by Kimberly Sloan Co-Editor in Chief The witching hour it isn’t. But 9:15 at night is still a dark time for classes to finish each evening. Since MCC’s campus is open this late to most vis- itors and students, making everyone feel safe on campus is critical. Based on statistics collected by the campus in accordance with the Clery Act, MCC’s grounds and on-campus housing have had seven burglaries, two larcenies, one drug law violation, two simple assaults, and 39 liquor law violations from 2009 to 2011. Students like Jackie Rojas and Rebeca Ayala feel that the campus is generally safe when leaving at night. However, Ayala finds evening class- es in the Musser Center uncomfort- able because it’s farther back on the grounds, and she dislikes having to use the restrooms in lower Gaekle if her class is upstairs. “Of course there are people in class, but they’re not paying attention [to outside the classroom]. But other- wise, I feel safe,” she said. According to Dean of Students Shelly Cram-Rahlf, no security issues have been raised on campus this semester so far, but there was an incident last spring. “In spring, we had a domestic vio- lence situation where a husband fol- lowed a wife on campus and police were called,” said Cram-Rahlf. “He was resistant, and they tasered him in the parking lot. We closed off the parking lot, closed the daycare, and alerted administration, as MCC has an emergency plan for situations on campus.” The college has several security practices already in place. Starting this semester, a police officer will make random visits on campus two hours a week. The evening assistant, Kathy Kurriger, is on campus until 8:30 p.m. An evening custodial worker is on campus until 10 p.m., and then all buildings are locked. According to Cram-Rahlf, both are available to help students with prob- lems, and walk with anyone who feels unsafe. For housing, all dorm residents are issued a key fob in order to enter the residence halls, otherwise doors are locked. Two RA’s and a housing manager reside on campus, as well. When it comes to being safe while leaving classes at night, Cram-Rhalf said, “Be aware of your surroundings and continually look. Pair up with other students - there’s safety in numbers.” Cram-Ralf also suggests parking cars in the light and closer to the doors. “If you feel uncomfortable, let other students or your instructor know, and come talk with me,” she said. “MCC’s very fortunate to not have any incidents, and we’d like to continue having that pattern.” In accordance to the Clery Act, all colleges that participate in federal financial aid programs must disclose information about crimes that are committed on or near campus. This information is made available to stu- dents and is emailed at the start of the semester. As for crime statistics in Muscatine, According to city-data.com, between 2000 and 2010, 9 murders took place in Muscatine. The same site states 277 rapes took place over that span of time, and that 46 registered sex offenders live within the city. The sexual assault rate is three times that of the national average. There were 47 robberies, 1,370 assaults, 2206 burglaries and 414 auto thefts. MCC cracks down on creepy factor The student newspaper of Muscatine Community College October 2012 Picnic, page 8 Sports, page 5 Students report feeling uneasy about being on campus late at night. However, campus officials take measures for student-safety, such as a visiting police offi- cer and personnel on campus until 10 pm. Simulated photo by Paul Brooks. Volume 80, Issue 1 by Meghan Powers Co-Editor in Chief A new student organization is in the process of seeking recognition from the MCC student senate. The Muscatine Community College Student Chapter of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America or MCC SCNAVTA submitted their bylaws to the student senate during the first session of the year held Sept. 18. According to documents filed by the club, its purpose is to promote: “the professional and educational advancement of veterinary techni- cians, the professional image and high ethical standards of the veteri- nary technician, progressive and humane medical care for all crea- tures, a cooperative professional relationship with the veterinary medical profession, an interest in a National Association of veterinary technicians.” The club is also intend- ed “to serve as a contact between members of NAVTA and veterinary technology students and to further the social and scientific advance- ment of Muscatine Community College veterinary technology stu- dents.” According to John Dabeet, student senate advisor, two votes are needed for a new organization to be sanc- tioned by the representative body. The first vote is to accept the bylaws for review by the senators. A mem- ber of the club is then asked to attend a meeting to answer any questions. A second vote is then cast which gives a one year temporary status to the group, which will be reviewed after that time. The senate voted to accept the bylaws during the Sept. 18 meeting. A representa- tive from MCC SCNAVTA was unable to attend the Oct. 3 meeting so the issue was tabled. In other senate news: Sept. 18 • The fall blood drive is set for Wednesday, Nov. 28, from 10 a.m. - SENATE, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2. New club seeks recognition from the student senate MCC lifts hiring freeze UPCOMING EVENTS FOR OCTOBER 11College Democrats donuts and coffee, 9- 10:30 am, Student Center 11 PTK Meeting Noon, Larson 77 11 AKOP Sign Up11:30- 12:30 am, Student Center, Meeting at 3:30 Strahan 61 11 GED Orientation, 9 am & 6 pm 12 MCC Choral Concert 7 pm, Zion Lutheran, 6th and Sycamore 17 Student Senate Meeting 7 am, Larson 75 17 PTK Officers Meeting 2 pm, SS Conf. Room 17 Student Senate Voting Booth, all day, Student Center 17 PTK Free Pizza Party and Movie, 4 pm, Student Center 18 Student Senate Voting Booth, all day, Student Center 19 Midterm 21 Taste of Education, 4-6 pm Clarion Hotel 22 2nd 8-week classes begin 23 Intramurals meet- ing, noon, Larson 77 25 - GED orientation 9 am and 6 pm 26 Learning Tree Trick or Treaters visit, 9:45 to 10:45 30 Intramurals Halloween Grocery BINGO, Noon, Student Center 31 Student Senate Meeting, 7 am, Larson 75 31 Soup Lunch for United Way 11:30 am - 1 pm, Student Center 31 PTK Officers Meeting, 2 pm, SS Conf. Room Events provided by Renae Britt. To be list- ed, contact the Calumet. by Meghan Powers Co-Editor in Chief Muscatine Community College welcomes five new full time faculty for the 2012-2013 year. According to the Dean of the College, Gail Spies, it’s been some time since MCC had so many full-time hires at one time. “There are varied reasons that we had five openings right now, and we are very excited to have so many new members to add to the MCC team,” said Spies. “The psychology position has been open since 2009, and was due to the retirement of a faculty member, and that position being frozen,” Spies explains. “The amount of funding from the state was decreasing at that- FACULTY, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Transcript
by Kimberly Sloan
Co-Editor in Chief
The witching hour it isn’t. But 9:15
at night is still a dark time for classes
to finish each evening. Since MCC’s
campus is open this late to most vis-
itors and students, making everyone
feel safe on campus is critical.
