The
Technician bulldogs.kettering.edu/technician
March 18, 2014
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Volume 112
Issue 3
Dr. James Zhang Appointed New Provost By Matthew White Editor-in-chief In a memorandum sent via e-mail to the Kettering community on Tuesday, March 4, Dr. Robert McMahan, President of Kettering University, announced that he had selected Dr. James Zhang as the successor for Dr. Robert Simpson in his role as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. The letter thanked the faculty and staff who served on the search committee, as well as the campus at large for their engagement. It went on to thank Dr. Simpson for his dedication to the university, having served as provost twice. Describing what he called "a rare combination of scholarly achievement, administrative acumen, and industry experience," Dr. McMahan spoke of the
What’s Inside
positive feedback Dr. Zhang's colleagues had for his ability to lead. He also assured the community that his personal conversations with Dr. Zhang convinced him that he would make "an exceptional Provost and a strong strategic partner." Dr. Zhang was the assistant dean under Dr. McMahan while he was the dean of The Kimmel School. In order to facilitate the transition, Dr. Zhang will spend the month of June working with Dr. Simpson before assuming the role.
Photo courtesy of Kettering Communications
SAE Banquet
Kettering travels to the mid-Michigan dinner
Liberal Studies Looks to Hire
3
Mobile Web
An overview of the conference and tech
Lego Movie
Art
5
A discussion of Black History Month
Arcade Games in BJ's Lounge
8
Guest contributors offer differing thoughts
10
Kettering Awards
By Matthew White Editor-in-chief
By Ari Budiono Staff Writer
By Ari Budiono Staff Writer
With the announcement of two professors retiring in the department of Liberal Studies, there was little doubt that replacements for Drs. Hynes and Schneider-Bateman would need to be found. Dr. Karen Wilkinson, head of the department, told The Technician in an interview that both searches were well underway. Hiring for a liberal arts position in a school like Kettering presents certain challenges. At most universities, professors would teach students in their major as well as non-major students. Liberal studies professors at Kettering only teach non-major students, which some professors may not want. The job advertisement clearly explains this about the position. Also unlike other schools, Kettering offers very specific "introduction" classes that are required of every student. Finding professors with the necessary experience to teach Introduction to Social Sciences and senior seminar—classes taught now by Dr. Hynes—can be challenging, and so the advertisement clearly identifies those as teaching responsibilities. The professor would also be expected to develop new upper-level electives. In all, over 150 applicants have applied for the position, and more continue to come in (there is a rolling deadline). Dr. Wilkinson, however, said that the strongest candidates came in around the deadline. Individuals who mentioned their experiences with the core classes in their cover letter. The candidates cover a wide variety of interests and specialities, including sociology, history, and political science.
With the renovations in bj’s Lounge, there has been much attention from the administration on how the students have utilized the space. During A section, the reception of the new space has been lackluster and to help bring more students to bj’s, the Student Life office has been sponsoring game nights, a mechanical bull, movie nights, and performances in bj’s Lounge. The latest investment in bj’s was the placement of retro arcade games. The hope of these activities is that the students will be enticed to use the lounge more often. With the latest insertion Students play a racing game in bj's. of the arcade Photo courtesy of Mr. Bryan Boyse games, there have been many more students and even Dr. McMahan making use of the space. Originally, the arcade games were to only stay for three days from Monday to Wednesday of 7th week, but with so many students asking for the games to stay in bj’s, the Student Life office decided to extend the use of the arcade games until 8th week Monday. In the eyes of the Student Life office, the arcade games have been very effective in bringing students together to socialize in bj’s Lounge, and because of this, the arcade games were brought back on 9th week Wednesday and will stay in bj’s Lounge until Reading Day 11th week Wednesday. They will be removed on Reading Day in an attempt to help students focus on final exams.
Last October, the Council for the Advancement of Secondary Education (case) of District v announced the winners of the 2013 Pride of case v Awards. The annual award program honors institutions and individuals who demonstrate outstanding achievement in the concept of programs within the advancements, alumni, and communication fields. District v includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The contest generated 482 entries from institutions in five broad areas: excellence in alumni relations, fund raising and development, communications and marketing, special events, and diversity programming. Awards are divided into 45 categories and Kettering received a Bronze Award for Excellence in Special Events, Invitations, and Collateral Materials for Professor Reg Bell’s Endowment Homecoming event. This February, Kettering University and its creative partner, Olmsted and Associates, were recognized by the American Advertising Federation-Flint Region with two 2013 Silver Medal Awards, one for Kettering Magazine and the other for Undergraduate Enrollment Marketing Programs. The aaf Silver Medal Recipients were nominated by peers in the advertising and marketing industry and winners were selected by a panel of aaf past presidents and based on creativity and marketing results. Recipients of the Silver Medal Awards are those that have made outstanding contributions to advertising and have been active in furthering the industry’s standards and creative excellence.
