the butler
A&E: Butler’s theater department prepares for Friday’s opening of Tartuffe. Page 8
VOL. 126 ISSUE 17 ESTABLISHED 1886 INDIANAPOLIS
COLLEGIAN
Sports: Despite schedule, Blue II in good health. Page 5
Opinion: Black History Month is for everyone. Page 10
BUTLER UNIVERSITY | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2012 | WWW.THEBUTLERCOLLEGIAN.COM
BU publicity from Super Bowl unique, ‘priceless’
BASKETBALL
Men hold off Ramblers, win by six
Butler received national spotlight during Super Bowl weekend.
Butler senior guard Ronald Nored (front) makes contact with Loyola of Chicago sophomore guard Denzel Brito (right) while taking a shot during the Bulldogs’ 63-57 win over the Ramblers last night. The win pushed Butler past Detroit and into third place in the Horizon League.
CHRIS GOFF CGOFF@BUTLER.EDU
COPY CHIEF
A team deemed “Big Blue” by its supporters won the Super Bowl. But shades of Butler blue colored events leading up to and surrounding the big game. Butler University officials are claiming victory in a coordinated effort to earn publicity and involve the Butler community in a variety of ways as Indianapolis hosted the National Football League’s championship game for the first time on Feb. 5. They say the value of Butler’s public relations success is priceless. “It was March Madness in February,” said Marcia Dowell, executive director of university relations. The campus hosted a standup event starring NBC late-night host Jimmy Fallon, the NFL’s celebration of gospel music, a celebrity basketball game for charity, a comedy show with big personalities, a dinner for public safety planners, free tours of Hinkle Fieldhouse and two Butler men’s basketball home games. People affiliated with the university participated in Fallon’s live post-Super Bowl special, Madonna’s performance in the halftime show and official NFL social media promotion, among other events. As usual, mascot Butler Blue II was in the middle of it all. The English bulldog visited the Super Bowl Village and Radio Row, judged a cooking contest, appeared on a CBS television special, filmed a spot for Fallon’s live show, posed for pictures, added about 400 followers on Twitter and was named one of the Social 46 by the city’s Super Bowl host committee. “At the end of it, you say, ‘This is all the stuff we did,’” Michael Kaltenmark, director of web marketing and communications, said. “I don’t know how you could look at that as not being successful and not having a good week.” Courtney Tuell, director of public relations, said she reached out to Super Bowl officials months before the game to find out how Butler could become involved, and she’s happy with how it all turned out. “It keeps Butler’s name in the national spotlight,” she said. “The impact will be positive. [Many events] were once-in-a-lifetime experiences for our students that have likely resulted in a lot of great experiences and memories.” The Bridgestone Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show was among those. Eric Stark, a professor of music, directed a 200-person choir that sung “Like a Prayer” on stage with Madonna. Included were 22 members of the Butler chorale. “That’s incredible,” Kaltenmark said. “The value comes back in recruitment and enrollment. We can tout that that happened, [that] you’re going to get opportunities just by who we are and where we are.” Super Bowl week also affected campus visitation. About six families toured Butler —and about 20 more requested visits—because of the Super Bowl, Beth Petrie, associate director of admission, said. see publicity page 3
| Full story on page 12 Photo by Rachel Anderson
INSIDE THE SHORTRIDGE PARTNERSHIP | PART TWO
Partnership provides learning experience Relationships key to partnership’s ability to succeed, administrators said.
LUKE SHAW LESHAW@BUTLER.EDU STAFF WRITER
SARA PRUZIN SPRUZIN@BUTLER.EDU
PRINT MANAGING EDITOR
Building deeper relationships is what educators at both Shortridge Magnet High School and Butler University’s College of Education say is the next step in their part of the partnership. COE partners with Shortridge for professional development, provides student teachers and holds certain classes at Shortridge. Shelly Furuness, an assistant professor of education who taught a Butler class at the school, said Shortridge is an interesting case for COE students to study, since it is still developing its magnet and uses techniques such as town hall meetings and democratic classrooms that most students only read about in education textbooks. “Shortridge has wonderful things to offer, unique things that are not happening anywhere else,” she said. “We don’t hear about those things often enough in the face of the negative news that’s there, because it’s easier to write about.” Some of that negative news includes the termination of Principal Brandon Cosby in November, layoff notices to both vice principals and fears that Shortridge could face state takeover if it continues to fail to meet its test score goals. The school failed to make adequate yearly progress, as defined by the Indiana Department of Education, in 2010 and 2011. Furuness said these concerns can frame how Butler students approach the school, and actually getting involved there helps students to confront their misconceptions. “It helps them to see beyond the
Meet the SGA candidates
Shortridge Magnet High School started its partnership with Butler University in 2007. Photo by Reid Bruner
labels of urban school or failing school or troubled school,” she said. “When they talk to a student, they no longer see them as an IPS or urban kid.” SHORTRIDGE TEACHERS Anne Stanich, the English as a second language teacher at Shortridge, said that the partnership has helped give the high school students role models and increased their interest in college. She said it could grow though, if there was more involvement after school and during extracurricular activities. One such after-school session was a photography program where students took photos and wrote around them. Stanich said this format was effective and allowed the Butler students to take on more of a mentoring role. “After school, they’re more relaxed, it’s more fun, and we can do things that are more outside of the box,” Stanich said. “It would make that connection and bridge that gap, so they’re more willing to work on the academic portion.” Jon Colby, the communications teacher at Shortridge, has had numerous student teachers observe in his classroom and said
he is happy with the interaction he sees. He said that while he appreciates any time Butler students come to his classroom, communication and consistency could be improved. He said sometimes requests come at the last minute. “When we have that many people coming into our building,” he said, “it would be more advantageous to form a more consistent connection.” Like Stanich, Colby said there are ways that Butler students could play a mentoring role, and the Shortridge students react to their teaching. “Even if [student teachers] say the exact same thing I say, it’s good to reenforce what I say,” Colby said. “When I talk, it’s an old man talking, but when they talk, they’re a 20 year old. It’s different coming from them.” BUTLER STUDENTS AT SHORTRIDGE John Dimmick is a student teacher at Shortridge. He grew up in Indianapolis, where he attended a more suburban school and got a degree from Valparaiso University before coming to Butler to attain teaching certification. see shortridge page 4
SPORTS 5 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 8 | OPINION 10 | MEN’S BASKETBALL 12
Applications for Student Government Association president are in, and the candidates have begun the race to become next year’s student body leader. The candidates will participate in a meet and greet this afternoon at Starbucks from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Their first debate is slated for Feb. 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the pharmacy building, room 156. To senior political science major Kevin Scoleri, the winning candidate will be one who can command trust from the students. “Students are the life-blood of the university,” he said. “You have to have people who care, people who you can trust to put power in their hands.” Before the first debate this afternoon, the candidates gave The Collegian a closer look at their platforms. JOSH GRANT – SOPHOMORE In his application for SGA president, Grant, a pledge to Sigma Chi, said, “My aim is to diffuse the unique atmosphere and limitless opportunities that define Butler University to all students, staff and members of the surrounding community, thereby elevating the institution to new and promising heights.” MIKE KELLER – SOPHOMORE Grants committee chairman Keller’s presidential platform is built around strengthening the class see candidates page 2 FIND OUT MORE The Butler Collegian will hold its annual SGA Presidential Debate Sunday. A recording of the debate will be available on www.thebutlercollegian.com. Look for The Collegian’s official endorsement in next week’s issue.
PAGE 2 | THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2012
Students, alumni reflect on SGA Opportunities for transparency, image and participation are available, they say. RYAN LOVELACE RLOVELAC@BUTLER.EDU STAFF WRITER
With Student Government Association elections around the corner, students and alumni reflected on SGA’s current administration and their experiences with the organization in years past. While student leaders affiliated with SGA maintain the organization is acting in the best interests of the students and is headed in the right direction, some students would like to see improvement in transparency and accountability. Dan Schramm, the vice president of finance for SGA, said SGA made progress this year by spending just under half of SGA’s budget through the first semester. “Now that we have a sense of where we are in the budget so far, it’s given us motivation to be able to pick up programming and do more with the confidence that we’ll be able to afford it,” Schramm said. Part of that programming included the Butler University Dance Marathon that occurred during the second weekend of this spring semester. Lauren Pedigo, vice president of public relations for SGA, declared the event a huge success because of the $108,000 it raised. Pedigo said the dance marathon exemplifies the way in which SGA wishes to use student’s money for things students will enjoy. “It’s students’ money, and it should go back to the students,” Pedigo said.
CANDIDATES: PLATFORMS EXPLORED
Council on Presidential Affairs Chair Mike Tirman asks about campus concerns each week at SGA assembly. Chris Beaman, the senior class president, said total transparency within SGA is a real concern and that he hoped for a better understanding of exactly which things different organizations were spending the student body’s money on. “It’s not going to happen while I’m at school,” Beaman said. “But I do have hope because I believe that there are people with the same goal in mind at SGA working for students.” Jon Himes, the vice president of programming for SGA, said increasing student awareness about what SGA does would help thwart a perceived lack of transparency on the part of SGA. Himes spoke of a recent partnership his programming
board has made with the public relations board within SGA. “We decided to create this 15-minute window at the end of our meetings, to the beginning of their (public relations board) meetings, where their members collaborate with our members,” Himes said. Despite such efforts of increased awareness on campus, Natalie Roth, a junior public relations and advertising major, said that SGA could be doing a better job. “The biggest thing is keeping upperclassmen involved,” Roth said. “As a junior and commuter student, it is very easy to kind of fade away from what’s going on on campus.” Ginger Lippert, former SGA president and graduate of the class
Photo by Rachel Anderson
of 2004, said via email that during her time as an undergraduate, it was difficult to engage different people to become involved with SGA. “I think SGA’s main weakness was that we actively involved the same people in our meetings, events and boards,” Lippert said. “We had strong participation, but it would have been nice to engage a larger portion of the student body in leadership positions and events.” Former SGA presidential candidate and 2011 graduate Whittney Murphy said she recognized that student involvement within SGA has been an ongoing problem that SGA routinely works to improve. “A lot of times at meetings,
it was evident that people were afraid to say the wrong thing or speak out of turn, especially freshmen,” Murphy said. “SGA has done a good job of educating its members about Robert’s Rules of Order, who can speak when, and now meetings really move along.” Murphy said that she has higher expectations for SGA as its meetings become a more open forum for all students to speak. “I hope it will be a body where people bring issues, rather than a money pot where people come to get money,” Murphy said. Anna Roueche, former SGA presidential candidate and current student affairs coordinator for the Council on Presidential Affairs, is one student who is open to discussing the issues that she thinks currently affect SGA. Roueche, who lost to Carroll in the presidential race last spring, said that some of Carroll’s behavior reflects negatively on the rest of SGA. Roueche said this was made clear at the recent town hall meeting with President Jim Danko. “Al came but left halfway through,” Roueche said. “A lot (of) people sacrificed their time to be there including the president and several VPs, and when the head of the student government walks out, it reflects poorly on him and all of SGA.” Students will have the opportunity to address issues at SGA later this month in the upcoming student elections. In the meantime, Himes said one event that could draw students like Roth back to on-campus events is the upcoming concert that is being planned by SGA. As to who’s performing? “Wish I could tell you,” Himes said. “I can tell you it’ll be a good concert. I’m excited.”
