NEW

AGORAFebruary 25, 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

THE

VOLUME 45 ISSUE 6

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

For an Online Version of the Newspaper,Go to www.monroeccc.edu/agora/index.htm

The Founda-tion raisess c h o l a r s h i pmoney

Page 8

Romance DanceThe Birth ofDetroit Soundrocks thehouse

Page 6

Coffeehouse

By Jenna KochCopy Editor

ACCT aids in Presidential Search

War, biological hazards actualize terrorChart information courtesy of ACCT

The Association ofCommunity College Trustees(ACCT) has been hired to assistthe Monroe County CommunityCollege (MCCC) Board ofTrustees in their continuingsearch for a new president. The role of ACCT in thepresidential search is to aid theTrustees in their selection of anew executive to effectively runthe college. ACCT is involvedwith recruitment of candidatesand the evaluation of candidates. “ACCT has a wealth ofexperience in assist-ing Community College Boards inconducting thorough nationalsearches. This is one of theirareas of expertise. Most nationalsearches for a new president of acommunity college use a grouplike ACCT who have a lot ofknowledge in this area,” TomWaldecker, Chairman of theMCCC Board of Trustees, said. According to ACCT’s websitethey conduct the rigorous “paper

screening process” for the board.They take a complete list ofcandidates and, using qualificationsand characteristics determined bymeeting with the community, faculty,and students, they narrow the list ofcandidates for the Trustees.

After the number of candidates isnarrowed to 10-12 semi- final candidatesACCT and MCCC will conductinterviews to narrow the list again until3-5 final candidates are settled upon. ACCT’s role in the screening processis to ultimately allow the board to only

interview and consider thosecandidates who are the best contendersfor the job. ACCT’s website states that theyare a valuable organization to useduring this important searchbecause they “cast a wide net and

aggressively seek a diverse pool ofapplicants,” and they “understandthe unique needs of a campusduring a period of leadership

see Search, page 7see Search, page 7see Search, page 7see Search, page 7see Search, page 7

1234567

Challenges and Opportunities: Whatdoes the College need to accomplishfor the community and internally?

What are the qualifications and char-acteristics we should seek in the newPresident?

Are there individuals who should beencouraged to become candidates?

National, local, and regional advertis-ing and source letters

Paper Screening Process

2+ days, Formal Board Interview &Consituent Group Meetings

Summary Reference Reports

* Education and Experience* Intelligence

* Interpersonal Skills* Motivation and Motivational Ability

If needed: Board to Interview 4-5+Final Candidates; Select 2-3 to Visit

3-5 Final CandidatesRecommended

10-12 Semi-FinalCandidate Interviews

Site Visits to CurrentInstitution

Personal Contact byACCT Consultant

4 Key Success Factors

Presidential Search ProcessInsitutional Analysis

Profile Development

Candidate Identification

Candidate Recruitment

Candidate Evaluation

Final Candidates’ Visits

Selection

President George W. Bush’sAdministration is pushing theworld to unite and collectivelydisarm Iraq and create a regimechange for the safety of humanity.With the threat of war looming,Monroe County CommunityCollege (MCCC) students areworking to keep themselvesfocused on the remainder of thesemester. “This is ridiculous,” MCCCstudent Eric VanGordon said, “Thisis something that should have beentaken care of 12 years ago. It wouldhave saved us [the United States]money, time, and grief.” The deployment of militarypersonnel to the Middle East isanother factor on some students’minds. The intensifying globalattention on what the U.S. will doeven without the help of the UnitedNations has raised security

measures here in America and mayhave an important impact on howother nations in the world view theU.S. By launching an attack on Iraqthe U.S. may also find the need tore-instate the draft, which may alsoaffect MCCC students. “If they re-instate the draft, I’lldrop out of college to join [themilitary],” MCCC student JoshTaylor said. With the unemployment rate upand the economy down, somestudents are voicing theirdisapproval of military actionbecause of the current shape of theU.S. “We [America] need to pay moreattention to our economy and ourcountry before we start worryingabout Iraq,” MCCC studentKatybeth Davis said. In the coming weeks Americacould be making its final decisionregarding how Iraq should behandled. The decision will behistoric, and the course of actiontaken may affect the students atMCCC in a way nothing else has.

War rouses up passionBy Bob Oliver

Reporter Since Sept. 11 and the anthraxscare, America has been preparingfor biological warfare. The firststep: smallpox vaccinations.

A man lies, waiting to die, as smallpox consumes his body. The last case ofsmallpox in the United States was in 1949 according to The Centers for Dis-ease Control and Prevention.

Agora photo courtesy of The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

But is America reallyready for bio-terrorism? In December, PresidentBush was vaccinated andthen ordered thevaccination of 500,000military personnel,according to CNN. Theinjection was given toprepare for the war with Iraq.Iraq is feared to possessweapons containing thedeadly disease. On Feb. 10, Floridajoined 17 other statesalready administering thevaccination. The voluntaryprogram is said to only havevaccinated about 800people nationwide, far fromthe 500,000-person goal,according to CNN.

The risk that is associated withthe vaccination might play a role inthe national hesitation. In the1960s, smallpox vaccinations wereadministered with very serious sideeffects. These side effects rangedfrom nonspecific rashes to death,according to the Center for DiseaseControl (CDC). The CDC also

reported 68 deaths over a nine-yearperiod due to the vaccination. The illness caused by thevaccination, referred to as “vacciniaimmune globulin” (VIG,) still lacks acompensation program.

see Smallpox, page 7see Smallpox, page 7see Smallpox, page 7see Smallpox, page 7see Smallpox, page 7

By Veronica TerryCopy Editor

Smallpox vaccinations inescapable

People all over the world areusing online dating services andchat rooms to find a potential mate.JM Stifle, a writer for “Forbes”magazine, said: “Finding someoneto flirt with in cyberspace isn’t hard.Finding a life mate is tougher—thatis, assuming your correspondent iswho he/she claims to be.” Oftenpeople misrepresent themselves,and there are many stories ofdisastrous dates. However, someonline matches end up successstories. Jay Hovik, a 42-year-old bachelor,dated many women he met in chatrooms. When asked how he knew ifsomeone was telling the truth, he said,“You don’t, you just assume it’s allB.S. and go from there.” He usuallytalks to someone for quite some timebefore offering to meet in person.

