9/24/2013

The

Michigan Tech

September 24, 2013

Lack of communication on campus computing changes

Huskies win Homecoming football game Read full story on page 15

RAND SILVERS Lode Writer

Recent conversations on campus have surrounded a number of things, but one major topic is the ongoing changes in campus computing.

Unfortunately, there have been misunderstandings and miscommunications on the part of both IT and the academic departments.

The process began in the early summer.

Walt Milligan, Chief Information Officer, explained that “[We] had been talking for quite a while that the current lab situation is not as efficient as it could be… we were wasting a lot of student tuition money, by having machines that we really didn’t need, and so we tried to figure out a way to provide students the services, the machines and software they need a little bit more efficiently...

We visited with Engineering Counsel… in the early summer to talk about this potential project… at the point the department heads for the most part

Photo by Kevin Madson

Continued on page 4

News:

2

Will the UP become the 51st state?

News: Historic town of Clifton

5

Pulse:

6

ArcAttack: easily the best music you’ve ever heard from lightning

Opinion:

10

Give yourself a break

Sports:

13

Hockey preview with Black Pietila, Brad Stebner and Pheonix Copley

2

Tuesday, September 24

Will the UP become the 51st state?

RAND SILVERS Lode Writer Suggested pull quote: “There is nothing more American than a group trying to form a government that is more suited to their needs” -Chad Stevens At a rally on Sept. 7, 2013 in Kinross, Michigan, Chad Stevens, President of the Northern Michigan Liberty Alliance called for the secession of the UP, the northern part of the Lower Peninsula and parts of northeastern Wisconsin to form the new U.S. state of Superior.

To many, this idea seems rather outlandish. For instance, when asked, Michigan Tech student Sawyer West said, “I didn’t realize they even had enough people to become a state.” But to Stevens and his organization, the only outlandish thing is that the UP is even part of Michigan in the first place.

In fact, the UP was only included after Michigan came out on the losing side of a bloodless border dispute with Ohio called “The Toledo War.” In December 1836, a compromise was finally worked out that gave Ohio the Toledo Strip, while the UP was added to the Michigan Territory as a sort of consolation prize.

The first mention of UP independence in a major publication was as early as an 1858 article in the Wall Street Journal. Since then, support for the movement has peaked and ebbed at various times, most recently coming to a head in the 1970’s, when an independence initiative came within one vote of passing the Michigan legislature and being presented to Congress.

While this movement is not new, it still enjoys support today. Stevens finds that in his discussions with voters the topic “really strikes a chord” with voters across the spectrum, many of whom believe their interests are not being heard in Lansing, bringing up the 2010 example of a group of counties in the UP that issued Lansing a petition for the right to grow hemp which has received no response. Stevens also claims there would be economic advantages to secession, citing at his rally a study claiming that for every dollar paid in taxes, residents of the UP only receive 96 cents in benefits.

Not everyone shares Stevens’ predictions for an independent UP, however. In an emailed statement, Brian Hoduski, co-chair of the Houghton County Democratic Party, stated that “the UP untethered from the rest of Michigan would be an economic disaster,” citing concerns about the cost of such things as road maintenance. Other critics point out that the UP would be the smallest state in the country, with only 60 percent the population of Wyoming, which is currently the smallest state.

There is also some discussion about how Michigan Tech would fare in the case of secession. Hoduski questions whether the UP would be able to provide the level of financial support the school has traditionally received from Lansing, and asks “How many downstate kids would still come to MTU if they had to pay out-ofstate tuition?”

Stevens, however, states his belief that “the overwhelming majority of voters would be happy to have Tech as part of a new University system, and subsidize it.”

NEWS

Michigan Tech Lode

Handling stress before it starts NICOLE IUTZI Lode Writer

Students tend to feel extreme levels of stress around final exam week as they study for hours and prepare for exams. That fateful week, activities are offered to students to help relieve some of the anxiety and pressure put upon them, but what about resources, tips or events for students to prevent stress during the rest of the semester?

There are many basic wellness activities which can help to reduce stress. “Exercise is really helpful in terms of managing stress it helps with mood disturbance and anxiety,” said Crystal McLeod, Clinical Psychologist for Counseling and Wellness Services. According to the Mayo Clinic, exercise can help with sleep, your mood and help to forget the irritations of the day.

Adding exercise to your busy college schedule may be difficult, but there are some tricks to getting the most out the time you have. Try exercising with a friend or take three 10-minute walks instead of one 30 minute one. Maybe grab a mat and try out some yoga poses.

Michigan Tech offers adult community programs through Recreation and students are welcome to sign up for classes like yoga, tennis, zumba and aqua fit.

Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule is another basic way to reduce stress, along with having a nutritional diet. “One big thing would be time management so that you’re not playing catch-up so the work you are doing is being spread over the entire semester rather than at these spurts,” said McLeod. Use tools like Google Calendar or a planner to schedule your day so don’t have to keep it all in your brain. “Schedule fun time into your schedule to relax so you have the time,” said Whitney Boroski, coordinator for Health and Wellness.

Academic success coaches are available in the Waino Wahtera Center for Student Success to help students with time management, study skills and effective use of campus resources. There are academic success workshops titled “Study Smarter, Not Harder” available to students through mid October. To RSVP to an academic success workshop, please email (simpson@mtu.edu).

Presentations on topics related to healthy living and stress management are available through Health and Wellness Services. Some presentations include discussions on sexual health and risk management.

Any student organization or group can schedule a presentation, but they do ask that you call a week ahead of time.

Take advantage of the resources available to you on campus. Taking the proper preventable actions, like scheduling a time with a learning center coach before you start to fall behind, can only benefit you. Visit professors’ office hours and ask questions in class. Be realistic about your expectations and limits for each new semester or position you take on. “It’s important to know your limits, people have this very crazy idea of what they can actually handle and what reality actually is,” said Boroski.

“We’re taught from our freshman year that everything we do has to benefit our resume or ourselves, you can’t do something just because you want to do it. Those events overshadow the fun events,” said Cassandra Kussow, Peer-health advocate in Health and Wellness Services. With so many different student organizations on campus, join a group that would be fun for you where you won’t be stressed if you miss a meeting.

Find something that isn’t going to be stressful in your life, find a hobby, take thirty minutes and watch a show you like or read a book other than a textbook, knit, hike, go biking, do something fun. Try a new perspective and find at least one positive aspect of what you’re doing.

Being happy to see a friend in your least favorite class could offer more of an incentive to actually attend the class.

“However if you’re noticing significant impacts in your sleep...you may notice your mood drops down, you’re irritable, you can’t concentrate or you feel very overwhelmed, you may need a little additional support during those times and that might be a good time to set up an appointment with a counselor,” said McLeod.

With abundant resources on campus for you to take advantage of, reach out and speak with someone who is willing to help before you overload your semester. Health and Wellness Services is located in the top floor of the Outdoor Adventure Program (OAP) house.

2013 Homecoming recap KATELYN WAARA News Editor Friday night’s windy conditions, cloudy skies and the occasional sprinkle of rain didn’t hinder the hundreds of students who headed out to Chute and Ladders for the Homecoming 2013 pep rally and cardboard boat races.

Nestled near the Portage Canal, the parade led down to the waterfront park where Blizzard “wobbled” to the blaring music, the Michigan Tech Cheer and Dance teams performed and the pep band proudly played our favorites.

Members of the Huskies football team also attended the pep rally to deliver this message to fans: “Thanks for the support and GO HUSKIES!” Following the Michigan Tech fight song, students from

organizations across campus braved the balmy 65 degree water to race their homemade cardboard boats.Triangle Fraternity was the first successful organization to maneuver their duct-taped vessel around the buoy and make it back to shore without sinking. Flags representing the many organizations flew over the crowd as more boats entered the water.

Swimming from campus, West McNair residences created their own shark-finned hats to tie the team’s uniforms together, uniting them as one as they prepared for their turn at the rowing. Towels were provided for those who did not fare the waters well.

As another Homecoming week closes, planning for next year begins.

Look for more photos from this year’s Homecoming festivities on page seven the Pulse section!

Michigan Tech Lode

NEWS

Tuesday, September 24

3

Community networking in the Keweenaw KATELYN WAARA News Editor Young people in the Keweenaw, particularly those who come to Michigan Tech to get their education and meet new people, will find that growing as a person as well as a professional is important to their career development and the opportunities they face after graduation. By becoming a part of a new community organization, these students, as well as others, can do just that.

