THE BUTLER
COLLEGIAN
WEDNESDAY APRIL
14 2010
www.thebutlercollegian.com
HOME SWEET BUTLER
Indianapolis, Indiana
Established 1886
Vol. 124 Issue 24
Men’s basketball head coach Brad Stevens signs 12-year contract extension Jennifer Pignolet jpignole@butler.edu
Collegian photo by Rachel Senn
INSIDE BUPD Beat.............3
Playlist
of
the
Campus Pulse........3
Week..............8
Staff Editorial.........5
Best of Indy...........8
Columns............5&6
On Deck...................9
Paw Prints..............6
Butler Baseball...10
Reviews..............7&8
Sports Column....11
Brad Stevens is here to stay—at least for the next 12 years. The 33-year-old head coach of the Butler University men’s basketball team signed a contract last week that could keep him at Butler through the 2021-2022 season. The exact terms of the contract, including Stevens’ salary, were not released to the public. In a press conference Friday, the Horizon League Coach of the Year said he is excited to remain a part of the Butler community. “[The contract] is something the university came up with, and I’m tickled to think they’d want to do that,” he said. Only four coaches in NCAA men’s basketball history have fared better than Stevens’ 89-15 record at the end of their first three years as a head coach. The Bulldogs have been to the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championships three times under his reign, most recently falling to Duke in the National Championship game. For the Zionsville, Ind., native, his wife and their two children, the contract is an opportunity to continue to call Indiana home. “This community’s been fantastic to us,” Stevens said. “We recognize we have a really good thing.” The contract does come with a buy-out clause. This would allow other schools to consider Stevens for open coaching jobs at any time during the next 12 years. In exchange, they would have to pay Butler an undisclosed amount of money. The contract ended any speculation that Stevens would be considered for jobs at bigger universities. “It’s flattering to be discussed,” Stevens said. “But often times, that stuff in the media is speculation. I’ve talked to people here and there, but what I was hoping would happen is what happened.” His players said they are happy to have their coach sticking around, at least for the rest of their time at Butler. “It was obvious people were going to come after him for their head coaching jobs,” sophomore guard Ronald Nored said. “He’s an Indy guy at heart. He’s fallen in love with what Butler has to offer. And, he’s winning. “It’s also exciting for the Butler community. Brad’s their guy.” The team met shortly after news of the contract was released. “I could just feel his excitement for next year,” Nored said. “The great thing about it is nothing’s going to change. “I don’t think there’s a better coach in the country.”
Exploiting Student Labor The growth of unpaid internships is harming young adults, building a resentful generation.
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Nored said the team was happy to get the contract issue settled so soon after the end of the tournament. Stevens said he is looking forward to next year, keeping in mind that whether or not they reach the Final Four or the National Championship again will not dictate their success. “The goal is to continue to play better and to continue to get better,” Stevens said. “The goal for next year’s team is going to be to continue to try and handle all the expectations and distractions that are going to come their way and to become better men for it.” As for any increase in recruiting as a result of the Bulldogs’ recent popularity across the country, Stevens said there is “certainly an interest.” “If we can get better recruits than the ones who almost won us a National Championship, then I’ll be surprised,” he said. Nored said the team is excited to be able to continue to play “The Butler Way” under the coach who led them to the National Championship game. “The teams after us are going to get the same opportunities to do what we’ve done up until this point,” Nored said. “And we’re not done yet.”
Time to Rock Out This summer’s music festivals spread from St. Louis to Washington with artists just as eclectic.
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Collegian photo by Rachel Senn
LADDER OF SUCCESS: Head Coach Brad Stevens helps his players cut down the net after the team’s win in the Elite Eight this March.
Ruling the Diamond The softball team has broken the school record, securing 31 wins on the season.
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Butler Forecast Today
Tomorrow
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Wednesday, April 14, 2010
NEWS
campusbriefs University water bill spikes 20 percent in two years Olivia Ingle oingle@butler.edu During the past two years, Butler University has experienced a 20 percent increase in its water bill. Butler’s Vice President of Operations Mike Gardner said, even with the increase in water, the bill still only accounts for about 10 percent of the university’s $3 million utility budget. The money in the budget is allocated from students’ tuition and fees. “It [water] is still by far our smallest utility in terms of cost.” Gardner said. “The vast majority [of the budget] is electricity and natural gas.” He said a number of energy conservation measures have already helped campus tremendously. “We’re spending more of our effort and more of our time on heating and cooling conservation,” Gardner said. “We’re always trying to find ways to cut our electrical and natural gas bill.” He said to cut the water bill, water-saving fixtures have been installed in residence halls and more are being added as money becomes available. “We’re always visiting energysaving ideas,” Gardner said. “We’ve done a good job through the years, and we’ve got to continue to stretch that utility dollar as far as we possibly can.” Gardner said Butler has a relatively low utility bill. “Our cost per square foot is well below the average of other schools like us in the Midwest,” he said. “We’re doing some good things in terms of conservation.”
The Butler Collegian
NEWS
Professor receives grant Tara McElmurry tmcelmur@butler.edu Butler University Assistant Professor of Religion Chad Bauman received an $80,000 research grant from the University of Southern California’s Center for Religion and Civic Culture and the John Templeton Foundation, April 1. Last fall, Bauman applied for the grant after being invited by the Center for Religion and Civic Culture. He was one in about 500 scholars that submitted a short proposal. By autumn’s end, the 500 applicants were narrowed down, and those remaining were asked to submit longer proposals. At the end of the process, 16 winners—inlcuding Bauman—were awarded the grant. Bauman will be using this grant to work on a book about the violence between Hindus and Christians in India, called “Conversion and Hindu-Christian Conflict.” “The number of these encounters has increased substantially in the last decade,” Bauman said. “Over the last few years, there have been a series of antiChristian riots which led to the displacement of thousands of poor, rural Indians. “Occasionally in these riot situations, Christians have retaliated by attacking Hindus. “There are many, many factors that contribute to this violence, but Christian evangelical efforts and rumors about Christian evangelical efforts are a major flashpoint.” Bauman said the core issue between the two groups is conversion. He said his book would focus on the interaction between the two groups and the threats they feel from one another. “Some Hindus resent Christian attempts to convert Hindus because they perceive Christianity to be a foreign faith in the same way that some conservative Christians consider the United States a ‘Christian’ country and resent the presence of Muslim, Hindu or Jewish people,” Bauman said. “And, of course, another issue is the basic fact that Christianity is a missionary religion, whereas Hinduism is not, really, or at least not in the same direct way that Christianity is. Bauman said this topic is not relevant just for its academic importance, but it is important to explore because he said Hindus are being destroyed by this violence. He said he has promoted this importance of understanding religious diversity to his students for the duration of his teaching career. “My central goal is to expose my students to religious beliefs, religious practices and religious people that [my students] might consider exotic, or even weird,” he said. “I also want to help them understand how those religious beliefs and practices make sense to and are meaningful for the religious people who exhibit them.” Bauman said his students have helped shape his views on this study. “I have occasionally presented some of my own work on Hindu-Christian conflict in that class,” he said. “Student reactions have helped me refine my theories and hypotheses about what exactly is going on there.” Senior Ariel Tyring has taken several classes with Bauman, and said he sparked her interest in religious conflict. “He really encourages discourse between the students in his class,” Tyring said. “He stimulates conversation, certainly, and it’s a really open environment.” Tyring, a chemistry and Spanish double major with a religion minor, will be
Collegian photo courtesy of University Relations
RESEARCHER: Butler University Assistant Professor of Religion Chad Bauman is a leading researcher on Indian religious affairs. assisting Bauman with his research. “I learned a lot about the relationship between religious beliefs and political and economic motivations for people all over the world,” Tyring said. She has already been looking for incidents of violence in India specifically against Christians. As she researches these instances on the Internet, she documents them in an Excel file to create a database. Bauman’s colleague and Religion Professor Paul Valliere said this opportunity is incredible for Bauman. “This grant establishes Bauman’s reputation as one of the leading American researchers on contemporary Indian religious affairs—a topic of incalculable importance in the world today,” he said. Valliere said that Bauman’s topic is a “hot one.” He said the circulation of different religious movements around the world is creating challenges not just for India, but also for many countries, including the United States, in dealing with “religious pluralism.” “I hope this grant brings the attention of more Butler students to the religion program at Butler,” Valliere said. Bauman said that while most of his research for his book will be done in Indianapolis, he will also need to travel to many research libraries around the nation and conduct ethnographic research in India. Bauman is eligible to apply for a sabbatical during the 2011-12 academic year, and the grant will allow him to request a full-year sabbatical. He said he intends to have the book manuscript finished by the end of his sabbatical but he said, “these things are somewhat unpredictable.”
The Butler Collegian
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Wednesday, April 14, 2010
NEWS
NEWS
BUPD Beat April 7 11:16 a.m. – 44th STREET An officer had an illegally parked vehicle towed. 2:37 p.m. – OFF CAMPUS LOCATION An officer took a report of a credit card fraud. 11:18 p.m. – RESCO An officer took a report of a sick person. April 8 8:05 a.m. — BUTLERTARKINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD An officer took a report of a theft of property from a motor vehicle. 10:08 a.m. — JORDAN HALL An officer took a report of a sick person. 1:17 p.m. – SUNSET AVENUE An officer took a report of a theft of private property. April 10 12:06 p.m.—BUTLERTARKINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD An officer took a report of a traffic accident. 6:14 a.m. — ROSS HALL An officer took a report of a sick person. April 11 6:37 p.m. — APARTMENT VILLAGE An officer took a report of a theft of private property. 10:30 a.m. — OFF CAMPUS An officer arrested an individual wanted on a warrant issued out of Hancock County.
