09/15/2011

Review of the new game Dead Island

The

Two new players join the Husky hockey team

A look at studying abroad in the Czech Republic

4

5

6

Michigan Tech Lode

September 15, 2011

Serving the Michigan Tech Community Since 1921

Walker’s history on campus Michigan Tech’s Department of Humanities, housed in Walker Arts and Humanities Center, has one of the university’s deepest secrets.

Walker ’s basement is a swimming pool. Built in 1949, Walker was originally the Sherman Gym, which housed the u n i v e r s i t y ’s Department of Physical Education. The building was named after the long-time Tech coach and sports program promoter.

The pool was 30’ by 75’ and

had a one-meter high diving board. It held 40 swimmers, and the pool area seated 150 people during swim meets. Humanities professor emeritus Dr. Charles Nelson remembered, “The pool was used by the swim team, but, because it only had a short

opened, The Michigan Tech Lode specified the swimming schedule and rules for the pool in an Oct. 6, 1949 article, which said, “Notice to the male species – the gym is definitely off limits to men when the girls are working out!” The schedule included

not allowed to wear a swimsuit. “ ...Weweallwere had to swim buck naked. diving board, the team most times had to travel to other colleges for meets.”

Along with students, faculty also used the swimming pool. When the pool first

“

JENI JOBST Lode Writer

open swimming, ladies’ night, faculty, and kids’ classes. Men were required to swim nude.

The Tech Alum Newsletter, continued on 2

Connection difficulties; adjust your computer to get full connectivity MICHAEL FRIESEN Lode Writer Michigan Tech sees many changes every summer, especially this past year as budget constraints have forced the MTU administration to take cost-cutting measures.

Of those measures, one of them was the centralization of Information Technology (IT); Michigan Tech now provides its own Internet access instead of contracting with an outside source. This has, however, created a slight transitional difficulty, and returning students will find that their previous means of registering for Resnet (simply plugging into the wall connection, opening a browser and signing in with ISO) results in a poor and unreliable connection. There is a way to correct this, which can be found at (http://www.tc.mtu. edu/resnet/configuration/index. php) and is printed below for convenience for Windows XP and Vista.

For Windows XP or Vista: 1.

Open the Start Menu and select Run (the command prompt) 2.

Type services.msc in the Open field of the Run dialog box and click OK to open the Services window

Sherman Gymnasium: The audience looks on as George Romney campaigns for Governor in 1962

Photo courtesy of Michigan Tech Archives

The local beat: Prepare for the Parade of Nations AMBER VOGHT Lode Writer It’s that time of the year again – fall! Walking to class on brisk mornings, the smell of apples in the air, and the color of the leaves changing everywhere you go. This is surely a time to embrace the beauty of the area before the snow falls, but do you know where to go? Mid September is full of

activities that are sure to have you enjoying the beauty of fall as well as getting to know your way around Houghton and the Keweenaw a little more.

Pick an afternoon to do some exploring and visit (http:// www.keweenaw.info/) to find some exciting destinations up north! My personal favorite is visiting Brockway Mountain on a sunny day, while making sure to stop along the way for lunch and some spontaneous

exploring.

This weekend is also a weekend for celebrating diversity, with the 22 nd Annual Parade of Nations taking place this Saturday, Sept. 17. The parade starts at 11 a.m. in downtown Hancock and ends at the Dee stadium in Houghton.

For more information about Parade of Nations times and events, check out (http://www. mtu.edu/international/eventsprograms/parade-nations/)

3.

Locate “Wired AutoConfig” from the list of Services in the Services window and double-click to open the Wired Auto Config Properties window.

4.

Select Automatic from the Startup type drop-down menu; Click the Start button, then Click OK 5.

Right-click your Local Area Network icon on System Tray. Click Open Network Connection to open the Network Connections window.

6.

Right-click the network adapter (e.g. Local Area Connection) that you are using to access Michigan Tech’s 802.1X Wired Network and select Properties.

7.

Click on the Authentication tab.

8.

Ensure that Enable IEEE 802.1x authentication is selected.

9.

Select Protected EAP (PEAP) from the Choose a network authentication method dropdown list.

10. Click the Settings button to open the Protected EAP (PEAP) Properties window.

11. Configure the Protected EAP Properties window: Uncheck Validate server certificate, select Secured password [EAP-MSCHAP v2] from the Select Authentication Method dropdown list and click the Configure button to open continued on 3

oSTEM: The newest student organization MICHAEL FRIESEN Lode Writer As student organizations submitted forms for renewal, a new student organization submitted the forms and paperwork to become an official organization. And as of Friday Sept. 9, “Out in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics” was cleared as one of the most recent additions to the Michigan Tech student organization repertoire.

Out in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, abbreviated oSTEM, is a professional organization dedicated to mentoring and networking gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (GLBTQ) students majoring in STEM-related

professions and fields. The term “out” in the title refers to being out of the closet, —which is any student that has revealed, or is not hiding, a GLBTQ identity. oSTEM started in 2005 when IBM sponsored the first focus group for GLBTQ students titled, “OUT for Work LGBT College Student Career Conference”.

The mission statement for oSTEM, as published on their site at (www. ostem.org), is to “provide services and support for students of sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics, to create a dynamic network between students and professionals in industry and academia; to provide education, outreach, continued on 2

Check out our extensive online presence! mtulode.com Subscribe to our RSS feed and check out our mobile-friendly website 24/7, with frequent updates and additional content.

facebook.com/mtulode Text “like mtulode” to “32665” to follow us on Facebook. Regular prizes offered to our Facebook fans (over $500 worth in 2011 already!).

twitter.com/mtulode Text “follow mtulode” to “40404” to follow us on Twitter. Receive an instant update for every new article posted to mtulode.com.

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, September 15, 2011

Dr. Carmen Sammut visits Michigan Tech from Malta MICHAEL FRIESEN Lode Writer Last week Michigan Tech hosted a guest speaker from Malta, Dr. Carmen Sammut.

Dr. Sammut is a professor at the University of Malta as well as an esteemed lecturer and scholar.

The university’s location and namesake is an island nation in the Mediterranean, just south of the island Sicily that makes up the toe of the boot of Italy.

