The
Technician bulldogs.kettering.edu/technician
February 10, 2012
By Matthew White Assistant Editor
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Volume 108
Issue 2
Kettering Gets New Web Site
Unsuspecting students began to notice something rather different today as they began perusing the World Wide Web this afternoon. Instead of the old Kettering web site that they had long seen on their screens, a splash of bright color welcomed them to a new era in the University’s online presence. The new site began as a dream in late March. Working in teams, the Kettering community began rethinking the site in a methodical and deliberate strategy that culminated in a creative brief from Vermilion, the company hired for the overhaul. By August, Vermilion returned with their vision for Kettering’s web site. In fact, there were four such plans—“Perspective,” “Vision,” “Progress,” and “Innovation.” Continued on the next page
What’s Inside
Faculty Senate The syllabus changes explained
A Chilly Reception From the Kettering University Facilities Focus The campus community is invited for a behindthe-scenes- tour of Kettering’s new chiller plant, which is located in the Academic Building. Tours will be given at 10am and 1pm from Feb. 15 through Feb. 24. Wear flat-soled shoes. Safety glasses and ear protection will be provided. Contact Joyce Humphrey, at ext. 9750, to reserve your date and time. During the tour, a member of the Facilities Management staff will be your personal tour guides through this new plant. The chillers supply air conditioning to the Academic Building and Campus Center. These buildings typically operate 24 hours a day/7 days a week to provide a professional learning and working environment. The two new energy efficient chillers each have a 600-ton capacity. They were manufactured by York and are powered by electricity. They are equipped with electronic controls and variable speed motors and drives. It is anticipated that the payback on these units, based on their energy savings, will be approximately six years. A rebate from Consumers Energy ($82,000) was received by Kettering. This rebate was promptly used to fund additional energysaving projects throughout the campus. The chiller equipment that was removed was 33 years old and each of the two chillers had a 600ton capacity. They were made by Trane and were powered by steam from the boiler plant in the Mott Center. These units were not energy efficient and could not be operated at a low-load level. The typical useful life of these units is 25 years but with good maintenance and repair, Facilities staff members were able to keep them operational past their useful life.
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Editorial
A student perspective on the future
6
Automotive The Chevy Volt goes on trial
Ifc Gets Excited
Entertainment 8
Movies, Memes & Commentary
10
Strategic Vision Statements
By John Oliver Staff Writer
By Matthew White Assistant Editor
The Inter-Fraternity Council (ifc) has been working hard to keep Greek unity and make the Kettering community better for all students. The ifc held elections last summer and the newly-elected e-board and chairs hope to accomplish many things this term, and set up a lot for next term. The ifc has recently relocated the Greek Cup trophy, and the chase for it is now underway. The ifc is planning many events that will encourage Greek unity and build friendship between houses. One of the ifc’s new projects currently underway is an updated set of rules for coordination with the Greek Life Coordinator. The ifc is also working hard to put together a new set of rules so that when a new Greek Life Coordinator is found, they will be able to work together as fluidly as possible. They also must plan for recruitment this next term. The rules to ensure a fair and safe recruitment that will be enjoyable for both the members of Greek life and the new freshmen.
On January 25 and 27, the entire campus community was invited to take part in a critique of the Strategic Visioning Working Teams’ vision statements. The process began in October, with Dr. McMahan tasking the groups to create vision statements in five core areas: programs, delivery, setting, vitality, and scholarship. With these five separate-but-linked statements, the President would create one master vision statement that would lead the University through its 2019 centennial and beyond. The meeting was focused on getting feedback about draft statements that the working teams had put together thus far. Each of the groups has one or more statements that were read, analyzed, and critiqued. The majority of the discussion came from faculty on hand, with interjections from staff. Students, although invited, were few in attendance and mostly silent. After receiving their feedback, the teams will refine their statements further and pass them on for their later amalgamation. This master vision will sent back to the community for input before it is finally adopted. For more information on the strategic visioning process and the vision statements explored at this meeting, visit http://www.kettering.edu/about/strategic-vision .
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February 10, 2012
The Technician
News
The Low Down on Faculty Senate By Rebeccah MacKinnon Online Editor This term, students began to notice a trend as they attended the first time slot for each of their classes. Every professor read the syllabus to the class, and each time they reached a point in the syllabus labeled “Students with Disabilities,” the professors mentioned something similar to the phrase “I was told that I have to put this in here now by the Faculty Senate.” This raised a few questions from the students. Why do professors have to include this now? Isn’t it a little redundant to have every professor say the same thing? More prevalent, though, was the question of what exactly Faculty Senate was. Many students have heard of it, but do not know who belongs to it, what it does, and what they had to do with the recent change in syllabus policy. Dr. Jim Huggins, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Moderator of the Faculty Senate, answered many of these questions. “The Faculty Senate is the governance structure for all faculty at Kettering,” he said. He went on to explain that certain faculty matters, such as curriculum changes, the promotion and tenure process, academic policies, and anything of interest to the general faculty, were dealt with by the Faculty Senate.
The Senate is made up of Senators from each department, which is entitled to a certain number of representatives based on the number of faculty members in that department. In addition, a Moderator, Moderator-elect, and Secretary are chosen in a campus-wide faculty election. The Moderatorelect and Secretary are chosen every year, with the previous Moderator-elect becoming the Moderator for that year. Currently, Professor Huggins is the Moderator and Dr. Ada Cheng (Applied Math) is the Moderator-elect, though the position of Secretary is vacant. When asked about the syllabus policy change, Dr. Huggins explained how it took place. “The recent syllabus policy began with a proposal from Provost Simpson,” he said. “[The Provost] wrote the initial draft of the proposal, which was then reviewed and modified by the academic department heads. After their approval, the proposal was sent to the Faculty Senate, which modified it further and approved it last fall.” Provost Simpson was unable to be reached for comment due to time constraints. Faculty Senate meetings, held Wednesdays during lunch hour in the Faculty Senate Conference Room, are open to visitors.
