May 17, 2011 | Volume 107 | Edition 2B Flint Block Party pg. 3 Schedule Propsal pg. 4-5 Club Highlights pg. 6

Entertainment pg. 7

Flint Mayor Speaks at Ketteringby Désirée White, Copy Editor

Schedule ChangeOpen Forum

by Tom Gale, Assistant Editor

An open forum was held on May 4, 2011 to discuss a proposal to transition Kettering Uni-versity’s schedule from the current term system to a semester system. This discussion was held in order to hear the voice of the students on the matter. The main points of the forum were: Why is Kettering University considering tran-sitioning into a semester based schedule, and what are the advantages and disadvantages that might come forth from applying the semester schedule at Kettering.

The distributed proposal draft summa-rized some points for the changes. Under the proposed semester calender, there will be a maximum of 75-90 work weeks (five-six terms of 15 weeks). In contrast the current schedule has 9 work terms with 108 work weeks, and has a minimum requirement of 7 work terms. Also, the current Kettering degree consists of 160 credit hours and is earned through 9 academic terms. The proposed calender will require a 128-132 credit hour degree and can be earned in 8 academic terms.

As the provost commented, the reason for the proposed change in schedule is to increase the student population. For the last 10 years, Kettering has been seeing a steady decline in enrollment. It has been proposed that student enrollment will rise if Kettering changes to a semester based schedule.

As for input from the students, a major topic brought up at the discussion was the co-op program. A concern was raised for the fact that the proposed schedule change would remove co-op terms from freshman year. The overall sentiment from the students was that this

would cut down the co-op time significantly, which may even prevent some students from attending Kettering since the co-op jobs help with paying tuition. Another concern was that if the semester schedule was used, the amount of co-op time per year would be cut down. In a semester based calender the number of weeks per semester would become 15 instead of the current 10, which means that there would only be enough time for 3 semesters per year. A com-ment that the provost made to this concern was that by extending the number of weeks from 10 to 15, a meaningful co-op experience is still possible.

During the discussion, the provost sug-gested that by changing to a semester based calender there will be more opportunities to collaborate with other universities. One cri-teria in having a collaborative effort between Kettering University and other institutions is the schedule. Most universities in the U.S. (and many other countries) follow a semester based calender or something similar. With Kettering University using a unique calender, collabora-tion with other universities is difficult. At the moment, Kettering University has international programs in Germany and China, who’s sched-ules fit with the current Kettering schedule. If the semester based calender is implemented these international programs may have room to expand into different universities and more countries.

continued on page 4...

Presidential Candidates On Campus

Without question, dealing with Flint’s major issues, economy and safety, is a monumental task. On fourth Wednesday, Flint mayor Dayne Walling spoke on the leadership and chal-lenges he has faced during his term. During his campaign, he asked citizens what their major concerns were. By far, he stressed that “public safety is the number one priority,” followed by economic development and infrastructure. Approaching these problems with a “pragmatic rather than ideological” attitude, he has numer-ous proposals to help with these issues but it is going to require major changes over time.

First, he spoke about the figures and bud-gets he must handle and apportion appropri-ately. The city has 3000 retired employees and only 750 active ones. The pensions of the retired employees still sit on the city’s bill, which means the city only gets about $0.35 out of every tax dollar to operate. Therefore, the budget is “a balance between historical operation and cur-rent operation.” Furthermore, compared to ten years ago, Flint has only a quarter less of its

population but produces half of the tax dollars ($100 million versus $50 million). The city is working with half as much money with three-quarters of the population. Public safety takes up 72% of that general fund, and he asserts the “principle that we cannot reduce public safety personnel anymore.” With respect to city em-ployees, it’s “not cutting off the fat, but losing an arm or a leg.”

To address the problems, he has proposed to reduce the amount of city council members, but some feel it may reduce citizens’ access to representation. He is also proposing a millage specifically for public safety in the city. Another idea involves increasing the city taxes. In com-parison to Detroit, Flint city taxes are quite low. Detroit residents pay 2.50% and Flint residents only pay 1%. Non-residents working in both cities pay half of those figures. Walling would like to double the current city tax, which would help produce more revenue for the city. Overall, though, he is trying to maintain “paying for the past and investing in the future.”

Save the dates for Presidential Candidates’ campus visits!

Monday, May 23, 2011Wednesday, May 25, 2011Tuesday, May 31, 2011Thursday, June 2, 2011Monday, June 6, 2011Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Class schedules will be changed to allow for presentaion between 2:35PM to 3:45 PM

by Chris Sanocki, Layout Editor

May 17, 2011

Campus NewsKettering University - The TechnicianPage 2

Technician Staff Editor-in-Chief:Matt Gessler

Copy Editor:Désirée White

Advisors:Betsy HomsherDavid Marshall

Submission PolicyThe Technician welcomes submissions from Kettering

University students, faculty, and staff as long as writers identify themselves and their affi liation with the University and provide contact information. No anonymous submissions will be accepted. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Technician staff or of Kettering University. We reserve the right to edit for length. Kettering University is a private institution; as such, it need not extend freedom of speech protection as described in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

S u b m i s s i o n s m u s t b e s e n t e l e c t r o n i c a l l y t o btechnician@kettering.edu.

