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Febuary Voice 10, 2014 The Washtenaw

EDITORIAL

The State of the Union is shameful

Voices News

The Washtenaw November 18, 2013 Voice

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Measuring success next challenge for community colleges

Associated Press. who didnt elect him. Forget that he For those who have managed is in the business of making duck calls, to avoid Duck Dynasty, first: which has absolutely no relevance to Congratulations. Second: The show running a country. Forget that hes centers on the Robertson family which not even the one who made the antiruns a duck-call fabrication business gay remarks that Republicans stand in Louisiana. behind so steadfastly. Hes a celebrity, The shows (unfortunately high) and that makes his presence news. ratings dropped last year after the It would be easy to rail against familys patriarch, Willies dad, made McAllister for bringing Robertson anti-gay comments. He was suspended into the center of our governments NATALIE WRIGHT Opportunity is what America is all about or its supposed to be. from the show for a short time, but was affairs, a place where he has absolutely That was the over-arching message in President Obamas recent State of If you tuned into the State of reinstated when members of the anti- no business. the Union address. And as a nation, there is much we need to do to improve the Union address on Jan. 28, you gay community rushed to defend him. It would be easy to criticize the meopportunity for all. Robertson was at the address as dia for even showing him on camera, were probably as shocked as I was Job creation has been the key phrase in every political speech of the last to see who made an appearance. a guest of Louisiana Republican Rep. let alone having conversations about six years. If politicians can convince America that they know how to create President Obama may have been Vance McAllister, whose 2013 special how appropriate his star-spangled jobs, theyre in. the headliner, but he was not the election victory is widely seen as a re- bandanna was. But in his address to Congress, Obama acknowledged a facet of opportunity nights biggest star, according to sult of his support. It would be hard to admit that we that seems to escape many: Job creation means nothing if no one is properly I am proud to have my close friend, are the ones to blame for this. But the media response and the twittrained for those jobs. Workforce development and education are inherently constituent and small business own- we are. ter feeds of congressmen. tied to opportunity, every bit as much as job creation. It wasnt Vice President Joe er, Willie Robertson, attend tonights As long as our society deems this So, the White House has big plans for improvement in these areas, Obama Biden, Speaker of the House John State of the Union Address as my spe- acceptable, as long as we click-through said. His proposal for across-the-board reform of Americas training proBoehner, the rst lady, or even the cial guest, McAllister said in a state- on the headlines about Justin Biebers grams, led by Vice President Biden, included expanding apprenticeships recovering wounded warrior Army ment. I look forward to the two of us arrest before those about actual news, and doing more as a country to take advantage of community colleges. Sgt. 1st Class Cory Remsberg, who representing the Fifth District in DC we have no one to blame but ourselves. This includes developing a new ranking system for community colleges this evening and bringing some diverstole the show. How can anyone be upset about as well as building stronger connections between them and employers. The No, it was Willie Robertson, star sity to our nations capitol. an ineffectual congress when we elect ranking system will evaluate a colleges performance and tie that performance Rep. McAllister, this is not what congressmen who not only invite peoof A&Es reality hit Duck Dynasty to the amount of federal aid available to students. who had congressmen lining the people mean when say they want more ple like Robertson to sit among them, The American Association of Community Colleges has declared its opposi- GOOGLE in Washington aisle get their taken with diversity butof line up to meet like starThe three consecutive roundabouts on Geddes Road have been a source much frustration forhim drivers since their MAPS |to COURTESY PHOTO picture implementation to the area. KELLY BRACHA VOICE tion to this ranking system, stating that community colleges do not support Forget the| WASHTENAW fact that Robertson struck teenagers? him. Every media outlet was talka ratings scheme, and that students choose a community college based on ing about him from NBC to the has no place representing people This is the state of our union its proximity, not its value as a school. This is not true at least not in Michigan. A student who lives in Ann Arbor has a multitude of choices in schools that are within easy driving distance. And Washtenaw is full of students who live much closer to Schoolcraft College, Monroe County Community College, Jackson Community College, Wayne County Community College, Henry Fordthe Community andthe Oakland drinks and afternoon lunches ying. troubles,College but when red car Roundabouts are the same, but if to stop at all. Community College, but choose to come here because of the courage schools reputastanding a coastal boutiques. gathered enough to enter theyre between a driver and work, in gas-station Stoppingsunglasses unexpectedly when on there Mutable lane roundabouts bring tion and the availability and standard of their program of choice. wrapped the American flag. Shinola breed quicklyof responded on Twitter: the roundabout, it decided to be nice. school, or wherever, they need to be beach, arent cars in in the traffic circle could another offenders. Circle Just as with universities, community colleges all have their successes and This a was the lastcollision. in a series of three We propose a drivers different approach: let The driver stopped for the other driv- used or avoided, which could add min- cause rear-end Hogs, these try to straighten failures in certain areas of study, and should ranked such. different commercials that the automaker #Detroit brew your beer, build your car, ers be waiting to as enter. Traffic gathered utes and miles to the trip. Yield, if you dont understand the road by weaving