It’s no secret that Washtenaw Community College President Rose Bellanca enjoys her job. Whether she is eating lunch with a group of students, or asking for feedback from the faculty on how to improve the college, Bellanca loves what she does. When she arrived last August, Bellanca said, she knew the reputation Washtenaw had, but was surprised to experience it first-hand. “I always thought WCC was a great school, but it has never ceased to amaze me how great it is,” Bellanca said. “I have just never seen anything like it. It’s more than what I thought it would be.”
Bellanca is quick to point out the work of the staff and faculty in making the college excel under the leadership of the WCC Board of Trustees. While those factors contribute to the school’s appeal, it’s the students that set the college apart from the pack, she said. One of her goals when she started the year was to meet with as many students as possible to hear their stories and thoughts on the campus. To make those interactions possible, Bellanca has eaten lunch with groups of students on many occasions. “They are invaluable (the lunches) and I’m going to continue to do that. I have met students all the way from the WTMC to a 35-year-old woman who wants to change her life,” Bellanca said. The president estimated that she met close to 1,000 people this year between employees of the college and students. Like any college, however, there is room for improvement, and Bellanca has worked closely with her staff to address those concerns. “Definitely in the area of working with K-12. We’ve done it, but it hasn’t been a focused effort. We really haven’t made a concentrated effort to work with our partners,” Bellanca said. She also pointed to increasing the workforce management efforts to help students find jobs once they’re finished at WCC. “That’s our job as a community college and bringing these opportunities to our students so that they know there could be a job out there for you if you’re interested,” Bellanca said. “Completing the whole picture of a community college and including the external piece.” Away from her daily duties at the college, it was also an exciting year for Bellanca. She became a grandmother a few months ago – another one of her jobs that she thoroughly enjoys. “I never understood the feeling. It’s a new emotion, it’s a different love. When you have a grandchild, it’s a whole other love. It’s magnetic. I just don’t know how to explain it,” she said. “I realize now that life is going to go on. It’s kind of your mortality, you’re watching it. It’s really powerful when you look at it. Family has always been number one for me.” As the year comes to an end, Bellanca is thankful for how easy a transition it has been for her – making Washtenaw Community College an extension of her family. “It’s been a great year,” she said in a tone that says she means it. “When I go home at night, my husband says ‘How was your day?’ And I always say I had a good day. I don’t have bad days here.”
‘Five Year Engagement’ struggles to hold interest
Very few moments in life are as exciting as getting married. But in the film “Five Year Engagement,” Tom (Jason Segal) and Violet (Emily Blunt) prove that getting married isn’t always an easy trip down the aisle. Living in California, Tom is a budding sous chef and is on the verge of becoming the head of his own kitchen when he meets the girl of his dreams, Violet. As a psychology major, Violet yearns to continue her studies at a relevant university. Eventually, the couple gets engaged and begins planning their wedding. When Violet agrees to take a job at the University of Michigan, Tom agrees to move with her and the couple is forced to delay their impending nuptials. Shot in Ann Arbor, it’s exciting to see the various places around town that we’re all familiar with up on the big screen. However, as the movie goes on, the city and the state as a whole are portrayed as a gloomy, miserable hell-hole that has nothing to offer compared to California. Segal feels a bit out of place in this movie as he tries to be more of an actual actor than he normally does in previous films. His relationship with Blunt at times feels very real and at other times is hard to believe. Blunt, on the other hand, is a standout, and it was a surprise to see how well she pulled off her role. The supporting cast helps carry the film with appearances by Kevin Hart, Mindy Kaling, Chris Pratt and Alison Brie rounding out the side stories. If you’re looking for a laugh-a-minute romantic comedy, “Five year engagement” is not that film. While it has plenty of laughs, the movie clearly focuses on the relationship between Segal and Blunt with the laughs sprinkled in. A nice movie to see with a date, “Five year engagement” is better served catering to that audience and not those just looking for raunchy humor. GENRE COMEDY RUN TIME 124 MINUTES RATING R
