October 7 by Daily Nebraskan

dn the

dailynebraskan.com

monday, october 7, 2013 volume 113, issue 031

Inside Coverage

Pay the players

Music men

Student athletes should get paid for work

Choir festival brings in groups young and old

The Amnesiac

Femme Fatale

Abdullah runs NU past Illinois The Space Marine

Junior running back Ameer Abdullah celebrates his first quarter touchdown run, one of his two scores Saturday. He ran for a career-high 225 yards, the most by a Husker since Roy Helu Jr.’s 307 in 2010.

The Woman in the Refrigerator

The Damsel in Distress

The Rogue/Anti-Hero

The Eye Candy

The Chosen One

gameon

story by zach fulciniti | art by inga johannsen

as n e w c o n s o l e s a p p r o ach , n e b ras k a g am e rs say t h e ar t i s r e d e f i n i n g t ra d i t i o n a l m e d i a

ive crew members are seated before identical Hewlett-Packard monitors as the spaceship Artemis cascades through blackness, crossing nebulas and skirting space monsters. The members of its crew talk among each other to maintain the ship along its travels, as the bird-like vessel cruises past a series of flashing dots on the projector screen ahead, leaving a blue trail in its wake. “Boys and girls, we get to fight. I love fighting.” “We could use some energy, Captain!” “Get up to that red, spiny thing there. That’s what you’re aiming for. That’s the bad guy.” The setting is a boardroom at the Ramada Inn in Omaha. Dozens of gamers have turned up for the NukeCon Gaming Convention, and six are now seated in Boardroom Three playing “Artemis Spaceship Bridge

Simulator.” Richard Norton, a systems administrator for an insurance company, watches the simulation with his wife Tammy. She says the game is the realization of a lifelong dream. “It’s like exactly what they were doing when they were filming the original Star Trek,” she says. “I’m sitting in Mr. Sulu’s place!” For many gamers, the opportunity to lose themselves in fantasy worlds is often the draw. Console and PC-game fanatics in Nebraska and elsewhere say the games offer a chance to live through characters in alternate worlds and achieve feats unattainable in the more mundane digs of, say, Selleck Quadrangle. Gaming is increasingly fusing all types of media: Mobile gaming is more popular than ever on platforms such as Android and iOS. Next-generation consoles like the PS4 and Xbox

One, which seek to bring all forms of entertainment under one umbrella, will release next month. And PC’s capabilities continue to expand through platforms such as Valve’s Steam. No longer is gaming limited to a single age group or type of person. The Nortons, both in their 50s, are avid gamers. Richard plays single-player games including “Assassin’s Creed” and some first-person shooters. But he doesn’t like to play those games with other people. “I’m not into hiding out in a rock and shooting people as soon as they come into the game,” he said. The games he does play with others are Massive Multiplayer Online games, including “EverQuest” and “EVE Online.” But those interactions pale in comparison with the cooperation required by Artemis. “Even in online MMOs, you see some coordination,”

he said. “But not to this level. People have to talk and communicate if they want to complete the simulation.” Despite being a prominent member of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Game Developers Club, sophomore computer science major Sam Adams doesn’t consider himself a hardcore gamer. That doesn’t mean he won’t pull up “The Legend of Zelda” or “Super Mario Bros.” every now and then. “When I first started programming, I thought it was cool to have control over what the computer was doing,” Adams said. “I wanted my code to come to life. I’ve never been a really big gamer, which is a bit ironic. But it’s fun to see what you can push yourself to make.” Adams’ favorite games usually feature puzzle-based environments, like the ones in “Portal” and the “Myst” series. He likes games that are immersive and favor ex-

STORY AND ARCHETYPES CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Fraternity pledge charged with destroying float Police said the Phi Gamma Delta freshman was responsible for destruction Colleen Fell DN Phi Gamma Delta fraternity was disqualified from judging for the Homecoming Parade floats Friday after police arrested a freshman pledge on charges that he destroyed Phi Kappa Psi fraternity’s float. Douglas Tsoka, a freshman business administration major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, was cited for destruction of property after he pushed over and damaged an Eiffel Tower float belonging to Phi Kappa Psi, according to police reports. The float was valued at approximately $50. Tsoka was later released. UNL police tracked down Tsoka early Friday morning at a philanthropy event sponsored by

Alpha Xi Delta sorority. Sgt. Casey Delta to help build a float, were Ricketts of UNL police was work- also disqualified from the float ing security at the event when she competition. Phi Gamma Delta spotted someone who matched was disqualified from all Homecoming competitions. Tsoka’s description. A witness The theme for this year ’s confirmed Tsoka’s identity, and he Homecoming was “Huskers was cited. UNL police said although Around the World” with results for all competitions anthere were other people The fraternity nounced during the halftime of Saturday’s who were had to football game against with Tsoka Illinois. The parade when he was put up a sign in took place Friday at 6 given a citatheir front yard p.m, beginning at 14th tion, he is the and Vine streets and only person describing what ending at 13th and R being held restreets. Judging of floats sponsible for had happened.” took place at 16th and S the vandalstreets. ism. Michael belford Student lawn disMichael homecoming chair plays were completed Belford, a juby 10:30 a.m. Friday nior construction manager at UNL and Home- and judged at noon. Delta Upsilon fraternity won coming chair, said Phi Gamma the lawn display competition, and Delta faced other repercussions in addition to being disqualified Gamma Phi Beta sorority won the parade float competition. from the competition. news@ “The fraternity had to put up a dailynebraskan.com sign in their front yard describing what had happened and that they were disqualified,” Belford said. Alpha Xi Delta sorority and more homecoming Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, coverage on page 3 which worked with Phi Gamma

MORGAN SPIEHS | DN

Grant Kobes, freshman finance major, shows a sign on Saturday in front of the Phi Kappa Psi house that a member made after their homecoming float was destroyed.

@dailyneb | facebook.com/dailynebraskan

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monday, october 7, 2013

UNL gamers defend positive aspects of their pastime sarah cohen dn Late Sept. 16, gamers gathered at the SouthPointe Pavilion’s Gamestop in light rain, awaiting the midnight release of “Grand Theft Auto V,” a roleplaying game centered around bank heists, street crime and auto theft. A line outside one of Lincoln’s other Gamestops snaked around a corridor in Gateway Mall, where hundreds showed up to buy the fastest-selling game in history. New book releases, once-in-alifetime concerts and the newest Apple product launches are no longer the only mediums scoring massive online pre-orders. “Grand Theft Auto V” broke sales records worldwide, becoming the fastest-ever entertainment product to make an estimated $1 billion in sales, reaching the figure just three days after its release. By the end of September, VGChartz reported that “Grand Theft Auto V” holds the No. 1 spot as most popular video game on the market worldwide, with more than 15 million copies sold. Games such as these have a strong presence on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus and in Nebraska as a whole, as seen in local sales and the many representative student organizations that exist on campus. But players and critics alike debate the long-term effects that could result from a gaming habit. The Electronic Gaming Club is an organization of students affiliated with Heartland eSports that gathers a few times each semester to host gaming-related events. ESports refers to competitive gaming on various consoles, including personal computers. The groups hold casual gaming tournaments and competitions in addition to viewing parties for national eSports tournaments that take place around the world. According to Scott Barrett, a graduate research assistant in the behavioral neuroscience psychology department and the club’s president, “Halo” and other competitive fighting games have long been a hit among college students. Recently, he said, that trend has regained popularity with computer-based titles such

as “StarCraft II” and “League of Legends.” Barrett, who said he plays video games anywhere from five to 10 hours a week, views video games like any other form of entertainment. He acknowledges there is a wide spectrum of maturity involved in video gaming. In terms of video game addiction, Barrett believes it’s very possible to become addicted to video games, as some people have difficulty controlling how much time they spend playing them at the expense of fulfilling their responsibilities in life. Barrett notes, however, that those individuals are in the vast minority of the people who are playing video games. What makes video games a little different in a lot of people’s minds, according to Barrett, is the perception that only kids are playing video games. But he said that simply isn’t true nowadays. Sophomore computer science major Lucas Holloway, who is president of the UNL Game Developers Club, said video games can be a recreational and healthy form of entertainment for people of all ages. The more-than-a-dozen members of the Game Developers Club meet once a week and work on creating a computer game. Most of the people in this club, including Holloway, are computer science majors with the intention of entering the video game development industry. Holloway said he looks for artistic aspects and exceptional design quality in the video games he chooses to play. Holloway looks at the video game industry as an expression of art and elite technical development. “(It’s) just like in certain television shows and books,” Holloway said. “Controversial questions like the portrayal of women, graphic content and various morally questionable situations are all present. But that’s not to say these video games don’t have a place in mature entertainment.” While video gaming is gaining increasing popularity among adolescents and young adults, the psychological and developmental effects of this recreational activity have often been called into question. Phil Chalmers, who calls him-

not be a fair statement, but if you kill people, you’re playing ‘Modern Warfare.’ Violent media is a very big part of real-life violence, and we can’t keep looking the other way.” Addictive activities stimulate A Personality and Social Psyreward cells in the brain’s limbic chology Bulletin in 2009 conducted a system, causing them to release study titled “The Effects of Prosocial dopamine – a chemical Video Games on Prosocial Behavmessenger that causes the brain iors: International Evidence From to associate the activity with a reward, such as pleasure or Correlational, Longitudinal, and Exexcitement. That’s how addiction perimental Studies” which measured begins. prosocial behaviors and traits in adolescence who played violent video games versus prosocial games. Prosocial behavior is defined as willingness to help, cooperation and sharing, empathy and emotional awareness. The study concluded that while prosocial game exposure positively relates to prosocial behaviors and traits, violent game play was negatively related to the prosocial behaviors. The study also concluded a correlation with increased aggression among the adolescents who played violent video games. Craig Anderson of the American Psychological Association and coauthor of the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin wrote a science brief titled “Video Games: Myths, Facts and Unanswered Questions.” The brief concludes high levels of vioinga johannsen | dn lent video game exposure have been linked to delinquency, fighting at school and during free play periods, most common cause of teen violence as well as violent crime behaviors and homicide in Chalmers’ book. such as assault and robbery. “I would say the most dangerous Despite law enforcement and of the violent entertainment is vio- psychologist reports of a correlation lent video games,” Chalmers said. “I between violent video games and think a lot of parents are uneducated negative behaviors, Barrett said video about the effects of the violent video games have also been documented to games they unknowingly purchase improve cognitive problem-solving for their kids.” skills. Companies such as Lumosity Chalmers believes society should are making an industry out of comcrack down on video games rated puter games that test the brain and “M” for mature and that no person several research institutes are deyounger than 18 should be in posvoted to developing video games for session of these video games. With educational and learning purposes. the way technology has developed, Without question, Barrett said, Chalmers says, the video game plat- buzz about the latest video game form has changed tremendously to a or console won’t die down anytime much more aggressive, violent and soon. But other aspects of gaming extreme experience. aren’t so black and white. “I am not saying if you play “For me, ‘Grand Theft Auto V’ is ‘Modern Warfare,’ you’re going to kill just another instance of mature enterpeople,” Chalmers said. “That would tainment that surely has questionable