Malta is one of the 27 members of the European Union and a self-contained government with its own language, Maltese, though the University of Malta teaches in English and uses an educational system very similar to that of Britain.

Dr. Sammut studied in London before returning to Malta to teach. She gained connections to Michigan Tech through Professor Mary Durfee, and specializes on international relations and the politics of island states. Sammut notes that Malta in particular has had a very strong “Mediterranean Mission” to ensure that the Mediterranean is represented in European negotiations. As the Mediterranean borders very influential areas, including the Middle East and North Africa, it is the position of Malta that “You cannot have peace in Europe without peace in the Mediterranean and North Africa.” In line with this philosophy, Malta went so far as to veto a peace treaty because it still lacked development on the Mediterranean.

Sammut came to Tech’s campus to share her expertise and research with the local

community, as well as provide a Maltese perspective that would otherwise not be available to Tech students. During her stay, she gave several lectures and talks about various issues at play, including perspectives about leadership and whether it was an innate or culturally fostered quality. Sammut also talked about journalism in the Mediterranean and how it compared to that in the US, particularly its role in immigration and how it can affect international affairs and political engagement. Another lecture examined gender and politics, especially in a Mediterranean context and how that differed from other western nations. Her final talk, made the Thursday before she departed, is to be on Migration, Poverty, and Social Exclusion.

Dr. Sammut also came to Tech to share her experiences and news of Malta, which usually does not reach audiences within the United States. Some of these include the unique situation and tradeoffs of “Fortress Europe”, a colloquial anecdote for how it is very easy and streamlined to travel between countries that are a part of the European Union, but drastically more difficult to travel in and out of the European Union. She shared that the media in North Africa portrays emigrants as diplomats to other nations and prospectors willing to brave the unfamiliar for economic opportunity and the betterment of both countries, while countries that are the recipients of immigrants from less prosperous nations create in media a less positive image

of the same immigrants.

Another topic was the role of technology and social media in politics and national affairs; Tunisia, Egypt, and Bahrain were among the first examples of “Facebook Revolutions”, where social media, such as Facebook, were used to enable citizens to organize and cooperate. Moldova is another example of the technology being used for revolution in 2009 when Twitter was used to organize a revolt. Sammut noted that the technology wasn’t the cause of the revolution – the social and economic problems were the cause – but that social media acted as a catalyst and enabled the people to overthrow their governments more quickly and efficiently. According to Sammut, students should avoid a “technological determinism”, a mindset that views technology as the center player of history and neglects the role and value of people, and remember that the revolutions were aided by technology as a tool, not driven by them.

Sammut offered a unique perspective from a part of the world that students at Michigan Tech are not normally exposed to, and gave students a chance to learn about the culture, politics, and situations in Malta. Her presentations opened up many topics and arguments, while tying together the commonalities amongst humanity.

NEWS 2 Walker History Continued from front Dec. 15, 2008 issue, contains comments from alumni who remember the Sherman Gym. Ken Page, alumni of 1958-61 and 1965-67, remembered his PE swimming class “where we were not allowed to wear a swimsuit. We all had to swim buck naked. Even then, I couldn’t quite figure how it could be ‘policy’. I think I was told that swimsuits carried the possibility of disease.”

The second floor of Walker was a basketball court, presently the Black Box Theater. Nelson said, “The pool was used as dressing rooms for concerts and plays.” Perhaps the most memorable performance was in the winter of 1957 – Louis Armstrong performed in the Sherman Gym. Also on the second floor was a corrective gymnasium (used for gymnastics and other exercise classes), boxing ring, weight room, racquetball courts, and a wrestling room, which was later turned into cubicles for Humanities’ faculty offices.

In 1980 the Student Development Complex (SDC) was built. Sherman Field was already established near the SDC. The university offered Sherman Gym to The Department of Humanities (the humanities’ faculty offices were on the 2 nd floor of Fisher Hall). According to Dr. Jack Jobst, humanities

professor emeritus, “The CS (The Department of Computer Science) was growing quickly and needed the space (in Fisher Hall).”

Prior to the humanities faculty moving in, a lot of work had to be done to Walker in order to fit offices and classrooms. The only part of Walker that was not transformed or used was the swimming pool in the basement. Jobst said, “The pool occupied the highway side, first floor, of what is now Walker. When Walker opened, a couple of years later, a locked door between the men’s room and the soda-pop vending machines allowed access. Workers filled the pool cavity with sand (lest someone fall into it), and contractors installed a temporary floor across it. The resulting space was used for storage.”

In the mid-1980s, the university converted the swimming pool area (1 st floor Walker) into two classrooms and a hallway.

These classrooms are now Walker 134 and 144. The swimming pool was and is still permanently covered with cement, while the rest still remains in the basement of the building, only used for storage.

Students loved K-Day at Michigan Tech CAMERON SCHWACH News Editor Every year the students and faculty of Michigan Tech put on a long-standing tradition.

Keweenaw Day (K-Day), and is an opportunity for students to take a break from classes and see what Michigan Tech has to offer outside of the classroom. This year’s K-Day was seen as a huge success by the student body for both the warm weather and the events hosted by the student organizations. Hanna Tepsa commented on this year’s K-Day event saying, “It was the perfect day for K-day. It was warm and sunny and it seemed like everyone was having a really good time. With the second week of classes being over and the stress of homework finally setting in, it was a great afternoon break to head up to McClain park and hang out with other students and friends and check out organizations, play games and eat good food.”

K-Day was held at McLain State Park and was ran from

noon to 4 p.m. Students were able to drive their own vehicles to the park, or ride a shuttle bus from Michigan Tech free of charge. Once there, students could enjoy free hot dogs and hamburgers from Dining Services while talking with student organizations at their booths. Music could be heard throughout the park thanks to Sound and Lighting Services and Michigan Tech’s pep-band made an appearance to entertain the student body.

The events of K-Day are a great way for students to find out more about the student organizations on campus.

This year there were well over 50 different booths hosted by students. Paul Thomas, a computer-engineering student here at Michigan Tech commented, “I really thought there were a lot more people than there were last year. The weather was really nice which I think was one of the reasons people seemed to enjoy it more this year.

