Two students die on way back to Ferris
 
By Laura Chene
News Editor
 
A total of four vehicles and seven people were involved in the car accident that killed two freshmen students in the early morning of Feb. 4.
 
Nineteen-year-old Carli Marie Smith, a freshman in radiography, and nineteen-year-old Christopher William Spitzley, a freshman in computer information systems, both died in a car accident that occurred around 12:30 a.m. The two were traveling back to Ferris with Brandon K. Weber, a Ferris student in the mechanical engineering technology program. Smith and Spitzley were both from Fowler, Mich. Weber is from Portland.
 
While traveling westbound on M-46 in Winfield Township, Weber lost control of the vehicle and slid sideways in the way of fifty-seven-year old James William Pendergast, who was traveling eastbound in his Jeep. Pendergast, from Newaygo, hit the students’ car on the passenger side. Two other cars traveling behind Pendergast then hit him. Clayton George Sims, a nineteen-year-old student from Alma College, was in one of the cars, and a male and a female were in another car. Sims was not injured.
 
According to the Grand Rapids Press, the Amble fire department rescued Smith, who was located in the passenger’s seat, and Spitzley, located in the back, from the car. The two students had been stuck in the vehicle. All three students were wearing their seatbelts.
 
According to police reports, as stated in the Pioneer, Weber was in critical condition and being treated at the Grand Rapids Spectrum Hospital as of last Tuesday.
 
Tracy Fisk, head coach of the women’s basketball team, said that Smith will be well-remembered by many, including her teammates and Fisk. Smith was on the team earlier in the year but left due to injuries. “She tried out for our team this year,” Fisk explained. “She was on our team early and then got hurt.” Smith was unable to play for nearly three months and made a major decision to not play at all. Smith could have stayed on the team but would have had to watch from the sidelines.
 
Smith was a good basketball player who loved the sport and would have been able to help out the team a lot. The decision to not play was one of the biggest and hardest decisions Smith had to make, according to Fisk. “So I admire her for insight as far as her future . . . that she knew what she wanted,” Fisk said.
 
“We did go to her visitation [last] Wednesday night as a team,” Fisk said. “[Her family] misses her, and so do we. They need prayers right now.”
 
“I think that Carli touched so many lives that she will be definitely remembered.,” Fisk said. “She was just an intelligent young lady.”
 
The counseling center is available for anyone in need of assistance dealing with this incident.
 
 

  
Show me the money
 
By Amy McElmurray
Assistant News Editor
 
For the first time in recent years, the Student Activity Fund Allocation Committee (SAFAC) is coming close to spending all of the available money before the semester is through.
 
According to Director of Student Leadership and Activities Michelle Burke, more than $72,000 has been allocated this year, which leaves approximately $7-8,000 left to fund programs through the student organizations.
 
“RSO’s did a great job of planning ahead this year,” Burke said.
 
Student groups registered with Student Leadership and Activities can apply for funds for on-campus activities or professional travel. Requests must be made at least four weeks in advance of the event, but this year some groups planned for the future and requested funds for winter semester during the fall semester.
 
“They (SAFAC) didn’t make any bad decisions,” Burke said. “The money allocated has been split between the semesters.”
 
In a memo sent to RSO’s in December, Burke stated that “...most of this year’s funding has been allocated...Proposals will still be heard until funds are depleted. The committee is doing the best job it can to allocate at least partial funding to honor requests.”
 
Part of the reason the fund is running low this year is because many students are requesting refunds on the $20 fee paid each semester. The money supports events on the Big Rapids campus, as well as professional travel for student groups. Last semester, over $10,000 was refunded by students, many of whom take advantage of the free programs on campus.
 
This fee is imposed by Student Government of FSU, which oversees SAFAC, as well as the Student Activities Programming Committee (SAPC). The vice president of finance is the chair of SAFAC and the vice president of student life is the chair of SAPC. The $20 fee is split between the two groups, with $7.50 going to SAFAC and $12.50 to SAPC.
 
