11/18/10

Important briefs before the holiday break

Hockey Huskies finally return home

New “Call of Duty” a hit at Michigan Tech

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Michigan Tech Lode First snow causes accidents; warns drivers The

November 18, 2010

Serving the Michigan Tech Community Since 1921

ERIKA PEABODY Lode Writer The snow has finally hit here at Michigan Tech and it is only going to get worse as the winter months roll on. Students should be careful while driving home in the next few days, as there has already been a significant increase in winter related car accidents in the surrounding areas.

In between the times of 6:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, there were six accidents that caused personal injury, five rollover accidents, and 23 other mishaps in Houghton and Marquette counties. Most of these accidents were weather related even though there was no ice on the roads.

Up to three inches of snow were reported that Saturday, leading one to wonder what will happen when the real snow starts falling. This is the time of year when drivers are urged to slow down and to leave extra time for travel. These warnings are particularly important for college students who will be heading home for break.

While many times accidents are caused by drivers not paying attention or going too fast on slippery roads, there are times when people are just unsure of how to drive in snowy conditions. For these people, the Keweenaw Research Center offers a Winter Driving School. There are three different kinds of classes, but the main one lasts

Winter road dangers: Even if a road looks like it has been plowed and salted, hidden dangers like black ice and crossing animals can still be present. Be careful when driving on icy roads and make sure to plan for extra time to get to your destination.

Photo by Caitlin Pionke

just one day and will help drivers to feel safer driving in winter weather.

The school can be reached online at http://www.mtukrc. org/school.htm or by phone at (906)487-2750 for people interested in setting up a class.

Other winter driving tips to remember while you are driving home this break are to have your car checked by a mechanic before driving long distances and to make sure you have enough antifreeze and windshield washer fluid. Make sure to prepare an

emergency kit for the car just in case you find yourself stranded.

In the emergency kit include warm clothing, boots, a flashlight, a shovel, a first-aid kit, some small snacks, and an emergency candle and matches.

A lit candle can provide enough

warmth to help you survive for many hours if necessary.

So, remember to slow down while driving this break. Be reminded that as much of a rush as you may be in to get home, driving fast may cause you to get in an accident.

Construction begins on 8-2 Huskies narrowly miss playoffs See page 6 for season review new Mineral Museum

Football receives major GLIAC recognition The new Mineral Museum: Moyle Construction is currently working to lay the foundation for the new Mineral Museum before winter fully sets in. Plans are to have the museum open for the public by Summer 2011.

Photo by Jacob Shuler

Moyle Construction has started building the the foundation for the new Mineral Museum next to the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC).

When Moyle began digging out the foundation for the new Mineral Museum, it was discovered that four copper mine shafts from the 1860’s were beneath the structure. Although it would be

fitting to have an open copper mine shaft within the Mineral Museum, the end decision was to cap all of the mine shafts and continue on with construction.

The new Mineral Museum’s exact location is located over the first and ninth hole for the student disc golf course.

Construction of the new museum is planned to be finished by the Summer of 2011.

Head Coach Tom Kearly was named GLIAC Coach of the Year, senior running back Phil Milbrath was named GLIAC Offensive Back of the Year (see page 7 for more on Milbrath) and junior defensive end Todd Storm was named GLIAC

TOM KEARLY

Defensive Lineman of the Year.

In addition, a record 10 Huskies were named to All-GLIAC teams.

The four Huskies besides Milbrath and Storm who made First Team All-GLIAC include LG Matt Desotell, TE Bryan LaChappelle, MLB

PHIL MILBRATH

Michael Rittenour and DE Drew Vanderlin.

Kickoff return specialist Akeem Cason, RT Matt Gaudard, QB Steve Short and SS Jesse Vandenberg made All-GLIAC Second Team.

TODD STORM

Some of this week’s online exclusive content at mtulode.com: Blog by Stephen Anderson, who has covered football for five years

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NEWS

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, November 18, 2010

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Enterprise of the week: ITOxygen REBEKAH PRICE Lode Writer ITOxygen is one of Michigan Tech’s successful enterprises. This enterprise has two full time employees to manage and supervise projects and each member is also an employee.

That’s right.

The students get paid to do their enterprise work. “Our goal is to provide real world projects that allow our members to build leading edge software development and information technology skills that will make them more marketable when looking for jobs after graduation.” ITOxygen is made up of members from the Computer Science, Computer Engineering, School of Business and Economics, and the

School of Technology departments, but students from any major are welcome to join.