The organizations seemed to have brought a lot more fun stuff to do also. My favorite part was the foreign hackeysack volleyball game. It was a

really fun day.”

The Michigan Tech Lode hosted a small contest that asked student to suggest a story they would like to read in our paper. The winner of this contest was Alec Hamer with his story suggestion asking the Lode to find out what, exactly, is behind the mysterious locked-off doors on the 3 rd floor of the M&M building. According to Hamer, the doors and swipeaccess scanners are different from any other area on campus, and he is curious to know more. The Lode will do what we can to find out more for Alec, and invites other students to submit their story suggestions to (lodesubmit@ mtu.edu).

Scan this QR code for quick access to the email address above

oSTEM Continued from front and professional resources to high school students; and to actively recruit and address the needs of diverse groups within the LGBTA community, inclusive of those who are historically underrepresented with regards to gender and ethnic background.”

The addition of oSTEM to Michigan Tech compliments other diversity focus groups

already present such as Society for Women Engineers (SWE), Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), and National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).

The Michigan Tech chapter of oSTEM came about through connections made with students at last year’s LGBT youth conference, The Midwest Bisexual Lesbian

Gay Transgender Ally College Conference (MBLGTACC), which was attended by students from various universities throughout the Midwest and was held at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor last February. On Sept. 7, students met to discuss the prospect of creating a Michigan Tech chapter of the professional society, and had enough interest to

assemble a transitional E-board during that meeting, as well as planned out details of starting up and creating a constitution, which was drafted in time for the submission to Student Activities. The first meeting for oSTEM as a bona fide student organization of Michigan Tech took place Wednesday, Sept. 14.

The organization is currently considering sponsoring guest

speakers on GLBTQ workplace issues, acquiring resources for GLBTQ students and other means to help GLBTQ students overcome obstacles and excel in their careers as proud Michigan Tech alumni. Students who are interested in joining the oSTEM student organization may attend one of the weekly meetings on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in Dow 875.

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, September 15, 2011

Future Tech: Growing

NEWS

3

the batteries of tomorrow CAMERON SCHWACH News Editor “What if you could grow a battery in a petri dish, or what if you could give genetic information to a battery so it could become better as a function of time, and do so in an environmentally friendly way?” This question was asked

by Angela Belcher, a professor at MIT, last January to the crowd of researchers at the Ted Talk lecture hall in California. During her lecture, Belcher introduced a new method for growing large populations of genetically modified virus cells that can hold, and transmit, an electronic charge. Through her research, Belcher was able to grow in a lab a record breaking solar array panel as proof of her concept.

So how was it done? Belcher approached the clean energy fuel problem with inspiration granted from an abalone sea shell. The inspiration she found was the understanding that cells have learned to use materials from their surroundings over long periods of time (approx.

50-million years). Knowing this, Belcher theorized that you could control the elements a cell could interact with until it figured out how to use those elements to it’s

advantage.

Since any chemical engineer on Michigan Tech’s campus can tell you how to create a working battery along with all of the molecular components that will be involved in the process, Belcher had a solid start as far as what materials she was going to need for her theory to become reality. The only problem that was left was the enormous timeline it takes for a cell to begin using these materials. Belcher even jokes about this during her lecture stating, “That’s a hard sell to a graduate student. I have this great project... [gesturing that it will take a short amount of time] 50-million years...”

To speed up the process, she turned to a non-toxic virus known as M-13 Bacteriophage, which has the sole job of infecting bacteria and is easy to genetically modify with additional DNA sequences.

This allows Dr. Belcher to grow millions of genetically identical pre-battery viruses, only one of which will express the correct genetic material needed for the conduction of energy. However, this one virus is found, scientists are able to grow identical copies within other cells which form the cellular batteries Belcher theorized.

After going through the enormous process to produce

Connection Issues the EAP MSCHAPv2 Properties window.

12. On the EAP MSCHAPv2 Properties window, Uncheck “Automatically use my Windows logon name and password”. (This is very important! If this box remains checked, you will not be able to connect to the network.)

13. Click OK on each open window to save your changes and close the windows.

14. Click on the notification bubble stating Additional information is required to connect to the network.

15. Enter your Michigan Tech ISO User name and Password in the login window.

Note: You do not need to enter anything into the Logon domain box unless otherwise instructed by your department and/or IT User Support personnel.

16. Click OK

For Windows 7: 1.

Select Run from your Windows Start Menu.

2.

Type services.msc in the Open field of the Run dialog box. Click OK to open the Services window.

3.

Locate “Wired AutoConfig” from the list of Services in the Services window and double-click to open the Wired Auto Config Properties window.

4.

Select Automatic from the Startup type drop-down menu. Click the Start button, then click OK. 5.

Right-click your Network Configuration icon on System Tray.

6.

Click Open Network and Sharing Center.

7.

Click Change adapter settings located in the left navigation pane to open the Network Connections window.

8.

Right-click the network adapter (e.g. Local Area Connection) that you are using to access Michigan Tech’s 802.1X Wired Network and select Properties. Note: You may wish to rename the Michigan Tech adapter for ease of troubleshooting 9.

Click on the Authentication tab: Ensure that Enable IEEE 802.1x authentication is selected. Select

just one unique virus-cell and copy it, Belcher has begun to build bigger and bigger batteries that are more efficient than many batteries we have today.

This is how she, and her team of graduate students, managed to break the solar efficiency record of solars cells from a rating of 8% efficiency to an astonishing 11% efficiency rating. Belcher concludes that one day she would like to see larger applications of this process formed so that machines that have highenergy needs (like vehicles) will be able to have their form of energy grown from these virus-based batteries, and that we will begin to find more and more applications for this new understanding of how cells use the elements and materials given to them by nature.

What sort of activities would you like to see in the Lode? Let us know by e-mailing lodecomment@mtu.edu. This week’s puzzle will be an easy puzzle. So you should have plenty of time to read the articles too... right? —we don’t want you wasting too much of your brain power on this though! The answer to last week’s puzzle is below. Enjoy!

Scan the QR code below to see Angela Belcher’s TED Talk on the subject.

Continued from front

Protected EAP (PEAP) from the Choose a network authentication method dropdown list.

