Getting the Word Out
The third annual university-wide
public speaking contest featured cash prizes and stiff competition.
By Megan Coady, Ferris State Torch
Speaking Finals
Joe Hannich presents his speech in the Speaking
Competition about keeping police officers safe. Some of these new ideas
might consist of security cameras places on campus. Photo by Kristyn Sonnenberg, Photographer
Chad Schultz held his first place trophy proudly Thursday night
after winning the third annual campus wide public speaking contest.
Preliminary rounds for the contest were held Wednesday night in
the Starr building. From the 14 entrants, three were chosen to return the next
day to compete for the $300 first place purse.
The contest was sponsored by three organizations on campus:
Lambda Pi Eta Communication Honors Society, Pi Kappa Delta National Forensics
Honorary, and the American Democracy Project.
The final competition began at 7p.m. on Thursday night in room
126 of the Science building and featured speakers Joe Panek and Steven Wright
along with Schultz. The three contestants spoke for about eight minutes each on
the theme “Technology and Democracy.”
Panek, who discussed the usefulness of police cruiser
surveillance cameras, was the first to speak. He cited that two of the ten most
violent U.S. cities are in Michigan, and that police surveillance systems reduce
the chance of a suspect committing violent acts. Panek then urged the crowd to
take his words to heart and consider petitioning their state representative to
initiate a program to equip Michigan State Police cruisers with the valuable
equipment.
Schultz was the next orator to present and he discussed the use
of online networking to get young people more politically engaged. E-Democracy,
as Schultz called it, would be a powerful tool if today’s generation decided to
get the most out of it. He cited the increasing impact that blogs have had on
the political scene and pointed out that political candidates should pay closer
attention to what is being said and done online.
Wright closed up the competition with a speech on spam e-mail
and how it could be used to benefit the economy. He proposed that companies
should apply for permits to send out the junk mail and that lists of illegal
spammers should be centralized. According to Wright this would create revenue,
as well as increase the effectiveness of spam filtering software.
After the three orators finished, the judges convened to decide
the winner. The panel of judges consisted of Dean William Potter of the
University College, Professor Connie Meinholdt, and Dr. Rick Griffin. The panel
had decided unanimously on the ranking of the contestants with Schultz taking
first place, Panek taking second, and Write taking third.
Each of the three finalists received a cash prize and a trophy.
The one-of-a-kind trophies were specially designed by the welding department and
feature an FSU-red cut out of the torch emblem. P a n e k , Schultz, and Wright
will go on to represent Ferris at Central Michigan University on Dec.8 as
members of the speech forensics team.
Cari Scholtens, a past winner of the Honors speech competition,
said about the contestants, “I thought the competition was pretty good this
year. These guys were really well prepared, did a lot of research, and are
really just all-around great speakers.”
Celebrate the World
International education week is about learning and fun on campus.
By Thaddaeus Gommessen, Ferris State Torch
World Awareness Day will offer students a
chance to test their knowledge and enter to win prizes on Thursday Nov. 15
from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Rankin Lounge Area or the FLITE Extended Hours
Study Court.
The week of Nov. 12-16 marks International
Education Week, and Ferris State is sponsoring events such as World Language
Day and World Awareness Day for the first time. World Language Day took
place yesterday, and World Awareness Day is tomorrow.
“The purpose of both events is to celebrate
International Education Week,” said Janel Lockwood. Lockwood is the
international student advisor. Lockwood continued, “Every year, the
Department of State and Department of Education make a joint effort to
promote global exchange of ideas.”
This week’s events have the purpose to get
students interested and involved. As Lockwood put it, “I hope that students,
staff, and faculty have a better appreciation for international education.”
Yesterday’s event focused more on languages
“other than English.” Lockwood said, “many…on campus are able to speak
languages other than English and it is important that [they] share this
ability.” Tomorrow’s event, however, “is meant to expose individuals to
media sources and media topics outside the United States.” Lockwood calls
herself an International Educator.
“International Educators are those who
promote the global exchange of ideas, which can be through international
students, study abroad, learning English as a second language or through
campus internationalization,” she says.
The BBC website will be used to quiz the
knowledge of all who participate in the World Awareness Day activity.
