May 23, 2012 | Volume 110 | Edition 2B Campus News pg. 2
Campus Life pg. 3-5
Beyond Kettering pg. 6 Entertainment pg. 7
Creating a Campus to be Proud of
by Matt Gessler, Editor-in-Chief
From major projects such as repairing the residence hall roof, to smaller ones such as adding lighting to the Great Court, the Kettering campus is going through a relatively high amount of restoration activity. This can almost certainly be at least partially attributed to one of President McMahan’s visions for Kettering, which Pat Engle, Kettering’s Facilities Management Director, described as, “Creating a campus that students, faculty, and staff are proud of”. In conjunction with the current residence hall roof replacement project, most of the rooms on the top floor of the building are undergoing water damage repair, and general renovation in the process. This project includes fixing plaster, re-painting, and laying new carpet. In terms of a time-frame, it should be complete in time for the new freshman to arrive in July. In addition to the major residence hall renovations, Facilities Management at Kettering also just went through the process of replacing the outdated and highly inefficient chiller system (air-conditioning) for the Academic Building and Campus Center. It has been estimated that this new system, which has the ability to cool only certain parts of the buildings during weekends or holidays, will pay for itself with energy savings within six years. The campus community was invited to tour the new chiller plant earlier this month. There are also several less notable, but still important restoration projects that are either currently in progress, or have been completed recently. Some of these include the re-painting of stairwells in the Campus Center, adding new
by Benjamin Archangeli
energy efficient lighting to the Great Court, replacing bathroom stalls in the Academic Building, and refreshing the landscaping beds around campus with material taken from the
Some of the equipment used for the residence hall roof construction. Photo courtesy of Facilities Management.
One of the recently refreshed landscaping beds in front of the Academic Building.
residence hall roof. Although not exactly a restoration project, Facilities Management also recently installed proximity readers on the commonly used exterior doors for all of the campus buildings. In addition to the proximity readers, this security centered project included installing a “door bell” system at the main entrance to the Campus Center which will allow Campus Safety to view and communicate with visitors before letting them in. In an effort to work more towards creating a campus that students, faculty, and staff are proud of, the following comment has been placed at the end of recent Facilities Focus newsletters. “Do you see a place on campus in need of repair, maintenance or housekeeping attention? We want to know about it. Contact Pat Engle, director of Facilities Management, at pengle@kettering.edu or (810) 762-9773. Together we can make this campus shine!” A problem that you see on campus may not always be known by Facilities Management, so be sure to notify them if something is in need of repair. All of this recent Kettering restoration is fitting in nicely with the “Chevy in the Hole” clean-up project. As part of this project, the city of Flint recently planted over 1,000 trees to improve the appearance and decrease the contaminants at the concrete wasteland next to Kettering that previously held General Motors factories. The restoration of this area, which is still in progress, will greatly improve the general appearance of the area surrounding the campus.
Flint Politics
It is easy to forget in the flurry of exams, term papers, pledging, and intramurals, the civic duties we have as student residents of our host city: Flint. I understand there is little student sympathy for Flint politics, and my proposition of requesting students to perform their civic duties may seem unrealistic--chances are most of you cannot vote on city legislation and are not willing to spend a night at the Occupy Flint camp. But luckily for Flint, being students lends us an opportunity to perform our civic duties in a more enjoyable way. First, think about the Kettering Student Government. All students pay an activity fee, then the collective funds are distributed to clubs, events, and media outlets. Although you may not be on the Finance Council, you still have control over the distribution of funds. Your signature at meetings and events helps ensure clubs receive the necessary funds to continue paying for SCUBA certifications, climbing trips, autocrosses, and of course, pizza. An active student life attracts prospective students, increasing the opportunities for all students. You perform your civic duties for KSG by spending your time doing what you enjoy. In a similar fashion the Flint government has funds to distribute. However, for lawmakers to decide how to distribute them is much more complicated than the KSG analogy. There are financial obligations, infrastructure demands, social programs, and citizen protec-
tion services all lobbying for narrowing funds. The recent challenges of Flint’s finances has required State intervention by appointment of Emergency Manager Michael Brown in November 2011. The ultimate purpose of appointing an EM is to expedite financial decisions to quickly return the government to a point of stability by paying off debts and balancing the budget. Michigan’s Emergency Manager legislation was first passed in the late 80’s, however Public Act 4, passed in March 2011 under leadership of Governor Snyder, grants EM’s what many are arguing unconstitutional power. Such as the ability to remove power and garnish wages of elected officials. Upon appointment of EM Michael Brown, new austerity measures have posed a threat to essential public services which has some people questioning the democratic power of Flint citizens. The Michigan Court of Appeals is currently reviewing the repeal of Public Act 4 by the Stand Up For Democracy Coalition which collected over 200,000 signatures to get a repeal proposal on the ballot this November. Whether you agree, disagree, or don’t care about the Emergency Manager law, it is our civic duty as students to create a demand for our well being and well being of our community. We create this demand through our community involvement, purchasing power, and presence on the streets. Just as you regularly attend club
events and meetings, regularly be a part of the Flint community--check a book out at the Flint library, take a bus ride, eat a burger at the Torch, see a show at the Machine Shop, buy groceries from the Farmer’s Market, wander around during the next Art Walk, see a movie at the Flint Institute of Arts, or just walk to this weekend’s house party. Ultimately, I am sympathetic towards the State passing the Emergency Manager Act and the local governments and citizens fighting it. In both arguments, the goal is for the government and people to prosper. However, I believe it is first the responsibility of the people to exercise their power as the people and be involved in the community. Just as KSG needs your participation to justly distribute funds, so does the city of Flint.
