The Independent Collegian, 91st year, Issue 31 by The Independent Collegian

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Thursday, January 20, 2011

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Calm and comfort in turbulent times By Allison Seney For the IC The following is the second article of a three part series on religion in the recession. The third article is a feature on Pastor Chaz Boes, who is a University of Toledo student. When people are hit hard in tough economic times, some turn to places of worship for an outlet. The counseling and moral support one finds at a congregation can often serve as a buttress for their overall well-being. Ryan Corser is a graduate student of psychology at the University of Toledo and is learning the science of how people manage stress. “In tough economic times, it is a given that there will be high levels of stress,” he said. “Out of many articles — Religion, Page A2

Composite photo illustration by Nick Kneer/IC; Portrait courtesy of MCT

Potential cut to 618

UTPD community cruiser up for reevaluation By Oreanna Carthorn IC Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Mike Rowe

State Senator Edna Brown is sworn in on Monday, Jan. 3. She represents the 11th District in Ohio.

Brown serves as senator By Vincent D. Scebbi Features Editor

From her beginnings in the Toledo area to her legacy in the Ohio House of Representatives, State Senator Edna Brown could summarize her career in one word. Altruistic. Brown, who was sworn in on Jan. 3, is the first African American to represent Lucas County and the rest of the 11th district. “The time has come where people are looking not at race, not at color, but what I bring to the table and what I provide,” Brown said. In a phone interview with the Independent Collegian, Brown said her movement into the Senate felt like a natural progression

following her nine years of representing the area in the House. For Brown, her political victory and taking office is a sign that her voters trust her to take on more responsibilities and represent a larger pool of residents. “To me, it’s, shall we say, I won’t call it a promotion; I would say it is showing [voters’] confidence in my abilities to represent a larger body with more responsibilities,” she said. “I have proven myself in the past, and they have allowed me to continue.”

Employee for the city, worker for the people

Brown is a Toledo native,

raised through the Toledo Public School System, attending Whitney Vocational High School and attending both the University of Toledo and Mary Manse College pursuing a degree in business education. Although she did not graduate from college, Brown worked as an employee of the city of Toledo for 32 years, holding a variety of positions including public relations assistant, publication technician and accounting clerk. Brown also worked for the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees. Upon her retirement, she was the secretary treasurer of AFSCME’s local chapter. — Brown, Page A2

Due to budgeting limitations, the University of Toledo is considering rejecting the 618 cruiser unit, which patrols the Bancroft Hills, Secor Gardens and Old Orchard neighborhoods. The unit, created in 1994, consists of one UT Police officer and one Toledo Police officer. UT Chief of Police Jeff Newton said the 618 unit has a positive impact on the communities it serves. Newton said the unit provides the areas with an extra police presence. “It is certainly nothing that we want to eliminate,” Newton said. “If the unit is lost then hopefully it would

be only temporarily.” By cutting the unit, UT would no longer be liable for the salary and benefit costs associated with the UTPD officer working on the unit. The UTPD officer involved in the 618 unit may be reassigned within the department or laid off, according to Newton. Richard Miller, the UTPD officer involved with the 618 unit, has been working in the unit since August 2010. Miller volunteered to be part of the 618 unit and said as a former UT student, he enjoys being on patrol, talking to the students and getting to know them. “I know the area and I know what goes on back there. Because I’ve been

there, I can relate to the students,” Miller said. Miller said he hopes UT keeps the unit in place despite budget issues. Miller’s TPD partner is Michael Koperski. “As much of the important stuff we try to do, just the mere presence is a detractor for anybody to try and commit more crime back there than what happens,” Koperski said. “Too many times we’ve gone to a house or a college party and they think it’s a college neighborhood and that is simply not the case.” One of their main goals is to make sure life is not disrupted for the everyday citizens that live there because they also deserve a — Cruiser, Page A7

Kevin Sohnly/ IC

The 618 police unit that patrols neighborhoods surrounding campus could be cut during the University of Toledo’s next budget formulation that will take place this semester.

A2 Police Blotter The following events occurred between Jan. 13 and Jan. 16. Anyone with information regarding these events should contact UT Police at 419-530-2600.

Disorderly Conduct

On Jan. 13, a police officer was dispatched to 7-Eleven on West Bancroft Street to take a disorderly conduct report. Upon arriving, the officer was approached by a store clerk who stated a white male was causing a disturbance. The suspect was then found near the gas pumps attempting to get into a vehicle. The officer asked the suspect to stop, but the suspect was apprehensive and did not comply until after several commands. Occupants in the vehicle the suspect was trying to get into stated they did not know the suspect and he was trying to get into their vehicle to elude the officer. The officer noticed the suspect was heavily intoxicated and was unsteady on his feet. The clerk stated the suspect entered the store, left, returned and got a bottle of water and then groped a female patron. The suspect then left without paying for the water bottle. When the suspect was asked to pay for his purchase, he began shouting obscenities before the officer arrived. The suspect was also found to be in possession of three social security cards not belonging to him. The suspect was handcuffed and charged with disorderly conduct by intoxication.

Burglary

On Jan. 13, a police officer was dispatched to the Health and Human Services Building to take a theft report. The victim stated he left his office unsecured for a short period of time and returned to find someone had taken two bottles of prescription pills. One bottle contained Vicodin pills and the other

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Theft

On Jan. 13, a police officer was dispatched to Stranahan Hall to take a theft report. The victim stated he locked his bicycle to a light pole and when he returned it was missing. The bicycle was valued at $100. On Jan. 14, a police officer was dispatched to the North Engineering Building to take a theft report. The victim stated she left her USB in a computer in North Engineering. The victim reported she was most concerned with identity theft because a copy of her social security number and her Iranian Passport were on the USB. After viewing video footage of the area, the victim observed a white male wearing an Ohio State coat and a dark knit cap walk into the computer lab take the USB and leave. On Jan. 14, a police officer was dispatched to the Student Union Building to take a theft report. The victim stated she made a purchase from Magic Wok and left her credit card on top of her books that were on a table and went back to the counter for something she forgot. The victim stated she did not know the card was missing until the next morning when she tried to deactivate it. Before the victim was able to deactivate the card, purchases were made at Rocket Fuel, Barnes and Noble and Bottle Rockets in the Student Union Building. On Jan. 16, a police officer was dispatched to Carter Hall West to take a theft report. The victim stated she and her roommates were rearranging their dormitory room and put their television into the hallway. When they went to move it back into the room, the television was missing. One of the victims stated she had written her telephone number, room number and address on the back side of the television in permanent ink. The television was valued at $450.

