May 2, 2013 Full Issue

Some like it hot...PAGE 5 The students’ voice since 1901 • Vol. 112 • No. 25 • Thursday, May 2, 2013 • Check us out online

Lapping the Competition

ON THE

WEB

esubulletin.com

Brownback calls for flat funding in closed meeting

M arilyn K earney kearney@esubulletin.com

Jennifer Sweetman, community member, gives her furry friend Lucy a drink of water after crossing the finish line at the 2nd annual Dog and Jog last Thursday. The event was planned and headed by nursing students Jordan Lockwood and Erica Brinkman, along with many other nursing students, to help raise funds for the nursing department at Emporia State.

Approximately 30 people participated, and $350 was raised.

Jenny Pendarvis/The Bulletin

Funds available for study abroad H annah T homas thomas@esubulletin.com For many students, studying abroad can be a dream come true.

For others, it may seem totally out of reach because of the cost.

But Michelle Cunningham, Study Abroad graduate assistant in the Office of International Education, said the cost is not as high as people might think.

“The student can use any financial aid that she (or) he receives toward study abroad. It is, after all, a part of the student’s study program,” Cunningham said. “Then ESU offers a grant called the Travel Grant. Eligible students can receive $2,000 for a full year, $1,000 for a semester program or between $400 and $900 for a summer program, depending on where in the world they go.”

Hilary Becker, sophomore political science major, received the Travel Grant for her trip this summer to China.

She and other students will teach about American culture to Chinese students in elementary school up through college.

“Even in high school, I knew that I wanted to study abroad when I was in college because I enjoy travel, and I enjoy learning about other cultures,” Becker said. “You can learn as much as you want from China without ever going there, but I feel like you can’t get that experience until you actually go and interact with the people there

and really go see what you’re talking about.”

Becker has taken two semesters of Chinese, so she knows some of the language. Other students may be concerned that they don’t know any other languages than English, but Cunningham said that many overseas universities offer courses in English.

There are also countries, such as England and Scotland, where Eng-

Gov. Sam Brownback paid a visit to Emporia State last Friday where he held a private meeting with select faculty, staff, President Michael Shonrock and representatives of the student government, among others.

Afterward, he held a small press conference in the Kansas Business Hall of Fame in Cremer Hall.

“What I’m calling for is stable funding for higher education in the state of Kansas,” Brownback said during the conference. “I proposed a two year budget…because of the tax proposal last year to show people how we can make it through two years.”

He emphasized that this funding would support all areas of education, including both technical training and the liberal arts. He said that one of the goals was to bring “talent” to Kansas and to keep it in Kansas, though certain areas could be augmented if need be, such as business and engineering.

“We need more engineering in this state,” Brownback said. “Engineers are the key basis to growing an economy.”

Brownback also said that at some Kansas schools engineering is already being augmented.

“You keep your base steady, and where you want to grow, you put more funds in, and we have put more funds in those,” Brownback said.

The legislature, he said, will

Gov. Sam Brownback talks about the influence of higher education last Friday during a press conference in Cremer Hall. Lingzi Su/The Bulletin

reconvene on May 8, and he expressed his desire to discuss in detail how the funding for higher education works.

See Brownback ...Page 3

C harlie H eptas heptas@esubulletin.com

See Abroad ...Page 3

With the new campaign “Where in the World is Corky?” started by the Office of International Education, students who are studying abroad will each receive their own plush Corky and encouraged to take photos with him as they study abroad to showcase all of the experiences Emporia State students are having abroad. Jordan Storrer/The Bulletin

Legality of private meeting unclear

Gov. Sam Brownback is given a poster made by children from the ESU Center for Early Childhood Education last Friday. Brownback met privately with ESU leaders to discuss funding for higher education.

Cheyenne Broyles/The Bulletin

Gov. Sam Brownback met privately with university leaders last Friday. With the Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA) in mind, The Bulletin questioned the legality of the meeting.

Susan Fowler, D-Kansas House Representative of the 76th district, said she believes the meeting did not violate KOMA, but she felt there was no need for the secrecy during the meeting.

Kevin Johnson, Emporia State general counsel, also said that KOMA was not violated.

“There is no particular group or body that this is a meeting of,” Johnson said in a phone interview last Friday before the meeting took place.

“The governor’s office invited people they wanted to be at the meeting by position, not by individual name and the purpose, as far as I know… his (Brownback’s) whole goal is to support the idea that there shouldn’t be any funding cuts to higher education.”

When The Bulletin asked about the potential violation and the need for a private meeting, Sara Belfry, deputy communications director for the governor, said she would answer KOMA questions after the press conference.

“KOMA only applies to a policy

See Meeting ...Page 4

Page 2

news Final ASG meeting ends on good note

The Bulletin | May 2, 2013

Police Reports Reports given to The Bulletin from ESU Police and Safety Department April 17 Officer contacted male student at the Art Annex and advised to contact ESU PD HQ when working there after hours.

April 18 Oscar Hernandez reported a building services radio is missing and most likely lost.

Mike Dennis reported a non-injury accident involving KS 559CXG and KS 273BJQ in Sector 9.

April 19 Officer assisted Emporia Police Dept. with a possible drunk driver call in 1800 Merchant St. Officer assisted Emporia Police Dept. with a welfare check at 12th and Commercial Street.

April 20 Officer stopped MD 1AX4079 in 1400 Mechanic St. Operator was taken into custody for DUI and transported to Lyon Co. jail.

Officer assisted Emporia Police Dept. with an animal problem in 1100 Mechanic St. Student guard reported possible fireworks in the vicinity of Twin Towers Complex. No problem was found.

Officer assisted Lyon Co. deputy with a car stop in 1400 Washington St. Officer assisted Emporia Police Dept. with a car stop at 105 W 12th Ave. April 21 Officer checked welfare of occupants of KS 491ESL north of I-35. Subjects were watching a meteor shower.

April 22 Officer stopped KS 773FNF in 200 W 13th Ave. Verbal warning for driving without headlights.

Officer stopped KS 802BIM in 1800 Highland St. Verbal warning for defective headlight.

Officer assisted Emporia Police Dept. with a burglary call in 1200 Exchange St. April 23 Parking Enforcement removed immobilizer from KS 617EIB in Lot 3.

April 24 Two male students reported personal items missing from their dorm room in Singular Hall and possibly stolen. One alleged theft occurred between April 17 and April 19. The second alleged theft occurred between April 22 and April 23.

Officer took reports for both cases.

Officers recovered two bicycles in the vicinity of northwest Plumb Hall and secured them at ESU PD HQ.

April 25 Officer stopped KS 360DBF in Sector 6. Verbal warning for turn signal violation and defective brake light at 15th and Wooster Drive.

Garin Burgess requested to speak with an officer at ESU PD HQ in reference to a possible burglary and theft of prescription medicine, and also the possible theft of his bicycle. Officer took reports on both cases.

April 26 Officer stopped MO HH9C9G in Sector 1 for improper left turn and failure to yield to oncoming traffic at Morse Drive and Highland Street. Subject was taken into custody for driving while suspended and no proof of insurance and transported to the Lyon Co. jail.

April 27 Officer stopped KS 065DVN in 1200 Sylvan St. Written warning for a stop sign violation at 12th and Burlingame Road.

Officer stopped KS 143ARM in 10 E 15th Ave. Verbal warning for defective brake light.

Officer stopped KS Fire Fighter tag FD 7990 in 1200 Market St. Verbal warning for a one way violation in 1300 Market St. Officer stopped KS 859BDE in 1800 Merchant St. Verbal warning for a defective headlight.

Residential Life staff reported they found a gas can in the garbage bin.

Officer stopped KS 051DXD at 15th and Highland Street.

Citation for a stop sign Violation at 15th and Wooster Drive and no proof of insurance.

April 28 Officer stopped KS 422CPE in Sector 3. Verbal warning for turn signal violation at 15th and Merchant Street.

Officer assisted Emporia Police Dept. with loose cattle in 1700 Whittier.

M arilyn K earney kearney@esubulletin.com Brooke Schmidt, Associated Student Government president and senior Spanish major, began this semester’s final ASG meeting April 25 by expressing her appreciation for the gathered senators and all the work they did for Emporia State during school year.

“I’m just really extremely proud with this past year we’ve had,” Schmidt said. “We’ve done a lot of outstanding accomplishments.

None of this would have been possible without your time, your thoughts, your enthusiasm and, most importantly, your representation.”

Schmidt’s appreciation and recognition of her peers was met with smiles and applause.

What followed was an unusual resolution for ASG – a resolution

congratulating the ESU debate team on their historic victory at the National Debate Tournament.

Copies of the resolution were then distributed to the present members of the debate team amid another round of applause.

Elijah Smith, junior political science major and columnist for The Bulletin, was named as one of the undisputed champions of debate in the resolution.

“I appreciate everybody’s support,” Smith said. “They didn’t have to do this, and I definitely appreciate it. This I’m going to keep forever.”

Regular business formally began with the passing of a resolution in support of a specialized student parking pass for athletic students, a reserve fund for the pre-law club, recognition of the Society of Public Historians, a reserve fund for the ESU Marketing Club, support of

HornetLife and the recognition of the Scuba Club.

The Scuba Club was the final bill of the year. Michael Torres, sophomore communications major, spoke on behalf of the recognition of the club.

Torres said the club allows students to learn scuba diving skills, about the environment and the marine life. He said the club already has ties to the HPER building and the community scuba club, and they plan to do fundraising throughout the year, since there are plans for a trip to Florida to apply the skills learned in the club.

“It’s both recreational and academic,” Torres said. “It offers something new to students, and I think it’d be a great addition. I think it’s a fun, new thing to bring to Emporia State University.”

