THE BUTLER
COLLEGIAN
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER
18 2009
www.thebutlercollegian.com
COE rejects program changes Caitlin O’Rourke corourke@butler.edu Butler University’s College of Education and university President Bobby Fong are taking a stand against a new education proposal that would allow anyone with a master’s degree to become a principal or superintendent. The proposal, called the Proposed Rule Revisions for Educator Preparation and Accountability (REPA), would allow a person with no education background to assume the role of principal at a school. “The education community has not been included in this discussion at all,” Debra Lecklider, associate dean of the College of Education, said. “These are changes that do not come from us. They come from the state superintendent. They didn’t ask for any collaboration or input.” Lecklider said she is especially passionate about the bill because she has worked with school principals for years, and they “must have instructional knowledge.” “We’re like any other professional,” she said. “We have to
Indianapolis, Indiana
Established 1886
Vol. 124 Issue 12
be well-trained. We don’t want to put just anyone in the classroom. Preparation is important—you wouldn’t want someone performing surgery on you without having the proper training.” The college has had great support so far from the administration, for which they are extremely grateful. “I’ve gotten so much feedback from my fellow deans across the state who are envious of my position right now,” Ena Shelley, the dean of the College of Education, said. “Dr. Fong has been such an exceptional leader, sharing his concerns with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and working very hard with the Independent Colleges of Indiana [Foundation], who actually asked him to draft a petition on their behalf.” Shelley said that Butler has definitely been a leader in standing up against the proposal. Chris Beaman, a sophomore secondary education and mathematics major, said he shares those sentiments. See EDUCATION Page 6
Butler men s basketball tips off regular season
‘American Idol’ star performs at Butler Olivia Ingle oingle@butler.edu Kellie Pickler has been one busy lady, but she still found time to perform at Clowes Memorial Hall Friday night. She finished Taylor Swift’s “Fearless” Tour in Indianapolis Oct. 8, appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and attended the Country Music Awards Nov. 11. She even found time to change her hair color from blond to a reddish-brown. “Don’t play with fire unless you want to get burned,” Pickler said of her hair. “Sssssss.” HER & Kings County, a band from New York City, opened for Pickler Friday and succeeded in pumping up the crowd. Before Pickler even stepped on stage, the crowd was on their feet, clapping and dancing. After her name was announced, she came out on stage singing “Best Days of Your Life.” She sang two more songs, “Gotta Keep Moving” and “Things That Never Cross a Man’s Mind,” before she addressed the crowd. Toward the middle of the concert, the crowd belted out “Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You,” a new single that has just been released on radio stations. Then Pickler sang the first single that was released from her new album, “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful?” “This song makes you feel beautiful,” Pickler said. “Where are my girls at?” Pickler encouraged all of the women in the hall to sing along with her. She introduced her band members, and each musician performed a piece of their own music. “These guys have been the big brothers I never had,” Pickler said. “We have been on the road since Halloween, and these guys have performed with me every night.” Pickler then sang cover songs, such as “Don’t Close Your Eyes” by Keith Whitley and “Jolene” by Dolly Parton. “Dolly Parton is one of the biggest reasons I fell in love with country music,” Pickler said. When Pickler appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in October, she came dressed as Parton for Halloween. See PICKLER Page 6
Collegian photo by Maria Porter
SLAM DUNK: Sophomore guard Gordon Hayward shoots a layup during the men’s basketball team’s season opener Saturday. The Bulldogs beat Davidson in a rematch of last year’s ESPN Bracketbuster game. The final score was 73-62.
IR to relocate, cause system outage Caitlin O’Rourke corourke@butler.edu Students having minor meltdowns over the fact that all Butler Web sites will be down for three days this week can calm down; it’s only the data center that’s being changed. The central computer data center, where BUmail, Blackboard, my.butler.edu and butler.edu are stored, will be moving from the third floor of Holcomb Building to the basement of the new addition of the Pharmacy and Health Sciences Building. “The new center was built to be more green,” Joe Indiano, the director of networks and systems in Information Resources (IR), said. “We’re doing a lot to make the center more efficient. Data centers use a lot of energy, but we’ve made this one as green as we could.” Right now, the room that holds all the systems students and faculty use is a 20-year-old single room at Butler. It has technology that Indiano said is “suited toward your mom and dad.” Indiano said they needed to build a room that was more compatible with today, and they tried updating it to no avail. However, when the new pharmacy addition was being built, they found the perfect place.
INSIDE BUPD Beat.............6 Campus Pulse.......6 Staff Editorial.........7 Columns............7&8 Paw Prints..............8 Reviews............9&10
Playlist of the Week..............10 Horoscopes............10 Sports Column.....13 K e l l i e Pickler....................14
INFORMATION RESOURCES OUTAGE Friday @ 6 p.m. to Saturday @ Midday While the systems are moving, all of the Web sites will stay exactly the same. “The move is just a move,” Nathan Partenheimer, system administrator of IR, said. “We’re just changing rooms. There are no new services. When we bring it back, everything should work just the same.” Help desk staff for IR said any worries students or faculty have about e-mails should be put to rest. “All e-mails sent while the systems are down are going to be stored on a server,” Mark Seitter, a junior software engineering and computer science major currently on the help desk staff for IR, said. “No e-mails will be lost.” The help desk will be down all day Saturday but will have a voice message recording to remind people of the outage.
Relief from Anxiety
Collegian photo by Maria Porter
COUNTRY: Kellie Pickler, country singer and previous “American Idol” star, performed at Clowes Memorial Hall Friday.
Men’s Soccer Ready to Kick
This is It
Eating chocolate is just one strategy Butler students can use to reduce their stress.
The new Michael Jackson documentary shows behind-the-scenes footage of MJ’s planned tour.
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Men’s soccer earns No. 12 seed and a first-round bye for upcoming NCAA tournament Sunday.
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Butler Forecast Today
Tomorrow
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Wednesday, November 18, 2009
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The Butler Collegian
NEWS
NEWS
Incident forces shuttle cancellation Rachel Brummer and Jennifer Pignolet rbrummer@butler.edu; jpignole@butler.edu
For the remainder of the semester, Butler University students needing a ride to or from Broad Ripple or the Glendale Mall on the weekends will no longer have the option of taking the shuttle offered through the Student Government Association (SGA). SGA President Chad Lesczynski said they decided to cancel the shuttle after complaints from the bus driver about an incident last weekend. Lesczynski said the office for Programs for Leadership and Service Education, which contracts with the bus company, received an e-mail Monday morning detailing an incident involving students who were upset that the driver would not let them on because the bus was at capacity. Lesczynski said issues with the bus, which is referred to by students as the “drunk bus,” are not uncommon, but this situation was severe enough that SGA executives felt they needed to take action. “This driver changed his schedule so he could ride our route because he really liked our route,” Lesczynski said. “He no longer wants to work the route. And that’s an issue.” While Lescynski wasn’t present during the alleged incident, he said the e-mail described students intimidating the driver by banging on the windows of the bus and making obscene gestures. When the bus drove away, one of the students got into a car and rode to the next stoplight, where he got out of the car and continued to bang on the windows of the bus, Lesczynski said. “We felt we had to cancel it to send a message that such behavior is not tolerated,” Lesczynski said. “It can’t be tolerated.”
The decision came just days after SGA made changes to shorten the bus schedule to cut down on costs. The most recent change only eliminated one full weekend of service, Dec. 4-5, as there was no shuttle planned for the weekends of Thanksgiving break or finals week. Lesczynski said typically between 100 and 200 students ride the bus each weekend, whether it’s for a movie at the Glendale theater, a late-night snack or a safe ride home at the end of a night at the bars. Sophomore Alexis Peterson rode the free shuttle for the first time this weekend. She said she and her friends went to Qdoba Mexican Grill at approximately 1:30 a.m. “[The bus] was completely filled with people,” she said. The cancellation might also have an effect on Broad Ripple businesses. Scott Codarmaz, one of the managers at Qdoba, said that on Friday and Saturday nights, the restaurant gets a lot of business from Butler students. “The rush usually lasts until four in the morning, so it might have an effect on business,” he said. Lesczynski said there are tentative plans to bring back the bus system next semester. “But we’re going to lose the bus company if we keep doing things like this,” he said. “And we don’t have anybody else that will provide this service.” He said SGA will provide information to students about arranging other rides to and from Broad Ripple, particularly on how to get a taxi. If the bus is brought back next semester, SGA will encourage the drivers to enforce the rule that all students must show their
Collegian photo by Rachel Senn
LATE-NIGHT SNACK: Students craving burritos at 1 a.m. will not be able to depend on a free shuttle this semester. Butler student ID to ride the bus, Lesczynski said. “We’re not trying to track who rides,” he said. “The budget for it is from the student activity fee, so we want to make sure the ones paying for it are the only ones riding it.”
Bicycles provide fast, green way to get to class Grace Wallace gwallace@butler.edu To bike or to hike? That is the question. Senior Laura Flynn said she thinks bicycles are very useful on a small campus like Butler University. “I ride my bike to class every day that is weather permitting,” Flynn said. “I live off campus so riding my bike makes a quicker trip to class, and I have more time to sleep in.” Those few minutes you can save yourself when traveling through campus make a difference in the lives of the ever-busy college student, she said. It gives you more time to sleep in, get around in between classes and get home sooner. Sometimes, even during classes, bikes can come in handy, Flynn said. For example, last week her physics lab had to meet in Hinkle for some of the experiments. When it came time to return to Gallahue to record and report data, she said she beat everyone else who was either driving or walking because she could ride her bike and had more time to work on the lab. Beyond the time-management factor, bicycles are also very useful for getting to off-campus locations without worrying about gas, parking or relying on others. Having to do these things in areas like Broad Ripple can be tricky and a hassle, Flynn said. She often rides her bike to work or the store rather than fighting the traffic and paying for parking, she said. “The other great thing is that you never have to worry about trying to find a ride or relying on public transportation if you ever needed to get anything,” Flynn said. “With a bike, you always have a quick and efficient way to get off campus whenever it is necessary.” Though she thoroughly enjoys riding her bicycle, even on such a small campus, Flynn said she does have one bone to pick in regards to the bicy-
cle racks at Butler. “There are enough bike racks on campus, but there are not enough in the areas that people really use to put their bikes,” Flynn said. This is something that has been a problem over the past few years as more people begin using bikes to get to class.
These areas include the main points of campus, such as by the pharmacy building or outside the front of Jordan Hall. These are places where most people leave their bikes for the day since they are in close proximity to all of the academic buildings. Junior Caroline Bloemker, on the other hand,
Collegian photo by Rachel Senn
I WANT TO RIDE MY BICYCLE: With the increased costs of gas and lack of parking on campus, many students have turned to bicycles as an alternative mode of transportation.
said that she doesn’t mind the crowded racks and usually leaves her bike at the rack outside of Gallahue Hall because of its central location. She rides her bike to class everyday from the Apartment Village. “I’ve had to tie my bike to a tree or the bench a couple of times,” Bloemker said, “but overall, I don’t really mind because I’m still able to leave it there, and nothing too terrible has come of it yet.” Tying your bike to something other than a bike rack is not only tacky, it also leaves more room for potential damage to your bike, Flynn said. She said she is extremely protective of her bicycle and would appreciate the extra bike rack to ensure that there are enough spots for everyone. “I ride my bike everyday, and if it was gone or something happened to it, I would miss it on a daily basis,” Flynn said. Getting new racks or rearranging existing bike racks throughout campus would really help with the security for such an important object to many students, she said. But biking isn’t for everyone. Junior Chris Herron lives in the Apartment Village, and he said he has never ridden a bike to class because he enjoys the walk. “I like to take in the nature and enjoy the beauty of the surroundings on my walks to classes,” Herron said. “It helps me to relax for the day.” Based on the increasingly limited space in bike racks, it appears that Butler is gaining more bikers with each year, and the need for bike racks is something that should be taken into consideration. Above all, though, the general concensus says the need for a bike depends on where you live and if you have a car on campus. “I love riding my bike,” Flynn said. “It puts a smile on my face.”
