1/30/12 – A student was stuck in an elevator in the Cook/ North Building. The elevator was stuck between two floors but eventually began to work. The elevator was checked and ready for service.

Damage to Property

1/30/12 – A student returned to his car in a GRCC parking ramp and found numerous key scratches and a note threatening him. Police were called. No suspects.

Suspicious Person

1/31/12 – A man dressed like Santa Claus became disorderly while on GRCC’s campus. Police responded and had trouble understanding what the man was saying. The man was released and allowed to attend class.

Medical

2/1/12 – A student was having trouble breathing and was having stomach pain while on campus. Police were called and the student was taken to the hospital.

Public Disturbance

2/2/12 – A man refused to pay when trying to leave the parking ramp at GRCC. The man said his ID had been stolen and he hadn’t been able to get a new one. He was given a fail to pay slip and allowed to leave.

Trespassing

2/6/12 – A man was removing items from a dumpster on GRCC’s campus. The man was advised that he was to not take objects from the dumpster and was asked to leave.

Smoking Violation

2/7/12 – A student was smoking near the Student Center on GRCC’s campus. The student was informed of the no-smoking policy and was given a ticket.

Trespassing

2/8/12 – A man was found lying on the bathroom floor in the Main Building. The man was informed he was trespassing and told to not come back without police permission.

Skateboarding

2/8/12 – Police saw a GRCC student skateboarding down Lyon St. The student was informed that it was illegal to skateboard in the downtown area and was given a warning.

As sports fans, it’s always fun to dream. To dream of your team being on top, the best in the league.

What happens when your dream becomes reality?

As a Lions and Tigers fan, 2012 could be the year we see the Detroit Tigers, who less than 10 years ago lost 119 games, and the Lions, who in 2008 became the first team to finish 0-16, finally bring home long awaited world championships.

Coming off a season where the Tigers finished a step away from the World Series, the Tigers made the biggest splash of the offseason by landing one of the league’s best left-handed sluggers, Prince Fielder.

Combine Fielder with Miguel Cabrera, Jhonny Peralta, Brennan Boesch, Delmon Young, and the quickly improving Andy Dirks, and you have one of the most feared line ups in baseball.

Courtesy of MCT Campus

The starting pitchers for the coming year will include Cy Young and MVP winner Justin Verlander and the young, inconsistent Rick Porcello, but beyond lies the deep realm of inconsistency.

If there is a weakness to the team, it seems to be the back end of the starting pitching staff and the set-up men in the bullpen. Al Alburquerque, Joaquin Benoit, and Jose Valverde should be back again, but there is still a level of inexperience to the bullpen.

The answer to these pitching woes? Prince Fielder and his close to 40 home runs and 120 RBIs.

My prediction for the Tigers? The Detroit Tigers win the World Series in six games against the Philadelphia Phillies.

What about the Lions? Is the roar officially restored?

Led by Jim Schwartz, the team will bring back the offensive firepower of Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Titus Young, and the late emerging Kevin Smith.

Simply put, this team should put up offensive numbers the league hasn’t seen since the St. Louis Rams and the “Greatest Show on Turf” back in 1999-2001.

Critics and fans agree: for the Lions to get to the next level, improvements need to be made to the defense.

The correct steps have been taken to shore up the issues with the defensive line by drafting Suh and Fairley and adding Vanden Bosch and Avril, but questions about the linebackers and the secondary continue to surface.

You can’t win in the NFL if you can’t slow down the run or stop the pass.

It’s time for the Lions to use the draft and Free Agent market to fill in the holes.

Safety Louis Delmas is a nice player with playmaking ability but after him, things get shaky.

Despite the improvements, many questions will still need to be answered before the season begins.

The Lions appear to be one more year away from the ultimate prize, but a deeper run in the playoffs appears possible.

The Lions will again finish second in the conference at 11-5 – behind the Packers – but will advance to the second round of the playoffs.

With the Detroit Pistons currently in the NBA cellar, Detroit fans will have the Red Wings to enjoy until spring when training camp rolls around, and we can again flock to Comerica Park and Ford Field.

The GRCC Raiders baseball team will make its annual spring training trip to Florida March 1-8.