Keweenaw Young Professionals, or KYP, began as only an idea. Jessica Brassard, co-founder of the organization, began “ping-ponging ideas” back and forth with Lynn Makela, former Marketing and Communications Director in the School of Business and Economics at Michigan Tech. After Makela left the area to pursue other opportunities, Brassard continued the development and implementation of the idea of KYP. The group offers multiple “hubs of opportunity,” Brassard said. For everyone involved, KYP is able to give them a

resource for community outreach and action, volunteering, networking and personal and professional development, all in an energetic, inclusive and sociable atmosphere. With so many pockets of interest, KYP has begun with a number of “small successes” by meeting the needs and ideas of those in the organization. Whatever you’re interested in, KYP can help you to meet the people involved in that already and get you talking.

Even though KYP is still in its beginning stages, membership has grown. Each week, Brassard sends an email update to those who are on the membership list. Between the Facebook page’s “likes” and the email list, there are approximately 200 people who receive news and other information about the meetups and KYP events.

Although the name “Keweenaw Young Professionals” seems to imply the “youth” of the Keweenaw, all ages are welcome.

Brassard said a number of regular members are in their 50s, an encouraging sentiment for those members of the community who have a lot of experience to share, but are unsure of the appropriate outlet to do so.

The first meetup, held in March of 2013,

was a success with 60 people in attendance.

Most recently, an average of 40 people have been attending the meetups and events.

The most recent KYP event, its first ever recreational meetup, meant to showcase the beauty of the Keweenaw Peninsula, was held this past Saturday, Sept. 21 with a hike amongst the Estivant Pines in Copper Harbor. Lunch and a view of Lake Superior followed the hike at Fitzgerald’s in Eagle River. Approximately 25 people, Brassard said, had signed up to attend prior to the event.

Unlike similar organizations such as Marquette’s 40 Below, another community networking group for young professionals, KYP was not formed under a parent organization. 40 Below, for example, was formed in 2010 under the Lake Superior Community Partnership, the “leading resource for economic development, providing a wide variety of affordable and effective development services” in Marquette county. Without a board calling the shots, KYP is able to conduct their own events and do what they feel is best for the organization without a hierarchical structure. Without that structure, though,

d Get out an

comes a lack of funds, which is why Brassard and others involved in KYP’s development are looking into becoming a non-profit organization.

Brassard described KYP as flat; although they do have a steering committee looking out for the organization, KYP is kept “as flat as possible [allowing] as many to feel included and engaged,” said Brassard.

By making the Keweenaw a better place through the youth and younger generation’s engagement, Brassard adds that the end goal of KYP is for its members to live a fulfilling life; a happy work life and personal life.

This month’s meetup, “Meet the Makers of the Keweenaw”, will be held at the Michigan House in Calumet on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $5. Next month’s KYP meeting will be held on Oct. 17, although the location has not yet been decided. If you are looking to learn more about KYP or would like to be added to their email list, please contact Jessica Brassard by emailing her at (jessie@ brassardmedia.com).

KYP will also have a table outside of the gyms at the Career Fair today, so go and check them out!

checklist

u d e . u t m . h c e t e c n e i r e www.Exp nity employer. /equal opportu ion ut tit ins al ion rtunity educat an equal oppo ical University is log no ch Te n Michiga

4

Tuesday, September 24

NEWS

Michigan Tech Lode

The Computing changes Continued from front page world at a glance

Soil samples were taken from many locations, including a local dog run.

Photo courtesy of William DeShazer, NYT

Old Smokey leaves a toxic legacy

Old Smokey, the name given to a trash incinerator in Miami, closed down in 1970 after spewing ash into the surrounding neighborhood for 45 years.

Now, residents are becoming aware of the results of recent soil samples, many of which are showing contamination from carcinogens like arsenic. Heavy metals, like lead, cadmium and barium, are also being discovered in the samples.

The incinerator and the ash it dropped onto the community is now being blamed, and residents are wondering why this problem hadn’t been publicized sooner. Local Miami officials initially found contamination two years ago at the site, which is now used as a training facility for firefighters. Residents of the area were not alerted. Reports of the contamination remained secured until this year when a city employee revealed them to a Miami University law professor in the school’s Environmental Justice Project.

This prompted officials to commission soil sample tests in the immediate area, which was later expanded to include seven parks, 17 areas of private property, four churches and 12 green spaces in West Grove and Coconut Grove, FL. At its peak, Old Smokey consumed and burned 300 tons of trash a day. Studies at the University of Miami cancer research center are now being conducted to see if a cluster of pancreatic cancers have Old Smokey’s old habits to blame.

were very supportive… Faculty did not really get involved, because this was going on during the summer, and very few departments have faculty meetings in the summer. We also visited USG and GSG several times.”

In these meetings, plans were developed and shared. The basic structure of the changes is that “Open Labs” in department academic buildings are being “repurposed” as wireless lounges, with a limited number of wired workstations and increased accommodations for laptop use and collaboration.

To make up for this, the number of workstations in the library is being dramatically increased.

Milligan confirmed that financial considerations were “a major motivation for the change,” explaining in a campuswide email that upgrading the labs would have cost around two million dollars, whereas “if we could do it more centrally and put machines in one place, we could do it for about a third of the cost.”

However, some were not included in these meetings. Tony Rogers, an associate professor in the Chemical Engineering department, explained that “the first I’d heard [about the changes] was a July 23rd presentation by IT. It was mostly the configuration of the new ILC library expansion, I was only dimly aware at that time that the labs would be closing….

It came out in the presentation, but I guess that wasn’t the main focus of the presentation…” said Rogers.

Rogers added that while the idea for the library technology expansion is not a bad one, he has some worries.

“No student I’ve met, myself included thinks the library expansion is a bad idea… But I began to think about ‘What would our students be losing?’ There’s a lot of collaboration that goes on in Chemical Engineering, for example, between freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors… I worry that the new arrangement won’t allow that kind of cooperation. It’s a kind of community that develops, probably in every department, that may be lost unless we’re careful,” he said.

In addition to considerations of collaboration, Rogers expressed concerns about software licensing for laptop users, the availability of labs for workshops and senior design projects, and timing; concerns he does not believe IT has adequately addressed.

The issue at hand is how students use the labs and what resources they need and want. Milligan points to a prior

example of this same process working with a former lab in Rekhi 113. “When we proposed based on statistics that [the computer science department] really didn’t need that lab, they were very upset… a few weeks after we converted it, it seems to be very popular. We were walking around and students said ‘This is great. How did you know this was what we were going to want?’. Change is hard, and until people see what is going to replace it, it’s hard to change.”

Rogers also believes that different departments use their labs differently and that they should have more say in how they are structured. “When [IT] considered that a lab was labelled as an “Open Lab” they think that the students go there to work in perhaps a way that students don’t work. Maybe they don’t understand what goes on in some of these labs. Maybe some of them do operate like IT thinks they do, but a lot of our labs don’t. They could have known that by talking to some of the students...

[Students] know what they need to do, and what kind of resources they need to make it happen. All we have to do is listen and make sure that we provide it.”

The one consensus among those involved is that there was a lack of communication. When asked about his understanding of the changes being

made to the labs, Rogers responded, “I’m in the dark.”

Milligan recognizes the lack of communication, saying “I apologize for the incomplete communication on this project, and I take full responsibility for the lack of communication. People deserve and need to know what’s going on, and we didn’t do a good job of that.”

On the other hand, communication is not always so easy, as Milligan explains.

“We have a problem with communication, obviously, but the other thing is that people don’t like to be pestered, and they don’t like to be spammed, and every time I send an announcement out to the entire campus, I get a lot of backlash.”

Ultimately, the changes have not been put fully into place yet. Rogers’ main advice for students is that “if they’re not getting access to the hardware or the space or whatever they need to do their work, they need to talk to tell their instructor… The direct connection to their instructor is the one they need to keep open.”

Milligan asks that students and faculty “not overreact until they see the new situation, and give it a chance. It’s going to be different. Some people will like it better and some will like it worse. Just give it a chance is all I’m asking people to do.”

W E H AV E A S U R E F I R E WAY TO PREDIC T THE FUT URE: H I R E Y O U T O I N V E N T I T.

Cyberspace controls and laser defense systems came as no surprise to the U.S. Air Force. In fact, they came off our drawing boards. No wonder we’re always looking to hire the best and brightest. You can leverage your degree immediately and get hands-on experience with some of the most sophisticated technology on ear th.

©2009 Paid for by the U.S. Air Force. All rights reserved.

NEWS

Michigan Tech Lode

Tuesday, September 24

5

Historic town of Clifton NICOLE IUTZI Lode Writer Cliff Mine was discovered in the greenstone bluff about three miles from Lake Superior, and 30 miles northeast of Houghton. The town of Clifton was established near the settlement of the mine in 1845. It hit its peak in 1870 and then diminished in the early 20th century.

Today, only ruins can be seen of the mine buildings.

The people who worked in the mine and lived in the town transformed mining activities and ways of adapting to mass copper running through veins such as the ‘Cliff Vein’. This was the start of the industrial mining boom.

