Exchange program combines travel, college credit

Film program
makes its debut
page 3
This gift can make
a world of difference
page 9
Established 1998, Volume 8 , Number 2
UK Writing Initiative
Requirement affects
transfer students
BCTC to begin offering classes to meet
new standards for UK graduation
By ASHLEY ELLISON
Courier Staff
All students entering into the University of Kentucky, including transfers students from BCTCS, are now
required to fulfill a Writing Initiative
Requirement before graduation. The
Writing Initiative requirement was
instituted to ensure a high level of literacy skill. Writing Initiative courses
will be offered at BCTC beginning in
the Spring 2007 semester.
The Writing Initiative Requirement
was set to establish the minimum criteria for undergraduate degrees at the
University of Kentucky.
“BCTCS is working to make the
transfer process easier for students,”
said BCTC English Coordinator Michael Benton. In the past year BCTC
has not had any courses available to
students that would fulfill the Writing
Initiative Requirement at UK.
Beginning next semester, there will
be four classes offered at Cooper campus that will fulfill the Writing Initiative requirement set forth by UK.
These classes are English 232 Vampire Literature, English 230 Fantasy
and the Imagination, and two sections
of English 203 Business Writing. The
two sections of Business Writing that
will fulfill the Writing Initiative Requirement -- sections J003 and J005
-- will be taught by Betty Womack.
(Note: The printed Schedule of Classes incorrectly shows section J004 as a
Writing Initiative Requirement class.
Section J004 will not meet this requirement.)
In order to enroll in any of these
classes, students must be at least at the
sophomore level and have a minimum
of 30 credit hours, and have completed
English 101 and English 102 at BCTC,
or English 104 at UK. The classes to
fulfill the Writing Initiative are at the
minimum 200-level courses.
Instead of requiring students to
complete English 101 and English
102, UK now requires that the first
year students take ENG 104, a 4-credit
hour course. Students must then fulfill
the Writing Initiative Requirement at
the sophomore level or above.
Student response to the change has
been mixed.
“I think that for new entering freshmen that this is a good idea, because it
will help them if they go on to graduate school; however, I think that this
requirement is unnecessary to students
who have already been in school for
a while to have to go back and add to
what they have already been working
towards,” said former BCTC student
Della Prather.
The Writing Intensive courses offered both at BCTC and UK require at
least 15 pages of writing. Each piece
within those 15 pages must be a miniWRITING
continued on page 7
December 2006
Students tour
Kentucky
history
Gary Powell’s
Kentucky
History class,
which meets at
the Winchester
campus, made
field trips to Fort
Boonesborough
and Ashland, the
Henry Clay Estate.
Student Sherry
Nichols toured the
grounds at Fort
Boonesborough.
Exchange program
combines travel,
college credit
Cost of airfare to China
equals priceless experience
By NASIM SADR
Courier Staff
Bluegrass Community and Technical College has been very active in
establishing exchange relationships
with Chinese universities and colleges.
The newest part of the exchange
program is the opportunity for BCTC
students to study in China for either
one month, one semester or a full year.
Students can receive BCTC credit
and possibly qualify for financial
aid. Dr. David Wachtel, professor of
sociology and director of China Partnerships for KCTCS, has made several agreements with universities in
China to accept our students for these
programs. Participating students will
study Chinese language and culture.
In fact, one of the Chinese schools
has offered to take our students for
a one-month course at no cost to the
student. The only cost is for the stu-
dent is the round-trip airfare. There
are several other opportunities for
BCTC students to travel to China and
study the language and culture. Interested students should contact Wachtel
at (859) 246-6324 or in MB 230.
Also, for the past seven years,
BCTC has been the host to between
two and four Chinese professors each
year. The visiting professors teach the
Introduction to Chinese course, both
the first and second semester, and
work at various locations within the
college.
Beginning with the Fall 2005 semester, this program expanded to four
other colleges within KCTCS, namely
Ashland, Big Sandy (Prestonsburg),
Owensboro and West Kentucky (Paducah). Discussions are being held to
add Maysville Community and TechEXCHANGE
continued on page 6
Page December 2006
From the
President’s Desk
Dr. Jim Kerley
Managing Editor
Nicole Huber
Business Manager
Gregory Spurlock
Page Designer
Lucie MacDonald
Faculty Advisor
Reporters
Alex Allgeier
Najah Allouch
Steve Alvarado
Emily Devine
Cass Dwyer
Ashley Ellison
Justin Fortner
Thomas Gibbs
Emily Gullett
Carol Leath
James Magers
Joe Malone
Nasim Sadr
Tammy Ramsey
Photographers
Patsi Sedivy
The BCTC Courier office is located
on the Cooper Campus
in MB 240. Contact us with story ideas,
opinions or suggestions at 859-246-4619
or via e-mail at
[email protected].
Spring 2007
Tuition Deadline
January 12, 2007
l
These are exciting and challenging days for Bluegrass Community
and Technical College.
Our goal at BCTC is for all students to be successful. You can
take classes at any of our six different campus locations, at times that
suit your schedule, and still have
an opportunity to do other things,
either work or leisure. Bluegrass
Community and Technical College
is a great place to take one class or
begin a degree. Please explore the
many opportunities at this unique
and special institution. If you are
not sure about the upcoming spring
classes, please see a counselor or
faculty advisor and they will get
you on track for Spring 2007.
The
new
Winchester-Clark
County campus is under construction and will give better access and
opportunity to all in that area, with
a new child-development facility
giving an added bonus to students.
The Cooper campus building plans
are under way, and we expect to
break ground next spring, with a
completion date of Spring 2009.
This will be a marker building for
this campus and will have many
components that really address our
needs such as great student space,
nursing, science labs. This facility
will make a clear statement regarding energy conservation, with designation as a “green building” with
LEEDS certification.
The new Georgetown facility
is rapidly becoming a reality, to
showcase a new advanced technology center.
We continue to work with uni-
versity partners – UK, EKU, KSU,
Midway College, Georgetown College - to enhance our relationships
and improve student access and
transfer. We have new developments in programs, with wonderful
opportunities for students to study
in areas of interest, including the
North American Racing Academy
(NARA) and the new certificate
program in Filmmaking. This new
12-hour program of 15 master classes covers all aspects of filmmaking
from script to screen. BCTC has
advisory boards with influential
community leaders who will help
guide development of these and
other theatre arts programming.
We are seeing significant enrollment increases with web-based
courses, and will continue to add
online courses with greater flexibility for students. Opportunity College and Weekend College options
are being expanded, to offer greater
pathways to complete a certificate
or degree via Weekend offerings.
BCTC continues to be a friendly and accessible college that will
help your dreams become a reality!
Take a chance, take a course and
make a difference in your life!
“It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday
is the hope of today and the reality
of tomorrow.”
– Goddard
Jim Kerley, President & CEO
Bluegrass Community
and Technical College
Did you know you can
pay your tuition
ONLINE?
https://students.kctcs.edu
December 2006
Lights,
camera,
action!
Curtains rise on new
filmmaking program
By THOMAS GIBBS
Courier Staff
Starting next semester, BCTC students will have the opportunity to gain
hands-on experience in the process of creating movies from “script to
screen” through a series of project-based courses being offered in a new
filmmaker’s certification program.
Students enrolling in the one semester program—all six courses must
be taken in the same semester—will gain basic knowledge in the various
aspects of making films, such as production, directing, sound, lighting,
casting, cinematography, graphics, post-scoring and distribution. Industry
professionals such as director Michael Dugan, composer Kenny Landrum,
and screenwriter Brad Ridell will work with students in their respective
specialties for one to two week periods.
The certification will give students skills needed to fill entry level positions within the film and television industries, such as directorial or editorial assistants, or give them a solid foundation from which to launch their
own directorial debut in independent filmmaking.
“Many students interested in film school see the program as a good precursor to it,” said Tim Davis, advisor/coordinator for the certification program, “It’ll let you figure out what you like best, what you may want to
specialize in.”
In addition to the filmmaking program, BCTC will be offering two theater courses, such as an introduction to theatrical production and basic
acting—they will also count as Humanities courses for general education
fulfillments.
The reasoning behind the new courses stems from a mutual interest from
the Kentucky State government and the student population.
Filmmakers for Dreamer and Seabiscuit, both of which were filmed in
Kentucky, found little to no personnel for proper staff; by training more
of the populace to staff for directors interested in filming in Kentucky, the
State government hopes to promote more high-profile filmmaking within
the state.
Davis ultimately hopes to someday create new associate degree programs for theater and specialized areas of filmmaking. A degree in theater
may be offered as early as Fall ’07, pending approval—if approved, both
of the theater courses this spring semester will count towards the degree.
