March 2009.indd - Kellogg Community College

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8 Gary Mapes Staff Writer MARCH 2009 What inspired you to go to college? I recently asked this question to Heather Mapes of Battle Creek. Heather is my sisterin-law and a happy mother of one. She has experienced her up’s and down’s in school and in the workforce. Dropping out her senior year of high school, she began working to provide for herself. After fi ve years at K-mart, she was let go because she did not have her Diploma or G.E.D., and could no longer advance. Since then she has had one other job but was unable to sustain it. So I asked her the golden question: “What inspired you to enroll at KCC?” She answered, “There are just not enough jobs today, and even people with Degrees aren’t getting hired. Where does that leave me?” So she is enrolling at KCC in the fall of 2009. She will be the seventh person in my family attending KCC. My mother, Myrna Coward, is going for her Associate’s in Accounting and Business Management; she is going for a certifi cate in Entrepreneurship too. My sister, Patricia Dellinger, is receiving her Associates in Accounting May 2009, and meanwhile her mother-in- Law, Julie Dellinger, is receiving her Associates in Arts. “Way to set the bar sis!” said my cousin, Stuart Wallace, who just graduated from Lakeview High School in 2008. He is now pursuing a career in corrections at KCC. My girlfriend Regina Pelfrey is going for a degree in nursing and enrolled full-time with me. I am pursuing a career in writing and journalism with a Certifi cate in Accounting. Heather admits that seeing all of us carpooling, hustlingand-bustling to get homework done, and even taking the same classes together has intrigued her and gave her the so-called, “college itch,” that is she just wants to come see what college is all about. She says she wants to pursue a career in the medical fi eld when she enrolls and can’t wait to start what she should have a few years ago. This is what I like about college. I get to experience it with friends and family. I never thought I would see the day when I would be sitting in the same classroom as my mother for other reasons than being disciplined in grade school. My mother has inspired Heather, Regina, and myself to go to college. My sister and her motherin-law have shown us what we can look forward to in May if we stay and work hard. I think Heather fi nally realized that no one pays you to get stupider, but someone will pay you to get smarter. Check out the Bruin on the web www.kellogg.edu/bruin $500 Grad Cash DeMAAGD Gmc-Nissan 269-963-5538 ext. #4 www.DeMaagdGmcNissan.com OPINION A stable future through education Dr. G. Edward Haring President, Kellogg Community College One cannot pick up a newspaper or listen to the news these days without hearing about some new economic challenge to individuals and communities. The critical nature of education to the success and future vitality of individuals, communities, and society is becoming more apparent. No longer will a high school diploma net a good job with good benefi ts. Some higher education is required for most of the future jobs or even the more traditional jobs that are so rapidly changing. Continuing in education is exceptionally rewarding for individuals through increased earnings and higher job placement rates. Compared to their counterparts with just high school diplomas, KCC Associate Degree graduates see average increased earnings of $892 per month, $10,700 annually, and $431,000 over the course of their working lifetime (The Economic Contribution of Kellogg Community College, published by CC Benefi ts, Inc. 2006). Additional education also means higher job placement rates as employers continue to demand higher skill sets from their employees or associates. For example, the current placement rate for KCC career graduates continues to be very high at 95% (KCC graduate survey). The College offers Certifi cate, Industrial Trades, and Associate Degree programs to meet student needs. Typically completed in less than one year, some in as quick as a few weeks, certifi cate programs provide students with the necessary skills in specializations that can quickly result Dr. G. Edward Haring in employment. Some of the more popular Certifi cate programs include Administrative Assistant, Basic Emergency Medical Technology, Computer Programming, Corrections, Certifi ed Nurse Aid, and Web Design. Associate Degrees from Kellogg Community College can take as little as two years. Currently, there are approximately 34 different associate degree options available. The Industrial Trades programs offer a wide variety of hands-on training in programs such as Electricity/Electronics, Robotics, and Welding. Within this unique open entry/open exit format, the student can progress at their own pace and receive credits for prior experiential learning. For students who have aspirations for a Bachelors degree, Kellogg Community College is an excellent place to begin that journey. With an average class size of 16, each KCC student is able to receive the personalized attention he or B R U I N Tropic Tropic Blast Blast she needs to be successful. A testimony to the quality of the KCC transfer programs is that KCC students perform as well or better after transferring to four-year schools than the students who started at the four-year school. Finally, this high quality education does not come with a large price tag. In-district tuition at KCC