HOW ADDICTION WORKS

self America’s leading authority on juvenile homicide and juvenile mass murder, has often warned against the negative effects of violent video games. Through studying youth culture, behavior and entertainment for the last 25 years and interviewing more than 200 teen killers, he wrote the book, “Inside the Mind of a Teen Killer.” The book details the 10 causes, 20 warning signs and six triggers associated with teen murder. “It’s never just one thing,” Chalmers said. “I agree that teen murder is a multiple-cause crime, but time and time again exposure to violent video games is a reoccurring factor in a substantial amount of the interviews I’ve conducted with teen murderers.” Violent entertainment in the form of media, movies, music and video gaming ranks among the second

BY THE NUMBERS

58%

of Americans – more than 182 million people – play video games. Americans spent

$20.77 BILLION

on video and computer games, accessories and hardware in 2012, and they bought 188 million units of video and computer games – that’s 356 games sold every minute. The average gamer is

YEARS OLD

55%

of gamers are male SOURCE:

Entertainment Software Association

content within the game,” Barrett said. “But that’s for the user and consumer to decide.” News@ dailynebraskan.com

game on: from 1 ploration. Like a growing number of gamers, Adams plays primarily on his computer using the online gaming platform Steam. Recently he has enjoyed two independent games, both available for download on Steam: “Bastion” and “Braid,” the latter of which he calls “Mario with time travel.” Adams hasn’t played “Grand Theft Auto V,” the recent addition to Rockstar Games’ best-selling franchise. Although he understands why people enjoy it – “there’s a mindnumbing aspect” – the primary objective is often violence, and he says that isn’t his cup of tea. “I don’t really like games where you shoot people and they die,” he said. Scott Barrett, a graduate neuroscience student, is the president of UNL’s other video gaming organization, the Electronic Gaming Club. “When I was 6 or 7, we got the original Nintendo,” he said. “It had ‘Mario,’ ‘Duck Hunt’ and ‘World Class Track Meet.’ Those were the only three games, but we put in countless hours.” Now, like Adams, Barrett plays primarily on his PC, favoring games such as “Starcraft II” and “CounterStrike” that lend themselves to online multiplayer environments. Despite the prevalent idea that gamers are a niche group in society, Barrett doesn’t see much of a difference between video games and other mainstream media. “There was a time when being a hardcore gamer was more of a rarity,” he said. “But gaming is so prolific in society now, virtually everyone I know plays games to some degree.” Because of the participation required by video games, Barrett sees them as easier to separate from the real world than their counterparts on TV or on the big screen. To him, this makes the notion that games such as GTA V increase society’s violent tendencies highly unlikely. “Like any other form of entertain-

STACIE HECKER | DN

Lucas Holloway, a sophomore computer science major, plays “League of Legends” in his room Sunday afternoon. He plays for about an hour and a half every day. ment, there’s a lot of social commentary, but the thing that makes games different is you’re an active participant in that entertainment,” he said. “GTA always causes a stir. The content is about crime, and there’s some ethical considerations, and people actively participating in a story about crime and drugs. But you could look at ‘Breaking Bad’ and say the same thing.” Derrick Williams, a freshman computer science major and member of the UNL Game Developers Club, agrees that gaming doesn’t escalate violence, but he argued there are

still social responsibilities that, in a lot of ways, the gaming industry has shirked. “When a woman is thrust into the starring role of a video game (she is) almost without fail hypersexualized,” Williams said. “Take the game ‘Lollipop Chainsaw’ that came out last year; it included an achievement where you had to look up the skirt of the female protagonist. Or how about ‘Dragon’s Crown,’ where the sorceress character has ridiculous proportions, where the game developers are just shoving her boobs in the player’s face.” Other game developers in the

area agree. While the gaming community is filled with diverse personalities, Rachel Hill, a senior English major at Creighton University, said girl gamers, especially younger ones, understand and are more critical about why females feel so ostracized within the gaming community. “They are really critical and absolutely perceptive about how the iconic characters, like in ‘Pathfinder,’ are really scantily clad,” Hill said. “The younger generations just don’t find that as acceptable as someone who is 20 or 30 years older, It’s no longer acceptable to have characters who alien-

ate females from playing the games.” Redemption,’” Vokal said. “From Gamers and developers agree that experience, I’d say that Rockstar that the popularity of some games de- doesn’t write very great characters in mands a degree of social responsibility general. The women were pretty oneon the creators’ parts. dimensional, but so were most of the “Video game violence doesn’t men. The only difference is that the cause violence in real life. But objecarchetypes for women that we have as tifying women in games adds to the a society aren’t always super positive, objectification of women in real life,” while the archetypes we have for men said Dave Homan, a member of the are much more diverse.” Omaha Game Developers Association Vokal represents a small minorthat makes HTML5 games for desktop ity of the game industry. According and mobile browsers. to the Boston Globe, only 11 percent Homan added that because of of game designers, and 3 percent of pressure from people programmers, like Anita Sarkeesian, are female. In her (In games) a feminist media critic, first programming you’re and Carolyn Petit, a class, her sophotransgender game critic an active more year of high for Gamespot.com, the school, she was the gaming industry has participant in that only girl. She debeen forced to adapt. cided she wanted environment.” “There are a lot to make games of younger males that in her first year at SCOTT BARRETT feel video games are a UNL, after playneuroscience grad student space just for them,” ing “The Shadow said Homan, who plays of the Colossus,” a games including “The Elder Scrolls character-driven adventure game that V: Skyrim,” “Defense of the Ancients is often touted as an example of video 2” and “Call of Duty.” “They see a games as an art form. woman playing a game, and they start “I came to school for computer looking for reasons to say she’s not a science because I liked programming, real gamer. But Anita Sarkeesian is but I’ve also always wanted to tell necessary for the industry. What she’s stories,” she said. “Playing ‘Shadow saying needs to be said, and more of the Colossus’ for the first time that and more people are coming out and year sort of cemented that decision, agreeing with her. Younger people are since it was the first time I really saw a starting to see more than one point of game being used as what I considered view.” to be art.” Many have argued, like Williams Recent games Vokal has played and Sarkeesian, that the gaming ininclude “System Shock 2” and “Biodustry fails to realistically represent shock Infinite.” She generally favors women, instead basing female characrole-playing games. ters on negative archetypes. “I’m a really big fan of games that Megan Vokal, a UNL graduate focus on story – especially interactive and developer for the Lincoln startup story,” she said. “I enjoy getting to Clockwork Demon, said that not only build my own character and define does the use of these archetypes porthem. Interactivity, having choice and tray female characters in a negative consequence, is becoming a big thing, light, they also detract from the overall and I think this is because games are narrative of a game. the only entertainment medium that “The only Rockstar game I’ve do that.” played to completion is ‘Red Dead news@ dailynebraskan.com

GAMING ARCHETYPES The Space Marine Like modern-day Marines, the Space Marine is an elite soldier, the front line against whatever alien invasion has befallen human civilization. They are most often characterized by bulky armor, advanced weaponry and baldness.

The Chosen One In many games, the playable character discovers early on that he or she is destined for greatness — the only one who can defeat some insurmountable force of evil. There may be a prophecy or a vision involved, but ultimately it’s important that the character knows he or she is the singular force of good who can overcome evil in the game.

The Amnesiac These characters will often vary in motivation or morality, but the core narrative is the same. They wake up in a strange place with no memory of how they got there, and the game itself is their journey of selfrediscovery.

The Rogue/Anti-Hero These characters are often immoral, violent or criminal. They fight for personal stakes, such as money or family, and they’re more than willing to break the law or disobey orders to succeed.

The Damsel in Distress This is probably the oldest and most common depiction of women in video games. The princess or girlfriend is kidnapped by the Big Bad (Ganondorf, Bowser, etc.), and the game’s protagonist spends the game trying to rescue her. Little to none of the game is devoted to developing the character because she serves only as a trial for the hero.

Femme Fatale This female archetype knows how to use her sexuality. And her fists. She is not afraid to go scantily clad to get her way, but if that doesn’t work, she won’t hesitate to resort to violence.

The Eye Candy Like the Femme Fatale, this archetype is steeped in sexuality. Characters are often well-endowed and wear clothes that flatter those characteristics. They aren’t necessarily stupid or incapable and can often be the toughest and strongest in a game. But there is a definite focus on their physical appearance.

The Woman in the Refrigerator This archetype is a variation of the Damsel in Distress. But instead of the male protagonist rescuing his captive girlfriend, the female character is killed and the male hero seeks violent revenge for her death. In both archetypes, the woman’s victimization spurs on the protagonist.

daily nebraskan editor-in-chief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402.472.1766 Hailey Konnath managing editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402.472.1763 Jacy Marmaduke ENGAGEMENT EDITOR. . . . . . . . . . . . 402.472.1763 Nick Teets news. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402.472.1763 associate editor Frannie Sprouls Conor Dunn assignment editor Faiz Siddiqui projects editor opinion editor Dillon Jones Ruth Ann Boettner assistant editor arts & life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .402.472.1756 co-editor Shelby Fleig Nathan Sindelar co-editor Tyler Keown co-editor sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402.472.1765 editor Zach Tegler Paige Cornwell assistant editor Kyle Cummings assistant editor

Design chief Alyssa Brunswick photo chief Morgan Spiehs video chief Nickolai Hammar copy chief Danae Lenz web chief Hayden Gascoigne art director Inge Johannsen general manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . .402.472.1769 Dan Shattil Advertising. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .402.472.2589 manager Penny Billheimer Chris Hansen student manager publications board. . . . . . . . . . . . . 308.520.9447 chairman Jeffrey White professional AdvisEr . . . . . . . . . 402.473.7248 Don Walton

Founded in 1901, the Daily Nebraskan is the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s only independent daily newspaper written, edited and produced entirely by UNL students. General Information The Daily Nebraskan is published weekly on Mondays during the summer and Monday through Friday during the nine-month academic year, except during finals week. The Daily Nebraskan is published by the UNL

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monday, october 7, 2013

NEWS DN CALENDAR

OCT.

