Genny Gierke and her family had begun a program a few years ago that is dedicated towards hosting students from abroad. The program, known as the Labo International Exchange (LIE), is a student exchange course that gives incoming Japanese students the opportunity to learn more about American culture, language, and customs. The program is run through the Michigan State University (MSU) Extension.
Courses are conducted right in the family household in Chassell where students are provided with both food and shelter. The first Japanese student was given the chance to experience a one-month course in American culture and, according to the Gierke family, the experience worked out very well. Students from ages three to 18 are allowed to be admitted into the program to gain their knowledge and understanding of America.
The first student enjoyed her experiences with the family and the community. “It’s always really fun. The cultural differences are always neat to see,” she commented.
Hosting foreign exchange students has also given the family the opportunity to establish a long lasting friendship and travel to Japan at discounted rates. Gierke recently visited the country to see one of her previous students and said she really enjoyed having the chance to experience cultural differences in Japan. “It was really neat to see how our culture fit into Japanese life there.”
Students from Japan who were previous hosts of the Gierke family also came to visit. “I always really enjoyed it,” explains Gierke of her experiences. “It’s just like having a friend come visit for a while because you get to know the person so well, and you get to come see them and see them grow.”
Gierke’s family began the program when she was still in high school. Now a second year student at Michigan Tech, Gierke still enjoys aiding and tutoring foreign students who come to her home.
LIE hosts over 1,000 Japanese students in America every summer. Students are assigned to families with children of the same sex and age. Any family is eligible to sign up and become a host family. During stay, students are secured with full accident and health insurance. Students are to come with their own spending money while their hosts provide them with a three-day meal, a bed and room, and transportation.
Student exchange hosting programs are also held throughout the country by the Center for Cultural Interchange (CCI). Similar to LIE, CCI offers over 1000 exchange students to families with programs that range from a few weeks to 10 months. The major difference between the two would account for the broad range of foreign exchange students covered in CCI whereas LIE is limited to Japanese students. CCI does not compensate for families who take part in such a program. However, deductions of $50 per month are made on their tax returns for charitable work.
The state of Michigan is currently attempting to host 53 students according to 4-H Program Associate Carol Kreher. “In the past, we have one or two families. We like to have families with at least one youth around ages 12 to 18,” says Kreher.
For more information, email Carol Kreher at kreher@msu.edu or call the MSU Extension office at 482-5830. To learn more about the Labo International Exchange and/or the Center for Cultural Interchange, visit labo-exchange.com or cci-exchange.com.

On Feb. 6, 2010 at 6:00 p.m., Scott Michael Bennett, male-pianist and vocalist, will be performing at the Portage Lake United Church located at 1400 E. Houghton Ave. in Houghton, MI (located next to Wells Fargo Bank). Bennett will render for the Keweenaw community a variety of hymnal and spiritual song selections. FreshDay Music describes Bennett as “an inspirational young singer whose sincere goal is to dramatically inspire people of all ages to reach for a higher life with God as its [life’s] center and other people as its [life’s] focus.”
Bennett is a former member of the Grammy Award winning Phoenix Symphony Chorale and Arizona State University’s Men’s Chorus. In 2001, he was pronounced the winner of the National Young Artists’ Competition in the Vocal Performance category singing two Shakespearean songs with full orchestral accompaniment.  In 2002, at the age of 19, Bennett recorded and released his debut album “O Glorious Love,” recorded at Gaither Studios. 
This album contains fresh reinventions of some familiar hymns in addition to some obscure songs that are favorites among Bennett’s supporters.
His sophomore album, “Come As You Are” is a deeper creation that many listeners describe as “moving” and “inspirational.”  Several have shared that they were moved to tears as they envisioned the messages conveyed in his songs. 
Scott is very patriotic and is noted for including a brief tribute in his concerts to the men and women in law enforcement, EMT/EMS, fire fighters, Emergency Services Personnel, and even our troops. He has sung at the Pentagon and sings annually for a local Veterans Day program and Sept. 11 memorial program. 
Recently, Bennett married his best friend & sweetheart Heather Bennett (formerly Kincaid). Scott & Heather Bennett’s deep commitment to God, their spiritual growth, and each other, continue to create a dynamic duo in ministry. FreshDay Music continues through the new year with the Bennetts working side-by-side to inspire, hope, & share deep and meaningful messages to people everywhere through use of passionate music, multimedia, and presentations.
