October 27, 1999
 

News Arts & Entertainment Sports Opinions

Owning a credit card may be risky By LAURA CHENE Ferris State Torch Many students on campus have probably been approached at least once by representatives from various credit card booths. Students must realize, however, that a spontaneous decision to apply for a credit card could bring along negative consequences in the future. Credit cards may seem convenient at first, but failing to realize the responsibilities involved with owning one can be damaging to a student. Nellie Mae is a leading national student loan provider actively working to educate students about the risk of high borrowing. According to recent data compiled by Nellie Mae, credit card debt among undergraduates on college campuses across America remains high. The 1999 credit card data showed that the average credit card debt for graduate students applying for private loans from Nellie Mae is $5,179, up slightly from $4,925 in 1998. According to press release, 60 percent of undergraduates and 96 percent of graduate students have credit cards. According to Maria Mendler, a spokesperson for Citibank, when owning a credit card it is important for a student to keep track of his or her spending, to establish a budget and to know how much to spend. It is important that students be aware of the responsibilities involved with owning a credit card. According to Mendler, owning a credit card is a good way to establish credit history. Having a good credit history makes it easier for a student to apply for loans or to purchase cars in the future. Mendler admits that Citibank offers a lower credit line than other companies; therefore, most of the students who own one of their cards do not have a high debt. "The vast majority of people use our card responsibly," Mendler said. According to Mendler, a student is allowed to own one Citibank credit card at a time. According to Mendler, a credit card is just one way to carry cash. Debit cards are also a good way to manage money, and they are safer than writing a check. According to press release, more than 64 percent of college students carry a credit card in their own name, and 78 percent have a checking account with an ATM card. Tom Kenny, a freshman in Computer Networks and Systems, admits that there are advantages to owning a credit card. "There are just some things that you can't deal with by using cash," Kenny said. "If I want to purchase something over the Internet, for example, then using a credit card is probably the safest, if not the only, way to do so." According to Mendler, college students are not the only people targeted to apply for a credit card. They are just one of the various groups approached. Prizes are used as incentives for students to look at brochures on what the company offers. "Applying for a credit card does not always guarantee that a student will receive one," Mendler said. The important thing to remember is to use the card responsibly, according to Mendler. "Don't look at having the card as additional income," Mendler said. "It is there for convenience and protection." According to press release, Citibank encourages students to become financially responsible. Students must not forget about loan payments and high debts in the future. Steven Sanders is a financial consultant and spokesperson for Citibank. "[Students] think [that] they don't have enough money, or control, for it to matter," Sanders said. "But in a way, the less money you have, the more important it becomes to manage it well." A student can receive information on consumer education by calling 1-800-669-2635. Students need to keep a close eye on their phone bills By RYAN JOHNSON Assistant News Editor Last year, Nicholas Schmitzer was surprised to see his phone bill. Schmitzer, then a sophomore in Finance, found that he had been charged for dialing a toll free "800" number on his residence hall room phone. "I was surprised," Schmitzer said, "and a little angry. I didn't think I was supposed to get charged for those numbers." According to Annette Reband, Telecommunications Supervisor, it shouldn't have happened either. "We don't charge 800 numbers," Reband said. "We would never do anything like that." "I went down and got it all figured out," Schmitzer said. "It was all just a misunderstanding, and I wasn't charged for it. I'm just glad we got it worked out, and I haven't had any problems since." "Sometimes a student will get charged for an 800 number, or even for dialing a 796 or 592 number," "Reband said, "but it is because they dialed their authorization code before dialing out, so of course they are going to get charged for it." Another more common problem students face with their phones is when their authorization code is being used by an outside party. However the code is obtained, it is illegal to use another person's number and it can cause a lot of headaches for more than one person. "If your code is being charged and you're not charging it, come and tell us," Reband said. "The Telecommunications front desk is