Some sponsors for this accomplished enterprise include the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, the IBM Corporation, MTU Human Resources, and Marquette General Hospital. ITOxygen works with these sponsors in any way that needs improving in the information systems and technologies areas. This can include web applications, process management, creating and updating websites, programming, and creating flow charts. ITOxygen meets with their sponsors about every other week to keep up to date on keeping the customer satisfied with the project.

Kevin Peltola, Project Manager, was hired 2 ½ years ago

after graduating Michigan Tech. Peltola enjoys “working with a diverse group of students from different majors and backgrounds, and getting the opportunity to work with many different types of organizations.”

Kyle Dykstra, Project Manager, was also hired after graduating Michigan Tech, about 4 years ago. “The biggest thing I have learned is time/project management [though], working with our clients to determine needs, and then breaking those

needs down into something a student can finish in a semester, and juggling 2 or 3 projects at a time.” Both Peltola and Dykstra were hired to allow the students to have more of a hands-on opportunity while keeping care of managerial tasks.

Zack Wheeler, President, has been apart of ITOxygen for 3 years now. “I have expanded my knowledge and experience with a number of systems, from Windows XP, Vista, and 7 to Server 2008 R2;I have also improved my soft skills (communication, motivation, and leadership) throughout my time in the organization.” Evan Cole, Op-

erations Team Leader, has been apart of the enterprise since Spring 2009. “Some of the best experience I have gotten while in the enterprise is the handson knowledge of how the software and hardware work, along with the experience of being in a leadership position.”

ITOxygen is looking for new members for the Operations Team next year, and any students interested in management and maintenance of a small infrastructure should look into joining. Contact any of the mentioned members or Bob Maatta, advisor, (rwmaatta@mtu.edu) for any questions.

Meetings are Wednesdays at 5 p.m. in M&M 719. Also, check out www.itoxygen.com for past and current projects and sponsors.

country slash down rates of products.

The Indian Students Association has planned to organize a cricket tournament, a bat and ball sport very popular in India.

This is a tournament which was organized in the earlier breaks of spring and fall and this has received a lot of support. This will be held in the multipurpose room of the SDC and the dates will be decided soon.

The time of thanksgiving

is very special and important for everyone. It is a time when people like to socialize and be with their loved ones to spend time with them. It is also a time when we get close to the end of the calendar year gives us time to review it as a student, and perhaps work towards giving a perfect finish to it. All in all it is a week to relax and relieve the stress of the student, to appreciate the good part of life and forget the bad that happened.

Sig Tau Gamma pledges 19 new members LAUREN KORS Lode Writer This semester the fraternity Sigma Tau Gamma welcomed the largest pledging class, Delta Delta, into their brotherhood.

The Delta Delta pledging class consists of 19 men, all of whom dedicated themselves to both their classes and their pledging duties throughout the semester.

“My first year up at Tech I had no intentions of joining a fraternity. Then I did OTLing and I saw some of the fraternities and sororities and the people in them and my views completely turned around and I liked what I saw,” said second year Tyler Cohoon, mechanical engineering major.

“After looking into it more I saw

that they weren’t the stereotypical what people think of fraternities.”

These 19 men came together and bonded in the past few weeks to the point where they can call one another their brothers. They made a commitment to themselves and to one another to be there no matter what for each other.

“Being a fraternity brother means to have close friends.

Someone who’s got your back that knows you,” said second year Bryant Faiwulu Kollie, psychology major. “I didn’t know the guys were Sig Tau’s when I first started hanging out with them. I had become friends with a few of them and I decided to join them, of course.”

This is the largest pledge class

any fraternity has taken on here at Michigan Technological University. The normal pledging class size is much smaller usually consisting of five to six students.

“The Residence Assistants were recruiting for Sig Tau,” stated second year Ryan Kent, biomedical engineering major and Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity member. “They were taking them to the Sig Tau events. We’ve done it, so it’s not a huge deal. It just seems like a large number of new pledges.”

Along with the pledge class for Sigma Tau Gamma, pledges for the other fraternities and sororities recently became official brothers and sisters within the past weeks and will continue on with the traditions each Greek house holds.

Important briefs before the holiday break The Michigan Tech grounds crew will be removing most of the bike racks during Thanksgiving break.

Bike racks will still be offered next to the MEEM (Mechanical Engineering & Engineering Mechanics), EERC (Electrical Engineering Resource Center), Library and Dow buildings. The Outdoor Adventure Program (OAP) will also be offering bike lock-

ers to students for $30 per semester.

