Ethos magazine - April 2011

an IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY student publication

RELIGION & RELATIONSHIPS p. 40 Damn, It Feels Good To Be a Hipster p. 10 LIFE LESSONS FROM SCOOBY DOO p.15 How Texas & ESPN Saved the Big 12 p.38 CRAZY DORM STORIES p.06 GET YOUR PARENTS OFF FACEBOOK p.08

OUR CULTURE, OUR TIME

APRIL 2011

Getting to the Bottom of the Controversy Around the Redevelopment Effort

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spring issue

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TABLE OF CONTENTS APRIL 2011

32

FEATURES p 19 / Books & Babies The stresses of school are multiplied with a single discovery: I’m having a baby.

p 23 / Survey Says...

Student statistics: sex, dating, and everything else.

p 26 / Change in Campustown Students’ beloved Campustown is getting a facelift, but is change for the better?

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p 32 / What’s in Shape?

Fat and skinny is one thing–how do I know if I’m really in shape?

p 38 / Texas Holds’em The Big 12 was hanging by a thread, and one particular school saved our ass.

p 40 / Religion & Relationships

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Modern dating comes in more than one form, sometimes dictated by religion.

QUICKIES: p. 06 / Dorm Stories p. 07 / Texts From My Parents p. 10 / You Might Be A Hipster

p. 12 / Money Saving Tips p. 15 / Scooby Doo 101 p. 16 / Naked Binders

p. 42 / Staff Confessions p. 44 / Travel Guide p. 46 / Who Is Jordan Tuerler?

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///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Got something to say? Say it with Ethos!

If you want to blog or write for our website in the 2011-12 school year, we want to hear from you! We’re also interested in hearing from anyone wanting to write a one-time column or a letter to the editor for our website.

For details contact online@ethosmagazine.org or editor@ethosmagazine.org

Lessons Learned From College College offers us multiple chances to start over. I was in a rock band when I started college with hopes we’d take off and I could drop out of school to be a musician. We played the Warped Tour, opened for some big names, recorded two albums and toured the Midwest. But it didn’t pan out, and now I will graduate having become a relatively well-known multimedia political reporter on my way to Washington, D.C. If I hadn’t been in college, I don’t have any clue how else I would’ve achieved a reinvention like that.

Throughout my phases and reinventions I’ve learned a lot during my time at Iowa State University that didn’t come from a book or a professor. So I wanted to share some of the lessons I learned:

Tyler Kingkade editor in chief editorial Allison Butler managing editor

Chelsea Evers features editor

Taysha Murtaugh senior editor

Devon O’Brien senior editor

Kaitlin McKinney senior writer

Corrin Hatala copy editor

Andrew Lopez humor editor Most students qualify for food stamps. • Moderate drinking with friends is better than blackout drinking at random parties. • The party scene tends to be at its best through September and October, then returns for a couple weeks in April depending on the weather. • Students who were, or are, in the military have the

Writers: Kristine Ahlfield, Jason Arment, Grant Awes, Sarah Binder, Emily Bloomquist, Ivy Christianson, Ashlee Clark, Shanna Delfs, Luke Elzinga, Tom Hummer, Tabitha Jamerson, Andrew Lopez, Nicole Gustafson, John Lonsdale, Kayla Kienzle, Katherine Klingseis, Kelly Mantick, Katelynn McCollough, Abbey Nekola, Whitney Sager, Allison Suesse, Melinda Shultice, Clarissa Stoll

absolute best manners out of anyone you’ll ever encounter. • If you call for a cab in Ames, expect it to be an hour late. • DMACC’s West Des Moines campus is probably technologically superior to Iowa State’s. • It’s far more economical to live off campus than to live in any of the dorms or in Freddy Court. • Dorms are only as fun as the people who live in them and your own willingness to socialize.

We’re lucky we’re alive. • When I had to drive all the way to Jordan Creek Town

art

Julie Cronin & Josh Peterson art directors Kelsey Wolfswinkel senior creative director

Jacob Gerhardt junior creative director

Center to see “Across the Universe” in theaters, I realized I could never live in a town as small as Ames. • Jim Carrey is a fantastic actor, but “Yes Man” was not his best. However, trying to say “yes” to everything people ask you to do makes a much more interesting life. • Driving a minivan is cool if you’re in a band; driving a minivan if you are the editor of a magazine is embarrassing. • No one sells yogurt as cheap as Walmart. • Swiss Gear makes the best backpacks. • Most apartments in west Ames include a membership to Ames Racquet & Fitness.

• If you like a girl, the worst thing you can do is piss off her friends. It will sabotage your chances every time. • Manners are necessary. Especially around women.

• No one deserves to be screwed over by the opposite sex, but if you are, move

Designers: Millei Ishikawa, Danny Maller, Hieu Nguyen, Kyleigh Nichols, Jaymi Pham, Amy Schwager, Julia Taborskaya

Photographers:

Laurel Scott, David Derong, Matt England, Kelly O’Halloran, Matthew Sorensen, Thao Nguyen, Amanda Riesenberg

advertising Matthew Sorensen director of advertising Advertising representative: Michea Boyd

on. The quicker you do that, the better. • Always dressing your best is not the same as being vain. • You can dress your best, and learn how to care less about what other people think about you. • You can’t stop laughing.

online

Sean Flack assistant online editor

Michea Boyd assistant online editor

Cicely Gordon convergence editor Special thanks to:

Parker Peterson for creating the cover imagery.

A very special thanks to: our faculty adviser, Deb Gibson Funded in part by the Government of the Student Body.

Our Editor in Chief is graduating! Go to ethosmagazine.org to find his goodbye letter to ISU. ethosmagazine.org | 05

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

fast fun for eveyone

Whoa, what happened?

Some of the Craziest Dorm Stories We Could Find

By KAT E LY N M C C O LLO UG H

Design MI L L E I I S H I K AWA

“The first week of living in the dorms was a pretty great time. I was finally away from home and able to do what I wanted, so naturally, I partied all week. Classes hadn’t started yet, so it wasn’t a big deal. During the middle of that first week I

More than 8500 ISU students choose to live in residence halls and student apartments across campus each year. Moving into the dorm means joining fourty to sixty other strangers on your floor alone. Add in the excitement of the weekend after a long week of classes and some pretty interesting things can happen.

realized the dorms would take some getting used to, especially after a few drinks. I got back to my dorm in Larch Hall from a party that night and went to bed. In the middle of the night I needed to take a piss, so I went to the bathroom on our floor then returned to my room. The next morning I woke up, looked around, and realized I was not

1123

in my room. Two guys I had never met before were looking at me, and I yelled “Where the fuck

“What a bitch. So the first couple of weeks start

“Well we were studying in a boy’s room. The boys

am I?” The first guy responded, “Dude you came

and everything is chill and we are friends. Then

were messing around hanging condoms and

in our room last night, climbed into my loft and

she starts getting more comfortable. I walked in

tampons on each others doors and then

passed out next to me. I was pretty drunk too, so

on her masturbating to the Weather Channel one

putting ketchup and mustard all over the

I just let you have it and slept on the futon below.

afternoon! She also had this way-awesome boy-

handles as well. They managed to slam the door,

Worst part is you refused to give me my blanket.”

friend that went to a different school but she was

and then it broke for the first time. We were able

We laughed and chatted a little longer. Turns

messing around with some other dude. She would

to fix it with a pocketknife. Later around 1 a.m.,

out they were a couple of nice guys who lived

have sex with him all the time when I was in the

three other people and I were in the room and

2 doors down from me, and we’ve been friends

room doing homework and sleeping and what-

the door got slammed again, this time it broke for

ever since.”

not. And she would be up watching TV with all

good. We weren’t able to open the door, so we

Nathan Hughes, Larch Hall, senior

the lights on at like 3 or 4 in the morning because

took off the screens and fished up tools from my

she just stopped going to class. Needless to say, I

room directly below. We tried to work on getting

left after the first semester!”

the door open for an hour and a half. The boys in

Margaret Smith, Oak Hall, junior

the hall went to go wake up the CA who called the

“Last semester, in the first week of classes, one

cops, who then called maintenance. It took them

“When I lived in Martin, my roommates and I

an hour and a half to open the door because they

would pull pranks on the guys that lived next

were trying to decide on which way was more ec-

door to us, but one night, we decided to step it

onomically efficient. We finally got out at 5 a.m.!”

up. At around 3am, we woke up, got 300 Dixie

Sterling Schnepf, freshman

cups, filled them each with water and then placed

of my suite-mates decided to have shower sex in

them around the outside of our neighbors door.

our bathroom at 3 a.m. It woke me and my room-

When our neighbors woke up, they opened their

mate up. So the next day I wrote her a

inward-swinging door to find they were “trapped”

post-it saying, ‘If you could refrain from having sex

by all the Dixie cups. Unfortunately, being men,

in OUR shower, it would be greatly appreciated.”

“Two guys in gorilla suits chasing a guy in a

they just stomped their way through the five feet

Jamie Walls, Buchanan Hall, junior

banana suit through the dorm. Enough said.”

of cups and went to class. The poor custodians had

Bailey Morrell, freshman

to clean it all up. It was still a good laugh though.”

Alexandra Klus, junior

don’tbethepersonwho... peek

* s

06| That party last night was awfully crazy, I wish we taped it.

Things NOT to do on CyRide Photography AMAND A RI E S E NBE R G

TUNES YOU

NEED

1

The staff got together and shared some of our current earworms. Check them out!

2

“My House” by Kids of 88 “Driving Me Crazy” by Sam Adams “Get It Gooey” by Goone

4

Not since ‘Milkshake’ has a song about the lady bits been so captivating.

“Feel Good” by Mode Step “Ayo” by Hypercrush “Stereo Hands” by The White Panda

3

]

5

Like ‘No Hands’? Can’t get that ‘Stereo Love’ beat out of your head? Listen to this mashup. Thank us later.

6 1) Keep your phone conversation to yourself. That means lower the volume.

2) Standing so close you’re giving me a lap dance.

P.S. deodorant is your friend.

3) You only need to pull the cord once. We promise.

4) Understand personal space. Your neighbor is not a pillow.

5) Rehearsing your Lumberyard strip moves on the pole.

6) Don’t be the asshole who takes up more than one seat. You’re not that special.

]

MAPPING THE NEWS The highs and lows in the news.

Teen Nick (not regular Nickelodeon) Story County named the third

will start airing episodes of

healthiest county in Iowa.

“Rugrats” and “All That.”

The Childish Gambino EP

“Sun of a Gun” by Oh Land, “Get Some” by Lykke Li “You Are a Tourist” by Death Cab for Cutie “Alligator Sky” by Owl City “I Wrote the Book” by Beth Ditto “Wonderland” by Natalia Kills “One Night Stand” by Keri Hilson and Chris Brown “If I Was You” by Far East Movement “Cardiac Arrest” by Teddybears ft. Robyn “Love 2 Baby” by Christan TV “Sure Thing” by Miguel “Lights Turned On” by Childish Gambino Donald Glover from NBC’s “Community” is not just an awesome comedian, he’s an amazing rapper. Hopefully you caught him at VEISHEA.

“Under Cover of Darkness” by The Strokes Back with an album full of infective riffs, The Strokes brought plenty to please old fans.

“Best Love” by Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers feat. Paul McCartney “You Are a Tourist” by Death Cab for Cutie “Someone Like You” by Adele “My Brain Says Stop. But My Heart Says Go”

by FM Static

Nursing students at the

AND TUNES YOU CAN LEAVE

University of Iowa seeing a 40% tuition increase.

Rebecca Black’s video for “Friday”

OFF YOUR IPOD Either Jersey Shore has another

Rebecca Black

season or there will be spin-offs;

We’ll leave out the song title for fear of triggering it in your head.

either way, America loses.

Plus, this will be current for any future releases.

surpassed “Baby” by Justin Beiber for being the most disliked YouTube video.

New season of Mad Men being Republicans crusade against Planned Parenthood,

delayed because of disagreement

because obviously we can’t have clinics that spend a vast

on product integration.

majority of their time helping distribute contraception and

Most of Forever, The Sickest Kids newest album.

“Roll Up” by Wiz Khalifa “21st Century Girl” by Willow Smith We hope her nightmare music career doesn’t last as long as Lil’ Romeo’s.

medicine for UTIs.

ethosmagazine.org |07

QUICKIES | Culture

Design & Illustration

K Y L E I G H N I CH O L S

8:29 :29 P PM M hello, have a great day. i can see the ending to the movie. you’re going to win. enjoy, relax.

Thanks, Dad. What movie can you see the ending to? ur life.

Hi. When are you coming home next? Your mother wants 2 know.

Don’t know. Why are you texting like that.

Like what ?

N e v e r m i n d.

Texts From

Remember that horrible feeling you got in the pit of your stomach when you first saw that Facebook friend request from your mom? How about when your dad, who had previously criticized you for your incessant, “senseless” text messaging, started texting you about his bowel movements?

All of a sudden, two worlds are beginning to merge:

Happy Valentine’s Day, son. Don’t be a fool.

your family life and your social life. And as hard as Gross, dad.

What? Make sure you get your girlfriend a gift. I didn’t get your mother a gift one year. That was foolish.

you try to resist the inexplicable force pulling these worlds together, in the end you’ll probably be fruitless.

What did you think I was going to say?

Mom’s request might remain untouched in the

????

HELLO?? R U THERE? Flowers, chocolate, stuffed animals... all good ideas.

Please stop texting me.

parents spelled out swear words because you couldn’t read yet. How about when they sent you to the kitchen to make popcorn during the semi-dirty scenes on family movie night (yeah, there are still movies I haven’t seen in their entirety)?

This basic concept can be applied to the Facebook conundrum. Unless you want your mom to see the pictures of you passed out at that party last weekend,

corner of your Facebook page for a while, but

or the numerous swear words littering your wall,

eventually somehow she’ll guilt you into accepting

maybe you should consider placing her on a “limited

(she did, after all, bring you into this world).

profile” list. Or maybe you should start censoring the

You can keep ignoring those texts from Dad, too, but Who is Snuggie? Is she on the Real World? Text me back and let me know.

Sometimes setting a good example is as simple as filtering out all the bad stuff. Think back to when your

content you post on your profile for her sake. If you

he’ll probably flood your inbox with “RU THERE?’s” and

can’t say it to your own mother, after all, maybe you

the ever-annoying question marks.

shouldn’t be saying it in the first place.