Ferris students should be glad that they have the opportunity to get involved for the small fee, according to Burke.
 
Although some argue that SAF money should not be spent for off-campus travel, Burke stated that the “travel benefit is something I wouldn’t want to lose. It’s a big part of student life.”
 
The SAFAC fund will be taking in money from ticket sales to the recent Nickelback concert, which will bring the balance up some.
 
One concern that Burke stated is the price of concert tickets for non-Ferris students.
 
“The non-student price is very generous,” Burke stated. “The performances should benefit more of the students who pay the fee.”
 
With the recent sold-out show of 3,300 tickets, members of SAFAC must consider if the price for non-student tickets should be raised. Many Ferris students who pay the fee weren’t able to attend the show because they waited too long to buy a ticket, which causes concern.
 
Anyone who is interested in learning more about SAFAC should contact the Student Government office. SAFAC is an open committee to FSU students with a grade point of 2.25 or better and who belongs to at least one RSO. Appointments to the committee are made by Student Government, and there are currently seats open on the committee that need to be filled.
 
 

 
Bargaining to begin shortly
 
By Laura Chene
News Editor
 
Bargaining teams have been formed for the contract negotiations, which occur in order to formulate a faculty contract before the old one expires on June 30, 2002.
 
Jim Thorp, the communications and media relations manager and also the spokesperson for the Board of Trustees during the negotiations, said that Ferris intends to complete the negotiations prior to summer commencement. The Board will meet with the Ferris Faculty Association (FFA) near the beginning of March to map out bargaining plans.
 
According to a press release, the administration’s bargaining team members include Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Tom Oldfield, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Sue Hammersmith, Academic Department Head for Humanities Don Flickinger, Dean of the University College William Potter, Associate Vice President for Human Resources Warren Hills, Director of Labor Relations Denise Barowicz and Chief Negotiator James P. Greene, also on the labor counsel.
 
The faculty’s bargaining team members include FFA President Mike Ryan, associate professor in Manufacturing, Engineering, and Technology Jim Rumpf, associate professor Maureen Watson, associate professor in Department of Social Sciences Theron Josephson and associate professor in Television Production Clayton Rye. The FFA will also receive assistance from Michigan Education Association members.
 
Thorp said in a press release, “The administration’s bargaining team is dedicated to negotiations that are professional, civil and creative and that focus on the long-term health and best interest of the University.”
 
Ryan stated two basic issues that concern faculty. The first involves keeping the professional standards of teachers, which students expect. “We’re having a heck of a time right now hiring faculty,” Ryan said. For example, in one department there are three openings but only four applications, which does not guarantee quality teachers.
 
The second issue concerns the role that economic factors have on the university. Despite any economic factors, it is necessary to continue effective teaching through quality teachers and small classrooms, which determine a student’s quality of education.
 
“I mean, we all have economic concerns,” Ryan said. “So, we all have to sort of adjust a little bit . . . and we don’t think 500 students [in a classroom] is effective.” He said that students should also be concerned with these issues since they impact them.
 
According to Thorp, Ferris realizes certain expectations students have of Ferris. “The Board of Trustees remains committed to all of those things that make Ferris such a great place to pursue an education,” Thorp said. “The administration is focused on the Ferris mission and maintaining the quality of academic programming.”
 
“Economic factors can always be expected to be significant considerations in contract negotiations,” he said. “The downturn in the economy as a whole, its impact on state appropriations for the University, increasing costs, etc., all must be considered in our future planning.”
 
“But it can be worked out,” Ryan said. “I’m positive and hopeful that we’ll have fruitful discussions.”
 
“We have all kinds of particular programs here at Ferris,” Ryan said. “We are not the traditional liberal arts school; Ferris students and Ferris faculty are career oriented.”
 
Both Ryan and Thorp agree that salary and benefits are common elements discussed during negotiations. “The administration’s bargaining team and the faculty team will be meeting in the near future to discuss these and other issues,” Thorp said. “As always, the long-term well-being of the University and its students is the administration’s top priority.”
 
