The Ferris State Torch

Healing the Wounds

Jessica Smith, Ferris State Torch — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:58:25 +0000

Nontombi Naomi Tutu has been speaking out on matters of injustice for more than thirty years.

The Globalization Initiative and Office of Diversity Inclusion brought Tutu to speak at Ferris’ Williams Auditorium on Tuesday, March 2.

Tutu, an activist for human rights, grew up during apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was a system of legal segregation enforced by the National Party government in South Africa between 1948 and 1994. White residents determined the rights of black residents during this period.

Being the daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nomalizo Leah Tutu, Tutu said her parents were fortunate enough to send her to another country. She has lived in Lesotho, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Tutu has been speaking at college campuses about apartheid South Africa since the 1970s.

“I was raised in the system and people needed to know what was going on,” said Tutu.

The opportunity to travel was what pushed Tutu to speak out on the effects of racism and segregation, during apartheid and throughout the rest of the world.

Tutu said many “daily kinds of indignities” took place in the system. She said she was not allowed to be free in her own country.

“We didn’t have freedom of movement,” said Tutu. She said blacks had no access to beaches, as they were reserved for whites. Education systems were segregated as well.

She said that she would register at the police station in order to see her grandparents.

“You had a passport telling you where could go and where you could be,” she said.

Tutu uses the South African model of “Truth and Reconciliation” to speak of South Africa trying to heal after the apartheid. Truth and Reconciliation is the model of sitting down and hearing one another, said Tutu. She said it was specifically a South African model, but it’s an idea to be used in other countries.

Stories of those who were killed and tortured, as well as the survivors, are important to be told, according to Tutu.

Dr. David Pilgrim, Chief Diversity Officer, said Ferris was interested in having Tutu speak in order to establish connections to South Africa.

“I want Ferris students to have the same opportunities to hear the great speakers that students at the University of Michigan hear,” said Pilgrim. “I want our students to be connected in meaningful ways.”

Todd Stanislav, Director of the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning, said it was a real collaborative effort between the Globalization Initiative and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Stanislav said they were able to bring Tutu to Ferris because she was in Michigan and could fit a visit to Ferris into her schedule. He said she was “very gracious.”

Most of Tutu’s stories focused on apartheid and the people’s experiences in the system. In terms of racism, segregation and injustices, there are parallels with the United States.

“It’s not hard to see the parallel,” said Stanislav.

One of the examples Tutu used in reference to the Truth and Reconciliation model was that in high school history textbooks, there is not a lot said about slavery in the United States. She said to not only focus on talking about good things, but to talk about things people are ashamed of.

Tutu feels that wounds can be healed, but it takes courage and willingness to speak and hear the truth.

Stanislav said it was a great model of a way to resolve injustices, and “something that we can learn from.”

Tutu said the step to all types of healing is sitting down and listening to one another.

“My sense is that even if there is one person who hears it and asks about their life’s role, they can make a difference,” she said.

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

Oilers Drop Bulldogs in Semifinal

Ben Thayer, Sports Editor — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 22:05:22 +0000

The Bulldogs’ Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament run ended on March 5 with an 82–69 defeat at the hands of the Findlay Oilers.

Ferris trailed Findlay by nine points at the half, despite shooting 60 percent from three-point range. The Bulldogs were down 53–41 with 13:21 left in the game, but trimmed the deficit to four points with less than seven minutes to play.

The Oilers went on an 8–0 run to push the lead back to double digits and the Bulldogs never recovered.

Junior guard Darien Gay led the Bulldogs with 23 points and three assists. Junior center Justin Keenan, named GLIAC Player of the Year, added 22 points and nine rebounds for Ferris.

Personal fouls impacted the game greatly as Ferris committed 27, while Findlay committed 13. The Oilers converted 28 of 36 free-throw attempts and the Bulldogs made 6 of it 11 free throws.

Ferris suffered its second loss of the season at Findlay and has not beaten the Oilers away from home in over 12 years.

Findlay is the defending Division II National Champion and defending GLIAC Tournament Champion. The Oilers will battle the Hillsdale Chargers on March 6 at 7 p.m. for the conference title.

