Fun and affordable fashion The mannequins on the corner of
Division and Lyon promote women’s
seasonal trends in Grand Rapids. One Girls Treasure, indicated by
large pink letters, is located on the
corner of Lyon Street and Division. It is a second-hand clothing store
designed for women and has variety
of styles and sophistication. The store’s grand opening was
in mid-November and the staff was
excited to begin the sales. Large
mannequin women behind the
windows grab the attention of
the downtown crowd. The store buys and sells
second-hand clothing. T-shirt
prices average $3 and a pair of
jeans average $12 and below.
The store also includes
shoes, purses, and jewelry. Marisa Roerig, who is
employed at the store and
is a student at GRCC, said,“We buy anything
clean and in style on
the spot, about two years
old or less.” “We meet collective
people both young and old,”
Roerig said. “Our mannequins
all have eccentric
personalities,” store
worker and Kendall student
Chelsea Harris said. The crew takes
responsibility for the
design of the store. The
two women and other
employees were able to add
their personal “flavor” to
the stores design. The music played
inside is intended to attract students
into take a look. “Anything you see was done by
us,” Harris said, pointing out the fish
decorated walls and art portraits.“We play XM radio, movies, and
music videos,” Harris said. “It’s also all about the appreciation
for fun, fashion and crazy style. We’re
all about individuality,” Roerig said.
GRCC student Caitria Mikesell
enjoys shopping at the store, where a
variety of clothing is offered. “There are different kinds of stuff
here, different options, and I plan on
bringing my clothes here,” she said.
GRCC student and shopper Jessica
Warren was rummaging through the
clothing aisle at One Girls Treasure. “It’s one of those places where you
have to search for your treasure and
be patient enough to stumble upon it,”
she said. Both students plan to shop there
again to find more “treasures.”
Tammy Jacobi, owner and
manager, is excited about the early
accomplishments of the store. “We target vintage, grunge,
and a little bit of everything. You
can always find something you like
here. It’s not a bubble gum store,”
Jacobi said. Jacobi emphasizes the
difficulty in retail downtown,
but she feels as if she broke that
mold. “The morale is high and
people are comfortable. We keep
our prices low, lower than our
competitors,” she said.
The building is actually part
of student housing. To contact the store for more
information, call 233-9940. The
store is open Monday through
Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday
9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and is closed
Sundays. “There’s no reason for people not to come here and shop,” Jacobi said. Death over tea St.Ives, is a dramatic and moving performance
of real social issues in the world. The play involves a basic storyline between
a mother, her tyrant son and a doctor;
however, the plot geared towards conflict
resolution in the world today. “It mirrors what we face today,
with genocide with Africa, Bosnia
and the Shiites,” says director Jeralyn
Pinsky. This two-person play was a modern
version of an old story, which
metaphorically portrays what the
world is struggling with today.
Pinsky has many expectations
for the play. “I hope the audience will come
and be entertained, absorb and
learn,” says Pinsky. “Entertainment comes first,”
Pinsky adds. She wanted the audience
to be able to be not only
entertained, but also be updated on
worldly conflicts. One of the two part dialog May
N’Kame depicted by Rebecca Monterusso
of Grand Rapids recently
played Lucy in “Dog Sees God” at
GRCC. The other part Julianne (Howe)
Bouwens played Dr. Cora Gage. Both have
been involved with theatre for years. The two hope to express the issues the
characters face in a way that audiences will
understand and relate. “I hope they will laugh with us, cry,
make them better informed. General,
historical fiction, yet current events,” says
Bouwens. The emotions range
from light, normal tea
discussion to deeper topics
of life and death situations.
Some parts were very intense
and brought out tears
in the characters. “Dialogue is compelling,”
both Bouwens
and Monterusso said. Overall, the object of the play is
to have conflicts understood through
entertainment, according to Pinsky. “If the actors do their job this
will happen to the audience,” says
Pinsky. The play runs now until February
2, at Spectrum Theatre, Thursday,
Friday and Saturday night at 8:00pm.
