Students who may or may not have had romantic ideas about employment during their time at Ferris State University had the chance to meet with recruiters from 122 employers last Thursday, Feb. 14 from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Ewigleben Sports Complex during the Spring Job Fair 2008.

All 122 tables were set up in the Wink Arena. In the lobby, students could pick up a name tag which included their major placed above their name.

When they signed in, lists of potential employers looking for their specific majors were given to students. At the end of each list was a map with all of the tables numbered so those employers could be more easily located. Students were also given a booklet listing all of the employers, which included more information about many of the companies and contact information.

Sponsored by the Student Employment and Career Services, there was a large turnout of Student Volunteers to help run the event. Encouraging students exiting the job fair to fill out a survey, Andy Mai indicated he was happy with the way volunteering was going.

“So many people volunteered,” Mai said, “we didn’t have that much to do for the first part.” Mai continued by saying that “it turned out good when everything got situated.”

Student Matt Bellgraph was pretty satisfied with the event and the employers that showed up for his program.

Bellgraph, a construction management student, said “it is one of the best turnouts for construction related companies.” With a range from small to large, the companies “specific to construction” included Fluor and Bechtel. Bechtel, Bellgraph said, is “one of the largest (construction companies) in the world.”

Companies were recruiting for locations both near and far. Williamson Printing, for example, was recruiting all the way from Dallas, Tex.

When giving away candy and ink pens wasn’t enough to entice students to approach a table, recruiters had items such as playing cards, lip balm, and water bottles to give to interested candidates. Representatives from Hard Rock Park—“The World’s First Rock’n’Roll Theme Park”- -were giving away luggage tags to encourage students to come work for the business located in Myrtle Beach, S. C.

Many companies were recruiting for Grand Rapids, Detroit, and for other places a little closer to Big Rapids, Mich.

“If you work with plastics, you know what those are,” Travis Arbogast said while showing off samples of plastic resin. Arbogast said the little pieces could “be turned into anything.” Arbogast was at the job fair recruiting for Nyloncraft Inc., an automotive parts supplier located just south of Michigan in Mishawaka, Ind.

Recruiters also tried to attract the eyes of passers-by with their displays. A digital sign-making company brought an example sign that sat on their table and displayed messages in scoreboard fashion.

One company’s representatives brought a motorcycle as part of their display that stood in the corner of the convocation center.

Employers such as Yellowstone National Park Lodges sought to use an aesthetic appeal. The display literature for Yellowstone included pictures of wild bison and a waterfall.

As far as employers being happy with the event, some were definitely welcome to the competition. “I’ve been surprised,” Matthew Drew said. “It’s been run very well.” Drew, a managing associate with New England Financial out of Grand Rapids, said that the event gave him a chance to network with other financial companies and refer students who might work out at a different firm.

Tracy Carmody, district manager for American General Financial Services, said “the fact that I’m a Ferris Alum is attractive to people.” Many companies sent recruiters who were FSU alumni. Red ribbons were worn on the nametags of those employer representatives who were FSU graduates.

Recruiters were also there for governmental agencies such as U.S. Customs, the Border Patrol, the Department of Defense, the IRS, and various armed services.

Students were asked to fill out a survey as they left the job fair to help organizers determine the satisfaction of attendees. The survey asked participants of the event what type of employment they are seeking, whether it is fulltime, for the summer, an internship, or whether they were just collecting information on the different companies.

Students were also asked about the number of companies talked to, the number of follow-ups and interviews asked for, and how satisfied they were with the event overall.

In an interview earlier this month, the Assistant M a n a g e r of Student Employment and Career Services Barbara Renne admitted that there has never been a follow-up to find out how many students actually gain employment through Ferris’ job fairs. However, every year employers keep coming and students keep attending.

Last Thursday, Steven P. Kazmierczak, a 27-year-old former student, kicked open an auditorium door at Northern Illinois University (NIU) classroom and opened fire.

According to cnn.com, the incident began at 3:06 p.m. and lasted six minutes. When it was all over, six people were dead including Kazmierczak, who took his own life.

In a quote in the Los Angeles Times, junior John Giovanni, 20, of Des Plaines, said the gunman aimed at the center of the auditorium. “He just fires right into the audience,” Giovanni said. “He didn’t say a word. It didn’t look like he was aiming directly at someone. I think he was trying to hit as many people as he could.”

Sadly, the massacre at NIU was not the only school shooting to occur this month. As recently as Feb. 8, a female student at the Baton Rouge campus of Louisiana Technical College shot two other students and then herself, according to cnn.com.