The Final Exam Schedule for Spring 2012 has been posted. Visit http://goo.gl/X4Ugb to view the latest version.
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Kettering University - The Technician May 23, 2012
Campus News
Lava.io: Entrepreneurship In Action
by Mike Kochis
Editor’s Note: Kettering’s TeamWorks office in the Mott Center is currently hosting a group of young entrepreneurs that recieved a $3,000 Kettering Entreprenuer Society grant to assist them with the development of a new website. This article, which was written by the Manager of the website, describes what the site is and why it was created.
The future of the web is real-time. The current state of the Internet focuses on commented posts, which don’t promote natural discussion. Furthermore, mobile users are able to consume mass amounts of media, but it is often difficult to engage in meaningful and thought-provoking discussion from a smartphone or tablet. Lava’s purpose is to organize social media in real-time and promote discussion about that media with both your friends and strangers on the Internet. The primary goal of Lava is to create a rich, real time experience for users. Currently, the Internet feels like you’re “writing graffiti on a wall” instead of talking directly to a few selected friends or a group of people with a specific interest. To avoid this aimless graffiti-ing, each “volcano”, will have a particular focus. In a ”volcano”, you’ll be able to discuss something you are passionate and not have to sort through non-similar information. Lava (www.lava.io) is a new social news platform that focuses on sharing and discussing media (videos, music, news, etc) in real-time. Lava allows you to discuss and share your interests with your friends via “cliques” and also interact with others via “volcanoes,” or a category of media. Lava will provide the glue to connect everyone on Internet in real time, from their desktop, web browser, or mobile app. By design, Lava streamlines the process of discovering, sharing, and consuming informa-
tion on the Internet. Lava brings content to the user, rather than leaving the user with the task of seeking out the content; thus, users are more likely to experience a wider range of content when that content is seamlessly presented to them. The user experience is defined by story grids and live chat. When a user visits the front page, they encounter the main story grid; all of the heavily discussed topics will appear here. Furthermore, the story grid will always be updating. Upon mousing over a story thumbnail, a user has the options to vote on a story, as well as share with people in a “clique”, on Facebook,
Twitter, etc. If a user clicks on a story, the will be taken to the story view. The volcano story grid will operate similar to the front page, but all content will be particular to a topic. Within a story grid, a user has the option to click on a specific story, and be taken to the story view. When a user clicks on a story, they are taken to that story’s view. A story view consists of three basic items: (1) an info box (title, user, date, etc), (2) the media (YouTube video, news article, etc), and (3) the real-time discussion of that media. The last primary feature is cliques. Users can create a clique, which is similar to a story view, but instead of being focused around a particular topic, it is focused around a group of people. Lava’s team consists of three members: Billy Lindeman, Eric Barch, and Mike Kochis. Billy and Eric are developers, while Mike manages
New Vice President Courtesy of University Communications
Kettering University President Robert K. McMahan announced the appointment of Kip Darcy as the new Vice President for Marketing, Communications and Enrollment at Kettering University in Flint, Mich., beginning April 16. “Kip possesses a record of leadership in student recruitment, strategic communications, institutional messaging and project coordination that makes him ideally suited to lead our Admissions, Marketing, Communications, and Financial Aid efforts,” President McMahan said. Darcy said he is thrilled to be joining the University. “I am looking forward to working with the members of the Kettering community to evangelize the educational innovation Kettering delivers in the areas of Business, STEM and cooperative education,” Darcy said. He previously directed admissions for both the Washington University School of Law and
Technician Staff
Editor-in-Chief: Matt Gessler
Layout Editor: Chris Sanocki
Copy Editor: Ryan Dontje
Staff: Tom Gale Rebeccah MacKinnon Ashwin Chacko Benjamin Archangeli Nick Koprowicz
Advisors: Betsy Homsher Christine Levecq
the University of California Hastings College of Law. At Hastings, he directed the nation’s 10th largest law school admissions and financial aid operation. In these roles he also developed and implemented successful national and international student recruitment programs, McMahan said. Most recently, he managed field enablement and communications for Blue Coat Systems, Inc. At Blue Coat Systems, he developed a communications strategy and organization for a technology-focused 400+ member field team. Darcy also spent several years with HP Software, where among other programs he was responsible for expanding technology initiatives to micro banking organizations in Africa. Darcy holds both an MBA and a Master’s of Art degree in International Affairs from Washington University in St. Louis. He is from San Francisco.