The Butler Collegian
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Wednesday, November 18, 2009
NEWS
NEWS
Ecologist links cancer, environment Allison Denton adenton@butler.edu In the last of the J. James Woods Lecture Series this semester, ecologist Sandra Steingraber presented a lecture on environmental hazards and their effects on human health. Steingraber provided perspectives on this issue as a mother, cancer survivor and ecologist and has used her own life experiences as inspiration for her environmental studies. Steingraber is the author of two
books: “Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment,” which was released in 1997, and “Having Faith: An Ecologist’s Journey to Motherhood,” which was released in 2001. Steingraber wrote “Living Downstream” after doing a field study on the border of Sudan and Ethiopia, where she researched how social and environmental disruption was affecting the Nile River. It was after a conversation with a native refugee farmer that
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Steingraber realized there were pressing environmental issues in her very own homeland of Illinois. “By the end of that conversation my life had really changed and the direction of my scientific career had really changed,” Steingraber said. The farmer asked her about the Illinois River and the fish that dwell in its waters. When Steingraber replied that the fish were so toxic due to the chemicals in the water that they could never be eaten, the farmer ordered her to go home immediately and take arms against those who poisoned her river. It was then that Steingraber said she became an environmental detective in her own hometown. After being diagnosed with bladder cancer, a cancer Steingraber said is known as the quintessential environmental cancer, at the age of 20, she studied many different chemicals—especially pesticides used in agriculture—to provide a link between health and the environment. The product of her research came in the form of “Living Downstream,” which is now being made into a film. Steingraber showed the audience the film’s trailer at the end of her lecture. Steingraber became pregnant with her first child, whom she named Faith, at the age of 40. While pregnant, Steingraber said she began to consider revisiting some chemicals she had already researched for “Living Downstream” and learn how they affect developing children. Steingraber walked the audience through the cycle of a human life from conception to birth, showing how certain environmental factors—exposure to
certain toxins found in food, water and air pollution—can cause birth defects, a decrease in fetal brain development and even premature birth. At the end of her lecture, Steingraber read a passage from “Having Faith,” which highlighted a more personal aspect of the book rather than data or statistics. Steingraber said she usually reads a more lyrical portion of her book at the end of her lectures in order to remind herself and the audience that the reason she does this environmental and health work is because she wants to protect human life. “Behind every data point lies a human life,” Steingraber said. Steingraber emphasized the concept of viewing her ideas as an environmental human rights movement. She said events that might only seem like personal tragedies, like cancer and premature birth, are really part of a bigger picture. She said because so many
health cases are related to the environment, our energy and environmental policies should take those into consideration. Steingraber used the example of prenatal exposure to mercury. Mothers exposed to mercury while pregnant have a greater risk of having a child with a learning disability. Therefore, investing in cleaner energy though solar or wind power is also an investment for education, since a lot of money is spent on remedial education for disabled students. Indiana University (IU) East English Professor Alisa ClappItnyre attended Steingraber’s lecture after hearing many things about her books. Clapp-Itnyre teaches an environmental writing class at IU East and agrees with Steingraber on the human rights aspects that were discussed. “We’re going to wipe out a generation of people after us if we don’t start making a change right now,” Clapp-Itnyre said. “It’s extremely selfish of us to just say
there are no solutions or it’s not cost productive. We have all those excuses there, but I love what [Steingraber] said. We have all the answers, as well, if we’d only start using them and applying them.” Junior Science, Technology and Society major Kari Maxwell said the lecture was very eyeopening. “It’s something most people don’t think about, all the different connections like what farmers use on the field and how it affects your drinking water,” Maxwell said. “Most of the public doesn’t know that. We don’t understand how it all works.” Maxwell also agrees with Steingraber and Clapp-Itnyre on the human rights aspect of it all. “I definitely think that it’s a big issue nowadays, and it definitely needs to be dealt with,” Maxwell said. “People should take a stance one way or the other.”
Collegian photo by Maria Porter
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS: Sandra Steingraber discussed connections between what chemicals farmers use on their fields and how the chemicals affect the general public.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
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The Butler Collegian
NEWS
NEWS
Professor highlights cultural changes Elizabeth Moy ecmoy@butler.edu Waldo Martin, professor of history at the University of California, Berkeley, spoke on the idea of “black power” during the annual Thornbrough Lecture last Friday. The title of his lecture was “Be Real Black for Me: Black Cultural Politics in the Black Power Era.” Martin’s lecture was based on the song “Be Real Black for Me” by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. Martin discussed the influence the song had in a time of cultural movement. Rather than focusing on the civil rights aspect of the 1970s, Martin spoke on the idea of “black power” and how the word “black” became respected and beautiful. “Alongside civil rights there’s another struggle, and one of the ways to think about that struggle as a common way is the notion of black power,” Martin said. “Whereas civil rights has a more sort of non-threatening kind of tone to it, black power, as my momma would say, scared a lot of people.” Martin tied the idea of black power to the representation of the song “Be Real Black for Me” in pop culture. “‘Be Real Black for Me’ is a very different kind of song, a production that sensitively engaged the ‘black is beautiful’ sensibility that captured the black power era,” Martin said. “You don’t have to be black to appreciate and hear it and like it.” People in the audience shared their testimonies of the first time they heard the song and how they came to appreciate the song in their lives. “In my family, my mom discouraged us from being proud of
being black, but when songs like ‘Be Real Black for Me’ and ‘Where is the Love’ came out, it made me proud of who I was,” a woman in the audience said. “I wasn’t ashamed of who I was.” Though the song can be taken in a romantic context, Martin encouraged listeners to think of it in a broader sense of community. The line, “You don’t have to change a thing,” embodied the idea that the black community did not have to change themselves to be accepted, he said. “When you hear the singers talk about ‘Be Real Black for Me,’ it is more than a personal desire or choice. Even more important, they are talking about collective desire and collective choice,” Martin said. Junior Kelly Geisleman attended Martin’s talk and said she enjoyed his sense of humor and easy, conversational tone. “Dr. Martin used the song ‘Be Real Black for Me’ to highlight some of the cultural changes that were going on in the black movement in post-war America,” Geisleman said. “I think his main message was just to raise an appreciation for political music.” Martin has written several books including “No Coward Soldiers: Black Cultural Politics and Postwar America,” “Brown v. Board of Education: A Brief History With Documents” and “The Mind of Frederick Douglass.” Geisleman’s class read “No Coward Soldiers.” Martin said one of his classes focuses specifically on political music. “A key component of the black power moment was radical cultural moments,” Martin said. “What I tried to do is to think about those moments, and today, the way I want to think about that is through a song.”
Collegian photo by Rachel Senn
BLACK POWER MOVEMENT: Waldo Martin relates the black power movement to the song “Be Real Black for Me.”
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The Butler Collegian
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Wednesday, November 18, 2009
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NEWS
SMART boards enhance learning Allison Denton adenton@butler.edu SMART Boards, an instructional technology tool that many students became familiar with in high school, are now a tool they will most likely can find used by their professors at Butler University. With its first installment in 2007, Butler now has 12 classrooms with SMART Boards, distributed in various facilities including Hinkle Fieldhouse, Jordan Hall, Holcomb Building and the Pharmacy and Health Sciences Building. This year, three SMART Boards were installed in the Pharmacy and Health Sciences Building as part of the new addition. “The primary way that technology gets integrated into the classroom is because of the needs of the college or department,” Julianne Miranda, senior director of Instructional Technology, said. “In the case of pharmacy, a lot of their discipline is so pen-based anyway. They’re writing chemical formulas. They’re annotating anatomical structures. That pen-based technology makes a lot of sense.” Senior pharmacy student Michael Spillner uses SMART Boards in his Dosage Forms and Self Care classes. “My professors like to use the SMART Boards as a quick and easy way to highlight key things from a notes handout or to illustrate a difficult concept with a picture,” Spillner said. Writing in “Digital Ink,” the ability to save SMART Board screen shots as PDFs, and a notebook function are a few of the features of the standard SMART Board at Butler. While it may seem like SMART Boards are only useful in numberbased classes, professors of many different disciplines utilize the technology. Religion professor Chad Bauman uses a SMART Board to teach a class where three sections of South Asian Civilizations, a Global and Historical Studies course, meet together once a week in Pharmacy Building 156. “The main advantage of the SMART board is the ability to annotate on top of other things—annotate on top of a Word document or a PowerPoint document,” Bauman said. Steven Dolvin, a finance professor, uses SMART Boards frequently. “I use them in all my classes,” Dolvin said, “which are all invest-
BUPD parking officer takes pride in his job Keelee Hurlburt Contributing Writer Officer Aaron Chalmers doesn’t wear a police uniform, carry a gun or ride a Segway. Dressed in a yellow accented navy polo shirt with the Butler University Police Department (BUPD) logo stitched above his heart, he looks positively welcoming, not at all like the parking curmudgeon his victims might envision. Nevertheless, as anyone who has walked back to their car to see the distinctive green slip of paper pinned beneath their windshield wiper knows, looks can be deceiving. Most students have never seen the man himself, only the line of parking violation tickets he leaves in his wake. This helps keep down the number of confrontations he has with ticketed students, none of which Chalmers classifies as memorable. This ambiguity also allows students’ imaginations to run wild. “I think that he has a moustache and constantly carries a stack of tickets and a donut,” sophomore Amanda Schenkel said of the faceless specter who ticketed her with a $30 fine earlier this year. Chalmers does always carry the infamous tickets with him. Hundreds of the telltale green envelopes are stuffed into the side compartments of both the driver and passenger doors of his white, BUPD-authorized pickup truck. Monday through Thursday, Chalmers spends more than 30 hours in that truck, patrolling the parking lots on campus, particularly the Clowes Memorial Hall lot, where he normally finds the majority of his daily average of 60-70 parking violations. He has single-handedly written more than 2,000 tickets this semester alone. His closest competitor at BUPD has barely broken the 100 mark. “That Chalmers is speedy,” BUPD Sgt. Chris Marcum said of the rate at which the officer locates and penalizes violators. Marcum himself has only issued four tickets this year. It is by sheer chance that Chalmers, who is not a police officer, came to be at Butler. Seventeen years ago, he answered an ad BUPD placed in The Indianapolis S tar looking for someone to take the position of “Parking Enforcement Division of the University,” Chalmers’ current title. Chalmers is aware of the resentment this position brings on campus, but he is seemingly unrepentant about what he calls “correcting behavior,” an endeavor that has brought in at least $60,000 for the university this semester. While he might claim to “just be doing his job,” Chalmers’ passion for parking enforcement shines through if you catch him in the act. “Every time I see him ticketing someone, he’s got this great big smile on his face like he’s just won the lottery,” sophomore Chris Beaman said. Whether that is true or merely another story adding to the legend, students may take comfort in the fact that Chalmers admits, “If I park in a restricted area, I will get ticketed just like everybody else.”
ments classes, which means there are lots of calculations and examples with numbers in them, so I use a SMART Board to illustrate all that, to pull things in from Excel.” Dolvin said he enjoys the features that SMART Boards offer outside of the classroom, too. “After class, I download [documents] as a PDF on Blackboard so students can look at them after class, make sure they have all the right answers and the flow, and they use them to review for exams.” While some professors find SMART Boards useful for their style of teaching, they acknowledge that technology can, at times, be pesky. “I think technology always has the potential to enhance learning or to be a real distraction,” Bauman said. “The SMART Boards—they’re fun and kind of like a new toy. I think students are somewhat interested in them, but I think they can become a real distraction, particularly if used by people who do not know how to use them.” Spillner said he agrees that introducing new technology into a classroom is somewhat beneficial for professors. “They haven’t really helped with learning as much as they have helped with convenience for some professors,” Spillner said. Miranda said she recognizes that the SMART Boards may not be useful for all professors. “Technology is always about context and relevance,” Miranda said. “So I think it’ll work for some people and not for others, but I think all of us could learn more about the SMART Boards and what they bring to the classroom.” If professors aren’t fully aware of what, specifically, SMART Boards can bring to a classroom, then somewhat of a controversial issue is presented—the cost benefit of the boards. “If you just use them to project material like you would any white board, then it’s not really being used,” Dolvin said. “It would just become another board. If the professors are going to use them then I think the benefits outweigh the cost.” At around $2,000 per board, the SMART boards are an investment. However, Miranda stresses that cost is not the most prominent factor when considering such media implementation. “Rather than focusing on the cost of something,” Miranda said, “I’d rather put it in the context of does it fit into the room or the curriculum?” While Miranda recognizes the benefits of SMART Boards, she said
SMART Boards Butler University has SMART Boards in 12 classrooms on campus, located in the following places:
HINKLE FIELDHOUSE: West Classroom HOLCOMB BUILDING: HB 122, HB 235 JORDAN HALL: JH041, JH 043, JH048, JH172, JH 220 PHARMACY AND HEALTH SCIENCES: PB 150, PB 156, PB 309. she is also sensitive to the cost issue. “It’s prudent for us to measure the effectiveness of putting something in a room so it does get fully used, and we are putting money where we really need to invest,” Miranda said. In order to learn more about the technology available at Butler, faculty are encouraged to spend time in Jordan Hall 048, the Instructional Technology Training and Development room. In addition to training faculty and staff on the functions of SMART Boards and other media devices, the department likes to communicate with professors about their classes. “We like to have conversations with faculty to talk to them about how they teach to see if there are things that would lend themselves really well to that kind of environment,” Miranda said, “and then we help them integrate that technology with the curriculum.” Miranda said integrating technology into classrooms is an exciting part of her job. “The one thing I love about my job is that it’s connecting faculty to that excitement around the potential for engagement,” Miranda said. “What can technology bring to us that will allow us to engage our students more fully?”
