HARDCORE PARKOUR Ann Arbor club practices free-running C4 VOICE VS. FOOD Voice staffers take on 30-inch pizza C4 HASH BASH Still strong in the Diag A8 April 23, 2012 W!"#$%&!' C())*&+$, C(--%.%, A&& A/0(/, M+1#+.!& washtenawvoice.com Washtenaw Trustees to unveils details amend Award of three-year Timeless ‘Masterpiece’ of Merit policy strategic plan John E. Lawrence songs 40 years old find fame in Europe, Mexico; tour in works? B)! S*+&, Managing Editor A-.&"! H)--)! Features Editor As Board of Trustees Chair Pamela Horiszny con- Washtenaw Community siders who should be given College administrators have Washtenaw Community now begun to move forward College’s most prestigious with the three-year strate- award, she now includes gic plan implemented by “rock star” as a pre-requisite. President Rose Bellanca late “I would want someone last year. who can really connect with Teaming up with selected the graduates,” Horiszny consultants Rick Alfred and said. “Someone who stu- Patricia Carter, the President dents would consider a role has taken it upon herself and model or an inspiration. I the college’s trustees to eval- want someone who is really a uate the needs of the school rock star in the community.” and community to keep bud- W i t h a geting and initiatives in line p r o p o s e d with her objectives. change to The consultants were paid the title and $47,000 split evenly, mean- distinction ing they each took home of the col- $23,500 for the six months lege’s Award of work. of Merit, the Pamela Horiszny “I need to see goals be- board could fore I can align a budget,” expand its choices to mem- Bellanca said at the April 10 bers outside of the fabric of meeting of the WCC Board WCC. of Trustees. “Our budget Each year before com- should be aligned with our mencement, trustees and plan. This will really benefit college administrators me as a new president to see JOHN E. LAWRENCE COURTESY PHOTO choose an outstanding what the college’s goals are.” WCC instructor John E. Lawrence jams with Masterpiece in 1974. member of the community Beginning their e2orts in who has made a lasting im- November of 2011, the ma- B)! S*+&, Ironically, Lawrence and his about three weeks ago saying geared towards play in Latin pact on the environment or jority of the groundwork Managing Editor former band The Masterpiece that the album is hot in Europe American dance clubs. On one culture at WCC. The indi- for the plan consisted of lis- should have thought twice and in Mexico,” Lawrence said. list, “We’re Gonna Make It” is vidual chosen would then tening sessions both inter- When Washtenaw Comm- about abusing those presum- “They’re playing it in dance listed in the top four hits of the receive the college’s Award nal and external that took unity College guitar guru John ably useless albums. The dou- clubs, on the radio and its 1970s. of Merit during the gradu- place through February. E. Lawrence recorded his first ble-sided single is now gaining selling as a collector’s item in One website for a Leeds mu- ation ceremony. Common More than 125 people at- 45 single in 1974, he didn’t think widespread popularity abroad England. I couldn’t believe it.” sic shop known as Pat Brady choices in the past have been tended the external listen- the record’s appeal would last after nearly 40 years of collect- According to various links Records put the album up for primarily former or exist- ing sessions, brought in from more than a decade. ing dust. presented to Lawrence via auction at £100, according to ing board members, faculty, a wide range of business sec- “We kind of let the album run Recounting a correspon- email, the two songs “Love northernsoul45s.co.uk. The al- sta2 and other outside par- tors, high schools, political its course and let it go,” said dence between ex-Masterpiece Affair” and “We’re Gonna’ bum’s price went even higher ties involved in exemplary and non-profit organizations Lawrence, who also serves as keyboard player and organ- Make It” have been gaining at- when the auction ended a year community service. as well as other colleges and the head of the college’s mu- ist Mark Williams, Lawrence tention on YouTube since 2008 ago, amounting to a payment of The award is considered universities in the state. sic department. “We made so had no idea the magnitude his and 2009, unbeknownst to the £300. In U.S. dollars, that equals the college’s most esteemed In attendance were 160 many copies of it that didn’t music had overseas—and with band for years. about $475—for a music-play- honor, however explaining people at various listening sell; we started using them as America’s neighbors to the In Los Angeles, a slew of ing Frisbee. the importance of the prize Frisbees, or melted them down South. Mexican DJ’s created di2erent to the prospective recipi- STRATEGIC PLAN CONTINUED A7 into ashtrays.” “Mark sent me an email compilations of classic soul hits MASTERPIECE CONTINUED A3 ent has become an unnec- essary challenge, according to Trustee Richard Landau. “One of the problems WCC to partner College aims to cure WCC’s ‘lack of presence’ in community we’ve had whenever ap- proaching a potential recipi- with K–12 more A-.