On Saturday, April 5, Students Taking Action Nurturing Diversity (S.T.A.N.D.) hosted their second annual conference titled, “Nurturing an Inclusive Community Through Education” (N.I.C.E.) in the Dome Room of Rankin Center.

Several workshops were offered that gave attendees opportunities to learn about social justice, stereotyping, white and other types of privilege, and ways to become more culturally sensitive.

Keynote speaker David Gamblin, a director at New Detroit, Inc., presented “Cultural Intelligence: Being culturally savvy is good business.”

While Gamblin made excellent points correlating diversity sensitivity to a successful business, he also pointed out how becoming more culturally aware can enhance one’s life in general.

“U.S. demographics are changing. Right now Latinos are the fastest-growing culture in our population. As a business person, if you target only one segment of the population, you are cutting out half of your business,” he said. “Be conscious of cultural dynamics. Learn a little about other cultures, especially languages. It will start a friendship, a relationship. Not only will it be greatly appreciated, it will improve your English.”

Gamblin pointed out how people generally respond to cultural differences.

“One, they ignore them and hope they go away. Two, they fail to manage cultural differences. ‘Just leave everyone in their comfort zones. Let the white kids sit on one side of the lunchroom and the black kids on the other.’ That attitude is not productive.

“We need to recognize the importance of cultural differences. To manage these differences, to become culturally competent, we need to value diversity, plan for it. If you invite your Jewish friend for a Friday night event, most likely he will not be there as that is when his faith calls for him to practice Seder.”

Gamblin pointed out that people cannot be lumped into one group. Each person has his or her own cultural identity.

“The people we call Indians or Native Americans just let us call them by those names. That’s not who they are. If you ask them, they are Choctaw, Iroquois, Sioux.

“How much do you know about where you are from? Not just your ancestors, but two or three generations back? African- Americans are not all from Africa. Caucasians are not just white. They could be European or German or Swedish.”

Professor Sandi Alspach spoke on white privilege. She had participants complete a simple exercise called “Steps to Awareness” where everyone began on equal footing but, after answering 26 true/false questions, found themselves very far apart.

Jeff Chernoff, Cramer Hall director, presented “Diversity vs. Social Justice: Two concepts that can change the world.” He used a Saturday Night Live video clip from the 1980’s featuring Eddie Murphy to incorporate humor into his serious topic.

“The clip is a parody on white privilege. Eddie Murphy appears in ‘whiteface’ and suddenly becomes a member of a secret society where he is given gifts,” said Chernoff.

Chernoff recognizes conference participants, and students in general, are a diverse group with diverse needs.

“I try to use multimedia in my presentations to give different types of learners what they need. There are visual learners, audio learners, tactile, and they need different things,” he said.

The conference was well received. Sharnice Miles, a freshman in the College of Business, and Brittany Lofton, a freshman in the pre-nursing program, attended the workshop “Do You Stereotype?” facilitated by FSU faculty member Bernadette Fox. Miles related personally to the topic.

“I was born in Detroit and raised in Great Britain. When I came back to the United States in 1999, people said I didn’t talk like they did and made me feel I didn’t fit in. After a while, I lost my accent on purpose,” she said.

Lofton believes one key to eliminating stereotyping is communicating with people outside one’s immediate circle.

“People of the same culture form their own groups, or enclaves. We still have that here. We need to talk to other people,” she said.

Gamblin made a final point. “Understand that there is no recipe. Cultural competence is constantly evolving. We need the capacity for cultural self-assessment. And we need to institutionalize cultural knowledge. Does Ferris have people of color on the board? If they’re not there, Ferris doesn’t value it. It’s a better learning environment if everyone’s voice is heard,” he said.

S.T.A.N.D. President Jasmine Williams concluded the conference by presenting awards to the organization’s Vice President Brittany Gist, and Secretary Barbara Jones.

Since Feb. 11, the extended hours portion of FLITE has been closed for repairs, and students inspired to write term papers into the wee hours of the night have found themselves out of luck. In the eight weeks since the rupture of a fire suppression system pipeline caused the area to be off-limits, the normal library hours remain the only time that computers and printing resources are available to off-campus students.

