“When I was young I thought everybody thought the way I thought. I didn’t know I was different,” said Grandin. “For me, language is my second language. I am a photo-realistic visual thinker. It’s literally movies in the head…That’s what visual thinking is.”

In her lecture Grandin discussed the various ways that people process information. She compared the way she thinks to an Internet search engine full of pictures.

“My thinking is associative, it’s not linear,” she said. “Not every person with autism is a visual thinker.”

According to Grandin, the various ways that people think should be encouraged and challenged to help everyone succeed.

“The world needs different kinds of minds to work together,” she said. “We’ve got to help students with unique minds to be successful. We’ve got to give these different kinds of minds an opportunity.”

The day before Grandin came to Adrian College there was a special showing of the movie “Temple Grandin” on campus, which depicts a condensed version of Grandin’s life.

Junior Katie Thacker found the film to be very beneficial and enlightening.

“I thought the movie depicted autism very well, especially in the sensory aspects,” she said. “I would encourage students to watch the movie because it opens your eyes to something you might not otherwise see.”

Thacker hopes to one day work with children who have autism. She also went to hear Grandin speak on Thursday.

“Temple Grandin allows those with loved ones who have autism to understand their world,” said Thacker. “Her speech inspired me to continue researching the autism spectrum of disorders.”

Thacker is the vice president of the organization P.R.I.D.E., which stands for Promoting the Rights of Individuals with Disabilities Everywhere. During the movie night and Grandin’s speech, P.R.I.D.E. ran a table with bracelets and posters that were available for a donation. Over $1,000 was raised, and all the proceeds went to the HOPE Community Center and the Lenawee Therapeutic Riding Center.

Senior Kim Palmerton, treasurer of P.R.I.D.E., helped with the donation table. According to Palmerton ,speakers like Grandin are an important asset to bring to the college because they offer a firsthand experience.

“I thought she was amazing,” said Palmerton. “It was interesting to hear from her perspectives [and] I loved how she brought humor into it. She was able to express herself in a way that we could understand.”

Senior Tiffany Taylor, president of P.R.I.D.E., introduced Grandin on Thursday and Danielle Ward, disabilities specialist at AC, gave opening and closing remarks at the event.

“Today is a great day to be a Bulldog,” said Ward. “We have been reminded tonight that we all have different gifts. We are, as Temple says, ‘Different, not Less.’”

When Wozniak finished her song and walked off stage, faculty, staff and a few students ran on stage with a fire extinguisher to see what the problem was.

The curtain was lowered down to the stage, exposing a burnt hole. After the curtain had been removed and the auditorium aired out, the recital continued. It was this event that showed how strong a performer Wozniak truly is.

“A musician’s focus is one of the most important aspects needed to succeed,” said senior Jason Ransom.

After an incidence like the one that happened, some performers would decide not to continue the performance due to nerves or air quality. But Wozniak kept her focus and continued her performance, playing even more strongly than before.

When asked why she chose to pursue a vocal music performance degree, Wozniak’s response was simple. She loves singing and cannot see herself doing anything else.

The person in Wozniak’s life that had the most influential hand in her music was her high school teacher, William Boggs, who engaged her interest in classical music.

Although “À Chloris” was Wozniak’s favorite piece, both Daniel Steinkopf and Stephanie Pridgeon, juniors at Adrian College that attended her recital, agreed that their favorite piece was “Nixe Binsefuß,” written by Hugo Wolf.

“Andrea is dedicated to music, and she could go anywhere she wants after she graduates from Adrian College,” said Steinkopf.

Pridgeon, Wozniak’s roommate, explained that Wozniak was a “diva extraordinaire” and works hard at everything she does.  Pridgeon helped Wozniak prepare for her recital by driving her to Dawson Auditorium on the day of the performance so she did not have to walk in the snow, and was a great moral support to her.

Although Wozniak wrote thank-you notes on the back of her program, she wanted to say thank you once again to her “friends and family for unconditional love and support along with the Adrian College music department faculty.”

“I thought this was something different that we hadn’t done before. [We did this] so that the students could meet with other Christians from other schools,” said junior Sondra Bryan, the president of the Religious Life Counsel (RLC) at AC.

This year there were roughly 50 people at the retreat, including people from Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, Ferris State University, Grand Valley State University, Central Michigan University, and 12 AC students.