Kettering Gets New Web Site In late August, a second draft of the site was released, this time showcasing only “Perspective.” It was this design that would become the digital face of the University. The old web site, according to documents relating to the redesign, had scored a “B” grade with regards to its look, and a “D” with regards to its content. The new site is not merely a visual refresh, it is a change in the way Kettering thinks about the Internet. No more is the cluttered confusion of the Current Students page, refreshed now by very focused, pertinent groups of content. As the site is gradually being rolled out, certain errors are being found and corrected. Early student feedback mentioned that every link was being directed to "Faculty and Staff," rather than the proper page. When going to press, The Technician was able to confirm a large number of "File Not Found" errors when searching for pages. Some bugs are always expected during the roll-out phase of new software, and the speed at which the University is addressing them makes the upgrade seem all the better poised to more effectively and quickly update the community. Since the web site has gone live, The Technician has been soliciting student feedback. If you have something to say, or questions you would like to ask, send them to us at atechnician@kettering.edu. Look in the next edition for your responses and a more in-depth look at the web site.
Ksg Philanthropy
By Ariel Childress Philanthropy Chair
Students have fun building boats for Innovation Quest. If you're bored or feeling innovative, on Thursdays during lunch hour, come to the Great Court and participate! Photo courtesy of Kettering Communications.
The
Technician Robert Hayes
Editor-in-chief
Matthew White
Assistant Editor
Kaitlin Solovey
L ayout Editor
Rebeccah MacKinnon Online Editor
Tyler Van Eck
Copy Editor
Alan Xia
Distribution Editor
Staff writers Devin Aryan Adlai Milbitz John Oliver Marian Swagler Erin Boyse Photographers Matthew Holland Joseph Stevenson
Columnist Dominic Jandrain Advisors Betsy Homsher Christine Levecq
For those who do not know, Kettering has two neighborhood associations that surround it: Carriage Town and Mott Park. Mott Park backs up to the ab and Carriage Town begins around Atwood Stadium. On January 26, the Carriage Town Historic Neighborhood Association held their annual meeting. Those who attended the meeting were brought up to speed on local goings-on. On April 14, trees will be planted in the toxic grounds between Kettering and the cemetery in an attempt to draw out some of the pollution in the ground. Naturally, the people planting the trees will be wearing haz-mat suits. On May 19, there will be 15- and 30-minute cycling tours of Flint; part of the route passes by Kettering. In other environmental news, Riverbank Park is starting to undergo restoration, since there are few others like it and some flood control measures need to be taken.
Correction The second edition of The μTechnician incorrectly referenced the "Stop Online Piracy Act" as the "Stop Online Privacy Act." This typographical mistake may have lead to assumed editorializing, which The Technician does not support in any of its news stories.
February 10, 2012
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The Technician
Sign up for the Fia's College Town From the Flint Institute of Arts
Since its inception, over 5,000 students from Flint area colleges and universities have become fia/College Town members. The fia enables students to host their own events such as the annual “Create Your Own Masterpiece” intercollegiate Lego Event that will be held on Saturday, Feb. 18, with teams from each of the area colleges vying for the trophy. Students attend special “College Night” opening receptions for exhibitions like: M. c. Escher; Comics,
Heroes and American Visual Culture and Rock and Roll Posters. The College Night Films series held every Thursday night during the academic year, features movies selected by the student advisers. These social events engage students in ways that are both relevant and fun while also providing experiences beyond the boundaries of their own campuses.
The event is organized by the fia’s College Town Student Advisory Council and is the only “team competition” held locally involving students attending Kettering University, Baker College, um–Flint, From the Flint Institute of Arts Mott Community College, and Davenport UniverThe Flint Institute of Arts will host the second sity. Each five-member team will create sculptures annual “Create Your Own Masterpiece” intercol- on site during the three hour-long event. The comlegiate Lego challenge on Saturday, February 18, pleted Lego masterpieces will remain on public view from 1—4pm. Student teams from area colleges and in the fia Lobby through February 26. This year a junior competition has been added for universities will compete for this year’s trophy and students in grades K-12. People’s Choice Award.
Awards will be given in (4) grade categories for “pre-constructed” Lego sculptures of original designs using the entrant’s own Lego or Lego-type brick. Works may be submitted between 1pm and 3pm in the fia Art School and will be followed by an award ceremony at 4pm. For rules and additional information call Jeff Garrett or Amy Black at the Museum Art School (810) 237-7694.
