Contents

Students Speaking Out October 2012

Perhaps you have not thought much about college accreditation. If you are like most students, you know that Stark State is an accredited college, but you might not know what accreditation means for you. You might have a general idea that it means that the college is “good enough”, that is, it teaches students effectively. But accreditation does more than just indicate the teaching effectiveness of a college or uni-versity. Here are some of the other benefits:

• AccreditationallowsStarkStateto offer financial aid to students. Government financial aid is pro-vided only for accredited colleges and universities.

• Accreditedcourseworkisapre-requisite for many license exams (for example, for many health careers).

• Transferringtoanothercollegeor university is easier because your course credits transfer seamlessly.

Continued on page 2

Tobecomeaccredited,acollegemust prove that it meets the Crite-riaforAccreditation,CoreCom-ponents,andAssumedPracticesdefined by the Higher Learning Commission.

Stark State uses a model called AQIP(AcademicQualityImprove-ment Program) to help provide evidence that it meets the Com-mission’scriteria.AQIPfocusesoncontinuous improvement in the organization as a means to ensure the educational quality required for accreditation.

How We Keep Our Accreditation by: Paul Barans

1

Pg 1 HowWeKeepOurAccreditation/ Gamers Unite to Pro-mote Creativity

Pg 2HowWeKeepOurAccredi-tation Continued/ Mega Street Bridge to be Com-pleted

Pg 3 What You Might Not Know AboutDegrees/PhiThetaKappa

Pg 4 Letter From the Editor/ Phi ThetaKappa

Pg 5 WhatisSafeSpace?,LGBTSGain Momentum

Pg 6 TheTruthAboutPurchasingBooks

Pg 7 “You Know Me”-EditorialPg 8 Stark State College to Lead

in Natural Gas Education

TheVideoGameClubisforpeoplewho want to get together and play, design,andcreatevideogames.Theclub was formed so that people with a common interest in the gam-ing industry can get together and socializewitheachother.TheclubplaysgamesoneveryThursdayfrom1 P.M to 3 P.M in room K112 with staff advisor Mike Geig.

Therearecurrently15membersin the video game club, with five actingstudentofficers.Theofficersof the club have been discussing if theVideoGameClubshouldmergewith another club known as the C3 Club, which promotes creativity and positive thinking through media of gaming, animation and artwork. Also,theofficersaretryingtomake

plans for holding fundraisers or do-ing community services to help raise money to buy more monitors and televisions. Members are welcome to bring any type of gaming device (including televisions and monitors) tomeetings.Also,membersareal-lowed to bring any video game they want, as long as the staff advisor approves of it.

Some members of the club have formed a group and are currently working on a modification for a gamecalledTheElderScrolls5:Skyrim.Anothergroupofmembersare in the process of designing a new video game. Some games the club has been playing include: Bor-derlands 2 and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Student Submission! Gamers Unite to Promote Creativity by: Greg Gambone

How We Keep Our Accreditation Continued

2

Student Submission! Mega Street Bridge to be Completed by: Arin RiemenschneiderTheStarkStateCollegepedestrianwalkway connecting the north student parking lot to the North Academicbuildingofthecampusisto be completed in November 2012.

With approximately 19,000 students Stark State conducted a study and estimated2,000crossingsaday.TheMega Street Bridge connects the

660 space parking lot at the corner ofMegaandFrankAvenuetothesecondflooroftheNorthAcademicbuilding, also known as the K building.

Students say the addition of the bridge to the campus will safely allow students to cross the Mega Street NW, and avoid heavy traffic to enter

the campus. Students will be able to access the walkway by stairs or elevator in the tower.

Construction of the bridge began in March of 2012 and is the latest project at Stark State costing an estimated $1.6 million.Constructors said the 80

ton bridge was constructed on site and hoisted into place on July 2nd and 3rd. Measuring 160 feet long, and3,500squarefeet,itleadstotheclimate-controlled bridge containing a stairwell, elevator, and mechanical room.