When asked about the prospects of re-opening the 24-hour lounge any time in the near future, Randall Schroeder, head of the public services department of FLITE, said he was unsure on the exact progress of restoration, but commented, “The biggest issue has been assessing the damage to the mural.” He went on to say that even though the damage was not as bad as it could have been, “there have still been delays.”

Schroeder says that planning around schedules is difficult, and the restoration crew wanted the mural’s artist, Robert Barnum, to come in and give his personal damage assessment before any structural repairs began.

The restoration efforts are being overseen by the FSU physical plant. Representatives from the physical plant have been unavailable for comment.

“We do have a ‘plan B’ to offer students that will go into effect shortly.”

‘Plan B’ is the opening of the entire first floor of FLITE for past normal library hours. This is scheduled to take effect next Monday, April 14, given that all goes according to plan and that the library can be properly staffed.

About the plan, Library Dean Richard Cochran commented, “We are making adjustments of our hours of operations as we approach finals.”

“We are still working on logistics right now,” said Schroeder. “We will have to double staff the area because of its large size to make sure that it is safe for students to use.”

“Finding people to who really want to work the 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. shift is pretty difficult, as you can imagine,” he said.

No check-out or reference services will be available with the temporary extended hours, but students will have access to computer and vending facilities.

At the request of President David Eisler, this week he is going through a different kind of evaluation process that will look at how good a job he has been doing as president of the university for the past five years.

Last month, Board of Trustees Chair Jim Haveman sent out an email outlining what little details he could of the events to take place. According to Haveman, the meetings will be facilitated by Dr. John W. Moore, an expert at presidential reviews for various organizations. “The purpose of this review is to aid President Eisler’s professional development,” Haveman said.

“It will provide feedback about the perceptions of stakeholders,” Haveman continued, “and offer constructive suggestions to improve his effectiveness.”

Eisler is evaluated yearly because it is mandated by the Board of Trustees and the contract that he signed. This time, though, it is going to be different. According to Karen Obermier, he will be in interviews all day Tuesday and Wednesday and half of Thursday.

It is unknown when the results of these interviews and assessments will be made public, but “there will be one,” said Karen Obermier, secretary to the board of trustees and executive assistant to the president. A full report is due some time in July. The format and the status of these meetings are private.

The people grading the president’s performance have been selected from a wide variety of groups. These include, but are not limited to, “community people, students, staff, and faculty” Obermier said. Some have been randomly selected and others have been asked to volunteer to evaluate Eisler.

President Eisler requested that more people be included than have been in the past. At least 80 people will be involved in this rigorous process. The number invited to take part could very well reach up “to over a hundred people,” said Haveman.

Obermier said they would use a random table of numbers to select many participants. On the other hand, Dr. Daniel Burcham asked members of Student Government at last week’s meeting to volunteer to sit on one of the panels.

Additionally, Ferris students, faculty, and community members not involved directly with the review can have their say by directly contacting the facilitator through mail.

The address for Dr. Moore, in care of his home office, is 1634 Monarch Dr., Venice, FL 34293. Although the identity of the letter writer will be kept confidential, it is required that all letters be signed.

Blood, gore, and engorged adrenal glands were just some of the graphic features during the Dead Men Talking event Tuesday, April 1.

Forensic pathologist of Kent County, Dr. Stephen Cohle, presented in Science room 102 and discussed some of the aspects of his job as a medical examiner for the state of Michigan.

Cohle is well noted in his field, having authored his own book entitled “Cause of Death” and having consulted on high profile cases like the Terry Shivo autopsy.

The event was organized by the Association of Ferris Forensics Students. The students handed out T-shirts during the presentation to audience members who could answer Cohle’s questions.

Before getting into the gory details of the cases, Cohle discussed exactly what medical examiners in the state of Michigan do. He explained that medical examiners in our state must possess a medical degree and are appointed. He contrasted this with the coroner’s system of the Indiana where the coroner must be elected and does not need to possess a degree.

He went on to explain that medical examiners investigate deaths that are suspicious, unexpected, or of an unclear cause.

Cohle then went on to discuss the steps that a medical examiner goes through when reviewing each case. Later, he presented the cases to the audience and had them go through the steps aloud: previous medical history, physical examination of the body, the running of tests, and the cause and manor of death.

