Spring Issue April 12, 2012

Player Profile pg. 8 The students’ voice since 1901 • Vol. 111 No. 22 • Thursday, April 12, 2012 • Check us out online.

ON THE

WEB

esubulletin.com

Debater receives top national award S usan W elte welte@esubulletin.com LaToya Williams-Green, senior communications major, was shocked when Emporia State debate coach Sam Maurer announced her as the recipient of the Brian Johnston Outstanding Debater of the Year Award at the Cross Examination Debate Association’s national tournament. “(It was) very shocking and surprising,” Williams-Green said. “You can think of a list of people before your own name that should probably get it, even your own partner. You fight hard next to someone who you know fights just as hard.”

The award is named after CEDA’s 1994 National Champion, according to Cedadebate.org. The

recipient is someone who can not only give the right argument, but who is also a friendly and familiar face, Williams-Green said. “(Johnston) was the go-to guy when it came to debate, not only for being likeable for what he said and what he thought, but for who he was,” Williams-Green said. “It’s humbling to be a part of that group of people and just (to) be thought of by so many people and by a committee who had to vote for that to happen.”

But Williams-Green said her inspiration comes mostly from those before her who did revolutionary things with debate and universities that paved the way for a young black woman to compete at such a high level. She also said she wants be the motivation for younger debaters and

help shape their perspectives.

“What debate has taught me is there is value in your words,” Williams-Green said. “Even if you’re not debating…the words you speak have power. Speak, if you can. If you can think it, if you can formulate an idea about it, share it. A good idea turns into a bad idea if it’s locked away in a closet.”

Emporia WW, which consists of Williams-Green and her debate partner, Ryan Wash, senior communications major, made it into the final four teams at CEDA. Out of 320 speakers, Williams-Green was the sixth, and Wash was the fourth.

At the National Debate Tournament, which consists of the top 78 debate teams in the country, Emporia WW ranked ninth.

See TOP ...Page 2

LaToya Williams-Green, senior communications major, and Ryan Wash, senior communications major, celebrate their octafinal appearance at the National Debate Tournament earlier this month. Photo courtesy of NDT

Dean honored for ‘changing students’ lives’ R ocky R obinson robinson@esubulletin.com A parade of friends, family and coworkers were greeted with hugs and handshakes at a retirement reception for Phillip Bennett, dean of the Teachers College, Monday afternoon.

“It was more than any one person deserves,” Bennett said.

“It was very nice, and I was very pleased with all the compliments.”

The reception at the Sauder Alumni Center drew a crowd of about 60. Among those attending were President Michael Shonrock and Provost

sion.”

During his speech, Shonrock deemed Bennett “genuine” and “passionate.”

“While we recognize his numerous contributions, they are numerous, there is one that we should remember. His contributions have changed the lives of so many students,” Shonrock said.

Bennett has worked for the university for 11 years, first as the associate dean of the Teachers College before being promoted to dean. “ What drew me to ESU is the fact that they are so strong in teacher education,” Bennett said. “I wanted to come back to

“While we recognize his numerous contributions, they are numerous, there is one that we should remember. His contributions have changed the lives of so many students,” -President Michael Shonrock

Phillip Bennett, dean of the Teachers College, listens as President Shonrock speaks about his time at ESU. Bennett has worked at ESU for 11 years. Yo Han Kim/The Bulletin

University shuts down apartments to fund on-campus upgrade T ianhai J iang jiang@esubulletin.com Emporia State Apartments at 1201 Triplett Dr. will close at the end of the summer semester as a part of a multimillion-dollar residential living project to upgrade and renovate the ESU residence halls.

The decision, which was announced to student residents on March 6, came as a shock, and some are not pleased.

“I was not happy when I found out about it. I was really angry,” said Brittany Riggs, senior rehabilitation services major. “I felt like they could have told us sooner. I felt like

telling us two months before school is out was really crappy.”

The closure of the complex was decided in January, said Ray Hauke, vice president of Administration and Fiscal Affairs, and the university doesn’t plan to open a new offcampus apartment building. “(ESU Apartments) haven’t been very popular,” Hauke said.

“The occupancy has been pretty low. It’s costing more to operate them, and in the survey we did last fall it’s not an area the students are finding very popular to live in. It’s a couple of blocks away (and) students living in the apartments kind of want to

See UPGRADE ...Page 5

Tes Mehring. Both gave short speeches honoring the dean.

Then Bennett’s family and friends took the podium sharing stories and praising him. “ Years from now, Phil’s innovations will pay dividends to the college,” said Ken Weaver, associate dean of the Teachers College.

“We celebrate Phil’s countless contributions, not just to the college, not just to Emporia State University, not just to the National Teachers Hall of Fame, but to Kansas and the profes-

the Midwest after making the decision to leave South Carolina.

I had two or three places that I had interviews or possibilities, but I basically turned them all down but this one. I guess it was a good thing that I got it.”

Bennett said his emphasis and advancements with technology and mobile learning have been his biggest accomplishments in his time at the university. “ They had the technology already, I have just been push-

See LIVES ...Page 2

What’s in the meat?

Emporia schools not serving pink slime B rooke S chultz schultz@esubulletin.com The ammonia-treated meat called “pink slime,” a term coined by former Emporian Gerald Zirnstein, is not being served by local schools – for now.

Nancy Horst, director of Community Relations for the Emporia School District, said the district follows guidelines from the USDA and the State Department of Education in reference to the school lunch

See SLIME ...Page 2

Photo courtesy of educationnes.org

Page 2

Briefs Webb named R. Roe Cross Distinguished Professor

Amy Sage Webb, associate professor of English and codirector of the Creative Writing program, receives the Roe R. Cross Distinguished Professor Award Tuesday afternoon.

Photo courtesy of Media Relations

Amy Sage Webb, associate professor of English and codirector of the Creative Writing program, is the 2012 Roe R. Cross Distinguished Professor, the highest award given to Emporia State faculty members.

President Michael Shonrock, Mel Storm, chair of the English department, Marie Miller, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Provost Tes Mehring and Vice Presidents Ray Hauke and Jim Williams presented the award to Webb Tuesday afternoon in Plumb Hall during her advanced fiction class.

The individual selected as Distinguished Professor must meet rigorous standards demonstrating excellence in teaching, student mentoring, and encouragement of academic excellence in students, a strong record of scholarly/creative activity, and leadership within the university and to the profession.

