Issuu

VOL. 21, NO. 7 The student publication of Washtenaw Community College

A NATIONAL PACEMAKER AWARD NEWSPAPER

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2014 www.washtenawvoice.com

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN

WCC to embrace gender identity? by NATALIE WRIGHT

Editor

The Wa s h t e n a w Community College board of trustees will vote on Tuesday whether or not to add “gender identity and gender expression” to the college’s antidiscrimination, affirmative action and several other policies in response to a proposal from the Jim Toy Community Center (JTCC). WCC is the only public institution of higher education in Washtenaw County that does See POLICY, Page A6

Rate WCC instructors RIP RateMyProfessors.com. Washtenaw students have a new resource now – one that’s only for them. Just in time for winter registration, The Washtenaw Voice’s new website – http:// soqs.washtenawvoice.com – has gone live. The site provides ratings for their instructors written by their peers in their student opinion questionnaires. The Voice staff compiled five years of student opinion questionnaires and sorted it in four categories: Organization and Preparation, Effectiveness and Helpfulness, Grading Methods and “Would Recommend.” Soon, the website will also have a comments section. Students with suggestions for features they would like to see on the site are welcomed to let us know. Just email Voice Editor Natalie Wright at nkwright@wccnet.edu or call at 734-677-5125. – Natalie Wright COLUMN: THE CASE FOR PUBLISHING THE SOQS

Unseated trustee won’t seek recount by NATALIE WRIGHT

fter getting our first snow of the season last week, it’s become impossible to ignore the inevitability of yet another winter season in Michigan. Who can forget the torment brought on by the polar vortex last winter? Thermometers plunged to arctic-like temperatures, while thick ice and heavy snow blanketed cities across Michigan and the rest of the Midwest, stopping fliers and drivers dead in their tracks.

STUDENT ASPIRES TO INSPIRE

BEN ELLSWORTH | WASHTENAW VOICE

Eventually, the winter that seemed like it would never end did, in fact, end. And for months Michiganders have enjoyed the warmer – if not always sunnier – spring, summer and fall weather. But pushed to the backs of their minds, yet ever-present, was the knowledge that winter would return, and the terrifying question lingered: Would this winter be as bad as last? Well, the predictions are in, and most experts are saying this winter won’t be quite as bad, although that may not

be saying a whole lot. The 2014-15 season is expected to be slightly less cold than last year, but conditions are expected to be 40 percent drier, according to the U.S. Winter Outlook Report issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). But these protections should not be taken as a guarantee, experts have warned. “Remember, these (predictions) show only the most likely outcome,” Mike Halpert, of the climate prediction center said in a video report. “There

LEARNING TO COPE WITH CELLPHONE ADDICTION

is always some change that seasonal amounts will be below, near or above average,” he said. Despite his warning, most Michigan residents already know, no prediction is guaranteed, so it’s probably better to expect the worst. As a reminder that it’s time to prepare, The Voice put together a winter preparedness guide, with tips to ready yourself, your car and your wardrobe. See the guide on page A8. - Natalie Wright and James Saoud

TURN ON YOUR TASTE BUDS

Editor

Although only 57 votes separated Mark Freeman from a second term as Washtenaw Community College trustee, he has no plan to call for a recount of the 119,498 votes cast. He didn’t even consider it, said Freeman, who lost out to David DeVarti in the midterm election by .03 percent of the vote. “To me, it sounds like Dave DeVarti is a really great guy, so it would be a shame to do something like that,” Freeman said. And he sees a bright future for the three new trustees who will serve on the board beginning in January. DeVarti, a student at WCC and a self-proclaimed “life-long learner” is joined by fellow student Christina Fleming, who also served as online editor of The Washtenaw Voice until her election, and Ruth Hatcher, a former WCC English instructor, faculty union president See ELECTION, Page A3

The Washtenaw Voice

November 17, 2014

Explore our campus, advisors, programs, faculty and more.

Empty Bowls

Wednesday, November 18 11:30 a.m.- 1 p.m. Garrett’s Restaurant Purchase a beautiful, professionally made hand-crafted bowl and fill it with delicious soup! Proceeds benefit WCC’s Student Resource and Women’s Center and Food Gatherers. Tickets on sale at the Cashier’s Office.

Breast-Feeding Matters! Thursday, November 20 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. ML 150

Human milk provides a healthy start that lasts a lifetime. This workshop is for any healthcare student or person who is curious about this amazing process. This event is run by Theresa Dubiel, MSN, RN and her students and is free and open to the public. Sign up by November 17 and get a light lunch! Sign up here (limit 50): http://tinyurl.com/WCCBreastfeedingMatters For further questions, contact: ethompso@wccnet.edu

ANN ARBOR

Piston’s Game

Friday, December 19 5:30-11:00 p.m. Watch the Pistons take on the Raptors. The $35 ticket includes incredible seats, transportation via the Fox Sports Fan Bus and a $9 concession voucher. Tickets on sale at the Cashier’s Office.

COMING SOON:

A trip to Birch Run Tickets!

Lunch with the President

The winners of this contest will enjoy a FREE lunch with WCC’s President, Dr. Rose Bellanca! Lunches will take place at various times throughout the semester. Sign-up today! http://tinyurl.com/wcclunchcontest

WCC Sports

Join us for Intramural Sports! You must pre-register through the Sports office in SC 116 during the registration dates. Requirements: 2.0 cumulative GPA, be registered in at least three credits at WCC. This is a great opportunity for students, as well as employees to participate in a sport without the time commitment that Club Sports require.

Staff can participate too – we would love to see staff teams participating! There will be other opportunities in the future, so please stop into the WCC Sports Office to fill out an interest card for more information on our sports programs!

Come Join the Concordia Family! • Growing Undergraduate Population • New Science Labs • Renovated Residence Halls • Updated Student Union • Upgraded Kreft Center for the Fine Arts • Three Schools to Choose from: • HAAB School of Business Administration • School of Arts and Sciences • School of Education

Questions or concerns? Contact our office at (734) 973-3720 or mflucas@wccnet.edu

.edu 734.995.7505 4090 GEDDES RD. ANN ARBOR 48105

NEWS

The Washtenaw Voice

November 17, 2014

ruth hatcher

‘Institutional knowledge’ Trustee-elect Ruth Hatcher, center with her husband Chuck, left, and her son Bob, right, at her home, just around the corner from WCC,the collge she has made her second home for more than 30 years. Ruth retired from teaching English at the college in 2011, but Bob now teaches math at the college and is looking forward to seeing his mom’s leadership on the WCC board of trustees. EJ STOUT | WASHTENAW VOICE

the first in a series of trustee profiles By NATALIE WRIGHT

Editor

When describing Ruth Hatcher’s relationship with WCC, everyone uses the phrase “institutional knowledge.” It’s easy to breeze past, unless you’ve met her. Hatcher, who’s been teaching at the college since “something like ’76,” tells stories that make a listener fall in love with the place right along with her. “We did all kinds of crazy things,” she started. “Across from the Writing Center, there was this little classroom – I love this story.” The classroom had a fan in it that blew into the library. No one liked to teach in it because it was so narrow and noisy. So the faculty claimed it for the part-timers, she said, and bought lockers and tables and chairs. “Well, the college didn’t like that,” she said, so they scheduled classes in there anyway. So the faculty took the tag off the door, she said. “It was SC 312. I would never forget it” At the beginning of the semester, the students showed up. “And I said ‘Oh, there’s no SC

312. We’ve never had an SC 312. You’d better go talk to the vice president, because I don’t know where it would be,’” she said. The administration was furious, she said, and they put a big lock on the door. So the union filed a grievance that said they were locked out of their workplace. “It all went away, and we had a lounge for the part-timers,” she said. “Now we have all kinds of wonderful space for parttimers, because the English Department took the little tag off the door. “That’s the kind of shit we used to pull all the time. You understand that kind of spirit? ‘We need a place for part-timers. You’re not going to give it to us? We’ll find a way.’ “I could tell you more horrible stories.” When the English faculty wanted to create the Writing Center, the college would not provide space for it. Over winter break, unbeknownst to the faculty – and the administration – the dean had a wall taken down between two classrooms, and when the faculty came back, there was a Writing Center. The dean was promptly fired. “He was one of those

pioneers who said, ‘We need it? Let’s do it,’” she said. Hatcher worked with a lot of the pioneers, the founders of the college, who had a big impact on her. They all left solid jobs, she said, when no one knew if the community college was going to work or not. It was a fairly new concept at the time. “It was a true act of faith in what education is about,” Hatcher said. “And I know it’s hard to keep a pioneer spirit going once everybody’s gone and it’s now an institution. I still have some of that fairy dust on me from them.” Hatcher began working part time at WCC while she was in a doctorate program at the University of Michigan, started by Richard Bailey, one of WCC’s early trustees. The program was geared toward training teachers to work at a community college. When a full-time position opened up at WCC in 1979, Hatcher, who had an infant daughter and two sons, took the job opportunity, set aside her Ph.D. dissertation. Hatcher immediately became English Department chair, she said, because no one hated her yet.

“The department was in such shambles,” she explained, following a “nasty” strike earlier that year. Around that same time, Maryam Barrie was babysitting Hatcher’s children. Barrie, then a WCC student and Writing Center tutor, now a WCC English instructor and faculty union president, said that Hatcher has done a lot to guide her over the years. Before there was an adjunct faculty union, Hatcher did what she could to help Barrie, an adjunct, participate. “I really got a lot of opportunities to be connected to the life of the college because I was interested, and she went ahead and let me be involved. As a department chair, Hatcher never got caught up in the “minutia” of faculty concerns and always focused on the students, Barrie said. “When she was teaching, even towards the end of her career, I always remember her trying new things,” Barrie said. “She was always committed to ongoing growth.” And Hatcher applied this at home with her children, as well as with her students. When her son, Bob Hatcher,

was a freshman in high school, his advanced placement biology teacher told him, within the first few days, that he had been placed in the wrong class. Ruth came in the next day to talk to his teacher and the school’s administrators, he said. “She told them it’s not their job to place me – it’s her job to place me,” Bob said. “That’s when I realized the importance of education. I realized if she’s going to fight this hard, I’d better keep up with my studies.” Today, Bob is a math instructor at WCC, and he trusts that as a new member of the board of trustees, his mom will continue to fight for what’s best for him, along with the rest of the faculty. “She’s really a champion of the faculty here,” he said. “Everyone knows who she is and knows that she’s a force.” Hatcher is not afraid to speak her mind, Bob said. But she’s not emotional, either, said Carrie Krantz, the current English Department chair. Krantz, who met Ruth 23 years ago when interviewing for her first job at WCC, has always admired her, she said. “I want to be Ruth Hatcher when I grow up,” she said. “She

is incredibly fair, incredibly open-minded, and as a leader, I only try to do what she did as a department chair. They were big shoes to walk into.” Today, Ruth has calmed down significantly from her days as a rebellious faculty member, Krantz said. “Her leadership is a quiet grace and dignity, not stand at the bully pulpit and rage on,” Krantz said. “Instead, she’s the voice that’s asking, not necessarily quietly, but certainly not in an explosive fashion, ‘Why are we doing this? Why is this being considered?’ “I think she’s very big on having people putting their egos aside and doing what you need to do to reach the student where they’re coming from.” Krantz thinks that WCC will benefit hugely from Hatcher’s new seat on the board of trustees. “I can’t think of a better person,” Krantz said. “She is just the epitome of calm and grace. She is not reactionary by any stretch of the imagination, but she calls it like she sees it, too. “There is not one person I can think of who would be better for this job.”

A DAY FOR Veterans WCC staff Samantha Paducha, left, manager of Admissions/K-12 Initiatives, and Terri Jennings, right, international admissions adviser, proudly write supportive messages to U.S. troops during WCC’s Veterans Day celebration. The event hit close to home for Paducha, whose husband is a U.S. Navy veteran previously stationed in Bremerton, Washington.

Tuesday, Nov. 11 was dedicated to honoring those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. On Veterans Day this year, members of WCC Student Development and Activities came together to hold an honorary event for the school’s veterans. The celebration was complete with a cake, a banner to write supportive messages, and a ‘Wall of Honor.’ Pictured here are hundreds of American flags that were scattered around campus, leading to the Student Center where the gathering was held. MORGAN FILSINGER| WASHTENAW VOICE

MORGAN FILSINGER | WASHTENAW VOICE

ELECTION, From A1 and interim vice president of instruction. Freeman, who also took classes at WCC during his time as a trustee, said that from his experience, the board values having students among its ranks. “I think one thing that will be good is that I found right away that people were very accepting of me when I got on the board,” Freeman said, “and they really liked having a student’s perspective. “I think it gives you a different perspective, because you’re going to see things that no one else on the board gets exposed to.” He is also excited to see how Hatcher will bring the faculty’s voice to the board, he said. “We’re going to have a teacher’s perspective too, which is something that I’ve wanted to see on there,” he said. “With some of the conflicts we’ve had, or the tension that’s there, I

think it’s going to help. “I was really glad to see this mix, even if it meant that I got beat,” Freeman said. “I really feel like I lost to three good people.” Hatcher, too, feels that those elected to sit beside her on the board are great people for the job, she said. DeVarti has a lot of experience and is just a “really good guy,” she said, and she is excited about Fleming’s knowledge of technology, which is “quite current and useful” among a board of “old farts.” Fleming and DeVarti agreed that they are happy with voters’ selections and look forward to working with their fellow trustee-elects. Hatcher, Fleming and Devarti all expressed an urgency in dealing with some of the most pressing issues at the college including a perceived lack of transparency and animosity between the administration and the faculty.