The resolution was passed unanimously.

Representing Emporia State University debate, junior political science majors Elijah Smith, Alex Turley, RaKiya Wash, and Sam Maurer, director of Debate, receive recognition from Associated Student Government on last Thursday in the Senate Chamber in the Memorial Union. Will Austin/The Bulletin

April 29 Justin Parton and Austin Hogan requested to speak with an officer in reference to suspicious mail received.

Officer stopped KS QVV013 at 100 E. 12th Ave. Written warning was for a one-way violation in 1200 Market St. April 30 Officer contacted students in Science Hall Room 301 and advised to contact ESU PD HQ when in a campus building after hours.

Officers trapped a snake in front of Plumb Hall. It was released north of I-35.

Officer assisted Emporia Police Dept. with a child welfare call at 11th and Congress Street.

®

THE BEST STUDY BUDDY

YOU’LL EVER HAVE. PIZZA ON THE GO! LARGE 1-TOPPING PIZZA

Make a difference.

Help people. http://beadoctor.cleveland.edu

8

$

No coupon required, just valid College Student ID. Offer expires 8/31/12

528

DINE-IN/DELIVERY/CARRYOUT

2920 W. 18th St. 620-342-0333 1-800-467-CCKC

©2011 Pizza Hut, Inc. EMPSU/57679ROP

news

The Bulletin | May 2, 2013

Page 3

Free HIV testing helps keep students safe

N ing L iu liu@esubulletin.com

Just 15 minutes after getting their fingers pricked, students could get results of a free HIV test last Thursday in the Memorial Union Main Street.

“It is really important to know what your status is,” said Teresa Romey, Ryan White Part D Case Manager for the KU Medical Practice Association. “We do free testing programs and HIV education so that people can know what their status is so they won’t spread the virus. And if they are HIV positive, they can find what their status is and take care of themselves.”

Candice Brooks, junior elementary education major, came up with the idea for the free HIV testing event in her Global Leadership class.

Both Romey and Brooks said

they think getting tested is important for college students, who are in the range of high-risk people.

But only 10 ESU students got tested, including Brooks. She wore an “I Got Tested” sticker at the info table to help students realize that getting tested is nothing to be ashamed of.

“At my info table, I encouraged students to get tested,” Brooks said.

“I also got tested myself to ensure people that I felt comfortable doing the test.”

Brooks speculated that students did not want to do the test because they were concerned about their privacy, but she, along with a few of the representatives from the Student Wellness Center, worked to ensure that they could make testing as private as possible.

“At the table, I created a list of other places in Emporia that they could go get tested, letting them

know they may not receive the test for free, but they could have a more private facility to fulfill their concern,” Brooks said.

Xiang Li, graduate English student, missed the opportunity to do the test on campus, but said more free tests should be done for students on campus because it is a very good way to know more about students’ health.

Having HIV means a person is infected with the virus. Once people have the virus, it can develop into AIDS, which means that the immune system weakens.

“AIDS can be very well controlled with the drugs we have right now, but if you don’t take your medications, or if you let it go for a very long period, you can be very ill and possibly die,” Romey said.

Students can also get tested at Flint Hills Community Health Center, located at 420 W 15th Ave.

Teresa Romey, case manager with the Kansas University School of Medicine in Wichita, offered students free and confidential tests for HIV in the Memorial Union last Thursday. Will Austin/The Bulletin

Gone but Never Forgotten

A year and a half after the tragic house fire that resulted in the death of Chinese international students Yawei Fan and Zheng Lin in October 2011, the building on 11th and Mechanic Street was demolished in late April. The demolition was part of the City’s Property Enforcement Program, which helps an owner fund the demolition of a house that does not meet minimum health and safety standards. According to the City Manager’s office, there are currently no construction plans in place for the empty site. Will Austin/The Bulletin

Brownback from ...Page 1 “We’ve talked to our legislators, and we will continue to do so,” Shonrock said. “(The legislators are) good people who absolutely care about the state and about the future.”

One of Brownback’s main goals with this proposed stable budget is to avoid raising the cost of tuition.

“I think it’s important we try to do what we can to not hurt that tuition price point because students are becoming increasingly sensitive

to tuition,” Brownback said.

Brooke Schmidt, Associated Student Government president and senior Spanish major, agreed.

“No one wants to see an increase in tuition dollars, and so to get that support from our state is wonderful,” Schmidt said.

Brownback said Kansas is a small state in regard to population, so “we cannot provide the highest ranked higher education for everybody in every field. But, we can be very good in a number of selected categories.”

Rachael Countryman, junior com- Abroad from ...Page 1 munication major and incoming ASG lish is spoken. Elizabeth Reinhardt, president, attended both the private sophomore English major, will meeting and the press conference. She travel to London for a 10-day trip said her interactions with the governor as part of a summer course with the in both settings were very productive.

English department.

She said the students at the private “For several years, I’ve wanted meeting did their best to not only wel- to see England. I’ve wanted to see come Brownback to ESU, but to also the birthplace of English literature tell him how the discussions about and to study its later impact on higher education could personally American literature,” Reinhardt affect students and explain why many said. “I’d like to be immersed in of the opportunities students have are English culture and get a taste helped by solid state funding. of real English life, not just the

watered-down version we get so often in movies and television.”

Cunningham said ESU advocates for students to study abroad because it helps students become “global citizens.”

“Another reason (ESU) supports study abroad is that studying abroad can help students to learn to think critically, which is one of the qualities employers claim most college graduates lack,” Cunningham said.

To learn more about study abroad, stop by the Office of International Education.

news

Page 4

Business dean search down to final three

S teve E dwards edwards@esubulletin.com

Three finalists for dean of Emporia State’s School of Business visited the campus, Emporia Arts Center and various places in the community over the last two weeks. Each candidate’s visit consisted of individual meetings with the search committee, the ESU provost council, as well as an open forum with faculty, staff and students, as well as the campus community.

Kristie Ogilvie, associate dean of Academics at California State in San Bernardino, Calif., visited April 23-24.

Ogilivie worked for eight years with Aerojet, a space and defense contractor that specializes in missile and space propulsion and defense and armaments, as a senior business analyst. She said she wanted to bring what she learned from her experience with that position to students in ESU’s business school.

“I am most inspired by students, faculty and staff in their commitment to their institution, and it’s a primary reason I moved from industry to academia,” Ogilivie said.

Sam Beldona, associate dean of the Graduate School of Business at Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I., visited April 24-25, and Percy S. Poon, interim dean of the Lee School of Business at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, visited April 30 and May 1.

The three finalists agreed that creating new online programs would be beneficial for business students. Beldona discussed increasing the online presence of college business classes and decreasing the requirements for in-class attendance for students.

“By the time our second graders are in college, they will expect a more online-based education,” Beldona said.

Beldona said that nearly 70 percent of high school students in the United States have taken some form of an online class. He said that students today are busier and more involved with off campus activities than before, which can cause problems with attendance in traditional, in-person classes.

“Business schools right now are facing a lot of challenges,” Poon said.

Poon said enrollment in business schools has been declining nationwide.

“We have to look at the strength of the ESU business school and local businesses to create niche programs for the students,” Poon said.

“The aim is make sure our students have a job after graduation. What is most important is that students find that job within six months.”

Surveys for the business dean finalists will be available on the business dean search page until 8 p.m. tonight.

Ogilvie

K-State employees consider leaving civil service TOPEKA (AP) — Hourly employees at Kansas State University are discussing whether to stop being civil service employees — a move that would give the school authority to make decisions about their pay and other job-related issues instead of the Legislature.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the move would affect nearly 1,800 so-called “classified employees,” including custodial staff and some administrative and supervisory workers.

The employees are scheduled to meet this week about being re-categorizing as “university support staff,” but a vote would not come until November.

“Our classified employees are valued members of our campuses, and the university will support what they decide,” said Kansas State University president Kirk Schulz in a written statement sent to The Associated Press.

Carol Marden, chairwoman of a committee looking into the option, told the Capital-Journal that some employees on campus haven’t had a raise since 2008.

“It’s basically, who do you have more trust in, our local administration or a further removed administration?” said Marden, herself a classified employee. “My trust lays here at Kansas State.”

Marden said that in addition to cutting ties to the Legislature, another benefit of leaving civil service would

be ensuring flexibility in recruiting and evaluating staff members.

“We want our boss to be more in tune with what’s actually happening with classified employees,” she said.

Marden said the university had to follow standardized procedures for advertising classified positions that don’t always match the skills the school is looking for.

“So it’s not just money,” Marden said. “The flexibility portion is extremely important to us.”

Classified employees at the University of Kansas made a similar move two years ago. Now, committees have formed at Wichita State and Emporia State universities to consider whether to follow suit. Emporia’s met for the first time last week.

“It’s going to be one of those things that you have to go in slowly and do your homework,” said Kim Massoth, chairwoman of the Emporia State Classified Assembly. “We’re going to do all the homework and research with KU and K-State’s help, so we’re kind of piggybacking on them.”

By statute, classified employees who become support staff retain their health and retirement benefits.

Marden said current job protections — including verbal warnings, written warnings and other steps — would stay in place and the school would create a board to make final calls on terminations.

“We have a good system here,” Marden said. “It’s all about employees and protecting them.”

Federal grand jury indicts Kansas doctor Manhattan Pain and Spine clinic

Poon

Beldona

Meeting from ...Page 1 making body,” Belfry said. “The governor does not include a policy making body and, from my understanding from the university leaders, their leaders didn’t make up a governing body. So any discussions they have are just open discussions… discussions between people talking about several things.”