Webb will be recognized at a university reception toward the end of April, will be listed in the May commencement program, and will lead the academic processional at graduation next December and May.

Police Reports Reports given to The Bulletin from ESU Police and Safety Department

April 4 Officer stopped KS WDS306 at 1333 Merchant St. Verbal warning issued for a defective headlight.

Officer was dispatched to provide lock out assistance to 1000 Constitution St. Lock out was not provided as operator was impaired.

April 5 Officer checked KS 487DVJ east of the Sauder Center. The operator of the vehicle confused the drive around the building as a through street. No other problem was found.

Officers assisted Emporia Police Dept. with a fight call at 12th and Sylvan St. – The Dugout.

April 6 Luke Farnsworth reported a non-injury accident involving KS 508DVM in Lot 3.

Officers assisted KS 734AOS in 1200 Exchange St. Officer stopped KS 812BSG in 1400 Highland St. Verbal warning given for a stop sign violation at 15 and Wooster Dr. Citation given for no proof of insurance.

April 7 Officer stopped KS 928AFI at 10 East 15th St. Warning citation issued for defective brake lights at same location.

Officers checked the west campus. Criminal damage to property report taken.

Officer stopped bicyclist at 15th and Morse St. Verbal warning issued for failure to stop at a stop sign.

April 8 Officers contacted four juveniles north of I-35 and advised to leave area.

Officers contacted operator of a vehicle in the No Parking area at King Lake and advised her to move.

Officers contacted rollerbladers on Kellog Drive and advised of campus policy.

Officer stopped KS 21255in 1500 Market St. Verbal warning issued for a defective head light in same location.

Female student requested to speak with an officer at ESU PD HQ in reference to deprivation of property.

Officer stopped KS VRR938 at I-35 and Merchant St. Verbal warning given for driving with no headlights in 1800 Merchant St. April 9 Officer contacted operator of KS 759BJY and advised to move their vehicle out of traffic flow near King Lake.

Officer stopped Mo. UF8Z5C in 1100 Commercial St. Verbal warning given for an improper U-turn.

Officer assisted Emporia Police Dept. with an alarm call at 806 E 12th St. – Express Tire.

April 10 Officer contacted skateboarders in 100 E 15th St. and advised of campus policy.

Ambulance responded to Welch Stadium for a fem *Log for April 11th not provided to The Bulletin by press time on Wednesday.

news

The Bulletin | April 12, 2012

Corky goes Commercial

Cheerleaders appear in T-Mobile ad, not athletes

Sarah Johnson was featured in the T-Mobile ad.

R ocky R obinson robinson@esubulletin.com In a local T-Mobile advertisement, Corky appeared with Emporia State cheerleaders and coaches, an arrangement which ESU Athletics say is mutually valuable for the business and university. “ That is what corporate partnerships are, beneficial to both parties,” said Kent Weiser, athletic director. “If we are not driving business to their store, they are not going to advertise with us.”

The ad showed Corky in the T-Mobile store, ending with head football coach Garin Higgins in Welch Stadium with Hornet cheerleaders, endorsing T-Mobile and

encouraging attendance at games.

The commercial was updated for the basketball season with a version featuring men’s head basketball coach Shaun Vandiver and women’s coach Jory Collins.

While NCAA rules prohibit athletes from endorsing products, no rules were broken since cheerleaders are not considered athletes under Title IX in the NCAA manual.

But some disagree and say cheerleaders are, in fact, athletes.

“I definitely consider cheerleaders athletes – other athletes lift weights, we lift people,” said Mallory Baird, senior elementary education major and Hornet cheerleader. “I know a lot of cheerleaders don’t compete, but we work just as hard as any other sport and I have had so many injuries in my life from cheering. It is the second hardest sport there is. It is a fact.

I definitely, definitely don’t think we get enough recognition. But I know I am an athlete.”

Travis Sipe, freshman wildlife biology major and cross-country runner, said he considers cheerleaders to be athletes because they are treated as such by the university.

“But since they are not considered athletes by the NCAA, I don’t think it was wrong for them to be in the commercial,” Sipe said. “I would have done the same thing.”

The ad was authorized on an “approved basis,” by Weiser, meaning

the final product had to be approved by him and university marketing Cheerleaders receive scholarships in the same manner as official student athletes under Emporia State rules and must maintain the same grades as their colleagues.

Weiser said he assumes the NCAA does not consider cheerleaders athletes because cheerleading is not a competitive sport. “ We still require them to maintain grades and work towards their degrees, but that isn’t NCAA rules,” Weiser said. “We hold them kind of to a high standard.”

Weiser said neither the university nor the people involved in the commercial received anything extra from T-Mobile and that the coaches and cheerleaders volunteered. He said it was part of the sponsorship with T-Mobile in which they receive about $6,000 a year. “ We benefit from it certainly financially with their support, but then also it brings awareness to our teams and encourages people to attend and support them,” Weiser said. “When you create partnerships you have to be creative. We don’t let anybody do it and we have to approve them all, but I personally don’t think there is anything wrong with that.”

Weiser said he would be open for more commercials in the future but has no current plans for making another.

TOP... from page 1

LIVES.. from page 1

Wash was also named All-American, which made Emporia WW an official All-American team because Williams-Green received the award last year.

“There was only one tournament this entire year that one of us didn’t get a speaker award,” Wash said in a March interview.

ESU’s debate team as a whole also won the Founders’ Award for 2012, which is given to the team with the most competitive points. The debate program is thriving because of their ability to work together and the talent of its members, Williams-Green said.

“We took care of business as much as we could and definitely saw some results from that,” Williams-Green said.

ing it towards mobile learning,” Bennett said. “I would rather see them as ‘how can we use the cell phone,’ rather than just telling students to turn them off.”

According to Bennett, the process of finding a new dean has already started with phone interviews, but no candidates have been announced. Marie Miller, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is leading the search for his replacement.

During his retirement, Bennett said he plans to travel, visiting family and friends. He also said he has no plans on leaving the Emporia community and will stay involved with the university and the Teachers Hall of Fame.

SLIME... from page 1 program. She explained that the school lunch programs have not received any new directives about pink slime and the school district purchases their meat according to the Food Service Director and Assistant Superintendent for Business. “ We really haven’t changed the way we do our purchasing,” Horst said.

