 The ‘bat-tags’ out in full effect on the streets of Ann Arbor, outside the Cupcake Station at 116 E. Liberty St. (Jared Angle/The Washtenaw Voice) After a grueling wait for fans “The Dark Knight Rises” campaign kicked off into full gear on April 30 with a series of Bat graffiti placed stealthily in hundreds of locations around the globe—including Ann Arbor. Each piece of graffiti resembled a chalk marking made by one of the movie’s main characters, beat cop John Blake (Joseph-Gordon Levitt), in order to signal the Batman’s return. The marketing campaign focused on a viral game on thedarknightrises.com that allowed fans to go to various addresses, provided by the Gotham City Police Department, to snap pictures of the markings. Once captured, fans were told to tweet the images via Twitter with the hashtag #Tdkr07202012, symbolizing the picture’s release date. The locations included 310 S. State St., 166 E. Liberty St., and 551 S. Division St. The Gotham police would then “use the evidence” to hunt down the Bat in a fictitious investigation into his crimes at the end of the last movie, “The Dark Knight.” Each picture unlocked a new frame of the long-coveted third and final trailer for the film. The trailer was set to be released on May 4 in front of DC Comics competitor Marvel’s “The Avengers” team-up movie. Eager fans unlocked the trailer some four days before its slated release. Some wondered whether Warner Bros. Studios and director Christopher Nolan would ever begin a marketing campaign outside of casually allowed screenshots, teaser photos and on-set video segments. Finally, Bat-fiends can rest assured that the campaign, like darkness before the dawn, is coming.
Bringing back the magic to the movies—with disheartened fans
The advent of 3D filmmaking has become a plague upon my local movie theater. Maybe it’s because I wear glasses, or splitting my wide-eyed gaze between blurry, dim images causes a migraine, but 3D films are nothing more than cheap thrills, and most real movie buffs have never been into that sort of thing. There are still the neophytes who claim 3D conversion is saving the industry. More prevalent are the stoners who just thought it was just the headiest to have seen Avatar’s lush world invite their skewed perceptions inward. I get it, sometimes going to an average or sub-par flick gets boring, morose even. Flying axes, shimmering alien flowers and superheroes throwing their mighty and mythical weapons out at your face won’t very much help the situation either. So what can? What can bring magic back to the movies? In a word: imax. The imax Corporation may be our last gasp at quality films in stunning clarity without the dim imaging and parallax headaches. It also may save the summer box office. IMAX is an acronym meaning, simply, “maximum image,” according to an article published by The Wall Street Journal. It can be used to define three very important cinematic nouns: the cameras, the film, and the theaters. imax movies are made using high-definition cameras with 70-millimeter film, the largest used for motion pictures. The cameras are heavy, wonky and extremely loud. Most imax films are shot in the style of scientific documentaries, with narration over top for this very reason: open-air dialogue is almost impossible to capture using imax. To date, very few major motion picture releases have filmed using imax cameras and 70-millimeter film. The only movies filmed with the technology this year have been the latest “Mission Impossible” romp, the brand new “Avengers” flick, and the upcoming Batman epic, “The Dark Knight Rises.” However, it’s the imax theater experience that makes the seeing movies at one so magical. Stadium seating, a state-of-the-art sound system that rivals any normal theater and, of course, the large screen make movies that much bolder and interesting. These screens are usually in the range of 70 feet by 50 feet, however, the image is usually taller than it is wide; The Henry Ford Museum imax theater is 80 feet by 62 feet. The large aspect ratio of the screens pull you in and immerse you in the world of the film so much more than 3D post-conversion ever could. You become less focused on what’s shooting at you, and much more on how you are moving with the film. It’s twists and turns become one. Sounds nice, but how can this save the summer box office? Simple. Most of the big action flicks hitting theaters within the next month and throughout the summer are paying big bucks to be featured in imax 2D and 3D theaters—it seems with all of its glory, the company couldn’t shy away from the parallax-D either. Finally, lovers of big grandiose films can actually savor the flavor of the movie they are actually seeing. It may cost more—a whopping $14 per ticket—but imax practically guarantees a surrealist experience. And there are no glasses or external devices required. Unless, of course, if you’re into that sort of thing.