Submission Policy
The Technician welcomes submissions from Kettering University students, faculty, and staff as long as writers identify themselves and their affiliation with the University and provide contact information. No anonymous submissions will be accepted. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Technician staff or of Kettering University. We reserve the right to edit for length. Kettering University is a private institution; as such, it need not extend freedom of speech protection as described in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Submissions must be sent electronically to btechnician@kettering.edu.
operations. We’re avid tech enthusiasts and instead of simply signing up or buying the newest thing, we are making it. Billy Lindeman, Chief Executive Officer and Developer, has intimate knowledge of web platforms, mobile app development, and social media websites. He was worked various contracts for startups as well as making internal applications for local businesses. In his free time, Billy enjoys playing acoustic guitar and piano. Eric Barch, Chief Technology Officer and Developer, has always been fascinated by technology and building anything out of everything. His projects have been featured on Slashdot and Hack-a-day. Additionally, he attends Maker Faire annually as an exhibitor and volunteers his time mentoring FIRST Robotics students. Eric has experience working on radio apps for both iOS and Android platforms, as well as maintaining the back-end for such applications. Mike Kochis, Chief Operating Officer and Manager, has experience in a variety of roles in different industries: planning & development (mass auto manufacturing), project management (web marketing), and information technology (small scale auto engineering, franchising). On a more personal level, Mike enjoyed computer gaming and creating simple websites while growing up. His interests now lie in driving his Jeep and always trying new things (especially while travelling!). The Lava team received a $3,000 grant from Kettering Entrepreneur Society and is working out of the TechWorks office in the Mott building. We’re slated to become our own co-op employer (haven’t finalized the paperwork yet) and started working full-time on March 26.
Professional Writing Assistance Now Available by Matt Gessler, Editor-in-Chief
Kettering recently made a new hire in an effort to help students that are either struggling with writing assignments, or simply looking for professional feedback. Megan Breidenstein, hired from the University of Michigan – Flint to help students with writing composition, will be available in the Student Academic Resource Center (SARC) every weekday with the exception of Wednesday during the following hours: Monday: 2pm – 8pm Tuesday: 12pm – 5pm Thursday: 3pm – 8pm Friday: 12pm - 5pm
Colophon
The Technician is published triweekly by the students of Kettering University and financed, in part, by the Kettering University Student Activities Fee.