Two seniors named top students Jill McCarter jmccarte@butler.edu Seniors Christina Lear and Ryan Waggoner were selected as Butler University’s 2010 Top Female and Top Male students at the annual Top 100 student banquet Friday. Waggoner, a communication studies major from Franklin, Ind., said he was surprised about the award. “I didn’t think it would happen at all,” he said. “My first reaction was shock and then I got really nervous to talk in front of all of those people. “I just got up there and I thanked Jesus and table 27, where my mom was. I’m just a small-town boy from Franklin, I don’t know what I’m doing up there.” Lear, an English and Spanish doublemajor from the Chicago suburbs, said her reaction was that of nervousness. “I was shaking,” Lear said. “I remember I just stepped forward and just said ‘hi’ to everyone.” During Waggoner’s time at Butler, he has been president of Student Government Association and has worked as part of Court Appointed Special Advocates. He has also been a member of the Butler University Student Foundation, Delta Tau Delta and College Mentors for Kids. “I’ve loved my time here, so I’ve tried to invest in the university as much as I’ve been able to,” Waggoner said. “I’ve made sure to take advantage of opportunities for service and campus leadership.” Lear, on the other hand, has been part of the band, College Mentors for Kids, Butler’s Panhellenic Association and Pi Beta Phi. She has also been editor of Manuscripts and the yearbook and has worked with Indianapolis Public Schools. In addition, she currently works for NUVO Newsweekly.
Collegian photo courtesy of Jennie Jones
ELITES: Seniors Christina Lear and Ryan Waggoner posed with University President Bobby Fong after being named Butler’s top female and male Friday. “If it were up to me, I would have five majors and there’d be 15 days in a week,” Lear said. The two winners each had things to say about each other. “Christina is a liberal whack job,” Waggoner said. “I bet he’ll say that I’m a liberal whack job,” Lear said. “It’s what we do. I think it’s funny how we are so different politically, yet we really admire each other.” But joking aside, Lear and Waggoner complimented each other on their dedication to the university. Lear said Waggoner is really “in tune with the pulse of the university.” “Christina really embodies all the great things about Butler,” Waggoner also said. Looking back on his time here at Butler, Waggoner said that he is not where he thought he would be four years ago. “I’ve had a tremendous experience here that has surpassed all of what I thought it
would be,” Waggoner said. Lear said her time at Butler has made her grow as a leader. “I am way more involved here at Butler than I ever thought I would be, and I’m really glad that I am,” Lear said. For students looking to be in the Top 100 in the future, Waggoner said it all boils down to passion. “Pursue what motivates you. For me, it’s been service,” Waggoner said. “I want to make a positive difference.” Lear advised future outstanding hopefuls to not take it all for granted. “Don’t count on sleeping much,” Lear said. “College is short; you can sleep later. College is the time to be selfless and to be a mentor.” One obstacle that Waggoner has had to deal with while at Butler has been the idea of “the Butler Bubble.” “It’s easy to get sucked in. You have to maintain perspective,” Waggoner said.
“It’s easy to forget that there’s a world past 46th Street.” Lear said that her biggest obstacle has been time. Waggoner said he’s counted on his faith for motivation, along with his parents, his community from home, and his fiancée, Amber, a Franklin College student. “She really demonstrates some qualities that I want to possess,” Waggoner said. Lear said she’s found many sources of inspiration to keep her going. “I’ve drawn different strengths through different people,” Lear said. “Nobody’s perfect, but everyone has strengths.” Lear said she’s found motivation through many professors at Butler, specifically through the Gender Studies program faculty. At Butler, Waggoner said Programs for Service and Leadership Education Office Manager Mary Ann Huser has played a major role in inspiring him to continue to work hard and be dedicated. “She’s really been like a mother-slashmentor these past four years,” Waggoner said. “Any success I’ve had here, I can contribute it to her.” Lear said the key to her success came from words from a high school teacher. “She said ‘make things better everywhere you go,’ and that’s just kind of stuck with me,” Lear said. “Don’t just show up. Don’t just be a part of things. Make a difference.” As for his plans for the future, Waggoner said he is getting married this summer and moving to Malibu, Calif., where he plans on attending Pepperdine Law School. Lear is currently waiting to hear back from Teach For America. She said if she decides not to teach, she will work for a non-profit either in the environment or social justice field.
campusbriefs Administration to replace Butler University sign destroyed in car accident Jennifer Pignolet jpignole@butler.edu Visitors who enter campus via Clarendon Road will once again be greeted by an intact sign. Vice President of Operations
Mike Gardner said the plan is to replace the Butler University limestone sign that once sat on the front of the grassy mall. “We are hopeful to have it replaced by commencement,” Gardner said. The sign was destroyed in
January by an allegedly drunk driver. A plan to replace only the “ITY” of “University” was scrapped when the piece could not be recovered after the accident. Butler President Bobby Fong
put out a plea to the community to return the piece, but it was never found. “We found out that the price to replace the whole sign was the same as the cost to replace just the piece we are missing,” Gardner said. “So we will
replace the whole thing.” Gardner said the cost to replace the sign is approximately $5,000, which will come from an account for uninsured losses. The original sign was a gift from the class of 1929.
Your first stop for what’s going on at and around Butler
- Butl er Theatre presents “Woyzeck” Lilly Hall 168 8 p.m.
- Coffee House presents “Red Umbrel l a” Starbucks 8 p.m. - Butl er Theatre presents “Woyzeck” Jordan Hall 168 8 p.m.
- Paws for a Cause Dog S how HRC Lawn 5:30 p.m. - S pri ng S ports S pectacul ar HRC and Hinkle Fieldhouse 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- “The Magic Flute” Presented by Butler Lyric Theatre Basile Opera Center 7:30 p.m. - “Swan Lake” Presented by Butler Ballet Clowes Memorial Hall 8 p.m.
Large One Topping Pizza-$7.99! 6311 North Keystone Avenue 251-PAPA (7272)
- Butl er Theater presents “Woyzeck” Jordan Hall 168 2 p.m. - “S wan Lake” Presented by Butl er Bal l et Clowes Memorial Hall 2 p.m.
No ev ent s schedul ed
- Butl er Uni versi ty Facul ty Composers’ Concert Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall 7:30 p.m. - “A Chorus Li ne” Clowes Memorial Hall 7:30 p.m.
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NEWS
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
The Butler Collegian
NEWS
A Perverse Coincidence The shock of Polish President Lech Kaczynski’s death is only amplified by the dark circumstances. Page 6
OPINION
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
The Right Message? Students and faculty respond to last week’s Collegian and its front page photojournalism. Page 6
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THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN
THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN The Butler watchdog and voice for BU students 4600 Sunset Ave. Indianapolis, IN 46208 Office Information: Fairbanks Rm 210 News Line: (317) 940-8813 Advertising Line: (317) 940-9358 collegian@butler.edu
Spring 2010 Editorial Staff Paige Chapman Editor in Chief Kelly Patrick Print Managing Editor Allison Brown Online Managing Editor Jennifer Pignolet Co-News Editor Hayleigh Colombo Co-News Editor Olivia Ingle Asst. News Editor Grace Wallace Asst. News Editor Caleb Hamman Opinion Editor Tom Fryska Asst. Opinion Editor Mary Beth Sekela Asst. Opinion Editor Caitlin O’Rourke A&E Editor Kellye Donnelly Asst. A&E Editor Josie Villanueva Asst. A&E Editor Steven Peek Co-Sports Editor Emily Newell Co-Sports Editor Sarah Black Asst. Sports Editor Drew Schmidtke Head Copy Editor Rachel Senn Photography Editor Ryan Murach Asst. Photography Editor Maria Porter Asst. Photography Editor Heather Hanford Graphics Editor Amy Rensink Design Editor Lauren Fisher Advertising Manager Steven Peek Circulation Manager Dr. Charles St. Cyr Adviser The Butler Collegian is published weekly on Wednesdays with a controlled circulation of 2,600. The Collegian office is located in the Fairbanks Building, Room 210. The Collegian is printed at The Greenfield Reporter in Greenfield, Ind. The Collegian maintains a subscription to MCT Services Campus wire service. The Collegian editorial staff determines the editorial policies; the opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of The Collegian, but of the writers clearly labeled. The Collegian accepts advertising from a variety of campus organizations and local businesses and agencies. All advertising decisions are based on the discretion of the ad manager and editor in chief. For a copy of The Collegian advertising rates, publication schedule and policies, please call (317) 940-9358 or send an e-mail to the advertising staff at advertising@butler.edu. Direct postal inquiries to: The Butler Collegian-Advertising. For subscriptions to The Collegian, please send a check to the main address above. Subscriptions are $45 per academic year.
