02/25/2016

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Tattoos, Piercings and Employability

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February 25, 2016

Big City Jazz

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USG starts Elections

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Thursday, February 25

NEWS

Michigan Tech Lode

Spring career Alpine Ski Team Ends fair success Season at Regionals

Spring Career Fair Feb. 16, 2016

Jon Jaehnig News Writer This past week saw another successful spring career fair at Michigan Tech on Tuesday Feb, 16. Students had the opportunity to talk to business representatives and company recruiters and interviews were held on campus throughout the week, with some students still waiting for calls from their potential employers. An estimated 228 businesses attended this career fair, and while general consensus held that the fall career fair is larger, the Michigan Tech student body came out in force to try and build professional networks or find employment.

Even non-engineering majors were excited to take something away from career fair. Humanities majors were met at the door by their advisor, professor Maria Bergstrom, who spent her office hours outside of the career fair, giving Hershey’s bars to her students. Bergstrom called the action “a little more incentive for humanities students to come up to career fair,” as humanities majors have a reputation of being under-serviced at the fair. “The career fair is a super way to practice speaking to potential employers, talking to people, and networking.”

Bergstrom explained.

Conner McCue, a first year electrical engineering major was on the floor at

Courtesy of Sarah Bird

career fair for a similar reason. “It’s a good opportunity to try and network with some companies. Even though I know that most companies don’t hire first years, it gives a good feel of what companies want.” McCue also said that he feels like his major is well suited to career fair, and he plans on coming back to future career fairs to try to get a position.

“I have been to every career fair... it is my favorite part of the school year.”

- Aric Davis

Senior in electrical engineering Aric Davis was looking for a little more than experience and networking, though he also added, “I have been to every career fair every semester, and it is my favorite part of the school year.” Davis is a strong believer in attending career fair for practice before students seek employment. “Getting to the Continued on page 6

Nick Cecconi competing at Midwest Regional Championship, 2016.

Courtesy of Alpine Ski Team

Daniel Stockard News Writer The alpine ski team ended their season on Feb. 13 after hosting the USCSA Midwest Regional Championships at Mont Ripley. Though the team did not qualify for nationals, they had a strong showing. The men’s team captured fourth place out of about 20 in the slalom: a technical race type with tight turns and a fast pace. Nick Cecconi led the Huskies with a first run of 39.12 seconds and a second run of 41.38 seconds.

“I think we’re getting better and better every year.”

- Greg Schultz

Despite only having three team members, the women were able to take ninth place in the slalom. Haley Crites had a strong run, with times of 43.42 and 40.62 seconds. Notably, Crites will

be the first student to graduate from the team, as it was reinstated only in the winter of 2013.

In the giant slalom, which is characterized by bigger turns, the men’s team took seventh and the women’s team took ninth. Tyler Sepanik led among the men with runs of 26.73 and 28.28 seconds, and Crites led among the women with runs of 30.19 and 27.95 seconds.

Team Captain Greg Schultz was pleased with the results overall.

“We had 14 people competing every weekend this season, and I think we’re getting better and better every year,” Schultz said. He attributes a lot of their improvement to their coach, Bob Vial, who has a lot of experience and has been quite generous with their training.

“He’s definitely one of the best coaches in the state,” Schultz said.

Besides the strong showing at the regional championships, the team finished in third place at their divisional meet and within the top three in all of their other meets. The team also hosted an invitational meet for the first time when they invited the University of Minnesota-Duluth and Northern Michigan University to compete. Next year, the team hopes to invite more teams to that and also work on boosting their female membership.

Michigan Tech Lode

NEWS

Thursday, February 25

USG starts elections

Current USG Executive Board.

Amanda Charboneau News Writer This week is an important one for the Undergraduate Student Government (USG). The USG is an organization that is “trying to do great things on campus” according to Jacob Cavins, fourth year USG representative. “The USG Body wants everyone to be involved and would like to get people who are willing to be dedicated to an organization that has real influence on campus,” said Cavins. The USG has worked hard on things that serve to benefit students including passing a proposal that limits the amount of testing over career fair, and allocating money to clubs so that they can purchase the items they need. The USG wants students to participate in their current election so that the best candidates fill the available positions.

The USG is currently holding elections for E-board (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) and At-Large Representatives. Nominations closed on

“The USG body wants everyone to be involved...”

- Jacob Cavins

Feb. 23 and polls close on March 2, so check in with the USG at their office (1st floor of the MUB) to find out who those candidates are and how to vote in the election.

If you are interested in attending a meeting, the USG welcomes guests, and

Courtesy of USG

meets every Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. in the MUB Ballroom B or in the MUB Alumni Lounge. Since USG is a student run organization, input and participation from the community is greatly appreciated and highly encouraged.

The USG is one of the most prominent organizations on campus. Having student leadership experience is a great addition to any resume, especially in an organization that organizes bussing for students to get home over breaks, or helps manage such Tech traditions like Winter Carnival. If you’ve participated in any large event on campus, hosted by any club or organization, the USG is most likely responsible for funding them.

Whether you decide to attend a meeting or not be sure to take a moment and appreciate all the hard work that the USG does for Tech students by voting in the USG elections.

Google Tensor Flow Shveta Dhamankar News Writer

Anyone at Tech can recognize the image of a Husky without looking too long at it. Sure, some ignorant people might call it a wolf, but no one will mistake it for a pink elephant. A computer on the other hand, will have to sift through millions of images, it will have to discard all but one of these images to decide what the Husky is not, and finally by the process of elimination it will come to long-drawn conclusion

that a specific image represents a husky.

This gets even worse when a computer is asked to recognize activity. The most technologically advanced computers can only go so far as to tell the direction in which the activity is being carried out at that particular moment. Anything more abstract, such as a person walking a husky (or was it a pink elephant) is beyond the domain of the smartest computer.

Over the past five years, the computer has learned a lot of new things. In June 2012, a network of 16,000 computers trained itself to recognize a cat by looking at 10 million images from YouTube videos. This was an experiment

in ‘deep learning’ where a computer was taught an abstract concept.

The computer program was exposed to a large set of raw data over a long period of time that allowed it to discover abstract ideas and concepts. This process of self-learning is now employed in speech- and image-recognition software, several ‘smart’ products, and even selfdriving cars.

The computer has learned and analyzed raw data since its infancy and has now grown into TensorFlow Serving. “[It is the] first serious implementation Continued on page 4

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World Report Daniel Stockard News Writer U.S. strikes IS camps in Libya Air Force F-15 fighter jets struck an ISIS training camp outside the Libyan town of Sabratha last Friday, killing about 40 militants. The strike was intended to take out Noureddine Chouchane, a Tunisian who is believed to have organized the killings at the National Bardo Museum in Tunis last March and at a resort in Sousse last June. Those attacks left 70 people dead.

The airstrikes demonstrate the growing concern that Libya is becoming more of a safe-haven for the terrorist group, partly because there are two weak regional governments vying for control of the country. However, American officials are stressing that the strikes do not represent a lasting escalation of involvement in the country.

Former Polish president faces new allegations Lech Walensa was the leader of the Solidarity movement that helped to bring about the end of communism in Poland, and later served as the country’s president from 1990-1995.

However, new documents have come to light that seem to indicate that the president served as an informant for the communist regime from 1970 to 1976. This is not the first time such accusations have been made against him; a special court that took place in 2000 investigated the issue but did not find enough evidence to conclude he was. The latest documents were recovered by the widow of General Czeslaw Kiszczak, who had held on to many Communist-era documents for unknown reasons. Ironically, General Kiszczak had been responsible for suppressing the Solidarity movement in 1981.

No cessation of hostilities in Syria It looked as if the international community had been handed a rare diplomatic victory when world powers agreed to a “cessation of hostilities” to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid in Syria. However, there has been no appreciable de-escalation in the country over the past week; Russia and the Syrian government have not let up on the intensity of their airstrikes. If anything, the violence has escalated, with Turkey recently shelling Kurdish forces in northern Syria. The lack of positive action has left citizens of Syria skeptical about the international community’s commitment to helping end the conflict.

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Thursday, February 25

NEWS

New Tech Logo Reveal

Official Husky Statue Reveal Oct. 13, 2015.

Jacob Striebel News Writer Last week on Wednesday, Feb. 17, Michigan Tech’s re-envisioned logo was displayed publicly for the first time. The logo was shown as part of a presentation given by Ian Repp, the director of University Marketing and Communications, to the Undergraduate Student Government Wednesday night.

This new branding of the University has been in the works for a number of months, and the logo’s rollout has begun to be anticipated across campus. The new logo is a departure from MTU’s current thick, gold “Michigan Tech” wordmark, and will be revealed officially on Friday, Feb. 26 at 1:30 p.m. in the library.

Over the course of Michigan Tech’s

Courtesy of MTU Lode

history, the school has represented itself symbolically with a number of logos. According to Repp, a logo is a representation of a school’s identity, and in order to effectively sell the University, an MTU logo needs to have the “versatility to be presented cleanly in different situations.” The newest iteration of the Tech logo seeks to accomplish this with its innovative new design. While the current logo is limited to only the “Michigan Tech” wordmark, the new version incorporates the iconic element of a silhouetted husky with 1885 – the year of the University’s founding – at its feet. The new logo also retains a wordmark; however, it is lengthened to the university’s full name, “Michigan Technological University,” and the type is thinner and angular.

One of the central points in Repp’s presentation was the ability of the new

logo’s iconic element to provide cohesion across a wide range of applications. The single logo icon will exist for all University departments and organizations, but specific groups may be allowed to have an altered wordmark on their logo to represent themselves as a distinct, constituent part of the University. Also, the fact that the logo’s husky silhouette is a depiction of the Husky Statue near the center of campus is hoped to be a unifying concept of the logo’s design University Marketing plans to have the new logo, more or less fully adopted in two years. Beginning on Friday, Feb. 26, after the official unveiling, a pilot period for early adoption will begin and run through the end of the summer. During this period – or at least at its start – the logo assets will not be available for download, but Marketing would like to work individually with any organizations on campus that would like switch over sooner rather than later. Moving into the fall, the logo will be further distributed and there will be a “hard launch” at the beginning of 2017.

During the question and answer portion of Repp’s presentation, students both on USG and in the audience spoke in tones of support for the logo asking questions about when their student orgs could adopt and when the logo’s presence on campus would begin to be visible.

