan. 6 to Jan. 7 due to the college’s Monday closure. “It’s good to me… I needed it open NONCLOSURE CONTINUED A3
Fire meets ice Firefighters struggled to quell blazes in cold By ALAINA O’CONNOR Staff Writer
Thick black smoke pierced the frigid air as Happy’s Pizza, the oncebustling late-night eatery frequented by students, locals and game-day out-of-towners, was consumed by flames and burned to the ground. Arctic temperatures, chilling winds and icy conditions the night of Jan. 7 hampered efforts when the Ann Arbor Fire Department arrived on the 600 block of South Main St. just before 2 a.m., armed with trucks, hoses and nozzles. Everything froze during the battle that ended owner Mike Saffo’s family pizza business. “I could see the smoke from my bedroom window,” said University of Michigan student Sarah Dries, 21, who rents an efficiency on East Jefferson, just a block away from where Happy’s Pizza once stood. “It sucks that it’s gone.”
Portable heaters were brought to the scene in an attempt to de-ice the frozen equipment and U-M donated one of its buses to convert into a makeshift warming center for the emergency workers. After several hours, crews attempted to pull firefighters and emergency works out of the building when it became clear that the restaurant was lost. The only thing left to do was to prevent the fire from spreading to other business. “We managed to put out the blaze later in the day,” said Acting Battalion Chief Derek Wiseley, who fought at the scene. According to Wiseley, city crews were out putting down sand and salt hoping to remove the ice formed by the massive amount of water that sprayed the roads, sidewalks and surrounding structures. FIRE CONTINUED A3
Misfit students form community in the SC.
Why you will fall in love with “Her”
Skip classes? It’s costing you more than you think.
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January 13, 2014
The Washtenaw Voice
Walsh grads see great old brands up to new tricks. We love our pets. In 2012, Americans spent $53 billion on pet food, supplies, over-the-counter medicine, vet care, and designer products like Paul Mitchell dog shampoo, Omaha Steaks pet treats, and Harley Davidson collars. What pets are most popular? Freshwater fish, then cats and dogs and birds, oh my. Walsh grads see business in everything, and impact great companies everywhere. See more at livebreathebusiness.org/DogTreat. ®The yellow notebook design is a registered trademark of Walsh College. And the campaign is a creation of Perich Advertising + Design. Thanks to the fine folks at Walsh for letting us say so.
Ticket: U of M Hockey Games! Penn State and Ohio State
Only $10 February 21st and 28th 6:30p.m. Yost Ice Arena Purchase tickets at the Cashier’s Office
Ticket: Skate at Yost!
Bring your friends and family! Ticket includes: Pizza or hotdogs/pop Optional skate rental $1 Only $5 th March 8 Yost Ice Arena Purchase tickets at the Cashier’s Office
Make it take it: Cookies Wednesday, January 15 Noon – 1p.m. SC Community Room We’ll provide the cookies, you provide the creativity! Winter Welcome Day
Wednesday, January 22, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Food! Fun! Freebies! SC 1st floor & 2nd floors Learn about clubs and WCC departments while picking up freebies! .
Career Services Series
Improve your odds and get the job! January 27, 28, 29 SC 1st floor & 2nd floors Learn how to improve your resume, interviewing skills, and job search! .
Talent Show Auditions
Darwin: Beetles, Books and Blasphemy Join Biology Professor David Wooten for an insightful and unique seminar on the legacy of Charles Darwin. February 12, 2014 Morris Lawrence Building 6:30p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
If you can dance, sing or wow a crowd with a talent, we need you! Thursday, February 13, 5-9 p.m. Towsley Auditorium, Morris Lawrence Building Sign-up here: http://tinyurl.com/WCCTalentMarch2014
Upcoming Sports Opportunities!
Women's Basketball Tryouts: January 6, 8, 13 & 15 from 9:30-11:00 p.m. at the WCC Health and Fitness Center. Co-ed Ice Hockey Tryouts: Wednesday, January 8 and 15 from 9-10 p.m. at Buhr Park. Men's Basketball Tryouts: Monday, January 13 and Wednesday, January 15 from 9:30-11:00 p.m. at the WCC Health and Fitness Center. Men's and Women's Volleyball Tryouts: Tuesday, January 14 and Thursday, January 16 and Tuesday, January 21 from 9:30-11:00 p.m. at the WCC Health and Fitness Center. Wrestling First Practices: Tuesday, January 28th and Thursday, January 30th from 7-9pm in ML110 (Police Academy Training Room). Intramural Dodge Ball: Registration dates are January 6-16. Game dates: Every Sunday from January 19 through February 16 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the WCC Health and Fitness Center. Intramural Tennis: Registration dates are January 6-23. Game dates: Every Monday from January 27-February 17 from 9-10 p.m. at the Chippewa Tennis Center in Ypsilanti. For all information and registrations stop by SC116, call us at 734-973-3720 or email elemm@wccnet.edu
News
The Washtenaw Voice
January 13, 2014
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Under Pressure Local business deals with frozen fallout By ALAINA O’CONNOR Staff Writer
Frozen pipes forced Whole Foods Market on Eisenhower Parkway to close early on last Tuesday.
WCC Foundation offers 30k in grants to faculty and staff The deadline for applications Those approved will receive the grant to Washtenaw Community College money on July 1. Foundation’s $30,000 internal grant The application is available on the program is Jan. 15. The money will be Foundation’s homepage under the awarded to faculty or staff to support “Foundation Grants” link. programs or initiatives that directly For more information or assistance benefit students. with the application contact Krissa Applications will be reviewed by Rumsey at 734-973-3492 or at krumthe Foundation’s Award Committee. sey@wccnet.edu.
ALAINA O’CONNOR | WASHTENAW VOICE
Hungry workers on their lunch break, adventurous foodies and families eager to restock their pantries after a massive snowstorm that pummeled the region were ushered out of Whole Foods Market’s Cranbrook location last Tuesday when the store was suddenly flooded with water. “One of the sprinkler pipes froze and the head popped off,” said Whole Foods employee Brian Worstein. “It triggered the fire-suppression system and flooded the floor.” The pipe in question was located in the utility closet behind the customer service desk near the entrance. The water spread past the checkout counters and collected near the front of the store. Whole Foods shoppers were directed through the produce section near the entrance to avoid the gushing water that quickly spread. “The past few days have been crazy, so I’m not surprised this is happening,” said Whole Foods shopper Sunita Bhansali, of Saline.
Brown, Jr. “This is helping out a lot of people… It’s cold out, though. There were still a lot of people who weren’t today,” said Ray Breckenridge, 21, able to make it out today.” an electrical engineering major Morgan said that the decision to from Ypsilanti. Breckenridge was remain open was based on common waiting in line to see a counselor. sense, but it was a tough decision and Because classes were not in ses- it might have been a different one if sion yet, the employees were most classes had started. affected by the school’s non-closure. University of Michigan’s campus Some employees supported the de- remained open on Jan. 6 and on subcision to remain open. sequent days despite the dangerous “I think it’s great for students road conditions and the chilly weather. trying to register for classes,” said U-M hasn’t closed its campus due to Testing Center Assistant Wayne inclement weather in at least 30 years. NONCLOSURE FROM A1
“This sort of thing doesn’t happen every day,” said Ann Arbor resident Mary Parkins, who kept things lighthearted during the confusion. “I hope they get it fixed.” Employees managed to shut off the water to avoid further accumulation, but at approximately 3 p.m., the store closed to deal with the flood and fallout. “We finally fixed the sprinkler. We all worked the night to clean up the entire area,” said Worstein. “The damaged merchandise was discarded and replaced with new merchandise.” The grocery chain reopened at 8 a.m. the next day with no permanent damage done to the store. Whole Foods market isn’t the only business that has dealt with flooding due to freezing pipes. One mile away at Briarwood Mall, a pipe burst at Van Maur early Wednesday morning, forcing the department store to close temporarily. The flood started in the cosmetics department and spread to the women’s shoe department. The store reopened at just before 6 p.m. Store officials had not yet estimated damages.
Winter survival kit With winter in full swing, here are some things you should keep in your car that can help you avoid a snowy dilemma.
Kitty litter is good for traction if you get stuck.
A snow shovel can dig you out of trouble.
A polar vortex affected temperatures in all 50 states last week, causing many travelers to be left stranded due to the extreme winter weather conditions. An estimated 871 flights scheduled to arrive at Detroit Metro Airport were canceled or delayed. Temporarily orphaned luggage flooded the baggage claim area of DTW. KELLY BRACHA | WASHTENAW VOICE
FREEZE FROM A1
points for many traveling to Detroit from around the country, were two of the worst-hit by the storm. Chicago topped the country with 2,340 departing flights cancelled between its two airports. Arlo Shultis, a 21-year-old music student at the University of Michigan, was supposed to return Tuesday morning from St. Louis, where he was staying with family. But when he got to the airport, he realized his flight had been cancelled. “It was just really, really, really cold
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For some residents, like Michael Whichary, 42, Happy’s Pizza was a guidepost. “Well, I ride my bike in the summer,” said Whichary, who lives just a few blocks from Happy’s Pizza. “You see those neon signs, you know you’re almost home. Don’t have that anymore.” It was unclear exactly how the fire
in St. Louis,” he said, “I think that was why it got cancelled, just because of the cold, not necessarily the snow.” It was easy enough to rebook a new flight, he said, and Southwest airlines rescheduled him for free, but he couldn’t return until Wednesday night, meaning he missed his first day of classes. Luckily, he said, he wasn’t alone. “So many people were stranded, the school sent out an email to everyone saying that professors should excuse students if they missed classes this week,” he said. “So that was a relief.”
With temperatures dropping down to 15 degrees below zero on Tuesday and 30 to 40 degrees below with windchill, car problems were rampant. Caitlin Collins, a 19-year-old Washtenaw Community College physical therapy student from Saline found it impossible to get to school to register for classes and buy her books after her car’s vacuum pump blew because of Tuesday’s sub-zero temperatures. She got out of work at the Walmart in Saline around 5 p.m. and headed home on Michigan Avenue when her brakes failed. She brought the car to a safe stop,
but was stuck in the middle of the busy road in the middle of rush hour. Thankfully, she said, some good Samaritans pulled up next to her to block her from oncoming traffic and give her a warm place to sit until the police showed up. “I finally got here and was able to register and get my books,” she said on Thursday, “because my grandma let me borrow her car.” While some students may be dreading Monday’s return to busy schedules and homework, at least they can look forward to the 40-degree, partly sunny forecast.
started, but it is suspected to have originated in the kitchen area. “They believe it was the hood system in the kitchen, but we don’t know for sure,” said Wiseley, adding that the blaze remains under investigation. Just when the fire crews regained control of one devastating fire, another ignited. The AAFD got a call in the early morning on Jan. 8 that a fire
had broken out at city-owned Green Baxter Court co-operative housing complex on Green Road. It took firefighters more than four hours to put out the fire, which is also being investigated. “That blaze displaced six residents,” said Wiseley. “There’s extensive damage to at least three of the units in the six-unit attached building.”
So, how has the extreme weather the region has faced affected emergency responders ability to do their job? “No matter what kind of weather it may be, the conditions play into it,” said Wisely. “Extreme cold and freezing rain. We’re always affected by weather especially when you’re talking about weather like this. It certainly slows us down.”
Nighttime troubles are worse without a flashlight.
Blankets will keep you warm if you need to wait for help.
