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White Pine
February 10, 2011 Vol. XXVII No. 9
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We hew to the line; let the chips fall where they may
Zainab Al-Suwaij speaks at NMC
Middle Eastern activist scheduled to share experience and wisdom on February16 at NMC
Art in motion
New video art animates historical paintings at Dennos Museum Center
Photo credit/CAROLYN McKELLAR
PRIDE MEETING, Jacob Hines and Ian Nichols discuss strategy at the first meeting of PRIDE held February 3 in the West Hall conference room.
Take PRIDE in yourself
MADDY MESA Senior Press Senior Staff Writer Being comfortable with one's self is something everyone strives for while attending college. Yet, not everyone can have this solace. Often, minorities on campus are made uncomfortable with confrontation, slurs and sometimes violence from other students. This includes members of GLBTQ (Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transgender, Queers and Questioning). But a new group at NMC is hoping to add some comfort for those on campus who are in need of some. Jacob Hines has started a new student group at NMC called People Respecting Individuality, Diversity and Equality (PRIDE). Hines knew of Spectrum, a GLBTQ group already on campus whose purpose is "to provide a safe, social and community-action oriented environment for gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals at NMC." "I want to get people on campus aware of the gay community and to help give themselves [the community] a voice," said Hines. Even though NMC already had Spectrum, Hines felt the group had become more of a social group. PRIDE is a little more political, while still keeping the social atmosphere. "It's a great way to meet people and find out who else is gay on campus," said Hines. He sees this as a way of drawing support from one another. Mike Diduch, a student in the Maritime Academy and openly gay, is hopeful for a group like PRIDE.
It's time to laugh again
NMC student Jessica Donaldson gives us an inside look at this year's funniest winter event
"I'm hoping that NMC will help support PRIDE and get involved." Jacob Hines People Respecting Individuality, Diversity and Equality
Hines heard that the group was not doing so well, so he joined hoping to help the club anyway he could. But, he saw it wasn't really going anywhere. So Hines got together with NMC Faculty Lisa Blackford and Emily Magner from the Student Life office and together they formed PRIDE.
• See PRIDE on page 2
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PRIDE continued
"There needs to be a place where people can go, talk about their experiences and help [each other] to rise above all the feelings of other people," said Diduch. Diduch has been in the Maritime Academy for three years and has all kinds of friends who have accepted his sexual orientation. But it wasn't always like that. Diduch kept mostly to himself his first semester in the academy – afraid of how his fellow classmates would react. By his second semester, Diduch had made friends and felt comfortable enough to come out to them. "They embraced who I was and accepted me," said Diduch. But, Diduch believes there could be more support on campus for people who are not as open about their sexuality. "I have thicker skin than most people and there are others who are having a harder time being gay in a small community," said Diduch. "There could be a bigger support up here for people not as comfortable with their sexuality and how others will react." Mariah Baker, another openly gay student at NMC, agrees. "It's always good to have a student group representing a fraction of the diversity of NMC students," said Baker. Baker hopes for PRIDE's success. As the leader of Spectrum, she knows from personal experience just how hard it is to run a group. For now, PRIDE is focusing on raising awareness, gaining members and forming ideas. But Hines has hopes for his group. "It will be great for those new students coming to NMC from high school, or from out-of-town, that they have this group to connect to and to make friends and to become politically involved and grow confidence," said Hines. Yet others are thinking on a more community level. Diduch said that it would be great to see collaboration between NMC GLBTQ and community groups. "It would help get the word out," said Diduch. "I'm hoping that NMC will help support PRIDE and get involved," said Hines. "Not just from students, but from staffers too." He has noticed that other groups on campus have the support of the college and hopes they will support PRIDE too. For more information about PRIDE, or joining the group, please contact Student Life at (231) 995-1118.
February 10, 2011
Photo credit/CAROLYN McKELLAR
created for NMC's 60th anniversary. "We wanted to say 'Thank you' in a big way," said NMC Director of Public Relations Paul Heaton. "[This banner] lists the names of all of the donors from our first 60 years. There are more than 21,000 names on the list."
NMC's DONOR BANNER, hanging in the Welcome Center, was
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AltErNAtivE Story formAt Editor A&E Editor NEWS BriEfS Editor NEWS WirE Editor opiNioN Editor SportS Editor SENior StAff WritEr columNiStS
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Chloe Boudjalis Kendall Kaye Spratt Joshua Sisco Brianna Bodary Brandy Bray Zach Nitzkin Maddy Mesa Tom Auch Kelsi Cronkright Emily Magner Carolyn McKellar Caleb Straight Tyler Martin Travis Troxell Anjanette Merriweather Cody Aldrich Ashley Hansen Laura Stegmeyer Chloe Boudjalis Caleb Straight Joan Richmond John Parker
White Pine Press welcomes comments, suggestions, ideas for news stories and calendar items.
NEWSroom 231.995.1173 diStriButioN 231.995.1526 AdvErtiSiNg 231.995.1347 fAX 231.995.2110 EmAil firstname.lastname@example.com
Photo credit/CAROLYN McKELLAR
OPENLY GAY NMC STUDENT MICHAEL DIDUCH is enrolled in the Maritime Academy, serves on the Student Government Association and is an RA for East Hall. Diduch points out that there could be better support for GLBTQ people in northern Michigan.
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February 10, 2011
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Singing a sweet deal for Valentine's Day With Valentine's Day fast approaching, the Grand Traverse Chorus (GTC) offers a sweetheart deal. A quartet from the GTC, a chapter of the Sweet Adelines International founded in 1954, will surprise your friend or significant other with a song d'amour. In addition to the musical expression of your love, the $40 cost comes complete with a special Valentine's Day card, a photo of the event, and delicious, locally made chocolates. This one-of-a-kind gift is available for delivery Saturday, Feb. 12 through Monday, Feb. 14. The valentines can be sent anywhere within a 20-mile radius of Traverse City. For more information, or to place your order, contact Anne Nicholson at (231) 350-0536 or visit www.grandtraversechorus.org Financial Aid workshops help students make "cents" of FAFSA The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a lynchpin for receiving most financial aid, grants, and loans from the federal government. It is also a necessary first step for many NMC scholarships. Though filling out any government document can be a bit intimidating, a series of free, upcoming workshops is scheduled to help students navigate the FAFSA: • Friday, Feb. 11, 2-6 p.m., Great Lakes Campus, room 210 • Wednesday, Feb 16, 2-6 p.m., Parsons-Stulen (Aero Park Campus) room 204 • Saturday, Feb. 19, 1-5 p.m., Beckett Building, NMC Main Campus, rooms 202 and 217 • Wednesday, Feb. 23, 3-6 p.m., Osterlin computer lab, NMC Main Campus Those attending should bring: • Completed 2010 federal tax returns-or if those are not available, 2009 tax returns, W2s or other documents estimating income, • 2010 untaxed income records-disabililty, worker's comp, other aid, etc. • Driver's License or Alien Registration Card, • Social Security number, • FAFSA PIN numbers for student (and possibly a parent). You can receive a PIN number at www.pin.ed.gov. The deadline for state aid FAFSA submissions is March 1. For more information, or to learn more about the financial aid office, call (231) 995-1035 or find them online at www.nmc.edu/financialaid. Café Society brews scholarship opportunity for coffee slingers The Café Society Educational Fund is offering their first scholarship this year in the amount of $500. The deadline for coffee café workers to turn in their scholarship application is March 18. Baristas are those morning motivators who prepare and serve lattes, cappuccinos, and other caffeine infused coffee house contributions. The scholarship is available to coffee slingers who live and work in northwest Michigan's Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, and Leelanau counties. Applicants must either have previously worked in a local coffee shop for at least one year or be currently employed as an area barista. Franchise and chain shop employees are exempt from this scholarship. Examples include, but are not limited to, Cupppa Joe, Boast & Toast Coffee & Café, and Higher Grounds Trading Co. This award is for continuing education: degrees, certificates, trade school, community college, or any accredited educational effort. "We're pleased to offer an opportunity that is different than grants and scholarships we've made available in the past," said Sara Ward, of the Petosky-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation. "It will be exciting to see the applicants from this unique field's interests as they come forward in representation of their communities." To fill out an application go to www.phsacf.org or call Sara Ward at (231) 348-5820.