Submission Deadlines 3rd Edition - May 30, 2012
Meetings are Thursdays at 12:20PM in the Technician Office
Kettering University - The Technician
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May 23, 2012
Campus Updates
Kettering Professor Chair-Elect of Ohio-Region American Physical Society
Courtesy of University Communications
Kettering University’s Dr. Corneliu Rablau, associate professor of Physics, became the chair-elect of the Ohio-Region Section of the American Physical Society (OSAPS) during the spring meeting at Ohio State University in Columbus, April 13-14. In that capacity, he recently attended the American Physical Society (APS) Unit Convocation in Washington D.C., a three-day program that brought together the executive officers of the various sections, divisions and forums of APS with the major goal of discussing the strategic plan put forward by the APS executive leadership. As part of the program, Dr. Rablau also participated in a Congressional Visit Day, a grass-roots lobby effort sponsored by APS aimed at increasing Congress support for robust budgets for the federal agencies that fund scientific research and STEM education, such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Department of
Energy (DOE) Office of Science. The visit on Capitol Hill included extensive discussions on scientific research and STEM education issues with the staffers in charge of science in the offices of U.S. Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.), U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), U.S. Representative John Dingell (D-Mich.), as well as a meeting with U.S. Congressman Dale Kildee (D-Mich.) and his science staffer. The message conveyed to the members of the Congress was that robust, sustained and predictable federal support for the science agencies that provide the foundation for discovery, innovation, entrepreneurship and education of the future technical force is critical for the future competitiveness of the United States in the face of increasing global competition, and should be a priority of the federal budget, Rablau said. He noted that in Congressman Kildee’s office on Capitol Hill, “it was refreshing to be greeted in the lobby of the Congressman’s office by a teddy bear wearing a Kettering University
T-shirt. I knew I was in friendly territory,” he added.
Kettering’s Dr. Corneliu Rablau (far left) is pictured with David Anderson, chair of the APS Forum for Graduate Studies, Congressman Dale Kildee, Dr. Georg Raithel, professor of Physics at the University of Michigan, and Tyler Glembo, of the American Physics Society. Photo courtesy of Dr. Rablau
The Lesser Known Kettering: Technician Campus Tour by Ryan Dontje, Copy Editor
The Kettering University Acoustics Laboratory, in all of its cluttered glory.
The vault here is filled with sound absorbent foam, eliminating all echo and ambient noise. Being inside really is a spooky experience.
Kettering IT’s current server cluster. They’re in the process of some remodeling and back-end reconfiguration at the moment. Pardon the mess.
The Robotics Lab on the 1st Floor of the Academic Building. The four robots here are each named after a different member of The Beatles.
This robot follows lines of tape that wind around all of the different areas of the Robotics Lab.
There’s an old GMI labeled Corvette in one of the garages next to the Fishbowl on the 1st Floor. Why? We’re not exactly sure...
One of the work stations in the Welding Lab on the 1st Floor of the Academic Building.
A work station in the Lego Lab on the 1st Floor of the Academic Building. The students in this class appeared to be building combination locks.
Engine parts and other clutter from the garages on the Academic Building’s 1st Floor. Here, it’s really easy to see remnants from Kettering’s days as GMI.
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Kettering University - The Technician May 23, 2012
Campus Life
by Ryan Dontje, Copy Editor
WKUF Live Events
Pictures taken from the Bass N1xx1N and Free Will concerts on 4/27 and 5/11 respectively. Both events were hosted by WKUF and recordings are available online on the station’s SoundCloud account.
Adopt-A-Pet Adventures
by Ashwin Chacko, staff
May 12, 2012 marked the third annual Adopt-A-Pet Community Service event hosted by Beta Theta Pi and realSERVICE. The AdoptA-Pet facility in Fenton, MI once served as the residence for the Betas on campus in the days of old when Kettering used to be called GMI. This year, the collaboration between realSERVICE and the Betas was aimed at ensuring this was a campus-wide service event and was open to everybody who wanted to help the community. Giving everyone a chance to play with the puppies and kittens at the facility was a welcome addition. Being a non-profit corporation, Adopt-APet relies largely on volunteers to come take care of the animals and help with the maintenance of the property. In the past year alone, Adopt-A-Pet Inc. found homes for over 677 cats and dogs. This was made possible only through volunteer involvement and the dedication of the staff at the facility, who work with the animals every day to ensure that they stay in the best of health and are adopted by good, loving families. The event saw a Kettering student participation of twenty-five people, which can be considered a success by Kettering service standards.
The event did get rained out by noon, which unfortunately cut the volunteer involvement in half. This would have brought the numbers closer to the forty mark, which would have been consistent with previous years. Overall, the event was a great success, with both the volunteers and the animals benefiting greatly from the experience. We can be sure that this event will continue as a Kettering tradition and will continue to be just as much fun in the years to come.
The front end of the Adopt-A-Pet facility. Photo provided by Ashwin Chacko.