While in Florida, the team competes against other community college baseball programs from across the country.  The players pay for their trip through fundraising and host clinics at the Ford Fieldhouse for youth baseball.

Each year it gives the players a chance to prepare for the upcoming season and gives the coaches a chance to evaluate players aside from practicing indoors at the Ford Fieldhouse.

The Raiders finished second in Regionals last season after losing to Muskegon CC in extra innings 4-3. The Raiders finished with a 31-23 overall record last season.

This season the Raiders are looking for revenge against their conference foe. The team has 16 sophomores and 14 freshmen on its roster. Head coach Mike Cupples likes the mix of talent he has this season — his eighth season as a Raiders head coach. He has been a part of the program since 1992.

“I think we’ve got a good team this year; we can swing it and we have good depth with pitching,” Cupples said. “We’ll just have to see where we sit after the trip – hopefully not many backwards ks.” (Backwards ks refers to a strikeout when looking)

As of now many of the positions are set, but the bullpen still has to be finalized and second base has yet to be solidified. Sophomore Drew Dunbar, transfer Steve Ayala, and freshman Mike Battistelli are all competing for the open position. Cupples and his coaching staff will make a decision after the trip.

After the tough loss in Regionals last season, this year the players are eager to begin the season.

“We’ve got a lot of leadership on the team this season and the incoming freshmen have looked good,” said sophomore shortstop Carlos Berroa. “Everyone here wants to win a national championship. We talk about it every practice.”

This past Sunday the Raiders held a recruiting showcase at the Ford Fieldhouse for possible players for next season’s squad.

“We had a lot of talent show up,” Cupples said. “We have about 8-10 players we will be looking at for next season.”

Recruiting coordinator and hitting coach Corey Gross said, “We’re right where we want to be and we’ve signed a lot infielders for next season.”

The Raiders open the season on March 17 away at Owens CC, and then host their first home game the next day at Belknap Park.

The GRCC women’s basketball team hosted the Kellogg Community College Bruins on Friday, February 10 at the Ford Fieldhouse.

The Raiders came out on top 52-37 snapping a four game losing streak and won their second match against Kellogg this season.

“We had a tough stretch where we played a lot of the top teams in our conference, but at the end of the day we’ve got to get to the point where we are playing more consistent,” said Head Coach Eric Taylor.

Susan Lockwood/ The Collegiate

During the first half, it was a back and fourth game, each team battling each other for the lead, but the Raiders clawed their way to a 21-19-halftime lead.

Freshman guard Jordyn Priestly led the Raiders with seven first half points.

Kellogg CC sophomore center Samantha Krueger almost had a double-double by halftime, scoring eight points and pulling down 12 rebounds.

Eight of the twelve rebounds were offensive.

In the second half, Coach Taylor was determined to put away the Bruins by implementing a full court press defense and it worked.

Kellogg CC struggled shooting the ball, only making 21 percent from the floor, and the Raiders took the advantage.

The team had Destiny Robinson return from an injury, and she led the team in scoring with 15 points.

Sophomore Kelsey Jensen added 10 points and pulled down eight rebounds.

Freshman Katie Mitchell contributed for the Raiders pulling down 10 rebounds and dishing out 3 assists despite being held scoreless.

“It wasn’t our best game, but we were able to get some pressure on them in the second half and come out with a win,” Taylor said. “It was nice to see some of our guards pull down some rebounds.”

Krueger finished with 18 points and pulled down 20 rebounds in a losing effort. She also had four steals and two blocks.

The Raiders improved to 9-11 overall and 4-7 in conference play.

The Raiders look to keep battling to make a playoff push against Glen Oaks CC Wednesday night at Glen Oaks.

In the previous match-up at Ford Fieldhouse, the Raiders beat Glen Oaks 75-54. Tip off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

The GRCC Raiders improved their record to 14-7 (9-2 MCCAA-W) with a lopsided 88-59 victory over conference opponent, Kellogg Community College.

Jared Mysliwiec lead the way in scoring for the Raiders with 15 points, but the Raiders displayed team play throughout the first half.

It started early on the defensive end, where ball pressure led the Raiders defensive attack.