Continued on the next page
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The Technician
News Gary Moore
Liberal Studies Looks to Hire
Beyond the Classroom
Continued from the front page
By Chaz Mancino Staff Writer On Thursday, March 6, 2014, Gary Moore, an alumnus of the class of 1969, came to talk to the Kettering community about the impact that his Kettering University career has had throughout his life. Moore talked about his time at what was then gmi, and his life afterwards. The presentation was sponsored by the Student Alumni Council. During his career at gmi, Moore majored in electrical engineering. As with all gmi students of the time, his co-op was with General Motors. He was able to work in places such as the old General Motors factory located in Tarrytown, New York, where Maxwell automobiles used to be built. While there, he nearly electrocuted himself four times before discovering that he preferred the sales side of the industry. After he graduated from gmi, Moore worked for an electric forklift company in sales. While at that company, he was offered to come to work for a dealership. Moore only expected to work there for a few years, but developed a close relationship with the company’s owners and ended up buying the dealership. He sold the business ten years later, with much help from his mentors. Moore emphasized the importance of having mentors in all aspects of your life, including managers at work, people in law, and financial advisors. At a co-op, mentors can help a student make the best decisions while giving him or her advice about life and the company. Mentors in law can help one prepare for any legal matters and helped Moore person-
ally when he was buying and selling his company. His financial mentors also personally helped Moore during his time of buying and selling his company in addition to other large financial transactions. In addition to finding mentors, Moore encouraged citizens of the Kettering community to become mentors. This could include joining a Big Brothers Big Sisters organization or just being a role model for younger people. Moore said that he has been a mentor for several kids through Big Brothers Big Sisters. He mentioned that being a mentor has allowed him to encourage others, but he has also learned many valuable lessons from his mentees. Moore is the author of two books titled Objective Based Selling in Wholesale Distribution, and Objective Based Selling for the Material Handling Industry which are about his time selling items in the forklift industry, but also about the more general aspects of sales. Photos courtesy of Gary T. Moore
The
Technician Matthew White
Editor-in-chief
Kaitlin Solovey
Assistant Editor
Chloe Hauxwell
L ayout Editor
Erin Boyse
March 18, 2014
Online Editor
Bryan Boyse
Distribution Editor
Staff writers Devin Aryan Ari Budiono Colleen Chavis Charles Mancino David Richelson
Faculty Advisor Dr. Christine Levecq
Photographer Joseph Stevenson
Special Thanks To Betsy Homsher
Columnist Dr. Mark Gellis
For Dr. Schneider-Bateman's replacement, much of the same holds true. The department did not know of his departure early enough to advertise during the peak job hunting season, so they expect fewer applications for the position. A professor for this position would be expected to teach comm-101 and comm-301, as well as upper-level electives that would design. The department is also looking for someone who has experience in assessing student learning, which is an area that would like to improve in their courses. In the case of both positions, the department is looking to bring new talent without duplicating the expertise already present. The candidate would also have to prove their ability to publish scholarly work as part of their employment at Kettering. Dr. Wilkinson hopes that a new professor would bring an enthusiasm for learning and reinvigorate existing faculty with new ideas. The reverse is also true, in that existing faculty would be given the chance to mentor a new professor, helping them build the department. Aside from qualifications, the department also looks at a candidate's ability to relate to the students. The department sees great value in these interactions, and so tries to find the candidates that demonstrate the ability to connect to students in a meaningful way. In the event that one of the positions produces no high quality candidates, the department is prepared to re-advertise the position during the next hiring season. Both Dr. Hynes and Dr. Schneider-Bateman will continue as faculty members through the end of this academic year. Their replacements would start in summer for the 2014-2015 academic year.
Submissions Policy The Technician encourages any interested students to attend staff meetings. Meetings for Summer 2014 will be held over the lunch hour in The Technician office, located on the 3rd floor of the Campus Center above the Sunrise CafĂŠ (days to be determined). 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 and clarity. 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 Magazine is 10th Thursday at 6pm. Expected distribution is during Late Night Breakfast. Send submissions to atechnician@kettering.edu.
March 18, 2014
The Technician
Organization Updates
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SAE Mid-Michigan Banquet tus Cars, “‘If [it is] not broke, [it is] probably too heavy.’” This statement stands true for the Formula sae team since one of the goals is to build a lightOn February 18, 2014, the Society of Automotive weight vehicle since less mass means that the car may Engineers (sae) teams were invited to the sae Midgo faster in the dynamic events. As for the KetterMichigan Collegiate Banquet in Frankenmuth, ing University Formula sae team, weight savings Michigan. There, the Formula sae, sae Baja, and sae Clean Snowmobile Challenge (csc) teams presented to other Mid-Michigan schools involved in various sae competitions as well as other members of sae. sae Program Chairman Mark Pope started the program by stating some surprising facts about sae teams. These facts included that companies would rather hire a member of an sae team than someone who has high grades because the sae team member would more than likely have more practical knowledge and hands-on experience than the other candidate. Pope also made the comparison of how many college athletes can make a living with their respective sports compared to the number of engineers on an sae team that can make a living with what they learned on a team. Although a few college athletes may go onto the big leagues, chances are that most college athletes’ athletic career will end as soon as they are out of college. sae team members, however, will be able to present the skills that they have for the 2014 formula car come from a redesigned learned while on a team to an employer who will chassis and the switch from 13 inch rims to 10 inch likely hire them because of their knowledge, allowrims. About 50 pounds was shed from the vehicle ing them to apply what they learned on a team in for the 2014 season. Roughly 24 pounds were lost real life. from switching to 10 inch rims while the rest of the Director of Motorsport Bill Own then talked to weight loss came from the redesigned chassis. Smallthe audience about practical applications of engier rims also mean less rotational inertia, so the 2014 neering experience. Owen has done work on Buicks, formula car should be easier to drive than the 2013 Pontiac Firebirds, Chevrolet copo Camaros, and one was. Out of all of the sae competitions, ForFord and Chrysler vehicles. mula sae is the biggest one with over 500 competFor Kettering University, the Formula sae team ing teams worldwide. Chief Engineer Adam Watson and William SchnieAfter Watson and Schnieder were done presenting der presented to the audience a summary of the 2013 about the Formula team, the Kettering University season along with information on the 2014 car. The sae Baja Team Leader Zachary Watts presented to 2013 season for the Formula sae was the best in gmi the audience an overview of the 2013 season along and Kettering University history. Some of the highwith talking about how the 2014 Baja car is coming lights were that the team won fuel efficiency in all along. Although they had some setbacks during the three venues that it competed in along with winning 2013 competitions, the 2014 season looks promising. the business report at the sae Lincoln competition. New for the 2014 Baja car are four wheel outboard Watson quoted Colin Chapman, the founder of Lobrakes to ensure better stopping power. By Chaz Mancino Formula sae Team