From the Cliff Mine, 38 million pounds

of refined copper were produced over a 40-year period. The mine was operated

by Pittsburg & Boston Mining Company.

During 1845-1856, no one in the region could match the amount of Copper produced here. By the 1950s, with no other veins found in the bluff, the Cliff Mine was abandoned.

Miners were mostly Irish, German or Cornish immigrants. By 1850 the population of Clifton had grown to about 500 and schools, churches and stores became part of the town.

There were three churches in Clifton, the first of which was the Catholic Edifice. The Cliff Catholic Cemetery was constructed near the church. In 1899, the Catholic Edifice was taken down and the lumber was used to build the Church of the Assumption in Phoenix, Mich. Grace Episcopal Church was also erected. It

was then considered the finest church in the Northern Peninsula. When the Keweenaw Central Railroad ran its line through the Clifton area, the church was dismantled. In addition, the Methodist Church stood tall for many years after being constructed, but when a storm took the roof off the lumber was used for another church in Laurium, Mich.

During the summer of 1845, a wagon road was built to connect Eagle River and Clifton to allow supplies to be brought into town.

In 1847, a 25-acre company farm was built. By 1854 the farm was producing 3,000 bushels of potatoes, along with other vegetables. This was a fairly consistent harvest.

Clifton once displayed many buildings, including four small log cabins, a two story log cabin, a brick building, an office

and storehouse and a sawmill and engine house. The company store had mining supplies, food, cooking and household utensils, medicine, tonics, coffee, tea, herbs and spices. The prices of supplies were high as the mining company controlled them.

A one-room schoolhouse was constructed in 1859 where Henry Hobart taught for two years. He taught for 9-10 months of the year, about 115 students per day. In the evenings from 6-9 p.m., he taught parents how to read, write and do arithmetic. None of these buildings still stand today.

This once booming town is now just a historic ghost town of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Evidence of the mining can been seen, and only a historical sign marks one of the cemeteries of the once prosperous town of Clifton.

Bottle Bill to expand

Senate proposed to accept non-carbonated beverages as ten cent refunds SASHA BURNETT Lode Writer On June 13, 2013, Michigan senator Rebekah Warren proposed Senate bill number 432, which is also known as the Bottle Bill.

The Bottle Bill is an amendment to section one of the original bottle bill from 1976 when Michigan became one of the first states to pass a law on container deposits.

The proposed amendment is to change the word “beverage” to include non-carbonated drinks. Currently, these containers are not returnable, but with the amendment, they

will be available for a refund.

According to Eric Mosher, the program associate of the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan (PIRGIM), the Bottle Bill will put a ten cent refund on noncarbonated plastic containers such as water bottles, sports drinks and juice containers.

“The bottle bill takes what we already have and just expands on it,” Mosher said.

Mosher add that Americans have increased their consumption of noncarbonated beverages exponentially, which has created more waste since there is no refund on these beverage containers.

“We in Michigan return and recycle over 95 percent of bottles. However, half a billion

Michigan Tech Lode

Editor in Chief .....................Krysten Cooper Business Manager.......................Alex Mager Design Editor............................Kaila Pietila Media Editor.....................Kourtney Cooper News Editor..........................Katelyn Waara Opinion Editor.........................Megan Walsh Pulse Editor......................................Jane Kirby Sports Editor .........................Ellie Furmanski Advisor .............................................Kara Sokol

plastic bottles are still being thrown away each year because they don’t enjoy the same deposit as beer and pop,” Mosher said.

Some students support the impact that the Bottle Bill may have on the environment.

“The Bottle Bill will make recycling more convenient because a lot of recycling bins in the [residence halls] only accept ten cent recyclables. I know people, sadly myself included, who have thrown out recyclable items because there wasn’t a readily available recycling bin,”said Hannah Ramsby, a first year Environmental Engineering student.

Although the Bottle Bill is still at the petitioning stage, Mosher has high hopes for its impact.

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

Staff Writers - Sasha Burnett, Taylor Domagalla, Zach Evans, Jace Fritzler, Ian Hatzilias, Nicole Iutzi, Roshni Sachar, Rohit Sharma Circulation - Inmelda Rangel Visuals Staff - Noki Arguello, Maxwell Curtis, Pratik Joshi, Kevin Madson Copy Editors - Michael Hilliard, Erin Norton

“With the right amount of public support through petitioning and educating the public, the amendment to the Bottle Bill should take place on January 1, 2014,” Mosher said.

“I would support the Bottle Bill because it will give people more incentive to recycle,” Ramsby said.

“The Bottle Bill will definitely have a huge effect on the environment. There will be much more recycling in the state and we are hoping to shrink the amount of waste dramatically,” Mosher said.

The bill in its entirety can be found at (http://openstates.org/mi/bills/2013-2014/ SB432/documents/MID00018227/).

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 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 Lode subscribes to the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional

Journalists.

The Lode is funded in part by the Michigan Tech Student Activity Fee. 1. lodeads@mtu.edu for submitting ads to the Lode.

2. lodesubmit@mtu.edu for submitting articles and letters to the editor.

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

The Lode reserves the right to edit submissions for length, clarity and potentially libelous material.

Submissions should not exceed 500 words.

6

PULSE

Tuesday, September 24

“Chasing Ice” preview JANE KIRBY Pulse Editor Coming this Thursday to the Rosza is a free event featuring the mastermind behind the remarkable film “Chasing Ice,” James Balog, who set out on an ambitious mission to document the world’s steady climate change and how it may affect our futures here on planet Earth.

Hand-placing multiple high-definition cameras at different locations around the world, Balog begins his journey of exploring climate change. He programs each and every camera to take pictures on set intervals of time for an extended period of time as they face various glaciers from Alaska to Greenland and beyond.

As expected, things don’t always go as planned. Balog faces many barriers along the way and shows a great deal of perseverance and determination, as well as passion, as he powers through and eventually reaches his goal of capturing the movements of glaciers over time.

With excellent visuals and great adventure, “Chasing Ice” is sure to wow the audience. Balog will be holding a lecture and a question-answer session on Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. in the Rosza. The screening of his documentary “Chasing Ice” will be shown before the lecture. This event is sponsored by the Mark Eugene Howard Endowment and by the VanEvera Distinguished Lecture Series.

Michigan Tech Lode

“Iron Man 3” review ARIC RHODES Lode Writer “Iron Man 3” is a movie that can’t quite decide what it wants to be about. It starts with no less than three plot lines, and while two of them combine into the main plot around the end of the movie, the last is simply forgotten and is never really resolved. While there are plenty of nice action sequences and a refreshing splash of comedy, the final result was somewhat unfulfilling to the viewer who brought expectations that the problems brought up in the movie would be solved.

At the beginning of the movie the audience is introduced to what seems to be the main plot, Tony Stark dealing with the demon that he created in Advanced Idea Mechanics. The first several minutes takes place in a flashback in which there are mere hints at the dragon’s teeth that Stark has sewn against himself.

Shortly after this, the movie introduces yet another major contender for the main plot, the Mandarin, a leader of a terrorist organization.

Late in the movie, it is revealed that the Mandarin is a mere puppet for the true villain of the movie, the leader and founder of AIM. in the original comics, the Mandarin is the arch nemesis of Iron Man, but here he is reduced to a powerless

mask for the real villain to hide behind.

This twist is pulled off remarkably well and in a manner that actually allows quite a bit of dramatic tension to build before allowing it to release through humor.

The final plot trying to get screen time is Stark attempting to overcome a crippling case of PTSD, which he is suffering after the events of “The Avengers”. In “The Avengers”, Stark sees things which his science cannot explain, along with a true battle against an alien intelligence.

Several times throughout the film, Stark suffers anxiety attacks when reminded of the event. These episodes are crippling and pose a very real danger to Stark.

Unfortunately, the movie just seems to forget about them; there is no resolution for the attacks. Instead, he seems to find a coping mechanism in building things. After Macgyvering together some equipment late in the movie, the episodes stop, never to be mentioned again.

Robert Downey Jr. does an excellent job of portraying the unique version of Stark that he helped to invent. In fact, most all of the acting is done very well.

The biggest qualm that the movie has against itself (outside of the plot) is probably in its effects. While the effects in most scenes are believable enough, at times the computer generation is so obvious that it felt like watching a video game cutscene instead of a movie.

Specifically, the final action sequence of the movie takes place on an oil platform, and there are so many fires and collapsing structures that the point of believability is compromised. The many scenes in which the camera is panning over the battle are almost entirely computer generated and it really shows. Thankfully, most of the CG enhanced Extremis soldiers are well done enough that they stay out of the uncanny valley, but still there are several instances where things look like they are wax models of people instead of actors.