University Marketing is also working on a replacement for Michigan Tech’s current spirit mark, the Piano Husky (“piano” being in reference to its neck pattern). This new logo for MTU athletics is planned for release in upcoming months and is intended to work together with the new University wide logo to promote an image of MTU analogous to the quality of a Michigan Tech education.

Google Tensor Flow Continued from page 3

of a framework for ‘deep learning,’ backed by both [a] very experienced and very capable team at Google,” said Andrej Karpathy, a Ph.D. student at Stanford University who studies machine learning. TensorFlow is at the heart of the Google empire. It is the backbone of the company’s core functions.

A part of this piece of software is now open-sourced and is available for everyone. It can be used and improved by anyone and everyone to deploy machine learning tools to solve a wide range of problems. All this is possible because it has been modelled like a typical human brain. TensorFlow started

out as simple neural network consisting of three nodes. It has now grown into a brain that controls nearly all of Google’s operations. Secondly, it is versatile in the sense that it will work on any machine, although a threshold processing power is required. The kind of machines used by gamers are perfectly compatible with AI powerhouse. The system includes an open source library and a set of tools, tutorials, and examples available for use by any organization under the Apache 2.0 license.

“We won’t be able to build BB-8 or say, have a friendly Terminator roam the streets with us smart humans but it will definitely accelerate the process

of machine learning,” said Utkarsh Mishra, a computer engineering major at Michigan Tech. By human standards, a computer is still pretty dumb. There are instances where a babbling four year old will make more sense of the situation than a state-of-the-art computer.

“Machine learning is still in its infancy.

We have a lot of work ahead of us. But with TensorFlow we’ve got a good start, and we can all be in it together,” Google said about open-sourcing its baby. The machine learning community should now be able to exchange and work on ideas much more quickly, by utilizing the dynamic working code of Tensor Flow rather than just research papers.

Michigan Tech Lode

Election Update Aaron Kostrzewa News Writer The Iowa caucus started the official preliminary voting for the presidential race.

So far, four states have held their caucuses: Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina. Additionally, a few more candidates have dropped out of the race on both sides.

Democratic Update Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have been neck and neck in the caucuses, and since Martin O’Malley just dropped out, it’s only the two of them left. In Iowa, Hillary won with 49.9 percent support, receiving the votes of 23 delegates while Sanders lost by 0.3 percent with 49.6 percent support.

However, in New Hampshire, Bernie won handily with 60.4 percent support. And the latest results from Nevada are that Clinton won by a few points. The Democrats are the only ones who’ve held their caucuses in Nevada.

Despite the race between Secretary of State Clinton and Senator Sanders being so close, both candidates have shown great humility in their victories and losses thus far. With Clinton’s first win in Iowa, Sanders complimented her and also claimed a victory for his campaign, while the same is true when Bernie won in New Hampshire.

The current standing shows Clinton in the lead with 502 delegates while Sanders has 70. While it may seem like Clinton has a commanding lead on Sanders, most of her delegates are superdelegates. They both have an equal number of pledged delegates at 51.

Republican Update The once large field of Republican presidential candidates is dwindling.

With the start of the first caucuses, the candidates were able to see how they stacked up. Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, Rand Paul, Mike Huckabee and Chris Christie have all dropped out recently. Perhaps it was the Iowa caucuses that spurred on the candidates to give up their efforts. Rand Paul received the highest support out of any candidate that recently dropped out with 4.5 percent. Ted Cruz walked away from Iowa with a victory, beating out Donald Trump by a few points. However, in New Hampshire and South Carolina, Trump received far more support than any other candidate. The current Republican standings are: Trump, Cruz, Rubio, Kasich and Carson.

A few more states will hold caucuses in February but fifteen states will hold theirs on “Super Tuesday” or March 1. The name comes from election planners hoping to weed out the candidates by having several states hold their caucuses at once.

NEWS

Michigan Tech Lode

Thursday, February 25 5

Justice dies, Court divided Evan Mayer News Writer The unfortunate death of Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia on Feb. 13 of a heart attack is going to have some interesting implications for our country.

With some high stake cases on the docket, it being an election year, and the continuous bickering between the country’s two main parties, the death of the Justice is going to ensure the highest court in the land is going to be getting plenty of front page space in 2016.

Associate Justice Antonin Scalia on Monday, Oct. 31, 2005. Courtesy of Associated Press

Antonin Scalia first took his seat on the nine-person bench in 1982, when President Ronald Reagan appointed him. During his time on the court, Scalia established himself as being a consistent conservative voter. Losing a conservative

justice worries the Republican Party as President Obama could fill the seat before his term is up in 11 months. This would make Obama the first president since Reagan to fill three seats on the court. The Republicans are saying that the office should be left vacant until the November election to allow the people a say in who should be appointed by the selection of a new president. Since the Senate must confirm the nomination for Supreme Court Justice and the Republicans have the majority, they have the power the block a nomination by Obama.

While the battle for who gets nominated rages on, the Court still has to hear cases and Scalia’s absence could have major implications in decisions.

Following the liberals winning most of the important cases last term, including same sex marriage and Obamacare, it was previously predicted that the conservative agenda would be upheld this term. With cases dealing with abortion rights, affirmative action, and President Obama’s health care and immigration policies currently on the docket, the even division of liberals and conservatives on the court could see the rulings go either way.

Professor Susanna Peters gave an explanation as to why having an even split in the Supreme Court is controversial. “If there is no majority, the Court cannot overturn any appellate decisions. So unless one of the members of the current Court will have a change of heart and mind that will mean the Court of Appeals decisions will stand in these controversial cases, “ Peters said.

One of these controversial cases is Fisher vs. University of Texas at Austin.

Scalia will be especially missed in this case as he played a leading role during the oral arguments. Scalia was also

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quoted as saying “I don’t think it stands to reason that it’s a good thing for the University of Texas to admit as many blacks as possible.” Without his vote, affirmative action is likely to continue to play a part of the college admissions process. Currently the ruling is projected to be 4-3 in favor of the conservatives, as Justice Elena Kagan has recused herself from the case due to serving as the Solicitor General when the Department of Justice filed an amicus curiae brief when the case was pending in the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. This means that the liberals lose a vote in the case.

“If there is no majority, the Court cannot overturn any appellate decisions... the Court of Appeals decisions will stand...”

- Susanna Peters

Another case that will be heard beginning March 2 deals with abortion clinics challenging a state law that imposes tough new restrictions on doctors and facilities. The four conservative and four liberal justices, if they hold true to their voting tendencies, would uphold the Texas law with a tie and would not result in a new national precedent for federal courts to follow as the restrictions would still apply.

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Ronald Reagon nominates Scalia, June 17, 1986.

Courtesy of Associated Press

Similar to the abortion case is a case that deals with religious nonprofits seeking an exemption from the Affordable Care Act’s mandate that employers pay for contraceptives as part of the standard health insurance plans.

The case originally had a good chance of being ruled in favor of the nonprofits with Scalia on the bench, but now the most likely outcome is a 4-4 tie that would leave the “contraceptive mandate” in place.

Finally, there is the upcoming case about Obama’s immigration plan that came from his executive order. The original vote following the case would have been likely 5-4 against the plan.

Without Scalia, the president only needs to convince one conservative justice to vote in favor of his policy in order to have the remainder of his presidency to begin implementing it. There is also the unlikely, but not improbable chance that he could get a liberal justice on the bench before the case is heard in April.

When the new justice does ultimately get nominated and verified by Congress, the hard nose, literal interpretation that Scalia brought to cases will still be missed from the nine justices’ decisions.

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Thursday, February 25

NEWS

Michigan Tech Lode

Where they Stand? Spring Career Fair Continued from page 2

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Celebrages his victory in New Hampshire

Samantha Stein News Writer With primary elections in full swing across the country and with Michigan’s primary just a few weeks away, it’s important to understand just exactly where your favorite candidate stands on today’s relevant issues.

In a recent poll in the New York Times, voters’ responses were compared to candidates’ statements on current issues.

The front-runners for the Republican Party include Donald Trump, Mark Rubio and Ted Cruz polling 33.8, 16.3 and 21.0 percent respectively. For the Democrats, the candidates include Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders with 49.3 and 36.5 percent respectively. Where do these candidates stand on 2016’s major issues?

When it comes to immigration policies, there are essentially four different approaches. Clinton and Sanders both favor a “path to citizenship,” which would allow immigrants in good standing to take steps to become legal citizens. 75 percent of Democratic voters agree with this as well 44 percent of Republican voters. Cruz, among other Republican candidates that have dropped out or are below 10 percent in the polls, believes in a path to stay for immigrants. This is the least popular among both Republican (15 percent) and democratic voters (9 percent). Rubio stands against legalizing undocumented immigrants and Trump wants to deport undocumented immigrants. Deportation is the second most favored stance with 37 percent of Republican voters and 12 percent of Democratic voters.

Gun control has been an issue for a while and is still in the spotlight. Republicans have been fairly uniform in pushing their opposition to gun regulation and new

Courtesy of AP

restrictions. Both Democratic candidates have been fairly vocal about wanting to tighten restrictions on guns. The polls show that Democratic voters and Republican voters tend to agree with their respective parties.

Climate change is quite a controversial issue given that there is still a debate on whether it truly exists or is man made. Clinton and Sanders both support regulations in order to address climate change. 74 percent of the Democratic voters polled agree with Sanders and Clinton’s stance on climate change.

Approximately 53 percent of Republicans also agree. All of front-running Republican candidates doubt that climate change is man-made. 60 percent of Republican voters and 22 percent of Democratic voters doubt climate change as well.

Healthcare has been one of the biggest issues for the candidates to address. It is also an issue that divides Clinton and Sanders. Sanders would like to move to a single payer health care system, which 44 percent of Democrat voters and 9 percent of Republican voters agree with. Clinton would like to keep most of the Affordable Health Care Act. This idea is overall less popular than Bernie Sanders’ approach, although it is more popular with Democrats than the stance that the republican candidates take.

Rubio, Cruz and Trump all would like to get rid of the entire Affordable Health Care Act. 60 percent of Republicans agree with this approach.

When it comes to taxes, Cruz supports a flat tax of 10 percent on all ordinary incomes.

