The Erie Square Gazette A public forum by and for the students of St. Clair County Community College since 1931
Volume 67.6
November 26, 2015
Piggies and dishes and clay, oh my!
Potter’s Market demonstrates full potential of ceramics
Katie Hunckler Staff Writer
A million decorative purposes and a million daily use purposes - who would have thought a single art form could span such a wide spectrum? A spectrum from which not a speck was missing at the Potter’s Market held Nov. 12-15 in the M-Tec Building. It was amidst the ceramic ornaments, mushrooms and sugar bowls that the potters and shoppers scurried, hoping to share their art or find their treasure. “I’m looking for some unique things to put on bookshelves and tables,” said Cathy Lozen, who visits the market every year right when it opens to be sure and have the broadest selection. This appeared to be a popular strategy, as the market was bustling. Having recently begun an introductory pottery class with her husband at Studio 1219, Barbara Morrison was enjoying looking at all the advanced pieces of art surrounding her. “I wish!” she exclaimed when asked if they were giving her inspiration for her own work. The shoppers were bustling, but the potters were working twofold perfecting their displays while actively engaging with those around them. “I’ve been in the show for six years,” said Barbara Miller, who Calendar | pg 2
Photo credit: Jenelle Kalaf
flaunted a wide display of ceramic ornaments and leaves. The leaves, ends upturned to add practical use possibilities, were created from actual sycamore leaves that had been rolled into the clay. “I just love the leaves!” she said. Miller’s favorite part of ceramics is that she can destroy something, go through a few steps to revamp the clay, and create a brand new piece out of it. “And the grandkids love it,” she added. Dennis Snyder has found that his Thumbcoast Posters | pg 4
kids also love it, as do his friends. The studio in his basement allows him the flexibility to have friends and guest potters over regularly. Snyder has a wide range of pieces, spanning from pots glazed naturally from clay found on the beach to political piggies. “I was getting sick of it so I decided to make fun of all of them,” he said, referring to the political nuances and politicians whom his piggies represented. The natural glaze from the clay found on the beach of Lake Huron is Lady Skippers Home Opener| pg 5
Snyder’s true specialty though. “It’s something like the Native Americans used in this area,” he said. Snyder explained that his friend Ian Daniels had discovered clay on the beach, so they began experimenting with it. The shade of the glaze is dependent on the iron content of the clay; “It’s unique to the area,” he said. Snyder was especially excited at the market, as his friend Ann Daniels has recently encountered a new clay in the Buffalo area near Niagara Falls. “Hopefully by the beginning of the year we’ll have a whole new line,” he said. A bit younger than his fellow potters, Brent Westrick got hooked on ceramics here at SC4 before transferring to the Grand Valley potter’s program. “It’s a challenge,” he said,” everything changes, and a lot of it is not so much making, but the people.” In addition to his love for the craft, Westrick has found great pleasure in meeting the other potters. “Everyone has different stories, and it’s cool,” he said. According to the ceramic enthusiasts, there are multiple potter’s markets that take place each year, largely featuring the same artists. If the blues of depression are setting in about having missed this show, take heart! Many opportunities to explore the intricacies and abundances of this craft await. Fallout 4 Review| pg 8
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Volume 67.6
Editor-in-Chief Emily Mainguy Production Editor/Designer Emily Mainguy Managing Editor Chico Hernandez Business Editor Jamie Koebke Photo Editor Jenelle Kalaf Copy Editor Melanie Buskirk Sports Editor TBD Webmaster Alex Hunt Adviser John Lusk
ESG Contact Info: Email: eriesquaregazette@gmail.com Address: 323 Erie St Port Huron MI 48060 Editor’s Note: All views expressed in editorials and columns contained within the ESG are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the ESG or any of its advertisers. We welcome feedback!
