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Volume 106, Issue 22 | March 8, 2012

msuexponent.com

MSU’s Student Newspaper since 1895

BIG

sky features names

The 2012 Chamberlin Rail Jam NEWS

OPINION

SPORTS

CULTURE

4 SUMMIT

7 ELECTION

14 BADGERS

17 FILM

State Discusses Sexual Assault Problem

Turnout Hard to Increase

Take to the Pitch Against Idaho State

Art Series Features 'Reel Women'

2

THE ASMSU EXPONENT |March 8, 2012

msuexponent.com

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The exponent exists in large part to provide a forum for student voices, a mission that extends well beyond the words of our staff. To that end, we encourage the broader student body to engage us by submitting letters, rants and story ideas. This is our student publication, after all, and we’d love you to be part of it. and, besides, a bit of variety does a lot to keep our pages interesting. raNTS: fed up with one of the myriad injustices of campus life? Want to publicly rail against it? Send us a rant to letters@ exponent.montana.edu. Just keep submissions 200-300 words. and please, try to refrain from personal attacks.

LeTTerS TO THe eDITOr: inspired or angered by something we've published? Want to call out our editorial judgement, good, bad or otherwise? Just want to send one of our writers "fan" or "hate" mail? Send us a letter at letters@exponent.montana. edu. Submissions should be signed and kept under 300 words, and may be edited for aP style, grammar and length.

1st PROOF

THE ASMSU EXPONENT |March 8, 2012

EDITORIAL

editor-in-chief | Eric Dietrich

3

editor@exponent.montana.edu

from the editorial staff

The Exponent's opinion on topics and issues impacting our campus community.

On Gen. Clark's Speech: Finding Moral Basis in the 21st Century During a high-profile public lecture by retired general Wesley Clark, the Bozeman community heard something rather remarkable: a four-star general calling for moral leadership.

Clark’s eloquent, if conventional, address Monday evening charted the country’s challenges while asserting a “new beginning” of American global leadership in the 21st century.

His remarks covered much political ground, from political turmoil in Syria, to America’s economic climate, to the use of ethanol as an alternative energy resource.

But the night’s most striking moment came at its conclusion, when student panelist Troy Duker asked Clark what he sees as our generation’s greatest challenge. In his response, the general urged MSU students to consider what should constitute the “moral basis of civilization in the 21st century.”

Clark’s answer pushed the conversation from policy debate into rarer terrain, one where our society’s very moral groundwork is subject to exploration.

Though Clark didn’t elaborate, his words implied that a society’s core values are never truly settled. He didn’t defer to the Constitution nor call for a blanket restoration of lost values. Instead, his reply calls for renewal of our collective roles

and responsibilities as we adapt to the changing reality of a globalizing world.

We treasure the democratic system because it allows for each citizen’s participation in negotiating those principles, none of which are immune to critique.

Unfortunately, today’s civil discussions regarding social values often involve bitter power politics cloaked in religious ideology, tending to fixate on private matters such as female contraception or defining marriage.

For instance, Clark recalled his political acquaintance, Lincoln Davis, who drove a pickup truck and carried a shotgun because he didn’t want to be “out-gunned, out-godded or out-gayed” during a campaign. It’s this kind of posturing and cultural warfare, which plays on alliteration over sense, that distracts us from the questions at the core of our political institutions, questions about our social responsibilities and moral imperatives.

Such vision — what Clark called “thinking beyond the quarterly earning statement” — carries more than mere rhetorical force. Problems in the 21st century, whether social, economic or environmental, are enormous in scope. As Clark

repeatedly emphasized, their resolution requires sustained, cooperative efforts. A strong sense of social responsibility, paired with a recognition of social institutions’ unique power, is what compels individuals to take part in collective endeavors.

Importantly, those responsibilities and responses are becoming increasingly international in character.

However, this is ultimately where Clark’s message seemed to fall short. In his drive to “put America back in the leadership of mankind,” as well as his odd assertion that “American civilization is compatible with the environment,” Clark’s discussion of social consciousness failed to extend beyond traditional nationalist framework. Just because ethanol is an “American” industry, for example, does not make it a responsible energy alternative.

At the same time, Clark’s call for deeper moral discourse asks us to reach further, to imagine anew what nation might mean — what democracy means — in a century where humankind is a entwined in a vast network. Today, more than ever, moral principles transcend borders, and our sense of obligation must as well.

From the Editor’s Desk

Drawing Students into MSU’s Corridors of Power Not many campuses have administrators as dedicated as MSU’s to providing students with opportunities to access corridors of power. We’re lucky there, and no small amount of credit is due Eric Dietrich editor-in-chief to President Waded Cruzado and Dr. Geoff Gamble, her predecessor, for establishing a culture of openness at our university.

When that openness translates into engagement with our campus’s issues, it represents the most powerful lesson MSU can offer students, teaching us to think of ourselves not as faceless numbers in an educational corporation but as proud members of a democratic institution. For a land-grant university tasked with educating our state’s next generation of citizens — and a school that struggles in retaining its students — that

distinction is absolutely fundamental.

However, in talking with Cruzado and other administrators, I’ve consistently come away with the impression that they are often frustrated by the extent to which students fail to take advantage of opportunities to participate in decision-making. Provost Martha Potvin, for instance, was surprisingly blunt in a February interview about informing students of MSU’s several vacant dean seats: “Do you think they would care?”

Tellingly, she asked the wrong question.

The right one: “How can we help them learn to care?”

It’s certainly true that not all students have the inclination to be interested in the administration’s inner workings. Between the pressures of schoolwork, student debt and navigating early adulthood, we’ve got full plates already. However, to equate preoccupation with apathy sells us short in a way that undermines MSU’s educational

mission.

The reality is that our campus’s barriers to engagement are substantial. It’s far from obvious to many students that the world of deans and planning councils exists, much less how its decisions impact our day-to-day lives.

Reading an Exponent news article or opening a Monday Morning Memo without understanding that context is akin to tackling a technical paper on general relativity without a background in calculus — regardless of the information’s value, it won’t stick well enough to make the topic compelling.

In an age of short attention spans made necessary by our busy lives, that dynamic is a fundamental constraint on democratic institutions. We must overcome it.

Cruzado’s administration, for instance, needs to find ways to deliver bite-sized chunks of relevant information about its activities to students, moving beyond the constraints of formal memos.

Student government, for its part, needs to get better about outreach. In recent years, ASMSU has excelled at bringing student concerns to the administration, but has largely failed at taking those conversations back to its constituents. That should change.

At the Exponent, we need to continue striving to deepen our news and commentary coverage of administrative decisions. We must also do our utmost to push Cruzado to continue devoting her scarce time and effort to openness.

Ultimately, though, we students need to tune in to the issues, even when we have other demands on our time. We have to demonstrate to our leaders that we do care, and that we’re willing to invest the effort to learn.

If we don’t, we will eventually find the doors on Montana Hall’s corridors of power locked.

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THE ASMSU EXPONENT |March 8, 2012

State Sexual Assault Conference: Student Leadership is Key Garrett Smith and Nicole Duggan Montana Tech hosted a statewide sexual assault summit last Saturday, gathering nearly 100 student and administrative representatives from universities and colleges around the state for discussion about sexual assault and prevention.

Brian Kassar, of MSU Counseling and Psychology Services and coordinator of Men Stopping Rape, and Alanna Sherstad, coordinator of the MSU VOICE Center, presented what they considered the biggest issues regarding sexual assault, and offered their opinions and expertise.

Kassar and Sherstad emphasized that sexual assaults are not isolated occurrences, even on university campuses. Twenty percent of women and 6 percent of men will be victims of attempted or completed sexual assault during their time in college, while one in four women and one in six men will be victims during their lifetime. Sherstad said the number of sexual assaults at MSU is close to

VOICE Center.

Kassar and Sherstad believe that changing cultural attitudes is the most important aspect of preventing sexual assault. Culture, they said, can only be changed by increasing communication between individuals and the community as a whole, which means students must be brought into the conversation.

“When it comes to making a cultural change, [students] are on the front line,” said Joe Thiel, the Student Regent. “It’s [students] having the courage to stand up, having the courage to say something, and having the courage to make a change. We’re the ones who have the biggest effect.”

MSU President Waded Cruzado expressed the same sentiment. According to Cruzado, it was largely student regent Joe Thiel and other student leaders who were responsible for organizing the event. She said that the summit came together because student leaders said, “‘We are going to do

“When it comes to making a cultural change, [students] are on the front line.”

– Joe Thiel, Student Regent

the national average.

They also presented three methods for addressing sexual assault. Primary prevention consists of addressing the reasons sexual assault happens. Secondary prevention consists of survivor advocacy through programs like the VOICE Center.

Risk reduction strategies include things like the blue light emergency phones on MSU’s campus, focused on protecting potential victims.

Kassar said that sexual assault prevention should be an issue in which everyone is invested, instead of being considered only a woman’s issue. He said it is crucial to “avoid gender dichotomies in discussion,” adding that, “Defining sexual assault as a woman’s issue immediately shuts down half the argument, and half the potential for change.”

Speakers also focused on student and community engagement. Kasser asked, “If everybody agrees that sexual assault and rape are bad, why is it so hard to get students involved?” He said that out of MSU’s more than 14,000 students, only about 50 are volunteering as student advocates in the

something.’”

The discussion also centered around the role of alcohol and drugs in sexual violence.

According to Sherstad, alcohol plays a role in 80 to 85 percent of sexual assaults nationally.

While alcohol may play a part, an underlying issue is the lack of communication about sex. “Young people need to be able to have conversations about sex,” said Matt Caires, the Dean of Students at MSU. Caires said a person must verbally give consent before having sexual intercourse.