But Mike Merriam, attorney for the Kansas Press Association, said that if enough members of a body were in the meeting, then the meeting was subject to KOMA. “If enough members of a subordinate group met, then they had a meeting, which is subject to (KOMA). The fact that they met with the governor isn’t relevant,” Merriam said. “The onus is on that group to not violate the open meetings act.”

Belfry said that the governor wanted to have an open and honest discussion and that some people were nervous around media, which was the reason for closing the meeting.

The Bulletin | May 2, 2013

STUDY ABROAD with Emporia State University Have you ever wanted to live and learn in another country?

Emporia State University gives you the opportunity to study in more than 60 countries. From two-weeks to a full academic year, study abroad is life-changing and can be affordable.

Make yourself stand out among other students.

Emporia State gives you the world!

To learn more, contact us: James F. and Dorine D. Harter Office of International Education Memorial Union, Lower Level Room 40 ■ oie1@emporia.edu www.emporia.edu/oie/study-abroad

WICHITA (AP) — A federal grand jury has returned a four-count indictment against a Kansas physician accused of unlawfully distributing prescription drugs, the U.S. attorney’s office said Wednesday.

Michael Schuster of Manhattan was indicted Wednesday on one count each of conspiracy to illegally distribute controlled substances, drug distribution, unlawfully distributing drugs to a person under 21 years old and using and maintaining a premise for drug distribution. Prosecutors are seeking forfeiture of money and property linked to the crimes.

Schuster’s attorneys didn’t immediately respond to phone or email messages left Wednesday by The Associated Press.

The 53-year-old doctor was initially charged April 23 in a criminal complaint that linked his clinic to drug overdoses by active-duty Fort Riley soldiers, according to a document which included an affidavit by an FBI agent saying Fort Riley physicians and hospital staff had voiced concerns to military investigators about several overdose deaths of active-duty soldiers and family members.

But the 29-page indictment handed down by the grand jury Wednesday does not allege any overdose deaths, nor does it make any specific reference to soldiers.

Schuster, who operates the

in Manhattan, Kan., remains jailed pending a detention hearing Tuesday. The Kansas Board of Healing Arts has indefinitely suspended his medical license. Schuster also has surrendered his Drug Enforcement Agency license to prescribe controlled substances.

The grand jury alleged that beginning on April 2007 until at least August 2012, Schuster engaged in a scheme to unlawfully distribute controlled substances. The indictment accuses him of directing and allowing staff members to dispense controlled substances using blank prescription pads he left behind signed while he traveled. He employed between eight to 12 staff members, none of which were licensed to write prescriptions.

The government contends prescriptions from his clinic were issued to about 540 patients while Schuster was traveling out of Kansas or the country. The indictment includes more than 12 pages detailing prescriptions issued while the doctor was of out of the country.

Most of the unlawful prescriptions cited in the indictment were for Oxycodone, although some also included morphine, Hydrocodone, and other controlled substances. The count related to distributing drugs to a person under age 21 involved prescriptions for Oxycodone and Oxycontin prescribed while he was in Canada.

news

The Bulletin | May 2, 2013

Page 5

Some Like it Hot

Ann Harmon, senior psychology major; Alisha Lyon, graduate business administration student and Sam Beye, graduate student in school counseling, power through a plate of jalapeños at the 2nd annual jalapeño-eating contest last Wednesday in the Memorial Union courtyard. Harmon won with a total of six jalapenos and received a cash prize from Emporia State Federal Credit Union. Jenny Pendarvis/The Bulletin

Alisha Lyon, graduate business administration student, consumes pepper after pepper at the jalapeño-eating contest last Wednesday afternoon in the Memorial Union courtyard. Jenny Pendarvis/The Bulletin

Festival brings a ‘thousand young musicians’ to Emporia S teve E dwards edwards@esubulletin.com

High school band students from eastern and central Kansas made their way to Emporia State for the Kansas State High School Activities Association 6A Solos and Small Ensembles Festival on Saturday. Soloists and ensembles performed before judges in Beach Hall, Plumb Hall and Roosevelt Hall.

Senior music major Kenji Bolden was among the many mu- sic students that volunteered for the all-day event.

“We help facilitate the ensembles,” Bolden said. “(We) make sure the music is numbered and g official. We also walk them around campus and show them around.”

Bolden say noise control can be “pretty hectic,” especially in Plumb Hall because the sound carries well.

Solo percussionists performed in Beach Hall rooms 132 and 134.

Percussion ensembles performed in Beach Hall room 134. The judges for percussion and percussion ensembles were Brian Fronzaglia and Keith Woolery.

Spencer Buff, who performed with the Olathe North High School symphonic percussion en-

semble, said the time spent preparing and rehearsing for Saturday’s competition “was worth it.”

“If you really want to be great at something,” Buff said, “you have to put in the effort to achieve that greatness.”

Viola and violin soloists performed for judge Larry Williams in Beach Hall room 205 and judge Russ Pieken in Beach Hall room 206. Cello and bass soloists performed for judge Allen Probus in room 215. String ensembles performed for judge Carolyn Turner in Heath Recital Hall.

“There must be at least a thousand young musicians here in Emporia today,” said Gary McCarty, music education representative for Flint Hills Music.

The 5A Solos and Ensembles Festival was held concurrently with the 6A Festival at Emporia High School.

McCarty set up a table in Beach Hall stocked with supplies and “emergency equipment” such as drumsticks and mallets. McCarty said Flint Hills Music has been assisting with 6A solo and small ensemble competition for the last 10 years.

“Occasionally, I get away from the table to watch the percussion

ensembles,” McCarty said.

McCarty was a judge in the percussion ensemble category last year.

Brass, flute and woodwind soloists and ensembles performed in Roosevelt Hall. High brass soloists performed for judge Stephen Patterson in room 206. Brass ensembles and low brass soloists performed for judge Jack Flouer in room 204.

Flute and woodwind soloists and ensembles performed for judge Ellen Johnson in room 100. Saxophone and double reed soloists and woodwind ensembles performed for judge Kimberly Krutz in room 112. Flute and clarinet soloists and single reed ensembles performed for judge Christopher Greco.

Vocal ensembles performed for judge Cecil Riney in Albert Taylor Hall and judge Cathy Holt in Plumb Hall room 408. Solo vocals were divided between rooms 310, 312 and 316.

Penelope Speedie was the judge for the girls solo vocal category, William Krusemark was the judge for the boys solo vocal category and Ronald Witzke was a judge for both categories.

Results for the festival were not available by press time Wednesday night.

Josh Swartz, a Gardner-Edgerton High School student, practices the marimba for his Mall solo Saturday at the 6A State Music Festival held in Albert Taylor Hall. High school students traveled to Emporia to compete against other schools as groups or individuals. Jenny Pendarvis/The Bulletin

Report: Kansas jobs forecast better than in 2012 WICHITA (AP) — Employment in Kansas is forecast to grow at a “slightly faster rate” than last year and is expected to add nearly 24,000 jobs to the state’s economy, according to a report released Tuesday.

The Center for Economic Development and Business Research at Wichita State University forecast 1.8 percent growth, to add an estimated 23,794 new Kansas jobs in 2013.

“This is still slow growth — 1.8 percent is not fast, it is not stellar growth by any means,” said the center’s director, Jeremy Hill. “But we have a fairly optimistic forecast.”

Most of those new jobs are in the service sector, which is expected to grow by 2.2 percent and add 13,327 jobs this year. That is a broad sector that includes lawyers and hotel workers.

Also adding jobs is the production sector — which includes the energy and construction industries and is forecast to grow 2.3 percent and add 5,279 jobs. Many of those jobs are tied

to the growth of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in which water, sand and chemicals are injected into rock to free the oil and gas within. Construction jobs are also rebounding.

“The economy is growing. The question is whether there are headwinds in the national and state economy — and how that would affect it,” Hill said.

Among concerns are that tight fiscal policies and budget cuts at the national and state level will continue to drag on the Kansas economy, Hill said.

He also cited as worrisome the uncertainty about implementation of the new health care law and the slowing of employment growth last month.

But Hill also pointed to positive economic signs in consumer spending, increasing inventories, growing business profits and rebounding housing starts.

Housing starts have been rising nationwide and now Kansas also begins to see improvement, which is reflected in the construction job growth.

opinion Roadmap to Nowhere

Page 6

The Bulletin | May 2, 2013

STAFF EDITORIAL

Surprisingly few students came to see Gov. Sam Brownback Friday in Cremer Hall – probably because only a handful were invited. It’s just as well because he didn’t say anything new.

But for every ill-conceived policy Brownback has recently been associated with, it seems like his approach to universities in Kansas deserves some praise and some suspicion as well.

Brownback toured a few colleges and universities over the last week promoting his stable funding proposal for higher education. He made a point to mention the proposed cuts in higher education from the legislature. The term “momentum killer” was used several times.

On face, it seems like Brownback is standing up against his party. Republicans tend to disagree with Brownback on state funding for public universities. Brownback wants stable funding, and leading

Republicans want cuts.

But Brownback’s “Roadmap For Kansas,” the document detailing his platform for higher education, further distances Kansas from the humanities and liberal arts. It focuses primarily on economically productive disciplines, like engineering, science and technology.

In response to The Bulletin’s question regarding his office’s stance toward humanities and liberal arts, Brownback said, “It supports all of it.”

Why, then, aren’t those disciplines mentioned in the “Roadmap For Kansas?” It seems clear that Brownback’s history of indifference toward the arts is being put on display.

His proposed funding calls for augmented allocations toward needed programs. Don’t be surprised if glass blowing, communication, history or English are not considered worthy for those allocations.

Brownback wants to create a self-sufficient and economically viable higher education atmosphere in Kansas, and he apparently does not feel arts fall into that purview.