“I decided to attend this event because I was interested in the opportunity to go on a retreat with my friends who attend the chapel services,” said junior Zachary Wilson.

Wilson said that this retreat offered a means for people to get involved with various spiritual organizations on campus and get to know one another.
The retreat focused on the book “Manna and Mercy,” which is a paraphrase of the Bible.

“[It is] a very interesting summary of the Bible as a whole,” said Bryan. “From what I’ve read of it, I was very pleased with how it was presented.”
Fincom covered the $25 attendance fee. Most of the meals for the weekend were also provided for.

“I hope that [those who attended the retreat] learned more about their faith and looked at scripture with different eyes than they have in the past,” said Bryan.

Besides the Bible studies and group discussion, students who went on the retreat could also attend a gospel college chorus, and there was a communion service after the performance.

“It was really hard not to be overly joyous about what they were singing,” said Bryan.

Choirs from a number of colleges performed at the concert.

“My favorite part was the communion and hymnal session,” said Wilson. “That was the one moment it seemed like we all just put aside our denominations and acted as followers of Christ.”

After the communion event, a few participants in the retreat, including Wilson, took some of the leftover food and gave it to the homeless people outside the church. Wilson said that this act of giving was meaningful to him because it showed that service does not always have to be scheduled, it can be spontaneous as well.

According to Wilson, this retreat also confirmed that all Christian denominations share the same fundamental values.

“The main thing you can take away from this retreat is that we all share the same faith at the heart of it,” said Wilson.

Freshman Sarah Oladokun attended the retreat as well, and found it to be beneficial.

“It was a great experience,” she said. “I met a lot of people and learned a lot of things.

Oladokun would encourage others in the future to take advantage of opportunities to attend retreats.

“It creates a sense of unity among the groups,” she said.       “It’s a great way to meet people and learn more about yourself and God.”

This is the second year that AC has participated in this event, and the fifth time the event was held. Seven students from AC participated, and over one hundred students from 12 different teams participated.

A typical day at Battle of the Chem Clubs consists of several parts. The morning is made up of several rounds where teams earn points based on how well or how fast they complete certain experiments. Over lunch, rankings are posted as to who continues into the afternoon events.

AC Chem Club was ranked fourth after the morning rounds, so they continued to the afternoon events in the competition. The afternoon semifinals have the same type of content that the morning events have, but the final event is Chemistry Jeopardy.

The awards given out consist of The Illustrious Silver Sep Funnel Trophy, which is given to the winning team. This year, Hillsdale College won the trophy.

Though AC Chem Club didn’t win the trophy this year, they certainly did not lack in enthusiasm and personality, which encouraged their teammates.

“The other award that is given out is for the Most Loud, Annoying, and Obnoxious Team. Despite its name, it is given to the team that shows the most spirit in cheering on their teammates. This year, AC won the Most Loud, Obnoxious, and Annoying award, and placed 4th overall,” said David Bartley, assistant professor of chemistry.

Contrary to cheering on their teammates, it is the opinion of the team that they won the award because of their bright orange T-shirts.

The events of the day are different each year.

“This year, there were events which tested their ability to identify compounds based on spectra, a set of physic calculations, a knowledge of safety, and the ability to run a lab and write up their results,” said Laura Polchinski, lecturer of chemistry. “The events require the ability for students to make fast mathematical calculations and have knowledge of what is needed to do certain scientific experiments. AC provides the necessary transport for students, [but] besides that, no cost is required of the guest schools. The host school provides breakfast, lunch, and snacks throughout the day.”

Students who compete in Battle of the Chem Clubs are promised a busy and fun-filled day.

“The thing I like the most about [Battle of the Chem Clubs] is taking the knowledge we learn in class and being able to use it in a fun, competitive way. It is helpful to students to talk to the Michigan State University students about grad school and the options they have, and you learn something new through the events that take place!” said senior president Joanna Slisinger.

Chemistry Club is always open for individuals who are interested; you do not have to be majoring in chemistry, but simply have an interest for it.
For more information, contact Slisinger, at jslisinger@adrian.edu.

 
“The people that showed up all had merit, and they would be pretty decent for the roles,” said senior Amila Zecevic, president of FEM and director of the Vagina Monologues.

 
Last November there was another session of tryouts, and between the two trials, 12 women auditioned all together.