10. Click the Settings button to open the Protected EAP Properties window. Uncheck the Validate server certificate checkbox.

Select Secured password [EAP-MSCHAP v2] from the Select Authentication Method dropdown list.

11. Click the Configure button to open the EAP MSCHAPv2 Properties window.

On the EAP MSCHAPv2 Properties window, Uncheck the “Automatically use my Windows logon name and password”checkbox. This is very important! If this box remains checked, you will not be able to connect to the network.

12. Click OK on both the EAP MSCHAP v2 Properties window and on the Protected EAP Properties window to save your changes return back to your Connection Properties window.

13. Click the Advanced Settings button from the Authentication tab. On the Advanced Settings window: Check the Specify authentication mode checkbox. Select User authentication from the dropdown list of choices. Click OK on both the Advanced Settings window and on the Connection Properties window to save your changes and close the windows.

You may receive a Windows Security Alert pop-up window stating The connection attempt could not be completed. If you receive this message, click Connect.

14. Click in the Network Connection bubble stating Additional information is needed to connect to the network. Enter your Michigan Tech ISO User name and Password in the login window and click OK.

For Macintosh Computers: 1.

Click the AirPort icon located in the top right corner of your home screen.

2.

Click Open Internet Connect to open the Internet Connect Window.

3.

Navigate to the 802.1X tab. If the 802.1X tab

is not available on the Internet Connect window, click File and select New 802.1X Connection.

4.

Select Built-in Ethernet from the Network Port dropdown list located on the 802.1X window.

5.

Enter your MTU ISO username and password.

6.

Click the Connect button to connect to the Michigan Tech 802.1X Wired Network.

These instructions are copied from the MTU IT site (at the URL at the top of the article),

which has these instructions as well as instructions for two Linux operating systems, “Natty Narwhal” and Fedora.

The instructions on the site include images of the various windows and menus that must be navigated in order to ensure proper configuration and connection. To see whether or not your computer is properly connected and configured, you can use speed and latency tests such as speedtest.net; a proper connection should have a ping around or below 70, a download speed of at least 7 mb per second,

and an upload speed of at least 6 mb per second. If your computer is not properly configured, you may experience pings well above 100 and download and upload speeds roughly one tenth of what they should be.

Scan above for direct access to the MTU IT site

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, September 15 2011

Pulse

Dancers or Illusionists?

MOMIX says it can do both ZACHARY PAGE Lode Writer The MOMIX dance company will present an exceptional collection of music, dance, costumes and imagery at the Rozsa Center on Sept. 24 and 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Directed by Moses Pendleton, the performance will feature the company’s most recent work, Botanica.

Ticket prices for the event will be sold at $28 for adults, $24 for seniors and $20 for students.

MOMIX, a company of dancer-illusionists, has undergone numerous stage performances throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, Australia and Asia. The company is famous for its unique style of blending the beauties of the natural world with that of dance.

Since its founding in Washington, Conn. 30 years ago, the company has displayed a successful conglomeration of various aspects in the art world including surrealistic imagery, humor, lighting,

clothing and music.

They have also been included in a number of different media.

MOMIX made television appearances for Hanes underwear, Target, BMW, Mercedes and many others. PBS has allowed the company to broadcast their work to 55 different countries by giving them the opportunity to appear on the series “Dance in America.”

Furthermore, the company has been featured in many significant films such as FX2, White Widow and Robert Altman’s The

Company. They appeared in one of the first 3-D IMAX films entitled Imagine.

The director, Moses Pendleton, has been active for more than 40 years. Before forming MOMIX in 1980, he was a founding member of the Pilobolus Dance Theater.

After receiving his BA in English Literature from Dartmouth College, Pendleton began to tour the country.

Most of Pendleton’s inspiration came from his childhood days on a dairy farm in Vermont.

4

He gained insight while “exhibiting his family’s dairy cows at the Caledonian County Fair.” Since then, he has toured many parts of the world with his associate director, Cynthia Quinn, and they are hoping to cover more areas of the world in the future.

For more information on the event, visit the Rozsa website at www.rozsa.tickets.mtu.edu.

Tickets can be purchased at the Rozsa Center or online while visiting the website.

Dead Island gives an MMO take on Survival Horror CAMERON SCHWACH News Editor Released to the public on Sept.

6 by Deep Silver and Techland studios, a new kind of zombiehorror survival game has found gamers on all platforms. Rated 17+ for blood and gore, drug references, intense violence, sexual themes, strong language and the use of alcohol, Dead Island is a visual wonder when it comes to taking on the events of a zombie apocalypse. Unlike other zombie apocalypse releases, the gameplay of Dead Island is not a mission-based system asking players to move from one point to another while outrunning a zombie horde. Instead, players are sent into the fray by their own account while trying to complete tasks given to them by nonplayer characters (NPCs). This not only allows players to handle their gameplay events as they see fit, but also classifies Dead Island as a Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) instead of the expected FirstPerson Shooter (FPS).

The game’s setting takes place on the Island of Banoi; a visually stunning tropical paradise with a 5-star luxury hotel which would normally be seen as a location for anyone’s dream holiday. The Island of Banoi has many secrets though, some not even known to the locals within the town, and when one of these secrets takes a turn for the worst the nightmare of a zombie apocalypse is unleashed upon the quiet and peaceful paradise island. “This hell looks a lot like paradise,” is

a quote from one of the main characters during the game, Logan, which accurately reflects the feelings brought forward as you begin your adventure to save the island from the endless horde of zombies.

The gameplay is focused on a first-person perspective with a heavy emphasis on using melee combat while playing (there are still ways to become a ranged player though). There is a character development system in place that will allow you to build your character’s skills. Because of this, classes known to exist within MMORPGs now coincide with the zombie apocalypse before you. Do you specialize in taking a lot of damage and keeping the horde of zombies away from your friends, or are you specialized in taking down one big zombie at a time? These decisions will be up to you, and you will be able to build your character however you want to fit your play-style. This unique approach the game also leads into one of the best parts of the game: Dead Island is a 4-player co-op game with a built in matchmaking system to help you find players at the same point in the game as you. At anytime you feel you can’t handle the environment on your own, or perhaps you just want a friend to talk to, you can hit the ‘J’ key and the game will attempt to connect you with another player at the same point in the game as you so you can play together.