College graduates work harder to find jobs Gregory Karp MCT College students graduating in December and May are likely to be the first in a generation to enter a job market featuring double-digit unemployment. That has colleges and universities across America scrambling this fall to revamp their career-placement offerings to help new grads land jobs. Autumn is one of the crucial recruiting seasons, especially for students who want to find employment at Fortune 500 companies. But the outlook for coming college graduates is decidedly grim. On top of a 22 percent decline in college-grad hiring last year, employers expect to chop those entry-level hires by an additional 7 percent this year, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). “What we’re seeing is they’re really being cautious,” NACE spokeswoman Andrea Koncz said. That dismal hiring forecast is even worse than hiring plans following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when hiring came to a virtual standstill. Average starting salaries for 2009 grads dropped 1.2 percent from the year before to $48,633. Those facts are why career counselors across the country have worked to shift the mind-set of soon-to-be grads entering the work force. The basic message: You’ll have to bust your butt to land a job in this lousy job market. “What students did years ago isn’t enough today,” Amy Saul, director of career development at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pa., said. For example, today’s students are encouraged to participate in two or three internship programs to boost their chances of being hired. “Competition is much more fierce than it has been in the past for entry-level candidates,” she said. And the tough economy has created a distressing paradox. Just as students most need career-placement services, many colleges are cutting budgets in their career centers as part of their own belt-tightening. About 55 percent of college career centers nationwide are cutting their 2009-10 spending plans, according to preliminary results of a survey being conducted by NACE. Lehigh Valley College career centers haven’t made sharp cuts, but some are running leaner. Worse yet, career services departments are now catering to more than just current students. Recent grads who haven't found work or were laid off are returning for help. In fact, some alumni are returning decades after graduation to use job-placement services. For Kate Hunter, director of career services and internships at DeSales University, that meant she had to brush up on techniques to help people land mid-career jobs. “Sometimes we’re combing through 20
years of experience on an old résumé to find skills that are transferrable to the current job market,” Hunter said. To cope with the bad job market—unemployment is 9.8 percent nationally—local colleges are launching new programs, revamping old ones and tapping alumni for help. At Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., job postings dropped off a cliff in the spring. The career center started e-mailing alumni who might help. That doesn't sound extraordinary, except that for the first time it e-mailed every single living alumnus it had an address for—an estimated 10,000, Donna Goldfeder, director of career services, said. Goldfeder corresponded personally with every alumni who offered a job lead. The result? Some 300 job opportunities for Lehigh grads, she said. “We broadened our net with employer outreach too, but to be honest, that didn't have nearly the effect as reaching out to the alums did,” Goldfeder said. By the spring semester, the career center plans to have a new online database to help students contact alumni directly. A sampling of new efforts: Moravian College started a pilot program this fall called Career Connections. It matches students with advisers based on their interests and targeted professions. It also has “Lunch and Learn” events, including recent and upcoming ones with recruiters from Major League Baseball and Mars Inc., maker of M&Ms and Juicy Fruit. Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., is tapping more than 600 volunteer alumni and parents to participate in mock interviews over the phone and in person. Students are using InterviewStream, an interviewing practice tool that allows students to record mock interviews using a Webcam for later critique. Northampton Community College has launched a job club that will offer advice on such topics as résumés and job fairs, networking and interviewing techniques. Muhlenberg College is planning a new program on effectively using the online professional networking site LinkedIn, Cailin Pachter, career center director, said. Muhlenberg ramped up efforts to help students apply for jobs with the federal government, a notoriously arduous process. The Allentown college also puts together an electronic book for employers and alumni that contains seniors’ résumés. It is usually assembled in the spring, but it is being assembled now. DeSales adjusted its one-year-old Senior Success Series, which contains eight programs. Changes included starting job searches earlier and incorporating a strong networking component, Hunter said. While new efforts and programs are more newsworthy, many colleges are re-emphasizing tried-and-true job-search techniques—writing résumés and cover letters,
making contacts and developing a firm handshake. “It’s career searching 101,” Goldfeder said. Using such high-tech resources as LinkedIn and online job postings are important, but they don’t replace old-fashioned face-to-face networking, career counselors say. That has college students throughout the Valley practicing their elevator pitches—describing their value in the time it takes to ride an elevator. Muhlenberg even hosts “speed networking” events to practice those 30-second spiels, followed by an alumni networking reception where they use those networking skills for real. “It’s not about going online and looking for jobs anymore,” Hunter of DeSales said. “It’s about getting your face out there and getting your résumés into the right hands. It’s going to take a lot more legwork.” While some strategies can be taught in groups, there is increased demand for individualized advice, counselors say. Lehigh University dramatically expanded the number of hours it offers for one-on-one career counseling, Goldfeder said. Sometimes, part of that counseling is adjusting expectations. The reality: Some students might not get the ideal job in the ideal location right now. “We’re telling them there are opportunities out there, but you might have to reshape what you’re thinking,” Saul said. With the rough job market, Muhlenberg has seen an increase in student interest for non-traditional jobs, such as the Peace Corps and Teach for America. And, of course, a dearth of jobs always makes graduate school more attractive. For those with time before graduation, internships are among the best foot-in-thedoor tactics to land work. In 2009, 23 percent of students who interned had a job in hand at graduation. For those without internship experience, just 14 percent left college with a signed-sealed-and-delivered job, according to NACE. But in 2009, employers cut college internship positions by 21 percent, NACE said. Career counselors say today’s college students understand what they’re up against, and they’re generally willing to work harder to land employment. “I do sense an anxiety,” Pachter said. A recent program at Muhlenberg, Job Search for Seniors, had twice as many students attend as last year. “Our students understand how tough it is going to be this year, and they’re trying to get an early start.” While on-campus recruiting has waned, the number of job postings recently has come back toward normal levels, counselors say. “I take that to be a very good sign—that we’ve gotten over the worst of it,” Goldfeder said. “We had a tough spring, but I think we’re back in the game. I’m very optimistic, actually.”
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
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The Butler Collegian
NEWS
BUPD Beat Nov. 6 1:33 p.m. – OFF CAMPUS An officer took a report of a theft of private property. 11:18 p.m. — BUTLER TARKINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD An officer took a report of a burglary of a residence. Nov. 7 12:58 p.m. – ATHERTON An officer took a report of a theft of private property. Nov. 8 2:34 a.m. – BUTLER TARKINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD An officer took a report of a theft of private property. 8:14 a.m. – SCHWITZER HALL An officer took a report of a sick person. Nov. 9 5:27 p.m. – PHARMACY PARKING LOT An officer took a report of a traffic accident. Nov. 10 8:09 a.m. – UNIVERSITY TERRACE PARKING LOT An officer took a report of a traffic accident. 10:42 a.m. — IRWIN PARKING LOT An officer took a report of a traffic accident. Nov. 11 3:16 a.m. — 44th STREET An officer took a report of a theft from two motor vehicles. 4:46 a.m. – BUTLER TARKINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD An officer took a report of a theft from a motor vehicle. 9:18 a.m. – FACILITIES PARKING LOT An officer took a report of a traffic accident. 10:15 a.m. ROBERTSON PARKING LOT An officer took a report of a traffic accident. Nov. 12 3:34 p.m. — PHARMACY BUILDING An officer took a report of an unauthorized entry into a secured office. Nov. 13 10:30 a.m. – BUPD An officer took a report of found property. Nov. 14 2:07 a.m. – SUNSET AVENUE An officer took a report of a liquor law violation. 2:31 a.m. – CROWN AVENUE An officer took a report of a liquor law violation. 8:43 a.m. – 49th STREET An officer had an illegally parked vehicle towed. Nov. 15 1:28 a.m. – CLARENDON ROAD An officer arrested an individual for possession of marijuana.
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NEWS EDUCATION: COE disapproves changes
PICKLER: Country star performs
Continued from Page One
Continued from Page One
“I’m extremely proud to be an education major here,” Beaman said. “[Provost] Dr. [Jamie] Comstock and Dr. Fong have been so supportive.” Beaman was described by both Lecklider and Shelley as a leader who has been very outspoken about this current issue. Shelley said she has gotten a lot of feedback from her peers about how involved the students have been in the proceedings so far and mentioned that all the students have known the issue and been very articulate about it. “The students have been very supportive and vocal in saying that this is ridiculous,”
Lecklider said. Beaman said the bill felt like a “slap in the face” from the state. “The state is basically saying we don’t really need our pedagogy,” he said. “It feels condescending, like they’re telling us what we’re doing isn’t valuable.” If passed, the proposal would take effect July 2010. The advisory board is meeting to discuss it tonight, but whether they will vote on it is still unknown. “Education belongs to all of us,” Shelley said. “We’re all responsible for it. Instead of putting education down, we should lift it up because we’re lifting up our children.”
She sang a few more songs, and the last song was “Small Town Girl,” the first song she wrote after the Hollywood round of her “American Idol” career. After “Small Town Girl,” the entire band left the stage, and the lights were turned completely off except for red background lights and the entire crowd started chanting, “Kellie! Kellie! Kellie!” Pickler and her band came back out on stage and played “Red High Heels” along with the clapping audience.
“Kellie played a nice mix of her own songs and country classics,” Maria Jansen, a sophomore pharmacy major, said. “Her band was amazing, and I especially liked the acoustic portion of the concert.” Pickler said she’s always loved the classics because they’re real and tell true stories, but she cannot fathom not being able to write her own music. “I always wanted to write,” Pickler said. “I can’t imagine not being able to write songs. I would die because I wouldn’t know how to live.”
Clowes Memorial Hall receives $500,000 grant Elizabeth Moy ecmoy@butler.edu Butler University recently received a $500,000 grant from the Allen Whitehill Clowes foundation to fund renovations to Clowes Memorial Hall. The grant will be used to improve the internal infrastructure of the performance hall, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2013. It will be used to ensure that the building systems are up-to-date and one of Indianapolis’ premiere performance venues is in prime condition. “[The first] $150,000 will be used for an engineering study to look at the plumbing system, the heating and cooling system, the electrical system and the fire alarm system,” Elise Kushigian, executive director of Clowes, said. “The [remaining] balance of $500,000 will go to the first major project, whatever that may be.” Kushigian expects the project, which will begin in the summer of 2010, could last for up to 10 years. “Obviously, we want a really quality study, because that will really be our strategic plan to know where we need to improve,” Kushigian said. Sophomore Anne Carpenter works at Clowes and said she feels this grant will bring much-needed improvements to Clowes and reflect positively on Butler. “Clowes is in need of restoration because it is the cultural center of Butler University,” Carpenter said. “Many local and national artists choose Clowes to exhibit their work, and
it deserves to look its best in the place where it hangs.” The funds will be used only for the necessities of the building to improve qualities that may be outdated or behind in technology. “It’s not pretty lights and nice seats,” Kushigian said. “It’s like if you buy an old house, and you have old wiring, you have to keep it up. You’ve got to have the basic level.” The grant will not cover the cost of all the expected repairs. Those that come after the $500,000 has been spent on the first project will be funded by the $2 restoration fee added to each ticket price. “This balance of half a million is not even going to attempt to touch what I believe is going to be the actual cost,” Kushigian said. The grant was obtained by the Office of University Advancement. Lori Norris, senior director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, worked in conjunction with Kushigian and Mike Gardner, vice president of operations, to write the proposal for the grant. “The Allen Whitehill Clowes Foundation has a whole proposal format, and two times a year, you can submit a proposal,” Norris said. “It goes before the board, and they review every request, and they have so much money to give away every year. Luckily we were one of their grantees this year.” According to Norris, overall giving has been on the decline this year, so Butler was fortunate to receive the
generous donation. “Most foundations’ giving has been down between 25 and 30 percent this year because of the market,” Norris said. “Luckily, Butler is thought pretty highly of with that foundation, and we’re one of their giving priorities.” Allen Whitehill Clowes was the son of George and Edith Clowes. He served on the Board of Trustees for 24 years at Butler and was always supportive of the arts, as well as the performance hall named for his father. After his death, Whitehill Clowes’ estate became the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation. The foundation supports the arts and humanities, and in 2008, gave more than $5 million in distribution through 55 grants. Whitehill Clowes was honored at Butler after the foundation’s donation in 2005 to pay for the extension on Lilly Hall, named the Allen Whitehill Clowes Pavilion. “It’s been a wonderful foundation,” Norris said. “They have been very interested in maintaining Clowes because of the namesake and Allen Whitehill Clowes’ dedication to the arts.” Kushigian said she knows there are some issues within the building and was glad the foundation decided to take a look at Clowes Hall. “They know that this venue is dedicated to the performing arts that serves both Butler and Indianapolis,” Kushigian said. “They want us to be maintaining this level that we have had for almost 50 years, so we have to do what we need to do.”
