Washtenaw Community College’s Dental Assisting department is kicking off February’s National Children’s Dental Health month with a free mouth guard clinic and presentations to children of the school’s community about the importance of taking care of their teeth.
The Mouth Guard clinic will be held on Feb. 6 from 9 a.m.-noon. The first 40 people will receive a free mouth guard. The clinic is open to everyone.
This is the second year that the dental program has held such a clinic. Last year it helped roughly 20 people obtain mouth guards.
“The Mouth Guard clinic provides free mouth guards to people who play sports and need them,” said Jodi Neuman, a clinical instructor in WCC’s Dental Assisting program. “We’ll take impressions and fabricate them at the clinic, and give them a date to come by and pick it up.”
Dental Events:
Clinic Open to WCC:
Feb. 6-April 18
Mouth Guard Clinic:
Feb. 6, 9 a.m.-noon
Dental Student Children’s Presentation:
Feb. 18, 10 a.m.-noon
Mouth guards are important for students who play sports such as basketball, hockey, football, soccer or martial arts.
“The shock of a hit can be broken by a mouth guard,” said WCC dental instructor Tina Spague. “A hit to the mouth can cause a tooth to die or to fall out.”
Every year, Washtenaw’s Dental Assisting program invites youngsters from the Children’s Center to its clinic to illustrate the importance of having healthy mouths and to introduce them to the services.
This year the program will present to the children on Feb. 18 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
“We usually provide our dental health clinic students to do presentations on nutrition, oral hygiene and dental visits to the children in the Children’s Center,” Neuman said. “Our students also go out to other schools of their choosing to give their presentation to students under third grade.”
Dental staff and students believe that children and their parents should know the facts about dental health to prevent children from dental cavities or tooth decay, known as “caries.”
“Early childhood caries or baby bottle tooth decay is very rampant,” Spague said. “It’s very important from pregnancy through childhood that moms and their children have dental health.”
WCC’s dental clinic, located in the Occupational Education building in Room 106, will be open to students, staff and faculty from Feb. 6 to April 18. The clinic started accepting appointments at the start of winter semester.
The caution tape is gone around a construction zone in the OE building, and now the Auto Body Repair students have a long-awaited “lab” for their award-winning projects.
The new redesigned WCC auto lab, near completion on Jan. 11 (Nathan Clark WASHTENAW VOICE)
Those classrooms at OE 143 make up the new Auto Finishing Assembly Lab for the ABR department. The lab was scheduled to be ready for use by the start of the winter semester.
“The lab was something that the faculty wanted when we were still designing the OE building,” said Damon Flowers, associate vice president of Facilities Development and Operations said. “But we didn’t have the budget for it.”
Design plans for the lab came together last spring, and the Facilities Management department began construction on the room starting at the beginning of the Fall semester.
“The design started in the spring and was released for construction and approved in late September,” said Todd Bishop, the construction project manager. “We had some design issues with the constructional steel so it delayed it a little bit.”
The new lab will include new heating and air conditioning, and hoses for electricity and compressed air. ABR 119: The Art of Metal Shaping is a class that is scheduled to be held in OE 143.
“We won’t know exactly what the classroom will be used for until Winter semester gets started,” said Scott Malnar, an instructor and department chair of the Auto Body Repair department. “But we’re excited to have the room; students will be able to have it as a Custom Cars and Concepts assembly room for Winter semester.”
Students may be looking forward to some time off over the holidays, but it will be business as usual for some workers at Washtenaw Community College.
“We have two projects over the break, the LA addition, 21 classrooms and three lecture halls, we’re putting new carpet in,” said Todd Bishop, the construction project manager. “GM second floor will also have new carpeting during Christmas break.”
The work, among the deferred maintenance projects that were approved by the board in October, will be completed before students resume classes in January.
“The most opportune time to do these things is when nobody is here,” Damon Flowers, associate vice president of Facilities Development and Operations said. “It’s normal for people to be working on other projects outside of deferred maintenance during the semester break.”
So far, one project has been fully completed – the replacement of precast panels on the Health and Fitness Center. This project cost roughly $18,000, only a fraction of the $4 million granted by the board for such projects this fiscal year.
Precast panels are produced by casting concrete into a reusable mold. Panels such as these were also used on the school’s new parking structure.
“The panels in the Health and Fitness Center were starting to become an issue,” Flowers said. “They were splitting and cracking and needed to be replaced.”