Questions can be forwarded to Tim Davis in his office at (859) 2466672.
The program has become popular before it has even started, according to
Davis, who was constantly approached by his students for theater classes
in the past.
“My phone’s been ringing off the hook for three weeks for both the theater courses and the film courses in the spring. The demand is definitely
there.”
Page Theater courses
available
Spring 2007
TA 101 (Intro to Theatre) - An overview of the
theatrical process, form acting/directing through
playwrighting, technical theatre and history. No
acting or performance is required for the course.
It also counts as a Humanities requirement.
Leestown
TR 2-3:15
Cooper MWF 2-2:50
TA 126 (Acting)- An introductory course offering a study in basic acting technique, covering
such things as audition technique, scene work,
basic script analysis, and improvisation. No acting EXPERIENCE is required, as we start from the
ground up.
Leestown TR 3:30-4:45
Cooper
MWF 1-1:50
By THOMAS GIBBS
Courier Staff
Auditions for Tim Davis’ production of Blessed Assurance by Atlanta playwright Laddy Sartin will be held in January, during the second week of the spring
semester.
The play will be co-produced by the Actor’s Guild of Lexington and held
at the Downtown Arts Center, allowing students who get involved to work with
professional equipment in a genuine theater venue.
Sartin will be present during the opening production for a short talkback with
the audience.
Questions can be directed to Tim Davis in his office at (859) 246-6672.
Headline art source: www.filmmonterey.org
Page December 2006
Misconceptions
Power of 1
of Muslims
The
By STEPHANIE DENTON
Contributing Writer
Each of us possess incredible power
– power to help or to harm. I call it the
Power of One; one person changing the
life of another. My life changed when
someone offered me a scholarship to
attend the March of Remembrance and
Hope in Poland. It was there that I met
with Holocaust survivors who told of
unimaginable horrors and miraculous
rescues as the result of an individual’s
choice to help or to harm.
An oft quoted saying by George Santayana is posted in one of those places
of unimaginable horror – Auschwitz.
It states, “Those who cannot learn from
history are doomed to repeat it.” Apparently we are very slow learners, for
when it comes to minorities; history
has continued to be repeated in Rwanda, Germany, and the U.S. Hutus vs.
Tutsis, Aryans vs. Jews, Anglo-Americans vs. African-Americans or Native
Americans – it all starts out the same
way. A line of differentiation is drawn
– usually beginning with dominate
physical characteristics of each group
as the initial line of demarcation. Once
a means of differentiation has been determined then it is easy to fall into an
‘us vs. them’ mentality.
Jews were not the only targets of the
Nazi regime. Jehovah’s Witnesses, political, homosexual men, Gypsies, emigrants, criminals, and “anti-socials”
as well as the mentally and physically
handicapped, prostitutes, alcoholics,
and the terminally ill were victims of
the Holocaust. The list is much the
same in our society. The call to stop
this madness lies within the heart of
each individual. Many of you will respond, “I am only a student ... a wife ...
a shop laborer. What could I possibly
do?” Pay attention as I tell you how
others have responded.
On July 4, 1946, about a year after WWII ended in the Polish town of
Kielce a nine year old child decided
to go off on an adventure of his own.
Trouble was waiting for him upon his
return two days later. So as is not uncommon for little boys, he concocted a
story to shift his parent’s wrath away
from himself. He told family and friend
that he had been kidnapped and held in
a Jewish household who intended to
use his blood for their Passover bread.
Within 24 hours more than 40 Polish
Jews were shot or bludgeoned to death
by townspeople and officials alike.
Another 80 were wounded. Later the
boy admitted he had fibbed. Sixty
years later my life was changed by this
small child as I looked upon the mass
grave. Where would a little boy come
up with such a story? One only needs
to ask ourselves, “Where do children
everywhere learn their first lessons?”
Nursing a broken spirit, it was the
next morning when the Hope side of
the trip was presented. During the
war, the military had absolute power
"Apparently we
are very slow
learners, for
when it comes
to minorities,
history has
continued to be
repeated ..."
and everyone was subject to scrutiny.
One such time the ordered a passenger
train to stop in order to conduct a person to person search for Jews attempting to flee. As the train came to a halt
one woman became hysterical. The
gentleman next to her soon found out
that she was a Jew without papers and
would certainly be sent, “to the gas.”
The soldiers quickly honed in on the
man berating the woman next to him.
Upon the Nazi’s inquiry, he bemoaned,
“it’s always something, one day it’s
her purse, the next it’s her glasses, and
now it’s her [identity] papers...She’s
forgotten them on the table at home!’
To which the soldier kindly gave her a
look and said, “I’m sure it won’t happen again,” and went on his way checking the papers of other passengers in
the compartment. Eventually, the train
was allowed to proceed. The gentleman disembarked at the very next station without another word, leaving the
Jewish woman to never know the name
of the stranger whose quick wit and
kind heart had saved her life.
Young and old, we each hold within
us the power to harm or to help. How
will you respond when faced with
someone who is not like you?
By NAJAH ALLOUCH
Courier Staff
After 9/11 this world changed
into a much more violent place.
All of a sudden there is war,
death and hate everywhere. We
are always looking for someone
to blame, and the easiest target
seems to be Muslims and the religion of Islam.
We hear of incidents of burning of mosques (religious places
of worship). We hear of death
threats, we hear of hurtful remarks. Most of these things are
done by people who are afraid of
difference, who are afraid of the
unknown.
Believe it or not, on 9/11 Muslims were devastated too. I remember waking up to my brother’s phone call, “is everyone
ok, is everyone home?” He told
me to turn on the television and
watch; those images are forever
imprinted in my mind.
My husband and I just sat there
in utter disbelief, “How could
something like this happen?” We
were hoping and praying that it
wouldn’t be Islamic extremists,
but as the day went on our worst
fears came true.
I remember just sitting there on
my couch not being able to function for days. I remember slipping
into a depression. I was so afraid
of the unknown, of what was going to happen next.
I had so many mixed emotions.
I was afraid for my family, for my
friends. I was afraid from the anger and the hate. I was sad for all
of the pain and suffering in New
York. It truly was one of the darkest times of my life.
The worst thing is that our beloved religion had been sabotaged once again by animals.
These people have ruined an image that many Muslims all over
the world have worked very hard
to improve.
People have always been afraid
of the unknown, but what I have
learned from past experience is
to try to push that fear away and
your true self will shine.
It’s hard when this country
is the only place that you ever
called home, but after 9/11 I
would sometimes hear remarks
like, “why don’t you go back
home?” or “terrorists”.
I was born in the U.S in New
Jersey, and as far as I knew I was
just like everyone else, that is
until this horrible day happened.
Then, all of a sudden, it’s just like
we don’t belong here anymore.
Matt Goins, a freelance photographer from the Lexington
Herald-Leader and many other
publications all over the country,
came in to visit our journalism
class last week and he had the
most interesting thing to say. We
were all introducing ourselves,
and he told us that we had a
very diverse class and he wasn’t
just implying me and the Persian
girl, he was implying most of the
class.
He proceeded to ask the students where they were from, and
it turned out that there was only
one person from native America.
Everyone else was from some
other part of the world.
I found that class period to be
so ironic, because of the many
remarks I have heard from people urging me or people like me,
to go back home when in reality
the very foundation of this country is by people from all over the
world.
This is my home; this is the
only home I have ever known.
I was born here, went to school
here, got married here and had
my children here, just like so
many people like me.
MUSLIMS
continued on page 6
December 2006
Page BIRD FLU
Potential outbreak motivates BCTC to form
response committee, promote student awareness
By STEVE ALVARADO
Courier Staff
With a string of fatal outbreaks in
Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East
and Africa, Bluegrass Community and
Technical College is making a concerted effort to better prepare its students in
the event of unexpected outbreak of the
lethal avian flu virus.
The hazardous virus, appropriately
nicknamed the “bird flu,” has recently
seen an increase in the number cases
involving humans—rising from 95
global cases in 2005, to approximately
258 cases as of November 13, 2006. Of
the 258 reported cases, 153 resulted in
death—according to the World Health
Organization.
In response to this concern, BCTC
has established the Pandemic Response
Planning Committee—a coalition of
well-informed BCTC staff members
who are tasked with the responsibility of educating students and faculty
about viruses, diseases and illnesses
that could have potentially pandemic
effects.
“A number of students are a bit uneducated about the avian flu,” said Marilyn Childre, assistant to the president/
special projects and lead coordinator
of the Pandemic Response Planning
Committee for BCTC. “Education on
prevention methods and how to care
for yourself and family members are
key, should an outbreak occur.”