Hatcher, who took the lead in the race with 38,595 votes, said her first priority is to address the number of consultants the college has been hiring, a point of concern the faculty union raised in its vote of no confidence in President Rose Bellanca’s leadership last May. She also wants to begin to fix the transparency issues by putting an end to the number of Freedom of Information Act requests the school receives. “It’s ridiculous for anyone in Washtenaw County to have to FOIA information from the community college,” she said, adding that there are a few exceptions, such as personnel matters. “But any financial thing should be out there in the first place, online, and if it’s not there, it should be given as soon as anyone asks for it.” Hatcher said she’s unsure of how exactly she will proceed with these actions as a trustee, but she plans to discuss them at

meetings and charge the president with fixing the problems she sees. Although all three candidates ran on platforms of change on the board, amid long-standing controversy between the faculty and administration, and increased accountability to the faculty, students and community, board Chair Stephen Gill and President Rose Bellanca said they are happy to hear the new perspectives. “We will welcome the newly elected WCC board of trustee members and I look forward to working with them,” Gill said in an email sent through a college spokeswoman. “It’s always good to get new input and have new voices and new thoughts.” “We look forward to working collaboratively with them as this is an exciting time to be part of the board of trustees and an exciting time for the college,” Bellanca said in the same email.

“The college has benefitted from exceptional board leadership throughout its history and the newly elected board members will help carry on that tradition.” Fleming, who took second place in the election with 30,789 votes, said that while there are issues that need to be addressed right away, she’s also thinking about the big picture of her six-year term. “There are always immediate, hot-button stuff, like where do you stand on the faculty-administration conflict, but when all of that is swept to the side, who are you after that? What do you bring to the table after that garbage is gone?” she asked of herself. “Because we will get past that.” And Fleming’s reasons for running for the board echo those of another student-trustee who is on his way out. “When I first ran, I wanted to show people that they could do it,” Freeman said, adding

that he spent only $200 in his first campaign. “I wanted to get involved because I wanted to show people how they could get involved, too,” Fleming said at a trustee forum on WCC’s campus in October. Fleming said that she spent less than $300 on her campaign. “I didn’t buy signs; I didn’t buy flyers or mailers; I didn’t spend money,” Fleming said. “I just was myself. This is who I am, take it or leave it, vote for me or don’t.” “It just showed that if you’re determined and you get out there and you really canvass and you talk to a lot of people, it’s quite possible,” Freeman said of his first campaign. “I don’t want people to doubt themselves. If they want to get involved with their school, then they should, and it is doable.” Additional reporting by Managing Editor James Saoud

November 17, 2014

editorial

Voters care about WCC On Nov. 4, we saw what a big difference an informed group of voters can make. Leading up to Election Day, when voters would choose three new Washtenaw Community College trustees, we heard from a lot of people, particularly WCC employees, that the community truly cared about this election. While we believed that many cared, the question, as it often is, was how many of them are going to vote? But as the midnight hour approached on election night, a clear picture emerged – people cared enough about this college to vote. Although the race was tight for some, with incumbent Mark Freeman losing to Dave DeVarti by a narrow 57 votes, it was not so close for others. Both Ruth Hatcher and Christina Fleming won by a landslide. All three candidates endorsed by The Voice were elected, so, needless to say, we’re thrilled. It’s clear voters wanted trustees who know the college, its students and employees well, and who will ask questions of the other trustees and administration. They did not choose those with the most political experience. They did not choose those who spent the most money. They did not choose those with the most recognizable names. They chose those who promised this college needs –transparent, honest leadership and a heart for the students. We hope the new trustees feel a heavy responsibility, knowing so many entrusted them with the future of WCC. We hope their leadership will be welcomed. Thank you, voters, for doing what’s best for WCC. To continue to show you care, consider attending a board meeting, where you can listen and learn and make your voice heard. There are two more meetings this semester on Nov. 18 and Dec. 9, both at 6 p.m. in ML 150.

A step toward equality For a long time, Ann Arbor has held a reputation for being very LGBTQ friendly. Jim Toy had a big part in that. In 1970, Toy publicly identified as being gay during an anti-Vietnam War rally in Detroit. That was a huge deal at the time. He went on to form various movements and organizations in Ann Arbor, including the Jim Toy Community Center (JTCC) and the University of Michigan’s Spectrum Center. Today, Toy is still fighting for LGBTQ rights, and he’s brought his advocacy to Washtenaw Community College. Toy, along with former WCC student Andre Wilson, addressed the college’s trustees, asking them to take the JTCC’s recommendation to add language to two board policies to prevent discrimination based on gender identity and gender discrimination. While these terms are often said to refer to transgender people, they can apply to a number of gender identities. Protections are already provided for gay and lesbian students.With all of the attention the fight for gay marriage has garnered, it’s shocking how much discrimination is still allowed. Right now, State Rep. Frank Foster is readying a gay rights bill to be introduced to the Michigan House. The bill would provide a long-overdue change to the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, disallowing discrimination based on sexual orientation. Today, Michigan employers can legally fire an employee for being gay. One would think the gay community would be celebrating in a sea of rainbow flags at this news. But many are not. Advocacy groups do not want this legislation to pass until it is all-inclusive. It must include protections for gender identity, they say. While the state of Michigan still has some ground to cover, Ann Arbor, as it has always done, can lead the progressive path. With all other higher education institutions in Washtenaw County already providing these protections, WCC is the last piece of the puzzle. We hope that the trustees take this responsibility seriously and vote to add this language to the board’s policies as soon as possible. Despite personal reservations or beliefs, equality should not come with contingencies. Everyone should be protected from harassment and unfair discrimination, especially at a college, where a welcome and safe environment is key to student success. Thank you, JTCC, for bringing this movement to our doorstep. We hope WCC can be one more step in a long string of victories for LGBTQ equality.

clarification A story in our Nov. 3 issue about Navy veteran Richard Heberlein should have stated that the revocation of his security clearance resulted in the loss of his radioman job in 1970. He kept his rank of Petty Officer 3rd Class.

VOICES

SOQs, grade inflation and a happy ending NATALIE WRIGHT nkwright@wccnet.edu

When The Voice first set out to get Washtenaw Community College to release the results of student opinion questionnaires (SOQs) – students’ end-of-semester evaluations of their teachers – our primary motivation was that someone told us we couldn’t do it. Yes, we believed it would be a valuable resource for students, and that legally, this is public information, but mostly it was a challenge, and we wanted to take it on. But inevitably, in the fourmonth journey to acquire the SOQs, we learned a few things. We faced a lot of opposition and heard a lot of arguments against making the SOQs public. At times, those arguments caused serious doubt, but mostly they reinforced our belief that what we were doing was important for students. The best case I heard, which made me seriously question what we were doing, came in a letter to the editor from an instructor, which explained that making these evaluations public turns registration into a popularity contest and leads to grade inflation. After considering this theory for months, I cannot accept it. First, students do not rate their teachers solely on grades. To make this generalization is an insult to students, who are incredibly diverse in their educational motivations – especially at a community college. Second, while these evaluations may be a factor in grade inflation, they are one among many. To bring the problem of grade inflation into the

debate, we must also consider the administration’s use of evaluations for hiring and firing purposes and instructors’ own pride and apathy. To say that grade inflation is due solely to students’ emphasis on grades is to use students as a scapegoat for a problem for which many parties share blame. Furthermore, students’ emphasis on getting good grades is a symptom of a higher education system that is more about churning out employees than educated citizens. Students are forced to play along with a system that often takes advantage of them, just to have a shot at a comfortable life. And as long as that’s the case, they deserve every opportunity to get what they want out of the system that is losing its purpose. That said, despite the pressure, not all students are in college just for good grades – especially at a community college. Many factors play into how students choose classes, but when two sections of the same class fit into their schedule, it often comes down to choosing between two instructors, and the majority of students turn to RateMyProfessor.com. I’ll admit, every semester I’ve registered for classes, both at WCC and Oakland University, I’ve used the site. But every time, I read at least a few poorly written, poorly justified angry rants. Like any reasonable person, I don’t place much weight on these comments. However, if there are 10 angry rants under one teacher’s name, I’ll probably do what I can to avoid the teacher. Recently, a friend pointed out to me, while she was planning her winter schedule, that sometimes the posts use a lot of the same language and oddly specific reasons for disliking an instructor. They were probably

written by the same person. There is no credibility to the site. Anyone can post anything they want to trash or build up someone’s reputation. Many students know this, but consider it an invaluable resource anyway. I am one of them. When we’re investing thousands and thousands of dollars in our education, we’re going to use any information available, even flawed information, to try to get the most out of our money. Yes, this creates a “popularity contest” among teachers. Popularity among those you work for seems to me a pretty good measure of how a person does their job, as long as those doing the evaluating are fair. By using “popularity contest” as a derogatory term in regards to these evaluations suggests a major lack of respect for students’ fairness and judgment. Despite what some instructors have said, students consider more than just grading and “entertainment value” – although these are both factors in what makes a good teacher. And often, entertainment value boils down to an obvious passion for the subject and a knack for public speaking – crucial qualities for a good teacher. Ultimately, a good teacher understands that students come into every class with unique goals and needs and helps them get the most they can out of the class. Allowing students to build a collective knowledge about instructors can guide them to instructors who can best meet their needs, not just who is “good” and who is “bad.” While the numbers present a mostly “good” or “bad” ranking, we tried to divide the SOQs in a way that categorizes rankings based on what students want to know. This is how you will see them on our website. And most importantly, we will soon add a

comments field where students can share more relevant, qualitative information. Do instructors use blackboard or give paper handouts? Do they put PowerPoint notes on Blackboard for use in class? Do they put more weight on tests or homework? Do they require students to pay for an expensive textbook or print out free resources and do their best to cut costs for students? Do they teach visually or just lecture? Are they clear about what material will be covered in exams? Are they easy to understand or do they easily confuse most of their students? In the comments on a site like RateMyProfessor, students can find hints at these things while discounting the overarching unjustified rage. Most college students are capable of thinking on a high enough level to read those reviews critically. While RateMyProfessor presents a twisted picture, with a huge voluntary sample bias exacerbated by anonymity, the idea behind it is brilliant. This is why The Voice set out to emulate that forum with a structure that provides more fair and accurate information, something many colleges have done. Why shouldn’t the student body be allowed and encouraged to use its collective knowledge to make the most of their education and their money? And honestly, the picture that is most clear in reviewing the SOQs: WCC students love their teachers. The results show very little variation in instructors’ average evaluations, with nearly all of them falling between four and five on a scale of one to five. The entire WCC community should be proud of the story told by these SOQs, and proud to share the information with those who need it most – those who produced it.

