October 1, 2003

M O N R O E C O U N T Y C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E

AGORAVOLUME 46 ISSUE 1

Inside...Editorial.................pg. 2Campus News........pg. 3Feature...................pg. 4Feature.................. pg. 5A & E......................pg. 6In the Mix..............pg. 7Spotlight................pg. 8

By Crystal PierceEditor

President Bush visitedDetroit Edison’s MonroePower Plant on Sept. 15 tospeak about environmentalprotection, energy reliability,and national and economicsecurity. Detroit Edison’s coal-fired power plant is one ofthe largest in the country.Surrounded by members ofLocal 223, Utility WorkersUnion of America, Bushspoke of national security,referring to Sept. 11, 2001and expressing thanks tothose currently serving in theU.S. military forces. The President explainedchanges in the federal reg-ulations involving energyproduction and en-vironmental protection. Healso acknowledged anemployee of Detroit Edison,Claire Jennings, for herefforts at preserving thewildlife habitats and wetland

a r e a ssurroundingthe MonroePower Plant. MonroeC o u n t yCommuni tyC o l l e g ePresident Dr.David Nixonsaid, “Ithought it wasgreat that thenation’s Pres-ident came toMonroe forthe purpose ofacknowledgingefforts byD e t r o i tEdison top r o d u c ee n e r g ycleaner andm o r eefficiently.” “ I wishthe Presidentwould havehad time to

visit the campus of MonroeCounty Community Collegeso that more students wouldhave had a chance to see ormeet him. In the future wewill make every effort to

Bush visits DTE Monroe Power Plant

The winds of change aresweeping through MonroeCounty Community College(MCCC). This includes a newcollege president, Dr. DavidNixon. Nixon first heard of theopening at MCCC through theconsulting team that assistedin the search for a newpresident, the Association ofCommunity College Trustees(ACCT). He was referred tothe college website. “When I looked at thewebsite at Monroe CountyCommunity College,everything I saw…I liked, andit encouraged me…to applyfor the job,” Nixon said. He

applied at two other collegesbefore accepting theposition. “My experiences at acommunity college mirroredMonroe County CommunityCollege. All of the thingsthey were listing, that theywere looking for in apresident, I had done, andhad a lot of experience atdoing them,” he said. Nixon began his careerin radio and television,including anchoring the6 p.m. and 10 p.m. news inIowa. He began teachingradio and television in 1991at Iowa Lakes CommunityCollege, where he taught for12 years. Before learning aboutthe presidential position atMCCC, Nixon said that he

had never even heard ofMonroe. His wife, Judy,traveled with him from theirhome in Emmetsburg, Iowafor the interview. They agreed

that Monroe would be a niceplace to live. Nixon believes being newto Michigan benefits thecollege as well as himself.“I think that there is anadvantage to being anoutsider, and that is, I haveno biases…therefore, I feelI can be fair and objectivewhen making decisions. Ibelieve in integrity, hardwork, and being nice to otherpeople,” he said. Nixon also faces the taskof making the final decisionon whowill be the nextcollege vice president. “The most fair andequitable way to seek newemployees is to open it up toeveryone.…whether they are here inthe college or outside the

college, they will go througha screening process muchlike I did for the [college]presidency,” he explained.The appl ican ts wi l l benarrowed down to three orfour, and the best candidatewill be obvious. The fourth President ofMCCC plans to hold thepos i t ion as long as thetrustees will have him. “My goal is to be able tosatisfy the requirements ofthe students, faculty, andstaff, hoping the trustees willevaluate my performancefavorably. We are all at thecenter of this process for thestudents, and in a studentcentered environment…weare the stakeholders in thestudent’s success,” Nixonsaid.

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Nixon takes charge,Bush takes stage

By Greta SchartnerReporter

MCCC welcomes new president, goals

Photo courtesy of Randy SpauldingPresident George W. Bush speaks to an audience ofutility workers, local officials, and community mem-bers. He gave his speech on Sept. 15.

Fall 2003 marks the beginningof Dr. David Nixon’s presidencyat MCCC.

Photo courtesyof MCCC

invite high profile government,business, community leaders,and celebrities to our campus aspart of the educationalexperience for our students,”President Nixon added.

In hiss p e e c h ,P r e s i d e n tBush alsol i n k e dA m e r i c a ’ sn a t i o n a lsecurity to oure c o n o m i csecurity. “There’ss t i l l peoplelooking forwork…we’vegot tocontinue to tryto create thec o n d i t i o n snecessary forjob growth,”Bush said. MCCC’sP r e s i d e n texpressed there l a t ionsh ipb e t w e e nunemploymentand co l legee n r o l l m e n t ,no t ing the

related increase. Many have also facedunemployment s ince thechange in administration andpolicies at power plants. “I think it’s ironic that Igot three days of work toclean the [Monroe PowerPlan t ] up ,” Kevin Rice ,member of Laborers’ Local465, said, “but last year,when Clinton’s policy wasstill in effect, I worked 60hours a week [ there] foreight months.” Dr. Joanna Brigant i ,Professor of Pol i t i ca lScience at MCCC, said, “Myopinion on the reason [Bush]visited the Monroe Plant isthat they’re in the begining ofcampaign v is i t s . He’sreaching out to workers inindustry sectors who mighthave a tendency to vote forthe democratic candidate.” For more information onenvironmental efforts visitwww.epa.com.