Find us at esgonline.org @esgonline facebook.com/ESGonline First copy free; second copy $1
Calendar Community
Dec. 4 | Blue Water Humane Society Christmas Pawzaar | 10am - 4pm 4100 Griswold Rd
Dec. 5 | Blue Water Humane Society Christmas Pawzaar | Pet Pictures with Santa 10:30-3:30p.m. Saturday only $10 10am - 4pm | 4100 Griswold Rd Dec. 4 | “The Nutcracker Live” McMorran Place | 7:30p.m. | $10-$20 Dec. 5 | “The Nutcracker Live” McMorran Place | 2pm | $10-$20
Dec. 5 | 27th Annual Festival of Trees McMorran | 10am-9pm | $5
Campus
Dec. 3 | “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” Fine Arts Theatre | $7 Adults, Free for Students | 5:30-7:30pm Recommended for 13 years and older
Dec. 4 | “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” Fine Arts Theatre | $7 Adults, Free for Students | 7:30-9:30pm
Sports
Dec. 1 | Basketball Home Games SC4 Gym | $4 Adults, $1 Students 5:30-9:30pm Dec. 9 | Basketball Home Games SC4 Gym | $4 Adults, $1 Students 5:30-9:30pm
Recommended for 13 years and older
Dec. 6 | “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” Fine Arts Theatre | $7 Adults, Free for Students | 2pm-4pm Recommended for 13 years and older
Dec. 6 | 27th Annual Festival of Trees McMorran | 10:30-5:30pm | $5
Dec. 6 | Festival of Trees Breakfast with Santa | 9:30am and 11:30am $11 Adults, $7 Children
Letter from the editor
The Gasoline Gypsies are coming to Stress Breaker Emily Mainguy Editor-in-Chief This semester is coming to an end pretty soon which means it’s time for the Stress Breaker activities. There are many great things planned this year like massages, a puppy room, and much more. Stress breaker has changed this year and Photo courtesy of The Gasoline Gypsies became a week worth of events instead of just breaker will be taking place Here at the Erie Square one day. This year Stress Nov. 30- Dec. 4. Gazette we would like
to thank our readers and fellow students for another great semester. So for our event at Stress Breaker we thought we would bring in a popular band from the local music scene (which also consists of SC4 Alumni). The Gasoline Gypsies will be on campus and performing on Thursday, Dec. 3 at Noon in the College Center. They will only be here for three hours so don’t miss them!
November 26, 2015
Pavilion sale not set in stone
Meetings continue to discuss the sale of the McMorran Mel Buskirk Copy Editor
The Alumni Room in the Student Center was packed with around 40 concerned faculty and citizens on Thursday, Nov. 12 as the Board of Trustees met to discuss whether to take the next steps in purchasing the McMorran Pavilion from the city of Port Huron. Comments from citizens and faculty were allowed before the subject went to a vote. Professor Ben Hunckler and business owner Scott Worden, both of which attended the City Council meeting earlier that week, spoke the same message – why couldn’t a compromise be worked out between SC4 and the Minor Hockey Association? Out of the seven Board of Trustees members, only five were in attendance with David Oppliger and Robert Tansky being absent. Another Board of Trustee member, John Adair, chose not to participate in the vote due to a conflict of interest. The remaining Board of Trustee members -- Nicholas DeGrazia, Denise Brooks, John Ogden, and Robert Kusch – all voted yes to
continuing negotiations with the city of Port Huron. A final proposal was not made at the Board of Trustees meeting, and was not proposed at the City Council meeting on Monday, Nov. 23. The meeting on Monday, Nov. 23 was quieter than the meeting on Monday, Nov. 9, with only 20 people in attendance. Little discussion about the sale of the McMorran Pavilion was made during the City Council meeting, including a comment made by one citizen of Port Huron, Frank Hoffman. Hoffman inquired if Kramer Realty was the company that the city went through to get an appraisal on the McMorran Pavilion, which was confirmed by City Manager James Freed. According to Hoffman, Gerald Kramer, the owner and founder of Kramer Realty, served the SC4 Foundation for over two years, presenting a conflict of interest. Scott Worden also spoke at the City Council meeting and said, “You have defied the will of the people.” Worden brought up that the council members had brought prewritten speeches with them to the meeting on Nov. 9,
implying that they had already determined their course of action without first taking into consideration the public comments that were made that evening. An official date has not been set by either the City Council or the Board of Trustees to determine the final sale of the
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McMorran Pavilion. The next Board of Trustees meeting will be held on Dec. 10 at 4:30 pm in room 150 of the MTEC building on SC4 campus. The next City Council meeting will be Dec. 14 at 7 pm in the Public Meeting Room of the Municipal Office Center.
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Volume 67.6| Campus
ThumbCoast design competition comes to a close The Huron Selkie is released with winning design Emily Mainguy Editor-in-Chief
were, Kaylee Knaggs, Jason Grill, and Sean McManaman. During the reception, Doyle Mythical creatures, beer, local and Nebbeling explained the artists, and a prize for the inspiration of the project and winning design. why they both liked the three The ThumbCoast Owner and final designs. After that, they Brew master, Dennis Doyle announced the winner who won and Corey Nebbeling, choose a $500 scholarship to SC4, and the winner of the Huron Selkie having their design featured on design contest Nov. 12 during the the limited bottle release of The reception. Huron Selkie, a Scottish Wee The poster designs were Heavy Ale. The winning design narrowed down during the week went to Sean McManaman. of Nov. 9 to three finalists who “It was a great experience
winning the competition. It helped me realize my style is something that works. I was inspired by looking at other beer labels of darker beers and sticking to the serious and professional theme. I was inspired by Swedish history and Celtic art,” explains McManaman. The Huron Selkie was released this week. To check out the winning art and The Huron Selkie stop by ThumbCoast Brewery while this special release lasts.