According to Montana State law, a person whose judgement is impaired cannot give consent. Montana considers both alcohol and drugs substances that impair someone’s judgement.

While Kassar and Sherstad consider the summit a success, they emphasized the importance of further student involvement in combating sexual assault. “Everybody has an opinion about this issue — everybody has a potential to make a impact in reducing sexual violence,” Sherstad said. “Take time to educate yourself. Speak up. Get involved.”

sexual assault statistics

20%

of women will be victims of attempted or completed sexual assault during their college years.

6%

of men will be victims of attempted or completed sexual assault during their college years.

1 in 4

women will experience sexual assault during their lifetime.

1 in 6

men will experience sexual assault during their lifetime.

Greater than 90% of victims will know their perpetrator.

Less than 10%

of sexual assaults are committed by by a stranger.

80-85%

of sexual assaults involve alcohol.

THE ASMSU EXPONENT |March 8, 2012

5

news

Student Government Budgeting in Process Nicole Duggan The Associated Students of Montana State University (ASMSU) are currently undertaking the budgeting process for the 20122013 school year — a comprehensive process that determines ASMSU program budgets for the next fiscal year.

During the 2011-2012 fiscal year, every MSU student who takes more than six credits paid $157 in ASMSU student fees, all together totaling $1.8 million. This money is then distributed to ASMSU programs.

The budgeting process, which has already spanned several weeks, is expected to last until the end of the current school year.

The ASMSU President Blake Bjornson said that student government’s funding comes from the combination of five fees: the

student activity fee, the sustainability fee, the bus fee, the intramural fee and the student organization fee.

The student activity fee is allocated to the senate for budgeting, while the other fees are given to their respective departments. he Intramural Fee, represents the largest portion, which consisted of $42 per student during this fiscal year.

Current programs funded by ASMSU include the Procrastinator Theatre, the Leadership Institute, Campus Entertainment, the Exponent and Day-Care.

All programs interested in receiving money from ASMSU budgeting must present their proposals to the senate. The administration, consisting of the ASMSU president, vice president and business manager, reviews the proposals, then gives its recommendation to the Finance Board, which is

General Wesley Clark speaks to a packed audience on Monday night.

made up of students, senators, MSU faculty and staff.

The Finance Board in turn presents its recommendations to the senate, which spends weeks deliberating before finalizing the budget.

The budget is not expected to be completely finalized until the last senate meeting of the semester in preparation for the start of the fiscal year on July 1.

Bjornson stressed the importance of the budgeting process to students, saying that because it is the students’ money is being allocated to the different programs, every budgeting decision directly effects them.

Students can provide input into the senate’s budget deliberations during the public comment section of senate meetings, which takes place at 6 p.m. on Thursdays in room 235 of the SUB.

Image by trevor nelson

Gen. Wesley Clark Lectures on America’s Future Josh Mazzoni Retired Gen. Wesley Clark spoke at MSU on Monday, calling for a “new beginning” in American leadership.

“We’ve got the wrong mindset in America,” Clark said in the SUB Ballrooms Monday evening. “We need to go further in thinking about the financial future of this country...to get to where we need to be.”

“We’ve lost our vision and our passion for growth. We need to get that vision back,” he continued, arguing that stimulating the economy through government spending is a necessary part of the country’s future.

“Somewhere along the way,” he said, it became popular for people to believe “government can’t fix the problem; it is the

problem. Nothing can be more contrary to the record of American history.”

“Where did we get the idea that government is the enemy?” he asked. “It’s our government, and we put them in office.”

“We’ve lost our vision and our passion for growth. We need to get that vision back.”

– Gen. Wesley Clark

Clark pointed at many instances throughout our nation’s history in which federal action has brought the nation forward.

“This land-grant [university] got its start because people in government had vision,” he said, pointing that the government negotiated the Louisiana Purchase, drafted the Homestead Act to facilitate the settlement of the west and built infrastructure like the Transcontinental Railroad, the interstate system and dams that provide a large portion of electricity in western states.

“I believe this country is the country of the 21st century, but what happened? How did we get here? Foreign governments used to look up to us,” Clark stressed. “21st century problems can not be solved with 20th century thinking...we need to think about what the government can do for America.”

Student Gov’t Declines Rail Jam Sponsorship Michael Gross Student government did not sponsor the fifth annual Chamberlin Rail Jam for the first time in the event’s history. Campus Entertainment and student government decided against sponsoring due to financial and transportation concerns.

John Stiles, director of Campus Entertainment, said the sponsorship would not have financially benefited MSU students. Although the ski and snowboard contests were free, the concerts had no special admittance to students. Stiles said he believed the financial turnaround was too poor to continue the sponsorship, because it would cost student government $10,000 in student funds to support.

Stiles added that the event was at Big Sky and not very accessible to students.

This year’s event required a one-hour drive, whereas last year the contest was held in Kountz Arena, a ten-minute drive from campus. “Student access is important. We work for every student on MSU campus and want to make sure they all have equal opportunity,” Stiles said.

He said sponsoring an event that was only accessible to people with cars would neglect Campus Entertainment’s goal of serving the entire student body. In anticipation of the transportation issue, Chamberlin Productions organized a bus schedule that ran from Bozeman to Big Sky and back throughout the weekend.

Tate Chamberlin, the director of Rail Jam, advertised the event on campus despite an absence of a student government endorsement. Chamberlin, an MSU graduate, has maintained relations with the graphic design school, business club and marketing club. He was able to advertise throughout the SUB with these connections.

The contest will travel to Missoula during the weekend of March 9. The University of Montana student government was open to the opportunity of creating a sponsorship.

Stiles said Campus Entertainment would be open to sponsoring the Rail Jam in the future. However, he said free student admission would be necessary.

6

THE ASMSU EXPONENT |March 8, 2012

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MSU to Offer Course at Bozeman High School

Montana State Athletes Respond to Charges

Katie chamBerS

roSe Sullivan-SprinGhetti

MSU has partnered with the Bozeman School District to offer an EDU 101 dual enrollment course to high school students in fall 2012.

The course, "Teaching and Learning: A Critical Introduction to Public Education,” will enable students to receive both high school credit and three college credits.

“It’s great that we were able to partner with the school district to provide this opportunity,” said Dr. Jayne Downey, head of the Department of Education at MSU. The course, offered for $148, will cost half the price of a typical two-year program.

“It’s an affordable way for high school students to get a taste of what college is like,” Downey said.

The course will be identical to the classes offered to college students over the past year, but will instead be taught at Bozeman High School by a Montana-licensed MSU professor.

“We want to provide greater community access to college courses,” Downey said.

“I think it’s really about providing doors of opportunity for these high school students.”

A Feb. 12 assault involving four MSU athletes led to charges of assault, disorderly conduct, minor in possession of alcohol and unlawful use of a license.

The athletes responded to these charges in municipal court on Tuesday, Feb. 28.

Xavier Johnson Blount, a basketball player for MSU, pleaded not guilty to charges of minor in possession of alcohol and disorderly conduct. Blount was found nearly unconscious outside Bar IX on the night of Feb.12 and suffered injuries to his shoulder and face.

Blount did not finish the season because of the injuries.

Sprinter Chris Wilson and defensive tackle Zach Minter both pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful use of a license or identification. Wilson, who used Minter’s ID to get inside the bar, was fined to a $470 in addition to a one-year deffered sentence for charges of disorderly conduct. Wilson also received a week-long suspension from the track team.

Minter, who said he knew Wilson had taken his ID, received a six-month deferred sentence and was fined $285. Minter was not involved in the assault.

Football player Roger Trammel, who was dismissed from the football team because of his involvement, pleaded not guilty to charges of assault. Trammel was charged with misdemeanor assault. He then claimed he was acting in self defense.

ASMSU Restructuring Bylaws Th is Semester Garrett Smith ASMSU is in the process of restructuring its bylaws this semester due to inconsistent language and obsolete clauses.

ASMSU is considering outsourcing to a consultant to aid in the process; meanwhile several volunteer senators have rewritten two articles of bylaws.

Student senator Michael Townshend commented on the importance of student government’s bylaws. “Bylaws reflect what ASMSU can do,” he said. “They show how we can better serve.”

Student Protests Procrastinator Regarding Advertisement Bonny BirKeland Thomas Robinson, an MSU student, coordinated a protest outside of the Procrastinator last Thursday challenging recent posters that displayed a picture of a woman’s stomach with a navel ring.

The Procrastinator Theatre is a program funded by the student government and was created to bring students inexpensive entertainment. Every Thursday the Procrastinator hosts Erotique night, the event the advertisements were for.

Robinson’s protest was aimed toward the posters which he thought didn’t promote healthy sexual practices and objectified women. He said the posters were put up during the week of the Tunnel of Oppression and both Hapner and Hannon, the women’s dorms — did not have the posters.

Chantell Bury, Director of the Procrastinator, responded to Robinson’s comment that Hapner and Hannon were specifically targeted to not have posters, saying, “We ran out of posters. Only 80 were printed and we just didn’t have the budget to print more.”

Bury said the posters were printed and put up on Feb. 22, while the Tunnel of Oppression was on Feb. 27 and 28. “But I do understand where he is coming from and I do apologize that the posters were up during Tunnel of Oppression week. It was never meant to be an issue,” she said. “If he had brought it to our attention earlier, we would have taken them down.”

Bury wishes Robinson had talked to the Procrastinator about the posters instead of protesting. However, she said, “I will make sure that nothing of the likes of the poster we did have will be printed in the future and that [the posters] will not be too risqué.”

