09/11/2012

The

RFID project progresses KATELYN WAARA News Editor The current card reader system in use across campus is in need of an upgrade.

Over the past few months, Michigan Tech IT Services has been looking for a better and more efficient alternative to replace the outdated system and they have finally found it with a technology known as MIFARE. MIFARE is a contactless

“

The RFID readers will create a longer lifespan for your beloved ID card and, in effect, save you money.

News:

” 3

A grant from the EPA is funding research at Michigan Tech

system which uses smartcards and corresponding readers to transfer information.

The current system uses a magnetic strip found on your student ID card to store all of your information.

The new system will utilize the MIFARE technology known as Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID), which uses a radio-frequency electromagnetic field to transfer the data. Simply waving or tapping your ID card in front of the reader will give you access to wherever you need to be or whatever you need, from entering a parking lot or retrieving something from the printer. You might not realize it now, but the RFID system will make life on campus a bit easier.

Ever been stuck in line at the entrance to one of the dining halls on campus? One advantage of the new RFID system is that it is a time-saver.

Student employees would no longer have to sit and

swipe each individual card and watch the line get longer, only watch as the students’ cards are tapped or waved near the reader to enter.

Upperclassmen, have you ever tried and failed to enter a building or parking lot because your card is so old and worn? With the RFID smart chip, you will no longer have to worry about wear and tear on your ID cards since the transactions are all contactless. Smart chip readers will even be installed on print release stations, making that hassle into a quick and easy matter as well. Because your Michigan Tech ID card is such a large part of your life on campus, whether it be getting you into the dining hall for food, gaining you access to the buildings where your classes are held, releasing your print jobs or parking gates, they tend to get a little beat up after hundreds of transactions.

The RFID readers will create a longer lifespan for your

Swiping will be a thing of the past

Photo Courtesy of Katelyn Waara Continued on page 2

News: Sudoku and Crossword puzzles have moved for this week!

5

Pulse: Madden NFL 13 review

7

Opinion: We remember 9-11

10

Sports:

12

Huskies Football start season off with a landslide win

2 Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Michigan Tech Lode

NEWS

Michigan Tech Lode

RFID project progresses Continued from front page

Editor in Chief ...................................Krysten Cooper Business Manager............................Abhishek Gupta Online Editor............................................Steve Hanus Design Editor.........................................Gabriela Shirkey News Editor..............................................Katelyn Waara Opinion Editor...................................Taylor Domagalla Sports Editor ......................................Jordan Erickson Pulse Editor...................................................Nick Blecha Advisor ........................................................Kara Sokol

Staff Writers - Jack Ammerman,

Gianna Gomez-Mayo, Jessica Kennedy, Sawyer Newman, Jacob Shuler, Ellie Furmanski, Nicole Iutzi

“

the RFID card

reader project will take up to a year to complete in its entirety.

“

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

Unfortunately,

beloved ID card and, in effect, save you money.

Joshua Olson, Michigan Tech’s Assistant Chief Technology Officer, says IT Services has been

looking into converting the system for some time now and they have finally found the proper equipment to make the switch. They are currently acquiring that equipment, but a few more internal changes need to take place before the actual system changes become visible.

“Each user will need to be reissued a new card with the contactless smart chip technology.

Once that happens, contactless readers will start popping up around campus,” Olson said. The new cards will have both the new RFID smart

chip as well as the current cards’ magnetic strip to ensure a smooth transition over to the new RFID system. Other changes will need to be made within IT to support the new system, as well as the installation of the new smart chip card readers.

Unfortunately, the RFID card reader project will take up to a year to complete in its entirety.

To learn more about the MIFARE technology Michigan Tech has decided to utilize, please visit (en. wikipedia.org/wiki/MIFARE).

Ad Sales - Joseph Giddings Circulation - Christopher Fongers Visuals Staff - Satyajeet Deshpande, Alex Mager, Adam Marshall, Kevin Madson, Caitlin Pionke, Jacob Shuler, Ben Wittbrodt Copy Editors - Michael Hilliard, Zach Ziemke Opinions expressed in the Lode are not necessarily those of the student body, faculty, staff or administration of Michigan Technological University or the Michigan Tech Lode.

The Michigan Tech Lode is designed, written and edited

by Michigan Tech students.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo by Katelyn Waara

Michigan Tech Lode

NEWS

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

3

EPA grant funds MTU research NICOLE IUTZI Lode Writer On May 31, Michigan Technological University was awarded a grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct research on the impact of extreme weather on air quality. Although Michigan State University (MSU) was also awarded some money, Michigan Tech professor Dr. Shiliang Wu, research scientist Dr. Jessica McCarty and research engineer Dr. R. Chris Owen are associated with the project here in the Upper Peninsula.

The project, entitled “Impacts of Climate-induced Changes in Extreme Events on Ozone and Particulate Matter Air Quality”, received $374,960 in funding from the EPA. The project is expected to be active from June 1, 2012 until May 31, 2015. The EPA press office has recently stated that, “The Michigan Tech project, led

by Dr. Shiliang Wu, will focus on some very important issues related to protecting air quality.”

The project’s main investigator is Dr. Wu, with Dr. McCarty assisting as co-PI. Dr. Owen is another co-project investigator.

Dr. Owen, who is currently located in North Carolina, said that investigators will work from wherever they are stationed across the country if needed. Much of the work is based on computer modeling, which allows for easy travel and convenience.

One focus of the project is to gain a better understanding of the changes in meteorological events and air quality that may potentially be

caused by climate change.

Objectives include following activities of extreme climate induced events for their consequences in ozone and particulate matter air quality.

Areas that will be researched further include heat waves, temperature inversion, lightening activity and associated wildfires and atmospheric stagnation.