ColophonThe Technician is published triweekly by the students of

Kettering University and financed, in part, by the Kettering University Student Activities Fee.

meetings are Thursdays at 12:20pm in the Technician Office

Submission DeadlinesSecond Edition: Wednesday, June 1

Layout Editor:Chris Sanocki

Staff:David LingerfeltTom GaleJon CrombeRebeccah MacKinnon

Kettering Website to Get a Faceliftby Rebeccah MacKinnon, staff

On Monday, May 2, Kettering University in-vited members of the website design company, Vermillion, to give a presentation concerning the redesign of the school’s website, www.ket-tering.edu. The afternoon-long presentation was broken into different sessions, including a discussion of the redesign process and a Q&A session where faculty, staff, and students were able to voice their question, suggestions, and concerns about the process.

The main goals of the redesign include making the site more accessible, “unifying the Kettering brand”, and making the update process simple for content managers. Because

the website is a main advertising point for the University, a key issue is to “make sure every impression is the right impression,” says a Ver-million representative. The new site will utilize conventional methods to make key information easy to find for both prospective and current students, as well as faculty and staff.

The redesign process is planned to take mere months, with the new website having a goal launch of no later than early fall. If you want to be involved with the project or want more information, please contact Jim McMil-lan in Information Technology at jmcmilla@kettering.edu.

New Major: Bioinformatics

by Rebeccah MacKinnon, staffStarting in the Summer 2011 term, a new

major will be offered at Kettering University: Bioinformatics. A collaborative effort between the departments of Computer Science and Chemistry/Biochemistry, the new degree will provide students with a strong foundation in the study of computational analysis of biologi-cal systems. According to the National Science Foundation, Bioinformatics is an area of na-tional skill need, one that Kettering hopes to fill with around 20 students a year.

The Kettering Bioinformatics program, one of only 23 degree granting programs in the country and one of two in Michigan, will be a specially selected combination of biochemistry and computer science classes to give students a well rounded base in the field. Like all degree programs at Kettering, Bioinformatics students will participate in multiple terms of cooperative education to supplement their education.

For more information, see the Bioinformat-ics degree website:

http://www.kettering.edu/futurestudents/undergraduate/bioinformatics.jsp.

AC Marketing and Recruitment Forumby Désirée White, Copy Editor

On fourth Tuesday, Academic Council held a forum with Karen Full, Director of Under-graduate Admissions, and Julie Ulseth, Director of Marketing, to discuss new recruitment and marketing ideas. Despite its short duration, the two stressed that they are working to “reroute the ship” after the dismal enrollment numbers Kettering has been facing for the past couple years. On the administration side, the first steps were hiring part-time recruiters and a recruiting consultant, Carol Stack.

The challenges in recruitment are the means in targeting prospective students and gaining their interest. To deal with these challenges, the two departments have been working to incorporate more technology, such as contact via e-mail, putting QR codes (the barcodes for cell phones) on mailings, or finding some way

to connect through their cell phones. They are “trying to figure out how to personalize” the recruitment process, “asking students and faculty to do a lot more,” and “beefing up cam-pus visits.” Other positives ideas included job shadowing a current student or holding recruit-ment events at a co-op work site. Despite the elaborate marketing ideas, Ulseth stressed the importance of word-of-mouth. A key to target-ing prospective students is the current students. They relate to the prospective students better and offer a unique insight into life at Kettering. Due to the power of word-of-mouth, she en-couraged all students, at least once a day, to post something positive about their Kettering experience on a social media site, which could greatly help generate interest.

As mid-May approaches, high school seniors must think about where they want to attend school in the fall. With Kettering’s recent enrollment problems, it is important to look at the university’s recent efforts to both improve the numbers and deal with the current situation. Last spring, a number of Kettering employees were laid off, including some in admissions and recruiting, to cut costs. A new admissions director, Karen Full, was hired, who has been working to bring in new students. New recruiting initiatives were implemented, and the administration had various outlets, such as forums, for current students to express their different ideas and opinions. In the coming month, the university will see the first set of results from these changes (deposits), and a true look will be evident with the start of the summer and fall terms.

Looking Back and Looking

Forwardby Désirée White, Copy Editor

May 17, 2011

Campus LifeKettering University - The Technician Page 3

Flint Block Partyby Valerie Smith

Rumors of the Flint Block Party have been spreading across the city and state like wildfire. People from as far away as Cleveland and New Jersey have heard of and are excited about what one influential student here at Kettering University has done. When the idea first came to him, Alex Balogh, a sophomore at Kettering, never imagined that the Flint Block Party would grow to this magnitude.