The pressure led to early turnovers by the Bruins and easy fast-break points for the Raiders. The combination of ball movement, easy shot opportunities and made free throws helped give the Raiders an early double-digit lead.

Perimeter play led by T.J. McCutcheon and Jimmy Carroll Jr. helped start the Raiders transition attack. Roy Jackson led the team near the end of the first half as the Raiders took a 31-15 lead with six minutes left in the half.

Susan Lockwood/The Collegiate

The Bruins of Kellogg Community College continued to play tough perimeter defense and battle past their early shooting struggles.

The Bruins were able to narrow the deficit to single digits until Grant Tracy nailed a three pointer on the wing right before half time, giving the Raiders a 42-31 lead heading into the locker room.

The second half saw much of the same from the Raiders as it only took nine minutes of play before head coach TJ Carnegie pulled all his starters and let his bench finish up after building a 30 point lead.

Micah Gates and Arik Hesselink led the way inside for the Raiders, with a combined 25 points and 20 rebounds in only 30 minutes of play.

The Bruins, led by Chris Stevenson and Steve Roper with 17 points each, continued to struggle offensively in the second half.

GRCC will travel to Glen Oaks and then Muskegon Community College on Wednesday and Friday before returning home to play Ancilla College the following Wednesday, Feb. 22.

No, we didn’t lose a teacher, an administrator, or a student. As a school, we lost something bigger.

GRCC lost a football program that has touched the lives of close to 100 players just this past year alone, and thousands of players before that.

Think about all the students whose lives have been changed by the second chance they were given to play the game they loved.

A lot of the players at GRCC played for the school as a way to make it to the next level. Not having the grades needed to qualify for Division 1, these players had no other choice.

They had the talent and the skills but for one reason or another were unable to make it to the Division 1 level.

There are various reasons why students didn’t qualify for Division 1. For some, it was a lack of effort, but for others, it had more to do with the schooling than anything else.

“These schools that these kids go to are night and day,” said former Assistant Coach and program recruiter Curtis Andrews. “The schools are a mess and these kids needed this program.”

In a recent interview, Andrews shared his concern for what would happen to players around Michigan and the entire Midwest now that there is no more GRCC football.

He voiced his concern for what would happen to players who didn’t qualify to play Division 1 ball. GRCC was their only route to making it to the next level.

When GRCC canceled the football program in January, the public was told the reason behind the decision was the $250,000 price tag the team had, travel issues, and Title IX problems.

If the money was the big issue, then there are ways to get around that.

Would a fund-raiser have helped? What about swallowing some pride and asking for donations?

None of that matters now anyway, and now the school has to deal with the fact that for the coming years, there will be hundreds of players without a home.

There will be hundreds of students whose lives will never be the same. They won’t have the discipline, the friendships, or the lessons that players learn while playing college football.

When high school players around the Midwest are looking for a junior college, they will now have to turn to California, Iowa, Georgia or elsewhere if they want to play.

The future is often cloudy for many high school student athletes, and by canceling the football program, GRCC affected the lives of many.

It’s too bad that effect will be in such a negative way.

Web Editor

If Google is the church of information, then Wikipedia is the god.

I grew up in an academic society where I have never had to open a book in order to complete a research paper.

Instead, I would plug my subject into the Google search bar and wait anxiously for the loading bar to hit 100 percent. I knew that somewhere on that front page would be a sacred link to Wikipedia, that holy grail of information.

However, when I hit college, my professors quickly spoke blasphemy toward Wikipedia. They would spout lies about the open editing of the subjects and how there was always a chance of hitting bad information. They explained that Wikipedia is not recognized as a legitimate source by the academic society and should not be trusted as a resource for papers. Instead, it should only be referenced to gain access to primary or secondary sources.

Well, I now have a bit of predicament on my hands. You see, I still start every single paper at Wikipedia. It is always the first article I read. Every paper that I write should have Wikipedia listed in the “Works Cited.” But I don’t cite it because it would be detrimental to my grade. Let’s be honest; I am committing some sort of plagiarism simply because my professors have decided to dock points for one of my sources.