Based on statistics collected by the
campus in accordance with the Clery
Act, MCC’s grounds and on-campus
housing have had seven burglaries,
two larcenies, one drug law violation,
two simple assaults, and 39 liquor
law violations from 2009 to 2011.
Students like Jackie Rojas and
Rebeca Ayala feel that the campus is
generally safe when leaving at night.
However, Ayala finds evening class-
es in the Musser Center uncomfort-
able because it’s farther back on the
grounds, and she dislikes having to
use the restrooms in lower Gaekle if
her class is upstairs.
“Of course there are people in class,
but they’re not paying attention [to
outside the classroom]. But other-
wise, I feel safe,” she said.
According to Dean of Students Shelly
Cram-Rahlf, no security issues have
been raised on campus this semester
so far, but there was an incident last
spring.
“In spring, we had a domestic vio-
lence situation where a husband fol-
lowed a wife on campus and police
were called,” said Cram-Rahlf. “He
was resistant, and they tasered him
in the parking lot. We closed off the
parking lot, closed the daycare, and
alerted administration, as MCC has
an emergency plan for situations on
campus.”
The college has several security
practices already in place. Starting
this semester, a police officer will
make random visits on campus two
hours a week. The evening assistant,
Kathy Kurriger, is on campus until
8:30 p.m. An evening custodial
worker is on campus until 10 p.m.,
and then all buildings are locked.
According to Cram-Rahlf, both are
available to help students with prob-
lems, and walk with anyone who
feels unsafe.
For housing, all dorm residents are
issued a key fob in order to enter the
residence halls, otherwise doors are
locked. Two RA’s and a housing
manager reside on campus, as well.
When it comes to being safe while
leaving classes at night, Cram-Rhalf
said, “Be aware of your surroundings
and continually look. Pair up with
other students - there’s safety in
numbers.”
Cram-Ralf also suggests parking
cars in the light and closer to the
doors. “If you feel uncomfortable, let
other students or your instructor
know, and come talk with me,” she
said. “MCC’s very fortunate to not
have any incidents, and we’d like to
continue having that pattern.”
In accordance to the Clery Act, all
colleges that participate in federal
financial aid programs must disclose
information about crimes that are
committed on or near campus. This
information is made available to stu-
dents and is emailed at the start of
the semester.
As for crime statistics in Muscatine,
According to city-data.com, between
2000 and 2010, 9 murders took
place in Muscatine. The same site
states 277 rapes took place over that
span of time, and that 46 registered
sex offenders live within the city. The
sexual assault rate is three times that
of the national average. There were
47 robberies, 1,370 assaults, 2206
burglaries and 414 auto thefts.
MCC cracks down on creepy factor
The student newspaper of Muscatine Community College October 2012
Picnic,
page 8
Sports,
page 5
Students report feeling uneasy about being on campus late at night. However,
campus officials take measures for student-safety, such as a visiting police offi-
cer and personnel on campus until 10 pm. Simulated photo by Paul Brooks.
Vo
lum
e 8
0,
Issu
e 1
by Meghan Powers
Co-Editor in Chief
A new student organization is in the
process of seeking recognition from
the MCC student senate. The
Muscatine Community College
Student Chapter of the National
Association of Veterinary
Technicians in America or MCC
SCNAVTA submitted their bylaws to
the student senate during the first
session of the year held Sept. 18.
According to documents filed by
the club, its purpose is to promote:
“the professional and educational
advancement of veterinary techni-
cians, the professional image and
high ethical standards of the veteri-
nary technician, progressive and
humane medical care for all crea-
tures, a cooperative professional
relationship with the veterinary
medical profession, an interest in a
National Association of veterinary
technicians.” The club is also intend-
ed “to serve as a contact between
members of NAVTA and veterinary
technology students and to further
the social and scientific advance-
ment of Muscatine Community
College veterinary technology stu-
dents.”
According to John Dabeet, student
senate advisor, two votes are needed
for a new organization to be sanc-
tioned by the representative body.
The first vote is to accept the bylaws
for review by the senators. A mem-
ber of the club is then asked to
attend a meeting to answer any
questions. A second vote is then cast
which gives a one year temporary
status to the group, which will be
reviewed after that time. The senate
voted to accept the bylaws during
the Sept. 18 meeting. A representa-
tive from MCC SCNAVTA was unable
to attend the Oct. 3 meeting so the
issue was tabled.
In other senate news:
Sept. 18
• The fall blood drive is set for
Wednesday, Nov. 28, from 10 a.m. -
SENATE, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2.
New club seeks recognition
from the student senate
MCC lifts hiring freeze
UPCOMING
EVENTS FOR
OCTOBER
11College Democrats
donuts and coffee, 9-
10:30 am, Student Center
11 PTK Meeting Noon,
Larson 77
11 AKOP Sign Up11:30-
12:30 am, Student Center,
Meeting at 3:30 Strahan
61
11 GED Orientation, 9
am & 6 pm
12 MCC Choral Concert
7 pm, Zion Lutheran, 6th
and Sycamore
17 Student Senate
Meeting 7 am, Larson 75
17 PTK Officers
Meeting 2 pm, SS Conf.