Oilers Drop Bulldogs in Semifinal is a post from The Ferris State Torch. If images or multimedia are missing, please visit the original post at the web site.

BREAKING NEWS: Ferris Students Charged in Burglary

Torch Staff Report — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:57:50 +0000

Two Ferris students have been charged with burglary for an incident that occurred on Feb. 14 at a house in Mecosta Township.

Tyler Eggleston, 19, of Howard City, and Justin Chabeneau, 20, of Saint Clair Shores, were arraigned in the 77^th District Court. They are currently being held in the Mecosta County Jail on a $50,000 bond.

A flat-panel T.V. is among the items that were taken from the home.

The Mecosta County Sherriff’s Office and FSU Department of Public Safety worked together in response to this incident.

More information will be posted as it becomes available.

BREAKING NEWS: Ferris Students Charged in Burglary is a post from The Ferris State Torch. If images or multimedia are missing, please visit the original post at the web site.

Featured Photos for 03/03/2010

Nobody (Doesn't Show Author) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:06:04 +0000

Featured Photos for 03/03/2010 is a post from The Ferris State Torch. If images or multimedia are missing, please visit the original post at the web site.

Torch Photos 03/03/2010

Nobody (Doesn't Show Author) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:39:07 +0000

Torch Photos 03/03/2010 is a post from The Ferris State Torch. If images or multimedia are missing, please visit the original post at the web site.

Parking Problems

Antonio Coleman, Interim Staff — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:03:58 +0000

Getting the Boot: A vehicle sits trapped in the parking lot near the Music Building after recieving a number of tickets, a boot, and a notice reading: “WARNING: DO NOT MOVE THIS VEHICLE.” Students’ concerns about the parking situation on campus are heightened during these winter months when the lines defining parking spots are covered in snow. Photo By: Kristyn Sonnenberg | Photo Editor

As the university continues to make changes to its lot procedures, many students are still finding it difficult to avoid parking violations.
Throughout campus, students leaving classes are returning to find a bright yellow envelope with a ticket tucked beneath the wiper blade on their car and secured in a wheel boot.

With ticket totals this semester at approximately $58,775, students like sophomore in public relations Rebecca Berlin see further need in improving the university’s parking procedures. Berlin is one of many students on campus who has felt discontent toward university parking.

“I had many parking tickets when I first brought a car to school,” said Berlin.

Feeling unable to address her concerns toward receiving numerous tickets, Berlin decided to just pay them. However, her decision to pay them had come too late.

“I finally went in after second semester to talk to someone and pay them and they told me they had already been paid,” said Berlin.
One of her financial scholarships had been deducted by the university in order to pay for her parking violations.

“In turn, I had owed the school more money,” said Berlin.

Currently, the university has 7,000 parking spaces for students. Department of Public Safety (DPS) Office Supervisor June Swanson says the most common violations are meter violations, restricted parking and unregistered vehicles.

Swanson also mentioned the number of citations had actually been reduced by 60 percent over the past six years.

“This was accomplished by systematically monitoring all parking lots for compliance, better information sharing, greater fairness and consistency in appeals,” said Swanson.

Recent changes in parking rules to lots 39 and 27 have decreased the number of student spaces. Lot 27, outside of FLITE library, now has faculty spaces as well as metered spaces, as where it used to be a two hour free lot. Due to an increase of customers at the Rock Café, lot 39 rules have changed to accommodate visitors to the dining hall seven days a week.

New media printing and publishing major Michael Fleming sees a need for further attention to be addressed toward providing sufficient parking. He said the construction of a parking structure may further reduce the number of parking violations on campus.

According to Director of Communications Marc Sheehan, the idea of constructing a parking structure is simply not economically possible.

“The priority for building projects is on educational facilities. Even an essential project such as the Optometry Building took many years to see through to fruition. The economics behind a parking structure would not make the project viable in the foreseeable future,” said Sheehan.

Sheehan says there is a difficult balance between having sufficient parking near classrooms and also making sure the campus has sufficient green space and is safe for pedestrians. He said the university will continue to address the needs of students living on campus and those who commute.