Yep, folks, it seems the parents have become the FILED YOUR FAFSA. HOW WAS YOUR TEST? DOG SHIT ON CARPET. SCREEN IS TOO SMALL TO READ, PLEASE RESPOND IN CAPS. LOVE YOU, MOM.

children when it comes to technology and social

WHAT THEY’RE DOING WRONG:

networking, which means the children have become

Giving you a call from the new celly... txt me up... or hit me up. w/e they say.

I’m right across the hall from you...

the parents. And as every parent would agree,

1. TRYING TO BE “HIP”

sometimes it’s necessary to both set a good example

Facebook or start texting, they are so excited that

and enforce a little discipline.

they might finally be considered “cool” that some

are you really texting me from inside the house? we don’t have unlimited texts on our plan!

When parents join

may start testing the waters by overusing ridiculous emoticons, acronyms and abbreviations. While it may

Dad, if you were against it, you wouldn’t have texted me back... or texted me in the first place.

have been fun to use text-phrases like “BRB” or shorten

prncss dries is on tv. u usd 2 luv tht mvie rite? @ grcry str do u nd NEthing b4 i lv. Got TOM GRANBAR TURK WHBRE WHT LSE?? ....whhaaatt??

Tomato, granola bars, turkey, white bread. wht else?

turn the

Send

*

WALK OF SHAME into a STRUT You’ve either done it or you’ve seen someone doing one: The dreadful walk of shame. On any given weekend morning, walk-of-shamers can be spotted prowling Ames’ sidewalks, attempting to be as inconspicious as possible— but often the short dresses, heels, messy hair, and smudged makeup gives them away. The truth is, in the bright morning light, walks of shame never go unnoticed. So what can one do to avoid scaring Sunday morning churchgoers?

Follow these tips before you end up shamefully stumbling down Lincoln Way carrying the pumps you wore last night.

08 | Tramps like us, baby we were born to run.

By KAYLA KIEN ZLE

My PARENTS

By TAYSHA MU R TAU GH

with reading and comprehending some aspects of Facebook and texting.

This is evident by the way they comment

the words “two,” “to,” and “too” to a numerical “2” in

on a new relationship status or a new

middle school, text etiquette has changed. Of course, some abbreviation is acceptable, but over-simplifying

2. OVERSTEPPING BOUNDARIES

picture when they clearly intended to write on someone’s wall. Case in point,

language in a text or on Facebook is not only childish;

Your Friend

it’s also annoying. Besides, in a day and age that most

waking up 5 mins before you’re supposed to be at the bus on a test day isn’t fun...

cell phones have either T-9 word or full keyboards,

2 hours ago

Like

when Mom’s profile picture appeared next

Comment

to the notification below in the facebook

it’s unnecessary. The solution? Teach your parents to

Your Mom I’m sorry to hear that; how did the test go? Hope you and the Welch Ave Gang had a great 14th!

livefeed, her friend was clearly confused

use this “text shorthand” sparingly and notify them

2 hours ago

by what that meant. The fact that this is

when LOL goes out of style. Or just laugh at their

YOU the welch ave gang? is that our apartment?

a new relationship between you and your

barely legible posts and texts and read them aloud

1 hour ago

mom makes this the worst possible place to

to your friends.When parents join Facebook or start

Your Mom Sweetie, let me think.....mmmmmmmmmmmm; you live on Welch Ave with three other people, yes I think that would be you guys!

comment on her breasts. Good job, Mom’s

texting, they are so excited that they might finally

10 mins ago

Friend. A word to the not-so-wise: think

be considered “cool” that some may start testing the

Like

Like

Like

before you speak, or in this case, read before

As if requesting your friendship on Facebook wasn’t invasive enough....

waters by overusing ridiculous emoticons, acronyms

you comment.

and abbreviations. While it may have been fun to

...some parents are becoming friends with your friends (to

As humiliating as parents’ cell phone and FB behavior is

use text-phrases like “BRB” or shorten the words “two,”

further keep tabs on you, I can only assume). The only

sometimes, the two forms of communication have proved

“to,” and “too” to a numerical “2” in middle school, text

thing weirder than a parent jumping in on your friend’s

very useful for maintaining relationships while away at

etiquette has changed. Of course, some abbreviation

and your “wall-to-wall” conversation about your weekend

college. Although letting them in is difficult at first, take the

is acceptable, but over-simplifying language in a text

plans is your friend and your mom texting

or on Facebook is not only childish; it’s also annoying.

about you behind your back. Seriously, how

Besides, in a day and age that most cell phones have

involved do some parents need to be? And

either T-9 word or full keyboards, it’s unnecessary.

how the hell do they manage to get a hold

The solution? Teach your parents to use this “text

of all those numbers in the first place? Your

shorthand” sparingly and notify them when LOL goes

friends might find your parents’ behavior

out of style. Or just laugh at their barely legible posts

amusing or cute, but I know you don’t.

Your Mom is now friends with YOU.

5 hours ago

Like

Comment

Your Mom’s Friend Nice cleavage shot! If you got it, flaunt it! Go Susan!

12 mins ago

Like

8 of Your Mutual Friends like this.

A word to the not-so-wise: think before you speak; or in this case, read before you comment....

and texts and read them aloud to your friends.

3. GENERAL MISUSE OF TECHNOLOGY Has your dad finally learned the

plunge and accept that friend request. Deal with their

difference between writing on your wall and updating

attempts to be hip, their lack of boundaries and general

his status? Didn’t think so. Maybe it’s their Cataract or old

misuse of technology, and laugh about it if you can.

age setting in, but moms and dads seem to have trouble

TIP #1 extra baggage START CARRYING A BIGGER BAG. I’m not saying you have to lug around a massive tote all night, but not much can fit into a five-by-three inch wristlet. Wear a crossbody bag. It’s convenient and you can cram a lot into a reasonably-sized version.

TIP #4 be prepared INVADE THE TRAVEL SECTIONS at stores like Target and Wal-Mart. They have tons of little things that are great for sticking into small satchels. Grab some gum at the checkout to put into your purse as well. That way, at the very least, your mouth can feel clean.

TIP #2 no raccoon eyes!

TIP #3 extra shoes

CARRY MAKEUP REMOVING WIPES. Raccoon eyes are not sexy. No one wants to wake up next someone who has yesterday’s mascara smeared across their face, and you’ll be a lot less obvious walking down Welch come morning. A face with no makeup is better than a face with runny, stale makeup.

**

PACK ANOTHER PAIR OF SHOES. Anyone wearing heels before noon on a weekend morning is nine times out of ten taking part in a walk of shame. Invest in a pair of Dr. Scholl’s Fast Flats. The $8 shoes are comparable to ballet flats and are foldable, so they can be stuffed into a purse for instant morning dignity protection.

The smartest walk-of-shamers always come prepared. You could altogether avoid having to do a walk of shame, but who doesn’t like telling a good embarrassing story every now and then? ethosmagazine.org | 09

QUICKIES | Culture

Design & Illustration

J AY M I P H A M

you might be a

HIPSTER

By AL LIS O N S U E S S E & AN D R E W L OP E Z Between liberal use of the word “epic,” penchant for flannel, ironic moustaches, and PBR, hipsters are easy targets for criticism. However, they still manage to exude a “way-cooler-than-thou” confidence. This demeanor is probably achieved by knowing mainstream society hasn’t heard of their favorite band and by sporting overpriced Urban Outfitters skinny jeans. So it’s possible the counterculture that regrettably popularized the “chillwave” music genre is misunderstood. Ames, for example, is home to a group of self-aware kids who realize they’re part of the hipster culture, and are totally chill with it.

Cardigan or jacket?

Depends on the season. I have a few vintage jackets, but I like to wear cardigans when it’s spring or when you need something under your winter jacket.

Five years ago…

How many flannel shirts did you have?

I bought two of my flannel shirts junior year in the men’s section of Gap. Did you wear skinny or loose jeans?

Loose.

&THEN

NOW

Five years ago…

ISAAC SCHMIDT (chill, super nice guy hipster)

CHELSEA RUEDE (aesthetically sporty hipster) What are you listening to right now?

Some electronic music like The Presets and Justice. I also have some ABBA, Fiona Apple, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Bush.

Mac or PC? Mac. I had a PC for a while and I switched.

Flannel or stripes?

Flannel

YOU MIGHT BE A HIPSTER IF. . . post a link of your other Tumblr 1 You on your Tumblr.

2 10|

Blog about the alienating effects of technology on your MacBook.

We make the hipsters fall in love.

but I think it’s better to be self-aware rather than in denial.

Is being a ‘hipster’ an inner/personality thing or an aesthetic thing?

There’s both sides of it. I don’t know a lot of people that dress like a hipster and don’t have the taste or lifestyle of one, but I do know a lot of people who like all the same things I do and have super awesome taste but wear boot-cut jeans and graphic t-shirts every day, and they don’t do it for the sake of irony, that’s just how they roll.

PBR or Miller High Life?

I’ve been twenty-one for a day and a half now and still haven’t had a PBR yet.

I’m long overdue.

What are you listening to right now?

I’ve had Tokyo Police Club thumpin’ for like two weeks now. I’ve had somewhat of a Tokyo Police Club revival in light of the awesome weather last week. I’ve also been jamming to a lot of Neutral Milk Hotel lately, and Local Natives have been a big-time favorite ever since I saw them at Pitchforklast summer.

Do you think hipster is a negative or positive term?

I’m fine with the term, I don’t see any reason to get offended. A lot of people I know that I would classify as hipsters don’t like the term

3 4 5 6

While browsing “Look at this Fucking Hipster,” you recognize a friend’s picture posted on the site. You decide not to be friends him or her because you don’t want to associate with “hipsters.”

You did that before anyone else.

You hate to love - yet love to hate - Pitchfork.

You’re in too many “bands”.

What were you listening to?

Oh man, probably like Anberlin and Relient K, haha. I stared to get into Death Cab and Bright Eyes in 2006 though, they’re still two of my favorite bands.

SAM HACKERSON (thift store hipster) What are you listening to right now?

The new James Blake is pretty terrific. Tyler

7 8 9 10

But really, I HAAAATE LOVEEEE Kanye.

You’re white and say the word swag.

Text someone that you’re too poor to go to the show from your Iphone 4G. You’re just a cool, creative, and awesome person who is into cool stuff and gets judged.

Haters.

the Creator, I really like him and his crew­ OFWGKTA. I like everything, I’m pretty eclectic.

Do you think hipster is more of a personality thing or aesthetic thing?

For me, the parts of myself I would consider hipster-y are more aesthetic. I think the attitude that’s associated with it is not something I really have, the negative attitude anyway. I think it’s both, though.

Flannel or stripes?

Stripes.

How tight are your skinny jeans?

Fairly. I’d say the pockets are still accessible.

I can still fit my phone in my pocket.

House shows or venue shows?

Ames doesn’t have house shows very often, but if you find a house that constantly hosts touring bands, that’s the perfect happy medium.

Five years ago…

What were you listening too?

Ben Folds and Regina Spektor and Voxtrot What were your clothes like?

I really liked to layer my clothes. I was very persistent about having flared jeans. If it was anything I could alter or make, I would wear it. And you could always tell I’d always altered it or made it.

CARA GRULA (ironic hipster) What are you listening to right now?

Lady Gaga and Ke$ha Do you think hipster is a negative or positive term?

It depends. If you’re calling me a hipster it’s positive. Because that’s what I strive for.

Dress pants or jeans?

Dresses, there’s no waistband

What did you do before anyone else?

Shave the back of my head.

Five years ago...

Five years ago…

What were your clothes like?

A lot of little patterns like little guns or little tulips. And then I had sneaker flats from Vans that had a bunch of little patterns.

Did you wear skinny or loose jeans?

Skinny

What were you listening to?

RelientK, Switchfoot, Mute Math, Sanctus Real, Falling Up How many flannel shirts did you have?

One pretty dank one I think.

TONY LA BAT KEVIN BERGERON

(music lover hipster)

(biker hipster)

What are you listening to on your iPod? Mumford and Sons, Avett Brothers, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart!

Is hipster an inner/personality thing or an outer/aesthetic describing word?

It goes from person to person. You will have people who ‘act more hipster’ and people who look ‘more hipster’.

Dress pants or jeans?

Dress pants.

Cardigan or jacket?

Jackets! More variety.

Are your friends hipsters?

I wouldn’t say they are. A few of them could be, but it’s whatever! I’ve never really thought about it. I hang out with people I like, regardless of what they like. Everyone love everyone!

Miller Highlife or PBR? Fuck beer!

What do you interpret a hipster being, and do you think you fit the stereotype?

I think the single most defining characteristic of the hipster counterculture is alternative thought or philosophy. I think I interpret the hipster as being at least slightly alternative in his or her thinking relative to mainstream culture. Unfortunately, yes. I think I am a pretty stereotypical hipster. Why is that unfortunate? Because being stereotypical anything is to be anti-counterculture, which is anti-hipster. It’s a terrible circle of doom.

Fixy or geared bike?

Fixies are taking over Ames. I think I’d ride a geared bike over that.

Is your moustache ironic?

If I had one it would be. I can’t really grow a good one, so it would be a joke. However, if I could grow a good one, I think I would take it terribly seriously.

PBR or High Life?

If I want to be associated with my hipster brethren, or I want a cheap beer on tap at Thumbs, then I drink PBR. But, honestly… I think I like High Life better. I can just see all of my friends reeling back in shock and dismay as they read this.

Five years ago…

What were you listening to?

Van Halen, Babyface (which is hilarious and still awesome, by the way) and Beck. I still listen to them from time to time.

What were your clothes like?

Full windbreaker jumpsuit and baggy jeans.

Things that hipsters liked before they became mainstream, thus becoming un-cool: 1. Arcade Fire

5. Ray Ban knockoffs

8. Saying “Black Swan should have won.”

2. Cats

6. Kings of Leon.

9. Kanye. Never mind. He’s a genius.

3. Knitting 4. Being unemployed

And not liking Kings of Leon.

10. Hipsters.

7. Longboards

ethosmagazine.org |11

QUICKIES | Money & Education Design

5

A M Y S CH WA G E R

For College Students

By ASHLE E CLAR K

Photography MAT T EN G L A ND

As if worrying about graduating from college isn’t enough, for some, in the back of our minds is the unsettling feeling that in a few years it will be time to pay back the debt Iowa State has so kindly gifted us with.

Happy graduation. Luckily, there are a few ways to cut back on a couple thousand of those hard-earned dollars. It doesn’t seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but hey, maybe a couple thousand dollars could go towards that brand new car you’ve been dreaming of—a 2011 black Silverado 2500HD, perhaps?

