Pet Savers: Gabe Laney gives “Angel” some attention. Pet Savers, a registered student organization called Pet Savers has been formed on campus by Professor Cate Arroe and now has a membership of 15 students who wish to stem the tide of pet abandonment and help find them homes. Photo courtesy of Cate Arroe

Cate Arroe has led an effort to stop the trend of student-owned dogs being abandoned at the end of the year.

“I have heard horror stories about students abandoning their pets at parks or in apartments or at the local shelter,” said Arroe.

Arroe is a music professor at Ferris who recently gathered a group of 15 students who held in common the value that every animal deserves a home. The group, which recently obtained a registered student organization (RSO) status, is called Pet Savers.

The group’s mission statement says, “We are dedicated to finding homes for pets who would otherwise be abandoned, and to providing services to dog and cat owners who would otherwise be forced to abandon their pets.”

Vice president Gabe Laney, an FSU senior, believes that foster homes or permanent homes are preferable to animal shelters. Pet Savers has started a foster home network that they utilize when an animal is turned in. Part of the effort is to simply raise awareness so that students have a place to give their unwanted pet.

“The next step is to advertise to students and others in the community that if they have a pet they can’t keep, we will take it and find it a home,” said Laney. “We also provide services such as help with training, food and vet bills for our foster parents and dog walking.”

Often times, these situations occur when a landlord finds out that a tenant has a dog, breaking the rules of the contract. Instead of moving out, the owners may abandon the dog.

Arroe said they have not built up enough foster homes for cats at this point, but she hopes to in the future.

The group was independently started by Arroe; it now has 15 official members.

For more information or to drop off an animal, call 231–250-2496. You can also visit www.petsaversbigrapids.com for more details.

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I came to Ferris for the hotel management program in the fall of 2006. It took me around a semester to realize that this field was not the right fit for me and that I wanted to do something with the field of writing. This is where I stepped into journalism.

For my latter three years of college I have studied journalism along with the two minors I picked up along the way, political science and philosophy. I have had a very interdisciplinary experience at Ferris, and this has helped me to take the next step, graduate school.

Ferris is known around the state and wider Midwest region as a career school, a technical school and various other titles of a university that is focused on getting students a job post-graduation. Only in recent years have a few programs sprouted up that are more on the liberal arts side of education.

Admittedly, I am much more of a liberal arts type of student. I feel that learning should be valued for its own sake and for the fact that it can better the individual, independent of future career opportunities. Because of this mindset, I have often felt out of place here.

The fact that Ferris is so career-driven is not necessarily a bad thing. I happen to prefer a different style of education, but there is value in focusing an education toward a career.

There are a select number of professors and programs in which one can tell they truly want to be in the academic environment and they want their students to learn for more than simply “surviving in the work world.” If one looks closely and researches his or her professors, the Ferris experience can be adapted to any student’s needs and desires.

This strategy worked for me because now I am off to get my Masters in social and political thought at the University of Sussex in southern England. My interdisciplinary undergraduate degree proved very favorable to a program of this breed.

My advice in closing, as this is my last column here at the Torch, is to embrace your field of study for all it is worth, and understand the value in classes outside of that concentration. Learning about other ideas can only illuminate the areas you came here to study.

The university is a very special place. I believe there is a serious internal maturity that a student goes through in attending college that a person doesn’t get without it. So, go out there and learn about many things, exercise intellectual freedom and experience the world; it can only lead you in a better direction. n

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Four of these programs, energy systems engineering, molecular diagnostics, allied health and fashion studies, will be bachelors programs, while dietary food service management will be an associate program.

The fashion studies program, which will be based out of Ferris’ Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, will include three years of study on campus, with the fourth year of study in New York at Parsons New School for Design, the home of the popular television show “Project Runway.”

“They [students] will be exposed to fashion design experts who will teach them how fashion is created, branded and sold and, in the process, develop a network of connections within the fashion world,” said Kendall President Oliver Evans.

The program will use almost all current Kendall resources, with the exception of a new program chair that will be hired.