Why is this the case, though? I’m not stupid; I know how to fact check a Wiki article. I know what is good information on a Wiki page and what isn’t.

The International Weekly Journal of Science (Nature.com) did a study in December of 2005 that found much of Wikipedia’s content “comes close to” the accuracy of Encyclopedia Britannica’s content. That was six years ago!

The process that Wikipedia uses to validate information has improved significantly since 2005.

In past years, Wikipedia has implemented new software and filtering methods, which prevents users from changing content that is regarded as common knowledge. In order for users to change content that has been cited and proven, changes are submitted to peer review. These new tools have significantly reduced the amount of misleading edits on the Wiki articles.

If a malicious edit does make it through to the live page, it is often fixed within a few seconds. This is because Wikipedia has programs that fact check the changes against the sources provided. If the changes go against what is regarded as common knowledge, these programs will revert the malicious change.

The Encyclopedia Britannica is regarded as one of the best academic sources online. However, it is a pay-to-use website. Sadly, writing a general English paper doesn’t warrant me paying a pretty penny for the same information available on Wikipedia.

Prior to coming to GRCC, I worked an office job. I was a purchasing assistant to a factory that did metal work. Every few weeks, my boss would ask me to give him a summary of specific types of steel. Every single time, Wikipedia was my primary source in doing this. That is how the working world works. You don’t get time to sift through 30 websites to find the right information. You simply plug the subject into the wonderful Wiki machine and then fact check it against a book in the office.

If college professors are meant to prepare us for the working world, they are doing it wrong.

It is only a matter of time before my generation is setting the rules. We see the value in an encyclopedia that contains the most relevant information on a subject. Books quickly become outdated and can contain bias. Wikipedia is fact checked against an entire population of people and is updated as new information presents itself. It does not contain bias and it is not outdated.

Until the academic institution allows students to utilize Wikipedia as an acceptable source for papers, I will be committing plagiarism by excluding it from my works cited. Will you?

Collegiate Staff Writer

This month and next November, Michigan and the rest of America will have to make a big decision: who will we be with for the next four years?   For most people four years is considered a long term relationship.  We will have to be able to trust the next president and develop a connection with him.  What better way to choose the next president than by having the United States participate in the Dating Game?

*Cue Music*

Today, we are lucky to have five eligible bachelors for the country to choose from.  Let’s see if America can find her Mr. Right.

Our first bachelor comes to us from Pennsylvania; this former U.S. senator has never been one to shy away from controversy.  He is a confirmed Catholic that has a strong religious base.  You can see this comeback kid grace the programs of Fox News as well as all around Washington networking with lobbyists.  Just don’t Google his last name.  Welcome, Rick Santorum.

The next choice is a former governor of Massachusetts.  This eligible bachelor has a stable income working in the private sector.  That means money, ladies.  He has consistent poll ratings, but that may be the only consistent thing about him.  He has been deemed a flip-flopper by some and a people-pleaser by others.  This attractive mannequin has a stable family life and is a devout Mormon.  He has advised several Republican candidates, including George W. Bush and John McCain.  Welcome, Mitt Romney.

Jessica Towell

Our third bachelor is well known as a political power player.  As a former speaker of the House, he gained a reputation as someone who doesn’t hold back his feelings and is quite the scrapper.  There is no argument here; this intellectual has friends in all the right places, good friends with the means to help fund his expensive campaign.  This recognizable Republican figure has been plagued by personal problems.  But hey, if you can get three women to marry you while looking like a yard gnome, you must be doing something right.  Welcome, Newt Gingrich.

The next bachelor was an eleven-term Congressman from Texas, who some have called the Godfather of the Tea Party movement.  Although he wants to run on the Republican ticket, his politics are more in line with that of a Libertarian.  He is vocal against big government and is a strong supporter of deregulation.  With a strong army of support

from Paulidites, this long-term politician won’t go away anytime soon.  Not to be confused with Gollum from Lord of the Rings, let’s welcome Ron Paul.