This event is free and is brought to you by the Center for Adventist Ministry to Public University Students—C.A.M.P.U.S. HOPE (Michigan Tech) and the Houghton Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
If you are interested in more information about the concert on Feb. 6, contact Alanna Knapp, CAMPUS Staff Member, at aknapp@mtu.edu. Scott & Heather are currently booking concerts for 2010 and would love to share at your church or event. Please contact FreshDay Music if you are interested in more information via their Web site at www.freshdaymusic.com.
All biography information was provided by FreshDay: inspire, hope, & share.

When filming, actors, or film premieres are mentioned, they usually conjure an image of glamorous Hollywood. The world of film-making seems to be a world apart, filled with designer gowns, champagne, and million-dollar salaries. However, independent film-makers like Heather Robinson are making movie magic right here in Michigan and wouldn’t change a thing.
Robinson is the creator of the independent film company Eightyproof Sunshine Films, whose latest movie “Oblivion” (being premiered July 15) is being filmed entirely in the Great Lakes State using an entire cast of Michigan actors. Robinson is the director and writer for the film. “Being a Native of Michigan, I grew up like many dreaming of going to Hollywood and making it big,” recalls Robinson.  “Independent and student film-making has been around in Michigan for a long time.  It is only recently that people have begun to take notice.”
“Oblivion” is the gripping story of a serial killer whose amnesia prevents him from remembering his horrific deeds. All seems well as his family constructs a new life for him and he acquires a girlfriend and a successful business. But as his grisly past begins to surface, he teeters on the brink between normalcy and falling back into his dark ways. “…you have plenty of twists and turns to keep the audience guessing if he can control his urges or succumb to the darkness,” says Robinson.
Michigan may seem like an unlikely place to shoot and premiere such an involved and gripping tale as “Oblivion”, but Robinson was eager to demonstrate the talent of Michigan actors as well as illuminate the benefit of using Michigan as a place to shoot films. “I love the fact that we can showcase these wonderful actors and amazing crew that are right here in Michigan.  Plus you get to see parts of Michigan that most people never get to,” explained Robinson.
The actors involved in “Oblivion” range from award-winning to first-time actors, but all are promised to deliver powerful performances. The lead character and serial killer, Gaige Tandum, is played by Neil Willoughby. “He does a stellar job of playing the role as if he were Gaige.  He can be scary when he needs to be and also a terrific leading man,” Robinson said of the leading man. “His love scenes are stellar. The girls will really love him on screen.”
Gaige Tandum’s wife, Harmony, is played by the award-winning Sarah Benedict. The actress won the award for Best Supporting Actress at the Los Angeles Film Festival for her performance in the film “Solitude”. “She is a brilliant actress and I look forward to seeing the public’s reaction to her performance…in ‘Oblivion’.” The director of photography for “Oblivion”, Michigan native Brett Meyer, also won several awards for his film “Holding Hands”.
Not all members of the cast are veterans of film however. The antagonist, Ripley, is played by the newcomer Michael Lazzara. Robinson spoke highly of the new actor. “He can play creepy very well but to meet him he is the sweetest, most loving person.  He can turn on the crazy quickly for his role though and is loving playing such a dark character.”
As well as highlighting the talent of Michigan actors, showing the beauty and intrigue of Michigan is something Robinson fervently hopes her new film can accomplish. “When a lot of people think of Michigan they think of Detroit, followed by ‘bad’.  This is so not the case.  Michigan is beautiful, and so is Detroit.”
The list of films that have used Michigan as a backdrop is not long. “Anatomy of a Murder” and “8 Mile” are two prominent films that have embraced Michigan as a setting and portrayed a vivid, albeit stylized, portrait of the state.
In 2008, tax incentives were established as a way to make Michigan a destination for film-makers. The hope is that more film-makers will choose Michigan in which to shoot and produce, thereby providing money and employment for the state.
For Michigan Tech students, Eightyproof Sunshine Films presents numerous opportunities for extras looking for their 15 minutes of fame. “We are always looking for extras,” said Robinson. Interested persons should send an email to epsfcasting@gmail.com
Although the Emagine Theater in Canton, Michigan may be hundreds of miles from Hollywood, Robinson plans a spectacular premier this summer. “It will be red carpet with limos and the whole nine yards. I am hoping a lot of people will come and see what we made.”
“Oblivion” aspires to be much more than another independent film. The storyline suggests a chilling tale with actors fully capable to meet the demands of the complex emotions and drama presented in the plot. “Oblivion” is also a tribute to the Michigan film industry. Despite economic woes and difficult times for employment, Michigan actors, producers, and directors are continuing to use their passion for film to create their art.