“This new project will show how extreme weather has impacted air pollution episodes in the past and will estimate how changes in extreme weather in the coming decades will be expected to impact air pollution episodes in the future,” said the EPA. First, an investigation of historical data will be conducted. Then, air pollution meteorology data from the decades of 1950 to 2010 will be reviewed.

Following those reviews, futuristic model simulations of air and climate quality will be conducted for the decades of 2010 to 2050.

Other focuses of the project include vertical temperature profiles as well as convective mass fluxes and atmospheric ventilation.

Future decades’ reviews will also have a focus on extreme pollution events and their underlying causes as well as probability distributions of ozone and particulate matter.

For the first time, a project will attempt to examine and assess the possible impacts of climate-induced changes in heat waves, temperature inversion, lightening caused wildfires, lightening and their associated emissions on the quality of air. The researchers hope to find results showing potential trends once the data is

compiled and reviewed.

They also hope to find negative effects on ozone and air quality after longterm changes in extreme weather related events.

“Michigan Tech was chosen for this grant as a result of a rigorous review process,” the EPA said. Two panels of judges examined the project, one of which consisted of a scientist who reviews the technical merit of the project. The project was then “reviewed by an EPA panel to judge the applications’ relevancy for the Agency’s mission of protecting human health and the environment,” the EPA said.

The EPA has awarded nearly $9 million over the last several months. Almost $1 million of this has been awarded to schools in Michigan, including Michigan Tech and Michigan State University. This grant money will be used for development of tools and research for air and water quality management systems in extreme weather areas.

The $374,960 was awarded to the team on Michigan Tech’s campus to conduct the research, to fund the graduates and to pay those who invested in the project.

The grant money is to be used during the three-year span in which the project will be run.

Michigan State University was also awarded money from the EPA, receiving $750,000 to research the relationship of harmful algal blooms (extreme increases in the population of algae) and extreme weather.

Researchers will work at MSU to improve long-term water quality management and to predict the effects

of climate change on water quality and algal blooms.

These projects will benefit the local and state governments in helping them assess project goals in meeting air quality standards. “This research will help them (the researchers) quantify how the changing climate will affect how difficult their task is,” the EPA said.

Dr. Shiliang Wu obtained his PhD in Atmospheric science in 2007. He has worked on a number of other publications and is an assistant professor in Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences.

He is also associated with the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences Institute (EPSSI) and Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) at Michigan Tech.

For more information about Dr. Wu and his work, visit his homepage at (www.geo. mtu.edu/profile/S_Wu.htm).

Working full time for the EPA in North Carolina, Dr.

Owen is a research scientist.

He graduated in 2009 with his PhD in environmental engineering with a focus on the transport and transformation of ozone to the Central North Atlantic Ocean. Dr. Owen is also affiliated with GMES as well as the Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI), located in Ann Arbor.

Dr. McCarty is working directly with MTRI. Formally with the University of Louisville, she is now a research scientist with Michigan Tech’s office in the Lower Peninsula.

To learn more about the EPA funded research and Michigan Tech’s project, please visit their website at (cfpub.epa. gov/ncer_abstracts/ index.cfm/fuseaction/ d i s p l a y. a b s t r a c t D e t a i l / abstract/9715/report/0).

Learn more about the EPA funded research

4 Tuesday, September 11, 2012 Cooper’s Comments Welcome to 2012 As Editor in Chief for the 2012-2013 school year, I am excited to introduce a new weekly column.

This space will be filled by a different Lode Editor so you can learn a little more about us, starting with myself.

My name is Krysten and I am a third-year Scientific and Technical Communications major and Music minor.

One of my hobbies here on campus is journalism, taking shape in the form of both classes about the topic and working for the Michigan Tech Lode. I also interned at a small newspaper over the summer.

I really enjoy news writing because I always get to experience something new. Whether it’s attending an event for the first time or meeting a really interesting person, I feel like I grow from each interview.

Michigan Tech is an extraordinary place to practice my hobby since the campus and surrounding areas are so diverse and have such a rich amount of history to offer.

I wish you luck with this school year and encourage you to keep reading the Lode!

NEWS

Michigan Tech Lode

Job market for college grads competitive, bleak KATELYN WAARA Lode Writer

Whether you are a graduating senior or an incoming first-year, your main reason for attending college is to achieve a goal and ultimately land a career or dream job in your field of study. Currently, unemployment rates are a hot topic not only with the Presidential Election coverage, but also with the students who will be populating the “real world” soon, many of which will be searching for jobs with little luck.

The Great Recession, as it has come to be known, really did a number on the job market. With unemployment rates high in all brackets and age groups, jobs became even harder to come by as all Americans started looking for work. With college students gaining a higher education and a degree to ultimately get out into a career and the workplace, however, the numbers are definitely something to be well aware of. Without some sort of stability, if only in the minds of students, no concrete plans can be made for the future.

Generation Opportunity, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization concentrating on the needs and views of young Americans ages 18 to 29, is focused on getting voices heard about the many concerns these young Americans, including college students, may

have about the current state of our economy and job markets. Taking a poll of them in August 2012, Generation Opportunity found that the youth unemployment rate for Americans ages 18-29 for that month was 12.7 percent, an alarming number for those of us thinking about going to college, attending and leaving college alike. With that number in mind, what is there to look forward to afterwards?

How about student loan debt? How about a lot of it? According to a New York Times article from July of this year entitled “Report Details Woes of Student Loan Debt” (www. nytimes.com), a 131 page report was put together and released by the Education Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In that report, an estimate was provided for the total outstanding loan debt of young Americans in 2011. Doing the math, with $864 billion in federal government loans and $150 billion in private student loans, the total adds up to just over $1 trillion in student loans in 2011.

Tuition prices are also a concern for many.

Michigan Tech was not the only place tuition prices were raised. With costs rising steadily each year at a majority of the schools across the country, students are seeking more and more loans in order to pay for their education.