The last team to present from Kettering University was the sae Clean Snowmobile Challenge (csc) team. Just like the Formula and Baja teams, csc Team Leader Matthew Birt presented to the audience an overview of the 2013 season along with new improvements for the 2014 snowmobile. Coming in
second place at the competition for two years in a row, the csc team looks to take home the gold this year. New improvements for the 2014 snowmobile include an engine that runs on isobutanol instead of flex fuel and a lean-burn calibration in replace of an exhaust gas recirculation (egr) system. In addition to giving a detailed presentation, Birt and the rest of the Kettering University sae csc team took home the first annual sae Collegiate Cup for Outstanding Performance in the sae Collegiate Design Series trophy. The trophy is a tradition that the Mid-Michigan section of sae has started to commemorate outstanding performances in both an sae competition and the presentation at the Mid-Michigan Collegiate Banquet. The trophy will be passed around every year and will have the name of the team that won it with the year that the team won it. Other sae teams that presented the banquet included the Central Michigan University sae Baja team and the Saginaw Valley State University Formula sae team. Students from the University of Michigan Flint campus also attended as they seek to start an sae Baja team. The Clio and Flushing first Robotics team, Team 468 Aftershock, also presented at the banquet. Top: The 2013 Kettering University sae csc snowmobile on display at the banquet. Bottom: From left: fsae team member William Schnieder, fsae team Chief Engineer Adam Watson, sae csc Team Leader Matthew Birt (holding the trophy), and Baja sae Team Leader Zachary Watts. Photos courtesy of Mr. Chaz Mancino
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The Technician
March 18, 2014
Automotive
Review of the 2014 Ford Mustang GT 5.0 Track Pack By L. Douglas Petersen Guest Contributor The Ford Mustang is an icon in the muscle car world. It has been in production since 1964 and has always evoked a sense of passion. Over the years, the Mustang has had its ups and downs, but it carries with it the passion that Mustang enthusiasts share no matter the car’s year of production. Mustangs over the years have been built with a range of engines: from small, under-powered straight 6 engines to, for their time, very technologically advanced V-8s. A few examples are the Boss 302 with its roots in road racing and the Boss 429 with its all-out street domination in the late 60s. Just the mention of some of the engines, like the 351 Cleveland or the Boss engines, can start a conversation among total strangers at a car show or an office party. Ford carries on this tradition of top of the line muscle car technology with the introduction of the 5.0 liter “Coyote” engine platform in the 2014 Mustang gt with the Track Pack package. This engine is all aluminum in construction and has cast iron cylinder liners. It differs from Chevrolet’s Camaro ss and Dodge’s Challenger line in that the 5.0 liter has dual overhead cam shafts and four valves per cylinder. Each of the four cam shafts can be independently phased to provide optimum valve timing to maximize engine performance and emissions at all rpms (Ford’s ti-vct system). This very advanced system is important because it allows the engine to be docile at idle and cruising speeds but also come alive at 6,500-plus rpm, characteristics that a conventional single cam V-8 cannot match without the large valve overlap that will degrade emissions and drivability. The 5.0’s relatively small size and state of the art ti-vct system allow it to reach mid 20’s mpg for average fuel economy while still being very capable at thrusting the car forward with relative ease. The 2014 gt’s 5.0 is rated at 420 hp and 390 lbs·ft with is fantastic for such a small light motor. In the Mustang’s past, its performance emphasis was in straight line acceleration and top speed. The current Mustang is very fast but really shines around corners. Pirelli P-Zero tires allow the Mustang gt’s steering, braking, and forward and lateral acceleration forces to be transferred to the ground. I have no-
ticed that these tires are well suited for driving in all normal conditions; hot and cold, dry and wet. Ford has optimized the suspension package specifically with high performance in mind. As a consequence, the ride can be harsh on very rough pavement surfaces. The four wheel disc brake system with fourwheel abs uses Brembo four piston calipers with 14 inch rotors in the front and smaller single piston calipers in the back. They work well together in normal driving modes but have a tendency to fade in high duty cycles. If you plan on racing the Track Pack or using it on track days, a rear upgrade package which is available from numerous sources is recommended. The steering feel is spectacular thanks to electrically assisted power steering.
tires easily for easy parking and maneuvering. For a car guy, sound is everything. This is one place where the Mustang gt does not deliver. This is a production vehicle, and as such, loud exhaust is not going to be fitted to this vehicle. As much as I would have loved to have the car be delivered with an iroc or nascar rumble from the smooth 5.0 l engine, I understand Ford has to meet exhaust noise restrictions. As with the rear brakes though, cat-back or axle back exhaust is available in various noise levels and corresponding price levels to suit even the most diehard enthusiast. Ford did install a sound tube from the air intake into the cabin to allow intake noise to fill the cabin area. This is a nice feature but does not replace a beautiful exhaust sound. In conclusion, I have to say as an owner and an enthusiast, I love the Track Pack Mustang gt. It delivers great performance for the money and makes a very rewarding daily driver! I feel that its combination of nimble handling and American V-8 power set it apart from the competition both foreign and domestic. Its driverfocused ride and handling make a drive more than just getting from point A to point B. If you’re like me and like a little more performance than what was offered from the factory, the Mustang Track Pack aftermarket performance parts base is huge. Upgrades are simple and easy. The 2014 Mustang gt 5.0 Track Pack is defiantly worth looking at and enjoying as you show far more expensive cars the way down any road!