Contact the box office (616) 234-3947
for tickets. Director, Jeralyn Pinsky, had a positive attitude on both audience turnout and success of the play. “I hope the audience will come and be entertained, absorb and learn,” says Pinsky. Ask the Princess: Compassion for the neglected Over the holidays I was fortunate to escape the
blustery snow while enjoying the beautiful warm
sunshine in Chapala, Mexico. The trip was not purely for entertainment and
vacation, but an opportunity to serve others by
form of a mission trip. The team consisted of 12 attendees of Wellspring
Community Church with a combination of
college students and adults. When the opportunity came up in late August
to travel to Mexico on Dec. 1, jumped at the chance.
Although I had been on other mission trips throughout
the U.S., I had never been out of the country.
It was a leap of faith since it cost $1,500, a
small investment for a poor college student. I
knew I would not be able to pay for it out of my
own pocket with all the expenses in my name.
Through a series of support, fundraisers, prayer
and faith, we were all able to raise enough money
to pay for the accommodations. Arriving in Mexico was a huge culture shock.
I knew of Mexico being a poor country, but could
not really fathom it until going there. The sun
over the mountains and lakes was
picturesque, but the houses in most
parts were run down and almost
seemed unlivable. The ground was dusty, the grass
dry and sparse. The farms, the
horses, and cows looked like skin
and bones. Their pastures consisted
of garbage, bricks, and dry dirt. Looking around their country
made me realize how blessed we are
in America. Many take things like
food, water, and shelters for granted
daily with complaining, but in Mexico,
they are happy with nothing. Grand Rapids compared to Chapala is on two different spectrums when it comes to daily routine. Our society has set schedules, times, and dates in which one might break down if something was off pace. In Chapala, the rhythm was slower
paced and had the mentality of“no worries, we can do it tomorrow.” They wake up
around 10 and have siestas at two. In town, people
seemed to just walk around without checking their
watches every minute. They also appeared more
family oriented. The pastor and wife of the church
we painted lived with their children and grandchildren. When thinking about their culture and ours, is
one better than the other? Would it be more beneficial and less stressful to have less material objects
and more free time? Throughout the week, we spent four days painting
at the Church of the Holy Spirit. Our goal for
the week was to paint the entire church, which,
at first glances, seemed impossible. With a group of 12, the time
passed quickly, we finished both
floors in four days. To break up the workload, we
also visited an orphanage called,
in English translation, Love in
Action. It was run by one of the
leaders in the church.
The eyes of the orphans
seemed to speak of how they
longed for love and attention. They were temporarily assigned to Love in Action Orphanage by the Mexican government because either they were neglected or in a high-risk environment at home. It was amazing how much joy they had, considering their circumstances. They laughed, played, and showed compassion to us, though we were complete strangers. Other than simply painting the church and hanging out
at the orphanage, it was also a growing experience for the
group. We were able to bond during the week through our
experiences and struggles. It took a great deal of faith to go to a foreign land, out
of our security blanket. We knew it could be dangerous to
go because we were not on our home ground anymore. How many other opportunities like this are available
for students? Are there other churches around Grand Rapids
who give students a chance to travel outside the country
or even in the U.S. to help the community? Have any
students at GRCC been on a mission trip before and did it
influence their life in any way? I would like to hear from you. Please reply at http://
asktheprincess@blogspot.com with your responses or if you
have any other interesting topics those are welcome too. Love, The Princess. In the life of squirrels In a nutshell, “The Power
of Ownership” by GRCC
alumni Michael D. Khouri
emphasizes taking pride and
control of careers and life
for greater success. The book is a motivational
conjunction of self meaning
and values as seen
metaphorically through the
lives of squirrels. In order
to make it in this world, one
must adapt to the
surroundings. Besides an author, Khouri is a professional development speaker and consultant. The Grand Rapids native started his college career at GRCC later transferred to Central Michigan University to obtain his bachelor’s degree in Journalism. After he graduated,
he found himself in the
business field rather than
journalism, but never lost
his enjoyment for writing. Throughout his career, he
has spent 32 years managing
for various corporations
including ABC and NBC
broadcasting during the
80’s and 90’s. His other
occupations involve wireless,
publishing, manufacturing,
financial services, retail,
entrepreneurship, and
college instruction
experiences. He also connects with
local corporations in form
of a motivational speaker
to inform employees of the
basic principles of “the
power of ownership.” The book offers business
insight in an entertaining
style. Instead of using
bogged down information
and difficult words, the book
provides everyday
language with a
sense of humor. Khouri related the
business world
metaphorically
to the life of
squirrels. In the squirrel
world, one
must “take charge
like the squirrels
in Preference or
ignore it like the
squirrels in Upheaval”
Khouri said. It also contains pulled
quotes ranging from Martin
Luther King Jr. to Dr.