Sigma Chi Update by Clayton Roehrig
Earlier this month (May 5th), the Sigma Chi fraternity participated in several different community service events. Eight of our brothers and pledges participated in the “Kids Who Care” event with the Humane Society in Flint. At this event we had individuals directing parking, doing registration, and leading the children that were participating in the event. We also stayed afterwards to clean up. While all of that was going on, there were other brothers and pledges that did yard work such as mulching in preparation for the spring season at brothers’ houses. A third event was also being partaken in that same day. This was an event for the community of Flushing in which a trail is being created in the city. We performed a variety of jobs during the event to help with the trail building. Hopefully this type of community service can be continued throughout the remainder of the term as we have more events scheduled.
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May 23, 2012
Campus Life
Courtesy of University Communications
SAE Hosts Two Competitors
Kettering University’s SAE Motorsports Formula Team has extended the hand of friendship and collegiality to one of its competitors in the SAE International Collegiate Design Series at the Michigan International Speedway, in Brooklyn, Mich., May 9 to 12. The Kettering team has hosted the team from Rennstall Esslingen, Germany, in their garage since April 27. The German team had their competition vehicles and spare parts shipped to the University in time to finalize preparations for the competition. Additionally, Kettering’s team will also host the Metropolia Motorsport Helsinki, Finland, team and a team from the University of South Florida between the competition at Michigan International Speedway and the follow-up “Toronto Shootout” May 24-27. “This is a great experience for the younger team members to learn from the top performing teams in the world,” said Joseph Palazzolo, team leader for Kettering SAE MotorsportsFormula. “I wanted our team to carry some of that knowledge forward in future competitions,” he added. With the usual pre-competition time crunch, Palazzolo said the teams have not had much opportunity to socialize. “Within the next week, as the cars are prepped and ready, there will be a little more time to take a breather during the beginning day or two of competition,” he said. In addition to collegiality on an international level, Kettering’s team also has internal collegiality with nine A-Section and seven BSection students on the team, which means almost half the team travels back to campus during their work term on evenings and weekends to work on the vehicle. Three of the Kettering team members are German foreign exchange
challenge teams of university undergraduate and graduate students to conceive, design, fabricate and compete with small, formula style, autocross vehicles. Teams typically spend eight to 12 months designing, building, testing and preparing their vehicles before a competition. The competitions themselves give teams the chance to demonstrate and prove both their creation and their engineering skills in comparison to teams from other universities around the world. Over the course of three days, the vehicles are judged in a series of static and dynamic events including: technical inspection, cost, presentation, and engineering design, solo performance trials, and high performance track endurance. The events are scored to determine how well the car performs. In each event, the manufacturing firm has specified minimum acceptable performance levels that are reflected in the scoring equations. In addition to Kettering and Esslingen, 118 other vehicles from colleges and universities throughout the world will compete in the May 10 to 12 event, including teams from Venezuela, South Korea, United Kingdom, Singapore, Finland, Austria and Canada. Michigan teams include Ferris State University, Kettering University, Michigan State University, Oakland University, University of Michigan, University of Michigan Dearborn, Lawrence Tech and Western Michigan University. Read more on this year’s Formula SAE Competition: For more information about the 2012 Formula SAE Michigan competition, including a full schedule of events, visit http://students.sae. The Kettering SAE team poses with the Rennstall Esslingen org/competitions/formulaseries/fsae/.
students from Esslingen University studying for a term at Kettering. Palazzolo said the team is hopeful that changes in their vehicle this year, including switching from a Honda 450 TRX to a Yamaha WR450F engine and a carbon fiber undertray, will help them at the competition. The design feature of the carbon fiber under-tray has improved the vehicle chassis rigidity by 30 percent. The tray is attached to the steel frame chassis using a special adhesive, according to Palazzolo. The change in engines was made possible by a “generous donation of two motorcycles from Yamaha which positively influenced our engine budget and allowed the team to direct those funds to other systems in need,” said Palazzolo. The donation of the motorcycles enabled the team to tear down and use not only the engines, but also other components that would be beneficial to use on the race car, an important feature for the team in the Business Plan part of the competition. The Formula SAE ® Series competitions
team. Photo courtesy of Kettering Communications
Taste of Diversity - 2012 Last Thursday, students celebrated the diversity among the Kettering population at an event known as Taste of Diversity. At the start of this event, several ethnic food choices from around the world were served buffet style to everyone in attendance. Several activities such as a chop-stick competition, Simon Says, and musical chairs kept everyone entertained as they finished their food. An ethnic dance and a language competition were also used to show event participants some unique aspects of different countries or cultures. As seen by the surrounding pictures, the large number of students in attendance seemed to enjoy themselves at this successful event.