Trump and Rubio however support reducing middle class taxes. Clinton and Sanders both support increasing taxes on the wealthy.

Polls suggest that 84 percent of Democratic voters and 38 percent of Republicans agree with increasing taxes on the wealthy.

Spring Career Fair Feb. 16, 2016

point where you’re comfortable talking to the representatives is really just about coming prepared...,” said Davis. “The first time I came to career fair I was nervous,

“Sometimes companies are actually looking to hire... even though they haven’t listed any interest in my major.”

- Timothy Judge

the second time I came to career fair I was nervous, the third time it was just normal.”

Surrounding career fair are several support features offered by Career Services, which most students are aware of, but often overlook. Dylaina Fiebing, a senior in chemical engineering who is looking for a full time job, is confident that there are many employers that are interested in her major. “36 to 40 companies were looking for Chemical Engineers,” said Fiebing. Having

Courtesy of Sarah Bird

been to some four or five fairs already, Fiebing believes her chances will be better this time around. Competition is tough though, and Fiebing explained that she also attended “Resume Blitz,” a resume building workshop offered by career services in the days before the fair.

Timothy Judge is a second year scientific and technical communications major at his third career fair. “I walked up to a lot of booths and they didn’t even know that my major was a thing here, but usually when I start to talk to them they understand that it’s a position they actually have a need for in their company.” Judge said he hadn’t seen Professor Bergstrom at the door, but explained how he networks through what Bergstrom calls “pushing in a good way,” a talent all non-engineering majors at Tech should master to get the most from career fair. “Sometimes companies are actually looking to hire someone full time for these positions, even though they haven’t listed any interest in my major.” Judge isn’t looking for any position this summer, but hopes to use a future career fair to find a position with a major company like Target.

Even though no two career fairs are the same, they all follow a sort of template.

Businesses come to Michigan Tech looking for the best and brightest (Engineers and otherwise). Michigan Tech students clean themselves up, dress for success, and go out to meet the future.

Michigan Tech Lode

PULSE

Big City Jazz Amy Joy Patterson Lode Writer

The Orpheum Theater is the kind of place that exudes exclusivity. Tucked in the back of Studio Pizza, it is a hidden gem of worldliness in a sleepy town of homogeneous culture. Sitting at a table in the dimly lit and crowded space of The Orpheum Theater evokes the feeling that one’s most sophisticated alter ego might emerge at any given time. Compound the smooth atmosphere of The Orpheum with the fluid flow of jazz, and what do you get? The perfect show.

That is exactly what was delivered on Friday, Feb. 19, as local favorites Mike Irish and Mike Christianson teamed up with internationally acclaimed jazz musician Scott Robinson to bring the class of the big city to the Upper Peninsula.

While a variety of instruments were used throughout the show, primarily, Irish played guitar while Christianson and Robinson focused on brass instruments.

“We musicians inhabit our own little dreams of beautiful shapes and forms and colors,” Robinson said during the show.

“We try to bring those dreams to life for you through music.”

Robinson, a resident of New Jersey, is no stranger to long-distance travel for the sake of his craft. In 2001, after being named a “jazz ambassador” by the U.S. State Department, Robinson took a tour through West Africa during which he played the early works of Louis Armstrong. He has worked with artists such as John Scofield, Ella Fitzgerald and Elton John. Two of his recordings have received Grammy Awards.

“It’s always a thrill to work with Scott,” said Mike Christianson, Director of Bands at Michigan Tech. “I used to live in New York and I played with him there.”

In reference to Christianson, Robinson said, “We lost a treasure in New York and you gained one in the Upper Peninsula.”

The two have been friends for many years.

This is not difficult to imagine as the two seemed to share a singularly silly sense of humor while on stage.

Mike Irish, unlike Christianson or Robinson, has a softer stage presence that can only be described as soothingly subtle. His speech is comforting in its lilt; his musical style is relaxed and

Thursday, February 25

unassuming. The soft strums of his guitar blended readily with the louder brass instruments. As Michigan Tech’s Director of Jazz Studies, Irish is perfectly familiar with the intricacies involved in creating an infallible jazz trio.

“I like being an accompanist,” Irish said. “If I’m doing my job right, people shouldn’t notice me.”

While the time may have passed to see Scott Robinson live in HoughtonHancock, there are no shortage of opportunities to watch the performances of Mike Irish and Mike Christianson. The duo will once again be playing in The Orpheum Theater on March 11 along with several other artists in an early celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, in which Irish music of many genres will be performed. (Yes, that means that Mike Irish will be playing Irish music.)

The musical contributions of Mike Irish and Mike Christianson can also be witnessed from time to time in the Rozsa Theater. Mike Irish directs the Jazz Lab Band and Mike Christianson directs the Superior Wind Symphony. Sometimes, those big city vibes are closer than you think.

February Film Hype: The Aftermath

Amanda McCuistion Lode Writer

As this month draws nearly to a close, I’d like to take a moment to look back on the topic of an earlier article I wrote and to reflect upon said topic’s potential impact on the future of the film industry.

That’s right: This is another “Deadpool” article.

Already the biggest X-Men movie ever, the movie “Deadpool” pulled in a whopping $132 million on the weekend release on its own. With a total global earning of more than $490 million as of February 22nd, this film is certainly on the fast track to becoming one of the most successful R-rated movies that there have ever been. Despite the significant amounts of vulgarity and violence, being the first R-rated X-Men film to have been produced, it’s not only the highest ranked movie within its franchise; it’s

also been topping the box office, despite all the other films being shown, for more than an entire week straight.

This film was, very obviously, not a family-friendly one. However, due to its ridiculous amount of success so far, it may start a new trend in the film industry itself. For at least the first portion of this decade and probably extending into years before that, there have been an overwhelming amount of movies that get the label of PG-13 slapped onto them. An informal survey

by TheWrap of the relationship between ratings and box office revealed that films rated R delivered about half of what the films rated PG and PG-13 did at the box office, and because of this it’s easy to see why producers would aim for these categories instead of going for that R rating.

Another prime example of exactly how easy it is to make kid-friendly movies that rise to the top of the charts can be

found by taking a look at the top ten films of 2013. Movies with PG-13 ratings accounted for six of 2013’s top ten films: of the remaining four, two were PG-rated and two: Disney’s “Monsters University” and Universal’s ‘Despicable Me 2” were both G-rated. Making films that are easier to show to children, however, isn’t the only path to success, as Fox’s “Deadpool” continues to prove.

Perhaps this is the start of a film trend that we likely haven’t seen in a long while: the rise in popularity and profit of blatantly R-rated movies. While this is doubtful, especially given that it’ll be a major challenge for any other film to rise to the caliber that “Deadpool” has reached, it could certainly still be an interesting pattern to look out for. Until we can tell for certain whether or not this movie has kicked off any minor - or major- changes in the film industry, all we can say is that only time will tell.

7

What’s Hot

Box Office Blockbusters “Deadpool” held onto its top spot, with a remarkable $56 million weekend adding to its success. Already one of the highest grossing R rated movies of all time, it can only get better from here for the Merc with a Mouth.

Also refusing to lose its place in the lineup is “Kung Fu Panda 3” as it rounds out its fourth weekend with a nearly $13 million gain.

Finally, the premiere of the new Sony Christian movie “Risen” brought in almost $12 million. A feat made more impressive by its paltry $20 million budget.

Billboard Top 100 The hot new hit single “Work” takes Rihanna all the way to the top. Featuring Drake, this is the fourth week on the charts for the song.

Dethroned but not dead, Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself ” has held on after being knocked to the number two spot even after 14 weeks on the chart.

Rounding out the top three comes “Stressed Out” by Twenty One Pilots.

This is a fall from its number two position last week, but respectable in week 24 of being on the air.

The New York Times Education Best Seller list “I am Malala” is, perhaps a touch unsurprisingly, the memoirs of Malala Yousafzi, the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in history. She tells her story here, as a teenaged girl fought against the Taliban for her right to receive an education.

Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein’s “They Say / I Say” is more than just another rhetoric textbook. It’s simple explanation and demonstration of the presented ideas allows for easy integration into everyday life.

By Pat Conroy, “The Water is Wide” is a beautiful account of his time spent in a small island community. The lessons learned there and the beauty that he found in the world are present in this fantastic combination of an educational novel and a real world drama.

HOW do you think we did?

WHAT did we miss?

ANYTHING you think we need to cover?

Know that you could do it better?

E-mail: amrhodes@mtu.edu

8

Michigan Tech Lode

Casino Night at DHH Ballroom!

Sumit Bongir Lode Writer Let’s face it, you have watched Ocean’s Eleven and want to go through that lucrative gambling experience? You think that you can outsmart the dealer in blackjack, or beat the odds on the roulette wheel? Wait no further, the MUB board has organized a casino night just for people like you, who want to experience the gambling jubilation without losing any money! Yes, you play absolutely free, yet stand a chance of winning prizes if you are able to congregate a set of chips from the house. Mark your calendar for this roller coaster ride at the DHH Ballroom on Thursday evening from seven until nine in the evening.

Stephen Krease, the Fun and Games Chair for the MUB Board, gives more details on the event, “Anyone who wants to be a part of this event needs to swipe in their Huskycard. They would then be given a bag filled with chips worth $300.

They are free to gamble with them at the various game tables we have set up with the hope of earning more chips. We have blackjack, Texas hold ‘em, roulette and craps set up around the ballroom for the students to try their luck. For every $200 worth of chips, they can cash those

A chance to help out the local community: Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser

T

PULSE

Thursday, February 25

in for a raffle ticket for a chance to win the various prizes we have set up. There would be plenty of snacks and cupcakes to energize the enthusiastic gamblers.

The prizes include a slot machine, a crock pot, and various gift cards. The Inertia Funk and Fusion Band will also be playing throughout the event to bring a wonderful jazz atmosphere! The only thing we expect from the students is for them to dress their best in order to complement the ambience!”

... Blackjack is the most popular casino game.

For beginners, blackjack is the most popular casino game. The player competes with the dealer instead of other players with an objective of getting 21 points in the first two cards. The rules get complicated, but the gist of it is that neither the player nor the dealer should go over 21 points, but be closest to 21. Texas hold ’em is a variation of the standard card game of poker with an objective of

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

obtaining the best five card poker hand.