The numbers that the gt car is advertised with only tell half the story; 5.0 engine, 14 inch rotors, four piston calipers. What does this all mean when you own and drive a 2014 Mustang gt? The Mustang gt is remarkably planted in all road situations. I was never in a situation where the car responded in a way that was not expected. As a corner is entered, it takes a nice set and does not squirm under trail braking or when you match revs on down shifts. In fact, this car is very easy to heal toe which allows for a fun driver-focused driving experience. As for the rear axle which is a standard solid axle, it responds well to the road conditions and handles Photo of the 2014 Mustang with the Shelby GT500 well. Many critics say it detracts from the utility svt Track Pack and Performance Package are courand handling of the car. I disagree; Ford has been tesy of Ford. using a solid axle in the Mustang since its birth in 1964, but in the Cobra Mustang from 2003 to 2004 an independent rear suspension was utilized. Over time it has developed into a worthy adversary for the more complex, and fragile independent rear suspension designs. The electronic power steering, which I mentioned earlier, is a far cry from the basic manual or hydraulic steering offered in early Mustangs. This system is capable of varying assist based on vehicle speed. This gives the car a more direct steering feel at speed when assist is not necessary. On the other hand, its at low speed assist helps turn the wide front
March 18, 2014
The Technician
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Technology
Mobile Web Conference By Ari Budiono Staff Writer Over the course of four days from February 24-27, the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona showcased the latest mobile devices for public consumption. In similar respects to the Consumer Electronics Show in early January, major corporations and new startups presented their latest creations to the press and industry analysts. Some of the larger releases are of the following: Samsung Galaxy s5, Samsung Gear 2, Samsung Gear 2 Neo, Samsung Gear Fit, htc Desire 816, Sony Xperia z2 smartphone and tablet, lg g Pro 2, Nokia x, x+, and Nokia xl android phones. There were many other great announcements from lesser known companies that are not usually covered by the us websites because not all of the devices displayed at mwc will arrive in the us. Probably some of the most anticipated devices at mwc were those that came from Samsung, Sony, and lg. The Samsung Galaxy s5 smartphone was decently received by the press as there were some evolutionary changes to the device rather than a revolution of features. For example, some of the new features of the Galaxy s5 are the slightly larger 5.1 full hd display, software upgrade to Android 4.4 “Kit Kat”, a quad core Krait 2.5 ghz chipset (based on the Snapdragon 800), 2800mAh battery, 16 mega-pixel sensor capable of recording 4K video and background refocusing, mimo 802.11ac Wi-Fi, fingerprint scanner, and a hear rate monitor. The Galaxy s5 will be released on April 11, 2014. Samsung also announced the next generation of their Galaxy Gear smartwatch. The next devices will be called the Gear 2 and the Gear 2 Neo, dropping the “Galaxy” name. This is because Samsung announced that the new smartwatch will be running the Samsung based platform called Tizen. Along with the switch to Tizen came the newly announced sdk for the developers to more easily create applications for the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo. Some of the changes arriving with the Gear 2 and Neo version are an update on the processor, moving the camera to face the user when looking at the watch face (the
Nokia xl and x. Photo courtesy of Engadget
other manufacturers, the Nokia x line uses a special skinned version of Android that puts Microsoft services “first”. The Nokia x family starts at $122 and costs only $151 for the highest end model. This is all part of Microsoft’s new plan of appealing to the low end market that has been previously been dominated by Android. Microsoft hopes that when the users of these devices enjoy the Microsoft services on these devices, they may upgrade to more “premium” Windows Phones. There were also some innovative technologies from Fujitsu, such as their prototype tablet that includes “tactile sensation” screen. Unlike just a tactile feedback vibration that only notifies the user when an action is initiated, the screen enables users to enjoy tactile sensations that are either smooth or rough right on the touch screen display. This concept is not entirely new, but Fujitsu is the first to use ultrasonic vibrations to convey tactile sensations buy varying the friction between the touch screen and the user’s finger. For example, to create a floating and smooth effect, the vibrations will create a high-presXperia z2 Smartphone. Photo courtesy of Sony sure layer of air between the screen’s surface and the Neo does not have a camera), and longer battery life person’s fingertip. To create a “rough surface”, there due to software enhancements. are alternating low and high friction zones that creSony announced both the Xperia z2 tablet and ate the sensation that the surface is not smooth. smartphone. Starting with the Xperia z2 tablet, the There was more than just smartphones and tablets tablet is a 10 inch tablet that is only 6.4 mm thin that were being introduced. Just like ces, the theme and weights 426 g (the iPad Air is 469 g) as well as was the “connected world”. There were many interbeing waterproof and weather proof. This makes the esting devices part of the overall goal of bringing the Xperia z2 tablet as the lightest 10 inch tablet on the market while also being waterproof. The z2 tablet is powered by a quad core Snapdragon 801 system-ona-ship that is clocked at 2.3 ghz that runs applications on its 1080p display. The Sony Xperia z2 smartphone also has the same 2.3 ghz quad core system-on-a-chip as its tablet cousin, but in the form of a 5.2 full hd display and waterproof body. There has been speculation for a few months that Nokia was working on making an Android handset even thought their parent company, Microsoft, is a major competitor in the smart- Nest Learning Thermostat. Photo courtesy of PCMag phone os marketplace. Those world together and providing as much information months of specu- as possible to the consumer. The term “Internet of lation were prov- things” emerged as a buzzword over the last year or en to be true when so to describe the new idea of all connected devicNokia revealed es, such as thermostats, appliances, and cars. These the Nokia X fam- network devices have been placed into almost evily of Android erything. This means that thermostats (such as the smartphones. In- Nest smart thermostat), car, security system, lights, stead of the direct computer, and smartphone will soon be connected. application of Android on this family of devices, as done by most
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The Technician
In Pictures
March 18, 2014
As the end of Winter term approaches, students stay busy around campus: (from top, clockwise) • Students Rhonda Clarke, Ryan Neph, Aaron Hoffman, Drew Raftopoulos, Mark Nogle, and Kiran Vekaria received first place in the Flint Institute of Arts College Town Lego Competition with their Tower of London Bridge design. • Professor Reg Bell poses with students from his polymers class, who presented to the Society of Plastics Engineers when they visited Kettering. • Dan Knopp, Vignesh Ilango, Rajmohan Gadangi, Wes Sagawa, and Jon Wieskamp ice skate at Flint Iceland Arenas with Cru during a Friday night event. • To allow students to see the impact donors have, Kettering sponsored a Tag Day competition.