in the basement of Masselink Hall. We will deactivate your card and start an investigation." Stan Dinius, Director of DPS, is in charge of the investigations, "If someone's authorization code is being used wrongfully, we find out what numbers are being called and we go backwards from there. If the investigation reveals who is doing it, we refer them to Judicial Services or the Prosecutor's Office." "This doesn't get to us very frequently, "Dinius said. "We maybe get called about this a dozen times a semester." As for the charges, Annette Reband said, "If the person using the number illegally is found, then they will be charged for the illegal calls. But if the person who complained was actually making the calls, they will be charged a twenty-five dollar investigation fee." United Way race to meet goal By RYAN JOHNSON Assistant News Editor The Mecosta County United Way kicked off yet another fundraising season Sept. 24, setting their sights on a goal of $360,000. Betty Feely, Mecosta County United Way Director, announced that as of last Friday, they are up to $128,890, which is 35 percent of their goal. Ferris itself has raised 46 percent of the campus goal of $60,000. "Our deadline is November 15, so it's crunch time," Sandra Strothers, Special Assistant to the President on Multi-Cultural and Community Affairs, said. "We need everyone. Students, faculty, staff, they all need to help out now." United Way of Mecosta County has a plethora of events planned for the next few weeks that all involve raising money for the United Way's beneficiaries. "One thing we do is the Random Acts of Kindness," Strothers said, "where we get them names of people who have given to United Way and we do something nice for them. Also, at the Homecoming parade, we had people running around with a blanket doing the coin drop, where we asked people to throw their loose change into the blanket." The United Way of Mecosta County is not just a smaller chapter of a larger United Way organization. The Mecosta County United Way pays fees to be called part of the United Way, but they do their own fundraising and activities and give to their own specific groups. "We are locally controlled," Betty Fealy, Director of United Way of Mecosta County, "We are not a chapter of a bigger group." "We support 20 human service organizations, and through that we help hundreds of citizens that are in need. That is the value of what we do." "The United Way does a lot of good," Strothers said. "I am very optimistic about this goal for this year. We are hoping for a lot of student participation this year." The United Way each year counts on the support of students and RSO's alike. "Most RSO's work for the United Way already," Strother said. "The effort of students is very critical to our success." "My job was to develop a plan for publicity and to make sure that all of our people communicate," Strothers said. "It has been a real pleasure to collaborate with faculty and students for United Way this year. The United Way does a lot of good, and it is very important to President Sederburg that we show our support to the community."

Dance team strives towards perfection By STEVE COOK Assistant Amusement Editor When attending Ferris State football and basketball games this fall, students may ask themselves, "Who are those women busting a move on the sidelines?" Well that question has thankfully been answered. It is the FSU dance team gracing us with their bumps and grinds during the fall sports season. There are three different dance teams at Ferris State. The different teams are the Pom-pon, Dance and New Vibe teams. They're all a little bit different. Most of the dances performed by the dance team are Jazz style dances, which are upbeat, fast moving dances. To be on the dance team, students must have had some form of dance training (gymnastics, cheerleading, pom-pon). At the end of the basketball season in February, the team practices on campus until the end of August. Then the whole team attends a dance/cheerleading camp in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At camp, the team will learn and perform new dance routines. If certain standards are met during these dances, blue ribbons for first place are awarded. The dance team also competes against schools from across the country, including many from the Midwest and several Big Ten schools. The president/coach of the Dance team is Stacey Goosen, a junior in Applied Biology/Pre-Medicine. This is her third year on the team and her first year as president. On being a coach and student, Goosen was very straightforward. "It's been fun but very challenging to be a student and coach. We use dance studio technique, more traditional style. It takes a lot of hard work and practice to be a part of this team," Goosen said. According to Goosen, the dance team is at a bit of a disadvantage when they compete against other schools during the summer. "We want to be a sport and get a coach who's not a student." Most universities have dance teams as sports, but at Ferris it is a