The AgoraEDITORIALpage 2

Monroe CountyCommunity College

The Agora Editorial Policy

The Agora is published by the students of Monroe County Community College, 1555 South Raisinville Road, Monroe,Michigan, 48161. The editorial office is located in 202 of the Life Science Building, (734) 384-4186, agora@monroeccc.edu.

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

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

Mark BergmooserAdvisor

October 1, 2003

Picture this: you are drivingdown Raisinville Rd., on yourway to the first class of thesemester. A pleasant summerwind whips through the windowsfighting back the heat from thesmoldering sun. Just thensomething smashes into theback windshield. Before youhave a moment to think aboutwhat just happened you hearsomething collide with yourwindshield and notice that itcracked. The culprit? Rocks put downby the road commission tosupposedly help the everydaydrivers of Monroe. This process is called a chipseal project, a low cost way tofix the road and at the same time,extend its life by three to sevenyears. If you talk to me I wouldtell you that they threw too many

rocks on the road that are nowdamaging vehicles and, in acouple cases, injuring people aswell. Not to mention that theypicked one of the mostinopportune times to do it, thebeginning of the fall semester.By Sept. 10, Chris Sims,Administrative Assistant of theIndustrial Technology Division,already collected 41 reports ofcar damage from faculty and

students, not including onestudent who was actually hit inthe hand by a rock on the wayto an on campus orientation. Just imagine how manymore people may haveunreported damage or injury inthe county if there are alreadyover 40 cases here at MCCCalone. In a Monroe Evening

By Nathan LykeCopy Editor

Hazardous roads: our fault?Sticks and stones may break your windshield

See Roads, page 7

News article, Nancy Tienvieri, aspokeswoman for the roadcommission said, “We followedthe chip seal process that wefollow all over the county.” After reading this I receivedan online document originating inMarion County, Oregon, thatstated, “county maintenancecrews will sweep excess gravel

off the road in one to twoworking days. In approximatelyone week the sealing is thatquick and easy in Oregon, whywere people still getting hit byloose stones over a week anda half after the chip sealing wasdone.

Change confronts all

As a student of language, Ipropose that society adopt aprecise, objective designationfor a same-sex legal union. Theproposal is one of the logic andusefu lness o f p rec i selanguage, and does not touchupon moral or other issues. I suggest that a same-sexlega l un ion be des igna tedgarriage. Such a term presentsnumerous advantages andmight e l imina te angryarguments from all groups. For thousands of yearsmarr iage has des ignated awidely respected, legal male-female un ion . Respec t i snaturally highly desired byvirtually all human groups.Garriage is a precise, objectiveterm that would show respectfor gay people. Gays who arguethat they want their union to

be called marriage should remindthemse lves tha t i f we wantrespect , the beginning is torespect other groups. Call a gayunion marriage as much as wewill, it is not marriage, becauseit defies the powerful precedentof so designating male-femaleunion. By referring to legal gayunion as garriage, we are notcriticizing, not passing moraljudgment, not being unkind orarrogantly superior. A gay unioncan be just as close, deeplyintimate, loving, and spiritual asany marriage that ever existed,but its own precise designationmight b r ing some peace tot roubled people o f var iouspersuasions.

Garried in June

By GrantStrickland,

Associate Professorof English

Letter to the Editor...

Cartoon by Jennifer Summer and Jason Douglas

Blackout 2003:The youth of today

By Crystal PierceEditor

Lyke’s windshield shows the resultof unkept roads in Monroe County.

Agora photo by Nathan Lyke

Intimidating. Change can bestressful, sorrowful: it can bescary! But it doesn’t have to benegative. Change really isn’t allbad. Often it requires us (forcesus) to step out of our comfortzones, but that is good for us! Call it bittersweet if you will.Change strikes us in the form ofdeath; loved ones inevitably die.But we also experience it in theform of life; new babies are born,and other kinds of births takeplace in all aspects of our lives. Change might be difficult, buttake comfort in the fact that it is

always happening. This is the onething that does stay the same. As one door closes, others willopen wide or crack open enoughto invite curiosity. This inevitable, constantevolution means we’re alwaysfacing new beginnings. Howexciting! Imagine how dull lifewould be if our world weren’tever-changing. Make an effort to be positiveabout change. Learn to embraceit, savor it. Look forward to it.With each change comes newopportunities. New experiencesenrich our lives. Welcome them.

Change. It exists in countlessforms and confronts us everyday. We’ve started a newsemester, new classes, met newpeople. We start new jobs andnew roles, and we feel ourperspectives evolve with newexperiences. It’s strange, isn’t it? We resistchange, deny it is happening;sometimes we fight it as if it wouldkill us. It is often difficult.

Ah, the end of anothersummer. Less pay, more work,and a trunk full of memoriesinside a car that is falling apart. Not a metaphorical car, buta real life 184,000 mile clunkerthat surprises me everymorning that it starts. I havehad the beast for almost fouryears now, and it has been inthe family for probably seven. It was given to me after Icompletely handicapped myfirst car by driving way toofast down dusty country roads.