Two cards are dealt to each player and five community cards are dealt in three stages; the players can choose to form their five card poker hand using some or all of the community cards. There are a variety of player options like check, call, raise and fold. Roulette takes its name from the French word meaning little wheel, and is a major casino game throughout the U.S. A croupier spins the roulette wheel in one

direction, and then spins the ball in the opposite direction, around a circular tilted track running around the wheel. The ball after some time loses its momentum and eventually falls into one of the 38 pockets of the wheel. Players place bets on the pocket being red or black, or a particular number, or even whether that would be odd or even number. Craps is a dice game involving the players making wagers on the outcome of a dice roll.

“You can’t go wrong with this play.”

the Tech Theatre Company does not disappoint in their performance with this excellent script. Lines are delivered with vigor and emotion in a way that brilliantly contrasts from the situational and character comedy. The costumes and other technical pieces were also resoundingly well done, with believable incarnations of the characters and a somewhat minimal but ultimately fulfilling representation of the Nice People Dancing to Good Country Music Bar. Whether you’re a fan of the Tech Theatre Company, would like to support students doing what they love, or even just want a good laugh or two during a fun evening show, you can’t go wrong with this play. Showtimes will be repeating for this week from 7:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. on each night from Thursday until Saturday. “Nice People Dancing to Good Country Music” is a great play, and it’s being made by great people.

Nice People Dancing to Good Country Music Aric Rhodes

Laura Miller

Pulse Editor

CLK Rotarian

It’s always a treat to see the Tech Theatre Company put on a performance, and their rendition of “Nice People Dancing to Good Country Music” by Lee Blessing was no exception. Running on their standard schedule of Thursday through Saturday evenings for two weeks, this isn’t a hard show to fit into an agenda either. Without a doubt, it was well worth finding a way to watch.

This play was first brought to the public stage by a certain Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, a famed place that has been home to many successful actors early in their careers. From there, the play has spread around to national performances and beyond. In all, it is a well written and sharply made comedy that still boasts the script work to keep audiences reeling.

he Calumet-Laurium-Keweenaw Rotary Club is hosting a spaghetti dinner fundraiser on Feb 27 from four until seven in the evening to benefit its scholarship program. The dinner takes place at the Siskiwit Reception Hall (next to Erickson Crowley Peterson Funeral Home) and will feature a dessert table of assorted baked goods. Beer and wine will be available for purchase. Tickets are $10 and free for children 5 and younger. The CLK Rotary Club annually awards two scholarships to students from Calumet and/or Lake Linden-Hubbell High Schools to students pursuing associate degrees or technical training.

Roulette is one of the many games to be at the Casino Night.

The story is that of Eve Wilfong, who lives above the play’s titular bar. She is visited by Catherine Empanger, her niece.

Catherine, a novice nun, was made to leave her convent for her eccentricities.

When Roy, a simple man of the bar, sets his sights on Catherine regardless of her nun status, this is the last ingredient needed for the recipe that this play excels with.

Fun and hilarious situations follow, with a vein of legitimacy and romance running throughout which lend an air of peculiarity to the whole of the play.

As they have consistently in the past,

Michigan Tech Lode

PULSE

Thursday, February 25

Career Fair Spring 2016

9

Photos courtesy of University Marketing and Communication

10

Thursday, February 25

COMICS

Michigan Tech Lode

PYTHON FLAG ENABLE THREE LAWS Comic courtesy of XKCD

CLASSIFIEDS WRITERS WANTED: We are currently hiring writers for every section the newspaper: news, pulse, sports and opinion. A great resume builder.

Please contact The Michigan Tech Lode at lodesubmit@mtu.edu or by calling 906-487-2404.

BUSINESS MANAGER WANTED: We are currently looking for a financially literate student to fill in the business manager position.

Please contact The Michigan Tech Lode at lodesubmit@mtu.edu or by calling 906-487-2404.

Did the Associate Do a Good Job Understanding Your Needs as a Person Who Doesn’t Think This Whole Survey System Is Fair to the Associate? Why or Why Not?

GAZETTE APARTMENTS Very nice 2 BDRM APARTMENTS located across the street from the Library Bar within walking distance to MTU and downtown Houghton.

Secure building, on site manager, laundry facilities, plowed parking and garbage pick-up. Heat and water included. Rent $520-670 Call: (906) 231-4385.

Email lodeads@mtu.edu for information about placing a classified ad.

A horny scientist read T-Rex’s book and was like, wow, now I’m frustrated in TWO distinct ways

PUZZLES

Puzzles Edited by Will Shortz

AWESOME!

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52 Political opponent

Puzzles Online: Today’s puzzle and more than 9,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). For the daily puzzle commentary: nytimes.com/wordplay.

Mobile crosswords: nytimes.com/mxword

89 Cooler unit 90 Kicks off 91 Sustains 92 Writing implement

from Planters?

97 ____-repeated 98 Lover of Radames, in opera 99 Feature of the Tokyo Imperial Palace 100 Greenland natives 103 Carol Brady on “The Brady Bunch,” e.g.

106 Supporting actors in a Bea Arthur sitcom?

112 Up on deck 113 Legendary lover of Abelard 114 Blake who composed “I’m Just Wild About Harry” 115 Crossed the sill 116 Border disputer with Ethiopia 117 Works as a trader DOWN

2/23/2016

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employer of Helen Thomas, in brief 8 Rangers’ org.

9 Was in charge 10 Fight of the Century loser 11 Egocentric tyrant 12 Fired up

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people up?

14 “____ vobiscum”

(Mass salutation)

15 Toy dog’s bark 16 Like iceberg

lettuce

17 Visibly amazed 18 Word with parking

or postage 19 What the Olympic sport of skeleton involves 24 Highly successful 28 Like the Mesopotamian people 31 Writing assignment 32 Ethylene ____ 33 Tailor’s supply 34 Community leader?

35 Bernina, for one 36 One of the so-called “Public Ivies” 37 Nonstop 38 Shower accessory 39 Trick questions, e.g.

40 Do data entry 43 Roughly removed 44 Common pay period

2/23/2016

February 23, 2016

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Mary Lou Guizzo / Edited by Will Shortz

ACROSS 25 1 The Beatles' first single, 1962 28 627Cold-shoulder 10 Not fight all-out 14 1951 #1 Mario Lanza35 hit with lyrics written by 36-Down 41 19 Containing element #56 20 Jerry-rigging material 44 21 Musical lead-in to -smith 22 "See ya!"

2351 Inappropriate 24 Kind of arch 25 Pelvic bones 56 57 26 Watch 10 episodes in a row, say 27 Circulates 29 Comment accompanying 66 "That's your problem, not mine" 70 31 Romantic date 33 Belittled 75 76 77 37 Scapegoat for the Fab Four breakup 3882___ criminal 43 "Enough!," in Ensenada 44 Mil. authority 47 One waiting in line at an airport?

50 Get back together, as 57-Acrosses 97 51 Camera feature 52 Apprise 100 54 Took a chance 56 Make a splash 110 57108 See109 50-Across 58 Big dipper 59 Some old Harper's Bazaar covers 60 Bananas 61 1994 Oscar- and Grammy-winning song for Elton John 65 45 Cinephile's Programchannel with 66 Ones plugsdoing needlework?

67 Here, on une carte 46 Smooth Heavenly 68 overpainting?

47 Much Viscount’s 71 I.R.S. mail 72 1990s-2000s superior tennis nicknamed "The 48 champ Deteriorate Punisher" 51 Hit Comma, 75 song titleto foran Bob oratorWhitesnake and Marley, 54 Survivor Food sticker 77 Symptoms 55 2010 Finishes alltop at 10 78 R. Kelly once, in a way album 79 some care 56 Like Some people 81 Basic ones are above 7 movers 82 Eyes impolitely

57 One on the web at

83 G.M.'s Mary Barra, for one 85 Opposite of vert.

86 29 1990 #1 hit for Mariah Carey 3693 1967 #1 hit for Lulu 100 One of two circuit court characters?

101 Quiet coastal spot 103 Spirited horse 45 46 47 48 104 Foreign currency unit worth about a third of a 52 dollar 105 Relative of ecru 58 106 Where Pamplona is located 107 Overrule 62 108 Breast implant filler 109 Inflate 110 Former telecom giant 111 The pack in71a six-pack 72 112 "Well, whaddya know!"

113 Bad beginning?

78 114 Eyes impolitely 115 Court call 116 83 Mars from the vantage 2/16/2016 point of Earth, e.g.

88 117 Hindu honorific 118 Comedian Poehler 119 Approximates 91 120 Shogun capital 121 Where there may be openings in the medical field?

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DOWN 1 Insect also called111 a honeymoon fly 2 Stable locks?

114 3 Q.E.F. part 4 Showy ballroom moves 117 5 A piano has seven of them 6 Bar fixture 7 ___ Tribunal 808Guitar part Wharton's sch.

829Classico Must 10competitor Declined 11 Martinique volcano 83 Posh shop 12 Met expectations?

85 thrower 13Flag Explorer Amundsen 14Hung Commemorative 86 out with the Yevtushenko poem riffraff 15 Change one's story?

87 Gift that may be 16 Ho Chi ___ City 2/16/2016 17gold-plated One seeking enlightenment 88 Gave off 18 6-0 90 Rub the wrong way 28 "Sweet!"

92 30Social Femalestratum W.W. II enlistee 32Make Smitten 93 advances

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Sudoku - Puzzles and Games - NYTimes.com

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33 Soldier from Down 73 Antarctica's Amundsen Sudoku — Medium February 16, 2016 Under ___ 34 When doubled, an old 74 N.Y.C. subway line 76 2003 Hugh Grant college cry 35 Totals romantic comedy 36 See 14-Across 78 Rick, Ilsa and Victor, in 39 Copy "Casablanca" 40 Kirk Douglas, Robert 80 Hawaiian Airlines extra 82 It has three dashes in Wagner and Gregory Peck, for Frank Sinatra the middle 41 Methuselah's father 84 Head of Olympus?