from outside lane As for whether or not community colleges support a ratings scheme, they during the Super Bowl. The Dylan and your watch, followed a link to behind me. The system broke down Ignorance plays another major part aired its meaning, is Youre Impeding to inside lane, with littleby care for the absolutely can the system just has to beand tailored accepted denition was an ode to made in America. a vehicles YouTubesharing video that shows the process cameto toan a crawl. in the calamity that plagues round- ad Everyones Lovely Drive. the space. of success. You cant fake trueeven cool, Dylan says, watch being Roundabouts work smoothly, or abouts. Normally found in parking lots, Perhaps its not the sign, but of a Shinola The theory here ismade. if these road Unlike the AACC, ERIC Washtenaw to be excited about this ranking images of James Dean flash the screen. Shinola was created in through 2011, and WADEseemsthey quickly become chaos, depend- old city neighborhoods and low traffic as the word yield that is the cause of the hogs can shorten the trip the system, and it is very interested in helping to shape denition of success. Fiat-Chrysler also aired commercials approximately people, ing on thethe drivers. Ive had so many areas, the yield sign is somewhat of a trouble. It not only means to wait, but employs roundabout, by making it200 as straight as Not only graduation rates should be takenclose into account, but also drivers transfer and JON PRICE Maserati and Jeep lines,defeat, but saved of whom work inor Detroit. Getting off southbound U.S. calls from other darting rare symbol to begin with. Put that for inits a sense means to admit and most possible, theylive canand get to work school employment becauseRoad, for many community college students, a thought job is best for last, with Dylan urging con- Founded by Fossil CEO Tom Kartsotis, Highway 23 rates, onto Geddes I apout in front of me that Ive sign in high traffic roundabouts and the we all hate to lose. 20 minutes or maybe a few millisecsuccess, not necessarily a degree. One of the most compelling sumers to buy American. has opened New York proached the roundabout on my way about having one of those big metal chaos ensues. Maybe there needs to be another Shinola onds earlier. In astores busy in world, every WCC Rose Bellanca and Director of Government and commercials aired during the how Super Let Germany make Something your beer, that he and Detroits midtown to classPresident at Washtenaw Community moose bumpers installed on Media my truck. The few who dont know to sign for roundabouts. millisecond counts. area. Relations Morgan are doing what theyThe can to be a part conversa- is use Bowl this year thethe Fiat-Chrysler Switzerland make your watchThe response the manufacturer College, Jason and I knew I was in trouble. concept ofof a the roundabout a yield sign was add to frustration said. ts Let the thought of its OK, you were Before roundabouts, life wasgave more tion Most in Washington, shape a fair of It student success. Automobiles advertisement, featuring We rst. will build your car. the Chrysler commercial was pricedays its aand glance left and denition a simple. is a circle with cars travel- of other unfortunate drivers stuck be- es. here Maybe the sign should say to relaxing. There was time to stop and Rather than dismissing this change meaningless, like the AACC, they iconic rock legend Bob the Dylan. The you, Italian automaker, which took I less. It was mature and well-thoughtzip around the two circles, and Im asing in a counterclockwise direction. hind the clueless. With yield sign after or no, no, you go rst, ponder the wonders of the universe. are working to make it as meaningful as possible. Is there anything more Chrysler last month, seemed the to take showing the Italian there automaker almost to school. Noticing a beat-up Those not in the circle wait for a break having the same colors as American a stop sign, over insist. Im polite, although, last out, Before roundabouts, werethat trafKudos to them. than Dylan asks the to viewunwarranted shot too at Michigans craft is plenty of room in Detroit for red car two spots in front of me brak- in traffic to enter. Handy yield signs and aAmerica? mere additional letter the an would be a little long for a sign. there c lights. Motorists could take miner. Across thesee screen flash images beer industry, and color the newly of them. ing heavily without any cars coming are even provided to let drivers know wordage, I can the confusion. And, change the from popular redred both ute-long breaks from their commutes ofBut men riding horses,end cheerleaders that are being manufacAnd Ill raise a Detroit-brewed beer from the left, I knew this was going they dont need to stop if traffic is clear. the similarities there. The Shinola angerswatches raging motorists. Maybe a nice doing fun activities such as hair or cheering, an young intone Detroit and be sold in high-dollar to that. A NATIONAL PACEMAKER AWARD to be challenge. SoNEWSPAPER whats the problem? yield sign is a attractive triangle. For thewoman geomet- tured earth would better. makeup, send important texts about The jalopy slammed on its breaks Raging and entitled drivers disrupt a date last night or homework thats THE Because they are foreign to some rically impaired, that is an astounding for the yield sign. The driver behind drivers, roundabouts can be intimidat- ve fewer sides. a normally peaceful trip on the merry- due in class today. the red car must not have expected it ing. Its terrifying to do something new. Unlike the word stop, which go-round. With a true sense of entitleIts unfortunate that roundabouts The student publication of Washtenaw Community College to stop, and was paying more attenChanging jobs, meeting new people, clearly means to cease or discontinue ment and impatience, raging drivers, sprouted up. Drivers miss the enterAnn Arbor, Michigan tion to the gap in traffic and nearly diving into the deep end of the pool or face traffic infraction, the yield sign frequently dash into roundabouts tainment of high-speed side impact Volume 20, Issue 13 rear-ended the car. when we dont know how to swim, it means that if there is no other traffic causing innocent commuters to lock collisions blocking their route that This should have been the end of can be scary. that affects you, then you dont have up their brakes, sending morning frequents traffic lights.