For students like senior Chris Fortney who do commute to class, the availability for parking spaces is a must. Fortney says finding available parking on campus even affects his decision to attend classes.

“If I can’t find a spot within five minutes of my class starting, I may choose to leave for that day,” said Fortney.

Though many students are hoping for changes in the future, Swanson says plans for a new student lot will not be available next year.

“The only new lot for next year will be lot 41, which will be for patient parking in front of the Allied Health Building. Once construction on the Optometry Building is complete, lot 33 will reopen for commuter parking,” said Swanson.

As talks of insufficient lot space and parking fees continues across campus, students hope to see changes come to light while it is still an issue for them. n

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

There’s No Place Like Home

Greg Buckner, Ferris State Torch — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:03:54 +0000

Topping It Off: Senior Blair Riley prepares for a shot against Western Michigan during Friday’s home game. This Saturday marked the end of the team’s regular season as they head into the first-round Central Collegiate Hockey Association Playoffs. Photo By: Kate Dupon | Photographer

The Bulldogs clinched a first-round bye in the CCHA playoffs, capping off the best regular season in seven years.

After a weekend series against Western Michigan that saw the teams face-off in two straight shootouts after regulation, the Bulldogs have secured a third-place finish in the CCHA while also locking down home ice for the quarterfinal round of the CCHA playoffs.

Ferris took the first shootout victory of the home-and-home series on Friday in Big Rapids.

In a first period where the Bulldogs held a 17–7 lead in shots on goal, they jumped out to an early lead just five minutes in when freshman right wing Travis Ouellette knocked a shot from the right circle into the Bronco net.

Western Michigan’s Ryan Watson knotted the score on a goal following a Ferris turnover in its own zone 40 seconds after the Bulldogs got on the board.

After a back-and-forth first period, neither team could break the tie for the majority of the second period until the Broncos tipped in a rebound past Ferris junior goalie Pat Nagle with less than four minutes left.

Trailing by one goal heading into the final period of regulation, the Bulldogs scored the equalizer two minutes into the third period when senior captain Cody Chupp wristed a shot from the right circle into the Western net to tie the contest at 2–2.

“We knew we were going to get the best effort from those guys, even with them being at the bottom of the conference,” said Chupp.

As neither team could capitalize for the rest of the period, the match went to an overtime period. In the five-minute overtime period, neither Ferris nor Western scored and the game went to a shootout to decide the victor.

The Bulldogs started off the shootout and converted on their first attempt as senior left wing Blair Riley knocked in the puck off of Bronco goalie Jerry Kuhn.

After a stop by Nagle on Western’s first shot attempt, Ferris pushed the lead to 2–0 when sophomore defenseman Chad Billins fired the puck past Kuhn, giving the Bulldogs the shootout victory and two league points. Ferris won four of its six shootouts this season, second most in the conference.

With the victory clinching a first-round bye and home-ice for the second-round series in the CCHA playoffs, Ferris head coach Bob Daniels credited the team for a successful season.

“I was really happy to clinch the home ice for the playoffs and I know the guys are too,” said Daniels. “I’m really proud of the guys and I can’t fault the effort they’ve been giving all season.”

The Bulldogs headed to Kalamazoo on Feb. 27 and skated to a 1–1 tie in the regular season finale, with the Broncos claiming a 1–0 shootout victory.

With the regulation tie, Ferris gained its 49th league point of the season, giving the team a third place finish in the CCHA, one point behind second place Michigan State.

The Bulldogs will have the opening weekend of the CCHA playoffs off while they prepare to return to the ice on March 12–14 to host a quarterfinal-round series of the playoffs at Ewigleben Ice Arena.

Heading into the playoffs, the team feels very confident that they will be able to make a deep run towards a championship.

“We had a little bit of a rough stretch towards the end of the season,” said Chupp. “But we’re starting to look good at the time that it matters most, so we’re excited.”

Update: .

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Nashville Came Knocking

Brandy VanDenbrook, Ferris State Torch — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:03:47 +0000

In the Field: Music industry management students Renee Urbanc and Jaimee Mackey are spending spring semester in Nashville interning for CMT. While the experience is challenging, they’re finding it to be a lot of fun. Photo Courtesy of Renee Urbanc

Renee Urbanc and Jaimee Mackey are interning at a place where they don’t do any work.

