The Technician January 17, 2011
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Volume 106
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Issue 1
The Recovery at Kettering Resurgence Driven by Reborn Auto Industry, Diverse New Sponsors peaked at about 30% in March of 2010, Mr. NichWith co-op jobs directly tied to the enrollment ols estimates. Enrollment, which peaked in 2003 choices of prospective students, boosting student employment was a top priority for 3000 Kettering’s unemployment rate has rethe University administration and the turned to pre-recession levels, according 2500 school’s board of trustees earlier this year. to job numbers released by the CooperaBoard members formed the Co‑op Task tive Education Office. Director of Ex2000 Force to drive job creation, with memternal Affairs Robert Nichols credits the bers of the Kettering board pressing their 1500 improved employment situation to the Total Enrolled companies to hire more students. These efforts of Kettering board members on Unemployed 1000 efforts contributed to growth of co-op the Co-op Task Force, a group created jobs with companies including GM, in mid-2010 to expand employment 500 Magna Powertrain, and Bosch. opportunities with long-time Kettering While the resurgence in the auto in0 employers as well as new partners across dustry—Kettering’s traditional employer 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 a wide variety of industries. Year base—has helped reverse the fortunes of Cuts by co-op employers in 2008 and the cooperative education program, new 2009 had a devastating impact on both student at 2,505 students, dropped from 2,153 in 2007 to employer partners have further aided the recovery. employment and University enrollment. From a 1,821 at the end of 2010, according to data proContinued on the next page low of 7.4% at the end of 2007, unemployment vided to The Technician. Students
By Robert Hayes and Isaac Meadows Technician Editors
What’s Inside
Focus on the Customer................................2 2011 Heart Fest...........................................3 Library Café.................................................3 Health Insurance Waiver Period...................3 North American International Auto Show....3 Gaming Night Returns to the Library!.........3 Winning the Food Bank Challenge..............4 Cardiac Care Week.......................................4 Panhellenic Council Welcome......................4 Campus Organizations.................................4 Who are the Robots?....................................5 The Barrier Called Communication.............6 The Sesquicentennial Approaches! ...............7 Ultimate Tournament Photos.......................8 Commencement Photos...............................9 Budget.........................................................10 Budget Analysis............................................13 Meme of the Month.....................................15 One Line Movie Reviews..............................15 xkcd.............................................................15 Reminiscing on the Traditional, Tactile, Communications Medium, and an Offer as to Jump Start Its Rebirth..................................15
© 2011 The Technician, Kettering University All inquries and questions may be directed to: atechnician@kettering.edu
A Workless Work Term
By John Oliver Technician Reporter As summer term came to a close, Nathan said his goodbyes and watched his friends head off for their co-ops. Nathan had a job, but it was not the one that he wanted. He would be helping his dad as a contractor in Negaunee, Michigan. Nathan was one of the many freshmen this year still looking for a co-op job. Nathan is an engineering physics major. Installing siding and insulation with his dad was not an application of his major. To make things worse, he made less than half of what some of his peers do. Many students hope to offset the cost of tuition with their co-op, but working for minimum wage makes this very hard. Nathan believes that one of the reasons that he had so much trouble finding a job was his major. The majority of students are mechanical engineers; consequently, so are the majority of jobs. Nathan had several interviews where he was rejected, and the worst interview involved a three-hour drive one way and no callback. He said, “The fact that they never called was worse than being rejected. It was like they forgot about me.” For students looking for a job, rejection can be very discouraging; however, Nathan kept his head up and in the middle of work term he landed a job at Hutchinson Fluid Transfer Systems. He was referred to the job by two different upperclassmen on two different occasions. He was able to leave home and start working in his field of choice. While Nathan was able to get a job before the end of the term, many other students are still looking for jobs. The counseling office claims there are actually more jobs than there are students, but the problem is finding the right fit for both students and employers.
