3.30.11

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the butler

COLLEGIAN VOL. 125 ISSUE 20

ESTABLISHED 1886

INDIANAPOLIS, IN

THE BUTLER UNIVERSITY STUDENT NEWSPAPER | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011 | WWW.THEBUTLERCOLLEGIAN.COM Tomorrow’s Weather

GOLF PG. 7

THORNTON DIAL PG. 8

BULLDOG PRIDE PG. 10

High: 50° | Low: 32°

BITING BACK

BACK FOUR MORE: (From left) Shawn Vanzant, Matt Howard and Andrew Smith will look to add another win to the team’s 13-game streak Saturday. A win would advance the Bulldogs to the title game. (Photo by Maria Porter)

Bulldogs silence doubters, advance to Final Four

BY STEVEN PEEK speek@butler.edu | sports editor

The Butler men’s basketball team is headed back to the Final Four despite a January and February full of experts spouting opinions to the contrary.

The doubters had their reasons.

First, Gordon Hayward left. Then, senior Willie Veasley couldn’t be replaced. And surely losses at Louisville, Xavier and a three-game losing streak that culminated at Youngstown State had proven the Bulldogs (27-9) were no longer among the nation’s elite.

But Butler has again done what they seem to do so well—prove others wrong.

Four NCAA tournament wins and millions of busted brackets later, the No. 8 seed Butler has punched a ticket to Houston, where they will play the No. 11 seed Virginia Commonwealth Rams.

“It’s a tribute to the Butler system,” sophomore center Andrew Smith said. “When you lose a great player like Gordon Hayward, people are going to underestimate you, but we’ve been able to turn it around.”

It took a full team effort to get Butler back to the Final Four. Roles had to be realigned _____________________________________________________________________________see final four page 5

HOUSTON BOUND AND DETERMINED: The Butler Bulldogs celebrate after defeating No. 2 seed Florida in overtime last Saturday. The team will face off against No. 11 seed Virginia Commonwealth University in Houston in the Final Four game Saturday at 6:09 p.m. (Photo by Maria Porter)

BOBBY’S FOR BUTLER: University President Bobby Fong was among Butler fans celebrating the victories in New Orleans. (Photo by Maria Porter)

SPORTS 5 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 8 | OPINION 10 | PHOTOS 12

PAGE 2 | THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

Blue II cleared to attend Final Four

BY ALLYSON DOBBERTEEN adobbert@butler.edu | staff writer

Butler University’s live mascot, Butler Blue II has had an exciting and Twitter-filled tournament, which will end with him in attendance at the games in Houston.

The Twitterverse was up in arms over the NCAA’s decision to ban Blue from early round play in Washington, D.C. and New Orleans.

The NCAA has a long-standing rule shunning live mascots from any tournament play due to tight turnaround times and large crowds. The association made an exception for Blue during last year’s Final Four games.

Director of Web Marketing and Communications Michael Kaltenmark, Blue’s “dad,” along with the mascot’s faithful followers were hoping that Blue’s good behavior would grant him access to this year’s earlyround action.

No such luck.

The NCAA’s refusal didn’t stop the onslaught of Blue’s fans from voicing their opinions on Twitter.

“A lot of fun banter was going back and forth, talking about the game, talking about Blue’s absence,” Kaltenmark said in an interview with WTHR. Fans on Twitter used the hashtag #freeButlerBlue2 to catch national attention. The phenomenon caught the eyes of USA Today, Sports Illustrated and just about every news outlet in the Indianapolis area.

“Deeply saddened that my fellow mascot @butlerBlue2 is not allowed to attend our game on Thursday. Will do my best to lead us to victory,” user @HinktheBUDog tweet-

BUTLER

BANNED NO MORE: After being barred from early-round games, Butler Blue II is ready to take off for the Final Four in Houston. The story created a buzz on a national level and on Twitter. (Photo courtesy of Brent Smith) ed after Blue’s announcement.

“Get this puppy to Washington D.C.!!!!! #FreeButlerBlue2. @ButlerBlue2 It’s not a game until you run across the court to collect your bone,”user @shelbyqwalton said.

Followers of the 7-year-old English Bulldog even started suggesting ways to sneak him into the games. “@insidetheNCAA needs to #FreeButlerBlue2 What if we put him in the @HinktheBUDog suit? @ButlerBlue2 in a dog suit? The perfect Trojan horse,” user @EECraig said.

BY THE NUMBERS

Indianapolis, IN

LOCATION, CITY

VCU

Richmond, VA

population: 829,718 size: 372 sq. miles

POPULATION AND SIZE

population: 204,214 size: 62.5 sq. miles

3,861 290 acres $113 million 59 : 41 $30,558

STUDENTS ENROLLED CAMPUS SIZE ENDOWMENT WOMEN : MEN TUITION

32,303 143 acres $251 million 60 : 40 $21,536

73%

ADMITTANCE

66%

25-30

AVERAGE ACT SCORE

RATE

(MIDDLE 50%)

20-26

Reading: 520-620 Math: 530-630 Writing: 510-610

AVERAGE SAT SCORE (MIDDLE 50%)

Reading: 490-610 Math: 490-600 Writing: 480-580

50%

PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS ADMITTED WITH GPA OF 3.75 OR

26%

ABOVE

60+

NUMBER OF MAJORS OFFERED

1. Health sciences (24%) 2. Business (17%) 3. Education (9%)

TOP 3 MAJORS

Bulldogs Horizon League

NICKNAME CONFERENCE

20

NUMBER OF NCAA

11

APPEARANCES IN NCAA TOURNAMENT SWEET SIXTEENS ELITE EIGHTS FINAL FOURS

5 2 2 0

SPORTS

CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES

100+ 1. Business & Marketing (15%) 2. Visual & Performing Arts (15%) 3. Psychology (9%)

Rams Colonial Athletic Association

16 10 6 1 1 0

“@butleru Somebody make @ButlerBlue2 a Pom-Pom suit and the squad can “sneak” him to the court for Starting Line Up #CheerleadersAreTricky” user @BUCheerCoach suggested.

Blue’s twitter account, run by Kaltenmark, has also done its share of poking fun at the situation.

“These #FreeButlerBlue2 tweets make an old Dawg chuckle. Just keep it clean and nice. We’re all disappointed, but let’s not get out of paw,” @ButlerBlue2 said.

“Just chilling at a place I’m allowed in. (@ Butler HRC),” @ButlerBlue2 tweeted with a picture.

Senior Stephanie Tutterow said that Blue couldn’t have handled the situation better.

“I feel as if Blue has responded with respect but also poking fun at the situation,” she said. “I feel like it was a something to get the Butler fans hyped for the games the entire week. I don’t really know if it actually caught the NCAA’s attention like we hoped, but it was fun.”

Sophomore Myke Van De Voort said the #freeButlerBlue2 movement has been good for Butler.

“I think that this is just more great publicity for the school and the team by making the NCAA look a bit heartless for not allowing the toughest, yet most adorable dog in the world cheer on his team in the Sweet Sixteen,” he said.

In lieu of an appearance at the games in New Orleans and Washington, D.C., Blue encouraged fans to make masks so that the stands would be filled with Blue II lookalikes.

Butler’s favorite furry friend delivered good news to his more than 4,100 Twitter followers after Saturday’s game against Florida.

“I am pleased to announce that the NCAA has officially declared me FREE to attend the Final Four in Houston. #freeButlerBlue2 is retired!” @ButlerBlue2 announced.

Twitter user @DavidWoods007 summed up the situation’s resolution.

“Blue II will ride again. This time, all the way to Houston,” he said.

Local businesses profit from tournament

BY AJA CACAN acacan@butler.edu | staff writer

Butler Bulldog fans hoping to catch the games on a big screen have been flocking to the many nearby establishments that provide the opportunity to cheer on their team in a lively atmosphere.

Because of its proximity and ties to the community, Broad Ripple is a logical destination. A variety of bars and restaurants to choose from, such as Buffalo Wild Wings, Chumley’s and Applebee’s, ensure that there is a niche for every crowd.

Senior psychology major Laura Spice watched the Wisconsin game at Chumley’s and said the amount of televisions, the atmosphere and the bar specials made it a great place to watch the game.

“The atmosphere at Chumley’s was one of excitement and determination,” senior communication sciences and disorders major Alissa Fritz said. “I went there because Chumley’s was having specials for the game and most of my friends were going there.”

Both Fritz and Spice said the bar specials were a large incentive for drawing crowds, even those who aren’t regular customers.

“It seems that businesses

are taking the opportunity to increase the amount of deals they offer for students,” Fritz said.

In addition to regular specials such as Chumley’s Thursday schooner night, one thing that students say would increase attendance is specials geared towards Butler crowds.

“Normally Chumley’s isn’t considered a ‘Butler bar’ but I could definitely see it becoming established as one if they started having more deals for large Butler groups,” Spice said.

Special events like the tournament greatly increase the profitability of these businesses, due to the immense number of students and members of the community choosing to watch the game in one of these locations.

From what she could see, Spice said she expects the businesses to have great success from the tournament.

Tim Kalberer, kitchen manager of Broad Ripple’s Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant, said away games have always attracted a great amount of customers, and that the tournament has only increased the crowd.

“We have a very good relationship with the Butler community,” Kalberer said.

The restaurant has done

fundraisers and events with several different groups from Butler and is offering prizes and promotions such as “best seat in the house” for the NCAA tournament games.

Other than the proximity to Butler’s campus, Kalberer says the atmosphere and sense of community are a few other great aspects of the Buffalo Wild Wings experience.

“The atmosphere is great, and we have more big screens than most places. Most of our employees are Butler fans, and we have some students on staff, which keeps us like a close family,” Kalberer said.

With the tournament in full swing, he expects this tradition to remain strong and for business to continue booming.

“We want to make sure we’re accommodating and friendly to Butler fans,” he said.

Fritz says this is the right step to take in order to attract the most students and consequently increase business.

“Businesses probably see the Butler community as a target market,” she said.

“Students and fans want to spend money where they know the team is loved and supported.”