The Agora EDITORIALpage 2Monroe CountyCommunity College

By Terri McConnaugheyPage Editor

On Jan 10, 1822 a man was bornin Bavaria, German who wouldchange the face of Monroe Countyfor future generations. Mostresidence of Monroe have beenguests in his house or gazed at thetree in his front lawn, without evenknowing who he was. Dr. Eduard Dorsch is a nobleMonroe resident of the past, onewhom we should all be familiar with. Dorsch was a scholar whostudied medicine, botany, andphilosophy. He was also a writerof poetry and plays. According tothe Monroe Library SystemWebsite, he enjoyed paintingwatercolors, many of which can stillbe viewed in his home. His home isnow Dorsch Memorial Library. He studied forensics during thecivil war, documenting the effectsthat rifle bullets have in the humanbody. He loved plants and plantedmany. The Gingko tree in his frontyard was a gift from the Chineseambassador to the United Statesin the mid-1860s. Dorsch died on his birthday in1887, but he left Monroe a richlegacy in learning, one that hehimself enjoyed throughout his life.He willed his home to become apublic library. Dorsch Memorial Libraryopened in 1916 and is still in usetoday. This humble library is thelegacy of a man who loved art,literature, plants, medicine, andfreedom. He was an importantmember of Monroe Society duringhis lifetime, and today through hisgenerous gift to the city of Monroein the form of his home, he is still afunctioning member of Monroe,and one who should be respected,if only in memory.

Online dating yields successDoctor’sl e g a c ymore thanmedicine

Dear Jenn, My dad left my mom in Julyfor another woman and now, tocontinue a relationship with him,I have to start one with her. Idon’t want to lose my dad, but Iam furious with him and don’twish to get to know her. Whatdo I do?

- Torn in TemperanceDear Torn, July was only eight monthsago and you may still need moretime to heal. When you say that you arefurious with your dad, it seemsto me that you need to deal withthat first. Take some time to sitdown and examine yourself andhow you feel. Look at thesituation from all differentaspects and really work throughyour feelings first. Next set a time with yourdad, perhaps a meeting overlunch. Discuss your feelingswith him honestly and openly.Try not to attack him or whathas happened. Simply explainthat you are having a hard timewith what happened and you’restill angry, upset, and hurt. Tell him that you need timeto re-work your relationshipwith him before you can formone with his new girlfriend. And even though you do notwant a relationship with thiswoman, she is a part of yourdad’s life now, so try not to bemean or hateful towards her.Prove that you are a responsibleand mature adult and can becivil to new people in your dad’slife. Above all that has happened,your dad is still your dad, and Idon’t think you want to end yourrelationship with him. However, it is only fair thathe listens to you and takes intoconsideration your feelings andopinions. It will be hard to moveforward from this point, but try.I think you will find that in theend, forgiveness is what will setyou free.

Jenna Koch

Past is prologue

Terri’s Online Dating Tips:

Changec a u s e stension,honestyhelps heal

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 Press Association, College Media Advisers, and the Student Press LawCenter.

Mark BergmooserAdvisor

“...What’s past isprologue...”

-WilliamShakespeare

After my divorce, I bought a usedcomputer and installed AmericaOnline. It was a joy to chat with myfriends who lived far away, and thegames kept me entertained. Thepeople seemed so friendly. AOL also has a profile featurewhere members can type ininformation about themselves, soI filled that out too. I usuallyentered a chat room tit led,“Michigan.” It was fun to find outwhat was happening in differentparts of the state. I wasn’t really looking to dateonline, but I met a wonderful man,and after months of chatting andphone calls I agreed to meet himfor dinner. On the big night, I put on a blacksilk blouse and black skirt, did my

see Dating, page 7

• Be honest. You can’t expectto meet someone and have areal life relationship if you arenot totally upfront and honestabout yourself.

• Take your time and get to knowthe person before giving outpersonal information, like yourphone number or address.

• If it sounds too good to betrue—it usually is.

• ALWAYS meet in a publicplace, preferably in the daytimefor the first meeting.

• Make sure to let friends knowwhere you are going andwhom you are meeting.

• If you are posting a picture,use a current photo, not onefrom when you were 20pounds lighter.

• Expect some disappointment.Not every date will be whatyou thought it might be.

• Have fun, but stay safe. If youfeel anxious about anything,call someone.

Terri and herhusband DonMcConnaugheyrelax in theirhome; their close-ness is proof thatonline dating canand does result insuccess and hap-piness.

By Bethany SlovikCopy Editor

War evokes emotions for veteran

War-related historical eventsand media influencecollaboratively evoke a varietyof emotions and imagery in theminds and hearts of Americans.It is easy to view times of war asan opportunity for victoriousprosperity, but the thoughts ofdeath and despair are oftenignored at a high expense. “I went to an anti-warprotest in the Pittsburgh areawith about 6,000 other people acouple of Sundays ago. Theyhad a band, anti-flag play, peoplegiving cheers, always a millionposters, and it was blizzarding

weather,” University of Pittsburghstudent Matthew Heller said. When war is the topic ofdiscussion, everyone has mixedfeelings. Anti-war groups andprotests are not traditionally heldnear the Monroe CountyCommunity College (MCCC)campus, as in various universitiesaround the United States, but thestudents still have something tosay. “It’s just sad how eagerpeople are to kill or get killed fora cause we don’t know for sureis even good, especiallyconsidering past results of war,and the reason for going to warseems to change every day,”MCCC student Julie Biela said.