What does that mean upon graduation?

Don’t panic too much.

There are many ways to improve your chances of receiving a job in your field after graduation and you can start anytime during your college career.

Networking with everyone you meet is one of the best ways to get your name out there. Use your professors and their colleagues. Use family, friends or anyone else you may know who has experience in industry or the business world.

Working on your resume, attending career fairs and seeking help in your problem areas such as interviews or even public speaking are a few more of the ways to get ahead of the game. With such a competitive job market, getting yourself noticed and making the company realize that they need you working for them is important.

Michigan Tech’s Career Services is more than happy to help you prepare for any of the opportunities you may

have to become employed, either before graduation, on co-op or internship or just prior to graduation before you take that step off of the platform with your diploma.

For more information on Generation Opportunity, visit their website at (generationopportunity. org). You can also visit their Facebook page by searching Generation Opportunity. To read the article from the New York Times in its entirety, visit, (www. nytimes.com/2012/07/20/ business/governmentrepor t-details-studentloan-debt).

For more information about the opportunities Career Services offers students, please visit (www.career. mtu.edu) where you can find job lists and workshop dates as well as the chance to upload your resume for prospective employers.

Photo courtesy of the Michigan Tech Alumni website

Michigan Tech Lode

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Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Rules:

Fill in the grid sothat each row, column and 3 x 3 block contains 1-9 exactly once.

No. 0909 CIRCLING THE JOB LISTINGS By Kevin G. Der / Edited by Will Shortz

1

2

3

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5

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A c r os s

1 El v i s’s “ C a n’t H e l p Fa l li ng I n L ove , ” e .g .

6 S c u b a t a nk pa r t s

1 2 Fa mous l a w m a ke r ?

18 Big fairy

2 0 N a z ar e t h’s l oc a l e 2 2 C h e a p c i ga r, i n sl a ng

2 3 … a nd 33- A c r os s : “ mus t w e a r gl ove s i n the f i e l d” 2 5 C a u s i ng a s t i nk, ma ybe

2 6 M rs. ___ (“ E nt our a ge ” r ol e ) 2 7 Pe n gui n’s s pot , ma ybe 2 8 Av i at or ’s gui de 3 0 Ja z z ’s S i m one

3 1 So l z he ni t s yn nove l se t t i ng

3 3 … a nd 50- A c r os s : “ e x pe r i e nc e d i n c o nduc t i ng s ur ve ys fo r s i t e s ” 3 7 Pe c u l i a r

3 9 G ro uc ho’s r e a l na m e 4 1 “ H o gw a s h! ”

RELEASE DATE: 9/16/2012

4 2 Fri e n ds ’ f e ud

4 3 O f gr e a t e s t i nt e r e s t t o a bi bl i ophi l e , ma ybe 4 4 Sp a c e t r a ve l e r ?

5 0 … a nd 62- A c r os s : “ ma y be t a s ke d w i t h ge ne r a t i ng i mpr e s s i ons ” 5 3 C o n tr ol

For any three answers, call from a touch-tone phone: 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 each minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800814-5554.

54 Pots dam attendee 55 Actr es s M yr na

56 Vir acocha wor s hiper 58 “F innegans Wake” wif e 59 Shout f r om a f ield 60 Highballs ?

62 … and 69- Acr os s : “excellent f iling s kills r equir ed”

65 M ythical f igur e r epr es ented in Ver meer ’s “Ar t of P ainting” 66 ___ par adox 68 Bet on

69 … and 86- Acr os s : “f ocus ed on impr oving cir culation” 73 I ntegr al cour s e, inf or mally

74 E lided pr epos ition

77 “Des per ate Hous ewives ” r ole

78 Ring tos s activity?

79 W hoop

81 Car ef ul wr iter ’s concer n

83 One down in the mouth

86 … and 96- Acr os s : “willing to open ches ts and wor k on ves s els ” 89 Settled things 91 J ewelr y item 92 Remain tr ue 93 M endes of Hollywood

94 Abbey Road, e.g.

95 Wi- Fi connection s pots

96 … and 112- Across: “s tr ong, dis ciplined hands a mus t” 102 Dance with a “cas ino” s ty le

104 “Rubáiyát” poet

105 Wals h with three golds in beach volleyball

106 Tenant’s contact, cas ually

12 It m ight say “A.T.M. Here” 13 Antiquity, once

16 Bids one club, say 17 Silently greet

19 Pride Lands queen 21 First nam e in m ysteries

107 Res cuer of Mowgli in “T he J un gle Book”

24 Legislative holdup

112 … and 23- Across: “s hould be comf or table sitting on the bench”

33 Bygone sedan

110 Cleanup hitter, say

117 F ind, as a station 118 Her balis t’s drink

119 1972 J ack Lem m on comedy 120 Sonnet par t 121 Chivalr ous gr eeting 122 Br eak up Down

1 J apanes e bowlful

2 Skys cr aper s upport 3 Caus e of a pr o duct r ecall, per h aps 4 ’ For e

5 Fis hing line attachment

6 Per f or m a bod y scan on?

7 Punis hment o n the knuckles

8 Awes ome, in slang 9 Actr es s Var dalos 10 Some ancient car vings 11 “P eace! ”

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23 26

29 Fum ble follower

32 “___ then …” (onair sign-off) 34 Like som e investm ents 35 Cherubic

36 What the French once called “la Belle Rivière” 37 Many pledges

38 Utah’s ___ National Forest 40 Mount Narodnaya’s locale

43 “Dance at Bougival” painter 44 What “.99” m ay represent

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33 39

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85

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14 Worth no points, say 15 Shinto tem ple entrance

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45 School bully?