Visit the Flint Institute of Arts (fia) on any given day and it’s likely you will see college students enjoying a coffee in the Café with friends, working on their laptops or spending time in the exhibition and video galleries. Students at University of Michigan—Flint, Kettering University, Mott Community College, Baker College and Davenport University receive a “free virtual” museum membership as a benefit of attending school in Genesee County. It's time to sign-up or re-enroll your College Town membership. To become a member, visit www.flintarts.org, click the College Town icon and follow the prompts. The user name is kettering and password is bulldogs11. Benefits to a College Town membership include: • Free admission everyday to exhibitions and lectures, • Discounts to weekend art house films and free admission to the late Thursday night College Town Film Series, • Discounts in the Café and Museum Shop, • Free Wi-Fi throughout the Flint Institute of Arts and • Invitations to special College Town and members events. You may also sign up at the Visitors Services desk at the fia or by phone “Membership” (810-2341695). Hours are Monday through Wednesday and Friday, 12pm–5pm, Thursday 12pm–9pm, Saturday 10am–5pm and Sunday 1pm–5pm. Because of this innovative membership program, the Flint Institute of Arts has become a preferred destination for many of the 30,000 students attending a college or university in the downtown Flint area. The recently redesigned and expanded fia is Michigan’s second largest art museum and home to a collection of over 8000 art works. The museum is located on the 30-acre Cultural Center campus a short drive down University Avenue from Kettering and just a few blocks from University of MichiganFlint, and Mott Community College. As part of their efforts to design programming that engages a growing student audience the Flint Institute of Arts invited student representatives from each of the colleges to serve on a Student Advisory Council. The student advisors meet throughout the year with museum staff to make recommendations on student friendly programming and to plan intercollegiate social events at the fia. A special College Night Film Series and the extension of gallery hours into the evening were Council suggestions implemented by the Flint Institute of Arts last September.
Legomania Returns
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February 10, 2012
The Technician
Editorial A Blurry Strategic Vision
When one talks about a school, be it Kettering or any other, the primary concern should be with academics. A school without them is not worth attending, and a school with an excellent reputation ought to keep it. Imagine this paper’s surprise when not a single statement from the Strategic Visioning Working Teams explicitly mentioned academics. It gives us pause to think that the proposed vision statements consider our business model over academics as tantamount to the University’s survival. There are references to learning in the statements, but they are usually secondary or tertiary to something bigger. Unfortunately, the use of buzzwords makes every statement so murky that they become ineffective at pinpointing the actual vision. Everything is ‘global’ and encourages ‘leadership’ in all we do, but what does it mean to us as students? Being worldly is one thing, but what exactly does ‘global citizenship’ mean? The phrase is so open-ended that it becomes impossible to define. Brevity and concreteness are considered essential for a good vision statement, but an unfortunate consequence of striving for these two qualities is the loss of specificity. As for leadership, some forget that in order to be a leader, there must be followers. Though everyone has the potential to become leaders, not all of them may
want to accept such a role. Empowering students is laudable, but expecting them to be something they are not is impossible, especially if they study nonengineering disciplines where entrepreneurship isn’t as applicable. Speaking of students, this paper noted the absence of all but a handful of students at these meetings. Quite a few students were initially lined up for the meetings, but once it became clear that the light refreshments mentioned would not be provided, attendance dropped off dramatically. Often, classes run up to 12:20 and resume at 1:20, making attending an hour-long meeting without food unrealistic for students. If the University truly cares about student input into the visioning process, they ought to make attending the meeting more feasible for students. In fact, getting students more involved earlier in the process might have avoided the problems we have so far seen in the vision statements and the meeting. The biggest problem facing the interaction of the majority of students and the process, however, is motivation. Unlike most collegiate institutions, Kettering does not offer a shelter from the harsh realities of life. Students face commonplace issues such as paying rent, setting up utilities, and the daily grind of a
nine-to-five job from as early as our freshman year, and we come away stronger and wiser from it. Kettering is no longer a gateway to a brighter future; it becomes the hurdle separating us from it. Kettering freshman are thrown into an unfamiliar situation on their first work term and realize that, with a little on the job training, they could perform the position competently. There are students on campus who have even been offered their jobs full-time if they drop out. The cost of tuition, now nearly thirty thousand dollars a year, makes such an offer hard to pass up. In the real world, there is no such thing as homework. Calculators are not forbidden, they are expected. Tests, if any, are open book, note, and allow Internet access. A combination of these factors make the University’s offerings seem rather lackluster in comparison, and there is less incentive to care about what our Kettering experience should be. The Strategic Visioning process marks a turning point in the core values of Kettering, and if we want to make our experience here as worthwhile—if not more so—than our jobs, now is the time to make our voices heard. We are a University, not a vocational school.
Opinion The Quest for Innovation
By Erin Boyse You’ve seen the posters, the banners, and the abundance of people in the Great Court around noon on Thursday. Maybe you’ve heard about these events; perhaps you’ve been a spectator. But unless you’ve actually participated, planned your design, felt the pressure as the time ran low, and competed against your fellow staff and students, you have no idea how much you’re missing. Innovation Quest was introduced in Fall 2011 as a way to get students to think outside the box. Faculty and staff are also invited to join, which adds to the fun. How many times have you wanted to prove to your professor that you really know what you’re doing? Well, now you have the opportunity to do so. It’s also a great way to get to know some of the staff, as they can give valuable insight into the challenge you are attempting. I was working on campus during the Fall term and, as I was in the Student Life Office, noticed the signs advertising the upcoming competition. It seemed like it would be great fun and a chance to win $100, but I couldn’t find anyone to participate with. Alas, I missed out on the first few competitions before I finally saw my chance. I partnered with a staff member for the Airplane Challenge, in which participants are given a helium balloon and some assorted items to launch a paper airplane the farthest.We tried our best and used an amazing airplane design (I mean, most of the fun is making paper airplanes to throw at other participants), but when the time came to compete, it failed us. Our second attempt was at launching a ping pong ball into a net using a
mousetrap and other household items. Our design was solid, our practice trials were perfect, but once again, we were killed by the pressure of the competition. Our last chance was the final challenge of the term: build a solar-powered car using a kit (Kettering may be full of engineers, but it would be difficult to construct a solar panel in half an hour), and race it on a lighted track. Many of the cars were thrown sloppily together; a few wouldn’t even run. One of the main problems was trying to make sure your car would roll straight so it wouldn’t run into the wall. The winner was determined by single-elimination rounds, and it was nerve-wracking watching other teams urging their cars to the finish line. Finally it was down to the last two cars, and ours was one of them. I was terrified that the motor had come loose or the solar panel would suddenly stop working. I readied our vehicle at the start line, praying that nothing would go wrong as the $100 was riding on it. We were so close to the prize that had evaded us so many times before! On your mark…we could win this…get set…come on little car…GO!And they were off, rolling down the track, even with each other, ours was pulling ahead, crossing the finish line… we won! All that hard work, time, and effort paid off, and we finally won! I was ecstatic as I was given the prize money and realized that, somewhere in the fun and competition, I’d learned something. I had discovered that a little innovation will go a long way. Though as a college student, the hundred dollars won’t go nearly as far.
