12/08/2011

Changes to portable gaming systems

The

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Sex at Tech: Real students answer your questions

Women’s basketball prepares for more wins

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Michigan Tech Lode

December 8, 2011

Serving the Michigan Tech Community Since 1921

Shopping, eating and sightseeing Things to do and places to see with your friends and family

AMBER VOGHT Lode Writer It’s that time of the year again.

The end of the fall semester is fast approaching, finals are creeping up faster than we want them to and graduating seniors are getting ready to receive their diplomas. This Saturday is fall commencement, which means many students will be expecting to see their families and friends come to the area in order to watch their big day. In anticipation for the end of the semester, don’t get caught without plans for your parents and other visitors. Here is a list of some things to do around Houghton that will let your family and friends gain some insight to the town you have been living and learning in for the past years: Catch breakfast or brunch at Suomi, located in downtown Houghton. It’s a home bakery and restaurant that serves up Finnish

breakfast, pancakes the size of the plate, and delicious pasties. If you can’t find a seat there, try the Kaleva in Hancock their menu claims to have the best coffee in town!

My personal favorite there is the bagel breakfast sandwich, but the philly cheesesteak sandwich is a close second.

Looking for an afternoon adventure? If you have a couple of hours to spare, take a scenic drive up the Keweenaw. Stop in Calumet at the visitor’s center for some ideas. While in Calumet, take a peek at the various art forms in the Vertin Gallery and perhaps stop for lunch at Carmelitas or the Michigan House. If you are look-

ing for a scenic location in the other direction, take a winding drive down Covered Road. To get there, take Canal Road until you get to Coles Creek Road and take this for approximately five miles.

If you are in the mood for shopping, walk through downtown Houghton and stop in the many local businesses.

Surplus Outlet and Downwind Sports offer outdoor gear and apparel, while Wicker & Willow and Chickadees supply home décor and unique gifts. Rhythm skateshop is a great place to stop to look at snowboards, boots, bindings and a huge selection of boardsport

clothing.

The Quincy Mine Hoist in Hancock is a great destination to imagine how the past was and learn the mining process that was done here years ago. Unfortunately, tours are not given in the winter.

Grab a pizza from Houghton Pizzaworks downtown and eat while you have a drink at the Keweenaw Brewing Company next door. The KBC offers a variety of seasonal and year-round microbrews with a great atmosphere inside.

However, you can still drive into the visitors lot and look around the hoist and old ruins, as long as you do not go inside. On the drive up Quincy hill, make sure to stop at the scenic outlook to catch a beautiful view of Houghton and Hancock and the Portage canal.

Don’t forget dinner. Popular spots for an evening meal include the Ambassador Restaurant, the Library Restaurant, and the Pilgrim River Steakhouse. These places can get very busy, so try to make a reservation as soon as you can.

All photos by Alex Mager

Local History: Seney, Michigan SAWYER NEWMAN Lode Writer

Now is the time of year when large portions of students make their trek through the Seney stretch, sometimes twice.

This thirty-mile straightaway stretches between Seney and Shingleton over flat swamplands. Impressive, though not always appreciated, the ‘stretch’ is the longest section of highway without curves in Michigan. To those who are not already aware, this area of many trees and several Smokey the Bear signs used to be one of the most rough and tumble places of scandal of the Midwestern frontier.

In 1882, Alga Smith Company began their logging op-

erations on the abundant virgin pine forests which thrived in the quick draining sandy soil common to the area. Having no major highways or even railroads at this time, a banker from New York named George Ingram Seney invested both his and his bank’s money into constructing a railroad. Given the lack of transport in the area at this time as well as the budding industry, this seemed like an astute business plan. Unfortunately this was not the case, and he soon filed for bankruptcy.

The ownership of the railroad then moved to the hands of Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic (DSS&A), a railroad company of minor endeavors and marginal profits.

Also in 1882, a man named Phil Grondin moved to the

area as a lumberjack cook and became one of the bestknown names of Seney, after only Seney himself. Grondin remembered early Seney as “a cluster of buildings along the

railroad tracks with mud and water in the wretched streets... and only one boarding house.”

As the timbering in the area increased however, so did the town’s population.

By 1890, Seney was home to 15 separate logging companies and 3,000 people. Most of these people were men working as lumber jacks who earned up to $1.75 a day, and spent as much as they could on alcohol and female companionship at night.

Each spring, 3,000 more lumberjacks would make their way to Seney from various lumber camps tucked away in the surrounding forest, and they added to Seney’s scene. At this time, Seney had 10 hotels, over 13 saloons, a handful of ‘hoodlums’, a school, two general stores, a meat market and a Catholic church.

More interesting than the buildings though, were the stories coming out of them. Black

Photo courtesy of MTU Archives

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NEWS

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, December 8, 2011

Seney Stretch Continued from front and blue and sometimes red men, with names that were equally colorful roamed the tiny town. Some include: Tea Pot Kelly, Protestant Bob McGuire, Old Light Heart and P. K. (or J., depending on the story) Small.

Bob McGuire was supposedly a peaceful man, though when he did fight, his thumbnails would leave gaping wounds in the faces of his opponents. P. K. Small, or “Snap Jaw,’ was known for earning food and drinks by biting the heads off of live reptiles.