In an effort to bring you one step closer to purchasing that dream vehicle, we’ve come up with five money-saving tips to help you combat your money woes. Here they are:

1

Jimmy John’s, and eliminated Caribou hot chocolate from my diet (which was bad for both my wallet and my scale). About $20 a week!

2

When you absolutely need to take one out, be sure it is for necessities such as housing, food, or books. If you are taking out an excessive amount in a loan and spending it on wants instead of needs, you will just be paying for those out of pocket in four years. That new Coach handbag and iPad don’t look so appealing now, do they?

3

Budget, Budget, Budget!

With a budget, you will be able to see where all of your money is going. The key idea is to have more money coming in than going out. That’s easier said than done. My main problems, for example, are eating out and the love-hate relationship I have with Target. I love going to the store, but I hate how I always have to buy a new shirt every time I am there. Once I created a budget on a spreadsheet, I began to realize how much I would be saving if I bought only the essentials at Target, cut back on my

12|

Be Wary of Loans

Can you pay my bills? Can you pay my telephone bills?

Leave the Debit Card at Home

Another pointer—and this one is going to hurt, people. If you’re going to go to the bar, bring $10 and leave the debit card at home. Forget about opening up a tab.

Because—guess what?—the tab has to close at two a.m. and then all of those drinks that cost $60 every weekend have to be paid for somehow. Let’s do some math: say you go out once a week, $60 multiplied by four weeks equals $240 per month. With this money you could pay some of your rent, buy gas, stock up on groceries, or better yet, save up for a road trip this summer. Bringing cash will make it impossible to drunkenly rack up a tab you’ll regret in the morning.

4

Start Saving Again

With Spring Break in the past, it is time to start saving again for more important things (not that lying on a beach drinking all day in the sun isn’t a priority). But it is time to get back into budget mode, because our main goal is to save money each day so in the long run we aren’t paying so much for college loans. Since your extra cash isn’t going into the Spring Break 2011 account anymore, perhaps keep that account in business and call it college money—if you can find the extra $1,200 to $1,500 to go to Panama City Beach, you can surely find that extra cash to put aside for next year.

The main idea here is to save up so you will not need to take out as much in loans. This way, two to four years down the road, you will have less to pay back.

5

Walk or Ride the Bus

OK, guys. This is going to be the hardest of them all: walk or ride the bus. Gas prices have skyrocketed these past few months, and $3.40 for a gallon of gas is not in any college student’s budget (or at least not mine). It’s starting to warm up out there, so walking is the way to go—great on your wallet and your scale!

Credit

Cards

We’d Like to Express to You How to Discover Your MasterCard— Chase It Down!

By IVY C HIST IA N SO N Photography DAVID DER O N G

You see this piece of plastic everywhere.

From the gas station to the bookstore, the supermarket to the mall. You know what it is and can readily identify it if quizzed.

Have you figured it out yet?

Resources Creditcards.com offers a credit card finding program in which students may choose their credit limit (if known), why they plan to use the card and what type they want (low interest,

It’s a credit card, one of the most important financial tools in your wallet—a tool many students don’t know how to utilize. We talked with Tom Gannon, vice president of public policy at MasterCard Worldwide, to gain insight on how college-aged kids should (or shouldn’t) be using credit cards.

cash back, airline rewards, etc.) http:// www.creditcards.com/credit-card-finder/ Top credit card issuers according to creditcards.com are: American Express Bank of America Capital One Chase

Consider these key factors when looking for a credit card to best suit your needs:

Citi Credit Cards Over the limit fee: A fee charged when you exceed your credit limit through purchases,

Spending habits: Decide how you will use your card. Paying the balance in full each month? Select a card with no annual fee. If

fees or finance charges; to avoid this fee, don’t exceed your credit limit!

Annual

percentage

rate

(APR):

Rate

you plan on carrying a balance, you’re better

applied each month an outstanding balance

off with a card that has low interest rates.

is present; Intro APR is the initial interest rate

Credit limit:

Simply said, the credit limit

charged for a specified period of time.

influences your purchasing power. Beginners

Annual fee: Charge for use of a credit card

are wise to start off with a low credit limit

levied each year and is billed directly to the

so they become accustomed to practicing

customer’s monthly statement.

responsible credit card habits.

Fees and penalties: Avoid cards that charge an application or processing fee.

Students should also be aware that there are both regular credit cards and student credit

Incentives: If you’re contemplating large

cards. The two work in the same manner, but

purchases that you intend to pay off, reward

student cards are available to students who

cards are a smart option.

may not have a previously established credit rating. Typically these cards carry low credit

And familiarize yourself with the following terms:

limits to protect students from amassing large amounts of debt.

“Don’t use your card for purchases you can’t

Credit limit: Maximum amount of credit a

afford to buy with cash,” Gannon says. “You’re

company will allow a card holder to borrow

able to pay off your full balance on time every

on a card.

month, you’ll steer clear of late fees and keep

Credit score (FICO score): Computed based

Discover First PREMIER Bank HSBC Bank MasterCard Visa Students should also know: H.R. 627: Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, came into effect on February 22, 2010 – what it means for students-http://www.stopbuyingcrap.com/ personal-finance/credit-card-act-2009/ Credit cards cannot be issued to people under the age of twenty-one unless they have an adult co-signer or show proof that they have the means to repay the debt (proof of reasonable income) College students will be required to receive permission from parents or guardians in order to increase credit limit on joint accounts they hold with those adults People under the age of twenty-one will now be protected from pre-screened credit card offers unless they specifically opt-in for offers.

finance charges at a minimum.”

on information in your credit report; helps

Now you’re prepped with the best advice

lenders to make judgments about granting

to find the right card for you. And don’t forget:

you a loan or a credit card.

always read the fine print.

ethosmagazine.org |13

QUICKIES | Money & Education

WHAT TO DO IF

YOU DI DN ’ T S C OR E THE INTERNSHIP

By K R I ST I N E A H L F I E L D

Design J U L I A TA B OR S K AYA

You touched up your resume, donned your business casual best,and knocked their socks off in the interview, but you didn’t get the internship. Now what?

Here are ten things to do to keep your summer from being a total bust.

Keep in Touch

In today’s fast-paced world, networking is very important. Keep in contact with the companies you applied for.

If you interviewed with a company, write a thank you letter and follow up (and no the pre-written thank you cards left over from high school graduation aren’t appropriate).

That connection could be helpful when you look for a job or internship in the future.

Get Creative

If you can’t find a job in your field, look for a position indirectly related to your major. Pick a couple of key skills that employers value in your field, then look for something that allows you to build on those abilities.

Communications major? Write the newsletter for your local church. Finance major? Keep the books for a local organization. Anything that will help you gain work experience will help you in your chosen field.

Take Charge

No matter where you work, look for opportunities to get into a position of leadership. Whether you’re managing a project or looking after budgets, you are building on leadership and decision making skills that employers look for in their employees.

14| It means no worries for the rest of your days.

Volunteer

Joining a volunteer organization is another great alternative to an internship. It definitely shows dedication when you’re willing to work that hard for no money and employers will appreciate that. If you volunteered somewhere last summer, try to move into a position of leadership this summer.

Set Up an Informational Interview

An informational interview allows you to meet with an employer and ask them questions about their job. If you’re not sure exactly what a certain job entails or what traits they look for in their employees, an observational interview is a great way to gain knowledge (and make another connection)!

Work on Campus

Professors are constantly doing research and they almost always have undergrads helping them. However, most professors don’t advertise that they’re looking. Do some research on professors in your field and the research they’re doing. Be aggressive if you find a good match.

Working hard to get the job will show the professor you will work hard for them.

Attend Summer Programs

Some companies host leadership programs over the summer. For example, Deloitte and KPMG, two highly respected audit and tax firms, offer programs like these that allow students to network and learn more about the company. Do some research on companies in your field. If they offer programs like these it’s a great way build connections and your resume.

Get Your GPA Up

Another key point employers look for in interns is a strong GPA. Is this what hurt you? Try taking a class or two over the summer. Since daytime TV sucks anyway, you’ll have lots of time to focus on them. Those grades should help out your GPA.

Job Shadow

Job shadowing is a great way expand on your knowledge of your chosen career. Watching a professional will give you a hands-on experience and give you insight as to what they want in their employees. Job shadowing is also another great way to network with professionals and make connections that could benefit you in the future.

Don’t Give Up!

Start looking for fall or spring internships. Keep in contact with employers.

Anything that can add to your resume and make you a stronger professional will help you in the future. Don’t just sit on your couch in your pajamas watching re-runs and eating cereal out of the box all summer. Unless you’re looking to be a professional couch potato, this will not help you. Keep your chin up—if you’re persistent, your once-dreaded summer can turn out to be a great one.

Editorial

Scooby-Doo

By LUKE ELZING A D esi gn KELSEY W O LF S W I NK E L

*

For the past forty-one years, children have been learning some of life’s most important lessons from a Great Dane. Spanning many childhoods, Scooby-Doo and Mystery, Inc. have been solving mysteries involving masked madmen across the world. And although Scooby can be very entertaining with his cowardice, humor and desire to eat, he and the gang also take time to teach us all valuable lessons.

01

Unmask your monsters stress-free

The premise seems the same every episode. The gang has been called to solve a mystery involving a monster, talk to a few people, and then get a glimpse of the villain themselves. Although they are faced with a big, scary monster, the members of Mystery Inc. remain calm and carry out their mystery-solving business as usual. By stepping back and looking at the clues before them, they are able to unmask the culprit, who normally happens to be the second person they were introduced to and proceeds to curse these “meddling kids.”

By stepping back from a situation in life and taking time to assess it as a mystery to be solved instead of a giant, monstrous task, we can solve problems much more easily and without as much stress.

Mystery Inc. really demonstrates a stress-free approach to problem solving. Perhaps this explains why Scooby and Shaggy are always so chill—although it could be the same culprit behind their constant state of “the munchies.”

On the other side of the spectrum, don’t relax and forget about your responsibilities before it’s too late. Even Velma mistakes beasts for things less fearsome when she loses her glasses. Make sure you find them—and fast.

* 02

“Let’s split up, gang!”

This is another lesson Scooby-Doo has taught us. Just because people are not physically together doesn’t mean they can’t work together as a team. This is even more evident in our world today where technology bridges huge gaps between individuals. Also, this teaches personal responsibility when part of a team. When each team member has a task to fulfill, work gets done much more quickly. Now, Scooby and Shaggy will occasionally wander off to look for a fridge, and who knows what Daphne and Freddy are up to half the time, but for the most part the gang does a good job of searching hard for clues. They’re also ready to jump into action if they hear danger-prone Daphne scream for help. Part of being a team is working together and helping each other, but another part of it is getting your assigned task completed, and trusting your teammates to do the same.

Scrappy-Doo always attempts to take on these monsters by himself. Lucky for him, Uncle Scooby is there to stop him, no matter how hard he pleads to “Let me at ‘em!” Scrappy never understood teamwork, and look where it got him: a place as the main villain in a crappy live-action remake.

*

Sometimes we can’t accomplish all tasks on our own. As Freddie always says, “Let’s split up, gang.” By splitting up and looking for clues, Mystery Inc. is able to solve the most baffling mysteries with ease.

03

Everyone needs a Scooby Snack

The last lesson Scooby-Doo has taught us is that everyone needs a Scooby Snack. In the spirit of Scooby himself, a Scooby Snack is something you would do anything for. Your Scooby Snack might be a person. It might be a group of people—friends, family. It might be a career or a religion, but it’s definitely not a material object. Life can be hard and stressful, especially in college. But no matter what challenges lie ahead of you, you will defeat them for your Scooby Snack. It may take two to convince you, but you’ll do it.

Scooby-Doo and Mystery Inc. don’t put their lives in jeopardy every day just for the hell of it. They do it so you can learn some essential life skills. Take time to look at the clues and unmask your monsters stress-free, even when they are chasing you up and down hallways.

Don’t be afraid to split up when working as team. Most importantly, never forget your Scooby Snack. Thanks, Shaggy. Thanks, Velma. Thanks, Freddie. Thanks, Daphne. And most of all, thank you, Scooby Doo. ethosmagazine.org |15

QUICKIES | Green Tech Design & Illustration

JA CO B G ERH A RD T

Baring it All for the

ENVIRONMENT

By S A RA H B IND E R

The EPA has declared that indoor air can actually be more toxic than outdoor air–but one Des Moines company is trying to change that. Naked Binder, which celebrated its second anniversary in November 2010, specializes in binders, folders, and labels made from 100 percent post-consumer waste (mainly newspapers and magazines), which are more environmentally friendly both to produce and to have in homes and offices.

“Vinyl is really toxic. It’s off-gassing–that ‘new binder smell,” says Savannah Herr, who calls herself the Director of Awesome on the Naked Binder team.

Vinyl is the material in a traditional binder that gives it flexibility. However, it is also toxic to produce and difficult to recycle. Though some recycling facilities will accept it–if you can manage to separate it from the rest of the materials in the binder–most will not, and have to throw away an entire batch of recyclables if it is contaminated with vinyl.

So, many binders that tend to wear out after a year or so end up in landfills, where they are susceptible to fires and the vinyl becomes even more toxic.

A Naked Binder, however, is easy to recycle when that time comes. The binder itself is all one piece, and the metal rings can be popped out and recycled separately.

“It’s so much healthier for the planet,” Herr says.

“People just shouldn’t use vinyl.” Herr says.

However, don’t plan on needing to recycle one of these any time soon. The binders have been mechanically tested, and Herr estimated it would take more than thirty-four years to wear one out if you opened and closed it twenty times a day.“They’re supersuper strong,” Herr says. Yet, Naked Binders are competitively priced because they are made from one bent piece of material, which eliminates waste from the production process.

Traditional binders are made from three pieces of cardboard then slipped into a vinyl covering, which has to be crimped, trimmed, and discarded.

The company was founded on that idea of making simple, reliable products.

Over Thanksgiving dinner, Ken James was commenting to his father, Fritz, about a plain, coverless binder that he’d had for years. Fritz, the owner of Library Binding Service, which has specialized in binding since 1868, saw an opportunity. Since then, Ken has managed the company.“It was slow to take off within the first year,” Herr says. “The hangup with any new company is getting your name out there.” However, she said that it has continued to grow, and has especially taken off in the last couple of months. The company sells nationally and internationally online.

“Canada just has a huge green initiative,” Herr says of one of their biggest international customers. European countries also tend to be environmentally conscious, as well as Australia–however, the company hasn’t been able to ship much to the land down under yet due to high prices. But Naked Binder has no intention of slowing down any time soon.