Bioinformatics Comes to Kettering
By Pat Mroczek Chief Public Relations Officer, Kettering University Bioinformatics—it sounds like something from a science fiction story, but in reality it is a fastgrowing scientific field in which biology, computer science, and information technology merge to form a single discipline, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Kettering University will offer a degree in Bioinformatics beginning with the Summer 2011 term. “The National Science Foundation says that Bioinformatics is an area of “national skill need.’” Kettering’s program will have a heavy focus on storage and algorithmic searching of biological information, particularly genomic information,” said Dr. Robert Simpson, Kettering provost. “The Kettering Bioinformatics program will use existing faculty and it is an excellent example of how two academic departments working together can foster collaboration,” said Simpson. “The early goal for the program would be 20 students a year,” he added. The Kettering Bioinformatics program will be one of only 23 undergraduate degree-granting programs in the U.S., according to Dr. John Geske, department head for Computer Science. Only one other university in Michigan offers an undergraduate Bioinformatics degree program; Michigan Technological University. Dr. Geske worked with Dr. Stacy Seeley, department head for Chemistry/Biochemistry to develop the curriculum. The Bioinformatics degree will originate from the Computer Science department in Continued on the next page
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January 17, 2011
News Focus on the Customer
How Ford is Taking Their Message to Customers By Robert Hayes, Automotive Columnist On January 7, Ford Motor Company CEO Alan Mulally took to the stage to introduce the world to the 2012 Ford Focus EV, Ford’s first consumer-oriented electric vehicle. While the Focus EV reveal featured the traditional glitz of an auto show, the stage in question was not at the North American International Auto Show, but instead at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Why did Ford choose to launch a potentially groundbreaking vehicle away from the hoard of automotive journalists closing in on Cobo Hall in Detroit for NAIAS press days just 3 days away? Simple — they’re taking their vehicles directly to their customers. Building on the success of an unconventional seven city reveal for the 2011 Explorer over the summer, Ford’s electrification strategy is equally unorthodox. When most auto companies have revealed either an electric vehicle, or a plug-in or series hybrid, Ford has announced three all new electrified vehicles in addition to the Transit Connect EV, an electrified version of Ford’s small commercial van that has been on sale since the Fall of 2010. In addition to the pure EV Focus, two electrified versions of Ford’s C-Max people mover, a five or seven-passenger mini-minivan built on the Focus platform, were announced ahead of this year’s Detroit Auto Show. The C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid promises to deliver fuel economy beyond that of the recently launched Chevrolet Volt, while a more traditional C-Max Hybrid builds upon Ford’s decade of hybrid expertise to deliver a more cost-effective hybrid experience for families. But the real change at the heart of Ford’s electrification strategy lies in their embrace of what CEO Alan Mulally called the “electrified lifestyle”. Ford will partner with Best Buy’s Geek Squad to sell 240-Volt home charging systems to Focus EV and C-Max Energi customers, making charging
easier and more accessible to their EV buyers. Additionally, a Ford smartphone app called MyFord Mobile will allow buyers to control charging through a Microsoft-powered tool called Value Charging, which will help users to pay lower rates for electricity by allowing the car to choose off peak hours to charge itself. MyFord Mobile will also let users tell their Ford when they plan to drive next, allowing the Focus EV to precondition the batteries and even heat or cool the cabin to prepare for the drivers’ arrival. Building upon the success of MyFord Touch, Ford’s new graphical user interface for their popular Sync infotainment system, Ford’s new electrified vehicles will add tools to help drivers minimize their electricity consumption. MyFord Touch style LCD displays in the dashboard will display butterfly animations where careful driving is rewarded by the “migration” of butterflies into view, and wasteful driving will cause the butterflies to fly away, providing the driver with an active tool to measure their electricity consumption.
While the electrification of America’s highways may still be in the distant future, Ford is determined to be a leader in vehicle electrification by going a step further – realizing that different electric car customers have different needs. In short, Ford is focusing on their customers. Editor’s Note: Look in the next issue of The Technician for Robert’s report on the 2011 North American International Auto Show.
Recovery at Kettering Continued from the front page Kettering’s new partners can be found around the country and across a wide variety of industries, encompassing all of Kettering’s majors. From Davis Made, Inc., a Flint-based manufacturer of dynamic children’s rehabilitation products to ZF Marine, the Florida-based marine propulsion division of German auto supplier ZF Friedrichshafen, the efforts of the co-op task force and the co-op office are beginning to bear fruit. The cooperative education office has added ten new employers in five states since May. While the co-op employer base has expanded further in recent years, current positions are dominated by traditional Kettering co-op anchors such as General Motors and top auto suppliers Bosch, Magna, TRW, and Faurecia. While Kettering’s cooperative education office is quick to point out that there are currently more available positions then students to fill them, there is still the lingering problem of unemployment among current Kettering students. While the 179 students currently unemployed at Kettering may find themselves surprised to hear that the unemployment crisis is subsiding, Mr. Nichols explains that the remaining unemployed students typically fall into three categories. Some of the unemployed students are from the chemical engineering, chemistry, and biochemistry programs, which have struggled to find sufficient positions. Kettering has worked to bridge the gap by providing employment opportunities on campus for those students. Additionally, some students may find it difficult to get a co-op job due to low grades, or they may have failed to work with the cooperative education office to find an opportunity that fits their needs.
The Recovery at Kettering “The Recovery at Kettering” and “A Workless Work Term” are both part of an ongoing series of articles that The Technician is compiling detailing the economic recovery, job gains, and what that means for the students of Kettering University and the school as a whole.
Bioinformatics Comes to Kettering
Continued from the front page collaboration with the Chemistry/Biochemistry department. Its goal is to provide students with a strong foundation in computational methods used to analyze biological systems. Students in the Bioinformatics program will study software development, data storage, information retrieval, and statistical search techniques and gain a solid background in biological chemistry by taking courses and laboratories in organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry and biochemistry. Additional special emphasis in the biological area will be achieved through courses and laboratories in biology. All Bioinformatics students at Ketter-
ing will also have several terms of cooperative work experience, so that concepts learned in the classroom can be applied to real world problems “A Bioinformatics degree provides an excellent foundation for careers in biotechnology, medicine, pharmacology, environmental fields, technical management, education, business, software engineering, and information systems,” said Dr. Seeley. Additionally, Graduates of the Bioinformatics Degree Program will be able to pursue an advanced degree in Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or Medicine, Dr. Geske indicated. The field of Bioinformatics will enable the dis-
covery of new biological insights as well as to create a global perspective from which unifying principles in biology can be discerned. At the beginning of the “genomic revolution,” a bioinformatics concern was the creation and maintenance of a database to store biological information, especially large-scale nucleotide and amino acid sequences such as those related to DNA sequencing. Bioinformatics now entails the creation and advancement of databases, algorithms, computational and statistical techniques and theory to solve formal and practical problems arising from the management and analysis of biological data. (Wikipedia)
January 17, 2011
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Announcements
2011 Heart Fest Friday, February 4
It’s Kettering’s “Wear Red Day” on behalf of the American Heart Association. Show up in the Great Court on Friday, February 4 for music by WKUF, heart-shaped cookies, face painting, songs by the University Advancement Choir, and photographs in front of a five-foot cutout heart. Bring your boyfriend/girlfriend, roommate, fraternity/sorority, or anyone else! The photos will be posted on Facebook and the Kettering University website. Also, Red Dress pins ($5) and paper hearts ($1) will be on sale to benefit the American Heart Association from 11:30am – 1:00pm.