Where do I even begin to recap my time at Washtenaw Community College and more importantly, my time with The Washtenaw Voice? The first word that comes to mind is: unbelievable. This college and this newspaper have allowed me to do things I only wished I could do a few short years ago. Through this newspaper, I lived a dream by spending a season covering Michigan football. I was standing a mere 15 feet from Roy Roundtree when he made the game-winning catch against Notre Dame in the first night game ever at Michigan Stadium. When President Barack Obama visited Ann Arbor earlier this year, I was privileged to cover the event from the time Air Force One landed through his speech on the campus of the University of Michigan. I sat cage-side when the Ultimate Fighting Championship made its return to Detroit in 2010. And I got to interview a man I idolized as a teenager, when I had the chance to ask Nicklas Lidstrom from the Detroit Red Wings a question. I’ve been able to travel with this newspaper to learn more about this business (and to win a few awards!) and visit cities I would’ve never thought of going to. More importantly, while doing all of those amazing (at least to me) things, I kept my level of professionalism in check and didn’t allow the magnitude of the moment to cloud my ability to report. I learned that ability from the phenomenal teachers we have in the journalism program at WCC. Rod Satterthwaite, Mark W. Smith and Dave Waskin were an instrumental part in my development as a journalist by teaching me the basics of this industry. But it was the guidance and patience of Voice adviser Keith Gave that’s made the biggest impact on my work and my life. When I walked into The Voice office in 2010, I was nervous about the prospects of becoming a journalist and was quite unsure of myself. While it took time, Keith has helped shape me into an award-winning journalist who was able to find a job in the industry before finishing my schooling at WCC. Thank you Keith, words cannot express the positive impact you’ve made on my life and the lives of my family. My time at The Voice has been filled with laughter and good memories, in large part because of the wonderful and talented group of people I’ve worked with. I’ll forever miss “Production Fridays” (especially James Highsmith’s masterful freestyle raps). Being able to work next to the many talented people who fill the newsroom has been a pleasure. Thank you to all my colleagues whom I’ve been privileged to work with over the last two years. Finally I want to say thanks to the college. I didn’t always write the most flattering things about this place but I will forever look at WCC and the people around it with the utmost respect and fondness. Goodbye WCC and thank you for helping make my dreams come true.
The 521 big block cubic inch engine inside of a Ford Mystic Cobra growls as Auto Services teacher Mike Duff backs the multi-colored beauty out of the garage inside of the OE building. The student-built beast was just five days away from running at the Milan Dragway. Then administrators at Washtenaw Community College downshifted and hit the brakes, bringing race plans to a screeching halt. It’s an insurance thing. “It is the finding of the college that at this time we want to make sure to cover our liabilities, and we are not yet comfortable letting that vehicle run down the track with a college employee in the driver’s seat until we have that liability addressed,” said Ross Gordon, interim dean of Vocational Technologies. On Monday April 23, an email was sent out to various employees in the automotive department informing them of the school’s decision not to allow the Cobra to have a pass at the dragway the following Saturday. Included in that decision was a Kawasaki ZX14 motorcycle built by students as well. After the decision was made, disappointment set in for those close to the projects. “It’s really kind of saddening,” said Glenn Stewart, a 21-year-old automotive services major from South Lyon. “We were hoping it wouldn’t come down to this. It’s devastating.” Stewart is one of many students who have been working on the Mystic Cobra since December of 2010, when the body and engine were donated to the school by Brian Wolf, the director of Transmission and Driveline Engineering at Ford. The project began on the first day of the Winter Semester in 2011 and has been evolving ever since. “Every single day of the week people have been working on it,” said Anthony Minissale, 21, a technology management major. The project began with the understanding that the car was being put together so that it would run at Milan and used as a learning tool for the students. Parts and components were donated to the college by various businesses that