GRCC Interim President Mulder stays busy, keeping the daily operations of the presidents office running smoothly. (Photo by Lonnie Allen/Collegiate)

Ender chosen to lead
By Lonnie Allen
Editor-in-Chief

GRCC’s Board of Trustees (BOT) voted unanimously for Dr. Steven Ender to be the new President of GRCC.

This happened in the GRCC Board Chambers during an open deliberation with an approximately 50 in audience members.

We are entering a new time and GRCC needs the benefit of “fresh eyes” to take the college “to the next level,” the trustees said as they were individually polled.

BOT Chairperson Gary Schenk said, “I know that the outsider perspective brought by Dr. Ender will let him approach things in a new and innovative way without being bound by community tradition.”

Trustee Margo Anderson said, “His presentation was right on target for what is needed to take GRCC to the next level.”

Ender is currently the President of Westmoreland County Community College in Pennsylvania. Ender said he accepted the offer after consulting with his wife first.

“I was in a little bit of shock and awe to get the call from Gary so soon,” He had just returned to his hotel room after spending most of the morning and early afternoon at GRCC, Ender said.

Ender was interested in GRCC because of its achievements in education and that the institution has been around for 90 years. He also said the college has been a leader in job training.

It is the scope of what GRCC is doing in workforce development credit and non-credit, along with the fine academic programs, Ender said. “It gets my adrenaline pumping.”

Trustee Jan Maggini said, “Dr. Ender has already addressed the challenges that face GRCC, and surprised me as an Interviewer that he was already apprized of what was needed in Kent county.”

Maggini said that Ender’s knowledge of issues facing Kent County and GRCC—such as creating jobs, job retaining, K-12 alignment and collaboration, seeking local funding, and building partnerships—had surprised her.

“I believe he has the qualifications that will reach out to our outlying districts and bring credence to the word ‘community’ in GRCC,” Maggini said.

Ender said that he and his wife are looking forward to moving to Grand Rapids. They are currently working with a realtor and hope to live downtown near the campus.

“I like to walk out my door and get right on campus.” Ender has a strong sense for students and their education. He said that he even taught a class last fall at Westmoreland, and it was great to be back in the classroom.

Ender would like to be involved in programs that let him interact with students more. It is very rewarding working with students he says, which is “why I got into the business.”

He has worked with students from high poverty areas in the inner city of Philadelphia, who have faced a difficult life. Some of those students who have succeeded still exchange holiday greeting cards with Ender.

Dr. Ender was named to the National Advisory Board for ‘Helping Teens Succeed,’ a college transition program in 2002. With his 30 years experience in education, Ender said he looks forward to coming to GRCC. Ender said the official contact still has to be worked out, but he may be seen around campus before he actually starts his duties.

Schenk said, “Dr. Ender’s contract has not been finalized yet, but I believe it will be shortly, and I certainly do not see any deal breakers in getting that job done.”

Visit The Collegiate Live Video page for Dr. Ender's presentation.

(Top/Index)

Interim President reflects on time at GRCC
By Lonnie Allen
Editor-in-Chief

The sun was shining through the window in the Presidential trustee office that overlooks parts of downtown Grand Rapids on the fourth floor of College Park Plaza.

GRCC has just named its new president but the Interim President has occupied the office for a year now. At her desk she is working. She is carrying on the duties of president until it is time to go. Dr. Anne Mulder will leave GRCC after the new president takes over this year.

On the office wall there is a small hanging tapestry with a message written on it, “In the end what matters most is, how well did you live, how well did you love, and how well did you learn to let go.”

Those words are the motto that that GRCC Interim President Dr. Anne Mulder said she has lived by. It has helped her live her life, and do what she has done for 33 years in education.

Education was not her first choice. Mulder Graduated High School in 1957 and it was her mother, a nurse and widow at age 36, who felt that a college education was as important to her two daughters as to her son.

"In my mother's era there were few choices for women as careers," Mulder said, “Women could become a social worker, teacher, secretary, and a nurse. Those were the choices.” Mulder talked about the changes she experienced during her life as a college student and then as an educator.

“It was my junior year in college when my mother called me and said 'Anne what are planning to do next year?’ Very direct," Mulder said. "I didn’t want to go to law school.”

Her uncle wanted her to be a lawyer but Mulder said she didn’t want to be the only woman in the School of Law at the University of Kentucky. She wanted to be an FBI agent. She had been a special student in Washington D.C.

The idea of being an FBI agent wouldn’t work though, because at that time they are only hiring men in the FBI, Mulder said.

I told mother that “I wanted to be an interpreter at the United Nations, that is when she said to me ‘Anne, you do not speak another language,’ laughing about it," Mulder said. “That wouldn’t work then.”

Her mother then said to her, "listen very carefully, you are going to stay in school this summer and not come home." “So I stayed and got my teaching degree,” Mulder said. “I hated the education courses, couldn’t stand them, but I got my degree.”

