VOICE A A NATIONAL NATIONAL PACEMAKER PACEMAKER AWARD AWARD NEWSPAPER NEWSPAPER
washtenawvoice.com
THE
Febuary 10, 2014
Volume 20, Issue 13
The student publication of Washtenaw Community College
Amazing grace Ann Arbor, Michigan
Colleges to be ranked on success?
Meet the remarkable woman who brought class to Washtenaw
her departure, her fingerprints are everywhere on campus. “She decorated the miles of hallways that were sterile and unattractive,” Whitworth recalls. “She loves art and loves to learn. She has an incredibly active mind.” Besides managing the WCC Art Collection and the educational displays, Hommel has remained a vital part of the WCC Foundation – even By MARIA RIGOU during her valiant battle with canEditor cer, diagnosed well before she left the college. She started the international Judith Hommel once attended a travel programs for students and staff. coed softball game to show her sup- She also helped kick off the “College Is port for the Washtenaw Community My Future” program that gave at-risk College team. But it needed one more youth in the area a sense of what colplayer or it would have to forfeit the lege was, in hopes of preparing them game. for the future. So she kicked off her sandals and All these things are just a small put on a pair of cleats, and played sample of how Hommel served the the game. college and her community. In a skirt. “She was always willing to try new Only Judith Hommel. stuff,” said Linda Blakey, WCC’s viceThat’s what kind of teammate she president of Student and Academic was in the more than 25 years she Services. “She is such an advocate.” served this college before retiring Only Judith. about three years ago as the execuWhitworth remembers Hommel’s tive associate to then-president Larry benevolent spirit. Whitworth. Hommel was very involved with Her spirit of collaboration was The Learning Institute, a non-profit renowned, as was her ever-present smile. She touched many lives, and BUILDERS took on myriad projects. Years after CONTINUED A6
By MARIA RIGOU Editor
Community colleges across the country may soon see a change in their ranking system starting next fall, which could help students make better choices about where they spend their tuition dollars. Last August, President Obama presented a proposal that, among other things, included the creation of a rating system that will rank community colleges. As a result, Congress can tie federal aid to college performance, so that students can maximize their education at schools providing the best value. Under this proposal, the Department of Education will develop a rating system to help students and their families compare the value offered by colleges and institutions and, in turn, encourage colleges to improve their services. The ratings will be based on several measures, including access (such as percentage of students receiving Pell grants or other forms of aid), affordability (such as average tuition, scholarships and loan debts), and outcomes (such as graduation and transfers rates, graduate earnings and advanced degrees of college graduates), according to the White House. In addition, by 2018, federal student aid will be defined by Congress
builder
Judith Hommel
KATHY STADTFELD | COURTESY PHOTO
REFORM CONTINUED A6
SOQs are public info, Lawyer says By NATALIE WRIGHT Managing Editor
While Washtenaw Community College denied The Washtenaw Voice’s request to release the Student Opinion Questionnaires, the door has not shut for these records to be made available to students. “We are appealing WCC’s denial,” said Vo i c e E d i t o r Maria Rig ou. “After consulting with our attorney at the Student Press Law Center, we are confident there is a strong Frank LoMonte case for why students should have access to this public information.” Frank LoMonte, Executive Director of the SPLC, has advised The Voice that the SOQs are not exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. They are not personal, private property, as the school contends, nor are they exempt as records “within” or “between” public agencies, as the students are creating the documents, not state employees, he said. SOQ’S CONTINUED A6
See an instructor’s reaction to SOQ issue in letter to editor on A4.
Randy Ferry, 44, is hard at work clearing snow from fire hydrants located on campus.
Find a parking spot? Thank the snow-movers By JON PRICE
Staff writer
While schools across the county closed or canceled classes due to snow and bitter cold, students were able to stay indoors and catch up on homework – or sleep – while snowremoval crews were hard at work. At Washtenaw Community College, the grounds maintenance staff has spent long hours clearing snow off the parking lot and sidewalks and spreading salt to make it safe for when classes resumed. “When the college is closed, we still have to be here,” said Rick Westcott, the grounds maintenance manager. “The staff was
working 14-16 hours a day.” Westcott said that his staff had already used more than 250 tons of salt before the end of January. Rich Harden, the mechanic for the maintenance department, is no stranger to the cold Michigan winter; however, this particularly bitter winter has presented a unique challenge for the workers. “What’s been difficult in this cold weather is the salt,” Harden said. “It has to be about 15 degrees for it to work, and it’s gotten much colder than that.” Harden services roughly 39 vehicles owned by the school and more than 770 pieces of equipment. With 14 buildings on a campus that covers nearly 300-acres, snow removal can be a long and daunting process. “We have staff here from 3 a.m. until
11:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday,” Westcott said. “It isn’t just a day of clearing snow in the parking lots” said Randy Ferry, a lead on the grounds crew. “It’s an endless cycle.” Ferry, 44, said the crew has well over 100 years of experience between them. “I think that’s part of the reason we do such a good job, because we all know what we’re doing,” he added. And he wasn’t bragging either. Extreme attention to detail by the grounds and buildings maintenance workers earned them praise from the school’s president, Dr. Rose Bellanca, at a board of trustees meeting in January. “I’d really like to acknowledge the work the grounds and maintenance staff is doing,” Bellanca said, noting that the grounds crew had even taken
Telling Oscar’s fortune
what’s the wage worth?
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JON PRICE| WASHTENAW VOICE
Detroit, the mecca of ruin porn
B1 B4
the time to clear off all the signs that directed vehicles and marked the buildings around campus. Building custodians earned her praise, too. “Everyone is bringing in all this dirty, muddy water,” Bellanca said, “and I would really like to acknowledge their efforts as well.” Marcus Brown, 51, of Ypsilanti, knows how hard it can be to keep the hallways safe and clean in the winter time. He works in the MorrisLawrence building as a custodian after finishing his shift at Ypsilanti Community Schools during day. “Here at Morris Lawrence, it’s very important because we have so many activities at night,” Brown said. “Floors get slippery and you got to be on it.”
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Febuary 10, 2014
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PeoPle come here because they’re lookinG for somethinG. It’s not about packing up the car and going to a different town. For them it’s about discovery. What they find is a challenge—something unexpected—that opens up new frontiers. Go West. Discover. Explore. This is one of America’s great universities. A lot of people who have become successful—skilled, happy, wealthy and influential—started by heading West. Western Michigan University. It’s your turn to Grab the reins.
wmich.edu/GoWest
Ticket: Bowling Bash
Only $15 March 13 7p.m.-9p.m. Colonial Lanes Ticket includes bowling, shoe rental, and buffet Dinner! 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
Talent Show Auditions
Lunch with the President
Enjoy a delicious lunch with the President of Washtenaw Community College. Lunches will occur on selected days between 12-1p.m. Enter Contest: http://tinyurl.com/wcclunchcontest
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
Purchase tickets at the Cashier’s Office Darwin: Beetles, Books and Blasphemy
Ticket: Beauty and the Beast th
Friday, March 28 7:30p.m. Fisher Theatre Tickets Coming Soon!
Join Biology Professor David Wooten for an insightful and unique seminar on the legacy of Charles Darwin. Please RSVP http://tinyurl.com/wccdarwin February 12, 2014 Morris Lawrence Building 6:30p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Ticket: African-American History Museum
Only $15 February 21 10a.m.-5p.m. Detroit, MI Enjoy Charles Wright Museum of African American History. The $15 ticket includes college-van transportation, admission to museum and lunch at Mongolian BBQ. Purchase tickets at the Cashier’s Office
Upcoming Sports Opportunities!
Men’s Soccer Tryouts: Dates: Monday February 10th and Thursday February 13th Time: 9:15pm-11:00pm. Where: Pioneer High School in the Varsity Gym. Practices will be Mondays and Thursdays 9:15pm-11:00pm until mid-March. The practices will then be from 5:30pm7:30pm. Games will be on Sundays in Brighton (11v11). Club Women’s Soccer Tryouts/First Practices: Dates: Monday February 10th and Thursday February 13th Time: 9:15pm-11:00pm. Where: Pioneer High School in the Junior Varsity Gym. Practices will be Mondays and Thursdays 9:15pm-11:00pm until mid-March. The practices will then be from 5:30pm7:30pm. Games will be on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings. Community Room Tournament Games and Tournaments: There is no registration needed. Intramural Table Tennis: Dates: Monday February 10th through Thursday February 13th Time: 5:00pm-7:00pm Where: Community Room Community Room Free Game and Tournament Play No registration needed. Dates: Monday February 17th through Thursday February 20th Time: 5:00pm-7:00pm Where: Community Room If you have any questions about any opportunities or other sports opportunities don’t hesitate to ask! Contact elemm@wccnet.edu, 734-973-3720 or stop by WCC Sports on SC 116!
News
The Washtenaw Voice
Febuary 10, 2014
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U-M offers a bigger chance to students at smaller schools By ERIC GARANT Staff Writer
Event co-chairs Carole and Mike Galea and Sabrina Keeley and Ed Poisson address the crowd and thank them for their support. MARIA RIGOU | WASHTENAW VOICE
Tahiti style
WCC Foundation raised $100k for scholarships
By MARIA RIGOU Editor
Washtenaw Community College Foundation hit its ambitious fundraising goal in style at its 29th annual Mardi Gras, where 300 guests dined and danced at the South Pacificthemed party. Each year, the Foundation raises funds to benefit students through scholarships and other philanthropic support. The goal was to raise $100,000 “and we have raised it,” said Wendy Lawson, vice president of Advancement. The event kicked off with music from John E. Lawrence, joined by
WCC alumni John Dulph, Emmanuel Fields, Gwyneth Hayes, Athena Johnson and Pat Middlestat. Among many attendees were state representatives Adam Zemke, D-Ann Arbor, and Gretchen Driskell, D-Saline, Masco President and CEO Timothy Wadhams and his wife Laurie, and WCC trustees Richard Landau, Stephen Gill, Patrick McLean and Diana McKnight-Morton. “WCC provides excellent service to the community,” Zemke said. “(They) understand what it takes to prepare young people.” Event co-chairs Mike and Carole Galea and Sabrina Keeley and Ed Poisson thanked sponsors and attendants for their support. “At this fundraiser you see first
hand the impact of your generosity,” said Mike Galea, former Foundation board member and current faculty member at WCC. Food and service was provided by WCC Culinary Arts students, with guidance of renowned southeast Michigan chefs who donated their time to cook with students. Phi Theta Kappa honor society was also present at the event, helping out with coat check and serving beverages throughout the night. “It is a great cause and a great event,” said Driskell, whose children attend WCC. “(WCC offers) affordable quality education… and gives young people the chance to move toward the direction they want to go to. “In WCC, people find a place.”
For those looking to transfer from Washtenaw Community College to the University of Michigan, a major opportunity is now available. The school is accepting applications from community college students for its summer research fellowship program from now until Feb. 28. The program, which has run since 2007 and accepts 25 students per year, is a major bridge toward becoming a U-M student. According to Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program Associate Director Catalina Ormsby, 12 of the 25 students accepted last year were from WCC, and all 10 of them that have applied to Michigan have been admitted. “As long as they have a successful summer, which typically they do, they know they’ll be successful here,” Ormsby said. The fellowship offers programs in areas ranging from biomedical and life sciences to humanities and social sciences, as well as a community-based research program in Detroit. It connects students with professionals and other students in their fields of study. Patrick McMacken, 19, a criminal justice major from Brighton, recently put in an application, hoping to land in a history fellowship. “I’m looking for a fallback plan if the police thing doesn’t work out,” McMacken said. “I want to work with some professors at U-M and see what it’s all about. I’ve heard a lot from my friends, and they love it.”
Accepted students will receive a stipend of $2,000-$3,500 depending on the number of hours they work during the 10-week program, and housing stipends are available for students who live outside of Washtenaw and Wayne counties. “We’re trying to reach out to talented students at community colleges that are in Michigan for now,” Ormsby said. “It’s a diverse pool of students, so we’re hoping they’ll consider transferring to Michigan to complete a fouryear degree.” “There are many benefits (to the program). They get to be on campus doing hands-on research,” Ormsby, said. “They connect with Michigan faculty that becomes their mentor and helps with their professional skills.” “Michigan is a public institution. Community colleges are as well,” graduate student intern Leticia Diaz said. “We’re reaching out to the greater campus community. I think it’s important to create partnerships with other institutions, to be in the same network and share resources with other institutions.”
Taking applications Applications include biographical information, a resume, a personal essay, and two letters of recommendation. For more information, as well as online applications, visit: www.lsa. umich.edu/urop. Note: Applicants must sign up for a Michigan friend account.