ON CAMPUS what: Flu Shot Clinic when: 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. where: Filley Hall on East Campus more information: Shots free for all University of NebraskaLincoln students

what: In the Shadow of Sexuality: LGBT African American Elders and Social Support when: 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. where: Nebraska Union

what: Fall 2013 Grassland Seminar series: “Variable Fire, Grazing and Climate Interactions Promote Habitat Heterogeneity and Biodiversity in Tallgrass Prairie” by Anthony Joern when: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. where: Nebraska East Union

IN LINCOLN what:

Fall Parade of Homes when: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday where: City of Lincoln more information: Tour newly built homes around Lincoln. Visit hbal. org/events/paradeof-homes for more information

Civil War veterans remembered at Wyuka Cemetery Colleen Fell DN A connection to a family member in the Civil War has inspired a Lincoln man to share his passion with others. Ron Rockenbach, who works with the Nebraska Humanities Council, came up with the idea to host the Civil War Veterans Circle, a memorial event for war veterans and the public, a few years ago after he became a member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, a nonprofit organization for descendants of Union veterans. The event took place on Saturday at Wyuka Cemetery on 35th and O streets in Lincoln. It is designed as a pregame football pep rally and a way to reflect on and honor Civil War veterans, many of whom are buried at the cemetery. Marc Witkowski, a member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War in Omaha, has taken part in many similar ceremonies around the country. He said they intend to schedule an event for each home football game for the rest of the football season. “It was an experiment,” Witkowski said. “We’d like to do it for every game.” The event, which Rockenbach described as half living history and half memorial, is the first of its kind held at Wyuka Cemetery, according to Rockenbach. “It’s just so impressive to see all of the different headstones and the story on each one of them,” Rockenbach said. He said that those buried in Wyuka from the Civil War include musicians, special engineering regiments and those who worked with artillery. “It can be a part of a healing process for those who are veterans, those who have lost people in wars and those who have people fighting right now,” he said. Rockenbach said the event will focus on honoring those who fought in the Civil War — but with a twist. Rockenbach has coordinated a group of re-enactors to wear Civil War period clothing and interact with visitors. He also said that he would like to be there the rest of the season, unless the ground is too frozen to be able to set up a tent for the event. Rockenbach was first bitten by the war history bug when he was in the fifth grade. He said

Tyler Meyer | DN

Ron Rockenbach, a Great Plains folklorist, Civil War re-enactor and University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate, eats brunch he supplied to the visitors of the Civil War memorial next to a replica of a canvas tent Union soldiers were supplied with during the war. that many of the other boys in his class were interested in sports books and had taken them. “All of the good books were gone, so the librarian gave me a book on the Civil War,” he said. Rockenbach later attended an event that had Civil War re-enactors, which he said fascinated him. The event wasn’t easy to plan and put together, according to Rockenbach. “Not many people want to jump on board,” he said. He also said that it is not easy to find Civil War re-enactors who will work for free. However, he said that he felt strongly about starting the event this past weekend, because of the many visitors coming from Illinois for the Homecoming game. Members of the Grand Army of the Republic are buried in Wyu-

ka, and of those members, 216 are from Illinois, according to Rockenbach. The event will also offer food similar to food served during the Civil War. Rockenbach said there will be apple cider, corn bread and whatever else the weather will allow. He said that the true reason for putting on the event is the feeling of patriotism he gets. “We wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t love it,” he said. Even though Rockenbach has not served in a war himself, he said that he continues to be inspired by his own real-life hero — his wife. “My wife served in the army for three years, and she continues to be the real soldier of our family,” he said. news@ dailynebraskan.com

Tyler Meyer | DN

This weekend was the first time Rockenbach set up the Civil War memorial in Lincoln’s Wyuka cemetary to allow visitors to reflect upon what the Civil War means to them and pay tribute to those who fought in it.

Latino commission celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month Sarah Cohen dn The Nebraska Latino American Commission hosted the Hispanic Heritage Month State Commemoration at the State Capitol on Friday. The celebration included musical and dance performances, award presentations, a comprehensive immigration reform address and a Hispanic heritage speaker as well as a presentation of essay contest winners from smaller Nebraska communities. Jasel Cantu, public information officer of the Latino American Commission, said it was the seventh year this commemoration was held at the capitol. The Mexican American Student Organization, the Zeta Phi Beta sorority, and the Phi Alpha chapter of the Sigma Beta Lambda fraternity

volunteered during the event. According to Cantu, other organizations that volunteered were Valet Nebraska and Latino Productions and Management from Omaha. The event was also sponsored by McDonalds, Wells Fargo and Southeast Community College. The celebration started with a musical performance by Marcos y Sabor followed by Nebraska First Lady Sally Ganem’s presentation of the proclamation signed by Governor Dave Heineman, which marks Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month in Nebraska. Nebraska Latino American Commission Chairwoman Yolanda Nuncio presented the Humanitarian, Inspiration and Organization awards and implored audience members to contact their local representatives to support the Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Bill of 2013 – legislation that would provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants living in the United States. “I urge you to contact your local representative to support Comprehensive Immigration Reform because parents are being separated from their children and people are being forced to live in the shadows,” Nuncio said. “If we can get this immigration reform passed, we can truly help all people and make it to where anyone can truly take part in the good life here in Nebraska.” Cantu said the most anticipated part of the commemoration was the speech given by Sergio Wals, a political science professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “Dr. Wals was a very powerful and inspirational speaker from last year’s Hispanic Heritage Month

State Commemoration,“ Cantu said. “He was the recipient of the Nebraska Latino American Commission’s Inspiration Award in 2012, and he really impressed audiences last year with his stories about the importance of heritage.” Wals’ speech concerned ethnic language commonly used to describe different kinds of people, and he continued to highlight the importance of heritage not limited to Hispanic Americans. Specifically, Wals emphasized that every person should recognize where he or she comes from and celebrate these differences in heritage but not forget that gaining citizenship and becoming American is an opportunity that all people are entitled to. “It is my duty to warn my fellow Americans that the social balance involving questions of race

and ethnicity, the us versus them mentality, needs to be under constant reflection,” he said. The commemoration also included award presentations to middle and high school students who composed essays representing the impact of the Hispanic community in their hometowns. First-place essay winner in the middle school division was Ashley Roemmich from David City, and in the high school division, JohnMark Shields from Lexington. According to Cantu, the Commemoration is the Nebraska Government’s way of honoring Hispanic Heritage and an important recognition of the thousands of Mexican Americans that comprise the various communities throughout Nebraska. news@ dailynebraskan.com

Morgan Jacobi, a homecoming candidate and senior nutrition and health sciences major, laughs with fellow nominees before the crowning Saturday. Anders Olson, a senior agribusiness major, hugs fellow homecoming nominee and senior agribusiness major Jordyn Lechtenberg after they were announced as 2013 Homecoming king and queen.

photos by Allison Hess

Homecoming royalty

OPINION

monday, october 7, 2013 dailynebraskan.com

d n e d i to r i a l b oa r d m e m b e r s HAILEY KONNATH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DILLON JONES

FAIZ Siddiqui

opinion editor

PROJECTS EDITOR

RUTH BOETTNER

SHELBY FLEIG

assistant opinion editor

A&L CO-EDITOR

JACY MARMADUKE

ZACH TEGLER

MANAGING EDITOR

sports EDITOR

CONOR DUNN

KYLE CUMMINGS

news assignment EDITOR assistant SPORTS EDITOR

our view

rebecca rickertsen | dn

Move beyond the traditional gamer stereotype The gamer stereotype evokes images of potato chips, greasy hair and slogan T-shirts. Finding that button-mashing male layabout in real life isn’t hard – especially on a college campus – but that doesn’t mean he is the only kind of gamer. Stereotypes such as these only serve to alienate those who fall outside their confines. Perhaps they’ve contributed to the lack of dynamic female characters in popular video games today, which gamers male and female lament in Monday’s Daily Nebraskan gaming package. When “Grand Theft Auto V” came out late last month, a Gamespot reviewer docked the game one full point for its misogynistic portrayal of female characters. Gaming is everywhere nowadays. It’s no longer a console-specific affair. Think about your smartphone’s home screen, your PC or Mac, your iPad or Android tablet and all the times you’ve played Angry Birds on it. With video games’ ubiquity, perhaps it’s time we as a society part ways with the gamer stereotype. News came late last month that “Grand Theft Auto V” had become the fastest entertainment product – including CDs and movies – ever to reach $1 billion in sales in just three days. Just as there’s no token music-listener or movie-watcher, there’s no stereotypical gamer. So perhaps it’s time we bury the prototypical gaming, male couch potato in the ash heap of history.

opinion@dailynebraskan.com

editorial policy The editorial above contains the opinion of the fall 2013 Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. It does not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, its student body or the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. A column is solely the opinion of its author; a cartoon is solely the opinion of its artist. The Board of Regents acts as publisher of the Daily Nebraskan; policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. The UNL Publications Board, established by the regents, supervises the production of the paper. According to policy set by the regents, responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of Daily Nebraskan employees.

letters to the editor policy The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the editor and guest columns but does not guarantee their publication. The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit or reject any material submitted. Submitted material becomes property of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be returned or removed from online archives. Anonymous submissions will not be published. Those who submit letters must identify themselves by name, year in school, major, and/or group affiliation, if any. Email material to opinion@ dailynebraskan.com or mail to: Daily Nebraskan, 20 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St. Lincoln, NE 68588-0448.