But there is more to education than what we can financially squeeze out of it. When we consider English and communication expendable, we sacrifice the building blocks of our social and political lives.

The Bulletin hopes that Brownback is successful in stemming the tide against higher education in general.

We ask students who find value in programs ignored by Brownback’s “Roadmap For Kansas” to speak up and make a case for their inclusion in his crusade.

Kansans will find a way to be economically competitive. It’s in our nature. The threat, then, is not on our pocket books, but in our freedom to explore the full breadth of higher education.

The Greek Divide

Beyond falling into patterns of de facto segregation on campus, there are rumors of exclusion of students from racial minority backgrounds during both Greek and P.R.I.D.E. Week that should cause us some concern. It is emblematic of a nationwide ignorance about race.

Although my heart goes out to those affected by the violence in Boston, American media’s struggle to celebrate difference points to a larger issue we avoid on a daily basis – race.

The media’s bias in reporting the bombing suffered from racial bias we refuse to discuss. Initial reports about a non-white extremist were soon replaced by one of a white male who suffered from mental illness but who didn’t practice an “evil” religion.

Instead of meeting it head-on, people like to run away from the topic and speak for greater inclusion without looking for the reason people felt left out in the first place. Even though we’d prefer to be exempt from

responsibility, this pattern has been seen on campus in the past few weeks.

In response to an important topic, Emporia State needs to hold a forum for students with targeted identities where they are given the chance to address their concerns to our administration.

The necessity for greater input from students about their racial identity and treatment on campus should not be seen as a negative but a step in the right direction. We’ve found the wound that has been pestering us for the last 400 years and what better time than now to treat it?

A few years ago, Attorney General E lijah S mith smith@esubulletin.com Eric Holder was criticized widely for calling Americans “cowards” when it came to race issues, but ESU students the conditions of our community. All change comes one person at a time. are up for the challenge of creating a The conversation of race so close new discourse on campus that preto home is hard to deal with, but cedes the changes in effective policies.

I’m eager to see a result that invested This is not a criticism of any members of the student body, faculty particular members of the student body. All members are responsible for and staff are capable of producing.

Plan of Action

Once upon a time, school was considered a reasonably safe place for people to spend eight or more hours of their day. Not so much these days.

What has changed is that now we know that knowing what to do in a crisis can save lives. The Newtown, Conn. shooting wasn’t as bad as it could have been because the students and staff had training to prepare them for exactly that kind of event.

Today, students need a plan of action, not an opportunity for reaction.

But a Google search for “school shootings in the United States” provides a list that is long and begins in 1764. It seems things haven’t changed all that much.

At Emporia State, we have been told that we have policies in place and a great crisis alert system. What happens when the Rave System for mobile texting isn’t accessible?

Believe it or not, some students can’t afford a phone. What if a student left their phone at home?

In the case of the Boston Marathon bombing, cell phones were turned off because of concerns that mobile

devices were being used as remote detonators. Just having a warning system isn’t good enough.

Some people have told me to follow the crowd. Back in February when gunshots were fired near campus, the trusted Rave system wasn’t utilized at all. I immediately started walking in the opposite direction while all the other students I saw that night seemed oblivious and behaved as if nothing had happened. Following students that don’t know what’s going on and don’t know what to do isn’t a plan at all.

I am a big advocate for knowing your options, planning ahead and taking responsibility for yourself. I encourage students to find out what exactly they should do in various emergency situations.

There are signs locating emergency fire exits and pointing out tornado shelters. But what do you do when something out of the ordinary happens? I haven’t found any kind of directions for cases like the earthquake aftershocks we felt in 2011, nor can I find information on what to actually

Cartoon by Ellen Weiss

The

Bulletin Phone: 620-341-5201 Fax: 620-341-5865 Email: editor@esubulletin.com or advertising@esubulletin.com www.esubulletin.com Offices are located on the third floor of the Memorial Union on the campus of Emporia State University, Emporia, Kan. One free copy per ESU student.

Additional copies are $1.50 per issue or $30 for a yearly subscription.

EDITORIAL STAFF Kenzie Templeton Editor-in-Chief Charlie Heptas Managing Editor Susan Welte Assignment Editor Jon Coffey Photo Editor Matt Cook Opinion Editor Rocky Robinson Sports Editor Khaili Scarbrough Design Editor Chris Krause Convergence Editor

BUSINESS C zarli R ex

rex@esubulletin.com do if there is a gunman on campus.

A basic search of the ESU website came up empty. Dependence on a warning system that has, thus far, failed us and isn’t accessible to every single student, is an inadequate plan at best and a recipe for disaster at worst.

I urge our administrators to give students the tools to plan ahead and save our lives.

Ashley Lucas Advertising and Office Manager Sipei Huang Business Manager

ADVISER Max McCoy Associate Professor of Journalism

Response to Editorial “Chick-fil-A: The Easy Way”

At first I was excited to see the headline of the Staff Editorial Chick-fil-A: The Easy Way dated on April 18, 2013. Then I began reading the article and was surprised at the direction it went.

Chick-fil-A® Leadercast® is a one-day leader development event broadcast LIVE from Atlanta, Ga. to hundreds of sites throughout the nation, including right here in Emporia. It has nothing to do with the restaurant coming to Emporia. Chick-fil-A is the national sponsor of this event, and

that is the only connection to the Chamber and Emporia.

The Emporia Area Chamber respects the opinion of the editorial staff, but is disappointed that they were so quick to react without learning more about this exciting event coming to Emporia, or what we do as an organization.

Community business leaders and student can access the knowledge and experience of world-renowned leaders by attending Chick-fil-A Leadercast at the Flint Hills Technical College, 3301 W. 18th Ave. on May 10, 2013.

Speakers for this year’s event include: Jack Welch, Former Chairman and CEO of General Electric Andy Stanley, Best-selling leadership author and communicator Mike Krzyzewski, Head men’s basketball coach, Duke University and Team USA John Maxwell, Best-selling author and leadership expert Dr. Henry Cloud, Best-selling author and leadership consultant LCDR Rorke Denver, Navy SEAL and star of the 2012 movie Act of Valor

Sanya Richards-Ross, 2012 London Olympic gold medalist, track & field David Allen, Best-selling author of Getting Things Done and productivity expert Condolezza Rice, Secretary of State (2005-2009) , via exclusive Simply Lead video interview Last year, over 100,000 leaders from 14 countries attended Chickfil-A® Leadercast®. In its 14th year, this full day, experiential conference is predicted to reach its largest audience to date.

If you would like more infor-

mation about this event or the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce, please contact me; we area a proud supporter of Emporia State University and are always looking for ways to work more closely together.

Jeanine McKenna President/CEO Emporia Area Chamber & Visitors Bureau 719 Commercial 620-342-1600 jmckenna@emporiakschamber.org

opinion A Letter to Our Successors

The Bulletin | May 2, 2013

To the future ftaff and editors of The Bulletin, The academic year is coming to a close, and our final issue is published.

As those of us who are graduating take a moment to catch our breath, it is important that you envision The Bulletin you want to create for the future. To that end, we want share with you what we’ve learned in the hope that our experience can guide you.

Journalism is evolving, and we must be part of that evolution, not a roadblock. The format and medium of journalism constantly moves forward. The process may change, but our core values do not. We are the seekers of truth and the counterbal-

ance to authority. We are “the voice of the students since 1901,” and we cannot abandon that ethos, no matter what.

College journalism is not secondrate journalism. Our stories affect campus policy. We influence the student body’s perception of important events. This responsibility is nothing to take lightly. Be thorough, courteous, accurate and fair.

To ensure success is to trust the people around you. We are students, but more specifically, we are students of journalism. The resources you need to perform your job effectively are all around you. Appreciate your adviser’s experience. Listen to the

senior staff. Humility will afford you the respect of your peers and allow you to grow both personally and professionally.

Not everyone will thank you for your hard work each week, nor should you expect it. This is a reality of the working world and is better learned now, with institutional and personal support, than when you’re on your own.

The strength to endure must come from an internal place. It may be different for every person, but it always revolves around passion.

For some, it is a desire for truth. For others, it is a belief in the democratic power of the press. Whatever

Government: By Invitation Only

K enzie T empleton

editor@esubulletin.com I’d love to tell you what was said at the meeting between Gov. Sam Brownback and university leaders last Friday in Cremer Hall, but I can’t.

I wasn’t allowed in.

Neither was anybody else who wasn’t invited – no press, no students, no faculty.

When The Bulletin received word a few weeks ago that the governor would be on campus to talk about his alleged support for higher education, we assumed, as student journalists on a public campus, that we’d hear what he had to say.

We were wrong.

I received an email last Thursday afternoon from Gwen Larson, assistant director of Marketing and Media Relations, letting me know the meeting with Brownback was “private” but that media could attend a press conference immediately after to ask questions for five to 10 minutes before Brownback had to be whisked away to his next engagement.

Immediately, I questioned whether or not the meeting could, under Kansas law, indeed be a private one.

I asked Larson to cite the exemption under the Kansas Open Meetings Act that the university was invoking to close the meeting. The next morning, I was informed that the meeting was not, in Larson’s opinion, subject to KOMA. An hour later, Kevin Johnson, university council, echoed Larson’s response. Neither the offices of Attorney General Derek Schmidt

or Lyon County Attorney Marc Goodman returned my calls.

On Friday, I waited with the other press outside the meeting room in Cremer Hall. Inside, behind closed doors, were President Michael Shonrock, Regent Mildred Edwards, the President’s Executive Cabinet, all the deans and a handful of other campus leaders – 26 attendees altogether.