As each of the cases was presented, each one a bit more graphic than the last, the audience remained curious and engaged as they eagerly answered Cohle’s quiz questions. The presentation did feature graphic photographs from real crime scenes, and audience discretion was advised by the Association of Ferris Forensics Students.

Forensic Science Senior Cheri Heinzelman said, “Dr. Cohle is a fantastic speaker and he is very good at his job and more knowledgeable than most people can comprehend. It was interesting how he brought all of the different parts together, medical judiciary etc. He did a great job explaining things in a way all the audience members, not just forensics students, could understand and appreciate.”

Write-in candidate Amber Balmer was elected president of Student Government by the student body in last week's open elections. Balmer won with just over 50 percent of the popular vote. Robbie Rankey came in second and fellow write-in Jessica Nelson third. Balmer won in electoral votes by a majority.

Rankey, the sitting vice president of Student Government was the only name on the ballot. Write-in campaigns were waged since two candidates were originally determined ineligible to run as official candidates by the Student Government earlier in the semester.

Some of President-Elect Balmer's accomplishments include heading up the WILL Conference and helping with the Holiday Food Drive.

The official announcement was to be made at Tuesday evening's Student Government meeting of the General Assembly. Current Student Government President, Joe Viviano, released the results to the Torch.

A candlelight vigil to raise awareness about eating disorders and to remember those lost to the disease was held Thursday evening, April 3, in the campus quad. The event was sponsored by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders of Highland Park, Ill.

Nicole Solka, a freshman in the College of Business, is a student member of the National Eating Disorders Association. She organized the candlelight vigil and served as the event’s facilitator. Solka mentioned that she spent seven years battling her illness, but her focus was on reclaiming her life.

“A friend of mine who also suffered from an eating disorder described it as ‘walking through a cloud until you come out the other side and can see clearly again.’ That’s what it was like for me. I feel alive again, like I’ve been born all over again,” said Solka.

Guest speaker, Dr. Chris Richmond, a therapist at the FSU Counseling Center, provided some disturbing facts.

“About seven million girls/women and one million boys/men are diagnosed with anorexia nervosa or bulimia disorder. Eating disorders are the most fatal of mental health disorders. They don’t develop overnight; rather, they happen insidiously over time, maybe starting with a diet,” said Richmond.

He also gave signs and symptoms to look for if you suspect someone of having an eating disorder.

“If they are becoming more and more restrictive of or are hiding or hoarding food, they may have a problem. If they take diet pills to excess or always visit the bathroom after eating, they may need help.

“Visiting pro-ana sites, Web sites where anorexia is encouraged, is a serious sign that a person is well into the disorder.

“Symptoms of depression and/ or isolation need the attention of others. Do they avoid people and places or events where food is served?

“Trust your gut level reaction. If you suspect someone you know has an eating disorder, talk to them about it. How do you actually talk to them? First, place no blame. Second, do not give any pat advice such as, ‘if you would just eat something.’ That does not help. And listen to what this person has to say.

“Share your feelings with them. Tell them how it makes you feel to see them suffer. Let them know they are more than their body.

“And refer them to our counseling center. Even if this person is not affiliated with Ferris, we have contacts that can help them,” he concluded.

Amanda Easton, a freshman in the College of Business, suffered from bulimia disorder beginning at age 14.

“It’s an everyday struggle. Some days I can’t do it alone. Other days, I feel more in control,” she said.

“It started when my mom had gastric bypass surgery. If she ate even a little too much, she would throw up. I made the faulty connection that vomiting helps you lose weight.

“Learning more didn’t help. By then, I was starting to eat at midnight. I could eat a whole pizza.

“Today, I can tell you that I’ve gone three years without purging. I now have the courage to say no, to get better,” she said.

Rebecca Wardach, a junior in the College of Business, is taking the drug Topamax®, an antiseizure medication, as part of her recovery plan.

“I’m an odd case. My clinical diagnosis is anorexia disorder, bulimia disorder, and unspecified disorder. I am also diabetic,” she said.

“People in recovery talk a lot about what they’ve lost. I lost a year of high school, my self-esteem and self-worth, friends and family who loved me but eventually said, ‘Well, good luck to you; we’ve had enough.’ And I almost lost my life when I weighed half of what I weigh now.