Corrections Policy The Collegian staff makes an effort to be as accurate as possible. Corrections may be submitted to The Collegian and will be printed at the next publication date.
Letters to the Editor Policy The Collegian accepts letters to the editor no later than noon on the Sunday before publication. Letters to the editor must be emailed to collegian@butler.edu and verified by a signature. A signed version of the letter may be dropped off at The Collegian office. The Collegian reserves the right to edit letters for spelling, style, clarity and length. Letters must be kept to a length of 450 words. Contact The Collegian for questions. Exceptions to these policies may be made at the editorial board’s discretion.
Collegian illustration by Heather Hanford
Class cuts should proceed with caution OUR POINT THIS WEEK:
A new proposal to cut classes deemed too small makes sense but may have adverse effects.
A new policy will be in effect at Butler University beginning in the Fall 2010 semester. Essentially, 300 and 400-level classes will be required to have a certain number of students enrolled by set April and May deadlines, or else they will be canceled. There are some notable exceptions, but this will be the general rule. While we at The Butler Collegian understand the rationale behind this policy, we are concerned about some of its negative effects if it is not used wisely. The policy states that after April 21 upper level classes with fewer than five students will be canceled by the registrar. As of May 3, 300 and 400level classes must have reached an enrollment of eight, or they will be canceled in a second purging round. Requests for exemptions can only be submitted by deans and associate deans. These requests will be received by the provost and vice president for academic affairs, who will then present them to a “Provost advisory council for review and approval on the first Tuesday in
May.” Courses at the 100 and 200-level will not be impacted. In addition, five categories of classes will be exempt from the policy: independent study, direct research, internships, applied music and all language courses. From such detailed exemption procedures, it’s clear some thought has gone into this policy. It has understandable merits. Cutting small classes will free up university resources. If students wait to take classes in larger groups, administrators and professors can then save time. However, there is still plenty that should concern us. Perhaps the most obvious problem with the policy is the effect it might have on small departments. Departments like physics, philosophy and gender studies simply do not have many students. Their classes are also typically small, especially at the higher level. Students in these departments might find that their required classes are being cut. Maybe there will be larger classes two years
down the road, but how does that work for current juniors and seniors? A second problem is that this policy runs the risk of becoming an attack on specialization and focus. Yes, higher level courses tend to be small. But, this is to be expected. For example, classes like Introduction to Quantum Mechanics or Hegelian Thought should be small because few students are qualified to take them. The new course policy might jeopardize specialization, putting Butler students at a disadvantage relative to students at other similar schools. Finally, the new policy is deserving of concern because it opposes in principle the values of small classes, individual attention and personal relationships between students and faculty. These things are claimed to be part of “The Butler Way.” Maybe the new policy can be made to coexist with these values, but this will require stringent diligence on the part of concerned administrators. The staff’s view: 29 agreed, 2 disagreed, 0 neutral
Unpaid internships exploit young adults, forecast implosion Caleb Hamman chamman@butler.edu Unpaid interns of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains. Anyone who thinks this statement is extreme should read a recent story in The New York Times by Steven Greenhouse. The story in question ran April 2. Titled “The Unpaid Intern, Legal or Not,” it broke the news (except not really) on the systematic exploitation of young adults for the benefit of corporations and the U.S. government. In polite conversation, this neo-serfdom is known as the “unpaid internship.” Am I just being rhetorical? In the article, Greenhouse informs us that “the number of unpaid internships has climbed in recent years, leading federal and state regulators to worry that more employers are illegally using such internships for free labor.” It is even estimated that between onefourth and one-half of all student internships are unpaid. This sounds pretty bad. But if so, why don’t these hundreds of thousands of unpaid workers do something about it? Greenhouse said: “Many regulators say that violations are widespread, but that it is unusually hard to mount a major enforcement effort because interns are often afraid to file complaints. Many fear they will become known as troublemakers in their chosen field, endangering their chances with a future employer.” So not only are these workers unpaid, but they are also being coerced into submission. Could there be anything else?
“Many students said they had held internI’m sure he would have much more to say ships that involved noneducational menial about unpaid internships if he were still with work,” the article states. us today. Keeping with the opening theme, we Since he is not, I would like to give a should call this alienated labor. Surely, it voice to some veterans and enemies of the stops here. unpaid internship. They have posted nearly Greenhouse goes on to say: “Many less 300 comments on The New York Times’ affluent students say they cannot afford to Web site. As someone just returning from a spend their summers at unpaid internships, semester interning in Washington, I testify and in any case, they often do not have an these comments are insightful as well as uncle or family golf buddy who can connect moving. them to a prestigious I think the first thing internship.” “Young adults are being that should be said is put People stand in a line to well by “J” from New get exploited! And, it forced to work for long York. would seem poor people “This is only [The] are in the back. Could this periods of time without New York Times newsbe monopolization of the worthy because rich stumeans of production? pay. They are made to dents at top universities Maybe there are some and professional schools chains after all. are being exploited… This do robotic tasks in an If so, The New York is the American way of Times has only discovered doing business, and this environment of fear them in the sense that article simply details how Columbus discovered privileged students… and powerlessness.” America. The “unpaid come to know about the internship” is something labor practices of our diswith which too many young people are graceful American corporate culture.” already familiar. This is important to keep in mind. While Allow me to put the pieces together. not all unpaid interns are “rich students,” In order to find certain kinds employment, they are certainly more privileged than many young adults are being forced to work for who are exploited in much worse fashion. long periods of time without pay. They are Let’s turn to Gina in Los Angeles. made to do robotic tasks, and, to do so in an “Clearly there is much room for exploitaenvironment of fear and powerlessness. tion, and the fact that kids from wealthier Moreover, there is actually a fierce competi- families can afford internships is a huge tion to get one of these positions because problem which perpetuates class structures they offer the slight promise of being paid to and limits upward mobility and adds to… the do some fulfilling work in the distant future. myth that all that is required is hard work to However, many poor people can’t afford to move up in the world.” compete. Instead, they must work jobs that I think Gina nailed this one. To contextuare likely to “mortify the body and ruin the alize her comment, let me add that according mind,” as Marx puts it. to the Gini Coefficient—the measure of
wealth inequality used by the United Nations Human Development Report—the United States is the most economically unequal of advanced industrialized countries. Its levels of social mobility are also among the worst of its peers, according to the Economic Mobility Project, the American Human Development Report and nearly everyone else. Pez17 from New Jersey has noticed. “It doesn’t take a brain doctor to realize that this country is vice gripping my generation into utter poverty with little ability for upward social mobility. The price of college has skyrocketed which makes student loans a must for 90 percent of the population. Now we are expected to work for free once we are done raking up this intense debt.” Michael from “North USA” expresses his frustration. “Welcome to 21st Century America. Unless you are born rich, don’t show up. The whole system today is rigged, so as to stamp out the hopes of millions for a better life. They tell you to get the best education you can, but this costs tons of money. Once you get your education, you can’t get a job because, without experience, you are still considered ‘unskilled’… It’s almost impossible to break the vicious cycle. No wonder people are now being reduced to modern-day slaves. I can’t wait for this system to implode.” Implosion may be what it takes. As “unemployed recent grad” observes from the capital, “the government is doing nothing about this; they are some of the biggest perpetrators.” Is there anything we can do? I think “markuse” from “NYC” has the right idea. “People in our generation need to wake up and stop buying into this broken system” he writes.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
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The Butler Collegian
OPINION
OPINION
Polish tragedy evokes grief, questions Tom Fryska tfryska@butler.edu To wake up on a beautiful Saturday morning and discover a large portion of your home country’s political and military elite has just died is a truly surreal experience. My first thought was simply that this couldn’t be right: It just couldn’t. I was half awake; I had just opened Google Chrome and my home page of CNN pulled up with the developing story of “Lech Kaczynski, Polish President, killed in plane accident.” Finding out news like that is one of those moments that stuns you and leaves you in a semicomatose state of shock. Your first instinct is to simply deny that it’s true, to try to convince yourself that some terrible mistake has been made; that really, everything is actually all right. At least, that’s how it was for me. I’m the child of two Polish immigrants. Though I was born here in the United States, my heritage, family and history quickly trace back to my native country. An event like this is one that strikes deep at my heart, as well as the hearts of all Poles. It’s difficult to underscore the dark, tragic irony of this heartbreaking catastrophe. The 97 people on the plane were some of the best and brightest in the entirety of Poland, a nation of only 38 million people. The president, the deputy foreign minister, the head national security officer, the president of the national bank, the chiefs of both the army and navy, several noteworthy members of Parliament as well as numerous other influential political and military officials were all on the plane that exploded. Moreover, the fact that the plane was en route to a commemorative service for the Katyn massacre only amplifies the terribleness of the situation. Katyn has a special place in Polish history. After the Soviets invaded Poland at the start of World War II, they rounded up many of the influential members