MEET THE CANDIDATES
FROM PAGE ONE
government, revamping the public relations board, reorganizing grants committee policies and creating a Butler SGA app for smart phones. “We [SGA] rely too much on simple posters and bulletin boards to get our message out,” Keller said. Keller said, “We need to be more active in social media and also pursue other areas to publicize.” Keller is also a part of Delta Tau Delta, the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega and is the Class of 2014 treasurer. KATIE PALMER – SOPHOMORE Palmer, the president of the Class of 2014, has built her presidential campaign around campus unity. “As SGA president, I would work relentlessly toward increased communication and cooperation between SGA and the student body, Greek students and independent students, the media and SGA, class officers and SGA and the administration and the student body as a whole,” Palmer said. SGA transparency and the reorganization of the Public Relations Board are other issues Palmer hopes to tackle. Palmer is also involved with Pi Beta Phi and is a Schwitzer Hall resident assistant. KELSA REYNOLDS – JUNIOR The current SGA vice president of operations has thrown her hat into the election ring. In her presidential platform, Reynolds stresses the importance of student-sponsored events. “I will strongly support the growing arts department and programs, athletics, Greek philanthropy events, independent students sponsored programming and diversity programming that will take place on campus throughout the upcoming school year,” Reynolds said in her presidential application. Reynolds also said she wants to evaluate the need for the GPS shuttle tracking system, promote the Diversity Center as soft space on campus, and create a monthly “save the date” announcement for SGA sponsored events. Reynolds is also
JOSH GRANT: Sophomore, former R.E.A.C.H. co-chair, former representative for College Republicans Student Government Association representatives vote at an assembly meeting in the Krannert Room.
Photo by Rachel Anderson
Despite discussion, SGA assembly frequency will not change MICHAEL KELLER: Sophomore, member of SGA Finance Board
KATIE PALMER: Sophomore, chair of Council on Presidential Affairs Academic Affairs Committee
KELSA REYNOLDS: Junior, SGA Vice President of Operations Photos courtesy of candidates
a student orientation guide and the student orientation coordinator.
BROOKE DEADY BDEADY@BUTLER.EDU
STAFF WRITER
It may always get brought up at Student Government Association assembly meetings, but the meeting frequency will not change any time soon. SGA President Al Carroll said that the idea to move assembly to every other week as opposed to every week like it is now is brought up every year. “The administration wouldn’t change it because it wouldn’t work,” Carroll said. “Student opinion and votes couldn’t be collected.” Junior physical education and exercise science major Ariel Rudd said she believes it would be a good idea to change meeting frequency. “Unfortunately, many SGA representatives don’t report back to their organizations, because a lot of what we cover in assembly is unchanging due to the frequency of the meetings,” she said. “I think more people would come to assembly if it were bi-weekly, and I think they would take the info back to their organizations.” However, many clubs and organizations meet every other week, and if assembly was changed to meet bi-weekly, there would be no way to
coordinate with every group, Carroll said during assembly earlier this month. “It would be difficult because there would be a chance that SGA assembly would meet on the off weeks of these organizations,” sophomore arts administration and public relations major Allie Combs said. “Then the SGA representative would never be able to relay the information from assembly to their constituents, and that is the whole reason assembly exists in the first place.” Kelsa Reynolds, vice president of operations for SGA, said that any type of business vote discussion would be delayed almost four weeks. Anything in need of discussing needs to be brought up in advance before actually being discussed, she said, so if assembly was on a biweekly schedule, that business may be long forgotten by the time SGA meets again. “Considering how fast-paced our society is, for our student government to work at a pace different than the pace of the student body’s lives is inefficient and folly,” sophomore pharmacy major EJ Oldfield said. “Although some weeks this does mean shorter assembly due to a lack of discussion points, SGA is better off staying up-to-date with events on campus
rather than being a week behind.” If it were to change, Reynolds said word about anything going on would not get out, and few people on campus would know about any programming. “SGA is all about effective communication, and if [assembly meetings] were to change, there would be a huge communication gap,” Reynolds said. “That’s not what SGA is about.” CPA Chair Mike Tirman, said that members are always brainstorming different ideas on how SGA can be better, but he, with the rest of the executive board, understands that bi-weekly meetings would be a mistake. “There’s a ton that goes on,” Tirman said. “We have to be careful. “We have to keep the line of communication open, and assembly is the best way of doing that.” Many of the SGA representatives agree with the executive board on the idea that it would be the wrong decision to change assembly to every other week. Reynolds said SGA will be sticking to weekly meetings, and if next year’s officers want to, they can think about changing it next year. SGA assembly is held every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in the Krannert Room.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2012
THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN | PAGE 3
‘Close to enough’ faculty for GHS next fall
Numbers presented in last week’s Faculty Senate were misleading, director said. AISHA TOWNSEND ATOWNSE2@BUTLER.EDU STAFF WRITER
Numbers that suggested Butler University’s global and historical studies program was having trouble finding professors to teach classes were misleading, according to the program director. “GHS classes that full-time lecturers teach were not reflected in those numbers,” Paul Hanson, director of the GHS program, said. “So, in fact, we are quite close to having enough classes with faculty assigned to meet next fall’s student demand.” Butler students are required to complete two semesters or six credit hours in the program before graduation. The course topics range from the resistance and rights of global women to the history of revolutionary Europe. Hanson said the program has faced a faculty shortage in the past. “The GHS program actually faced greater challenges this past year than we do for next year because of the very large freshman class admitted in the fall of 2010,” Hanson said.
Photo by Josh Morris
Global and historical studies professor David Jamison addresses his class on the topic of Caribbean postcolonial studies.
In order to take care of the shortage, Hanson said he reaches out to surrounding universities for temporary staffing. “Luckily we are located in a major metropolitan area with several other colleges and universities, which
makes it easier to find qualified people,” Hanson said. David Jamison, an adjunct professor, is originally from Queens, N.Y., and relocated to Indiana for graduate school. He said he was interested in the GHS program after
being forwarded an advertisement from one of his colleagues at Indiana University. “It’s what I’m interested in, what I love and my field of study,” Jamison said. “Studying identity and rebellion is so very culturally rich and
interesting.” There are three designated lecturers in the GHS program, but they don’t teach only GHS courses at Butler. Jason Lantzer is a full-time professor in the history department but has been teaching various courses including history, GHS, first year seminar, and honors courses at Butler since 2007. Lantzer teaches “Contemporary Europe” and reaches his students in a unique way, said junior science, technology and society major Ciera Oshodi. “He still lectures to us, but he does it by telling stories of the past, so that makes it very interesting,” Oshodi said. Lantzer said he enjoys teaching GHS for two reasons. “First is exposing students to the length and breadth of the history of a given area,” Lantzer said. “The second is because my own research interests tend to be more about American history, using that as a bridge to discuss events in a transnational and comparative framework, which allows students, I hope, a means of connecting with the material.” “Throughout the years we have had excellent faculty teaching in the program, whether tenured, tenuretrack, lecturers or adjuncts,” Hanson said.
BLACK STUDENT UNION’S UNITY BALL Photos by Reid Bruner
On Saturday students from universities around Indiana gathered in the Reilly Room for a unity ball hosted by Butler’s Black Student Union. The evening brought students together to eat, dance and watch spoken word poet Tony Styxx perform. Right: University president Jim Danko and Vice President for Student Affairs Levester Johnson speak with spoken word poet Tony Styxx after his performance. Below: Johnson dances with students from several universities.
Photo courtesy of Chris Parker
Butler University students pose with Late Night host Jimmy Fallon after wrapping-up filming for the show’s first-ever live show after the Super Bowl.
PUBLICITY: EXPERIENCE PRICELESS FROM PAGE ONE
UP NEXT ON COLLEGIANTV WRITING CENTER MARY ALLGIER TOURS THE NEWLY-OPENED EFROYMSON WRITING CENTER. COMING THIS WEEK
Women’s Basketball Matt Rhinesmith talks with the women’s basketball team as they team up against breast cancer.
Polar Plunge Allgier dives into coldest event on campus last weekend: The Polar Plunge.
Drum Circle
Photo by Taylor Cox
Brynn Erdy takes a look at the Butler Community Arts School’s new African drumming class.
Petrie said many of those prospective students and their families were from the East Coast, which is home to both the victorious New York Giants and the vanquished New England Patriots. Teenagers weren’t the only ones setting foot on Butler ground. Ben Hunter, chief of staff and executive director of public safety, co-chaired the Visiting Public Safety Committee. The committee hosted several security planners at a dinner Feb. 2 in the Reilly Room. “They fell in love with our campus,” Hunter said. Butler also partnered with the Horizon League to make 50 free tickets available to Super Bowl media for both the Feb. 2 game against Wright State and the Feb. 4 matchup with Detroit. Nearly all were used by members of the press, including Boston Globe sports columnist Bob Ryan, who said he saw something at Hinkle he’d never seen before — a timeout promotion in which fans raced remote control cars. Butler’s athletics department promoted free tours of the fieldhouse, and 129 people went through in five days. Matt Harris, manager of fan development for Butler athletics, said the tours were one of the few special events held away from downtown. “Everybody in Indianapolis was doing something,” said Harris, who led most tours. “That we were a part of that shows where we stand in our community.” Butler was perhaps showcased
Butler couldn’t buy that (exposure). It’s just priceless any way you cut it. MICHAEL KALTENMARK DIRECTOR OF WEB MARKETING most by the opening segment of the live “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon,” in which Fallon sat on a couch with Blue II, in a room with students in Butler T-shirts, and then ran out of Atherton Union, past the bulldog statue, and tiptoed atop the “Butler University” sign parallel with Hampton Drive. Hink was seen on camera inside the Hilbert Theatre. “The icing on the cake,” Kaltenmark said of the show that involved more than 100 Butler students and was viewed by 6.166 million people. “To see that exposure, Butler couldn’t buy that. We couldn’t afford it. It’s just priceless any way you cut it.” Tuell said she agreed that a monetary value on Butler’s PR couldn’t be figured, and Dowell said the positive press about the city in general helps the school, too. Kaltenmark said his only regret is not succeeding in his effort to book Blue II to appear on “Today” or “Fox and Friends.” But he said the university’s overall success was stunning. “It’s the Super Bowl coming to your backyard,” Kaltenmark said. “You’ve got to try to get in on that. Here’s an event that for all intents and purposes has nothing to do with you — it’s professional football — and we came away as one of the city’s major players. I bet people thought, ‘That Butler, they did it again.’”
