2012 Michigan Community College Press Association Judging Form

Place of award: First Place Second Place Third Place Honorable Mention

Category: Inside Page Design Headline/title of entry: Campus News Contestants name: Nicki Kostrzewa College name: Monroe County CC Judges comments: Good visual hierarchy on the center piece although the bottom photo is cropped a little too horizontally. The top story on college cuts to radio station has a horizontal rule between it and the centerpiece, but there is no rule between the centerpiece and the bottom story. Needs to be consistent. Although the kitten photo is cute, it's probably too big.

PAGE

PAGE 2

August 25, 2011

Campus News
get cuts and low enrollment. To keep the station running, the high school formed a partnership with MCCC that allowed students from the colleges radio broadcasting program to use it for learning and experience. In exchange, the college was to pay all costs associated with operating and maintaining Dream 97.5, effective January 2005. Faced with three years of declining revenues, MCCC chose not to fund Dream 97.5 in its 2011-2012 budget and to terminate the position of radio station technician, held by Milward Beaudry, who also teaches the colleges radio and TV courses. Theres difficult decisions to be made, Verkennes said. Beaudry declined to comment, referring questions to Verkennes. The college expects to save $31,290 by cutting the program. Despite the cuts, Verkennes said MCCC will continue to teach radio broadcasting, as long as enough students enroll in the program. The Radio and Broadcasting Club is also expected to continue, pending student interest. We see the value of maintaining the station, even though we dont have the demand from students said Robert Vergiels, Monroe Public Schools public relations director. With MCCCs involvement ending, the

THE AGORA

College cuts radio station funding

By Taylor Pinson
Agora staff

The fate of Dream 97.5, the college radio station, remains unknown weeks after MCCC chose not to renew its partnership with Monroe Public Schools. Everyones trying to work together on a solution. Wed love to keep this radio station alive as long as possible, said Joe Verkennes, MCCCs director of marketing. Its a great asset to the school. MCCC officials told representatives of Monroe Public Schools via conference call on June 16 that the partnership would be ending on July 1. A letter had also been sent prior to that. The partnership dates to 2004, when Monroe High School was faced with bud-

high school has taken steps to keep Dream 97.5 on the air. A five-week agreement was reached to keep the station manned through August, and the school intends to broadcast the first MHS football game of the season on August 26. MHS has also been actively seeking a new partner to keep the station going, and is currently expecting proposals from two local entities. Bill LaVoy, director of Monroe Public Access Cable Television (MPACT), has confirmed that IMPACT has submitted a proposal to assume control of the station. The current proposal has a provision that would allow college students to continue using the station for educational purposes.

Mary Lyons receives Life Saving award

Jeff Papworth
Agora Staff

Agora Photo by Taylor Pinson

Kick andTae Kwon Do for his own success Pull MCCC professor credits
MCCC Speech professor Mark Bergmooser is in his 13th year teaching Tae Kwon Do at the college: I hope everybody can take a class like this, he says. Taylor Pinson
Agora Staff

Mark Bergmooser started teaching Tae Kwon Do at MCCC in 1998 and has been teaching it year round ever since. I love it now more than I ever have, Bergmooser said. Bergmooser started teaching part time in 1996 and became a full time member of the faculty in 1999. Besides Tae Kwon Do, he also teaches four speech courses, several humanities courses, and various self defense courses. Im very lucky in terms of all I teach, he said. Im constantly learning new things as I teach.

Teachers get smarter as they get more practice, he said. Weve got a great group of people out here. The school supports it, and I plan to teach it until I retire, Bergmooser said. Its my place to go no matter how bad my day has been. The class brings students and exposure to the college, he said. Im really lucky that I get to spend my life doing the things I love. His Tae Kwon Do class is open to everyone, with students as young as 5 and as old as 72. Its a dynamic class all year. Theres always something new because of the students, he

When I went to that first Tae Kwon Do class, I knew it was my thing.
Mark Bergmooser
Speech Professor

said. I have people take it for a month. Some have been taking it for ten years. Bergmooser believes that Tae Kwon Do teaches students discipline and gives them self confidence, and he credits it with his

own success. I would have never gotten this job were it not for Tae Kwon Do I hope everybody can take a class like this, he said. Bergmooser attended his first

Tae Kwon Do class in February 1985. I just wanted to learn how to defend myself, he said. He added that his cousin and The Karate Kid helped spark his interest in martial arts. I tried Kung Fu class for a few months before discovering Tae Kwon Do, he said. It was reccomended to me by my Kung Fu instructor. When I went to that first Tae Kwon Do class, I knew it was my thing he added. After that there was no turning back. Its been with me my whole life. New classes start August 30.