Photos are courtesy of Kettering Communications
March 18, 2014
Top, clockwise: • Eric Layhe and Danny Peterson enjoy the arcade games in bj's Lounge while Clarence Rannells watches over their shoulder. • Kettering Student Government hosted a lock-in 9th Saturday in the recreation center.
Photos courtesy of Mr. Bryan Boyse and Mr. Joseph Stevenson, respectively.
The Technician
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The Technician
Arts and Entertainment
March 18, 2014
“And Still We Rise” By Kaitlin Solovey Assistant Editor The “And Still We Rise” exhibit at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit takes the viewer on a journey from the early days of African culture, all the way to the present. It goes through the beginnings of the slave trade, slavery in the South, the Civil Rights Movement, and many eras in between. The exhibit highlights all of the struggles of Africans and blacks in America in incredibly realistic graphic and auditory detail. The level of detail the exhibit contains forces the viewer to really see the reality of slavery, and it lends a deeper understanding of the horrors of slavery, an understanding that cannot be found in a textbook. Words can hardly depict the terrible reality forced upon Africans stolen from their homes, so this exhibition uses murals and dummies to express it. In a segment of the exhibit called “Trouble on the Horizon,” a mural depicts the terrible reality of this situation. The mural shows yoked and chained Africans, walking in a line towards the sea. They are being forced on by a black man with a whip and a white man with a gun. They appear to be headed to a large, white structure in the distance, possibly a sea fort.
This mural is large enough that it can make the viewer feel that they are a part of it, that they are experiencing this horror with the Africans. It is even enhanced with a life-sized dummy of an African, who sits yoked to a tree, as if he is a part of the scene in the mural. The size of the mural and the dummy are two very realistic aspects of this exhibition which allow the viewer to feel a part of it. The Trans-Atlantic voyage was another terrible part of the slave trade, and nothing taught in schools expresses the horror of it as well as “And Still We Rise.” The section of the exhibition called “In the Beast’s Belly” is a room modeled to look just like the below deck area of a slave ship. There are essentially shelves with dummies like the one mentioned above, all crowded together on the shelves like boxes. In fact, the human dummies are juxtaposed with barrels on the bottom shelves, suggesting that they are in fact only objects. These elements of the room alone are enough to get to the point that the slave ships were terrible, but the exhibit takes it another step further. In the room, there is a constantly playing audio track of men and women crying, screaming, and yelling. This audio adds the final touch to create a painfully vivid and realistic model of a slave ship, which really forces the viewer to understand
the slave experience. The same amount of realism continues through the end of the exhibit, used to show the reality of life as an African-American in the United States. Though the first two examples are by far the most vivid and in depth pieces, the dummies, murals, and audio are also used to highlight other aspects of black life in America. One display shows the sale of slaves in the South, where the salesman seems close to separating a mother and her infant. Another shows Harriet Tubman surrounded by small children, holding the gate open for them to escape. The realism in these later displays seems to lack the intensity of the initial displays, yet its emotional power, while more muted, is equally strong. “And We Still Rise” represents a new turn in museum exhibits on the black experience, one that uses vivid graphic and auditory detail to show the low points and then the high points of black culture in America. It shows the beginnings in Africa, the Trans-Atlantic voyage, life as a slave in the South, the industrial revolution, and then the Civil Rights Movement. A textbook, as well as most history classes, do not even compare to the level of detail and realism found in this exhibit.
Expressing the Black Perspective Through Art By Allan Wicker Guest Contributor More often than not, the views and ideas of blacks in America remain hidden, ignored, or skewed for the sake of comic relief. As of lately, stereotyped images of blacks in America have pervaded the minds of other demographics in America, thus hampering their ability to accurately access the views of black Americans. Luckily there exist communities of African American artists that wish to express the views and opinions in a more aesthetically pleasing way. Elliot Perry, former nba player, and his wife Kimberly Perry began a search for these artists and their works. Eventually they created an art collection formally known as the Elliot and Kimberly Perry Collection. The Flint Institute of Art is currently displaying an art exhibit titled “Point of View,” which features African American art from the Elliot and Kimberly collection. The intention of the exhibit is to showcase the complex viewpoints of African Americans riddled with many contradictions related with black identity. The exhibit does what all art aims to do, present an image that allows a viewer’s mind to wonder and decipher the meaning and emotions the artist is trying to convey. The very second I walked into the exhibit I was immediately confronted with controversial images. The first piece that caught my eye was Hank Willis Thomas’s Basketball and Chain, a picture of an
unidentified, black basketball player’s foot shackled to a basketball. This piece attempts to show how basketball players that have no marketable skill outside of playing basketball are in a sense slaves to the game. And yet at the same exhibit, there is Ann Johnson’s Egyptian Collar, with a basketball hoop encrusted with numerous shiny gems and gold trimmings which, at first glance, seem to be acting as a complete counter to the previous image. Another controversial image in the exhibit features a silhouette of a minstrelsy actor with its head being knocked off by a black fist. Minstrelsy was once a form of entertainment that attempts to draw comedy out of derogatory depictions of African Americans. What is interesting about this picture is that the black fist knocks the blackface off of the silhouette but does not destroy the entire image. The black fist almost looks like it’s replacing the blackface. This image could be alluding to the notion that black people will always be a source of comedy for American society. Another painting gives a fantasy-like recreation of the urban African American male. The figure is dressed in a feathered dress, presumably of African origin, with red Nikes. His face is covered with a red cloth with only his eyes being shown. There is also a handgun on the ground in front of him. This painting seems like it was created to draw out all of the white viewer’s confusion about African Ameri-
cans and force them to confront this confusion. This character is so mysterious, so foreign, and yet so familiar it is impossible to get a good read on him. This completely contrasts with the quick and extreme assumptions made about African Americans in reality. The last piece that brings everything together is actually the showcasing of a book on a block of wood. The book is titled The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual, and was written by Rasheed Johnson in 1977. Johnson said “I hope the contradictions are never fully resolved,” when talking about black identity during an interview, in spite of all the suffering that is caused by complex nature of black identity. The endless contradictions on the subject of black identity are the main driving forces behind some of great art pieces that are seen in this exhibit and will continue to drive creativity among African Americans. In conclusion, the pieces mentioned previously only make up a small fraction of everything this exhibit has to offer. There were numerous other pieces I wish I could have looked into more in-depth, if time would have allowed it. However, there is no doubt that all the art pieces in this exhibit serve to enlighten those who think of African Americans and black people in general as mindless criminals with no depth of personality, or intelligence, as well as give life to viewpoints of African Americans which are regularly ignored by the majority of society.