 "Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope" was among the first few movies planned using Tugg for screening at Ann Arbor's Quality 16. (Comicconmovie.com Courtesy Photo) When Tugg.com co-creator Nicolas Gonda was traveling the world doing production work with directors Terrence Malick and Steven Soderbergh, his main concern was the longevity of these films’ theatrical runs. That questioning led him and his colleague Pablo Gonzalez to create a way for more people to see more movies. Enter Tugg.com, a crowdsourcing platform that allows fans to curate their favorite movies on local theaters and big screens. “There are a lot of inefficiencies in getting a film out to a distributor,” said Gonzalez, 33, the chief operating officer and co-founder of Tugg.com. “When you think about the audience and the theaters, we both want the same things: having a movie enjoy a theatrical run without too many roadblocks.” Tugg.com was founded earlier this year with the idea that all films should be equal in terms of their theatrical run, even if the pictures came out decades ago. Like the widely-popular crowdsourcing website kickstarter.com, patrons can pick or add movies to the Tugg database. Once Tugg recognizes the film you want to show, the next step is getting a theater on board. In February, Tugg signed on multiple theater exhibitors including Alamo Drafthouse, AMC Theaters, Bow Tie Cinemas, Cinemark Theaters, Goodrich Quality Cinemas, Rave Cinemas and Regal Cinemas. With theaters in tow, the Tugg platform allows curators to pick a time and date on a weekday to show the film of their choice. From an exhibitor’s perspective, filling out these lame-duck days is a much-needed boost to the industry. “From a marketing platform, it’s great to put a movie out there and have people demand it,” said Kelly Owens, a marketing manager for Goodrich Quality Theaters. “When we’re playing movies during the week, not many people are coming out for films on a Monday or Thursday evening. Tugg helps fill those spots for us.” However, there is one small catch: In order to have the film shown, a total of 35 people must sign on to see it via Tugg by a deadline of a week before the showing. “If there is an audience for it and you provide them for a theater on a weekday, it’s easy to fit in a show like that,” Owens said. To find out more about Tugg’s system, visit http://tugg.com for more details.
Digital Video instructor Matt Zacharias may know how to teach a film class, but building a whole new curriculum has put him a little out of his comfort zone. “If you’re an instructor and you create a new course, one thing about it is that you draft it the way you think it should go, but the curriculum committee will come up with one the way they think it should go,” Zacharias said. “They’ll go back and revise it until the requirements are clearly stated.” His determination, however, is paying off, and the result may create a new advanced certificate for digital video majors to learn their craft. The course load would branch off of the existing Digital Video Certificate, and would feature a series of prevailing and new 200 level courses. The curriculum would also offer two paths of completing the certificate, according the curriculum draft. Allowing students to have greater options in completing their degree with the skills they need for practical use was the main goal for Zacharias. “Students potentially will have the option of doing a large scale thesis project, where they work one idea over the course of the curriculum,” he said. “When digital video students work on projects in some of our current classes, they may only have 3 or 10 weeks to produce something.” With this option, students can take that thesis idea from the preproduction of screenplay writing, to shooting and then finally the editing process. If students don’t like that option, Zacharias added, they can do other smaller scale assignments to fill up their course load. Other than teaching the practical applications of making just one film, Zacharias wants students to be streamlined with those skills to get jobs. Among the types of jobs he sees video students getting with this certificate, along with other video students in Washtenaw Community College programs, is through online production companies. “A degree is always good, but the bottom line is what can you do with it?” he said. “It shows in the final work.” The curriculum is still in its fledgling stages and likely will be unveiled in the Winter 2013 semester, according to Vice President of Instruction Stuart Blacklaw. Some of the courses, such as the screenplay and directing classes, will be available in the fall with more breaking ground in the winter. Below is a tentative plan for the new courses to be added to the existing Digital Video Production Certificate that will make up the new Advanced Certificate. All courses, credit and contact hours are subject to change.