The first priority of the deferred maintenance plan is to fix anything that is water or weather related.
“Anything dealing with water is important because it could potentially cause mold,” Flowers said. “Some of the projects on the list are seasonal, and will be completed when the weather breaks.”
The department also plans to have finished the additions to the Storage and Receiving building, as well as the ML building, Flowers said.
Now that Thanksgiving has passed, many families are starting to get ready for the holidays.
A great way to get into the holiday spirit is to join Ypsilanti’s Meals on Wheels for the 16th annual Holiday Homes Tour, where attendees can admire some of the town’s most decorated homes and businesses.
“It’s the best of both worlds,” Ann Harris, executive director of Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels said. “You can benefit people in need in your community and have a good time.”
The Ypsilanti Holiday Homes Tour starts on Saturday, Dec. 8 from 6-10 p.m. with the Candlelight Tour and “A Taste of Ypsilanti,” where attendees can enjoy food and beverages from local places, such as Buffalo Wild Wings, Rio Wraps, Palm Palace, Café Ollie, Sidetrack, Harvest Moon Café and more.
“Saturday is more like a progressive party,” Harris said. “The homeowners will be there, and everyone can come stay a while and enjoy something to eat.”
The Holiday Homes Tour will take place on Sunday, Dec. 9 from 12-4:30 p.m. The tour will go through various homes and business to show off some of the town’s best holiday decorations and end at the historic Hutchinson Museum.
Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels is a non-profit corporation that delivers prepared meals to ill, elderly and disabled residents of Ypsilanti, Augusta Township and parts of Superior, Pittsfield and York townships. All of the proceeds of the event will go toward delivering meals to those who are homebound.
Tickets for both Saturday and Sunday’s events can be purchased from Nelson Amos Studio in Depot Town and the YMOW office at 1110 Cross St. Saturday tickets are $40 and include admission to both events. Participants will be given the location to meet upon purchase of their ticket.
For those who cannot attend both days, tickets for the Sunday event can be purchased from Haab’s Restaurant, Salt City Antiques and MIX in Ypsilanti. These tickets are $15, or $20 if purchased from Haab’s on the day of the occasion.
“You can buy the tickets ahead of time, and a map is included of the tour,” Harris said. “They can go in whichever order they choose.”
For more information about Meals on Wheels in Ypsilanti, visit www.ymow.com.
Washtenaw Community College’s Alex Pazkowski returned from Nevada’s preliminary SkillsUSA competition with a $1,000 scholarship, expensive new gear and a gold medal.
Now he will have a second chance to compete as one of the top three in the country to advance to the 42nd WorldSkills competition in Leipzig, Germany in July.
The next competition will take place at the Daytona 500, and the winner will be announced on Feb. 23, the day before the Daytona Speedweek begins.
“He now has to compete against only two other students,” said Glenn Kay II, welding instructor. “They are going to give him them a tent at the track and announce who’s winning on the field at the Daytona 500 Speedway.”
In 2011, Pazkowski placed second in the top three preliminaries, and was unable to continue to WorldSkills, an event for youth ages 17 to 22 from all over the world to demonstrate their skills.
“Last year, I didn’t have much to lose,” Pazkowski said. “This year, I’ve had four years of experience. If I lose, it’s like the last four years were wasted.”
Pazkowski and the other five competitors were given 22 hours during the competition to weld multiple projects, including a pressure vessel, two plate welds, a pipe weld, an aluminum project and a stainless steel project.
These projects were tested under x-rays for imperfections and pressure tested for their durability.
“It was an exhausting week,” he said. “I didn’t get to rest for three days. They literally make the competition as hard as they can.”
But Pazkowski has a bit further to go before he can rest. Until the next competition, he will be working vigorously to fix all of the imperfections that he felt he had in the last competition.
“Afterwards, I was more pissed off at myself for the things I screwed up than relieved that I had won,” he said. “There’s always something you could have done better.”
Pazkowski will compete against silver medal winner, Andrew Cardin from Blackstone Valley Technical High School and bronze winner, Tanner Tipsword of Eastern Wyoming College in February to represent the United States at WorldSkills.
“We’re very competitive here,” Ashley Webel, a welding lab assistant said. “We’re hoping to bring home the gold!”