In the end, “Iron Man 3” is a movie to recommend, especially for fans of the movie series, though it is a harder sell for fans of the comic book franchise.

Those wanting to see some Iron Man versus Mandarin action will be extremely disappointed on that front, but there are enough action scenes that there is still plenty to watch. Indeed, it is the action scenes that make the movie of note, as they are many and most are, admittedly, very nice to watch. The main plot with its twists turns and dead ends, however, will most likely polarize the audience opinions.

Although the apparent dropping of the PTSD plot line is disappointing, the plot still manages to get through interplaying between the AIM and Mandarin plot threads. Though it is by no means a perfect movie, “Iron Man 3” is still at least a 3.5/5 star movie.

ArcAttack

Easily the best music you’ve ever heard from lightning ARIC RHODES Lode Writer Those who were able to see the ArcAttack crew on Sept. 20 were treated to an overall excellent show. The show obviously had quite a bit of effort put into it, and it resulted in easily the best music that I have ever heard from lightning.

The music was provided primarily by two large Tesla coils, which were able to use the oscillation in the air caused by the lightning in order to make quite complicated music, from “I am Iron Man”

by Black Sabbath to the “Imperial March” of Star Wars fame. Several genres of music were performed, and all were executed rather well, especially considering that the sound was being generated by streams of charged plasma ionizing the air.

Even members of the audience who were not fans of music had reason not to be disappointed, as the ArcAttack show also featured several other interesting feats of electromagnetism. They made

a piece of aluminum explode into a plasma, split several cans with the immense force of a capacitor fueled electromagnetic coil, demonstrated the classic Van de Graaff generator inducing charge and even showed a full Faraday cage and suit. Possibly one of the more interesting things about the show was that the crew would explain, with simple science, what they were doing and why it worked. Though most Tech students are likely familiar with basic electromagnetism, one who is not could be educated rather swiftly by the show.

The show was aimed quite squarely at an audience who would enjoy both the music and the science which was being done in order to make it, an audience type which is quite prevalent here at Tech. Many here would be impressed by the full faraday suit which one of the crew wore, even more would be impressed as he proceeded to play an electric guitar in the suit, few would be left unimpressed when he began to play said electric guitar while wearing the suit and having both of

the Tesla coils arcing toward him with all of their 1,000,000+ volt fury playing “I am Iron Man” as he did the same. Later, some brave students were given the opportunity to be in a Faraday cage while the Tesla coils played their music. The bravery was necessary here, not because of fear of electrocution, but because those in the Faraday cage had to dance in front of the audience. In spite of, or perhaps because of this, there were several students that were willing and able to go into the cage.

This all is not to say that the show was without problems, of course. At the door earplugs were provided, and I mourn for the hearing loss of those who neglected to wear them. The music had very little dynamics, on the one to ten scale the Tesla coils were rather consistently at 11.

Beyond the fortissimo of the coils, the sound itself was rather good when one considers a handicap for the production method. Taken alone the music preferred the treble, had a very unsatisfactory amount of vibrato, and could seem somewhat “tinny”, as if one were playing

the music with a poor quality stereo system. Finally, those who are sensitive to the smell of ozone should take a seat near the back, as even the seats in the middle of the Rozsa had a significant concentration of the stuff by the end of the show.

Taken together, the ArcAttack show was definitely something to see. It was in no way perfect, between the sound problems and the volume, but that is to be expected when using such an unorthodox means of music production as Tesla coils. Between the variety of the music which was played and the well-explained science that the show uses, most Tech students would probably enjoy the show, if only because it consists mostly of two pillars shooting lightning. Those who are curious can find several videos online, as the ArcAttack crew endorses filming and taking pictures of the show so long as the flash is kept off. If the ArcAttack crew comes back for another show here, just watch it.

You won’t be disappointed, though you should definitely wear the earplugs.

Michigan Tech Lode

“KAISA”

A new Michigan novel

PULSE

Homecoming 2013

Tuesday, September 24

7

SARAH HARTTUNG Lode Writer A historical novel about Michigan’s natural industries has been recently released by author Jack R. Westerbrook. A native of Mount Pleasant, Westerbrook’s first novel is titled “KAISA: A Novel of Michigan’s Copper Mining & Oil and Gas Industries; Calumet, Mt. Pleasant, Holland, Mackinac Island and Jekyll Island, Georgia.”

This is his first work of fiction, after writing eight books of photo history on subjects and events concerning Mt. Pleasant and Michigan’s natural resources since 2006. The book is titled after a Finnish girl who lost her life in the Italian Hall Tragedy, which occurred during the copper mining strike in the UP. The novel takes place during a twogeneration time span with an attitude of historical romance/adventure, from the 1913 strike up through an attempted kidnap in Georgia in 1942. The story follows Kaisa from her Copper Country homeland.

“I should have named the book ‘My Eleven Year Affair with a Finnish/Dutch Copper Miner’s Daughter’ since that’s how long it’s been since the concept came to me,” Westbrook says. “Researching locales, people and events for authenticity was a grind sometimes, but in the final product, 80 percent of the people existed and about the same percentage of incidents are real historical events. History buffs will love the book, and while there is some love interest, don’t look for shredded bodices, heaving chests or thundering hearts here.”

The book is available both in stores and as an electronic download.

Top left: The 2013 Homecoming Court marches onto Sherman Field.

Top right: Members of the Huskies football team address the crowd at the pep rally.

Middle: Runners line up to compete in the relay race.

Bottom left: Homecoming court members enjoy root beer floats.

Bottom center: Cardboard boats raced in the 65 degree waters of the Portage.

Bottom right: Huskies volleyball takes on LSSU

Photos by Maxwell Curtis, Pratik Joshi, Kevin Madson, Katelyn Waara

8

Tuesday, September 24

COMICS

CLASSIFIEDS Northwoods in downtown Hancock has Excalibur crossbows and everything you need for your bow hunting season. DNR licenses sold here Call 906 482-5210 Open M-F 9-6 Sat. 9-5

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

Comic courtesy of XKCD

Michigan Tech Lode

PUZZLES

Michigan Tech Lode

9

Tuesday, September 24

Sudoku

Rules: Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 block contains 1-9 exactly once.

Last Week’s Solution...

No. 0922 LETTERBOXES By Mike Selinker / Edited by Will Shortz

1 16

In this special crossword, the completed solution conceals a familiar three-word phrase related to the puzzle’s theme. 70-Across provides a hint on how to find it.

RELEASE DATE: 9/29/2013

A cr o s s 1 Cr ew ’s co lleagues 5 D o jo n eed s 9 Clas s ic s ci- f i film b illed as “a horror h o r d e o f cr awlan d - cr u s h g i ants” 1 3 “La- La” lead -in in a 1 9 7 4 A l G r een hit 1 6 I b er ian w in e city 1 8 “Vin cen t & _ __” ( f ilm ab o u t the van G o g h b r o th e rs) 1 9 Rin g s o f an g e ls 2 1 W h at X - O - X lacks?

2 2 “M acb eth ” k ing 2 3 Wo r d s o n a f ragile p ack ag e 2 6 I r as cib le 2 7 “M o n a Lis a, ” e.g.

2 8 Th u m b s - u p 2 9 H ar r id an 3 0 O r ch es tr a s ec tion 3 1 M o u th p iece for the h ead ?

3 4 J iff y 3 5 N o t p o s t3 7 O ld p iece 3 8 Little d o g , f or short 3 9 _ _ _ Av iv 4 0 S tr aw b er r y b l ond s is ter o f Barbie 4 3 H in d u “M r. ” 4 4 “S w an s Ref lecting Elep h an ts ” and o th er s 4 6 1 9 6 0 s - ’ 7 0 s s e ries s tar r in g Ef r e m Zim b alis t J r.

4 9 O s car w in n er H ath aw ay

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.

51 Material beyond the terrestrial plane, in medieval science 55 Hello or goodbye, maybe 57 PC key 59 First word in 104Across 61 Cum ___ 62 ___ engr.

63 L ike hit shows, often 67 Pitchfork-wielding groups 69 Boo-boo 70 How to get a message out of the boxes 74 Van Morrison song “___ the Mystic” 75 Numerical prefix 76 “Only the L onely” singer 77 Part of a wriggly field?

78 Foreordained 80 Understands 82 Maker of the Sorento 83 Gallivants, with “about” 85 Boo-boos 87 Pale 89 L ike citrus fruits 92 L ike video games, nowadays 94 ___ L ingus 96 Round Table assignments 99 Old PC monitor feature 102 E rnie’s instrument on “Sesame Street,” informally 103 Italy’s main broadcasting co.