Caitlin Reid, a Ferris senior in restaurant and food industry management, said that she knows someone who studied fashion at Grand Rapids Community College for two years, later transferring to Columbia College in Chicago, and saving her money.

“That would be great for students going into it …they get to go to a highly thought of fashion school as well. It’s cheaper in the long run because those schools are expensive if you go for all four years,” said Reid.

The four other approved programs will be located on the main campus in Big Rapids.

Provost Fritz Erickson is particularly excited about the energy systems engineering degree.

“The launch of this new degree program will significantly impact career opportunities for our graduates who will meet a global need for engineers who can develop and implement alternative/renewable energies and energy efficiency related technologies in buildings and products,” said Erickson.

The associate program in dietary food service management will be interdisciplinary in that both the college of business and college of allied health developed the courses. The purpose of the program is to train students with skills to run a sustainable care facility as well as provide patient services. The latter of these, however, will be under the supervision of a registered dietician.

The molecular diagnostics program will also be the first of its kind in Michigan. Graduates will most likely go into the field of genetics testing.

While the new degrees represent unique and growing fields, the Ferris Board of Trustees also voted to end the bachelor of science in management degree due to its similarity to the business administration degree. n

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Four of these programs, energy systems engineering, molecular diagnostics, allied health and fashion studies will be bachelors programs, while dietary food service management will be an associate program.

An entrance to Parsons New School in New York where Kendall College of Art and Design students studying the new major in fashion studies will spend their final year. Photo by Dan Hamilton | News Editor

The fashion studies program, which will be based out of Ferris’ Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, will include three years of study on campus, with the fourth year studying in New York at Parsons New School for Design, the home of the popular television show Project Runway.

“They [students] will be exposed to fashion design experts who will teach them how fashion is created, branded and sold and, in the process, develop a network of connections within the fashion world,” said Kendall President Oliver Evans.

The program will use almost all current Kendall resources, with the exception of a new program chair that will be hired on.

Caitlin Reid, a Ferris senior in restaurant and food industry management, said that she knows someone who studied fashion at Grand Rapids Community College for two years, later transferring to Columbia College in Chicago, and saving her money.

“That would be great for students going into it …they get to go to a highly thought of fashion school as well. It’s cheaper in the long run because those schools are expensive if you go for all four years,” said Reid.

The four other approved programs will be located on the main campus in Big Rapids.

Provost Fritz Erickson is particularly excited about the energy systems engineering degree.

“The launch of this new degree program will significantly impact career opportunities for our graduates who will meet a global need for engineers who can develop and implement alternative/renewable energies and energy efficiency related technologies in buildings and products,” said Erickson.

The associate program in dietary food service management will be interdisciplinary, in that both the college of business and college of allied health developed the courses. The purpose of the program is to train students with skills to run a sustainable care facility as well as provide patient services. The latter of these, however, will be under the supervision of a registered dietician.

The molecular diagnostics program will also be the first of its kind in Michigan. Graduates will most likely go into the field of genetics testing.

While the new degrees represent unique and growing fields, the Ferris Board of Trustees also voted to end the Bachelor of Science in Management degree due to its similarity to the business administration degree.

New Year, New Majors is a post from The Ferris State Torch. If images or multimedia are missing, please visit the original post at the web site.

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X Marks the Spot: Minor in possession (MIP) tickets are given out both on and off campus. Drinking underage can lead to both criminal and civil consequences, and if caught in the residence halls, first time offenders are required to take a $100 mandatory online course about alcohol. At many bars, individuals under the age of 21 are often marked with an “X” on their hands. Photo Illustration by: Kristyn Sonnenberg | Photo Editor

For students who have been caught drinking underage while at school, they are familiar with how the penal system treats this matter, and what the ramifications are of a minor in possession (MIP) ticket.

Ferris’ Department of Public Safety (DPS) Police Chief Marty Bledsoe said that students need to understand that there is more than one side to underage drinking.

“One thing people don’t completely understand: we talk about MIPs being the criminal side. There’s also a civil side,” said Bledsoe.

If a student does something illegal or hurts someone while intoxicated, they can also be sued civilly.

