the technician magazine - summer 2011

Magazine Summer 2011

TALKING TO KETTERING’SPRESIDENT

KSG ELECTION RESULTSAND ANALYSIS

CALENDAR CHANGEOPINIONS

THE MOVE TO GMAIL

TechnicianThe

YOU’VE NYANED FOR

11 WEEKS

2 The Technician Magazine

A Letter from the Editor-in-chiefAt The Technician, we are dedicated to expanding knowledge across both

our campus and the community, entertaining students, facilitating the spread

of opinions throughout the Kettering community, and most critically, raising

the power of the student voice. Over the past two years, I have been excited to

participated in this endeavor, as the automotive columnist and previously as

Online Editor. This term, I was honored to begin my term as Editor-in-chief

of The Technician at such a critical point in Kettering’s history. Amid the fire

storm of controversy over proposed changes to the very heart of Kettering’s

identity, we welcomed a new president to campus and elected a new student

government. As we return to campus in the winter, we look forward to con-

tinuing to document these exciting and occasionally controversial develop-

ments.

I would like to offer my personal thanks to many this term who have helped The Technician report on these develop-

ments, and to those who assisted us in generating new content. I offer my thanks especially, however, to The Technician’s

newest members: Jessica Bruce, Marie Klosowski, Kaitlin Solovey, Joseph Stevenson, and Alan Xia, all of whom joined

this term as Freshmen. We welcome their contributions and dedication to the paper. I would also like to extend a special

thanks to Alan and Kaitlin, both of whom stepped forward and joined The Technician’s editorial staff, as Distribution

Editor and Layout Editor, respectively. I would also like to thank Allen Hillaker and Matthew White, our assistant edi-

tors, for their continued labor to ensure The Technician remains a quality publication we can all enjoy.

Thank you.

Robert HayesEditor-in-chief

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What’s Inside Magazine

E d i t o r- i n - C h i e fR o b e r t H a y e s

A s s i s ta n t E d i t o r sA l l e n H i l l a k e r

M a t t h e w W h i t e

L ayo u t E d i t o rK a i t l i n S o l o v e y

C o p y E d i t o rTy l e r Va n E c k

D i s t r i b u t i o n E d i t o rA l a n X i a

P h o t o g r a p h e r sM a t t h e w H o l l a n dJ o s e p h S t e v e n s o n

Sta f f Wr i t e r sD e v i n A r y a nJ e s s i c a B r u c e

C y n t h i a D i S a r n oD o m i n i c Ja n d r a i n

Is a a c Me a d o w sA d l a i M i l b i t z

J o h n O l i v e r

C a rt o o n i s tM a r i e K l o s o w s k i

Fa c u lt y A d v i s o rD r. C h r i s t i n e L e v e c q

Sta f f A d v i s o rB e t s y H o m s h e r

T h e Te c h n i c i a nKe t t e r i n g ’s S t u d e n t Vo i c e

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© T h e Te c h n i c i a n , 2 0 1 1

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A Letter from the Editor-in-chief

Page 4

Term RecapEli’sCornerGroceryKetteringMarks9/11KetteringNamedBestCollege

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Mott-Warsh Art Exhibit

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KSG Election WinnersPresidentVicePresidentAdministratorClassRepresentatives

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KSG Election Analysis

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Photo Recap

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Hail to the ChiefPage 15

KSG Enacts Changes

Page 16

KSG Enacts Changes Page 17

Kettering’s Google Transition Page 18

Calendar ChangeFacultyThoughtsGreekLifeWhyWeCare

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The Technician StaffPage 22

The Daily BulldogGasPricesChallengeArsonistsWhyKetteringWasaGood ChoiceforMeStudentsAimtoPaintNew

President

TechnicianThe


Eli’s Corner Grocery Still Up in the Air

Matthew White

Conveniently placed across from the Campus Center and Academic Building is Eli’s Corner Grocery, affectionately known by Kettering students as the “Stop-and-Rob.” However, recent mur-murs within the student body speak of the potential closing of the store. While the store may seem to be opposite of cam-

pus, Kettering U n i v e r s i t y in fact owns the land. The Technician talk-ed with Mrs. Susan Bolt, Kettering’s Vice President for Administration

and Finance. In the lease, she said, there are options to extend the term for five additional years; all of those options have since been used. Mrs. Bolt estimates there to be a year remaining on the lease yet, and does not expect any action from the University for some time. With the installation of a new President, the future of the store—among other things—must be charted anew. Previous versions of the campus master plan did not call for Eli’s Corner Grocery’s continued existence, although its services would be provided elsewhere. As the President continues to shape his vision, a new campus master plan will be formed. Only time will tell if Eli’s Corner Grocery is part of that plan.

Photo of Mrs. Bolt courtesy of Kettering Communications

Ten years ago, terrorists struck America in a way that shook the nation to its core. The images of the twin towers, ablaze, looming tall over New York City for just a moment before falling to the ground below are burned into the minds of those who witnessed the horror of that day. The lone piece of steel hanging at ground zero, the gaping hole in the Pentagon, and the wrecked mess of an airplane in Pennsylvania are all part of that day, and it will be long before they are forgotten.

Today, we have experienced much change since that time. To commem-orate the 10th anniversary of the at-tacks, Kettering University held a program includ-ing remarks by Dr. Steven L. Winter, a professor of C o nsti t ut i o na l law at Wayne State University. Dr. Winter give a lecture entitled “Democracy: Ten Years After 9/11,” in which he explored the meanings of free-dom and the nation’s reaction to the at-tacks. Following the lecture, the Kettering University choir sang a piece. A reception was held in the Faculty Senate room af-terwards.

Photo of Dr. Winter courtesy of Wayne State University

Kettering University is highly ranked nationally in the 2012 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges edition. U.S. News released its 2012 annual Best Colleges report on September 13.