All bikes need to be removed from the racks by Nov. 19. Any bike not removed by this date will be tagged and collected for storage. Bike storage offered by the residence halls is free. Students should check with their residence hall office for more information on where bike storage is being offered.

A water main broke behind Wadsworth Hall Tuesday, Nov. 16. The roads running over the water main have been closed off until the pipes have been fixed.

The University, as well as the City of Houghton, began digging for the water main Wednesday Nov. 17. Water service to Wadsworth Hall is expected to continue unaffected, but officials will not know for sure until the extent of the damage can be viewed.

Students’ Thanksgiving plans ANAND SUNDAR RAM Lode Writer The following week has been long awaited by the students of Michigan Tech. It is the time of Thanksgiving, and the next week, the university closes for recess. This is a welcome break for all students as they finish their hectic mid-term weeks.

For those new to this, Thanksgiving recess is given in the week in which Thanksgiving Day is celebrated which is the fourth Thursday of November and this time the date is Nov. 25. Thanksgiving Day is mainly a harvest festival celebrated in the United States and Canada.

In Canada it is on the second Monday of October.

Thanksgiving is a holiday to express thankfulness, grati-

tude, and appreciation to God, family and friends for which all have been blessed of material possessions and relationships.

Traditionally, it has been a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. This holiday has since moved away from its religious roots.

Different students of Michigan Tech have different plans for Thanksgiving. The freshmen students have found the semester to be hectic and they will use this week to rejuvenate from the stress they have been going through. “Boy, it has been hectic and the Thanksgiving week is a breather” said Sagar Zadgaonkar, a grad student in Mechanical Engineering. Many students are heading home for Thanksgiving following the festive convention. “It is that part of the year where you can spend

time with the family” said Ryan, a student from Computer Science and Engineering. For some students, it is a week to buck up and improve grades as finals week isn’t far away after Thanksgiving. A good performance in finals can shoot up grades for student and many consider this as a perfect time.

The international students have plans of travelling in this week. And to add to that, the International Programs and Services are organizing a two day bus tour to Bloomington Minn. to visit the Mall of America. The itinerary includes over 500 stores and 60 restaurants.

“It is exciting, we will have a lot of fun” said Shu Min, a student majoring in Mathematics. It also includes shopping on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving where shops around the

NEWS

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, November 18, 2010

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Mroz receives NASPA President’s Award NASPA, a professional organization for student affairs administrators across the country, awarded Michigan Tech President Glenn Mroz with the 2010 NASPA Region IV-East President’s Award at NASPA’s annual meeting in Minneapolis on Nov. 7.

Vice President for Student Affairs Les Cook, 2010 hockey alumnus Eli Vlaisavljevich and Michigan Tech Board of Control Chair Martha Richardson wrote recommendation letters on behalf of Mroz, who has served as Michigan Tech’s president since 2004.

The Lode wants you!

Are you a student with experience in web design? The Lode wants you to fill out an online application at mtulode.com/employment for the paid Online Editor position. The Lode wants someone with web design knowledge who is interested in helping the Lode to further develop a dynamic, multimedia web presence through our main site and our social media sites, all linked to the right.

“The award recognizes university presidents that have had a significant impact on the quality of student life and the student experience on their campus,” said Cook.

“There has been profound change under Glenn’s leadership.”

What sort of activities would you like to see in the Lode? Let us know by e-mailing lodecomment@mtu.edu. This week’s Sudoku hits in at a level five.

This is as hard as it gets! We’ll post a final level one puzzle entering finals week — we don’t want you wasting too much of your brain power on this. Last week’s completed puzzle is to the right.

Why should you follow us online?

Our online presence is an important part of what we offer you, our loyal reader.

We offer many online exclusive stories throughout the week.

Our social media presence is

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Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, November 18, 2010

Pulse

Rozsa Center presents: Monty Python’s Spamalot NICK BLECHA Pulse Editor The Rozsa Center brought a welcome relief for busy students last Thursday, Nov. 11, when it brought the touring production of Spamalot to its stage. The musical, “lovingly ripped off from the film ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’” in its own words, was very well received by the Rozsa audience.