Thorp noted ways the university intends to keep students up to date with the negotiations. “Regular updates with the local media, especially the Torch, will be a key part of keeping students informed,” Thorp said. “As negotiations progress, we will consider a wide range of communication options, including on-campus fliers to students and open forums to discuss student concerns. The nature and frequency of our communication with students will depend on the progress of negotiations over time.”
 
 

 
Winter enrollment reaches new levels
 
By Jessica Wortley
Ferris State Torch
 
Winter enrollment at Ferris has climbed to 10,167 students, the first time enrollment has been above 10,000 since 1993, according to a press release issued by Media Relations.
 
This number is a total of system-wide enrollment, including Kendall and satellite programs off-campus. The number of students on the Big Rapids campus is 8,125, up 147 students from last winter.
 
According to Institutional Research, only 763 students were lost between fall and winter semesters, mostly due to graduation and those students who take one or two classes for personal achievement.
 
“Winter enrollment always drops off somewhat from fall to winter in the same academic year, so these increases are truly impressive,” Dan Burcham, vice president for student affairs, said in a press release.
 
“I think this speaks highly of our undergraduate retention efforts,” Burcham said. “We are working hard, campus-wide, to keep our students here. That, coupled with a poor job market, is keeping students in class at Ferris.”
 
Kristen Salomonson, assistant dean of enrollment services, offered her reasons why enrollment has been increasing lately.
 
“First, more and more people are continuing here. Less and less people leave Ferris after one semester,” Salomonson commented.
 
She stated that this is due to the academic success of students at Ferris. The overall quality of new students is better, with higher grade point and ACT averages, so they are more prepared for school and less likely to drop out.
 
“An increase in the number of classes taught at the off-campus locations such as Grand Rapids and Flint has also helped,” Salomonson said.
 
Other reasons for the increase in enrollment are the positive efforts by faculty and staff members to recruit and retain students. The admissions Dawg Days programs on Saturdays and the Student Leadership Conference have helped increase awareness of Ferris.
 
Another reason is the offering of new programs, such as psychology and other liberal arts degrees, along with the expansion of old programs such as education.
 
“Ferris is really trying to be more adoptive of programs students want,” Salomonson said.
 
According to both Salomonson and Burcham, Ferris should expect to see enrollment continue to increase. Although final deposit money is not due until May 1, the number of admission applications for fall semester has increased.
 
“All trends are looking good,” Salomonson stated.
 
 

 
Events to celebrate black history
 
By Afzal Memon
Ferris State University
 
The month of February is celebrated as Black History Month across the country. The Office of Minority Affairs at Ferris State University organizes various programs during the month.
 
In 1926, Carter G. Woodson started the second “Negro History Week”, according to Assistant Director of Student Minority Affairs Matthew Chaney.
 
“Later on it was extended through the Month as this month contains important dates for the Black History,” Chaney said. Two of the most important figures in the history of the black people, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas, celebrated their birthdays in the month of February.
 
“Various groups organize events to celebrate and to pay attribute to the civil-rights movements and great African American individuals,” Chaney said. “Like every year, we have planned a couple of events for this historical month.”
 
The first program this year is called “Conversation among Great African Americans.”
 
“This is second time we are arranging for this program,” Chaney said. “Last year it was a big success.”
 
According to Chaney, the office of Minority Affairs invites participants to serve on a panel. During the program, these panelists will portray historical characters and will have conversations with other panelists.
 
“We have specified topics for the conversation,” Chaney said. “The subjects include the Sept. 11 attacks, reparations and ideas to bridging the gaps between cultures.”
 
According to Chaney, the panelists will act as the individuals they are portraying,” Chaney said. “They will reflect the philosophy of great people on current issues.”
 
“The concept of this program is borrowed from an educational program broadcasted on one of the television networks,” Chaney said.
 
“If we are left with enough time, we will also take questions from the audience,” Chaney said. “This is a really good program and we are really excited about it.”
 
Minority Affairs is also arranging a speech by Steve Birdine, the president of diversity consulting firm Affirmations in Action.
 