“Images of dead people inuniforms covered in blood anddust; bloody streets; misery;wrongfully designated power,”MCCC student Jason Bartelsaid, when asked to describewhat the word war symbolized. Do the wins of Americareplace the lives of soldiers andvictims? Can a win ease theminds of the survivors in whatthey must face every day? David Slovik, a VietnamVeteran, turned fifty-seven onthis past Valentine’s Day and stillloses sleep because of Vietnam,an event that took place morethan thirty years ago. He was

see War, page 7

Jenn Stelmach

Chew on This

Agora photo by TerriMcConnaughey

Personal Computers vs. MacintoshCAMPUS NEWS The Agora

Monroe CountyCommunity College page 3

Campus debate over multiple platform vs. single platform contimues to plague faculty

B y Crystal PiercePage Editor

On April 21, students from MonroeCounty Community College (MCCC)’sPolitical Science 252 class(International Relations) will travel toNew York City to visit the UnitedNations (U.N.) headquarters. Students will have the opportunityto tour the U.N. headquarters andobserve the exhibits housed there. Dr.Joanna Briganti, Assistant Professor ofPolitical Science, expects that studentswill be able to observe a diplomaticmeeting or meet with experts frominternational areas. The International Relations (I.R.)students will study a chapter thatdiscusses the United Nations. This tripto Manhattan will enhance their studieswith an up-close and personal,educational tour of one of the“supranational” organizations coveredin the text. “[A supranational organization] is aninternational organization that bringstogether the interests of varioussovereign countries,” Briganti said.

“The world’s representation at theUnited Nation is amazing.Everywhere there are reminders thatyou are standing on internationalsoil,” Molly Prater, former I.R.student, said. “I’m hoping to meet with an experton terrorism again,” Briganti said. She also would like to meet withan expert regarding issues in Africa,since many students are less awareof issues on that continent. Briganti expects her students togain academic growth, but sheanticipates their personal growth aswell. Students will face newexperiences and the responsibilitiesinvolved in visiting such a largecity. I.R. students will not onlyexperience the thrills of the U.N.headquarters tour, but they will gainother enlightenment offered by NewYork City. “I want to sight-see; I want to be atourist. I want to see the Statue ofLiberty,” Bevin Fusik said. She is alsovery excited about the Speech-a-thon,a fundraiser the class is holding.

Trip to New York City brings education, enlightenment to studentsSpeech-a-thon tohelp fund NYC tripStudents visit Rockefeller Center

Attending college is animportant step in the lives ofmany. Where to attend, howmuch it will cost, and whatclasses to take are decisions thatneed to be considered. MonroeCounty Community College(MCCC) provides a variety ofeducational opportunities forstudents. Located in the StudentServices/Administration Building,admissions is where it all begins.After applying for admission tothe college, students are requiredto take an assessment test. Thiswill help the college to determinewhat classes or courses are bestsuited for a particular student. Currently MCCC has twotesting mechanisms. TheASSET test is a written, timedtest that measures reading,writing and math skills. Eachnew student is required to takethe test.

The COMPASS TestingGuide is new this year. It is acomputerized assessment, whichalso measures reading, writing,and math skills. However, theCOMPASS is not a timed test. Upon completion ofassessment testing, studentsshould set an appointment to meetwith a counselor. Counselors arethere to assist students indeveloping educational and careergoals. “Many students come in notknowing what they want tostudy. Here in admissions wehave the Career Center to help ourstudents learn the pros and consof a certain field,” StudentAssistant, Breana Robinson said. The Career Center offers avariety of services that can bebeneficial in choosing a career.“You could take the personalitytest.” said Robinson. “This givesyou an idea of what careers fityour personality. We also haveseveral college and universitycatalogues, applications andtransfer guides.”

B y Kellie Vining Reporter

Admissions office usefulin choosing career path

Monroe County CommunityCollege’s International Relations(I.R.) students will be conductinga Speech-a-thon fundraiser onFeb. 25. Four of this semester’sPolitical Science 252 students willread speeches continuously forfive hours. The I.R. speakers will readspeeches originally delivered byfamous people from internationalrelations and world history. To make a pledge or donationand help ease the cost forstudents traveling to the UnitedNations Headquarters on April21, please contact Dr. JoannaBriganti at (734) 384-4297 orjbriganti@monroeccc.edu. Donations may also be madeduring the Speech-a-thon. Lookfor the I.R. speakers at MCCC inthe main campus buildings onFeb.25. Funds will be collecteduntil March 10.

Need a copy of this semestersclass schedule but cannot seem tofind the time to make it to theregistrar’s office? If a computer withInternet access is available this is nolonger a problem. WebPAL (PersonalAccess Link) is part of a newadministrative software programfound on Monroe CountyCommunity College’s (MCCC’s)website. WebPAL provides a multitude ofservices to students, faculty, andstaff. Students can access presentclass schedules, tuition, fees,financial aid status, and academicinformation, (which includes gradesand G.P.A. by semester, testsummaries, lists of classes andgrades, and transcript requestinformation). “Some of WebPAL’s exciting newofferings will be student registrationfrom any personal computerconnected to the Internet. In additionto registering for classes, studentswill be able to pay their tuition andfees through WebPAL. More newfeatures will come online in themonths ahead,” said Jim Ross, whoheads up the new WebPAL service.

Faculty and staff are able to findinformation such as positioninformation, student/courseinformation, and class schedules. MCCC’s web address iswww.monroeccc.edu and theWebPAL link can be accessed fromthe homepage by simply clickingon that specific icon. Once theWebPAL page is opened it is bestto click on the blue oblong “FAQ”box. This will provide all of theinformation a student needs to getstarted and activate their individualaccount. After one’s account hasbeen activated, a personal ID willbe assigned and the website maybe used at anytime. WebPAL is a convenientsource of up-to-the-minuteinformation, and it will provide evengreater service in the future. Allcurrently enrolled students in bothFall 2002 and Winter 2003 semestersare now able to access WebPAL. “I encourage students to takeadvantage of WebPAL’s existingservices and its new features tohelp streamline their busyschedules,” Ross said. The Spring/Summer classschedule is now up and availiblefor students to access throughWebPAL.

