On April 18, 2009, sophomore Vincent Alentado was recovering from a morning surgery in Hillsdale Community Health Center's step-down unit. He watched the doctor at the end of the bed.
"Move your toes, please," the doctor said.
He couldn't. In fact, Alentado couldn't feel most of his lower leg.
"Well," the doctor said, before walking out. "You'll never run again."
Alentado came to a conclusion and began writing to his teammates.
"Hey Fellas," he wrote. "I just wanted to start this e-mail by telling each and every one of you how blessed you are to be in this Charger family..."
Five days earlier, the Hillsdale College football team was simulating overtime in its inter-team scrimmage. The last play would be a screen. Alentado, number 42, was an up-and-coming running back for the Chargers. He caught the pass and ran.
Captain Mat Szula hit Alentado. Eight years of playing football told the walk-on to throw his hips in an effort to drop the linebacker. He did, but Szula didn't fall on the ground. Instead, he fell on Alentado's lower leg, shattering both bones.
When the play was over, the team's center came to help Alentado get on his legs. Instead, he looked down, said "Oh, s***," and ran the other way. Alentado was laying by the 20-yard mark, his lower leg bent into a 45 degree angle.
The fallen Alentado was silent — he thought someone else had broken their leg.
By all measures, Alentado's recovery was astonishing. Following the accident, he went through two surgeries, treatment for compartment syndrome, was deprived of sleep due to fatty emboli, a potentially fatal condition, and nerve damage to his lower leg. By the end of the summer he had three screws and a metal rod in his tiba and a screw in his foot.
The following year, he worked as a student coach for the team, placed in the top third of his class while shifting from a planned five-year stay at Hillsdale to four.
Vincent was Charlene Alentado's first born. As an active toddler, his first word was "ball." Charlene said he started playing club football in Tuscon, Ariz. when he was nine. She said he played with a kind of "bad news bears" crowd — some kids sporting ankle monitors. But Vincent kept playing through high-school and was eventually recruited by numerous colleges and universities. He was offered a full-ride to Arizona State University, among others. He chose Hillsdale.
Charlene said she was working with a local charity when a roommate's father called her from the football field, saying Vincent had broken his leg and she may want to be in Hillsdale.
"Basically, the question then was how to get out there," she said.
Charlene Alentado said she couldn't find a flight from Phoenix to Detroit, so she flew to Chicago and drove to Hillsdale. Arriving mid-afternoon, Charlene caught head football coach Keith Otterbein as he was leaving the hospital. He turned around and walked her to Vincent's room. Vincent had an oxygen mask on but was awake when she arrived, surrounded by teammates.
"Everyone's like ‘yeah, he'll be fine for next season,'" said Ron Bedway, housemate and fellow teammate. "I'm sure he was down, but I think he dealt with it very well. Better than most guys would."
When he was told he wouldn't be able to play again, Vincent Alentado looked for other ways to help the team.
"The very first day he was upset, shocked and disappointed," Charlene Alentado said. "But after that, he just moved on."
Bedway was surprised at how soon Vincent Alentado seemed to bounce back.
For the last few school weeks, he was confined to a wheelchair and crutches. His girlfriend, Stephanie Booms, alumna of '09, said he tried spending most of his time out of the wheelchair. Charlene Alentado wheeled him around to his tests.
During the summer, he had more surgeries. A blister had formed on his right foot because of claw-toe, keeping his toes firmly curled — a consequence of compartment syndrome. A blister had formed on his big-toe. His nerve damage wouldn't allow him to feel the blister. It became infected, forcing a slight amputation of his big toe. He underwent corrective surgery to straighten the rest of his toes.
But Vincent Alentado said the worst pain was feeling the nerve trying to repair itself.
"It was basically like getting struck by a lightning bolt almost every ten seconds," Alentado said. "It was the worst thing."
That fall, Vincent worked as a student coach for the football team. He became coach Pat Hornak's right-hand man with processing videos. When a practice video was shot for the football team, Alentado would sit in a room no larger than a closet syncing recordings and uploading the processed films to a server for the team.
"He never complained about it," Hornak said. "That was his new role, and he ran with it."
Otterbein said sometimes injured athletes who can't compete suffer from a damaged sense of self-worth. He wanted to keep Alentado close, allowing him to contribute to the team.
"He worked so hard," he said. "He was going to be a very good football player."
But Alentado's participation didn't end with football. He became the president of the biology honorary, Tri Beta; the historian for the science honorary, Sigma Zeta; and a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, which only inducts the top ten students in a senior class.
Assistant professor of biology Jeffrey VanZant said Alentado received funding to research as a laureate for the biology department last summer. He said Alentado's work focused on genetic decay and expects his research to be published this year.
Now, Alentado said he's waiting to be accepted into med-school. He's applied to Vanderbilt University and the University of Pittsburgh.
"Vince never did have a football scholarship," Charlene Alentado said. "But he did have a full academic ride — based on him coming back and working his ass off."
When Vincent Alentado finished his email, he said that he wouldn't be able to run again in his life. He can now run up to a mile in rounded shoes. What Alentado expressed to his teammates is to not give up.
"So what I want you, my Charger brothers, to take from this is that you should make sure to give every fiber of your existence into the things you love because you never know when those things may be taken from you," He wrote. "However, do not fear the unexpected, but instead allow yourselves to adjust to your situation. God did not make a mistake in His plan for me."
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Hillsdale county Prison energy system out of gas
An $800,000 energy savings project at the Hillsdale County Jail has not worked out as planned as the jail continues to have heating and energy saving issues.
County Commissioner Brad Benzing said the Board of Commissioners contracted with Honeywell about three years ago to upgrade the county jail building with an energy improvement project in order to save on energy costs. He said the energy savings project includes roof, insulation, water, lighting and temperature improvements to the county jail.
"We've had issues with the system since it was installed," Benzing said.
Benzing said the improvements come with remote monitoring, where the maintenance department can monitor and adjust the temperature of the building over a wireless connection. But every time the system hasn't worked, the maintenance department has had to go and fix the temperature manually Benzing said.
County Commissioner Parke Hayes said the improvements ought to have helped keeps costs down on the building but has yet to perform properly.
Maintenance Supervisor Randy Finley said natural gas consumption for the building has gone up over the years — costing the county more money. Finley said they've worked with Honeywell to reset temperature setting for the system and are working with them to fix any problems that pop up.
"It's not any one particular thing," Finley said. "I wish it were so easy that you could point and say ‘ahh, that's it.'"
Finley said the Board of Commissioners purchased the program with the guarantee of saving a certain amount of money. Three years later, the maintenance department and Honeywell are still balancing and working out the system.
Benzing said the county probably won't see any refund because of another heating system the county put into place before beginning the energy savings program with Honeywell. According to Benzing, Honeywell incorporated the cost of maintaining the older system into their yearly energy savings audit — keeping maintenance costs low.
Despite the problems with the system, Finley said the county will continue to work with Honeywell to resolve any problems.
"It has not been a complete failure — it's been disappointing, just to say the least," Hayes said, "The bottom line is … we're just not seeing the savings we thought there should be."
Finley said the next scheduled energy consumption audit will be in the spring. Until then, he said, the maintenance department will be in "wait and see mode."
County Commissioner Brad Benzing said the Board of Commissioners contracted with Honeywell about three years ago to upgrade the county jail building with an energy improvement project in order to save on energy costs. He said the energy savings project includes roof, insulation, water, lighting and temperature improvements to the county jail.
"We've had issues with the system since it was installed," Benzing said.
Benzing said the improvements come with remote monitoring, where the maintenance department can monitor and adjust the temperature of the building over a wireless connection. But every time the system hasn't worked, the maintenance department has had to go and fix the temperature manually Benzing said.
County Commissioner Parke Hayes said the improvements ought to have helped keeps costs down on the building but has yet to perform properly.
Maintenance Supervisor Randy Finley said natural gas consumption for the building has gone up over the years — costing the county more money. Finley said they've worked with Honeywell to reset temperature setting for the system and are working with them to fix any problems that pop up.
"It's not any one particular thing," Finley said. "I wish it were so easy that you could point and say ‘ahh, that's it.'"
Finley said the Board of Commissioners purchased the program with the guarantee of saving a certain amount of money. Three years later, the maintenance department and Honeywell are still balancing and working out the system.
Benzing said the county probably won't see any refund because of another heating system the county put into place before beginning the energy savings program with Honeywell. According to Benzing, Honeywell incorporated the cost of maintaining the older system into their yearly energy savings audit — keeping maintenance costs low.
Despite the problems with the system, Finley said the county will continue to work with Honeywell to resolve any problems.
"It has not been a complete failure — it's been disappointing, just to say the least," Hayes said, "The bottom line is … we're just not seeing the savings we thought there should be."
Finley said the next scheduled energy consumption audit will be in the spring. Until then, he said, the maintenance department will be in "wait and see mode."
laptop, gps stolen from mcintyre, waterman parking lots
When Junior Brogan Wells woke up Friday, Aug. 20, she didn't expect to hear that the cars in the McIntyre Hall parking lot had been broken into. Nor did she expect to see that her Pontiac Grand-Am had been rummaged through and was without its iPod adapter. Wells' car, and any other cars left unlocked the night before, had been broken into.
All told, Wells' iPod adapter, a laptop and two GPS units were stolen from four cars at McIntyre and Waterman Residences Friday, Aug. 20, two weeks before the school year began. Director of Security Mike Wertz verified the break-ins and said the Hillsdale Police Department is investigating the matter.
"I can tell you that we've recovered property, a person that has been found on unrelated charges with the property, is in custody, with charges pending from the Jonesville Police Department," said Detective Brad Martin of the Hillsdale Police Department. Martin said the case involving the break ins of multiple vehicles and stolen property is still open.
Detective Sgt. Gordy Bigelow of the Jonesville Police Department said the suspect, whose name is being withheld pending charges, was detained in Jonesville after he was found with multiple stolen goods, including GPSs, at a Jonesville pawn shop. Bigelow said a warrant would be issued within the next week and the suspect will be arrested on separate charges.
"It's all our own faults," Wells said. "You never think there's going to be a problem in Hillsdale until something like this happens."
Wells said several cars were broken into and showed evidence of someone rummaging around. She said one car had a window pushed down in order for the thief to get access to a GPS unit.
"We're in such a comfortable community," Wells said. "And you don't think anything can happen – it's never a good surprise when something does happen."
Martin said he would caution students about leaving expensive items in a car overnight and if students still choose to do so, to place the items out of sight and to lock the car doors.
Hillsdale Security sent out an e-mail notice Friday, Sept. 3, reminding students to be wary of strange individuals on campus and to keep their belongings safe.
"Really, I'd like to do that at least once a year, especially when Christmas comes up," Wertz said.
Wertz said Christmas time is when students should be especially wary, as some people "get desperate around Christmas time."
All told, Wells' iPod adapter, a laptop and two GPS units were stolen from four cars at McIntyre and Waterman Residences Friday, Aug. 20, two weeks before the school year began. Director of Security Mike Wertz verified the break-ins and said the Hillsdale Police Department is investigating the matter.
"I can tell you that we've recovered property, a person that has been found on unrelated charges with the property, is in custody, with charges pending from the Jonesville Police Department," said Detective Brad Martin of the Hillsdale Police Department. Martin said the case involving the break ins of multiple vehicles and stolen property is still open.
Detective Sgt. Gordy Bigelow of the Jonesville Police Department said the suspect, whose name is being withheld pending charges, was detained in Jonesville after he was found with multiple stolen goods, including GPSs, at a Jonesville pawn shop. Bigelow said a warrant would be issued within the next week and the suspect will be arrested on separate charges.
"It's all our own faults," Wells said. "You never think there's going to be a problem in Hillsdale until something like this happens."
Wells said several cars were broken into and showed evidence of someone rummaging around. She said one car had a window pushed down in order for the thief to get access to a GPS unit.
"We're in such a comfortable community," Wells said. "And you don't think anything can happen – it's never a good surprise when something does happen."
Martin said he would caution students about leaving expensive items in a car overnight and if students still choose to do so, to place the items out of sight and to lock the car doors.
Hillsdale Security sent out an e-mail notice Friday, Sept. 3, reminding students to be wary of strange individuals on campus and to keep their belongings safe.
"Really, I'd like to do that at least once a year, especially when Christmas comes up," Wertz said.
Wertz said Christmas time is when students should be especially wary, as some people "get desperate around Christmas time."
C-SPAN takes a look at Birzer’s class
Professor of History Brad Birzer will be on camera for the first time since he was 5 years old this coming October. The news organization C-SPAN visited campus this Wednesday to record Birzer's history class on Jacksonian America as part of an upcoming series on the history of America. The series, which is currently unnamed, will have all the dressings of a history class, as taught by the best history professors across the country.
"It looks like a pretty neat program," Birzer said. "They seemed to know the class I was teaching."
Birzer said the planned episode, which will cover early 19th century Republicans known as "Tertium quids" — a Latin name denoting a third party — fell perfectly into his class schedule. And, according to the program's director and former Assistant Professor of History at Texas A&M University, Luke Nichter, Birzer has insight into this political group that no one else does.
"I thought it was a joke at first," Birzer said. "But it looks like a pretty neat program."
Nichter said the program will cover American history from its early colonial years right up to Sept. 11, 2001. The program will have at least 25 different professors from various universities and colleges who will cover separate topics throughout American history. Nichter said he hopes the program emulates a semester in a beginning history class.
"It's like I'm putting a whole class together and rounding up at least 25 professors," Nichter said. "When you think about the role of education in the country and its responsibility...we want a very broad and diverse background."
Students of Birzer's class seem to be excited. Junior Anne Morath said the class, as of right now, focuses on the age of Jackson and the personality that shaped the era around the war of 1812.
"I think it's fantastic," Morath said of the C-SPAN coverage. "I know a lot of people in the class who are excited about it. Dr. Birzer is such a fantastic professor that getting him into the public media is exciting because it's a way in which people can see Hillsdale professors."
Nichter said the program will first air Oct. 22 and will show on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays at 8 a.m., 8 p.m. and midnight EST. Distinguished Visiting Fellow in History Victor Davis Hanson will also be filmed Sept. 22 on great American military leaders.
"It looks like a pretty neat program," Birzer said. "They seemed to know the class I was teaching."
Birzer said the planned episode, which will cover early 19th century Republicans known as "Tertium quids" — a Latin name denoting a third party — fell perfectly into his class schedule. And, according to the program's director and former Assistant Professor of History at Texas A&M University, Luke Nichter, Birzer has insight into this political group that no one else does.
"I thought it was a joke at first," Birzer said. "But it looks like a pretty neat program."
