What one bean can do: the mystery behind fair trade coffee

What are you drinking? The fair trade movement can been seen in many products, including coffee (Courtesy of crsfairtrade.org)

What one bean can do: the mystery behind fair trade coffee


By Mary Pritchard
Edited by Lauren Fitch


High in the mountains of Nicaragua, a tiny coffee bean grows on its tree until the sun-tanned hands of a Nicaraguan farmer pluck it from the branches.

The bean then joins hundreds of thousands of other shiny brown coffee beans in a warehouse.

At the co-op roasting plant, the bean is roasted by machines, sorted by hand and tasted by trained coffee connoisseurs.

This roasted, sorted and taste-tested bean is assigned an adjective-laden flavor (“medium bodied, full roasted, light acidic vanilla bean”) and then packaged with other beans from the same area. This gives the coffee a richer, more cohesive flavor.

This little coffee bean ships to buyers directly from the co-op plant and is placed on shelves in stores all over the world.

When that little coffee bean is purchased, taken home and brewed into a steaming mug of joe, it is giving the sun-tanned hands back in Nicaragua a fair portion of its profits.

The family high in the mountains is able to maintain a living because of the journey of that little coffee bean.

From the mountainside to a mug of coffee, that little coffee bean is now a part of something bigger—the fair trade movement.

Several students at Grand Valley State University have joined the fair trade cause by selling fair trade items in the Kirkhof Center on campus.

Their table stood out in the student center, draped in pinks and reds with glitter sprinkled over pyramids of fair-trade chocolate, dusting the petals of fair-trade roses and blending in with the red-wrapped fair trade condoms.


Yes, fair trade condoms.
Safe AND fair The fair trade movement has even spread to condoms, making it one of the few things spread by using a condom. (Courtesy of the french letter main.com)

“It’s the rubber in them that is fairly traded,” said Sarah Sheber, a member of the group that was manning the table. Sheber pointed to a slip of paper that summed up the gist of the fair trade movement.

It read: “Thank you for purchasing a socially responsible Valentine’s Day present for your valentine. Through this purchase, you have helped farmers in developing communities to have sustainable farming practices, provide for their families and communities and make a higher wage.”

She also explained what sparked her support for the cause.

“I wasn’t involved in the fair trade club last year, but after I went to Nicaragua this summer I knew I had to be involved,” Sheber said.

Sheber spent three weeks in Central America with six other students for a class in the psychology department called “psychology of social inequality.”

“Here is this gorgeous country with amazing people that we have treated so badly and yet they are still nice to us. If I were a Nicaraguan I’d have a bone to pick,” Sheber said, speaking of the social injustices the people have endured.

Sheber went on to describe how Nicaraguans don’t have the infrastructure to market their own goods.

So when coyotes, or middle men, offer to sell it for them for a fraction of the cost they should be receiving, they have no choice but to accept.

This is where fair trade comes in to play.

During her time in Nicaragua, Sheber spent a week in the mountains with a family of coffee growers who use a fair trade co-op to sell their beans.

“They didn’t have a lot, but they were still better off than the farmers who don’t work through fair trade,” Sheber said. “They own their own land, and I can’t stress what a big deal that is for them because no one can take that away.”

Being certified as “fair trade” seems like the latest trend in an economy that is already plastering “organic” and “green” labels on a nation of products.

Fair trade is the epitome of sustainability—a quality high prized in all three of these labels, said Brian Cesarotti of the Grand Valley State University Students for Fair Trade organization.

“Fair trade is organic. It is sustainable. Sometimes you don’t equate social justice with environmental issues, even though they are interconnected,” Cesarotti said.

Cesarotti described it as a new level of consciousness the consumer is gaining.

However, he worried the support for the movement may just be a passing phase.

“If the market does trend towards the norm in these directions, then that’s a good thing; but if it’s just a niche that can be exploited, than that’s a bad thing that could jeopardize all that we are—organic, fair and just,” he said.

Amy Page, who also participated in the Nicaragua trip with Sheber, stopped to comment on the fair trade movement.

“It’s becoming trendy almost to support causes like fair trade,” said Amy Page, who was lingering near the table piled high with fair trade items.“The green movement is helping; it’s introducing people to this concept.”

Sheber and Page described the pottery and clothing co-ops they visited that use the same principles and follow the same journey as the coffee bean.

FT CertifiedMany businesses must first get certification before calling themselves fair trade businesses(Courtesy of greenoptions.com)

Cesarotti joked even alcohol can be labeled as fair trade.