A healthy kind of love a pumpkin for a dollar on Nov. 1. After nearly hacking off an arm as I went after M . M . DONALDSON the orangemmorrisdonaldson@wccnet.edu ribbed beast with a very Between Halloween and large butchSANNA NAEEM | WASHTENAW VOICE Thanksgiving, the pumpkin er’s knife and reigns supreme over all other there’s something nostalgic hammer as I remember my vegetables. No other time of that makes my eyes mist up as grandmother doing to those year does a veggie have such I remember my grandmother’s gigantic warty green Hubbard clout, stretching its symbolic house when potatoes boiled squashes (note: this is not the tendrils to include witches on and fogged up the windows and way to do this; a better way is to broomsticks to turkeys wearing pumpkin pies waited patiently use a can opener to open a can pilgrim hats. for everyone to be tired of tur- of pumpkin puree), I wrangled I could bore you with the key and green bean casserole. the halves into the oven to bake nutritional value of pumpkins The concept of the until they were soft and ready and discuss how they are plen- Thanksgiving holiday has got- to be made into a filling. tiful with beta carotene that is ten increasingly tangled up in What a mess. The fibrous good for your eyes, since this my mind as a bitter remind- flesh knotted around itself and is a health column. Having er of what an entire race of sat lumpy in the milk and eggs. gored out a number of inno- Americans (Native Americans) And it tasted about as appetizcent pumpkins every autumn lost, but my feelings are con- ing. I was disappointed and and eaten enough wedges of tained in the memories I have didn’t know where I had gone crusted pumpkin custard, I in- about pumpkins in the form so wrong. Even after the disstead want to share how a veg- of a pie my grandmother used covery that there is a difference etable can nourish a soul. to make. between jack-o’-lantern and There’s something about the As an adult, when I pretend- pie pumpkins, it did not get me pumpkin that is magical, with ed to trade cooking for culinary, closer to my grandmother’s pie. its voluptuous shape, its daring I was sure I could replicate my It wasn’t until my huscolor, its ability to shun being grandmother’s pie and take it to band’s garden produced so savory and demanding to be a new levels. Authenticity was an much squash that I had to sweetened pie filling. Personally, avenue I sought, so I purchased find new ways to consume it. EDITOR

Volume 21, No. 7 4800 E. Huron River Dr. TI 106 Ann Arbor, MI 48105 (734) 677-5125 thewashtenawvoice@gmail.com

A little leftover squash went into “pumpkin” muffins. A little more went into “pumpkin” raviolis. A whole lot went into a pie. There it was. The mystery of my grandmother’s “pumpkin” pie. I had never seen her take a knife to a bona fide pumpkin. The silky flesh of certain squashes rivals that of pumpkin, even though they are from the same Curcurbita botanical family. When nutrition wonks discuss healthy food, they tend to forget that it isn’t just about eating veggies and whole grains. Food is a part of our social life and is symbolic of the relationships we have and how we use it to define who we love. I dare say my passion for food has its roots in my relationship with my grandmother. Eating food that reminds us of who we are is just as important to keeping us healthy. M. M. Donaldson is a staff writer with The Voice and a journalism student at WCC. She has a bachelor of science in family and community services from Michigan State University, and has several years’ experience with nutrition issues affecting infants through older adults.

Natalie Wright

nkwright@wccnet.edu

NEWS, FEATURES AND VIDEO

James Saoud

jsaoud@wccnet.edu

MANAGING EDITOR CREATIVE

EJ Stout

emjstout@gmail.com

ONLINE EDITOR

Christina Fleming

cfleming@wccnet.edu

STAFF WRITERS GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

M. M. Donaldson Erin Fedeson Sofia Lynch Paulette Parker Taylor Robinson Vivian Zago

mmorrisdonaldson@wccnet.edu efedeson@wccnet.edu snlynch@wccnet.edu pstanford@wccnet.edu taelrobinson@wccnet.edu vpereira@wccnet.edu

Erik Morris Ben Ellsworth

delocuro@gmail.com benjellsworth@gmail.com

CARTOONIST

Sanaa Naeem

sanaeem@wccnet.edu

COPY EDITOR

Nina Di Mauro

CONTRIBUTORS

Morgan Filsinger Charlie Hackenbruch Becky Lough Brandon Smith Lori Tackett Eric Wade

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Becky Alliston

ealliston@wccnet.edu

ADVISER

Keith Gave

kgave@wccnet.edu

MANAGING EDITOR

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.

The Washtenaw Voice

VOICES

The Washtenaw Voice

November 17, 2014

My love affair with journalism

And how a newspaper gig led to a dream-come-true in filmmaking JA MES SAOUD jsaoud@wccnet.edu

I was nine years old when I figured out what I wanted to do with my life. I remember the exact moment it happened. Legos were sprawled across my bedroom floor while my mom was cooking dinner downstairs. My dad had let me borrow his new digital video camera, which I quickly realized was like holding the hand of God. Legos were my filmmaking boot camp, complete with good guys, bad guys and backdrops of various jungle and sciencefiction settings. The best part about my little plastic movie stars was they could snap into place and hold a pose while I decided what angle I wanted to film them from, which helped me create some awesome little stop-motion adventure films inspired by “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones.” Somewhere between producing my Lego films and developing an unnaturally early appreciation for the films of Stanley Kubrick, I became pretty close with some friends around my neighborhood. We began writing and producing short movies about everything we could think of. One time, to create a robot,

I wrapped one of my friends in tin foil, exclaiming, “Good enough, let’s make a movie!” My movies up to that point were never very good, and I knew that. But it was the act of making the movies, of creating something that I really loved. There is nothing quite like turning a thought or a dream into a tangible reality that you can watch over and over. There is nothing like it at all. So when I first arrived at Washtenaw Community College, I headed straight for the video production classes. I was ready to learn the craftsmanship of my passion, ready to start learning all the mechanics of making movies. I had two teachers who had a major influence on me during my first year at WCC, Donna Ryen and Matt Zacharias. Donna taught me with positive influence, pointing out all of the things I did right and all the things she enjoyed about my class projects. Matt, however, was not afraid to tell me what I was doing wrong. My initial reaction was, “Who the hell does this guy think he is?” I didn’t know it then, but Matt questioning my talent and work ethic was one of the most important things anyone ever said to me. I still owe him a “thank you” for that. Matt was also the first person to tell me about The

Washtenaw Voice, WCC’s student newspaper. He told me that the editors were looking for someone to make videos for their website, and that they were willing to pay. Without hesitation, I offered my services to The Voice and soon enough, I was producing news and feature videos and making money doing it. Something else I didn’t know at the time was that this new job would be part of a series of incredibly coincidental events that would lead to me pursuing my dreams, but not without a short love affair. Working at The Voice was exhausting, but I really enjoyed the new skills I was developing. After running around with reporters and writers, visualizing their stories into videos, I started to pick up on the ins and outs of reporting the news. And I wanted in. Soon, I starting going around on my own to make videos, which I would write stories for in the newspaper. It was that same sense of creating something tangible that I loved. But unlike a video, I could hold it in my hands. I could fold it up and put it in my pocket. I could feel it. I remember writing my first column for The Voice. It was about my experience working on a documentary about the music industry for a video class I was taking.

I remember writing it. I remember loving it. I remembered that moment in my bedroom with Legos sprawled out across my floor. And it gave me the same feeling. I was able to report on and make videos of everything from the morning that Michigan’s gay marriage ban was lifted to President Barack Obama’s visit to Ann Arbor – two events I will remember as some of the proudest moments of my life. Before I knew it, my wall at home was plastered with journalism awards. I was spending hours in TI 106, our newsroom, sometimes staying until 4 a.m. writing, only to return at 9 a.m. the next day. It was exhausting. But, God, was it worth it. It had taken over my life. Just after Keith Gave, our adviser, asked me to be managing editor I got a tip for an interesting job opportunity. One of my co-workers, Christina Fleming, told me her cousin worked for a video production company in Wixom that was looking for people to work on a documentary. I applied. If you’ve applied for enough jobs in the video production world, it becomes easy to detach yourself from them. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a “no.” Usually, you don’t get a response. The job sounded like the opportunity of a lifetime, but while moving at the accelerated rate

working at The Voice required, I didn’t think much about. But making movies was still my dream. And just when my journalism career had become all-consuming, my dream came true – like a cancer diagnoses rather than a winning lottery ticket. I had gotten a job – the job – traveling across the country with a movie crew as an assistant field producer on “Maire’s Journey.” I still owe Christina a “thank you” for that. My primary job was to be in charge of social media, where I would apply many of the same things I learned at the newspaper over the past couple of years. Here’s the thing: I would have never landed the job without my experience at The Voice. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, but I knew I’d have to take some time off working at the newspaper. I left for the month of July this summer, but part of me would never return. I traveled with the crew of “Maire’s Journey” from Harbor Springs to New York City. It made me remember why I was at The Voice in the first place: to jumpstart my filmmaking career. Sure enough, when my shoot was finished, I was offered a job at the company in Wixom. I know there was a certain 9-year-old boy that would’ve been furious had I turned it down. I still owe him a “thank you” for that.

Of course, I said “yes.” I knew I was going to have to say goodbye to my career in print journalism if I wanted to pursue my passion for filmmaking. There was not time in the world to serve both passions, all while finishing up my college career. So I had to leave my pen and notepad in New York City and return home a filmmaker rather than a reporter. But I will always know what my stint in journalism meant to me. It was always supposed to be a learning experience, a path to bigger and better things. The path led me exactly where it was supposed to: to a new path. I am now working full time at that production company, making documentaries for Detroit Public Television. It will not be the final destination of my journey, but it’s a far better place than I’d ever dreamed to be at 24. There is nothing quite like turning a childhood dream into a tangible reality. Well, maybe a couple of things... At 9 years old, I realized what I wanted to do with my life. I remember the exact moment. And since that moment, I have been doing just that. If you’re lucky enough to figure out what you want to do with your life, don’t waste your time finding a way to make it happen. Do it. And never stop. Au revoir.

Philadelphia: A view from the street d. philadelphia marriott downtown

ERIK MORRIS | WASHTENAW VOICE

M . M . DONALDSON mmorrisdonaldson@wccnet.edu

Six days in one place should be plenty of time to get to know the personality of a city. With a tight schedule of seminars, meetings and more seminars during the 2014 National College Media Convention in Philadelphia there was little time to explore the city heavily populated with historical buildings and monuments. Understanding that the collective personality of an area is made up of its people, I quickly felt overwhelmed to find and connect with those who embody the character of the city while seeking out diversity at the same time. To navigate the unfamiliar territory of Philadelphia, I spent hours acclimating myself to the city through Google Maps and zoomed in to Street View to explore the blocks surrounding my home base. I realized the people who crossed my path within walking distance of my hotel room could provide me with the street-view vibe I sought.

a. reading terminal market Sitting at an aluminum cafe table in the Reading Terminal Market, Ernie Davis, 67, quietly eats lunch from one of the restaurants. To his left, a woman plays chipper tunes on a Roland keyboard and to his right a group of chatty college kids from out of town are eating a late breakfast. There is only enough room on either side of him to maneuver his elbows as he eats his fried chicken. An electrical contractor and owner of Davis Technical Training school that prepares apprentice electricians to take the electrical licensing exam, Davis wears a dark navy T-shirt with his company’s logo DTT over his heart. His dark blue eyes, a shade lighter than his shirt, scan the group of student tourists and glance towards them periodically. Living in Philadelphia for the last 67 and a half years, smiling as he includes the half year, Davis speaks with authority on the personality of the city. The city is changing from blue-collar to white-collar jobs, Davis said. The city once had a large garment industry, such as the Kensington Stetson hat factory and several dairies that provided jobs. Now the jobs are in data, technology, insurance, hospitals and education. The white-collar jobs have brought new people to the city. He

Philadelphia is a nice place to be, Mamie Jabateh, 29, said while making beds at the Marriott hotel where she works. She has been living in Philadelphia for two years. “Everything is easy here,” Jabateh said with an accent. After leaving her home country of Liberia, she had spent a little time in Washington D.C. and Seattle and said it was hard to get a job in those cities. In Philadelphia, Jabateh said, it is easy to get a job and a place to live. Apartments in a safe neighborhood are affordable, and the police have always been fast to respond when she has called. She said she doesn’t need a car with the bus and the subway. “If you live in a good neighborhood,” Jabateh said, “it feels like home.”

M. M. Donaldson and seven other Washtenaw Community said the city doesn’t feel bad as long as the newcomers don’t ne- College students with The Washtenaw Voice attended the 2014 glect the minorities with housing and job opportunities. National College Media Convention in Philadelphia this fall. “I’m only blessed to bless someone else,” Davis said. He uses this philosophy in his classes, and it is his message to those who are new to Philadelphia. “Welcome to the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection,” he said in farewell.

b. city hall Sound of the camera shutter clicking is not audible above the noise of impatient horns blasted from the street and the pedestrians making a purposeful exodus after 5 p.m. “Hey, take my picture,” Tyrone Woodward, 55, hollers with a big grin on his face and starts posing against the architecture. He holds plastic merchant bags in both hands. He stops and starts explaining the history of the building, stairs that used to take people down to the subway and another set that take people back up. Chestnut Hill and the 30th Street Station are also sights that out-of-towners shouldn’t miss, Woodward said, and then asks for a hug. He seems oblivious to the plastic hospital wrist band he wears, but refuses to sit on the sandstone steps, worried about getting his white basketball jersey dirty. Woodward deflects questions regarding his personal residence status. Shortly, he admits, “the alcohol just tears me up.”

c. corner of filbert street and north 12th street With the World Series being played the night before, memories of the 2008 World Series played in this city are still fresh for Officer Nelson Figueroa. Not because the Philadelphia Phillies won, but for making national headlines when he used a Taser to take down a fan who ran out on the field. He is game for questions, but fields “What’s the personality of this city?” to his partner for the answer. “Blue collar, tough, hard-working town,” Officer Saran Pereborow said. Immediately he turns and approaches a woman walking down the street to tell her to put her cell phone in a safer place. “We’re the city of brotherly love,” Figueroa said of his birthplace. “Don’t forget that.” Pereborow maneuvers his bike through the busy intersection to the park where a homeless man lays prostrate over an exhaust grate in the sidewalk and tells him to “get moving.”

