04/01/2010

Unravel your identity...

THROUGH GAMING

The

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More snappy advice from Ask Sassy

Cave Story releasesd for WiiWare

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Michigan Tech Lode

April 1, 2010

Serving the Michigan Tech Community Since 1921

Students rally in Lansing for Higher Education DANNY MESSINGER Lode Writer Last Thursday, March 25, over 400 students from ten of Michigan’s public universities traveled to Lansing to protest the loss of many of the state’s funding programs for students of higher education. The rally was organized by the Student Association of Michigan, which is a group of student government representatives from public universities from across the state. Twentyfive Michigan Tech students (who traveled over 500 miles) were in attendance.

After arriving in the city, the group of students congregated at the Lansing Center before marching down Michigan Avenue toward the capitol building with their schools’ flags inhand. The crowd blocked traffic attempting to cross downtown streets as the mass of students marched towards the capitol. While the group marched, chants of “No cuts. No fees.

Education should be free!” were shouted by protestors.

“Walking down the street at the beginning of the march and just seeing all the universities’ flags streaming behind us was really great,” said Griffin Roblyer, a second-year Michigan Tech student who participated in the rally. “It let everyone know that it’s not just one university. It’s all of us.”

Once at the steps of the capitol building, students listened to short speeches by members of student government from universities across the state as well as a few Michigan lawmakers who were coaxed out of the capitol building by the crowd’s chants.

Many students voiced concern over the loss of the Michigan Promise scholarship last year, which provided students

Rally in Lansing: USG Representitive Ben Cottrill (Left) and second year student Griffin Roblyer

(Left with Flag) are among the several students throughout the state represented at the rally.

Photo courtesy of: Danny Messinger up to $4,000 towards higher education. Other programs that

were recently cut include the Michigan Work-Study Program,

the Part-Time Independent Student Program and state nursing

Keweenawesomefest MOLLY HOLMSTROM Lode Writer

Keweenawesomefest is right around the corner! An awesome event which is on its fourth year, the Kfest is something that draws community members and students alike. Sources say that students will even be traveling up from Michigan State and the University of Michigan!

According to Kfest’s Myspace, “In its birth year of 2007, the fest was at first just an idea of a way WMTU could help unite the distinct music communities of Michigan’s two peninsulas. Eventually though, it acquired a stellar lineup, astounding buzz, and one of the best venues in Michigan; transforming the idea into mammoth-sized event that defied all expectations.”

I took a few minutes and discussed with Dan Haefs, one of the main organizers, to find out whats so awesome about the event.

part about g in it xc e st o m e What’s th nawesomefest? this year’s Kewee

As always, I’m excited about the bands that are playing. Everyone at WMTU is also excited to see Kfest grow larger every year.

This is the fourth year we have hosted this festival, and every year it has grown, but at the same time we have some very loyal fans who show up every year in search of new, great music. Also, this year we have a great headliner for Saturday night, Electric 6 from Detroit!

additions Are there any new

PDF Archives of all issues this year

The idea started a few years back after we had some success bringing some bands that we really like up here. We had no idea that bands would want to come play shows up here because of how far away we are from a lot of cities. We thought we would see how far we could take this idea, and it was a success. The main idea has always been to bring new music up here and we’ve been able to have more success that we could have imagined.

There are a couple new things we are trying to pull off. One big thing is adding another “unofficial” Thursday night show. We’re calling it “Kfest Night Zero” (for all the computer science majors who think zero is the first number). That show will be in the McArdle Theater as well, and some bands who have played the previous Kfests are returning like Matt Jones, Chris Bathgate, Drunken Barn Dance and This Is Deer Country. We also have some support from local businesses who are offering special deals to people who attend the fest. Studio Pizza, Carmelita’s South, and Victoria’s Kitchen are all sponsors.

Online exclusives Check it all out at: www.mtulode.com

this year?

How did the Kew actually get started? eenawesomefest

scholarships. A bill that passed in the state Senate last week would result in a 3.1 percent cut in funding to Michigan’s public universities for 2011. Attendees were also worried about Michigan’s average tuition, which has risen faster than the national average.

“Until education is your number one priority, trust me, you will hear our voices,” yelled University of Michigan-Dearborn student Moneer Al-Nabolsi.

Among those who spoke at the rally were state representatives Joan Bauer, Rebekah Warren, and Alma Wheeler Smith, and Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero.

Each speaker urged the group of students to continue to ask lawmakers to fund higher education and to look at the voting records of each party before voting next Nov. After an hour-long rally, students were split into two groups; one group was moved into the gallery above the state House of Representatives and the second group to the gallery above the state Senate. Students were also asked to meet with representatives from their respective districts.

“I think it spoke a great deal when I tried to talk to a lawmaker and he wouldn’t even look me in the eye,” said Roblyer.

“He looked away and ignored me completely when I tried to say ‘hi.’ I think he was ashamed that [students] had to go to this length just to be heard.”

Lawmakers in both the House and Senate reminded students that they should continue to voice their concerns and to be politically active in order to achieve their goals.

“I think the rally was a huge success,” Roblyer stated. “I think that we really highlighted the importance of higher education and how it’s in peril in the state of Michigan.”

Q&A Can you tell me a little bi some of the groups that t about performing this year? will be

There are so many great bands playing this year. We spend all year going to shows and finding bands so we can hand pick who we want to play Kfest. This year there are some great rock bands like Electric 6, Millions of Brazilians, and Bear Claw. There are a bunch of indie/ pop bands like The Daredevil Christopher Wright, The Tallest Buildings, and Good Grief. We also booked some awesome acoustic and folk acts like Red Tail Ring, White Pines, and Cedarwell. Graham Parsons & The Go ‘Rounds, John The Savage, and Drink Up Buttercup are all really high-energy rock and roll music, too.

