11 20 ZE The Connection goes Medieval! SCHOOL DA CamPus life • Page 12 DeTails on Page 12 ThaT Time i... • Page 20 TheonnectionSchoolcraft Volume 25 Issue 01 C Serving the Schoolcraft Community for 25 years September 12, 2011 Photo by Steven Grill Campus Students currently must walk around the bookstore to the temporary side door overhaul entrance. An artist's rendering shows what everyone can look forward to once renovations are complete. Students return to bring more than $900,000 in upgrades added, students can expect increased and intermediate training areas. Large to the bookstore. The three-phase sales floor space which will ease traffic expanses of glass are being installed find school in the project will increase the size of the during checkout. There will also be a at the south and east ends of room midst of remodeling bookstore significantly. separate buy-back section for students to provide natural lighting in to the By Ramon Razo “Phase one (the addition) is pro- looking to sell their books along with space.” Nwwews Editor jected to be complete and usable an improved and expanded tech zone. Once completed, the PE building’s Students returning to campus after by late October 2011. The other two The Physical Education Building is new and improved fitness center will a long, hot summer are bound to have phases will begin the end of January also currently going through a major be available via a membership to stu- noticed a few of the new renovations and be completed by mid-April,” renovation. The College approved dents, faculty and the public. The yet- and additions to the campus. The said Robert Wielechowski, Executive $1.5 million for a fitness center. “The to-be-named fitness center is expected most noticed changes are the two Director of Facilities Management. [facility] will be a state-of-the-art to be completed by the end of this renovation projects in progress at the During construction, students are fitness center,” said Wielechowski. year, and open for use in January. Livonia campus. only able to access the bookstore via “Approximately $400,000 of new During the first weeks of classes, the emergency access ramp on the fitness equipment is being purchased See Renovations PAGe 5 it’s nearly impossible for Schoolcraft side of the building. This is to allow for the center, with separate video students not to notice the construc- construction crews the time and the screens provided at each piece of tion currently being done on the space they need during the first phase equipment. Various specific fitness bookstore. Renovations have been of construction. areas will be provided including underway since July. The project will With the new additions being cardio, free weight, strength training State of the College President Jeffress addresses faculty and staff artment P Jonathan King de Editor in Chief CONTACT US Every year, Schoolcraft year and the future of the bad news, bad news … well, [email protected] College holds a Welcome College. it’s not happening here.” 734-462-4422 marketing Back breakfast for all Dr. Jeffress opened his The bulk of Dr. Jeffress’ the members of faculty and address on a very positive speech concerned the many of staff. This year the break- note, naming off the new new campus improve- fast was held on Aug. 29 members of staff that were ments and expansions. in the DiPonio room of hired as of the fall semester. Consequently, the first courtesy INSIDE the VisTaTech Center. The number of new employ- issue he addressed was why hoto The event featured a ees totaled 37, and covered Schoolcraft was deciding P full breakfast buffet and just about every depart- to do so much building and News .......................2 President of the college, several presentations. This ment, from Counseling to expansion during times Editorials ................6 Dr. Conway Jeffress, included a keynote speech Information Services and of economic downturn. announces big plans for by Dr. Conway Jeffress, Facilities Management. The “The truth of the matter Campus Life ..........12 Schoolcraft’s president, on list also included a new is that this kind of activity A&E .......................22 Schoolcraft's upcoming the state of the College. The Assistant Dean of Sciences is ideal during bad times.” year. speech included what had and a new Assistant Dean of Dr Jeffress explained that Sports ....................30 happened over the previous Nursing. As Dr. Jeffress said, not only is it cheaper to Diversions .............36 “We keep hearing bad news, Photo Story ...........40 See PResident PAGe 5 2 the Schoolcraft connection ews September 12, 2011 N In our news By Ramon Razo State of the economy News Editor What's been going on and why it matters to you Worldwide news By Ian Gallagher Rebels in Libya found something Managing Editor they never expected in