To increase awareness about the avian flu, The Pandemic Response Committee has written an online handbook,
called the “Avian Flu Prevention Handbook” which can be accessed online
from the BCTC home page under “pandemic response plan”. The committee
is also providing other items such as
bulletin board posters, bookmarkers
and links to various websites to help
assist BCTC students in the education
process.
However, with outbreaks yet to occur in United States, the sudden precautionary measures BCTC has taken
may come as a surprise to some. But
according to Childre and the BCTC
Pandemic Response Committee, the
safety measures being taken are more
than justified.
“According to the U.S. Office of
Health and Human Services, scientists
are predicting that the world is due
for an influenza pandemic. The ‘at
risk’ age group is the 20-to 30-yearolds because they tend to socialize in
group gatherings.” Said Childre.
Consequently, if an outbreak of the
bird flu were to strike locally, BCTC
students are likely to be greatly affected by the virus.
CONCERNS/
DEVELOPMENTS
The avian flu, like most viruses, is
constantly evolving, adapting to become more resistant to modern vaccines and mutating to become more
efficient at infecting its hosts. This
remarkable adaptability is the main
reason health experts are going to
such extreme measures to ensure the
spread of this disease is minimized
according to Sandra Mullins and the
pandemic response team.
“Avian flu viruses are important to
watch and understand because other
influenza viruses have the potential to
change and gain the ability to spread
easily between people,” stated Sandra
Mullins, associate dean of academic
affairs and member of the Pandemic
Response Planning Committee, “thus
monitoring for human infection and
person-to-person transmission is important.”
Although it affects mainly birds,
recent subtypes of the virus, most notably, the infamous H5N1 strain has
been documented as having lethal affects on humans.
Although the virus is currently believed to be incapable of transferring
directly from human to human, if it
were to gain that ability, according to
the response team, the outcome could
be devastating.
Containing the virus has also been
a matter of difficulty, as many of the
infected birds are migratory animals,
often traveling to various countries
uninhibited.
INFECTION
Humans contract H5N1 and other
types of avian influenza through pro-
longed exposure to infected birds.
The birds pass the virus through excretions in their feces, which subsequently are inhaled by unsuspecting
people.
SYMPTOMS
Symptoms of the bird flu are
similar to other types of influenza
and include fever, cough, muscle
aches, sore throat, eye infections,
pneumonia and acute respiratory
distress. However, the bird flu does
differ from the common seasonal flu
in that the symptoms tend to occur
at an unusually swift rate—often
resulting in rapid health deterioration
within one to three days.
“Sometimes conjunctivitis is the
only indication of the disease,” said
Childre, noting that conjunctivitis
from an eye infection is one of the
few signs of having the avian flu.
PREVENTION
Preventing the spread of germs by
using basic sanitation methods is, at
the moment, the best preventative
measure
students
can
take.
Thoroughly washing your hands and
covering your mouth when sneezing
or coughing can greatly reduce the
likelihood of catching the avian flu—
as well as other illnesses.
“The over-the-counter bottled hand
sanitizer is also effective because of
the high alcohol content, which kills
viruses and germs,” said Childre,
“ If you are ill and have a fever and
achy joints, stay at home. You are
contagious, and can pass on your virus
to fellow students or co-workers.”
Traveling to areas where the bird
flu has been detected is something
the committee also advises against.
Places such as China, Indonesia and
Thailand have recently seen an influx
in avian flu cases.
The Pandemic Response Committee
also assures students that eating
properly prepared poultry, including
chicken, roast duck and turkey will not
increase your chances of contracting
the avian flu.
PANDEMIC
WITH
A HISTORY
• The avian flu was first recorded in Italy more than 100
years ago, in 1878. At the time
the virus was known simply as
the “fowl plague."
• In 1918, a severe form of Influenza dubbed “The Spanish
Flu” by Allied forces in World
War I, swept through parts of
Africa, Asia, North America,
and Australia. The Pandemic
virus is thought to have killed
around 20 to 100 million people worldwide.
• The avian flu, made brief
appearances in the United
States during 1924-1925, and
then again in 1929, but was
quickly eradicated.
• The “Asian flu” pandemic
began in 1957, spreading from
China to various other countries
including the United States. According to www.foxnews.com,
the virus killed approximately
one million people worldwide,
including 70,000 Americans.
• The last influenza pandemic occurred in 1968. Dubbed
the “Hong Kong” flu, the virus
lasted through 1969 and killed
an estimated 34,000 Americans.
• After a long period of dormancy, concerns over the virus were quickly renewed after
a brief reappearance in Hong
Kong in 1997. A man contracted the first reported case
of H5N1, with many scientists
foreshadowing another global
pandemic.
• In 2003, five years after the
H5N1 virus initially showed up,
the virus surface once again
in the Netherlands and parts
of Asia, this time however
the outbreak was not isolated
and the H5N1 virus began to
emerge in numerous places
throughout the year.
• 2003-Present has seen numerous outbreaks of the avian
flu virus among many countries.
source: www.foxnews.com
Photo source: pictures.aol.com
Page MUSLIMS |
Facts debunk
many commonly
held beliefs
continued from page 4
Many people tend to believe
that Muslims are ignorant people
from the third world, covered in
burqua’s, with nothing to do but
be violent and roam the streets.
The media tends to always show
pictures like this that stick in our
minds.
Just like in any other country,
there are different classes of
people. When I went to visit my
parent’s country, the homes were
gorgeous, people dressed really
nice, the country had most things
a modern country would have to
offer.
In reality, most Muslims I know
are positive contributors to society. My family consists of a surgeon, an optometrist, a lawyer,
an electrical engineer, a pharmacist, dietitian and teacher to be. In
fact, most of the Muslims I know
are highly educated people.
Another major misconception is that Muslim women are
oppressed. That could not be
further from the truth. Most of
the women I know, regardless
of whether they are married or
not, have college degrees and
careers. These women are successful both inside and outside
the home.
I think the worst misconception
that is portrayed about Muslims
in the world is that they are violent, hateful people. We love; we
have marriage, children, families
and friends just like everyone
else.
I remember how many people
were upset after 9/11, including
Muslims. The Muslim groups in
Lexington donated blood, and
money to help the victims.
Most Muslims are people just
like everyone else, they want
peace, they want happiness
and they want to pursue their
dreams.
December 2006
EXCHANGE | Director says
program bridges cultural divide
Continued from page 1
nical College to this list.
During October 2006, several college presidents from throughout
KCTCS traveled to China to meet
with officials from several universities interested in establishing an exchange program. Professor Liu Baiyi,
currently teaching in Owensboro, has
said “this exchange program is very
important for the mutual understanding of both the American and Chinese
culture.”
The professors assigned to the various community and technical colleges work within the local community
to help business people who are interested in expanding their businesses to
China. They also work with a variety
of local associations and organizations to understand Chinese culture.
They provide both formal and informal training in language and culture
to these local citizens.
Another phase of this program
has been extended to school districts
throughout Kentucky. Three districts (Marion, Nelson and Jessamine
Counties) have agreed to accept Chinese scholars in their high schools.
“The goal of this program is to
bring China to all parts of Kentucky
with the additional hope of bringing
Kentucky to China,” explained Wachtel.
Wachtel has been invited to speak
before the annual convention of the
Kentucky Association of School Superintendents to describe this program.
While in these high school districts, Chinese professors will teach
the KCTCS Introduction to Chinese
course. In addition, these scholars
work within the different grades to
help the students understand the Chinese culture and people. Wachtel has
expanded this program to the school
districts because, as he has said, “the
understanding of China and its people
must start in the lower grades in order
for it to be successful.”
These areas of the China Partnership Program are in addition to the
regular summer teaching program.
Wachtel has been teaching in Chang-
Photo by BILL BATSON
Dr. David Wachtel, director of China partnerships for KCTCS, stood
on Victoria Peak with the city of Hong King in background.
sha, China every summer for about
11 years.
Each year he takes a group of
American teachers to Changsha, the
capital of Hunan Province, to work
with Chinese high school English
teachers. The group helps the Chinese
teachers improve their conversational
English ability. Several BCTC faculty
members have made the trip and have
enjoyed the travel adventure.
Dr. Nelda Wyatt, Associate Professor of History, went on the trip in
2001.
“This trip was life changing. The
people I met and the experiences I
had will stay with me for a very long
time,” said Wyatt.
