For 11 years, this “hair harvest” has been taking place at nearly 20 salons in the surrounding area. The Circle K International organization chose to start an annual hair drive to help children with medical conditions, or treatments, who are suffering from hair loss.

At any of these 20 participating salons, customers can choose to donate their trimmed locks to the Circle K International organization.

According to Bryce Welsh, president of Circle K International on campus and first year-pharmacy student, some salons even give free hair styles and other incentives to the customers who donate hair.

“The Circle K International members are ones who organize this hair drive. We always collaborate and contact the salons in the area to see who will help harvest our hair,” Welsh said.

The Drive begins Feb. 14 and lasts until March 1. When the hair drive is over, members of Circle K take the hair to “A Touch of Class Salon” in the Mecosta Osceola Career Center, where they measure and count all of the hair that was cut.  

As soon as all of the hair is counted, members of Circle K will sort the hair by length. They then donate all of the hair to two organizations including, “Locks of Love,” which is a nationwide company, as well as “Wigs-4-Kids,” a Michigan-based company.

“Last year we raised over 4,000 inches [of hair]. I would like to see over 5,000 inches of hair raised this year; however, I know that is going to be a hard goal to reach,” Welsh said. “The community has been donating a lot over the last few years, and I would like to see them outdo themselves again.”

Circle K International is an organization focused and driven on community service, with the motivation of giving back to the greater Big Rapids community. Each member participates in a variety of community service events throughout the school year.

The organization’s big event this year was a haunted house event in Paris during October. All of the money the members had raised from this event was donated to the community.

Welsh explained that after raising over $6,000 this year, the organization’s main focus is to give it all back. Circle K International adopted more than 30 children for Christmas, buying them numerous gifts and making other donations.

In the coming months, Circle K International will also be assembling Easter baskets for foster children and putting on a food drive for kids that cannot afford to eat dinner.

According to Welsh, Circle K International’s goal is to make sure they are giving back to the community.

Get a Haircut 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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Last summer, the center moved to the fourth floor of FLITE and added two Faculty-in-Residence team members, as well as two Instructional Technologists.

The two-fold move was done for two purposes: to strengthen the success, by adding the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning to FLITE, as the library has enjoyed as the focal point for engaged learning and collaboration among faculty and staff; as well as to move the Office of International Education to a location on campus (the IRC) that is more accessible and visible to the entire Ferris student population.

“The goal we sought to achieve by the addition of two Instructional Technologists and two Faculty-in-Residence was to continue to provide high quality and richly diverse opportunities for faculty to explore and do work that will advance their teaching and students’ learning,” said Todd Stanislav, director of the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning.

The center has been ramping up for an event-packed spring semester scheduled with a variety of training sessions, workshops, learning communities and more. While students are certainly welcome, the Open House is principally designed for Ferris faculty and instructional staff.

“We are especially eager to have faculty and instructional staff stop by to see our new location, meet our staff and learn about the opportunities available to them this semester,” Stanislav said. “We are also using the Open House as an opportunity to hear from faculty and staff about, in general, what we’re doing right and what we should do to improve.”

For students, the biggest advantage is the opportunity to see and interact with their faculty in an informal, fun and out-of-class atmosphere.

“When I was a student, there was always something special about meeting my instructors outside of the typical classroom setting.  I think doing that built rapport between us and was an opportunity to get to know each other better,” Stanislav said.

The events and opportunities for faculty planned are intended to “support Ferris faculty and the greater educational community in their efforts to affect deep and positive learning,” coming from the mission statement of the center.

Stanislav said, “When I think back to the faculty who were mentors to me, who had the biggest influence on my education, career choice and development, in every case it was because we interacted with each other in a variety of venues such as official university activities, the classroom and social events like an Open House.”