Joshua Sisco, News Briefs Editor
Some bath salts take a less-than-relaxing turn Ivory Wave, Red Dove, and Vanilla Sky sound like a bad advertising campaign – and maybe they are. However, getting high off the use of these bath salts, containing chemicals made from an African plant derivative called Cathinone, is on the rise. Cathinone is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, but Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDVP) and Mephadrone are not because they were never intended for human consumption. These chemicals are refined from Cathinone and then snorted, injected, or smoked with potentially fatal consequences. The effects, which include hallucinations and a dependency – on par with crack, speed, and heroin – can have debilitating reactions on users. There have been reports of violent outbursts, selfmutilation, and suicidal thoughts to name a few. Louisiana, where it has been outlawed, leads the nation with 165 reported incidents involving cases of overdose, suicide, violent attacks, and murder. But Louisiana isn't alone. The drug has appeared in more than half the states in the U.S. There is a lengthy process to restrict these types of designer chemicals, including reviewing the abuse data. These processes can take years before any tangible results are produced. Since the chemicals are still legal in most states, for the time being, users can only be charged with disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor. States like Kentucky are also moving to prohibit sales of bath salts containing the MDVP and Mephadrone compounds. "Because these drugs are legal in many states, children can obtain them and punishment for use and distribution is impossible. Hopefully laws will be instituted in all states preventing the sale, distribution and possession of these chemicals," said Renee Jacobson director of Health Services at NMC. "My understanding is, that when inhaled, these chemicals replace natural neurotransmitters in the brain. This causes hallucinations, delirium, suicide ideation, paranoia and in many causes actual suicide. Horrific suicides such as people have cut their own throat, stabbed and shot themselves. Overdosing has lead to death. The chemicals are very addicting and the effects can last several days." Volunteer Opportunities Volunteers are needed for the VASA cross-country ski event from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 12 and 13. Active individuals, who are interested, can choose from a variety of positions: finish-line aid, station help, directing participants, and serving hot soup and snacks in the banquet hall. Shifts can be broken down into smaller increments if necessary. For more information or to register call Linda at (231)-946-3099. Traverse City's annual winter WOW festival is returning February 18. Many volunteer opportunities exist in this Traverse City festival that hosts a wide variety of activities for winter enthusiasts. With Front Street ice sculpture, snow carvings, a vintage snowmobile display, downhill dash race, ice cream eating contest, tubing, cardboard bobsled race, and dogsled demos, there is something for snowbirds of all ages. Find out more or sign up to volunteer at www.winterwowfest.com/volunteers-17 For more information and volunteer opportunities in the region, contact Susan McQuaid, director of the Volunteer Center at (231) 947-3200 Ext. 205 or email@example.com
By Carolyn McKellar • NASA/Jet ProPulSioN lAborAtory (JPl) Solar System Ambassador
February Highlights February is another promising month for great observing. In the winter-constellation of Canis Major there is a binary star system – two stars orbiting about each other. They are called Sirius A and Sirius B located about 8.60 light years away. According to NASA, "Sirius B is smaller than the Earth, but much denser with a gravitational field 350,000 times greater than Earth's, meaning that a 150-pound person would weigh 50 million pounds standing on its surface." About 427.1 light years away is a red supergiant called Betelgeuse. It resides in the constellation of Orion and it is visible to the unaided eye. Another noteworthy object is the Rosette Nebula that is located above the constellation of Monoceros, the unicorn. In the center of the nebula is a young star cluster NGC 2244. The nebula is estimated to be
a little over 500,000 years old. Looking towards the east at the constellation of Hercules you can see the Great Globular Cluster (M13) around 4 a.m. in the morning. On February 4, we had a New Moon and on February 11 we will see our first quarter Moon. Now a quick update on the satellite probe called Stardust-NExT: On February 14, 2011 the satellite will past by its second comet. But, it is the first time NASA is conducting a follow-up mission to a comet. For more information on Stardust-NExT missions please visit http://stardustnext.jpl.nasa.gov/. Sky-Nyrds Disco The NMC Astronomical Association is hosting its first big fundraiser on February 25. For more information about events, please visit our website at www.nmcac.yolasite.com or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Information regarding Open Houses at the NMC Observatory can be found on the website www.nmc.edu/rogersobservatory
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February 10, 2011
Tips for a less stressful Financial aid experience
chloe Boudjalis Alternative Story Format Editor Many students struggle with Financial Aid. The process can be difficult,stressful and some students still are not satisfied with their results. While applying for aid will probably never be a fun experience, there are ways to make it less excruciating. Director of Financial Aid for NMC, Pam Palermo, offers NMC students a few tips to keep in mind while applying for federal funds. Apply early Financial Aid cannot be received overnight. It can take more than six weeks for a student to get their funds. Read carefully Financial Aid comes with a little paper work. Reading everything carefully will let students know what they must do to apply for and accept their aid. Ask the professionals If you have a question about Financial Aid, ask them, not other students. Because each situation is unique, other students may not have the right advice — the Financial Aid office will. Use Self-Service (nmc.edu/selfservice) Avoid lines by working with Self Service. This option is designed to make the Financial Aid visit easier and more convenient for the student. Leave a message If no one answers the phone, leave a message. The Financial Aid office tries to return all messages within 24 hours. It's complicated Financial Aid does their best to help all students, but the process takes time, effort and paper work. Students might not get precisely what they want. Applying early and reading carefully can help ease the stress. Suggestions? If you have an idea that might reduce Financial Aid frustration, leave a note at their office. Common misconceptions about Financial Aid • I can do my FAFSA today and get money tomorrow. • Although Facebook and other advertisements tell you that you can have free money to go to school, that is not necessarily true - the student has to make an effort to receive financial aid funds. • Even though your FAFSA results from the Department of Education state "you are eligible for aid," that is not necessarily true. You may need to provide the institution with some additional information • Financial aid is not just Federal PELL grants. It may include loans, scholarships, and grants. • Financial aid might not pay all your housing and living expenses. The bottom line Financial Aid is available to assist students with their educational costs and the student/families are expected to contribute to their educational expenses.
From The source's mouTh
By chloe Boudjalis Alternative Story Format Editor
"What I would like to see is more participatoin, more full rights and women involved in fields that they have not been involved with before."
Zainab Al-Suwaij is the Executive Director of the American Islamic Congress (AIC). Her goal with the AIC is to establish interfaith understanding and to promote civil rights in the Muslim world. Al-Suwaij has been working in Iraq to promote women's rights and the Iraqi educational system. The Student Life office has arranged for Al-Suwaij to speak at NMC on Feb. 16. political parties; they wanted to change the family status law to an Islamic status law. So thousands, hundreds of thousands of women, went to the streets and we organized and protested in front of every city council throughout the country at the same time every day to not have this law pass. And we succeeded at that. And we are still working with women in the capacity of building on democracy education, women's rights, and many other things.
WPP: How have conditions changed recently for women in the Middle East? Al-Suwaij: The conditions for women WPP: What do you think is the next step are very different between one country for Iraq now? and another. Some counties are Al-Suwaij: Women being more involved advanced as far as women gaining their and gaining more rights: participating. rights and some countries are really not. I would like to see the participation of Unfortunately [women] are still asking women be not just a quarter, but go to for basic rights: things like being able 50 percent, because they represent more to drive and being able to leave their than 50 percent of the population. And house without the permission of a male what I would like to see happening is guardian. In some other countries, we having these women more involved in all see that it is very advanced. We see aspects of life, and they have opportunities women being able to participate in to do that. At the same time, 25 percent the political field, being able to work participation is the highest percent in the outside of the house, being able to vote, whole region. In the first election in 2004, and being able to ask for her rights, women were 32 percent [of voters]. The and protect her rights. So it really varies minimum was 25 percent, then the quota Photo Courtesy/SPEAKING MATTERS between different places. In general, we went up, because women participation in see, if we're talking about equality, they are still working that election was really high. What I would like to see is hard on changing things. more participation, more full rights and women involved in fields that they have not been involved with before. WPP: In your mind, what are the biggest challenge For example, we now have women in the army, facing women in Islam currently? women in the police, and in the beginning, they were Al-Suwaij: The biggest challenge I see is women not harassed because of that, but now I think it has become being able to gain her full rights. There are always rules normal to see a policewoman. Women are highly and regulations, and these rules and regulations can educated there, so they need this kind of a push to open minimize women's rights. And these boundaries are not other doors. only religious, but also tribal and cultural boundaries that minimize women's rights and women's roles in the society in these countries. But at the same time, there are a lot of WPP: How can students and Northern Michigan locals woman initiatives and woman activists, who are working get involved? very hard on gaining these rights back. Al-Suwaij: We have initiatives on many different college campuses, and this project is called Project Nur. We WPP: What challenges have you run into in your always encourage students to be involved in support of efforts to promote women's rights in Iraq? these initiatives, not only in Iraq, but in other areas in the Al-Suwaij: In Iraq, after 2003, things have changed. region, and helping women and youth activists in gaining Women in Iraq now have the right to participate in the their rights. We encourage students to do events related election by voting and being politically active. They are to what is really happening, so people over there can see very outgoing and highly educated. They had many years the support, not only in their homeland, but also on an of sanction and stuff like that. international level. There are a lot of violations of human In the past, for many women, their level of education rights, specifically on women's rights, and I think people went down because they could not afford to send their need to know that there are efforts happening to make daughters to school. But at the same time, right after the that change on the ground, but also these initiatives need fall of Saddam's regime, we saw so many women activists the support of people who have the freedom to do things, going in the streets, working on women's rights and are able to be out there and speaking about these issues. asking for their rights. There is a very remarkable group So they need the support, not only from inside, but from of women in 2003 that gained the quota of women in outside as well. the government, which called for not less than 25 percent of women participation in the government. At the same For more information on Al-Suwaij, and her work time, there was a movement from one of the Islamic promoting women's rights, visit www.aicongress.org
February 10, 2011
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NMC's "Conversation" speaks at new dennos exhibit
Chloe Boudjalis and joshua sisCo Alternative Story Format Editor and News Briefs Editor Korean artist, Lee nam Lee's video art, "The Conversation between Monet and Sochi," and several more of his works are on display at the Dennos Museum Center from January 16 to March 27. Lee nam Lee's art animates historical paintings and ink designs, bringing them to life in a new way. He can change the seasons, weather, or time of day, or cause the subject of classic works to move freely though the piece. Lee nam Lee has been shown in over 200 exhibits worldwide. His presentation at the Dennos museum marks his first independent museum appearance in the United States. Tickets for the display are $6 for adults and $4 for children. Student and museum member admission to the event is free. For video examples of Lee nam Lee's works, search for "Lee nam Lee" on YouTube.
Press Photos/Carolyn McKellar
These are time-lapse photos of "Girl With a Pearl Earring" from Lee nam Lee's exhibit. Start at the top of our "clock" and watch the image progress in clockwise fashion.
The exhibit's appearance at NMC is a direct result of an Oct. 2010 trip director Gene Jenneman took to Beijing. While visiting a collective comprised of more than 2000 artists, Jenneman found himself in Lee's studio in the Korean section of the commune. After "Conversation" caught his eye he stayed for the visual encounter. "I sat and watched it all the way through, which is unusual for me, then watched it again," he said. "The way he brought these works to life, I was just so taken with it." Upon his return to the U.S., Jenneman began an e-mail conversation with Lee to
explore the possibilities of bringing some of his works to northern Michigan. Not sure if this type of exhibition was something the Dennos Museum would be able to host, Jenneman continued to pursue it "on a whim." Fortunately, all the pieces fell into place and Lee nam Lee arrived at the Dennos in January accompanied by a translator and technical assistant to install his exhibition. The result is eight installments available to museum attendees over the next six weeks. Lee said this exhibition "seeks to fertilize warm senses deeply located in our mind and give you a spiritual present."