In addition to teaching, the summer
group travels to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guilin, Xian and Beijing. They
see all of the famous sites in China
including the Terracotta Soldiers in
Xian, the Li River in Guilin and the
Great Wall in Beijing. This trip has
impressed each of the teachers and
has helped them in their teaching at
BCTC by opening their eyes to a new
culture.
“This teaching experience was life
changing. The students were very
well prepared and the Chinese English colleagues were extremely gracious and generous with their time
and support. I encourage participation in this project.” said Bill Batson,
associate professor of architectural
technology.
As a another interesting result of
this China program, Wachtel said that
the president of Changsha University, Dr. Liu Yun, has agreed to be the
guest speaker at the May 2007 Commencement Ceremony of BCTC. According to Wachtel, Dr. Liu has been
a very strong supporter of our China
exchange program. His university has
sent more than 10 professors to Lexington and current has his Director of
Libraries on our campus. Dr. Liu will
be the first international commencement speaker in KCTCS history.
Wachtel feels that all of our efforts
in China and with the Chinese will
improve understanding between the
cultures. He says that “mutual understanding is the way to peace between
the great people of America and China.”
December 2006
Page Stop the
violence
Domestic violence victims
can benefit from your help
By AMANDA DENNISTON
Contributing Writer
Dr. Dorothy Edwards, a former
victim of violence, gave a speech
on domestic abuse that was awakening and heartbreaking at the
same time.
Within 10 minutes, the energetic
speaker had plunged the audience
into a gut-wrenching scenario.
“Imagine a woman in your life,
someone that you deeply care for.
It could be your mother, sister,
girlfriend, or your daughter. Now
imagine someone intending to hurt
that person. Imagine the person you
love being lured away into a dangerous situation.”
Edwards informed the audience
that one in three women will be a
victim of domestic abuse, physical
assault, or harmful threats at some
point in her life. With numbers so
high, Edwards made the point that
something in our culture is terribly
wrong.
Edwards gave the audience three
steps for helping victims of domestic abuse:
1. Make any “blame the victim”
language intolerable. Thoughts like
“She brought it on herself,” or “It’s
her own fault for drinking,” are far
from the truth.
2. Be visibly aware and concerned about this issue. Most victims feel ashamed and afraid to tell
people what happened.
3. Encourage the victim to find
help. Refer her to someone such as
a counselor or the police. Don’t
forget to be supportive.
This problem won’t go away by
itself. Don’t be afraid to speak up.
If you or anyone you know has
been a victim of domestic abuse or
any other kind of assault, you can
seek help through the Lexington
Police Department at (859) 2583600.
Reporting abuse is easy to do.
After you call, the officer will come
to your location and help you file a
police report.
WRITING | Specific classes
needed to fulfill UK requirements
continued from page 1
mum of five pages long. Students will
be required to submit two copies of
the final class paper with their social
security number instead of their name.
One copy will be assessed by Benton,
and the other copy will be sent to UK,
where it will be assessed by a group of
people the same way UK students are
assessed. This final paper will determine whether a student passes or fails
the Writing Initiative Requirement.
Writing Initiative courses will be
graded differently than what most
students are used to. These courses
are “W” courses, which stands for
"Writing Intensive" classes. Students
will receive a letter grade from their
teacher, as well as a separate pass/fail
grade based on the final paper. If stu-
dents fail the final paper, they will still
get their credit hours and letter grade
for the course. However, they will not
fulfill the Writing Initiative or graduation requirement and will have to
repeat the course and pass in order to
fulfill that requirement.
“As a College and Department we
thought that we should be offering this
to students and that is would be a good
service to the college by getting certified,” said Benton.
The UK site that has more information on this Writing Initiative
requirement at www.uky.edu/UGS/
WritingInitiative. Students may also
contact the Writing Initiative Office
located at 152 Bowman Hall on UK’s
campus, telephone number (859) 2574831.
A fundraiser for a
classroom for
Okela Primary School
What: Sale of hand-made jewelry and other
items. Chances on dinner for two at JosephBeth Café, UK basketball signed by the players, and a quilt. Certificates of Giving (handdesigned and produced by local artist Jaqui
Linder) available for those who would like to
make a contribution in someone’s name.
When: December 5, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Where: Oswald Building Lobby,
Cooper campus
Page December 2006
— Othuon and Owuor join faculty for a semester —
SCHOLARS BRING TOUCH
OF KENYA TO BCTC
By ALEX ALLGEIER
Courier Staff
Leaving home is not easy, especially if the destination is half
way around the world. Dr. Lucas
Othuon and Dr. Barack Owuor
did just that in August of this year.
The professors are part of an excange program that began in 2003.
This program allows faculty from
Maseno University, one of the six
state universities in Kenya, to teach
at BCTC in Lexington. It is an exchange program, so BCTC faculty
members do reciprocate and travel
to Kenya. The program was founded by Iddah Otieno.
“The program enables BCTC
faculty to experience the way
people live in other cultures of the
world,” said Otieno.
In the summer of 2005 Otieno
took several BCTC faculty members to Kenya. This fall, Maseno
University returned the favor, sending Othuon and Owuor to teach at
Bluegrass Community & Technical
College. Owuor and Othuon are
more than qualified, having earned
doctorate degrees in biology and
psychology respectively. A program such as this is sure to inspire
learning at two different levels:
culturally and educationally.
“When you visit a foreign country you have your own expectations,” says Owuor. “The scenery
has changed from that of a rural
setting where herds of goats, sheep
and cattle graze the plains to a city
where only a few people are seen
walking on foot at any one time.
What one sees here more often are
endless rows of cars,” said Othuon.
To Owuor and Othuon, Lexington is calm, silent; almost a ghost
town. That is until Saturday afternoon, when the crazy spectacle
that is UK football reminds them
of soccer fans back home.
Aside from these
new outdoor neighborhoods there is
plenty of culture
shock indoors as
well. In their new
home at Greg Page
apartments
wall
power outlets are upside down, and water
faucets turn the opposite direction. Our
measurement units
are in pounds and
inches, which are
foreign to the rest of
the world.
Perhaps even more
revealing are the difPhoto by CHARLENE WALKER
ferences in our educational systems. Ke- From left to right: BCTC President Dr. James Kerley; professor Iddah Otieno; and visiting
nya, a country of 35 professors Dr. Lucas Othuon and Dr. Barack Owuor.
million people, has
gagements with students at BCTC.
each course has one exam, while
six public universiThe
only
thing
left
to
do
was
to
at BCTC different sections of the
ties and 17 private ones. Given this
same course offer different tests.
ratio of the population to universi- learn their way around campus. It
is
clear
that
faculty
is
more
sensiOwuor and Othuon will leave in
ties, it is not surprising that only 25
tive
to
student
plights
at
BCTC.
December
grateful to all the facpercent of high school graduates
Students
with
pre-existing
obligaulty
at
BCTC
who assisted them
who qualify for admission make it
tions,
such
as
a
job
or
children,
are
and
made
them
feel welcome.
to public universities. At one time,
encouraged
to
stay
in
school
at
any
They
have
also
extended
sincere
higher education was free in Kegratitude to BCTC President Jim
nya. Fees were paid by the govern- cost. Americans are encouraged to
pursue
their
education
throughout
Kerley, who took time off his busy
ment. This changed in 1991, when
life.
It
is
not
uncommon
at
all
to
schedule to meet with them at their
students were required to supplesee
a
middle-aged
man
or
woman
reception and often thereafter. They
ment government contribution and
in
a
classroom.
This
attitude
is
just
will go back to Kenya as honorary
to pay direct fees ranging from $80
Kentucky Colonels, an award givto $107 annually. These figures beginning to take root in Kenya
with
the
introduction
of
parallel
en by Gov. Ernie Fletcher.
currently range from $1,200 to
and
evening
programs.
Next summer, BCTC will send
$7,000 for privately sponsored stuBCTC
is
a
teaching-based
inits
next group of visitors to Kenya.
dents depending on the program.
stitution.
Maseno,
however,
also
The
group will include BCTC presOthuon and Owuor arrived ready
ident Jim Kerley, biology profesto impart their knowledge to stu- incorporates research as an important
part
of
its
mission.
Classes
sor Shirley Whitescarver, English
dents at BCTC. Their semester
are
easier
to
teach
at
BCTC
due
professor Jan Hicks and economics
started off in similar fashion to
to
smaller
class
sizes.
Lexington
professor Nkongolo Kalala. They
their semester teaching preparaschools
also
seem
to
be
more
laid
will remain in Kenya for three
tions in Kenya, where departments
back,
with
teachers
being
seen
weeks while exploring a working
meet prior to the beginning of the
relationship with Okela Secondary
semester to ensure a smooth take- more as facilitators than lecturers.