46 Co-explorer of 1804 47 It can be sm oothed over

48 Cause of som e teen angst 49 Oenophile’s specification

51 Nabisco brand 52 Seating area

57 Troubadour ’s love song 61 Word before and after “will be”

62 Fannie ___

73 Four seasons, e . g .

64 Becom e part of history

75 Where enfants le a r n

63 Brown shade

65 Peppery herb

66 Dharm a teachers

67 Borodin’s “Prince ___”

69 Goddess pursued by Hera 70 Superstar

71 Sticky situation 72 Purplish shade

74 Incom parable 76 Divides

79 Mars atm osph e r e features

80 Japanese bowlf u l 82 Turkish leader s

84 Player of TV’s D e t.

Tutuola 85 Decorative Valentine’s Da y gift

8 7 Po llste r ’s n e e d 8 8 A r r a n g e s a b lin d d a te f o r 9 0 E a ste r e g g r o ll, sa y 9 4 L ik e Sh y lo c k 9 5 D iv id e 9 6 D e sse r t w in e s 9 7 Sa tu r a te 9 8 Bo o n s f o r f a r me r s 9 9 Me d ie v a l h e lme t 1 0 0 Ty p ic a l g o lf sh o ts 1 0 1 G o lf e v e n t 1 0 3 Pa c if ic c a p ita l

106 Lab order

1 0 8 D e sse r t w in e

1 0 9 Ca u sin g tr o u b le 111 To o k in

11 3 “ Pin o c c h io ” k e e p sa k e

11 4 L e tte r th a t’s a n a n a g r a m o f 111 Down 11 5 So me th in g y o u mig h t tu r n o n

11 6 Tik k a ma sa la g o w ith

Michigan Tech Lode 6 Tuesday, September 11, 2012 PULSE Lyra Baroque Calumet Theatre to show famous opera brings Baroque “The Mikado” music to Rozsa N B Center The Calumet Theatre will be showing the Calumet Players’ performance of “The Mikado” on Thursday, September 13 and Friday, September 14 at 7:30 p.m. The performance was also shown on the 7th and 8th.

A satire of English politics and institutions of the 19th century, “The Mikado” is one of the most famous operas ever produced and remains popular today.

The opera is set in Japan as imagined by the English of 1885. The plot of the opera revolves around the attempts of the minstrel Nanki-Poo to wed his beloved Yum-Yum in the fictional Japanese town of Tatupu, while competing with the Lord High Executioner of the town Ko-Ko (who wouldn’t hurt a fly). However, the Mikado of Japan has decreed that if the town does not execute someone, he will degrade the status of the town to that of a village. Ko-Ko decides that, since Nanki-Poo is preparing to commit suicide over losing

his beloved, Nanki-Poo will be allowed to marry Yum-Yum for one month, after which he will be executed, satisfying the emperor’s condition. All seems well until Nanki-Poo reveals himself to be the Mikado’s son, on the run from the advances of an elderly lady in his father’s court. Things only get worse when the Mikado arrives looking for his son.

“The Mikado” is somewhat famous for the circumstances of its original production. The opera was written by the famous duo Gilbert and Sullivan after their previous opera closed after only nine months. Sullivan, the composer, was having a creative crisis with Gilbert, the writer, fed up with the supernatural and anachronistic plots the latter routinely created. For some time it seemed like the partnership would end, but Gilbert eventually backed down and promised to write a “more serious” plot, which eventually became “The Mikado”. A popular story involves Gilbert pacing in frustration, causing an old Japanese sword hanging on the wall of his

performances of Baroque music, as well the region’s only professional period orchestra.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Jacques Ogg, the orchestra conducts an annual concert series consisting of five different concerts. Each concert is performed once each in different locations around Saint Paul, Minn. and Rochester, Minn. The Lyra Baroque Orchestra also performed a concert in Spain in December 2003; a Christmas concert conducted in the Royal Palace of El Pardo located close to Madrid.

According to Kenneth

Slowik, Director of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Program, Lyra is the “North Star of Baroque orchestra”.

Attendees of Lyra’s concerts in Saint Paul and Rochester have provided glowing assessments of the musical talent they witnessed. Some of those assessments include “Music heard nowhere else”, “Energy!

A wonderful mix of familiar and less familiar music”, and “Terrific talent and energy!”.

Tickets cost $26.75 each and can be purchased online at (rozsa.tickets.mtu.edu) or by calling the Rozsa Ticket Office at (906-487-2073).

ICK LECHA

Pulse Editor

COREY SAARI Lode Writer The Rozsa Center is set to host the Lyra Baroque Orchestra, a Baroque music ensemble specializing in early music. The performance will occur on Saturday, September 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Rozsa Center.

Sponsored by the Katherine M. Bosch Endowment, Minnesota Public Radio and IBM to name a few, the Lyra Baroque Orchestra is a non-profit organization and Baroque music ensemble that was founded in 1984. Lyra is committed to delivering high quality performances of 17th and 18th century music using a variety of musical instruments reminiscent of that period in history. Some of these instruments are sheep gut strings, Baroque style bows, thin-walled wooden flutes and oboes and valveless trumpets. The use of such instruments is meant to create music that is lighter and brighter when compared against modern instruments.

Lyra’s artistic vision is shaped through musical and organizational participation of outside parties such as guest players, guest vocalists, volunteers and board members. Baroque experts fulfill the roles of guest soloists, directors and section leaders in order to enable the musical growth of individual players, the ensemble collectively and the community in general.

The Lyra Baroque Orchestra sees itself as the Upper Midwest’s premier advocate of historically informed

Promotional poster for The Mikado.

Image courtesy of www.calumettheatre.com

study to fall to the floor and inspire Gilbert to use Japan as an idea source, but that story is almost certainly apocryphal.

The production of the opera was also dramatized in the

1999 film Topsy-Turvy.

Tickets for the show are $15 for reserved seating, and may be purchased at the Calumet Theatre box office.

