WINTER 2011
STAFF
COLOPHON
Brad Stulc - Managing Editor / Editor in Chief
C² is printed using a four color process on 80 lb. Discovery
Interior Design
Dull (text) and 100 lb. Discovery Dull (cover). Header text is
Ronald Farber - Business Manager Visual Effects & Motion Graphics Chris Bruns - Layout Editor Graphic Design
Seconda Demi and Seconda Demi Italic. Body text is Optima.
THANK YOU C² would like to thank Express Press for the superior quality and service they provide in support of our publication.
Chelsea Hammerbeck - Layout Assistant Graphic Design
COVER ART
Eric Winkelmann - Layout Assistant
Tiffany Smith
Graphic Design
Image Title: Drawn Color
Toni Gnasdoskey - Program Editor Advertising Robb Main - Contributor Media Arts & Animation Melissa Mackey - Contributor Photography Christopher Richardson - Contributor Visual
ADVISORS Christopher Title - Content/Editorial Advisor Communication Arts Instructor Jennifer Thompson - Business Advisor Advertising Instructor Tim Armato - Design Advisor Graphic Design Instructor Anj Kozel - Publication Advisor Director of Communications Deb Weiss - Editorial Advisor Communication Arts Instructor Jeremy Frandrup - Editorial Advisor Communication Arts Instructor
Program: Graphic Design Artist Statement: This piece was inspired by my vision of combining design and creativity within my physical self.
Alex Conger Photography
LIVING OUR MISSION:
JEFFREY S. ALLEN, Ph.D. President, The Art Institutes International Minnesota
THE JOURNEY TO ACCREDITATION BY THE HIGHER LEARNING COMMISSION
The Art Institutes International Minnesota has been nationally accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) since the school’s inception in 1997. ACICS has traditionally accredited professional, technical, and occupational education programs across the country. In 2009, an ACICS evaluation team visited our campus and gave us a successful evaluation leading to renewal of our status through 2015. We are very proud of the results of the 2009 visit. Simultaneously, we have been pursuing affiliation with The Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The journey to accreditation by HLC began in 2007 when we submitted a Preliminary Information Form (PIF). In 2009, we submitted a request for initial candidacy along with a comprehensive institutional self-study titled: Enhancing Quality: A Passion for Excellence The HLC board approved our candidacy status in early 2010.
creativity, enhance professional development, and acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue a career in their field of study” We live our mission every day by delivering quality instruction through committed and qualified faculty and staff in the fields of Design, Media Arts, Culinary Arts and General Education. We are very proud of our inspiring environment, as exemplified by our new photography and digital film facilities, just to name a few examples. Our mission is then supported by our purpose statement: “The Art Institutes International Minnesota fosters a culture built around learning, innovation, and creativity. We act with integrity and embrace an enthusiasm for excellence. We are committed to creating a community of caring, supportive and involved professionals, including everyone connected with the college.” Our purpose centers on developing a culture that supports learning and innovation, and the diversity of ideas, and values, of our school community.
Now we are moving towards initial accredited status. We are currently conducting another self-study and in the process of producing a new report titled: Creating Tomorrow. The self-study report will prepare us for a campus visit by members of an HLC evaluative team in early November of 2011.
As I walked around our Winter 2011 portfolio show talking to students and faculty, and presenting the best of show awards, the diversity of learning and the excellence in education was quite evident. I mentioned in my talk that everyone is a success at the show. I couldn’t help but be inspired by the breadth and depth of knowledge and creativity that was evidenced in the
The self-study is an exciting process, one of discovery, reflection and quality improvement through assessment and action. The mission for The Higher Learning Commission states that they are, “Serving the common good by assuring and advancing the quality of higher learning.”
graduates’ portfolios. I am thankful for the process of our self-study, it allows us to pause, take a breath, and reflect on the feedback we get from our school constituents: students, staff, faculty, and community stakeholders.
The mission of HLC and this process of accreditation fit well with the Mission and Purpose of our college: “The Art Institutes International Minnesota is an institution of higher education offering creative and applied arts programs in a caring, inspiring environment where students can maximize their
I look forward to engaging our college community and eliciting feedback about how we are doing on our journey toward increasing academic excellence. I hope to hear from you all soon, whether in my office, through surveys, or in my quarterly town hall meetings.