Even
test
taking
seems
to
be
more
school in rural Kenya.
off.
relaxed.
At
Maseno,
there
are
no
In 2008, Maseno will send two
Owuor and Othuon received
make-up
exams.
more
scholars to BCTC.
their assignments and began writ“Once
a
test
is
gone,
it’s
gone,”
ing up their lecture notes. They
were also exposed to rules of en- Othuon explained. Also at Maseno,
December 2006
Page Giving back:
The Okela Project
By CAROL LEATH
Courier Staff
Bluegrass Community and Technical College’s Carol Hunt has organized the Okela Project, a charitable
organization designed to furnish grade
school children in Okela, Kenya with
a new classroom, and later with books
and supplies.
Hunt, who teaches English at
BCTC, along with her husband Alan,
an English professor at Eastern University, and Ryan Kelly, geography
instructor at BCTC and Iddah Otieno,
assistant English professor, traveled to
in Africa in July of 2005.
They were in Kisumu to lay the
groundwork for a faculty exchange
program with Maseno University.
Bluegrass Community & Technical
College President and CEO, Dr. Jim
Kerley, is slated to visit in 2007 to
participate in a ground-breaking ceremony.
After visiting Maseno University,
the group then went to visit the homeland of Iddah Otieno.
“The village is Okela (East Uyoma location, Bondo District, Nyanza
Province), located in Western Kenya
about 100 kilometers from Kisumu,"
Hunt said. "It is a remote area, not easily accessible because of very bumpy
dirt roads, and inaccessible during the
heavy rains in spring.”
This village has been hit very hard
by the AIDS virus. In fact, most of the
students at the Okela school have lost
one or both parents to AIDS. Otieno
sends a large portion of her salary to
Okela every month to support most of
these orphans.
The Hunts delivered a sewing machine to a women’s group at the St.
Stephen’s Okela Church. The group
was so grateful they named themselves the Carol Hunt Women’s Group.
These women came together in February of 2005, after the death of Otieno’s
youngest brother, Naphtal Ogal Asol,
who was a teacher and very active in
the community. Asol’s widow, Eunice
is chairperson of the group formed in
her late husband’s memory.
As a part of their tour, the faculty
members visited the school in Okela.
The school complex has 600 students
in grades K – 12. The kindergarten has
50 students. These students are almost
all orphans. These young ones are the
target group for the Okela Project.
These children are victims of the
Aids epidemic. Most are being raised
by grandparents, aunts, uncles or older siblings.
The Carol Hunt Women’s Group
feeds the orphan students and makes
uniforms for them at no charge.
The government does very little in
support of rural schools. Funds for
the school are mostly private donations. The school is poor. Its students
need medical attention, a new classroom; supplies, books, desks, pictures, microscopes; a library; maps
and things American students take
for granted.
“Going to school in Africa is not
easy. There is no running water, or
electricity,” Otieno said. This is the
same classroom where Otieno started
her education. She is the first female
student from there to go on to a university.
Hunt did not set out to save this
school, or even to help it. "I saw
those kids needed everything, books,
clothing, food,” she said, and she
knew she had to try to something.
She could not walk away after having
“those little faces looking at me.”
Her friends became her sounding
board. She told them what she saw
in Africa. They made donations, but
really wanted to do more.
Vicki Wilson, communications instructor, told Hunt about her family’s
gift-giving tradition. Instead of giving a frivolous gift to her children's
teachers, she gave certificates informing the teachers of a contributions
made to charity in
their names. This
idea was a big hit.
Photo by RYAN KELLY
Jaqui Linder, artist
and former BCTC Students crowd into their classroom in Kenya.
English and women's
studies instructor, volunteered her services. Linder, armed with a few of the jor, says she “loves doing the work and
pictures from Hunt’s trip, has designed does not have much money.” Leonard
Certificates of Giving. Linder drew is getting her employers, Joseph-Beth
Bookstores, involved. She is also doand painted the master certificate.
“Part of my contribution to the Oke- nating homemade sweets to be sold at
la School Project is to also pay for the the fundraiser.
Several of Hunt’s students will be
cost of printing subsequent certificates
baking
and making items to be sold for
on high quality paper, and to purchase
the
Okela
School Project. The class is
envelopes," said Linder.
also
planning
a raffle.
The certificates come in three differThe
students
are also donating their
ent sizes; the larger the donation, the
used
textbooks
to the high school in
larger the certificate.
Africa.
Instead
of throwing away the
Hunt also shared her Okela trip picbooks
that
will
not
bought back by the
tures with her Major Black Writers
bookstores,
the
books
will be shipped
class. She wanted something visual
to
Okela.
A
drop
box
will be promito help them understand some of the
nently
placed
near
the
bookstore.
Stuthings they were reading about. She
dents
are
asked
to
donate
any
books
did not expect the reaction she rethey may have. In addition to textceived. The class wanted to get inbooks, the Okela School also needs a
volved.
Veronica Heacox, a nurse who has library.
Iddah Otieno is keeping in touch
returned to BCTC as a biology major,
with
the women’s group and said the
could not get those images out of her
children
are “showing remarkable imhead. She is making jewelry to sell
provement
in schoolwork. A hot lunch
December 5, in the Oswald Building
does
improve
concentration.”
lobby. All profit goes to the Okela
“We
are
making
a difference, one
project.
child
at
a
time.
We
need
support. It is
Erin Leonard, a senior business maimportant that those to whom much has
been given, give something back.”
A Certificate of Giving was
designed and created by
former English and women’s
studies instructor Jaqui Linder.
The certificates are available
for those who make donations
to the Okela Project.
Students may view a
sample of Linder's work -- a
mandala she created out of
thousands of tiny cut-up pieces of magazine pages -- in the
hall of the Oswald Building,
outside of Room 209.
Linder, who taught at LCC/
BCTC for 18 years, recently
retired. Her reason for retiring
from a job she loved: “To do
my artwork full-time.”
Certificate designed by JAQUI LINDER
Page 10
By GREGORY SPURLOCK
Courier Business Manager
Oh, what a relief it was! The St.
Louis Cardinals finally won, the World
Series.
Two years after the 4-0 Boston Massacre against the Red Sox in the 2004
World Series, the “La Russa Curse”
was finally defeated.
The 2006 St. Louis Manager has the
distinction to have been the skipper for
two different teams that were winless
in the World Series (WS). The first
time was 1990, when the Oakland A’s
were swept by the Cincinnati Reds.
Now, La Russa shares the honor of
having been one of two coaches to win
the WS in both the American League
(1989 with Oakland) and in the National League in 2006 with St. Louis.
When the Cardinals won the opening game in Detroit against the Tigers,
that massive sound was not northern
winds. It was Cardinal Nation breathing and saying, “At least they won’t
lose in four games straight.”
After all, this team was not expected
to be in the World Series. After blowing an impressive lead in the last six
weeks, the Cardinals avoided a playoff with the Houston Astros for the
National League Central title, due to
help from of all teams, former playoff
enemies the Atlanta Braves.
ESPN captured Cardinal fans imitating the “Tomahawk Chop” to thank
the Braves for their playoff spot. This
was a unique gesture for fans in any
sport to mimic opposing teams’ fans.
This fan has earned his share of torture by supporting other losing teams,
such as the Minnesota Vikings. I have
never been to the Twin Cities, do not
have friends or family there. As a kid,
I guess I liked the helmet design and
the color purple, in much the same
way I liked the birds on the baseball
bat for St. Louis.
Both teams had great players, Lou
Brock, Bob Gibson for the Cardinals,
Fran Tarkenton, Chuck Foreman, Carl
Eller for the Vikings, among many
others. Not only did they have cool
colors and logos, they were exciting
to watch. This would have worked out
better for my psyche except for those
four Viking losses in the Super Bowl.
The thrashing the Cardinals endured against the Boston Red Sox
was the third loss since winning the
WS in 1982 against the Milwaukee
Brewers. The Kansas City Royals beat
them in 1985 with help from a controversial call. In 1987 the Minnesota
Twins pulled out the victory. St. Louis
seemed to be the baseball version of
“Always the bridesmaids, never the
bride.”
In 1994, Cardinals had a promising
start, before the players strike cancelled the championship series for the
first time in the history of the game.
For a while, I felt like suing the
Vikings and the Cardinals for mental
anguish. Football, baseball, whatever
sport, at some point, everybody’s team
is supposed to win.
My teams never seemed to ever get
the winning trophy or achieve the glory that they seemed destined to earn.
It got so bad; I became superstitious
about the entire matter. I wasn’t sure
if I was helping or hurting my team
by wearing their colors on game days.