French adjunct professor stresses importance of language Tara McElmurry Contributing Writer A Butler University professor has gone beyond preparing college students for today’s globalizing world by stepping outside Butler to reach more students. Julie McKenna, an adjunct French professor, does more than teach French at Butler. She designed a foreign language program for middle school students at St. Lawrence Catholic School in Indianapolis. McKenna uses her middle school program and her efforts here at Butler to stress the importance of experiencing a foreign language in today’s globalizing society. “When my youngest son was in preschool, and my older one was in kindergarten, I realized their school did not have any foreign language,” McKenna said. “The principal was very interested in starting something, so I began offering a French elective to the middle school students.” After a couple years of McKenna’s elective, the school decided to add the foreign language program as part of the school’s regular curriculum. Although it became an official program, McKenna said she was not completely satisfied. “I determined that a one-language program would not work at all, as it would give them too much to be true beginners in high school but not enough to test out of first year,” she said. McKenna said, after polling parents and students from the school,
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she settled on an exploratory program incorporating French, German and Spanish. She thought the students might do better at their age if the program changed languages every semester. Since the beginning of the program, she has also added Chinese and Japanese to the curriculum. “[The students] are generally excited about learning the languages,” McKenna said. “They love it when we do simulations, such as put on a German Christmas market or celebrate El Dia de los Muertos in Spanish.” McKenna said that the goal of this program is to give students a source of connection to some other culture outside of their own. “I think that just getting to know another culture and having something in common with another people is a good thing,” she said. “It expands your horizons.” McKenna has been teaching for 22 years. This is her third year at Butler. When McKenna got her first paycheck as a teacher, she remembers saying out loud, “Wow, I can’t believe I’m being paid to do this.” Larry Riggs, head of the foreign language department at Butler and the person who reads McKenna’s student evaluations, said McKenna is a very popular teacher, and her student evaluations are very good. “She is very cooperative, highly professional and very personable,” Riggs said. “She manages the classroom well.” Riggs, who would like to see the foreign language department
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No Ev ent s S chedul ed
develop some new courses in each language, said that McKenna’s language program is a “significant accomplishment.” It is becoming more important to learn about foreign cultures as the world becomes more globalized, he said. A more globalized world is evident to sophomore Anna January, an international studies major. Her father’s work in stem cell research requires him to go abroad frequently for conferences. She has been able to go along with her father and see the world that way, she said. This is January’s second semester with McKenna. January said McKenna does a good job of mixing the written and spoken parts of the language. She also likes that McKenna focuses on the French culture during her classes. “An awareness to a different culture at a young age is helpful,” January said. “It’s always important for people to experience things they’ve never experienced before and understand how diverse the world really is.” Evan Phillips, a junior, who is also in his second semester with McKenna, said he realizes the importance of experiencing other languages in a different way. As an English literature major, Phillips has come across many writers who will put excerpts in their books that are written in different languages. He would like to be able to translate those himself rather than always having to look them up. It’s important to understand that
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the English language does not translate exactly in other languages, he said. There are many ways to express certain things. “Learning [that] words don’t have a single translation opened my mind,” Phillips said. He said it’s important to learn a foreign language because people should realize that just because they were brought up a certain way does not mean that is the way everyone should live. Learning that one’s ways aren’t the only ways to go about living life is exactly the goal that McKenna’s middle school program is working toward with those students. Fred Yaniga, head of Butler’s Modern Language Center, has been working with McKenna the three years she has been at Butler. He shares the same goals as far as what one should get from learning a foreign language. He said early language development in children is important for early brain development and cultural recognition and understanding. “Children who have been exposed to more than one language often have not only the familiarity with that other language and culture, but also the ability to accept and tolerate and understand people from other language and cultural backgrounds,” Yaniga said. “[McKenna’s] work [at the middle school] is helping new generations of children grow up with a set of skills that many people in my generation never had.” He said that learning a foreign
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language and traveling to places outside of one’s home allows one to be able to see the world differently and have more ways to communicate with more people. “Traveling abroad opens our horizons and understanding of how people live in different places with different languages, different foods and different values,” Yaniga said. “I think until you’ve been there and spoken with those people and seen how they live and why they live the way they live, I don’t think that you can truly understand.” “You might not understand why they do it, but you can see that it’s not bad that they do it a different way than you. “Communication is what human beings are born to do, and the more directions of communication that we have, the more ability that we have to communicate, the stronger human beings that we become.” Becoming stronger human beings is what McKenna’s goal is for the students in her program. She said she hopes they will be able to make a more educated choice on what language they want to study in high school, and this program will give them a small start to communicating with other cultures throughout the world. McKenna said she would like to continue working and developing the foreign language program at St. Lawrence. “Each thing I do seems more and more interesting,” McKenna said. “I’m sure I get more than I give.”
- Thanksgi vi ng Break — No Cl asses
‘Paw Prints’ What are your plans for Thanksgiving Break? Page 8
OPINION
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN
Path to Justice Is it a good decision to try 9/11 terrorists in the U.S. court system? Page 8
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THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN The Butler watchdog and voice for BU students 4600 Sunset Ave. Indianapolis, IN 46208 Office Information: Fairbanks Rm 210 News Line: (317) 940-8813 Advertising Line: (317) 940-9358 collegian@butler.edu
Fall 2009 Editorial Staff Alyson Ahrns Editor in Chief Kelly Patrick Print Managing Editor Allison Brown Online Managing Editor Jennifer Pignolet Co-News Editor Hayleigh Colombo Co-News Editor Olivia Ingle Asst. News Editor Grace Wallace Asst. News Editor Chris Goff Opinion Editor Tom Fryska Asst. Opinion Editor Mary Beth Sekela Asst. Opinion Editor Amy Rensink A&E Editor Drew Schmidtke Asst. A&E Editor Arika Herron Co-Sports Editor Steven Peek Co-Sports Editor Emily Newell Asst. Sports Editor Rachel Senn Photography Editor Maria Porter Asst. Photography Editor Mary Landwer Asst. Photography Editor Stefanie Patterson Multimedia Editor Heather Hanford Graphics Editor Devon Henderson Asst. Graphics/Multimedia Lauren Fisher Advertising Manager Dr. Charles St. Cyr Adviser The Butler Collegian is published weekly on Wednesdays with a controlled circulation of 2,600. The Collegian office is located in the Fairbanks Building, Room 210. The Collegian is printed at The Greenfield Reporter in Greenfield, Ind. The Collegian maintains a subscription to MCT Services Campus wire service. The Collegian editorial staff determines the editorial policies; the opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of The Collegian, but of the writers clearly labeled. The Collegian accepts advertising from a variety of campus organizations and local businesses and agencies. All advertising decisions are based on the discretion of the ad manager and editor in chief. For a copy of The Collegian advertising rates, publication schedule and policies, please call (317) 940-9358 or send an e-mail to the advertising staff at advertising@butler.edu. Direct postal inquiries to: The Butler Collegian-Advertising. For subscriptions to The Collegian, please send a check to the main address above. Subscriptions are $45 per academic year.
Corrections Policy The Collegian staff makes an effort to be as accurate as possible. Corrections may be submitted to The Collegian and will be printed at the next publication date. Letters to the Editor Policy The Collegian accepts letters to the editor no later than noon on the Sunday before publication. Letters to the editor must be emailed to collegian@butler.edu and verified by a signature. A signed version of the letter may be dropped off at The Collegian office. The Collegian reserves the right to edit letters for spelling, style, clarity and length. Letters must be kept to a length of 450 words. Contact The Collegian for questions. Exceptions to these policies may be made at the editorial board’s discretion.
Collegian illustration by Heather Hanford
No Peeking! OUR POINT THIS WEEK: Journalists
should not let sources shape stories, and a Supreme Court justice should never make that request.
From being the final arbiter of the law under the United States Constitution to erasing a preposition from a high school newspaper. This sounds straight from a fall-from-grace movie script, but it is indeed a true story; a bizare turn in which a Supreme Court justice indulged himself in censorship. The controversy, which has evolved over the past several weeks, originally stemmed from a speech Justice Anthony Kennedy gave Oct. 28 at the Dalton School, a private institution in New York City. By all accounts, the talk itself went without incident, and students and faculty undoubtedly enjoyed a visit from someone as important as Kennedy. But when The Daltonian, the school’s student newspaper, moved forward with its coverage of Kennedy’s appearance, problems arose. Editors printed a note Nov. 6 saying the paper could offer no reporting of the justice’s speech due to “publication constraints.” Kathleen Arberg, the Supreme Court’s public information officer, confirmed that the delay was due to a strong desire of Justice Kennedy’s office to review any article The Daltonian wrote about his visit before publication. Staff at the paper ended up complying with the request, and they forwarded a draft to Kennedy’s team.
The article was returned with changes. We at The Butler Collegian have a variety of concerns regarding this incident. First, we consider it unbecoming of a U.S. Supreme Court justice to involve himself in the proceedings of a high school newspaper. For someone who knows the highest law of the land, Kennedy certainly did suffer a momentary lapse on the spirit of the First Amendment, which was meant to protect freedom of the press to report on words and deeds of those in power. Kennedy is ordinarily valued as a First Amendment defender, and while he isn’t talking now, it is possible that the explanations in circulation—that Kennedy only wanted to be helpful and ensure accuracy of quotations and meaning—reflect some measure of good faith. It also is possible that Kennedy wanted to watch his words on the record, since many judges seek to avoid commentary on the issues of cases yet to be decided. But, all aspects considered, Kennedy still sent a poor message with his quasi-censorship of young journalists. He is considered a pivotal figure in America’s realm of law, a moderate justice working beside four judges that interpret the Constitution very strictly and four who interpret the document very loosely. Some cases hinge on Kennedy’s swing vote. In a 2005 interview, Kennedy said Supreme Court justices must have “an understanding that you have an
opportunity to shape the destiny of the country.” Kennedy needs to act in a way that does not include trivial bullying of media in that destiny. But also at fault here are the faculty and students at the Dalton School who allowed Kennedy to set the rules. Under no circumstances is prior review of an article by a source good journalistic practice, nor is the insistence of school officials that this condition be met a good scholarly example. Dalton’s Head of School Ellen Stein told The New York Times, “This allows student publications to be correct. I think fact-checking is a good thing.” But checking facts and permitting public figures to actively tweak their own coverage are not the same thing. Regardless of the source in question—and we can understand how even a prestigious Manhattan school might buckle under the pressure of a Supreme Court justice—journalists should still control their own work. According to the school’s Web site, Dalton’s mission plan is for students to “go forth unafraid.” The message the administration sent recently was, “Go forth afraid, and let Kennedy tell you what you can and can’t say.” The fact that events unfolded in the way they did reflects poorly on Kennedy, elementary journalism and principled education.
