Undeclared: The Last Werewolf Bender

"Undeclared: The Last Werewolf Bender", and episode of Ferris in Focus, is the sixth episode of the spring 2010 semester. It was scheduled for completion at 9:00 AM EST on March 22nd and broadcast on March 27th of 2010.

Big Rapids Life

 * Producer: Frank Molner
 * Editor: Dominique Gibbs

Beginning very abruptly, this piece jumped right in with Glen talking about the Media Communications Association of Michigan. Glen would later critique the opening, marking it down for not having a sufficient intro. Viewers have no preliminary of why they should care what MCA is or why it’s being discussed. It simply jumps right in and discusses it.

Alex Purdy, then secretary, claimed that her favorite part of the whole thing was getting to get out of the actual classroom. MCA offers its members additional networking, publicity, and insight on how others are making video. While many of the spring 2010 TVPR 499 class’ members were part of MCA, a few were not. The Dozerfleet founder, for one, missed out on the last chance offered up at school to join. As a result, Dozerfleet Productions to-this-day does not have any genuine affiliation with MCA.

Kelly rejoiced at the chance to be a part of MCA, since it gave her an opportunity to make additional videos. Chris Gill discussed the short film Penniston Cook, which was created by MCA based on a script that one student at Ferris had written.

In addition to networking and making videos, students in MCA get to judge videos for regional contests. Fred Wyman of the TDMP chimed in that every year, the Ferris Video Festival is a little different from the year before that. After Kelly briefly held that thought to mention that the Ferris Video Festival is MCA’s biggest event in Michigan every year, Fred came back on to promote Jon Rosten of Warner Bros. coming to Ferris for the festival. Fred would around the same time give a plug for Jon Rosten during an episode of Ferris State Live. This time around, however, he didn’t also plug for Jon’s film Valley of Angels. He did state, however, that Jon was a Ferris graduate.

Ian O’Malley backed up Kelly, on claiming that students involved in MCA get a way to network outside of the regular classroom environment. Kelly brought up that meetings were held on Wednesday nights, and concerned contests and results. Cassie could be observed in a B-roll shot attending the meetings…the same Cassie that played Monica Shelly in Blood Over Water one year earlier. She was wearing the same work outfit that she’d later be seen wearing in a Health Matters segment discussing what the gym at Ferris has to offer.

There are also meetings Thursdays at 11, and Glen stated that there is no harm in attending an MCA meeting. He even promised that membership dues are extremely low.

Health Matters

 * Producer: Ben Wyman
 * Editor: Sara Potter (as Sara Tuttle)

Ben thought this would be a good time to introduce the campus to New Age medicine, which was becoming slightly popular with a niche market up in Big Rapids. Jessica Bazan, a student at the Joy Tree Yoga Center, chimed in that she found yoga “very relaxing.”

She went on to say that it has helped her cope with stress, cramps, constipation, and indigestion. Jessie even went so far as to claim it could “lubricate joints and mean fewer problems for the elderly—even aid with bone density issues.”

Mary Loesch, a tai chi instructor, followed up by stating that tai chi is “truly a martial art.” Much of it revolves around breathing techniques, but also it revolves around slow-motion moves to build muscle memory. The belief is that “anything you can do slowly, you can do quickly.” Wax on, wax off indeed. She completed a long list of promises for better health by stating that learning directly from an expert is a dozen times better than watching a video. Because the video can’t stop to tell you that you’re breathing wrong.

Finally, there was Julie Norton of the Herbal Shoppe. In addition to promoting various natural supplements to deal with physical ills, she suggested a few supplements made from various plants that can have therapeutic effects on the brain; leading to fewer panic attacks. She finished up by reminding viewers that a healthy body often follows those who can have a healthy mind.

E-News

 * Producer: Eric Stacy
 * Editor: David Stiefel

Sandra Bullock won an Oscar. James Cameron missed out on his chance for one for Avatar in one of the categories that Avatar qualified for; because The Blind Side won that Oscar instead. NBC, meanwhile, granted an extension of life support for shows such as Community and 30 Rock.

