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Eye in the sky Students may not have
noticed the recent addition of
tinted bubbles on either side of
the Raider Grill and above the
payment line. These casings house three
of the new security cameras
appearing throughout GRCC. “If having them up makes
people behave better, I guess
there’s nothing wrong with
that,” student John Lovegrove
said. Student Ian Boyle had the same take on the cameras. “It’s a good idea to have them up, but only as long as they keep out of the personal lives of other students,” he said. The college’s Emergency Planning
Team (EPT) funded the new security
cameras as part of their goal of
making the campus as safe as possible
for present and future students of
GRCC. "We have been discussing
various strategies to keep our
campus safe,” Vice President of
Business and Finance and EPT
chair Bob Partidge said, “One of
the suggestions that came up was
that of adding video surveillance to
specific and important areas about
campus.” Aside from keeping misdeeds
from occurring throughout the
college, Partridge and the rest of
the members of the EPT hope the
cameras will provide students,
staff and visitors with the sense of
knowing GRCC holds safety as a
top priority. “A few of the other areas around
campus where cameras are to be
put up include the parking ramps,”
Partridge said. This also includes areas highly
traversed by students especially for
evening classes, he said. Another hopeful prospect of
the Emergency Planning Team in
having these advances in security
is to diminish the chances of dealing
with a school shooting or other
forms of attacks. “You can’t ever predict when
a Virginia Tech type of situation
is going to occur, but you can
minimize the effects from getting
out of hand.” Partridge said.
There is no specific date for
when all the cameras will be in
place on campus. Partridge would like students to know their safety is of the utmost importance of all the members of the EPT. Early enrollment under scrutiny Lisa Miller is a thirdyear
student. She works
full-time in a nursing
home, attends school
part time, and has two
kids, ages 11 and 14. She also has a year
and half left at GRCC. As a nursing student,
Miller has the advantage
of enrolling for classes
between two weeks and
a month earlier than
the rest of the student
population. Twelve groups of
students, called Early
Enrollment Groups or
Special Populations, get
this advantage. Kristin Thompson
is a returning student
aiming to get a degree in
pharmaceuticals. Unlike
nursing students, Thompson
doesn’t fall into a
category that allows her
early enrollment. Thompson meets the
24-credit level that gives
her seniority in the general
enrollment process. To Thompson’s surprise
when she checked
her classes, there were
full two weeks before
she was allowed to enroll.
These classes included
her last biology and
chemistry requirements
before applying to Ferris
State University to finish
her degree. Students from the Early Enrollment groups had already filled the classes. Thompson said she was told nursing and dental hygiene students had priority because they are receiving degrees from GRCC, and because many are on waiting lists for their program. Thompson’s plans were put on hold. Most pharmacy schools had a June 1 cutoff for pre-requisites, and Thompson didn’t have the option of taking the classes in the summer. Without other options, she
was forced to transfer her
credits to Muskegon Community
College in order to finish
her classes on time. The early registration
process has been in practice
more than 15 years and according
to a document released
by GRCC’s Academic
Governing Council, “Historically,
early enrollment … created
little negative effect on
students at large; however,
with increased enrollment
and demand for available
seats the practice has begun
to create serious enrollment
problems.” Because of this, and because
there is no policy that
explains or justifi es the practice,
a committee was formed
a year ago to work on the issue
and present recommendations
before the AGC. Cindy Martin, Associate
Dean of Arts and Sciences,
is part of the committee. “Compromise is an important
word,” she said about the
process of fi nding an answer
to this issue She said the committee
is trying to fi nd a “win/win
situation.” But it’s not simple, committee
member and GRCC
registrar Howard Shanken
said, “It seems simple. Everyone
should be able to register
in order of credits, but it’s not
so simple.” “There are some very
passionate arguments,” he
said, referring to the opinions
of why different groups
should or should not have this
process. Student athletes need
to schedule classes around
practice, and some of them
need to travel for sports like
baseball, golf, tennis, and
softball. Student workers
and apprentices need to
schedule classes
around work schedules. Apprentices
also have
a specific
sequence
of classes
they
have to
follow. Second-year student worker Bonnie Brooks said she thinks
early enrollment
is fair, as does Nicole
Snell, a softball player
who said, “It’s a hard question.