“When you buy fair trade products, you are supporting a deeper cause,” Page said. “Sometimes you’re buying on a whim; you don’t know where it comes from. Buying fair trade products makes you think a lot more.”

The fair trade certification has specific requirements a company or product must follow before to earn the label.

Generally, five percent of the product must be fairly traded, however Cesarotti said this is subject to the volume of product traded to begin with.

Starbucks, he explained, gets the fair trade label with only two or three percent of their product fairly traded, simply due to their size. Coffee co-ops similar to the ones Sheber and Page visited have 100 percent fairly traded coffee

“Really, the fair trade certification is becoming a marketing label,” Cesarotti said. “It requires minimum standards that don’t always embody the ideals and principles of the movement. They claim to act in solidarity, but in actuality there are very few people speaking on their behalf, which goes against the existing principles.”

He explained because of this a lot of companies don’t bother striving for the official certification but live up to their own ideals of fair trade that can conflict with the overarching goals of the movement.

Fair-trade products aim for the conscience, not the wallet, as evidenced by the products on sale at the Kirkhof.

Cesarotti explained some fair trade products cost more than their non-fairly traded counterparts, due to the base price that is higher for fair trade producers.

The price ensures producers get enough profit for their products to support themselves and reinvest money in their community to pay for things like education and youth programs.
Where are your beans coming from It is important to check to see if your local coffee business is using fair trade for their coffee beans (Courtesy of flyingtigercoffee.org)

Part of the price of a fair trade product is the sustainable and organic farming practices that went into it.
Plus, farmers involved in fair trade co-ops get a steady wage all year round, rather then being dependent on when they sell their product.
Despite the $7 per box cost of the chocolates, students grabbed them up, sometimes two at a time.

Whether this was because their taste was “so worth it,” as Sheber said, or due to the students’ socially conscious shopping habits, is hard to say.

But Cesarotti said the benefit to the consumer doesn’t have a number attached to it.

“You’re benefiting because you have a better idea of where what you are consuming comes from. You’re helping build a relationship between the producer and the consumer, in solidarity,” he said.
This idea of solidarity is important to the fair trade movement as Sheber explained.
Home grown Java city at GVSU provides fair trade coffee

“We get involved not because we want to give them charity, or because we feel sorry for them, but because we feel this solidarity with them. We want to struggle with them,” she said.
Wherever the end of the little coffee bean’s journey was, it has made a world of impact along the way—providing fair wages for its producers and a delicious product for its socially conscious consumers.

Lifelong learner brings Asian cuisine to students

By Marcus J Reynolds
Edited by Lauren Fitch

In Taiwan, Shu-Chau Liu was a teacher who loved to see young children learn. Today, her nametag reads “Stella,” and she cooks homemade dishes at the Raider Grille of Grand Rapids Community College, where she brings customers a taste of Asia.

Campus eats:

GRCC students can sample Asain
culture through on-campus meal options.
(photo courtesy of GRCC)

“Stella has brought the culture of the Wok (Raider Grille) to new heights,” said Sarah Rose, a GRCC counselor.

Shu-Chau Liu, known to customers as Stella, came to America due to personal circumstances. She settled in Grand Rapids, Mich., and her first job was working for a catering company.

Before Liu arrived at GRCC she spent more than 10 years managing a Steak-n-Shake, an Arnie's, an Arby’s and several area restaurants. She enrolled in GRCC’s Culinary Arts program in 2002.

Cheese RagoonThe GRCC culinary program makes dishes like cheese ragoon (Courtesy of the hungrymouse.com)

“I wanted to know about American culture and cuisine, so I enrolled in GRCC’s Culinary Arts Program,” Liu said. “American cuisine is a combination of all cultures.”

Karena Haug, Culinary Arts alumna of 2002, said she believes some of Liu’s attractive qualities are her personality and love of people.

“In the Culinary Arts program Stella had a fun, charismatic outlook in school and in life,” Haug said.

After graduating with her degree in Culinary Arts Management, Liu was referred to Scott Van Deraa, GRCC’s food service director of the Raider Grille.

“She came highly referred. At the interview, her personality came through clearly,” Van Deraa said. “Personality is very important, she fits in well with our staff and the customers love her.”

Almost every day by noon, the Wok’s homemade dishes of cheese rangoon, California spring rolls and postickers are sold-out.

Postickers, similar to egg rolls in size and shape, are Chinese dumplings wrapped in thin dough, filled with ground pork, water chestnuts and green-onions.

“She sells out of everything she makes,” Van Deraa said.

