The Lookout Volume 53, Issue 4

LCC hosts

Men’s hoop

season

Red Cross blood drive PAGE 3

Oct. 17 - 30, 2011 Volume 53, Issue 4 www.lcc.edu/lookout

Get spooked:

haunted house guide

previewed

PAGE 8

PAGE 12

thelo kout

Lansing Community College’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1959

LCC bids $2.52 million for property

Davenport University withdraws Oliver Towers offer; LCC wants real estate to expand campus city council. “We are willing to pay cash for these properties … This college has always been interested in the Oliver Towers property.”

According to LCC Director of Public Affairs Ellen Jones, the letter was not a formal proposal to the city, but instead served as an eraser for any doubt that LCC was interested in the property.

“The (LCC) Board has to vote on going forward with the actual legal process of trying to purchase the property before anything else happens,” Jones said.

Dominick Mastrangelo Editor in Chief LCC President Brent Knight has offered the City of Lansing $2.52 million Oct. 10 for the currently vacant Oliver Towers building at Ionia Street and Capitol Avenue.

The offer came just three days before Davenport revoked its proposal to swap the downtown parking lot and Oliver Towers for Davenport University’s riverfront campus at Kalamazoo and Cherry streets.

LCC Proposal Several LCC administrators, including Larry Meyer and Lisa Webb Sharpe, attended the Oct. 10 Lansing City Council meeting. They presented the council with a letter addressed to Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero from Knight.

In the letter, Knight stated his desire to pay $2.52 million, in cash, for Lots 1 through 12,

Davenport deal Photo by Michael Caterina

A car exits the parking lot that LCC leases from the city on the Oliver Towers property. Davenport University decided to pull out of its original land swap agreement with the city of Lansing Oct. 13.

Block 84 and the Original Plat (Oliver Towers block).

LCC Board of Trustees Chair Meyer, one of the presenters and a former Lansing City Council president, spoke to the council about the necessity

of acquiring the real estate.

“This property is critical to the future of Lansing Community College,” Meyer said.

“Our campus is growing; we need to expand.”

Meyer was joined at the

meeting by Webb Sharpe, senior vice president of Finance and Administration for LCC. “This college has had its eye on this property for quite some time,” Webb Sharpe said as she pleaded her case to the

Oliver Towers is owned by the city of Lansing. In August of 2011, the city announced a proposal to swap the downtown parking lot and Oliver Towers for Davenport University’s riverfront campus at Kalamazoo and Cherry streets.

At the end of the Oct. 10 See Towers, page 2

Say goodbye to SPS; new name ‘Mackinaw’ Shauna Stocken News Editor The installation of new signs on Sept. 29 solidified the renaming of the Student Personnel Services Building (SPS) to the Mackinaw Building (MB).

Over time, the functions of the SPS building changed and the name no longer fit., according to LCC Director of Public Affairs Ellen Jones.

During a Board of Trustees meeting in June of 2011, the proposal was made to change the

name of the SPS building.

“If you choose a name that is not associated with a particular program, it can last a long time; it is a timeless name,” Jones said.

LCC is constantly changing when it comes to improvements and additions to the

main campus, Jones explained.

“I think there was some confusion at one time about what Student Personnel Services means.

Is it about student employees or is it a student services sort of thing?” Jones said.

According to a press release

from Campus Communications on Oct. 12, “Mackinaw is a quintessential Michigan name with an interesting history.”

Both the British word “Mackinaw” and the French word See Mackinaw, page 2

2 NEWS

Oct. 17 - 30, 2011 www.lcc.edu/lookout

Towers

Tower timeline

Continued from page 1

meeting, the city council voted against holding a public hearing for the proposed Davenport land-swap deal.

The same proposal was revoked by Davenport Oct. 13 because the process involved in attaining the property had become “too politically charged,” according to Davenport President Richard J. Pappas.

“While we still may have obtained the necessary approvals to proceed, we believe it is unproductive to become mired in the politics surrounding this property,” Pappas said in a statement Oct. 13.

The statement issued by Davenport made a direct reference to Lansing Community College, adding that it “respects all of its partners.”

‘Closed-door’ controversy Randy Hannan, a spokesperson for Bernero, said when Davenport reached out to the city of Lansing about the Oliver Towers property, Bernero contacted Knight to “see what he thought of it.”

“The two saw each other at a social event, and not only did Dr. Knight not have a

Photo by Courtney Baker

LCC officials meet with the Lansing City Council Oct. 10 to discuss the Oliver Towers property. The college offered $2.25 million for the site, located one block south of the downtown campus.

problem with the proposal, he was very supportive,” Hannan said.

According to Jones, Knight said no such conversation ever took place.

In the midst of the “he said, she said” process that has been going on in relation to the matter, LCC officials indicated they still believe they have a right to purchase the property.

“We will continue pursuing a meeting with the city administration to discuss acquiring the property,” Jones said.

Since Davenport’s withdrawal, Knight has indicated LCC is still very much interested in purchasing the Oliver

Towers property.

“As we indicated initially, we are prepared to pay the assembled appraised value of $2.5 million for the property,” Knight stated Oct. 13. “However, we recognize that the city now also has an opportunity to do what it intended to do all along: proceed with the disposition of this land in an open, fair and competitive way.”

“LCC is locked in from all sides except to the south in terms of growth,” Meyer said. “I’m not sure I’m worried about competing with another university, I’m worried about the use of space for our strategic value going forward.”

• 2001: Oliver Towers, a senior citizen housing complex, suffers a catastrophic fire, leaving the building uninhabitable.

• 2002-2008: Oliver Towers stays vacant. Many organizations express interest in property, however, none ever formally make an offer to the city.

• 2008: City of Lansing officals discuss with Capitol Area District Library and Impression 5 Science Museum representatives the possibility of building a new Library and Science Museum at the Oliver Towers site. Voters reject the millage to fund the project.

• Feb. 2011: Davenport University officals contacts city of Lansing with a proposal to swap the Oliver Towers property for Davenport University’s riverfront campus at Kalamazoo and Cherry streets.

• Aug. 2011: City of Lansing officals announce a land swap deal with Davenport University.

• Oct. 10, 2011: LCC President Dr. Brent Knight offers the city of Lansing $2.52 million for Oliver Towers property, pending Board of Trustees approval. Meanwhile, city officials vote against holding a public hearing on the agreement with Davenport University.

• October 13, 2011: Davenport retracts its proposal to renovate the Oliver Towers block due to a process that was becoming “too politically charged.”

Mackinaw Continued from page 1

"Mackinac" mean the same thing: great connecting sound, fault and land or place.

However, the British spelling "Mackinaw" was chosen as the official name of the building because it is less confusing to pronounce, according to Campus Communication.

Throughout the different buildings on LCC’s campus, there are educational murals on the walls.

According to Jones, that is also the plan for the interior design of the Mackinaw Building.

“We hope to educate people more about Michigan history, practically the meaning of Mackinaw by designing and putting up historical murals and that kind of thing,” Jones said.

"Not only does it educate but it also makes the building look interesting on the inside. It’s engaging and it’s a fun way to learn more.”