At the press conference after the meeting, I expressed to Brownback my concerns about KOMA and the

meeting and asked why it needed to be private. Without even a pause, Sara Belfry, Brownback’s deputy communications director, said she would be happy to answer my question after the conference. As much as I hate to admit it, I was effectively silenced by a Brownback lackey.

Regardless of the legality of the meeting, I have to ask – what was so “private” that it had to be said behind closed doors? What did our governor – and our university – have to hide?

Why on earth would anyone allow a meeting regarding the future of students to take place anywhere but in a public forum? And why is everyone so afraid to stand up for our right to know?

Brownback’s plan for higher education is a priority for us. Receiving the information through a filtered press conference, where Brownback could tailor it to his own, questionable agenda, is not acceptable.

Emporia State owes its students more than that. Allowing our university to be bullied into Brownback’s own terms when he visits our campus is a cowardly and shameful act.

For the most part, I’ve been proud to be a Hornet for the last three years.

Our university fosters award-winning creativity and research. And yet, what kind of message has our administration sent by submitting to “the big bad wolf” once again?

I can only hope that the next time Brownback steps foot on this campus, we tap into our inner Hornet and refuse to remain the silent masses. If we don’t, we deserve whatever government we get, including secret meetings.

your reason is, stay true to it. Your commitment will be tested and your intentions questioned.

There are organizations and individuals on campus who will not like what you do or what you have to say. Understand that, despite our differences, we are all working toward the same goal – the betterment of Emporia State. This shared understanding will help to mediate tensions, to navigate difference and to seek common ground. The rifts that divide us are never as deep as the bonds that unite us.

There was a reason you applied for this job. There is likely for you an element of fun in writing, editing,

Page 7

photographing or designing. It’s up to you to push that joy to its furthest reaches. A joyless paper is obvious to a reader. Do not stagnate. Invest in your work. It’s yours to create.

Our hope is that The Bulletin takes on a new personality with every addition to the staff and that each student makes their mark in the story of our paper. We know that students want to be heard. Be their calling.

Good luck next year.

Yours in print and spirit, Kenzie Templeton Charlie Heptas Ellen Weiss Matt Cook

Just Do It

C harlie H eptas

news@esubulletin.com Three years ago, I asked a friend edifying experiences to have. I found if he knew anywhere that was hiring. the value of editing my own writing He recommended an on campus job and that no matter how good somethat I had never considered – a writing thing looks to you, someone else can position with The Bulletin. Little did I improve it every time. know, this decision would sculpt my But most of all, I learned that college career. you have to take chances to find your For most of my freshman year, I passion. I have gotten more from my spent little time involved in school school and the people that reside here activities. I was busy having fun, living than I could have in any other way. on my own and finding new things You can have plenty of fun in colto experience. This was all time I con- lege and never attend a single schoolsider well spent, but it left me discon- sponsored event. But you can broaden nected from the campus. your horizons and learn more than I had never taken any journalism you could possibly in a classroom by classes. I didn’t know how to attribute just taking a chance. a quote, but The Bulletin editors didn’t So go to that football game. Ask mind. One crash course and two days that question to the speaker in Albert later, I was in the field writing my first Taylor Hall. Go to that Zoiks! show, article. even if it is 10 p.m. on a Wednesday.

I learned a lot about myself workYou only have so many years here. ing for The Bulletin. I discovered that You won’t regret the chances you take listening to someone who is passionate here in college, but you may always about what they do is one of the most wonder about the road not taken.

Corrections

It has come to our attention that last week’s Staff-Editorial “Chick-fil-A: The Easy Way” was quick to conclude that the Chick-fil-A Leadercast set for May 10 was an attempt to bring Chick-fil-A to Emporia. We were wrong. Our sincerest apologies go to the Emporia Area Chamber and Chick-fil-A for mischaracterizing the event. We strive for accuracy in our news and opinion pieces but failed in this instance to meet the standard we set for ourselves. We want to thank Jeanine McKenna, President and CEO of the Emporia Area Chamber and Visitors Bureau, for her thoughtful response.

E llen W eiss

weiss@esubulletin.com

Sincerely, The Bulletin Staff

lifeStyles

Page 8

Hot rods raise money for scholarship fund

$ @ !

The Bulletin | May 2, 2013

Banjo#FTW C ompiled

by

B ulletin S taff

“I’m doing hw but I might have a few beers before class” 1 day ago “This kid in my class is dressed like Yankee Doodle, not even kidding Hahahahahaha” 1 day ago “I just choked on my spit in a room full of people. #awkward but not ONE person flinched. #jerks” 1 day ago “Ya know I can tell a police officers gay? The way he writes me a ticket instead of letting me off with a warning.”

2 days ago “Almost had my first vine. But then he caught me recording him and stopped.”

2 days ago “That awkward moment when were talking about slavery in class And your the only colored person in there” 4 days ago

New and classic cars, vendors and crowds line the 1100 block of Commercial Street Sunday for the 16th Annual Super Custom Car Show. The car show consisted of competitions for numerous categories, including custom graphics, interior and sound. Jenny Pendarvis/The Bulletin

A ustin S chopper schopper@esubulletin.com At 11 a.m. on Sunday, the 16th Annual Super Custom Car Show was held on Commercial Street. The show, sponsored by the ESU Karate Club, hosted car aficionados from all over Kansas and other states, who entered their cars to be judged in several categories.

Tino Camacho, member of the Majestics Car Club of Kansas City, competed in the show. Camacho, along with other members of the Majestics, competed in the lowrider competition, as well as the hydraulic hop competition, which utilized the car’s aftermarket hydraulic system to see which car could “jump” the highest.

Camacho said that he, along with nine other members, came to the show after hearing about it from a

potential new member.

“We have a guy prospecting for our chapter, and he let us know that this event happens here,” Camacho said. “It’s close to Kansas City, so we are just out here to back him up.”

Gilbert Rodriguez, senior painter with ESU facilities, hosted of the event. Rodriguez said the show has grown over the past several years, and this year saw entries from as far away as California and Texas. Rodriguez also mentioned that the proceeds from the day were donated for scholarships for ESU students.

“All this money is going toward the ESU general academic scholarship fund, and a little goes toward the ESU Karate Club. A majority goes towards scholarships, though.” Rodriguez said.

This year, there were 16 different categories, as well as individual trophies for categories such as paint, graphics and interior.

Beny Rodriguez and Sammy Zuniga, two local business owners, judged the show. Rodriguez, who owns Shop Auto Repair, said they had been contacted by Rodriguez to judge.

“We look for cleanliness, paint, body and modifications, wheels and any other aftermarket parts they put on,” Rodriguez said. “There’s some pretty good quality cars here today.

We’re pretty happy with the level of (competition).”

Brent Simmons, junior business major, said he came to the show after hearing about it from a friend.

“It was a chance to see some cool cars, see people and their creativity,” Simmons said. “It’s inspired me to do something nice, if I ever get the chance. It’s a nice event. People like it, and kids enjoy it.”

The show continued on into the early evening, ending with a parade of the vehicles that competed.

Van and Lynda Hardesty, Emporia residents, proudly sit by their 1967 Mustang at the 16th Annual Super Custom Car Show Saturday on Commercial Street. The couple bought the car brand new, and it only sees the road when they show it at car shows. Jenny Pendarvis/The Bulletin

Health-

The Truth About Your Abs

When it comes to aesthetics, the six pack is the Bentley of our physiques. No one really needs it, but, honestly, who doesn’t want a six pack? Despite this desire, it’s a rare site. But here’s how you can join that exclusive group.

One of the most troubling issues I see daily as a personal trainer is the lack of success of people around me.

I don’t mean this in a disrespectful way. For the most part, I see hardworking people chasing their goals.

It’s a lack of knowledge, rather than effort.

First, understand that having muscle isn’t the whole story if the goal is to look good naked. You must be lean enough to see the muscle definition. For more visible abs, it’s simple – lose body fat. Where the fat exists is different for each individual and will vary based on genetics and fat distribution. Males are more prone to store fat around the midsection, while females tend to store fat around their hips. This generalization will not be true for some.

One of the biggest myths to date is the concept of spot reducing fat. I hear it all the time - “I don’t want to

G reg F arris

farris@esubulletin.com lose weight, just tone up my abs.”

The truth is, when an individual begins to lose body fat, they will not be able to control where it comes off. This means that spending 30 minutes on crunches does very little besides inefficiently burning calories.

You’re not “toning” anything.

You’re not losing abdominal fat. You certainly aren’t stimulating muscle growth.

Off the Reel

Hillbilly Spectacle: “White Lightnin’”

M att C ook

Every town has a few local legends.

Jesco White, a poor, Appalachian entertainer popularized in documentaries and folklore, is definitely legendary.

His outlaw persona, flirtation with drug addiction and his brash philosophy lends itself to myth and mystery.

“White Lightnin’” (2009) is a fictionalized bioflick that takes White beyond the moonshine, tap dancing and gas huffing and into a spiritual place.

Director Dominic Murphy understands folklore. That’s why most of the film is so far-fetched. Edward Hogg embodies something greater than White in his performance.

Rather than mimic White’s movements, he attempts to create a man overwhelmed by a violent past. His performance is not a retelling as much as it is a different character altogether.

The focal point is the legend, not the man.

And as legends go, White’s life is unusual and dark. A recurring fascination with inhalants, self-mutilation and dancing propel him into a constant search for gratification. Carrie Fisher – yes, Princess Leia of “Star Wars” – plays Cilla, White’s much older wife. Together, they form a Sidand-Nancy-type duo united by love and bent on self-destruction.

The images are stripped of color but are not entirely black and white.

The diluted spectrum hints at a depth that itches to be exposed. Like White himself, the shot selection is quick and angry. The cinematography chains us to him. We experience what he experiences.