Religion From Page A1 I have read, prayer and meditation are good tools to use while coping with stress.” Larry Vriezelaar, pastor of the First Congressional Church at 2315 Collingwood Boulevard, is always in constant contact with his members, saying his work is a “24-7 job.” He points out that there are noticeable effects the economy has on the church members. “In life there are mountains and valleys, and we do not have a specific program for people, but we use our scriptures and sermons to find inner peace,” he said. “As we read scriptures, stay faithful, and keep a happy heart.” Part of the role of serving as pastor is to understand the needs of each individual member. “I need to be as close to God as possible, and it is our job to encourage people,” he said Stephanie Peterson, a French teacher at Plymouth Canton High School, said since her conversion to

Brown From Page A1 Brown said throughout her different jobs, she worked with a lot of people in helping them solve their problems, a passion that fueled her jump into the political arena. “I really, really love being able to assist people and to help them with their problems, to solve their problems, to get answers to their questions, to crack through red tape. I enjoy that very much,” she said. Following her retirement from the city and union, Brown wanted to continue to serve the working class and was convinced to run for a seat on the Toledo City Council, which she won and served on for eight years.

Shynerra’s Law

What Brown said she will be most remembered for is her work on House Bill 10, otherwise known as Shyner-

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Catholicism, her outlook on life has changed. “I used to be agnostic, not really sure what I believed in beyond myself,” she said. “But now I understand that I’m really not alone, that there’s something else out there looking out for me, guiding me on a path that I don’t always understand. It’s very comforting, and I’m constantly amazed by the path I find myself on.” Since January of 2009, Peterson has been a member of the St. John Student Parish in Ann Arbor, Mich. While not everyone is religious, many still seek a sense of well-being in the uncertain economy. Erin Geer is a senior majoring in communications at the University of Toledo, and like most college students, she finds time socializing with friends and family as a way of support. “I am a person who believes there are things out of my control, and I am more of a person who takes things as they come,” Geer said. Shared experiences with her fellow sorority members provide her with an outlet to seek advice. “If I have any trouble with

something, my peers help me by talking to me about things they have gone through,” she said. Aside from support from family and friends, there are many other things that can be used as tools for well being. “Art and music help me feel better about myself,” said Daniel Kilgore, a freshman majoring in communications. Kilgore does not use religion as a window for fulfilling a better sense of well being. “I do acknowledge there is something out there, but I do not agree with what that great thing is,” he said. “We humans have a feeling to be accepted, some people reach out to church organizations because they want to fulfill that need, and there are people who do join that do not fit the rules of religion,’’ he said. In bad economic times, well-being can be based on levels of activity, work environment, perceptions of emotional health, and life evaluation. Along with local churches and religious groups, the Islamic Center of

Greater Toledo functions as a full-time school and sanctuary to escape the burdens of a broken economy. “The economy has affected many families, especially in Toledo where many of our members work at Chrysler and Jeep factory,” said Abdul Aboelzahab, son of the center’s imam. Aboelzahab’s father, Imam Farooq Aboelzahab, teaches the life of the Prophet Mohammad and how, through religious principles, faith should affect one’s actions. Manal Elshiekh is the Islamic Center’s full-time kindergarten teacher. During the recession, her brother from Chicago had to sell a small business he owned. “Life is like a table served with many different kinds of food: There are so many to pick, but not all of it is good for you,” she said. In his time in office as chairman of the Lucas County Republican Party, Jon Stainbrook has seen people learning to adjust their spending. “The recession affected everyone, and people plan harder in order to live within their means,” he said.

ra’s Law. The bill, which was signed into law March 2010, offers protection for teenage victims of abusive relationships. According to Brown, the bill was proposed three times, the first being in 2005, and is named after Shynerra Grant, a student at Start High School who was murdered by her boyfriend. Following Grant’s death, her mother approached the senator and asked for Brown to do something about it. As Brown researched, she found the issue of teen dating violence is more prominent of an issue than she had imagined. Prior to its effect, Brown said it was impossible to get civil protection for someone in juvenile court. The effect from this was that those who were victims of violence in relationships were able to get “no contact orders,” which Brown described as unenforceable. “With this new law, either

the victim or a family member can go to juvenile court and issue a protection order and that is very significant,” Brown said. “The benefit of that bill covers not only my district, but all teenage victims of dating violence and I am very proud of that.”

the newspaper just this morning, it seems they are going to make an announcement on a new line. And hopefully it is going to be that particular automobile which will create more jobs,” Brown said. As a state senator, Brown spends part of her time in Columbus and the other part in her district. While in the local area, Brown said she plans on holding town meetings to keep residents informed on updates in the Ohio General Assembly. These town meetings would include speaking to high school and college students, encouraging them to become more involved in political activism and “to shape their future.” Following her four year term, Brown will be able to run for another four years in 2014. If reelected, she would have a total of 25 years in politics. “I would think that would be quite enough,” she said.

Outlook on the next four years

Brown said her biggest interest is issues pertaining to women, children and working families, and cited jobs being the most important problem needing fixed. During her campaign, Brown said she urged Chrysler to bring a new line of automobiles to be assembled in Toledo. In a Blade article published on Jan. 13, Chrysler Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said in the next six months, Toledo should expect an announcement expanding Chrysler’s Toledo Assembly operations. “While reading

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- in our opinion -

Potential cut raises fears Yet another setback facing the University of Toledo community as a result of Ohio’s budget shortfall is the potential disbanding of a well-known local police patrol. Unit 618 is a team policing unit that pairs a UT officer with a City of Toledo officer to patrol Bancroft Hills and Secor Gardens, two neighborhoods that lie adjacent to campus. A large population of UT students typically live in these areas, along with a number of permanent residents — community members who now worry even more about the safety of their notoriously crime-ridden locale. The plan to lay off the UT officer and reassign the city officer would decrease the effectiveness of local law enforcement, which could have various negative effects on the university’s campus safety reputation and its ability to recruit students. A primary deterrent to the types of crime occurring near a college campus is the visible presence of the police force. When people frequently see police officers on patrol, they are naturally going to feel less confident about committing a crime. UT’s unit 618 is an example of this type of police behavior, increasing the public presence of law enforcement and responding to emergency calls in the area. Each school year typically brings a number of notable crimes that occur in the campus vicinity. From theft of parking passes and electronics from cars and the pilfering of Gold Bond from the student bookstore, to the gunpoint robbery of an off-campus resident and the tragic death of Casey Bucher, which personally affected

