auto show Get in the show. see pa G e 18 The Schoolcraft .Volume.25.Issue.08. ConnectionServing the Schoolcraft Community for 25 years .......... January.16,.2012 The future is here Cars for the 21st century . By Ian Gallagher The.two.biggest.competitors.are.the. in.reserve.–.30.percent.rather.than.the.usual.20. start.button.a.little.bell.fanfare. Managing.Editor Chevrolet.Volt.and.the.Nissan.Leaf..The.Volt.is. percent.–.and.it.also.kicks.the.generator.into. plays,.signifying.that.the.engine.has. Over.the.last.few.years,.the.North. technically.a.hybrid,.but.unlike.other.hybrids. high.gear.to.keep.more.energy.for.the.battery.. started,.because.like.all.EVs.there.is. American.International.Auto.Show. the.gasoline.engine.only.recharges.the.battery. The.idea.is.that.one.would.activate.Mountain. not.the.usual.hum.or.vibration.of.the. has.placed.a.heavy.emphasis.on.hybrids. to.run.the.electric.motor..If.one.charged.the. mode.while.still.in.the.foothills,.saving.power. engine..The.Leaf.gets.approximately.100. and.electric.vehicles.(EVs)..But.this.year. Volt.often.it.would.be.possible.to.run.solely.on. before.the.steep.grades..Sport.mode.allows.the. miles.per.charge,.but.if.you.drive.at.the. some.of.the.pure.EV.buzz.has.died.down.. electric.power..The.Nissan.Leaf.is.pure.electric.. engine.to.have.maximum.output,.putting.more. Leaf’s.90-mph.top.speed.the.range.will.be. It.is.not.because.the.automakers.have.not. Its.range.allows.it.to.be.used.in.many.areas.to. power.to.the.wheels..Naturally,.it.will.shorten. considerably.shorter..On.the.other.hand,. been.pushing.them,.but.because.EVs.have. make.short.trips,.but.not.cross-country.excur- battery.life..The.Volt.also.has.a.timer.display- with.regenerative.breaking.and.slower. become.more.mainstream..Nearly.every. sions. ing.how.long.it.will.take.to.charge.and.an. going.the.range.can.be.extended.. manufacturer.this.year.has.an.elec- efficiency.meter,.which.tells.you.when.you.are. The.Leaf.is.also.equipped.with.a. tric.car.or.an.electric.version.of. Chevrolet Volt braking.or.accelerating.too.much,.among.other. an.existing.model..Some.new. Do.not.write.off.the.Volt.as.a.slow-moving,. energy-conserving.gadgets.. See Future Auto PAGE 4 automakers.at.the.show,. glorified.golf.cart.yet,.especially.when.it.fea- such.as.Coda,.only. tures.an.impressive.279.lbs.of.instant.torque.. Nissan Leaf make.EVs.. There.are.also.three.distinct.driving.modes:. Compared.to.the.bright.green.interior.trim. Mountain,.Sport.and.Regular..Mountain.mode. of.the.Volt,.the.Nissan.Leaf.comes.off.as.some- increases.the.amount.of.charge.kept. what.bland..Upon.pushing.the. Survival Survival Tip Fitness Center on 33 page Best movies Comes to liFe oF 2011 see page 10 see page 25 S INSIDE News........................2 Editorials.................6 Campus.Life.......... 10 A&E........................20 CONTACT.US Sports.....................26 [email protected] Diversions..............32 734-462-4422 Photo by Steven Grill Page Layout by Brian Camilleri Photo.Story............36 N ews 2 the Schoolcraft connection News January.16,.2012 Into Iraq and back again Part II: Eight years abroad By Ian Gallagher & Daniel Peake Managing.Editor.&.Sports.Editor This is the second part in a series showing,.among.other.things,. of three on the withdrawal of troops American.guards.smiling.while. from Iraq. The first part was published standing.next.to.a.pile. in the December 8, 2011 issue of the of.hooded,.naked. Connection. Iraqi.prisoners.. The.United.States.invaded.Iraq.on. It.bolstered.the. March.20,.2003..The.war.was.billed.as. opposition.to. a.way.to.find.and.destroy.the.alleged. the.occupation,. weapons.of.mass.destruction.(WMDs). both.at.home. that.Saddam.Hussein.had..The.U.S.. and.amongst.the. led.a.“coalition.of.the.willing”.which. Iraqis..In.November. included.Great.Britain,.Australia.and. of.2004,.American. Poland.and.Operation.Iraqi.Freedom. forces.began.a.cam- was.launched..Once.again.the.con- paign.to.secure.the.city.of. quest.was.quick.–.by.May.1,.President. Fallujah,.a.hotbed.of.insurgent. Bush.declared.the.major.combat.oper- activity.. ations.over..From.there.the.role.tran- Iraq.held.its.first.free.election.in.50. also. sitioned.to.keeping.the.peace.while. years.on.January.30,.2005..60.percent. mark.the. the.country.was.searched.for.WMDs. of.eligible.voters.turned.out.to.cast. deadliest. and.the.former.dictator,.only.one.of. their.ballots.and.receive.the.distinc- year.in.Iraq.for. which.would.eventually.be.found.. tive.purple.dye.on.their.index.finger.. American.personnel. Saddam.Hussein.was.captured.on. International.media.broadcast.the. with.850.troops.killed. December.14.near.Tikrit,.where.he.was. images.of.Iraqis.holding.up.their.dyed. After.arriving.in.the. born..Ragged.and.unshaven,.he.was. fingers.with.pride.across.the