I am really excited for people to see all of these awesome bands.

More questoins and answers 2A

Sports

Husky Hodgepodge

All game recaps posted at mtulode.com/sports

Check out the thoughts of one international student in the “Culture Shock Report.”

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, April 1, 2010

Preview Day 2010 Review ZACHARY PAGE Lode Writer Dozens of prospective students along with their family members attended Michigan Tech’s Preview Day last Saturday March 27, 2010. Campus organizations, faculty, and staff all made a biting contribution towards bringing out the interests and opportunities provided here at Michigan Tech.

Incoming students and parents alike were greeted with a warm welcome as they entered the Rozsa Center for Performing to gather their Preview Day handouts and brochures. “It was a fascinating experience,” says one parent. “The students and faculty made us feel very welcomed. They gave us a certain hospitality that you don’t see anymore.”

The event began at 9:00 a.m. and lasted until 4:30 p.m. A detailed schedule listed the particular events and activities that were going on within that day.

A parent and student welcoming initiated the occasion with a short performance and by letting visitors speak with students and faculties about their experiences on and off campus.

Campus tours, information sessions and other various activities preceded the campus

welcome. There were sessions given on student finances, scholarships, housing, internships, co-ops and more. Each session lasted approximately 45 minutes long and the event itself lasted from 9:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

“I think it gives students a large amount of knowledge before entering campus,” says one of the students. “Many people here don’t know what to expect and that is what they fear the most. I think that these events clear up some of that fear.”

Visitors were also given the chance to explore some of the numerous organizations and chapters provided on campus.

Organizations such as Engineers Without Borders, the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the Alpha Society were only one of many who showcased their experiences and activities.

When asked about the significance of showcasing these activities, Kevin Vayko responded, “It gives students a broad prospective on what they can do here. There is truly something for everyone and I think it is important for incoming students to know that. It acts as a sort of incentive.”

Other activities included information on service organizations, fraternities and sororities, religious activities, sports and the arts. These included film

board, the international club, women’s soccer, Alpha Kappa Psi, and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship as well as many others.

Department tours were given to allow students learn more about their desired field of study. Students and parents had the chance to speak with faculty within that department as well as get an overview of some of the classes and labs they may be enrolled in. Faculty members and compass leaders also discussed some of the undergraduate opportunities in their field amongst other things.

Lastly, residence hall tours were given to those who prefer living on campus and in dorm rooms. Compass leaders spoke about the benefits and advantages of living on campus. One leader commented, “I think it’s a good start for first year students because everyone is so close to each other. Students can learn and interact easier that way.”

Meal plans and residence hall assistants were also a topic of discussion.

A free lunch was given to visitors which lasted from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the residence dining halls. A well-prepared arrangement of foods was given to guests as they visited during the weekend. Many parents enjoyed this opportunity to sit down and

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speak with their kids about their views of the campus.

Overall, visitors were very pleased with the hospitality brought out by the faculty and students. Many described the day as both exciting and knowledgeable.

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For those who are unable to attend Preview Day, tours are given from Monday through Friday .To schedule a visit, contact the admissions office at (888) 6881885 or schedule an appointment online by visiting http:// www.admissions.mtu.edu.

Unraveling identity through gaming TARA SOTIRIN Lode Writer Women’s Month, March 2010, included a foray into the gaming world on Tuesday, March 23. iDentity, a group brought together by their interest in new media technologies and identity, brought their wii’s, ps2’s, and rock guitars to Walker 134 in order to discuss identity formation and issues with gender, race, and ethnic representation in games.

The event was included as part of women’s month but included topics important and interesting for all students with an invested interest in new media technologies and gaming. The event was sponsored by the Center for Diversity and Inclusion.

Members of the new iDentity group, a mix of undergraduate students, graduate students, and professors hosted the interactive event and posted questions at the different gaming stations, each manned by an educated iDentity member, that probed aspects of the game that dealt with identity formation. “I was interested to look at the issues concerning gaming—particularly the presentation at the beginning [that talked about the purpose of the event]. I’m mostly into role-playing-games and strategy games but it’s all really interesting.” Said Ryan, a fourthyear Materials major in attendance at the event, as he slipped his shoes back on after taking his turn on the DDR mat.

Assistant Professor in Emer-

gent Media, Wendy Anderson spoke at the event and is the faculty advisor for the iDentity group. The group chose to primarily set-up games that promote multiple systems styles that use less traditional gaming consoles such as the Wii, Guitar Hero, and Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) though some traditional consoles such as the PS2 (Playstation 2) and the computer for World of Warcraft (WOW) were also available. “We chose games with a kinesthetic connection in the interface such as the physical movement involved with DDR and the Wii as well as “casual” games like Lunes Tower Defense that are shorter games but still very engaging and interesting and offer more inclusive representations.” Anderson says about the games. “You know, it’s easy to get into the games, there’s monkeys throwing darts and stuff.”

Brought together through planning this event, the immediate future of the iDentity group is unclear. There is interest in potentially becoming a club and fulfilling some of the roles that groups such as the Techno Babe Times had previously capitalized on such as monthly newsletters concerning new technologies and questions of identity and gender, racial, and ethnic representation in new media such as games. Considering the sizeable turnout of their first event, upwards of 50 people just in the first fifteen minutes lining up to take a turn at the games and address the questions, iDen-

tity seems to have made an overwhelmingly positive start.

“We are looking to see if people are interested in this group right now,” says Anderson. The groups’ goal is to be inclusive and open to anyone interested in gaming and technology. “The group is focused on concerns

Keweenawesomefest don’t generally o h w le p o e p Why should rts check out Keweenawece go to shows/con somefest?