What started as a simple barbecue in his back yard with some friends and neighbors quickly turned into a huge event with a pa-rade, fireworks, entertainment provided by The Dirty Americans, Pistol Day Parade, The Dayton Family, Afroman, and even a perfor-mance from Michigan’s own, Eminem along with Royce Da 5’9”. All funds from this event are benefiting the Flint Police and the Flint Public Schools.

This event has been supported on all sides, even getting Thompson Hall’s Residence Hall Association, other colleges in Flint, including U of M, and their student organizations involved. Balogh, worked his way up and through Flint,

meeting anyone and everyone he could to help with “one of the most spectacular benefit con-certs of all time!” Many Kettering students are getting passionate about helping out with this cause. “Because I work so close to Flint, I am here all the time, not just during school; I feel like helping out with the Block Party is my way of giving back to the community that I live in,” said freshman, Lizi Eisinger. Many Kettering students have rallied together to help Alex with this project. Within eleven weeks, Balogh took this idea from conception to ready to sell tickets.

Growth and production like this often comes from the driven entrepreneurs that Kettering cultivates. “We just wanted to support the community we live, work and go to school in,” commented Balogh. The Party’s mission statement reiterates Balogh’s statement by say-ing, “[We want to] create an annual social event to support and bring together the community of Flint, MI with a day of celebration … in an attempt to support and bring new inspiration to the Flint community in its recent initiatives to move from a factory town to a college town.”

However, the Block Party was almost can-celled, but instead is being relocated. It will be

moved from Flint to Pontiac and held at one of three possible locations, Burch Run, Perani Arena, or Clutch Cargo’s, on a date still yet to be determined. Due to this change, the parade and fireworks had to be cancelled, and Eminem and Royce Da 5’9” might not be able to make the party. There has been discussion about get-ting charter busses to shuttle students to and from the Party. There will also be a pre-party at MoDoggie’s Bar and Grill in Fenton on June 3rd, where all cover charges will help fund next year’s block party. Even though the party has been moved out of Flint, the proceeds will con-tinue to be in benefit of the Flint Community.

Tickets will be on sale soon and can be purchased through the website. Anyone wish-ing to support this cause and the planning for next year’s event can contact Alex Balogh at flintblockparty@gmail.com or baggywinkleba-logh@gmail.com, or go to the official Block Party website www.flintblockparty.com.

Stay tuned to the Flint Journal and even Youtube for more information regarding the first annual Flint Block Party, so “Let’s get this Party started!”

M.A.G.I.CM.A.G.I.C. stands for maximizing academic

growth in college. M.A.G.I.C. is a meeting that is hosted by Office of Multicultural Stu-dent Initiatives (OMSI) and takes place every Wednesday at lunch time, starting at 12:20pm and ending approximately 1:10pm. These meet-ings are held in the International Room which is on the fourth floor of the Camus Centre at Kettering University.

Every week, M.A.G.I.C has a meeting where Mr. Patrick Neal generally talks to students who attend and presents them with ideas, thoughts and motivation in order to get through Kettering. In these meetings, students are allowed to ask questions about Kettering and discuss any problems he or she is having and have the chance to have them answered by Mr. Neal.

Even though these meetings are open to all the students, M.A.G.I.C. is also a great op-portunity to bring many of the minority and international students together. These meetings provide a great time to socialize while having

lunch. M.A.G.I.C. allows students to interact with each other and discuss problems openly that, more often than not, other people are also having. These meetings also provide an oppor-tunity for younger students to get advice from older students in areas such as a problem in a class or homework.

Most weeks, some of the topics discussed are if everyone is passing their class and if anyone needs tutoring. Some other topics in-clude why people get stressed and how they can go about relieving stress. Some weeks at M.A.G.I.C. we play games to relieve stress and grow together with each other. These simple games teach us how to interact with each other and often, we learn about other person’s per-sonality. More importantly, these games often help us to take our minds off school for a minute and relive stress.

Some weeks, Mr. Patrick Neal and the OMSI office organize meetings where people come in and talk to us. One of the most informative meetings that we have had this term was 5th

by Daniel Evansweek Wednesday, when the office of Student Academic Services came in and talked to us. One of the people speaking at this meeting was Ms. Caron Wilson. As we ate lunch, she informed us about everything we needed to know about tutoring services and the SARC (Student Academic Resource Center), as well as everything we need to know about auditing or dropping class. She also provided us with pamphlets that gave us the name and number of tutors in all subject areas if we find our self struggling. She also told us when the last date is to drop a class if we feel that we are not go-ing to make it. She assured us that she as well as anyone in her office is always willing to give advice when it comes to giving advice about classes.

In my opinion, I would recommend to any Kettering student, no matter what year he or she is in to attend at least one M.A.G.I.C. meeting to see if they find it helpful to their success at Kettering University. The meetings are open to everyone.