Toilet paper for a cause
Business Club collects T.P. for charity Jamie Koebke Business Editor
There is a toilet on the first floor of the Main Building! However it is not a toilet for use… The Business Club of SC4 is collecting toilet paper for MidCity Nutrition. You simply put your donation inside the toilet. Donations will be accepted until November 30. The Business Club has previously volunteered at MidCity in October and they also donated the items they had left from their bake sale that was held in late October to raise awareness for multiple sclerosis. They want to help in another way, after talking with MidCity, they decided on a toilet paper drive. The President of the Business Club, Justin Comer said “They need 250 rolls of toilet paper for their Christmas care packages, they go to help low income
The donation bins for the Business Club T.P. drive. Photo credit: Jamie Koebke
Dennis Doyle, Sean McManaman, and Corey Nebbeling present the winning poster design. Photo credit: Emily Mainguy
families. I said we’ll get those for you!” MidCity Nutrition is also known as the soup kitchen. MidCity does more than just feed people in need, they also offer substance abuse counseling, health clinics, counseling, accepts clothing donation and much more. It is located in the basement of St. Martin’s Lutheran Church on Chestnut Street in Port Huron. The Business club is brainstorming more ways they plan to help out in the future. They will have more information posted on their Facebook page. Comer said, anyone who wants to volunteer with MidCity Nutrition is more than welcome to volunteer with the Business Club. “We try to focus our energy toward helping those immediately around us in hopes that the pay it forward philosophy will keep the good vibes spreading outward,” Comer said.
Sports | November 26, 2015
Women’s hoops cruise to win in home opener Lady Skippers win against Sinclair Community College Chris Nelson Guest Writer
lead was easily maintained through the 1 st quarter with a score of 21-13. In the second quarter, the SC4 Women’s basketball Skippers continued with the team, the defending Michigan offensive pressure on Sinclair Community College Athletic Association Eastern Conference and dominated the paint Champions, cruised to victory with perfect execution in in their home opener on Friday rebounding and boxing out. night, Nov. 13 with a 68-50 win The defense was suffocating and relentless, usually allowing against Sinclair Community the opposing offense only one College of Dayton, Ohio. First-year Head Coach Akilah chance to score. The referees Edmundson welcomes several seemed to take a break in the 2nd quarter as the play got more returning players from last physical, and what appeared year’s squad, as well as many to be apparent fouls went by talented newcomers, that will without a whistle. Adding certainly place the Skippers to this, Sinclair dropped in once again as the team to a couple Hail Mary three beat in the conference. The pointers and for a moment it Skippers open the season seemed as if a game might be ranked #14 in the NJCAA Division II women’s basketball developing. Not so, despite pre-season poll, while playing the opportunities for Sinclair to edge closer before the in the arguably the most half, control of the game was competitive conference in unchanged, and the Skippers the nation that boasts three led by 10. nationally ranked teams. In the second half, the The Skippers opened their Skippers continued with their game against Sinclair with a dominating 12-0 run, showing excellent defense, hustling for loose balls, and rebounds while a fast paced offense that never letting up throughout. rapidly pushed the ball up On offense, the women’s team court, keeping the Sinclair continued to penetrate the defense off balance. At the same time the Skipper defense Sinclair defense utilizing great was efficient and effective only passing technique to create multiple scoring chances and allowing Sinclair’s offense in turn drawing several fouls to run set plays with little from the Sinclair defense success. The Skippers early
that continued to look out of sorts. By the end of the third quarter, the Skippers were again running the court at full speed to which Sinclair had no answer. Everyone on the Skippers roster was a contributor, though the superstar of the evening had to be Madison Valko. Madison ended the game with 32 points, on 50% shooting from the field including three pointers, and 80% from the free throw line. Valko seemed to score at will, and from anywhere on the court she wanted. Whether driving the lane for a hoop and foul, a jump shot or a three pointer, she can do it all, and did on this night. Leah Humes a true point guard worthy of all the accolades she has received, was on full display for the home crowd distributing the ball to the tune of nine assists, scoring from every angle including a nice three pointer in the 2nd, and on defense #4 shutdown the opposing Sinclair guards finishing with four steals. Tamira McCoyMotten chipped in eight points and five rebounds. Jenna Boyl contributed 6 assists from the guard spot, and added four points as well. Kendall Stoll and Keegan Nelson dominated
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in the low post leading the team with seven and six rebounds respectively. Dual sport stars from SC4’s super successful volleyball team contributed quality minutes with Briann Alspaugh scoring 10 points and three rebounds, Jordan Johnson added a put back hook shot for two points with three rebounds, and Caitlyn Carlson grabbed a rebound. Sometimes you want to see a close game and a hard fought victory, well that wasn’t possible on this night. It was a dominating performance that was unrelenting on offense and defense for all four quarters. The Lady Skippers controlled the game from the first second to the last, ending with an 18 point victory. The Skippers upcoming home games following the Thanksgiving break will be Tuesday Dec. 1 at 5:30pm against Northwood University JV, and Wednesday Dec. 9 at 5:30 pm against Rochester College JV. The heart of the schedule will begin with Lake Michigan Community College coming to Port Huron on the Saturday Dec. 12 at 1 pm. Be sure to get out and see some great basketball this winter, and support our Skippers Women’s Basketball team!