Kettering’s overall rankings in the 2012 edition are:

#1 I n d u s t r i a l / M a n u f a c t u r i n g

Engineering# 2 Mechanical Engineering#16 Best Regional Universities:

Midwest#27 Best in Undergraduate Engineering

(without a doctorate): NationalPrograms to Look For:Internships/Co-operative Education

Kettering Provost Robert Simpson said the Best Colleges list is a moving target year by year. “This Best Colleges ranking edition is controversial at best, relying so heavily on peer review from around the country. In spite of that, Kettering fared well this year. I applaud the faculty, staff and students who retained their #2 nation-al ranking for Mechanical Engineering. Their efforts bring national recognition to our largest program. And special con-gratulations to #1 ranked Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering. Kettering has led the country in this discipline for more than a decade and it’s gratifying to see U.S. News restore the category to the respect it deserves,” Simpson said.

For more, go to http://bit.ly/ncHd84

Kettering Marks 9/11 Anniversary

Matthew White

Kettering Named Best College Again

Patricia Mroczek Kettering PR

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fining economic system that kept them in poverty. The toil of sharecropping is made evident by Catlett’s use of angular black lines on the woman’s skin as well as the effect of linoleum print making. Despite the physical wear and tear of the woman in the portrait, her demeanor suggests she is full of pride rather than be-ing victimized by the oppressive aspects of sharecropping. This same element of pride can be found in the man portrayed in Ron Adam’s Profile in Blue. Although the man appears to be a victim of pover-ty, the picture suggests he is a very hard working individual. Under his thin blue jeans are bones made completely visible by the absence of muscle or flesh, but despite his skinless legs and his tattered clothing, he holds his rolling pin with pride as light shines on him through his window.

Both Coal Breakers and Launching, two of artist Dox Thrash’s mezzoprints, illustrate the dangerous work African Americans had to perform year round. Coal Breakers depicts four coal carts and their tracks leading into a despondent mining site. The building’s structural in-tegrity is in question due to a number of broken windows, which illustrates the danger of coal mining. Many African Americans during the 20th century often had little choice but to work in mines; by 1930, there were 55,000 African American coal miners employed nationwide. Launching, unlike Coal Breakers, explic-itly depicts African Americans working. However, Dox does not give the laborers any physical detail; the workers all look simple and identical, and resemble spir-its or appear to be ghost-like. This not only gives evidence to how the labor per-formed by African Americans was strenu-ous to the point of death, but how they

were also regarded as “disposable;” if one was to perish, he could be easily replaced with another person, and work would continue as if nothing had changed.

Although I enjoy relaxation during summer as much as the next person, I encourage anyone in the Flint area to visit Olive Missionary Baptist Church’s Mott-Warsh Art exhibit. If nothing else, the illustrations of African American la-bor give us a peek into our history, and in the process, they make us stop and reflect about our present.

Photograph: Patron Saint of Middle Passengers, 2000 by Mark Steven Greenfield. Currently on display in the Mott-Warsh Collection.

August is the heart of the summer season; for a lot of people, summer sig-nifies the liberty to relax after a hard year’s work, to take a vacation to escape the monotony of life, or simply to enjoy some “fun under the sun.” For African Americans living in the 19th and early 20th centuries, this was often not the case.

A few Sundays ago, I took a trip to Flint’s Olive Missionary Baptist Church on Kennelworth Avenue. In the midst of a lively and uplifting sermon given by Reverend Emil Thomas, I was fortunate enough to observe an exhibit of paintings belonging to the Mott-Warsh Art collec-tion. The Mott-Warsh Art Collection, based in Flint, contains a wide variety of artwork depicting both the African dias-pora and African Americans throughout history. The Olive Missionary Baptist Church exhibit displays the latter, and focuses more particularly on images of labor. It encourages its viewers to reflect not only on the physical and emotional impact of hard manual work, but on its nobility and its beauty as well. The work-ers depicted in these paintings were ex-ploited to some extent, but often, the art suggests, they maintained their dignity and their humanity.

Elizabeth Catlett’s painting Sharecropper portrays a woman who is sun beaten and overworked as a result of sharecropping, an economic system in which people would rent land and use their crops as payment. Sharecropping, despite providing work to recently eman-cipated African Americans, was a con-


Liam Graham Guest Contributor



KSG Election WinnersPresidentBryan Coburn

Platform and BiographyI don’t want Kettering to change for

the sake of change. I want Kettering to have change that yields lasting results.

Bryan Coburn is an involved and active student. He has experience dealing with the administration and is a familiar face on campus. His knowledge and presence on the campus would be an asset to the University. Coburn is looking to engage the students and ensure that their opin-ions are heard and acknowledged. His goal is to ensure that the student voice is a deciding factor in Kettering University’s future. Activities and Involvement

Delta Tau Delta Brotherhood Chair, Road Chairman, Pledge Educator, Recording Secretary, Internal Vice President. Compass Crew, Engineers Without Borders, Kettering University Tour Guide, Kettering leaders, Orientation Student Teacher, Student Ambassador (Winter ’11)

Favorite Quote

“Action is the foundational key to all success.”

— Pablo Picasso

What can be improved?One of the biggest problems facing our

university today, is the low number of student enrollment. Kettering, one of the top engineering universities in the United States, struggles to attract new students. It seems that the university has taken an impressive step forward with their new open house, Dog Days of Summer, and the fact that they are in the process of re-vising the website to make it more attrac-tive to potential students. I see potential in making an effort to recruit students in the same region as Kettering and start by making Kettering more well-known.What is your motivation?

My interest in running for Student Senate began with the proposed calendar change. Like many of the students I was quick to see many problems with it. After speaking with many of the involved fac-ulty and staff I have a better understand-ing of their overall goal of increasing numbers and retaining students. It seems to me that there are other options that deserved to be explored and researched more. I think that through this position I can help the faculty investigate these al-ternatives and ensure the student voice is heard and acknowledged.