We put a lot of time and effort into every concert we host, but Kfest is the biggest thing we do. We have to live up to the expectations we have built up over the years, and I think this year will definitely be impressive. Bands are coming from all over the country to play. There are bands from Philadelphia, Maryland, Chicago, and more. There are 18 bands total Friday and Saturday, and they’re all different genres. There is literally something for anyone who likes music. Also, it’s only $7 for students to go to all three nights!

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of identity representation, multiple identity construction, how women are represented, and how race and ethnicity are represented, the group is going to deal with experiences that users have to deal with at Tech and further locations in life.” One of their potential plans includes

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setting up a Druppel site that will publish student papers that address issues and advances in new media technologies, either adapted from course writings or from personal research.

An important part of the group is engaging its members

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continued

So, if you’re looking to broaden your musical horizons or satisfy your melodic sweet tooth, head over to the McArdle Theater in Walker on the 8th, 9th, and 10th of April. With the various genres that are on tap to be showcased, there should be something for absolutely everyone. Doors open at 5:30 each night, and tickets are available for the low cost of $5 per night, or MTU students can purchase a $7 weekend pass which is good for all three nights. 20 bands over the course of three days for only $7 is one of the best steals you’ll ever find. To get a preview of some of the various tunes that you can hear at Kfest, check out their Myspace, www.myspace.com/keweenawesomefest.

More info at www.myspace.com/keweenawsomefest

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, April 1st, 2010

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Easing the transition for international students RAEANNE MADISON Lode Writer

G

oing to a new country to learn is a satisfying, enriching experience.

But for many international students at Tech, the language and cultural barrier presents many unique challenges that leave students frustrated and feeling helpless. With the help of Laurence Jose and Sylvia Matthews, students in the Humanities department have been addressing

this problem, and helping ease the transition for many international students.

Laurenc`e Jose is a PhD. Candidate in Rhetoric and Technical Communication. She has a particular interest in how different cultures communicate technically. When she teaches HU3120, Technical and Scientific Communication, she shares this interest with her students.

Laurence challenges her class to create documents that help international students navigate the many obstacles that living in a

foreign country will present. Her students make instruction manuals that teach international students how to do things like get a driver’s license, go to the grocery store, order food at a fast food restaurant, live with a roommate, make a friend, and choose appropriate winter clothing (to name a few).

With the help of Sylvia Matthews and the International Graduate Student Assistant Assistance Program, IGTAAP, these documents are made available to international graduate students.

Students make a weekly appointment to sit with a native speaker of English, and together they review the resource materials that were created in HU3120.

IGTAAP offers these students the opportunity to learn and practice colloquial English. The documents are not written like traditional technical instructions; instead they are written in a casual tone that uses slang and regional dialects, so students may familiarize themselves with real world English speaking. They can practice this with

their helper, and give feedback and suggestions for future documents.

Laurence and Sylvia both agree that these resources have been a huge success. Up to 60 international graduate students a year will participate in IGTAAP, and new documents are created regularly. The documents not only teach students how to get around Houghton and speak colloquial English, but they also make living here less intimidating, and give them power to comfortably teach/participate in class.

Legendary Cave Story released on WiiWare NICK BLECHA Lode Writer On Mar. 22, fans of the freeware PC game Cave Story saw the end of a long wait. The game, legendary for being written by a single person over five years, was finally released for the Wii through a partnership between indie developer Nicalis and the game’s original creator, Daisuke “Pixel” Amaya.

Cave Story has a relatively simple plot. You play as a boy who wakes up with no memories in a cave on a floating island. As you explore the cave, you find a village of rabbit-like creatures called “Mimiga” who have been mostly kidnapped or killed by a villainous “Doctor.” You have to work with the remaining Mimiga and the human research team on the island to stop the Doctor’s plans to enslave the Mimiga race and take over the surface world.

The gameplay is fairly simple, and resembles a Metroid or Castlevania game, and basically unchanged from the PC version. You hold the Wii remote sideways. The 1 and 2 buttons fire your weapon and jump, re-

spectively, and the A and B buttons are used to cycle through your weapons. In addition, the weapons can be upgraded by picking up power crystals dropped by enemies, although if you take too much damage, the weapons will revert to their less-powerful forms. For most of the game, there isn’t too much of a challenge, although it doesn’t hold your hand either, and most of the boss battles are especially entertaining. The main issue of the game is its length: it can be easily finished in under ten hours, although some hidden items and a couple of alternate endings help mitigate this somewhat.

The WiiWare version also has a few new extras, the most obvious of which are the new graphics and music. The new graphics are heavily cleaned up for the original, and include much more detail. It also adds support for widescreen and progressive scan. The music is also updated to use 8-bit NES chiptunes. Although the new music sounds good, players used to the TurboGrafx-16-inspired original tracks may feel the versions to be a step down.

Also, a bug sometimes causes

WiiWare’s Cave Story: The protagonist fights evil insects in the game’s Labrynth zone.

Distrubted by Nicalis

the music to stop when switching between scenes. Fortunately, players can switch between new and original graphics and music.

Finally, the WiiWare version adds a few new modes. Easy Mode is the main mode with less damage taken from enemies, while Hard Mode is the main mode but with only three hit points and no missiles. Boss

Rush allows the player to face off against all of the bosses in a row. Sanctuary Time Attack lets the player try to complete that area in as little time as possible.

Finally, Curly Story lets players play through the main story as the main character’s female counterpart, Curly Brace.

Cave Story can be purchased on WiiWare for 1200 Wii Points ($12). For fans of Metroidvania-

style games, this game’s rich exploration and fun bosses make it a must-buy.

For experienced fans of the original, the new modes and technical upgrades justify the price of something that can still be had for free. The sheer quality of work put into this game serves as an excellent testimony to indie game development everywhere.