“Really, we want to become the standard. We want people to use our binder because it’s so great–there’s no waste, and you can use it for years,” Herr says.

To purchase Naked Binder products, visit nakedbinder.com or the ISU Bookstore, where prices start at $5.99.

16|

All in all you’re just another brick in the wall.

Glamorized Mud Huts

By W H I TN E Y S AGE R

Imagine taking a mud hut and glamorizing it—transforming what used to be a simple, one-room dwelling into a multi-story home with modern appliances and decorations.

That’s what companies such as Earth Block, Inc. and Midwest Earth Builders aim to do. In keeping with the sustainability trend that is spreading across the United States, these companies build houses, barns, storage buildings and other structures out of Compressed Earth Blocks (CEBs). The blocks are composed of the clay and sand in the surrounding area where the structure is being built, according to Midwest Earth Builders’ website.

“These masonry blocks are hydraulically pressed instead of fired like a traditional brick and therefore require less energy to manufacture,” says Dan Johnson, owner and operator of Midwest Earth Builders.

Some of the advantages these modern mud huts have over the typical wood-frame house include being fire-

and pest-resistant, virtually soundproof, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly. “CEBs allow for a great deal of architectural freedom and can be used in walls, arches, curved walls, domes, and vaults,” Johnson says. “They can be left unfinished or finished with beautiful plasters and paints.” As with many other building products, CEBs come with some disadvantages. For one, they take longer to build than a typical wood-

“Earth Blocks allow for a great deal of architectural freedom,” says Johnson. frame structure. Time must be taken to compress the blocks, which takes approximately eight seconds, according to Earth Block, Inc.’s website.

Due to the softer structure of the CEBs in comparison to traditional bricks, a protective coating must be applied to keep them protected from the elements.

Siding may also be used to protect the exterior blocks of a structure.

“We often stabilize our blocks with approximately six percent Portland cement to make the blocks more water resistant,” Johnson says.

Due to the increased amount of labor required to build a CEB structure, they typically cost more to build than a wood-frame structure.

“Compressed Earth Block construction typically costs about fifteen to twenty percent more on wall cost than standard wood frame,” Johnson says.

CEB structures can be built almost anywhere. Johnson said as long as the CEB structures are built properly, they can withstand both hot and cold climates.

“You can build good CEB homes and you can build bad ones, just like any other type of building. For a CEB home to perform well in a cold climate like Iowa and Wisconsin, you need to include insulation into the wall design,” Johnson said.

For more information on Midwest Earth Builders, visit midwestearthbuilders.com. ethosmagazine.org |17

18|

BOOKS & BABIES

HAVING A CHILD IN COLLEGE

By J O H N L O N S D A L E

A STAR IS BORN “Twinkow twinkow wittle staw, hah ah wondew wha you ah, up abah da worl so high, like a diamoh in da sky, twinkow twinkow wittle staw, hah ah wondeh what you ah!”

The audience clapped and the two-foottall entertainer ran around the small carpeted confines of her stage avoiding her father’s Xbox and television but not her own two feet.

“I stopped myseff,” says the little girl, getting back up.

Design J A C O B G E R H A R D T

She took off running only to come back to her same spot, her stage, to give an encore performance of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”

The two-year-old, Lily, is the daughter of two ISU students, Danielle West and Gilbert Stogdill. She doesn’t know anything different–only that Mommy is home during the week on Tuesdays and Thursdays while Daddy is home the other days. Daddy reads a lot when I go to bed and Mommy told me not to wipe my nose with her sociology homework. It’s normal, right?

As soon as the encore presentation concluded, a tickle fight ensued and laughter boomed from the toothless, smiling face of the little girl.

Photography L A U R E L S C O T T

“Spongebob Pants is on!” she says, as she got lost in the deep, leather couch only until a commercial came on and the tickling attacks continued like ten little knives–ten cute, little knives.

THE SIX-MONTH SECRET Danielle, twenty-two, and Gilbert, twentyone, were high school sweethearts. The relationship ended for a short time the week Gilbert graduated from high school, and Danielle stopped taking her birth control pill for a couple of days. “[Lily] was conceived the day I stopped

ethosmagazine.org |19

taking the pill,” Danielle says. “And then I started taking it again so we didn’t really think I would be pregnant.” Danielle had been taking the “little blue pill” since she was seventeen.

She had heard that women usually stop menstruating if they are pregnant, but Danielle didn’t. She wanted to keep her pregnancy as private as she could once she found out, though.

“I didn’t tell anybody for six months,” she says. Except for her two younger sisters and Gilbert, no one else knew about the pregnancy. She eventually asked her mom for insurance cards so that she could see the doctor. Her mom, Lerynne, a single parent who had Danielle when she was sixteen years old, had been suspicious of her daughter’s behavior.

Lerynne wasn’t mad at Danielle, but it was understood that she’d be moving out of her mother’s house and supporting

herself just as Lerynne had done when she was a teenager.

“It was twenty-two or twenty-three weeks when I finally went to the doctor,” Danielle says.

The clinic she went to scheduled emergency appointments for her to get ultrasounds. The doctor entered the room in the small Waukee clinic and asked Danielle why she was there.

“I think I might maybe be a little bit pregnant,” Danielle told her.

Instead of doing a pregnancy test, the doctor got a heartbeat monitor and told Danielle that she was indeed pregnant. The next day at four in the afternoon, Danielle, her mother, and two sisters went to Danielle’s ultrasound in the tiny room Danielle was in before.

“It was a big family trip,” she says.

Up until that point, Danielle had been concealing her secret by wearing loose clothing.The doctor raised her shirt up

and started to rub her stomach. There on the screen in white was an image of a full baby. Her mother and sisters began to cry as Danielle looked at her baby’s silhouette for the first time.

“It wasn’t how it normally is when you see this blob and they’re like, that’s your baby,” Danielle says. “I was still kinda in shock because I didn’t realize I was that far along. They did this ultrasound with her foot resting on top of my stomach. [My family said] ‘what should we name it?’ Like it was a family pet.”

HOMEWORK AND HAVING A BABY It was Danielle’s first day of school of her second year and Gilbert’s first day of college at Des Moines Area Community College.

Danielle had just emailed a professor to let them know she might be gone in the next couple of weeks and then at three that morning, she went into labor.

Instead of packing her schoolbag, she packed her hospital bag and gave birth to Lily two weeks early at eight-thirty. She and Lily had to have special tests done when Lily was finally born because Danielle had not gotten prenatal care. The doctors took blood samples and got test results from Lily’s diaper to make sure everything was normal.

“You and your baby get treated like drug

addicts,” Danielle says. Lily has been an easy child to raise for her parents so far.

After starting only a week ago, she’s almost potty-trained, is never sick, and hardly cries.

Quitting school was never an option for Danielle and Gilbert. Danielle went back to school two weeks after she gave birth and went back to work at Des Moines Golf and Country Club the third week. Gilbert or Danielle’s mom watched Lily while Danielle went to work.

She and Gilbert didn’t get as much financial aid at DMACC and decided to look at other schools. Gilbert wanted to go to UNI, but Iowa State’s family housing, along with Ames being close to family and friends, sealed the deal for them. Pell Grants and 20|

My mama told me when I was young we’re all born superstars.

low-interest loans cover almost everything they have to pay for.

A part-time Wal-Mart employee, Gilbert works Wednesday nights but puts in most of his hours on weekends. Danielle’s mother comes to visit every other weekend to give Danielle and Gilbert a break, and because Danielle doesn’t have class when Gilbert does, Lily doesn’t have to go to day care, which is nice on the family’s budget.

“It’s hard work to make it all work,” Danielle says. “I think just having a plan to graduate…to find an actual career… because our main motivation is Lily. Neither one of us have parents that can really support us. We’re pretty much all we have.”

THE BABY’S STUDENT Jenny Mack was a self-proclaimed partier when she started attending Des Moines Area Community College, DMACC, after high school.

She was finishing up her general education courses when she found out she was going to become a mother at twenty years old.

Her parents were furious and didn’t talk to Jenny for two weeks. Aside from being pregnant, her parents weren’t happy that she was living with her boyfriend. Jenny was nineteen at the time–her boyfriend, eighteen.

The initial feeling Jenny and her now husband experienced when they found out they were pregnant was complete shock.

With no idea what they were going to do, Jenny decided that she should get her life back on track.

She enrolled herself in summer classes at DMACC and took the fall semester off to have her daughter, Mckenzie. It’s Jenny’s first semester at Iowa State. The twentyminute car ride from Jenny’s Boone home to Ames is a quick one most days.

“It’s really stressful at times,” Jenny says.

“It’s rewarding. I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Balancing her daughter, husband, and school is hard for Jenny, like it would be for any twenty-two-year-old.

“I work really hard to be where I’m at and have the things I have so that my daughter can have a better future.” Jenny is fortunate enough that she does not have to work because of her husband’s job and student loans. She has worked part-time jobs in the past two years, but she says it was too emotional to be away from McKenzie for so long.

Similar to Danielle, her mom watches Mckenzie at Jenny and her husband’s home when Jenny has class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. With twelve-and-a-half credits, Jenny, junior in psychology, has found a perfect rhythm in her schedule. She wakes up between five and six Tuesdays and Thursdays and tries to get home by four to cook for her daughter. Although she doesn’t always cook for herself and her husband, she always makes sure to cook for Mckenzie.

“I just want her to know how much I love her,” Jenny says. “I would do this over a thousand times harder if it meant that it’d be better for her in the long run.”

THE NORMAL LIFE Danielle and Gilbert spent their twenty-first birthdays together with Lily at home. They were never big partiers, and they don’t go out much now. The couple says they aren’t giving up much, but they never have the freedom of time or space.

“You never have time to yourself,” Gilbert says. Gilbert, a sophomore in English education, and Danielle cram for classes after Lily goes to bed.

Gilbert wants to teach high school English; Danielle hopes to be a social worker and is interested in working with disadvantaged youth.

“A lot of people assume we get a lot of help,” Danielle says. They both set everything up for themselves including their college visits and loans for school.

“What we can’t do ourselves, we expect the other one to do it,” Gilbert says. “Definitely feel more grown up.”

Lily interjects with a long phrase that even her parents can’t decipher. “It’s fun to watch her grow,” Gilbert says.

“The words and things she lear ns [are] interesting. It always amazes me that we taught her. You feel a lot more accomplished. We’re both students. It’s really rough. It’s just nor mal [now].”

The couple has come from hard childhoods and is thankful that they have the opportunity to make Lily’s life better than what they had.

ethosmagazine.org |21

“We’re trying as hard as we can for her to have a normal kid experience,” Danielle says.

Gilbert said their values of education have played a huge role in how they have raised Lily, considering it would have been so easy to quit all of those times but instead took the hard route.

Although education plays such an important role in the couple’s life, they still find time to be typical college students.

“I read a lot, and Gilbert plays video

22|

But time makes you bolder, children get older. I’m getting older too.

games,” Danielle says. “Sometimes it’s just nice to feel like a young adult.”

THE KID WILL BE ALRIGHT The two-foot-tall entertainer approaches the stage for her final performance. She tells everyone to be quiet and listen up. As the crowd intently watches the little one in the teal shirt, she sings her most popular number.

“Twinkow twinkow wittle staw, haw ah wondew wha you ah, up abah da worl so high, like a diamoh in da sky, Twinkow twinkow wittle staw, hah ah wondeh what you ah!”

“Yayyy!” the crowd applauds, and the little girl takes off running but falls flat on her stage.

“I’m okay, guys,” the little girl says, getting up.

“Okay, good, I was worried,” her father says.

BY THE NUMBERS

Design J U LIE CRO N I N & J OS H P E T E R S ON

1. What kind of sexual protection do you use?

Iowa State student responses to questions on sex, drinking, and their life on and off campus. And the survey says...

2. How many sexual partners have you had?

14%

Condoms: 51% The Pill: 49% Abstinence: 12% None: 10% Other: 11% *multiple answers allowed

3. Have you ever had an STD/STI?

YES

NO

16% 46%

PARTNERS

14%

10%

8%

92%

0 1-3 4-7 7-14 14+

4. How old were you when you lost your virginity?

15 or younger: 14% 16-18 years old: 49% 19-22 years old: 21% 23 years old or older: 1% I’m still a virgin: 15% ethosmagazine.org |23

5. How many dates would you need to go on before having sex?

7. How old should someone be before getting engaged?

First date: 16% 2-3 dates: 21% 4-6 dates: 19% 7 or more: 11% Several months: 25% Not until marriage: 8%

16 Years Old

24+ Years Old

18 Years Old

20 Years Old

6. Have you ever had a one-night stand?

YES

NO

45%

55% 22 Years Old

8. Have you ever had to take Plan B, the “morning after pill�?

9. Where would you prefer to go on a first date?

Movie: 7% Dinner: 35% Just hang at their place: 11% A party/bars: 5% Something outdoorsy: 22% Something creative: 20%

yes

70% 30% no

11. Which of the following would be the worst thing for someone to do on a first date?

10. Are you in a serious relationship right now?

YES

NO

47%

53%

12. Have you ever had a threesome?

Yes: 10%

Throw up: 6% Talk about their ex: 16% Call you by the wrong name: 20% List baby names: 35% Get in a fight: 14% Cry: 9%

24|

I smell sex and candy here.

No: 90%

13. Have you ever driven drunk?

16. What type of alcohol do you prefer?

no

yes

54%

46%

Wine: 12% Beer: 29% Four Loko/Joose: 1% Vodka: 25% Rum: 21% Whiskey: 6%

17. What is your favorite Ames restaurant?

14. Was Iowa State University your first choice in picking where to go to college?

yes

75% 25% no

Jeff’s Pizza: 20% Great Plains: 1% Pizza Pit: 4% Fighting Burrito: 6% Stomping Grounds: 8% The Cafe: 20% La Fuente: 10% Olde Main: 6% Other: 25% 18. How often do you drink?

Never: 1% A couple times a year: 8% A couple times a month: 38% Every weekend: 33% More than two nights per week: 20%

15. Where do you get your groceries?

Campus/C-Store: 1% Hy-Vee: 56% Walmart: 22% Aldi’s: 5% Fareway: 8% Wheatsfield: 4% Other: 4%

19. How much student loan debt do you have?

20. How much credit card debt do you have?

None: 31% $1,000-9,999: 26% $10,000-24,999: 26% $25,000-39,999: 10% $40,000-64,999: 4% More than $65,000: 4%

None: 73% Less than $1,000: 19% $1,000-2,499: 4% $2,500-3,999: 2% More than $4,000: 2%

ethosmagazine.org |25

C H A N G I N G C A M P U ST OW N There’s been a push to redevelop Campustown for years. Now the city of Ames, Iowa State University, and LANE4 have drawn up real proposals, and while some are hopeful for them to move forward, others feel like they’re being thrown under a bus.