“But what I’ve gained, besides a healthy body weight, is perspective. Let me tell you, I am not a fan of Barbie. If she were a real woman, she would have to be seven feet tall and 101 pounds with an 18-inch waist,” said Wardach.

Richmond is familiar with the media’s influence regarding body image.

“One study showed that today, 80 percent of fourth graders are either on a diet or want to be on a diet,” he said.

In addition to the patients he treats, Richmond has personal experience with eating disorders.

“I have had close friends and family members struggle with anorexia and bulimia,” he said. “I want to extend Nicole’s message and instill the real hope of recovery,” he continued. “A lot of people have misconceptions of what treatment might entail, so they don’t seek help.”

Solka closed the event with a moment of silence in remembrance of those who have lost their lives to eating disorders.

Only 24 people attended the vigil but each one held a candle against the darkness.

The Ferris State University Fees Committee has approved of a $1 increase to the Student Government Fee.

The once a semester fee will go up to $2 this fall, though the Student Government proposal did not project the increase until Fall of 2009. The increase will be the first change in the fee in 10 years.

At last Tuesday evening’s Student Government meeting, Joe Viviano gave the presentation he put together to explain the need for a fee increase. In March, he gave the same presentation to the Fees Committee along with his proposal to increase the fee for budget purposes over the next few years.

Robbie Rankey heard the reactions of the Fees Committee after the presentation. As it is, the committee has only approved of the one-time dollar increase. “They thought the dollar was more than reasonable,” said Rankey, Student Government vice president. From there, the increase must be approved by various academic colleges.

Additional increases will have to be proposed and approved at a later date.

Viviano, president of Student Government, explained his proposal as it has developed since he brought his first draft to the Student Government General Assembly at the Feb. 26 meeting.

Viviano, as he had written in his proposal, desires there to be an additional increase of $1 every year extended over a few years to allow Student Government to do more on campus and build up reserve funds without a huge increase all at once.

As outlined in the PowerPoint, Viviano compared funds in the Student Government operating budgets with those of other on-campus organizations. While Student Government has a role to give out money, it cannot get money from the finance division or have fundraisers for operations, unlike other RSOs.

One reason presented for the need for the increase is the inflation that has taken place over the last 10 years. The New York Times also has increased the cost of its papers, costing Student Government more to continue the Readership Program.

The organization, according to Viviano, has had to cut back on spending in many ways because of this. Discretionary expenses have gone down from a few thousand dollars last year to under eighthundred, while co-sponsorship of events has disappeared entirely from the budget.

Even with cuts, the budget for the 2007-2008 school year has a deficit of more than $7,000.

There is some worry as to what Ferris students will think of the Student Government fee increase. Some recommendations to educate the student body about the need for an increase were to make a brochure, hold “town hall” type meetings and set up information tables at Student Government events.

Because of Student Government’s deficit spending and tight budget, many General Assembly members expressed concern at the last meeting when faced with the decision to allocate funds requested by Entertainment Unlimited (EU) for Ferris Fest.

The amount of $2,000 was approved after a lot of discussion and a close vote of six to four in the academic senate and 10 to six in the house. The funds allocated will be used to help fund the novelties, such as inflatables and a photo booth that students will be able to use for free during the event.

A news release was recently issued by Ferris regarding the passing of Mark Jankowski. As was reported in the March 19 issue of the Torch, Jankowksi was found in his Merrill hall dorm room unresponsive.

When emergency services arrived on the scene, they pronounced him dead. They noted no signs of physical trauma or a struggle. An autopsy was performed in Grand Rapids but was inconclusive.

Mecosta County Medical Examiner Tim Ladd recently contacted Ferris officials to report the results of a toxicology test. The cause of death is reported as heroin toxicity. The manner of death is reported as accidental.

The Ferris community mourns the loss of Mark Jankowski. He was 18 years old and from Metamora, Mich., and a freshman here at Ferris.

He is survived by his parents, Kim and Tom, his brother Michael, and his sister Meghan.

The FSU Counseling Center is available to help students affected by this or other trauma, stress, anxiety, self-esteem, or relationships. A link to their Web site can be found on ferris. edu in the quick-links pull-down menu.