received advertising on the vehicle. At least $13,000 in parts were donated, according to Duff. Well aware of the amount of work and money (some of which came from WCC) that went into the vehicle, Gordon explained the school’s position. “We don’t want to put anyone in harm’s way and we don’t want anything bad to happen to anyone that would cast the college in a negative fashion, or be perceived as such,” Gordon said. “We certainly wouldn’t want something to happen to somebody and have it impact future students at the college. We definitely want to have all our bases covered. “The subject is open for discussion and has been and will continue to be looking at the opportunity to cover our bases and address our liabilities to run this vehicle in the future.” Gordon added that the school had been working it for “a series of months” to get the liability figured so the car could run. Unfortunately, a solution was not reached in time. The students and faculty were not so much upset with the fact that they wanted to see the vehicles race (they’ve seen them run before), they were looking forward to learning from what the diagnostics would tell them about how to improve their project. “We run the machines and it gives the students the opportunity to spend the time to make the adjustments,” said Alan Hack, a part-time instructor and lab tech. “Even the students in the future that didn’t build the bike, they can learn how to make the improvements.” Aside from advertising the business attached to the project, Minissale pointed out what projects like these can do in terms of attracting students to the program at Washtenaw. “If you’re a high school student and you see this, it’s like ‘Wow!’” Minissale said. “It’s a promotional tool for the college.” While Gordon stands by the decision of the college, he is very aware of why the students and faculty are upset. “I do understand their frustration, but I have hope and belief that in this case we’re making the right decision for this time.” Gordon said. “Through the process we’ll come to the proper outcome moving forward. I hope that they understand.”
Futuristic film has dim future with moviegoers
Starring Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace, “Lockout” is the story of a wrongly convicted man who is given a chance at freedom if he can save the president’s daughter from a gang of psychotic criminals. Set in 2079, the film begins with ex-government agent Snow (Pearce) being interrogated for a crime he didn’t commit. Soon, he is sentenced to 30 years at a futuristic prison in space called Maximum Security One. It just so happens that while he is being prepped to go to MSO, the president’s daughter, Emilie Warnock (Grace) is at the prison looking into the practices of MSO. Through a boorish series of events – including a prison riot – Warnock’s safety and Pierce’s acting ability both come into question. Instead of storming the prison, the government decides to send Snow on an extraction mission in exchange for his freedom, and so begins the two-hour snore fest. The action scenes in this movie play out like a bad Japanese cartoon. The viewer can’t tell what the hell is going on because of the shaky camera work and quick, back-and-forth cuts. The acting is just as bad with Grace being the only one who turns in a performance that doesn’t seem forced and over-the-top. Pearce is witty at times and isn’t bad in the lead role, but we’ve seen this character a million times. Visually the film looks fantastic as long as there isn’t a fight scene going on. It’s clear that we’re watching a movie set in the future, but the design and look of the film doesn’t seem unrealistic for 60 years from now. The film plays out in a predictable fashion and any action film fan will see where the story is going long before the final scenes play out. With a ridiculous plot line, poor acting and even worse production, this was one of the worst action movies I’ve seen in a long time. I actually found myself dozing off at points and wishing the film would just end. For those who enjoy action films regardless of how bad acting and plotlines can be, “Lockout” might be worth a look once it hits the bargain-bin at your local video store. Genre ACTION Rated PG-13 Runtime 95 minutes
The baseball season is barely two weeks old and none of us have any idea what lies ahead for the boys of summer. Odds are that the Tigers will run away with the Central Division and probably contend for a World Series. Should they falter, however, I know exactly where the blame will lie: Jim Leyland. Since becoming manager prior to the 2006 season, Leyland, 67, has captured the hearts of diehard Tigers fans by leading the team to the playoffs twice. Because of those post-season appearances, Leyland has falsely earned the reputation of being a good manager.