WebPAL proves useful to studentsB y Jenn Stelmach

Page EditorFast:acts-Congratulations to TedVassar,Professor of Art,whose watercolor, “LinearSuppression” was selectedfor a national show by theWatercolor Artists Society ofHouston!!!

-The 18th annual FamilyFun Night will be heldMarch 21, from 6:30p.m. to8:30 p.m.

~Campus Highlights~

Feburary 25, 18681868- Andrew Jackson im-peached for violation of the Ten-ure of Office ActFebuary 27, 18271827- First Mardi Gras celebra-tion in New Orleans, LAMarch7322 BC- Aristotle dies1933- Game of “Monopoly” in-ventedMarch 91964- First Ford Mustang pro-duced1976- First female cadets ac-cepted in West Point

~Dates in history~

By Joe McIntyre, Copy Editor &Kellie Vining, Reporter

Agora photo by Crystal Pierce

Rockefeller Center was one of the many sights that last year’s Inter-national Relations students were able to see on the New York City trip.Students were also able to visit Ground Zero, Statue of Librity, EllisIsland, South Sea Port, Empire State Building, Central Park, NewYork Stock Exchange, Broadway, Times Square, Planet Hollywood,Radio City Music Hall, and Fifth Avenue.

The Instructional TechnologyCommittee (ITC) met on Jan. 28, todiscuss the future of a multiplemicrocomputer operating system ascompared to a single microcomputeroperating system here at MonroeCounty Community College (MCCC).

This controversy has been labeledMAC vs. PC, which does not reallytouch upon the underlying issue ofdiversity when it comes to desktopcomputer capabilities. The debate over PC vs. MAC is infull force at MCCC. The argumentsof why we should be a multiplemicrocomputer operating systemwere presented by Jack Woltmann,Associate Professor of RespiratoryTherapy on Jan.28 (see sidebar). Bill Guerriero, former VicePresident of Instruction, introducedthe single platform idea before his

resignation, which took place on Dec.23, 2002. There was immediateopposition to the idea. The technology debate comes at atransitional time for the college. MCCCis in the middle of a presidential search.At least one professor wonders whatthe new president will think. “We arenow looking at both a new presidentand, potentially, a new vice presidentof Instruction in the next 6 months.Perhaps they might want a voice in thisdiscussion” said Jack Woltmann,Professor of Respiratory Therapy.Woltmann is also the Chair of the

ITC. “The last Macintosh lab wasremoved in the fall; it appeared to bea removal of Macintosh from thecampus by attrition.” Woltmann said. According to Bob Petit, AssistantProfessor of Biological Sciences, thereal issue is about choice. “I thinkthat we should use equipment basedon how well it gets the idea across tothe student, and I don’t think its rightto limit choices when it comes tocurriculum,” Petit said.

-To develop a computer technicianprogram that produces technicians whosetraining is more reasonably rounded,rather than Windows limited.-To provide Unix instruction (MacOS Xis a Unix variant).-For coursework in an Associate Degreeprogram for classroom aids working inTitle I schools as part of federal “No ChildLeft Behind” mandates.-For coursework for those in an earlyelementary education curriculum.-To maintain a significant, functional levelof expertise in an OS that is, and willcontinue to be, a part of the communityin which MCCC is located.

This article is the first in a series, pre-senting the multi-platform side in thisissue. The single platform side will bepresented in the next issue.

Arguements for multiple platform

see MACINTOSH page 7see MACINTOSH page 7see MACINTOSH page 7see MACINTOSH page 7see MACINTOSH page 7

Culinary arts presents theme buffet seriesThe Agora FEATUREpage 4

Monroe CountyCommunity College

Throughout the UnitedStates, over-the-counter dietpills are being sold that may beharmful to the individual takingthem. Most diet pills and teas soldin the United States contain anherb called ephedra (also knownas ma huang, ephedrine, andephedrine alkaloids). Ephedragives the consumer a boost ofenergy; however this boost isallegedly harmful to the body. The Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) has putrestrictions on use of ephedrain the past, however it nowseems that ephedra may have arole in a reported 81 deaths and

1,400 incidents of heart attack,high blood pressure and stroke. Ephedra products aresuspected to cause one’s heart torace so quickly it cannot pumpblood through the body. Despitetheories linking ephedra to deathby heart attack of healthyteenagers, the EphedraEducation Council (EEC)maintains that if taken asrecommended in the properdoses, ephedra is safe. “[People think] one is good,two must be better. It’s part of anow society; wanting resultsnow,” John Bicking, localpharmacist, of ProfessionalVillage Pharmacy, said. Bicking agreed that in somecases it may just be the usermisusing the pills that causes aproblem. However, he also saidthere have been previous pillssimilar taken off the marketbecause of similar complaints andproblems like those containingephedra. Asthma medication no longercontains ephedra because ofsuspected harmful side effects.

New, more effective ingredientsare now used in the productionof asthma drugs. Bicking explained thatephedra is promoted as herbal.Due to its origin it does not haveto follow the same rules aslaboratory manufactured drugs,because of an act passed inCongress in 1994 protectingherbal medicines. The pillsmay not be safe, and many areineffective. However, the lawallows the pills to followdifferent guidelines, ones thatdo not require scientific proof.Herbal medications are notrequired to meet FDAregulations. The multitude of prescriptiondiet pills has also decreased.Bicking explained that due tocomplaints and suspected troublewith hypertension (a form of highblood pressure) and heart trouble,many doctors will no longer writethe prescriptions for these uncertainpills due to liability. “I took a yellow jacket (diet/energy pill containing ephedra soldover the counter) for the energy

By Jake WheelerGuest Reporter

Culinary Arts students Dennis Lavoy proudly displays his ediblework of art. Lavoy and other Culinary Arts students are preparingfor a series of specialty buffets, beginning at the end of Feb.