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Volume 67.6 | Opinion
Humans without rights
How society treats those who are trans, genderqueer, or genderfluid Jenelle Kalaf Photo Editor Society can be unkind to those who are different from them; just look at how we treat Native Americans, African Americans and now the refugees from Syria. Society can be just abrasive to those who do not identify as their assigned gender at birth. Those who are transgender, genderqueer, or genderfluid. The issue was brought to the forefront, on Nov. 3, in Texas when a bill, named Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO),
was voted down. The ballot question read “Are you in favor of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, Ord. No. 2014-530, which prohibits discrimination in city employment and city services, city contracts, public accommodations, private employment, and housing based on an individual’s sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, marital status, military status, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender
identity, or pregnancy?” The problem started at “gender identity.” To clarify, according to dictionary.com transgender means “a person whose gender identity does not correspond to that person’s biological sex assigned at birth.” Genderqueer as, “a person who does not subscribe to conventional gender distinctions but identifies with neither, both, or a combination of male and female genders.” Genderfluid is defined as “a person may
at any time identify as male, female, neutrois, or any other non-binary identity, or some combination of identities.” This mouthful aside, all three terms are ways of defining genders without the cookie cutter male/female. While it seems complicated to those who are cis-gender (a person who identifies with their assigned gender), that doesn’t give anyone the right to criminalize any person who identifies as trans or other just for being who they are.
Opinion | November 26, 2015
These three terms blanket the idea of gender identity. The main idea of the HERO bill itself was to protect all citizens in Houston, Texas, reading “The city council finds that all persons living in, working in or visiting the City are entitled to be treated with equal dignity and respect and have the right to be free from discriminatory and unequal treatment.” The bill was voted down due to a series of advertising campaigns claiming that this law would allow any man posing as a woman (even sex offenders) to use the women’s restrooms in public to sexually harass and rape women. That idea came from the section in the bill that stated “The City Council finds that discrimination on the basis of Protected Characteristics in privately owned and operated public accommodations, including... public conveyances “”Public Accommodations”) results in the unjust exclusions of persons...” So, if they identify with a gender, they can use that restroom in public. This made a lot of people uncomfortable, and I don’t blame them. It’s different and that makes a lot of people uncomfortable. But that doesn’t mean a group should be shunned because they make you uncomfortable.
According to Alfred Adler and Colin Brett’s book, “Understanding Human Nature: The Psychology of Personality,” its human nature to be uncomfortable when presented by unknown information. Their findings state, “We must not blame bearers of a physical disability or a disagreeable character trait for their indignation. They are not responsible for it.” While I don’t agree with the term “disagreeable character trait,” the statement states that we shouldn’t make people feel bad for how they were born or how they feel. This bill is just the tip of the iceberg. Probably the most relevant example of back lash on any part of the trans/genderqueer/ genderfluid community was the news about Caitlyn Jenner. She recently came out as Trans and stated that her name is no longer Bruce. Now, there are many reasons why people had such a hard backlash. For one, so many grew up with “Bruce” Jenner, Olympic star, and immediately freaked when she came out. A Facebook war ensued, defining who is “brave,” and what it means to stand up for your rights. But she isn’t the only trans person to gain the spotlight. In 2014, Leelah Alcorn, 17,
committed suicide after her parents tried to push her into something she’s not. According to the police report, she died from blunt force trauma after she stepped in front of a semi-truck. She posted a suicide note to the website tumblr.com stating ‘If you are reading this, it means that I have committed suicide and obviously failed to delete this post from my queue. Her note was lengthy, stating, “I feel like a girl trapped in a boy’s body, and I’ve felt that way ever since I was 4.” “When I was 14, I learned what transgender meant and cried of happiness. After 10 years of confusion I finally understood who I was. I immediately told my mom, and she reacted extremely negatively, telling me that it was a phase, that I would never truly be a girl, that God doesn’t make mistakes, that I am wrong,” Alcorn said. Alcorn explained that when she came out at school, her parents pulled her out, taking away her laptop, cell phone, forced her to stay away from social media, and didn’t allow her to see any friends. “They wanted me to be their perfect little straight Christian boy, and that’s obviously not what I wanted,” Alcorn said. “I was completely alone for 5 months,” Alcorn said.