The Emporia School District’s current vendor is EVCO Wholesale Food Corporation, whose ground beef supply comes from AdvancePierre Foods. Horst said that they recently received a letter from the company assuring them that they do not buy ground beef from any company which uses pink slime or the ammonia process.

For the moment, Horst said pink slime is not an issue for the district because it is not in the food that they are currently purchasing. Horst said they can only give bids to vendors who are approved by the USDA. This means that if the USDA guidelines are changed to restrict the use of this ammonia-

treated beef, the school district would follow those restrictions when vendors are selected.

But according to the National Public Radio website, “an estimated 70 percent of the ground beef supply contains these lean bits of meat.”

This meat comes from muscle and connective tissue and is labeled as “lean, finely textured beef.”

Even so, Emporia State students can breathe easy since the slime is not currently used in Sodexo products purchased by the university, according to Executive Chef Saiket “Johny” Patwary.

“We do not serve pink slime,” Patwary said.

Patwary said that Sodexo’s meat is inspected by the USDA and is purified before reaching ESU. He also said that they check that the box is stamped and certified so that there are no questions of salmonella or pink slime.

Patwary emphasized that Sodexo is responsible for making sure that the meat students are served is certified and properly inspected by the vendor from whom they purchase.

But Patwary also said that he has been researching more about pink

slime and has found that there may be some advantages in using the meat, such as the cost effectiveness.

Patwary said that pink slime may be used in the future if it is approved by the vendor.

“I don’t have any problem with (pink slime),” Patwary said. “It’s actually considered a lean meat.”

Last month, Patwary approached students about pink slime in order to get their opinions.

“Not many students were aware of it,” Patwary said.

He said if students want to express their opinions about the use of pink slime they can contact him at chef@emporia.edu. He wants students’ suggestions, comments or even criticism about the issue.

“I would like to see both sides of their point of view, why or why not,” Patwary said. “I want to make sure that I’m educated properly before I put it out in the cafeteria, so if I have students asking me questions, I can answer.”

For now, Patwary said that he would not be comfortable using pink slime due to health concerns and the topic being relatively new in the media.

news Petition aims to halve Bulletin funding

The Bulletin | April 12, 2012

C harlie H eptas news@esubulletin.com

L uke B ohannon bohannon@esubulletin.com A petition to cut The Bulletin’s funding by half is circulating through campus, spearheaded by Josh Johnson, senior secondary English education major, and other members of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. The petition shows the line item allocation for The Bulletin in comparison to the allocation funds of a few other Recognized Student Organizations as a means to justify the cut.

The supporters of the petition said a portion of the paper’s funding should be allocated to other student groups like Up ‘til Dawn.

“I would give every dollar that Phi Delta Theta got in allocations if they could have

Page 3

that to fight childhood cancer,” Johnson said. “I would give all that. I would gladly do that.”

As of Tuesday, the petition had had about 200 signatures.

It needs to reach 300 to be brought before ASG. “If nothing else comes as a result of this, I want people to understand what their student funds go towards and appreciate what their student funds go towards,” Johnson said.

Johnson said that other means of distributing the paper, such as a strictly online edition, may help defer costs and pointed to unread papers around campus as a reason for lowering funding.

From 2009-2010, Johnson was a Bulletin staff member and attended the Spring CMA journalism conference in New York for training.

But Amy Sage Webb, associate professor of English, co-director of Creative Writing and 2012 Roe R. Cross Distinguished Professor, said reducing the print edition is not

a viable option to help cut costs.

“People who aren’t working in or with publications don’t see the costs involved…it may seem to outsiders that a publication can lower its press run to save costs, but unless you’re talking about a national circulation, that won’t save much, and in the process the publication is bled to the point that it is unviable,” Webb said.

Benny Bowden, sophomore digital audio recording major, signed the petition but said he did not support the full 50 percent reduction.

“What I like about the fact that they’re doing a petition is that it’s making everybody stop and think. It’s making The Bulletin stop and think. It’s making the students on campus stop and think, and it’s also going to make ASG stop and think,” Bowden said.

Bowden said he did not feel informed enough to make an educated decision about what the reduction should be.

After signing the petition without knowing how much funding is intended to be cut, Haley Jirak, freshman prenursing major, said she did not want to support the petition if it would cost students jobs.

President Michael Shonrock said via text message Wednesday afternoon that he “enjoys paging through The Bulletin on Thursdays” and “really appreciates the campus coverage.”

“My office is placing more ads as an effective method to communicate to a larger audience,” Shonrock said in the text.

Rob Catlett, professor of economics, said The Bulletin had served the campus well over the years and feels that the paper covers the most vital issues to students on campus and sometimes some of the less vital information also.

“The Bulletin is a point of pride for this university with a long and rich history,”

Webb said. “The publication has consistently grown and improved in the time I’ve been here…I feel lucky that at ESU we have an award-winning, impressive news agent.”

Webb said she takes copies of The Bulletin with her on recruiting events and keeps copies in her office to share with campus visitors.

“The question I have for those who want to cut the funding is why? This newspaper is an award winning publication…I am proud of it and proud of its staff,” Webb said. “(They do) extraordinary things with the funding they have for the print publication, in addition to which they have built an impressive online presence. Those accomplishments have been achieved by people who replaced money with their own time, blood, sweat and tears on behalf of ESU. These are ESU students doing the work. They deserve support.”

Phi Beta Lambda sends students to national competition K haili S carbrough scarbrough@esubulletin.com Emporia State is home to one of the oldest Phi Beta Lambda chapters. This summer, students will represent ESU once again at the National Leadership conference in San Antonio, Texas. These students qualified by placing first or second at a state competition earlier this month.

“Phi Beta Lambda is a post secondary organization for any student at ESU, but it’s primarily business and leadership focused,” said Barbara Railsback, associate professor of business education and PBL adviser. “It is the college equivalent of Future Business Leaders of America and has around 215,000 members nationally.

Its goal is to promote leadership and community service as well as competition in a variety of business events.”

Railsback said at the competition

students will be competing in one or two events such as reports, future business teaching and digital video.

They must then give a presentation about the project in front of judges who will ask them questions. They will also participate in leadership workshops as well as sight see.