student-run club, which means they receive less funding. The bigger schools can get professional choreographers and coaches, while at Ferris there are no choreographers and a student has to be the coach of the team. Another member of the dance team and also vice president is Kendra Frampton, a junior in Marketing Sales. She has been a member for the last two years and vice president for a year. She has had a lot of fun bumping and grinding. According to Frampton, it was her love of dancing that led her to the dance team. "I've danced all my life. I also wanted to meet new people, but I really just love to dance." The dance team is made up of 13 members. Currently all the members are women, though men are encouraged to join if they want to. Tryouts for new members are held every year during the spring and fall, and take place over a three-day period. On the first day of tryouts, the potential members practice. During the second day they go through an interview process, and on the third and final day they perform. Practices are held three days a week, for two to three hours a day, in the U-Rec building. The team is also involved with the Homecoming and Bulldog Bonanza festivities every year. At the end of each semester, there is a team banquet, including dinner and distribution of awards to team members. The banquets take place in December and April. For the last two weeks, the dance team has been sponsored by Noble International, a Detroit-based company. Since they will have a sponsor this year, they will be able to get new uniforms and warm-ups to energize the crowd during the fall sports season. The dance team and the cheerleading team will join forces to perform on November 30 of this year, during half-time of the Ferris State University men's basketball home opener at the new Wink Arena, against Calvin University. Program offers students a chance to see the world By COLLEEN MCGINNIS Ferris State Torch The opportunities for Ferris State University students to study abroad have expanded over the last year and a half, and they are continuing to grow. The Study Abroad program is a great opportunity for students to step out of their comfort zones to explore a different culture and language. Within the last year and a half, an office has been set up for the International Affairs/Study Abroad program in Bishop Hall. Ferris has sponsored its own programs led by FSU faculty members. Ferris State University has a total of 80 approved programs in 38 countries that are sponsored by other universities and organizations, and also maintains affiliation agreements at several international locations. The first two faculty-led study abroad programs took place last May, led by Dr. David Noren and Dr. Ted Walker. Dr. Noren is a professor of French, and took his students to Martinique. Dr. Walker is a professor of Art History, and took his students to Italy. Dr. Noren plans on taking his students to Martinique in May 2000 and Dr. Aiken plans on taking his students to Israel in May 2000. Dr. Walker took his students to Rome, Florence, Venice and Pompeii. They toured sites such as St. Peter's Cathedral and the Sistine Chapel. Dr. Walker is leading a group with Dr. Katherine LaPietra, professor of theater, to go to Paris and London in May 2000 for sixteen days. In Paris, the group will tour the Louvre Museum, the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, the Chartre Cathedral and Notre Dame. In London, the group will tour Buckingham Palace and the British Museum. The group will also see some plays. Studying abroad is an enriching and fulfilling experience. The benefits are endless and Debby Carley, Study Abroad coordinator, commented on the benefits of the study abroad programs. "The Study Abroad programs prepare the student for a good professional career, and it also enhances your marketability," Carley said. Some other benefits of the study abroad program include learning about another culture, building a resume, and preparing for the global workplace. US interaction with foreign countries is shocking: 33% of US profits are generated by international trade, 4 of 5 new jobs in the US are generated as a direct result of foreign trade, current investments abroad are valued at $300 billion, and 23 of the largest US banks now derive almost half of their total earnings overseas. The Study Abroad programs occur during a semester, summer, year or breaks. A student's financial aid will transfer to the cost of the trip. An FSU student can still earn academic credit at Ferris State University, and students can study a variety of subjects in English or in a foreign language, including Spanish, French and German. FSU also has affiliate programs in Copenhagen, Denmark and Strausland, Germany. The Study Abroad program is an opportunity for a student to grow in many different ways. The experience can be fun and unforgettable. If anyone has any questions about the study abroad program they can call Debby Carley at x3921 or visit the Office of International Affairs in Bishop Hall, room 309.