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February 10, 2011
a small fish caught in a big fuss
Bettina Boxall Los Angeles Times (MCT) SACRAMENTO-SAN JOAQUIN DELTA, Calif. When Peter Moyle began studying an obscure little Northern California fish in the early 1970s, he had no inkling of the role it would come to play in the state. No one had paid much attention to the delta smelt. "They were just there," recalled Moyle, then an assistant professor at the University of California, Davis, in need of a research topic. "We knew nothing about it." Nearly four decades later, the delta smelt is arguably the most powerful player in California water. Its movements rule the pumping operations of the state's biggest water projects in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Efforts to stave off its demise have at times reduced water deliveries every year." They hatch, mature, migrate up the delta to spawn in fresh water, and then die _ all in a 12-month period. Even under ideal conditions, a delta smelt's existence is not easy. They have low fertility rates. For much of their life cycle, they favor a narrow zone of water with just the right salinity levels that shifts location in the delta according to freshwater flows. Successful spawning requires a precise range of water temperature. One of their enduring mysteries is exactly where in the delta they spawn: Only one delta smelt egg has been discovered profile of the california delta smelt; the native fish was listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species act in 1993. Los Angeles Times/MCT 2011 in the wild. For the record, delta refuge population at the lab near Byron a few years after smelt are not minnows. the delta smelt was listed as threatened. (The U.S. Fish & They belong to the smelt family (Osmeridae), and are distant relatives of salmon. Like the San Francisco Estuary Wildlife Service determined last year that a reclassification to "endangered" was warranted but did not take the action system it evolved in, the delta smelt is a young species, because of a backlog.) probably no older than 8,000 to10,000 years. "I heard about smelt being listed and thought we could It was originally considered an isolated population of probably culture them," said Lindberg, the lab's director. pond smelt, which are found on both sides of the Pacific. But figuring out how was tough. "We couldn't get them A Russian scientist was one of the first to describe delta past the larval stage for several years." smelt as a separate species, but since that was during the Now the lab breeds 250 pairs every year, carefully Cold War, his work didn't get much traction. selecting them to maintain as much genetic diversity as "We just assumed the Russians did bad science," Moyle said possible. They are used in research and some are sent to wryly. Genetic testing proved the Soviets right. a backup population maintained at a facility near Shasta The smelt's ability to adapt to the complex conditions Dam. They are not released into the delta to avoid mixing of the delta are a blessing and a curse, allowing it to a hatchery population with the wild one. develop as a distinct species but also limiting it to an area After nearly 20 years of working with the tiny fish, that has for decades functioned as a giant faucet for much Lindberg is still fascinated. "I like that they're always of California. surprising," she said, gazing into an outdoor tank filled Nearly translucent, they like open, muddy water – with delta water, flush with 30,000 darting adults. flushed into the delta by the Sacramento and San Joaquin Moyle goes back and forth about whether the smelt can rivers. They like a pinch of salt, courtesy of sea water be saved. But when he stares into the muck on Liberty from San Francisco Bay. They aren't the best swimmers, Island, he allows himself a bit of optimism. "Chicken soup employing an irregular "stroke and glide" technique for smelt," he calls it. that lets them ride tidal currents to get around the delta. Liberty sits on the delta's western edge, at the bottom Evolution had consigned them a humble niche: eating of a flood zone that carries overflow from the Sacramento tiny zooplankton, and being eaten by the delta's teaming River. The farm island flooded 27 times in the 20th birdlife and other fish. "It's extraordinarily well-adapted for the system the way century, until landowners gave up in 1997 and didn't bother to repair the levees. The nonprofit Trust for Public it was," Moyle said. Land bought most of the island with government grants That is the core of the smelt's problems, for today's and is about to turn it over to the state Department of delta bears little resemblance to the fish's original home. Drained, farmed, colonized by invasive species and used as Fish and Game. Liberty has set about healing itself: Tule marsh and a conduit to ship water from Northern California to the wetlands are reclaiming old onion and asparagus fields. San Joaquin Valley and Southern California, the delta is Open tidal water covers thousands of acres. And the an ecological invalid. smelt know it. For reasons scientists are madly trying to Scientists can't say how close the delta smelt is to decipher, a small year-round smelt population seems to extinction, but the population has collapsed in the last have established itself at Liberty. decade to the lowest levels ever recorded. It's possible that "My dream is to get delta smelt abundant enough to sometime soon the only place to find delta smelt will be in harvest," Moyle says. "There'd be a market in Japan." tanks at the UC Davis Fish Conservation and Culture Lab. Joan Lindberg and her colleagues established a capture
"My dream is to get delta smelt abundant enough to harvest. there'd be a market in Japan." Peter Moyle Assistant Professor, University of California Davis
to 25 million people and 2 million acres of farmland, magnifying the impact of the recent drought and forcing farmers to fallow fields. Politicians harangue it and maneuver to gut the regulations that protect it. Why all the fuss over a puny creature – streaked in steely blue, redolent of cucumbers and no bigger than a woman's little finger – that Central Valley congressmen and Fox News broadcasters belittle as a worthless bait fish and "a 2-inch minnow." Why not just crank up the pumps and forget the thing? Moyle, whose work helped earn the delta smelt a spot on the federal endangered species list in 1993, is philosophical at first: The American people have decided that we should not wipe species after species off the face of the Earth. Then he gets more pragmatic. "If the delta smelt goes away, it's not going to solve the problem" of California's dependence on the ailing delta for a good measure of its water, Moyle said. He reels off a list of prized fish that use the delta and are also in trouble, such as Chinook salmon and green sturgeon. Help the smelt, he says, and we help them. Bill Bennett is a former graduate student of Moyle's who picked up his mentor's research baton and passion for delta smelt. He champions Hypomesus transpacificus as a unique native whose fate is entwined with that of the West Coast's largest estuary. Drive the delta smelt and other natives into oblivion, he warns, and we will wind up with "the McDonalds and Wal-Mart version of California," overrun with generic species from elsewhere. "I think people appreciate the real California rather than something they can get everywhere." Bennett, an associate researcher at UC Davis' John Muir Institute of the Environment, is bracing himself against the wind as he speeds down the Sacramento River with a government research team on a chilly gray day to scout locations for a new smelt study. The crew was back on the river taking field samples in the rain at 3 a.m. Christmas Day. Delta smelt exist "only here," he says with an emphatic jab of his finger. "And they do something remarkable
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February 10, 2011
On The Wire
Brianna Bodary- News Wire Editor
White house decry attacks on journalists in Cairo
Jonathan S. Landay McClatchy Newspaper WASHINGTON- Attacks on news media covering the political upheaval in Cairo reached a crescendo on Thursday, as gangs of Egyptian government loyalists clubbed, stabbed and punched dozens of journalists and security forces and military police detained others for hours. The Obama administration condemned the "systematic targeting" of journalists, and stopped just short of accusing the government of embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak of directing the onslaught. "These do not seem to be random events," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said. "There appears to be an effort to disrupt the ability of journalists to cover today's events." "We need to be clear that the world is watching the actions that are being taken right now in Egypt. The actions of targeting journalists, that is unacceptable," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs. "And those journalists, if they are being detained, should be released immediately." Secretary of State Hillary Clinton complained about the attacks in a telephone call to Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the State Department said. Several press freedom groups accused the Mubarak regime of orchestrating the attacks, which began several days ago with the arrest of reporters for Al-Jazeera, the Arab satellite news channel. "The systematic and sustained attacks ... leave no doubt that a government-orchestrated effort to target the media and suppress the news is well under way," said Joel Simon, the executive director of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. Several international and Egyptian human rights activists monitoring the turmoil were arrested in a raid by security forces on a legal center, according to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. The surge in attacks came a day after the news media transmitted to the world dramatic video, photographs and accounts of thousands of Mubarak loyalists attacking anti-government protests in Cairo's central Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the 10-day-old revolt against the 82-year-old Egyptian strongman. The news media crackdown fueled fears that the regime was trying to stifle coverage ahead of a fresh assault by Mubarak supporters to prevent a massive gathering called there for Friday, the opposition's deadline for Mubarak to relinquish office. "It may well be this in anticipation of events tomorrow," Crowley said. "We are bracing for ... the real prospect of a confrontation." "One of the possible reasons is that they don't want eyes and ears in Tahrir Square," Ashraf Khalil, a U.S.-born Egyptian freelance journalist who was punched and roughed up with three American and British colleagues, said in a telephone interview from Cairo. There's no doubt, he continued, that the government was behind most of the assaults on the news media. "The smoking gun that it is coordinated is just the sheer number of incidents that came out of the blue," said Khalil, who writes for the Times of London and the U.S.-based Foreign Policy magazine's website. "Prior to today, there had been isolated incidents of journalists being roughed up or treated aggressively. But suddenly out of nowhere, someone turned on the tap." There were numerous accounts of Mubarak loyalists prowling the streets punching, kicking and stealing the equipment of the journalists they caught. The opposition charges that many of regime supporters are plainclothes police. A number of journalists were injured Wednesday and Thursday, including a Greek journalist who was reportedly stabbed with a screwdriver. Many journalists were forced to hole up in hotels. Egyptian security forces and military police arrested reporters and photographers. The Washington Post said that military police held its Cairo reporter, Leila Fadel, and a photographer, Linda Davidson, for hours Thursday before releasing them. But the newspaper's longtime Egyptian translator and its driver are still believed to be in custody, it said. Fadel, a former McClatchy Newspapers foreign correspondent, said she and Davidson weren't mistreated but that their driver was beaten. The two women were handcuffed, blindfolded and interrogated about their activities and required to sign a statement summarizing what they had said, Fadel told Washington Post Foreign Editor Douglas Jehl by telephone after her release. At one point, she said, their guards threatened to shoot members of the group if they talked. The New York Times said two of its reporters were detained overnight and released on Thursday. The Broadcasting Board of Governors, the U.S. agency that oversees U.S. civilian foreign broadcasting services, said unidentified individuals entered the bureau of its Arabic-language television network Alhurra "and threatened to kill Alhurra's two on-air journalists ... if they didn't leave the building. The bureau was immediately closed." "In addition, a pamphlet circulating currently throughout Cairo calls for government supporters to attack Alhurra and Al-Jazeera journalists," it said. Khalil said he thinks that the people who punched and jostled him and his colleagues while they were conducting interviews outside Tahrir Square were ordinary citizens "whose nerves were frayed from 10 days of their lives being disrupted." They may also have been incited by reports by state-run media and pro-government private outlets blaming "foreign media" for the turmoil, he said. Photo Courtesy/MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