Nichter said the program will cover American history from its early colonial years right up to Sept. 11, 2001. The program will have at least 25 different professors from various universities and colleges who will cover separate topics throughout American history. Nichter said he hopes the program emulates a semester in a beginning history class.
"It's like I'm putting a whole class together and rounding up at least 25 professors," Nichter said. "When you think about the role of education in the country and its responsibility...we want a very broad and diverse background."
Students of Birzer's class seem to be excited. Junior Anne Morath said the class, as of right now, focuses on the age of Jackson and the personality that shaped the era around the war of 1812.
"I think it's fantastic," Morath said of the C-SPAN coverage. "I know a lot of people in the class who are excited about it. Dr. Birzer is such a fantastic professor that getting him into the public media is exciting because it's a way in which people can see Hillsdale professors."
Nichter said the program will first air Oct. 22 and will show on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays at 8 a.m., 8 p.m. and midnight EST. Distinguished Visiting Fellow in History Victor Davis Hanson will also be filmed Sept. 22 on great American military leaders.
Airport plans hit bump
The planned expansion to Hillsdale Municipal Airport encountered a conflict Monday night when it was discovered the city will also need to acquire airspace from neighboring property in order to comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.
The airspace, currently occupied by two neighboring lots, must be acquired by aviation easement, which limits a landowner's ability to put up signs and regulates tree heights.
When councilman Terry Casler of Ward 4 asked if airport plans could go ahead without the airspace, City Manager Michael Mitchell said no.
"It would definitely affect how things are done," Mitchell said. "There's no other way around it."
Casler said that having to acquire airspace would pose a problem.
"I do have a problem with acquiring more land on top of what we already have done," Casler said.
Mitchell said the acquisition will not seek the deeds for the neighboring land; rather, it would seek the possession of the airspace above.
"But it's going to affect the land owner's property," Casler said.
The council, however, has few options. Councilman Rick Richardson of Ward 3 said if the council decides to stop the project now, then the city stands to lose millions of dollars to the FAA.
"If we stop in the middle of the project now, the FAA can say ‘okay, we're done,' and the FAA can require the city to pay back the money they've put into it," he said.
Currently, the city of Hillsdale has a loan from the FAA and Michigan Department of Transportation where the city pays 2.5 percent of the estimated upgrade to the Municipal Airport while the State of Michigan and the FAA pick up the rest of the tab.
"It's a lot more than our budget," Mayor Doug Moon said.
Councilwoman Ruth Brown of Ward 3 agreed with Casler. The council needs to be wary of being boxed in by the fine print in deals, she said.
The airspace, currently occupied by two neighboring lots, must be acquired by aviation easement, which limits a landowner's ability to put up signs and regulates tree heights.
When councilman Terry Casler of Ward 4 asked if airport plans could go ahead without the airspace, City Manager Michael Mitchell said no.
"It would definitely affect how things are done," Mitchell said. "There's no other way around it."
Casler said that having to acquire airspace would pose a problem.
"I do have a problem with acquiring more land on top of what we already have done," Casler said.
Mitchell said the acquisition will not seek the deeds for the neighboring land; rather, it would seek the possession of the airspace above.
"But it's going to affect the land owner's property," Casler said.
The council, however, has few options. Councilman Rick Richardson of Ward 3 said if the council decides to stop the project now, then the city stands to lose millions of dollars to the FAA.
"If we stop in the middle of the project now, the FAA can say ‘okay, we're done,' and the FAA can require the city to pay back the money they've put into it," he said.
Currently, the city of Hillsdale has a loan from the FAA and Michigan Department of Transportation where the city pays 2.5 percent of the estimated upgrade to the Municipal Airport while the State of Michigan and the FAA pick up the rest of the tab.
"It's a lot more than our budget," Mayor Doug Moon said.
Councilwoman Ruth Brown of Ward 3 agreed with Casler. The council needs to be wary of being boxed in by the fine print in deals, she said.
Internet homework pricey but helpful, professors say
Freshman Anne Peterson paid $69 for a two-year pass on Quia.com for her French 102 class. She said she will only be using it for three months. Like many students at Hillsdale College, Peterson will be using the online resource for up to an hour a week to complete her coursework in the class.
Visiting Professor of French Jennifer Walter said Quia, an online program for foreign language students, acts as an online workbook, replacing the hefty texts from years past. Prices, however, run high. Walter said old textbooks could range anywhere in price from $20 to $50, current subscriptions to Quia, however, cost $60 to $70.
"It's nice because it gives students instant feedback," Walter said.
She's not the only professor who enjoys using the Internet for feedback on classes. George Angell, professor of theatre, often uses online resources such as BlackBoard to conduct quizzes, tests and have papers submitted. Angell said his major reasons were easy grading, more room for comments on papers and speedier grading.
"There's a strongly proven correlation between learning and the speed by which things are returned," Angell said. "So if you turn in a test and get it back online; you can't get faster than that."
Quia is, however, not without its flaws. Walter said the first few times her French 101 class used it, they had trouble navigating the site and finding assignments. She said Quia also has trouble recognizing written work.
"Quia can be very picky," Walter said. "If it asks for complete sentences, it has to have complete sentences. If a period is left out, the whole question is wrong."
Which is why, Walter said, professors go online and look over the work. She said if the professors choose, they can approve an answer or allow students to try questions again.
Angell said he also has his students use BlackBoard to keep an online journal to reflect on experiences they have in both the classroom and in the real world. He also uses the site as a forum to promote course documents and other materials he finds pertinent to his students.
Junior Eric Elefson is one of those students. Elefson, who is in Acting III with Angell, said the forums are used to go over themes discussed in class and experienced outside of class. He said the idea of centering, readjusting the perceived center of one's body, is one example of discussion on BlackBoard.
"I talked about where you center yourself changes how you act," Elefson said. "How feelings, attitudes and emotions go along with your center."
Elefson said to get an A in the course a student must write an entry for each class period. Most entries, he said, are a substantially-sized paragraph.
"It's a good tool," Elefson said. "It helps cement ideas into your mind."
And that's what Angell hopes for, saying BlackBoard is most useful as a clearing house of ideas where students will ask each other questions and use BlackBoard as a research tool.
"It seems to me that the computer is an indispensable research tool at this point," Angell said.
Visiting Professor of French Jennifer Walter said Quia, an online program for foreign language students, acts as an online workbook, replacing the hefty texts from years past. Prices, however, run high. Walter said old textbooks could range anywhere in price from $20 to $50, current subscriptions to Quia, however, cost $60 to $70.
"It's nice because it gives students instant feedback," Walter said.
She's not the only professor who enjoys using the Internet for feedback on classes. George Angell, professor of theatre, often uses online resources such as BlackBoard to conduct quizzes, tests and have papers submitted. Angell said his major reasons were easy grading, more room for comments on papers and speedier grading.
"There's a strongly proven correlation between learning and the speed by which things are returned," Angell said. "So if you turn in a test and get it back online; you can't get faster than that."
Quia is, however, not without its flaws. Walter said the first few times her French 101 class used it, they had trouble navigating the site and finding assignments. She said Quia also has trouble recognizing written work.
"Quia can be very picky," Walter said. "If it asks for complete sentences, it has to have complete sentences. If a period is left out, the whole question is wrong."
Which is why, Walter said, professors go online and look over the work. She said if the professors choose, they can approve an answer or allow students to try questions again.
Angell said he also has his students use BlackBoard to keep an online journal to reflect on experiences they have in both the classroom and in the real world. He also uses the site as a forum to promote course documents and other materials he finds pertinent to his students.
Junior Eric Elefson is one of those students. Elefson, who is in Acting III with Angell, said the forums are used to go over themes discussed in class and experienced outside of class. He said the idea of centering, readjusting the perceived center of one's body, is one example of discussion on BlackBoard.
"I talked about where you center yourself changes how you act," Elefson said. "How feelings, attitudes and emotions go along with your center."
Elefson said to get an A in the course a student must write an entry for each class period. Most entries, he said, are a substantially-sized paragraph.
"It's a good tool," Elefson said. "It helps cement ideas into your mind."
And that's what Angell hopes for, saying BlackBoard is most useful as a clearing house of ideas where students will ask each other questions and use BlackBoard as a research tool.
"It seems to me that the computer is an indispensable research tool at this point," Angell said.
Campus jobs for students tough to find
Junior Julia Dellaira and senior Connie Brandin dig into the dirt between the Strosacker Science Building and the Knorr Student Center. They're tearing up a small invasive plant making its way through campus. Dellaira is working for a third year tearing up plants, and Brandin is working on campus for her second semester. Both love their outdoor job in horticulture — especially in the winter, when things get busy.
"I love going into the Greenhouse — you take off your jacket and it's so warm," Brandin said.
For students seeking employment, there's little wiggle room. That's where the financial aid office steps in, advertising jobs on- and off-campus jobs for students — jobs that are increasingly hard to find at the semester goes on.
Dellaria said she saw a poster when she was a freshman offering on-campus jobs and never looked back. Brandin went through the administration in order to secure her job — a speciality of Financial Aid Counselor Jemie Hannon and Financial Aid Director Rich Moeggenberg.
Hannon, who organizes job postings on the web portal, said student employment averages at 63 precent, though last year employment reached 69 percent. She said she expects this year's employment rate to easily reach that level, if not surpass it. Which means trouble for students looking to be employed mid-year.
Hannon said demand for jobs is high, and though she hasn't had to yet, she may need to tell students that the financial aid office isn't aware of any jobs.
"It'd be nice to have more jobs," Hannon said.
In an email to faculty and staff, Hannon said a student working eight hours a week can earn up to $900 a semester and still maintain a fairly flexible schedule. Part time jobs are included, from babysitting to working in the mail room in Moss Hall.
Moeggenberg said he and Hannon act mainly as facilitators for students seeking jobs and send students to departments that best suit their skills or needs. He said some students are required to work as a part of their scholarships.
Moeggenberg said one direction student employment is moving toward is more internship style jobs. He said roughly 32 students are involved with the Student Opportunities and Activities and Rewards [SOAR] program, which aims at giving students a more internship style experience.
Hannon said the SOAR program is budgeted $22,000 for students, which limits how many students can participate and how often students within the program can work – too many hours means student employees can go over budget.
Hannon said the SOAR program pays for students to take on experience at participating agencies, such as the Hillsdale Community Health Center where a worker within the desired field supervises students.
These opportunities, Moggenberg said, are growing. He said there are 32 students participating with 24 agencies involved with SOAR.
"It can't be a job flipping burgers," Moeggenberg said. "It has to have a project."
Leah Martin, Aide to the Physical Plant Director, said they hire twice a year: once in the fall and once in the summer. The positions, however, go fast, and depend on whether or not students are returning to work.
The move and set-up crew, which is entirely run by students, has been in operation for a little over four years and often has repeat workers. Martin said the move and set-up crew often helps set up for events, like Relay for Life. He said the crew is one of the more popular groups to work, and applications are filled over the summer with priority given to returning students.
"If we have nine returns coming in, we'll only have two spots available," Martin said.
Hannon said the office can only adverstise what employers tell her – sometimes employers fill spots before they let Hannon know an opening is available.
Moeggenberg said this shouldn't deter students seeking employment from coming into the Financial Aid office. But if the student knows the process, or the professors looking for student help, then it wouldn't hurt to darken their doors first.
As for Dellaira and Brandin, they'll keep working into the winter and spring – nine and seven hours respectively – as two of the three girls working in the grounds department.
"I couldn't ask for a better job," Dellaira said.
Brandin agreed, claiming a need for shirts and hats to be made for their positions as the "greenhouse girls."
"We keep the guys in line," Brandin said, as she pulled up another handful of weeds.
"I love going into the Greenhouse — you take off your jacket and it's so warm," Brandin said.
For students seeking employment, there's little wiggle room. That's where the financial aid office steps in, advertising jobs on- and off-campus jobs for students — jobs that are increasingly hard to find at the semester goes on.
Dellaria said she saw a poster when she was a freshman offering on-campus jobs and never looked back. Brandin went through the administration in order to secure her job — a speciality of Financial Aid Counselor Jemie Hannon and Financial Aid Director Rich Moeggenberg.
Hannon, who organizes job postings on the web portal, said student employment averages at 63 precent, though last year employment reached 69 percent. She said she expects this year's employment rate to easily reach that level, if not surpass it. Which means trouble for students looking to be employed mid-year.
Hannon said demand for jobs is high, and though she hasn't had to yet, she may need to tell students that the financial aid office isn't aware of any jobs.
"It'd be nice to have more jobs," Hannon said.
In an email to faculty and staff, Hannon said a student working eight hours a week can earn up to $900 a semester and still maintain a fairly flexible schedule. Part time jobs are included, from babysitting to working in the mail room in Moss Hall.
Moeggenberg said he and Hannon act mainly as facilitators for students seeking jobs and send students to departments that best suit their skills or needs. He said some students are required to work as a part of their scholarships.
Moeggenberg said one direction student employment is moving toward is more internship style jobs. He said roughly 32 students are involved with the Student Opportunities and Activities and Rewards [SOAR] program, which aims at giving students a more internship style experience.
Hannon said the SOAR program is budgeted $22,000 for students, which limits how many students can participate and how often students within the program can work – too many hours means student employees can go over budget.
Hannon said the SOAR program pays for students to take on experience at participating agencies, such as the Hillsdale Community Health Center where a worker within the desired field supervises students.
These opportunities, Moggenberg said, are growing. He said there are 32 students participating with 24 agencies involved with SOAR.
"It can't be a job flipping burgers," Moeggenberg said. "It has to have a project."
Leah Martin, Aide to the Physical Plant Director, said they hire twice a year: once in the fall and once in the summer. The positions, however, go fast, and depend on whether or not students are returning to work.
The move and set-up crew, which is entirely run by students, has been in operation for a little over four years and often has repeat workers. Martin said the move and set-up crew often helps set up for events, like Relay for Life. He said the crew is one of the more popular groups to work, and applications are filled over the summer with priority given to returning students.
"If we have nine returns coming in, we'll only have two spots available," Martin said.
Hannon said the office can only adverstise what employers tell her – sometimes employers fill spots before they let Hannon know an opening is available.
Moeggenberg said this shouldn't deter students seeking employment from coming into the Financial Aid office. But if the student knows the process, or the professors looking for student help, then it wouldn't hurt to darken their doors first.
As for Dellaira and Brandin, they'll keep working into the winter and spring – nine and seven hours respectively – as two of the three girls working in the grounds department.
"I couldn't ask for a better job," Dellaira said.