 Detroit Tigers mananger Jim Leyland congratulates Detroit Tigers' Brandon Inge (15) after scoring on a sacrifice fly by Detroit Tigers' Ramon Santiago in the fifth inning during Monday's May 25, 2009, baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and Tigers at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (John Sleezer/The Kansas City Star) Leyland has a history of giving players days off and essentially throwing in the towel for those games by not playing the best lineup possible. So far this season, he has not done that, but he has trotted out a different lineup in almost every game. Simply put, you never know what to expect from Leyland’s lineup card. On Sunday, April 15, as the Tigers prepared to play the Chicago White Sox, Leyland filled out his lineup card for the day and at the designated hitter spot inserted Brandon Inge. The highly controversial third baseman has a staggering career batting average of .232, and last season hit a myopic .197. Yet Leyland saw fit to have him as the designated hitter. Leyland in his career has won just as many games as he lost, and he has a history of mishandling talented teams. In 2008 the Tigers failed to make the playoffs after being the preseason favorites. In the early 1990s’, he led three straight Pittsburg Pirates teams to the National League Championship Series, but failed to win any of them. Defenders will be quick to point out that he won a championship in 1997 with the then Florida Marlins. But to be fair, that team was in place before he got to Florida. With all the money spent on this team, it shouldn’t fail. But based on the history of the manager, it will – and you can blame the skipper.
At the annual University of Michigan Spring Game last week, the defense made an interception, didn’t allow a single pass downfield and stopped quarterback Denard Robinson in his only series. And all head coach Brady Hoke and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison did was complain about it. “We’ve got a long way to go,” Mattison said. “We’ve got to become a lot more physical.” Last year’s team was one of the most improved defenses in the country, with Hoke and Mattison at the center of the turnaround. Hoke especially pointed to the lack of strength up the middle, saying his defense was too lateral in its playmaking and did not attack the football the way he likes. But he also acknowledged that the unit was improved over last year’s team. “I think we’re tougher as a team than we were this time last year,” Hoke said. Mattison was pleased with the way his defensive line responded to some changes he has made this spring, pointing out the play of defensive end Craig Roh especially. “I feel very comfortable with the moves. That might be one of the bright spots of the spring,” Mattison said. “I wanted to see how they’re going to play under the gun. I think this group wants to be really good.” Despite the criticism of their coaches, the defense was the better of the two sides. A pre-season Heisman Trophy candidate, Robinson played the opening series before sitting for the rest of the day. With Robinson on the bench, backups Devin Gardner and Russell Bellomy had a chance to showcase their skills. Gardner clearly struggled during the game, throwing an interception and fumbling two exchanges from under center. His passes were often inaccurate, and the junior looked tentative during his time on the field. The running game carried the load for the offense; both Fitzgerald Toussaint and Thomas Rawls found their way to the end zone. Hoke has been impressed with Rawls throughout spring practice. “I think Thomas has had a good spring. I really like his physical-ness, he’s hard to tackle. He’s a good football player,” Hoke said. With four months left until the team and its coaches will be allowed to start working together, the coaching staff is confident that the players will improve on their own before the start of the next camp. “Our staff and this program believe in working very hard at improvement in the summer,” Mattison said, “and not just lifting weights.”
As the weather becomes nicer and the days become hotter, nothing quenches your thirst quite like a seasonal beer from your favorite brew crew. But with an abundance of seasonal brews sitting on the shelves, it can be difficult to find the perfect companion for a day in the sun. Four staffers from The Washtenaw Voice recently spent an evening getting better acquainted with a few of our springtime foamy-friends to help readers make a heady decision.