Another story consists of him forcibly removing the head of a fellow lumberjack’s pet owl, at which point he was beaten with a peavey handle. Leon Czolgosz, despite lacking the name of a western bandit, is perhaps the most historically notorious Seney area resident due to his assassinating President William McKinley in 1901.

Misinformation, too, has been known to seep out of Seney. As a part of a 1940’s writing project called “Michigan: A Guide to the Wolverine State, a reporter from Chicago propagated what she believed to be true tales of Shanghaiing, slavery and the “Ram’s Pasture” (an overcrowded shack where slave laborers were chained together at night).

“The rumors from wild Seney were true - and more, the place was a hell camp of slavery!” In fact, the rumors were not true, but this did not stop the stories from being printed in metropolitan dailies throughout the country. These rumors were only tall tales told by local lumberjacks.

Popular American author Ernest Hemingway produced a short story featuring the area titled “Big Two-Hearted River” in which Nick, the main character, fishes on the Two-Hearted River and explores an almost entirely charred landscape. Because of the orientation and location of the river in relation to Seney, as portrayed in the story, the river that Hemingway fished is much

more likely the Fox River. The name switch is most likely due to the more poetic nature of the Two-Hearted River. A similar sentiment is felt by Bell’s Brewery Inc., whose I.P.A. takes the name of the river and the image of the trout that Hemmingway and his character Nick sought after in Seney.

The blackened chalky forests and burnt down town experienced by Nick in “Big TwoHearted River,” is also merely a

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short story.

The real end to Seney’s logging tradition and bustling town came with the over-logging of the surrounding pine forests.

The pine trees had been depleted around Seney in the 1890s, leaving a few small trees and much undergrowth. It was during this time when forest fires became more common, though they never reached the town.

Instead, they created large expanses of ashy soil, which Photo courtesy of MTU Archives

product of fiction. Though forest fires were common in the surrounding area and numerous buildings built down in Seney’s heyday, there was never a fire massive enough to take out the whole town and surrounding area as was depicted in the

proved to be an ideal mixture for blueberries and bracken ferns to grow in. Rising from the ash-laden forests like some kind of economical phoenix, these resources enable people of the region to continue to live off the land.

Mineral Museum opens new Leading Scholars exhibits and hosts annual Competition 2011 holiday sale JESSICA KENNEDY Lode Writer

KRYSTEN COOPER News Editor Although all the exhibits at the new location for the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum are not yet completed, the museum is far from boring. Boasting the best native copper specimen in the world as well as a gift shop full of minerals native to the Copper Country, the museum is a hidden gem of the Michigan Tech campus.

Previously the museum was in the EERC, but now has its own building located at 1404

East Sharon Avenue on top of the hill near the SDC, just past the disc golf course. Since spring of last year the Museum has been working on moving and displaying its 25,000 specimens in their new home.

Museum Director Dr. Theodore Bornhorst said that even though all the exhibits are not yet open, students should still come visit the Museum. “It’s a cool place. Even if we were completely open, you’d still have to come back.” In addition, the gift shop is currently offering 20 percent off everything in its annual holiday sale.

The Museum’s unique exhibits make it one of the top mineral museums in North America. The exhibits display many mineral specimens native to the Copper Country as well as other areas. Series of different cases allow visitors to learn what minerals are, why they should care about minerals and teach them about how minerals are formed and how to appreciate their beauty. In the future, there will also be a rock garden outside with picnic tables so guests can enjoy the rocks’ natural beauty.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Theodore Bornhorst

Out of nearly 900 students sending in their submissions from across the United States hoping to receive the Leading Scholars Award, only 40 high school seniors were selected and invited to Michigan Technological University to participate and compete in different events in the final stages before the final awards are determined.

Ultimately, three out-of state and three in-state resident students will receive full-time tuition. The rest of the participants will receive a National Leading Scholar scholarship or a Presidential Leading Scholars scholarship, which equates to room and board. Recipients who are awarded Leading Scholar awards, Presidential Leading Scholarships and National Leading Scholarships are required to maintain good academic standing as well as commit to behave like a role model. Students receiving the Leading Scholar awards must maintain a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.25 and students receiving the National or Presidential scholarships must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.50 for renewal of their scholarships the following years.

The Leading Scholar Awards were created for students who have demonstrated and achieved great academic successes and achievements throughout their high school careers as well as having showed exemplary leadership skills.

On the first night of arrival to the University, scholars spent

their first night with their hosts, who are currently leading scholars at Michigan Tech.

Saturday night, scholars and their families were served dinner at the Memorial Union Building where they had the chance to become acquainted with other leading scholars, along with the President of the University, Glenn Mroz and Vice President of Student Affairs, Les Cook.

Accompanying dinner, current leading scholars Zac Johnson and Andee Kubicki gave a short presentation on their journeys as Michigan Tech students. After that, this year’s leading scholars spent the night with their hosts, who are currently leading scholars or resident assistants at Michigan Tech.

Sunday afternoon held the events for the scholars to show their capabilities of being strong leaders, and abilities to work in teams. Scholars participated in three group activities where each student was judged on their leadership ability. Following the events, scholars attended interviews with MTU staff members.

Ending the competitions, scholars each wrote essays that were timed.

The University Scholarship Committee determines the selection of finalists for the final portion of competitions. While participants and their families stayed at Michigan Tech, they had time to explore the University as well as meet with other students, administrators and faculty.