The customers of the Wok have raving reviews about the new additions to the menu and Liu’s customer service.

“Stella is stellar,” student Garion Sutliff said. “She has a bubbly personality and her food is amazing.”

As any good chef would, Liu held her secret recipes close to home but did divulge the ingredients to the next course of her life.

Liu has an appetite for learning. She is currently enrolled in the Dental Hygiene program at GRCC, which will make three degrees when she finishes.

“I want to learn something different every day,” Liu said. “That’s why we're in college…to try new things.”

Chris Brown allegedly beats Rihanna, drags domestic violence into the light

Violent end: The relationship between Rihanna and Chris Brown ended suddenly after Brown allegedly beat Rihanna. Brown awaits sentencing for his actions. (photo courtesy of thevisualpoetssociety)

By Marcus J Reynolds
Collegiate Staff Writer

Edited by Lauren Fitch


Chris Brown, 19 an R&B artist and triple threat in music, acting and dancing, allegedly acted out a violent fit of rage on his beautiful pop star singer girlfriend, Rihanna, 20.

According to an article in the London Times, Brown isn't alone; one in seven men believes it is justifiable to hit a woman.

The same mindset can be found in Grand Rapids, Mich. Bobby Clottman, 36 of Grand Rapids, said he grew up witnessing his foster dad abusing his foster mother.

“I believe that Chris Brown was just acting out what he learned in the home,” Clottman said. “The way I was taught is that the man is over the woman by any means necessary.”

Yirssi Bergman, president of GRCC's Women Now said, “Some men are emotionally immature and believe it's ok to hit a woman rather than respect her for being a woman.”

There have been many media spins on why and how Brown's action happened, including speculations and rumors such as she gave him herpes or he was cheating and then Rihanna checked him on it.

The latest is he came from an abusive upbringing himself, where he witnessed his mother being abused by his stepfather.

So far, the truth isn't out there yet. But the real truth is a man should never put his hands on a woman---period!

Who would ever think the young, charismatic R&B star would ever be investigated for domestic violence and making criminal threats to such a stunning woman as Rihanna?

President of the National Organization for Women, Kim Grady, answered the question best two days after the incident, in her nationwide press release regarding the altercation: “Whether you are rich or poor, famous or not, young or old--domestic violence does not discriminate.”

The story of domestic abuse is closer to home than many people think. Virgia Hankins, a Grand Rapids Community College student, is living proof.

“When we first met he wasn't abusive, but it became worse and worse,” Hankins said of former a boyfriend.

As Hankins stood outside GRCC's Raider Grille, time seemed to stand still as she relived her experiences. The strains of life and the abuse showed on her. A criminal justice major and mother of two daughters, her body slightly shifted and contorted involuntary as she spoke about how anything could “set him off.”

“Another man could speak to me or I could be out with the girls, this would set him off,” Hankins said.

She didn't want to elaborate on what happened during those times, but the way she held her head down told the whole story.

“The last episode, I thought he was going to kill me,” Hankins said.

Finally fed up with her abuser, Hankins left in the middle of the night in her pajamas after six years of abuse and called the police. Many women are not so courageous and fortunate to make it out.

According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence approximately 1,200 women a year, or 3 every day, die in the United States as a result of domestic violence.

“No one deserves to be hit in a relationship,” Hankins said. “The first time you see it, you should get out.”

Hankins isn't as well known as Rhianna, but as a woman she, too, deserves respect. So why would Brown or any man would abuse a woman? Is there ever a good reason?

Research shows abusers have common characteristics: they are possessive, jealous and controlling of their partners.

Hankins said, “He didn't want me to be me, he loved me as long as I was quiet and doing what he wanted.”

Hankins said her abuser is imprisoned for his wrongdoings.

The verdict is still out on Brown. He mad a public apology, turned himself in to the Los Angeles Police Department and is out on $50,000 bail. He also lost several endorsement deals because of the publicity.

In Hankin's case, the attitude of her abuser is clear.

“I don't believe he'll change,” Hankins said. “I still love him, but I can't accept the abuse.”

What will Rihanna do? Her father, Ronald Fenty, has made a public statement regarding his daughter on ABC news.

“At some point, she will speak out," Fenty said. "I hope she will stand up for women all over the world.”

Hankins left her abusive relationship and stood up for herself. Hopefully, Rihanna will do the same.