The effects of the tsunami in Japan that happened recently are still being radiating to the world, and even to Kettering University. As most of us know, there are a fair amount of suppliers who make products for the majority of the co-op companies Kettering University is partnered with. The effects of something on the supplier side may seem somewhat insignificant due to the fact that there is generally more than one supplier for a product that a company might use. However, Zach Bradlau (Freshman 2) is directly affected by the tsunami because of his co-op employer. Zach works for a company called Denso Manufacturing which specializes in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Denso supplies many of the large automobile manufacturers such as General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Toyota Motors.

The tsunami that hit the east coast of Ja-pan has recently been in the news due to the major devastation it caused. The estimates of cost to Japan are around $300 billion and the death toll, as of March 31, is listed as 11,438 with 2,873 injured and 16,541 missing. (CNN, Official: Quake, tsunami could cost Japan $300

billion) Now the effects of this tsunami can be observed on a more personal basis in the co-op program at Kettering University. Because Kettering University is a school that primarily studies automotive related engineering appli-cations, the impacts on various businesses in Japan may impact the American automotive industry. Japan is known for supplying various components to both suppliers of the automo-bile manufactures in addition to automobile manufactures directly. After overhearing some of my peers expressing concern about how this tsunami could affect their jobs I decided to pur-sue this topic and interview with one of them.

After interviewing with Zach, I was able to get some perspective into what it is like to have your future work assignment up in the air. After asking him a few questions, he was able to enlighten me on how exactly a supplier issue could affect his company’s production. Zach elaborated on how crucial components to his job may interfere with their ability to continue supplying their customers. Zach works mainly with air conditioning components that require a certain assembly process to ensure a quality product for his employer’s customers. The cur-

rent method is the best method for his company, but it requires a certain type of binding agent to bind the components together. The components for this binding process are currently only pro-duced by a company that Zach says is “around 20 Kilometers outside of a city in Japan that recently has been announced to have a nuclear reactor in critical condition. The plant has been shut down ever since the tsunami happened.” Zach went on to say that his company is cur-rently looking for an alternative supplier for this bonding agent.

If his company cannot find a supplier that is comparable to the one from Japan, the qual-ity of their product will be diminished, thus decreasing sales. If sales decrease then the po-tential for budget cuts arises and in some cases, co-ops are some of the first people to go. Zach commented, “The unfortunate reality is that unless a suitable alternative is found I may be experiencing some interesting changes or, in a worst case scenario, be without a job after my next work term.” Sometimes even things hap-pening half way across the globe can have a large impact on us both as a student body and as employees in the field.

Tsunami’s Effects Felt At Ketteringby Corbett Ogletree

May 17 2011

Schedule ProposalKettering University - The TechnicianPage 4

Before the twelve-week quarters, GMI broke the year down into six-week periods. The first half of a class (i.e. fluids) was taught for six weeks, midterms were usually taken, and then students would work for six weeks. After the six weeks of work, they would come back to finish the last half of that course (again, fluids). Sometime in the early 80’s (around the same time the named changed the first time), the schedule changed to the twelve-week quarters.

Similar to the change to a GPA from a WGA, a change from quarters to semesters will af-fect both students and faculty. With the GPA change, faculty were forced to find a new way to evaluate students. What range differs an “A” from an “A-“ and how does that relate to the WGA system? Professors had to evaluate stu-dents slightly differently from before. Although a 93 was considered a 4.0 in the conversion, going forward, is it really an A? If that is the case, does it remove some of the motivation to work harder? Also similar to the GPA conver-sion, the schedule change to semesters has been proposed at various points for the last several years.

A change in the schedule would affect faculty and class structures in different ways. Based on information from Provost Simpson, the faculty is split on the issue. (The faculty

by Désirée White, Copy Editor

Semester Schedule: What do the Faculty Think?

members in this article were granted anonym-ity.) One professor says, “There are pros and cons to it.” Some argue that, although it is not inherently bad, it will not necessarily fix the enrollment problem. It does not define the root cause of the issue, and the enrollment challenge is being used for the defense of the proposed schedule change. When asked if the extended semester would increase the material covered, a professor replied, “No. I would just spend more time covering it.” Furthermore, one commented on how the department would need more faculty members to teach additional class sections, which would be necessary to support, essentially, the merging of both sec-tions of students. “It is not the right time for the university,” one commented, “We are in transition in many other ways. Other things need to be taken care of first,” such as the new president selection and incorporation. On the other hand, it may benefit some departments. With a more traditional schedule, some students may have an easier time finding employment, reducing the number of students working in a department at Kettering.

Regardless, before the proposal is approved, these issues will be weighed against the possible benefits to the university.

Another opinion heard during the discus-sion was the students’ concern for the unique-ness of the university. It was stated that the term based calender is an identity that Kettering University has created for itself. This identity gives prospective high school students a chance to choose a university that is unique in nature from other universities.