of the country: lawyers, elite military officers and other influential Polish citizens. They all were taken by the Soviets to Katyn forest. Then, in April 1940 under the direct orders of Stalin himself, 20,000 Polish citizens—including many of the officers in the country’s armed forces—were systematically and brutally slaughtered. In that time, the event effectively functioned as a deliberate decapitation of Poland’s military leadership. In the years that followed, the Soviets denied what happened at Katyn. During the years of the Communist occupation of Poland, Poles were forbidden to speak of the event or commemorate the murdered victims. The victims’ deaths, as well as the very memories of their existence, were suppressed by the Soviets. Russia finally admitted responsibility for the massacre only 20 years ago. We now have an eerily similar situation. Several generations since the tragedy of 1940, the top brass of Poland’s military, along with other influential elites, have once again perished at Katyn—another virtual decapitation of the nation’s military leadership and the death of the nation’s acting head of state. I’m one of those who wants to believe this was an accident, something heartbreaking and tragic, but still simply an accident. But that suspicious, cynical part of me can’t help but wonder if this wasn’t somehow engineered. What happened probably wasn’t the result of any kind of conspiracy and, once the investigation is finished, the majority of people will both acknowledge and come to terms with this. But because the circumstances are so bizarre, so perversely ironic, the situation naturally gives rise to that kind of suspicious sentiment among Poles like myself. Putin’s influence in undermining Ukraine’s elections, the Russian invasion of Georgia, the return of sentiments like “Stalin was the best Russian Leader” among the general Russian populace and Russia’s general slide away from democracy has cumulated in ominous warning signs for Polish citizens about their larger neighbor. Poland and Russia are two countries that have shared a strained and rocky history. The fledgling Polish democracy still harbors an innate distrust for
Collegian photo from MCT
TOO GREAT A LOSS: Polish President Lech Kaczynski was among the many Polish political and military figures who perished in the plane crash that occurred Saturday. its larger neighbor, and the recent events have only deteriorated the situation and strengthened the distrust. Now, this calamity has occurred. The fact that it happened in Russia, the country that Poland arguably has the most contentious and darkest history with, makes the situation abnormal. The fact it happened right near Katyn, while en route to a ceremony honoring the massacre’s 70th anniversary, produced an effect that, to some extent, replicated the 1940 tragedy. Ultimately, this makes the situation appear far too coincidental. The fact a plane full of 200 journalists managed to land at the same airport without incident less than an hour beforehand makes the situation sus-
picious. The fact so many important people of this generation’s leadership were lost makes the whole thing unbelievably heartrending. I was never a fan of Kaczynski or his conservative Law and Justice Party. Despite what he stood for politically, he was the head of state and he had my respect. It’s hard not to honor him now in light of all that has happened. All of Poland has now once again come together in solidarity during this difficult time. Poland will recover from this tragedy. A nation with as strong of a spirit as Poland always recovers. For now though, we first grieve. That way, we may come to terms with the realization that Katyn has once again become another dark chapter in Poland’s history.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR IU fan supports Bulldogs There has been some controversy in Bloomington whether Indiana (IU) basketball fans should have rooted for Butler in its valiant run up to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship game. It occurs to me that how one decides is determined by the kind of fan one is. There are fans who are blindly loyal to their team (like Kentucky fans), no matter how victory is achieved or how dubious the behavior of the players and coaches. There are, on the other hand, fans who value a tradition of honest fair play, of hard work and teamwork. This kind of IU fan did not enjoy the eight years under Mike Davis and Kelvin Sampson, no matter what the win-loss record was. And, it is this kind of fan who has continued to support the IU basketball program through a 16-46 record the past two years. But this year’s Butler team exemplifies everything that IU once stood for and that IU will once again stand for: selflessness, hard work and character, and even more than talent and ability. To root for Butler is by no means to root against IU; it was to root for what IU basketball used to stand for, and what, one hopes, IU basketball will soon stand for again. But I had a personal reason for rooting for Butler. A little more than 10 years ago, on April 1, 2000, the most distinguished Butler alum I know, and a good friend, passed away. Lloyd Olcott exemplified a lot of what I admire in Midwestern values: a quiet
excellence in everything he did, a generosity of spirit (even if he was a Republican) an unprepossessing and amiable graciousness. In Bloomington, Lloyd was the unofficial mayor of the city, a genial and supportive tennis partner, a pillar of the business establishment and a staunch (and often anonymous) contributor to the social support services that enhanced life in this community. So, on this, the 10th anniversary of Lloyd’s death, I rooted for Butler, as Lloyd would have rooted for Butler— because Butler, and not just this year, and not just in basketball, exemplifies what Lloyd exemplified: unpretentious excellence. You missed being the champion by the width of a shoelace, but you are champions nevertheless. Lloyd would have been proud. Eugene Eoyang Indiana University Ph.D, 1971 Butler earns a Dukie’s respect I hope the Butler players are proud of themselves. They more than deserve it. I was an athlete myself in high school. As a junior, I watched the state championship slip through the fingers of our basketball team, and as a senior, I fell milliseconds short of being the first to represent my school at the state track meet. No, neither of those is the same as an NCAA title. But on a smaller scale, I’ve been there. It’s heartbreaking. Regardless of the outcome, Butler
gave it all they had. That says more about them than any scoreboard ever could. So I hope that they’re proud of what they accomplished. They certainly earned my respect. Next year, this Cameron Crazy will be cheering for the Bulldogs against every team except one. Hope to see you all at the Final Four next year. We couldn’t ask for a more worthy opponent. R achel Willcutts Durham , N.C. Photo suggested negativity I am extremely disappointed in the front page coverage of our basketball team in The Collegian. You could have had a positive headline and a positive picture, but instead you choose this? I am furious. Our basketball team represented the entire Butler community on the national level and it received very favorable and positive national press. Here, in our own school, you chose to look at things differently—negatively. Shame on you! This basketball team played their hearts out and did it in a good way, the BUTLER WAY, and your paper should have reflected that on the FRONT PAGE. Let’s look at the positives: Butler playing in the final game of the championship, Butler playing in their own hometown, Butler winning over the nation and showing them just what Butler can do academically as well as athletically! All of these things should have been shouted from the rooftops. I believe you owe the entire team an apology.
Casey Natalino junior
Sean Grady freshman
I feel that the cover of today’s newspaper accentuates the negative. Hayward and the rest of the team had a great season and to emphasize Monday’s loss in such a strong way is not doing justice to the effort our team has given to represent our university. After seeing the cover I did not even want to read the rest of the newspaper because I felt it was so narrow-minded. We are not “One Shot Short,” we are a hundred shots closer to greatness. S uzanne Finn Freshm an Front page deemed offensive I am appalled at your lack of sensitivity toward our basketball team. The front page picture of Gordon Hayward was COMPLETELY inappropriate and it brought me to tears. Not only have you not considered Hayward’s feelings, but you also disregarded the spirits of the entire campus. We remember the national cham-
pionship game with a positive attitude, and it was a wonderful occurrence that our team made it that far in the tournament. Our team played with all of their hearts, and we cannot ask for anything more from them. I expected a more positive approach from our own school’s newspaper. I urge you to consider the attitude that your articles and pictures portray to the rest of the student body. I have never been more proud to be a Butler Bulldog because of this team, and you should be thanking them for all of their hard work this season. Lisa Delm edico Freshm an Hayward shouldn’t be blamed for the basketball team’s loss I received The Collegian today and was saddened by the picture on the cover. It portrays the idea that Gordon Hayward basically lost the game for the Bulldogs. I’m sure that he feels the guilt of this game and will for a long time. The winning of this game did not rest on his shoulders alone, although that is all we are hearing from the media is that missed shot to win the title! He is a remarkable player and, without him, they would have never gotten as far as they did. I just think it’s a shame that this seems to have fallen on his shoulders and did not appreciate this front page from his college! Cindy S m ith Butler A dm inistrative S pecialist
With summer quickly approaching, what is going to be your vacation getaway spot this year?
By Ryan Murach
“I am going to Kenya to do mission work with my church.”
Pam Hopkins Butler staff Collegian dishonors legacy
Paw Prints “I just turned 21, so I am going to be at the bars in Chicago.”
Since you were unable to say so, we, the Butler community, will say it for you: Thank you Butler men’s basketball and head coach Stevens for one magical, historical and winning season!! You have shown the world how great our Butler community can be! We love you!
“Cancun with all my best friends!”
Lauren Ott junior
“I am taking summer classes.”
Jake Allen freshman
“I am going to the Summer Camp Festival with all my friends.”