My teams lost regardless of my actions, but fans of losing teams do not
always think rationally.
Ask any Cubs fan. How would you
feel if Fox TV promoted the World Series with a fan of your team depressed
and in a tree about not making the
playoffs? Cleveland Indian fans were
portrayed hiding in closets and under
kitchen counters as former manager
Tommy Lasorda coaxes them out to
watch the game
It is one thing to lose the World Series. It is a little different to have your
favorite team lose badly! Real Cardinal fans wear their shirts but many hid
their shirts after that series. Cincinnati
Reds fans seemed to stop wearing their
colors after their hopes for the playoffs
were dashed.
2006 was the ultimate roller coaster
ride for baseball fans. The difference
between winners and losers is a slippery slope, sometimes separated by
one bad play, one mistaken decision or
worse yet, indecision.
After the 1980’s, the Cardinals went
downhill. The owners either had rookie players or washed-up people, well
past their prime. Money became more
important than skills to many of the
team owners. Many fans left the fan
base of the Cardinals and baseball in
general.
In recent years, football and basketball have replaced baseball as America’s game. Hopefully, these sports
have learned from watching how labor strikes damaged the credibility of
baseball.
It got to be frustrating watching my
favorite baseball team. Our infielders were missing throws to the closest base. I would rise out of my seat
and want to try out for the team. It got
pathetic watching replacement players
and replacement umpires pretending
my favorite game was a viable sport.
Then one day, a few years later, the
Cardinals acquired a slugger from the
Oakland A’s named Mark McGwire.
He broke the seasonal home run record and made people take a second
look at baseball.
When the steroid scandals broke
out, McGwire admitted his use of
physically enhancing substances and
soon after retired, becoming one of
the many faces in baseball representing drug use. Medical enhancement of
player skills opened up an ethical can
of worms for baseball and other sports,
despite being legal at the time.
Here we go again! This tarnished
baseball, McGwire’s career, and his
shot at the Hall of Fame. His team, my
favorite team, the St Louis Cardinals
were losers once again.
For most of the 1990’s, my Cardinals seemed to create new ways to
lose baseball games. That ability just
amazed me, as much as watching a
winning team. They would make great
plays in games just to lose from a wild
pitch or something equally asinine.
Like so many other fans, in 2006 I
knew they were going to lose.
They beat the Padres, who should
have the motto, “Who’s your Daddy?”
How many other teams are named af-
December 2006
ter the Hispanic word for father?
They beat the Mets in an outstanding
Championship, filled with great catches and clutch hitting. I said to myself,
“OK, maybe they have a chance.”
They won the first game against the
Tigers. It was like a weight was lifted
off my shoulders. This is my team, but
I was waiting for it to mess up, like
usual.
Don’t take my advise from here on
out, on anything sports related. I love
my Cardinals, but even I would have
bet against them. I still am not sure if I
should be happy, relieved that they finally won or pissed off because it took
them so long!
They apparently surprised a few
others than me.
The macho announcer, whoever
he was on Fox, predicted a Cardinal
loss before the first game. At first he
seemed to be right. I didn’t they had a
great shot either.
Before the final game he said, “Well
the Tigers have a chance to come
back!” At that point I was wondering
if the guy believed what he was saying
or was reading off a cue card.
In game two, Kenny Rogers (not the
singer, unfortunately) was captured
with what appeared to be pine-tar on
his hand. This effectively distracted
from other questions about his next
duet with Dolly after the game and
equaled the series at 1-1. The Cardinals chose not to make the substance
an issue for Rogers, who won the Cy
Young award for best pitcher for the
American League.
Perhaps he missed his spit-cup
which is not allowed on the pitcher’s
mound. That would have my excuse.
The next game, Albert Pujols was
beaned by a Detroit pitcher after the
previous batter hit a home run. Now it
was on! Anyone whom respected the
game of baseball knew who the “bad
guys” were at that point.
Instead of charging the mound, the
future Hall of Famer made a statement of class and strength by politely
tossing the ball back to the pitcher’s
WORLD SERIES
continued on page 11
December 2006
Page 11
— Student entrepreneur at BCTC —
WORLD Angel bakes the cake
SERIES
Even losing teams
get lucky sometimes
continued from page 10
mound. He was not intimidated, nor
was his fellow teammates.
St. Louis went on to defeat Detroit
in five games to become World Series
champions. They finished the season
in a brand new Busch Stadium in front
of an adoring audience that was hungry for victory. Fans of Dale Earnhardt
Jr. were delighted that a beer corporation could help sponsor a winner in
any sport.
“Cardinals win!” must be up there
with “Yes Virginia, there is a Santa
Claus” and “Mission Accomplished”
as sayings that will be fond memories
of life in the 00 decade. Maybe the
Vikings will win the Super Bowl and
UK will have a decent football team.
That would be a sports trifecta for a
fan that is tired of rooting for losing
teams.
I will not hold my breath waiting for
this to happen.
By EMILY GULLETT
Courier Staff
Imagine juggling a successful business, caring for a husband and two
children, and pursuing a degree all at
the same time. That is what Angel
Sexton attempts on a daily basis. Two
years ago word-of-mouth began what
would become a booming cake baking
and decorating business for Sexton.
She began when her previous job
working in a deli caused her to have to
learn some new skills as her employer
decided to open a bakery. Sexton always enjoyed art, coloring, doodling,
and being creative. After learning
what she could from her place of employment, she then took cake-baking
classes at Michael’s Arts and Crafts
twice a week for six weeks to hone
her natural skills. After that, there was
just trial and error.
Supplying her friends, family, and
her own special events with eye-catching cakes is what fueled the word-ofmouth fire that inspired Sexton to take
her skills to the next level. “Cakes by
Angel” was born and has been running
for about two years; she is currently
working on a case-to-case basis out of
her home. To manage this daunting
task, she has two conventional ovens
to bake in, a husband who helps her
with deliveries and designs her web
page, and two children to taste test the
FRIDAY
DEC 8
Last day for a
student, at the
instructor’s
discretion,
to officially
withdraw
from a class
and receive a
grade of W
Angel Sexton
baked goods.
Due to high demand, she will not
be able to work out of her kitchen
for much longer. Sexton is currently
looking for a location for her business.
Location is important, as well as a
good price, but she does hope to find
an area she can call her own by next
summer. When a location is found
for the business to grow in, Sexton
believes she will begin to incorporate
cookies, cupcakes, candies, and possibly even catering by customer’s previous demands.
Fondant is the material used in most
of her cakes that gives them the look of
perfection. Sexton describes fondant
as “play-doh that you can eat,” consisting of icing just turned to dough.
The material is very pliable and gives
a baker a great outlet for creativity
along with adding a polished look to
their creation.
Currently Sexton only bakes cakes,
but will cater to each customer individually. She does a lot of wedding
cakes, holiday cakes, birthday cakes,
and even just cakes for people who
love cakes. “Cakes by Angel” prices
vary upon individual requests, but can
range from $18 to $273. Everything is
baked fresh and never frozen, unlike
her competition Kroger or Wal-Mart.
Sexton says that not freezing her cakes
is an unchangeable rule because it
keeps the flavor better.
Sexton struggles daily to keep up
the most important things in her life:
family, the business, and her education. Knowing that education is what
will help the business succeed, she
has found a way to make her common
goals work together.
To keep her priorities straight, she
uses lists and calendars to stay organized. Sexton even discusses her
business with her teachers and lets
them know if she has a large cake order coming up. She has found they are
more than willing to work with her.
Virginia Fairchild is one of Sexton’s
teachers at BCTC, as well as a satisfied customer.
“Her cakes are very delicious, reasonably priced, and her creativity and
artistic ability is phenomenal” said
Fairchild. She also stated that Sexton “is a very good juggler” and “can
wear many hats” when it comes to
multitasking her career, family, and
education.
Sexton is currently working to
achieve a degree in Retail Management, and she should be able to graduate in about a year and half.
What separates “Cakes by Angel”
from any other bakery is Sexton’s passion and number one goal to keep every cake personal.
“I really care what people want and
am willing to put forth the extra effort
to make them happy,” said Sexton.
She understands that these cakes are
usually just a small part of a very important event in a person’s life.
Never having an unsatisfied customer, Sexton prides herself on going
the extra mile. She will even deliver
when necessary and enjoys it. When
a cake is delivered by her, she gets to
see the customer’s face; their joy and
happiness is what is important to her
as a baker. “A cake is not done until
the customer calls with feedback,” she
states.