many students and community members, local crime is never far from the public’s mind. The occurrence of crime on and around a university campus can have a significant impact on prospective students’ decisions on which school to attend. The security of one’s body and possessions is a high priority for most Americans. For parents and children alike, the thought of the student spending every day in an area of frequent crime is terrifying, especially in light of the typical four-year commitment one will make to their undergraduate school. For these people, the level of crime around a campus probably plays a significant role in the process of deciding on a college. If the UT campus and surrounding neighborhoods are seen as areas of frequent crime, that and the exaggerated reputation of crime in downtown Toledo could cause many prospective students to turn away. It is understood that the current fiscal situation calls for certain compromises and sacrifices, and that the proposal to cut unit 618 is not being made with any air of celebration. There are neither positive expectations nor easy alternatives to the decision, but the importance of the issue must be stressed. The decision is not yet final and deserves the attention of everyone in the UT community, not just residents of the areas patrolled by unit 618. If we allow public safety to lose priority, we could be setting a dangerous precedent for further police cuts and a worsening reputation as a highcrime campus.

Milestone successes demonstrate Obama’s commitment to push LGBT rights by violence. Labor discrimination has been curtailed with an employee discrimination bill and extension of medical benefits and leave rights to gay parents. The president helped push for the repeal of the wasteful and persecutory Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy in the military and worked to provide access to HIV-AIDS treatment worldwide. His administration has given assistance to LGBT rights activists in other countries and provided information on the treatment of LGBT individuals to foreign governments. Most recently, hospital visitation rights have been extended to same-sex couples. No president can satisfy all of the nation’s diverse and pressing needs nor make good on every vow made while campaigning — not in a political system that rewards those who promise impossible outcomes. However, the attempt should be made to fulfill one’s commitments as an elected representative, and successes must be recognized. Despite some failures, Obama has proven to be a president willing to stand by positions taken as a candidate.

Every United States president in recent history has followed the pattern of falling through on promises made while campaigning. This is disappointing but not at all surprising, given the multitude of extravagant claims made during every presidential campaign season. By pledging support to members of many different corporations and special interests, candidates tend to make claims they couldn’t live up to even if they intended it. While President Obama’s platform of hope and change has not materialized as the sweeping revolution it was sometimes claimed to represent, there has been significant progress in some key areas under his administration that deserves recognition. One of Obama’s more controversial positions has been his favorable stance toward LGBT rights in all aspects of the law. A number of milestones have been reached since his inauguration that prove his commitment to fighting for legal equality for U.S. citizens and LGBT rights worldwide. A new hate crimes law extends protection to LGBT individuals targeted

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- in Your opinion -

Movie night lessons Last Wednesday night was movie night at my apartment, and the guys and I watched “Cinderella Man,” the 2005 film about Great Depression-era b o x e r James J. Braddock. There are many famous movies that I haven’t seen, and watching Anthony this one Russo enabled me to cross another off the list. If you like movies based on true stories, historical films or sports movies, you would definitely enjoy this movie. I’ll give you a brief synopsis of the film and then explain why I’m writing about my movie night. In a nutshell, Braddock (Russell Crowe) was a boxer in the 1920s who made a name for himself before the Great Depression began to cripple the country. The film never really portrays it, but Braddock and his wife, played by Renee Zellweger, fell from a fairly comfortable life to living in a one-room apartment. Having been decommissioned for not having entertaining fights — Braddock was fighting with a broken wrist. The Braddocks and their three children struggled to survive, especially once the injured boxer could no longer find work. However, Braddock’s manager eventually received an offer for Braddock to fight the number two boxer in his weight class after his opponent was “scratched.” To make a long story short, Braddock took advantage of the second chance. You’ll have to watch the movie to see how far he went. “So neat, Anthony, you and your buddies had a few beers and watched a boxing movie. Great story!” Well, after watching the movie, I felt compelled to write about it because the message of the movie applies to all of us humans and, perhaps, especially us college students. One of the first things that really struck me while watching this movie was how difficult life was during the Depression. I heard stories growing up about what my grandparents had to do to survive and this movie brought those struggles to the big screen. When all your kid is eating for dinner is a slice of fried bologna,

life is tough. If you’re reading this column, chances are you do not have to decide between heating your home for the month or buying groceries. You have the financial capability to not only take care of basic necessities, but invest in your education as well — or more likely, your parents are investing in your education for you. The point is, not everyone is that well-off. Though I suppose “well-off” is a very relative term — $250k a year would make a homeless man feel extravagantly rich and Bill Gates feel destitute — I would confidently state that many of us are better off than we think. Even those who have been unemployed for a while are probably not wondering where their next meal will come from. This isn’t to say that everyone is in great financial shape and that the poor aren’t really poor. There are people out there freezing

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No matter what your financial situation is, every single one of us ‘fights’ every day like Jim Braddock, whether we realize it or not.

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because their heat is shut off or sleeping in homeless shelters because the housing market tanked. How they got there isn’t the point. The point is, no matter what your financial situation is, every single one of us “fights” every day like Jim Braddock, whether we realize it or not. Sure, we’re not taking a beating at the hands of another fighter just to make enough to break even, but I would think that many of us feel overwhelmed from time to time with the everyday rigors of life. As I have progressed through my four years here, I have realized how it can be very easy to feel swamped with our complex lives. Between class, my research pursuits, writing checks to pay bills, work, applying for graduate school and deciding on a career, things can be rough at times. Throw in car breakdowns, wasting time at Rocket Solution Central and other unexpected challenges, sometimes life is too much to bear. Oh, and don’t forget about

exercising and taking time to eat right. Sure, we aren’t fighting for our lives on a day-to-day basis, but most of us are fighting in our own way. I moved out of the dorms before last school year, and things are different when I can’t just walk downstairs and swipe a card for dinner or pay for the roof over my head for the year with a single check. Again, I stress that grocery shopping and shoveling a driveway aren’t the most difficult tasks, but the idea is that we have to do them if we want to stay alive — or make it out of our driveways. If you want to stay alive, you buy food, prepare it and eat it. If you want to be a doctor you study, persist, graduate. These simple daily tasks pale in comparison to the amazing story of the struggles of one boxer from the Great Depression. However, they are not meaningless or menial, no matter if they may seem that way. As I wrote last week, it is the completion of these tasks that gives us satisfaction and helps stave off depression. We are more like Braddock than we think. Perhaps that is why so many people were enamored with him in the movie. While they were figuratively fighting to keep food on the table, he was literally fighting to keep food on the table. While we aren’t boxers, and our goals are less dire than day-to-day survival, we too are like Braddock. We’re human, and humans should enjoy being challenged and in time, overcoming those challenges. I can see how depression might creep up when a person lacks goals in their life. One of the reasons I decided to dedicate myself toward my golf game was the lack of goals that I had outside of my academic career. I welcomed another challenge in my life and I invite you all to do the same. By picking a goal — from improving your GPA this semester to losing ten pounds by summer — you may find more focus in your life, especially if you are bored or feel complacent. Many times we don’t challenge ourselves enough. And if you’re feeling overwhelmed or strained by the many challenges of a complex, busy life, take a few hours and watch “Cinderella Man.” It might put things into perspective for you as it did for me. —Anthony Russo is an IC columnist and a senior majoring in economics.