Both Urbanc and Mackey applied for internships at CMT in Nashville, for the spring 2010 semester, and both received positions. Urbanc works in the Music Strategy Department and Mackey works in the Production Management Department.

The reason neither of these two does any work is because they don’t look at this internship as work, they look at it as something they love. It’s an unpaid internship, but they don’t mind.

“I actually look forward to going to work,” said Urbanc. “How many people can say that?”

There is actual work involved, of course. Mackey works helping to produce the shows that air on CMT. She didn’t know much about production before she went to Nashville, but she has learned a lot about this side of the music industry.

“I will never watch TV the same again,” said Mackey. “You don’t realize how much work goes into the production of shows.”

Mackey also said that most of the time she doesn’t know what she will be doing. She is sometimes sitting in on meetings, preparing paperwork, or out of the office at shoots or other locations.

Urbanc does research to determine which songs are rising in popularity and which ones are falling on the charts. She said the videos shown on CMT everyday and how many times they are played is based on the research her department does.

“I work on CMT Pure and the Top 20 Video Countdown,” said Urbanc. “My department also plans artist media days, which are days when artists come into the office to promote themselves.”

Lori Armstrong, administrative assistant in the music industry management program, said, “Renee and Jaimee are two of our most outstanding students and they represent the program amazingly out in the field and here on campus. We actively encouraged them to apply to CMT and they obviously saw their potential.”

Urbanc wanted an internship at CMT because she grew up listening to country music. She said country music speaks to her and she feels like it’s a part of her.

“I can’t really explain it besides saying that it just feels right; like I’m at home,” said Urbanc.

Mackey wanted the internship for a different reason and said, “It’s not because I am a country music fan, that’s for sure.”

Mackey was in Nashville for a convention and fell in love with the city, which made her want to find an internship there.

Both of them agree that the experience has been challenging at times. Sometimes they work long hours, but both agree that the experience they are taking away from the internship is well worth it.

“The work is extremely challenging and interesting at times,” said Urbanc. “There’s so much more to putting a video on television than I ever could have imagined.”

Urbanc said she has learned how important working together in this industry is because most of the time no task can be completed without at least three people helping. She also said staying up-to-date with what’s happening in the entertainment world is critical because it all can affect album sales or video plays.

“I’ve also learned that networking is as important as our professors tell us it is and it’s not as easy as it seems,” said Urbanc. “You can tell someone your name and have a conversation with them, but that doesn’t mean you’ve networked because you need to give them a reason to remember your name, not just tell it to them.”

Urbanc said CMT is a place of business and artists don’t just come in and “hang out” at the CMT office. Despite this fact, both have had the opportunity to interact with celebrities.

“My best moment at CMT was having the opportunity to work with the Crossroads show featuring John Mayer and Keith Urban,” said Mackey.

When asked what they hope to take away from this experience, they said just that, experience. They also hope to walk away with a better idea of what they want to do in the music industry after they graduate and have a lot of contacts that will hopefully help them in the future.

Armstrong said the experience Urbanc and Mackey will get out of this internship is more beneficial than a whole semester of coursework. Music industry management students are required to do two internships so this will also help them in their next internship.

“Working here has proved to me that setting your goals high pays off,” said Urbanc. “When I started in the MIM program, I told my mom I would be working in Nashville in a few semesters, hopefully at CMT, and look where I am now. You can do anything you set your mind to.” n

Nashville Came Knocking is a post from The Ferris State Torch. If images or multimedia are missing, please visit the original post at the web site.

Griffin vs. Palin

Jessica Smith, Ferris State Torch — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:03:41 +0000

The FOX animated sitcom “Family Guy” knows how to push the buttons of public figures.

During the Feb. 14 episode, the character Chris had a crush on a girl named Ellen with Down syndrome and went out on a date with her. When he asked her about her parents’ jobs, she said, “My dad’s an accountant and my mom’s the former governor of Alaska.”