Photo by Michael Caterina

Workers change signs to say "Mackinaw Building" Sept. 29.

3 NEWS

Oct. 17 - 30, 2011 www.lcc.edu/lookout

American Red Cross sponsors blood drive at LCC LCC faculty and students donate blood

time volunteer and donor for the West Campus blood drive.

Men, I think, the average height is 5-foot-5 and 170 pounds; women are little bit shortShauna Stocken er and little bit less News Editor weight.”

According to the LCC West Campus American Red Cross, a hosted a blood drive person’s weight, height Oct. 10 sponsored by and age are all major the American Red determining factors to Cross and the Student donating blood.

Leadership Academy.

Anyone 17 years of The event, held in the age or older meets the West Campus audito- age requirements. Anyrium, raised 24 units of one 16 years of age can blood. Drive officials had donate blood with parset a goal of 35 pints. ent permission.

“There are a lot of paJacob P. Hartges, a tients (who) need our student at LCC, doblood that we give to nated blood for the first them,” said Kris Adler, time, inspired by a couan employee for the past ple of motivating goals. three years at the Ameri“I did this for two can Red Cross as an LPP reasons: one, it was on donor spemy buckcialist II. et list. I People around the “ N o wanted country need dobody reto prove nated blood every ally cares to myminute of every day. for neeself that I dles but could do you do it because it is a it,” Hartges said. good idea,” Adler said.

“And two, I wanted to The blood drive was prove to my girlfriend open to all members of that I could do it bethe public who met the cause she knows that safety requirements.

I am petrified of nee“Requirements dif- dles.” fer between men and While people around women,” said Jamin- the country need doson Betz, a second- nated blood every

“

”

minute of every day according to the American Red Cross website, only three out of every 100 people have ever donated blood.

“Next year there is the potential that I could do it again just so that I could save other people by giving blood,” Hartges said.

“It might be a one time deal but I could see myself giving blood again someday.”

For more information about donating blood or helping the American Red Cross, call 1-800-RedCross.

The Lookout staff earns four journalism awards Shauna Stocken News Editor Every year newspapers around the state of Michigan submit print and online media to the Michigan Press Association (MPA) to compete against other publications for the chance to win prestigious awards.

The MPA is an association committed to promoting freedom of press and has been doing so since being established in 1868.

This year The Lookout won four MPA awards including; first place for multimedia reporting by Dominick Mastrangelo, editor in chief, and Michael Caterina; photo editor, webmaster and page designer at The Lookout.

Other awards include second-place news photo, by Courtney Baker; third place, sports photo by Caterina; and second place, sports page design, by Caterina.

“I’m really proud of the staff for winning four awards and winning in the multimedia category,” Lookout Adviser Larry Hook said. “I thought we would win more awards because we had a great staff last year.”

Courtney Baker, a freelance photographer at The Lookout, won one of the four

Photos by Michael Caterina

LCC Public Service Careers worker Sandy Walsh (above) talks with Red Cross collections nurse Candace McKimmy during a blood drive at LCC’s West Campus. Below, LCC student Will Catey signs up to give blood at LCC’s West Campus blood Drive Oct. 10.

IN BRIEF NEWS

LCC offers support to students

File photo by Larry Hook

Associate Editor Nathan Wilson, left, and Editor in Chief Dominick Mastrangelo show off awards from a previous competition.

awards.

“I just did what was asked of me,” Baker said. “I was glad to have won, though.”

Caterina said while he holds himself to a high standard, he appreciates how prestigious these awards can be.

“You really can’t enter a competition with too many expectations, but I am happy to win the awards I did,” Caterina said. “It’s cool to be recognized for everything you’ve done in all aspects of your work.”

This year, The Lookout staff plans to submit both print articles and photography to the MPA as well as online media from the new Lookout website.

“Journalism is changing and those who adapt faster are better off than those who don’t,” Mastrangelo said.

General supportive services are available to students through LCC to provide balance to life through counseling.

The Support Services Department at LCC can schedule student appointments to meet with a professional counselor by calling (517) 483-1924.

The department is dedicated to helping students succeed by providing options for handling and controlling life issues and stress.

Counselors are trained to help one manage different elements of life such as stress, personal loss, career uncertainty, personal relationships and substance abuse.

LCC makes strides against Breast Cancer October is the National Breast Cancer Awareness month. LCC Stars team, “Making Strides against Breast Cancer” is helping the fight to save lives and create more birthdays.

The team will walk to raise money

for the American Cancer Society’s fight against breast cancer on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 11 a.m.

Registration is free and begins at 9:30 a.m. in front of the State Capitol where the walk will take place.

The walking course is approximately three miles in length.

No minimum fundraising amount is required.

For more information, contact either of the LCC Stars team captains, Olga Herandez-Patino at hernano@email.lcc.edu or Jamie Stone at stone23@email.lcc.edu.

Spanish tutoring available Free weekly appointments are available for Spanish tutoring.

Tutoring request forms must be filled out and submitted to the Tutoring Services office in A&S 103 or by fax.

Tutoring forms can be obtained in the Tutoring Service office and online at http://www.lcc.edu/tutorial/tutoring_request_form/ Contact (517) 483-1206 for more information on tutoring services.

4 NEWS

Oct. 17 - 30, 2011 www.lcc.edu/lookout

Personal counseling available through LCC Shauna Stocken News Editor The Counseling Service Department (CSD) at LCC held a Mood Disorder Awareness event Oct. 9 in the A&S lobby.

Pam Davis has been a counselor for the Students with Disabilities Department at LCC for the past 16 years. Davis was one of the department members that worked the Mood Disorder event.

“The event lets students know that they’re not alone and that there’s services available to them,” Davis said. “They (students) came to the table for one of

is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Mood Disorder Awareness event was one of three events scheduled throughout the 2011 fall and 2012 spring semesters by the CSD. The CSD will hold an Eating Disorders Awareness event in February and a Substance Abuse Photo by Michael Caterina Awareness event in April.

LCC Counselor Louise Rabidoux talks with student David Dates for the events are not yet available.

Ungaar at the Mood Disorder Awareness event Oct. 9.

“All the counselors here their loved ones or friends. talk about with most with on campus are licensed professional counselors They are mentioning stress, students,” Davis said. anxiety and depression; The CSD is located in and that’s a critical piece, those are the topics that we Gannon Building 204. It so that allows us to do per-

sonal counseling through the state of Michigan licensure process,” Davis said.

To help students’ success at LCC, the CSD provides a variety of types of counseling to support a diverse range of needs.

Monica Del Castillo, a counselor for Students with Disabilities Department at LCC, also spoke to students at the Mood Disorder event.

“A lot of students don’t realize that we offer personal counseling, academic counseling and crisis counseling here (at LCC),” Del Castillo said. “It’s all part of the tuition that they pay so there is no addi-

tional cost.”

Before making an appointment, complete an online mood disorder screening at http://www. lcc.edu/counseling/screening_information.aspx.

The screening does not diagnose a person, however, the screening will give additional information to LCC counselors during a confidential appointment.

Counseling appointments can be made in the CSD office or by contacting the office at (517) 483-1904.