There are some problems with Dead Island, though. While I commend Deep Silver studios for their attention to detail and

“This hell looks a lot like paradise.”

Photo courtesy of deadisland.deepsilver.com

overwhelmingly beautiful graphics and immersive environments within the game, there are several bugs already found by players everywhere. Kevin Walters, a Michigan Tech student who also plays Dead Island, stated, “I’ve seen better releases.” Deep Silver studios have already promised their gaming community future updates fixing the bugs players have been encountering, as well as future content added to the game.

The main glitch noticed by players are the glitches between area transitions. You may find that you’ve lost one or two items, or weapons, during the glitch. Occasionally, you can find zombies stuck in walls, or able to run through walls alto-

gether. However, game stopping glitches (such as not being able to complete a quest) have been absent from any player’s account so far. The bugs that do exist are minor in nature and only slightly annoying as equipment, weapons, and items are to be found everywhere. Deep Silver and Techland promise the bugs released with the game will be resolved within a month. If you experience any issues though, visit the Dead Island support page at (http://deadisland.deepsilver.com/support_en.php). The service is quick to respond and will have information on how to fix almost any problem that may arise.

Despite a few setbacks with the Dead Island release, the game is

a well-crafted gaming experience that will keep any fan of the zombie apocalypse thrilled for hours. If you plan on playing Dead Island on the PC though, make sure your graphics card is up to date and that you have the Steam gaming client installed and updated. The game can be installed and run on Windows Vista or higher, and has an approximate install time of fortyfive minutes (through Steam). To find out more about Dead Island, visit the website at (http://deadisland.deepsilver.com/deadisland.php) or use your smartphone to scan the QR tag to the right.

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, September 15, 2011

OPINION

The price of changing textbooks KRYSTEN COOPER Lode Writer While some students may view the first week of classes as a nice ease into the upcoming year, others find it to be the most stressful time. The difference?

Whether your professors choose to keep the same books as they listed online. A maddening problem across campus is the apparent indecision on professor’s parts when it comes to what texts will be used in class. How many times have you walked into your first day of class, books in tow, only to hear your professor utter those dreaded words, “we won’t be using the books listed online.” You leave class hoping you can still find a copy of this mystery text, while looking over your bank account to make sure you can fund this new, and potentially more expensive, text.

Many students on campus

have run into this problem, and if you have not yet, brace yourself for the worst. Time and time again I have walked into a class thinking I was prepared, only to spend the rest of my day running around looking for new books. The sad thing about this problem is that there is no solution for it as a student. As students we have to deal with the whims of our professors and suffer the consequences. Although I am certain no professors perform such actions out of spite, it still happens.

As students, it is our responsibility to come to class prepared to learn. This includes having all the required texts.

While many professors do not require students to have their books on the first day, there are always exceptions. Some professors will even go so far as to give extra credit for bringing your text with you to class the first day. Since these rare

happenings do occur, any student wishing to stay ahead in their work will have the texts purchased long before the first day of class.

Some professors choose a different approach, however, and this is where problems start to form. When a professor mentions that a book listed as required online is actually optional for the class, small groans can be heard around the room. On the other side of that are the professors who list books online as optional, when they are actually required for the class. Finally, when a professor states that different books will be used for the class than the ones listed online, it’s war.

Of course, professors in either situation probably feel that they are doing their students a favor: telling them early on so they can return their textbooks for full price.

However, this overlooks the

fact that not every student can actually return his or her books, at least not for full price. If textbooks have been purchased from the Michigan Tech bookstore, then they can indeed be returned for a full refund during the first week of classes. Outside of that, however, a student’s chances of returning a book are slim.

Partly, this is because many students prefer to purchase their textbooks online, which tends to save money because they can buy them used. Even if the difference is small, when thousands of dollars a year are being spent on housing and tuition, every penny counts.

What’s more, if professors choose to change books during the first week of classes, it drives up the overall cost of texts for students even more: if they want to receive the new book in a timely fashion, it must either be purchased from the bookstore or purchased

5

online with an extremely high, expedited shipping price. Both are unfavorable options when trying to save money.

This situation could be easily avoided. If professors simply did not change the required texts from the ones listed online, no student would ever be faced with this horrible situation. I understand that the reason professors change texts is in order to amplify their teaching abilities, for the good of the students, which I greatly appreciate. All I ask is that they change texts in a more orderly fashion. For instance, professors should not be able to list texts online unless they are positive they are going to be used for the class. If they have not yet solidified the text before classes start, then one would not be listed. With a rule as simple as this in place, students would save time, money, and needless aggravation toward their professors.

Tech abroad: My time in the Czech Republic ELIJAH HANES Lode Writer

This article is the first of a bi-weekly column.

A little over two weeks ago I sat in my house in Escanaba, Michigan, daydreaming of the semester I was to spend in Prague, Czech Republic. I scanned the Internet for pictures of the medieval city and my nose was ever stuck between the pages of my guidebook. By the time I arrived in Prague and boarded the public bus to my apartment, I was confident I had a good idea of what to expect.

Now, I realize that the best use for my guidebook is as a coaster—and perhaps for swatting away the bees that seem so fond of attacking foreign visitors. And those picturesque images I found on Google? Yes, they exist in real life, and I certainly wasted no time in snapping cliché, postcard images of my own. But Google didn’t show the plethora of graffiti that wraps around every building like an abstract banner. It didn’t show the inside of a pub: hot, crowded and full of smoke.

And it certainly didn’t warn me about the smells (a potpourri of car exhaust, urine and other, unidentifiable but equally delightful odors).

I’m sitting in my apartment (between a delightful pub and a not so delightful adult store) looking out the window at the many train tracks that weave their way around Prague, connecting it with the rest of Europe with a web of steel and wood ties. The study abroad website couldn’t have prepared me for the realities of Prague.

It’s the discovery, unsureness and, at times, fear of severe injury that has made my first weeks in Prague some of the

greatest in my life.