Usually at night, of course, whenthe probability of being pulledover is minimal, which it alwaysis in South Rockwood. But that was my first car, andit has its own stories andmemories. We should be talkingabout my present car, the Spirit. It was a fine car when I gotit, and in many ways it still is. Infact, I believe that many of itsproblems stem from age, noterratic driving. I blame age for why the carshakes horribly through everygear every time I come to acomplete stop. Not just somelight bounce that I could replicatewith a loud stereo, but a horriblecrash that makes me think thatthe fluid pan just exploded off thetransmission with fantasticforce. The force can only be judgedby feel. I am no longer able to

hear anything other thanincredibly loud and high-pitched sounds over the finerumble of my catalyticconverter. I have no muffler. There is a lot more wrongwith the car (suspension,brakes, leaking covers, blownKanooter valve), but we’llstop there for spacerestrictions. Hopefully, thecar will stay reasonablyhealthy and allow me severalthousand more miles. If not, I imaginesomething can be worked out.Besides taking caution onquestionable roads I can tryto protect everything that stillworks on the car. How? Idon’t know. But if worsecomes to worse I know I canalways drill out the VINnumbers and push the carinto a swamp.

Bob Oliver’s

Twist

As my car lies dying

CAMPUS NEWSThe AgoraMonroe County

Community College page 3

By CrCrCrCrCrystal Pierystal Pierystal Pierystal Pierystal Piercececececeand VVVVVerererereronicaonicaonicaonicaonica TTTTTerererererrrrrryyyyy

Reporters

October 1, 2003

Agora photo by Crystal Pierce

Business, arts meet in new building At Monroe CountyCommunity College (MCCC),53,000 square feet of thecampus is having a makeover. Construction began for thebuilding of the InstructionalCenter for Business Trainingand Performing Arts at MCCCon July 1. Original planningbegan in 1999, although thebuilding was part of the originalcampus plan, according toTimothy Bennett, VicePresident of Business Affairsand Treasurer. The $12 million facility willmeet various needs forstudents and the community. “The Instructional Centerwill be a facility poised toprovide exciting newopportunities for both studentsand the community,” SuzanneWetzel, Director of InstitutionalAdvancement/Foundation, said. “[It] will be used forinstruction (credit and non-credit), business and industrytraining, cultural artsprogramming, educationalprogramming (seminars andconferences), and communityevents,” Bennett said.

It will also be used for“meetings, seminars,conferences, and formal andinformal gatherings” for bothMCCC students and Monroecountry residents, according toWetzel. Construction will becompleted on September 13,

Monroe County Community College’s vision materializes as work on theInstructional Center for Business Training and Performing Arts continues.

2004, according to JerryWoelmer, Project Superintendentfor Rudolph/Libbe, Inc. whocurrently coordinates a crew ofabout 34. He anticipates thenumber of workers will increasegradually this fall. “We started the job right away,but a lot of materials weren’t here

right away,” Woelmer said. Theworkers have faced typicalobstacles, but progress is evident. “All the building foundationsare in,” Woelmer said, notingcompletion of all theunderground lines as well. By the end of September,Woelmer expects at least one

third of the masonry will bedone and work will havestarted on the building’sroof. It is expected that theerection of structural steelwill be started by the endof September. “This is one of the criticalpoints, or milestones, on thecons t ruc t ion schedule ,”Bennett said. “We are performing ourown concrete and masonry,”Woelmer said, but otherelements of the constructionare sub-contracted to othercompanies. In addition tomason workers, Rudolph/Libbe has employedcarpenters, laborers,operators, plumbers, andelectricians. Other trades willbe added as the constructionprogresses. Work will continuethrough the winter, andworkers expect to startinstalling interior walls aroundthe beginning of 2004. “We’re trying to getweather-proofed, exterior wallsup, and the roof on, so we caninstall temporary heat for thewinter,” Woelmer said. Workis progressing on schedule, “ifnot a little ahead,” according toWoelmer.

With the construction of thenew performing arts building andthe increase in fall enrollment by115 students from last year, theparking lots at Monroe CountyCommunity College have reachedmaximum capacity. “They should construct aparking garage instead of a parkinglot,” student Dennis Reid said.“From my understanding theyhave a lot of land.” According to Tim Bennett, VicePresident of Business Affairs, theparking situation is a temporarysetback and so far there have beenno plans to construct a newpermanent parking lot. “We are monitoring theproblem,” Bennett said. “Thingsshould clean up … I am aware thatinconveniences still occur.” To help with the parkingproblem, two overflow parkinglots have been put in place, one

By Jeff BerryReporter

behind the Administrationbuilding and the other behind theLife Sciences building. “I was almost late for class,”student Brenda Morrin said. “Ittook me ten minutes to find aparking space, I parked in the Abuilding parking lot, [and] Ichucked it to the C building.”

Students face parking woes

Agora photos by Crystal Pierce

Designated overflow lots fill with student vehicles.

Deputy Officer, Kess Bookeradvises students to park in allparking lots except lot five, theparking area behind the Westtechnology building, which isreserved for staff members andhandicapped students. Booker advises staff andfaculty members to place theirparking permits in the lower leftcorner of the front windshieldbecause later model vehicleshave dark tinted windows tothe rear and it is difficult to seethe permits. According to Booker, therehave been about 20 or 25 parkingtickets issued to students thissemester. “Use common sense [whileparking].It’s a big frustrationright now; we’re all going to haveto cooperate,” Booker said.