ThebridgewasdesignedbyFMDArchitects,whoalsodesignedtheNorthAcademicbuildingcompletedin 2011. Constructing the bridge is contractor Jeff Carr Construction. Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing are overseen by Hilscher-Clarke, Roth Brothers, and Feinman respectively.

With the Stark State community ever evolving—with expansions of academic buildings and parking—it is no wonder Stark State College has growns more by way of this bridge.

TheAQIPmodelrequiresa college or university to renew its accreditation everysevenyears.Anditisno rubber stamp.

Dr.LadaGibson-Shreve,LiberalArtsDean,servesasStarkState’sAccreditationLiaison Officer. Over the lastsixyears,Dr.Gibson-Shreve developed a process to ensure that we can prove Stark State meets the cri-teriaforaccreditation.Dr.Gibson-Shreve led the pro-cess to gather the evidence, identify possible gaps in the evidence, and take steps to close those gaps.

Recently,anAQIPevalu-ation team paid a 2 ½-day visit to Stark State campus to perform a thorough reviewofthecollege.The

evaluation team checked the college’s compliance with the accreditation crite-ria, confirmed the accuracy of its records, and verified the college’s commitment to continuous quality im-provement.TheAQIPteamnot only examined the col-lege’s programs and pro-

cesses, it also interviewed students, faculty, staff, administrators, the Board ofTrustees,andemployersin the community.

AccordingtoDeanGibson-Shreve,theAQIPreviewwentverywell.TheAQIPteam found that Stark State

uses “numerous best prac-tices” in its programs and processes. Businesses that employ Stark State gradu-ates report that the college’s graduates are “strong,” and that the college’s cur-riculum is “proactive to communityneeds.”DeanGibson-Shreve is confident that Stark State’s accredita-tion will be formally reaf-firmed by the end of 2012.We can all breathe a sigh of relief for that.

For more information about accreditation criteria, refer to the following link: www.ncahlc.org/Informa-tion-for-Institutions/crite-ria-for-accreditation.html.For more information aboutAQIP,checkoutthefollowing link: www.ncahlc.org/AQIP/AQIP-Home/.

What You Might Not Know About Degrees by: Amber Keene

Stark State Offers 230+ as-sociate degrees and one-year certificates in “business and entrepreneurial studies, edu-cation and human services, engineering, industrial, and emerging technologies, health sciences, informa-tion technology, liberal arts, mathematics and sciences” offered at Stark State.

However, perhaps you did not know that if you are a technical communication’s student, that you are only 21 to 24 credit hours away from a dual major in communi-cation? Or that if you are a graphic art design student that you’re only nine to 12 credit hours away from a photographyoption?Asa

technical communication’s student, I have taken many classes in science, graphics, English, and communica-tion, and through those classes have discovered from teachers the option of a dual degree.

What I—as well as others I have spoken to—did not know was that Stark State changes degrees every year. Asofsummerof2012,mostof the degrees at Stark State were modified. Plus, starting Spring 2013, Stark State will be adding at least one new degree—an associate of sci-ence in chemistry degree.

Something else most people do not know about Stark

State College is that most of their degrees have the same mandatory classes—Col-lege Composition, College Algebra,andtwocreditsofscience and social science. Most degrees are so similar that only 18 to 28 additional credits hours are needed to

graduate with two degrees.

For more information about degrees offered at Stark State College, visit: http://starkstate.edu/academics or contact your advisor.