Recipients will be notified on their award status by January 1st, 2012.

NEWS

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, December 8, 2011

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The MBA Association is organizing a charity called Adopt-A-Family. The charity consists of collecting monetary donations as well as toys, clothes, toiletries, etc. for a family in need.

This year, the family has four boys ages, 12, 11, 9 and 5.

Their sizes and wish list include: -Medium t-shirt -size 12 pants -size 12 slime pants -size 10 husky pants -size 5t pants Their interests include: -hockey, �loor hockey and Legos All donations are up to the donator; the MBA Association simply asks that you make sure they are age appropriate.

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 a hard puzzle. Get your brain ready for finals—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!

The donation box is in the Academic Of�ice Building and is gift wrapped to look like a giant present. Monetary donations can be made at the main front desk at the Academic Of�ice Building to the secretary. Checks can be made payable to MBA Association.

Questions can be forwarded to mbaa@mtu.edu or call 248-505-9608.

World’s Greatest Bowler visits the Mine Shaft MICHAEL HILLIARD Lode Writer On Saturday, Dec. 3, world renowned professional bowler Mika Koivuniemi visited the Mine Shaft in Houghton to host a day-long series of events organized to raise funds for a new scholarship fund that the Mine Shaft has set up in Koivuniemi’s name.

Koivuniemi has been dubbed the World’s Greatest Bowler and he has the record to prove it. Here’s just a small sample of Koivuniemi’s impressive career: Winner of the Tournament of Champions, representing his ninth tour title and third major; two-time Player of the Year and only player to earn a TV appearance in all four major tournaments; leading season average ranking of 222.5; leading season earnings of $330,040—and career PBA earnings of over 1.5 million dollars; 26 career PBA 300 games; and the list goes on.

I spoke with Koivuniemi briefly after the event at the Mine Shaft. When I asked him how he feels about the title of “World’s Greatest Bowler,” he said, “It’s been a great year for me. I really feel like I’ve earned it.” He described the Tournament of Champions as his most challenging, and most rewarding experience—very rewarding, indeed, as Koivuniemi took home the top prize of $225,000.

Born and raised in Finland, and now living in Hartland, MI, bowling has taken Koivuniemi around the globe. In fact, just before arriving in Houghton, Koivuniemi was playing a tournament in Qatar. Although Koivuniemi said he enjoys traveling, he commented that he ends up spending most of his time abroad either on a plane, in a hotel, or at the tournament, which doesn’t leave much room for sightseeing. When I asked about what convinced him to come here to Houghton, he said that he was interested in

part by the strong Finnish heritage here, but was particularly excited by the scholarship fund the Mine Shaft was founding in his name. “When I heard about the youth scholarship program, that sealed the deal,” Koivuniemi said.

I spoke with Paul Kreins and his son, Ben, who both work as managers at the Mine Shaft and were responsible for organizing the event. As it turns out, the Kreins have known Koivuniemi for a while now, since he and Ben share the same bowling coach, the world-renowned Ron Hoppe.

Paul Kreins, who joined the Mine Shaft as a managing partner in July, 2011, was very enthusiastic when I spoke with him about the Mika Koivuniemi Scholarship Fund, set up through the U.S. Bowling Congress. “Most bowling centers have some sort of scholarship funds available for their youth bowlers,” Kreins said, “because

Just this year the Mine Shaft began a youth league of their own and they have plans to begin hosting tournaments as well as sponsoring programs for high school students.

Koivuniemi poses with a young fan Photo by Michael Hilliard

Student veterans honored at Fall commencement Submitted by Kathy Pintar -

Photo by Michael Hilliard

kids, when they compete in leagues and tournaments, they can’t win prize money, but they can win scholarship money, which is held in trusts for them until they go to college.” “It’s really nice,” Kreins continued, “because if you start really young in a youth league or a youth program you could end up with quite a lot when you go to college. So we wanted to start that fund here.”

Kreins went on to say that he was very impressed with how much money had been raised through the event, saying it was “way beyond our expectations.” They had been hoping to raise perhaps a thousand dollars from the event, but early on in the day’s activities (which included a lunch with Mika, two special Pro-Am games, a one-on-one bowling clinic with Mika, as well as a silent auction) they had already exceeded that goal.

For the first time at Michigan Tech, graduating student veterans will be honored at commencement with red, white and blue cords in recognition of their service to the country.

Three graduates will wear the cords this fall and be recognized by President Glenn Mroz during commencement this Saturday, Dec. 10, in the SDC Wood Gym. The students are: Mike Geiersbach of Wheeler, Mich. (Marine Corps/Military Police), who served more than four years and is graduating with a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering.

Sue Larson of Waupaca, Wisc.

(Air Force), who served six years and is receiving a Masters of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Matt Smith of Hancock, Mich.

(Air Force/Security Forces), who served two years and is receiving a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering Technology.

Larson, a graduate student, said, “I think it’s great that Michigan Tech is so supportive of the student veteran population and has chosen to distinguish us in this way. It will be an honor to be among the first veterans to wear the new red, white and blue cords.”

The presentation of the cords reflects the growing number of activities and services on campus that focus on students who are veterans or children of veterans.