Room
17 Student Senate
Voting Booth, all day,
Student Center
17 PTK Free Pizza
Party and Movie, 4 pm,
Student Center
18 Student Senate
Voting Booth, all day,
Student Center
19 Midterm
21 Taste of Education,
4-6 pm Clarion Hotel
22 2nd 8-week classes
begin
23 Intramurals meet-
ing, noon, Larson 77
25 - GED orientation 9
am and 6 pm
26 Learning Tree Trick
or Treaters visit, 9:45 to
10:45
30 Intramurals
Halloween Grocery
BINGO, Noon, Student
Center
31 Student Senate
Meeting, 7 am, Larson
75
31 Soup Lunch for
United Way 11:30 am -
1 pm, Student Center
31 PTK Officers
Meeting, 2 pm, SS Conf.
Room
Events provided by
Renae Britt. To be list-
ed, contact the Calumet.
by Meghan Powers
Co-Editor in Chief
Muscatine Community College
welcomes five new full time faculty
for the 2012-2013 year. According
to the Dean of the College, Gail Spies,
it’s been some time since MCC had
so many full-time hires at one time.
“There are varied reasons that we
had five openings right now, and we
are very excited to have so many
new members to add to the MCC
team,” said Spies.
“The psychology position has been
open since 2009, and was due to the
retirement of a faculty member, and
that position being frozen,” Spies
explains. “The amount of funding
from the state was decreasing at that-
FACULTY, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
October 2012Page 2 News
(SENATE, CONT’D FROM PAGE 2)
to 3 p.m. The spring blood drive willbe held in March. The senate askedmembers for a volunteer to organizethe events.• Funds were requested from theCollege Democrats. $250 was allot-ted after discussion. This is the sameamount the College Republicanswere awarded the previous year.• Kathy Freund, Executive Assistantto the Dean, submitted a request forthe senate to purchase printer rib-bons for a computer in the studentcenter. It was voted to approve thepurchase of ribbons that were quot-ed with a price. The other requestwas tabled until the cost could bedetermined.• The senate election for first year
students will be held Oct. 17 in thestudent center. According to Dabeet,a strong number of international stu-dents have expressed interest in run-ning for office. Dabeet said he wouldlike more “native” students to consid-er running as well.
Oct. 3
• Brooklyn Reid was elected asStudent of the Month. The facultyand staff nominate students eachmonth. The other nominees includ-ed: Ann Awbry, Cynthia Hampton,Becky Taube and Nicole Vick. Eachmonth a new student will be selectedand is awarded a $20 gift card toHyVee. At the end of the year all stu-dents of the month will be eligible tobe named Student of the Year. • Bowling night has been tentatively
set for Thursday, Nov. 1 from 9 p.m.-11 p.m. pending approval from thebowling alley.• Volunteers were sought to managethe polling site for senate elections.• Senators were asked to pass alongto any military veterans on campusto see Rebecca Geiken, the new facil-itator for Military and Veterans stu-dent affairs. She will be on campusMondays from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. in thestudent center. The position isdesigned to be a resource for all mil-itary and veterans and to offer sup-port.• Discussion was held regardingHalloween candy and the on-campuchildcare center. Further discussionwill be held at the next meeting to beheld Oct. 17 at 7 a.m. in Loper Hall.
Student of the Month, elections, candy discussed
Attention
Veterans
Rebecca Geiken is the newfacilitator for Military andVeterans Student Affairs.She will be on campusMondays from 8am - 4
time, and we had to come up withdollars from other areas, so all posi-tions were frozen.”
According to Spies, the agricultureand veterinary tech faculty positionvacancies came from faculty mem-bers leaving the college last schoolyear to pursue other employmentinterests and the accounting positionand disabilities services positionopenings came from retirements lastMay.
“Each of these hires comes to MCCwith excellent background in theircontent areas,” Spies said. “All of thefaculty members have been adjunctinstructors with us, or taught atother colleges, and Jody [Beltran]has worked at various communityagencies in the area. We are veryexcited to be adding such a wealth ofstaff members who bring wonderfulcredentials to our students.”
According to Spies, both full-timeand adjunct staff are vital to the col-lege, but being able to hire full timestaff can give the students and schooland edge.
“Full time faculty members gener-ally have more time to be able todevote to students outside of theclassroom, as they do not have torush from class to other commit-ments,” she said. “They can con-tribute to the campus communitythrough work on committees andcurriculum teams.”
Spies said full-time faculty can alsoserve as academic and activity advi-sors. This “helps students with theiracademic plans and helps connectthem to campus through club activi-ties.”
Paula Finch joins MCC as a
Psychology professor. Finch startedher education at Scott Communityand transferred to MarycrestInternational University inDavenport where she obtained a BA.Finch attended Western Illinois
University in Macomb, Ill. whereearned a Master of Science inEducation with interdisciplinarystudies in counseling. She received aDoctorate of Psychology from theHarold Abel School of Psychology atCapella University, Minneapolis,Minn. with a concentration in educa-tion psychology.
Finch has worked for EICCD andtaught Human Development, ECEand Psychology at Scott CommunityCollege and Clinton CommunityCollege before coming to MCC. Shewas also employed by the ChildAbuse Council in Rock Island, Ill. as acommunity educator and at St.Ambrose University where she stillteaches summer courses.
“I am an advocate for student-cen-tered education and believe that edu-cation should be based on individualinterest, abilities, and the develop-ment of the student,” said Finch.“The students have an active say intheir learning.”
Finch said in her classroom a stu-dent’s experience, learning style,environment, and views are just asimportant as the curriculum. “Thefamily atmosphere of the campus,the compassion of faculty, staff, andadministration, humbles me, and Iam honored to be a part of the MCCcommunity,” she said.