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THE ASMSU EXPONENT |March 8, 2012

7

ASMSU Election Turnout Tough to Increase As MSU headed into the Fall 2010 ASMSU student election, Exponent Editor-in-Chief Eric Dietrich wrote a column for an October 2010 Exponent edition titled, “To Increase ElecVirginia Schmidt tion Turnout, ASMSU Opinion writer needs to Get Serious.”

In the column, Dietrich cited the average historical ASMSU election voter turnout of around 15 percent as proof that ASMSU needed to “get serious” to increase voter turnout for the (then) upcoming election.

And maybe they did get serious — the 2011 voter turnout for the student government election topped 21 percent.

The recent 2012 ASMSU election between now President Kiah Abbey and Vice President Lindsay Murdock and opponents Jesse Cook and Brian Murakami yielded a voter turnout of 7.3 percent. Yes, that is three times lower than last year. It is also twice as low as the 13.5 percent voter turnout of the 2010 student government elections. Does this mean ASMSU and this year’s presidential candidates got less serious — three times less serious as compared to last year?

The extremely sharp decline in the number of students who voted in the student government elections from 2011 to 2012 is alarming to say the least. However, this decrease does not mean that ASMSU and the presidential runners got less serious — surely they were more serious about campaigning and advertising in this election as there was actually someone to run against. In 2011, former ASMSU President Blake Bjornson ran in an uncontested race and still somehow managed to bring nearly a fourth of MSU students to the polls.

Dietrich suggested in his 2010 column that ASMSU as a whole and the presidential candidates do more “reaching out” to the student body and broaden the scope of their campaigns to increase voter turnout. In the most recent edition of the Exponent, Abbey, when asked about the low percentage of students who voted in the recent election, said students clearly do not have enough awareness of student government. She followed Dietrich’s train of thought and offered some great insights about how to reach out more to the student body so they might be more aware of and involved in ASMSU and its workings.

These are wonderful ideas. However, I seriously doubt that the distressingly low voter turnout of this year (or last year’s very

high voting percentage, for that matter) has much to do with what Kimberly Lewis and Tom Rice, in their 2005 study, “Voter Turnout in Undergraduate Student Elections” call “election specific variables.” Election specific variables are what Dietrich and Abbey are talking about — factors that influence voter turnout and pertain to election mechanics: campaign style, advertising, student body interest in student government and the election, online voting options, etc.

Lewis admit that “for colleges and universities looking to increase turnout, this is not particularly good news.” They go on to say that “schools may want to increase interest in student elections for many reasons, from the bonds it may help forge between the students and the school, to the positive and lasting effects it may have on the students’ sense of political efficacy, but the primary message from [our study] is that this will be a difficult task.”

“Schools may want to increase interest in student elections for many reasons, but this will be a difficult task.”

– Kimberly Lewis and Tom Rice, researchers

Lewis and Rice find in their study that “contextual variables” most influence voter turnout in undergraduate elections. Contextual variables include: whether the university is public or private, academic competitiveness, admission rates and the percentage of full-time students at the school. Rice and

According to Lewis and Rice, the average national voter turnout at university elections is around 20 percent. In the past three years MSU has surpassed this once, and fallen far below it twice. The point of this article is not to say that Dietrich, Abbey and others are wrong in trying to increase voter turnout

and student interest in ASMSU. The point is, in light of Lewis and Rice’s study, there might be only so much that can be done to increase turnout.

Last year’s stellar increase in voter turnout was likely not due to election specific variables. When the percentage of 2011 voters was broken down by who voted for which initiative, most people voted for the smoking ban, not the presidency. The biggest deciding factor that brought students out to vote was the smoking ban on the ballot, not efforts by ASMSU to increase voter turnout for an uncontested election.

ASMSU and those who run in the ASMSU presidential races cannot control the contextual factors that largely decide how many students will turn out for an election in a particular year. It is not right to search for any particular person or organization to blame (or praise) for low (or high) voter turnout. Still, it is always in the interest of the MSU student community for ASMSU to strive to increase voter turnout as much as they can because election specific variables do count for something — just not for everything.

Image by Emma Nielsen

8

THE ASMSU EXPONENT |March 8, 2012

opinion

The Tunnel of

Madison River Deserves Oppression’s Thoughtful Management Near Success Image by Brent Zundel

A few years ago, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) prioritized each river in Montana and named the Madison River as the single most important.

International fly Brent Zundel Opinion writer fishermen and local guides alike revere the Madison for its unparalleled blue-ribbon fishing, while everyone from local families to MSU students spends time floating the river on lazy summer days.

In spite of all this use, the river also boasts an exceptionally intact ecosystem.

Currently, a number of concerns about the river have surfaced, including littering, congestion both on the river and at the limited number of access points, trespassing on private property and conflict between users.

Rumors that floating could be completely eliminated have been circulated by various groups, including the Moose 95.1 radio station’s website. While concerns about the management of the river are legitimate, fears that floating will be banned in its entirety are overblown.

Realizing the importance of the river in towns from Ennis to Bozeman, FWP is working to develop a comprehensive management plan. They’ve already held four public meetings and are currently accepting comments online as well as applications for Citizen Advisory Committee members.

Based on community input and an environmental assessment, FWP will present a draft plan, which will then be opened for ample public comment.

As one of the premier rivers in a state admired for its pristine waterways, the Madison deserves a thoughtful management plan, carefully crafted by extensive public discourse. In creating this plan, FWP must balance many diverse interests — private fishermen, guides and outfitters and all types of recreationalists — while protecting the environmental integrity of the river system,

from its source in Yellowstone Park to its confluence at Three Forks.

While considering these proposals, it’s important not to create a problem where none exists. For example, guides taking fishermen out on the river already follow many regulations, but they ought not be further punished for operating on a popular river.

However, a 2008 FWP survey of roughly 750 randomly selected fishing license holders in FWP Administrative Region 3 produced revealing results. When asked about the pressure on the river (in terms of number of people fishing, floating, bank fishing, etc.) during spring, fall and winter, approval rates consistently ranged from percentages in the high 70s to the low 80s.

During the summer, however, the percentage of respondents who considered the number of floaters — people using the river for recreational purposes other than fishing — “acceptable” plummeted to 28 percent for the section of the river between Ennis Dam and Three Forks. It’s no coincidence that this area is the closest to Bozeman and easily receives the highest use.

How do the communities along the Madison deal with this pressure? If we are to avoid permits, similar to the lottery system under which the Smith River near White Sulfur Springs is managed, citizens must take it upon themselves to care for the Madison.

Spreading out pressure along the river would go a long way toward reducing conflicts between users. Floaters ought to consider slightly different put-ins and take-outs, and late arrivals might consider going home and getting up early the next day — instead of parking on the street or adding to an already full river.

Designated drivers and extra efforts to pick up litter will prove crucial to the Madison’s future. If you want a say in how one of the most important rivers in Montana is managed, FWP is accepting applications for the advisory committee until March 16.

Last weekend brought the debut of MSU’s first Tunnel of Oppression.

With tours offered on the hour for two days, the project saw consistent traffic. Considering the opinionated and Dan Goodman sometimes graphic naOpinion writer ture of certain exhibits, attendees were required to sign a form recognizing the university’s disassociation with the museum.

Created by student groups ranging from the VOICE Center to NECO, the Tunnel of Oppression addressed a diverse array of social issues and provided interactive opportunities that personalized the experience for attendees. For instance, the “secret postcard” room near the end of the tour allowed students to anonymously write their darkest secrets on black cards which were then displayed for all future attendees to read in passing. This component helped unearth local issues specific to MSU’s student body, amplifying the effectiveness of the project.

Unlike more controversial exhibits on other campuses, MSU’s attempt sidestepped many of the pitfalls that have made the Tunnel of Oppression infamous. Rather than expressing inaccurate, fictional portrayals of oppressive situations designed to shock audiences, this year’s museum primarily utilized credible sources and well-documented statistics. Overall, the project respectfully shed light on issues ranging from environmental ignorance to religious prejudices.

Yet, two conflicting exhibits within the museum brought about a sense of controversy despite the overall success of the project. Halfway into the tour, attendees found themselves at the Student’s for Choice exhibit. Surrounded by a mass of statistics written on colorful posters, audiences were presented with facts supporting the argument for contraceptives and the freedom of women to have abortions. In a later exhibit, attendees were encouraged to write their impressions of the Tunnel of Oppression on large strips of paper attached to branches of a paper mache tree of expression. No obvious discontent with the Students for Choice exhibit appeared on the tree. Instead, participants directed their frustrations at its opposition,

the Students for Life.

The anti-abortion exhibit designed by the Students for Life appeared near the end of the tour. Attendees were given the choice to carry a baby doll through the pro-life exhibit, a twisting hall cataloguing the weekly progress of a fetus during pregnancy on the right and bloody photos of aborted, mutilated fetuses on the left. Despite the accurate, yet graphic content of the first hall, attendees then entered a dark tunnel plastered with anecdotal pro-life quotes, some of which vilified pro-choice advocates. Rather than relying on logical argument and credible statistics, the Students for Life primarily utilized shock content and extreme anecdotes.

At the end of the the exhibit, attendees carrying baby dolls chose between placing the doll in a crib or discarding it in the trash as “medical waste.” Many attendees expressed disagreement over the pro-life exhibit through frowns and shaking heads,

Rather than relying on logical argument and credible statistics, the Students for Life primarily utilized shock content and extreme anecdotes. while others demonstrated their anger on the comment tree and secret postcard room.

One attendee said, “I don’t like the idea of abortion as a form of birth control, but at the same time, I don’t feel like they account for all the shades of grey. Nothing is black and white.”

Despite the overall success of the Tunnel of Oppression thanks to careful concern for accuracy and reliance on statistics, the Students for Life found many of their baby dolls piled in a garbage can next to an often vacant crib.