OUR MISSION: The Art Institutes International Minnesota is an institution of higher education offering creative and applied arts programs in a caring, inspiring environment where students can maximize their creativity, enhance professional development, and acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue a career in their field of study. OUR PURPOSE: The Art Institutes International Minnesota fosters a culture built around learning, innovation, and creativity. We act with integrity and embrace an enthusiasm for excellence. We are committed to creating a community of caring, supportive and involved professionals, including everyone connected with the college. OUR OBJECTIVES • Enhance student success through a commitment to academic quality • Engage alumni, working professionals, and employers in opportunities for ongoing participation in support of student learning • Emphasize the value of life-long learning with critical thinking, problemsolving, and civic responsibility • Encourage an environment of growth through assessment and strategic planning
Dr. Jeffrey S. Allen, Ph.D.
Photo By Natalia Derevyanny
FINAL PORTFOLIO
Krystal Kellermann Interior Design Graduate
FINAL PORTFOLIO
Kay Kiani Interior Design
YACK YACK YAKASOBA Christopher Richardson Visual Effects & Motion Graphics
C
ooking is for Culinary Arts students, right? Well, I am a Visual Effects & Motion Graphics student, and I love good food.
free to come down to Simple College Cooking. Just check the aim resources page for the next session and be prepared for some mouth-watering knowledge.
I would say the only requirement to make a delectable meal is that you also love good food. I recently had my friends over on a Friday night. While it might not have been up to Emeril Lagasse standards, I think I did pretty well for myself.
As for my meal, I discovered a few ways to improve it; by adding more color to the meal, such as reds, yellows, and greens, I could have made it more vibrant and appetizing. The idea hadn’t even occurred to me, so I was happy for the input.
All it took was a trip to the grocery store, a little imagination, and a desire to eat something delicious. Even if you don’t cook like a pro, there are some very simple things you can do (5-15 min) that will take your cooking from zero to hero.
So the next time you reach into that nearly empty fridge or turn to that dusty pantry and pull out another package of ramen noodles, give it some flair with this simple recipe for Yakasoba (then you can tell people you made something fancy, no reason to tell them it was easy too).
So after wining and dining my friends, the next day rolled around and I decided it would be a good idea to compare notes, a home cook’s and a professional’s. I sat down with Matthew Melius, a cook at Fire Lake restaurant and Culinary Arts student at The Art Institutes International Minnesota. Melius gained early experience growing up with German influences. He also spent a good chunk of time in the Philippines as a cook in the navy. He was actually in Diego Garcia when the historic Christmas tsunami hit. His interesting background with European and Filipino-infused cooking styles can teach us something.
And don’t feel like this is a rigid recipe, just open the fridge and use what is there. Most importantly, enjoy your meal, don’t just shovel it down.
First of all, he wants us to open our cupboards and use whatever we already have to make something out of the ordinary. There’s no reason we need to traipse over to the store and spend a lot of money. We probably already have odds and ends lying around that could combine to make something new. Second, he wants us to participate in a student-run seminar called, “Simple College Cooking.” These sessions, this quarter led by Culinary Arts students and PACE leaders Melius and Casey Hagford, are meant to help fellow students explore cooking options at home using basic ingredients that we probably already have in our pantries. Each session lasts a half hour and explores a different theme. This quarter’s focus was on “no heat” cooking and covered desserts, snacks, and sandwiches. No matter what the reason, whether you want to impress a date, to relieve your usual cook for a night, or to escape what Matt calls, “...cold this and cold that,” feel
Photo By Melissa Mackey
Ingredients • Enough left over beef or chicken equal to the size of one steak or one chicken breast (can be dark meat too, as long as there is enough) • 3 packs of ramen noodles(brand doesn’t really matter, put aside flavoring packet) • Celery stalk (chopped) • Carrot (chopped) • 1 cup of shredded lettuce • 2 tablespoons of brown sugar • Dash of soy sauce • 3 tablespoons of oil
Directions 1. Make ramen noodles as directed, drain but don’t rinse 2. Heat a big, heavy skillet to the max, bring oil to temperature and then add meat, once heated, add brown sugar and soy sauce (to taste) 3. Add celery and carrot and heat through, then add lettuce 4. Keep stirring, add ramen 5. Season with soy to taste and bon appetite!
Photos By Melissa Mackey
2010 STUDENT POETRY CONTEST WINNER
Chelsie St. Peter Intior Desiogn
DIGITAL DRAWING
Tiffany Smith Graphic Design
This piece was inspired by my vision of combining design and creativity within my physical self.
A CHEF’S ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY “Civilization as it is known today could not have evolved, nor can it survive, without adequate food supply.”