Agora Photos by: Jake Wheeler

Chef Kevin instructs students of theculinary arts program while theypractice their cooking creations inthe college kitchen.

Culinary Arts studentDave Ricksy is a handson cook while he workson perfecting his deli-cious meals.

Culinary Arts students can do more than just create a well pre-sented meal. Here Dennis Lavoy is practicing making homemadesausage.

By Anna HessPage Editor

Effects of herbal drug concern FDAEffects of herbal drug concern FDAEffects of herbal drug concern FDAEffects of herbal drug concern FDAEffects of herbal drug concern FDA

Late into the night, DennisLavoy, a student of the culinaryprogram at Monroe CountyCommunity College, rifles throughculinary books and magazines.What Lavoy and the other talentedstudents in the program arediligently searching for are theperfect recipes-- recipes that willrepresent them and the program inthe upcoming theme buffets. The events these students areplanning for are a series of sixspecialty theme buffets, starting onFeb. 28 at 11:30 am, and continuingwith a new buffet every Friday forthe following six weeks.

“I know my partner, SuzetteCrabtree, and I have already spentover twenty hours each readingand revising recipes,” Lavoy said. “The second year culinaryclass, they pick the themes, and itis usually based on types ofcuisine from other parts of theworld, things that the studentsreally haven’t done a lot of, so thatthey can get exposed to different

kinds of foods and cuisine,” ChefKevin Thomas, instructor of culinaryarts, said. This year’s buffet themes are:“Taste of American History,” “Islandsof the World,” “Classic French,”“Tour of Asia,” “Latin, Central, andSouth America,” and tying things upwith “The Ultimate Buffet”. There are still tickets available, forcertain buffets, to the public. “They have to purchase themthrough the cashier window in theadministration building, but they areselling out fast,”Thomas said. So for those individuals gettingtheir hearts set on enjoying one ofthese feasts, it would be smart to actfast, because tickets have beenselling steadily since Jan 20.

“If you haven’t seen thebuffets you have to come out,because it’s unbelievable and Ihaven’t seen anything in the areaquite like it,” Chef Vikki Lavalle,certified culinary educator, said. These exotic buffets give theMonroe community theopportunity to experience theimpressive planning andperformance of our own futureculinary experts.

Shauna Williams shows offher culinary creation.

Culinary Arts student AlissaAddy presents her deliciousdessert for the buffet.

once, and they made me so hyperand jittery I couldn’t stand to takethem anymore. It just didn’t feelsafe,” Monroe County ComunityCollege student, Heather Brown,said. The FDA is taking a serious lookat the use of ephedra in America’s

future. Despite the FDA’sprevious stipulation that labelsrestrict recommended dose to nomore than 24 milligrams a day,online sites offer sales of 820milligrams pure ephedra extract.For more information visitwww.fda.gov.

Major League Baseball Player, Steve Belcher passed awayFeb. 17 due to heatstoke. Autopsy reports reveal that hisdeath may have been triggered by the use of the herbEphedra.

Agora photo courtesy of: Associated Press

s

Among the Monroe CountyCommunity College (MCCC)faculty, Bob Clement, AssistantProfessor of Computer InformationSystems, may be the mostdedicated, inspirational, andnoteworthy.

In the spring of 2001, Clementwas diagnosed with a lifethreatening disease: colon cancer.Despite this knowledge and thehardships that come with it,Clement has continued to faithfullyteach full time at MCCC. “Working here has been themost gratifying job I’ve ever had inmy life,” Clement said of his full time

FEATURE The AgoraMonroe CountyCommunity College page 5

teaching position at MCCC. “[Thestudents] always teach mesomething new, every semester.Students have such fresh ideas –wild and crazy, sometimes – butthey always take a fresh look atthings. They always bring up stuffI’ve never thought about…because I’m a crusty old guy.” Students are the real reasonClement continues to teach through

his disease. Passingalong knowledge tohis classes bringshim joy, and beingable to schedulethose classes inresponse to hischanging needsmakes thedifference. “He does a prettygood job as ateacher,” PeteDarish, an MCCCstudent who has

taken three courses with Clement,said. “[He] always seems prettyhappy to be [in class]. Though students generally viewClement as happy to be teaching,his daily struggle with coloncancer sometimes worsens. “Occasionally it’s been difficult [to come to work]… I go back tothe very caring attitude the school

has taken. Like every place elsewe’ve built up sick days… I try tominimize that, but there are somedays I just have to call and say ‘hey,it just isn’t gonna happen today’…and they take care of it.” Though Clement’scancer has given himcause to warn everyclass he teachesabout the pos-sibility of hiss u d d e n e x i t ,students don’tseem to treat himany differently. “I tell them when strange thingshappen… don’t worry about it. It’snot your fault. When achemotherapy moment hits me,that’s just the way it is.” Colon cancer affects Clement’severy day life and work in severalways. The disease makes him tire moreeasily and often. The chemotherapydrugs he must take have ominousside effects. In an effort to minimizethose side effects, other drugs mustbe taken. “It’s not a lot of fun,” saidClement of his disease. “I don’trecommend it to anyone… getmedical check-ups early and often.” Like all other professors,Clement has much to deal with,regardless of the effects cancerinflicts on him physically.Obligations such as class work

Clement perseveres through colon cancer,proves inspiration to faculty and students

By Korinne MilksPage Editor

It is a little known factthe March is Nat ionalWomen’s History Month.Few people even know thatthere is a Women’s HistoryMonth, let alone that it iscelebrated in March.