To see a full range of activities and opportunities, visit the newsletter at http://bit.ly/z8UWta

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Storm Ready: Ferris State University is recognized by the National Weather Service as a “storm-ready” institution. Photo By: Kate Dupon | Photo Editor

At the entrance to campus sits a sign indicating that Ferris is a storm-ready campus recognized by the National Weather Service. The website for the National Weather Service describes a “storm-ready” institution as one which “uses a grassroots approach to help communities develop plans to handle all types of severe weather.”

While Ferris may have gained recognition from this governmental agency, some wonder how storm-ready Ferris really is in regard to harsh winter weather. A question arises if Ferris should close campus for safety purposes until it can ensure all sidewalks have been plowed and salted.

“I think they do a nice job overall keeping the sidewalks clean,” Matt Holt, a first-year pharmacy student, said. “But it’s pretty bad in the morning when you’re going to 8 a.m. classes. I don’t think they need to cancel classes due to the conditions, but it would be nice if they’d ease up on the late policy when the weather is so bad.”

Chief Martin Bledsoe, director of the Department of Public Safety, said the rule of thumb for closing campus due to snow is “when the volume and duration of snow is so great that campus feels incapable of removing it. We’re also sensitive to hazardous weather conditions just outside campus.”

“Campus is plowed any time it needs it,” Bledsoe continued. “There’s a joint effort between DPS and the power plant in monitoring campus’ weather conditions. When it’s determined plowing needs to be done, we do it or call in reinforcements to ensure it gets done.”

“I know the guys that plow the sidewalks and they spend their early mornings getting as much done as they can as fast as they can,” Sarah Steinke, a senior in computer information systems, said. “With the resources we have they are doing a good job. We shouldn’t close campus, students paid good money to go to class; they can handle a little ice. It’s Michigan, come prepared.”

“It is important for individuals to take responsibility about whether or not they feel safe traveling in certain conditions,” Bledsoe said. “We have to look out for ourselves, safety needs to be balanced between the responsibility of the individual and the institution.”

Even if classes aren’t cancelled, students shouldn’t risk their safety if they feel it is too dangerous for them to try and get to class due to weather.

Walk or Drive With Caution 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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Jan. 22 at 12:45 a.m., officers assisted hall staff at Miller Hall concerning loud subjects. Four people were ticketed for MIP.

Marijuana complaint

Jan. 22 at 3:10 a.m., officers assisted hall staff at Hallisy Hall for a marijuana complaint. Two subjects were ticketed MIP.

Domestic assault

Jan. 19 at 8:15 p.m., report of a civil complaint at the Holiday Inn. Two people had a dispute over a minor. One subject was lodged in county jail for domestic assault.

Car crash

Jan. 17 at 12:05 p.m., two car crash in Lot 4.

Possession of marijuana

Jan. 18 at 2:45 a.m., officers assisted hall staff at Miller Hall concerning marijuana. Two subjects were referred to the Office of Student Conduct and charged with possession of marijuana.

Illegal U-turn

Jan. 19 at 1:15 a.m., officers stopped a vehicle on State Street near Ferris Drive for an illegal U-turn. One subject was lodged in county jail for possession of marijuana.

More marijuana

Jan. 19 at 11:40 p.m., while asserting arrest warrant at Travis Hall, officers came in contact with subject with possession of marijuana. Subject was lodged in county jail for possession.

Even more marijuana

Jan. 20 at 5:05 p.m., officers assisted city police with traffic stop at Rust Avenue near State Street. One subject was transported to county jail.

Ticket Totals: From Jan. 17 through the 20, the Department of Public Safety identified 322 violators. Each violator was ticketed for a total of $5,230. Actual amount depends on whether the ticket was paid, voided or reduced. n

Multiple Marijuana Incidents 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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Renee Douglas, Interim Director of the Personal Counseling Center, was named as the Interim Director of the Birkam Health Center.

Douglas was the Director of Non-Residential Clinical Services at the YWCA Center for Women in Grand Rapids prior to coming to Ferris. Before that, she was the Public Affairs Director at Planned Parenthood Centers of West Michigan.

