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Suit filed against Republican Party The government can take your home, but not your rights, according to a lawsuit filed by the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee. The Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee joined three Macomb county residents as plaintiffs in the class action against the Macomb County Republican Party, Michigan Republican Party, and the Republican National Committee. The nation’s eyes were on Macomb after The Michigan Messenger released a Web report that quoted a Macomb County Republican chairman saying that homeowners who have faced foreclosure may have their voting status’ challenged at the polls. The Detroit metro area has the largest foreclosure rate among the nation’s 100 largest metro areas, according to realtytrac.com, one of the key foreclosure data providers to MSN Real Estate, Yahoo Real Estate, and The Wall Street Journal’s Real Estate Journal. While Macomb County includes the metropolitan area, it does not include the city itself. “Lending institutes often charge higher interest rates to minorities,” said Steve Abid, Head of the Social Sciences Department at GRCC. African Americans claimed over 50 percent of subprime loans in Mich. in 2007, stated michigan.gov. The Detroit metro area ranks second in the nation for overdue subprime loans, with 25 percent. “If it is a common practice, to challenge voters whose homes have been foreclosed, then I would say that this is just another effect that has come from the financial crisis,” Abid said. He also said he had not heard of voters being challenged based on home foreclosure in the past. According to a report by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the majority of African American voters have voted in favor of the Democratic presidential candidate, since 1964. “If you look at the history of the United States, than you will see that history repeats itself. The Jim Crow Laws, the grandfather clause…There have been so many ways voter disfranchisement has been targeted at African Americans in the past,” Said Sarah Hill, Urban Enrollment and Early College Coordinator at GRCC. “Because of everything that is going on, people are going to protect what they have. I expected people would make it difficult for people with different views from their own,” Hill said. Hill is also the advisor for GRCC’s Black Student Union, a student-run organization for those interested in multi-ethnic issues and activities. She went on to say that she did not think this was only a race issue in itself. The campus Republicans refused to comment on this issue. Since the article was released, the GOP official has filed a lawsuit against The Michigan Messenger, saying the quote was inaccurate. However, The Michigan Messenger stands by reporter, Eartha Jane Melzer. Jefferson Morley, editorial director of The Michigan Messenger, said in an Associated Press article, he had no doubt Melzer reported the quote accurately after reviewing her phone records, emails, and recreating what and how Melzer reported. That is not the only lawsuit in Mich. surrounding the growing debate of voter disenfranchisement. The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Michigan, and Advancement Project, a student group, stated in a press release on Sept.18 that they have filed a lawsuit against Mich. Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, Michigan Bureau of Elections Director Christopher M. Thomas, and Ypsilanti Clerk Frances McMullen. This suit was filed in response to two other statewide voter purge programs that could potentially disenfranchise many Mich. voters, especially student voters. 14 Democratic senators have sent a petition to the Attorney General Michael Mukasey asking him to ensure voters are not intimidated or harassed at the polls, nor are those who have received foreclosure notices. The Attorney General included the letter in a recent press release on his website. .According to the letter, states with the highest home foreclosure rates should be given special attention. Realtytrac.com, as well as the letter, mention Calif., Ohio, Fla., and Mich. as some of the states with the highest home foreclosure rates. Good Bye G4s, hello Hi Tec The GRCC Visual Arts Department received forty new 24 inch iMac workstations last month to replace the existing Mac G4s they were using since the beginning of 2004. Students and faculty agree that this has been a substantial and long awaited improvement. The G4s didn’t have the horsepower to keep up with the demands of the students and technology required for photography and video classes. The new iMacs are faster, have better resolution, better hardware, photo-realistic color, and derive more benefit from the software over the G4s. These upgrades result in less time waiting, increased productivity, and increased creativity for students and faculty. “It’s a vast, vast improvement,” said Jonathon Russell, photography professor at GRCC. “I have more screen real estate and it’s just blazing fast,” Russell added. Screen real estate refers to the much larger monitors on the iMacs offering more working space for users. “My goal was never to have a machine that hindered a student’s creativity. It’s nice having machines that can keep up with you,” Russell said. “It’s very impressive pro-consumer equipment,” said Rob Burdick, video professor at GRCC. The move to the iMacs took the Visual Arts Department from 1999 to 2008 in terms of technology. According to Burdick it now takes approximately one quarter of the processing time it did with the G4s, and the new software capabilities are amazing. “I remember using G4s in high school,” said Matt Ortowski, 25 year-old sophomore at GRCC. Ortowski