At the end of the open forum the provost asked the students if they had any ideas on how else student enrollment could be increased. This led to some suggestions such as lowering tu-ition and changing the methods of advertising for the university. As one student pointed out, the amount most high school students know about Kettering is minimal, and this may be due to the fact that the university is not advertising efficiently.

From this open forum, it can be seen that a calender system change is being discussed with not only the administration and faculty, but also with the students. With the the amount of student involvement in this case we can hope that the final decision will benefit both the uni-versity and its students.

Open Forum

...continued from page 1

Interview with Dr. SimpsonEditor’s Note: The Technician interviewed the provost, Dr. Simpson, regarding the proposed Kettering schedule change that he prepared. Below is a text version of the conversation.

Technician: What is the main reason behind the proposed schedule change?

Dr. Simpson: The main reason for consider-ing a change in calendar is driven by the need to really transform Kettering. More specifi-cally to transform the learning environments and opportunities offered at Kettering so that we’re more attractive to prospective students, which is an extremely important reason. Also, to really extend and strengthen our learning environments both in the context of the class-room and in the context of our cooperative education terms.

Technician: Do you have any comments re-garding the turnout of the town hall discussion on the possible schedule change?

Dr. Simpson: It was terrific. I was very pleased that there was such a terrific turnout. 225 people attended. We actually had to move the meeting location due to the attendance. I also thought that the questions were very thoughtful.

Technician: What about opinions? Did you see a majority?

Dr. Simpson: Well I think it’s fair to say that a majority of the students in attendance think the quarter system just the way we have it is fine. And I’m frankly not surprised by that because that is exactly the system they’re in and experiencing. What I learned, and these are the important things, is that the major concern about any calendar change is that we not lose our emphasis on co-op. My commitment and the institution’s commitment is that co-op will always be very robust at Kettering.

Technician: The greater opportunities for in-depth teaching sounds like a good benefit. I know many students go through a fair amount of stress during school terms, some of which can probably be associated with our current sched-ule. Would you like to expand on this idea? Do you think teaching would be a lot more in-depth, or would teachers just be expected to

cover a significantly larger amount of material with the longer term?

Dr. Simpson: The idea is to spread the term out. The material would come in slightly smaller chunks and there would be more time to work with the material. What I learned from a number of the students after the session is that they’re so stressed out by the end of the term that going to their co-op is an absolute relief. I don’t want you to think that there’s not going to be any stress at the end of the term, but one of the real values of extending the academic term from 10 weeks to 14 weeks of instruction is that the same amount of material is going to be dispensed over a somewhat longer period. It also gives you more time for interaction with faculty to do more project based work, and for laboratories it will make them a much richer environment. Relating to teaching opportuni-ties, one of the things that I hope happens is that we step back and really reflect on what we’re teaching, why we’re teaching it, how we’re teaching it, and that we use the transition as also an opportunity to re-conceptualize our learning environment. And to me that is going to be a very important component.

Technician: Can you estimate a percentage of faculty and administrators that are in favor of changing the schedule?

Dr. Simpson: That’s a hard question for me to answer. I think it would be fair to say that there are a good number of faculty that are in favor, and there are also a good number that likely are happy with the way things are. If I were talking about administrators, most would say that this is really the direction we need to go. And I need to stress that if a board decision is made to make the transition I am absolutely confident faculty will come onboard and will do the things that we need to do to make the transition. But in that regard I do think that we are sort of a democracy so all views need to be expressed and heard.

Technician: Do you think there is a good chance that the new schedule will be imple-mented? Similar changes have been proposed before, correct?

Dr. Simpson: The board has skirted around

the issue of making a decision several times I guess is the best way for me to put it. I cannot speak for the board, and I’m not sure where they will come out. I know that they have two particular concerns. Number one is making sure that the new president is involved in the decision. The second thing is that the board is acutely aware of our efforts to raise enrollment, and I think that it’s fair to say there is some con-cern that if we implement this calendar change it will divert our attention from enrollment. My contention is that it would not, and it would in fact position us better for the future in terms of being attractive for more students.

Technician: Losing co-op employers seems like a big concern for students regarding the change. Are you worried about losing co-op employers if the switch is made?

Dr. Simpson: Most of the co-op employers that we’ve surveyed indicate that they could adapt to a semester system, and in fact some thought it was a much better way to go because they have longer periods of time and projects could be longer and that sort of thing.

Technician: With the proposed change would employers still be able to have a co-op employed year round?

