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Tlie Pofemic/(J)ecem6er 11, 1996 Briefs Severe weather revisited According to the Office of Public Information, when morning conditions are severe, there may be a decision to close ACC or to delay opening until 10:00 a.m.. Closed means that all classes are cancelled, so neither students nor staff need to report. When opening is delayed until 10:00 a.m., staff should report to be on the job by 10 o'clock, and only classes scheduled to beginatl0:00 a.m. or later will be held. Information will be given to all radio stations and to WBKB-TV. Every effort will be made to assure that the stations relay the appropriately worded message. This information will also be on the telephone greeting as close to 6 a.m. as possible. Forum To Discuss Parking The next meeting of the Forum is scheduled for Tues- day, December 17. The first item on the agens}.a for the December meeting is parking. At the November meeting, the agenda consisted of three items: (1) scheduling train- ing opportunities for staff, particularly secretaries, to learn new software programs; (2) looking for ways to help staff access the database; and (3) seaching for an employee lounge for those who work in Van Lare Hall. All three items generated discussion, which led to potential solu- tions. Attend the next Forum meeting if you have an item you would like to discuss. Forum meetings begin at 11:15. Christmas Caper shines Many members of ACC family and their families en- joyed the Christmas Caper on Tuesday, December 3. A highlight of the event was Chistmas Wish, a Volunteer Center activity that matches donated gifts to needy chil- dren in the community. A group of excited youngsters placed their gifts under the tree, then visited Santa to fill his ear with requests and pleasantries. A sleigh ride fol- lowed, capping this special evening of holiday cheer. United Way update The 1996 United Way campaign at ACC ended last week. Pledges totaled 91 percent of the $4100 target. Less than half of ACC's fulltime staff contributed to United Way this year. Giving across northeast Michigan t9 the United Way has been down about ten percent this year. Peck delivers the goods Mail technician Cheryl Peck wo~ the "Guess the num- ber of lights on the Christmas tree contest," netting her the $50 prize. Actually, Peck was doubly lucky. Two others guessed 750 lights, the correct number. The three names were thrown into a hat, and Peck emerged the winner. Members of ACC's utility tech program strung the lights on the tree, which stands near the front entrance of Besser Tech. Participants paid one dollar per guess, with the proceeds going to decorating the tree. PHOTO BY POLEMIC STAFF This Utility Tech student hung 750 lights on the Christmas tree near the entrance to Besser Technical Center. ,---------~---,----7 '----~ I 1 ~ Star Massaq€ 1 I I I Th€ Drug Tr€€ Woy I I R<duc< Str<ss, R<li<V< T<nsion, I I C),-,:,;;~.,...,'~::::: ;.;:;.=--.u.--- lmprov< Circulation ond f' <€1 Bdta I with •oeep Muscle Therapy• I I --... ,.,->..,.._-;_--- ,____,__ 119 Wot a Str.:d - Downtown AlpE:no I ' . -........i 356-2999 Chns Cowdin - MT I I Clip & Save $5.00 0pm Wt:t:kclo4s b4 Appoinhnmt I L--------------------~ r-------c~~;---------, I Free 32 oz. fountain pop I :[ ~Meta# , 4, with $2':4~tm n :~ Personal Lunch Pizza ~: I 612 Ripley Blvd 6 GRE.-\T STORES IN 1 1141 US 23 N I I 354-2198 Video Rental, Convenience Store, 354-2565 I \. Self Serve Gas, Deli, Pizza1ia, Bakery I '-----------------~--~ :News 3 ·: Pied Piper offers friendship and opportunity • "It's a wonderful program," says Hart BY CHARLES K HURST STAFF WRITER Believing in the worth of all individuals, Pied Piper Op- portunity Center's goal is to assist disabled children and young adults in the Alpena- Montmorency-Alcona county Educational Service District. In 1996 Alpena Conmrn- nity College's new cafeteria and Wal-Mart joined forces with Pied Piper Opportunity Center. The objective: to pro- vide a hands on job develop- ment site for the center's stu- dents. "It'sawonderfulprogram," said Kathy Hart, director of food services at ACC. "We're delighted that they let us be a part of it." One student who has been involved in the Center's Voca- tional Conm1unity-based In- structional Program is ·Barney Trahan-Grabiel. Most recently he has been on site at the ACC cafeteria. He is just one of 14 students who gets to take advantage of this merger under the tutelage of Jeff