Photo Courtesy/MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
An eGYPTiAn ArMY COMMAnDer PLeADS WiTh PrOTeSTerS to return to Liberation Square and not to engage in rock throwing with the pro-Hosni Mubarak supporters in Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday, February 3, 2011. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/MCT)
Photo Courtesy/MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
Opportunities in Environmental Leadership and More
Wednesday, March 16, 6 p.m. at NMC Great Lakes Campus, Room 111
Why our bachelor's degree in liberal studies is unique:
• It's Convenient – Complete the entire program in Traverse City at the NMC University Center. • It's Flexible – Customize your coursework around your environmental focus. Build your emphasis area around your skills and interests. • It's Pertinent – Analyze today's problems to contribute to tomorrow's solutions. Call (231) 995-1785 or email email@example.com to reserve your space today. www.gvsu.edu/envleadership
White Pine PReSS
February 10, 2011
NMC supports blood drives on campus despite FDA ban on gay men donating blood
Sexual orientation is a protected class at NMC. It is campus policy not to discriminate against a student, faculty, or staff member based on sexual orientation. Yet, with every blood drive NMC hosts on campus, discrimination occurs. Every two seconds someone in the US needs blood. More than 38,000 donations are needed every day. Blood shortages are happening nationwide, why would we be banning people from donating blood? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) policies on preventing blood donations from men who have had sex with other men (MSM) date back to 1983 when the contraction of AIDS through blood transfusions was first recognized. The current policy, which was established in 1992, leaves no room for extenuating circumstances. If you have had male-to-male sexual activity – even once – since 1977 you are banned by the FDA from donating blood. The FDA does not take into consideration low partner numbers, safe sex, or monogamous relationships. Other groups excluded from donating blood due to a high prevalence of HIV include: intravenous drug abusers and THE ISSUE: people who have engaged in sex for money FDA ban on gay men donating blood or drugs. However, if you are a heterosexual or a lesbian with multiple partners the FDA OUR VIEW: sees nothing wrong with you donating If sexual orientation is a protected class on blood. campus, then blood drives are discriminatory According to the FDA, "as a group, men who have sex with other men are at a higher risk for transmitting infection diseases or HIV than are individuals in other risk categories." How can this be true? If you are a heterosexual man with multiple partners – and not accepting money or drugs for sex — you are not banned from donating blood. If the true point of the ban is to protect the blood supply from HIV, then every donor, regardless of sexual orientation, should have to wait three to six months after the last time they have had sexual intercourse. There is a rightful concern that any blood, gay or heterosexual, be free of disease before it is used in patients. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) the "window period" for detecting HIV is two to eight weeks after the disease has been contracted, with the average being 25 days. In some cases, however, it may take up to 6 months. There is also an RNA test available that will detect HIV in 9 to 11 days. This test is more expensive and used less often. The Williams Institute at the University of California discovered that if the ban were lifted: 2.6 million men who have had sex with another man would be eligible to donate. 130,150 of those men would be likely to donate. That would increase the number of pints donated by 219, 200 per year. The FDA ban on all MSM is discriminatory – despite their denial of this on their website. The scientific data does not logically support this ban based on testing methods and procedures. The Red Cross and some other blood donation centers are supporting a one-year deferral for MSM. A letter from 18 U.S. Senators, including Michigan Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), was sent to the FDA requesting that they, "initiate a review of the lifetime deferral requirement for men who have sex with men wishing to donate blood and that [they] reexamine the deferral criteria for all blood donors to ensure all high-risk behaviors are appropriately addressed." Yet, the ban continues to exist. What will it take for the FDA to seriously consider reviewing or removing this ban? Perhaps, active opposition to the FDA ban would work. If places like NMC and other institutions, where sexual orientation is a protected class, refuse to allow blood banks to operate donations centers this would get their attention. BRANDY BRAY Opinion Editor
Clarifications: Café Night for weekend dorm students In our January 27 edition of From The Source's Mouth, with Renee Builes, the final paragraph regarding recent innovations was missing. Builes is the Executive Chef for Sodexo. Speaking on changes occurring with food service at NMC, she said "Another innovation that we have here is Café Night, where we turn the dining hall into a restaurant, complete with table service. We are trying this because sometimes I feel we don't service our weekend dorm students as well as we could." BIRT removes silos of information In the story "What is BIRT?" which ran in our January 27 issue, the issue of "information silos" came up in an interview with NMC counselor Joseph Sanok. We quoted Sanok as saying that NMC's red flag system creates silos of information. It does not. The system instead gathers data that allows the Behavioral Response Incident Team (BIRT) to observe patterns of behavior. For our academic and technical readers, an "information silo" denotes a management information system that is cut-off from its environment. The system is unable to communicate with other entities within the organization. Sanok's quotes should be read as explaining how BIRT does not create information silos. Corrections: Honeycomb not gingerbread In our January 27 edition of Technobabble ("Consumer electronics meets Ron Jeremy") the "Google Android Gingerbread OS" is actually titled "Google Android Honeycomb OS."
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OUR pOLiCY: White Pine Press accepts letters to the editor from members of the college and community. Letters should be less than 400 words, typewritten, and signed with your name, address and phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity, grammar, spelling and length. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of The White Pine Press staff or any college employee. BY MAiL: Mail submissions to: White Pine Press Letters to the Editor 1701 East Front St. Traverse City, MI 49686 BY EMAiL: whitepinepress@gmail. com BY FAX: (231) 995-2110
White Pine PReSS
February 10, 2011
"The U.S. needs to come in and call for a cease fire, and negotiate terms between the groups. The people are tired of the corruption of the government, they want their voices heard." JiM SHARKEY, 48 Nursing
How Should the U.S. be supporting what's going on in Egypt?
"We need to take a humanitarian stance that protects the people there, supporting our government experts in knowledge of the area." LinDA RUBY Supplemental Librarian "If it's necessary, to send troops to support. We are obligated and we need them to remain our ally. If control is lost it could become dangerous." OBiE KiDD, 21 Computer Engineering "The U.S. should try and aid them in the transition of power, but not to quickly. That would allow Egypt to have a stable democracy, as well as a stable capitalistic economy." CHRiS MCKELLAR, 19 Biology "The U.S. government should be as morally supportive as possible without using physical means." JAMiE BOTT, 18 Education
Compiled by
What do you love about your body?
Have you ever noticed how often you hear people talk negatively about their bodies? When was the last time you heard a friend of yours say, "I look great!" emily maGner In reality, it is far more Press Columnist common to hear about diets, acne scars, and wrinkles. It has very little to do with how people actually look – you hear people of all different body types express negative feelings about how they look. One thing people seem to have in common: they think they are less than perfect. I once worked at a very intimate bra shop – professionally fitting bras. Day in and day out, I heard woman after woman apologize for their stretch marks, make excuses for their bodies, and list the things they wished to change. It was amazing to me that although women are all so different our insecurities are remarkably the same. A staggering percentage of these women looked into my face and apologized to me for their bodies. I was shocked. I learned quickly that I am apart of the minority of females who really love their body. I had no idea that so many women were so profoundly selfconscious. Growing up in America, women are not often in situations where they are naked together. We have no public bath-houses, and growing up, girls will do anything to avoid a public shower. Very rarely do women know what normal looks like. For the most part, the only women we see naked are in porn. I was constantly being asked while fitting bras: am I normal? Women were ashamed of the differences between their breasts: this one is bigger, that one is lower, and these stretch marks will not go away. I would hear apologies for pregnancy scars.
Body imaGe
Women were embarrassed about their bellies, the size of their breasts, or the shape of their nipples. No matter how thin, how average, or how normal they actually were. With each woman, I had a familiar sense of déjà vu. It was not only their breasts that were alike; it was their shame that sounded so familiar. As it was, I had the unique opportunity to try and make sure every woman who left my dressing room feel more confident after an earful, and a heart-filled, conversation, about loving ourselves just as we are. How we should accept our naturally high babe levels – with a bra that fit like a glove to boot. To every woman who was ashamed, I would look them straight in the eye and tell them how beautiful, exquisite, and very normal they were. Women seem to be equal opportunity haters when it comes to their own bodies. I began to think that the media had won. That the boring airbrushed perfection that we have begun to see as "normal" really had women hating themselves. I had to regain faith. I had to do something. I set out to create art that was exclusively body-positive. I began asking people what they liked about their bodies, both men and women. As it turns out many people have never been asked this seemingly simple question. I asked as many people as I could: what do you love? I would even ask strangers. I realized that this is a very important question, one that people really like to answer: What do you love about your body? I learned that deep down everyone has some love for themselves. For many people, this question took quite a bit of thought. More than once I got a call a week after asking the question, from a friend who knew what they liked best, finally. I asked an old man at the coffee shop. He smiled wryly at me and pulled the book he was reading up to his nose.