BEST IN SHOW

PHILADELPHIA – The Washtenaw Voice brought home a first place award in the Best of Show competition at the recent National College Media Convention in Philadelphia earlier this month. More than 4,000 college journalists and their advisers from across the nation and Canada attended the five-day conference, which featured about 325 sessions on every topic in the media spectrum, as well as keynote speeches on critical topics including campus rape and the rise of digital media. College newspapers, news websites, magazines and yearbooks were judged by industry experts. The Voice finished first in its category for the first time. In the previous six years, the

postcards from philadelphia

newspaper has finished second, third three times, fifth and sixth. “Those who built The Voice into what it is today have been known for always setting the bar higher. It’s good to know that we’re carrying on that tradition,” said Voice Editor Natalie Wright. “We have an incredible team of students who work so hard every day to put out a newspaper that will inform and bring pride to our campus community. I am so grateful for every single student who has contributed to our paper this year and to our readers and supporters for motivating us.” To read more about the students’ visit to this historic East Coast city, view their postcards at washtenawvoice. com.

5¢

See more at

washtenawvoice.com

NEWS

November 17, 2014

Building business WCC alum share experience, wisdom with WCC students at Entrepreneurship Center open house by PAULETTE PARKER

Staff Writer

Entering the door of the Entrepreneurship Center’s Open House, the room was buzzing with the mixing and mingling of business owners, aspiring and established, trading tips and sharing stories. Business cards exchanged hands while attendees sampled apple cider and an array of sweets provided by Coffee House Creamery in Ann Arbor, owned by Natalie Park, one of the four spotlighted entrepreneurs. “She built a coffeehouse from the ground up,” said Kristin Gapske, Entrepreneurship Center manager. “It starts with an idea; that’s all it takes,” said Aaron Richison, 29, of Ann Arbor, another spotlighted entrepreneur. Richison is a Washtenaw Community College alumnus who graduated in 2008 with a degree in Business Administration. He also earned his bachelor’s degree in business management from Cleary University in Ann Arbor. Now, Richison is the owner of Rich Decisions Professional Detailing, a mobile detailing service that goes to the doors of customers in Washtenaw County and the surrounding areas. “I did a business plan for my senior project and ended up winning the Entrepreneurship Award,” Richison said. “They cut me a check to start my own business, and I’ve been building it up over four years,” he said, beaming with passion for his craft. Those in attendance benefited from networking opportunities and were entered for a chance to win a $125 gift certificate, courtesy of Rich Decisions

FLU, From A8 However, it takes two weeks for the vaccine to start protecting an individual against the flu, so getting vaccinated before the flu begins to spread is key. There is also an option for those with needle anxiety. Some flu shot providers offer an alternative nasal spray, FluMist. “The only people who can’t get the FluMist are people with asthma, or if their nose is stuffed up on the day they plan to get the spray,” Chiarelli said. Seasonal flu outbreaks can occur as early as October and usually peak between December and February. The flu is spread through droplets from a sick person’s cough or sneeze, which can travel up to six feet. It can also be contracted by touching infected surfaces and touching the eyes or mouth. Healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop, and

Professional Detailing. “We are really gearing up for our grand opening on March 10, 2015,” said Gapske. “Until then, we are open and offering services such as co-working spaces, mentoring, computers and a printer is available, as well as a comfortable space for entrepreneurs to gather and network.” Located in room 120 of the Plant Operations building, the Entrepreneurship Center has been a collaboration of efforts from within WCC and several resources out in the local community. The local chapter of the Small Business Development Center has an office right across the hallway from the center. There are also members from SCORE, a nonprofit mentoring program, and a Market Research Librarian that visit the center twice a month. “If you don’t know where to look, it could take years just to do some research,” Gapske said. “We help you with finding the information you need, as well as provide you with some information you may not have thought to research.” Some have already begun utilizing the center’s resources, staff and cozy co-working space to enhance their businesses. “I definitely developed a support system I did not have before and a guiding light for my journey,” said 29-year-old retail management major, Alana Connolly of Ypsilanti, who owns the Ann Arbor Sunless airbrush tanning. The center is also valuable to those who are in the early stages of a business idea. Workstudy student and criminal justice major, Marcus Bradford, 24, of Ypsilanti, is looking to cater to a market he finds lacking. “I want to open a vegetarian restaurant called Soulful up to one week after becoming sick. The severity of the flu can vary widely from season-toseason. Serious complications can arise, such as bacterial pneumonia, sinus infections, dehydration and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as asthma and diabetes. Ninety percent of flu-related deaths occur in individuals 65 years and older. “There is a high-dose vaccine available for individuals over 65,” Chiarelli said. Individuals at a higher risk of complications from the flu include those 65 years and older, people with chronic medical conditions, pregnant women and young children. To receive a flu vaccine, individuals must present their identification and insurance card and must sign a consent form. While most insurances companies cover flu vaccines, most providers also offer prices for those without insurance.

Vegetarian,” Bradford said. “I just became a vegetarian, and there’s not a lot of options. I want to provide that.” Bradford takes advantage of the reading material at the center, as well as receiving opportunities by email. “We are here to serve the campus community, but also the community as a whole,” said Kimberly Hurns, interim dean of business and computer technologies. The ultimate goal of the Entrepreneurship Center? “To create entrepreneurship energy,” Hurns said. Additional reporting by Lori Tackett

free coffee wednesdays What: Free Biggby Coffee Where: The Entrepreneurship Center Room 120 in the Plant Operations/ Facilities Management building

When: Every Wednesday

from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., or until the coffee runs out

Why: For business

advice and resources, or just for a cup of coffee

See a WCC student’s account of how the Entrepreneurship Center helped her realize her lifelong dream at washtenawvoice.com.

Flu Shots Providers: Target Pharmacy: $24.99 (Shot) $31.99 (FluMist) CVS: $31.99 (Shot) RiteAid: $32 (Shot) Walgreens: $31.99 (Shot) $39.99 (FluMist)

Prevention Tips:

The Washtenaw Voice

When winter ‘fashion’ is more about survival ERIC WADE ewade@wccnet.edu

The sound of the alarm pierces my dream, and I wake up to a dark house with the frigid wind howling outside my bedroom window. I stumble into the bathroom, brush my teeth and put on what feels like 20 pounds of smoke-smelling, slightly damp clothes from the day before. I fill my thermos with hot coffee, grab my lunch box and step out the front door only to get slammed in the face by the brutally harsh cold. It’s winter, and I spend it outside building houses in the harshest conditions. We build through the blowing winds, snow and ice. Conditions so cold that when I get out of my truck and breathe in through my nose, it crystalizes. Conditions so cold that when people enter a building together they can’t help but to turn and look at each other and mutter profanities about what they felt outside. When it gets really cold, we build fires, not only to stay warm but also to keep our tools from freezing up. Tools break more often in sub-freezing temperatures, and power equipment starts harder and dies faster. When it gets really cold,

challenging during the tough winter months. Ice forms everywhere, and walking becomes difficult. Slipping more often takes a toll on the body, and some go as far as to wear spikes on their shoes. Ladders could slip out from us at any time, and walking on roofs becomes treacherous. Safety is always important, but accidents can happen no matter how safe we are. Our workdays get shorter, eight hours days turn to seven as the rising and setting sun dictates our incomes. We tend to take more breaks in local restaurants in an effort to get a half-hour reprieve from the harsh elements. But, with all of this being said, some ask why I do it. Why do I put myself through the torture of working outside in the winter when a Polar Vortex can be life-threatening? I tell them that it’s what I love; there is no feeling like it, and I’ve done it long enough to know that it won’t kill me. I love the feeling of standing on a frozen wall two stories in the air, frosty breath billowing through my nostrils with the low January sun slowly rising in the southeast. That is the feeling of living. Perhaps it is when I tell people that I work outside all winter long, and they say they could never do it, I feel somewhat super-human. But nothing makes me appreciate the warmth of my truck, a hot shower and a warm bed to dream again more than a long day in the harsh cold.

Crime Blotter Oct. 24-Nov. 13

Larceny A backpack was taken from a lab inside the OE building on Oct. 24. The crime was reported to Campus Safety and Security at 12:48 p.m. Washtenaw County’s Sherriff’s Department was investigating. Larceny A backpack was reported stolen from a lab in the OE building on Oct. 27 at 2:48 p.m. The victim was advised to contact Washtenaw County’s Sherriff’s Department. Hit and run A parked vehicle was struck in a lot 4 on Oct. 27. The incident was reported at 9:39 p.m. Washtenaw County’s Sherriff Department was investigating.

•

Get a flu shot

•

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth

•

Wash hands often with soap and water

•

Avoid close contact with sick individuals

•

Stay home when you are sick

Larceny A calculator was reported stolen, possibly out of a backpack, when the victim walked away from it on Nov. 1. The crime was reported at 4:48 p.m. The disposition of

•

Frequently disinfect surfaces with wipes and sprays

POLICY, From A1

KELLY BRACHA | WASHTENAW VOICE

shadows turn into nightmares of intense cold and we have to move across the job site while being chased by the looming and lumbering shadow of the neighboring house. The crazy thing about the shadow area is when it moves, the area that it moves to starts to frost, as if in some wintertime apocalyptical movie. We dress in layers that we constantly have to adjust to meet the changing temperatures. Too much clothing and we sweat, and then we freeze. Too little clothing and we just plain freeze. Gloves are great, but if they’re too thick we can’t grab nails or hold onto a swinging hammer. The layers have to be thin, light and loose, yet still provide as much warmth as possible. Thick and bulky clothes makes moving difficult. Bending over becomes tough, and breathing while bending over becomes even tougher. The weight of heavy clothes is burdensome when we have to climb, jump and walk all day. The lighter the layer the better, and shedding the layers throughout the day helps to keep the weight down and skin temperature even. Getting the moisture away from the skin is important, and how we layer can help to do that. Cotton tends to hold moisture, so we wear the cotton on the outer layers and poly-blends on the inner layers, and it helps to have a thin wind resistant layer as an outer shell. Even with proper dress, everyday tasks become

not include the protections, JTCC President Sandi Smith wrote in a letter to the trustees last month. At the board’s Oct. 28 meeting, Jim Toy, an Ann Arbor LGBTQ-rights icon, spoke to the trustees, asking them to seriously consider adding the language to make the protection policies more inclusive. Trustee Patrick McLean recommended that the board and the college move quickly on this recommendation. And they did. “This is like the fastest policy change that’s ever happened here,” board Chair Stephen Gill said. “In just two weeks, we’ve prepared to change five policies. “We just recognize that this affects the lives, directly, of students,” Gill said, adding that the trustees all agreed to act quickly.

was struck by another vehicle on Nov. 10. After the drivers Hit and run made contact, one of them left A parked vehicle was struck the scene. There was no disin the FEB parking lot on Nov. cernible damage to the vehicle 5. The incident was reported that was struck. The incident at 4:50 p.m. The victim was adwas reported at 9:16 p.m. The vised to contact the Washtenaw disposition of the case was County Sheriff’s Department. unknown. Larceny Harassment A jacket that was left in A subject was repeatedly break area of the OE building touching an individual in the was reported stolen on Nov. 8 Student Center after being told at 3:09 p.m. The disposition of not to do so. The person rethe case was unknown. ported the incident to Campus Larceny Safety and Security on Nov. 12 A video camera and back- at 2:30 p.m. The disposition of pack that was left in a room in the case was unknown. the ML building was reported Larceny stolen on Nov. 8 at 10:09 p.m. A coat was reported stolen Washtenaw County Sherriff’s from a rack in the office area Department was investigating. of the LA building on Nov. 13 Larceny at 2:30 p.m. The disposition of An iPhone that was left the crime was unknown. charging in the cafeteria of the Larceny Student Center was reported Two laptops and one iPad stolen on Nov. 10 at 3:34 p.m. were reported stolen from a The disposition of the crime vehicle parked in Lot 3 on Nov. was unknown. 13 at 7:30 p.m. The victim was Hit and run advised to contact Washtenaw A vehicle parked in Lot 7 County’s Sherriff’s Department. the case was unknown.