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Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, April 1st 2010

Ask Sassy Dear Sassy A friend and I have a problem. Every time we sit down to have lunch, this other guy always wants to sit with us. The person in question is extremely annoying, dominates the conversation and has no concept of social barriers.

Is it okay to be honest with him and tell him to get lost?

Sincerely,

Unwilling

to be honest

Dear Unwilling, Nearly everyone has been faced with the dilemma you are describing.

There is always that one, socially awkward person who wants nothing more than to be your friend. While at first they may seem friendly and their admiration for you may be flattering, the initial delight quickly disintegrates. The socially awkward behavior makes you dread the thought of them approaching your table with that oblivious grin plastered on their face.

As painful as it may be, you must confront this person. You should not be rude, only honest. Tell them that you and your friend prefer to eat alone.

Their social awkwardness has been fostered by politeness, which has created a monster. Your honesty is teaching them the importance of paying attention to barriers and knowing when people just aren’t that in to you.

Buck up, be confident and tell them a polite version of the truth. You’ll both be better off.

Dear Sassy I recently got a new boss at work. They are changing practically everything about how I do my job and, in my opinion, for the worse. I’m afraid to stand up to them but I really don’t want my fellow employees and me to have put up with all the ridiculous changes. How to I handle this situation?

Sincerely,

No we can’t Dear No, The arrogance of your boss to implement changes is unfathomable. She needs to have respect for the way things were. If you and your fellow workers were satisfied with the way your workplace was previously run, who is she to start causing such a ruckus? As long as the majority feels that things are working well, there really isn’t a need to fix things.

You need to confront your boss and tell her that you won’t stand for her shenanigans. She’s probably just looking to further some personal agenda; change is usually fueled by sinister intention.

Dig your heels in and by no means submit to your new boss’s whims. I would suggest gathering the support of your co-workers and confronting your boss about the unwanted change.

Dear Sassy I have two younger sisters and I’m worried that they aren’t eating healthy.

Every time I go home they are eating fast food and frozen food and drinking soft drinks. The problem is, they hate almost every healthy food and just won’t eat it. Is starvation or eating junk their only choice?

Sincerely,

Health nut

Dear Health , Obviously kids always make excellent choices about what to eat, so they should be left to their own devices. Corn dogs and nachos make them happy and fill their stomachs, which is the whole point of food, right? Wrong.

If they don’t eat healthy, fresh food then they shouldn’t eat at all. Just because it’s easier to give them chicken nuggets rather than force them to eat a salad doesn’t mean that it is the correct choice. If your sisters are consistently provided with fresh food, they will learn to love it. They will no longer only taste fat and salt; their palate will expand in order to appreciate real food.

At their young age, it may just be picky eating. But in ten, twenty, or thirty years it will be diabetes and heart disease.

Bring ad in for -$2 OFF-

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, April 1st 2010

opinion

The idea of food LENA WILSON Opinion Editor

I

know this is a big jump from mass ordering most of their foods from the third largest food distributor in the United States, Reinhardt Foodservices, but I believe Michigan Tech should create a space for a University garden.

The school should integrate an organic garden into course work, first in to general distribution credits and later into a more meaningful purpose. This way the care for the garden would be taken care of by people who are passionate about the process and project. A garden would attract at least one faculty member concerned with sustainable, organic gardens and the type of lifestyle associated with it.

I believe it would also attract certain types of passionate and driven students.

There exists universities and colleges integrating a garden, especially organic, healthy, flourishing gardens. Working with one’s hands in the dirt and witnessing and fostering the life cycle of a garden is an extremely useful learning tool and life experience. The presence of such a garden sends a particular vibe of health and prosperity as well as genuine concern. The produce harvested from the garden could be integrated into the meals provided on campus.

Reinhart FoodService (RFS) distributes food that could be coming from any where in the United States, as far as we know.

RFS makes it possible for people and groups that needs enormous amounts of food to have a onestop place for all their needs.

Distribution services certainly have their place in business but such large operations

dilute reality. It is hard to see the individuals responsible for the creation and production of consumables when they all arrive on the same truck. I have so many questions involving the transportation and spread of money, especially to famers who provided the staples for the food in the first place.

Upon my inquiry about the origin of foods used in Michigan Tech meals I received the reply that it would take a lot of time and searching to find that information and that I should look at the RFS website. I don’t think I could get any information from a private company about what they sell to Michigan Tech. Of course the student body and those who consume food provided by Michigan Tech Dining Services could ask that ingredients and origin of foods be given or available. It is largely up to the consumers to demand knowledge. It is the consumers’ dollar that keeps buisnesses going.

I want to know which produce is genetically modified and where the meat is coming from.

How are the animals treated?

What are the plants treated with and are they from seeds that have been patented? There is a lot of karma involved in the production of food products.

Why is it that this information already isn’t available on the Michigan Tech Dining Services website? Why isn’t it a question that consumers of the food ask very often?

I think everyone should wonder where their food is coming from. When the food is presented so readily at buffets and on counters it doesn’t occur to many people to ask how it got there. Sure the workers put the food together, but where was it before they put it out for

dinner?

It is each of our personal duties to know what we are consuming. Each of us should know the consequences of our choices, espeically those choices that affect the entire globe. We cannot be so naive as to assume the food choices we make do not affect anyone else except our mouths and the Dining Services wallets.

Each time someone eats in the dining halls they are supporting the school’s choice to purchase their food from one of RFS’ 22 distribution centers. In turn that is a choice to support big companies. It is a choice to suppor the sprawling of food sources. It is a vote to n ot support local options and to buy food that may not be staying in Michigan but is trickling down from RFS to wherever they purchase their foods from.

However, it is required that Freshman have to eat in the dorms. Although I think that this is debatable because it is one’s right to control what it is they support with their dollar and more importantly what they put into their mouths.