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January 13, 2014
EDITORIAL
New year, new laws, renewed commitment Everything around us seems to evolve as times go by. And the beginning of a new year gives us promises of change. We all, as students, staff, faculty or administrators, took a well-deserved break over the holiday season to start fresh on another year, a year that, as usual, promises to be better than the year before. We start 2014 with the so-called “New Year’s resolutions” that we vow to keep. But due to time management, motivation or other factors, abandon after a week, two weeks or two months. But things change. We don’t have to go too far not see that there are things that change constantly: the weather, the parking spaces on campus, and even how Washtenaw will start offering counseling services sometime mid-winter. And things in the country are also changing. Starting Jan. 1, more than 4,000 new laws went into effect, including Colorado’s marijuana law, which allows individuals to buy marijuana legally for recreational use, or Oregon’s placenta law, which allows women to take their placenta home after giving birth. Effective Jan. 1, Boy Scouts of America will be accepting openly gay youth into their programs. This is a modification that comes hand-in-hand with the recent changes in legislation around the country. Every month, more and more states allow same-sex marriage, adding up to a total of 18 as well as the District of Columbia. This is a number that has grown exponentially in the last year, marking a change in paradigm, for both lawmakers and society. Also effective Jan. 1, Connecticut gun owners are required to have registered certain weapons and ammunition that will be considered illegal in 2014. This change is certainly associated with the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in that state in December 2012. If all of this is happening in January, we ask, what can happen the rest of the year? This is the year when everything is possible. Or so we think at The Voice. This is the year that we promise to give you the news, even if it disagrees with someone at times. This is the year that we promise to be – even more – fairer in our journalism practices, even if it seems we are being unfair to others. This is the year that we strive to look deep into what is going on, and try to explain it to you, our readers, the best way possible. This is the year that we promise to be better, even if we are already good. Because we made a vow to our readers when we started doing this, and we are going to keep that vow. Because what we do, we do it with passion and devotion for you. We firmly believe in telling all sides of the story. That is what makes us a newspaper, and this is what we will do to stay a newspaper. This is the year that The Voice will grow as a newspaper and will maintain its National Pacemaker Award status, even if it hurts us. We promise to do the best we can for our readers. This is the year we get better. Our best is yet to come.
VOICE A NATIONAL PACEMAKER AWARD NEWSPAPER
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The student publication of Washtenaw Community College Ann Arbor, Michigan
Volume 20, Issue 10
4800 E. Huron River Dr. TI 106 Ann Arbor, MI 48105 (734) 677-5125 thewashtenawvoice@gmail.com The Washtenaw Voice is produced fortnightly by students of Washtenaw Community College and the views expressed herein will not imply endorsement or approval by the faculty, administration or Board of Trustees of WCC. Student publications are important in establishing and maintaining an atmosphere of free and responsible discussion and in bringing matters of concern and importance to the attention of the campus community. Editorial responsibility for The Voice lies with the students, who will strive for balance, fairness and integrity in their coverage of issues and events while employing the best habits and practices of free inquiry and expression. The Washtenaw Voice does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the information or content in advertisements contained in the newspaper or its website, www.washtenawvoice.com, nor the quality of any products, information or other materials displayed or obtained as a result of an advertisement or any other information or offer in or in connection with the services or products advertised. The Voice welcomes letters to the editor from its readers and will make every effort to publish them. We reserve the right to edit letters for space considerations, and ask that writers limit their comments to no more than 400 words. All letters must include a name and contact information, such as an email address or phone number, so the letters can be verified before they are printed. The Voice is committed to correcting all errors that appear in the newspaper and on its website, just as it is committed to the kind of careful journalism that will minimize the number of errors printed. To report an error of fact that should be corrected, phone 734-677-5405 or email thewashtenawvoice@gmail.com. A copy of each edition of The Washtenaw Voice is free to everyone. Additional copies are available at The Voice newsroom, TI 106, for 25 cents each. EDITOR Maria Rigou drigou@wccnet.edu MANAGING EDITOR Natalie Wright nkwright@wccnet.edu PHOTO EDITOR Kelly Bracha kbracha@wccnet.edu DESIGNERS Brian Auten bauten@wccnet.edu George O’Donovan godonovan@wccnet.edu ONLINE EDITOR Christina Fleming cfleming@wccnet.edu VIDEO EDITOR James Saoud jsaoud@wccnet.edu
ADVERTISING MANAGER Becky Alliston ealliston@wccnet.edu STAFF WRITERS David Fitch Eric Garant Alaina O’Connor M. M. Donaldson Jon Price CORRESPONDENTS Emily Rose Emily Stout Mike Anthony ADVISER Keith Gave kgave@wccnet.edu
The Washtenaw Voice
The killing fields Too many reporters are dying to tell the truth
MARIA RIGOU Fourteen years into the new millennium, some things haven’t changed much at all. Freedom of the press is still one of the biggest issues around the world, especially in the countries of the Middle East, where journalists are killed for doing their jobs – reporting the news. In 2013, at least 70 journalists were killed while on the job, including 29 who died while covering the civil war in Syria and 10 that were killed in Iraq, according to a recent report by the Committee to Protect Journalists. Six journalists died in Egypt, and three of those were killed while reporting the protests of President Mohamed Morsi’s expulsion from power on Aug. 14. Additionally, at least 29 journalists died in Latin America – a region with no formal war – either as
a consequence of their work or while covering events. Four are still missing. But instead of protecting journalists, freedom of the press and freedom of speech, countries like Venezuela and Russia crack down on the media. In 2013, Venezuela’s new president, Nicolas Maduro, passed 20 laws, six of those that limited the power of the media, and forced media outlets to report on specific issues, like culture and tourism. In Burundi, an African country south of Rwanda, lawmakers passed a law in June of last year that restricts journalistic freedom by limiting topics that can be reported on and prohibiting stories that could affect the country’s national unity, public order and security, honor and human dignity, and the privacy of individuals, among others, according to a report by Reporters Without Borders. Instead of moving forward, it seems that some nations are moving backward. There are several institutions that fight for the safety and protection of journalists worldwide, but if crimes against journalists are not condemned by law, then some efforts are in vain. So what can we do? Some of us in the business of bringing truth to readers are attracted by
war, the ultimate challenge for most reporters. I would love to be a war correspondent, and I understand the risks that this brings. But it seems to me that the number increases year by year, instead of logically decreasing. And the numbers increase not only in war zones, but also in areas of the world where there is no formal war, like Latin America, especially Mexico. What are we going to do about it? What can we do about it? Reporters are still going to cover conflict knowing they are increasingly at risk. Journalists are at risk on a global scale and while reporters used to be a bit safer when covering violence and war, those days are now over. No one is safe, and governments respond with impunity, making it easier to kill reporters without suffering consequences. Most of the times, especially in the Middle East, it’s governments that are committing crimes against reporters, although this might be hard to prove. Something must be done. Somehow, we need to find a way to make life safer for those who risk their lives in search of the truth. How can we protect our industry? Is someone going to protect the press? If they are protecting us, then why is this still happening? This is something that we all need. It is something for us, and for you.
New Year’s resolutions are stupid four times a week,” if you aren’t already in the habit of working out. Change is a process, not a one-time decision. Just because a certain night happens to be on the margin of two calendar years does not give it magical properties. You will be the same person on Jan. 1 as you are on Dec. 31 and all NATALIE WRIGHT of your struggles from 2013 will follow you into 2014. As warm and fuzzy I hate New Year’s resolutions. as the thought might make you feel, I hate making them, I hate failing Jan. 1 does not mean a fresh start. It’s at them, and I hate hearing people just one more mile marker in a long talk about them constantly around journey. this time of year. This past year, more than anything, It’s a stupid tradition because I’ve learned that if you want to make they’re guaranteed to fail. You a change, the best thing you can do can’t just decide one day, “This is keep your eyes open to opportuniyear, I’m going to work out at least ties when they present themselves
and be ready to adapt. That’s what got me where I am, writing for this paper. I didn’t sit down at the end of last year and say, “Next year, I’m going to write more. I’m going re-ignite my passion and figure out a plan for my life.” If I had said that, I guarantee you I would have found every excuse possible to write less. But when I was given the option to take on the responsibility to write more for The Voice, I jumped at it. And it was the best change I have made in a long time. So I encourage you this New Year’s to skip the resolutions and leave yourself open to change and opportunity. You will be amazed at the plans that find you when you resolve not to make any plans.
New semester brings new passion
DAVID FITCH The days are getting longer, the snow is getting colder, and the hardest of the winter is ahead of us. It is back to school, back to work, back to reality and “the grind.” Back to the mundane and back to trying to lose that Christmas five pounds that came so easily. The external, the temporal, the momentary blessings are passing. Here is the beginning of winter semester – the beginning, Part II. Despite the draw of negativity, anxiety, and depression over the beginning again of tasks that I was glad to leave on the other side of winter break, I am resolving to accept these coming days as what they are: as opportunities for life. Here’s what I’m resolving to
do: to go for it. To stop my obsessive second-guessing and to live passionately. With a passion stemming from the fact that that the days are a gift, not a bad joke, regardless of how I am feeling, and in spite of what may be going down in flames. Fear, such a pervasive trait in the safe, sterilized America of today. Close to the top of my “never-to-do list” is that I would say “no thanks” to the life of joy in being freed from fear. To resign myself to a life of self-reliance and safety-net decision-making. Granted, I believe there is a difference between living passionately and living stupidly. And what do I fear? Failure, that dirty old thing that happens when stuff doesn’t go how I wanted. I risk failing, thus proving correct that voice that says that I am a failure. And if I am a failure, then I have no worth. It’s a vicious cycle. But humans fail… a lot. And I know that human worth is not determined by whether what we do works or falls through. And that is why I have resolved this: because to do otherwise would be to agree to a lie. YouTube drummer Cobus Potgieter
inspired me with his words: “I find my real happiness, I come alive when I do simple things passionately.” So whether I am riding the bus to school at 7:15 on a Monday morning, slamming mugs of tea to write a latenight paper, or deciding what to do on a Sunday afternoon, I hope to passionately accept the task and, even though Thanksgiving, too, is behind me, to be thankful for the opportunity to do so. And as to “success?” Passion creates great things. It’s hard to be passionate about doing something badly. We get passionate about things done well, not things done so that they are “kind of mediocre, I guess…” The immortal words of Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs have stuck with me for the past several weeks. In the film “Jobs,” the founder of Apple Computers is banished to work on the Macintosh computer, a side project. He responds with this attitude: “In your life, you only get to do so many things, and right now, we have chosen to do this. So let’s make it great.” His passion for what he did is legendary. So, here’s to what’s next, whether it’s good or bad. Here’s to a day lived passionately.
Corrections In “2013 in review” on page B4 in the Dec. 23 issue, Pope Francis should have been referred to as Jorge Mario Bergolio.
Also in “2013 in review” on page B4, the Pittsfield Township road proposal that WCC trustees opted out of saved $3 million over 20 years.
News
The Washtenaw Voice
January 13, 2014
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KELLY BRACHA | WASHTENAW VOICE
Where are the fiction books? Community College’s Bailey Library website, and thought to myself, “We have fiction books on campus?” I was excited to check it out, and after a few minutes of searching, I finally asked a librarian where the browsing secEMILY ROSE tion was, because I couldn’t find it. She pointed to a section. I could see why I Something about going to the li- missed it; there were only two shelves. brary to pick out a good book is inMaureen Perault, the librarian in triguing to me. When I’m walking up charge of selecting browsing books, and down the rows of shelves, I get chooses them from best seller lists. excited about all the places and pos“The browsing collection has apsibilities that a book can take me to. proximately 250 books, which are se“Stop by the browsing section lected based on reviews in the New and browse the collection of titles York Times, The Washington Post, and that have high current and general Vanity Fair,” Perault said. interest.” The monthly quota for the browsI saw this on Washtenaw ing selection is 20 books, give or take
a little depending on the price of the book, according to Perault. Many of the books selected have waitlists up to six months at local public libraries. But why is the section so small? Perault says that every few months, old titles are sent back to make room for the new ones. The college is given a free book for every five that are returned. Why are the old books being sent back? Just because a book is “old,” does not mean it is bad. Because of this policy, the section does not grow, it only gets smaller. If you look on the online catalog at the library, you can see what titles are available to borrow. On the first page, there are 15 books, and only four of
them are available. The other books say “no copies found.” Then why is it being listed? All this does is bring frustration to those looking for a certain book. At the University of Michigan, the library has 10 million books, and a few thousand are in the browsing collection, according to Amanda Peters, a librarian from U-M. I understand that the U-M library system is a lot bigger than Washtenaw’s, but our library takes up an entire floor of the Gunder Myran Building, and there are only two small shelves for a browsing collection? Marissa Coleman, 22, a journalism major from WCC, loves to read and has noticed the lack of books in the library.