The musical tells a parody of the legend of King Arthur, much like the film it is adapted from. After gathering a number of knights for his Round Table, Arthur and his knights are tasked by God to seek the Holy Grail. During their search, they suffer a series of misadventures, including a murderous rabbit and a French castle where the inhabitants shout random insults at Arthur and his knights. Eventually, it is revealed that to find the Grail, Arthur must put on a successful Broadway musical, which is resolved when

it is revealed that the cast is already in a Broadway musical. Arthur marries his love, the Lady in the Lake Guinevere, and the knights return to Camelot, ending with an encore audience sing-along of “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”

Much of the show’s humor derives from playing with the very medium the show exists in. The show gives little heed to the fourth wall, and completely demolishes it at the end of the Broadway musical subplot. Many of the songs openly mock common themes of Broadway shows, such as “The Song that Goes Like This,” a pastiche of the common kind

of Broadway song “that starts off soft and low, and ends up in a kiss,” or “The Diva’s Lament,” where the Lady of the Lake breaks character to complain that she hasn’t been onstage since the end of the first act.

The show was well received by the audience, many of whom were fans of the original film.

Of the Michigan Tech students in the audience, many were grateful for the chance to relax as exams approach. “I’ve seen it before, but [it was] a nice mid-week break,” said Tech student Sean Debrusschere.

He said that his favorite part of the show was the “Lancelot scene” in which Sir Lancelot goes on a murderous rampage to rescue who he believes to be a princess in distress, but turns out to be a boy whose father is marrying him against his will.

The scene ends with Lancelot coming out of the closet, noting, “a thousand years in the future, this will still be controversial.” Jeanette Head, another Tech student agreed, stating that she was “very amused” by the show.

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Superior Winds performs American Voices ZACHARY PAGE Guest Writer The Superior Wind Symphony lead by Nick Enz and his orchestra put on an extraordinary performance Saturday night . The theme of the show for the evening was “American Voices,” a showcase of great American pastime composers.

The concert began with a warm welcoming from the ubiquitous Michigan Tech Fight song which then segued into ‘The Heart of the Night’.

Compositions included both jazz and classical variations from such artists as Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein and Florence Price. Dixieland jazz and folk was also included within the performance.

“I’ve always enjoyed coming to their concerts because of their eclecticism and blend of styles,” said an attendee.

Copland’s ‘Appalachian Spring’ was a favorite among those in attendance. The composition, written in 1944, begins slowly with flute, clarinet and bassoon and gradu-

ally intensifies. According to Copland, the song is meant to capture the spirit of American pioneers in a newly built Pennsylvania farmhouse.

Florence Price, considered to be the first black woman to compose music in the United States, also had a piece covered by the SWS. Entitled, ‘Three Negro Dances,’ the work consists of three movements that display a sense of pride and exuberant emotion.

“I enjoyed Price’s cover the most,” said Steve Smith, a third year student attending Tech. “I think [Enz] did a really good job conducting her work.”

Other works included a cover from folk artist, Wilson Marion Cooper. Written in 1902, his ‘Sacred Harp’ revision was performed by four individual members of the SWS on euphonium.

“I think that [Enz] did a fantastic job,” says Steve Smith. “I really think it’s a shame that more people weren’t in attendance.”

For more information about the Superior Wind Symphony contact Nick Enz at njenz@ mtu.edu.

New student a capella group holds surprise performance

player returns, adding a number of new features such as an expanded Create-a-Class system and “Wager Match,” allowing the player to gamble special “COD points” on a match. The popular Zombies mode from World At War also returns, with a new map featuring John F. Kennedy, Robert McNamara, Richard Nixon and Fidel Castro fighting zombies in the Pentagon. The game has been critically well received, with a GameRankings score of 88.79 percent.

five girls. The group requires that before joining, the potential member must audition, but the auditions are casual auditions and the group is very welcoming to new members. The group is a high energy, singing performing group that meets every Tuesday and Thursday at 8:20 p.m. in the choir room, Rozsa 120.

Here’s what Michigan Tech students are saying about the new game:

impressed… I didn’t have high “ I’m expectations for it.” think the campaign mode is really “ Ilacking... (but) the Dead Ops Arcade minigame is pretty awesome.

the fact that you can play with “ Ialike guest on your Xbox Live account. “ They definitely did a good job of fixing the problems in the previous

“

The famous Call of Duty series of first-person shooter video games released its seventh installment, Black Ops, on Nov. 9.

Black Ops is a sequel to the fifth game in the series, World At War, and is the first game in the series to be set during the Cold War. The game’s campaign mode takes the player through a series of black-op missions throughout the Cold War, beginning with an assassination attempt on Fidel Castro during the Bay of Pigs invasion. Online multi-

ever a capella group on campus. They are planning to perform other times throughout the year and they also plan on singing the National Anthem at various sporting events. Vocal Achord is planning on performing various pieces from different genres of music. The group is a student lead group that consists of four guys and

“

New “Call of Duty” a hit at Michigan Tech

and watch the group perform.