.globe.. Oval.Office,.President.Barack. turned.over.to.the.new.Iraqi.Interim. The.new.Iraqi.government.took.their. Obama.cited.the.economic.crisis. Government.in.June.2004..This. seats.on.January.20,.2006,.but.there. as.well.as.the.now-unnecessary. reflected.the.changing.goal.of.the.war,. were.months.of.deadlock.before.even- bloodshed.overseas.and.ensured. stay. from.finding.and.disarming.WMDs.to. tually.forming.a.government.that. that.under.his.administration.the. there. bringing.democracy.to.Iraq.. April..Soon.after,.Hussein.was.sen- war.would.indeed.come.to.an.end.. forever,”.said.Schoolcraft.political. While.the.U.S..troops.were.initially. tenced.to.death.and.hanged.. President.Obama.announced.the. Science.professor.Kent.Kirkpatrick,.“I. greeted.with.a.mixture.of.slight.cheers. To.better.combat.insurgent.forces. end.of.the.combat.mission.in.Iraq.on. applaud.Obama’s.decision.to.pull.out,. and.curses,.the.hopes.of.goodwill.that. including.Al-Qaeda.in.Iraq,.President. August.31,.2010. it.was.long.overdue..But.still,.the.fact.is. America.thought.would.be.in.Iraq.were. Bush.ordered.a.“surge”.in.troop.levels. On.October.21,.2011,.President. you.can’t.force.democracy.on.a.people. dashed.with.the.revelations.about.the. on.January.10,.2007..The.surge.sent. Obama.kept.the.promise.he.made. who.obviously.don’t.want.it..The. treatment.of.inmates.at.Abu.Ghraib.. five.army.and.two.marine.brigades.–. during.his.2008.campaign.and.assured. minute.we.pull.out,.the.people.will. In.April.of.2004,.pictures.were.leaked. roughly.20,000.additional.troops.–.to. the.American.people.that.the.last.of. hate.us,.extremists.will.take.over.and. Iraq..This.brought.the.number.of.U.S.. the.troops.would.be.pulled.out.of.Iraq. we’ll.be.back.to.where.we.started.”. troops.to.over.150,000..2007.would. by.the.end.of.the.year..“They.couldn’t. Grand theft scholarship The problem of educational loan fraud By Josiah Thomas Staff.Writer It’s.no.secret.that.the.country.is. Michel,.a.Republican.congress- “Staff.time.and.effort.goes.into. experiencing.its.share.of.financial. man.from.Illinois,.composed.the. investigating.suspicious.activities,. woes..It’s.also.no.secret.that.there. Student.Loan.Act,.making.loan. ensuring.that.aid.is.disbursed.to. are.people.out.there.looking.to.get.as. fraud.a.federal.offense..Regardless.of. only.eligible.students,.resolving. much.“free.money”.as.they.possibly. what.the.laws.are,.the.Cato.Institute. discrepancies.in.student.informa- can..These.dirty.cash-grabs.can.take. reported.in.May.2009.an.increase. tion,”.said.Mosley,.“Such.measures. many.forms.and.one.of.them.that. in.fraud.through.false.identities,. take.away.the.time.that.can.be.spent. hits.close.to.school.is.student.loan. theft.from.Pell.Grants.and.working. processing.students.with.legitimate. fraud.. through.the.welfare.system..These. applications.and.need.” Student.loan.fraud.is.the.act.of. crimes.have.fallen.under.the.super- “Because.the.government.is.urging. defrauding.the.government.so.that. vision.of.both.the.thousands.of. all.institutions.to.have.safeguards. a.student.may.receive.extra.money. private.institutions.responsible.for. in.place,”.said.Hagen,.“Students.may. at.the.expense.of.colleges.and. handling.the.issue.and.the.govern- find.more.stringent.requirements.in. taxpayers..Two.people.who.know. ment.alike..Penalties.for.commit- order.to.prove.their.identity,.which. the.most.about.this.matter.here. ting.loan.fraud.include.a.maximum. naturally.creates.added.barriers.for. at.Schoolcraft.College.are.Student. of.five.years.in.prison.and.up.to. students.” Services.Dean.Cheryl.Hagen.and. $20,000.in.fines..An.example.is. This.says.a.great.deal.about. Director.of.Financial.Aid.Regina. Michelle.Owens.of.South.Carolina.. Schoolcraft.College.as.it.has.done. Mosley..According.to.Hagen,.loan. She.was.sentenced.to.51.months.in. generally.well.in.keeping.funds. fraud.is.one.of.“various.schemes.to. prison.and.ordered.to.pay.restitution. secured.in.spite.of.so.many.students. illegally.apply.for.grants.and.student. for.orchestrating.a.student.aid.scam. and.even.schools.that.ignore.the. loans.”.The.most.common.instances. Schoolcraft.and.loan.fraud penalties. of.this.sort.of.fraud.are.when.stu- Fortunately,.Schoolcraft.itself.has. As.a.parting.note,.Hagen. dents.use.a.false.identity.to.apply.for. not.had.many.occurrences.of.loan. reminded.students.to.keep.in.mind. college.loans.and.engage.in.the.least. fraud.due.to.the.College’s.tracking. the.severe.consequences.for.engag- amount.of.registration.activity.nec- and.monitoring.of.student.atten- ing.in.student.loan.fraud. essary.to.secure.a.loan. dance.and.IP.addresses..Students.are. “We.will.catch.you,”.said.Hagen.. Fraud.and.punishment only.awarded.their.financial.aid.and. “And.the.penalties.are.severe.” Student.loan.fraud.has.been.