At the meeting, Toy and former WCC student Andre Wilson, implored the trustees to act quickly because WCC is vitally important to the community. “My experience at WCC is excellent, and I’ve always been proud to support this community college,” Wilson said. “A decade ago, I underwent a transgender transition.” His sister was teaching here at the time, he said, and asked about the policies at WCC. “Shortly after my transition, I joined other students at the University of Michigan to get them to update their policy on gender transition and discretion, which we did in 2007,” Wilson said. “So you’re not alone. “I urge you, as a community member, as a taxpayer … I urge you to edit your non-discrimination policy.” Toy applauded the college for policies that demonstrate a focus on protecting students and employees from

discrimination. “However, the language of the current policies do not adequately provide stable protection from discrimination and discriminatory habits as a whole,” he said. While “gender identity and gender expression” is often tied to transgender individuals, it includes a variety of ways people identify, like asexual or pansexual, Toy said. The college’s general counsel, Larry Barkoff, has been working on crafting a recommendation, which he will present to the board on Tuesday, Gill said. While the JTCC only recommended changes to policies 5081 and 5010, regarding anti-discrimination and affirmative action, at least three other policies need to be amended to keep consistency of language, Gill said, including policies on Access, Success and Equity for Diverse People, Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct Code and Admissions.

IN BRIEF CAMPAIGN FOR EMPTY BOWLS SUCCESS

The Washtenaw Voice

BREASTFEEDING MATTERS Washtenaw Community College will host a lecture about breastfeeding and the importance of human milk for newborn nutrition on Nov. 20. The workshop is open to the public and will show how babies, mothers and communities could benefit from this process, since it provides a healthy start that lasts a lifetime. Attendees who sign up by Nov. 17 will get a light lunch (limit 50). What: Breastfeeding workshop When: Thursday, Nov. 20 from noon to 2 p.m. Where: Morris Lawrence building, Room 101 For more info: http://tinyurl.com/ WCCBreastfeedingMatters or email ethompso@wccnet.edu

AT r

A DIVERSITY EXTRAVAGANZA

During the past 18 months, donors pledged more than $8 million to the Washtenaw Community College Foundation. This is the largest amount ever raised in a campaign at the college, according to a college news release. The foundation’s funds benefit students through scholarships, student support services like childcare, transportation and tutoring, and to invest in new teaching methods and advanced technologies. WCC President Rose Bellanca addressed donors at a news conference on Oct. 27. “On behalf of the current and future students of WCC and our board of trustees, we are incredibly grateful to all who so generously gave of their time and resources to this incredible effort,” Bellanca said. “What’s been incredible are the relationships that have been formed when reaching out to donors,” 2014 Foundation Chair Betsy Petosky said.

Washtenaw Community College is hosting an Empty Bowls event. All proceeds will go to feed the hungry. The event will take place in the Student Center building on Wednesday, Nov. 19 from 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m and is open to all. Tickets are $20 and buy you a pottery bowl, handcrafted by the college’s Ceramics Department and filled with soup made by the college’s Culinary Arts Program. Tickets can be purchased at the cashier’s office and can be used to purchase bowls without soup as well. Bowls can be selected 30 minutes before and 45 minutes after the event. The Empty Bowls is an international grassroots fundraiser that works to fight hunger. Proceeds will benefit the WCC Women’s Center Pantry and Food Gatherers of Washtenaw County.

The Washtenaw community will celebrate its diversity and the diversity of the surrounding area in an event on Friday, Nov. 21, sponsored by the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion and the International Student Organization. The event, which will take place 5:30-7 p.m. in Towsley Auditorium, will include food samplings from local restaurants and singing, dancing and fashions from various countries. Students in Laurice “Noonie” Anderson’s Modern Dance class will perform, along with groups from the University of Michigan and community members, Dean of Student Diversity and Inclusion Arnett Chisholm said. “I just want to show how diverse we are as a community and that we have a community that supports us,” Chisholm said.

– Natalie Wright

- M.M. Donaldson

-Natalie Wright

– Vivian Zago

sfe n a

November 17, 2014

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PLEASE HAVE MY CREDITS COUNT

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November 17, 2014

S W E N

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NEWS

US E

The Washtenaw Voice

BRACE YOURSELVES HOW TO WINTERIZE…

YOUR CAR

Extra junk in the trunk 1.

Managing Editor

Forget the case of water that’s bound to freeze and explode – fill your trunk with helpful items this winter:

5. Ice scraper

2. Extra hat, gloves

6. Salt or kitty litter

winter coat

11. Flashlight

12. Extra batteries

9, 10, 12, 13.

4. 2.

13. Matches

11.

14. Pocketknife

16.

3. 8.

3. Extra wool socks, boots 7. Windshield wiper fluid 4. Extra-warm

10. Flares

by EJ STOUT

1. Heavy blanket

9. Jumper cables

15. C ar phone

14. 17.

charger

15.

16. First aid kit

8. S pare tire, wheel

17. Emergency snacks

wrench, jack

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | EJ STOUT | WASHTENAW VOICE

Tips for safe winter driving:

Preparing each part: wiper fluid and blades

battery

Fresh wiper blades are crucial to keeping Have a mechanic test your battery to see if it needs to be replaced before the coldest weather heavy precipitation from blocking visibility, hits, and also to clean off corrosion and add suf- and a washer fluid with antifreeze keeps road grime at bay. ficient fluids.

coolant and oil

During winter months, your radiator should be filled with roughly 60 percent antifreeze and 40 percent water, according to the DMV.org website. Also, thick engine oil doesn’t circulate as easily as thin oil, so switch to a less viscous substitute for your car.

tire pressure

Drive slowly, apply gas slowly and use a larger following distance than usual to avoid collisions. Know your brakes and how to use them properly. Put the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm pressure on the brakes. In a skid, ease your foot off the gas and steer in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go. Stay off the gas and brake until you are able to control your vehicle again.

Properly inflated tires ensure optimum contact between your tires and the road, which is crucial in poor road conditions and continues to save on gas mileage.

Don’t stop if you don’t have to. It’s better to slow down and roll at a traffic light than to make a complete stop.

Source: Department of Motor Vehicles

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, AAA

YOUR BODY

Preparing for the upcoming flu season by PAULETTE PARKER

It starts with a sneeze, a tickle in the throat. A runny nose, achy body, fatigue. Fever and chills follow, and it hits you: the flu. It’s something we all wish we could avoid. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the most important tool for protection against the seasonal illness

YOUR Style

Staff Writer

Keep at least a quarter tank of gas in your car at all times in case of unexpected emergencies.

is the flu vaccine – advice that many Washtenaw Community College students seem to ignore. “I never have,” dental hygiene major, Angela Ureche, 24, of Clinton, said when asked about getting a flu shot. “I’ve just always heard negative things about them, and I’ve never gotten the flu.”

Journalism major Briana Resinger, 18, of Howell, used to receive flu vaccines, but blamed them for causing the flu. “I really haven’t ever had good luck with them,” Resinger said. “I got them a lot when I was younger, but I always got the flu.” When she stopped getting vaccinated, she stopped

getting the flu, she said. Like any medication, the flu vaccine may cause side effects, some of which resemble flu symptoms. “The flu shot does not contain live viruses and can’t give you the flu,” said Sheila Chiarelli, pharmacy technician at Target in Ann Arbor. See FLU, Page A6

How to keep your personal style from getting left out in the cold

by SOFIA LYNCH and VIVIAN ZAGO

Staff Writers

Winter is without a doubt the hardest season for staying fashionable. As the temperature drops everyday, your favorite T-shirt won’t be enough anymore. It’s hard to look good while fighting the cold and bundling up, so here are some tried and true tips for making sure you are happy with how you look while staying warm.

Versatility One of the most important things about staying happy with your winter look is having a coat and a trusty pair of shoes that you’re happy with. You’ll spend most of the season bundling up, so it’s important to have an outer shell you like. You’ll usually have one coat or good pair of boots for the season, so shop for something neutral-colored so it will go with anything. You want a coat that’s form-flattering, but also leaves a little room so you can add layers underneath as it gets colder. For shoes, don’t be afraid to shop for quality and not just look. For guys, ankle-high thick boots are the current trend. They come in all different styles that are generally pretty winter-resistant. For girls, rider boots are the obvious trend, but don’t be afraid to get something more sturdy than trendy. Rider boots only work with skinny jeans, and in deep winter, you’ll need to have thicker layers and shoes that work in harsh weather.

ERIC WADE | WASHTENAW VOICE

Accessorize

Layer smart

When the winter hits, it gets progressively harder to show your style when you’re buried under layers, and some days it seems that no matter how many outfits we try on, they all look boring and dull. Accessories can add color and personality where your winter-smart outfit can’t.

It’s better to wear a lot of layers rather than one big, unflattering sweater. Starting from the innermost layer, the classic white tee that comes in cheap six packs at Meijer is all guys need. For girls, light colored camis or thin tanks are good to add an extra layer. Buying an array of solid color tees and long sleeve shirts makes layering easier. Winter is the time to dress simple. Funny graphic tees and hipster quote shirts lose their purpose when they’re going to be covered. For guys and girls, flannels are good for warmth and are easy to shed. The

ERIC WADE | WASHTENAW VOICE

Outfits can get a new life just by adding bold accessories like jewelry, handbags, shoes, hats or scarves. And don’t be afraid to mix colors. Unlike the staples in your everyday outfits like boots and coats, accessories are usually much cheaper and easy to own more options, so you can mix it up. Try to match your clothes with the accessories that you already have. Shopping to match the things you already own helps your wardrobe go farther. And don’t avoid shopping in resale stores. Although it might not necessarily be designer, you can always find unique clothing and accessories for a fraction of retail prices.

“Hipster skater style”

“I define my style as classy. Swag is for boys; classy is for men,”

Ypsilanti, Pharmacy

Damion Fivenson, 29

Ariel Morgan, 22

“Goddess head piece chain”

“I really like my skater skirt. It’s from Urban Outfitters. I TARGET | COURTESY PHOTO caught it beauty of wearing multi- on sale for ple layers is that when you like 10 bucks.” go indoors where the heat is blasting, you won’t be stuck in one thick grandma sweater that would be socially unacceptable to peel off in public. However, that doesn’t mean thin. Fashion sweaters don’t work well as a top layer.

Ann Arbor, Graphic Design Fur-lined hoods are in trend this winter.

Accessories are a good way to add personality to a neutral outfit.

The black coat goes well with anything and can help keep you warm.

Her favorite part of her outfit was her mid-calf socks that said “Jesus saves, I spend.”

SOFIA LYNCH | WASHTENAW VOICE

FLIPSIDE Vol. 21, No. 7 — November 17, 2014

Young faces are constantly glued to pocket-sized screens, frustrating teachers and prompting criticisms from an older generation: Social and mental abilities are deteriorating. But some experts beg to differ. And for better or for worse, mobile devices aren’t going anywhere. So how do we make the most of them?

RETHINKING THE ENEMY I think my phone, personally, takes me away from the world. Shade Abdullah, WCC journalism student

They have so much access to knowledge in a way that we never have before. Anthea Schroeder, UA instructional designer

This doesn’t need to be a battle. All we need to do is realize people do have valid reasons for receiving texts. Joan Myers-Dickinson, WCC English instructor

Teachers here at Washtenaw really want to stay on top of technology to help our students. Freda Johnson, WCC French instructor

You can lament and think what we had before with mobile media contact was the real world, but the truth is we’re not going back to that. Scott W. Campbell, U-M professor of telecommunications

Schools come to terms, realize How cellphones affect the minds of millennials student cellphone use inevitable by SOFIA LYNCH

Staff Writer

Older generations often see cellphones as deteriorating the social ability of teens. However, Scott W. Campbell, Pohs professor of telecommunications at the University of Michigan, has done research that shows that may not be the case. At U-M, Campbell teaches the class “The Social Consequences of Mobile Communication.” Aside from the extensive research he has done and had published on mobile communication, Campbell also worked in the mobile industry in the 1990s when the first national networks were

launching. Campbell explained that our relationships with cellphones have changed over time in waves. Wave one was when cellphones were a new, amazing thing that people were trying to figure out. Wave two was when cellphones transitioned from something novel to something people learned to take advantage of. Wave three, the current wave, is that cellphones are a societal expectation. “You’re not a fully functioning member of society if you don’t have mobile communication,” Campbell said. “It’s not just your problem; you’re a problem for everyone else now too.”