Whether or not school shootings are occurring at a greater frequency in recent years or if the amount of media coverage they receive makes them seem dubiously common is not entirely clear.

Psychologist Dr. Marisa Randazzo commented, “This is not something new, but the intensity and frequency of the attacks has increased since the events at Columbine.”

With the Virginia Tech shootings that left 33 students dead still fresh in the memories of people all over the world, one has to at least consider the validity of Randazzo’s claim.

Ferris State University President David Eisler offered Ferris’ condolences to the NIU community Friday in a news release on Ferris’ Web site. “We extend our condolences to President Peters, the entire Northern Illinois University community, and especially those students who are struggling with their injuries. At the same time we are offering our help, assistance and support to them,” he said.

Eisler also took the opportunity to console the Ferris community by advising those in need of counseling to get in touch with the Birkam Health Center and reaffirming the university’s commitment to take care of its members.

“The physical safety of our people is our highest concern. On our campus there are resources available to faculty, staff and students to assist them with feelings of anxiety and distress,” Eisler said.

Ferris’s commitment to campus safety and emergency preparedness was one of the main topics of discussion at the Founder’s Day presentation in August. Eisler discussed the newly introduced emergency response key that is given to every university employee, and how other universities have since modeled their emergency response protocol after Ferris’ recently revamped plan.

He also stressed that Ferris is on the forefront of campus safety and that the majority of changes in policy that were implemented by universities in wake of the Virginia Tech shootings are procedures that are already implemented here at Ferris.

Although Ferris is taking all possible steps to circumvent violence on campus, it is still important to take these recent school shootings as more than just news and to realize that these events affect college communities across the nation. Remembering the events of Virginia Tech and NIU. does not necessarily lend itself to paranoia but rather a healthy level of conscious awareness.

“Sadly, this event reminds us yet again that as much as we try to make the place where we live, teach, study and work as safe as possible, a lone individual can still inflict terrible pain upon a campus and the lives of students, faculty and staff,” said Eisler in his recent news release.

On Saturday, Feb. 16, Black Leaders Aspiring for Critical Knowledge (B.L.A.C.K.) hosted the second annual Ferris State University Image Awards at Williams Auditorium.

The event officially started at 7 p.m. with a red carpet walk down at 6:30. The event ended just a half-hour after it was supposed to, ending around 9:30 instead of the scheduled 9 p.m.

“For one night only,” the writing on the program said. The program listed the series of events, awards, and the nominees for each award for the evening. The program invited all to “come experience the thrills of Hollywood.”

Formalwear was strongly suggested for the event. Presenters came out and announced the award, giving information on the person who each award was named after. They were then handed an envelope which contained the winner.

“And the award goes to,” was just one of the signs on stage that indicated the Oscartype theme. Another proclaimed “awards night.” The evening event was broken down into sections, referred to as “scenes.”

The hosts for the evening were Gail Taylor-Bolden and Michael Wade.

“We love each and every one of you,” said a representative of My Sister’s Keeper (My Ski), as a group of women from the organization accepted the Richard Allen Religious RSO Award.

“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. And keep God first,” Jasmine Williams said as she accepted the Barbara Jordan Award for being an outstanding president of her RSO. Williams is the president of S.T.A.N.D.

Free to the public, the event was funded through the Finance Division of Student Government with money from the Student Activity Fee.

At one point, Michael Wade thanked the faculty and staff for helping the event to take place, saying “we want to see everyone come together.”

LaMira King’s memory was honored with four tributes spaced in between the distribution of awards. King, who died last fall, was the founder of the Image Awards. King was also awarded an honorary membership in B.L.A.C.K. at the end of the evening.

Performances included singing, dancing, and a poetry selection. Mike Powell performed a poem called “Take Me Home” during the first half of the ceremony. The performance of poet Omari “King Wise” Barksdale was supposed to take place during the second half. But it had to be cancelled because of health issues. Barksdale was a founding member of B.L.A.C.K.

Eric Adams took the stage right before the five minute intermission for a dance that had audience members clapping along and on their feet by the end of the performance. For LaMira King Tribute Part IV, a step dance was performed by members of the sorority that King had belonged to. Singers for the evening were soloists Keevah Showers and Ilena Hill.

Carnel Richardson spoke in accepting one award many of the sentiments of that night. He said “I want to continue to do what I do on this campus.” He said that he was speechless, seemingly affected by the honor bestowed upon him. It was a common sight that night to see tears in the eyes of recipients of the awards.

In addition to Student Government, B.L.A.C.K. had thank-yous for 24 organizations and individuals placed on the back of the program.