College to give entrepreneurs a stepping stone stepping stool for them to turn their classroom work to a real-world busiManaging Editor ness. Most importantly, she said, the center will be a place to get work done, Washtenaw Community College is not just a place to hear lectures and opening an Entrepreneurship Center learn theory. that will be open to students, alumni Hurns has been working closeand community members starting ly with Michelle Mueller, associnext Fall semester. ate vice president of Economic and The center, which will be located Community Development, to plan in the Facilities Management build- practical, hands-on courses. ing, will act as a “It takes more than a great idea to space for entremake a business,” Mueller said. preneurs to get So, the center will be a place where their businesses entrepreneurs can go to create logos off the ground, and brochures and get help in developWCC business ing their business plans and filing their instructor Kim taxes, Hurns said. 002WCC President Hurns said. Rose Bellanca said that she is very exStudents ofcited about the center. ten start busi“Students will have an opportunity ness plans in Kim Hurns to have hands-on experience working their classes and alongside a CEO or faculty member,” keep working on them after the class she said. “And that’s great because one ends, Hurns said. The center will be a of our jobs, our goals here, is to prepare By NATALIE WRIGHT
students for the world of work.” People can get involved at the center in three ways, Hurns said, through credit classes that will be coordinated there, through paid non-credit classes and through free community classes. Hurns disagrees with the widely accepted sentiment that it’s harder to be a small business owner today than in the past. “Technology levels the playing field a lot,” she said. “It makes it a lot easier for small business to play.” Everything from smartphone card readers, to the ability to crowd source has made it simpler for someone to be an entrepreneur, she said. And small businesses aren’t disappearing as rapidly as many think. “Small business represents a majority of businesses in the country,” Mueller said. The idea for the center came out of a workforce development initiative in Washtenaw’s 2013-2014 Strategic
WCC dental program wants to see smiles By ERIC GARANT Staff Writer
Attending Washtenaw Community College gives students access to a number of a high quality services for a low price – like the school’s dental clinic, which runs throughout the winter semester. The clinic runs from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays in OE 106, and is available to all current students, faculty and staff. Appointments must be made, and school identification will be requested when scheduling an appointment. Basic dental services, including teeth cleaning, X-rays, cavity-filling and fluoride treatment are available, with all services other than composite restoration (tooth coloring) costing $15 or less. Payments must be made at the time of treatment and cash and checks are the only accepted forms of payment. “ We love helping students,”
program Director Kathleen Weber said. “Sometimes we get students who have never been to the dentist. If we can help them brighten their smile, we love to do that.” The clinic sees about 100 patients per semester, and refers those who need work that cannot be done there to the University of Michigan’s dental program, which offers three days of free dental care this semester. A screening day for U-M referrals will be held on March 12 from 1-4:30 p.m. College was cited by clinic employees as a time when many people’s teeth begin to deteriorate, as many lose insurance and begin eating a more unhealthy diet. WCC’s dental clinic offers students the opportunity to keep up on their oral health without breaking their bank account. “Nothing can replace what you have. No artificial will be the same as what you have now,” WCC faculty and registered dental assistant Tina Sprague, said. “It’s very important with all the
sports drinks and Monsters…all this generation are into the energy drinks.” “It’s easy for teeth to become compromised if you don’t take care of them, especially with our high-sugar, high-carb diets today,” dental surgeon Toni Ausum said. There will also be a mouth-guard clinic on March 4 from 8 a.m.-noon. About 40 mouth guards will be given away. “The difference between our mouth guards and a boil-and-bite is that we mold it to your mouth,” Sprague said, referring to the types of mouth guards available in stores. “(Boil-and-bites) don’t get good suction, so we custommake them.” This, she said, makes the guards more effective in preventing fractures and avulsion, which is when a tooth is knocked out of the gums. For more information on any of its services, call the dental assisting program at 734-973-3332 or stop by OE 106.
Plan, Hurns said. Schools everywhere “I just hope our students take adare pushing to increase workforce de- vantage of this,” Bellanca said, “This velopment, she said, and Washtenaw is what America is all about and wants to lead the pack. Michigan especially – small business.” The brunt of the work that is left, Hurns said, Help name WCC’s is organizing entrepreneurship center and tapping into resources that The center, set to open Fall 2014, already exist on needs a name. WCC’s business campus, such as school is hosting a contest to find the school’s rea name that will brand the center lationships with as both fun and innovative as well Michelle Mueller employers. as professional, business instruc“We already tor Kim Hurns said. The contest met with three leading CEOs from is open until the end of February. Ann Arbor who are involved with the foundation board,” Bellanca said, “askTo submit a name, visit http:// ing them, ‘How do you envision this www.facebook.com/wccbusicenter?’” nessschool or email your submisThese CEOs plan to be involved in sion to Biz.school@wccnet.edu. an advisory role as well as giving presentations and helping with hands-on work, she said.
SNIPS Girl Scouts Ignite Grant Washtenaw Community College has The Business and Computer created a partnership with Girls Scouts Technology faculty collaborated with Heart of Michigan to create a pilot pro- the Distance Learning Department to gram in order to make online courses develop a blended IT program under the available to girls in grades 11 and 12. $2.9 million Department of Labor grant. The curriculum for two freshman The program aims to meet the skills courses was tailored to include Girl demanded from area business leaders. Scout values and special resources to The first class of the credit course will ensure success. begin in February.
SECURITY NOTES Liquor law violation Campus Safety and Security reported a liquor-law violation in the lobby of the From redacted incident re- OE building on Feb. 4 at 11 p.m. ports provided by Campus Safety A 34-year-old female was intoxicated and Security, and interviews on vodka while waiting for transportawith Director Jacques Desrosiers. tion, police said. The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department transported her off of the premises.
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Voices
Febuary 10, 2014
EDITORIAL
Measuring success next challenge for community colleges Opportunity is what America is all about – or it’s supposed to be. That was the over-arching message in President Obama’s recent State of the Union address. And as a nation, there is much we need to do to improve opportunity for all. “Job creation” has been the key phrase in every political speech of the last six years. If politicians can convince America that they know how to create jobs, they’re in. But in his address to Congress, Obama acknowledged a facet of opportunity that seems to escape many: Job creation means nothing if no one is properly trained for those jobs. Workforce development and education are inherently tied to opportunity, every bit as much as job creation. So, the White House has big plans for improvement in these areas, Obama said. His proposal for “across-the-board reform of America’s training programs,” led by Vice President Biden, included expanding apprenticeships and doing more as a country to take advantage of community colleges. This includes developing a new ranking system for community colleges as well as building stronger connections between them and employers. The ranking system will evaluate a college’s performance and tie that performance to the amount of federal aid available to students. The American Association of Community Colleges has declared its opposition to this ranking system, stating that community colleges “do not support a ratings scheme,” and that students choose a community college based on its proximity, not its value as a school. This is not true – at least not in Michigan. A student who lives in Ann Arbor has a multitude of choices in schools that are within easy driving distance. And Washtenaw is full of students who live much closer to Schoolcraft College, Monroe County Community College, Jackson Community College, Wayne County Community College, Henry Ford Community College and Oakland Community College, but choose to come here because of the school’s reputation and the availability and standard of their program of choice. Just as with universities, community colleges all have their successes and failures in certain areas of study, and should be ranked as such. As for whether or not community colleges support a ratings scheme, they absolutely can – the system just has to be tailored to an accepted definition of success. Unlike the AACC, Washtenaw seems to be excited about this ranking system, and it is very interested in helping to shape the definition of success. Not only graduation rates should be taken into account, but also transfer and employment rates, because for many community college students, a job is success, not necessarily a degree. WCC President Rose Bellanca and Director of Government and Media Relations Jason Morgan are doing what they can to be a part of the conversation in Washington, and shape a fair definition of student success. Rather than dismissing this change as meaningless, like the AACC, they are working to make it as meaningful as possible. Kudos to them.
VOICE A NATIONAL PACEMAKER AWARD NEWSPAPER
The Washtenaw Voice
The State of the Union is shameful
NATALIE WRIGHT If you tuned into the State of the Union address on Jan. 28, you were probably as shocked as I was to see who made an appearance. President Obama may have been the headliner, but he was not the night’s biggest star, according to the media response and the twitter feeds of congressmen. It wasn’t Vice President Joe Biden, Speaker of the House John Boehner, the first lady, or even the recovering wounded warrior Army Sgt. 1st Class Cory Remsberg, who stole the show. No, it was Willie Robertson, star of A&E’s reality hit “Duck Dynasty” who had congressmen lining the aisle to get their picture taken with him. Every media outlet was talking about him from NBC to the
Associated Press. For those who have managed to avoid “Duck Dynasty,” first: Congratulations. Second: The show centers on the Robertson family which runs a duck-call fabrication business in Louisiana. The show’s (unfortunately high) ratings dropped last year after the family’s patriarch, Willie’s dad, made anti-gay comments. He was suspended from the show for a short time, but was reinstated when members of the antigay community rushed to defend him. Robertson was at the address as a guest of Louisiana Republican Rep. Vance McAllister, whose 2013 special election victory is widely seen as a result of his support. “I am proud to have my close friend, constituent and small business owner, Willie Robertson, attend tonight’s State of the Union Address as my special guest,” McAllister said in a statement. “I look forward to the two of us representing the Fifth District in DC this evening and bringing some diversity to our nation’s capitol.” Rep. McAllister, this is not what people mean when say they want more diversity in Washington… Forget the fact that Robertson has no place representing people
who didn’t elect him. Forget that he is in the business of making duck calls, which has absolutely no relevance to running a country. Forget that he’s not even the one who made the antigay remarks that Republicans stand behind so steadfastly. He’s a celebrity, and that makes his presence news. It would be easy to rail against McAllister for bringing Robertson into the center of our government’s affairs, a place where he has absolutely no business. It would be easy to criticize the media for even showing him on camera, let alone having conversations about how appropriate his “star-spangled bandanna” was. It would be hard to admit that we are the ones to blame for this. But we are. As long as our society deems this acceptable, as long as we click-through on the headlines about Justin Bieber’s arrest before those about actual news, we have no one to blame but ourselves. How can anyone be upset about an ineffectual congress when we elect congressmen who not only invite people like Robertson to sit among them, but line up to meet him like starstruck teenagers? This is the state of our union…
Super Bowl car ad sparks super debate in gas-station sunglasses standing on a beach, wrapped in the American flag. This was the last in a series of three different commercials that the automaker aired during the Super Bowl. The Dylan ad was an ode to “made in America.” “You can’t fake true cool,” Dylan says, as images of James Dean flash the screen. Fiat-Chrysler also aired commercials JON PRICE for its Maserati and Jeep lines, but saved the best for last, with Dylan urging conOne of the most compelling sumers to buy American. commercials aired during the Super “Let Germany make your beer,” he Bowl this year was the Fiat-Chrysler said. “Let Switzerland make your watchAutomobiles advertisement, featuring es. We will build your car.” iconic rock legend Bob Dylan. The Italian automaker, which took “Is there anything more American over Chrysler last month, seemed to take than America?” Dylan asks the view- an unwarranted shot at Michigan’s craft er. Across the screen flash images beer industry, and the newly popular of men riding horses, cheerleaders Shinola watches that are being manufaccheering, an attractive young woman tured in Detroit and sold in high-dollar
coastal boutiques. Shinola quickly responded on Twitter: “We propose a different approach: let #Detroit brew your beer, build your car, and your watch,” followed by a link to a YouTube video that shows the process of a Shinola watch being made. Shinola was created in 2011, and employs approximately 200 people, most of whom live and work in Detroit. Founded by Fossil CEO Tom Kartsotis, Shinola has opened stores in New York and Detroit’s midtown area. The response the manufacturer gave to the Chrysler commercial was priceless. It was mature and well-thoughtout, showing the Italian automaker that there is plenty of room in Detroit for both of them. And I’ll raise a Detroit-brewed beer to that.
THE
The student publication of Washtenaw Community College Ann Arbor, Michigan
Volume 20, Issue 13
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 Bob Conradi 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 M. M. Donaldson David Fitch Eric Garant Jon Price CORRESPONDENTS Erik Morris EJ Stout Adrianna Velazquez ADVISER Keith Gave kgave@wccnet.edu
Letters to the Editor
SOQs are not the students’ right It’s not very often that I quote Ayn Rand, but in thinking about The Washtenaw Voice’s request for faculty SOQs, one Rand quote comes to mind: “Question your premises.” In this case, the premise in question is found in the very headline of the Jan. 27 issue: “The customer’s right?” If one accepts that students are customers, then perhaps there is an argument for releasing SOQ information (though there are still very good reasons not to). However, students are not the customers, despite our cultural pretense to the contrary. Washtenaw Community College was created by and is funded primarily by the taxpayers of Washtenaw County and the State of Michigan. The taxpayers are, in effect, THE customers. The staff and faculty of WCC are the producers. Students are the product. The taxpayer-voters elect a board of trustees who then hire an administration
to oversee faculty performance. That’s the accountability chain-of-command. That said, there may be a larger issue here. Higher education in the U.S. managed to function reasonably well for hundreds of years without student evaluations of faculty. The movement toward such evaluations began in the late 1960s, gained momentum in the 1970s, and has been with us ever since. This period coincides, perhaps not coincidently, with the “grade inflation” phenomenon that anyone in academe is well aware of. In the era of student evaluations upon which promotion and employment decisions may hinge, faculty and students have entered into a Grand Bargain: We, the faculty, will keep you entertained, not ask you to do anything terribly demanding, and inflate grades. In return, you’ll give us good evaluations. Wink, wink. There are consequences to all of this. A recent The Wall Street Journal piece (How the College Bubble Will Pop, Jan. 9, 2014) by Richard Vetter,
director of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity at Ohio University, and Christopher Denhart, a student at OU, suggests that the SOQ chickens are coming home to roost. College degrees, while still of value, are being devalued in a number of ways and by a number of factors. They write that, “Declining academic standards and grade inflation add to employers’ perceptions that college degrees say little about job readiness.” Further, “A college degree’s declining value is even more pronounced for younger Americans.” Just as with money, if you debase the currency, it will buy less. Whether WCC SOQs ever become public or not, in the battle for more student rights the war is already over. Students won. Evidence suggests, however, that it may be a Pyrrhic victory. R. Wm. La Hote
Chair, Department of Social Science
Where’s the risk assessment with bad weather? On the first Wednesday in February, we had a heavy snowfall, producing little to no visibility walking or driving. I looked out of my window and could not see much out of it at all. I stepped out of my house just to make sure that I was not imagining that terrible weather. I turned my head, and then regretted it. The small, sharp specks of ice were striking me on my face. I went inside thinking Washtenaw Community College would cancel the classes for today, or at least delay the morning classes. I checked the website: no announcement. My thoughts began to wonder, really? They want me and every other student to drive through this? I remembered one of my classmates
who drives from Detroit and then another student in my Social Problems class who drives from Whitmore Lake. While scraping off the wet, packed, icy snow on my car, I thought, “How many others need to make such a long drive to WCC?” On the way to school, on Michigan Radio, they were talking about the weather. In-between the many accident reports, they said, “If you did not have to be on the roads, then please don’t be.” That phrase stuck in my mind. Do I have to be on the road? What level of risk am I taking? I spoke with our President, Dr. Rose Bellanca, who was nice, and reminded her of the danger everyone had faced during those morning hours. She acknowledged that while driving in that morning she was thinking that she should have closed WCC, and she
apologized for not doing that. I remembered the Army. All of us who led troops had to write a report about assessing operational risk. We evaluated the jeopardy that could be associated with performing a certain action. We weighed the threat involved in doing a task, then planned on how to accomplish it while reducing the number of hazards that may result from performing the said action. As a leader, my soldiers’ lives were in my hands. They counted on me not to have them take unnecessary risks. I owed that much to them. Washtenaw Community College owes that much to us. LaShawn Hubbard
Ypsilanti
News
The Washtenaw Voice
Febuary 10, 2014
To pay or not to pay?