“The number one thing is not necessarily the law and not necessarily the Office of Student Conduct, the number one thing is safety,” said Bledsoe.

“Dave,” a student speaking under the condition of anonymity who has had three such tickets, said, “I can’t say don’t drink because that would be hypocritical of me, but if you are going to make the decision to drink as a minor, be smart about it.”

MIPs can occur both on campus and off. If caught drinking in a residence hall, the resident advisor or hall director may choose to keep the issue within the confines of the campus, or they may choose to involve law enforcement officials beyond campus. The standard result of a first time offense handled through the school is a mandatory online course about alcohol that comes with a fee of $100.

Kristin Norton, the director of the Office of Student Conduct, said, “We don’t focus on the number of incidents a student is involved with but instead consider the nature of the incident and perhaps the pattern of behavior.”

The anonymous student said that of his three tickets, two of them involved the police on campus, and one off campus. For his first MIP, he paid slightly over $200, but his third one was all the way up to $515, with one year probation and 40 hours of community service.

Bledsoe said the rate of MIPs is down by about a third this year. There have been 186 cases of underage drinking so far this year, as opposed to 278 last year and 397 the year prior, according to the Office of Student Conduct. He is not sure of the reason for this drop, but is glad to see it.

Dave said, “After paying about $2,500 in fines and costs, and now being on probation, it really hasn’t affected my over-21 lifestyle. I still go to the bars and drink as often as I did prior to the MIPs, even though I’m not supposed to.”

Dave said he regrets making poor decisions while drinking, but the tickets have not affected his use of alcohol. He did, however, say he was treated fairly and he simply had to deal with the consequences of the choices he made.

“I have talked with other students who have spent time in jail because of a decision they made while intoxicated. Some of these decisions can impact the rest of their lives. It’s always my hope that students are well informed about alcohol, and if they choose to use it, regardless of their age, they do so safely,” said Norton. n

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Upon arriving that August, I was one of the many freshmen who did not bring a car to school. My sophomore year, however, I was lucky enough to get a 1992 Toyota Camry from my aunt so that I could have a car to drive around town. It wasn’t until then that I realized one of the many differences between the automotive cultures in Michigan and Illinois.

Since getting that Camry, and still now while driving a Nissan Sentra, I have caught a lot of flack, both in good fun and serious attacks, for driving a foreign car. I have been told by various individuals that I do not support American jobs and that I am destroying America for driving a Japanese car.

After dealing with this for a few years, I realized why Michiganders have such a stigma against foreign cars. For many years Michigan has very much been a one-commodity economy. The financial well-being of the state is dependent on the success of the auto industry. This has changed more recently as the Michigan economy has evolved, but there are still leftovers from the many years when GM ruled the job market.

The reason why I didn’t understand this before, and why the rest of the U.S. outside of Michigan is the same way, is that our economies are not dependent on driving American cars. It is simply not an issue. When car shopping, people read Consumer or CarFax Reports to see what the best deal will be and which car will be the most reliable; not on which purchase will help employ their family members.

I had a discussion about this with my father, who has been a life-long Toyota or Nissan owner. He said he drives these makes because they have proven to be more reliable. He said that when Japanese cars came on the scene in the late ‘70s they were built very simple and to last, not for showiness or excess accessories.

He also quoted a friend, who happened to be a life-long Buick owner, who said, “I drove Buicks in the ‘70s and I drive Buicks today, but the Buick today is far better than that of the ‘70s because of the Japanese. Their competition forced the American auto industry to adapt and improve.”

This issue has also evolved because the question of keeping the auto jobs for Americans has changed. Many of the GM plants are now in Mexico or Canada, while Toyota and other Japanese brands are located in the U.S. It is the foreign companies who are now employing Americans at the blue-collar level.

I do not have anything against American cars. As stated, I drive what will last me the longest and fit the profile of what is necessary for me. That may be a Toyota or Chevrolet, Volkswagen or Saturn. It simply depends on which is the best fit at that time.

To analyze this issue, I often do a random, non-technical sampling when driving home of how many cars out of 10 on the road are foreign. In Michigan, I notice around two or three of 10 are foreign. In Illinois, it is often seven or eight.