It helps us because we
have to practice so many
hours… four and a half hours
a day.” Students with disabilities
are reliant on transportation
so they need to schedule their
classes around transportation. Some health programs
have requirements to meet in
a certain amount of time.
But some students and
members of programs that
don’t benefit from early
enrollment think some of
these explanations are unacceptable. “I don’t think people
should get to register early,”
business student Mallory Wilson
said. “I think everybody
should register at the same
time. It should go by credits,
so it isn’t fair.” Thompson said, “Everybody
has responsibilities. I
paid for school myself. At
fi rst, I had to work all day and
take night classes. Did I want
to be taking chemistry at
10:30 p.m.? Of course not.” Thompson’s story had a
happy ending: spaces opened
up last minute for the classes
she needed and she was able
to stay at GRCC. But other
students weren’t as lucky. Dean of Student Affairs
Tina Hoxie, another member
of the committee reviewing
this practice, said, “It’s being
looked at very carefully
and thoroughly because of
the impact that it has on
students.” “Our goal is finding that
fair balance that addresses
all the students needs, and
that’s our challenge,” she
said. The discussion will continue into in early February when the recommendations will be provided to the AGC. Celebration goes forward despite frigid temps A celebration with songs, praise, and
history took place at the Ford Fieldhouse
for individuals to inherit the dream of
Martin Luther King Jr. About 120 people fi lled the auditorium,
and the event began with a National
Anthem played by the MLK citywide
band. The ceremony took place on Jan. 21,
from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and covered their
22nd year. Music coordinator Tyreece Guyton
was excited to start the “historical”
sound of the band. “We have a lot of involvement with
churches and schools, and individuals
from GRCC and GVSU are also part of
the program,” he said After the music started, GRCC Vice
President Cynthia Springer took the
stage to say a few words. “His legacy inspires us to take action.
We still have a ways to go to carry out the dream,” Springer
said. The event acknowledged
having an open
door where all voices
are heard. One of those voices
was Camille Allen, who
was the winner of the
Academic Essay contest,
announced during
the event. Dr. Gale Davis,
GVSU Provost, was inspired
by King’s strong
impact through the
many contributions he
has made. “We value the diversity
of people. Dr.
King taught us to respect
and appreciate
diverse people,” he
said. Pastor Kenneth
W. Hoskins, President
of the Inter-Denominational
Ministerial
Alliance, spoke a few
words. “We are all here not
for a day off-but for a
day on to help one another,
to help forward
the dream,” Hoskins
said. A celebration play
was performed to “depict the 50 years”
of integration within schools. Once the play had
finished, the special
guest speaker Minnijean
Brown Trickey
took center stage. “Remember that
history is more beautiful
and terrible than we
know,” she said.
Trickey was a civil
rights hero who helped
desegregate public
schools in America. She also was one of
many individuals who
stood with the group
of students who were
known as The Little
Rock Nine. “It should be discussed
everyday, not
just on MLK day,” she
said. Trickey also served
as a Deputy Assistant
Secretary under the
Clinton administration
and was responsible
for diversity. She is
currently working on
an autobiography titled “Mixed Blessing:
Living Black in North
America.” The ceremony
ended with the MLK
Mass Choir performing
cultural tunes. With the help of
involvement, King Day
may continue to be a
day of equality and
appreciation. “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend,” Martin Luther King Jr. said. Raider Card gives oppertunities to save The Raider Card offers
more than just parking
and purchasing food on
campus. About a year ago,
there was a Raider
Card survey where students
were asked what
improvements could
and should be made.