“It’s best to make appointments because it is counseling so we set aside an hour to see that student,” Davis said.

Protect your financial future with AMA's credit seminar Nathan Wilson Associate Editor Tyrone Liggons, the vice president of LCC’s American Marketing Association (AMA), is bringing the financial literacy campaign Are You Credit Wise? to LCC. Are You Credit Wise? was developed

by MasterCard Worldwide to help college students understand key financial concepts.

During the summer of 2011, Liggons

traveled to Washington D.C. to train for the Are You Credit Wise? program.

“I won’t be selling anything at the seminars, just giving a lot of knowledge, giving out some prizes, some booklets,” Liggons said. “They (MasterCard) have asked me to continue the campaign into the next semester.”

Liggons is one of 10 students from various colleges across the United States hosting these seminars about budgeting, bill payment, building credit history and us-

ing payment cards responsibly.

According to Liggons, Are You Credit Wise? has reached more than 520,000 students at nearly 80 colleges in the U.S. and Canada during its 13 years of activity.

The first seminar is scheduled for late October. Anyone can attend the seminars and there will be free food and snacks.

“I plan to keep this more engaging instead of just me sitting there talking the entire time,” Liggons said. “I want to make it so students can come and we can have a conversation and make this more like a focus group.”

Liggons and LCC-AMA are also open to providing financial seminars for classes through fall upon request.

"I'm a student too, I'm learning how to recreate my budget and rebuild my credit, so I have a great testimonial to give to them," Liggons explained. "I've been at that point where my credit was really bad so I'm trying to fix it and rebuild."

For more information about the date and location of the first meeting, contact Tyrone Liggons at tliggons.aycw@ gmail or like Are You Credit Wise? on Facebook.

— Stocken Speaks —

Confront discrimination In regard to my last column on animal rights, I have realized in the past few weeks that believing in compassionate living for animals is not the only living thing one should respect and have compassion for.

Some people might argue that reporting on the recent discrimination on MSU’s campus is only giving the offenders the attention they want.

However, I believe that discrimination needs to be confronted, not only between individuals but as a whole.

Picture yourself standing by an elevator, when a woman who is visually impaired asks which way to the elevator. Most likely one would respond giving the correct answer.

Now picture yourself standing in front of that same elevator again, but this time surrounded by a large group of people waiting for the elevator.

When the visually impaired woman asks this time which way to the elevator, everyone freezes and looks around wondering who will answer the question, instead of attempting to answer the question, risking the pos-

sibly of talking over one another.

I found myself in the second situation recently and felt guilty for not speaking up.

Staying silent doesn’t mean I am prejudiced against people with disabilities, nor does it mean the other silent people standing by the elevator are. But it goes to show how easy it is to be silent, to simply follow those around us instead of helping someone in need.

Following one another removes individual thought processes and molds together a group of people that can only function when feeding off someone else’s ideas and morals.

Voicing individual opinions against discrimination is at the root of stopping the cycle. Ones

voice is a powerful tool.

The person that instructed the visually impaired woman to the elevator used his or her voice to inspire others to speak up and help. Two men followed afterwards, talking and leading the visually impaired woman into the elevator.

Even if you are not directly related to a hate crime, not speaking up when your morals are telling you something is not right or following along with what a friend thinks or says to “look cool,” is just as wrong and hateful.

Stopping discrimination between different races, genders, cultures, sexual preferences, etc. all begins with a strong voice.

People from all different backgrounds have stood up for their rights for decades, risking imprisonment and even death.

When I think of how far America has come, it makes me wonder why people seem so comfortable letting discrimination occur and reversing the progress that people fought so diligently to overcome.

5 Features LCC offers new respite care program

Oct. 17 - 30, 2011

www.lcc.edu/lookout

Judy Wagner is an LCC instructor and former executive director of LAP Respite Center.

Nathan Wilson Associate Editor

L

CC is offering a new respite care program on Thursday, Oct. 20 for students seeking to become caregivers for children, adults or the elderly.

After completing the eight week noncredit course, students will receive a Certificate of Participation.

Judy Wagner, an LCC instructor and former executive director of LAP (Lansing Area Parents’) Respite Center in Lansing, explained the premise of the program.

“Respite care is short term care for people who have disabilities, for people who are elderly, people who need

lots of care,” Wagner said. “Family members are usually the main care providers … and respite providers step in to provide for the family.”

Care providers can take over for a period of time while family members take a break.

According to Wagner, the course is taught

Photo by Nathan Wilson

on Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

“There’s some lecturing, there’s lots of discussion,” Wagner said.

“We talk about families, about different kinds of disabilities and what they mean.

For instance, if you’re talking about older

people, we may talk a lot about dementia, and how do you work with a person who has dementia.”

Other topics will include different disabilities (autism, cerebral palsy, dementia, Alzheimer ’s disease), recipient rights, com-

munication, medications and seizures.

“We’ll talk about how to dress people, how to change clothes and how to change diapers for all age people,” Wagner said.

“How do you give a bath? How do you do all the personal care and how do you feed someone?”

The course is noncredit but Wagner suggested it may be taken for credit in the future.

However, that has yet to be determined by LCC. “It’s such a strenuous job to take care of someone all the time, and most of the community does not realize that stress that is

associated with it until you really do it,” Wagner explained.

This highlights the need for respite care providers to give family a break from 24hour monitoring.

Carolyn Dembowski, the Continuing Education coordinator of LCC, said students can apply for the respite care program until Wednesday, Oct. 19.

‘There’s lots of room in the class and we’re still looking for people to join,” Wagner added.

For more information about applying for the program, contact lcc. edu/ece or call 1-517483-1860.

6 SPORTS Pinstripe pride traded for Tiger tenacity

Oct. 17 - 30, 2011

www.lcc.edu/lookout

Dollar signs do not make great teams

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I am very passionate about baseball.

Growing up in central New York, the New York Yankees have always been my favorite team.

But since moving to Michigan last year, my loyalty to the pinstripes has been challenged, and this October, finally was lost.

The Bronx Bombers

dropped Game 5 of the American League Divisional Series to Detroit this year, ending their season. I think Yankee star first baseman Mark Teixeira put it into context the best: “Anything less than a championship is a lost season.”

Upon examining this statement I begin to question my loyalty to the Yanks. Do I really want to root for a team that views a championship as the only goal for a season?

Is there true teamwork and “heart” involved in that mentality?

When the Tigers won

Game 5 in the Bronx, they celebrated like they were going to the World Series already.

I’m not so sure we as fans would have gotten that kind of excitement out of the Yankees had they won the game.

While many of my friends and family would remind me of

the illustrious history of the New York Yankees, I have found that rooting for them has become boring. The Yankees payroll is the biggest in baseball, and has been for quite some time.

This brings up a much larger issue in the game of baseball.

The ability of smaller market teams to compete with cities like Boston, New York and Philadelphia is something that amazes me.

I have never been exposed to a “middle of the road” team, in terms of payroll.

Over this past sum-

mer, I attended numerous West Michigan Whitecap and Toledo Mud Hen games. Both these teams are minor league affiliates of the Detroit Tigers. I saw first-hand how real baseball teams are built.