Brandin agreed, claiming a need for shirts and hats to be made for their positions as the "greenhouse girls."
"We keep the guys in line," Brandin said, as she pulled up another handful of weeds.
Time Out auctioned off
Businesses owners and deal-seekers flocked to the now foreclosed Time Out Sports & Spirits Restaurant & Bar for a liquidation auction sale Monday morning.
Wilson Auction & Reality Co. Ltd. hosted the auction with co-brokers with real-estate agency Sperry Van Ness.
Hillsdale's only pulmonologist Dr. Tariq Abdelkarim bought the Time Out real-estate for half of its valued price at $230,000.
Office Manager Dawn Gartee who spoke on behalf of Abdelkarim, said they plan on converting the building into a doctor's office. Gartee said their practice is outgrowing their current location at Three Meadows Medical Building at Hillsdale Community Health Center and said renovations to the building should start soon.
Jeff and Marci Horton bought the class C liquor license for $12,000 and will allow the couple to sell beer, wine and mixed drinks pending approval. Marci Horton said the couple plan on installing the license in the Dawn Theatre in order to restore the theatre's concessions section.
Marci Horton said she did some research before attending the auction and noticed that some items, like glassware, were going for much higher than market price.
"I saw a case of 24 glasses sell for over a hundred dollars," she said.
Wilson sold over $269,050 worth of items including the real-estate, valued at $450,000, and a liquor license valued at $10,000.
Wilson said his company typically does over 130 liquidations a year with the warmer summer months being the busiest. But lately they've been busier than normal, auctioning about once a day.
Wilson said the final price of the building and real-estate isn't too out of line for an auction.
"In this market, nothing's common," Wilson said. "It's a great time to buy."
Wilson Auction & Reality Co. Ltd. hosted the auction with co-brokers with real-estate agency Sperry Van Ness.
Hillsdale's only pulmonologist Dr. Tariq Abdelkarim bought the Time Out real-estate for half of its valued price at $230,000.
Office Manager Dawn Gartee who spoke on behalf of Abdelkarim, said they plan on converting the building into a doctor's office. Gartee said their practice is outgrowing their current location at Three Meadows Medical Building at Hillsdale Community Health Center and said renovations to the building should start soon.
Jeff and Marci Horton bought the class C liquor license for $12,000 and will allow the couple to sell beer, wine and mixed drinks pending approval. Marci Horton said the couple plan on installing the license in the Dawn Theatre in order to restore the theatre's concessions section.
Marci Horton said she did some research before attending the auction and noticed that some items, like glassware, were going for much higher than market price.
"I saw a case of 24 glasses sell for over a hundred dollars," she said.
Wilson sold over $269,050 worth of items including the real-estate, valued at $450,000, and a liquor license valued at $10,000.
Wilson said his company typically does over 130 liquidations a year with the warmer summer months being the busiest. But lately they've been busier than normal, auctioning about once a day.
Wilson said the final price of the building and real-estate isn't too out of line for an auction.
"In this market, nothing's common," Wilson said. "It's a great time to buy."
Hillsdale to become Internet hotspot
The city of Hillsdale may soon become a major Internet data path as Merit Network, Inc. seeks to expand its fiber optic network throughout southern Michigan with a $33.3 million federal grant.
Merit Network provides non-profit organizations with high-speed, high-bandwidth fiber optic wire — the current cutting edge in Internet access.
Executive Director of ITS David Zenz said the fiber optic network presents an exciting opportunity for the Hillsdale.
Zenz said Hillsdale currently has one fiber optic wire reaching down from Jackson, Mich., which was installed in 2008 when the College decided it needed more bandwidth and partnered with the Hillsdale Intermediate School District, Public Board of Utilities and Merit to bring fiber wire to Hillsdale.
The new fiber optic wire will cross Hillsdale, giving it three access points and direct connections to the Internet.
Currently, there are two major Internet nodes nearby in Chicago said Eric Macy, CEO of Nonik Technologies and representative for the City of Hillsdale in its talks with Merit. Macy said the other node is being constructed in Cleveland.
Zenz said with Hillsdale smack dab in the middle the opportunity to grow is high.
Zenz said the new fiber optic path with be a redundant path, which serves as a safeguard against a downed wire — potentially isolating a community from the Internet.
"All communications traffic flows through Chicago," Macy said. "The weakness being a terrorist attack or a power-outage would cut off the internet to all of Michigan. What we're hoping to capitalize on is that we'll be able to connect to Cleveland which will allow us to connect to the east coast, which makes us look more attractive."
Macy said he and Economic Development Director Christine Bowman have been working to attract businesses to the area.
"They need Internet service, and they need Internet services that are not going to fail," City Manger Michael Mitchell said during a City Council meeting last Monday.
Macy said there are a few industries that might take a second look at Hillsdale such as telemarketers, data centers and institutions doing research. Macy said some companies are taking another look at Hillsdale because of its municipality owned power company — which helps their bottom line.
Macy said employment in Hillsdale won't jump with the new wire, but it may provide an opportunity for the service sector to grow and accommodate the few high-earning jobs it will attract.
Macy said construction of the fiber network will be finished in Hillsdale by the end of 2011.
Merit Network provides non-profit organizations with high-speed, high-bandwidth fiber optic wire — the current cutting edge in Internet access.
Executive Director of ITS David Zenz said the fiber optic network presents an exciting opportunity for the Hillsdale.
Zenz said Hillsdale currently has one fiber optic wire reaching down from Jackson, Mich., which was installed in 2008 when the College decided it needed more bandwidth and partnered with the Hillsdale Intermediate School District, Public Board of Utilities and Merit to bring fiber wire to Hillsdale.
The new fiber optic wire will cross Hillsdale, giving it three access points and direct connections to the Internet.
Currently, there are two major Internet nodes nearby in Chicago said Eric Macy, CEO of Nonik Technologies and representative for the City of Hillsdale in its talks with Merit. Macy said the other node is being constructed in Cleveland.
Zenz said with Hillsdale smack dab in the middle the opportunity to grow is high.
Zenz said the new fiber optic path with be a redundant path, which serves as a safeguard against a downed wire — potentially isolating a community from the Internet.
"All communications traffic flows through Chicago," Macy said. "The weakness being a terrorist attack or a power-outage would cut off the internet to all of Michigan. What we're hoping to capitalize on is that we'll be able to connect to Cleveland which will allow us to connect to the east coast, which makes us look more attractive."
Macy said he and Economic Development Director Christine Bowman have been working to attract businesses to the area.
"They need Internet service, and they need Internet services that are not going to fail," City Manger Michael Mitchell said during a City Council meeting last Monday.
Macy said there are a few industries that might take a second look at Hillsdale such as telemarketers, data centers and institutions doing research. Macy said some companies are taking another look at Hillsdale because of its municipality owned power company — which helps their bottom line.
Macy said employment in Hillsdale won't jump with the new wire, but it may provide an opportunity for the service sector to grow and accommodate the few high-earning jobs it will attract.
Macy said construction of the fiber network will be finished in Hillsdale by the end of 2011.
Restaurant quietly opens, offers food and a view
Lynn and Mick Tropiano opened Café Azzurri Tuesday, March 15 to a small crowd. The restaurant, attached to the Hillsdale Country Club on Lake Baw Beese is out of the way, quiet — not booming, which is exactly what the Tropianos wanted.
"We wanted to open slowly," Lynn said. "We didn't want our staff to become overwhelmed in order to provide the best service to our customers."
For customers seeking great seafood or pasta with a view, or perhaps a drink at the bar, Café Azzurri is the newest place in Hillsdale County.
The restaurant is owned and operated by Rick Tropiano, owner of Johnny T's Bistro, Lynn said. Lynn Tropiano, the new restaurant's general manager, said customers can look forward to great table salads, pastas, fish and a wine list crafted by John Savorino, who ran Savorino's Italian Restaurant in downtown Hillsdale before it became Johnny T's in 2009.
Café Azzurri, though attached to the Hillsdale Country Club, isn't affiliated with it, a point Lynn Tropiano stresses. Mick Tropiano, Lynn's husband and fellow general manager, said the club stood near Lake Baw Beese for about 100 years, running the restaurant on its own.
He said the club had a hard time managing the restaurant and approached Mick's brother, Rick Tropiano, asking if he would take over the restaurant. Rick asked Lynn and Mick if they were interested in managing.
They said yes.
"We had to bring it up to speed in order to handle what we were expecting," Lynn Tropiano said.
Over two months, the restaurant underwent a transformation. Windows were replaced, walls were repaired, tables and chairs were brought in. Mick Tropiano said they haven't done anything with the deck yet, but are planning on holding future parties on it. Mick said there will be live music two or three nights a week. The Tropianos also said they're considering a Sunday brunch later in the spring.
"If someone has specific needs we'll be able to accommodate them," Lynn Tropiano said.
Customers, too, are eager to test the new restaurant.
"It was really good, the best fish in the area," said Assistant Professor of Piology Angelica Pytel. "They didn't overcook the trout."
Café Auzzri is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Tuesday to Thursday and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
"We wanted to open slowly," Lynn said. "We didn't want our staff to become overwhelmed in order to provide the best service to our customers."
For customers seeking great seafood or pasta with a view, or perhaps a drink at the bar, Café Azzurri is the newest place in Hillsdale County.
The restaurant is owned and operated by Rick Tropiano, owner of Johnny T's Bistro, Lynn said. Lynn Tropiano, the new restaurant's general manager, said customers can look forward to great table salads, pastas, fish and a wine list crafted by John Savorino, who ran Savorino's Italian Restaurant in downtown Hillsdale before it became Johnny T's in 2009.
Café Azzurri, though attached to the Hillsdale Country Club, isn't affiliated with it, a point Lynn Tropiano stresses. Mick Tropiano, Lynn's husband and fellow general manager, said the club stood near Lake Baw Beese for about 100 years, running the restaurant on its own.
He said the club had a hard time managing the restaurant and approached Mick's brother, Rick Tropiano, asking if he would take over the restaurant. Rick asked Lynn and Mick if they were interested in managing.
They said yes.
"We had to bring it up to speed in order to handle what we were expecting," Lynn Tropiano said.
Over two months, the restaurant underwent a transformation. Windows were replaced, walls were repaired, tables and chairs were brought in. Mick Tropiano said they haven't done anything with the deck yet, but are planning on holding future parties on it. Mick said there will be live music two or three nights a week. The Tropianos also said they're considering a Sunday brunch later in the spring.
"If someone has specific needs we'll be able to accommodate them," Lynn Tropiano said.
Customers, too, are eager to test the new restaurant.
"It was really good, the best fish in the area," said Assistant Professor of Piology Angelica Pytel. "They didn't overcook the trout."
Café Auzzri is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Tuesday to Thursday and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Miller new journalism program director
When the Dow Journalism Program started in 1998, no one knew exactly what the director would do, what his relationship to The Collegian would be, if he would have a desk and if there would be an office of any kind.
Now, after over a decade of improvisation, overseeing the award-winning Collegian, and settling into an office, the first director of the program, Tracy Simmons, has left the position, leaving a vacant seat during the spring semester.
The college recently announced that John Miller, a writer for National Review and author of the novel "The First Assassin," will fill Simmons' place next fall as the new program director.
As director, Miller is charged with instructing students, representing the program to donors and integrating journalism into the liberal arts.
Provost David Whalen said the college president appoints the program director with the advice of faculty and faculty advisers. He said the college had considered other journalists as well, but Miller was at the top of the list. Whalen said Arnn offered the position after gathering opinions of Miller's suitability.
Miller said Arnn first called him last August.
"I wasn't looking for a job," Miller said. "But we started talking."
After a few more calls and a visit to the school, during which he gave a lecture about Teddy Roosevelt and football, Miller accepted the position.
Simmons said when he was first offered the position of program director he turned it down. He took the position after an external affairs employee approached him a second time in Washington, D.C.
"He thought if I took it I had a moral obligation, as he put it, to stay for three years," Simmons said. "But I stayed for over 10 — more three times as long — so I'd like to think that I discharged my duty on that front."
Miller said he plans to continue Simmons' legacy, as well as integrate the journalism program with the WHIP program in Washington, D.C. He said he would continue writing for National Review and looks forward to starting at Hillsdale next fall.
Miller is no stranger to Hillsdale. A Michigan native, he grew up in a home that received Imprimis. He visited Hillsdale's campus many times to visit his brother, a '77 alumnus, and to see speakers such as P.J. O'Rourke during weekend escapes from Ann Arbor.
Miller attended the University of Michigan and became editor for the Michigan Review before working at The New Republic. Later, he moved to National Review, where he has written for the past 13 years. He has written three books, one novel and started the Student Free Press Association, an online publication for young journalists.
Simmons said he plans to write for the next several months before moving on to his next project. He said Miller is the best choice Hillsdale could make.
Now, after over a decade of improvisation, overseeing the award-winning Collegian, and settling into an office, the first director of the program, Tracy Simmons, has left the position, leaving a vacant seat during the spring semester.
The college recently announced that John Miller, a writer for National Review and author of the novel "The First Assassin," will fill Simmons' place next fall as the new program director.
As director, Miller is charged with instructing students, representing the program to donors and integrating journalism into the liberal arts.
Provost David Whalen said the college president appoints the program director with the advice of faculty and faculty advisers. He said the college had considered other journalists as well, but Miller was at the top of the list. Whalen said Arnn offered the position after gathering opinions of Miller's suitability.
Miller said Arnn first called him last August.
"I wasn't looking for a job," Miller said. "But we started talking."
After a few more calls and a visit to the school, during which he gave a lecture about Teddy Roosevelt and football, Miller accepted the position.
Simmons said when he was first offered the position of program director he turned it down. He took the position after an external affairs employee approached him a second time in Washington, D.C.
"He thought if I took it I had a moral obligation, as he put it, to stay for three years," Simmons said. "But I stayed for over 10 — more three times as long — so I'd like to think that I discharged my duty on that front."
Miller said he plans to continue Simmons' legacy, as well as integrate the journalism program with the WHIP program in Washington, D.C. He said he would continue writing for National Review and looks forward to starting at Hillsdale next fall.
Miller is no stranger to Hillsdale. A Michigan native, he grew up in a home that received Imprimis. He visited Hillsdale's campus many times to visit his brother, a '77 alumnus, and to see speakers such as P.J. O'Rourke during weekend escapes from Ann Arbor.
Miller attended the University of Michigan and became editor for the Michigan Review before working at The New Republic. Later, he moved to National Review, where he has written for the past 13 years. He has written three books, one novel and started the Student Free Press Association, an online publication for young journalists.
Simmons said he plans to write for the next several months before moving on to his next project. He said Miller is the best choice Hillsdale could make.