When pol l ingapproximately fifty women oncampus, no students or staffwere aware that there is aNational Women’s HistoryMonth, and if they wereaware of Women’s HistoryMonth, no one knew that itwas celebrated in March. “ Wo m e n P i o n e e r i n gthe Future” is the 2003 themef o r N a t i o n a l Wo m e n ’sHistory Month, which iscelebrated in March.

On March 8 , 1978“Women’s History Week”began on a local level inSonoma County Schools inCalifornia. Today, it hasgrown into National Women’sHis to ry Month , a monthto celebrate women’sachievements and accom-plishments. The initial week was metwith much enthusiasm, andother schools began toparticipate.

Women pioneer future, celebrate women’s monthBy Joe McIntyre

Reporter

In March 1980, PresidentJimmy Carter encouragedAmerican people to recognizeNational Women’s HistoryWeek designated the week ofMarch 8. By the end of 1980,Congress had passed theresolution that declared theweek of March 8 as NationalWomen’s History Week. In 1987, organizationspetitioned Congress to extendthe week to a full month; theHouse and Senate approved

Clement enjoys numerousactivities,including motorcyclesand racecars, music, collectingcoins, and building computers.Because of the effects of coloncancer on Clement,his focusinvolves low energy activities,such as photography.

Photos by Bob Clement

“Bob Clement approaches each day with faith and asmile. He clearly understands the meaning, as we allshould, that each day is special — that is why it is calledthe present.

His daily example to those who know him is this:

Yesterday is past – there is no need to look back withregret at what is gone for the past cannot be changed,but one can learn and grow from past experiences.

Tomorrow can be planned for, but it is not within ourcontrol, thus to worry about tomorrow is wasted time.

Today is the only day we really have, any of us. Todaycan be used to share a smile, a laugh, a complement, aword of encouragement – to make a difference in thisworld. Lives can be changed by caring.

Living each day as a gift called the present – this wecan choose to do. That’s how I perceive Bob Clementlives each day, by faith and appreciating the gift thateach day is.”

~Lana Shryock Associate Professor of Computer Information Systems

“You really have to enjoy every day. I can do that[at MCCC]. I can do that with my family. You justhave to enjoy those minutes and seconds that youhave together. They don’t come around again. Theyreally don’t.”

“If I had words of wisdom... I’d say enjoy life. Itdoesn’t come around again... Do what you’ve gottado and enjoy it.”

~Bob Clement

“[Bob is devoted] to providing the best educational opportunity possiblefor his students. His students and his relationship with his classes aremajor driving forces in Bob’s life. He is a vital member of the BusinessDivision and a true pleasure to work with... [He has a] strong interest inPhotography and writing. He is a fun guy with a great, dry sense ofhumor.”

~Paul Knollman, Dean of the Business Division

planning and grading, handling lateor incomplete assignments, andmany other issues demand hisattention. Clement understands hisobligations and makes every effort

to fulfill them with excellence. Oneway he does this is by schedulingall of his chemotherapy sessions onFridays. “[The sessions] take most of theday,” Clement said. “Wipes me out,but I’m able to recover over theweekend so I can get back [toteaching] on Monday.”

Agora photo by Korinne MilksBob Clement doesn’t let colon cancer affect hischeerful disposition.

Despite Clement’s disease, heremains a joyful example toeveryone he comes into contactwith. Rarely is a harsh word spokenagainst Clement – in fact, mostspeak of his cheerfulness. Even his

perspective on his condition isupbeat. “So far [my therapies have] beensuccessful. I’m still alive, I’m stillwalking around. I’m still happy. SoI guess I would have to say I’mdoing very successfully so far. Icould do a lot more successfully…but you deal with what you’ve got.”

the resolution. Since 1992, a PresidentialProclamation has been issuedannouncing what is nowNational Women’s HistoryMonth. To see a list of 2003Honorees and moreinformation, log onto theNational Women’s HistoryP r o j e c t ( N W H P ) .Information courtesy ofwww.nwhp.org

Vincent Van Gogh will befeatured at the ToledoMuseum of Art Feb 23-May18. Lawrence W. Nichles isthe curator this exhibit incollaboration with Kunstallinstitute in Bremen Germany. Although, Van Gogh’scareer only lasted ten years, hisworks have had anextraordanary influence onmodern Expressionism. “I want to progress so far

Stanley Mitchell signs an autograph foran MCCC fan. Above left: Coffeehouseperformer Joe Weaver.

Agora photo by Rachel Ziethlow

The Agora ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTpage 6Monroe CountyCommunity College

Despite the lack of glamourand glitz associated with the“band on tour” stereotype, itwas evident that The MotorCity R&B Pioneers and RJ’sRhythm Rockers could stillbring down the house. On Feb. 6, The Pioneersand Rockers, dressed in teeshirts and blue jeans, visited theMonroe County CommunityCollege (MCCC) to offer ataste of the rhythm and bluesof Detroit from the 1940’sthrough the 1960’s. Jack Woltmann AssociateProfessor of RespiratoryTherapy, thoroughly enjoyedthe group’s performance. “You

could say it was heart and soul.” For the past few years,MCCC has been offering poetryand music coffeehouses tothe students, staff, andcommunity membersof Monroe. Eachyear, the CampusC o m m u n i t yE v e n t sC o m m i t t e e(CCEC) selectstwo musicalartists and poetsto perform,according toTom Ryder,Campus Community EventsCoordinator. “[CCEC wants] to provideculture to the community. That’salways the goal of the [CCEC],”Ryder said. This year performers haveranged from Jeff Black, who haswritten music for other artists

such as Waylan Jennings, toK e l l yBroadway, ajazz musician. Attendancehas not been aproblem withthe musiccoffeehouses.“We pulledtogether anaudience thatr e a l l yapp rec i a t e sthis kind ofmusic andc u l t u r a ld i v e r s i t y , ”

Woltmann said. Aspiring coffeehouseperformers may submit tapes,compact discs, and photos to theCCEC who then selects thefollowing year’s artists. Theperformers are usually “notnames you would recognize, but

B y Rachel ZiethlowEditor

Musicians ‘jazz’ up Coffeehouse Seriesthe performances areoutstanding,” Ryder said. Each coffeehouse is held inThe Cellar of MCCC to providea more intimate andcoffeehouse equivalentatmosphere. Admission pricesvary and can be bought aheadof time at the cashier’s office.