People use mobile communication for two main reasons: coordination and to maintain relationships. Sociologist Rich Ling, whom Campbell has studied with, said that the social structure of mobile communication has changed the expectations of accessibility of others. “We don’t really need time and space to coordinate with people like we used to,” Campbell said. “We just need access to something we expect everyone to have” One of the reasons that people expect constant cellular-accessibility of their See PHONE, Page B4

by SOFIA LYNCH

Staff Writer

In the wide world of education, teachers have tried endlessly to convince students to invest their attention in the lessons before them rather than the screens glued to their palms. However, it becomes more and more apparent to many schools that there is no use fighting. Teachers, like English instructor Joan Myers-Dickinson, have started finding their own effective ways to deal with the distraction. “I came to the conclusion that if they put their cellphones on the desk where they can actually see them, they can see whether or not this text

requires immediate attention,” Myers-Dickinson said. She conceded that primarily many people in the English Department are “luddites,” but that doesn’t mean they don’t try. “This doesn’t need to be a battle,” she said. “All we need to do is realize people do have valid reasons for receiving texts.” Ironically, Myers-Dickinson doesn’t own a cellphone. She decided to give hers up when she pulled over on the highway to take a phone call, only to answer to a telemarketer on the other end. The main struggle for teachers across the board seems to be trying to make sense of something their generation never experienced. They have had to become more open-minded

about the presence of cellphones because, as Livonia Stevenson High School English teacher Michael Corliss described the issue, “it’s like Whac-A-Mole.” “This generation, it’s almost attached to their body. It’s how they communicate,” said Peter Mazzoni, assistant principal at Livonia Stevenson. He explained that the school has come to realize that they can harness cellphone usage as a helpful thing, rather than have to chastise the entire student body daily. “With a building of close to 2,000 students, if they decide they want to do something, it’s going to be pretty tough to See TEXTING, Page B4

FLIPSIDE

November 17, 2014

The Washtenaw Voice

E R I P S TO IN

S E R I P S A T N M S TU D E H T Y H R D N A D R O W H G U O R TH by PAULETTE PARKER

common in the Poetry Society, Tillman aimed to create pieces that could be performed among diverse audiences. “I wanted that to be my image,” Tillman said. “That I could motivate and inspire and still use my talent and take it anywhere.” Tillman’s first public performance came that same year during an open mic night. “I absolutely loved it,” Tillman said. “And I’ve pretty much been doing it ever since.” Tillman took a hiatus from performing around the time she had her now 5-year-old son, but found her love for it again around 2010. She finds inspiration in her son, her grandfather and her younger sister. “She definitely inspires me. One, to do more, and two, to be strong,” Tillman said, adding that everything around her inspires her pieces. “I learn a lot, and I gain a lot of motivation from watching people and watching life happen,” she said. “Change Gone Come,” the poignant piece Tillman performed at the WCC Talent Show, addresses domestic violence and was inspired by a young woman she knew while volunteering at a shelter. “She was young, beautiful and just had so much going for her,” Tillman said. The young woman was in an abusive relationship and ultimately lost her life to her abuser. “You feel like: ‘What could I have done? What should I have done?’” Tillman said. “For a while, it crippled me; I felt so helpless.” She credits this event with changing something within her. “I decided that instead of being quiet, I’m going to use that to help somebody else,” she said.

Staff Writer

A powerful and fluid song belts out from the stage and fills Towsley Auditorium. The crowd, who moments ago thought the show was over, is captivated, looking, listening. A young woman, fixed in the vivid spotlight, but with presence as if she were dancing across the stage. She stands tall, confident. Commanding attention. Her melody flows into spoken word and back to song again, alternating. The crowd rides the waves of rhythm and cadence. She gives spectators a glance into her soul, her experiences. A moment. They express their gratitude, their satisfaction, with roaring applause. Liberal arts transfer student Corzetta Tillman, 28, of Ypsilanti, was the final act at the annual Washtenaw Community College Talent Show, sponsored by Student Activities, on Nov. 6. The event was emceed by WCC alumnus Morgan Foreman. Tillman is a second-year student with plans to study public relations at Eastern Michigan University. She began cultivating her talents long before gracing the stages of WCC. “I’ve been singing since I was about 5,” Tillman said. “When I was around 7, I was the only kid in the adult choir.” She began developing her writing skills at 11 years old, but began writing intently in 2004, during her freshman year at EMU as a member of the Poetry Society. “That’s when I was really awakened to spoken word,” Tillman said. But unlike the uncensored, and at times risque verse that was

Liberated, is how Tillman sums up the way she feels while performing. She enjoys performing spoken word publicly more than singing. “It’s easy to say, ‘Oh, that sounds good,’ but it’s a lot different when you’re saying something that you feel is going to change somebody’s life,” she said. Tillman is humble regarding her gifts, reinforcing her mission to help others. “I just believe every single gift that I have, every talent, every word, is all to help somebody else,” Tillman said. “There’s no point in me helping myself and that being enough, because I can’t last or survive in this world by myself.” Tillman has performed and done public speaking engagements at rehab centers, benefits, seminars, church events, and she has opened concerts. “You name it, I’ve done it,” Tillman said. “I had to get cards made and someone to help me with scheduling and booking events. It’s kind of just been taking off.” She has also released an album entitled, “Unveiled.” Despite her experience, Tillman still combats nerves before a performance. “I pray; I go over my pieces a bit, but I use the nervousness, too,” Tillman said. Ultimately, while she wants to continue to help others, she has even bigger aspirations. “I just really love to inspire people,” Tillman said. “So if I had it my way, I would travel the world inspiring the masses.”

WCC'S GOT TALENT WINNERS 1st: The Skeleboyz Top right, Ayleo Bowles, 17, Ypsilanti, business major, and Mateo Bowles, 15, Ypsilanti, sophomore at Ypsilanti High, who have each been dancing since they were 1 year old and performed a hip-hop dance routine.

2nd: Sofia Lynch Bottom right, 18-year-old, first-year English major, from Livonia, a singer-songwriter who performed an original song.

3rd: Katherine Hepburn Far right, 18-year-old WTMC student from Ann Arbor, majoring in general math and science, a self-taught ukulele player who performed Hozier’s, “Take Me to Church.” Corzetta Tillman, 28, of Ypsilanti, above, combined song and spoken word in an emotional performance chronicling a woman’s struggle with an abusive relationship. PHOTOS BY BECKY LOUGH | WASHTENAW VOICE

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FLIPSIDE

The Washtenaw Voice

A balancing act

November 17, 2014

ERIK MORRIS | WASHTENAW VOICE

Are hovering 'helicopter parents' helping or hurting their children? by VIVIAN ZAGO

Staff Writer

Parenting is a complex undertaking, especially as children reach adolescence and young adulthood. Parents want to watch over and protect their children, yet most parents understand that children must have their own experiences and learn from their own mistakes. However, sometimes they go to extremes. Known as helicopter parents, they are overprotective and pay extremely close attention to their children’s experiences. Those parents don’t want their kids to be hurt, so they take away every possible obstacle that they can face. Valerie Taylor, a Washtenaw Community College psychology instructor, said that it’s hard to define what is helicoptering and what is not. “What happens is that the parents are too intrusive and take care of too many things,” Taylor said. “So the students note a sense of helplessness, thinking they can’t do anything on their own.” According to Layla Ananda, a WCC psychology instructor, parenting is a balancing act, and

with the majority of parents now dividing their time between work and parenting, the balancing act becomes even more complex. “The many after-school, evening and weekend activities now available to young people can make even less time for parents to spend with their children,” Ananda said. “This may lead parents to worry more and try to keep a tighter rein on their children.” Kira Turner, 23, a WCC liberal arts major from Canton, said her mother wasn’t really involved in her academic life and never helped her with her homework. Until her senior year, she only got poor grades, and this is Turner’s third attempt at college. “Today, I’m a procrastinator, and I don’t like to do anything academic,” Turner said. “If I had someone that was there with me, to help me, push me along positively. I feel like it would be different. I would be able to achieve more.” Amie Kamara, 18, a WCC psychology student from Detroit, said her father forced education on her. In her head, she kept thinking that she had to be a doctor or a lawyer. She had to be something. “I didn’t even know what a lawyer was, but

since my father wants me to be lawyer, I would be one,” Kamara said. Throughout all her academic life, her father was pushing her until, at one point, she decided she didn’t care about what her father had to say anymore. Kamara gave up on her grades, and her father was really angry. She started to get only bad grades and ended up not graduating on time. “But when I got into college, I realized that I should really listen to my dad,” Kamara said. “Today, I’m a procrastinator, and I love that my father was so hard on me. But at the same time, I hated it. I’m getting all A’s now, so I like it.” Typically, people tend to parent how they were parented. Sandra Verissimo, a WCC psychology major from Ann Arbor, is an exception. Verissimo, who has two daughters, was never encouraged by her parents to go further in her education, and she didn’t finish her degree sooner because she did not have any incentive. “I truly believe that if they showed me how important it is to go to school while you are young,I would’ve never stopped before finishing

my degree,” Verissimo said. “Now I am back to college, which I am really proud of, but this achievement should have been done back when I was younger.” Nowadays, Verissimo is really involved in her children’s academic life. According to her, it is her role to give them incentive and support their decisions. “I am always giving them options, but the options always lead to something related to getting more educated,” Verissmo said. “The influence in their lives might not be noticed by now, but in the future, they probably will thank me for never letting them give up on their dreams and always remembering what makes them happy.” There is a place for parental involvement. It is that tiny line between being helpful and getting in the way of allowing a young person to choose and develop and take care of themselves, according to Taylor. “As a parent, it is kind of our nature to be protective, but too much can be bring some prejudice to them,” Verissimo said. “Letting them face the problems themselves will help them to deal with bigger problems in the future.”

Where college students and children learn side-by-side by ERIN FEDESON

Staff Writer

Walkers look instinctively for fire at the sight of a local Ann Arbor Fire Department truck parked near the Washtenaw Community College Children’s Center. However, its presence was not for a fire. It was at the center to offer the children of students and faculty a fun and educational experience. Children scrambled inside the fire truck while fire department members, parents and the center’s staff supervised. The visit by the Ann Arbor Fire Department was one of a long list of teaching visits for the children that have included a petting zoo, the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, the Hands-On Museum, magic shows and Wild Swan productions on campus. “Everything has to come to the center or be on campus,” explained Trudi Hagen, director of the Children’s Center. The concept of the center originated during WCC’s early years at its temporary location in Willow Run. “It came from a faculty person … in 1968, somewhere in that area,” Hagen said. “It was courses that they offered for people to take to learn how to become preschool teachers. And one of the things they kind of wanted was to have an on-site child care center that they could put their students in. It would kind of be a semi lab … school-ish.” The daycare center had been in a Quonset hut, run by its first director Shirley Roberts, in the summer of 1967. Then, in November of 1968, the daycare moved from the Quonset hut into Holmes Hall, according to “A Fierce Commitment: The First 10 Years of Washtenaw Community College.” The college then changed location from Willow Run to its current location in 1973, and prior to the Family Education building being built in 1980, Hagen said the Children’s Center was in two portable units on campus. “The board of trustees has been very, very supportive of having an affordable child care center for students because we’re under the umbrella of Student Services,” Hagen said.

Children are registered at the beginning of the semester, according to the center’s website. The registration fee is $10 per family. The student rate is $3 an hour while the staff rate is $4. “There are 7-8 slots for faculty or staff,” Hagen said. However, she explained that it is the board of trustees policy that a student is never bumped for an employee. The center is there for the students, she emphasized. The center routinely has 88 children during its peak hours, according to the website. The Children’s Center provides a researchbased curriculum because it is a preschool and “not just a childcare center,” Hagen said. “I love the curriculum,” Brittany Ibura, 27, an accounting student from Ann Arbor, said. She added the employees at the center do not only play with the children, but teach them as well. Brandon Smythe, 25, a business student from Ypsilanti, said his son always looks forward to going to the center. The teachers are the best, he added, because of the interaction, games and attention the children get. The center provides intervention, Hagen said, using a parent-volunteer questionnaire that the parents give their children. Then, if a child is developmentally behind, the center intervenes with activities such as fine motor skills using scissors. On occasion, it will bring in outside intervention. The center features Creative Curriculum, loosely based on programs and research from HighScope Educational Research Foundation in Ypsilanti, said Sally Adler, the only full-time instructor for the Child Care Professional Program. This independent, nonprofit organization is known for the Perry Preschool Study, which proved the benefits of having a high-quality preschool education. Some college students from Adler’s Child Care Professional Program assist the center to fulfill their eight to 16 practicum hours. The students practice using the curriculum and having appropriate interactions with the children, Adler said. They also practice using strategies such as creativity. Just as it did at Willow Run, the Children’s Center continues to teach college students and children alike.

