Final Feature

IS CONTROVERSIAL EDUCATION AN APPROPRIATE METHOD?

By Paul Ellis















Phyllis Schlafly, a conservative pundit, spoke at Stetson Chapel on Nov. 14 about the conservative approach towards feminism in order to expose a conservative viewpoint around a topic that is important on the Kalamazoo College campus.
This was the purpose of bringing in Schlafly: to show a conservative position about a topic that is large on our liberal campus and to promote discussion about different views that many believe are not equally represented on campus, according to Andy Lukas, vice president of the college republicans.
Schlafly’s visit brought a large amount of awareness to campus. On the day of her visit, many students who opposed her viewpoints wore shirts that said ‘I do NOT support Schlafly,’ a group of students wrote and distributed a newsletter, The Feminist, that argued Schlafly’s points in several different columns written by students.
Using topics that create dialogue and require students to think from a different perspective is the form of education for students to expand their thinking to a different
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perspective and is the purpose behind the Liberal Arts Colloquium, or LAC, goal. LACs are education presentations that include lectures from scholars, presentations from significant artists, talks and panels that discuss topics from disciplinary perspectives to pressing contemporary issues with the ideas of the pursuit of knowledge, artistic innovation, intercultural understanding, and moral inquiry fueling the topics.
According to Jennifer Einspahr, associate professor of political science, the number one goal is education. “That is the philosophy of the LAC goal, to expose people to information they normally wouldn’t encounter otherwise.”
For a group that normally brings in speakers that are considered ‘controversial,’
the LAC goal is the goal of the College Republicans. According to Lukas, “Controversial speakers are a tool to get as many people talking as possible, and if after going to hear another side of an argument, they are reaffirmed, that’s fine by me. If they are converted, that’s fine by me, but if they were unsure and get a stance, that’s great. Also, we try to bring in shocking people sometimes to try and get more attendance, and if for no other reason to get people talking. I think the majority of our group disagrees with some of Schlafly’s points, but we did it to start dialogue.”
The requirement of 25 LACs to graduate can be a hassle according to several students, but events that introduce controversial topics usually end up being informative as long as they are attended with an open mind.
Liz Pittman, a member of the women’s resource center, said “LACs are for education, some are boring but you can learn from them. And the system isn’t too bad. There are so many to pick and choose from. You can go to the ones you like, and over
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the course of four years, 25 isn’t a ridiculous amount.”
There are also other students who feel that despite having to attend LACs, they are beneficial.
Amelia Laing, another member of the women’s resource center said, “The annoying thing is that you have to do it, and having it mandatory makes it irritating but people wouldn’t go in their free time if they weren’t required. I have gone not wanting to, then come out learning something. The only thing is, you need a certain mindset, and if you can do that, LACs are very beneficial.”
Exposing yourself to a variety of viewpoints, ideas, and thoughts allows the formulating of an educated opinion about a topic after hearing what each side has to offer. These are the ideas behind a liberal arts education and how a liberal arts education is obtained.
“It goes back to the liberal arts idea. It’s valuable to entertain and listen to the ideas of the people with whom you disagree with. And even if you think something is right, it’s good to challenge it from time to time so that it holds its weight,” said Einspahr.
This is not necessarily the case when it comes to a speaker that has a drastically different viewpoint than the majority of the campus. This is usually the cause for a negative reaction from a group on campus that has opposite viewpoints from the speaker.
As seen in the Schlafly forum and other speakers in the past at Kalamazoo College, there is a general disrespect from the crowd that can be seen throughout the presentations with laughing, scoffing, and inattentiveness.
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Kevin Groth, a member of student commission, said, “I don’t agree with the points that every speaker on campus makes, but those views aren’t present as much as liberal views. It is very embarrassing to be associated with the Kalamazoo College student body at controversial presentations. For the most part, the theatrics, personal attacks, and attempts to disprove opposing viewpoints are unnecessary and out of line.”
Even though a view is not shared between groups, information can still be obtained from those who have more experience. According to Laing, “You can dislike and disagree but you have to respect others’ views. They reason people bring speakers in is because they have been around the block, they know more, and they bring their experience to campus.”
The best time for a student to expand their views and understanding of a subject is at these particular LACs. They can learn about the topic from another viewpoint and respond in different and positive ways. With controversial speakers that talk on campus, “the hope is that people think about it and not just react emotionally, we ought to
be able to entertain this stuff, and if the ideas are stupid, it doesn’t harm us. We become enriched by it, if we approach it with the right attitude,” said Einspahr.