Insanity in the circle, or yield me super a break Super Bowl car ad sparks debate

VOICE
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Letters to the Editor

SOQs are not the students right

The Washtenaw Voice is produced fortnightly by students of Washtenaw Community College and the views expressed herein will not imply endorsement or approval by the faculty, administration or Board of Trustees of WCC. Student publications are important in establishing and maintaining an atmosphere of free and responsible discussion and in bringing matters of concern and importance to the attention of the campus community. Editorial responsibility for The Voice lies with the students, who will strive for balance, fairness and integrity in their coverage of issues and events while employing the best habits and practices of free inquiry and expression. The Washtenaw Voice does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the information or content in advertisements contained in the newspaper or its website, www.washtenawvoice.com, nor the quality of any products, information or other materials displayed or obtained as a result of an advertisement or any other information or offer in or in connection with the services or products advertised. The Voice welcomes letters to the editor from its readers and will make every effort to publish them. We reserve the right to edit letters for space considerations, and ask that writers limit their comments to no more than 400 words. All letters must include a name and contact information, such as an email address or phone number, so the letters can be veried before they are printed. The Voice is committed to correcting all errors that appear in the newspaper and on its website, just as it is committed to the kind of careful journalism that will minimize the number of errors printed. To report an error of fact that should be corrected, phone 734-677-5405 or email thewashtenawvoice@gmail.com. A copy of each edition of The Washtenaw Voice is free to everyone. Additional copies are available at The Voice newsroom, TI 106, for 25 cents each.