If you aren’t familiar with the history of the Czech Republic, I’ll advise you to do a quick scan online to get the gist. Citing dates of numerous revolutions and uprisings isn’t my idea of interesting writing and probably not yours of interesting reading.

Suffice it to say that until 1989, Czech Republic (then Czechoslovakia) was a communist state. Have you read “1984?”

That should give you some idea.

Now, it’s a blossoming democracy where there are concerts, plays and parties every night of the week.

Instantly, I was made aware of a most dramatic and enjoyable cultural difference between the Czech Republic and the States. If you think your weekend in Tijuana involved a lot of alcohol—come to Prague sometime. Even though they have the largest beer consumption per capita in the world, it’s more of an everyday thing instead of an “I want to wake up in the metro with no pants on” kind of thing.

The original Pilsner was created here and is still brewed about forty-five minutes away from Prague. Beer is consumed at breakfast, lunch, dinner and all hours in between. And it isn’t the watered-down beer you buy at 7-11 that makes you want to mow your lawn with a big tractor while singing “God Bless America.” It actually has fantastic flavor and is quite drinkable.

It tastes particularly good with a traditional Czech meal of potato soup, pork, dumplings and some deep-fried vegetable or another. And what else could wash down pickled sausages (called “utopenec”) like a half-

liter of sturdy Czech beer?

It’s not all fun and games, however. Ever since I arrived I’ve felt an enormous weight on my shoulders. I’ve been given such an incredible opportunity to really get to know a city and a country, and I find myself panicking a little. Where do I find the real Prague? What is a Czech really like? Are the cathedrals and castles, the areas constantly choked with tourists, to be avoided? When my four months are done here, I want to leave with more than just postcard images on my computer.

While I’m only an American visiting for a short time, I hope I can at least scratch the surface of what this country has to offer.

And that may be easier than I’m imagining. Today, for instance, I went and bought bread, jam, yogurt and beer.

Before that I was reading a novel in a park, at the bottom of a gorge that had once been a moat and encircles Prague Castle. This morning I nearly collided headlong into a tourist and her large fanny pack, as she was fixating her lens on the Vltava River. Maybe it’s the day-to-day things, rather than a major cultural breakthrough or epiphany, that make one truly familiar with a strange place.

I think I’ll run down to Wenceslas Square to grab a friedcheese sandwich (even more delicious and unhealthy than it sounds). I know which stand has the best and I have the exact change in my pocket. My map—which I once held on to like grim death—will stay in my apartment.

A map highlighting the Czech Republic.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

CLASSIFIED 3 bedroom mobile. 52018 Oskar Canal Road, 5 miles from Houghton.

Contact Roger Riutta at (906) 523-5307 or (906) 869-5964.

E-mail lodeads@mtu.edu for information about placing a classified ad.

Michigan Tech Lode

106 Memorial Union Building, Houghton, MI 49931 (906) 487-2404 • www.mtulode.com

Editor in Chief ...................................Erika Peabody Business Manager............................Abhishek Gupta Online Editor.................................Priyanka Anand Design Editor.................................Michael Hilliard News Editor......................................Cameron Schwach Opinion Editor...........................................Luke Gublo Sports Editor ......................................Jordan Erickson Pulse Editor...................................................Nick Blecha Advisor ........................................................Kara Sokol

Staff Writers - Jack Ammerman, Jackie Burton, Krysten Cooper, Taylor Domagalla, Michael Friesen, Gianna Gomez-Mayo, Kimberly Grigg, Elijah Haines, Michael Hilliard, Kedar Jumde, Zachary Page, Jacob Shuler Circulation - Christopher Fongers Photographers - Satyajeet Deshpande, Adam Marshall, Caitlin Pionke, Jacob Shuler, Ben Wittbrodt Copy Editors - Courtney Clay, Jeni Jobst, Zach Ziemke

Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials represent the consensus of opinion of the senior editorial staff of the Michigan Tech Lode.

Opinions expressed in the Lode are not necessarily those of the student body, faculty, staff or administration of Michigan Technological University or the Michigan Tech Lode.

The Michigan Tech Lode is designed, written and edited

by Michigan Tech students.

The paper is printed every Thursday during fall and spring semesters.

The Lode is available free of charge at drop-off sites around campus and in the surrounding community.

To the best of its ability, the Michigan Tech Lode subscribes to the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists, the text of which is available at http://spj.org/ethics_code.asp.

The Lode is funded in part by the Michigan Tech Student Activity Fee.

1. lodecomment@mtu.edu for submitting comments to the Lode. Messages posted to this address are received by the editor in chief and faculty advisor and are forwarded to others on the staff as appropriate.

2. lodeads@mtu.edu for submitting classified ads to the Lode. Messages posted to this address are received by the business manager and secretary.

3. lodesubmit@mtu.edu for submitting articles and letters to the editor. Messages posted to this address are received by the editors and the faculty advisor.

Please submit all work as a Microsoft Word or plain text attachment.

Work submitted to the Lode should be submitted with the understanding that it may be printed by the Lode and/ or posted to the Online Lode, www.mtulode.com.

The Lode reserves the right to edit submissions for length, clarity and potentially libelous material. Submissions should not exceed 500 words.

6

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, September 15, 2011

Sports

Football Huskies Face Challenge at By # Wayne State the er nu m b JACOB SHULER Lode Writer

Wayne State Football has momentum after their first two home games this year. After defeating Urbana University, as well as scoring a school record of 69 points, and then shutting out Tiffin University 55-0, the Warriors start off with the same 2-0 record as the Huskies. In order to secure a victory, the Huskies will have to control all sides of the ball while minimizing turnovers and three and outs.

The Warriors have won seven of their last eight games played at home.

With the Warriors boasting three players with more than 100 yards rushing, the Huskies will have to defend the run.

The primary threat is Josh Renel, who has a total of 213 yards on

34 carries. “He’s a great threat as a running back,” said Head Coach Kearly.

Rushing for the Warriors has averaged 6.1 yards a carry in the last two weeks, while keeping their opponents to only 1.7 yards per carry. The Huskies have a rushing average of 3.8 yards per carry.