“It’s really sad to see, not everyone goes to the library for research, and it’s really discouraging to those who want to read,” Coleman said. As a reader, this is really disappointing. It is so small for a college library. The college has more than 11,000 students, and only 250 fiction books to borrow? The rest of the library is dedicated to research and nonfiction books, but some are so old and are not relevant, especially with access to the Internet. It’s time that Bailey Library lives up to its words on its own website and shows us that they care about those students who enjoy browsing and picking up a good book- for the pure enjoyment of reading.
Student Ambassadors pass the baton By DAVID FITCH Staff Writer
With the beginning of the winter semester, New Student Orientation Manager Christina Buzas is bidding farewell to some student ambassadors and will soon begin the search for a new group to take up the torch. Student Ambassadors serve the roll of welcoming new students to Washtenaw and helping them with everything from finding classes to getting involved on campus. The three current ambassadors, Alyssa Simmons, Christmas Fielding and Gabby Browning will be transfering from Washtenaw
You may have seen them dressed in classy WCC polo shirts and standing around the second floor of the Student Center or leading groups of brighteyed new students around the campus grounds. And paid positions will be opening up soon for any interested students. Browning, a 19 year-old history major from Saline, enjoys her role as an ambassador. “I think it’s really fun to meet (students) who are coming in and being a friendly face that they can associate with the college,” she said, adding, “I highly advise being an ambassador if you enjoy working with people.” For another ambassador, Simmons,
19, the job gave her the push to break out of her shy shell. The biology major from Bellville said besides getting to meet new people, working with the other ambassadors is a perk of the job. “We have a really tight-knit group,” she said. Buzas said that she will soon begin the search for new ambassadors to fill the shoes of those who will be leaving in May. Since the first student ambassadors began in May of 2012, she has received lots of positive feedback from students. The program also gives ambassadors the chance to “build a unique skill set,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity for student ambassadors to gain skills.”
On becoming a Student Ambassador The job: Ambassadors welcome new students, give tours, talk to groups about WCC, sit on student panels, and otherwise represent the college to new students and members of the community. The requirements: Students must have 12 credits completed by May 2014 and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5. They must also be able to commit to one year of service.
Pay: Student Ambassadors receive $9.36 per hour. To apply: Students must fill out the application, which includes a short essay, and they must supply a resume. The deadline: Upcoming positions will begin in May 2014. The job listing is typically posted in February. For more information contact 734973-3701 or cbuzas@wccnet.edu. Job postings will be made available at https://jobs.wccnet.edu/.
Club Sports Tryouts
With a week before classes begin, students line up to get last-minute counseling. KELLY BRACHA | WASHTENAW VOICE
COUNSELING FROM A1
to Baker. Dr. Patricia Taylor, dean of Support Services and Student Advocacy, said this change will serve students well. “Moving full-time counselors to the divisions will make them more specialized (in a particular area),” Taylor said. “And adding more people will give more service to students.” The Counseling Center is estimating that it will see 39,000 contacts this academic year. Contacts are defined as the visits that students make to the Counseling Department, with no distinct separation between counseling and advising appointments. This is not the same as unique visitors, because there is duplicating in cases where a student returns to the center. Anne Greashaber, part-time adviser, said that the Counseling Department has been overwhelmed for a while now. “We are doing more with less,” Greashaber said. “We have expanded hours, but there is no more budget… We need more help in counseling.” The changes to the department have not been made clear, and some staff members are expressing confusion. Full-time counselors will be assigned to specific divisions, such as the Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences department, and advisers and part-time staff members will stay within the department to tend
to general advising and counseling services. However, it is not clear as of right now how the advisers will serve students, and if there will be a future need for additional hires. With the new format, students who are enrolled in programs within those divisions will be assigned to the full-time licensed counselor responsible for the division, but this is not exclusive. Taylor explained that students could still stay with their advisers or counselors, if they wish; they don’t necessarily need to go to a divisional counselor. However, this might not be the change that the Counseling Department needs. Baker said that hiring only one fulltime licensed adviser is a small step in the right direction, but something else has to be done. This change will be in effect after the winter semester starts, as the registration period is always a busy time, Taylor said. Additionally, Baker said at the board meeting that faculty and staff need to be focused on the strategic plan and stay true to the college’s mission. “Our college strives to make a positive difference in people’s lives through accessible and excellent educational programs and services,” she said. “Providing quality counseling services is core to our mission.” “We are a center that operates with a lot of people,” Taylor said. “It’s all about the students.”
Tryouts for winter semester club sports began over the break and will continue throughout this week and into next week. These sports include men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and ice hockey. Club sports are open to students taking at least three credits this semester and who have at least a 2.0 GPA. Age requirements vary. Students should bring their WCC student ID with them to all tryouts. To pre-register for tryouts visit the club sports office in SC 116, or call at 734-973-3720.
Women’s basketball When: Jan. 8, Jan. 13 and Jan. 15, 9:30-11 p.m. Where: Health and Fitness Center
Ice hockey When: Jan. 8 and Jan. 15, 9-10 p.m. Where: Buhr Park in Ann Arbor (Students must bring their own hockey equipment)
Men’s basketball When: Jan. 13 and Jan. 15, 9:30-11 p.m. Men’s volleyball Where: Health and Fitness Center When: Jan. 14, Jan 16 and Jan. 21, 9:30-11 p.m. Women’s volleyball Where: Health and Fitness Center When: Jan. 14, Jan. 16 and Jan. 21, 9:30-11 p.m. Where: Health and Fitness Center
GORDON FROM A1
years since, he has migrated around the school working in project management, event planning, as an assistant to the vocational dean and as tool-crib supervisor in the Vocational Technologies division. He became the interim dean of vocational technologies in July 2010 where he stayed for two years. Then, in July 2012, he accepted the interim director of Career Services position, in which he led the department’s transition from Student Services to the Workforce Development. Overall, Gordon said, he has served in four official positions and had six offices. Michelle Machiele, Career Services student adviser, said that Gordon’s wide range of experiences at the school has benefitted the career services team. “He really knows this school inside and out,” she said. “This means he’s really able to convey to employers how and why to connect with our students.” Jason Morgan, director of government and media relations said that Gordon is always a “go-to” when he is looking for campus tour guides. “He is just so enthusiastic and energetic and he knows everyone
WCC President Rose Bellanca and former adminstrator Ross Gordon meet the college mascot during Gordon’s farewell party. KELLY BRACHA | WASHTENAW VOICE
and everything,” Morgan said. The source of his enthusiasm? Student success. This was the one thing everyone at the party had to say about Gordon: “He is passionate about seeing students succeed.” This passion is the reason students now have Career Connection, a website that does exactly what its name implies, and has streamlined the way Career Services operates and relates to students. “Career Connection is a real feather in the cap for Ross, for him to have helped build that during his tenure. It’s something that will benefit the school for years and years to come.” So why is Gordon leaving WCC? He was offered a position at Bank Supplies, as director of customer
relations, which, he said, he turned down at first, but eventually was convinced to accept. However, just because he’s leaving the school, it doesn’t mean he’s leaving his passion for the success of its students. “I’m not leaving the area, so I will still be around and will be involved with the school in whatever ways I can as a community member,” he said, adding that he hopes to support WCC through the Foundation and Career Services. In fact, he said, his new company has posted a position on Career Connection, and plans to attend the retail and supply chain career expo. So the man of many hats is making his final move away from WCC, and, Bellanca said, WCC is sad to see him go.
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News
January 13, 2014
The Washtenaw Voice
WCSD Community Engagement Director Derrick Jackson, Sgt. Beth Gieske and Campus Saftey Director Jacques Desrosiers presented information on how to respond in the event of a live shooter on campus. JON PRICE | WASHTENAW VOICE
Police offer guidance on active-shooter threat By JON PRICE
Staff Writer
Washtenaw Community College officials for years have taken the issue of random campus violence seriously, but the 2012 schoolhouse shooting in Connecticut raised the stakes, officials say. “After Sandy Hook, law enforcement started receiving a lot of calls,” said Derrick Jackson, director of the Washtenaw Sheriff ’s Department Community Engagement. Jackson addressed college faculty and staff in two sessions of last Wednesday’s winter semester in-service. He was accompanied by Sgt. Beth Gieske. The topic: How to respond in the
event of a live shooter on campus. The goal: To provide college employees with critical information on how to conduct themselves in the event of a school shooting. The presentation provided staff with the most up-to-date information on how to deal with violent individuals posing a serious threat on campus. In the wake of recent school shootings, the sheriff’s department began fielding a number of inquiries from parents and school administrators, wondering how they should respond in such a worst-case scenario. “Now we have trained almost every public school staff person in Washtenaw County,” said Jackson, who is also an instructor at Eastern Michigan University, adding that such random violence can come in many forms. “It can be a one-on-one thing, it
doesn’t have to be a well-thought-out “It may take the police 9-15 minutes Columbine situation,” he said. to arrive, with two to three people posGieske presented an educational slide sibly being killed per minute,” Jackson show, showing a number of options to said. “You do the math.” deal with the hypothetical scenario in Inform: Gieske reiterated the imthe safest manner possible. The steps portance of keeping law enforcement adhered to the helpful acronym, ALICE, up-to-date with the most current informaan acronym for alert, lockdown, inform, tion available. Campus Safety Director counter and/or evacuate. Jacques Desrosiers completed a project Alert: “Call 9-1-1 first, use whatever earlier this year, installing landlines in technology is available and contact the every classroom, ensuring that bad cell authorities. Keep them on the line, even service won’t impede contact with the if you can’t speak to them,” said Gieske. authorities in the event of an emergency. Lockdown: “This will give you a Counter: “If there are no other optime barrier,” said Jackson, stressing the tions,” Gieske said, “not necessarily importance of buying precious minutes attack, but utilize noise, movement, in a live-shooter situation. “Eighty-six distance and distractions,” to disorient percent of shooters are stopped when the a shooter in close proximity. However, police arrive.” But there is of course a she urged staff to avoid a confrontation lapse of time before the police will ar- with a gunman. rive on scene, when potential victims Evacuate: last but certainly not least, are most at risk. whenever possible, get the hell out of
there, the police said. Gieske, Jackson and Desrosiers fielded questions from members of the audience, mostly clearing up hypothetical “what-if” situations, and reminded those in attendance to be “mindful not fearful.” They encouraged dialogue about these situations with students. English instructor Carl Seaver agreed that while it may seem uncomfortable for some, it is an important conversation to have with his class. “You’re not unnecessarily alarming them, because things like this happen,” Seaver said. This was the fourth year presentations were given on an active-shooter situation to WCC staff, but Jackson reminds audience members that new techniques often emerge as our society becomes, unfortunately, more familiar with school shootings.
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Work your body, work your mind! WCC students can joinwho The Health Fitness WCC students enroll& in PEACenter 115 with canthree useoptions: the
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Semester membership—take advantage of the new lower student rate of only $140
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WCC Health & Fitness Center all winter semester while earning half a credit.* The Health & Fitness Center at Washtenaw Community College has all the latest exercise equipment, group exercise rooms, two pools, luxurious locker rooms and is right across the street! Register now. For more information call the Student Connection at (734) 973-3543. 4833 East Huron River Drive, Ann Arbor
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A8
Et Cetera
January 13, 2014
The Washtenaw Voice
Cost of convenience generally low at WCC
The food in WCC’s vending machines is a bad value in contrast to campus restaurants.
airport, and the food options available on campus are reasonably healthy By ERIC GARANT compared to those available at restauStaff Writer rants in the area. For example, a quarter-pound We’ve all experienced the cost burger from The Spot costs $4.99 of convenience – at airports, hotels, and has 516 calories. By comparison, movie theaters, wherever. Businesses a Quarter Pounder with Cheese from know they can get away with charging McDonald’s costs $3.69 and has 520 more when it’s inconvenient or impos- calories. But, the McDonald’s burger sible for consumers to leave and get has 4.1 more grams of fat, and also goods elsewhere. comes with nearly half of your daily Food services at Washtenaw recommended intake of sodium. The Community College generally avoid Spot also offers a veggie patty with 391 this. The markup on some items is calories and 8 grams of fat. closer to that of a gas station than an A five-piece order of chicken
KELLY BRACHA | WASHTENAW VOICE
tenders from Arby’s costs $4.99 and has 590 calories, 42 grams of carbohydrates and 28 grams of fat. A similar order from The Spot costs $4.29, has 500 calories, 29 grams of carbs, and 33 grams of fat. The coffee shop offers several cold sandwiches and salads at rates that are comparable to restaurants and grocery stores in the area ($4.99 for a turkey wrap or baguette, $5.49 for an Italian sub, $4.49 for 15.2 ounce garden salad, $5.49 for a chicken Caesar salad, to name a few). And its coffee prices are not much more than McDonald’s and less than Starbucks.