More information on “Oblivion” or Eightyproof Sunshine Films can be found at www.eightyproofsunshinefilms.homestead.com.

This week, Michigan Tech Career Services gets ready to present their Spring schedule of events. The line-up of resume reviewing, professional interviewing, and career-fair-corporation-scheduling should present Michigan Tech students with plenty of opportunities to land that enticing, yet elusive job offer. Whether you’re looking for an internship, co-op, or the big one—a job, Career Services recommends looking into what employers see when they look at you. Director of Career Services, Jim Turnquist, gives his insight into the current job climate, Career Services opportunities that can improve your chances, and how people are finding jobs today.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2008-2009 Report on National Employment shows that changes, if any, to the present climate are going to be slow. Household Survey Data shows that the unemployment rate is 10 percent and the number of unemployed people surveyed, 15.3 million Americans, hasn’t changed in December 2009 from December 2008 and is only a minor change from the number of unemployed Americans at the start of the recession in December 2007. What does this mean at Michigan Tech?
“I make an effort to watch several feeders [on the job climate] and I think the present job climate is improving, but doing so very slowly. Here at Michigan Tech we are very fortunate to be one of those institutes that people come to us to find employees and it’s a new phenomena for students to not have that as much as we have had in the past.” Mr. Turnquist says, “But there are jobs out there for people, if students do put in the effort to do a job search, to work on a resume, practice interviewing, and contact companies, people find jobs.”
“One of the critical issues, I think, for Michigan Tech is developing personal skills. Recessions like these change what employers want from employees, companies start downsizing personnel and they want people who can do more than one type of job. For example, if you’re an Electrical Engineer, that’s great, but do you have the people skills? Or if you’re a Humanities major with knowledge of technology, that’s going to make you more competitive” says Turnquist.
His advice: take more courses outside of your field of study, and then follow that up by developing a plan, which is what he and the staff of Career Services can help with. Their typical approach includes having students fill out a “My Plan” document that profiles personality, skills, interests, and values. Students’ specialized profiles will accrue a list of potential careers that a student can then develop as a goal and setout for your bachelor’s degree with a plan for attaining a job in a career that truly interests them. “If you put a plan together your chances are a lot higher than just going to talk to a few companies at the job fair” says Turnquist.
The Michigan Tech undergraduate program in the 2008-2009 Career Services Annual Report experienced a job placement of 56.2 percent of graduates in their field of study, 25.8 percent going on to graduate school, 2.7 percent continued with additional undergraduate studies, .7percent are performing volunteer work and 2 percent entering the military. 12.5 percent reported they were unemployed.
Placement percentages are based on people that provided information. All graduates were contacted either by email, departmental personnel, web site or by telephone.
The MTU Career Fair is sponsored by Michigan Tech Career Services and Alpha Kappa Psi.

Last Thursday, the Multicultural Center Steering Committee held a series of focus groups that were designed to discuss a new center that would provide support, resources and the opportunity for personal development for diverse students at Michigan Tech. Students were informed of the different focus groups and the meeting locations through an e-mail sent out to all Michigan Tech students along with table-tents put out at dining locations throughout the campus. Focus groups were scheduled for seven minority groups (such as African Americans, Native Americans, Women Undergraduates and GLBT students) and two sessions were held for Undergraduate and Graduate students.
After sending the e-mail out to the Michigan Tech student body, one student replied. Dr. Christa Walck, facilitator of the Multicultural Center task force said, “we received an e-mail response to our mass mailing… which was negative about including GLBT students.” This single e-mail stated that its sender would not attend any of the focus groups because GLBT students were being included in the meetings. The task force, concerned about the potential for students to protest at the scheduled meeting, decided to reevaluate the location of the focus group.
According to Walck, disclosing the location of the GLBT focus group was an inadvertent mistake. After realizing that the location of the meeting had been made public, she consulted both the person who would be facilitating the focus group and a faculty advisor for Keweenaw Pride. The decision was then made to move the location of the meeting to a secret location. Walck said that the change was made “to make it safe for students to participate.”
The decision to move the location of the GLBT focus group was the exact opposite reaction the University should have taken. By hiding the focus group, any potential protestor was stripped of their ability to participate in the dialogue. There would be no harm in a protestor choosing to attend any of the focus group meetings. As long as the protestor agrees to abide by the same rules as the other attendees, they should be given the same opportunity to voice their opinion. However, the purpose of the meeting was to gather input from minority students about how to build a center to cultivate diversity at Michigan Tech. The voice of the protestor, though not unwelcome, was not the voice the committee wanted to hear and was consequently avoided under the façade of the safety.