$7.25 is plenty; it’s called ‘minimum wage’ for a reason
What’s the magic number? More than $10.10 per hour
BRANDON SHELTON In his State of the Union address, President Obama called for the minimum wage of federal contract workers to be raised to $10.10 an hour. It’s a nice gesture, but it isn’t enough. An individual working 32 hours a week at $10.10 an hour will see a paycheck of roughly $251, after a 22 percent deduction for taxes. If by a miracle that individual found an apartment for as little as $500 a month, half of the paycheck would go to housing. That leaves $500 for utilities such as gas (for heating), electricity, etc. Then we have to take into account the cost of a food, a car, car insurance and gas for that car, and a cell phone. How much money do you think that person has left? Probably zero. Now imagine if you were earning the current federal minimum wage, a paltry $7.25 an hour. You’d be dead in the water. So how can workers truly pursue happiness if they cannot afford to save money for medical costs, for emergencies, for retirement? I’ve heard the argument that people who merely “flip burgers” are undeserving of the $15 an hour they’ve been recently fighting for. This implies
that an employee’s wage should be commensurate to the amount of effort required to perform the job satisfactorily. By this logic, construction workers should be millionaires, while politicians, CEOs and the like should be living like paupers – not princes. So I ask all of you who believe that fast-food workers don’t deserve $15 an hour to apply at McDonalds, work there for one month for minimum wage. When all is said and done, I have a sneaking suspicion that you won’t be inclined to say minimum wage is enough. In fact, you might find yourself in the picket lines marching alongside your fellow Americans. But why should you care if you already earn $75,000 plus a year? Because in a capitalist economy, the more money that circulates the healthier it is, and those who make good incomes suffer when the economy suffers. So what is the magic number for minimum wage? It’s whatever number allows an individual to call a safe place home. Whatever number allows people to work their way through college without graduating with nearly insurmountable student loan debt. Whatever number allows a person to be free of the shackles of poverty that have killed countless Americans because it was either food or medicine. Whatever number allows a person to be truly free without exploiting the person next to them. It’s a magic number that, for all our policies, government think tanks and wealth, seems to elude the average American’s reality.
Combating the darkness
safely away, I will see the USS America right herself. The other part of me knows that to abandon a cause as hopeless is to say that there is no God, that if I think something is hopeless, then it is. I don’t believe that. It seems that whenever humankind thinks that it has created something so grand that it cannot be beaten, they are wrong. Think Rome. The Titanic. Babel. Perhaps, like other prominent civilizations of the past, America will crumble and fade into myth. Maybe people will visit the skeleton of the White House in the year 2030 and gawk at how a nation could be so arrogant so as to think itself unbeatable. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not giving up. I think I have been cured of the optimism of youth with regard
to America by the recent struggles of the past three years. But perhaps that is the key to moving forward in these dark times. Knowing that darkness always seems insurmountable. Acknowledging that America is not the thing in which to place all hope. That people, including me, are horribly broken and backward, often without knowing it. And owning up to the fact that, when rebuilding a nation, or even when governing it in prosperous times, arrogance has no place. That humans are ultimately humans, not red or blue, or left or right. I hope that we move forward and up. I want that desperately, and am willing to fight for it. Putting aside angst or pessimism, let’s keep moving.
Voice Box
By DAVID FITCH Staff Writer
Washtenaw Voice: Will you watch the Super Bowl? Why or why not? Joe Gaiters: No, I don’t really like football… It’s not really that interesting to me. I’d rather be doing other things. I play a lot of paintball. Right now it’s all indoor fields, so I have to drive to Crew in Flint or Lone Wolf in Clinton. We go to different tournaments, like this year we are trying to do the World Cup in Orlando. I don’t know if we’ll make it there.
In his State of the Union address a few weeks ago, President Barack Obama called for a raise in the federal minimum wage. Seriously? Today, a full-time worker making the minimum wage earns $14,500 a year,» Obama said, “Tonight, let’s declare that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty, and raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.” Well if the president thinks the minimum wage in Qatar, the wealthiest nation on Earth, according to Forbes Magazine (America is seventh), should be $10.10 per hour that works for me. Factual inaccuracies aside, we might be better off leaving the minimum wage right where it’s at. The president also talked about the number of adults who are unable to find full-time employment. I’m certainly no economist, but common sense would tell me that if companies are unable to afford fulltime employees with a federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, raising that to $10.10 would stunt growth in an already feeble economy. I will agree that $14,500 a year is not enough for a person to live and
raise a family. It’s not supposed to be. A “minimum wage” is exactly that: a minimum amount of pay for a job that requires minimal credentials. Would you like fries with that? Jobs that pay only minimum wage usually have a high rate of turnover among employees, and can be used to gain experience that can be helpful in the search for more gainful employment. Employers who choose to pay a fair wage tend to have employees who are more highly motivated, and it’s more probable they’ll stick around. A perfect example of this practice is Village Pub owner Lisa Rasak. Rasak’s Ann Arbor bar employsless than 15 people, and all of them make more than minimum wage. In turn, she has kept the same employees for the two years it has been open. Corporate chain restaurants, like Starbucks and Chipotle, are also seeing the benefits of willingly paying employees more than minimum wage. If people don’t think they can live on $7.25 per hour, then maybe they owe it to themselves and their families to get an education or skills that make them more valuable in the eyes of employers. It’s called accountability. Many people have to work multiple jobs to put themselves through school. That equates to sleepless nights studying, often after being at work all day, then getting up and going to class in a car always running on empty. Shouldn’t people who make sacrifices for their future be rewarded for their exceptional work ethic and dedication? Or should everyone be paid the same in the spirit of fairness? Seriously.
JON PRICE
served.” If that sounds sarcastic, it was. But I wish it wasn’t. President Obama in the State of the Union Address, while a very good efI could cite examples to which many fort to paint the dire political situation would have objections. Whatever our in rosy light, left me still disappointed, differences may be, I think that it is and worse, pessimistic. safe to say that most Americans sense There were bright spots, to be sure. something going wrong, a creeping The president highlighted some very darkness that no one wants to think good things that are happening in our about. nation from the macro: a rebounding DAVID FITCH Honestly, I’m no radical. I want economy; to the micro: the show-stopvery much to love what I see going on ping telling of a war veteran’s recovery. Angsty young adult? Or just realis- in my country today. To wake up, turn But he didn’t acknowledge the tic? Pessimistic? Or are things really on the news and say to myself, “Wow! darkness. He didn’t admit that there that bad? What a dedicated, passionate, selfless are some big problems, and there I find myself torn. The idealism at- team of leaders we have working for us didn’t seem to be any air of humility tached to the previous America that I in Washington. I’m inspired to see how in owning up to the imperfections of think once existed keeps peeling back they can communicate, compromise the past. to reveal a darker, more backwards and legislate with such grace and efPart of me wants to abandon ship and perverted society. fectiveness. The greater good is being and hope that, while I am swimming
With 2014 off to a cold start and the Winter semester already several weeks in the making, students are settling into the routines of life. With the recent happenings of the year on the brain, The Voice ventured out to get to know someone new. Joe Gaiters, a 19-year-old nursing major from Whitmore Lake, is in his first year at WCC, and he responded to some questions one afternoon as he crossed the bridge from the Liberal Arts building to the Student Center.
A5
Interviews and Photos by Eric Grant Staff writer President Obama ‘s State of the Union address painted a relatively sunny picture of our country. In its wake, we at The Voice wondered how students felt about the state of their nation.
TAKE
WV: Do you think that Michigan will go the way of Colorado and legalize Marijuana? JG: I hope they do, but honestly I feel like everybody has been trying to legalize weed for a long time, and if it hasn’t happened now, I don’t know if it’s ever going to happen, but I’d like for it to happen. I couldn’t give a whole speech about all the money WV: Are the Justin Bieber arrests that it could bring in and all that stuff worth all the hype? because I don’t really know how much JG: I don’t think so. I mean, because money it could bring in, but I hear it he’s just a little kid. People get arrested would bring in quite a bit of money. every day. I don’t see why he’s so special. And the jails would be less crowded I guess people thought he was this little because people wouldn’t be going to goody-goody-two-shoes, and it turns out jail for stupid stuff like that.” he’s doing some crazy stuff.” WV: What have you been reading? WV: What’s one song that would deJG: My biology book, actually. I scribe you in your life right now? don’t read novels and chapter books JG: It’s by Tech N9ne and it’s called because that stuff is boring to me, so I “Slacker,” because I’m kind of slacking a usually just read biology books. I think little bit. School mostly. I usually wait it’s pretty amazing how the human last-minute to do all my work. Just for body works, and I just like reading right now, though. about different things about it.
What do you think about the state of the union? Caitlyn Bratton,
Nathaniel Cook
Alexis Griffin
17, Ann Arbor, undecided
21, Saline, geology
22, Canton, nursing
“I personally don’t like Obama. I wouldn’t have voted for him if I could have. I don’t like what’s going on with all the gun laws. I think he needs to stay closer to the Bill of Rights. I don’t think we should have to register our guns. I think we should be able to bear arms without registering them. I think it’s taking away our right to defend ourselves.”
“OK. There are a lot of improvements that could be made, obviously. I’m a big advocate of LGBT rights, universal marriage rights. I’d like to see the halt of drone attacks. Universal health care. Those are my big ones.”
“I feel like it needs a lot of help. It needs help recovering. I feel like…we need a lot of help with health care, crime, taxes. I feel like citizens of the United States are having problems with jobs and money and Congress needs to fix that, come to a common agreement.”
Roberth Ramirez
Alex Mahan
William Wagner
29, Ann Arbor, criminal justice
18, South Lyon, music
19, Ann Arbor, undecided
“I think the country has been in a better stage. The proposals the president has made are for the benefit of his citizens. It’s a transition from a recession to trying to boost the economy and help people in need, people who don’t have a job or health care. There are good laws out there that I think are going to help the country get better than it was.
“I wouldn’t say they’re good, but I wouldn’t say they’re down the drain, either. I think we’re getting somewhere. I hope we are, anyway. People are starting to realize what the problems are, and that’s a step in the right direction at least. People are getting pretty good at recognizing that gay people are people, too. Even if major legislation hasn’t been passed (yet), public opinion is turning, and that’s a good thing.”
“I think the economic outlook of the U.S. is pretty scary. I think in the next four years we could see hyper-inflation that will cause the rise of crisis and the fall of the U.S. dollar. I think that’s just from mismanagement of debt over the years.”
A6
News
Febuary 10, 2014
The Washtenaw Voice
Cancellations leave students scrambling (and teachers, too) By DAVID FITCH Staff Writer
Hope Wade admits that she “freaked out a little bit” when she learned that her political science class was canceled just a few days before the start of winter semester. And she was hardly alone. This semester, Washtenaw Community College canceled more than 160 classes. But it’s been worse. Cancellations in previous years have been more severe. According to figures obtained from Vice President of Student and Academic Services Linda Blakey, 9.17 percent of classes offered this semester were canceled. Cancellations have at times made up about 12 percent of total class tally. She noted, however, that this semester’s numbers remain tentative, due to pending factors such as late-starting courses. Meantime, many students like Wade found themselves scrambling to fill the void left by courses canceled in early January, just days before the semester began. Wade, a 17-year-old welding major from Ann Arbor, was able to get an override into another course.