| Existing Digital Video Production Certificate |
| Foundations in Digital Video I (VID 105) |
4 credit / 6 contact |
| Foundations in Digital Video II (VID 125) |
4 credit / 6 contact |
| Television Studio I (VID 180) |
4 credit / 6 contact |
| Web Video (VID 203) |
3 credit / 3 contact |
| Green Screen I (VID 255) |
3 credit / 4 contact |
| Video Graphics I (VID 276) |
3 credit / 4 contact |
| |
21 credit hours |
| Proposed Advanced Digital Video Certificate |
| required: |
|
| Screenplays (VID 210) |
3 credit / 3 contact |
| Portfolio & Project Seminar (VID 295) |
4 credit / 6 contact |
| electives: (choose 5) |
| Television Studio II (VID) |
4 credit / 6 contact |
| Lighting (VID 200) |
3 credit / 4 contact |
| Sound (VID 220) |
3 credit / 4 contact |
| Direction for Video (VID 230) |
3 credit / 4 contact |
| Digital Cinematography (VID 240) |
3 credit / 4 contact |
| Advanced Editing II (VID 250) |
3 credit / 4 contact |
| Green Screen II (VID 265) |
3 credit / 4 contact |
| Documentary (VID 270) |
3 credit / 4 contact |
| Video Graphics II (VID 227) |
3 credit / 4 contact |
| |
22-23 credit hours |
Source: Digital Video instructor Matt Zacharias
Four WCC teams to compete in Detroit 48 Hour Film Project
When filmmaker and Washtenaw Community College’s Video Lab Manager Eddie Fritz recalls his past involvement with the 48 Hour Film Project, he does it with the resolve and determination of a man on his wits end. “Everything that can possibly go wrong with making a film will happen in that 48 hours,” Fritz said. “The whole project sets you up for failure, and it’s a good thing because it forces you to think creatively. You’ve got to rely on your instincts.”
 Filmmakers review footage, from left: Alyse Paquin, of Whitmore Lake; Jonathan Sessions, of Grand Rapids; Adam Funk, of Ann Arbor. (Midnight Oil Productions Courtesy Photo) For the past five years, WCC students like Fritz have been trying to tackle the challenge that he both reviles and reveres: making an award-winning short film in the span of only one weekend. A transplant to Detroit in 2007, the 48 Hour Film Project has become a staple for aspiring independent directors, production crews, screenwriters and actors looking to sharpen their skills or to just have fun while becoming flat frustrated with their own filmmaking. Originated in Washington, D. C. in the mid-1990s, the project is hailed as one of the world’s most intense competitions in the film industry. Slated to kick off June 13-15, four adventurous student-led Washtenaw teams are ready to endure battle once more. So exactly how does one go about making a film in just one short weekend? Here’s the premise: Up-and-coming filmmakers and actors form teams of unlimited numbers to create crew units. Once that crew is assembled, they have the option of doing a small amount of pre-scouting for locations. However, nothing creative, such as writing a script or developing a story idea, can happen before that fated weekend, according to Mike Madigan, the producer of the Detroit arm of the project. Contestants then must draw genres for their specific films that Friday night, after which they are given one prop, one piece of dialogue and a character who must appear in the film. Each prop, dialogue and character is different for each city to ensure the unique quality of the host city’s project. After that, the teams have 48 hours to write a script, shoot the film at pre-scouted locations, edit and cut the final product and finally race back to the drop-off point to have the film entered for judging. But not before creating posters and advertising for their films. If a team misses the deadline, Madigan said the film will still screen in the preview a week later. Heading up the four Washtenaw teams are Fritz, Ann Arbor Film Festival entrants Dan Bifano and Mike Kelley, and fellow 48 Hour veteran Rick Chapin. These teams also include various members of the college’s video department, other students, faculty and staff, as well as headhunted actors and crew found on Craigslist or through other networking events. While Fritz is credited as spearheading the college’s involvement in the project, Washtenaw