Photo courtesy of Minnesota Public Radio

Michigan Tech Lode

PULSE

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

7

“Madden NFL 13” minor revolution for series, still lots to improve NICK BLECHA Pulse Editor By the time this article is printed, the 2012 NFL season will have started. And with a new NFL season comes a new Madden NFL game.

This yearly release cycle has led to the constant complaint that the series lacks innovation year to year, and it seems that publisher EA Sports has taken these complaints to heart this time.

“Madden NFL 13’ has made some serious changes, and while not everyone will be satisfied, the updates are at minimum a step in the right direction.

The two biggest changes are the new Connected Careers mode, and the addition of the Infinity Engine. The Connected Careers mode is basically a fusion of the old Franchise Mode and Superstar Mode. A player starting a Career first chooses offline or online, then to play as a player or coach. Playing as a coach is most like the old Franchise Mode, and as a player is like Superstar Mode. From there, the player can choose from a current NFL figure, select historical figures, or create one from scratch. The player can also choose the team they play on (if not a current NFL figure) and, if creating from scratch, customize certain attributes. For example, if creating a quarterback, the player can choose if the player was highly drafted,

a low draft pick, or undrafted, and also what kind of scheme they fit in (e.g. West Coast, Pocket Passer, etc.)

These choices will influence things like player stats and the goals that must be met.

Within the game itself, players and coaches will have weekly and season goals, and completing them earns experience points that can be spent on upgrades, as well as prestige among the league. Various practice scenarios, of varied difficulty, can also be completed once per in-game week for experience points. In addition, the scouting system has been redone again: this time, the player gets a certain amount of scouting points each week to spend to reveal draftable players’ stats.

All this is nice, and it is particularly likely to appeal to certain kinds of players, such as RPG fans and especially fans of “NFL Head Coach 09”. However, there are a few things missing. There is no more importing draft classes from sister series NCAA Football, no more editing player information, and no more being able to play any game in a season (which also means no more picking the uniform your opponents wear). This will almost certainly alienate a certain portion of the audience. Players will have to decide if these removals are a deal-breaker.

The other major change is the addition of the Infinity Engine (not to be confused with the other engine of the same name used to

“Madden NFL 13” cover art, featuring cover athlete Calvin Johnson, Wide Reciever for the Detroit Lions Image courtesy of Videogamewriters

power “Baldur’s Gate”). This replaces the pre-determined results and “canned” animations with outcomes determined as they happen. This sounds like a huge improvement, and it’s definitely some improvement, but it’s not perfect. Plays feel more natural most of the time, but occasionally something completely weird happens, like defensive backs picking off deflected passes far too easily or tackled players not registering as “down” because the game never reg-

istered the right body parts touching the ground. These moments are rare, but they stick out.

The conventional wisdom about Madden seems to be that all but the most diehard fans can usually get away with buying only every second or third edition due to the slow rate of innovation.

This may, for some fans, be the edition that can break that rule. The changes in this game may be the biggest in a long time, yet the game is still noticeably imperfect.

For fans that are intrigued by the new features and won’t miss the removed ones, this might be the year to buy.

For others, it may still be the year to skip.

Final Grade: B Final Grade:

B

8

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Michigan Tech Lode

CLASSIFIEDS

COMICS!

Thoom Games Toys and Comics.

UP’s largest selection of comics and board games. Downtown Marquette.

Pull boxes! Get 10% off all comics with subscription of 3 titles! Thoomgames@ gmail.com

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

Comics courtesy of xkcd

Michigan Tech Lode

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

9

New take on K-Day

Broomball and the Michigan Tech Student Foundation provided a new take on the classic game with a slip ‘n slide.

Students relished the challenge of a giant inflatable rock-climbing wall.

Over 4500 students enjoyed the food, activities and beautiful weather that K-Day 2012 had to offer.

Chris Rochow and Chris Frontera enjoy live band karaoke.

Photos by Alex Mager

10 Tuesday, September 11, 2012

OPINION

Michigan Tech Lode

We remember 9-11

Lode staff members share their memories of that day KRYSTEN COOPER

GABRIELA SHIRKEY

Editor in Chief

Design Editor

I remember sitting in my fourth grade classroom.

We were learning about Michigan history when the principal came over the PA system, announcing that an attack had occurred in New York City on the World Trade Center. My teacher rushed from her desk to turn the TV on. Images of the smoking Twin Towers burned into our eyes. No one spoke. It was a whirlwind from there.

Parents were told to come and pick their kids up from school. My mom sat my sister and I down and explained to us what was going on and that it was a terrorist attack.

Someone was hurting Americans like us.

Because I was young, I was not sure how to feel. Scared?

Yes. From then on, however, there was always a sense of patriotism I had never felt before. To this day, those images send prickles up my spine. I remember.

It was noticeable when recess was cancelled for the entire week. We stayed indoors and played board games listening to the rumors of older students who were watching the news rather than being distracted. We were only in 5th grade afterall. However, they couldn’t keep the secret from us. The days following 911 were nothing but children’s politics discussing the reasoning behind the mass murder.

For all we knew we were being kept inside in case

more planes might fly over. The likelihood was practically non-existant for a small town like us in a rural district, but we were terrified.

I recall voicing my opinion to a particularly arrogant classmate. “Bin Laden flew plans into the towers to demonstrate a rebellion against western culture. He is worried that he’s losing his way of life to ours.” That earned some dirty looks.

As time went on though, justification finally gave up.

We were going to get even because, “...it’s the American way” sang Toby Keith.

People were angry and for the ‘first time in a long time, America put

911 Memorial in honor of those who died caught in the crash.

aside their differences and stood beside each other.’

We focused on something other than ourselves as we listened to the last recordings from the airplane’s black box, testimonials, stories of fire fighters who had died trying to save just one more.