There’s little room for interpretation here. The audience is as close to being drunk on whiskey as a film can make them.

The soundtrack is perhaps the best part of the movie. It features region-

ally and psychologically appropriate artists like Hasil Adkins, who, like White, is from Boone County, West Virginia. His music is stripped down, repetitive, simple rock and roll. The lyrics range from grunting to depictions of decapitation. As the film drags us through the mud, the music makes us all the more uneasy.

Forgive yourself for liking this film. White is not a likable person.

But some of the most compelling characters are unlovable. Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro) in Martin Scorcese’s “Taxi Driver” (1976) is a good example of the iffy protagonist. White pushes your tolerance even further.

He’s not just strung out – he’s certifiably psychotic.

Though White is known for his violent tendencies, Murphy hypes the instances of violence. The recurring themes of vengeance and torture take the focus away from White. Even as a child, White thought of ways to kill and torture those he felt wronged him. Most of the violence is fiction and, somehow, we’re okay with that.

It’s not appropriate to ask this film to be accurate to White’s life.

For one, he’s still alive. More importantly, the documentaries made on the White family have already laid a claim to the facts.

Murphy, instead, made a film about a region, race and class embodied in a living man. White is deified in “White Lightnin.’” His journey is the story of the supreme hillbilly.

To watch this film is the cinematic equivalent to rubber-necking a five car pile-up on the highway.

Sure, you’re not directly involved, but you’re still part of the spectacle.

If someone wants more muscle in their legs, they don’t perform 100 repetition leg extensions. They squat heavy weights. Why would your abs be any different?

Ultimately, obtaining the Holy Grail six pack is a product of low body fat percentage. This means controlling your diet and monitoring caloric input and output.

What’s the best way to train your abs? It’s not a magical formula.

Pick a couple exercises and do them two or three times a week at 8-15 repetitions per set. Always strive to use progressively more resistance.

It’s no different than other resistance training.

Don’t worry about getting “bulky” abs. This area isn’t capable of the type of growth seen in larger

muscles. Training this way will give them that “pop” when low levels of body fat are reached.

So skip the ab class and invest your time more wisely. Proper resistance training is the way to go.

More muscle leads to an increase in metabolic rate. This means you burn more calories sitting on your ass (literally) than you would without it.

Combine this with high-intensity cardio work for efficient caloric expenditure. Last, remember to keep a close eye on your diet, and your six pack will inch closer each day.

Don’t be coaxed into “six-pack in 15 minutes or less” infomercials that promise stunning results with little time and effort. The secret is there is no secret – just hard work and discipline.

opinion@esubulletin.com

The Bulletin | May 2, 2013

news

Queen of Diamonds

Page 9

Kansas school apologies to Airman in prom dispute WICHITA (AP) — A Kansas high school principal who barred a member of the Air Force from escorting his sister to prom has apologized to him in an attempt to quell a firestorm that’s been fueled by a YouTube video of the debacle and the girl’s heartfelt letter to the newspaper.

A policy change allowing exceptions to the age limitation will be presented at Monday’s upcoming school board meeting, Deputy Superintendent Paul Larkin said Tuesday. Current policy in the district located in the southwest Kansas community of Liberal prohibits anyone 21 years old or older from participating in prom activities.

The video that went viral showed Liberal High School junior Courtney Widener arriving at the April 20 prom with her 22-yearold brother, Senior Airman Casey Widener. He stopped and stood at attention at the foot of the red carpet while Courtney and another girl continued unescorted across the promenade. As she went inside, Casey crisply saluted her before turning and leaving amid applause from onlookers.

“There were hurt feelings on both sides, you know,” Larkin said in a phone interview. “I think the best thing is when we came together. I don’t think this family had any intention of shedding any negative light on the district whatsoever and by all means we had no intention of dishonoring their son.”

At Courtney’s request, school officials met with her and her family Monday afternoon during a meeting in which High School Principal Keith Adams apologized to her brother, The High Plains Daily Leader and Southwest Daily Times reported.

“I am sorry that Casey Widener was offended or dishonored in any way,” Adams said. “That was not our intent.”

Larkin acknowledged that the national attention the prom inci-

People Respecting Individuality and Diversity in Education (P.R.I.D.E.) put on a show last Friday in the Memorial Union Ballroom to promote full of acceptance of all people. One of the main performers was Naquita Lynn, who entertained the audience with multiple, dazzling dance routines. Jordan Storrer/The Bulletin

dent received as the YouTube video was picked up by news and social media outlets was “a contributing factor” in the school district’s decision to speed up the timeline for changing its policy: “It made us a little more anxious to get some resolution to this issue,” he said.

The proposed policy change would prohibit anyone 21 or older from participating in the dance itself, but provide for exemptions so that older family members or others with prior permission could escort students across the red carpet.

Courtney told The Associated Press in a phone interview Tuesday that it was important to her to have her brother escort her at the prom because she had only seen him once since he arrived back from his deployment in Afghanistan last September. She said that even though her brother was unable to do so, what he did on the red carpet that night honored her. She said she still had a great night at her prom, and was touched when she saw the video of him saluting her.

Even though school officials rejected Courtney’s request to have her brother escort her, the siblings figured they were following the rules since he took her only to the foot of the carpet before stopping.

“I feel proud of what I did, and I feel proud for standing up for myself and for what I thought was right,” Courney said.

She said she got an overwhelming amount of support from many people, but everyone was surprised at the national attention the incident brought to the small 20,861-resident Kansas community located about 200 miles southwest of Wichita.

“Both the district and my family were amazed at how crazy it got,” she said. “We never expected it to blow up like this. We definitely did not want that. We wanted a change, but we didn’t want it to come about like this.”

Kansas school finance lawsuit talks ‘unsuccessful’ TOPEKA (AP) — Two days of talks aimed at settling a lawsuit that challenges Kansas’ school finance system were unsuccessful, attorneys for both sides said in a status report filed Wednesday with the state Supreme Court.

Attorneys representing plaintiff school districts and parents met with those representing the state for court-ordered mediation Monday and Tuesday.

“The mediation was not successful,” said John Robb, a Newton attorney representing the plaintiffs. He declined to comment further.

The attorney general’s office declined to comment beyond what was stated in the status report, citing confidentiality agreements related to mediation talks.

A three-judge panel in Shawnee County District Court ruled in January that the state’s system for funding public schools was unconstitutional. The ruling suggested the state was shortchanging public schools by at least $440 million.

The lawsuit was filed against the state in November 2010 by parents and guardians of 32 students and the school districts of Wichita, Hutchinson, Dodge City and Kansas City, Kan., after the state backed off from previous education funding promises.

Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and Attorney General Derek Schmidt, also a Republican, asked the court to approve mediation in hopes of settling the case.

The case is set for an Oct. 8 hearing and a ruling is expected around the beginning of the year.

The justices ordered mediation to run concurrently with prepara-

tion for the October hearing date, meaning talks could last until the attorneys go before the state Supreme Court, or even until a ruling is issued.

House Minority Leader Paul Davis, a Lawrence Democrat, said he’s not surprised the talks failed because the state and the parties suing it were far apart.

“The next step is probably for the court hear the case and make its ruling,” Davis said in an interview.

House Speaker Ray Merrick, a Stilwell Republican, said legislators will watch the closely, though they’re not a party to the case.

“Our focus is on creating an education environment in Kansas that is child-centric, that will instill a love of learning, and prepare students to succeed right after graduation,” he said in a statement.

The Kansas Constitution the Legislature the only authority to appropriate money. That means the 125-member House and 40 senators would have to authorize the state to pay an agreed-upon amount before adjourning in May. Any agreement after that point would require a legislative special session.

That’s what happened in 2005, when legislators met for two weeks to develop a one-year, $148.2 million school funding package, which the court viewed as an “interim step” toward satisfying student needs. Legislators followed it with a more comprehensive, three-year plan.

Combined, the two packages increased school spending by nearly $1 billion.

news

Page 10

The Bulletin | May 2, 2013

5-year-old shoots 2-year-old sister US attorney for Kansas touts civil rights in Kentucky BURKESVILLE, Ky. (AP) — In southern Kentucky, where children get their first guns even before they start first grade, Stephanie Sparks paid little attention as her 5-year-old son, Kristian, played with the rifle he was given last year. Then, as she stepped onto the front porch while cleaning the kitchen, “she heard the gun go off,” a coroner said.

In a horrific accident Tuesday that shocked a rural area far removed from the national debate over gun control, the boy had killed his 2-year-old sister, Caroline, with a single shot to the chest.

“Down in Kentucky where we’re from, you know, guns are passed down from generation to generation,” Cumberland County Coroner Gary White said. “You start at a young age with guns for hunting and everything.”

What is more unusual than a child having a gun, he said, is “that a kid would get shot with it.”

In this case, the rifle was made by a company that sells guns specifically for children — “My first rifle” is the slogan — in colors ranging from plain brown to hot pink to orange to royal blue to multi-color swirls.

Kristian’s rifle was kept in a corner of the mobile home, and the family didn’t realize a bullet had been left in it.

“It’s a normal way of life, and it’s not just rural Kentucky, it’s rural America — hunting and shooting and sport fishing. It starts at an early age,” said Cumberland County Judge Executive John Phelps.

“There’s probably not a household in this county that doesn’t have a gun.”

In Cumberland County, as elsewhere in Kentucky, local newspapers feature photos of children proudly

displaying their kills, including turkey and deer.

Phelps, who is much like a mayor in these parts, said it had been four or five years since there had been a shooting death in the county, which lies along the Cumberland River near the Tennessee state line.