It wasn’t until Dr. Mulder did her student teaching that her mind changed about being an educator. "Where else can you touch the lives that we touch as teachers?" Mulder said. “I have been so blessed.

“I sort of fell in love with teaching after being in the classroom. It was a really wonderful place I discovered in student teaching. It was an interesting time. It was the year that they started integrating High Schools in Kentucky and I had the first African American students in my class that had been in an integrated place."

Mulder said she watched that struggle and knew there was a place for her in education. She had always thought equality was probably more important than anything else.

To complete the degree process Mulder said she had to interview for a job. The place was Grand Rapids and she didn’t know why they hired her. She had to ask them to show her on a map where the city was. Mulder said she started teaching at the old Union High School that is now condominiums.

It was a time of transition for Grand Rapids, Mulder said, “I was teaching Julius Caesar and ask me if they cared while the construction of the new highway was going on. The jack hammers making that constant noise. I could not be heard by my students.”

Mulder said that GRCC was the place where she “cut her teeth.” Where she really started to see the doors open as an educator. It is a home to her, she said.

She first came to the college in 1960. She taught freshman composition as a adjunct teacher in the English department. “I was just so interested in the night school operations. Even then it was the older students coming back to college,” Mulder said.

In 1962 the college contacted her again. It wanted to open a Office of Student Activities as a new department. Everything that dealt with student life was hers. She came back as the Director of Student Activities.

She did that for a couple of years. At that time she had her second daughter and her husband said to her, "how many more dances we need to chaperone?" Mulder said she gave up that full time position to teach part time in English.

She was then teaching a developmental English class.

"I came up with this new program idea and with the college behind me on it I started working with women in transition," Mulder said. The Women in Transition office quickly morphed into continuing education.

Mulder initiated programs like block programming, counseling for women that are coming back to college, and helping to make the college sensitive to that population. It was that era when a number of women were saying we have something productive to offer in society.

"My office soon was known as the place you can do some innovative things, and all kinds of things began to come out of that," Mulder said. "We began dealing with our courses by newspapers, then television and now of course I use that as the iteration of really talking in the terms of using technology early on. Using our media early on to be translated to all kinds of innovative and different ways of delivering the system to students.

"During that time there were pretty exciting initiatives. I helped develop the first Staff Professional development here at the college. Bob Long, Gary Burbridge, and Kay Dodge were very aggressive and bright young faculty members here at the college. These were the folk who helped me forward an agenda for staff and professional development that continues to this day and that has gone well beyond that," Mulder said.

“I was named the Dean of Academic Services. This is all going on during a period that was extraordinary creative time for the institution,” Mulder said.

"That was moving a time here at the college. The first returning students from Vietnam were coming back to school and Grand Rapids had its share too. That was one of the most moving times for me. I had them in my class of 15 and 13 returning Vets from Vietnam," Mulder said. "The world was transformed right here in Grand rapids, in my classroom. Something that had happened way far away from here that affected the lives of this place and city."

"After about 33 years of constant work in my life, very little interruption, sometimes part time as women often do. I looked around and both of my daughters were living in Florida," Mulder said. "I think one always has to carefully look and say 'when is time for me to leave. When is it time to let go?' It was time for me to let go. So I went to Florida. I went there because of my two daughters and my grand children were there."

(Top/Index)

Fairwell to Chairperson Gary Schenk
By Mieke Stoub
Collegiate Staff Writer

After serving GRCC for 12 years, Chairperson Gary Schenk has chosen to step down from his position on the Board.

In an email interview, Schenk said that he has taken this position very seriously and that his time with the college has been progressive and fruitful.

“I hope and trust that in my 12 years, I have rendered good and faithful service and I trust that I have never made a decision based upon anything other than what is best for our college, our students and the college community,” Schenk said.

Jan Maggini, the Board Secretary, has fond memories of when Schenk first started as Chairperson. She mentioned that he, at first, had a hard time deciphering the different policies.

“I used to tease him that I had to write the process on a 2 by 4 to get him to understand,” Maggini said.

Now, Maggini said, Schenk is the “strongest proponent for our governance model and carries the message of its benefits when we are in the company of other Community Colleges across the state and the nation… Gary shines when he talks about GRCC.”

Kathryn Mullins, Executive Assistant to the Board of Trustees, has worked with Schenk for the last five years.

“Chairperson Schenk is a great leader and has added tremendous value to the work of the Board,” she said.

Mullins adds that she has enjoyed working with Schenk and will miss his presence at the college. Schenk’s commitment to

GRCC stems from the experience he had when he first started his college career. He referred to the college as ìthe place that more than 40 years ago took me when no other college would, and transformed me into a student.”

After attending GRCC, Schenk continued his college career at the University of Michigan.

There he completed his undergrad and finished his degree as a Juris Doctor cum laude (Latin for “with praise”) and Order of the Coif. Both of which are high honors in Law, Order of the Coif being the top ten percent of Law students in the country.