Gaming Night Returns to the Library! Wednesday, January 26 (third week) is Gaming Night in the KU Library. Challenge your friends at Rock Band, Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero and other games on the Wii, PlayStation 2 or Xbox 360. If board games or cards are more your style, we have those too! Have another favorite? Bring it with you to share! Free food, soda, and snacks will also be provided. While enjoying the food and games, why not take a look around the library? You may be surprised to learn that in addition to our collection of academic books and periodicals, we also have a selection of classic fiction, including works by Graham Greene and Kurt Vonnegut. If you enjoy modern fiction,
check out our Great Reads collection. The library also has DVDs available for check-out, including newer movie releases and a variety of television series. Also, check out on the library’s graphic novel collection! We hope to see you in the library on Wednesday, January 26 from 5:30pm – 9pm. Come for the free food and entertainment, and return for our excellent resources. For more information, visit the Library blog at http://ketteringlibrary.typepad.com/ or view the event listing on the KU Library’s Facebook page. Sponsored by Friends of the Kettering University Library and Scharchburg Archives (FOLA).
Library Café Student Alumni Council hosts…
Photo courtesy of KettNet The Kettering Library, in cooperation with Sodexo, has opened a café near the circulation desk. Students may purchase food and drinks Monday through Friday between 7:45am and 1:45pm and Sunday through Thursday between 6:30pm and 9:30pm.
Health Insurance Waiver Period
The waiver period for Health Insurance coverage ends January 31. If you are covered under insurance and wish to be exempted from the mandatory fee of $442.50, submit your information online at www.masking.com/KetteringU.aspx or call (877) 775-5430.
North American International Auto Show The North American Internation Auto Show continues through January 23 in the COBO Center. For more information, visit www.nais.com/ the-2011-show/overview.aspx.
Jon Kowaslski How to Stay Involved AFTER You Graduate When: 3rd Tuesday January 25th, 2011 During Lunch
Where: AB 2225 -Cribathon Jon Kowalski is a fourth year doctoral student at Carnegie Mellon University in the Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Technological Change (SETChange) program within the department of Engineering and Public Policy. He holds a B.S. from Kettering University in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Computer Engineering, and a M.S. from Carnegie Mellon University in Engineering and Public Policy. Prior to returning to graduate school, he served as the Product Support Manager for Software Engineering tools for ETAS, a subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH, in Ann Arbor, MI and Stuttgart, Germany, and an engineering co-op for General Electric in Louisville, KY. His research interests include Firm and Industry Development of High-Tech Industries, Technological Business Strategy, Serial Entrepreneurs, Agglomerations through Spinoffs, Engineering Education and Educational Technology. Jon currently serves as the President & CEO of the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students (NAGPS) and previously served as the Director of Finance & CFO for NAGSP as well as the Vice President of External Affairs for the Carnegie Mellon University Graduate Student Assembly, serving as a liaison between the group and all external contacts as well as organizing lobbying efforts at the city, regional, state and national levels. Jon lives in Pittsburgh and enjoys kayaking, cooking, running, and singing in his free time.
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The Technician
Around Campus
Winning the Food Bank Challenge
Campus Organizations
Aerosciences Club The goal of the Aerosciences Club is to proBy Devin Aryan mote interest in the aerospace industry and aeroTechnician Writer space-related career fields, and to provide Kettering University students with an alternative to During the last term, B-section took part in the typically automotive-centric activities. Our Flint’s College Town Holiday Food Bank Chalplanned activities for the Winter 2011 term inlenge. The challenge involved the four colleges clude short weekly presentations on aerospace topin the area; Baker, Mott, University of Michigan ics, a trip to the Kalamazoo Air Zoo, and activiFlint, and Kettering. Under the coordination of ties & demos with the wind tunnel. Our meetings Robert Marias, Kettering won the challenge with will be held every Monday at Lunch in ab 1819. a whopping 40,691 pounds of donated foodstuffs, For more information, contact David Tarlau at beating out Mott’s 12,400 pounds, Baker’s 28,505 tarl6368@kettering.edu. pounds, and the University of Michigan Flint’s 25,420 pounds. Along with Kettering’s communiAllies ty-oriented programs, such as realSERVICE, this Allies meetings are Fridays at the Good Beans food drive is another example of how Kettering Café from 6-8pm. There’s free coffee! For more inmakes the world a better place. formation, contact Wallee Keating at keat6532@ kettering.edu.