This happens in New York as well, but I think it’s obvious to any baseball fan that the first option in New York is to buy players.

CC Sabathia, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira: these are just some of the names that have come to the Bronx, frankly because that’s where they’ll make the most money.

Baseball players have to eat too, you know.

After the Yankees were knocked out of the playoffs, I was hoping to see the Tigers win the World Series. Justin Verlander is without a doubt the best pitcher I’ve seen in my 20 years of existence. I was thinking the Tigers are a team of destiny.

With the big budget of the Bronx Bombers out of their way, the Tigers had a fighting chance. Dollars and cents win batting titles and sneaker contracts, heart and teamwork win championships.

Go Tigers!

7SPORTS

Oct. 17 - 30, 2011 www.lcc.edu/lookout

Top 10 finishes rank XC teams fourth in Division 1 Ben Doane Sports Writer

Photos by Courtney Baker

Freshman Briana Flowers tips the ball to Allie Horstman during the game against Ancilla College Oct. 11. Flowers had 35 assists during the 3-1 win.

Stars victorious in ‘Dig for the Cure’ Ben Doane Sports Writer The Stars volleyball team emerged victorious in its annual Breast Cancer Awareness fundraiser match Tuesday, Oct. 11 at LCC. The Stars competed against the women from Ancilla College.

Before the match, the LCC women threw pink T-shirts to fans and gave pink bead necklaces to the opposing team. The feeling was one of being there for a common goal, to compete not just against each other, but against a disease that touches the lives of so many people every year.

Many activities were held to raise money for the cause. Fundraising activities included a silent auction and a servea-thon in which fans could pay a dollar to try to serve a volleyball at a target.

The servers had a chance to win prizes such as pink bead necklaces and pink pillows.

All the proceeds from the match went to fund breast cancer awareness.

The match itself was won by the Stars as they took three out of four sets to win the match.

LCC won the first game 25-17. Ancilla won the second game 25-10.

LCC won the third game 27-25 and clinched the match with a 29-27 win in the fourth game.

“It’s always good to get a win,” Coach Stephen May said. “Allie Horstman and Kimmy Schmid

Freshman Allie Horstman, above, led the Stars with 13 kills and seven blocks in the game against Ancilla College Oct. 11th. LCC Head Coach Stephen May, below, talks with players between sets.

both had 13 kills, which helped lead the team to victory.”

May said he would have liked to have seen an increase in attendance for the fundraiser.

“Not as many students attended as last year,

which was disappointing,” he said.

The volleyball team’s season was scheduled to continue Oct. 13 as the Stars traveled to Grand Rapids to face the women from Grand Rapids Community College.

The LCC cross country team’s strong season continued with both the Lansing CC Invitational at Grand Woods Park in Lansing Sept. 30 and the Intercollegiate Meet at Hillsdale College Oct 7.

“Both teams ran very well,” LCC Coach Chuck Block said of the meet in Lansing.

The men and women both took third in their respective races.

LCC’s Austin Alcalar was the individual champion in the men’s 8K race, placing first with a time of 25:18.

Other runners to score for the Stars were Ryan Konen (third), Michael Lahner (13th), Logan Lindsay (21st) and Nick Brosky (26th).

The combined score for the LCC men’s team was 64, placing them third behind Saginaw Valley University (53) and Siena Heights

University (41).

“Our guys ran fantastic,” Block said.

“The guys ran so well that they moved up to third in the national rankings.”

The top finisher for LCC in the women’s 5k race was Ashley Hamilton, who came in 10th in a field of 96 runners.

Rounding out the top five for the Stars were Brianna Wiles (23rd), Jaclyn Magness (30th), Nikki May (31st) and Lexi Roe (32nd).

The Lady Stars combined for a score of 126, earning a third-place finish behind Macomb Community College (86) and Siena Heights University (25).

“The field was tough but we are getting closer to Macomb, and we need to keep improving for when we face them at the regional meet on Oct. 29,” Block said.

Block added, “Both teams took huge steps in the right direction.”

In the Intercollegiate Meet Oct. 7, the LCC men and women each placed ninth in their races.

Alcalar was the top finisher for LCC in the 8K race. He finished 12th overall.

He was followed by Konen (29th), Lahner (50th), Nick Moon (67th) and Tyler Graustein (79th).

“Our top two guys, Austin and Ryan, continue to have stellar years,” Block said “This race has most of the top collegiate runners from all of the colleges in the state and Austin finished 12th, which tells you how good he is.”

Block added both teams are currently ranked fourth in the Division 1 NJCAA Cross Country Rankings.

The Stars’ season was scheduled to continue at the Jayhawk Invitational in Muskegon Friday, Oct. 14.

8 SPORTS

Oct. 17 - 30, 2011 www.lcc.edu/lookout

Sophomore Swagger The LCC men’s basketball team is poised and prepared for yet another strong year of hoops in the Gannon Gym. The Stars’ roster features many new faces this year.

However there are three returning sophomores who know what it means to be an LCC Star.

“I want to put another banner up there (on the gym ceiling),” point guard and team leader Nate Duhon said. “I want to be able to control the game better than I did last year. I want to be a solid leader.”

Duhon averaged 3.9 assists per game last year as well as scoring 349 points in the regular season.

Marcus Cain shot 47 percent from the field in 20102011 and was a major reason

the Stars posted a winning record of 15-14.

“I want to become a defensive leader this year,” Cain said. “I want to help my team in all aspects of the game, not just shooting the ball.”

Cain, Duhon and Alexander DeBack are the only returning sophomores to LCC this fall.

The trio looks to take many of the newcomers to downtown Lansing under their wings.

“This is college ball now,” Duhon said. “There is not only a lot of pride here, but there is also a winning tradition … you have to have respect for that.”

The Stars’ season is scheduled to start Nov. 2 vs. Mid Michigan Community College at home. They have 14 home games scheduled this year.

To follow the Stars all year long, visit www.lcc.edu/lookout for individual and multigame coverage throughout the season.

Nate Duhon, from left, Alexander DeBack and Marcus Cain.

Dominick Mastrangelo Editor in Chief

Photo by Michael Caterina

Returning players add depth to Stars ’ 11-’12 season lineup

9

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Oct. 17 - 30, 2011

www.lcc.edu/lookout

Get spooked at these attractions For more information, visit www.terroron27.com/.

Terror on 27 8691 S. Bagley Road Ashley, MI 48806 (989) 838-2562

3. At their haunted house attraction, Samara’s Boarding House, visitors go missing and begin to haunt the halls of the building.

4. The Last Ride is a 3D burial simulator where guests will be able to experience their own death.

Ticket sales go from 7 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Haunt events begin at dusk.

The haunted house, maze and hayride cost $10 each or $20 for all three. The Last Ride costs $5.

For more information,

Shawhaven Haunted Farm

Terror on 27 is an attraction with the story that 127 road construction workers have died of unnatural causes and only a few remain. Come get spooked.

The haunted attractions are open Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m.to midnight and Sunday 7:30 to 10 p.m.

Tickets are $7 for one attraction and $10 for two attractions. Group rates are $8 each for 25 or more combo ticket purchases in one transaction.