Eric FrankStaff WriterEric Frank iwill be completing his associate’s degree this Decemberintechnical com-

munications.Aftergraduation,heis pursuing both a job as a techni-cal writer and starting his own production company. In 2007 he started his own business called Everything’sAgoforwhichhecontracts and does general laborer. Since 1998, he has been the singer, songwriter, guitarist, and manager of his band. In the past year Eric has acted in such feature films as The Avengers, I Alex Cross, Prom-ised Land, and Underdogs. Eric is a father of two boys Clayton (10) and Jace(5)andresidesinMassillon,Ohio. 3

StarkStateCollege—establishedin1960—startedastheCantonAreaTechnicalSchool,andsincethen,ithasundergoneafewnamechanges.Between1960and1972itwaschangedtoStarkCountyTechnicalInstituteandthenStarkStateTechnicalInstitute.ThenitwasStarkTechnicalCol-legein1972,StarkStateCollegeofTechnologyin1996,andfinallyStarkState College in 2011. Stark State has an ‘open door’ policy; this allows any studentwhoisinhighschool,hasgraduated,orisinpossessionofaGED/equivalenttoenroll.Asoftheofficialfall2011enrollment,15,551creditstudents and 4,000 non-credit students were enrolled at Stark State College. Asoftoday,thereare43activestudentorganizationsatStarkStateCollege.For more information about Stark State College visit www.starkstate.edu/content/about-stark-state.

DID YOU

KNOW?

Fun Facts About Stark State Collegeby: Amber Keene

A Letter From the EditorDearStudents,Faculty,andStaff:ThanksforreadingStarkVoices.Ifyouareanavidreaderofthestudentnewspaper, welcome back. If you are new reader, welcome! We hope you enjoy the new layout. Be sure to check out the paper in both print and online editions.

StarkVoicesispublishedeachsemesterbythegraduatingtechnicalcommu-nication students. Make sure to read the biographies to see who is working on the paper now. We are excited to be writing for you. Our goal is to write interesting, informative pieces that really touch on the pulse of the student body.Thebestwayforustoknowwhatyouwanttoreadaboutisforyoutotell us! If you have something you want to know more about or an interesting idea for a topic, email me.

Because this paper is for everyone, everyone should get to be a part of it. If you have written an interesting story, email it to me. If you have taken a great picture, drawn a relevant cartoon, or simply have a funny Stark State anec-dote to share, we want to know. Not only will it improve the tapestry of Stark Voices,butyouwillseeyourworkinprint.Andofcourse,yourpublishedpiece can be used in your portfolio and resume.

SohelpusmakeStarkVoicesapaperyouwanttoread.Ilookforwardtosharing this paper with all of you.Josi HeinzJheinz1220@starkstate.net

Phi Theta Kappa by: Paul BaransGettinggreatgrades?ThePhiThetaKappa Honor Society welcomes students who achieve outstanding grades while working on a two-year degree. If you earn a cumulative gradepointaverage(GPA)of3.75orhigher, you will receive a letter invit-ingyoutojoinPhiThetaKappa.Youcan remain a member of the chapter as long as you maintain a cumulative GPAof3.4orhigher.WhenyoujoinPhiThetaKappaatStarkState,

you become a member of Stark State’s Beta Gamma Epsilon chapter, which currently has about 340 members.

ListingPhiThetaKappaonyourré-sumécangiveyouacompetitiveedgein starting your career, marking you as outstanding in your field of study. But membership offers more than just recognition of scholastic achievement. You can participate in a number of activities and events sponsored by the Beta Gamma Epsilon chapter. Chapter members are encouraged to engage themselves in community activities, in-cludingfund-raisingfortheAmericanCancer Society’s Relay for Life.

MemberscanattendPhiThetaKappaconventions and other events at the regional (Ohio) level or at the interna-tional level (for those who love really big parties). For those students inter-ested in continuing their education with a four-year degree (and beyond),

many colleges and universities actively recruitPhiThetaKappamembers,andsome offer tempting scholarships to get members to transfer.

PhiThetaKappanscanshowtheirpride with a wide variety of ΦΘΚ-branded accessories, including a num-ber of eye-catching tee-shirts (available ontheinternationalPhiThetaKappaWebsite).AndthestateofOhiooffersaPhiThetaKappalicenseplate(which,by the way, was designed by members ofBetaGammaEpsilon.)Thesociety’sshare of the proceeds from license plate sales goes to the Commit to Complete scholarship fund.