42 Transplant 85 Spectacularly disordered 44 Skill sort 45 Like some stud piercings 86 Serenades, e.g.

46 X's 87 Like each line of an eye 47 Turns at high speed chart vis-à-vis the one 48 Aesthetes above 49 Borscht base 88 ___ Kosygin, longtime 52 ___-ray Soviet premier 53 What's the point of 89 Nickelodeon's "Kenan & marking things? ___" 54 Renders harmless, as a 90 Perplexity 91 Follower of live or down bull 55 Brit. honor 92 Bring to a boil 62 Amor vincit ___ 93 Come-on 63 Sending a child to 94 Risqué, say 95 Silently greet military camp, say Sudoku - Puzzles Games - NYTimes.com 64 River to the Gulf of 96 andBasketball Hall-of-Famer Guinea Hank Sudoku Hard February 16, 2016 68 97 Rant ___—Tin Tin 69 Reverse of WNW 98 Hold, as secret feelings 70 Summer hrs.

99 Tryst sites 72 Resembling 102 Bizet priestess

4 5 3

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toward daybreak?

94 No slouch 60 Strong punch 95 Instance of 61 Figure forgetfulness 62 Geological sample 96 Pool cue maker’s http://www.nytimes.com/crosswords/game/sudoku/medium tool 64 Inclusions in safer 97 Vowel’s value in passwords: Abbr.

Scrabble 65 Rose 100 Impression 67 Like Derby 101 Bass instrument entrants 68 Garr of “Tootsie” 102 Set ____ (embark) 104 I.S.S. forerunner 69 Game with a 64-square board 105 Pindaric composition 71 Tanker mishap 72 Eastwood’s role on 107 New Haven student “Rawhide” 108 Vocabulaire entry 75 Specifically 109 Intangible quality 76 Augural observations 110 Expend 77 Johnny Bench’s 111 ____ Peres (St. Louis team suburb)

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Sudoku - Puzzles and Games - NYTimes.com

February 23, 2016

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Sudoku - Puzzles and Games - NYTimes.com

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Sudoku — Medium

3 6

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KenKen

Rules: A) You must fill in the boxes in each row and column with the numbers 1 to 6. Do not repeat a number in any row or column.

B) The areas of the grid with dark outlines around them are called cages. At the top left of each cage is a target number and operation.

This means that the numbers in the cage must use that operation 1 to total that number.

Hint: Look for cages that are around just one box. The target number will have no operation symbol.

8

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1 Regression 2 Wallachian prince

who inspired “Dracula” 3 “The Bridges of Madison County” setting 4 Her fans are called Little Monsters 5 Smart 6 Drubbing

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of Ike 53 Guy Fawkes Day mo.

54 Brother, in equipment Brittany 20 Balloon 55 Like many food 21 Shakespeare drive offerings character who says “Good night, 58 Showing signs of age ladies; good night, sweet ladies; good 59 Utilized night, good night” 61 Sealant used by 22 “Wet look” NASA? product 63 Viscount’s inferior 23 Burlesque theater? 65 “Quit talking!”

25 Make amends for 66 Centurion weapon 26 Bathed in the sun 67 B-roll from 27 Toothy turner “Splendor in the Grass”?

29 Exceeded a limit 70 Formal 30 Group engagement 73 It’s divided into nine circles 31 Moviegoers who can’t afford 74 Shutterbugs’ concession stand settings snacks?

75 2014 Cooperstown 37 Killers at sea inductee Joe 40 Prepared for 78 Certain H&R takeoff Block worker 41 Class with 79 DuPont creation of derivatives, briefly 1941 42 Bad kid’s 81 Creator of plot Christmas tree? holes?

44 Loses 82 Ardent lover 49 Old Testament 83 Can of worms? prophet 84 Broke up 50 Page views?

87 Owners of large enthusiastic dogs?

51 “Eldorado” poet

Sudoku

6

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By Patrick Berry

ACROSS 1 Harmful aspects 6 Go long 13 Surveillance

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Thursday, February 25 11

2/21/16

Michigan Tech Lode

2 5

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http://www.nytimes.com/crosswords/game/sudoku/hard

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Check us out on: Facebook & Twitter

1/1

Thursday, February 25

Debate:

12

OPINION

Michigan Tech Lode

Would Bernie Sanders make a good president?

Pro: Peter Nouhan News Editor

?

Con: Aaron Kostrzewa Lode Writer

OPENING STATEMENT

ROUND 1

With the election period fast approaching and the variety of candidates ever so great, some may find it difficult to select the best candidate. Each candidate has their strengths and weaknesses, some more apparent than others. While many may agree that some candidates deserve to be president, the question is: Would Bernie Sanders make a good president?

Bernie Sanders is a rebel. He wants to take on the Wall Street Banks whose greed and excessive risk taking led to millions of Americans losing their jobs, their savings, and their homes. He thinks that it is unacceptable that America’s most profitable corporations pay almost nothing in federal income taxes and that corporate CEOs often have an effective tax rate which is lower than their secretaries. Furthermore, Sanders wants to tax risky Wall Street speculators and use the tax revenue to make public colleges and universities tuition free throughout the country. To tackle the health care crisis in America, Sanders plans to create a universal single-payer system and give the government the power to negotiate fair drug prices. Today Americans pay more for lower quality care than our European counterparts. Sanders is also one of the only candidates running for president that recognizes the seriousness of climate change and that immediate and aggressive action is necessary.

ROUND 3

Americans are infected by an existential fear. We believe that our values are constantly under attack, that closing our borders to new ideas and new people will somehow benefit us. America is not the greatest country in the world, and arguably it never was. We were a social experiment from the beginning; the first federal democracy. The primary institution that has made America great is our openness to migrants and unpopular ideologies. We are a safe haven to the oppression of the freedoms of thought and expression. The only way that America can continue to be a world leader is if it constructs a more egalitarian society. One that can guarantee basic health care, a quality education and a livable wage to its citizens and newcomers who are eager to contribute to building our society. This is entirely achievable and is not as superfluous as some think. Isn’t it more superfluous that our government is spending $600 billion on our military each year, which is 5 times what we spend on Medicaid and more than 10 times what we spend on education?

While I do feel college is too expensive, making it free is not the solution. Student debt isn’t fun to have, but it helps motivate students to get the most out of their education. Furthermore, Bernie Sanders’ free college would work great in an ideal world, but not America. Since college would be free, many more students would attend universities, decreasing the number of young adults in the workforce and lowering the standards of universities. The U.S. would have more students pursuing education in degrees that are difficult to employ, which isn’t bad, but students need a plan for why they are pursuing their current degree. Lastly, higher education contributes to a white collar mentality; we will have many more manual labor jobs available since one with a bachelor’s degree is likely to think he or she is overqualified for a blue collar job. A much better alternative to free college is finding ways to make college more affordable and encouraging high schoolers to attend trade schools so they have employable skills.

ROUND 2

The education system in this country has been corrupted by greed. The best colleges in America (Harvard, Yale, University of Michigan, etc.) have accumulated tens of billions of dollars in large endowments. They spend more money per student on developing their sports programs then they do on academic ones. And yet these same colleges are asking us to pay more for tuition each year. American colleges are in the business of making money.

If anything, completely subsidizing education would eliminate the intense competition that schools engage in to win over prospective students. They would have no choice but to pour their funds into developing academic programs, thereby making these programs more accessible and affordable to everyone. Additionally, college affords an opportunity to escape the orthodoxy of our parents, to become independent and skeptical thinkers. If we want a more egalitarian society then we need to help people to obtain this opportunity for personal advancement. Don’t we want more engaged citizens in our democracy?

Bernie is a very appealing candidate upon first glance: free college, free healthcare, $15/ hr minimum wage and legalizing marijuana. As a Democratic Socialist, Senator Sanders wants to take the responsibilities that citizens should be able to take care of on their own, and put those responsibilities in the hands of the government. Take healthcare for example; if the government takes control, then it will increase the regulations for how doctors must practice, often leading to superfluous tests and expenses. More regulations lead to an overall increase in healthcare spending, which will eventually come back to taxpayers. And if you think America’s top 1 percent of income earners are going to pay for all of Bernie’s promises, consider the fact that these people have the best accountants working for them. They will find every way legally possible to avoid paying those taxes.

After all, if you worked extremely hard to make it to the top, would you want to give almost half your income, as Bernie is proposing, to the government?

If America wasn’t an extremely desirable place to live, or at least at one point it was, then we wouldn’t see millions of people trying to migrate here. The U.S. is and was such a great country because we strove for independence, the free market and capitalism.

Having the most powerful military in the world allows us to do so without fear of other countries controlling us. If we were to reallocate even half of our military budget towards Senator Sanders’ $18 trillion increase in government spending over the next ten years, it’d hardly make a difference. As one of my friends put it, if you want free college, free food, free housing and job training, join the military. As the famous JFK quote goes, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” In conclusion, I believe Senator Sanders would not make a good president because his socialist America will contribute entitlement mentality, instead of encouraging Americans to continue the tradition of hard work towards the American Dream.

Michigan Tech Lode

OPINION

Thursday, February 25 13

Tattoos, piercings and employability Un Phillip Bourgeois Lode Writer

Bank and see all of the tellers in their nice, blue and grey suits. That looks professional and trustworthy. Again, this goes back to stereotypes of people with tattoos being mean, but in as something small as attire, they lost a potential customer.

There are many people who automatically assume that people with tattoos are mean and tough, and I don’t blame them because the media propagates these messages, and that is the reason why I wouldn’t hire them into a professional position.

Personally, I think it’s unprofessional, and while a piercing or tattoo doesn’t affect a person’s ability to perform, it does affect the customer’s comfortability with the employee. Will tattoos become the norm in companies? Probably. I think that when our generation is the dominant generation, tattoos will be seen as a more acceptable look in the workplace. But as for now, while the baby boomers are our employers, my virgin skin will enjoy that position, and well, for you, it could be worse.

Suffering Unheard: Male Victims of Domestic Abuse Amy Joy Patterson Lode Writer Western society demands a lot of a man.

It demands that he provide for his family, that he put the lives of women and children before his own and that he keep his mouth firmly shut when he is in pain. These expectations are both unfair to men as individuals and detrimental to the society as a whole; yet, they linger in the modern age as dusty relics from a time when gender roles were necessarily binding. They contribute to a culture of silence surrounding men’s issues and they obscure the truth about abuse.

“The majority of domestic abuse victims overall happen to be male.”