This initiative is being coordinated by Veterans’ Services/ Registrar’s Office and the Vice President for Student Affairs Office.

Mike Geiersbach models his red, white and blue cords.

Photo courtesy of Kathy Pintar

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, December 8, 2011

Pulse

Remember, remember the month of Movember?

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Growing mustaches for men’s health TYLER CATTELINO Guest Writer As the month of November drew to a close, so did 30 days of an intense, focused and sometimes painful event for thousands of men across the country and around the world.

Throughout the entire month of November, men worldwide celebrate both “Movember” and “No-shave November” by refraining from shaving some or all of a man’s body hair for 30 days straight. Regarded by many as funny, strange or disgusting, there is a method behind this manly madness.

Movember originated among a group of Australian men who set a goal in 2003 for 30 men to grow mustaches for 30 days to increase awareness of men’s cancers. Since then, the movement has exploded into a campaign that has inspired over 1.1 million individuals to participate in Movember and proudly grow their mustaches in support of men’s health.

Participants register at Movember.com and start Nov. 1st clean-shaven. For the remainder of the month, par-

ticipants—also known as Mo Bros—groom, trim and wax their mustaches with care.

Awareness is spread through the words and actions of the participants, and donations are made as a result of the men’s mustache-growing efforts. At the end of the month, many participants often throw their own party in honor of Movember or attend one of the infamous Movember Gala Parties around the world.

Formal Movember campaigns are currently held in many different countries, including Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Finland, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa and Ireland. Funds raised in the United States are used to support Movember partners, such as the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG, an initiative of the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

According to Movember.com, over 64,500 individuals participated in the United States in 2010, raising $7.5 million.

To date, $174 million has been raised worldwide for the cause.

Dustin Harris, a Michigan Tech Student and Kappa Delta Psi Fraternity (KD) mem-

Photo courtesy of Movember.com

ber, participated in this year’s Movember: “We had a member of the KD house contact us about it. Nobody [in our KD chapter] really did anything about it, but I wanted to at least show some support. I wanted to grow it out and make a wicked mustache at the end.” Harris said the campaign is an effective approach to the serious issue at hand and has evolved into something more: “There are donations, and people are doing a lot more than just recognizing prostate cancer. There are people who have started the Movember site, and this allows you to raise money on others’ behalf to put toward research.”

Michael Stevens, also a Michigan Tech student, par-

First annual Keweenaw Snowfest Kids’ Carnival MANDY BARBUL-COUCH Lode Writer This Friday, the first Annual Keweenaw Snowfest Kids’ Carnival will be held in the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena from 4-8 p.m., and is sponsored by campus Greek organizations Theta Chi Epsilon, Beta Sigma Theta, and Alpha Xi Zeta.

Although geared towards chil-

dren ages 3-12, the event offers fun for the whole family. There will be games, prizes, food and science demos put on by the Michigan Tech Mindtrekkers crew. Each game costs 50 cents, or families can purchase a family snow pack for five dollars, which includes 15 games.

All proceeds will go to the Family Independent Agency to purchase Christmas present for local foster children. As an ex-

tra incentive, families can bring in canned goods and receive up to ten free games for their charitable donation. All donated canned goods go to the Western UP Food Bank to help stock their shelves for the Holiday season.

Please help make this season special for local children and families by participating in the Keweenaw Snowfest Kids Carnival.

said Neves.

The recital started with the upbeat and stimulating overture from Nabucco, a piece written by the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. The overture is very distinctive in that it begins primarily with low brass: trombone and tuba.

Gradually, the evening began to segue into the meat of the show with first, second, third and fourth movements by Mozart’s “Prague Symphony”, Liszt’s “Faust Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 4 and Dvořák’s “New World Symphony” respectively.

“Mozart’s ‘Prague Symphony’ was largely inspired by the bohemian culture that he experience during his time in Prague,” stated Neves. “The first movement is very powerful and dramatic and we thought that it would be great to begin the symphony.”

After a brief intermission, the show continued with the second movement of Franz Liszt’s innovative “Faust Symphony”. Liszt’s idiosyncratic approach to composition led him to be known by society as an inventor of new structures and harmonies. Some argue that his inventive techniques were an important harbinger to the development of modern pop music.

Liszt’s second movement contains a beautiful array of flute,

clarinet, oboe, viola and harp.

“This symphony tells the story of Faust, a man who makes a pact for the devil and has an intense love for a woman named Gretchen,” Neves explained. “The second movement is meant to convey the innocence and purity of the beautiful Gretchen.”

The last two pieces were the third movement, also known as the “pizzicato movement”, to Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 and the fourth movement of Dvořák’s New World Symphony.

The former featured a unique string section in which the entire movement was used exclusively to “pluck” stringed instruments. The final piece came from Dvořák’s experience in the Americas where he was influenced by the folk culture of both Native American and African American spiritualism.

The composition was marked by an intense and powerful use of instrumentation meant to evoke strong emotions from the audience.

“I though the performance turned out very well in the end”, says a KSO member. “We were glad to see how well the audience responded to our performance.”

For more information on the KSO or upcoming events at the Rozsa, visit the website at www. rozsa.mtu.edu.

KSO Performs Synthetic Symphony ZACHARY PAGE Lode Writer The Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra (KSO) gave an outstanding performance on the night of Saturday, Dec. 3rd at the Rozsa Center for Performing Arts. The reception from the audience was well-received by both the KSO and its director, Joel Neves.