Zecevic said that in order to have all the monologues assigned, at least 17 people must audition. One way Zecevic is trying to fill these roles is by emailing students who took part in the Vagina Monologues in previous years.

“They showed really good integrity, [and] have experience with memorizing lines,” she said.

Senior Breanne Stokes took part in the theatrical movement last year as the “Angry Vagina.”

“I think it went really well [last year]. It was definitely a successful event,” said Stokes. “I really hope that [this year] will be just as successful, if not more so, than last year.”

Stokes said that she wanted to try out for the event when she was a sophomore, but was worried about acting in it. However, after she attended the program, she knew she wanted to be a part of it and encourages others to get involved as well.

“I really like what they’re all about. It’s empowering for women. It’s the things they go through,” she said. “It’s a good thing that people should be involved in.”
Zecevic hopes that the Vagina Monologues will help the campus better understand FEM and challenge the misconceptions that are often associated with the group, such as the belief that feminists are “man-haters.”

“We want more men involved,” she said. “Everyone is welcome.”

She also hopes that the Vagina Monologues will be educational and help encourage people to be open-minded.

“This play itself shows how people get treated, and how they deal with it,” she said. “I think the purpose is more or less to get a wider audience to understand the differences between women and to allow people to be themselves.”

Senior Jamie Hollingshead is the vice president of FEM and the producer for the Vagina Monologues.

“I think it’s a creative way to express gender discrimination,” she said about the event.

According to Hollingshead, this program helps bring a sense of understanding and awareness of issues by presenting a touchy subject in a way that is more comical and relatable.

“It’s helpful to open people up to the subject,” she said. “Sometimes you need something like [the Vagina Monologues] to make people more comfortable.”

Zecevic and Hollingshead are training juniors Chelsea Howe and Clara Bauman to take over management of the Vagina Monologues for next year.

“Everyone who has tried out so far has been really good,” said Bauman. “Right now we’re having problems with people trying out. We need more people. We’d like to have as many people in it as we can to have a good show.”

The Vagina Monologues are scheduled to take place on March 29 and 30 at 7 p.m. in the Tobias Room. Anyone interested in helping out or being a part of the program can contact Zecevic at azecevic@adrian.edu.

Throughout the years, The Sage Foundation has been generous in its donations to AC, not only for the restoration of Down’s Hall, but also for the establishment of a counseling center and numerous scholarships.

The Sage Foundation is an independent charitable organization stationed in Brighton, Michigan. They offer grants, gifts, and loans to organizations, as well as scholarships. AC was originally awarded $500,000 for the first part of the Downs Hall restoration. This restoration included an elevator, side entrance doors with ramps and walks to make Downs Hall accessible to everyone, new windows, roof replacement, and a remodeling of the lobby. This first gift also included cleaning the woodwork, new carpets, and new lighting.

“The second part of the restoration has not been decided, though we believe most [of it] will involve the actual theater. We’ve met several times; we are simply trying to figure out how far the money will take us. Also undecided is when the official construction will start,” said Annissa Morgensen-Lindsay, assistant professor of theatre chair.

Downs Hall was built in 1860, and is the only building remaining from Adrian’s original campus. It is registered as a Michigan Historic Site, under the name Chapel Hall. The original campus stretched across Madison St., which is the main address of AC, and all other buildings behind Downs Hall used to be a forest. Students visiting AC last summer recall Downs Hall being a complete mess due to construction that lasted several months. Theatre students were glad for the first restoration and are anticipating the second.

“There are certain things I hope don’t change in the Downs Theater. For instance, throughout the years, actors and students have written, painted, or carved their names on doors or walls. The uniqueness and intimacy that Downs brings is important to preserve,” said freshman Breaon Canady, musical theater major.

The history of Downs must be preserved without being completely rewritten.

 
“The reason I chose [this topic] was because I feel that social work programs have come under attack by ideological forces and that we need to protect the NASW code of ethics,” said Nichols. “I think it’s important for all professions that teach from standards [to know] that they may have to defend those standards.”

The NASW code of ethics consists of six core values which are divided into 155 ethical standards. Among these include respecting the inherent dignity of every person, practicing professional competence, and recognizing the importance of relationships.

“Social workers’ primary goal is to help people in need and address social problems,” Nichols said. “I feel that social work has a very structured and carefully thought out code of ethics that can be highlighted.”

