The Technician Issue 3 Winter 2012

The

Technician bulldogs.kettering.edu/technician

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March 5, 2012

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Volume 108

Issue 3

Romney Visits Kettering

By Matthew White Assistant Editor

In a visit that hearkened back to the campaign stump made by then-Senator Obama in 2008, presidential contender Mitt Romney visited Kettering’s Connie and Jim John Recreation Center on February 25. The rally, open to the public, was well attended by community members, faculty, staff, and students. Also in attendance were high school seniors and their parents visiting campus for the Admitted Students Program.

Dr. Robert McMahan, Kettering University’s president, was the first speaker. His introductory remarks evoked Thomas Jefferson, using the opportunity to reinforce Kettering’s core theoretical and experiential learning models.

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What’s Inside

New Faculty Three departments are hiring

Plant Maintenance

Co-op Changes 1

Updates planned to improve experience

4

Automotive

Perfect new car for Kettering students

Students Visit Grand Rapids

By Adlai Milbitz Technician Staff

By Robert Hayes Editor-in-chief

The Technician was given the opportunity to learn more about one of Kettering’s underground departments. Plant maintenance is responsible for everything from unclogging toilets and replacing light bulbs to repairing air systems and rebuilding boilers.

The tour of plant maintenance began in the maintenance office in the cc basement. From the cabinets of fasteners and fittings to the shelves of vendor catalogs and the drill press conveniently located next to the computer, this office is an extremely functional space. The eleven-person team takes care of the specification and purchasing of any components they need, as well as getting bids on jobs when necessary.

The first area visited was the mechanical room in the Mott Center, which contains the 3 boilers that supply the campus with steam. Kettering used to purchase steam from a power plant in Buick City before that plant was shut down, necessitating the construction of the current system. The Mott Center also houses its own hvac system on the 3rd floor.

It is the most modern system on campus, filtering the air, chilling it to 55 degrees, and then piping it to classrooms and offices, where it is reheated to the desired temperature. One of the more recent upgrades to the hvac systems on campus was the switch to 3-ply filters, which are much more efficient than the previous filters. This area also houses the transformers for the Mott Center, which transform the power from 13,300 volts for the building.

While Michigan’s unemployment rate may still seem high, there are industries across the state that are still struggling to find new workers, especially in high-demand fields like engineering and advanced manufacturing. To that end, in January, twentytwo Kettering seniors were courted by Grand Rapids area companies and talent initiatives, hoping to show students what West Michigan has to offer new graduates and to hopefully entice some students to settle there after graduation.

On the tour, Kettering students were taken on guided tours of Cascade Engineering in Grand Rapids, and Gentex, Inc. in Zeeland. The students then attended a networking session with West Michigan employers sponsored by John Irwin, Senior Vice President of Huntington Bank, before attending the charity preview of the Michigan International Auto Show in Grand Rapids.

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Entertainment 6

Memes & Commentary

Academic Departments Hiring Computer Science

By Rebeccah MacKinnon Online Editor The Computer Science Department is in the process of hiring a new faculty member to fill the spot created when Professor Wu left the school last year.

This week, the department hosted two candidates for the position: Dr. Giuseppe Turini, University of Pisa, and Dr. Yanhui Guo, University of Michigan.

Both candidates gave a brief presentation on their current research as well as a sample lecture for Computer Science students and faculty.

Dr. Guo, who visited campus on Wednesday, February 22, gave a sample lecture on digital image processing and its applications. The half-hour lecture gave a brief overview of the topic and went into a couple of detailed examples of how digital image processing is used in the world. The audience was mainly comprised of faculty and upper-class Computer Science students who were asked to attend the lecture instead of their normal Software Engineering lab. His research deals with lung segmentation in ctpa (computed tomography pulmonary angiogram) images.

Continued on the next page.

Photo courtesy of seyferth pr

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March 5, 2012

The Technician

News Plant Maintenance Continued from the front page

Continued from first page.

equipment gets older, it becomes more difficult to find replacement parts. Unfortunately there are few donors willing to donate money to upgrade things people will probably never see.

The next stop was the ab basement where the woodshop and upholstery shop are located. Some of the carpenter’s contributions to campus include the wood guards around the handicap lift near the pizza doors and the concept and framing of the “paint”

Climate control system in the ab. Courtesy of Adlai Milbitz.

The Thompson Hall basement was the next stop.

Plant maintenance has overseen several projects in the hall including the fabrication and installation of a new trash chute receptacle, the replacement of the batteries for the emergency lights, and the continuing replacement of old pipes. As the pipes age, it is

Dr. Turini's photo courtesy of www.araknes.org

Chiller system. Courtesy of Adlai Milbitz.

painting near the basement elevator. The ab also houses the water cooling system for the campus; the two units are completely new, having only run for one summer. Also hidden in the ab is the replacement parts stock, which includes things like ceiling Technology that needs replacement in the ab. tiles (which are around Courtesy of Adlai Milbitz. $15 apiece), light bulbs, not uncommon for them to spring leaks. The leakand projector screens. Being pipe encountered during the tour reinforced the cause the existing projecimportance of the constant inspections conducted tor screens are so old and obscure, it is cheaper to replace them with com"Don't, please." pletely new ones than to Courtesy of Adlai Milbitz. find replacement parts.

Another area that saw this sort of change is the fluorescent lights in the basement of the ab. The size of bulb they were designed for became unobtainable, requiring that the ballast be replaced on all the units. This is not uncommon; many of the machines become outdated and the stockpile of replacement parts runs low, which requires a significant investment to replace the entire machine.

An Ominous Door in Thompson Hall's Basement.

Courtesy of Adlai Milbitz.

in the mechanical areas. Although fixing the pipe only took a few minutes, some jobs that should have been simple were not. For example, the replacement of an hvac component required a hole to be cut in a cinder block wall to remove it.

The Campus Center contains its own hvac and steam routing system as well as the compressor rack for the kitchen’s refrigerators and freezers. As the

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

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

By Marian Swagler Technician Staff The Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department is currently searching for a new Associate Professor.

Cameron MacKenzie of Oklahoma University gave a presentation to IME faculty and students regarding Modeling Economic Impacts of Global Disruptions. Students and faculty were given the opportunity to question him after the presentation.

MacKenzie has an impressive resume, and is about to finish his Ph.D in Industrial Engineering.

The other candidate under consideration is Justin Young of Harvard University. Unfortunately, his presentation has been delayed due to a flight cancellation thanks to our latest snowstorm. His presentation has been rescheduled for 8th Friday.

Physics

By Tyler Van Eck Copy Editor

Leaking coolant system. Courtesy of Adlai Milbitz.

The

Technician

Dr. Turini gave an hourlong introductory lecture on Computer Graphics on Friday, February 24. He spoke to a smaller audience of faculty and interested students of all class standings, using the chalkboard and pre-rendered images of a cow and a rubber duck to explain the process of rendering an image. His research deals with computerassisted surgery.

The Computer Science Department took feedback from the student audience after each lecture.

They will use this feedback when considering which candidate to hire.

Staff writers Devin Aryan Erin Boyse Adlai Milbitz John Oliver Marian Swagler Photographers Matthew Holland Joseph Stevenson

Columnist Dominic Jandrain Advisors Betsy Homsher Christine Levecq

Since the departure of Dr. Russell last year, Kettering’s physics department has been searching for a new faculty member to fill the gap he left in teaching acoustics classes. The first candidate, Dr. Brian Anderson, visited Kettering on 7th Friday, February 24. During lunch hour, he gave a short presentation to an audience of interested faculty and students about the applications of focusing acoustic energy at a particular location, as well as a sample lecture about spatial reciprocity in acoustics. Feedback from attendees will be used by the physics department to help determine who to hire. He later visited the physics lounge for a one-hour open question interface with students.

Dr. Glenn Pietila, the second and final candidate, will visit Kettering on 9th Wednesday to discuss some of his own acoustics research. Anyone interested in hearing the presentation is welcome to attend.

March 5, 2012

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The Technician

Trials and Tribulations of a C-Section Student

By Rebeccah MacKinnon Online Editor

At the recent student forum held by The Technician, a student brought up the topic of C-Section students. “They’re becoming more common now, and the handbook says it’s a valid course of study,” she said. “It’s about time Kettering recognized that these students exist, and they should do something to make their lives easier.”