This was the very first time the group performed to the public.

The group has a fan page on Facebook that new fans or people who are interested in either joining the group or hearing them sing again can join. This page also has the video of the group’s performance.

Vocal Achord is the first

“

Last Friday the singing group, Vocal Achord had a surprise performance in front of Fisher. The group had kept the performance a secret from the public. The performance took place at exactly at 9:57 a.m.,

when students were passing by to go to class. The group performed the song “For the longest time” by Billy Joel. They attracted a crowd in front of Fisher making it hard for some people to pass through to go to class, but it seemed like many people did not want to go to class, but many students walking to class wanted to stay

“

KIMBERLY GRIGG Lode Writer

games... it’s a lot more enjoyable now.

What do you think of Black Ops? Comment online (links on page 3).

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, November 18, 2010

Bicyclists clipping walkers JACK AMMERMAN Lode Writer

Monday through Friday is busy for everyone. This is especially true for college students, where each person has a unique schedule. On a particular day a student might have his first class at 8 a.m. and then be free until the next class at 3 p.m.! This scattering of classes leads to a lot of traffic on campus. This traffic includes not only students living on campus, but off-campus students as well (who make up a large percentage of the population, if not the majority). Some walk, some drive to campus and then walk and others come by bike.

The last method, riding your bike, is where the problem comes in. Let me start off by saying that I know not all bike riders are included in this and that by no means do I immediately judge bikers because of this, but I have found many times that bikers

on campus are incredibly inconsiderate. During class changes, when the paths through campus are crowded with people coming and going, it is not uncommon to see bicyclists zipping through the crowd. These bikers speed through the smallest gaps, dodging people to get to wherever their final destination may be, in a hurry. They zip through without warning and when they approach from behind they come as a surprise to most pedestrians.

This is because bikes are so quiet. Unless it is very still outside and people are not talking, you will never be able to hear a bike when they are near. Even if it is quiet all you might be able to hear is the clicking of random gears and the low hum of rubber on the cement.

More than once I have seen a biker accidentally clip a pedestrian with their handlebars as they tried to squeeze past them. After hasty apologies, without concern

Ask Sassy

Dear Sassy, We finally had the first snowfall of the year. Ever since, that’s all anyone can ever talk about. Every person I run into asks me if I like the snow or complains about it. I am so sick and tired of this particular topic of conversation. How can I steer my conversations away from this stagnant topic?

Sincerely,

Frosty chatter Dear Frosty, I too have noticed the obscene plethora of conversations about seemingly unusual or surprising weather. The general public seems to forget that the same meteorological phenomenon has occurred at about the same time every year for hundreds of years. Why they feel it deserves an annual discussion is beyond me.

Social networking has provided yet another way for people to exclaim the obvious. You observed this, no doubt, upon logging on to Facebook the morning of the snowfall you speak of. I’m guessing 90 percent of your friends had statuses like, “SNOW!”, “It’s snowing!” or “OMG I can’t believe it’s so white out!” Rather than be annoyed, try to see how entertaining it is that so many people insist on playing their part in announcing the mundane.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to avoid these casual conversations without being incredibly rude. So when you turn on your heel at the mention of snowfall, be prepared to feel disgusted looks on your back.

Dear Sassy, I have a friend who I went to high school with that always wants to hitch a ride back home. With Thanksgiving break coming up, I know he’s going to ask me. He is just so annoying in the car; he talks all the time about stupid stuff I don’t care about. Is there a way to avoid taking him with me? I don’t want to suffer through a four hour ride with the worst person on Earth.

Sincerely,

Depressed driver Dear Depressed, There are many ways I can suggest to help you avoid running into him (disguises, fake injuries, faking your death etc.) because he sounds like he won’t take a simple “no” for an answer. However, temporary avoidance won’t solve a persistent problem. You need to confront him once and for all and tell him how you feel. Don’t hesitate to use strong language.

Tell him what an annoying person he is. Run through the details of all of his obnoxious habits. Make all of his faults vividly clear. Hopefully after all of this he will be so overcome with violent sobbing that you can make your exit discreetly, leaving him to wallow with the realization that one of his good friends thinks him to be a horrible human being.