The bottom line: Famous or not, all women deserve respect, and it is never ok for a man to harm a woman.
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Breakdown of domestic violence
Fact NO. 1: Only about half of domestic violence incidents are reported to police. African-American women are more likely than others to report their victimization to police. According to Lawrence A. Greenfeld. (1998). (Violence by Intimates: Analysis of Data on Crimes by Current or Former Spouses, Boyfriends, and Girlfriends. Bureau of Justice Statistics Factbook

Fact NO. 2: Men perpetrate the majority of violent acts against women (DeLahunta, 1997).

Fact NO. 3: In the National Violence Against Women Survey, approximately 25 percent of women and 8 percent of men said they were raped and/or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, cohabiting partner, or date in their lifetimes. The survey estimates more than 300,000 intimate partner rapes occur each year against women 18 and older. ( According to the Full Report of the Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women).

Fact NO. 4: 17.6 percent of women in the United States have survived a completed or attempted rape. Of these, 21.6 percent were younger than age 12 when they were first raped, and 32.4 percent were between the ages of 12 and 17. (According to the Full Report of the Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women, Findings from the National Violence Against Women).

GVSU students prepare for annual Cesar Chavez march through campus

Si Se Puede! The annual Cesar Chavez march at Grand Valley has seen low turn-out throughout the years(Courtesy of clubs.palomar.edu)

A Better Turn-out for the Cesar Chavez March

by Liz Reyna

Edited by Jared Greenleaf

When Cesar E. Chavez took to the streets of Delano, Cal. during the height of the civil rights movement, his efforts were matched with a resounding applause of thousands.

As the Latino Student Union prepares for their annual Cesar Chavez silent march around campus, their efforts are matched with the support of very few.

Why so few? That is what the LSU and the Office of Multicultural Affairs are attempting to discover.

“We haven't really had a good turn-out in past years,” said Aurora Lopez-Pompa, Secretary of the LSU. “We always have approximately 15 to 25 people there. I think it’s because not many students are aware of who (Cesar Chavez) was or what he did for migrant workers.”

The march for Chavez—a civil rights activist that strove for the humane treatment and the equal rights of migrant workers—is held every year on his birthday, March 31.
Despite the event, the efforts to remember the life of Chavez have gone unnoticed, as many are unaware of his contributions.

However, Paulla Sandoval, Special Projects Coordinator of the OMA says this is only the beginning of a long list of problems.

March banner Marches like the one on campus are held nationwide, including in Los Angeles. (Courtesy GVSU)

Sandoval sees two major problems that contribute to the low turn-out of Cesar Chavez week: A Cesar Chavez national holiday has not yet been declared and with the Latino population around 2 percent on campus, the focus is more on Caucasian and African-American programs.

According to their websites, the United Farm Workers of America (UFW) and The Cesar Chavez National Holiday Coalition are circulating petitions for the declaration of a Cesar Chavez Day. However, to Sandoval and members of the LSU, the holiday will not come soon enough.

“We (Latinos) don't get the same publicity or support that other civil rights activists get,” Lopez-Pompa said.

In a meeting held on Tuesday, members of the OMA addressed the under-representation of the Latino campus community. Sandoval said the consensus of the meeting is that “the finger of blame lies on everyone” but mostly on the insufficient funds reserved for Latino organizations.

Sandoval says Latinos on campus lack the community organizations and fund raising that “puts money in the pot” and brings new and exciting Latino cultural events similar to the events African-Americans have on campus.

Most of all however, Sandoval says Latinos lack a prominent role model in the university.

“Where is the representation for Latinos? Sandoval said. “There is no (Latino) in a predominate position in this university demonstrating success. Students need to see that representation in order to believe it.”

With the week-long celebration of the life and legacy of Chavez, the OMA and LSU seek to remind students of this prominent representative of the Latino community.

“He's our only leader...We don't hear about him in school and they don't talk about him in our history books, but his is the representative that Latinos need,” Sandoval said.

As for Grand Valley State University President Thomas Haas, Sandoval says he will not only participate in the march, but also send out a letter to faculty and staff urging them to participate in the upcoming events.

With the added advertising by Haas, the LSU and OMA expect a higher turnout for the march this year.

Haas Hispanic organizations on campus are looking to Haas for representation and support (Courtesy of siteselection.com)

“Any event that represents and reflects Latinos, such as Cesar Chavez week, helps because it exposes people to our culture and informs them about it,” LSU Vice President Mariana Saucedo said.

The annual Cesar Chavez March will be held on March 31, at 12 p.m. at the Zumberge Library leading to the Grand River Room in Kirkhof. 

What are you doing? The nation begins a new trend, Twitter, enabling members to keep up with friends staus'

By:Tom Mitsos

Edited By: Martinez Scott

What are you doing?