The few C-Section students at the forum, including this reporter, agreed with the sentiment, and The Technician decided to investigate the issue. Since the majority of complaints with being C-Section concern the registration process, Cheryl Respecki, Assistant Registrar, was interviewed with regards to the issue.

According to Ms. Respecki, while the Registrar does process consecutive academic and work term paperwork on a regular basis, no one in the office had heard the term “C-Section” before and needed an explanation of what the term means. C-Section students, also referred to as “bi-sectional” or “A-B section students,” are students who are required by their employer to work for two consecutive terms and thus also complete two consecutive academic terms. For example, a student may attend school in Fall and Winter terms and work through Spring and Summer.

In order to follow this schedule, C-Section students must fill out paperwork with the Registrar’s Office every year to indicate that they are doing consecutive work and academic terms. They also must get advised by e-mail, fax, or phone if not a Mechanical Engineer and submit their course selection sheet to the Registrar’s Office from wherever they are currently located in the country before they can register, a process that is usually hindered by a further hold on their account to stop them from registering while on work term.

Ms. Respecki took the time to explain why some of these measures are in place. Students must fill out paperwork to complete consecutive academic terms because a student once did so without informing his employer and was let go because of it. Additionally, the Registrar’s Office keeps track of when students are on school and work terms to make sure they are meeting graduation requirements and are not on academic probation level 2, in which case they need the approval of Academic Services.

She also explained that a registration hold was put on all students’ accounts when they are on work term to prevent them from registering for the wrong term. This stops a B-Section student from registering for Summer term, for example. The precaution prevents a lot of confusion with Student Accounts and students.

While it seems like it would be a simple procedure to fix these nuisances for C-Section students, nothing has yet been done simply because the Registrar’s Office did not know that it was such a hassle for these students to register. Because no one had ever gone to the Registrar’s Office to complain or make a suggestion, they did not know that there was a problem.

During her interview, Ms. Respecki wrote down the main complaints of C-Section students and any suggestions that came up. She plans to bring these up with Sheila Rupp, Registrar, and Michael Mosher, Associate Registrar, and determine what can be done to help make these students’ registration an easier process.

Hopefully, with these potential changes, C-Section students will find their lives a little easier at Kettering. After all, they already have to put up with making an entirely new set of friends on the opposite section, missing their friends on both sections while on work term, and doing two academic terms back to back; anything that can make their lives easier would be a welcome change.

What is an Engineer?

By Matthew White Assistant Editor

Ask Armen Oumedian, a 1949 graduate of gmi, what an engineer is, and he will say, “An engineer is everything.” With that spirit, Mr. Oumedian has spearheaded a program to introduce engineering to secondary students as a viable career path with many exciting outlets.

Most students, in Mr. Oumedian’s experience, do not know what an engineer does. Some believe that engineering is hard work, long hours, and no fun.

Few realize that engineers are behind so many different facets of life. Engineers build products that make the world a better place. Engineers design roller coasters. While some hard work and math might be involved, Mr. Oumedian wants to impress upon students the fun that engineering has to offer.

Every year, in pursuit of this goal, Grand Rapids students in grades six and up are invited to a conference that offers them an opportunity to explore engineering. At the event, held this year in April at Aquinas College, students will be able to interact with engineers, faculty, and Kettering students to

talk about what it is they do. Mr. Oumedian hopes that seeing this varied panel will allow students to recognize the myriad of opportunities engineers have. After a panel discussion, smaller breakout groups will focus on specific areas of concentration, like me- Photo of Mr. Oumedian Courtesy of Kettering Communications. chanical engineering.

If discussion is not enough to emphasize the fun opportunities in engineering, a first Robotics team will be on hand with their project and a Lego Team will also give a demonstration. With all the activities and information being presented, some students may be persuaded to give engineering a try.

If Mr. Oumedian can make engineering a real career possibility for even a quarter of the group, he feels that West Michigan will be much better off for it.

Spotlight on Flint Flint Iceland Arenas

By Joe Stevenson Technician Staff For anyone who’s been looking for something to do either with a group or on a date, Flint Iceland Arenas is worth checking out. It is an ice skating rink that’s 10 minutes east of Kettering and open throughout the year, hosting hockey games for University of Michigan-Flint, Swartz Creek, Flushing, and other nearby schools. Rental and skate prices are fairly reasonable ($5 to skate, $3 for rental) with access to a full-sized hockey rink. During free skate hours, the skating rink isn’t usually crowded, leaving a lot of breathing room for mistakes and slips on the ice: perfect for first timers. The skates that are available to rent are a little uncomfortable, so remember to bring extra socks for cushioning. Lockers are also available to those who bring their own skates. The establishment also includes a refreshment stand where you can purchase pizza, popcorn, soda, and bottled water when needed. Don't forget to check out their website; it has a very user-friendly layout with the information you need on the page's top toolbar. The open skate schedule is there, as well as prices and other offers for parties and events.

Whether it's a place to shred some ice, glide around with that special person, or just to chill out, definitely check out Flint Iceland.

Address:

1160 S. Elms Rd.

Flint, MI 48532

Web address:

www.flinticeland.com Photo courtesy of Joseph Stevenson Map courtesy of Google Maps

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The Technician

Exciting Co-op Changes Proposed

By John Oliver and Nigel Schuh Academic Council

Kettering was founded on the belief that a wellrounded education includes practical experience, and thus has continued the tradition of having coop throughout its history. While the educational experience at Kettering has changed vastly over time, the co-op experience has stayed very much the same.

While this system has worked for the past 90 years, Kettering can still seek to improve.

Jackie El-Sayed has been tasked with improving this process to make it a better learning experience with the assistance of Academic Council and Venetia Petteway. She started by benchmarking Kettering’s co-op program against other schools like Drexel, Northeastern, Waterloo, Wentworth, Georgia Tech and The University of Cincinnati. She then surveyed students, faculty and alumni to seek their opinions and perspectives of the current program.

Through all of these broad viewpoints, Dr. El-Sayed has come to make several recommendations for change.

Upon examining expectations for co-op employers, Dr. El-Sayed realized that they were somewhat ambiguous. She saw a need to identify common learning outcomes and themes like leadership and ethics that co-op employers would be expected to provide for their co-ops. This would provide a more structured program with broadly attainable goals to guide co-op employers. Along with these goals for learning, Dr. El-Sayed also stressed reflective learning for students after each work term. This would give students the chance to discuss their experiences not only as a practitioner but as a professional, hopefully broadening the scope of their learning.

To help with her efforts, Academic Council spearheaded the work assignment template to better identify the activities that students should be doing at each developmental level, i.e. class standing. This

template should provide clear guidance for employers for their employees. Ms. Petteway and Dr. ElSayed are also trying to improve work term evaluations. Student volunteers have been selected to take part in a reflective learning session pilots this term.

In her analysis, Dr. El-Sayed discovered two schools utilized a work rating site to help students select between different companies based on previous students’ experiences. The members of Academic Council particularly like this idea and want implement it with her. This would give Kettering students an opportunity to compare past experiences of other co-ops at different companies and help them make a more informed decision when choosing jobs. This could help incoming freshmen decide between job offers based on personal experiences rather than compensation.

Academic Council has taken it upon itself to continue the improvement of the co-op. Academic Council has met and learned what faculty members have been doing to improve the co-op program and have been the students’ voice in the improvement process. The members of Academic Council support the idea of a co-op rating site, but want to see more change. They would like to see information made available about other co-op students working in the same cities, which could help students find living arrangements and potentially offer a better social life over work term. They also want to look into having a relationship between apartment complexes and Kettering to lower three month lease rates as well as creating a more reasonable deposit.

It is exciting to see the improvement that is coming out of these initiatives at Kettering. While there is a lot currently being done, there could always be more. Academic Council has been working hard to voice the concerns of the students in these matters.

March 5, 2012

College Town Flint

By Matthew White Assistant Editor

Tucked away in a corner of Churchill’s Food & Spirits, a group of community members met with students and faculty to discuss the ways to “make Flint more student-friendly” at College Town Flint, a program from Flint Area Public Affairs Debates.

Led by a panel of students from Mott Community College, Kettering University, and the University of Michigan—Flint and Mayor Dayne Walling, five groups split off to take an in-depth look at issues and solutions to Flint’s problems.

