Viewpoint: Security an issue for everyone
Jason Bilaski
Staff Writer

The security of the campus and the safety of its student body are very serious issues that we all too often take for granted. The college has taken many steps to ensure that the campus is not only accessible to students, but also to make sure that people don't obtain access to places that they don't belong.

There is a difficult balance to maintain between having an open campus that allows students to access offices, labs, and a variety of other spaces after hours; and keeping those same offices, labs, and spaces safe.

Making sure that everything runs as smoothly as possible lies in the very capable hands of Michael Sequite, Director of Campus Safety; Lisa Batterbee, Director of Residential Life; and Jeff Dunbar, Operations Manager of the Kellogg Center. However, every once in a while a glich in the machine occurs, and frankly it's not too surprising. The student employment turnover rate on campus is mind boggling. It seems that there is always someone training for a job, switching jobs, quitting jobs, or just starting a job.

So, I decided to investigate and see how secure the college is. Three confederates and I attempted to get campus safety to admit us into offices. We tried to gain access into residence halls, and we attempted to get let into offices in the Kellogg Center. I tested to see if there was an appropriate procedure to either identify or restrict those who wanted access to college property, and if those procedures were followed by the student staff.

The results were as follows. There was always some type of policy in place to secure an area, but many times it was simply overlooked. However, the various staffs weren't the only ones to blame. The student body at large failed to keep their own homes safe. I watched as residence hall doors were held open for strangers, or left propped open for anyone who might come along. I then walked through those same residences only to see several rooms with the doors wide open and no one inside. The question now becomes what can we do?

Well, the appropriate measures are being taken to stress to the student employees the importance of professionalism in the work place, and why policy enforcement is necessary. As for the rest of us, here are a few suggestions.

Batterbee suggests, "If you enter a building that is locked, make sure the door shuts behind you. If someone follows you into a building that you don't know, ask them if you can help them. If this is too uncomfortable for you, call and inform either Campus Safety or Residential Life." Sequite agrees, "Larcenies on campus dropped 50% just by locking the residence halls."

So campus security, it turns out, isn't the job of a few, but of many. While policy enforcement may be the job of a few, we all need to be sure to help that process whenever possible. This includes having our I.D.'s, making sure we have authorization into those places we need to use, and to have patience in dealing with verifications when they are necessary.

Many of these student jobs are rather stressful, and it's never easy dealing with one's peers. In order to better secure the campus, policies must not only be enforced, but we have to be responsible enough to see the value in the extra time it may take to access a building. Give the student workers a break. After all, it is for your benefit.

Reimann encourages study of computer science at Albion; New instructor brings research experience with him to campus
By Britt Halvorson
Staff Writer

David Reimann, instructor of mathematics, pulls the images of a human brain and a monkey jaw out of a file folder in his desk. The shaded imagery being laid out on the table is the result of hours of computer imaging work.

Reimann worked on computer imaging research from 1986-1996 at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit to improve image quality and, in turn, to improve medical imaging analysis and diagnoses of disease.

The collaborative, interdisciplinary research focused on computer analysis of images in understanding underlying physiological conditions, according to Reimann. This application of computer technology also assists in general diagnosis of patients and, for example, in tumor detection.

Reimann said that he has also worked with parallel computing methods, which use two computers at once to solve problems faster. He referred to an image of a monkey jaw which would take several hours on one computer to create but may possibly be created in under one hour with the use of two computers.

Reimann said that he learned more about biology while working at Henry Ford Hospital but found the engineering aspect of his research to be more interesting.

Robert Messer, associate professor and chair of mathematics, agreed that computer graphics is a very interesting, attractive area of computer science. Messer said that Reimann's computer graphics expertise and experience with combining math and other liberal arts fields make him an important addition to the department.

Matthew Huber, Rochester Hills junior, has taken Reimann's Mathematics 354 (Computer Organization and Systems) class and is currently in his Mathematics 356 (Programming Languages) course. Huber, a self-designed computer science major, said that he thinks Reimann brings a lot of great ideas to the computer science program.

Huber said he completed a research project on virtual reality for his Computer Organization and Systems class.

"Whenever you learn something new in computer science, that information opens up nine more doors to explore," commented Huber.

"Being in academia allows you the freedom to investigate things in a different way than in the environment I was in before," said Reimann. "Switching from research to teaching through the course of 1996 was a good change of pace."

Reimann said that he hopes to embellish upon Albion's computer science program by upgrading the existing lab and probably offering additional courses in computer science.

"We're looking forward to having him develop a full-fledged program in computer science," Messer said.

Reimann submitted a proposal on Nov. 15 to the National Science Foundation for a grant that would help provide "state-of-the-art" facilities for computer science. He said he hopes to create an independent laboratory space that could be maintained and controlled by the computer science program.

One of Reimann's goals is to attract more students to Albion's computer science program because both Hope College and Dennison College are very competitive in the area.

Reimann said that he believes Albion's liberal arts philosophy is important and beneficial when searching for a job.

"Industry is looking at interdisciplinary skills," he said. "Liberal arts may see a resurgence because of these things where interdisciplinary involvement is so important."

Reimann received his B.S. in mathematics in 1986 from the University of Toledo, his M.A. in mathematics in 1990 from Wayne State University, and is currently finishing work on his Ph.D. in computer science at Wayne State University.

