In memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and in honor of the valuable lessons he preached during his lifetime, Ferris celebrated MLK Week 2008 throughout last week.

Entitled “A Dream Deferred,” last week’s events served as a reminder to continue fighting for the dreams that Dr. King shared with the world, and offered everything from open discussion and guest speakers to quiet reflection.

The events were organized with the help from the MLK Week 2008 planning committee. The committee was made up of about 20 people throughout the campus including faculty members and student representatives from many RSO’s like Entertainment Unlimited and Resident Life.

“We are lucky to have such a broad spectrum of individuals on the committee,” Michael Wade said, committee co-chair and College Day specialist of the Office of Multicultural Student Services (OMSS).

MLK Week 2008 featured many events. The annual MLK march on Jan. 20 was sponsored by the OMSS and kicked-off the week. This year the march saw more participants than ever before. Later that day, the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality hosted the fourth annual soul food dinner at Café Ferris which was also a big hit.

One of the biggest events of the week was on Wednesday, when guest speaker Jeff Johnson presented at the Rankin Center Dome Room. Johnson, an activist, journalist and television celebrity, spoke about the importance of social change and how the youth of today must pick up where the leaders of the past left off.

On Friday, a candlelight vigil was held in the Rankin Center quad in remembrance of Dr. King. The week’s events ended on Saturday with the Legacy Ball Dance.

Although MLK Week 2008 is officially over, the ideals stressed during the events challenge this generation to make the struggle for equality and understanding an everyday one.

Jill Jepsen, an adjunct professor of art at Ferris State University, attended events throughout the week. She said it was important to her, both professionally and personally, to get some perspective on the challenges some of her students deal with.

“…it has actually been really emotional for me to realize and try to understand the struggles that some of my students have to go through every single day,” she said while on her way to the Tunnel of Oppression after Thursday’s “What’s Race got to do With it?” presentation.

The Tunnel of Oppression was the only exhibit that ran the entire span of MLK Week 2008. It is an annual event that features pictures, images, and artifacts of past repression and hate as well as current articles of prejudice."

When asked how the Tunnel of Oppression made her feel, Emily Bowman said, “It is a feeling of sadness, but at the same time a feeling of embarrassment, that things like that could actually happen and people could actually do that is shameful.” Bowman is a freshman in the social work program here at Ferris.

The Tunnel did not focus on the repression of one group, but instead encompassed all the groups that have been underrepresented or subject to discrimination throughout U.S. history.

“I think things have progressed a lot, but I think that depending on your race you might have a different perspective and opinion about how much things have really progressed,” Bowman continued, “They are better than they were but not as far as they need to be.”

The African American struggle for equality that still exists today was highlighted and so was the adversity that has been faced by groups like Japanese Americans, the handicapped and disabled, and gays and lesbians.

“There are so many minority groups that have been oppressed throughout time and continue to be today,” Wade said. “So we try to post current issues as well and try to bring it full circle with the Room of Reflection with a lot of resources and details about what you could be doing right now.”

The Room of Reflection was located adjacent to the Tunnel and offered advice to students on how to promote love and equality in their communities. One banner read “Ten ways to stop hate on your campus.”

The Tunnel of Oppression was a large and inclusive exhibit, and many volunteers from across campus came out to help set up the event.

“One thing that was great was the number of volunteers we’ve had during MLK week, in particular with the Tunnel of Oppression,” said Wade, “A lot them were very active and jumped out to help, and a lot of them saw images they have never seen before and grew from the experience.”

The Tunnel of Oppression ran Jan. 20-25 in Rankin Center room 125 and was a huge success. According to Wade, the annual events like the Tunnel of Oppression, the MLK March, and the Student Tribute went really well. The new events too, like the Day of Segregation, put on by OMSS in conjunction with Students Taking Action & Nurturing Diversity, were very interesting and thought provoking.

Wade is an alumnus of Ferris State University. As a former student and current faculty member, Wade feels the university has come a long way since he first came here, but he feels even more can be done to promote diversity.