After conversing for half an hour, the groups reconvened to give their proposals. The team focusing on Student Government proposed an intercollegiate calendar, a popular idea from most of the working groups, and social events for students to mingle across campuses. Another table, focused on entertainment, brought competitions and joint movie nights as potential ways to make relationships between the three student bodies. The group dealing with culture and families promoted a “war on ignorance” regarding the Downtown area and wished for more venues on Saginaw Street. The group focused on social networking mentioned using it to find out about events, student discounts, and the need for student mixers. The final group, of which this editor was a part, talked about ways to communicate across campuses with newspapers. Strategies for this included a multi-campus calendar, publishing specials at local restaurants, and building a bond between The Michigan Times and The Technician.

All of the ideas were fairly well received by the crowd in attendance. Certain organizations made promises to move forward with the proposals. As the event ended, Mayor Walling rallied the students by saying that this was a “critical time” during which Flint needs the support of the college community it may not have always engaged. He encouraged those participating to attend the Flint Steering Committee’s meeting on March 6 at 5:30 in the Flint Public Library. Along with Mott Community College and Orchestram Op. 25. The harp piece was quite and the University of Michigan—Flint, Kettering enjoyable, with flowing, changing melodies of the University and its students have a strong stake in harp and orchestra. After a brief intermission, the the future of the city. So many students from such concert was brought to a close with Nikolai Rimsky- different backgrounds in the same room uniting to Korsakov’s Schehethat shared vision leaves hope for a much brighter razade, Op. 35, a Rustomorrow in Flint. sian piece that gave the concert a rousing finale. Kettering students, faculty, and staff had an opportunity to obtain tickets at a discounted price.

Those interested in attending should keep an eye out for similar upcoming Ann Hobson opportunities to en- Photo courtesy of www.mlive.com joy a night of some of the finest music in Flint.

Flint Symphony Orchestra

By Dominic Jandrain Technician Staff On the last Saturday of the month, the Flint Symphony Orchestra performed a fantastic concert in their season’s theme, Around the World in Conductor Enrique Demiecke. Photo courtesy of Long Beach Post.

80 Musical Minutes. Conductor Enrique Diemecke led three pieces, the first being George Gershwin’s Cuban Overture, a lively piece that set the mood for listening to music from around the world. Ann Hobson Pilot, an exceptional harpist who has played with the Boston Symphony Orchestra for over forty years, was featured in the second piece, Alberto Ginastera’s Concerto for Harp

Photo courtesy of Flint Area Public Affairs Debates

March 5, 2012

Romney Visits Kettering Continued from the front page

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The Technician

Although his stop at Kettering is but one of many on a nationwide tour, Dr. McMahan sees special importance in this stop. He sees the choice of Kettering University as another presidential hopeful’s campaign stop as “indicative of the national standard” that the University occupies. Regardless of the reasons the campaign stopped at Kettering, the event received international coverage and put Kettering University in the spotlight once again. The coincidence of it occupying the same day as an admissions event helped to show potential students that unique experiences are the norm here.

In the Spotlight Hosting a contender for the 2012 presidential election guarantees news coverage. Here is a sampling of the resulting media.

Romney's Secret Michigan Weapon Cbc, http://bit.ly/AiLcHv Romney Predicts Two Wins on Tuesday Fox News, http://fxn.ws/zAHmGJ Mitt Romney's anti-union tone could haunt him later La Times, http://lat.ms/yfR71B In Flint, Romney Talks Defecits Wsj Blog, http://on.wsj.com/wXAVeD

Dr. Robert McMahan at the rally

Dr. McMahan also mentioned that Mr. Romney’s father-in-law was a 1938 graduate of GMI, drawing a connection between the University and the Michigan native. After his remarks, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette prepared the crowd for Mitt Romney. A brief pause during his introduction gave Mr. Romney and his wife time to take the stage.

Standing in front of a contingent of Kettering students dressed in grey logo tee shirts, Mr. Romney told the crowd the story of how he met his wife, Ann, before she took command of the audience. Ann Romney, who has been very popular with crowds due to her ease at forming connections, found great luck with the assembled group. Being a Michigan native herself, she told the audience of her favorite Tigers player and made a particularly well-received comment about “bleeding Vernors.” After building a rapport with the crowd, Mrs. Romney allowed her husband to discuss politics and the election.

Mrs. Ann Romney with her husband

Above, the first court of the Recreation Center was packed with students, faculty, and concerned citizens.

Below, the media covers the event. Over forty media outlets, including The Technician, reported on the rally.

The Techicnian wishes to extend its thanks to Kettering Communnications for the two above photos and Mr. Daniel Bartz '02 for the remaining images.

Mitt Romney visits Kettering University Nbc25, http://bit.ly/zFK7Eg

Student Reactions

Joe Stevenson, Freshman II 1. What did you think of the event?

"It was hokey, most of the people there were there for Romney, not the school."

2. How was Kettering portrayed?

"Kettering was portrayed as a platform for the future. He put a good name for the university."

3. Anything you didn't particularly like? " He didn’t really specify any of his ideas. He just made claims and didn’t really back them up on both his criticisms and political motions."

4. What did you like most? " Being able to have a celebrity on campus and the thought of having publicity for the school."

Daniella Mayoral, Freshman II 1. What did you think of the event?

"The event was excellent. I feel that Mitt Romney is someone I want to vote for."

2. How was Kettering portrayed?

"Mitt Romney started to talk about how our generation is going be effected by the debt we have and that we need to do something other than continuing to increase the national debt."

4. What did you like most?

"I liked shaking hands with the person who may be our next president."

Robert Hayes, Senior I 1. What did you think of the event? " It was exciting to see that many people on campus. I think it brought a new dynamic to Kettering that we normally don’t see."

2. How was Kettering portrayed?

"The event was well organized, but there wasn’t much focus on Kettering. Romney seemed well-intentioned, but uninformed about the school."

5. What was it like sitting behind Romney?

"It was fun, though not extremely impressive. I felt more involved, like an active participant in the rally."

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The Technician

Automotive

March 5, 2012

Finding the Best New Car for Kettering Students

By Robert Hayes Editor-in-chief

With gas prices rising and used car values approaching all-time highs, many Kettering students may be considering replacing their old set of wheels with something newer, nicer, and more fuel-efficient.

For Kettering students, moving every three months may prove tiresome or difficult with the wrong type of vehicle, so for those in the market for a new ride, the following cars may prove a promising start to the new-car search: Compact Cars: 2012 Ford Focus Hatchback Ford’s first truly global car, the new Focus, blends the best of Ford of Europe’s styling and driving feel with the class-leading blend of fuel economy and technology we have become accustomed to from American Fords. The new Focus is available in either a four-door sedan or five-door hatchback, and is powered by a single engine, Ford’s new direct-injected 2.0l four-cylinder good for 160 horsepower and 146 lb-ft of torque. A turbocharged 2.0l is coming soon in the Focus st this fall, and a turbocharged 1.0l three cylinder is on the horizon for ultra-efficient driving.

The Mazda3 has always had great handling, and this generation is no exception. Inside, the Mazda provides 42.8 cubic feet of space to accommodate

2012 Mazda3 Hatchback Photo Courtesy: Mazda usa

moving between work and school. While the interior may not be up to the Focus’ luxury standards, it has a no-nonsense straightforward look, with new controls and blue backlighting for the instrument cluster, and Bluetooth connectivity. All in all, the new Mazda3 with SkyActiv technology can finally be considered by all drivers, not just the most diehard Mazda fans.

2012 Mazda3 Hatchback Specifications Engine: 2.0l Direct-Injected i-4 Horsepower: 155 hp @ 6,000 rpm Torque: 148 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm MSRP: $19,300-$23,125 Fuel Economy: 28/39 mpg Kettering Tetris Difficulty: Level 1 (Very Easy)

Subcompact: 2012 Chevrolet Sonic Turbo Hatchback The long-awaited replacement to the lackluster Aveo, the new Sonic proves that General Motors can design a world-class small car if they finally put 2012 Ford Focus sel Hatchback. Photo Courtesy: Ford Media Inside, the new Focus hatchback provides 44.8 cu- their minds to it. Engineered by GM Korea and asbic feet of cargo room with the rear seats folded flat, sembled in Orion Township, mi, the Sonic provides and the rear hatch swings completely out of the way for easy loading. Focus also delivers a quiet, comfortable cabin with soft-touch appointments that make the car feel much more expensive than it actually is.