Cardiac Care Week Alpha Phi Iota Epsilon chapter’s annual Cardiac Care Week will be held January 24 – 29 (third week). The week’s events include: Monday—Mini Health Fair Tuesday—Frosty Phi Snowman Building Competition Wednesday—Melt the Ice Competition Thursday—Chili Cook-off Friday—Sled Race / Hot Cocoa Social. The main event will be a Euchre Tournament on Saturday, January 29 from 3 – 6pm in the Sunset Room. Anyone is welcome to participate in these events; please stop by the Great Court third week to register for the events. Come out and show your support! All proceeds will go to the Alpha Phi Foundation supporting cardiac care for women.
Panhellenic Council Welcome
January 17, 2011
major, YOU can help research, build, program, and test a robot with us! We will be meeting this Thursday in room 2617 during lunch to get started. For more information, either show up or get in touch with Professor Tewolde or Derek Tubbs. Open Source Club The Open Source Club meets every Wednesday at 6:30pm in the lounge behind the Cribathon. The club provides support for students who use open source software and also educates students about open source alternatives. The club hosts LAN parties featuring open source games, and an open hardware expo to demonstrate technologies such as personal desktop manufacturing and the Arduino. The club also has outings to events such as Penguicon and the Detroit Maker Faire.
SAE Aero Design Team The SAE Aero Design Team is looking for new Chess Club members! The Aero Design Team is currently deChess Club meets in room 5-200 cc Tuesdays signing an RC aircraft capable of lifting more than and Thursdays from 9 – 11pm. Contact person is its weight in payload. To accomplish this goal, we Zach Johnson (john1705@kettering.edu). are also building several CNC machines, so that the entire process of design, testing, manufacture, Chess Club & assembly can be performed by team members. Dance club meets in BJ’s Lounge on Thursday If you want hands-on experience in the design & from 9 – 10pm. For more information, contact Ar- manufacture of an airplane, come check us out! iel Childress at chil5080@kettering.edu. Contact us for meeting times & locations, or head down to the SAE garage. For more information, GEO contact David Tarlau at tarl6368@kettering.edu. GEO’s meeting times will be Thursdays at lunch in the scec. Questions? Contact Megan Mahor- The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers ney (maho6246@kettering.edu). Don’t forget to The Society of Hispanic Professional Engisave up recyclables for Battle of the Bins during neers (shpe) holds meetings Friday at lunch 9th week! (12:20pm – 1:20pm). Our meetings are held in the shpe room on the 5th floor of the Campus Improv Club Center (left out of the main elevators). The meetImprov Club is all about “Whose Line is it ing room may change to a larger room if necesAnyway?”-style improv games and meets on sary. Michael Martinez is the current president Wednesdays at the pool from 10pm – 11pm. Any- and is the main contact for the organization at one is welcome to join us, either to watch or mart4990@kettering.edu. Keep an eye for any participate. We hope to perform at the student changes via the Facebook group “ketteringSHPEsocial for each Prep for Success and at other shows A section”, the online calendar, and postings on throughout the term. our banner in the Great Court.
Kettnetic Thunder Kettnetic Thunder Ultimate Frisbee Club has practice Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at By Jennifer Taraski 6:30pm in the Rec Center. We also have pickPR and Marketing, Panhellenic Council up games open to everyone Saturdays at 2pm in the rec. Contact persons are Zach Johnson Welcome Back!On behalf of the Panhellenic (john1705@kettering.edu) and Ben VanZoest Council, we would like to welcome all students (vanz2984@kettering.edu). back to Kettering for the Winter 2011 term! We hope everyone stays warm, studies hard and enjoys Laser Tag Club their term before heading into Spring. Come join the Laser Tag club for a night of food To all Greek life, remember that 8th week Tuesand fun as we host our once per term lock-in at day is Badge Day, so wear your badge and show Laser Quest in Madison Heights. This term’s lockyour support for Greek Life on campus. in will be 7th week Friday. Space will be limited and For more information about the Panhellenic the sign up will be open 7th week Tuesday. Council or its activities, please ask any members on the Panhellenic Council, or contact Robert The Mobile Robotics Club Marias in Student Life. The Mobile Robotics Club is being brought back to life, and it’s not just for ECEs! Whatever your
The Technician If you are reading this, you may want to consider joining the staff of The Technician, Kettering’s student newspaper. If you have an opinion or want to report on the news, we want to hear from you! We hold meetings every Monday and Thursday over the lunch hour, complete with Cottage Inn pizza and beverages. Come to the meetings, or e-mail us articles. For more information, contact us at atechnician@kettering.edu. WKUF WKUF meetings are Tuesdays at 8pm in BJ’s Lounge. For more information, contact Wallee Keating at keat6532@kettering.edu.
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January 17, 2011
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The Robot Society Who are the Robots?