10 4 T V c h a n n e l w i t h lots of bells and whistles 10 5 Ta k e u p , a s a s k i r t 10 7 R o t a r y a l t e r n a t i v e 112 C o v e n t G a r d e n performance 114 N e w s p a p e r columnist, humorously 115 G r a m p a Si m p s o n 116 Sn o c k e r e d 117 A n d e r s C e l s i u s a n d Greta Garbo, for two 118 D D T a n d o t h e r s 12 1 “ I s A n y b o d y G o i n ’ t o Sa n _ _ _ ” ( # 1 C h a r l e y Pr i d e song) 12 2 B u l l e t , i n p o k e r 12 3 C a r t o o n i s t Wi l s o n 12 4 H e l p i l l i c i t l y 12 5 A l l e y f l a n k e r 12 6 H i d e / h a i r l i n k 12 7 L o o k i n g u p 12 8 C h a n t a t a bullfight 12 9 Sa t i r i c a l 1 9 7 4 espionage film Down 1 Wi t h 9 7 - D o w n , classic puzzle type 2 Like eyebrows 3 Ones getting the redcarpet treatment, say 4 “ T h e Sp i d e r w i c k Chronicles” coa u t h o r D i Te r l i z z i 5 Antarctic summit between peaks named for faith and charity 6 Wo r d s a f t e r “ w i n b y ” or “hang by” 7 Wh a t l o b s t e r s a n d crabs have 8 Nursery purchase

9 Baltimore club, for short 10 Ethan of “Before Su n r i s e ” 11 G i a n t M a n n i n g 12 Company that pioneered walkietalkies 13 “___ Mater” (hymn) 14 African capital 1 5 O rg a n i c c h e m i s t r y group 16 Lilac and lavender 1 7 Tu r n s i n t o m u s h 20 Oaf 24 Not ephemeral 2 5 A l l C h i So x h o m e games are played on it 32 ___ Lee 3 3 Pr o w i t h b o o k s , f o r short 3 5 Sl a p s t i c k p r o p 3 6 Pl a y w a t c h e r 4 1 M o t o c r o s s e n t r y, f o r short 4 2 Pi r a t e ’s c a rg o 4 4 Fr e n z i e d a s i f possessed 45 East German secret police 4 7 Wh e r e a m a t t r e s s goes 4 8 Sh a p e s l i k e s q u a r e s 50 Country that has two oryxes on its coat of arms 52 Like much processed wheat 53 Roman magistrates 5 4 Pu s h o ff 5 5 Fo o d i t e m n a m e d after an Austrian city 5 6 Fi l m s e t o n Pa n d o r a 5 8 Sn a r l y d o g 60 Recedes 62 Blackmail, e.g.

2

3

4

5

17

7

8

9

18 23

24

26

27

28

30

31 35 40

41

55

42

57

62

63

70

64

85

80

92 101

81 87

60 67

61 68

102 108

109

123 127

116

96

105 112

124

125

128

129

8 6 B i g w h e e l ’s w h e e l s 8 8 “ Yo u b e t c h a ”

90 Dim bulbs have low ones 93 Prefix with skeleton

98 106

113

117 121

84 Ones providing cold comfort, briefly

97 See 1-Down

97

120

8 1 Wr i n k l y d o g

9 5 1 9 7 0 J o h n Wa y n e western

91

111

79 Hefty thing

91 Horse hue

90

84

104

110

119

“ We l l , n o w ! ” Beat U n c l e Pe d r o , e . g .

Si g n o f a s u c c e s s f u l show 71 One with a name on a plaque, maybe 72 Nickname for b a s e b a l l ’s D w i g h t Gooden 7 3 R o l l i n g St o n e s # 1 hit with the lyric “ Yo u ’ r e b e a u t i f u l , b u t a i n ’t i t t i m e w e said goodbye?”

89 95

115

126

83

103

118

69 73

82

94

54

77

88

93

114

122

59

52

76

86

100

51

72

79

53

39 45

50

66

75

78

107

49

65

15

33

44

58

14

21

38

71

74

99

48

13

29

43

56

12

25

37

47

11

20

32

36

46

10

19

22

34

64 65 66 68

6

98 Placid 99 Self-image?

100 Like the Palace of Ve r s a i l l e s 101 English landscapist famous for “The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons” 104 Irritates 106 Electromagnetic device 108 Op. ___ (footnote phrase)

1 0 9 S o m e We s t C o a s t wines 11 0 M a g a z i n e t o w h i c h Obama gave his first postelection interview in 2008 111 N .F.C . We s t p l a y e r 11 2 A d m i t 11 3 Tr i f l i n g 11 7 Wi l t s 11 9 “ _ _ _ m y d e s t i n y b e Fustian” (Dickinson poem) 1 2 0 Wa s i d l e

10

Tuesday, September 24

Un

Megan Walsh

LODE

ing

ZONE

You know what’s awesome?

Roller derby. The term “roller derby” dates all the way back to the 1920s when it was originally used to refer to roller skate races. Eventually, roller derby evolved from a marathon skating race to a more physical competition.

When roller derby began to gain popularity in the 1960s, it turned into purely entertainment emphasizing theatrics, with skaters having storylines and fake fights much like professional wrestling leagues.

As popularity dwindled, the organization was shut down in 1973.

But, in the early 2000s, modern women’s roller derby started back up in Austin, Texas as a flat track sport that could be played anywhere.

This time, there were no fake fights or staged theatrics, just a bunch of tough women (or sometimes men!) revolutionizing a real, competitive sport. By 2010, there were more than 450 flat track roller derby leagues worldwide – including the Keweenaw Roller Girls right here in Houghton, Michigan.

So, why am I telling you all of this? Well, clearly my most recent obsession is roller derby but beyond that, organizations like the Keweenaw Roller Girls are great ways for students to get involved off-campus. I know that after weeks of feeling like I practically live in the labs at Tech, I want to get out and do something awesome.

Whether you ski or bike or enjoy volunteering at the animal shelter, I highly suggest that you get off campus once in awhile. There are so many amazing organizations and places for you to explore in the Keweenaw. Go out and have some fun!

OPINION

Michigan Tech Lode

Break the silence National Domestic Violence Awareness Month KATHERINE BAECKEROOT Guest Writer Domestic violence, defined as the “willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault and/or other abusive behavior perpetrated by an intimate partner against another” (National Domestic Violence Fact Sheet) is an issue that approximately 1.3 million women per year encounter.

Unfortunately, this is a major concern that is often silenced. For one, the individual being oppressed may be fearful of speaking up about the abuse or not even realize how much of an issue there actually is. Because of silence through means of fear, intimidation and even love, most cases of domestic violence are never reported to the police.

Domestic violence is a means for control over the other; by asserting this authoritative power immense harm can be caused - whether it be physically or psychologically.

Silence is one of the most dangerous aspects of this issue. Because the

concerns of a relationship may not be noticeable to outsiders, it is essential that knowledge of awareness be understood.

In understanding, we can attempt to prevent future circumstances of harmful relationships as well as empower those experiencing this behavior to speak up or get themselves out of the situation. There

“Silence is one of the most dangerous aspects of this issue. Because the concerns of a relationship may not be noticeable to outsiders, it is essential that knowledge of awareness be understood.” is far too little awareness of the prevalence of this type of relationship behavior.

So what can we as a society do to help? First off, it’s extremely important to be vocal in regard to the issue.

Make it recognized that this occurs daily throughout society and in all cultures - you can do this by doing

research and furthering your own understanding of the facts, while encouraging others to do the same.

Secondly, participate in events that cultivate this awareness.

For example, October is Domestic Violence Awareness month and this last week the Center for Diversity and Inclusion at Michigan Tech organized the event called ‘The Clothesline Project.’ This is an initiative that came to fruition in 1990 in Massachusetts.

Its purpose is to provide an outlet for individuals abused in relationships to express emotions by decorating t-shirts and hanging them on clotheslines.

This awareness is crucial because domestic violence is far more pervasive than the two immediate individuals involved. Family life can be affected, thus children, and future generations.

What we do now counts. Rather than be complacent and say ‘it’s none of our business’ we must strive for positive, healthy relationships to provide help to those who are unable to and create a safe environment for those not ready to break the silence.

Give yourself a break MEGAN WALSH Opinion Editor Stress in college students is a topic that is written about very often in student newspapers. There are times, occasionally even over very long periods of time, when we simply have far too much on our plates.

According to a survey conducted by The Associated Press in spring 2009, 85 percent of the 2,200 students who took it reported feeling stressed on a daily basis. An unsettling 60 percent of these students reported feeling stressed to the point of not being able to get work done.

So, although it may be an overly talked about topic, with tuition costs on the rise and the pressure to find a job in a struggling economy, it is a topic that needs to keep being talked about.