Dear Sassy, Every year, my sister insists on making green bean casserole for Thanksgiving. The rest of the family and I absolutely hate it. We try to choke it down to make her happy, but it’s getting old. How can I tell her that her contribution to Thanksgiving is a flop?

Sincerely,

Prefers turkey Dear Sassy, The existence of green-bean casserole is nothing short of a parasite that feeds on the integrity of American cooking. Particularly around the holiday season, it rears its mushy, bland head, threatening to devour everything that makes a family meal special.

Like most dishes with cream of mushroom soup as the base, the texture alone is enough to make any even mildly experience gourmand recoil in horror. The green-beans sit there, suspending in gray goo, like humans trapped in the grasp of a mutant, overgrown amoeba. Sure, it may be presented in a gaily painted casserole dish, but do not be fooled. Greenbean casserole should not be eaten. To even place it on the same table as palatable food is a disgrace.

I suggest “accidentally” turning the oven up a tad too high. 500 should work. Although you may have to support the limp, sobbing form of your sister for a few moments, it’s better than eating the unspeakable.

OPINION

for the victim’s actual welfare, the biker zooms off. This is ridiculous and I am surprised that it occurs.

Now, I understand that for some people biking makes it a lot easier to get to class, it is an affordable and simple method of transportation. I also have to admit that if I lived further from campus, I would probably ride a bike to class too. However that would never give me the right to cut dangerously close to pedestrians.

So I ask of you, in order to reduce the risk of injuries and anger, be a bit more polite when riding. If you are about to pass a pedestrian from behind, let them know it by calling it. A simple “passing on your left” will do the job. When you encounter heavy crowds, such as right outside of Fisher, feel free to get off your bike! There should be no reason to squeeze through while riding. Dismount and walk your bike the last twenty feet. I am sure that if the bicyclists of Michigan Tech take this all into consideration, everyone will be much happier overall.

Online Exclusive Fox News dependability: Super Trippy!

THOMAS O’NEIL Michigan Tech Alumni Let us pretend for a moment the Lode is a major news provider serving millions of consumers. What might be our hopes and expectations from the product that they produce? Maybe we could hope that they would strive to hold integrity and truth as pillars of their work. Maybe we could expect them to find stories and then attempt to confirm the stories with several sources. Maybe we could even hope that they would respect the people who they serve enough to not attempt and manipulate their opin-

5A

He Said, She Said What is some advice you’d live by?

Rebrab Dier Astronautical Trainee, Sixth year ‘Winning is everything, nuff said’

Audrey Hutton Geological Engineering, First year ‘You were born to be a hockey player’ Sean Branner Software Engineer, First year ‘You get out of life what you put into it’ Monica Dolby Materials Sci & Eng, Second year ‘Going in one move round when you don’t think you can – that’s what makes all the difference in your life’ Ben Cottrill Biomedical Engineering, Second year ‘Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim.

Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself. –Havey Fierstein’ Bryan Hughes Biomedical Engineering, Second year ‘It’s always game time’

ions. Maybe we could hope that they would be fair when discussing topics and balanced in how they represent society.

This is however wishful thinking. Let us now look at a real world analogue of our Super Lode example. Fox News....

continued at:

www.mtulode.com/ opinion/2010/11/17/ fox-news-dependabilitysuper-trippy/

Michigan Tech Lode

Letter to the Editor

I am writing to comment on the article “Paulding Light Controversy” in your issue of the Lode from November 11, 2010.

First of all, this article is very poor, lazy and written as if it was swept together in five minutes. As showcased on the Michigan Tech website, Tech students actually went out to the area with the Paulding Light and conducted scientific experiments to prove or disprove the Paulding Light. Where are the interviews with these students? Where is the information they gained from this experiment? The Lode should be reporting this information, but instead this article sounds more like a Features article. It does not follow the inverted pyramid style of journalistic writing.

Where are the sources to uphold the information in the article?

In the Fact or Faked television show referred to at the end of the article, they show that headlights could not be a part of the phenomena, let alone airplane lights. So how does this compare to the experiment the Michigan Tech students did? Why didn’t the writer dwell on that?

There is so much information missing from this article and it could have been written SO much better.

The Paulding Light legend has been around for a long time and Michigan Tech students are always checking it out. It is sad to see it so badly reported by the campus newspaper. The editor could have added pictures or more interviews from students. This story is not well-rounded and with such a spicy subject, investigative journalism was absent. Investigative journalism, actually, is very absent from the Lode altogether. Controversy is non-existent.