is not alone when it comes to sending teams over to the competition, Madigan explained. Colleges like Lawrence Tech, Schoolcraft College and the University of Michigan have all competed in the past and have done well under the pressure of churning out a fast film. “It would be nice if we could reach out to more colleges in the area,” Madigan said. “It’s hard because it’s in the summer and we kind of get lost in the shuffle. It’s a timing thing.” This year, a total of 60 teams are expected to compete. For Bifano, a former team member of Fritz’s, the timing is just right for his goals as a filmmaker. “Basically, all the people that I’ll be doing this competition with are the people I plan on opening my own production company with,” Bifano said, 35, Ann Arbor. “This project makes me want to submit work because it’s a worldwide competition and it is potentially great for my career.” Chapin, 50, from Ypsilanti, said that without the push from Fritz, he would have not gotten involved in such a wild experience. “Rick enjoyed it so much when we did it last year that he went out to San Francisco just to do it again,” Fritz said. Whereas Bifano said that his main focus this year was winning with the best overall film, Chapin conveyed that the team sport feel of the competition was the one aspect he hopes to cultivate while attacking the project this year. “The competition for me is like third or fourth on my list,” Chapin said. “No matter what you do, you have to have a good team.” Without a team, Fritz said, competitors may not be able to brave the elements that make the competition so challenging in the first place. “Everything from vehicle issues, computer speed, the DVD won’t burn fast enough, the render time won’t render or export fast enough. Something almost always goes wrong,” Fritz said. “The more prepared you are the better off your team will be. Especially when you are at the mercy of electronics and nature.” Early sign up for the competition beings on May 22. For discounts on sign-on fees, those interested in competing must apply early. Visit http://48hourfilm.com for more details.
After a month-long delay, the Washtenaw Community College Board of Trustees approved an across-the-board increase in tuition rates by 4.7 percent, amounting in a $4 increase for in-district students. According to Board Chair Pamela Horiszny, increasing the rate was not an easy decision for her and the other trustees, but was done out of necessity due to trends in reduced enrollment and lower property tax assessments. “Based on our major sources of revenue, this is the best we could do in terms of keeping costs low,” Horiszny said. In March, trustees began looking into how much of an increase was needed to keep up the college’s bottom line. Trustees had two options, raising tuition by $4 or $5 per credit hour. Horiszny told The Washtenaw Voice after receiving the two options that her main priority was to keep tuition as low as possible. Departmental fees will change in two areas. GED testing prices will be raised from $25 to $40, but only at two of six of the college’s testing locations. Work Keys Testing, a form of ACT testing that assesses job and training skill needs for employers, will also be added as a new item for departmental fees next year. WCC will be listed as a registered Work Keys testing center next year as well. Testing for Work Keys is not currently available at the college. Trustees had all but decided that the 4.7 percent was the best option a month ago, according to Horiszny, but delayed a formal vote on the issue until it could be done at the regularly scheduled April 24 meeting. Although trustees strived to keep the college’s rates affordable, some students are not buying into the need of an increase. “I don’t understand it,” said student Brian Wier, 32, from Ypsilanti. “The college doesn’t look like it’s struggling at all.” Yet Janelle Chandler, 23, Ypsilanti, isn’t worried about price, as long as the need is evident. “I wish it wasn’t that much for in-district students, but if the college needs it, I definitely understand the necessity,” she said. “Everyone is raising tuition. We’re no different.”