Let me share an anecdote. As a freshman I didn’t want to eat in the dorms. After a semester of trying to eat only salad with veggies coming from the unknown and most likely treated with fertilizers and pesticides, I decided to stand up for myself and get off the meal plan. I don’t eat meat from tortured animals , artifical dyes and flavors and I don’t want to eat bleached flour or white sugar. That accounts for a large majority of the offerings in the dining halls. It was pretty hard to get through. I had to fill paper work and talk to the guy in charge of dining services. I tried to explain to him that I am a crazy health nut and he was obviously

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I no longer see food but instead a mystery covered by advertising. angry at my want to stop eating in the dorms every day. Needless to say, he made me cry. However, he let me off the meal plan. In my opinion it’s because there really is no way to force people to eat where you want them to eat. He told me sternly that I shouldn’t go around telling people this is a way to get off the meal plan. I don’t see why I have to withold that information or the way I was treated. I am a firm believer in educating people about what is going on behind the scenes in their lives.

RFS is one of Reyes Holdings companies. On the Reyes Holdings website it states, “Reinhart FoodService is one of Burger King’s largest US distributors.” It is also one of Subway’s largest United States distributors. Of course this says nothing about what Michigan Tech purchases from RFS but it certainly gives an idea of the scale at which RFS operates and distributes. To me this screams that RFS has probably distributed beef that needed to be recalled since they purchase

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from around the United States.

I no longer see food but instead a mystery covered by advertising and the name Reinhart FoodService, or Dining Services.

I don’t like any level of secrecy. Even if there isn’t blatant lying, there are still choices to not include certain facts like any good propaganda or advertising scheme. I don’t like that something that should be so simple is made to be complicated. It’s food. It’s a need we meet everyday. Everyday we are putting food in our mouth.

My modern interpretation of the word food is an adjective for a substance that gets put into a human mouth. It isn’t a word that makes me think of healthy cows feeding on grasses and it certainly doesn’t make me think of an apple or orange hanging heavily on a fruit tree branch.

Instead, it makes me think of piles of tomatoes under fake, hard lighting and bread in plastic covering coming from elsewhere in boxes, rolling off the back of big trucks.

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Gaming continued from 2A and letting the students choose the content. The student members of iDentity wrote all the questions for the Gaming event and communicated, critiqued, and advised each other through the list-serve. “That’s important to the group I think, that students are creating the content and is an important part of the future of this group.” Anderson says.

Elsa Roberts, a graduate in

the Communication and Culture studies program, was instrumental in organizing the event. As the original contact and connection to the Women’s Month organizers, she worked on administrative details for the event. Though the event was meant to be inclusive, and the gender ratio at the event was tipped slightly in favor of typical Tech standards, the representation of women and games was

a key element in the slideshow and female members of the iDentity group were on hand with their expert knowledge of not only the issues but also the games and consoles.

If you are interested in participating in iDentity or would like to see more events concerning new media technologies, gaming, and identity formation contact the list serve at gamesl@mtu.edu.

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6A

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, April 1, 2010

Sports

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Looking back on a record-breaking season By Huskies complete best season in school history, reaching their second straight Elite Eight with a 31-3 record STEPHEN ANDERSON Sports Editor The disappointment was easy to spot following last Tuesday’s Elite Eight loss, but the reality is that this year’s women’s basketball team had the best season in school history, falling short of their championship run, but finishing with a school-record 31 wins.

The Huskies entered the season ranked No. 1 in the preseason polls, and they maintained that

the

ranking through all of 2009, sweeping the first 10 games. Their margin of victory over that span was 22 points.

The closest call came against Northwood, winning just 58-54.

Northern Michigan also tested the Huskies in Marquette, in a 6459 victory.

Unfortunately for the Huskies, their perfect season ended just a couple weeks later, to those same pesky Wildcats.

Photo by Ben Wittbrodt

r e b m nu

57

points away from 2,000 career points for the Huskies’ All-American and all-time women’s basketball scoring leader at Tech, Katie Wysocky.

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continued at mtulode.com

career double doubles for Katie Wysocky, who, along with her 1,943 career points, added an all-time high at Michigan Tech in rebounds, with 1,231.

90

Above: The six Husky seniors celebrate their second straight regional title in front of a record SDC crowd, earning their second straight trip to the Elite Eight.

Left: Sarah Stream comes off the court for the final time in her illustrious six-year career at Michigan Tech, followed by fellow standout senior Katie Wysocky.

Photo by Gowtham

Emporia State wins national championship after defeating Michigan Tech, undefeated Gannon and Fort Lewis

more wins by women’s basketball coach John Barnes than hockey coach Jamie Russell in 55 fewer games. Both have coached for seven years at Michigan Tech.

100

wins during the

last four years

for the Huskies’ women’s basketball team, to go along with just 27 losses, capping off six seniors’ amazing careers at Michigan Tech, complete with two Elite Eight appearances.

7,326

total points scored by the six seniors on the Michigan Tech women’s basketball team during their career, with four players scoring over 1,200 points.

see full story on mtulode.com/sports/basketball

Schedules/Results

W. Basketball (31-3, 20-2 GLIAC) Emporia State 91-85 MTU

Photos by Stephen Anderson

Behind the scenes at the Elite Eight

Love Sports?

Photos by Stephen Anderson

mtulode.com/ sports/basketball

Now seeking applications for Sports Editor. If interested, contact current Sports Editor, and soon-to-be Editor in Chief Stephen Anderson, at steander@mtu.edu

Season is over More at mtulode.com and ncaa.com

Men’s Tennis (6-7, 0-4 GLIAC) Wayne State 5-4 MTU Northwood 8-1 MTU Fri. @ Lake Superior State, 2 p.m.