Hillary Sepanik freshman
A Classic for the Ages Butler Ballet performs “Swan Lake” this weekend at Clowes Memorial Hall. Page 8
A&E
Playlist of the Week Chill out, we have produced a perfect study mix to both chill you out and keep you awake. Page 8
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Page 7
THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN
Summer music festivals kick up volume Caitlin O’Rourke corourke@butler.edu
While most Butler University students may be too worried about tests and papers to even dream of summer, it is indeed rapidly approaching. The best part? It means that all of the great music festivals that go along with summer are also approaching. With this week’s long-awaited announcement of a few final lineups and a few new festivals are being announced, the Arts & Entertainment section has compiled a list of the ones we think are completely unmissable. Lollapalooza Details: Aug. 6-8, Chicago. Acts to S ee: Lady Gaga, Green Day, The Strokes, MGMT, Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, Soundgarden Tickets: $215 for a 3-Day Pass Other Fun Acti vi ti es : Chow Town (dining area), art exhibits, Autograph Booth, Lederhosen’s Biergarten, Art Market Why Attend? You’ll probably find the least amount of music snobs here. With great music, great city and a legacy of great performances, Lollapalooza is a three-day festival that has hosted everyone from Lou Reed to Snoop Dogg. It may be difficult trying to find a place to stay, but it’s worth it. Who knows? Maybe Billie Joe Armstrong will let Gaga duet with him on “American Idiot.” Bonnaroo Details: June 10-13, Manchester, Tenn. Acts to S ee: Dave Matthews Band, Kings of Leon, The Flaming Lips, Phoenix, Regina Spektor, The Avett Brothers, She & Him, Kid Cudi, Jay-Z Tickets: $234.50 Other Fun Activities: Comedy Club (featuring Conan O’Brien), Bonnaroo Cinema, yoga classes, Garnier Fructis Salon, marketplace, Broo’ers Festival (biergarten) Why Attend? So you can participate in our generation’s Woodstock. Be warned: Bonnaroo is not for the faint of heart. A three-day festival spent camping under the almost unbearable Tennessee sun is intense. With the extremely friendly environment and numerous activities (besides the glorious music) to try out, Bonnaroo is an unforgettable experience. Pitchfork Music Festival
Details: July 16-18. Chicago. Acts to S ee: Modest Mouse, Broken Social Scene, Wolf Parade, Pavement, St. Vincent, Beach House, LCD Soundsystem Tickets: $40/day Other Fun Activities: None yet listed Why attend? To improve your hipster cred. Also held in the Windy City, Pitchfork’s festival sprung out of Pitchfork Media, which is an Internet publication dedicated to music criticism. Pitchfork prides itself on showing independent bands and not being just another “blockbuster” festival. If that means $40 a day and seeing Modest
Mouse and St. Vincent, then we’re totally in. Loufest Details: Aug. 28-29, St. Louis. Acts to S ee: Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons, Jeff Tweedy, She & Him, Built to Spill, Broken Social Scene, Gentleman Auction House Tickets: $38 for one day, $64 for two days Other Fun Acti v i ti es : Kid’s Village, Eco Zone Why Attend? See if the dirty STL can live up to its pretentious neighbor Chicago with festivals. Although mainly known for their hip-hop scene, St. Louis instead is putting on a more relaxed festival empha-
sizing sustainability. For their first year, we think they managed to get some pretty legitimate artists, including some of their local artists like Gentleman Auction House. Held in their own version of Central Park, we think it definitely has potential. S asquatch! Details: May 29-31, Quincy, Wash. Acts to S ee: Vampire Weekend, The National, Nada Surf, Tegan & Sara, Public Enemy, Pavement, MGMT, She & Him, Passion Pit, The Mountain Goats Tickets: $70/day Other Fun Activities: None, really. Why Attend? Experience the nature
Collegian photos courtesy of flickr/jcbehn and MCT
LIFE-MAKING EXPERIENCE: Fans make the most of their experiences at fests (clockwise from top) Pitchfork, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza.
and the music. Embrace your bad hippie self. With an impressive lineup featuring artists not at any other festival (The Mountain Goats!) and a gorgeous outside amphitheater with a great view ranked one of the best, we don’t even mind that camping is required, like at Bonnaroo. In fact, we welcome it. Have you seen The Gorge? Lilith Fair Details: Traveling tour. However, it will be in Chicago July 17 and in Indianapolis July 20. Acts to S ee: Cat Power, Corinne Bailey Rae, Indigo Girls, Erykah Badu, Emmylou Harris, Tegan & Sara, Ingrid Michaelson, Kate Nash, Zee Avi Tickets: $47-$258 in Chicago, $46$257 in Indianapolis. Other Fun Activities: None. Why Attend? Gotta work that tough female power. Ditch your boyfriend, your boy best friend, whatever and rock out for a night to the most impressive women in music. After a 10-year hiatus, we couldn’t be happier to see its return. Also, with a lineup featuring everyone from Colbie Caillat to Martina McBride to Cat Power to Mary J. Blige, there is for sure something for everyone. S ummerfest Detai l s : June 24-July 2. Milwaukee, Wis. Acts to S ee: Public Enemy, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Eric Clapton, O.A.R., The Roots, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Modest Mouse Tickets: Weekday: $8, Weekend: $15, 3-Day Pass: $33 Other Fun Activities: Fireworks, Hole-in-One contest, Happy Hour, Skyglider rides, children’s activities Why Attend? It’s epic, and you can bring your dad. Known as the world’s largest music festival (confirmed by the Guinness World Records) and it always occurs around July 4, Summerfest includes bands your mom will love (Eric Clapton), your little sister will love (Justin Bieber) and hopefully something you will love as well. What a great family bonding experience to be had. So although some of our favorites got canceled this year (Rothbury, we’re looking at you!) there are still plenty of options that will occupy your summer days and empty your already dwindling bank account. It’s all about the music. That’s all that really matters.
‘The Runaways’ promises girl power in rock but fails to deliver Josie Villanueva jvillanu@butler.edu “The Runaways” is a glimpse into sex, drugs and rock’n’roll filled world of a few jailbait girls, but not much more. Director Floria Sigismondi’s “The Runaways” is based on the real all-girl rock band by the same name that emerged in the world of music in the mid ’70s. Featuring Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) and Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning), the film follows the creation of the band in 1975. Much of the movie’s focus is on Currie. As her family falls apart, she is chosen by Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) and Jett to front a new girl phenomenon. The audience witnesses the group’s road to fame under the guide of their manager, Fowley. The
“The Runaways” MOVIE REVIEW River Road Entertainment Directed by: Floria Sigismondi Starring: Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Kristen Stewart Rated PG-13 Rating: 5 = perfect, 4 = outstanding, 3 = good, 2 = fair, 1 = poor
film portrays Fowley as the comical antagonist, the man who both brings the girls together and shortchanges them throughout the film. Thus, we watch the ascent and descent of the band, as it gains fame then crashes under the pressure of substance abuse and inter-band drama. Some of the film’s most outrageous lines were from Fowley. “This is not about women’s lib. It’s about women’s libido,” he tells the underage girls as he encourages them to exploit their sexpot ways. Fanning also was great in her role as the sex kitten Bardot-blonde in the film. The once “Cat in the Hat” star is shockingly grown up as she struts around in lingerie and sings into the microphone. At points this is borderline creepy, considering that Fanning is just 15 years old, much like her character Currie was also the same age during the creation of the band. Stewart is a spitting image of Jett, one of rock’s most legendary female stars. Stewart, known for her androgynous attractiveness and calculated brooding, played the role of the tough girl rocker with skill. Fanning and Stewart are also relatively impressive singers, actually performing all of the movie’s songs. In the end, though the women in this film did fantastic jobs portraying their celebrity characters, the film falls short in demonstrating what “The Runaways” represented for women and the rock scene at the time. The only allusions to girl power in the movie are led by Jett. She serves as the catalyst for defying the status quo for women, including forays into female masturbation and mischievous pranks on male headliners.
However, much more of the focus is on the taboo aspects of the music world. Scene after scene, we watch the young women doing drugs and partaking in sexual escapades. Another point that falls short in the film is the romantic relationship between Jett and Currie. This was a vital part of the real “Runaways” story, but is not given enough attention in the movie. The audience consequently has been given yet another look at the images of young girls thrown into the debaucherous world of celebrity, one filled with no rules but with lots of drugs and exploitative sexuality. Besides the personification of rock stars, the most winning quality of “The Runaways” is its aesthetics. The wardrobe is flamboyant and flawless. From
Currie’s platform heels, skintight red spandex pants and sequined backless tops to Jett’s rebel leather jackets – not one detail was missed in transforming the film’s characters into appropriate glam rocker chic. The film is also shot in documentary style, which gives the illusion the audience is watching footage from the ’70s. The grainy imagery, especially during the trippy, drugged-out scenes, is dizzying and blurred. Sigismondi’s background in making music videos is obvious when you watch the film; some of the time it feels like a glorified music video. “The Runaways” is a biopic film that, while impressive in mimicking a real band, falls short of drawing attention to the world’s first all female rock band.
Collegian photo courtesy of flickr/twilight foxdie
HARDCORE GIRLS: Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning shine as legendary girl rockers Joan Jett and Cherie Currie in “The Runaways,” even performing their own music for the movie.
The Butler Collegian
Page 8
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
A&E
A&E
P
laylist
The Best of
of the Week Nose in the Books
NDY
These local spots in Indy have A&E’s stamp of approval—a new place featured each week!
01.
“O Valencia!” - The Decemberists
02.
“Lloyd, I’m Ready to Be Heartbroken” - Camera Obscura
03.
“My Girls” - Animal Collective
04.
“Skinny Love” - Bon Iver
05.
“Opposite Day” - Andrew Bird
06.
“Mr. Jones” - Counting Crows
07.
“All is Love” - Karen O & the Kids
08.
“No Cars Go” - Arcade Fire
09.
“Portions for Foxes” - Rilo Kiley
10.
“Time to Pretend” - MGMT
11.
“Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?” - She & Him
12.
“Ghost of Corporate Future” - Regina Spektor
13.