Point: Mary-Jane is not the enemy
Pot. It's a sticky issue.
Mentioning marijuana elicits one of three reactions: a bland acknowledgment of its existence, a hope to take a puff or a shocked expression at mentioning the cultural taboo.
The last reaction is out of line, miscalculated and ignorant.
Marijuana has been around for ages, and has been found to have many medical uses –– from leukemia treatment to pain relief –– and few negative effects beyond minor hallucination and smoke inhalation. It is, however, associated with a weak society.
Marijuana has had a plagued history. It was first regulated in the 1930s by government officials who believed it made people insane and incapable of leading normal lives.
In 1973 it was labeled as a Class I controlled substance with no apparent medical use.
Anti-drug ads have associated it with suicide, violence and everything short of child-abuse. The Drug Enforcement Administration actively fights studies proving its effectiveness at treating ailments, confiscates it as medicine and puts nonviolent consumers in jail, claiming that pot kills.
But here's a little fact the DEA may have missed: More people have been killed drinking water than smoking marijuana.
But that isn't the fault of the DEA not regulating water; it's the fault of a bad law and a culture which finds itself squeamish at the slightest hint of the pot culture.
Stoner culture is the source of most of the misunderstanding about marijuana. The word "pothead" drums up images of hooded hippies wearing hemp clothing, drinking organic milk and talking about their insights into the latest battle against capitalism. But in reality many smokers study physics, history, economics, politics, and in all likelihood, have voted for republicans.
Providers, contrary to what daytime TV shows and Hollywood would have you believe, are ordinary people. Some work as accountants, others as construction workers and some as farmers; they just happen to provide a demanded service on the side.
To some the question is, why waste time with pot? Well, why not? It's no more toxic than a cigarette, less dangerous than an irresponsible drinker and the act of smoking it is far less condescending than people who look down upon all three.
Some say pot should be banned because it makes smokers different, estranging them from the world and reality. This is true. It does alter a person's perception, but that condition is certainly not limited to marijuana.
The next time you sip on a mocha latte, gulp Coca-Cola or drink tea, remember that what you're drinking has caffeine in it and is far worse for your body than marijuana ever could be.
Caffeine is a drug, and, unlike marijuana, is actually addictive; many people can't operate without it. Too much caffeine makes your heart race, increasing your stress level and making you irritable and jumpy. If you miss a coffee break, you will feel the same symptoms with the added bonus of exhaustion and withdrawal. If you drink caffeine on a regular basis you have the same dependance on it as someone addicted to heroin –– keep that in mind the next time you visit AJ's or try to pull an all-nighter.
The college's zero-tolerance policy toward marijuana, while ineffective at preventing students from smoking it, is simply the by-product of a culture of misunderstanding that spans generations. It will take time for marijuana to become accepted on a national scale and here at Hillsdale, but it no doubt will –– and already is, in small circles.
In truth, there is nothing inherently wrong, evil or self-destructive in smoking marijuana –– at least not any more than smoking a cigarette or drinking coffee. Its maligned history has created a culture of ignorant paranoia and will continue to do so until the general populace is educated and the air clears around marijuana.
Snow Day
It's a video you'll have to view on the Collegian's website:
http://www.hillsdalecollegian.com/snow-day-1.1960399
http://www.hillsdalecollegian.com/snow-day-1.1960399
Weekly auctions enliven Hillsdale County Fairgrounds
Ken Frecker of Ken Frecker Auctioneers, Inc. prepares for a day of selling. He grabs his white Stetson hat, a walking cane and his portable speaker system with the microphone duct-taped to the strap. With everything in hand, it's 9 a.m. and time to begin selling.
Frecker and several others are the latest in a long line of auctioneers marshaling the Hillsdale Historic Auction. For the past 102 years customers have attended the auction and flea market at the Hillsdale County Fairgrounds to find discounted goods ranging from handguns and bread to glowing earrings and portraits of Jesus.
Richard Cytacki, who graduated from auctioneer school in 2000, has been working the auction for the past six years.
"He's kind of a cocky soul, thinks he's good at everything," Frecker said.
Cytacki laughs, and prepares to give a tour of the grounds on the slowest day of the year.
The auction has six parts to it. The flea market is in the barn, along with the office, livestock cage, food court and discount groceries. The poultry, from pheasants to roosters, ducks and rabbits, is kept in another barn. Over 3,000 bales of hay are sold near the parking lot. Next to the flea market is the auction area, and where most of the crowd gathers for bidding.
Cytacki said cattle, pigs and goats are sold during the large animal sale at 1 p.m. Animals are typically registered until the start of the large animal sale, but winter has kept livestock at a low. He said the livestock is numbered with a yellow sticker and weighed on its way out to the pen — except for goats, which are sold by the head. Today it's light, only a man with a small kid under his right arm comes for a yellow tag.
Cytacki said the poultry barn is usually full, but again, winter has kept the numbers down. Roosters and rabbits, sold by the cage, fill only a quarter of a wall, but still draw a sizable crowd.
Another big seller, Cytacki explains, is hay. Hay from Hillsdale County, Indiana and Ohio are sold to farmers looking for extra winter feed. Besides that, the actual auction section usually extends much farther, spilling over into four long rows instead of two short ones.
"It's not unusual in the summer time to sell for six hours," Cytacki said.
Today, Frecker sells for about two. For those two hours he pokes the merchandise with his cane and starts the bidding at a low price. Anything can be up for auction — from a pool table to piles of firewood.
"Okay you're buying a bucket of boards there, and brackets, so give a dollar bill," Frecker says. "Little shelves there, dollar-bill-one-dollar."
Jackie Kenkel, whose son is now 60, grew up on 6 West College St. and has been coming to the Hillsdale Auction since she was four. She said she spends her time with her friends and often comes Friday night to scout for potential purchases. Kenkel said she loves to get acquainted with people at the auction.
"If they don't talk to me I talk to them," she said.
"We've been coming here for years and years and years," Kenkel said. "When I was a child I said, 'I am never coming here, I hate this place.' Now, I can't stay away."
Frecker said the barn, where the flea market sells its wares, contains 40 booths. Each booth is sold by its number. Some vendors, like six-year veteran Cindy, have multiple booths rolled into one.
Cindy, who said she cannot release her last name, said she visits her friends and fellow vendors between auctions and sales. Cindy knows each person selling in the flea market, down to Herminia Torres, who just began selling polyester blankets at the end of the aisle. She said in the summer the Amish have a strong presence with baked goods, and senior citizens flood the barn.
"We enjoy this," Cindy said, pointing to attendees. "This is my fun, my relaxation."
Mary “Squeak” Barnett to retire
Circulation assistant Mary "Squeak" Barnett is ready to retire after 23 years of working at Hillsdale College's Mossey Library.
Barnett, wearing her signature white sweater, has been the iconic employee at Mossey Library, but her gleeful morning hellos and sage advice to student workers will be leaving with the class of 2011.
Barnett was hired as circulation assistant in 1987. She said if she stayed until August she would have 24 years under her belt.
But Barnett said those 24 years aren't limited to the regular school year. She, and most of the library staff, works during the summer too. Summers that Barnett could've been spending at her house on Lake Baw Beese or in Florida with family members.
"I'd like to travel when I want to," she said. "Instead of trying to work it around a holiday type thing, maybe be gone longer."
Officially, Barnett retires on July 8, but vacation days accumulated over the years will allow her to leave in early May. Her last day of work will be the day of graduation.
"I've told students this year that I'm going to graduate with them," Barnett said.
Barnett grew up locally, attending a two room schoolhouse in Mosherville, Mich., before graduating from Jonesville High School. She even maintained a local newsstand for a short time.
Library director Daniel Knoch said he remembers when he and Public Service Librarian Linda Moore interviewed Barnett in the library's von Mises room. Though she didn't have a college degree, she had worked in a library environment several years earlier at Jonesville High School, which helped sway the two to hire her.
"She's been a great employee," Knoch said. "One of the primary people in the library who contribute to the library's success."
Barnett said she'll miss the students the most, calling them her kids. Though she says she understands they're full-grown adults, that doesn't stop her from giving them advice.
Freshman Catherine Orban, who works the library's circulation desk, said Squeak often gives helpful life lessons to students, ranging from remedies for sicknesses to Valentine's Day dinners.
"I've witnessed her talking to students about how to get out of debt," junior Emily Zick said.
Barnett said, not too long after 9/11, the library once came under attack from a couple of pranksters filling the library with smoke from smoke bombs. The students on staff didn't know what to do at the time, and instead of calling security or 911, they called Squeak.
Barnett said she believes the library is a place of connections — as witnessed by the e-mails she receives from former students.
Typically, she works graduation and sometimes can hardly go out and watch the procession of students — some of whom she's worked four years with and who will never come by again. This time, she'll join them.
"I'm going to have a hard time walking out of here during graduation," Barnett said. "I bet there'll be a tear in my eye."
Barnett, wearing her signature white sweater, has been the iconic employee at Mossey Library, but her gleeful morning hellos and sage advice to student workers will be leaving with the class of 2011.
Barnett was hired as circulation assistant in 1987. She said if she stayed until August she would have 24 years under her belt.
But Barnett said those 24 years aren't limited to the regular school year. She, and most of the library staff, works during the summer too. Summers that Barnett could've been spending at her house on Lake Baw Beese or in Florida with family members.
"I'd like to travel when I want to," she said. "Instead of trying to work it around a holiday type thing, maybe be gone longer."
Officially, Barnett retires on July 8, but vacation days accumulated over the years will allow her to leave in early May. Her last day of work will be the day of graduation.
"I've told students this year that I'm going to graduate with them," Barnett said.
Barnett grew up locally, attending a two room schoolhouse in Mosherville, Mich., before graduating from Jonesville High School. She even maintained a local newsstand for a short time.
Library director Daniel Knoch said he remembers when he and Public Service Librarian Linda Moore interviewed Barnett in the library's von Mises room. Though she didn't have a college degree, she had worked in a library environment several years earlier at Jonesville High School, which helped sway the two to hire her.
"She's been a great employee," Knoch said. "One of the primary people in the library who contribute to the library's success."
Barnett said she'll miss the students the most, calling them her kids. Though she says she understands they're full-grown adults, that doesn't stop her from giving them advice.
Freshman Catherine Orban, who works the library's circulation desk, said Squeak often gives helpful life lessons to students, ranging from remedies for sicknesses to Valentine's Day dinners.
"I've witnessed her talking to students about how to get out of debt," junior Emily Zick said.
Barnett said, not too long after 9/11, the library once came under attack from a couple of pranksters filling the library with smoke from smoke bombs. The students on staff didn't know what to do at the time, and instead of calling security or 911, they called Squeak.
Barnett said she believes the library is a place of connections — as witnessed by the e-mails she receives from former students.
Typically, she works graduation and sometimes can hardly go out and watch the procession of students — some of whom she's worked four years with and who will never come by again. This time, she'll join them.
"I'm going to have a hard time walking out of here during graduation," Barnett said. "I bet there'll be a tear in my eye."
Student tends to greenhouse plants
Senior Manuel Valle peers into his microscope and observes the mosaic patterns on his slide. The slide was produced by a company in North Carolina and stained specifically to help students identify different cellular structures. But the potted plant next to him, which serves to identify the slice of water lily on his slide, was grown in Strosacker's greenhouse under the watchful eye of junior Megan Saunders.
For the past year and a half, Saunders has swept the floor, watered, pruned, potted and re-potted the plants that make up the Strosacker Greenhouse. At the beginning of Saunders' sophomore year, Renessa Cooper, associate professor of biology, asked her if she was interested in plants. Saunders said yes and was soon watching over the greenhouse and its silent inhabitants.
"It's not a huge job," Saunders said. "But it's rewarding because you're working with your hands."
Cooper said the greenhouse produces plants needed for Biology 102, Evolution in Biodiversity and Botany. Occasionally, she'll take her students into the greenhouse to showcase the variety of plants, but in large, the florid room doesn't see too many visitors beyond the occasional student seeking extra credit, Cooper, the rare studier and Saunders.
"Visitors are welcome," Cooper said, "which is why we put a sign up."
One whole wall of the structure is dedicated to aloe plants. The flowering plant grows so much that Cooper said she often gives them away. But the greenhouse takes plants too. Cooper said when students own plants which have grown too large and unruly for a dorm room, they donate it to the biology department. During winter break, she also takes in plants while students are away.
Saunders said she occasionally helps move plants to botany labs, but often she simply feeds the aloes, the agave plant (a relative to the plant responsible for tequila), the rubber plants and the two dwarf banana trees. A few times a month, they're fertilized. Saunders said the banana trees, now a bit dried out, looked fantastic at the end of the summer. Cooper said they have yet to produce fruit.
One of the more colorful plants in the greenhouse, called the Anthurium, looks like it has an elongated grub jumping off a red leaf.
"These are actually flowers along this spadix," Saunders said, pointing towards the little dots covering the yellow edifice. "The red thing is actually called a spathe, but it's just an altered leaf."
Next, she points out a leafy plant with what looks like rice growing in the middle of its leaves.
"For the first couple of weeks I always thought it was covered in bugs so it sort of creeped me out when I saw it in the corner of my eye," Saunders said. The little growths are another method of disguising flowers.
Cooper points out a variety of plants after her botany lab. One species has existed virtually unchanged since dinosaurs roamed. Another, the pencil plant, stretches over two rubber plants, flanked by the aloes. A smaller one is knocked over.
"It's a jungle in there," She said. "But jungles are good."
Crews clear the path
It's 4 a.m. Jason Sellers rams his 2007 white GMC truck up against a pile of snow. He checks his mirrors for obstacles, backs up, slams his foot on the gas and rams the pile again. Sellers, along with five other members of the Hillsdale grounds crew, are tasked with clearing Hillsdale College's paths, roads and walks.
Sellers said the typical day for a grounds member starts at 7 a.m., but during the winter it can range from 3 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon. In the case of major storms, such as the snow storm last week, which dumped 5 to 14 inches of snow across southern Michigan, plowing may start at midnight.
"There are only five of us; and there's a lot of campus," Sellers said.
Grounds crew director Mike Wiseley said this year is especially bad. For one, the ever-falling snow prevents the crew from keeping the walks safe. There's also the matter of salt. Wiseley said a normal winter requires 50 tons of salt. This year, they've used 70 tons and have ordered another 50.
After that, there is the equipment. Wiseley said a broken tractor causes an avalanche of problems. First, a crew member and tractor are prevented from clearing snow. Second, retrieving the tractor takes time and manpower, allowing more snow to build up, in turn causing the whole crew to fall behind schedule. Finally, the cost of repairs have to be factored in, along with how the crew will catch up on its daily tasks, like garbage collection and moving furniture.