David Mazza, 16, of Ann Arbor, was less fortunate when his Spanish course was canceled two days before the beginning of the semester. After he rearranged his schedule, he was left with another problem. “At the end of it, I really wasn’t left with much time for work,” said the math and science major. So now he’s now looking for another job. For some, though, the switch to another course was an easy one. Rachel Snyder, a 19-year-old nursing major from Willis, said that she was able to “switch right over” when her chemistry class was discontinued. And while many students were able to adjust their schedules to accommodate the change, the shift caused some bigger challenges for others on campus. Part-time instructors often suffer acutely from such cancellations. Also a part-time instructor at Eastern Michigan University, WCC sociology instructor Kendra Smith said that such sudden changes are challenging. “From semester to semester, there’s a lot of uncertainty,” she said. At times, part-timers are relieved of classes due to shortages and the need for full-time instructors to fill class quotas, said Donna Wasserman, a full-time social science instructor. “I feel bad for the part-time instructors who have been here teaching semester after semester. There just
aren’t any classes left for them after the cancellations,” she said. In the past five semesters more than 200 courses were canceled. The only exception: Winter of 2012, when 162 scheduled courses didn’t go. Why is enrollment decreasing? Statistics suggest that the demographics are changing. “We’re competing among all the different colleges for a smaller pool of students,” Wasserman said. She also cited the increasing number of online courses as another reason for the smaller number of on-campus sections being filled. In any event, the numbers are down from what they once were, according to Vice President of Instruction Bill Abernethy, who said that cancellations have “followed enrollment trends. “I think that nobody really predicted that enrollment would start falling a few years ago,” he said, adding that this may have led to higher cancellation rates. Now, those who schedule classes are doing what they can to adapt to the change, he said. “Our enrollments are going to be flat at best right now. So I don’t think that people are over-scheduling,” he said. “I really think that they are doing the best they can. They don’t like to cancel classes either. Nobody likes it. The teachers don’t like it. The students don’t like it. I don’t like it. Nobody likes it.”
One option if your class is cancelled: independent study
Cancellations of so-called “capstone” courses—last courses that students need to graduate—can stop the progression of students through WCC. Instructors and department heads often need to turn to independent study courses in order to help students continue past such a barrier. Typically, independent study courses consist of a student (or several) and an instructor who oversees a course. Such classes are listed as “Study Problems” courses. Often, though such courses prove to be a difficult endeavor for all parties involved, according to Dean of Business and Computer Technology Rosemary Wilson. The student has to take ownership of his or her education. Instructors who agree to teach such courses, often with only one student, are paid less for their
By David Fitch
SOQS FROM A1
Judith Hommel, graciousness personified “Judith Hommel made a difference for others at WCC… She has a sparkle in her eyes, a beautiful smile, and Judith has always endeavored to do good things for others. Judith is the most gracious person I have ever met.” Pat Taylor, dean, Support Services and Student Advocacy
Judith Hommel designed many of the hallway art displays like this one in the TI building BOB CONRADI | WASHTENAW VOICE
BUILDERS FROM A1
that helps young students learn to improve their academic skills that relies on tutors to give their time helping these students. “After her workday, she would work with underprivileged children in the Ann Arbor Public School system,” he said. “She is the kindest, nicest, friendliest, most compassionate person I have ever met.” And that is why the WCC Foundation has a fund in her name. The Judith Hommel Emergency Fund was created by WCC staff members Cristy Lindemann and Coley McLean, and it is designed to help students who are in extenuating circumstances and their studies are suffering as a consequence. “She was always helping students,” Blakey recalled. Before coming to Washtenaw Community College, Hommel worked in education as a first-grade teacher. She served as the Ann Arbor Art Fair director and worked at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens as the Flower Show director. Hommel is also an accomplished artist, having earned a master of Fine Arts in printmaking from Eastern Michigan University. Peter Leshkevich, director of Student Development and Activities, worked under Hommel’s wing for a little more than two years until her retirement in June 2011. He remembers Hommel’s guidance with a spirit of collaboration. “Judith was able to go around, literally to anyone at the college, and get a positive response,” Leshkevich said. “She was able to refocus everyone at the college on student success and learning, and all the amazing talent we have here at the college.” Hommel was a woman of many hats around WCC. She is someone who has a pure heart. She is gracious. And more than one person will say that you don’t come across those people very often. “She really knows how to live, and she really knows how to have fun,” Leshkevich said. “(Her attitude is) contagious.”
And she brings people together. Hommel’s most remarkable characteristic is her one-of-a-kind personality. She has a naturally warm and welcoming manner that allows her to truly connect to every individual she encounters on a level of friendship. “There is a group of women that are good friends because of her,” said Wendy Lawson, vice-president of Advancement at the WCC Foundation. “She’s touched many lives.” Only Judith. Lawson remembers when Hommel won the Women’s Council Unsung Hero Award and “half of the auditorium was taken up with her friends,” she said. Her flaws were few, but notorious. “She did not know who the Rolling Stones were,” Lawson said. “(But) she makes really amazing guacamole.” According to Julia Gleich, Production Center assistant, Hommel was a movie star who walked WCC’s hallways. Gleich worked with Hommel before her retirement, and eventually took over an art college that distinguishes Washtenaw from other colleges and universities – because of Hommel. Even with her retirement, Hommel continued to consult the Foundation on special projects and helped Gleich with special displays. “She is always thinking about the college,” Lawson said. “She inspires people.” Hommel has manifested a spirit of collaboration that is embodied in every single wall around Washtenaw Community College. Her warm nature and caring spirit is something that defines her, and according to Whitworth “no one will have a harsh thing to say about her.” She is an example of altruism. “She became an amazing baseball fan, so I took her to her first baseball game,” Blakey said, adding that Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila was her favorite, and she couldn’t bear to see him injured so frequently. “She would always be worried about him, saying things like, ‘oh, the manager is playing him too many games, he needs a rest,’” Blakey recalled. “Only Judith would think like that.”
“Judith’s grace and sincerity, as well as her aesthetic and artistic sensitivity, enhanced all that she did for us. We were so lucky that we had her at WCC to build student knowledge and experience and to grace the lives of all who worked with her.” Nancy Ferrario,
professional faculty, foreign languages
“Judith’s artistic flair helped infuse the library with artwork. Her partnership with the library staff was instrumental in transforming the Bailey Library into a place where, we sometimes jokingly said, “you have no choice but to trip over culture.”” Victor Liu, dean, Learning Resources
“Judith Hommel is a creative visionary whose creative talents have been responsible for interior designs that beautify the walls of classrooms and hallways. Her efforts inspire students and staff at Washtenaw Community College on a daily basis. She is a joy to work with and full of ideas and motivation.” Don King, building maintenance painter
“Judith is creative, thoughtful and thought-provoking... She has the made the campus more colorful.” Todd Robinson, building maintenance manager
“She was the best, always looked at the positive in every situation, always had a smile on her face, and was always willing to help anyone out. She had boundless energy and was involved in everything at the school.” Rob Hagood,
professional faculty, physical sciences
“Judith is an angel...humble, gracious, and she put so much work and effort into making WCC a beautiful place. Judith also has an amazing sense of humor and a very sharp wit about her. Judith rules.” Matt Zacharias, professional faculty, digital media arts
efforts than they would be paid for teaching a full class. Departments also must use precious resources to facilitate, such as classrooms, utilities and technology. Such courses, though, are at times necessary to fulfill WCC’s stated goal of moving students onward in their education, said Wilson. “Independent studies can be very valuable for students, but we are a community college,” she said. “And I don’t want to use a lot of resources toward independent study courses that a student really should be going on to a bachelor’s degree for.” According to Abernethy, the independent study option is seldom used. His job, he said, is to help students get through their program at Washtenaw. To create such a course, instructors or students must take the initiative. A proposal, ultimately, is brought before the dean of the department, who decides whether to approve it.
LoMonte added that he was especially troubled by WCC faculty representatives’ suggestion that SOQs should not be made public because they’re not the best, most accurate way for students to choose classes. “That may very well be true,” he said, “but we don’t withhold information from the public just because we’re afraid they might rely on it too heavily.”
REFORM FROM A1
based on these ratings. Students attending high-performing colleges could receive larger Pell Grants and more affordable student loans. “I believe the rating system will be accomplished as it is being done at the moment within the Department of Education,” said Jason Morgan, Washtenaw’s director of Government and Media Relations. “WCC’s first priority is to ensure the rating system measures real student success rather than simple completion rates, which fail to adequately measure student outcomes. “WCC believes that success is defined by each student, based on their needs. True student success includes completion, transfer or employment.” In response to this proposal, the American Association of Community Colleges said in a press release that the federal government has an essential role in providing information about the nation’s colleges, but that community colleges do not support the ratings scheme. Central concerns include the difficulty of rating diverse institutions and the fact that most community college students are place-bound. In a letter to the Department of Education, AACC’s President and CEO Walter Bumphus said that the organization’s member CEOs believe that the proposed rating system is “not the appropriate mechanism either for providing information to students or for incentivizing higher education institutions to improve their performance.” Bumphus continues to explain that community college students do not have as much choices as the proposal suggests. “The rating system is predicated on the assumption that students have more choice between institutions than many students, at least community college students, actually do,” Bumphus wrote. “Overwhelmingly, our students choose to attend their local community college precisely because that’s what it is – a conveniently located, affordable, accessible, flexible institution that has a wide array
Also troubling, he said, was the fact that WCC Education Association President Jennifer Baker would refer students to use RateMyProfessor, which, he said, is a completely unreliable source. “A person can start an account on RateMyProfessor never having set foot on your campus,” LoMonte said. “The best-quality information is the opinion of the entire group of students who have most recently taken the class,” he said, “and there is no good reason to deny students access to that information.”
of program offerings. “Rating two superficially similar community colleges in different regions, even in different parts of the same state, is unlikely to influence individual decision-making.” However, not all students agree with this. “I chose WCC for the reasonable price for what I was trying to do,” said Shane Law, a 27-year-old video production from Hartland. “If such a (rating system) existed, I would definitely use it.” Psychology major Marko Delic, 19, chose WCC because of its offerings and possibilities of transfers. “If the ratings from the Department of Education reflect the educational level of the college, then I would definitely use those rankings,” the Ann Arbor resident said. For some students, proximity might be an influential factor when choosing a college, so a rating system might not be relevant. “I never really thought about (completion rates),” said Jessica Peifer, a 21-year-old undecided major from Belleville. “This was closest. And also my cousin went here and she helped me figure everything out.” WCC is represented at the federal level by the Association of Community College Trustees and the AACC. In addition to these organizations’ advocacy, WCC President Rose Bellanca expressed – in a letter to Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan – her interest in participating in the discussion that will lead the Department of Education to develop the rating system, and expressed the college’s concern regarding the definition of student success that the proposed plan presents. Community colleges bear increasing relevance in education in the United States, as they serve approximately 12 million students across the country, according to Morgan. “Community colleges currently have an ally in White House administration with Dr. Jill Biden’s work as a community college professor and President Obama’s stated commitment to increasing graduation at community colleges,” Morgan said. Biden is the wife of Vice President Joe Biden. The new college ratings system will be developed before the 2015-16 academic year.
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Febuary 10, 2014
The Washtenaw Voice
On the hunt
for some time. The centerpiece of this display, loEditor cated in the LA building atrium (behind the theater on the first floor, by The pieces of art that adorn the the humanities classrooms and the hallways at Washtenaw Community art studios) is a painting by Ann Arbor College aren’t necessarily planned. native Peter Gooch, influenced by his Some say they are meant to be. travels to Ethiopia. And that is exactly what happened Gooch’s wife is the director and to Julia Gleich, Production Center as- founder of a non-profit organization sistant, who is also in charge of WCC’s that deals with women’s cancer in art collection. Ethiopia. Since 2008, they have been “I was on a hunt,” said Gleich, who traveling to Ethiopia once a year. had records of all the art pieces that In 2008, Gooch visited Lalibela, a were owned by the college – so she town in the north part of the counbegan looking for the missing ones. try that is famous for its monolithic Eight turned up and were anxiously rock churches, and a major center of waiting to be displayed. pilgrimage for the rest of the country. “We had (the centerpiece) for a year “Ethiopia is a really fascinating, inor more and… we wanted it to be in a credibly complex and beautiful spot,” place where everyone could see it,” said Gooch. “The churches date from Gleich said. “On the other side, we had around the 11th century and are carved these pieces that nobody had seen.” out of the cliff side.” Last week, Gleich and a number The painting, “Mekuamia – Yellow of WCC maintenance workers put up Wedge,” is a framed red and yellow a display containing nine individual piece, made of acrylic on paper. It pieces of art that have been in storage is one of five of a sub-series of the By MARIA RIGOU
“Ethiopian Series” (that is made up of more than 40 paintings) that was produced by Gooch under the aegis of a faculty research grant at the University of Dayton during a period of two years starting in 2008. The term “mekuamia” is an Amharic term that refers to a staff or walking stick used by Christian pilgrims. The literal translation is “leaning thing” and it is used to lean on during long religious services. “Ethiopian orthodox services often have no seating available so the Mekuamia come in handy as a kind of crutch,” Gooch said. “These walking sticks are highly decorated. It is a handy craft.” “Mekuamia – Yellow Wedge” is also accompanied by eight other pieces of art from local and not-so-local artists, including a photo by Terry Abrams, a WCC photography instructor, and a metal structure made by Alfred Hinton, an Ypsilanti artist who once took classes in the welding and fabrication program at WCC.
Peter Gooch’s ‘Mekuamia - Yellow Wedge’ is the centerpiece of a new display in the LA building. (Below) Nine pieces of art make up the display. BOB CONRADI | WASHTENAW VOICE
art at a glance The above art descriptions, top row, from left:
“From the Porch,” Janet Gallup, 1991. Monotype/serigraph This painting by local Ann Arbor artist Janet Gallup was donated to the WCC Foundation in July of 1996 and represents a culmination of experience and expertise and is a portrayal of the Gallup’s backyard. It consists of two pieces of yoso (a handmade Japanese paper) and uniquely reflects Gallup’s 20-year experience in silk-screening.