"My mind," he said. I asked my fiancé what he liked about his body. He sat there pondering the question for a minute and then lifted his palms. His fingertips were tough and shiny. His hands boasted scars and calluses from long hours in the kitchen. It was his hands that he loved. On an on I asked this question- to everyone I met. What do you love about your body? This conversation became my mantra last summer. One woman liked the three freckles on her hip. Another woman liked her strong arms, while another liked her curly red hair. One guy loved his dirty bare feet. One woman loved the tan lines on her back. One by one, I began to photograph these beautiful people in the makeshift studio I had built in our basement. I had the opportunity to revel in the love that people had for their bodies. I really needed that. The photo shoots were effortless and fun. I was blown away by the joy and enthusiasm I was met with. As it turns out, it is a total blast to spend some time focusing on what you love about yourself. I understand that not everyone gets up in the morning like my dad does. To look in the mirror and say, "you handsome gypsy savage you, don't you ever die!" However, maybe we could all be a little bit more conscious of giving ourselves a break. Be grateful of your strong back, smart wit, your health, your thick eyelashes or your adorable birth-mark. Be conscious of what you love about yourself. Focus on those things. Schedule it in your phone: 12:00 p.m. birth control, check. 1:00 p.m. babe reminder, check.
White Pine PReSS
February 10, 2011
Q drive, move over, there's a new Dropbox in town
Cloud-based computing has been a techno buzz word for a while. All it means is that your files, or even programs, are stored on a remote server making them available to you from any computer that has net access. I was introduced to it via my yahoo calendar and then my
TOM AUCH Press Staff Columnist
Google contacts, years ago. What a great convenience to be able to get a phone number or see my appointments from any computer on campus or anywhere for that matter. NMC has a cloud; nmc.edu has a "login" link on the home page that gives you a ton of information. From your email login, to class schedules, Moodle, and even access to the Q drive – this is the student's personal storage space, limited to between 100 MB and 1 GB. I've been using the Q drive to download and upload files from my home and it's been giving me fits. Large files
move slowly and often I have to download twice to get the file to show up. I can access the Q drive from anywhere but I know when I leave NMC, my Q drive will disappear -granted that space is for school files anyway. Recently, I heard of an alternative for a cloud based storage that's been getting good reviews so I decided to give it a try. Dropbox.com, a simple name for sure, is a free service for up to 8 GB of storage, not bad. When you visit the site it will prompt you to sign up and download a small program (which lasts literally 20 seconds) that creates a link to a Dropbox folder on your desktop, that you can just drag and drop files in and out of. It's that simple. Video, Photoshop files, music, even programs, as long as you're under your storage limit. The nice thing is, is that I can see or download all those files from any other computer even if it's on a different platform or operating system. Mac, Linux, Windows (old and new) are all compatible with Dropbox. You don't need to reinstall the program on each computer. Just visit dropbox.com and login with your user id and password to get access to all your goodies. This could really throw a dent into the portable flash drive business.
In addition, they have a mobile app download for Android, iPhones and iPads that will let you get in on the fun with your smart-phone or tablet. I tried it and it works perfectly on the Droid-X phone. Another nice feature is its automated backup system. I didn't know what that meant so I saved a picture to my Dropbox. Then, the next day, I changed it to a black and white version (thank you Photoshop) and resaved under the SAME NAME. The next day I deleted it. Sure enough, the following day I was able to retrieve the picture in both of its versions. Truly incredible. However, the backup service is only good for 30 days from the last save. Storage size starts out at two GB, but every person that signs up through you gets bonus space, up to 8 GB. If you find that this is not simple enough, you can pay for more space, with upgrades to 50GB or 100GB plans for a reasonable monthly fee. As with any storage solution, all files should be backed up, preferably, to an external hard drive. There were a few random reports that files we're missing from the Dropbox, but they seemed to be user error related.
Lobdell's – A Teaching Restaurant
On Tuesday, February 8, Lobdell's opened to the public for lunch. As a student in this class, I am highly anticipating the opening. Everything my fellow classmates and I have worked toward will be put to the test. This is the real deal. No more mistakes. Every little move we take will be noticed whether it's good or bad. The past three weeks we have spent in training mode, preparing for KELsi CrONKrigHT the big day. Tea, Press Staff Columnist coffee, wine, and front of the house trainings are just a few of the new things we have been taught. My job is to absorb every bit of information that I possibly can and combine it with past experiences to make the most of this opportunity. As eager as I am to open the restaurant, it is also a bittersweet time. Most of us in the class will be graduating in May of this year. I will be expected to leave my childhood behind and enter the "real world." I would give anything for a time machine right now. To freeze time and stay in this carefree stage forever sounds pretty good when I look at what is ahead of me. I had a hard time finding my niche growing up. My grades were average; I was an average high school athlete; and, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. I still don't know what I want to be when I "grow up!" It is foolish to expect an eighteen year old kid with no real life experiences to know exactly what they want to do everyday single day for the rest of their life. Foolish! There was one thing, however, that never failed to bring a smile to my face. Every time I was given the opportunity to prepare a meal, bake cookies, or a pb and j for my younger brother, I was a happy camper. It made me feel alive. Providing nourishment for others through food is something I have always enjoyed. I began reading cookbooks like novels and staying up late to watch Emeril Lagassee on the Food Network. I was like a sponge. Every new ingredient or cooking technique provided me with a sense of achievement much greater than school ever could. My culinary journey started on a whim. After three horribly long years at Central Michigan University, I felt stuck. Sick and tired of feeling lost and insignificant, I decided to finally do something about my situation. I applied to the Great Lakes Culinary Institute without telling anyone. Not expecting to get in, I did not want to set myself up for disappointment. About a month later, I received an acceptance letter. I had a choice to make – continue to take classes at CMU or move up to Traverse City and chase this foolish dream. My decision was a no-brainer. Flash forward two years, and here I am – trying to figure out where the time has gone. This program has changed my life. I have made some lifelong friends, learned to whip up gourmet dishes in minutes; and, best of all, I tasted some out-of-this-world food. It's time to put all my hard work to good use and run Lobdell's. Lobdell's is an upscale bistro-style restaurant that focuses on local and fresh products. It is open for lunch on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday until the end of the semester. Lamb chops with a port-fig-rosemary reduction, agaveCourtesy Of/NOrthwesterN miChigaN COllege
KELsi's KiTCHEN
ancho glazed sea scallops, and a weekly featured pate are a few of the menu items. Our desserts and house breads are made by the students in the advanced baking class. Although, I realize that once the restaurant opens each day is one day closer to the end, I also want to take advantage every moment while it's still here. As scary as it is to look ahead to graduation in twelve weeks, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I will miss it when it's gone, but strive to take it all in while it is still here. Life has a plan for all of us. Like any good recipe, without the proper ingredients and a little love, it is impossible to make it work. To be given the opportunity to prepare food at Lobdell's on a daily basis makes me feel like that giddy little girl who was just learning to cook. So, with no fear or worries about the future, I'm ready for this challenge. As my dad always says, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life."
February 10, 2011
White Pine PReSS
An advanced education: What bang do students get for their buck?
CLAUDIA DREIFUS AND ANDREW HACKER The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, Va.) NEW YORK – As Andrew Hacker and I began researching our book, "Higher Education?" we were struck by how few questions parents raised when considering the quarter-of-a-million-dollar investment that four years at a private college or university could cost them. This was, probably, the second-most-expensive purchase they'd make in their lifetimes; yet many decisions seemed to be based on the familiarity of the brand name or the attractiveness of a campus. After three years of researching our book, these are the questions we'd ask, if we had a high-school student at home: Does the college make undergraduate teaching its first priority? Schools like Harvard and Stanford have almost twice as many graduate students as they do undergraduates, and it's the graduate students that command most of the professor's time and attention. Is the college overrun by administrators? Yale has 1,050 full-time faculty members and an additional 7,013 people in nonacademic jobs. So ask: Is it primarily a college, or is it a multiversity festooned with extraneous functions? Will professors actually be there? During a recent year at Williams College, a third of its professors were away on leave. Your daughter may find that her senior thesis supervisor is on sabbatical in Bologna. What's the president's salary? Increasingly, it's nearing or more than $1 million. This is a good index of whether a school has chosen a corporate model. Decide whether the person at the top looks and sounds like an educator. Who teaches the freshman class? It may be a star professor (but the odds are against it). But at most name universities your son will be in the 26th row, with a fledging graduate student handling the discussion section. Can you walk in for water polo? At many colleges, athletes are recruited beforehand by coaches, so others find the rosters are filled. At the University of Illinois, only 2 percent of its undergraduates are on teams. The rest have to settle for being spectators. How much emphasis is on athletics? Small Birmingham–Southern College has a 90man football squad, supervised by eight paid coaches, while its history department makes do with five professors; its softball team plays 34 games in a 10-week season, half of them away, leading to missed classes. Does the financial-aid office level with you? Today, what's called aid is usually a discount on the sticker price or, more likely, a loan. Does the college spell out what the actual interest charges will be, what happens if payments are deferred, and how old your children will be when their debts are finally paid off? Does it resemble a resort? Five-story climbing walls, gigantic Jacuzzis, food-court chefs specializing in chicken Dijon all come under what used to be called "room and board." It also diverts funds, and helps explain why so many of your child's classes will be taught by low-cost adjuncts and assistants. Does prestige pay off? Some parents (even if not you) want their offspring to be successes in life. Hence, they aspire to a college with name recognition. But ask for evidence: Do Dartmouth and Duke degrees really loft you to the top? In our book, we looked at the longterm achievements of one Princeton class. Considering the huge advantage these Ivy Leaguers had at the starting gate, their attainments, for the most part, were not all that remarkable. In fact, you can get a fine education at a public university; in fact, even better than at many elite schools. Arizona State University, for example, has excellent "honors colleges" on its mega-campus, with small seminars and readily available professors. But you have to look for such options. Otherwise, you will join 623 fellow freshmen in Biology 101 at Ohio State, or 578 sophomores in Economics 201 at Michigan State, where your exams will be graded by computers and you will squint at your professor from the 29th row. Nor are public universities as open as they once were. At the University of Colorado, fully a third of its students come from out of state, and are willing to pay $29,493 for tuition, over three times the in-state tab. At the University of Virginia, preference is given to out-of-staters who pay $32,902, so many local students must settle for lowerprofile branches. Even so, our public colleges still make a degree possible at a relatively modest cost. You can start a liberal-arts program at Mount Hood Community College (two years' tuition: $7,688) and then transfer to non-mega Western Oregon University (two years including room and board: $31,872). Your grand total for a degree will be less than two semesters' tuition at many private schools. After so many years of researching this American Way of Higher Education, we've come to believe that when parents are selecting a college for Jennifer or Jason, their primary target should be a school that permits their child to graduate debt-free. That means thinking creatively and forgoing dreams of luxury or prestige. Unless the family is wealthy or the youngster can land a full-ticket scholarship that genuinely is that, the elite private institutions are probably best avoided. Instead, parents might consider the honors college at their in-state public university, or the first two years at a community college, many of which are staffed by dedicated professors who like teaching. Families might also consider a commuter school - $40,000 to $100,000 can be saved by taking the subway. Claudia Dreifus and Andrew Hacker are the co-authors of "Higher Education? How Colleges Are Wasting Our Money and Failing Our Kids _ and What We Can Do About It." They wrote this for The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, Va.).