“I have definitely seen Ferris and the RSOs take larger strides towards promoting diversity. There have been more collaborative efforts and they are doing more new and different things to try and reach out, like unique forums and different events like the Greek Unity Basketball game. Things like that need to be more consistent and if you see that happen you will see those gaps that separate us close in the future,” said Wade. “But I think many positive strides have been made.”

All of the MLK Week 2008 events were free to the public, with all monetary donations going to Mecosta/Osceola Walk for Warmth.

The International Student Advisor’s Office, in association with the International Student Organization, is once again holding monthly potluck dinners and everyone from the FSU and Big Rapids communities is invited.

“The only admittance ‘fee’ is to bring a dish to pass in any cuisine you choose, and even that is waived for students who cannot cook in their rooms,” said Janel Lockwood, International Student Advisor.

“We try to keep it simple. The meal is set up buffet style. Our office provides the drinks and tableware. People bring a dish from any number of cultures and share with others. It’s a chance to ‘taste’ different cultures. We have had food from many different countries, including our own. We even had a faculty member bring in a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken™ and the students really liked that.”

In addition to learning about food from other cultures, the potluck provides an atmosphere for conversation and meeting new people.

“People start talking about the food first, but soon are discussing homework, religion, anything,” said Lockwood. “The dinners help build a support system among students who might not otherwise meet each other. This is especially true for the international students,” she said.

“I would like to emphasize the fact that these dinners are open to all. Everyone from the university and the Big Rapids community are invited,” said Lockwood.

Upcoming dates for the dinners are Jan. 30, Feb. 19, and Mar. 26. All will be held from 6-8 p.m. at the West Campus Community Center. Anyone who needs special assistance or wishes to gain further information should contact Shana Beisiegel at the International Student Advisor’s Office. Beisiegal’s email is beisies@ ferris.edu; her campus extension is 2824.

On April 13, the annual International Festival of Cultures will be held in the Rankin Center Dome Room from 1-5 p.m. The festival will replace the potluck for that month.

On Jan. 22, at 5 p.m., the Ferris State University Student Government called to order the second general assembly meeting of the year. About 30 people filled the Centennial Room in the Rankin Student Center as president Joe Viviano guided the weekly meeting through the schedule.

Faculty advisor Dr. Daniel Burcham addressed the group early on in the meeting, welcoming students and praising them for advancing the mission of the organization. Burcham, also the vice president of Student Affairs, meets with the group on a weekly basis. He commented on the fullness of the room and quipped about high hopes for future growth. “Maybe we could fill up Williams Auditorium,” he said.

A list of administrative items focusing on new members followed Burcham’s short speech. New members must sign up for office hours and a mentor signup sheet was passed around for people to volunteer to help to get new members orientated.

Once those things were taken care of, someone volunteered to be a representative for his RSO. Following discussion, it was voted that there would now be a student representing the Public Administration Association in Student Government. That is exactly what the organization likes.

While following the formal guidelines and rules of a meeting, the leaders in Student Government want to get students involved and work with the various RSOs on campus. While they currently have representatives from each of the colleges on the university’s campus and many of its RSOs, it was said that the body of Student Government would prefer representatives from all of the RSOs.

One of the big thrusts of Student Government is that they want to help out the student body.

During the first week of classes, many students had trouble signing on to campus wireless with Clean Access Agent. This in turn caused Viviano to address the idea of a technology task force. Soon a few members volunteered, and a new committee was born.

Committees that were already formed were given about a half-hour to get together during the meeting to determine where they were at and how they were going to get where they want to be. The committees were each given a blank time line to list tasks and dates to accomplish them by.

When every task-force had regular times for the committees to meet throughout the week, the regular meeting was called back to order. The committees that took part in the break-out sessions discussed issues such as housing, textbook affordability, future legislation, and a readership program.

One event coming up is the Friends of Ferris Political Action Committee Annual Dinner and Auction. This is to take place at the Big Rapids Holiday Inn on Friday, Feb. 28. Student Government has dedicated their time to selling tickets to raise money for the organization that helps “Ferris accomplish their goals,” in Viviano’s words.

The rest of the meeting was focused on the issues of diversity and the Student Activity Fee.