Media participate in U.S. politics, vice versa Chris Goff cgoff@butler.edu There is an old saying—it hangs from the wall of The Butler Collegian’s newsroom, in fact—that journalists write “the first rough draft of history.” But what happens when journalists make history? More specifically, what happens when the press, instead of observing the political dogfight, has a dog in the fight? I know what you’re thinking. Here it comes again, this story that is older than Mick Jagger. The media is biased, the media has an agenda, blah, blah, blah. In some respects, that argument is valid. I have a high school government thesis worth of research that says it is. But correcting for bias can readily be done, and there’s no need to lay out an easily-made case, regardless of whether or not you find it to be true. Consumers are intelligent enough to view their news through its own prism. As National Public Radio’s Linda Wertheimer said recently in a speech at Butler, “I’m not afraid of people talking.” Me neither. And neither were our forefathers, for whom partisan news—and I mean purely partisan news—was the absolute norm. Former president John Quincy Adams once called his newspaper opponents “base, corrupt, penniless scoundrels.” Yet whatever change they may have had in their pockets, at least Adams’ agitators were lay citizens and not creatures of the political arena. The founding fathers intended reporters to watch the power, not to be the power. But that is the dynamic emerging today, the rather troubling problem worth addressing. More and more, the faces bringing you the news were once the news themselves. Consider a few prominent examples who were either former politicians or figures of a particular political party. George Stephanopoulos: ABC’s Senior National Correspondent and host of a Sunday morning show was the top senior advisor to Democratic President Bill Clinton. Joe Scarborough: The host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” is a former four-term Republican Congressman. Mike Huckabee: The former Republican presidential candidate now hosts a talk show on the Fox News Channel. Chris Matthews: The host of “Hardball” on MSNBC
was a speechwriter for Democratic President Jimmy Carter and a former staffer to four Democratic congressmen. Bill Moyers: Moyers is a featured voice on PBS, where he hosts “Bill Moyers Journal.” He worked for Democrat John F. Kennedy before serving as White House Press Secretary for Democrat Lyndon Johnson. Bob Beckel: Beckel was a deputy assistant secretary of state under Carter and the campaign manager of Walter Mondale’s 1984 Democratic campaign for president. A former host at CNN, he is now a political analyst at Fox. Others are out there, too, filing reports and filling up programming, but you get the idea. A blurring has occurred between the state and those who monitor the state. Far too many journalists are participating in politics rather than covering them. When ABC hired Stephanopoulos in 1997, Max Frankel, executive editor at The New York Times, wrote a very prescient column describing a mushrooming trend. “The overnight transformation of Stephanopoulos from partisan pitchman to television journalist highlights a disturbing phenomenon: the progressive collapse of the walls that traditionally separated news from propaganda,” Frankel wrote. “His case shows how no one even bothers any more to decontaminate a convert by stretching out his passage from politics to reporting over a cleansing period of time.” But it must be said that this whole trade-off is not a balancing act. Sure, Republicans can appear any time of day on Fox News, but survey after survey shows that the press tends to be liberal and its members tend to favor Democrats. MSNBC.com conducted a study of 143 journalists who donated personal money to political causes from 2004 through the beginning of the last presidential race. The results: 125 journalists gave to Democratic or left-wing groups, while only 16 dished out for Republicans. Need more evidence? Take the word of someone who knows the news business. Thomas Edsall spent a quarter century covering national politics for The Washington Post. “The mainstream press is liberal,” Edsall wrote Oct. 8 in the Columbia Journalism Review. “If reporters were the only ones allowed to vote, Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, Al Gore and John Kerry would have won the White House by landslide margins.” Of course, Mondale, Dukakis, Gore and Kerry are all Democrats. Look, no one is telling the media whom to vote
for or where to spend their money. They are free to subscribe to personal beliefs in any manner they so choose. But let’s not kid ourselves: The press holds enormous sway over the information Americans receive about public affairs, and when news organizations start to tilt that debate in one direction, the country’s politics are affected. Another The Washington Post vet, long-time columnist Robert Samuelson, described the vested interest some reporters have in the current state of affairs. “The [Barack] Obama infatuation is a great unreported story of our time,” Samuelson wrote. “Has any recent president basked in so much favorable media coverage? The press has so far largely abdicated its role as skeptical observer. On the whole, this is not healthy for America.” No, it isn’t healthy. Perhaps that is apparent coming from The Washington Post, which calls itself “an independent newspaper,” on their editorial page, and yet, before the Nov. 3 election in Virginia, endorsed Democrats in 25 of 29 races. But sometimes the media just shamelessly jumps into politics, skipping past the public relations realm. Politico reported in January that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel conducts daily strategy sessions with (surprise, surprise) Stephanopoulos and CNN employees Paul Begala and James Carville who (surprise, surprise) have done all kinds of work for the Democratic party. Meanwhile, further displaying the convergent relationship between two once-separate worlds, the Obama administration has picked a very public fight with media it does not like. Senior advisor David Axelrod said of Fox News, “They’re not really a news station.” Color me dumb, but when did doing the public’s business mean rating the worthiness of broadcast networks? I suppose that happened when the people from the broadcast networks started working for government. According to Brent Baker, vice president for research at the Media Research Center, 12 journalists from mainstream media outlets have taken jobs in the Obama administration. Most symbolic of those is Linda Douglass, a former Washington correspondent at CBS and ABC who is now, literally, the mouthpiece for Obama’s health care agenda. Media and politics, one and the same? We’re not there yet, but the day we are is the day ordinary citizens lose their voice—and see their history written by others.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Page 8
The Butler Collegian
OPINION
OPINION
Eric Holder maintains the rule of law Butler students need some relaxation Tom Fryska tfryska@butler.edu
Of course it does. Is the reality much more complicated than this? America, as a nation, took It would be naïve to say that it isn’t. a step toward justice Nov. 13 But all this doesn’t change the fact that we when Eric Holder, the cannot let go of the principles that make our Attorney General of the country great. United States, announced that We cannot easily dismiss the ideals that we Waleed bin Attash, Ramzi strive to reach. Binalshibh, Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi and For, after all, it’s those ideals, not our wealth Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, as well as the mastermind or power, that define what it is to be an of the 9/11 attacks himself, Khalid Sheikh American. Mohammed, will be brought to New York City And it must be made clear that it is in this so that they can be lawfully tried for their context that these trials are taking place. crimes in a federal court of law. No matter which way it is spun, these trials Each of these terrorists was, to some extent, will be messy. By opting to take this approach, involved in the plotting and implementation of Holder has taken a road that is both legally and the tragedy of 9/11. They are all equally culpa- politically treacherous. ble for causing the deaths of thousands of The defense might seek dismissal of some Americans. charges, the haunting specter of our past use of The fact that now, at long last, they will face torture will rear its ugly head again and there a jury composed of New Yorkers, whose friends will be no shortage of drama. and families they helped murder, is a fitting From Mohammed using the courtroom as a turn. platform to purport his radical After the Bush and Ashcroft “ We cannot easily dis- ideology to having the defense years—with the prisoner abuscounsel use the occasion to es, the damning tales that came reopen the slow-healing scabs of miss the ideals that from Guantanamo Bay and the the previous administration, the general cloak and dagger situation is ripe for conflict. we strive to reach. approach to security—this What’s more, by using New decision is a courageous and York City as the site of the proFor, after all, it is welcome break from the past. longed legal process, we make the What these trials represent is those ideals, not our metropolis an even greater target a victory for America and the for every fundamentalist Islamist rule of law. wealth or our power, in the world. Some critics have claimed Presumptions about the exact because of the atrocious nature nature of the trial are already that define what it is being bandied about. of the crimes that these terrorists committed—and because Some are claiming it will only to be an American. ” be a show trial. they could be considered “unlawful enemy combatants,” In other words, a dog-and-pony they don’t deserve the due process of law. show where the outcome is already predeterBut that’s a mistake. It’s not about who the mined, and the court is only used as a shallow terrorists are; rather, it’s about who we, as cit- pretense for justice. izens of the United States of America, are. It’s On the other extreme, critics rightly point about what we stand for as a nation. out if this is to be a fair trial, there exists the And, as a nation of democracy and justice, we possibility that the terrorists will be acquitted don’t hold prisoners indefinitely without or somehow manage to have their sentences charges. drastically reduced. We do not torture. We do not compromise the As of right now, it’s nearly impossible to ideals that America represents. We’re better predict, with any degree of absolute certainty, than that. how the case will be presented. We are a nation of laws, equality and justice. Whether or not the terrorists plead guilty is The United States prevailed throughout the an open matter. How the previous mistreatment course of the Cold War precisely because of of the prisoners will factor into the entire affair who we are as a nation. is still unknown. Individuals (like my own parents) fled from Holder has also indicated that the prosecution Soviet-dominated satellite states and came to has other evidence to use for a conviction, but this nation specifically because America offered he has yet to reveal it. the hope of something better. All of this does not change the fact that it is The Cold War was won through soft power. the right approach to bring these terrorists into It was won because other countries preferred to the federal court system. be more like us than like the communist By doing this, we show that we believe in Soviet Union. our legal system and have faith that, by doing Does this all sound hopelessly idealistic? things the right way, we can still get the convictions that are well-deserved. This means that we can convict these terrorists without suspect interrogation techniques or questionable evidence. It shows that our way of managing the country works. Indeed, the fact that we do have a fair and just legal system is one of the many things that differentiates us from al-Qaeda. Furthermore, by bringing the terrorists to New York, just a few blocks from the former shadows of the twin towers, we reaffirm the truth that we are not afraid. We’re not scared of terrorist attacks because they can’t destroy our way of life. We’re not willing to let threats from al-Qaeda change the manner in which we dispense justice or compromise the ideals we hold dearest. And this trial is going to prove that. In the end, these terrorists will face a jury of New Yorkers who still remember the horror of 9/11. The terror suspects will be given a fair trial, but they will be convicted for the role they played in the mass murder of thousands of civilians, and they will ultimately be put to death for their heinous crimes. In this way, America can finally provide the victims of 9/11 the justice they deserve and, Collegian photo from MCT ON TRIAL: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is simultaneously, prove that our way of life canthe alleged mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks. not be destroyed.
Paw Prints
Mary Beth Sekela msekela@butler.edu Well, it’s that time of year once again, Butler University. Time to buckle down and get to work. Here come the exams, deadlines and looming possibility that we might not survive to see Christmas. While these anxieties may once again be running high, you need not succumb to the stress that the end of the semester often brings. By making space in your busy schedule for relaxation and recreation, you can avoid the panic that strikes so many during exam time. Allow yourself a few luxuries in the midst of studying, grading, paperwriting and note-taking—don’t be afraid to give yourself a break. Those looking to achieve some tranquility in the midst of the academic chaos should set some time aside for themselves and take advantage of the following tips: 1) Eat chocolate. As it happens, one of the world’s favorite sweets is also a top-notch stress reducer. Chocolate contains multiple minerals and compounds that assist in the relief of anxiety, including magnesium, which our bodies deplete when under stress, and the compound anandamide, known by researchers as the “bliss chemical.” Anandamide increases the body’s production of dopamine, supplying the consumer with a slight euphoria that lasts hours after the chocolate is eaten. While many abstain from the tasty treat due to its high fat content, research shows that the fat in chocolate also plays a key role in stress reduction—it triggers the brain’s natural opiates, causing the consumer to feel peaceful and content. So remember, don’t let your guilt over calories keep you from picking up that Snickers or Milky Way the next time you visit C-Club. It’s good for your emotional health! 2) Find two tennis balls and a tube sock. This may seem like a strange way to reduce anxiety, but, when combined, these items can serve as an extremely effective stress-reduction tool. First, place the tennis balls in the sock, one on top of the other, and tie the sock off as tight as you can. Then, lay on your back with the sock under you, one tennis ball on either side of your spine. Roll gently up and down, allowing the tennis balls to massage the mus-
cles of your back, but be careful—you never know how many knots you have until you put pressure on them. Although this exercise may hurt at first, your tired muscles will thank you in the morning. You will feel significantly more relaxed and prepared to face the next round of work. 3) Go for a run or a walk. As simplistic as it may sound, getting out of the library and into the open air will do you a world of good when the stress of studying becomes too much to bear. Butler’s campus is home to several great locations for a walk or a jog, including Holcomb Gardens, which remains beautiful despite the current cold weather. If you are willing to make the journey (and if graves don’t give you the willies), Crown Hill Cemetery is also a great place for a relaxing stroll. It is only a two minute drive from campus, and it offers more than 500 acres of beautiful paths and striking architecture, making it a truly pleasant place in which to walk off your worries. If you are so inclined, you can even visit the highest natural point in Indianapolis—the grave of James Whitcomb Riley. The steep climb up the hill to the grave will no doubt get your blood pumping and take your mind off your numerous scholastic concerns. 4) Go “Yahoo-ing. ” This is a fun exercise for anyone who feels as though they are likely to explode at any moment due to the increasing pressure of exam time. In order to “yahoo,” find a high spot on campus, be it a 3-foot-tall rock or a 10-foot tree, and ground yourself. Get your balance, take a deep breath and yell “Yaaaaahoooooo!” as loud as you can for as long as you can. While this might disturb wildlife in the area and quite possibly frighten any passersby, it will instantaneously release great amounts of stress and allow you to return to your studies with newfound balance. You must be careful, however, of where and when you “yahoo.” Outside the Apartment Village at 3 a.m. on a Tuesday is probably not the appropriate place or time. Avoid angering your neighbors and find a spot along the canal or in the gardens where you can expel your frustration without disturbing others too much. These tips for the easy reduction of stress are only a few out of thousands that can be found both online and at the library. If you feel overwhelmed or at the end of your rope, take a step back and check out more tips at Rush University Medical Center’s Web site. I know we can all survive the next few weeks if we give ourselves some time to relax. Good luck!
Big-time politics make small-time victims Claire Rutledge Contributing Writer
If Israel softened its stance on border security or public policy pertaining to Palestinians living within Israeli-controlled land, it would be seen as a win to Iran and Israel are at it again. Iran. Earlier this month, the Israeli navy seized an Likewise, if Iran cut off all military and monetary Antigua-registered ship allegedly carrying military support to independence factions, Israel would be seen supplies destined for port in Syria and traveling to as the victor. Hezbollah in Lebanon. A day in the life of a Palestinian The ship stopped off of the coast- “ The Iran-Israel conflict in Israeli-controlled/monitored land line and was secured with no probis a constant struggle for daily lems. What the navy found, hidden has morphed into a Cold necessities. Since the tightening of in civilian-marked crates, was 500 the border, most Palestinians cannot War-esque situation.” tons of weaponry ranging from highobtain staple products like bread, tech guns to small devices, such as clean water or proper sanitation, hand grenades. These undocumented weapons, accord- according to Amnesty International. ing to Israel, were being sent to Hezbollah, and, as a In a land where the annual average rainfall is less result, Israel tightened security along the Israeli- than 25 inches, water is a precious and politically Palestinian border. important commodity. Israel controls most of the Why, you might ask, would Israel punish Palestine water supplies in the area, leaving Palestine’s water over the alleged actions of Iran? The simple answer is supply prey to the politics between Iran and Israel. international politics. Water supply is not the only tool Israel is using to Here is the breakdown: Israel has an ongoing power combat Iran through Hamas. “Israel fired the chemistruggle with Iran in the Middle East. Iran, well- cal agent white phosphorus in civilian areas, intenknown for its support of Arab nationalist organiza- tionally fired upon hospitals using high-explosive tions, provides military and capital support to Hamas artillery shells and failed to provide effective warnings in Palestine. Hamas, though the elected party of to civilians or U.N. workers before attacks, all of Palestine, is not recognized by Israel as the legitimate which can be war crimes,” a U.N. report released in leaders in Palestine for many reasons, including Iran’s September said, involvement. As a result, Palestinians live in a conThis is a failing of the Israeli ideals of liberty and stant pressure cooker of politics and suffer these con- freedom from persecution, not to mention failing sequences. humanity in general. As if Hamas was not enough of an incendiary for The Palestinian people, of whom only a small perIsrael to play dirty politics, the Iran-Israel conflict has centage are politically active, are pulled into the strugmorphed into a Cold War-esque situation. Each action gle between Israel and Iran. They receive poor treattaken is meant to scare off the other, and this often ment in terms of food and water supplies, commodiincludes involving minor players in the big scheme ties, governmental aid, transportation and basic of things. human dignity. A life in which a government does all The more Iran pushes Israel’s buttons, the harder but publicly deny them a free existence is the life for Israel pulls back basic services in Israeli-controlled which ordinary Palestinians are regulated. Palestine. Iran supports Hamas, a Palestinian state, Bottom line: When the big players fool around, it considering that it does not recognize Israel. is the ordinary people who suffer.