Vice PresidentMeredith Brassell

BiographyMeredith Brassell is a Junior II Electrical

Engineering major. She is currently the Administrator of Student Senate, a mem-ber of Alpha Sigma Alpha and a member of many other Kettering clubs and orga-nizations. She is from Whitehouse, oh and her co-op is with trw Automotive in Farmington Hills.Activities and Involvement

Student Senate Administrator, Alpha Sigma Alpha Vice President of New Membership Education and Public Relations Chair, realService Club Public Relations Chair, Soap Box Derby com-mittee Public Relations Chair. Member swe, Kettering Band, Laser Tag Club, Outdoors Club.

Favorite Quote

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

—Albert EinsteinWhat can be improved?

There are many exceptional students at this school, and I would constantly work to ensure that their voices are heard. The students’ voices should be heard, especial-ly in issues that affect them directly, like the proposed calendar change. I recog-nize how passionately students feel about this topic, and it is important that those voices are heard and not disregarded. What is your motivation?

I love Kettering, and I want to give back to this university. The best way to accom-plish this is through Student Senate. As a member of Senate this past year, I have been able to learn and understand how

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Provost Simpson On the Future of KetteringKSG Election Winnersthe organization is run. These experi-ences have given me the motivation and knowledge to be an effective leader in the Kettering community.

AdministratorEmily Thompson

BiographyI am from Rochester Hills. I graduated

from Adams High School in 2010 and I am majoring in Applied Mathematics. My co-op is with Towers Watson in Southfield, Michigan, where I do ac-tuarial work. I have been a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha since Winter of 2011. Activities and Involvement

rha Treasurer, Student Senate Sophomore Representative, Alpha Sigma Alpha Secretary and Assistant Housing Chair, Kagle tutor, Intramural Sports OfficialFavorite Quote

“The men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.”

—Lloyd JonesWhat can be improved?

I believe that the overall attitude of the student population can be improved. This can be accomplished by making changes such as improving the image of ksg, im-proving safety around and off campus, encouraging more student involvement, and initiating academic changes, such as teaching techniques, office hours, and common hour exams. Although we can’t change everything overnight, in time we

will be able to improve the quality of our time here at Kettering.What is your motivation?

I want to represent the student body via Student Senate because I feel that there are many improvements that need to be made and this can be accomplished through Senate. I also want to have a voice in keeping some things the way they are, such as our schedule. I will represent the student body by communicating your opinions to the rest of Senate so that we can improve our time on campus.

Senior RepresentativeDon Ebben

BiographyI am originally from Novi, Michigan

and came to Kettering to get a hands on educational experience. I currently work at Livio Radio, where I write Android and iPhone applications for streaming Internet radio. I have had the unique privilege of representing my class these past two terms and would like to con-tinue to do so as I begin my senior year. If elected, I hope to improve ksg’s inter-nal communication as well as communi-cation with the student body and other organizations on campus.Favorite Quote

“The absent are never without fault. Nor the present without excuse…”

—Benjamin FranklinWhat can be improved?

I feel that one of the largest shortcom-

ings of ksg as well as other leadership bodies on campus is communication. I feel that communication needs to be im-proved internally, with the student body as well as with other governing bodies such as ifc and rha. I feel this can best be facilitated through the use of popu-lar new technologies such as social me-dia and collaborative documents. I have helped to implement both of these tech-nologies within my fraternity and have implemented collaborative documents as an ra in Thompson Hall.What is your motivation?

For the past academic year I have had the privilege of representing the Junior class. In this position I have learned a great deal about both leadership as well as the concerns of the student body. I would like to continue to representative my class into senior year.

Mike Schreiber

BiographyI am a Senior I dual major in engineer-

ing physics and mechanical engineering. I co-op with General Motors. I am heav-ily involved in several clubs and organi-zations on and off campus and I believe I know quite a bit about how ksg oper-ates. I am eager to get more involved on campus to improve student life.Favorite Quote

“Any man more right than his neigh-bors constitutes a majority of one.”

—Henry David Thoreau


What can be improved?I believe the largest problem at

Kettering is the student attitude towards the school, faculty, and staff. Many stu-dents believe the school doesn’t listen to their opinion. I believe it is possible to improve student attitude by increas-ing the participation in events in which students can express their opinions, as well as clarifying what groups/events are meant to resolve certain issues. For ex-ample, many people are unaware of what student senate even does. How are they supposed to know to come to a meeting to raise an issue?What is your motivation?

I have always been told there is no point in complaining if you don’t do something about it. Now I finally want to do some-thing. I have spent several years involved in clubs and the student ambassador pro-gram; while I have been heavily involved, I feel as though I have not made an im-pact on the school. I believe ksg—spe-cifically Student Senate is a better forum to affect the student body and the com-munity.

Junior RepresentativeNigel Schuh

Biography not givenFavorite Quote

“The wise man speaks when he has something to say. The fool speaks because he has to say something.”

—Plato

What can be improved?I feel like the recruitment of quality stu-

dents is lacking. I would take measures to improving the co-op program. The co-op is something that Kettering is well known for. Strengthen the co-op and we will strengthen Kettering. I have already ini-tiated measures in my academic council position. I am leading a project that will display students compensation packages. I see this beneficial to students who can now get a better understanding of what other students are making in comparison to their own compensation, but also this puts pressure on co-op employers to offer better compensation packages.What is your motivation?

I want to be more involved on campus and I want to impact Kettering in a posi-tive way and leave it better than I found it. I also seek to gain leadership experi-ence from this role.

David Richelson

BiographyMy personal motto is “it’s time to roll

up my sleeves, get down to business, and kick some butt.” I love going to the mov-ies, reading books, and listening to the Beatles. I take pride in my studies and the clubs I’m involved in at school.Favorite Quote not givenWhat can be improved?

I’d like to see more people involved. I’ll be honest, I’m not quite sure how to do this. I’m just thinking that there’s a lot of kids out there who are doing the things

they enjoy, but aren’t getting funding for it. They have to pay out of pocket. I’d like to send out some polls and a few e-mails to get ideas before I start shooting in the dark. What is your motivation?