Nutrition information was not available for food at Garrett’s Restaurant. With most entrees ranging from $6.95-$8.50, its prices are at or below those of most sit-down restaurants. An exception to the rule of good value is campus vending machines, where all food items are dramatically more expensive pro rata than options available in grocery stores. But this is a trait of vending machines everywhere, not just at WCC. Another is the Cottage Inn cheese bread available at The Spot. A full order of regular cheese bread from the
restaurant costs $4.99. For $2.99 at The Spot, you get a small fraction of this. In The Spot’s favor, though, the markup on pizza slices is a pretty measly 50 cents. If that number seems high, consider the trade-offs involved in driving the one-and-a-half miles to Cottage Inn to get the better deal: giving up a parking spot, gas (albeit not much), and time. For most Americans, and particularly college students, time is by far the most precious resource. With that in mind, paying a slight cost of convenience may be a reasonable trade-off.
Time for healthy food – and it’s not that scary or expensive
There are many creative ways to serve the seasonal bounty of vegetables for the family to enjoy.
M. M. DONALDSON Many people believe that they do not have time for healthy food. Two Washtenaw Community College students catching lunch between classes during final exams week both felt this way. “It’s easier to buy fast food,” said Faizan Haque, 22, a pre-engineering student. Worrying about being on time to his next exam, he quickly consumed an order of cheesy breadsticks with marinara sauce and a slice of green pepper and onion pizza from The Spot. Rationalizing his thoughts on healthy food in-between bites, he concluded, “It’s worth it to eat healthier.” For the Michigan Good Food Charter, healthy food “provides nourishment and enables people to thrive.” Granted, a main portion of their message is to promote Michiganders
having access to good food produced in Michigan, thereby positively impacting the overall health of all residents. Regardless of one’s locale, food corporations encourage the masses to believe they are getting nourishing products. And the food corporations have been extremely generous with offering the added bonus of obesity with clever packaging and marketing. Students’ short-term goals may be to nourish their hunger with the choice of restaurant food or processed food. Either choice has seemingly deflected the bad-rap junk food usually receives. Junk food has been the poster-child for bad nutrition, by providing lots of calories but little to nothing in the ways of vitamins and essential minerals. However, processed foods are high in saturated fats, added sugars and sodium. The Centers for Disease Control
lists the long-term consequences of too much of these three additives causing nutrition-related diseases, far from allowing people to thrive. For students living on a tight budget and having a schedule full of work and school, food tends to be an expense that is first to be cut, or made more efficient. They may inadvertently consider healthy food a luxury for those with time and money. “It takes more work to make it healthier,” said Miranda Traverzo, 19, a general education student. She admitted that her diet could be better if she could “stay away completely from fast food.” Eating healthier takes time to plan menus and make shopping lists. The tasks of shopping, preparing food and cleaning up afterward has to be coordinated with work and school schedules, not to mention, studying and sleeping.
COURTESY PHOTO | MCT CAMPUS
Lunch for Traverzo was fast food, but she confessed to making a conscious choice to eat the healthier option of a Subway club sandwich over pizza, chips or pop. Healthy food to her means natural food, fruits and vegetables, non-processed foods, noting her opinion that fast food has excessive sodium and fat. Both Traverzo and Haque selected fast food at the college commissary, but their respective dinners the night before where home-cooked. Haque listed eating a baked chicken leg quarter with a cup of white rice. He added that he has been avoiding snacks and sports and energy drinks due to the high amounts of sugar. Traverzo detailed eating a baked chicken breast, a cup-and-a-half of green beans and one half cup of mashed potatoes. The term healthy food means
so many different things to people. Organic, raw, fresh, unprocessed, “Eat this miracle food and lose weight!” (insert Dr. Oz voice-over for full effect) are a few buzz words that further confuse the issue. These definitions, partial or not completely accurate, are unfair to make synonymous with healthy food. Sorting out these definitions for Traverzo or Haque is another time commitment. “Food becomes intimidating (at the store),” Haque said. “I just want to eat.” M. M. Donaldson is a staff writer with The Voice and a journalism student at WCC. She has a bachelor’s degree in Family and Community Services from Michigan State University, and has several years experience with nutrition issues affecting infants through older adults. She can be reached at mmorrisdonaldson@wwcnet.edu
The Washtenaw Voice • B Section • January 13, 2014
T
he road goes ever on and on...…
In the footsteps of Bilbo’s journey through New Zealand, a student encounters herself
uncover treasures of great worth. Above-ground hiking was not our With Hobbiton checked off my only wild encounter. Donning wetmust-do list, I joined an adventure suits and rubber boots, we spent an I’ve followed countless times as bus that gave riders the chance to ex- afternoon crawling and squeezing our Bilbo runs impulsively from his door perience New Zealand as a dynamic way through the glowworm caves of at Bag End – past the pigs, through the and cohesive tour. I had embarked on “Planet Earth” fame. I’m not sure what vegetable garden, and over the weath- this trip alone, and was concerned that I expected, but I found myself encased ered fence, gaining momentum as he the personalities in the group might in a few tight spaces desperately fightraces along the footpaths of Hobbiton. interfere with my wanderings and ing off claustrophobic paranoia. His eager anticipation is palpable, as wonderings. You can do it. Don’t be a wimp. If he the first steps of his journey unfold. What surprised me was how quick- can fit through, so can you. None of the When asked where he is off to in such a ly this mixed bag of international trav- typical mantras brought any relief; my hurry, Bilbo shouts the essential man- elers was able to foster a meaningful only motivation was the understandtra for every soul propelled by wan- atmosphere – group dinners, family ing that forward motion was the only derlust: “I’m going on an adventure!” photos, cakes and cards celebrating thing keeping me alive. Without a doubt, this adventure is the birthdays of recent-strangers. When I look back, I realize that my real. I can tell you I’ve stood at the gate “ moments of confinement account for of Bag End and gazed upon the rolling here are no safe paths in this less than 10 percent of the afternoon, hills of Hobbiton. I’ve lain in the grass part of the world. Remember which helps me to recall the canopy where Bilbo’s 111th birthday party was you are over the Edge of the of luminescence and the bellows of held. And when I couldn’t take any Wild now, and in for all sorts group laughter more clearly. more photos of the iconic landscape of fun wherever you go.” I also consider the fact that Bilbo, from my childhood musings, I was while equipped with the Ring, did not presented with a have any glowcomplimentary worms or friends beer at the Green to help him find Dragon Inn. his way out. (I’d Arriving in like to note that Middle Earth there are multimarked the realple ways to experiization of a goal ence the infamous I had set for myglowworms that self many moons do not require ago. The goal was any amount of simple: Travel hiking or squealto New Zealand ing. Please do not within the next be dissuaded.) five years. I arIt was encounrived with three ters like these that months to spare allowed me to in the fifth year – trust more fully and no shortage of The Party Tree of Bilbo’s infamous 111th birthday party, with view of the Green Drag- – both in my own on Inn. Matamata, NZ. EMILY STOUT | WASHTENAW VOICE spirit. capabilities and in my communion “ here is nothing like looking, It didn’t take long for me to get at- with others. But as much as I had come if you want to find something… tached to my new companions. They to appreciate the benefits of my closebut it is not always quite the pushed me to explore adventures that knit group, I resolved to cut ties with something you were after.” even my typically open mind had writ- what was familiar and easy and comten off. On the eve of one particular fortable, and once again venture out Unlike my own journey, Bilbo’s was daytrip, my roommate took it upon on my own. indeed quite unexpected. I am sure herself to convince me I should join. “ many of us can identify with the reHer efforts resulted in one of the f more of us valued food and luctance Bilbo felt before leaving the best highlights from my trip: driving cheer and song above hoardcomforts of his own home in search through a lush rainforest to go hiking ed gold, it would be a merrier of adventure. on a frozen glacier. “It’s just ice,” I had world.” But without challenging opportu- told myself, but the vast, constantly nities, how are we expected to test our moving landscape presented a staggerI spent a few weeks dating myself. resolve? Bilbo did not find the Ring in ing purity that I’ll never forget. To be Romantic dinners were enjoyed pora pretty field with flowers, and we also such a minute visitor in a wild arena ing over a new book, while generous must embrace uncomfortable, some- capable of such natural force was awe- glasses of wine continued to pour times dark, situations if we hope to some in the truest form. nearby. Lazy days were spent entirely By Emily Stout
Voice Correspondant
in bed. Photo walks through the numerous gardens were followed by late-night strolls along the harbor. Intimate moments were shared with complete strangers, as I remained open to the intelligence and stimulation within. Make it a point to find and enjoy local delights – there are plenty of adventures hidden within daily endeavors if you are just willing to dig a little. Maybe you’ll jump in a car with five strangers to see a live rugby match, but I can guarantee you won’t come home strangers. Maybe you’ll book a
in leaving the comforts of Bag End, I encourage everyone to rebuke the complacency that comes with material possessions, and take the first steps of your own adventure. You may find that a lack of tangible distractions allows a clearer sense of identity and confidence to shine through, whether you share it with companions or treasure it internally. An adventure can be in the next neighborhood or the next country, just as long as it removes you from your comfort zone. Through the soaring highs and the
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T
I
An inviting Hobbit hole in Hobbiton. Matamata, NZ. EMILY STOUT | WASHTENAW VOICE
Down from the door where it began… Bag End and the gate. Matamata, NZ. EMILY STOUT | WASHTENAW VOICE
flight to see that seven-piece funkysoul-reggae band and discover a native ghost along the way. Perhaps you can splurge and attend a red carpet premiere of the latest Hobbit film. But what do I know? I’m just some girl who stuffed her life in a backpack and boarded a plane. Just as Bilbo took a leap of faith
heavy lows, I have found more fulfillment and satisfaction in three months of wandering than in years spent on my own couch. Because when it comes down to it, each of us is “just a little fellow, in a wide world after all.” See more photos of New Zealand at www.washtenawvoice.com
B2
Flip Side
The Washtenaw Voice
January 13, 2014
Volunteers help students help themselves WCC prepares mediators to intercept ‘school-to-prison pipeline’
By JON PRICE
Staff Writer
Two seventh-grade Washtenaw County students were involved in an altercation in March. Though the fight lasted only about 30 seconds, the consequence was an explosion that kept the boys away from their peers and out of their classrooms for the remainder of the school year. “When they came back the next year, they were having trouble readjusting and reconnecting with their peers after such a long absence,” said Belinda Dulin. She is the executive director of the Dispute Resolution Center that works with the schools to keep youths in the classroom while giving students the tools they need to resolve future issues in a thoughtful and civil manner. “We gave them an opportunity to think about what they had done, what they were thinking at the time of the fight, and got a chance to hear how their peers and teachers felt while they were absent from school,” Dulin said. Ultimately, the boys were able to work out their problems in the presence of DRC mediators and got a precious second chance at school and a friendship with one another. The Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center statistics show there were 601 juveniles arrested in 2012, more than 400 of whom were 14 years old or younger. Zero-tolerance policies in schools often leave administration with little-to-no option when determining how to handle school-house scuffles, but programs like the DRC attempt to neutralize the situation before it becomes violent. Students who were expelled for minor infractions of school rules because of harsh “no tolerance” policies
proved far more likely to end up in the mediators,” Dulin said. “This train- of this program is getting kids to probcriminal justice system. This trend ing has been approved by our State lem-solve early on in a conflict. We are is known as the “school-to-prison Court Administrative Office, which reducing the days of suspension. We pipeline.” is an administrative arm of our state are giving them tools to be better con“The school-to-prison pipeline Supreme Court.” flict managers. We are exposing them refers to the policies and practices “Our center can handle any type to more effective ways of problemthat push our nation’s schoolchil- of dispute, where there isn’t a crim- solving. And we are certainly creating dren, especially our most at-risk chil- inal adjudication process going on,” a more safe environment for students dren, out of the classrooms and into Dulin said. to get their education in.” the juvenile and criminal justice sysThe center has volunteers who meThe program in Ypsilanti tems,” according Community to the American High School is in Civil Liberties its second year. Union. Volunteers, who In Washtenaw are trained meCounty, a group diators, work in of mediators who the “Restorative receive their 40Center,” an ofhour training fice in the school at Washtenaw whose sole purCommunity pose is helpCollege is detering students mined to chalresolve problems lenge the vicious among themcycle in their selves, or with communities. administration. The Dispute “Part of the Resolution change that you Center specialsee right now is izes in mediation when we have work, conducting conflicts the kids v o l u n t e e r- o u t are beginning reach programs to talk through in the communiwhat is wrong,” ties and schools Principal Justin of Washtenaw Jennings said. and Livingston “They talk about counties. it as opposed to The main offighting.” fice is located in Jennings is dethe Washtenaw termined to keep County Service his students in Center located Mediators for Ypsilanti Community High School meet to discuss students’ issues. the school system, just south of the KELLY BRACHA | WASHTENAW VOICE and he believes WCC campus, on the key to keepHogback Road. It is the last stop be- diate in many different settings, of- ing students engaged is by building fore the juvenile detention center and fering a cost-effective, alternative to relationships and teaching civic pride. the courthouse. small-claims court. Arguably the most “The more we suspend a kid, that’s The center gives students the tools important work done by the DRC is in the less time that they’re in the classto settle disputes before they become the community’s high schools. room,” said Jennings. “That’s going to violent. “We have set up conflict resolution cut out on learning, and we really can’t “I train adults to be mediators services for the students to engage in,” afford to not have those students in and I train the students to be peer Dulin said. “The underlying premise their seats learning.”