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

PAGE 3 | THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

Housing selection leaves students waiting

BY HAYLEIGH COLOMBO hcolombo@butler.edu | online managing editor

Several soon-to-be juniors were left empty-handed at Apartment Selection Monday night after space ran out in the Apartment Village.

Six groups of four students were left without apartments at the end of the night.

As of now, the university has received 503 contracts for the Apartment Village. There are 492 spaces available.

“We’re shuffling,” Dean of Student Life Irene Stevens said.

“It is tight right now.”

Stevens said she is not worried about being able to house everyone, armed with the knowledge that there will be students who transfer, drop out or decide to live in Greek Houses that will cause the number of available apartments to rise.

Stevens said Associate Director of Residence Life Doug Howell is currently trying to get juniors who plan on returning next year to consolidate, which would also open room.

Soon-to-be juniors who were left without apartments see the space shortage as a lack of concern on the university’s part.

“I’m tired of being treated like a number instead of a student,” said sophomore communication disorders major Heather Iwinski in a letter to The Butler Collegian. “One would think that once Butler decided to force all juniors into the Apartment Village, they would at least consider the possibility that there might not be enough room for everyone.”

Sophomore theater major Thomas Benoist said he doesn’t understand how the discrepancy happened.

“In my head, this is simple addition,” Benoist said.

Concerned students blame the housing shortage on the large freshman class and increased enrollment.

“The influx of freshmen definitely has to do with it,” Benoist said. “I think it’s been tough on everyone.”

Stevens said she agrees that the university has to address the increase in enrollment from a housing standpoint. The first step was renovating Schwitzer to create 35 more beds, which Stevens said really helped.

“We know that it’s stressful,” Stevens said. “We’re asking everyone to be patient right now.”

Vice President for Student Affairs Levester Johnson, along

with students, faculty, staff and board members are part of the new Commission on Undergrad Residential Living, with one of the goals being solving the housing crunch.

Options on the table are renovating existing residence halls and creating a brand new residence hall, although Stevens said it’s too early to report any final decisions.

The students who were left apartment-less as of Monday night were put on an official waiting list.

“The ‘waiting list’ was on a loose leaf sheet of paper,” Benoist said. “That worries me.”

Stevens said all students will be notified of their housing placement in July at the latest.

“There will be a space for them,” Stevens said. “They may not have a space right now but we will.”

In a March 28 email, Howell said it was possible that they would run out of space.

Butler’s on-campus housing policy requires all freshman, sophomore, and junior students—not living at home with a parent—to live in on-campus housing or their Greek chapter’s approved housing unit.

SGA defines Butler with ideals statement

BY SARA PRUZIN spruzin@butler.edu | asst. news editor

Most students in Student Government Association assembly rallied against an honor code but passed a similar measure, called the Student Ideals Statement, last semester.

The Student Ideals Statement will be placed in about 30 classrooms, spaces and lobbies around campus.

Senior Michael Tirman, a finance and music history major and member of the Council on Presidential Affairs who developed the language of the statement, said the controversy arose because students believed the word “code” implied consequences for not following the outlined values.

Some people also feared it would become a written contract between students and the university.

CPA decided instead to make the statement into something that highlights

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the values students hold, instead of making it something people believed they had to adhere to or “face the consequences.”

“We don’t need another rule,” Tirman said. “We need something that’s like a vision statement.”

The original idea for the ideals statement came from students who requested a values list or code. Tirman said one had been compiled in the past, but it was more convoluted and strict than the current form.

“CPA wanted to turn it into something less dogmatic in terms of rules and turn it into something more uplifting about who we are as Butler students and as an academic community,” Tirman said.

SGA representative Ashley Drees, a junior actuarial science major, said she and most representatives were against the original statement because it seemed like a

contract. She said the debate was helpful and resulted in a statement she could support.

“People scrutinized every word, but it was good to see SGA that active in something,” she said. “People were actually getting engaged and involved.”

She said people agreed to the statement once it became more unifying than contractual.

“It’s kind of like a dictionary definition of how you would describe Butler University,” she said. “This is what our student body feels describes Butler.”

Other then being placed around campus, Tirman said the statement will be used in freshman orientation and hopefully make its way into the student handbook.

He agreed with Drees, and said it could also become a type of unifying mission statement for students.

“It’s not intrusive, it’s not something people have to

abide by,” he said. “At the same time it distinguishes the student body as having this sense of purpose, whether or not we agree on specifics.”

Tirman said very few other institutions have such a policy, and he could see other schools following Butler’s lead and adopting similar statements.

The first hurdle, however, is gaining the support of students.

“Although SGA’s accepted it, there’s a whole other level of having the student body look at this and say, ‘Yes, that’s a reflection of how I feel,’” Tirman said.

Drees said she also sees the possibility of the statement going unrecognized by students.

“My biggest worry is what’s going to happen now,” she said. “It’s just going to fade away if nothing happens. It will just be something that got passed in 2011, and now we’re done.”

Big numbers bring changes to admissions

BY KATE SIEGFRIED ksiegfri@butler.edu | staff writer

Because of a surge in applicant numbers this year, the admissions department adjusted the admission process to take on this significant increase, and hopes to welcome a class of 960-1,000 students in the fall.

Given the surprisingly large class of 2014, many were concerned with what to expect for next year.

However, students can rest assured that the admissions department worked to accommodate a considerable increase both in interest, and in applicants.

“Our number of applicants went up 41 percent from last year,” Vice President of Enrollment Management Tom Weede said.

Scott Ham, dean of admission, said the increase in interest was a “tricky adjustment.”

“We knew that the number of visitors to campus was up from last spring and summer, and we would likely have a strong increase in the number of applications, but whether that would be 10 percent or 30 per-

cent, we had no idea,” he said.

Because so many more applications came in, the admissions department hired former staff members to help go through the applications. All admission counselors took on additional file review responsibilities, and the operations and communications teams worked to make sure all decisions were entered, processed and mailed by the published deadlines.

“The dedication of the admission staff is simply remarkable,” Ham said.

Despite the larger number of applications to read, the assessment remained personal and three different people viewed each application, Weede said.

Due to the increase in applications, many students that may have been accepted in the past were rejected, and the acceptance rate is now at about 52 to 55 percent.

While the academic numbers of the incoming freshman class may be slightly higher than previous classes, Weede said numbers were not the only factor playing a role in the ad-

WHERE IT BEGINS: High school students may hear about Butler through all its publicity, but an up close look can be gained through the Office of Admission. (Photo by Erin Drennan) missions decisions.

Last year, despite the fact that the university admitted about the same number of students as previous years, the yield rate, or the number of students accepted to the university who decided to attend, increased by two percent.

Weede said that increase is very uncharacteristic for a university because over the last 10 years, this number has been going down because

many students started applying to more colleges.

Given Butler’s recent publicity, applicant numbers will not suddenly rise again because deadlines have passed, but Weede says it is always a possibility that the yield rate could increase, as it did last year.

The numbers of the incoming class will remain unknown until the beginning of May, when students’ acceptance of admission decisions are due.

Tuition, housing cost to rise next year

BY JILL MCCARTER jmccarte@butler.edu | news editor

Tuition and housing costs will increase by more than 4 percent next year for Butler University students.

Tuition will go up from $29,740 to $31,110 a year.

Room and board rates will also reflect the 4.6 percent increase.

In a letter to students, University President Bobby Fong addressed issues the university and the Board of Trustees faced when deciding the costs for next year.

“This rate attempts to balance needs at the University with an economic recovery

that has yet to benefit some families with students at Butler,” Fong said.

Increases in tuition are market-driven, Vice President for Finance Bruce Arick said.

“We look at competitors and see where they are at with their tuition, and the history of how much they have increased in the past,” Arick said.

Compared to the other private universities and colleges in Indiana, the increase in tuition costs for Butler students has fallen below the state average eight out of the ten past academic years.

Fong said the increase is necessary to maintain “the Butler educational experience.”

“In these challenging times, the board and administrative leadership have sought to be prudent financially while ensuring the quality of education that is the most important reason why students and their parents entrust their futures to Butler,” Fong said.

Currently, two-thirds of Butler students are on needbased financial aid.

While Arick said that the increase in tuition every year does not result in many prob-

lems, there are students unable to manage the increase and they withdraw from the University.

“If the increase does present a challenge, students should know that Financial Aid will do anything they can do to help,” Arick said.

Tuition covers roughly 80 percent of the university’s expenses, while the remaining 20 percent comes from endowments, donations and fundraising, Fong said.

Arick said that the tuition would be unrealistic if tuition was indeed cost-driven.

“Expenses get higher and higher each year,” Arick said.

“Tuition would be much higher if it was solely costdriven.”

Fong went on to say that 960 of this year’s 9,000 applicants would be accepted into the university to stay on target with admitting a class of less than 1,000 freshmen.

The lower increase in tuition for academic year 201011 can not be contributed to enrollment, Arick said.

“We based our increases last year off of where we thought our competitors would be,” Arick said. “We felt that they were going to be lower as well, so we were where we wanted to be.”

PAGE 4 | THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

Tournament supports female athletes

BY GRACE WALLACE gwallace@butler.edu | asst. news editor

The Butler University Health and Recreation Center will host the first ever Shoot for Scholarships 3-on-3 coed charitable basketball tournament on Saturday, April 23.

The tournament is a fundraiser for the Cora Tema Dean Scholarship—a fund that supports female athletes in low-income areas. It is sponsored by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Women’s Athletic Appreciation Celebration.

Anyone is invited to come and play or donate. Donations may also be made to sponsor teams to play in the tournament, according to a press release.

Team sign-ups can be found in all of the campus residence halls, the HRC, Jordan Hall and C-Club, as well as at 1 Hundred Entertainment Studios at 4025 N. Keystone.

Registration fees will be $12 per team and all proceeds will benefit the scholarship fund.

There will also be a cash prize for the winning team.

Perinne Perry, an executive member of the NAACP, said the group has been working with the relatively new women’s organi-

zation to raise awareness for and interest in female athletes.