TofindoutmoreaboutPhiThetaKappa at Stark State, contact the soci-ety’s advisor, Cherie Barth, by phone at 330-494-6170, ext. 4237, by e-mail at cbarth@starkstate.edu, or simply stop by Room S302a.

4

What is Safe Space? by: Amber Keene

Student Submission! LGBTS Gains Momentum by: Dan Smiley

LGBTS(Lesbian,Gay,Straight,Bi-sexual,Transgender,andStraight)GlobalmeetsweeklyonThursdaysat5P.M.-7P.M.inK112on the main campus. “We are proud to say that we are one of the very few clubs that maintain such a schedule,” said Paul Schwit-zgebel,anadvisortotheLGBTSGlobal.

Stark State College allows many clubs and student events to be held on campus, and onesuchgroupisLGBTSGlobal.Thegroups focus is about personal experiences. Ameetingmaycoverthehistoryoftherain-bowflagastheLGBTmovementsymbol;and next the group may discuss a person’s involvementinagaymarriagerally.LGBTShas also been involved in many fund-raising and service projects.

Eachyear,panelsfromtheAIDSMemorialQuiltaredisplayedatStarkState.LGBTSGlobal officers had originally had the idea forthedisplay.TheMulticulturalStudentAf-fairs department has now taken the project under their wing.

Itisastudentrunorganization.LGBTSGlobal stresses that they are open for the support of one another, and is simply a way to meet exciting and friendly new people.

LGBTSdoesfeelitisimportantto include the “S,” standing for “straight.”Therearemanypeoplewho, though they are not lesbian of gay themselves, support the move-mentandwhattheystandfor.Thisisthe reason the group is all-inclusive.

AllarewelcometocomeandseewhatLGBTShastoofferatthenextmeeting on November 1st.

Asmoststudents,I’vespentadecent amount of time in some of my teacher’s offices. However, recently I noticed a little rainbow triangle sticker on their door and wondered what it was. I found out that it means, in a nutshell, that the teacher whose office it is locatedonisanLGBTAlly.Thatwhen you step into that office, you are safe, welcomed, supported, and everything said within those walls is private and confidential. IfyouareanLGBTstudentfacingproblems you cannot tell family or friends, you know that the teacher you are talking to is a supportive and accepting person.

MelanieCarrstatedthatafterthe rash of suicides of college age students, the faculty wanted to do somethingcelebratoryforLGBTtoshowsupport.Asaresult,Reten-tion Counselor/Facilitator Melanie Carr proposed the Safe Space idea to Stark State College.

TheSafeSpaceprogramwascre-ated by GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network) as a waytogiveLGBTstudentsaplacein schools to talk about issues without fear of animosity. GLSEN

writes,“85%ofLGBTstudentsre-portbeingverballyharassed,40%report being physically harassed because of their sexual orienta-tion.”

InordertobecomeanLGBTAlly,faculty must go through train-ing. GLSEN supplies a kit with a 42-page“GuidetoBeinganAllytoLGBTStudents”thatgivesstrate-giesforaddressingissuesLGBTstudents may face and ways for teachers to become more open-mindedtotheLGBTcommunity.Thefacultymembermustpassthe training at a certain level to beconsideredasanLGBTAllyatStark State; this is to ensure that the faculty member is a supportive and understanding person towards theLGBTcommunity.

Asoftoday,thereare64teacherswho have completed and passed the training to be considered a LGBTally.Alistisavailableatwww.my.starkstate.edu.

For more information on Safe Space and GLSEN, visit http://www.glsen.com

5

Thepricesofbookscanbe a bit gouging, however, there are solutions in these hard economic times. Let’s review some of the advan-tages and disadvantages of renting, buying new, buy-ing used, and purchasing online.