2012-13 TUITION AND FEES INVENTORY*
| Tuition Rate Changes: |
| |
2011-12 |
2012-13 |
| In-District |
$85/ credit hr. |
$89/ credit hr. |
| Out-of-District |
$136/ credit hr. |
$142/ credit hr. |
| Out-of-State |
$179/ credit hr. |
$187/ credit hr. |
| Work-in-District |
$85/ credit hr. |
$89/ credit hr. |
| Property-in-District |
$85/ credit hr. |
$89/ credit hr. |
| GED Testing: |
| Washtenaw County Jail |
$25 |
$40 |
| Maxey Boys Training School |
$25 |
$40 |
| Work Keys Testing: |
| Battery Cost: |
New Item |
$125/ test |
| Individual Test |
New Item |
$75/ test |
| Practice Test |
New Item |
$5/ test |
| Areas not affected by the increase include: |
| |
2011-12 |
2012-13 |
| Fees per credit hour: |
| Technology/Enrollment |
$7/ credit hr. |
No Change |
| Credit by examination |
$25/ credit hr. |
No Change |
| Course repeat fee |
$200/ credit hr. |
No Change |
| Fees per transaction: |
| Late registration |
$25 |
No Change |
| Delinquent payment |
$25/ month |
No Change |
| Delinquent diploma |
$20 |
No Change |
| Returned Check |
$25 |
No Change |
| Special Transcript Service |
$20 |
No Change |
| Student ID Replacement |
$10 |
No Change |
| Loan Processing Fee |
$25 |
No Change |
| Testing: |
| Academic testing |
$30 per test |
No Change |
| Corporate testing |
$30 per test |
No Change |
| Children’s Center Rates: |
| Registration |
| Students |
$10 |
No Change |
| Staff |
$20 |
No Change |
| Child fees |
| Students |
$3/ hr. |
No Change |
| Staff |
$4/ hr. |
No Change |
| Full time discount |
10 percent/ 30 hrs. a week |
No Change |
| Sibling discount |
15 percent/ 2nd-3rd child |
No Change |
| Library fees: |
| Community Card (annual) |
$15 |
No Change |
| Overdue materials |
| Circulation books |
$.15/ day-book |
No Change |
| Closed reserve (2 hr.) |
$.50/ hr. |
No Change |
| 3-day; 1-week reserve |
$1 |
No Change |
| Overnight |
$1 |
No Change |
*Above information was compiled by Vice President of Administration and Finance Steven Hardy, as presented to the Board of Trustees on April 24.
The music of Motown Records is considered to be the most hallowed soul and R’n’B sound to come out of Detroit’s rich sonic history. The songs, however, are often hard to play for beginners. With the help of WCC guitar instructor John E. Lawrence, students in his Jazz Guitar classes have learned to make it look easy.
“I actually make it look harder than it is,” said David Daly, 15, a Washtenaw Technical Middle College student, shortly after playing an impressive one-man version of the classic Stevie Wonder tune “I Wish.” In order to teach the complex arrangements on guitar, Lawrence recently wrote two books exploring the compositions in a solo format. With the Motown Solo Guitar I and II books, which Lawrence has taught from this year, his students have been able to put the songs together themselves, playing melodies, rhythm parts and bass lines all at the same time. Although the books came in handy, Lawrence thought that a CD accompanying them would help his classes learn faster. But why hear it, when you could see it as well, Lawrence asked. “A lot of the students didn’t remember the songs, so I thought a DVD would do better,” Lawrence said. “This way they can see my fingers, hear it and then play the music.” The DVDs are still in the editing process, but once they’re ready Lawrence plans on packaging the books and DVDs for sale to other colleges and worldwide as standalone teaching tools. Other Washtenaw students have helped out in the process as well. The DVDs were even filmed by digital film student Jeremy Liesen, making the musical dissection an entirely WCC-driven affair. While the DVDs won’t be released until later in the year, Lawrence’s students had a chance to get a sneak peek. According to Daly, the DVDs offer exactly what they were made to. “John teaches in a very visual way, but even with the books it’s hard to get the timings down,” Daly said. “You need to hear it and see it. And with all the cool melodies, he simplifies them but he doesn’t hold back either.” Aside from seeing his students understanding the famous tunes, Lawrence enjoys their enthusiasm while jamming most of all. “I like seeing them playing because they’re doing it in a whole new way,” he said. “I tell them ‘I’m only giving you a guideline. Once you’ve mastered it, you have to alter it and make it your own. It’s really cool having a chance to see them do it.”