“We have been working as a team to assist the goals of the WAAC vision,” she said. “That vision is to raise awareness for athletes that are underappreciated.”

Perry said money for women’s athletics is not passed down as regularly as it is for men, so the goal is to help schools send females to complete a degree while being an athlete.

She said the two groups have chosen to focus on women’s athletics because it provides the girls an alternative to pregnancy.

Carlton Hart, co-founder of the WAAC, said his goal for the organization, and specifically the Shoot for Scholarships fundraiser, is to raise awareness of the underappreciated talent of female athletes and also sponsor

We want to bring their hard work and long practices to light.

to further their education in spite of economic difficulties,” the release said.

Sophomore Nic Hochstedler has served as the student liaison, bringing the event to campus.

Hochstedler first became involved with the NAACP as part of a class he was taking that involved the NAACP prison forum and legislative issues.

“I [was able] to see what the NAACP would want to support and advocate,” he said. “I’ve worked on different projects throughout the year—they approached me about this idea of a fundraiser and I thought about where could I use my resources to help out.”

Knowing that the WAAC and NAACP wanted the fundraiser to eventually become a nationwide, annual event, Hochstedler said he has brainstormed how best to interest local residents and raise awareness for the cause.

“I’m a college student and I know lots of other students enjoy playing basketball,” he said. “The idea of a basketball tournament just kind of came together and because I’m part of the NAACP, Butler was a good starting ground as a venue.”

CCOMM introduces new major

University names interim vice president of operations

BY BROOKE DEADY

bdeady@butler.edu | staff writer

BY ALLISON AMMERMULER aammermu@butler.edu | staff writer

Gerald Carlson, director of maintenance, has been selected as former Vice President of Operations Mike Gardner’s interim replacement.

During his past five years on campus, Carlson would often step in when Gardner was out of town.

When Gardner left, he suggested Carlson temporarily fill the position. University President Bobby Fong wants Butler’s next president to decide who will fill the position permanently.

Carlson was chosen for the position because of his 35 years of experience in higher education, along with the time he has been at Butler.

“We are the biggest division in the university with 135 overall employees, and our budget is a little over $10.5 million a year,” Carlson said. “We take care of the life safety of the university through BUPD.” BUPD isn’t the only part of the university that falls under his jurisdiction.

Operations are also composed of maintenance services, building services, planning design and construction, plus BUPD, which also consists of various environmental programs.

He is the person making sure the campus keeps itself “green” and the toilets flush every day.

The new school spirit-themed pansies that were planted around campus were done under Carlson’s direction.

All of the planting around campus is also environmentally friendly because it is designed in such a way that it does not need to be irrigated.

Most campuses around the country do not have a vice president of operations, but the position has been beneficial both now and in the past.

an Indianapolis resident for a college athletic scholarship.

“We want to bring their hard work and long practices to light and appreciate all of that in the same way the males are celebrated,” he said.

The Cora Tema Dean Scholarship has already helped more than 400 female athletes from low-income areas reach their goals of attending college and becoming collegiate scholar-athCarlton Hart letes.

WAAC FOUNDER The scholarship is open to all female Indianapolis residents interested in pursuing a career in collegiate athletics. There are stipulations for family income rate and a grade point average requirement of 3.0 or better for applicants. This ensures the award is going to someone devoted to both school and athletics.

“It has enabled deserving young scholars

GERALD CARLSON “They represent the largest number of staff that are key to the day to day functions of the university,” said Andrew Ryan, assistant chief of police. “The VP of operations is sitting at the same level of authority as other big decision makers on campus. It’s good to have someone with control.”

Ryan said the position needs someone with a basic knowledge of the subject to help explain what needs to be done and what needs funding.

Tulips and toilets aren’t the only things in Carlson’s job description. He is also involved in the development and creation of new buildings on campus.

Carlson works on efforts such as planning future buildings-to-be.

“We do a lot to lessen our carbon footprint through recycling and LEED certified buildings,” Carlson said.

Carlson said students should care about who fills the vice president of operations position.

“I would think it’s important because part of our mission is to take care of the physical learning and comfort of the students,” Carlson said. “We are an advocate for them.”

According to Ryan, the importance of Carlson’s job will continue to grow as the university continues to expand in square footage.

He said it is important to have someone accountable for taking care of the day-to-day functions at the university.

The College of Communication will add a new major, to be available next fall.

Margaretha Geertsema Sligh, the interim program director, said she and other faculty members are taking courses in Critical Media Studies and Rhetoric, combining them for the Media, Rhetoric and Culture major.

“We want students to learn about arguments made, the production of meaning through media and social justice, especially where it intersects where media and social justice meet,” Geertsema Sligh said.

This major has been approved by the College of Communication Curriculum Committee and is pending approval from the university.

The courses are mainly theory-based and argumentation is used to promote certain cases.

“We’re really excited about this course,” Geertsema Sligh said. “Each class will be different with each professor, and it will help fulfill the Indianapolis Community Requirement.”

Each student must then pick four of 12 electives offered to fulfill requirements.

According to the major proposal, “This major and minor will situate the MRC program, and CCOM generally, at the cutting edge of communication programs by bringing together two complimentary areas of study within the field of communication.”

Geertsema Sligh said the new major shows synergy in the college.

“Usually critical media studies and rhetoric are separate studies; it’s very rare to see them both together,” she said. “We are cross-pollinating these topics and infusing them together.”

Ann Savage, another faculty member working on the major, said it will prepare students well for life after Butler.

“The Media, Rhetoric and Culture major really prepares students for the working world, as well as graduate school,” she said.

Savage also said that this major works well with other majors.

“The College of Communication is not a professional

college,” Savage said. “We are quite unique, with a mixture of all majors, such as the humanities and the social sciences.”

Other faculty members who are working with the major are Allison Harthcock, Kristin Swenson, Kristen Hoerl, Casey Kelly and David Waite.

“It’s a high quality major,” Savage said. “It’s also a great compliment to other majors.”

Even visitors to the college are interested in the major.

“When the Board of Visitors visited, one of them was really excited about this major because it blends other majors together perfectly,” Savage said.

As scheduling for next semester gets closer, the Media, Rhetoric and Culture faculty hope students will be as interested as they are.

“This new College of Communication made this new major,” Geertsema Sligh said. “We can’t wait for next semester, and we have already gained a few inquiries, so they will be enrolled as soon as we get this major approved from the university.”

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

SPORTS THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

PAGE 5

Final Four: Bulldogs topple Florida, will face VCU continued from page 1 and new obstacles had to be overcome.

Senior forward Matt Howard and junior guard Shelvin Mack have been at the front of the pack.

While many nationwide have continued to focus on Howard as a ‘turtleneck sock-wearing,’ nerdy Ichabod Crane,” he has continued doing what he loves to do most— win basketball games with his “brothers.”

Howard is averaging 16.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game during the 2011 NCAA tournament. He also had game-winning shots in the Bulldogs’ second- and third-round wins.

Mack has been right with Howard in the upper eschelons of tournament statistics. His 21.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game during the March tournament run earned him the Southeast Region MVP. This season, Smith has given some room for Mack and now Howard to work on the perimeter.

A 6-foot-11-inch graduate of local Covenant Christian High School, Smith has successfully played the post position in February and March. He doesn’t always blow up the stat sheet, but he does provide size against large opponents and allows teammates to play to their strengths.

Defense has been a huge part of the Bulldogs’ return to the Final Four with senior guard Shawn Vanzant and junior guard Ronald Nored being the keys to that effort.

Their ability to guard the perimeter and corral quick point guards, like Wisconsin’s Jordan Taylor and Florida’s Erving Walker, have forced deep, difficult shots from opponents and allowed other parts of the scouting report to be executed.

Bench play has also been key in this year’s deep tournament run.

When Smith got into foul trouble, Mack rolled an ankle or a spark was needed, the bench was there.

Junior forward Garrett Butcher, senior guard Zach Hahn, freshman

guard Chrishawn Hopkins and freshman forward Khyle Marshall have been the support system in Washington, D.C. and New Orleans.

Each had a performance that got the Bulldogs through tough times.

Butcher defended the middle against Old Dominion. Hahn kept things close against Florida in the first half.

Hopkins dished out a no-look assist and then made a 3-pointer in the second half against Florida.

Marshall grabbed seven offensive rebounds against the Gators.

The bulk of the work has been done by Howard, Mack, Smith and Vanzant, but a handful of other Bulldogs have each had their part in overcoming a wave in the NCAA tournament’s open sea.

And of course, Butler head coach Brad Stevens has been the glue to bring the pieces together.

“I think he’s one of the best ingame coaches in country,” Nored said. “He does a good job of analyzing teams by numbers first and then getting a feel for how they play.

“He shows us that the little details add up to the big picture.”

Rams: The New “Giant Killers” Somehow, Stevens, 34, won’t be the youngest head coach in the game.

Shaka Smart, 33, leads the Rams—the “hottest” team in the country and yet still a team that barely made it into the field of 68.

They share more than youth, though. Both have a strong passion for the game, according to Hahn.

The Rams (28-11) have a fivegame winning streak, but all of those wins are in the NCAA tournament and against “bigger,” or more major, conferences.

Consider the prestige of the Rams’ victims during this year’s tournament: No. 11 seed Southern California (Pacific-10), No. 6 seed Georgetown (Big East), No. 3 seed Purdue (Big Ten), No. 10 seed Florida State (ACC) and No. 1 seed Kan-

Robot Rodeo: Ron 5 travels to Houston

BY LANCE RINKER

lrinker@butler.edu | asst. sports editor

Following last year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships, junior guard Ronald Nored had surgery to correct stress fractures in both knees. The surgery was successful, but left Nored with metal rods in each leg.

But the rods did not hinder his play, rather they accentuated his robot-like defensive stance and wiry movements on the court.

Midway through 2010-11 conference season, a Butler student took on the persona of the cyborg Nored, better known as Ron 5 Robot.