&"! H)--)! students coming from high ent is that we kind of have to aggressively Features Editor school, hoping to establish explain what the award of WCC as a more viable option. merit is,” Landau said. “You A!!" F#$#"-S%&'( After a series of focus- “WCC is not often even on wouldn’t think that would be Staff Writer group sessions throughout the radar,” Blakey said. “We a di3cult thing, but it is. We the community, Washtenaw need some sort of marketing have to say this really is that As the admissions recruiter Community College o3cials push.” important and significant of for Washtenaw Community came to an alarming conclu- Blakey is excited about the an award. This is something College, Julie Killich spends a sion: The college has an image college releasing a publica- that we bestow on very few lot of time these days visiting problem. tion similar to WCC’s “Career people. high schools throughout the For too many students con- Focus,” entitled: “College “There is a certain amount county and conducting mul- sidering college as an option, Focus.” This magazine would of preamble we have to take tiple tours as part of an ini- WCC doesn’t exist, according be geared towards high school in order to make the pitch.” tiative to strengthen WCC’s to one local school principal. seniors in the midst of making Picking the recipient has presence. That must change, WCC ad- decisions regarding higher edu- also become a bit of an ob- “From the standpoint at ministrators vowed after get- cation, according to Blakey. stacle, as well, he added. the high school, I let the pro- ting an earful in the December She also looks forward to a With time phasing out the spective students know that and January sessions. possible alumni campaign to in- founders and early leaders a two-year college can be vi- “It became apparent that form potential students of past of the college, a new genera- able option upon graduation,” to the school districts, the su- successes had at WCC. She even tion of movers and shakers she said. “They don’t realize perintendents, the principals mentioned another publication within the community are they can get all of the same that Washtenaw does not have a featuring stories about success- now worthy options. things at WCC rather than a presence in those schools,” said ful alumni: “Alumni Focus.” By changing the ti- university.” Linda Blakey, associate vice Their stories could even be tle of the rewarded hon- While the program was president of Student Services. told on bus signage, she added. or from “Award of Merit” put into effect this winter, “I was sitting in one of those “When people have had a pos- to “Honorary Associate’s WCC has also invited all of sessions and a principal said itive experience, they want to Degree in Community the Washtenaw County pub- to me: ‘You don’t exist in our talk about it,” Blakey said. “The Service,” Landau hopes to lic high schools to o2er sec- schools. Even the military has point is to make the community, expel any needless confu- tions of courses on their high a presence. You guys are like, as a whole, aware of the classes sion surrounding what the school campuses. not there.’ We need to address and services we o2er, so that award represents when pre- “We’ve been contacting the this lack of presence.” you can get an a2ordable, qual- senting the o2er. high schools because when As part of a new strategic ity education.” But what’s in a name? A we had met with the super- initiative, administrators are Interim Marketing Director lot, Landau said. intendents and principals, a BRITTANY BARNHART CONTRIBUTOR looking to re-tool the college’s Wendy Lawson explained that “This award carries a lot of The college is creaing a new ad campaign to ‘go fishing’ for incoming high marketing program to bet- K-12 CONTINUED A7 school students. ter connect with traditional WCC AD CAMPAIGN CONTINUED A6 AWARD OF MERIT CONTINUED A6 You EARNED it. You DESERVE it. Now TRANSFER it. Cleary University’s articulation programs enable WCC graduates to transfer credits with ease.