“While I have been an advisor here we have gone every year to nationals and we have had people place first,” Railsback said. “They are competing against students from huge universities as well as junior colleges. We have been very lucky we’ve had many national winners and students placing in the top 10.”

Jessica Dhority, sophomore business education major and competitor, said she thinks Railsback does a good job at getting students ready to win and that thanks to Railsback’s guidance, ESU has a good chance at winning this year.

“I think the reason the national leadership conference is important

is because it allows our students to compete against the best from every other state. It gives them confidence and public speaking skills and the ability to interact with the judges that are all heads of corporations,” Railsback said. “So (PBL) gives them an opportunity to showcase themselves as well as the university and gives them the confidence that the education they are getting here at ESU is at the same caliber as other universities.”

Dhority agreed and said she did FBLA in high school and knew that PBL would prepare her for her job in the future.

“I was in FBLA in high school, so when I came here I had a friend tell me there was a PBL chapter and kind of drug me in,” said Shannon Mangnall, junior business education major. “In that first year I went to nationals and realized it was more than what it was in high school.”

The competitors going to

Katelin

Pats on the Back… n

n

n

n

n

n

To Karla Rodgers, 2011 Outstanding Classified Employee of the Year, and Stacey Braun, 2011 Outstanding Unclassified Employee of the Year

Shannon Mangnall, junior business education major, shows her works with Phi Beta Lambda. They qualified for the national Phi Beta Lambda competition this summer in San Antonio. Lingzi Su/The Bulletin

nationals this year are Blake Ballinger, Becky Fraker, Russell Cornelius, Dhority, Kelly Oltman, Mallory

West and Jacob Winkler. Prizes for winning are trophies, medals and some cash rewards.

Visit the ESU Bulletin online @esubulletin.com

To Dr. Stu Ervay, Dr. Cooper Holmes, Dr. John Rich, Dr. Mel Storm and Al Ziesmer for 40 years of service to Emporia State University.

To Shelly Gehrke, Director of the Student Advising Center, as one of only 10 professionals worldwide who has been selected to serve as a mentor for the 2012-14 Class of Emerging Leaders for the National Academic Advising Association.

To the Emporia State School of Business on its reaffirmation of AACSB accreditation, an honor held by only 5 percent of the business schools worldwide.

To Russell Cornelius on his business plan that advanced to the Trade Show Round of the 2012 Shocker Business Plan Competition! The competitors have the opportunity to network with more than 200 judges and win $25,000 in prizes.

To Sherry Ferguson of the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office for her behind-the-scenes work with students and their families. Thanks for always saying: “Guys, I think we can do that.”

From the Office of the President

Classified ROOMS FOR RENT Fully furnished house two blocks south of campus.

Call 620-343-2363 (4 rooms available).

opinion

Page 4

The Bulletin | April 12, 2012

STAFF EDITORIAL

No News Is Not Good News There’s a petition circulating on campus to force the Associated Student Government to cut The Bulletin’s funding in half.

Josh Johnson, petition organizer, told The Bulletin, “If nothing else comes as a result of this, I want people to understand what their student funds go toward.”

Last week we published an article detailing the amount of allocations and line item funding each RSO on campus will receive for the 2013 Fiscal Year, so perhaps Johnson isn’t reading the paper. That’s ironic because he used to be a staff member.

But Johnson could also have found that information at any time in the Student Handbook under the “Finances” section. The Bulletin receives $9.58 per student. For less than $10, you can have an entire year’s worth of news. For every student on campus, that comes to only about 37 cents per issue.

Johnson also claims The Bulletin is guilty of consistently publishing issues that are “unimportant” to the campus community.

Sorry, Josh. We weren’t aware the university presidential search we so painstakingly covered last semester was unworthy of print.

Or the tragic fire deaths of two international students. Or the announcement of the $7 million scholarship initiative launched by the ESU Foundation, the recent shooting of ESU football player Joshua R. Taylor, or the appearance by President Barack Obama just

down the road at Osawatomie. Perhaps, Josh, press releases and Buzz-In announcements contain all the news you need.

But something got your attention enough to call for cutting our funding in half. We just wish you’d be honest about what that was.

The First Amendment protects speech, press, religion, the right to assembly and the right to petition. It’s ironic that those circulating this petition are using one of these rights in an attempt to dismantle another. It’s also ironic, Josh, that you turned to The Bulletin by writing a letter to the editor when you wanted to reach the campus community.

Another of your arguments, Josh, is that print media is dead, so The Bulletin should be forced to go to an online only edition. This is preposterous. Newspapers are not dead. They are evolving, and having a physical, hard copy of the paper has plenty of advantages, such as archival purposes.

Online articles provide little sense of history and no protection of ESU’s past. Also, from a practical standpoint, the print edition is what attracts advertisers. Online may be the wave of the future, but for right now, it’s the oldfashioned kind of newspaper that generates ad revenue.

The Bulletin’s track record shows that we are a vital part of the campus community.

People care about what we have to say. For example, after we published a staff editorial in

Cartoon by Ellen Weiss

December calling for the university president to ditch his gas-guzzling, luxury SUV, new president Michael Shonrock did just that. He’s now driving a Ford.

And last spring, we won the All-Kansas Award from the Kansas Association of Collegiate Press, the highest honor given to a four-year public university newspaper in the state. In addition, we received Gold Overall

Legislating Discrimination The Kansas House of Representatives never ceases to disappoint. The recent passage of the Kansas Preservation of Religious Freedom Act promotes discrimination and prohibits the protection of individuals based on their sexual orientation. The implications are far reaching.

Other states, like Tennessee, have taken similar measures, but none of them are as M att C ook invasive as the one affirmed by option@esubulletin.com the Kansas House.

The rhetorically loaded and deceptively titled bill does not protect religious freedom.

The “freedom” implied by the legislation is a zero-sum trade off.

Employers that wish to discriminate against gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered Kansans can only do so at the expense of working Kansans. So much for a reasonable pursuit

They Know Where You Are Your cell phone has recently reduced you to a small blip on a screen or a small tack on a canvas board.

According to a report by the ACLU of over 200 police departments across the nation, a majority are paying cell phone carriers for data to assist them in tracking our movement. The major problem is that almost all of the departments are doing A ndrew P otter so without a warrant of any potter@esubulletin.com kind.