“He is a phenomenal speaker and he will talk about many issues,” Chaney said.
 
The list of subjects includes black history, racism, male and female relationships and academic excellence.
 
“I have seen him speak on a couple occasions,” Chaney said. “The first time I saw him addressing the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Washington.”
 
“The Second time I listened to him, he was presenting a workshop in Illinois.
 
He talked about fraternities and sororities,” Chaney said. “That was a positive presentation on Greek life.”
 
“I found him as a great speaker and I think it would be a great idea to bring him on campus,” Chaney said. “He has this unique approach to discuss the issues like racism and diversity.”
 
The first event, entitled “Conversation among Great African Americans,” is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Rankin Center Centennial Dining Room. The speech by Steve Birdine is planned for tonight at 7 p.m. in the Centennial Dining Room.
 
More information on the events associated with Black History Month can be acquired at the Minority Affairs Office by calling 591-2617.

All Photos by Brian Vansteenkiste
Acrylic, oil, airbrush, foam-core, wood, tape and colored pencil come together to form three canvases by Shawn Flagg and a “3-D Windmill” by Kathleen VandeMark’s Design II students. All four of these works are currently on display in the Rankin Center Gallery.  



Getting a start in art
 
By Brian Vansteenkiste
Opinions Editor
 
Students looking to take a break between classes, anyone wishing to get away from the hustle and bustle of campus or even those interested in taking in a little culture while on campus have the opportunity to do so the in the Rankin Center Gallery.
 
Right now the gallery is playing host to this year’s Ferris Student Exhibit. The current display showcases the work of numerous artistically inclined Bulldogs and features works composed with a variety of creative mediums.
 
“This is one of the first student shows I’ve been involved with as a director (of the gallery). It’s very strong and covers a wide range of medium, style and content,” Art Gallery Coordinator Carrie Weis-Taylor said. “I’m really pleased with what the students brought in.”
 
A selection of Ferris students composed works using everything from mixed mediums, charcoal, oil, watercolor, metal sculpture, photographic emulsions, collages and wood for this show. Most of the diverse crowd of artists has had at least one art class at FSU, with the majority coming from art professors’ classes or the Visual Communications program. Some of those with works on display were given special consideration and were allowed in without having taken a class.
 
“It helps create interest in the gallery if we draw from a larger audience,” Weis-Taylor said. “There’s definitely a lot of variety.”
 
So far, this variety seems to have pleased viewers. People drop in to the gallery throughout the day during the weekand Weis-Taylor has received good reviews from visitors. “So far the student and faculty response has been really good. The faculty are very supportive,” she said.
 
Shawn Flagg is one of the artists whose work is being displayed in the student show. Flagg mentioned, “It’s nice to see (my art) up (in the gallery).” He talked about how having a show such as this one is good because it gives students a chance to interact with their peers and an audience. Flagg feels that art is about feelings and that getting it out of a solitary environment such as a studio and up on a wall is a great opportunity for student artists.
 
“(The gallery) has a really good atmosphere. I’m excited to see what they do with it in the future,” Flagg said. The always energetic Weis-Taylor has progressive plans for the gallery that shouldn’t disappoint Flagg or anyone else with high hopes for upcoming exhibits.
 
The gallery is in the midst of planning an experimental transformation of the space into a cave for a show next year. Dr. Walker is assisting with this exciting plan, which will cover the ordinary walls of the gallery into the walls of a cave which will feature replicas of cave paintings amongst other details.
 
Additional items that students interested in art should keep their eyes open for next year include a traveling exhibit from Michigan State University entitled “Images of Human Rights.” This show will feature a number of South African prints. The Michigan Watercolor Society’s traveling exhibit should be making a stop in the gallery next year, and Chris Bindschatel, a recent faculty addition here at Ferris, will also be getting his own show.
 
The gallery will continue to make efforts to draw visitors in. Some of their strategies include incorporating lectures, continuing to provide “gallery notes” and other printed artist statements to explain the works, fostering an educational atmosphere and maintaining open communications with the patrons.
 