“The whole town is heartbroken,” Phelps said of Burkesville, a farming community of 1,800 about 90 miles northeast of Nashville, Tenn. “This was a total shock. This was totally unexpected.”

Phelps said he knew the family well. He said the father, Chris Sparks, works as a logger at a mill and also shoes horses.

The family lives in a gray mobile home on a long, winding road, surrounded by rolling hills and farmland that’s been in the family since the 1930s. Toys, including a small truck and a basketball goal, were on the front porch, but no one was home Wednesday.

There’s a house across the street, but the next closest neighbor lives over a hill.

Family friend Logan Wells said he received a frantic call telling him that the little girl was in an accident and to come quickly.

When he got to the hospital, Caroline was already dead. “She passed just when I got there,” Wells said.

White said the shooting had been ruled accidental, though a police spokesman said it was unclear whether any charges will be filed.

“I think it’s too early to say whether there will or won’t be,” Trooper Billy Gregory said.

White said the boy received the .22-caliber rifle as a gift, but it wasn’t clear who gave him the gun, which is known as a Crickett.

“It’s a little rifle for a kid. ... The

little boy’s used to shooting the little gun,” White said.

The company that makes the rifle, Milton, Pa.-based Keystone Sporting Arms, has a “Kids Korner” on its website with pictures of young boys and girls at shooting ranges and on bird and deer hunts. It says the company produced 60,000 Crickett and Chipmunk rifles for kids in 2008. The smaller rifles are sold with a mount to use at a shooting range.

Keystone also makes guns for adults, but most of its products are geared toward children, including books and bright orange vests and hats.

“The goal of KSA is to instill gun safety in the minds of youth shooters and encourage them to gain the knowledge and respect that hunting and shooting activities require and deserve,” the website said.

No one at the company answered the phone Wednesday.

According to the website, company founders Bill McNeal and his son Steve McNeal decided to make guns for young shooters in the mid-1990s and opened Keystone in 1996 with just four employees, producing 4,000 rifles that year. It now employs about 70 people.

It also has a long list of testimonials from parents who talk about how grateful they are to be able to go shooting with their children.

Sharon Rengers, a longtime child advocate at Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville, said making and marketing weapons specifically for children was “mind-boggling.”

“It’s like, oh, my God,” she said, “we’re having a big national debate whether we want to check somebody’s background, but we’re going to offer a 4-year-old a gun and expect something good from that?”

WICHITA (AP) — The top federal prosecutor in Kansas said Wednesday that if law enforcement officials violate someone’s civil rights while investigating terrorism, then the government becomes as bad as the people it’s trying to protect the public from.

U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom made the comments during a Wichita State University event commemorating Law Day in Kansas. Grissom’s talk was about protecting public safety and human rights. The audience consisted mostly of students.

It is easy to protect everybody if you lock everybody up and take away their rights to legal counsel and rights to protection against self-incrimination, Grissom said. But you have to protect those civil liberties while at the same time pursuing aggressive prosecutions, he said.

“If we engage in that kind of conduct, we are as bad as the people we are trying to protect you from,” Grissom said.

Grissom told the more than 30

students who attended the event that the government monitors hate groups such as white supremacists without violating anyone’s rights.

Many of these extremists groups have websites that are monitored, he said. He cited as an example Inspire magazine, an English-language online publication produced by alQaida’s Yemen affiliate. The magazine has endorsed lone-wolf terror attacks.

“Do not go to this website. You will be on our list,” Grissom told the students.

Grissom also said that, to his knowledge, the federal government has not used the USA Patriot Act in Kansas. The 2001 law lets the government put roving wiretaps on U.S. citizens’ phones with a secret court order and obtain other personal and financial records with no judicial approval.

Grissom oversees about 49 assistant U.S. attorneys in Kansas. He was nominated by President Barack Obama in 2010.

Computer glitches derail school tests in 4 states INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — School districts across several states are rescheduling high-stakes tests that judge student proficiency and even determine teachers’ pay because of technical problems involving the test administrators’ computer systems.

Thousands of students in Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota and Oklahoma have been kicked offline while taking tests in recent weeks, postponing the testing schools planned for months and raising concerns about whether the glitches will affect scores.

“There’s been pep rallies and spirit weeks all getting ready for this.

It’s like showing up for the big game and then the basketball is deflated,” said Jason Zook, a fifth-grade teacher at Brown Intermediate Center in South Bend, Ind. Many frustrated students have been reduced to tears and administrators are boiling over, calling the problems “disastrous” and “unacceptable” at a time when test results count so heavily toward schools’ ratings under the federal No Child Left Behind law. In places such as Indiana, where former Gov. Mitch Daniels approved changes tying teachers’ merit pay to student test scores, the pressure is even greater.

“Teachers are extremely frustrated because of the high-stakes nature of this test,” said Jeff Sherrill, principal at Emmons Elementary School in Mishawaka, Ind. “They know they’re going to be judged on this and their schools are going to be judged on this. Certainly it’s changed the outcome of the testing, because there’s no way it’s not going to.”

CTB/McGraw-Hill is the contractor in Indiana and Oklahoma and administers statewide standardized tests in eight other states.

Kentucky Department of Education spokeswoman Nancy Rodriguez said its vendor, ACT Inc., reported online issues in Kentucky and Alabama.

American Institutes for Research, or AIR, is the contractor in Minnesota.

Kentucky Department of Education Associate Commissioner Ken Draut said the agency suspended online testing through at least Thursday after about 25 districts reported slow and dropped connections from the ACT Vantage testing system used to administer end-of-course assessments for students taking English II, Algebra II, biology and U.S. history.

About 60 percent of Kentucky districts administer the tests online.

In Indiana, McGraw-Hill is in the third year of a four-year, $95 million contract, while in Oklahoma, it has a one-year, $16 million contract with an option to renew an additional four years. Minnesota’s $61 million, three-year contract with AIR expires this year. Rodriguez, reached at home, said she did not know the

terms of Kentucky’s ACT contract.

“I think the only thing the ... states have in common is that technology is not infallible,” said Charlene Briner, chief of staff of the Minnesota Department of Education, which temporarily suspended testing after the first disruption April 16.

Briner said the glitches affected many students taking the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment, which provides much of the data the state uses to judge school performance.

AIR executive vice president Jon Cohen attributed the first disruption to a problem with its servers, which have been fixed. The company is not yet sure what caused a subsequent Internet interruption, but Cohen said there wasn’t a problem at AIR’s data center.

Cohen said students’ performance shouldn’t be affected by interrupted tests, which are designed to be paused and resumed.

Indiana suspended testing Monday and Tuesday, the same days Oklahoma reported problems.

One Oklahoma lawmaker called for a moratorium on testing this year.

“We’ll just start over next year when the testing provider has its act together,” said Rep. Curtis McDaniel, D-Smithville, a longtime school administrator. “It’s just not fair to these students to make them re-take tests two or three times or accept a score based on a partial test that may or may not be accurate because of technology problems.”

Oklahoma State Superintendent Janet Barresi said the department is working to remedy the problem and then will determine “how to proceed with accommodations for the districts.”

CTB/McGraw-Hill spokesman Dan Sieger said by email Wednesday that the company was focused on ensuring testing stability and regrets the “impact on these schools and students.” The company ran simulations to prepare for the tests in Indiana but did not “fully anticipate the patterns of live student testing.”

“The interruptions are not acceptable to students and educators or to CTB/McGraw-Hill,” the statement said.

The company said students interrupted midway through testing would be able to pick up where they left off. Still, some worried whether all answers were recorded.

Rachel Burke of Indianapolis said the computer had indicated her daughter, Katherine, a fifth-grader at Raymond Park Intermediate Academy, finished a section of the test with 23 questions just as it crashed Monday. But she believes there should have been 30 questions.

“So she thinks she was finished, but she’s not sure,” Burke said.

news

The Bulletin | May 2, 2013

Dunkin’ Apples

Page 11

Lauren Merrill, senior elementary education major, gets dunked at Dunk an Apple Sunday at the Alpha Sigma Alpha house. ASA held this event to raise money for their sorority.

Lingzi Su/The Bulletin

Texts, TV, then trouble for bombing suspect’s pals Dias Kadyrbayev was driving back to his apartment when he got a call from a college buddy.

A clearly anxious Robel Phillipos told him authorities had released photos of the alleged Boston Marathon bombers — and one of them looked very familiar.

When he got home, Kadrybayev turned on the television to see a shaggy-haired Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, his friend, classmate and, by then, one of the most wanted men in the world.

That call set in motion a series of events that on Wednesday turned three college pals into key figures in one of the largest terrorist investigations ever on U.S. soil. According to an FBI affidavit based on interviews with all three men, this is how it played out.

Kadyrbayev first met Tsarnaev in 2011, when they both started at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, south of Boston, near the base of Cape Cod. He told authorities he became “better

friends” with the ethnic Chechen in spring 2012, and that he was a frequent visitor to the rundown Tsarnaev home in Cambridge.

Kadyrbayev and fellow Kazakh, Azamat Tazhayakov, hung out together on and off campus with Tsarnaev. The three 19-yearolds often spoke Russian among themselves.

Kadyrbayev, an engineering major, was headed back to the New Bedford apartment that he and Tazhayakov shared when Phillipos called. It was April 18, three days since the twin bombings that killed three and wounded more than 260.

When he saw the images of Tsarnaev and his older brother, Tamerlan, Kadyrbayev texted his friend and told him that he looked a lot like the guy on the television. “lol” Dzhokhar replied, according to the FBI affidavit. Then Tsarnaev’s messages took on a more ominous tone. “you better not text me,” read

one. “come to my room and take whatever you want,” read another.