While it is true that women are more likely to suffer severe or life-threatening instances of domestic abuse by a margin of about 20 percent, according to the Center for Disease Control, the majority of domestic abuse victims overall happen to be male. Personally, this statistic shocked me. Of course, I realized that men could be victims of abuse just as easily as women could, but to discover that men actually make up the majority of domestic abuse victims seemed to me to be some sort of sick joke. I have never heard of a

battered men’s support group or a shelter for men victimized by domestic abuse. (In fact, this concept is so foreign in our society that Google is suggesting that I change the phrase “battered men’s” to “battered women’s.”)

So, what gives? If men make up the majority of domestic abuse victims, why are we blind to their plight?

One might be quick to point fingers at the increasing popularity of feminism, but this is merely a correlation, not causation.

In reality, the feminist movement abhors gender inequality of any kind -- even when it does not negatively affect women.

Misandrists, on the other hand, who frequently mislabel themselves as feminists despite their staunchly alternative views on gender inequality, are more likely to find the new trend in domestic violence acceptable.

To reiterate: feminism and misandry are two distinctly different movements with two distinctly different views on domestic violence toward men.

Unfortunately, the reason for general ignorance about the place of men in discussions about domestic abuse is twofold. It boils down to the idea that being beaten by a women is humiliating. That assertion suggests that women are feeble and generally incapable of causing damage, meaning that any man who is injured by a woman must be, in contrast, even weaker than the powerless woman. Frankly, it is sexist toward everyone. It is antiquated and incorrect. It is about time we abolish the idea that being “hit by a girl” does not hurt. A fist is a fist. The genitalia of the attacker does not change that.

Ultimately, the only way we can solve this problem is by “normalizing” the narrative

Photo depicting domestic abuse on a male

Photo courtesy of Jessica Perez

of domestic abuse perpetrated against men.

If we can convince people that this is a common, everyday issue, we can convince them to provide resources for the victims. As long as we continue to believe that domestic abuse does not happen to men, we will not be able to help those in need. After all, who would pour resources into a problem that no one can see?

Although the vast majority of domestic abuse hotlines and counseling services are marketed toward women and children, truthfully, the only thing that prevents a man from utilizing these resources is his own unwillingness to admit to being victimized.

To all men reading this who have suffered domestic abuse, let it be known that you are not weak. You are not less of a man for being hit by a woman. There is nothing wrong with you. You can call The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), you can visit http://www.thehotline. org/help/, or you can reach out through Counseling Services. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you get the help you deserve. Male or female, no person is a punching bag.

LODE

ing

ZONE

Both of my parents own successful businesses, and I hope to own my own, or bum one of theirs off of them, so this article also serves as a letter to my future employees: don’t have tattooed faces and obscure piercings if you want a professional job within my business. While I was wasting my life away on Facebook, I came across an article about this topic. I Instantly snapped out of my anti-social mode and started complaining to my roommate and his girlfriend.

Across the country, people with extreme piercings and visible tattoos are wanting to move up in the corporate world, jumping from McDonald’s former cashier to CEO, One thing stops them in their tracks and that is the tattooed tear drops in the corner of their eye. The article I read talked about how people with extreme tattoos and

piercings did not like that they were not getting corporate positions. Should this be an allowable act of discrimination? As someone who will someday own their own business, I would want my employees to look professional. I think, the infinity tattoo is an acceptable, visible tattoo, so when I say extreme tattoo I mean ones similar to Satan crawling up your arm spitting fire onto a naked man who is eating an apple. Don’t get me wrong, I do not look at tattooed people and automatically think that they are mean, I know that they are regular people too, but in a company setting, tattoos are unacceptable.

When customers come into my future company and talk to my employees, they will be the first line of judgement. For example, I don’t like credit unions, solely because in the majority of credit unions in my hometown the attire of the employee is very casual, and even though I know they are just as good as any other bank, I will not bank there. For myself, and some of my friends, We prefer to walk into Chase

Shan Amarnani

As the first wave of exams are passing, many of us are finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Some of us may be rethinking the decisions made the night before exams maybe even our life choices but the important thing to remember is that if one truly wants something, no barrier should be able to stop them from achieving whatever it is they set their mind to.

I know, I know, it’s college! It’s the breeding ground of poor decisions, at least for some of us. In my opinion, making mistakes is the best way to learn. So make all the mistakes you can now so that you won’t have to in your career.

A common mistake a lot of college students make, including myself, is not knowing when to stop partying and start studying. The optimal partying to studying ratio is usually difficult to achieve because, well, who doesn’t like to party? I believe college is really just a time management course. The more efficiently you manage your, time, the more time you get to do whatever it is you enjoy doing.

In the past, I used to think procrastinating was a bad thing. Some might argue that procrastination is not good but my argument is that if you could get something done in half the time it would normally take, then that would be an efficient way of using one’s time, granted, it is probably not the best way to learn the material. Of course, as with everything, this is only good if done with moderation.

Extracurriculars are a huge time commitment. Balancing academics with extracurriculars is another challenging feat. More often than not, overinvolvement causes students to perform poorly when it comes to academics. As much as we would like to participate in every extracurricular activity of an organization, this is simply not possible and sometimes we need to know when to say no.

In the event that you find yourself struggling to manage your time efficiently, the Waino Wahtera Center can offer some guidance on this. I personally have not approached them but I know they are always willing to help. The point is if you know you need help, don’t hesitate to go out of your way and ask for help.

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Thursday, February 25

NEW ADVICE COLUMN Dear Readers, The Michigan Tech Lode will be starting an advice column.

Students, faculty and staff are welcome to email us about anything personal, work or school-related at take-a-lodeoff-l@mtu.edu. A panel of selected staff will respond with measured input or advice.

The identities of everyone involved will be kept confidential.

A pen name and an anonymous email may be used to communicate with us. However, a personal email or your Michigan Tech email may also be used. Rest assured, everything will be kept confidential. Write to us with the following format: Subject line: Anything related to the subject matter Dear Husky,

[Letter Body]

-Pen name/alias

OPINION

Michigan Tech Lode

The thing with political rants Alexander Crawford Lode Writer

It’s 2016. In a bit less than 10 months, Americans from all over the country will cast their ballot for their choice on who will lead this country for the next four years. But before we all do that, we must endure the endless political debates. We must endure all of the political advertisements that either praise this candidate, or slander their opponent. And of course, we must endure the endless plebeians putting their two cents in, acting as though they have it all figured out. In that respect, I’m a hypocrite.

I push my personal candidate on those close to me, and hope they validate my choice. I am not unlike many others. As we inch closer to Election Day, you can hear more and more people begin to discuss the candidates, and politics in general. Those who don’t outright condemn politics feel as though they know the finest points of it. Politics is the one field where even the lowest man on the street feels as though he knows it all. And quite frankly, the subtle art of politics eludes them. It eludes me. It even eludes a few politicians. And that is their craft. But I’m getting ahead of myself. The point is that people talk a lot about politics, even when they don’t know anything about politics.

These same people, myself included, can go

off on a monologue, explaining how they’re right, and why you should believe them. When politicians do it, it’s known as grandstanding. I

call it political ranting.

Rants in general can last for quite some time.

It can last for several minutes at a time, even known to go on for hours. A famous form of rant is called a filibuster. It’s used by senators to force the vote for a particular bill to be delayed, sometimes for days. They can also be frightening to those who don’t know the person who’s ranting. It can be scary to be given a speech about something you couldn’t care less about from someone who knows even less about the something than you care. The point is, rants are not a popular form of conversation. No one wants to hear a rant. No one cares about what you or I think about the economy. They don’t want to have to bother themselves about our views on global warming. This is especially true for our opinions on politics. So why do we keep doing it? Why am I, for instance, still ranting

about my view on political rants? It’s really quite simple; fine people such as yourselves are willing to listen. You’re willing to be polite, so as to save my feelings. That, in a nutshell, explains the perpetuance of rants, and people who do them.

But getting back to what I was saying, political rants are special. Everyone feels they can do one. Why? What gives everyone the right to think they know what’s best for this country, and to say it out loud to others? Oh, the First Amendment, that’s right. For many people, the right to free speech is an imperative to speak freely. This gives us the feeling that not only can we say what we want and feel, but we can give speeches about it.

Political rants, like any other rant, can go off on a tangent, and get completely sidetracked on some non-important topic or issue. Look at this rant, for instance. It’s all over the place, explaining what a rant is, then jumping to why people do rants, and now explaining the existential flaw of rants. The person eventually runs out of things to say, and must find some new topic to somehow branch onto the original argument. Such is the nature of rants. This is especially true for political rants, because most every topic out there can be related back to certain laws, lawmakers, law followers, etc.

What should you take from this? Don’t rant if you can help it, because let’s face it: No One Cares.

and change dogmas in a religion only to suit their own personal needs, be it sexual, militaristic, materialistic or discriminatory.

However, I don’t believe atheism can solve problems since it has only created catastrophes in the past, such as in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. There is a need for reforms to make religions more relevant to this cyber age. Consider the iPhone, which has a new version released each year with changes in its previous versions according to the newer innovations in technology. Religions should go through such reforms improvising on the positive parts and shedding out the negative sides. But then the next problem arises. Who will decide on what to reform and what to shed? That’s when interfaith dialogue would help us judge our own religious practices and apply reforms. The aurochs, the ancestor of the present day dairy cow, went through manmade and natural biological improvements to result in what it is today. Even religions have been redesigning themselves right from their existence and they should continue to do so based on their relevance to the existent culture of that time frame.

This is only possible if we become well

informed citizens. Being well informed in this context means knowing all the religions more than just a paragraph we learned in school. Little knowledge is dangerous as it will lead us to be influenced by the presstitutes and televangelists who try to spread hate and control our minds nowadays. I think this is the time that we can save our future generations from experiencing the same violence, rage and sense of revenge on the basis of religion that we have experienced because of just blindly believing in what the press wanted us to believe. If we continue to blindly believe that hypotheses are facts then how are we different from the extremists who are brainwashed and tricked into believing in the wrong ideologies and commit the terrible atrocities we suffer today?

It is time to shed the skin of our egoistic interpretation of beliefs and join hands with the world. An ancient Indian text called the Mahopanishad composed in the sixth century CE calls for unity . It remains so relevant even after centuries, saying: “This is my relative and that is a stranger– is the calculation of a narrow minded person.