“These quiz questions will be based off of
current events of international news,” Lockwood explained. When participants
score well, they will qualify to win prizes, such as an MP3 player, gift
cards, etc.
Tara Benzing in the Study Abroad Office and
Luzia Tartari in International Recruitment/ Admissions are also contacts for
this event.
As far as the future of this event at Ferris
State, “It is our hope that they will continue,” said Lockwood.
The U. S. Department of State and U.S.
Department of Education also have a website for International Education Week
at iew.state.gov. On the website are educational resources such as official
statements by world leaders and more quizzes on geography and global issues.
The Real Thanksgiving: A Cornucopia of Tradition and History
The real Thanksgiving presentation gave listeners a glimpse into the
foundations of the Thanksgiving holiday.
By Megan Coady, Ferris State Torch
Heritage, history, and most importantly food,
were the topics of discussion Thursday at the 11a.m. Real Thanksgiving
presentation in Rankin room 127.
Thanksgiving has its roots in the celebration
of the harvest season and when most people envision the first Thanksgiving,
they picture a successful and plentiful harvest. In actuality the first
celebration, held in 1621, was a humble one. The American settlers were
unfamiliar with the soil of the Americas. As a result, there first harvest
was a failure. The banquette that most Americans imagine actually more
closely resembles that of the second Thanksgiving.
Facing starvation after such a horrible
growing season, the settlers raided a local Massasoit tribe that winter.
Instead of seeking revenge, the tribe taught the settlers how to farm the
land and survive in there new home.
Another common misconception about the first
Thanksgiving is the types of foods served. The settlers had very few fruits
and vegetables their first year and baked goods, like bread and deserts,
were nowhere to be seen. Instead, wild game and fish were the main
components of the first ever Thanksgiving. The timing of the first
Thanksgiving celebration is also questionable. October and September line up
with the growing season and the celebration likely took place during earlier
in the autumn season than November.
One of the reasons for the date change is due
to the declaration of Thanksgiving as a national holiday by Franklin D.
Roosevelt in 1939. Many believe this was a plan to encourage spending and
boost the struggling U.S. economy. The theme of thanks after the harvest
season is present in the celebrations of many other cultures than just our
own. Canadian, Chinese, and Jewish cultures all have celebrations around the
autumn months celebrating the end of the harvest season.
One Native American celebration that is still
celebrated today is the ghost supper. The feast of the dead originally
occurred during the spring months, but was later changed to coincide with
Halloween. Congress had made the practice of Native American religions
illegal, and in order to keep the tradition around, the date was changed.
Many people are unaware that Native Americans were not granted the right to
worship freely until 1976, when congress passed the American Indian
Religious Freedom Act.
The ghost supper is a celebration held once a
year in remembrance of loved ones who have passed away. A large dinner,
featuring favorite foods of the deceased, are shared among family and
friends.
A selection of Native American foods was
served at Westview Café following the presentation. Traditional items like
whitefish, corn, and wild rice were served, as well as some modern favorites
including pumpkin pie.
The presentation was organized by the Office
of multicultural student services as part of Native American History month.
Another awareness event discussing the use of Native American names and
images in the media will be held Nov.27. The event entitled “What’s My
Name?” will be held in the Rankin Center conference Room.
Hopefully this event will attract more
university attention than the Real Thanksgiving presentation which had a
very small student presence. All of the events held as part of Native
American History month are free to all who wish to attend.
FLITE Focus Groupls Aim to Impove Library Services
A series of focus groups tailored for different groups on campus have been
set up in an attempt to impove library services.
By Shane Trejo, Ferris State Torch
Focus groups have been set up to try to
improve FLITE based off surveys administered in March to get feedback from
both students and faculty.
The session for the College of Technology was
held Tuesday from 11 a.m. to noon in NEC 203. The next session is being held
for the College of Education & Human Services Thursday from 11 a.m. to noon
in BIS 603.
The College of Arts & Sciences’ session
is being held on Nov. 27 from 11 a.m. to noon in STR 128. The session for
the College of Business is being held Nov. 29 from 11 a.m. to noon in BUS
205.
The session for the Colleges of AHS, Pharmacy
& Optometry is being held Nov. 29 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in VFS 425. The
general session for all Ferris employees is being held Nov. 16 from 2 p.m.
to 3 p.m. in IRC 104.