Notable Honorary Robots (on campus): Edward J. Preville (1959)* G. Reginald Bell (1980) Robert Nichols (1993) Laura Sullivan (1999) Tony Lin (2001) Dan Russell (2002) Stacy Seeley (2003) Terri Lynch-Caris (Alumna) Debbie Stewart (2005) Bob McAllister (2006) Neil McCarthy (2007) Henry Kowalski (2007) Stanley Liberty (2008) Douglas Melton (2008) Caron Wilson (2008) David Foster (2010) * The first Honorary Robot was Professor Bell. Mr. Preville was a professor at GMI, and was initiated into the Robot society as a student in 1959. He has been to the past two Robot initiations, so we always list him on the program.
The Kettering Robot Society recognizes and honors students and other individuals who have provided direction and leadership in extracurricular activities. When the society was founded in 1927, it was called the “Madhatters.” On initiation day, new members still wear derby hats and carry canes to preserve the “Madhatter” tradition. Members are selected through an evaluation system where each Robot nominee is evaluated against the three ideals of the Robot Society: leadership that is creative; service that transcends itself; and citizenship that demonstrates responsibility. In addition, a Robot candidate must be in the top 75 percent of their class. The newely initiated A-Section Robots are: Joy Jeyaratnam Elizabeth Santos Joe Flaig Andrew Sullivan Keith Chaney Aaron TenHuisen
Joy Jeyaratnam Joy Rachel Jeyaratnam is a senior at Kettering University. She is majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a specialty in Alternative Energy, with a Chemistry minor. Joy coops with The Dow Chemical Company and is currently completing her thesis. On campus, she has been involved with EWB on trips to Mexico and South Africa, Student Ambassadors, SHPE, COMPASS Orientation Crew, LITE Mentoring, KSG, SARC and Residential Tutoring, and as a Resident Advisor for Thompson Hall. In 2010, she received the Michigan Campus Compact Commitment to Service Award for her community involvement and service experience with EWB. In her free time, Joy enjoys short walks across Kettering’s beach and reading sheet music for choir.
Keith Chaney
Keith Chaney is a senior Industrial Engineering major (with a minor in business) from Flint, Michigan. He currently serves as President of the Theta Tau chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. During his tenure at Kettering he has also served as President of the Kettering A-Section chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers and has been initiated into Order of Omega Greek Honor Society. Keith spends time outside of school serving on Mayor Dayne Wallings student cabinet, mentoring young men in high school through the Alpha Esquires program, and spending time with family.
Elizabeth Santos
Elizabeth Santos is a senior graduating in Summer 2011 with a degree in Industrial Engineering, minor in Biochemistry and Premed coarse of study. Favorite extracurricular activities are EnAaron TenHuisen is the son to Kerry and Patri- Inter Fraternal Council, and serving as the Vice gineers Without Borders, Intramural Soccer and cia TenHuisen from Hershey, Pennsylvania. He is President in 2009 – 2010, Cabinet member of Phi Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. She an Industrial Engineering major with a Business Gamma Delta, Tour Guide for Kettering Universialso enjoys tutoring and community service. Upon Management minor at Bendix Comty, Institute of Industrial Engineers, Hopegraduation, she will pursue graduate school for a mercial Vehicle Systems. Coach for Dawson McAllister Live, Flint Doctorate in Environmental Engineering. TenHuisen worked for Bendix his Children’s Museum, highway cleanup, and entire co-op career. He is currently Health Fest at Bendix. working on his thesis pertaining to TenHuisen’s awards besides Robot SoSAP and functioning as the interim ciety includes: Alpha Pi Mu President, Module Quality Engineer. Order of Omega, Gamma Sigma Alpha, His campus involvement includes: Drive for Distinction Award at Bendix a long-time member of Student Commercial Vehicle Systems which is givAlumni Council with holding seven to the top five largest business impacts eral different positions, serving two years on the in 2009 and Dean’s List.
Aaron TenHuisen
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January 17, 2011
Essays The Barrier Called Communication
By Scott Builta Guest Contributor One of the largest complaints I’ve heard about KSG (and perhaps Kettering in general) during my involvement is the lack of communication between the group and the student body. Indeed, when I first came to Kettering I found myself somewhat frustrated by the apparent flow of ideas and information, yet unable to discover some of the most basic things about the school’s operation and policies. Now, having spent some time involved between the various parts of campus, I believe this issue called ‘communication’ deserves a more thorough investigation. The first idea to be addressed is what exactly is meant by ‘communication’. It’s a very easy word to inject, five syllables that tend to roll off the tongue when making criticisms. It’s also one of the reasons I detest common phrases, because they’re easy to repeat without actually understanding what they mean (such as ‘going green’ or ‘cloud computing’). So, what does it mean to communicate? Communication is a continuous exchange of information between at least two parties. The means and medium are not important; instead, the actual dissemination of ideas and understanding of those ideas is what makes effective communication. Because the essence of communication is so familiar to us, it contains a very basic truth that is being overlooked: both ends of the exchange must be actively and continuously participating in order for anything to be accomplished. This means that not only does Kettering, KSG, and all of the leadership of campus need to constantly inform the student body of news and developments, but that the students must actively look for new information as it becomes available. This is where the flaw lies, and why we must make changes to our communication style if we wish for information to flow quickly, freely, and accurately between the various parts of Kettering. Indeed, the governing bodies are trying to spread information. I’ve personally helped distribute countless fliers around school, written banners hung in the Great Court, participated in the Facebook groups, created Internet forums, added items to the campus calendar, written to The Technician, and helped spread information to my friends. I