Submissions Policy The Technician encourages any interested students to attend staff meetings, held each Monday and Friday over the lunch hour in The Technician office, located on the 3rd floor of the Campus Center by Campus Life. Student submissions are encouraged and will be published if their material is in the public interest. Submissions or letters to the editor from faculty and administrative entities will be published if space is available. The Technician reserves the right to edit any and all submissions for brevity. Anonymous submissions are rarely published and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Individuals wishing to publish anonymously should consult the Editor-in-chief. The deadline for the upcoming issue of The Technician is 8th Monday at midnight. Expected distribution is 9th Tuesday. Send submissions to atechnician@kettering.edu. An edition of The μTechnician is published every week on Tuesday. Submissions for content are due by each Monday at midnight, and event notices are due by Tuesday afternoon. Again, submissions may be sent to atechnician@kettering.edu. The Technician Magazine is published at the end of every term and is distributed at Late Night Breakfast. The deadline for content is 10th Monday at midnight (March 12). Photographs of term highlights, major news articles, and other relevant, yearbook-like content is appreciated.
February 10, 2012
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The Technician
Honor Societies
With the caliber of students Kettering accepts, academic excellence is the norm. However, for those that stand above the rest, joining an honor society provides additional recognition of the efforts expended throughout their collegiate careers. Just as The Technician did with Greek organizations in the summer, Kettering's honor societies are presented below with some key facts and information.
membership. This allows one to browse through a limited selection of the ieee library and also offers discounts on ieee articles and membership. To be eligible to join ieee-hkn, an ece student must be in the top quarter of their class if they're a junior, or the top third of their class if they're a senior. ieee-hkn contacts eligible individuals on a termly basis. The Theta Epsilon Chapter of ieee-hkn strives to involve itself with the Kettering community by inviting guest speakers to speak on ece topics during lunch, by offering ece tutoring, and through holding event's such as last term's Printer Bash where The Delta participants reenacted a famous Office Space scene. Zeta chapter of The chapter is looking forward another term full of Gamma Sigma potential, so keep an eye out for our events! Alpha recogFor more information contact Josh Oberhaus nizes those fra(ober4961@kettering.edu). ternity men and sorority women who have consistently excelled in the Upsilon Pi Epsilon area of Academic Excellence. This prestigious hon(upe) is an organization or society serves as a beacon for all Greeks to strive about celebration of acafor academic success and encourages the pursuit of demics in the computing higher knowledge amongst all students at Kettering. and information disciThe national organization was founded on Noplines. We are currently a vember 9, 1989 at the University of Southern Calirather small organization fornia. Its purpose was to promote interaction with less than 10 membetween Greek students and the academic commubers on campus during nity. The society aims to promote the advancement A-Section. of education among Greeks, to instill a greater spirit Below are the requireof cooperation among Greek students and organizaments that upe provides: tions, and to encourage excellence in scholarship. To be eligible for elecApplications for membership in Gamma Sigma tion to membership, undergraduate students must Alpha will go out later in the term. All active Greeks rank in the upper 35% of the class and shall have who have reached junior status or higher and have a attained a general scholarship rating, in all college cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher are eligible for ad- work thus far completed, of not less than 3.0/4.0 mission. If you have any questions, please contact grade-points provided (1.) that candidates in any Nikki Findlay at find0865@kettering.edu. particular academic level who satisfy the require-
Order of Omega
Gamma Sigma Alpha
The Eta Eta Chapter of the Order of Omega recognizes those fraternity men and sorority women who have attained a high standard of leadership in interfraternity activities and who inspire others to strive for similar attainment. Membership in Order of Omega is proof of a students commitment to academic excellence and dedication to leadership within the Greek Community. Exemplary character is the primary consideration for membership in Order of Omega. Candidates must also meet the following minimum requirements: 1. One full academic year of residence at the institution where selected. 2. Junior or Senior standing. 3. Rank academically above the all-Greek average. 4. Be in good standing with the initiate's fraternal organization. For more information contact Don Ebben (ebbe8674@kettering.edu).
Upsilon Pi Epsilon
Eta Kappa Nu (hkn) The Theta Epsilon Chapter of Eta Kappa Nu is Kettering University's chapter of the National Electrical/Computer Engineering Honor Society, Eta Kappa Nu (hkn). hkn has recently merged with ieee, the professional organization of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Membership of ieee-hkn is very beneficial as these organizations are well known in their industries, membership within them are sure to push one ahead of other individuals. A limited student membership of ieee is included with the hkn
ments of Article viii, Section 2, (2.) that the candidate shall have completed at least 45 (Forty Five) semester hours of college work including fifteen (15) semester hours or twenty-three (23) quarter hours in the basic courses in the Computing and Information Disciplines to be eligible under this Section. The Chapter shall have the right to set any limit above this minimum attainment as a basis for eligibility. For more information contact Sean Nunley (nunl4428@kettering.edu).
upe inductees Photo courtesy of Kettering Communications
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The Technician
In Pictures
February 10, 2012
Left, students play Euchre at the Alpha Phi Euchre tournament.