- Norman Borlaug
Mary C. Matthews Culinary Arts
Mary C. Matthews & Participants
My father always told me, “If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.” This expression of responsibility has served me well throughout life and definitely my culinary career. As a chef beginning a career, I acknowledge not only the responsibility of my role as a chef in the community, but also the privilege. A chef has a rare gift, a skill, one that not only satisfies the wants of the community but one that can fulfill one of the great needs of the community. That is to provide food, one of the necessities of life. Chefs train so they not only understand food, but they master it. In a time in history when nearly anything we desire can come in a box, chefs set out to have others rediscover the joy of food. They also unfortunately live at a time when so many go without. A chef’s role in the community must not only be to share enjoyment of the food arts, but they must take this gift and provide for those who don’t have. The old adage is true: give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. Chefs can do both; how remarkable! Nearly 14.6% of households in the United States are currently food insecure and struggle with hunger, according to the Economic Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. Responsible chefs can lessen hunger by participating in food distribution programs and education programs that reach out to the community and enable people to prepare delicious and nutritious meals in ways that accommodate financially strapped families.
Photo By Ashley Raasch
With the encouragement of Chef Seth Bixby-Daugherty, my first Culinary Arts instructor at The Art Institutes International Minnesota, I have been given great opportunities to help fulfill my role as a chef in the community. I have the great fortune of being a part of Cooking Matters. Cooking Matters is a function of a national organization called Share Our Strength, whose main goal is to end childhood hunger. Run in conjunction with the University of Minnesota, Cooking Matters offers classes that teach young mothers, and others, the skills necessary to cook well-balanced, nutritional meals in an economical fashion. With the help of volunteer culinary and nutrition experts, Cooking Matters participants learn how to select nutritious and low-cost ingredients and prepare them in ways that provide the best nourishment possible. I have been able to teach several classes through the Cooking Matters program, open to both children and adults. During each class, participants learn valuable nutrition guidelines that can be used in their everyday lives; they also get to prepare healthy menu items and then take food home with them, so they can share the lesson with their families. This is just one of the many roles a chef can play in the community. Feeding this nation is a large job, but it is one that can be accomplished. The more chefs who fulfill their role in the community, the closer we get as a nation to a future without hunger.
Mitchell Gearhart Interior Designer
Jason Engen Jason Engen is in his second year at Ai Minnesota in the Web Design & Interactive Media program. Originally from Iowa, Jason now calls Minnesota his home as he grew up in Blaine, Minnesota. After working as a graphic designer for over 10 years, Jason has returned to school to add new media arts skills to his repetoire. Jason is also an avid photographer and has been dabbling in video production.
WHO ARE THEY?
Jennifer Mannhardt
Maggie Hafenbreidel
Jennifer Mannhardt is a senior Graphic Design student originally from Davenport, Iowa. She is currently a design intern at Clarke University in Iowa, and one day aspires to work in the Marketing industry. Jennifer’s two loves are all things print, and a good coffee shop. While at Ai Minnesota, she has been the Co-Vice President for both National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) and Ai’s Graphic Design group (AiGD).
Maggie Hafenbreidel is originally from South Dakota, and is in her last year of the Media Arts and Animation program. Since coming to Ai Minnesota, Maggie has enjoyed every minute of being in the Animation program, as well as her time spent in PACE and working in the Equipment Cage. Post graduation she plans on moving to California with hopes of attending film school to major in Cinematography and Editing. Also, it is known that she is a die-hard Harry Potter fan, and enjoys reading quite a bit in her free time.
Hannah Lloyd
Ben Lodge
Hannah Lloyd has come to Ai Minnesota from a small southern Illinois town, known as O’Fallon, which is approximately twenty minutes outside of St. Louis, Missouri. In her first year of the Graphic Design Bachelors program, she became interested in the profession after being the Design Editor for her high school yearbook. In the future, she hopes to focus more on the print side of things and start her own shop, focusing on wedding invitations and event planning. However, she would not mind working on the corporate side, creating layout designs.
Ben Lodge is in the Media Arts and Animation program, and is from Scandia, Minnesota. Within his discipline, Ben tends to devote the majority of his time to 3D work. Both modeling and texturing have been a hobby of his for years, and he is enjoys putting in long hours on a project to ensure the end result looks good. Also, he has a growing interest in physical anatomy, which he is able to express through drawing and sculpting. Lodge says, “In terms of Media Arts and Animation, sculpture is a great way to explore shape and form. Working with clay first makes digital work much easier later in a project.”
Jorah Hintzman
Tyler Titus
Jorah Hintzman is in her second year of the Photography program at Ai Minnesota. Being part of an army family, she’s had the pleasure of living in several states. Within the realm of photography, she gravitates towards nature photography and architecture. She also has the distinct honor of having her work showcased in both the 16 x 16 x 16 Exhibition and the Ai Minnesota Annual Juried Student Exhibition in 2010. In addition, she received the President’s Choice Purchase award for a piece taken in Loring Park labeled as “Untitled.”