With a herd of regular customers already, and a lot of love, passion, skill,
and high goals, Sexton has made it
possible to be a triple threat: a family woman, a business woman, and an
educated woman.
If you would like to purchase a cake
from Angel, check out her web site to
see a photo gallery of all of her unique
designs. The web address is www.
cakesbyangel.com. Angel may be
reached by phone at (859) 797-5125
and by email at a.sexton@insightbb.
com.
Page 12
December 2006
The REVOLUTION
will be Pod-cast
Young voters informed, active thanks to technology
By CASS DWYER
Courier Staff
The myth of apathetic youth in politics is being shattered. Young adults ages 18-30 who vote
have been on the rise since 2002, according to a recent study by the Student Public Interest Research
Group (SPIRG). The New Voters project, a subsidiary organization of the SPIRG concluded that
in a study of 37 nationwide voting precincts, youth
vote has increased over 157% on average, with
higher increases in areas that are home to colleges
and universities. The idea that youth in America
do not care about politics is a lie. We are listening
and we are involved.
Our generation is globally aware, thanks to the
internet and other forms of technology. The majority of college-aged people own laptops, desktops,
MP3 players, cell phones, Blackberries, sidekicks,
and internet-ready video gaming systems. We blog
and instant message and set up “myspace” and
“facebook” pages. We are connected to information instantly and we pass it on as quickly as we
receive it.
The war in Iraq and recent social issues such
as gay marriage and stem-cell research have been
largely documented in cyberspace. Political activism has taken a new form through the tools of the
internet. As we near a presidential election, we
must remember that voting is not enough. It is our
duty to get involved.
There are many ways to stay connected to politics through the internet. Blogging sites dedicated
to political dialogue are forming everyday. There
are a wide range of pod-casts available on social
commentary and political topics. Sites with podcasts available for download include www.podcastshuffle.com as well as www.digitalpodcast.
com (available by clicking on the “Politics and
Government” link). Some sites include links to
all sides of the political spectrum as well as information on how to get involved locally. Two sites
that include non-partisan political blogs are www.
campaignline.com/blogs/ as well as http://directory.etalkinghead.com. Despite the amount of information available to
us, it is useless unless we act upon what we have
learned. Democracy is defined by our system of
government and that system operates upon the
voice of the people. How do we find our voice?
By contacting local politicians and expressing our
views. We can all have a role in the way our government is being run. And thanks to the internet,
this has become easier than ever before. Contacting our congressmen and our senators can be done
via e-mail and several sites that automatically send
information to government officials based on zip
codes. These can be found through www.house.
gov/writerep/ as well as www.congress.org.
As the youth of this nation, we shall inherit the
decisions that are made today by the government
that we elected. By staying informed and staying
involved, we can make a difference in the course
of national politics. The technology that we use
everyday to download music and chat with friends
can also be the way that we start a revolution and
have our voices heard globally. The revolution will
not be televised. The revolution will be pod-cast.
December 2006
ZUNE
or BUST
By JAMES MAGERS
Courier Staff
It is late 2006 and computer giant Microsoft is finally entering the portable
music game with its iPodfighting Zune. Microsoft
is hoping to grab some of
the lucrative digital-music
market with its Toshiba
built Zune.
Unlike the ever-popular iPod collection, the
Zune is available in one
configuration right now.
At 30 gigabytes of space,
there is ampleroom for
music, pictures, and even
videos. It even allows for
the playback of several
audio formats including
mp3, AAC, and WMA.
All three formats can be
used at bit rates up to 320
kbps allowing for excellent sound quality limited
by the recordings themselves and the headphones you use.
As expected, Microsoft has chosen to integrate features that separate it from
its main rival, the iPod. The most obvious aspect is the bigger screen size, 3
inches for the Zune and 2.4 inches for the comparable iPod. To go with the
bigger screen, Microsoft has also included custom backgrounds and landscape
video possibilities. The addition of a built-in FM tuner and the ability to share
files with other Zune users also make this product unique.
The file-sharing aspect is one that has brought a lot of attention. The idea is
that a person with a Zune can send their friend with another Zune files over their
wireless connection. In the case of audio transfers, the receiver can listen to the
song up to three times in as many days and then make a decision to purchase
that song from the Zune Marketplace.
“The Zune experience centers around connection - connection to your library,
connection to friends, connection to community and connection to other devices.” added a spokesman for Toshiba, the firm that manufactures the Zune.
In the long run it remains to be seen if the Zune can crash the iPod party, or
if it will be just another footnote in electronics history. With pricing set around
$250(same as the 30 GB iPod), the deciding factor in many cases may be Zune
Marketplace versus iTunes, rather than the devices themselves.
Official Site: http://www.zune.net
Reviews & Comparisons: http://www.zuneinfo.com
More Info: http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/zune
Photo courtesy of www.news.bbc.co.uk
Page 13
Teresa Tope
A teller of stories
By TERRY HANCHETT
Contributing Writer
She stands before the audience, a petite woman with reading glasses, and she begins to share
her stories. Her voice lilts, her inflections and
tone take listeners to the place where her stories
occur. You are there, and this woman relays the
very essence of the child in her story. Teresa
Tope is a true teller of stories.
Tope appeared in the Learning Resource Center on November 10 as part of the LRC Scholars
on Campus Series.
Her Appalachian roots of Oak Hill, Ohio, are evident in her writings and
poetry. She writes of mountaintop removal, a music man, sisterhood and
children’s perceptions of their worlds of wonderment. In "Summer Secrets,”
Tope's truthful delivery takes you to the mind, magic and innocence of a
delightful 10-year- old who held the treasure of a summer secret, a first kiss
which she thought was brought on by the fireworks.
Tope has been published in Sweet Baby James, Empire Zine, Wilmington
Blues and Free Zone Quarterly. She will be published in this December’s
issue of Southern Hum with her short story titled "Mommy’s Letter."
Tope is working on a compilation of short stories about the artistic minds
of children tentatively called Star Light, Star Bright.
Also, a play is in the works titled "Sisterhood Revival," a love story of two
sisters with some unresolved issues and their person journey in the spirit of a
real southern revival combining sermon, conviction and redemption.
Tope said her writings are inspired by stories she had heard from family
and friends. A particularly poignant inspiration she shared was a collection
of letters her mother had given her from her mother’s brother who had been
killed in WWII.
“Plus,” she said with a smile in her eyes, “I’m always listening.”
The Local-Global Fundraiser
for the Second Annual Lexington
Peace and Global Citizenship Fair
WHAT: A silent auction of local items (e.g., a limited
edition print and original pen & ink by local artists,
handmade jewelry, Songs for the Mountaintops CD) and
fair trade global items (e.g., a donation from PeaceCraft,
plus a number of fair trade items from Serrv International and Ten Thousand Villages). You may record your
bid either in person (Oswald Building Lobby, Cooper
Campus) or via email (contact rebecca.glasscock@kctcs.
edu, 246-6319).
WHEN: December 1-8
WHERE: The items will be displayed in the glass case
in the Oswald Building Lobby, Cooper Campus.
Page 14
December 2006
Society for
Collegiate
Journalists
seeks new
members
Five items top most-popular list
for 2006 holiday season
By ASHLEY ELLISON
Courier Staff
Every year there are those special things that become part of the
holiday spirit. There are certain toys
that lead people to paying insane
amounts of money online or waking
up extra early to be the first in line.
This year there are a few gadgets
that have already began to sell out
in stores and are predicted to top the
charts by Christmas.
The first of these is the TMX
Elmo. This is the anniversary edition of the Tickle me Elmo. The
Tickle Me Elmo was a craze that
took over America 10 years ago. The
TMX Elmo is already sold out all
over Lexington. It is the toy craze of
2006. Elmo is not just for children.
Many adults actually buy an Elmo
to save as a collectible. Elmo is retailing for $39.97 at Wal-Mart when
you can catch it in stock!
The second item that you should
expect to see this holiday season is
the iPod nano. A smaller, thinner,
lighter
version is
available
in four
colors
or black
in 2GB,
4 G B ,
and
8
GB models. They
hold up
to 2,000
songs, or up to 25,000 photos, and
have a 24-hour battery life. The 4
GB is available at Wal-Mart for
$197.88, while the 2 GB is only
$147.88.
The third item that you can expect
to see is the Nintendo Wii. This
is newest invention from Nintendo. Nintendo Wii will give
people access to international
wireless Wi-Fi connections. It
features wireless remotes for
up to four players, and a 512
megabyte internal memory.
The fourth item is the Playstation 3, made by Sony. It is
the world’s most advanced
gaming system ever. It offers
advanced memory capabilities featuring a 256 MB XDR
memory and 256 MB GddR3
memory. It also allows for up
to seven wireless controllers.