Douglas is also a counselor at the Personal Counseling Center. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in health communications with a minor in women’s studies. In addition, she has also earned a Master’s degree in marriage and family therapy and is a limited license psychologist.

Angie Roman named Director of Career Services

Angie Roman has recently been named as the Director of Career Services. She has been at Ferris since 2008 as the Coordinator of Career Services.

Roman obtained her bachelor’s degree from Ferris’ social work program and is currently enrolled in the Masters of Business Administration Program. Prior to working for Career Services, Roman was in public employment.

Prism Contest open for submissions

The annual student writing and art competition, Prism, is now open to all Ferris students.

The Department of Languages and Literature at Ferris is sponsoring the program. There are cash prizes in each category. Winners will be honored at an awards banquet in the spring as well as in print in “The Prism” journal published in the fall.

Entries are considered in the categories of Freshman/Sophomore Essay, Freshman/Sophomore Research Paper (The Mary Kilgallen Award), Junior/Senior Essay, Junior/Senior Research Paper, Technical Writing/Professional, Writing/Script Writing, Poetry, Short Fiction and Art.

The art contest accepts original artwork in any medium; photography is not considered. The deadline for submission is March 14. For more information, contact Jonathon Taylor of the Department of Languages and Literature at taylorj@ferris.edu.

Karen Strasser named Director of Grants and Research

Karen Strasser, Interim Dean for the College of Arts and Sciences, has been named the Director of Grants and Research.

Strasser has previously served as acting associate dean and department head for the College of Arts and Sciences. She has also been an associate professor of biology. Strasser earned her Bachelor of Science degree in marine science/biology from the University of Tampa (Fla.) and her Doctor of Philosophy degree in environmental and evolutionary biology from the University of Louisiana.

In May 2011, Strasser worked with five Ferris students for 10–12 weeks when she led an undergraduate research fellowship program to promote student-faculty research efforts. Additionally, she has worked with the College of Arts and Sciences Special Grants Committee to revise the review process for internal grants including the Student Research Grant, Dean’s Initiative Award and Special Events Grant.

Torch News Briefs 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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On Monday, Jan. 30 at 6 p.m., Artworks will host the festival’s kickoff event, which is free and open to the public, catering is provided by the Blue Cow Café and Great Lakes Office Products. The month-long event holds workshops and performances that feature local creative talent in addition to visits by regional and national artists and innovators. Artist Winifred Godfrey will be featured at the opening reception as well as an opportunity to meet artist Linda Stephen. Godfrey’s “Mayan Procession” and Stephen’s origami exhibitions will be on display at Artworks through Feb. 25. There are a large number of events and performances held throughout the month-long festival.

This year’s co-chairs of the Festival of the Arts are Carrie Weis and Ed Mallett. The 2012 Festival of the Arts runs from Jan. 25 through Feb. 29. For more details, visit online at ferris.edu/festival/.

Mississippi State University invites graphic design faculty member

As part of its School of Architecture Lecture Series, William Culpepper, a Ferris State University assistant professor of graphic design, will lecture at Mississippi State University.

On March 21 through March 24, there will be a presentation for students in architecture and art; the theme of the lecture series is “Alternative Practice.” Culpepper will share Ferris students’ design projects as well as review and critique the work of Mississippi State University Department of Art students. 

The lecture will focus on professionalism, creative work and Culpepper’s progress with Graphik Intervention, an urban revitalization project that utilizes graphic design. Through his presentation in Mississippi, Culpepper hopes he can strengthen awareness of how graphic designers collaborate with others as well as improve his personal work. To learn more on William Culpepper visit ferris.edu/business/programs/graphic-design/faculty/william-culpepper.

Ferris State University holds first place for students with military experience

Listed as number one out of ten in the Education Insider blog posting, Education Insider ranked the Ferris program “perfect” for students with military experience.

Ferris State University’s recreation leadership and management program topped Education Insider’s “Ten Perfect Majors for Students with Military Experience” list. Education Insider built its list that made up some of various skills that men and women who have served in the military develop during service.