“Prosperos Cave,” Gerome Kamrowski, 1992. Lithograph
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Kamrowski moved to Ann Arbor in 1948 and started working at the University of Michigan. Most of his art depicts animals, and balances fluid automatism with powerful abstract imagery. Kamrowski was commissioned to create art for the Detroit People Mover. His piece, “Voyage,” can be seen at the Joe Louis Arena Station.
“Yemanja’ – Sea Goddess,” Alfred Hinton, 1994. Mixed media One-time WCC welding and fabrication student Alfred Hinton depicts Yemanja’, the Goddess of Water in this metallic structure. Yemanja’ is a female water spirit. Her persona has great power traditionally related to the powers of the mermaids in western mythology. In this piece of art, the birds and the sea creatures in the scene suggest the large amount of power she has of the sea and the sky. This piece was made at WCC with the help of welding instructors Clyde Hall and Bill Figg using the plasma cutter machine. It was purchased with funds from the WCC Foundation by the college’s Art Advisory Committee in May of 1998. “Red Head: The Myth of Memory and Forgetting,”
Julie Kjelgaard, 1988. Colored etching
According to Gleich, this is probably one of the very first pieces in the collection. This print won the Washtenaw Community College Towsley Award. It is a representation of The Roman Head statuary from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Bottom row, from left:
Robert Bennett. Print This print, along with others, was donated by the Plucked Chicken Press in Chicago. There is no other information about this piece.
“Stack of Feed,” Terry Abrams. Photography This photograph is one of a series made in Bridgewater, Mich. at a grain elevator. Using an antique view camera that produces 8 by 10 negatives, Abrams photographed the feed bags waiting to be picked up. This photograph was purchased by the college in June of 1999.
“The Tea Party”, Richard Wilt, 1952. Richard Wilt moved to Ann Arbor in 1947 and taught at the University of Michigan from 1948-80. He is considered to be a prolific and talented artist. He is known for his lyrical drawings and rich color textured paintings.
“Voodoo Spirits #1,” Charles McGee, 1995. Dirt and tar on paper This piece was added to the collection in the spring of 1996. It was purchased with funds from the WCC Foundation by the Art Advisory Committee. McGee, emeritus professor of art at Eastern Michigan University is a renowned artist and his work is part of the Detroit Institute of Art’s permanent collection. McGee, like Kamrowski, was commissioned to create the art for the Detroit People Mover. His piece, “The Blue Nile,” can be seen in the Broadway Center Station.
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The Washtenaw Voice • B Section • February 10, 2014
Sl um Tourism Detroit’s abandoned buildings now a unique attraction – even for skiers people have strong opinions about,” Bates said. “Me, personally, I think it’s beautiful. I think Detroit has always kind of been on the frontline as far as architecture goes.” Recently, a group of stunt skiers made up of Karl Fostvedt, Khai Krepela and Max Morello alongside a video production crew from Poor Boyz Productions in California traveled to Detroit where they wandered through empty structures and documented urban skiing, highlighting a series of extreme ski tricks among the ruins. The crew of Cody Carter, Jonny Durst and Jasper Newton filmed Tracing Skylines, a film project that follows a handful of professional skiers on what they describe as “trips of a lifetime.” The crew built ski hills inside noteworthy buildings such as Packard Plant, St. Agnes Catholic Church and a number of other complexes where they were filmed skiing off rooftops and balconies while executing jumps, mid-air flips and rail jumps. While many find the footage captivating and entertaining it also raised a lot of criticism. “The skiing is cool, but you need to Originally built for movie shows, in the mid-’60s transformed into a venue for rock shows, hosting acts such as Grand realize that you’re coming into some of Funk Railroad and Alice Cooper. ANTHONY BATES | COURTESY PHOTO ILLUSTRATION the most downtrodden parts of a very jaded city, just to take advantage of By ADRIANNA VELAZQUEZ titled “The Ruins of Detroit,” a compiWhile photographers and curious the ruins of people’s lives so you can Voice Correspondent lation of their powerful photographs tourists find these abandoned struc- say you were “brave” enough to do it,” that are a testament of capitalism and tures intriguing and dare to explore the one viewer wrote in a YouTube comWhat once stood as the nation’s corruption that turned the nation’s au- dangers that lie within, many Detroiters ment. “Detroit is not your playground. automotive empire has since become tomotive empire into a ghost town of have accused their adventurous nature It’s a strong, tight-knit community of the biggest municipal bankruptcy in decaying buildings and vacant homes. to photograph the ruins as a form of people who have been hurting for a United States history. Although the city of Detroit is wide- exploitation. very long time.” The city of Detroit, a city of op- ly perceived to be dangerous and desVideos showing explorers venturing Despite the criticism, explorers have portunity to blue-collar workers who olate with nothing to offer, tourists, through abandoned structures such as their advocates. believed that a strong work ethic prom- artists and explorers near and far seem the iconic Michigan Depot, Lee Plaza “The city is not being exploited,” ised economic security, sits forgotten to disagree. and Packard Plant can be found on said Danyyil Nosovskiy, 18 of Sterling and plagued by the ruins of closed “For me, to see some of the history YouTube. Heights. “Its natural beauty is being manufacturing plants and abandoned of the city keeps me going back. I find Comments from viewers offer an shown. homes – a direct result of inept leader- a lot of interesting things such as old array of opinions; some viewers have “I have a terrible fear of heights, but ship and the collapse of the auto indus- obituaries and things that people left left comments noting the videos as each rooftop I climb is breathtaking. I try on which it was overly dependent. behind,” explained Anthony Bates, 25 creative and intriguing while others love the adrenaline rush I get when I Despite bad publicity in recent years of Novi. label them exploitative. due to corruption involving now imBates’ inspiration for wander“It’s definitely a side of Detroit that TOURISM prisoned ex-mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, ing into abandoned structures that CONTINUED B8 declaring financial bankruptcy and top- line dark, lifeless streets sparked afping Forbes’ list of the most danger- ter stumbling upon photos posted ous cities in the country for the fifth on Instagram. He now manages an consecutive year, tourists have not ne- Instagram page called Motor City glected the city. Shooters, which showcases work by In fact, the city’s ruins have attract- local photographers that captures the ed tourists from around the world. city’s history and current state with a In 2005, French photographers Yves creative edge. Marchand and Romain Meffre made “It’s something I started about a the first of their seven, week-long vis- year ago. All the people I was going out its to Detroit that continued through with to take pictures with were from 2009. Marchand and Meffre captured the city and I just wanted a page that Detroit’s inevitable decline through was dedicated solely to Detroit phostartling images that illustrate the chill- tographers because I feel that we have ing downfall of a once-prosperous city a lot of talented people,” Bates said. and shattered dreams. “It allows me to connect with people Local metal band members, Ethereality, make their way to the Packard Plant in Detroit to record a music video. ADRIANNA VELAZQUEZ | WASHTENAW VOICE Together they published a book in the city and do what I love to do.”
Wooten connects science and history By NATALIE WRIGHT Managing Editor
Charles Darwin studied connections – connections between organisms, but also connections between theories that preceded him – and so does David Wooten. An avid student of Darwin, as any biologist must be, and a lifelong “bibliophile,” by his own account, Wooten collects antique books by Darwin himself, as well as those who inspired him. In his Thursday afternoon Biology of Animals class at Washtenaw, Wooten introduced his students to ecology with a quote from naturalist John Muir. “If you look closely enough at any one thing, you will find it connected
to everything else,” Muir said. As a biologist, Wooten told his students, you will need to study connections. Like Darwin, you will need to be a geologist, a chemist and a physicist when necessary to understand the organisms that you are studying. For Wooten, this also means being a historian. As Wooten described Darwin’s theories, he couldn’t help but meander into the naturalist’s personal life, his wife’s family history, the scientists and philosophers and economists who inspired him and the historical context that surrounded him as he developed his ideas. The theories and biography melded into one story. “You can’t separate the theory from
the author,” he said. So when Wooten brings his talk, “Darwin: Books, Beetles, and Blasphemy” and his antique book collection to Washtenaw’s campus on Feb. 12, “International Darwin Day,” attendees can count on learning just as much about Darwin the man as Darwin the naturalist. “The story is really what made people pay attention to Darwin,” Wooten said. “It was this amazing voyage that a young kid went on, came back, spent decades cultivating and providing evidence and got it right.” His students say that the stories he tells, along with animated impressions of animals make him a captivating lecturer. In his 20-student Biology of Animals class, there was
not a cellphone in sight. “He painted a very dramatic picture,” said Benjamin Meyers, 24, of Ann Arbor, a student in Wooten’s class. “The story helps you get more of the nuance, and makes it less polarizing.” Wooten’s personality and the connections he makes, make the information easier to remember and more entertaining, said Remi Thomas, 20, a biology student from Ann Arbor. Wooten is bringing roughly threequarters of the 100 books in his collection to the “interactive” talk, he said, which will be a combination of collection display and lecture. He will use the books to guide the audience through Darwin’s life. “I’ll be pulling the books off the shelves during the talk so that people
can actually see them and reference them,” Wooten said. A reception will follow where people can look at the books and other items in the collection. The collection includes about 12 books published by Darwin. Most of the rest were published prior to Darwin and were influential to him, Wooten said, and some were written in opposition to him. “That’s what the collection tries to focus on, tries to highlight,” he said, “not every famous book on the topic, but the ones Darwin particularly noted as significant to him forming his theory of evolution.” The books are mostly for display, WOOTEN CONTINUED B6
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DAVID FITCH | WASHTENAW VOICE
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Febuary 10, 2014
Painter brings pride, art to job at Washtenaw By DAVID FITCH
Don King, a building maintenance painter, worked to prepare decorations for this year’s Mardi Gras gala, sponsored by the WCC Foundation.
The Washtenaw Voice
After looking at some of Don King’s art – psychedelic shape repetitions on backdrops of vivid color – it’s easy to understand what people mean when they call him an artist. When King, 54, a building maintenance painter at Washtenaw Community College, packs up to go after his long shift, the college is typically a quiet place. After all, with only 30 minutes left till midnight, many students are at home sleeping – or doing homework. He doesn’t mind it, though. He says that traffic isn’t bad then when he drives the 40 miles or so back home to Sylvania, Ohio, a suburb of Toledo, the city where art grabbed a hold of him on a field trip in grade school. “I fell in love with it as a fifth-grader,” said King. And that love stays with him today whether he is painting walls or painting the swirls and patterns of his own creations. King stands over six feet tall and talks with a deep voice. He smiles warmly through his grey beard with one of those perpetual smiles that seem to say, “I’ve known you for at least my whole life.” It reaches his eyes, bright behind thin-framed glasses. The effortless grin stays on his face nearly the whole time you talk with him, as if happenings are all some sort of massive comedy, a punch line that only King and few others have heard. King is tasked with a variety of duties from painting walls to complement pictures to covering up nail holes
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and repainting office walls when an occupant leaves. And the optimistic King takes beautifying WCC very seriously. “I take a lot of pride in my work. When I am assigned to paint something, I like to use the best materials and do my best work,” he said, “We’re here for the long haul, so there’s no need to cut corners to make it look good. No need to rush a job. Do it, and do it right.” One part of his job, in particular, provides another opportunity to smile. And it’s not what you might expect. King joked about painting over graffiti in the restrooms, but with so much levity it seemed he was talking about the latest comedy he had seen. “A lot of it is pretty innocent,” he said. Kind words from the man who has to clean it up. But sometimes, the graffitists retaliate, he said. “I do notice that sometimes right after I paint it, and I go back to check, I’ll see graffiti that’s provoking me saying, ‘Ha! You think you can paint over this?’” he said, chuckling. But while he takes pride in fighting graffiti, it’s not his preferred form of art. King says that his art, while it does inform what he does at the college, is what he wants to do, not what will “necessarily sell.” The Toledo Museum of Art was where King became enamored by creativity. It was also the reason he decided to major in fine art at the University of Toledo. There, he studied fine art printmaking. While he was in school, he also worked as a security guard at the
museum. Eventually, he was promoted to chief of security and later moved to the J. Paul Getty Museum in California. After a while, though, King needed a change. He moved back to Ohio and began working as a freelance and contract painter. The work dried up in 2005, though, and King was laid off. Ultimately, he landed at Washtenaw. Coworker Jeff Dunn, another painter at WCC, says that the school is lucky to have him. “He has a great morale around him. He’s always a positive person. I couldn’t think of anybody better to work side-by-side,” he said, adding that King’s artistic abilities, including his eye for color, make him all the more valuable. “He’s creative, reliable, dependable, gets the job done, has a wealth of knowledge,” said Manager of Building Maintenance Todd Robinson. Robinson remembered how King had contributed to project of painting the walls of the Technical and Industrial building. He said that King’s unique skills as an artist brings something new to the table when it comes to building maintenance painting. The school does, at times, call on the more artistic abilities of King. This year, as well as in past years, he painted a few items for the WCC Foundation’s Mardi Gras gala on Jan. 31, including a massive, two-sided jester face that hung from the ceiling of the Morris Lawrence building. Artist and painter, as he describes himself, King humbly brings his craft to Washtenaw. When the walls need a fresh coat or profanity in the stalls needs to be covered, King is pleased to oblige – and happy that his skills help to beautify the college.