Ashley, the center's job coach. Ashley's responsibility as the job coach encompasses a lot. Before a student can per- form any task on a job site the job coach must first perform that task himself. He then ana lyzes the task and breaks it down into steps that will be . PHoTo BY PoLEl\nc STAI<'F As part of Pied Piper's Opportunity ·Program Barney Trahan-Grabiel slices pizza in the ACC cafeteria.' easier for the students to per- form th ems elves. All the while he takes into consideration each individual's strengths and weaknesses. Barney, among others, has excelledintheprogram,show- ing the ability to work inde- pendently. However, this abil- ity has taken some time to de- velop. He started in the pro- gram when he was 20. He is now 25. State and federal laws mandate that special educa- tion terminates at the age of 26. So, where does he go from ti1ere? According to Jeff Ashley he will be referred to Michigan Rehabilitation Services and Community MentalHealth,he will thenbereferred again. This time to another job coaching service. He will suddenly go from being a student to being a client. The new job coaching ser- vice will train him on a specific job task. If he shows the ability to perform independently, they will withdraw their ser'- vires and support. 'Tm going to miss my friends at the school," Barney said, looking a bit sad. The transition from the school setting to the actual work force should not be a problem for Barney, but some of the students there won't be ' as fortunate. Theywillnotgive up though, they will keep try- ing until they make it work. When asked about his fu- ture Barney said, "I would re- ally like to work at the college, I like it there." According to Kathy Hart,, they liked having him there. · Over the 36 years Pied'. Piper has been in operation· they have had many success stories. Their students are the epitome of drive and detenni- nation. One student, Barney Trahan-Grabiel, is no excep- tion. So keep your fingers crossed for him. Women's Resource Center assists ACC students •Center offers an "unbiased ear" BY LESLIE MALE STAFF WRITER The Women's Re- source Center, one of ACC's student services, is a valuable asset to the college. The Women's Resource Center deals with many of the 1ssues one might encounter on a day to day basis, such as academic and personal concerns, explo- ration and assistance, and can also be a referral service to many of the other facilities in the community. The activities and ser- vices in the Women's Resource Center facility are there to help increase self esteem and com- munication skills, while devel- oping students' full potential and giving them a sense of di- rection. There is an array of Harry Gohlke booksavailableatthe Women's Resource Center, plus audio and videotapes for students to use free of charge. Bonnie Urlaub, coun- selor and coordinator of the Women's Resource Center, says the facility is "a necessary resource," althoughmanystu- dents are unaware of its loca- tion in VLH 102. Despite this, Urlaub says "students are my best re- ferral source," meanir,g that students tend to direct others in need of counseling to the other programs available. Most personal prob- lems need a unbiased listen- ing ear, not answers, Urlaub says. "Good counseling is not advice." The Women's Re- source Center can serve many needs. Men are welcome. . OfficeSupplies Office Furniture Office Equipment Gohlke Office Equipment 821 W. Chisholm Alpena, MI 49707 Phone: 517-354-5480 lJealerFor: Kardex FIie Systems Trendway Open Office Systems Print Media is an artform unto itself. Today's designers are using many tools in order to get their message across. While computers play a large role, many traditional methods are also used. Here at ACC we try to expose students to many methods of print communication. While the final product must "sell", the student is free to choose the overall design and execution of the project. For more information and a "gallery" tour, please call 356-9021, ext. 239. Graphic Arts- the art beyond the palette. PHOTO BY POLEMIC STAFF Women's Resource Center coordinator Bonnie Urlaub (right) and work-study Theresa Green (left) discuss re- sources available in the center. 'Ifie .Law Office of Mark John Hunter {jenera[ Practice of .Law (517) 356-3171 Hours: Noon to 5 p.m. Monday thru Friday ... ... · .. Cun-ency Exchange Alpena Community Colle e Huron Shores Campus, Oscoda Thursday, December 19 2P-5P Book Buyback. It Pays to Be Part of It.