A month earlier, during a meal, Dzhokhar had apparently felt the need to tell his Russian-speaking chums that he’d learned how to make a bomb. Even so, Kadyrbayev told authorities he thought his friend’s texts were a joke.

The Kazhaks and Phillipos, who’d attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School with “Jahar,” as Dzhokhar was known, agreed to meet at Pine Dale Hall, their friend’s dorm. Phillipos, the 19-year-old son of a single mother, said he wanted to see for himself whether the TV reports were true.

Tsarnaev’s roommate let them in, saying they’d missed him by a couple of hours.

According to Kadyrbayev, the trio decided to watch a movie (he didn’t specify which one). At some point, they noticed a backpack.

Inside, they discovered more than a half-dozen fireworks, each

about 8 inches long, according to the affidavit. The black powder had been scooped out.

Kadyrbayev said he knew instantly that his friend was indeed involved in the bombings. But instead of calling authorities, he told investigators he began thinking of ways to get rid of the evidence.

Just in case the roommate thought he was “stealing or behaving suspiciously” by grabbing the backpack alone, Kadyrbayev decided to take Tsarnaev’s laptop as well.

The three returned to the Kazhaks’ apartment and watched news reports of the intensifying manhunt. They discussed what to do with Tsarnaev’s things.

As the situation’s gravity began to sink in, Phillipos — whose own text to Tsarnaev went unanswered — said everyone “started to freak out,” according to authorities. The other two men began speaking to each other in Russian.

Around 11 p.m., according to

Phillipos, Kadrybayev broached the topic of ditching the stuff.

Phillipos says he replied, “Do what you have to do,” then managed to drift off to sleep.

When he awoke from his two-hour nap, the backpack and computer were gone.

By then, 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev was dead, cut down in a hail of police gunfire, then run over by his fleeing brother. Later that night, the three friends’ college buddy, bleeding from several gunshot wounds, surrendered from his hiding place under a tarp covering a boat in the backyard of a home in Watertown.

On April 26, authorities found the backpack in a New Bedford landfill. According to the affidavit, it contained the emptied fireworks, a jar of Vaseline and a UMass-Dartmouth homework assignment sheet from a class in which Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is currently enrolled.

May 2, 2013

Page 12

Sports Shorts Hornets kicked by Mules Despite taking an early tworun lead in the first inning, the Hornet baseball team fell to the Central Missouri Mules last Monday.

After two quick runs – a single from Eric Dawson to run home Blake Sturgeon and Ashton McCoy hitting in Aaron Rea – the Hornets went scoreless the rest of the game, giving up single runs in the second, third, fourth, sixth and seventh innings to lose to Central Missouri, 5-2. The loss dropped Emporia State two places, where

they now sit as the fifth seed in the MIAA Tournament.

The Hornets were set to start their open round series today in Edmond, Okla., but it has been pushed back to tomorrow and Saturday, due to bad weather conditions. Play will continue Sunday if needed.

If the Hornets defeat the University of Central Oklahoma this weekend, they will play in the MIAA Championship Tournament May 11-12 at the Community America Ballpark in Kansas City.

Death of Kan. football player spurs alcohol debate HUTCHINSON (AP) — McPherson College and Tabor College are only about 30 miles apart, two tight-knit small Kansas colleges both boasting more than 600 students with foundations built on Christian principles — McPherson College chartered by Church of the Brethren leaders and Tabor College, the Mennonite Brethren Church.

But The Hutchinson News (http://bit.ly/15xQb0N ) reports that what happened in the early hours of Sept. 16 shocked both communities, which now both share a bond of heartbreak — and for school officials, a bond of reflection and change.

An ill-fated, late-night party at the home of the McPherson College football team captain, not far from the college’s campus, ended with 26-year-old Tabor College football player Brandon Brown being found alone on the ground, unconscious and bleeding from the mouth, outside of the residence.

Family and friends of Brown have yet to see someone held accountable for the fatal head injury he suffered that night. Brown was airlifted to a Wichita hospital, where he died six days later from blunt-force trauma to the head, with acute alcohol intoxication a contributing cause.

While prosecutors alleged former McPherson College football player Alton Franklin, a 20-year-old Dallas native, attacked Brown amid the party, striking him while he was on the ground, McPherson County jurors disagreed, handing Franklin an acquittal on the charge of second degree murder. Neighbors testified during the trial they saw multiple people involved in the attack on Brown, but only former McPherson College football player DeQuinte Flournoy has been convicted in the case after pleading no contest to a lesser charge of aggravated battery for holding Brown down.

Witnesses at trial also testified that football players from both colleges were consuming alcohol prior to the altercation — something that officials from both schools were forced to address with their student bodies. According to trial testimony, players from both schools — including some minors — were at a McPherson bar before the house party, with some students later drinking Everclear straight from the bottle.

“The outcome of this particular incident was certainly different than any other outcome where students misbehave, so it heightens the situation,” Tabor College President Jules Glanzer acknowledged.

The Work You Don’t See Field Day: Maintenance, crews work just as hard as athletes

R ocky R obinson sports@esubulletin.com When game day rolls around, it is easy to look at the players and take note of the time and effort they’ve put into their sport because they are performing right in front of us. But, many overlook the hard work put into the upkeep of the field itself. If it was not for the behind-the-scene crews that cut the grass, paint the lines and keep the statistics, college athletics would not be the same.

“They have to make sure the PA is working, beef up the press box, got to have an electrician there and they have to have people on site for the unexpected,” said Kent Weiser, director of athletics.

Athletes go to work every day at practice so that they might perform their best when the vital game days approach. When they step onto the field, they are playing for their university and fans as much as much as they are for themselves. But the university works just as hard everyday to maintain the fields, and the players as well.

Field maintenance times have dramatically decreased, Weiser said, and as technology progresses, the work does become easier for the staff, with the introduction of turf on the football and baseball fields. Some sports, like soccer and softball, still play on grass fields and require many hours of maintenance.

According to Weiser, the soccer field is in need of improvement. University crews will work throughout the summer to improve it for next season.

“The field is terrible…its weeds and the drainage system is terrible,” said Kayla Wegman, sophomore athletic training major. “Every time is rains, half our field is flooded, and we can’t play. It doesn’t look good to other schools or people visiting the campus.”

But it is not just the field that requires a lot of work. The sports staff, athletic trainers and people that work in the media put many hours before and after the game to make sure the players and the students get everything out of their game day.

By switching to turf, the university saves money and time on maintenance of the baseball and football fields. There are plans to improve the soccer field over the summer. Will Austin/The Bulletin

Don Weast, director of media relations, is one of the hardest working members of the athletic staff, Weiser said. Weast updates game notes, writes sports releases and runs social media accounts for all university sports.

“It is a rare week in the school year that I will put in less than 50 hours in the office or at events,” Weast said.

“I’ve been to events at a lot of places across the country, and I will say that the game day experience and game administration across the board at Emporia State is some of the best

you’ll find,” Weast said. “Emporia State is in the top 30 nationally in attendance in almost every sport out of nearly 300 NCAA Division II schools.

That’s, in part, because we’ve been successful, but also because it is fun to come to our games.”

Weast says the focus should still be on the student-athletes, and in some cases, the athletes help prepare it. The softball team worked about 10 hours before the game, drying out the field, so they could play, proving that there is more to sports than just competing.

Softball Splits Senior Day

Amanda Self, senior catcher, tags out a Lindenwood opponent just before she reaches home plate last Sunday afternoon. With an overall record of 33-16, the Lady Hornets face Northwestern State in the MIAA conference tournament tomorrow in Overland Park. Will Austin/The Bulletin

S hane J ackson jackson@esubulletin.com Every year, seniors come and go, leaving their mark on their school even when they’re gone.

Some stand out more and leaves bigger marks in their university.

This year’s seniors on the softball team are some of those seniors.

These five seniors include two

conference tournament champions and a couple All-Americans, have been a part of three MIAA regularseason championships and have won 167 games and counting.

Last Sunday, Karley Scmelzer, Amanda Self, Jessica Brewer, Katie Huffman and Lauren Sharp took the diamond at the Trusler Sports Complex for the final time in their careers. When they left, they walked away with a series split against Lindenwood, winning the first in an 8-0 mercy-ruling victory.

“You always want your seniors to have a big day on senior day,” said head coach Julia LeMaire.

“Karley was pitching very well.

Amanda made some nice throws behind the plate, Katie has had a great season, and Jessica had made some great plays. Hopefully, they feed off this going into post season.”

In the first game, Schmelzer got the start and continued her stellar senior year on the mound with six complete innings, striking out 9 batters and even retiring 12 straight batters, pitching four straight 1-2-3 innings between the second and the fifth.

Schmelzer got the help of a buzzing bat led by senior Amanda Self, who capped a four-run inning in the fourth with a two RBI single to put the Lady Hornets up 7-0.

“For three years now, I have

seen seniors have this honor. Now, it was finally our turn. It was disappointing – we didn’t get the sweep – but we are just going to continue to work hard,” Self, a biology education major, said.

After mercy-ruling Lindenwood in game one, Sharp got her chance in the circle on her senior day.

After being shut out through the sixth in the first game, Lindenwood got two quick runs in the first.

Schmelzer came in for relief in the third and then allowed only one more base runner the rest of the game. But the damage was done, and despite having a hit in every inning, the Lady Hornets couldn’t bat their way into a comeback, taking a 2-0 loss in the nightcap.

“It was bitter sweet,” Schmelzer, an elementary education major, said. “This is the last time I will play here, but not the last time I will play. Hopefully, we can bring it all together in conference play.”

Despite the senior day split, the Lady Hornets still sit at the fourth seed heading into the conference tournament. First-round game will be against Northeastern State on tonight at 6 p.m.