There are many other aspects to this issue that can be considered, but what is important to understand are the differences in cultures between states. Economies change as does supply and demand. What the future holds for the auto industry is very much in question.

I hope to show that I am not being vindictive or anti-American in driving a foreign car; it is simply a difference of values and culture between states. n

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Rube Goldberg Team: The Ferris State Rube Goldberg team (left to right) Kyle Hebner, Michael Dunakin, Nate AndresMooi stand with advisor Tom Hollen with the machine they created to squeez hand sanitizer. Photo courtesy of Kyle Hebner Rube Goldberg Team The Ferris State Rube Goldberg team (left to right) Kyle Hebner, Michael Dunakin, Nate AndresMooi stand with advisor Tom Hollen with the machine they created to squeez hand sanitizer.

The task of the machine at this year’s competition was to squeeze hand sanitizer from a bottle into a hand. There were 12 universities in attendance, along with 13 high schools that competed in a separate competition.

The Ferris team traveled to Japan in January to create a machine and attempt to re-break the world record. Kyle Hebner, a Ferris senior and Rube Goldberg team member, said that between the Japan trip and school, it was an accomplishment to even get a machine together for the national competition.

“Between traveling to Japan and building a machine over there and working on our respective senior design projects, it’s a wonder we made it down there at all,” said Hebner.

Hebner said that there were some very impressive machines at the competition. He said a few of the judges felt overwhelmed with the number of machines they had to look over.

“We all agreed before the competition that no matter what happened, we were going to have fun.  I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys to be hauled up in a lab for hours on end with,” said Hebner. “I think the competition went well,…I had a lot of fun.” n

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The Rube Goldberg machine set to compete at Nationals. Photo Courtesy Kyle Hebner

The national Rube Goldberg competition was held at Purdue University  where Ferris’ team competed, falling short of winning an award.

The task of the machine at this year’s competition, which took place the weekend of March 27, was to squeeze hand sanitizer from a bottle into a hand. There were 12 universities in attendance, along with 13 high schools that competed in a separate competition.

The Ferris team traveled to Japan in January to create a machine in an attempt to re-break the world record. Kyle Hebner, a Ferris senior and Rube Goldberg team member, said that between the Japan trip and school, it was an accomplishment to even get a machine together for the national competition.

“Between traveling to Japan and building a machine over there and working on our respective senior design projects, it’s a wonder we made it down there at all,” said Hebner.

Hebner said that there were some very impressive machines at the competition. He said a few of judges felt overwhelmed with the amount of machines they had to look over.

“We all agreed before the competition that no matter what happened, we were going to have fun.  I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys to be holed up in a lab for hours on end with,” said Hebner. “I think the competition went well…I had a lot of fun.”

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Given my degree in journalism, with minors in political science and philosophy, I have many options of where, and what, I want to study.

My reason for wanting to attain a higher degree is not necessarily for a better job or a higher salary; the university atmosphere is something I truly enjoy, and I want to continue in that tradition for a few more years and possibly beyond.

Assessing this decision through the lens of becoming a journalist, I came across a wide range of advice from a large number of people. Some said a higher degree is not necessary, some said to get a Masters in journalism, and some said to specify in a particular field, such as political science. I was so twisted around with what the best choice was, as well as what I personally desired, that I have missed the deadlines for most programs starting next fall. This may have been one of the most beneficial instances of procrastination in my life.

Deciding how grad school would benefit journalism was asking the wrong question.

Philosophy has always been a personal passion and something I studied as an undergrad because it honestly gave me enjoyment, and that was about the only reason I needed. I never really thought about actually studying it for professional reasons.

When I went to discuss this dilemma of whether or not to go to grad school, and whether or not philosophy was a valid field of study, one of my professors, Dr. Aiken, lent me some helpful advice. He told me what I was having was a classic Epictetan moment.

He said something along the lines of this: you can either get a degree in something that may or may not get you a job and is in something that you may not even truly enjoy, or you can study something that your heart desires and will truly fulfill you. The latter here is the obvious correct choice.