The commentary listed for the Ferris program read, “As a service member you’ve probably already developed a lot of leadership skills. By majoring in recreation leadership and management, you can further develop those skills and learn about overseeing a variety of recreational activities.”

For more information on this topic, visit the Education Insiders’ website.

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“I back the candidates and ideas which have the most common sense. I have some feelings that sway democratic and some that are more republican, but overall I’d consider myself more of a libertarian because of their free-market ideas, emphasis on civil liberties and non-intervention overseas. I think we need to end the Federal Reserve, control the military industrial complex, legalize marijuana and research into more health benefits of marijuana. Ultimately, we need a smaller and more constitution-oriented government.”

Valoree Burns
Sophomore, computer information systems

“I don’t have any real political affiliation; it’s not something I’ve really thought a lot about. However, coming to college has made me think more about these issues. There are certain things about certain groups that I really like but I keep an open mind about them. I think it’s important that we end the war and move toward a universal health care system like they have in Canada. I like Stephen Colbert’s bid for presidency.”

Corey VanBuren
Senior, history and political science

“My political views are definitely complicated. I’d say I’m libertarian on paper, but in practice tend to lean more democratic. Our ideals aren’t always very practical and can’t provide the solutions we need. I’d probably vote for Ron Paul but I don’t agree with his foreign policy; I think it’s too isolated and America needs to be active in the world not shut out.”

Brett Bieth
Sophomore, healthcare systems administration

“I would say that I’m democratic. I like the Democratic party because I think that the country should be run on the idea that the government should try and help people who need it. We really need to fix the economy, especially focusing in on unemployment which is a huge problem. We need to establish a universal health care system in this country as well; I don’t like that the government can fine you for not buying insurance.”

Kayla Franzel
Junior, radiology

“My political views are hard to explain. I don’t know everything about politics and I try and learn from people who are more educated on the subject. I feel people who know a lot about it can try and get across the more important points without all the fluff. I don’t think Obama should have passed his healthcare bill; we need to get this county out of debt.”

Matthew Holt
First-year pharmacy student

“I would identify myself as a liberal. I like liberalism because I’m not a fan of helping out the big guy at the expense of the little guy. We really need to protect our first amendment rights in this country; his is something which has been getting trampled on a lot.”

Timothy Burke
Sophomore, hotel and food industry management

“I would say I’m an independent and float between Republican and Democrat. I supported Obama in 2008 but am more in favor of Ron Paul for 2012. I liked what Occupy Wall Street was doing but feel their time is over now. I think it’s very important that this country adopt a non-interventionist foreign policy and return to a gold standard currency.”

Anthony Peltier
Junior, marketing

“I think Democrats and Republicans are both hypocritical. You have Democrats talking about social freedom but not giving any economic freedom and Republicans talking about economic freedom but not giving any social freedom. Obama has just continued the failed policies of previous administrations and people aren’t taking a liking to this. I’m sick of this continuous crony capitalism that has persisted throughout so many administrations. Government picking winners and losers based on which corporations bought them out isn’t a free-market, bank bailouts aren’t free-market. We need more individual liberty in this country, is there really a point in being safe if we aren’t free?”

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Martin Bledsoe, director of public safety, said there is an emergency response and disaster control plan.

“It has been in place for a very long time; it has been developed and re-developed,” Bledsoe said.

Bledsoe also said the university is in the process of creating a new plan that consists of a emergency response team, which is a team that consists of 30 people trained across campus.

In the event of a threat, the emergency operating system will ensure everything is stable with law enforcement and the emergency response team is on alert.

In addition, factors will be looked at such as past threats received, the level of credibility and the time of day.

Bledsoe said they look at traditional areas and locations that could pose a problem. In addition, officials will look at what steps they must take.

The new plan, which will be unveiled on Feb. 10, said it is formed around a Federal Emergency Management Agency framework. If there was a bomb threat, the necessary steps would be taken to follow proper procedures.