The gallery staff welcome student comments and are more than happy to talk with visitors about the exhibits. The docents are given training and direction for each show, and Weis-Taylor is also receptive to interaction with those who pass through the gallery doors.
 
The Ferris Student Exhibit will be in the Rankin Center Gallery until Feb. 22.
 
The gallery is open Monday through Friday from Noon to 5 p.m., and admission is always free.
 

Photo by James Bednarick
Hidden treasures can be found in the H & B Bookstore located on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Maple Street. The bookstore has mainly hardcover books with a good selection of paperback books. There are over 30,000 books in the store. 

 
A look at African Americans in entertainment
 
By Matt Cherry
Assistant A&E Editor
 
When it comes to the many fields of entertainment, many people have made amazing breakthroughs. Many people have made a name for themselves in their fields. And most of these people will live on.
 
Here we’ll look at three people who have made changes in people’s lives with their work in the fields of acting, literature and music. Those three people are Sidney Poitier, Octavia Butler, and “Blues Boy” (B.B.) King, respectively.
 
First is the incomparable Poitier. He was born on the Cat Island of the Bahamas. As the son of a dirt farmer, Poitier never received much of a formal education. When he was 15, Poitier was sent to Miami to live with his brother.
 
This is where, as www.imdb.com puts it in their mini-biography, “Poitier first experienced the racial chasm that divides the country, a great shock to a boy coming from a society of black majority.”
 
Seeing this empowered Poitier who wanted to find a way to find his fellow people work.
 
He then moved to New York, working odd jobs as he lived in an inlet for a bus station. Following a brief enrollment in the Army and another hard life in Harlem, Poitier enrolled in the American Negro Theatre, where he was rejected so harshly that Poitier spent the next six months learning to act and losing his accent.
 
He was accepted on his second audition, and that began his acting career.
 
It was his 1950 film “No Way Out” that gained Poitier recognition in Hollywood.
 
He portrayed a black doctor treating a white bigot.
 
In 1958, Poitier was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in “The Defiant Ones.”
 
After a few years rejecting a lot of scripts, Poitier was offered the role that no one of his time could have dreamed he, or any other black actors, could achieve: that of the starring role in the 1963 film, “Lilies of the Field.” He won his first and only Academy Award for this movie.
 
Poitier’s next two big films, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and “To Sir, With Love” were absolutely groundbreaking. In the first movie, Poitier plays the fiancé of a daughter who brings him to meet her more conservative parents.
 
In the latter movie, Poitier plays an engineer who goes to teach, and ultimately loves, an unruly class at an East End high school.
 
Butler was born in 1947 in Pasadena, California. After achieving an Associate of Arts degree from Pasadena City College, and after stints in California State University, University of California (Los Angeles) and many guilds and workshops, Butler started to write.
 
It was none other than Harlan Ellison who really encouraged Butler to write full-time, and starting in 1970, she did. She made her SF (science fiction) debut with her 1971 book “Crossover”, which mixes science fiction, mythology, spirituality and others together.
 
With her interesting style, it’s no wonder that Butler has won such awards as the Hugo and the Nebula awards (“Bloodchild and Other Stories”). And her novel “Wild Seed” has won the James Tiptree Award.
 
Among other awards, Butler has received a MacArthur Foundation fellowship, a very prestigious award.
 
Ever since she first started writing, Butler has been one of the top African-American writers of science fiction. And if you want to read one of her books, they can be easily found at any finer bookstore.
 
Finally, my personal favorite, the “King of Blues.” If you’ve ever seen him in concert, or have any affinity for blues music, you know that this man lives up to his name.
 
He’s been the influence for more bands than we can count. Maybe you’ve heard of a few; Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy are just a couple.
 
King was born Riley B. King in 1925 down in the Mississippi Delta. As sharecroppers, his family was very poor. However, they were a religious family, and it was through gospel music that King learned to love to play.
 
In the 1940s, King was playing music on the street corner and doing odd jobs, one of which was playing the guitar for “The Famous St. John’s Gospel Singers.”
 