Dr. Simpson: “Yes, absolutely.”Technician: Would there still be A and B

sections then?Dr. Simpson: In the engineering disciplines

where we have a lot of students there would undoubtedly be A and B rotations. In some of the science disciplines where we have low numbers of students and where our current quarter system doesn’t serve them well because a lot of work opportunities consist of summer research and working in national labs which is generally a summer opportunity, this may not be the case. [The small science disciplines did not have the continual rotation on the model of possible semester systems that Dr. Simpson shared with the Technician.] But for most of the students here, particularly those in the engineering disciplines, they would see really no change. There would be the equivalent of a continual rotation, which is what the co-op employers really like about Kettering.

by Matt Gessler, Editor-in-Chief

May 17, 2011

Schedule Proposal OpinionsKettering University - The Technician Page 5

A draft report directed to the Kettering Board of Trustees and submitted by Dr. Robert L. Simpson comments that, in the Provost´s opinion, “. . . the positives outweigh the reserva-tions expressed” regarding a proposed change to a trimester-based calendar system. President Liberty would doubtless agree. Some students, particularly the vocal crowd who chose to at-tend Kettering for reasons relating to early or mandatory co-op opportunities, may see it dif-ferently. This column is intended to address student reactions to the proposed change and to put a handful of questions to the proponents of the new calendar.

First, students should understand that the high value they place on a co-op experience will respected—at least during their tenure here. Under the plan in the draft report, no actual schedule change would occur until 2014, ensuring that the incoming freshmen of 2010, 2011 2012 and perhaps even 2013 can pursue co-op opportunities under the current model.

What we as current students must realize and consider is that the change would represent a fundamental shift in the nature of Kettering University. Repeated assurances by the admin-istration concerning Kettering’s commitment to experiential learning do not change the mathematical fact that co-op time and earnings would be reduced by 25% under the new plan, and that freshman co-op would not be expected. For many current students, a trimester-based

Is it Time for a Major Shift in Kettering’s Identity?by Isaac Meadows, A-Section Technician Staff

engineering school with an emphasis on expe-riential learning might not be as compelling a choice as a quarter-based engineering school offering co-op starting in the freshman year. For many potential students in the region and for transfer students, however, the proposed calendar might offer a more comfortable, tra-ditional experience while still allowing them to benefit from co-op opportunities. Kettering might well go from a uniquely challenging co-op institution to a more accessible small private engineering school. The proponents of the new calendar expect the market for the latter to be considerably larger; that is, Kettering as a tra-ditional school is seen as an easier institution to “sell” to prospective students. The fact that the current student body would not choose the proposed schedule is really outside the scope of the discussion. Current students will see little effect from this change if it is implemented, and future students will make their own choice to attend with full knowledge of the new calendar.

Those proposing this change, on the other hand, have a responsibility to make their argu-ments concerning the need for the new calendar perfectly clear. Is there evidence, statistical or anecdotal, that Kettering’s present schedule of classes and co-op is unsustainable? If not, what compelling interest drives this change? Certain-ly enrollment is a challenge for the university, but changing the calendar is only a responsible solution to this problem if the quarterly system,

as opposed to poor past marketing choices or the recession, is accepted as a root cause of the problem. I have yet to see hard data or docu-mented research to support such a conclusion, or indeed to support the draft proposal’s claim that “Enrollments are expected to increase in the first several years following the transition to a semester calendar.”

The proposed change to a new calendar is, in some aspects, quite well thought-out. The change in semester length would provide some very real benefits in terms of the educational process and a semester-based credit system. However, I and many students I have spoken to remain unconvinced that this proposal which sacrifices Kettering’s most unique features is truly necessary. This is no minor change in the mold of the WAG to GPA conversion from a few years ago. Freshman co-op is a real experi-ence that students learn and grow from. Co-op earnings help students pay their considerable tuition bills. Co-op experiences build résumés and make compelling material for job inter-views. Claiming that the proposed schedule does not reduce the emphasis on co-op is as unreasonable as concluding that it destroys co-op entirely. Dr. Simpson and Dr. Liberty would do well to expound upon the need for change and to acknowledge and address the aspects of Kettering’s unique brand that would be lost.

Note From Dan Kurin: Please do not continue to read this editorial until you have read the proposal. If you need information on how to do this, please contact me: kuri2195.

I am sure many of you think I am crazy or stupid for adopting this position, but please hear me out. I will admit that I initially chose a supportive position just to play the antagonist; this was because I found that many students had not even read the entire proposal, they had only heard rumors or suppositions about the nature of the change. This was very frustrating to me as I was seeking to engage in real debate, where both sides had done their research and analy-sis and formed their own opinions. Instead, what I found was a bunch of loud people who were loudly repeating other people’s opinions. However, once I started to consider the ideas presented in the document, I have become more and more convinced that it’s a good idea and more and more convinced that the University will adopt the plan.

First, I would like to address the most com-mon remark I hear from students in opposition to the proposal, something to the effect of: “I came to Kettering because it’s different, this plan will make us just like every other school!” I understand the basic fear here and I even sup-port that idea! I believe Kettering University is a very different place than most universities out there; however, it is not our four-term schedule that makes us unique. In fact, there are still a handful of universities that still use this system, but there are many more who have used it in the past and have since adopted a traditional semester schedule. Nay, what makes Kettering different is the entire paradigm of real-world preparation coupled with its strong industry relations (and entire department devoted to them!) and carried out through its devoted co-op program. I firmly believe Kettering would never make a decision that would significantly damage its competitive advantage.