Renting books can be a way to save you cash this upcoming semester, but be careful with your books. Just because they are rentals does not mean you can be careless with them, unless you want to pay a penaliza-tion fee. When buying your books you can make any notationsyouwant.Also,ifthey are for a class that per-tain to your degree, you can have them forever and use them as reference guides for your chosen career. For the general classes, there is also the option to rent

books. You can save money buying used books, which for me, personally, it is the way to go. You can find most of your booksonAmazon,EBay,or craigslist. Be aware of the books you are purchas-ing. Sometimes you may think you are buying a new edition, but getting the old. Getting an old edition is not a bad thing; just make sure you do not over pay forit.Thecostforanoldedition should be about one-third of the original price. Getting a used book may also come with the previous owner’s highlight-ing—this can be aggravat-ing because it is a possibil-ity that what your professor goes over may not be the same as what their profes-sor went over. If you do not want to deal with research-ing the books information,

buying a new book will save you a headache you may come across.

TheStarkStatebookstoreisconveniently located on the schoolcampus.Attimes,especially at the beginning of the year, lines are long and can be a bit grueling. Thebenefitisyouwillgetone on one personal help. You can ask all the ques-tions you need to know about your books for the upcoming semester. Use the online store stark.verba-compare.com as a tool to see what your book looks like and get all the neces-sary information, such as the ISBN number. You can see if there is a copy of your book new or used and pay foritrightoffthesite.Thiscould also be helpful if you decide to purchase from the bookstore so you can locate

the books yourself. Wheth-er or not you order online, be sure to print off a copy towardsa25%discountat the college store www.starkstate.edu/collegestore. ThehoursofoperationareMonday–Thursday8A.M.to8P.M.andFriday8A.M.to 4 P.M. If you have any other questions feel free tocall330-966-5452fortheir direct line. Purchasing your books ahead of time will save you long lines and possibly waiting for a back order.

No matter what your decision is, you have many options when it comes to purchasing your books. Thechoiceswillhelpyouget what you need in your economic estate.

The Truth About Purchasing Books by: Eric Frank

Josi HeinzEditor

Josi Heinz (Editor) will gradu-ate from Stark State with an associate’s degree in technical communicationinDecember.Upon graduation, she will be working on a bachelor’s degree in applied communication at the Stark branch of Kent State. In addition to being a student, Josi is the founder and presi-dent of the nonprofit organi-

zationConnecttheTroops,vice president of MOM’s Club 44203,anAlphaDeltaPi(BetaTau)alumnus,andactivewiththeCantonAdFederation.Josi’s husband, Matt, returned homeafterayearinAfghani-staninSeptember.Theyhavetwo children, Olivia (4 years) and Isaac (16 months).

6

7

You know me. I am in your class; maybe not me specifically,butsomeonelikeme.Astudentwhositsnear the front and answers when the professors asks, “How is everyone?” Someone who is engaged in class discussion,asksquestions,staysafter,andgoestoof-ficehours.YouprobablythinkIamasuckup.Thatisokay.Tenyearsago,IwouldhavethoughtIwasasuck up, too.

Thisismysecondroundofcollege.Afterbeinglaidoff several times, I am back in the classroom, older andwiser.ThefirsttimearoundIwasaclassroomwallflower- I sat by my friends or in the back. I packed up my bag five minutes before lecture was let out. Most of my teachers, and certainly my advisor, could not have picked me out of a crowd of students. My focus was my social life and activities. I thought teachers were out to get students, deliberately making tests difficult, assigning busy work. I imagined them fiendishly wringing their hands and cackling in their offices thinking about how many students would fail their classes.

Thistime,Itookadifferentapproach.Iseemypro-fessors as—gasp—people. I answer when they ask the class how there weekend was because no one wants to ask a question to be greeted with silence. I engage in classroom discussions because, let’s be honest- I am paying for this so I better get my money’s worth. My professors all know me by name, they can probably tell you my email address without having to look it up. I go to office hours and activities they suggest. It

may sound like a lot of work, but you know what? It is working.