A post-event afterglow party was held in the Dome Room of Rankin Center from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. A cover charge was required of $5. The cost included food and entertainment.

Roll call was the same, though the seating was different during last Tuesday’s Student Government meeting. The weekly general assembly met in the Dome Room instead of their usual meeting place in the Centennial Room.

Cookies, coffee, and punch were served as the evening was originally supposed to include the State of the Student Union Address. Some minor administrative issues caused the event to be postponed until a future date.

A large part of the focus of the evening was a PowerPoint presentation by Jessica Nelson, Student Government director of government relations. She went through federal legislation that is intended to help students, such as an increase in the maximum Pell Grant award by $500. Pell Grants, furthermore, are to be offered for the entire year and not only for the fall and spring semesters.

Nelson had handouts for those who attended to follow along with.

State funding of public universities is down, but the percentages of allocations for three are marginally larger than FSU’s. According to the handouts, Michigan State University, University of Michigan, and Wayne State University all share more than half of the 2009 budget appropriations for higher education.

In spite of the lack of government help, Ferris hopes to add a new Michigan College of Optometry building. The issues are tough. Vice President for Student Affairs Daniel Burcham helped to address the problems. Because state funding has increasingly been cut, said Burcham, the college must continue to make its own cuts in staff and spending as well as instituting tuition increases.

Both President Eisler and Michelle McManus, the state senator for this district, must work together with Governor Jennifer Granholm in order to be added to the state capital outlay. Though the proposal has been rejected twice, there is hope for this to change.

“It’s a really good thing,” said Nelson on a positive note, “…we have (McManus) on our side.”

The continuing issue of how to address diversity by Student Government was again put forth to the body of students. Vice President Robbie Rankey presented a report of his meeting with Ferris’ Chief Diversity Officer Dr. David Pilgrim.

The main focus of the conversation between Rankey and Pilgrim focused on three things: forming a Student Government diversity committee, finding out how it will use Pilgrim’s diversity plan, and helping to sponsor debates and forums that discuss diversity issues.

Rankey said that Pilgrim left his diversity plan “intentionally vague.” This was so that Student Government could decide what it wants to do with it. Student Government has decided to pursue fundraising for the Jim Crowe Museum. As was indicated in the report presented by Rankey, Dr. Pilgrim indicated that he saw the organization’s main involvement with those efforts.

It was decided that Student Government's diversity committee would be combined to coincide with a fundraising committee for the Jim Crowe Museum.

Another issue that was addressed was the upcoming WILL Conference. Scheduled to take place March 27, the main speaker has been announced for the conference named for Women Investing in Leadership and Learning. Author and Motivational Speaker C. Leslie Charles is scheduled to speak at the event that will take place at the Holiday Inn Conference Center.

To learn more about the speaker, readers can go to lesliecharles. com.

Amber Balmer, chair of the committee organizing the event, requested a larger budget for the conference. Balmer asked the governing body to allot more funds for food and speakers’ travel and accommodations costs.

The Student Government president and other members asked for her to present a list of all foreseen costs to know better what funds to allocate. “I want to see it on paper,” said Claire Gould. Balmer, who was just awarded the Student Government Member of the Month at last week’s meeting, in turn, asked for the past year’s budget to find out how money was spent before.

To wrap up the evening, the Student Government Parliamentarian Kelly Cothery presented new legislation in the form of a constitutional amendment. Basically, the governing documents were amended to make the Student Government constitution more accurate and clear about the roles of members in specific roles.

With no discussion or debate and a unanimous yes vote, the change was declared effective immediately. Before the amendment was passed, Student Government Representatives and Senators could not be Committee Chairs. Now they can be one and the same.

Recently I saw a disturbing video online. A toddler slipped out an open patio door, walked to the edge of his family’s swimming pool, and fell in. He was dressed in a one-piece flannel sleepsuit, the kind with plastic soles on the feet and a zipper up the front. The kind that gets heavy when wet.

Although there was obviously at least a cameraman present, no one went to help the baby out of the water. Then something incredible happened. That little boy, then 11 months old, kicked his way to the surface, turned on his back and stretched out into a stable floating position. And though he cried part of the time, he stayed there for several minutes. Eventually, his dad swam out and scooped him up and they both smiled triumphantly at the camera.

The baby was a student from Infant Swimming Resource (ISR), South Mountain, LLC, based in Phoenix, Arizona. ISR has taught aquatic survival skills to more than 140,000 babies and young children ages six months to six years. Infants learn to float and cry for rescue. Older children float, then turn over and paddle toward the edge of the pool. If they tire, they turn on their backs and float until rested.