For the magnanimous hearts however, the entire world is but a family.”

“The point is rants are not a popular form of conversation”

Unification through religion Aditya Joshi Lode Writer With secular democracy we have already accepted the existence of diversities.

Unfortunately, today we tend to compete to be the best among the diversities and end up with differences. Instead we need more unity in this diversity of the present age.

On Jan. 6, 2016 the Pope released his first ever video message about interfaith dialogue which, I think, will define a better future in laying the foundation for this unity in diversity. Pope Francis suggested that we should accept the existence of different paths to God. He also stated that, “Many think differently, feel differently or seek God in different ways but in the end there is one common thing in this multitude of faiths that we as children of God believe in, that is, Love.” I think it has been so far the most unifying message for the world that any Pope has ever delivered. Many Catholics disagree with this idea of oneness. They believe only their path is the right one and others who don’t follow will burn in Hell.

That’s the real problem with religion. But I respect their opinions as they have a right

of expression as a basic fundamental right in the existent democracy, although they may have forgotten that their ancestors had sacrificed themselves for this democracy separating the church from the state.

“For the magnanimous hearts however, the entire world is but a family.”

The Pope’s good virtues are taken into bad sense. The problem with religion isn’t really a problem with existence of religions, but it is the people. It is the people who have suffered, observed and committed terrible atrocities in the past and today by using religion as a blanket to justify their deeds. I have never come across a religion whose core tenants teach us hate, violence, discrimination, sexism, racism or monetary benefits. The problem is the ignorant people who cling on to obscure references which are no longer culturally relevant

Michigan Tech Lode

# the ers numb 93.0 By

Freshman Bryan Heath’s free-throw percentage this season. I mean, wow.

16

Seconds by which CCSA athlete of the week and Husky skiier Andrea Lee won the 15 km classic at NCAA Regionals.

34

Career-high points scored

by Husky Kylie Moxie during Thursday’s game against Northwood.

1-1

SPORTS

Thursday, February 25

15

Husky men out of GLIAC Utkarsh Mishra Lode Writer Michigan Tech’s Men’s Basketball team played two home games last week against Northwood on Feb. 18 and against Lake Superior State on Feb. 20.

The Huskies were defeated by Northwood in their own stadium but redeemed the weekend by winning a close contest against Lake Superior State.

The match against Northwood was the third consecutive loss faced by Michigan Tech in a do or die situation. The Huskies had to win this match to keep their hopes of qualifying for the GLIAC postseason alive, but failed to do so.

The visitors took the lead and never looked back, defeating Tech by 73-63.

The Timberwolves [15-11 overall, 11-9 GLIAC] came out firing from 3-point range in the opening half, connecting on eight 3-pointers. NU led 11 on three separate occasions en route to taking a 38-27 lead at the break. Northwood shot 46.9 percent overall (15-32) compared to MTU at 40.0 percent [10-25].

Northwood got off to a strong start in the second half, scoring 15 of the first 20 points to go up 53-32 with less than 15 minutes to go in the game.

The lead stayed between 13 and 21 until the final minute of the game when MTU cut the advantage to eight but that is as close as the Huskies would get.

For the game, Northwood shot 50.9 percent overall [29-57] and 46.2 percent

from 3-point range [12-26]. Only 15 free throws were attempted in the game [NU – 3-6, MTU, 6-9].

Nick Spitzley from Northwood turned out to be the leader among all players in scoring, matching his career-high with 20 points. He went 7-12 from the floor and 6-9 from 3-point range compared to Kyle Monroe from MTU with only 13 points.

“Northwood really played well” said Coach Kevin Luke on the do or die match against Northwood “Turnovers and shooting were the factors involved in our loss but we can still finish higher in rankings by defeating the two upcoming UP rivals”.

The match against Lake Superior State was a close encounter in which the Huskies after being eliminated from GLIAC defeated the host team by 91-87.

MTU started really well, getting a 4837 lead in first half hitting 56.8 percent from the field compared to 35.5 percent by their opponent.

In the second half the Lakers were able to knock down 18-of-41 shots from the field [43.9 percent] but remained cold from distance, hitting just two of 12 shots [16.7 percent] from behind the arc in the final 20 minutes.

Still, the Lakers shrugged off their shooting woes and eventually clamped down defensively, forcing 12 turnovers, to claw back from a 19-point Huskies lead with 16:52 remaining in the second half.

While they had trouble holding on to

the ball, the Huskies were still able to fill the scoreboard when they got shots off.

MTU shot 57.9 percent from the field in the second half.

“Turnovers and shooting were the factors involved in our loss but we can still finish higher in rankings by defeating the two upcoming UP rivals” -Kevin Luke

Senior Devin Daly from Lake State led his team with his 10th double-double of the season, pouring in 29 points and producing 10 rebounds to lead the Lakers in both categories compared to 18 points from Husky guard Bryan Heath.

The Huskies committed 17 total turnovers, while the Lakers limited their mistakes to just six turnovers.

Michigan Tech will conclude its 201516 season on Thursday, Feb. 25 by hosting rival Northern Michigan. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised live on FOX UP throughout most of the Upper Peninsula.

Husky’s men’s tennis record after opening weekend matches against St. Cloud State and St. John’s.

Number of Husky hockey players that scored goals in Tech’s highest scoring game since Feb. 2015.

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8

Rank of Michigan Tech hockey team in both major national polls.

Husky firward Jyle Stankowski during Saturday’s game against Lake State.

Photo by Utkarsh Mishra

16

Thursday, February 25

SPORTS

New SDC rock wall addition Davy McLeod Lode Writer For some time now, the climbing club at Tech known as the Ridge Roamers has been scrambling up a small slice of space in the corner of the SDC. Recently though, a new attraction has been added to the indoor climbing area: it’s a boulder wall, and it’s got plenty of admirers.

“Everyone’s excited about it,” Kenny Peterson said during one of the free-climbs the Ridge Roamers hold 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays. Peterson is the president of the Ridge Roamers, and creator of the boulder wall.

He watched with glee as a group of several climbers gathered around the new challenge. They rotated through the routes over and over, trying to reach the top of the wall where they’d hang victoriously before dropping back down.

The most noticeable difference between traditional rock-climbing and bouldering is the use of rope. In rock-climbing, the routes are usually quite long, and so a rope is used to save the climber from injury.

Bouldering is closer to the ground and shorter in duration, so climbers simply set up crash pads beneath them to soften their landing. Not needing a harness or belay makes the whole ordeal pretty hassle-free,

which is why the boulder wall is such a hit among the climbers.

The boulder wall is just to the right of the original rock wall. It leans out at a 30 degree angle and has several routes along the 160 square feet of new territory.

The wood was supplied by 41 Lumber, and Peterson installed it with the help of some other members. They drilled into the wall of the SDC and strung support cables back and forth to hold the top up securely.

“This is my child here,” Peterson said, chuckling a bit. He designed it over Christmas break, and many of his peers believed it should have been his senior design project because of its structural integrity. He just wanted to build it for fun and knew it would be enjoyed by countless others.

Similarly to the main wall, the routes are all color-coded, and vary in difficulty.

Peterson takes pride in the fact that his route—the white one—is yet to be conquered. To start on this route, the climber has to be upside down, and the holds are few and far between.

“That’s the beauty of setting routes,” Peterson said. “You can make a route as easy or hard as you want.”

While a newer climber struggled up one of the routes, an experienced climber named Ben Miller offered up some advice.

“If you’re trying to move one way,” Miller said. “Stick your opposite foot the other

Kenny Peterson demonstrates his own route on the boulder wall.

way to counterbalance.”

This is a technique called flagging, because the climber’s leg ends up looking like a flag. The clever trick is especially useful on an angled wall, since more of the climber’s weight is pulling away from the holds.

The rookie climber tried it but slipped down, landing onto one of the pads with a muffled thud. He laughed and rolled away to get ready for the next try.

The group went on and on, pointing out different strategies to try to one another.

Between each bout, they would reach there callused hands into a bag of chalk on the floor to improve friction and help their sweaty hands grip the wall’s protrusions.

Then, clapping a little cloud of white into the air, they’d return to work.

Peterson voiced interest in organizing a competitive climbing team. He believes there are enough students interested that it could be done.

“A lot of universities have climbing teams,” Peterson said looking pensive.

“MTU never has.”

One of the handholds on the white route came loose, spinning on its screw. Peterson went into the storage room and returned with a tool, carefully tightening it back into place.

It’s clear that the new wall is under good care, and the group keeps climbing happily away.

Photo by Davy McLeod

Michigan Tech Lode

Sidelines

Spring Break much?

It’s hard to get a workout. Between classes, editing the paper and the other various and sundry things that come up, I find myself struggling to fit activity into my day.

Well, maybe not me. I walk up and down Agate every day in lieu of paying for a parking pass. But for someone like me who lives a little closer to campus, fitting in activity is really hard!

Enter spring break. What a time to get outside, enjoy the warm weather and do something active!

Or just sit around the house and destress. That’s definitely the temptation, and not without good reason. School is stressful, and there isn’t anything wrong with taking advantage of break as a real break.

Being active can be really effective for that very purpose though, even for those of us who might look at physical activity as something that must be borne when absolutely necessary and should be avoided at all other times.

I’m no athlete. But it’s remarkably easy to find ways to spend your spring break that involve less couch-time.

One option is to take advantage of one of the OAP Spring Break Adventures. I imagine the warmer weather will be a treat for any weary Yooper, and the chance to see some of the country’s most beautiful sites can’t hurt either.

Even if you’re not going on an elaborate adventure, more mundane adventures can fill in just as well. More cheaply besides. It’s not quite picnic weather yet, unless you bring a tarp, but you could totally bring a tarp.

You can make like me and walk places rather than driving. Sure it takes a little longer to get anywhere, but you save gas, reduce emissions, and get a workout. With a nice pair of headphones, it can be a real blast. Just try not to blast your ear drums too badly; the jury’s still out on just how bad those things are for you.

Or you could make like me and go to Mexico to build houses. Helping people, seeing another country, enjoying some warm weather and getting a workout all in one: I’m a man who likes to make the most of my time.

Spring break is short. Make sure you get out there and enjoy it!