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Thursday, January 20, 2011

Merger predicts dark future of U.S. media

Comcast just got more powerful. The Federal Communications Commission voted on Tuesday, Jan. 18, to approve the U.S. cable and Internet b e h e moth’s acqui sition of NBC U n i v e rsal. Although there are Stephen Bartholomew s e v e r a l conditions mandated by the final agreement to ensure Comcast shares content with competitors and gives other networks fair access to its customers, many potential conflicts remain. This merger sets a precedent for the communications industry. For the first time, a cable company will now be in charge of not only how people watch television, but also the programs people watch on television.

This is problematic because it will lead to higher television subscription prices and unvarying programs and it will allow one massive entity to control competition from other online sources like Netflix. Yes, there are stipulations attached to the deal between Comcast and NBCU. Many of the stipulations actually do appear to be fair and reasonable. Under the terms of the agreement, Comcast is required to offer affordable high-speed broadband access to low-income households. Comcast will be obliged to offer its programming through a number of devices and a wide selection of packages. Additionally, Comcast promised to contribute $20 million in venture funds for minority programs and add 1,000 hours of news and informational programming to some channels. Such conditions certainly appear to justify the merger deal, yet there is still a

dubious air surrounding it all. Oh yeah, several of the requirements are set to expire after seven years. What happens then? I guess we’ll find out. Allowing the largest cable provider in the country to also own a broadcasting company that controls multiple networks along with a movie company is a bit worrisome.

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company mega-mergers. Perhaps AT&T will go after Viacom, or Verizon will bid for CBS. Profit clearly is the goal. Forget providing the public with accurate information — media conglomerates cater to advertisers. Who cares about diverse perspectives? Make the audience want to buy stuff.

Forget providing the public with accurate information — media conglomerates cater to advertisers. Who cares about diverse perspectives? Make the audience want to buy stuff.

A diverse media is essential for a well-informed democracy to function. The conditions the FCC adopted are insufficient, short-term and will ultimately fail to prevent permanent harm to the communications industry. The merger between NBCU and Comcast will likely usher in further media

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Phil Donahue’s nightly program, “Donahue,” was once MSNBC’s highest rated show, yet it was cancelled because the network thought the program was too liberal. This occurred in 2003, at a time when other networks trumpeted war. Donahue, however, asked difficult and critical questions.

During the last few weeks of the show, the senior producer was ordered to book more politically conservative guests than liberals to offset the liberalism of Phil Donahue. Such censorship is no doubt a result of opposing apparatuses within the conglomerate. At the time Donahue was cancelled, General Electric owned MSNBC. General Electric manufactures and sells engines to the U.S. military. Naturally, promoting war was in the company’s best interest. It isn’t clear what Comcast’s political interests may be, or if the company will attempt to shape public opinion at all. But as in any conglomerate, there will be conflicts — conflicts that will most likely be solved in whichever way is most financially profitable. That is to say, advertisers will win out over the public well-being. The deal between Comcast and NBCU is not completely finalized. An official

agreement is anticipated later this month. GE will then be in the passenger seat with 49 percent of NBCU and Comcast will be sitting behind the wheel, controlling 51 percent of the media conglomerate. It will be interesting to see how everything plays out. If anything is certain, news perspectives will be less diverse. Of course, the informed portion of the population knows to seek out a variety of news sources in order to achieve the most unbiased perspective. The Internet, thankfully, makes that conveniently possible. But for the rest of the population, who accept the watered-down mainstream news coverage as part of their media diet, the future looks dismal. —Stephen Bartholomew is an IC columnist and an English education student at UT.

Misunderstood reform If you are like absolutely no one, you’ve spent the past year looking back fondly at the mind-numbingly frustrating health care debate of 2009. However, if you haven’t found yourself longing for the days of paranoid rants about socialized medicine coming from hyperventilating AM radio hosts, your reaction to news that Congress will resurrect the health care debate this week probably landed somewhere between a gag reflex and that feeling you get when someone you barely know offers you a cow on Farmville. Seriously, what is the appeal of Farmville? Regardless, here we go again. Once more into the screech, dear friends. Despite the relatively small appetite we might have for further debate over the Affordable Care Act, it is still an imperfect law that should continue to be examined, discussed, and hopefully improved. If in fact there is to be a reasoned and thoughtful debate, it will be despite the GOP’s adorably titled “The Repealing the Job-Killing Health-Care Law Act,” to be voted on Tuesday. The move is purely symbolic and is likely to fail. If the bill gets out of the House, it will be even less likely to survive the Democrat-led Senate, and would be as good as vetoed before it lands on president Obama’s desk. Usually, I don’t think the clever titles of overtly partisan legislation are particularly relevant. But it is worth noting that the belief in a “Job-Killing Health-Care Law” is similar to the belief in death panels. The characterization of the Affordable Care Act as one that kills jobs probably comes from a sketchy interpretation of a Congressional Budget Office report from

August. In it, the CBO projects that the Affordable Care Act will “reduce the supply of labor slightly.” Since the Affordable Care Act increases the financial resources of workers through subsidies and expansions in Medicare and Medicaid, the CBO projects older workers will retire earlier and others might either scale back their level of employment or withdraw entirely. The decrease in labor is a result of workers withdrawing voluntarily, not because their jobs have been elimi-

“

The decrease in labor is a result of workers withdrawing voluntarily, not because their jobs have been eliminated due to the law.