By Greta SchartnerCopy Editor

MCCC welcomestwo new faculty The Business Division and theIndustrial Technology Division ofMonroe County CommunityCollege, (MCCC) each have a newfaculty member aboard this fall,Ron Hong and Craig Militello. The Business Divisionwelcomes Ron Hong, who will beteaching in the ComputerInformation Systems area. He isinstructing classes in Networking,Operating Systems, and ComputerHardware. He holds ten computercertifications, including MicrosoftCertified Professional, andMacintosh Fundamentals 2.0; anda Master’s Degree in Managementfrom Walsh College.

Hong hails from the ClintonTownship Area, and has relocated toMonroe. His position at MCCC is hisfirst full-time teaching job. “It issomething I have always wanted to do.I want to give back what I learned,”said Hong.

see F F F F Facultyacultyacultyacultyaculty,,,,, pa pa pa pa paggggge 7e 7e 7e 7e 7

Craig Militello, the newestfu l l - t ime ins t ruc tor in theIndustrial Technology Divisionbrings a variety of experienceand education to MCCC as well.He is a Certified WeldingInspector, and holds a Bachelor’sDegree in Computer IntegratedManufacturing EngineeringTechnology. He has taken over

Craig Militello joinsthe IndustrialTechnology Division.

Agora photo By Bob Oliver

Ron Hong joins theBusiness division atMCCC.

Agora photo by Bob Oliver

FEATUREThe Agora

page 4Monroe CountyCommunity College

ByVictoria SchmidtVictoria SchmidtVictoria SchmidtVictoria SchmidtVictoria Schmidt

Copy Editor

Tips to Help Succeed at aJob Interview

Another school semester hasarrived and with the costs ofclasses, books, and vendingmachine snacks on the rise, it’stime to get up and get a job.When it comes to getting a newjob many students are afraid ofthe dreaded interview process. When asked what she fearsmost about job interviews,student Kim Billmaier replied,“I’m most afraid of soundingstupid.” Fellow student, ChrisDotson said, “I fear not beingable to answer the questioncorrectly.” The following tipsare sure to ease some fears andhelp students to succeed atalmost any interview.

Tip #1: Prepare. TimothyDillon, Associate Professor ofEnglish, advises students to “Findout as much information about thecompany as possible so that youcan show how your experiencesmatch up to their needs.”Reviewing potential questions isalso helpful prior to the interviewTip #2: Create a good firstimpression. Be on time andbring requested materials,(resumes, references, etc.). Dr.Lawrence Leach, Professor ofHumanities and Theatre, stressesthat many employers make theirdecision early in an interviewbased on, “[...]their gut feelingof a person.”Tip #3: Dress the part. WendyWysocki, Associate Professor ofBusiness and Economics, said, “Ihad an instructor once tell me,

“If you are going to acorporation where they allwear purple polka dot suits,then you should show up in apurple polka dot suit!’”Tip #4: Be honest. One cannever be exactly sure what theinterviewer wants to hear,which is why honesty is alwaysthe best answer. “I wanthonest, but I also want sometact,” Wysocki explains, “ifyou’re not [honest], it comesout in other answers.”Tip #5: Persuade. Convincethe interviewer you are the bestperson for the job, but becareful not to brag. Dillon said,“It’s about identifying youraccomplishments, your skills,and what you can bring to thejob, not what the job can do foryou.”

Tip #6: Listen. “People listenwith their bodies, not just with theireyes or their ears,” Dillon said.Look attentive and interested, thisincludes having good posture andmaking eye contact. Also, be sureto listen to the whole questionbefore blurting out an answer.Tip #7: Speak-up. “In asuccessful interview theinterviewee does 55-60% of thetalking,” Leach said. Besidesgiving complete answers toquestions, one is also expected tohave questions for the interviewerat the end of the interview. For more help with preparingfor a job interview and writing aresume contact the Career Center,located in the AdministrationBuilding on the main campus, at(734) 384-4264. Good luck!

By KKKKKelli Massaelli Massaelli Massaelli Massaelli MassaPage Editor

Close your eyes andimagine Africa: Mud huts,skinny Africans with barelyany clothes on, unclean water,guns, and possibly violence. Now open your eyes, whatdo you see around you? A niceroom or hallway, healthylooking teenagers wearingExpress or Abercrombieclothing, a water fountain, awoman holding a well behavedchild. Most Americans believethat southern Africa is a placeof poverty and chaos. In some

places this may be the case. Inother places though, thispoverty may seem beautiful.

This summer twelvecommunity college professorshad a chance to visit southernAfrica on a Full Britescholarship. The Full Brite-

Hays Group Abroad Programis a very competitivescholarship program that onlytakes a handful of scholarlyteachers to foreign lands toresearch a particular subject.In this case they traveled tothree countries in southernAfrica: Botswana, Swaziland,and the KwaZulu-NatalProvince also known asZululand. Dr. Joanna Briganti,Professor of Political Scienceat Monroe County CommunityCollege (MCCC), traveledthere to research theirgovernment representationwhich included voter turnout,the structure of theirgovernment, and bureaucracy. Her roommate, MarishkaWile, Professor ofAnthropology at HockingCommunity College, went thereto study research for her

Agora photos courtesy of Joanna Briganti

cultural anthropology unit onart but expanded her “module”to a variety of topics sinceevery place she visited heldsignificance for her class. Each professor found thetrip touched their lives indifferent ways. Dr. Brigantirecalls jogging through avillage where barbed wiresurrounded the huts as ameans of protection. She sawa man outside brushing histeeth in a dirty bowl, fencesmade out of sticks surroundingtheir gardens, and women withnaked babies in one arm, foodin another, and wood on topof their head. And althoughthis may seem out of theordinary for us, she said, asshe reached the top of the hilland looked over the village, “Itwas strangely beautiful.” Shesays that the African people

do not believe this is ugly; to themit is normal. Marishka Wile told a story inher journal about meeting afamily in Africa.