“We’re doing one before the end of the
semester for employees,” Coordinator for Media Production Sharon Hamel said.
“Then we will expand those groups during second semester. We’re doing this
to get a better understanding of what we can do to improve our services. For
instance, one of the questions is ‘What do you expect to find in a library
homepage?"
“We got a lot of different responses,” Hamel
said. “We see some general areas where we want more information. We have a
breakdown of student and faculty responses. We’re first starting with the
faculty. We’re holding five focus groups for the faculty and one for all
Ferris employees.”
“We looked at faculty responses, saw the
greatest concerns and developed focus group questions around those. We will
do the same thing for students. We will tailor the responses to different
groups. We’re trying to figure out why people from different colleges
responded with different concerns,” Hamel said.
“I will be the facilitator [of these focus
group discussions],” Hamel said. “I am housed in the library but I am not a
librarian so I might be able to do the focus groups better than a library
staff member. Librarians will be there to take notes to take back to
librarians and discuss their findings. I have facilitated other focus groups
in the past as well.”
“We’re always doing things to try to improve
services,” Hamel said. “One of the things we found was that people thought
the library was too noisy. We have things set up that the lower you are in
the library, the noisier it is. What we did was put up a bunch of signs for
quiet areas in the third floor of the library. We also put up a lot of signs
to remind people to be quiet.
“We have a suggestion board and a suggestion
box. We write answers to suggestions and questions on the board next to the
printers. Another thing is that people were confused by having a couple
different information desks for computer issues and reference issues. We
will combine those desks into one central desk. That construction should
take place over Christmas.”
“The library surveys and focus groups are a
part of the assessment efforts on campus.
“We wanted to find out how the library users
perceived the service of the library. It was a national survey and we can
compare with other universities responses,” Hamel said.
A total of 290 colleges participated in the
LibQual survey administered by Ferris in 2007, according to LibQual’s
website, libqual.org.
“Since 2000, more than 1,000 libraries have
participated in LibQUAL+®, including college and university libraries,
community college libraries, health sciences libraries, academic law
libraries, and public libraries---some through various consortia, others as
independent participants. LibQUAL+® has expanded internationally, with
participating institutions in Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe,”
LibQual’s web site said.
According to Hamel, there were over 1,400
surveys received on campus from both students and faculty. “We were giving
away all kinds of prizes,” Hamel said. “We had a reception afterward with
popcorn and we did all kinds of things trying to drum up interest in the
survey.”
For more information about the surveys and
focus groups, go to FLITE’s website at ferris.edu/library or call Sharon
Hamel at 591-3794.
Food Season Begins
Catering services hosts second annual holiday show.
By Thaddaeus Gommesen, Ferris State Torch
Classy Food
Ferris State Catering held their annual food show
Wednesday, Helping out for the event are (L-R) Jay baker, Stan Vallier (Head of
Food Services), Zequeelah Bryant and Jeff Horrigam.
Photo by Leslie Gilbert, Photographer
From 12 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday Nov. 7, Ferris State
University Catering Services hosted their annual Holiday Food Show for the
campus community to try various food selections free of charge in Rankin
Center’s Dome Room.
Willie Capre, a student, said she came in response to a
flyer in the criminal justice building. “It’s cool,” said Capre, a senior
forensics major, “[it] gives you a taste of what they do here.” Copies of
different catering menus were available inside the door of the Dome Room
during last week’s event. One was a general one for the entire year and one
was special for the holidays. The first one included information about
hosting a special meal on campus. The second ne was part of the flyer
welcoming attendees to the event. It included listings of all the foods
served and an order form for ordering for holiday gatherings.
Servers rushed around during the event replacing food as
each went low in the pans or trays. One server was passing out small glasses
that contained something called a “strawberry soup shot.” The server had to
ask people their ages before handing out the drink because, she explained,
it contained some wine.
Finger foods and appetizers dominated the dining options for
the event. On one table, a pan of Jay’s Hot Wings was on display near shrimp
salsa and various meats and cheeses. Another table featured tortilla
roll-ups and dill meat balls. Many of the tables followed an ethnic theme.