Mark Bergmooser, center, instructs students in a Tae Kwon Do move during a class at Monroe County Community College.

Agora Photo by Taylor Pinson

Abandoned kitten needs home

Lorrie Mayzlin
Agora Staff

On a fateful day last August, Mary Lyons love of helping others played a role in earning her the Life Saving award given by the Monroe Community Ambulance. For the past two years, Lyons has served as the MCCC Administrative Assistant for Events/Reservations. In the past, her jobs as a paraprofessional for a special education department, as well as a worker for Hospice and a flight attendant have also required the ability to manage people in a kindhearted way. I feel the satisfaction I have received from all my jobs is the fact I was able to help others, which I love doing, Lyons said. After Lyons and her friend, Shawn Maviglia, grilled their steak at Steves Tavern in Monroe, they went upstairs and found Chris Parlette on the floor, choking. Maviglia, who is a nurse, gave Parlette CPR for an uninterrupted 22 minutes. Lyons directed the crowd to give room for Maviglia and the paramedics. Lyons pulled a man away and realized it was Parlettes son, Chris Parlette, Jr. after he said No, no, thats my father. She then started asking Chris Parlette Jr. questions regarding his fathers medical history. Maviglia said Lyons fit the role as equalizer quite well. Shes very caring. Shes outgoing, easy to talk to, Maviglia said, adding that she is the kind of person who will take charge of a situation. Tom Ryder, who Lyons assists at MCCC, agreed with Maviglias assessment. She is always the first one to volunteer when help is needed, Ryder said. Unfortunately, Parlette perished, but as a result of Maviglias and Lyons efforts, he was put on a respirator and his organs were harvested. Parlette was the first tissue and organ donor at Mercy Memorial Hospital System. His donations improved the lives of over 40 people. It doesnt have a very happy outcome, except for the fact that he went on to donate his organs, Lyons said. Lyons and Maviglias efforts also put the Gift of Life in motion at Mercy Memorial Hospital. The Gift of Life is a national organization that raises awareness of the need for donors along with providing assistance to patients, who want to donate. Mercy Memorial Hospital System decided to be a part of the gift of life, since Parlette donated his organs. In conjunction, the hospital has formed a committee to plan for future donors. Furthermore, Parlettes family was grateful Lyons and Maviglia never gave up on Parlette. For their efforts, Parlettes mother nominated them for the Life Saving award. Lyons was happy to receive the award but said she would have done it for anybody, anywhere, anytime.

Four abandoned kittens that were less than 5 days old were discovered July 28 behind the E Building on the MCCC campus. Julie Edwards of Sienna Heights University and Amy Westover of Eastern Michigan University found the kittens. I got out the door under the awning of the Administration building and I could hear them screaming. Westover said. I said, They are little babies. Westover said no one would pick the kittens up. So since she worked at the Humane Society in Monroe County and was experienced with animals, she volunteered to put the four kittens in a box and take them home to try to nurse them to health.

Unfortunately, three of the kittens did not survive the weekend. One kitten, who is now four weeks old, just got his teeth and is starting to wobble around the house, Westover said. They were so tiny they fit inside the palm of your hand. I tried to call for their mom, but there were no other cats on campus, she said. The location where the kittens were found indicates they were not placed there by a mother cat. Cats usually choose a well covered area for their young. These kittens were out in the open without any protection. If you would like to adopt this month old, long-haired grey tabPhoto courtesy of Amy Westover by, contact The Agora staff for further information: agora@mon- The only surviving kitten from four that were found abandoned July 28 roeccc.edu. is now starting to wobble around the house.

Student government hosts Welcome Back Barbecue

Lorrie Mayzlin
Agora staff

The Fall Welcome Back Barbecue will be Sept. 13 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., sponsored by MCCC Student government. Other sponsors are Midas Mufflers, Buffalo Wild Wings, Siena Heights University, and MCCC. Last year, 440 students and faculty were served hot dogs and veggie burgers; about the same number are expected this year. The picnic tables for the event are generously loaned to us by the Monroe County Fairgrounds, said Tom Ryder,

Campus Community Events/ Student Activities coordinator, DJ Zarza will be providing music for the event. Midas Mufflers will provide deep-fried goodies like Snickers and Twinkies. Buffalo Wild Wings will be providing samples for students. Hot dogs and veggie burgers, along with carbonated beverages and chips, will be provided by Student Government. The event will take place in the courtyard outside the LaZ-Boy Centre. It it rains, the barbecue will move into the Administration Building. Student clubs and organizations will have tables available for interested students.