for 30 credits per year is approximately $2,385. To give a comparison, the average annual tuition and fees for one of Michigan’s 16 state colleges and universities is approximately $8,399 per year (Michigan Postsecondary Handbook, www.michigan.gov/mistuendaid) and approximately $23,712 per year for four-year private colleges and universities (The College Board, www.collegeboard.com). With busy and challenging lives, it is diffi cult to fi nd time to go back to school. All of us at Kellogg Community College understand this and continue to look for ways to make education convenient and affordable for everyone. We have fi ve locations to serve your needs, including locations in Albion, Coldwater, Hastings, and two in Battle Creek. Kellogg Community College also offers approximately 80 courses in an online format. Courses run during the day and evenings. In these tough economic times, we encourage anyone who wishes to improve their future prospects to visit one of our locations, visit us at www.kellogg. com, or contact our Enrollment Services offi ce by calling (269) 965-4153. Friday, March 27 • 7-10 pm Kellogg Community College Miller Gymnasium Ages 18 and over $10.00 per ticket — advanced sales only with student ID tickets sold at the Academic Advising Center front desk DJ • Prizes • Limbo Contest! • Karaoke Light Refreshments • Alcohol Awareness Activities sponsored by the KCC Tech Club, KAB, and AOD Awarness Committee
OPINION Don’t be like me Robert Youngs, Jr. Bruin Alumnus After $700 of books and a $100 calculator, my spring semester at Western Michigan started pretty rough. That C- grade on my recent journalism midterm hasn’t helped either. Get your books online if you plan to further your education after KCC. I was going to shop for books online, but 15 credits and a 2-year-old child doesn’t afford me time to enjoy such leisure. For those of you wondering about the next level of your college careers, I’ve got a few pointers to share. You’ll probably feel the same way I did when I looked at a huge campus for the fi rst time. Take time to get to know your instructors and professors, EVEN in the large lecture sections. If that class in the huge lecture hall feels too impersonal, sit near the front and get to know your teacher – it worked for me. Find out where those classes are, because if you are worried even the slightest about fi nding your classes, go look for them a day or two in advance. Getting from one class to another at a place like WMU or MSU is no cakewalk and most buildings are open during weekdays, allowing you to explore. If you plan to live in the dorms on campus, invest in a decent meal plan, and if you don’t buy the meal plan with the most trips, I hope you have either a good campus job or parents willing to subsidize your trips to that Chinese restaurant on the weekends. If you end up at WMU like I did, there’s no point to the unlimited meal plan. Do something on campus other than go to class and sleep. Clubs on college campuses are the easiest way to make friends with people who share similar interests as you do. Take care of yourself and make sure you take the necessary precautions in doing so. Meningitis and mono are pretty pervasive on college campuses and they’ve claimed the lives of WMU and MSU students recently. Mom and Dad are probably going to harp on you as well, but practice safe sex. It’s “Going to a four-year institution for even two years is worth it” the number one topic on college campuses and it goes handin-hand with staying healthy. Get used to walking. Living on campus means you’ll be walking just about everywhere. Start walking before the semester starts, and if you end up at WMU, get used to walking uphill everywhere. If you smoke, do what I did and quit. This is my second time quitting, however, I’m sure that walking uphill everyday is a good way to keep me away from it. Also, I’m not angry all the time anymore. It’s great. Invest in a reliable computer. No matter what brand you buy, make sure you have the proper safeguards against viruses and adware. Trust me when I say you’ll want to pull your hair out when you can’t print that 10-page paper because your friend surfed too much porn and left you with 6,243 viruses. Fluorescent lights will drive you insane at 1 am when you’re studying for that fi nal exam in African Art History. Lamps with incandescent lighting and indirect lighting are a very, very feng shui alternative. When the lamps drive you nuts, get yourself a set of shop lights with 300-watt fl oods and point them at the ceiling. These will light the room and are very easy on the eyes. Personally, they saved my sanity during fi nals week. Lastly, have fun. Going to a four-year institution for even two years is worth it. Living there, making friends, and memories are somethings you’ll cherish for the rest of your lives. It will afford you the opportunity to come out of your shell and fi nd out who you really are. Obviously, most of these suggestions are based on my own experiences and whether or not you apply them to your own lives is up to you. There’s no instructional manual for going to college and living there. Trial-and-error and a little help from your friends will help you get by easily. Going to a large university is unavoidably expensive, but the experiences gained are well worth it. Robert Youngs, Jr., a 2006 graduate of Kellogg Community College, is a junior majoring in Journalism at Western Michigan University. Robert is a former photojournalist and