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Will your next instructor be Max Headroom? ~ please see page 2 ~ Deer camp finances tallied Out with the new, in with the old Student provides historical diary ~ please see page 3 ~ - country music needs to respect its elders ~ please see page 5 - - please see page 4 - w I r- POLEMIC -;., ., = rr.:.r:~ ;;. 1; Alpena Community College 666 Johnson Street Alpena Ml 49707 VoE3 ' Issue 4 Nov. 17, 1993 '1 Engler's reform BY DENINI:! KONWINSKI Co-EDITOR ----~ ~The right hand giveth, the left hand taketh away," is how ACC Instructor Chuck Rosebush summed up an aspect of it. Governor John Engler's proposed educational reform was the topic of a Nov. 8 meeting hosted by area League of Women Voters at the First Con- gressional Church in Alpena. The citizens of Alpena were given the chance to air their concerns before State Represen- tative Beverley Bodem. And air they did. ~ , ~-" to leave schools exposed Photo by Tom Sherrill - Mix $4,500 allocation], but he doesn't make it clear that it's a damn cent more for education," says Rosebush. As for direct instruction, Engler has proposed approxi- mately 20 ways to "improve" Michigan schools and standards of education. Two propositions commonly heard of, and perhaps the most controversial, are char- ter schools and schools of choice. Charter schools could be would be required to accept aJl applicants, and when capacity was reached, students would be accepted on the basis of a lot- tery. In this plan, no transporta- tion would be provided, and the select school of the parent would receive the amount of money provided by the students' home district, even if the district where she/he was attending school al- located more to its in-district run by any public entity. Private students. In short, the money citizens, schools, non-profit would follow the student. agencies, teachers and parents If nothing is decided by could apply for a charter and Dec. 31, State Superintendent of start up a school. Public Instruction Robert The$4,500baseallowance, Schiller says he'll go to court up to $5,500 per pupil, would and force the Legislature to put be granted, which seems gener- a plan in place. Rep. Bodem was strongly urged by her constituents to re- turn to Lansing with messages for Engler on slowing down his practice of making seemingly hasty and careless decisions about something that is bound to affect every household in Michigan in one way or another. Sue Maxwell or the League or Women Voters (far right) moderates the open meeting on educational reform. Panel members left to right: Alpena Superintendent Ron LaBarre, ACC President Don Newport, Representative Bev Bodem and Superintendent or Alpena Educational Service District Tom Lan away. WA TZ's Don Parteka recorded the session. ous. However, teachers, may not If no plan is in place by have to be certified, which leaves March, the Citizens Alliance for a gaping hole in the blanket of Responsible Education says it security. will work to repeal the property Schools of choice would al- tax cut through a referendum low parents to choose what on the Nov. 1994 ballot. public school their child at- That would put us back at Of all Engler's proposals, greatest controversy seems to surround the basis of refinanc- ing public schools. Starting with the 1994-95 academic year, property taxes, which previously provided 66 percent of school funding, were cut as the result of an Aug. 19 bill signed by fear the long-terin repercus- tax on second homes and small sions, especially since Engler's businesses [$840 million and proposed solutions are hovering $1 billion, respectively] lowance of $4,500 per student tended. Participating schools square one. to all Michigan districts. This-----------------.. would move schools with a lower dollar to student ratio, such as Alf:'Ma, which spends $4,250 per student, to a higher level. Dis- tricts that already spend more than $4,500 per student will re- ceive a one to two percent increase in funds. cefl, How Michigan Schools cefl, 'if!! are Funded ¥PJ around one powerful word: ■A real estate transfer the governor. Engler finalized the mea- sure, which will draw over six billion dollars away from K-12 schools, before having a sound plan for replenishing the origi- nal funding in place. While the tax cut may pro- vide relief for property owners in the short run, many people taxes. A two percent increase in the state sales tax is slated as a major component in the search for revenue. It is estimated that the proposed increase would generate $1.830 million, ap- proximately one third of the eliminated monies. Some of the other taxes mentioned to compensate for severed funding, and the esti- mated revenue they will generate include: • An increased property tax of four percent, to be paid by the seller [$800 million] •~Sin" taxes on ciga- rettes, 75 cents a pack, and on beer, I cent per 12 oz. can ($380 million and $26 million, respectively] ■An increased income tax of one percent [$1.2billion] •Local school taxes [$585 million] ■An industrial facility tax ($9.4 million] In his proposal, Engler is offering a guaranteed base al- There are strong negative feelings about base funding by the state, because within the folds of the proposals, it states that overall, the state will be pay- ing less in school operational costs. "He [Engler] looks like a !.)