The robot quickly became an unofficial mascot of the Bulldog basketball team and can even be seen in a video alongside Butler Blue II and Hink.

The Ron 5 Robot Twitter account has upwards of 550 followers to date.

To protect his anonymity, I conducted an entirely electronic interview with Butler’s beloved mechanical mascot. After carefully interpreting the binary code, here are his responses.

Lance Rinker: You’ve become an unofficial mascot and a staple of Butler basketball. The burning question is in regard to your creation. Who built you?

Photos by Maria Porter

sas (Big 12).

Butler is not from a major conference, but that shouldn’t temper VCU’s ability to play as the underdog. No experts expected the Rams to be where they are now, much like none of them picked Butler to be winner of the Southeast Region.

Stevens called humility a core principle of the Butler program, and that should keep the Bulldogs

Ron 5 Robot: First off, I don’t think we need a mascot—the team’s play is plenty entertaining. But some human fans who were inspired by Nored’s game and bionic body created me back in early February to honor him and his teammates, and it’s been a wild ride since.

LR: What was the reaction inside Hinkle Fieldhouse when you made your inaugural appearance? Did fans confuse you with Nored the human?

R5: Mostly it was what humans have described to me as “confusion.”

They weren’t sure what I was, but they knew they “loved” me. Several pictures were taken. I took a picture with my human counterpart after the game, and quite honestly, it is very hard to tell the two of us apart.

LR: What could the human players learn from you to help on the hardwood?

R5: I’m probably more stylish than any of them (except Matt [Howard], of course, and [Brad] Stevens with his glasses), but I don’t think they need any basketball tips from me. I’ll let Matt, Andrew [Smith] or Khyle [Marshall] borrow a jet pack here and there to take us to Slam Jam City, but other than that, it’s all them.

LR: What was your favorite moment of Butler basketball this year?

R5: I’m not a time-traveling robot, but I can tell you with certainty that

from overlooking a team that others have in March.

The five days prior to the national semifinal may be what Stevens and the Bulldogs need to prepare for the otherwise surprising Rams.

The matchup epitomizes March Madness and the seemingly changing landscape of college men’s basketball, one in which conference affiliation, media exposure and

my favorite moment hasn’t happened yet. I think all of us—bot and human alike—are going to know it when we see it. However, my human counterpart’s four consecutive free throws against Florida in overtime surely made my head spin with excitement.

LR: How did you react to each of Butler’s first two NCAA tournament wins?

R5: Both wins nearly caused a total meltdown and definitely resulted in some metal frame damage—these Dawgs aren’t for those with faint motherboards. I celebrated with some human fans in person and through my Twitter account and threw back a few pints of ice cold motor oil. And, of course, I did a little robo-boogie on the D.C. metro.

LR: What was going through your mainframe when the Bulldogs advanced to their second consecutive Final Four?

R5: Even a bot as advanced as me had a tough time comprehending such an amazing accomplishment. I know the human players aren’t satisfied yet, though, and my calculations show that even more awesomeness awaits us in Houston. I have informed my human Twitter followers that Butler is undefeated (9-0) when I am present at the games, so hopefully my trip to Houston this week will yield success for the Dawgs.

LR: Are you at all concerned with going through airport security en route to the Final Four?

R5: Well, technically, my laser eye and lock-down defense capability make me a weapon of mass destruction, so that might be somewhat of an issue. But there’s nowhere for TSA to pat me down, so that’s a big relief.

Some of my friends at NASA might be able to open a landing pad for me, so I might just jet pack in on my own—it’s more my style anyway.

training facilities aren’t determining factors of how deep a team can go in the tournament.

One of these two unlikely foes— Butler or VCU—will be playing in the national championship game Monday night in Houston against a team from a major conference (Kentucky or Connecticut).

The Butler-VCU national semifinal game tips Saturday at 6:09 p.m.

OVERTIME

Mets an eyesore for MLB

BY COLIN LIKAS

clikas@butler.edu | asst. sports editor

Photo by Erin Drennan

LR: Rumor has it that wool will be a plenty in Houston. Do you see those interfering with your hardware?

R5: I’ve received upgrades throughout the year, and I don’t anticipate any mechanical issues. I will, though, blow a circuit if we have anymore late-game heroics. I am more worried about overheating in the hot Texas sun more than anything, but I am getting additional upgrades this week in order to prevent any heat related malfunctions.

As baseball fans across the nation prepare for another season of Major League Baseball, many typical preseason questions are once again looking for a variety of answers.

Which team is the favorite to win the World Series? Which team is going to win the most games this season? Who is due for a slump?

Another commonly posed preseason question is: which team will be the worst team?

I believe the 2011 New York Mets should be given this dishonorable label.

By way of end-of-theseason collapses, questionable personnel decisions, awful management and sleazy connections, the Mets are now the eyesore of the MLB. What might be the most amazing aspect of the Mets’ current situation is that they managed to go from World Series contender to absolute ________see overtime page 7

PAGE 6 | THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

Stevens sees glasses as secret weapon

BY STEVEN PEEK speek@butler.edu | sports editor

Many basketball fans around the country have been wondering how Butler made it back to the Final Four this year, especially without Gordon Hayward.

The answer lies within comic book lore.

Before Clark Kent stepped into a phone booth to quickly become Superman, he took off his glasses.

Every morning before driving to Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse, Butler head coach Brad Stevens puts his on.

A costume and profession separate the two personas of Clark Kent and Superman.

Being on and off the court separates Stevens from his two personalities—the smiling father figure and the animated, intense coach.

Stevens, like Superman, has become a prominent figure in the popular culture of his day.

Stevens’ new eye glasses seem to be the symbol of his power, or rather success on the court.

Ever since a mishap with contacts forced Stevens to leave the last regular season game early, he’s been wearing glasses.

In the minds of many, there’s no coincidence that the Bulldogs have been undefeated in single-elimination tournament play since the switch.

Such success has inspired a #FearTheGlasses hash tag on Twitter and a “Wear Glasses in Support of Brad Stevens and the Bulldogs Day” this Friday.

Players on the team gave perspective on the spectacles.

“He’s already a smart guy, but they make him look smarter,” junior guard Ronald Nored said. “They fit the mold.”

Photo by Maria Porter

That mold is one of an academic, math-savvy guy.

“He does a really great job of analyzing statistics,” Nored said. “There’s no one in the country that pays closer attention to the details than him.”

Sophomore center Andrew Smith said Stevens was book smart and shared knowledge with the team on a daily basis.

“The first thing I think of when I think of [Stevens] is how he always comes into practice with a new quote from some book we’ve never heard of,” Smith said. “He has one of the best minds I’ve ever encountered.”

That mind is a superstitious one, which is why Stevens has

not yet sought out new contacts.

“I know he’s not going to take them off this year because we haven’t lost since he started wearing them,” Nored said.

Stevens confirmed Nored’s hunch, saying that he would not switch to contact lenses right now, even if the doctor told him it was necessary.

Smith and senior Grant Leiendecker gave further insight into Stevens’ superstitious nature.

“We’ve been having the same pre-game meal—spaghetti, chicken, baked potato, garlic bread, fruit salad—for I don’t even know how long,” Smith said.

“We’ll stay in the same hotels if we won while we were there,” Leiendecker said, “Or not go back to a restaurant if a loss followed a meal there.

“He’s superstitious until the day he dies.”

Senior forward Matt Howard knows a thing or two about being superstitious. His mustache gained national attention during the 2010 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships, but he assures all that it will not be making an appearance in 2011.

“This is the time in life that we all try weird things, but I think the mustache reflected poorly on my teammates,” Howard said. ”No one can tell me it was a good look. That’s how I feel and how other people should feel.”

Howard said the comparison to Clark Kent and Superman may have something to it, but he’s not convinced yet.

“All I know right now is that [Stevens] no longer has watery eyes or vision problems,” Howard said. “The glasses do make him look more intelligent and about two years younger.”

So what do eye wear and Saturday’s game have in common? Virginia Commonwealth head coach Shaka Smart doesn’t wear glasses.

Gauson, Legg break track records MATT RHINESMITH mrhinesm@butler.edu | sports staff writer

While many students were focused on Butler basketball, senior Kris Gauson was focused on making history at the Alex Wilson Invitational at Notre Dame March 5.

He became the second runner in Butler history and the 21st runner with Scottish citizenship to break the four-minute mile mark.

“He’s a member of an exclusive club now,” Butler head coach Matt Roe said. “It’s an amazing feat.”

Despite Gauson’s historic run, he became the first mile runner to run a sub-four minute mile and not qualify for the NCAA championships.

“It was just a really fast meet this year,” Roe said. “We caught a tough break with Kris, but it was still a great race.”

Sophomore Kirsty Legg found herself in a similar situation.

With a time of 4:40.25, Legg re-broke the school record she set earlier this season. The time was good enough for fourth at the meet but did not qualify her for the NCAA championships.

Gauson and Legg were not the only Bulldogs to run well in South Bend, Ind. Freshman Ross Clarke bolstered his reputation of being one of the fastest freshman in the country with a sixth-place finish and a time of 4:02.81.

“He ran really well in the fastest section of the mile,” Roe said. “Statistically, he’s the third fastest freshman in the NCAA this year.”

“It was a great meet for us,” Roe said.

“Between Kris [Gauson], Kirsty [Legg], Ross [Clarke] and Craig [Jordan], we had four life-

time bests.”

Last weekend, half of the team traveled to California for the Stanford Invitational.

Sophomore distance runner Lauren McKillop set a new Butler record in the women’s 10,000-meter with a time of 35:24.28. McKillop was one of six Butler runners to record lifetime best times at the event.

Separated by less than a second, seniors Justin Roeder and Tom Boardman finished 13th and 14th, respectively, in the men’s 10,000-meter. Both ran lifetime bests.

Freshman distance runner Callum Hawkins ran in section three of the 5,000-meter, finishing fifth with another lifetime best time of 14:17.57.

Butler also competed in the Polar Bear Invitational, hosted by Indiana-Wesleyan, on Saturday. Even without the usual cast of runners, the Bulldogs ran extremely well.