Toddlers play outside of the Children’s Center on WCC’s campus. The Center provides research-based curriculum due to its classification as a preschool. ERIN FEDESON | WASHTENAW VOICE

The children of the Children’s Center, overseen by fire department members, clambered inside a fire truck on Oct. 8. ERIN FEDESON | WASHTENAW VOICE

Three children play on the foam puzzle inside one of the Children’s Center classrooms. ERIN FEDESON | WASHTENAW VOICE

FLIPSIDE

November 17, 2014

Connecting with millennials in the classroom: There are apps for that by TAYLOR ROBINSON

Staff Writer

Educators today are finding it more difficult to keep students away from their smartphones during class, but Anthea Schroeder believes that instead of seeing these devices as a distraction, instructors can use them as a tool in the classroom. On a recent Thursday afternoon, Washtenaw Community College instructors gathered in the Writing Center for the first faculty-focused Millennial Learners Workshop: Utilizing Apps in the Classroom, led by Schroeder, a UA instructional designer. “Millennials” refers to those students who have been raised in the world of technology. Schroeder considers herself to be an “older millennial.” While she remembers a time when students didn’t rely so much upon online devices and online learning, she knows the other side as well. “The younger individuals don’t look at knowledge and expertise in the same way as past generations,” she said at the Oct. 30 seminar. “In part, because they have so much access to knowledge in a way that we never have before.” She acknowledges, from experience, how frustrating it can be for instructors to keep students off of their phones during class. But to a receptive audience, she brought to attention a few interactive apps that professors and students can download on their Apple or Android

PHONE, From B1 peers is because mobile communication has come to be the playing field for relationships. Campbell worked with focus groups of teens and found that rather than going on dates or meeting face to face, teens go through the dating process mainly through their phones. He also highlighted that mobile communication gives kids who struggle socially – like introverts or middle school students – a chance to voice things they may never say otherwise. “It provides a place where they don’t have that uncomfortable eye contact,” Campbell said. “And also where they can really think in advance about what they want to say and how they want to present themselves.” A national survey of teens Campbell worked on revealed that texting was the dominant form of peer interactions. However, Campbell pointed out that there is a positive correlation between texting amongst teens and face-to-face contact. So the more texting teens do, the more they’re seeing each other face to face. “The purpose isn’t to replace face-to-face contact,” Campbell said. “The purpose, especially for teens, is to fill in the gaps between seeing each other.” So cellphones don’t deter from the quantity of face-to-face contact, but possibly from the quality instead. “What I do worry about is the absent presence scenario,” Campbell said. “When you’re engaged with the phone because you’re so connected to everybody else, that does detract from the quality of our time with others.” He also pointed out that cellphone use may take away from the quiet moments when people do nothing. Rather than having moments alone,

TEXTING, From B1 change it,” Mazzoni said. However, this year, the school brought about a new cellphone policy that gives teachers the choice to decide how their classes will use them – a policy that’s recently become widely implemented throughout the region in communities like Novi and Saline. And with this change, the number of cellphone-related disciplinary referrals have gone down already. Teachers post their classroom cellphone policy with paper stoplights in each room – using red, yellow or green “lights” to designate when students can have their phones out. “It’s not that they’re not allowed to, they just have to know when it’s appropriate,” said photography teacher Brooke Brewster, who posts a yellow light behind her desk. “When cell phones can benefit the lesson, they can have them out.” Although many schools have become more conscientious of students’ attachment to their devices and have come to work around it, that doesn’t mean that teachers aren’t still bothered. “My course package is online, so I don’t mind if they use their phones to check that. But no texting or playing games – it’s distracting, and they don’t hear me,” Washtenaw English instructor

devices at no cost. They include: – Google Drive, which allows students to work on the same document and make edits at the same time. They can also produce spreadsheets, presentations, drawings and other educational material. – Socrative, an app that teachers can use for quizzes, writing prompts and surveys. They post a quiz online and can even set a certain amount of time for it to be taken. Students can take the quiz on their smart devices or on a computer. French instructor Freda Johnson typed away on her keyboard and produced her first quiz using this application. “Teachers here at Washtenaw really want to stay on top of technology to help our students,” Johnson said. – StudyBlue, which allows students to create digital flashcards that can also be printable. Teachers can post practice tests, study materials and interact with their students. As the instructors snacked on sprinkled pumpkin cookies, they collaborated with one another on how to best help their students in the age of technology. English instructor Carl Seaver shared his enthusiasm about the workshop. “I’m really happy with what you’re doing here,” Seaver told Schroeder. And as she ended the workshop, teachers left smiling, grateful for what they could take back to the classroom. teens are always connected to their own private world by having a phone in the palm of their hands. “I think my phone personally takes me away from the world.” said 18-year-old Washtenaw Community College journalism student Shade Abdullah from Ann Arbor. “I feel the need to not talk to people because I have my phone.” Another negative impact this constant connection can have on younger generations is displayed by the online disinhibition effect, discovered by Psychologist John Suler. This effect shows that while online, people will disclose and act out more intensely or more frequently than they would face to face. So things like smartphones or just social media in general open up the horizons in which bullying can take place and possibly make them even harder to get away from. However, Campbell pointed out that, just like face-to-face contact, bullying isn’t necessarily getting worse, it’s just evolving. And the entire way of mobile media is evolving as well. Campbell said that a lot of people he has worked with have argued that this is just part of our new “real world”. “I think that a lot of what people do, particularly people in a position like parents, is that they often treat new media and new forms of interactions, as kind of a negative, when, in a lot of cases, it’s just a new added factor,” said Alexander Belanger, an 18-year-old undecided WCC student from Ann Arbor. “You can lament and think what we had before with mobile media contact was the real world,” Campbell said. “But the truth is we’re not going back to that.” Margaret Green said. Many teachers still enforce strict policies against cellphone use. One WCC student said his political science teacher has a no-tolerance policy. “The first time she hears a ring, she makes you leave the class for the day,” he said. “The second time she’ll drop you from the class.” Several educators acknowledged this generation’s innate love for technology. Phones are given to children at young ages, opening a whole new door of communication – perhaps before they’ve even formed substantial face-to-face communication skills – so their dependency on technology is well-engrained before they hit high school. As far as how students feel about the issue? They’ve already chosen. So arts and humanities teacher Elisabeth Thoburn lets them do just that. She allows her students determine their own cellphone policy. “My class decided it wasn’t nice, and we should save it for breaks,” said Shelby Melton, 22, a social work student from Bay City who is in Thoburn’s class. Students may be addicted, but they’re not unreasonable.

SOQs? YES, THEY MATTER. SEARCH BY INSTRUCTOR at WASHTENAWVOICE.COM

The Washtenaw Voice

FLIPSIDE

The Washtenaw Voice

November 17, 2014

5,000 More than

motorcycle deaths occured last year.

37%

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

Helmets prevent

of crash fatalities Source: Michigan State Police

HELMETS Motorcycles have high-performance capabilities but are less stable and less visible than cars and trucks, which makes safe riding that much more important. That includes wearing helmets, which the Michigan State Police say are about 37 percent effective in preventing crash fatalities. In Michigan, the law requires all riders younger than 21 to wear helmets, without exception. Those 21 and older may ride without helmets only if they carry additional insurance and have passed a motorcycle safety course or have had their motorcycle endorsement for at least two years. -Vivian Zago

50% Car seats prevent

of crash fatalities.

Source: National Safety Council

CAR SEATS Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children. The use of appropriate car seat or seat belt can increase the chance of surviving a crash by 50 percent, according to the National Safety Council. Babies and toddlers should ride in rear-facing car seats until 2 years old, according to the Michigan State Police, and children 2 years or older should ride in a forwardfacing car seat with a harness. All children weighing under 20 pounds must face the rear of the vehicle, and a belt-positioning booster seat should be worn by those whose weight or height is above the forward-facing limit of their seat, police say. -Vivian Zago

Drug Recognition Experts target impaired drivers by M.M. DONALDSON

impaired-driving deaths resulting from auto accidents. As trained DRE, McMullen In the last three years, 71 said his ultimate goal is keeping police officers in Michigan people safe. Through an intense have been trained in the Drug three-week specialized training, Recognition Expert Program. he is able to identify characterThe goal of the DRE Program istic behaviors of people under is to train officers to identify the influence of the seven idenimpaired drivers who may be tified drug categories. under the influence of illegal Suspected drug-impaired substances and even legally pos- drivers are subject to extensive sessed prescription drugs. drug evaluation process that An initiative funded by the includes sobriety tests and toxifederal government in the cological exams. late 1980s, the Michigan State While illegal substances Police Office of Highway Safety are a concern for law enforceand Patrol division established ment, McMullen said he is the program in 2010 for the seeing misuse of prescription state of Michigan. drugs becoming an epidemic. Auburn Hills Police Additionally with the legalizaDepartment officer Jeremy tion of medicinal marijuana, Peters lobbied for the pro- more drivers are showing evigram that is overseen by the dence of impairment. International Association of While it is legal to use mariChiefs of Police. juana with a card, it is still illegal Impaired driving is a key to have the substance psychoacfactor in auto fatalities in tive in the body while driving. Michigan, Washtenaw County When it is, it’s dangerous to Sheriff’s Department deputy be behind the wheel, McMullen Doug McMullen said. said, because “marijuana af“Marijuana is the biggest fects the ability to estimate cause,” McMullen said regarding time and distance.” Staff Writer

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | EJ STOUT | WASHTENAW VOICE

As impairment and distractions increase, so do driving fatalities by M. M. DONALDSON

Staff Writer

The number of auto accident fatalities in Michigan continues to climb as the year comes to an end. And despite Gov. Rick Snyder’s claim during a preelection gubernatorial debate that “hundreds of lives could be saved each year,” if the condition of Michigan’s roads was improved, police say it’s the decisions drivers make that have the largest impact on auto accident deaths. Not using seat belts and impaired driving are the two most common causes, Michigan State Police Communications Manager Anne Readett said. Impaired driving may be

caused by alcohol or illegal drugs, but police report that they are seeing an increase in prescription drug-related impairment. Wa s h t e n a w C o u n t y Sheriff’s Department Deputy Doug McMullen said he is seeing a fatal mix of impairment, speed and lack of seat belt use contributing to fatal auto accidents. With impairment, he said, risk-taking behaviors increase while judgment decreases. More than 20 years of online data through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show traffic fatalities have steadily decreased from a high of more than 43,000 to less than 32,500. But that’s only part of the story.

“It’s not numbers, it’s people,” Readett said, leaning forward as she explains the significance of just one death. She said weather conditions, public education, enforcement of laws, engineering and emergency medical training and logistics all affect auto-related fatality statistics. Readett said statistics that measure drivers’ behaviors may not look significant when the percent change is minimal, but that change is still important. She uses the example of a small increase in the percent of seatbelt use could effectively save 50 lives throughout the year. Readett admits how she was affected by the story of Bonnie Raffaele’s determination to change driving laws

after the death of her 17-yearold daughter. Kelsey Raffaele had been talking on her cell phone when she died in an auto accident in 2010 in Sault Ste. Marie. Kelsey’s Law was enacted in 2013. It bans cellphone use for teenaged drivers with graduated licenses. The National Center for Health Statistics says the leading cause of death among youth 15 to 20 years old is motor vehicle crashes. McMullen speaks with authority as he discusses the trends of auto-related deaths, but his professional tone turns solemn and the cadence of his speech slows as he alludes to a fatal accident this past summer involving youth that affected an

entire community. While impaired driving tops McMullen’s list of unsafe driving, he cautions drivers who put other demands on their attention while driving. A backseat of kids crying may not be controllable, but turning the radio down and getting off the phone are things he said people can control. “Put the phone in the glove box,” McMullen said, offering blanket advice for all drivers. Readett said that studies show that the human brain really does not have the capacity to multi-task. Unnecessary distractions while driving can be fatal. “Driving is a complex task,” McMullen said. “Be an active driver, not a passive driver.”

November 17, 2014

FLIPSIDE

The Washtenaw Voice

HOLIDAY EVENTS Radio stations have started playing holiday music, so why not get into the spirit too? Kick off the season with some ice skating in Martius Park. Run or walk a 5k on Thanksgiving morning and then indulge in some much deserved turkey and apple pie. Here are some events worth considering:

Friday Nov. 21

MOVIEPILOT.COM | COURTESY PHOTO

‘Interstellar’ reaches great new heights, but has rough landing to seek out NASA and help find a place in the stars where humans can survive after the Earth is uninhabitable. The black hole is possibly the biggest mysThe plot may sound absurd in text, but just tery known to man, something fantastical and wait until you see the film. It is far more ridicuunbelievable, a concept that lies so far outside lous on the big screen. of human comprehension, a concept that would But Nolan manages to make it all believfit so well within the stuff of science-fiction, yet able. After all, this is the same director who is based thoroughly in the realm of scientific made a film about Batman and the Joker feel fact. A concept that is so brain-boggling that it believable. has defied scientific laws and challenged some “Interstellar” starts off feeling more like horror of history’s best thinkers. classic “Poltergeist” than any sci-fi film of the past An object that may forever challenge the hu- few years, which make the first 45 minutes a very man imagination. unique entry in modern science fiction. But the Christopher Nolan has accepted that film quickly abandons its ghost-story introduction challenge. and takes us into space, where things become far His movie, “Interstellar,” takes place in a more terrifying. not-so-far-off future and is the story of Cooper Cooper and his crew soon encounter the dan(Matthew McConaughey), a single father and for- gers of wormholes, foreign planets and the concept mer NASA pilot raising two kids who are all stuck that proves to be the film’s main antagonist – time on a dying Earth. Dust storms and blight prove relativity. The middle act of Nolan’s sci-fi epic is that Earth is quickly approaching its final days. heartbreaking and mind-altering, while mainCooper is called upon by unnatural forces, or taining the sense of mystery and adventure that “ghosts” according to his 10-year-old daughter, its ghost-story beginnings promised us.