Today, they're down a member and a tractor.
Each member has a specific piece of equipment to use on their routes. They use two trucks with plows, two stieners, which move snow and spread salt, salt-spreaders and two toolcats – one of which has a massive brush for clearing walks and shooting snow several feet off the path it's clearing.
Wiseley's route has him pummeling snow in the parking lots of Moss, Kendall, Lane, the loading docks and Chi Omgea. He also stops to shovel the steps at Moss, Kendall, and Lane. The crew must also clear Hillsdale Academy, the gun range and various off-campus rentals. Each member has a similar regimen and each tries to be done by eight a.m.
Wiseley says some mornings are worse than others. Monday, Wiseley was down a man, a tractor and his plow. On top of that, Sellers backed into a telephone pole – which, Sellers said, is getting off pretty light.
Wiseley said the crew gets calls about snow needing to be removed - Sellers recalled a student complaining that the snow plows blocked his car in.
"Security went over there and they said they couldn't find a car that couldn't get out," Sellers said.
And that was that.
Cars and islands, Sellers said, are the biggest problems for a plower – they force the plower to stop and maneuver around the obstacle. The best lots, he said, "are the ones where you can build momentum and go straight across."
The best snow is cold and light. The heavier, the more problematic it can be for the equipment.
"When one thing breaks everything seems to follow it," Sellers said.
Sellers doesn't navigate the long mornings without some help. He tunes in to Q106, which plays the most music in the morning, and drinks Pepsi to keep awake.
"That's a pain in the butt," Wiseley said.
Sellers said the typical day for a grounds member starts at 7 a.m., but during the winter it can range from 3 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon. In the case of major storms, such as the snow storm last week, which dumped 5 to 14 inches of snow across southern Michigan, plowing may start at midnight.
"There are only five of us; and there's a lot of campus," Sellers said.
Grounds crew director Mike Wiseley said this year is especially bad. For one, the ever-falling snow prevents the crew from keeping the walks safe. There's also the matter of salt. Wiseley said a normal winter requires 50 tons of salt. This year, they've used 70 tons and have ordered another 50.
After that, there is the equipment. Wiseley said a broken tractor causes an avalanche of problems. First, a crew member and tractor are prevented from clearing snow. Second, retrieving the tractor takes time and manpower, allowing more snow to build up, in turn causing the whole crew to fall behind schedule. Finally, the cost of repairs have to be factored in, along with how the crew will catch up on its daily tasks, like garbage collection and moving furniture.
Today, they're down a member and a tractor.
Each member has a specific piece of equipment to use on their routes. They use two trucks with plows, two stieners, which move snow and spread salt, salt-spreaders and two toolcats – one of which has a massive brush for clearing walks and shooting snow several feet off the path it's clearing.
Wiseley's route has him pummeling snow in the parking lots of Moss, Kendall, Lane, the loading docks and Chi Omgea. He also stops to shovel the steps at Moss, Kendall, and Lane. The crew must also clear Hillsdale Academy, the gun range and various off-campus rentals. Each member has a similar regimen and each tries to be done by eight a.m.
Wiseley says some mornings are worse than others. Monday, Wiseley was down a man, a tractor and his plow. On top of that, Sellers backed into a telephone pole – which, Sellers said, is getting off pretty light.
Wiseley said the crew gets calls about snow needing to be removed - Sellers recalled a student complaining that the snow plows blocked his car in.
"Security went over there and they said they couldn't find a car that couldn't get out," Sellers said.
And that was that.
Cars and islands, Sellers said, are the biggest problems for a plower – they force the plower to stop and maneuver around the obstacle. The best lots, he said, "are the ones where you can build momentum and go straight across."
The best snow is cold and light. The heavier, the more problematic it can be for the equipment.
"When one thing breaks everything seems to follow it," Sellers said.
Sellers doesn't navigate the long mornings without some help. He tunes in to Q106, which plays the most music in the morning, and drinks Pepsi to keep awake.
"That's a pain in the butt," Wiseley said.
Students seek off-campus spots
So far, he hasn't heard of any approval from the College.
Victoria Landen would like to cook her renowned Cajun/Thai shrimp platter in the convenience of her own kitchen. Though she has been approved for off-campus living, the junior hasn't nailed down the number of roommates she'll have. Despite the competition for off-campus living, 173 women applied this year, it's no chip on her shoulder.
"I'm just looking for a kitchen, a bedroom and a door that locks," Landen said. "And a place with internet."
She said, however, she doesn't much care. While it would be nice to have a kitchen to herself, she'd also like to no worry about furnishing an apartment.
Dean of Women Diane Phillip said for the past five years more students have been given permission to live off campus. This year, with a 20 percent increase in applicants to Hillsdale College, the administration is taking particular care in arranging student's living quarters.
"The benefits of living off campus can be gained by living in the Suites," Landen said.
Phillip said the off-campus list constantly moves as prospective students decide where to go to college, and if students who've applied for off-campus and received permission change their mind.
But Beatrice said college students shouldn't need permission to live off of College property.
"It doesn't treat us like adults," he said.
But Phillip said the College needs to fill beds so it can make money to operate.
"We have to fill beds to remain fiscally responsible," Phillip said.
This is the first year Hillsdale College has passed the 1,400 student milestone. Though the number of students are increasing, the College has no plans to grow the number of dorms. Phillip said the school plans to keep the student body around the 1,400 mark.
"Resident halls, the cafeteria, everything is pressed hard when you get close to that magic number," Phillip said. "If we have 10 more students coming in and we need some to go off campus we'll call them as late as June. Usually it's not a big problem."
It was a big problem last year when plans to convert Koon Residence into a men's dormitory were dropped to accommodate incoming freshman women. When this happened, Phillip said Dean of Men Aaron Petersen had a group of men on the waiting list, including freshman, who were given off-campus permission.
Phillip said such an issue won't happen this year, as Koon is being converted back into a men's dormitory.
Off-campus permission is determined by year: seniors first, then juniors, followed by any sophomores or freshman. Phillip said Hillsdale used to give permission based on general credit hours, but after sophomores began to bump juniors from the off-campus list the administration changed the rules to Hillsdale credit hours only.
Beatrice said if he doesn't get off campus, he can live in the Sigma Chi fraternity house or in the dorms, though he'd prefer living downtown by the railroads where he and his brothers would live. Where living is less expensive.
The war over wind
Nearly 200 Reading residents flooded Owens High School auditorium last Monday in order to discuss a possible wind energy project affecting Reading Township. At the center of contention was an ordinance passed last December, which set the township standards for wind energy development.
The current ordinance was passed by the Reading Township Board after receiving recommendations from the Reading Planning Commission. But the Township Board had some recommendations eased, making it easier for wind turbines to be built and for residents to be outraged — particularly over possible health, such as sound from the turbines and property value issues.
Township attorney Kevin Shirk, who drafted the ordinance passed by the Reading Township Board, said the ordinance is one of the strictest in Michigan.
Shirk said he was concerned over the Planning Commission's initial article for sound level standards, which would have required a developer to make a background sound check from every property in the township — a standard he believed to be unenforceable.
"If a developer can prove an ordinance is unenforceable," Shirk said. "That ordinance will fall."
Instead, Shirk followed the Township Board's instructions to make the ordinance feasible while following the planning commission's recommendations as closely as possible.
Gretchen Oberdick, secretary for the Reading Planning Commission said the commission's recommendations should've been stronger. "If we could, I would like a do-over for this ordinance."
The current ordinance states that any sound emitted from a turbine cannot exceed 45 decibels at any participating property line. Nor can it exceed 40 decibels at the property line of any non-participating property. The state of Michigan suggests sound levels for wind turbine districts should not exceed 50 decibels. By comparison, a typical conversation between two people three feet apart is 60 to 70 decibels.
"All the data driven facts that we've amassed with the Wind Energy Association says 45 decibels are well within comfort levels of wind farms," Duke Energy spokesman Greg Efthimiou said.
Milton R. Howard, vice president of Wind Energy, a part of Duke Energy, had a letter circulated during the town hall meeting that said "an anti-wind energy group has been circulating misinformation... about the wind energy industry."
"These individuals," Howard wrote in a letter to the residents of Reading, "who may or may not be local residents, appear to be perpetuating myths about health effects form wind turbines, property value impacts, tax revenues and other topics."
Lee Tonnies, '75 Hillsdale alumnus, is the voice behind savereading.org, a website opposing wind turbines in Reading. Tonnies said she hasn't spread misinformation, and she's not against wind energy. She said she believes Reading doesn't have enough space for turbines to safely operate. She also said a study argued the announcement of turbines can drop property value up to 40 percent.
Efthimiou said the United States Department of Energy conducted a study finding no correlation between the presence of wind farms and loss in property value. He said a study done by the state of Michigan finds Reading to have enough resources for commercial wind energy, and that Duke Energy has been measuring wind power and direction for two years — taking into account height, different seasons and different times of the day.
The turbines, built by Duke Energy, may be spread out in a 12,000 acre area and provide up to 100 megawatts of energy to customers. Though Duke Energy has yet to announce the number of turbines to be built, Efthimiou said a typical utility-scale turbine provides anywhere between 1.5 to 2.3 megawatts. The current township overlay surrounds the city of Reading and borders Camden, Cambria and Allen Townships.
Currently, the township has a six-month moratorium on wind energy development, and will seek to review the ordinance. Duke Energy plans to hold an informational open house Saturday, March 12 in Reynolds Elementary School gymnasium in Reading.
The current ordinance was passed by the Reading Township Board after receiving recommendations from the Reading Planning Commission. But the Township Board had some recommendations eased, making it easier for wind turbines to be built and for residents to be outraged — particularly over possible health, such as sound from the turbines and property value issues.
Township attorney Kevin Shirk, who drafted the ordinance passed by the Reading Township Board, said the ordinance is one of the strictest in Michigan.
Shirk said he was concerned over the Planning Commission's initial article for sound level standards, which would have required a developer to make a background sound check from every property in the township — a standard he believed to be unenforceable.
"If a developer can prove an ordinance is unenforceable," Shirk said. "That ordinance will fall."
Instead, Shirk followed the Township Board's instructions to make the ordinance feasible while following the planning commission's recommendations as closely as possible.
Gretchen Oberdick, secretary for the Reading Planning Commission said the commission's recommendations should've been stronger. "If we could, I would like a do-over for this ordinance."
The current ordinance states that any sound emitted from a turbine cannot exceed 45 decibels at any participating property line. Nor can it exceed 40 decibels at the property line of any non-participating property. The state of Michigan suggests sound levels for wind turbine districts should not exceed 50 decibels. By comparison, a typical conversation between two people three feet apart is 60 to 70 decibels.
"All the data driven facts that we've amassed with the Wind Energy Association says 45 decibels are well within comfort levels of wind farms," Duke Energy spokesman Greg Efthimiou said.
Milton R. Howard, vice president of Wind Energy, a part of Duke Energy, had a letter circulated during the town hall meeting that said "an anti-wind energy group has been circulating misinformation... about the wind energy industry."
"These individuals," Howard wrote in a letter to the residents of Reading, "who may or may not be local residents, appear to be perpetuating myths about health effects form wind turbines, property value impacts, tax revenues and other topics."
Lee Tonnies, '75 Hillsdale alumnus, is the voice behind savereading.org, a website opposing wind turbines in Reading. Tonnies said she hasn't spread misinformation, and she's not against wind energy. She said she believes Reading doesn't have enough space for turbines to safely operate. She also said a study argued the announcement of turbines can drop property value up to 40 percent.
Efthimiou said the United States Department of Energy conducted a study finding no correlation between the presence of wind farms and loss in property value. He said a study done by the state of Michigan finds Reading to have enough resources for commercial wind energy, and that Duke Energy has been measuring wind power and direction for two years — taking into account height, different seasons and different times of the day.
The turbines, built by Duke Energy, may be spread out in a 12,000 acre area and provide up to 100 megawatts of energy to customers. Though Duke Energy has yet to announce the number of turbines to be built, Efthimiou said a typical utility-scale turbine provides anywhere between 1.5 to 2.3 megawatts. The current township overlay surrounds the city of Reading and borders Camden, Cambria and Allen Townships.
Currently, the township has a six-month moratorium on wind energy development, and will seek to review the ordinance. Duke Energy plans to hold an informational open house Saturday, March 12 in Reynolds Elementary School gymnasium in Reading.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Students in Suites taken to hospital; alcohol involved
After drinking in the Suites, two students paid a visit to the Hillsdale Community Hospital for possible alcohol poisoning this past Saturday.
Junior John Burtka, a resident assistant in the Suites, said the two persons involved, a man and woman, were released later that night. He said this was the first time anyone in the Suites had to go to the hospital because of alcohol.
Dean Men Aaron Petersen said security requested an ambulance because they feared alcohol poisoning.
Burtka, the resident assistant on call Saturday night, said he was notified around 11:15 p.m., after the resident assistant on duty, junior Julia Dellaira, called 911.
A source requesting anonymity said they believed one of the students fell down the Suites stairwell, prompting the call to 911.
Petersen said the dean's office has reacted strongly to Saturday's incident, not only with the individuals involved, but with the residents of the Suites as well.
Burtka said he believes there's a frequent number of alcohol violations in the Suites.
"But most students keep to themselves and are quiet in their own rooms," he said.
House Director Patricia Corboy declined to comment on the issue, saying it was a "private issue" where students "had too much to drink."
Another disciplinary issue occurred in Simpson Hall last week, requiring the presence of campus security. RAs and Petersen said they were not at liberty to discuss the matter.
Liz Essley contributed to this report.
Junior John Burtka, a resident assistant in the Suites, said the two persons involved, a man and woman, were released later that night. He said this was the first time anyone in the Suites had to go to the hospital because of alcohol.
Dean Men Aaron Petersen said security requested an ambulance because they feared alcohol poisoning.
Burtka, the resident assistant on call Saturday night, said he was notified around 11:15 p.m., after the resident assistant on duty, junior Julia Dellaira, called 911.
A source requesting anonymity said they believed one of the students fell down the Suites stairwell, prompting the call to 911.
Petersen said the dean's office has reacted strongly to Saturday's incident, not only with the individuals involved, but with the residents of the Suites as well.
Burtka said he believes there's a frequent number of alcohol violations in the Suites.
"But most students keep to themselves and are quiet in their own rooms," he said.
House Director Patricia Corboy declined to comment on the issue, saying it was a "private issue" where students "had too much to drink."