Seuss, which relate to each
chapter. The presented theme
in the book is about how in
fast-paced society there
are no signs of slowing
down. Technology and
businesses are on the rise,
and it is hard not to get
lost in the shuffle. Before
jumping into a career, it is
important for students to
research and plan ahead
of time. They need to be
prepared and excepting to
change in the “industrial
revolution.” “It is a message to students
that they can expect to
enter a business world that
is going through dramatic
change not unlike the industrial
revolution,” Khouri
said. Khouri encourages
readers to take charge with
career goals now for a mold
for the future. Putting value
in life, career, and goals will
help with becoming successful
everyday. “Do what you need to
do now to prepare and what
you need to do in the future
for success and enjoyment
by always taking control of
your own destiny,” Khouri
said. For more of Michael Khouri’s “The Power of Ownership” visit the GRCC bookstore on campus. A&E Briefs for Jan. 30, 2008 GRCC Collins Art
Gallery Going to St. Ives The Grand Rapids
Guitar Quartet Upcoming shows
@ The Intersection: Beyond the wall
poster sale So you think you can
dance January music radar: Top 3 box office movies Expressions of talent Open Mic Night continues to bring diversity and originality
to GRCC. Three years ago, Deonna Catteledge, the president of the
Black Student Union, put together the first Open Mic Night. The
event was created to raise funds for a scholarship and a childcare
grant. It is a monthly event put on by the Black Student Union
to display some of the talent on the GRCC campus. It is open
to anyone who wants to participate, they welcome any form of
entertainment including singers, poets, musicians, and comedians.
Sara Hill, BSU advisor said, “We are getting more people
that want to perform and the talent is improving.” There is a $5 fee to register and perform. Registration is at
the time of the event. There are cash prizes for first place and
second place. The first place winner receives $50 and second
place receives $25. Three judges decide the winner. One of the judges is
always a BSU member to ensure fairness. They each vote on a
10-point scale and add the three votes together. The performer
with the highest vote wins. BSU president, Brandon McCall said, “I like doing this because people get to express how they feel and people listen.” The winner of the Jan. 23 Open Mic Night was Craig Randall,
an mc, who’s stage name is Phantom Raw. Second place
was Chedda Cheez the MC. Also included in the line-up of talent was two-time winner
Markesha Bivens, also known as Raven. DJ Omega Supreme
returned to DJ the event as well. Host McCall and Anthony
Raglin also performed an original song. Hill did a moving
spoken word as well. Most of the talent performed their own
material. There are 129 BSU members and approximately 12
attend events. To become involved with the Black
Student Union, they have information posted on
the Stall Street Journal, which is located in all bathroom
stalls on campus. The next Open Mic Night Will be Feb. 6, 2008
from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. Admission is $3 for non-performers
and $5 for performers. For more information go to www.grcc.edu/bsu. 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. |
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