Katie Mullin

Agora Staff

A left handed perspective

December 5, 2013

Features

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From a lefties perspective, left-handed people are the only ones in their right minds. The opposite has proven true throughout history. A medical doctor reported in the New York Times that many left-handed people in ancient times were once synonymous with criminals, and even associated with the devil. Today, that stigma has shifted dramatically, but for a leftie, adapting to a righthanded world is still a foreign experience. Its just something you have to adjust to, said Terri Kovach, a sociology professor and technical services librarian at MCCC. Theres an assumption of right-handedness. According to a Wall Street journal article, left-handed people make up 10 percent of the population while ambidextrous (mixed-handed) is only at 1 percent. Kovach looks back at her left-handed childhood with a lighthearted approach. Eating dinner in her 7-person family became an awkward experience. I was not afforded the privilege of a left-handed spot, she joked. Other childhood milestones such as writing with a fountain pen were not easy while attending a Catholic school. Those tips arent made to do it, she said about the fountain pens. Despite being a leftie, her right-handed counterparts never left her side when she married and raised right-handed children. However, Kovach became more aware of her surroundings when she saw them perform daily tasks such as opening the cabinet doors and picking up certain items. I think watching them made me much more observant she said. I hadnt appreciated how dominantly right-handed they were, but theyre fine. Even Kovach, who considers herself a dominant leftie, can perform certain activities using both hands. Whether you live in a right, left or ambidextrous world, some have been forced to visit the opposite perspective. Kovach fractured her left arm last year and was forced to use her weaker hand. It was just awful. I really struggled with making my way in the world, she said looking back. Challenges with using her right-hand were apparent in the process. Eating was just a nightmare, she said. Handwriting became an obstacle throughout the injury, but gradually improved its legibility over time. I bat right-handed, I use scissors righthanded, I throw a ball right-handed, she said.

Illustration by Darryl White

A leftie may have an opposite view of the world, but righties and ambidextrous (mixed-handed) individuals have their own perspectives. Ill accept the way the decree has come down, said Robin Mills, who is a right-handed, adult student at MCCC. The information insurance and security major does many activities with his right hand, but uses both hands in daily chores. Mills right-handed ways came to a halt in his younger days when he fractured his right arm. For six weeks, he had to use his other hand. Routine tasks became tedious when it came to showering and brushing teeth. It was a chore learning how to adapt, he said. Mills said his handwriting looked garbled as he struggled to write with his left. One MCCC student who is dominantly right-handed says she has done activities with her left. It really depends on what it is. Ive had to do stuff with my left hand, Kimberly Dingus said. A third-degree black belt in Tang soo Do, a broken right arm caused Dingus to change hands for a few weeks. The only operable area in her fracture was her wrist.

My wrist would get tired so Id use my left, she said. I guess it was fine for the most part, she said looking back. Christina Tsuei reported in the Wall Street Journal that lefties have their own day on August 13, and some scientists say that lefties are better at divergent thinking an essential building block for creativity. Some modern researchers have gone as far as to say that left-handed and mixedhanded individuals are at a greater risk for cognitive disabilities such as ADHD, and mood disorders bipolar and schizophrenia. Around 70 percent of lefties rely on the

may be more prone to impaired learning or functioning, and at greater risk for brain disorders, he says. However, studies that show particular advantages or disadvantages over a certain trait should be used with discernment. Dr. Melissa Grey, an assistant professor in psychology, is skeptical about any advantages or disadvantages and cited a recent study. When they (the researchers) look at the best samples, these differences wash out, she said about the research conducted with left-handed people. In other words, there were no considerable differences between right and left-

assumptions if you test a small group. Its easy to get a biased sample, she said. Left handed people are like a minority group. We tend to link those things more strongly, she said. Grey said those things that we strongly perceive are unusual events or talents associated with lefties such as creativity. However, if there was research that indicated left-handed people are better at certain tasks, she would re-consider her position. Grey also had a message for ambidextrous individuals. Oftentimes, people who are ambidextrous favor one hand over another, she

According to a Wall Street journal article, left-handed people make up 10 percent of the population while ambidextrous (mixed-handed) is only at 1 percent.
left hemisphere to recall language, according to Metten Somers, a psychiatrist and researcher who studies brain lateralization at Utrecht University Medical Center in the Netherlands. The other 30 percent of lefties appear to exhibit either a right-dominant or distributed pattern, Dr. Somers says. They handedness. We are always trying to make connections. It seems to be a cognitive habit, she said. Grey said readers of these studies should pay attention to sample rates how many people were included in the research. She also said its easy to draw said. Some students, however, shared their views on whether left-handed people are more creative and prone to problems than with right-handed people. I think it could be a possibility, but it could be genes, Niles Powell, a middlecollege student, said.