Available technologies include Ford’s near-ubiquitous Sync Bluetooth connectivity system, MyFord Touch, a nine-inch color touchscreen with navigation, dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, 2012 Chevrolet Sonic Photo Courtesy: GM Media and Active Park Assist, a fully automatic parallel parking system. Overall, the new Focus delivers the the value-conscious driver a great package of style best blend of cargo capability, performance, style, and fuel efficiency. Inside, the Sonic provides a large and technology in the compact market. cargo capacity of 30.7 cubic feet, one of the high2012 Ford Focus Hatchback Specifications est in the segment. In top-spec ltz trim, it features Engine: 2.0l Direct-Injected i-4 Bluetooth connectivity, available heated seats, and Horsepower: 160hp @ 6,500 rpm OnStar with remote vehicle start controllable by Torque: 148 lb-ft @ 4,450 rpm a smartphone app. With the optional 1.4l turboMSRP: $18,300-$22,700 charged four cylinder engine from the larger ChevFuel Economy: 28/40 mpg rolet Cruze, the new Sonic should also prove to be a Kettering Tetris Difficulty: Level 1 (Very Easy) rewarding drive, something its predecessor certainly was not. If General Motors' past small car failures 2012 Mazda3 Hatchback If you can get past the Mazda3’s painfully tense can be overlooked, the Sonic ltz Turbo deserves sesmile, it should prove a rewarding drive for most rious consideration for small car buyers.

Kettering students. With a new high-tech engine dubbed “SkyActiv” featuring direct injection, variable valve timing, and lower friction components, the new Mazda3 finally has high enough fuel economy to be recommended, with 39 miles per gallon on the highway.

2012 Chevrolet Sonic Turbo Specifications Engine: 1.4l Turbocharged i-4 Horsepower: 138 hp @ 4,900 rpm Torque: 148 lb-ft @ 4,200 rpm MSRP: $17,360-$20,120 Fuel Economy: 29/40 mpg Kettering Tetris Difficulty: Level 3 (Easy) 2012 Ford Fiesta Hatchback A European bestseller since 1976, the Fiesta now enters its second year in North America and remains one of the best subcompacts despite new entrants from almost all brands. While the small (26 cubic feet) size of the Fiesta may make our games of Kettering Tetris harder, it provides a wealth 2012 Ford Fiesta Photo Courtesy: Ford of luxury features for less than $20,000, including push-button start, heated leather seats, power moonroof, ambient lighting, a soft touch dashboard, and, of course, Sync. The Fiesta is the perfect choice for those who like big car amenities in small cars.

2012 Ford Fiesta Hatch Specifications Engine: 1.6l dohc i-4 Horsepower: 120 hp @ 6,350 rpm Torque: 112 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpm MSRP: $14,100-$17,500 Fuel Economy: 28/39 mpg Kettering Tetris Difficulty: Level 5 (Moderate) Truck: 2012 Ford f-150 If a compact car is just too small, perhaps a truck should be considered. For the last thirty-five years, the Ford f-Series pickup trucks have been industry’s best-selling. The 2012 f-150 proves that streak isn’t likely to end any time soon. With the fuel-sipping 3.7l v6 standard, and the available new 3.5l EcoBoost twin-turbocharged v6, the f-150 is proving that the days of the 2012 Ford f-150 xlt Photo Courtesy: Ford v8 half-ton are numbered. In 2011, over half of f-150s were sold with v6 engines, an all-time high. With a bed ranging in length from 5.5ft to 8ft depending on cab configuration, the sky's the limit on what you can carry. For those who absolutely have to have a truck, on a student’s budget, the 2012 F-150's capabilities and fuel economy can't be beat.

2012 Ford F-150 4x2 Specifications Engine: 3.7l dohc v-6 Horsepower: 302 hp @ 6,500 rpm Torque: 278 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm MSRP: $22,990-$30,280 Fuel Economy: 17/23 mpg Kettering Tetris Difficulty: No Contest

March 5, 2012

The Technician

Around Campus

Page 7

Distinguished Faculty Speaker Series Comes to Kettering

By Robert Hayes Editor-in-chief While Kettering’s most outspoken faculty may gain most of the spotlight, a new lecture series sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning aims to change that, giving Kettering faculty from across disciplines a platform to educate the campus community on their latest research. On February 9, Dr. Ezekiel Gebissa, professor of liberal studies gave the inaugural speech, entitled “Turning East: Reflections on China’s Rise” to a full house in the Cribathon. Two weeks later, on February 23, Dr. Kevin Bai, professor of electrical engineering and Director of Kettering’s Advanced Power Electronics Laboratory (APEL) gave the second speech in the series entitled “Power Electronics Solutions for Hybrid-Electric Vehicles and Renewable Energy.”

Dr. Gebissa’s speech focused on the meteoric rise of the Chinese economy and the reaction of America to the first real challenge it has faced for global

power in over two decades. No stranger to China, Dr. Gebissa spent the spring of 2011 teaching at the Dalian University of Technology in Liaoning province as an Oswald International Fellow. That influence has stayed with him, as he turns his research toward the relationship between China and developing African economies. A major focus of his speech was the questionable nature of much of the burgeoning China-Africa trade deals being inked by the Chinese government. Of particular concern was the “no strings attached” nature of the development aid China is funneling into Africa, much of which ends up in the pockets of corrupt government officials. Furthermore, Dr. Gebissa spoke on the rapid growth of the middle class in China and the potential impacts that might have on the world as a whole.

Dr. Bai’s talk, on the other hand, focused on his work in the newlyformed Advanced Power Electronics Laboratory at Kettering. In his short time at Kettering, Dr. Bai has worked on bringing in research contracts worth well in excess of half a million dol-

The State of Arguments

By Tyler Van Eck Copy Editor For me, the word “argument” used to carry with it a certain kind of magic. Merely invoking the word conjured a grand gathering of minds from far and near to share perspectives on controversial issues and to compare the merits and flaws of each. In order to clarify a position, that person would lay out their line of reasoning. It would sometimes be traceable to its fundamental origins, laid bare for all involved parties to analyze. The opposing side would reciprocate, and from there, a debate could begin in earnest. After the dust cleared at the end of the day, the boundaries that remained would still be respected and would not exist as a reason for hatred.

This world is highly idealized, but it stands in stark contrast to today’s world of arguments.

Opinion

Sadly, “true” arguments have become something of a dying breed. Instead of two parties exploring each others’ lines of reasoning and either respecting the other’s fundamental boundaries or mutually undergoing some kind of paradigm shift, it somehow became more acceptable to resort to ad hominem attacks in a war where emotions and fervor trump all. Even for normally intelligent, level-headed parties, it does not take long for the two sides to devolve into a “mine is bigger than yours” shouting match (mostly for guys), should they fall into that trap. The vocabulary may change, but the essence remains the same.

This rose-colored perspective is also the largest reason behind my dissatisfaction with the recent Republican candidate debates and most presidential debates in general. Too often they fall into a formulaic pattern of the moderator asking convenient questions that the candidates answer in turn in a display that seems almost TV-friendly. Emotions and pure beliefs run especially rampant here, as well as the use of religious beliefs as axioms for a candidate’s

lars, primarily from companies working on hybridelectric vehicle programs, including Chrysler and Magna E-Car Systems, a division of Canadian parts supplier Magna. In his speech, Bai focused on the products that have been developed by students in the APEL lab, including a 97% efficiency fast charger for plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles. Bai also focused on applications for the fast-growing field of power electronics outside of vehicles, including the vast market for efficient motor drive systems throughout industries, as well as power electronics applications in LED lighting systems, as well as throughout the renewable energy industry.

The speaker series is expected to continue, giving more faculty members an opportunity to showcase their research opportunities and interests to the campus community.

Photos courtesy of Kettering Communications.

stance on issues and motives for running. The desire to take up such a position for the sake of the American people should be motivated by a desire to improve our standards and ways of living quantifiable not in personal beliefs, but in basic human decency and the example we wish to set for the rest of the world. After watching the recent string of debates between the Republican presidential candidates, it became clear that this was no exception. A debate never took place in the proper sense, and unless candidates begin truly speaking to each other, it never will. What transpired amounts to little more than ideological show-and-tell.

