Elisa Perez tears up as her story is told about why she was the one to win at the GRCC student Leadership ceremony. (Photo: Laura Boonstra/Collegiate)

Congratulations
By Marcus J Reynolds
Collegiate Staff Writer

Elisa Perez won GRCC’s Brian Kloet student leadership award at the “Take the Lead” student leadership banquet.

“The Brian Kloet Award is the highest award given at the student leadership banquet,” Eric Mullen, GRCC director of Student Life, said.

Perez was born in Yuriria, Guanajuato, which is a small town in Mexico, and has overcome many obstacles in her life to get to this pinnacle.

“In 2004 I enrolled in GRCC, where I started taking English as a Second Language classes, because I wasn’t able to speak or write English very well,” Perez said.

The first year for Perez was a challenge to adjust to the language and culture of a different country.

The second year, she realized there was a program called TRIO through GRCC’s Student Support Services.

“Student Support Services is where I got all the help I needed as an ESL student,” Perez said.

Upon the advice from GRCC counselor Anna Maria Clark, Perez applied for an internship through Michigan College/University Partnership (MICUP). The program helps facilitate low-income, disadvantaged students to continue from a two-year institution to a four-year institution to gain their baccalaureate degrees.

Perez was selected for the two-month program.

“I was proud of myself because this was my first achievement that I accomplished at GRCC,” Perez said.

The achievement was the first of many to come. Perez worked for two years as a student employee for Michigan Works Unemployment Benefits, where she was nominated as Student Employee of the Year in 2006. During the same year, she also was selected to be President of the Hispanic Student Organization.

“She is a very driven student who has shown leadership skills as HSO president,” GRCC HSO
advisor Miguel Espinoza said.

Perez also volunteers by working with two South American female teenagers.

“I provide them with friendship because they don’t know anyone in this country, or speak English,” Perez said.

“She has a strong sense of her Mexican identity and a sincere commitment to improving her community,” Espinoza said.

Last year, Perez applied for a leadership- training program at the University of Liverpool in England.

She was one of 20 students nationwide selected out of 100 applicants.“I was the only student selected in Michigan. We learned leadership skills in diversity, education, and public service,” Perez said.

Perez will go back to Liverpool this summer to work with high school students, where they will organize fun and educational activities.

The Brian Kloet Campus Involvement Award is given to a student who has been active on campus with a cross–college interest in Campus Life.

Elisa’s future plans include transferring to Grand Valley State University where she will pursue her degree in social work.

“I love helping people, that’s why I choose social work… since I’m a immigrant I want to have programs where low income students can go overseas to universities,” Perez said.

“Elisa has an insatiable interest in learning and understanding more about herself and others,” Mullen said.

Students going to trial
By Lonnie Allen
Editor-in-Chief

Summer vacation for some GRCC students will mean time away, but for two students this summer is about a murder trial.

Ryan Simonson and Eric Freeman are two of the accused in a beating outside the Margarita Grill earlier in the year. With upcoming court appearances and charges of murder, their summer will be different than what most students experience on summer vacation.

Jonathan Krystiniak was beat to near death Jan. 10, and later died Jan. 22 after family members removed him from life support. Simonson and Freeman are expected to be in circuit court on May 12 for the next step in the trial process.

Simonson was facing second-degree murder charges. Those charges were dropped after the preliminary exam on Feb.12 in district court. He is now charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder. If Simonson is found guilty, he could face 10 years in prison or a $5,000 fine, according to court documents.

Simonson is depressed and is working two jobs trying to stay busy since this ordeal started, said friend of the accused Paula Nice. “He is not talking about what happened until it is over with.”

Freeman is facing two counts of homicide in the same case. Count one is murder in the second-degree, and count two is manslaughter in the short form. Both charges are felonies. According to the court documents in this case, if Freeman is found guilty on the fi rst count, he faces life in prison. The second count is 15 years in prison along with $7,500 fine.

The term “manslaughter short form” is written depending on the case, said Lynn Hopkins, an assisting prosecutor at the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office.

“There are two forms of manslaughter: involuntary and voluntary. Short form is still manslaughter,” Hopkins said.

Attempts have been made to speak with Simonson and Freeman, though no response has been received.

“They cannot talk about the case,” Nice said, “It is better they remain quiet until they go to court.”

According to the circuit court documents, the Krystiniak murder case could go on throughout the summer. Freeman and Simonson have their own defense teams and, according to court documents, each of them have approached

this case differently. Nice said Freeman and Simonson are both waiting to see what will happen next.

Congress wants your voice
By Rebekah Young
Opinion Editor

Information about the recent Student Congress elections failed to reach the GRCC student body.

Student Congress members hope to address this issue by fixing the waning trend in student participation and establishing campus-wide elections.

“The college does an amazing job to try to get students involved, but there’s a sense of apathy among students,” Eric Williams, former President of Student Congress, said. “People are so busy, so it’s hard to get them involved.”

According to the Student Congress bylaws, the annual election is an internal process where members only vote by secret ballot to fill poitions of the Executive Board.

“Students in general are not currently aware or connected to student government and would not be interested in the elections,” Student Life Director and Congress advisor Eric Mullen said.

This apathy or lack of interest is demonstrated each year in the fluctuating attendance at Congress meetings.