Photo courtesy of Kettering Communications
Right, Kettering students enjoy looking at cars during the 2012 North American International Auto Show.
Photo courtesy of Kettering Communications
Students participate during an Innovation Quest activity. Innovation Quest challenges are held every Thursday over the lunch hour.
Photo courtesy of Kettering Communications
February 10, 2012
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The Technician
HeartFest, held on February 3, was a huge hit. Everyone from Dr. McMahan (left) to The Technician staff (above) showed up to pose with Big Red and decorate cookies. Even with all that love flowing, some things did not turn out as happily as expected (below). The Technician thought it was impossible to turn down free food. Photos courtesy of Kettering Communications
Kettering's hockey team is having a great season so far. Here they are on the ice, ready to play an opponent.
Photo courtesy of Kettering Communications
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The Technician
Automotive
February 10, 2012
Chevrolet Volt Dragged Before Congress "We did not design the Volt to be a political punching bag." By Robert Hayes Editor-in-chief
at a Chevrolet dealership, if not totaled altogether. The fire did not even occur immediately, but three weeks after the test, and has been linked to a rupture Last month, the partisan rancor that has crippled in the battery casing causing the battery’s coolant to our national political discourse ahead of one of the leak onto a charged circuit board. In the real world, most bitterly contested elections in recent memory that battery would have been drained in accordance attempted to claim another victim: the Chevrolet with gm’s Volt post-crash recommendations. If the Volt plug-in hybrid. Months before, in National Volt was repaired, the battery would have underHighway Transportation Safety Administration gone critical inspection of the battery pack, expostesting, a Chevrolet Volt suffered a battery fire after ing this potential defect. sitting for weeks following a side-impact crash test.
Under the pretense of investigating the fire, House subcommittee chairman Jim Jordan (r-Ohio) called the hearings under the alarmist title “Volt Vehicle Fires: What Did nhtsa Know and When Did They Know It?” While the hearings may have seemed noble, they quickly devolved into partisan rhetoric, attempting to link the lack of media coverage around the Volt’s battery fire to an Obama administration cover-up. The Congressmen claim that nhtsa covered up a fire risk that could put Volt drivers or their garages at risk. While it is true a Volt vehicle did suffer a fire, the situations around the fire were anything but normal. First and foremost, gm’s procedure regarding battery damage was not followed: the batteries were not drained after the crash. Second, the idea that a side-impact rollover crash test is representative of a real-world situation that a customer would not notice is preposterous. Serious damage to the vehicle occurred above and beyond any abuse a customer could put a Volt through without airbag deployment. Put simply, if this crash occurred in real life, the vehicle would have to be almost completely rebuilt
In this photo of an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash test, the Chevrolet Volt encounters strong impacts that damage the batteries. Impacts like these concerned the nhtsa.
While structural reinforcements to the vehicle are being implemented to protect the battery packs on new-build Volts, along with the addition of a battery coolant level sensor, the facts simply do not back up the grilling the Volt has suffered at the hands of overeager Congressmen looking to score political points on the back of the Chevrolet Volt and electric vehicles in general. While the hearings themselves were largely pointless, they did draw in General Motors ceo Dan Ackerson to deliver a defense of the Volt to the largely unsympathetic Congressmen. As he pointed out: “We engineered Volt to give drivers a choice: to use energy produced in the United States rather than oil from places that may not always put America’s best interests first. And, we engineered Volt to show the world what great vehicles we make at General Motors.” “Unfortunately, there is one thing we did not engineer. Although we loaded the Volt with state-ofthe-art safety features, we did not engineer the Volt
to be a political punching bag.” “And that, sadly, is what it’s become. For all of the loose talk about fires, we are here today because tests by regulators resulted in battery fires under lab conditions that no driver would experience in the real world. In one test, the fire occurred seven days after a simulated crash. In another, it took three weeks after the test. Not three minutes. Not three hours. Not three days. Three weeks.”
Representative Mike Kelley (r-Pennsylvania) asked during the hearings, “Whose best interest were you acting in? It certainly wasn’t the American public.” The same question can be asked of Representative Kelley and all the other Congressmen pointing fingers at the Volt as example of Obama administration folly: is it truly better to turn one of the most technologically advanced vehicles in history into a political punching bag, or is it time to improve the safety and security of the American people by encouraging investment in alternative fuel technology and moving forward as a nation, leaving our dangerous addiction to oil as far behind us as memories of a rational, bipartisan legislature seem to Americans today?