Julie Bacon, a neonatal intensive care and pediatric flight nurse and educator in Clermont, Florida, explained how the technique works.

“Babies are so fat and fluffy, they just float,” said Bacon. “Their bodies have a high percentage of fat, which makes them extremely buoyant.”

“The video has been shown to nurses, EMTs and first responders. It’s hard for people to watch, because the baby does cry, but then you see Daddy come to the rescue and there’s a happy ending.”

Many babies have not had happy endings. Nationwide, more than 300 children under the age of five drown in swimming pools each year. In some states, drowning is the leading cause of accidental deaths of children in that age bracket. An additional 2,000 children ages 5 or under are treated in hospital emergency rooms for submersion injuries.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, “Child drowning is a silent death. There’s no splashing to alert anyone that the child is in trouble.”

ISR training buys parents time to realize their child is missing and to find their baby floating safely on his/her back. The course is taught by certified instructors in one-on-one tenminute lessons five days a week for four weeks.

ISR began as a result of research done by Dr. Harvey Barnett, a behavioral psychologist. More than 140,000 youngsters have been through the program and more than 2,500 accounts of ISR-trained students saving themselves in water accidents have been reported.

Instructor training is rigorous. To be certified, candidates must have 60 hours of in-water, hands-on training combined with 200 hours of academic training in child psychology, physiology, anatomy and behavioral science.

After certification, they must attend annual symposiums to maintain and update their skills.

The 18 inches of snow on the campus grounds will soon be gone. Spring is only a month away. Winter skiing and snowmobiling will give way to boating and swimming.

Ferris has dozens of on- and off-campus parents with very young children. The University has offered swimming instructions to the public for years and is now in the midst of another series of lessons. The lessons are not limited to children.

“We accept infants from six months or older,” said Danielle Jackson, receptionist and head supervisor at the FSU Recreation Center. “We’ve had adults as old as 40.”

Lisa Busch, an FSU alumna and medical coding specialist in Orlando, Fla., plans to enroll her daughter in an ISR course. Busch, while admitting she’s nervous about having her daughter trained in the technique, recognizes the value of the program.

“I don’t want my baby to become a statistic,” she said.

My granddaughter had her first birthday and took her first steps this weekend. She lives in a home with a large (36-foot) pool. Her swimming lessons begin next month.

For information on the ISR program, visit childdrowningprevention. com.

You have done the math. You have counted and recounted the number of classes you need to get your degree, and how many semesters will be required to reach that number. It sounds good until you realize that to reach your goal you will need to carry 18 credit hours each semester from now to graduation day. And last semester you had trouble keeping up with 12 hours.

It may be time to rethink your plan.

Overloading your class schedule can mean a lower grade point average, stressing your body to the point of illness, and missing out on some of the non-academic activities that enrich your educational experience. How can you map out the best timetable for your particular curriculum?

Consider your personal academic habits and abilities. How many hours can/will you devote to study each week? I am told the average class requires a minimum of two hours for each hour of class time.

At that rate, 15 credits require a 45-hour work week! You may need more depending on the level of the material, outside reading assignments, and my personal favorite, working in groups.

Group work can be great and awful at the same time. Right now I am in a four-person group preparing for a 40-minute presentation. Scheduling our meetings has been easy; getting everyone together has not. Life happens.

I live 45 minutes off-campus and have been snowbound several days this winter. We are in the throes of cold and flu season. Two of our group members have jobs. And on and on the obstacles stack up.

I am lucky; my partners are all good students willing to work. You may find yourself in a group where you are the only one who cares about the assignment, which translates into you doing most or all of the work toward a shared grade.

How long does it take you to write a paper? I am terribly slow at pulling together a decent research paper (or for that matter writing pretty much anything). Assume you will need to write at least two threepage papers for each class and factor this time into your plan.

Now take all this information to your faculty advisor; that is why you were assigned one, and he or she will be so pleased that you thought all this through before walking into his or her office.

If you don’t know who your advisor is, look on the Ferris Web site under “My FSU.” Click on the “My Services” tab, then “Student Services,” “Student & Financial Aid,” and “Registration Status/Advisor Information.”

Your advisor will help you plan an effective mix of the more difficult subjects with those you can more easily pick up. Difficult can mean you will need more study time or a little extra assistance to master the material. For me, a schedule that included an economics or math class would need to be offset with “Knitting for Fun and Profit.”

Don’t discount the tutoring resources the university offers, including the Writing Center. Asking for help when you need it saves nerves, time and grades. Besides, you’re paying for this service; take advantage of it.

Are some of the classes you need only offered in the fall? Your advisor will know which ones and help you plan accordingly.