By T Y L E R K I NG KA DE & KA IT LIN M C KIN N E Y Design & Illustration JO SH P ET E R SO N & JULIE C R O N IN 26|

Photography MAT T HE W SO R E N SEN & T YLER KIN G KA DE

AREA FOR IMPROVEMENT: ACCORDING TO LANE4 ASSESSMENT + Bring in new restaurants that have a broad audience appeal like Stomping Grounds.

ickey’s Irish Pub was not filled with the usual smell of stale beer and the slurred pick-up lines.

Instead, its dwellers asked questions and raised concerns about the project LANE4 Property Management and the City of Ames plans to wreak on Campustown in as little as a year.

Business owners crowded onto the sticky floors of the popular bar on Welch Avenue in hopes to get their questions answered and an understanding on where the LANE4 wrecking ball would be making its impression. Tim Schrum, general manager of Mickey’s, organized the meeting March 3 so Campustown business and property owners could ask questions about the future of their businesses, and they heard advice from a lawyer who was present.

The plan currently calls for major facelifts to most of the buildings along Lincoln Way, and most of the buildings facing Welch Avenue.

Fighting Burrito, the business owned by City Councilman Matthew Goodman, would be left alone. The buildings behind it, however, such as the white one containing the Scallion and The Space (formerly known as the Ames Progressive) would be leveled and replaced with either parking or green space. A couple buildings on the east side of Welch may be knocked down too, for similar plans. India Palace, Joy’s Mongolian Grill, and Domino’s would be affected. And LANE4’s proposals include bringing in new types of businesses, especially at the corners of Lincoln Way and Welch. They’re looking for a pharmacy or small grocery store for one corner, a hotel and restaurant on the other.

Opposition began to build slowly, but once the Iowa State Daily ran a multipart series on the proposals in January, there was an outburst of disapproval from the Campustown community and students alike. Students were concerned about losing the venues they frequented and said it felt like they would be pushed out. A Facebook group started on the project features dozens of comments from students voicing outrage. But the man who started the group, Nitin Gadia, admits there is a lot of miscommunication and misunderstanding.

M

+ Opportunity to draw the greater Ames population.

+ Provide daily needs service like drug and grocery stores.

But he says, “Most of the people I have talked to said that they do not agree with the way that things are moving forward.”

Gadia started a wiki about the issue as well, but holds off any judgment as he says he’s waiting for more details to emerge.

Goodman wants to make it clear the Campustown project cannot simply be one entity marching in alone; there must be consensus. The property and business owners with a reasonably long-term lease need to be on board, as does the city, the university and LANE4. When he says longterm, he means those with month-to-month leases would be excluded because that’s the point of short-term leases, where the property owners take the risk.

“We don’t know what the result will be,” Goodman says. “It’s up to property owners, lease holders, and LANE4 to come up with a deal. If they can’t then the project stalls, and maybe doesn’t happen.” LANE4 should be having conversations with all business and property owners about the value of what they have. Goodman says some may want out; some may not want to leave Campustown. “Those who don’t, they need to help them relocate or help them reestablish.” He hopes LANE4 will work with the businesses like Café Beaudelaire, Mayhem Comics, and Leedz Salon to keep them around.

This is what business owners have been complaining about; the only contact some have had was through news articles and letters sent to them. LANE4’s only contact with Robert Josephson, owner of Mayhem Comics on Lincoln Way, was through form letters twice with offers that Josephson explains he wasn’t interested in. Even months after the form letters were sent, Josephson has yet to see a face belonging to a member of LANE4. “They never once have come in here to find out about our opinion; they’ve never called us… [or] emailed us to find out our opinion.” The closest Josephson has been to a member of the property group was during a focus group held in the spring of 2010.

If Josephson loses his business, he is optimistic about his financial future, but some

+ Utilize green space to hold public events such as speakers, art fairs, and concerts.

customers will find it a great disappointment.

Michael Smith, senior in software engineering, knows Mayhem as a place to hang out on weekends instead of partaking in underage drinking. “When I was a freshman, I used to go there with my friends when we couldn’t drink,” he says. “We had fun, and it was safe.”

Josephson just wishes the property group would have had a more cordial approach.

“I don’t think LANE4 is a bad guy … they’re a business,” he says. “I think [they] have handled it badly.”

n the 1950s, Campustown was void of any bars. Liquor laws at the time dictated alcohol could not be sold that close to campus or where students lived. In their place was a pharmacy, hardware store, eateries, and small grocery stores—this was an era before the super markets like Hy-Vee and Walmart. Students who wanted to drink had to go to downtown Ames. There wasn’t as much rental housing either, so students largely lived in the dorms, which were gender separated by building.

Some of the major changes came in the 1960s, when the university opened the dormitory towers. More pedestrian traffic flowed between the end of Welch and campus since CyRide was not running the way it does today. As liquor laws changed, as did social norms, and the rules requiring girls to be home in their dorm or sorority by 10 p.m. relaxed, drinking establishments began to open in Campustown. Hy-Vee only had a small store on the corner of Hyland Avenue and Lincoln Way. Ron Hallenbeck, chair of the ISU Alumni Association, doesn’t think Campustown now is much different than it was in 1970 when he was an undergraduate. In fact, he believes it to be a step up from back then. He points out coffee wasn’t as big and there weren’t as many services available on campus—so if a student needed to make copies, they wouldn’t have anywhere on campus to do so. The school’s dining options were more like a middle school cafeteria, and most were closed on Sundays.

Bars have come and gone. The Varsity

I

ethosmagazine.org |27

Theater, which moved from playing the popular mainstream movies to select niche movies, closed a couple years ago. Where Headliners now stands, it was once a pharmacy before becoming People’s—one of the most popular bars in Ames when it was open. For years now, though, there have been discussions about the need to redevelop the area in terms of aesthetics and diversity of business.

“For an alum coming back there’s a natural draw, I think, to Campustown.

But quite frankly, some of the comments that I have heard from people not only from within Ames, but from people who come and visit,” says Hallenbeck, who is also vice-president of the Ames Chamber of Commerce, “Campustown isn’t a real draw anymore.” Hallenbeck says returning alumni have changed and are not looking for a bar, tattoo parlor or copying center.

“There’s a level of disappointment that things haven’t changed because there’s been talk for a long time.”

Alumni will also point out decades ago, tattoos were not yet popular. In some of the interviews in various newspapers thus far, multiple persons have alluded to the tattoo parlors in Campustown as part of the “blighted” degradation of the area.

“As a member of the Ames community, this is incredibly disheartening,” Jason

[

Crimmins wrote in a letter to the editor in the Ames Tribune. Crimmins is the manager of Lasting Impressions Tattoo located in the heart of Campustown. Like others, his business faces the threat of being kicked out and their buildings destroyed due to the LANE4 redevelopment project.

However, the threat of being kicked out is not his greatest upset. When Crimmins wrote a letter to the Tribune it was the result of his distress by comments in an article in the Des Moines Register. That article reported LANE4’s statement that the reason for the redevelopment in Campustown is due to the “businesses that appeal only to students, undesirable businesses such as tattoo parlors and piercing shops, and late-night noise.”

To Crimmins, the statement is unfathomable. “I don’t understand why [tattoo shops] are always blamed for the ills of Campustown,” he says. “I take it exceptionally personal.” Lane4 has deemed Campustown a “blight” area, which is what they explain to be the reason Ames came to them. According to Crimmins, his business is far from the cause of Campustown’s woes.

The proximity of the bars and food vendors in relation to Campustown residency has been considered a fault in the appeal of Campustown as it causes the “late-night noise.” However, some alumni are afraid what changing up the current businesses

will do to the appeal of Campustown. Tyler Beller graduated from Iowa State in 2004 and remembers his years as a resident of the Towers and his years living on Welch. Beller recalls how his social life thrived because of Campustown nightlife.

“The ability to walk to these gatherings of students and get home safely was crucial to the formation of my current network of friends,” Beller says. “I worry about this proposed change and what it will do to the nightlife that is such a part of the college experience.”

Adam Tow, a 2007 alumnus, agrees Campustown would lose its charm if the student nightlife dwindled. “Campustown [was] a place where I would see my friends at the crosswalks, know the streetfood vendors,” he says. “The beauty of Campustown is how it is a place of [students] and for students.”

The business owners might not worry if not for a 2006 U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing the use of eminent domain—a city forcing a property owner to sell—for economic development purposes. Iowa’s law stipulates eminent domain may be used when located in a blighted area; defined as having unsafe and unsanitary conditions. Before this can happen though, there must be public hearings, and the City Council must approve eminent domain

The plan currently calls for major facelifts to most of the buildings along Lincoln Way, and most of the buildings facing Welch Avenue.

INFORMATION ACCORDING TO LANE4’S PROPOSALS Lincoln Way

Hayward Ave

Chamberlain St Welch Ave

28|

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

]

purchases of more than one property in an area. And the term “blighted” is elastic, so with lawyers involved, it can easily become an expensive and drawn out situation.

Crimmins’ business serves thousands of people each year and is state licensed and inspected. Lasting Impressions does focus on the cleanliness of their store. Crimmins has been conducting his business in the student-populated area for nearly 15 years. In addition to serving students and others in the Ames community, Lasting Impressions has given back to the Ames community through charities and sponsorships.

he city and the university came together in 2009 and spent $30,000 on an architectural design of what Campustown might look like, city council member Matthew Goodman explains. After that they put a call out to developers to come forward with ideas about revitalizing the area, and the city and the university, but not City Council, selected LANE4—a development firm from Missouri. LANE4 has come back with proposals, which generally reflected what the University was seeking and discussed the phases of redevelopment.

Generally, Council wants a more diverse and successful mix of business, according to Goodman. He points to some of the area sometimes being “a little dirty,” which is not a sign of successful business. Most students would agree some of the bathrooms, for instance, are disgusting. Goodman says it’s a choice each business makes about bathrooms cleanliness, or anything else, and the old buildings and monetary limits.

The area needs to broaden the diversity of businesses, which would help all of the businesses, Goodman says. “You can’t buy a t-shirt in Campustown without Cy on it very easily, right? That’s what I mean.”

He says having more choices is good for

T

“I don’t think it’s correct to assume that whatever happens— if anything happens in Campustown—is not going to continue to provide services students want.”

–Warren Madden

everyone. Hallenbeck dismisses the notion this is an effort to push out bars. “You see kids lined up at night to get in [to the bars],” he says, “but that’s because that’s the only thing there is to do.” Goodman adds that his businesses are largely dependent on the crowd from late night entertainment.

Hallenbeck elaborates that besides the alumni, Campustown is left out of the mix by visitors to Ames brought in by conventions, games and various events at the Iowa State Center. “I mean, let’s face it; if you’re having Special Olympics or something, you’re not sending a bunch of kids over there to do anything,” Hallenbeck says.

It’s not clear what new stores would open in the area. Hallenbeck and Goodman both account for the dense student population in the area; businesses searching for locations would likely not choose to ignore that market.

So would a Christopher & Banks want to put a shop in Campustown? Probably not.

A store like the Gap or Urban Outfitters?

That’s certainly more likely. Any business is going to take into account the young, lowincome college students filling Campustown and the dorms nearby. Goodman says it would be insane for a business not to take advantage of the potential market of ISU students, but that doesn’t mean a venue couldn’t cater to the Ames community as well.

“Any business or service is going to sit there and look at those customers (students) as being the closest and the best opportunity. I don’t think it’s correct to assume that whatever happens—if anything happens in Campustown—is not going to continue to provide services students want,” says Warren Madden, vice president of Business and Finance. He also points out the other captive audience is the roughly 6,000 faculty and staff.

Grocery/Pharmacy Parking Retail Restaurant/ Hotel Future Phase Entertainment/Restaurant

nly a couple months after Goodman started his burrito shop, the MU opened Burrito Works.

This example of expanded food service on-campus, along with copying and printing, coffee and other services, doesn’t sit well with Ames business owners. Some complain it’s unfair to them to compete with the university, which does not pay property taxes and is closer than they could ever be to students. It’s also a problem for LANE4, which wants Iowa State to close the Memorial Union Hotel as they attempt to open a hotel in Campustown. The question is whether the MU’s hotel could coexist with a commercial hotel across the street, and Madden says although the MU’s hotel is running at a forth-eight percent occupancy rate, the University is reluctant at this point to accept this demand from the developer.

“Now it’s not a free-standing hotel,” Madden explains, saying it does pay its own way. The hotel desk, for example, serves more functions than simply a hotel front desk. “You get into conversations about if the hotel wasn’t there, would you still need to have that kind of service in the building and what other kinds of impact go on in the building?” Madden admits there is a legitimate basis for the concern of competition by the university, as things have changed from a time when the dining centers had a “one size fits all” model to an explosion in choices for food.

Madden doesn’t confirm whether there are any other services the university would need to consider eliminating. As university professor Steffen Schmidt wrote on the Register’s website, private businesses are often undermined by competition on campus. At one time, colleges needed to provide food services, as they were removed from any business district. Now, they often suppress the private business in the neighborhood.

Schmidt also pointed to a widespread concern among students that Campustown redevelopment could mean more of the “Potemkin Village fake-front strip malls” frequently built around Iowa. Students have told him they don’t want to see more skyscrapers like the towering apartments filled with party-central apartments, and Schmidt notes cities that have preserved artsy neighborhoods—such as Seattle and Minneapolis—rather than bulldozing them.

O

ethosmagazine.org |29

However, he too admits there is a certain neglect in Campustown. “…I walked through Ames campus town and was shocked at the lack of self respect of many of the businesses,” Schmidt wrote. “One corner bar has a pile of cigarette butts three inches thick in front of it. The next block the sidewalks were littered with cups, paper [and] trash.”

Trip Ross, senior associate for LANE4, complained in an article in the Iowa State Daily he didn’t know where people got the idea they would deliver “cookie cutter development with box stores and national retailers,” or that Campustown is going to lose its character. “Really, we’ve never even said anything that would allude to that,” Ross said.

“Absolutely, people are developing misconceptions,” Goodman states. He doesn’t simply blame media reports in Ames, but through conversations people have about what they’ve heard. Public forums have been held, however, critics complain LANE4 held them at times when few students could be there, like in the summer. Goodman can’t remember whether it was mandated to have public forums, but says those are certainly vital to a successful project.