can’t even count the number of times I’ve thought, “what other ways can we let people know about this?” However, this is only half of the issue. Without a public that actively checks for these updates and cares that they’re being announced, it is pointless to even attempt to spread news. And so we arrive to the frustrated public. I know firsthand that the students are trying to learn about school events and information—it’s what helps create clubs, gather people for events, and make campus life generally interesting. However, the sheer number of information locations and outlets makes it easy to become apathetic to their efforts. This is not because the students detest the school or the groups trying to spread information, but because there is simply so much in so many places that it becomes a background element rather than the attention icon that news should be. Instead of seeking to change this stalemate, the student body simply continues on, either assuming it doesn’t apply to them or simply not caring about what is being announced and blaming a “lack of communication” as the cause. It is not that any individual group is at fault, but instead a combination of both parts of the system. Thus, a solution that only addresses one side is not adequate; we must instead reach a common agreement between both sides, and then follow and enforce this method. To put it in more concrete terms, we must do two things: one, define a set communication medium for any and all Kettering groups to use; two, constantly follow it and maintain its integrity. The information medium does not need to be a bulletin board or something of that nature; it could be a series of folders and sub-folders on blackboard or a page on Kettering’s site with links such as “Student News”, “Academic Resources”, “Greek info”, and “KSG announcements”. Regardless, it would be the location where any and all news, events, ideas and information of campus would be posted and where students could regularly check for updated and accurate information. Of course, it should still be regulated by either Kettering or KSG to ensure accuracy and validity of information, but it must be open enough to encourage use by more than just the Kettering administration or KSG. This way, it attracts all the news from around campus in an easily attainable and digest-
ible format. That simplification alone would improve communication around campus to the point where many would start to pay attention. KSG is already working on a plan similar to this for the Kettering administration, and we as the student body should follow that example for our information sources. Having a single, well-defined medium for communication ensures several benefits, such as accurate and updated information, a centralized location where any and all news can be found, and a far more manageable system than the one currently employed. It will also make information much easier to find because it becomes a matter of simply looking instead of having connections within the various offices. However, it needs to be more than the “Current Students” page on the website. While it is a directory of helpful links and notes and a good start, it doesn’t truly encompass everything on campus, especially all of the KSG and club information. Whatever the implemented method, it must be something that the student body clearly defines to KSG, and something which Kettering will follow. This is the most critical element of the equation: Kettering and KSG may implement policy and structural changes ad infinitum, but they will be worthless unless they are respected and maintained. Not only must Kettering ensure that the information is accurate, but the students must pay attention to this news medium and notify those responsible for it when there is incorrect or new information. Additionally, we must adhere to and encourage the agreed method. Unless we, as the student body, fully support the chosen method, it will fall into disuse and be another failed attempt at fixing the problem. If we fail to encourage those who come after us to follow the same method, then we will have only created a temporary fix for ourselves and ignored the underlying problems. So, is communication a challenge that Kettering is facing? Yes; however, it rests with more than just the student body or the administration. It is a mixture of every side not ensuring information is presented and digested in an accurate and maintainable fashion. Unless we create and maintain a centralized and regulated way for the various parts of Kettering to interact with the student body, we will only flounder around with futile attempts to patch a system without addressing its root issues.
people the opportunity to read about how people are suffering for what they believe in, as well as the ability to do something about the issue. This activity allowed visitors to write their own letters in protest of events and problems in order to help those people and to further promote awareness of human right issues. The combination of being able to learn and act upon issues in the same exhibit was extremely creative and proactive. The content in the exhibit was extremely interesting, as there were eleven different people or events from around the world neatly presented in an intuitive manner. The topics varied from major corrupt events to mistreated individuals. These ar-
ticles about the unfortunate events certain people are experiencing was an eye-opener to the general public about all of the problems that were happening to people who are either trying to help others, justify political freedom in what they believed in, or trying to survive daily life. The articles that focused on a on a large number of people being abused or treated unfairly made the average American grateful for their lives—although there was also a case about an American who is on death row for questionable reasons.
Amnesty International Emet Davison Guest Contributor There was an Amnesty International exhibit on the fourth floor of the Academic Building at Kettering University. The event was held on December 10, 2010, which is known as International Human Rights Day. In this exhibit, Amnesty International was promoting what they are most known for, human rights. The uniqueness of the exhibit lied in the fact that it was not only a place to educate people about the unfair treatment people are experiencing around the world, but it also had an activity called “Write for Rights.” This activity gave
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The Technician
January 17, 2011
Amnesty International
Continued from page 6 Things like being evicted from a place people once called home, to living in a shanty house next to a sewage plant, not being able to afford medical supplies to prevent death from childbirth, and being abused, raped or killed by the national defense and law enforcement really causes people with a better life to think twice about the dark side of life certain people had and still have to experience. The other group of articles was about certain individuals who were mostly trying protest for their own human rights as well as those who are in the same situation. Most of these individuals were
abused, beaten and imprisoned for their actions. All of these individuals are standing up for their rights against government or political parties in a peaceful manner. However, due to corruption in certain countries any disagreement with the government would result to unjustified imprisonment and physical abuse. These individuals were virtuous enough to sacrifice a peaceful life unhindered by death threats or abuse in order to stand up to the rights that they believe should be justified. The fact that they have done and sacrificed so much for human rights motivates the readers to do what they can to help these individuals.