According to the presentation, social work programs have been criticized by right wing organizations for their code of ethics and the standards that students accepted into social work programs are held to.

“I was not aware of the criticisms going on for the NASW code of ethics,” said junior Ashley Forker, a social work major. “[The brown bag event] gave me a different perspective of how people can view the code of ethics. But it strengthened my view on how it helps the client in general.”

The National Association of Scholars has published several complaints about the social work profession including objecting to words the programs use in their curriculum, such as “oppression” and “distributive justice.” The association also accuses the programs of encouraging multiculturalism and diversity and teaching from a “liberal bias.”

“I don’t think that many social workers would deny that many of the values in social work are liberal and progressive,” said Nichols.

Along with the objections to the social work programs, the brown bag series also explained the social work profession’s response to these challenges, and discussed internal struggles social workers may experience because of conflicting beliefs and values.

“Overall it was really good,” said social work student, junior Alicia Fowler. “I think [Nichols] did really well. You can see her passion and personality in the classroom.”

After going to the program on Thursday, Fowler said she did not understand why people were vehemently opposed to the standards stressed by the social work profession.

“I was pretty baffled,” said Fowler. “What’s so bad about giving everyone respect?”

According to Fowler, this lecture helped expose her to opinions that were different from the mindset that her social work peers typically hold.

“I’ve always been taught that you should not be narrow-minded,” she said. “[The lecture] was kind of a wakeup call for me.”

According to Nichols, the best way to help opposing sides to the debate about the code of ethics come to a conclusion would be to openly communicate.

“We need to have more dialogue between the polarized factions in our community,” said Nichols. “We need to find a common ground…[and] we need to talk to reach understanding.”

Forker said that the brown bag series can be very beneficial to Adrian College.

“It helps students view different things, not only from their own standpoints, but from other standpoints and helps them better themselves for their profession,” she said.

McCarthy graduated from Wayne State Law School in 1988 and has over 20 years of experience in Michigan. She spent five years as Chief of the Controlled Substance Unit for Michigan’s Eastern District, two years as a special prosecutor, and has overseen hundreds of cases. McCarthy still finds her job interesting after all these years, because every case is different and is handled as such.

McCarthy’s office only deals with drug cases that are high profile; they are not interested in arresting small users, but rather mass producers and transporters.
“I mainly deal with border drugs, international drugs, legal drugs that are being misused, and cases of medical marijuana,” McCarthy said.

There are two types of investigative techniques her offices use to catch these criminals. One type is historical investigation, which is common knowledge, such as search warrants. The second type is proactive investigation, in which individuals are more discreet in the manner that they investigate possible offenders. This type of investigation uses non-detectable methods.

“I thought it was interesting she knows special agents in some cases that she was involved in. [It’s also interesting] how they do not deal with lower level users, because that’s not their concern,” said freshman Adrian Harris.

 
Statistics report that about 10 percent of Americans are addicted to drugs or alcohol, and drug areas are normally found in increased crime areas.

“The purpose of the war on drugs is to keep such substances away from the youth in America,” said McCarthy.

She pointed out that our brains aren’t developed enough at a young age. So where do the youth obtain drugs?

Believe it or not, the idea of drugs coming in from Canada is not uncommon. In fact, because of all the high security the Mexican border possesses, bringing drugs in from Canada is actually a safer decision for drug traffickers.

“The facts that McCarthy presented opened up my views on the war on drugs,” said freshman Chelsea Gouine.

The George Romney Institute for Law and Public Policy aims to bring a speaker to Adrian College once a month for students to have the opportunity to educate themselves about the criminal justice system.

 
Kristina gained her drive from her father, who did not graduate from high school. He pushed her to get an education and become all that she could be; he wanted her to have the life he wasn’t able to. Danielle has gained this same passion from her mother.

 
Kristina, a senior art major at Adrian College will graduate this spring and hopes to attend graduate school to earn her Master’s degree. If she were given the chance, she would return to AC and become an art professor. Her artwork has been displayed in Tecumseh, Italy, The Fort Wayne Museum of Fine Arts, Amvets, The Box Art Show, and in AC’s own exhibits.

 
Kristina had the opportunity to study abroad last year. She took her children with her to Italy and was able to share Italian art and history with them. While there, she helped paint a mural for the oldest hospital in the world.