So in the past few weeks, I decided a philosophy degree is what I really want to obtain, and what comes after that can be what it may. Journalism is still on my radar. George Will is an example of a journalist who studied philosophy as a student, and went on to be a very well-respected member of the media.

The university will also be an option. I have enjoyed the intellectual fulfillment and atmosphere of a university to an extent that has made me not want to leave. Getting a doctorate is a straightforward step on the path to professorship.

Now that I have decided this, I still face the problem of the missed deadlines for the coming fall. Aiken also pointed something out that I was not aware of: you don’t have to be accepted to a program to take classes toward a graduate degree.

This was incredible news for me because it means that I can spend the next year of my life taking a few classes to decide if this is what I truly want without making any commitment to a program. When fall rolls around, I will have a more coherent idea of where I want to go in life.

As my senior year draws to a close and I finish the last of my class projects, I look forward to a new stage in life. This is a conscious choice, and one that is done out of a will to follow my desires. I urge you to do the same. n

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During the season of Lent, the Catholic tradition, along with other various Christian denominations, observe the practice of not eating meat on Fridays, and often opt for fish instead.

While a large number of people adhere to this tradition, it has a history that is somewhat ambiguous, given the varying answered offered by different sources. The question has often come up as to why fish is acceptable, but meat is not.

Father Lam Le, Catholic Priest of St. Paul’s campus church at Ferris and St. Mary’s in Big Rapids, shared a variety of resources to explain why Catholics practice this tradition.
Lam feels, as a Catholic, that this practice is important during Lent. He quoted a copy of a 2009 statement by Pope Benedict XVI that says, “fasting seems to have lost something of its spiritual meaning…it is, in the first place, a “therapy” to heal all that prevents them from conformity to the will of God.”

A source Lam referenced was, “The Liturgical Year,” by Adolf Adam. It said, “Abstinence from meat and wine was added later on, as was abstinence from dairy products (milk, butter, cheese and eggs), in many countries, until the Middle Ages and beyond.”

The practice of abstaining from meat during Lent used to include not only flesh, but also things that “came from flesh.” This included eggs, milk and any other dairy product. However, rules have become more lax in recent years.

Catholics fast and abstain in honor of when Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights in the desert. The spiritual meanings of fasting vary by person and denomination, but the history on how some traditions began is more objective.

Andrew Gallavan, a senior in the technical and professional communication program, believes that the reasons for this can be both biblically and historically based.

“I was told that fish was acceptable for two reasons. The first being when Jesus blessed a couple fish and loaves of bread, he was miraculously able to feed 500,” said Gallavan. “The second was due to the fact that it wasn’t practical to ask people to give up such a significant part of their diet.”

Father Daren Zehnle, pastor of St. Patrick parish in Girard, Ill., believes there is a historical context for why fish is acceptable. He referenced a statement from the fifteenth century by John Myre in his Liber Festivalis which said, “For when God, for Adam’s sin, cursed the earth and the land, he cursed not the water; wherefore it is lawful for a man to eat in Lent that which cometh of the water.”

Resources such as newadvent.org give credence to the fact that meat is not acceptable because it is flesh, and dairy products were not be allowed because they “came from flesh,” here is a reason given as to why fish is acceptable. Because eggs used to be prohibited as well, this is also the reason why eggs are a common gift on Easter, because it is the first day in 40 days that Catholics can eat these.

This practice is not exclusive to Catholics. Eastern Orthodox Christianity has a similar practice of fish being allowed, but meat seen as unacceptable. This suggests that this practice pre-dates the East-West Schism, which took place around the eleventh century.

Father Alexander Kutcha, an Eastern Orthodox priest, said, “[fasting rules] predate the Schism and really even the birth of the Church. Fasting has always been a part of our human religious experience.”

Gallavan also said that he finds that only giving up meat during Lent is very easy, so he practices “David’s Fast,” which includes meat and any wheat based product.

While historical texts and biblical references leave room for interpretation for this practice, those who practice it often do so for spiritual reasons, not historical ones. n

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