That statement was meant to be a jab at 2008 vice presidential candidate and, yes, former governor of Alaska Sarah Palin. Palin did not take the “joke” very well. Palin’s one-year-old son Trig has Down syndrome.

Yes, I understand the comment was hurtful for Palin and her family. However, a pattern I have noticed with Palin is she seems to use every “negative” remark made about her to gain attention in the public eye.

Palin’s oldest daughter Bristol wrote on her mom’s Facebook page, calling the creators of family guy “heartless jerks.” Well, it is “Family Guy” after all. It’s not the sweetest show.

While I enjoy watching an episode or two of “Family Guy” once in awhile, I do not always agree with some of the dialogue or material displayed on the show.

At one point in the episode, the character Stewie, the show’s masochistic one-year-old, broke out in song and dance to a number called “Down Syndrome Girl.” I can honestly say I did not find the song to be humorous, but more along the lines of grotesque.

Andrea Fay Friedman, the voice of Ellen, actually has Down syndrome. Friedman said that Palin “does not have a sense of humor.”

I find it a bit impressive that Friedman was willing to take on that role and is able to laugh about the situation.

In an interview with ArtsBeat blogger Dave Itzkoff on NYTimes.com, Friedman said that Palin’s son Trig was not being made fun of, but it was Palin who was the target of mockery.

Seth Macfarlane, creator of the show, was aware of the inevitable controversy. Macfarlane creates a mockery of a number of political figures on his sitcom, including former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

This Palin-Family Guy feud is not dissimilar from the Palin-Letterman feud. Last summer, Letterman joked that Palin’s 14-year-old daughter, Willow, was “knocked up” by New York Yankee’s baseball player Alex Rodriguez.

Palin and her husband Todd lashed out at Letterman through a statement issued on Palin’s Facebook page:

“…That acceptance of inappropriate sexual comments about an underage girl, who could be anyone’s daughter, contributes to the atrociously high rate of sexual exploitation of minors by older men who use and abuse others.”

Well, when one is in the public eye, they should expect an occasional inappropriate or derogatory comment to be made about them. With the way Palin carries herself, she is not exempt from becoming the butt of jokes on screwball sitcoms and late night talk shows.

She should be used to it by now, right? I think so. n

Griffin vs. Palin is a post from The Ferris State Torch. If images or multimedia are missing, please visit the original post at the web site.

On the Road Again

Josh Crowton, Ferris State Torch — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:02:57 +0000

Grand Slam: Senior Rhea Flores, pitcher for the softball team, keeps her eyes on the ball at a recent game. Flores pitched a four hitter against West Georgia leading to a 4–3 victory. Photo courtesy of Ferris State Athletics

The Bulldogs will travel to Kissimmee, Fla. to compete in the Florida Rebel Spring Tournament over spring break.

Ferris has their work cut out for them as the team will play 14 games in eight days against some stiff competition, including California University (Pa.), which is ranked ninth in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II Top 25 poll.

The Bulldogs began the season 0–4, but won their last two games. Two of the first four contests were against top 5-ranked teams in the NFCA poll. Ferris head Coach Keri Becker feels the confidence the team gained from the previous tournament should definitely help the Bulldogs in the upcoming tournament.

“Our pitchers were able to gain some confidence and as a team we are now more comfortable out on the field,” said Becker.

Ferris will start the tournament off with a double-header on March 6 when they take the diamond against Gannon University (Pa.) and then again later in the day against Mary University (N.D.).

It will be important to get off to a good start to relieve some pressure from playing so many games in such a short amount of time. Freshman outfielder Morgan Kramerich, who scored the winning run in the Bulldogs’ first win of the season, felt that getting their first win removed a lot of pressure from the team.

“It felt like a weight was lifted from our shoulders and everything just went right in our next game,” said Kramerich.

Becker hopes that these early season games will instill some toughness and the ability to overcome adversity as the Bulldogs prepare for Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.

Of the team’s 46 regular-season games this season, 20 will be completed by March 13. The GLIAC season begins on March 31 with a home double-header against Saginaw Valley State.

On the Road Again is a post from The Ferris State Torch. If images or multimedia are missing, please visit the original post at the web site.