Courtesy/The Kansas City Star 2010
12 Arts & entertAinment
The Grammy awards: Who will win, who should win
Travis Troxell A&E Staff Writer Record of the Year Who will win: As much as I dislike "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z and "Love The Way You Lie" I would be surprised if one of those did not win — despite being overproduced pop/rap garbage. The award will likely go to "Love The Way You Lie." Even while despising the theme, it was a well-marketed record with a broad range of appeal. Who should win: "Fuck You" by Cee Lo's. This album is all really great, and his vintage sound stands out from the rest of the generic nominated records. Plus who doesn't like belting out the chorus? We've all done it. Album of the Year Who will win: Competition for album of the year will be Lady vs. Lady. Lady Gaga's "The Fame Monster" has had enough success to secure her many awards and an opening performance for the Grammys in both 2010 and 2011; but, country band Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" has managed a crossover into mainstream radio. Who should win: Despite being a Little Monster, I feel like Lady Gaga should get the award, because of how well everything on her album was produced and how much work she puts into her music. Otherwise the only other standout nominee is "Recovery" from Eminem, but even that was not up to par with the rest of his albums. Song of the Year Who will win: Once again "Love The Way You Lie" will probably snag this award, but Cee Lo's "Fuck You" may have a chance with this nomination, because the rest of the nominees are fairly unknown and Lady Antebellum won't have enough momentum to win more than a couple awards. Who should win: I'm sure you've guessed that I would like Cee Lo Green to receive this award, but I do like Ray LaMontagne & The Pariah Dogs's track "Beg Steal or Borrow." However Cee Lo has a wider appeal.
White Pine PReSS
February 10, 2011
Happy Valentines Day from me to you!
Kendall Kaye spraTT A&E Editor When Valentines Day comes along some people go out, but a lot of us just stay in. I mean, come on it's the middle of the winter in northern Michigan. What better way to spend your Valentines Day than watching a great movie? Whether you are spending it with a special someone, alone, or just hanging out with friends or family here are some movies you will enjoy.
Best New Artist Who will win: Without any doubt I declare the winner Justin Bieber—as annoying as his music and fans can become, this child has had a great amount of success since his debut. "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" staring Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt I just hope someone will throw a water This is a film about a couple that is leading double lives. They have the life they show bottle at him again if he wins. their friends, neighbors and each other, and then they have their real lives that they both keep very secret. Their marriage is failing, but when their secret identities are discovered Who should win: and things become explosive Mr. and Mrs. Smith realize they are the only people for one I do not really care for any of the another. This movie is great because it's got it all: great acting, action scenes that will keep nominees apart from Florence & the your heart pounding, humor and heart. Machine and only one song from Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence, intense action, sexual content and brief strong Esperanza Spalding. So, Florence should language. receive it, because of how under the radar Run time: 120 min. she is to most people, and I wish her success. "Camille" starring Sienna Miller, James Franco and David Carradine Franco plays Silas Parker, a moody, brooding thief who marries Camille Foster (Miller) Best Female Pop Vocal Performance who happens to be his parole officer's niece. The newly weds head to Niagara Falls for their Who will win: honeymoon with two very different expectations. Silas plans on escaping from parole into This award could go one of two ways, the Canada and Camille thinks that seeing the falls will change Silas. Grumpy Silas has a hard indie-esque piano players or pop divas. time dealing with Camille's forbearing sweetness. When the young couple has a motorcycle Sara Bareilles and Norah Jones both have accident, things get strange for Silas. Camille wouldn't let anything get in the way of nominations, which are really quite good. the honeymoon, even death. Franco and Miller are very talented and they have amazing However, Katy Perry, Beyonce, and Lady chemistry. This film is fun, has tons of heart and imagination and shows that love conquers Gaga are nominated as well. As for vocal all. I guarantee you have never seen a movie quite like. performance, Ms. Perry is questionable Rated PG-13 for some violence and brief partial nudity. to have been nominated. I feel like Run time: 94 min. falling asleep whenever I hear "Halo" by Beyonce, but I have a feeling it will win. "Flipped" new on DVD As soon as Juli and Bryce laid eyes on each other they both developed strong opinions Who should win: about one another. Bryce thought Juli was crazy and Juli thought Bryce was wonderful. "Chasing Pirates" by Norah Jones and Bryce does everything he can to get away from Juli, but she always manages to be near "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga are my by. As the years go by, the relationship shifts and changes and they discover things about two favorites in the category. I would themselves and grow as people. rather "Bad Romance" win solely because Juli is played by Madeline Carroll ("Swing Vote"), a young and very talented young Gaga worked three Alfred Hitchcock film actress who we are going to want to see much more of in the future. Bryce is played by titles into her lyrics and the deep "Rah Callan McAuliffe. McAuliffe is a very handsome and talented young man. You can see him Rah Ah Ah Ah" has been stuck in my in the upcoming "I Am Number Four." Also in this film is Anthony Edwards ("ER"), John head more times than I can count. Mahoney ("Frasier"), and Aidan Quinn ("Jonah Hex"). This is an interesting film because it does exactly as the title says, flips. A portion of the movie is all from Bryce's perspective Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and then the movie flips and they show the same portion of the film from Juli's point of Who will win: view. I really enjoyed this fun, family friendly, heartfelt movie - and you will too. Michael Jackson's "This Is It" will win, Rated PG for language and some thematic material. because he's dead. This song is not his Run time: 90 min. best by any means, but it still manages to be better than most of the other "Gnomeo & Juliet" in theaters February 11 nominations. Now maybe you are some of those few who want to go out into the winter weather. If you are: here is a movie you should definitely see. Who should win: When garden gnomes, Gnomeo and Juliet, fall in love they have some obstacles to Michael Bublé's track "Haven't Met overcome because they get caught up in a feud between neighbors. You Yet" is catchy, but I still think that James McAvoy ("Wanted") is the voice of Gnomeo. Emily Blunt ("The Young Victoria") the nominees in this category are subis the voice of Juliet. Other talents include Ashley Jensen ("Ugly Betty"), Michael Caine par. Michael Jackson should just as well ("Inception"), Jim Cummings ("The Princess and the Frog" voice of Ray), Maggie Smith win, despite not being able to accept any ("Harry Potter"), Jason Statham ("The Expendables"), Ozzy Osbourne, Hulk Hogan and awards. I honestly would prefer anyone more. Sir Elton John and Nelly Furtado lend their voices to the soundtrack as well. win except "Whataya Want From Me" This movie looks like it will be a home run. It's a brand new look on a very old story. by Adam Lambert — he just tries way to This is a movie the whole family can enjoy together. hard with the vocals. Rated G.
February 10, 2011
White Pine PReSS
ARts & EntERtAinmEnt
Hot flicks for cold, snowy days
Julie Hinds Detroit Free Press (MCT)
Questions answered about the Comedy Festival
Tyler marTin A&E Staff Writer Greetings White Pine Press readers! I recently had the privilege to interview NMC student Jessica Donaldson. Jessica is a manager at the State Theater and is venue manager for the Traverse City Comedy Arts Festival. It runs February 10 – 13 and is hosted by filmmaker Michael Moore and comedian Jeff Garlin.