If we combine this with the recent ruling in the Supreme Court that these same departments are allowed to strip search any detainee for even the smallest of charges, then we are left with one result – our privacy is effectively destroyed.

While the information gained by tracking a cell phone is helpful in the most extreme of cases such as locating missing persons, this tactic has been misused to a large extent. Almost every police department investigated simply has to state on a court order that they would use the data to investigate a crime, regardless of the level of emergency. The only obstacle from observing you every day is a bureaucratic fib.

Moreover, if this is pushed to the Supreme Court, it too will pass and not even a court order would be necessary. The proponents’ claim that protecting law enforcement exceeds the need for privacy may seem like a far cry away from following our mobile phones, but with a conservative-led Supreme Court anything seems possible. They’ve already overstepped their boundaries and destroyed one aspect of our constitutional rights, so the thought of taking one, or even several, more steps in that direction seems rational.

With the accessibility of cell phones permeating every level of America, from business executives functioning on Wall Street to students here at Emporia State, the risk of running into this problem explodes to new levels. Do not be loose with your privacy.

Finding missing people and tracking criminals is an important issue, but at what cost should society bear for this strategy?

Big brother is indeed watching.

of happiness.

Additionally, this bill legislates a mutual exclusivity where there is none. Hiring someone who is opposed to an employer’s religion in no way implies that the employer’s religion is at risk.

The House’s reasoning can only be justified if the hiring of a LGBT Kansan meant a relinquishing of religious ideals. But it doesn’t.

Let’s not fool ourselves about which religion’s behalf this legislation is speaking – Christianity. However, I’m not convinced that Christianity wants to be spoken for. A consistent Christian gospel of compassion and empathy is ignored with legislation like this.

Imagine for a moment an Emporia State that actively outed its LGBT faculty, fired them and did so for no other reason than scripture. Many of our best professors and students would be effectively segregated and their livelihoods ruined. The obvious fear written within this legislation is one born out of ignorance.

No one has a monopoly on righteousness. The Kansas Legislature may have altruistic reasons for passing the Religious Freedom Act, but good intentions are only as worthy as their outcomes. Students should outwardly support the right of every Kansan, and person, to employment.

Gold Medal in Patience As my last general education course winds down, I’m definitely starting to feel like a grumpy, old curmudgeon. All of these youngsters either don’t seem to give a crap, or have no idea how to listen, study or read/write English.

I watch while they text during lecture. I fume while they zip up their backpacks with 10 minutes E llen W eiss of class to spare. I listen weiss@esubulletin.com while they complain about assignments that are so simple I can’t believe they aren’t thanking the teacher.

But wait – the teacher! How do these educated adults put up with such abuse? How do they have the willpower to wake up every other day and try to fill our resistant heads with knowledge? How do they suffer the slings and arrows of the same excuses, the same attitudes, the same bullshit year after year?

There is only one answer - gen ed teachers have to be the most patient people on the face of Earth.

I’m not saying that every student hates gen eds, or even that every gen ed teacher is a saintly, inspiring education machine. No student, however, can deny the overwhelming “Well, I have to do this so let’s get it over with” feeling that hangs in the classroom.

Some may think that when they go in with such an attitude, it’s ok because it won’t affect anyone else.

This is all too false. When you drag your feet at every step, you’re not only bringing yourself down, but also those poor teachers who have to put up with you multiplied by at least 20 others.

I challenge you, my fellow students, to ask questions, visit them during office hours, pay attention in class and really try to engage yourself. Give them a look of interest. Give them the chance to be the best teacher they can be. Or, at the very least, try not to do things that make their job a chore, rather than an honor.

for our website and 21 other individual awards, including five first place prizes.

We recognize, Josh, that you have a Constitutional right to petition. We welcome reasoned and vigorous debate. We may not like what you have to say, but we will defend, until our last drop of ink, your right to say it.

We only wish you would allow us the same courtesy.

Letter to the Editor Editorial Staff, I am writing in response to the editorial piece “A Call for Transparency” that was published last week in the Bulletin. To clarify, I am NOT writing about the issues of KOMA that your staff had with the meeting. I am not a lawyer, and am not going to pretend to be one for the purposes of JOHNSON this letter to the editor. My issue is with your paper’s continued misuse of valuable Emporia State University resources.

I was present at the allocations meeting for Associated Student Government, being the treasurer for my fraternity. When the Bulletin requested an increase in its allocation from student funds I was appalled. I am aware that the cost of producing print papers is rapidly increasing – but it is widely agreed that the print paper is a dying medium. There are student organizations on campus that provide upwards of 500 hours of community service, help students achieve academic goals, and teach them valuable leadership skills. These organizations are allocated less money so that the Bulletin can claim being “The student’s voice,” while leaving dozens of copies unread throughout campus every week.

A simple solution to lower costs would be to produce fewer papers with the next contract for printing. Another would be to send out an electronic issue, maybe as an attachment for Buzz-In announcements. An evaluation of the relevance of your paper’s stories to students would also be beneficial.

The Bulletin’s unwillingness to consider alternatives to producing thousands of papers should be an insult to every student involved in extra-curricular activities on this campus. The Bulletin has another avenue of revenue in advertising, where some on-campus organizations subsist on bake sales alone.

Another aspect that set me off as a student was the editorial assault on ASG and its advisor, Lynn Hobson. These both appear to me as childish, knee-jerk reactions to “not getting your way.” The process of allocations is not a fun, easy, or expedient process for any person involved. These individuals provide a valuable service to our university, having to wear many hats for our school.

Josh Johnson Jjohns36@emporia.edu

The Bulletin Phone: 620-341-5201 Fax: 620-341-5865 Email: editor@esubulletin.com or advertising@esubulletin.com EDITORIAL STAFF KenzieTempleton Editor-in-Chief Katelin Gibson Multimedia Editor Matt Cook Opinion Editor Jessica Gaddis Copy Editor

Charlie Heptas Managing Editor Jon Coffey Photo Editor Chelsie Slaughter Sports Editior Kimber Mitchell Graphic Designer

BUSINESS Sisi Huang Catherine Wethington Business Manager Office Manager Shane Wilson Advertising Manager

Adviser

Max McCoy Associate Professor of Journalism

news

The Bulletin | April 12, 2012

Page 5

Music and poetry on tap at Icebox S teve E dwards edwards@esubulletin.com

Shayessa Mitchell, inner disciplinary studies in music, theater and art, reads a poem she wrote dedicated to the women in the audience Friday night.