The art of a good argument may be dying, but it is still far from dead. As long as we can recognize that we cannot truly argue without a clear understanding of our positions, it will allow us the ability to shed some light on what would otherwise be analogous to a fistfight in the dark. It may take a long time to undo generations of subpar arguments and debates, but keeping a small sense of rationality makes for a good start.

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March 5, 2012

The Technician

In Pictures

Students craft a suspension bridge in the latest Innovation Challenge in the Great Court.

Photo courtesy of Kettering Communications

Kettering students wait for Mitt Romney to speak on campus.

Photo courtesy of Kettering Communications

Daniel Lynch stands in the snow fort built on the Beach.

Photo courtesy of Micah Anderson

March 5, 2012

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The Technician

Kettering students won first place in the Lego Create a Masterpiece Competition for their interpretation of Starry Night.

Photo courtesy of Kettering Communications

Buckingham Theatre’s annual production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show was a smash hit! The cast and crew worked hard to make it a great show for all.

Photo courtesy of Miss Faith Duede

Students participate in Dance Club's dance night.

Photo courtesy of Kettering Communications

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The Technician

Faculty Profiles

March 5, 2012

jazz Favorite restaurant in Flint: Taboon Favorite food: Shrimp Pet peeve with students: Plagarism Favorite book: “I Married You”, Walter Trobisch Favorite color: Blue Current cell phone: Motorola W259 First calculator: Can’t remember the model …

Most embarrassing memory from high school: Dropping the bow tie from my choir tuxedo in a restroom toilet Nicknames: Jim, Huggy, Huggy Bear (from the 70s show Starsky & Hutch), Hugs Favorite movie: The Blues Brothers I don’t leave home without my ___: Laptop How do you stay sane?: Lost that battle long ago.

Ideal vacation: A week with my family at Cedar Campus, Cedarville, MI Favorite sport to play: Bridge Favorite sport to watch/team: Football. Michigan Wolverines, Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers New Year’s resolution: Don’t do them. I don’t

need the guilt.

What do you do on your non-teaching term?: Sleep, clean my office, and help grade the AP Computer Science exam Favorite beverage: Sweetened iced tea Coffee or tea?: Tea Companies worked for before Kettering: Wayne State University, University of Michigan, IBM First job: Babysitting for the neighbors Team Edward or Team Jacob: Never had either as a student. (Wait … what?)

Opinion on our cafeteria food: I like it a lot.

(But “all you can eat” is bad for me right now.)

Favorite TV show: Scrubs Opinion on SOPA?: People I trust say it’s bad for me, so … I trust them What do you do for research?: Formal methods (applying mathematical techniques to describing algorithms), CS education What was your dissertation?: Formal mathematical descriptions of the C programming language and the Kermit file transfer protocol.

Music listened to/ favorite: Likes the 70’s, Jimmy Buffet.

Favorite food: Pizza Lunch Spot: Packs and eats in office.

Associate ProPet Peeve with students: Lack of respect, too fessor of Applied much attitude.

Mathematics Favorite Book: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Hometown: Burton, Favorite color: Deep Purple MI; Originally from Current cell phone: “Low tech, my daughter Brookings, SD Degree: B.S. in was throwing it out” Dr. Kevin TeBeest. Photo First Calculator: TI, “old Favorite Calculator: Mathematics at South Courtesy: kettering.edu Dakota State University. HP w/ rpm notation) Nicknames: “The Beast”. Many many nickM.S. in Applied Mathematics and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at University of Nebraska- names. When out with his wife, friends call them “beauty and the beast” Lincoln.

Favorite Movie: The Lord of the Rings How long have you been at Kettering: 18.5 years I don’t leave home without: “My Skin” Favorite class to teach: Methods of Applied How do you stay sane?: Working on my weather Mathematics (MATH-328) website, reading about American history.

First/Current/Favorite car: 57 Chevy- 1st car.

Ideal vacation: Caribbean Cruise or Hawaii.

3rd generation owner, his father bought the car, Favorite sport to play: Basketball then sold it to his grandfather, then bought it back.

Favorite sport to watch: Cornhusker football He drove it in high school. He and his wife got enOn non- teaching terms: reading, studying, gaged in a friend’s 57 chevy because his was at home. professional and academic reading.

Biggest accomplishment: His family.

Favorite beverage: Makes his own mix of ap-

proximately ½ water and ½ sweet tea with a little bit of 7-up Coffee or Tea: Coffee in the morning for sure.

Companies worked for before kettering: South Dakota State University, assistant professor of physics.

First Job: Grocery store; “best and worst experience” Favorite TV show(s): Person of Interest, Corner Gas (discontinued) Research at Kettering: Applied math.

What was your dissertation? : Computational fluid dynamics – Linear Stability and Bifurcation of Natural Convection within Arbitrary Gap Spherical Annuli – Fluid convecting around a sphere in a sphere. Could be used to model the earth’s mantle, or coolant around a reactor.

Dr. Jim Huggins Associate Professor of Computer Science

Hometown: currently living in Fenton, MI (and I think I’ve lived there longer than I’ve lived anywhere in my life) Length of time at Kettering: almost 15 years (exactly 15 years as of July 1st) Favorite class to teach: CS-102 (Computing & Algorithms II) First/current/favorite car: First car- 1980 Chevy Chevette; Current car- 2000 Ford Focus (hatchback); Favorite car- I don’t make that kind of money …

Biggest accomplishment: Earning a Ph.D. Favorite music/music you listen the most to: When I listen (which isn’t much), I enjoy classic Dr. Jim Huggins. Photo Courtesy: kettering.edu

Dr. Kevin TeBeest

Professor TeBeest's '57 Chevy. Courtesy of Professor TeBeest.

Research Profile Mapping Blood Vessels

By Dawn Hibbard Kettering Communications Dr. Jaerock Kwon wrote the software powering Knife Edge Scanning Microscopy, making it possible to create 3-d maps of vascular systems in the brain.

Dr. Jaerock Kwon. Photo “Fast macro-scale transmisCourtesy: kettering.edu sion imaging of microvascular networks using Knife Edge Scanning Microscopy (kesm)," the scientific name of the technology now

exists to take high resolution photos of micro-thin slices of animal tissues and create accurate threedimensional electronic images .

Dr. Jaerock Kwon, assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Kettering University, wrote the software control program and image processing modules for the Knife Edge Scanning Microscopy (kesm) built in the Brain Network Lab that is directed by his former professor and research colleague Dr. Yoonsuck Choe at Texas A&M University. As the high-precision positioning system moves the stage in the kesm, the software program activates a camera that captures images and then constructs a three-dimensional image.

"It is time consuming to perform histology reconstructions by hand, it could take hundreds of years

to accurately create a histology of one cubic centimeter of a mouse’s brain for example,” said Kwon.

Histology is the study of the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of plants and animals. Cells and tissues are stained and sectioned before being examined with a light or electron microscope.

The kesm can perform the same histology imaging on a cubic centimeter of brain tissue in approximately two days that is extremely faster than other methods having comparable level resolution.

While it is possible to get similar data from an mri for the brain, the images are not high resolution and it is not possible to see micro-vascular blood vessels, he said. “This technology (kesm) becomes much faster when automating both control software and image processing software."

March 5, 2012

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The Technician

Culture

On "The Art of Jerry Pinkney"

By Jessica Bruce Guest Contributor

son, about a girl band from the 1930s. It is a fabulous piece that resembles a period photograph around the time of the Depression. The colors are produced Jerry Pinkney is an African-American artist with vividness and care, Pinkney paying special atknown for his watercolor and pencil artwork in the tention to detail with the shading of the bright city colorful illustrations of popular children’s books. lights on the gleaming classic automobiles. This parPinkney has illustrated several popular books such ticular painting resembles a period photograph that as The Patchwork Quilt, The Ugly Duckling, The Lion has been edited to include color and other computer and the Mouse and The Old African. Pinkney’s work graphic effects. Pinkney also illustrated the pictures with watercolors is astounding, filled with vivid and in Minty: The Story of a Young Harriet Tubman, exquisite detail, almost like a true photograph. Waeach one of them incredibly lifelike and unique. As tercolor is a truly difficult medium to use to produce one can imagine, the subject matter was very dark profound lines and detail, making the fact that Jerry since it is about the famous black woman who esPinkney brings his illustrations to life with such brilcaped and saved many of her peers during slavery liant and amazing colors and details all the more astimes. Pinkney showcases his skills here by productounding. Through his artistry, he brings an original ing vivid colors and details without preventing the and colorful approach to salient aspects of the black reader from feeling the seriousness of the story. One experience in America. of the illustrations in particular, There’s Something All of his pieces are extraordinary, but there are a I Want to Show You, 1996, is about her first learnfew that stand out from the rest because they give ing of the story of the drinking gourd, or north star, a true feel for black life at a particular time period. that would lead her north as she traveled to safety.