At the election held April 10, 13 members were present for voting. The meeting prior to the election failed to meet quorum, the number of students necessary to make decisions. The Student Congress Constitution states that quorum indicates a simple majority of the voting membership is present.

“Our intention is to grow student involvement and make students more aware,” Mullen said. “It won’t benefit us to have open elections until students can understand and connect with Student Congress, until they care.”

Some GRCC students don’t agree with this approach.

“I think it would be beneficial to have open elections,” biology major Kristin Hufstader said. She said open elections will allow busy students to get involved without having to sign up as members.“Psychologically, there’d be less of a barrier.”

“It’s our student government, they’re representing us. Whether or not we’re members, we should have a say,” English major Kadie Schrotenboer said“If you allow students to participate in choosing who represents them, it’ll make them feel like their opinion matters. It would open the door to more involvement.”

According to Congress members, successful fall semester meetings average up to 40 students. But in the winter, student participation diminishes substantially with closer to 15 students in attendance.

“I would like to involve the whole student body, but I would want them to know what’s going on,” former Parliamentarian and newly elected budget director Jeremy Christiansen said.

To connect with Congress and have a voice, new Student Congress President Sarah Wiltenburg recommends students try attending the open meetings.

“If students want to have a voice, I would fully encourage them to get involved on campus,” she said. “I want them to be involved and know who or what they’re voting for, instead of casting an uneducated vote.”

Mullen said the path to growth is a two-way street for both Student Congress and the student body.

“One, Student Congress needs to be very communicative concerning their business, college matters that affect students, and opportunities for students to comment on and get involved,” he said.

“And second, students need to pay attention to these matters and choose to participate,” Mullen said.

One endeavor of Congress is contacting the Kent Intermediate School District to reach out to high school seniors who demonstrate participation and are likely to attend GRCC.

Mullen said he and David Selman, Student Life assistant director, hope to offer these students a way to get involved earlier in their college career.

This includes inviting promising high school graduates to attend the summer leadership campus with Congress members.

According to Williams, the student body gives up more than it thinks by not participating in student government.

“They’re missing out on an opportunity to make the college what they want. The college gives us the power to do that, but there aren’t enough students who want that power,” Williams said. “The greatest thing students are missing out on is the ability to help themselves.”

Central Michigan University’s student life Web site, cm-life.com, reports its open elections draw in less than 10 percent of the student body. This is a shared concern among many of Michigan’s colleges and universities.

Eastern Michigan University had 1,619 students participate in their presidential election, with an undergraduate student body of 18,245 students in 2006-07.

During Kent State University’s undergraduate student senate election, 1,295 students casted votes out of 29,227 students total.

The Student Government Association recommends improved election coverage and available information to help students become more engaged.

News Briefs for March 26, 2008
by Collegiate Staff

Interim President Announced
GRCC’s Board of Trustees has appointed Anne E. Mulder, Ph.D. as interim college president. Mulder will transition into the role by the end of June, according to a college press release. She will stay on board until a new president is found. Check Collegiatelive.com for more on this stoy.

Firm to help search for president
GRCC’s Board of Trustees has hired the American Association of Community College Trustees to search for candidates to succeed Juan Olivarez as the college president. The board was previously used to help bring Olivarez to the college 10 years ago. The Trustees hope to have a new college president by the start of fall semester.

Protest against gun law on campus
From April 21 to 25, GRCC students are joining in a nationwide peaceful protest against state laws and campus policies prohibiting concealed handguns on college campuses. Protestors will be wearing T-shirts and empty holsters, to symbolize the campus body being defenseless. No signs or banners are to be used during the protest. The GRCC Police helped coordinate the event for campus.

George Lessens receives alumni award
WZZM-TV meteorologist and GRCC alum George Lessens has been named Distinguished Alumni of the Year by the college Alumni Association. Lessens will also be delivering the commencement address on May 2.

Campus Police Report for April 23, 2008
Compiled by Ben Rooisen
Copy Editor

Larceny 3-24-08
Spectrum Theatre: Two projectors were reported missing from a classroom in the Spectrum Theatre

Damage To Property 3-24-08
Ramp 1 Bostwick: A student’s tire was slashed while his car was parked on level 1 of Bostwick Ramp 1.

Larceny 3-26-08
Fountain St.: A student’s car was broken into while parked on Fountain St. The CD player was stolen.

Disorderly Conduct 4-3-08
Bostwick Commons: An intoxicated student was asked to leave his classroom after being given an alcoholic drink before class by other students in Bostwick Commons.

Larceny 4-8-08
Ford Fieldhouse: A student’s wallet was stolen after it was left in an unattended duffel bag during class in the Ford Fieldhouse.

Larceny 4-10-08
Science Building: Three plastic toilet paper dispensers were damaged as their contents were stolen from the men’s restroom of the first floor of the Science Building.

Elevator Emergency 4-14-08
Cook Hall: The No. 1 elevator in Cook Hall broke down while occupied by students and a GRCC police officer. The elevator’s motor was worn out and shut off for the rest of the day.

Damage To Property 4-16-08
Tassell M-Tec: The word “No” was scratched into a student’s car while it was parked at the Tassell M-Tec.

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 GRCCC_Collegiate@yahoo.com. Please include your name and phone number for proper verification.

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

Current Edition:
April 23, 2008

Next Edition:
Fall, 2008