All Day IPA Founders Brewing Company, Grand Rapids This Michigan craft brew is one of two non-seasonal beers we selected, but came highly recommended to us. Sadly, we should have found something else. The lowest-rated of our selections, this India Pale Ale did not score well with any of our tasters. “The smell reminds me of a honeydew melon, but it tastes like the rind,” said one staffer. Said another: All Day IPA is not something that “I could drink all day.” Avoid this beer at all costs. 1.5/5 STARS
Summer Shandy Leinenkugel’s Brewing Company, Chippewa Falls, Wis. “Sweet glorious Shandy!” exclaimed one staffer. The combination of beer and lemonade just sounds like a delightful treat on a hot day. For the most part our staffers agreed as two of testers gave Summer Shandy a perfect five for a score. “Tastes like heaven. Not heavy and easy to drink with a wonderful aftertaste.” Summer Shandy electrifies taste buds while not weighing you down. However, one staffer was not impressed calling Summer Shandy “a light, watery beer.” No beer is perfect, but in the case of Summer Shandy, it comes damn close. 4/5 STARS 
Oberon Bell’s Brewery Inc., Kalamazoo The most anticipated beer of the season, Oberon hit shelves in March and has electrified mouths all over the state. “Tasty and flavorful. But not too much on the tongue, an excellent summer beer. Well worth the six-month wait,” said a taster. The combination of citrus and wheat flavors envelop the sinuses. No one gave Oberon a score lower than 3, making it the most consistent beer we tasted. One tester asked another: “Would you recreate with this beer?” and the response: “I’d procreate with this beer!” 4/5 STARS 
Alpine Spring Sam Adams Brewing Company, Boston This unfiltered lager was made available for the first time this year, and if our tasters have any say it will be the last as well. This tongue-curler was hard to drink as it overpowers the taste buds, making it hard to swallow. Some staffers poured out their sample after forcing it down their throats. A score of three from one staffer saved Alpine Spring from being the lowest-rated beer, stating “It’s a standard Sam Adams. I’m disappointed it doesn’t taste much different than the other Sam Adams beers.” 2.25/5 STARS 
Brasserie Blonde Arbor Brewing Company, Ann Arbor The other of our non-seasonal selections, the Brasserie Blonde is “a beer that’s not afraid to be a beer.” This firm, refreshing ale has a strong taste to it, but is not unpleasant by any means. The Blonde is a Belgium-styled brew that packs some punch whithout leaving a terrible aftertaste. While we only sampled the ale, it was clear that having more than two or three wouldn’t sit well in the stomach. Not a great beer, but not bad either. 3/5 STARS 
Vinyl Lager Magic Hat Brewing Company, South Burlington, Vt. The second lowest rated beer in our sample, this spring seasonal was not well-received by our testers. A lackluster beer, the sour aftertaste left our tongues curled and our palates unsatisfied. “The only people who would like this beer are hipsters,” said one staffer. This flavorless beer was very disappointing considering the brewer’s reputation. 2/5 STARS
THE TIEBREAKER:
Quinn Davis
Weird Chick We Can’t Get Rid Of, and Former Voice Editor
Nice work, The Washtenaw Voice—you’ve almost picked a winning beer. I know, it’s tough to decide between Oberon and… …Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy? Are you freaking kidding me?! I can’t even call Summer Shandy a beer, and neither would The Voice if it could tell the difference between a killer whale in heat and Shirley Temple. Actually, shandy has a lot in common with Ms. Temple. That’s because shandy is the Shirley Temple of beer. If you went out for a beer, would you feel like a gal holdin’ the world by its hackie sacks if you asked the bartender, “Could I have beer mixed with lemonade?” I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that no, no you wouldn’t feel like such a gal. You may instead feel like an idiot that just asked for lemonade mixed with beer. Wehehell, I hate to bust up the party, but that’s what shandy is. It’s lemonaded-down beer, which means that Oberon (which tastes better anyway) is clearly the winner. Oberon: pwning noobs since 1996.