I’d like to join Senate because I want to be more involved in the behind the scenes work. I also like meeting all of the important people such as the provost and the president of Kettering. Lastly, I would like to have my voice heard.

Sophomore RepresentativeJohn Oliver

BiographyHey, I’m John Oliver and I want to

make the Kettering community a better place to live. I want to do this by making involvement around campus exciting. I believe that if students enjoy getting out of their houses and being social in school activities then they will want to be in-volved on campus and our school will be a better place. By getting elected to stu-dent senate I believe that I can help bring about this change. Favorite Quote

“Don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today.”

—UnattributedWhat can be improved?

I would love to see a more involved campus. Currently I see a small number of people doing almost everything around campus. I believe that many students feel like getting involved is too much of

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a chore and don’t realize how rewarding it is. I want to offer way for students to get involved in the Kettering commu-nity without the commitment of an of-ficial position. I want to do this through a published student forum where student can publish anything from a rant about the cafeteria to a random thought about how to make Kettering better. This could offer students with an opportunity to break from the standardized format of The Technician.What is your motivation?

I want to serve on Student Senate be-cause I want to make Kettering a better community to live in. I find that for such a small student body Kettering students know only a very small percentage of their peers. I want to try and get students who rarely leave their house out and ac-tive in the community. I feel like I am the best candidate for this position because of my experience in clubs at Kettering and my social interactions with people outside of my fraternity.

Freshman RepresentativeMaria Goodpaster

BiographyHi! My name is Maria Goodpaster

and I am from Hershey, Pennsylvania. My major is Industrial Engineering and I chose Kettering because of the co-op and academic programs. My co-op is with The Hershey Company and my two favorite things to do are to play the harp

and ice skate. I would be a good fresh-man representative because I care about the freshman class and have the qualities that defy others to make my voice heard and to improve the lives of Kettering stu-dents. If I am elected as freshman repre-sentative I promise that I will put forth 100% of my effort to properly represent the class of 2016. Favorite Quote

“A problem is a chance to do your best.” —Duke Ellington

What can be improved?To improve our community as whole I

would address the issue of the student’s complaints and talk to a committee to resolve the issues given forth by the stu-dents.What is your motivation? not given

Alan Turner

BiographyHi, my name is Alan Turner. I attend-

ed Clawson public schools for 12 years and now am a freshman at Kettering University. I am unsure of what I want to do with my life, but I know I want to be one of the best in my field; naturally I was drawn to Kettering. I am flexible, under-standing and fair, and I hope that I will be able to serve the freshman class as their representative on the Student Senate. Favorite Quote

“Always stand on principle… even if you stand alone.”

—John Adams

What can be improved?I believe that individual students can

be better represented on campus. To improve representation I will make a Facebook group for the freshman class. This Facebook group would allow stu-dents to participate in polls about topics on campus and to bring up any questions, concerns, or comments they have regard-ing student life. This would also allow me as class representative to inform my class-mates on policies that have been changed and receive feedback or criticism about the choices made. This would necessarily improve the accuracy of student repre-sentation.What is your motivation?

When I was in middle school I loved the idea of student government. Planning meetings, affecting school policies and getting all the best food back in the lunch room. Sadly student government was not how I envisioned. It amounted to plan-ning dances, and fundraising for dances, both of which I didn’t want to do. Now that I am in college, and student govern-ment can actually have an effect on the school, I want to be a part of the positive change, and provide a way for anyone who wants to invoke change the oppor-tunity to do so.

Editor’s note: For more information on the candidates, and additional information about the elections and future positions on the councils, visit The Technician online at bulldogs.kettering.edu/technician.

KSG Election Winners


KSG Elections Analysis

Freshmen132, 14%

Sophomores121, 12%

Juniors206, 21%

Seniors508, 53%

Eligible VotersKettering, from Freshmen

I up, had 967 eligible voters. While no firm statistic has been provided to The Tech-nician on each class’s voting, the graph below extrapolates class representative voting to account for all votes.

While not everyone voted, those who did vote came out in proportions roughly equal to their class’s eligibility. A general curve of apathy can be seen in the results, giving freshmen a higher percent-age of the vote than their base, and the seniors a lower proportion.

Freshmen79, 17%

Sophomores 60, 13%

Juniors99, 21%

Seniors229, 49%

Estimated Voters

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Provost Simpson On the Future of KetteringKSG Elections Analysis

Bryan Coburn270, 50%

Matt Holland185, 34%

Mike Steinert88, 16%

Votes Cast for President

Meredith Brassell301, 59%

Ariel Childress73, 14%

Raymond Hyder138, 27%

Votes Cast for Vice President

Zach Johnson 237, 45%

Emily Thompson 291, 55%

Votes Cast for Administrator

Don Ebben139, 35%

Mike Schreiber 150, 37%

Joshua Wildermuth

111, 28%

Votes Cast for Senior Representative

Nigel Schuh87, 54%

David Richelson 75, 46%

Votes Cast for Junior Representative

Maria Goodpaster67, 49%Alan Turner

70, 51%

Votes Cast for Freshman Representative

The statistics for votes cast paint an interesting picture. 424 students (43.8%) did not vote in the presidential elec-tion. The numbers are similar for the other elections (455 for vice president, 439 for administrator). While no candi-date for president received a majority, Bryan Coburn, with 49.7% of the vote, was chosen as president. Meredith Bras-sell took the office of vice president with a vote of 59.9%, and Emily Thompson was elected administrator, with 55.1% of the vote.

Voting for class representatives was somewhat more relaxed. Only the senior class race was actually contested. There, Don Ebben (34.7%) took the second seat as Mike Schreiber (37.5%) took the first position in a very close race. Junior representative had virtu-ally no contest, since Nigel Schuh and David Richelson both received places on Student Senate. The sophomore representative, John Oliver, is not represented above since he was the only one running for that position. He received 83.3% of the vote in the affirmative. The freshman representative position, much like the Junior representative, gave both Alan Turner and Maria Good-paster seats on Student Senate.