Off campus, finch stays busy withher growing family. “My son and hiswife blessed me with my first grand-child, Avery Arabella [who] is sevenmonths old and a joy to spend timewith. She makes me laugh,” she said.“My daughter became engaged to awonderful young man this month. Ilook forward to spending the nextyear helping them plan the wedding.”
Corey Frad is a new accounting
professor on campus this year. Fradreceived her BA in Accounting and aMBA with an emphasis in accountingfrom Upper Iowa University. Beforecoming to MCC, she taught account-
ing and business classes at IowaCentral Community College in FortDodge for six years. She has alsotaught accounting online for theUniversity of Phoenix for the lastfour years.
“I just recently relocated toMuscatine from Fort Dodge. I ammarried, we have two grown daugh-ters, and I love to read,” said Frad. “Ihope to get to know the students atMCC better and I hope to be helpfulin encouraging the students tounderstand accounting.”
Jody Beltran is the new Disability
Resources and Tutoring Coordina-tor. She oversees the peer tutoringprogram on campus where sherecruits tutors and assists all stu-dents with accessing the service.Beltran also helps individuals with adiagnosed disability pursue any aca-demic accommodation they mayneed in order for them to be success-ful in college.
Beltran received her BA in psychol-ogy from the University of Iowa andan MBA from Columbia SouthernUniversity. Before starting at MCCshe worked for the State of Iowa as aMedicaid Case Manager.
“I am very excited about joining theMCC family,” said Beltran. “I look for-ward to working with students, staffand faculty. Thank you to all for sucha warm welcome.” Off campusBeltran said she enjoys coaching soc-cer for her son, spending time withher husband and children, travelingand shopping.
Danielle Brandt was hired as the
new agronomy instructor on cam-pus. Brandt served as an adjunctprofessor last year before moving tofull time. Brandt received her asso-ciates of science degree from BlackHawk College before finishing outher B.S. in biology at St. Ambrose. In2009 she was awarded a Masters inentomology (the study of insects)from South Dakota State. Brandt
taught as an adjunct professor atBlack Hawk College and Upper IowaUniversity in Davenport before start-ing at MCC.
“The experience has been greathere,” said Brandt. “I have more of aresearch background and have pub-lished papers of my entomologyresearch. I’m really looking forwardto utilizing the campus’s researchfacilities and getting hands-on expe-rience with the students.”
Virgina Rud (photo unavailiable)
is a graduate of the NationalAmerican University in Rapid City,S.D. where she received an AAS inVeterinary Technology in 2001. Priorto that, she attended the University ofMinnesota.
Rud was employed at GlobeUniversity/Minnesota School ofBusiness from 2007 to this pastJune.
“Veterinary technology is a secondcareer for me. Prior to deciding to goback to school for my vet techdegree, I worked in emergency com-munications,” said Rud. “After elevenyears in public service, I took a hugeleap of faith, quit my job, and wentback to school full time. It was thescariest thing I've ever done.”
Rud said switching career pathswas the best choice she ever made.“I truly believe that my worst day asa vet tech is still better than my bestday anywhere else.”
According to Rud the MCC vet techprogram is still young and has muchroom to grow. “I look forward tosteering the program beyond expec-tations, continuing to build on thefoundation set down by my prede-cessor. I appreciate the philosophiesof the college in making higher edu-cation accessible, without compro-mising standards. I have been warm-ly welcomed to the program, and theschool by amazing staff and faculty.”
Phi Theta Kappa is an internation-al honor society for two year col-leges and is available for studentswho have completed at least 12hours of classes and have a gradepoint average of 3.5 or higher.
Members are encouraged to beacademically successful not only bytheir peers, but also by the advisorsand to keep on track and completetheir two years with the “Commit toComplete” program.
It would be nice to say everybodywill graduate from college, but inreality, only about 20% of studentscomplete their credits in threeyears. This means one out of fourstudents in a class will not be thereat the end of the year. Not only arePTK members encouraged to com-plete their years at a communitycollege, but also to transfer on to auniversity.
PTK benefits students even moreby offering scholarships to differentuniversities across the country.There is over $30 million availableat over 700 four-year colleges anduniversities available to capablemembers of Phi Theta Kappa. As amember, students become moreinvolved with their community andtheir academic progress.
Beta Zeta Phi, the MCC chapter,has already done some pretty amaz-ing campus and community projectsthis semester. One project is theBetter World Books, which placescardboard boxes around campus
for collecting and sending textbooksall over the world. The chapter hassold $47 worth of books for BetterWorld Books and raised $753.38 forthe Jane Voss Scholarship Fund.The fund is for students who do nothave the money to purchase theirbooks on their own or throughfinancial aid. The fund grows fromcontributions from Casual for aCause, the sale of donated books,and general contributions. Casualfor a Cause is a fund in whichemployees donate money in order todress casually on Fridays.
This semester Beta Zeta Phi ishelping to organize the 2012 IowaRegion Fall Leadership Conferenceat Scott Community College heldOct. 25 & 26.
“I think it is important that peopleknow that Phi Theta Kappa is morethan an opportunity to receivescholarships,” said Michael Hillman,chapter president. “It is also anopportunity to open doors withinand outside their community andcan take their Community Collegeexperience to a new level.”
Advisors Jim Compton, BrandonLange and Kathy Freund dedicatetheir time and energy to encouragestudents to being a part of PTK.
“For the most part, PTK studentstend to be more driven and appre-ciative of the education they aregiven. They like their brains,” saidCompton. The next PTK meeting isThursday, Oct. 25 in Larson 77 at 12p.m. All members or anyone thatreceived an invitation are welcome.
News
by Bethany Strause
News Writer
“No late registration” and “You
must add or drop classes within thefirst week of school” became staplephases throughout the weeks lead-ing up to and including the firstweek of school at MuscatineCommunity College, ensuring thatevery student was aware there was anew policy.