Of all the things that Washtenaw Community College Trustee Patrick McLean has to worry about at his day job as the treasurer of Toledo, finding a place where he can eat a healthy meal is near the top of his list. “I was in San Antonio once on a business trip, and I told the restaurant that I was vegan,” McLean said. “The chef came out and told me he understood, but they ended up bringing out a plate of bacon.” Last April, McLean decided to take dieting to a new plateau: he doesn’t eat meat or any other product made from animals. This includes cheeses and other dairy, as well. His diet now consists of fruits, vegetables, nuts and beans. For the past year, McLean has made the eating habit of consuming no meat or animal products a normal part of his everyday life. But the transition from omnivore to herbivore wasn’t easy. Suffering from high cholesterol and blood pressure in 2002, McLean was given strict orders from his doctor to lose weight. Not one for taking pills or other pharmaceutical remedies, McLean saw going vegetarian as a quick a way to solve his ailments. He was amazed at the results. And so was his doctor. “I lost 20 pounds fairly quickly,” McLean said. “My cholesterol and my blood pressure got better. My doctor at one point even accused me of using someone else’s blood.” Since moving toward cutting out animal products entirely, McLean has found himself in good health. In a town like Ann Arbor, finding the right kind of foods locally is never a challenge, he said. With the city’s multitude of vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants, the only time he worries is when he begins his drive to Toledo. He can’t stop at a run-of-the-mill burger joint, and even if he could, McLean professed that he hasn’t eaten fast food in more than 30 years. While improving his health and weight were among the driving factors of going vegan, his decision ended up relying on his moral responsibilities as a practicing Buddhist. “I don’t like the idea of factory farms and the way that they go about the production of food,” he said. “I don’t like the notion that animals are brought up for the sole purpose of being slaughtered and eaten.” McLean considers himself a lifetime “religious seeker,” and eventually took up the Eastern religion 10 years ago because of its comfortable nature and spiritual fluidity. “The reason I like Buddhism is because it focuses on people having the power to change,” he said. “My connection to it is more personal, but I often visit the Buddhist temple on Packard Road.” With Buddhism and a freshly minted vegan lifestyle, McLean has even proven to the other board members that the power of will can help with any major life transition. “I think generally speaking, talking about requiring a special diet, he has helped to increase the health consciousness for the rest of us on the board,” said Trustee Richard Landau. “His willingness to stick to this regiment is admirable to me. I have dieted for a year now and he has had an impact on that.” Landau added that if McLean could do it, so could he. However, with McLean still acting as the new kid in town –appointed to replace State Rep. David Rutledge (D-Ypsilanti) as treasurer in 2011– his fellow board members still dish out robust, yet gentle hazing to his diet. “At one point, I was on a liquid diet because of an injury,” Landau said. “I told Patrick, ‘now I’m more of a vegan than you are.’” McLean laughs at the jokes himself, and knows that when his stomach starts grumbling, his fellow trustees have got his back. “We do talk about it all the time, but especially at dinner after the board meetings,” said Vice Chair Diana McKnight-Morton. “We all say, ‘Oh look Patrick, here’s something you can eat!’ We look out for him that way.”