Editor’s note: Due to the inaccuracies which rounding introduces , all percentages in the text are truncated, not rounded.


The Mechanical Engineering department held its Student Appreciation Lunch in the McKeachie Pavilion. Right, Jeremy Gnida, Kettering staff, shows his versatility in flip-ping burgers. The students, top and bottom,

seemed to approve—no one complained as they munched down on their food.

Photos courtesy of Kettering Communications

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Kettering’s Greek Organizations joined forces on September 17 to “Keep Ketter-ing Beautiful.” Their efforts to keep the campus vibrant and lively are noted.

Above, mulch is shoveled into wheelbarrows to be deposited, right, into the median strips in front of the Academic Building. Below, the participants gather for a group photo.

Photos courtesy of Isaac Meadows


Hail to the Chief

Matthew White

Running a university is not rocket sci-ence. That may well be a good thing for Dr. McMahan, the new president of Kettering University, since his post-doc-toral research was in the field of astro-physics.

The Technician had the opportunity to talk with Dr. McMahan in his first few weeks. His pleasant demeanor and relaxed attitude would make one think he is just an ordinary, average guy, but to call Dr. McMahan ordinary or aver-age would be a great understatement. Dr. McMahan has a cv that shows his de-termination and skill have never waned. His credentials are impressive. He re-ceived dual bachelor’s degrees in Physics and the History of Art from Duke—two rather disparate subjects. He went on to earn his doctorate from Dartmouth in the field of Physics. His degree took him to the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the largest institute in the world to carry out astrophysical research.

His academic record is strong, as is his professional career. Dr. McMahan founded a company, McMahan Research Laboratories, which was acquired in 2000 by GretagMacbeth, making him the Executive Vice President of Engineering and Research and Development (Editor’s Note: GretagMacbeth was acquired by X-Rite in 2006). Moving on from that venture, he became a Senior Technology Strategist and Venture Capitalist for In-Q-Tel, a cia-funded firm that develops technologies for intelligence agencies.

His work in the private sector brought him back into the public sector as the Senior Advisor to the Governor of North Carolina for Science and Technology. He later became the founding Dean of the Kimmel School, Western Carolina University’s engineering and technology college. Now he brings that experience to Kettering University.

All of this begs the question : why come to Kettering? Dr. McMahan is ex-cited about the school and its future. He described the University as being at the

intersection of business and learning. He knows that cooperative education is one of the best ways to learn. As the advisor to the Governor of North Carolina, Dr. McMahan also recognizes the good that a university can do the area. Education, especially stem programs, grows and diversifies economies. The impact of Kettering, however, is not just felt in Flint—it is felt across the globe.

As for the President’s vision for the school, he remains mum. He would

like to see the school expand its offer-ings, especially where the “intersection of programs” logically follow to create a new program. For now, however, the President is reserving his judgement and remains open to feedback. He wants to understand the school and the students before setting out to make any kind of change. Any one who has been in the Sunrise Room over the lunch hour has undoubtedly seen the President eat-ing with and talking to students about whatever is on their minds. During the day, he can sometimes be spotted in the Academic Building, spending his time “getting lost” and finding his way back with a student’s aid and leaving with his or her thoughts. It is a form of adminis-tration which is both new and yet at the heart of what this University was when it was founded almost one hundred years ago.

The hot-button topic is undoubtedly the schedule change, and Dr. McMahan’s position on the matter is quite simple—“I don’t have a dog in this fight.” He un-derstands the issues, the resentment, the benefits, the losses, and all the aspects that come together to form the proposal. He also realizes that the proposal is not the end-all-be-all. It is but a means to an end. Everyone agrees what the end must be—a University that thrives on its base, a stem program deeply intertwined with a co-op component. Not everyone agrees with the means to that end. His job will be to mediate the plan that brings about the best end result.

Dr. McMahan has come at a time of great trouble, but also of great opportu-nity. He has the tools and the ability to make a lasting change on this campus. The Technician wishes him the best in his endeavors.

Dr. McMahan became Kettering’s seventh president, succeeding Dr. Liberty on August 1.

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KSG Enacts Changes

Isaac Meadows

On September 15, 2011, Student Senate held an action-packed meeting to rec-ognize next year’s Senate and to vote on important constitutional revisions. The outgoing Senate, led by President Huong Chim, drafted and discussed these chang-es, which ranged from replacing the phrase “student activities” with “student life” to topics far more crucial to actual student life and the activities that com-prise it. These changes must be passed by the B-section Senate before they will take effect.

In an intermission between constitu-tional discussions, incoming ksg officers took some time to talk with their outgo-ing counterparts, discussing future plans and best practices. New Senate members will be installed on September 21 at the Celebration of Excellence ceremony.

The first major constitutional up-date was Senate election rules. This was prompted in part by debate earlier in the week over this summer’s election, in which Director of Student Life Programs Debbie Stewart ruled for the plurality winner on the grounds that, in regards to voting, “As the student body as a whole is a separate entity [from ksg] and is re-sponsible for electing the Student Senate, they are not held to Robert’s Rules of Order.” In their constitutional amend-ments, however, Senate treated rules for voting as being entirely under the authority of the ksg constitution. The representatives read and passed detailed rules requiring instant runoff voting for contested elections. In this system, voters

rank each candidate according to their preference. Upon tallying, the candidate with the lowest number of first-choice votes is eliminated and those who voted for that candidate have their second-choice votes applied to the appropriate candidates. This process repeats until one candidate has a majority, or until all but one candidate is eliminated. The lat-ter condition can only apply if a certain number of voters fail to mark their choic-es after their first choice.

Outgoing ksg President Huong Chim characterized these additions as central to the role of Student Senate. “An orga-nization without rules isn’t an organiza-tional all, it’s just a group of people,” she explained. “We need to uphold the rules. We are here to represent the students, and effective rules help us facilitate that representation.”