Image by Trevor Nelson

THE ASMSU EXPONENT |March 8, 2012

9

opinion

Technology, an Idiotic Obsession Kyle Lowis

You know what really drops my calls? Dumb phones.

Have you ever had an argument with a friend concerning the population of the Philippines? I have, and I Ryan Bovy Opinion writer won that fight because there are 93,260,798 people in the Philippines. That makes them the 14th most populous country in the world.

Guess how I know that. I looked it up on my smart phone — the ultimate disagreement ender. I’m tired of solving other peoples’ problems when something needs to be looked up.

In fact, I hope you break up.

She’s not a half-bad lady.

“Hey Bovy, what was the score of the Dodgers spring training game yesterday?”

My first response is inevitably, “Who cares?” followed by a “Look it up yourself, you dumb phone owner!”

I’m tired of people taking advantage of my smart phone; I have to pay for this data. Streaming Pandora while I walk to class does not leave me any room to Google stuff that you and your girlfriend are disagreeing about.

In fact, I hope you break up. She’s not a half-bad lady.

The worst is when people brag about their dumb phones. I know you could throw your phone against a brick wall and it would be fine, but I have better things to do for entertainment, like play Angry Birds.

It’s true, Snake was the best game ever invented for the cellphone and generations of children will never know the joy and anxiety that accompany a great game of Snake in the emergency room lobby. On the other hand, there’s no better time for me to harvest my crops.

Related: you can play Snake on your computer these days. It is way more fun to waste time feeding an animal (be it one that I personally hate) while writing an article than checking up on how happy your ex is without you.

For all you Snake lovers — turns out, there’s an app for that!

I remember when I had a dumb phone; that full keyboard scared me. If that’s your situation, there’s help.

I have gathered together a group of smart phone experts who will tutor you on Mondays, Wednesdays and every other Friday until you can text just as quickly with two thumbs as you used to with one.

You don’t have to be dumb forever.

Make the switch and let technology run your life.

Sure, the computers will eventually take over and destroy the human race, but it is far too late to stop it. Our plan *cough* their plan I mean, is already in motion. Give in to the dark side.

The Exponent's most infamous ranter takes on whatever gets his goat. If you have any questions, comments or threats, feel free to let him know at msuexponent.com/sweatpantrants.

There is nothing more sad and depraved in today’s world than the complete obsession with technology, particularly mobile technology. People have such an attachment, and addiction to their mobile distraction devices — so much so that it takes over their lives. It becomes their lives. It is sad when I walk around campus to see the attention of others locked on their smart phones and headphones, blocking out all other stimuli other than the ones of their choosing on their handy mobile-distraction device.

It’s almost a form of public masturbation, selecting the stimulation you wish to receive from your electronic tool.

The goods offered by your technogadget are so advanced that it satisfies literally every need of stimulated thought possible. And here I thought Montana and Bozeman in particular, with its limitless beauty and proximity

Customer Service, not Closed Doors The interaction, or lack there of, with paid office staff on campus is a troubling issue. While my personal interaction with instructors has been predominantly positive, I have experienced a consistent problem trying to contact offices. This institution demands of its students prompt replies to requests, yet on four of six attempts to get information and help from different offices this year, I have been ignored. Leaving a phone message, sending an e-mail or even stopping by in person produced

to such epic landscapes of adventure would be enough for my fellow man.

No, I suppose Angry Birds takes precedent over what I had mentioned. That is what is important. How selfish are you to deny your attention to the planet on which you reside to silly, mortal technogadgets. It’s disgraceful.

I speak of this as a warning to others of the mistake I made. Do not let technology distract and mislead you.

Students, you are in a beautiful area.

How important can your iPhone and petty gossip be when we live in an oasis of wonder and exploration? Quit your selfish stimulation and enjoy what you see around you. The day an iPad or tablet takes precedent over the unrepeatable existence on our Earth is the day that I die. What seems like such a simple philosophy to me seems alien to others, and for this I rant.

Dave Hennager no results.

It wouldn't be fair to point a finger at any one office or person as I don't know the factors behind this lack of consideration. But, are students not the customers of MSU? In a 15-year career before entering MSU, I served customers in the construction industry. If I had treated a client in this manner, I would have been fired. This practice does not promote the retention nor success of students; both major issues the university is working to address.

10

THE ASMSU EXPONENT |March 8, 2012

oPinion

last week's answers: Dirty Freshmen

Jack Haren

The bathrooms in North Hedges are cleaned daily by our wonderful cleaning staff with powerful chemicals, yet they are still disgusting by the end of the day — the reason being that people don’t clean up after themselves. All six sinks are frequently covered in toothpaste, hair clippings and bodily fluids, so I have no choice but to wash my hands in the catastrophe.

I guess it isn’t so bad, at least I know that my floor is doing some basic personal hygiene. However, there is an exception to that: My floor doesn’t wash their hands. Ever.

Is it really that inconvenient and time consuming? Not really. I suppose you could gain immunity to sickness by not washing your hands, but do yourself a favor and wash your hands at least once in a while. Good times to wash your hands would be before you eat food, after wiping your a-- and perhaps before you are in the vicinity of women, if you ever get there.

CLASSIFIEDS eMpLOYMeNT Women with interesting tattoos wanted for photography project. pay is $50 per hour. please email a photo of your tattoo to jkern@bresnan.net or call Julia at 570-8653 for more information. eMpLOYMeNT female model Wanted - $100/hr - fine art figure photography - email faceshot to Julia at jkern@bresnan.net or call with questions at 570-8653.

THE ASMSU EXPONENT |March 8, 2012

11

oPinion

Letters to the Editor Bike issue highlights smoking Ban idiocy The recent Exponent article, “Bike Issue Needs No-nonsense Solutions” (Editorial, Feb. 16) highlights the idiocy of the imminent campus-wide smoking ban. How, you might ask, are reckless bikers and stoned longboarders related to the smoking ban?

Well, the newly conceived Bike Safety Committee (seriously, people?) has concluded that bicyclists “pose a danger but that banning bicycles from campus is not a viable option.”

OK, that’s fine. Watching out for bikes is an occupational hazard of walking the streets of Bozeman. But shouldn’t the same logic used by the Bike Safety Committee be

applied to the tobacco issue? Let’s let smokers enjoy their delicious, yet noxious, cigarettes in designated areas and people who are particularly worried of second-hand smoke can avoid these zones. An errant longboard or high speed bicyclist poses more of a threat to the people of this town than walking through a puff of tobacco smoke. And let’s not even get started on the risks posed by second-hand chew tobacco.

MATT HILL Fixed-Gear Bicyclist and Infrequent Smoker

angry letter to the editor Mad lib: Dear Editor: I hope you know just how SLIPPERY your newspaper is. Every Thursday I am thoroughly BEFUZZLED by your newest edition.

I can't believe that BRAZILLIONS of my student dollars are spent on this SHIZ-NIZZLE. After much SQUISHY thought, I have come to the conclusion that a PYGMY MARMOSET could do your job better. You really GARGLE my MARBLES. HERMY STICKY-BUNS THUMPER-CHEEKS Actually a Legitimate Letter Writer — We Promise

tobacco rant Misses the Facts In response to Troy Duker’s rant last week (“Countdown to Fascism”), I would like to clarify several points. The tobacco-free policy was supported by 61 percent of the student body last spring, indicating that a majority of students are in support of a tobacco-free campus. With only 11 percent of students using chewing tobacco products and 19 percent being cigarette smokers, many people understand that the right to breathe clean air supersedes the right to smoke tobacco.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Surgeon General have both stated that there are no safe levels of exposure to second-hand smoke and, with 73 percent of students reporting being exposed to second-hand smoke on campus, it only makes sense that MSU would pass the policy in accordance with state law and the students’ wishes.

I am pro-student health, and I truly

think that the various banners, posters and yes, the countdown clock, will help further student awareness and make them more apt to comply.

Furthermore, while you may find the sign personally embarrassing, much like Duker’s ill-informed and ill-written rant — it is in no way misleading. The tobacco-free policy will go into effect Aug. 1, 2012, and that is precisely to what the clock is counting down. Those that enjoy using tobacco are more than welcome to, provided that they do not partake in that particular vice on campus property. Furthermore, those at the Exponent would do well to run a series of articles showing both sides of this debate and all others, as opposed to the one-sided rants that we are normally subject to.

I agree that the SUB isn’t just a building, but rather a center for the student body to congregate and become informed about the ongoings of the campus — of which this policy is one.

CASSANDRA THEIS Community Health

Big

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THE ASMSU EXPONENT |March 8, 2012

THE ASMSU EXPONENT |March 8, 2012

13

Crystal Method

Sky Tricks Names

Heavy snow fell throughout the concert Friday night, but those who came out were rewarded by an epic dance party courtesy of the Crystal Method. The Las Vegas and L.A.based DJ duo has been playing music together for almost 20 years, and their experience was evident as they mixed well-known classics with fresh beats and high energy. “The Crystal Method really rocked it,” said Winchester.

“They came in with their mock-necks, and they just gave it their all.”

The 2012 Chamberlin Rail Jam beats and feats rock the big sky KAREN WILSON Last weekend tested the endurance of mountain and music fans alike who came out in force to watch the Chamberlin Rail Jam, electronic and hip-hop music outdoors in Big Sky on Friday and Saturday. The Rail Jam started at 4:30 p.m. each day, and once underway the entertainment was nonstop, with the music openers starting immediately after the competition ended. Missoulian dubstep duo Ebola Syndrome opened for electronic legends The Crystal Method on Friday, and local emcee David Dalla G pumped up the energy for crowd-favorite Atmosphere on Saturday.