The district has one school resource officer who is a police officer who works with students. But Jennings thinks a more useful tool in deterring violence is giving students an opportunity to build strong relationships with each other and the community through restorative practices and a partnership with the DRC. “At the beginning of the day, for me, the most important thing is to make sure the students and staff are all safe and secure,” Jennings said. “The culture that we live in now is just violence.” By helping students work out their problems before they become physical altercations, the DRC in its partnership with school aims to decrease the amount of suspensions, offering a brighter future for at-risk youths who might otherwise end up introduced to the juvenile-court system. The mediators at YCHS are all volunteers. Most have full-time jobs. The reasons they volunteer may differ, but they all seem to have one common goal. “Our goal is creating an environment that they feel safe in, safe enough to be able to talk and share what’s going on internally,” said Joseph Alexander, a volunteer mediator who does work at the outreach program at the school. “One of the main reasons I’m here, is to break the school-to-prison pipeline,” Alexander said. “These children are being misunderstood, not given an opportunity to say the things they need to say, so they act them out…this gives them an opportunity to come down, get it out and say what they need to say. And we can provide them with the tools they need to take back to the classroom.” There is little doubt school violence has changed the way administrators deal with conflict amongst students. The mediators work not only to make sure that the hallways and classrooms are a safe environment, but to keep students from ending up in trouble with the law because of a lunch-room scuffle.
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B3
Flip Side
The Washtenaw Voice
January 13, 2014
SC alcove a ‘Magic’ spot for many By DAVID FITCH Staff Writer
A group sits at a table, eyes glued to handheld gaming devices, at times shouting out in victory or groaning in defeat. Across from them a table full of young men are engaged in a game of Magic: The Gathering, a trading card game. One player draws a card from a stack on his right. Other students simply sit together in conversation. All seem to be enjoying the company. At the south end of the Student Center, many students find their niche. Nick Slane, a member of the “crowd,” said that the area gives space to those who had previously perhaps been on the fringes of social standings. Slane, a 21-year-old biology major from Ann Arbor, hangs out there with many others who share some of the same interests. “Within the group, no one’s on the edge,” Slane said. Although the area often is home to people of various crowds, according to several students in the area, the group is primarily composed of Gamer’s Club members and those associated with the Gamer’s Club. “The most predominant group that I have seen over here would have to be nerds. Any given time you can come over here and see half a dozen of these (Gameboy DS’s) or more laying around,” Slane said. Matt “Bear” Vancena, 39, previously the president of the Gamer’s Club, said that the group has always been at home in the area. Previously, Vancena said, the group took up a significant amount of space in the “Study Pub,” at times spilling out into the larger Student Center. “When they rebuilt this, we just kind of took over,” he said. But this “takeover” was a friendly, open one, according to Slane, adding that the area is open to anybody as long as they are friendly.
The area next to the Community Room in the Student Center is ‘home’ to a large crowd many days. Primarily populated with ‘gamers,’ many students share games of Magic: The Gathering, or on portable gaming devices such as the Gameboy DS. DAVID FITCH | WASHTENAW VOICE
Culinary arts student Rodney Mallory, 20, agreed, saying that the area was open to whomever. “It doesn’t interrupt anybody,” he said. “It’s just what they do.” But the Gamer’s Club isn’t the only group represented among the ranks of the crowd. Members of “Out-Space,” an LGBTQA club, and members of the
“Furry” community often socialize in the area. “Furries,” as they call themselves, are those interested in anthropomorphic cartoon animals. Members enjoy imagining their own human-like animal character. “It’s how you see yourself,” said Wesley Turner, 20, the president of
the newly formed club. According to Turner, there is a certain stigma associated with being a “fur.” “There are people who judge us as horrible people,” he said. The area, according to Slane, offers a place of acceptance to those who have been previously denied social
significance or dignity. “Usually, a lot of the people who end up doing a lot of that (gaming) in high school were very shy, ostracized. Nerds, geeks, all that. So we all feel really comfortable around each other,” he said. “It’s not the same type of social pressure that you might have if you tried hanging out with somebody else.”
Local songwriter brings craft to Washtenaw Independent study gives WCC student filmmakers a unique movie project teammates’ abilities and work ethics. “These guys, they’re good,” he said. “A true artist is always creating, and A handful of Washtenaw these guys are true artists.” Community College students are Reynolds, 24, of Ypsilanti origiblazing their own path to go beyond nally came up with the idea with the what the school offers in its video goal of creating a longer film than he program. had previously been involved in creThe group, with the help of video ating. He said that he looks forward to instructor Matt Zacharias, has cre- working with the others in the group, ated its own one-semester indepen- remembering his experience with dent study course, for which they will them in the Detroit 48 Hour Film receive credit for producing a short Horror Project. film of at least 25 minutes. “One of the few times where I was The group includes students Kevin in a group where we all clicked on a Jackson, 58, of Ann Arbor, Travis creative level,” he said. Reynolds, 24, of Ypsilanti, Jeremy And the group has already begun Liesen, 28, of Ypsilanti, Shane Law, work on its film. 27, of Hartland, Scott Campbell, 24, Law said that the piece will potenof Bellville and Justin Erion, 24, of tially focus on a photographer who Plymouth. wakes up after a rapture-like event And this will not be the first time that claimed one-third of humanthat many of the group members have ity. He also said that the piece would worked together. Several collaborated most likely be “minimalistic,” adding, on previous projects including films “it’s not going to be a happy-go-lucky for the Ypsi 24 Hour Film Shootout movie.” and the Detroit 48 Hour Film Horror The group hopes to submit the Project. Their entry in the latter won piece to film festivals, Jackson said. awards including Best Horror Movie Originally, the group considered and Best Original Music Score in making a longer film, but after conDecember. sideration, decided on the 25-minute “Because of the deep talent, Matt piece. But Jackson said that this is Zacharias offered us the opportunity,” simply a starting point and that the said Jackson, who spoke highly of his film could grow to be longer. By DAVID FITCH Staff Writer
(Left to right) Shane Law, Travis Reynolds, Scott Campbell, Kevin Jackson, Justin Erion and (not pictured) Jeremy Liesen collaborated with video instructor Matt Zacharias to create an independent study video course. KELLY BRACHA | WASHTENAW VOICE
Melissa Welsh shares her song in the final performance of a songwriting course taught by local musician Spencer Michaud. DAVID FITCH | WASHTENAW VOICE
By DAVID FITCH Staff Writer
Students sang about everything from losing their keys to wanting to get away from Michigan in the yearend performance for a songwriting course at Washtenaw Community College last semester. The performance, which took place in the Student Center Community Room, while not a comfortable task for some performers, showcased students’ prowess as artists. Local singer-songwriter Spencer Michaud has been teaching a songwriting course at WCC for the past several years and has been bringing students the opportunity to express themselves and to hone their skills. Michaud, who plans to soon release his own EP, gives students practical information related to being a musician from his own experiences. “There’s kind of a different flavor (each semester) based on my creative endeavors,” said Michaud. And for some, the class is an oasis where they can develop their dreams and hear from others on the same paths. “Sometimes our class can be a bit
like group therapy, too, because we are talking out issues that may have prevented us from expressing ourselves fully,” Michaud said. “(People) like being able to see that they are not alone in that process.” Thomas Harris, a 20-year-old music production student from Ypsilanti, had been producing music for years when he took Michaud’s course, but he still found the class helpful. “It allowed me to connect my thoughts with my emotions,” said Harris. “It’s a way to vent. You can just take the class to learn how to write your feelings down on paper.” Lindsey Klebba, 19, of Hartland, who already writes music and performs extensively, said that the course was helpful. And she spoke highly of Michaud. “He’s very knowledgeable and a lot of fun,” she said. And Michaud has a different message for his students than they may hear outside the classroom. “That’s another cool part of the class is people get to talk about, well, maybe a parent wasn’t as supportive of this and said that they couldn’t do it, or maybe they said that they had to quote-unquote ‘get a real job’ or something like that,” said Michaud.
“I try to be balanced, I say that being a musician is hard work. It’s not an easy job… if they put their mind to it, and they keep at it and keep working at their craft, that there are ways to make a living being a musician and doing creative things,” he said. “That’s not something that everyone is telling them all the time.” And besides helping students hone their skills individually, the class gives the chance to make connections and to work with others. Often instrumentalists and songwriters from the class teamed up for a project. “We kind of turn into a creative family by the end of the year,” said Michaud. While he cannot take credit for his students’ successes, Michaud acknowledged that it is exciting to see where students go from his class. Former students include Jetty Rae, Dan Henig, and Joshua Simmons. Rae has been a featured artist in multiple festivals and events including being picked by Sarah McLachlan and Terry McBride as a local artist to perform at Lilith Fair in 2010. She has released several albums. Henig is an Ann Arborbased singer/songwriter who achieved Internet fame when his cover of “Get Low” by Lil Jon and The East Side Boyz went viral.
B4
The Washtenaw Voice
January 13, 2014
‘Mr. Banks’ not so supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Disney film nails the feeling, lacks in story By EMILY ROSE
Voice Correspondent
“Saving Mr. Banks” is the story behind the beloved 1964 Disney classic, “Mary Poppins,” when Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) is determined to garner the rights from author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson). The year was 1961, just six years after Disneyland opened in Los Angeles. Her book royalties are becoming scarce, which forces Travers to meet with Disney once again to try and create a movie deal. Disney had promised his daughters he would turn the novel into a movie, but dealing with Travers is not that easy. She will not comply unless they fulfill her every wish. Thompson plays the snobby Australian writer to the T. The movie shows several flashbacks to Travers’ childhood, as she grows up with an irresponsible father (Colin Farrell). He drinks himself to death, causing the mother (Ruth Wilson) to consider suicide. The children needed a nanny to take care of them, and the story of Mary Poppins was born.