Like the majority of my fellow students, I am juggling multiple jobs, five classes, an internship and a handful of other extracurricular activities. There

are times when I spend half the day staring at a computer screen. I walk out to my car after a ten-hour day with a pounding headache and a list of even more work to do when I get home. I drive past Ripley or the Tech Trails and I don’t feel like I am allowed to give myself that time until I do my schoolwork.

My father always said, “this is your time to work so just keep on working.”

But this is where my father is wrong.

According to a survey conducted by Time, a quarter century ago, nearly 70 percent of college freshman put themselves in the top 10 percent of mentally stable people in their class.

Today, only 52 percent rate themselves that highly.

Although this is the prime time for students to educate themselves, mental stability should always come first. You can always put off that extra class until next semester, but you can’t always make up for the stress you caused your body by taking on too much.

So, I encourage you to have a good

time. You are paying for an education so you better come out of here with much more knowledge than you came here with, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up your life.

“There are times when I spend half the day staring at a computer screen. I walk out to my car after a tenhour day with a pounding headache and a list of even more work to do when I get home.”

Schedule a break between your classes to read a book or go for a run. Make sure you give yourself time to relax with friends and family.

You will do your best work when you are happy and healthy; you will be at your best when you are happy and healthy. Take a break and be kind to your body and to your mind.

OPINION

Michigan Tech Lode

Tuesday, September 24 11

Questions are submitted to peaches.cream.mtu@gmail.com, or submit them on our website (www.mtulode.com) under “Submit a News Tip.” A female student (Peaches) and a male student (Cream) respond to the best of their ability. These are not professional answers; they are simply the opinions and experiences of peers.

“My boyfriend and I have been having sex for about a month and I haven’t orgasmed once. He’s really great and I don’t want him to feel bad, so I’ve been faking them. I want to orgasm and I don’t want to lie to him, but now I don’t know how to tell him the truth. Any suggestions?”

Cream’s Commentary

Peach’s Perspective My first suggestion would be to not have lied to him in the first place.

However, it’s too late for that, so you are stuck in quite the quandary. If you keep on faking he will keep thinking he’s a stud and may not see any reason to do anything different since he’s been “successful,” so you may never orgasm with him. You could end up resenting him because he’s sexually satisfied and you aren’t. You definitely don’t want to wind up being bitter towards him, especially when the problem basically started with a seemingly white lie.

On the other hand, telling him the truth means admitting that you’ve been lying to him the whole time and destroying his ego. It could also mean figuring out how to have orgasms with him. He may feel extremely betrayed, but if you can get past it together you could restart your sexual life with your real sexual pleasure in mind.

You have to keep in mind just how damaging this news could be to his sexual confidence. To counteract this blow, make a list of things that he does that you truly do enjoy. Whether it’s kissing your neck or touching you certain places, write them

down and be explicit. You want proof that, even without orgasms, you are enjoying yourself immensely and want him. From there, if there are things that you know work for you, it’s time for some show and tell. If you don’t know what works for you or what would work with a partner, be honest with him. Once you tell him the truth, you can begin experimenting, and if you don’t know where to start, buy a book or look online. Avoid the crazy looking things for now; if you’re frustrated now you’ll be even more so when you hurt yourself in some contortionist position. Don’t underestimate the basics and don’t give up if a certain position doesn’t work immediately or every time.

Also, try not to get frustrated if you’re still not orgasming when he knows. Not climaxing every time is more or less something we women have to accept even though it sucks, like menstrual cramps. But, like so many things in life, sex is more about the journey than the destination—keep your eyes off the prize and focus on all the good things along the way so you can have a good time whether or not you orgasm.

Poll Results: Based on responses from 4 and 3 Lode readers.

How often, as a student, do you feel stressed?

I believe you have worked yourself into a losing situation here.

There are three obvious options that come to mind. First, you can just leave everything as is and continue to be unsatisfied while boosting your boyfriend’s confidence. The drawbacks to this option are fairly clear: you have to continue lying to your man constantly about his performance and you remain perpetually unsatisfied with no one to blame but yourself.

That doesn’t sound like a good choice to me, but I might look at it differently than you.

The second option, if you would even consider it as an option, is a scheming sort of situation that only the lowest of people would think to attempt. A ploy that gets you into pleasure town without crushing your man’s confidence is not impossible, only difficult and slightly childish.

For those of you that know my identity, you will agree that this sort of thing is right up my alley, but rarely works. The way out of your little conundrum is quite simple, but involves continuing your faking a bit more. There is a little change

however; make him work a bit more for it every time. If all goes according to our devious scheme, you can eventually work up to a real orgasm. However, I do not recommend this strategy. As I mentioned, I like to try very similar things to save my own hide from time to time, but they almost never work.

The third, and in my opinion, more mature option is to bite the bullet and fess up. This may cause a bit of controversy, but I think that in the long run you will both be happier. The way you confess this to him may make all the difference.

For example: if you are having a tiff about normal boyfriend girlfriend stuff and he says something stupid, as men often do, it would not be advised to come back by shouting that you have faked every orgasm you have had with him. The difficult part is that I can come up with hundreds of situations where telling him would be a bad idea, and still have difficulty thinking of a way to tell him without devastating him. I wish you the best of luck with your endeavor and I hope that whatever option you choose works out for you.

Next week’s poll: Visit (www.mtulode.com) for our next poll.

How negatively do you think stress affects your ability to work?

12

SPORTS

Tuesday, September 24

# the By

s r e b m nu

12.9

Women’s Volleyball team hitting percentage

2

Drop balls taken at the soccer match against Lake Erie

11 4 2 2 3 Days until hockey season kicks off with an exhibition match against Laurentian

People attended the Homecoming football game

Tech’s top finish at the Cross Country Pre-GLIAC meet

by Ethan Norstog (28:26.3)

5

4

Number of successful Husky field goal attempts in their 297 win against Walsh at the Homecoming football game - a school record!

Michigan Tech Lode

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Aubrey Ficek

ELLIE FURMANSKI Sports Editor Freshman outside hitter for the Michigan Tech Women’s Volleyball team Aubrey Ficek is being featured this week for her noteworthy performances in the Huskies’ back-to-back lineup this past weekend. The Huskies made their GLIAC debut at home against Lake Superior State on Friday, Sept. 20, and against Saginaw Valley on Saturday, Sept. 21, where they earned two wins, advancing this season’s GLIAC record to 2-0.

With only a handful of matches under her belt as a Husky, the Lockport, Ill., native, who made the starting lineup in both matches, seems to be making headlines already.

In Friday’s 3-2 victory against the Lakers, Ficek helped the Huskies to finish off the fifth and final set with four kills.

A four point margin was all the Huskies

needed to win the set 15-11, which earned the match victory. Ficek earned the second highest number of digs with ten of the team’s 57 digs, and she earned a team-high 18 kills.

Once again, Ficek was a strong offensive force on Saturday in the Huskies’ 3-2 win against Saginaw Valley. Ficek demonstrated her ability to compete the entire match through, making important plays which both set the tone at the beginning of sets and closed out sets. A streak of three consecutive kills by Ficek put away the first set in favor of the Huskies 25-20, only to be followed up with three service aces at the beginning of the second set. The fifth set 15-8 Husky victory was also settled by Ficek with an ace. By the end of the match, Ficek totaled 23 kills, eight service aces and 15 digs.

Ficek’s impressive career start is just the beginning. She will undoubtedly serve as an asset to the Huskies this season and in the years to come during her time at

Photo courtesy of Michigan Tech Athletics

Michigan Tech.

Ficek and the rest of the Huskies will be back in GLIAC action next Friday and Saturday against Ashland and Lake Erie, respectively.

Puck Drop

IAN HATZILIAS Lode Writer Your Michigan Tech Huskies will hit the ice once again Oct. 5th at the MacInnes against Laurentian in an exhibition match to kick off the 2013-2014 hockey season.

The regular season will commence the following week as the Hockey Huskies travel to Minnesota to take on University of Minnesota Duluth on Oct. 11th.

After gaining momentum throughout the last two seasons, the Huskies will look to capitalize on its continued efforts and to become a recognized force in Division I hockey this year.

With the new conference arrangement, this season will undoubtedly be more competitive but promises to be an exhilarating one at that.

Three members of the team, Captains Blake Pietila and Brad Stebner and goaltender Pheonix Copley, shared their thoughts with Lode staff and provided some pre-season insight.

All three players have high hopes for the upcoming season.

Crashing the net with Captain Blake Pietila

Blake Pietila is a third year Michigan Tech Husky and one of this year’s newly appointed captains for the Michigan Tech Men’s Hockey team. As the season approaches, Pietila is most excited to return to home ice and get students back in the arena.

The ‘C’ stitched on his jersey acts as a badge of honor; however his role is no different than before. “I guess I got to be a captain acting the way I was and so I just maintained that,” stated Pietila. He is ready to take on his new responsibilities and to continue acting as a natural leader for the Huskies.

