Arts & Life, B1
Sports, B4
Music Fest 2011
Rockets ready to start the 2011 season
Independent Collegian IC The
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Serving the University of Toledo since 1919
www.IndependentCollegian.com 92nd year Issue 4
Graduate entrance exams require extra preparation Added elements to MCAT, GRE GMAT make tests ‘more rigorous’ By Sura Khuder IC Features Editor
Students planning to attend medical, graduate, or business school may need to prepare longer and more rigorously than ever. Major changes are set to occur for the Medical College Admissions Test Graduate Management Admissions Test and Graduates Records Exam in the next four years. The new tests are reportedly more difficult than previous ones, as test makers intend to create exams that are better assessments of graduate school applicants who will be successful in their respected programs. Changes to the GRE, used by most graduate school for admission, have been in effect as of Aug. 1.
According to Educational Testing Services, who are the makers of the GRE, the new questions asked on this exam are more reflective of the kind of thinking students do in graduate school programs. Some of these changes include questions that emphasize data interpretation and passage analysis. Analogies and vocabulary testing have been eliminated. Lee Weiss, director of graduate programs and a GRE instructor at Kaplan Test Prep, called the changes to the test the biggest in its history. Weiss said these changes were made in direct response to demands from graduate schools on ETS to create a test that was a better indicator of admissions success.
“If you think about the skills people need in graduate school, having memorized vocabulary words or having vocabulary doesn’t make you a great graduate student,” he said. The exam is an hour longer and scored on a narrower scale than the old GRE. Scores for students taking the new GRE will be released in November. The changes to the GMAT, the test used by business school admissions, are set to occur June 2012. This exam will contain an added section called integrative reasoning that analyzes student’s ability to interpret data. Students will still receive a score from 200 to 800
Photo Illustration by Nick Kneer/ IC
— Tests, Page A2
Changes to the MCAT, GMAT and GRE include additional subject matter and extended testing time. The changes will take place in the next four years.
Twirler wins international title By Danielle Gamble IC Copy Editor
Headline
Nick Kneer / IC
Will Pegh, lead singer of pop-rock band Cartel perform at Music Fest yesterday.
When you go to bed at night and you have to find your way to the bathroom in the dark, you just have to know where to go. This is how Ashlee Banas, feature baton twirler of the Rocket Marching Band, explains what it takes to be a twirler. “It’s all one huge trick,” Banas said. Banas is this year’s winner of the Twirling Unlimited International Three Baton category. The competition is hosted by Twirling Unlimited, a non-profit organization that exists to support the art of baton twirling. The event lasts for several days and is open to twirlers of all ages across the country. The competition was held this past July in Canton, Ohio. Banas, a Perrysburg native, has competed at the TU International competition for multiple years. She has placed high in
several categories, including first place in Parade March and Duet. However, this was the first time she took first place in the top age category, which included girls 19 and older. “To me, three baton was more than the trophy; I’ve always wanted to win it,” Banas said. Performing in the three baton category involves a two to three minute routine with three or more batons. The performer must be constantly involved with the performance, and the batons must be always moving. Banas has been twirling baton since she was seven and she has been competitively twirling since she was nine. She began performing with the Perrysburg Sophisticates, a baton troupe coached by Andrea Whiting. Banas said her experiences with the Sophisticates and Whiting were instrumental in her development as a performer. “I wouldn’t be anywhere if not
Courtesy Ashlee Banas
Ashlee Banas, twirler of the Rocket Marching Band has been twirling for seven years. for [Whiting]; I wouldn’t be as good as I am,” she said. Banas also enjoys sharing her talents with others. She began teaching while attending Notre — Baton, Page A2
SG brings bike pumps to campus By Brittany Jackson IC Staff Writer
Nick Kneer/ IC
Headline Larry Burns speaks to the crowd as Rocksy waves during her debut at the Music Fest pep rally yesterday.
In an effort to make Main Campus more “bike-friendly,” UT installed two new air pumps last week. The pumps are located in the bike corrals by the West Parking Ramp and the Ritter Planetarium. “We’ve been campaigning the idea since the spring of 2010,” said Student Government President Matt Rubin.“It will have a positive impact on students that ride their bikes to class. Some of the students that I’ve talked to say that the roads in Toledo are really bad so their tires lose air and they have to stop to pump them back up.” The air compressor pumps give students three minutes of free air. Student Government is hoping to expand the bike pumps to the
Health Science Campus. “We are hoping to make more bike initiatives on campus,” Rubin said. “We are working with Karen Gallagher [Director of the Bike-Friendly Campus Initiative] to create bike trails from Main Campus to the Health Science Campus.” Gallagher said the UT administration has been supportive of the initiative. “I think as the university implements support for alternatives to driving, more students will choose to bike to campus,” Gallagher said. In order to gain access into the bike corrals, students must use their Rocket Card and every entry is recorded into the system. Rubin said he believes the swipe card system diminishes the likelihood of the pumps be— Air, Page A2
UT retracts decision Letter sent out to residents says DNW to stay open for ‘at least’ fall 2011 By IC Staff
UT has decided to leave Dowd, Nash and White Halls open after Director of Residence Life Jo Campbell told the Independent Collegian the halls were set to be closed last week. In a letter sent out to Dowd, Nash White residents yesterday, Campbell explained the situation. “We will continue to assess the occupancy throughout the Fall semester to determine the need and plan for the Spring semester,” the letter reads. “A decision will be made by December 1st about Dowd/Nash/ White Halls for Spring.” The letter also said students who applied for housing by Aug. 1 has the option of moving to another hall. Students who want to take part in the room-change process will be able to by Sept. 6. Dean of Students Michele Martinez said the plan changed due to students wanting to stay in the residence halls and that there was a lack of space on campus. “As of last week, the original plan was to close the three halls,” Martinez said. “But the plan changed. There are about 200 students there now. Most of the students are already there and want to stay.” Campbell could not be reached to comment.