Grade: B
COURTESY PHOTO | LATIMES.COM
Prices: Expect to pay $7 to $10 for a typical lunch or dinner meal, which includes a beverage. If you go: For a snack-like meal, try the Dahi Sev Puri, or for a more substantial meal, order the Samosa Wrap-Roll. If feeling adventurous, try Katie’s Surprise. For more information: www.hut-k.com or call 734-786-8312.
Philosophy of food presentation
Swaroop Bhojani and his wife Sumi create foods using whole grains, raw fruits and vegetables and lots of spices. Bhojani tries to go back to basic foods that taste great and will give the body what it needs. ‘The best part of this food is the way you feel afterwards,’ he says. DAVID FITCH | WASHTENAW VOICE
‘FTL’ – entertaining space adventure, and a bargain If other space adventure games like “Mass Effect” or the latest “Star Trek” game left you yearning for more space travel, then Subset Games’ ““FTL”: Faster Than Light” just might be the game for you. And at one-sixth the cost of a normal game there is no excuse not to try it. FTL is a space-strategy rogue-like game in which you command a ship with the goal of delivering vital data to the Galactic Federation in hopes of defeating an army of rebellious human supremacists. To do this you will take command of a single ship with the ability to travel faster than light. You and your crew will travel from sector to sector completing missions, assembling crew, bartering for weapons and droids, and upgrading your ship while you prepare to lead the Galactic Federation in one final showdown with the rebel forces. FTL is influenced by table-top board games meaning you will spend the whole game looking down at a cross section of your ship and the tiny sprites of your crew as you command them much like the bridge scenes in “Star Trek.” Part of the beauty of FTL is that even though you aren’t directly in the action like most action games, its masterful use of sprites and sounds will have you feeling true dread when pirates board your ship, or when a rogue solar flare starts a fire in your engine room and you can no longer run away
The human experience captured by ‘Her’ Managing Editor
Hut-K Chaats at a glance
Voice Correspondent
January 13, 2014
By NATALIE WRIGHT
The producers could not have picked a better actor to play Walt Disney. The widely beloved Hanks nails the acting and looks the part of the legend that is Walt Disney. The best part about the movie is the soundtrack. The Sherman Brothers (B.J. Novak, Jason Schwartzman) were the musicians for the original Mary Poppins soundtrack. In “Saving Mr. Banks,” the brothers do a great job of updating the music, but still keep with the classic ’60s tone. The costume design for all the characters is spot on, as was the set design. The filmmakers did a great job of making you feel as if it was the mid-1960s again. The movie has a good storyline, but it is very anti-climactic. I was waiting for that moment where you were on the edge Genre: Drama of your seat, but it Runtime: 120 minutes never came. This Rating: PG-13 is a movie that I won’t be dying to see once it is released on DVD.
By MIKE ANTHONY
B5
The Washtenaw Voice
Who: Swaroop Bhojani What: “Understanding the Fuel We Feed Ourselves” When: Jan. 30, 6-8:30 p.m. Where: Ypsilanti District Library-Michigan at 229 West Michigan Ave.
In poetry of color, light, music and language, writer/director Spike Jonze simultaneously portrays the infinite possibilities and the infinite limitations of the human mind. In “Her,” his first solo-writing venture, Jonze has created a story that is equal parts heartfelt love story, haunting science fiction and philosophical exploration. The film, set in some unspecified place and time in the future, follows Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls in love with his new operating system, or “OS,” Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). This “OS” is the first with artificial intelligence, meaning her personality and knowledge expand with every moment and experience. Like Samantha, the audience will find themselves discovering new emotions that build on each other exponentially and are nearly impossible to put into words. Viewers will easily lose themselves in this alluring love story and the personality it takes on. Everything from the cheesy jokes exchanged between
Theodore and Samantha to the soulpouring, life-sharing conversations, make this couple the definition of what we all seek in our relationships. Theodore shows Samantha the world, and she shows him how to be caught up in amazement by it. But suddenly, while viewers are lost in rapture of the perfection of this couple’s love, an eerie, uncomfortable feeling will wash over them as they remember that this is a story about a broken-hearted, broken-down man falling in love with his computer. Beyond the love story, this film is a depiction of the ongoing the merger between our dependence on each other and our dependence on technology, and the increasing detachment among the human race. But rather than condemn, it shows not only the sadness, but also the beauty and the inevitability of this evolution. Primary colors and retro costume design help to keep this incredibly lofty movie grounded. But the performances, more than anything, make it relatable. Phoenix may be the only person who could portray the loveable, pitiable, and somewhat creepy Theodore so perfectly. His frantic giddiness
during the high points and his stoic depression during the lows prevent this film from ever feeling dull, despite 90 percent of the movie consisting of Theodore alone, communicating with Samantha via earpiece. It’s remarkable how with only her voice, Johansson brings Samantha to life. The earnestness in the tone of her voice and the way she delivers her lines makes Samantha feel more human-like than so many human movie characters. At one point she questions whether her emotions can be considered “real” or if they are just the result of programming. It will bring you to tears. What thought could be more human? This question has been central throughout centuries of philosophers’ musings. Every piece and every moment of this film ties together in Genre: Comedy, one of the most comDrama, Romance plex, yet accessible Runtime: 126 minutes films of recent years. Rating: R This layered story will be watched and rewatched and analyzed and re-analyzed for years to come. It is a classic of our time.
Grade: A+
COURTESY PHOTO | HERTHEMOVIE.COM
Indian street food makes inroads in Ann Arbor the corner of Platt and Packard in Ypsilanti, and near Main Street in Mark’s Carts in Ann Arbor, and soon Swaroop Bhojani is passionate near South Campus in Ann Arbor. about comfort food, but not the kind The researcher-turned-foodie, you are thinking of. He is passion- who holds a doctorate degree, is pasate about healthy, raw comfort food – sionate about giving people the food chaats, to be exact, and a wide variety that their bodies want and that they of other creations. will love – the same food that changed Bhojani is the owner of Hut-K his life six years ago. Chaats. That’s when Bhojani was diagnosed Chaats, he explained, refers to with Type 2 diabetes, like millions of Indian street food. The word describes other Americans. He was taking medifood “so good you want to lick the last cation to control the condition, but bit off the plate,” according to Bhojani. was not content with that solution. Hut-K Chaats has locations on He began researching nutrition and By DAVID FITCH Staff Writer
started to try to get off of his diabetes medication. “I put together a diet for myself,” Bhojani said. The diet sought, among other things, to replace processed sugars, oils and processed foods with healthier options. He began eating more whole grains, using fruits and vegetables to sweeten food, and using healthy herbs to season food. It worked. Bhojani was able to get off his diabetes medication. He and his wife, Sumi, started the business in an effort to share their newfound health and nutrition with others.
Bhojani looks at the body’s systems as machines, and like machines they must me cared for, he said. “How do you take care of these machines? There is no other way than food,” he said. In 2012, Bhojani left his position as a radiation oncology researcher at the University of Michigan. He says that he doesn’t miss his old job; he has found his passion. And don’t worry, Hut-K Chaats doesn’t skimp on flavor. Staying true to its Indian roots, the restaurant dishes up flavorful, colorful, delicious dishes for a reasonable price.
Scorsese in top form in dark, edgy ‘Wolf of Wall Street’
from the slavers bearing down on you. Moments like this really set FTL apart from other games. The way that FTL pulls you into the moment always amazes, and it’s able to do this better than most triple-A games. Also, while on the subject of sights and sounds, it’s important to note that FTL has one of the best game soundtracks – period. Beautiful yet subtle, the soundtrack of FTL sets the mood perfectly without being intrusive or distracting. As fun as FTL is, it can be extremely unforgiving, and it will take potentially dozens of attempts just to make it to the final area for the first time. FTL randomly generates each game, and all deaths are permanent, meaning you will be restarting a lot. Luckily, FTL can be beaten in under an hour, and death isn’t usually frustrating since it normally feels like it was your fault. All this adds up to create a game that realizes space travel and the feel of commanding your own spaceship better than most other games. At just $10, FTL is a game that is affordable and an absolute must-play for gamers of all kinds. And with mods and a free expansion coming that will add new ships, weapons, enemies, upgrades and a plethora of other things FTL could easily keep you entertained for dozens of hours. FTL is available through Steam, GOG.com, Amazon, or directly from the developer at FTLgame.com and is available for Windows, Mac OSX, Linux, and with an iOS port expected early this year.
Grade: A
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Biography Runtime: 179 minutes Rating: R
COURTESY PHOTO | THEWOLFOFWALLSTREET.COM
By ERIC GARANT Staff Writer
COURTESY PHOTO | GAMEREVIEW.COM
Their menu features chaats, comfort foods like soups and salads, “wrap rolls,” an assortment of beverage concoctions, ice cream and a collection of “back 2 roots” foods, featuring pizzas and other various creations. The produce is fresh, the atmosphere is clean and inviting, and the food is delicious, or “nutrilicious,” as Bhojani likes to say. So, whether you are a hardcore carnivore or a health-food guru, Hut-K Chaats will offer something new and different from nearly any other dining option in the area.
“The Wolf of Wall Street” sees legendary director Martin Scorsese approach familiar ground in a new way. The film tells the true story of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), a stockbroker who amassed great wealth in the 1990s by taking advantage of clients and ignoring the law.
Scorsese is probably the world’s foremost director of movies about organized crime. A film about a group of men working outside the law to fill their pockets is right in his wheelhouse. But his past work down this line – “Mean Streets,” “Goodfellas,” and “The Departed,” to name just three – were all serious dramas. “Wolf” is a strange and decadent dark comedy. Belfort is a family man when the story begins, but is soon taken in by
the temptations of the Wall Street lifestyle, which involves a lot of sex and even more drugs. Matthew McConaughey, in an unforgettable cameo, plays Belfort’s first boss. He takes the young broker out for a lunch that would scare off a man with any sort of moral compass. After losing his first job as a stockbroker when the market crashes, Belfort takes up work selling penny stocks, which are lousy investments
but allow him to earn a 50 percent commission. He sleazily pushes the near-worthless stocks onto unsuspecting clients, building up enough wealth to open his own firm, Stratton Oakmont. There, he surrounds himself with cronies and teaches them how they, too, can defraud people out of their life savings. His lieutenant is Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill), a shambling man whose devotion to Belfort may have
to do with more than just business. The day-to-day life at the brokerage is portrayed as an endless and exceptionally well-funded frat party. One of the film’s opening shots is of Belfort playing darts in the office with a dwarf. As in using the dwarf as a dart. Belfort does prodigious amounts of Quaaludes and cocaine throughout, and gives passionate/insane speeches to his workers that are somewhere between Alec Baldwin’s memorable speech in “Glengarry Glen Ross” and the ravings of a drunk high school football coach. Typical of a Scorsese film, “Wolf” is fast-paced and visually creative. DiCaprio frequently breaks up scenes by stepping away from the action and addressing the audience directly. Scorsese, who is always loath to let his camera to stop moving, gives us the voyeuristic feel of penetrating into the heart of something. “Wolf” has an expansive 179-minute runtime, but it just never lets up enough for it to feel nearly that long. Belfort is an extremely challenging role, and DiCaprio is fearless in going to whatever lengths necessary to keep the comedy and tension high. And Hill does an admirable job keeping up in a role that demands depths of him that we’ve never seen. Scorsese’s “After Hours” (1985) remains one of the strangest of all American comedies, a pitch-black film that left the viewer wrung out as the stress of its events became almost unbearable. “Wolf” is his first crack at humor since, and it’s similarly hard to pin down. The laughs are near-constant, but always feel hollow. What happens on screen is hilarious, but it’s hilarious because it’s so wildly perverse. What is Scorsese up to here? Is the comedy designed to involve and thus implicate the audience? To imply that we’re all guilty for our nation’s state of fiscal ruin? That our collective passivity and naiveté allowed men like Belfort to run us into the ground? Few comedies beg such questions. “The Wolf of Wall Street” proves yet again that in the realm of American films, there is Scorsese – and the rest.