So far it's been quite a winter in much of the country, and if you get snowed in, be safe, stay warm and consider yourself lucky. Oh, and find something to distract yourself from worrying — you won't help anyone if you're freaking out about a snowpocalypse. That could mean watching a movie, as long as it's not "The Day After Tomorrow," the 2004 climate change disaster film, or "The Shining," the 1980 classic with Jack Nicholson and the scariest closed-for-winter hotel ever. Instead, this might be a good time for something light or romantic, like these snow-themed suggestions:
WPP: Why Bob Sagat? Why, out of all the comedians to choose from, why did he become the top choice this year? JD: You know I'm not totally sure. When it comes to picking: Michael [Moore] and Jeff Garlin usually pick comedians who are at the top of their game. And they feel that all the comedians that they have chosen are at the top of their game right now. They know what they are doing when it comes to creating big laughs. WPP: So who are the comedians playing this year besides Bob Saget, Patton Oswalt and Jeffrey Ross? Are we going to be seeing any returning comedians from last year? Who are the other comedians that are not just the main headlines, the ones that everyone is talking about? Any newcomers? JD: We do not have any repeats this year. Jeff Garlin is doing this show called "The Hootenanny" – which will be absolutely hilarious. He's bringing in this one act that's called "Meow." And it's like nine people. I unfortunately do not know a lot about them. We do have a video up on our Facebook page of them and they're absolutely phenomenal. He has two comedians, coming with him for that. Aubrey Plaza is one of the two. We also have Caroline Ray. She is one of the other bigger name comedians for the festival and she should be delightful to see. Joe DeRosa and Ted Alexandro should definitely be worth seeing as well. There's also another event called "Live-Action Comedy." It's more family-oriented, but it is absolutely hilarious and they are [returning] from last year. WPP: Are any of the comedians doing a stage testing before their shows? JD: Most of the comedians do not. Normally, everyone just comes out on one day to check things out. Maybe Bob Sagat might come in and leave the same day, but people like Patton Oswalt, he will stick around. He ends up going to the comic book shop and hangs out for a while. WPP: I am glad to see such big names roll out this year compared to last year. I'm not saying last year was bad by any means. But I am glad to see a lot bigger talents have showed up this year compared to last year. JD: Yeah, Jeff Garlin has this event going on called "The Midnight Combo Platter," normally the comedians, if they want to, show up at midnight as just kind of this freefor-all, and it is absolutely hilarious. WPP: Awesome! The midnight combo platter is when? JD: It is actually on Friday and Saturday at midnight. WPP: Is it true that the first 100 people who show up will get in for free? JD: That is correct. Last year we did numbers and this year we did not. So as long as you don't mind being outside for a while until we let you in, then we will let you in. WPP: Will management go the route they went with the Film Festival and start creating a yearly membership with perks? JD: I guess we will have to see how it goes since this is only our second year. As the years go along, I don't see why we couldn't. That way we can up the budget. That way we can get bigger names here and since we have to pay for the comedians and all. But I wouldn't be surprised in the future that you will end up seeing a Comedy Festival Membership. WPP: Are there any future projects in development for any more new festivals besides the annual comedy and film festival? JD: Right now, we just want to focus on these two. Every year we feel like we make a major improvement of the previous year, especially with the film festival. WPP: Well, it sounds like this festival is going to be lot of fun and a huge success. I'm really looking forward to The Comedy Festival!
"Doctor Zhivago" (1965): Omar Sharif and Julie Christie play star-crossed lovers in this beautiful saga of war and revolution in Russia. But the most gorgeous thing about the movie might be the snow scenes, thanks to director David Lean's knack for filming outdoors.
"Groundhog Day" (1993): Imagine waking up over and over to the same day of cold temperatures and slushy streets in Punxsutawney, Pa. For Bill Murray, it's a chance to reevaluate his life as a snarky, self-centered weatherman.
"Downhill Racer" (1969): There's this skier who races downhill and ... OK, the only thing you have to know about this chilly sports drama is that it stars Robert Redford in his prime.
"Planes, Trains and Automobiles" (1987): This hilarious comedy — about an ad man's quest to get home for Thanksgiving after a blizzard diverts his flight — features Steve Martin and John Candy as a traveling odd couple. Watch for the expletive-filled scene where Martin loses it at a car rental counter.
"Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" (1954): A musical that hinges on an avalanche? When rugged pioneer guy Howard Keel marries Jane Powell, his six brothers want to get married, too, so they kidnap six women and prompt a snow slide that keeps them from being followed. Somehow, love and superb dance numbers ensue.
"Love Story" (1970): Get out your handkerchiefs for this weepy romance with Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw, in which love means never having to say you're sorry. For fashionistas, it's worth watching for MacGraw's stylish coats and hats alone.
"Ice Age" (2002): Here's a cartoon for the whole family about a sloth, a squirrel, a woolly mammoth and other animals facing the biggest snowstorm in history, you might say. The voices are provided by Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and Denis Leary.
"Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" (1980): If you think this has been the worst winter ever, consider what Luke Skywalker experiences on the icy planet Hoth. May the extra mittens be with you.
"Northern Exposure": While it's not a movie, this 1990-95 TV series about the lives of the quirky citizens of Cicely, Alaska, will provide hours of fun and make sub-zero temps seem charming, not depressing.
14 Literary
Alex Schmitzd Special to the Press
White Pine PReSS
February 10, 2011
For the Greater Good
Honorable Mention of 2010 Pahl Literary Prize-Short Fiction
innocent civilians in the Iranian War. For your crimes, you will be executed today, on Febuary 10, 2017. Do you have any final words?" "Yes." Kyle kept his body calm and his voice composed, although his true emotions were fluctuating wildly. "Let future generations know that I acted for their sake. I sacrificed myself for the greater good, and I don't regret it. Let future generations know that Kyle Andrew Richardson died with pride!" The warden scowled. "You really have no shame, do you? I should have let the guards beat you more. In fact…" He waved his arm and the guards moved the needles out of his veins and into his muscles. Kyle knew what would happen next; instead of dying in his sleep, his death would be extremely painful. It would be written off as an accident and the warden would sleep peacefully at night. Only to be expected, of course. Captain Cody was already more popular as a martyr than he had been in life, and the nation now despised Kyle. The public had reacted as well as Kyle could've ever hoped; his decision had been the right one. Death didn't scare him now; it was a release. Yes, he thought just as the torture began, I did the best I could. All is as it must be. *** Kyle sat up in his sweat-soaked bed. Slowing his gasps for air, he stared at his hands. They were trembling. Damn, that was a freaky dream. A few minutes later, he was calm enough to put on his uniform, grab his equipment, and walk outside the tent. It was especially hot in the Iranian desert today. The camp was made of dozens of sandy tents all encircling the command post, mess hall, and open grounds. All the other troops were gathering there for breakfast before they moved out to patrol. Kyle followed the nearby column of soldiers towards the mess hall. Americans on the brink of desperation. He seemed to be one of the few shining lights of hope left for Americans, amidst a world of war and hardships. He was the ideal American soldier, a respectable young man who rose through the ranks based on hard work--he once turned down a promotion because he wanted to stay in the field--and fought to protect liberty. Both citizens and soldiers praised him as a hero. Military recruiters across the nation used Cody's image and story to inspire young men to enlist. In Kyle's opinion, he was America's last hope for continuing the war effort. "Men," Cody said as he surveyed the ranks of soldiers and vehicles, "today we will strike a powerful blow against our elusive enemies. Our intelligence suggests that the enemy is hiding in the hills just outside the town Savzevar. Although they may not be there today, that means the terrorists are on the run from our might. Not only are we winning because of our military superiority, we're winning because we fight for more than ourselves. We fight to protect our loved ones at home and to protect the freedoms all Americans enjoy." "The terrorists hate everything that this stands for," he said while grabbing the U.S. flag. "In this war of ideologies, we must exemplify and uphold the founding values of our great nation, no matter the cost. All those who are willing to fight and die for justice, for freedom, for America, follow me!" Cody ran out of camp, screaming and holding the flag high. Kyle yelled in agreement with his fellow soldiers and began charging in the wake of his glorious commander. *** Kyle stood in a room of pure darkness. There was no way out, and he felt a deep sense of isolation and loneliness. He knew he could end the terrible loneliness by telling somebody about it, but whenever he tried to speak, his lips wouldn't move. Kyle felt so alone, but many voices from outside the room told him to speak about it. When he failed to say anything, the voices jeered at him and insulted him with every foul word imaginable. Invisible hands beat him as he tried to tell the deriding voices about it, but failed to form the words. As much as he wanted to the world about it, he knew that doing so would ruin everything. After living with the responsibility of it nearly drove Kyle mad, a door opened in the room; the door revealed a dark hallway, with a single ball of light waiting in a room at the end. Kyle knew that room held his only escape from his torture. However, he felt dread and fear building inside him with every step he took. He tried to tell the voices about it and tried to walk back to his cell, but his body wouldn't obey him. Simultaneously filled with joy and dread, he stepped into the room and was blinded by the orb of light.
The Pahl Literary Prize was founded in 2007 by NMC alumnus and regional historian Kathleen Firestone. Students submit either a work of short fiction or essay. The winner receives $100. The prize is awarded each semester. The White Pine Press will be featuring the winner and the honorable mentions for the short fiction category that was held last semester (Fall 2010). This semester, the category is essay. For more information about the Pahl Literary Prize, and submission guidelines, call (231) 995-1175. This story due to its size is being published in two parts. The second part will be published in our next issue. Warning: this story contains adult language and scenes of a graphic nature. It may be unsuitable for those younger than 18. Kyle knew he was dreaming, but everything seemed so real. He saw a man, cloaked in shadows, inside a prison cell. Crowds of people wept in sorrow as the man was given the death penalty. The people turned into an army of soldiers in a desert. They stood still, looking dumbfounded even as enemy bullets ripped through their organs. Kyle cried out to them, but they didn't respond. Now he stood outside a desert village, clad in the camouflaged colors of a soldier. Kyle heard the screams of women and children mixed with gunfire. He ran into the town plaza and found dozens of dead bodies, mostly innocent women and children. The now-deserted village was set aflame by the shadow-cloaked man, who laughed at the massacre that lay before him. Kyle felt a mountainous weight of responsibility fall upon his shoulders as the bodies and buildings turned to ash. *** "It's time, inmate 117," the prison guard said to Kyle. He slowly walked out of the small cell-his damn leg hurt today-and let the two guards handcuff him as the other death-row inmates insulted him. "About time, goddamn traitor!" "I hope they screw up your injection." "Die you bastard!" "Quiet, all of you!" the guards yelled as they led Kyle out of death row and down a dimly lit hallway. He kept his dirty face composed as they approached the execution room. It had taken Kyle a long time to accept his decision and its repercussions, but he felt confident in his actions had been right. Through the weeks of beatings and public humiliation, he'd been preparing himself for death. It was bizarre, feeling relief for the escape that death offered along with the fear of what lay beyond the grave. I only did what I thought was best. Does that redeem me, or am I going to hell? Maybe religion is a load of bullshit and I'm just going to rot in the ground. The execution room contained a gurney, a single light bulb, a curtained window for the next room, heart monitors, and tubes that were connected to drugs on the other side of the concrete wall. After being strapped to the stretcher, the guards placed heart monitors on his skin and stabbed the needles of the tubes into his veins. Kyle didn't resist, but he grunted in pain. Are they trying to push those needles through my entire arm? The curtain was raised and Kyle saw the warden standing beside a doctor in the next room. The warden's voice came through speakers Kyle hadn't noticed before. "Kyle Andrew Richardson, also known as inmate 39625-117; on November 16, 2016, you were prosecuted for the murder of Captain Cody Parson and the massacre of
"let future generations know that i acted for their sake. i sacrificed myself for the greater good, and i don't regret it. let future generations know that Kyle Andrew Richardson died with pride!"