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The fact that Amnesty International is capable of helping people from different countries all over the world brings realization that it is not only a couple parts of the world that have human rights issues. Most of these countries may be third world countries, however knowing that there are people all over the world trying to promote their rights gives hope for these countries. The fact that governments are threatened enough by these individuals that they need to break these people down physically and emotionally proves that these protesters of peace are making progress in their mission.
The Sesquicentennial Approaches!
By Alex Balogh Guest Contributor April 12, 2011 marks the 150-year anniversary of the most bloody and horrific war in United States history. The Civil War has always been a tender subject in our country, and the ugly topic of slavery and its direct connections to the Civil War have not always been embraced by all Americans. Looking back 50 years puts us at the centennial celebration of the Civil War, and also right in the heart of the Civil Rights movement. Public outlook during this turbulent time in our history was the topic of choice for author, teacher, and historian David Blight during a recent and wellattended presentation at University of MichiganFlint about the subject of public thinking and feeling towards the Civil War. The main question of his speech was: how far towards equality had the United States gone 100 years after the war, and more importantly, how far are we today, on the eve of the sesquicentennial? David Blight, a well-known historian, recently came back to his hometown of Flint to address these questions at the U of M-Flint campus. His new book, Five Score Years Ago, is due to hit the shelves just in time for the sesquicentennial of the
Civil War. The book gives a review of how several historians as well as racial leaders have talked and written about the Civil War. The title of the book is a direct quote from the famous “I have a dream” speech Martin Luther King, Jr. gave on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 March on Washington. Blight focused on that speech to show that people were aware of the parallels between the Civil Rights Movement and the Civil War. When MLK used the phrase “five score years ago,” which means “100 years ago,” he was alluding to President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address of 1863, which started with the phrase “four score and seven years ago,” a reference to the Declaration of Independence of 1776. 1863 was also the year the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, freeing the majority of slaves in the south. This part of MLK’s speech is often overlooked, while most people know the last few moments of the 17-minute speech by heart. Blight urged the audience to watch the entire video of the “I have a dream” speech in order to see that the US still had a long way to go to fully carry out what Lincoln had envisioned in respect to race equality even 100 years later. It can be said that public view of the Civil War
Content is King (but Style is Queen)
sesive, but “it’s,” “he’s,” and “she’s” are all contractions expressing a state of being. The Technician Another term begins, and another edition of The Something we also see a lot here is “the TechniTechnician is in your hands. Every issue begins as cian” instead of “The Technician.” Because we are a an idea, blossoms into words, and it is the task of printed newspaper, our name is set in Italic type in the editors to prune these words into well-crafted article text. What is of more importance, though, articles. In just this issue alone, there were a few is the definite article “the.” We are not just any mistakes we saw in contributions that were partechnician, we are The Technician. As such, “The” ticularly repetative or intriguing. As we find them, is always capitalized in our name. we will try to take note of them and provide you, Etc. and Et al. the reader, with some wisdom behind the fault so Time for a lesson not in English, but in Latin. that you can understand the mistake and, perhaps, avoid it in your own writing. Its and It’s This is a common mistake, and it is easy to make. The general rule in English is that possessive words Isaac Meadows, Editor-in-chief end in an apostrophe and the letter “s.” So if I want Allen Hillaker, Assistant Editor to something belongs to it, “it’s” would be a logi- Christina Cutler, Assistant Editor cal choice. However, you would not say something Matthew White, Layout Editor belonging to a boy is “he’s,” nor something belong- Tyler Van Eck, Copy Editor ing to a girl “she’s.” Those are both the contractions Robert Hayes, Online Editor of a pronoun and some form of the verb “to be.” So Marian Swagler, Campus Life Editor remember that “its,” “his,” and “hers” are all pos- Ryan Brown, Distribution Editor By Matthew White Layout Editor
has been clouded with racial issues and an uncomfortable feeling of celebrating such a bloody and embarrassing moment in our country’s history. Blight claims that past memories of the Civil War were deliberate lies, often painting the Civil War as a battle of honor and valor to maintain the unity and values of the country. Quite simply, Blight states that the war was about slavery, and now it is time to accept that. How close are we today to clearly remembering the Civil War? Generally it seems that we are a lot farther along than we were 50 years ago concerning historical embracement. To commemorate the 150-year anniversary of the Civil War, many states are having presentations and informative lectures to inform the public about the true history behind the war. For example, North Carolina is presenting a 3-part discussion series to educate the public, and so is Virginia. Blight is playing a large role in the advancement of knowledge and history of the Civil War, and uncovering the true story. If you are interested in the Civil War, I urge you to keep a lookout for his new book, Five Score Years Ago, and be sure to check out his newest book, A Slave No More, which highlights two slaves’ experience of escaping slavery toward the end of the Civil War.
When you make an list of things, but leave out some things, use “etc.”, which means “and other things.” When you mean a list of other places (like London, Paris, Berlin) or people (like writers, reports, editors), use “et al.”, which means “and other places” or “and other people.” Lating Graduates One final Latin grammar lesson for you all: a male graduate is an alumnus, a girl is an alumna, a group of girls are alumnæ, and a all-male or mixed group are alumni (both pronounced the same).