1826 Rolfe Road Mason, MI 48854 (517) 676-1649 Shawhaven Haunted Farm boasts a variety of haunted attractions.

1. Wagons of Fear, the haunted hayride, will take participants on a journey through the woods while telling the stories of mad men and the undead.

2. The Dead Maze is a haunted corn maze infested with chemicals that starts killing the workers.

Pumpkins,

seeds and

spices

Cheesy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Experience a cheese explosion in your mouth with this fun recipe.

You will need: 1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds 2 tablespoons olive oil or warmed butter, 1/4 cup the cheese of your choice (parmesan or pecorino are recommended) 1 teaspoon ground black pepper Salt to taste

Instructions: Together in a bowl, toss and mix all ingredients until the pumpkin seeds are thoroughly coated with the butter/ oil, cheese and black pepper mixture. Then spread the pumpkin seeds out on aluminum foil on a cookie tray at 450 F and toast them until brown on both sides. Allow to cool, then eat.

Cinnamon-Sugar Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Give your seeds a sweet twist by adding the perfect autumn combination of sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.

You will need: 1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds 2 tablespoons melted butter (or olive oil) 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 F. Scoop out the inside

of your pumpkin and separate seeds from pulp.

In a bowl, toss the seeds with the melted butter, coating thoroughly. Add salt and seasonings. Spread seeds in one even layer across a greased baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the seeds are golden brown. Stir the seeds every so often while they’re baking so that they toast evenly.

21 to 22 and 28 to 30 is when the darkness falls upon the field.

For more information visit http://slaughterhouseadventure.com.

visit http://shawhavenhauntedfarm.com/.

Slaughterhouse Haunted Adventure 5781 Grand River Ave. Fowlerville MI 48836 (517) 223-9140 Slaughterhouse Haunted Adventure offers three sure-to-scare attractions. They have the haunted Slaughterhouse ($12), Bloodbath & Beyond Haunted Hayride ($13) and the Haunted Maze ($12).

Opening times for Oct.

Kaitlin Lutz A&E Editor A plus to gutting out pumpkins, besides making a jack-o’-lantern, is being able to roast the seeds for a tasty treat.

Here are a few recipes that put a spin on basic roasted pumpkin seeds and are sure to be full of flavor.

Country Mill Farms 4648 Otto Road, Charlotte, Michigan 48813 (517) 543-1019 Country Mill Farms offers over 4,000 square feet of scary fun.

The Haunted Cider Mill is a must see and is sure to spook guests.

Country Mill Farms is open Tuesday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Mill also schedules private viewings of the Haunted Cider Mill for groups of 20 or more.

For more information, visit www.countrymill. com.

Hot Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Like things hot? Try this southwestern-inspired recipe with cayenne, smoked paprika and red pepper.

You will need: 1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds 2 tablespoons olive oil or warmed butter 1 tablespoon flaked red pepper 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika 1/4 tablespoon cayenne pepper Salt to taste Photos courtesy of sxc.hu

Instructions: Toss together all the ingredients in a bowl until the pumpkin seeds are coated thoroughly with the pepper and paprika mixture. Add salt. Finally, spread out the pumpkin seeds on aluminum foil on a cookie tray and roast them in the oven 450 F until brown on both sides. Allow to cool, then eat.

Recipes courtesy of www.homeandgardenideas.com

10 A&E

Oct. 17 - 30, 2011 www.lcc.edu/lookout

Gerritsen goes for the jugular

LCC stars sing in ASL

Nathan Wilson Associate Editor

Amber Glomb Staff Writer

Very few authors have the ability to inspire me or grab my attention in the first 20 pages. Even as an aspiring author, I haven’t really picked up a book in years. Tess Gerritsen changed that in recent months, skyrocketing to become my favorite author. Ever.

And so I pried open The Surgeon and embarked on a twisted journey following the investigations of Detective Jane Rizzoli.

The plot revolves around the grisly murders carried out by a serial killer dubbed “the Surgeon” for his use of scalpels and surgical instruments.

What makes the book so disturbing is the control the Surgeon claims

Photo courtesy of goodreads.com

over his victims and the evidence of his rituals that he leaves in his wake.

Dr. Catherine Cordell becomes the focus of the investigation as the killer displays increasing interest in her, taunting her with emails and photographs as her grip on sanity slowly erodes.

Gerritsen researches her topics before writing, which adds an in-

King Crossword

tense level of realism pertaining to forensics and police work—not the glamorized forensics that look easy on TV. Another fascinating aspect of her work is the element of fear. I’ve read plenty of Stephen King but his craft has never even gotten under my skin. Gerritsen, however, has a talent for injecting the reader with fear, even offering anecdotes from the Surgeon’s depraved mind.

Altogether, Gerritsen carves out a thrilling story with, dare I say, surgical precision.

I would recommend The Surgeon to anyone looking for a novel that stands above the mediocrity infesting the literary world. But you may want to lock every door in your house before you read this, check the sex offender registry in your neighborhood and keep a machete under your pillow.

I did.

LCC’s Star Search broke through the silence as performers lined the stage of Dart Auditorium Oct. 8.

Each performer put on an entire musical presentation filled with dancing, acting and American Sign Language (ASL).

Each performer presented his or her own version of popular songs in a way that both deaf and hearing alike could enjoy.

Participants included ITP students, (Interpreter Training Program) LCC sign language alumni, teachers and new sign language students. Together they helped to create a successful event.

Marin Goldberg, a current ITP student, shared her successful feeling.

“The performance was just amazing,” Goldberg said. “It highly exceeded my expectations. I looked out (from the stage) and I was like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that everybody is so perfect and wonderful and

Photo by Michael Caterina

Erin McCarthy and Courtney Knepper perform “I Gotta Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas at LCC’s Star Search Oct. 8.

in rhythm’ ... I loved it.”

Goldberg interpreted in ASL the songs “You’re the One I Want,” from the movie Grease and “(You Drive Me) Crazy,” by Britney Spears.

“To me, it’s important that I interpreted the song in a way that they (the deaf) could completely understand,” Goldberg said. “I hope I captured all the aspects of the song just like as we would as hearing people.”

The unique event of Star Search will be performing again Feb. 25. According to Goldberg, Star Search

has a bright future.

“It’s a really good opportunity for our program where we can kind of showcase what we do … there’s not many things out there like that and hopefully this is kind of just the start of all that,” Goldberg said.

“We can open the page for more stuff like that.”

Students who wish to experience the event can access information by emailing lccstarsearch@ gmail.com or going to the Facebook page LCC SODA (Signers and Others for Deaf Awareness).

Photo courtesy of collider.com

Cancer has never felt better than this Lee Rumler Staff Writer

Puzzle solution can be found at www.lcc.edu/lookout

This week’s puzzle is sponsored by:

Cancer is hilarious.

Anyone who doesn’t agree with that hasn’t heard a good cancer joke.

And if that’s the case, they need to watch 50/50, starring Seth Rogan and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Now, I love pretty much any comedy, but after watching 50/50, I’m fairly sure I have a new favorite movie – and that’s saying something, since my previous favorite was Austin Powers. And I love Austin Powers.