Hunter S. Thompson is oneof the most influential writers ofhis generation, and arguably thesecond half of the last century.His works have inspired manyimitators and his written personais a legend on its own. His newbook, however, fails to live upto the high standard of criticismand originality that his pastbooks have offered. Kingdom of Fear, which issubtitled, “Loathsome Secretsof a Star-Crossed Child in theFinal Days of the AmericanCentury,” is meant to be anautobiography of the famous“gonzo” journalist (“gonzo” is aform of journalism where thereis virtually no editing of thereporter’s original manuscript),but it turns out to be very similarto his past book Songs of theDoomed. In the author’s note at thebeginning of the book, which isalso very reminiscent of his oldwork, Thompson writes: “I likethis book, and I especially likethe title, which pretty well sumsup the foul nature of life in theU.S.A. in these first few bloodyyears of the post-Americancentury. Only a fool […] wouldcall it anything else.” After that though, the bookturns into a non-chronologicallyordered collection of pastworks and works of otherwriters who either interviewedThompson or wrote about himduring his highly publicizedmultiple-felony trial (he was

•••••March 7- Bradley SowashJazz Pianist

•••••March 2003 (date TBA)-Michigan History Series

••••• March 29- Dance Day!Festival of Dance

•••••April 5-6- Antiques in April

•••••April 11- The Last TrueStory of Titanic (dinner andspeaker)

B y Philip KochReporter

CoffeehouseSeries

UpcomingEvents

acquitted of 8 charges; 5 feloniesfor drugs and explosives and 3misdemeanors, including sexualassault) in the early 1990s. Missing from this bookentirely are more stories from histravels with the Hells Angels,memories on his relationship withOscar Acosta, who hebefriended throughout the late‘60s and early ‘70s, and storiesabout his life “on the road” afterhe left the Air Force and beganhis freelance writing career. One good thing that fans willlove about this book is theabundance of pictures that areincluded. Unlike all ofThompson’s previous works, thisone has photos from hischildhood until now. As for the actual writing there,are a few sparks of genius in thebook; Thompson’s reply to theevents of Sept. 11, 2001(whichwere printed the day after) is apowerful example of how muchstrength is left in his writing. “Itwas just after dawn in WoodyCreek, Colorado,” it begins,“when the first plane hit the WorldTrade Center in New York onTuesday Morning […].” Other high points include hisviews on the Bush Administrationand his recollections of his firstrun-in with the Federal Bureauof Investigation when he was aboy. For someone unfamiliar withthe writings of Hunter S.Thompson, this is a good bookto begin to learn about him. Forfans this book may just seem likea clone of one of his past works.

that people will say of my work:he feels deeply, he feelstenderly....What am I in mostpeoples eyes?” Van Gogh saidin a letter to his brother Theo. Van Gogh sought to becomea painter or a minister; it is clearin his life he had great desire toreach out and connect to theless fortunate of society. The19th century Dutch artistcommitted suicide at age 37,and only sold one painting inhis lifetime. Elizabeth Sudheimer, aToledo Museum of Artrepresentative said, “It’s the

mystiquet h a tsurroundsthe man,people canrelate tohim.” GaryWi l s o n ,professorof Arts

and humanities, said, “His art isvery emotional, the beauty camein spite of his suffering.” Paintings from across theglobe will be brought to thisexhibit. Among the paintingsfeatured will be Meadows in theGarden of Saint Paul Hospitalbrought from the national galleryin London, First steps, afterJean François Millet, from theMetropolitan Museum of Art inNew York, View of Arles withIrises in the foreground, fromthe Amsterdam Van GoghMuseum and many more. Alltogether 22 paintings and fivedrawings will be put on display.Landscape will be the focus forthis exhibit. The Toledo Museum of Artwill be the only institute in thisarea hosting Van Gogh’s works.The museum is located nearToledo’s downtown businessdistrict on Monroe St. just westof Collinwood, and the exhibitcan be found in the Levis Gallery.

Paintings by Vincent Van GoghAbove left: Farmhouse in ProvenceBelow: House at Auvers

Photos courtesy of Toledo Museum of Art

Toledo hosts Van Gogh exhibitB y Bob Oliver

Reporter

New book containso l d m a t e r i a l

Toledo Museum of Arthours:Tuesday - Thursday, 11 a.m.-4p.m.Saturday, 10 a.m.-4p.m.Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p. m.Monday, ClosedTicket Prices for VanGoughexihibitAdult: with audio tour $10,without $6Seniors: audio $9, without $5Student/ Children: audio$9,without $5For more information:(419) 255-8000(800) 644- 6862www.toledomuseum.org

IN THE MIX The AgoraMonroe CountyCommunity College page 7

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make-up carefully, and headedout the door. I was morenervous than a kid on the firstday of school. Would he be asnice as he seemed online? Orwould he be an axe murderer? I was late, because of roadconstruction, and wondered ifDon would still be waiting forme. He was there. Since wenever e-mailed pictures of eachother, I didn’t know what toexpect. I got out of my car andlooked up at this 6’2” man andthought, “Hmmm, not bad.” Helooked down at all 4’11” of meand thought, “She’s cute.” Wehad a wonderful evening. I waslucky. Some people don’t havequite the same experience as Idid. “I thought I was going tomeet a handsome high school

math teacher, from hisdescription of himself. And whatshowed up was a fat bald guywho made me pay half of thetab,” Kim Hunt, from Northville,Mich., said. A common thing for manypeople who date online is theydon’t admit to others that theyare dating this way. At first, Donand I didn’t admit it either; theissue was avoided, because wethought people might judge us. Don and I married after atwo-year courtship. We are veryhappy and have managed toblend our families. In Septemberwe celebrated our secondanniversary. We are proud toshow that online dating can, anddoes, work for some people.Obviously online dating is not foreveryone, but it is another wayin our busy society to meet newand interesting people.