CLASSIFIED

Our annual Christmas Walk is Friday, Nov. 26 from 6-8 p.m. Enjoy the holiday spirit and stop by at Northwoods Sporting Goods for specials and some Christmas cheer. Downtown Hancock.

House for rent 2011-2012 school year. 8 large bedrooms. 2.5 bath. Laundry. Lots of parking. $325 per month per person. Call 517-202-6886.

3BR apartment in Hancock. Close to bridge. 2nd floor apt. plowing included. $400/mo.+ utilities.

Call Amy, 482-3675.

3BR apartment in Dodgeville. Newly renovated. Approx. 3 miles from MTU. Large parking lot, plowing included. $475-500/mo.+ utilities. Call Amy, 482-3675.

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Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, November 18, 2010

Sports

Hockey Huskies finally return home to host Gophers JORDAN ERICKSON Lode Writer

The Big Story: The hockey Huskies are returning to Houghton for their first weekend series after almost a month away from the MacInnes Student Ice Arena. Last weekend, the Huskies fell in both games against the No. 2 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. This home series is welcomed after playing six of their nine total games on the road.

This weekend’s match between the Huskies and the No. 19 Minnesota Golden Gophers is the first of the season between the two.

Team Scope: The Gophers: The Gophers always seem to have some of the best talent in college hockey. The Gophers are 3-4-1 in WCHA play and are coming off a loss and tie last weekend against the Wisconsin Badgers. The Gophers will be arriving in Houghton with fresh legs after having the past weekend off. Goaltending has been unsteady this season for the Gophers as senior starter Alex Kangas (1-40 overall, 4.86 goals against average, .874 save percentage) is getting beat out by junior Kent Patterson (4-0-1 overall, 2.36 goals against average, .917 save percentage). For the Gophers it seems like when they’re hot, they’re on fire, and

Who’s Hot: The Gophers: Patterson has been on the back burner for past seasons but has been on the stat sheet more as he and Kangas split time this season. While Kangas lost to the Badgers 6-0, Patterson earned a 3-3 tie. Senior forward Jay Bariball (9-3=12) is the team’s leading scorer and is someone the Huskies won’t want hanging around the crease.

Senior Jacob Cepis Blasting cap: Freshman defender Daniel Sova unloads a shot against the (4-7=11) has also Minnesota State earlier this season. played well up front Photo by Ben Wittbrodt for the Gophers.

The Huskies: when they’re not, they lose big: as power plays on the weekend that Sophomore defenseman Steven in their recent loss to the Badgers, were issued as the games wore on. Seigo (3-5=8) is tied for the team 6-0. The Gophers impressed when “We are happy to be back at lead in scoring with three others they scored nine goals on Colora- home after a month of being either and has been critical in getting the do College, but the consistency in on the road or having an off week- needed goals on the power play for play still isn’t there. end,” said Huskies’ head coach the Huskies. Freshman forward The Huskies: After an impres- Jamie Russell, when asked about Milos Gordic (4-4=8) is another sive start to the season the Huskies this weekend’s series. “We need to point leader for the Huskies, havlost a bit of their edge in the last demonstrate some maturity and a ing scored two of his four goals on series against the Bulldogs. Emo- learning curve in managing highs the man advantage, and is a force tions were running high, which be- and lows within a game and over on the Huskies’ first line. came obvious through the amount a weekend.” continued at mtulode.com of penalties, the Bulldogs had 11

It was a great fall for football STEPHEN ANDERSON Editor in Chief

Big finish: Senior tight end Brian Stawowy scores his first career touchdown last Saturday against Northern Michigan.

Photo by Ben Wittbrodt

The Huskies faced a lot of uncertainty entering the 2010 football season. After a 2-8 season in 2009, fans were not sure whether that was more of a fluke, or whether it would be the start of a trend.

Michigan Tech more than proved that the injury-plagued 2009 season was a fluke. The 2010 Huskies stormed out of the gates, winning their first four games before falling in two straight on the road at Saginaw Valley and at Hillsdale.

With a 4-2 record, the Huskies certainly faced an uphill climb to make the postseason, particularly with the top offenses in the GLIAC remaining on the schedule.

Fortunately for Michigan Tech fans, the Huskies were not done, as they won their final four games, including a huge upset over Grand Valley and a shutout win over rival Northern Michigan.

Unfortunately the Huskies were the first GLIAC team since 2002 to miss the playoffs with only two losses. continued at mtulode.com

By # the er nu m b

1

win by the men’s basketball Huskies in their first seven games last season, They already have a win in just one attempt this season.