But this movie wasn’t only a comedy. Slowly, it transformed into one of

the most heartwarming tales of the ties of friendship, family and love to hit theaters in recent years.

The most touching part of this movie is, that not only is it based on a true story, the inspiration came from Rogan’s best friend.

In an interview I caught on The Daily Show, Rogan said after he and his friends experienced the unexplainable trauma and relief of having a best friend survive cancer with only a 50 percent chance to live, they realized that no movie in Hollywood truly captured that experience.

50/50 was their solution.

My favorite part of this movie was its emphasis on realism. In every moment of the movie, Rogan and Gordon-Levitt coped in the only way real people could: trying to make the best out of the worst.

Smokin’ dope and meeting a girl; everything fun for the sake of cancer.

Yet, none of this made up for the pains of chemo and the stress over knowing that there’s only a onein-two chance that he’s going to make it.

Gordon-Levitt’s acting was superb, as usual, perfectly portraying the huge range of emotions only a cancer patient could really know.

And Rogan was, well, Rogan, but this movie really showed his softer side as he struggled to cope with a devastating situation, a nice break from his usual, strictly comedic roles.

The rest of the acting was superb as well. With the amount of depth in each of the characters, every actor and actress had to be on top of their game; and they were.

50/50 is one of the few movies this year that will make you laugh, cry, shake in fear and really wonder how you would handle the same situation.

It is a must-see for everyone this year.

11 A&E

Oct. 17 - 30, 2011 www.lcc.edu/lookout

Oktoberfest brews fun, excitement in Old Town Nathan Wilson Associate Editor

T

he sixth annual Old Town Oktoberfest returned Oct. 7 and 8.

Brittney Hoszkiw, the executive director for the Old Town Commercial Association (OTCA), explained that Old Town Oktoberfest is the largest German Oktoberfest in Mid-Michigan.

“It’s a fundraiser for the Old Town Commercial Association, which does programming for community development and historic preservation in Old Town Lansing neighborhoods,” Hoszkiw said.

Some of these community projects include neighborhood beautification, marketing, business counseling programs and future festivals.

“We try and keep it (Oktoberfest) as authentic as possible with polka bands and polka lessons,” Hoszkiw said. “The children’s activities are hosted by the MSU German Club.”

According to Hoszkiw, $17 admittance into the

Photos by Michael Caterina

Above, an Oktoberfest volunteer pours one of the many specialty fall beers available the event Oct. 8. At right, members of the Zakopane Polish folk dance ensemble perform at Oktoberfest the same day.

Oktoberfest tent includes a commemorative beer stein and three tickets for food or drink.

Oktoberfest featured German food including bratwurst, kartoffelpuffer, German chocolate cake and, of course, Oktoberfest beer and German imports.

The musicians on stage invited the audience to raise their beer mugs into the air as they played polka and traditional music of

the Alps, Bavaria, Austria and Bohemia.

Herbert Gruber, a woodwind player by vocation, has performed at Oktoberfest for many years.

Gruber explained one of the instruments used during the performance is commonly called a squeezebox.

“The proper term is actually a diatonic harmonica,” Gruber said. “It makes different tunes whether the

Faculty plays ‘Layers’ of jazz Review

music with the accordion and the German … atmosphere.”

An instrument petting zoo was provided

by Elderly Instruments, where people could handle stringed instruments, accordions and drums.

The Polish Muslims, a

polka-rock band celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, also performed at Oktoberfest on Oct. 8.

“It’s a great crowd out here; great fun,” Gruber added. “Everything is great, and the beer is awesome. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

IN BRIEF Arts & Entertainment

Kaitlin Lutz A&E Editor I arrived at the LCC Faculty Jazz Quartet’s concert and CD release party Oct. 7 just in time to get a seat at MICA Gallery.

By the end of the first song, I glanced back and noticed there was only standing room, and deservedly so. The quartet had my full attention and interest from the first note they played.

Layers: The LCC Faculty Jazz Quartet is made up of LCC faculty members including Mike Daniels on the drums, Ed Fedewa playing the bass, Jonathon Gewirtz on saxophone, and Dennis Therrian on the keyboard.

“I think it’s just really important that, ... instructors from school are getting together and still making … professionalsounding music,” Lucas Holliday, an LCC student said. “Hopefully the music scene in Lansing, all genres, can come together because stuff like this is everywhere; jazz is everywhere.”

When it came to deciding on a name for the band, jazz ensemble director Gewirtz, who has been

bellows are pulled apart or pressed together with the same keys in the bass as well as the melody side of the instrument.”

He said the diatonic harmonica is highly sought-after in the Alpine region and Bavaria after recently becoming fashionable again.

Corinna Daunt, who attended Oktoberfest, said, “It’s our first time here at the Old Town Oktoberfest in Lansing. We enjoy the

Photo by Courtney Baker

Jonathon Gewirtz and Ed Fedewa perform as part of LCC’s Faculty Jazz Quartet at their concert and CD release party Oct. 7.

teaching various music classes at LCC for 11 years, said, “With the CD, we decided we should have a name separate from the school still including the title LCC Faculty Jazz, but (also) have something more unique that describes our sound.”

Thus, the name Layers: LCC Faculty Jazz Quartet.

The band performed a sampling of songs at the event from its first CD “No Vacancy,” which Gewirtz said is comprised of original songs composed by members of the quartet.

Layers: LCC Faculty Jazz Quartet is an exceptionally creative and talented bunch. It is true that

in order to teach something well you have to know what it is you are teaching well, and these guys know jazz.

“Compared to last year … it seems like they’ve really stepped their game up comparatively because they had the whole audience interested,” said Joel D’Souza, an LCC music student.

Just from watching the quartet play I could tell how much the men truly love making and playing music. They were having fun playing, which in turn gave the audience a chance to have fun while listening and watching them perform.

LCC Music Program presents annual event; Soundscapes

Old Town gets spooky with ghost tour

LCC’s Music Program hosts its annual showcase concert at Dart Auditorium Saturday, Oct. 22 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 23 at 3 p.m. It will feature jazz, classical, experimental, pop, original compositions, percussion, musical theatre performances and more.

Admission is free, however, $5 is a suggested donation. All donations go toward the Music Scholarship Fund.

For more information visit http:// www.lcc.edu/cma/events/.

Old Town Commercial Association (OTCA), along with local story tellers and Capital Area Paranormal, will spook locals while sharing some history of our capital.

The tour is Oct. 27 from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. and costs $5, which includes one drink at Grand Café Sir Pizza for participants at the end of the tour.

For more information, contact the OTCA at 517-485-4283.

Old Town hosts trick-or-treat event for canine owners Halloween isn’t just for children anymore. Come out to Old Town Oct. 28 from 4 to 9 p.m. for doggie trick-ortreating and costume contest.

The event will be at the corner of Turner Street and Grand River Avenue.

For more information contact Jana at jana@gone2thedogs.biz.

Yoga Club offers free classes The LCC Yoga Club is offering free yoga classes on LCC campus for adults of all ages. The class takes place every Saturday from 5 to 6 p.m. in GB 252.