Tyler “Ty” Titus from Owatonna, Minnesota is in his second quarter of the Digital Film and Video production program. Ty lives for movies, and is eager to be a part of the film production process post graduation. One of Tyler’s accomplishments includes interning at a local printing company called J-C Press, where he had the opportunity to learn more about the industry as well as develop his creative art skills. Ty also describes the biggest lesson he’s learned in life as, “you win some, you lose some, but in the end you come out with a new experience.”
THE PACE LEADERS ART WORK Jennifer Mannhardt
Ben Lodge
Jorah Hintzman
Hannah Lloyd
Maggie Hafenbreidel
Jason Engen
Tyler Titus
IT’S ALL RELATIVE
Jeff Burkett Natural Sciences and Mathematics Instructor
2010: A YEAR IN SCIENCE
A SCIENCE UPDATE WITH JEFF BURKET W
ith each passing year, the inexorable march of technology produces a new wave of discoveries and disappointments, and 2010 has been no exception. We still don’t have flying cars, clean energy, or a cure for cancer. Nevertheless, science has made some amazing leaps forward over the past year. In this issue, I will briefly outline some of these achievements.
Perhaps the single most significant accomplishment has been in the area of biochemistry: the creation of the first synthetic organism. Entrepreneur J. Craig Venter, one of the scientists responsible for the completion of the human genome project, chemically fabricated the genome of the bacteria Mycoplasma mycoides in the laboratory. Venter’s team then inserted a gene designed to change the color of the organism, and successfully transplanted the entire genome into the cell of a related bacterium that had been stripped of its own DNA. The result was a unique new species, tentatively referred to as Mycoplasma laboratorium. It is important to note that life was not created from scratch in this experiment, as an existing living cell was used as a shell for the manufactured DNA sequence. Nevertheless, the scientific, philosophical, and ethical ramifications of this feat of genetic engineering are staggering. Proponents are hopeful that organisms can be modified to excrete bio fuels, produce pharmaceuticals, and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and oceans. Opponents of the research argue that scientists are “playing God” in an extraordinarily dangerous fashion, and that the accidental or intentional release of a manufactured species into the environment could have unforeseen and potentially disastrous consequences on world ecosystems. In other news, a twenty-five year study conducted by psychiatrist Nanette Gartrell of the University of California, San Francisco, concluded that children of lesbian couples conceived by artificial insemination not only exhibit no negative psychological side effects as a consequence of same-sex parenting, but tend to score higher in both social and academic competence than their peers. Exciting things are also happening in physics. The European Space Agency has
Jeff Burket
Photo By Melissa Mackey
recently produced the most complete map of the universe to date, the Large Hadron Collider continues to pry ever deeper into the fundamental nature of matter, the Kepler Space Telescope is poised to find earthlike planets around distant stars, and the ITER reactor under construction in Europe could finally unlock the secrets of controlled nuclear fusion. What does the future of scientific inquiry hold for us? It’s nearly impossible to say as the truth is often far stranger than the imagination can predict. However, science is often driven in part by science fiction. We have automatically opening doors, space stations, and Star Trek style communicators (cell phonessome even flip open) to name a few examples. The Very Light Car may not fly, but the prototype seats four passengers, passes standard safety tests, and gets 100 mpg with a conventional combustion engine. Whether or not it can be mass produced at an affordable price remains to be seen, but engineers are optimistic. Meanwhile, in China and Japan, there are restaurants in which all service is conducted by a series of Star Wars-like “droids.” Artificial intelligence and robotics have advanced to the point of producing extremely lifelike androids, robots designed to resemble human beings. One company is already selling a “companion” model, which is custom programmed to behave, converse, and um, well, you know, according to buyers’ specifications. It is likely that such androids will one day perform many jobs that humans find menial, distasteful, or dangerous. Perhaps even more ambitious are plans by Bigelow Aerospace, a privately owned company, to produce a fleet of space taxis, hotels, and a moon base. The company claims that it will manufacture a low cost spacecraft capable of carrying several passengers into orbit by 2015. That’s right: ordinary people like you and me will probably be able to visit outer space within our lifetimes. Very cool.
Alex Conger Photography
FINAL PORTFOLIO
Kay Kiani Interior Design
care choices, and enhance the quality of heath care for all Americans. Assuring that the information is available to consumers, the law provides websites that compare health insurance coverage options and assist consumers looking to choose the coverage that works best for them.