Alex Bridgman | dn

College athletes should be paid

he current athletic contracts for a collegiate sport don’t allow the players to receive any additional monetary compensation in addition to their full-ride scholarships or walk-on status. However, this current contract is unfair because of the tremendous impact these athletes have on their respected universities. They are vastly under-compensated for the amount of money they receive from the universities compared with the amount they generate. College athletics has always been profitdriven. Take away all of the collegiate logos and the student section at a Nebraska football game and what’s left is an NFL game. The universities deceive us into believing otherwise, but college football is nothing more than a profit-driven business. Money drives universities to make significant course-changing decisions. The promise for an increase in revenue is the primary reason why the University of Nebraska-Lincoln joined the Big Ten Conference, despite the historical importance of rivalries and century-long series played against other Big 12 universities. In 2009, the year Nebraska decided to join the Big Ten, Nebraska received about $10 million from the Big 12, which was nearly half of what the other Big Ten universities made. Doubling profit margins from the likes of the Big Ten Network and other Big Ten amenities was quite the business incentive for Nebraska to ultimately switch conferences. In the 2012-13 football season, the Husker football team generated $54.7 million, $34.5 million of which came in as profit. None of the revenue went to the players. How is it that the players, the ones who make it possible for the coaches and universities to make millions, do not receive any share of that revenue? The football team is one of the biggest assets here at the UNL. In fact, some individuals I’ve talked to this first semester have said that Husker football was a major deciding factor in their

Sinan Akkoseloglu

college decision process. The success of the team on the field has historically led to an increase in the enrollment at the university. Jersey sales are a good representation of how individual athletes can generate considerable revenue for an institution. Nebraska jerseys sold with the number 80 or 3 representing Kenny Bell and Taylor Martinez, respectively, are sold for about $64.95 each. The marketing of these products relies on the popularity and success of the players — both of which are derived from their individual performances on the field. They earn their reputation by delivering results. Then the university commodifies their reputation, – the image and name of the athlete – sells it and hoards all the profits. Universities sell these players for millions of dollars and justify their actions by asserting that these student athletes receive a “free” education. The term “student athletes” indicates that these players should be students and athletes at the same time. However, because of realities of their schedules, these athletes cannot reach their full potential as students. These athletes have the arduous task of balancing schoolwork and classes with the strict, unforgiving schedule of a college athlete. These athletes are essentially worked past their limits as human beings from their demanding practices. These practices are often early in the morning, which does not allow for these athletes to get the full rest they need as college students. This exhaustion makes it difficult for these play-

ers to balance their lives as student-athletes. In addition to the required memorization of intricate playbooks, every week there’s a new offense and defense for the team to dissect and understand, on top of their regular schoolwork. According to an article in The New York Times, the average GPA of a student athlete is 0.25 points lower on average than non-athletes. Additionally, disparities remain in graduation rates between African-American athletes and their white counterparts. A recent study by The Institute For for Diversity in Sports shows that the graduation rate for African-American student-athletes remains 20 percentage points below that of their white counterparts. The extra work required of these players is similar to non-athletes who have a job and go to school at the same time. However, unlike these students, an athlete’s “job” generates millions of dollars for the university and none for themselves. Some might argue that paying the players will undermine the fact that they are students first. The truth is, our football-obsessed culture already undermines the importance of education. Consider the students who included the existence of the Husker football program as a major factor in their college decision process. In reality, paying football players wouldn’t change the expectations placed on them as student-athletes or the emphasis that the university places on the student part. Instead, paying the players will compensate their hard work and the sacrifices they make for the football program and send the message that hard work “pays off.” With the university profiting about $34.5 million a year, it is hard to imagine paying the players would detrimentally dent the university’s bank account. Sinan Akkoseoglu is a freshman biology major. Follow him on twitter @SinanAkkoseoglu. Reach him by email at opinion@ dailynebraskan.com

Extinction rates should cause worry

e’ve all heard at one time or another that there are a lot of species going extinct. Although there isn’t much evidence of it around here, it’s a fact that recently the world’s species have been going extinct at an unnaturally high rate. This is alarming for animal lovers everywhere, but animal lover or not, this should alarm you, too. The reality is that about one-third of the world’s species are currently threatened with extinction. When you really stop to think about that fraction the significance starts to sink in. I, for one, would not be OK with doing 33 percent worse on every exam I take. But what does a higher-than-natural extinction rate actually mean? Let’s put it in perspective. There are approximately 1.7 million known species on Earth. This may seem like a very large number, but when you consider plants, creatures from the deep ocean, and all land animals that aren’t cute or fuzzy, it isn’t so hard to believe. A recent study published by PLoS Biology estimated that there are an additional 7 million species that are still undiscovered. A large number of these supposed undiscovered species comes from anthropods, a subgroup of the animal kingdom that includes insects, spiders and other yucky little things I’d rather not think about. This sub-group alone constitutes 75 percent of all known animal species and it’s been estimated that there are 5 million or more species of just anthropods yet to be discovered. When you realize that this group is grossly understudied – partially because they are gross – it starts to make some sense. The scary thing is, we may never get to discover them. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the largest project to date on species monitoring, we are losing anywhere from 5,000 to 50,000 species every year. The estimated natural rate of extinction is 10-100 species per year. It’s important to point out here that the IUCN only accounts for 1 percent of the 1.7 million known species, and the species they are monitoring are mostly the ones we care about -- the cute and fuzzy ones. That is to say it’s probably a lot worse than the IUCN might indicate. The last time

Devin Grier

this many extinctions occurred, the animals disappearing were dinosaurs. Needless to say, this situation is pretty dire, and it’s our fault. It’s a simple matter of too many humans and not enough resources. The significance of this is important to recognize because the world operates on a system of survival of the fittest. This results in intense competition for resources, and the ultimate outcome of that is that species become increasingly specialized into resource niches. The best example of this is Darwin’s observations of finches on the Galapagos Islands. A long time ago, a single species of finch arrived on the Galapagos Island, and during time this finch diversified into several specialized species. It was able to do this because in the somewhat isolated ecosystem on the islands, there were excess resources availed. These resources included food sources such as seeds, insects, leaves and fruit. In order to better compete with all of the other finches on the island, certain traits began to appear. The birds began to develop specialized beaks. The birds who ate the insects gradually had shorter and sharper beaks – the better for finding insects – and the birds who ate seeds gradually had larger and stronger beaks — the better for cracking open the shells. This process has happened across the globe for centuries and has resulted in the amazing biodiversity we see now. However, humans out-compete every other species by leaps and bounds. As the human population grows, we begin to use more and more land for houses, farms, roads and cities. This leaves less and less room for the rest of the species we share this planet with, and we’re start-

ing to see the repercussions. It’s all happening so quickly that animals don’t have time to adapt to the new environment and, in turn, die out. When we destroy a wetland or a forest, we aren’t just displacing birds and mammals like deer or raccoons, we’re also displacing insect and plant populations, and insects and plants form the basis for the entire food web. When a certain local species of grass goes extinct, this means less food for the species that eat the plant. If they’re lucky, these species can get enough food from another plant, but if enough other plants disappear as well there is nothing left for them to eat, and they disappear as well. This travels up the food chain in a domino effect. This is a broad and complex issue — the overt signs of which we don’t see in our everyday lives. Because we’re at the very top of the food chain, we won’t directly feel the effects until a vast number of lower-level species have disappeared. It helps to envision the web of species as a house of cards. Species depend on each other for survival and perform important functions in their environments, such as the beaver who creates wetlands for other species. When one species, or card, is removed from the house, the entire structure becomes more unstable. Eventually, if enough cards are removed, the whole thing could come crashing down. This is what scientists mean when they talk about mass extinction events, and whether we like it or not, diversity isn’t just for kicks. We’re a card too, and eventually these extinctions will reach us. But it isn’t too late to try and turn things around. Nature is an amazing machine, and its creatures are surprisingly resilient. Any solution to this problem will be complex and will require a coordinated international effort. However the first step toward this solution is an easy one to make. We just have to realize that the problem exists and that there’s an opportunity for us to stop the destruction. Let’s not blow it. Devin Grier is a freshman biosystems engineering major. Reach her at opinion@ dailynebraskan.com

monday, october 7, 2013 dailynebraskan.com @dnartsdesk

aRTS & LIFE

TGIF

First Friday offers the Lincoln community a chance to see the work and ideas of local artists. With galleries all over town, the event allows Lincolnites easy access to the creative works of others.

PHOTOS BY CAHNER OLSON

Evelyn, 4, and Ruben, 10, discuss their opinions on a painting of a seaside town in Italy. The painting was featured in October’s First Friday at the Burkholder Project exhibit.

Top: Eric Stams talks with First Friday goers about his art work being displayed at the Burkholder Project Exhibit. First Friday is held at the beginning of every month at multiple locations around downtown Lincoln and the Haymarket. Left: Jack Hotel and his band perform at Crescent Moon Coffee during October’s First Friday. The band performed with many different instruments, including the banjo.

Men’s Choral Festival draws particpants of all ages Akua Dawes DN

like 10,” Eklund said, chuckling. “So I did have to adjust to recruit students to the university.” The men’s choir has grown to This week marks the 16th anniversary of the University of greater numbers in the past years, Nebraska-Lincoln Men’s Choral with the festival growing alongside it. This year there will be an Festival, an annual concert celebrating men’s choirs of all ages estimated 300 singers performing on stage at the final concert. singing together to promote lifePast participant Tanner Pfeilong singing careers. ffer, a freshman The choirs range mathefrom young children, It was a novel physics, matics and musuch as the Lincoln experience sic major, noted Boys Choir, to high the benefits of school, university to play with so being surroundand adult choirs. In ed by such a the past, out-of-state many men for so groups from Kansas long under multiple large group of older singers. City, De Moines and “It was a Council Bluffs have conductors.” novel experialso participated in Tanner Pfeiffer ence to sing the singing festiviphysics, math, music major with so many ties. men for so long These programs under multiple are invited to participate by UNL’s head director of choral conductors throughout the day,” activities, Peter Eklund. Fifteen Pfeiffer said. “The final concert years ago, Eklund started the fes- at the end of the day is a fascinating combination of styles and skill tival when he saw a need for a levels.” more active men’s choir at UNL. Taking the momentum from “Before I came here, I had three men’s choirs at my previous the past concerts, Eklund plans institution. And, you know, my on bringing that same energy to this year ’s festivities by allowing top ones were like 100 guys, and I walked in here and there were as many male singers as possible

IF YOU GO UNL Men’s Choral Festival

where:

Kimball Recital Hall

when:

Monday, 7 p.m.