Bulldogs defeat Tech, 66-7 By NICK WASMILLER Ferris State Torch Ferris State came back from last week's loss in a big way Saturday, beating Michigan Tech 66-7. The win moved the Bulldogs' record to 6-1 in the GLIAC conference and was the largest margin of victory for Ferris since an 81-0 win over Bay City Junior College in 1924. Ferris opened the game scoring first on a 1-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Mike Collins. Mainly a 37-yard Mo Harris run set up the score. Two minutes later, sophomore linebacker Charlie Pierson intercepted a Michigan Tech pass and ran it back 53 yards for a touchdown, moving the score to 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. Senior tailback Mo Harris started the scoring in the second quarter with a 44-yard touchdown run. Wide receiver Neal Mozdzierz scored next on his only catch of the day, a 51-yard touchdown from senior quarterback Matt McCarthy. McCarthy went 4 of 8 on the day for 79 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The Bulldogs scored two more touchdowns to end the first half. The first on a spectacular 47-yard punt return by sophomore Clarence Coleman with just under seven minutes remaining in the half. Harris then scored his second touchdown of the game just before halftime from three yards out. The Bulldogs went into halftime with a 42-0 lead and continued to score in the second half. Harris scored his third and final touchdown of the game to open up the second half. This time, he scored from 11 yards out. Harris finished the game with a total of 263 rushing yards on 27 carries, with an average of 9.7 yards per attempt. After Pierson's second interception return for a touchdown, senior Doc Proctor, made history with his 62-yard field goal to bring the score to 59-0. The field goal broke the old school record for the longest field goal made, set by Mike Panasuk with a 60-yarder in 1990. Junior fullback J.L. Holdsworth finished the scoring for Ferris with a 7-yard touchdown run. The Bulldogs chances at a shutout ended with 31 seconds remaining in the game as backup quarterback Kyle Park's fumble was recovered by Michigan Tech in the end zone for a touchdown. The Bulldog defense held Michigan Tech to only 77 yards rushing for the game, while FSU gained 384 yards on the ground. Cross Country team keeps its hopes up By JENNIFER MORS Ferris State Torch As the cross-country team packed up its bags and headed to Northwood last weekend, hopes were high. Before competition, head coach Jeff Kavalunas felt the team would place at best an overall sixth, based on the past performances. Their goal was to move up and place third. After competing against top schools such as Grand Valley State, who is sixth in the nation, Hillsdale at thirteenth and Northern Michigan at eighteenth, they have prepared well throughout the season and were ready for the conference race challenge. "We should certainly move up," Kavalunas said. "The girls have been great and their practices have been outstanding." Going into a big tournament, there are always expectations. Since training has been very successful, Kavalunas would like to see three or four runners in the top 20. "I'm really hoping for this to be our best performance of the year," Kavalunas said. "If we have a great race, then we will have our success." Aside from the outstanding performances of the team, Mackenzie Woodring and April Smith are standing out individually in their performances. Woodring has the opportunity to place in the top 14, while Smith has a chance at the top 20. "Smith has shown great progress through the season," Kavalunas said. Woodring took sixth place, making her First Team All-Conference with the 6K finishing time of 23:08. Smith finished in 23rd place at 24:03. Katie Klaver rounded out the top 25 at 24:09. After this week's race, Kavalunas will take the top seven finishers from the team to compete in Missouri for regionals. He does not think they will move on to nationals this season because of their lack of depth, but next season is looking good. "I always tell the team to go into this (the regional race) as if it's the last race of the season and have a great one," Kavalunas said. For the men's cross-country team, the season has been difficult. The FSU men's team was a little short on members this year. Although the team was not exactly a full team, they did make a lot of progress. "They are doing a great job making the transition to longer distance," Kavalunas said. This year, Steve Picucci is the one to look out for. Although the GLIAC race will be his last race of the season, he will still be with the team next year. Picucci finished the men's 8K race placing 90 with a time of 29:08. Kavalunas is looking forward to next season. He believes that the team has been very understanding about the situation and they have a positive attitude towards the learning experience. Kavalunas thinks that a lot more interest will be shown in next year's recruiting. Jim Dube shines at Ferris By MEGHAN CARBARY Ferris State Torch Jim Dube's hockey career began at the age of five, but not intentionally. His older brother had been enrolled in a hockey league, and he wanted to do the same things his brother did. "I was too young to start when my mom signed my brother up, but I kept insisting that I got to play also, and finally I did," Dube said. As he grew up, Dube kept right on playing. Eventually he came to play on a junior league in Canada, the Ottawa Senators. From there, he was recruited by numerous schools for his hockey abilities, but chose Ferris because of the coaches' honesty and the fact that it was part of the CCHA league. "I knew I wanted CCHA," Dube said. "I liked the fact that the coaches were honest with me about how the team worked and the way it would go. They also helped me decide which way I wanted to go in my major." Dube is a business Marketing major, with a minor in International Business. "I wasn't sure about my major when I got here," he said. "Coach Daniels set up an appointment for me to talk to Assistant Dean Hawkins, in Business, and I decided to go that route." This year, Dube is captain of the Bulldog Hockey team and has earned himself some very notable awards. Last season he was named Academic All-American and he also received honorable mention for the All-CCHA team. He was also awarded an All-American CCHA award. Dube feels he could work a bit harder than he has been, but still feels he is doing well. So far this season, Dube has played in all six games. He has scored twice, and he currently leads the Bulldogs offense with the most attempted shots on goal with 24. When not playing on the ice, Dube enjoys hanging out with other members of the hockey team on a social level. "It's almost like we have out own little fraternity," Dube said. "We are very close. It's a good atmosphere to be in." Dube and some other members of the FSU Hockey team are on an intramural soccer team, and they have are pretty good too. They have won the championship for the past two years. "It frustrates the other teams because we come out there and they are like 'you're hockey players...don't you need ice or something?' Then we just totally dominate and people are like 'whoa, you guys are good at this too,'" Dube said. The team's name is the Sol Sonidos. "It means 'sounds of the sun,' which is a really bad band that we saw one time and thought, 'hey, why not?' They have a cool name." Hailing from Ottawa, Ontario, Dube lives with his parent, older brother and younger sister. Being a long way from home, he doesn't get to see his family much and looks forwards to winter and spring breaks. "I really enjoy spending time with the people I don't see much when I go home," he said. Also, when he is home for the summer, Dube spends his time working in a community center mentoring children. All in all, Dube likes where he is and where he is going. He hopes to continue to do well in hockey and eventually in life.