Registering for classes was allowedthe week before classes began andanyone who did not pay their billbefore classes started was removed.However, people who were removedor those who had not registeredbefore classes began have someoptions. MCC is now offering twelveweek courses in addition to thealready existing option of eight weekcourses. This was opened up to ben-efit late enrollees. According toKathy Freund, Executive Assistant tothe Dean, this change was specifical-ly made to benefit the students ofMCC. The reason for the change inregistration was an incentive fromthe chancellor to improve gradua-tion rates and student success.
“I think the students are preparedand want to succeed,” said Freund.“With the academic plan, they knowwhat they need to do to completetheir degree.”
Freund believes that this new reg-istration system will help boost grad-uation rate, because students aremore aware of what needs to hap-pen before they can receive a degree.
Getting the word out has theStudent Services staff working hard,advertising the new policy andassisting students. Many members ofMCC who normally wouldn’t have a
role in registration have stepped upin order to give the best experiencepossible to new students and toensure that prospective studentsknew, even if they registered late,they still would have a few options togo on.
The process of new student orien-tation was shortened and made amore convenient way to get startedin college. Before orientation all stu-dents are asked to completeCompass or ACT testing. At orienta-tion, students start out by meetingDave Carson, MCC transition advisor.Carson presents a video fromChancellor Doucette, and tells thestudents what to expect during theschool year. Carson teaches studentshow to use campus cruiser, whichmay come in handy when trying tolocate grades, school-related e-mail,class schedules and many other fea-tures. During orientation, studentsalso receive a campus tour from MCCpresident Robert Allbee andAdmissions officer Katie Watson.
“Students get to meet several peo-ple, to present a comfortable envi-ronment and a friendly atmosphere,”Freund said. Students are impressedthat Robert Allbee would be willingenough to give tours, especiallybecause he’s the president of theschool.”
During this time, Watson andAllbee made certain to ask as manystudents as possible what theirmajors were and what they expectedout of the experience at MCC. Theysaid they wanted to be sure thatevery student felt genuinely caredfor and wanted, because after all, thatis the reason for community college,to feel like a community.
Late registration
dropped this semester
Magical sport comes to Mugglesby Tori Chick
News Writer
Are you Quidding? There’s a newsport going on at MCC: Quidditch!Robert Allbee, MCC president,approved the start of a new sport atthe school. Theidea was initiallysuggested bystudent, BriceChapman, as analternative to thefinal paper thissemester in hisFilm asLiterature class.The course,taught by JimCompton, com-pares the moviesand books ofHarry Potter, byJ.K. Rowling.
The first actual Quidditch team wasstarted at Middlebury College inVermont and the sport has grown.Quidditch now boasts students fromover 300 different colleges in theUnited States and England.
The sport, played by witches andwizards in the series, has moved tothe world stage with 46 teams fromUS and Canada competing in a worldcup in New York in 2010, last yearthe sport grew to up to 100 teams
competing. According to
Compton, theplan forQuidditch atMCC is for itto become aformal teamand thenc o m p e t eagainst othercolleges as
well as cam-pus teams.Compton sayshe is looking
for players to fill out the roster. Ifenough players sign up, more thanone team may be formed. Tryoutswill be held in mid October. For addi-tional information contact JimCompton at 288-6032 or [email protected].
by Kimberly Dickens
News Writer
MCC welcomes new Chaplain DavidMcIntosh, a graduate of LibertyUniversity, Baptist TheologicalSeminary in Lynchburg, Va.
McIntosh recently moved toMuscatine with his wife, Susie, andchildren, Will and Lauren. He accept-ed the position of Pastor at HillcrestBaptist Church in February.McIntosh was born in Wisconsinand then spent 10 years in Arizona.He graduated high school in Illinoisand then college in South Carolina.
“We moved to Iowa after a stop inNorth Carolina,” said McIntosh. “Iwas in sales and management beforeI became a pastor.”
McIntosh learned of the need for a
new Chaplain at MCC through afriend of a friend. “I am excited to behere,” said McIntosh. “I have a strongdesire to make a difference. That isthe reason I am a Chaplain.”
When asked about his favorite ser-mon, McIntosh explained that hehad particularly liked one that hecontinues to call Conversations withthe Dead. “It imagines conversationswith disciples and prophets aboutmodern problems and the advicethat they would give today,” he said.“The sermons I like the best, howev-er, are the ones that remind me topersonally surrender to God’s willfor my life. I need to be remindedthat His plan works better than myplans, even if they don’t make sense.”- See McIntosh’s Column, Page 7
New MCC Chaplain encourages surrender
An example of a quidditch pitch from the
International Quidditch Association. The
sport has become popular on college cam-
puses in the USA and England.
Jeremiah Whitehall andAlexis Greene auditioned forthe fall play, Accomplice. TheMCC theater department isproducing the play which isdescribed as a who-done-itthriller with the plot twistingand turning, making theaudience wonder what is real.Shows will take place Nov. 15,16, and 17 at 7 p.m. and Nov.18 at 2 p.m. in the Bob Roachlittle theater. Photo by Tori
Chick.
Students audition for Accomplice
October 2012Page 4
Egyptian international student welcomes dialogue
Students
by Subas Zia
News Writer
Hassan Orabi is one of the interna-
tional students attending MCC for one
year. He is a very talented student
from Egypt, who was selected and
came to United States on August 7
with his 13 Egyptian fellows in the
CCID program. He is enrolled in the
IT program.
Egypt is located in North East
Africa; it is in a junction between
Africa and Asia. It is a diverse
Muslim country, where minorities
are Christians, Jewish and non-
believers. Orabi comes from the city
of Cairo, which is a capital of Egypt
and located in North Central Egypt.
The population of Cairo is 20 million.
Orabi said, “I spent two years in
Egyptian army as Corporal, and
before coming to United States I used
to work as Technical Support in
American High School, Cairo.”