After refining his skill, he left for Memphis, Tenn. in 1947. He moved in with his cousin, Bukka White, who taught King the refined aspects of blues guitar.
 
In 1948, King played live on the radio station KWEM in Memphis. He was given odd jobs and finally was a DJ, where he coined the name “Beale Street Blues Boy,” changing that to “Blues Boy” and finally to just “B.B.” In 1949, he was contracted to record.
 
While playing in Arkansas, King’s famous guitar “Lucille” got her name. As the Rolling Stone put it, “a small Arkansas club where King was performing caught fire, and he valiantly rushed inside to save his Gibson guitar. Later King found out the fire started when a lantern was knocked over by two men fighting about a woman called Lucille, and so King named his guitar (and all subsequent guitars) Lucille to commemorate the event.”
 
Even though he was gaining fame in the African-American and blues music circles, he didn’t enjoy mainstream success. At least, not until 1965 when the Butterfield Blues Band brought his music with them.
 
Later that year, King recorded his definitive “Live at the Regal” album, and his fame was secured. Since then, he has been touring around the world, even to this day. I myself have had the honor of being able to see him in concert twice.
 
Now almost 80, King has enjoyed success that few can dream of. He’s won more awards than most performers, including countless Grammy Awards and he’s even been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
 
And it’s because of his accomplishments that King is sometimes called America’s “blues ambassador.”
 
Poitier, Butler and King have all made substantial impacts to their fields, and to their followers. And if they and people like them can keep this up, we should never be bored for a long, long time.

Photo by Mike Termini, Assistant Photo Editor
Junior Chris Kunitz (#14) leaps over a BGSU defender after he made a pass to teammate Rob Collins (#23), who scored the final goal of Saturday’s game on the play. 

Photo by Mike Termini, Assistant Photo Editor

Photo by Mike Termini, Assistant Photo Editor
Guard Brian Monahan (#22) sets up a play in the corner against the Timberwolves of Northwood University. Monahan came off of the bench to grab two rebounds in six minutes of action.  

Photo by Mike Termini, Assistant Photo Editor
Sophomore center Bridget Horwitz (#40) attempts a jumper during action Saturday against Northwood.  

 
Wear and tear could tire stars
 
By Jason Nelson
Assistant Sports Editor
 
Their walking sticks are still holding up … for now. The Detroit Red Wings’ fantastic season is drawing to an end, with nearly three quarters of the season complete.
 
The Red Wings boast the NHL’s best record at 38-11. They lead the Western Conference standings by more than 10 points, and they lead the NHL in goal differential with a +57 rating.
 
However, this all means jack unless the Wings bring the Stanley Cup back to Detroit.
 
As Red Wings fans know, the season is a disappointment unless the Wings win the cup.
 
A grueling stretch where the Wings play 21 of their final 31 games away from home could put the team in a bad position for the start of the playoffs.
 
Considering the wear and tear of the road and 10 Wings representing their respective countries in the Olympics, you have a recipe for a second-round exit.
 
Sure, the Wings have their stars, and it is hard to imagine this team not playing in the finals, but the strenuous NHL schedule will have an affect on these older players. Mastermind coach Scotty Bowman will rest his vets, which will help, but it is the surprise play of some youngsters that has put the Wings in such an enviable position.
 
If not for the play of forwards Boyd Deverauex and Pavel Datsyuk, the Wings could find themselves worn out by now.
 
These two forwards, along with Brett Hull, have been one of Detroit’s most consistent lines, and with the energy that these two youngsters provide you can tell it energizes the rest of the team.
 
Do I think the Wings will win the Cup? Yes I do. Do I think they are a lock? No. If they do not win you can bet your girlfriend that most people will say it is because of their age. Dominik Hasek will be washed up, Steve Yzerman’s knees are about to fall off, Igor Larionov already eats his meals through a straw and Chris Chelios is starting to look like a baboon on ice more than anything.
 
The best thing that can happen for the Wings is for Canada and Sweden to get out of the Olympics early.
 