Around the mid-18th century, the well-renowned Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn formulated a new technique for the symphony that was to be divided into four movements: allegro (fast), andante (slow), minuet and trio (dance) and presto (fast). This template would come to serve as the key to success for many composers and would dominate the musical scene in both the classical and romantic eras.

The theme of this performance was Synthetic Symphony.

According to Neves, the purpose was to demonstrate the standard four-movement symphonic model through a fusion of several famous composers from the 18th and 19th centuries. “We wanted to take a movement from four different composers and combining them to make our own ‘synthetic symphony’. We thought that it would be interesting for us to try and for the audience to enjoy”,

ticipated in the event this past month. “I hopped on the bandwagon and wanted to make it through the entire month with a mustache for once,” Stevens said. “I shaved my beard twice because my mustache is so greasy and [I] was more of a fan of Movember rather than Noshave November.”

No-shave November, not to be confused with Movember, is another popular movement among men. No-shave November, however, is not intended to raise awareness for a particular cause but to grow more manly and brutish by not shaving at all during the month of November. Rules are simple: do not shave for the entire month of November, including

trimming or waxing. In contrast, Movember has traditionally enforced the practice of keeping mustaches well trimmed and groomed throughout the duration of the event.

“I think it [Movember] has become huge, especially in the hockey world,” Stevens said. “It’s for a very good cause … Canada has raised 33 million dollars for Movember, which is amazing. Some Canadian National Hockey League teams even have fans vote on players with the best mustaches.”

For more information regarding Movember or details on how to register for next year’s event, visit Movember.com.

Portable Gaming NICK BLECHA Pulse Editor It was probably inevitable.

Between the underwhelming early performance of Nintendo’s 3DS system, and the spectacular success of mobile app games such as “Angry Birds”, it’s no surprise that the gaming press started predicting the end of portable video game consoles as we know them.

Portable consoles, the analysts said, were on their way out, to be replaced by mobile platforms such as the iPhone/iPod Touch/ iPad and Android phones. Some even suggested that Nintendo, the ever-present leader of portable game consoles, leave the portable console market altogether and develop iPhone games.

Of course, market analysts aren’t always right, and those in the video game press have a pretty poor track record. After all, it wasn’t all that long ago that these same analysts were predicting that the Nintendo DS would be second to the PlayStation Portable, and that the Wii would be in last place behind the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3–pretty much exactly the opposite of what happened. So what these analysts say should probably be taken with a grain of salt.

Now, let’s examine the likely logic behind these doom-and-gloom predictions. The DS and Wii built their success to a large extent on the support of “casual gamers,” a notoriously ill-defined group that nonetheless can probably be vaguely described as “people who don’t play games very often and/ or prefer games that don’t require significant time commitments.”

The last part of that statement is the key: many of the popular DS games, such as “Nintendogs” and “Brain Age”, could easily be played in increments of a few minutes.

And as it is, mobile-app games are even better at offering this kind of bite-sized experience than portable consoles. Look at the most popular mobile-app games: almost all can be enjoyed in a few minutes. Plus, they’re played on

devices that people would likely carry around anyway, such as smartphones and music players.

It can probably be safely said that mobile-app games have, in fact, stolen the bite-sized game market out from portable consoles.

But one shouldn’t start pronouncing the time of death for the consoles, because in spite of the fact that mobile-app platforms are great for bite-sized games, that’s really all they’re good at. Anything that requires the precise controls of proper buttons and a D-pad or analog stick isn’t going to work on a touchscreen. And games tend to be battery hogs on mobile devices, which isn’t a huge issue if you’re only playing a few minutes at a time, but becomes problematic if your half-hour gaming session just drained the batteries of your phone. The “death of the portable console” crowd might say that those kind of more-involved games can just go on the standalone consoles, but that’s debatable–there’s a definite middle ground between the portability and ease-of-use of mobile-app platforms and the high-power, high involvement games of the Wii, PS3, and company. Who, after all, can really imagine a mainseries “Pokémon” game on the Wii, or on an iPhone?

It’s pretty clear that portable consoles aren’t going to have the market power that the DS had at the height of its popularity. But at the same time, to say that portable consoles are done for ignores a significant market segment that portable consoles serve very well.

Even the example used earlier as a signal of the end of portable consoles, the 3DS, has other reasons for its early failings besides the market moving away: it was overpriced at launch and didn’t have the kind of good launch titles Nintendo consoles are known for.

Both issues have been corrected, and the system seems to be starting to rebound. When all is said and done, portable consoles aren’t going anywhere for the near future.

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, December 8, 2011

OPINION

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Newt Gingrich & the problem with the GOP LUKE GUBLO Opinion Editor

In one of his most famous writings, “The Second Coming,” famed Irish poet W.B. Yeats once said “the best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.” This line of frustration describes succinctly the place at which the Republican Party stands today. As one observes the unfolding of the quadrennial process of selecting candidates to run for President of the United States, it’s hard to describe a time in history where a major American political party nominated candidates this in-

flammatory and disrespectful to the political process.