B6
Flip Side
Skipping class?
The Washtenaw Voice
January 13, 2014
LA Times Crossword
Absence makes the wallet grow lighter By ERIC GARANT Staff Writer
One lesson many college students have learned over the years: freedom isn’t always a good thing. There are plenty of differences between college and high school, but the biggest might be that in college, you don’t have to go to class if you don’t want to. There are no truant officers, and there usually aren’t hectoring parents. If you want to skip class, no one is going to stop you. The only force compelling you to attend the classes you enroll is yourself and your desire to learn. Oh, and there’s a financial incentive. At the current rate of $91 per credit hour for in-district students, plus a $7 per credit technology enrollment fee, a standard three-credit class costs $294. Assuming that the class meets 30 times (twice weekly), each absence represents just shy
of $10 down the tubes. If the class meets only once a week, double that. For a $392 four-credit class, each absence costs you just more than $13 if the class meets twice a week and about $26.12 if it meets once a week. Many classes also have a contact hour fee that bumps their price an additional $150. Three-credit classes that include this fee cost $14.80 per meeting for twice-weekly classes and $29.60 for once-weekly. For four-credits, it’s over $18 for twice-weekly and over $36 for once-weekly. Again, no one’s forcing you to attend class in college. But when you miss classes, you’re costing yourself more than just points and information. The Voice asked several students and instructors how many classes they thought were acceptable to skip per semester. Some took a rather hard line. Nicole Cloud, 19, a social work major from Milan said, “One. Because personally, if you’re not there, why
Empty seats in the classroom cost students a lot of money. KELLY BRACHA |
WASHTENAW VOICE
Sudoku
would you pay for the class?” “I don’t like to see them skip at all,” communications instructor Tim Fahlstrom said. “Zero.” Some were a bit more liberal. “I don’t like any more than two,” sociology instructor Diane Rosenthal said. “When you get more than that, you miss a lot of the interaction. Even if they memorize the book, they lose the impact.” “Not more than a few,” Hope Wade, 16, a psychology major from Superior, said. “It probably depends on the circumstances, though.” Some were much more liberal. ““I don’t know, I’d say four. Because things come up,” Brian Stoll, 43, a liberal arts transfer from Ann Arbor said. “You’re doing other things in your life. School isn’t everything.” “It depends on the situation. I’d say five. It seems like a reasonable num- MCT CAMPUS ber,” Charlotte Rogers, 22, a nursing ACROSS major from Ann Arbor said. 1 Business attire 5 Somewhat 9 Punches hard 14 Tolstoy‚Äôs ‚Äú__ Karenina‚Äù 15 Jazz singer Horne 16 Packing rope 17 Hot spot connection 18 What gears do 19 Addition to a school, say 20 Noncash executive compensation 23 Siamese or Abyssinian 24 Solo in ‚ÄúStar Wars‚Äù 25 Seminary deg. 26 Dog tags, for instance 27 Close boxing match outcome 33 Part of a foot 34 Norway‚Äôs capital 35 Low soccer score 38 Aquatic plant 40 Work wk. end for many 42 ‚Äú__ Lama Ding Dong‚Äù: doowop hit 43 Enter 46 Hurricane rescue op 49 Omnivorous Looney Tunes devil, familiarly 50 Folgers competitor 53 Greek letter between phi and psi 55 Airline approx. 56 Tee or blouse 57 Sandwich meat 58 Randomly determined NBA draft choice 64 ‚ÄúMe, too‚Äù 66 Use a piggy bank 67 Overflow with, as charm 68 Prelude, for short 69 Hawaiian strings 70 Thief‚Äôs haul 71 Explosive experiment 72 Felt tips and ballpoints 73 Dumbo‚Äôs wings
DOWN 1 Log cutters 2 Condo division 3 “Inside” facts, briefly 4 Meditative exercise regimen 5 Teardrop-shaped nutlike snacks 6 Answering machine cue 7 Part of MIT: Abbr. 8 South Seas getaway 9 Substitute (for) 10 “To thine __ self be true” 11 Ohio city 12 Work on dough 13 Titillating cellphone messages 21 Green Hornet’s sidekick 22 Extremely 27 Male deer 28 Game on horseback 29 Valid 30 Christmas toymaker 31 Gadget used on an apple 32 “__ the fields we go” 36 PC alternative 37 Relax in a hammock 39 California’s Santa __ 41 ICU drips 44 Poet whose work inspired “Cats” 45 Director Preminger 47 Woman on stage 48 Bok __: Chinese cabbage 51 Consumes avidly 52 Take a stand against 53 Series of links 54 Lacks 59 Word before five or ten 60 __-steven 61 State known for its caucuses 62 Business bigwig 63 Gunpowder holders 65 “__ Doubtfire”
Answers
PUZZLES.CA
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Students and WCC employees: Classified ads in The Voice are free. Local business owners: Looking for help? Post your free help wanted ads in The Voice. Send ads to thewashtenawvoice@gmail.com. Note: Deadline for the Jan. 27 issue is Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 5 p.m. SERVICES
Below is a sample of recent employment want ads which have been posted with WCC Career Services. Students are invited to read these ads and to contact Career Services to find out how to apply for the openings. Career Services is located in ML 104. For more information, phone (734) 677-5155, email careers@wccnet.edu, or visit www.wccnet.edu/careerconnection/. Motorcycle/Motorsport Technician. HELP WANTED Dick Scott’s Classic Motorcycles is seeking “Rock stars wanted!” Jimmy John’s in an experienced and certified technician. Ann Arbor is now hiring the best sandwich- Responsible for performing vehicle repairs makers and delivery drivers. Must have a as assigned in accordance with dealer and killer work ethic, rock-star personality and factory standards. Must have certification! be ready to learn! To apply stop by 3365 CNA. Interim Healthcare is hiring CNA Washtenaw Ave or e-mail your resume to staff, 35-40 hours, immediate hire to exwashtenaw@jimmyjohns.com. perience the fulfillment of caring for the
VOLUNTEER TUTORS: Washtenaw Literacy needs volunteers to tutor adults in basic reading, writing, math and English as a Second Language. If in Help change lives – one word at a time! Contact info@washtenawliteracy.org or call 734-879-1320. NEED HEALTH CARE? Are you between the ages of 12-22? Contact the Corner Health Center at 734-484.3600 or visit online at: www.cornerhealth.org
elderly in a home setting. Looking to hire candidates who are willing to work a variety of hours, including weekends, holidays and overnight shifts. Most shifts available are from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. Job requirements: Completion of CNA courses; assist seniors with all activities of daily living, such as personal hygiene, bathing, toileting, nutrition intake, medication reminders, enriching companionship and light housekeeping. Successful candidates must submit to pre-employment drug screening and a criminal background check. Must have or have the ability to obtain negative TB test, and reliable transportation. Assistant Infant/Toddler Teacher. Jellybean Daycare & Preschool is looking for an assistant infant/toddler teacher. The position is part time (about 20 hours/week). Rate of pay depends on education and experience. Must be willing to take trainings
and have (or obtain) first-aid and CPR cer- and entry; coordinate with corporate actification. Looking for someone who has a counting on bi-weekly payable check runs, CDA or is working toward a child-care de- including distribution of checks to vendors; gree and has experience in a daycare center. file invoices; reconcile sub-ledger to generCooks and servers. Olga’s Kitchen al ledger; perform accounts payable accruis looking for cooks and servers. Up to 40 als; prepare working papers as requested hours a week; hiring immediately. by corporate accounting; maintain vendor Caregiver, Home Health. Shared Care database; field vendor phone calls. Services, a private-duty home health care IT Support Specialist. Perform daysolution of Evangelical Homes of Michigan, to-day UNIX/Linux, and Wintel configurais seeking to welcome new part time/con- tion, consultation, and desktop support. tingent caregivers to our expanding team, This position works closely with internal servicing the Washtenaw County and sur- and external customers regarding hardrounding areas. Responsibilities include: ware and software related issues. CAD providing personal care and assistance workstation and PC desktop support is a with daily living activities for our clients; key component of this job. Additional reassisting clients with meal preparation and sponsibilities will include participating on feeding; reminding clients to take medi- teams both as a leader and a member, and cation in a timely manner; transporting working closely with the business managand accompanying clients to and from ap- ers within the organization throughout all pointments (if applicable); communicat- phases of IT project implementation, and ing clients’ status and progress; providing incident resolution. Using the incidentcompassionate care and services through management system to handle and resolve love and patience Service Desk tickets. Accounting Assistant. To accurately Automotive Entry Level Technician. complete the payable functions to meet Suburban Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of the requirements of the company and its Novi is hiring full- and part -time entrycustomers. Responsibilities include: receive, level technicians, oil change technicians process (deposit) and enter branch cus- and porters. tomer payments; payable invoice coding
B7
Sports
The Washtenaw Voice
January 13, 2014
Borges firing first hint that Hoke is under fire, too Though the Wolverines averaged 32.2 points per game, the team struggled all year to run the ball, and quarterback Devin Gardner was turnover-prone. Borges is known for quarterback development, but failed to help Gardner reach his potential. Doug Nussmeier will take over as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2014. By ERIC GARANT “The passion he has for the game of In a move that shows he un- football and for the young men that derstands the pressure he’s under, he leads is what coaching is all about,” Michigan football coach Brady Hoke Hoke said. fired offensive coordinator Al Borges Nussmeier spent the last two sealast week and replaced him with sons at Alabama in the same role. He someone with a national champion- will be tasked with doing for Gardner, ship ring. and eventually Shane Morris, what he
did for Crimson Tide quarterback A.J. McCarron. Calling the program “Quarterback U”, Nussmeier expressed great enthusiasm for becoming a Wolverine. “When you say ‘Michigan’, it’s synonymous with football,” Nussmeier said. Borges came to Michigan with Hoke in 2011 and took over an offense led by Denard Robinson. With Robinson’s speed providing a constant threat to the defense, Michigan averaged 5.2 yards per carry in 2011 and 4.8 in 2012. Without Robinson this season, that number fell to 3.3 yards per carry. Michigan’s offensive line let it down this year, failing to consistently
provide lanes for its runners, but Borges never adjusted to it. Until the last game of the regular season, when he designed a gameplan full of screen plays and misdirection that confused Ohio State and let the Wolverines keep up with a superior opponent, Borges never showed the creative flair that his situation required of him. Though the line was in shambles, the offense Borges led had plenty of weapons: a multi-talented quarterback, a trio of capable running backs, and two elite receivers in Jeremy Gallon and Devin Funchess. No matter how poorly the guys in the trenches fared, there were ways to make this offense hum, and Borges just didn’t
find them often enough. Nussmeier will be expected to turn things around quickly, and there’s cause for optimism. Under his tutelage, McCarron completed more than 67 percent of his passes, averaged more than nine yards per attempt, and threw 58 touchdowns against only seven interceptions. Those are gaudy numbers in any context, but are particular impressive in the SEC. Gardner may never see the field the way McCarron does, but he’s a far more gifted athlete. Nussmeier’s job will to be a design an offense that maximizes his unique strengths. And as recent events indicate, failure is not an option.
