Dec.

5, 2011 Campus News THE AGORA 3

Taylor Pinson
Agora Staff
Student Services Counselor Steve
Mapes has produced a report profling
studentsatMCCC.
Thereportsaysadeclineinenrollment
is aIIecting many community colleges.
AtMCCC,enrollmentisdownfromlast
yearby283students,orabout6percent,
but this years numbers were still the
Iourth highest in MCCC`s history, with
4440studentsenrolled.
Thatsquiteafewstudentsforasmall
institution,saidMapes.Wewerestart
ing to stretch the seams oI the institu
tion.
The report attributes the decrease in
enrollment to several Iactors, including
a smaller Monroe County high school
graduating class; Iewer occupational re
training grants, which was caused by a
lack oI government Iunding Ior displaced
workers; and the new Federal healthcare
legislation, which allows parents to keep
theirchildrenontheirfamilyshealthin
suranceplanuntiltheyturn26.
We anticipated a decrease in enroll
ment.Therearealotoffactors,Mapes
said.
Numerous statistics were presented
in the report, including the gender, resi
dence,andraceofstudents.
There are signifcantly more Iemale
students at MCCC, with 60 percent fe
maleand40percentmale.
These percentages have remained the
samewithinafewpercentformorethan
adecade.
Outofdistrict and outofstate enroll
ment is up by 2 percent, making it a to
tal of 16 percent of students enrolled at
MCCCwhocomefromoutofdistrict.
'I think it`s just a percentage shiIt,
saidMapes.
'A lot oI them are coming Irom down
river: Taylor, Woodhaven, Flatrock.
Mapes report also shows that the en
rollment of African American students
at MCCC has nearly quadrupled since
2002,andnowsitsat163students.
Taylor Pinson
Agora Staff
Monroe Public Schools has reached a
deal to sell Dream 97.5, the college radio
station, to Monroe PublicAccess Cable
Television.
ThedealwillallowMCCCstudentsto
continuetousethestationasthelabora
toryforradioclasses.
The partnership between MCCC and
Monroe Public Schools dates back to
2005. The college has paid all costs as
sociated with operating and maintaining
Dream 97.5 in exchange Ior students in
the college`s radio broadcasting program
using the station.
Citing declining revenue over a three-
yearperiod,MCCCchosenotrenewits
partnershipwithMonroePublicSchools
earlier this year and eliminated Iunding
forDream97.5fromits20112012bud
get.
MonroePublicSchoolsspentthesum
mer months seeking a new partner to
maintain the station, considering several
oIIers beIore accepting a proposal Irom
MPACT.
The decision by the Monroe Public
School District to sell the high school
radio station to the local public access
television studio is a big win Ior MCCC
radioandtelevisionbroadcaststudents,
saidMCCCPresidentDavidNixon.
Nixon said he also thought having the
radiostationhousedatMPACTwouldbe
more convenient Ior students, citing bet
ter hours and oII-street parking.
'It`s good Ior MCCC and Monroe
High School students, said Milward
Beaudry, MCCCs adjunct broadcast
instructor and MPACT studio engineer.
'It`s good Ior the community.
Reaction to the sale from MCCCs
Broadcasting Club was generally posi
tive, although several students expressed
frustationthatthemonthsofuncertainty
over the summer prevented them from
accomplishing as much as they had
wanted.
'I think overall it`s a good thing, said
Broadcasting Club President Kaitlin
Bereczky. 'It gives us a lot more oppor
tunity to do a lot more things.
ThesaletoMPACThascostusalot
oI time, but overall we`ll get to do a lot
more,saidMilesLark,amemberofthe
club.Wellbeabletoexpandourhori
zonsasaclub.
The sale is still awaiting approval Irom
the FCC, but Beaudry expects it will
happen.
'We don`t see any problems in getting
thissale,saidBeaudry.Usuallytheres
not a big deal with these things. They
usually go over quite smoothly.
Theradiostationssalehashadanad
ditionaleffectatMCCC.Coursesforthe
college`s radio and television broadcast
ing program will be taught this winter
semester.
'The college is donating all oI its ra
dio equipment to MPACT, said Joe
Verkennes,MCCCsDirectorofMarket
ing. 'MCCC will continue to oIIer radio
courses, utilizing MPACT`s Iacilities and
thestation,basedonstudentdemandfor
suchclasses.
Because MCCC had been waiting
for an outcome on the station, the radio
courseswerenotplacedinthewinterse
mester course catalog. Students interest
ed in taking the classes can register using
WebPalviaMCCCswebsite.
MPACT purchases Dream 97.5
photo by Taylor Pinson
The Broadcasting Club, which uses Dream 97.5 extensively, is up and running again. Due to the uncertain nature of the radio sta-
tion and the colleges future involvement, the club was placed on a temporary hold. Since MPACT purchases the station and since
MCCC will continue to offer broadcasting classes, pending enrollment, the club has once again become active.
!""#$%&'(#)*"(&+,-.%*&)$($&,*%*$'*)&/0&1-#"'*%-,'
X-TECH:
Industrial Tech division showcases
programs, careers in open house
photos by Mandi Davis
The welding program at MCCC
was on full display. Welding
grant instructor Jason Karamol
(above) was present to discuss
and answer questions regard-
ing the colleges program or the
.*%)&-2&3*%)4"56&78459(:&;$,$<-%&
displayed some of the equip-
ment the program utlizes, and
showcased some of the things
the welding can be used to
make (below).
photos by Mandi Davis
=>?*19@& 9*%)& A-B6& CD@& *E94/4(*)& (9*& B$,4-#'& .*%)'& -2&
study in the Industrial Technology division that are
available at the college, as well as some of the activi-
ties available to students. The robotics club displayed
its robot (left) while the automotive program (top)
and green energy (above) were highlighted.
2012 Michigan Community College Press Association Judging Form

Place of award:

DID NOT PLACE

Category: 19 photo essay

Headline/title of entry: X-TECH SHOWCASE

Contestants name: MANDI DAVIS

College name: MONROE CC


Judges comments:

THESE PHOTOS DIDNT SEEM CRISP. A LITTLE MUDDY OR FOGGY. SOLID, BUT
NO WOW FACTOR.