Sophomore Shelbi Burnett and senior Rosie Edwards took the top two positions in the women’s 1,500-meter and junior Lauren Haberkorn finished second in the 5,000-meter.

Freshman sprinter Thomas Brueggeman took first in both the 100-yard dash and the 200-yard dash with times of 11.26 and 22.38.

Fellow freshman Andrew Wallace finished second in the 800-meter with a time of 1:59.75, three-tenths of a second behind the winner, senior Jason Wenzel of Indiana-Wesleyan.

Senior distance runner Matt Lawder took the 3,000-meter steeplechase title home for Butler. His time of 10:01.49 was more than seven seconds ahead of the second place finisher.

The full Bulldogs’ team will next run at the Mike Poehlein Invitational, hosted by Purdue University, beginning Friday.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN | PAGE 7

overtime: METS SET UP TO BE A LAUGHINGSTOCK IN BASEBALL FOR YEARS TO COME

NO LAUGHING MATTER: Mets’ owner Fred Wilpon (left) is currently involved in a multi-million dollar lawsuit connecting him to the Bernie Madoff scandal and Omar Minaya (right), the team’s former general manger, is out of a job due to a struggling roster and poor people skills. (Photo from MCT) continued from page 5 joke in just four years.

The 2006 Mets were a strong team. The club won its division and took the eventual World Champion St. Louis Cardinals to seven games in the National League Championship Series. The 2007 version of the Mets was billed as a serious contender, as many of the core players from the 2006 team returned and some areas of the team appeared to further improve.

Then, with 17 games left in the 2007 campaign, it happened: the Mets collapsed. They watched their 7.5-game lead within their division disappear. The team missed the playoffs. Some of the moves made prior to the start of the 2007 season had ended up hurting rather than helping the

team.

In 2008, the team suffered another end-of-the-season collapse. The Mets’ transition from contender to pretender was in motion.

The 2009 season saw key players such as Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado miss significant playing time due to injuries. It also saw big-name pitcher Johan Santana underachieve. The 2010 season featured much of the same and included Beltran and two other Mets skipping a trip to a children’s hospital. The 2011 season doesn’t appear to have much more to offer.

The team’s four-year swoon can certainly not be blamed entirely on the players.

Former general manager Omar Minaya was a toxin in

the organization from 2007 until his firing in October 2010.

While he made all the right moves when putting together the 2006 club, he did nothing right in the seasons following.

Some observers believe that several of the players Minaya traded away prior to the 2007 season could’ve helped prevent the Mets’ collapse that same year. While Minaya signed several big names over the next three seasons, most of them have either underachieved or been oft-injured.

Minaya’s biggest failure within the Mets’ organization, however, had nothing to do with the signing of players.

In the middle of the 2008 season, he fired team manager Willie Randolph. Although Randolph’s job had been insecure for weeks prior, the way Minaya went about firing Randolph was questionable.

Randolph was fired in the middle of the night after the first game of a road trip—a game the Mets won—in his hotel room. The first public notice occurred three hours later and many Mets were informed by members of the media.

This year, the Mets will be led by their third manager in six seasons.

The final problem confronting the Mets heading into this season is one that cannot be easily removed. It lies in the team’s ownership and is the result of the biggest Ponzi scheme the world has ever seen.

Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz, two of the owners of the Mets’ organization, are currently being investigated for possible ties to Bernie Madoff’s fraud on Wall Street. The two may have benefitted financially from Madoff’s scheme and may have to sell parts or all of the team to get Irving Picard, the man who is attempting to recover money lost in the scheme, off their backs.

Wilpon and Katz have resorted to name-calling and statements of denial directed towards Picard—on the Mets’ team website.

Add that to the recent announcement that the duo is attempting to raise $200 million to get the team out of financial burden and it’s clear that this team is run by fools.

With so many problems facing the Mets, is there any way they can shed this “worst team” label at some point during the 2011 season?

The way I see it, there’s not a chance.

Softball splits doubleheader

BY COLIN LIKAS

clikas@butler.edu | asst. sports editor

MAKING HER SHOTS: Junior Michele Nash, seen putting on her first hole of day two of the Butler Spring Invitational, captured the individual title by 12 strokes, while her team won the championship. (Photo by Colin Likas)

Women’s golf grabs Butler Invite title

BY COLIN LIKAS AND MATT RHINESMITH collegian@butler.edu

Junior Michele Nash finished her first day of play in the Butler Spring Invitational with a four stroke advantage on her nearest competitor.

By the end of the tournament, Nash had captured her second individual victory of the season, winning by 12 strokes and leading the Bulldogs to a team title.

“It feels good to shoot low,” Nash said. “I can see where practice is starting to show.”

Her 147 paced the Butler women’s golf squad to a team score of 648, six strokes better than second-place IUPUI and nine strokes better than third-place Loyola.

“We knew we’d be in contention,” head coach Bill Mattingly said. “IUPUI and Loyola have beaten us in

tournaments, but we’ve been playing evenly with them.”

Finishing closest to Nash were Carly Schneider and April Ohlendorf, both Loyola freshmen. Both shot 159 for the tournament.

Butler senior Molly Fields recovered from an openinground 86 to shoot 78 in the second round and post a final score of 164, good for second-best on the team.

Sophomore Julia Porter shot a two-day total of 166 to give the Bulldogs three athletes under 170.

Junior Clare Cornelius and senior Marcella Moreman rounded out the team, shooting 171 and 176, respectively.

Nash’s play was the story of the day on the women’s side, however.

“It’s her second tournament victory and she’s had a runner-up [finish] and two or three other top ten finishes,” Mattingly said. “She’s

CHIP AWAY: Sophomore Alex Walker attempts to get his ball on the green during the Butler Spring Invitational yesterday. (Photo by Colin Likas)

been consistent and hitting a lot of quality shots.”

The Bulldogs will stay in Indianapolis for the Big Four tournament April 7 before heading to the Brown Bear Invitational in Providence, Rhode Island April 10.

On the men’s side of the invite, things did not go as well for Butler.

Sophomore Alex Walker had the best score for the Bulldogs, finishing at 151 as the Bulldogs placed ninth of the 13 teams competing.

Butler posted a team score of 624. First-place Purdue finished with a score of 578.

Walker shot a 75 on Monday and a 76 on Tuesday to lead the Bulldogs.

Butler’s top golfer after the first round, sophomore Andrew Wegeng, finished with a total score of 153, while senior Ryan Wegeng shot 158 over two days.

Purdue junior William Sjaichudin took home the individual tournament title with a total score of 136. He finished six strokes ahead of the second-place finisher, Neal McCarty of Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.

Although the men’s squad has faced several non-conference opponents recently, Mattingly knows where the team’s focus has to be.

“Our main focus this season is obviously on our conference,” Mattingly said.

“It’s nice to see some of these guys from bigger schools once in a while, but we need to stay focused on our conference.”

Following a 9-1 showing at the Rebel Games during spring break, the Butler softball team went 2-3 against its three opponents.

The most recent competition for the Bulldogs (13-9, 1-1 HL) was a doubleheader at UIC on Saturday. After capturing a victory in the opener, Butler dropped the second game to the Flames (10-13, 1-1 HL), 2-1.

The Bulldogs could muster only one run off of junior Ashley Hewett, who pitched a complete game, allowing five hits and striking out six.

Butler appeared to be headed in the right direction offensively early in the second game when senior center fielder Erin Jackson scored on a throwing error in the first inning to put the Bulldogs up, 1-0.

Both teams were then held scoreless until the bottom half of the fifth inning.

UIC played small ball, stringing together three singles, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly to manufacture the tying and game-winning runs.

Senior Jennifer Chasteen suffered the loss for Butler, going six innings and giving up two runs on six hits.

In the first game of the twinbill, the Bulldogs used their second six-run fifth inning in as many games to pull away from the Flames and come out with a 10-5 victory.

“Hits are contagious,” head coach Scott

Hall said. “I felt like we started well and things just kept rolling.

“It was clear by the end of the game that we were seeing the ball really well and doing what we needed to do.”

Up 4-2 entering the frame, Butler brought out its bats and put the game away.

Junior catcher Mallory Winters drove in the first run of the inning with a fielder’s choice, which was followed by an RBI single from Jackson.

The big blow came from the bat of sophomore second baseman Meaghan Sullivan, who cleared the bases with a three-run double, staking the Bulldogs to a 9-2 advantage.

“We knew UIC was going to be a very tough game,” Jackson said. “If I do my job and everybody else does their job, we’re going to get a ‘W.’” On March 24, Butler had its first of two six-run fifth innings in back-to-back games to top Indiana State (9-14), 8-4.

Junior left fielder Lauren McNulty’s three-run home run was the highlight of the inning for the Bulldogs.

On March 22, Butler dropped both games of a doubleheader at Indiana (19-13), the first by a 4-2 margin and the second by a score of 4-3.

After two games at IPFW tonight, the Bulldogs will play a three-game series against conference foe Detroit.

The Titans (8-19, 0-3 HL) will be coming off a doubleheader against Wayne State.

A&E

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

PAGE 8

Thornton Dial explores global issues

Dial’s newest IMA exhibit digs into racism, global politics, homelessness

BY BRIAN WANBAUGH bwanbaug@butler.edu | asst. a&e editor

“Hard Truths,” an exhibit from artist Thornton Dial, explores complex social problems that have plagued, and still run deep, in our society today. Racism, alienation, global politics and homelessness are all targets for Dial, who expresses his opinions in very original pieces of art.

Dial, born and raised in a rural town in Alabama, has seen very tough times.

Poor for most of his life, he was one of 12 children in his family with only his mother raising them. Absolute poverty led him and his siblings to create toys out of objects they would find lying around, and thus was the inspiration for Dial’s work.

Dial uses anything and everything he can find in his art, including carpet, oil cans, abandoned truck parts, children’s toys, wire, rope and even animal skeletons to convey his message.