PAGE 4 | THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2012
Independents hope to improve, increase student involvement Independent Council is working to improve networking, leadership opportunities for students who are not affiliated with Greek houses. BEN HORVATH BHORVATH@BUTLER.EDU STAFF WRITER
Vice President for Student Affairs Levester Johnson addressed the difference in involvement between Greek and nonGreek students at the most recent town hall, and it has caused a buzz among students. The university has conducted no formal studies, but it seems as though it is widelyheld idea that Greek students are more involved with leadership positions. Johnson said this is due to the structure and stated goals of Greek organizations. “Greek organizations have very intentional and direct programs; their missions and goals are founded in giving back to the community,” Johnson said. “It is easier for a Greek house to organize 60 members than non-Greek students to organize thousands.” Irene Stevens, dean of student life, said this imbalance has a negative effect on student life. “You always want your student life to reflect your student body,” Stevens said.
WYSONG: Independent Council Executive Board Member hopes to increase visibility on campus.
“Independent students have different views and perspectives and should be represented.” The Independent Council was founded in 2008 by student Sarah Morefield to help bridge the gap between non-Greek and Greek students, particularly in terms of all-campus events, according to the Independent
Council’s website. The organization began with 15 interested members and has grown to 94 members today, according to the website. Senior Amie Wright, president of the Independent Council, said the reason for the lack of independent voices among leadership positions is because leadership positions are often passed down. “Those who hold certain positions are more likely to pass them down to people within their own house,” Wright said. Wright said there must be a continued dialogue between the administration and Independent Council to ensure the
independent voice is heard. “It’s a matter of the information getting out to independent students who don’t have the same level of organization Greek students have,” Wright said. The Independent Council hosts and collaborates with organizations for many senior events through the year, according to Hannah Wysong, an executive board member. “We get members involved through events like the Spring Sports Spectacular, which is our biggest event,” Wysong said. Wysong said a stated goal of Independent Council is not necessarily to increase independent student leadership but to increase involvement. “The reason for such a high percentage of Greek involvement is networking,” Wysong said. “The IC hopes to provide this sort of networking to an extent but most importantly help independents become more involved.” Wright said the PuLSE Office is important in passing along leadership information. “PuLSE can send IC leaders information on leadership positions, which can then be passed along to other members,” Wright said. PuLSE Office Director Caroline HuckWatson said she hopes to continue the dialogue with independent students to help increase their involvement.
BULLDOGS BEING BIGS
“Campus is more vibrant and powerful when as many voices are heard,” HuckWatson said. “Every voice is important.” Johnson said this situation should be viewed in context. “Although there is a difference between Greek and non-Greek involvement, Butler students as a whole are more involved than the national average,” Johnson said. The National Survey of Student Engagement found Butler to be higher in many areas of student involvement, including service projects and volunteer work — something Greek organizations particularly excel in. “Students don’t need organizations around them to be more involved,” Johnson said. “Oftentimes the division between Greek and non-Greek students is due to competitive events that are based on places of residence.” Johnson said in the future the administration might try to create smaller residential communities and be more intentional in leadership training programs. Wright also said it is important to get independent freshmen and sophomores involved so that they may pursue leadership positions in the future. “We need to continue to try and get independent students involved,” Wright said. “The 65 percent of independent students is definitely not represented.”
Shortridge at a glance... Location: Meridian Street and 34th Street Grades: Six through 11, with 12th grade being added next year Magnet: Law and public policy Enrollment: 489 Demographics: 67 percent black, 15 percent Hispanic, 13 percent white, 4 percent multicultural and 1 percent Asian Famous alumni: Sen. Richard Lugar and author Kurt Vonnegut
SHORTRIDGE: RELATIONSHIPS VALUABLE FROM PAGE ONE Photo courtesy of Laura Halt
Members of Bulldogs Being Bigs were among those recognized by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana on Monday.
BU Bigs honored for work JILL MCCARTER JMCCARTE@BUTLER.EDU
NEWS EDITOR
Nearly 20 Butler University students were recognized on Monday for their work with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana as part of National Mentoring Month. Butler was among the 25 corporate partners acknowledged for creating an environment that encourages work with Big Brothers Big Sisters. “It says a lot about these companies that their employees give back to the community in such a meaningful way,” Darcey Palmer-Shultz, Big Brothers Big Sisters CEO, said in a press release. “Our mentors change kids’ lives for the better forever.” The undergraduates involved are assigned a little, often an atrisk, middle-school aged student. The bigs and littles are expected to spend five hours a month together. Butler’s partnership with the Big Brothers Big Sisters, Bulldogs Being Bigs, has grown since its inception in 2009. “They’ve just really stepped it up this year,” Laura Halt, director of volunteer engagement and training, said. Halt and the rest of the administrators at Big Brothers Big Sisters have worked to get more students involved throughout its time at Butler with awareness programs and the development of programs to engage. “We know that being a big isn’t for everybody,” Halt said. “This gives the group as a whole a variety of ways to participate.” Halt said that since most college students find it difficult to balance schoolwork and extracurricular activities, the recognition from the program was important. “They’ve really gone above and
(Bulldogs Being Bigs) have gone above and beyond that of a typical college student. LAURA HALT
DIRECTOR OF VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT
beyond that of a typical college student,” Halt said. “We think it’s phenomenal that they found a way to balance coursework and being a big.” For one of the Butler bigs, involvement in the program has been life changing. Junior chemistry and biology major Kelly Crider spends every other Saturday with her little, a 13-year-old enrolled at an Indianapolis charter school. The two started working together through the College Mentors for Kids program during Crider’s freshman year but switched over to Big Brothers Big Sisters to allow for more offcampus activities and flexibility. Every other Saturday, Crider and her little attend an art class at the Indianapolis Art Center. Free through Big Brothers Big Sisters, the class allows for the two to talk about school, friends and home life while painting, sculpting and sketching. It’s an activity that Crider said she looks forward to, and they’ve made a tradition of their Saturdays. Through the program, Crider said that she’s been able to realize the importance of children. “This has really given me a chance to see life through the eyes of a kid again,” Crider said. “It’s given me an opportunity to fill the
role of a big sister.” Healthy eating has become an important part of the relationship Crider and her little share. After art class, they go to the grocery store and find something to make for dinner. Most recently, Caesar salad has been on the menu. “She’s on a little bit of a kick,” Crider said. The two have played roles in each others’ futures, Crider said. Crider, who once saw herself in the medical field, now wants to teach. “She’s absolutely changed what I want to do with my life,” Crider said. “Because of this, I’ve realized I want to serve.” Her little, seemingly inspired by a comment Crider made about her “fine motor skills,” now talks about going to medical school one day. Crider says the program is one of the most rewarding things she’s ever done and said she encourages everyone to try it out. “People say they don’t have time for it,” Crider said. “But you have time for what you decide you have time for.” Those interested in becoming part of Bulldogs Being Bigs should contact president Matt Miller at mbmille1@butler.edu. BY THE NUMBERS According to a Harris Interactive survey of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana: 52 percent of littles reported that their bigs kept them from dropping out of high school. 81 percent of littles said their bigs changed their perspective on what was possible in life. 90 percent of littles said that their bigs made them feel better about themselves.
For the Butler students, it can be a slap in the face or a hard dash of reality.
While he was first introduced to Shortridge in an education class, he said being a student teacher in a school very different from his own was difficult at first. “For the Butler students, it JOHN DIMMICK can be a slap in the face or a hard STUDENT TEACHER, SHORTRIDGE dash of reality,” he said. “But it’s a good taste to see what you’re going to face if you end up at an urban school.” “These experiences have been Dimmick said building invaluable to forming what I relationships has been an think education looks like and important strategy for navigating what it can look like.” the school. “Relationships are huge, THE FUTURE especially in a place like Katie Brooks, an assistant Shortridge,” he said. “Since they professor of education, is on the don’t have many resources, the steering committee and has also focus isn’t just on academics, worked with the School Change but personal and character Project, which is funded by a development, and that’s all about five-year, $1.2 million federal relationships.” professional development grant Dimmick said that working at to work with teachers on how Shortridge has made him a better to reach bilingual children and teacher. better integrate them into the “I was not convinced it was school. going to be the place for me, but She said she would like the it’s been an experience I definitely partnership to become more needed to have,” he said. “It gave like an exchange, where Butler me a good perspective on this professors teach at Shortridge and side of education, one that is very Shortridge faculty teach at Butler. different than what I experienced She said this would help both personally.” sides become more comfortable. Junior education major Shelbi “It takes a couple of years Burnett said that while it can be to build relationship and build difficult to navigate bureaucracy trust,” Brooks said. “Sometimes and implement programs at there’s some suspicion around Shortridge, there is student university people coming in, but interest. Burnett is working with I really think we’re starting to other education students on break down those assumptions. While Colby said everyone he an urban farming project that she hopes will contribute to the interacts with at Shortridge has future both environmentally and the “more the merrier approach” when it comes to having Butler educationally. “Sustainability means both support, Furuness agreed with going green and that you have to Brooks, saying that there needs create a structure and a framework to be an eye toward mutual involvement and benefit as the for learning,” she said. She said that while teaching in partnership progresses. “I never want us to be viewed Indianapolis Public Schools can be “unpredictable,” programs as people who think they have and lasting involvement are the all the answers for what to do in somebody else’s school, but we way to build the partnership. Like Dimmick, Burnett said the are fortunate to have access to experience has helped her better have a lot of resources,” Furuness said. “I don’t want them to feel understand education. “I’ve had a paradigm shift like the partnership is necessary that education and learning can for their success. It’s necessary for be a messy entity,” Burnett said. our mutual success.”