Although the WorldSkills competition is exciting, Pazkowski feels that his biggest achievement will be winning the competition this February
“If I make it to the WorldSkills competition, I won’t have anything to lose,” Pazkowski said. “I will have already won a $40,000 scholarship, so it’ll just be for fun. But I want to say that I made it there.”
On almost every shelf at grocery stores, the products are filled with hormones, preservatives and artificial flavors.
High fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated everything are on almost every ingredient list, and these days small family farms are becoming rare and industrial factory farms are growing bigger.
Sure, chemical preservatives can be helpful in keeping food on shelves longer in supermarkets. And artificial flavors and ingredients make it easier for companies to produce large amounts of food for lower costs to consumers.
But these additives may cause acne or obesity, and some have shown signs of causing illnesses from depression to cancer. Our bodies were built to consume fruits and vegetables as they are, and we have only just begun to see the effects of what genetically modified foods can do to our bodies.
Whether you’re a carnivore or a vegan, I believe that factory farming is just wrong. They leave animals in tiny cages, torture and disfigure them to feed the masses at accelerated rates. These industrial farms are like concentration camps for animals, and whether they are sick or not, thousands of these animals are grinded into one burger patty.
And that fast food burger may contain bacteria like Escherichia Coli O157:H7, which is often the cause of recalls for these products. This strain of E-Coli can cause bloody diarrhea, kidney failure and ultimately, death. With thousands of animals standing in their own feces in small spaces, there’s a good chance that your burger can contain this type of bacteria.
It’s true, organic foods can be more expensive. While there are places, especially in the Ann Arbor area that sell them for affordable prices, it’s understandable that a college student would rather spend a dollar on a mutilated cheeseburger than a little extra money on chemical-free meat.
The question is whether it’s worth the extra money to buy free-range meats and preservative-free foods.
For me, the answer is yes. I won’t support corporations who abuse animals and put harmful chemicals in my food just to save a couple bucks.
Many people look forward to Thanksgiving, mainly because of the food that is served for the occasion.
Although some can’t wait to dig in to many of the holiday’s traditional dishes, others may find them repulsing. So The Voice asked Washtenaw Community College students which foods they found the most unappetizing at their own Thanksgiving dinners.
“I don’t like the cranberry sauce. I’m just not a cranberry person.”
Dumyat Kasha,
19, Ypsilanti, Nursing and Education
“Stuffing tastes like a mixture of a bunch of stuff that just doesn’t belong together.”
Melissa Valentine,
Ann Arbor, General Studies
“I’m too afraid to try yams. They look mushy and disgusting.”
Jessica Lain,
18, Ann Arbor, General Studies
“For my family, it’s the macaroni. It’s supposed to taste cheesy but it just tastes spicy. Maybe they’re making it wrong.”
Darryl Howard,
16, Ypsilanti, General Studies
“Stuffing is my least favorite. Sometimes, my family puts the gizzards in it.”
Meghan Orison,
23, Willis, Photography
“The pumpkin pie – I just don’t like it. I think it’s disgusting.”
Rich Bergsieker,
32, Taylor, Nursing
“I would have to say turkey is my least favorite, because I’m a vegetarian.”
Taylor Drozdowski,
19, Milan, Liberal Arts Transfer
Washtenaw’s renowned welding department has forged another honor for the college.
The American Welding Society and the Welding Equipment Manufacturers Committee have named WCC the Welding Educational Institution of the Year.
The award was presented at the FABTECH event on Nov. 14 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Nevada to Washtenaw instructor Glenn Kay II.
“They provided all of the funding,” Kay said. “It was generous, not only to give us the award, but also to help us receive it.”
Washtenaw was selected out of more than 30 other entries for the award. The trophy is one of the organization’s 2012 Image of Welding Awards, which are given to individuals and organizers that show dedication to promoting welding in their communities.
“I’m super excited,” Ashley Webel, a welding lab assistant said. “I’m so proud of our school. We won over some schools that have a lot more money than we do, which goes to show the dedication of our students.”
Instructors also said that administration’s funding choices for the welding department at the college has helped them to succeed.
“They try to keep up with our equipment, and it’s very expensive,” Kay said. “We get a lot of businesses that are really excited to hire our students.”
WCC was nominated by John Bohr, former chairman of the AWS Detroit section.
“We’re the only educational institution in the state that can certify students with an AWS certificate,” Kay said. “There’s only one other place in Michigan that can certify, but they aren’t an educational facility.”