“There was one papa athome with three children; theyoungest had a terrible bonecondition that had left his legsbadly bowed. The others hadrunny, crusty noses. The papawas in rags. He humbly askedus for some money. Mark gavehim some. His eloquent thanks

A third world: Briganti visits Africa

almost choked me up,” Wilewrote. She continued in herpassage to write of thesadness that she felt by notoffering them the food thatwas in her backpack. She writes, “Maybe I feelthat they have plenty of applesand oranges and the gift wouldbe a stupid one. That theywould look at me like, why areyou giving me this? But thetruth is that I don’t know if theyhave food or not. I don’t knowif the gift is needed orappropriate or inane, soinstead of doing what isprobably the right thing, I don’tbecause I don’t want anyoneto think I’m a dumb whitetourist that thinks people in thiscountry don’t have a regularsupply of fruit.” Briganti said, “Poverty isn’talways defined in materialwealth. Richness can be foundin other things. Third worldcountries might just mean theyhaven’t been wrecked yet.”

Dr. Briganti poses with children in the hills of Swaziland.These children live in a clay house.

Children play in Otse, Botswana.

A Swazi woman carries her babyin Hlatikhulu, Swaziland.

Dr. Briganti instructs students at the University of Zululand.

F :astacts* On Oct. 27, the“College & TechnicalSchool Night” will takeplace in the Gerald WelchHealth Education Buildingfrom 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Allstudents are invited, andrepresentatives will be in themulti-purpose room. Grant,loan, and scholarshipinformation will be available.* As part of the MCCCCoffeehouse Series,Singer/Songwriter BeckySchelegel will be performingon Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. in theCellar.* Another upcoming eventthrough the MCCCCoffeehouse Series is aPoetry & Music showfeaturing Ray McNiece,poet, and Jeremy Kittel,musician. It will take placeon Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. in theCellar.

October 1, 2003

D i s t a n c eL e a r n i n g :

FEATUREThe AgoraMonroe County

Community College page 5

In the fall semester of2002, 3,828 students wereenrolled, and the number ofstudents between ages 21 and50 was 1,976, according to theCollege statistics. Thesestatistics represent a highrate of returning, or non-traditional students. Returning student, CherylCortese went to college forthree semesters after highschool, and then quit to

By Nathan LykeCopy Editor

College courses online.No more teachers yellingand screaming on a dailybasis, no more lectures, nowaking up early, no problem. For the h ighlyindependent students thismay be the case, but thoseused to the t rad i t iona lc lass room a tmosphereshould be careful if makingth is choice . Unknowingstudents may be biting offmore than they can chew. Vincent Maltese beganteaching the on l ineIntermediate Algebra classhere a t Monroe CountyCommuni ty Col lege(MCCC), thinking it was, infac t , “ the wave of thefuture.” “It’s tough to enjoy it[online course] because Ilose the face to face contact[with the students], that’swhat’s enjoyable,” Maltesestated. The 15% success

rate for this class shows thati t is not as easy as somepeople anticipate. “ I took i t [on l ineintermediate algebra course]to free up some time in myschedule, but not having theteacher telling me what to doon a regular basis makes itharder to keep up wi thhomework,” sophomore JoelMonday said. Maltese also mentionedthat the higher the level ofmath taken, the higher thesuccess rate tends to be. “Kids that are taking thehigher leve l courses a regenerally people that will useit in their career,” he said.According to Maltese, themajority of people taking thiscourse come f rom a l ldifferent majors. “It is time consuming andyou have to have grea tdiscipline,” he added. Maltese does not thinkthe course should be dropped

By TerriMcConnaughey

Copy Editor

The Toledo Museum ofArt has housed numerousexhibitions over the pastyears , including famousartists such as Van Goghand Picasso. It also holdsone of the largest Egyptianexhibits and an extensivecollection of glass works,paintings, sculptures, andmany more priceless worksof art. The museum will notdisappoint this year. Nowthrough Nov. 30 , the“Princely Pursuits” exhibitwi l l be he ld a t theCommuni ty Gal le ry.“Princely Pursui ts” wil lfeature 27 works from themuseum’s a “ModernAmerican Photography”exhibit. In addition to themany modern photographsbe ing d isp layed , themuseum is offering a fewprograms and activities. OnOct. 10, there wil l be amodern dance concert inthe Museum’s Class icCour t . Photographyclasses will also be offered

By Veronica TerryPage Editor

Freshmen faceMCCC welcomes all ages

become a full time wife andmother. She i s cur rent lytak ing account ing and

Museum offers artfit for a king

see Return, page 7

N o n - t r a d i t i o n a l

business math to pursue herdream of being an accountant.It is difficult for her to balanceher family life and college. “Everyone is verysupportive. It’s hard to getback into things I haven’tthought about in 20 years. Iknow that I know it, but it’s justbeen so long since I’ve doneit. I would like to get mybachelors degree, but we’llsee. I’ll take it as it comes,”Cortese said. “They know what a dayswork is, they come to classreally ready to work,” Grant

s t u d e n t s r e t u r nBy Taryn Kapp

Assistant Editor

Agora Photo By Terri McConnaughey

Student Jackie Monroeenjoys the challenges of

college.