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The last line of her note begged for others to fix what caused her to end her life, so others wouldn’t follow, saying, “I want someone to look at that number and say ‘that’s fucked up’ and fix it. Fix society. Please.” Her parents had her buried as Joshua. This is the point where I usually give any information about our great state for gender questions and laws, but Michigan really ignores the issue. One of the few pieces of information I did find was at MichiganTransgender.gov, stating that “There is no law in Michigan restricting restroom use. However, the use of the wrong restroom does fall under ‘disturbing the peace.’” That being said, a few states are trying to put in place the “all gender” restrooms, where anyone of any identity can use the facilities. The issue isn’t just one of what bathroom you can use. The words of Leelah Alcorn are left in my head, “The only way I will rest in peace is if one day transgender people aren’t treated the way I was, they’re treated like humans, with valid feelings and human rights.” And for transgender people, genderqueer people, and genderfluid people that may be reading this: You are valid.
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Volume 67.6 | Entertainment
War may not change, but Fallout does New and improved take on wasteland life Nick “Chico” Hernandez Managing Editor Following total atomic annihilation, the rebuilding of this great nation of ours may fall to you. That’s why Bethesda has prepared this educational video game series for you to better understand the future! Fallout 4 comes from the minds and hearts of Bethesda Softworks, makers of The Elder Scrolls as well, packed with more to do than some could comprehend. In an article by Official Xbox Magazine, Bethesda’s Lead Producer Jeff Gardiner said, “I’ve played the game for probably 400 hours, and I’m still finding stuff that I haven’t seen.” I can say I’ve played the game for 60+ hours and everything still feels new. Everything about the game has been revamped; the enemies move in a more realistic, less clunky way (ghouls shamble and scurry
like zombies, rather than running straightforward), the scenery will often leave you gazing into the horizon, and everything is useful. Old fans of the Fallout series will appreciate the opening to the game, as it takes place before the bombs fell and created the post-apocalyptic world seen in the series. After you crawl out from the fallout, you’re free to do whatever you want. You could play for days and never touch the main storyline, or bust out said storyline without doing anything else. Aside from the massive overhaul of enemies, graphics, and useful ‘junk’, you’ll encounter more Non Player Characters (NPCs) than previous installments. Most NPCs have a unique look to them and with over 13,000 lines of dialogue, (more than Skyrim and Fallout 3 combined) players aren’t expected to hear the same rabble from one
settlement to another. Workshop settlements are something completely new to the Fallout world. It takes elements from Minecraft and Sims and allows to build up a town you find or, in some cases, tear everything down and start anew. You can add anything from crops (which play a role in running supply lines between settlements), machine guns (adds defense), or simply aesthetic items like paintings of cats. Power Armor has been given an upgrade too. No longer is it worn like a piece of clothing, but actually as a suit of armor. You power it up with a fusion core, and then jump into it. With being able to modify the armor and change the paintjob, comes the responsibility of maintaining it. During a fight, the armor can become damaged and fall off; however, it does stay in
Promotional Photo
your inventory, but cannot be used unless repaired. The large majority of the ingame weapons can be customized in some way. This ranges from adding nails to a wooden board, to transforming a pistol into a fully automatic sniper rifle. The possibilities here are endless, but the junk needed to make these enhancements are not. Chico tip: Vegetable Starch breaks down to adhesive, a rare and extremely useful crafting item. Starch is renewable through growing crops. In Fallout 4 (the very beginning being the only exception) everything is optional. The amount of player freedom can be staggering. The best way to play any game is your way and the Game Director for Fallout 4, Todd Howards, agrees, ““Let’s have our cake and ice cream. The more we can say yes to the player, the better we are.”