The issue of diversity has been a big issue over last semester with the Diversity Survey, a Hot Topic Discussion, and groups getting together to discuss what is happening in Jena, La.

This semester, we are just a few weeks into the new year and we have celebrated a week of Martin Luther King, Jr. with Black History Month approaching fast.

Robbie Rankey, vice president of Student Government, explained that diversity is more than just racial parity, but a “diversity of thought” that gets people to discuss and not ignore the issues. “This is probably one of the things that Student Government should be about.”

Rankey has an upcoming meeting with Dr. David Pilgrim, Ferris State’s chief diversity officer. Until that happens, and more research is done, the subject was tabled. Money was next on the agenda. An increase in the Student Activity and the Student Government Fees are thought a requirement in order for the organization to continue doing what they are doing. The focus of the discussion was on handling any raise in cost for the student with lots of education and lots of care, and not “behind closed doors” Rankey said.

A big concern is that the value of money has gone down because of the rate of inflation.

“The fee hasn’t been raised since 1990,” Rankey said.

The total amount of money that is allocated through Student Government is about $300,000. A full third of that goes directly to sports clubs on campus. Much money goes into events like Autumn Alive and January Jams that are meant to benefit the greater-campus community.

There was no disagreement that the fees will have to be raised, but it is worrisome to the members of Student Government that more people will try to get their money back. The big question was whether to increase the fee a couple dollars at a time or in a little bit bigger chunks.

Tracie Carr said that maybe the organization could raise the $20 Student Activity Fee another $8, “but $10 would be pushing it.”

The Office of Student Conduct is searching for faculty, student, and staff members to become volunteers for the University Committees on Discipline (UCD) and Appeal Boards.

The idea of having faculty, student, and staff members serve on the boards is so the student has a fair chance.

“This make-up of committees has been used at Ferris since at least 1970, which is how far I can review the student handbooks,” commented director of the Office of Student Conduct, Ashley Atteberry.

Members of the boards will listen and review cases brought before the office. They will also listen to witnesses and make decisions based on the Code of Student Community Standards. The board is responsible for delivering fair and appropriate punishments based on each presented case.

“The importance of having a student serve on the committees and boards is to bring a student voice to the table. It is surprising as there are times where the student member may side with a more serious outcome for another student than what the staff or faculty member sided with. Overall, it is the balance of having three reasonable people to be able to come together, review the information, hear from the accused student, and deliberate on a decision. The committee and board members are looking out for the best interest of the university community,” Atteberry said.

The Appeal Boards will be created by the UCD members. Students who were suspended or dismissed are able to appeal. To appeal, the student writes a letter to the board, the board reviews it, and then sends a letter to the associate vice president of Student Affairs with their recommendations.

The Office of Student Conduct helps “educate students about their rights and responsibilities as community members, help students understand the balance between individual and community rights, and help maintain a community atmosphere conducive to academic success.”

Members of the boards will make new connections within the Ferris community and learn about Ferris' disciplinary system. They are required to make important decisions and be able to handle major responsibilities in order to “define and shape the university experience.”

Interested individuals should register for a volunteer training session by calling x3619 and identifying themselves as faculty, student or staff. Sessions are today from 4-6 p.m. and Tuesday, Feb. 5, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. in Rankin Student Center.

“It is important to note that serving as an Office of Student Conduct volunteer is not for everyone. There are times when there are challenging cases for the members to review. It is also important for the volunteer to be able to have three to four hour blocks of time available. I am more than happy to talk to any student who is interested,” Atteberry said.

When classes started Jan. 14 2008, Ferris State University began a record breaking winter semester with attendance of 12,407 students.

According to Ferris President David Eisler, in his Memorandum to Faculty and Staff dated Jan. 22, 2008, the 376 student increase is divided between the many campus locations. The main campus itself has 83 more students in classes than last year at this time.

“With an enrollment of 9,038 students,” Eisler said, “we now have more than 9,000 students in Big Rapids for the first time since spring 1995.”