former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s home. In 2005, The Economist referred enacted by Congress. The “trigger and unemployment remains high at While going through his compound in to the housing bubble as the “biggest mechanism” cuts are split between 9.1 percent. According to CNN Money, Tripoli, looters found a photo album bubble in history.” Explaining that domestic and military spending. “The Conference Board, a New York full of pictures of former Secretary of since 2000 in developed countries, Critics of the supposed deficit based business research group, said State Condoleezza Rice. Dr. Rice had the total residential property values reduction are quick to point out that its Consumer Confidence Index for previously visited Tripoli in 2008 and increased, “equivalent to 100 percent the “cuts” will not reduce the actual August fell to 44.5 percent, down Gaddafi has spoken highly of her ever those countries combined gross deficit but, instead, limit additional from 59.2 percent in July.” since. He has endearingly referred to domestic product.” Three years later expenditures. The outlook for students remains her as “darling” and has called her the housing bubble burst. This caused Standard & Poor’s downgraded the similarly grim. The Bureau of Labor “Leeza” on some occasions. a high default rate among subprime United States’ credit rating from AAA Statistics reports that in July, the State Department spokeswoman mortgages, which have a higher credit to AA+, the only credit rating agency employment rate for ages 16-24 was Victoria Nuland told The Associated risk and thus higher interest rates. to do so, stating, “The downgrade 48.8 percent. This is the lowest level Press that words like “creepy” and These defaults led to a crisis where reflects our opinion that the fiscal since 1948, when recording began. “bizarre” adequately describe the photo finds. However, she also said many banks required bailouts or consolidation plan that Congress and July is usually the high point in youth that Gaddafi’s apparent affection with went bankrupt, most notably Lehman the Administration recently agreed to employment. There are further risks Dr. Rice is not that surprising since Brothers. The bursting of the housing falls short of what, in our view, would to students than just being an unem- Dr. Rice played a major role in his bubble and the banking crisis com- be necessary to stabilize the govern- ployed youth. Graduating during a short-lived political rehabilitation. bined with high commodity prices ment’s medium-term debt dynamics.” recession can result in large initial - oil peaked at nearly $150 a barrel The news of the downgrade caused earning losses. National news - plunged the world into the deepest markets to fluctuate wildly, leading “In their first ten years of work, In August, authorities arrested recession since the Great Depression. many investors to put their money individuals experience 70 percent of fugitive Lucas Wayne French on The recession officially ended into Treasury bonds. This sent their overall wage growth, change charges he received in July. French in June 2009 but, due to govern- Treasury yields, what the government jobs frequently and often settle had been allowed to leave the county ment spending in attempts to pays back as interest, to record lows. on a particular line of business or jail in Beltrami County, Minn. on revive the economy, the federal “The mindset is that rates aren’t industry,” wrote Matt Nesvisky for work leave. French’s charges included deficit ballooned. According to the going to move any higher any time the National Bureau of Economic assault of a peace officer, child endan- Congressional Budget Office, the soon as we saw more bad employ- Research. germent and reckless handling of a dangerous weapon. French and deficit could reach 97 percent of ment figures on top of so many other The young do have some advan- another man had engaged in a sword gross domestic product (GDP) by bad economic signs,” said Bill tages over older workers in that they fight the month before. Lakeland 2021. The deficit is currently at 70 Cheoplis, a managing are not tied to a career, can move News out of Florida reported that percent of GDP, whereas in 2008 director at Deutsche Asset more easily and did not take heavy French and a co-worker, Paul Whaley, it was 40 percent. After a long and Management, to CNN losses to retirement plans. Young had an argument at Whaley’s home heated debate over raising the debt Money, “Investors are people also have time to make up after drinking. French struck Whaley ceiling, a deal was worked out where trying to get as much the losses from early struggles and, in the ensuing scuffle, a display deficit reduction will come in two yield as they can now.” in the workforce. Regardless of samurai swords fell over.