SPORTS THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2012
PAGE 5
Academics at forefront of athletics MARISSA JOHNSON MKJOHNSO@BUTLER.EDU STAFF WRITER
Despite the high demands of Division I athletics, Butler has been successful with placing students on the Horizon League Honor Roll. This past fall, Butler had eight students on Academic All-League teams. Last year, 34 athletes received this honor between all of Butler’s athletic teams. Butler also had an Academic All-American last year in basketball player Matt Howard, bringing the school’s all-time total to 45. This is high in comparison to universities like Connecticut, which boasts a student population of more than 22,000 and has only 48 Academic All-Americans in school history. In some cases, athletes come to Butler for academics first. For junior golfer and pharmacy major Matt Vitale, his education was the priority in his college choice, and he later decided to walk on to the golf team. “I came to Butler very educationally focused,” Vitale said, “and that is definitely the feel I got from the athletics department as well.” The athletics department places an emphasis on academic success. Student-athletes are required as first and second-year students to attend study tables and have both their academic and athletic advisers monitoring their academic progress. The mission statement of the Butler University athletics department maintains that its goal is to support the university’s purpose by providing exceptional educational and athletic experiences for all student-athletes. Student-athletes must meet the requirements of any student at Butler. They are each required to take at least 12 credit hours, but they average 15 hours per
Photo by Maria Porter
Former Butler basketball players Grant Leiendecker (left), Alex Anglin (center) and Matt Howard, seen at last season’s Senior Day, were three of five players on last season’s squad to graduate. semester. The average GPA of all 359 Butler athletes is 3.24. The minimum GPA required to remain eligible to play is 2.0. “In general, we want to make sure we continue to maintain the same level of success or higher than our student body does,” Beth Goetz, associate athletic director for administration, said. “For a school[‘s athletes] to have a 3.2 GPA is really impressive.” Last year, there were 127 student athletes enrolled in majors within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 121 in the College
of Business, 50 in the College of Education, 33 in the College of Communication, two in the Jordan College of Fine Arts, 17 declared as pre-pharmacy and nine in graduate studies. There is a 76 percent graduation rate over a six-year average for student-athletes, the same percentage as Butler students overall. Junior volleyball player and chemistry major Rachel Barber said that she will be taking 18 credit hours next fall and that many of her teammates will be taking summer courses. “You definitely load up [credit hours] in
the spring and summer,” Barber said. “Our coach highly advises us to take summer classes.” This helps ease the stress of performing both in the classroom and on the court. Barber said she thinks of volleyball as a job and that she spends 30 to 40 hours in the gym during the season in addition to travel. “You have to be so mentally tough to do this,” Barber said. “You just have so many people that want you to succeed.” see ACADEMICS page 7
Blue II busy but thriving Despite his breed’s tendency toward health problems, vet says Blue II is fine. BETH WERGE
BWERGE@BUTLER.EDU STAFF WRITER
Some universities are made to suffer the effects of odd, awkward or just downright weird mascots— consider Purdue Pete, Syracuse’s Otto the Orange, Delta State’s Fighting Okra and Stanford’s Cardinal Tree. Butler University has been far more fortunate in this regard. Not only is Butler Blue II, the current Butler mascot, still spunky in his seventh year of life —bulldogs usually live for about eight to 12 years—but he also consistently receives glowing remarks from his veterinarian, Kurt Phillips. Bulldogs can face a large number of conventional health issues associated with the average bulldog. The list of medical problems includes congenital heart disease, lymphoma, digestive disorders, loose kneecaps and pinched nostrils. “Blue II is doing very well,”
Phillips said. “He is quite athletic and fit for his breed, being kept so active.” Butler also has a budget set aside for Blue II. The majority of it is used for marketing, and the costs of nearly all of Blue II’s needs— including transportation, food and health services—are met through donations and gifts. The only major cost is time, according to his owner Michael Kaltenmark, director of web marketing communications. “It’s all positive,” he said. “There are certainly sacrifices we make—our nights and weekends get chewed up—but we find time to catch up.” “We keep him as healthy as we can,” Phillips said. Phillips most recently extracted a tooth and has been dealing with Blue II’s reversed eyelashes for some time. Both issues are relatively minor compared to the more common problems found in English bulldogs. “We always have a hesitancy with older bulldogs,” Phillips said, “and Blue is certainly a senior in his breed.” Kaltenmark said Blue II is doing amazingly well, especially for how packed his schedule is.
For more on Blue II’s exploits, as well as results from Butler sports, check out the briefs on page 6 or go to www.thebutlercollegian.com. The photo shoots and highscale appearances would be the first things to go if Blue II started wavering, Kaltenmark said. “I am always cognizent of him giving me signals,” Kaltenmark said. “But he is completely taken care of. “For example, [he has] built-in naps so he’s not overworked or overtired. We take advantage of the PR, but his health comes first.” Butler’s bulldog mascot has represented the school all across the nation, from local appearances with children to nationally-televised features on ESPN. Blue II has become a prime-time phenomenon, attracting nearly 10,000 followers on his Twitter account @ButlerBlue2, which is run by Kaltenmark. Blue II also has his own website, YouTube channel, Facebook page and sponsorships, including support from Nike, Holistic Select and Good Dog Hotel and Spa. “Blue II is not your average bulldog,” Kaltenmark said. “He’s got it made.”
Photo by Maria Porter
Butler Blue II, seen running across the basketball court, has received strong marks from his veterinarian despite his busy schedule as a living mascot. The New York Times recently published an article covering the health of bulldogs used as mascots, pointing out the supposed abuse live mascots put up with. The author of the piece, Benoit Denizet-Lewis, specifically mentioned a letter from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to Georgia’s athletic director after the death of its last bulldog mascot, “asking him to use an ‘anamatronic dog’ or to rely solely on the school’s costumed bulldog mascot.” “It is time for the university to put an end to the cycle of suffering endured by dogs who are brought into the world solely to represent the school’s brand,’’ PETA member
Kristie Phelps said in the letter. Any worry surrounding the well-being of Blue II has been kept to a minimum. Butler’s future mascot, Blue III, could already be on his—or her— way, however. The Twitter handle @ButlerBlue3 has already been claimed, with 72 followers and a biography pointing users to Blue II’s official Twitter account. Blue II’s status as Butler’s mascot appears safe for now, though. “If his health starts to deteriorate, that will be something to take note of,” Phillips said, “but I don’t anticipate that happening anytime soon.”
BASEBALL
Farley prepares for his 21st season JERREN FAIR
JFAIR@BUTLER.EDU STAFF WRITER
Baseball coach Steve Farley has been at Butler University for longer than many of his players have been alive. Farley will kick off his 21st season with the Bulldogs when the team takes on Fresno State on Friday. During Farley’s 21 years at Butler, he has amassed 484 wins and guided the team to five league championship games and a pair of NCAA tournament bids. “If you would have said [that I would have been here for 21 years], I wouldn’t have guessed it,” he said. Prior to becoming a coach , Farley played the typical trifecta of boys’ sports in high school: football, basketball and baseball. Farley’s devotion to baseball grew at the
University of Minnesota. There, he was a lefthanded pitcher for the Golden Gophers. Farley then became a graduate assistant at the University of Arizona. He coached under the tutelage of Jerry Kindall, who had a 10year career in the big leagues and led Arizona to three College World Series titles. “I copied what had worked for the teams in Arizona,” Farley said. “It was such a blessing for me [to be there].” Farley’s first full-time coaching opportunity was at West Point Academy as a pitching coach. That served as an eventual springboard to a head coaching position at Davis and Elkins College three years later. Farley’s next stop would be Butler, where the baseball team’s head coaching position opened up in 1991. Farley said he was “very fortunate” to land the job, especially considering that his wife
now works at Butler as well. Farley was taking the reins of a team that “wasn’t very good at the time,” but said he knew it was “something to go to work on.” His work paid off quickly, as his first recruiting class went on to win the Midwestern Collegiate Conference Championship as seniors in 1996. And while the team and its available resources have changed, Farley has remained a Bulldog. “I remember shoveling snow off of Hinkle’s parking lot just to play catch,” Farley said. “I’m grateful to the guys back then for that.” Junior outfielder Andrew Eckhardt said the key to Farley’s success is his ability to connect to players. “Playing under [coach] Farley is very enjoyable,” Eckhardt said. “He cares about everyone on the team and would always
be willing to help us with any problems we would have.” Pitching coach DJ Throneburg, who is entering his second season with the team, said he has observed as much in his short time here. “The fact that he can relate and joke around with the guys is huge,” Throneburg said. “Guys are comfortable, and that makes them want to keep playing for him.” The defining moment of Farley’s coaching career is easy for him to pinpoint. “Making it to the NCAA tournament in 2000,” Farley said. “We had to win two games against an undefeated University of IllinoisChicago team, and we did. “The tournament was held at the University of Minnesota, and going back to the field where I played [college baseball] was pretty special.”
page 6 | the butler collegian
wednesday, february 15, 2012
IN BRIEF
Valparaiso takes rare win at Hinkle Fieldhouse
Photo by Rachel Anderson
Butler senior guard Devin Brierly looks to make a pass during the Bulldogs’ 72-59 loss to Valparaiso on Saturday.
The Butler women’s basketball team’s three-game winning streak was snapped by a 72-58 loss to Valparaiso on Saturday afternoon. It was the first win for the Crusaders (7-16, 3-9) at Hinkle Fieldhouse since 1983. The Bulldogs (10-13, 6-6) led by one point at halftime but were outscored by 14 points in the second half. Senior guard Devin Brierly put up a team-high 20 points, and Butler’s bench tallied 14 points, but the team was done in by 33.3 percent shooting from the field. The Bulldogs also shot 63.6 percent from the free throw line, a stark contrast to Valparaiso’s 78.9 percent performance. Crusaders senior guard Ashley Timmerman put up
10 points in the first three minutes of the second half to put Valparaiso on top. The Bulldogs never regained momentum, committing six turnovers while shooting just 27 percent in the half. Butler was down 52-48 with just over eight minutes left, but Valparaiso pulled away, converting six free throw attempts in the last 45
seconds of the contest. Freshman guard Hannah Douglas was the only other Bulldog in double figures, recording 14 points. Timmerman finished with 13 points for the Crusaders, while sophomore forward Tabitha Gerardot tallied a game-high 26 points. The Bulldogs will host conference foe Loyola of Chicago at Hinkle
VALPO (6-16, 2-9): 72 BUTLER (10-12, 6-5): 59 PLAYER H. Douglas B. Bornhorst
J. Cobb D. Brierly S. Hamm Bench TOTALS
MIN 30 32 31 36 19 52 200
FG 5-13 0-4 2-8 6-12 3-9 4-14 20-60 33.3%
3PT 1-3 0-0 0-2 1-4 0-3 3-8 5-20 25.0%
FT 3-3 0-0 0-1 7-8 1-4 3-6 14-22 63.3%
tomorrow at 7 p.m. before welcoming Illinois-Chicago to Indianapolis on Saturday. Butler came away with a 60-57 win over the Ramblers (11-13, 6-7) in the first meeting between the team’s this season. The result of an earlier contest against the Flames (15-9, 8-5) was far different, with UIC grabbing a 77-42 win.