 
Kristina is a mother figure towards the students she is friends with, but also has that cool mom attitude.

 
“She’s like our mom away from home, but [she] can still relate to us,” said various art students.

 
She has Danielle’s friends or her AC friends and professors over for dinner, because they are conveniently located close to campus.

 
Kristina is extremely grateful for all the opportunities that AC has been able to offer her. She feels that AC has broadened her horizons.

 
“I like being able to relate to her, there are a lot of things parents don’t understand about college, but I am able to experience them with her. It has been a blessing to be a part of this huge step in her life. While most parents have to let go of their babies, I am able to have dinner with mine,” Kristina said.

 
Danielle is majoring in English with a minor in journalism. She is an active member of Chi Omega sorority, Japanese Club, and the Pen and Ink Society. She will also be taking part in the production “Titus Andronicus.” In addition to these activities, Danielle cheerleads at AC and works two jobs on campus. She hopes to also attend graduate school at Columbia University or New York University and write for a major magazine.

 
Danielle is proud of her mom for returning to college after all this time.

 
“It’s a little weird to see my mom interacting so easily with people my age, but having her here as well as my dad gives AC a home-like feeling for me,” Danielle said.
Kristina’s son plans on attending AC next fall. Jim Deere, Danielle’s father, is the head football coach for the AC Bulldogs, and is a 1989 graduate.

 
AC has become a Deere family tradition.

(Photo by Cheri Anderson)

The Campus Activities Network (C.A.N.) is an organization comprised of students that sponsor events and activities at Adrian College.

“C.A.N.’s purpose is to provide entertainment for students that’s free and gives them something to do on campus that’s constructive, sober and fun,” said senior Shelby Pushies, the president of C.A.N.

C.A.N. has several events planned for the end of the semester to help students get through exam week. For instance, on Nov. 5 at 10 a.m., C.A.N. is having Stress-busters on the main floor of Caine Student Center.

“[It’s] something that’s not going to take up your time, but gives you a chance to walk through Caine and take a break,” Pushies said.

Sophomore Lee Schriber is the event leader for Stressbusters this semester.

“I think it’s really awesome just to be able to take a break and go get some free stuff,” said Schriber. “It really does help to ‘bust the stress’ of exam week and give students a little down time.”

Schriber worked with Dawn Marsh, director of health services, and counselor Monique Savage to find effective ways to relieve stress.

This year during Stressbusters C.A.N. is giving away a $100 gift card to Family Video, popcorn and cups that change color depending on beverage temperatures.

“I would encourage students to attend, because there are going to be awesome giveaways that they don’t want to miss,” said Schriber.

In accordance with Breakfast under the Stars, C.A.N. is also sponsoring a Bingo night with numerous prizes. Junior Megan Vandekerkhove and sophomore Garrett Beitelschies worked to organize the event.

“I think that [the Bingo night] is a really good thing. A lot of people come, so obviously the student body likes it,” said Schriber. “The prizes are going to be awesome this year.”

C.A.N. also hosted a number of other events this semester to benefit students.

“I’m really happy with the way things have turned out this year,” said Pushies.

At the beginning of the year, C.A.N. hosted Crazy C.A.N. Friday for the various student organizations on campus. They also provided a concert later that night featuring artist Jared Mohone. During Homecoming week, C.A.N. put on Bruiser Bowl, and for Halloween they hosted a haunted house and party.

“I thought the Halloween party was really fun,” said Schriber. “The costume contest and caramel apples were super awesome. All the events that C.A.N. does are super fun. That’s part of the reason I joined.”

On Nov. 24, C.A.N. also brought in comedian Roy Wood, Jr. along with some students to perform in Caine.

“I think [the events] have gone great so far,” said Pushies. “They’ve all been super successful.”

C.A.N. typically meets every Monday at 8:30 p.m. in Hickman Boardroom.

“I love C.A.N. I think it’s great,” said Pushies.

Right now there are about 20 students that attend C.A.N. regularly, but Pushies said she would encourage more people to get involved.

“It’s nice to have new faces and to get fresh ideas,” she said. “We would love more people [to be] there.”

C.A.N. spends money that students have to pay as an activity fee. If students come to the meetings, they can have a say in where the money is spent.

“You get to do a lot of cool stuff,” said Pushies. “We have a lot of fun.”