Our final choice has quite the resume booster; his current occupation is that of Commander in Chief.   Like Ron Paul, he has a dedicated group of supporters, many of them his famous friends.  He is a smooth talker with all the right moves, not to mention a velvety voice.  This bachelor’s hair has been graying from stress recently, and his ears are comparable to an elephant’s. However, not a Democrat or a Republican can argue with his fit physique.   Bogged down by political and social turmoil, he is working to unite the separate factions in Washington.  Whether that’s optimism or a pipe dream, you decide.  Welcome, Barack Obama.

America: Let’s start with the economy. What are your plans to financially take care of us?

Romney – I know about money.  After all, I am a successful business man.  Good friends with Donald Trump, we have a lot in common.  Unlike my fellow Republican candidates, I have an actual 59 point plan to take care of America’s economic downturn.  Some of my plans will be to reduce corporate taxes, implement free trade agreements, and reverse any executive orders Obama made that favored organized labor.  Don’t worry. I want to take care of all you regular people–the ones who make a lot of money.

Gingrich – I may not yet have a plan set in stone, but unlike my fellow candidate, I am a workingman.  I have experience and I have been around the block.  America, I would like to sign a new contract with you.  And by the beginning of my second term in office, I promise that unemployment will be down and we will have favorable economic conditions.  My policies include repealing ObamaCare, replacing the Environmental Protection Agency, following along with Reaganomics, and starting to limit unemployment benefits to a generous four weeks.

Obama – Well, it was a group effort. My blue buds and I worked together.  We managed to turn jobs around, we’ve had growth, and the American auto industry is once again back on its feet.  Together, we can do more.  My future plans involve freezing annual spending for the next five years, replace trickle down economics with bottoms up, regulate institutions for what they do, not what they are, and bring hope back to the U.S. economy.  Together, everyone achieves more.

America: We’re not getting any older; how do you feel about marriage?

Paul – Marriage to me is a personal thing.  In my views, it should be between a man and a woman, although I cannot say that I would do anything to define marriage at a federal level.  States have the right to say “gay okay” or “gay no way.”

Santorum – Certainly, I do not believe that the states should be able to dictate what marriage is.  We’d have 50 different versions, and the only version I want to follow is one in the Bible.  Marriage is between a man and a woman, no ifs, ands, or butts…

America: Where would you take us on a first date?

Santorum – We would probably go to a nice Catholic church celibacy dance.  I would wear my nicest sweater vest and khakis.  If the night goes well, we could even end up holding hands during the jitterbug.  Just make sure your dress doesn’t match the colors of the rainbow.

Romney – I’d like to pick you up on a jet, and we’d fly off to one of the many countries in which I’ve invested.  You can watch me be the man in charge.  After a quick stop off at the country club, we could head to the local mall and see who can sit still the longest on the food court benches.

Gingrich – First, we could start the date off right by doing a little gardening. Then after we get cleaned up, we can head over to my friend’s mansion. The best part is that his yard is fenced in so the pesky liberal media can’t spy on us.  If you’re real lucky, we can even make a stop off at the moon. Just don’t get sick on our date.

Paul – I’d try to make reservations at a nice restaurant, but I’m sure they will remember I called.  Our back up plan will be to feed pigeons in the park and visit the Paulidites protesting.  We could end the night by catching Lord of the Rings at the movie theater.  We can sneak in the back to save some money.

Obama – It’s easy to say I could show you a good time.  We would have a good start off with dinner in the big white house, and then make a quick trip to the community center.  After signing some autographs, we will begin with the Karaoke.  I’m thinking a little Al Green.

Okay America, now it’s time to choose. Who do you want? Should he be poised, charming, cunning, real, sneaky, or optimistic? Or should you vote on the issues?  It’s time to turn off the TV and pick up a newspaper.  Don’t judge the candidates on looks, but rather the stances they take on issues.  Sure, eye candy is fun, but we don’t need fun.  We need someone who will get us on track, not a man who knows how to tie the perfect tie.

For former GRCC athlete James Wimberly, January 9, 2012 was the day his world was turned upside down.

“I was mad and confused,” Wimberly said when asked about his emotions the day the football program was canceled. “I was in the weight room when I found out. I was told it was happening but I was one of the players who didn’t see it coming.”

Now that the decision is final, Wimberly’s attention has turned elsewhere.