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, I would like to focus on what I believe are

My opinion of the University’s proposal to change to semesters

by Dan Kurintremendous positives from this new plan. Admittedly, these advantages are primarily social, but because that is largely the nature of the change, this makes a great deal of sense to me. My personal support comes from a long-standing belief that the existing divided student body is harmful to student life on-campus. This has been evidenced by an intensely competitive spirit between the two (not in an “iron-sharpen-ing-iron” sense, but more in a “house divided against itself” sense) and a tendency for each section to use the other as a scapegoat for their own problems.

The second reason I would love to see this proposal pass is because I feel there is not enough time to get anything done on campus (from a student organization perspective). I would imagine that KSG and other such orga-nizations feel my pain; it feels like as soon as we start to get things together as a community, it’s time to leave again. God only knows that, for us introverted engineers, it takes long enough to form strong, deep relationships, yet I have observed this issue time and time again.

The last reason I’ll list for explicitly sup-porting this proposal is that the current system greatly limits our interaction and collaboration efforts with the surrounding universities. This, coupled with the anti-social tendencies of engi-neers, has formed an effect that I have coined “The Kettering Bubble.” I have seen the beauty that can be found in exploring diversity of ideas, cultures, and opinions and this has led me to loathe the Kettering Bubble mentality. I believe that intra-varsity activities (such as sports, or idea forums like Pecha Kucha Nights) would be further facilitated by sharing schedules with the neighboring universities.

If you’ve read this far, thank you for put-ting up with my ramblings; I would more than welcome further conversation on this topic and would love to hear a response from any of you. Thank you for your time!

Recently, in an attempt to draw more stu-dents to Kettering, the administration began considering changing the class schedule to a semester-based academic year. While this would make Kettering more like a traditional university, I believe that this would be a seri-ous blow that the university would not recover from. With this change, Kettering would lose all of its uniqueness; it becomes just another small engineering school with a lot more cons than pros. This change is more likely to decrease en-rollment than increase it for quite a few reasons.

First of all, any change to the academic schedule would greatly affect the co-op pro-gram. We are not the only university that has a co-op program. What makes us different is we are able to start this program freshmen year and we do not have to take classes while working, as other schools do. I have a friend who goes to another school with a co-op program, in a better location, who will graduate in four years instead of four and a half. He is currently co-oping with NASA in Texas. The difference is he takes classes while he is working, he didn’t start his coop his first year, and he will have less work experience when he graduates.

Second, the main reason students do not choose Kettering is twofold: Flint and cost. Going to school in Flint is a major turn-off for many students and parents. People don’t want to go to school in one of the most dangerous cities in the US. When this is combined with the high tuition cost, Kettering looses almost all of its appeal.

The administration’s plan to change Kettering to a semester school would not in-crease enrollment. There are too many adverse affects to the co-op program, which is the largest selling point Kettering has. Changing to the semester schedule removes Kettering’s uniqueness, and when you do, you are left with a small, expensive school in the middle of Flint, MI. Where is the appeal in that?

by Chris Sanocki, Layout Editor

No Schedule Change, No Way!

May 17, 2011

Campus LifeKettering University - The TechnicianPage 6

Local Restaurant ReviewLocated directly across from Red Robin, a

new Mexican restaurant, CasaReal, has opened up on the north side of Miller Road. Early on a Saturday evening, there is little waiting, as the restaurant is large. The décor is eclectic. The tables look like they might have come from a seafood restaurant, but the rest of the décor fits a typical, laid-back restaurant. Regardless of the semi-weird decorating, it is clean and the wait staff is efficient and friendly.

Of course, chips and salsa are brought out right away. The chips are typical fare, and the salsa tastes great! They put the salsa in a little carafe so some can be poured in a bowl for the chips and some saved for the main dishes later. It is not very chunky, but it has plenty of flavor and enough of a spicy kick to satisfy those who like spice but not so much that sensitive palettes will dislike it.

A typical entrée is around ten dollars, but there is plenty of food. The menu has tacos, enchiladas, taquitos, burritos, chimichangas, and specialty dishes of just seafood, beef, or chicken. The wet burrito stretches the diameter of an oblong plate, and although the menu does not mention it, one side has beef and the other chicken. One of the chimichangas is similarly sized and full of tasty steak. A taquito dish comes with four taquitos, two chicken and two steak, with rice and veggies. The shells are nice

by Désirée White, Copy Editor

Update From KSG President

Club HighlightsThis group is made up of the few and proud

pinMeetings are every Wednesday at 8 p.m.Do you remember playing cards with your

friends while you were younger and spending hours playing against neighborhood kids? Play-ing for cards while begging for mercy because you knew deep down inside that you would lose your precious and super mega awesome rare holographic pikachu? Well, once a week at 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Sunset room, a group meets together to relive that experience.