From his perspective, training has been a bit different during the offseason. He commented, “Coach Pearson has had a new mentality this year. It’s more focused on conditioning. We’ve been skating a lot more and doing a lot of different workouts to stay in shape.”

Pietila recognizes the challenges which lie ahead for the team. In his opinion, the road games at the start of the season will be tough

but will help later in the year.

As a captain, Pietila is prepared to lead his team to victory. Having scored 24 points in 35 games, he looks to continue his success as a forward this season.

An altering experience that Pietila now carries was winning the World Junior’s on Team USA in Russia last year. Despite not being with his fellow Huskies during the GLI, Pietila gained a lot of experience playing for the United States, and he plans to take what he learned in Russia back to the ice in Houghton.

On the Blue Line with Captain Brad Stebner

Senior captain of the Michigan Tech Hockey team Brad Stebner has his goals set for the 2013-2014 season. Carrying a heavy load of excitement and determination, Stebner will lead the pack going into it all.

“We want to be a top team in this league, and we want to be a competitor every night.

Everyone is pumped up and ready to go,” Continued on page 13

Michigan Tech Lode

Puck Drop Continued from page 12

SPORTS

Tuesday, September 24

13

Sidelines Cross Country finishes middle of pack

Saturday, Sept. 21, the Michigan Tech Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams hosted the Pre-GLIAC Cross Country Meet at home on the Tech Trails. Lake Superior State, Northern Michigan and Gogebic also competed. The Huskies placed second of three teams on the men’s side, and the women took third out of four.

Michigan Tech’s top male and female runners were Nathan LaBarge and Sarah Daniels. LaBarge took fourth, finishing the eight-kilometer course in 29:06. Daniels completed the sixkilometer race in 24:32, earning a sixth place finish.

DiscoTech competes in tournament After gaining momentum the past two seasons, the Huskies are ready to be a competitive force this year.

noted Stebner. Being in such a competitive league, the team will have to strive for excellence in order to be that top team.

With the new conference alignment, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin will depart while Bowling Green, Ferris State

“We have high expectations.

We want to be the top of this league, and, being my senior year, I want to come out of here with a championship and do something great.”

-Brad Stebner and Alaska enter. All of the Huskies new opponents will be teams that are gritty in nature and very competitive.

Although the intensity is as high as ever, the Huskies have no fear in hitting the ice.

A large confidence boost for the team comes from reflecting on their performance in the GLI last year where they became tournament champions. Carrying two memorable and sweet victories over Michigan and Western Michigan will help Tech mentally prepare when it comes time to face off against the Wolverines at The Yost on Nov. 1st and 2nd. Michigan State will spar off in Houghton with the Huskies the weekend following the U of M series on Nov. 8th and 9th.

“We’re excited to play against those

teams because the better the teams we play, the better opportunity we have to prove ourselves and put us in a position to get into the tournament at the end of the year,” expressed Stebner, referring to Michigan and Michigan State.

Being his last season at Michigan Tech, Stebner looks forward most to taking the team to what he calls a “good place.” Three years ago the team struggled to produce results, but the program has turned around and is on the upswing of a positive shift in momentum.

“We have high expectations. We want to be the top of this league, and, being my senior year, I want to come out of here with a championship and do something great.”

Between the Pipes

with goaltender Pheonix Copley Hailing from the city of North Pole, Alaska, Pheonix Copley will start his second year as a goaltender for the Michigan Tech Men’s Hockey team this season. The key word to describe the Huskies hockey team is competitive, and this is no exception when it comes to describing Copley.

Copley has a sharp, focused outlook for the upcoming season. There are high expectations for him and the rest of the Huskies, and he looks to not only meet but exceed those expectations. Along with his teammates, he is excited to get the season rolling and is determined to start out strong.

Photo by Scott Thompson

Last year, Copley claimed fame for being the first goaltender to ever shut out the Great Lakes Invitational. Despite shocking the crowd at Joe Louis Arena with two consecutive shutouts, a first in Michigan Tech Hockey history since 1956, the starting spot in net is an ongoing competition. There is no guarantee for who starts, but that makes the effort put forth that much more worthwhile for Copley.

Being able to play consistently at such a high level for an entire year is what Copley believes will be the team’s biggest challenge this season. The competition never lets down. It will be imperative for Copley and the rest of the Huskies to remain calm and focused.

There are no secrets or tricks up the sleeves, or pads for that matter, of Copley

“We’ve been working really hard, skating hard and doing more intense workouts.”

-Pheonix Copley who stated, “We’ve been working really hard, skating harder and doing more intense workouts.” A constant push is what it takes to win, a simple concept yet challenging task.

The John MacInnes Student Ice Arena will host a very competitive, exciting atmosphere this season. A new video scoreboard and new jerseys will only accentuate the thrill of play.

The Michigan Tech Ultimate Frisbee Club, also known as Disco Tech, competed in the First Blood Ultimate Tournament this past weekend in Winona, Minn., hosted by Saint Mary’s University. Disco Tech went 1-4 on Friday (9/20), securing their lone win against Wartburg. The team went 0-2 on Sunday. Other college ultimate club teams which DiscoTech competed against included Winona State, Macalester College and Marquette. The tournament served as the club’s first competition of the year and an introduction to college ultimate for some of the rookies. Disco Tech is a growing club sport whose future is very bright. The team will compete next the weekend of October 5th in Milwaukee, Wisc., at Hucktoberfest.

Away Scoreboard Women’s Tennis competed in three conference matches this past weekend.

The Huskies fell 5-4 in a close match against Ferris State on Friday, Sept.

20. Matches against Grand Valley State and Northwood on Saturday and Sunday were not as close, losing 6-3 and 7-2, respectively. The Huskies’ record fell to 2-7 overall this season.

Women’s Soccer competed in a non-conference match on Sunday, Sept. 22nd, against UW-Green Bay. The game remained scoreless for 77 minutes. Sophomore forward Lexi Herrewig scored an unassisted goal to secure the Husky 1-0 win.

14

Tuesday, September 24

SPORTS

Michigan Tech Lode

Soccer Huskies avert storm and kick off GLIAC play ELLIE FURMANSKI Sports Editor While the sky may have been ominous over Sherman Field, the Michigan Tech Women’s Soccer team was able to skillfully avert the storm as they opened conference play last Friday, Sept. 20, with a 1-0 win against Lake Erie College. The win advances their overall record this season to 3-2.

The evenly-matched contest resulted in a scoreless first half. Both teams shared a fairly even percentage of ball possession and had multiple opportunities to score, threatening

the all-nil deadlock. In the last five minutes of the half, the Huskies really put on the heat.

Junior Danna Kasom unleashed a rocket from twenty yards out which hit and rebounded back into play off of Lake Erie’s goalkeeper Sarah Stroope with about four minutes to go in the half. Despite oncoming Husky forwards looking to sink the rebound, Lake Erie was able to successfully clear the ball after a scramble in the box.

About a minute later, freshman midfielder Kathryn Fife was able to get a shot off after a series of clever passes from the Huskies which beat Lake Erie’s line of defense. Fife’s shot looked promising as it sailed towards

the goal’s upper 90 on the left side, but Stroope managed to reach out and just grabbed the ball by her fingertips. Stroope’s athletic save secured the 0-0 tie heading into halftime.

Both teams started the second half of the game looking determined to score, but it was the Huskies who prevailed and broke the stalemate in the 60th minute of play.

Senior midfielder Lindsey Van Rooy found space to make a cross in front of the net after beating her defender. On the other end, senior forward Katie Boardman made a run into the box and followed through with Van Rooy’s cross, tapping it into the back of the

net to take the 1-0 lead.

“It was a very nice goal that we scored. I was glad that Boardman followed it up and was able to be there. Attacking the goal was the right thing to do, and it gave us the win today,” said head coach of the Huskies Michelle Jacob.

Boardman’s lone goal was enough to finish the job. The Huskies finished out the half with a strong defensive effort to secure the win. Leading the defense was senior defender Kaitlyn Boelter whose speed and skill unquestionably saved the Huskies from multiple breakdowns throughout the game.

Continued on page 15

Tech Rowing Club competes in Iron Oars Regatta MATT RAJALA Lode Writer The Michigan Tech Rowing Club traveled to Negaunee on Sept. 15th to participate in the Iron Oars Regatta.

Other competitors included Northern Michigan University and the Upper Peninsula Rowing Club.

The regatta took place on Teal Lake in Negaunee. Considering how close Michigan Tech is to Negaunee, the regatta could be considered a home event for the club. The course was a 3.1-kilometer stretch that was described as a “sprint” by club president Mike Spenle.