Consider some of the statements made recently by the (now perceived) front-runner Newt Gingrich. Gingrich, the thrice divorced, former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, has seen his campaign come back from the brink of collapse and now leads in the early primary states of Iowa and South Carolina. However, some of his recent public statements call into question whether he has the composure and compassion needed of a President.

Consider a recent statement he made while campaigning in Io-

wa, in which he called into question the work ethic of the poor, specifically aiming at poor kids.

“I come around to this question,” he said. “You have a very poor neighborhood. You have kids who are required under law to go to school. They have no money. They have no habit of work. What if you paid them part-time in the afternoon to sit at the clerical office and greet people when they come in?

What if you paid them to work as the assistant librarian? What if they became assistant janitors and their job was to mop the floor and clean the bathroom? ” Leaving aside the tone-deaf

Sex at Tech: Ups and Downs This column is aimed at helping MTU students with sex related questions. Written by two MTU students, Peaches & Cream, the column will address your questions from both the male and female perspective. We will discuss sex safety, health issues, and advice in this column. Feel free to email us questions or comments at peaches.cream.mtu@gmail.com.

“My significant other is a virgin and I am not. They don’t want to have intercourse, but I definitely do. I care about them a lot. What are my

nature of his comments in light of the recent 2008 economic downturn, his comments also reflect a naiveté towards the plight of the working poor. Most poor families have to work for everything they have, and more people are currently falling into poverty as each day passes, largely because of policies which have promoted a rising of the wealth of this country to the top income brackets.

Gingrich making a statement like this reads a lot like Marie Antoinette remarking, “Let them eat cake.”

In the aftermath of this statement, Gingrich even went a step further. Upon learning that realestate mogul Donald Trump was to host a debate in Des Moines, Iowa on Dec. 27th, 2011, he then appeared in New York this week, standing at Trump’s side while giving a statement about his campaign. During the statement, both expressed a desire to start a reality show, based off of Trump’s already existing “The Apprentice.” The show would feature kids from one of New

York’s poorest public schools.

These are merely two examples (confined to one candidate) showing a GOP that is in disarray leading up to the 2012 Presidential Election. Many prominent Republicans, including the Washington Post’s George Will and Charles Krauthammar, as well as Sen. Tom Coburn (ROkla.) have recently expressed concern over the GOP field, as well as the recent statement from Gingrich.

The lesson that can be taken away from this is that this is no longer the Republican Party of Ronald Reagan or Bob Dole. To an extent, the party as it exists currently is espousing views far to the right of George W. Bush.

This is a sad fact on a variety of levels. Even if I personally hold left of center views, I firmly believe that reasonable opposition is important to producing policies that work well for the benefit of the American people. I hope that the Republican Party can make a return to reason in the future.

options in this situation and what would you do?”

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this section are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Michigan Tech Lode staff.

Michigan Tech Lode

Peach’s perspective PEACHES Current Tech Student Maintaining virginity at this point of life seems to occur for one of two reasons. Either your boyfriend/girlfriend has moral objections, or they are waiting for the right person and time for them. Moral objections are perfectly valid reasons for not wanting to have sex. You should not try to wear down these beliefs in order to have sex with someone. If a person is old enough to have sex, then they are also old enough to decide what they feel is right and wrong and have their decision respected. If they have made

a firm choice concerning sex, don’t try to change their mind.

If this is the case, and you want to continue in this relationship, you’ll have to commit to not having sex while you are dating this person.

As for waiting for the right person and the right time, all you can do is try to be that person. The first time should be a memory they can look back on with honest satisfaction and nostalgia, and though it isn’t for a lot of people, you may be able to help create that memory for them. Be patient and let your relationship grow into something they could look back on with fondness, whether or not you two stay together.

Nowadays, I strongly dislike the guy to whom I lost my virginity, but when I gave myself to him I was in love with him and he made an effort to make it a great experience for me.

That’s enough to not regret it.

If the person you’re dating is waiting for it to feel right, all you can do is be patient and wait with them.

Only you can decide if it’s worth it. You could walk away; it’s just not the most noble of options. If you care about them and you’re enjoying your time with them, you’re probably getting something out of the relationship more important than sex.

Cream’s commentary CREAM Current Tech Student You should never pressure someone to engage in sexual activities that they do not want to do. Even if you were to convince them to consent, I guarantee that it will not be a good experience for either of you.

The best sex happens when both partners are not only willingly involved, but also are putting their best effort into it.

If your partner is hesitant then it will not be as enjoyable as either of you would like it to be. In this scenario, you are obviously ready in your relationship to engage in sexual activities. However, since your partner is not, you have to respect that. If you indeed care about them a lot, then you have to think about what is important to you. Are you willing to

put the effort into the relationship without engaging in sex? Is sexual activity in the relationship a deal-breaker for you? Put some serious thought into this decision.

Perhaps turn the situation around and put yourself in their shoes. Try to understand why they are not ready yet and see if this changes your opinion at all. In any case communication is key. Sit down with your partner in a non-threatening—and non-tempting—environment to talk about this. I say nonthreatening and non-tempting because it is very easy for a conversation like this to go awry when you are both alone behind closed doors in a bedroom. I recommend somewhere public but private enough to have this conversation without being overheard. You should each talk about the reasons behind your feelings and try to come

up with a compromise or conclusion that you both are happy with.