While this may seem funny or out of the or-dinary, it is true. If you have any single trading card game and you would like to pull the cards

Trading Card Game Clubby David Lingerfelt, staff

The Technician is supported by Wize Guys Pizza10% off in-store for Kettering students with ID800.410.8806 Mon - Thurs: 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

Fri: 11:00 am to 11:00 pmSat: Noon - 11:00 pm Sun: Noon - 9:00 pm

500 S. Saginaw St. Flint MI 48504 wizeguyspizzainc.com

by Harold Dost, KSG President

As president of KSG I am looking for ways to expand our student population. I encour-age everyone and anyone to join in with the student ambassadors. I would like to foster the relation between Kettering and the sur-rounding Flint universities. I am encouraging the college-town movement, and I believe that it would be helpful to not only Kettering, but it should be helpful to Flint. While trying to enrich the experience for those here I am also looking to save money while we are in a dip of enrollment. Right now I am in talks with the student life director at UofM Flint on ways that we build relations between our schools and promote the Flint “college-town”. At the same time I am always open to suggestions; I can be contacted dost6611@kettering.edu , and for more information on being a student ambassador speak with Karen Full.

and crunchy while the meat has a nice blend of spices. Despite how great and filling the entrées are, dessert is a must. The fried ice cream is deli-cious! The outside shell is sweet and flaky, and it is large enough to share among three people.

Their drink menu has plenty to offer, as well. It has numerous margaritas, and their house margarita is quite tasty. Honestly, though, the mojito is the best. It’s on sweet side, smooth, and the mint is subtle rather than bitter. It’s highly recommended.

Additionally, they advertise a live band on Friday nights, and, similar to many restaurants, have a little jingle for birthdays (the birthday person gets to wear a huge sombrero).

out of your parents closet, dust them off, and play against someone once again, you can. Just stop by, check them out, sign in, get to know some people. It’s a great time to become social and let your inner kid loose.

CliffhangersThe Cliffhangers meet every Monday at

12:25 in AB-2225 (the Cribathon) where we discuss climbing and vote for climbing days for the week. The gyms we go to are in Pontiac and Ann Arbor. We are planning to go to West Virginia during Memorial Day weekend.

by John Sokoloski, Cliffhangers President Each edition, The Technician is highlighting clubs or activities that you may not have heard of before. This is where you’ll find out about new clubs on campus, what old clubs are up to, and how you can become a part of what these clubs are doing. If you want your club highlighted, let us know by sending an email to btechnician@kettering.edu.

May 17, 2011

EntertainmentKettering University - The Technician Page 7

Memorial Day Horoscopesby Désirée White, Copy Editor

Word Cryptogram

by Rebeccah MacKinnon, staff

Each letter has been substituted for a different letter throughout the entire puzzle. Figure out the quote by determining how the letters have been substituted.

T pe pxxrfsbeiz sb fviiu pyz ty ej zhipef

sb tepatyi sni fpei sntyaf snps vrypstxf

tepatyi dniy pdpoi.

-hiyi zifxphsifcomic courtesy of xkcd.com

Incision

Taurus (Apr. 20 – May 20)You are at your peak. Use all this energy

and motivation to get ahead and do some tasks you’ve been putting off.

Love Life: Time to get down and dirty. Gemini (May 21 – June 20)Take this small break to recharge. You’ll

need all the energy later.Love Life: It’s not lookin’ good. Cancer (June 21 – July 22)Someone around you needs your guidance,

but they won’t ask for it. Be subtle in your ap-proach.

Love Life: Love is in full bloom.

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22)Spring is finally here, and it’s your turn to

finally shine!Love Life: It’s snack time. Yum…

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 21)Feel the situation out before making any

definite decisions.Love Life: Dud. Libra (Sept. 22 – Oct. 23)The winter blues still seem to be linger-

ing, but let spring and summer take hold. Life seems a little down and out, but you have to pick yourself up.

Love Life: The water’s warming up.

Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21)Don’t let your bad mood get the best of you.

You were stung and now you want to sting back, but it’s a better growing process if you resist the urge to strike back.

Love Life: Sneak out with someone new. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)It’s been a tough couple of weeks. You need

a break. It’s time to let loose!Love Life: Feel the love.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)You haven’t quite reached your full poten-

tial. Push yourself a little harder this week, and you will reap the rewards later.

Love Life: It could always be worse. Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18)Things are a little tumultuous now, but you

have push through it. Remember to see the for-est through the trees.

Love Life: It’s time to get wet. Pisces (18 Feb. – Mar. 20)Things seem to have fallen apart, but they

will reveal something you did not expect if you look through all the wreckage.

Love Life: This is going to end in a fiasco. Aries (Mar. 21 – Apr. 19)Your balance is off. Find some quiet time to

reflect and relax.Love Life: It’s gonna happen.