Reducing your workload to a manageable number of credit hours per semester and graduating on your desired date may mean attending summer session. Summer is a wonderful time to take classes at Ferris. It is so much nicer to walk to class in sunshine than in snow, and the campus is beautifully landscaped. Traffic is lighter, meaning more parking spaces are available.

Taking fewer credits at a time may mean adding a semester to your original plan but for some the benefits can far outweigh the costs.

Forget Pepperoni, Try Some Humble Pie
On Feb. 11 at 10:30 p.m., officers received a report of a car parked in Bond Circle with a Dominos Pizza sign on the vehicle. The sign was determined to have been stolen from the Lansing area. The driver of the vehicle was identified and referred to the Office of Student Conduct.

Face The Music
At noon on Feb. 14, officers received a call about found property. The face plate of a stereo system was found outside Taggart Hall. The owner can contact the Department of Public Safety office to reclaim it.

Wait For It
On Feb. 14 at 1:45 a.m., there was a report of a property damage accident in lot 41. The arm of the gate did not raise fast enough and a driver exiting the lot broke the wooden gate arm.

Malfunction
On Feb. 13 at 10 a.m., officers received notice that a fire alarm went off in the Rankin Center. After the building was evacuated it was found that the smoke smell was the result of a faulty belt on a heating unit on the roof of the building. The belt was replaced by Ferris personnel.

Merging Will Be That Much Harder
On Feb. 11 at 8:30 p.m., officers received a report of malicious destruction of property in lot 4. The driver’s rear-view mirror had been broken off.

A Not-So-Sweet Deal
On Feb. 11 at 2:50 p.m., officers received a report of vehicle damage in lot 28. The owner of the car complained that the vehicle was running improperly. It was later decided that sugar had been put into the gas tank.

Faking It
On Feb. 13 at 3 p.m., a vehicle was found having an improper parking decal in lot 47. The driver was identified and ticketed.

Hit And Run
On Feb. 14 at 3:25 p.m., officers received a report on a hit and run accident in lot 47. The driver responsible was identified and ticketed for failing to report the crash.

FLITE floods
On Feb. 11 at 12:20 p.m., alarms sounded in FLITE library and the building was evacuated. It was later revealed that a water pipe in the fire suppression system had broken. The break caused minor damage to the facilities.

Ticket Totals
From Feb. 6 to Feb. 15 public safety identified 440 violators. Each violator was ticketed and the total comes to $7860. The actual amount to be received depends on whether the tickets are paid, voided, or reduced.

Susan Mulder Exhibit
On Thursday, Feb. 21 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in Rankin Art Gallery the Northland Pub Singers will perform. There will be art work by Susan Mulder. For more information, contact Carrie Weis at x2536.

Walk for Warmth
On Saturday, Feb. 23 from 9:00 a.m. to noon in the Student Recreation Center the Mid Michigan Community Action will have the 17th Annual Walk for Warmth. This fundraiser will help individuals in Mecosta County pay their bills. For more information, contact Joann at x4664.

Winter Concert
On Sunday, Feb. 24 from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. in Williams Auditorium FSU’s West Central Concert Band will perform. The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Scott Cohen at x2484.

Pancakes
On Sunday, Feb. 24 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Big Rapids Armory there will be an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast. All monies will go to the FSU Law Enforcement Academy and ROTC. Everyone is welcome to attend. For more information, contact Krista Meyer at (616) 260-0236.

Entertainment Unlimited
On Monday, Feb. 25 from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. in Rankin Center Centennial Dining Room Entertainment Unlimited will hold their weekly meetings. If you are interested in planning campus events then this organization is for you. All are welcome to attend. For more information, contact Cari Scholtens at x2610.

Bulldog Radio
On Monday, Feb. 25 from 6 to 6:45 p.m. in FLITE 135 Bulldog Radio will hold their weekly meeting. Everyone is welcome to join. For more information, contact Autumn McClellan at autumn.mcclellan@ gmail.com.

Hometown Recruitment
On Tuesday, Feb. 26th at 11:00 a.m. in Timme CSS 101 there will be an orientation for students interested in talking to their high school about their experiences at Ferris. All are welcome to attend. For more information, contact Heather Bonnell at x2606.

Tax Help
On Tuesday, Feb. 26 from 11 to 11:50 a.m. in Business 216 the Ferris Accounting Association will help you with your tax returns. Students using the 1040A or 1040EZ forms are welcome to come out and get help. The cost is $10 and increases with the difficulty of the return. Appointments are recommended .For more information, contact Danielle Patterson at ferrisaccountingassociation@ yahoo.com.