The event started Friday afternoon with skiing and snowboarding preliminary competitions; 10 athletes from each division moved on to the finals on Saturday. The rail setup

consisted of two standard features, a down rail and a down box, and a third feature which could be approached from several angles: a big kicker for launching onto a closeout L-rail connecting to a wallride. Riders could hit the “This can get national attention as far as Big Sky being a place to hold events.”

— Hannah Safford, MSU student rail straight on and gap into the landing, hit the wallride and take a vert ramp down, or hit it like a tabletop jump and gap the entire

thing. The Big Sky park crew built the venue at the base of the Explorer lift, and the stage was nearby facing uphill.

The unique closeout rail/wallride feature presented a challenge for competitors who practiced in the Big Sky and Moonlight parks with more straightforward features. “It's kind of fun, but they don't build stuff like that in the parks here in Montana,” said snowboarder Cole Schneider. “No one was really prepared to hit it.” Event judges gave a special shoutout to the snowboarder who landed a 270 out of the closeout, but skiers took a new level of creativity to the feature in the finals.

Snow boarding & skiing The snowboarding finals kicked off the competition on Saturday with a modest crowd and bumpin’ dubstep music; it was up to the riders to energize each other and the crowd during the free-flowing competition. Spectator Lanny Winchester especially enjoyed the creative spin combos like 270s into boardslides and 180s out. "It got me pumped up because I haven't been snowboarding in a while and it's really magical up here,” he said. “Everybody was having a good time, so it was fun."

Spectator Judacia Dalimata opined that the skiers had “so many more sweet moves” than the snowboarders. “They're bustin' it out.

Snowboarders kind of stepped up toward the end and that was pretty sick; I saw some backflips, but skiers are just going a lot harder.” The skiing finals were the last athletic event on Saturday, and the crowd grew substantially after the snowboarding finals. Skiers at the top of the field elected to forgo the basic rails in favor of big airs on the wallride — the last round

Kale Kreiger

of the competition saw a string of skiers land massive and technical tricks. Shay Lee took the final hit of the competition with a huge double backflip off the kicker, delighting the crowd when he made a clean landing and skied away.

RESULTS

all images by anders hanson

Snowboarding 1. Todd Kirby 2. Mitch Kirby 3. Reed Schneider Skiing 1. Sandy Boville 2. Shay Lee 3. Brock Paddock

Atmosphere Atmosphere’s highly anticipated return to Montana exceeded all expectations when they headlined the show on Saturday. A live guitar player accompanied the emcee/DJ duo of Slug and Ant, and the setlist featured a widespread variety of old and new songs with reworked beats and guitar riffs that kept the crowd more than pleased, despite packed snow and a slippery dance surface. Slug expressed his gratitude to the crowd, saying, “It means a lot to us that you guys would invite a couple of dudes from Minneapolis to come out here and party with you tonight. I appreciate that, thank you.”

Toward the end of the show he added, “I love you motherf---ers and to prove it to you, last week I got a tattoo of your face on the inside of my chest. Take care of yourselves.” While the meaning of that statement remains uncertain, clearly Atmosphere can anticipate a warm welcome next time they roll through Montana.

Sean Daley (Slug)

This was the fifth annual Chamberlin Rail Jam and the first year Big Sky has hosted the event, which has always been in Bozeman in the past. While some may have been deterred by the more remote location, those who came out appeared pleased with the venue. MSU student Hannah Safford remarked that holding the Rail Jam in Big Sky “makes it more epic.

And plus there's not the mud factor like there was last year," she said. This can get national attention as far as Big Sky being a place to hold events.” Between skiing, snowboarding, live music and multiple after parties, the weekend flew by and Big Sky proved an ideal venue for snow-loving folk to get down.

Design by pierce Ware

14

SPORTS

editor | Heather Kruger

THE ASMSU EXPONENT |March 8, 2012

sports@exponent.montana.edu

Bozeman Badgers Take to the Pitch Against Idaho State Kyle Lowis The Bozeman Badgers rugby team faced off against Idaho State last Saturday, bringing with them the tenacity and strength needed for a good rugby match. Players gathered on the Bozeman High School soccer field at 1 p.m.

Weather conditions were far from pleasant. Facing overcast skies and a chilling wind, spectators were forced to bundle up.

The players stepped onto the field despite these harsh conditions. The more brutal and unforgiving the match is, the better.

The Badgers began the first half showing no mercy for the opposing team. After losing ground, they managed to swing around Idaho State and run the ball up the pitch for their first successful try, picking up the conversion and taking the lead. The crowd cheered with an intensity almost identical to the Badger’s performance on the pitch.

Rugby, a sport in which core mechanics are based on teamwork, relies heavily on the team’s ability to function as one (look at the scrum, for example). The Badgers worked well as a team in their drives up the pitch, but a few players stood out.

One player, Loren Oden, ran across the field and stopped an Idaho State player in his drive up the pitch. Oden tackled the player into a hard ice patch on the field for

Image by sam katz

Rugby players locked in a scrum.

a successful ruck — the Rugby equivalent of a fumble.

Steve Laski was an unstoppable force.

After gaining control of the ball, Laski drove up the field and through the Idaho State team. It took more than six players to bring him down. “These guys are tough,” an onlooker commented. “One of them broke his sternum playing — he was back the next

week.” Blood is a common sight on the field.

The Badgers performed well in the first half, leading with two successful converted tries (14-0). But while the Badgers played defensively and attempted to keep Idaho State away from their score zone, Idaho State still managed to push through and score two tries, ending the match on their third successful try, winning the game 17-14.

MSU Lacrosse Beats Utah State in Penalty-Riddled Game David Hoy

Image courtesy of alex reynes

Matt "Jersey" Richards, #24, led the Cats with four goals.

On Saturday, the MSU Lacrosse team improved their early season record to 3-0.

Multiple unsportsmanlike penalties in the second half erased a seven goal advantage at 12-5 to make it close at the final whistle.

An excellent combined effort in the second quarter saw the Cats go on a 6-1 run before halftime, aiding them to a final score of 13-9.

Second year coach Mike Robitaille wasn’t pleased with the large amount of penalties. “We need to clean up the mental aspect of our game,” he said. The most frustrating part of the team’s fouls was the amount of unsportsmanlike calls — MSU players went beyond the original call to earn additional time on the penalty.

The speedier Cats had a large advantage

in numbers with more than twice the amount of substitutes. The Utah State Aggies have been decimated with injuries in the early season, playing with only five substitutes.

“We need to clean up the mental aspect of our game.”

– Coach Mike Robitaille

Lead by Matt “Jersey” Richards with four goals on the day, the offense proved too much for Utah State. The team utilized a combination of quick strike fast breaks and methodical possessions to score their 13 goals. Other goal scorers for the Cats were Schimpf, Mariani, Hirsch, Heisey, Sweeney

Despite this loss, the Badgers remain a fierce rugby team. Their next home game is on St. Patrick’s Day, Saturday, March 17 at 1 p.m. on the Bozeman High School soccer fields. Come support your local rugby team, and watch the Badgers maul their way to victory.

and Soter.

The Bobcats played a zone defense for the majority of the game, offering plenty of shooting opportunities to Utah State. The Aggies finished the day with a staggering 50 shots, although most of them weren’t on goal. Of the shots that were on cage, MSU goalie Josh Stevens stood tall in his net with 16 saves on the day.

MSU is in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference, Division II Eastern conference in which there are only five squads.

The Cats fill up the rest of their schedule with regional opponents who happen to mostly classified as Division I. The Cats are in the midst of four straight games against upper division opponents, in which they’ve won their first two. Battling against these upper division teams so early in the season brings confidence to the club, especially as they’re winning.

This weekend, the Cats face off in Missoula against Washington State on Saturday, March 10, and Portland State on Sunday, March 11.

THE ASMSU EXPONENT |March 8, 2012

15

sports athlete profile: ReBecca Sorenson

Name: ReBecca Sorenson Sport: Track and Field Hometown: Cloquet, Minn.

Major: Cell biology and neuroscience, biochemistry minor Year in School: Senior How long involved in Track and Field: 11 years What events do you compete in and what do they entail?

I am a cross-country runner, I do distance races: steeple chase, 3k, 5k, 10k and mile. The steeple chase is 3000-meters with 35 hurdles and a water pit to jump over.

Why did you begin competing in Track and Field?

I wasn’t good at anything else, although I did play basketball as well.

Why did you come to MSU? I had never seen mountains before, research is huge here and I was able to continue running, which I love to do.

Image courtesy ReBecca Sorenson

Badass

of the Week: Sam Bullock

What is your motivation before a competition?

The distance girls listen to pump-up songs. I also meditate — I know it will hurt, but I can deal with the pain.

Do you plan to continue competing in Track after graduation?

I plan on running ultra marathons, which are 50 miles long.

What do you think is the key to your success as a student-athlete?

I am a list-maker and I can deal with stress. My teammates also lift me up all the time.

Do you have any awards or achievements you have received while involved in Track and Field?

I received a medal on Saturday, Feb. 25 for finishing third at the Big Sky Conference Indoor Track Championships. I have been a Big Sky

Conference All-Academic athlete every season since I’ve been here, and I’ve been Teammate of the Week.

Do you have an inspirational person or quote?

“Do it to it.”

“Pain is inevitable — suffering is optional.”

Do you have any other hobbies/ activities/interests?

I like crossword puzzles. I read a lot, play the mandolin, hang out with friends and teammates and volunteer.

What was your favorite class at MSU and why?

Developmental biology. I like Dr. Merzdorf and the subject was awesome.

Is there anything else you would like to tell students/readers about MSU Track and Field?

Come cheer us on. We’ve got some crazy amazing athletes and we need a larger fan base. The events are free.