to participate. “I just tried to make it sure that they understood that when you come here you do not have to be majoring in music,” Eklund said. “Every single one of our ensembles at the university has nonmajors.” By promoting this idea, Eklund has not only increased the amount of participants in the orchestra, but he has also sparked the attention of some non-majors who are interested in the choirs. “I am so excited to hear what the director has prepared for the audience in terms of song choice,” said Molly Tannehill, a sophomore psychology major who was

choir: see page 7

spencer myrlie | dn

The men’s choir practices for their performance on Monday. There is no audition required to be a part of the choir. “If you can sing a note, and I can find it on a piano, you’re in,” conductor Peter Eklund said.

dailynebraskan.com

monday, october 7, 2013

‘Runner, Runner’ falls flat with cliche plot Vince MOran dn

COURTESY PHOTO

3-D effects help ‘Gravity’ stand out from crowd Vince Moran DN Alfonso Cuarón’s new film, “Gravity,” is one of few times when the magnitude of a particular piece of pop culture becomes so immediately relevant that it becomes an experience that must be participated in. Despite spending a good amount of time on the Internet reading about the special effects, I still have no idea how this film was accomplished. The opening shot is so long, intricately detailed, mobile and complicated that one simply sits in awe of its technicality. The film is almost entirely composed of shots like this where the characters are floating through space with the camera following with and around them. What is so staggering about these shots is that one believes, in order for them to be possible, everything in the frame has to be animated. Yet seeing the human actors floating through space gives the impression that they are physically being filmed somewhere, and their surroundings are filled in later using a green screen. However, the shots are so long and complicated that this is seemingly impossible as well. This unknowable sensation makes the film utterly unbelievable and jaw-dropping. Though so many descriptive phrases like this have become cliches when reviewing films, “Gravity” is one of few movies that actually live up to them. The film is about a group of engineers, scientists and astronauts who are working on a telescope when a storm of flying debris, in one of the many incredible sequences, crashes into them, leaving only two members of the crew alive. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney play Dr. Ryan Stone and Matt Kowalski, the two crew members who escape the destructive crash. Stone is on her first expedition in space, while Kowalski is a veteran of the trade on his last mission. Stone is the film’s protagonist, and

Cuarón’s captivating camera follows her weightless and helpless body as she struggles to survive and make it home alive. It’s somewhat distracting having such big-name actors in a film such as this. The special effects and the amazing visual experience are its core, and these world-famous actors sometimes take the audience out of this amazing world Cuarón has created. It gives off a gimmicky feeling of “watch famous people in space!” instead of its desired effect — showing two people desperately fighting for their lives, a plot that could have been better imagined with unknown actors. With that said, Bullock is great as the calculating and serious Stone. She brilliantly pulls of a nearly one-man show by inhabiting and fleshing out a somewhat unoriginal character and by creating an emotional connection with the audience. Clooney is somewhat less successful at giving a worthwhile performance. However, this has less to do with his decisions as an actor and more to do with his unoriginal character and the less-than-inspired dialogue he is asked to deliver. It is not only Clooney’s dialogue that comes across as recycled material — much of the screenplay gives off this impression as well. For a film with such an original use of special effects, the same cannot be said for the plot. “Gravity” is truly at its best when there is complete and utter silence, which it is for most of its runtime, and oftentimes the dialogue that breaks that silence also breaks the tension brewing in the viewer ’s stomach. The background score is also a huge blow to the film’s effectiveness. The crash sequences do not give off any sound at all (because there is no sound in space), and the filmmakers would have done better keeping it that way in the music department. It would be incredible to see how impactful “Gravity” would be if it was filmed without a musical score and instead allowed the

“Runner Runner” is the new crime thriller from director Brad Furman, who directed 2011’s excellent “The Lincoln Lawyer.” The film stars Justin Timberlake as Richie, a Princeton graduate student who extensively gambles online to try to cover the cost of his Ivy League education, and Ben Affleck as Ivan Block, the head of the online gambling syndicate to which Richie loses all of his money. Richie, with the help of his Princeton friends, discovers he was cheated out of his thousands and decides to fly to Costa Rica to confront Ivan face to face. Presented with knowledge of cheating inside of his website and Richie’s obvious intelligence, Ivan offers him a high position in his organization. It’s immediately obvious the story “Runner Runner” wants to tell after the setup because of how quickly the script sprints through the movie’s opening scenes. Unfortunately everything that follows suffers as a result of this shaky setup. All of Richie’s decisions seem muddied and rushed because of how little time they’re afforded. The director is obviously trying to explore the outcome of a very sudden transition from broke college student to casino mogul, but because it is so unclear how Richie knows exactly where to find Ivan — let alone how to get into his exclusive compound

GIMME

FIVE

GRAVITY STARRING

Sandra Bullock, George Clooney

DIRECTED BY

Alfonso Cuarón

dead silence of space and the heavy fearful breathing of the actors to be the film’s soundtrack. What these complaints seem to suggest is that even though “Gravity” is probably the most impressive 3-D film ever made and will hold that title for a long time, it is still a Hollywood movie, and it unfortunately comes with all the baggage associated with Hollywood, including its actors, score and screenplay. While these detractors keep “Gravity” from being an all-around masterpiece, the amazing cinematography from “Inception”’s Emmanuel Lubezki, masterful direction by Cuarón, and most of all, the groundbreaking and revolutionary special effects work make “Gravity” a landmark in the history of digital cinema, and essential viewing for all lovers of film. arts@ dailynebraskan.com

— that rather than incredible, this transition feels transparently manufactured. Once Richie joins Ivan, he continues to be sucked into shadier elements of the business. As the lines between legality and crime blur, the consequences of his lifestyle are remarkably unexplored. Anthony Mackie co-stars as an FBI agent on Ivan’s trail, but only seems to pop up when the plot desperately needs something — anything — to lend it tension or credibility. Timberlake’s performance as Richie doesn’t particularly stand out. Rather than presenting character-driven action, “Runner Runner” simply relies on a bunch of unlikely things happening to Richie. It’s interesting to see Ben Affleck playing what may be his first actual villain, but much like Timberlake, he fails to offer anything out of the ordinary. In his first scene of the film he captures a stunning sense of dread with the help of the strength of that lone scene’s cinematography. He is unable to produce it again, though, and the film descends into a battle of wits between two equally uninteresting characters. “Runner Runner” tries to capitalize on a familiar setup, but finds itself hindered as a result of using this setup as an engine to get out of a port too quickly. Its inability to create anything new or invest its audience in its characters finally capsizes it. “Runner

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

RUNNER RUNNER STARRING

Justin Timberlake, Gemma Arterton, Ben Affleck

DIRECTED BY

Brad Furman

Runner” sinks to the bottom as the latest in 2013’s series of particularly forgettable and unoriginal blockbusters. arts@ dailynebraskan.com

For years, people have wondered where in the world Carmen Sandiego is. While we’ve yet to narrow down where she is, we’re pretty sure we’ve figured out where’s she’s not.

Right in front of you. You’d be able to see her then. You did check in front of you, right?

In the government. Because they’ve shut down is what I mean. We’re all about topical jokes here at the DN Arts Desk.

My bank account. I don’t want to get into it, but I don’t have “financial awareness.”

In Peoria, Ill. This one is just a gut feeling.

In my dreams at night. At least, not most nights. It’s funny how the memories you think will never fade eventually do. COMPilED BY TYLER KEOWN | ART BY REBECCA RICKERTSEN

‘System Shock 2’ rewards a sharp ‘Gravity’ changes 3-D for better mind, forces players to think ahead miles rothlisberger

While many video games exist as challenges of dexterity and reflex, some challenge the mind, too. Last week, “Dark Souls” showed itself as a masochistic game that punished adventurers for poor execution and over-confidence. But how about a game that doesn’t necessarily challenge the hands of a player but, instead, his brain? What about a game that holds similarities not to slap-jack, but to chess, where players must map out every turn and strategy or suffer the consequences? Normally, “Bioshock” assumes this “thinking man’s game” mantle. However, its predecessor, “System Shock 2,” stands as the true, rough and tough video game meant for only hardcore plotters and strategists. Right from the get go, a player must make hard decisions on who his or her character will develop into throughout the game: A gun-toting commando, a “psionic” user with its abilities ranging from object-levitation to health-leeching or an engineer skilled in hacking different contraptions such as security turrets. Yes, even before any story is fleshed out, the players must make the tough decisions. Luckily, for the most part, the game provides advantages and disadvantages for the different archetypes, though mixing them to create hybrids poses more difficulties. After character creation, players are set in the infamous Von Braun, a space ship capable

of speeds faster than light. Waking up from hyper-sleep, players must make their way through the ship while also figuring out why an outbreak of “the Many,” infected humans that begin to mutate and become a collective force of insanity, has taken a hold on the ship. An exceptional story follows, along with pain. Much pain. For every step of the way, players are taxed with decisions. Permanent and gamealtering decisions, at that. See, “System Shock 2” is much like chess, except every wrong move results in a limb being sheared off. First the fingers, then others. That’s because the game is, really, a hybrid of horror, roleplaying and first-person shooting. Every choice made must be done knowing the consequences. Shooting that security-camera with armor-piercing rounds may be beneficial now, but ammo is so scarce that it may be another two hours before more is found; spending that cyber-module (points used to boost skills) on research may result in some tantalizing rewards, but then the hacking skill may be too low to open a medical chest; sneaking around that infected jerk can save ammo and psionic charge, but then he may come with friends later. The scarcity of ammo, money, research equipment and “cyber-modules,” to level up a player ’s character, forces one to be thrifty. But the toughness of certain enemies, particularly mechanical monstrosities, forces one to be creative with killing or sneaking. Again, however, the circumstances that make creativity so difficult, such as the fearful suspense and the unpredictable enemy artificial intelligence, complicates everything. Even on the normal difficulty, a smart and adaptive mind gives players

an edge. It doesn’t win them the game, but it does give them an edge. This is what makes the game “System Shock 2” the wonderful experience that it is — even by today’s standards. It forces players to think before they act or suffer the ramifications. Yet, while it does punish players from making poor choices in certain circumstances, it also rewards them for exploring. Not every situation will allow an engineer to hack a turret and have it mow down a group of baddies. It would not be a difficult game if just an engineer or a crazy sociopath with shotguns made it through the entire game without roadblocks or scenarios where another class would flourish more, but when a class does flourish and pull of its strengths, the satisfaction of building the character comes rushing in. Although over-confidence always gets buried beneath fear as the disturbing calls of the Many or the suspenseful grind of a patrolling robot make players realize the work is never truly done. “System Shock 2” provides a different challenge that many players expect from difficult games by crafting something that forces players to hold their triggers and contemplate how to build their character in the best way possible to survive the dreadful and mentally-taxing hallways of the Von Braun. Sure, the game may not be as unforgiving with its checkpoints as “Dark Souls,” let alone rogue games in general, but players will enjoy this fresh take on difficulty that punishes, as well as rewards, character experimentation and exploration in an eerie and fleshed-out futuristic world. When Miles isn’t writing about masochistic games, he’s usually getting pulverized by them. Give him some tips at arts@ dailynebraskan.com