If for some reason you cannot find a solution after discussing it in a mature fashion, then perhaps it is time to move on. If you truly do care about your partner, I would definitely recommend attempting to fix this before giving up on the relationship. Ideally, you would be willing to wait until your partner is comfortable enough without pushing them. It is true that a healthy sex life is incredibly good for a relationship, but it is also possible to have a good relationship without the sex.

In the end, the decision is up to you and it all comes down to your priorities. I would definitely give it some serious thought before taking any drastic actions.

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6

Sports

Women’s basketball prepares for more wins

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, December 8, 2011

JORDAN ERICKSON Sports Editor After defeating the Northern Michigan Wildcats in a 72-49 final, the No. 8 Huskies are back for more home action as they take on Ohio Dominican and Tiffin today and Saturday.

With a 1-0 record in GLIAC play, largely due to 3-point shots, the Huskies look to extend their undefeated streak to three before heading on a sixgame away stretch.

First up is the Ohio Dominican Panthers who travel to Houghton having already played two conference games against Grand Valley State and Ferris State, going 1-1 in those games. In their most recent game on Saturday, the Panthers fell in a 69-56 final to Ferris State.

Ending the first half 10 points behind Ferris, the Panthers were never able to get ahead, with their biggest deficit being a 65-45 gap. Sophomore Katelyn Stuckey held her own for the Panthers, setting a new personal and game best, leading her team with 18 points.

The Millersburg, Ohio native also went 8-for-8 at the free throw line.

The Huskies look to extend their home winning streak of 35 games, having gone undefeated in on home court since January 2010. In their latest home win over the Wildcats, senior Krista Kasuboski netted

After a delayed start to the regular season due to lack of snow, the Huskies’ Nordic Skiing teams will take part in the first in state competition of the

the

#

s r e b m nu

13

Number of threepoint baskets netted by the women’sbasketball team for a season high. The Huskies are now 5-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play.

3

Goals from freshman David Johnstone against MNDuluth last weekend. The freshman forward now has 11 points on the season. The hockey Huskies are headed south to take on the U of MN.

23

Senior Kristin Kasuboski looks to maneuver the ball past her defender in Saturday’s 72-49 win over the Northern Michigan Wildacats.

Photo by Ben Wittbrodt

a career-high 19 points, shooting 7-of-12 from the field, with 5-of-10 coming from behind the arc. Husky defense has been a force for the team, keeping their opponents to an average of just 51.7 points per game placing them at second in the GLIAC in this category.

Tiffin will meet the Huskies at the SDC on Saturday for their first matchup of the year.

The Huskies are currently un-

defeated in their overall series against the team, with a perfect 7-0 record. The Dragons are also currently 1-1 in GLIAC play, having defeated Ferris State 78-49, and falling to Grand Valley State, 63-69.

In their most recent matchup against Grand Valley, the Dragons’ defense stood strong ending the first 20 minutes with a 26-23 advantage. The second half, however, allowed their

opponent to double their first half scoring, netting 46 points in the last 20 minutes of play.

With the home court advantage and tough playing atmosphere for opposing teams, the Huskies put up a tough front for visiting teams. With seemingly every player on the Huskies’ roster contributing, wins for the visiting teams this weekend will not come easy for the two visiting teams.

Huskies nordic skiing prepares for first in-state competition JACOB SHULER Lode Writer

By

season at the Ironwood Central Opener. This race will be more focused on individual results.

It has very little impact on the Huskies ability to get into post season races. “The real purpose of these early races is really like the exhibition season in

pro football. We’re working on getting into form for the races down the road,” commented Coach Haggenmiller This week’s race, the Ironwood Central Opener, marks the beginning of the Central Collegiate Ski Association sea-

Courtesy of Lode Archives

son. It will be the first time the Huskies face college teams this season.

The course for this week includes some variable terrain.

The women’s team will compete in a 5k and 10k race on Saturday and Sunday. The men’s team competes in two 10k races over the weekend. At the beginning of the course, the Huskies will face a large incline climbing up around a ski jump. For the 10k loop, the course splits off of the 5k shortly after the initial climb and works its way towards the Big Powderhorn Ski Hill. It works its way around this alpine hill before joining back up with the 5k course to finish off the course.

The course will provide the Huskies with a lot of terrain to work. An early climb in the race will push the racers to pace themselves for the later stages.

“Generally the courses are interesting stuff. They keep you

Number of points the women’s basketball team had over Northern Michigan in their 7249 defeat of the rival last weekend. They coninue their home streak today as they take on Tiffin.

30

Points scored by Ali Haidar in the Husky’s 77-54 win over Northern Michigan last Saturday. The number was a careerhigh for the junior.

5

Away games until the hockey Huskies return home. They travel to Minnesota, Marquette, and Detroit before their next home game January 13.

on your toes and should be a good test of our athletes,” said Coach Haggenmiller.

The main question for the Huskies this year is experience.

Both teams have younger skiers that will be counted upon for results this season. How these racers do will be one of the determining factors this season.

“We have a lot of younger people we will probably be counting on. With any college sport the juniors and seniors are usually better than the younger skiers,” stated Coach Haggenmiller. The Huskies have a talented but young team. Having these younger skiers compete gives them invaluable experience that the Nordic skiing teams can build off of in following years.

Success this week will be measured by individual results. The Huskies will use this race as the first measuring stick of where they stand among the region’s college teams.