– Michelle Thomas

These students might not be on the field or court, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t involved in an equally athletic endeavor. This column is meant to highlight students who are not a part of varsity athletics at MSU who are doing amazing things with their time outside of the classroom. Know a badass? E-mail us at sports@exponent.montana.edu.

Name: Sam Bullock Hometown: Eagle River, Alaska Major: Architecture Occupation: Professional freestyle walker, independent contractor at Spark R&D, soccer coach Hobbies: Underwater basket-weaving, snowboarding, fishing, flying, sled dog inspirational speaker, uke ripper, extreme ironing, camping Why did you move to Montana? To snowboard, fish and attend school.

Do your future plans involve this area? I’m unsure at this point in time.

image Courtesy of Sam Bullock

What is your favorite thing about Track and Field and why?

My teammates are pretty crazy. We like being weird in the locker room and I enjoy celebrating their successes more than my own.

What is a day you will never forget? The first time I hiked into the Bob Marshall Wilderness with my dad and hiked up to the Great Wall.

If you could do anything for a day, what would it be? I would begin the day in Talkeetna, Alaska, hop into the PA-18 Supercub ski plane and head to Kahilnta Glacier, the base camp for Denali. There I would set up camp and head up the mountain for laps on a split board. I would come down safe and spend the night to get picked up the next morning — or week.

Whether it has pontoons, skis or tires, Sam Bullock uses planes

to access parts of the wilderness most MSU students have only seen on T.V . Bullock earned his pilot’s license in Alaska in 2009, and enjoys his home state’s rugged terrain by traveling in and out of lakes and snow fields by plane.

In the Gallatin Valley, Three Forks Airport houses his big toy, a Cessna 172 airplane.

Last spring break Bullock flew about three hours to Idaho to pick up some friends and hit some fly-fishing spots. This spring break he intends to hike along the Escalante River in Utah, alongside amazing cliff walls hundreds of feet tall.

Bullock’s favorite stashes of pow can be found in Hyalite Canyon and the Northern Bridgers. As a binding technician at a local splitboard company, he has access to

equipment that allows him to travel deep in the backcountry to the area’s hot spots.

Bullock described the sports scene in Alaska; “Hockey and soccer are where it’s at. We didn’t have football; it wasn’t that big of a deal up there.”

Bullock spent his whole life playing a soccer goalie, and is giving back some of his talent as a goalie coach for the local Bozeman Blitz U-16 Girls soccer team.

Snowboarding has dominated the majority of Bullock’s free time this winter but he enjoys the time he spends coaching soccer and flying — when he isn’t designing his next architecture project for school.

– David Hoy

16

THE ASMSU EXPONENT |March 8, 2012

sports

[club profile]

MSU Men’s Tennis Dominates Roaming the Backcountry MSU-Billings, Handles Portland St. Anthony Varriano

Cassie Wilson

The MSU men’s tennis team hosted the MSU-Billings Yellow Jackets on Friday night and dominated in both doubles and singles matches, winning 6-1. Niklas Brandes cruised past MSU-Billings’ No. 1 singles player Mikel Kosich, winning in straight sets 6-0, 6-1.

The Cats won all three doubles matches, and Markus Schleuter, Lander Jewett and Javier Martin-Morillas won their singles matches in straight sets. Diego Campos needed three sets to take care of Billings’ No. 4 singles player, Brad Knutson, but played his best tennis in the third and decisive set, winning 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.

Without much rest, the men clashed with Big Sky Conference foe, the Portland State Vikings on Sunday, and squeaked out a win, 4-3. The Cats dropped all three doubles matches, but recovered from 4-7 deficits to force tie-breakers in two of them.

Brandes extended his singles match win streak to six, making quick work of Portland State’s No. 1 singles player, Roman

Skiing is a difficult sport, but telemarking takes it to a new level. Imagine doing constant lunges down ungroomed backcountry — this is exactly what the Telemark/Backcountry club of MSU does. The club’s mission is to network like-minded individuals in order to push their abilities and explore new areas.

Spencer Jonas, a sophomore in global/ multicultural studies at MSU and president of the club, has been telemarking for five years. “My favorite part about telemarking is trying to find a more creative flow to add to a line; it’s more than just making it down — it’s having to find the balance point of a telemark turn that allows you to add the extra element that isn’t there in alpine skiing,” Jonas explained.

When Jonas started the club one year ago, he was surprised there wasn’t already one in place. After all, Bozeman is a near perfect location with three ski resorts close by and an innumerable amount of backcountry.

While the club doesn’t provide equipment, they do offer pro deals with companies such as BCA, Flylow, Cloudveil and 22 Designs for skiers looking to buy new gear. It is also recommended to have some skiing or telemarking experience, but they welcome new faces all the time.

There are no fees or dues. If you’ve been looking for fellow telemarkers to roam the backcountry with, check it out. “The main goal is to get people in touch with one another and share information about ski conditions and gear, and to plan trips together,” Jonas said. “I think the club is a great way for people to meet others with similar goals.”

To get on the e-mail list about joining or attending a meeting, e-mail Spencer at norwegian4faceplant@gmail.com or join the facebook group — MSU Telemark Backcountry Club.

bobcat scoreboard Men's Basketball Bobcats portland state

Bobcats weber state

84 55

Men's lacrosse Bobcats utah state

13 9

Men's rugby Bobcats idaho state

When: E-mail norwegian4faceplant@gmail.com for information Cost: None – however, equipment is not provided

Men's tennis 53 75

woMen's Basketball

What: MSU Telemarking/ Backcountry Club

Where: E-mail for information

Margoulis 6-3, 6-1. The real story was a gritty performance by Lander Jewett, who fought back from losing 4-5 in the first set to win 7-5. He then dropped the second set 3-6, only to cruise through the third winning 6-1 over Vikings’ No. 5 singles player Alec Marx to give his Bobcat team the conference victory, pushing their overall record to 5-6, and 2-0 in the Big Sky Conference.

Though the Bobcats had what Coach Mike Phillips called a “brutal” early schedule playing the likes of Utah and Boise State, ranked No. 59 and No. 35 respectively, the team is now hitting its stride and Coach Phillips was very happy with their performance.

“Lander is great under pressure, Markus is back to playing well and Niklas beat a very good player, but Diego got the game ball. He hardly missed,” said Coach Phillips.

The Bobcat men will spend the rest of March on the road with conference matches at Northern Ariz., Idaho State and Weber State. They return to the Bobcat Tennis Center to host Sacramento State on Saturday, April 7 at 10 a.m.

Image courtesy of Spencer Jonas

Spencer Jonas, president of the club, competes in the Grand Targhee Telemark Big Mountain Competition.

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Bobcats msu–billings

6 1

Bobcats portland state

4 3

women's golf Bobcats 7th Leslie McGetrick 9th Molly Dorans 24th Melissa Hultstrand 42nd Paige Crawford 50th Kelly O'Brien 78th

If you would like to see your team's results in the latest edition of the ASMSU Exponent, send your team information to sports@exponent.montana.edu.

THE ASMSU EXPONENT |March 8, 2012

CULTURE

editor | Sabre Moore

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entertainment@exponent.montana.edu

President’s Fine Art Series Features ‘Reel Women’ ‘Love’s Labor’s Lost’ at the Emerson

Vanessa Naive

Throughout history, women have been unsung heroes in fields from medicine and science to the arts, remaining unknown and uncredited. While this has changed somewhat, the film industry still sees relatively few commercial hits made by women.

The President’s Fine Arts Series and the School of Film and Photography have teamed up to present the “Reel Women Film Series,” a weekly screening of thoughtprovoking, humorous and inspirational films made by women that showcase the multifaceted female experience.

The “Reel Women Film Series” takes place under the umbrella of the 2012 President’s Fine Arts Series, “Women In The Arts: In A Different Voice.” As March is “Women’s History Month,” the Office of the President and the College of Arts and Architecture are presenting a cluster of events that celebrate women through different media of art.

The films will be set up as a “cinema club,” and will each act as a springboard for discussion. Every week they will be joined by a member of the Bozeman community who is particularly knowledgeable of the film’s subject matter — from the challenge of work and motherhood to mourning the loss of innocence to girls rocking out and finding their own voice.

BOOK REVIEW

In light of St. Patrick’s Day, I decided to pick up a book set in Ireland. “Angela’s Ashes,” a memoir written

by Frank McCourt. The first of three books, “Angela’s Ashes” consists of vari-

Gianna Savoie, organizer and Adjunct Professor of the School of Film and Photography, had a difficult time choosing which films to screen. “We wanted a diversity of films in style and subject matter, and it was important to find stories that would engage the audience on a different level each week.

We also wanted films that would appeal to men and women alike,” Savoie said. “What we ended up with is a rich palette of classic, cult and contemporary films that explore a myriad of issues through humor, heartbreak

the still-challenged status of women in the media, both as professionals working behind the camera and as objects of representation,” said Savoie.

While the series is primarily focused on women, Savoie encourages everybody, including men, to join in the discussion. “At the very least, it will be entertaining. At the most, it could be downright enlightening.”

Screenings will be followed by casual discussions and will take place every Thursday evening at 7 p.m. in the Visual Commu-

“What we ended up with is a rich palette of classic, cult and contemporary films that explore a myriad of issues through humor, heartbreak and hope — and damn good storytelling.”

– Gianna Savoie, Organizer of 'Reel Women' film series & Adjunct Professor of Film and Photography

and hope — and damn good storytelling.”

The crux of the film series will come on March 20 when "Miss Representation," by Jennifer Siebel Newsom will be screened at The Ellen on March 20. “The film exposes

nications Building Room 182. The movies will screen through March and April, with the exception of March 16. This film series is free and open to the public.