Clearly an example of his ability to produce photoEach of the fine elements in the painting, such as the graph-like illustrations is Cotton Club, 2008 from the brightness of the stars, the wood grain on the fences book Sweethearts of Rhythm written by Marilyn Neland barn, or the faded colors in the characters’ clothing, illustrates Pinkney’s mastery of his medium.

His illustrations in the book The Old African, written by Julius Lester, stand out too because they hold so much story one could gain new meaning and a different interpretation each time the brilliant fiery colors catch one’s gaze.

The jacket cover of the book embodies the meaning of symbolism with the African waist deep in the water, awaiting the European ships appearing out of the dusk clouds. Each image tells its story, forcing the reader to brace for the powerful emotions that come from witnessing Illustration from The Sweethearts of Rhythm, Jerry Pinkey, 2009 such a crime against humanity as the Mid-Atlantic Slave Trade. His realistic and nearly horPhoto courtesy: Flint Institute of Arts

Cover illustration for The Old African, Jerry Pinkey, 2005 Photo courtesy: Flint Institute of Arts

rific detail in displaying the devastation of the slave holds vividly expresses the horror of the Middle Passage. Pinkney expresses spirituality within his illustrations in the book as well; one of the images contains an eagle flying over an African beach with natives streaming to the waters below, and his amazing skill is witnessed in the attention to detail in each on the eagle’s feathers, as well as in the people on the beach below.

Ultimately Pinkney’s exhibit is a must-see. His extraordinary mastery of watercolor and use of symbolism will be sure to take one back to childhood times remembering the books he illustrates. His amazing skill with such a difficult medium is astounding, as a story is told within every one of his images even without reading the books they illustrate. The Pinkney exhibit is one of the best the Flint Institute of Arts has hosted in a while. If “a picture says a thousand words,” his paintings say more along the lines of millions.

Kagle Leadership Initiative Visits FIA

By Cordaroy Battles Guest Contributor

On Kettering’s campus, there is an organization with the mission of enlightening Flint-area high school students with the benefits of pursuing higher education along with increasing their cultural diversity through new experiences. This program is called Kagle Leadership Initiatives (kli). It was started

by GMI alumnus Robert C. Kagle (1976) and was formerly known as the Kagle Mentoring Program (kmp). Mr. Kagle saw a need for inner-city youth in Flint to have some type of mentoring that would be about “guiding, advising and role modeling” (Kagle). He donated money to the school to start such a program. Cristina Reed is the Director of kli and Dena Johnson and Essence Wilson are currently the coordinators. The Kagle program has evolved into three branches, with each branch playing a significant role to meet the overall mission. The branches that kli focuses on are high school preparation workshops for middle school students, community tutoring for grades k-12, and one-to-one mentoring for high school students.

I am a part of the one-to-one mentoring program.

In this branch, a Kettering student is paired up with a high school student in the Flint community schools. The Kettering mentor meets with the high school mentee every week and plans activities that promote the mentee’s interest in higher education, cultural awareness, personal growth, and community involvement. This is done through goal setting between the two individuals, and then activities are planned to achieve the goals. The third Saturday of each month, mentors and mentees meet for a training session with a central idea as the topic of the meeting. This training is to broaden the perspective of the participants and challenge them to think in new ways.

February’s topic was perception. The afternoon was spent at the Flint Institute of Arts. An art educator gave a gallery tour of the current exhibit, the work of Jerry Pinkney. Pinkney is a picture book artist who represents the deeply felt personal and cultural themes of the African-American experience, the wonders of classic literature, and the wisdom in well-loved folk tales. The exhibit was organized by the time the author created the piece. It started off

with black and white pencil drawings and eventually led to water color paintings. The author drew with the idea of perception in mind. He wanted his audience to be able to look at the piece and understand the background and feelings of the characters drawn.

After the tour, the educator challenged the group to create art reminiscent of Pinkney. The assignment was to draw a head shot of ourselves, and in this picture illustrate some things about us. In parts of the portrait you could represent yourself using symbols as an expression of who you are. The real challenge came from people trying to draw what they look like and avoiding drawing what they wanted others to perceive them as. After the studio class, we discussed the difficulties of coming to terms with who you are and being able to draw this person that you see.

Often how you perceive yourself is not how others perceive you. This cultural experience caused me to look at individuals in a different light and compare my perception of them to what they had drawn. It made me realize that the Kagle experience is as lifetransforming for the mentors as it is for the mentees.

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March 5, 2012

The Technician

Technology Into the New Year The Video Games of January and February

By Devin Aryan Technician Staff January was a big month for video games, with a couple of major releases that fans had been looking forward to. To start off the New Year, ea Sports brought us nfl Blitz, the revival attempt for the Blitz series. Released on January 4 via the Xbox Arcade and the PlayStation Network, the game seems to be a successful revival according to multiple reviewers, with the game receiving generally positive reviews. Being a fan of the Blitz series made January 4 a good day indeed.

Photo Courtesy of g4tv.com

Amy was the game to follow nfl Blitz, being released to the Xbox Arcade on January 11 and the PlayStation Network on January 17. That being said, it was not the ideal game to follow. Being classified as a “survival horror stealth” game, Amy has received, in total, one positive review, and even then, it was given a 76/100. With all the negative reviews agreeing on Amy being barely playable, a disaster, and one of the worst games ever made, what did the one mildly positive review have to say? They appreciated the way the protagonist was not “practically a Navy seal,” and that she could not “mow down anything.” So unless one desires a challenge without much reward, or is simply a masochist, avoid Amy.

Photo Courtesy of Square Enix

The first of the two big guns of January was released on January 31. Final Fantasy XIII-2 is what every Final Fantasy fan has been asking for. With the predecessor receiving heavy criticism for multiple issues within the game, XIII-2 has, according to every

major reviewer out there, fixed everything that was wrong with XIII. This game boils down to a simple fact: if one is a fan, he or she should get it.

Also released on January 31, NeverDead is an odd game in which the protagonist is an immortal demon hunter who is willing to sever his own limbs to his advantage simply because he knows they will reattach. To give the game some type of difficulty, the protagonist is followed by a mortal female partner. Thus, the protagonist must not only complete the given goals, but also keep his partner from dying by either slaughtering the hordes of demons or by taking all the hits himself instead. The game seems pretty interesting, to say the least.

The final January release is the January 31 big hitter Soulcalibur V. The game has altered a fair bit from previous installments, with features such as the Soul Gauge, critical finishes, and parries being removed.

The game has also added features, such as the new ring-out mechanic in which rather than the ring out being an automatic win, both characters will fall to a new portion of the stage to continue the fight. Oh, and Ezio Auditore da Firenze is a guest character!

While January was not a huge month for video games, February had a long list of well-known games eager to hit the light of day. The first, The Simpsons Arcade Game, released on February 3, brought the classic arcade game to the Xbox Live Arcade. Released four days later for the PlayStation Network, the game is a port of the arcade, with some minor additions. One such addition is the online multiplayer, and the ability to unlock the rare Japanese four-player version.

The game to follow The Simpsons was The Darkness II, released February 7. The game received plenty of positive reviews, most stating that it was not quite as good as the original, but that it is an excellent sequel and if extremely fun to play. The lowest rating received was given by GameSpot, a 7 out of 10, stating that the ai are too predictable.

Next was Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning, possibly the game with the most polarized reviews. Released on February 7, reviews for the game were either positive or negative. Joystiq gave the game a perfect 5 of 5, while the game also received reviews as low as 5 of 10. Whereas Joystiq praised every aspect of the game, the negative reviews were very similar, stating that the game had no new features, and was just a compilation of old mechanics slapped together to make a game.

Also released on February 7, Resident Evil: Revelations brings the horror shooter series to the 3ds. Being praised for graphics, the most controversial aspect of the game is the story. With ign criticizing it, and Game Informer claiming it to be one of the best stories in years, the judgment is left to the player.