Siena Heights program at MCCC continues to grow

Darryl White
Agora staff

The Siena Heights program at MCCC has grown over the last 23 years while offering four-year degrees to students. The program, which began in the fall of 1990, currently has 129 students enrolled. It originally featured academic programs in Accounting, Business Administration, Applied Science, and General Studies. Over the years Psychology, Professional Communications,

At the Monroe campus, the Bachelor of Applied Science degree is the most popular. The Applied Science degree can be used to help students in majors at MCCC that would not normally have a transfer option, Edwards said. The majority of SHU students are place-bound and unable to commute to an outof-county campus, at least not easily. Edwards said these students find our program to be con-

near the MCCC campus. She previously attended Concordia University for a year to experience life away from home on a campus. It was a nice experience, but is it really worth all of the debt of going to a four-year university? she asked. By going through Siena Heights, she says she will be spending less money on her education - and she wont have to make a long commute or pay a babysitter.

Community Colleges offer a quality curriculum taught by industry leaders in their fields. Siena Heights is honoring that knowledge and expertise by granting a generous transfer award.
and RN-BSN programs were added, as well as the most recent addition - Criminal Justice. Several programs have had much success, said Julie Edwards, assistant director of the Siena Heights Monroe campus. Specifically, the most successful are the Bachelor of Applied Science, Business Administration, Applied Science, and Accounting [degrees.] ducive to balancing their busy lives while giving them the ability to stay close to home. The nontraditional student category continues to grow each year, she said. The Siena Heights University program will continue to serve them well. Kate Matthes is one such student who is working toward attending Siena Heights. Shes a mother and a wife who lives She also said that the transfer process was smooth and that they took all of her credits from MCCC and Concordia University. Although she lives in Adrian, student Chelsea Bateson finds it cheaper to go through the satellite program at the Monroe campus. She doesnt mind the extra time driving when she considers the money shes saving.

Its a good program, and the classes are smaller [with] more one-on-one time with the professor, she said. A critic could question the legitimacy of a four-year-degree when the majority of the classes are at a community college. Community Colleges offer a quality curriculum taught by industry leaders in their fields, Edwards said. Siena Heights is honoring that knowledge and expertise by granting a generous transfer award. Our programs are fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and we only transfer in credit from those institutions who are also accredited, ensuring a certain standard of academic quality, she said. Siena has been recognized as a leader in innovative transfer agreements allowing students to maximize their transfer credit, [and] to keep college affordable. Edwards asks that any student who would like to check into Siena Heights degree completion options at MCCC stop by her office in Room 221 in the L building, or call her at Photo by Darryl White 734-384-4133. Julie Edwards, assitant director of Siena Heights for the MCCC campus.

Ray Bell

Three tips to avoid holiday madness this year

means that the scramble for the perfect gift has begun, though the scramble started months ago. And we have let Christmas shopping become more important than the holiday itself. By letting ourselves get wrapped up in the commercialism, we have lost the true meaning of Christmas. The idea of getting the best price for a flat-screen television, or buying the necklace your girlfriend always wanted is clouding the true message. To me, Christmas is being surrounded by the ones you love the most. There is no need for extravagant gifts or fancy presents. We have one another and thats what the holidays are about. Want to have this feeling for yourselves this Christmas? Here are a few things you can do to have a true Christmas. Do not get wrapped up in the holiday madness. Stores usually scam shoppers to buying the better deals anyways. Avoiding the madness will help you and your checkbook greatly. Do not buy anything past $20. The best gifts in the world are the ones you thought carefully about beforehand. Gifts like games or a television only make you feel like an idiot later when you realize it put you over your spending limit. Buy something they truly need at a tiny fraction of everything else. Family is more important than the gift. Gifts will break down after a while. But family will always be there for you. Never lose sight of that. Remember these three tips and you will have a truly wonderful holiday break. -Happy Holidays everyone!

Agora Staff

Welcome Christmas Fahoo fores, dahoo dores Welcome Christmas come this way. Fahoo fores, dahoo dores Welcome Christmas, Christmas day. We have heard these lyrics many times in the past. And it usually