'angela's ashes': A Review of Frank McCourt’s Irish Memoir ous stories from McCourt’s childhood through his early adulthood.

“Angela’s Ashes” is written in present tense and narrated by McCourt. It was a very different writing style than anything I had read, so it took a while to get used to.

The narration starts in New York in the early 1930 when the loss of McCourt’s younger sister, along with his father’s drinking problem leads the family back to Limerick, Ireland. The family never has a stable living environment or a steady source of income due to McCourt’s father’s drinking and inability to keep a job. By age 14, McCourt

had grown up, finished school, obtained a job and taken over as the family’s provider.

The family goes through many hardships, including the loss of several siblings, disease, poverty and abandonment by McCourt’s father. The book shines a light on the effects of class systems in Ireland at the time, when the poor relied heavily on the St. Vincent de Paul Society for charity and money.

Religion is a huge theme in this book, particularly Catholicism. I’m not very religious myself, so I thought I would have a problem with the constant mentioning of sinning and

begging for forgiveness and such, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought. It was interesting to see the many different saints they prayed to in different circumstances. “Angela’s Ashes” gave good insight into a young boy coming into puberty and its contradictions with his religion.

Although the book is told in stories, it keeps a consistent story line that isn’t hard to follow. I enjoyed “Angela’s Ashes” quite a bit, and it didn’t take long to read. I recommend it to the general public for a quick read.

– Sarah Rimkus

Jack Haren As I walked to the Emerson to attend “Love’s Labor’s Lost,” a play written by Shakespeare, I was expecting professional actors, a typical love story and an outdated, wordy style of dialogue.

I soon found out through surveying the crowd and reading my brochure that it was no professional production — rather, Petra Academy put on the show.

If you are not familiar with this play, the story begins with four males swearing an oath together, stating they will concentrate on studying. A component of this oath is to avoid women. The men briefly meet a group of women right away and each becomes absorbed with one. Each man then writes a letter in secret to his woman, thus breaking the oath. The women write back and each man revels over the responses while attempting to hide them from one another.

The women become upset when they find out about the men’s oath and secretive antics, and decide to play hard to get for a while.

The story ends when one of the male members has an epiphany. He says love is an extension of studying, and should not be avoided. With that, they plan to marry the women whom they tried so hard to catch.

Although the story is based around love, it is not the typical Romeo and Juliet story for which Shakespeare is known. “Love’s Labor’s Lost” interlaces humor and wit in what seems like every single line of dialogue, Most of the actors did a fantastic job delivering their lines. There were a few miscues in the performances, but the mistakes were resolved smoothly and promptly, and actually added to the overall humor.

On top of the superb acting, the set and costume design were well done. The intricately painted forest background piece was the most impressive. The other set pieces and props kept my eyes on the action and were effectively used to further the plot and story.

The director and student actors did a fantastic job producing “Love’s Labor’s Lost.” It was not a professional production like I anticipated, but Petra Academy entertained me — the only thing that matters in the end.

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THE ASMSU EXPONENT |March 8, 2012

CULTURE

Kermit Impersonator at the Procrastinator

images Courtesy Chantell Bury

Liam McGinty and other Kermit enthusiasts at Thursday night's show.

Anthony Rampello The only thing better than seeing “The Muppets” for a dollar immediately after playing sex-related games with a group of strangers is doing exactly the same thing with Kermit the frog. If you were at the Procrastinator on Thursday, you were one of the lucky few who

experienced it.

When the doors to the theatre opened, an excited crowd flooded past a lone protester toward their seats. Inside waited Kermit and Alex Kavon, ready to ask trivia questions and hand out penis bingo cards. Kavon is in the theatre most Thursdays representing

Erotique, a local adult store, but Kermit was a new addition and one-time guest.

“I thought it would be fun to incorporate a Muppet we haven’t seen in a long time” said Chantell Bury, the newly appointed Director of ASMSU films at the Procrastinator. She added, “I thought this would be hilarious.” She couldn’t have been more correct. When the Kermit impersonator first spoke, the audience, baffled by the accurate impersonation, broke out in appreciative laughter.

Every Thursday Erotique night at the Procrastinator has two parts: First, a short trivia about whatever movie is being shown and second, a physical challenge. When the quick trivia ended, Kermit and Kavon got the audience started with the physical challenge, penis bingo. The game worked exactly like bingo, but instead of the boring B-20s and G-72s our grandparents are used to, empty spaces were filled with words their favorite green Muppet to wasn’t used to saying, but that didn’t stop him. Kermit called out, “Vagina,” as well as “se… who spelled semen this way?” and “gargle balls! That’s a fun one to say.”

After the winners received their “penis rockets” and “pecker inspector badges,” Kermit took his leave and the movie began. At

the end of the film Kermit took the stage again and danced along with the final number. The credits rolled as the audience applauded both the genius of the film and Kermit’s wonderful performance.

“I definitely got a kind of nostalgic feeling,” said Matt Rine, referring to the film. “It was almost too good,” he added, referring to Kermit’s performance. After the audience finished taking pictures with Kermit and exited the theatre, Kermit admitted that his favorite part was “the final number [of the movie] and taking pictures with everybody.”

After such a successful show, Bury is looking forward to the Procrastinator’s upcoming events. These events include the original “Star Wars” movie, a superhero day featuring Tim Burton’s “Batman” and a showing of “Shaun of the Dead” as an introduction to this spring’s game of Humans vs.

Zombies.

Aside from the A-list films, two other films relevant to MSU students, “A Plumm Summer” and “Wolverine,” will be shown in early April along with a plethora of other events listed on the Procrastinator’s Facebook page (facebook.com/ASMSUPRO).

While there is no guarantee Kermit will be back anytime soon, the Procrastinator promises other interesting and fun-filled events.

907Britt Releases Second Solo Album Karen Wilson Britt Arneson, a.k.a. 907Britt, plays upbeat acoustic folk music with an organic passion.

She primarily identifies as a songwriter and recently released her second solo LP, “Middle of the Rainbow,” which she wrote almost entirely last winter while living on a farm outside of Fairbanks, Alaska.

“It was a good place to be hunkered down,” Arneson said. “When it was 40 below, it was a really nice thing to sit in front of the woodstove and write music.”

Arneson has since relocated to Missoula, where she lives with her eight-year-old son and plays music with local legend Richie Reinholdt in a duo they call “Britchy.” Now a full-time musician, Arneson tours around Montana playing shows as part of her CD release tour, which will culminate in Alaska in April. Arneson was born and raised in Alaska and retains that part of her identity with the “907,” Alaska’s area code, in her stage name.

907Britt will play at Wild Joe’s in Bozeman on Saturday, March 17 at 7 p.m. Reinholdt will accompany her, which Arneson is “really excited” about because “he's such a treasure trove of music knowledge, and his songwriting is awesome.”

“When it was 40 below, it was a nice thing to sit in front of the woodstove and write music.”

– Britt Arneson, a.k.a. 907Britt

Arneson and Reinholdt plan to write a Britchy CD in the near future, “because I think we bring out the best in each other,” Arneson said.

Beyond that, Arneson hopes to focus on songwriting, but “maybe not with [her] as a vehicle.” She said, “I'm interested in writing songs for other people and always have been. I write new songs all the time. What I think would be cool is if somebody who were more commercially successful could pick up the songs so that I could have enough revenue to be able to sit on the porch and write music all day.”

907Britt will have “Middle of the Rainbow” CDs for sale when she plays at Wild Joe's. Her first CD, "Continental Divide," is available at Cactus Records.

If you can't make it to the show, the duo is playing on KGLT Sunday morning, March 18, at 10:30 a.m. on Bob Butt’s radio show.

Visit 907britt.com to stream and download Arneson’s music for free, and richiereinholdt.com to check out Reinholdt’s extensive discography.

Image courtesy britt arneson

THE ASMSU EXPONENT |March 8, 2012

19

culture

A Question of Sexual Adventure Dear Aspen, As a woman, I’ve never considered myself interested in other women, but the other night I met one. She was beautiful, entertaining and intriguing.

We exchanged numbers and I’d like to see her again, but I’m concerned about other people’s attitudes. I also don’t think this means I’m no longer interested in men. Should I call her?

Learning to think outside the box can be difficult, especially when it comes to romance. Regardless of one’s gender, relationships are never easy. However, if you think you’ve found something that could be worth it, it’s an opportunity you shouldn’t let slip away.

It’s unfortunate that you have to worry about society’s perception of the situation, though I can understand why you might.

Ideally, other people shouldn’t have a say in your happiness. But, if you’re worried about it now, understand that you may always have to deal with a certain attitude toward your relationship, if you continue down the road with this woman.

Your attitude toward the situation is the most important thing. Don’t experiment if you’re only doing it to say you did. Remember that this individual has feelings too, and she may be more comfortable with the adventure. If you only call her to test yourself, you may hurt her.

If you’ve thought it over and decided it’s worth the risk, take things slowly. Just because it’s a different type of relationship than you’re used to it doesn’t mean you can’t begin casually. If/when you call her, suggest something simple like coffee or a hike. Take the time to get to know each other just as you should with a man — see if you are truly compatible.

It’s all right to be nervous, and it’s OK to be confused. I don’t think I’m wrong in suggesting that everyone feels this way when it comes to taking an interaction to the next level — it doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman, or what gender the other individual is.

The important thing to remember is your happiness. If you believe that you could be happy with this person, you shouldn’t let the opportunity disappear. Love is universal, and it has no specifications for how it is used.

If you don’t take the chance, you may forever regret missing out on something good.

Single or attached, Spring break Screams hot Sex Vacations make me horny, don’t you agree?