The next items were the creation of “baseline requirements” for all club op-erations as well as the inclusion of an example club constitution in the ksg constitution. The club operations mate-rial was clearly aimed at strengthening Operations Council oversight, specify-ing required activities by clubs, creat-ing definition of membership, requiring club advertising, and providing a “warn-ing system” ranging from written warn-ings to loss of club status. Enforcement of these requirements is the duty of the Operations Council, and the primary means of enforcement before loss of club status is the suspension of funds request fulfillment.

Operations Director Scott Builta ex-plained the need for these requirements to The Technician. “Right now, the con-stitution has plenty of material about how to start a club, but there is nothing about maintaining one. This is not about

killing clubs, but if a club isn’t being ac-tive, we don’t need to keep it.”

Director of Student Life Programs Debbie Stewart was upbeat about the constitutional changes. “I’m glad these rules are approved now,” she said, but did not comment further. Incoming President Bryan Coburn pledged to carry the torch by seeking B-section approval of the changes. In a message to The Technician, he emphasized that the set of amendments “was one of the final acts of the previous A-section Student Senate, and I believe it is my duty to ensure that their vision and ideas for the school come to fruition.” He described the new leg-islation as “very specific [and] detailed,” adding that they would, “allow a much more streamlined process and provide a very specific and easily understood pro-cedure to be followed during elections.” On the topic of B-section approval, he declared, “I do not think that it will meet much opposition from the B-Section Student Senate, but if it does, I will do my best to see that it is passed by them.”

The one other significant change in Senate operations has been a new face at the table in recent weeks. Dr. Jim Huggins, the moderator-elect of the Faculty Senate, has been acting as fac-ulty adviser to Student Senate under an arrangement put in place by outgoing President Huong Chim. The agreement makes the moderator-elect of Faculty Senate that body’s representative to and ex officio member of Student Senate. Dr. Huggins’s tenure in this role will be short-lived, however, as he takes the modera-tor’s role in the fall.

Editor’s Note: The text of the changes, along with insight and commentary, will be provided on The Technician’s web site as soon as they are publicly available.

KSG Enacts Changes


Google’s Flight Search Takes Off

Devin Aryan

Google, the well-known, all-knowing search engine god, has now taken an in-terest in the skies. Launched September 13, 2011, their new flight search option has five main search criteria other than the obvious departure and destination sites: number of stops, airline, connec-tion sites, outbound time, and return time. After inputting the desired criteria, the site generates a list of matching flights and shows how many tickets are left on said flight as well as how much the tickets cost. After finding the desired flight, one

can even buy the tickets then and there if Google has access to booking links—which they may not always have.

This new feature is yet another expan-sion by Google. Though this is Google’s first foray into the travel site business, their flight search seems much easier than similar actions on other travel sites. Google’s flight search allows click-ing cities on a map, rather than input-ting the full name, and generates results much faster. In fact, when searching for a flight from Detroit, mi to Las Vegas, nv, Orbitz, Expedia, Priceline, and Kayak all took a minimum of one minute to re-trieve results, when Google took less than 15 seconds.

The competition has yet to flinch from having Google as their newest competi-tion. Some of the companies feel that their search engines are far superior to Google, while others feel that Google won’t last long in their business, just as it

has failed in other areas. To be fair, both Kayak and Orbitz found the same tick-ets as Google for the flight from Detroit to Las Vegas for a few dollars cheaper, but Google has the advantage of conve-nience; with its already widespread use for looking up just about anything on the internet, searching for flights is that much easier.

Currently, Google’s flight search is fairly simple, limited to certain u.s. cities as well as economy flight trips only, but Google is expecting to expand function-ality in their attempts to join the market. The service is currently located at google.com/flights and will later be located on the left sidebar when searching for flights within Google’s main search location.

The screenshot below demonstrates Google’s new Flight search on a trip from Detroit to Las Vegas.

17

Kettering’s Google Transition

Kettering’s Google Transition

Robert Hayes

Beginning this fall, Kettering’s Java-based web mail platform will be banished to the ash heap of history, courtesy of Google. Kettering will become the new-est user of Google Apps for Education, a no cost, ad-free version of the Google Apps suite with which we are all famil-iar. With the new Google Apps suite, Kettering students, staff, and faculty will have access to Gmail, Google Calendar, Documents, Sites, and Groups all with-out creating an account or changing e-mail addresses.

This new web platform will enable real-time collaboration between stu-dents working on group projects using Google Docs, provide faculty an excel-lent platform to share information be-tween department members with shared Google Sites, and provide everyone on campus with the versatility and reliabil-

ity of Gmail. In addition, every Kettering e-mail address is automatically added to every user’s contact list, removing the need for the Kettering community to use the Student or Faculty Search features on Kettering’s web site. The new system will

also provide seamless access to Google products on mobile devices, something the current Kettering web mail platform

makes extremely complicated and un-reliable. Additionally, as Google Apps is hosted externally and managed by Google, Kettering IT no longer has to bear the responsibility of maintaining the old web mail system.

Google Apps has been a boon for uni-versities and companies worldwide, with more than fourteen million students and teachers already using Google Apps around the world. Kettering’s move to the Google platform will mean easier collaboration and sharing amongst mem-bers of Kettering’s community as well as with any Google account worldwide.

Kettering’s transition will be complet-ed before A-Section students return in the Winter, but students who are inter-ested in migrating to Google Apps before the launch date can contact Kettering it ([email protected]) to request in-structions to start the migration process.

Photos: Bottom, Kettering’s current e-mail client, Sun Communications Express. The version Kettering runs in 6 years old. Above, Gmail, part of Google Apps for Education, Kettering’s new e-mail client. Center logo courtesy of Google.


Everyone has heard about the calendar change proposals going around campus. For now, the proposal is stalled. While students have been very vocal with their feedback, faculty have been more re-served. The Technician interviewed some of the faculty to hear their personal opin-ions on the change and what it would mean for their departments.