Manifested in “Hard Truths,” his observations of the world reflect his upbringing in rural Alabama. Focusing mainly on the plight of African Americans in the South, he sees how mistreated African Americans have been in America and seeks to bring awareness to these things. His piece “Looking For the Good Price” from 1993 portrays a slave auction in the pre-Civil War South. The slave, a tortured soul is being auctioned off by a white man, a ghostly figure with devilish eyes. Framing the piece is an old bicycle chain, representing the cycle of mistreatment and how it even occurs to this day.

The majority of his art also juxtaposes rural life with urban life. Dial seeks to disprove the glorification of small town living, portraying it as rough and extremely hard.

In his piece “Heaven and Hell on Earth,” Dial splits the work down the middle with the urban side on the left and the rural side on the right. At first glance, the urban side looks bleak and desolate and represents hell.

The rural side is filled with pastel colors and images of simple farm life. However, the

DON’T MATTER HOW RAGGLY THE FLAG, IT STILL GOT TO TIE US TOGETHER: This particular piece—comprised of mattress coils, chicken wire, clothing, can lids, metal and plastic twine to name a few—represents the blood and toil of the battlefield, created just after the beginning of the Iraq War. (Photo courtesy of the IMA) urban also has huge nuggets of gold mixed in with the grays and blacks, with the rural having no visible sign of gold. He sees the rural side as being bleak, with riches almost impossible to find.

Dial has also focused much of his work on global politics and the tragic events of Sept.

11, 2001.

“Driving to the End of the World,” a five piece set focusing on the United States’ addiction to oil and our relationships with Middle Eastern countries is perhaps Dial’s biggest piece in the collection. Made up of an old oil barrel and an abandoned truck he found in a wooded area, he creates an apocalyptic feel with bleak images of our future if

we continue down our current path.

Included in “Hard Truths’’ are some drawings of his, mainly portraying the plight of women and the struggle for equal rights.

They are in a cubist style, similar to Picasso.

These are the weakest of all of his pieces but are still interesting to see.

To see the message in his work, one needs a little patience and an open mind, but once found, the message is clear. “Hard Truths” focuses on the plight of the human experience, but also sees hope in it as well.

“You can hide the truth, but you can’t get rid of it,” reads a quote of Dial’s in the exhibit. “When the truth come out in the light, we get the beauty of the world.”

“Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial” Indianapolis Museum of Art Runs now through Sept. 18.

Tickets: $8.

Public forum on African American artists held April 8, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

‘Riding Hood’ a sappy mess

BY CAITLIN O’ROURKE corourke@butler.edu | a&e editor

Photo courtesy of Program Board

Auto Tune the News YouTube sensation the Gregory Brothers are making their way to our ever-growing more popular campus tomorrow night.

Their smash hit show, Auto Tune the News, takes the news of the week and makes it a bit more fun to watch, making people like George W. Bush into faux R&B stars—in this particular episode, he raps out “I’m not a hater,” just like Snoop would.

We promise your afternoon will get better after watching classics like “pirates. drugs. gay marriage.” or our personal favorite, “Kanye vs.

Bush”—although we admit to a soft spot for Kanye and his big mouth.

Sound fantastic? We thought so. Head over to the Reilly Room March 31 at 7:30 p.m. to hear them speak. Event is brought to you by Program Board.

If there wasn’t any sound throughout “Red Riding Hood,” it would be one of the most gorgeous, moving movies that has been put out this year.

Alas, the characters do open their mouths to reveal cheesy, overly dramatic lines and a plot one can see coming for miles.

Director Catherine Hardwicke apparently hasn’t been able to move past her last train wreck of a movie, “Twilight.”

“Red Riding Hood” is somewhat close to the original tale.

Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) is Red Riding Hood, a girl who falls in love with a boy not parent-approved, and is engaged against her will to the son of a prominent family. However, plans are put on hold when Valerie’s sister is killed by the werewolf that has long plagued the village. The village brings Rev. Solomon (Gary Oldman) in to get rid of the wolf, while more clues continue to lead Valerie to believe that she herself knows the werewolf more personally than she wishes.

The idea is wonderful: take a child’s fairy tale and more or less return it to the dark roots it originally had, whether it first appeared in a Hans Christian Anderson or a Grimm Brothers book. Seyfried as the titular character is rosy-cheeked, blondehaired perfection for the role—looks-wise, that is. The entire cast, actually, looks perfect, complete with Oldman as a terrifying priest, Julie Christie as a dreadlocked, mystical grandmother and two dark, smoldering men whom Seyfried must choose between.

Besides Christie, who makes a gallant attempt with the shoddy dialogue and characterization she’s given, none of these people can act. Seyfried spends most of the movie making moon eyes and swooning like a damsel in distress, and the rest barely do better. Oldman, surprisingly, is just as bad, and at times it seems like he’s purposefully making his character a joke because he realizes the entire movie is as well. With so many good movies under his belt, it’s a disappointment that he doesn’t try and aid Christie to take the movie out of the pit.

It’s a huge disappointment for a movie that is visually arresting. The scenery is lush and green, and Hardwicke shoots it in such a way that the color pops from the screen, creating a real-life fairy tale. The red riding hood is dark and ominous looking, deserving of the title role. The music adds to the dark theme, creating a perfect scenery.

There is a twist, which is almost completely obvious if you’re looking for the signs. It’s the only slightly clever plot

point in the entire film. Otherwise, it feels like a movie you’ve seen before, with sappier dialogue. Anyone who avoided “Twilight” should run as far away as possible from this film.

The film is the first in line of many “dark” fairy tales that are to be released. Hopefully, better actresses and directors can be found to give the Grimm tales the appropriate treatment they deserve.

MY, WHAT BIG TEETH YOU HAVE: Amanda Seyfried, Billy Burke and Virginia Madsen star in the awful new remake of “Red Riding Hood.” (Photo from MCT)

RED RIDING HOOD | MOVIE REVIEW

While the visuals are beautiful, lush and just like a fairy tale, the acting and plot of “Red Riding Hood” leave it devoid of all of its magic. Instead, audiences are reminded a little too much of “Twilight”—coincidentally, director Catherine Hardwicke’s last movie.

5 = perfect, 4 = outstanding, 3 = good, 2 = fair, 1 = poor

The Butler Arts and Entertainment Calendar 30 No events scheduled

31 International Studies speaker Johnson Hall 4 p.m.

1 No events scheduled

2 No events scheduled

3 Butler Wind Ensemble Clowes Memorial Hall 3 p.m.

4 No events scheduled

5 JCFA Percussion Ensemble Clowes Memorial Hall 7:30 p.m.

PAGE 9 | THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

Artists raise money for Riley

BY CAITLIN O’ROURKE corourke@butler.edu | a&e editor

T

here’s three great elements to Rock for Riley: it’s raising money for Riley Hospital for Children, Matt & Kim are performing and it’s being hosted at the Vogue.

Three things that (almost) all Butler students love.

Rock for Riley was created and is still managed solely by Indiana University School of Medicine Students. This is their seventh year providing great music for an even better cause, which they describe as “the highest quality medical care to all Indiana children.”

Craig Tucker, vice president of publicity for Rock for Riley, said Riley is so important because it hits close to home for most Indiana residents.

“Anyone you talk to, they themselves or a friend or a family member has been checked into Riley,” he said. “Everyone knows someone.”

Their efforts have not gone unnoticed in the area. While their inaugural concert in 2004 raised $25,000, the next year’s concert raised $223,000. In addition, they’ve received endorsements from local politicians includ-

IT’LL BE A BLAST: Matt & Kim (pictured above) are possible headliners this year for Rock for Riley, an annual event to raise money for Riley Hospital for Children. The show will be April 7 at the Vogue. (Photo by Bohlsen PR) ing Sen. Richard Lugar, Gov. Mitch Daniels and former Sen. Evan Bayh in the past years.

It’s a big event—clear enough from the top-billing names they have gotten to per-

form for them throughout the years, with some help from the Vogue.

Matt & Kim, most well-known for their hit “Daylight,” may be performing this year,

but in the past, groups have included My Morning Jacket, the Avett Brothers and the Strokes’ frontman Julian Casablancas. Not too shabby.

“Matt & Kim put a great live show,” Tucker said. “It gets pretty crazy.”

While the medical students have been doing most of the work themselves, they have used the resources at IU for their benefit as well. Tucker said that graphic design students helped with things like posters, and they’ve also had a bit of professional help.

Rock for Riley is constantly changing, as the students complete their four years— Tucker himself is only a second year student and has never met the actual creator of the event—but their relationships in Indianapolis continue to grow stronger, and Tucker said they are simply continuing to build their organization more as an established philanthropy.

With acts like Matt & Kim and a muchloved organization like Riley, Rock for Riley is sure only to grow stronger from this year’s event.

“It’s for people who love music and want to help little kids,” Tucker said. “I’m pretty sure everyone fits into at least one of those categories.”

Flatwater stays local and fresh

BY BRIAN WANBAUGH

F

WHATCHU TALKING ABOUT JULIAN: Julian Casablancas, frontman for The Strokes, leads the band on their new album ‘Angles.’ The album combines electronic beats with familiar guitar melodies. (Photo courtesy José Goulao)

Strokes take different ‘Angle’ on new album

BY AJA CACAN acacan@butler.edu | staff writer

T

here’s a lot to be expected from a record five years in the making. The Strokes’ lengthy hiatus since 2006’s “First Impressions of Earth” had the band pursuing various side projects while sporadically converging to work on “Angles,” which was finally released March 18.

On “Angles,” the band further develops the electronic and futuristic component of their music, started with “First Impressions,” while still managing to sound like regular rock ‘n’ roll. The guitars are fiercer and the keyboards more prominent with the regular use of electronic beats.

The sound quality itself exhibits much less of the grungy, subdued quality that made The Strokes standard bearers of the indie rock revival back in 2001. Ten years later, they have fine-tuned the technical aspects of their music to achieve a cleaner sound that is still recognizable as their own.