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The Washtenaw Voice
Febuary 10, 2014
Geology instructor rocks, say students mentor
By DAVID FITCH Staff Writer
Suzanne Albach is the kind of teacher students want to be around. Five minutes before most classes end, students are packing up and ready to leave. But in Albach’s class, they stay after. The instructor’s ease of conversing coupled with her warm smile and genuine mannerisms don’t betray the long list of to-do’s and people-to-talkto’s waiting for her. And the students are happy to keep her from them. Albach, a geology instructor, brings to her position a tangible love for her students and a palpable passion for her subject that turns heads. Becky Alliston, a 68-year-old business major from Ypsilanti, said that prior to starting the Albach’s geology class, she dreaded having to take another science class for her degree. But things changed when class really started. “Her enthusiasm is contagious,” she said, adding that the class turned out to be the best she’s ever taken at Washtenaw. Albach even managed to make students laugh about topics as mundane as waste management, she said, with her off-beat examples and light-hearted humor. As she delivered the class’ last lecture of the semester this fall, Albach spoke earnestly of environmental
issues that she said students need to hear. Her kind, personable manner brought life and relevance to the stone-cold facts. The talk moved from science to economics and to relevant everyday implications for the 30-some students sitting in the room. But they were used to it. She spoke softly. Not inaudibly, but she spoke quietly enough that, in order to understand, students had to listen. And listen they did. Albach said she knows that, for many students, geology holds a low place on the totem pole of subject preferences. She doesn’t let that stop her, though. “I use that as inspiration to try to change their minds about it, to show them that everything that they are learning is so relevant to this world,” she said. “These are real issues going on that everyone needs to know a little bit about.” Her message to them is a lifetime in the making. From a young age, rocks have fascinated her, she said. She recalled talking about and collecting rocks with her grandmother, who was also a “major rock-lover.” “So much so,” she said, “that everywhere I went, I would always bring her a rock. And this was before I even knew that I wanted to be in earth science and geology.” When her grandmother passed away, Albach inherited her rock collection, a “yard full of rocks” that she moved from Indiana to Michigan. “I know it doesn’t fascinate everyone, but it shows me just how amazing this earth is,” she said. As Albach taught, her bright eyes flicked from the projector screen to the class and back again. Her face changed, smiling at a joke, then serious about a solemn note. She looked like a woman who had
seen adventures and could be ready at a moment’s notice for more, even if it was just the next semester’s classes. Ruth Walsh, Albach’s cousin and also a criminal justice instructor at Washtenaw, said that Albach is always trying to improve her teaching. “She keeps learning new things herself,” she said. “Every time she goes on vacation, she’s always prowling around, looking for things that are going to help her in her class.” And 24-year-old business major Ashley Ketchum said that Albach goes beyond caring for students’ learning the material, and sometimes offers life advice. “She acts like a mom,” said Ketchum, of Ypsilanti. Thomas Leatherwood, 39, of Detroit said that Albach is an “excellent” instructor. She is “patient, evenkeeled and compassionate,” he said, and has mercy on students understanding that they may not have much knowledge on the subject and that some in the class may have difficulty. As Albach buzzed around the lab room, exchanging pleasantries with a student, then moving on to help another with a tricky spot in the lab, she seemed in her element. The typically oppressive air of the fluorescently lit lab room seemed to have lifted. Students were focused, confident, and comfortable. “Hey Sue?” called one student. “Yeah?” Albach said, immediately attentive. The student proceeded to casually ask a question about metamorphosis of rock as if he were asking her to pass the potatoes at the dinner table. Valerie Lamphear, a Learning Support Services assistant, said that in the years she has worked with Albach and her students, she has never heard a complaint. “She just has a great attitude… I’ve worked here for six years, and I love
Geology instructor Suzanne Albach shows her class a piece of woolly mammoth tusk. KELLY BRACHA | WASHTENAW VOICE
her,” she said. Albach hopes that her teachings don’t force answers down students’ throats. From the information she presents, from the scientific data, she wants students to be equipped to make their own conclusions. “At the end of the semester, when I get emails from students, they are starting to send me Yahoo stories and different things out of the news. It makes my day,” she said. “That’s why I’m here.” Corzetta Tillman, a 28-year-old public relations major from Ypsilanti, said that Albach sparked her interest in science, and she is now considering making it a part of her career. At the beginning of the course, Tillman said that she was contemplating dropping the class because
she wasn’t grasping the concepts. But, Albach worked one-on-one with her to ensure that she understood. Tillman said that now, she feels confident that she will ace the class. “I think she is amazing,” Tillman said after emerging from talking with Albach in the lab room 10 minutes past the end of class. “She breaks things down so perfectly, and she finds some way to make sure you understand.” Fortunately for students, Albach doesn’t plan on going anywhere. She sees herself 10 years from now doing what she loves – exactly what she is doing now. “I never plan to leave. As long as I feel that I am an effective teacher and I still have passion for it, that’s where I’m going to be,” she said. “So far, so good.”
Pop-rock band Saints of Valory treks through Ann Arbor
Saints of Valory is an indie-pop band from Austin, Texas. SAINTS OF VALORY | COURTESY PHOTO
Their multicultural background explains their unique sound that incorporates a variety of different musical influences from rock, indie to elegant Indie pop-rock band Saints of Valory is making pop rhythms that make Saints of Valory stand out. a stop at The Blind Pig on Thursday night. Their latest EP “Possibilities” is available The group opens for The Wild Feathers. on iTunes while they gear up for the release of Saints of Valory represents a unique combina- their debut album “Into The Deep” with Atlantic tion of classic pop hooks and beaming guitar riffs Records. with uplifting lyrics in songs like “Kids” and “Neon Eyes” which appear on its current EP “Possibilities.” The band originated from a childhood friendship between lead vocalist-bassist Gavin Jasper and guitarist Godfrey Thomson who crossed paths in WHO: Saints of Valory, opening for The Rio de Janeiro while their parents were working Wild Feathers abroad. Both were involved in music at a young age and connected over learning to play guitar. WHAT: In concert After their families went their separate ways, the boys stayed in touch and pursued their own WHERE: The Blind Pig, Ann Arbor music endeavors before reuniting in Brazil when Thomson brought along his friend, Gerard Labou, WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 13, 9 p.m. a drummer from France and they created a band. The guys reached out to Greece native, Stephen TICKETS: $13 Buckle, who befriended Jasper during a four-year stint in Brazil seeking a location to rehearse for a FOR MORE INFORMATION: showcase. Buckle welcomed the guys to his stuwww.blindpigmusic.com or at the door dio in his ranch-style home in Texas, where they rehearsed before he joined the band in 2010 as a keyboardist. By ADRIANNA VELAZQUEZ
Voice Correspondent
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The Washtenaw Voice
Febuary 10, 2013
NETFLIX user?
Then you could play a key role in preserving net neutrality
EJ STOUT Since the Internet became a household utility, we have been free to surf and browse with great freedom. The ability to view any website from any device is a luxury not found in Internet’s cousin, cable TV. With cable TV broadcasting,
providers offer different packages to their users at various price tiers. Similar Internet packages may be seen in a not-so-distant future. Previous regulations required that Internet service providers (ISPs) handle all online traffic equally, without giving speed preferences based on higher fee tiers. This universal treatment has come be known as net-neutrality. Earlier this month, Verizon Communications Inc. challenged this ruling – and won. This overturning allows ISPs to charge fees based on both speed and bandwidth allowances. While the ISPs would likely charge these fees to specific companies, such
as high-traffic sites like Netflix, these costs would surely impact consumers. So how can we help preserve net-neutrality? Upon hearing the results of the ruling, Netflix issued a statement to investors explaining that “were this draconian scenario to unfold with some ISP, we would vigorously protest and encourage our members to demand the open Internet they are paying their ISP to deliver.” Netflix is easily the largest subscription video-streaming service on the globe; within North America it accounts for more than 32 percent of all Internet traffic. What does Netflix’s overwhelming
ILLUSTRATION | EJ STOUT
presence mean? It will have a dominant voice in any and all ongoing net-neutrality conversations. And its millions of subscribers – like you – act as an army behind it. Earlier this week, the Open Internet Preservation Act was introduced with the goal of ensuring
“that consumers, not their ISPs, are in the driver’s seat,” but it seems unlikely that it will pass in Republicancontrolled House. Netflix seems determined to stand behind consumers to protect their freedoms, and there may come a time when we’re asked to stand behind it, too.
...
‘ Regardless of the controversies, this year will prove to be a closer race than many of the years before simply because, well, there have been so many great films this year. Because of this, many great films of 2013 were left out of this year’s ceremony. So before I get into my picks for this year’s awards, I’d like to acknowledge some of the best films that were left out. JAMES SAOUD “Mud” – While Matthew McConaughey is looking at a possiThis year’s Oscar ble Oscar win with “Dallas Buyer’s nominees have been Club,” he also deserves one for this. some of the most divi- The film, which is about a deranged sive we’ve ever seen, with criminal (McConaughey) hiding out controversy surrounding on an island who befriends two troumany of the films nomi- bled teenage boys, feels a lot like a nated, as well as the ones modern day Mark Twain story. Jeff that were not. Nichol’s “Mud” is a film worthy of The curiosity of this many awards this season, but was year’s Academy Awards cer- completely overlooked. emony has continued into the “Blackfish” – This documentary past couple of weeks with the takes on the controversial whale atrare move of revoking one of its tacks at SeaWorld. Every moment of nominations. The song “Alone the film is engaging and it has the caYet Not Alone” had its nomination pacity to make a change on our views withdrawn from the Best Original of such theme parks. Song category after its writers were Though the film was great, even if accused of unethical campaigning. it did earn itself a nomination it would While it’s not the first time something have had to overcome this year’s best like has happened at the Oscars, it is a rare documentaries, including “The Act occurrence. of Killing” and “The Square” – two
films equally deserving of the Best Documentary statue. “Saving Mr. Banks” – While it did manage to pick up one nomination, this historical drama about Walt Disney’s making of “Mary Poppins” really deserved some recognition for its actors. Shocking, Tom Hanks managed not to get nominated for both this and “Captain Phillips.” “Inside Llewyn Davis” – My pick for best film of the year is the Coen Brother’s 1960’s folk tale. I thought for sure this film would at least award John Goodman his first nomination. While he plays a very minor role, he is one of the standout parts of the film. I’m also astounded that none of the music was nominated. Here’s hoping now that “Alone Yet Not Alone” was revoked from the category, “Inside Llewyn Davis” sneaks in for a Best Original Song nomination. While this year’s Academy Awards may have missed out on many contenders and even some potential winners, that’s not to say anything against the films that did get nominated. With the tight race between “Gravity,” “12 Years a Slave,” “Dallas Buyer’s Club” and “American Hustle,” this year’s award show is already proving to be one of the most interesting and unpredictable in recent memory.
The predictions Best Picture American Hustle Nebraska Captain Phillips Philomena Dallas Buyers Club *12 Years a Slave Gravity The Wolf of Wall Street Her While both “12 Years a Slave” and “Gravity” are worthy of the Best Picture statue this year, ultimately I think the Academy will choose Steve McQueen’s historical drama.
Best Actor in a Leading Role Christian Bale (American Hustle) Bruce Dern (Nebraska) Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street) Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)
*Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)
Best Actress in a Leading Role Amy Adams (American Hustle) Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
*Sandra Bullock (Gravity) Judi Dench (Philomena) Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)
Over the past couple of years McConaughey has completely recreated himself as an actor. He deserves the Oscar for not just this role, but for the other great performances he’s given us lately.
Bullock gives a truly career defining performance in “Gravity” and virtually carries the entire human element of the film. She also had to go through some torturous filming conditions, for which she deserves another helping of recognition.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips) Bradley Cooper (American Hustle)
*Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave)
Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street) Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)
For me, this is a very close race between Michael Fassbender and Jared Leto. However, I really can’t see the Academy giving Jared Leto an Oscar before Fassbender gets one.
Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine)
*Jennifer Lawrence
(American Hustle) Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave) Julia Roberts (August: Osage County) June Squibb (Nebraska) If you want to see how well someone can act, put them in a scene with Christian Bale. In “American Hustle” Lawrence not only holds her own next to him, but in many scenes manages to outshine him.
Best Director David O. Russell (American Hustle)
*Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity)
ILLUSTRATION | EJ STOUT
Alexander Payne (Nebraska) Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave) Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street)
“Gravity” was such a huge, technical achievement while also being a reserved character study. To pull either of these off is a massive directorial challenge. Cuaron managed to do both, while also creating some of the best 3D visuals ever put on the big screen.