Gadia blames everyone, including himself, for the misunderstandings, and advocates for people not to wait for a public forum to be scheduled to voice their opinion. He began distributing fliers around Ames directing people to his wiki and to the Facebook group to encourage dialog. “If you do not make the time to organize you and your community, whether it is of businesspeople or residents, to both protect itself and prosper, you will suffer as an individual,” he explains. “While on the one hand the people involved in the development should have involved everyone openly and directly, people should voluntarily join the conversation taking place.”

Although Gadia admits he’s had trouble even getting people to contribute to the Facebook page. “The dejection people face has perpetuated itself, and people don’t realize that they do have a lot of power if they take an initiative,” Gadia adds.

“Whole revolutions are happening in the Arab world right now that are facilitated

by Facebook, and we scoff at it as being ‘trendy,’ when it is a healthy and powerful tool for social change.”

Hugo Kenemer, owner of Heroic Ink Tattoo in downtown Ames, is relieved to be out of the Campustown mess. The Asylum Tattoo moved from Welch to open Heroic Ink on Main Street. “I think we got out just in time,” Kenemer laughs. Although he still 30|

We built this city on rock n’ roll.

feels for the business owners he used work with. Because Crimmins does not own the building his business runs in, he feels his voice is easily disregarded. “I don’t have a dog in this fight,” he explains. “Nobody cares what I think and I don’t blame them … I just feel like we’re being thrown under the bus here.” After numerous attempts to contact LANE4, no one from the group could be reached for comment.

allenbeck repeatedly refers to The Café in Somerset, in the northern part of Ames, as an example of how the economic development could happen. What he says could be key is finding a magnet: a venue that would attract people to the area, spur other businesses to locate in Campustown and even persuade redevelopment of rental housing. He’s not sure whether that needs to be an electronics store, music shop, restaurant or clothier. “But someone, you know, who could cater to having that [student] population so close,” he goes on. “I am a true believer that if you get something there to begin with, that it just begins expanding out.”

Hallenbeck wants to see a clothier popular with college students, something students like and parents would purchase for their college students. Restaurants have also been tossed around, and Madden says Government of the Student Body leaders have thrown out suggestions like Denny’s, Village Inn, T.G.I.Friday’s, or a similar kind of place in Campustown. “Can we put something like that together in Campustown and can we make the economics work?”

Madden poses. “That’s what we’re in conversation with LANE4 about right now.”

The economic model, he says, must work for everyone; customers, students and staff, business and property owners, the city and the university, as well as LANE4.

Many students have questioned why the focus has been on existing businesses, and not the substandard housing students rent as dirty party houses. Goodman says it’s because that’s just not the task the city gave to LANE4; they told them to focus on the existing commercial property area.

Hallenbeck suggests once the redevelopment was taking off, someone may have interest in either renovating the housing or replacing it with commercial businesses.

There’s also the desire to create an attractive “front door” to Campustown at the corner of Lincoln Way and Welch Avenue.

LANE4 has the vision of placing a hotel and restaurant on one corner, a grocery store on the other. Having a viable Campustown

H

is important to the university in terms of recruiting faculty as well as students.

If either buildings are renovated or demand to be located in Campustown goes up, rent would likely go up as well, though.

Meaning some business owners may not be able to afford to stay in the area. Hallenbeck hopes this isn’t so; if an increase in customers accompanies the redevelopment, it could offset any need for price increases. So in that case, at least the customers—mostly being students—wouldn’t suffer as much.

Because of LANE4’s proposals, GSB has already voted to abandon the controversial Varsity Theater project, and they tapped into the capital projects account during regular allocations this semester. However, ISU President Gregory Geoffroy stating the University wouldn’t rent part of the theater for classroom space also weighed into the decision. Construction has already begun on a transit hub and parking garage in Lot 60. This project is separate from the Campustown project, and is paid for by a federal government grant. In the end, it will include an increase in parking spots and a spot for regional buses to load and unload, as well as some office space.

“I appreciate the comments that come from the students, but ya know, let’s face it; they’re going to become alumni, they’re going to come back. And I’ve seen it time and time again, you change,” Hallenbeck states. He emphasizes people who are several years removed from college have a realization of how much younger the students are who crowd into the cheap bars every night, but those alumni still want to stop by Welch Avenue.

“I really can’t speak for LANE4, and I really can’t speak for the City,” Goodman cautions. “But I firmly believe this City Council respects existing business owners and investors in Campustown. Because of that respect, their use of that tool (eminent domain) is unlikely.” Goodman says he thinks what the city wants is for LANE4 to do what they were charged to do, which is to bring all parties together as willing partners.

Goodman says he isn’t for or against the project at this point. He wants to ensure success, to ensure Campustown businesses and tenants are respected, but even once agreements are reached, the project needs to be financed. This is a whole new set of conversations as LANE4 has not yet had, and would be why they have not attempted to buy any property. When any actual buildings would be changed is also unknown. The first phase would be the east corner of Welch Avenue and Lincoln Way. Things are unclear, and the process would be long for this type of project. However,

LANE4’S ASSESSMENT OF CAMPUSTOWN Strengths + Unique Businesses + Late Night Dining and Entertainment + Reduces Drunk Driving + Student Housing + Student Accessibility + 24/7 Printing

VS

Weaknesses - Lack of Cleanliness and Maintenance - Only Appealing to Students - Unappealing tattoo and piercing shops - Late Night Noise

(Copyworks)

Madden believes there are a number of factors coming together to make right now the best chance for this to move forward, better than he’s seen in forty years, even if there are still a number of hurdles ahead.

“…I just feel like we’re being thrown under the bus here.”

–Jason Crimmins

ethosmagazine.org |31

W H A T

I S

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SH A PE? B y C O R R I N H AT A L A | D e s i g n & I l l u s t r a t i o n H I E U N G U Y E N | P h o t o g r a p h y T H A O N G U Y E N

I sat apprehensively on the foam floor mats of the group fitness classroom. Those first day jitters swirled in my stomach as I waited for the instructor. My friends had persuaded me to give fitness classes a try. “The teachers are just such great motivation,” they promised. A thirtysomething, rather large woman entered the room, bulging bags in tow, with a take-charge look on her face. “That lady definitely needs a good workout,” I remember thinking, smugly. But when she 32|

You take your girl and multiply her by four.

took her place at the front of the room, it suddenly became clear—she was the instructor.

Motivation? How could anyone carrying thirty-five extra pounds teach me anything about fitness? Expectations obliterated, I obligingly approached the kickboxing bag, already planning to go for a run later to make up for the impending lackluster workout.

Exhaustion. I trudged out of the classroom with gelatinous legs and

trembling arms. I collapsed into a chair and watched in utter amazement as the instructor bounced out of the gym on her cell phone, talking and laughing energetically.

Needless to say, my snap judgment was an insult to the reality of my instructor’s abilities. I couldn’t help but wonder how fitness or health could be equated with fatness—and how anyone knows if they’re physically fit.

THE QUEST FOR A TEST According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is important for overall personal health. But how does an Average Joe go about achieving these lofty aspirations? “Take control,” the CDC says. “The first step is to determine whether or not your current weight is healthy. BMI – Body Mass Index is one way to measure your weight.”

The CDC website directed me to a BMI calculator, where I entered my height and weight. I clicked “calculate,” and sat in my desk chair with bated breath. My result: “Normal.” Relief. The index is divided in categories – underweight, normal, overweight, and obese – calculated from a fairly simple formula developed in 1835 by a Belgian statistician.

The CDC and many doctors continue to

use BMI as an indicator for the general public to assess itself with. “There are three reasons why [BMI has] kind of taken over,” says Rose Martin, senior lecturer of food science and human nutrition. “It’s easy. Cheap, easy, quick. It doesn’t have the same baggage weight does. And there’s one system, only one scale for all adults, men and women. …

I don’t think it’ll go away any time soon.”

However, while BMI may be time and cost effective, it isn’t the most accurate test. “[BMI] is merely a measure of your weight relative to your height – it’s not a measure of fitness,” says Gregory Welk, associate professor of kinesiology and director clinical research and community outreach. “When people measure BMI they’re just looking at ‘is their weight right?’ But that’s a pretty poor indicator of health because you can be very active and very fit and still be overweight.

Research shows it’s more important to be active and fit than what your weight is.”

Strikeout. My ten-second solution had been derailed. I was back to the drawing board, but with refreshed thoughts. “If you want a better predictor for health problems, it’s probably waist circumference. Over thirty-five inches for women and over forty inches for men is not good,” Martin says. I grabbed the nearest tape measure and noted the number. Feeling reassured, I reminded myself that this number alluded only to higher risk of health problems, not overall healthiness or fitness.

Nora Hudson, fitness program coordinator for Recreation Services, says that fitness is far more than any number can explain. “We have to not look for an absolute answer and really look at the whole picture.

‘Am I able to feel like I have energy to get through the day?’ It’s about holistic wellness.”

I’ll admit it – I initially wanted an “absolute answer” to my fitness question. But, alas, our bodies simply cannot be judged by any one simple test. Welk, Martin, and Hudson stress a different concept – fitness is the product of a healthy lifestyle.

ethosmagazine.org |33

X + Y = HEALTHY LIFESTYLE? HOW

TO

GO

TO

GYM

THE

Girls, pull yo hair back.

Guys, stop grunting. No one wants to hear the sound you make when you sit on a toilet while they lift.

Don’t pretend to stretch just to show off your body/ass Spray the machines down, we don’t want your nastiness.

Jeans and khakis are not appropriate attire.

Share the equipment, looking like the Hulk doesn’t automatically have privileges. And if you’re not using it right now, don’t sit there watching ESPN, someone is probably waiting on you.

Like when you are on CyRide, your music should only be heard by you.

We noticed old dudes tend to want to go fully nude in the locker rooms for unnecessary amounts of time. But cover up. You can shower, but wear a towel when you’re by the lockers.

Don’t spit, anywhere.

Don’t clog the water fountain with your supplements.

For a break, take off your headphones and listen to the sexually frustrated guys compliment each other: “Your ass gettin’ tight, bro.” “No, yours is legit! More GNC pills?”

Change your shoes when you get there, we don’t want to use an elliptical covered in mud.

You will not meet a lady/guy friend here, accept that up front.

Don’t check yourself out in the mirrors, look when you get home.

Get some protein when you get home.

If you’re drinking a bottle of pop, you’re wasting your time being here.

Do stare at beautiful women. (WOMEN RESPONDING EVERYWHERE: NO, STOP LOOKING AT MY ASS!)

34|

Push it baby. Push it baby. Out of control.

“Students often come up to me with a goal – a weight or body fat percent goal.

Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of control over that,” Martin says. “But we have control and can quickly say, ‘Did I go walking five times this week?’” Setting a goal, not quantitative, but rather exercise-oriented, became apparently important. But, Martin warns, “Do what you can keep up, and do what you like.” And rather than get into a running rut, Hudson suggests changing your workouts. “Do a variety of exercises,” she says. “If you get into one pattern, then you go try something else, you realize that you don’t have those skills and strengths.”

Hudson recommends trying yoga for its many benefits. “It challenges you to be 100 percent present … so it manages stress and calms the nervous system.”

Thinking about health as a way of life was a new concept. Instead of jumping on a scale and frantically gasping for air over a three-pound jump wasn’t the point.

A healthy lifestyle, then, had to be what its name suggested – a lifestyle. “The main goal is to be physically active; whether you have fitness or not isn’t as important as the behaviors. It’s a process, and the product follows.” Welk outlines the United States’ physical activity guidelines:

+ Get 150 minutes of moderate activity per week OR + Get 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week + Aim for at least 30 minutes every day + Integrate some strength training each week.

“The most important thing,” Welk says, “is to take responsibility for your own health.” And Hudson agrees, “We need to look at how we’re functioning in our body versus just the body itself – not get locked in the need for assessments to give us a certain grade.” There it ended. No test, measurement, or ratio could singlehandedly assess my fitness level. I needed to refocus my lifestyle on personal health and wellness, accented with everyday exercise and realistic goal setting.

FIT & FAT

But the question still remains: How can my kickass kickboxing instructor uphold the seemingly contradictory label “fit and fat”?

“I’ve shown a video in some of my classes that shows the image of a man – he’s obese, obese by anyone’s standards. But he does triathlons,” Martin says, providing another example of fitness alongside fatness. “It’s all about genetics – the right parents,” she says.

“Our body is so internally regulated that the issue of being fit and fat does arise.” Welk agrees, highlighting the fact that being both fit and overweight is possible, though there are still risks associated with the excess weight. “Fitness and activity level provide

protection against the health risks, though. proportional to activity itself, no matter our body’s ratio of fat to muscle. “You want your So if you’re overweight but active, you’re at body to have optimal operation,” Hudson a lower risk of health problems than if you’re explains. “There is no endpoint to wellness.” normal weight and inactive,” Welk says.

My attempt to assess my fitness level Steven Blair, Iowa State’s Hilton came to a crossroads. And rather than choose Endowed Chair and a professor of exercise to continue searching for a “healthy grade,” I science at the University of South Carolina am choosing to heed the advice that initially has dedicated much of his research toward seemed so confusing. Rather than waste time the fit and fat phenomenon. “You can be trying to label my fitness, I’m going to spend overweight and healthy,” he says. “It makes my time constructively—running, swimming, no difference if you gain or lose weight on kickboxing, even some yoga. the mortality rate scale, but an increase or Now, taped above my desk, is my decrease in fitness does affect mortality rates.”

It begins and ends with activity. Fitness, new stay-healthy mantra, courtesy of Welk. the product of physical activity, is directly “Fitness: Use it or lose it.”

ethosmagazine.org |35

HEALTHFUL

HINTS

FOR

YOUR

HEART & WAISTLINE

By SHANNA DELFS

Now you can celebrate eating “fatty” foods that help eliminate cellulite and actually help you lose weight. Who would have thought? Make sure to incorporate these snacks into your diet to fill you up after working out, or as a daily snack.

+ Nuts + Avocados + Seeds + Olive oil + Whole grain foods such as

breads and pastas—these even help reduce belly fat specifically!

Are you starving after hitting the gym and can’t wait to sink your teeth into that juicy hamburger? Instead, try lowering your portions and overindulgences because of hunger by having a healthful appetizer to subside hunger. Eating about half of a plate of veggies before your main course will help fill your stomach up faster and trick your stomach and mind into thinking you are full before you even have time to get to that twice-baked potato.

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Get it ripe, get it right, get it tight.