Regattas are a series of races between boats with different numbers of rowers.

The number associated with the name of the race refers to the number of rowers in each boat.

The club competed in varsity men’s four and eight and took first in both races; varsity men’s eight won by a full minute. The club also took first in men’s quad, a four person sculling rowing competition, as well as in men’s single and doubles and women’s varsity four person. The only competition the Rowing Club did not place first in was women’s novice four person.

The club will compete in a total of four events this fall. Their next competition is Death Row in Duluth, Minn. Death

Row is a 25-kilometer stretch that will push the rowers to the edge. Second year club member Ian Mcgrew describes the event as “torture by the end.” Due to the extreme difficulty of the regatta, club coach Terry Smythe is only bringing experienced rowers to the competition.

After 13 members of the club graduated last year, the team was anticipating a difficult season, but a great effort from the younger members has the team in great shape again. The club is currently 34 members strong, and their numbers are growing. They meet every morning at 5:30 a.m. and row until around 7 a.m.

The club has been racing since 1994.

“Rowing is a very physically demanding sport that requires a well-disciplined

Varsity Events Schedule: September 24-30 Tuesday, 3 Football Cross Country Women’s Tennis Women’s Soccer Women’s Volleyball

Wednesday, 4

Thursday, 5

Friday, 6

attitude. However, it is very physically and mentally rewarding for those who are committed to the sport,” remarked coach Smythe.

According to several members, there is a family atmosphere to the club. One of the best parts though, according to coxswain Julia Weiss, is the ambiance.

“It’s cool,” she said, “to see the moon set and the sun rise. It’s really neat to see that in reverse.”

The Rowing club is interested in having new members come out and enjoy the sport. They especially need coxswains, or those who act as the “eyes of the boat”. There is a small fee to join.

Check out the club on Facebook, or just show up and row.

Home Game Saturday, 7 **Vs. Findlay @ 3 p.m.

Roy Griak Invitational @ Minneapolis, Minn.

ITA Midwest ITA Midwest Regionals @ In- Regionals @ Indianapolis, Ind. dianapolis, Ind. **Vs. Northern Michigan @ 12 p.m. **Vs. Ashland @ **Vs. Lake Erie 7 p.m. @ 4 p.m.

Sunday, 8

** Conference Match Monday, 9

SPORTS

Michigan Tech Lode

Tuesday, September 24 15

Huskies breeze by Walsh in Homecoming football game MATT RAJALA Lode Writer The Homecoming crowd at Sherman Field could not have asked for more from the Michigan Tech Football squad. The Huskies coasted to a 29-7 victory over the visiting Walsh University Cavaliers on Saturday, Sept. 21. Seventeen of those points came off the foot of junior kicker Garrett Mead who broke a school record with five field goals and two PATs. Mead’s first points came as a result of Tech’s first possession, a three minute and forty-five second drive that went for 49 yards and lasted 11 plays. Mead kicked off the scoring with a 19-yard field goal.

After a punt by Walsh, the Huskies marched down the field, and with a seven-yard lob pass to the corner of the end zone from quarterback Tyler Scarlett to receiver Brandon Cowie, the Huskies had another six points.

Walsh was again forced to punt after a short series, and the Huskies brought the ball down the field on the return. A three-yard run by running back Charlie Leffingwell earned the Huskies a new set of downs on a fourth-and-one attempt.

The Huskies attempted another fourthand-one conversion on the six yard line but were stopped by the Cavaliers,

causing a turnover on downs.

Walsh opened the second quarter with a 44-yard drive from the one yard line, but they were forced to punt once again.

Walsh stayed competitive, forcing a punt and intercepting a Tyler Scarlett pass attempt, but a late drive by the Huskies added another Garrett Mead field goal to the board.

Homecoming festivities commenced at half with the Huskies leading 13-0.

The third quarter began with a strong drive by Tech. A 40-yard Scarlett to Andrew Clark completion set the Huskies up nicely at the Walsh ten yard line. After a good stand by the Cavalier defense, Mead added his third field goal of the game.

Walsh’s offense came out of the locker room with a 65-yard drive that resulted in their only touchdown, a one-yard run on fourth down by running back Aaron Male.

The scoring drive was responded to by the Huskies with a 51-yard drive that culminated in another Garrett Mead field goal.

The Cavaliers returned with a decent drive. They worked their way 37 yards down the field until a completed pass by quarterback Paul Kempe was knocked from his receiver’s hands by linebacker Taylor Ziolkowski.

The Huskies coasted to a 29-7 victory over the visiting Walsh University Cavaliers.

Photo by Kevin Madson

The Huskies took advantage of the momentum with a 50-yard touchdown pass to Jordan McConnell early in the fourth quarter.

One Walsh punt and a 43-yard Husky drive later, Garrett Mead added his school-record setting fifth field goal from 27 yards out.

The win propelled Michigan Tech to 2-0 on the season while the Cavaliers now

sit at 1-2.

Tyler Scarlett finished the game 15 for 25 with 238 yards and two touchdowns.

Leading rusher Charlie Leffingwell averaged 4.4 yards and ended the game with a total of 145 yards. Tech ended the game with 485 total offensive yards and held Walsh to 154 yards. The Huskies will head to Ohio to take on the Findley Oilers next week.

Soccer huskies Continued from 14 Moving forward, Jacob noted that Huskies will be working towards overcoming their breakdowns when defending the ball. “We need to eliminate the amount of turnovers that we’re giving up because that is really what’s giving teams chances against us. We just have to learn to play a little bit more simple and play our game.”

Every day is a work in progress, and with every practice the team is improving. The Huskies’ speed of play and ability to connect on the field has already come a ways. Of course, connecting all of the dots and knowing whether to make the simple pass or send a long ball to set up an attacking effort, for example, is a work in progress which takes time and the development of a strong team chemistry to perfect.

The Huskies will be back in GLIAC action next Saturday, Sept. 28, as they take on Northern Michigan University in their second conference match of the season.

After a faceoff between both teams about two weeks ago resulted in a 5-0 Husky victory, the Wildcats will be looking to prove themselves this time around. Saturday’s match will be held on Sherman Field and is schedule to start at noon.

The Huskies pulled off a win in last Friday’s game despite the ominous sky.

Photo by Kevin Madson

Upcoming

Events September 24 - October 1 Fall Career Fair-Career Services

Today! 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. SDC

If you haven’t already, head on up to the Fall Career Fair. Hundreds of companies are visiting campus with offers for internships, co-ops and full time positions. Bring copies of your resume for an afternoon of networking and job opportunities. For a list of companies present, visit (www.career.mtu.edu).

Chasing Ice with James Balog

Thursday, Sept. 26.

7:30 p.m. Free! Rozsa

“Chasing Ice” is the story of one man’s mission to change the tide of history by gathering undeniable evidence of climate change. Come listen to filmmaker James Balog give a lecture on his documentary film “Chasing Ice” with Q&A to follow.

This is the End-Film Board

Friday, Saturday, Sept. 27, 28.

6 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 11 p.m. $3 Fisher 135

Join Film Board for the showing of, “This is the End”. Tickets are $3 and concessions are available.

Song of Solomon Day Conference-Pastor Andy Shanholtz

Saturday, Sept. 28. 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. $5 Hope Fellowship Church

Are you single? Looking to begin dating? Married? Desiring a deeper romance? Faithful commitment? Relationship tools for conflict & resolution? Come experience God’s intended plan for honorable and fruitful marriages. Lunch and day care provided. Manuals $5. For registration, contact Paul Sajdak (906) 231-7271.

Call of Duty Black Ops II Tournament-MUB Board, Film Board

Saturday, Sept. 28. 11 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Fisher 135, 138, 139

Come play for your chance to win! Prizes totaling $300 will be awared to the top three teams. 2 Vs. 2 teams. Resigster your team by Thursday, Sept. 26 by e-mailing mub. tournament@gmail.com. Snacks and drinks will be provided.

Moses' Message ~

3400-year old lessons on love & relationships that have stood the test of time

Sunday mornings

9:30 &11:00 a.m.

Evangel Baptist Church  1114 College Ave  Houghton (US 41 between MTU & downtown, beside College Ave Park) 482.6626

ASK TECH Moses' Message ~

evangelbaptist.org

“What is that your favorite move or 3400-year old lessons on love & relationships have stood the dance test of time

Sunday mornings

9:30 &11:00 a.m.

Evangel Baptist Church  1114 College Ave  Houghton (US 41 between MTU & downtown, beside College Ave Park) 482.6626

Neil Bose

Kali Nelson

“The Robocop”

“The Carlton Style”

Sophia Bainbridge “The shopping cart”

dance style?”

-Roshni Sachar

evangelbaptist.org

Chelsea Dubreuil “Cotton Eye Joe”