What are your plans for Thanksgiving break?
By Maria Porter
“Working as much as possible and eating a lot of non-cafeteria food.”
Rebecca Taylor sophomore
“I’m going home and chilling with the family. ”
Austin Weaver freshman
“Resting and visiting with family.”
Ally Rumzis sophomore
“I haven’t decided yet. I don’t like to make plans ahead of time.”
Matt Siler freshman
“I’m going home and just hanging out with family and friends.”
Blaire Bell sophomore
King of Pop’s Last Stand “This is It” takes its audience through a series of rehearsal footage of the planned Michael Jackson tour—like you’re there. Page 10
A&E
Playlist of the Week Celebrate the upcoming holiday and give thanks while tuning into this week’s list of tracks. Page 10
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT Wednesday, November 18, 2009
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THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN
‘Xmas Cheers’ lacks luster Sarah Black Contributing Writer
“Christmas Cheers” CD REVIEW
Straight No Chaser Atlantic Records
Rating: 5 = perfect, 4 = outstanding, 3 = good, 2 = fair, 1 = poor
Eggnog?” leave me longing for more traditional tunes. It wouldn’t be an SNC Christmas album review without mentioning “The 12 Days of Christmas,” a song that has given them YouTube fame (seriously, look it up). Not only is it chuckle-worthy, it showcases their amazing technical abilities. Not every a cappella group can jump from one Christmas carol to another seamlessly. And, for any Out of the Dawg House fans, there’s a little “Africa” thrown in for good measure. There’s a reason this song is their partial claim to fame: It’s well-arranged, well-executed and plenty of fun without being over-thetop. Maybe I’m too young to fully appreciate this, and I should’ve let my mother ghost write this review because Lord knows she’d think these guys are adorable. But I can’t help thinking that a male collegiate a cappella group is supposed to appeal to adoring fans just like me. Perhaps it could be that I’m too traditional; I like my Christmas songs the way I like them, and not even the snazziest of a cappella groups can change that. I think what’s really happening here, though, is that “Christmas Cheers” is just a mediocre holiday album put out by a group with way more potential than they let on.
Straight No Chaser Murat Theatre Saturday, Dec. 5 7:30 p.m. $15-$30
Out of the Dawg House with The Miami Misfitz Atherton Union Reilly Room Saturday, Dec. 5 7:30 p.m. $5
Upcoming A Cappella Performances
Straight No Chaser (SNC) is somewhat of an ideal when it comes to collegiate a cappella music. Now, that might not mean much to you, but to a self-proclaimed geek like me, Straight No Chaser means everything. They actually go on tour, which is not an opportunity many groups get. This troupe of well-dressed gentlemen hailing from Indiana
University is something special. I just wish their holiday album, “Christmas Cheers,” would really showcase what they have to offer. The album opens with an SNC original, “The Christmas Can-Can,” which is intended to be a funny account of things we think of during the holidays—shopping and hearing the same songs since Halloween. Unfortunately, despite their amazing vocals, it sounds like a corny song my dad wrote. “We Three Kings,” the second song on the album, offers a chance for redemption. It starts off a bit like a spy-movie theme, which is a really cool direction to take the song, especially when it evolves into a chorus absent of overdone vocal styling with a lot of great harmony and blend. There is some sort of reggae breakdown in the middle, but I can forgive it for the sake of making the song interesting. On the same note (pun very much intended—this is SNC we’re talking about, not Radiohead), the group seems to do their best work when they’re not trying too hard. If I wanted my Christmas music to be funny, I’d buy a Weird Al holiday album. Songs like “Christmastime is Here,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “O Holy Night” get the treatment they deserve, while “Dónde Está Santa Claus” and “Who Spiked the
Freshly Brewed Atherton Union Reilly Room Sunday, Dec. 6 4:30 p.m. $5 Collegian photo from Flickr/Live at J&R
GOOD OL’ A CAPELLA: The original members of Straight No Chaser, Indiana University’s men’s a capella group, released their second full-length holiday album. In 2008 their first album, “Holiday Spirits,” reached No. 1 on Amazon and iTunes.
Indiana-bred brewhouse opens location in heart of Broad Ripple Drew Schmidtke dmschmid@butler.edu Good news for Broad Ripple-loving beer drinkers: Barley Island Brewing Company is in town. The Noblesville-based restaurant and microbrewery is now open in the heart of Broad Ripple at College and Broad Ripple Avenue in the vacancy left by Scholar’s Inn. Barley Island is a charming little bar and restaurant. The atmosphere is immediately warm and welcoming. The dining room is handsomely decorated with dark wood and blue accented walls. Inviting booths are scattered by the windows and complemented by tall, sleek tables and chairs. The place is classy without seeming stuffy or pretentious. It helps that the staff is friendly and helpful, clad in simple black T-shirts. The real draw to Barley Island is the beer. The company features a good, standard selection of their own beers and sprinkles in seasonal brews as well. I had the BarFly IPA and Dirty Helen Brown Ale. The BarFly had a citrus aroma and a nice, hop-filled flavor. It was quite drinkable, but it didn’t have the full flavor associated with IPAs. While the BarFly was good, the Dirty Helen Brown Ale was delicious. The beer had a great, smooth flavor. It isn’t a terribly complex
brew, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. It tasted like an endlessly drinkable Newcastle Brown Ale. The food at Barley Island is typical pub fare. There is a selection of reasonably priced appetizers ranging from beer-battered mushrooms to scotch eggs. The menu features plenty of sandwich options with alternatives like wraps or salads. There are also a few grilled items like the BBQ ribs, my choice for the evening. I started the evening with a cup of chicken tortilla soup. The soup featured shredded chicken and melted cheese with fresh tortilla strips and had a wonderful, spicy kick. The ribs were advertised as “tender St. Louis-style ribs with BeerBQ sauce.” The description was half right. The meat was undeniably tender. It slid off the bone with only the slightest effort on my part. The Beer-BQ sauce was good, but it definitely lacked the ‘beer’ element. The
sauce simply didn’t have any special quality to it. My meal was served with waffle fries and coleslaw. The fries were good, but it is hard to do fries poorly. The coleslaw was surprisingly enjoyable considering I don’t even like coleslaw. It had a crunchy texture and wasn’t drenched in mayonnaise—a key to success. The service was generally prompt and helpful. It was clearly a new restaurant because the staff seemed slightly confused from time to time, but it wasn’t busy, so my experience didn’t suffer. Overall, Barley Island is worth checking out, especially for beer lovers. Their beer can be found in stores, but it is worth getting a fresh draft. While the food is not phenomenal, it is sufficient. Most importantly, it is a fun place for a laid back evening in Broad Ripple.
“Barley Island” RESTAURANT REVIEW
701 Broad Ripple Avenue (317) 257-5600 Open Daily 11a.m.-Late Atmosphere: Service: Food Quality: Bang for your buck:
5 = perfect, 4 = outstanding, 3 = good, 2 = fair, 1 = poor
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The Butler Collegian
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
A&E
A&E
P
laylist
HOROSCOPES
of the Week
01.
“Be Thankful”
“Thank You” - Led Zeppelin
SCORPIO
OCT. 23 NOV. 21
Scorps share your sign with Lisa Bonet from “The Cosby Show.” To celebrate, make up palindromes about Lisa Bonet. “Lisa Bonet ate no basil” has already been invented.
SAGITTARIUS
NOV. 22 DEC. 20
02.
“Thank You Friends” - Big Star
03.
“Thank You For Loving Me” - Jon Bon Jovi
You seem stagnant lately, Sag. Do something new to get some more pep in your step. Try getting extra whipped cream in your coffee or following Danny DeVito on Twitter.
04.
“Gratitude” - Beastie Boys
CAPRICORN
05.
“Thanks A Lot” - Johnny Cash
06.
“Thank You Lord” - Bob Marley
07.
“Thank You” - Boys II Men
You may be sleepy and underthanked this week, Cap, but avoid detection by exuding confidence out the yin-yang. Many a sleepless night can be masked simply by acting more aggressive or singing by yourself in public.
AQUARIUS
08.
“A Satisfied Man” - Porter Wagoner
09.
“The Thanksgiving Song” - Adam Sandler
10.
“Kind And Generous” - Natalie Merchant
11.
“American Land” - Bruce Springsteen
12.
“Thank You” - The Redwalls
13.
DEC. 21 JAN. 19
“Be Thankful” - Natalie Cole Have an idea for our next Playlist of the Week? Send submissions to arensink@butler.edu.
JAN. 20 FEB. 18
Aquarians are working hard lately, but don’t give up. Praise is on the way. Like, next month, maybe, or January. Actually, I think that praise is for Pisces, sorry. Maybe you should give up.
by Kelsey Truman Staff Astrologist TAURUS APRIL 20 MAY 20 Bulls are prone to excess opulence this month. Your finances are good, so keep them good—that means no limo rides to Peppers this week. Not even one.
GEMINI MAY 21 JUNE 20
Tread softly in love this week, Gemini, for both sides of your dual nature are likely to upset your significant other. Be very wary of his or her feelings. Or just find a new, tougher one.
CANCER JUNE 21 JULY 22
Friends are very supportive of your career or school involvement this week. Thank them with a complimentary paperweight or pen emblazoned with the name of your group. This may seem like a bad thank you, but some people are really into paperweights.
LEO JULY 23 AUG. 22
It’s important to listen to your intuition this week, Lion. It’s cool to be a free spirit and all, but be careful to separate “intuition” from “animal urges” and don’t urinate anywhere unusual.
VIRGO
AUG. 23 SEPT. 22
Fish do well in romance this week. Your significant other may even invite you along for holiday plans. To prepare yourself, invest in crisp, white shirts.
Virgos are obsessive about cleanliness, and never more than the week preceding a national holiday. Keep spending low this week so you can purchase many tools for turkey hygiene.
ARIES MARCH 21 APRIL 19
LIBRA
SEPT. 23 OCT. 22
PISCES FEB. 19 MARCH 20
Tensions run high this week among business contacts and strangers. In order to ward off explosive confrontations, find the most deserted printer on campus to print off 200 copies of your cookout flyer or PowerPoint slides about whatever—NOT the Atherton computer lab, unless it’s 4 a.m.
New Jackson doc thrills
Feeling heavy this week, Libra? Lighten your load by selling your possessions. If you can’t choose what you can do without, allow impoverished children to do it for you. This is a great way to downsize because you cannot tell any of them no unless you are a total jerk.
Indianapolis Opera aims for students Jillian Deam Contributing Writer
Collegian photo from MCT
THE KING OF POP: The new concert film and documentary captures the spirit of what was to be Michael Jackson’s massive concert spectacle by combining rehearsal scenes with footage from the tour’s video backdrop.