Each situation is different with varying circumstances, which means each emergency is handled differently and not everyone is notified at the same time.

“In this case, or in any case, there is going to be a difference of who receives information when,” Bledsoe said.

The areas with the highest target are generally notified first. Officials also make sure they are careful not to create a hazard and/or panic among the campus and community.

“When we put out messaging, we can’t necessarily put messages out to everyone at the same time,” Bledsoe said.

The target time it takes for all of the campus to be notified is 90 minutes, but as mentioned, it depends on the situation.

“We have many, many years in emergency management and police service,” Bledsoe said.

With emergency messaging, Bledsoe said it’s impossible to hit just one button and send out information to everyone within a few minutes.

“It doesn’t work that way,” Bledsoe said. He added there are certain things that need to be thought about and prepared for. Factors that need to be taken into consideration are who needs to be notified when and who is skilled to appropriately handle the situation.

Ferris President David Eisler appoints emergency managers along with developing a task force who take part in notifying the university.

“There are tough areas for President Eisler and the rest of us,” Bledsoe said. He also said it can be tough at times knowing exactly what to do depending on the situation at hand.

He said awareness has been increased for professionals, state officials, law officials, mutual aid and those trained for emergency situations. There are also observers who are available for additional help.

A number of agencies are contacted including state police and other information centers. In addition, Ferris networks with other universities in the state and notifies them when an emergency is present.

As for the individual who called in the threat, there is still an on-going investigation.

“We have some excellent leads on who may be responsible for this,” Bledsoe said.

There are serious consequences for these types of situations and all reports similar to the bomb threat are taken seriously.

“We don’t blow off safety reports,” Bledsoe said. “We’re trying to make sure we can bring them to justice.”

Proper Procedures 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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Dean of Enrollment Services Kristen Salomonson explained that the majority of growth between the spring semesters is in online education, where that number of students has increased by 147, making a total of 789 students for spring 2012.

She added that the university reported a 44 percent increase in its international student population, which has grown by 80 students from the spring 2011 semester. As well as international students, FSU’s Hispanic population is up by 39 students.

Although tuition and student debt is rising, the university continues to report positive enrollment increase. In order to continue to attract more students, the university is reaching out to be a top choice school for potential scholars.

“In terms of financial aid, we work with students to help them make a Ferris education as affordable as possible,” Salomonson said. “In these challenging economic times we strive to explore every option for students and their parents while providing quality service.  We continue to highlight our excellent academic offerings with meaningful career opportunities.”

Salomonson also explained that Ferris takes pride in the idea that it is very different from other universities. One way, she added, is that Ferris has a very unique educational focus.

“We have a variety of academic offerings that lead to tangible career opportunities. Ferris is also a very accessible, caring university,” she said. “With our small class sizes and just-right sized campus, students can forge strong relationships with faculty and staff. This collegial atmosphere, both in and out of the classroom, helps foster student success.”

As far as student credit hours, Ferris reported an increase of 1,657, making a total of 155,866 credit hours. The Big Rapids campus represented two-thirds of that increase with 989 credit hours, while online education represented the other third with 647 credit hours.

The largest credit hour increases took place in the colleges of Arts and Sciences and Education and Human Services.

With the growing numbers in student enrollment, the offices on campus are making many efforts to accommodate students and their families.

“We focus on communicating effectively with all students and their parents.  Our staff handles questions via phone, web, walk-in visits and email.  We are currently working on a financial aid Facebook page to serve our students in yet another way,” Salomonson said. “Our staff works diligently to stay current with new regulations, trends, and programs that may impact students.” n

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Mystery Photo: The first five people to identify the location of this photo will have their names printed in the next issue of the Torch. Email answers to torch@ferris.edu with your name. Loni Donald identified Jan. 18’s mystery photo correctly, which was the table in the IRC. Photo By: Kate Dupon | Photo Editor

Mystery Photo January 25, 2012 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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