I have actual relationships with my professors. I have mentors, potential future colleagues, even friends. Thesepeoplearenottryingtofailus;theyaretryingto help us succeed. But teachers cannot make us suc-ceed; we have to be a part of it.

AtthepromptingofonementorIwenttoanetwork-ingeventwiththeCantonAdFederation.ThenextweekIwasemailedaboutajobposition.Afterthesecond networking event I met the president of Ju-niorAchievement,whoofferedmeanamazingpaidinternship where I got a lot of experience and items to put in my portfolio. I was not answering phones and getting coffee; I was utilizing my knowledge.

I could fill the newspaper with stories like this—how a couple of conversations helped me shape my fu-ture goals, find out my interests, provided me with contacts,benefitedmeinanumberofways.Andso could any student. Just find a teacher you click with and ask them a question. Listen when they make suggestions about activities, read the bulletin boards, ask your advisor’s advice—they are not just heartomoldyourschedule.Treatyourprofessorslike people and be a part of their class. If there is one thing I learned from my two colleges experiences it is that opportunities are out there. But even opportu-nity will not knock if no one is home.

An Editorial from the Editor “You Know Me” by: Josi Heinz

Paul Barans was originally a student of mathematics, but has been a technical writer since 1982. He is currently completing coursework for an associate degree in technical communica-tion. Stark State has been essential in helping him to update and expand his communication skills. Paul has an abiding interest in archaeology and has worked at several “dig” sites, including the 13,000-year-old Nobles Pond site near Canton, Ohio. He also enjoys reading and movies, especially non-Hollywood movies.

Paul BaransStaff Writer

Student Submission! Stark State College to Lead in Natural Gas Education by: Caleb PieplowAspartofanation-wideinitiativeto further education on the emerg-ing natural gas industry, Stark State College has been awarded more than over three million dollars of grants bytheDepartmentofLaborandtheTimkenFoundation.

Thegrantsaretobeusedinthede-velopment of new associate degrees andcertificates.Theywillalsofundthe creation and supplying of gas and oil related labs for the Energy In-novation Center, part of Stark State’s plannedDowntownSatelliteCenter.TheCenterisslatedforcompletionin2015.

Some of the training opportuni-ties these labs will provide include: oil and gas instrumentation and electronics, geographic information systems, drilling, production and welding.

“ThesegenerousawardspositionStark State College to become a

national model for cur-riculum development in the shale oil and gas industry,” said Para M Jones, president of the college. She is excited about the implications of both the grants and the expanded training which Stark State will soon be able to offer. “TheseDOLawardsarehighly competitive, and the funds will ben-efit our local economy through a better-trained workforce ready to work for oil and gas compa-nies,” Jones said.

Working with such industry lead-ersasChesapeake,Envervest,TheTimkenCompanyandDominion,Stark State is leading the way to-ward a well-trained and credentialed workforce, ready to pursue the many opportunities that will be offered as the industry grows.

TheportionoftheawardsStarkStaterecievedispartofthe$500millionbeing distributed to two-year techni-cal colleges and universities across AmericabytheDepartmentofLabor.Themoneywillpromoteskillsdevel-opment and employment opportuni-ties, in a variety of fields, through innovative training programs.

AmberwillbegraduatinginDecemberwithherassociate of applied science in technical communica-tion. However, halfway through her technical com-munication degree, she found she had an unexpected aptitude and love of chemistry. She figured this out by picking up on assignments as soon as they were givenandacingeveryexam.Amberanxiouslyawaitsreturning to Stark State next semester for her associ-ate of science in chemistry degree, before continuing to pursue bachelor’s and maste’r degrees in Chemistry. She has been described as: exceptional, quirky, open-minded, conversational and organized. She loves writing poetry, reading lengthy novels, playing video games and doing science experiments.

Amber KeeneAssistant Editor

Photography and Layout by: Victoria Wendt

Graphic Arts Major 8