/) I Property tax 66% lliffl State funds 30% - Federal funds 4% Based on 1990-91 school year. Information adap1ed from the Dtlroir Fru Prtss. great champion [about the .,_ _______________ __, ~~:~~nts ca~"~~::h,v~g~~: ~~~~" !a~~el!~:!m,,~:~:e~!,""~~.,o~:~ ~~ STM,WmER toSaultSte.M,cie. trnasfe,toLSSUfo,thefounh teocy ,equi,ement is met io somehands-one,pedeoce. Uti• 1] 1111 !11 " ' '111 111111' '" 111 The way it works is as fol- year. Now, for the first time, !11is program with transfer cr~it !izing the. interact.ive TV system A ( • L • lows. ACC instructors. who are the fourth year, which consists m .c?Jlege algebra. The ~nghsh IS also bemg considered. C ion zne Earning a degree in busi- also instructors with LSSU, of ten courses, may be taken at ~ntmg compet:ncy requ1rement . The LSSU 3 + 1 Program nessadministrationoraccounting offer specific courses (usually ACC over a span of two years. is ~et by p~smg a three-hour 1s targeted at people who have Why is the Graphic Arts from Lake Superior State nighttime and weekend courses) This change was brought about wntmg exercise. a two-year degree but cannot parking lot not lit or paved? University can be as easy as which count as credit toward in part due to a survey of stu- Thirty-two of the final 64 advance in their present job attending Alpena Community a four-year degree in dents in· and/or interested semester credits, and 80 percent without furthering their educa- -JeanKuszajewski College. business administration or in the program. of the required 300-400 level tion, parents who could not The LSSU 3+ 1 Program accounting at LSSU. Students do not need 10 credits, must be earned from feasibl,Y move to Sault Ste. The Graphic Arts parking lot is indeed a mess, a fact not unnoticed by Parking Superviser Ted Kruse. allows students a convenient Originally, the students apply or be accepted to LSSU LSSU. Students are not ad vis~ Marie, and people who are cos! way of taking Lake State would take thz ii1·st three years before they begin taking classes; to start the LSSU program un!il conscious. llNDEX News .......... ...................... ............... .PAGE 2 OPINION .. ENTERTAINMENT ..• , ... ..................... PAGE 3 ........... PAGE4 SPECIAL FEATURE .. ................................ .PAGE 5 FEATURE .... ......................................... PAGE 6 SPORTS .. PHOTO ESSAY .. .. ............................. PAGE 7 ... PAGE 8 Reminders Crom ¢'Pot£Mc: • the Student Senate sponsored Family Day has been rescheduled for December 4. • ACC will close its doors at 5:00 p.m. on Wednes- day, November 24 for Th.ank.6giving Break. Classes resume Monday, Nov. 29. Have·a Happy Turkey Day! they may enroll as part-time they have 64 o~ fewer credns For further information on students without being admitted. left to com?lete m the program. the 3+ 1 Program, contact Mary An official transfer credit evalu- Certam steps are currently Jason, Regional Center director It has been called the big- gest eyesore on campus, a dust bowl in the summer and a mudhole in the spring. Detailed proposals have been made and ation will not be made, however, being taken to enhance the pro- or Linda Suneson, ACC account- until a student is admitted. gram, such as creating a four ing instructor. - submitted, complete with bids Semester lengthened two weeks ~:~,i~:· {~~.::";ith"~i:: i~:~ lie. COST! With present bud- eight week cycle .would, in es- get problems, no action has been sence, be spendmg the same taken. Bv Scarr REED STAFF WRITER In addition, the Industrial Tech Department has an eight- week program that starts Some ACC students may immediately after graduation be in for a little surprise when and the nursing program offers they go to register for classes a ten-week session as the final next summer, as certain courses stage of the LPN Program. will be moving from a six to an The change came about eight week cycle. partly due to a faculty survey. Both cycles will be run, ACC President Dr. Donald however, for the summer 1994 Newport stated, "We're finding semester. The main summer in order to do a good educa- term will be six weeks (June 14 tional job in the classes, we are through July23.) The eight week better off to have the longer pe- term will be June 7 through July riod of time," although students 29. in classes moving from a six to amount of time in the classroom. Does anyone have some Newport said he would extra boats? not anticipate seeing fewer students over the summer due to the change. He said that it may even benefit students. Because of the schedule being expanded over eight weeks instead of six, students may be able to better weave their work schedules into their class schedules. There will be no tuition in- crease regardless of the expanded session. Action Line is a regu- lar, informational column which answers questions posed by students. Questions dealing with Alpena Community Col- lege may be dropped of at 1he Polemic office in BTC 110, placed in the mailbox lo- cated in the lobby of BTC or may be given to any staff member. The Polem,c 1s published by the students of Alpena Commun~y College for the students of Alpena Community College