March 18, 2014
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Lavarne Ross By Jacob Hoyes Guest Contributor In a place like Flint, rich cultural heritage and history are where some of the deepest roots of the city lie. The city has also had its fair share of ups and downs, and the lives of countless individuals have been influenced by these events. The life of one artist in particular, Lavarne Ross, born in the city during the 1950s, was directly shaped by the culture and changes of Flint during this time. Ross has done a stellar job of capturing these historic dimensions in his artwork, and of painting Flint in a whole new light. Currently on display at the Flint Institute of Arts through April 27th is a collection of Lavarne Ross’s works that fit well into the landscape of the city. The collection, called “Works on Paper,” is closely tied to the identity of the city. Most of the works featured in Ross’s collection are paintings of the city, including many historical and cultural events. Inspired by the city growing up as a child, Ross actually took painting classes at the Flint Institute of Arts after a teacher recognized his skill and passion for the arts. After selling his first painting at 13 years of age, Ross soon found out that painting was not a steady source
of income, so he wound up working at gm for 35 years. However, his passion for painting did not fade away. Ross even painted murals on the walls at gm buildings during his time there. Many of his works have been inspired by the automotive industry and what it means to him, as well as to the City of Flint. One painting in particular speaks volumes about culture, heritage, and the City of Flint. It shows a parade outside of the Flint Metal Stamping Center, which was (and still remains today) a large gm factory that supplies stamped parts for vehicles. The crowd of people, primary black, are marching on with a banner on behalf of the Elks Club of the World. A marching band is in the foreground, and a large group on onlookers can be seen. What’s interesting about this painting is the perspective and focus on different items within the work. The long line of parade marchers seems to signify history and longevity within the city, while the parade leaders are representing the movement into the future. Ross’s life, as well as Flint’s history, was certainly shaped by the automotive industry, and his work does a particularly good job of representing this connection. Another one of Ross’s works that truly reflects the life of a child growing up in Flint can be seen in a
painting called “911 ½”. This number is significant to Ross because it was the address of his childhood home on Pasadena Avenue. This painting is very powerful, as it shows Lavarne and his brothers sitting on the front porch or a dark, drab looking home, with sullen looks on their faces. Even more haunting are the faint images of individuals in the basement, which remind the viewer of relatives or loved ones who have passed away, but are still very much a part of life at home. The painting uses a heavy dose of dark blue and gray shades, which give the paining a somber mood overall. A glimpse of yellow sunlight can be seen in the upper corner, which aims to signify Lavarne’s future and his aspirations, which are still very much alive within him. This was one of the most powerful of Ross’s works on display, and makes for a very real contrast between the growth and progress of Flint against the downturns that do exist within it. Overall, Ross’s works have been extremely wellreceived by the patrons of the Flint Institute of Arts. His passion for the city and its culture is extremely evident in his works, and it was rather refreshing to see an artist reflect on, and respect, his heritage in his works.
Review of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y es found in X and Y are some of the most exciting changes yet. Battles alone have received the most modificaNintendo’s newest Pokémon games, X and Y, have tions. They have been aesthetically overhauled with proven to be the two most successful games of 2013. the use of 3D animation, more lively reactions to Not only were they must-haves at Kettering during attacks, and more fluid motions throughout the the Fall term, but they were the top selling games battle. Sky battles have also been introduced, which of 2013 with 1.63 million and 1.54 million copies sold for X and Y, respectively, during last term alone. They also contributed greatly to Nintendo’s 45% increase in 3DS and 2DS sales from 2012 to 2013. Pokémon X and Y followed the traditional pairing of Pokémon games that we’ve seen since the 1st generation and up to the now 6th generation. As usual, they each feature only minor differences from each other, which include the main legendary Pokémon, version-exclusive Pokémon, and very minor plot differences. Have you been playing Pokémon since the 1st allow the user to fight trainers far away (such as on generation and are now wondering what could pos- a cliff ). These battles are limited to Flying Pokésibly be different in the 6th generation? Pokémon X mon and occasionally to Pokémon with the ability and Y actually offer the largest amount of significant Levitate. And finally, horde battles have been indifferences between generations. The main ideas are troduced, where the user encounters up to five wild the same as before: you are a new Pokémon train- Pokémon at a single time. This is a great way to train er in a new region called Kalos, you start off with your Pokémon because a single battle can now offer your first Pokémon (water, fire, or grass), you strive up to five times the experience points! to beat all 8 gym leaders who specialize in different As in every generation, one of the biggest differtypes of Pokémon, and you go on to beat the Elite ences is the introduction of new Pokémon. With the Four in the end. However, you’ll see that the chang- introduction of only 69 new Pokémon (the smallest By Jacob Fairbairn Guest Contributor
amount yet!), the known total has increased from 649 to 718. For the first time since the 2nd generation, a new type has also been introduced. The new Fairy type has proven to be a powerful ally for many trainers, with 22 old Pokémon gaining the new type and 12 new Pokémon being introduced with it. And finally, the most exciting new change in the Pokémon species is Mega Evolutions. Certain Pokémon have the ability to Mega Evolve when holding an item call the Mega Stone, such as Charizard, Lucario, Mewtwo, Blaziken, and more. Mega Evolutions of Pokémon have them increase all base stats (except HP) by over 100, change Abilities, transform their body shape and sometimes color, change types in rare cases. For example, Charizard can change from a Fire-Flying type to a Fire-Dragon type in Pokémon X. All these changes in the Pokémon species make gameplay all the more exciting and lively. Whether you have been a Pokémon fan since the beginning or have only begun your journey as a Pokémon master, I would highly encourage anyone to try Pokémon X or Y. You’ll find it to be one of the most enjoyable and gratifying handheld games you have ever played. The last 15 years of Pokémon games have been absolutely fantastic, and Nintendo still hasn’t lost its edge. Even after so many games, I can still hear those great words echo: “Gotta catch ‘em all!”