He has lived in Sioux Falls, S.D., Madison, Wis., Davis, Calif., and Toledo, Ohio. He most recently lived in Detroit and is now very pleased with the town, students, and faculty of Albion. Reimann said that he particularly enjoys being out of the big city and being able to drive five minutes and be out in the country.

Currently, Reimann teaches Programming Languages, Mathematics 251 (Introduction to Computer Science I), and Mathematics 151 (Survey of Computing). Reimann said he plans to work on some research projects at Henry Ford Hospital this summer, but at a more leisurely pace than in the past.

Reimann is married and has three daughters ... one of whom has already attained some celebrity status by having her picture on the front of the Pleiad 's Halloween issue.

Reimann's office seems to express both his professional and family commitments. A glance at his bookshelf reveals an abandoned keyboard and books on one shelf, a small bucket of colored markers to the side, and a bright stack of plastic rings on another shelf.

"You get more out of life by being able to appreciate a wide variety of things," Reimann said. Judging by his office, it seems as though he has reached this goal.

New counselor makes services known on campus; Elizabeth Prince fills director of counseling vacancy and is ready to make a difference
By Chris Cobley
Staff Writer

There are times when the stress of college life can seem overwhelming. At times like this, who are you going to call?

On Nov. 4, Elizabeth Prince was hired as the new director of college counseling, replacing Elwyn Zimmerman, who retired after seven years of service. Prince is available to any student who needs someone to talk to.

Prince meets with students who are experiencing emotional or psychological difficulties. These problems may range from rape to eating disorders. Counseling may consist of one-on-one or group therapy depending on the situation. On an average day she meets with six or seven students, spending up to one hour with each student. "The counseling center is very busy before the end of the semester and again after the students return from the holidays," Prince said.

Now that Prince is the new college counselor, she wants her services to become known on campus.

Currently the staff consists of Prince and part-time psychologist Christine Hill-Melton, a licensed psychologist from Oaklawn Hospital in Marshall. Melton works at the clinic each Thursday for ten hours. Prince said her goal is to have one or two interns working in the center.

"I would like to have a staff that consists of three or four people. This provides more skills and it benefits the students."

To increase awareness of the counseling center, Prince said she would like to create a web site and brochures that list the different types of services offered.

She is also trying to change the image of the center. "It's thought of as a scary place because of the word 'counseling', but it's laid back and very open," Prince said. "I see it as a safe place here. People can talk out their problems. It's always nice to have a place to go... a safe supportive environment."

"It's a basic service that we want to provide just like the health center. The counseling center offers experienced professional guidance in a professional setting, for students that encounter minor or serious emotional or psychological difficulties," said Sherie Veramay, acting dean of student affairs.

If the staff is not able to meet the students' needs, they will make referrals to other counseling agencies. Referrals are made to such places as Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor, Marshall and Jackson.

"If the students can't afford these services," Prince said, "we have worked out a sliding pay scale to help students afford these services."

The counseling center is currently located on the second floor of The Center, across from Goodrich Chapel. Office hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Twenty-four hour counseling service is available by calling campus safety after business hours.

Artist brings Welsh heritage to Albion
By Mike Somers
Staff Writer

A touch of Wales has arrived on campus.

From now until Feb. 16, Sylvia Majewska's exhibit, "Celtic Roots: Artist's Books and Other Works," can be seen in the Elsie Munro Gallery in the Bobbitt Visual Arts Center.

The works in this exhibit were inspired by the artist's 1994 and 1995 visits to Wales.

"I've always had a strong pull back to my Celtic roots," said Majewska, who was born in Liverpool, England, but raised in Canada and the United States.

The results of that pull are embodied in the landscapes and stone engraving replicas Majewska has created through various types of media.

This is done most interestingly in her handmade artist's books, which fold out and tell the story of a particular landscape visually, as well as through the corresponding poem each contains. Each book has the feel of a poetic accordion.

"I'm not limited by one technique," Majewska said.

The exhibit appears here in a slightly modified form from its earliest incarnation when it toured Wales in late 1995 to mid 1996.

It was originally entitled "Cynhanedd/Harmony" (pronounced "Kun... han... eth"), to reflect her Welsh inspiration.

Majewska has broadened her focus to include more of her Celtic heritage, which expanded to include Brittany and southern Germany, as well as Austria and Poland.

According to Majewska, this allowed her to also include inspirations from Liverpool.

Albion College seemed a natural forum in which to exhibit the artist's work. "Albion" is the earliest name for England, which, for Majewska, is also another way of saying, "Celtic."

Not only is Albion special because of its connection to her heritage, but also because her daughter, Meredith Gailey, Oxford sophomore, attends the college.

According to Gailey, looking at her mother's work is like looking at an updated autobiography.

"This exhibit is a good visual look at her heritage and where she came from," Gailey said. "It's also a good example of seeing more depth in a student [by involving a student's parent with the college in such a way] because you get to see what her heritage is.

"I'm really proud of her."

What makes this exhibition and her experiences in Wales so meaningful for Majewska is her pride in bringing information about Wales to the United States.

"Wales is the greatest little country in the world," Majewska said. "I feel like I'm spreading goodwill."