No experience is necessary. Students can come and go as they please. Attendees may wish to bring a blanket or mat.

For more information, contact the Yoga Club at eschbar2@lcc.edu or call (517) 351-3056.

Check out The Lookout online @ www.lcc.edu/lookout.

12 Features

Oct. 17 - 30, 2011 www.lcc.edu/lookout

Hockey Club gives students chance to play Amber Glomb Staff Writer

F

or the past nine years, the LCC Hockey Club has taken a competitive team onto the ice. With an admission price of $2 a game for students, the Stars, led by Head Coach Tony Zerkle, skate onto the ice and play the game.

In order to become eligible for the club, a student must be taking one credit at LCC. To try out for the competitive team, students must have nine LCC credits. Those who compete on the team must pay a $1,500 fee, which covers ice time, equipment fees, officials, etc.

Total cost for the Hockey Club each year ranges from $25,000 to $30,000.

In order to minimize the cost per player, the club participates in several different fundraisers and attempts to receive as many grants as possible. The coaches do not take on the responsibility

Photos by Michael Caterina

LCC Hockey Club members practice offense at the Summit Oct. 12.

of this cost.

“We definitely leave it (the cost) up to the players,” Zerkle said.

This year, the team has 22 players. Only four of those players are returning from the previous year. The returnees include one goalie, two defenders and one forward.

The club itself competes against several four-year universities in the Red

Division of the Michigan Collegiate Hockey Conference (MCHC).

Practice for the Stars is held every Monday and Wednesday from 10 to 11:30 p.m. at the Summit Center, located by LCC West Campus on Davis Highway.

The games for the club are held on the weekends.

Only play 21 players can play in any single game.

Therefore, according to Zerkle, someone must always be on the bench.

Zerkle also explained how students know this information up front.

With hockey season covering both the fall and spring semesters, the club is said to demand a lot from the players.

“The level of commitment (to the team) is high,” Manager Bill

Westen said.

With such high commitment, hockey players are given the opportunity to perfect their skills and play against competitive four-year universities like Central Michigan University and Michigan State University.

The reason being, very few community colleges play hockey at this level.

The staff of the Hockey Club finds this opportunity to be beneficial to student players.

“We do it for the kids so that they can play,” Zerkle said.

Campus carving contest Amber Glomb Staff Writer Beginning on Oct. 26, a Halloween spirit is making an appearance in the Kennedy Cafe in A&S 205A. This campus spirit comes from none other than the LCC Campus Dining pumpkin carving contest.

For this contest, students are required to spice up the life of a pumpkin in order to win

a prize.

Any student is welcome to participate in the event and multiple winners will be awarded a prize.

Several different categories are incorporated into the contest so more than one pumpkin can share the glory of winning.

Students can drop off finished pumpkins in the Kennedy Cafe any time before Oct. 26.

Late pumpkins will not be accepted because judg-

ing for the event will begin on Oct. 27.

Sara Stephenson, the student manager of Campus Dining, said she hopes this contest will bring the Kennedy Cafe more publicity.

“We wanted to get more foot traffic in here (the Kennedy Cafe )… a lot of people aren’t aware that we’re up here,” Stephenson said.

The winners of the contest will be announced on Halloween at 4 p.m.

Let’s get carving: pumpkin carving 101 Kaitlin Lutz A&E Editor Do you want to enter the pumpkin carving contest, but every time you carve a pumpkin it just never turns out right? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

What you’ll need: Pumpkin (obviously) Newspaper Large spoon Permanent marker or stencil and toothpicks Knife, they sell special pumpkin carving knives that you can find at the grocery store.

Tea candle

What to do: 1. Pick up a pumpkin from your local grocery store or any pumpkin patch.

2. Put down some newspaper for the messy pumpkin guts.

3. Cut off the top of the pumpkin and begin scooping out the guts and seeds.

4. Once the pumpkin is empty you can either draw your design by hand or tape a stencil onto your pumpkin and use a toothpick to stipple design onto your pumpkin.

5. Carefully carve out design.

6. Once finished, place a tea candle inside, light and replace lid.

13 DISTRACTIONS

Oct. 17 - 30, 2011

www.lcc.edu/lookout

SUDOKU 5 4 8 9 8

2

2

6

2 4 6

3 5

7 6

9

9

3 5

8 6

5 7 2 1

1

4 6 8

8

Vincent Mata Who Wants Soup?

14 OPINION

Oct. 17 - 30, 2011 www.lcc.edu/lookout

— The Kollected Klutz —

Life lessons learned In response to the letter to the editor on page 15.

We can learn a lot from history and we can learn even more from the people who experienced history.

My grandpa grew up during the Great Depression, served in World War II and was alive when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He witnessed many monumental moments in history.

He is a man that I have learned a lot from.

More than history, I learned from just seeing how he lives what it means to live an honorable life, how to love in all circumstances and so much more.

Because of this, I love spending time with my grandpa and he is definitely someone I look up to.

From my last column about rallying support for Old Town, I received a letter stating that I came off as

offensive to the older generation.

I would like to apologize because the last thing I meant to do was offend anyone.

What I meant by the statement, which seemed questionable, was that I wish there had been a more diverse group of people, age-wise, attending the event.

I was not intending to make a prejudiced comment at all. I was simply stating what I observed. In no way did I mean that it was

Courtesy photo

Kaitlin Lutz and LeRoy Simon, her grandfather, smile for photo at Lutz's birthday dinner.

a bad thing for older people to come to the event.

I just wish that more younger people would come out to events like these. I feel as if people my age would really enjoy Bluesfest and other similar events because of the music and atmosphere.

One thing I know is that music is not bound by age. I happen to love big band music and jazz, which is also the same kind of music my grandpa listens to.

My comment was not a dig at old people in any way and I am truly sorry to anyone who took offense to it.

— ‘I am invincible!’ —

Exploring other cultures The sound of German music lulled me down the streets strewn with autumn leaves Oct. 8.

Oktoberfest awaited me like a little piece of Germany that had manifested over the weekend in Old Town, a potent combination of food, music and drink.

I had the opportunity to play with German instruments such as an accordion and a Castiglione. I quickly abandoned my futile attempts before I ran the risk of having a beer stein thrown at me.

Speaking of which, I didn't have a chance to compare American beer to German imports. I was on sacred duty for The Lookout and my judgment could not be tarnished in any way. I couldn't afford

to see double while mingling with all the jolly souls.

I enjoyed talking to the musicians, too, and learning about the music of the Alps, Bavaria and Austria.

Oktoberfest showcases the need for community events and it's an excellent way to bridge cultures.

That being said, I was disappointed that LCC didn't host the Caribbean Festival this year. I was looking forward to attending it for my first time.

Hopefully, Caribbean Festival can be restored next year, and LCC can find ways to partner with the city of Lansing and community organizations to sponsor more events that celebrate other cultures.

I really enjoyed Black History Month last year and the lineup of events throughout February. It was an eye-opening experience being invited to share in music, dance and expression.

I want to see more of that incorporated into LCC, something that introduces me to other countries and backgrounds.