HEA LTH CARE... ARE YOU COVERED? by Robb Ma in
Media Arts & Animation
For many students, health care is not a priority. We’re too busy managing schoolwork, schedules, work, and home life to be bothered. Too often though, an injury or illness puts us in the hospital before we realize how prohibitive the cost of health care can be. Many of us have no insurance or inadequate coverage. In 2008, thirty percent of young adults, “nearly 13 million,” were uninsured, according to JoAnne Allen in a Reuters report. A 2008 National Health survey cited in Allen’s report claims, “Young adults with no insurance were four times as likely as those with private insurance and two times as likely as those with Medicaid to have unmet medical need.” Moreover, according to officials at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, one in six young adults is affected by a chronic illness such as cancer, diabetes, and asthma. It’s no stretch to suggest that nearly half of uninsured students have trouble paying any medical bills they incur. As students transition into the job market, they often have entry-level jobs, part-time jobs, jobs in small businesses, or freelancing and other employment that may be void of employer-sponsored health insurance. For many Americans it has been difficult to obtain comprehensive and affordable health care coverage. With the passing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (HCERA), about thirty-two million formerly uninsured Americans are slated to gain coverage, according to Merrill Goozner writing for Kaiser Health News. According to the authors of “A New Day for Health Care in America” at HealthCare.gov, these laws contain reforms that will help citizens gain new rights and benefits, including health care coverage for more children, ending lifetime and most annual limits on care, and giving patients access to recommended preventative services without cost-sharing. The PPACA aims to provide comprehensive health insurance reforms that will hold insurance companies more accountable, lower heath care costs, guarantee more health
There is also a greater focus on preventative care, which can reduce health costs dramatically by improving health and limiting the effects of potentially serious illnesses. Access to preventative services such as diabetes and cholesterol testing, cancer screenings, and vaccinations will be offered free. The ability of many young adults to be covered under their parent’s coverage benefits many students. According to the new guidelines, if you are under the age of 26, you can still be insured (as a dependent) as a part of your parent’s coverage. According to the Health Reform Resource Center, a recent proposal by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) allows students enrolled in their college or university health plans the same protections under the PPACA. The Act allows HHS to take steps to preserve market stability while ensuring student health plans remain affordable until the new coverage options, through state-based exchanges, are established in 2014. Proposed regulations include: no lifetime limits on coverage, no arbitrary denial of coverage, and no pre-existing condition exclusions for students under 19. The new reforms will apply to all new health care plans and many existing ones as they are renewed. Many of the benefits of the new laws have already taken effect as of March 2010, while other reforms will be introduced through 2014. As students, we should know what our options are and do some research into the PPACA and how it directly affects us. After all, the consequences of injury or illness for those without adequate coverage can be catastrophic.
2010 STUDENT POETRY CONTEST WINNER
Brandon Lepasti Photography
This photo was made for my location class. We had to photograph something big (car, boat, train, etc.). I decided to go with a vintage scene of a couple stranded on the side of the road.
Brandon Lepasti Photography
This photo was made for my Digital Darkroom class. The assignment was to come up with two tableau images. I decided to make up a scene of a woman who is a little rough around the edges and her cat.
Wishing Well Shoot withered green and veins of brown, the blood burnt dry inside the hollow sprout unfolding, tied down fountain buried under self. Pressing leaf on root while straining for someone to lift or pluck, tangled in a shadow of a thought while doubt is bright inside this. Wishing well. The poison is not the problem. Locusts all die down. I don’t know if the sun exists, but if it does I bet it’s beautiful. Casts of blue on orange in stripes that smear across the landscape are the closest I can come, but I see fragments in my very breath. Family, genus, name detached. Only friend is distance. Hollow in a parasite field, dancing in the whipping wind, gushing life, bleeding myself back into reality. The openness under a sheet of mirror and plastic indulgence, bursting flames like watercolor, struggling and splitting like skin over muscle, swimming in infinity, clearing away the rubber dolls as strands of green reach out to me, push past the sand through glass where time is gone and dimension can’t have hold on me. Stretching leaves and veins of blue, springing gold cascading, reaches with bulging sapphire ribbons, straining for her beauty. I’ll fly when my eyes are open and the silver veil is lifted.
2010 STUDENT POETRY CONTEST WINNER
Melanie Eiffler Media Arts & Animation
FINAL PORTFOLIO
Kay Kiani Interior Design
Ahley Williams Intior Design
FINAL PORTFOLIO
Krystal Kellermann Interior Design Graduate
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