Ann Arbor’s Zen Buddhists talk Dharma; a beginner’s guide for the average student
Between all-nighters and term papers, the life of a college student can be anything but “Zen.” “There are all these obstacles associated with school and work,” said Eric Kroepel, 21, a generally stressed-out mechanical engineering student attending Wayne State University. “You have deadlines and all these things to do, just to see it all happen again the next day.” Fortunately for students like Kroepel, the monks at the Zen Buddhist Temple of Ann Arbor are helping burned-out students attain peace of mind in the face of never-ending stress at college. Nestled cozily at 1214 Packard St. and hidden behind an archaic brick wall stands one of the few Buddhist temples in America, let alone in the state of Michigan. What may look like an old flop house to an inattentive passerby is a place where spiritual seekers have sought—and found—refuge for more than 30 years. At the heart of the temple are the Rev. Haju Sunim and her host of fellow monks who live and work on the temple grounds. Sunim—known formerly as Linda Murray – founded the temple with her then-husband Sanbul (Alexander Lundquist) in Ann Arbor in 1981. The two bought the land where the temple now resides in the early ’90s. While there are many different forms and practices of Buddhism, the Ann Arbor temple teaches a type of South Korean Zen, modeled after the teachings of Sunim’s master, the Venerable Samu Sunim, based out of Toronto. It was Samu Sunim who directed both Sunim and Sanbul to build a temple in Ann Arbor because of the religion’s growing influence and curiosity in the area. The practice of Zen is a Chinese and Japanese version of the original religion, which began nearly 2,500 years ago in Nepal, India. In Buddhist mythos, a young prince named Siddartha Gautama left his pampered lifestyle behind to find a greater understanding of human suffering. Buddhists believe that through concentrated meditation, Gautama became the Buddha, the enlightened or awakened one. All of Buddhism’s core teachings stem from the small group of monks who followed Gautama until the time of his death. Essential to Buddhism are two major facets, according to Sunim. These include the Eight-fold Path and the Four Nobel truths. Both detail the Buddha’s teachings of suffering, and how to snap out of and away from the pressures and stressors affecting our continued existence throughout multiple life cycles, or karma. Zen teachings recommend finding the most direct path to enlightenment. Instead of suggesting monastic studies and education, the Sunim school of Zen focuses on experience and practice over knowledge. “Suffering, or the Dukkha, is always around us,” Sunim said. “Those other teachings are very helpful, but in Zen Buddhism, there is this kind of scholarship to the sutras and the teachings. The approach to practice is experiential. It’s not just in the head. We try not to be disembodied.” Through courses in guided meditation, basic sitting classes and weeklong retreats filled with manual labor and maddening silence, patrons get a first-hand education on what it takes to achieve a sustained sense of enlightenment throughout all the rigors of daily life. Yet there is another aspect to the temple that has made the building so visibly attractive as a haven for those with just an inkling of interest as well as full-on practitioners of Zen: the Sunday morning and afternoon services. During these sessions, anyone from the outside world can come in to meditate and engage in the most basic precepts of Zen Buddhism. While many religions have a cosmic connection to Sunday as the Sabbath, Sunim said they chose the day out of convenience for patrons and families. “It was quite a change at that time to have the services,” Sunim said about the unorthodoxy associated with the temple’s church-like atmosphere on Sundays. “Even today, I’m not sure that many Buddhist groups offer Sunday services. We like to say that every day is a good day for practice, but as Buddhism spreads around the world, we have to adapt. In this culture it is convenient to attend on Sundays.” Certain aspects of experiential Zen are practiced on Sundays. Attendees take part in meditation, chanting and a Dharma talk similar to Christian sermons at the end. Upon entering the service building, which lies directly left of the monastery’s main house, visitors must first take off their shoes to show respect and to tread lightly, according to Mike Umbriac, one of many students greeting new faces at the door. Known to other monks and students as Magamok, Umbriac bows before patrons as they enter the building. He speaks softly as he informs newcomers of the itinerary. After being welcomed with hot tea, the patrons enter the meditation room, but not before bowing once more in front of the door. The bowing, Sunim said, is to show respect and an understanding of human duality. By bringing your hands together, students acknowledge the spiritual need for oneness in their lives. In the center of the room are four rows of cushions with small pillows, each for a student to comfortably sit—the foundation of Zen Buddhism. Before even attempting the practice of meditation, Sunim said that a student of Zen must first learn to sit still and shut up. For young Americans, Sunim concedes the challenge in this very simple task. Although it is widely understood to each of the students that by taking time out of the day for mindfulness, practicing what they preach can be a much harder endeavor according to Peter Beyer, 67, a door greeter. Beyer led a Sunday session in place of Sunim. Known to many as Bopryok (pronounced Bom-yAK), Beyer suggests a bit of advice for college students either too busy or not interested in attending the services. “Stop!” he said. “Put the books aside for just a second and take time out for yourself. Just five-to-10 minutes a day can help you break the structure of every day stress.” Beyer also suggests staying away from books on Buddhism. “Just do it. Develop a meditation practice or come in on Sundays to see how others do it,” he said. “You can read about it until your head falls off, but the point of Zen is to have an experience.” By coming to a Sunday service on April 1 for the first time, Kroepel’s Zen experience was made that much better. “This is all about actively engaging in self-improvement,” Kroepel said. Kroepel began by reading and doing his own meditation after becoming disillusioned with the dogmatic qualities that came with Catholicism, the religion he was raised in. While Kroepel admits that collegiate stress has not gone away, practicing Zen has been beneficial to his sense of purpose, esteem and time-management skills. “It helps to see all of your assignments clearly,” he said. “If you find a positive in it and are mindful of your work, the burden disappears.” For Sunim, the most important lesson a college student can learn about course-load enlightenment is the very first lesson she was taught by her master long ago. “In this very moment, there is nothing to worry about,” she said. “In this very moment there is nothing lacking. In this very moment, there is always something to be grateful for.”