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Arts and Entertainment Movie Review and Commentary on The LEGO Movie By Tim Jacques Guest Contributor lego, a brand synonymous with creativity and inspiration, has become the building block for one of the best movies of 2014 thus far. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, this animated action/ adventure comedy will draw not only children to the theaters, but grown adults. The kids come because they currently play with legos; adults come because they grew up with legos. This movie also has many big name actors voicing these characters. Will Ferrell voices the villain, Lord Business; Liam Neeson voices Good Cop/Bad Cop; Morgan Freeman voices god-like Vitruvius; and Chris Pratt voices our hero, Emmet. The cast alone should make you want to go see this movie. But if the cast isn’t a good enough reason to go see this movie, then maybe the witty humor and cultural references will. Packed with jokes and cameos from many pop culture characters, this movie will keep a smile on your face. If you don’t like any of the reasons above, you could also go just because the animation of legos is amazing. Everything is legos and it creates a sense of nostalgia where you can imagine playing with your own legos and remembering the fun the little pieces brought to your childhood. But perhaps the major reason why you’d like to see this movie is that it highlights the beauties and possibilities of creativity in everyone. The lego Movie follows an ordinary minifigure that has been mistakenly thought to be a Master Builder and is destined to stop the villain in the movie. This minifigure, named Emmet Brickowoski, is a regular guy who doesn’t view himself as having Master Builder quality, which causes him to question if he is capable of saving the lego world where he lives. As the movie progresses, however, Emmet learns more about himself and his capabilities. Originally thought of as an ordinary person, Emmet has done everything by the instruction manual,
every day of his life. Once he becomes part of the resistance, however, his world of order and structure falls to pieces. Emmet is put into situations where he doesn’t understand and can’t comprehend what to do because there is no manual—in a way, he doesn’t have an identity. This immense amount of freedom is hard for Emmet to grasp at first, but slowly he comes to embrace the freedom and lack of order and is able to create an identity for himself. In The lego Movie, Master Builders are viewed as the best of the best, able to build anything from a pile of pieces just lying around. Unfortunately for Emmet, he has always built models by the book, and he has no original ideas, apart from a double-decker couch which Wyldstyle and Vitruvius view as one of the stupidest ideas ever. This discourages Emmet; he is surrounded by people who are far better than he is and far more creative. Overwhelmed by this, he must prove to himself that he is capable of the things these Master Builders are making. Once he becomes the only one to save his town, Emmet finds that he is able to see and create things Master Builders are able to create. He wasn’t gifted this power—it was in him the whole time, which also speaks to real life. Much like Emmet, we search for identity and selfconfidence in life. What we can learn especially as college students from this minifigure is that we can
always create an identity for ourselves, and find who we are. At first Emmet is uncomfortable, but who wouldn’t be; everything is different, but it gives him the chance to create a new image for himself. This is very similar to starting college: new world, new people, and loads of freedom. It is our opportunity to create an image for ourselves. Also, Emmet feels like he isn’t the same quality of person as the Master Builders, when he actually is. Even though he has trouble reaching the same level, Emmet provides brilliant ideas and eventually reaches the same level as the Master Builders. This relates so closely to here at Kettering. Everyone is striving for their own degree; some know they can achieve their degree, while others question if they can even make it through the next semester. Albeit fictional, The lego Movie shows that everyone is capable of doing great things. You just need to find you identity and then build your self-confidence. Photos courtesy of lego
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The Technician
The LEGO Movie Everything is not Awesome ther detracting, Lego saw fit to pull out all the stops on its corporate licensing and throw in as many possible recognizable characters as it could. The issue When I first heard that there was going to be a with this is they do not act like the actual characters Lego movie, I was absolutely thrilled. For every sinthey represent, nor do they contribute anything to gle one of us born from 1985 to the present, Legos the story. Case in point, why was Batman part of are one of those enduring symbols of childhood that the main character’s adventure party? I’ve pondered By Mitchell Duncan Guest Contributor
invoke fondest memories and warm fuzzy feelings. So naturally, a story built around and told entirely through them was a literal dream come true. Unfortunately, this only made the reality of the movie that much greater of a disappointment when I actually saw it. The Lego Movie fails simply because it relies entirely on its premise of being made with Legos to carry it, without any real, creative narrative depth to back it up. The basic plot is middle school in its premise: the most ordinary man in existence turns out to be the chosen one, teams up with a manic pixie dream girl and wise old wizard to use the MacGuffin to stop the big bad from destroying the universe. Along the way they meet up with a variety of cultural references, square off against the big bad’s right hand man, and learn the value of creativity and believing in oneself. I’ve seen this story fifty times, and so have you. The only difference this time is that it is done in an animated block world with block people, which in and of itself is praiseworthy. The animation quality is gorgeous, colorful and fun to watch, with crisp, clean, exciting, well directed action. However, it’s sadly ineffective because I didn’t care about what the outcome would be. The characters were flat tropes, and I wasn’t really engaged in their plight. Not assisting this was the million-mile-per-hour pacing, jumping from scene to scene fasting than anyone could ever hope to process, or giving any break to allow for proper build-up of tension. The dialogue lacked sincerity, revolving around semi-detached irony, bizarre half self-aware statements, and babble reminiscent of teenaged YouTube commenters. Fur-
story, slapping a name brand on and marketing the heck out of it are certainly not new ideas, but this is such a flagrant example that it must be pointed out. The film finishes by adding the meta-narrative that these are the toys of a young boy playing in his father’s expansive Lego setups, who disapproves of his son’s “wild and disrespectful use” of his meticulously planned displays, thereby revealing that the statist big bad was an analogy for him all along. Naturally, the father eventually realizes what an old codger he’s become, remembers the joy of childhood and helps his son to be creative and play with the toys however he wants. This could be used as a point why the story and dialogue were so passé, they were in canon made up by a ten year old! But the film then ruins that by showing the Lego hero take action of his own initiative in the outside “real” world, showing that the characters exist and have psychologies outside of what the boy is doing. The point of all this is that trying to wrap the first 75 minutes of the film with this heartwarming father-son story ultimately fails. The Lego movie could have been great. If the writers had simply wrote a heartfelt, high-flying adventure story about some Lego characters against a bad guy, without vapid culture references, throwaway irony dialogue, or a last-ditch heartstring story, it could have been passable. But ultimately, the film used all these wrong parts, and it came out like a pile of broken bricks.