Passing comes with the threat of the Warrior’s Mickey Mohner. Mohner passed for 236 yards this season. He has a completion rate above 65 percent. Mohner ranks sixth in career touchdown passes for the Warriors with 23 and seventh in passing yards for the Warriors’ team. His passing efficiency is also rated the best on the Warriors’ team since 1967. Passing yards is something the Huskies have been able to limit their opponents from achieving so far

this season. This season, opponents of the Huskies have only passed 122 yards per game on average. Mohner will test this statistic.

Moe Davenport, who totals seven tackles this season with three assists, leads the Warriors’ defense. Davenport played five games last year when the Warriors had a lot of injuries later in the season. Davenport also leads the team in sacks with two.

With a total of nine sacks this season, the Warriors put pressure on the quarterback. Black and Gold’s offensive line will have to contain the pass rush.

Although the Warriors have posted large numbers the first two games of the season, one thing they do not control is possession time. In both games, the Warriors possessed the ball within six minutes of the pos-

session time of their opponent.

If the Huskies can keep their possession time up like they did during the games against Lake Erie and Winona State, it will give them an advantage over the Warriors.

Wayne State will be the strongest opponent for the Huskies so far this season. Keeping the pass rush on Mohner and containing the running game will both be keys to a win. The numbers show a solid battle for the Huskies but numbers do not mean everything. The Huskies have a veteran defense. If they hold the Warriors from scoring the type of points they have in the first two games, the offense will have a chance to stay in the game and try to control the possessions. “The key to the game is playing solid football”, commented Coach Kearly.

Lady Huskies Score a Solid Season Plan JORDAN ERICKSON Sports Editor When watching the Ladies play from the bleachers, it appears that they have a rocking game going. To get the inside scoop, we asked Head Coach, Michelle Jacob, what she thought was working well thus far in the season. “Our possession game has greatly improved from last year.

Our players have worked hard to increase their strength and conditioning, which has allowed us the ability to move the ball much more quickly. We also have many players on our team capable of scoring goals for us. We’ve been working hard to combine our possession with our attack to create scoring opportunities”, said Jacob. And the Huskies have been scoring this season, with nine goals in the first four games, only allowing for 7 goals.

There have been some plays that seemed like they were new or needed some work. “It takes time for things to cohesively come together. We are still a very young team and have added eight new players this year. I think the more these girls get to work with each other, things will continue to fall into place,” said Jacob, “We continue to work daily on our forward runs and combination play. We need to get better at giving the ball the play calls for.”

With a roster full with returners names, Jacob is confident in their leadership for the new players. “[The returners] have all worked so hard to increase their strength which is such an important aspect of our game. Every day we see things from them that we didn’t see last year. They are able to do so much more for this

team and we are so proud of all of them.”

Jacob also mentioned returning player, Annie Dahlquist has given her reasons to be proud.

“She worked very hard over the summer to improve her game and her role on our team. She has been incredibly valuable in our first few games and we will continue to look to her defensive pressure and great distribution in the midfield.”

Even with strong leadership from returning players, the new Huskies also have been bringing a high level of play to the field “They have helped us raise the level of play tremendously,” said Jacobs of her new freshmen.

With tough GLIAC competition this year, the Huskies have their work cut out for them this season. “I think every game is a challenge,” said Jacob, “The GLIAC is such a strong conference and you cannot take anyone lightly. We have to head into every game with something to prove. We have to earn every goal, every win because there will be nothing given to us.”

Looking back at the games so far this season, the Michigan Tech Huskies have done just that: The girls take to the field ready to play and eager to put points on the board.

Winning a soccer game takes more than just amazing players, there also has to be a supportive staff ready to guide the players and teach them how to play a good GLIAC game. Jacob has high expectations for her staff and students. “We have asked them to play at a higher level and faster pace, and we need to work to maintain that throughout the entire season.” And this stems from the desire to play the sport

Number of freshman on this seasons Husky Hockey roster. Play starts October 1 when the Huskies host Lakehead.

7

9

Number of goals Husky soccer has scored this season.

31

Points by which the Huskies defeated Lake Erie last weekend.

The Huskies travel to Wayne State for this Saturday’s game.

4

Away games in a row for the volleyball Huskies. They return home September 30 to take on rival Northern Michigan.

2

Place Christina Mishica finished at the Ashland invite last weekend.

This was a personal high for the senior runner.

Schedules/Results Visit gliac.org for full standings Women’s Soccer Sept. 7 vs. N. Mich. 1-3 L Sept. 9 at Ohio Dom. 2-2 T Sept. 16 at G. Valley 7 p.m.

Sept.18 at Ferris St. 12 p.m.

Football Sept. 3 at Winona Sate 23-6 W Sept. 10 vs. Lake Erie 41-10 W Sept. 17 at Wayne State 12 p.m.

Sept. 24 at Indianapolis 1 p.m.

Volleyball Melanie Hoffman vs. an opponent from Bemidji State Photo by Jacob Shuler the best way the team can. “We want to play better soccer. We have all the players we need to be successful and being able to get everything out of our team is very important to us.”

The Huskies travel to Grand Valley State for this Fridays game, where a challenge will be sure to greet them.

“They are a very strong team and I’m sure we will have a great battle with them,” said Jacob, “We will stick to our game and our style, with hopes of making them adjust to us.” Last weekend the Huskies tied with the Panthers 2-2 at Friday’s game and they play again this Friday Sept. 16 at Grand Valley State at 7 p.m.

Sept. 10 vs Ferris St. 0-3 L Sept. 11 vs. G. Valley 2-3 L Sept 16 at Lake Erie 5 p.m.

Sept. 17 at Ashland 2 p.m.

Cross Country Sept. 17 St. Olaf Inv. 3 p.m.

Women’s Tennis Sept. 11 vs. Ashland 7-2 L Sept. 16-18 ITA Midwest Reg. Sept. 23 at Hillsdale 10 a.m.

St. Olaf Invite Brings Familiar Competition JACOB SHULER Lode Writer

Cross country Husky runner.

Photo by Jacob Shulert

Some familiar teams will be facing off against the cross country Huskies this Saturday. The University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs run against the Huskies in Northfield, MN. The Bulldogs are one of the prime measuring sticks for the Huskies this season. How they run against the Bulldogs will give them a method of determining where the team will stand up in the GLIAC Championships on Oct. 22 and the NCAA D-II Regional Championships on Nov. 5.