Amy Rensink arensink@butler.edu Despite the controversy that followed Michael Jackson in his late years involving his physical and mental state, one thing clearly remained consistent: Michael Jackson forever was and forever will be one of the most brilliant and iconic performers of all time. The film “This is It” follows Jackson and his crew as they embark on what could have been the most epic tour of them all. The filmmakers pieced together footage from rehearsal, complemented with the footage for the backdrop screen, to give the audience the most complete version of the concert as possible. The film opens with a few words in text about the movie’s purpose. It was edited and released for the fans. There is no explicit mention of his death, which I found tasteful and appropriate. As soon as I saw the first image of Jackson on stage, I completely forgot about all of the controversy. He looks different, but he still moves and sings just the same. The opening scene shows him stepping out of a large, oversized, robot-like statue covered in moving pictures to sing “Wanna be Startin’ Somethin’.” I immediately thought to myself, “This is going to be big.” Many dancers auditioned, but only about 10 were selected to be a part of the show. Each one was able to embody Jackson’s moves. Director Kenny Ortega referred to them as extensions of Jackson, and I agree. Despite Jackson being a few months away from his 51st birthday, his energy and personality on stage were unmatched by the dancers. For the stage performances of “Bad” and “They Don’t Care About Us,” a film clip plays in the back that features the 10 dancers on a green screen to make it look like an
army of soldiers. This was just the beginning in a line of incredibly constructed clips. For “Smooth Criminal,” Jackson is edited into the old black-and-white film “Gilda,” where men are chasing him through various scenes. One of the men fires a gun, and the words “Smooth Criminal” appear on a marquee overlooking a city backdrop, at which point Jackson and his dancers emerge from the fog and begin the song. The set changes, and Jackson performs a series of Jackson 5 songs with a retro backdrop. I thought this was a great idea. When Jackson announced the tour, he said he would perform the songs his fans want to hear, and that is shown in the wide variety of songs he chose for the concert. The next highlight was definitely “Thriller.” The 3-D vignette for this song was incredible with actors in costume and makeup crawling out from a graveyard. A large spider appears and crawls toward the camera, at which point a similar giant robotic spider appears on stage, and Jackson emerges from inside. The onstage performance was just as great with the dancers in full costume, performing the world-recognized “Thriller” dance routine. Also used on stage is a giant cherry picker, which is a piece of the stage that rises and carries Jackson up over the audience. Jackson seemed to have a lot of fun with it, while the director yells, “Please hold on, Michael.” One of the last songs was the “Earth Song,” featuring a vignette of a little girl wandering through a lush forest. She falls asleep and wakes up to the forest burning. The song starts, and Jackson rises above the space on the cherry picker. The last songs we see are “Billie Jean” and “Man in the Mirror.” Just Jackson is on stage with the full band in the back. The image of Jackson’s arms spread freezes and
the words “Michael Jackson. King of Pop. Love Lives Forever” appear on the screen. The credits then roll with “This is It” playing and accompanied by additional clips. Much to my surprise, Jackson was very involved and hands-on with the musicians and dancers. He was very opinionated and a perfectionist, but he was tactful about it. He also gave the backup singers and musicians time to shine. For the duet “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” the lead female vocalist joins him at the front of the stage. There are also several moments during the concert when lead guitarist Orianthi Panagaris joins Jackson on stage. He tells her to extend her solo at the end: “It’s your time to shine!” The film is the highest-grossing concert film of all time, and it’s no surprise. The caliber of technology and production for this tour was going to make history. By releasing this footage, I don’t think it’s disrespecting Jackson; I think it’s showing his fans what could have been.
“This Is It” MOVIE REVIEW
Columbia Pictures Directed by: Kenny Ortega Starring: Michael Jackson, Kenny Ortega, Orianthi Panagaris Rated PG Rating: 5 = perfect, 4 = outstanding, 3 = good, 2 = fair, 1 = poor
While most young people don’t associate the words “weekend” and “fun” with opera, the Indianapolis Opera thinks they should. The organization is trying to lure students to Giacomo Puccini’s “La Bohème” at Clowes Memorial Hall, Friday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., for the reduced price of $10. (That’s for anyone 25 or younger. Everyone else pays $30-$115.) The Indianapolis Opera’s artistic director, Jim Caraher, said “La Bohème” is one of the most loved and frequently performed operas in the world, making it the perfect show to introduce non opera-goers to the art form. “The music’s phenomenal, and it’s a great story,” Caraher said. “It’s funny at the beginning, and then, when things get serious at the end, it’s such a shock that you can’t help but get sucked into the emotion of the whole thing.” “La Bohème” tells the story of a group of friends who are struggling to make ends meet and understand love. It was the inspiration for the Broadway hit musical “Rent,” which was made into a movie in 2005. Stage director Michael Ehrman is in his 17th production of “La Bohème,” yet he can still relate the opera to his college experience. He said when he was attending Northwestern University, he moved into a run-down apartment with three other roommates his junior year. They were all fairly broke and working to pay the bills, and Ehrman remembered a couple of mornings when they were supposed to be in class but didn’t want to move because their heat wasn’t working. “I just remember calling down the hall to another room saying, ‘I can’t get out of bed, it’s too cold! Are you going to class?,’ and they’d say, ‘No, I can’t get out of bed, either!’” Ehrman said. “We didn’t want to get up because we were shivering, and that’s very much how this opera starts out.” The opera will be performed in Italian with English translations projected above the stage, and it will feature musical accompaniment by the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. The Indianapolis Opera was founded in 1975 and is still the only professional opera company in Indiana. The company performs classic European works, as well as more recent American pieces. “Opera suffers from this sort of elitist attitude in the United States, which it doesn’t have anywhere else in the world, but it’s really one of the most accessible, wonderful art forms,” John Pickett, executive director of the Indianapolis Opera, said. Pickett said opera is the forerunner of today’s entertainment, combining art, music, theater, dance and symphony all into one show. “I think when I get people to see it for the first time, they all walk out and say, ‘I had no idea... I had no idea it was this wonderful,’” Pickett said. To get that message out, Indianapolis Opera decided to enlist Scott Evans, also known as “The Face of MyNDYTV” (Channel 23). Evans gives a behind-the-scenes look into “La Bohème” as a participant. He’s using his blog to chronicle his experience with the opera and open up the lines of communication to a younger audience. “I think this is the perfect show to get involved and fall in love with the opera,” he said. “This production brings everything together that people like about music and theater.” Whether you’re a first-timer or a frequent opera-goer, Ehrman said he believes the show will be worth your while. “I don’t know any other opera that combines humor and tragedy and juxtaposes it the way this one does,” he said. “I feel like no matter how many times you see it, it’s still very moving.”
Triumph Despite Trophies Butler’s men’s soccer team gets the No. 12 seed and a first-round bye in the NCAA tournament despite losing the Horizon League Championship. Page 12
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We is Weis No Longer Notre Dame doesn’t stand a fighting Irish chance with Weis at the reigns of a team with more potential than success. Page 13
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THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN
Men’s basketball overcomes slow start Emily Newell enewell@butler.edu After a slow start in the first half and several lead changes throughout the game, the Butler men’s basketball team fought, shot and scored their way back into the lead, beating Davidson 73-62. Senior Willie Veasley helped the Bulldogs (1-0, 0-0 Horizon League) make a fast start against the Wildcats (0-1), scoring first just three seconds into the game.
Collegian photo by Rachel Senn
MAKE IT RON: Sophomore Ronald Nored scored eight points off the bench in Butler’s 73-62 victory against Davidson.
After that, though, the Bulldogs struggled to make shots, trailing the Wildcats by 10 halfway through the period. Still down by 10 as the final minutes closed in the first half, the Butler men powered back with big shots and plays by Veasley, junior Shawn Vanzant and sophomores Gordon Hayward, Ronald Nored and Shelvin Mack to give the Bulldogs a 37-35 halftime lead. “We had that group at the end of the first half that was playing really well,” head coach Brad Stevens said. “They were covering for each other defensively. We got into the passing lanes and got a couple tips. That got us started in transition. “After that, I felt like we moved the ball much better and got better looks.” Veasley, who ended the game with 15 points, jump-started the offense with a three-pointer to begin the second half, taking the Bulldogs up 4035. “My confidence has grown tremendously,” Veasley said when discussing his ability to shoot three-pointers more consistently. “Once they start falling, that confidence just grows.” But the lead wouldn’t hold as the Wildcats battled back within two before reclaiming the lead midway through the half. “I was delighted to see the fight we had,” Davidson head coach Bob McKillop said. “I think [Butler] is a marvelous basketball team.” The score remained close as the clock moved toward the last five minutes of the half until senior Avery Jukes sunk a three to give the Bulldogs a 66-58. The Wildcats were unable to recover the lead. Free throws by Veasley, Vanzant and Hayward, who finished the game as Butler’s top scorer with 17 points, helped close out the win for the Bulldogs. “I dreaded this game for six months,” Stevens said. “Now that it’s over, I think it was probably a pretty good thing for us. “I’m proud of our guys for hanging in there.” Vanzant, who made his first collegiate career start versus Davidson, had 10 points in the game, nine of which came from threes in the first half. “I do whatever coach needs me to do,” Vanzant said. Stevens said despite the hype surrounding the team, which entered the
Butler drops season opener to UK Matt Lawder mlawder@butler.edu The women’s basketball team (0-1) headed south over the weekend to Lexington, Ky., for their season opener against Kentucky (2-0), losing 87-66. The Bulldogs never led in the game and started on the downside of a 22-11 run. Getting into foul trouble early, the Bulldogs struggled to catch up in the first half and entered the break trailing 4334. Kentucky netted 30 of their first-half points in the paint with 12 points from All-SEC standout Victoria Dunlap. Dunlap continued to pick apart the Bulldog defense in the second half, ending the game with 33 points and 18 rebounds. “[Dunlap] was a beast on the boards,” junior Brittney Bowen said. “With a player like that, we knew she was going to score. We were just trying to contain her.” Bowen actually outscored Dunlap in the first half, scoring 16 points herself, keeping the Bulldogs within striking distance of the Wildcats. “I was going off our game plan, and the baseline was open,” Bowen said. “I took advantage of it.” Down by nine points at the half, head coach Beth Couture said she kept the team focused on the
little things at half time. “We got into foul trouble early, but I think the bench did a good job,” Couture said. “We’ve been trying to emphasize the first five minutes of each half, and we came out with a lot of energy in the second half.” Butler’s defense stepped up to slow down the Wildcat offense and allowed only nine points in the first eight minutes of the half, while the Bulldog offense netted 18, tying the game at 52. But the Bulldogs could not grab the lead, and after a 13-3 run over the next 2:30, Butler found themselves down again by 10 points. The Bulldog offense scored only one point in the final five minutes, while the Wildcats pulled away for the 87-66 win. Despite the loss, Couture was positive about the performance. “I thought we played hard effortwise,” Couture said. “We had some positives from the game.” One highlight was the Bulldog offense, which shot 43.9 percent from the field and had four players in double figures. Although foul trouble instigated some early moves to the bench from Couture, the Bulldogs’ depth showed with nine different players getting at least 13 minutes on the court. Bowen and junior Chloe Hamilton, who both started, led the team in minutes played with 36 and 33 minutes respectively.
Another highlight from the game was senior Susan Lester scoring her 1000th point as a Bulldog on a free throw early in the second half. “It’s not a shock to me at all that she reached [1000 points],” Couture said. “She’s brought leadership to the team. She really struggled in the first half but came out in the second half with 14 points…I think there’s more to come.” Although the Bulldogs could score, they had trouble stopping the Wildcats’ attack, especially in transition. Butler allowed 20 fastbreak points, while scoring only two of their own. The Bulldogs also allowed Kentucky to shoot 46 percent from the field. With several more days of practice under their belts, the Bulldogs feel they are ready for their home opener against IPFW in Hinkle Fieldhouse. “You’ve got to win your home games if you want to do well in conference,” Couture said. “And we set the tone [tonight]. IPFW is a good team. They just beat Wright State, so we need to be ready to play.” The Bulldogs play the Mastodons tonight at 7 p.m. and then hit the road to face St. Louis University before playing in the Cancun Thanksgiving Classic. There they will face Syracuse and Northern Iowa.
Collegian photo by Rachel Senn
BIG MACK: Sophomore Shelvin Mack gets above Davidson’s defense in Saturday’s season opener at Hinkle Fieldhouse. season ranked 10th in the nation, they remain humble, and their approach is the same. “You have to prepare well, focus on your job and have fun doing it,” Stevens said. “Why would you change your approach just because people are talking about it?” The Bulldogs begin a six-game road trip starting tonight when they play at Northwestern at 8 p.m. before returning to Hinkle Fieldhouse Dec. 5 for their first conference game versus Valparaiso at 2 p.m.
Football’s win streak ends in Jacksonville; will play for PFL title Paige Flynn psflynn@butler.edu The Bulldogs suffered their first loss of the season Saturday to reigning Pioneer League champions Jacksonville, 36–7. Butler remains in a three-way tie for first place in the conference with a 6-1 record (Dayton and Drake are also 6-1). “First off, I’ve got to tip my hat to Jacksonville,” coach Jeff Voris said. “They played like champions.” The first quarter in D.B. Milne Field was uneventful, ending in no score. However, Butler managed to make four third-down conversions compared to Jacksonville’s one. After a 67yard drive halfway through the second quarter, Butler took the lead. Sophomore starting quarterback Andrew Huck threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to redshirt senior wide receiver Dan Bohrer, giving Butler a 7–0 lead. Jacksonville was quick to answer. Only 56 seconds later, the Dolphins’ quarterback, sophomore Josh McGregor, threw a 44-yard pass to wide receiver Larry Thompson, taking the game to the Butler 10-yard line. After calling a time-out, Jacksonville
returned to the field where McGregor completed a touchdown pass to tight end Chris Kuck to tie the game at 7–7 with 6:40 to go in the quarter. After another Dolphins touchdown before halftime, the Bulldogs never regained their composure. Huck went 21-35 with two interceptions for 220 passing yards
“We’ve got the championships coming up, and that’s where our focus is this week.” - Jeff Voris Head Coach, Football
on the day. Junior running back Scott Gray had 19 carries for a total of 87 yards, leading the team in rushing against Jacksonville. Redshirt sophomore running back Ryan Hitchcock had eight carries for 38 yards, adding to the team’s 155 rushing total for the day. Sophomore wide receiver Zach Watkins led in receptions Saturday, making eight catches
for 96 yards. Bohrer and redshirt sophomore Jeff Larsen made five and four catches respectively, each totaling 42 yards. Bohrer also made a touchdown reception. “The defense played really well,” Voris said. “[Freshman Michael] Wilson did some awesome punting.” Wilson punted five times in the game, racking up 189 yards at an average of 37.8 yards per punt. Three punts were inside the Jacksonville 20-yard line, but Wilson managed zero touchbacks for the day. His longest kick came in the third corner and measured 52 yards. “Jacksonville made some really big plays,” Voris said. “But we’ve already moved on [as a team]. It’s an experience to learn from, and it didn’t take [the team] long to turn the page. We’ve got the championships coming up, and that’s where our focus is this week.” The Bulldogs’ last conference game will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Butler Bowl versus Drake. It will be a battle for first as Dayton takes on Marist (5-2) at Welcome Stadium in Ohio. If the Bulldogs come out on top, it would be Butler’s first league championship since 1994.