*includes team reb REB 4 6 5 4 4 11* 34
PTS 14 0 4 20 7 14 59
More records posted by track and field
Women’s tennis splits weekend matches
Slump hits seven for men’s tennis
The Butler track and field team members continued breaking both personal and school records in their push toward a Horizon League championship. The Bulldogs competed in the Flotrack Husky Classic, hosted by the University of Washington last weekend. Freshman Tom Curr set a personal best after finishing fourth in the men’s invitational mile run with a time of 4:00.11. Curr’s performance also came one week after he was named the Horizon League Track and Field Athlete of the Week. Junior Katie Clark also had a record-breaking day with her performance in the women’s 5,000-meter run. Clark finished ninth with a time of 16:21.21, breaking her own school record of 16:28.02 set a year ago. Butler will be back in action this weekend in the Friday Night Special, hosted by Eastern Illinois.
The Butler women’s tennis team experienced nothing but struggle last Sunday when No. 59 Memphis came to town and left with a 7-0 shutout. For the Bulldogs (2-4), all of the matches against the Tigers (5-1) were decided in straight sets. Butler’s No. 2 doubles team of senior Brittany Farmer and sophomore Caroline Hedrick was competitive against the Memphis duo of senior Mariya Slupska and sophomore Stefanie Mikesz, winning four games in an 8-4 defeat. Butler started its weekend on a more positive note by defeating the University of Indianapolis 7-0 last Saturday. The Bulldogs won all six singles matches and all three doubles matches against the Greyhounds (1-1). The Bulldogs traveled to Xavier today for a non-conference match. Results were not available at press time.
The Butler men’s tennis team continued to struggle with a 5-2 loss at Eastern Kentucky last Saturday. The Bulldogs (0-7) received one of their two victories from freshman Billy Weldon, who defeated senior Emilio Piriz 7-5, 6-2 at No. 5 singles. Freshman Sam O’Neill recorded Butler’s other win with a comeback performance at No. 6 singles. After dropping the opening set 2-6 to sophomore Joao Maio, O’Neill took the second set 7-6 and won the tiebreaker 10-5. Despite the pair of wins for the Bulldogs, Eastern Kentucky took the remainder of the singles matches and all three doubles matches. Butler will continue its season at Western Michigan at 3 p.m. Friday.
FLOTRACK HUSKY CLASSIC, FEB. 10-11 MEN’S INVITATIONAL MILE RUN Curr: 4:00.11—4th place, new personal record WOMEN’S 5,000-METER RUN Clark: 16:21.21—9th place, new school record
MEMPHIS AT BUTLER, FEB. 12 SINGLES No. 1: Slupska (MEM) def. Hedrick (BU) 6-1, 6-2 No. 2: Welcher (MEM) def. McLoughlin (BU) 6-0, 6-1 DOUBLES
BUTLER AT EASTERN KENTUCKY, FEB. 11 SINGLES No. 1: Klientovsky (EKU) def. Woldmoe (BU) 7-6, 6-3 No. 2: Schroeder (EKU) def. Marx (BU) 7-6, 3-6, 6-1 DOUBLES
No. 1: Hibberd/Welcher (MEM) def. McLoughlin/Rubenstein (BU) 8-3
No. 1: Janz/Klientovksy (EKU) def. Weldon/Woldmoe (BU) 8-4
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2012
THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN | PAGE 7
SOFTBALL
Returning players expected to lead way AUSTIN MONTEITH
AMONTEIT@BUTLER.EDU STAFF WRITER
Photo by Rachel Anderson
Butler junior pitcher Jenny Esparza goes through her pitching motion during a recent practice. The Bulldogs open their season at Lipscomb on Feb. 18.
After coming close to making history last season, the Butler softball team is looking to bounce back and make its first appearance in the NCAA tournament this season. The team lost only three players to graduation last season and returns an impressive lineup that includes junior Jenny Esparza, the defending Horizon League Pitcher of the Year. The Bulldogs will also have 2011 All-Horizon League First Team first baseman Erin Falkenberry and outfielder Lauren McNulty back for their senior seasons. Butler was ranked second behind favorite Illinois-Chicago in the preseason Horizon League poll. Falkenberry set the Butler singleseason home run record last year with 13 while leading the team with 43 runs batted in. She said the Flames are worthy of being preseason favorites. “They won conference last year, and they didn’t lose that many players,” Falkenberry said. “We’re trying to redeem ourselves from last year.”
BASEBALL
Team looks to make push in Horizon League COLIN LIKAS
CLIKAS@BUTLER.EDU SPORTS EDITOR
Butler baseball coach Steve Farley has aspirations of his team “being in the top three in the Horizon League” this season. There is just one problem: injuries. The Bulldogs prepared for their opening day tilt against Fresno State on Friday by taking a day off for rest on Monday. “Getting people healthy [is important],” Farley said. “This is our earliest starting date since I’ve been here.” Among the hurt Bulldogs are sophomore third baseman Patrick Guinane (ankle), whom Farley called “our best hitter last season,” and junior first baseman Jim Risi (hamstring), a transfer student who
Farley said “could be our best hitter this season.” Also out is senior pitcher Dom Silvestri, who underwent surgery during the offseason. Despite Silvestri’s absence, Farley said one of the team’s big strengths is pitching depth. This is good news for a team that was fifth of seven conference teams in earned run average and had the second most wild pitches in the league. “There’s not a secret to stopping wild pitches,” junior catcher Nick Hladek said. “We have to work on throwing strikes and improve from last year.” One area where the Bulldogs were better last season was on offense. The team was second in the Horizon League in
batting average and runs scored and was third in on base percentage. Still, Farley said this season’s team is a better hitting team on paper than last season’s. “Last season, BBCOR [Bat Standard] deadened the bats and lowered offensive output,” Farley said. “It took our hitters a long time to get used to it.” In addition to Guinane and Risi, Butler returns senior infielder Griffin Richeson and senior outfielder Mike Hoscheit to fuel the offense. Richeson has the second-highest batting average and on base percentage of all returning Bulldogs, behind Guinane. Hoscheit has the thirdhighest batting average and second-highest slugging percentage of
the team’s returning players. Upperclassmen will likely be relied upon this season, as 22 of the team’s 32 players are a junior or senior. “We have a lot of leadership collectively,” Hladek said. “There won’t be one guy who we’ll have to rely upon.” Two of those leaders will be Silvestri and senior pitcher Mike Hernandez, who were named two of the league’s three top pitchers in a recent poll of the league’s coaches. That same poll had Wright State as the team to beat this season, a team that Farley said Butler “tries to be like.” “Some people might overlook us, but we’re going to make some noise in the league,” Hladek said.”
Esparza said Horizon League opposition will be difficult this year after Butler finished as runner-up to the Flames in last season’s Horizon League tournament. “I think it’ll be tough,” Esparza said. “There are a lot of returning players from the previous year. “It’s always hard competition, especially since we did well last year, so we’ve got a big target on our backs.” The Bulldogs begin the season by playing four games over two days at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn., on Feb. 18 and 19. In those contests, they will face the host Bison and the Samford Bulldogs in two games apiece. Butler will face its toughest non-conference challenge when it heads to California on March 9 to participate in the 2012 Bayer CropScience Classic at Fresno State. Among the nationally-ranked teams Butler will face are California currently No. 3 in the ESPN. com USA Softball poll and No. 11 Oregon. McNulty, who batted .286 and was second on the team with 29 runs batted in last season, said that the two Pac-12 schools will be the Bulldogs’ toughest competition this
ACADEMICS: SCHOOL FIRST FOR ATHLETES FROM PAGE FIVE
Athletes are never allowed to miss class for a practice, which results in many teams being forced to practice without all of their members most of the time. “[Student-athletes are] here to be students first, so when they’re in class we adjust and either practice without them or try and move practice around,” Goetz said. “I don’t think we have one team that practices with everyone every day of the week.” One of the biggest testaments to the success in the classroom for Butler’s student-athletes is their own satisfaction with their education. Even in 2007, when senior exit reviews revealed that only 50 percent of student-athletes would come back to Butler to participate in athletics, many said they still enjoyed their academic experience. “There was almost unanimous favorable opinion of their educational experience while they were here,” Athletic Director Barry Collier said. “If there is anything to be happy about, that’s it.” In the past decade, Butler teams have captured 26 conference championships and have made appearances in NCAA national
season. “Both teams have just had great softball programs in the past, and I know they made it to the regionals last year, so they’re very good softball schools and well respected in the softball culture,” McNulty said. “I think they’ll be our toughest opponents when we’re on the road.” Coach Scott Hall said the highcaliber competition will give Butler the opportunity to get ready for the Horizon League portion of its schedule later in the season. “[The non-conference schedule] prepares us and keeps us consistently finding out what we need to improve on,” Hall said. “It gives us an idea of where we’re at right now and what we need to work on.” The team’s first home game is during a March 19 doubleheader against Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne. Hall said he hopes the team’s offseason workouts can help the Bulldogs stay focused and keep them from injuries over the course of the season. “We’ve been doing a lot of conditioning and weight training,” Hall said. “[We are] trying to get our bodies and minds right for the long grind of the season.”
For a school[‘s athletes] to have a 3.2 GPA is really impressive. BETH GOETZ ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR championship tournaments in men’s and women’s basketball, men’s soccer, volleyball, men’s cross country, lacrosse and baseball. Butler has won the James J. McCafferty trophy a league-record eight times, most recently in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. It is awarded annually by the Horizon League for excellence in all sports. In addition to the athletic success of Butler’s teams, there has also been individual academic success by the school’s student-athletes. According to Goetz, the athletics department takes pride in its student-athletes for both their work as athletes and as students. “Butler is really a special place in that the institution attracts people that are dedicated to their academic endeavors,” Goetz said. “To be successful at [athletics and academics] is just something that we just get to be so proud of.”
ARTS ETC. THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN
PAGE 8
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2012
LEARNING TO BE HUMAN
Photo by Maria Porter
Photo by Rachel Anderson
Butler University students Lydia Dreyer, senior, and Quinn Leary, junior, rehearse their performances in Tartuffe, which opens on Friday.
Through movement and placement, Butler’s theater department and its chair William Fisher create a performance rife with deception, class tension and mistrust. KEVIN VOGEL KVOGEL@BUTLER.EDU
STAFF WRITER
William Fisher absentmindedly flicks his dark-rimmed glasses behind his desk. “I don’t think theater is plays,’” he says. “Theater exists, and plays are a part of theater.” Since becoming the chair of Butler’s theater department last year, Fisher has directed two productions: “Small Lives, Big Dreams” and now “Tartuffe,” which opens on Friday. He has brought to the Jordan College of Fine Arts a philosophy of directing that emphasizes the natural tendencies of actors, creating productions that present life truths in a real way. Specifically, Fisher concentrates on movement. “There’s no better way to lie than through words,” he said. “The body doesn’t lie.” Fisher’s approach to theater was developed before coming to Butler. He lived and studied in France, concentrating on movement theater. During rehearsals, Fisher concentrates on the spatial relationships of the actors. At times he moves them closer together or farther apart or demonstrates a particular gesture that convey the emotions of the characters.