said he used his high school’s G4s in 2000, and was surprised to learn that the college was using the same thing. Phillip VanEyl-Godin, 19 year-old sophomore at GRCC said, “It’s easier to work on pictures because of the higher detail,” once again referring to screen real estate. “On the big screens, with editing, you can get closer and closer and see things better.” The price tag on this art booster, according to Kurt Meinders, Associate Director for the GRCC Personal Technology Department, is “$122,140… without labor.” Meinders said the money for the upgrade came from the “cyclical replacement budget for computers.” This money is set aside by the college for replacement and repair of old computers. Meinders agrees with the faculty and students that the update was needed, stating “One room was originally equipped with used equipment just to get the program up and running.” As for the old G4s, they are no longer in the GRCC system. Meinders said that some were donated to other schools and some were sold, but all are gone. New Readership Program makes easy access to newspapers By Lindsey Regan Collegiate Staff Writer With things happening so fast in the world today, staying updated is important for most people. With all the new technology, finding time to read newspapers is not the quickest way to receive news and stay updated. "It's a lot more convenient for people to use the Internet and T.V.,” said Kylie Masters, who has attended GRCC for three years. “A lot of people are already always on the Internet." However, GRCC’s Student Congress, along with many other groups, are creating a new program to bring the newspaper back. With the help of USA today and the Grand Rapids Press, a new readership program has been created. The program provides free newspapers to everyone attending GRCC. Students and staff just have to swipe their raider card at one of the bins set up all around campus. There is no money taken off the raider card, nor information retrieved, when it is swiped. "We are hoping to promote readership, current events, media readership, and great teaching and supplement across a lot of disciplines, business, and communication," said Eric Mullen, Student Life Director at GRCC. USA Today comes out with a new issue every day. 400 newspapers are distributed Mon. through Thurs., and 350 copies are distributed on Friday's. The papers arrive at 6 a.m. every morning. "I think students will read more newspapers now that they are more convenient to access," said Sharon Gruss, who is attending her second year at GRCC. "It is a lot easier for them to just pick up a paper on their way to class than have to go buy it somewhere." The program will cost about $43,000 a year, with student congress paying 20,000 of it. The newspapers will be delivered for one year. There are 10 locations throughout GRCC where students can pick up a paper. These locations include areas in the main building, student center, Cook hall, technology building and many more. 'Make a Difference' this October Students and staff are coming together this Oct. 25 for Make a Difference Day (MADD). For the passed 18 years, Make a Difference Day has been recognizing those who help in their communities. Christine Terry, who is coordinating this event, said that there will be 400 or more students and staff working with 13 non-profit organizations. Inner City Christian Federation, Grand Rapids Housing Commission, Grand Rapids Children's Museum, and Inter-faith Hospitality Network will be some of those participating in this event. "MADD was started by USA WEEKEND newspaper 18 years ago in an effort to spearhead a national movement towards civic engagement and community service," Terry said. "Much like the national day of prayer, MADD is a national day of service." Marcia Bullard, CEO & Editor of USA WEEKEND Magazine started the event hopeful that it would inspire people to help in their communities. The staff of USA was amazed when 70,000 people nationwide responded. Today, over 3 million people across the country volunteer for this event. This is the first time GRCC will be involved with MADD. Welcoming ceremonies start at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday Oct. 25 at the GVSU Pew Campus downtown. Sign in is at 9:00 a.m and transportation will be provided. The event lasts until 3:00 p.m. Students bringing in canned goods will receive a free t-shirt and be entered to win door prizes. Registration closes October 17, please contact Christine Terry for more information. National Issues Forums Voting is an important right that United States citizens have, but it’s important to know what we are voting for. Grand Rapids Community College students have been invited by the Gerald R Ford Public Museum to come to their open National Issues Forums, which is one more way to get educated before going to the polls. The first of these forums was held on Oct. 2 and the topic was “Paying for Health Care in America: How Can We Make It More Affordable?” According to nifi.org these forums are held nationwide of the same topics in hopes of keeping an ongoing deliberative public dialogue for democracy’s sake. Ellen Stuart, associate faculty of nursing, assigned her students in her Transcultural and Community Nursing class to go to this forum. She and 30 students made up close to one third of the attendance, but she said “the rest of the audience was made up mainly of elderly Grand Rapids community members.” The forum offered a place to talk about healthcare and was a way for participants to bring about their own ideas for a solution. These ideas were taken note of and along with the rest of the nation’s ideas on the same topic and will be handed to the next President of the United States once he or she gets into office