Had the committee caught wind of protestors planning to attend the focus group for African American students, they most likely wouldn’t have moved their meeting to the basement of a building on the far end of campus. Public Safety would have been alerted and if any disrespectful protestors had actually shown up, they would have been asked to leave.
Students who actually managed to find the secret meeting location were not greeted by welcoming surroundings but rather by a locked door. One student who planned to attend the meeting was locked out of the building because as soon as the meeting started, the building’s doors were locked. This student unwillingly missed over half of the meeting because they couldn’t even enter the building.
The Michigan Tech student body was not informed of the change in location. If there had been any students who planned to attend the meeting but were not in the loop, they would not have known where to go. The committee failed to even have a staff member present at the scheduled location to inform those who planned to go to the original location of the new location.
Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of this decision is the message it sends. Any protestors who showed up at the advertised location saw an empty room. They won. Regardless of whether the meeting had been moved to a secret location or been cancelled altogether, the voices of those they oppose were silenced. GLBT students and allies were swept under the rug. Although the focus group still functioned under the rug, the fact that any minority group on campus has to hide because of a small group of potential protestors is a sad sign of the times. To me, the response of the University to the potential threat of protest was a way of not confronting homophobia. It was the easy way out. The committee should have ensured safety and comfort for the participants of all focus groups and the potential productivity of the meetings by not changing their location. If the safety of minority students was truly the sole reason for concern, perhaps Public Safety should have been present at the meetings to help all minority students feel safe. Or, perhaps, the committee should have seized this opportunity to get two distinctly different viewpoints by holding two meetings – one of which was kept secret to protect “closeted” GLBT students.
This experience suggests the need for some sort of training that would educate faculty members about how to deal with these types of situations. When given an opportunity to comment on the content of the e-mail that prompted the change in location (I was not asking her to reveal the identity of the sender), Walck chose not to comment and instead simply stated, “feel free to criticize [my decision].” She then sent an e-mail to every member of the committee, including some of the highest-ranked officials at Michigan Tech, warning them that “you might be contacted by Danny Messinger today about the decision… If you are contacted by him, my preference is that you simply refer him to me since it was my decision. I have already answered his questions as fully as I intend to.” The unwillingness of University faculty to discuss the situation or to even share details of this decision demonstrates a lack of experience and perhaps a low comfort level with addressing homophobic issues.
The proposed center that would provide services for minorities on campus is certainly a step in the right direction. In fact, most other major universities in the state already have these types of resources available for minorities on their respective campuses. Despite the change in location, the GLBT focus group still provided a lot of useful information and ideas to the steering committee.
The committee had good intentions when scheduling their meetings and even when they moved the location of the GLBT focus group. The safety of GLBT students attending the meetings surely should be considered when planning these meetings, but the message sent by the change in location was the wrong one.
In the interest of promoting diversity and open-mindedness at Michigan Tech, this decision was a step backwards.

Deep in the depths of the Rozsa gallery, there lie photographs which tell a story of dance. “The Dancer Within” is a collection of 48 color and black-and-white photographs by Rose Eichenbaum that come from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. The exhibition will travel throughout North America through 2010. Eichenbaum wrote the book titled, “The Dancer Within – Intimate Conversations with Great Dancers (2008)” and includes the same pictures that are in the gallery as well as interviews with the subjects of the photos. Eichenbaum holds a Bachelors degree in Ethnic Arts/Dance and a Master’s in dance from UCLA. Eichenbaum has received awards for her photography including The Sydney Taylor Book Award for her photography in the book “The Number on my Grandmothers Arm.”
The photographs are followed by captions of small quotes from the dancers/choreographers who were interviewed. Under a picture of Anna Sokolow (a well known dancer and choreographer) she is quoted saying, “Creativity cannot be described. It can only be shown.” Ann Reinking (American actor, dancer, and choreographer) is quoted, “Art is not science. There are no laws, no absolute patterns, and no formulas. The only sure thing about creativity and individual expression are that they are purely human.” The art of dance is portrayed through the photographs as a great manifestation of the spirits of many individuals.
The exhibit will be open in the Rozsa Gallery (down the stairs) until November 22nd. It is free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m. The exhibit will also be open two hours before evening events at the Rozsa. For more information contact the Rozsa Center at www.rozsa.mtu.edu or (906) 487 -3200.