Autumn provides beautiful scenery By JACOB CRAFT Ferris State Torch Last week, I was driving at breakneck speeds to get to Grand Rapids. My editor had assigned me to review a movie that was playing only in GR, and I had to leave town for the weekend, so here I was, on a Wednesday afternoon, flying to the theater. I was about halfway there on 131, when I noticed just how incredible the scenery was. The canopies of the trees had exploded into a tunnel of the brightest colors I have ever seen. The sun broke through the clouds, just for a moment, and was filtered through an unbelievable filter of red, orange, brown and yellow. I was immediately calmed. I slowed down to the neighborhood of the speed limit, and sat back and enjoyed the view. The color washed over me and calmed my soul. It was as if God had prepared this moment especially for me, to teach me to slow down. Not just on the highway, but in life as well. Too often, we are all moving at insane speeds, from one task to the next. We are expecting to find happiness through success, and in our attempt to be successful, we miss the whole point of life. Ask yourself, in fifty years, what will I look back on? What will have defined my life? As I stand on the threshold of death's door, what have I really accomplished? If all you can reply is, "I made money, and drove a big car, and had a big house," then what have you really done? Your death will be as hollow as your life is. As Americans, we have been blessed with incredible prosperity, and in a way, it is our cross to bear as well. A person's worth is determined by their earning potential and the higher up the ladder you climb, the more valuable you are. That's crap. You will have missed the big picture in your futile attempt to scramble to the top. Instead of realizing beauty and purity in the face of a child, you see a consumer as a pocket to be picked later in life. Instead of a beautiful autumn day, you see trees that can be converted into paper plates and toothpicks. You see a VanGogh, and you see not pain and raw emotion, but rather a multi-million dollar price tag. Why have we as a culture sunk to this level? Why are we unable to stop and smell the roses, or pull off to the side of the road and enjoy a sunset, rather than ignoring it, focusing instead on our cellular phone, or some superficial problem instead? It saddens me to realize that I am part of a generation, the large part of which has never seen a sunrise, or gone to an art gallery except under extreme duress. We are taught that the more complex something is, the more technologically advanced, the more bells and whistles it has attached to it, the better it is. Nonsense. Holidays are designated "fundays" By STEPHANIE GUILES Opinions Editor There has been some confusion and dissent within the community about what day Halloween should fall on this year. Where does this confusion come from? Why should there be any confusion when everyone knows that Halloween falls on October 31st every year. To repeat for effectiveness: Halloween falls on October 31st. When in doubt, just look at the calendar. Changing Halloween is a bad idea, especially to those who are superstitious. I think the change could really tic off the local spirits. I sure wouldn't want that resting on my conscience all year long. A few of the arguments that are being presented by proponents of displacing Halloween to another date. Some arguments have been presented by parents who think that having this ghoulish holiday fall on a night that precedes a school day is a bad idea. That may be true, but isn't that taking some of the fun out of it? Halloween, unlike many other holidays, is not conveniently placed at a time in the year where everyone gets a week or two off. In fact, no one gets time off of school or work for Halloween. Maybe instead of changing the day Halloween falls on, and disrupting the sanctity of every ghoul, goblin and witch in the area, we should designate the day after Halloween a "day off". Another argument presented is one that comes from religious Halloween opposers. The fact that Halloween falls on a Sunday this year has them alarmed. Well, this one can be understood a little bit. Halloween is "creepy-crawly" and Sundays are traditionally reserved for the holy. I don't think we should change it though, that is the way the calendar happened to fall this year. I bet most of those who are religiously opposing Halloween on Sunday are the type that would oppose the holiday no matter when it was. So, instead of getting in an uproar and wasting time and taxpayers dollars trying to change dates, why don't we just go by our calendars? Halloween is really all about fun and candy anyway, no matter how "evil" some might think it is. This year Thanksgiving falls on November 25th, always a