Hotels, cars, the outdoors, a beach (if you’re lucky) and titillating company. Single or attached, spring break screams hot sex. You may find yourself in one of the following situations during this needed break.

If you are going on vacation...

Use your tent, hotel room or hostel to the fullest! Image the possibilities with your partner. Go forth and have crazy hotel sex — in front of the mirror, in the bathroom, in the shower, on the table. Oh, and don’t forget about the ice machine down the hall. Hotels offer a wide variety of services, like room service — fruit and whip cream anyone? YUM! If you are driving or flying to your destination...

A public indecency ticket is something you don’t want to bring home, so find your place to get down in a hidden spot. You could become a part of the mile-high club, but be careful, flight-attendants usually frown on that.

Car sex is always an option, but finding the most feasible position is difficult. Try to puzzle your bodies together to find the ‘spot’ that is suitable for both.

Remember, make sure to stay hidden

and eventually dispose of the condom.

If you day dream about beach sex...

I’ll admit, it sounds like a good time.

However, if you have ever stepped on sand, you know it gets everywhere. Sex on the beach sounds scratchy. Furthermore, most Spring Break beach destinations are like kitty litter. So think twice before you get sand up your ass, or anywhere else for that matter.

If you are bringing your partner home to the parents...

Two words: QUIET SEX. Your parents are smarter than you think. Make sure you clean up before you sit down for dinner. On that note, quiet sex can be a different experience than usual loud sessions. Only hearing heavy breathing may be more of a turn on than you think!

If you are single and want to have sex with a stranger...

Make sure you are in the correct mindset to pick your mate for the night.

Respect yourself, use protection and get down. Be sure you always know where you are and have a friend on call.

Stay protected, MSU — we don’t want STI’s spreading around campus.

FOOD REVIEW

oranGe chicken stir FrY: achievable asian Delight

andrew Keene

pan and some cooking oil. Most of the dorms have kitchen facilities available and oil ready in the pantry.

I rarely discuss Asian food in this column.

The stigma surrounding this cuisine — that it is hard to prepare and difficult to find quality ingredients for — often encourages people to drop by the Wok or Watanabe.

When I say Asian food, I mean legit Asian cuisine, not Ramen. I’ve covered Ramen before. I’ve run it into the ground, beat it up, dragged it around, kicked the corpse and hooked up with its mother. I wouldn’t even lump generic store Ramen into the same category as quality Asian cuisine. So it is a little ironic that I’m about to go a step further and beat the dead horse that is Ramen a little bit more.

For this recipe you’re going to need a

Here are the foodstuffs you need: • • • • • • •

A package of Ramen Chicken breast fillets Orange marmalade Soy Sauce Sesame seeds (optional) Vegetables (optional) Procedure

1. Add a tablespoon of oil to a pan on medium heat.

2. Slice your chicken however you like. I

like using strips, but dicing it or cooking the breasts whole will work fine. Place them in the pan.

3. Once the strips whiten on the bottom, flip them over. At this point, drizzle the chicken in soy sauce.

4. Meanwhile, cook your Ramen according to package directions. Once the Ramen is finished, drain the water, season the

i’ve covered Ramen before. i’ve run it into the ground, beat it up, dragged it around, kicked the corpse and hooked up with its mother.

noodles and put them on standby.

5. Throw in enough sesame seeds to cover the chicken.

6. Add any vegetables you might have at this point. Stir everything to allow the veggies to soak up the flavor.

7. Add a tablespoon of orange marmalade. Very amount according to taste.

8. Stir everything, and once the marmalade begins to bubble and everything looks brown, add the finished Ramen and allow it to absorb flavor for a few minutes. Remove from heat and enjoy.

If you’re fortunate enough to have rice around, it works just as well as Ramen.

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THE ASMSU EXPONENT |March 8, 2012

THE ASMSU EXPONENT |March 8, 2012

Calendar Thursday March 8

What: Reel Women Film Series Where: Visual Communications Building, Room 182 When: 7 p.m.

What: Amnesty International: Make a Paper Bone for Genocide Awareness (Free Pizza).

Where: SUB Northwest Room When: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

What: Listening, Note-Taking and Using Visual Organizers Where: SUB 177 When: 3 p.m.

What: Library Workshop: EndNote Web Basics Where: Renne Library Heathcote Classroom When: 11 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.

What: Jazz with Friends Where: MSU’s Reynolds Recital Hall When: 7:30 p.m.

Cost: $5 for students $10 for others

March 9 What: “Anything Goes” Theatre production Where: Shane Lalani Center for the Arts, Livingston.

When: 8 p.m., also same time March 10, 16 and 17 Cost: $12 for students $15 for others What: MSU Human Resources workshop: “Conducting Effective Performance Evaluations”.

Where: SUB Ballroom D When: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Saturday March 10 What: Performance by Solas Where: The Ellen Theatre When: 8 p.m.

Cost: $23, tickets available at theellentheatre.com

Sunday

March 11 What: American Tribal Style BellyDancing Class

When: 6 p.m.

March 8 to March 21

Friday

Where: Your Yoga

What: Argentine Tango Dance Class Where: Emerson Cultural Center Ballroom When: 8:15 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Tuesday March 13

What: Argentine Tango Dance Class and Guided Practice.

Where: Beall Park Art Center When: Class: 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

Guided Practice: 8:15 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Cost: $8 for students $10 for others

Wednesday March 14

What: Library Workshop: Exploring Wikipedia Where: Renne Library Heathcote Classroom When: 12 p.m. to 12:50 p.m.

What: Maximize Your Point and Shoot. Camera Class Where: F-11 Photographic Supplies When: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Cost: $49.99, register at F-11

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Got an exciting, entertaining, extraneous, educational, or just plain excellent event coming up? Let us know at calendar@exponent. montana.edu

Saturday March 17

What: Garage-A-Rama and Pancake Breakfast Where: Gallatin County Fairground Events Park When: Breakfast 7 a.m.

Garage-A-Rama 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Cost: $2 What: Rugby Match Where: BHS Fields When: 1 p.m.

What: 30 Annual Pinhead Classic Telemark Festival Where: Bridger Bowl When: 11 a.m.

Sunday

March 18 What: Argentine Tango Dance Class Where: Emerson Cultural Center Ballroom When: 8:15 p.m. to 9 p.m.

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Calendar Tuesday March 20

What: Miss Representation Film Where: The Ellen Theatre When: 6 p.m.

Cost: Free, reserve seats at theellentheatre.com What: Tips for Building Your Fall 2012 Schedule Where: Gaines Hall 130 When: 9 a.m.

What: Argentine Tango Dance Class and Guided Practice Where: Beall Park Art Center When: Class: 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

Guided Practice: 8:15 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Cost: $8 for students $10 for others

Wednesday March 21

What: MSU Air Force ROTC Reveille and Retreat Where: Veterans Memorial Flag Pole When: Reveille: 7 a.m.

Retreat: 5 p.m.

THE ASMSU EXPONENT |February 2, 2012

THE ASMSU EXPONENT |February 2, 2012

ASMSU Exit Gallery Presents: “Valü”

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By Christina Nelson

It will be showing on March 19–30. A reception for the instillation will be held on March 21 at 5 p.m. and is open to the public Nelson is a senior who will graduate this spring with a degree in drawing and English literature. She grew up mostly in Montana at an orchard near Billings. Nelson said she chose art because it “always keeps me questioning. I’m always asking myself how I would capture that, or portray that feeling.”

Nelson began the work used in “Valü” three years ago with a small drawing of a tree. She wanted to build on that drawing, and was eventually working on a three-bysix foot scroll. Nelson bases her work on her own photography, and includes media ranging from glasswork to drawing.

Nelson’s work explores humankind’s connections with

nature as well as our place in the larger context of the world. The dichotomy of opposites is explored through positive and negative space as well as scale. Nelson seeks to illustrate the fallacy of complete opposites for the viewer, at least for a time. “There are all these opposites in the world — black and white, man and nature, good and bad, but everything has something of its opposite in it. There’s this underlying unity in the world that is simpler for people to just ignore,” Nelson said.

Nelson explores our connection to nature through the abstract similarity of blood vessels and tree roots. “A windblown tree kind of looks like a bent over person to

me; trees and people are similar,” Nelson said. The western mindset seeks to separate man from nature,

“Art should never exclude anyone.”

– Christina Nelson but Nelson wants to remove that barrier.

Nelson stresses that nobody should be intimidated by the Exit Gallery. “If people just want to show up and look at pretty drawings of trees, that’s great. Art should never exclude anyone.”

Words by Matthew Kennedy

The Exit Gallery is located in SUB 212. Their hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information please contact ASMSU Arts and Exhibits at 406.994.1828 or asmsuexhibits@montana.edu.

the BOX Fun Facts About Ireland SPREAD THE IRISH SPIRIT

ST. PATRICK WAS BORN IN ENGLAND, NOT IRELAND. THE SHAMROCK PLANT IS ENDANGERED. 13 MILLION PINTS OF GUINNESS BEER ARE CONSUMED ON ST. PATRICK'S DAY EACH YEAR. 34 MILLION AMERICANS HAVE IRISH ANCESTRY. THERE ARE 10,000 THREE-LEAF CLOVERS FOR EVERY LUCKY FOUR-LEAF. 300,000 PEOPLE GO TO KISS THE BLARNEY STONE EACH YEAR. THERE ARE MORE CELL PHONES THAN THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY OF IRELAND.

Comic

Concept and llustration byTammi Heneveld

Find us on Facebook The Montana State Exponent Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

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Welcome to The Box, a weekly feature intended to provide an eclectic array of puzzles, cartoons, jokes and quotes. Have suggestions for content to be published here? E-mail us at: editor@exponent.montana.edu.

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