This follows a record-breaking fall semester. Though last semester was overshadowed with budget problems caused by a delayed appropriation by the state for higher education, it was reported in The Ferris State Torch by reporter Shane Trejo that more than 13,000 students were enrolled for the first time ever. The total amount for the fall was 13,087.

It is not just about the amount of students, but also the amount of credit hours that are distributed between those students. “We are also up in student credit hours,” Eisler said in his memorandum, “1,922 over a year ago.” In the fall it was reported in Campus News that fall’s credit hours increased 4,745 over the previous fall.

“University officials are pleased with campus-wide efforts to increase enrollment,” said the Campus News article that explained the current semester’s successes. $100 million in financial aid—also a new record--has been made available to Ferris students to pay to stay.

According to the article, Vice President for Student Affairs David Burcham credits more high school visits, training for admissions counselors, and the establishment of a transfer student office. Community outreach bus tours were also mentioned. Burcham was quoted as saying that the current pattern “requires the collaboration and integration of a great many offices.”

In fall 2006, Applause recorded that the school had hit the all-time high of 12,578. The winter that followed that semester had the rare occasion of being with 12,031 enrolled. According to Campus News this is rare because Ferris generally does not see winter enrollment over 12,000.

Frank Crowe, director of FSU’s School of Criminal Justice, and Macomb Community College President Albert Lorenzo recently had the pleasure of presenting diplomas to three new graduates. It was a small but important ceremony.

The new alumni never came to Big Rapids for a class, nor did they study online. James Zwicker of Warren, Robert Alger of Casco and James Mietling of Macomb are the first graduates from the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program held completely in Macomb County. The FSU/MCC program began two years ago under the articulation agreement between the two institutions.

Known as a "3+1" program, students take their first three years of coursework as MCC students on the Macomb Community College campus where they pay the college’s tuition rate of $70 per credit hour. The fourth year, qualifying MCC credits transfer into the Ferris program and students pay FSU tuition, currently $282 per credit hour for in-state students. The fourth-year classes are taught by Ferris faculty at Macomb’s Public Institute, MCC’s east campus located in Clinton Township.

“They (the students) must have at least 30 credits from Ferris to complete the program,” said Cheryl Cluchey, assistant dean of Ferris’ University Center for Extended Learning. “We have had off-campus programs since the 1970s where students could receive their degree without ever coming to Big Rapids. This is a nice opportunity for students in Macomb County.”

Both institutions benefit from the arrangement, but it is the students who gain the most.

“The cost savings in time and tuition are incredible,” said Ferris professor Michael Sumesacki, the program’s advisor and one of its instructors.

“Another benefit is that our teachers bring real-life experience into the classroom. For instance, one professor has an FBI background. I believe students can relate better to someone like that than they might from someone who has never sat in a police car.

“We really cater to the nontraditional student. I would guess the average age of our students to be around 28 years old. Our classes are all held at night, which makes it easier for most working people to attend.”

Enrollment is currently at 25 students. Sumeracki has recently begun seeing more signs of interest.

“I’m now getting three or four calls a week about the program. I expect that to just increase with the auto slowdown and cutbacks. Our economy’s workforce will need to be re-trained for other fields.

“It’s a good solid program,” said Sumeracki. “Our graduates are prepared for a number of jobs in the law enforcement field. Police and corrections officers, federal enforcement positions in the ATF, DEA, FBI, border patrol, homeland security, and forensics are some of the areas in which our students show interest. Of course, some of these areas will require further study, especially at the federal level,” he said.

Ferris has articulation agreements with dozens of learning institutions, from secondary to post-secondary, according to Carol Quigley, Coordinator of Articulation.

“We also have agreements with charter schools and even two tribal colleges,” she said. Articulation, as defined on the Ferris Web site, is “the cooperative processes between two or more educational institutions to accommodate the academic goals of students. Articulation agreements allow students to build an additive degree program by taking courses either at different institutions or at the different campuses of one institution. Some interstate institutions have drafted articulation agreements to facilitate in the transfer of distance learning credits.

Ferris does have a Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration.

Accident
On Jan. 16 at 1 p.m., there was a two-car accident in lot 30. One vehicle had backed into a parked car.