Full standings at gliac.org

Track and Field Men: 3 of 5 in Ripon Women: 4 of 5 in Ripon Fri. @ UW-Oshkosh Invitational

Corrections, complaints, compliments, comments?

Email Stephen Anderson at steander@mtu.edu

Editor’s Shootout

The Editor’s Shootout is a competition of knowledge, luck and wits between sports editor Stephen Anderson, business manager Jacob Vehring, pulse editor Luke Gublo and online editor Jeremiah Baumann. Stephen won two years ago with former opinion editor Rob Devaun winning last year. This will be a weekly feature where each editor picks his winners of the three biggest games/series of the week and backs up his decisions with a short rant. THIS WEEK: Duke Blue Devils vs. West Virginia Mountaineers, Michigan State Spartans vs. Butler Bulldogs, New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox (Sunday only)

LUKE GUBLO Pulse Editor 3-0 Last Week, 40-29 Overall

STEPHEN ANDERSON Sports Editor 2-1 Last Week, 39-30 Overall

JACOB VEHRING Business Manager 1-2 Last Week, 37-32 Overall

JEREMIAH BAUMANN Online Editor 2-1 Last Week, 33-35 Overall

After a thrilling lead-up to the Final Four, we are destined to see two great matchups to determine NCAA supremacy. Duke and W.V. got bids by generally mauling the competition. Bob Huggins’ team looks good right now though, so it’s hard to pick against them, even if it is Duke. The other side of the bracket has a Cinderella story in Butler. Playing in their home city, they’ll have some momentum, but Sparty’s experience will guide them to back-toback title games. The age-old rivalry begins anew this Sunday... sorry Red Sox fans, but I’m taking the Yankees The Final Four is finally here, although I don’t think it’s too cool that March Madness ends in April. Regardless, I think Duke is destined to win it all this year, and they’ll take care of a strong West Virginia team in the process. MSU is the local feel-good team, but the loss of Lucas will hurt a lot against a sound Butler team practically playing at home. The hated Yankees will pick up right where they left off last year with a solid win in the season opener. I think Boston will take the three-game series, but due to print deadlines, we can only pick one game.

So last week I took a gamble and went the opposite of Stephen. That was a good strategy if he would have picked wrong, but unfortunately he was right. Now a couple games back I am going to have to be very lucky to win this. Congratulations to Tom Izzo for making the Final Four for the sixth time in twelve years. That is very impressive. MSU is going to move on to the National Championship after beating Butler. West Virgina is going to knock off one more No. 1 seed on their way to the Final. The Yankees will start the year the way they finished the last one; with a big win.

As the semester runs town it will soon be time for graduation. With that in mind, it makes me think how traditionally DUKE ALWAYS CHOKES! And not being a Michigan native, I also have to play the anti-state card and pick Butler for the win. As for baseball, being from Minnesota means that all the players we train end up going to the big end teams, so I gotta pick the Yankees for a blowout against Boston for the season opener.

W. Virginia 70-66 MSU 60-54 Yankees 3-2

Duke 76-72 Butler 65-60 Yankees 6-3

W. Virginia 68-65 MSU 73-67 Yankees 5-3

W. Virginia 89-82 Butler 87-79 Yankees 7-3

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, April 1, 2010

Sports

The best basketball senior class in school history?

Danen

Ferris

Kazsa

Stream

Wysocky Zimmerman

Two spotlights per week for final three issues, starting next week

Men’s tennis looks to end skid DAVER KARNOSKY Lode Writer The 2010 season started with such promise, the men’s tennis Huskies opened with wins over Ripon College and Lakeland College before cruising to an 8-1 victory over U.P.-rival Lake Superior State. Lately, it seems that the wheels are falling off the bus, as the Huskies have dropped four matches in a row.

To be fair, the Huskies (6-7 overall, 0-4 GLIAC) have faced the cream of the GLIAC crop, falling to Grand Valley State and Ferris State two weekends ago before losing 5-4 to Wayne State on Friday and 8-1 on Saturday to No. 12 Northwood Timberwolves.

This weekend, the Huskies will travel to Sault Ste. Marie, MI, to face the Lake Superior State Lakers and hopefully get themselves back on the winning track.

The Lakers (5-8 overall, 1-3 GLIAC) has a slight edge over the Huskies heading into the match as they managed to earn a 5-4 win over Grand Valley State back on Mar. 21. Since then, the Lakers have fallen to Northwood, 7-2, and Wayne State, 6-3.

The top performer for the Lakers is sophomore Sergiu Laza at number two singles, where he’s posted an 8-5 record thus far.

Junior Pawel Wegrzyn (5-8 overall), has played well at number

three singles. Classmate Robert Nelson (6-6 overall) has also played strongly in the number six singles’ spot.

Sophomore Razvan Mag has struggled since taking over the top singles’ position, going 1-12 thus far. The fourth and fifth singles’ slots are filled regularly by junior Brandon Clayton and sophomore Travis Toth.

For the Huskies, junior David Heuer (6-4 overall) was the only Huskies’ player to earn a point from the Timberwolves, defeating Marcus Oliveira at number three singles. He is one of three Huskies with winning records at this point in the season.

Sophomore Luka Stupar lost both of his matches last weekend to fall to 6-7 on the second at number one singles. Sophomore Anders Sandholm earned a win at number two singles against the Warriors, but fell to the Timberwolves’ Frederic Schoelzel. He is now 7-6 on the season overall, and 7-5 in the second slot.

Sophomore Douglas Yossida (7-7 overall, 4-5 at number four singles) earned a three-set win on Friday, but fell on Saturday, to continue his .500 season. Junior Chris Verhulst (7-6 overall) improved to 4-5 at number five singles after winning on Friday.

Senior Tim Viola dropped both matches he played in over the weekend, falling to 6-6 overall and 4-4 while in the number six slot.