As Board of Trustees Chair Pamela Horiszny considers who should be given Washtenaw Community College’s most prestigious award, she now includes “rock star” as a pre-requisite. “I would want someone who can really connect with the graduates,” Horiszny said. “Someone who students would consider a role model or an inspiration. I want someone who is really a rock star in the community.” With a proposed change to the title and distinction of the college’s Award of Merit, the board could expand its choices to members outside of the fabric of WCC. Each year before commencement, trustees and college administrators choose an outstanding member of the community who has made a lasting impact on the environment or culture at WCC. The individual chosen would then receive the college’s Award of Merit during the graduation ceremony. Common choices in the past have been primarily former or existing board members, faculty, staff and other outside parties involved in exemplary community service. The award is considered the college’s most esteemed honor, however explaining the importance of the prize to the prospective recipient has become an unnecessary challenge, according to Trustee Richard Landau. “One of the problems we’ve had whenever approaching a potential recipient is that we kind of have to explain what the award of merit is,” Landau said. “You wouldn’t think that would be a difficult thing, but it is. We have to say this really is that important and significant of an award. This is something that we bestow on very few people. “There is a certain amount of preamble we have to take in order to make the pitch.” Picking the recipient has also become a bit of an obstacle, as well, he added. With time phasing out the founders and early leaders of the college, a new generation of movers and shakers within the community are now worthy options. By changing the title of the rewarded honor from “Award of Merit” to “Honorary Associate’s Degree in Community Service,” Landau hopes to expel any needless confusion surrounding what the award represents when presenting the offer. But what’s in a name? A lot, Landau said. “This award carries a lot of weight,” said Landau, who in addition serves on the award’s governing board. “The key distinction that we want to make with an honorary associate’s degree is truly recognizing someone who has made a contribution to the college as a graduate at commencement. It has the effect of creating a type of intimacy between that person and the college.” Even though the title may receive a facelift, what is required of the awarded recipient will remain the same. These qualities include “outstanding contributions to the advancement of Washtenaw Community College, dedication and devotion to the idea of education for all people, and extraordinary achievement in a vocation which directly relates to the mission it represents.” Changing the award to an honorary degree, much like the awards given to politicians or other figures who speak at university commencements, however, does not offer any sort of educational achievement outside of an award. What it will do is expand the types of potential candidates. Landau expressed a will among the deciding parties to extend these offers to politicians, activists or other political figures. “This allows us to not be necessarily confined to internal candidates. We’re looking for more external candidates as well,” he said. While succinctly outlined to narrow down a list of potential candidates, trustees have their own ideas on what qualities deserve the merit. “I would still want to choose someone involved with the college,” said Trustee Stephen Gill. “If not WCC, at least someone who is an advocate for community colleges. Changing these requirements is terrific, because no matter who we pick, it’s another way of saying a degree from a community college is a respected recognition.” An individual who has helped improve the quality of life in Washtenaw County and its economy additionally topped Gill’s bill. For Horiszny, the deciding factor will rest on the ability for the honoree to wow Washtenaw’s departing population. But don’t expect any members of Mötley Crüe sending them off, either. “I want to bring someone in who is going to empower and excite our graduates,” she said. “What I’m looking for is someone who can show students that they can be anything that they want to be.”
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