Another disciplinary issue occurred in Simpson Hall last week, requiring the presence of campus security. RAs and Petersen said they were not at liberty to discuss the matter.
Liz Essley contributed to this report.
Science department studies with high tech equipment
Assistant Professor of Chemistry Matthew Young holds up a jar of what appears to be wine.
"This," he says, "has gold nanoparticles in it."
Nanoparticles are tiny, tiny objects. A nanometer is a unit on the metric scale equal to one billionth of a meter. When metal particles are reduced in size on the nanoscale, Young said, they take on different properties. Gold, for example, takes on the color red.
Junior Paul Schmitt participated in a physical chemistry lab last semester. On the nanoscale, he and his classmates tried to transform spherical nanometals into triangular prisms when introduced to light. It didn't work, but this summer Schmitt is assisting Young on a research project focused on antibiotic molecules.
Young said in some instances antibiotics pass through an animal without being consumed. If the antibiotic is released in soil and reaches a water supply, bacteria can build immunity to antibiotics, causing sickness, he said. To understand how the antibiotics move, the project uses two instruments: the Atomic Force Microscope and the Raman Spectrometer.
Schmitt will use the Raman Spectrometer this summer. The instrument measures the movement of molecules using a laser. It's hidden in a corner of Strosacker and doesn't look a thing like a laser should. Instead, it looks like a big black box with black stands scattering a table. That box is only a small part of a larger mechanism. The actual laser is housed in a small, cigarette-like container. It's 15 times more powerful than a pen laser.
"It can do some real damage," senior Sean Holmes said.
Schmitt will be using the spectrometer this summer when he begins researching antibiotics. Holmes said the machine's laser projects a fine green light. That light goes through various lenses until a very specific wavelength is left. The wavelength is shone onto a sample in a liquid solution, Holmes said, when it hits a molecule the light will give off a different, but faint, wavelength. The large detector then picks the wavelength up and analyzes it.
Holmes said the sample could be washed with water and re-measured to detect any movement.
Before the Spectrometer comes the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), which is used to analyze the surface the antibiotic will be placed on. Young said they'll use a material called mineral oxide to simulate soil. Schmitt said this limits the variables in the sample.
The AFM is shared by the physics and chemistry departments. It is capable of measuring an atom, but it's not being used to measure atoms currently. Assistant Professor of Physics Cyrill Slezak said that while the college's AFM is capable, it must be set up in unique mechanism using bungee cords, pointing to a black bucket in the corner. But even then there's no guarantee that it will work — someone walking down the hall could cause enough vibration to miss a measurement.
"Most of the time you're looking at large structures," Slezak said.
By large, he means about 100 nanometers, the size of a transistor on a computer chip, small enough that optical microscopes won't work. The AFM's actual scanning mechanism protrudes from a cantilever and is so small that it can't be seen using an optical microscope. It's only a few atoms wide.
To scan, light is shone on the back of the cantilever as a metal disk carrying the sample is moved underneath it. As the cantilever moves with the sample's topography, so does the light, which is picked up, constructing an image.
Schmitt said if everything goes well this summer, he'll complete his senior thesis before the next school year begins.
"I'm always pleasantly surprised at the level of capabilities here. You'd be hard pressed to find another school our size with a similar level of instrumentation," Schmitt said.
"This," he says, "has gold nanoparticles in it."
Nanoparticles are tiny, tiny objects. A nanometer is a unit on the metric scale equal to one billionth of a meter. When metal particles are reduced in size on the nanoscale, Young said, they take on different properties. Gold, for example, takes on the color red.
Junior Paul Schmitt participated in a physical chemistry lab last semester. On the nanoscale, he and his classmates tried to transform spherical nanometals into triangular prisms when introduced to light. It didn't work, but this summer Schmitt is assisting Young on a research project focused on antibiotic molecules.
Young said in some instances antibiotics pass through an animal without being consumed. If the antibiotic is released in soil and reaches a water supply, bacteria can build immunity to antibiotics, causing sickness, he said. To understand how the antibiotics move, the project uses two instruments: the Atomic Force Microscope and the Raman Spectrometer.
Schmitt will use the Raman Spectrometer this summer. The instrument measures the movement of molecules using a laser. It's hidden in a corner of Strosacker and doesn't look a thing like a laser should. Instead, it looks like a big black box with black stands scattering a table. That box is only a small part of a larger mechanism. The actual laser is housed in a small, cigarette-like container. It's 15 times more powerful than a pen laser.
"It can do some real damage," senior Sean Holmes said.
Schmitt will be using the spectrometer this summer when he begins researching antibiotics. Holmes said the machine's laser projects a fine green light. That light goes through various lenses until a very specific wavelength is left. The wavelength is shone onto a sample in a liquid solution, Holmes said, when it hits a molecule the light will give off a different, but faint, wavelength. The large detector then picks the wavelength up and analyzes it.
Holmes said the sample could be washed with water and re-measured to detect any movement.
Before the Spectrometer comes the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), which is used to analyze the surface the antibiotic will be placed on. Young said they'll use a material called mineral oxide to simulate soil. Schmitt said this limits the variables in the sample.
The AFM is shared by the physics and chemistry departments. It is capable of measuring an atom, but it's not being used to measure atoms currently. Assistant Professor of Physics Cyrill Slezak said that while the college's AFM is capable, it must be set up in unique mechanism using bungee cords, pointing to a black bucket in the corner. But even then there's no guarantee that it will work — someone walking down the hall could cause enough vibration to miss a measurement.
"Most of the time you're looking at large structures," Slezak said.
By large, he means about 100 nanometers, the size of a transistor on a computer chip, small enough that optical microscopes won't work. The AFM's actual scanning mechanism protrudes from a cantilever and is so small that it can't be seen using an optical microscope. It's only a few atoms wide.
To scan, light is shone on the back of the cantilever as a metal disk carrying the sample is moved underneath it. As the cantilever moves with the sample's topography, so does the light, which is picked up, constructing an image.
Schmitt said if everything goes well this summer, he'll complete his senior thesis before the next school year begins.
"I'm always pleasantly surprised at the level of capabilities here. You'd be hard pressed to find another school our size with a similar level of instrumentation," Schmitt said.
An underground railroad of history
Mike Venturini plops into the armchair in his home, the Munro House. He found his old house in an ad online when he searched for vacation bed and breakfast houses near Rome, Italy. His wife had him click on the link and they bought it. They moved in with their two black Scottish terriers Ozzie and Gilly and continue to run the bed and breakfast. They give tours of the house to elementary students.
They give tours not because it's the oldest standing house in Hillsdale, not because it was the first brick house in the county, and not even because its founder, George Munro, who built Jonesville's first mill, hardware store and hotel, traded and befriended Potawatomi Chief Baw Beese. It's toured because, legend has it, the house was a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Munro bought the federal style wood frame house in 1834 after successful trading ventures with Chief Baw Beese. In 1840 Munro planned a grand expansion, adding a new front and two wings. According to a Jonesville historical pamphlet, a publisher said the new house was "a landmark to the dawn of civilization in southern Michigan." People drove for miles to see it. It was a sensation.
When Munro designed the extensions, he requested odd dimensions. Venturini said the main house has a 12-foot ceiling. The north wing, now a bedroom for bed and breakfast guests, is 20 feet wide and has a 10-foot ceiling. The room behind it, which in Munro's time was used to store firewood for his 10 fireplaces, is 7 feet high. A space 20 feet long, 6 feet wide and 5 feet high is unaccounted for.
Today, if you go into the bathroom and look at the white ceiling, you'll notice a small square for an attic entrance — an attic entrance on the first floor of a three story building.
This is where Munro was rumored to hide runaway slaves. By hiding standards, it was fairly comfortable, room enough for 10 people and two separate rooms. You could almost stand upright.
Venturini said no one can know for sure if the Munro House was a part of the Underground Railroad; it was an illegal activity so no documents were preserved. He said Munro lived during the right time and Hillsdale Historian, Dan Bisher, said Munro was a well-known abolitionist.
"I can't think of anything else it would be used for in that point in time," Venturini said.
To add credence to the legend, former Munro House owner Joyce Yarde said an archeology team from Michigan State University came to Munro house to look for secret tunnels, one evidence of Underground Railroad activity. Venturini said the group scoured the basement, which was attached to the original frame of the house via corridor, but didn't find anything — until they left.
During the 1940's, a part of the house was knocked down by Munro House owner Hugh Keys to make room for a garage. He poured concrete and laid a foundation. He bought the house for $1 and a promise to restore it.
Venturini said the team was leaving the basement and heading up a set of stairs when a student stopped and looked at the corridor's walls.
"He stopped and said, ‘Guys, we're in the tunnel,'" Venturini said.
Venturini said the tunnel was disguised by a flight of stairs and the concrete foundation of Keys' garage. The original tunnel spanned 200 feet and connected the Munro House to Munro's Carriage house. Yarde said the tunnel was used to get slaves into and out of the house, before they left for "Midnight," Underground Railroad code for Detroit and freedom in Canada.
It is estimated that 100,000 slaves were freed by the Underground Railroad. Roughly 45,000 slaves followed the drinking gourd, a code for the big dipper and the northern star, to southern Michigan. Houses participating in the Underground Railroad can be found all over southern Michigan.
Yarde said safe houses were identified by quilts hanging in the front lawn. The quilts had a particular pattern, called a log cabin, with a black square in the middle. Yarde said these quilts were common for the times. The Episcopal church in Jonesville, founded by Munro, is thought to be a part of the Underground Railroad as well.
Yarde said the house was searched several times. If caught, the slaves would be returned to their owners. If Munro was caught, he could serve six months in jail and pay $1,000. He was never caught.
Venturini said he enjoys showing elementary students where and how the slaves hid.
"It's a piece of history," he said. "It's interesting, you can bring to life the importance of the Underground Railroad."
Yarde agrees. She said a student once asked what the runaway slaves did for food.
"He said ‘McDonald's closes at 11,'" Yarde said. "I hope they never tear that house down."
They give tours not because it's the oldest standing house in Hillsdale, not because it was the first brick house in the county, and not even because its founder, George Munro, who built Jonesville's first mill, hardware store and hotel, traded and befriended Potawatomi Chief Baw Beese. It's toured because, legend has it, the house was a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Munro bought the federal style wood frame house in 1834 after successful trading ventures with Chief Baw Beese. In 1840 Munro planned a grand expansion, adding a new front and two wings. According to a Jonesville historical pamphlet, a publisher said the new house was "a landmark to the dawn of civilization in southern Michigan." People drove for miles to see it. It was a sensation.
When Munro designed the extensions, he requested odd dimensions. Venturini said the main house has a 12-foot ceiling. The north wing, now a bedroom for bed and breakfast guests, is 20 feet wide and has a 10-foot ceiling. The room behind it, which in Munro's time was used to store firewood for his 10 fireplaces, is 7 feet high. A space 20 feet long, 6 feet wide and 5 feet high is unaccounted for.
Today, if you go into the bathroom and look at the white ceiling, you'll notice a small square for an attic entrance — an attic entrance on the first floor of a three story building.
This is where Munro was rumored to hide runaway slaves. By hiding standards, it was fairly comfortable, room enough for 10 people and two separate rooms. You could almost stand upright.
Venturini said no one can know for sure if the Munro House was a part of the Underground Railroad; it was an illegal activity so no documents were preserved. He said Munro lived during the right time and Hillsdale Historian, Dan Bisher, said Munro was a well-known abolitionist.
"I can't think of anything else it would be used for in that point in time," Venturini said.
To add credence to the legend, former Munro House owner Joyce Yarde said an archeology team from Michigan State University came to Munro house to look for secret tunnels, one evidence of Underground Railroad activity. Venturini said the group scoured the basement, which was attached to the original frame of the house via corridor, but didn't find anything — until they left.
During the 1940's, a part of the house was knocked down by Munro House owner Hugh Keys to make room for a garage. He poured concrete and laid a foundation. He bought the house for $1 and a promise to restore it.
Venturini said the team was leaving the basement and heading up a set of stairs when a student stopped and looked at the corridor's walls.
"He stopped and said, ‘Guys, we're in the tunnel,'" Venturini said.
Venturini said the tunnel was disguised by a flight of stairs and the concrete foundation of Keys' garage. The original tunnel spanned 200 feet and connected the Munro House to Munro's Carriage house. Yarde said the tunnel was used to get slaves into and out of the house, before they left for "Midnight," Underground Railroad code for Detroit and freedom in Canada.
It is estimated that 100,000 slaves were freed by the Underground Railroad. Roughly 45,000 slaves followed the drinking gourd, a code for the big dipper and the northern star, to southern Michigan. Houses participating in the Underground Railroad can be found all over southern Michigan.
Yarde said safe houses were identified by quilts hanging in the front lawn. The quilts had a particular pattern, called a log cabin, with a black square in the middle. Yarde said these quilts were common for the times. The Episcopal church in Jonesville, founded by Munro, is thought to be a part of the Underground Railroad as well.
Yarde said the house was searched several times. If caught, the slaves would be returned to their owners. If Munro was caught, he could serve six months in jail and pay $1,000. He was never caught.
Venturini said he enjoys showing elementary students where and how the slaves hid.
"It's a piece of history," he said. "It's interesting, you can bring to life the importance of the Underground Railroad."
Yarde agrees. She said a student once asked what the runaway slaves did for food.
"He said ‘McDonald's closes at 11,'" Yarde said. "I hope they never tear that house down."
Shooting the breeze about wind energy
Eleven tables lined the walls of the Reynolds Elementary School gymnasium in Reading, Mich. They had informational brochures, packets full of bulletin points and a video showing workers hurrying to construct a wind turbine. But it wasn't 350 students who were instructed on the potential benefits wind energy — it was Reading residents.
Recently, Reading township passed a controversial ordinance accelerating the possibility of wind turbines being built within the area. While some are in favor of the construction, others aren't, claiming the turbines are detrimental to both property and health.
Duke Energy, a company planning to build turbines in the area, held an open house last Saturday in order to alleviate concerns.
"I don't feel like I was getting the straight answer," Gretchen Oberdick said, who came to the event with several other friends and compared notes.
She said they were all getting different answers. Oberdick, who's the secretary for the Reading Planning Commission, also helps with a website, savereading.org, which opposes wind turbines in Reading township.
She's concerned about the turbines interfering with broadcast signals, which, she said, has been documented by the National Broadcast Society and the Michigan Broadcast Society.
She's also concerned that some FAA maps she brought on wind energy being considered bogus by representatives, she said.
Al Slusher, a local farmer, leased his land to Duke Energy two years ago. He believes the project will bring more revenue to the area. He's not convinced of potential health problems because he's dealt with turbines before.