February 10, 2012
By Devin Aryan Staff Writer
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The Technician
Technology Ces, Technically Speaking
Holy technology show, Batman; this is a lot of tech! At the Consumer Electronics Show (ces) 2012, electronic companies from all parts of the globe showcased their upcoming devices. With fans foaming at the mouth for the next big device, it’s needless to say that the show was not a disappointment. From automobile technology to the newest televisions, you could find everything electronic at the show. From the automotive sector, TeleNav’s new Scout service turned a few heads. The new gps software is not only available on the internet at Scout.me, but is also available on your iPhone and will soon be featured in the Ford Sync AppLink. Scout isn’t an ordinary gps device, though. It gives personalized commute times to work, home, or any “favorite” location with shortcuts for shortened travel time. Scout also offers a search engine in the event one feels like trying something new or is in a new locale. iTunes has been integrated into the Scout app for the iPhone, and can give vocal directions when linked with a vehicle’s stereo system. With the ability to be used at home or on the go, TeleNav is c o n f i d ent Telenav route planning screenshot. that Scout Courtesy of blog.laptopmap.com. will do well. The other major automotive showing was Pioneer’s AppRadio 2, the next version of their revolutionary device that brought the smart phone experience to a car’s dashboard. The folks at Pioneer improved everything that had garnered consumer criticism in their original version when creating the AppRadio 2. The biggest addition is that the AppRadio 2 will support Android devices. Though they didn’t reveal more about this, Pioneer did reveal some of the hardware specs. The AppRadio 2 will have a 7-inch glass touch screen, which is larger from its predecessor, and will retain its capacitive sensitivity and multi-touch functionality. It will also keep Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, optional rearview camera input, and support for steering-wheel controls. Pioneer has also added a second preamp output, allowing more freedom in system building than with the first model. To put the icing on the cake, the AppRadio 2 will have an Advanced App Mode added to the navigation and dvd receivers, allowing
for the use of gps software, music, and video from a connected smart phone. The AppRadio 2 will hit the market in April for a total of $499. Smartphones also made a big splash at the show as four new phones were put in the spotlight. First is the Nokia Lumia 900, which will be based on the Windows Phone platform and use AT&T’s 4g lte network. The rear-facing camera has an F2.2 aperture lens with a 28mm focal length, while a frontfacing camera is included with an led flash. The Lumia will have 16 gb internal memory and a polycarbonate case.
but Sony has promised the upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich by the second quarter. The phone will launch sometime first quarter. No details on price or carriers were revealed. Though the show was full of other new electronics, the only other big surprise was the Asus Memo 370T tablet. With the Kindle Fire changing market prices for all tablets last year, the 370t looks to do the same in 2012. Selling for only $250, it is the first tablet to include quad-core Tegra 3. Considering the fact that the tablet will ship with Ice Cream Sandwich, pricing on not only tablets but all handheld devices could be affected. With the quad-core, the 370t could possibly outperform the upcoming Sony handheld ps Vita, which will be selling for the same price. The effects of such a low price on the market cannot be estimated as of yet; which specific markets get affected depends on how Asus plans to move forward with this new tablet. Having created a lot of noise after only being announced, the Memo 370t is the tablet to keep an eye on this year.
Photo of the Nokia Lumia 900. Courtesy of techcrunch.com
Next up is the HTC Titan II. Seemingly identical to the predecessor, the Titan II has one huge secret that will make picture lovers faint: a 16 megapixel camera. The other major addition is a larger battery. Third is the Motorola Droid 4, which combines the “golden trifecta” of Android, a keyboard, and Verizon 4g lte service. Seeing as the Droid 3 lacked 4g lte , this is a major improvement. Though the Tablet photo. Courtesy of techradar.com phone currently runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread, With tons of electronics showcased, ces 2012 was an upgrade to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is not a disappointment. 2012 looks to be a good tech said to be coming. year so far, providing plenty of new gadgets to love. HTC Titan 2. Courtesy of gforgames.com.
The final phone is Sony’s Xperia s (not to be confused with the Xperia Arc s). Being the classiest looking smart phone at the show, the Xperia s is sleek, thin, and has a design that makes it fit perfectly in your hands and stand-up on its own. To make the Android phone even better, Sony has a 12 megapixel camera on the phone (which falls just short of the Titan II) and records in 1080p hd (which Titan II made no mention of ). The Xperia s also boasts hd (1280 × 720-pixel) resolution on the 4.3-inch screen (same as iPhone), 32 gb internal storage, and the inclusion of the PlayStation Certificate. The phone will initially run on Gingerbread like the Droid 4,
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Entertainment
College Town Movie Series
From the Flint Institute of Arts
All screenings are in the fia Theater at the Flint Institute of Arts, 1120 E. Kearsley St. Admission is free for students with college id or fia College Town membership card; others pay $5 fia members, $6 non-members and $4 Friends of Modern Art members. Details: (810) 234-1695, www.flintarts.org February 16, 9pm The Myth of the American Sleepover (nr) (us, 2011) Directed by David Robert Mitchell, 93 min.
Proposed Films for March and April
(us, 2011) Directed by Jonathan Levine, 100 min. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen co-star in a comedy about a 27-year-old guy who learns about the real priorities of his life after he is diagnosed with cancer. Inspired by a true story.
Mountainfilm on Tour in Flint
From the Flint Institute of Arts
Footloose: A remake of the 1980s musical drama about a city kid whose dancing shakes up a small town. With Kenny Wormold, Juliette Hough, Dennis Quaid and Andie MacDowell. The Rum Diary: Johnny Depp plays a failing American journalist who takes on a freelance job in Puerto Rico for a local newspaper during the 1950s and struggles to find a balance between island culture and the expatriates who live there. Giovanni Ribisi and Aaron Eckhart also star in this adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s novel.
Metropolis: Fritz Lang’s hugely influential 1926 German silent sci-fi epic – newly restored with footage not seen in more than 70 years – concerns a mad scientist who builds a female robot to bring down a futuristic city sharply divided between the wealthy Set (and filmed) in the Detroit area, this indie and the workers. coming-of-age comedy concerns four young people searching for love, sex and friendship on the eve of We Are the Night: In this German horror flick, a their late-summer return to college. trio of female vampires attacks a group of criminals February 23, 9pm 50/50 (r)
Foma Films
as the police close in and a love triangle ensues.