TAKE

Its not very often that I quote Ayn Rand, but in thinking about The Washtenaw Voices request for faculty SOQs, one Rand quote comes to mind: Question your premises. In this case, the premise in question is found in the very headline of the Jan. 27 issue: The customers right? If one accepts that students are customers, then perhaps there is an argument for releasing SOQ information (though there are still very good reasons not to). However, students are not the customers, despite our cultural pretense to the contrary. Washtenaw Community College was created by and is funded primarily by the taxpayers of Washtenaw County and the State of Michigan. The taxpayers are, in effect, THE customers. The staff and faculty of WCC are the producers. Students are the product. The taxpayer-voters elect a board of trustees who then hire an administration

to oversee faculty performance. Thats director of the Center for College the accountability chain-of-command. Affordability and Productivity at Ohio That said, there may be a larger is- University, and Christopher Denhart, sue here. Higher education in the U.S. a student at OU, suggests that the SOQ managed to function reasonably well chickens are coming home to roost. for hundreds of years without student College degrees, while still of value, are evaluations of faculty. The movement being devalued in a number of ways toward such evaluations began in the and by a number of factors. They write late 1960s, gained momentum in the that, V Declining academic standards Words and photos by Megan Michael OICE CORRESPONDENT 1970s, and has been with us ever since. and grade ination add to employers This period coincides, perhaps not co- perceptions that college degrees say incidently, with theinappropriate grade ination little about job readiness. Further, What is the most piece of clothing you have seen on campus? phenomenon that anyone in academe A college degrees declining value is isKristen well aware of., In the era of student even morePhillpotts pronounced for younger Holt Michael evaluations upon which promotion Americans. Just as with money, if you 21, Romulus, fashion 19, Ypsilanti, accounting and employment decisions may hinge, it will buy The girls that were the really debase the currency, I saw this girl with a less. bra faculty and students havebecause entered into Whether WCC SOQs become thin leggings I see under a tankever top with shnet a Grand Bargain: the faculty, will public or not, shirts in the battle more theirWe, underwear right through with biggerfor holes; showkeep you entertained, not ask you to student rights ing the war isof already it. off a lot boobs. Itover. made do anything terribly demanding, and Students won. Evidence suggests, me uncomfortable with howmy inate grades. In return, youll give us ever, that it may be a Pyrrhic victory. girlfriend next to me. good evaluations. Wink, wink. There are consequences to all of R. Wm. La Hote Kyle Hepburn , Yael Silver, this. A recent The Wall Journal Chair, Department Social Science 17, Ann Arbor, general mathStreet and science . 17, Ann Arbor, information of systems piece (How the College Bubble I saw this girl, she had Will suShorts in the winter. Pop, Jan. 9, 2014) by shorts; Richard Vetter, per short her butt was

Voice Box

Wheres the risk assessment with bad weather?