Orabi discussed his impression of
the United States before his arrival.
“While hearing the word ‘America’
the things which came to my mind
were drugs, guns, sex and bad politi-
cians. But now it’s different.”
In Cairo, the lives of people are
very similar to those in the United
States; people live separate and in
different houses, with more individ-
ualism in big cities. While if you go to
south or north into the country
sides, people live in joint families.
Orabi said the most silly questions
he has been asked about Egypt were
during orientation and posed by
MCC freshmen students: “What is
Egypt?” and “Are you still riding
camels and living in pyramids?”
Orabi found the most interesting
question about Egypt by Mr. Rick
Smith of Calvary Church, Muscatine:
“What are relationships between
Muslims and Christians in Egypt?”
“Young Americans never start the
conversation, you always have to
take the initiative, while the old ones
take interest in diversity and take ini-
tiative in talk,” he said.
I wish Hassan Orabi a very good
year in the United States. I hope he
enjoys the beauty, the culture and
diversity of United States.
Q. Have you seen the Pyramids?
(from Kara Proctor)
A. “Every day, it’s on the way to my
work and less than 10 miles away from
my home.”
Q. What languages do you speak in
Egypt? (from Mekinda)
A. “We speak 4 to 5 different dialects
and accent of Arabic.”
Q. How different is the reality of
America from what you learn in
Egypt? (from Wes Carico)
A. “What we think about Americans is
that they are violent, arrogant, just
drinking and doing bad stuff. We hate
American politics due to [the] Iraq
attack. My point of view changed about
Americans, but same about American
diplomats.”
Q. Do you agree with the controver-
sy overseas with the US Embassies?
(from Ali Kastner)
A. “I do not agree. I am like many other
Egyptians, against violence. Because
Islam teaches us that “if a stranger
comes to your country and wants to
live there. No one will attack him“.
HassanOrabi
Questions for Orabi from students
by Kim Dickens
News Writer
Muscatine Community College’s
Silver and Blue Program volunteers
participated in the Day of Caring
Wednesday, Sept. 12. The United Way
established the Day of Caring in 1992,
and it is designed to promote volun-
teerism, to make the community
aware of the available local services,
and to bring people together in order
to show how working as a team can
make a better community.
Silver and Blue volunteers included
students, CCID, faculty and staff. The
volunteers split into three groups and
worked the entire afternoon in the
homes of several Muscatine seniors.
Jobs included washing windows, clean-
ing gutters, lawn clearing and painting.
“It was fun,” said Cynthia Hampton,
Program Coordinator for the Silver
and Blue Program. “Everyone worked
together. Some people had not done
anything like this before. The high
school is where the idea originated, so
some volunteers who were fresh out
of high school were familiar with the
event.”
Anyone interested in the Spring Day
of Caring may speak to Hampton at
the United Way office at 208 W. 2nd St,
Suite 201 on Tuesdays until 11 a.m.
Students volunteer:
Silver & Blue Program
Students Jackie Rojas, MacKenzie Moritz, Joao Grassi, and Putri Novianti paint a
house while volunteering during United Way Day of Caring. Photo by Kim Sloan.
Freshmen Student Senate
Elections in the Student
Center on Nov. 17 and 18.
October 2012 Page 5Sports
Baseball
Softball
Head Coach: Scott Beatty
Assistant Coach: Kacie Eagle
Trainer: Scott Morrel
Trainer: Nicole Salverson
Kaitlyn Caston
Jamie Coultas
Alyssa Flesch
Sara Kron
Jenna Lane
Caitlin Nichol
Kayla Schneider
Dana Suiter
Amanda Williams
Amanda Clemens
Mariah Freel
Sara Dorton
Alex Tuminaro
Mallory Moore
Julia Sass
Carly Wescom
Ashli Bowers
Nikki Watkins
Mackenzie Smith
Head Coach: Dave Barb
Asst Coaches: Stan Hunt,
Travis Parker, Andy Barb
Joe Benes
Robert Bingham
Trever Black
Alex Bradley
Tanner Butler
Zach Carstens
Kyle Christiansen
Gavin Collins
Carlos Diaz
Steven Donnelly
Ian Eagleson
Chris Fields
Austin Fridley
Josey Garmon
Sebastian Gomez
Brady Grell
Jalen Hashbarger
Daniel Hickling
Ryan Hitchcock
Nick Huber
Lucas Kemp
Matt Kreiner
Ryan Martin
Kyle Mullet
Kory Neeley
TJ Rausch
Jake Redlinger
Chris Ruddy
Jason Schrock
Colin Steele
Dalton Stevens
Mitchell Thomas
Drew Williams
2012-2013 MCC CardinalsGirls Softball Roster
2012-2013 MCC CardinalsBoys Baseball Roster
Photos by Subas Zia
and Kimberly Sloan
October 2012Page 6 Entertainment
Old/New School moviereview: Resident Evilby Tori Chick
and Jeremy Behrend
Calumet Staff
*CAUTION - CONTAINS SPOILERS*
Welcome to the first ever edition ofthe Muscatine Community College’sOld/New School Movie review,where you, the reader, get the oppor-tunity to experience a movie reviewfrom two different perspectives.With that in mind, we proudly pres-ent to you a review of Resident Evil:Retribution.
Raccoon City, Alice Abernathy, JillValentine, Albert Wesker, Zombiesand the T-Virus; the trademarknames that make up the world ofResident: Evil. If you’re not familiarwith the Resident Evilfranchise, then wecan only assumethat you’ve beenover-taken in a zom-bie apocalypse ofsome kind.
Set immediately afterthe events of ResidentEvil: Afterlife, Alice(portrayed by MillaJovovich) continues herbattle with AlbertWesker and the UmbrellaCorporation. Alice’s seem-ingly never-ending battlewill take her across the virus-strick-en earth leading from Tokyo, Japan,to New York, Washington, D.C., andeven Moscow.