I’m twittering because it seems to be the next big social network phenomenon. First it was MySpace, then Facebook and now Twitter.

Found out Twitter began in March 2006 as a side project from a podcasting service called Odeo. Thanks to PBS for information.

In March 2007, at the South by Southwest interactive, film and music festival, Twitter won the Web award in the blog category.

It’s hard trying to keep each entry to 140 characters or less. Mary Pritchard, Grand Valley State University classmate, said it helps her…

become a better writer.

“It’s helping me become a more refined journalist,” she said. “I
only get so
many words.”

I had to split up the last two updates, 140 characters is not enough. I’ll attempt to keep my following updates under the limit.

I heard about Twitter in my writing capstone class at GVSU. The idea of constant updates seemed very stupid to me.

Idea seemed very pretentious to me. I decided to give Twitter a fair chance. Signed up for Twitter account. It took about two minutes.

Twitter is going through my e-mail account to find friends that are already on Twitter. It found my writing professor, I request to follow…

her. Ugh! I did it again. This will be the last time I go over my limit, I promise. If the limit were 160 characters, I would be happy.

So, what do I do now? Looking around the Web site to find what else I can do on Twitter. Can’t find anything. There has to be something else

Did you notice there wasn’t a period at the end of the last update? The update would have gone over 140 characters had I inserted a period.

Continuing to look around the Twitter site. Found director/writer Kevin Smith’s Twitter. Decided to follow it. Smith’s updates include:

“Finally cleaning my office. Why do I bother keeping anything? When I'm dead, it’ll probably all just get thrown out.”

And: “Can't sleep. Losing at Full Tilt.” I didn’t know Smith was a poker player. Speaking of which, I also found Phil Hellmuth’s Twitter.

Hellmuth is a professional poker player. Updates include: “I’m down 33k!!” and “Has a new YouTube channel.” I need to see his YT channel.

I’m enjoying learning about Smith and Hellmuth’s personal life. It seems to humanize them. As if celebrities were not human to begin with.

Pritchard agrees: “It gives them (celebrities) the opportunity to say things without going through the media.”

Twidiot? Ashton Kutcher is just one of the many celebrities you can follow on Twitter. (Courtesy of GeorgianSouthern.edu )
She is following Fall Out Boy Bassist Pete Wentz’s Twitter. She likes seeing his personal thoughts.

However, many celebrities have Twitter accounts, and they don’t even know it. Actress Tina Fey is just one of these celebrities.

According to gawker.com, Fey’s Twitter is not written by the former Saturday Night Live star and current star of the TV show “30 Rock.”

Pritchard doesn’t like the impersonators. “It pisses me off,” she said. “That’s stupid.” While it may be for fun, sometimes it’s malicious.

Kate Betka, student at Michigan State University, is using Twitter to get news from CNN Correspondent Rick Sanchez and the New York Times.

She said she has no friends that use Twitter, so she is only using it to get news updates. National Public Radio also has Twitter updates.

I found out that it’s not just celebrities, college kids and news organizations using Twitter. Politicians are using it too.

According to Oregon Live, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., Twittered 22 times during President Obama’s speech in February.

I never would have thought Congressmen would be using Twitter. What is this world coming to? Do they have MySpace and Facebook accounts too?

Betka thinks Twitter is just a fad. Unless better features are added, she said Twitter will fade away.

Final verdict: I enjoy checking on celebrities’ Twitters, but unless more friends get a Twitter account, I’ll stick with Facebook.

See? I kept my promise. I didn’t break the 140-character mark again. Now back to writing as many characters as I want.

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Here are a few celebrity and news Twitters:

Phil Hellmuth: http://twitter.com/phil_hellmuth
Kevin Smith: http://twitter.com/ThatKevinSmith
Jimmy Fallon: http://twitter.com/jimmyfallon
Rainn Wilson: http://twitter.com/rainnwilson
CNN: http://twitter.com/cnnbrk
Rick Sanchez: http://twitter.com/ricksanchezcnn
New York Times: http://twitter.com/nytimes
NPR: http://twitter.com/nprpolitics
Earl Blumenauer: http://twitter.com/repblumenauer

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Twitter Fun Fact: Ashton Kutchor recently challenge CNN news to a popularity contest. The celebrity and the news outlet are racing to see who can generate 1 million followers on the micro-blogging site. Read about it here. Watch Ashton challenge CNN here.

Accepting applications: Is reality TV the only profession hiring?

I love New York Reality TV is quickly becoming a place where people get a start on a career in show business, like Tiffany "New York" Pollard, pictured here (Image courtesy TV.popcrunch.com)

By Liz Reyna
Edited by Erika Stack

The reality TV market is a stark contrast from the current economic state.

As we move toward throwing our last bit of hope for the economy into a fiery pit below us, reality TV has been on a slight upturn, rising on the vapors of this fire.

More and more, people are looking at reality TV, if not as a profession, as a transition step between school and professional life. As it seems, being on reality TV is becoming somewhat of a life-long, or near life-long, profession.

More importantly, though, reality TV has become so deeply ingrained in the American life that it is now a substitutable means of prolonging starting a career for some people. In fact, reality TV is a career for some people.

As one of the nation’s newest professions, reality TV powerfully resembles the world’s oldest.
(C'mon, You mean to tell me there is no connection between competing for money and competing for money in bikinis on these shows? )

Just like the oldest profession, reality TV is mostly a young man's game (The men wear bikinis too, as evidenced by last season's “I Love Money” on VH1).

So then, is the fountain of youth the natural spring hidden in the cesspool that is reality TV?

Laura Reindel, Grand Valley State University student and self-proclaimed “reality-TV guru” thinks so.

“A lot of people don’t know what to do with their lives,” said Reindel. “So, they go on reality TV to buy time before starting their real lives. It’s an easy way to make money and prolong facing responsibilities -- and being on TV isn’t a bad bonus.”

Four years at Princeton. Two years studying abroad at Oxford. Five weeks at Sharon Osbourne’sCharm School".

As it seems, reality TV “school” shows may be the next step in education. " VH1's line-up may very well be proof of this substitute education.Among the shows ringing in a slew of classes in session are: “Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School,” “Rock of Love Girls: Charm School,” “Gene Simmons' Rock School,” “Ice-T's Rap School,” “Tool Academy,” and “Tough Love.”

The ratings alone may be proof enough that these shows may be the education viewers are seeking.

According to the Nielsen Media Research TV ratings, VH1's season finale of “Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School” starring Mo'Nique, airing on Sunday nights in July last year, was watched by about 4.1 million viewers.

Throughout its 10-episode season, “Charm School” also averaged a 1.8 rating among adults ages 18 to 49, making it VH1's third-highest-rated series ever. ("Flavor of Love", where '80s rap mogul Flavor Flav tries to find his soul mate, is VH1's highest-rated.)

Shows that teach audiences how to lose weight and get in shape also reach high numbers, according to Nielsen.

This season of NBC's “The Biggest Loser: Couples” brought in 10.5 million viewers with its premeire alone.

According to IMDB.com, the Internet Movie Database, where the public can vote on reality TV as well as movies, VH1's “Tool Academy” is up 14 percent in popularity this week.

With the rampant popularity of these shows, some form of educational value is transmitted to these viewers, whether or not they know it to be happening.

Granted, while lessons like “Check Thyself before thou Wreck Thyself” and “Thou Shalt Goeth, Girl” from “Charm School” aren't necessarily the most valuable of life lessons, they are still being received, and likely processed, by an audience that continues to tune in.

Abby Hartig, GVSU Lanthorn Arts and Entertainment writer, said she sees another reason why reality TV garners such an enormous following.

“I think people that watch the shows are watching it as if it's sort of a freak show, to laugh and be entertained,” said Hartig. “I doubt that through passive watching that they manage to sponge any knowledge off of the show, and if they actually do, then I don't think it's very valuable or long-lasting.”

But even if viewers are watching the circus that has just rolled into town, wouldn’t it suffice to say that they’re learning, whether they know it or not?

We learn the consequences of being conniving, yet also the importance of strategy and planning, as contestants compete for some prize. We learn the do’s and don’ts, (especially the don’ts) of finding love, no matter how ridiculous the circumstance.

Most of all, we learn to be aggressive in pursuing whatever it is we pursue.

But the lesson changes depending on the show.

According to an article in the Black Collegian Online titled “'I Hate My Job.' A reality check on reality shows,” shows like Donald Trump's "The Apprentice" and Al Sharpton's "I Hate My Job," offer a unique perspective for students to “reflect on the challenges of the job market and what it takes to be successful in the highly competitive global market place,” author Linda Bates Parker wrote.

And learning to deal with competition is an important lesson to be learned from reality TV, Parker said, because students will “discover that your competitors will go to any means, even doing things that are unethical, to get the prized position.”

This means that students watching non-business shows, such as “Charm School,” can learn from aspects (such as conniving competition) of the real world, that although exaggerated, can prove inevitably useful.

So reality TV may be some form of education, but is it a career or means of prolonging starting a career?

Many are treating it as such.

Actress Tiffany Pollard, aka “New York,” made a career out of her appearance on reality TV.

Making her debut on the first season of “Flavor of Love” on Jan. 1, 2006, Pollard's resume ran the gamut with reality TV shows including, “Flavor of Love 2,” “I Love New York,” “I Love New York 2” and “New York Goes to Hollywood”.

She then had subsequent appearances on “Nip/Tuck,” “What Perez Sez,” and “Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School.”

With her most recent appearance in 2009, Pollard’s time on reality TV has been long enough for what most people would consider a career.

But Pollard isn't the only one living it up on reality TV.




Actress Coral Jeanne Smith, who began her career on Season 10 of “The Real World” in 2001, appeared on reality TV again in Jan. 2008, for MTV's “The Gauntlet III.”

Smith's roommate Michael Mizanin, who also appeared on season 10 of “The Real World” in 2001, signed with World Entertainment Wresting in 2006, after expressing his desires to be the world renowned wrestler “the Miz” on the show.

And those are only a few examples of many, giving proof to reality TV's standing as a profession.

More importantly, though, most of the people going on these reality shows are young or recently graduated.

Going on a reality show often takes more than three months out of these people’s lives, often putting a hold on their current ambitions.

But not just anyone can be a reality TV star or have it lead to a reality TV career; because it isn't enough to be the bearded lady -- you must also learn to juggle and swallow swords too.

Job qualifications are getting tougher, even with reality TV.

In an effort to combat these tough job requirements, reality TV gurus are offering advice to contestants ready to get in the game.

In fact, knowing the reality show game is now a skill being left to the experts.
Experts like Jack Benza—who appeared on more than 30 reality/game shows—and author of the book, “So You Wannabe on Reality TV,” says that entering the reality TV biz is a lot harder than it seems.

There are steps, he says, just like applying for a regular job that future reality TV stars must complete.

These steps include leaving stand-out messages on answering machines to get a call- back, writing no more than two sentences per question on the application and keeping your answers sharp so your personality jumps off the page.

“Don’t write out your life story,” says Benza. “These people don’t know a thing about you, except for what you tell them.
“Be genuine in your opinions… Don’t tell them you are an actor, even if you are…Do mention every achievement in your life, even if it doesn’t mean much.”

Benza adds applicants should have complete availability, a good nickname and the truth about why you deserve this love or money.

The truth is, applying to be on a reality show is just as much effort as applying for any other job. If it weren’t true, the how-to’s, do’s and don’ts of reality TV probably wouldn’t exist.

When all is said and done, there is a market for reality TV. Young people from across the globe are running the rat race in order to be on these shows.

But what can be said about a nation with a failing economy, but a thriving reality TV market?

Lanthorn writer Hartig has an idea about it all.

“I think it shows that people are always willing to bask in other people's misery and conflict, which is always part of reality TV,” said Hartig. “Probably more now than ever, watching another person's humiliation is more gratifying because of the overall dismal outlook on the country.”
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Liz's Tips for Landing a Reality TV Gig
1. Portray a balanced sense of crazy to land you a one-way ticket to the freak show. Find a happy medium somewhere between Liza Minelli and Andy Rooney on the Crazy Spectrum.

2. Find a special talent. (Note: sex, while interesting TV, is not a proper talent.)

3. Find a good candidate to "job" shadow. I recommend Dustin Diamond (VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club") and Andy Dick (VH1's "Celebrity Rehab").

4. Don't let the slightest question of your sexuality go unnoticed. Add alcohol and stir.

5. Be the best stereotype you can be

A Michigander’s guide to moving away: Five Michigan traits that distinguish Michiganders from the rest of the world

By Ingrid Sjostrand
Edited by Liz Reyna

Your boxes are packed, you’ve sold the last of your school books and are finally ready to move out of the sheltered college town where you’ve spent the last four years.
All of the stereotypes of the fast-paced “city people,” are echoing in your mind. You’ve bought your can of pepper spray to scare off the predators hiding down every dark alley, and the maze-like subway system is written into your brain like an unshakeable Etch-A-Sketch to avoid talking to the rude residents or, God forbid, a homeless person.

You may think you are completely prepared for your new life in the big city, but you are forgetting one thing: how are these city folk going to judge you and what are the things you are leaving behind?

You undoubtedly will encounter the individual who thinks of you as the small-town Christian who hasn’t seen much of the world other than cornfields and deer, or the person who believes Michigan is comprised solely of the city of Detroit. But this list will familiarize you with the many things you didn’t know you do differently from the rest of the country:

1. Midwesterners, particularly Michigan residents, really do have an accent:

{Sorry to say, Michiganers do have an accent. Words like "refrigerator," "forever," and "milk" often get mispronounced}

Compared to the thick accents of the South or New York, Midwesterners might seem to have no accent. Sorry to disappoint my fellow Michiganders, but we have some quirks to the way we speak. Eric Weaver, a Grand Rapids native, created a web site, www. michigannative.com, in which he analyzes the Michigan accent and phrases unique to our state. According to Weaver’s “Michigan Pronunciation Guide,” there are three things you must do in order to speak correctly in Michigan.

“Talk fast, slur your words together, and clip all your hard consonants, also known as a glottal stop,” he said. Need an example of a glottal stop? Weaver uses the word apartment; most Michigan natives would take out all of the “T’s”, making it sound more like “aparh’mehn.”

Don’t think you do that? Here are some other common words Michigan natives have made their own.

Weaver describes the Michigan use of the letter “R” as sounding more like a growl. Words such as “forever,” “refrigerator,” or even Grand Rapids seem to sound more like “Frever”, “Frigerraider” and “Grrarapids.”
Still not convinced?

Another popular problem is turning the letter “i” into “e.” Milk becomes “melk” and thanks turns into “thenks.” Weaver attributes this commonality to Dutch, Irish, Finnish and Welsh heritage rooted in Michigan.

2. You will be ridiculed for calling your drink “pop”:
Refreshments Breakdown The refreshments name game has gone national. PopvsSoda.com shows a nationwide graph of the use of "soda," "pop," and "coke." (Courtesy of evl.uic.edu)

When you move out of the Midwest and crave a carbonated beverage, it may take you some time to figure out what to call it. If you’re moving to the Northeast or Southwest regions of the country, you may want to ask for a “soda,” but if you're moving south, your best bet is a “Coke.” Christen Pearson, a linguistics professor at Grand Valley State University, calls this a dialectical difference.
“In the South, the term 'coke' means any carbonated beverage,” Pearson said. “One has to ask what kind of Coke in order to determine whether one wants a Sprite, Seven-up, etc.”

Why so many different names for one kind of drink?

Faygo, a soft drink company started in Detroit in 1907, claims to have coined the term “pop” after the sound the bottle made when opened.

Many people take their carbonated beverage names seriously, so if you’re trying to blend into your new city, remember where you are and use the appropriate terms.

3. Sadly, there will probably be no “Michigan lefts” when you drive out of the state.
Michigan Left Many Michiganders are used to making Michigan Lefts, a type of turn exclusive to Michigan. (Courtesy of MichiganHighways.org )


The Michigan left turn is essentially turning right to make a left, or going through a light, making a left and then a right. Sounds confusing; but if you are from Michigan, you know how it works.

The Michigan left was a popular solution to traffic congestion implemented in the 1960s with the creation of four-lane super highways, according to the Michigan highways and Michigan Department of Transportation websites. Although it seems to have worked pretty well throughout our state, it has not been picked up by many others—hence the name.

4. You will no longer be able to use your hand as a map: Where Am I? No need for a map, for many Michigan residents the right direction is hidden in every handshake (Courtesy Pethound.net)

For Michigan residents, as long as you have hands, you can show someone where you live.

Moving out of state and into a city will limit your navigation abilities to paper maps or GPS.

The only other place where you can describe your location with a body part might be Louisiana, but you would always have to wear a boot.

5. If you move to a city, it will more than likely be a much more diverse environment:

The major difference between rural Michigan and any large city is going to be the amount of diversity and culture.

Meghan Wass, a former Michigan resident, has lived in Toronto for over four years. She recollects the culture shock she experienced when first moving to a more diverse environment.

“Seeing a man dressed in fishnets and a mini dress in Michigan just doesn’t happen,” Wass said, “or (having) a rainbow tattooed on their head.”


She said that people in bigger cities are much more accepting toward unusual behavior and style. So don’t be surprised when you find yourself surrounded by such a variety.

When you pack up your car and move into your cheap inner-city apartment, just remember you might get made fun of for your “accent” or have to correct your carbonated beverage order.

Never forget the good old days of the Michigan.

And remember, if you start missing the good ol’ Great Lakes State, follow your personalized hand-map, take a Michigan left and head back home.