The Wings have six players on those two teams who could definitely use the rest instead of spending their time on the ice.
 
If it were me, I would want to represent my country as well, so I do not fault them, however, from a Wings fan’s perspective, I wish their teams would stink up Salt Lake City.
 
In the NHL playoffs, teams need to be lucky and healthy, something the Wings have not been in the last three years.
 
It is about time for a Detroit sports team to finally get over the top again.
 
My prediction: Wings over the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 in finals.

American wrath unleashed
 
Mircea-Ioan Cotosman
Ferris State Torch
 
How quickly can we forget? Too soon, I would argue. Why is it too soon? Well, because the job is not done yet.
 
The entire American media has significantly reduced their coverage of America’s war against terror. It almost looks like there is an effort to direct the attention of the public away from the war. Some politicians certainly go to great lengths to turn the attention of everybody away from what matters most: fighting terror back.
 
They produce “Enrongate” scandals, make VIPs out of traitors like Walker, take the White House to court and do everything in their power to generate publicity that turns the eye of the American people from the fight against terror.
 
Those people must be out of touch with the American people’s state of mind; they must not feel the American wrath. I am not an American citizen; I was not born, nor raised in the U.S., but I can still make the remark that if you suppress your wrath now, the terrorists will have won!
 
Allow me to explain. There is a difference between defending your land and fighting back. No matter how much anybody advocates tolerance and mercy, there is no place for such feelings in these times, especially when dealing with TERROR.
 
My country, Romania, was attacked and invaded many times by either the Romans, the Barbarians, the Turks, the Russians and many others. They all wanted a piece of a rich country that wasn’t theirs. We defended the country and ourselves, but never fought back. We never expressed our wrath; we came to believe it was our fate to be under attack for hundreds and thousands of years.
 
By not fighting back, and by not freeing our wrath, my nation was crippled and our restraint prevented an entire people from having the mindset of winners. We came to accept that God forgot us and that our lives should forever be a living hell. That is why we put up with the oppressive communist regime for half a century without saying a word.
 
If it hadn’t been for President Reagan giving the USSR President the famous advice to tear down the Berlin Wall (a wall that separated the two parts of Germany, a symbol of the Evil Empire’s borders), Romania would still be under the communist regime today.
 
Does this relate to America and its war on terror, you might ask? It sure does!
 
America should never suppress its wrath. You need to fight back again and again, whether some people like it or not.
 
The American people are a nation of WINNERS! That is why the entire world looks up to you and expects leadership. This nation should never believe God has forgotten her. God has not forgotten America.
 
Free your wrath and fight back! An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth! You should never forget! Do not let anybody tell you when this is over! Some argue that the “war on terror” theme is being overused, that people like Walker should go free and even that chasing Osama has become too expensive.
 
NO! NO! NO! What happened in September was not right! No one should start coping with or accepting what happened; we need to keep rejecting terror.
 
Terror is not natural, it is not a given you live with! It is evil! There is no tolerance for it, and it needs to be permanently eradicated. Mind you, this might not always be a country where you can you be free, embrace diversity and practice tolerance towards others, if you show mercy and benevolence to terror.
 
So, I say to all who try to put a stop to fighting terror back by inventing political and financial scandals, or advocating for the terrorists: be aware the American wrath will haunt you, because the people are always right!
 
FIGHT BACK, AMERICA!!!
 

 
Computer-aided agitation
 
By Brian VanSteenkiste
Opinions Editor
 
I think most people would agree with me when I say that computers are an integral part of Ferris students’ lives. Most of us are dependent on computers for a multitude of things, including email, typing class papers, searching the web for information, entertaining ourselves and a host of other activities.
 
Given this, access to computers on campus isn’t really viewed as a privilege anymore. Instead, students see it as a necessity and we have certain expectations of it. We want quick, up-to-date technology to let us work efficiently and we don’t want it to be a pain in the butt to get access to. The institution of a (misunderstood) “computing fee” has only increased student’s expectations. We’re spending an extra $400 a year and we want to see “computing” value for our money.
 