Stolen Tire
On Jan. 17 at 3:30 a.m., there was a theft from a vehicle reported. The vehicle was in lot 37. A tire was stolen from the bed of the truck.

Student Found
On Jan. 17 at 5:50 a.m., officers found a student in lot 40 who had been injured. The student was transported to a hospital in Grand Rapids for possible internal injuries. The student was treated and released. Investigation into the incident continues.

Improper Decal
On Jan. 17 at 4 p.m., a vehicle in lot 5 was found with improper decal. The owner was contacted and ticketed.

Left the Scene
On Jan. 17 at 6 p.m., there was a report of a hit and run accident in lot 61. A parked car was hit. The incident occurred earlier that day.

Learn to Drive
On Jan. 17 at 8 p.m., there was a two-car accident on North Campus Drive near lot 27. The vehicle was headed north and lost control and struck another vehicle headed south bound.

Minor Mistake
On Jan. 18 at 2 a.m., officers located a female in lot 40. The female was found to be intoxicated and was ticketed for MIP.

Leaving So Soon
On Jan. 18 at 1:30 p.m., there was a hit and run accident in lot 27. There was damage to the car’s rear side bumper. The incident occurred on Jan. 17.

Stolen Purse
On Jan. 18 at 5:15 p.m., there was a report of a stolen purse from an office in ASC.

Not Such A Good Idea
On Jan. 18 at 8 p.m., a subject was found with alcohol at the Ice Arena during a hockey game. The subject was ticketed and removed.

Wrong Number
On Jan. 20 at 1:30 a.m., there was a 911 hang up call made from the S. Campus Apartments. Officers arrested one subject for trespassing and another for obstructing police.

Damaged Vehicle
On Jan. 21 at 11 a.m., officers received a report of a vehicle damaged in lot 29.

Ticket Totals
From Jan. 17 to Jan. 22 public safety identified 462 violators. Each violator was ticketed for a total of $8460. Actual amount depends on whether the ticket was paid, voided, or reduced.

International Student Potluck
The International Student Potluck is today from 6-8 p.m. at West Campus Community Center. This event is free. For more information, call Shane Beisiegel at x2824.

Global Warming
There will be an open discussion about what Ferris is doing to prevent global warming today from 6:30-9 p.m. in IRC 120. There will be food available and everyone is welcome to attend. For more information, contact Scott Herron at x2087.

Ferris Goals
Today from 11-11:50 a.m. in IRC 115 there will be a stakeholder conference to help identify Ferris' future. For more information, contact Robert von der Osten at x2916.

Opening Wine and Cheese Reception
The 2008 Festival of the Arts Wine and Cheese Reception will be held on Thursday, Jan. 31 from 6-7:30 p.m. in Rankin Center Art Gallery. For more information, contact Bruce Dilg at 231-592-8265.

International Students
On Thursday, Jan. 31 from 6-7 p.m. in FLITE 108 the International Student Advisor’s Office will give international students tips on working after graduation. For more information, contact Shane Beisiegel at x2824.

Nazi Art and German Women
On Thursday, Jan. 31 in Rankin 238 from 11 a.m.-noon Ferris professor Dr. Ted Walker will speak about German women and Nazi Art. For more information, contact Dr. Walker at x2776.

Disability Awareness Meeting
On Sunday, Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. in Masselink Study Lounge DAE will hold their weekly meeting. For more information, contact Annie Braine at ferrisdae@yahoo.com

Organ Donation
On Tuesday, Feb. 5 from 11-11:50 a.m. in Rankin Center Dome Room there will be an informational speaker presenting on organ donation. For more information, call Kevin Walsh at 810-219-6095.

Applications Accepted
On Tuesday, Feb. 5 the Mecosta-Osceola Math/Science/Technology Center will begin accepting applications from 8th graders. The program helps students succeed at an accelerated rate in math and science. For more information contact Holly at 231-296-3543.

Get Engaged
On Monday, Feb. 2 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. there will be information available in Rankin Atrium on how you can get engaged and volunteer in the community. This is a week long event with various activities on various days. For more information, contact Kevin Walsh at 810-210-6095.