5

STEPHEN ANDERSON Sports Editor

bold MLB predictions

1

The New York Yankees miss the playoffs, while the Detroit Tigers get in.

2

The Cubs and Dodgers are the best in their cities. White Sox/ Angels underachieve.

4

Four Twins hit 30 home runs (new ballpark!)

- Mauer, Morneau, Kubel, Cuddyer

3

Tim Lincecum and Justin Verlander reach 20 victories. No other pitcher reaches 18.

5

Tampa Bay Rays win the AL East, while the Yankees are left without a repeat chance.

Agree? Disagree? Have your own five? Let the debate begin at mtulode.com

Husky Track and Field squads open 2010 campaign MIKE METZGER Lode Writer On Mar. 27, the Michigan Tech Huskies began their season down in Ripon, Wis. at the Sherman-Lukoski Invite. The Huskies had a decent day with the men’s team taking third place out of five and the women’s team taking fourth out of five. The Huskies rivals and fellow GLIAC competitors the Northern Michigan Wildcats were also in attendance at this meet, they finished first in the women’s competition and fourth in the men’s results.

On the men’s side of things the Huskies barely missed second place as they were only seven points behind St. Norbet College.

The husky men had a strong day with many people picking up points for the team. The huskies had first place finishes from the 4x100 relay team, Quinn Parnell

Despite not making the WCHA Final Five or the NCAA Tournament, the hockey season has continued for a pair of Huskies looking to latch on to the professional ranks. Captain Malcolm Gwilliam and defenseman Drew Dobson both signed Amateur Tryout agreements with teams in the ECHL. Gwilliam (14-16=30) signed

his agreement with the Reading Royals, an affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boson Bruins, on Mar. 17. The Kamloops, British Columbia, native played parts of five seasons for the Huskies over the course of his career and posted 72 points in doing so.

Gwilliam played in five games for the Royals, but couldn’t find the net. He did pick up two penalty minutes. The Royals posted a 3-2-0 record with Gwilliam in the lineup. He was released from his ATO on Mar. 30.

in the 100 meter dash, Ken Gilkerson in the 800 meter dash, Brian Stetter in the 5,000 meter run and Jason Julien scoring the lone field event points for the huskies with his discus performance.

Picking up second place for the huskies were Jon Graves in the 3000 meter steeplechase, Quinn Parnell in the 200 meter dash, Jonathon Folse in the 100 meter dash and Nathan Saliga in the 400 meter dash. The final team scores were as follows: Ripon217, St. Norbert College- 182, Michigan Tech- 175, Northern Michigan Track Club- 50 and UW-Stevens Point- 18.

The women did not have to bad of a day for themselves either. They had some great performances all day long and had some key finishes to earn them some points. Finishing first for the huskies were Sydney Bruestle in the 1,500 meter run and Alison Springer-Wilson in the 5,000 meter run. Ending the

day in second for the Huskies were Melanie Hoffman in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, Nicholle Pierce in the 400 meter dash and Jill Smith in the 5,000 meter run. Scoring the most points for the huskies during the meet was Molly Wiltzius who finished second place in the discus, shot put and hammer throw. The final team scoring for the Women’s meet was Northern Michigan266, St. Norbert College- 162, Ripon- 136, Michigan Tech- 103 and UW-Stevens Point- 23.

With the first meet of the year behind them the Huskies look ahead to the upcoming season.

With the first meet jitters out of the way the Huskies can now focus on the challenges that face them ahead. They will be in action again on Apr. 2 as they travel to Oshkosh, Wis. for the UWOshkosh Invitational. As always stay tuned to mtulode.com for all of your track and field season needs.

Mike Metzger will be providing Twitter updates during Friday’s competition.

Check them out at www.twitter.com/ metzlode.

Running strong: Jonathon Folse (middle) and Quinn Parnell (right) spring in the 100 meter dash in Ripon, Wisc. Parnell won the event in 11.21 seconds

Photo by Ian Marks

Track and Field teams head to UW-Oshkosh Invitational MIKE METZGER Lode Writer The Michigan Tech Huskies Men and Women’s Track and field teams are heading to UWOshkosh looking to improve from last year as the Men’s took fourth place and the Women took eighth. The Huskies started the season last weekend with the Men’s team taking third place at Ripon and the Women’s team taking fourth.

The husky men’s team returns one first place winner from last year. Ken Gilkerson looks to repeat as champion in the 800 meter run. One year ago Gilk-

Hockey season continues for pair of Huskies DAVER KARNOSKY Lode Writer

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Dobson (4-12=16) signed on with the Gwinnett Gladiators on Mar. 18. A native of Palatine, IL, Dobson developed into a offensive defenseman at Michigan Tech, notching 12 career goals and 57 career points, most of which came while playing the point.

Thus far, Dobson has played in five games for the Gladiators and picked up four penalty minutes.

He has nine shots on goal in those five games. The Gladiators have gone 2-3-0 with Dobson in the lineup.

Did you know?

The Final Four basketball court was built about 80 miles south of Houghton...

When Duke, West Virginia, Michigan State and Baylor tip off at the Final Four in Indianapolis, it will be on a basketball court created in Amasa, Mich., a town of 250 people about 80 miles south of Houghton. Connor Sport Court is the company, which employs around 125 people in its four-building complex.

For more information and the full Final Court time lapse, visit yoopersteez.com, one of the top blogs in the Upper Peninsula.

erson took the gold medal in this event with a time of 1:54.74.