Despite the commitment to meticulous detail, whether this album delivers on the hype is another story. The three strongest tracks stand on their own: opener “Macchu Picchu,” first single “Under Cover of Darkness,” and “Taken For a Fool.”

Change in musical style is bound to happen with a band as tenured as The Strokes, but what makes these three particularly enjoyable is that they are amped-up, cleanedup and slightly upbeat versions of the iconic tracks that put The Strokes on the map for the first time.

The up-tempo “Macchu Picchu” sounds like the closest thing to a dance track The Strokes will ever produce. But even on tracks like this, Julian Casablancas’ candid lyrics are strangely at odds with the style of the song.

On “Macchu Picchu,” Casablancas throws in the phrase, “I’m just trying to find a mountain I can climb.” The Strokes’ song writing has become more reflective and down-to-

earth over the years, making increased use of real-world themes in often intentionally ambiguous ways.

Unlike other bands that try to do the same, one thing The Strokes have succeeded at is uniquely incorporating these themes into their music so that they are just recognizable without being glaringly obvious.

On “Taken For a Fool,” arguably the best track on the record, Casablancas grapples with apathy, criticism and dissatisfaction in just a few lines: “I know, everyone goes any damn place they like. I hope this goes over well, on the toxic radio.”

Although not all the songs are equally memorable and the album does slightly waver toward the middle and again at the end, Casablancas’ lyrics never fail to intrigue. “I want to be outrageous, but inside I know I’m plain,” he sings on “Metabolism.”

On the finishing touch to the album, “Life is Simple in the Moonlight,” Casablancas begrudgingly admits, “There’s no one I disapprove of or root for more than myself.”

Not exactly the most uplifting statement, but then, this self-critical quality has been behind The Strokes’ constant attempts to perfect and reinvent every aspect of their style.

They may never recreate their original appeal, but the meticulousness and the quality of the music they continue to produce is nothing but a hopeful indicator of their continued ubiquity on the scene.

ANGLES | ALBUM REVIEW The Strokes’ first album since 2006, “Angles” uses their familiar guitar riffs and melodies but adds dancier drum beats on certain tracks.

bwanbaug@butler.edu | asst a&e editor

latwater Restaurant, located on the banks of the Central Canal in Broad Ripple, could easily be confused for a quaint little house nestled between the vast number of restaurants on Westfield Boulevard.

Don’t let its size fool you though, because what Flatwater lacks in space, they make up for with the tremendous flavor of their dishes.

Serving as a restaurant and a bar, Flatwater has a more upscale atmosphere with very homey decor. Upon sitting down and glancing at the menu, you will notice that not only do they have local beers from Sun King and Upland Breweries, those are the only beers they have on tap. Other domestics and imports are on the menu, but the fact that only Indiana beers are on tap gives Flatwater an even greater hometown feel.

A downside to the restaurant is the size of the menu. At just two pages, the options are sparse without much variety.

However, Flatwater knows what it is doing, because these few dishes are delicious.

Specializing in American cuisine, Flatwater will make sure you get your daily servings of steak and pork.

Highly recommended is the Pulled Pork sandwich. At a reasonable price—just $8.50— this sandwich has great taste because the pork is so tender it feels like it could melt in your mouth. Not mentioned on the menu is the dipping sauce that comes with the fries, a ranch and serrano type mixture that is a bit spicy, perfect for those who like a little kick with their meal.

FLATWATER | RESTAURANT REVIEW

Situated on the canal, Flatwater Restaurant offers American cuisine at a reasonable price. The tender pulled pork with fries is highly recommended.

5 = perfect, 4 = outstanding, 3 = good, 2 = fair, 1 = poor

The pulled pork tacos are another excellent dish to order. With only two tacos at $8, it seems like a bit of a swindle, but once the tacos arrive you see how packed they are with meat and other toppings. Including cheese, homemade pico and cilantro, with shrimp and mahi mahi as other options for meat, these tacos are enough to satisfy a healthy appetite.

If meat is not your favorite, the lone pasta dish on the menu is recommended for your eating pleasure. The vegetarian pasta dish is topped with mushrooms, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts and roasted garlic in a creamy roasted tomato sauce. It has the quality of a fine Italian restaurant but costs just $11.50.

Served with a piece of bread that is lightly toasted and buttered, this dish is impressive and flavorful in many different ways.

With seating inside and out on its deck, Flatwater restaurant is a perfect place to relax, sit back, have a drink and enjoy good food with friends. Because as its slogan goes, “between the rapids of life, lies the flatwater.”

ON THE WATERFRONT: Flatwater Restaurant, specializing in American cuisine, offers many dishes including a delicious pulled pork sandwich. The fish and pulled pork tacos are also excellent choices. (Photo by Brian Wanbaugh)

The Best Of

ndy

5 = perfect, 4 = outstanding, 3 = good, 2 = fair, 1 = poor

Black Friday Oh Rebecca Black. Rebecca Rebecca Rebecca Black. We know you didn’t write the lyrics, darling, but really? We understand the need to be a pop star. Kind of.

Regardless, look at your life. Look at your choices. I know America’s IQ might be lowering every day, but I promise you, the average American will indeed know that the days of the week go Thursday, Friday, Saturday and then Sunday.

To go along with that, if you really are having that much trouble deciding which seat to take, maybe you need a therapist. Maybe you have a problem.

Another problem we need to face—you’re about what, 12? Why are you “partyin’”? If you’re starting off this early, I don’t want to know what kind of tabloids you’ll make in college.

Also, for the love of all that is good, stop saying fun. You’re making it not fun. In fact, you’re making me hate the word. In FACT, you’re making me hate Friday.

That’s undeserved, Black. And now your song is stuck in my head. Thanks a lot.

World, I give up. Rebecca Black has been trending worldwide on Twitter for the past three weeks. Apparently, the lows we can accomplish together know no bounds.

These local spots in Indy have A&E’s stamp of approval—a new place featured each week!

Details: Moe & Johnny’s Bar & Grill Distance from Butler: 12-minute drive Specials: Butler Viewing Party on Saturday Why We Love This Place: One of the best bars for viewing the Bulldogs Basketball team, it will surely be packed will enthusiastic students and alumni when the team takes on the VCU Rams. Other then the game, the grill offers many pub favorites including a half-pound burger and specialty pizzas. It may not be Houston, but this is probably your second best option.

Want us to feature your favorite Indy spot? Send submissions to corourke@butler.edu.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

OPINION THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

PAGE 10

the butler

COLLEGIAN

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OUR POINT THIS WEEK: Butler proves in the NCAA Tournament that student athletes work as hard in the classroom as on the court. | VOTE: 22-0

Bulldogs keep making us proud During the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships, fans often forget that the athletes playing the games are also college students. But Butler University hasn’t forgotten. Although some of its students are athletes, they are always students before anything else.

We at The Butler Collegian, are proud to say that Butler athletes are able to balance the extreme academic rigor of our university with the success of their team.

This year, Butler won the National Higher Education Bracket. This accomplishment proves that Butler athletes work just as hard in the classroom as they do on the court.

Butler has been called “America’s Team” after scrapping their way to this year’s Final Four Tournament in Houston, Texas. But it is more than Butler’s incredible run in both this year and last year’s NCAA Tournament that inspires fans around the country to root our school on to victory. It is the

team’s humility that has captured hearts around the nation. The team has worked resiliently to not only be victorious over our opponents, but also to keep up with academic work.

Butler University is that rare school whose athletes go to classes on a game day. Butler athletes don’t miss a class unless they absolutely have to. For other universities that partake in the tournament, it seems that their priorities are basketball and then schoolwork, whereas Butler athletes strive to be premier students before premier basketball players.

We are very proud to be so well-represented at the tournament by our team. It is a rare gift for a university as small as Butler to be in the Final Four for the second year in a row, in addition to being described as America’s Team while still reaching the high academic bar that Butler sets for all of its

The entire Butler University community, the city of Indianapolis and the state of Indiana are incredibly lucky to have an organization like the Bulldog Athletics program.

students.

Butler athletes don’t get private tutors so they can miss classes and still maintain grades. These athletes attend every class, and when they have road games, professors may extend deadlines or allow them to take exams early but the same level of work is still present.

Butler athletes aren’t given the option to take the easy way out of assignments and projects. These characteristics embody The Butler Way. Butler students are taught and expected to give the best effort possible on everything we do. This has made an obvious transition out of the classroom and into life practice. Butler athletes work as hard in the classroom as they do on the court. This sense of determination is what propels Butler University forward in everything we do.

The entire Butler University community, the city of Indianapolis and the state of Indiana are incredibly lucky to have an organization like the Bulldog Athletics program. It is clear that their priorities are straight when it comes to focusing on the court as well as in the classroom. When a small school like ours immediately rises to the national spotlight for athletics, it is always nice to be recognized for something else besides how many points are put up in a game or our season average.

Disaster in Japan should inspire a transition away from nuclear energy

BY LEXIE SMITH lhsmith@butler.edu | opinion editor

After the March 11 tsunami in Japan, there has been extreme concern about high levels of radiation in the nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear plant. This concern has captured viewers around the world, nervous that the reactors will blow, creating a nuclear meltdown similar to the disaster now known as Chernobyl, which occurred on April 26, 1986. After this immense, and the now impending, disaster I am baffled as to why countries—including our own—are still reliant and insistent on using nuclear energy.

I understand that with our immense burning of fossil fuels, we should work toward finding a new sustainable energy source, but nuclear energy is not the answer. It is highly dangerous and can have disastrous effects if it is not properly controlled.

Even when it is properly contained, Mother Nature can cause problems, such as the earthquake and tsunami Japan suffered earlier this month.

According to timeforchange.org, “It is technically impossible to build a plant with 100 percent security. A small probability of failure will always last.”

This is an unnerving thought that we have seemingly tossed aside in the quest for a new energy source.

However, in light of this recent disaster, we need to re-evaluate our ener-

THE DANGER OF NUCLEAR ENERGY: Nuclear energy plants, such as the one above, may seem like a good idea for sustainable energy but after the recent disaster in Japan, it is important for the United States to find a more reliable energy source. (Photo from MCT) gy options so that we aren’t doomed to the same fate as Japan.