Concerns like, “Is it OK if I cross the stage here? I feel stuck,” are taken very seriously. In a rehearsal for “Tartuffe” last week, one scene was performed over and over again. The actors each came in with a welldeveloped character and sense of the scene, and Fisher brought his keen direction. By the end, the actors were moving more fluidly and believably with the spoken lines flowing naturally in context with the actions and reactions of the actors. Junior theater major Lauren Batson, who is the stage manager for “Tartuffe,” said that she is learning a lot from Fisher’s directing style. “The actors have this opportunity to play around with their character and explore new ideas,” Batson said. “Professor Fisher also does a great job of asking us, as students, lots of questions. It becomes a collaborative process instead of the director simply telling everyone what to do.” Fisher said that he encourages students to take an equal responsibility in the craft of the production, a process called ensemble creation. He said he wishes the students would take even more freedom in the development of the characters and the show. The one thing he doesn’t like actors to say is: “What do you want here?” Shane Tarplee, a junior theater major
production. Making a play who is playing the role of current is an important part Tartuffe in the production, of directing, though he said said he has really benefitted this does not exclusively from this approach. involve taking the play out “‘Tartuffe” has been a of the period in which it is great experience that feels set. more professional than any Fisher’s “Tartuffe” is school show I have ever set in modern times, but done,” he said. “I feel like I he said the play resonates am respected and treated as at other time periods in a professional.” history as well, namely post“Tartuffe, ou l’Imposteur” Depression America and is the story of a wealthy land-owning family that William Fisher Huey Long’s Louisiana, the character Tartuffe not-sofalls for the false guise of Photo courtesy of Butler Theater Department subtly resembles a southern Tartuffe, a fraud who claims complete piousness while hiding more evangelical in Butler’s production. The period chosen, Fisher said, is not sinister motives. “Tartuffe” is a challenging play. It is an exact parallel. It is meant to highlight challenging for the actors, who must the class differences between the poor and memorize lines and lines of rhyming wealthy that plague our society and also hints at possible wars that have taken place couplets and present them naturally. The play is also challenging for the before the play begins. Fisher’s unique naturalistic direction and audience since the story deals with deception, class issues and the ease with willingness to break theater codes, coupled which trust can be manipulated and with the professional and enthusiastic team of actors, student managers and professors, extorted. The Butler theater department has a make “Tartuffe” a must-see. Batson said she would love for more history of not shirking from challenging material, and Fisher said he would not have students to come to the Butler Theater’s productions. it any other way. “The entire department works so For him, a play needs to pose hard incredibly hard to complete every aspect questions and be forward-looking. “Theater is about learning how to be and detail of the show, and we would love human or to be better at being human,” to share our creations with everyone,” she Fisher said. said. For this reason Fisher said he does not “Tartuffe” opens on Friday in the Butler feel compelled to present a play exactly as Theater at Lilly Hall, and will run for two it was written or to follow convention in weekends.
You do not want to miss these ... Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee will bring her story of oppression and the foundation of peace in the ravaged African country of Liberia to Butler University. Gbowee received the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights. “It is amazing how fortunate we are to have Gbowee visit Butler and tell her stories of the advocacy of women’s rights and peace in a war torn country,” said Valerie Davidson, director of diversity programs. Gbowee will tell her story to the Butler community this Thursday at 11:30 a.m. in the Reilly Room.
The Butler Ballet will perform the Midwinter Dance Festival Friday and Saturday in Clowes Memorial Hall. As reported in the Jan. 31 story “Visiting artist brings American premiere,” the commissioned piece, “Por Vos Muero,” will have its American debut at Butler. It is choreographed by Nacho Duato and set for the Butler Ballet by Kevin Irving. Midwinter will also feature Bourneville’s “Flower Festival,” set by Marek Cholewa, “Enigma Variations,” choreographed by Butler professor of dance Stephen Laurent, a work by visiting artist Michael Johnson and a brand-new piece by Photo courtesy of Butler Ballet Cynthia Pratt.
The Butler Arts and Entertainment Calendar 9
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Woods Lecture: Bruce Miller The Priest & the Prostitute Reilly Room LH168 4 p.m. 8 p.m. JCFA Music Convocation LH112 1 p.m.
Naturally 7 Clowes Memorial Hall 8 p.m. The Priest & the Prostitute LH168 8 p.m.
Vocal Jazz Festival Reilly Room 8 a.m. The Priest & the Prostitute LH168 8 p.m.
Butler Symphony Orchestra Clowes Memorial Hall 3 p.m. The Priest & the Prostitute LH168 8 p.m.
14 No events scheduled
15 JCFA Faculty Artist Series Kate Boyd & Sarah Plum Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall 7:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY, 15, 2012
THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN | PAGE 9
African beats bring community to campus CAITLIN O’ROURKE COROURKE@BUTLER.EDU ARTS ETC. EDITOR The Butler Community Arts School provided another groovy way for working adults—and students—to enhance their artistic abilities. The school began an adult African drumming class last week to add to their adult piano class and adult big band class held in the summer. Matt Harris, a Butler University graduate who majored in percussion, said he was eager to teach the class. “I wanted to share the music that I had learned,” Harris said. “Once a group learns and internalizes this music, the energy is indescribable. I wanted to bring that energy to people in the community that normally might never experience it.” After details had been worked out, Karen Thickstun, who is in charge of the Butler Community Arts School, said she was very excited to include the class in their curriculum. Thickstun said she is glad to add more to the program as she has had many requests from adults through classes for multiple instruments. Currently, the class has about nine members, including a Butler
student, a couple of Butler faculty and staff and other members in the community. Their second class was last night. Mary Beth Sekela, a senior creative writing major, said she heard about the class from the Butler Connection. “I’m the only [Butler] student in the room,” she said. “It was neat to hang out with a group of people I would never spend time with otherwise. The drumming is a hoot as well, obviously.” Sekela has been playing the djembe, a drum that originated in West Africa, for about nine months. She said she is a bit ahead of the other students, but she enjoys playing with a group of people. Catherine Usher, the administrative specialist for enrollment management at Butler, is also taking the class. Usher and her husband recently took a motorcycle trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway to Asheville, N.C. On Friday nights, there was a drumming circle in a park downtown that they happened to come across. Approximately 200 people, ranging widely in age and nationality, came together to drum and dance. “A lady let me borrow her drum, and I was hooked,” Usher said. “It was invigorating, and the
energy was so positive and the group so diverse and inclusive.” Usher said Harris is a great instructor and that the group has such good energy when drumming. Harris also said he enjoys the energy of the group. “The students in this class all come from different places and backgrounds and are very nice and interesting people,” he said. “Some have played drums before, and some thought it would be fun to start. The wide variety of skill levels and backgrounds is what makes it so enjoyable to teach.” He said that the class is working on a traditional West African drumming piece called “Ku-ku.” Within the first class, the students were able to layer four different rhythms within the group. For interested Butler students, the Butler Community Arts School offers an adult beginning piano class starting June 6 and a big band workshop beginning July 21. Contact bcas@butler.edu for more information.
Photo by Caitlin O’Rourke
Senior Mary Beth Sekela and teacher Matt Harris, a Butler graduate practice during an African drumming class.
Religion department sponsors trip to Holy Land ANNE CARPENTER
ACCARPEN@BUTLER.EDU ASST ARTS ETC. EDITOR
For nine days, one professor is seeking to bring the best-selling book of all time to life. In May, associate professor of religion and philosophy James F. McGrath will lead a group of seven students to the Holy Land, Israel and Palestine to experience the birthplace of some of the world’s largest and most influential religious traditions. “I wanted to give students the opportunity to travel and see this part of the world,” McGrath said. “[There] are so many important sites and structures mentioned in the Bible that can be visited and explored.” The $3,650 cost includes many aspects of the trip as well as three
Photo courtesy of MCT
Temple Mount, located in Jerusalem, is one of the many locations students will visit. fascinating,” Cooprider said. “It’s hours of academic credit. Katie Cooprider, a sophomore a very dynamic place in the world major in theater and anthropology, right now.” is one of the seven currently enrolled In addition to bringing the stories in the trip. of the Bible to life, McGrath said “I find the Middle East that visiting this area of the world is
significant today, since the realities on the ground cannot be adequately grasped from a distance. “Today, conflicts over possession of land and matters of statehood continue to drive conflict not only in this small region itself but also in the wider Middle East and around the world,” McGrath said. Cooprider said she has the same reservations that others may have about traveling abroad, but it is not enough to keep her home. “It’s a completely different territory,” Cooprider said. McGrath said that there have been reservations about the safety of traveling to these countries, but he assures there is no need to be concerned. “If there is one thing that both sides agree on, it is that it is vital to avoid anything bad happening to
The history of Apollo’s angels: Dance historian speaks as part of JCFA lecture series ANNE CARPENTER ACCARPEN@BUTLER.EDU ASST. ARTS ETC. EDITOR In its varied forms and centuries-old tradition, ballet is an art form with no written text—until now. Jennifer Homans, dance critic, historian and author of “Apollo’s Angels: A History of Ballet,” will speak on Feb. 22 in the Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall as part of the Jordan College of Fine Arts’ “Leadership Through the Arts Forum.” JCFA dean Ronald Caltabiano said Indianapolis is on the verge of creating its very own ballet company with the Indianapolis City Ballet’s premiere season taking off in the fall. He said this makes Homans’ visit more relevant. “From my point of view,” Caltabiano said, “who better to talk to us as a community than someone who has done a definitive history of ballet?” A former dancer, Homans provides insight into the culture of ballet in her new book. Examining several facets of ballet, from the intricacy of the costumes to the way the bodies contort, Homans illuminates the past, present and future of this art form. “The history of ballet informs the present of ballet,” Caltabiano said. In an interview with Charlie Rose, Homans said, “I kind of became engrossed in it [ballet].” Homans began dancing in a world dominated by Russian influence and strict movements. In order to discover how this culture came to be, she left the dancing world
and dedicated her life to researching the dancing world instead. The forum is intended to bring innovative and transformative voices in the arts to campus to discuss their Photo courtesy of Butler University stories and struggles and to inspire students to follow their passions. Caltabiano said that the series is a great way to start conversation in the Indianapolis community, perhaps even sparking conversation around campus. “Campuses can take risks more easily than professional institutions,” Caltabiano said. “So we must.” Dance majors are equally excited. “It is so important to have innovators in different fields visit campus...to share their experiences and knowledge of the world we would someday like to become a part of,” Mary Kate Kronzer, a sophomore dance major said. Since JCFA is made up of five distinct concentrations, arts administration, visual arts, dance, music and theater, the series will feature guests representative of each of these areas. Caltabiano said that he loved Homans’ book, and he has it on his nightstand. “I pick it up from time to time,” Caltabiano said. Homans kicks off the series,
LEADERSHIP THROUGH THE ARTS FORUM JENNIFER HOMANS
7:30 p.m. Feb. 22 Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall
KRZYSZTOF URBANSKI 7:30 p.m. March 21 Atherton Union Reilly Room
BENJAMIN BALL
7:30 p.m. April 25 Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall
followed by Krzysztof Urbanski, music director of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and Benjamin Ball, artist, designer and founder of Ball-Nogues Studio. Caltabiano said he is most looking forward to having the opportunity to talk to three great people. “Everyone has taken a significant risk in his or her art,” Caltabiano said. Homan’s discussion will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall in Robertson Hall.
tourists,” McGrath said. The livelihood of everyone in the region depends on tourism, and McGrath said that visitors from the United States can expect warm hospitality. “I’m excited for the big religious sites,” Cooprider said. “I want to see why people seem to be so deeply connected to these places.” That being said, safety remains important. McGrath said they will be traveling with EF Educational Tours, which has extensive experience in trips to Israel. “It is not like a few of us are going on our own to fend for ourselves as best as we can,” McGrath said. For more information, visit www. efcollegestudytours.com to learn more and enroll. The deadline is today, but late enrollment is available.