This time, however, Alice is aidedby newfound allies and familiarfriends of the Resident Evil fran-chise. She is forced to deal with star-tling revelations and has to re-thinkeverything that she once thought tobe true about her life, her battlesagainst the Umbrella Corporation,Wesker, and a never-ending horde ofZombies.
Tori’s review says:
Resident Evil is still kickingZombie-butt. With Alice continuingher journey, we enter a new stage ofdevelopment. The fifth movie is abridge between the fourth and sixthto explain events that will happenlater in the sixth. You get to see someof the old characters that were well
liked in previous movies, though allare clones. There is also the additionof Alice gaining a daughter. Overall, Ifound it an entertaining movie andwould recommend seeing it, even ifyou wait until the DVD comes out.
Jeremy’s review says:
Resident Evil is dead...as dead asthe zombies that you shoot in thegames. If not more so.
For an antagonizing 95 minutes, Iwatched in horror as a once pretty-good franchise with the possibilityto become a great horror/sci-fi saga,bled to death.
Now to be fair, I didn’t expect muchout of the fifth, andwhat I thought was thelast in the series, so itreally didn’t surpriseme when I saw whatwas nothing short ofa 1980’s B-actionmovie, which isfine if all you careabout is 3-Daction scenes andblowing stuff up.
The movie cutout those char-acters people
have grown to love:Chris & Claire Redfield and K-Mart.The plot is non-existent for the mostpart, and additionally severely lackscharacter development and backstory for the “new” characters.
The only good character develop-ment: while there have been threemovies between this and the first , Ican say that the White Queen, wasmore convincing as opposed to thereturn of the Red Queen from thefirst Resident Evil, this movie’santagonist.
In the long run, this movie feelsmore like filler episode of Buffy theVampire Slayer than a movie. It real-ly didn’t go anywhere story wise andonly lead up to the end sequence.But, it was nice that Kevin Durandwas not playing a jerk for once….
If you’re asking me if I think youNEED to watch it? No. Save yourselfthe cash for something else.
For more of New/Old School
check out the Calumet website!
By Molly Willson
Freelance News Writer
Last December, Fridley Theaters ofMuscatine went to the city councilproposing a new megaplex for thetown. Now, as drivers travel alongthe bypass, they can see construc-tion beginning onthe new theater.As communitymembers sit onthe edge of theirseats, eagerlyanticipating anew theater, theytake a look back atthe old theaterand the peoplethat work there.
Chris Kottmanhas been generalmanager since2009 and anemployee since 2005. He’s veryexcited about the new theater andsays he can’t wait to be general man-ager at the new site. According toKottman, there will be many majorimprovements to the movie-goingexperience at the new locationincluding: all new digital projectors,nicer seats, giant screens (largerthan any in the area) and extendedconcessions.
Kottman said of the new site, “[It’s]a bigger and better place to watchmovies.” He said he enjoys workingat the theater because he enjoyswatching movies and discussingthem with the other employees andmembers of the community.
“I love workinghere,” he said.“It’s a nice envi-ronment and itgives you theability to talk toother people whoare interested inmovies.”
As residentswait for the newtheater to bebuilt, they canstill spend time inthe theater thathas been in the
community for so many years. Thetheater is located inside the mall withshow prices being $7 for adults and$5 for children.
“The new theaters are the qualitythat Muscatine needs and deserves,”said Kottman. The community, aswell as the theater employees, waiteagerly until January, watching thesite develop. For more informationgo to www.fridleytheatres.com.
Out with the old theater
Tracks
1. Radioactive
2. Tiptoe
3. It’s Time *
4. Demons *
5. On Top of the
World
6. Hear Me
7. Amsterdam *
8. Every Night
9. Bleeding Out
10. Underdog
11. Nothing Left to
Say/Rocks
by Brandon Mitchell
Calumet StaffSongs “Radioactive,” and
“Tiptoe,” introduce the album as acollection of indie-faux-hip-hop-folksy tunes, highlighted by bass-pounding beats with an 80’s vibe.Night Visions is confusing at timesand the listener is left wondering ifthey are listening to the same bandthat recorded 2012 indie-folk sum-mer hit, “It’s Time.”
“It’s Time,” has arguably thecatchiest chorus on the album andmost tracks seem to be trying tocatch-up. Two tracks, “Amsterdam,”
and “Demons,” do this. “Demons,”rivals “It’s Time,” as the best song onthe album, achieved by a slow-tempoand an intense rhythm. Listening tothese tracks make the other sevenseem like generic filler, and whenyou listen to them that’s exactly whatthey are.
Night Visions is a solid debut-album; you will catch yourself hum-ming a few songs from the CD.However, Imagine Dragons couldhave helped by cutting down on theproduction polish and staying true totheir sound. I give the album asolid 3 out of 5.
Imagine Dragons’NightVisions album review
Student-Run
Marketing & IT
Services Agency
We give MCC
students experience
solving real market-
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for campus and
community-based
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budgets.
Hire us or join
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Chris Kottman, general manager of Plaza
Theater in Muscatine. Photo by Lisa Powell.
October 2012 Page 7
From cheese curds to corn:
by Brie Coder
Freelance Columnist
Four months ago, I waited for the
day to leave Wisconsin and headdown to Iowa to start a new chapterin my life. It was more difficult thaneasy, if you ask me. Of course in lifewe all decide at one point to go outand see the world for our ownselves. Not for me at first. When Iarrived at MCC back in August, myanxiety skyrocketed pretty badly.When my mom and grandma droveaway, I found myself alone andscared. I remember going back tothe Villas just crying and wonderingif it was worth staying down here.Then I realized after meeting somany different kids from differentplaces, I wasn’t the only one longingfor home. So I decided this month totell my story about my life and howI’m coping being homesick.