“Young Folks’” - Peter Bjorn & John
The Bu tler
Arts
Details: “Swan Lake”: Clowes Memorial Hall April 16-18, $17 “The Magic Flute”: Basile Opera House 4011 N. Pennsylvania St. April 16-18, $5 Distance from Butler: Two-minute walk to Clowes, five-minute drive to Basile Specials: Your fellow classmates, becoming stars
Have an idea for our next Playlist of the Week? Send submissions to corourke@butler.edu.
Why We Love This Place: Yes, we know Spring Sports Spectacular is this weekend. But we hope you can go see at least one of the two performances showcasing your classmates’ talent and dedication to what they do. We’ve shown love for our sports in the past weeks, so now it’s time to recognize that our arts program is pretty unbeatable as well. So go ahead, see your first opera or see the ballet and remember when you were five and all you wanted was to wear a tutu. Want us to feature your favorite Indy spot? Send submissions to corourke@butler.edu.
Butler Ballet prepares for ‘Swan Lake’ Caitlin O’Rourke corourke@butler.edu
It’s game time– but this time it’s for the ballerinas. Butler University’s Ballet will be performing “Swan Lake” from April 16 until 18 at Clowes Memorial Hall, completing its 2009-2010 season. The Butler Symphony Orchestra will be performing the score. “Swan Lake” is one of the most well-known ballets. It tells the tale of Prince Siegfried, who cannot inherit the throne until he marries. Frustrated by this news, he goes hunting and finds a group of swans who, by moonlight, turn into a princess and her maidens. The princess’s name is Odette, and she has a curse put on her and her maidens by the evil von Rothbart. The prince instantly falls in love with her, and they hatch a plan to overthrow Rothbart. However, Rothbart discovers the plan and tricks the lovers. The ending is one both tragic, yet joyful. “‘Swan Lake’ is one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, of all classical ballets,” Susan McGuire, associate professor of dance and one of the ballet’s choreographers, said. The choreography of the ballet has been split for the four acts among many of the dance faculty. Act I has been choreographed by Assistant Professor of Dance Derek Reid and Professor of Dance Cynthia Pratt, Act II by Assistant Professor of Dance Tong Wang, Act III by Reid and Professor of Dance Stephan Laurent, and Act
IV by McGuire. Wang and McGuire both said the choreography wasn’t that hard to create because, as Wang said, there is “no need” to mess with something so great. Senior Kristi Kleine, who plays the role of Odile, or Rothbart’s daughter, said the division of
the acts makes the show more interesting to see everyone’s point of view, noting particularly McGuire’s incorporation of modern dance in her act. Of course, the challenges come with having rehearsals during the end of the year. It is a busy time for anyone, but doubly so for the four sen-
Collegian photo courtesy of Brent Smith
A ROW OF SWANS: “Swan Lake” tells the story of how a princess and her maidens were transformed into swans by an evil magician, and how a prince falls in love with her despite this fact.
ior leads who are currently trying to audition for ballet companies out of state. “It’s a lot more intense than we thought,” Kleine said. “Every Sunday has been taken away from us. A seven day week is pretty hard to take.” Despite this, Wang said they have all progressed very well. “Everybody has surprised me with how well they have done, but I continue to challenge them,” he said. The dancers themselves are confident in each other’s abilities. “The black swan [Odile] was built for Kristi,” senior James Kopecky, who plays Prince Siegfried, said. “She’s owning every part of the role.” Senior Holt Walborn, who plays Rothbart, had similar praise. “Leslie [Dodge, who plays Odette] has really developed into her role,” he said. “It’s really beautiful to watch her dance now.” It’s no surprise to hear them talk like this, as Kleine said all the leads are seniors who have been dancing together for years and include some of her best friends. The show is a big one, and McGuire said they realize how special it is. “It’s really quite a privilege to do a grand ballet like this,” she said. “It’s a real sense of privilege to have a dance program that can do one of the classical ballets, when few programs could. Even during all of the basketball press, University President Fong made note of our program. That’s really an indication of our strength.”
Neon Trees new album features catchy ‘80s beats with cliché lyrics Kellye Donnelly kdonnell@butler.edu Neon Trees, a pop-glamour group from Utah, has released their first full-length record, “Habits,” on major label Mercury Records following years of opening for acts like The Killers. Similar in theme to most records on shelves today, Neon Trees tackles new love, past love and the need to be with someone in that exact moment. Though the themes seem tired and tried, Neon Trees somehow gives new life to the songs that seem to have been written before with their young energy and synth pop-rock. Their debut is a total of only eight tracks and 29 minutes long. However, somehow in that short amount of time, they make a name for themselves as a band relatively new on the scene. The opening song, “Sins of my Youth,” gives a well-rounded idea of how the rest of the album is going to shape up: singing a la William Beckett from the Academy Is…, pop-synth a la The Killers and The Bravery and writing like pop one-hit wonders Metro Station.
“Habits” CD REVIEW
Neon Trees Island Def Jam Recordings Rating: 5 = perfect, 4 = outstanding, 3 = good, 2 = fair, 1 = poor
The second track off the album, “Love and Affection,” gets better musically from the very beginning with a fun bass riff. But, the lyrics still tend to be cliché, about a cliché theme, involving annoying lines like “I just don’t understand/why my love isn’t good enough/ I just want you to show me/ love and affection.” This proves the band’s main downfall is its failure to write solid, mature lyrics. Neon Tree’s first single, “Animal,” is one of the best songs on the album, incorporating more ‘80s-style keyboards and beats, proving this is the style of music they are best at creating. “Your Surrender” is clearly the most pop-rock track on the album, following early 2000 bands’ formulas– similar in vein to bands like Sugarcult whose lead singer, coincidentally, produced this album. “1983,” the next-best track, goes back to the ‘80s beats and format making you wish they made an album full of tracks like this and “Animal.” “Girls and Boys in School,” though a metaphorical mess lyrically, continues the well-worked ‘80s style and is an easily danceable summer song. The one sleeper song on the album may be “In the Next Room.” It isn’t even entirely slow when it picks up for the chorus. Though not in the superb ‘80s style that Neon Trees should stick with, this track contains a catchy piano riff proving that they can be versatile if they want. The last track on the album, “Our War,” resembles an unlikely U2 song, only with the typically lazy Neon Trees lyrics. Because of the repeated formula this band tends to use and the lack of anything catchy in the lyric department, Neon Trees develops a debut album that makes you feel a yearning for more tracks that maybe could have proved themselves better. Being a semi-new band on the scene, the fact they sound like pre“Hot Fuss” Killers and The Bravery and a little of a mix of alternative rock bands might be enough to gain recognition and interest.
Collegian photo courtesy of flickr/Thomas Good
SHORT OF THE HYPE: Neon Trees delivers a CD full of fun, summery beats that is eventually ruined by horrible lyrics. However, the lyrics still are the main problem when you actually listen to the songs. Yet, somehow Neon Trees aren’t just a copycat band and create better hooks and melodies than The Bravery has in recent years. Hopefully, Neon Trees will grow out of the bad lyrics stage to prove themselves more capable and prove they deserve to be among Alternative Press’ “100 Bands to Watch in 2010.” But until then, maybe they’ll just be one of those dancey drivingaround-in-the-summer bands you really don’t invest in too much.
Hits and Misses Baseball has seen hits from junior Grant Fillipitch but misses from their pitchers. Page 10
SPORTS
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
A Changed Man? Tiger Woods’ new approach to the game and life doesn’t have Emily Newell completely convinced. Page 11
Page 9
THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN
Softball extends record season Sarah Black and Steven Peek collegian@butler.edu The Butler softball team continued the new school record for wins in a season, reaching 31 Sunday and compiling eight during the past two weeks. The previous school record was 26 wins. “I don’t think a lot of us realize that we’ve broken a record,” sophomore Alyssa Coleman said. “We just keep playing our game, no matter what.” After hitting the road the first week of April for matches at Purdue, Ohio State, Youngstown State and Valparaiso, the team began an eventual 11-game homestand. The Bulldogs are 4-1 in the first five games played thus far, thanks to some clutch moments. Coleman hit a three-run walk-off home run in the first game of a doubleheader against Eastern Illinois (19-17) Thursday. The score was 2-2 when Coleman was called on to pinch-hit in the bottom of the seventh inning. “When I was asked right on the spot [to pinch-hit],
Collegian photo by Rachel Senn
CLUTCH: Sophomore catcher Alyssa Coleman hit a walk-off home run as a pinch hitter Thursday.