next year. This direct line to the President is a huge opportunity for any voter to be heard. There are two forums left before Election Day. On October 16th at 5p.m the issue will be “What is the 21st Century Mission for Our Public Schools?” and October 30th at 5p.m. will be “racial and Ethnic Tensions: What Should We Do?” Sign up sheets for either forum, and pamphlet information on each topic is available at Student Life. Secchia Institute of Culinary Arts takes cooking to the next level The Secchia Institute of Culinary Arts program here at GRCC has taken students and cooking experiences to the next level, said Randy Sahajdack Program Director for the Culinary Arts. “Taking this establishment to the next level is what it is all about” said Manager and Head Chef Mike Whitman, at Art & Bev’s Restaurant. “These students work hard to create the eclectic taste.” The food at Art & Bev’s is mainly slow cooked, and gently prepared. A more expensive taste with a non-expensive price, offering succulent mouth watering entrees, said Whitman. “We offer a variety of different foods from pasta, to all different kinds of sandwiches, special soups, cheeseburgers and French fries, salads, and our specialty decorated cakes,” Whitman said. Student Hank Mclaughlin said he eats at Art & Bev’s quite often, and his favorite meal is cheeseburger and fries. Hank said he likes this restaurant so much because the burgers are the best he has ever had, and the price of the food makes it all the better. The Culinary Art students here on campus create a new menu every semester along with new sauces and appetizers, specializing in cake decorating. There is also a new carving class, which features gigantic blocks of ice for making special symbols for different events said Randy. Robert Garlough started the program in 1980. “I am very proud to be a part of a successful, prominent, and educational establishment,” said Sahajdack. The Heritage Restaurant which was started in the Calkins building 28 years ago, moved to the quiet café for several years, now established in the Applied Technology Center. The Heritage which is more laid back, mainly designed for dinning in or reservations is always appreciated and usually necessary said Sahajdack. “You are taking your chances if you plan on walking in.” From “11:30-1:00 we are full with banquet reservations, GRCC students, faculty, administrators, and local business people, who definitely help to keep our culinary arts students busy,” Sahajdack said. Part of the training is that the students need people to participate. Learning things in the class then being able to apply it to the real world is what learning and getting that true-life experience is all about, said Sahajdack. Bike Space One of the most popular forms of transportation at GRCC this fall does not require any gas or a parking space, just two wheels and a pair of legs. The bicycles strewn about on the south end of campus can be hard not to notice. They’re locked to trees, parking meters, trashcans, fences, and the limited amount of bike racks GRCC has to offer. “Riding my bike means I don’t have to pay for the ramp or gas,” said Adam Rash, a GRCC student. Generally, among the student population of bicyclists, this is the reason for riding a bike attending the college, instead of driving a car. It saves two dollars and fifty cents with every visit to the school, which can add up to be a good amount of cash by the end of a semester. Not to mention all the gas money that’s being saved. Due to the increased usage of bicycles as a form of transportation, GRCC has decided to purchase new racks to help with the growing number of riders, according to Officer Harold Woolworth of the GRCC Police. The new racks will be placed on the forefront of the bicycle invasion, the south end of campus, with hopes that this will solve the vast expansion of bicycles. As stated in the Student Handbook, there are not any rules to where bicycles can be locked for the day. It does however tell where the bike racks are located around campus. According to Officer Woolworth, one specific bike rack has been neglected. It’s located in the center of the Bostwick parking ramp at the very bottom, it’s usually completely empty. The GRCC Police Department advises students to lock their bikes up on bicycle racks. They have reported bicycle theft on campus has been a real problem for those bicyclists choosing to leave their bikes on fences, trees, etc. Some of the cases have involved stolen bicycles from the GRCC campus that then were sold around Grand Rapids for cash, according to Woolworth. Nonetheless with winter on it’s way, bicyclists must be thinking of others means of transportation, but for some students like Jay Eldridge and Adam Rash, snow will not stop them. “I’ll just put a bunch of clothes on for winter,” Rash said. “But I’ll keep riding to school.” Campus Events for October 15, 2008 The Big Bang (Talent Show) Choosing a Major Workshop Student Congress Meeting Self-Esteem and Confidence Workshop Non-Traditional Opportunities Workshop Successful Transfer Planning Workshop Speak Out! Have something to say? Sound off to The Collegiate at grcc_collegiate@yahoo.com for your tips or views on the current news, sports, arts & entertainment and opinion. Letters to the editors: The Collegiate is very interested in your opinions, so send your letters in. The
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The Collegiate is the student newspaper of Grand Rapids Community College. The opinions and views expressed in this newspaper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Grand Rapids Community College (Michigan). The Collegiate is a free press and a public forum.
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