The Icebox was an event at Wheat State Pizza put on by the Black Student Union and the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Jenny Pendarvis/The Bulletin

Emporians enjoyed musical performances and poetry readings Friday night at Wheat State Pizza. The ESU Black Student Union sponsored The Icebox: Live R&B Music & Poetry, and the event was hosted by LaToya Williams-Green, senior communications major.

“First and foremost, we all have got to support each other,” WilliamsGreen said after warmly greeting the crowded room. “Second, be chill because you are here in the Icebox tonight. And last, have a good time.”

The event kicked off with Williams-Green performing one of her poems, “These Words,” followed by a performance by the Martin Dienkus Jazz Quartet.

“These poems come from personal experience,” Williams-Green said. “You are the best at what you see, so I write poems directly from what I’ve seen and felt, and it is very empowering to get on that stage and share that with everyone. Transferring from what you’ve written on paper

to how you perform on the stage is a powerful and magical thing.”

Williams-Green, who is involved in debate and recently received Speaker of the Year at the National Debate Tournament, said she “made a connection between debate and poetry.”

“There was no connection between the two at first, but I made one,” Williams-Green said. “What I’ve done outside debate is the same inside debate. Everything is connected.”

Shayessa Williams, senior interdisciplinary studies major, recited her poems “Patience” and “Change.”

Williams said she “felt at home on stage.” Williams reads her poetry every Wednesday evening at JavaCat. “I’ve seen a lot of other women talk about how they don’t have anyone. ‘Patience’ comes from the perspective of God talking to them,” Williams said. “I’ve also seen so many people put each other down. We need to make a change for a better community and a better world, and that’s what the poem ‘Change’ is about.”

Benny Bowden, sophomore digital recording major, performed his song “This Rose.” Bowden is part of recording duo Gabe & Benny, which released a mixtape titled “Overcome” in January. Bowden said this was his first live performance, the song performed that night was also the first song he recorded himself and that he has recently been “creating a live show” out of the songs the duo has produced.

Kansas City artists Wanda Jae and Lee Langston performed a number of classic and new R&B and soul tunes such as “You’re Always On My Mind” by SWV and “We Can’t Be Friends” by Deborah Cox and R.L., with the band adding a jazzy neo-soul twist to each song. This was both artists’ first performance in Emporia, and the duo said they would “gladly perform here again.”

“This was an awesome night.

There was a lot of mutual respect,” Williams-Green said. “This was the second Icebox we have done, and we plan on doing more. This one had a lot more people participating, so it just gets better and better.”

Controversial topic tackled in ‘engrossing’ play B rooke S chultz schultz@esubulletin.com “Doubt,” a play by John Patrick Shanley which is currently being presented by the Theater Department, depicts a collision between a nun and a priest whom she suspects of having intimate relations with a young boy in the school.

“It is an extremely profound and well-written play,” said Jim Ryan, director of Doubt and professor of theater. “It gives the cast great roles to play and the audience a very thought-provoking evening.”

Junior theater major Carolyn Lohkamp plays the role of Sister Aloysius who is the principal of the St. Nicholas school.

Lohkamp said that her character is very stern and the main conflict takes place between her and Father Flynn, played by junior theater major and Bulletin distribution manager Noah Mefford.

“I really enjoyed the script itself,” Lohkamp said. “The ending is really pretty well left up to the audience’s decision and opinion.”

In order to prepare for the part, Lohkamp said that she and junior theater major Natalie

King, who plays Sister James, visited a convent in Wichita and also studied the hierarchy of the church and what it was like to be a nun in the 1960s.

“It’s been very rewarding because I’ve gotten to play a character who’s so different from myself, and I really got close with everyone in the cast because it’s so small,” Lohkamp said.

Once actors were cast at the beginning of the semester, hours of rehearsals took place beginning in March.

“There’s just a lot that goes into putting a play together,” Ryan said. “It’s a collaborative art.”

Ryan said that he heavily suggested “Doubt” as the spring production over a year ago and the other faculty members agreed.

Ryan said that the play is both a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner, which was important in it being chosen.

He also said that the subject is timely with having been in the media over the several past years.

After the first four performances last week, Ryan said that he has been extremely pleased with the production. The play also runs through Saturday this

UPGRADE. from page 1 live closer. So those are the reasons why that’s been phased out.”

There are 96 units in the complex, said Lynn Hobson, associate vice president for Student Life, in a news release.

It was built in the early 1960s when the trend was for universities to provide “married student housing.” Currently, the Office of Residential Life has contracts with 79 residents.

Takayoshi Shimono, an MBA student who’s lived in the ESU Apartments for two years and planned to live there until he graduated, said he was upset

Junior theater majors Natalie King and Carolyn Lohkamp rehearse lines for the production of “Doubt” Tuesday night.

Jenny Pendarvis/The Bulletin

week. Overall, Ryan encourages everyone to see this play.

“It’s beautifully acted and everyone who comes will be

when he was told he needed to move out and find a new apartment. But he said he is unable to find an apartment, even though he went to the housing fair offered by the university.

It was also hard for Riggs to find an apartment that she could afford since she plans to have a baby next year. To find a better apartment before it was too late, she signed up for the Park View Apartments soon after the notification, which will cost her an extra $900 for living expenses every semester.

“I agree that the apartments need to be upgraded and repaired,” Riggs said,

engrossed in the story,” Ryan said. “You get drawn into the story.”

Doubt beings at 7:30 p.m.

“but if they are willing to put money into another project, why aren’t they willing to put money into just repairing and upgrading the apartment building that is already there? Plus, they put a lot of money into the Union as well. There was a lot of families there – that’s their home, especially for people that couldn’t afford somewhere else.”

The residential living project will begin with the renovation of the Singular and Trusler complexes as its first phase, according to Hauke. The university did not have the money to renovate Singular and Trusler when it renovated Towers in

each night in Roosevelt Hall.

Tickets are available in the ESU Box Office in the Memorial Union.

2005.

The first phase will take two years and cost about $5.3 million, Hauke said.

Singular and Trusler will be remodeled into suites, combining three bedrooms into one suite. Each will have two bedrooms and one living room, with individual showers and restrooms.