Playstation 3 retails for $499
or $599 depending on which
model. The difference between the two is the more expensive version has a memory
stick/sd/compactflash slots,
Wi-Fi, and a 60 GB hard disk
drive, were the $499 only has
a 20GB hard disk drive.
The fifth item that you can
expect to see
out this holiday
season is the
movie The Santa
Clause 3: The
Escape Clause.
This film stars
Tim Allen in his
role as Scott Calvin a.k.a. Santa.
Santa
battles
Jack Frost who
is trying to take
over his holiday.
While entertaining his in-laws,
and extended family all at the
North Pole for the birth of baby
Claus. This film is rated G and
is predicted to be the best family
film of the holiday season!
Christmas is near, but there
are still a few ways to get your
hands on these hot items. Look
online, there are several internet
websites like ebay that always
sell items that people want. At
time of press on November 21st,
2006 the TMX Elmo was going
for $90.00 on ebay. The Nintendo Wii is going for as much as
$500. The Playstation 3 is going
for as much as $1,500. Although
you may end up paying a lot
more then the actual retail price,
only you can determine how important it is for you to have these
hot items in time for Christmas.
BCTC chapter
to begin meetings
next semester
By THOMAS GIBBS
Courier Staff
The new BCTC chapter of the
Society for Collegiate Journalists is
accepting students interested in journalism, law, and communications.
Students seeking membership
should print out an initiation report
at www.scj.us/join_initiation.shtml
and turn it in with the required $30
fee to Tammy Ramsey’s mailbox in
suite 101 of the Academic & Technical Building on Cooper campus.
To be eligible for membership,
students must have been published
in an official media outlet such as a
newspaper or literary magazine.
The Society for Collegiate Journalists has approximately 100 active
chapters and 1,200 members across
the nation and is closely related to
the Society for Professional Journalists.
Members of the SCJ gain new
privileges, including a lifetime membership to The Collegiate Journalist,
an in-house magazine geared specifically toward student journalists,
and the SCJ newsletter. A national
convention is held biennially where
organizational policy and chapter
activities are discussed by delegates
from each chapter and where students can attend various journalismrelated seminars and workshops.
Similar to fraternity and sorority
events, each chapter is expected to
develop its own projects, including
holding banquets or creating journalism laboratories.
Awards are given annually to
chapters and individual members
through a national contest which is
judged exclusively by professional
journalists.
Questions can be sent to Carol
Leath at [email protected] or
Tammy Ramsey at tammy.ramsey@
kctcs.edu.
December 2006
SIFE
Page 15
Sponsors Extreme
Entrepreneur Tour
the Bluegrass. The BCTC Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE)
Special to the Courier
club hosted The Extreme EntrePhotos by PATSI SEDIVY
preneurship Tour on Thursday,
September 21, at Applebee’s
The spirit of American entrePark. More than 40 BCTC stupreneurism is alive and well in
dents, faculty and members of
the business community
were in attendance.
Sheena Lindahl, Michael Simmons and Adam
Witty, three 24-year-old
Millennials, launched the
Extreme Entrepreneur Tour
this fall, bringing America’s
top young entrepreneurs
to 15 colleges along the
East Coast to spread the
entrepreneurial mindset to
their peers.
The first-ever collegiate
entrepreneur tour, EET,
brings together America’s
top young entrepreneurs to
spread the entrepreneurial
SIFE advisor Virginia Fairchild (left)
mindset to their peers at a
with Sheena Lindahl.
grass roots level.
Speakers included young entrepreneurs who’ve
made,
earned,
and sold their
company for millions and/or made
a huge impact before the age of 25.
The Extreme
Entrepreneurship
Tour was sponsored by BCTC
SIFE.
Virginia
Fairchild, SIFE faculty advisor, met SIFE team members, along with advisor Virginia FairchMichael Simmons ild, gathered with Extreme Entrepreneur Tour founders
at an entrepreneur- and speakers.
“I loved the idea of this tour and
ship
conference
knew that it would be a great way
two years ago and reconnected
to inspire young entrepreneurs at
at SIFE Nationals in 2005.
Bluegrass and across the nation.
Simmons and Lindahl were
We were the first to believe in the
named as one of the top 25
tour and the first college to book
young entepreneurs in the counthe tour," said Fairchild.
try by Business Week.
fotofraud
See if you can find 8 differences in the before and after photos below. (answers are at the bottom of the page)
photos courtesy of www.geekphilosopher.com, photo illustrations by LUCIE MACDONALD
fotofraud answers: sidewalk square, cigar is shorter, glasses temple is missing, scissors missing, crack in wall, flower on shirt, watch, stripe on shoe
Page 16
By CASS DWYER
Courier Staff
The weather outside is
frightful, but the beats are so
delightful. Five albums worth
jamming out while walking
through the snow on your way
to class.
1. Jay-Z Kingdom Come.
The Jigga man has come out
of retirement to lay down the
beats once again. This album
is a tight production with
flavors of big band beats, some
really nice bluesy numbers, and
some typical bling-bling fare
mixing politics with pleasure
and social justice with snow
white sneakers.
2. Oasis Stop The Clocks.
This is the best of Noel and
Liam Gallagher also known as
Oasis. The album includes the
big hits such as “Champagne
Supernova” and “Wonderwall”
as well as some of the bands
favorite tracks as well as some
live cuts. Britain loves Oasis
and you should too.
3. Nickelcreek Reasons Why:
The Very Best. 'Tis the season
it seems, for “Best Of” albums.
Nickelcreek is one of the most
adorable bluegrass bands
in the world and this album
collects the sweet nectar of
their efforts. Tracks include the
heart-breaking “The Tale of the
Lighthouse” as well as “This
Side” and “Smoothie Song.”
Music like this is perfect for a
long drive out to Midway, or
your favorite Kentucky country
destination.
4. Tenacious D The Pick of
Destiny. These crazy dudes are
at it again. Their sophomore
comedy/rock/whatever album is
also the soundtrack to the duo's
latest movie. Although it wasn’t
as nearly as funny or original
as their debut, if you’re a fan
of fun lovin’ f-word dropping
musical comedy, you’ll dig this
album.
5. Tupac Shakur Pac’s Life.
To date, 2Pac has got to be the
artists with the most albums
released from the afterlife.
Actually, he may have released
more albums from the grave
than he did while he was alive.
Pour one out for your homeboy
and jam out to the patented 2Pac
style of west coast rap. R.I.P.
Something to look forward to
after finals besides freedom.
Upcoming releases not to be
missed.
1. Eminem Eminem Presents:
The Re-Up Drop Date: Dec. 5
2. Gwen Stefani The Sweet
Escape Drop Date: Dec. 5
3. Underworld Breaking and
Entering OST Drop Date:
Dec. 5
4. Chris Cornell You Know My
Name Drop Date: Dec. 12
5. Nas Hip Hop is Dead Drop
Date: Dec. 19
Plus One. Get “on the list” for
these upcoming shows in the
Kentucky area.
1. Hip Hop ya Don’t Stop: CRayz Walz with Mudkids and
Mykraphone Mike. The Dame.
Thursday Nov. 30. 9 p.m.
2. Funky Jazz: Karl Denson
Trio. The Dame. Friday Dec.
8. 9 p.m.
3. Rockin’ Good Time: WRFL
Presents Someone Still Loves
You Boris Yeltsin with The
Changes. The Dame. Sunday
Dec. 10. 7 p.m.
4. Mighty Metal: The
Deftones. Headliners Music
Hall, Louisville. Wednesday
Dec. 13. 9 p.m.
5. Country Times:
Montgomery Gentry and
Friends. Rupp Arena. Sunday
Dec. 31. 7:30 p.m.
Top o’ the charts. Who’s
getting the most plays in your
car, your stereo, and your ipod.
WRFL 88.1 FM Lexington Top
5 Albums
1. Califone Roots And Crowns December 2006
2. Tom Waits Orphans:
Brawlers, Bawlers And
Bastards 3. Four Tet Remixes 4. Fat Jon and Styrofoam The
Same Channel 5. Joanna Newsome Ys iTunes Top 5 Album
Downloads
1. Daughty Daughty
2. Jay-Z Kingdom Come
3. U2 U218 Singles
4. Sarah McLachlan
Wintersong
5. Snoop Dogg Tha Blue
Carpet Treatment
CD Central Top 5 Albums
1. Damien Rice 9
2. Tenacious D The Pick of
Destiny
3. Trail of Dead So Divided
4. Joanna Newsom Ys
5. The Who Endless Wire