Pre-workout:

Post-workout:

If you are an active, somewhat fit person that is looking to lose a few pounds, according to Shapefit.com, it is best drink a protein shake or two egg whites before a workout to give energy and obtain fatty acids that are needed for energy, but are not carbohydrates that blow you up. If you are hesitant to down a liquid drink before an intense workout, choose the egg option.

After a workout is the time to intake the good kind of carbs and protein. Again, you can settle for a protein shake that contains fruits or peanut butter or choose healthful options such as lean hamburger and green vegetables.

Throw these foods in your diet that help boost metabolism and bur n more calories just by eating up nature’s fruits and veggies.

+ oranges + tomatoes + soybeans + garlic + many kind of nuts + pepper such as

chilies, cayennes, and horseradishes

Know where to get your protein!

Hamburger

6 Ounces

48 g

Chicken

6 Ounces

43 g

Fish

6 Ounces

42 g

Egg

One Large

06 g

Cottage Cheese

1/2 Cup

14 g

Cheddar Cheese

1 Ounce

06 g

Tofu

1/2 Cup

10 g

Lentils

1/2 Cup

09 g

Peanut Butter

2 Tbsp.

08 g

Broccoli

1/2 Cup

02 g

Rice or Pasta

1/2 Cup

02 g

Almonds

1 Ounce

06 g

WORKOUT TIPS TO GET THAT SWIMSUIT BOD B y N I C O L E G U S TA F S O N

As temperatures start to rise and we take of f our layers of clothing, you might be regretting all of that comforting but unhealthy food you ate over the winter. It’s true, now is the time many people are hastily getting ready for swimsuit season.

But do you have to nibble at salads and spend all day at the gym like The Situation to get decent abs? If that works for you then go right ahead, but here are some less extreme tips for the rest of us, courtesy of webmd.com.

+ Have trouble sticking with an exercise plan long term? Try dragging some friends along with you. When you don’t feel like getting out of bed to go work out one day, your friends will be there to hold you accountable. If you like competition, you can even make a bet over which person in the group will lose the most weight.

+ Start slowly. When you first walk into a gym, you’ll see a lot of fit people, and it’s easy for a beginner to get intimidated. But if you’re just starting, worry about impressing people later or you could get hurt. The person lifting next to you is ripped, so what? Start out with a slow jog or lighter weights until you’re ready for a bigger challenge. If you end up extremely sore, don’t be afraid to back off a little.

+ You don’t have to run or bike. If you choose forms of exercise that you enjoy, you’ll be less likely to hate your life the whole time. If you don’t know what you like, try anything and everything.

+ Don’t forget to stretch and warm up. Both are important because they get your body ready to exercise and prevent injury. A good warm-up would be a slow jog that gets your blood flowing without making you run out of breath.

+ It takes a minimum of thirty minutes per day, done most days of the week, for you to receive health benefits. This is perfectly reasonable for any college student. How much time each day do you spend on Facebook? Probably more than thirty minutes. Instead of creeping on other people’s pictures, get out and do something for yourself.

+ Like these tips and want more? There are many more articles on how to improve your fitness at www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/default.htm.

+ Set a concrete goal for yourself, but make sure it’s realistic. Don’t just work out with the hopes of “looking good.” Go online, ask a fitness trainer, or talk to a more athletically inclined friend about what might be a good personalized goal for you. Just don’t expect to go from looking like Jack Black to Matthew McConaughey in two weeks.

You’ve heard it a million times, but diet and exercise really is the best way to lose weight or get in shape. Fortunately for the less dedicated (or more lazy, however you like to think of it), you won’t need to starve yourself or live at the rec center to be ready for summer in no time. ethosmagazine.org |37

TEXAS HOLDS ‘EM

By E M ILY B LO O M QUIST Design DA N N Y M A LLE R

Athletics: At a major university, it’s what pulls a lot of students away from the much cheaper community colleges. It’s why students spend more than $200 a year on tickets as an excuse to get drunk on Saturdays.

It’s also the reason for the Texas Longhorns’ new television channel.

This yet-to-be-named sports giant will cover everything related to Texas athletics–from baseball games, to five-hour postgame reports, to coaches shows and even original Texas athletics programming.

38|

Down, down, do your dance, do your dance.

The Money An outstanding factor with this new deal is, of course, the money. Texas itself will bring in about $247,000,000 over the course of twenty years. That’s a lot of zeroes. This may make some Cyclone fans angry, but look at it from the perspective of someone closer to Texas’ money range. As Chris Williams, creator of Cyclonefanatic.com and Cyclone Radio Network host says, “If I’m an Oklahoma supporter, I’m a lot more upset about it than [if] I am an Iowa State [supporter].

The difference, financially, between Iowa State’s athletic department and Texas’ [athletic department is] massive as it is.”

I’m sure that if ESPN came to Iowa State with a twenty-year, $300 million television agreement (HA!) the athletic department would jump on it, and so would everyone else in Cyclone nation. In many ways, ESPN offering this deal to Texas saved Iowa State’s ass. Without the deal, the Longhorns might have left the Big 12, and who knows where we, as Cyclones, would be. Just remember, Cyclone fans, our athletic department will more than likely make a money jump of about $10 million per year when the new Big 12 television deal is all said and done.

All of the hype surrounding this Texas and ESPN deal was started during the conference realignments this past summer. Iowa State, along with other current Big 12 schools, want to know they can feel secure in their current situation. “As long as Texas is happy somewhere, you’re always going to have a conference. They’re the holy grail of athletic departments, and as long as ISU is associated with them, they will likely be in a BCS conference in some way, shape, or form,” Williams says.

Bring in the (Student) Athletes Imagine you are a high school track athlete, and you are looking to go to a Big 12 school. Iowa State, Kansas, or Baylor come to you and offer you a scholarship, and you decide to think about those offers. Then, Texas recruiting staff walks through the door and offers you not only

scholarships, but also the chance for every one of your meets to be televised nationally. Your sport would get exposure that it doesn’t usually receive, and hey, your entire extended family can watch you run the 800-meter dash. Sold!

Texas doesn’t need any help recruiting for football or men’s basketball. They already dominate those areas without any help from a new TV deal. Therefore, it will be the “not-nationally-popular” athletics teams in the Big 12 that will hurt from this new channel. Like I mentioned, recruits in other sports will be given an extra incentive in a conference that is among the top, nationally. On another note, think about the benefits to journalism students that this opportunity will bring. ESPN has said they will be staffing the new channel, but that they will integrate students from the University of Texas in every aspect of the station.

Texas A&M tried moving to the Big 8 by their lonesome, Texas politicians pressured those schools so that Baylor and Tech could join as well. That merge formed the current Big 12 (with Nebraska and Colorado still present, of course).

In 2010 the Pac 10 invited every Big 12 South school–aside from Baylor. This, again, didn’t sit well with the Texas politicians. As stated in a CBSSports. com article, Pac 10 Commissioner Larry Scott said the Texas politicians killed his plan. Murphy says, “I understand why politicians want all the schools in one conference, and it’s why I never thought Texas would leave the Big 12 for the Pac 10. Texas already has everything it wants and needs.”

Politics

Some concerned Big 12 supporters seem to think Texas is set on moving to Independent status. Why would a team that is dominating the conference they are in want to move anywhere else? “The only good [thing] about being Independent for Texas is they would get to set their own football schedule,” Williams says. Other than that, there is no real benefit for them to move away from all of the perks that come along with being a part of a BCS conference.

As fans of Iowa State, we seem to be in a holding pattern. Who knows what will happen next year, or even ten years from now, but Texas is the glue that’s holding this conference together. Even though this deal gives Texas a ridiculous amount of moolah, and forces Iowa State to play every solid Big 12 school every year–twice in basketball–in the end, it saved us.

Murphy adds, “I think it’s difficult to accept that the Big 12 revolves around Texas, and the rich get richer, but for Iowa State, the Big 12 staying intact was by far the best alternative, so ISU accepts it. Gladly.”

So, thank you, ESPN, for saving the Big 12, and Iowa State. For now.

Texas was the determining factor on whether the Big 12 survived this past summer. When there were rumors of them leaving for the Pac 10 or SEC, let’s face it, ISU fans were shaking in their boots. We, as fans, felt that our team was worthy of a top-notch conference, but to the executives themselves, it’s all about the money. Keith Murphy, WHO sports anchor adds, “Iowa State has always had to do more with less, and that’s only getting more difficult. The alternative is to drop down to a lesser conference, but that’s saying goodbye to millions of dollars.”

As Big 12 members, we were also worried about Texas A&M or Oklahoma heading out for another conference. There is no doubt that these three schools are successful enough to head to whatever conference their hearts desire, but there is another factor at play, and that is politics. “If you look over history in the last thirty years, with any realignment that’s happened, Texas politicians are very instrumental at keeping those four universities together. So, I don’t think it will ever happen,” Williams points out.

Williams says that a sports blog called “Frank the Tank’s Slant” got the political factors spot on. He also said that he heard from authorities “high-up” in the Cyclone athletic world that this guy “nailed it.” The blog notes that in 1994 when Texas and

Why Independent?

ethosmagazine.org |39

Religion Relationships

By TAYSHA M UR TA UG H Design A M Y SC HWA G E R Photography DAVID DER O N G

When Hassan Elahi and Aisha Azher decided to get married, they had never even been on a first date. They’d never kissed, or even held hands. They weren’t in love, and they had known each other for less than a month.

After just six we e ks o f cou rtin g , H a s s a n a nd Aish a got ma rrie d

40|

Hassan and Aisha, both sophomores in biology, met at a Muslim Student Association meeting last semester; she was the president, he the vice president. A month and a half later, when most couples might have just gotten around to Campaniling, they tied the knot.

Now, the five-month newlyweds sit in the living room of their apartment and explain how in the Islamic religion, “dating” is nonexistent.

“The initial love you have for somebody changes over time and it becomes less and a different kind of love comes up,” Hassan says. “… For us, we see if we’re compatible.

We decide to get married before we fall in love. We don’t fall in love before marriage.”

When asked for the date of their wedding, Hassan laughs and looks sheepishly at his wife. She smiles and reminds him, “We had our Islamic Nikah on October 17, and then a week later we did the legal process, but we didn’t decide to move in together until December 24.”

The Nikah is the Islamic religious ceremony, and before moving in together, Hassan and Aisha had a Rukhsati, which is a separate Pakistani cultural process.

“Islamically speaking, you shouldn’t wait to fall in love with someone,” explains Hassan. “When you feel like you’re ready to be married, you should ask around and find the right wife … We got married for the sake of our religion, basically.”

Instead of dating, Muslims practice courtships, where two people meet in a supervised environment and determine if they match or not. Typically the couple decides the same day if they’ll marry or not.

“In our religion, it’s a really big sin [to have dated other people before marriage],” Hassan says seriously.

Nodding in agreement, Aisha explains, “[In] courting, our intention from the very beginning is marriage, and it’s more serious … Dating is not like that. You’re not really sure if it’s going to lead to marriage or not. Because in dating you’re more emotionally attached to people, it can lead to more heartbreak as well. In the Islamic culture, in courting, after you get to know the person, you marry them and then you get closer.”

Hassan is Iranian and American; Aisha is Pakistani. In both Iran and Pakistan, most marriages are arranged by the couple’s family.

With charisma typical of the twentyyear-old, Hassan describes arranged marriages as a “human version of Match. com,” meaning family members partner couples whose values and personalities match. Hassan and Aisha stress that after meeting a prospective match, the candidates still have the final say.

“There are arranged marriages and there are also forced marriages,” Aisha says, “and I think the [negative] perception of arranged marriages comes from the two getting mixed up.”

The Iranian and Pakistani cultures are similar, which is one of the things Hassan and Aisha found they had in common when they first met. The most important similarity between Hassan and Aisha, however, is their shared belief in Islam. It was this belief that brought them together in the first place.

“Islamically speaking,” Hassan explains, “you’re supposed to get married as soon as possible. As soon as you think you are mature enough to be with another person, you should get married, because marriage is considered half of our religion.”

Following closely behind religion on their priority list is family, so “meeting the parents” is an even bigger deal to Muslims.

“That’s very important in both of our cultures,” Hassan says of Pakistan and Iran. “If the families don’t agree, you’re not going to get married … Our cultures and our life revolves around family, so if your family isn’t there, you have nothing, so your families have to get along.”

Luckily for Hassan and Aisha, their families hit it off.

Hassan admits that although he was ready for marriage when he met Aisha, he didn’t feel like he was quite mature enough yet.

“That’s why it took so long for me,” he says of their unusually “long” oneand-a-half month courtship.

During their courtship, Hassan and Aisha were not allowed to meet without

the supervision of a family member.

“We have a saying in Islam that whenever a girl and boy are alone in a room, Satan is their third,” Hassan says.

Hassan and Aisha honored this rule, for the most part. Once, they met for coffee at the very crowded Caribou.

“In Iran it probably wouldn’t be okay,” Hassan says, “but here, it’s America.”

“It was a public place,” Aisha quickly adds, a little embarrassed, “and we didn’t do anything bad, either.”

This rule, which is part of the Islamic culture, is to prevent the temptation of physical contact.

“Before marriage, you cannot physically touch each other,” Aisha says. “No holding hands, nothing. After Nikah,” “…you can do whatever,” finishes Hassan.

Muslims are not even supposed to shake hands with a member of the opposite sex, other than each other and close family, of course. They’re also not supposed to be friends with members of the opposite sex or be around a member of the opposite sex who is not their spouse. Between school and work, however, sometimes this becomes unavoidable.

“She gets jealous a lot, actually,” Hassan teases his wife. “Well, with my looks…”

“I don’t get jealous,” Aisha says, rolling her eyes a little. “He might like to think so.”

“Aisha, why are you wearing your hijab?” asks Hassan suddenly, as if just noticing the blue and green scarf covering his wife’s hair.

“I feel like it,” laughs Aisha shyly. “I didn’t do my hair.”

Hassan explains that in Islam, the head scarf is only to be worn around men other than the woman’s husband, father or close relative. It is not a requirement for all Muslim women to wear a hijab; Aisha started wearing one in ninth grade, after she started going to the mosque, or Muslim church, in Ames.

“I think it was one of the best decisions of my life [to wear a hijab],” Aisha states confidently. “ … At first I was very against it and thought it was oppressing women, but then as I looked more into it I realized

it was more liberating. People look at who you are: your personality and your actions. They judge you by that, not by the way you look. It makes you less of a shallow person.”

Hassan adds that it’s more important to cover and hide the shape of your body— whether you are male or female.

Wearing a hijab can come at a cost, though. Muslim women who don the traditional head-scarf are more recognizable as a part of Islam, and they’re sometimes treated with anger and hostility.