vince moran

Alfonso Cuarón’s ground-breaking new film “Gravity” has re-lit the fire for the ongoing debate on 3-D technology and whether it is the future of the cinema, as sound and color technology once were. This happens nearly every time one of the great living directors embraces the technology, like in James Cameron’s “Avatar,” Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo,” Werner Herzog’s “Cave of Forgotten Dreams,” Ang Lee’s “Life of Pi” and Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit.” Like those films, “Gravity” further experiments with 3-D and pushes the boundaries further than ever. Cuarón’s application of the technology as accomplished through incredible long shots and highly mobile camera movement has every person who sees the film asking, “How on Earth was this done?” Because of Cuarón’s amazing direction, “Gravity” is probably the best of the films listed above when looked at through a purely technological standpoint. While “Avatar” will be seen as the film that kickstarted 3-D filmmaking, “Gravity” utilizes it in far more superior ways and will be remembered as the film that made 3-D interesting again. However, this brings one to ask, “Do we really want an increase in 3-D films?” While it’s obvious “Gravity” is absolutely incredible and a wonder to behold, not every 3-D film is going be as impressive. On the contrary, 3-D films tend to be the most unoriginal and annoying blockbuster films released during the year. “Texas Chainsaw 3D,” “Oz the Great and Powerful” and “The Great Gatsby,” are only a sample of the horrific and disastrous films from an artistic standpoint to grace the big screen with their presence this year. While 3-D films tend to not be

of the greatest quality, they also have been decreasing in popularity more and more in the minds of audiences. Headaches, paired with increased ticket prices, are some of the common complaints against the technology, and the Huffington Post reports that ticket sales for 3-D films are lower than ever. “Shares for RealD, the 3-D technology projection company, hit alltime lows this month after August ticket sales proved especially disappointing,” the Huffington Post said. “The summer’s 3-D offerings, namely lucrative releases such as ‘Despicable Me 2’ and ‘The Wolverine’ were trumped by their 2-D counterparts.” It is obvious that when given the opportunity to choose, audiences are more inclined to stick to 2-D projection for a variety of reasons. And while most 3-D films are horrendous and in 3-D for no intelligible reason except for the ticket surcharge, Cuarón has proved that the technology can be used in service to the cinema as an art form. He explained why his film is so superior to other 3-D films in an interview saying, “The problem now is that they make all these films that are not designed for 3-D and then convert them as a commercially afterthought — and they are crap. They don’t follow the rules of 3-D of what does and doesn’t work.” Cuarón is absolutely right with this statement. “Gravity” is different because it is a film made specifically for 3-D at the outset. In fact, the argument could easily be made that you are not even seeing “Gravity” unless it’s seen in a 3-D movie theater with surround sound. I don’t know why anyone would even want to own a DVD of the film, because it is a film that has to be seen under certain conditions, and watching it at home on a DVD or Blu-Ray player is frankly not the same thing. If anything, hopefully “Gravity” will inspire Hollywood to make 3-D movies worth the audience’s time and money. Movies such as “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” “The Smurfs 2” and “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” aren’t going to cut it anymore. Many proponents of 3-D suggest

it’s the natural next step in making the cinema experience as realistic as possible. As the famous film theorist André Bazin says in his essay “The Myth of Total Cinema,” cinema has yet to reach its totality because its achievement corresponds with being a complete replication of reality where it’s impossible to tell the difference between what is cinema and what is real. What’s ironic about this is today’s 3-D seems to only work for animated films, teenage horror movies and special effects-driven blockbusters. It is hard to imagine something like a Woody Allen movie in 3-D, because 3-D is more or less a gimmick and not something we identify with realism at all. Therefore, those who believe it’s the future of film because of its realism need to somehow account for this fact. 3-D is great for films such as “The Hobbit” and “Avatar” because they successfully transport audiences to different worlds. If 3-D is used in a realistic film, it detracts from the realism. This may be because the technology has not progressed far enough yet, but as of now, any 3-D that doesn’t take place in space, in a kids movie or on a fantasy island comes across as irritating and distracting. As the late, great Roger Ebert concluded in his 2010 essay on 3-D, “I’m not opposed to 3-D as an option. I’m opposed to it as a way of life for Hollywood, where it seems to be skewing major studio output away from the kinds of films we think of as Oscar-worthy.” Hopefully “Gravity” sparks creative innovation in Hollywood and in the medium of film in general and doesn’t give studios more initiative to push out half-assed excuses of 3-D films for the extra money. But why should we expect Hollywood to start having artistic integrity now? Even great filmmakers such as Cuarón who can somewhat navigate the bureaucratic system and are able to create these technical masterpieces still have to compromise with unoriginal and purely Hollywood screenplays and actors. arts@ dailynebraskan.com

dailynebraskan.com

monday, october 7, 2013

Choir: from 5

NEWGROUNDS

PHOTO BY ANDREW BARRY

active in her high school choir. “Although, I was not able to see them last year, but have my calendar marked for this year.” Although it may seem odd for non-music majors to go see an event, Pfeiffer said there are hidden benefits to seeing the concert. “Non-majors could get a glimpse into a broad survey of the styles associated with men’s choir and perhaps even realize that men’s choir is something that (they) might want to participate in at UNL themselves,” Pfeiffer said with a laugh. This concert can help music majors as well as non-majors see exactly what a choral atmosphere is capable of accomplishing. Eklund remembers fondly how amazed audience members at past festivals were after the per-

A national representative from the fraternity Alpha Gamma Rho, executive director Philip Josephson, assists AGR — Kappa Chapter Foundation Board President Roger Wehrbein in cutting a ribbon to dedicate the new house for the Kappa Chapter of AGR on Saturday. The house is built to hold 64 members, according to the chapter’s website, and leaves the opportunity to expand if needed in the future.

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Architectural design and construction firm is looking for an energetic, positive person who is available to fill a part-time warehouse position 20-35 flexible daytime hours per week. Full time availability is available for the right candidate. Primary job duties include receiving, unloading, organizing and checking in project materials and inventory, keeping warehouse neat and organized, assisting with packing and delivery as necessary, jobsite maintenance as needed and other duties as assigned. We are a small, busy company looking for good people. We offer competative wages and a fast paced and fun work environment in exchange for a team player who is willing to assist in any area needed. We are more than willing to train the right person, and can be flexible in scheduling The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation depending upon the needs of the job candi500 Seventh Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 date. Please email resume to: Lisza@coffeyandcompany.com, or mail to For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 3530 Village Drive Suite 200, Lincoln, NE For Release Thursday, July 17, 2008 68516. program at www.sudoku.com

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Puzzle by James Sajdak

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The Lincoln YMCA currently has openings for weekend Front Desk Staff. Must enjoy working with people. Complimentary Y membership available to qualified staff. Apply online at www.ymcalincolnjobs.org.

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formance. “People come up to either our singers or our concerts and say ‘I had no idea anything like this was possible,’” Eklund said. “It just

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monday, october 7, 2013

Record number of alumni shows up for swim meet Natasha Rausch DN In the Huskers’ 10th annual alumni meet on Saturday, a record 44 alumni went to the Devaney Natatorium to compete against the current Nebraska women’s swimming team. This high turnout of alumni — a stark difference from the 2012 meet in which only seven attended — landed the alumni seven wins in 13 events. “The meet was really exciting,” said coach Pablo Morales, who has coached the swimming and diving team for 13 seasons. “We had our biggest turnout of alums ever, representing a lot of different eras. It was the spirit of the past coming together with the spirit of the present, and it creates just a wonderful dynamic.” Former All-American and Husker Mike Irvin, who attends the alumni meet each year, claimed wins in the 100-yard individual medley and the 50- and 100-yard freestyle. Several current Huskers claimed event wins as well. Junior Rebekah Land won the 50- and 100-yard backstroke, while sophomore Katie Ditter won the 50- and 100-yard breaststroke and sophomore Melissa Mexia won the 100-yard butterfly.

The 200-yard freestyle relay team — composed of junior Alex Bilunas, junior Taryn Collura, sophomore Bria Deveaux and senior Shannon Guy — won its event as well. This was the second alumni meet 2012 graduate Bobbi Balogh has competed in, and she said she enjoyed returning to her alma mater. “It was a blast,” said Balogh, who swam in the 50-yard freestyle, the 100-yard individual medley and the 200-yard freestyle relay. “It was just like the old days. I can’t even believe how well I did in the freestyle.” Balogh was especially proud to see the high turnout from alumni this year as opposed to past years. “Everyone came back this year it seems like,” Balogh said. “I’ve never seen any of the older women swim, so that was cool this year that a lot of them swim.” Ann Kaseman, formerly Ann Tidball, graduated from Nebraska in 1995. This year was the first alumni meet she has attended since leaving Nebraska. Tidball competed in the 50-yard freestyle, 50-yard breaststroke and the 100-yard individual medley. “It was awesome,” Kaseman said. “I actually grew up here, so it’s fun to be back. This is the first year I’ve come back, and all my

roommates came back, too. I need to come down more often and support the Huskers because I think they are doing great.” After coming back to Nebraska to coach for the Husker swimming team last year, Balogh is excited to see that this year’s team is shapingup well. “In terms of training, they’ve really stepped it up in the past year,” Balogh said. “Last year, it really showed that they trained harder, and this year they’re just building off of that. They’ve really stepped it up in the past year in terms of training.” Now after the alumni meet, Morales is looking to continue preparing for the Huskers’ first official meet against Iowa State University on Oct. 12 at the Devaney Natatorium. “They’ve always been a strong rival for us,” Morales said. “It’s great to get focused. We’re going to stay the course and continue our hard training, we are definitely building toward being a great team this year, so it’s really great to face an opponent like Iowa State. They will come in and challenge us, and we have to be ready to compete well.” sports@ dailynebraskan.com

file photo by amber baesler | dn

Nebraska swimming and diving coach Pablo Morales said having a large turnout of former Nebraska swimmers at the Huskers’ alumni meet met the spirit of the past with the spirit of the present.