The second phase is to make an assessment of Morse Hall, Hauke said.

The choices are either a large-scale renovation of Morse Hall or replacing it with other units that might be constructed on the east side of campus, which will cost about $15 million.

Page 6

The Bulletin | April 12, 2012

news

The Bulletin | April 12, 2012

Page 7

Heartland music gives glimpse into Kansas culture S teve E dwards edwards@esubulletin.com Students can get a chance to hear the music of the Heartland at 7:30 p.m. this Friday during the Heart of the Land event sponsored by the Office of International Education and Psi Chi International Honor Society in the Visser Hall atrium.

“The purpose of the event is to share another dimension of Kansas to students, not just international students, but students from outside of Kansas, or even students from other parts of Kansas who may not be familiar with this area of the state or the music of this state,” said Dinusha Warusavitharana, graduate student who is in charge of international student event programming for the OIE. Gonzalo Bruce, assistant

vice president of the Office of International Education, said the event is a way to promote Kansas culture to international students.

“This area is called the Heartland,” Bruce said. “But part of the heart is the music of the Heartland, and we want international students to see that crucial aspect of Kansas.

So it’s a view into the heart of the Heartland; that is where the event’s name comes from.”

For the first hour of the Heart of the Land event, there will be a performance by the Tallgrass Express String Band.

The band is from Cottonwood Falls and has a repertoire of songs influenced by the landscape of the Flint Hills and their upbringing in that area.

Songwriter and guitarist Ann Wilson is an English teacher at Emporia High School.

“The band explains each song before they perform it,” Bruce said. “That way there is automatically an established connection between them and the audience for every song.”

After the performance, the band will stay for the remainder of the event to meet students.

Bruce said the band members are “very excited to meet international students.”

There will be mingling between students, community members and the band, as well as free food. Warusavitharana said that the Heart of the Land event will be “a little different as far as refreshments go. There will be chicken wings, chips and salsa and beef and veggie wraps.”

“There will also be two $100 prize drawings to be donated to registered student organizations,” Warusavitharana said. “Any

Courtesy photo of Tallgrass Express String Band

student part of a registered student organization that wants a chance to win $100 donated to their organization can enter.”

Admission to the event,

which includes food and a performance by the Tallgrass Express String Band, is free and open to students and community members.

Concert will benefit YouthFriends to mentor Emporia students T ianhai J iang jiang@esubulletin.com An alternative concert featuring three local artists will be held from 5-7 p.m. on April 20 in the sunken gardens in front of Plumb Hall.

The concert is part of a campaign to promote YouthFriends, a school based mentoring program that provides services to all the schools in the USD 253 Emporia School District, from preschool to high school.

“Giving back to somebody who’s been less fortunate than you, you should want to do that anyway,” said Antonio DiMaria,

senior communication major.

“It was enjoyable for me seeing the smile on kids’ faces because I remember growing up when I was involved in programs like this, and it meant a lot seeing the volunteers coming and didn’t really realize they were taking time out of their day because when you were a kid, you don’t really think that far about it.”

The concert will feature Chad Carson, junior marketing major and local alternative hip-hop singer known as CMAJOR, Vivian Parks, Burlington alternative pop singer, and Michael “Scoti” Swan, junior communication major and rock singer.

The campaign, held by a Public Relations class group, including DiMaria, Swan and Roxana Peraza, junior communication major, is to raise funds and recruit mentors for YouthFriends, which is facing a shortage of mentors.

Currently, there are about 60 kids on the waiting list recommended by their parents, teachers, counselors or themselves.

“Part of the reason is because the number of mentors are going down or the number of kids who need help goes up,” said Amanda Rodriguez, administrative associate for YouthFriends, “and because people are so busy now

Don’t put your

education

on hold this summer.

Enroll in classes at

Johnson County Community College!

• Extensive course selections • Flexible times and locations • Transferrable classes • Online registration

Classes begin June 4.

Beginning 8 a.m., April 9, call 913-469-3803 or register online at www.jccc.edu

Johnson County Community College 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS 66210

Changing Lives Through at JCCC

that they don’t have time to donate to our kids. All we ask is that people donate one hour a week to spend with a child in our program.”

YouthFriends is a non-profit organization created in 1995 as an initiative of the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, according to Rodriguez. It started in Emporia in 2006 as a program working with six schools.

“Children who need mentors don’t necessarily have ‘problems.’

Some of them are middle children in a family, some are single children that want extra attention, others just need a friend to talk to or don’t have

that male or female role model in their lives,” Rodriguez said.

Now the program has about 40 percent of mentors that are ESU students, about 50 percent are USD staff and 10 percent are community members. It is nearing the end of its grant, and its funds are declining.

The campaign group set up donations at Wheat State Pizza, Studio 11, Granada Coffee shop, Mr. Sisters Sweets, Kiss 103.1 Radio Studio and the YouthFriends Office in town.

Volunteers can sign up in the Community Hornets office in the Memorial Union or contact Amanda Rodriguez at 341-2396 or amanda.rodriguez@usd253.

Sigma Tau Delta spelling bee Sigma Tau Delta and the Honors Program will host a spelling bee at 5:30 p.m. on April 18 in Webb Hall. A table is set up today and tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Union for those who wish to sign up. There will also be a table on April 18 set up in Webb Hall from 5-5:30 p.m. to sign up before the bee begins. Participants are asked to bring $1 or a non-perishable food item to donate to Food for Students.

This will be the first spelling bee hosted by Sigma Tau Delta and the Honors Program. To help students prepare, the list of words that might be used is on The Bulletin’s website. The words are separated into easy, medium and hard for the bee. *Get a leg up on the competition. This word puzzle features a random sample of some of the words that may be used for the bee.

The Bulletin | April 12, 2012

Page 8

Tennis women defeat Johnson County, men come up short T aylor S cott scott@esubulletin.com Emporia State tennis faced Johnson County Community College at home last night in a friendly but competitive rivalry.

The coaches could be found on the sidelines talking throughout the matches, and the players maintained small talk during their games.

Sophomore Nicole Jara hustled all over the court in her #1 doubles match with freshman Taylor Smith as they defeated their opponents, 8-1.

“I think that we played strong and pretty solid, we were moving well,” Jara said.

Freshman Andrew Davids and junior Mat Edwards’ #1 doubles team competed against players from Johnson County that they already had experience playing.