WITHIN THIS ISSUE
OPINION THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN
PAGE 10
Butler has a chance to redefine partnership with Shortridge
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 Adviser Line: (317) 940-9772
SPRING 2012 EDITORIAL STAFF Hayleigh Colombo Editor in Chief Sara Pruzin Print Managing Editor Olivia Ingle Online Managing Editor Jill McCarter News Editor Kyler Naylor Asst. News Editor Jeremy Algate Opinion Editor Donald Perin Asst. Opinion Editor Caitlin O’Rourke A&E Editor Anne Carpenter Asst. A&E Editor Colin Likas Sports Editor
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2012
OUR POINT THIS WEEK: Butler University can improve the magnet school partnership through student and faculty relationships. | VOTE: 26-1-6
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utler University has had a partnership with Shortridge Magnet High School since 2007 that deepened when the school reopened as a magnet high school in 2009. The school offers Butler a place to train education students and those involved in other areas while Shortridge benefits from collaborating with university staff and sharing resources. But recent difficulties have resulted in a nearly-complete overhaul of Shortridge’s administration. Perhaps the most controversial of these
involved principal Brandon Cosby who was terminated in November. More recently, both vice principals were approved for layoff notices. With all of the turnovers in administration and the benefit of looking back over two years, Shortridge and Butler now have the chance to redefine their partnership in a way that benefits the magnet school most. We at The Butler Collegian believe more peer-to-peer and faculty interaction with the school’s staff is needed. This would build a stronger partnership and, more importantly, help Shortridge’s students.
Everyone should partake in Black History Month
Many Butler personnel work with teachers, students and staff of the school. They should be the focus of the program as it grows. The school and teachers have a uniquely close perspective to what choices will most benefit the programs and the students. Therefore, the partnership should be about emphasizing Shortridge’s independence to benefit the students the most. The school’s new administration hopefully will be a great benefit to these plans. Going forward, Butler should emphasize working with the existing system
deliberately and carefully. Butler should play a supporting role, not try to lead the school through direct intervention. Our Shortridge partnership is well intentioned. We invest a lot of energy in it: tutors, scholarships, administrative input and college preparatory classes. Eight students currently come to Butler to take college level courses, and the skills they are learning will put them in a good position to attend universities, even ones other than Butler. Shortridge is a very visible part of Butler in Indianapolis. To many of
the people in the city, the magnet school is much more integrated in everyday life than the university. The school interacts with people’s children and impacts the community. People see this every day, and attach that mentally to Butler. But members of the school’s community may be wary of Butler’s role in the school. These people need to be won over if anyone hopes major changes will succeed. Cooperation, compromise and construction of a school from the students and teachers up are the only ways to make this partnership succeed.
Freezin’ for a reason Cartoon by Hali Bickford
Matt Rhinesmith Sports Multimedia Editor André Smith Asst. Sports Editor
OLIVIA INGLE
Christopher Goff Copy Chief Rachel Anderson Photography Editor Reid Bruner Asst. Photography Editor Taylor Cox Asst. Photography Editor Erin Hammeran Advertising Manager Ali Hendricks Advertising Manager Adviser: Loni McKown 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 contain a phone number at which you can be reached. Letters can also be mailed to 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.
February is a time for everyone to appreciate the contributions of African-Americans.
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fairly common misconception about Black History Month is that it’s only a time for African-Americans. This is false. It’s a time for every American, no matter their race, to reflect on our nation’s past and learn about its history. February is Black History Month, and Butler University is hosting a string of events called “Celebration of Diversity 2012” that honors and celebrates AfricanAmericans of the past, present and future. Several diversity groups on campus have a hand in the planning and implementing of the events. Students should get involved in the celebration that runs Feb. 3-27. According to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Carter G. Woodson started Negro History and Literature Week along with the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1924. The week was meant to urge black civic organizations to promote the achievements that researchers were uncovering and publishing in The Journal of Negro History. In 1976, the association shifted the celebration from a week in February to the entire month of February. The second month was chosen because of two Americans who played a significant role in black history: Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Both have birthdays that fall within the month. Now, why is Black
History Month such a celebration? Black History Month is a month set aside to focus on a unique history, that of black Americans. It is a time to celebrate our nation’s history and also the contributions AfricanAmericans have made to our nation. The month allows us to take a moment to honor historic African- Americans such as Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks. We are also able to honor influential AfricanAmericans of our time such as President Barack Obama and Condoleezza Rice. We remember the triumphs and injustices African-Americans have faced in history, assess the present and ponder the future. Black History Month allows us to learn about important figures and events that have determined where our nation is today. Let’s face it. We’re all ignorant at times. Sometimes we need a short refresher on why things are the way they are or how things came to be. Celebrating Black History Month gives us that refresher. We can revisit the eras of slavery and segregation. We can go back in time to the days of the Underground Railroad or the Civil Rights Movement. We can remember great leaders. It is all American history. We’re Americans, and we need to know it. Let’s celebrate Black History Month together. Contact online managing editor Olivia Ingle at oingle@butler.edu.
Timeline is a lesson for security
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acebook’s new Timeline layout will soon be every user’s default, and it will be like all other layout updates - a big pain. It will be annoying, confusing and frustrating. Facebook pages will be made to protest it which will like all the protest pages before it, be useless. The new layout presents issues that have Facebook users worried and techie bloggers in an uproar. A new series of security issues have come up since the Timeline layout was first presented by Facebook in late 2011. Butler University students need to learn from these security issues and take into account the dangers of carelessly posting information online. Facebook has sent some users warnings to “clean up” their profile within seven days before the Timeline layout goes into effect. In other words Facebook is saying to take down that picture somebody took of you shotgunning a beer last weekend, or that nasty post you made the other day. Employers can and will find these things and, when they do, best of luck finding a job. The Timeline layout is designed with pictures as the main focus, blown up on users’ walls, and the ability to look at your entire Facebook history just a click away. Now, Facebook users have to worry not just about the pictures and posts that have been put up recently but items that were put online years ago. Jordan Murphy, a freshman computer engineering and computer science major and IT Helpdesk technician, does not use Facebook because of the security risks.
DONALD PERIN
“Facebook takes so much of your information.,” Murphy said, “People put their lives on Facebook, and they have that information, and people can find it. I’ve also heard of companies hiring other companies to look into potential employees’ Facebook accounts and other online information. They can get a hold of nearly anything that is put online.” Regardless of what Facebook has or has yet to do with user information, Butler students would be wise to double-and triple-check their privacy settings on sites like Facebook and Twitter. Students should be careful of what they post and what pictures are on their accounts. The whole Facebook phenomenon and the numerous incidents that have happened as a result should be a lesson for everyone that uses the Internet. Do not post anything that a grandparent should not see, and always act like an employer is watching when online. Nobody wants to be the person who loses their job or gets kicked out of school because of something they posted on Facebook. Online, nothing is truly safe, nothing is truly private and we are all vulnerable. Contact asst. opinion editor Donald Perin at dperin@butler.edu.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2012
Solve donation deficit by controlling tuition hikes
THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN | PAGE 11
Insiders dominate SGA presidential race MATT KASPER
RHYAN HENSON
If Butler University wants to increase donations, it could stop the tuition hikes.
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utler University may find it cannot draw water from wells that have already been drained
dry. Across the nation, universities have raised tuition. Butler is no exception. In 1984 Butler tuition was $5,640— and that was after a nearly 14 percent increase from the year before. Today, with inflation, that would come out to $12,210.36. This leaves approximately a $18,899.64 difference between what it actually is, $31,110, and what it should be. That is a total of more than $135 million in extra money from all full-time undergraduate students. That’s a lot of money, and students and alumni have a lot invested in terms of loans and time. It is even more overwhelming when compared to the income in-state students and their families rely on to pay this bill. Butler should stop increasing tuition if it expects its alumni to donate each year. According to the US Census Bureau, the average Hoosier per capita made $24,058 in 2010. According to Forbes, 90 percent of all students at Butler receive some sort of financial aid. When looking at those numbers, I understand why only 24 percent of alumni want to donate after graduation. Most of the recent alumni are probably neck deep in loans from attending Butler. Many also may feel that even if they can afford to donate, they already gave enough through their tuition. With the exception of pharmacy students, the average starting salary for all other academic colleges is less than what it costs to attend Butler. That leaves little money left over for donations. We all probably know that the country’s economy plays a role in how people spend their money, and these are just a few examples of why donors don’t want to contribute to the Butler cause. Butler is not the only university experiencing low donation numbers. As President Jim Danko embarks on his tour to promote the university and raise donations to combat these effects, he should fire up the alumni base that does have money to give and encourage donation through a number of ways. He could promote what the university does with tuition money and show donors what their money will go toward. Transparency will promote donations, as will making people feel like they are a part of the university. These tactics would appeal more to potential alumni who have a spare dollar or two to support the Butler cause and donate. Contact columnist Rhyan Henson at rhenson@butler.edu.
Experienced SGA members offer the best choice for upcoming president of student government.