All screenings are in the fia Theater at the Flint Institute of Arts, 1120 E. Kearsley St. Admission at the door is $5 fia members, $6 non-members and $4 foma members. Details: (810) 234-1695, flintarts.org February 3–4 (7:30pm), February 5 (2pm) Into the Abyss (pg-13) (Germany/Canada, 2011) Directed by Werner Herzog, 107 min. In his latest fascinating documentary, master filmmaker Werner Herzog examines a thought-provoking triple homicide case in Texas to reflect upon why people kill – and why a state kills as a matter of law. February 10–11 (7:30pm), February 12 (2pm) The Black Power Mixtape (nr) (Sweden, 2011) Directed by Goran Olsson, 100 min. The black power movement in America is revisited through an irresistible mix of music, narration and recently restored documentary footage originally shot by Swedish journalists between 1967 and 1975.
Margaret: A young woman (Anna Paquin of “The Piano” and TV’s “True Blood”) witnesses a bus accident, and is caught up in the aftermath, where the question of whether or not it was intentional affects many people's lives. Matt Damon and Mark Ruffalo also star in a drama from the director of “You Can February 24–25 (7:30pm), February 26 (2pm) Count on Me.” Martha Marcy May Marlene (r) (U.S., 2011) Directed by Sean Durkin, 102 min. In the Company of Men: Aaron Eckhart played Newcomer Elizabeth Olsen turns in a much lauded one of his most conspicuous early roles for then- performance as a woman struggling to reunite with fledgling director Neil LaBute as one of a pair of her family after fleeing an abusive cult. Sarah Pauloffice workers who promote an affair with a handi- son and John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone) also appear. capped co-worker as a odd revenge against the female gender. The Greatest Movie Ever Sold: Morgan Spurlock, maker of such irreverent but entertaining documentaries as “Super Size Me” and “Where in the World in Osama bin Laden?,” makes a comic film about branding, advertising and product placement that is financed and made possible by brands, advertising and product placement.
rated Director Tom Shadyac (Patch Adams, Ace Ventura:Pet Detective, Evan Almighty) responds to personal adversity by talking to intellectual and From the Flint Institute of Arts spiritual leaders about what’s wrong with our world The fia presents titles from the Mountainfilm in – and how to make it better. Ed Bradley, fia associTelluride tour, which aims to inspire dialogue on ate curator of film, will lead a Q&A session after the social, cultural and environmental issues through screening, and director Tom Shadyac is tentatively documentary cinema. Admission to each feature (at scheduled to participate. the door) is $5 for fia members, $6 for non-members and $4 for Friends of Modern Art members; Feb. 18 (1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.) patrons with valid student ID (high school or col- Shakespeare High lege) will have FREE admission. Details: (810) 234- (U.S., 2012) Directed by Alex Rotaru, 81 min., not 1695, flintarts.org rated Students immersed in the Drama Teachers AssociaFeb. 17 (7:30 p.m.) tion of Southern California’s high school drama proI Am gram are compelled to overcome their differences (U.S., 2011) Directed by Tom Shadyac, 76 min., not and create better lives. Also included is commentary
by such notable program alumni as Kevin Spacey, Val Kilmer and Richard Dreyfuss. Two youths profiled in the film will appear in a Q&A session and perform live at the fia screenings. Feb. 18 (9:15 p.m.), Feb. 19 (2 p.m.) Waste Land (Brazil, 2010) Directed by Lucy Walker, Joao Jardim and Karen Harley, 99 min., not rated This Oscar-nominated film documents the efforts by renowned Brazilian artist Vik Muniz to help people create art from recycled landfill material, and offers stirring evidence of the transformative power of art. Ed Bradley, FIA associate curator of film, will lead a Q&A session after Sunday’s show.
February 10, 2012
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The Technician
Canadian Independence By John Oliver Staff Writer There are many heroes in the history of the world. There are many brave acts that at the time seemed reckless and unwise to all but the involved parties. They stood up when others thought them foolish. They stood up not because it was easy, but because it was right. Several names come to mind when one mentions the term ‘hero.’ Unfortunately, very few people outside of Canada remember Allen Timothy Forthwith the Third and the Canadian Crusade for Independence. I, as well as the many other Canadian-American students at Kettering, would like to celebrate the holiday and the day we won our independence by telling the story of our struggle. Allen Timothy Forthwith the Third was a normal Canadian. He was a lumberjack who drank his beer with a glass of maple syrup before going to sleep in his log cabin with his pet moose. After the folks over in America got their independence, the British were really depressed over losing the us After finding out, King George said, “They [the us] were so supercool. I wish I could have hung out with those dudes some more.” To which the queen replied, “Totes ma goats. We should totally tax the Canadians twice as much and give them negative representation in parliament.” King George replied, “Yeah man. That will show them.” It became law. Canada was now forced to pay an unheard-of 0.7% tax annually on the top ten percent of earners, and the Canadian colonies were given a representative in parliament that had negative one vote. This was an insult to the Canadian people, but they took it in stride. They went so far as to not
write a thank-you note once they received the British Christmas card, although most Canadians were left confused and apologized for what they assumed must have been their fault.