The next major release of the month was Tales of the Abyss for the 3ds. Released February 14, Tales of the Abyss is the first major jrpg for the 3ds. Being a remake of the ps2 game of the same title, NamcoBandai is hoping this will be the game in the Tales of

series that will revive western interest, in Tales of the Abyss and the series as a whole. Being a major competitor to Final Fantasy in Japan, those who enjoy jrpgs will find Tales of the Abyss to be a well-rated game worth checking out. It was even ranked #44 on Japanese video game review magazine Famitsu’s top 100 games of all time.

February 22 was a big day in video game history, as it featured the PSVita’s launch. Being Sony’s next generation handheld gaming system, the launch included many games. The biggest game to be re-

Photo Courtesy of gamereactor.eu

leased at launch, then, was Uncharted: Golden Abyss.

Receiving mostly positive reviews, many reviewers complained about how, unlike the rest of the series, Golden Abyss is not story-driven. Most did agree, however, that this negative is heavily outweighed by the simple fact that it’s an Uncharted game on a handheld. If you are willing to buy a PSVita at its current price, Uncharted: Golden Abyss is definitely worth checking out.

The final main game for February was ssx, released on February 28. ssx is the newest installment in the ssx series, being the first ssx game released since 2007. Unlike previous installments, ssx will feature actual locations on various mountains within the world’s various mountain ranges. To top it off, for the soundtrack, the game features a new remixing technology called “Harmony” that can “dynamically remix any song during gameplay.” The game has received very positive reviews thus far, but only time will tell whether it follows the trends of the series and does poor commercially even with outstanding ratings.

Q1 of 2012 in video games is turning out well compared to most first quarters. That being said, March is still ahead and it is looking promising. With the titan Mass Effect 3 being released March 6, the month will also feature Tales of Graces ƒ, the newest North American installment of the Tales of series, Street Fighter X Tekken, which is possibly the biggest fighter of the year, Mario Party 9, Ninja Gaiden 3, and Kid Icarus: Uprising. Needless to say, it will also be an exciting month, so stay sharp and play happy.

March 5, 2012

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The Technician

Changing Keys Applies Applies for New Keyboard Patent

By Devin Aryan Technician Staff Keyboard technology is not a topic that gets discussed feverishly. In fact, most people don’t care about the keyboard other than the fact that it needs to work. Apple, however, is trying to change the way we look at keyboards; from being a simple tool to utilize our computers, to hopefully being a way to express ourselves through customization.

the pressure is released. Due to manufacturing differences, however, one cannot replace a broken key through a series of easy steps, for each key is made specifically for that type of keyboard. Apple has published a new patent, however, that will change this.

The patent is for a keyboard that will utilize only one lever, making keyboards not only cheaper, but possibly slimmer too. The revolutionary idea that

ing this new design. What does this mean for users?

This means that keys can be made from just about any feasible material. Keys can be metal, wood, stone, or even glass for more contemporary designs.

There was even talk of making keys out of polished meteorite, meaning a keyboard could be made out of materials from space.

Apple filed for this patent on August 20, 2010, publishing it on February 23, 2012. Due to the recent publishing, Apple has not been granted the patent yet, so it’s still very possible that these keyboards may never be released. Until then, however, one can dream of having keyboards made from anything.

The image at left is part of the patent filing. Much like a piano, each key is attached to a long lever. Unlike a piano, however, the method of action is underneath the key itself. Item 240 is a metal dome that would be compressed by the key, completing a circuit that would register the keystroke.

Most keyboards today look the same and function comes with this patent, though, is that they keys will the same. The user presses the desired key down, and be directly attached to the lever, which means each levers are used to lower and then raise the key once key will be made the same on every keyboard utiliz-

Substance With Style A Closer Look At Kettering's New Website

By Tyler Van Eck Copy Editor One month ago, Kettering began touting a cleaner, more modernized online presence; however, details were sparse at the time of its inception. The Technician has since had the opportunity to discuss some of the finer details with Chief IT Officer Viola Sprague and Web Specialist Deena Hosmer, both of whom are heavily involved in the project.

Last year, Kettering hired web communications company Vermilion to develop a workable solution for the University’s new online presence as a package that would be handed off. “Perspective,” the current theme chosen from four options, was deemed most appropriate with regards to aesthetics and a projected traffic increase based on theoretical models Vermilion had created. The value of the new site as it was proposed was originally estimated at $144.9K, but was later cut down to well under $80K by eliminating options that were either unnecessary or could be implemented with existing resources. It was entirely funded by a grant from the Mott Foundation.

As a means of increasing behind-the-scenes functionality, the new site runs on a heavily-customized Drupal 7 platform, designed to have a more intuitive user interface that would allow more people to upload content with minimal hand-holding. New content for the site is submitted by content editors or at least one designated person in an academic department to a queue, and the content is then uploaded accordingly. In addition to increasing ease of use, it also allows academic departments to better represent their relevant news. Google Analytics

is being used to measure levels of engagement with the new site, as it was before. A huge amount of data has been collected since launch day, but it has not yet been thoroughly analyzed and one month is still too early to qualitatively determine the new site’s effectiveness.

One of the most noticeable changes after launch was the abundance of “File Not Found” errors and misleading redirects. The dead links, as they are so called, occurred due to a lack of appropriate redirects that came with the newer platform. Many of these misleading links were reported within IT and

corrected fairly soon after the site’s release. Similarly, the Google-based site search still requires quite a bit of improvement with regards to linking keywords (one search of “liberal studies department” led to Google suggesting “mechanical engineering department “ instead), especially in light of the term “experiential learning” being bandied about as a synonym for co-op: improving these keyword relations is one of IT’s largest concerns right now.

Questions, concerns, or feedback of any sort are greatly appreciated and can be directed to webmaster@kettering.edu.

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March 5, 2012

The Technician

Local News

Flint Sit-Down Strike Remembered

By Dominic Jandrain and Robert Hayes Technician Staff

February 11, 2012 marked the 75th anniversary of the Flint Sit-Down Strike, one of the most important moments in the history of organized labor.

The strike took place over the course of 44 days in late 1936 and early 1937 at General Motors facilities in what is now known as Chevy in the Hole, across Chevrolet Avenue from campus. As a result of the strike, the United Auto Workers union rose to national prominence and virtually guaranteed itself Union Supporters Rally in Cadillac Square, Detroit. a place at the bargaining table at General Motors, Photo Courtesy of The Detroit News.

Ford, and Chrysler. supporters.

As January wore on, General Motors stepped up their efforts to rid the Fisher plants of the striking workers. They shut off heat to the plant, only to have the workers respond by burning coal and other plant materials for warmth. General Motors even succeeded in getting Michigan National Guard troops dispatched to Flint, although the governor refused to let them fire on workers. It was only when General Motors tried to stop food delivery to the strikers that things turned violent. Flint Police stormed the facility twice, each time driven back by workers and Photo Courtesy of the United States Library of Congress. supporters from the community. While nobody was Worker discontent had been brewing at Gen- killed, sixteen workers and ten police officers were eral Motors and across the early auto industry, as injured in what would become known as the “Battle the stresses of factory work began to take their toll of the Running Bulls” an intended parody of the faon GM employees, many of whom were forced to mous Civil War battle. work long hours doing dangerous work. The company created further causes for discontent when it began shipping work to states where there was less suspicion of union activity. Of great concern to the company was the production of the dies necessary to produce their vehicles, facilities that only existed in Cleveland and Flint. The workers knew this, however, and on December 30, 1936, workers at Fisher Body Plant Number 1 in Flint stopped preparing the dies for shipment to facilities in Grand Rapids and Pontiac, and barricaded themselves inside the plant.

Flint Fisher Body Workers Pass the Time on Strike.

Photo Courtesy of the Library of Congress

By early February, however, General Motors had to come back to the negotiating table. On February 11th, 1937, the company recognized the United Auto Workers union as the representative for workers at GM. Within the next year, the UAW would be catapulted from 30,000 to half a million members nationwide.

The strike marked the beginning of the unionized auto industry in the United States, but more importantly, it helped mark the beginning of the American middle class. Flint showed the world that people can stand together for what is right, and that by doing so, workers could begin to reap the benefits of a system where they work together with management for their common good.

Michigan Historical Marker Commemorating the Flint Strike Photo Courtesy of Robert Hayes

National Park Service Sign Honoring Women in the Strikes Photo Courtesy of Robert Hayes

Photo Courtesy of absolutemichigan.com.