Big 10 Basketball Preview
Spartans lead strong field heading into conference play State opponents were averaging more than 15 turnovers per contest, and guards Aaron Craft and Shannon Scott The Big 10 is a basketball confer- had combined to average 4.7 steals ence, and it has been for a while. The per game. days of Bo Schembechler and Woody Things will get tighter during conHayes and a legendary football rivalry ference play, but Ohio State’s lockare past; these are the days of Tom Izzo, down defense should let it hang with Bo Ryan, and Thad Matta. anybody and keep its hope for a one The conference has been repre- or two seed alive. sented in four of the last five Final Fours, and entered the Big 10 season with three teams in the top five of both the AP and Coaches’ polls. Big 10 teams might not get the type of national attention as Duke or Kentucky, but make no mistake: those teams want no part of Spartan green in March. While its football programs Wisconsin Badgers have gotten soft, Big 10 basketball has Perennial stalwarts during coach only gotten stronger. Bo Ryan’s 12 seasons in Madison, Here’s our conference preview, there’s no reason to expect anything with all statistics as of Jan. 6: different from the Badgers this year. Ryan gets his team to play sound fundamental basketball. Wisconsin moves the ball well offensively and doesn’t beat itself defensively. The Badgers ranked 10th in the country in offensive efficiency and 11th in defensive efficiency, joining only Louisville as teams to rank in the top Michigan State Spartans 11 in both categories. Since Tom Izzo took over the proShooting is the Badgers’ greatest gram, the Spartans have done nothing weapon: all five of its top scorers are but win. That won’t change this year. hitting 37 percent or more of their Armed with a deep and athletic ros- three-pointers, including a stunning ter, 2014 could easily be the year Izzo 42.1 percent for seven-footer Frank claims his eighth Big 10 championship. Kaminsky. The starting backcourt of Keith The only question mark for Appling and Gary Harris is one of the Wisconsin will be if can keep up with nation’s finest. Appling is a prototyp- the more athletic teams in the conical Izzo point guard: smart, tough, ference. Ryan’s teams have struggled experienced and highly competitive. to score in the past against quicker, Harris is a good complement, a strong more active teams. If it can handle its two-way player who can stretch the business in the conference, though, floor and take over some of the ball- Wisconsin has a good chance of claimhandling duties. ing a one-seed in the tournament. The development of power forward Adreian Payne into a consistent outside shooter gives the team a strong third option offensively, while small forward and freak athlete Branden Dawson is something of an X-factor. Izzo gets the most out his players, and he has made it to Final Fours with Iowa Hawkeyes considerably less talent. There are no Coming off an NIT championship guarantees in sports, but the Spartans in 2013, Iowa seems poised to take a are certainly a team others will want step forward in 2014. to avoid during the Big Dance. Expect The Hawkeyes are built around a them to have a high seed and to ad- pair of stars: senior guard Roy Devyn vance deep. Marble and junior forward Aaron White. Around them, coach Fran McCaffery shuffles nine other players on what is probably the conference’s deepest team. So far, it has worked. Iowa was among the top 25 teams in the nation in both offensive and defensive efficiency, and had lost only to strong Ohio State Buckeyes Villanova and Iowa State teams. Undefeated entering conferThe Hawkeyes look like an easy bet ence play, including a blowout win at for a tournament bid this year, where Marquette, the Buckeyes look to be their massive rotation should prove among the best teams in the country. an advantage if they can survive the Ohio State ranked first in the na- early rounds. tion in Ken Pomeroy’s defensive efficiency ratings, allowing just 85.8 points per 100 possessions. Ohio State has length and athleticism across the board, and 6-foot-11-inch center Amir Williams provides shot-blocking at the basket. The Buckeyes will need their extraordinary defense to carry a very or- Michigan Wolverines dinary offense that relies too heavily Eight months after riding star peon wings LaQuinton Ross and Lenzelle rimeter players and freshman cenSmith Jr. Ross and Smith are the only ter Mitch McGary to the 2013 NCAA consistent shooters on the team, and championship game, coach John Ohio State struggles to keep the floor Beilein will have to slog through spaced without both on the floor. a much more challenging 2014 One way to account for a lack of campaign. spacing is to simply not play in the Starting guards Trey Burke and half-court, which the Buckeyes are of- Tim Hardaway Jr. have moved on to ten able to do. Through 14 games, Ohio the NBA, and McGary is likely out for By ERIC GARANT Sports Writer
the year with a back injury. The burden will be heaviest on swingman Nik Stauskas and forward Glenn Robinson III, both likely future NBA players. Each is more than capable of being the first option offensively on a good college team, and should prove more than able to keep the Wolverines competitive within the conference. The team’s bigger ambitions seem lost without McGary, whose defensive presence the Wolverines cannot replace. Backup big men Jon Horford and Jordan Morgan aren’t ready for the roles they’d be required to fill to make this team a legitimate contender. A tournament berth still seems like a sure bet, but it will be tough going without the man in the middle.
scoring just under 16 points per game, while Austin is more of a glue guy, doing whatever the team needs from him on a particular night. Richard Pitino had his team outscoring its opponents by nearly 10 points per game entering conference play. The Gophers won’t maintain that pace during conference play, and are likely to struggle against many opponents’ size and athleticism. If Pitino can get this team an NCAA tournament berth, he deserves consideration for Big 10 Coach of the Year.
Penn State Nittany Lions Senior point guard Tim Frazier is the engine that makes Penn State go. Averaging nearly 17 points and seven assists per game, Frazier has been one of the best players of the early college basketball season. Backcourt mate D.J. Newbill is also having a strong year, averaging 18 points per game and shooting 50 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from three. Few teams get such production from their starting guards. Purdue Boilermakers Penn State’s woes have come on Purdue is a young team that plays defense, where the Nittany Lions allike one. The Boilermakers are athletic, low 103.5 points per 100 possessions, but don’t pass or space the floor well ranking them 169th in the country. enough to be successful offensively. Sophomore forward Donovan Jack The Boilermakers attempt fewer is the team’s only credible basket prothree-pointers than any Big 10 team tector, and Jack has frequently gotten except Indiana, and convert just 33 into foul trouble. percent of them. And their lead guards, A tournament bid seems like a pipe Ronnie and Terone Johnson, are all dream, but if Penn State can tighten up shoot-first players who don’t get the its defense even a little bit, its offense rest of the team involved enough. could carry it into the NIT. That leaves Purdue with a middling offense to go with its 143rd-ranked defense. Center A.J. Hammons led the conference in blocked shots, but wasn’t getting much help. Unless it can fix things on that end soon, Purdue seems bound for the NIT.
Illinois Fighting Illini In its second year under coach Jon Groce, Illinois has a young team. It starts all upperclassmen, but brings mostly freshmen off the bench. It will depend on leadership and big years from from junior guards Rayvonte Rice and Tracy Abrams, as well as senior guard Joseph Bertrand. The trio leads Illinois in scoring, and Rice and Bertrand also do an excellent job of helping out on the glass. Center Nnanna Egwu has done a good job protecting the basket, blocking 2.3 shots per game while anchoring the nation’s 21st ranked defense. The Illini are the fringes of a tournament berth, and will need to hold their own in conference play to get an invite to the Dance. Northwestern Wildcats In its first year under coach Chris Collins, son of former Pistons coach Doug Collins, Northwestern ranks 268th in the country in offensive efficiency, comfortably the lowest ranking for any major conference team. That spells doom in a conference Indiana Hoosiers full of stout defenses. The Wildcats The Hoosiers have predictably went 4-14 in conference play in 2013, struggled to score this season, rank- and it’s hard to see them doing much ing 108th in the country in offensive ef- better this year. ficiency. With the loss of ultra-athletic The good news for them is that two guard Victor Oladipo and the crafty in- of their best players, guard Tre Demps terior play of center Cody Zeller, both and center Alex Olah, are only sophtop-five picks of last year’s NBA draft, omores. It’s unlikely Northwestern Indiana is in a state of reinvention. even gets an NIT invitation this season, Coach Tom Crean has a lot of op- but next year should be better. tions with his rotation. The Hoosiers have gone 10-deep in most games and gotten reasonable production from everyone. Forward Jeremy Hollowell has struggled offensively, and some of his 23.4 minutes per game might be better going to someone else. Its 25th-ranked defense should keep Indiana in most games, and its schedule is relatively friendly, but an NCAA tournament bid is still a dicey proposition at best for Crean’s squad.
Minnesota Golden Gophers Richard Pitino, son of Louisville coach and future Hall of Famer Rick Pitino, took over Minnesota’s program following six years of moderate success under Tubby Smith. Smith left him a decent amount of talent, most notably the unrelated Austin Hollins and Andre Hollins. Andre led the 25th-ranked offense,
Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska isn’t a basketball school, and it doesn’t much pretend to be. The Cornhuskers haven’t received an invite to the NCAA tournament since 1998, and that won’t change now. With an offense and defense that both rank outside the top 100 in the country, Nebraska is a team that just doesn’t do much of anything well. Swingmen Terran Petteway and Shavon Shields lead an anemic starting five as the only players on the club averaging double figures in points. A young bench will have to carry a heavy burden for this team to hang with even the conference’s lesser programs. Second-year coach Tim Miles has stressed keeping turnovers down, but it’s hard to see this team competing in the Big 10 no matter what it does. Advancing to any kind of postseason play seems like a long shot.
Minnesota Gophers’ Andre Hollins (1) misses a key layup against Michigan Wolverines’ Derrick Walton Jr. (10) late in the game at Williams Arena in Minneapolis last season. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII/MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE/MCT
B8
Flip Side
The Washtenaw Voice
January 13, 2014
DIA in peril, but it still offers enriching experience By ERIC GARANT Staff Writer
Few things in life let you transcend time and space. Southeast Michigan is home to one of them – but it might not be for long. The Detroit Institute of Arts, founded in 1885 and housing more than 65,000 pieces of artwork, allows you to see pieces from cultures you’ve only read about, or seen reenacted on television. It makes alive and real times and people that are otherwise just some mental abstraction. But with the City of Detroit in the midst of the largest municipal bankruptcy in the nation’s history, Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr has raised the possibility of liquidating some of the museum’s pieces. “I think it’s one of the saddest things that has occurred in the City of Detroit and the art community at large,” Washtenaw Community College photography instructor Robert Gonet said about the possibility of liquidation. It doesn’t take long at the DIA to understand his attitude. You can go from looking at paintings from the Renaissance that you’ve heard about all your life to a hallway of bizarre and pointy African masks; from there to a room of ancient sacred texts on flaky parchment that is beautifully and vibrantly colored; from there to a gallery of abstractexpressionist paintings that make you feel something even if you don’t understand them. You get to jump from era to era and country to country and communicate (albeit one-sidedly) with people who have been dead for longer than you can comprehend. It is a surreal experience. Orr finds himself in the difficult situation of trying to determine exactly what that experience is worth, and how it compares to the city’s other, more tangible needs. In early December, Orr said that the 459 most valuable pieces have a
The Last Supper 1786, oil on canvas by Benjamin West. ERIC GARANT | WASHTENAW VOICE
fair-market value of $2 billion, according to the Detroit Free Press. That would represent one-ninth of what the city owes its creditors. On Dec. 11, the museum posted a news release to its website publicly expressing its support for a deal organized by federal mediators that would spin the DIA off from city ownership and shield its artwork from sale. But the deal requires cooperation from several labor groups and foundations. It’s unclear if it will come together. Robert Emerson, a longtime
member of the State House and Senate and the State Budget Director under then Gov. Jennifer Granholm, thinks the art is probably safe. “My guess is that (selling artwork) is unlikely, mostly because the bankruptcy judge is using the federal judge as a mediator,” Emerson said. “I think there are arguments to be made that if Detroit is going to be a viable city, it has to maintain some of its assets, and the DIA is certainly one of them.” He added, though, that he would probably sell the art if the decision was
his, saying that people who need their pension to maintain their livelihood should be the city’s primary concern. “I would be devastated if we lost our collection,” WCC Production Center Manager Julia Gleich said. “That really sucks. Oh, wow. This is the first I’ve heard of that,” Jalen Sparrow, a 20-year-old graphic design/ advertising major from Whitmore Lake, said of the potential sales. “That’s really disappointing. I like that museum a lot.” Detroit is an impossible bind. So
is Orr. On the one hand, it doesn’t make sense for a city that owes $18 billion to hold onto its valuables. On the other hand, the DIA’s artwork is irreplaceable and offers generations to come something they cannot get in any other way. If the mediated plan falls through, Orr is going to have to make a hard decision. Meantime, if you want to see one of the country’s finest collections of artwork in its full glory, hurry. You might not have much longer.
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