"Several people said they're noisy," Slusher said. "I don't think you could whisper low enough to make as much noise as they do. They talked about health problems, but I'm sure these cell phones they put up to their ear cause more problems."
Milton Howard, vice president of wind development at Duke Energy, said if the project does go forward, land owners, especially farmers, will receive money from tax revenues.
"Farmers want this to happen," Howard said. "If they have a bad year, they don't have anything to lean on."
Duke Energy spokesman Greg Efthimiou said the open house would provide the opportunity for residents to ask questions about wind energy in Hillsdale County.
"I'd say about 90 percent of the people here are positive about the wind turbines," he said "I think about 5 percent are still concerned, and the other five are very concerned."
Reading Resident Bill Moyer said he favors wind energy because it's the only other resource Hillsdale has besides Hillsdale College. His wife Sandy Moyer said she was a bit more skeptical of wind energy.
Tom Galloway was one of the first Reading residents to be involved with the Hillsdale Windpower Project. Duke Energy called Galloway two-and-a-half years ago asking permission to place a meteorological tower on his property. He was in Iowa when they called. He said yes.
"If nothing more, it'll generate a little excitement in the area," Galloway said. "I call it the ‘neat factor.'"
Galloway said he believes it's a good opportunity and use of land.
Howard said the company has acquired about 9,000 acres of lease land agreements in Allen, Cambria and Camden township and hopes to gain 3,000 more for buffering space.
Overall, he said the open house was a success, allowing residents to become more informed.
"The more we can communicate, the better," he said.
Recently, Reading township passed a controversial ordinance accelerating the possibility of wind turbines being built within the area. While some are in favor of the construction, others aren't, claiming the turbines are detrimental to both property and health.
Duke Energy, a company planning to build turbines in the area, held an open house last Saturday in order to alleviate concerns.
"I don't feel like I was getting the straight answer," Gretchen Oberdick said, who came to the event with several other friends and compared notes.
She said they were all getting different answers. Oberdick, who's the secretary for the Reading Planning Commission, also helps with a website, savereading.org, which opposes wind turbines in Reading township.
She's concerned about the turbines interfering with broadcast signals, which, she said, has been documented by the National Broadcast Society and the Michigan Broadcast Society.
She's also concerned that some FAA maps she brought on wind energy being considered bogus by representatives, she said.
Al Slusher, a local farmer, leased his land to Duke Energy two years ago. He believes the project will bring more revenue to the area. He's not convinced of potential health problems because he's dealt with turbines before.
"Several people said they're noisy," Slusher said. "I don't think you could whisper low enough to make as much noise as they do. They talked about health problems, but I'm sure these cell phones they put up to their ear cause more problems."
Milton Howard, vice president of wind development at Duke Energy, said if the project does go forward, land owners, especially farmers, will receive money from tax revenues.
"Farmers want this to happen," Howard said. "If they have a bad year, they don't have anything to lean on."
Duke Energy spokesman Greg Efthimiou said the open house would provide the opportunity for residents to ask questions about wind energy in Hillsdale County.
"I'd say about 90 percent of the people here are positive about the wind turbines," he said "I think about 5 percent are still concerned, and the other five are very concerned."
Reading Resident Bill Moyer said he favors wind energy because it's the only other resource Hillsdale has besides Hillsdale College. His wife Sandy Moyer said she was a bit more skeptical of wind energy.
Tom Galloway was one of the first Reading residents to be involved with the Hillsdale Windpower Project. Duke Energy called Galloway two-and-a-half years ago asking permission to place a meteorological tower on his property. He was in Iowa when they called. He said yes.
"If nothing more, it'll generate a little excitement in the area," Galloway said. "I call it the ‘neat factor.'"
Galloway said he believes it's a good opportunity and use of land.
Howard said the company has acquired about 9,000 acres of lease land agreements in Allen, Cambria and Camden township and hopes to gain 3,000 more for buffering space.
Overall, he said the open house was a success, allowing residents to become more informed.
"The more we can communicate, the better," he said.
Jackson no longer birthplace of GOP
Small green signs surrounding Jackson, Mich., declare the city as the "Birthplace of the Republican Party." But if it were up to the Republican National Committee, those signs would be removed.
According to Chairman of the Jackson Republican Party Hank Choate, the RNC removed Jackson's status as the birthplace of the Republican Party from its website.
The fact that RNC Chairman Reince Priebus received a framed map of Ripon, a small town of 7,000 in eastern Wisconsin, with the words
"Birthplace of the GOP" inscribed in brass on the front of the map has a few raising their eyebrows. It doesn't help that Priebus is the former head of the Republican Party in Wisconsin.
Nor does it help that Priebus was the keynote speaker at a Ripon Society dinner last Thursday. The conservative think tank takes its name, according to its website, from "the birthplace of the Republican Party."
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder begged to differ last Monday at the Jackson County GOP's 116th annual Lincoln Day Dinner. Snyder gave the keynote speech. In it, he said he corrected Wisconsin officials about the Republican Party's beginnings.
"It just seems like a pretty stupid thing to do at this point in time," sophomore Baillie Jones said. Jones, a Hillsdale College Republican, said there are bigger fish to fry.
According to Choate, the "Who We Are" section of the RNC's website mentioned both Jackson and Ripon as playing significant parts in the formation of the Republican Party. Ripon hosted an informal meeting in a schoolhouse where citizens, upset with the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, came up with the name "Republican" for a new political movement.
However, Jackson has the unique distinction of holding the first official meeting of Republicans on July 6, 1854.
That history no longer exists on the RNC's website.
Instead, it states "Republicans became a national party in 1856 by nominating John C. Fremont for President."
Choate said Jackson's role in the history of Republican Party is not on the website, but should be back up soon.
"But the party is bigger than where the birthplace is," he said.
At least four other cities claim to be the birthplace of the Republican Party.
According to the Michigan Historical Center, the Republican Party was birthed "Under the Oaks" in Jackson when a state convention of anti-slavery men was held. So many people arrived for the convention that it was moved out of a hall to an oak grove called "Morgan's Forty."
Lola Peterson has been a Jackson County political activist since 1976.
She raised $40,000 to help establish "Under the Oaks" as a park. She's proud of Jackson's claim but said the Republican party shouldn't get involved in petty bickering over its birthplace.
"You will find that adults will get worked out of shape over things they shouldn't quite worry about," she said.
Republican County Commissioner Parke Hayes said he'll always consider Jackson to be the Republican Party's birthplace.
"In the eyes of a lot of people it'll always be Jackson County," Hayes said. "Will it make a big difference? Probably not. But as far as I'm concerned, it's Jackson."
County commissioners cut two districts
The Hillsdale County Apportionment Committee has cut the number of county districts by two in a meeting last Thursday in order to cut county costs. Both county chairs of the Democratic and Republican parties, the county clerk, the treasurer and the prosecuting attorney attended the meeting, which by law must be held after every nation-wide census.
The committee passed the motion 4-1. County Republican chair Mike Clark dissented, saying he was concerned about setting a number of commissioners without the population number for the whole county.
County Treasurer Gary Leininger, said the committee had an opportunity to address Hillsdale County's money problems by cutting two commissioners off the current seven-member board. He said each commissioner is paid $20,000 and receives $10,000 in health benefits, totaling $30,000 per year.
In addition, Leininger said future ballot costs will go down "because the more splits you have, the higher the cost to run elections."
County Clerk Marney Kast agreed. She said she must purchase different ballots for each school district under the current seven-member board. She also has to include parents whose student lives in one district but goes to school in another, driving up the cost and adding waste in each election.
"I have to buy a minimum of 25 ballots, plus coding and testing ballots on top of that," Kast said. "So you would see a tremendous amount of waste."
Kast said the bigger the election, the higher the cost. She said she expects to pay roughly $30,000 for the August primary election.
Leininger said with a five-member commissioner board, the districts will be evenly split, preventing the city of Hillsdale from being broken into two districts.
The committee plans to vote on district lines at their next meeting, which hasn't been set due to problems getting accurate 2010 census data. Kast said she was unable to download the population count in each census tract in Hillsdale County and hopes to have more accurate numbers by the next meeting.
"We've been urged by the governor and others to do everything we can to reduce the cost of government," Leininger said. "There's an opportunity for us to address that issue right here in Hillsdale County."
Hillsdale may be political, but don’t complain about it
Hillsdale has attracted the attention of "The newspaper of Capitol Hill," Roll Call. The paper recently wrote an article about the Kirby Center, our new fangled constitutional-education-and-intern-housing-center on Capitol Hill. That article inspired one of our own, entitled "Political or Civic?" begging the question if Hillsdale focuses far too much on politics in general. Well, it's no secret –– it does, and rightly so.
It's the nature of our school. Its political frame is written into our mission statement. To say that Hillsdale College, a school which fervently worships Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln (perhaps a little less so on the last one) in one breath, isn't fundamentally conservative takes either a willful amount of ignorance or the ability to lie like a politician.
On campus, there's a cold war between libertarians and conservatives, and the handful of liberals that do exist (they're out there, really!) are either silent or forgotten.
So, yes, we are a political school, but we're also a school concerned with science, athletics, language, theology, economics and biology. For example, our biology program offers trips to study in Africa and the Caribbean. Our economic and business programs offers students tremendous experiences with internships and lunches with well-known CEOs. Our physics and chemistry programs have instruments you won't find at other colleges our size or larger.
So while politics may be the defining part of our college, it doesn't define it in its entirety. Our focus is unfairly aimed at our politics because, well, that's what riles people up and grabs attention. In fact, Hillsdale's politics is probably why you came here.
Most other universities on the Hill, such as the University of Ohio, can be found in a lobbyist office. David Bobb, director of the Kirby Center, said Hillsdale College isn't. And, yes, the center may turn out lobbyists, which is great for students who wish re-live Thank You for Smoking, but it isn't the center's focus. Constitutional enlightenment is.
That and providing Hillsdale students with unique opportunities. The Kirby Center is a great move for the college and establishes excellent connections for any students interested in working in Washington D.C. or in politics.
We like to complain a lot at Hillsdale –– how the economics of Saga is a less than stellar deal for students, how a potential theology requirement in the core could alter the spirit of individuality at school which prides itself on individualism and how all work and no play makes Jack a Hillsdale student.
There's nothing wrong with embracing Hillsdale's political nature, even if you don't agree with it. Rarely, if ever, do we stop to say "Hey, we have a pretty good set-up here." Well, as much as it pains me to say that we do, we do.
It's the nature of our school. Its political frame is written into our mission statement. To say that Hillsdale College, a school which fervently worships Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln (perhaps a little less so on the last one) in one breath, isn't fundamentally conservative takes either a willful amount of ignorance or the ability to lie like a politician.
On campus, there's a cold war between libertarians and conservatives, and the handful of liberals that do exist (they're out there, really!) are either silent or forgotten.
So, yes, we are a political school, but we're also a school concerned with science, athletics, language, theology, economics and biology. For example, our biology program offers trips to study in Africa and the Caribbean. Our economic and business programs offers students tremendous experiences with internships and lunches with well-known CEOs. Our physics and chemistry programs have instruments you won't find at other colleges our size or larger.
So while politics may be the defining part of our college, it doesn't define it in its entirety. Our focus is unfairly aimed at our politics because, well, that's what riles people up and grabs attention. In fact, Hillsdale's politics is probably why you came here.
Most other universities on the Hill, such as the University of Ohio, can be found in a lobbyist office. David Bobb, director of the Kirby Center, said Hillsdale College isn't. And, yes, the center may turn out lobbyists, which is great for students who wish re-live Thank You for Smoking, but it isn't the center's focus. Constitutional enlightenment is.
That and providing Hillsdale students with unique opportunities. The Kirby Center is a great move for the college and establishes excellent connections for any students interested in working in Washington D.C. or in politics.
We like to complain a lot at Hillsdale –– how the economics of Saga is a less than stellar deal for students, how a potential theology requirement in the core could alter the spirit of individuality at school which prides itself on individualism and how all work and no play makes Jack a Hillsdale student.
There's nothing wrong with embracing Hillsdale's political nature, even if you don't agree with it. Rarely, if ever, do we stop to say "Hey, we have a pretty good set-up here." Well, as much as it pains me to say that we do, we do.
As gas prices climb, college looks for cuts
College students may see campus security patrolling campus on bicycles this summer, if gas prices continue to climb.
Gas may cost $5 a gallon by Memorial Day if former president of Shell Oil, John Hofmeister is to be believed. The former CEO has made national headlines claiming drivers could see an increase in gas prices due to emerging markets in Asia and the crackdown on offshore drilling placed by the Obama administration.
For Hillsdale College, the price jump may mean increased charges for traveling, security, maintenance and off-campus studying.
Tony Swinehart, associate professor of biology and organizer of Hillsdale's summer marine biology program, said an increase in gas prices wouldn't affect this summer's marine biology participants, though it may affect future trips.
"If it were a problem, we may have to cut some activities," Swinehart said. "At this point, we can't raise the price we're charging our students."
He said a trip typically costs about $600 in gas per van, but added that wouldn't be an issue this year due to the economy.
"Only nine people signed up," Swinehart said. "This is the first year ever we haven't had a maximum enrollment."
Still, Swinehart said gas isn't cheap, especially on boats. He said the marine biology program typically takes seven or eight trips on a boat during the summer, burning 12 gallons a trip totaling $420 a summer.
"My interest is keeping costs low so students can participate in this great summer program," he said. "You can't teach a course like this on campus."
Shuttle services, too, will be affected. Scott Campbell, transportation coordinator, said he's only seen an increase to shuttle services because of gas prices once before. He said the formula is pretty simple, "If the cost [of gas] shoots up, we'll adjust the mileage costs accordingly."
Not true for the Hillsdale College security crew, who continue to patrol the campus and gun range during the summer.
Director of Campus Security Director Mike Wertz said if gas prices go up, they'll have to cut down on patrols. He said foot and bike patrols may increase as a consequence.
Wertz said he currently has $12,000 to $13,000 set aside for fleet services, most of which goes towards gas.
He said security usually keeps the same patrol routine during the summer, when the college hosts classes, camps and hostels.
"We're still going to average about 25 miles a shift," Wertz said. "But with constant stop and go, your mileage goes to snot."
He said security will still be on call when it's needed, but instead of actively patrolling around campus, security will be found in Fowler Maintenance Building responding to call from there.
"Hopefully, it doesn't get there," Wertz said. "Hopefully it's all just hype."
Gas may cost $5 a gallon by Memorial Day if former president of Shell Oil, John Hofmeister is to be believed. The former CEO has made national headlines claiming drivers could see an increase in gas prices due to emerging markets in Asia and the crackdown on offshore drilling placed by the Obama administration.
