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Singles

Kyle “the AK” Kinney practices kick boxing against Bret “The Spyder” Sbardella during his workout at Elite Fitness in Mount Plesant. “He sure doesn’t go easy on you,” said Kinney while taking a break after Sbardella delivered a hard blow to his leg.

Dave Siler counts as his workers throw collect and throw corn into a box on the tractor. The Siler’s own 126 acres and grow various vegetables that are sold to other companies and at their road side stand.

An Airboat cleans cleans up oil in Morrow Lake in Kalamazoo a year after the initial spill.

Fly Half Andrew Bean watches the ball slip away from him as he gets tackled by a player on the South Side Irish RFC.

Comedian and Civil Rights activist, Dick Gregory, speaks at Plachta Auditorium Tuesday night to a full audience as part of Black History Month.

Freshman Samantha Tortomasi plays “Miss Sam Says” with girls at a dance workshop at the Off Broadway Dance Studio in Mount Pleasant Saturday morning. The CMU Chippettes taught the workshop for 6 to 11 year olds.

Camper Olivia Morison puts the peanut butter bread on her face for the Peanut Butter Relay. The bread switches from four different campers and the last one has to eat the bread.

Nicki plays with her daugher Lilah, 7, while Kristina and Harlow, 17 months, watch.

A horned puffin flies next to a humpback whale’s pectoral fin at Kenai Fjords National Park.

Junior outfielder Lauren Bowman slides into second base during the first game against Buffalo Friday afternoon at Margo Jonker Stadium. Central won 7-1.

Being Bodhisattva

Professor Don Socha lectures during his Intro to English Literature class. Socha is an English professor at Central Michigan University; he teaches four classes a week.

Don Socha, James Stern, and Brigitte Bechtold, Socha’s wife, mediate during the sitting hour Socha holds in the Zendo made in his garage. Sittings are held every Thursday night and Sunday afternoon and anyone is welcome.

Socha made his rakusu by hand during his meditation retreat in 2002 in Montreal. Every day Socha takes the rakusu and taps it to his head three times before wearing it.

Don Socha listens to James Stern talk about his views on Buddhism. Stern is just beginning formally practicing Buddhism.

It is common practice during meditation to sit up right facing the wall and focus on a spot on the wall. “Buddhism is more philosophy than religion,” said Socha.

Don Socha is an English professor, nature lover, writer, and husband. He is also a Buddhist. For Socha Buddhism is the philosophy that grounds and guides him.

“Buddhism is more philosophy than religion,” said Socha.

When he was 16, Socha had a job at A&W and the cook was Buddhist. The cook introduced Socha to readings and poetry about Buddhism. He started reading about the wisdom held by old men living off in the woods. Being called “nature boy” all his life this really struck home with Socha, but it wasn’t until 2000 that he became really serious in his practice of Buddhism.

Socha met a traveling Zen monk, Dale Hartmeyer, who taught him the formal ways of meditation. In 2002 Socha became an ordained Bodhisattva where he made a commitment to dedicate his life to Buddhism. He attended a meditation retreat in Montreal that was run by french monks.

“We would meditate six to seven hours a day,” explained Socha.

For the past six years Socha has made a Zen-do out of his garage. He and his wife, who is also a Bodhisattva, hold sittings Thursday nights and Sunday afternoon.