challenges As the new semester begins,f reshman s tudents facedifferent challenges collegelife has to offer. Students cannot glide by intheir classes. Homework isharder and assignments arelonger. On the first day ofclass, Dr. Jim DeVries tells hisstudents they must learn toprocess information. “Once you learn to processinformat ion , you becomesuccessful. You learn it notbecause you memorize it, butbecause you understand the

process and what it reflects,”DeVries said. Freshmen Corey Yokomand Eric Letasse agree thattheir classes are a bit more onthe professional side. “Every th ing i sn’ tsugarcoated,” Letasse said. T ime management i sanother challenging factor. “I work two jobs and go toschool full time. Sometimesit’s hard to make sufficienttime for all my homework,”said freshman Emily Ferguson. One freshman, who wishesto remain anonymous, found

An example of work from the“Princely Pursuits” display at

the Toledo Museum of Art.

Photo Courtesy of www.toledomuseum.org

The Waveof the Future?

in thedarkrooms. Admission toth is exhibi t i salso free, withsuppor t f romthe Ohio Ar tsCounci l andmember of theToledo Museumof Art. Perhaps thelargest and mostp r o m i n e n texhib i t to h i tToledo this fallwi l l be theH e n d r i c kGoltzius exhibit,opening Oct. 17and runningthrough Jan. 4. The exhibitwill consist of 70 drawings,80 prints, and 15 paintings,according to the museumCommunity Gallery. Exhibition hours areTuesday- Thursday, 10a.m.-4 p.m.; Fr iday, 10a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday, 10a.m.-4 p.m.; and Sunday,11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tickets cost $6 foradults; $5 for seniors; $5for children between sixand 18; $5 for students with

an ID. Ar t Museummembers and ch i ldrenunder 5 are free. Pricesare higher for audio tours. The museum is locateda t 2445 Monroe S t . a tCol l ingwood, wes t o fToledo’s downtownbusiness district. For moreinformation call 419-255-8000 or 800-644-6862, oremai l a tinformation@toledomuseum.org.

see Freshmen, page 7

October 1, 2003

see Online, page 7

Haunted eventsBy Victoria Schmidt

Copy Editor

October is here whichmeans candy, costumes, andcallings from the dead. Andalthough Monroe is a fun andgreat place to live it doesn’texactly have a lot of Halloweenadventures. So included beloware some events that are scary,exciting and approximatelywithin an hour drive. The Labyrinth of Screams,located at 137 Fairchild Dundee,MI is presented by the DundeeJaycees and is being held onOctober 11, 12, 18, 19, 24-26, 30and 31. This particular hauntedhouse will be open from 7 p.m.until 11 p.m. or on demand.Admission is $10 a person. The Haunting, located at 602N. Dean Street in Adrian, MIhas been voted number one inthe state of Michigan three yearsin a row. It has a 20,000 squarefoot haunt with two housesinside. Admission is $10 and thisattraction will be open Octoberweekends starting at 7 p.m.Fridays and Saturdays, and 7p.m. -10 p.m. Sundays. If you would like somethinga little scarier try the FrightNights Haunted Attraction,located at 29598 on Seven MileRoad at the Livonia Mall. It willopen October 3-November 2

from 7:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., andis described as one ofMichigan’s largest indoorhaunts. Every customer has achance at winning up to $500.This haunt is not for the weakof heart. Admission is only $13. If you are not looking to goanywhere too scary, trysomething local such as theHALL-O-BASH. The HALL-

Every year, the Toledo Zoooffers children, as well as adults,safe and fun options for Hallow-een. This year, MaskZOOrade2003 is scheduled for Oct. 17from 7 p.m. until midnight.MaskZOOrade is an adult only,costume-optional party. Theparty will include events such aslive music, astrology readings, a

By Veronica TerryPage Editor

50/50 raffle, and other entertain-ment. There will also be a bestcostume contest, offering prizesfor the most creative costumes. Tickets are $35 per person,or reserve a table for 8 for $350.For reservations, contact RobinBrown at 419-385-5721. Carrying on the tradition, onOct. 25 and 26 from 10 a.m.until 4 p.m., the zoo is offering

the 19th annual Pumpkin Path.This year, it will feature trick-or-treating stations, performances,and a great candy selection. Ticket prices are: Adults -$8.50 (non-members); Children(11 and under) - $4.50 (mem-bers), $5.50 (non-members);

10. “Silence of the Lambs”(1991). “I ate his liver withfava beans and a nice Chianti.”I have no idea what fava beansand Chianti are, and afterAnthony Hopkins spoke thatline I have no desire to find out.9. “The Serpent and theRainbow” (1988). Wes Cravendirected this horror classic aboutvoodoo, black magic, andpeople rising from the grave.Here’s the kicker – it’s basedon a true story!8. “Night of the Living Dead”(1960). Every zombie film that

has come tumbling after has hadto beg, borrow and steal fromthis film.7. “The Texas ChainsawMassacre” (1974). The onlything more frightening to comefrom Texas besides this wasGeorge W. Bush.6. “Dracula” (1931). Wecannot forget that the Universalhorror films of the thirties setthe ball rolling for what was tocome later in Hollywood. Thisone, along with “Frankenstein,”is one of the best.5. “The Shining” (1980). Oneof Stanley Kubrick’s finestfilms, based on one of StephenKing’s finest novels, starring one

Top Ten Horror FlicksBy Mike McHone

Reporter

O-BASH will be held at theFraternal Order of Police hall onStrasburg Road on FridayOctober 17 from 8 p.m. to 1:30a.m. Admission is $15 and willbe featuring the band IrrelevantExtras, a D.J. and others. Forticket information call (734)-645-0368. Or try camping out at theKampgrounds of America for afew nights and enjoy camperHalloween parties. For moreinformation on the campsite goto www.koa.com.