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Kettering University - The Technician May 23, 2012
Beyond Kettering by Benjamin Archangeli, staff
Flint Bike Tour
On Saturday, May 19th, Flint bike enthusiasts supporting the League of Michigan Bicyclists hosted the first Tour of Flint. The day was split into two casual rides, each about 15 miles. The first loop began at 10 am from Good Beans Cafe on Grand Traverse Avenue and headed north through Carriage Town into the Kearsley Park neighborhood, looping back around through the Miller Mansions and Mott Park Neighborhood. The purpose of the ride was to promote safe bike travel in Flint by showing bikers low traffic roads, dedicated bike lanes, and bike paths. The Tour attracted about fifty riders, including students, families, and longtime Flint residents. The main message that the Tour of Flint imparted is that bike travel in Flint is a practical and rewarding mode of transportation. Recently painted bike lanes and sharrows allow for easy movement around the city, particularly in the Downtown area. From Kettering’s campus there are several ways to safely travel about the city. To head Downtown, taking University Avenue, the Flint River Trail, or Kearsley Street will get you there safely in relatively the same time. Once in the Downtown area there are an
by Benjamin Archangeli, staff
The cyclists take a quick break from their tour of Flint. Photo courtesy of David Thiriez.
increasing number of streets which are being tagged with dedicated lanes or sharrows. As with any form of transportation, there are risks that should be addressed. First, all riders should be sure their bicycle is properly maintained and that they take along the necessary tools to fix any problems that may occur. A kit with allen wrenches, patches or spare tube, and a travel pump should be sufficient for most riders. Make sure to practice all routine
maintenance procedures before heading out on the road, and be sure to get into a safe area before stopping to take care of a bike. Flint has its dangers; do not become a victim by stopping to fix a flat in an unsafe area of town. Also, take care to avoid road hazards--the roads in Flint are bumpy, and road gutters and washouts are often filled with metal and glass pieces. Most importantly, remember that riding a bike is equivalent to an automobile. Ride with the flow of traffic and follow all laws of the road. Use hand signals when stopping and switching lanes or turning. There will always be the inconsiderate driver that speeds by while honking, but do not encourage that behavior. Anyone who currently has a bike on campus or is considering bringing one in the future should take their own Tour of Flint. Be cautious, but have fun; feel the burn in the thighs when climbing up Chevy Avenue and the rush of flying down it, show off helmet hair and spandex shorts, and help the bike movement in Flint gain a little more traction!
Restaurant Review: The Lunch Studio
Among all the new restaurants, bars, shops, and art galleries opening in downtown Flint you’ll find The Lunch Studio, comparatively one of Saginaw St.’s elder residents. The sandwich shop and cafe has been located at 444 S Saginaw St. just across the street from the main parking lot since 2001. The Lunch Studio is your typical sandwich shop, offering all the classics and some more, but with a commitment to quality and healthy ingredients. The shop opened as an alternative to the swarm of fast food restaurants around Flint. If on the go, the friendly staff can make a
quick sandwich, but I found it quite enjoyable to sit and relax for a while. The dimly lit dining space gives the feel of an art studio, hence the name--raw,brick walls are covered with local art, the hand-painted chairs and tables are an odd, eclectic mix, and a corner of the shop is dedicated to local craft artists selling jewelry, soaps, and knit hats. The hours make it difficult to enjoy anything besides lunch, but it makes for a good escape if you have an afternoon free. Check out their menu on their website www.flintlunchstudio.
com or give them a call at 810-424-9868. They are open Monday through Thursday 8am to 4pm, Friday 8am to 7pm, and Saturday 11am to 3pm.
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May 23, 2012
Entertainment
Logic Puzzles
by Rebeccah MacKinnon, staff
Attack in the Afternoon Bunchy, the rabid squirrel, arrived on the scene of a hor-
rific murder. An elderly man had been attacked and beaten to death in his study with a golf club. Blood from the broken man and glass from the broken study window was everywhere. The dead man’s nephew was the one to find him. “I was a little early for Friday night dinner with my uncle,” he said. “When I got no answer at the door, I went around to the study window since I could see a light on. It took me a second to wipe the frost off the window. When I looked in, I saw a masked man beating my uncle with a golf club! I must have made a noise or something, because the man looked straight at me and ran. He probably got out through the back door while I was breaking the window to get to my uncle.” After hearing the nephew’s story, Bunchy immediately had him arrested. How did the squirrel know that the nephew was the murderer?