”

nated due to the law. Increasing financial resources will result in a decrease in labor whether the increases come in the form of tax cuts or subsidies. But it is understandable why Republicans never called their push for extending the Bush tax cuts “The Extending the Job-Killing Tax Cuts Act.” If the GOP chooses to pick up where it left off last year in their battle against health care reform using the same tactics, they will quickly run into problems similar to this. Last time around, opponents of health care reform were able to generate a lot of support by circulating claims about the bill’s contents that were anywhere from inflated to completely false. There were, of course,

legitimate reasons to oppose the bill, and there were plenty in opposition making a solid case. But talk of socialized medicine and death panels clearly took over the discourse. The argument against the Affordable Care Act can no longer rely on outlandish claims about what will be in the law, as it did two summers ago. Now that it has become law, the debate has to be about what the law actually does. Unfortunately for GOP lawmakers, the individual components of the law, from keeping private insurers from denying coverage to those with preexisting conditions to offering subsidies to make coverage more affordable, are proving to be popular with the majority of Americans according to most polls. Only the public mandate remains consistently unpopular. The GOP was successful in energizing their base and taking back the House in 2010, thanks in part to their outspoken opposition to what they call “Obamacare.” Assuming they are now looking to 2012, they must find a way to resurrect a fight against a law most of the public supports while not alienating independent voters. Waging a battle against the Affordable Care Act clearly works for riling the base, but the 2012 elections will be about the middle. It will be a tricky balancing act, and any mistakes will mean that the tactics they used to gain power in 2010 will be precisely the ones that take them out in 2012. —Jason Copsey is an IC columnist and a junior majoring in public relations and political science.

Injustice overlooked It’s easy to fall complacent in the mundane dayto-day charades. It’s easy to forget that there are sweatshops with wages below one American dollar, no workplace rules nor regulations to protect women and children from unfair labor practices. Countries ruled by historyaltering dictators. Governments who suppress and censor media. Worldwide economic systems that give advantage to the same countries with an imperialistic history. Worldwide gender discrimination, homophobia and institutionalized racism. All have several things in common. One, they don’t get half as much coverage as they merit in the American press. Two, they share a common thread of injustice. And three, I believe they should be topics of discussion on a holiday like Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Most of us on the University of Toledo campus, particularly students, mark this holiday as one of only a few days we are free from classes in the Spring Semester. And while it may be a lot to ask of students to reflect on the many injustices that are allowed to exist, it’s not much to ask when the injustices are close at hand. Consider where the coffee beans were picked when you stand in line at Starbucks, Biggby’s or whichever coffee-shop you prefer to patronize for your caffeine fix. Consider whose hands stitched and assembled the shirt or

jeans you bought over the weekend, or from what country they originate. And if you’re up to looking deeper, look at the parent company or corporation of the news channel of your preference, then at what other companies or connections they have. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words and actions are not easily forgotten by the press and by popular media, but his message and overall philosophies get

“

The holiday is meant not only for a re-examination of how individual acts permeate an unjust system, but how the actions of groups and whole nations allow injustice to continue.

”

blurred at times. His calls for justice extended beyond the generic fight for civil rights, targeting many other specific injustices. If you have a spare ten minutes sometime, look up his ”I am a Man” speech about the Memphis city sanitation workers, about their strike and how the city government ordered the workers back to their jobs and refused to negotiate their deplorable work conditions.

I have found that the term “labor union” often gets painted as dirty or is treated as something less than the ability for workers to negotiate for a living wage and benefits. The labor movements and progressive movements are a force to be reckoned with thanks to the efforts of men like Martin Luther King, Jr. Perhaps there should be similar days of remembrance for other activists with similar levels of impact within related movements. It is my firm belief that this holiday is meant to be not only a celebration of the way the man inspired and led the movement we read about in history textbooks, but also a day of reflection on the other causes for which he fought with non-violence. The holiday is meant not only for a re-examination of how individual acts permeate an unjust system, but how the actions of groups and whole nations allow injustice to continue. It is a day meant for the United States to look at itself, how it has progressed and in some cases regressed in terms of fighting injustice. So if you do see an injustice, why aren’t you doing something about it? —Pamela McCray is an IC columnist and a sophomore majoring in political science.

Nation

Thursday, January 20, 2011

www.IndependentCollegian.com

Fool’s gold catches eye of solar energy researchers

Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times/MCT

Matt Law, assistant professor in Department of Chemistry at University of California, Irvine, looks at a solution of pyrite nanocrystals in his lab at UCI on November 9, 2010. The nanocrystal are used to make pyrite thin films for solar cells. Investigators at UCI are trying to develop pyrite solar cells made from nanocrystal inks. By Tiffany Hsu Los Angeles Times (MCT)

LOS ANGELES — Iron pyrite — also known as fool's gold — may be worthless to treasure hunters, but it could become a bonanza to the solar industry. The mineral, among the most abundant in the earth's crust, is usually discarded by coal miners or sold as nuggets in novelty stores. But researchers at the University of California-Irvine said they could soon turn fool's gold into a cheaper alternative to the rare and expensive materials now used in making solar panels. "With alternative energy and climate-change issues,

we're always in a race against time," said lead researcher Matt Law. "With some insight and a little bit of luck, we could find a good solution with something that's now disposed of as useless garbage." The UC-Irvine team believes the mineral can be processed into a thin film for use in photovoltaic cells, and could eventually convert sunlight into electricity at roughly the same rate as existing technology. Though it's too early to estimate the cost of cells made with pyrite, Law said they're likely to be cheaper because fool's gold is so readily available. A prototype could be ready within

the year, but it could be at least three years before the cells are commercially available. Some industry analysts, however, are skeptical that the team — which includes a chemist, a mathematician and a physicist — can hit pay dirt. "I don't want to pour cold water on what they're doing, but every day somebody comes up with a new idea for a solar cell technology," said Shyam Mehta, a solar industry analyst with GTM Research. "Commercializing it is a lot more difficult than people seem to think, and it's full of failed attempts." To be successful in the

market, he said, scientists have to replicate the carefully controlled conditions of a laboratory in a factory capable of producing hundreds of thousands of panels a year, at a cost that can compete with Chinese prices. The U.S. solar photovoltaics industry is worth at least $2 billion and growing, but not much of the cell-making process occurs domestically. Existing types of cells, such as cadmium telluride and amorphous silicon, use materials that are either very scarce, potentially toxic or not especially efficient. And other materials such as indium — about $300 a pound — are in high demand for use in touch screens and other tech gadgets. These so-called rare earth elements are available only from a single U.S. mine in California or from China, which is clamping down on exports of the material. Law and his colleagues believe fool's gold, which is

composed of iron and sulfur, could be used to make solar cells in a major production process. Iron pyrite has been eyed as a candidate for solar panels in scattered studies in the 1980s and '90s, along with other cheaper, abundant materials such as copper oxide, copper sulfide and zinc phosphide, Law said. But a lack of cleantech financing, unsophisticated processing equipment and lack of interest caused the research efforts to fizzle. "Now, with better tools and funding and a sense of urgency, more people are looking again at very promising materials that might have had one stumbling block or two earlier that had tripped them up," Law said. One of the challenges in developing solar cells from fool's gold is that the material has poor voltage. That is, the mineral is full of microscopic pockets that suck

in electrons, limiting conductivity and the ability to convert solar energy into electricity. Law's team is working on ways to plug the holes. The work is being funded in part by a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation's solar program. Law said the effort is attracting the attention of solar companies and other researchers, many of whom are starting to look into iron pyrite again. But with existing photovoltaic technology already so established, new solar innovations will have a harder time catching up in the market, he said. "There's a narrowing window for new technology to come online," Law said. "If we fall asleep at the switch, it'll be much more difficult to compete against big companies that are already learning to do this better, more efficiently and faster."

Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times/MCT

A specimen of natural pyrite found in the earth is photographed in the lab of Matt Law, assistant professor, Department of Chemistry at University of California, Irvine, November 9, 2010.

Senate fight looms after House health care repeal By Noam N. Levey and Lisa Mascaro Tribune Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — House Republicans passed a largely symbolic resolution Wednesday to repeal the nation's new health care law, fulfilling a top campaign promise and setting the stage for a renewed battle in the Senate. The Senate showdown may not begin for several weeks, but promises to be substantially messier and more drawn out than the debate just completed in the House. The result could be a return to bitter, partisan gridlock ahead of a budget confrontation in March, when the health law repeal could become intertwined with a debate over federal spending. House GOP lawmakers, who hold a commanding majority, easily passed their two-page repeal resolution Wednesday after less than two days of floor debate. Three Democrats joined all 242 Republicans in support of the repeal resolution. The remaining 189 Democrats, including 10 who opposed the law last year, voted against repeal. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., who was wounded in this month's shooting rampage in Tucson, did not vote. In the Senate, Republicans will have to use contentious procedural maneuvers to

pressure Democrats to vote on a repeal measure. Democrats retain a 53-47 edge in the Senate, counting two independents who caucus with them, and Democratic leaders firmly oppose repeal. "The Democratic leadership in the Senate doesn't want to vote on this bill. But I assure you, we will," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement Wednesday after the House vote. If Senate Democrats block a repeal vote, as they have vowed to do, GOP lawmakers could look for ways to force Democrats to debate unpopular parts of the law like the insurance mandate, a move that could further inflame partisan tensions."It will be a procedural game of cat and mouse in the Senate to bring up repeal votes," said Michael Franc, who works closely with congressional Republicans as head of government relations for the conservative Heritage Foundation. "It's guerrilla tactics." Even if the moves fall short, they are likely play well with the GOP base. Conservative Republicans and tea party activists are looking to GOP senators to be as aggressive as their House counterparts in pushing repeal. "If you throw it over to the Senate ... and these senators are sitting on their hands not getting anything done ... you can

expect the senators to have a very unhappy first recess home," said former GOP House Majority Leader Dick Armey, now leader of FreedomWorks, a Washington-based advocacy group that supports the tea party movement. Senate Republicans are being

“

If the supporters of a full repeal of ‘Obamacare’ don’t use the Senate’s rules to force a vote on full repeal, don’t take them seriously when they say they really want to repeal President Obama’s de facto government takeover of health care.

Brian Darling, Director, Senate relations at the Heritage Foundation

”

challenged to use every rule at their disposal to engineer a showdown. "If the supporters of a full repeal of 'Obamacare' don't use

the Senate's rules to force a vote on full repeal, don't take them seriously when they say they really want to repeal President Obama's de facto government takeover of health care," wrote Brian Darling, director of Senate relations at the Heritage Foundation, in a blog posting. The rules of the Senate give a single senator enormous power to stall legislation. And repeal-minded senators could threaten to filibuster even the most routine floor procedures until a vote is scheduled, including those expected next week on the rules and organization of the Senate. Conservative GOP senators — including Jim DeMint of South Carolina and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma — are already preparing repeal strategies, according to aides. Some are preparing for a twoyear legislative campaign. "This isn't a one-shot deal," said Coburn spokesman John Hart. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, is also among those urging a vote on repeal. Hatch faces re-election in 2012, two years after tea party activists drove Utah's other incumbent GOP senator from office. "House Republicans have listened to the American people by acting to repeal this law. The question is whether the White House and its allies in the Senate will follow," Hatch said in a statement. The brass-knuckled repeal strategy is not without risk, some conservatives warn. Independent voters, who were critical to GOP electoral gains in November, do not want years of gridlock that produce no alternative to the current health care law, said Frank Luntz, a GOP pollster who helped develop the Republican strategy to discredit the health care law in 2009. For their part, some Democrats say there is a political

opportunity in defending their signature law using personal stories from Americans now benefitting from the changes in insurance industry practices. More targeted GOP legislation that focuses on eliminating unpopular parts of the new law — such as a new tax reporting requirement for businesses — could make Republicans look more constructive. And Republican lawmakers are confident they could peel off conservative Democrats on such initiatives. During last year's health care debate, a handful of Democratic senators voted for unsuccessful GOP amendments to strip out provisions of the law. Among the provisions, which survived, were taxes on medical device makers, a new government longterm care insurance program, and a new board to review Medicare spending. Frontline Democrats up for re-election in 2012 — including Nebraska's Ben Nelson, Florida's Bill Nelson, Montana's Jon Tester and Missouri's Claire McCaskill — may agree to some of these fixes now. But legislative fixes also carry political risks for Republicans. "The things that may be fixed might make 'Obamacare' look better," said Joe Antos, a health care economist at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. "That might take away some of the issue for the 2012 election." For their part, GOP leaders aren't saying when or how they will produce an alternative, or push more limited legislation targeting pieces of the health care overhaul. "I don't know that we need artificial deadlines," House

Voter views on health care law

More registered voters would like the health care law left alone or strengthened than want it repealed or weakened. • What should Congress do with the 2010 Health Care law? Let it stand or change it so it does more

51%

Change it so it does less or repeal it

44%

Unsure: 5%

• Should Americans be required by the government to buy health insurance? Yes

29%

No, it is unconstitutional

65%

Unsure: 7%

• Should these parts of the Health Care Law remain law? Allow children up to age 26 to stay on parentsÕ policy Yes No

68%

29%

Unsure: 3%

Stop insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions Yes No Unsure: 5%

59%

36%

Speaker John Boehner, ROhio, told reporters at the Capitol Wednesday. House Republicans start a series of hearings to highlight what they see as problems with the Obama overhaul Thursday. The Senate returns to work Monday. ——— Tribune Washington bureau staff writer Kathleen Hennessey in Washington contributed to this report.