Personally, I would like to see a Japanese festival or a Renaissance festival on campus. I would finally have an excuse to wear full-plate armor to class.

Respect existence or expect resistance Sawyer Rozgowski Guest Writer America is on the verge of a new social, political and economic rebirth.

The leaders of this country have punished and neglected the middle, working and poor classes for far too long.

And after the housing market bubble, repetitive corporate bailouts, rising unemployment, costly military engagements and static government policy, Americans of all walks of life have joined in one single occupation: Wall Street.

While attending the protests in Lansing earlier this spring, I knew I was witnessing the emergence of class warfare.

But Snyder’s policies and the actions of his fellow political counterparts were just a microcosm of our generation’s struggle.

Not just a struggle between rich and poor, Occupy Wall Street is a rejection of America’s corrupt business and political arena which has developed an un-

ethical cohesion over the last 30 years.

The people are disgusted. I am disgusted.

I overstate nothing when I say this is our civil rights movement, Americans all over the nation are finally awake.

If you think you are in the dark about the Occupy movement, all one needs to do is take a look at your paycheck, the unemployment percentages, the price of food or tuition or gas.

The beauty of this movement stems form its diversity. Occupy is not led by any social, political, economic, religious or interest groups.

It has reached people of all ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, regions and communities.

This movement transcends politics.

Occupy operates under horizontal leadership with no icons for the media to attack.

But don’t underestimate this faceless swarm of the “99%.”

The movement has already generated occupiers in over 70 US cities including San

Francisco, Boston, Chicago and Detroit.

Furthermore, the movement is calling for protests in over 1,400 cities globally and a surge of 20,000 occupiers in New York City alone during the month of October.

As a working student myself, I know as well as anyone how precious time is.

But on Oct. 15, I joined my fellow Michiganders in occupying Lansing’s capitol building.

I am not writing this as a “call to action,” but if you truly think about what’s important to you and the ones you love, there is no doubt in my mind that you will have reason to help change this country for the better.

This is a struggle of accountability; this is the struggle between the owners of this country and the rest of us.

This is a struggle for a better way of life.

This movement comes not out of lack of patriotism, rather as the late Howard Zinn once said, “Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.”

15 Opinion

Oct. 17 - 30, 2011 www.lcc.edu/lookout — In Our Own Words —

Diversity: something everyone needs MSNBC political analyst and nightly talk show host Lawrance O’Donell once made a statement that shook us all here at The Lookout.

“This country was built on a very simple idea: We all aren’t here yet,” O’Donell said.

“With more people and more ways of looking at the world, we will have better ideas. Diversity is an

added value to this country. It always has been.”

We believe this idea pertains to the community of LCC as well. We in downtown Lansing have a very diverse student body. We have people from all walks of life.

Whites, blacks, young people, people of older age, you name it … we’ve got it.

We feel this is an ad-

vantage to us. If we can combine the different qualities that each one of these groups bring, we can make our college better every single day.

It starts with communication. The department of Student Life is a great place to get involved with many different activities on campus.

We have countless registered student or-

ganizations that are more than happy to include anyone, no matter what their race, creed or social status.

We here at The Lookout, love to hear from anyone. We value everyone’s opinion and wouldn’t be doing our job if we served one person’s agenda over another, including our own.

LCC is a great place to take classes, wheth-

er you are just starting your career, taking classes to transfer, starting a new chapter of life or just trying to meet new people.

Our college can serve so many different purposes for so many different people.

Our diversity and uniqueness will always set us apart and help us move forward as a college and as human beings.

Column offends LCC student Dear Editor, Between classes I picked up the latest issue of The Lookout. After reading Kaitlin Lutz’s column I found myself very offended by what she wrote in the article “Show love for Old Town.” She stated, “The only problem for me was that most of the attendees, (at least from what I saw), werelet’s just say-not the youngest crowd.” So Kaitlin, your problem is that old people attended the Bluesfest?

If you substitute the word whitest for youngest would you still have written that sentence? I would hope not. Maybe you didn’t mean it to sound “that way.” The problem is that it does sound “that way.” Take a look around the campus of LCC. Many members of the student body are over the age of 30. Do you have a problem with those of us who are not among the “youngest crowd?”

Some people might think this is an overeaction to what looks to be an innocent statement. The statement was inappropriate and discriminatory.

In a previous issue of The Lookout there was an article about how LCC was trying to be more cognizant of diversity on campus. It would be nice to see the writers of the campus newspaper embrace the concept of diversity.

Please try to be less offensive in future columns.

Sincerely, Kay Hutchison LCC Student

Write a Letter to the

Editor

Policies: all letters should be 200 words or less and signed with a name, address (email or otherwise) and phone number. The Lookout reserves the right to edit letters for grammar, spelling, length and clarity.

Mail: 1000 – The Lookout Lansing Community College P.O. Box 40010 Lansing, MI 48901-7210 Email: mastrand@mail.lcc.edu Fax: (517) 483-1290 The Lookout is the independent, biweekly student newspaper of Lansing Community College. All opinion/editorial articles are the sole opinion of the writer and may not reflect the views of the staff, students, faculty and college as a whole.

Opinion/editorial articles may or may not be located exclusively on editorial pages and may appear on news, sports and arts & entertainment pages.

- The Lookout Staff

the lookout Dominick Mastrangelo

Nathan Wilson

Kaitlin Lutz

Editor in Chief mastrand@mail.lcc.edu

Associate Editor wilso162@mail.lcc.edu

A&E Editor lutzk3@mail.lcc.edu

Shauna Stocken

Michael Caterina

News Editor stockens@mail.lcc.edu

Photo Editor cater2@mail.lcc.edu

Advertising Manager lehtonk@mail.lcc.edu

Amber Glomb

Ben Doane

Larry Hook

Staff Writer glomba@mail.lcc.edu

Sports Writer doaneb@mail.lcc.edu

Adviser hookl@lcc.edu

Kelly Lehtonen

Classified Advertising APARTMENTS FOR RENT 5200 Mall Drive West, Lansing. Six miles from downtown LCC campus.

One, two or three bedrooms. Prices range from $570 to $815. Price includes air conditioning, dishwasher, parking, washer and dryer. Cats allowed; no dogs. Contact Bruce or Rob at 517-321-3062.

NASCAR MEMORABILIA Two brand new Dale Earnhardt Jr. hats, $7 each. Ten commemorative miniature racecars from the Michigan International Speedways from 2005 to 2009, all brand new and in box, $5 each. Buy both hats and all the cars for $45! Call 517483-1291.

PREMIER LCC HOUSING Newly renovated apartments offered

by Capitol Management, just 50 feet from LCC. Other locations available only a block or two from Downtown LCC campus. One- to four-bedroom units with prices from $545 to $1,200.

Includes parking and most utilities.

Pet friendly! Also available: additional secure parking for students for $65 a month. No need rush to class when you can reliably park 50 feet from campus, Only 40 spaces available!

Call: 517-204-5550 or 517-515-8968.

PLACE YOUR AD HERE Advertise in our classifieds: $8.50 for 20 words or less. Additional words are 50 cents. Call 483-1295.

16

Oct. 17 - 30, 2011 www.lcc.edu/lookout