One such table included Japanese meatballs, pork dumplings, and sushi with
wasabi sauce.
Other tables held specific kinds of food. A table was there
just for dips, including hot spinach dip, taco dip, and Greek garden dip. A
salad table held four different kinds of salad.
Christmas trees, snow and ice decorations, and various
holiday ornaments decorated the different tables for the event. “Stan is
very creative in choosing different foods and decorations,” said Kelley. She
then explained that when they cater events on campus, they often take
responsibility to decorate the entire room, including the centerpiece.
The centerpiece in last week’s presentation was a Christmas
tree shaped display of mini-cheesecakes and mini-cupcakes decorated with
holiday accents. This display was topped with a wooden nutcracker. Other
deserts included gooey rolls and sugar cookies on a table with the punch
bowl.
One Ferris employee who attended the event, Janet Romanowski,
called it all a “wonderful presentation.” A Student Service Representative
in the Financial Aid office, Romanowski said she did not fully know how
extensive Dining Services got when catering. “It’s awesome,” Romanowski
said.
Romanowski also called the event “the first Christmas party
of the season.”
Stan Vallier said that he saw his year’s event as something
to “showcase what wonderful things we [in the Catering Department] can do
with service and presentation.” Vallier is the catering manager and has been
working for Ferris State University for over 7 years. It was also for
attendees to see “the new and exciting products that we have to offer.”
Brenna Kelley, one of the organizers, indicated that one big
reason for the event was advertising. “We started this last year…to promote
more holiday ordering for customers to pick up and take to their holiday
parties.”
Kelley, assistant catering manager, is a graduate of Ferris
State’s hospitality management program. She has worked her way through the
organization from student and intern to assistant manager in Dining
Services. She has worked for Ferris State for six years.
Vallier said he worked hard to get where he is. Starting out
managing at Westview, he was offered the position he now holds. “I took it,”
Vallier said ,and “with lots of hard work and the love of customer service…
my job is more successful than ever. I love my job.”
Anyone interested in knowing more about Catering Services or
placing an order can call 591-2605.
On the Record: Just Another Week
A round up of this week's crime on campus.
By Jalena Strayer, News Editor
Assault
On Oct. 30 at 9:15 p.m., there was a report
of an assault in lot 4. The victim stated he was walking to his vehicle when
an unknown suspect came up behind him and struck him on the head. The victim
received minor injuries from the assault and was unable to identify the
assailants.
Found Smoking
On Oct. 18 at 9:45 p.m. officers located subjects in lot 4
smoking marijuana. The three subjects involved were referred to the office
of student conduct.
Theft Complaint
On Oct. 31 at 12 p.m., there was a theft complaint made from
FLITE library. The victim went to retrieve their wallet to make copies and
realized the wallet was gone.
Accident
On Oct. 30 at 3:20 p.m., there was a car-bike accident at
the entrance of lot 41. The driver was exiting when the bicyclist ran into
the side of the car. The bicyclist received minor injuries.
Stolen Bike
On Oct. 31 at 4 p.m., there was a report of a bike stolen
from lot 28. The incident occurred after Oct. 26. Suspect is unknown at this
time.
Illegal use
On Oct. 31 at 4 p.m., officers found a subject using their
parent’s handicap permit on campus. The subject was referred to the Office
of Student Conduct.
Same Old Story
On Oct. 31 at 5:40 p.m., officers received a report of a
stolen ID and room key from the student Rec. center. The victim left the
items on a bench near the track and upon returning found that it was
missing.
Suspicious Characters
On Oct. 31 at 11:30 p.m., officers made contact with 3
suspicious people in Travis Circle. Officers gave out one MIP.
Marijuana use
On Nov. 1 at 2 a.m., officers assisted staff at Bond Hall
with a marijuana complaint. One suspect was identified and a warrant request
was sent to the prosecutors office.
Improper decal
On Nov. 1 at 9 a.m., officers immobilized a vehicle that was
using improper decal. The driver was contacted and ticketed.
Stolen Items, Person Found
On Nov. 1 at 8:45 p.m., officers received a theft complaint
from Travis Hall. A suspect had entered the victim’s room within the
previous 3 hours and stole a laptop, play station 3 and money. On Nov. 3
officers identified the suspect and the suspect was arrested and lodged in
the county jail.