Hassan says his sister and mother have been yelled at and called terrorists by strangers on the street in Branson, Missouri.

“I don’t mind myself,” Hassan says calmly. “It just shows ignorance. I’m more worried about my wife and my sister’s feelings getting hurt. If you actually study our religion, all it does is encourage peace.”

Aisha says she hasn’t experienced any pr oblems with it in Iowa, because people her e seem to be mor e openminded and polite.

In their fifth month of marriage and third month of living together, Aisha says they’ve grown a lot closer and learned each other’s likes and dislikes.

“I’ll tell you what I don’t like,” interjects Hassan, laughing, “Pakistani food!”

Aisha giggles and says, “Before we moved in together he couldn’t say that, but now that we live together he’s a lot more honest.”

Hassan and Aisha realize that their marriage seems unorthodox to many American couples, but they believe their culture’s customs are more practical than Hollywood’s over-romanticized idea of love and “Mr. Right.”

“We were really passionate about each other before we got married,” reminisces Hassan, “but it was very different from the American style. This type of love is much better—the love that takes time.

With courtship, with patience. You rely on each other; you depend on each other. To me, this is more like a soul mate. Someone proves to you they will always be there for you. To me that is more precious than the Hollywood style.”

Aisha sits, smiling and listening to her husband before realizing it is her turn to say something.

“What was the question?” she asks.

“My words just swept her away,” Hassan jokes.

ethosmagazine.org |41

QUICKIES | Wait a Minute Design

JUL IE CRO NIN & JO S H P ET ERS O N

STAFF CONFESSIONS “Choose your adventure at Iowa State....”

We did; here are some of our confessions.

1 “Attempt an open mic night.”

–David “Swim in the MU fountain.” - Amy

“Streaking from Curtiss to “Streaking from Curtiss to Beardshear with Jacob.” Beardshear with Josh.”

–Josh –Jacob

“Study Abroad” - Julie, Devon, Tyler, Allie, Taysha, John, Kristine, John

“...have a hot tub party on the roof of Cyclone.”

– Cicely

Wish We Could Have...

“Taken the glassblowers’ class.”

“Take the wine tasting class.”

– Kayla “Go on the roof of the MU with a bottle of rum.”

– Kelly, Cicely

“Meet the cute bouncer at Mickey’s.” – KyLeigh

– Chelsea “Been more involved on campus.”

– Julia “Hosted a show on KURE.” – Tyler “Gone on more road trips.”

– Kelsey “Kept it PG-13.”

– Josh

42|

If I’m gonna tell it then I gotta tell it all.

3

4

Most Embarrassing Moment

Our Most Awesome Moment

“ One time I got

depantsed

in the middle of

the Rec.” – Corrin “Running a 10K in 40 mins.” – Hieu “There is video evidence of me dancing to Lady Gaga.”

– Jaymi

“Walking around campus with my skirt tucked into my backpack, revealing my granny panties.”

– Amy “Right now.”

– John

“Puking all over the crowd at the VEISHEA concert.”

– Josh “Mistakenly sitting on a person thinking they were an armrest...”

– Julie “Mistaking the brown liquid in a bottle of Captain for rum and taking a drink to find out it was, in fact, chew spit.”

– Tyler

“Still being in college is an accomplishment itself.” – Jaymi “Pulling off an A in a class where I got a D on the midterm.”

– Kristine “Meeting my girlfriend.” – John “All the friends I’ve met and the great times we’ve had.” – Jacob “Moving out of the dorms.”

– Corrin “Being a part of the 2011 Dance Marathon executive board.”

– Amy “Seeing one of my photos on the front page of every Iowa State Daily on campus.” – David

Biggest Regret

5

“Stepping into a grocery cart causing me to dislocate my knee and be on crutches for the rest of the semester” – Devon

“Livingston Challenge” – Julie “Intoducing the Livingston Challenge to Julie” – Jaymi

“Running from the cops when I was 19....not worth a night in jail for “interference with official acts” – KyLeigh

“Not getting involved my freshman year” – Allie “Living in South Duff Community Park” – Taysha

“Climbing over train tracks with a couple friends.

There was a fence on the other side and we got stuck ” – Allison

ethosmagazine.org |43

QUICKIES | Wait a Minute Design

KYL EIG H NICH O L S

SUMMER

2011

TRAVEL GUIDE

By D E V ON O’B R I E N &

K E L LY MAN T I C K

Le Mars : Ice Cream Capital of the World

Lighten things up with a sweet treat and a look at the Blue Bunny Factory that makes more ice cream than anywhere else in the world. The factory includes a museum and visitors’ center that shows a mock process of how the ice cream is made.

Illustration JO SH P ET E R SO N Clear Lake : Sight of Buddy Holly’s Death

Marshalltown : Big Treehouse

Boasting twelve levels, fifty-five towers, electricity, microwaves, telephones, running water, spiral staircase, and more, the Big Tgreehouse of Marshalltown sounds more like a mansion. However, all these amenities are indeed suspended around one giant tree. The Swiss Family Robinson would be so jealous.

Here is another great place to take a swim and relax a while, but even more interesting is the Surf Ballroom. This was the venue of Buddy Holly’s last performance before his plane out of the town crashed, resulting in his death.

McGregor: Spook Cave Boat Tour

“Heads up” takes on a whole new meaning in this cave spook tour. All enclosed, this boat tour boasts of its dark, watery passages and low hanging ceilings, keeping all entrants alerted for the “duck!” warnings.

Sioux City: Flight 232 Museum

In July 1989, United Flight 232 crash landed at the Sioux City airport. This museum, located at the sight of the crash, includes statues depicting the heroic efforts of the community to help the 185 survivors.

Stanton : Coffee Cup and Pot Water Towers

This stop is a great photo-op for your “road trip” album on Facebook.

Pretend you are using this giant coffee pot and cup to get a good laugh.

Winterset : The Bridges of Madison County

iowa summer

ROAD TRIP Summer vacation is all about having fun, oh, and working to try to save enough money for next semester’s tuition. Taking a fun summer trip doesn’t have to be time consuming or expensive; just look around, there are many sights right here in Iowa that you shouldn’t miss!

Get out the maps and your camera and set out on an Iowa road trip.

44|

Get your motor running. Head out on the highway.

Make your first stop to see the natural set of “The Bridges of Madison County” and even sit in the stool Clint Eastwood sat in at the Northside Cafe. For all you John Wayne fans, this is a can’t-miss opportunity to see the home he was born in.

Villisca : Axe Murder House and Museum

Here you can tour a home where a real-life horror story took place. A family was killed in their home one night by an axe murderer and their home is now open for tours. The case was never solved and the murderer remains a mystery.

Looking for a summer road trip destination? Craving some new jams?

Look no further. We tracked down nine of the best festivals in the country, ranging in genre from punk rock to country to alternative. Choose a city, grab a friend, fill your gas tank and get ready to party in the USA. Harper’s Ferry : Effigy Mounds National Park

Stretch your legs and flex those hiking muscles at Effigy Mounds National Park.

Recreational options include bike riding, hiking, and touring the rolling landscape with a ranger. After a long day in the car, exercising amongst the thirty-one animal shaped earthen mounds made by Native Americas is just what the doctor ordered.

Dyersville : Field of Dreams

“If you build it, he will come.”

Turns out, if you build the Field of Dreams, everyone will come.

Iowa City : Black Angel

It would seem fitting that the Hawkeyes would boast of a cemetery residing dark angel that, legends say, will kill you with just one kiss.

However, the gothic angel is an eerie sight that is worth visiting. And if you are feeling luckier than a Hawkeye, plant a kiss on her and see for yourself if the myths are true.

Gladbrook : Matchstick Marvels Museum

At the Matchstick Marvels Museum, millions of matchsticks have been invested into creating models of the U.S. Capitol, the space shuttle Challenger, the Iowa governor’s mansion, the USS Iowa, the Wright Brother’s Kitty Hawk, and so many more. Ripley’s Believe It or Not even ventured out to purchase some of these extraordinary buildings, and they’ve now displayed them all over the globe.

By E M I LY B LO O M Q U I S T & C H E LS E A E V E RS

american summer

MUSIC festival

SASQUATCH

four-day pass, which includes

George, WA : May 27 - 30

camping and parking. Along

Sasquatch goers are in for

with the plethora of music

hit up the bars on Court and

a diverse and rockin’ long

for Bonnaroo-goers to enjoy,

mingle with music fans of

weekend. The Decemberists,

they will also have sections

all genres.

with their folk, country-

of the site with merchandise,

rock, and Emmylou-Harris

and food vendors. Attrac-

LOLLAPALOOZA

inspirations will be attend-

tions such as comedy clubs,

Chicago, IL : August 5 - 7

ing. Sharon Jones and the

an on-site arcade, and a beer

Quite possibly the most

Dap Kings will be taking

festival may also be worth

famous music fest in

the stage, as well. Sharon

your time.

America, this 3-day Grant

and her band have been

Park extravaganza begins with a bang this year. Now in

and soul inspired tunes for

BIG COUNTRY BASH

about a decade. Death Cab

Des Moines, IA : June 26

which has featured the likes

for Cutie will also be there as

Look no futher than just a

of MGMT, Phoenix, B.o.B. and

one of the bigger acts. The

short drive south on 35 to

Lady Gaga—is rumored to

Grammy-nominated group

get your fill of up and com-

host Eminem, The Foo Fight-

will no doubt pull many fans

ing and breakout country

ers and Muse this August.

into the festival.

artists. The Big Country

Officials have promised a

Sasquatch is held in the

Bash, held during mid to late

finalized lineup release in

Gorge Amphitheatre close

June in Waterworks park in

the next couple of months,

to the Columbia River in

Des Moines every summer,

so Lolla hopefuls will have

George, Washington. All ages

brings together an array of

to wait it out. Ticket prices

are welcome to the festival,

the country acts in an out-

range from $90 (for one day)

and camping and parking are

door, festival atmosphere.

to $215 for the weekend, but

both included in your single

Lineups are set to arrive

it’s worth the cost to attend a

ticket purchase. Seating in

April 7th, but past acts have

fame-laden festival that also

the outdoor venue is general

included Gretchen Wilson,

provides attendees with op-

admission, so arriving early

Rodney Atkins, Gloriana and

portunities for autographs,

is recommended. The Gorge

local boy, Jason Brown. The

a wine tent, gaming stations

has been a nine-time winner

bash is very much a family

and more.

of Pollstar Magazine’s “Best

event, with an array of fans

Outdoor Music Venue” award.

coming out to see the talent.

SUMMERFEST

Be sure to remember your

Milwaukee, WI : June 29

lawn chair!

- July 3 & July 5 - 10

pumping out gospel, funk

BONNAROO

its 20th year, Lollapalooza—

Just six hours northeast of

Manchester, TN : June 9 - 12

80/35

Ames, this lakefront celebra-

In it’s tenth year, Bonnaroo

Des Moines, IA : July 2 - 3

tion prides itself on being the

2011 puts out a solid lineup

Just down the interstate

“World’s Largest Music Festi-

of well-known and up-and-

from Ames, 80/35 is prepar-

val”—each year, 800,000 to 1

coming artists. Eminem,

ing its fourth annual festival.

million people attend. Unlike

Lil Wayne, The Black Keys,

Though the lineup hasn’t

Lollapalooza, Summerfest

Florence and the Machine,

been released yet, we can

daily rates range from $8 to

Mumford & Sons, The

rest assured knowing it’s

$15, depending on the time

Strokes and Neil Young will

going to be a good one—past

of day. Headline acts (read:

all be bringing in crowds of

acts have included Modest

nationally-known bands)

listeners. Other acts such as

Mouse, Spoon, Slightly

are separately ticketed, but

Big Boi, Robyn, Girl Talk and Iron

Stoopid and Cashes Rivers.

considering past infamous

& Wine will also be there. The

The best part? 80/35 takes

artists—Metallica, Dave Mat-

festival is held on a 700-acre

place at Western Gateway

thews and Britney Spears—

farm in Manchester, Tennessee.

Park, just a few blocks from

it’s probably worth an extra

Like many festivals this year,

the infamous Court Avenue

chunk of change.

your ticket is your complete

District. Get your fill of music,

ethosmagazine.org |45

QUICKIES | Wait a Minute Design

D A NNY MA L L ER

Who does Jordan Tuerler is a stand-up comedian, writer and sketch artist He is graduating this May.

think he is?

By

A ND RE W LO PE Z

Photography

D AV ID D E RO NG

Q+A ETHOS: How long have you been doing comedy?

JORDAN: My first experience was when I was eighteen. I think she really enjoyed it but I didn’t do it again until I was twenty. I wasn’t ready but after a while, I started figuring out what was going on.

E: What did you figure out that the eighteen-year-old version of you didn’t know?

J: Basically…the importance of foreplay.

E: Um…foreplay?

J: You know, warming up the audience.

E: Ok…well…your stand-up is very dynamic, utilizing music, characters, and body language.

How did you hone those skills?

J: I had a lot of time alone, so I worked myself hard. Lots of long sweaty nights, that’s for sure.

E: I’m not quite sure we’re on the same page. Are we still talking about your stand up?

J: Have we been? I thought this was for Ethos and I was going to be on the last page?

E: What?

J: What?

E: So…what’s the future of Jordan Tuerler comedy?

J: I’ll be touring this summer and moving to a bigger city like Chicago or Los Angeles within the next year to try this comedy thing out. Oh, and look to fuck some more chicks.

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The way you’re looking right now’s what I like the best.

YOU DID IT!

SODOKU EASY

You just read this issue of Ethos cover to cover. Congratulations!

Still looking to procrastinate? Take a trip down memory lane and fill out this song list. A lyric of each song is found on the bottom of the pages throughout this issue.

Artist

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INTERMEDIATE

CHALLENGING

ANSWERS:

Asher Roth, I Love College • Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run • Ke$ha, We R Who We R • Destiny’s Child, Bills, Bills, Bills • Elton John, Hakuna Matata • Pink Floyd, Another Brick in the Wall • Lady Gaga, Born This Way • Fleetwood Mac, Landslide • Marcy Playground, Sex and Candy • Counting Crows, Big Yellow Taxi • Starship, We Build This City • MIKA, Big Girl, You Are Beautiful • 3OH!3, Starstrukk • Bubba Sparxxx, Ms New Booty • Cupid, Cupid Shuffle • Usher, Confessions Pt II • Steppenwolf, Born to be Wild • Hannah Montana, Barefoot Cinderella

ethosmagazine.org |47

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