Cryptoquote
H fn xz roljlg utfu xznluhnlx H ezw’u qwelgxufwe f xhwsol czge zy ctfu H fn xfkhws. - Zxrfg Choel For puzzle solutions visit bulldogs.kettering.edu/technician or visit the Technician’s Facebook page.
photo courtesy of xkcd.com
by Nick Koprowicz, staff
Movie Review Dark Shadows
by Ryan Dontje, Copy Editor
Photo Courtesy of IMDB.com
Ok, I’ll admit it: I have a hard time seeing what the big deal of Tim Burton is about, which makes it a little hard for me to enjoy his work at times. That being said, I can understand what would make Dark Shadows appealing to people who are not me; the concept is interesting, the characters are weird, and there is plenty of unconventional humor that kept the people around me pretty entertained. Still, I could not help but feel that the movie was missing that special something that would have propelled it to classic status. Johnny Depp stars as Barnabus Collins, a man turned into a vampire and locked in a coffin for 200 years by a scorned witch played by Eva Green. Waking up in the 1960s, Barnabus embarks on a journey to rebuild his family’s legacy and become closer to his distant relatives who now inhabit his former home. Depp gets most of the screentime and content here, which is not unexpected. He plays the typical quirky, fish out of water character that he does well, a performance that is starting to become almost too routine. There were numerous points in the film when I wondered if I was just watching a spin off story about Vampire Captain Jack Sparrow. Eva Green plays her character well, deftly portraying the witch whose stalker-like obsession with Barnabus provides the film’s main conflict. Her character is fun and has the right combination of sex appeal and insanity to keep her a constantly interesting part of the story. It’s obvious that Green’s had fun with the role, giving a vibrant life to what could have easily been a one note character. The rest of the characters serve their purposes well, but none of them really experience a significant character arc and some of them come close to fading from the story altogether. Michelle Pfeiffer is great as the stern matriarch of the current generation of Collins. It’s too bad we never really see too much of her throughout the movie. The same goes for Helena Bonham Carter, who portrays Pfeiffer’s live in psychologist. Bella Heathcote’s character initially looks to be the film’s protagonist, providing a character for the audience to relate to; however, as soon as Depp shows up, she practically disappears until a lame love story at the end. Of interesting note, however, are the interesting cameos in the film, including, strangely enough, Alice Cooper. The effects in the film are well done and rarely broke my sense of immersion by seeming either too fake or too complex for what the scene called for. Despite this, the writing seems pretty similar to Burton’s other films, which just didn’t seem to click for me. The jokes felt forced and a lot of them seemed to rely on Depp’s character, which just didn’t feel all that unique. I felt like I’d seen most of this before in a different context, which also helped make some points in the story feel a little predictable. The soundtrack, on the other hand, was pretty excellent, and includes a perfect mix of gothic horror and awesome 60’s tunes, including artists such as The Moody Blues, T. Rex, and Black Sabbath. With all of these elements that seem to be done right, why is it then that I’m still not jumping up and down to give this a glowing rating? I just didn’t really feel drawn in by this vampire’s story, which made it difficult to care about the characters or what happened to them. It just seemed to all fall flat. By the film’s climax, I was honestly a little bored and was just waiting for the film to end so I could go home. Aside from a few left field turns at the very end of the movie, nothing gripping ever seemed to happen. Events don’t seem to have weight. Overall, the film is an interesting concept but doesn’t seem to have any emotional content behind it to give it some impact. Tim Burton and Johnny Depp’s collaborative formula, which has worked so well in the past, seems to be showing signs of overuse. The tropes are becoming less refined and easier to spot, and the film suffers for it. Dark Shadows is an interesting way to spend an evening. You’ll most likely enjoy it, but you probably won’t remember much of it once the credits are done.
Kettering Memes of the Month
Undecided on where to live next term?
Your college experience has a lot to do with where you choose to live. MAKE IT COUNT! Riverfront Residence Hall sits in the heart of downtown Flint. With quick access to campus and amenities galore, this is the place to really enjoy college life. Whether you’re looking for comfort, convenience, or fun WE HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED! A MENITIES I NCLUDE : spacious lobby quiet study rooms wireless internet game & lounge areas movie theatre room fitness center, and more! 1 Riverfront Center W | Flint, MI 48502 | P: 810.239.1234 | F: 810.244.3253 | E:info@flintstudenthousing.com