Robert Hayes, Allen Hillaker, Kaitlin Solovey, and Matthew White contributed to this story.

Faculty Thoughts on Calendar Change

Dr. Leszek GawareckiMath Department Head

Pros: New co-op opportunities

Cons: New curriculum, potential for more faculty

Other thoughts:A more detailed analysisneeds to be done

Dr. Jim HugginsComputer Science Department

Pros: More time to cover contentCons: New curriculum, scheduling difficultiesOther thoughts:Energy trying to effect change is better spent improving relationships with students and co-ops

Dr. Henry KowalskiMechanical Engineering Dept.

Pros: NoneCons: Losing students, lack of evidence

Other thoughts:The program can be fixed without the need for any sort of calendarchange; look for new co-ops

Dr. James McDonaldECE Department Head

Pros: Increased appeal, travel abroadCons: May lose some employersOther thoughts:There are plenty of tiny benefits that go along with this change; there are also risks in both changing and not

19

Calendar Change

Why We Care An opinion by Devin Aryan

The hot topic of debate around cam-pus, or rather the hot topic amongst stu-dents seeming to agree with each other, is the possible schedule change currently being discussed by the higher-ups at Ket-tering University. As it currently stands, it would seem that nearly the entire stu-dent body stands against the schedule change, and the one man they seem to all be focusing their rage towards is Dr. Simpson, Provost of Kettering Universi-ty. Dr. Simpson has been looking into the trimester schedule change option due to being asked by the Board of Trustees to do so. Students have made him the face of the “pro-schedule change” faction, though I personally feel that Dr. Simpson deserves none of this focused hatred.

The most recent question towards stu-dents, though whom was the first to be asked I do not know, is a simple one: why do we care? It is a good question because for a good amount of us, the change will have no effect, for even if it were passed tomorrow, the change would take some-where between 2–4 years to fully imple-ment. As for answering the question, it is my opinion, and from what I hear on the street seems to be the opinion of more than just myself: that even if the change has no effect on us directly, we care sim-ply because of the principle of the change and what it means to be a Kettering stu-dent.

For myself, being a Kettering student is an honor. Being one of the best engi-neering schools in the country, Kettering was the perfect school for me with the small campus, small student body (at any given time), focused coursework, and co-

op program. I feel that being a Kettering student means I am privileged to partake in the Kettering “tradition,” as I’ve heard alumni refer to their time here.

You see, Kettering is more than a Uni-versity to us; it is more than a business to us. It is our life for four-and-a-half years. It is our home 6 months out of the year, the place that forced us into adulthood to better ourselves, and the place that some, if not many, of us will mark as the turn-ing point in our lives. When we leave, we will be leaving behind a trace of ourselves, whether it be through an award, or the Greek program, or even a club roster. As Kettering students, we are ready to face the world the moment we have our de-grees, and we can connect with Kettering alumni at our new jobs. I’ve already done so at my co-op.

No, Kettering is not just a business or a university for us students. It is a piece of our lives which we will never forget. That is why we care. We care because we want future students to feel the same joys we have and will. We care because we want the school to grow as we know it can, but without compromising the experience that is a major selling point to so many of us. We care because we want to see the school heading down the path that we, as students, feel is the right one to take, for in the end, it is students like us that will decide if they wish to come to Kettering or not. We care because we are Kettering; to change Kettering is to change us, and we like ourselves just the way we are.

Greek Life Looks at Change Allen Hillaker and Matthew White

One aspect of the proposed schedule change which has not seen as much dis-cussion is the effect of the new calendar on Greek life at Kettering. While the Board of Trustees received a report on the topic, it has not been released to the stu-dents. Instead, The Technician asked the Panhellenic and Interfraternity Councils for thoughts on the matter.

Panhellenic Council found benefit in the new schedule. Since the time in each term is greater, giving bids, pinning, and new member initiation could theoretical-ly be completed in one term. The council sees no recruitment losses; however, it did point to the current balance of work and school as excellent.

Interfraternity Council also saw simi-lar benefits. Since more students would be on campus, there would be greater participation in Greek life. Ifc, however, noted that participation could become so high as to create undue competition. Also problematic would be houses which are already close to maximum capacity: they could not take on more members. The staggered schedule would also cause problems in continuity of membership and leadership. Ifc, however, does not see enough advantage to outweigh the disadvantages the calendar change would cause.


Isaac Meadows finds working for the newspaper a little less stressful as a non-editor. The former Editor-in-chief spent his last quarter focused on Student Government reporting and trying to graduate.

John Oliver joined The Technician early in the Winter 2011 term and has fol-lowed various stories, reporting on jobs and Kettering Student Government. Also, he’s hilarious.

Alan Xia is a Freshman I and The Tech-nician’s diligent Distribution Editor.

Matthew White is fighting, once again, for all that is good and eye-pleasing as Layout Editor pro tempore and trying to efficiently manage the news as Assistant Editor. In his spare time... who is he kid-ding?

Tyler Van Eck is The Technician’s Copy Editor. He is also on a horse.

Kaitlin Solovey is still new on the news-paper, but enjoys it very much. She’s gone from editing to using fancy layout software that is just starting to make sense. She will be the new Layout Editor next term.

Robert Hayes just finished his first term as Editor-in-chief of The Technician. He also contributes a regular automo-tive column and was previously Online Editor. Though most of his time is spent fantasizing over small hatchbacks and pop-up head lamps, Robert manages to divide the rest of his time between The Technician and his Mechanical Engineer-ing studies.

Allen Hillaker didn’t anticipate becom-ing involved in The Technician when he arrived at Kettering, but the eic at the timewas very convincing. Allen’s been working with the newspaper for two years, doing everything from putting the stories on the page to managing staff to frank interviews with members of Ket-tering’s faculty and staff.

The Technician Staff

21

puter games on her off time when not studying for classes. She was born and raised in Flint and thinks people need to relax about the bad reputation; Flint is not really that bad. And Transformers and Teen Titans are awesome.