Thursday, while Christmas chimes in on a Saturday. We don't consider Christmas any less holy because it falls on a Saturday. That would be absurd. What would the kids say if we told them Santa couldn't come on a Friday night? It would be mutiny. There is more to a small town than meets the eye By JOSH LAREAU Ferris State Torch Ok, let's face the facts. Our football team lost the homecoming game, parking fines have doubled, we have an open admissions policy, the winters are brutal, we're known as a party school, everyone leaves on the weekends, there have been too many drinking related accidents, there are no parking spaces, everything closes early, classes are hard. Life here sucks right? Wrong. It sucks only if you let it. After we have all graduated (or flunked out, or disappeared, or just gone crazy) we will look back on the time we spent here in Big Rapids with a lot of fondness. As Billy Joel said, "this is the time to remember, _cause it will not last forever. These are the days to hold on to, _cause we won't, although we'll want to." A lot of times we are so busy living the microcosm of our own lives that we don't see the big picture, how this town and this school really functions. Some writers describe a town like ours as being alive, as being a living-breathing organism, with the people as its major organs. As we go about our daily routines we don't realize how much a vital part of it we are, until five years from now, when we are in some other dumpy little town, and we realize how much we miss it. I've always thought that cops have a good sense of how a town really functions. They get the dirt on what really goes on. How many people are aware that until recently Big Rapids was a pit stop for illegal drug trafficking? Now that I think about it, it probably still is. You know that Indian Trails bus that makes a stop in front of the copy center at the same time each day? Ever wonder how much drugs are transported into our town on it? Sources tell me that it's more than you might expect. It's probably not all for college students either. The secret lives of middle-aged men and housewives are what good novels are made of. How many students are aware of the secret lives of their teachers? How many care? I always find it interesting and slightly embarrassing when I get a glimpse into a professor's personal life. I guess it's that "kindergarten teacher syndrome". You expect the teacher to sleep in the classroom at night after you leave. It's kind of hard to convince yourself that these are real people. I once overheard a professor say to another professor that the university shut down a teacher's cafeteria because it promoted too much interdepartmental communication. Talk about paranoia. Talk about needing a vacation. Talk about interesting. If you ever get the chance to listen in to another person's conversation, don't hesitate. I know it's rude and unethical and all that crap, but it's damn entertaining. In fact, go hide behind the pop machine in the teachers' lounge one of these days, see what you can really learn. How many of you have dared to venture off the main campus and into the surrounding town? And I don't mean Michigan Street. I mean places where directions might include "go right and turn off the paved road". Places where there are more car parts on the lawn than there is grass. Last weekend I discovered the "campground." Maybe some of you have heard of it before. It is a half mythical, half urban legend around here. It's kind of like that lake where Jason drowned in the Friday the 13th movies. No one is sure if it really exists. Well, let me tell you, I found it last weekend, and it was damn spooky. To get there you have to drive through a Children of the corn type setting. I kept expecting "He Who Walks Behind the Rows" to jump out and get me. And then, after mud-bogging it through a dry lakebed, and struggling up a 90-degree hill, I came upon the weirdest place I have ever seen. There was a lake to my left, and to my right were campground spaces with old mobile homes and decrepit looking campers interspersed at random. The spooky thing was, I didn't see a single person anywhere, and it was a nice day out. Just these ominous looking dusty white campers. Needless to say I didn't stick around to see if anybody was home. I suggest that everybody check it out. Just follow the signs that start on State Street. There is a lot more that goes on around here besides under 21 night on Thursdays. There is a lot more to life than your dorm room or apartment. There is a whole world out there, too much to be able to see all of it in one lifetime. That is why I recommend exploring this town and its people while you still can. It's not Chicago, or New York, or even Detroit for that matter, but it is definitely something.