As the strike continued, General Motors initially avoided recognizing the UAW as the bargaining voice of the employees. By early January, the strike had forced General Motors to seek a court injunction forcing the workers back to work, but the judge, Genesee County’s Edward Black, was a large shareholder in the company, and public announcement of his decision only strengthened popular support for the strike. In Detroit, the union tried to drum up support by hosting a rally in Cadillac Square which was attended by a blockbuster crowd of 150,000

National Park Service Sign Honoring Flint Workers Photo Courtesy of Robert Hayes

Union supporters march in solidarity with Flint Workers.

Photo Courtesy of The Detroit News

By John Oliver Staff Writer

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The Technician

Entertainment

Kettering to Offer New Majors

Kettering has announced that they will be offering new degree options starting this summer to attract a different type of student. Breaking from the traditional engineering, science and business-oriented degrees, Kettering will be offering easier degrees that will attract new kinds of students. The initiative started when several members of the Board of Trustees attended a conference at a public university.

Their report noted, “The first thing we noticed was that there were several groups of students socializing without Magic cards or homework. We also noticed that there were females that appeared to be mingling with the male students, and we thought that that would be nice to have.” With that, the board put together a list of degrees that they wanted to offer as soon as possible.

The first degree they wanted was a culinary arts degree. For co-op, the students could work in the kitchen, saving thousands of dollars on staff. This would also bring in a different kind of student, one who would be less inclined to play card games than most of our students and spend an estimated four hours or less playing World of Warcraft, ten hours less than the current Kettering average. The quality of the food may also reach levels unheard of by Kettering standards.

The next major that will be offered a Major in Recreational Studies or mrs. Majors in recreational studies will focus on the science behind leisure and get practical experience in that field. Their co-op would consist of going on very long vacations and practicing non-labor-intensive hobbies. Once a student graduates from Kettering’s mrs program, they will have the practical experience that employers are looking for at most restaurants and supermarkets.

Next, Kettering needs to appeal to a larger demographic of people. Currently, Kettering only accepts the best and brightest into their programs, but as a result of that, there is a large demographic of cool people outside the “best and brightest” group almost completely ignored. Think of how intelligent the average person is. Half the people in the world are less intelligent than that, and Kettering accepts only a few of those people. If Kettering increases its target demographic, they will surely be bound to attract cooler people to campus. Some of them may even be female.

To ensure the quality of the students, entering Kettering has put together an aptitude test for these new majors that can be seen on the right.

1) What is your name? a. The thing written under name at the top of the sheet b. Shurple c. Tyromio d. 7 2) What is your favorite color? a. Green, Blue, Purple, Yellow, Red, Orange, Black, White or Brown. b. Blurple c. Sclorge d. 7 3) If I have two apples and take one away how many apples do I have? a. 1 b. N! c. Nom Nom d. 1,000,000,000 4) Can you spell the word science? a. Science b. Pie ants c. Pie Pants d. Sciedne 5) Can you read this question? a. Yes b. No Answers: 1) A, 2) A, 3) A, 4) D, 5) A

March 5, 2012

Meme of the Month First World Problems

By Dominic Jandrain Humor Columnist

As for a few examples, I have compiled a few first world problems that Kettering students might run into.

• I have to input my username and password anytime I have to use the wifi on my smartphone at school.

• The AB doors are locked, so I have to have my student ID on me all the time now.

• I wanted to work out today, but Mitt Rom• My free t-shirt doesn’t fit right. ney was campaigning in the rec center.

• I have to explain my school’s schedule every • I can’t decide which lunch meeting has the time someone asks me where I go to college.

First world problems is currently a popular thing best free food.

• My friends asked me when my spring break on teh internetz, despite being around for at least is. a few years already. First world problems are pretty much exactly what they sound like: complaints about small, unimportant things that only people living comfortably in modern civilization would have. Many deal with the difficulties of coping with modern technological conveniences, like WiFi or digital cable. The meme has also recently had some image macros popping up lately, with more Advice Dog-style text on image action. As for spin-offs, Third World Success Kid is quite comical, albeit a bit unethical at times. I’ll just let you figure that one out on your own. Anyway, there are a few blogs, a reddit page, and a few other random places online where collections of these humorous sayings and images, all definitely worth checking out.

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March 5, 2012

The Technician

Humor

Hard Lock on Short Tempers

By Tyler Van Eck Copy Editor

As the cold Michigan winter begins to fade from the City of Flint, handguns aren’t the only thing firing up to herald spring. The increased temperatures are almost always followed by a legion of ill-tempered, lightly-armed dwarves emerging from their hibernation periods to wreak havoc across the city before migrating to Tahiti for the summer. According to data collected from city offices, spring dwarf violence ranks as one of the greatest dangers to Flint residents, second only to other Flint residents.

Kettering is not immune to this threat, as demonstrated by last year’s serial knee-punchings in which three students were individually accosted fairly close to the Campus Center and had minor difficulty walking for several days afterward. That was the most egregious display of violence toward Kettering students so close to campus since a particularly dark day in 1979, when some of the attackers were in possession of small, blunt pieces of iron. In light of that, Campus Safety recently installed keycard locks in all doors leading directly into the Campus Center at a height of roughly 1 meter off the ground. Given the tendency of the spring dwarves to strike closer

and closer to campus in recent years, the locks are to serve as a barrier between students and aggressive dwarves since it is a well-known fact that dwarves cannot reach up to 1 meter and they lack the social cooperation to work together by standing on each other’s shoulders.

Skeptics claim that such a measure could have been theoretically implemented years ago, and rightly so. As it happens, the measure coincides with a spin-off of the “Entrepreneurship Across the Campus” initiative, “Fitness Across the Curriculum” discussed in detail to the right of this article. Currently, all but the tallest students are forced to jump up for the keycard in their pocket to disengage the lock, thereby subtly engaging them in building a jumping exercise mindset and playing straight into the hands of the masterminds behind the fitness initiative.

Such conditioning will, over time, come in handy when trying to avoid getting punched in the knee by a small mob of dwarves.

Having to go out of one’s way to disengage a keycard lock above pocket level may seem inconvenient, but it will seem like a pittance to pay compared to the small bruises inflicted by violent, migratory dwarves.

Facts About Card Reader Height

In the spirit of investigative journalism, The Technician has taken the liberty of ranking high traffic card readers across campus in order to help students avoid unnecessary exercise.

the knees for most students.

Academic Building Rear Door (by the Dumpster): At a comfortable 37" above the ground, the only challenge for this reader is its placement on the left hand wall, requiring a half turn if your id card calls your right pocket home.

Easy Mott Building Front Door Reader: at 33" above the ground Hard and set apart on its own post, Academic Building Rear this 5"x5" square card reader Door (by the stairs to ece requires only a slight flexing of wing): This reader is one of the

more challenging readers on campus; at 47" above ground, with a 2"x3" target it requires an accurate leap to successfully complete.

New Campus Center Side Door Readers: At 44" above the ground, these readers are lower than some on campus, but its placement at the corner between the door and the wall makes this reader near-impossible to execute flawlessly.

Fitness Across the Curriculum

By Adlai Milbitz Technician Staff

Many students are aware of the “Entrepreneurship Across the Curriculum” initiative, which seeks to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation through the addition of relevant segments to various core classes. What students may not know is that this is not the first ongoing initiative to effect the entire student body. The “Fitness Across the Curriculum” program seeks to encourage student fitness by adding small exercises and physical challenges to the everyday routine of students. This began almost 30 years ago when the elevators in the Academic Building and Thompson Hall were made to require a key to operate. These two buildings were strategically chosen because they would have the most impact on student life, forcing them to take the stairs to classes. The buildings were also designed to feature upward design with multiple narrow stairways, which encourage good form when climbing the steps. This initiative was also considered when the access control system was installed on campus. The variation of heights and locations of the RFID sensors encourages students to jump or stretch in order to enter buildings. The most recent development in this initiative was the implementation of the access controls on the Campus Center. These RFID sensors are by far the most challenging on campus, featuring a placement that requires a stretch for most people and a jump for some. Fortunately this is not the last improvement that is planned; future plans include the addition of a water obstacle in the pool, replacing all the sidewalks with sand, and randomly evacuating classrooms. Some of the longer term goals include releasing feral dogs to chase people to and from their classes.