I grew up in Waunakee, Wis.known as “the only Waunakee in theworld.” It’s about three hours awayfrom Muscatine and about the samesize as Wilton. Growing up thereeverybody knew everybody. I could-n’t go around town without hearingsomeone shouting “Hi Brie!” Don’tget me wrong, I loved it and still do.In high school I had quite a lot ofgood friends that always enjoyed mycompany. I was known to be thejokester-- and trust me-- I’ve donemy share of crazy stuff. Once gradu-ation arrived, I wasn’t ready. Ienjoyed my time in high school andfeared that college wouldn’t be asmuch fun. As I walked across thestage and saw all the kids I was grad-uating with, I realized I might neversee these kids again. Plus, that meantI was closer to leaving for Iowa andnow my dream was becoming a real-
ity. I just didn’t know if I could face it. Now you may be wondering, why
Iowa? Well I chose to come downhere to pursue my music degree. Iwant to become a music produc-er/music therapist. Back homethere was one school in Madisonthat provided the music degree Iwanted, but I decided to venture toIowa. Plus, a long time ago my par-ents both went to MCC so I felt thatthis would be the right school forme.
As I arrived at MCC I had doubtsabout being here and thoughtmaybe I could just drop out and goback home. But I’m not a quitter. Iknew that I wasn’t the only oneadjusting to life away from home. Irecently met a few foreign exchangestudents who live continents awayfrom home. I thought if he’s able tostay strong then, gosh darn it I cantoo! I mean c’mon, it’s college. Theseyears are supposed to be the bestyears of your life.
It takes time to adjust to goingback to school and working, but youhave to realize it is so worth it in theend. Everyone back home told me tospread my wings and make some-thing of myself. They were right.When you leave the nest, you findyourself and what role you play inthis world. I have to give thanks tomy mom and grandma for telling meto stick it out down here in Iowa forthe next year. If it weren’t for them, Iprobably would have dropped outand owed more money than I couldafford. Trust me, those who arereading my article, you are not theonly one longing from home. I’m stillcoping with eating frozen pizzasinstead of coming home to home-cooked meals. But that’s college, andthe fun is only just beginning.
It used to seem like everything I earned was going into my gas tank, but
lately I've been car-pooling to save money. What sort of things should I buy
with the new cash I have on hand?
According to a new report, gas prices in Iowa have fallen 4 cents a gallon in
the past week. This move is particularly encouraging to cash-strapped col-
lege students, who can use the additional money to resume their normal
expenditures. Here is a list of items that can once again be purchased by the
average university-goer:
1) Season four of the Pokemon cartoon can once again be bought on lavish
blu-ray collector's set instead of horrible standard-definition.
2) Students distraught over regrettable tattoo choices can now afford to have
them lasered off, no longer having to feel the social stigma of a large back
tattoo featuring the Nyan cat internet meme.
3) Philosophy majors can once again delight friends and family with that
poster of Einstein sticking out his tongue.
4) Students can now once again afford to dine on Ramen noodles, instead of
the only slightly less appetizing option of dumpster spaghetti in sewer water.
5) Guys can attempt to impress girls by playing ballads with newly bought
acoustic guitars, instead of playing them “Hot Cross Buns” on the recorder
they got in the fifth grade.
?Ask
Cal
by David McIntosh
MCC Chaplain
It only takes a fewseconds of beingoutside to realizethat the 100 degreedays of summer have gone southfor the winter and took our freetime with them. Routine has setin and new classes and profes-sors are making life interesting.Yet one constant in life is thedesire to have friends. At a youngage we begin making choicesabout which friend is our “bestfriend.” Think for a minute aboutwho you consider your bestfriend. Was that the same BFFwhen you were 10? 15? I willguess that the answer is “No.” Formany reasons friendships changeor fail and we are left wonderingwhere to assign the blame. 1Corinthians 13 gives us someguidelines for being a greatfriend.
This chapter is commonlyreferred to as the love chapterand is used at many weddings.However, when we drill into theword “love” here, we find theword has a broader meaning thanjust love in a marriage. We canapply these thoughts to relation-ships with our friends. Accordingto 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, a BFF ispatient and kind. There is also alist of things that love is not,including: jealous, boastful, arro-gant, rude, self serving, and angry.If Ralph Waldo Emerson is correctwhen he says “[t]he only way tohave a friend is to be one,” thenwe do well when we apply theseactions to our friendships. It isnot the easiest thing to put othersfirst, but relationships arestrengthened when we do.
There are few things in life thatlast as long as a good friendship.We can look at history, whetherours or others, and know thatgood friendships don’t happen byaccident. They take a lot of workand effort on our part. Proverbs18:24 mentions a friend thatsticks closer than a brother. Evena cursory reading of the gospelswill show that this is an aptdescription of Jesus Christ. A rela-tionship with Him gives us thedesire and ability to be a greatfriend (Philippians 2:5-11).
Sincerely,
David McIntosh
MCC Chaplain
Chaplain
Chatcontributed
monthly by one of
the MCC Chaplains
October 2012Page 8 Campus Life
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1. Korilyn Hendricks & Ryan Sheeder audition for the Fall play. 2. John Dabeet, State House candidate, speaks with a student during
the annual Welcome Back Tailgate Picnic, held Sept. 12. 3. Members of the flag football team compete during the picnic. 4. Local
band “Exit, Emergency,” performed on the Quad during the picnic. 5.Ardiansyah Putra plays bean bags during the picnic. 6. A stu-
dent on the flag football teams makes a play. 7. Students and staff lined up to fill their plates at the pinic. 8. Political candidates from
across the aisle, including Representative Mark Lofgren, spoke with students at the picnic. 9. Different clubs and student organiza-
tions set up tables during the picnic. 10. Some students enjoy one another’s company and warm weather during the picnic. Photos