Our country was in shock, depressed, and some were even humbled.

As the years went by, anniversaries reminded us never to forget. The years only added onto my understanding of the global politics and the disasterous event that took place that day. I’ve learned since then just how safe and sheltered we live in the United States.

The first time I heard this comment, I was shook from my pride, “Do you think this is so bad or this only happens to you? There are great masacres everywhere and more often, this is the theme of some people’s lives.”

Needless to say I was devasted learning about my ignorance as much as I was when I first heard the unfathomable news as a child. I will never forget 911, I will never forget the terror it caused, or the war and I will never forget the lessons I learned about myself and the nature of other people.

Photo courtesy of kcoy.com

OPINION

Michigan Tech Lode

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

11

Peaches & Cream Sex at Tech: Ups and Downs This column is aimed at helping MTU students with sex related questions. Written by two 20 year old MTU students, Peaches & Cream, the column will address your questions from both the male and female perspective. We will discuss sex safety, health issues, and advice in this column. Feel free to email us questions or comments at peaches.cream.mtu@gmail.com.

My period is late and I am getting nervous. Should I tell my boyfriend? Should I tell my parents? What do I do? I don’t even know where to start.

Cream’s Commentary Pregnancy can be a very scary thing, especially for those of us who are sexually active. Even with contraceptives, pregnancy is a possibility, so I understand why you would be worried. I, myself, have had a scare or two in my day. The thing that I have learned from my experience is that it is important to stay calm and make responsible decisions for both you and your potential child. Freaking out won’t change your situation or get you the help you need. From your question, it would appear that you need some support no matter what the outcome. Your boyfriend and parents can help you in that area.

With all of that being said, I hope your worry level has dropped a bit. However, your period is still late, you do have options. I have found that talking is the best way to alleviate worry. If you are comfortable enough to be having sex with your boyfriend, a pregnancy talk should also be within your comfort zone.

The two go hand-in-hand after all. I remember instantly panicking when my girlfriend at the time told me that her period was late, but I quickly calmed down and did everything I could to support her. When you tell him, make sure that he knows that you are looking for support, but keep in mind that he will also be scared or worried with the situation too.

If you haven’t talked with your boyfriend about safe sex practices, do so immediately. Find out what each of you is doing to prevent conception.

If it turns out that you haven’t been practicing safe sex, you are at greater risk and will want to go buy an inhome pregnancy test. Even if you

were using a method of contraception, no method but abstinence is 100% effective. Once this is all over you’ll want to make sure you’re having sex responsibly from now on if you haven’t been. Knowing you’ve been as safe as you can be will help alleviate future pregnancy stress.

I do not know the type of relationship that you have with your parents, but for me, I would wait until I was very confident in conception before I brought it to their attention.

Some people have much more open lines of communication with their parents and talk of sex is common place. When and how you tell your parents is a decision you will have to make on your own. Since they are parents themselves, they might know a thing or two about pregnancy. Parents can also be very reassuring and comforting in a situation such as this.

If you find yourself without anyone to talk to about what you are dealing with, I have found that the Health Department folks are more than understanding when it comes to things of this nature and will be able to lend a guiding hand to you whether you are pregnant or not.

While you are there, you may want to have an STD test done if you haven’t been having safe sex. It is very important to find out as soon as possible whether or not you are pregnant.

Prenatal healthcare is important for both you and your potential child. If you would like to contact the Hancock Health Department, you can either send them an email or get a phone number from their website (http://www.wupdhd.org/contactus/).

Peach’s Perspective This is a situation a lot of women may find themselves in at some point in their lives, so no matter what else you’re feeling, you shouldn’t feel alone.

Off the top of my head I can think of 3 close friends who have been through this and I’ve been there too. Don’t let yourself think your partner and you are exceptionally dumb for getting yourselves in this situation because it happens.

Just because your period is late doesn’t necessarily mean you are pregnant. There are a lot of things that can delay your period. Stressing is one thing that can stave off your period, so getting overly upset about this could prolong your misery. A few others are different prescription drugs, going on/off/changing birth control, drastic changes in weight and being around other women a lot (your periods may try to sync). I’ve been a month late at least 7 times since I started having sex and have never actually been pregnant. You never know exactly what’s going on with your body, but worrying intensely will only make it worse.

The best way to break your anxiety is to find out. Go buy a pregnancy test.

You can find them in Wal-Mart and other pharmacies. These tests are not 100 percent effective, but it’s an easy way to put your mind at ease. It’s possible to get false positives and false negatives if you use them incorrectly so follow the instructions. If you’re not content with this method, you can go to your doctor, the U.P. Western Health Department office in Hancock or the Life Outreach Center in Houghton for a professional experience. Because I’ve had so many very late periods I tend to just wait it out unless I get very nervous or feel that I have been less safe than I should have been in the last few

weeks.

If you are scared enough to submit a question, you should probably talk to your boyfriend about it.

Opening up about your worries can help you get rid of them. If you have a solid relationship, your man will likely comfort you. He’ll take on some of your worry, but sharing your lives is part of having a relationship. If it turns out that you are pregnant, it will affect him too so you might as well be upfront with him. He may freak out because the thought of being a father at this age is about as exciting as the thought of being a mom, but it’s as much his responsibility as it is yours.

My father told me that if I were ever pregnant out of wedlock there would be some pretty awful consequences. Because of this, I would never tell him if I was having a scare unless I knew for sure. My mother would be very supportive, so I might talk to her. Still, I would probably only alert my parents if I knew for certain that I were pregnant. I’m really hoping you are not pregnant. If it turns out that you are you’ve got a whole new set of questions to be answered. Your family and your family values can help you make a decision about what to do if you are pregnant. Try to find out as soon as possible, that way at least you’ll know and can start taking the best course of action.