Bottle Bomb
On March 30 at 12:10 a.m., officers investigated a loud noise complaint in Bond hall, possibly due to a gun shot. Investigation into the incident found four people who had made a pop bottle bomb. They were all referred to the office of student conduct. There was also a warrant sent to the prosecutor's office.

Drunk in the Shower
On March 30 at 8 a.m., officers responded to Brophy hall. The call made to DPS was concerning a water leak problem. After officers investigated they found a subject had left the water running and it began to leak into the room below. One person received an MIP.

Intoxicated
On March 28 at 2:10 a.m., officers stopped a vehicle on State Street for driving with defective equipment. The driver was intoxicated and lodged in the county jail.

Burnt Marijuana
On March 26 at 11:40 p.m., officers responded to Bond hall to assist hall staff. The call made to DPS was concerning the odor of burnt marijuana. One person was referred to the office of student conduct.

Illegal Activity
On March 25 at 11:30 p.m., officers assisted Merrill hall staff. The call made to DPS was a complaint made due to the smell of marijuana. Two people were referred to the office of student conduct.

Trunk Damage
On March 25 between 5 and 8 p.m., there was an hit and run accident in lot 17. There was damage to the rear trunk lid of the vehicle.

Stolen Goods
On March 25 between 3 and 5 p.m., there was a report of a stolen purse from a lab in Bishop hall. The victim left briefly and upon returning the purse was missing.

Possession
On March 25 at 3:45 p.m., officers responded to West Campus Apartments to assist apartment managers. There was a complaint made due to the smell of marijuana. Two people were referred to the office of student conduct and one warrant was sent to the prosecutor’s office for possession.

Look Out
On March 25 at 2:30 p.m., there was a two-car accident in lot 5. One person driving backed out of its parking spot and struck another vehicle.

Rear-View Mirrors
On March 25 at 2:15 p.m., there was a two-car accident in lot 3. Two vehicles backing out of a paring space and struck each other.

Accident
On March 24 at 12:05 p.m., there was a two-car accident in lot 27.

Ticket Totals
From March 25 though April 1, public safety identified 462 violators. Violators were ticketed for a total of $8,070. Actual amount depends on whether the ticket was paid, voided, or reduced.

Alcohol Screening
On Thursday, April 10, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Rankin Center Atrium, FSU Counseling Center will be doing alcohol screening. There is also online screening available and the keyword is Bulldog. For more information, contact Nancy Sage at x5968.

Opening Day
On Thursday, April 10, from 8 to 10:30 p.m. in Williams Auditorium students will perform "The Full Monty." Tickets to the play are $4 for students and $8 for adults. For more information, contact Michael Terry at x5600.

Sibs and Kids Weekend
On Friday, April 11, Sibs and Kids weekend will begin. There is a $15 charge per child. The price includes a t-shirt, food and activities. For more information, contact Mary Rynearson at x7598.

Michigan Energy Conference
On Friday, April 11, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Wink Arena the Michigan Energy Conference will take place. Dick DeVos will be the guest speaker. Students are free and there is a $12.50 charge for non-students.

Chicago Samba
On Saturday, April 12, at 7 p.m. in the Rankin Center Dome Room the Chicago Samba will perform a mix of songs and sounds. Tickets are $3 for students and $5 general admission. For more information, contact Williams at x5600.

Festival of Cultures
On Sunday, April 13, from 1 to 5 p.m. in Rankin Center Dome Room the International Student Organization will host the International Festival of Cultures. This event is free. For more information, contact Ahmed Lafta at laftaha@fsuimail.ferris.edu.

Study Abroad
On Monday, April 14, from 3 to 6 p.m. in Rankin Center Dome Room you can learn how to study abroad at the Study Abroad Fair. For more information, contact Tara Benzing at x2515.

Library Competition
On Tuesday, April 15, from 11:30 a.m to 12:00 p.m. FLITE will display photos from the previous photo competition. Food and drink will be provided. For more information, contact Jodi Shepherd at x3730.

Leadership Series
On Tuesday, April 5, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in Rankin Center Dome Room, Dr. David Aiken will present on ethical leadership. This event is free. For more information, contact Anthony Coy at x8563.

Rap Battle
Today from 8 to 11 p.m. in Williams Auditorium the rap battle competition will take place. This event is free. For more information, contact Christopher Howarth at (616) 308-0522.