On Sept. 7 and Sept. 12, theworld lost two of the finestmusicians to ever grace arecording studio, stage, or radio.Warren Zevon, 56, and JohnnyCash, 71, both died, leaving alegacy of wonderful musicbehind them.

Zevon, who passed awayfrom lung cancer due to asbestoscomplications, was diagnosedwith his illness in September2002. The months of November2002 to April 2003 werehighlighted in a documentary onVH1 called “Warren Zevon:Keep Me in Your Heart,” andshowcased his collaborationswith such notables as Jackson

Browne, Tom Petty, BruceSpringsteen, and the Eagles, forhis final album entitled “TheWind.” The documentary wassometimes somber but oftenhilarious, displaying Zevon’strademark dark humor and offkilter wisdom. Zevon was askedby David Letterman what hethought might have contributedto his illness.

“Well, I think avoiding thedoctor for 25 years might’ve hadsomething to do with it,” Zevonsaid, perfectly deadpan. His hitsinclude “Werewolves ofLondon” and “Excitable Boy.” Johnny Cash, who waspreceded in death by his wifeJune Carter Cash in May 2003,was stricken with a variation ofParkinson’s Disease and various

lung and heart problems. Hismost memorable songs include“Ring of Fire”, “I Walk the Line”,and “A Boy Named Sue.” Most recently, Cash wasnominated for Video of the Yearat the 2003 MTV Music VideoAwards for his rendition of theNine Inch Nails song “Hurt.”

Liner Notes: The Stories of Warren & JohnnyBy Mike McHone

Reporter

Zoo-goers in

see Zoo-goers, page 7

of the finest actors of all time:Jack Nicholson. This film willmake you think twice beforestaying in a hotel with your dad.4. “Jaws” (1975). BeforeSteven Speilberg made “A.I.”,“Minority Report,” and “CatchMe If You Can,” he actuallymade good films. “Jaws” hasto be the number one reasonfor hydrophobia.3. “Halloween” (1978). Thisis the mother of all slasherflicks. Period. And here is alittle piece of trivia: The originalMichael Meyer’s mask wornin the film is actually a WilliamShatner mask painted white.2. “Psycho” (1960). It isbecause of this movie I havenot showered in a very longtime. Next to “The Birds” thisis Hitchcock’s finest.1. “The Exorcist” (1973). Ifyou do not find this film theleast bit scary, something ishorribly wrong with you. Forall its head-spinning, pea-soupspitting, neck breaking glory,“The Exorcist” qualifies on mylist as the scariest film of alltime.

see Liner, page7

The AgoraARTS & ENTERTAINMENTpage 6

Monroe CountyCommunity CollegeOctober 1, 2003

photo courtesy of warnerbrothers.com

for a treat

Have a Halloweek of Fun

for all ages

IN THE MIXThe AgoraMonroe County

Community College page 7

RRRRReader’s

oiceVAlthough Cash los t thecategory, many, includingSnoop Dogg, believed that heshould have won. In the last 50 years,Cash had charted over 140songs on the Billboard MusicChar t s , more than TheBeatles, The Rolling Stones,Garth Brooks, Led Zeppelin,J imi Hendr ix , and U2combined. His recent nomination atthe MTV Awards makes himthe oldest person in MTVhistory to be nominated foran award. He has influencedthe greatest songwriters ofthe last 40 years includingBob Dylan, Paul McCartney,John Lennon, Neil Young,Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen,

and , o f course , WarrenZevon. The two most recent andfinal albums of these menare by far the most honest,raw, beautiful, and all aroundbest albums to come out inthe last 10 months. Zevon’s“The Wind” fills one withreminders of how funny hecould be at times with songslike “Disorder in the House,”and yet it is a snapshot of aman who knows that his timeon Ear th i s shor t . Hisrendi t ion of Dylan’s“Knocking on Heaven’sDoor” is quite possibly thegreatest version that hasever been put down onrecord. Cash’s “American IV:When the Man ComesAround” is filled with a feworiginal songs, but mostly

covers of other people’smater ia l , ranging f romHank Williams to DepecheMode and a l l po in ts inbetween. The sound that rises offof this record is hauntedand dark, keeping it simplewith guitar, piano, and bass.I t has recent ly beencer t i f ied Gold by theCountry Music Associationof America. Track down the i ra lbums. Lis ten to the i rsongs. Hear what they aretelling you about life, love,dea th , and humor. Onecould drone on for daysabout the greatness of thesetwo men, but it is best to justlet the music do the talking.That’s probably what theywould have wantedanyway.