Need more Bulldog sports? Get your fix throughout the week by following The Butler Collegian online! thebutlercollegian.com SUNDAY
WEDNESDAY
FRIDAY
Women’s Basketball vs. IPFW 7 p.m.
Women’s Volleyball vs. UIC 7:30 p.m.
Football vs. Drake 1 p.m.
Women’s Volleyball HL Finals with win Sat. 1 p.m.
Men’s Basketball at Northwestern Evanston, Ill. 8 p.m.
SATURDAY
Women’s Basketball at Saint Louis 3 p.m.
Men’s Soccer at TBA TBA
Women’s Volleyball at Cleveland State with win Fri. TBA
Men’s Basketball at Evansville 8 p.m.
-Women’s swimming competed in the House of Champions meet.
-Women’s basketball has signed three recruits for next season.
-Find out about the three new men’s basketball recruits.
-Butler Cross Country competed in the Great Lakes Regional.
MONDAY Cross Country NCAA Championships Terre Haute, Ind. Noon
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Wednesday, November 18, 2009
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Bulldogs earn 12 seed, first round bye Arika Herron acherron@butler.edu Heads hung low after the men’s soccer team lost the Horizon League Championship game to Green Bay Sunday—but not for long. Green Bay took the Horizon League’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, but Butler’s men were not left out of the 48-team field. The field was announced Monday night, with Butler slated as the No. 12 seed with a firstround bye. “We knew we’d be getting into the NCAA [tournament],” head coach Kelly Findley said. “We had a great year, but we were disappointed to let the [Horizon League] trophy slip through our fingers. Penalty kicks are a tough way to lose.” The Bulldogs battled Green Bay through 90 minutes of regulation play and two 10-minute overtime periods to a 0-0 conclusion. The resulting penalty kick shootout is the first in Horizon League Championship history. “We knew that Green Bay was a good team, and it’d be a difficult game,” junior Ben Sippola said. “A shootout is just a really bad way to lose. It feels
unfair.” But Sippola, who said he hadn’t taken a penalty kick in at least three years, did his part. His shot was good, as was freshman Julian Cardona’s attempt. But Green Bay goalkeeper Ryan Wehking stopped shots from senior Boris Gatzky and freshman Jared Isenthal. Green Bay had the 3-2 advantage when Wehking blocked the shot of junior Connor Burt, sealing Green Bay’s league title. “As soon as you miss the first shot, it puts you in a difficult position,” Findley said. “But [Fabian’s] a great goalkeeper. We knew he’d make a big save and give us the opportunity to get back on top. He did that, and we just didn’t capitalize.” The Bulldogs have been capitalizing on opportunities all season long, finishing with a regular season record of 14-2-2 and a conference record of 6-1-1. As winners of the regular season Horizon League title, Butler hosted the tournament last weekend. A first-round bye pitted No. 1 Butler against No. 4 Cleveland State. Again, Butler fought their opponent through a scoreless first half. But, unlike the final game, Butler was able to find the net in the second half of the semifinal match.
Sippola ended a string of unlucky shots with a score in the 50th minute. Gatzky added the eventual game-winner off of a penalty kick just minutes later. The Vikings added a goal of their own, but it wasn’t enough to topple the league favorite. Gatzky, Sippola and senior Kyle VondenBenken were named to the 11player All-Tournament team. Even after the loss to Green Bay, the Bulldogs had high expectations for postseason. “If we hadn’t made the tournament, the whole season would be considered a failure by our standpoint,” Sippola said, “because we’ve been working so hard. Our goal is to win a national championship. This is the biggest step yet.” “Every single game in the first round could be a coin flip and even in the second round,” Findley said. “Every game could go down to the wire. It wouldn’t surprise me if every game ended in penalty kicks because there’s just so much quality on both sides.” This NCAA tournament appearance is just the fifth in Butler men’s soccer history and the first since 2001. The Bulldogs will play the winner of the Indiana-Louisville game Sunday.
Collegian photo by Maria Porter
SOCCER STAR: Senior midfielder Kyle VondenBenken was named to the All-Tournament team along with senior Boris Gatzky and junior Ben Sippola.
Volleyball falls to fourth in conference going into league tournament Ashley Breitenbach and Emily Newell collegian@butler.edu The Butler women’s volleyball team ended regular season play last weekend, dropping their final two conference matches of the season to Green Bay Friday and Milwaukee Saturday. The losses bumped the team from third to fourth place in conference standings heading into this weekend’s Horizon League Championship tournament. The team finished the season 10-6 in conference play. On the heels of a four-game winning streak, the Bulldogs headed to Green Bay for the first of their weekend matches. Despite their efforts, the Bulldogs were unable to capitalize and dropped the match in three straight games to the Phoenix. The Bulldogs held an early 13-8 lead in the first set, but the Phoenix scored six straight to gain the lead, eventually winning the set 25-23. Green Bay went on to sweep the match 3-0, winning the second and third sets 25-19 and 25-20, respectively. Senior Porshia Allen dominated at the net with an attacking average of .714. However, she left in the first set with an ankle injury. Offensively, the Bulldogs were dominated by Green Bay and held to a hitting average of just .143 compared to the Phoenix’s .217. Sophomore Maureen Bamiro led the Bulldogs with 10 kills on .389 hitting, while freshman Gina Vera had 32 assists in the match.
With one game behind them, the Bulldogs headed to Milwaukee to wrap up regular season play in a match against the Panthers. The team started off strong, earning 17 kills to help push the Bulldogs to a 25-22 first-set win. But the Bulldogs’ lead didn’t last as the Panthers battled back in the second set, closing with a 6-1 run and taking the set 25-20. After tying the match 1-1, the Panthers were able to hold off the Bulldogs in the third and fourth sets, beating the Bulldogs 25-20 and 2519 to claim a 3-1 victory over Butler. “We just didn’t bring our intensity throughout each game,” Vera said. “We lost both matches, and we just couldn’t keep a consistent flow going.” After holding the No. 3 spot in the conference for a majority of the season, the two losses were enough to push the Bulldogs into the No. 4 spot at the end of regular season play. But the Bulldogs’ season was not without bright spots. For the first time since 1997, the Bulldogs won more than 20 matches, ending their season with an overall record of 21-13. It was head coach Sharon Clark’s best record as head coach at Butler. Clark earned her 250th career win against Alabama A&M Oct. 3. She got her 150th win as head coach at Butler versus Green Bay Oct. 7. Vera ranked second in the season for the Horizon League in assists, averaging 10.70 assists per set. She has also been in the national rank-
ings for assists for most of the 2009 season. “It’s great to keep up with the numbers to see my production from my passers and what I’m giving to my hitters, so that’s great, but it’s not all about the numbers,” Vera said. Other notable players include Allen, who has amassed 4,133 career attacks, placing her sixth on Butler’s all-time attack list. She is also fifth on Butler’s list for most career kills with 1,450. Junior Katie Daprile finished the regular season ranked fifth in the Horizon League in digs. She was also named Horizon League Player of the Week Oct. 19 after accumulating 27 digs in a win against Youngstown State. “I never took much interest in my stats as a player. I just did my job and played ball,” Daprile said. “It feels great to know that when I wasn’t trying or focusing on breaking that goal, I still broke it.” The team’s regular season ranking earned them a spot in the Horizon League Volleyball Championship this weekend. The No. 4 seed Bulldogs will play UIC in the quarterfinal Friday. A win would place the Bulldogs against regular season champion Cleveland State Saturday. “We can only focus on one team at a time,” Daprile said. “We are only assured one match this weekend, so in order to get one more, we need to take care of the first. “I’m really excited to show the other teams a whole side to us they didn’t expect.”
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The Butler Collegian
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
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Irish need to lose Weis to win games Steven Peek speek@butler.edu Notre Dame needs to fire head coach Charlie Weis. He has taken the school’s football program from the storied one it used to be to a team worth scheduling only in hopes of a win. That’s correct: Notre Dame is no longer one of the top football programs in the nation. They used to be, but Weis’ coaching has dropped their stock. Never being able to win a big game will do that to a program. And to stop any dissenters before they start, defeating a defenseless, Colt Brennan-less Hawaii team 4921 in the 2008 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl does not count as a big win. Losing to USC eight straight times is all Notre Dame has to hang their hat on right now. Weis left the coaching ranks of the National Football League in 2005 to take on the responsibility of coaching the then talented Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Weis has been at the helm of Notre Dame football since then and led them to a combined 3423 (1-2 in bowl games) record to date. In his first two seasons, Weis led the Fighting Irish to a 19-4 record, which is impressive on paper. However, the problem is that the players who achieved those successful seasons were not from a Weis recruiting class. They remained from the recruiting classes of preceding head coach Tyrone Willingham (who was fired after a 6-5 record in the 2004 season). The evidence: Brady Quinn and Jeff Samardzija.
Yet, even Quinn could not carry Notre Dame to victory against LSU in the 2007 Sugar Bowl. In Weis’ next two seasons, he guided the Fighting Irish to a dismal 9-15 record. That record was achieved (if you can call it an achievement) with his players from his recruiting classes. This season, the Fighting Irish are 6-4 due to losses to Michigan, thenNo. 6 USC, Navy and recently thenNo. 12 Pittsburgh. Due to the recent loss, there is an interesting parallel between Weis and the two previous Notre Dame football coaches: Weis now has the same
Weis can hardly infuse energy into Notre Dame fans and boosters and some fans have even begun to call him “Humpty Dumpty”. winning percentage (.583) as Willingham and Bob Davie did when they were fired. Lucky for Weis, he has two games left this season to improve that percentage, although I believe the Fighting Irish will not win their remaining two games. Perhaps the reason Weis is not getting the most out of his recruits is because he is not energetic like most college football coaches. That is not to say that all college football coaches are peppy or always smiling, but
they are at least fiery. They infuse energy into their players. Think of Urban Meyer, Nick Saban and Pete Carroll. Weis can hardly infuse energy into Notre Dame fans and boosters, who are supposed to be cheering for the team. Some fans have even begun to call him “Humpty Dumpty” (in reference to the 2008 game versus Michigan when a Notre Dame player crashed into Weis during play and tore Weis’ ACL and MCL). Plus, there’s not much to cheer for at this point in the season. Notre Dame’s loss to Navy was the second time in three seasons. Prior to 2007, Navy had not defeated Notre Dame for 43 years, not since the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Roger Staubach was running the offense in 1963. Weis is more of a laid-back individual and fits the NFL coaching mold well. He understands the theory of football and is an excellent offensive coordinator. He was the offensive coordinator when the New England Patriots won three Super Bowls in 2001, 2003 and 2004. But that NFL arena is where Weis should have stayed. He does seems like the type of person who would rather be watching film than shaking the hands of Notre Dame’s boosters or convincing a recruit’s mother that her son should be in his care for four years. Sure, Notre Dame will likely be invited to a bowl game. After all, they are Notre Dame. But don’t let the bowl system’s quest for media markets and ticket sales confuse you. Notre Dame no longer has a top pro-
Collegian photo from MCT
FIGHT-LESS IRISH: Charlie Weis, who is 6-4 this season, contemplates Notre Dame’s eighth straight loss to USC after the game on October 17. gram in the NCAA. They are not in the same conversation as Florida, Texas, Alabama, USC or even Boise State and TCU. They might not even be in the same conversation as Stanford, their final opponent this season. Notre Dame football is no longer a program with an image to fall back
on. Right now, they are a program with no conference ties and hopefully, soon enough, no coach. What do you think about Charlie Weis as Notre Dam e’s head coach? S end a letter to The Buter Collegian or e-m ail us at collegian@butler.edu.
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Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Butler Collegian
BUTLER COLLEGIAN
Collegian photos by Maria Porter Collegian illustration by Rachel Senn