Other huskies that have tasted competition at this meet look to increase their performances from last year. Last week the husky men fell to Ripon at their home meet and Ripon will be at this meet as well. The huskies will need to step things up big this week in order to surpass this Ripon team. It is still very early in the season and the Huskies need to prove a ton of things in order to get them noticed in time for the GLIAC meet which takes place in May. The women’s team has their work cut out for them in this week’s meet. Last year the Hus-

kies took eighth place out of nine teams. The only team that the ladies were able to beat last year was this Ripon team. Last year the Huskies were only able to outlast this Ripon team by one point. In last week’s competition, Ripon beat Michigan Tech by 33 points. If the Huskies would like to redeem themselves, they are going to need a big performance from Molly Wiltzius who last week finished second in all three of her throwing events that she entered in.

Check out www.mtulode.com for complete results from this meet as well as the most comprehensive Track and Field coverage this season.

This week on www.mtulode.com:

Today (April 1): Full Women’s Basketball season recap, MLB predictions/debate Friday: Track and Field Twitter updates and recap, Men’s Tennis recap Saturday: Lode Sports Talk Radio Show -- see below.

Wednesday: Women’s Basketball coverage Every week on www.mtulode.com:

• • • • • •

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

Lode Sports Talk Radio Show

91.9 FM, Sat. 10-Noon Check out the “Michigan Tech Lode” Facebook page on Friday for guests!

Look for our special “Reader Interaction” section at www.mtulode.com/sports Vote online in this week’s polls: Was this year’s women’s basketball senior class the best in school history?

How many years will it be before a Michigan Tech team wins a National Championship?

Who will win the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship?

We want to better serve you. Answer our short sports readership survey online now!

8A Husky Hodgepodge

Culture

Shock Report

e r e w u o y When u o y d i d t a little, wh n e h w e b want to ? p u w e r you g

Event reminders Entrepreneurs Club Meeting Where: Tidwell Center, Academic Office Building When: April 1, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Join the Entrepreneurs Club for their weekly meeting and learn about their projects

That’s what...

she said

JUN (MILES) NI Lode Writer Week 12!!

I cannot believe spring smester has less than one month left.

However, this last month will be very difficult for me, because of two competitions in this month, I am a little behind of my classes. I need spend more time to catch up the class. I know some of you have the same situation with me. But if you think about how wonderful the summer is, you will be motive again.

This article may be an advertisement for my enterprise, but I really want to talk about this special group. From them, my academic skills get improved, and the most important thing is how to work like a team, even face the failure together.

The enterprise program I am related with is called FIRST Robotics Enterprise. This is a special program because we work with not only college students buy also high school students.

Last weekend, as a mentor, I went down Grand Rapids with Houghton high school team to have west Michigan FIRST competition in Grand Valley State University. This was my first time to go to competition with a team. I can never get such unique experience from solving mechanics of materials problems.

I went to some science competition when I was in high school. My dad is a chemistry teacher in my high school and he always forced me to go to those so called Chemistry Olympia competition. All I did is sit in front of the desk and try to solve bunch crazy, unbelievable problems within 2 hours. I think “test” will be more properly for it. Comparing to this, the environment for this competition was totally different. When I walked into gym, where the competition was held, kids were walking around with different kinds of customs and having dozens of buttons attached. I can hear cheering sound from everywhere. As the judge said, that was a celebration instead of competition.

When I joined this group last year, all I expected was to improve my 3D modeling skill.

I did do lots design stuff last fall and had a 50-page design report at the end of semester. I knew we have two competitions every year and didn’t notice they are so much fun. Competition had already been done during last past 6 weeks and now is time to harvest awards! I was impressed when I saw those robots kicking balls into goals so accurately.

What’s more, they were controlled by a group kids who’s only 15-17 years old. However, in China, college students have such kind robot competition also but only limited top 100 universities. There’s no way for high school students to design their own robots. I think I find one more reason that America is more advanced than China.

Because I’m still kind new in the team, this trip also gave me more chances to know all members. The 4 years age gap didn’t forbid me making friends with high school freshmen.

Maybe because I’m from China, they are pretty carious about me, which makes more topics between us. From the talk, I know more about how the American high school life looks like although I didn’t go through it.

Although we didn’t get any major awards from competition this year, I think from all we learned from this trip, next year’s robot will be even better!

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday April 1st, 2010

Cirque Mechanics ‘Birdhouse Factory’ Where: Rozsa Center When: April 6, 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM AMA Student Meeting Where: Fisher 133 When: April 7, 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Student poll

Kalysta David A teller at a bank

How many hours did you stand this weekend?

I stood 31 or More Hrs 11 %

I stood 21 to 30 hrs 13 %

Pakistan came

Mechanical Engineer, First year I stood 0 to 10 Hrs 63 %

Jennifer Wyman CIA secret agent Wildlife Ecology and Management, Second year

Amanda Craul Zoo Keeper Exercise Science, First year

he said David Bokor Astronaut Psychology, Second year

I stood 11 to 20 hrs 13%

Student responses are based on our weekly online poll. Please vote on next week’s question: Are you going to buy a ticket to Keweenawawesomefest?

Vote at: www.mtulode.com

On this day

1775

The British Parliament passed an act forbidding its North American colonies to trade with anyone other than Britain

1822

Florida became a United States territory

1947

Pakistan came into being as a seperate nation.

1970

President Richard Nixon signed a measure banning cigarette advertising on radio and television

2002

Queen Mother Elizabeth of England died.

APRIL 1ST

Iran: Islamic Republic Day. Courtesy of www.reference.com and www.statesymbolsusa.org

Weather Outlook

AJ Donati Meteorologist Electrical Engineer, Third Year

Andrew Larson Septic tank Inspector

Friday: Partly Cloudy

540F / 470F

saturday: Chance of Snow 30% chance of precipitation

610F / 380F

Biological Sciences First year

Visit www.mtulode.com for these and past responses

Sunday: Chance of Snow 30% chance of precipitation

490F / 380F Weather Courtesy of www.wunderground.com