12 Tuesday, September 11, 2012

SPORTS

Michigan Tech Lode

Football team adjusts to new season JACOB SHULER Lode Writer The 2013 season has brought a lot of changes for the Huskies football team, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Huskies are bringing out a new set of talented players after the loss of seven starters on their defensive secondary last year including Todd Storm and Drew Vanderlin.

This year, younger players like Cameron Allen and Emmett Bjorn will step forward to fill the holes left by last year’s players. Most of the newer starters this year had experience playing last year on special teams or as

a backup for one of the 2011 starters. These players are getting a lot of attention.

How will they perform in the coming weeks’ games?

In the secondary, Cedric Jones and DeShawn Nelson will be joined with Brett Gervais and Jeremy Mims as the four corners for the team. Mims and Nelson saw some action last year as defensive backs. Jones and Gervais were redshirted for the 2011 season.

Filling the alley positions will be Greg Peterson and Kevin Nancarrell. “Most of them played a little bit or some on special teams but none of them were starters are getting a lot of looks,” commented coach Kearly.

Emmett Bjorn will be filling

the position of safety. Bjorn played in all 11 games last year as a safety recording six tackles during the season.

Replacing the defensive ends Storm and Vanderlin will be Cameron Allen and Nelson Wienke.

On the offense, the Huskies have all three running backs returning along with the quarterback and four senior wide receivers. “We’re pretty confident in that group that we’ll be ok,” stated Coach Kearly.

The Huskies focus this week was getting into their first ball game. “We’re excited about Saturday’s home opener,” commented Coach Kearly. The Huskies have a lot of new talent that has waited to prove itself on

Saturday against the Tiffin Dragons.

On Saturday, the Huskies proved they are ready for the season with a great game against the Dragons. After 60 minutes of play, the final score was 51-15. This game gave the Huskies as lot of opportunities to get good experience under their belt before playing against more difficult teams like the Grand Valley Lakers who they play on September 29.

The Huskies will continue working on improvements as they prepare for a road game against the Walsh Cavaliers Saturday in North Canton, Ohio.

By

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s r e b m nu

2

Place men’s cross country took at the Midwest Collegiate Opener this past weekend!

0

Losses by women’s tennis so far this season. The Huskies are 5-0 in play so far this season and look to extend their streak while on the road this weekend.

7

Sacks Husky football had in their 51-15 win over Tiffin Saturday.

The Huskies currently lead the nation in sacks per game. They are back in action this Saturday at Walsh.

5

Home games Husky soccer hosts this season. Their home season kicks off September 10 when they host rival Northern Michigan.

2

Goals scored by the soccer Huskies against Division 1 opponent, Green Bay. The Huskies are on the raod again this weekend, taking on Lake Erie and Notre Dame.

This year’s new talent brought helped the team win their first game by a landslide, 51-15.

Photo by Ben Wittbrodt

Michigan Tech Lode

SPORTS

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

13

Soccer Falls 1-2 in Non-Conference Play ELLIE FURMANSKI Lode Writer After three straight nonconference games on the road, the Michigan Tech Women’s Soccer team has posted a record of 1-2.

Having endured tough competition already this season, the team will head into conference play familiar with both victory and defeat.

On September 1, the Huskies took on MinnesotaCrookston.

Several challenges were presented during this match, including the weather and state of the pitch. “It was really windy and hot, and we played on a grass field which we aren’t used to,” said head coach of the Huskies Michelle Jacob.

While the team struggled early on, they were able to hold the Eagles 0-0 at halftime. In the second half, the players focused on playing to feet and keeping possession of the ball. This tactic paid off when the ball came to the feet of sophomore forward Amanda Whiting in the 80th minute of the match. Just outside the 18 yard box, Amanda hit an upper 90 shot just over the goal keeper’s hands which bounced into the back of the net off of the far post.

The Huskies held onto their lead to defeat MN-Crookston 1-0.

The following day, September 2, the Huskies battled in a match against the Beavers of Bemidji State University. The team fought back from a 1-0 deficit at halftime scoring two consecutive goals in

Amanda Whiting races against a competitor for a chance to win back offense.

the second half. In the 63rd minute, junior midfielder Lindsey Van Rooy scored a header goal off of a cross from freshmen Lexie Herrewig to tie the game 1-1. Moments later in the 78th minute, sophomore midfielder Janelle Riedl scored off of an indirect kick in front of the net.

Unfortunately the Huskies were unable to maintain their 2-1 lead after Bemidji State’s Mary O’Brien scored in the 81st minute to send the game into overtime.

The Huskies suffered their first loss of the season after Bemidji went on to score an unanswered goal in the

fourth minute of extra time.

“Bemidji is a good, strong team, and I think we battled really well against them. It was a great team effort, and we have a lot to be proud of,” said Jacob.

After a week’s worth of practice, the soccer team traveled to Green Bay, Wisconsin, to take on UWGreen Bay on September 7. The Huskies fell 4-0 early on to a very strong Division I team but fought back to score two second half goals. Junior forward Katie Boardman headed the ball into the back of the net off a deflection in the box minutes into the second half. In the

70th minute, Lindsey Van Rooy scored on a rebound shot off the crossbar inside the box. Green Bay held Michigan Tech 4-2 for the remainder of the game causing the Huskies to incur their second consecutive loss of the season.

Having played a handful of matches on top of an exhibition game already this season, so far the coaching staff has been impressed by the team’s ability to create scoring opportunities as well as the diversity of both players scoring for the Huskies and types of goals being scored. Defensively, the team is working on

Photo by Ben Wittbrodt

playing more compact to try and stop any breakdowns in the defensive line. Also, the team’s ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities is a work in progress.

The Huskies will have the chance to play one more non-conference game at home against Northern Michigan on Monday, September 10. Following Monday’s game, the road to the GLIAC tournament begins. The Huskies will kick off GLIAC competition at Lake Erie College on Friday, September 14. Go Huskies!