Head Coach Haggenmiller commented, “ I’m pretty excited to get in there with 20 or 30 other teams.” This will give the Huskies more teams to measure themselves against.

After scoring a perfect score at the Northland Invitational, the Bulldogs men’s team has been the Huskies’ biggest competition. The

Huskies were 45 points behind the Bulldogs in Northland. Closest to the Bulldogs for the men was Matt Dugan taking tenth in points. Having a group of extremely close runners is a large advantage for the Huskies. Huskies also took the eleventh through fourteenth positions with times all within a minute of each other.

The women’s team fell to the Bulldogs by seven points. The Huskies women’s team had two runners in the top five. Both teams will continue improving through the season to prepare for the championship meets. Also competing against the women’s team will be the Northern Michigan Wildcats.

The course at St. Olaf ’s College provides a challenging course, especially to the northwest of the campus. The entire course is grass or dirt making a variety of loops around two ponds. The terrain includes a variety of moderate hills.

One hill, 4200 meters into the course will most likely be a chal-

lenge for both eight and six kilometer races. A second hill is within the last 200 yards of the course finish.

For the men, the course is eight kilometers in length and this will test the men’s team, as last week’s eight kilometer race was the first many had competed in.

Both the men’s and the women’s teams have been resting runners from last week. These runners, such as Jani Lane and Deedra Irwin, are participating this week, which will give added depth to the Huskies’ team.

Competing with the new teams on a fast course, this race will challenge both teams. The Huskies will continue working on improvement throughout the season. The big competition comes at the end of the season, which is when the Huskies want to be running their best.

Each week brings more experience to both teams.

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, September 15, 2011

Sports

Sweeny and Cecere join Husky hockey JORDAN ERICKSON Sports Editor

Riley Sweeny and Nick Cecere are two of the seven freshmen joining the hockey Huskies this year.

Sweeny, defenseman hailing from Delta, British Columbia was one of the final names to be added to the 2011-12 roster, signing in mid-August.

Before signing to the Huskies, Sweeny spent the last two seasons with the Surrey Eagles of the British Columbia Hockey League where he played a total of 113 games and racked up 61 points (14 goals, 47 assists).

Sweeny entered college life at Michigan Tech with a blind eye, having never been to Houghton before signing on to Pearson’s squad.

“It seems like a great school to go to and a great atmosphere, and [Houghton] seems like a hockey town,” said Swee-

ny about Michigan Tech, “I just wanted to be a part of it.”

Sweeny enters his freshman year at Michigan Tech after taking a year off of school to play hockey and joins the business department as a business administration major.

“Its kind of exciting to start it back up again” said Sweeny about going back to school after taking a year off, “[The hardest part] is study habits and making sure you get your homework done.”

On the hockey side being a student-athlete, Sweeny is looking to be an asset to his new team.

The defenseman was one of Pearson’s top three picks for the Huskies, and the 6-1 d-man is hoping to add an offensive strength to the Husky lineup.

“Sweeney’s a very talented, smooth-skating defenseman,” said head coach Mel Pearson in the press release for Swee-

ny’s signing. “He’s going to add some offensive punch to our blue line. We expect him to have a very successful career at Tech.”

Nick Cecere is also a new face on the Huskies roster.

Sweeny, a Des Moines, Iowa native, has spent the past year in the United States Hockey League playing for the Lincoln Stars. As a Star, Cecere played in 58 games and totaled seven assists.

Cecere signed on for the Huskies with former head coach, Jamie Russell, and decided to stay on after his departure.

However, Pearson has high expectations for the new defender.

“Cecere’s had a solid career in the USHL,” said Pearson.

“We expect him to continue that at Michigan Tech and bring some grit to our defense.”

Now in the WCHA, Cecere

7

Nick Cecere (left) and Riley Sweeney (right).

Photos courtesy of Michigan Tech looks forward to competing against old teammates when the Huskies travel to Grand Forks to play the University of North Dakota in February.

The business management major has spent the past two years out of school and finds himself facing challenges when getting back in the school routine.

“Getting back into old study habits, remembering to actually sit down and do my homework every night is an adjustment,” said Cecere about heading back to class.

With the 2011 season right around the corner, look for Sweeny and Cecere on the ice October 1, when the Huskies host Lakeland.

Athlete of the Week: Tyler Scarlett JORDAN ERICKSON Sports Editor

Tyler Scarlett is this week’s Athlete of the Week after making a spectacular home debut last weekend. Last Saturday the football Huskies defeated Lake Erie College, 41-10 and Scarlett completed 15-of-21 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns. The freshman general engineering major comes to the Huskies from Clarkstown, Mich. where he was named to the first All-State Team by the Detroit Free Press. “Scarlett has played very well for a newcomer,” said head coach Tom Kearly. With over 50% 3rd down conversions and a high passer rating, Scarlett is quickly filling in the gap left by former Husky quarterback, Steve Short. With a big season ahead, and the Huskies riding a 2-0 overall record, Scarlett will be one to watch.

Photos courtesy of Michigan Tech.

Visit mtulode.com/sports to catch up on all your Huskies sports and keep your eye out for athlete features throughout the semester

Every week on www.mtulode.com:

• Article continuations • All game recaps posted online the same day • Interactive reader/fan polls (see previous page) • Regular blog posts by sports staff • Digital PDF archive of print editions • Become a Facebook fan of the “Michigan Tech Lode”

Look for our special “Reader Interaction” section at www.mtulode.com/sports Would you like your club team featured in this section?

E-mail Jordan Erickson at jcericks@mtu.edu

We’re here because of you.

Check it all out at: www.mtulode.com PDF archives of all issues this year and last

See any problems with this week’s paper? Tell us about it.

Write a letter to the editor and tell us what we are doing well, what we can do better or just send us a letter.

We love to hear what you think.

You can slip a note under our door in MUB 106 or in our mailbox in the same room. We also have office hours throughout the week posted on our door, so feel free to stop in and chat. You can also email us at admin@mtulode.com

8

Husky Hodgepodge

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, September 15, 2011