However, it’s not until the film’s climax that we are really introduced to the weird, seemingly drug-induced sequence that will overtake most of the water-cooler discussion surrounding “Interstellar.” While Nolan’s latest reaches some truly astounding heights in its first and middle acts, the last 15 minutes or so are a confusing, melodramatic let down. But then, considering its exhausting three-hour-long runtime, what’s a measly 15 minutes? Though the film sometimes struggles with the intricacy of its own script, “Interstellar” ranks among Nolan’s best and is worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the genre’s classics like Genre: Sci-fi “2001: A Space Runtime: 169 minutes Odyssey,” Rating: PG-13 “Contact” and, most recently, “Gravity.”

B+

Thursday Nov. 27 Thanksgiving Day Parade Detroit, 9 a.m. Location: Woodward and Kirby, downtown Detroit 9th Annual Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot, Ann Arbor 5k 8:30 a.m., Corner of E. Liberty and S. Fifth Ave Online registration closes Nov. 25 at midnight Thanksgiving Turkey Trot Detroit 10k or 5k run/walk Online registration is open Prices determined by registration date, the sooner the better 6 a.m. – Cobo opens for packet pick-up 7-9 a.m. – Costume judging 7:30 a.m. – Mashed Potato Mile `7:30 a.m. – 10k Fifth Third Turkey Trot starts 8:30 a.m. – 5k Stuffing Strut starts 8:45 a.m. – Awards ceremony begins

Don’t just imagine it. Create it. Autodesk software is FREE* for students and educators. Visit autodesk.com/students to get yours.

Autodesk software, including Autodesk® Fusion 360™, is FREE* for students and educators.

Image courtesy of Jomar Machado.

by JAMES SAOUD

Managing Editor

Campus Martius Tree Lighting Detroit, 5 p.m.-midnight After the tree lighting, the Campus Martius opens ice skating

*Free Autodesk software and/or cloud-based services are subject to acceptance of and compliance with the terms and conditions of the software license agreement or terms of service that accompany such software or cloud-based services. Software and cloud-based services provided without charge to Education Community members may be used solely for purposes directly related to learning, teaching, training, research or development and shall not be used for commercial, professional or any other for-profit purposes. Autodesk is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. © 2014 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

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I HEARD THE HUMANS TALKING qwqwqwqwqwqwq wq wqwABOUT COLLEGES, AND I’M qwqwq q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q qPRETTY SURE IF DOGS q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q qCOULD GO, I WOULD q q q q q q q q q q q q q qGO TO HARVARD..

November 17, 2014

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YOU WERE READING?

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FLIPSIDE

November 17, 2014

The Washtenaw Voice

THE GIVING TABLE

SANAA NAEEM | WASHTENAW VOICE

Deviled Eggs

Fried Turkey By Sofia Lynch, Staff Writer Over the past few years, our family has developed a tradition of having a fried turkey for Thanksgiving. And there is nothing that gives my father more pride than to be the one to make that happen for us. Despite the fact that once or twice, he presented us with a very sad, very black, burnt bird, there is nothing that gets me more pumped for Thanksgiving than my dad’s fried turkey. Ingredients: 13-15 pound turkey Turkey frying kit (sold commercially), which should contain: - Aluminum pot - Turkey stand - Liquid propane tank (you can use the one from your grill) - Stand with burner - Thermometer About 6 gallons peanut oil (determine by turkey size) 1 pound salt 1 pound brown sugar 6 quarts water Directions 1. Clean the turkey 2. To determine how much oil is needed for frying the turkey put the bird in the aluminum pot and fill the pot with water until it just covers the turkey. 3. Remove the turkey and mark a line at the water level. That’s the level of oil needed later.

4. Find a container large enough to contain your brine and the bird. (My dad uses a water cooler with spout at the bottom.) 5. Mix 6 quarts of hot water, 1 pound of salt and 1 pound of brown sugar in the cooler and add ice to cool it off 6. Fully immerse the turkey in the container for at least 9 hours. Keep it in the fridge if there’s room or, if not, keep it in the garage (It’s cold enough this time of year.) 7. After the 9 hours are up, you have to let it dry before it can go into the hot oil and allow it to sit to room temperature. If it isn’t dry, it will cause the oil to bubble up as it’s lowered in. 8. Set-up the frying kit outside on a flat surface. 9. Put the turkey on the stand with the legs up and wings tucked in. 10. Fill the pot with the peanut oil to the previously marked line. 11. Heat up oil to 350 F and then turn it off. 12. Slowly lower the bird in. (This may require two people.) 13. Relight the burner and watch the heat so that it doesn’t ever go over 400 F. 14. Whole turkeys require about three to three and a half minutes per pound to cook so judge accordingly. 15. Use meat thermometer to make sure the breast is 170 F. 16. Allow the turkey to stand and drain the excess oils.

Cheesy Potatoes By Erin Fedeson, Staff Writer This is a family dish that makes its appearance for the holidays and whenever we are having family over that we have not seen for a while. This orchestra of potatoes and cheese complements the Thanksgiving turkey, the Christmas ham and the everyday family meal. Ingredients: 2 pounds frozen hashbrowns 1 large onion 1/4 – 1/2 stick of butter 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 can cream of chicken soup 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (sharp is best) Salt and pepper to taste 8 ounces of sour cream

Directions: 1. Cook diced onion in butter (either fry in sauce pan or in microwave, covered) 2. In large bowl, mix potatoes and everything together 3. Spray 9-by-13 inch pan with cooking spray 4. Put potato mixture in and bake at 350 F for 60-90 minutes or until bubbly

By EJ Stout, Managing Editor My mother humbly reigns as czar of our family kitchen. Fresh oatmeal bread, homemade applesauce – everything is from scratch. But few things on our Thanksgiving table taste as rich and flavorful as my mother’s gravy. While years of wisdom are essential ingredients of her recipes, I’ve tried to replicate her gravy here: Ingredients: Gravy fat separator Quick shake hand blender (must have blender wheel) Flour Water Salt and pepper Directions: 1. Collect drippings. Put a drip pan under the turkey if on the grill, or cook in a roasting pan if in the oven. The goal is to collect drippings that cook with the bird – darker color indicates stronger flavor.

2. Pour slightly cooled drippings into a gravy fat separator. Let sit for a few minutes so that the fat rises, and the liquid sinks to the bottom. Some fat will come through, which is okay. Good gravy requires flavor from fat. 3. In a hand blender, combine roughly one part flour with 1 1/2 parts water and a pinch of salt and pepper. Shake until well blended and free from lumps. 4. Pour drippings into saucepan. Whisk half of the flour mixture into the drippings before placing over heat. Always stir when combining ingredients. 5. Place gravy over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. If gravy needs to be thicker, remove from heat and add more flour mixture. If gravy needs to be thinner, add water over heat. You can always make additional flour mixture. 6. At desired thickness, remove from heat, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve warm.

Stuffing

By Vivian Zago, Staff Writer We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Brazil, where I’m from, but we do have turkey for Christmas, with a delicious stuffing. Want to try something new for this holiday? Start with this Brazilian family stuffing recipe: Ingredients: 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound Italian sausage 2 cups diced bacon 1 onion, chopped 1 cup diced carrot 2 chopped tomatoes 5 boiled and chopped eggs 2 apples, peeled, cored and diced 1 cup raisins 1 cup farofa (yuca flour mixture) Garlic Salt/pepper

Directions: 1. Fry the bacon and the sausage on the olive oil 2. Add garlic and onion, cooking until it is brown 3. Add the carrots and the tomatoes and saute 4. Add the farofa and mix 5. Remove from the heat and add the apples, the raisins and the eggs 6. Finally, add salt and pepper.

Ingredients: 1/2 pound ground lamb 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 diced onion 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon Directions: 1. Mix, pack into a baking pan and bake at 400 F for 35-40 minutes. The end result will resemble brownies.

end up being my main contribution to Thanksgiving dinner almost every year. Here’s my recipe with an apology in advance: I don’t have exact measurements for any of the ingredients. Ingredients: Hardboiled Eggs Mayonnaise Mustard Salt Sugar Paprika Dill

Directions: 1. Cut 10-12 hardboiled eggs in half, removing the yolks. 2. Place yolks in a mixing bowl and crush with a fork until they are at a consistent level of crumbliness. 3. Add 1-2 spoonfulls of mustard. The fancier the mustard, the better. 4. Add 1-2 dollops of mayonnaise. 5. Add a small amount of salt and a tiny amount of sugar. 6. Throw some dill in there. 7. Stir the contents of the mixing bowl vigorously. 8. Taste-test the resulting concoction. Add any ingredients or seasoning that seem to be lacking. 9. Once satisfied with the taste of the filling, scoop it into the halved eggs. 10. Sprinkle some paprika all over those and serve.

Doctored Lemon Cake

My family gets together for Thanksgiving, and we usually have 3–4 turkeys, deep-fried, smoked, roasted and grilled. My assignment has always been the smoked, but this year, my smoker looked a little beat up, and I decided to try a new roasted turkey recipe. So I chose to enter my recipe for another family favorite for snacking while we are all finishing our dishes – Apple Bread. Everyone loves being able to see and taste the actual chunks of apple and pecans. Ingredients: 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 4 1/2 teaspoons evaporated milk 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup chopped unpeeled apples

I almost never write down recipes for anything. I just wing it every time and usually come out with something pretty good. Granted, this is based on a box mix, so no great feat. For this recipe, most of the work’s already done for you. You can just use any pre-made lemon cake mix and follow the instructions. I’m basing this on the Duncan Hines recipe for its Lemon Supreme mix, but quite a bit of it’s been altered. Doctored, if you will. Hence the name. Ingredients: Box of Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Cake Mix 1 cup sparking key lime water 1/2 cup lemon juice 1/3 cup vegetable oil 3 large lemons 3 eggs

By Becky Alliston, Advertising Manager

By James Saoud, Managing Editor

As strange as it may sound, deviled eggs are one of the very few dishes I can actually make well, and thus

By Sanaa Naeem, Cartoonist

Apple Bread

Baked Kibbeh

Being Lebanese, we have a few dishes that might seem odd to be on our Thanksgiving buffet. However, those are often my favorite. Fresh grape leaves and baklava are a couple of the Lebanese dishes we enjoy every year. But the Middle Eastern dish I always look forward to the most is kibbeh.

By Erik Morris, Designer

Turkey Gravy

Note: Feel free to add about 1/4-1/2 cup chopped pecans and a little sugar and cinnamon before baking. Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 F 2. Grease a 9-by-5 inch loaf pan 3. Combine sugar, eggs, milk and oil and beat until well combined 4. Add flour, soda and salt; mix well 5. Stir in chopped apples (and pecans, if used) 6. Pour into prepared pan 7. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top 8. Bake about one hour.

Directions for cake: 1. In place of the 1 cup of water, put 1 cup of key lime sparkling water and 1/2 cup of lemon juice. Take 3 large lemons and zest them. Only add half the zest to the batter; you’ll need the other half for the glaze as well as the lemons themselves. If you’re having trouble getting all the

zest out of the grater, bang it with a spoon or a butter knife, and most of it should come popping right out. 2. Add the other ingredients and mix the batter as instructed on the box. Once you’re done with that, pour the batter into your vessel of choice. Grease it before putting it in. I’ve always made this as a Bundt cake for its visual appeal, ease of choosing serving sizes, and how its shape allows lots of coverage for the glaze. Be aware, though, that the pan(s) you use will affect the baking time. Follow whatever the box says. A good way to check the cake’s doneness is to stick a narrow knife or skewer into the deeper parts of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. 3. When you’ve taken it out, let it cool, and removed it from the pan, you’re good to go for glazing. Directions for glaze: Juice those 3 lemons you zested into a bowl. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and the rest of the zest to the juice. Mix all this until it’s smooth, and the sugar isn’t forming clumps anymore. When the cake is cool, you can pour it on.

Non-Meat Balls

By Ben Ellsworth, Designer As a vegetarian and notoriously picky eater, Thanksgiving meal really isn’t that great for me. Thankfully, my mom found a recipe from a book called “Tofu Goes West” for “Italian Non-meat Balls” that she adapted into this recipe. Ingredients: 1 pound tofu, mashed well 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs 4 teaspoons vegetable flavored bouillon

1 teaspoon onion salt 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon garlic powder 6 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons dehydrated onion flakes ½ teaspoon pepper ¼ teaspoon nutmeg Directions: 1. Mix in a large bowl 2. Form into turkeys 3. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes