Nonconforming: Some Americans are unhappy with the nation's DTV switch scheduled for early 2009

By Lindsey Romain
Edited by Martinez Scott


Stephanie Fetting’s television is face down in her garage, where it’s been collecting dust since December.

Fetting, 19, made the decision to ditch her bedroom TV set as soon as she heard of the planned digital television, or DTV, switchover in February. She is part of a very small percentage of people who’ve been opposing the transition since the decision was solidified last year.

Raised in a strict Catholic household in Peck, Mich., Fetting gave up television for lent last year at her mother’s suggestion. She’s been anti-TV since.

“I use my set at school to watch movies with my roommates, and that’s it,” says Fetting, a sophomore at Central Michigan University, majoring in communication disorders and gerontology.

While her gadget-obsessed peers, as she describes them, type texts on their BlackBerries or uploads music to iTunes, Fetting considers herself a technology-pacifist. She owns a cell phone, a laptop and an MP3 player (not an iPod, as she’s quick to point out), but is a minimalist with all three.

Fetting prefers reading and writing, or playing intramural sports. She’s the head of her campus’ gerontology and language hearing clubs, and is on her dorm’s hall council.
“I could care less about television for the most part,” she says. “I get my news from the newspaper or online. And any TV shows that I want to watch come out on DVD, so I just watch them then.”

She even convinced her parents to not purchasing a new television set or converter box for the DTV transition, admitting they utilize their radio more than most modern families.
“It just doesn’t really matter to us,” says Fetting.

Commercials and corner-of-the-screen ads have been reminding us since December that TV is about to take it to the next level. The transition date was set for Feb. 17, 2009, but a bill passed by the House on Feb. 4 pushed the date to June 12 after Nielsen Media predicted 6.5 million American households weren’t prepared for the switch.

The bill, signed by President Obama on Feb. 11, was designated to give those households a little more time to get with the digital program.

Digital TV is the latest nation-wide technology advancement craze, a way of transforming static analog cable to crystal-clear, high definition television images. The transition has been in progress since early 2007, when televisions were first required to be produced with HDTV tuners.

Network TV stations have been preparing for the transition for the past year, several of which plan to switch to DTV on Feb. 17 despite the bill.

The majority of Americans have embraced the transition. In fact, millions of people remain on waiting lists for converter coupons, which offer a major discount on the pricey boxes.
Households that have satellite TV or have bought sets in the last few years won’t even have to bother with converter boxes.

Some people, like Fetting, have seen the transition as a way of bidding farewell to the TVs that plague them. For others, like Erin Reynolds, 21, a Washington College senior from College Park, Md., price constraints have also factored into the decision to part with TV.

Reynolds, an English, says she’s troubled by the hassle of having to replace her beloved “bunny eared” TV set, a fixture in her room since she was a child.

Reynolds is in the process of finding an apartment for her June departure from her college-housing complex. She had plans to buy a new TV before she was let go from her part-time job.

Now that money is harder to come by, she backlisted the hopes of buying a new TV, or a converter box for her old one, instead seeing the transition as an opportunity to give it all up.

“If I really wanted to watch TV, I’d make it work,” she says. “But I’d rather pay for wireless Internet so I can watch my shows online anyway.”

Somewhere in the process of actively not caring, she got swept into the politics of the situation, joining the Boycott DTV Facebook group, where users have expressed a radical opposition to the transition.

The Boycott DTV group description expresses a governmental concern with the DTV switch, likening the officials mandating the transition to Big Brother, stating that the “terrorist rhetoric has begun.” Members share links to other articles and websites, one in particular from Yahoo! that asks the question “is the change from analog to digital TV a conspiracy?”

The group was founded by Facebook user Louise M. Doire, a religious studies instructor at the College of Charleston in Charleston, Sc., who claims she is irritated with the “heavy-handedness” and “complete lack of choice” about the transition.

“There was a threatening tone of the advertising that went along with, ‘If you don’t switch to cable or get a converter box, your television reception will end,’” she says in regards to her opposition to the switch.

Doire created the group in January after consistent annoyance with ads and complaints from students and faculty. She penned the hard-hitting words in the group’s description.

Reynolds, who joined the group last month, claims she’s on the quieter end of the spectrum, laughing off the totalitarian angle her fellow group members are professing.

“I see it as more of an innocent thing,” she says. “The word ‘boycott’ for me just meant ‘hell yeah, goodbye TV.’”

Facebook isn’t the only outlet for angry Americans in opposition to DTV. Media blog New Media Musings points out that digital video recording devices, such as VCRs, will no longer be able to record programs because of a “broadcast flag” encoded in DTV streams. The blog suggests boycotting DTV because it’s a “lockdown regime,” taking away the traditional rights we had with analog TV.

Stephanie Fetting hasn’t gone as far as boycotting, but she does express concern that the transition is a little drastic, especially during the country’s current economic crisis.

“When my parents’ jobs are being threatened, I don’t really think it’s appropriate to expect them to go out and buy all of this new stuff just to watch the news,” she says.

Reynolds echoes the same thought, admitting her parents probably don’t even know what DTV is, and that mandating the switch is “too much to ask.”

Doire shares the concerns of Fetting and Reynolds. “[I resent] the assumption that everyone has computer access to get a converter box coupon,” she said.

I keep wondering what will happen to those who cannot afford cable, cannot afford a computer. I suspect that is a reality that accounts for more American families than we think.”

Part-time librarian Cynthia Morningstar, of Shelbyville, Ind., offers a different take on the matter. A long-time reading advocate, Morningstar stresses the importance of the written word as opposed to the superficial world of television.

“The most important thing about reading is that it strengthens a person’s vocabulary,” she said.

“People with better vocabularies come off as articulate, intelligent, and more interesting. You don’t get that from watching TV.”
“The lack of television inspires imagination,” Morningstar says.

“We didn’t have a TV when I was growing up, so I had to work at paying attention to clues and character details in the stories. With TV, you see it, and the magic of the imagination disappears.”

Despite boycotts and online bantering, June 12, 2009 will mark America’s final transition to digital television.

That is, of course, permitting another bill isn’t passed for a further delay. By late June, July, the months following, or next year, it seems inevitable that some of DTV’s opponents will succumb to the trend.

Louise Doire, once so adamantly against the switch, has already bought a coupon for a converter box, admitting that she’s lost the drive to commit to the boycott.

Stephanie Fetting admits that purchasing a new TV or converter might be inevitable down the road. “Never say never. But for right now, I could care less.”

Erin Reynolds is a little less carefree, admitting her apartment will seem quiet without the presence of a TV, but that she’ll be proud of herself. “I’ll probably read more, like I’ve been meaning to. And I’ll have more money in my purse.

“Mostly,” she says, “I’ll miss channel surfing.”

A People Politician?

By Lindsey Romain
Edited by Jared Greenleaf

Tom Lukshaitis doesn’t strike you as a guy with an intimidating presence. Clocking in at barely five feet, he seems an unlikely candidate for mayor. With an olive green, striped polo standing in for a suit and tie, shorts instead of slacks, a pair of yellow-tinted sunglasses on his nose, he gives the impression of a gentle uncle or an old family friend.

“People think I wear these to be cool,” he says, acknowledging the odd-colored frames. “Truth is, I’m about as dyslexic as they come. These are supposed to slow my eyeballs down.”

He’s personable, stocky, a little too loud and a little, as

 he says, “too Polish.” There are times he laughs himself hoarse at his own jokes, and when I inform him that he’s an image of respect in the town of Sandusky, Mich., 

where he’s been mayor since 2005, he kindly thanks me, but his sarcasm gives way to embarrassment.

Perhaps this pride is the reason he didn’t have a citywide campaign, didn’t knock on any doors, or didn’t even expect his candidacy until two days before the election.

“I was a write-in candidate,” he says. “I wasn’t expecting a thing.” The victory made for a pleasant surprise? “Oh yeah. Not only did I beat the two other write-ins, but I also beat the 34 misspellings of my last name.”
His position as mayor may not have been planned, but Lukshaitis is quick to point out it wasn’t exactly an accident either. “When I heard there was no one running, I knew I wanted to try,” he says, then pauses and adds, “if only for the bragging rights.”

The first thing I pick up on when talking to Lukshaitis is his smart-as-a-whip sensibility. His self-professed no bullshit attitude is no doubt what’s made him a topic of praise and controversy in Sandusky, the county seat of Sanilac County.

Sandusky, a

 conservative, Republican city (the Republican Michigander shows a majority of Republican victories for Sanilac County in congressional and local elections over the past eight years) seems an odd conquest for Lukshaitis, who doesn’t name his political affiliation, but speaks highly of Barack Obama .

“Do I believe he’ll do the things he says he will? Lukshaitis asks of the president. “Absolutely.”
He isn’t exactly demure about his views on a few of the current political corruption either, making note of last week’s impeachment of Rod Blagojevich, the senator from Illinois who was accused of attempting to sell Obama’s open senate seat.

“That man should be horse-whipped,” says Lukshaitis shamelessly. “He should be publically humiliated and locked away. Capitalism is a corrupt system. It sickens me to watch these rich men on their high horses say ‘to hell with you, America.’”
Lukshaitis admits to appreciating the sense of power that comes from being a politician, likening the feeling to winning the lottery, but doesn’t see it as an excuse.

“I’ve got none of the credentials that Blagojevich has, but it’s not about that in this case. I know better. I was raised better,” he said.

Lukshaitis grew up in Hamtramck, a small city right in the middle of Detroit.

“I always tell people I grew up in the inner city, but in a small town,” he says with a laugh. His Polish mother and Lithuanian father insisted on public school, as opposed to Catholic, to broaden their son’s horizons. He graduated in 1967, the summer of the Detroit riots, with a GPA of 2.7.

“Listen, I wasn’t book-smart,” he explains. “I couldn’t make out words. I was the kid in the front of the class trying to pay attention.”

Despite his difficulty with school, his dyslexia remaining an underlying factor in his struggles, Lukshaitis was accepted to Central Michigan University, where he worked on a bachelor’s degree in education.

After graduating in 1971, he waited a year, remained jobless, and went back for a master’s in recreation and park administration.

“My goal was to have a job teaching during the school year, and then do recreational jobs come summer,” he says.

In his second round of graduate school, this time for school administration, he met Virginia Maher, whom he married in 1974, and with whom he now has two children: Gregory, 27, and Margie, 21. The couple moved to Vassar, an even drive between Kingston, where she worked as a teacher, and the Genesee County Department of Social Services, where he worked full-time.

“Talk about a depressing job,” he says. “It wasn’t what I wanted to be doing. Not at all.”

By chance, then-superintendent Larry Wilson offered Lukshaitis an open position at Sandusky 

High School.

He taught night classes at first, but became a high school teaching-aid after eight years. In his run, he avoided many of the school’s budget issues, surviving a cut of one-third of the staff. After his eighth year, he was offered the position of middle school principal.

“It was great. I was climbing up the ladder, thinking I’m big stuff. I thought I was God’s gift to Sandusky,” Lukshaitis said. “And then my wife got sick.”

Virginia Lukshaitis, or “Ginger,” as she was known to friends, died from multiple sclerosis in 2001 after nearly 20 years of battling the disease. Her passing took an emotional toll on Lukshaitis, who found her body in the kitchen of their house after coming home from work.
“Suddenly here I was, a single parent, my son in college, my daughter getting ready for college,” he recalls. “I didn’t know what to do.”

After Virginia’s diagnosis in 1979, Lukshaitis stepped down from his position as principal and took an elementary math position at Maple Valley Elementary.

“I couldn’t go from absolute chaos at work to absolute chaos at home, so I had to make some sacrifices.”

At Maple Valley, he formed a friendship with secretary Ginny Bisset. It was Bisset who encouraged him, four years after his wife’s death, to register for a write-in mayor position.

“The ballots were just blank,” recalls Bisset of the 2005 election. “Jim Nolan, the mayor at that time, had just retired. No one wanted to fill his shoes. But I thought ‘if one guy should do this, it’s Tom.’”

“I needed a new page in my life,” Lukshaitis said. “I had some familiarity with politics. I used to attend city council meetings back in Hamtramck when I was a kid, and I was elected president of the teacher’s union when I’d first gotten into education.”

But it wasn’t just a political flair that attracted him.

“I knew this town by now,” he said. “I knew the schools, I knew the families, I knew the people.”
After winning the election, he was met with an influx of excitement and happiness.

“All seemed well,” he recalls.

His daughter was off at Western Michigan University, his son teaching in Wyoming. The city of Sandusky was in a good place. He was mayor of the town he’d grown to love and spokesperson for the people he had come to admire.

Lukshaitis’ first challenge as a mayor was dealing with the pull out of Swedish factory tycoon Trelleborg, who threatened to shut down their plant in Sandusky. Trelleborg, whose plant employs more residents of Sandusky than any other institution, was the bubbling vessel of hope in the looming economic crisis. Though the company ended up keeping the plant open, it refused to build another, despite showing previous interest.

“The only reason they didn’t shut down the other plant was because Sandusky is their most profitable plant in the Americas. And do you want to know why?” Lukshaitis asks. “Work ethic. Our guys show up to work, they make their money, they do their jobs.”

It was the loss of the potential Trelleborg plant that aided in Sandusky’s current state of dissolve. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s predictions, Sandusky’s population was 2,645 in 2007, a 3.64 percent decrease from 2000. The loss of students from the public schools has triggered new budget issues. Several teachers are on strike, and all face unemployment as the school continues to lay off positions.

Lukshaitis isn’t quiet about the ordeals with the school and city population, a fact the people close to him are quick to point out.

“My dad is good about separating home from work,” says Margie Lukshaitis, daughter of the mayor, “but if there’s one thing I’ve picked up on, it’s that he wants so desperately for people to have jobs. He watches people moving away, sees the schools losing students. I know it kills him.”
His solution?

“I think we should build a huge casino,” he said. “The people on the city council think I’m crazy for that.”

“He’s not quiet about wanting to try new things,” says Bisset, who also serves as councilwoman on the city council with Lukshaitis twice a month. “It gets him into a little bit of trouble.”

“I’m not the mayor walking around at the parades, shaking the kids’ hands,” Lukshaitis professes. “I’m the guy rallying on the sidelines for what I think is right. And it scares people sometimes. It should. But I won’t admit defeat.

So what does Lukshaitis do to get away from politics?

Ice fishing, it turns out, is the perfect remedy for mayoral blues.

“I don’t care if I catch anything,” he said. “There’s something about being out there. All of my worries sink into the water.”

He’s sitting in his living room, catching up on the Blagojevich case on his television. “I watch the History Channel a lot, I watch some CNN. But I don’t do network television,” he explains. “But this… I’m interested in this.”

Despite his harsh stance on the fate of the former Illinois senator in a previous interview, he’s more relaxed about him now. Perhaps it’s the ice fishing endorphins pumping through his body, but there’s less hostility in his manner of speaking. When he starts talking about some of his past hobbies, like coaching his son’s baseball team or walking with his wife to the public library, he grows quieter. But when I ask about some of the disadvantages of being mayor, his voice ignites again.

“I get the 11 o’clock phone calls from the town drunks telling me how to improve the city,” he says with a sigh. “Or the couples asking me to marry them on the courthouse lawn.

“But really,” he says, his sarcasm fading, “the worst thing is being second-guessed. I’m bombarded with the sense of trying to do my best in such a lousy time. Our town is dying. I drive through the streets and see empty houses, bad roads. I hate raising water rates, but I have to raise water rates. People hate that, and people hate me for doing that, but it’s what has to be done.”

“My dad’s just trying to do the best he can for that town,” says Margie. “He has high hopes, but he’s practical. He takes into account what the people around him are saying. He isn’t cheating anyone. He’s smarter than most people I know, and what’s more, he has common sense.”

“What’s helped me remain successful and self-confident is that I’ve always showed up,” Lukshaitis says, the strength of his voice flaring. “Just like those workers at Trelleborg show up.

And I’m honest. I’ve been interviewed enough to know that that blunt honesty isn’t what people always want to hear. It’s the worst, and best, of me.”

So while Blagojevich professes his innocence to CNN or the women of “The View,” Lukshaitis stays optimistic that he won’t have any major political faults of his own to worry about. And despite certain personality criticisms, he retained the throne of Sandusky in the 2007 mayoral re-election.

“That either means I’m doing something right,” he says, “or it shows you how much people really care.”

-----------------------------------------------------------
The Virginia Lukshaitis Memorial Collection
In memory of Virginia Lukshaitis, wife of Mayor Thomas and mother of Greg and Margie, the Sandusky District Library has set up a memorial for their esteemed patron. Virginia was an avid book reader and valued member of the community of Sandusky. Paying homage to her former-teacher status, the Young Adult section of the library is named in her honor.
Friends and family of Virginia have already made generous contributions, with the collection reaching 200 books in 2008.
For more information on how you can donate to the library in Virginia’s name, visit the Sandusky District Library’s website: www.sandusky.lib.mi.us

If this guitar could talk

Ariel II Brandon Marshall, a GVSU sophmore student, recenty began a relationship with his new guitar, the Ariel II. (Courtesy of Google Images)
By Tom Mitsos
Edited by Lauren Fitch

“If these walls could talk…” is a common expression people say when they are in the location of a historic event. Brandon Marshall’s guitar may not be historic in any way, but if his guitar Ariel II could talk, it would have a few stories to tell.

Ariel II entered Marshall’s life in December 2008.

Marshall, a sophomore at Grand Valley State University, credits his desire to learn the guitar to video games such as “Guitar Hero.” Though he said playing the songs on “Guitar Hero” was becoming less fulfilling.

“Playing songs with a real guitar is more fun,” he said.

Ariel II, named after the Disney character Ariel because of its metallic red body, is a Squier Stratocaster by Fender.

Marshall bought the electric guitar in December 2008 from his uncle, Phil Ryski, after learning to play in June of the same year.

Ryski bought it in a yard sale near his home in Belleville, Mich.

The guitar was six years old when Ryski bought it in the summer of 2008. However, the teenage owner rarely played, so it was nearly as good as new.

Ryski had no problem breaking the guitar in. He said he played it all day and all night for the few months he had it until he sold it to Marshall.

Since Ryski only had the guitar for a few months, the guitar did not experience many different places before switching owners.

Luckily for Marshall, Stratocaster guitars are perfect for beginners or intermediate players.

According to Kelly Industries, a Web site dedicated to selling musical instruments and accessories, Stratocasters are made in China.

The price tag is around $150 and they produce a good sound for the price.

The body of Ariel II, Marshall’s guitar, is made of alder wood and the neck is made of maple.

Marshall said the red color of the body was one of the reasons he named the guitar Ariel II after the Disney character Ariel who has long, flowing red hair.
The other reason was Marshall’s attraction to the Disney character.

“I think Ariel from ‘The Little Mermaid’ is hot,” Marshall said with a smile on his face.

Before Ariel II, Marshall had another red guitar he named Ariel, which Ryski gave to Marshall’s sister Becky years ago.

Becky never played the guitar, so Brandon inherited it.

However, due to many small problems with the guitar, he decided to give Ariel back to Ryski and upgrade to the Stratocaster.

Ryski sold the Stratocaster to Marshall for $75, which was the amount he paid for it at the yard sale. Ryski said he could have gotten more money for it as he mentioned this was not an ordinary guitar.

“It’s not your run-of-the-mill guitar,” he said. “It’s extra special, it has a light body.”

Ryski has a day job as a musical instrument repairman. He said he buys not only guitars, but other instruments including flutes, trumpets and tubas.

When he isn’t repairing instruments, he plays them in a band called The Bluescasters.

According to their MySpace page, their music is a mix of rock and blues.
Ryski plays the guitar, harp and piano and also sings for the band. He said he never used the Stratocaster to play concerts.
Despite being a musician since he was 15, Ryski is unable to play “Guitar Hero” well.

Though currently not in a band, Marshall said it would be cool to be in one.

“If I could make a career out of it, I would,” he said.

However, he said realistically that will most likely not happen. For now, Ariel II will be used for personal entertainment only, although Marshall said he might start offering lessons to people for a fee.

He said he needs to improve his skills before he can offer lessons.

Don Marfia, an employee at Best Buy in Grand Rapids, Mich., agreed “Guitar Hero” has gotten more people to try playing a real guitar.

Best Buy opened a musical instrument section in its Grand Rapids store on Oct. 31, 2008. Marfia said it is the only Best Buy in West Michigan to have a musical instrument section. He said the store has done good sales in the past three months, despite the struggling economy. Marfia attributed the good sales to the location of the store.

“Grand Rapids has a lot of underground music,” he said.

Marfia said beginners, as well as advanced players, come into the musical instrument section.

“It’s a good, healthy mix,” he said.

Steve Hunter, an employee at Guitar Center in Grand Rapids also said “Guitar Hero” has helped sales, but sales are still down due to the economy.

Fortunately for Marshall, Ariel II did not put a dent in his wallet.

With Ryski, Ariel II has been able to play its fair share of songs.

Ryski, unable to name a specific song he could play, explained when he said “every song” he meant “every song.”

“I may not know the words, but if I hear the song, I can play it through,” Ryski said.

Marshall’s list of songs is not quite as big as Ryski’s, but it is slowly growing.

Marshall said the first song he ever learned how to play was “Day Tripper” by The Beatles.

The second song Ariel II played for Marshall was “Reptilia” by The Strokes.

Other Ariel II’s songs include the James Bond Theme Song, “A-Punk” by Vampire Weekend and “Business Time” and “The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room” by Flight of the Conchords.

Marshall has a long list of songs he hopes Ariel II can play with him in the future. He said he would like to learn “Pinball Wizard” and “The Seeker” by The Who.

He also said he would like to be able to improvise, meaning he would simply play notes without trying to play a certain song.

Ariel II has been around the world, starting in China where it was made and ending up in Allendale, Mich. where Marshall goes to school.

Marshall said it may have another owner in the future.

“I could see passing this down to someone else in my family,” he said.

Ariel II may not have experienced much right now, but in a few years we may be thinking, “If this guitar could talk.”

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Below is an example of a guitar tab. This is how Marshall learns new songs. Each letter stands for a string on the guitar. Each number stands for what fret you place your finger(s) on. Tabs are read from left to right, so the first note is on the e-string and the zero means it is an open note so you simply strum the string without holding anything on the fret board. The next note is also on the e-string and the 3 means you hold your finger on the third fret of the e-string, and strum the e-string. See “Guitar Hero” fans? It’s not as easy as pushing colored buttons on a plastic guitar. This tab is the main riff of The Beatles song “Day Tripper.”


e-------------------------------
b-------------------------------
g-------------------------------
d-------------2-0---4----0-2--
a----------2------2----2-------
e--0--3-4----------------------

What do the inaugural promises mean for America’s racial divides?

By Liz Reyna
Edited by Martinez Scott

Oralia Contreras is hopeful.
As an English Language Learner teacher and guidance clerk at Westview High School, Contreras said she sees the message of change beating in the hearts of her students.

“They are all hopeful,” she said. “I have students come to me daily to tell me they are very hopeful that (Barack) Obama can make a change for them.”

But as the excitement of the inauguration of America’s first black president boils over in the world’s melting pot, Contreras said she worries if the change is indeed reserved for her students. Many of her students are illegal immigrants.

They come to the United States, she said,to learn English and for better oppurtunities.

Contreras said the immigration problem is one issue that has been a big disappointment in past years. She hopes Obama can fix.

“Whether they are illegal or have gotten their papers, Obama needs to fight for them and welcome them,” she said.

She said with Obama’s inauguration, one promise he must keep is to tackle immigration reform. Without it, she said, she sees little progress for Hispanics.

“The bottom line is that everybody wants that freedom and those opportunities, but what is Obama going to do for Hispanics?” Contreras said.

Yet Contreras is still hopeful and like many, supports Obama—a deviation from what was expected from Hispanics, due to so-called Hispanic-African American divide.

With the inauguration completed, Hispanics such as Contreras are looking to Obama to see what might be done for this racial divide.

According to the article in Newsweek, “The Black-Brown Divide” by Jamie Reno, author Earl Hutchinson said there would be reluctance among many Hispanics to vote for an African American candidate.

José Reyna, assistant to the city manager of Grand Rapids, said many Hispanics from the start found support in another candidate.

“Hispanics initially identified with (Hillary) Clinton because of their loyalty to Democratic Party and the Clintons’ support of their community,” Reyna said. “Many were deaf to Obama’s message about empathy with Hispanic community.”

He added once the race between Obama and McCain begun, Obama’s message finally resonated with Hispanic community.

And resonate it did, as exit polls showed Hispanics voted 67 percent Obama to 30 percent McCain.

Yet even with the support and the nomination, Hispanics like Yasmin Ibarra-Delgado, a paraprofessional at Loy Norrix High School, still worry how Obama might help them.

“I married an illegal immigrant, so the issue of immigration is important to me,” Ibarra-Delgado said. “I wonder what Obama might do to help people in the situation I was in.”

As it stands, Obama has proposed an immigration reform plan that includes border surveillance with new technologies and reprimands employers who hire undocumented workers.

For undocumented immigrants, Obama has proposed to have them register, pay a fine for entering illegally, pay taxes, and learn English.

In addition, the undocumented immigrants must go to the back of line in applying for citizenship—behind people who are waiting to earn it legally—but has also proposed to give “illegals” time to earn their citizenship.

With this, the immigration matter is particularly crucial, Reyna said, and if Obama ignores these promises, a rift between racial groups might occur.




Andrew Schlewitz, GVSU Latin American Studies and Political Science professor, said the immigration issue resonates differently with both African Americans and Hispanics depending on geography. Those closer to the border might feel more affected.

But there is some common ground through it all.

Schlewitz said he believes there are issues, like the creation of jobs, which can unite this perceived divide.

There is one thing complicating this pursuitSchlewitz added.

“All of the issues depend on how quickly and how thoroughly we can recover from the economy because it has been putting all sorts of groups against each other,” he said.

Danny Aldaco, a department technician for the State of Michigan, echoed those sentiments and said the economy is much to blame for these divides.

“I think that people are realizing what race you are is not important now,” Aldaco said. “Everyone is struggling right now and I think fixing these issues will unite people.”

As it stands, Obama’s economic plan is to create or save up to 4 million jobs through renewable energy jobs.

Daniel McClure, GVSU professor of Liberal and African American Studies, said this economic plan should do much for African Americans and Hispanics.

He added African Americans and Hispanics live in similar conditions, face similar discrimination in housing, jobs and education, and therefore would find common interests rather than competing interests throughout this divide.

But in examining the rift between African Americans and Hispanics, deeming Obama as a representative for all African Americans might have little to do with the divide.

Reyna said Obama might not be symbolic of the entire African American experience. It is not that simple, he added, and rather, Obama speaks for all races.

“A leaning toward any particular racial group may disenfranchise many and I think many are looking for that to happen, but he may be too genuine to let that happen,” Reyna said.

Courtney Baker, a photography student of African American and Caucasian decent, said this leaning will not happen not as a result of genuineness but rather because Obama is multi-racial. “Like myself, Obama is of mixed race and has had to be political all of his life in the way he identified himself,” Baker said.

He added because of that, Obama can appeal to all races, including African Americans and Hispanics.

So then, has “the ground shifted,” as Obama proclaimed in his inauguration speech, to acknowledge a new dimension of race?

Schlewitz said yes.

“Political analysts are now looking at race as a generational thing,” Schlewitz said. “The baby- boomers are getting old and race and ethnicity are gaining a different take among the younger generations.”

With this, the question remains: Is the nation moving toward a post-racial America, without divides?

McClure said the notion of a post-racial America is ridiculous and unappealing.

“Race is a fundamental…fact of American history, culture and identity and will not disappear simply because President Obama is no longer interested in discussing the ways it shapes all of our lives,” McClure said.

Instead, he suggested tackling the issue head-first in order to break down divides.

But for many, such as Baker, those divides cannot be understood without an example from the top.

“I think many are looking toward Obama right now for the next step in breaking down racial barriers,” he said.

Great Lakes Paranormal Organization solves ghostly mysteries

Spirits The GLPO tries to find out if places around West Michigan are really haunted, like the Felt Mansion in Holland, pictured here (Photo courtesy of the Great Lakes Paranormal Organization)

By Stephanie Lulofs
Edited by Erika Stack

It was nighttime, and the sunroom was pitch-black except for the soft beam of light flowing in from the kitchen. A heavy French door opened and shut - but nobody was near it.

Amberrose Hammond, a local paranormal investigator, sees events like this often, and helps figure out what caused them.

She has been investigating ghosts since 2001, and is a part of The Great Lakes Paranormal Research Organization, which investigates local areas that people believe to be haunted.

“In my eight years of doing paranormal investigation, I still have yet to have that one moment that just makes you a believer,” Hammond said. “I’m still an open-minded skeptic and have actually become more of a skeptic doing this.”

But Hammond and fellow investigator Scott Lambert have both experienced unexplainable paranormal events.

“During one investigation a few years ago, as I was talking to the owners of the residence, I felt something crawling up my leg,” Lambert said. “I stopped talking, looked down and saw nothing. I never felt anything like that before.”

Hammond said she saw a strange blue light moving on its own while she investigated a cemetery in Cape Cod, Mass.

Still, Hammond and Lambert agree that the team usually leaves the sites empty-handed.

“I’ve learned that paranormal occurrences are quite rare,” Hammond said. “Many things are brought on by our own minds being in a spooked state. Paranormal activity can't be turned on or off, so you never know when you’re going to come by something.”

When studying paranormal activity, the most time-consuming aspect is going over the evidence collected by the various instruments used by the investigators, said team member Julie Williams.

“It takes more time going through evidence after the investigation then the investigation itself sometimes,” Williams said. “(That means) going over the audio, video, writing up the report, so that also factors into the amount of time spent on a case.”

Some equipment they may use on a typical case are night-vision cameras, electromagnetic field detectors and digital voice recorders in case a spirit tries to verbally communicate with the team.



Hearing voices An example of an "EVP," or Electronic Voice Phenomenon, recording taken by Paranormal Research & Investigative Studies Midwest


With the growing popularity of paranormal investigation television shows, Hammond and her team have high hopes that they will describe what investigating is about, and shed some light on the truth behind it.

But Hammond and Lambert said they don’t experience the paranormal as often as the investigators on the popular ghost-hunting television shows do, so they do not accurately portray what really happens during an investigation.

“Many of us were excited when (the shows) first came out, but we were quickly disappointed when the shows on TV continuously showcased paranormal activity in every show, which is extremely rare,” Hammond said. “Soon thousands of people jumped on the bandwagon and started forming their own ghost-hunting groups, telling people they aspired to be like the shows, and that they could ‘help people with their haunting,’ when in fact, much of their experiences are learned from a TV show that’s just entertainment.”

Lambert does not see a drop in popularity for the shows anytime soon.

“People are looking for answers,” Lambert said. “The world around us is in turmoil, and in these times, people always turn to spirituality in one form or another.”

For more information on paranormal investigations done by the GLPO, or places in the area where there is haunting believed to be going on, visit their Web site at http://www.michigansotherside.com.

Continuously circling campus

Bus Ride The Rapid Bus serves the greater Grand Rapids Community, including students on Grand Valley State University campuses
(Courtesy Google Images)

By Ingrid Sjostrand
Edited by Liz Reyna


It’s 10:50 Monday morning as Rich Feidel pulls the student-filled No. 48 Rapid bus into Grand Valley State University’s campus.

“We are now arriving at GVSU’s Kirkhof center,” a stern, automated woman’s voice says as the seated students rise and the standing ones relax and shift toward the salt-covered doors.
“Have a great day”

“Thank you.”

The phrases continue back and forth like a script between Feidel and each student as they step off his bus.

Two tired-looking students file onto the bus after it has cleared and Feidel begins his route again.

The No. 48 bus connects students from Kirkhof center to the apartments on 48th Avenue, south of West Campus Drive.

“This time around will be less full,” Feidel says, “different times are busier than others.”
The popularity of the bus also depends on the day, Feidel says as he turns onto West Campus Drive toward Campus West and Meadows Crossing apartments.

“I’ve noticed more people on the bus lately,” he says, “It could be the weather or the economic situation.”

He halts to a stop in front of The Meadows golf course and picks up a lone student standing beside the blue and white snow-covered Rapid sign.


“Stop requested,” the phantom voice announces at 10:53 a.m. as the bus nears the Meadows Crossing stop where several students wait.

Two of the riders get off and Feidel pulls away, leaving the waiting students at the stop.
“They wait for the 37 bus because it goes straight to campus.” Feidel says. “It’s faster than stopping at all the other apartments on 48th avenue.”

The bus slides seamlessly around the cul-de-sac, past the empty Campus West stop and right onto 48th Avenue, where several students wait at the two stops along the road.

“Each bus is on a schedule and now I’m ahead because I didn’t stop at Campus West,” Feidel says as he points to one of the many black, square devices surrounding him.

This computer tells how long to sit at each stop before moving on, he says while waiting at the Country Place apartments stop.

“Right now it’s telling me to sit here for two minutes before moving on to Hillcrest,” Feidel says as he watches cars speed past to his left.

It’s 10:55 a.m. He adjusts his oval, wire-rimmed glasses and pulls out during the gap in traffic.
After being a bus driver for 30 years, Feidel said he is used to the routine of it.

“I drove a Greyhound bus and a school bus before this,” he said, “I’ve worked for the Rapid for 10 years.”

The entire bus rattles as Feidel pulls into the gravel in front of his next stop: Hillcrest apartments. He says the job hasn’t become monotonous for him yet.

“Each time I drive the route there are new people,” he says. “It will be a big group at one stop and then maybe one person at the next.”

Feidel says he keeps entertained with the different people and the changing scenery at each stop.
The bus nears the stop sign at the corner of Pierce Street and 48th Avenue at 10:56 a.m. A high-pitched buzz repeats until Feidel slides the bus right onto Pierce, narrowly missing the front of an SUV.

“I get to change routes three times a year,” he says. “That also keeps it interesting.”

He says he picked the No. 48 route because he likes to try different things and driving students is very different than a Grand Rapids route.

“We are approaching Copper Beech townhomes,” the automated woman interrupts at 10:58 a.m. as Feidel nears his next stop.

As student steps off the bus with a loud “thank you,” Feidel mentions the recent change in the automated voice over.

“It used to be controlled by the drivers,” He says. “We would have to push a button at each stop, but now it’s all done with a GPS (Global Positioning Systems).”

It’s 11 a.m. and Feidel is nearing the last two stops on Pierce Avenue before he returns to Kirkhof Center on campus. The Campus View apartment stop has five people waiting, more than any stop along his route so far.

Feidel adds that the bus is free for students while a campus parking pass is fairly expensive. GVSU’s public safety department charges $150 for a parking pass for students taking seven or more credits.

He pulls to the right at the final intersection before his return, the four way stop between Pierce Avenue and 42nd Avenue.

One student steps on the bus and another begins running from 5 feet away. Feidel pulls away without waiting for the girl and she throws her arms up and stops.

“That’s one of my biggest pet peeves,” he says. “I saw a girl running the other day and she fell on the ice. A bus comes every four minutes, its unnecessary to hurt yourself running for the bus.”

“We are now arriving at GVSU’s Kirkhof Center,” the woman’s voice repeats as Feidel pulls the bus back toward his starting point and the clock changes to 11:02 a.m. Perfect timing.

Keeping your New Year’s resolution on track

Resolve to make better resolutions Having trouble keeping your New Year's Resolution? Experts say setting smaller goals may be the key to success.
(Courtesy Google Images)

By Ingrid Sjostrand
Edited by GVSU Thornapple Editors


The end of January is nearing and with it comes an end to the new year hype. Excitement about resolutions is starting to fade and those who failed are beginning to wonder, “what did I do wrong?”


After the first month, only 64 percent of people still maintain their resolutions, according to a study performed by John Norcross at the University of Scranton. This number drops to less than half after six months.


The reasons people fail vary, but there are several common themes. Amber Roberts, a student counselor at Grand Valley State University, explained why many people don’t keep their resolutions.

“The type of goals people make are one key to their failure,” Roberts said. “Many attempt to make big lifestyle changes.”

John Adamopoulos, a professor of psychology at GVSU, agreed with Roberts.
“People may not keep their resolutions because they are unrealistically optimistic and involve goals that are very difficult to achieve,” he said.

People can set themselves up for failure when they expect to change an entire aspect of their lives without a plan.

But planning throughout the year can be helpful, Roberts said, to help people stay on track even past New Year’s. The expectation and buildup of New Year’s, added Roberts, can add pressure for success and is often what leads to failure.


Another common obstacle is a lack of drive and motivation. Roberts said many people give up if they make a mistake.

“You have to expect some mistakes,” she said. “If you falter, you shouldn’t give up. You just need to get back on track and try again.”

The lack of success has caused some people to give up New Year’s resolutions altogether.
Allison Lipka, a senior at GVSU, said she doesn’t make resolutions anymore.

“All the resolutions I made in the past were about losing weight and I failed every time,” Lipka said.

It causes more stress and disappointment when she fails, she added.

Another GVSU student, Andres Rodriguez, still struggles despite small successes. He failed all his former attempts, he said, but is more motivated this year. His goal is to stay focused on school and work and to remember what is important in his life.

“I’m doing pretty good right now,” Rodriguez said. “But as I get farther into the semester and my classes get harder it’s going to be a challenge.”

He worries that pressure from classes will set him off-track and lead to another failure.

Setting short-term goals and rewarding yourself are the best way to stay on track, Adamopoulos said.

“Actions should have some immediate consequences, so that people can feel they are getting some results early in their effort,” he said.

Rewards keep you focused on your goals and motivate you to keep trying, Adamopoulos added.

“Overall, people can make long-term goals,” he said. “But these should also involve some smaller, more easily achievable short-term ‘subgoals’ that can help people feel they are making progress with their plans and wishes.”

A man of change

Changing Careers Professor Amorak Huey changed his career after 15 years working for newspapers. Huey, also a father, worked for newspapers such as the Grand Rapids Press.
(Courtesy Google Images)

By Tom Mitsos
Edited by Liz Reyna

Many people wouldn’t be thinking about changing careers after 15 years. But, not only did Grand Valley State University Professor Amorak Huey think about it, he did it.

Huey has worked at newspapers all over the U.S. including the Tallahassee Democrat in Florida, the News-Enterprise in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, the Lexington Herald-Leader in Kentucky, and the Grand Rapids Press in Michigan.

At the Grand Rapids Press, Huey was the assistant sports editor. He was a copy editor at the other three locations. Currently, Huey is a writing professor.

So, what prompted the switch from newspaper writing to teaching about writing?

“I didn’t like where the paper was going,” he said referring to the state of newspapers in today’s society.

Huey said many people are getting their news online rather than in the newspaper.

“Print product is not long,” he said. “The New York Times will always have a product, but Detroit only publishes three times a week.”

Huey said in order to stop newspapers from becoming extinct, there needs to be more public journalism like National Public Radio. He said it’s so hard for newspapers because they are trying to make a profit while NPR is just trying to break even.

Despite the criticism of the newspaper, Huey said he enjoyed his time at his former jobs. He said the tight deadlines gave him an adrenaline rush he loved.

“It’s like publishing a book a day,” he said.

Huey said he enjoyed explaining the news to the readers, which he related to what a professor does everyday. In addition to being able to explain information to others, both the newspaper job and the teaching job require you to be “on” everyday, he said.

“There is no time to stop and get lazy,” he added.

For the majority of his newspaper career, Huey was a copywriter. As a copywriter, it was his job to edit other reporters’ articles.

However, Huey did do some writing occasionally.

When he joined the Grand Rapids Press in 2000, he was the assistant sports editor. His job was to oversee the copy editors. He also planned the stories that would go into the paper.

Mary Ullmer, executive sports editor at the Grand Rapids Press, said Huey was quiet when he first started working at the Press.

“However, it became apparent he knew what he was doing,” she said.

Ullmer said the first thing she noticed about Huey was his first name.

Huey said the name “Amorak” is an Eskimo name meaning “spirit of the wolf.” He said his mom found it in the book“Never Cry Wolf”and liked it.

Ullmer also said Huey is an intelligent person and has good leadership skills.

“He’s in the top three of people that I’ve worked with,” she said. “He always has an explanation and a reason for doing things.”

Ullmer still talks to Huey today, despite him switching professions. She said she talks to him about how to approach problems or if she just wants to run some ideas by him.

One of the aspects that Huey hated at the Press was the hours. He said his day started at 3 a.m. and he would work until noon. On weekends, he worked from 4 p.m. until 1 a.m.
“I worked every weekend for 15 years,” he said. “That’s when sports happen...on weekends.”

Huey said these hours were another reason he wanted to leave the business. As a professor, he works regular hours and he doesn’t have to work on weekends.

When Huey was going to college, he knew he wanted to write for a living, but he wasn’t exactly sure how he would go about doing that.

In 1992, he graduated from Birmingham-Southern College with a degree in English and a minor in political science. He then went to Florida State to get a master’s degree in English.

However, when he transferred to Western Michigan University, located in Kalamazoo, he soon realized graduate school was not for him.

“If you don’t have a goal, graduate school is tough,” he said.

Despite knowing graduate school was heading in the wrong direction, Huey finished his master’s degree in 2007 in English.

In the fall of 2007, while still working full-time at the Grand Rapids Press, Huey participated in adjunct teaching at GVSU. Becky Beard, a former student of Huey’s, liked his teaching style.
“He made us think outside the box,” she said.

Beard had Huey for a writing in sports class at GVSU. She said it was Huey’s class that ultimately made her want to become a sports writer.

“I’ve always thought about it, but now I really want to focus on it,” she said.

Beard admitted she did not know what to expect going into the class.

She thought it might have been a “blow-off” class but worked very hard just in case.

In the fall of 2008, Huey was offered a full-time job at GVSU.


While Huey may no longer write on a daily basis, he still writes, and is hoping to get his work published. He writes poetry and is also working on a novel. He described the novel as a mystery thriller.

Huey is living proof that it is never too late to change your career.

While he went to graduate school with little hope in his efforts, Huey would have never been able to teach without a master’s degree.

The future is often difficult to discern, but being prepared and step-by-step helped Huey along in a life he did not foresee, but is happy, he has.

GVSU prof to publish book on 'metal gods' for youngsters

Rock band Judas Priest, a heavy metal band popular in the '80s, are being acknowledged as "metal gods" in a book for middle schoolers written by a GVSU prof.
(Photo courtesy of Powerline A.D. at http://www.powerlinead.com)


By Mariana S. Saucedo
Edited by Erika Stack


Brian Bowe, Communications specialist, professor, and student at Grand Valley State University will be publishing his first book.
“Judas Priest: Metal Gods” is included in a series titled “Rebels of Rock” and targeted for fifth grade audiences.

Bowe took a personal interest in writing the book because, as a child, Judas Priest was one of his favorite bands. He wanted to create a book that was age-appropriate but still emphasized the band’s history.

“We listened to those guys a lot; it very much the sound of my childhood in a lot of ways,” Bowe said. “(Writing the book) was a great process for me. Part of the challenge was making it appropriate for the audience, but I feel like I was able to balance it well.”

Fifth grade also happened to be when Bowe discovered Judas Priest.

“When I wondered what to do, I would kind of try to talk to my fifth-grade self and think ‘what would’ve I wanted to read about?’” he said.

Even though Bowe still considers music a significant part of his life today, it is his childhood love for rock that influences him most.

“It was a very important time for me as I was discovering music,” Bowe said. “There’s power behind music and I was very much attracted to it.”

Bowe’s fascination with music continued to grow throughout his teen years, eventually inspiring him to join several bands as a guitarist. He kept up with the music scene by reading various rock magazines, like CREEM and Circus.

Fast-forward to his college years at GVSU, where he discovered a love for journalism.

“I loved writing the feature and entertainment stories,” Bowe said. “When I was hired at Grand Valley I still had that music-writing itch that I couldn’t get rid of.”

Bowe continued to write freelance for local and national publications in print and online, but had to stop for a while to focus more on his book, which took a year to finish.

He is now back to teaching.

“I really missed being around students and their energy they bring to the classroom,” Bowe said.

Now with a Masters degree in Communications, Bowe has been working at GVSU for eight years.

“Brian is great to work with,” said Dottie Barnes, a Communications specialist and professor at GVSU. “He is easy-going, kind and never complains about working with a bunch of women. Truly, he is irreplaceable.”

Bowe’s main job at GVSU is working as a Communications specialist for News and Information Services..

As a professor, Bowe taught several different courses, but this semester he is teaching vision and culture.

“One of the things I love about coming here every day is the diversity of viewpoints, cultures and languages on any level,” Bowe said.

Bowe, a self-proclaimed “cultural omnivore”, also has a special interest in Arabic, and is currently is in his fourth and last semester of learning the language.

“I’ve had a long-standing fascination with Arab music, culture and food,” Bowe said. “I was a little kid when I started paying attention to what was going on in the world and was attracted to the Arab culture.”

Still, despite his many interests, Bowe continues to indulge his musical cravings and scratch his writing itches.

“It’s a never-ending process for me and will continue on for the rest of my life,” Bowe said.

“Judas Priest: Metal Gods” is now available at http://www.amazon.com
Bowe will release two more books for the “Rebels of Rock” series on The Clash and The Ramones next year.