Nebraska wraps up fall season Huskers sweep doubleheaders versus Drake, Creighton to finish exhibition season at 7-1 Austin Pistulka DN It was a chilly weekend to be a Husker fan – especially if you were watching the softball team take on Drake and Creighton in a pair of doubleheaders. With winds of 22 mph or more, the cold may have affected the crowd turnout, but it had no effect on the softball team, as the Huskers won all four games against Drake and in-state rival Creighton. The Huskers started out shaky against Drake, falling behind by two runs heading into the bottom of seventh. The Huskers rallied with the bases loaded and two outs. After a walk brought in a run, sophomore second baseman Hailey Decker rocketed a line drive to the outfield, scoring freshman pinch runner Rachel Arthur, and senior pitcher Tatum Edwards avoided a tag at home to score the winning run. “I’m really glad we had that opportunity,” coach Rhonda Revelle said. “They were up almost the entire game, and all I could think was, ‘This is a great opportunity if we can get a comeback under our belt against a quality team that would get in us, get in our DNA a little bit.’ Because even though we did this last year, you really do start off every season with a new team even if you have returning players.” The second game showed how

andrew barry | dn

Sophomore pitcher Emily Lockman earned two wins in complete games over the weekend, giving up five runs on 11 hits in 13 total innings in her two starts. the team wanted to play, as it blew Drake out 10-3. Decker and sophomore first baseman Dawna Tyson combined to go 7 for 8 with 5 RBI. “I really liked that the next game, we came out and scored and scored and scored again. That

WE DELIVER!

FREAKY FAST

was great, too,” Revelle said. Tatum Edwards had a great outing against Creighton to start Sunday’s doubleheader, allowing only three hits and striking out 10 in a complete-game shutout of the Bluejays. The Huskers had 10 hits, six of them coming from Decker and senior catcher Taylor Edwards. The Huskers were scoreless until plating three runs in the bottom of the fourth and the fifth innings. The only Husker to post

more than one RBI in the game was Tyson. “I’m proud that our hitters just kept at it because she (Creighton senior pitcher Becca Changstrom) had us off balance for most of the game,” Revelle said. “I thought Tatum had great mound presence today.” The sun came out a bit for the second game of Sunday’s double header. The Huskers quickly got on the board in the first with a 3-run home run by Taylor Edwards. Not to be outdone, twin sister Tatum Edwards hit a solo shot to deep right field in the bottom of the third. The Huskers added six more unanswered runs to end the game on a mercy rule, winning 10-2. On the mound was sophomore right-hander Emily Lockman. Lockman allowed only five hits, two earned runs and struck out seven. “I liked that we came out and scored decisively in that first inning, and I was proud of how Emily came back from giving up some runs,” Revelle said. “I also liked how we responded with a big inning after those two runs were given up.” The standout for the Huskers this weekend was Decker, who went 10-12 in this weekend’s four games. “Hailey is just doing what she does,” Revelle said. “I think our entire coaching staff knew that she had this in her. It’s just that this kid has worked every day in her life to be that player.” Decker added 6 RBI and scored five runs in the four games. “It felt nice,” Decker said. “I worked really hard over the offseason and to get results from knowing how hard I’ve worked and staying focused to have it pay off.” The Huskers have a break until they open the regular season on Feb. 7 in Las Cruces, N.M. They hope that this 7-1 fall season is a sign of things to come when the regular season rolls around. sports@ dailynebraskan.com

men’s golf

Huskers head to Firestone Invite Austin Pistulka DN The Nebraska men’s golf team heads to Akron, Ohio, this week for its third tournament of the fall. The Firestone Invitational will be at the North Course at the par-72 Firestone Country Club. The first day will have two rounds of 18 holes each, and a third round will be played on Tuesday. Firestone is home to the World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational. The Huskers will send five players to the tournament this week. Their No. 1 player for the tournament is sophomore Kolton Lapa, who leads the team in scoring through the first two tournaments. No. 2 is junior Calvin Freeman, who started his first collegiate tournament at the last tournament. Junior Ross Dickson, who has had 16 birdies through the first two tournaments, is the No. 3 player, and freshman Justin Jennings, who also made his first collegiate start two weeks ago at the Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational, will play in the No. 4 spot. Rounding out Nebraska’s lineup at No. 5 is senior Matt Record, who has been solid for the Huskers during the first two tournaments. This group finished seventh at the CU Invite in its last event. The Huskers hope to continue improving at this week’s tournament by working on their long iron play. “This week we have really worked on our long games,” Dickson said. “Woods, drivers, long irons. Because Firestone’s a long course we won’t have very many short plays. It’s very demanding of us off the tee.” In order to simulate putting the ball in play, the Huskers have done more than just practice on the driving range. “Each guy has his own thing he does at practice, but this week we have all really made a conscious ef-

fort to go out and play the course after practice,” Record said. The Huskers join 16 other teams in the field at the tournament: Akron, College of Charleston, Davidson, Eastern Michigan, Francis Marion, Georgetown, Illinois State, Kansas State, Miami (Ohio), Ohio, Old Dominion, Samford, St. Mary’s, University of South Carolina Aiken, Washington State and Western Kentucky. Of the 17 teams in the tournament, only four are in the top-100 teams, and none are in the top 50 according to golfweekrankings.com. Washington State is 63rd, St. Mary’s is 76th and College of Charleston is 91st, and Samford rounds out the rankings at 100th place. Record is ready for this tournament after a productive week of practice. “I actually got my first hole in one ever this week, and then after practice I holed out again, so I’m really confident in myself going into this tournament,” Record said. Dickson said he thought the experience at the CU Invite can translate to Firestone. “I would say that this course fits most all of us, really,” Dickson said. “I mean, we all hit pretty straight off the tee, and we all hit most fairways as a team. That really showed in Colorado.” Dickson has experience at this course and understands the difficulties that this course brings to the table. “It’s a golf course that will reward you when you are playing well, and it will punish you when you are struggling,” Dickson said. “I mean it is a great course, and we are privileged to be able to play on it.” A year ago, the Huskers finished 13th at the Firestone Invitational. It is a course used by professionals and will pose a big challenge for the team as they look to improve on their way toward the postseason. sports@ dailynebraskan.com

soccer: from 9 Leading the Wolverines offensively was senior forward Nkem Ezurike, who had a seven shots in the game, more than any player on either team. In the second half, her aggressive play paid off. Eight minutes into the second half, the Wolverine forward took a ground cross from freshman forward Madisson Lewis to tap it into the back of the net and give her team the first lead of the day. It was Ezurike’s seventh goal of the season, and heading into the matchup, Nebraska knew her skills would be a challenge to defend. “She’s a good player,” Greischar said. “I think we just weren’t able to finish our opportunities, and she would put them away.” After the first goal of the game, the Wolverines remained aggressive and physical with the Huskers and kept finding opportunities to get the ball into the goal box. Four minutes after Ezurike’s goal, Lewis scored an unassisted goal in the 58th minute to bring the lead to 2-0 over the Huskers. Being down by two goals for the first time since losing 3-0 at BYU on Aug. 31, the Huskers bounced back and started to get more opportunities against the Wolverines. In the 74th minute, freshman midfielder Courtney Claassen charged down the sideline with the ball into Wolverine territory, and she sent a long cross into a line of players from both teams. Senior forward Jordan Jackson knocked the ball in with a header to close the margin to 2-1. For the rest of the game, the Huskers were aggressive, with Stevens standing at midfield to keep the ball in Wolverine territory. In the final minute, the ball flew all over the field, and with 10 seconds left in regulation the

spencer myrlie | dn

Senior forward Jordan Jackson dribbles the ball against Michigan. Jackson scored the Huskers’ lone goal of the game with 16 minutes left as they tried to erase a two-goal deficit against Michigan. Huskers had a cross opportunity. Although the team has had success in the past with crosses, the Huskers failed to convert, and the game ended with Nebraska’s first conference loss of the season. This week, NU gets to recu-

perate from the loss and will face Big Ten opponent Purdue on Friday. With their seven-game winning streak at an end, the Huskers are now able to take a breath and prepare for the road ahead. “We just got to focus on the

next game,” Greischar said. “We had a huge target on our back, and now we don’t have the pressure anymore. It’s a blessing in disguise.” sports@ dailynebraskan.com

sports

dailynebraskan.com monday, october 7, 2013 dailynebraskan.com @dnsports

monday, october 7, 2013

Junior running back Ameer Abdullah averaged 11.2 yards a carry and had three runs of more than 30 yards against Illinois.

runningwild Ameer Abdullah’s career day carries Nebraska over Illinois s t o r y

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NEBRASKA VS. ILLINOIS STATS

featured page 1 photo by nickolai hammar | dn

Total offense Rushes – yards Passing yards Completions – attempts First downs Third down conversions Time of possession