As a stereotypical poor college student, it really hit me hard to get my stack of books this fall and watch the numbers on the register climb higher and higher. I was even more astonished when my mother threw in a little white remote with six buttons which added another 30 dollars to my total. Protesting profusely, I attempted to remove the extra item (of which I had no need) from my collection. However, my mother and the lady working the register refused and I relented to their cries of “you will need one sooner or later”. At that point I was curious and I showed my ignorance by asking what it was. My little brother then piped up from behind me “it is an iClicker!”
I was shocked. How did my 14 year-old brother know what an iClicker was before me? He then began to tell me all about the device and how he had used one during his 8th grade year.
For those of you who have not heard of iClickers, they are little remotes with six buttons: an on/off button, and the letters A through E. The teacher will post a multiple-choice question and students can answer using their personal iClicker which is registered to their name. Some teachers even use iClickers to take attendance in a swift and orderly fashion.
The iClickers use radio frequencies to interact with the home base. The device enables hundreds of students to answer a posted question within seconds. By using the system, a teacher can select the right answer and it will instantly distribute the right grade to the students.
My brother went on to describe the iClickers he had used in school. Apparently they had small screens on them, transforming them almost into mini laptops. The question appeared on the screen in front of him and he used the device to answer. He said one of his teachers even had the students do an entire set of homework problems using the devices. This new information again took me by surprise. Not only had my brother used iClickers before me, but the one he had used in middle school was more advanced and much fancier than the one I am going to use in college. Yet instead of feeling disgruntled, I came to the realization that it would probably always be like this. The younger generation gets a head start at the technology that is being developed. My little brother will always be one up on me when it comes to electronics because he was able to use more advanced equipment at a younger age, giving him the foundation to use technology in the future more readily than I.
Look back at history for a prime example of this. How many of our grandparents can install a program into a computer quickly with no problems? Can they download a torrent or fix a virus with the competency that we can? Except in rare case, I am sure the answer will be no across the board. They were introduced to computers later in life, therefore they cannot use them as easily as those who grew up with them can. In the future I expect it will be the exact same with our generation. Our grandchildren will get the hang of the newest technology easily, whereas we might be the ones calling them to ask for help!
While I am amazed at how much I love using the iClicker in class, I still have that thread of jealousy directed towards my brother who had a cooler one. I wonder as we grow older, will we be content with our simple six button version and let the younger generations play with the latest and greatest? Or will we endeavor to stay on top, leading the charge in technological development? I do not know about you, but I never want to make a call asking a grandchild to help me change the radio station in my hover chair.

In reference to “Homeless in Houghton”, an article ran in the Sept. 25 issue of the Lode, sources have disclosed that the Michigan Tech Housing organization appreciated the feedback and is evaluating the housing contract in order to establish a better process incorporating straightforward instructions and improved communications between student and faculty.
According to the official Michigan Tech “Contract Release” policy, housing contracts are automatically terminated upon proper check-out of the Residence Hall. Students wishing to terminate their contract early may be released from their housing contract if they are requesting to live locally with a blood relative, can prove a significant change in finances since entering the contract or have a serious extenuating situation such as medical issues, upcoming marriage or counseling-related issues. A written request for release is required to be submitted to the Housing director and then undergoes an appeal process if denied. If approved, students must pay a $200 fine. This policy has been changed four times in the past 20 years.
Practices from several other state universities demonstrate an uncomplicated procedure, as revealed below. Michigan Tech Housing is looking to potentially modify guidelines/procedures to better support the student population and institutional needs going forward. Also, notification of the approved appeal in writing was communicated through email a day after the “Homeless in Houghton” article was published. For more information about housing procedures at Michigan Tech, visit www.mtu.edu

“Michigan Tech Housing is committed to maintaining a safe, comfortable housing environment that values friendship and academic success in our residence halls and apartments.” The Michigan Tech University’s housing department clearly depicts in its mission statement the dedication and time taken to care for the students involved in the residential life of Michigan Tech. But if friendship is such a value of the Housing Department, assuming other values are taken into consideration as well, why then is the contract release process so grueling, unnecessary, and rigged to feed off of our money?