who drives from Detroit and then another student Leah Payne, in my Social Problems class who drives from Whitmore Lake. 16, Ann Arbor, liberal arts transfer While scrapingI off the wet, packed, icy once saw a man dressed in snow on my car, I thought, How full tiger regalia; with many these others need to really make such a long tacky-tiger logo drive covered to WCC? pajama pants that did not t On the way to school, on Michigan him, and were too small. Radio, they were talking about the weather. In-between the many accident reports, they said, If you did not have to beSimpson on the roads, then please Katelin , dont be. nursing 17, Ypsilanti, That phrase stuck mind. Do I saw this in girlmy wearing shorts I have to be on road? What level upthe to her privates with her of risk am I taking? booty cheeks hanging out with I spoke with our President, Dr. pantyhose underneath them. Rose Bellanca, who was nice, and reminded her of the danger everyone had faced during those morning hours. She acknowledged that while driving in that morning she was thinking that she should have closed WCC, and she apologized for not doing that. I remembered Sienna Vargas, the Army. All of us who led troops 16, Chelsea, healthhad to write a report about assessing operational risk. Oh gosh, crop top. Yeah,We eievaluated thether jeopardy that could be a crop top or really tight associated with performing a certain pants. Stretchy pants on people action. who shouldnt be wearing We weighed the threat stretchy pants.involved in doing a task, then planned on how to accomplish it while reducing the number of hazards that may result from performing said, action. Franciscothe Abolio As a leader, my soldiers lives were 18, Ypsilanti, English in my hands. They counted on a me There are actually lot.not to have them take unnecessary risks. Well, women who are wear-I owed that much to them. Washtenaw ing clothes, shirts, that have Community College owesV-neck that much an extra-large and it to us. kind of exposes things I dont
want to see. I hate it when LaShawn Hubbard guys forget to wear belts and their pants are Ypsilanti sagging. And I can tell when was the last time they changed their underwear.

hanging out.

By DAVIDEDITOR FITCH
Staff MariaWriter Rigou

Trevor Hutchins, a 19-yearMANAGING EDITOR old 3-D animation student from Natalie Wright nkwright@wccnet.edu Pinckney was walking between the PHOTO Student Center and the EDITOR Liberal Bob Conradi Arts and Sciences building when we kbracha@wccnet.edu pulled him aside to ask him a few DESIGNERS questions.
Brian Auten bauten@wccnet.edu Washtenaw Voice: your George Do ODonovan musical tastesgodonovan@wccnet.edu change with the

drigou@wccnet.edu

seasons? ONLINE EDITOR Christina Fleming Trevor Hutchins: I dont think theyve changed ceming@wccnet.edu at all. I mean, I pretty much have theVIDEO same,EDITOR rap and James Saoud electronic mostly now Eminem is jsaoud@wccnet.edu a big one. His CD came out. Its pretty awesome. I listen to a lot of Daft Punk too.

On the first Wednesday in JAMES SAOUD | WASHTENAW VOICE February, we had a heavy snowfall, WV: Do you have health ADVERTISING MANAGER producing little to no say visibility insurance? WV: Would you thatwalkyou Becky Alliston ing or driving. ealliston@wccnet.edu TH: Yes. Im under my parents. I are getting your moneys worth looked of my window and think its up to 25. I dont know too outIof your out textbooks? STAFF WRITERS could see muchhave out of attoo all. M. M. Donaldson much about health care, but Im pretty TH:not Yeah. I didnt to it pay David Fitch I stepped out of my house just to sure that up to a certain age, you get much for textbooks. I didnt need any Eric Garant make sure that I was not imagincovered under your parents if you are for 3-D. I needed the required stuff Jon Price ingEnglish that terrible weather. I turned dependent on them, so thats what Im for but we use those (every CORRESPONDENTS my head, and then regretted it. The under right now. class period) I think its all going Erik Morris small, sharp specks of ice were strikto a good place. EJ Stout Adrianna Velazquez ing me on my face. WV: Edward Snowden: patriot I went inside thinking or traitor? WV: Whats your best ADVISER Keith Gave Washtenaw Community TH: I dont know all the informa- Thanksgiving memory? College kgave@wccnet.edu would cancelgoing the classes for totion that he leaked. From what Ive TH: Maybe up north. I forday, or at least the out morning heard, I want to lean towards more get where. Justdelay hanging with classes. I checked the website: no of a patriot, releasing the informa- grandparents and aunts and uncles announcement. tion (that was) important to the pub- that live all across the country, but My thoughts began to wonder, lic. But since I dont know all of the they come and hang out around the really? They want me and every othinformation that was leaked, I cant cabin, and just sit around the dinner er student to drive through this? I really say if it was harmful or not or table telling stories and stuff. And remembered had any negative effects. pumpkin pie. one of my classmates