The

Independent Collegian

Thursday, January 20, 2011

SG leaders look Minimum wage affects 270K workers toward new goals By Sam Fetters IC Staff Writer

By Casey Cheap For the IC

As the election for the next Student Government leaders approaches, current SG leaders consider what initiatives they hope to complete by the end of their term as President and Vice President. SG President Matt Rubin and Vice President Jordan Maddocks said they have high hopes for this semester. One main campaign promise Rubin and Maddocks said they have worked hard toward achieving is making the University of Toledo a more bike friendly campus. SG is currently working on making UT more accessible for bikers with the “Bike Friendly Campus Initiative,” according to President of Eta Sigma Gamma Health Education Honor Society and Bike Friendly Campus Initiatives Director Karen Gallagher. “The goal will be to increase pedestrian and bike traffic and to decrease the traffic and parking problem,” Gallagher said. “Students of Eta Sigma Gamma spent last semester analyzing the campus grounds for this.” In addition to studying where possible increased bike traffic would likely flow, SG is also interested in purchasing bike pads, but spots where the bike pads would be placed have not been determined. In addition to a more bikefriendly campus, Rubin and Maddocks also want UT to continue to become a more physically fit campus. “The [Student Recreation Center] will be getting a full high-ropes course as well,” Rubin said. “UT will be the first university in the nation that has one.” Rubin remained upbeat on other SG developments. “We are an awesome university in 2011, but we are looking to be awesome in 2020 and the future,” Rubin said.

SG will be sponsoring “The Big Event,” a campus-wide community service day, again this semester. “The Big Event was something we brought back last year that hadn’t been done in 10 years,” Rubin said. According to Maddocks, SG has also been dealing with issues and complaints regarding public safety concerns for students, including issues with outdoor lighting on campus. “Student Government is working with the University of Toledo Police Department trying to target areas where students do not feel safe,” Maddocks said. “One of the improvements includes switching from halogen to L.E.D. lights on the Centennial Mall. Making the switch has been more cost-efficient and the lights are brighter.” Though on-campus parking often seems scarce, Maddocks said the issue has received fewer complaints in the last year. “It’s not so much an issue with spaces, but a convenience issue,” Rubin added. “I would suggest just parking in the east parking ramp rather than driving around for 10 minutes looking for a parking space.” Rubin said another campaign promise they are working towards is more free speech boards. “Sometimes there might be apathy on the students’ part just because they don’t think their voice is being heard,” Rubin said. Rubin said SG will be giving students more opportunities to voice their opinions this semester. He said there will be a forum addressing students’ concerns on UT’s restructuring of the colleges at some point this semester. “The restructuring has just started to be implemented this semester, but SG and faculty still want student input,” Rubin said.

The minimum wage in Ohio increased 10 cents for non-tipped employees and five cents for workers who are tipped at the beginning of 2011. The new wages are now $7.40 an hour and $3.70 an hour, respectively. The wage hike affects nearly 270,000 workers across the state, according to the think tank Policy Matters Ohio. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the increase was the result of a 2006 vote, when Ohioans chose to link the state’s minimum wage to the rate of inflation. Although the increase might be beneficial for most on a personal level, some experts argue the wage hike can have detrimental effects on the economy. According to Kristen Keith, professor of labor economics at the University of Toledo, any change to the minimum wage can have an adverse effect on the economy and employment. “[From an economist’s standpoint] I don’t know if the current wage is effective,” she said. Keith said one potential long-term threat of a minimum wage change is job loss, because employers can’t afford to pay workers without cutting expenses. Another result is a loss of opportunities, which is harder to measure. “We tend to measure job loss, but it’s harder to measure workers who were working 35 hours per week and are now only working 30,” she said. These small cuts can have hard-hitting effects on workers. A worker who works 40 hours per week over the course of a year will bring home $208 more with the new wage. Keith said sometimes higher wages could actually hurt the worker who is getting the raise. For instance, if a worker has their hours cut by just one hour per

Cruiser From Page A1 certain quality of life, Koperski said. The unit operates Tuesday through Saturday from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. during the school year and Monday through Friday during the summer. Newton said the UT Police officer can act as a liaison between the city and the university, concerning off-campus issues. Koperski said he enjoys working with a different jurisdiction in partnership with the UT Police Department. “Too often times we are isolated working with our own, and working with another department is nice,” Koperski said. Newton said the primary function of the UTPD is to patrol campus and the 618 unit is a special task force that goes above their core objective, which is why UT

State-to-national minimum wage rate comparison

Info graphic by Nick Kneer/ IC

week as a result of the wage increase, the worker is at a loss of about $180 per year. In her opinion it would have been better to make the state minimum wage equal to the national minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Instead, Ohio’s increase could possibly make the state less attractive to potential businesses, ultimately making them decide to develop in states where the cost of labor is less. Keith said she wonders whether the increase was necessary. “We are not really a high costof-living state such as New York, Connecticut or California. But by having a higher minimum wage, we are turning into a high-cost state for businesses,” she said. As an educator, Keith is also concerned with the status of youth unemployment. “If you look at what kind of jobs the youth are likely to have, they are minimum wage jobs,” Keith said. Keith said lowering or eliminating the minimum wage would enable companies to hire more workers, thereby employing more young people. The minimum wage will have an effect on UT students also. Director of the Office of Financial Aid Carolyn Baumgartner is in charge of the work study program and said students in the program will see a pay raise this year. The work study funding comes to the university from is considering cutting the unit. Special programs and services are the first things to be considered when reducing a budget, according to Newton. “I don’t think anybody is happy about it,” Newton said. “I know I’m not. There is no bigger fan of the unit than me. They provide a real important service.” The 618 unit is the only team policing unit like it in the state, according to UT Chief of Police Jeff Newton. Other schools such as Ohio State University are looking to start similar units based on UT’s model. Newton said all the professional staff in the Division of Human Resources and Campus Safety are taking furlough days and making some concessions to try and save the 618 unit position and meet budgetary restrictions. Newton urges students living in Bancroft Hills, Secor