Ferris is behind other Universities in the fact that the general campus doesn’t have 24-hour computer access. Aside from this dream I’ve held for four years, I’d still have to admit that Ferris is improving its computer offerings to us, and the FLITE (information commons) has been a major part of that.
 
Like everything in life, nothing here at Ferris is perfect. The beginning of this semester brought not only a start to classes, but it also brought a new agitation in the form of the partial closing of the Business Building’s 104 “open” computer labs.
 
I’ve witnessed these labs filled to near capacity in the morning hours over the past few years, and many students have come to depend on BUS 104 for their computer access. This semester open access to this lab has been cut off during certain morning hours during the week to accommodate a number of ISYS 105 sections.
 
For the most part the lab is open at noon every day, but entering the fifth week of school lab technicians are still witnessing frustration over the lab’s closing. A limited number of computers have been placed in the lobby to accommodate student (email) needs, but the computers are too few to satisfy student demand. Tensions can run high when users work with their angry and impatient peers a few feet behind them, and it’s only a matter of time before things get ugly (if they haven’t already).
 
According to the College of Business Dean, Dave Nicol, the closing of the BUS 104 labs is serving the needs of 304 students in multiple ISYS 105 sections that wouldn’t have been possible without closing the lab. Nicol told me that the utilization of the lab was examined and that it was found to be “used minimally in the morning hours.” The lab was closed/scheduled for morning 105 classes, and the afternoon and evening access was retained “when the greatest demand exists.”
 
This may be a small consolation to those with morning classes who are used to checking e-mail or doing work during short breaks between classes, but at least the lab isn’t being closed in vain. Those 304 students are probably glad the lab is closed, and there’s not much we can do besides deal with it.
 
The common suggestion of “go to the FLITE” isn’t an option for those with limited time, but limited access to the Mac lab is available during some of the time the Room 104 lab is closed. If you’re one of those people who like to make lemonade when they’re given lemons, take this as an opportunity to learn another OS/platform if you haven’t already become friends with Mr. Jobs’ babies.
 
Touching upon the new library’s resources, some may have wondered why the computer labs in the FLITE haven’t been utilized in situations such as this. I posed this question to FLITE’s Dean, Dr. Cochran, and he gave me a lot of helpful information.
 
According to Cochran, faculty are limited to eight scheduled times (per semester) in the FLITE’s first floor “electronic classrooms.” There are no limits to the number of times faculty can reserve other instructional rooms (such as the seminar rooms on the first, second and third floors). Faculty are limited to eight reservations in the computer rooms simply because of time and spatial (capability) limits that full, or even partial, utilization would exceed.
 
There is some preliminary discussion about scheduling the electronic classrooms as if they were classrooms, but the debate is still in its initial stages and Cochran said it would be premature to state that it’s the direction FLITE is going to move in. However, if certain colleges were allotted “slots” to fill and consistently hold classes in as one proposal suggests, I think the rooms would be better utilized.
 
Currently, these rooms do sit empty during some hours of the day. I don’t think the FLITE should have to turn these rooms and their resources over to the entire university (the librarians do have legitimate educational needs to fulfill, such as teaching classes), but I think it would be a good idea to allocate some of the rooms’ time to outside teaching interests.
 
The FSU course catalog says that ISYS 105 is the class that explores the “use of common micro application software, including: Windows type operating systems, word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software and the Internet.”
 
I feel that a lot of what this class covers should be an admission requirement to get into a university. I realize this is probably a little stringent and unfair to those who come from scholastic backgrounds where they were never presented with the opportunity to learn this subject matter.
 
Maybe this course should just be a part of every freshman’s general education requirements (as long as those who already know the subject matter can test out of it). Regardless of how or where they learn it, no college graduate should receive a degree without having basic computer knowledge.
 
Whatever the solution is, it seems as if the demand for ISYS 105 is straining resources in the College of Business. Hopefully the situation is recognized and resolved by the appropriate parties in the colleges and academic affairs. Keep your fingers crossed.