Michigan Tech Lode

SPORTS

Thursday, February 25

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Weekend brings year’s first loss, high scoring game Tasauf Torzo Lode Writer On Feb. 19, the Huskies went face to face with Bemidji State in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association matchup at the Stanford Center.

They lost to Bemidji State and this loss ends Tech’s eight-game unbeaten streak and marked its first lost in the 2016 calendar year. The Huskies opened the 2016 calendar year on a 5-0-3 run.

Jamie Phillips, the senior goalkeeper, saved 22 goals for Tech but yet Bemidji State found out the way for their first score 19:31 minutes into the game. The first period was very neck breaking, none of the team were able to attack the other with full pace.

The second period was more interesting, with attacks from both sides but the scoreboard did not move up by a single point.

Got spring break plans? Check out these OAP trips!

“It wasn’t one of our best efforts.

We didn’t play with a lot of urgency or intensity. You could sense that in practice leading up to the weekend.”

-Mel Pearson

The two back to back goals by the Beavers made the victory for the Beavers very clear, one of them on a 30 foot shot into an empty net.

There were couple of attacks from Max Vallis in the second period but each was stopped by the Beavers’ goalie, Michael

Biter, who was in great form.

“It wasn’t one of our best efforts,” said head coach Mel Pearson after the game.

“We didn’t play with a lot of urgency or intensity. You could sense that in practice leading up to the weekend and sometimes it’s hard to relay that to the players.”

“That being said,” he continued, “Bemidji State played well and didn’t give us much at all. If we could have put one in maybe it would have given us some momentum but we have to be better tomorrow and we will be”.

On Feb. 20 the Huskies met the Beavers for the second and final match at the Stanford Center. The Huskies turned the last game on its head with a 9-2 victory and maybe the starting of another unbeaten streak.

The nine goal free-for-all was Tech’s highest scoring night of the 2015-16 season and marked the most goals in one game for the Huskies since scoring 10 on Feb. 14, 2015 at Alaska Anchorage.

“I’m really pleased with the effort and the bounce back we had tonight” said Pearson.

“The players did a great job and we played an all-around better game. Things may have gone in tonight when they didn’t last night, but I thought we earned our goals and overall it’s an important two points, especially when you beat a good team like Bemidji.”

The Huskies fired up the first period with a 3-1 lead against the Beavers.

Malcolm Gould, Alex Petan and Shane Hanna each scored one goal to give Huskies an amazing start.

L’Esperance made the score 4-1 with 7:42 minutes into the second period with a rebound from the right circle. Tyler Heinonen scored the first two goals of the second period followed by a fiery bomb

by Matt Roy at 15:21 and then Heinonen finishing the neck breaking second period with a snipe.

In the final period, goals by Max Vallis and Mark Auk gave the Huskies a victory with a lead of 9-2 in the scoreboard.

Michigan Tech will face Alaska at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena next Friday and Saturday for a two-game WCHA series.

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Thursday, February 25

SPORTS

Michigan Tech Lode

Athlete profile: Kyle Hanson Michael Rader Lode Writer

Kyle Hanson is a recent Michigan Tech graduate, scheduled to complete his master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering this coming fall. Not only a winner of MTU’s Scholar-Athlete award, he is also one of the top skiers on the Huskies’ Nordic Ski team, routinely finishing in the top three MTU skiers at every meet.

This past weekend, at the NCAA Regionals, Hanson took second place in the freestyle race on Saturday and ninth place in the classic race on Sunday.

Hanson has been skiing for his whole life, but he started skiing competitively during his freshman year of high school.

Recalling his first races as a high schooler, Hanson remembers how it motivated him: “You see kids who are really fast, and you want to race with them, and as you keep going, suddenly you start beat-

ing the older kids.”

His childhood skiing dreams came true, but not without plenty of hard work and dedication.

Competitive nordic skiing is in a bit of a grey area: it is not exactly a team sport, but not exactly an individual sport. Each skier scores individually and is responsible for his own time. However, the team score is collaborative, with each member of the team contributing to their final placement in a meet.

Hanson adds, “It’s important to have [the team] racing fast so we can race with each other. It’s nice to have them push you.” Not only does it bolster the camaraderie between teammates, but it serves as a further motivator to race against the guys with whom he trains.

Hanson is not only a top-tier athlete, he’s also a straight-A student. Having achieved an undergraduate GPA of 3.96, due to one AB, he’s among the best students at this university.

How does he do it? “[I] spend a lot of

time doing homework and skiing and running, and not a lot of time doing anything else.” He says that he’s able to maintain his friendships in a healthy social atmosphere, though he admits that it’s “probably not as big of a social life as

Kyle Hanson

Photo courtesy of Kyle Hanson

someone who doesn’t do sports.”

Staying motivated has been a challenge, but Kyle has always been able to look at the big picture. “You just do what you have to do to reach your goals,” he said with wisdom beyond his years. To keep up with missing classes, having to make up homework, and sometimes even missing exams, Hanson’s had the hardship of rescheduling a large chunk of his life. However, his professors have been very accommodating, understanding, and always help to figure it out.

Kyle is in position to qualify for the NCAA Nationals that will take place March 9-12 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. This is his last ski season racing for MTU, and it’s his number one goal to do well in the championships.

After college, his main objective is simple: get a job. He wants to continue skiing, though he readily admits that he won’t be in the kinds of competitive fields found in the NCAA.

Sporting events schedule: Feb 25-27 Thursday, Feb. 25

Friday, Feb. 26

Saturday, Feb. 27

Men’s Basketball

Northern Michigan SDC Wood Gym 7:30 p.m.

Lake Superior State SDC Wood Gym 3 p.m.

Women’s Basketball

Northern Michigan SDC Wood Gym 5:30 p.m.

Lake Superior State SDC Wood Gym 1 p.m.

Men’s Hockey

Alaska John MacInnes Student Ice Arena 7:07 p.m.

Alaska John MacInnes Student Ice Arena 7:07 p.m.

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Michigan Tech Lode

Thursday, February 25

Husky guard Lindsay Winter during Thursday’s game against Northwood.

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Women’s basketball tied for first in conference Utkarsh Mishra Lode Writer

Michigan Tech’s women’s basketball team played two home games last week against Northwood on Feb. 18 and against Lake Superior State on Feb. 20. The Huskies showed their good form by defeating both the visiting teams with good margins.

The match against Northwood was the eleventh consecutive win for the Huskies at home, defeating the guest team by 69-60.

The opening half was tight throughout – neither team led by more than six in the opening 20 minutes. MTU led 29-23 late, but the Timberwolves scored six of the final eight points to make the score 31-29 at halftime.

Northwood shot 40.6 percent from the floor in the half [13-32] while MTU finished at 48.4 percent [15-31].

The start of the third quarter was the key portion of the game. Northwood missed

their first 13 field goal attempts of the quarter, which allowed the Huskies to open up a 47-31 lead. NU cut the lead down to six on three times after that but were unable to get any closer.

For the game, Northwood shot 35.3 percent overall (24-68), while MTU finished at 48.2 percent (27-56). Northwood struggled from 3-point range, going 1-10 after making their first attempt of the game.

MTU was led by Kylie Moxley, who finished with a record-breaking 34 points compared to Lauren Robak from Northwood with just 19 points.

The score line at the end was (15-16, 1415, 10-18 and 21-20). Northwood falls to 15-11 overall, 11-9 GLIAC whereas MTU climbs up 17-7 Overall and 15-5 GLIAC. “This was an awesome way for us to respond to Saturday’s loss [at Saginaw],” said Tech coach Kim Cameron. “It was clear early that Kylie was going to have to have a big game, and she did.

Photo by Utkarsh Mishra

Lake Superior State women’s basketball concluded their final road game of the season with a 79-52 loss against Tech.

The victory moves the Huskies into a tie for first place of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference North Division with Saginaw Valley State.

The Huskies [18-7, 16-5 GLIAC] received

“This was an awesome way for us to respond to Saturday’s loss.”

-Kim Cameron

20-point performances by starting forwards Danielle Blake and Kylie Moxley. Blake also contributed six rebounds, three assists and three steals. 16 of Moxley’s points and 14 of

Blake’s output were scored during the first half in which the Huskies outscored the Lakers [5-22, 4-17 GLIAC] 43-13.

To their credit, the Lakers did find life in the second half and would outscore the Huskies 39-35 behind a 48.3 field goal percentage for the half, but the game was already out of reach.

Senior guard Megan Manninen scored a season-high and matched a career-high with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor to lead the Lakers compared to Danielle Blake and Kylie Moxley’s 20 points.

This defeat for Lake Superior State University was their thirteenth consecutive away loss. The final score was [6-19, 7-24, 20-24 and 19-11].

Michigan Tech will wrap up its regular season at home on Thursday, Feb. 25 by hosting rival Northern Michigan at the SDC Gym. The game will tip off at 5:30 p.m. and will be televised live throughout a majority of the Upper Peninsula on FOX UP.

Upcoming

Events February 25 - march 2 Spring Blood Drive

Thursday, Feb. 25 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Library Reading Room

The need is constant. The gratification is instant. Give blood.

Currently, there is a critical need for blood donors, please join us in the Library Reading Room and donate blood. *Please bring a photo ID

Nice People Dancing to Good Country Music

Feb. 25 - 27 7:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. McArdle Theatre

Eve Wilfong, who lives over the “Nice People Dancing to Good Country Music Bar,” is paid a visit by her niece Catherine Empanger, a novice nun who’s been asked to leave her convent. What follows is not simply comic and well-observed, but romantic and affecting as well.

Modern Language Spring Film Series

Thursday, Feb. 25 7 - 8:30 p.m. Walker 134

The Modern Language Programs is excited to kick off its Spring Film Series on Thursday (2/25) with Young Girls in Black. The theme chosen for this year is violence. Other films are “Wild Tales” and “Victoria”. Films are free and open to the public, and popcorn is served.

Win by Losing Weight Loss Challenge

Monday, Feb. 29

Contact: Shannon Brodeur, SWEAT Coordinator

You’re invited to be part of our team. Are you up to the challenge? It’s a great way to help support — and motivate you to achieve — your health goals throughout the year. But, this is not just a chance for us to lose as many pounds as possible; it’s a competition, too. We’ll compete against other Blue Cross group customers for coveted bragging rights and a team trophy.

Place your ad here!

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(906) 487-2404.