Who would use the door?
On Nov. 2 at 2:30 a.m., officers responded to Bond Hall
concerning people entering the building through a window. The people were
identified and were found to be MIP.
Noisy
On Nov. 3 at 3:10 p.m., officers assisted housing in Finch
Court with a loud noise complaint. The incident was referred to the Office
of Student Conduct.
It’s so dark
On Nov. 3 at 11:20 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop
on Perry St. The driver was driving with no headlights and was found to be
intoxicated. The driver was ticketed and lodged in the county jail.
Scratched
On Nov. 3 at 1:50 p.m., there was a report of a damaged
vehicle at Holiday Inn. The victim’s vehicle was scratched with what is
believed to be keys.
Windshield Broken
On Nov. 4 at 7:25 p.m., officers received a report of damage
to a vehicle in lot 61. The windshield of the vehicle had been broken
sometime between Friday, Nov. 2 and Sunday, Nov. 4.
No U-Turns Allowed
On Nov. 4 at 10:25 p.m., officers stopped a vehicle on State
St. for making an illegal U-Turn. The driver was found to be intoxicated and
was lodged in the county jail.
Calls
On Nov. 5 at 1:15 a.m., there was a report made of harassing
phone calls to Miller hall. The incident was referred to telecommunications.
No Tires
On Nov. 5 at 10:15 a.m., officers received a report of
stolen tires. The tires were stolen from a vehicle in lot 61. The victim’s
car was jacked up and all four tires were stolen.
Warrant requested
On Nov. 5 at 11:50 p.m., officers assisted Merrill hall
staff with a marijuana complaint. The report was forwarded to the
prosecutors office with a warrant arrest.
Improper
On Nov. 5 at 2:45 p.m., a vehicle was immobilized for having
an improper decal. The driver was ticketed for using an improper decal.
Stolen Bike
On Nov. 6 at 11 a.m., officers received a report of a stolen
bike. The bike was stolen from the rack outside between the 2nd and the 5th.
Stolen video deck
On Nov. 6 at 12:15 p.m., officers received a report of a
larceny from Bishop hall. A video deck was stolen from a classroom.
Ticket Totals
There were a total of 958 tickets for a total of $16,990
Torch News Briefs
Opening Rifle Season
For those of you who don’t already know tomorrow, Thursday, Nov.
15 is opening day of riffle season. Be safe and remember to get your license if
you're planning to hunt.
How to get the job you want
The event will be held on Thursday, Nov. 15 from 11 to 11:50
a.m. in IRC 120. This event will be helping students approach their first job
interview. For more information contact Megan Dusnik from Ad group at mldusnik@yahoo.com
World Awareness Day
There will be an event being held on Nov. 15 from 11 a.m. to 2
p.m. in both the Rankin Center Lounge Area and the FLITE extended hours area.
Test your knowledge about current world events and enter to win prizes. For more
information contact Tara Benzing at 591-2515.
Excellence Exam
Reminder that the Automotive Service Excellence Exam will be
held Thursday, Nov.15 from 6:45 p.m. to 11:15 p.m. in Pharmacy 101. For more
information contact Susan Montgomery at 591-3628.
Way More Madness
On Friday, Nov 16 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m., Way More Madness will
be held at the Student Recreation Center. The event will host numerous different
activities including a kissing booth, money tree and raffles from United Way.
For more information contact Nicole Sheppard at 591-2140 or e-mail shep21@fsuimail.ferris.edu
SiCKO
Michael Moore's new documentary will be shown at the Williams
Auditorium on Saturday, Nov. 17 from 7 to 9 p.m. The cost for students is $3 and
for adults $5. For more information contact Michael Terry at 591-5600.
Pie Sale
The FSU chapter of NSMS will be having their annual homemade pie
sale. On Tuesday, Oct. 20 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at West Commons room 108.
Pre-orders can be made by emailing fsu@nsmh.org. For more information contact
Rebecca Wardach at 591-0652.
Thanksgiving Break
Thanksgiving recess will begin on Nov. 21 at 12 p.m. The recess
will continue all weekend and classes will resume on Nov. 26.