Additionally, a surge of nuclear power plants across the United States could inspire another terrorist attack.

“No atomic energy plant in the world could withstand an attack similar to 9/11 in New York,” timeforchange.org wrote. “Such a terrorist act would have catastrophic effects for the whole world.”

Although any terrorist attack has the capability to have demolishing effects on our country, an attack on a U.S.-based nuclear energy plant would have the power to singlehandedly end our world as we know it.

The most obvious issue with the use of nuclear energy is that the waste nuclear energy produces can be used to make nuclear weapons and increase nuclear proliferation.

Essentially, any country or individual who has the capability to enrich uranium has the capability to create deadly weaponry. The risk of these weapons—or the capability for them to be created—falling into the wrong hands is too high. It would be foolish of the United States to even entertain the idea of heavily relying on nuclear energy sources because it would only be detrimental to ourselves.

According to the U.S. Energy In-

formation Administration, there are 104 nuclear energy plants scattered throughout the United States. If we were to increase our amount of nuclear energy plants, we would increase our risk of disaster—similar to what is now occurring in Japan.

It is crucial for the United States to use the crisis in Japan as a learning tool and apply it to our own country so that we can avoid being stuck in the same deadly, dangerous situation at the hands of our own carelessness.

We need to search for more sustainable energy sources immediately so that we can stop dependence on nuclear energy to benefit not only our country, but the rest of the world.

PAGE 11 | THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

Media misses the mark after Japan

BY SAM HYER shyer@butler.edu | asst. opinion editor

For the past three weeks, it seems that every report to come out of Japan regarding the earthquake and subsequent tsunami is worsening.

The footage is gut wrenching and the tragedy is horrific.

However, the American media never ceases to amaze me and continues to zero in on the nuclear fallout in the region.

Every day the death toll seems to rise and the number of those missing has increased, but it is almost impossible to turn on the television without having a commentator or reporter grilling a nuclear expert with questions like, “When will this happen in the United States?”

While I think that this should be a legitimate concern of American citizens— considering that, according to the World Nuclear Association, we produce the most megawatts of nuclear energy every year— the press needs to reel it in.

While sitting in the waiting room of a Nissan dealership in Cincinnati as my car was being tuned up, I was forced to watch “The View” because the channels were locked.

Their guest was Christiane Amanpour, the distinguished reporter from CNN who has recently moved on to ABC. Although she had just returned from interviewing Moammar Gadhafi a few weeks before and was in troubled Egypt prior to

RADIATION SCARES IN JAPAN: The afternmath of the natural disaster in Japan is horrific. As Japan begins to recover, commentators the United States are questioning the validy of nuclear power. (Photo from MCT) that, the women of “The View” could not resist asking things related to the nuclear fallout.

On one occasion, one of the hosts referred to the problems at the plants as “nuclear explosions,” something Amanpour was quick to correct. She reminded them that the situation in Japan is far below the intensity of a nuclear explosion.

That night, on the evening news, Katie Couric had a large map of the United States, with every major city and its proximity to a nuclear reactor.

If I’m not mistaken, the nuclear reactors in

Japan are having the problems, not those in the United States.

Why would Katie Couric and CBS news feel compelled to put up a diagram of something like this?

Personally, I think these are poor attempts to try and bring the nuclear panic that is in Japan about their plants to the United States.

Calls from people like U.S. Rep. Ed Markey to issue a moratorium on all U.S. nuclear plants and referring to the Japanese disaster as “another Chernobyl” is ridiculous.

The disaster at Chernobyl is the worst in nuclear history. It killed 31 instantly and

thousands suffered from side effects of radiation illnesses, such as thyroid cancer.

The last major United States nuclear debacle was in 1979 with the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania and its partial core meltdown.

Although this has been referred to as the second worst nuclear disaster in history, after Chernobyl, there were no fatalities.

Since Three Mile Island, the safety advances made in regards to nuclear plants and nuclear energy is astronomical. It is also some of the least expensive energy produced in the country.

Perhaps one of the biggest facts that some people tend to leave out about the Japanese situation is how dated plants like the Fukushima and Tokai plants really are.

According to Britain’s Daily Telegraph, the Japanese government blatantly ignored a warning from the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding the Fukushima plant and its reliability and safety in the event of a nuclear disaster.

Not only does this show a lack of responsibility by the Japanese government, it also proves that watch dogs like the International Atomic Energy Association are doing an efficient job of forecasting problems that may occur with the world’s nuclear plants.

In a time of economic uncertainty and an ever-increasing dependence on foreign oil, I think that the United States should continue to embrace our nuclear capabilities and the benefits that it brings our country and citizens.

Civil rights, marriage should be extended to all

BY JEREMY ALGATE jalgate@butler.edu | staff writer

Marriage is a civil right that under the Constitution cannot be denied to any citizen based on race, religion, gender or sexuality.

America prides itself on equality before the law.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court upheld the rights of the Westboro Baptist Church to continue their hate–mongering protests at soldiers’ funerals.

Yet this past week, a committee for the Indiana State Senate voted to hear the House-approved constitutional amendment that would ban civil unions as well as gay marriage.

This is despite polls that show most Hoosiers don’t approve.

S o m e argue that marriage is only a social institution—not a right. The Alliance Defense Fund argues that marriage is fundamentally about children. Everything else that comes with marriage is second to protecting “the only union that can naturally produce children.”

But currently, children are born to unmarried parents much more often. Foster homes are overflowing. The divorce rate is off the charts.

“Til death do us part” doesn’t have

the same weight it used to.

We’re realizing that biological parents may not be quite the necessity we thought. Studies conducted by the U.S. government indicate adopted children spend more time with their parents on average than biological children.

Most importantly, no matter how we dress it up marriage has never been solely about children. The vows are lifted straight from Christian texts—The Book of Common Prayer, for most Protestants. These promises don’t mention children at all.

The real issue at stake is all that other stuff that married couples get, the stuff that the Anti-defamation League dismisses.

Gay couples want the power of attorney for a compromised partner. They want legal rights to the children that they have raised with their loved one.

They want the right to visit their families in the hospital.

At the crux of this, they want recognition from society.

Their relationships are just as valid as any straight married couple’s.

I want to believe that religion doesn’t enter into this issue. People are welcome to their own beliefs— another constitutional right. And because we all are allowed to keep our own faith, it is illegal to enforce it on others. The hypocrisy of this is so blatant it almost doesn’t bear mentioning—almost.

Marriage is not an institution.

It’s not about protecting biological, valid couples.

PawPrints

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Abortion is women’s issue

MARRIAGE AS A CIVIL RIGHT: Indiana has recently become a state that is pushing through a movement defining marriage as male and female. (Photo from MCT ) Half of all marriages end in divorce. Non-Christians are married in churches every day. Just-for-funVegas-marriages fill our comedies and celebrity magazines. Where are the protestors? Where are the lobbyists for an anti-divorce amendment? Where are the outraged Pastors calling for oxen and donkey to stop yoking themselves together?

Sadly, I’m forced to conclude that it’s because gay couples “look different”.

Other arguments I’ve heard say the government can’t afford to distribute the tax benefits to gay couples that we grant to married partners. Since when do we evaluate rights on their price tag? The First Amendment allows the Ku Klux Klan to meet—as long as it isn’t connected to crimes. The Fifth Amendment forces police to use due process. How much money,

time and lives could be saved by ignoring these?

As I’m sure you’ll agree, that’s not the point. Rights are about principle. Civilians deserve to be tried before a jury of peers. Gay couples deserve to marry and enjoy the legal protection that straight couples already have.

Marriage is not an institution.

It’s not about protecting biologically valid couples. It is a social recognition of commitment. Our government incentivizes stable homes because they help children—regardless of biological connections or genders of the parents.

And, on a practical note, industries aren’t sure they can encourage intelligent young people to come here if we make it illegal to raise their families.

Quite honestly, I’m disappointed that this is even a debate.

In your last edition, you printed two op-ed pieces about the abortion issue as reflected in the attempts to cut off the funding for Planned Parenthood. The supporter of the defunding was of course a male, and I never cease to be amazed that men worry about abortion. We have a perfect record: in the entire history of this state no male has ever had an abortion.

It turns out that women are not getting themselves pregnant but that males are often involved. The attempt to control abortion has concentrated on controlling women—and it has been a total failure.

My suggestion is that we start at the other end and regulate male behavior, for men are exceedingly good at rules. At the age of 12, every male will be fitted with a condom and required to wear that condom at all times until the wedding reception. Of course, we won’t tell boys what the condom is for–they will get a booklet at age 17 for that sacred information. As usual for males, each stage of this behavior will be celebrated with praise and awards—the 12-yearold in a coming-of-age ritual, the 17-year-old in a welcome-to-adulthood celebration and the groom in a tossing of the condom event following the tossing of the bouquet.

There will no doubt be some males who wish to put aside responsible behavior and take off their condoms in the course of their youth. The punishment for such infractions has to be severe, probably a vasectomy. Enforcement is not to be left to chance. Police, in regular traffic stops if they suspect non-compliance, may require visible proof of condom conformity.

Let the condomless tremble.

This policy is guaranteed to end abortion. That is, after all, what we all want.

Bill Walsh Professor of English

How did you celebrate the basketball team’s win over the weekend?

BY: RYAN LOVE

“Ask Bourbon Street...”

Abby McClure junior

“I had a great time celebrating the game in New Orleans. I was able to tour the city and celebrate with new friends.”

Allison Wright junior

“We were in New Orleans and went crazy and cried and screamed and hugged and yelled.”

“I was on a boat and 30 people were crowded around one iPhone—not much celebration.”

Brittany Larson freshman

Michael Hernandez junior

the butler

COLLEGIAN Photo Contest c ampus

Where in the^world is the Butler gnome?

Photos by Erin Drennan

The first person to correctly guess the location of the Butler gnome and e-mail the answer to collegian@butler.edu will be featured in next week’s Collegian!