this for a while, and I cannot fathom a single decent in universe reason. He was put in that position bePhotos of lego kits from the movie are courtesy of cause people like Batman, and the idea of Batman lego. being overbearingly dark and brooding, and having that be a joke, seems to be a huge draw. The problem with all of this is it indicates a lack of imagination and innovation in children’s film today, which sadly, are the values the characters in the movie are trying to promote. The idea of creating a barebones
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Crossword
March 18, 2014
The Technician By Colleen Chavis
On the topic of antonyms: Across 3. Soft 5. Expert 6. Absent 11. Homogenous 13. Secular 18. Quantitative 19. Formal 20. Expectation 21. Repair Down 1. Fixed 2. Optional 4. Cold 7. Sinking 8. Dreary 9. Questionable 10. Deter 12. Implicit 14. Singular 15. Compassionate 16. Humid 17. Informed
The Anime Corner By Mark Gellis Anime Columnist This time I will start with a series a lot of people probably have never heard of, but which they should watch when they get the chance. Kamichu! draws upon one of the basic approaches to fantastic fiction, attributed to Arthur C. Clarke, that great fantasy or science fiction is simply great realistic fiction where the author decides to change one thing. Yurie Hitotsubashi is a perfectly ordinary middle school student who wakes up one day and discovers she has become a goddess. It is never explained how or why this happened. The story starts with her simply telling her best friend that she has become a goddess. The series uses a very subtle technique to let us know that Yurie is not crazy and that the miracles that start to surround her are not simply coincidences. Now that she is a goddess, Yurie can see the other gods, too, and there are a lot of them, and they are all around us. Some of them are large, and some of them are small, and some of them are just strange. Like the one that appears to be the god of extension cords. And the one that may be the god of tofu. However, it is not clear what Yurie is herself a god of. In the first episode of the show, she and her friends do some experiments to find out, but only manage to cause a hurricane. In some of the other episodes, she searches for the god of a local shrine who has gone missing, deals with a god of poverty whose arrival in town has knocked the wind out of the local economy, and helps the ghost of the battleship Yamoto. What makes the series interesting is that while all of these supernatural events are going
on, Yurie remains an otherwise perfectly normal middle school student dealing with the everyday events of adolescence. And so she goes to school, joins a club, catches colds, gets talked into running for student council by one of her friends, and spends a lot of time longing to tell her crush Kenji about her feelings for him. Kamichu! is one of those quiet little series that sneaks up on you. It is not full of epic battles or grand heroes or over-the-top comedy. Even its gods are often rather ordinary. But it is fun. It is beautifully drawn and sweet and wise, and worth checking out if you ever get the chance. At the other end of the scale, we have Highschool of the Dead. Interestingly, while one generally would not use words like “sweet” or “wise” to describe this series, there is a fair amount of both sweetness and wisdom in it. There is also a fair amount of screaming, death, betrayal, blood, cruelty, selfish scheming, angst, vehicular mayhem, and gunfire. Lots of gunfire. And lots of zombies. Highschool of the Dead relies on another often used motif of science fiction and fantasy, the story that starts at the end of everything, and thus the beginning of everything, and in doing so asks what people are like when they do not have the safety net of civilization around to keep them from having to make really hard choices. It was a perfectly ordinary day in Tokyo when the zombie apocalypse started. Average student Takashi Komuro is moping because the girl that he has liked since they were both children, Rei, is now dating his best friend Hisashi. This cheesy romantic triangle is fortunately removed from the story by the
end of the episode because Hisashi is bitten by one of the zombies and, after turning into a zombie himself, Takashi bashes in his now undead skull with a baseball bat. The second episode is a little more upbeat, as it features nerdy firearms fanatic Kohta saving himself and snobby rich girl Saya (who will come to appreciate him by the end of the series) from the zombies with a nail gun. These four are joined by others, including the obligatory busty but ditzy school nurse and equally obligatory cool girl kendo expert. They spend the rest of the series not being eaten and becoming progressively more skilled at killing zombies. Along the way, they save a little girl. And a dog. Oh, yes, as I said, there is actually some sweetness and wisdom in this series. First, there is the little girl and the dog. I mean, really, who does not like to see friendly animals and recently orphaned children saved from flesh-eating zombies? Takashi also helps kendo expert Saeko deal with her guilt and selfdoubt (which she feels not because she almost beat a would-be rapist to death, but because she enjoyed it, and thus fears she is not really all that different from the zombies). Rich girl Saya, who has issues with her parents, is able to reconcile with them and earn their respect. (Of course, it looks like her parents die about ten minutes after this happens, but we will try not to dwell on that.) And the Shido arc of the story, which deals with a corrupt teacher effectively starting his own cult as a means to assure his survival, even at the cost of the students he is supposed to be protecting, makes a good point about being careful about the people one chooses to trust during a crisis.