After eating his MRE, he gathered on the grounds with his assault rifle and body armor. Soon most of the camp was assembled and ready to search the dessert for the terrorists. Captain Cody stood at the front of the patrol, exuding charisma and confidence as always. Cody was a tall, broad-shouldered man in his late 20s. His face was angular and hard, with black hair hanging above his cold blue eyes. Although he seemed intimidating, that aura of danger disappeared when he smiled and laughed. The whole camp respected and admired him for the care he showed to his troops and for his just leadership. Of course, winning battles also made Cody popular. While most of the U.S. forces fighting state-sponsored terrorism in Iran were taking heavy casualties, Cody had managed to lead his units to success and minimal casualties over the last three years. The U.S. public would've been completely against the war without Cody's successes; the shitty economy had put many
• Part 2 Continued Next iSSUe
February 10, 2011
White Pine PReSS
Traverse City Prep Star commits to Oregon Monday, Jan. 31 marked this year's National Letter of Intent day for college recruits as well as the much anticipated decision of Traverse City West Senior Jake Fisher. Once thought to be headed to Ann Arbor to play under now former U of M coach Rich Rodriguez, Fisher has officially announced his commitment to play for the Oregon Ducks next season. Fisher began to waver on his initial decision after the much ballyhooed Rodriguez was dismissed as Michigan's head football coach in January. Fisher, with an imposing 6'7" frame and weighing in at 270 lbs, is among Michigan's most highly touted high school recruits and will be a force to be reckoned with in the Pac-10 in coming years. TC Wolves shift leagues unexpectedly After competing in the North American Football League (NAFL) in their inaugural season, the Traverse City Wolves will be shifting to the Great Midwest Football League (GMFL) for the 2011 season. The move comes as a surprise to many since the transition occurs on the heels of a very successful season in 2010. According to team sources, the move will present new competitive and financial opportunities for organization. The Wolves finished last season as division winners before ultimately bowing out of the playoffs to eventual league champion Nashville. The 2011 GMFL schedule is set to be released in March with the league's opening slate of games set to kick off June 4. The Wolves join a number of other teams including Indianapolis, Racine, Capital City, Nashville and Chicago to cut ties with the NAFL. Beach Bums lineup bolstered by outfielder's return After an impressive first season with the Beach Bums, the team has announced outfielder Matt Brown has re-signed with the club and will be returning to Wuerfel Park this summer. Brown, who batted leadoff for the majority of last season, will bring stability to the top of the lineup. Brown served as an integral part of the Beach Bums offensive attack last season. The veteran outfielder swatted 108 hits and scored 71 runs last year, both team highs. In addition to his on-field prowess, Brown served as a key member of the clubhouse in 2010, bringing experience and veteran leadership to a young team. Brown played his collegiate ball at Wichita State before being drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2007. After bouncing around the minor leagues Brown found a home in Traverse City and will once again sport the yellow and blue this coming summer.
Zach Nitzkin, Sports Editor
TC Wolves to hold open tryouts for 2011 season On Sunday March 13, the Traverse City Wolves will hold open tryouts for the upcoming season. The public is welcome and registration costs $25. Tryouts will be held from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at TBAYS in Traverse City. Registration begins at 7a.m. For more information or to pre-register visit tcwolves.com or call (231) 947-1937. Three North Stars selected to NAHL All Star team This year's North American Hockey League All Star Tournament will feature three Traverse City North Stars. Tim Opie, Travis White and Michael Szmatula were selected to play for Team North as part of the league's Top Prospect Tournament. This will be the fourth selection to the team for White, the North Star's captain, and the first selection for Opie and Szmatula. In an effort to make the league's best players more accessible to the public, four All Star teams representing each of the leagues divisions will play a round-robin tournament over a three day span. The event will be held Feb. 20-22 in Ann Arbor at the U of M's IceCube.
Online? Check us out!
marian wang ProPublica
White Pine PReSS
February 10, 2011
accusations of fraudulent mortgage documents led Citigroup to settle with homeowners
wrongdoing but told Bloomberg it does not "create fraudulent documents.") In the settlement agreements with homeowners, Citigroup did not admit wrongdoing but agreed to cover their legal costs and slash their interest rates. In a few cases, the bank also reduced the amount outstanding on mortgages. Here's Bloomberg: Citigroup paid almost $82,000 in opponents' legal costs when settling challenges to four bankruptcy claims that used Orion letters in 2010, according to agreements filed with federal bankruptcy courts in New York and Arkansas. The bank reduced interest rates on the remaining debt by an average of 49 percent, while cutting the outstanding mortgage balance in three cases by a combined $55,000, the filings show. A Citigroup spokesman told Bloomberg that it reaches settlements in cases for "a variety of reasons, usually so both parties can avoid the expense of ongoing litigation." The documents from these cases get into some of the technicalities. Take this case in New York, in which Citigroup's mortgage unit, Citimortgage, filed this proof of claim. Both the promissory note and the mortgage produced were agreements between the borrower, Replique D'Amelio, and the lender, Home Loan Center. Citimortgage also included an assignment of mortgage, dated June 24, 2010, to prove that ownership of the mortgage had been transferred to Citimortgage. The homeowner's attorney objected, however, questioning the validity of the mortgage assignment and noting that bankruptcy proceedings had started June 2, 2010—before the supposed transfer of ownership was executed. "The assignment of mortgage is an attempt to perfect a lien after the commencement of the case and therefore is voidable by this Court," attorney Linda Tirelli argued in a motion objecting to Citimortgage's proof of claim. Rather than produce an original assignment to prove its claim, the company chose to settle. Though the cases cited by Bloomberg took place in bankruptcy courts in New York and Arkansas, they bear similarity to a recent ruling in Massachusetts. In that case, the state's highest court voided two foreclosures because neither U.S. Bank nor Wells Fargo could produce an original assignment or evidence of an original assignment when it sought to foreclose on two Massachusetts properties. The Massachusetts court, as we noted, ruled that "confirmatory assignments," or assignments produced after a foreclosure had been attempted, were insufficient to prove the bank's legal standing to foreclose unless there was sufficient evidence of an earlier assignment.
In a handful of cases around the country, Citigroup has reached settlements with homeowners who accused the bank of filing fraudulent mortgage documents to prove its legal standing to collect the debt in bankruptcy proceedings, Bloomberg reported today. The cases put a twist on recent efforts by banks to patch over problems created because lenders and securitizers were sloppy with documentation during the housing bubble. These homeowners alleged that Citigroup's mortgage assignments—a key document produced whenever the ownership of a mortgage changed hands—were flawed because they were dated after the bankruptcy was filed. Mortgage assignments, as we've noted, are sometimes processed in-house by mortgage servicers, but they may also be contracted out to companies, in this case a Texas company called Orion Financial Group. (Orion has not been accused of


text:
Truck not cranking on cold mornings with heater box plug up.
I have been plugging my truck up for a few days now. It was real slow in cranking. I have
changed the fuel filter and that has not helped. Its only been in the 40's and 50's until last
nite and it was 22. When it does crank it runs rough until it warms up. Then it runs great
and cranks with ease. But once it cools down it slow to crank. Any suggestions or
recomendations is gladly welcome.
2 Answers
Synthetic oil. Check your block heater. I assume that you have the 6.0 diesel.
yes sir i do. when i went out this morning I turn the key to on and let it cycle and the wait light went out real quick.
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text:
Published on Monday, February 20, 2017
A US airline has taken the unusual step of reinstating free meals for economy class passengers on a range of flights.
From March 1, Delta will serve complimentary breakfast, lunch or dinner on transcontinental routes, initially from New York JFK to LA and San Francisco.
Then in April, its meal service will be expanded to Seattle, San Diego and Phoenix from JFK, and cross-country flights from Boston, Washington National Airport, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Raleigh-Durham.
Even 'basic economy' ticket holders will be fed for free.
The airline dropped free food from economy more than 15 years ago but brought it back on flights to and from Honolulu last summer.
"People appreciate not being nickel-and-dimed on these long flights. We believe this will be a competitive advantage," Lisa Bauer, Delta's vice president of on-board services said in an interview.
Bauer said the meal service was a big hit with fliers during a trial period last year.
Woman thrown to her death by jet engine blast on Caribbean beach
Qatar Airways CEO says US airlines employ 'grannies' as cabin crew
Thomas Cook wins fake holiday illness case and warns of further action
Theresa May confirms plans for new holiday protection laws
Major breakthrough in crackdown on false sickness claims
BA gets ready for two-week strike action
Debit and credit card surcharge ban will cost agents millions
'Fake holiday sickness' case to be heard in criminal court
More Brits going abroad, but trips to North America down
Woman thrown to her death by jet engine blast on Caribbean beach
Thomas Cook wins fake holiday illness case and warns of further action
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1882 full brown calf leather in flex boards gold edges around. Bookseller Inventory # SKU1000332
Title: Nature, Love, Friendship, Domestic Life ...
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: 1882
Binding: Hardcover
Book Condition: Good
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