I knew I had to get back into a hitter’s mindset very quickly,” Coleman said. “When I stepped into the batter’s box, I knew she was going to throw me strikes, so I just had to be ready.” Coleman said she could hit a home run, but a walkoff was not her primary purpose in the box. “My mindset as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the seventh of a tied game was hit a hard ball,” she said. “I was put in there to hit. “I was focused on making sure I had an at-bat that [my coaches] were looking for me to have.” Coleman’s three-run shot also drove in sophomore Jessica Huey and junior outfielder Erin Jackson. “When it went right out, I was ecstatic, and Erin Jackson was too,” Coleman said. “We were both so happy running around the bases, and it will probably be the closest I will ever be to her on the base path considering our two very different speeds. “I came home and my team was so happy for me, and I was just glad I could come through for them.” Four days and three wins later, the Bulldogs found themselves in the midst of a battle with conference opponent UIC (9-26, 2-4 HL). Although Butler had a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh, the Flames scored a tying run when senior Brooke Frydendall singled through the right half of the infield. Innings eight and nine were scoreless for both teams. In the top of the 10th, UIC failed to score following an out from a sacrifice bunt and two strikeouts from freshman starting pitcher Jenny Esparza. The bottom of the 10th proved to be a success for Butler. Seniors Annie Dolan and Bridget Paine started the inning with two singles, and sophomore Erin Falkenberry advanced them both into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Dolan took advantage of a wild pitch by UIC reliever Devin Miller and slid into home, clinching a 3-2 extra inning victory. “I loved watching them fight for 10 long innings against a team that was fighting as much as they were,” Butler head coach Jeanne Rayman said. “I’m more pleased with the way they played than with the win.” For her efforts and performances from March 29 to April 4, freshman utility player Meaghan Sullivan was named the Horizon League Player of the Week. Sullivan batted .556 in the most recent seven games. Also, she was 6-for-9 in Butler’s two wins against
UIC, as well as 4-for-6 in the two against Eastern Illinois. Butler entered the games against UIC and Eastern Illinois after a nine-game road trip, including six games against two conference opponents. A doubleheader against Purdue (17-21) April 1 ended in a split. The Boilermakers took the first game 1-0, but the Bulldogs responded with a 3-0 win in the second. Butler managed only one hit in the first game, and the Boilermakers got a hit off Esparza in the fourth inning. The Bulldogs came back in the second game thanks to a great outing from sophomore starting pitcher Breanna Fisher. She only allowed three runners on two hits during her time on the mound. Fisher now has a 5-3 record with a 2.00 ERA on 16 appearances. She has 53 strikeouts and has held opposing batters to a .202 average. The game against Ohio State (22-11) April 2 ended in a 7-5 loss. Although the team rallied with five runs in the top of the sixth, it was no match for OSU’s seven runs on nine hits. The Bulldogs continued east to Youngstown State, who hosted a three-game homestand April 2 and 3. The Bulldogs won both games of the doubleheader, 6-0 and 9-0. However, they fell 4-2 the next day. In the first game, Butler scored four runs in the top of the sixth. Esparza allowed only three hits and struck out 12 batters in seven scoreless innings. Paine performed well in the second game. She hit 3for-3, scored two runs and drove in two RBIs. The Penguins jumped to an early lead in the weekend’s final game, scoring their four runs in the first three innings. The Bulldogs tried to rally but managed only two runs, one each in the eighth and ninth innings. Another three-game match-up came to an abrupt end, when the Bulldogs headed back to Indiana to face Valparaiso (24-8, 6-1 HL). The April 7 game was canceled, but not before Butler managed to split the first two games and secure their new school record. Valpo scored all three runs of the first game in the third inning. Crusader sophomore Alex Lagesse allowed only three hits in seven innings of the first game. She also struck out six batters. In the second game, junior pitcher Jennifer Chasteen allowed five hits and struck out four batters, allowing the Bulldogs to hold the final score at 3-0. Coleman said the team is completely focused this year, and with a sophomore-heavy roster, many of the players have a year of experience under their belts. “Last year, whatever we could do was awesome,” she said. “Now, we expect to do that and more each game.” Coleman also said the team has all the elements necessary for success down the road. “We have all the pieces,” she said. “We’re not scared of any team.” Butler will host conference opponent Detroit twice Saturday and once Sunday. They will recognize seniors on both days.
Softball Horizon League Standings
Collegian photo by Rachel Senn
WIND IT UP: Freshman starting pitcher Jenny Esparza prepares to throw a pitch in Sunday’s game against the UIC Flames. Esparza has been top notch this season, going 14-4 with a 1.00 ERA in 22 appearances.
Team
League
Overall
CSU Valparaiso Butler Green Bay Loyola Wright State YSU UIC Detroit
8-1 6-1 7-3 3-2 4-4 4-5 2-4 2-4 0-12
27-8 24-8 31-9 17-8 12-14 13-20-1 9-22 9-26 2-22
Basketball seniors vs. Globetrotters Steven Peek speek@butler.edu The Washington Generals, an American exhibition basketball team, have signed Butler seniors Willie Veasley, Avery Jukes and Nick Rodgers to one-game contracts for the team’s game against the Harlem Globetrotters at Conseco Fieldhouse Wednesday. “These kids have the winning attitude we need to push us over the hump,” team owner and president Red Klotz said in a press release. “Playing in Indianapolis with these guys on the floor also gives us the type of home court advantage the Bulldogs enjoyed at the Final Four. “I don’t think I’d want to be a Globetrotter on Wednesday night trying to shut these guys down.” The last time the Generals defeated the Globetrotters was Jan. 5, 1971, when Klotz hit a game-winning shot in overtime. Tickets for the game start at $15 and are available at the Conseco Fieldhouse box office or online at www.ticketmaster.com. The game begins at 7 p.m.
MBB named 500’s Grand Marshals Steven Peek speek@butler.edu The 500 Festival has named the Butler men’s basketball team the Indianapolis Power and Light (IPL) 500 Festival Parade’s Grand Marshal. “The 500 Festival is honored to pay tribute to the Butler Bulldogs men’s basketball team by naming them as Grand Marshal of the IPL 500 Festival Parade,” Kirk Hendrix, IPL president and CEO, said. “Grand Marshal is the 500 Festival’s highest distinction. Over our 53-year history, we have recognized as Grand Marshal those who have significant accomplishments and a body of work worthy of a grand celebration. “The Bulldogs certainly have earned that, and most impressively, have done so with a spirit that exemplifies commitment and teamwork.” More than 300,000 spectators are expected to line the parade route and will get to see Bulldogs, as well as the 33 starting drivers of the 2010 Indianapolis 500. The parade is May 29.
Need more Bulldog sports? Get your fix throughout the week by following The Butler Collegian online! thebutlercollegian.com WEDNESDAY
SATURDAY
Baseball vs. Dayton 3 p.m.
Women’s Tennis at UIC Chicago 1 p.m.
Men’s Tennis at UIC Chicago 3 p.m.
Softball vs. Detroit 1 p.m.
Baseball vs. Milwaukee Noon and 3 p.m.
SUNDAY
MONDAY
Men’s Tennis at Valparaiso 1 p.m.
Men’s Golf at Crooked Stick Invitational Carmel, Ind. All Day
THURSDAY Women’s Tennis at Wright State Dayton, Ohio 3 p.m.
FRIDAY Baseball vs. Milwaukee 3 p.m.
Softball vs. Detroit 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
TUESDAY
Women’s Tennis at Valparaiso 1 p.m.
Men’s Golf at Crooked Stick Invitational Carmel, Ind. All Day Men’s Tennis at IUPUI 4:30 p.m. Softball vs. Wright State 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Visit the Horizon League online for conference news. horizonleague.org/ horizonleaguenetwork.tv/
The men’s and women’s golf teams had two competitions recently. Both groups competed in the Big Four Meet, and the women’s team also competed at the Loyola Invitational. Find more information online.
Get daily scores, updates and more from the Collegian Sports on Twitter! twitter.com/BUSportsWriters
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
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The Butler Collegian
SPORTS
SPORTS
Baseball loses despite run production Mike Ellis mellis@butler.edu
Collegian photo by Ryan Murach
IN THE ZONE: Junior third baseman Grant Fillipitch had a great outing in Saturday’s game, going 5-for-6 with three RBIs at UIC’s Les Miller Field.
Butler has surrendered 52 runs in three games, as UIC swept the Bulldogs at Les Miller Field in Chicago both Friday and Saturday. In both games of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Flames raced out to large leads within five innings and eventually defeated Butler 21-11 and 12-4. Butler (8-20, 1-8) extended its losing streak to seven and now sits at the bottom of the Horizon League, while UIC has the most conference wins (six) this season. Butler junior third baseman Grant Fillipitch had a torrid day at the plate, going 5-for-6 with three RBIs and scoring three runs in the first game. Fillipitch said he was simply “in the zone.” “The game prior to that, I hit the ball hard every at-bat but only had one hit to show for it,” he said. “So come Saturday, I was feeling very comfortable and confident at the plate, and I had probably the best game of my career.” Junior catcher Michael Letzter also performed well at the plate, knocking in four runs behind two hits in the first game. But, as was the story throughout the three-game series, it was pitching that let the Bulldogs down. Leading 5-4 entering the fifth inning in the first game Saturday, things
turned on the Bulldogs after they gave up 10 runs on seven hits and two errors. Despite scoring six additional runs, Butler’s comeback bid came up short, as UIC tacked on seven more runs throughout the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. Butler head coach Steve Farley said he thinks his team has hit well enough to win games but need more consistent pitching and defense if they want to start winning games again. “Our offensive production has been very solid,” Farley said. “We are scoring enough runs to be competitive. But we have not gotten the job done on the mound. “Sometimes some miscues on defense have led to extra problems for our pitching staff. You can’t give a good team extra outs to work with, and this has been our downfall in some recent games.” In the doubleheader’s second game, the Bulldogs got off to an unfavorable start. Junior starting pitcher Jared Wagoner failed to escape the first inning and was removed after setting up just two outs and allowing seven UIC runs. This time, the Bulldogs had no offensive answer. They were held to four runs—all within the first three innings—by the Flames’ pitching. UIC’s Michael Heesch proved more than capable in relief. After entering the game with two outs in the second inning, he gave up just one run in six
and one-third innings. Fillipitch agreed with his head coach, and said that not all of the blame should rest on the pitchers’ shoulders. “We have been giving up too many runs but that doesn’t just fall on the pitchers,” he said. “Our defense has to do a better job of picking up the pitchers when they give up a hit or two. “We made too many errors that led to big innings.” Butler fell 19-6 Friday, as the Flames were simply too potent at the plate once again. UIC scored at least two runs in each of the first six innings, building up insurmountable 18-4 lead. Fillipitch and junior right fielder Kevin Crane supplied most of the offense for the Bulldogs, combining for two hits and five RBIs. However, their efforts were simply not enough, as sophomore starter Mike Hernandez and freshman reliever Jared Earle gave up a total of 18 runs (17 earned) during the game’s first six innings. Butler returns home to face Dayton this afternoon before beginning a threegame weekend series with Milwaukee. Moving forward, Farley said his team needs to finish games stronger. “We’ve played very competitive baseball in the first half of games,” he said. “Now we need to do a better job of finishing the job and being mentally tough in the late innings.”
