No. 1 Kansas awaits Iowa State will face the top-ranked Jayhawks on Saturday night in the historic Phog Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence.
see SPORTS on PAGE 8
FRIDAY
February 12, 2010 Volume 204 >> Number 99 >> 40 cents >> iowastatedaily.com >> An independent newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890
Veterinary Medicine
Performances
Student Government
Thomson to retire as dean, remain faculty
Debate ends with passage of theater bill
By Leonardo Guaiquirian Rivera Daily Staff Writer
By Paige Godden Daily Staff Writer
Dean John Thomson publicly announced his retirement Tuesday, after almost five years of service during which he changed the history of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University. Among his most remarkable Thomson accomplishments as a dean are his contributions to the funding plans for the College of Veterinary Medicine and other veterinary education cooperative programs. He worked with numerous associations within his field in the Midwest, such as the Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Dr. W. Eugene and Linda Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center, the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association, the Iowa Pork Producers Association, the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and other animal organizations. This was to help with the improvement of veterinary education and services, to make the College of Veterinary Medicine more stable, and to enhance the importance of animals. His leadership has earned him awards including “Veterinarian of the Year” in the states of Iowa, South Dakota and Mississippi. It has also been of great inspiration for many veterinarians nationwide and internationally. This is not the end of Dean Thomson’s career. He plans to serve as a member of the ISU faculty again with a main focus on production of animal medicine. A search for his replacement will begin in March.
After more than three hours of debate and multiple amendments, the Government of the Student Body passed the senate bill at Wednesday’s meeting to create a student focused theater. The passing of the bill by the senate was the first step toward GSB leasing the old Varsity Theater and turning it into Cyclone Cinema. “I am thoroughly excited this passed. We need to keep going forward … This is the largest project the GSB has ever done,” said Michael Weber, speaker of the senate. Vice Speaker Jacob Wilson said he was pleased with the debate before the bill was passed. “The debate was phenomenal; it was great, what happened tonight,” Wilson said. The debate on the project was filled with questions and comments on whether the theater would be the best use of GSB money, started shortly after 10 p.m. and lasted until 2:10 a.m. “I think what happened here tonight was amazing,” said Ian Ringgenberg, member of the task force. “They took a bill that nobody was comfortable with, and they made it into a bill that everyone was comfortable with.” One amendment capped how much money GSB can allocate to Cyclone Cinema. The first two years GSB can allocate up to $60,000, and after that up to $45,000. Tom Danielson, GSB finance director and head of the Varsity Task Force, said he believed the theater will be unique to Iowa State.
see VARSITY on PAGE 5
Marketing
Business lab sets new trend with brain research By Whitney Sager Daily Staff Writer Brain waves have a lot more to do with shopping than one may think. Terry Childers, professor of marketing, has been studying brain waves and how they impact consumers’ purchasing decisions The research Childers conducts is called neuromarketing research. This research involves looking at the level of consciousness consumers have when making purchasing decisions Childers said when consumers feel rushed about making the decision to buy something, they are often unable to recall the reason they made the purchase in the first place. “Our interest in utilizing neuro-science applications is to help us understand the factors that influence their decisions when they’re not always able to report how those were consciously made,” Childers said. Typically, this type of research is done by psychologists, but people within the marketing department are looking at the neuro-sciences to study consumer decisions “We should be among the first utilizing this particular approach to understanding how consumers make decisions,” Childers said In the spring, Childers will have his own research lab in which to conduct the research. The lab will not only be a first for Iowa State’s business college, but a first among all business colleges in the nation.
see BRAIN on PAGE 3
Catherine Loe practices “The Vagina Monologues” on Feb. 16, 2009, at the Durham Great Hall in the Memorial Union. “The Vagina Monologues” will be running Feb. 18 – 20 at the Durham Great hall. Tickets are $10 each. File photo: Iowa State Daily
‘V’ for vagina ‘V’ for victory By Abigail Barefoot Daily Staff Writer Through the production of “The Vagina Monologues,” Iowa State is speaking up on the tough issues women face worldwide to help raise awareness and support. “The Vagina Monologues” is held in conjunction with V-Day, which stands not only for Valentine, but for vagina and victory. V-Day falls on Feb. 14. The day is held as a worldwide organized response against violence toward women and to have the vision of a world in which women can live safely. At Iowa State and across the globe, the holiday is celebrated with many events. One of the more popular is the production of “The Vagina Monologues.” “The Vagina Monologues” is a play by Eve Ensler, a playwright, activist and founder of V-Day. Ensler traveled the world listening to the stories of more than 200 women of various backgrounds and struggles. She then told these stories through “The Vagina Monologues.” After the response to the show, Ensler and a group of women in New York created V-Day
GSB allots funds; several groups receive money By Paige Godden Daily Staff Writer
in 1998 with the hope of ending violence against women. According to V-Day.org, “We will work as long as it takes. We will not stop until the violence stops.” At Iowa State “The Vagina Monologues” is put on by the Margaret Sloss Women’s Center and the Vagina Warriors, an on-campus group that increases awareness about violence against women. Angela Hall, educational leadership and policy studies administrator at the Sloss House, and president of the Vagina Warriors, said the event was “not just about terrible experiences, it’s about surviving and good experiences too.” The play celebrates women’s strength and sexuality, and provides a voice to the public about experiences that are not easily talked about in today’s society. The play began in 1996. Since then “The Vagina Monologues” has been performed for 14 years and in more than 120 countries, and has been published in 45 languages. The show features more than 18 skits, ranging in topic from a girl’s first period, rape, self discovery, sex and, naturally, vaginas.
Mariko Peterson, co-president of the Student Health Advisory Committee, explained to the Government of the Student Body at Wednesday night’s meeting what happened to HIV testing at the Thielen Student Heath Center. Peterson said HIV testing isn’t something that was taken away from ISU students by the university; rather, the state of Iowa is giving it to people who need it more. Peterson explained that Iowa is moving its resources toward high-risk areas in the state. She also told the senate which tests are still available at the health center. During the comments from the executive branch portion of the meeting, Ames City Council liaison Paul Keppy announced that the City Council capital and regular operating budgets are finished. Keppy mentioned that Veishea received funding, as did the Campustown Action Association. Laura Imming, from the Synchronized Skating Club, asked the senate to ratify a debt contract with the club. Imming said she was unsure of how the group got into debt, but she thought it came from how the budget was written from last year. Imming said the group plans to raise the money to pay back GSB before the end of the year, because the group plans to disband after this year. The group did receive the $370 it asked for to
see SHOW on PAGE 3
see GSB on PAGE 3
Dance company performing By Chelsea Davis Daily Staff Writer Orchesis I Dance Company, a group of contemporary dancers at Iowa State, will perform in its annual show, Barjche, this weekend. According to Orchesis’ Web site, Barjche has been a tradition since its beginnings in 1944. This year the theme of the performance will be “space,” which includes themes of “explorations of personal space, shared space, site-specific performance and a funky second half that celebrates outer space,” according to Barjche’s Facebook event. Tickets are $10 for students and seniors, and $12 for the general public. They can be purchased from Ticketmaster or the Iowa State Center, or at the door before the performance.
Barjche Quick Facts ■■ ■■ ■■
Pronunciation: /bar-shay/. Where: Fisher Theater When: Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at 2 p.m. Members of the Orchesis I dance company dance during the Barjche dress rehearsal Tuesday at Fisher Theater. Barjche will be performed by Orchesis I dance company Feb. 12 – 14 at Fisher Theater. Photo: Karuna Ang/Iowa State Daily