Copper Country Habitat for Humanity Restore is open 9:30 - 5:00 every Tuesday through Saturday

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, December 8, 2011

QUICK LOOK HOCKEY

Sports

Men’s basketball looks for two home court victories

Nov. 18-19 at Alaska 3-1 L 5-0 W Nov. 25-26 at St.Law. 3-2 L, 3-1 W Dec. 2-3 vs. MN Duluth 3-5 L3-5L. Dec. 9-10 at Minnesota 8:07, 9:07 First at home sweep of the season • 8-7-1 overall and 5-6-1 in WCHA play • Travel to Minneapolis this weekend to take on the No. 2 Minnesota Golden Gophers • Will not return home until January 13 when they take on Alaska- • 8-5-1 overall •

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Nov. 25-26 at Concordia 2-0 Dec. 3 vs. Northern Mich. 72-49 Dec. 8 vs. Ohio Dom. 5:30 p.m.

Dec. 10 vs. Tiffin 3:30 p.m.

• Moved up in national polls to the no. 8 from 9 • Look to defend their 35 win streak at home • Last home games this weekend until January • 5-1 so far this season • Head coach Kim Cameron has only four losses as head coach •

NORDIC SKIING Dec. 3 at Wildcat Challenge- P.P. Dec. 4 Huskies Challenge- P.P. Dec 10-11 Ironwood Invitational Nov. 12 at Northern Mich. 1 p.m.

• Will compete in first Michigan race this weekend • Travled to Montana over Thanksgiving break • Huskies Challenge is one of two home races •

MEN’S BASKETBALL Nov. 25-26 at Bemidji Inv. 1-1 Dec. 3 vs. Northern Mich. 77-54 Dec. 8 vs. Ohio Dom. 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 10 vs. Tiffin 5:30 p.m.

• Ranked at No. 1 in the preseason poll • Undefeated in conference play • 3-3 overall this season and 1-0 in GLIAC play• Visit gliac.org for full standings

JACOB SHULER Lode Writer The Huskies look to string together a couple of much needed wins this week as they face two more home games this week against Ohio Dominican Thursday and Tiffin on Saturday.

Scoring an important win against the Northern Michigan Wildcats last Saturday, the Huskies pulled off their third home win of the season. Ali Haidar had a big week against the Wildcats. He scored a career high 30 points and 15 rebounds. This helped push the Huskies to a 77-54 win over the Wildcats.

Playing the Huskies this week are the Ohio Dominican Panthers and the Tiffin Dragons.

The Panthers are in a bit of a slump, coming to Houghton on a three-loss streak, with their last two losses have been by nine points or more.

In the most recent game against the Ferris State Bulldogs, the Panthers trailed by more than 20 points at the half and were only able to come within 8 points during the second half. Getting ahead of this team early will give the Huskies an advantage keeping the Panthers in the catch up mode.

Top players for the Panthers have been Zack Joseph and Aaron Gibbs. Against the Bulldogs Joseph, a sophomore guard scored a career high 13 points.

Gibbs, a senior playing as a forward, achieved his first double digit stats in both scoring and rebounds. He had 11 points and 10 rebounds against the Bulldogs.

The Panthers bring talent to the court. Big scorers from the

7

Huskies will force the Panthers on the defense trying to defend scorers like Haidar and Mike Hojnacki.

The Dragons play their second away game in a row against the Huskies on Saturday. This will follow a game against the Wildcats in Marquette on Thursday. The Dragons are 0-2 this year in the GLIAC. Their most recent loss comes against the Grand Valley State Lakers.

In their loss against the Lakers, the Dragons suffered in the three point scoring department.

They were only able to put together four three pointers in comparison to the Lakers 11 three pointers.

Leading the Dragons scoring were Travis Spahr, Joe Graessle, and Iman Johnson.

Spahr scored 13 points and was complimented by 10 points from both Graessle and Senior Brian Olley takes his shot in the win against Northern Michigan on Johnson.

December 3rd.

Another two Photo by Ben Wittbrodt home wins from the Huskies puts them on a three win streak. This kies will bring to the table sev- Panthers. This Saturday at 5:30 is a strong possibility. Playing eral high scorers. p.m. the Huskies play the Dragtwo teams that have struggled Join your Huskies this Thurs- ons. Both games will be held at to have a big offense, the Hus- day at 7:30 p.m. as they play the the Wood Gym.

Athlete of the Week: Brett Olson

Courtesy of Michigan Tech Athletics

The senior captain of the hockey Huskies, Brett Olson extended his point streak to five games point this past weekend as the forward assisted a goal in each game this past weekend against Minnesota-Duluth.

The Superior, Wisc. native is in his second year as captain for the Huskies who have already doubled their wins from last season, not even halfway through their schedule. Olson has been named the Husky’s most valuable player and WCHA Scholar Athlete.

So far this season, Olson leads the Huskies in points with 17 for the season (five goals, 12 assists). Over his career in the Husky jersey, he has 80 points (37 goals, 43 assists) in 104 games played. In his junior season, Olson fought injuries throughout the year, but still managed five points in the first four games of the season.

Olson and the rest of the Huskies will be on the road this weekend as they head to Minneapolis to take on the no.

2 Minnesota Golden Gophers.

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Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, December 8, 2011

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