14 Tuesday, September 11, 2012

SPORTS

Michigan Tech Lode

Cross Country uses early season races as a measuring stick JACOB SHULER Lode Writer At their second race at the Midwest Collegiate Open on the 8th, the Huskies posted a second place finish for the men’s team and a ninth place finish for the women’s team.

Still early in the season, the cross country team focuses on improving their individual times from last season. As they go through the season, the Huskies will work on improving their times so that the peak of their performance will occur at the GLIAC Championships, the NCAA Regionals and the

NCAA Championships.

Several performers are returning to the team for the 2012 season. These include runners like Marissa Yovetich and Amanda Halonen. The women’s team lost six of their eight starters this season as a result of graduations along with students that are studying abroad for a semester.

Both Yovetich and Halonen had several stand out moments last season.

Halonen posted a personal best (23:36) for a 6K race held at the NCAA regionals.

Yovetich earned NCAA AllRegion honors for finishing 17th along with winning the UP Championships race.

The women’s team still has some building to do to makeup for lost runners. Two seniors on the team, Amanda Halonen and Megan Smaby led the team finishing 27th and 59th respectively. “All our women competed very hard and well,” said Coach Haggenmiller. After losing a lot of runners since last season, this season will give the women’s team a good building year giving younger runners experience running bigger competitions like this week’s Midwest Collegiate Open.

The men’s team has familiar runners returning as well, such as Jani Lane. Lane finished at the top of the

Photo credit: Michigan Technological University, Athletics Department.

Photo credit: Michigan Technological University, Athletics Department.

men’s team in all six races he competed in last season. He also finished third at the UP Championship.

“The men had a real good start to our travel invitational season. Taking second to the home team is a really good start for us,” commented Head Coach Joe Haggenmiller. Eric Parcell, Bradon Kampstra and Jonathon Kilpela were the top three finishers for the Huskies. All three finished in the top ten to help push the team to the second place finish.

Both the men’s and women’s teams will face some adjustment this season as they approach

the big races at the end of the season. Runners from both teams showed good results last season and this season will give them more opportunities to improve their times in preparation for the GLIAC Championships.

The GLIAC Championships are held on October 20, giving the Huskies just seven weeks after the start of the season to work on their conditioning and performance before the meet.

Michigan Tech Lode

SPORTS

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

15

Rebuilding Michigan Tech Volleyball ELLIE FURMANSKI Lode Writer In recent years, the Michigan Tech Women’s Volleyball team has achieved less than desirable results.

After displaying a 23 game losing streak and posting a 0-19 conference record during the 2011 season, the Huskies found themselves coach-less and in need of serious rejuvenation.

The following January, the Michigan Tech Athletics Department announced the hiring of Matt Jennings to lead the volleyball program in the upcoming season.

Jennings officially began his position as head coach in March and has been working to rebuild the volleyball program since. With a lofty

task at hand, Jennings began his pursuit to reshape the face of Michigan Tech volleyball right away. To begin, he hired his assistant coach Nicasio Paquiz Jr. Paquiz brings 18 years of coaching experience to the program, having coached at the NCAA Div. I level, elite level club teams and high school programs. Jennings’ next leap was recruiting five freshmen for the 2012 season. This freshmen class brings years of elite level club experience and includes allstate, all-conference and allregion nominees as well as a two time AAU All-American player, Jacqueline Aird.

Jennings’ system is faster paced and more physical compared to previous years.

He emphasizes aggressive, confident play.

The methodology used to

achieve this style encourages players to take risks, make mistakes and problem solve on their own. The coaches have “created an atmosphere in practice where risk taking and aggressive style of play is rewarded,” said Jennings.

“It’s my goal to have them see that it’s okay to make errors. It’s the remedy that’s most important.”

Since the implementation of Jennings’ new, robust program this past March, an air of confidence and fundamental joy has instilled itself within the Michigan Tech volleyball court.

While the increased desire and commitment of the players may not be a visible improvement, this newfound positive vibe on the court has helped to rekindle a once broken team. Talking about the players, Jennings

Abbey DeWitt reflects the energy fueling her team as she readies herself for a volley.

said, “Their attitudes are fabulous. They’re committed to improving this program, and that’s where it starts.”

The start of a new beginning for Michigan Tech volleyball, that is.

The Huskies opened their 2012 season with nonconference play in the Crimson Hawk Invitational, which took place at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania on August 31 and September 1. The team split their opening weekend, playing 17 sets in four matches. Having suffered two losses, the team walked away with a high sense of accomplishment knowing that only four points separated them from a perfect 4-0 weekend. On day one of the tournament, the Huskies won 3-1 against

Photo by MTU

Roberts Wesleyan but later fell 3-2 to Cedarville. Day two opened with a 3-2 loss against Indiana but closed with a 3-0 victory against Coker. Jennings said, “We’re learning how to win again,” which is a big part of rebuilding the program.

Overall, the team’s level of play in their opening weekend tournament revealed a more confident, aggressive team than in years past. Excited about the direction in which the team is headed, Jennings noted, “If preseason and this first tournament has proven anything to me, it’s that this group is very capable of reshaping the program this year compared to what is was last year.”

The Huskies will hit the road for their first five consecutive conference matches of the season and return for their opening home match against Wayne State on September 29.

While on the road, the team’s ultimate goal is to improve each week. “I think by the time we get home you’ll see a completely different team than you did last year,” said Jennings. If the team can achieve this, undoubtedly the reputation of Michigan Tech Volleyball will be reborn.

Congratualtions

to our K-Day winners!

Michal Hart

Sara Alian & Ali Mirchi

If you entered in our K-Day raffle, you could also be a winner! Check your email for details and head on over to Student Activities to find our office and get your shirt.