utter names such as a stupid Sally and cruddy Carrel. Yes, this is very strong language for a Canadian and it drove many into hiding, but it called even more to action. The Canadian people rallied at the capitol, the big rock outside of cousin John’s house, and wrote up the Declaration of Canadian Independence. The Declaration of Canadian Independence was a very pleasant letter that politely asked for independence. The document ended with the famous words, “So if it’s not too much trouble and you have time to get around to it, we would really appreciate you granting us our independence and whatnot.” The letter was signed and sent to England, where it was reviewed and accepted. This Thursday marks the anniversary of the fateful day that the Canadian Independence crusaders received the letter from England that said, “ok.” To celebrate, the Canadians drank the sap directly out A free and independent Canada is a beautiful thing, eh? of maple trees. This tradition had been carried on every year since the first Canadian Independence Photo courtesy of flickr user abdallahh day. The Canadian-American Society of Kettering This continued until 1867 when Allen Timothy invites you to a special ceremony in the Great Court was cutting down a large spruce and was seized by where all seven of the club’s members will explain a terrible thirst. He did as he had since he became what Canada’s independence means to them while a lumberjack at seven, when he grew his first beard. drinking unprocessed tree sap. Be there at six to reHe went to the Maple Leaf Café and ordered a large serve your seat. glass of maple syrup. Before hearing the total, he threw twenty cents down on the counter, but the cashier stopped him and explained, “I’m sorry, a glass of maple syrup is now twenty-one cents. There is a new tax on syrup.” Upon hearing this, Allen went into “Canadian Hulk” mode, which is when a Canadian will no longer apologize for others’ mistakes, but instead
Global Issues Film Festival Overview
By Dominic Jandrain This January, the 10th Annual Global Issues Film Festival was held in Kettering’s McKinnon Theater. The event brought several thought provoking films to Kettering, with several followed by a community discussion. The first film of the event, The World According to Monsanto, brought up several issues with Monsanto, a company well known in the farming industry for their genetically modified farming solutions. While the film may not have had the best arguments for Monsanto’s case, it did do a very fine job of explaining the importance of knowing what is going into our bodies, regardless of how it is created. The next day of the film festival, The Power of the Powerless was featured. This was followed by a discussion led by Dr. Eugene Hynes, Professor of Social Science. The film depicted Czechoslovakia’s struggle with communist rule and the various movements against it. The third film, Fuel, did a fantastic job of informing the audience of the importance of biofuels and, more importantly, the need to wean society off of
oil. Director Josh Tickell found a way to expertly explain what biofuels are, where they come from, and why society should use them in place of oil. In addition to being the informative documentary it is, the film was also quite entertaining. The discussion following the film was led by Dr. Jonathan Wenzel, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at Kettering. The audience was very involved in the discussion, alternative energy being a very popular topic among Kettering students and professors. The final day of the film featured two films, The Sun Behind the Clouds and Addicted to Plastic. The first film shown, The Sun Behind the Clouds, portrayed Tibet’s struggle with the Chinese government’s policies on Buddhism. The film did an excellent job of explaining the situation, as complicated as the subject is. Although being governed by China has definitely been a major benefit to Tibet in every other aspect, the very religious Tibetans still resent China for suppressing Buddhism. The discussion after the film was led by Dr. Badrinath Rao, Associate Professor of Sociology and Asian Studies at Kettering. Dr. Rao is quite knowledgeable on the subject, and having
several students in the audience who were also aware of the situation led to a very informative discussion demonstrating several views of the issue. The final film shown, Addicted to Plastic, was an-
other informative, engaging documentary about the average American’s relationship with plastic. The film, albeit a bit cheesy at times, did a fantastic job of exhibiting why plastics can be bad for society and the environment. The film showcased several alternatives to plastic, many innovative recycling methods, and a multitude of various other solutions to help ease Americans off of plastics.
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The Technician
Meme of the Month Casually Pepper Spray Everything Cop
By Dominic Jaindrain Entertainment Columnist Remember Occupy Wall Street? It seems like old news now, but a certain meme that spawned from it deserves the spotlights once more before it fades into oblivion. Besides, there have been virtually no meme developments lately, aside from the several thousand Advice Dog spin-offs that are introduced weekly on Reddit. The Internet has been pretty busy with sopa/pipa and acta protests lately, so they are not to blame for slacking in the meme departthe same time (just like most of the Internet)! As ment. shown in the various videos, the students protesting at uc Davis had formed a chain linked by arms. After refusing to move, Pike shuffled his way down the line with his pepper spray. It almost looked as though he were trying to spray-paint a big area with only one can, yet still cover everything, you know? It’s like someone might expect to see someone following him around, pointing out spots on the students’ faces that he missed because he started nodAnyway, this month’s meme is Casually Pepper Spray Everything Cop, also known as Pepper Spray ding off mid-walk. Anyway, the meme turned out to Cop or John Pike for short, since that’s actually be hilarious, and had many mini-memes spawn from his name. Anyway, Johnny here is another photo- it, all definitely worth checking out. manipulation based meme, with his image being shopped into various other photos, much like Sad Keanu, Bubble Girl, etc. So what is he doing in the photo? He is pepper-spraying a line of seated protestors in what can only be described as a “nonchalant” manner, which is absurdly hilarious and absolutely terrible at
Dawn of a New Sunrise/Sunset
By Tyler Van Eck Copy Editor
Those who previously found themselves dissatisfied with their culinary experience at Kettering University arrived to a pleasant surprise this term. Of course, this refers to nothing else but the new logos emblazoned above the Sunrise and Sunset Rooms. The windows above both rooms currently feature the white silhouette of some unknown, apparently trendy city with the room’s title proudly displayed in big block letters below. In an effort to satisfy the need for an improved dining experience at Kettering, it was wisely decided that the necessary funds would best be allocated to improving aesthetic appeal. The response to these actions appears to be mostly positive so far. One student, citing a lack of grandeur befitting of the food quality, commented, “Every time I would step into the cafeteria to grab a quick lunch, walking under that bland gateway would always make meals feel so lackluster. Now that the new logo is there, I can walk into that room and it almost immediately feels like the food quality is that much better.” Other students interviewed echoed this sentiment as well, while others claimed that the graphic upgrade was the very quality their dining experience lacked all along. While this improvement was certainly the wisest initial path that could have possibly been taken, it is unknown if further improvements will be made. One can only hope that in such a case, the current body of authority over Kettering’s culinary aspect will continue to keep in mind that looks are the defining quality of what constitutes a good eating experience. -