The Technician Devin Aryan, Reporter Korrine Ketchum, Reporter Dominic Jandrain, Reporter Racquel Lovelace, Reporter John Oliver, Reporter Eric Poole, Cartoonist Evan Brest, Columnist Matt Holland, Photographer
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January 17, 2011
1 Annual Ultimate Tournament st
January 17, 2011
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Commencement, Fall 2010
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KSG Budget
January 17, 2011
January 17, 2011
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January 17, 2011
The Technician
January 17, 2011
Budget Analysis Top Ten Orgs - Cost per Capita
$600.00 $500.00 $400.00 $300.00 $200.00 $100.00 $0.00
Top Ten Orgs - Food Cost per Capita $40.00 $35.00 $30.00 $25.00 $20.00 $15.00 $10.00 $5.00 $0.00
Top Ten Orgs - Total Cost $12,000.00 $10,000.00 $8,000.00 $6,000.00 $4,000.00 $2,000.00 $0.00
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January 17, 2011
Breakdown of Club Budgets Breakdown of Club Budgets
Trap and Skeet, $10,892.00
All Others, $19,979.00 Firebirds, $8,150.00
Hockey Club, $7,500.00
Karate Club, $2,000.00 Cliffhangers, $2,500.00
Technician, $2,532.00 Paintball Club, $2,575.00 WKUF, $3,125.00
Student Senate, $4,680.00
Aquaneers, $6,204.00 Outdoors Club, $5,900.00
Top Ten Line Items - Total Cost 8000 7000 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0
January 17, 2011
The Technician
Entertainment Meme of the Month Troll Science
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Reminiscing on the Traditional, Tactile, Communications Medium, and an Offer as to Jump Start Its Rebirth
pull cars forward, held above a metal plate to create a hoverboard, and used to make several forms of generators that produce infinite amounts of elecTroll Science, sometimes referred to as Troll tricity. Some ideas require monopoles, which trolls Physics, is a series of comics created by multiple have found are anonymous easily made by authors on simply cutting the internet. a regular bar Spread across magnet in half. several image M a g n e t s … By Evan Brest boards and how do they Technician Columnist forums, these work? comics present Please allow me to tell you a story. ideas to proOnce upon a time, there was no Internet. Now While the duce infinite crazy theories bear with me, because this is a large idea to wrap free energy, are hilarious, one’s head around, so I’ll wait for a bit to allow you make self-suswouldn’t it be to recover. Better? Now then, in those communitaining cars, great if Troll cative dark ages when people had tens as opposed create jetpacks, Science actually worked? Global warming would to hundreds of friends, a tweet was a thing a bird and even make millions of dollars. Unfortunatebe taken care of, all illnesses would be cured, world did, and a Facebook was something people signed ly for people who want those things, these ideas hunger would come to an end, and it could all be at the end of the year. Most folks wrote lettersare all based on ridiculous theories that obviously accomplished by a small group of people on a lim- -quaint, papery things sent through the postal serwon’t work. ited budget. But then someone would only have vice to send a personal note or message. For those of you not familiar with it, “trolling” is Fast forward to now, the humble letter has been to drop $363,636.00 worth of pennies on a city to simply the act of doing something to annoy or othcause the same amount of destruction as an atomic all but forgotten by our generation, relying instead erwise mess with someone because it’s funny. A troll on e-mails, Facebook messages, or texts. All membomb, so that wouldn’t be great. is someone who does something like that. Most of In conclusion, I am done writing this article. I ories of casual letter writing carefully repressed, the characters represented in the Troll Science comhad a plan to spend more time on it, but unfortu- thanks to eighth grade mandatory writing assignics are trolls (I assume you have figured this out nately I found that I can’t actually travel through ments. Sure, digital means are easier. You don’t by now, but hey, I was just checking) doing things time using a flashlight, a skateboard, and a couple have to invest much personality into a typed mesthat would make anyone with a basic knowledge of magnets. So my past self didn’t write the article sage, no scrounging for an envelope, and horror of of physics cringe. Magnets are a favorite subject in horrors no 44¢ stamp to invest in. for me yet. What a slacker. these comics. They can be suspended by poles to Let’s all write a letter. Not collectively, mind you, but individually. Send a papery vessel off to your parents, or a good friend far away. Fill them in on By Joe Villarosa the ways of Kettering. Make a postmaster feel apGuest Columnist preciated. There’s no need to stand on pomp or ceremony, no proper heading or even coherent Best Incomplete movie: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (runner-up: The Social Network) formatting is needed. If you feel so inclined, write Best movie about Massachusetts: The Fighter (runner-up: The Town) in spirals. It’s truly a medium of pure unbridled Best normal date movie: The Fighter creativity. It won’t hurt, I promise. Those speciallyBest first date movie: Easy A honed Starcraft muscles work just as well when Best family movie: Megamind gripped around the shaft of a pencil. Best visuals: Tron: Legacy “Furrier Transform” by Evan Brest Movie night with the girls: Easy A Movie night with the guys: Jackass 3D By Dominic Jandrain Technician Columnist
One Line Movie Reviews
xkcd
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