NEBRASKA

ILLINOIS

521 50 – 335 186 11 – 20 24 6 of 12 27:06

372 48 – 195 177 16 – 31 24 4 of 15 32:54

NU volleyball gets Big Ten wins Eric Bertrand DN The No. 10 Nebraska volleyball team continued its strong start in Big Ten play this year by defeating No. 8 Minnesota and No. 23 Wisconsin during the weekend. The Huskers (11-2, 4-0) are now tied with Michigan State for the lead in the Big Ten standings. The Huskers posted a .385 percent hitting clip, had four players with an attacking percent of at least .400 percent and committed 11 errors on the offense in a sweep of the Golden Gophers (25-22, 25-19, 25-19). “I’m shocked we hit that well,” coach John Cook said. The first set began with both squads going back and forth on the score, without either team having a big advantage. The largest lead was a four-point Nebraska lead at 18-14, but it vanished, and a kill from Minnesota senior middle blocker Tori Dixon tied the score at 22. According to Cook, it was difficult to stop Dixon. “Dixon we don’t have answers for,” Cook said. “But if you told me we were going to hold her to .286, I’ll take it.” Freshman outside hitter Amber Rolfzen stepped up late in the first set by recording a kill, and she followed it with an ace to give the Huskers a setpoint situation. Senior outside hitter Kelsey Robinson wasted no time and notched a kill to take the first game. The second set was also a see-saw battle for the lead. The Huskers managed to gain the advantage at 20-17, which forced Minnesota to use a timeout. Coming out of the timeout, the Huskers gave up two points to the Golden Gophers, but Robinson finished the game with a service ace. “Game point, I was going for it,” Robinson said. “I want the ace, and I want to finish the game.” Robinson also finished the third game. The Huskers had the momentum at 20-17 when Minnesota used a timeout. The Huskers came out of the timeout by allowing 2 points. Nebraska won points with a block, an ace and some Minnesota errors, and the competition was capped off with Robinson’s 21st kill of the match. Minnesota’s attack was led by Dixon, who finished with 12 kills. Senior setter Alexandra Palmer set the offense with 32 assists and two kills of her own. Freshman outside hitter Kadie

or the second straight game, Taylor Martinez did not start as quarterback for Nebraska. And for the second straight game, the Huskers came away with a home victory without him. Redshirt freshman Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw for two touchdowns, and junior running back Ameer Abdullah ran for a career-high 225 yards to lead Nebraska (4-1, 1-0 Big Ten) to a 39-19 win Saturday against Illinois (3-2, 0-1) in its first conference game of the season. In his second consecutive start, Armstrong completed eight of his 13 passes for 135 passing yards, while also rushing for 18 yards. “I thought Tommy played well,” coach Bo Pelini said after the game. “Overall, I thought he did some really good things. Obviously dealing with the wind was a good experience for him. He managed the game very well.” Armstrong began the game firing on all cylinders. After the defense forced the Fighting Illini to go three and out on the first possession, Armstrong completed a pass to senior tight end Jake Long for a 9-yard gain to move the Huskers inside Illinois’ 35-yard line. Runs of 30 yards and 2 yards by Abdullah capped the drive off with a touchdown and an early 7-0 advantage for Nebraska. The Huskers’ offensive success continued on the next drive, this time predominantly through the air. Armstrong began the Huskers’ second drive with a 26-yard pass to senior wide receiver Quincy Enunwa and finished the drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass to put Nebraska up 14-0. Enunwa’s sixth touchdown reception of the season bumped him into the top 10 on Nebraska’s all-time receptions list and made him the 22nd Husker to record 1,000 receiving yards. The senior captain finished with a team-high 80 receiving yards. But it wasn’t just the connections between Armstrong and Enunwa that highlighted the day. “I thought Ameer played great. I thought he would, and he did,” Pelini said. “He made a lot of guys miss, and he’s a good back.” Abdullah, who finished the first half with 81 rushing yards, more than doubled his total in the second half to compile a career-high 225. The junior I-back’s previous high was 167 against Arkansas State last season. Abdullah credited his teammates for his performance. “The guys did their best to bust down the field for me,” Abdullah said. “A lot of times in college football the longer runs come from when teammates are blocking downfield. How we prepared was really key. I feel like we can really run the ball with those guys.” But it wasn’t just on the offensive side of the ball Nebraska impressed its coach Saturday. “I like a lot of things we did defensively,” Pelini said. “I saw some definite progress.” The Blackshirts recorded 12 tackles for loss, including three sacks on Illini senior quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase. After focusing the past two weeks in practice on executing tackles and communication, defensive coordinator John Papuchis said he noticed improvement against Illinois. “I thought there was a lot more conviction in terms of their resolve and toughness they showed,” Papuchis said. “The talk in the huddle was real positive, and I thought there was definite improvement on what we’ve seen.” Although four Fighting Illini receivers finished Saturday’s game with 20 or more receiving yards, the Big Ten’s leading passer completed 13 of his 26 passing attempts for 135 yards. “They throw a lot at you. They’re in five-wides,” Papuchis said. “They make you earn everything you get. That’s a pretty good offense. Holding that group to under 300 yards and 12 points up until the final drive, I was pretty pleased with that.” Unlike its previous games this year, the Husker defense applied pressure all game. Redshirt freshman linebackers Michael Rose and Jared Afalava finished their first starts with a combined 19 tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack by Afalava. Although Pelini said the Huskers aren’t where he wants them to be just yet, he’s hopeful to see the progress continue in the next game against Purdue next week. “I saw our guys take some of the stuff we talked about during the week, and we transformed it to the field,” he said. “We did a lot better job, and that’s what you want to see as a coach. I saw our guys respond well, I saw progress, and that’s what you look for.” sports@ dailynebraskan.com

soccer

Michigan snaps Huskers’ sevengame streak Josh Kelly DN

matt masin | dn

Senior outside hitter Kelsey Robinson ended all three sets in Nebraska’s sweep of Minnesota. Rolfzen led Nebraska with 12 digs, adding 11 kills and an attacking percent of .400. The tight competition continued when the Huskers outlasted the Wisconsin Badgers in five sets on Saturday (25-23, 26-24, 22-25, 30-32, 15-6). The first two sets of the competition had one team jump out to a commanding lead, only to be erased going into the final points. The first game had the Badgers out in front 17-11, but when Wisconsin junior Deme Morales was blocked by Nebraska sophomore Cecilia Hall and Amber Rolfzen, the match was tied at 21. Nebraska would go on to take the game with kills from Robinson and sophomore Meghan Haggerty. The second game had the Huskers out to a 19-14 lead, but a kill from Wisconisn junior Ellen Chapman tied the score at 20. With consecutive kills from Robinson and Haggerty late, the Huskers took the second set. The Huskers entered the third

set with a commanding 2-0 lead, but just as the large leads in the first two games had been erased, this advantage would disappear. The Badgers rallied from behind in the third set to overcome an early Husker lead to take the game. Junior Courtney Thomas and freshman Haleigh Nelson led the Badger offense in the third game with four kills each. The crowd started to make its presence known late in the fourth set. The score was tied at 23, and Wisconsin committed the first service error of the set. The 8,277 fans let out a thunderous roar, and it did not let up for the rest of the competition. “The crowd got us a couple points just with serving errors on the other side,” Robinson said. “My ears are still ringing.” The Badgers would record three more service errors to keep the Huskers – and the energetic fans – in the set. But with an attack error by Robinson, followed by a double block, the Bad-

gers forced a fifth set. The Huskers went into the fifth set with a mindset of playing it pointby-point, according to Robinson. The Huskers jumped out to a 8-3 lead with kills from different players and three blocks. Nebraska didn’t let up as it went on to take the fifth set and the match. Wisconsin had three players notch double-digit kills. Thomas led the Badgers with 18 kills on the match. Freshman Lauren Carlini also contributed to the offense with seven kills and 49 assists. Robinson again led the Huskers in kills, with 29, and junior setter Mary Pollmiller dished out 54 assists. “Welcome to the Big Ten,” Cook said. “I think the biggest challenge for this group is just mentally understanding how hard they’re going to have to compete every night.” sports@ dailynebraskan.com

On a cold, windy Sunday afternoon, the No. 23 Nebraska women’s soccer team squared off against No. 21 Michigan in a top-25 Big Ten matchup, and the Wolverines came out on top to defeat the Huskers 2-1 even after the Husker offense made a late charge in the second half. Early in the game, it was all Michigan. The Wolverines relentlessly attacked the net in the early minutes against Nebraska’s senior goalkeeper, Emma Stevens. For the Huskers, it was all about getting ahead early against the ranked opponent. “We really pride ourselves in setting the pace,” junior midfielder Caroline Gray said. “We work on it pretty much every time we practice, so every time we get an opportunity, coach tells us to capi-

talize and to play our best. We just needed to get shots on this team and contest them.” Although Michigan had nine shots in the first half, the game was tied at zero by the time the horn went off for halftime. The Wolverines outshot the Huskers 9-6 in the first half, with both teams each getting two shots on goal. Defensively, the Huskers had two senior defenders, Ari Romero and Kylie Greischar, holding back the Wolverine offense, but for the duo, the first half had its mishaps. “I think we just needed to do our thing, one pressure and one cover,” Greischar said. “I think in the first half, we got caught with too many defenders playing up, and we weren’t doing what we were supposed to do.”

soccer: see page 8

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morgan spiehs | dn

Junior wide receiver Kenny Bell celebrates after running in a one-handed catch for a 37-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Bell ended the game with four catches for 65 yards.

nebraska 39, illinois 19

starting

strong Huskers run over illini in big ten opener

two hundred t w e n t y

five Running back Ameer Abdullah ran for a career-high 225 yards and scored two touchdowns. Abdullah surpassed his previous career high, 167 yards against Arkansas State in 2012, on a 43-yard run in the third quarter.

The Nebraska defense had 12 tackles for loss, including two each by Jared Afalava, Ciante Evans, Jason Ankrah and Avery Moss.

Passer rating in the game for Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase, whose rating entering the game was 174.8. Scheelhaase passed for 135 yards, less than half his previous season average of 291 yards per game.

85.9

nickolai hammar | dn

Redshirt freshman quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr., making his second career start, runs during the fourth quarter.

Receiving yards for senior Quincy Enunwa, the most by a Nebraska player this season. His first-quarter touchdown reception was his sixth of the season, doubling his career total entering 2013.

possessions led by Tommy Armstrong Jr., versus three for Ron Kellogg III. Armstrong, who made his second straight start for the injured Taylor Martinez, and Kellogg led five possessions each against South Dakota State.

morgan spiehs | dn

Redshirt freshman linebackers Jared Afalava (33) and Michael Rose (15) tackle Illinois running back Donovan Young.

game balls Kenny Bell There aren’t many catches like the one Kenny Bell made in the third quarter on Saturday. It appeared Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw the ball too high for Bell, but Bell climbed a ladder and snatched the ball with one hand out of the air and ran 15 more yards into the end zone.

Chris Heady, Football beat writer

Ciante Evans Ciante Evans may have picked up only four tackles against Illinois, but his presence was felt on the field the entire game. The senior cornerback picked up his first sack of the season on quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase to pin the Fighting Illini back to Nebraska’s 20-yard line and force a field goal. Evans also recorded his first career forced fumble on the second drive of the game and forced an interception into the hands of teammate Jason Ankrah on a quarterback hurry.

Nedu Izu, Football beat writer

Ameer Abdullah The junior running back ran for 225 yards and two touchdowns in the win against Illinois on Saturday. Abdullah’s effort, which was his 10th career 100-yard game, led a secure run game for Nebraska, which produced 335 rushing yards. His 225 yards were the most by a Husker since Roy Helu Jr. ran for a school-record 307 in 2010.

Kyle Cummings, Assistant sports editor