FABTECH is North America’s largest event for metal forming, fabrication, welding and finishing. It includes seminars and conferences to everyone including plant managers, shop owners and engineers.
“You get to see what all of the new technology is,” Kay said. “It’s the auto show of welding.”
Aside from FABTECH, the SkillsUSA competition was also taking place in Nevada from Nov. 11-15, where WCC’s Alex Pazkowski competed in one of two pre-trials as one of the top six welding students in the nation.
“We’re excited for Alex,” Kay said. “He has put huge amounts of his time into this, and is above and beyond just coming in and passing a welding course.”
For more information about FABTECH, visit http://www.fabtechexpo.com.
Cooking a big meal can be a dangerous task. Roughly 2,000 Thanksgiving fires nationwide are reported to fire departments every year, according to statistics from the National Fire Incident Reporting System, created by the U.S Fire Administration.
Along with the risk of fires, food preparers must be careful to avoid causing food poisoning or other foodborne illnesses. Because of the risks involved with cooking a large meal, here are 10 important tips for families to enjoy a safe holiday.
« Buy fresh turkeys only 1-2 days before days before cooking
« All stuffing should be cooked at a minimum temperature of 165 degrees, preferably in a casserole dish.
« Don’t cross-contaminate – keep eggs, meat, poultry and seafood away from foods that will not be cooked.
« Thawing a turkey is safest in a refrigerator set to 40 degrees. For every five pounds, allow one day for the turkey to thaw. Never defrost at room temperature.
« Wash all fruits and vegetables, but don’t wash raw meat or poultry.
« Be sure that any turkey fed to animals is boneless and well-cooked. Avoid feeding pets too much of anything.
« If the plan is to deep-fry the turkey, exercise extreme caution. Make sure this is done outside on a flat, level surface and never leave the bird unattended. Hot oil may bubble over and cause a fire.
« Don’t judge food by its color; use a thermometer to decide when food is ready to be eaten.
« Mix moist and dry stuffing ingredients only before stuffing a turkey or preparing to cook.
« All leftovers should be eaten within three days to avoid growth of bacteria on the food.
To make an entire meal from appetizer to dessert, spending as little cash as possible is not always an easy task.
The following shopping list includes a full holiday meal for $30 or less of brands that can be found at local inexpensive stores, such as Aldi and Save-A-Lot.
Appetizers
The key to hosting a hearty Thanksgiving starts with an appetizer. Hungry guests can keep occupied with small snacks, such as peanuts or fruit bowls. Appetizers don’t have to be too big and can be purchased for $5 or less.
-30 ounce Southern Grove Peanut Trio bowls are $4.99
-8 ounce bags of Happy Farms cheese cubes are $1.99, and can be paired with Savoritz crackers for $1.49
-Happy Farms also makes cheese balls, which cost $2.29 for a 20 ounce ball.
Dinner
The main meal is the most expensive part of the feast. Although some families may serve different, many of the basic traditional dishes can be found for $20 or less
-Butterball frozen turkeys can be found at Aldi for $1.19 per pound and fresh ones are roughly $1.49 per pound. Butterball’s boneless breasts, which can feed one to two people, cost $9.99
-Boxed potatoes by Kraft are $2.99. For families who like to whip their own mashed potatoes, a bag of Higgins Russet potatoes can be found for $3.99
-Cans of green beans, peas and corn from Green Giant can be found for as low as 59 cents per can
-Sweet Harvest cans of cranberry sauce and Chef’s Cupboard gravy both cost only 89 cents.
-L’oven Fresh 12 ounce rolls are 99 cents
-A box of stuffing from Kraft costs $1
-Everfresh apple juice is $1.99; other flavors can be purchased two for $5
Dessert
Whether families prefer traditional pumpkin pie or other sweets, it isn’t hard to find desserts for $10 or less.
-Belmont frozen pie crusts are $1.89. Baker’s Corner pumpkin pie filling is 99 cents, and other pie flavors range from $1.49-$2.49
-Belmont also make home-style frozen pies, which are pre-cooked and ready to serve upon thawing. They cost $5.29.
-And for cheesecake fans, a Belmont supreme cheesecake sampler is $9.99 and offers four different flavors.
Note: Prices, gathered at a recent shopping excursion, are subject to change