Marie Klosowski is the resident car-toonist for The Technician, providing a much-need burst of color and fun to the paper.

Dominic Jandrain writes random stuff for The Technician, and also the Meme of the Month column. He enjoys the Internet, techno, and procrastinating. Also, he is from Nebraska.

Cynthia DiSarno is a senior. She pro-vides The Technician with a lot of con-tent, especially things about clubs.

The Technician Staff

Matthew Holland occasionally finds a good picture, so The Technician pub-lishes it.

Devin Aryan is a Technician staff mem-ber that does nothing useful whatsoever. He sits around and eats all the food, wasting space and air. He’s a Chemical Engineer that needs to be disposed off. You might see him lounging around, playing video games, and eating someone else’s food.

Jessica Bruce is a Freshman I and is pursuing a dual degree in Industrial and Mechanical Engineering, with a co-op through Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems. She likes writing, reading, hanging with friends, and playing com-

Joseph Stevenson is a freshman, and a top-notch photographer for The Techni-cian. His work usually graces the center spread of the newspaper.

Adlai Milbitz is a Senior I Mechanical Engineer from Denton, Texas.

Dr. Christine Levecq is an assistant professor of Liberal Studies and the The Technician’s faculty advisor. She provides input on the content and style of the paper to further perfect the publication.

Betsy Homsher is the Dean of Students and The Technician’s staff advisor. She provides input to keep the paper as an organization running effectively.


Rising Gas Prices Challenge Flint Arsonists

The Daily Bulldog

By Tyler Van EckInvestigative Journalist

Flint, mi—The current trend of rising

gas prices over the

last year is already

widely reviled

across all 50 states,

but they may have

some dire impli-

cations for the

City of Flint. In

Michigan, the

average price of a

gallon of gas has

jumped nearly a

dollar from last

year’s average of

$2.88; this pres-

sure on an already

economically de-

pressed city may spark the ire of Flint’s

arsonists, who appear to have remained

dormant since their attacks last year.

“With this combination of socioeconom-

ic factors, retaliation from the arsonists is

only a matter of time,” commented Dr.

Jens Fredricksson, a non-existent sociolo-

gist. “It’s surprising that they haven’t al-

ready tried to set fire to local gas stations.”

One Flint citizen and arsonist, who

shall be known only as “Carl,” agreed to

grace The Daily Bulldog with his views

in exchange for anonymity. “We start

fires because for far too long, we have let

the oil industry swing its bulk around

to shape far too much of the economic

structure of our society, and for what?

Is the convenience of fossil fuels truly

worth letting major industry override

our social being and by extension, our

very consciousness?” He emphasized

the wherefore of possible attacks on gas

stations, citing what he believes to be a

clear message of resistance against being

ground underfoot by soaring gas prices.

“Burn ‘em all!” he added.

Those who bore

witness to the burn-

ing buildings know

well their Pavlovian

“burn” response in

the face of oppres-

sion, and rumblings

from Flint’s under-

world indicate that

future attacks on gas

stations are quite like-

ly as demonstrative

acts. Already the local

blogosphere is abuzz

with long tirades

against the tyranny

of Big Oil oppressing

a region that has seen enough hardships,

and pro-arsonists on Twitter are stir-

ring their followers into a slow, simmer-

ing boil; indeed, it is as if one can even

now feel the fire in their words. The Daily

Bulldog wholeheartedly encourages the

oppressed to rise up in fiery arms against

that which would further suppress them,

and to let the fire of their torches and

Molotovs illuminate the path to a better

tomorrow.

“All the news that’s fit to print, some that isn’t, and more besides”

Fires, like this one on Chevrolet Avenue, were oh-so-common last year. Now, rarely does Flint see such magnificent conflagrations. It is only a matter of time before such fires began to rage again.

Photo “Razing the Bar” courtesy of Matthew Holland

23

By Tyler Van EckInvestigative Journalist

Painting the bulldog has been a tra-

dition of Kettering students across the

years, but now a new target threatens to

steal the scene. Students of all ages, tired

of ravaging the stationary statue with

spray paint, now look toward current

Kettering President Robert McMahan as

a more interesting ‘moving canvas.’ Ket-

tering’s President was originally the tar-

get of this painting tradition in the sixties

and seventies, but Dr. Cottingham had

the bulldog installed for the purpose, due

to his personal aversion to spray paint.

However, now that our new President

has revealed himself to be more outgoing

(read: vulnerable) than his predecessors,

Kettering’s student body may properly

welcome him to the University with a

consonance of colors befitting of so high

an office.

Photo courtesy of Kettering Communications

A Letter from the Editor-in-chief

Why Kettering was a Good Choice for

MeBy Dominic JandrainReporter

I chose Kettering as a school because

I thought I could get a great education

that would prepare me for my career;

also, scholarships. Turns out it wasn’t ex-

actly what I thought it was; it was better.

Here’s why.

Women

There are so many girls here it’s almost

overwhelming. In nearly all of my classes,

I am one of the few, if not only, males in

an ocean of women, all of whom are ex-

tremely attractive, flirtatious, and avail-

able. I go to math class and walk home

with a girl on each arm; most guys can’t

even do that at a bar.

The Party Scene

There are basically nonstop parties all

around campus, every day. And with such

wide selections of parties, from dance

parties and raves, to the drink-till-you-

throw-up scene, everyone is happy! No

matter what time it is, or what day it is,

you can go out and have the time of your

life!

Classes

The classes are ridiculously easy and not

at all stressful. No homework ever! And

studying isn’t necessary at all. I’m so busy

not studying that I sleep for days! I have

friends that need sleeping pills because

they have so much free time, they don’t

know what to do with it! The schedules

are very convenient and classes never

start before noon.

Even though the educational experi-

ence isn’t as great as other schools, and

it hasn’t prepared me at all for the real

world, the location, atmosphere, and all

of the other reasons listed above make

Kettering the best thing that has ever

happened to me.

Students Aim to Paint New President

the technician magazine - summer 2011

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