B5
The Washtenaw Voice
Febuary 10, 2013
Netflix scores big with ‘The Square’ Within just the first few minutes of the film, it is obvious that this is not your typical documentary. Unlike Netflix made history last year by many politically centered documenwinning its first Emmy award with taries, “The Square” puts you directly “House of Cards,” now, the internet in the middle of the horror and chaos media-streaming giant may earn taking place in Egypt. itself an Academy Award for Best The film follows a small group of Documentary. revolutionists in Egypt and focuses “The Square,” directed by Jehane directly on these individuals. This deNoujaim, is a Netflix original docu- cision is really what sets “The Square” mentary about the Egyptian revolu- apart from other documentaries like tion that’s been taking place over the it. The film is personal and contempast few years. plative of its characters, which at a BY JAMES SAOUD Video Editor
certain point will make audiences for- their lives to receive some of the foot- serious competition at the Oscar’s get they’re watching a documentary. age they did, but bringing these images next month, Netflix has presented The film is shot and presented not to light really vindicates that risk. something haunting and significant unlike a Hollywood action film, but inThough the film takes on some with “The Square.” stead of that feeling of awe and delight when we see the explosions and battle scenes -- a sense of dread follows. The images are terrifying – from protestors being gunned down by their own military, to the camera men being approached by officials to hand over their cameras in the of the midst of the terror. The film is Grade: A rough, consumGenre: Documentary ing and paced at lightning speed Runtime: 108 Minutes while also being Rating: Unrated inspiring, intelligent and poignant. The makers of “The Square” risked Protesters crowd into Tahrir Square on April 8, 2011. JONATHAN RASHAD | COURTESY PHOTO
Turns out, Romney has a personality after all By KELLY BRACHA Staff Writer
It’s two years too late, but what was so desperately missing from former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s campaign has finally taken form in a Netflix documentary. Finally, mercifully and long overdue, we see the humanity of a man who nearly became president despite his widely perceived personality flaws. Filmmaker Greg Whiteley’s unprecedented access to the Romney family begins in December 2006, when the then-Massachusetts governor called for a family meeting to discuss running for the 2008 election. Each member of the family presents some pros and cons on a presidential run, with Romney responding to each of them. The importance Romney puts on family is evident from the start and remains throughout the film. Scenes of Mitt playing with his grandkids, interacting with his sons and candid moments with his wife, Ann, show us a side of him that was so drastically absent during the debates and campaign appearances. But even more than these intimate Grade: Aglimpses, seeing a Genre: Documentary campaign from the inside and how Runtime: 92 Minutes it plays out for the Rating: Unrated candidate is especially intriguing. Giving a sort of
narrative insight to the unfolding Mitt, his family and campaign aides events, son Josh Romney openly ex- are packed together in a hotel room, presses his feelings about the frustra- waiting for word on if they have won tions of campaigning. Ohio – which would turn this election The filmmaker asks Josh if he in their favor. sometimes feels that, “this just isn’t Seeing the bleak numbers, Mitt worth it?” inquires, “does someone have the Josh candidly answers with, “It’s number for the president? . . . I hadn’t hard for me to do these interviews. thought about that.” And then, in the I’m so used to doing interviews with film’s most gripping moment, he the media... I’m so trained to say, ‘ab- asks: “What do you say in a concessolutely not,’” sion speech?” Then he offers his real answer, In one of the final scenes, Mitt and “To actually speak my mind: this is Ann are unceremoniously dropped so awful.” It’s one of the most hon- off at their home by Secret Service, est moments of the film. The result whose men protecting Romney exof running for president has a pro- change thank-yous and farewells with found effect on the family, and it’s the candidate. And just like that, evoften unsettling. erything is over. Mitt and Ann sit quiMitt’s loss of the Republican etly in their living room. nomination to John McCain in Even the most ardent Obama sup2008 doesn’t come as a shock to the porter will find it difficult not to feel for Romneys, and after McCain’s loss to Mitt Romney. Throughout the docuBarack Obama the family realizes mentary the personality few knew exthat the next election will be Mitt’s isted is finally revealed, and honestly, no matter what. Immediately, the it’s pretty damn likable. You feel for dread sets in at the thought of going him once you begin to realize you will through another campaign. But the be seeing what happens the moment family proceeds without hesitation, he loses the election. and Mitt is showered with words of In retrospect, watching “Mitt” encouragement from his sons and made me realize just how much the wife. candidates are shaped by the sound Before his first 2012 debate against bites and media perception. It’s a President Obama, Romney takes out thought-provoking experience drivhis nerves by clearing up the mess en by well-crafted documentary in the hotel room. Ann remains an filmmaking. ever-present rock for Mitt to lean For anyone politically minded, on during stressful moments. Always “Mitt” is must-see viewing, if not for composed, she encourages Mitt in the cheesy family moments, then for moments of doubt and campaign the behind-the-scenes look at what hardships. an incredibly arduous journey it is to Nearing the end of election night, run for president of the United States.
B6
Flip Side
food isn’t impossible. Realistically, we have to stay in that relationship and work on making it a healthy one by choosing foods that are good for us over foods that make us feel good in the instant they are romancing our taste buds (think hot fudge sauce on ice cream). As obesity has become a major concern, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, text revision (DSM IV-TR, the one used by health professionals), includes a new diagnosis: Binge Eating Disorder. This is a significant step in treating those with dysfunctional relationships with food. However, food cravings, when our brains and taste buds pester like a bratty child, are beginning to get professional recognition. Food cravings can develop from the habits and emotions we have with food, according to Michelle Albers, dietitian with USF Health, University of South Florida, who presented in a recent continuing education seminar for health-care providers. Using food as a reward or punishment attaches emotion and creates a food as “treats” mentality. It feels like punishment when we don’t allow ourselves to indulge, and it is hard to make the brain rationalize this when By M. M. DONALDSON we use food as treats. Albers says it will take some tough Valentine’s Day is just around the love when replacing the treat with corner. Love is in the air. I don’t know something more important. The outabout you, but being in love makes me come has to be something important, feel kinda goofy. such as lowering your risk of diabeBut if you are in a bad relationship, tes, being healthy enough to play with when do you decide to call it quits? grandkids, or having more energy to And what if that relationship is one juggle school, work and life demands. you can’t quit? The seminar handouts included It’s the same way with our diet. an anecdotal quote from Overeaters Everyone has a relationship with Anonymous: “When you are addicted food, and many struggle with it. The to drugs, you put the tiger in the cage most severe cases manifest as eating to recover; when you are addicted to disorders. food you put the tiger in the cage, but Ending a bad relationship with take it out three times a day for a walk.”
Turn around a bad relationship
The Washtenaw Voice
Febuary 10, 2014
Albers also described how mindless relationship with physical activity will not use hurtful words to control the eating contributes to poor eating hab- forgive some of the bad relationship relationship. Telling yourself, “making healthy choices is hard work, but its. When the brain is over-stimulated, we have with food. My last bit of relationship advice I can do it!” might feel silly at first, it does not pay attention to the taste of the food, the texture, the smell, all is to not let negative words keep you but it is crucial in stopping the abusive words. things that contribute to the real plea- down. In the spring of 2013, the University If you find that you are in a destrucsure we can get from food. Using mindfulness-based thera- of Michigan Body Image and Eating tive relationship with food and are pies for anxiety and depression has Disorder Program gave the presenta- unable to cope, consult a health proshown promise, according to a 2013 tion, “Body Size and Weight Diversity.” fessional for help. report by Judi Godsey, in the jour- Co-sponsored by University Health M. M. Donaldson is a staff writer nal, Complementary Therapies in Service, and University Counseling Medicine. Research shows the in- and Psychological Service, the re- with The Voice and a journalism stucidence of eating disorders is often searchers offered statistics on the dent at WCC. She has a bachelor’s delinked with anxiety and depression, privileges and oppression of body gree in Family and Community Services from Michigan State University, and which creates the possibilities of us- weight and size. The encouragement they gave for has several years experience with nuing this type of therapy with eating people to refrain from negative talk trition issues affecting infants through disorders. Next time you eat, stop. Think: about self or others regarding weight older adults. She can be reached at mmorrisdonWhy are you embarking in this inter- and size was the most poignant. If you really love someone, you do aldson@wwcnet.edu. action with the food still in your hand before it goes to your mouth? Are you hungry, are you sad, are you rewarding yourself, or are you bored? Did you even realize there was a candy bar in your hand? A new relationship most of us need to develop is with physical activity. Taking the stairs, walking a little further from the parking lot, taking a stretch break during studying, and playing with small children can be considered exercise. Notice, I did not say “get a gym membership” or “run a marathon.” If you are so compelled to be in a more c o m m i tt e d r e l a tionship with physical activity, go for it. Cultivating a good Make sure you chose food that will love you back. M.M. DONALDSON | WASHTENAW VOICE
Five definitions to understand the ACA ends March 31. Elizabeth Jenkins, 19, anthropolStaff Writer ogy and music student from Canton, has health insurance coverage through The number of new terms created her father. with the Affordable Care Act, and the “I don’t use it very often,” Jenkins number of other words and phrases said, contemplating what her situaadded to the heath care lingo, have tion would be without coverage. “I created a complex of confusion for probably wouldn’t be able to go to the people to sort through. doctor unless I was really sick.” “Obamacare is too difficult to comBetween the marketplace exchange prehend for most people,” according and Medicaid expansion, Jenkins to Justin Oqundipe, 21, nursing stu- would most likely not have to go dent form Ypsilanti. But he still thinks without if coverage through her faObamacare is making it better, he said. ther stopped. Understanding some important terms might be helpful: 10 Essential Benefits As of the first of this year, all insurHealth Insurance Marketplace ance policies are required to include Often referred to as the “Exchange,” specific benefits, in effort to minimize it is the method for people to purchase discrimination for individuals and private health insurance. Applying on minimize financial risk for providers. the Exchange can be done online, but The essential health benefits also by phone and with a qualified ap- “makes sure basic health standards plication assistant. Open enrolment are met,” said Brandon Harris, 19, By M. M. DONALDSON
archeology and computer science stuThe difference between Medicaid dent from Belleville. He has health inand Medicare surance through his mother and said One way to remember the differthere were a few changes to their pol- ence is Medicaid aids low-income inicy, but nothing drastic. dividuals and families with health care. Medicare takes care of older adults All Americans will now have health and individuals with disabilities. insurance plans that cover: •Ambulatory patient Medicaid Expansion services, or care that does not Starting April 1, Michigan resirequire hospitalization. dents between 19 and 64 years of age •Emergency Services who have an income lower than 138 •Hospitalization percent of the Federal Poverty Level •Maternity and newborn care will qualify for this type of health in•Mental health and substance surance. That is about $1,340 gross use disorders services, including income (before taxes) per month, behavioral health treatment according to Will Cheatham, com•Prescription drugs munity resource navigator with the •Rehabilitative and habilitative Washtenaw Health Plan. services and devices •Laboratory services Advanced Premium Tax Credits •Preventative and wellness services (subsidies) and chronic disease management These “automatic” tax credits are •Pediatric services, including oral based on income. “The law allows and vision care people to use the credit immediately,”
WOOTEN FROM B1
Flipping the pages of his 1882 edition of Darwin’s ‘Voyage of the Beagle’ carefully, WCC biology instructor David Wooten stopped to admire the intricate engravings of Galapagos finches. NATALIE WRIGHT | THE WASHTENAW VOICE
he said, as some of them are delicate and some are in German and French. But he has read at least one cover-tocover – his 6th edition “Origin of the Species,” published in 1882. The collection spans more than 100 years. The oldest book, a volume of “Histoire Naturalle,” is from 1779, and the most recent was published in 1905. The books also vary in subject. Darwin’s ideas were not only shaped by biology and ecology texts, Wooten said, but also by economics and philosophy. For the most part, he said, he tries to find editions that were published within Darwin’s lifetime. It deepens his connection with the material, he said. “He very well could have been holding these exact ones for all we know.” As Wooten held an 1882 edition of “Voyage of the Beagle” with his fingertips, he flipped the pages gingerly. “This was Darwin’s travel log when he came back,” he said. And he pointed out the images of the Galapagos finches, whose beaks Darwin studied, taking a moment longer than most would to admire them, and he described the printing process that created them using “beautiful” metal and wood engravings. The collection is valued at roughly $20,000, Wooten said.
While he has “most of the major ones,” there are about 25 more that he has his eye out for. “There’s a couple out there that are very rare, are very difficult to find or are very expensive,” he said. A first edition “Origin of the Species” from 1859, for example, costs around $200,000 right now, he said. Besides books, the collection also includes various antique objects like an 1850 Carey microscope, a model that Darwin used, which still works. The collection also contains fossils, models of the boat that took Darwin around the world, antique engravings and old maps. Originally, Wooten said, the collection was his own, “academic, personal indulgence.” But then it grew. “I started going online and looking at other Darwin collections,” he said, “and I couldn’t find this anywhere.” Once he realized how unique the collection was, he decided that he had to share it with students and colleagues. The talk at WCC will be his first run of what he hopes will be a traveling presentation. He will be presenting it at the Michigan Community College Biologists conference this spring and is planning to take it down to the University of Florida sometime soon, he said.
Cheatham said, “which makes it similar to a discount.” For those with incomes too high to qualify for the Medicaid expansion, the advanced premium tax credits allow those with very modest incomes to afford coverage.
For more information: Health Care Marketplace www.healthcare.gov (800) 318-2596 Will Cheatham Community Resource Navigator Washtenaw Health Plan cheathamw@ewashtenaw.org (734)544-6775
As for the future of the collection, is it destined for a museum someday? “What I wouldn’t want to see done, because it’s so unique, the compilation, I wouldn’t want to see it split up,” Wooten said. If his kids don’t want to keep it in the family, he plans to donate it to Washtenaw when he retires, so that future students can discover a connection with Darwin.