Liner, pg 6Seniors (60+) - $5.50. AdultMembers are free unless theyare trick-or-treating. For younger trick-or-treaters, the zoo is offering“Little Boo at the Zoo.” OnOct. 23 and 24 from 10 a.m.until 2 p.m., preschoolers canenjoy goody bags, a haymaze, pumpkin decorating,and much more. Tickets are$3.50 for members and $5 fornon-members. The zoo is open from 10a.m. until 5 p.m. May 1through Labor Day, and 10a.m. until 4 p.m. from LaborDay until April 30. For more information,call 419-385-5721.

Zoo-goers, pg 6

“I think it should be in thecourt because you need tohave a conscience and Godshould be involved.”

Lacy Engle

“It’s cool to have it inthere, but if it’s offendingpeople then there shouldn’tbe a problem with removingit.” Glenn Mudzia

What do youthink about theTen Command-ments being re-moved from theJudicial building

in Alabama?

“I don’t like it too much. I think the U.S. citizensneed God in their lives toprovide good morals”.

Kristen Nevel

“Being a Wiccan I don’tthink its right to have it incourt because I don’t believein God or Satan.”Laurie Barnett

Freshmen, pg 5

the position once held by MikeMohn, and is teaching IndustrialMaterials, ManufacturingProcesses, and WeldmentEvaluations. This is his firstteaching job as well. “I’menjoying the school and schoolenvironment so far. It is

pleasantly challenging,”Militello said. Militello comes to Monroefrom Forrest City, Arkansas,where he was employed as aWelding Engineer. According to PatrickNedry, Dean of IndustrialTechnology, Militello waschosen over95 other applicants.

Faculty, pg 3

the start of her college career tobe more humorous than others. “I was late to my first classbecause I didn’t realize there wasno bell. It’s funny now, but I feltso dumb walking in there whilethe teacher was writing on theboard,” she said. Also trying to

get across campus in five min-utes or less is something new stu-dents are trying to master. There are different things thatcan help any student conquer thechallenges he/she may face.Keep a schedule and stick to it.There are also learning centersstudents can visit for extra tuto-rial help.

Strickland, Associate Profes-sor of English, said of return-ing students. He also felt stu-dents who return to collegeput value in their educationand want to get the most fortheir money. Jackie Monroe, anMCCC non-traditional stu-

Freshman Josh Duvall reads quietly in the library beforeclass. Many freshmen can be found there studying or work-ing on computers.

Agora photo byJeff Berry

Return, pg 5

dent, said, “I get it faster, be-fore younger students, espe-cially in history classes, whereshe has actually, “been there.” Monroe’s husband, Ken,supports her schooling. Heworks an afternoon shift soshe can attend college duringthe day. They have three chil-dren, age’s three to seven. Monroe quoted her grandfa-ther, “He said, ‘Well Jackie,it’s just like in life, it’s a mat-ter of priorities.”

October 1, 2003

Maltese does not think thecourse should be dropped fromthe curriculum. He believes that,given time, this online coursewill become prosperous insemesters to come. Some online courses are justas easy online from home asthey would be on campus. GregLeinbach teachesMicrocomputer Spreadsheetand Microcomputer Database. “The classes I teach are notas much trouble as some of theother ones,” said Leinbach.This was clearly shown when

he showed that last fall 75% ofthe students completed theonline spreadsheet course andlast winter 85% completed theonline database course with a“C” average or higher. Thissuccess rate was nearlyidentical to ones taken from theon-campus course. Students must have greatdiscipline and the ability to beboth independent andproductive at the same time.These qualities together with atimely schedule will makecompletion of the online courseless stressful and easier ingeneral.

Online, pg 5

You would assume that aproblem of this magnitude wouldbe remedied by the ones whocaused it. Sims says that that isnot the case. She spoke with theinsurance company and theyconfirmed that they were deny-ing all claims on the basis of gov-ernmental immunity. Naturally my curiosity levelbegan to soar when Sims told methat the four damaged sheriffcars were fixed. She said thatthey were fixed because they

were sent to those roads thatwere chip sealed to conducttraffic. It is clearly ridiculous thatthe road commission will notaccept the blame for an obvi-ous problem. Either they put toomany stones down or notenough tar to contain them.Now it seems that we as mo-torists are at fault for theserocks damaging our vehicles. Ifyou are interested in filing aclaim, forms are available bycalling 240-5100, but don’t getyour hopes up.

Roads, pg 2

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page 8 October 1, 2003The Agora

SPOTLIGHTMonroe CountyCommunity College

The Learning Assistance Lab (LAL) provides free tutoring, includingWriting Center services.Hours: Monday- Thursday 8:00 a.m.-7:30 p.m.Friday 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.Saturday 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Kiddie Campus offers child care. Formore information, call (734) 384-4208.

The Fitness center islocated in the Health Educa-tion building. (384-4423) It is open:Mon.-Thurs. 9:00 a.m.-9:00p.m., Fri. 9:00 a.m.- 6:00p.m., and Sat. 9:00- 1:30,except it is closed from11:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. onMonday and Wednesday.

The Library provides a quiet sanctuary for hard-working students:Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 8:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m., Fri. 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and Sat. 9:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

MCCC: What’s inside?

LAL phone#(734) 384-4167

The Campus Cafe, which is located in the A building, offers avariety of refreshments for all.

T Located in theAdministration building, theCellar providesroom for study,dining, orrelaxation.

Agora photos by Phillip Koch, Jeff Berry,and Elizabeth Zochowski