“Now I just need to find another home that fits best,” said the Michigan born Wimberly. “Because I didn’t qualify for a four year institution, I need to play at the junior college level. Currently, I’m looking at colleges in California and Texas and also Division 2 schools but the junior college route is my best option.”

Wimberly is not the only former GRCC player in this situation.

Cam Boyd was a freshman at GRCC last year and like Wimberly, he is also searching for a place to continue his playing career.

Credit: Mark Cinco

“I have to transfer to another community college,” Boyd said. “Iowa Central and Mt. San Antonio College in California are two of my options.”

The number one issue for Boyd was the timing of the announcement made by the college.

“If someone had told us before we signed up for classes then we could have gotten our financial aid transferred and we could have signed up for classes at another school,” Boyd said.

Boyd felt that although the school is doing what it can, it’s not what the players need.

“We really just needed a place to play next year,” Boyd said. “After the school canceled the program, there wasn’t much they really could do.”

Another GRCC player, Jason Embry, was a redshirt freshman this past season and is struggling with the decision of what to do next.

“It looks like I will be playing in either California, Iowa, Arizona, or Georgia,” Embry said. “The worst part of all this was the timing. If we had been told earlier, we could have transferred.”

Embry agreed with Boyd’s thought that the school can only do so much.

“If the school can’t find a place for us to play then they really can’t do much,” Embry said. “However, I am really looking forward to the player showcase the school is holding so I can show what I can do.”

The showcase, which is being held on February 18 at GRCC, is being organized by former Assistant Coach Curtis Andrews and will allow other schools to come and evaluate former GRCC players.

Andrews has been a part of the football program for almost a third of his life, both as a coach and player, but he has seen his job at the school change over the past months.

“As a program, we are still holding bi-weekly meetings to update our contact information, study table for the players and off-season workouts,” Andrews said. “We are doing off-season workout plans for the kids so they don’t waste time while still here. We don’t want them to miss a beat. Normally we would be in pads in the spring but we won’t do that.”

Along with keeping the players grades up and in playing shape, Andrews is also working on getting the former players into other two year institutions.

“I have sent a link to over 1,000 coaches around the country providing recruiting films and information about our players,” Andrews said. “As a two-year institution, we are used to helping athletes transfer to four-year schools. Now I am dealing with former rivals– teams I used to recruit against and am asking them to take our players.”

To Andrews, finding a home for the players is his mission but what happens in the future to the kids who no longer can play at Grand Rapids Community College is something he worries about.

“The program is going to be missed within the Midwest,” Andrews said. “I have players text me and say they don’t know what they would have done without Grand Rapids. With Harper College, Joliet College and GRCC being canceled, that’s 300 players who will need to find a place to go.”

“There are players that are okay but there are also players who are rough around the edges who we don’t know where they would have ended up,” Andrews said. “I worry about that part. We not only served Michigan but also Indiana and Ohio. I think that is the part that will be hurt the most. Grand Rapids Community College was a second chance to these players.”

Vibrant red is the first color  to assault your eye as you walk into Timothy Norris’ exhibit of huge acrylic paintings, charcoal drawings, and sculptures in the Paul Collins Gallery at GRCC. Molten lava erupts through black rock leaving gray ash in its wake, and green slopes hide hearts of flame.

“Over the past several years, I’ve been exploring the varied symbolism of fire in my paintings,” Norris said. “Then I realized it made a lot of sense to also start making drawings using the by-products of fire– charcoal, embers, ashes, and other carbon based media- as an extension of the fire theme.”

The artist’s fascination with fire has led to inspiration in other ways, some of which has come from the book entitled “Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Creative Temperament,” written by Kay Redfield Jamison.

“Over the years, I’ve read many biographies of artists, musicians, and writers,” Norris said. “It’s sobering to note the high number of creative individuals throughout history who apparently suffered from severe bipolar disorder.” This paradox led to the creation of a sculpture, “Earthwork Model #5: Bipolarity Memorial,” a small-scale prototype for a larger environmental piece, a design that plays off Robert Smithson’s “Spiral Jetty.”

Norris’ art ought to be viewed in person to be fully appreciated for its intensity of color and the minute details of his charcoal work.

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