“It never would have happened without the God-sent opportunity given to me at our college,” he said.

Trustee Richard Verberg, who was elected at the same time as Schenk, remembers when they were both new to the college. Some similarities were brought up in an email interview.

The Board was in a Presidential transition just as it is currently. Juan Olivarez, who could not be reached for comment, had just been chosen by the Board to follow President Richard Calkins.

“Selecting a new President to follow Richard Calkins was quite an experience,” Verberg said. “We had a Community/College committee just as we had recently.”

Trustee Verberg said that having Schenk’s experience as an attorney has been beneficial to the college.

“He is truly a person of goodwill,” he said. “His sense of humor adds to the enjoyment of Board meetings and events.”

Schenk is confident that he is “leaving behind 6 very committed and competent board members” and hopes that the next Chairperson knows that it’s not about money and status, but about serving.

Schenk will continue to work as an attorney and founding member of the firm Schenk, Boncher & Rypma, P.C. where he has been practicing law since 1978.

(Top/Index)

Lifelong learner brings Asian cuisine to students
By Marcus J. Reynolds
Collegiate Staff Writer

In Taiwan, she was a teacher who loved to see young children learn. Today she wears the name tag Stella and is found cooking homemade dishes at the Raider Grill, where she brings customers a taste of Asia.

“Stella has brought the culture of the Wok (Raider Grill) to new heights,” said Sarah Rose, GRCC counselor.

Shu-Chau Liu, known to customers as Stella, came to America due to personal circumstances. She settled in Grand Rapids and her first job was working for a catering company.

Before Stella arrived at GRCC she managed a Steak-n-Shake, an Arnies, an Arby’s, and several area restaurants for over 10 years. She wanted to learn more, so she enrolled in GRCC’s Culinary Arts program in 2002.

“I wanted to know about American culture and cuisine, so I enrolled in GRCC’s Culinary Arts Program,” Stella said. “American cuisine is a combination of all cultures.”

Karena Haug, Culinary Arts alumna of 2002 believes that some of Stella’s attractive qualities are her personality and love of people.

“In the Culinary Arts program Stella had a fun charismatic outlook in school and in life,” Haug said.

After graduating with her degree in Culinary Arts Management, Stella was referred to Scott Van Deraa, GRCC’s Food Service Director of the Raider Grill.

“She came highly referred. At the interview her personality came through clearly,” Van Deraa said. “Personality is very important, she fits in well with our staff and the customers love her.”

Stella said that she likes “interacting with the customers and I like them to like me too.”

By twelve o’clock the Wok’s homemade dishes of cheese rangoon, California spring rolls and postickers are usually sold-out.

Postickers are Chinese dumplings wrapped in thin dough, filled with ground pork, water chestnuts and green-onions. Postickers are similar to egg rolls in size and shape.

“She sells out of everything she makes,” Van Deraa said.

The customers of the Wok have raving reviews about the new additions to the menu and Stella’s customer service.

Student Garion Sutliff said, “Stella is Stelllar, she has a bubbly personality and her food is amazing.”

As any good chef would, Stella held her secret recipes close to home, but did divulge her next life’s course.

Stella has an appetite for learning. She enrolled in the Dental Hygiene program at GRCC, which will make three degrees when she finishes.

“I want to learn something different every day,” Stella said. “That’s why we’re in college…to try new things.”    

(Top/Index)

Police Reports for February 11, 2009
Compiled By Collegiate Staff

Public Disturbance 1/20/09
Police were called to the Enrollment Center because a male person was being loud. When they arrived the person would not cooperate with them. He was then escorted off campus.

Public Disturbance 1/22/09
Police were called to GRCC bookstore. A female student was complaining that she had returned books and didn't recieve any money for them. Records proved that she didn't return any books, and the owner of the bookstore stated that the student is no longer welcome there.

Tailgating Accident 1/26/09
A GRCC emlpoyee was tailgating another vehicle into the Bostwick parkong ramp. The arm of the gate closed on top of his vehicle causing an estimated $50 of damage to the gate.

Flaming Garbage Truck 1/27/09
Officers witnessed a garbage truck traveling down the road, the contents of which were on fire. Police pulled the driver over over and informed him the contents were on fire.The driver then dumped the trash in a near-by parking lot and the flames were extinguished. It is unclear how the fire started.

Medical Emergency 1/28/09
Police were called to a medical emergency in the ATC. When they arrived they noticed a cooking student with his hand wrapped in towels. The student said he was cutting parsely when he accidently cut his middle finger on his left hand. The student was told he would need stitches. The student then drove himself to the hospital.

(Top/Index)

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 basic premise of journalism centers on the long-standing tradition of providing an open forum and a free press. Please write to the Collegiate with your opinion. You can drop off your letters in room 339 Main building, or you can e-mail them to GRCC_Collegiate@yahoo.com. Please include your name and phone number for proper verification.

Letters are subject to editing for spelling, grammar, and length.