Men’s and women’s tennis struggle for consistency in road matches Sarah Black sablack1@butler.edu Recent road trips have produced mixed results in Horizon League matches for Butler’s men’s and women’s tennis teams. At Wright State, the men’s tennis team narrowly fell 4-3, due to a doubles point on Thursday. This was the deciding factor following a 3-3 singles split. Senior Ben Raynauld and juniors Bryce Warren and Brandon Bayliss all secured singles wins for the Bulldogs. However, the Raiders edged out No. 1 doubles team Raynauld and Warren for a 9-7 win, securing Wright State’s victory. Raynauld also defeated Wright State redshirt senior Nick Camilleri in No. 1 singles, winning 3-6, (6-3), 6-2. Bayliss said that there were a lot of factors that contributed to Wright State’s win. “It was their senior night, so they were really zoned in,” he said. “It also helped that it was a home match for them. They played as well as they could have.” Saturday’s match at Youngstown State was an improvement for the men, as they defeated the Penguins 6-1. The Bulldogs defeated the Penguins in every set except for No. 1 singles, and No. 2-5 singles were all straight sets. No doubles matches came closer than 8-3. Sunday was a struggle against Cleveland State—last year’s Horizon League conference champion. Butler ultimately fell 5-2 in the match. The Bulldogs won two of three doubles sets to win the doubles point. Sophomore Zach Ervin also won in No. 5 singles.
Due in part to two close three-set games in No. 2 and No. 3 singles—which ended in a loss for each player—Butler could not gain any more points against the Vikings. Bayliss said that the team is focused on conditioning for the upcoming Horizon League Championship matches from now until the end of the season. “You’re playing three games in three days, so it gets tiring,” he said. “We also have to specialize. You know who you’ll be up against and you have to adapt to that player. We just need to take care of business.” The women’s tennis team also fared well against Youngstown State, defeating the Penguins 5-2 on Saturday. The Bulldogs swept in doubles play and took four singles matches. Youngstown State managed wins in No. 1 and No. 2 singles, with Penguin freshman Margarita Sadovnikov and sophomore Lauren Hankle edging out juniors Natali Jaimes and Gabriella Bobrowski. Seniors Molly Casperson and Becky Jenkins had straight sets in singles play. Jenkins said that playing outdoors and strategizing were keys to defeating Youngstown State. “I just went in and I knew what the strategy was,” Jenkins said. “I had to out-rally her and capitalize on her weaker shots.” Casperson said that, despite windy court conditions, the team had specific objectives involved in achieving their victory. “We went in focused,” she said. “We were working each point and lengthening each point.” Sunday’s match against Cleveland State proved tough for the
women as the Bulldogs fell to the Vikings, 6-1. This was Cleveland State’s first win against Butler in CSU head coach Brian Etzken’s eight years with the program. Freshman Brittany Farmer had the sole win for the Bulldogs in No. 6 singles when she defeated freshman Viking Mengdi Liu 6-1, (6-7), 10-5. Jenkins said that the team lacked focus. “We weren’t as consistent as we needed to be,” she said. “We were playing indoors, which we’re not used to, and they hit a lot harder.” Casperson agreed that the indoor setting wasn’t ideal for their team. “We were playing indoors, which has a huge impact on us,” she said. “They hit hard and overpowered, which really changes things when you play indoors.” The women’s tennis team has high expectations going into the tail end of their regular season and the Horizon League Championships. “Our mindset is a lot tighter,” Jenkins said. “We want to set ourselves up to win.” Casperson said that the women’s team is focused on weaknesses they need to change for match play. “After every single match we’ve been trying to fix one thing we learned,” she said, adding that conference play becomes more specific and match-focused. The men’s tennis team has three more regular season games, and they play UIC Saturday. The women’s team also has three more games in the regular season, all of which are conference matches. They play next at Wright State on Thursday.
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The Butler Collegian
Page 11
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Golf world: meet ‘new’ Tiger Woods Phil Mickelson, the lefty golfer from California, won his third Masters Tournament Sunday. Mickelson was able to hold off a slew of contenders during the final round, most notably Tiger Woods, who made his return following a selfimposed break from golf. Since the day-after-Thanksgiving car crash outside his home in Florida, Woods has faced much scrutiny regarding his personal life and has been bogged down by several scandals. Woods eventually admitted to infidelity and announced he would take an indefinite leave from the game Dec. 11, 2009. Weeks ago, Woods said he would return to the game at what is wide-
Collegian photo from MCT
CROWD PLEASER: Tiger Woods made his first appearance back on the Professional Golfers Association Tour at The Masters.
ly considered to be golf’s most prestigious tournament, The Masters, played at Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Ga. During the years, Woods has been known for his club throwing, cursing and super-competitive nature. He has been documented by television cameras, in several cases, throwing a club or yelling profanities after a bad shot. For example, during the 2009 British Open, Woods had a bad tee shot in the second round and proceeded in his usual style: throwing a club and yelling some profane words. And that is the impression the crowd was left with, as Woods went on to miss the cut and exit the British Open rather ungracefully. The Woods we all once knew and loved (or hated) was emotive, passionate and competitive. When he made his return to golf this past week, the Woods we all knew seemed nowhere to be found. The “new” Woods was receptive to fans, courteous and surprisingly less vocal than ever before. Yes, I knew the Woods that would show up at the tournament would certainly be different than the pre-sex scandal Woods. He had to be. After avoiding talking to the police, letting a scandalously large amount of supposed mistresses explode onto the media scene with allegations of his infidelity and staying silent for weeks before addressing any of it, he needed a mass media makeover. But never would I have guessed the makeover to be this dramatic. Woods was welcomed warmly in the opening rounds of the tournament again, much to my surprise. I guess golf spectators are nicer than me. No, I wouldn’t be out there heckling the guy (fans at Augusta can’t, really, or they may lose their tickets for life), but I don’t know if I’d clap, either. Now would be the time for me to admit, I’ve never been a big Woods fan. When he first exploded onto the golf scene in 1996, my knowledge of the sport extended no further than the fact that it was something my dad had on the TV or played every weekend during the spring and summer months. But then there was Woods. My interest grew. Here was a young guy, 20 years old, and he was amazing at what he did. I was more than impressed, and I’m sure my dad was happy I’d taken an interest in golf. But Woods turned out to be someone I had little respect for. His onthe-course antics were just too much for me. Yes, he is competitive. Yes, he is one of the best, if not the best, at what he does. But in my eyes, that doesn’t give a person the right to act
out the way Woods has. He became a role model for so many young and aspiring golfers, but his actions were less than inspiring. Flash-forward from his early days to The 2010 Masters Golf Tournament: Woods was a walking work of public relations genius. He smiled. He laughed. He greeted fans as warmly as they had greeted him—and this time, it was not after he was victorious. I’ve seen Woods throw his ball into the crowd, tip his hat and be an overall crowd pleaser before, but always after a win. And there he was, even after bad shots, still keeping his cool for the most part. Woods did have his few moments when he let his guard down. Cameras for CBS caught him saying to himself, “You suck, Tiger Woods,” followed by profanity. But there were no screaming moments. There were no clubs thrown across the green. Just quiet moments of doubt caught only by cameras with microphones. As a man who had it all, who had the pristine “good guy” image off the course, who lost it all in a moment, Woods kept his composure. I was impressed, but cautiously impressed. Moments leading up to the end of his final 18 holes showed glimpses of the “old Woods.” It seems to me the whole thing is an act. How much can one really change in a few short months? Some, probably, but the Woods seen at Augusta is a complete 180 degrees away from the Woods seen on last year’s Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Tour. So for now, I am cautiously optimistic. Woods may have claimed his Buddhist faith (among other things) have changed him, but I’m not completely convinced. I’ll have to wait and see what Woods looks like in a tournament when he makes more bad putts and shots than he did this week. Col leg ian pho to f rom MC T
Emily Newell enewell@butler.edu
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BUTLER COLLEGIAN
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
The Butler Collegian
BUTLER COLLEGIAN