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n elections today, the politicians running want to create distance from Washington and convince the electorate they are the ‘outsider’ that will change government. But when it comes to our Student Government Association elections, it is better for a candidate to have as much experience than the other candidates and be considered the ‘insider’ in the race. The student body runs the risk of voting in someone unaware of what needs to be fixed inside SGA, while the person with little experience might also slow down any momentum with projects that were headed into the finals stages of completion during the previous administration. The SGA presidential race is set for Feb. 27. James Schubert, chairman of the Elections Oversight Committee, announced the SGA president candidates this past weekend. Josh Grant, former co-chair of R.E.A.C.H. and former representative for College Republicans; Mike Keller, a member of the SGA Finance Board; Katie Palmer, chair of the Academic Affairs Committee in the Council on Presidential Affairs; and Kelsa Reynolds, SGA Vice President of Operations are the four candidates. All four candidates are bringing distinct perspectives and experiences into the presidential race. Reynolds provides an analysis of SGA
Photo by Rachel Anderson
through her time serving on the executive committee while Palmer and Keller currently each serve on branches of SGA. Grant, though not holding a position currently, offers opinions from the time served in R.E.A.C.H. Students on campus should elect someone who has more experience than the other contenders. It is very important, especially when dealing with projects that take time to organize and implement by the SGA executive committee that the student body votes for someone that understands and knows what is going on. Former president Christopher Ring said, “I believe SGA board experience is most important going into being SGA President. “I think you have a better understanding of the organization’s infrastructure, the way in which money is handled, and the time required of the position.” The president and the vice presidents have maybe six months to implement their ideas on campus. Ring makes a great point referencing the large budget SGA is responsible for. And, we would not want to see large portions of the SGA budget spent on a decision that was quickly made without sufficient experience
and prior knowledge. But I know there are others who do not share my outlook. Students want to see SGA go in a completely different direction, and would enjoy supporting a candidate that aligns with those views. There is nothing wrong with a student that has never been to SGA assembly or served on a committee to quickly learn the procedures and then outline his or her vision for the next year. While Kyle Inskeep, former vice president of R.E.A.C.H., said it is important for candidates to have prior experience, he said, “I think it is very possible that someone with little or no experience in SGA could do a great job as SGA President, but they would need to surround themselves with a great executive team and be prepared to overcome various obstacles and challenges that they could not have foreseen.” I ultimately believe that it is better for SGA to have a president that knows what is going on and can continue the dialogue with administrators and faculty rather than having to start anew. Kasper is the former chair of the Council on Presidential Affairs. Contact columnist Matt Kasper at mkasper@ butler.edu.
GHS offers cultural enrichment, should be priority
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utler University prides itself on its liberal arts pedigree. College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Jay Howard writes an email every month titled “Liberal Arts Matters.” I agree wholeheartedly. But if the university makes this a priority, it needs to ensure that global and historical studies courses continue to be available for students and that it encourages professors to be enthusiastic to teach the subject. GHS offers exposure for students to learn unfamiliar cultures, issues and perspectives. It fits the liberal arts vision of the university perfectly. The university focuses on more than just skills to obtain a job—which has obvious commercial benefit. There is more to life, though, than getting and keeping a job.
GHS and other core classes attempt to expose students to that reality and hopefully to enrich them culturally. All those atrocious buzzwords boil down to the fact that university officials believe that students should graduate with more than just the necessary skills to pursue an occupation. As The Collegian reported this week, Butler has struggled to get enough instructors to teach GHS in the past. The university is not considering canceling or shrinking the program in response to this. Butler should not have to be worried about this problem, though. Professors admittedly are very busy, but their time will be well spent on this program. The program depends on a
large diversity of backgrounds to make it work. As a chemistry and criminology major, I found my own GHS professors to be incredibly insightful and also very different from my in-major
Letter to the Editor
bar graph of the article shows, for example, that fewer than 40 percent of the graduating biology majors, zero percent of the graduating philosophy/ religion majors, and fewer than 40 percent of the graduating psychology majors in 2010 found employment. This looks grim indeed, say, as compared to marketing and management students who had an employment rate of over 80 percent within one year of graduating until one realizes that 52 percent of the graduating biology majors immediately
continued with graduate or professional education, as did 100 percent of the graduating philosophy/religion majors and 67 percent of the graduating psychology majors. Regrettably, the article fails to mention that the employment rates in these majors are so low because many of their students immediately opt for continued education. What ultimately counts is the placement rate (the sum of the employment rate and the graduate/professional education rate) within one year
The article “LAS, JCFA majors have worst job outlook at Butler” in The Collegian of Feb. 8 is highly misleading and inaccurate. The article maintains that “biology, history, philosophy, psychology and dance majors had the worst outlook last year for being employed within one year of graduating from Butler, according to institutional data.” The data provided in the
PawPrints “I think we are overprogrammed, and I expect the new president to get the opinions of the students to help decide what changes they would like to see. ”
Thomas Abner Junior
JEREMY ALGATE
Faculty members should line up to teach global and historical studies courses.
class lectures. The two professors were from business and history, and they are some of the most enthusiastic and inspiring teachers I have. GHS needs more than just token nods and desperately filled-up sections. Students need to go in with open minds, at the very least, and try to conjure up some enthusiasm. And professors need to get involved in the program. They need to be enthusiastic about these courses. And they need to remember that, while this lecture subject may not be a part of their own department, they still have the chance to be powerful motivators for their students. Contact opinion editor Jeremy Algate at jalgate@butler.edu. of graduation and this rate is above 90 percent for most majors discussed in the article. The article showcases the Office of Internship and Career Services and discusses how this office can help LAS and JCFA majors find jobs. No doubt, the intention of the article is to provide encouragement for these majors, but it may end up doing the very opposite by presenting a misleading placement profile. -Harry van der Linden, professor of philosophy
What should the next SGA president focus on? BY JOSH MORRIS
“I believe they need to ask the students to better decide on what programs to administer.”
Martina Fraga Freshman
“More campus-wide events yearround instead of just at the beginning of the school year.”
Ivan Bourge Freshman
“Cohesiveness and making everyone more aware of things going around on campus.”
Sarah Boeckmann Senior
THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN | PAGE 12
OVERHEARD ON TWITTER The Butler University community this week in 140 characters or less. Follow @butlercollegian for more of our favorites.
won’t ask you to pronounce Tartuffe...just go see it. This performance promises to be good! @BUGoodCleanFun forget about feb. 14th it’s all about feb. 15 at 7 in Starbucks for round 1 of JAVA JAMS. #bethere @BUCoffeehouse Our brother Paul Brumley generously shaved his head last night for charity. At Sigma Chi, we care and we do what we can to show it.. @ButlerSigmaChi Waking up early to freeze my butt off for charity? #whynot #polarplunge @craigfisher317 This kid in my bio class always wears duke stuff. Why are you here? @ButlerBlue2 needs to come tear him up.! @katiecessna new twitter name! inspired by the one and only @ButlerMBB dawg pound! @erik4romm You guys! The @butlercollegian referred to me as “sassy.” C’mon! Snarky? Yes. W/ attitude? Yes. But sassy? I’m no diva! @ButlerBlue2 Absolutely amazing rendition of the national anthem performed by the Butler Chorale pregame. #butlerstudentshavemajortalent @ButlerMBB We just found out that the 2011 placement rate for Butler COB grads was 99%! Congratulations to the College of Business! @ButlerU
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2012
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Team getting hot late in season AUSTIN MONTEITH AMONTEIT@BUTLER.EDU STAFF WRITER
The Butler men’s basketball team pushed its winning streak to three games last night by defeating Loyola of Chicago 63-57. The victory moved the Bulldogs (16-12, 10-6) past Detroit and into third place in the Horizon League. Four Butler players finished in double-digits. Sophomore guard Chrishawn Hopkins led the way with 13 points and six rebounds. Loyola junior forward Ben Averkamp led all scorers with 23 points and six rebounds for the Ramblers (6-19, 1-14). The Bulldogs started strong, shooting 58 percent from the field on their way to a 13-point lead— the largest of the game— with 2:27 left in the opening half. Butler went cold from that point on, allowing the Ramblers to come back and tie the game at 44 with 7:52 to play. “I thought [Loyola’s] 6-0 run at the end of the [first] half really hurt us,” coach Brad Stevens said. “Then I thought we were too passive the first 10 minutes of the second half. “I think your aggression leads to better offensive play, and I didn’t think we were the more aggressive team at that moment.” Foul shots made by junior center Andrew Smith and Hopkins gave Butler a 47-44 advantage. Sophomore forward Khyle Marshall, who scored 12 points, added two key baskets that brought the momentum back to the
Bulldogs, who held on to the lead for the remainder of the game. “[Marshall] makes [passing to him] easy just because he’s ridiculously athletic,” senior guard Ronald Nored said. “So if you just throw it anywhere close to the rim, he’s probably going to dunk it. “He also does a good job of finding spots where he can be open.” Nored finished the contest with nine assists—a game-high. Aside from Averkamp, the Ramblers struggled to score. Loyola’s other four starters tallied 24 points combined and the team shot 22.2 percent from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs also shot nearly 10 percent better from the field than the Ramblers. “I told our guys in the locker room that it’s hard to win a basketball game,” Stevens said, “and you always need to remember that, understand that and come into the game thinking that.” Prior to taking on Loyola, Butler closed its two-game Ohio road trip with a key victory over thenHorizon League leading Cleveland State. Freshman forward Roosevelt Jones’ career high 17 points led the way in the Bulldogs’ 52-49 victory over the Vikings (20-6, 10-4). Cleveland State freshman forward Anton Grady led the Vikings with 18 points and 13 rebounds on his way to a doubledouble, but it was not enough to overcome stifling defense by the Bulldogs (15-12, 9-6). Butler held a 28-18 lead at
Photo by Rachel Anderson
Butler sophomore guard Chrishawn Hopkins (right) is defended by Loyola of Chicago freshman guard Joe Crisman during Butler’s 63-57 win yesterday. halftime, in large part to Cleveland State’s 24.1 percent shooting from the field. The Vikings’ three-point shooting kept them in it, as the team shot 5-for-10 from beyond the arc in the second half after not making a single three-point field goal in the first half. The Vikings tied the game at 34 with 12:55 remaining. The teams then exchanged the lead six times before the end of the contest. With the game tied at 49 and with 1:39 remaining in the game, Hopkins hit a jump shot that would give Butler the lead for good. Marshall returned for the Bulldogs after a two-game absence due to concussion-like symptoms. He scored 12 points and added
eight rebounds off the bench. On Thursday night, Butler defeated Youngstown State 68-59 to start its road trip on the right foot. Hopkins led the Bulldogs with 19 points, scoring 13 in the second half to help suppress a comeback by the Penguins (14-11, 9-6). Butler led by as many as 14 points early in the second half, only to have Youngstown State cut the lead to four points with about 12 minutes remaining in the game. Freshman guard Jackson Aldridge tied his career high of 15 points while going 3-for-5 from beyond the arc for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs will continue its schedule at home on Saturday against Indiana State at 2 p.m.
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