There was a suggestion
from a student in reference
to off-campus
discounts. This idea
seemed like a good one
to follow up on, so Paulo
Teles, Raider Card
manager, contacted a
few businesses around
the campus area to see
if they would be interested. Soon they were
getting businesses further
away from campus,
and businesses
were contacting GRCC
about being part of
the discount program
as well. “We were able to
get a lot of discounts up
front because we have
a partnership with
Grand Valley State
University where we
share discounts with
one another.” Teles
said. There are over 70
Raider Card discounts
available to GRCC students. The discounts
range from automotive
to movies to personal
care. For example,
Spencer Gifts in Woodland
Mall has a 10% off
entire purchase discount
when a student
presents their Raider
Card. Real Pro Automotive
on Eastern offers
a oil/filter/lube for
$17 and 10% off parts
and labor for repairs.
Maggie’s Kitchen on
Bridge Street offers
free rice, beans, or quesadilla
with minimum
purchase of $5. When asked if she
took advantage of the
discounts, GRCC student
Samantha Mitchell
said, “Yes, at Celebration
Cinema. I
don’t know about the
other ones.” Another student,
Brynn Guin said, “I
just noticed for the
first time on the GRCC
Web site that there was
a spot designated for
discount places. Prior
to that, I had no idea we
could use our Raider
card elsewhere. “ There are many
other discounts available
to students as
well, ranging from
entertainment, store,
and hotel discounts
among others. In order
to take advantage
of the discounts all
students need to do is
present their GRCC
Raider Card at the time
of purchase. The Raider Card
department plans on
contacting more businesses
each year to
expand available discounts.
There are also
early talks of making
the card an ATM card
as well with a participating
bank or credit
union. For a full listing of all the discounts offered for GRCC students, visit www. grcc.edu/raidercarddiscounts. New location for Winter Student Organizaion fair The annual Winter
Student Organization
Fair was held Jan.23, in
the Raider Grille for all
GRCC students. The fair showcased
a number of student organizations from
campus. Among the
organizations were the
Intervarsity Christian
Fellowship, the African
Student Organization,
and the Art Club. Unlike previous
years when it was held
in Winchester Alley,
the fair took place at
The Raider Grille. This
change came about because
this semester’s
event was hosted by
the Campus Activity
Board. “This is the first
year that we were approached
to host this
event,” CAB member
Sarah Wiltenburg said.“It’s being run by us, but
there are still ties with
Student Activities.” Student Activities
is still funding the fair.
Wiltenburg was enthusiastic
about the move. “For winter semester
we are trying to find a
place on campus with a
lot of traffic,” she said.
She went on to explain
the Raider Grille seemed
fitting. The crowd was moderately
thin halfway
through the fair. Garett
MacLean, attended the
fair as a recruiter for
the Art Club. “Most people are
just eating and leaving,”
MacLean said. “The
Main Building is where
most classes are. It’s the
main hub of the school,
and it’s where the students
all hang out.” Mamu Barry, member of the African Student Organization, said last year there were more students in attendance. “There is just more
traffic around the Main
Building,” she said.
Although the crowd
was somewhat thin, their
message was clear that
each organization was
out to take on new members. It’s also a event
for new students to get
to know what GRCC has
to offer. “It’s a great way to
network with people at
GRCC. Just through
Student Congress I have
met tons of people and
have had some great opportunities
presented to
me,” Wiltenburg said. Liz Tyrell, a staff
member with Student
Life, explained that not
only is this fair good to
network, but it’s good to
make friends. “Students can come
to connect with other
students and meet new
people,” she said. “Getting
involved with college
organizations and
clubs will build up your
resume.” The next Student
Organization Fair will
be at the beginning of
the fall 2008 semester.
It will be held outside in
Bostwick Commons. “There is way more people to recruit in the fall because they’re more new students. In the winter it’s just the same people,” MacLean said. News Briefs for Dec. 12, 2007 Open House Get a chance to meet
and become familiar with
GRCC support staff and
referral options provided
by those departments. Collegiate’s Blog New Academic
Standing Policy Campus Police Report for Jan. 30, 2008 Larceny
11-15-07 Suspicious Situation 12-10-07 Damage to Property
12-10-07 Damage to Property
12-19-07 Larceny
1-3-08 Damage to Property
1-7-08 Larceny 1-10-08 WAIT! CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE NEWS ON PAGE 2 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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