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“Based on historic data, asmall number of peoplevaccinated will face seriousinjuries, and federal officialsacknowledge they need a wayto offer compensation for lostwages and medical expense,”CNN reported. Dr. Joanna Briganti,Professor of Political Science,believes that a vaccination

Smallpox, page 1Smallpox, page 1Smallpox, page 1Smallpox, page 1Smallpox, page 1 program is a good idea.“Biological warfare is a veryreal, imminent threat. It is nota matter of ‘if’ it will happen,but ‘when’ it will happen,”Briganti said. The government plans tocontinue to vaccinate 500,000medical workers in the firststage of smallpox vaccinations.By the end of stage two, theyhope to have one millionAmericans vaccinated.

drafted and served twoyears in Vietnam for theArmy from 1966 to 1968.Slovik only arrived in theUnited States in 1960, beinga fourteen year old boy whowas born in hiding with hisJewish family at the end ofWorld War II. Slovik’sfamily moved from Russia toPoland to Israel and then toBrooklyn, New York, wherehe was drafted only six yearslater. Slovik was released in1968 and was la te rdiagnosed with AnkylosisSpondilitus a crippling backarthri t is , which is onlyacquired after undergoing anincredibly emotionally andphysically traumatic event.Slovik’s doctors said thatVie tnam t r iggered h ischronic disorder, and he waslabeled permanent lydisabled in 1985. He thenlost his job of eight years,working for the 7-Upfac tory in Redford ,Michigan, because h isphysical state would onlyworsen with laborious workand his employment offeredno compensation for suchcases . This meant nocompensation for Slovik orhis wife and three children. “I no longer look atpeople the same, almost like

they’re not peopleanymore. Once you’re in theinfantry of any war, youknow what hell really is, andpeople who want to be thereor send others there can’tbe real people. I go to theVeteran’s hospi ta l forsupport and heal thcarebecause my hearing was sodamaged from Vietnam, Iprobably wouldn’t havesuffered from this extreme ofarthritis without the war, andI feel like my mind is stills tuck there sometimes.There’s no way to happilyaccept it either. I was sentto a psychiatrist by the armya long time ago and he toldme to forget about it andthat I was making too big ofa deal out of it, but he didn’tsee anybody get shot in halfwith massive amounts ofammunition. Could you justforget about seeing people,whether they’re friends,strangers, or enemies, getslaughtered in ways cruelerthan any nightmare? I don’tknow if I’ve really metsomeone capable of erasinga memory of an event thatchanged the i r l ivesdrastically,” Slovik said. Sometimes we forget thecasualties of war leave along lasting effect on ourhearts, our minds, and ourcountry. Whether we winor not, in the end, who isreally winning?

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If you could go anywherefor spring break, wherewould you go, and why?

RRRRReader’s

oiceV

“I would go anywhere the tem-perature was above 70 de-grees, and had plenty of golfcourses.”

-Tim Dillon

“[I would go to] Las Vegas, be-cause I want to visit my aunt.” - Kari Jenkins

“I’d like to take a cruise to theBahamas so I could get a tan,be pampered, and just relax.” -Jami Gullum

“I would go to Newport, Michi-gan, go to a tanning salon to gettan, and eat Taco Bell andBurger King.” -Matt Pipkin

[I would go to] Cancun; its quiet,and I heard it was a great place. Iwould choose a spot away fromthe spring break kids.” -Donna Render

transition.” ACCT alsoconsiders their servicevaluable because theyperform a careful evaluationof the candida te , anddel iver a r ich pool ofoutstanding candidates. “They [ACCT] have agreat deal of experience inthis area and are used mostof ten when na t ionalsearches are conducted by

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“The smoke screen hereis that a universal system ismore cost effective. Thatwould be like tell ing ateacher that he or she mustuse red chalk as opposed towhite chalk because it ischeaper.” Petit said. “The whole argument tome is finances vs. curricu-lum,” Petit said. “Right nowTechnology is driving cur-riculum and I think that iswrong. The curriculumshould drive the technol-ogy.” Tim Dillon, AssociateProfessor of Engl ish ,

agrees. “I think we shouldbe a multiple platform collegebecause it provides flexibil-ity. Technology is alwayschanging and we should beable to adapt.’ With the ad-vancement of technology, wewill soon have wireless tech-nology in the classroom. Stu-dents need to be able to bringtheir equipment in, no matterwhat the platform.” Dillon also informed thecommit tee tha t Bi l lMcCloskey, Dean of Hu-manities and Social Sciencessurveyed other communitycolleges and thirteen re-sponded, with 9 indicatingthat they had a mixed plat-form.

Communi ty Col legeBoards,” Waldecker said. The cost to MCCC to usethis group is $19,600 plustravel expenses for the ACCTconsultant. This expense willbe paid from the general fundof the college, according toWaldecker. For moreinformation about ACCTvis i t the i r webs i te a twww.accct.org.

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ArArArArArtttttCulinary Art students carved ice sculptures tolight the entrance to the Romance Dance

Agora photo by Rachel Ziethlow

The Agora SPOTLIGHTpage 8Monroe CountyCommunity College

Agora photos by Rachel Ziethlow

DanceRomanceSecond Annual

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On Feb. 14, The Foundation held a Romance Dance (1) in order to earn money for studentscholarships the following year. The Johnny Knorr Ochestra provided entertainment (2). Tick-ets cost $25 and included refreshments (3). This year the dance had a cruise ship theme.