Darwin: Books, Beetles, and Blasphemy What: Biology instructor David Wooten will share his collection of antique books and lecture about the life and legacy of Charles Darwin. Where: Morris Lawrence building When: Feb. 12, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
B7
Flip Side
The Washtenaw Voice
Febuary 10, 2014
Right on cue
LA Times Crossword
WCC video production student is a pool shark
William Deyonker lines up a shot at a recent 8-ball tournament in the Student Center. JIMMY SAOUD | WASHTENAW VOICE
By JON PRICE Staff Writer
William Deyonker stood in the Community Room at Washtenaw Community College and smiled politely when asked if he had any competition in a recent billiards tournament. “No, none,” said Veronica Boissoneau, 19, a criminal justice major from Ann Arbor who was running Feb. 4 tournament for Club Sports. “He’s really good.” Good is an understatement. Deyonker is a pool shark. Dressed in black hoodie, black jeans and black boots, Deyonker sank complicated trick-shots with a confident ease. “I started when I was 14 years old, in 2006,” he said. “My uncles played billiards, eight ball, nine ball. No trick shots, though. I’m the first in my family to do trick shots.” In March, Deyonker will compete in the Master’s Trick-Shot competition in Sunnington, Conn. There he
will face off against some of the best trick-shot artists in the game. He feels confident going into the competition, a winner-take-all match with a $300 entry fee, according to ArtisticPool.com. The event is to take place over the course of three days in a pool hall called Shooters, home of the ESPN “Trick Shot Magic” world-record-holder Sam “Cool Cat” Conti, according to the website. The nicknames are essential. Andy “The Magic Man” Segal, Jamey Gray, “The Sharpshooter,” Gabi “Mr. Perfect” Visoiu, and Deyonker, “The Gentleman.” Along with a case carrying several pricey pool cues, Deyonker’s arsenal also included a yellow binder with pages and pages of blueprints – meticulously drawn diagrams that laid out how every shot should be executed, much like a football coach’s playbook. “My favorite move?” Deyonker said. “Probably right now, I would have to say the R.K.17. I named it for my cousin Ryan Kesseler.”
Kesseler, 29, of Livonia, plays center for the Vancouver Canucks in the National Hockey League. Deyonker plans to transfer to the University of Michigan next year, and hopes to become a film editor while continuing his career as a professional trick-shooter. “I’m really just looking forward to the tournament,” he said. “I want to win.” “He’s won every tournament that we have had here,” Boissoneau said. “Sometimes when we don’t have a lot of people he will do trick-shots and show other people how to do them.” Deyonker quickly finished the Washtenaw competition, then performed a series trick shots for the audience. “I know a lot of people who do trick shots that struggle in regular pool,” said Dan Shindorf, 42, one of Deyonkers’ competitors that day. Unfortunately for Shindorf, Deyonker wasn’t one of them.
MCT CAMPUS Across 1 Class with numbers 5 One making a coffee run, say 10 Spot to shop 14 Lot measurement 15 Skip over, in speech 16 Reed to which an orchestra tunes 17 Bil Keane comic strip 20 Briny 21 Buzzing homes 22 Tree houses? 23 Journalist Sawyer 25 Chess pieces 26 Chess piece 28 Bygone Honda CR-V rival 34 Teacher’s Apple 35 Expansive 36 Gardner of Hollywood 37 Strip of latticework 38 Low card 40 “It’s Your Space” rental company 41 Gobbled up 42 “The Clan of the Cave Bear” author Jean 43 Diet label word 44 Flier’s upgrade 48 Fruity quenchers 49 It may be doffed 50 Backup strategy 52 Like an enthusiastic crowd 55 Guiding principle 57 Sub sandwich dressing item 60 Sondheim song, and a hint to the ends of 17-, 28- and 44-Across 63 Wear a hole in the carpet 64 Dance studio rail 65 Actress Fey 66 Winter transport 67 Prints and threads, to detectives 68 __ in Show: dog prize
Down 1 Wrestling surfaces 2 Workout woe 3 Stay afloat in place 4 Pajamaed mogul, familiarly 5 Zodiac’s Twins 6 Martini garnishes 7 Store in a folder 8 Ice cream brand 9 TiVo button 10 Multitalented Rita 11 Basic lessons 12 Big oaf 13 Not as much 18 “Figured it out!” 19 Unmoving 24 Creep (along) 25 Source of inspiration 26 Rice dish 27 Vintage violin 29 Throat dangler 30 Tween heartthrob Efron 31 “Life on Mars?” singer 32 Online party notice 33 Desert retreats 38 Conduit for tears 39 Slippery swimmer 40 Oscar winner Arkin 42 Arcade pioneer 45 Out of the sun 46 Region of influence 47 Cuts for a sandwich 51 Commonly injured knee ligament, for short 52 Deadly snakes 53 Genuine 54 A single time 55 List finisher: Abbr. 56 No __ traffic 58 Travelers’ stops 59 Future D.A.’s hurdle 61 “The Voice” network 62 Gambling letters
William Deyonker is presented a t-shirt, his prize for winning the tournament, from Club Sports assistant Adrian H. Rodriguez. To see a video of Deyonker’s trick shots, visit http://www.washtenawvoice.com. JIMMY SAOUD | WASHTENAW VOICE
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 Feb.24 issue is Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 5 p.m.
SERVICES 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 HELP WANTED SEASONAL PA R T- T I M E POSITIONS AVAILABLE: Canton Leisure Services is now hiring for seasonal parttime positions that start in April-June 2014. Positions may include: lifeguards, summer camp counselors and supervisors, therapeutic recreation camp staff, special events coordinators, park laborers, Pheasant Run Golf Course staff, Canton Sports Center
staff and more. If you enjoy a fast-paced, exciting work environment, don’t miss this opportunity to join a great team this summer! Students, here’s your chance to gain valuable work experience in your field of study. Apply today at www.canton-mi.org/ humanresources/jobs.asp. For more information, call 734/394-5260 ROCK STARS WANTED! Jimmy John’s in Ann Arbor is now hiring the best sandwich-makers and delivery drivers. Must have a killer work ethic, rock-star personality and be ready to learn! To apply stop by 3365 Washtenaw Ave or e-mail your resume to washtenaw@jimmyjohns.com. 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/. Front Desk Clerk. The Ann Arbor Regent Hotel and Suites is seeking a front desk clerk. The responsibilities would
include checking guests in/out, reservations and general customer service. The shifts are 7 a.m.-3 p.m. and 3-11 p.m., and must be available on the weekends and holidays. Prior hotel front desk experience is preferred. Facilities Maintenance. This position is accountable for troubleshooting, repairs and performing preventive maintenance relative to the mechanical, electrical, HVAC, plumbing systems and physical structural elements of the center. Position is also accountable for the cleanliness of the center parking lot, common sidewalks and service bays. May also assist various departments in setup of events. Machine Builder. Wm. P. Young Co., a non-affiliated company of Plastipak Packaging, Inc. is seeking a motivated, driven machine builder who is seeking the opportunity to assemble innovative, cutting-edge machines within a unique industry. Handle multiple projects in our fast-paced environment and drive toward results, and work closely with a small team. Strong communication and relationship management skills are the foundation for success in this role. Receptionist. Paulson’s Construction
is seek a receptionist who should have basic office skills (phones, faxes, basic computer skills, Internet savvy, filing, typing, greeting clients, etc.). Must have a professional demeanor and presentation, be reliable, responsible and outgoing. Facilities Maintenance Specialist. The University of Michigan Credit Union seeks diligent, intuitive and team-oriented professional to serve as a facilities maintenance specialist. Assist with minor and major repairs of all buildings, parking lots, landscaping and equipment of the credit union. Responsible for maintenance tasks, including: plumbing, carpentry, electrical, mechanical and painting. Assist with maintenance of all mechanical equipment associated with facilities operations, including but not limited to: boilers, air handling units, fans, security, elevators, etc. NET VB, C#, SQl Developer. Randall Data System seeks an entry level developer to work with internal and external customers to understand business requirements and insure end product meets those requirements. Good applicationdevelopment skills using object-oriented technology or conventional languages in MS SQL (creation and maintenance of databases, tables, relational models and SQL queries). VB.Net is a plus. Developing and deploying Crystal Reports for internal and external customer reporting, work with project managers to define development tasks needed for each project to insure on time/within budget delivery, and aid sales department in quoting custom application and/or modifications for pointof-sales software.
Auto Porter. Dick Scott Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram has an immediate opening for an automotive porter. Previous automotive experience is not required for this entry-level position. Clean interior and exterior of vehicles. Keep vehicle lots neat and orderly, moving cars as needed. Clean driveway and sidewalks, removing snow and debris as necessary. Drive vehicles to and from service lane, service stalls and parking lot as needed. Assist manager as requested. Shift Manager. Bel-Mark Lanes is seeking a shift manager needed for day weekends and some evenings. Must enjoy working with the public in a retail entertainment environment. Manager would be responsible for up to 10 staff members and operation of the business while on duty. Confectionary Cook. Kilwin’s Chocolates and Ice Cream Parlor is looking to fill a position that requires applicant to work with all types of chocolates, as well as make caramel, brittles, corns, cluster and a variety of other homemade confections. Applicant must be self-motivated, dependable and able to keep a clean kitchen. Telephone Interviewer – Immediate openings. Employees at DataStat conduct surveys over the phone on important topics such as health care. Work in a relaxed environment with a casual dress code. Evening and weekend hours only. Weekends are required. Great for students or people looking to supplement income. Must be able to read from a script and enter data accurately. Basic knowledge of the keyboard is a plus. No experience necessary, training is provided.
B8
Flip Side
The Washtenaw Voice
Febuary 10, 2014
“It’s still a beautiful building. There are things that can be done to improve it, but I think buildings like the skyclimb 15 stories to the top of the Metro Building or the scrapers and things like that should stay. They give the city adrenaline rush I get when I hear someone inside. Each some character and you also get the history of Detroit by unique shot is worth putting my life on the line; the keeping them.” feeling I get when I’m so high beats any medicated high. Price disagrees that the historical significance is reason This is my drug, and it surely is addicting.” enough to keep these abandoned buildings around. Although people have become more and more inter“The Preservation Society has been doing their own ested in exploring the city’s ruins, trespassing is clas- survey and they will be making recommendations to the sified as a misdemeanor, according to Detroit Police city on specific structures,” she said. “We see no value in Department Lt. Ilaseo Lewis. allowing structures like the train depot to continue to be “It can get you up to 90 days in jail and up to a $500 a symbol of blight when there is little likelihood that the fine,” Lewis explained. facility can be saved.” While there’s been a growing interest from young Though the future of many architecturally intriguing people to explore some of the city’s blighted structures, structures is uncertain, the interest and desire to explore it has not raised concern for the police department. beyond long-shuttered doors is thriving and attracting “We don’t get calls too often,” Lewis said. “I’d say wanderers from across the world. it’s infrequent for us to get calls about people being in buildings. Young people like to explore; that isn’t a big deal. The buildings outside of downtown that are in neighborhoods are where crime happens, like drug deals.” Aside from the beauty that lies beneath the ruins of some of Detroit’s infamous structures, the blighted To view the Poor Boyz Productions video properties do pose a threat to neighboring communities. of skiers making incredible use of Detroit’s Kevyn Orr, the city’s emergency financial manager, ruins, visit: http://www.youtube.com/ estimates that there are approximately 78,000 commerwatch?feature=player_embedded&v=-M34yz47b-w cial, residential, public and private blighted structures within the city’s boundaries. The astounding number attracted the attention of the federal government in September, when it proposed a $300 million aid package for Detroit. About $100 million of that was allocated to remove and redevelop blighted St. Agnes Catholic Church at 12th Street properties throughout the city. near La Salle Gardens As a result of increasing concern, the Detroit Blight Removal Task Force was created as a temporary body Lee Plaza, 2240 West Grand Boulevard specifically designed to develop and implement a detailed plan to remove every blighted parcel to improve Woodward Avenue Presbyterian Church, safety of residents and first-responders. 8501 Woodward Avenue “The city and Detroit Land Bank will have the responsibility for implementing our recommendations and acting Eastown Theater, 8041 Harper Avenue on behalf of the citizens,” said Glenda Price, a member of the Detroit Blight Removal Task Force. Though many Detroiters are impatiently waiting for something to be done about many of the structures plaguing the city, others fear for the future some of the Visit http://www.localguiding.com/en/ city’s historical buildings. tour/united-states-of-america/detroit-/ “The train station comes to mind first. I feel like that’s abandoned-urban-outing/4627 a really iconic building,” Bates said. “I would hate to see it go. I don’t think it necessarily makes the city look bad.
TOURISM FROM B1
ski runs
when exploring don’t miss:
to book a tour:
Clockwise from top left: A bird’s eye view from the Fisher Body Plant water tower shows ruble and a thriving city in the distance. DANYYIL NOSOVSKIY Only furniture and debri remain inside of Lee Plaza, a once luxurious residential hotel that opened its doors on May 1, 1927. ADRIANNA VELAZQUEZ | WASHTENAW VOICE Broken doors, debri and books line the hallway in St. Agnes Catholic School. ADRIANNA VELAZQUEZ | WASHTENAW VOICE The doors may be locked, but light will always find its way in even the darkest, most forgotten places such as St. Agnes Catholic Church in Detroit. ADRIANNA VELAZQUEZ | WASHTENAW VOICE Lee Plaza, a once-luxurious residential hotel built in 1929, sits abandoned and dismantled by vandals. ADRIANNA VELAZQUEZ | WASHTENAW VOICE The walls of the Metropolitan Building have been conquered by vandals who leave their tags upon its remains. DANYYIL NOSOVSKIY Austrian native Nychos painted several murals on the building in this rooftop view of the Fisher Body DANYYIL NOSOVSKIY