I applied for housing in Wadsworth Hall thinking I had everything settled financially. When my parents refused to extend the Parent Plus Loan and co-sign for a loan for me, I realized I had hit a dead-end. There was no other way to turn except back, seeing there was no way I could afford it. I walked into the Housing office to inquire about the process I needed to follow in order to be released from my housing contract. Upon voicing my questions, I was rudely answered by a member of housing administration, instructing me to fill out the application and write an appeal letter, and stated that “you don’t always get approved to be released from your contract” in an almost taunting tone. I tried to explain, briefly, my financial situation and he continued to tell me it did not matter. I kind of left the office in jitters wondering what I had done wrong to be talked to like some delinquent who had knowingly planted some twisted housing scheme. Friendly? I think not.
I proceeded to write the letter, as instructed, in my most professional and grammatically-correct form. I clearly stated my situation and went to the Financial Aid office to discuss documentation to be paired with my letter as proof of my situation. I was told that Housing would send away for my financial information and that it was not needed to include it with the letter, so I obeyed. Thinking it was not a huge issue, I went on with school as usual, certain there was no way they could deny my letter since there was no way to pay for it.
On September 16th, I received an email while I was away in Green Bay exclaiming that my letter had been denied. My family and I were outraged. Firstly, when applying for a room and signing the contract, the Housing staff fails to go over contract release protocol before finally handing over a room key and assignment. Why do they “forget” to do this? Because if mentioned, they may cause students to hesitate in their decision, which would in turn not allow the school to receive money for housing from that student? Thus, a hesitating student is money lost.
In the email, it was not even explained as to why I was denied, rather, it was just an email informing me of my denial. Extra time is not taken to be fully helpful to the students and this email is just only a bit of the evidence. So, I had to request information before they told me. I am offered a certain amount of aid for the entire school year and the amount requested for fall semester fell under that amount, although after paying for fall semester, there would not be enough aid left over for spring semester, thus I could not afford it. But Housing did not feel the need to investigate. As informed by a close employee of Housing, residential staff of Michigan Tech automatically deny anyone who has $0 in unmet need. Even with my financial aid information, they still denied me, upholding this claim that they do not even care to glance at this fact. They did not give any respect whatsoever to my situation. In their words, they were merely “following procedure.”
So I had an employee of Financial Aid call the Director of Housing and explain to him my situation. Apparently, a phone call was not enough, for I was then told to send in documentation of my situation in writing. Throughout this process, I could not understand why it was so hard for Michigan Tech Housing to see that I just could not afford to live in the dorms. You want to know why the process was drawn out? Why Housing felt this need to fight me in my financial situation, in this dying economy, till the bitter end? Money. They wanted my money. They had my money and were not going to let go easily. I owed a large amount of money to Michigan Tech because of this room and if denied again, I would not be able to pay the money, as explained several times, and would most likely get kicked out of school. My father, almost angrier than me at the asinine process being carried out, got in touch with members of Housing and the Dean of Students to inquire about the process and my present predicament.
During a meeting with an employee of the Residential Department, I was asked, “So, what did you learn from this experience?” I felt like I was some snotty teenager being lectured after doing something naughty.
“I learned to not make hasty decisions,” I said.
“And to not get parents involved,” he added. I did not think this comment was appropriate. I was strongly recommended to “not tell my parents about such situations as this” and that “there are certain things you should not tell your parents.” I could not believe I was being told this by a Housing employee of Michigan Tech. He then followed with, “Did you know your father actually got the Dean involved…?” Of course I knew. I went on to explain my father was a passionate parent and saw his daughter stressed, frustrated and agonizing over this insignificant problem and he decided to do something about it. No father wants to see his daughter suffer. I supported everything he said and did. He cares about Michigan Tech, being an alumni and all, and hated seeing this process being so wrongly handled involving his own daughter. I was later told, “The adult thing to do would’ve been to come to me first.” It was such comments as these that made me realize I was not being treated like an adult to begin with. I felt like I was, again, being lectured like some teeny-bopper.
What I want to know is why is it so hard to get out of a housing contract when I clearly can’t afford it? And why is the Housing department being so careless? If they automatically deny every student who supposedly has zero unmet needs in finances, then how many were in my situation before? Is the Housing department really “committed to maintaining a safe, comfortable housing environment that values friendship and academic success?” If so, then why am I treated as if I am just another senseless college student and why does it not seem to be a matter that I may lose my education because of some silly misunderstanding? Though I was finally released from my contract, there was nothing in writing to solidify the decision. You would think after this grueling process that there would be some form of final agreement in writing since they drilled me for documentation in writing that proved I could not afford housing. From my understanding, we are all only dollar signs to Housing.

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