 Former WCC counselor Cole Jordan, when he appeared in a California court room in November, on charges of assult with a deadly weapon. (MCT courtesy photo) Documents from the Human Resource Management at Washtenaw Community College show that jailed former counselor Cole Jordan was reprimanded for sexual harassment of a co-worker. Jordan, whose birth name is Ronald Stanley Bridgforth, was sentenced to one year in a California jail on March 23 after pleading guilty 40 years earlier to assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon. Jordan skipped bail and was on the run during his 34 years at WCC. On May 25, 2006, a complaint was filed against Jordan and a written reprimand was issued on July 25 of that year. WCC officials would not comment on the complaint and requested a Freedom of Information Act request be filed by The Voice for more information. The Voice has filed the request. An investigation into the complaint resulted in the reprimand for violation of Board of Trustees Policy 5080 Prohibiting Sexual Harassment. Jordan was accused of creating a hostile and intimidating working environment for the victim, according to HR documents. As part of the reprimand, Jordan was required to: “Meet with a professional executive coach to modify your behavior to acceptable levels; successfully complete College training on sexual and discriminatory harassment; and refrain from offering counseling services to co-workers on private manners.” Jordan was instructed not to interfere with the victim’s movement on the campus, her abilities to do her job and to avoid all contact with her. No information was available about who filed the complaint or if and when Jordan completed the requirements set in the reprimand.
Bullying will continue until something changes
Anti-bullying campaign There are two sides to this troubling issue
Before I receive an unusual amount of hate mail for this column, I should make one thing perfectly clear; I am not advocating that bullying is an allowable practice. Bullying has been around for a long time. Until humanity learns to love one another equally, bullying isn’t going away any time soon. I was bullied in school; my parents experienced bullying when they were in school, my grandparents too, and so on and so on. I was in high school when the Columbine school shooting occurred. Columbine was a horrific event that affected every school in the U.S. in 1999. Security was beefed up, parents paid more attention to their kids and society looked for an easy scapegoat to blame the shootings on. When I returned to school the following year, everything was back the way it used to be. Security was still beefed up, but all the bullies went back to business as usual, without repercussions. It would be nice if there were a law established to punish bullies, but how would you define bullying in the law? Slapping someone around is bullying; but hitting someone is called assault and it’s already a crime. Stealing lunch money is bullying, but stealing is also already against the law. So all we have left is a law banning hurtful words. Has everyone forgotten the old expression “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me?” Social interaction and life experiences make us who we are; that’s the way it has always been and it’s probably not changing anytime soon. Bullying doesn’t stop when you get out of school; it’s a part of life. If you don’t stand up for yourself and be happy about who you are, bullies will push you around forever.
Nathan, this is going to sound a bit hypocritical, but I feel the need to kick your ass. But as a supporter of the anti-bullying campaign, I choose to use my words instead of my fists. Saying that the anti-bullying campaign is a bad idea because it softens children is just plain stupid. Kids need to learn at a young age that pushing people around is not right, and there is no reason to accept bullying. Sending a message to children to not only not bully, but to stop others from bullying is something we can all learn from. I’m not naive enough to think that bullying will ever stop. In all walks of life there are people that try to push others around. But we need to teach kids from a young age how to deal with bullies and why it’s not okay to act that way towards others. You say that the campaign makes kids soft and they don’t take criticism well. Nathan you are missing the point. It’s not about what is being said, but more the intent behind it. There is a huge difference between someone telling you that a shirt doesn’t look good and having someone threaten you and call you “a faggot” because of the clothes you wear. If your boss tells you that your latest PowerPoint was ineffective, that is a lot different than him calling you a moron. And just because you are an adult, doesn’t mean you have to tolerate a bully. If co-workers or bosses don’t treat you properly, there are plenty of ways to combat that behavior. But there is also a difference between how kids bully and how adults bully. When children are physical with each other, the law is not usually involved and can leave the victim feel like justice has not been served even if the assailant is caught. Bullying is a sad fact of life; there is no doubt about that. But to try to ignore nipping it in the bud is just as ignorant as the people who bully in the first place.
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