For Hillsdale College, the price jump may mean increased charges for traveling, security, maintenance and off-campus studying.
Tony Swinehart, associate professor of biology and organizer of Hillsdale's summer marine biology program, said an increase in gas prices wouldn't affect this summer's marine biology participants, though it may affect future trips.
"If it were a problem, we may have to cut some activities," Swinehart said. "At this point, we can't raise the price we're charging our students."
He said a trip typically costs about $600 in gas per van, but added that wouldn't be an issue this year due to the economy.
"Only nine people signed up," Swinehart said. "This is the first year ever we haven't had a maximum enrollment."
Still, Swinehart said gas isn't cheap, especially on boats. He said the marine biology program typically takes seven or eight trips on a boat during the summer, burning 12 gallons a trip totaling $420 a summer.
"My interest is keeping costs low so students can participate in this great summer program," he said. "You can't teach a course like this on campus."
Shuttle services, too, will be affected. Scott Campbell, transportation coordinator, said he's only seen an increase to shuttle services because of gas prices once before. He said the formula is pretty simple, "If the cost [of gas] shoots up, we'll adjust the mileage costs accordingly."
Not true for the Hillsdale College security crew, who continue to patrol the campus and gun range during the summer.
Director of Campus Security Director Mike Wertz said if gas prices go up, they'll have to cut down on patrols. He said foot and bike patrols may increase as a consequence.
Wertz said he currently has $12,000 to $13,000 set aside for fleet services, most of which goes towards gas.
He said security usually keeps the same patrol routine during the summer, when the college hosts classes, camps and hostels.
"We're still going to average about 25 miles a shift," Wertz said. "But with constant stop and go, your mileage goes to snot."
He said security will still be on call when it's needed, but instead of actively patrolling around campus, security will be found in Fowler Maintenance Building responding to call from there.
"Hopefully, it doesn't get there," Wertz said. "Hopefully it's all just hype."
City slashes spending by $2,000,000
Students may find a lack of new apartments to live in next year as the Rental Rehab program has been cut from Hillsdale's services. The cuts come as the city of Hillsdale submitted its budget for the fiscal year 2011-2012.
"Apparently there was a lack of interest in using those funds," Interim City Manager Linda Brown said. "There was only one project and submission."
Economic Developer Christine Bowman said the rental rehab program, a grant allowing downtown businesses to renovate apartments above their stores, has stopped, though the program doesn't affect budget.
The City of Hillsdale has cut spending by $2,000,000, from the previous fiscal year. The halt on spending comes as Michigan Governor Rick Snyder slashed Michigan's State Revenue Sharing.
Bonnie Tew, fiscal director for the City of Hillsdale, said the cuts aren't surprising. State revenue sharing, where communities share the revenue generated across the state, decreased by 30 percent. Tew said that's roughly 16 percent of Hillsdale's total revenue.
"The problem is we cut everything we can cut," Tew said.
Snyder's money-cutting measures will cause Hillsdale to cut back on sidewalk replacement and to cut down on capital expenditures within the city. All while health care costs are rising. The city is left with the daunting task of doing more with less.
Bowman said despite the budget cuts, Hillsdale's economy is showing signs of recovering — four to five new businesses have opened within the past four months and several local factories are looking at expansion projects.
"The silver lining in all of this is what's happening in the downtown district isn't changing," Bowman said.
Tew said Hillsdale has three major sources of income: property taxes, contributions in lieu of taxes, and state revenue sharing. State revenue sharing decreased by 30 percent due to Snyder's state-wide budget proposals.
The city does have a chance to earn back some of the money lost in state revenue sharing through Snyder's Economic Vitality Incentive Program. For every criteria met, Snyder's program would return a third of the monies lost in state revenue sharing. The three criteria demand the city create a guide to the city's finances and performance for its citizens, list plans to consolidate services, and to address employee compensation for any union contract.
She said the city is also facing a 25 percent increase in health care costs, as the Affordable Health Care Act begins to take effect. Tew said the healthcare providers are slogged down by additional costs from the new law, and in turn pass the costs onto consumers through increased premiums.
In a letter to the city council, Brown wrote that "money is extremely tight again this year," saying the council needs to look at ways of generating additional revenue. One suggestion was to set aside $20,000 to research a city income tax increase.
Brown said the study would help forecast the city's funds in future years.
Capital improvements such as road repair will continue to be made. Repairs to State Street alone are estimated to cost $660,000. But Tew said grants such as the Small Urban Program awarded to the city, will help make up the costs. The Small Urban Program will contribute $375,000 to State Street's reconstruction.
Some improvements weren't so lucky.Tew said the sidewalk repair program was cut entirely.
But, for the first time in three years, city staff isn't being cut. Instead, Tew said it's maintaining its current employment levels. Tew said the city is also looking at union contracts in an effort to save money.
Councilwoman Mary Wolfram, who sits on the finance committee said most of the budget cuts were made quietly. City Clerk Parke Hayes agrees.
"Obviously, people around town won't notice much," Hayes said. "Except for maybe the sidewalks."
"Apparently there was a lack of interest in using those funds," Interim City Manager Linda Brown said. "There was only one project and submission."
Economic Developer Christine Bowman said the rental rehab program, a grant allowing downtown businesses to renovate apartments above their stores, has stopped, though the program doesn't affect budget.
The City of Hillsdale has cut spending by $2,000,000, from the previous fiscal year. The halt on spending comes as Michigan Governor Rick Snyder slashed Michigan's State Revenue Sharing.
Bonnie Tew, fiscal director for the City of Hillsdale, said the cuts aren't surprising. State revenue sharing, where communities share the revenue generated across the state, decreased by 30 percent. Tew said that's roughly 16 percent of Hillsdale's total revenue.
"The problem is we cut everything we can cut," Tew said.
Snyder's money-cutting measures will cause Hillsdale to cut back on sidewalk replacement and to cut down on capital expenditures within the city. All while health care costs are rising. The city is left with the daunting task of doing more with less.
Bowman said despite the budget cuts, Hillsdale's economy is showing signs of recovering — four to five new businesses have opened within the past four months and several local factories are looking at expansion projects.
"The silver lining in all of this is what's happening in the downtown district isn't changing," Bowman said.
Tew said Hillsdale has three major sources of income: property taxes, contributions in lieu of taxes, and state revenue sharing. State revenue sharing decreased by 30 percent due to Snyder's state-wide budget proposals.
The city does have a chance to earn back some of the money lost in state revenue sharing through Snyder's Economic Vitality Incentive Program. For every criteria met, Snyder's program would return a third of the monies lost in state revenue sharing. The three criteria demand the city create a guide to the city's finances and performance for its citizens, list plans to consolidate services, and to address employee compensation for any union contract.
She said the city is also facing a 25 percent increase in health care costs, as the Affordable Health Care Act begins to take effect. Tew said the healthcare providers are slogged down by additional costs from the new law, and in turn pass the costs onto consumers through increased premiums.
In a letter to the city council, Brown wrote that "money is extremely tight again this year," saying the council needs to look at ways of generating additional revenue. One suggestion was to set aside $20,000 to research a city income tax increase.
Brown said the study would help forecast the city's funds in future years.
Capital improvements such as road repair will continue to be made. Repairs to State Street alone are estimated to cost $660,000. But Tew said grants such as the Small Urban Program awarded to the city, will help make up the costs. The Small Urban Program will contribute $375,000 to State Street's reconstruction.
Some improvements weren't so lucky.Tew said the sidewalk repair program was cut entirely.
But, for the first time in three years, city staff isn't being cut. Instead, Tew said it's maintaining its current employment levels. Tew said the city is also looking at union contracts in an effort to save money.
Councilwoman Mary Wolfram, who sits on the finance committee said most of the budget cuts were made quietly. City Clerk Parke Hayes agrees.
"Obviously, people around town won't notice much," Hayes said. "Except for maybe the sidewalks."
Young gun aficionados showcase their stockpile
Sophomore Cody Mohr is lying on his back in a "T" position on the floor. He is covered in green, black and white threads, only his face and lower torso visible. Senior Aaron Falk sits over him and threads the colored yarn through the netting, slowly crafting a gillie suit.
All told, there are over 20 guns within the residence. They're not sure where to begin and after a short debate a decision is made - they'll start grabbing guns from junior Kamil Stasiulewicz's room and work their way around the house. The guys rush up and down the stairs grabbing their firearms, checking to see if they're empty, and lay them out, actions open, on Falk's gillie suit in the middle of the living room floor. The collection includes five shotguns, 10 rifles and one muzzleloader.
The guys pick up the guns and examine them. They're careful not to flag one another, keeping the gun's barrel pointed away from anyone standing in the crowded room. Senior Mark Yassay and Falk watch cautiously before Marsh sets a gun down. The action isn't open and Falk notices. Within moments the problem is fixed. Falk, Yassay and senior Michael Black said safe handling is the first thing to learn when using guns.
"You just have to teach them how to shoot and handle guns and people will get used to them," Black said.
"They're not weapons, they're tools," Yassay said.
Falk points out his Springfield 1903, a model he said was used in World Wars I and II. This particular gun, he said, saw combat in WWI before receiving modifications and updates over the years since. He and junior Mike Marsh point to a model 1891 Mosin-Negant. Marsh said the Mosin-Negant is another World War I-era gun which has undergone sportorization, a process where old military rifles are modified for sport use.
The 17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire rifle's body has a wooden polish and a hole built into its butt for the shooter's thumb to fit through. Falk said it is outfitted with a Barska varmint scope which adjusts for bullet drop at different ranges.
Marsh sets an orange clay pigeon next to the rifle with a single bullet hole through the middle. He said Yassay shot the target at 250 yards, two and a half football fields away.
"Instead of a class ring, my parents bought me that shotgun," Mohr said, pointing to an all-black shotgun. "I was happy."
It's a Charles Daly 12 gauge shotgun. The company producing it, Charles Daly, recently went out of business, spelling bad news for Mohr, who said the gun may need a new firing pin.
Falk said he and his housemates shoot at least two or three times a month. Today is the first time the guys have collectively laid out their weapons.
"Most of these are hunting rifles or targeting rifles," Falk said.
There's one rifle which stands out - the AR-15 semi-automatic. Falk, Mohr and Marsh said the AR-15 is the current standard for NATO forces and the U.S. Armed Forces. It belongs to Stasiulewicz, who got it because he's joining the Marines. It's a house favorite to shoot.
"That's for shooting for fun," Falk said. "Put a scope on it and it can become a varmint rifle."
"We can shoot coons with that," Marsh said. "I like raccoons because I think they're cute," senior Justin Dailey said.
The conversation moves to shooting with shotguns.
"I shot doves with a 4-10," Falk said.
"I think doves are cute too," Dailey said. "Justin is just a big baby," Black said.
Falk said his grandpa's preferred game was always waterfowl. He said they'd occasionally go out and shoot groundhogs on an Indian Reservation in North Dakota. Dailey's father has collected shotguns for as long as he can remember.
"We only hunt animals that are vermin and are legal to shoot," Marsh said.
Original article
All told, there are over 20 guns within the residence. They're not sure where to begin and after a short debate a decision is made - they'll start grabbing guns from junior Kamil Stasiulewicz's room and work their way around the house. The guys rush up and down the stairs grabbing their firearms, checking to see if they're empty, and lay them out, actions open, on Falk's gillie suit in the middle of the living room floor. The collection includes five shotguns, 10 rifles and one muzzleloader.
The guys pick up the guns and examine them. They're careful not to flag one another, keeping the gun's barrel pointed away from anyone standing in the crowded room. Senior Mark Yassay and Falk watch cautiously before Marsh sets a gun down. The action isn't open and Falk notices. Within moments the problem is fixed. Falk, Yassay and senior Michael Black said safe handling is the first thing to learn when using guns.
"You just have to teach them how to shoot and handle guns and people will get used to them," Black said.
"They're not weapons, they're tools," Yassay said.
Falk points out his Springfield 1903, a model he said was used in World Wars I and II. This particular gun, he said, saw combat in WWI before receiving modifications and updates over the years since. He and junior Mike Marsh point to a model 1891 Mosin-Negant. Marsh said the Mosin-Negant is another World War I-era gun which has undergone sportorization, a process where old military rifles are modified for sport use.
The 17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire rifle's body has a wooden polish and a hole built into its butt for the shooter's thumb to fit through. Falk said it is outfitted with a Barska varmint scope which adjusts for bullet drop at different ranges.
Marsh sets an orange clay pigeon next to the rifle with a single bullet hole through the middle. He said Yassay shot the target at 250 yards, two and a half football fields away.
"Instead of a class ring, my parents bought me that shotgun," Mohr said, pointing to an all-black shotgun. "I was happy."
It's a Charles Daly 12 gauge shotgun. The company producing it, Charles Daly, recently went out of business, spelling bad news for Mohr, who said the gun may need a new firing pin.
Falk said he and his housemates shoot at least two or three times a month. Today is the first time the guys have collectively laid out their weapons.
"Most of these are hunting rifles or targeting rifles," Falk said.
There's one rifle which stands out - the AR-15 semi-automatic. Falk, Mohr and Marsh said the AR-15 is the current standard for NATO forces and the U.S. Armed Forces. It belongs to Stasiulewicz, who got it because he's joining the Marines. It's a house favorite to shoot.
"That's for shooting for fun," Falk said. "Put a scope on it and it can become a varmint rifle."
"We can shoot coons with that," Marsh said. "I like raccoons because I think they're cute," senior Justin Dailey said.
The conversation moves to shooting with shotguns.
"I shot doves with a 4-10," Falk said.
"I think doves are cute too," Dailey said. "Justin is just a big baby," Black said.
Falk said his grandpa's preferred game was always waterfowl. He said they'd occasionally go out and shoot groundhogs on an Indian Reservation in North Dakota. Dailey's father has collected shotguns for as long as he can remember.
"We only hunt animals that are vermin and are legal to shoot," Marsh said.
Original article
Thursday, June 16, 2011
What went down at the Jefferson Memeorial dance party?
The Daily Caller’s Michael Mayday interviewed different folks and filmed Saturday’s Jefferson Memorial dance party, which was shut down by police officials after less than an hour.
Attendees came together in support of free speech and busting a move at the Jefferson Memorial. Dancing, even silently, is not allowed at the monument.
Watch: Jefferson Memorial visitors get their groove on.
You'll have to click the link to see the video, sorry.
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/06/06/what-went-down-at-the-jefferson-memorial-dance-party-video/#ixzz1PS0Pn06y
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