Program Spotlight

 * Producer: Nate Totten
 * Editor: Tabby Young

The University College was set up as a gateway for undeclared students. Developmental Programs Associate Professor Dr. Helen Woodman even said so. Classes like Career Exploration 102 help students with exploring different career paths.

A “strong interest inventory” list helps students who are undecided to categorize their ambitions appropriately. One student talked about taking the Myers-Briggs test. Sites like Career Builder were heavily emphasized.

Helen concluded that “empathy” with students was the University College’s biggest strength.

Bulldog Stories

 * Producer: Lamarr English
 * Editor: Nick Blohm

Bonnie Rogers got the spotlight for this segment. She’d lived a good share of her life in Grand Rapids. She’d been in Big Rapids since August of 2009, majoring in Resort Management. She got the idea to have that for a major because she’d spent a good share of her life living in hotels. Her goal: work at a hotel in the Bahamas.

Bonnie was born with a hole in her back, thus confining her to a wheelchair for many years. She even joined an RSO specifically for the disabled. Her boyfriend, Sylvester, was often seeing willing to bend over backwards for her.

One of her biggest compliments was the fact that Ferris’ biology program was willing to put the microscopes down at her level, instead of forcing her to have to find some way into a taller wheelchair like what the teachers made her do in high school.

Versus

 * Producer: Eric Stacy
 * Editor: David Stiefel

Nick opened arguments that werewolves are old enough in legend "to have their own evolutionary path." He argued: "vampires, by contrast, are...an evolutionary mishap."

Andrika fired back that vampires originate from Transylvania in popular legend. They also were rumored to live in mansions, and could live anywhere so long as there was nightfall. By contrast, werewolves were said to live in wet, smelly places and in caves.

Nick retaliated by pointing out that werewolves can travel to almost anywhere; and are not restricted to red-eye flights. He pointed to pop-ups on screen of film adaptations of a werewolf in a specific geographic location other than Transylvania. This included 1935's Werewolf in London and 1981's An American Werewolf in London, as well as 1997's An American Werewolf in Paris. He followed up by pointing to a CGI "souvenir" of a severed arm in a glass sphere.

Andrika pointed out that vampires were increasingly becoming sex symbols in popular culture, whereas werewolves were becoming increasingly viewed as simply disgusting. Nick fired back that this was illogical: true vampires would not have an actual pulse or bloodflow. And with neither of those, there wouldn't be much of a complexion either.

Nick then decided to list all the things that can kill a vampire:


 * Raw garlic
 * Garlic bread
 * Garlic salt
 * Garlic powder
 * Holy water
 * Crosses
 * Stakes...to the heart or head

Meanwhile, the extremely rare silver bullet is all that can supposedly kill a werewolf.

Andrika countered that vampires are better at hiding and can smell blood sooner. They also make better, more silent stalkers and assassins; capable of devouring a victim before the victim even knows it. Werewolves don't have the advantage of stealth.

The segment also originally covered the drawbacks to a vampire's all-blood diet and a werewolf's all-meat diet. However, that was cut for time, along with a lot of other details. Neither side could agree to a winner.

What Do You Think?

 * Producer: Lamarr English
 * Editor: Nick Blohm

Students replied to “What do you dream about?” with the following answers:


 * Family back home
 * Being the coach of a winning cheerleading team
 * Ohio State basketball winning the championship game
 * Strippers
 * Being a graphic designer
 * Make motivational evangelical films.
 * Shopping
 * Success
 * Marriage and family

Damari's comedy when rattling on and on and on about the strippers actually earned him a guest host position in Show #10's Now Demonstrating segment.

Now Demonstrating

 * Producer: Megan Barker
 * Editor: Kelly Deward (as Kelly Armbruster)

Megan shares her recipe on how to bake a cake in a microwave with only a few ingredients and five minutes heating time using a coffee mug.


 * 1 microwave
 * 4 Tbsp flour
 * 3 Tbsp sugar
 * 2 Tbsp baking cocoa
 * 3 Tbsp oil
 * 3 Tbsp milk
 * A small splash of vanilla
 * 2 Tbsp of whisked egg
 * 3 Tbsp chocolate chips
 * 1 coffee mug

Bakes in five minutes.

Further viewing

 * Cracked.com's theories on vampires becoming sex symbols.