staff writer of the KCC Bruin. Robert is now currently a photographer for the Western Herald in Kalamazoo, MI. He can be reached at robert.c.youngs@wmich.edu. �� Elizabeth Kerlikowske Staff Writter We all have those days where we lack energy and spirit for whatever reason, not necessarily a hang-over. Teachers pull all-nighters, too, though not as often as we once did, and catching up becomes even harder as we age. Several ways I deal with my own days of listlessness and ennui (a spiritual boredom) follow, but the most important thing to do in the face of weariness is to act! Doing nothing and wallowing in our feelings of worthlessness is the sure way to keep that bad feeling going. We must refocus our lens from the inward nitpicking to the outer reality. I try to get outside. Admittedly, that’s not easy this season, but even taking a slippery walk around the block or parking as far from my destination on campus as possible (which is easily done if you arrive around 9:45 am!) and walking just makes my physical body feel better. Blood starts circulating, not pooling up as it does when we’re in any seated position. We breathe more deeply. Sunlight (or cloud light) improves our mood, clinically-tested. I might see squirrels, which are endless sources of amusement to themselves, or wild turkey. I’ve seen deer, woodchucks, hawks, and the tracks of other animals in walks around Spring Lake with the naturalist and hunter Tom Webster. I stay away from junk food. While it feeds the immediate hunger for something to do or something to love, later on there is a price to be paid. The high of eating crap is balanced by the crash of the body as it craves other more nurturing foods. A diet heavy in fried foods, MARCH 2009 The Nagging Mother: Fatigue Editor-in-Chief Alan Hester Assistant Editor Mike Travers Sports Editor Jon Jones Managing Advisor Terah Zaremba Editorial Advisor Tom Webster Graphics Advisor 9 breads, and white sugar does irreparable damage to the psyche as well as the body. There is no lack of scientifi c evidence about the effects of highly processed foods on the human body, yet that’s the kind of cooking we’ve learned to crave, comfort food. But if we are in need of comfort all the time, perhaps there are other life choices that need to be questioned. I don’t let myself get sucked into mindless activities that consume the time I should be spending on my studies or my writing. I can love crossword puzzles and a video game called Zuma way too much. But when the game is over and I’ve “died,” three hours have elapsed that I will never get back. Knowing I spent it shooting colored balls from a frog’s mouth to “kill” other balls makes me feel, well, like an idiot. I guess it’s great if someday I’m pressed into service in some kind of battle situation, but I know there are teenagers out there infi nitely quicker than I at shooting. True, it does take the mind off deadlines and pressures temporarily, but we can’t live in The Mud Cave or The Serpent’s Lair forever. We have to get those equations done, write the paper, and calculate the gravitational force. Most importantly, we must learn to love ourselves in all our forms. When we are failing at a task, when we are behind, when we are not motivated, when we are tired from our lives, when we do not feel good about ourselves, we must address that head on and not try to hide it with food or drink, or recreational games or drugs, or misplaced attitude. Only by acknowledging that down when we fi rst realize it do we stand a chance of turning it around. Layout Design Christopher Rabineau Lauren Hockett Marcus Ervin Staff Writers Liz McCord Gary Mapes Brianna Berry Sara Dailey Anne M. Branham Katie Buschke Jeremy Erskine Jake Boley Heidi Dryer Robert Youngs, Jr. Kathy Jarvie Editorial Policy The KCC Bruin is a free student publication produced monthly by Kellogg Community College students during the fall and spring semesters. The KCC Bruin welcomes letters to the editor from members of the College and the community. Letters must be signed and submitted with a current e-mail address. All letters become property of the Bruin and may be edited for clarity and length. By-lined opinion columns represent the opinion of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Bruin staff or the College. Letters may be submitted by mail to KCC Bruin student newspaper, c/o Kellogg Community College, 450 North Ave., Battle Creek, Michigan 49017. The KCC Bruin can be reached by e-mail at bruin@kellogg.edu. Letters may also be submitted at all fi ve KCC sites. At the Battle Creek site, letters may be dropped off in the English department on the main fl oor of the C building, the College Life offi ce in the Student Center, or the student newspaper offi ce. At the Grahl, Fehsenfeld, and Eastern Academic Centers, as well as the RMTC, letters may be submitted at the information desks. The Bruin offi ce is located in the Roll Health and Administration Building, room 302. The staff can be reached at (269) 965-3931, Ext. 2630. Advertising and editorial content within this issue does not necessarily refl ect the views of Kellogg Community College and its affi liates.
Page 1 and 2: INSIDE Reading Month St. Patrick’
Page 3 and 4: Steve Severin building dedication P
Page 5 and 6: man; Charlotte, Jami N. Kemmer, Luc
Page 7: 6 U2Rlibrary@KCC Make March Reading
Page 11 and 12: More than “fair” Katie Buschke

March 2009.indd - Kellogg Community College

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