Davids played tennis during

high school in Topeka with one of the doubles opponents, while Edwards previously played at Johnson County with the other opponent.

“It made it a fun match. It was really relaxed, and I had fun,” Davids said. “It was an exhibition match so it didn’t really count, but you always want to learn from the experiences and take everything for what it is. For the most part, I think that it was somewhat what we expected.”

Davids said he believes a lot can be taken away from the matches they played.

“We can compete with anybody when we make easy shots,” Davids said.

Despite the loss of the men’s number one doubles,5-8, Coach John Cayton only had positive comments on their performance.

“My #1 doubles team, Andrew Davids and Mat Edwards, really

played well. They played well within themselves and they were smart,” Cayton said. “You know, I think realistically with the players we lost and with the fact we have some young players playing high in the lineup – we have a freshman playing a number 1 matchup – that’s pretty unusual, I think we are where we thought we would be.”

Cayton is looking forward to the rest of the season, despite the fact that Emporia is in a tough league and faces tough opponents.

“Realistically in some ways we are ahead of where we could be because of the improvement that we have made from last fall to now,” Cayton said. “It’s been really remarkable.”

The Hornets will take the court again at home on Saturday versus Northwest Missouri State University.

Dunkin’s positive influence like ‘wildfire’

Sport Shorts

Mona and Etheridge place for ESU

C helsie S laughter sports@esubulletin.com She always thought she would play volleyball in college, but on the javelin runway is where freshman Sara Dunkin landed.

“Her work ethic spreads like wildfire to all of the throwers,” said freshman thrower Collin Hawk said of his teammate.

Athletics is a way of life for Dunkin. Not only did she compete in track in high school, she also played volleyball and basketball.

Originally, Dunkin did not want to participate in track until her high school coach persuaded her to start throwing during her sophomore year in high school.

But not only is Dunkin dedicated to track – she handles her business in the classroom as well. As an accounting major, she has always been interested in the business field, along with having a love for numbers. She recently joined the Phi Eta Sigma for her accomplishment of an outstanding first semester grade point average.

Pittsburgh State, Tabor University, Hawaii University and Emporia State all offered Dunkin scholarships.

“I really like the coaches here, and it is a great program,” Dunkin said. “Connie (Phillips, assistant coach) is young but she helps keep us in shape, and she knows her technique really well.”

Achieving fourth place at state as a high school senior and being an all-city honor athlete are accomplishments Dunkin said she is proud of in track.

“Sara has been an

Sophomore nursing major Nicole Jara smashes a ball. ESU won 8-1 against Johnson County Community College yesterday evening at Emporia High School’s tennis courts. Yo Han Kim/The Bulletin

The day started out cold and rainy, but the sun came out as Emporia State Track and Field hosted the State Farm ESU Relays on Saturday.

Although not every athlete was Division II, the meet allowed 104 provisional marks, including 13 good enough for automatic qualification to the NCAA Division II Championship.

Running a 4:39.28 to win the 1,500 meter run, senior distance runner Katie Mona had the only individual championship for Emporia State.

Sophomore sprinter Andrew Etheridge defended his national championship and placed third in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 14.10.

ESU will host the Combined Open Multis April 12-13 before competing at the KT Woodman Relays on at Wichita State.

Hornets run rule Gorillas

Freshman thrower Sara Dunkin practices her form Tuesday afternoon. The track and field team will be heading to Wichita this weekend for the KT Woodman Classic. Jon Coffey/The Bulletin

outstanding athlete for our team this year,” said sophomore thrower Ashley Parrot. “She has put in all the hours, and it is showing in her performance. She is dedicated and hardworking, and she has been a really great part of our team.”

Dunkin said she gets along well with all of her teammates and was given nicknames by upperclassman.

Senior thrower Deja Jackson calls Dunkin “T.I.,” since she always “tucks in” her shirt while throwing, and sophomore thrower Nick Klenda calls her “two-toned” since her hair is two different colors.

“I like how it is an individual yet a team sport,” Dunkin said.

“Nobody is responsible for how you do except for yourself, so there is nobody else to blame.”

Although Dunkin does not

get a chance to see much of the sprinters and jumps for Emporia, she stays up to date with accomplishments of her teammates.

“I think our girls’ team has a pretty good shot this year,” Dunkin said.

The record for the javelin throw was set in 2009 by javelin coach Connie Philips with a throw of 148-00 feet. Dunkin broke this record, beating her coach and throwing 149-00 feet.

“She is a leader. She never stops working hard, and she pushes all of us to the next level.

She is a great example of how someone in her position should be, especially since she broke the school record,” Hawk said. “It’s like she knows she is good and knows that the respect will come to her, but she is not cocky about it.”

The #20 Emporia State softball team defeated the Gorillas of Pittsburgh State on Saturday. ESU won both games within five innings, capturing two run rule wins.

Many of the girls on the team contributed tremendous efforts and junior center and infielder Amanda Self gave the Hornets the first lead with a two RBI double. ESU hit explosively as MIAA softball student athlete of the week freshman infielder Taylor Zordel got a two run single and stole second base off of a throwing error. ESU won the first game, 11-3.

The Hornets trailed in the second game, but freshman outfielder Stephanie Goodwin achieved a three run homer to give Emporia the lead as the Hornets won the second game, 12-4.

ESU will play at 3 p.m. today, hosting St. Mary’s of Texas in a nonconference game at the Trusler Sports Complex.

Baseball falls to Griffons

Emporia State baseball hosted Missouri Western Tuesday and came up short both games.

During the first game, senior pitcher Brandon Faulkner allowed no points on the board until the fourth inning. Despite a four run seventh inning for the Hornets, the Griffons took control of the game and won 5-4 in extra innings.

The Griffons got a quick lead in the second game with a run in the first inning. ESU took the lead in the second after a two run RBI by senior outfielder Dorain Williams. In the third inning, Missouri Western took off and ended the game with a 6-2 win.

The Hornets face Missouri Southern at 6 p.m. in Joplin, Mo.

Griffins take away wins from ESU

Senior infielder/right-handed pitcher Joe Kornbrust slides into second base during their first game against Missouri Western Monday afternoon. The Hornets lost both games on Monday’s double-header, losing to the Griffons 5-4 and 6-2. Yo Han Kim/The Bulletin