the federal government in a lump sum and UT matches 25 percent of the federal money. According to Baumgartner, for the 2010-2011 academic year, the total allotment including UT’s contribution is approximately $2 million. Baumgartner was able to predict the wage increase, but her department still faces challenges. Because there was a pay raise but not an increase in the amount of funding, Baumgartner said money will be “eaten up quicker.” Still, Baumgartner said there will be no layoffs in the work study program. Instead, to slow down the depletion of the fund, she has not made any new offers to the work study students who have work study money in their financial aid. She worries about possible overspending. If the department overspends, “nobody will cover us.” On the other hand, her office is penalized if she doesn’t spend it. According to Baumgartner, work study students can work a maximum of 20 hours per week, though most only opt to work 12 to 15 hours per week. She says this frees up some funds for other students who want to work. A representative from the student bookstore on Bancroft Street is skeptical of the wage increase and dismisses it as “more taxes for the government and an infinitesimal increase in wages.” The representative said the

bookstore planned to cut hours and slow hiring to make up for the additional wage expenses. The representative said one challenge for a business facing a mandatory wage increase is paying employees based on their performance. For example, if a worker deserves to be paid $6 an hour, they still must be paid the minimum in compliance with the new law. A usual effect that stems from a hike in the minimum wage is inflation, or the overall cost of necessities such as groceries. Travis Elliot, dairy manager at Churchill’s located on Central Avenue, said the higher minimum wage will not heavily impact the prices of groceries on the shelves, but the cost of wholesale products by Churchill’s has already witnessed an increase. As for the rising cost of other groceries, Elliot has seen “quite an increase in the past few years,” more so than he saw in the entire previous decade. However, he does not blame this entirely on increased wages. Elliott added the costs of dairy, produce, and many other staples are heavily affected not just by wages but also government regulations and the environment. Elliott is glad to see the government on top of the minimum wage increase and would like to see it at a more livable rate.

Gardens and Old Orchard to have common sense about their safety and take advantage of the variety of safety services provided by the university. “Ultimately you are responsible for your own safety,” Newton said. “The police are there to make things safer, but you need to be responsible for your own safety.” Aaron Thomas, a junior majoring in construction engineering technology, has lived in the Bancroft Hills neighborhood for two and a half years. “From my apartment to campus is about a 10-minute walk,” said Thomas, who occasionally walks to class when the weather is nice. Thomas said the area experiences a lot of burglaries. “If we are not at a call somewhere else, we are back there patrolling that area, keeping these guys that burglarize homes and

everything out of that area, because we are showing them a police presence,” Miller said. Thomas said he feels safe because he can secure his vehicle in an underground garage and does not wander the streets at night. “I think increased police protection would be better and hopefully keep crime down,” Thomas said. He said the area is usually safe during the day. ”You don’t hear about any problems during the day, it’s usually at night,” Thomas said. Koperski said regular patrolling Toledo police officers cannot get to these small neighborhoods as often as they should due to issues with man power, and if these areas were not regularly patrolled by the 618 unit, response time to 911 calls would be affected. “Crime can happen to anybody at anytime,” Koperski said.

— Vincent D. Scebbi contributed to this article.

The

Independent Collegian

Thursday, January 20, 2011

“Well, of course, I’m the wrong person to ask. I like to dial numbers with one hand, and maybe I’m the only one.” — Bill Gates on the iPhone

Section

www.IndependentCollegian.com

Around

town

Jan. 20 — Jan 26.

friday Center for Performing Arts — UT Film Fridays will be showing “Slam,” the story of Ray Joshua who “finds solace from prison and the violence of his inner-city neighborhood through poetry” and is convinced to enter a poetry slam competition. The film starts at 7:30 p.m. and will be shown in the CPA Lab Theatre. Admission is free but a $3 donation is welcome. Valentine Theatre — The theatre will be showing “Singin’ In The Rain” at 7:30 p.m. This is one of many in the Silver Screen Classics series which will be available on Fridays in January. Tickets are $4 and tall draft beer and $2 popcorn will be available for purchase.

saturday Toledo Museum of Art — The museum will be showcasing faculty artwork from Jan. 22 until Feb. 13. For more information contact Angela Riddel at TheArts @utoledo.edu or 419-530-2452. Admission is free and access to the Exhibition will correspond with gallery hours, which are Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Toledo Zoo — Bubbles Vineyard Adventure is an event that features wine tasting hors d’oeuvres and entertainment at the zoo. This is the first in the Vineyard Adventure series and will take place at the Arctic Encounter®. Ticket information, including special package prices, is located on their website ToledoZoo.org.

sunday

Toledo Museum of Art — The museum will be host the Toledo Symphony’s Family Series: The Composer is Dead with the Toledo Library. The event begins at 3 p.m. and will be held in the Toledo Museum of Art Peristyle Theatre.

monday Frankie’s Inner-city — Trust Me I’m A Doctor will be headlining at Frankie’s with We Are Danger, From Atlantis and The Party Foul. Doors open at 5 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door, the night of the show.

wednesday Huntington Center — Kid Rock will be performing at the Huntington Center at 7 p.m. Ticket information is available on TicketMaster.com.

Arts and Life Thursday, January 20, 2011

Page

DC Guastella– Editor

Get smart : apps and smartphones UT students and the latest in phone technology By Mitchell Rohrer IC Staff Writer

The rapid emergence of the smartphone has brought about a handheld revolution of both accessibility and convenience. Smartphones are not as closely related to “phones” as they are to pocket computers. They are able to text, take pictures and/or video and surf the web. These phones could possibly do more than the typical home computer does in a typical day. However, the focus of the top smartphone competitors Android, which is on multiple different brands of cell phones, and iPhone, which is only made by Apple, have been on their applications – more commonly referred to as apps. An app can be anything from an alarm clock to a constellation locator, when using the camera to point into the sky or any game that could be played on the smart phone. The slang term has quickly become part of popular vernacular – noting the American Dialect Society, which listed app as their “Word of the Year.” Apps can be made by anyone from single customers to huge conglomerates who

wish to use the phone to provide a great tool to the consumers or score some quick cash with a time-wasting game. The major difference between the two companies is that Android’s apps all come through third-party producers, while Apple likes to check all its apps personally before putting them into their app store. For example, some of the bestselling free apps right now in Apple’s App store, according to its website, are Onenote, which is a popular note-taking program usually used on standard computers, and TV.com, which is an app by CBS which allows users to “personalize [their] TV experience,” according to their description in the app store. On the pay-to-play side of the store, meaning customers need to pay up front in order to gain access to the apps, is mostly topped by “casual” videogames, meaning they only take a few seconds to learn, minutes to play, but can take hours to master, like the extremely popular “Angry Birds.” Whether the consumer has an iPhone or any other smartphone, the most