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Crime Press Release

*Info obtained from blotter at the Oakland County Sheriffs Department*

CRIME PRESS RELEASE/Ellis


HIGH SPEED CHASE ENDS WITH DRUGS AND ARREST
By Paul Ellis



Rochester Hills, Mich.-A 33-year-old Pontiac resident was arrested last Wednesday after a high-speed chase with Oakland County Sheriff's deputies from Rochester Hills into Pontiac, police said. The man arrested may face charges of assault, home invasion, and criminal sexual conduct according to the Oakland County Sheriffs Department.
According to authorities, the man, a could-be drug dealer, broke into a 28-year-old woman's house on several occasions at the Rochester Estates Trailer Park. He took belonging from her while also demanding money and sexually assaulting her over the past several months. Police said it is still unclear why the man demanded money, whether because of drug compensation or something else.
Police described the events as follows: last Tuesday, according to police, the man broke in and took off with the woman's computer. She called the sheriff's department on Wednesday telling police that the man was heading to her house to obtain more compensation or money, according to police. As the man left the woman's house, deputies pulle dhim over outside the trailer complex. As the officers approached his car, the woman was thrown out and the man sped off.
Police used several different methods to stop the suspect's car such as stop sticks and boxing him in with patrol cars, both of which he ran through. The patrol car barricade forced the driver to swerve off the road where he was stopped and arrested.
Dugs and scales were discovered in the car of the suspect by police.


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Obit Review

THE HISTORY OF THE LEG PROPELLING THE LIONS
By Paul Ellis

Jason Douglas Hanson (Thunderfoot) died last night at his home in Detroit after a brilliant career placekicking for the Detroit Lions.
Hanson, born June 17, 1970 in Spokane, Wash., was the Detroit Lions all time leading scorer and only their second kicker in the past 25 years.
A graduate of Mead High School in Spokane, Wash., Hanson was a tri-sport athlete earning first team All-State and the All-Greater Spokane League honors as a kicker and punter.
Upon graduation from high school, Hanson attended Washington State University. Hanson set seven NCAA records at WSU. Hanson earned All-American honors in college as a kicker and punter. He graduated from WSU with a Bachelor of Science degree in pre-med holding a 3.8 GPA, earning Academic All-American honors.
Following his final season at WSU, Hanson was drafted by the Detroit Lion. Prior to beginning his professional careern, Hanson married his wife, Kathleen. They now have two sons, Ryan and Luke, and a daughter, Jessica.
When asked how he feels about spending his entire career with the Lions, he replied "I feel good about it. It's something that I hoped would happen, so when the Lions approached me about setting something up and it worked out, my family and I were very happy about it."
His records for the Lions are as numerous as in college. Career points, longest field goal, field goals made, field goals attempted, Pro Bowl selections, and 17 game-winning field goals.
After being asked about his role in games and the pressure he faces, he said "I put the same pressure on myself no matter what the game situation is. I still have to prepare the same way. It doesn't matter if I'm kicking one field goal or if I'm kicking six."

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Well Done

Baby's Body Burned in Grill

This article was written about a couple who killed their children and burned them in order to hide the evidence. The author did a good job at attributing all of the facts to police and authorities. The author did a good job of nailing the 5 W's in the lede in this hard news lede. The author also made effective details play into the story in order to add to the drama of the story. The author also nailed the other aspects of a hard news lede to make this a pertinent and effective hard news story.

Where is the Sony Hero?

The author uses a summary lede describing how the video game market is still booming, despite PS3 sucking it up and falling behind. The author uses statistics and figure to show how PS3 is falling far behind the XBox 360 and Nintendo Wii because of the lack of successful mainstream titles for the system such as Guitar Hero by Activision. This author also uses an interview with a member of a organization that studies home entertainment to discuss the problems with the PS3 and why they aren't competing in the market. The article is written well to inform the readers with statistics and believable interviews.

U.S. Aid to Pakistan
In this article, the author uses a good, hard lede to answer the five W's. The article is written in a timely manner, but the article could have been written at any point in time describing the aid we offered to a middle eastern country. The article also discusses the Pakistan point of view, giving two sides to the story creating a stronger argument for the delivering of this article to the reader.

Barry Bonds - The Cheater

This article is a profile of the man who helped indict Barry Bonds for perjury and obstruction of justice for lying to the grand jury about using steroids. The article talks about the position and work schedule of this man's job and the work he has to do after hours, such as listening in on phone calls and digging through trash. Discussing Mr. Novitzky's credibility is respected by everyone except for the defendants of Barry Bonds. Using quotes from people he has even convicted saying he did what his job entails. So using these methods, the author uses facts and the biases to describe this man and what type of a job he does.