4

players with a teamhigh eight points for the Hockey Huskies.

Milos Gordic, Eric Kattelus, Steven Siego, and Deron Cousens have all scored regularly.

29

points by freshman guard Austin Armga in his debut for the men’s basketball Huskies on Tuesday night. He went 10-10 from the free throw line.

185

points scored by the women’s basketball Huskies against Finlandia (100) and Minnesota Duluth (85) last season.

1,412

rushing yards for Phil Milbrath this season.

That’s good for the third-highest total in school history.

Schedules/Results Visit gliac.org for full standings Hockey (3-4-2, 1-4-1 WCHA) Nov. 12 at UMD, L, 5-3 Nov. 13. at UMD, L, 4-2 Fri. vs. Minnesota, 7 p.m.

Sat. vs. Minnesota, 7 p.m,

Football (8-2, 8-2 GLIAC) Oct. 23 vs. Northwood, W 62-30 Oct. 30 vs. Grand Valley, W, 20-17 Nov. 6 at Ferris State, W, 28-16 Nov. 12 vs. North. Mich., W, 12-0

M. Basketball (1-0, 0-0 GLIAC) Tues. vs. Bemidji State, W, 101-88 Nov. 19 vs. Rockhurst, 6:30 p.m.

Nov. 20 vs. Miss. West., 6:30 p.m.

Nov. 23 vs. Finlandia, 7 p.m.

W. Basketball (0-0, 0-0 GLIAC) Nov. 3 at. Notre Dame, L, 102-30 Nov. 19 vs. Findlandia, 5 p.m.

Nov. 20 vs. UMD, 5 p.m.

Nov 26. vs. So. Minn State, 2 p.m.

Nov. 27 vs. Concordia, 4 p.m.

Editor’s Shootout

The Editor’s Shootout is a competition of knowledge, luck and wits between sports editor Daver Karnosky, editor in chief Stephen Anderson, business manager Jacob Vehring and you, the reader, via online poll. Stephen Anderson won last year and has won two of the last three years (former opinion editor Rob Devaun with the other win). This will be a weekly feature where each editor picks his winners of the three biggest games/series of the week and backs up his decisions with a short rant.

THIS WEEK: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs at Wisconsin Badgers, Wisconsin Badgers at Michigan Wolverines (FB)

JACOB VEHRING Business Manager 2-1 Last Week, 22-11 Overall

STEPHEN ANDERSON Editor in Chief 1-2 Last Week, 19-14 Overall

DAVER KARNOSKY Sports Editor 0-3 Last Week, 12-21 Overall

YOU Readers 1-2 Last Week, 17-16 Overall

Well last week Minnesota did a good job of exposing what kind of a team it really was, bad. Favre was a very good quarterback, but he held on one year too long. I think the Packers will go into the Metrodome and continue the embarrassing season for the Vikings. Duluth and Wisconsin are the only two teams to beat our hockey Huskies this year, and after reading about how those games went, I think Duluth is a better team, but not good enough to sweep.

Wisconsin is playing for a shot in the Rose Bowl and the top seed in the Big 10 conference, and after watching what Wisconsin did to Ohio State, Michigan does not have a chance.

Packers 24-20

The Packers will pound the nail in the coffin to the Vikings playoff chances. Even if Sidney Rice returns, Favre is QB. Clay Matthews will make sure Favre never forgets (or never remembers!) his final game against Green Bay. Wisconsin and UMD have both swept the Huskies this year, but there definitely won’t be a sweep in this one.

UMD is a little better, but since it’s in the Kohl Center, I’ll call it a split. I’m well aware that the Badgers are the favorite to win over Michigan, but I’m hoping Clay will have a setback Wisconsin, and Denard returns to earlyseason form for U of M, as the Wolverines complete the major upset.

Packers 34-14

After watching the disgraceful performance that was last weekend’s Vikings loss, I expect Favre and company to be better this week. Also, playing at home, the Vikes would love nothing more than to exact a little revenge. The Wisconsin Badgers hockey program may not be as good as in previous seasons, but this year’s group is young and hungry. I figure they can take three points at home from the top-ranked Bulldogs. The Badgers’ football team continues to impress, even without John Clay. I think that Scott Tolzien might be one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the nation, and could find a home in the NFL in the future.

Each week, we’ll let you the reader vote in our Editor’s Shootout online poll at www.mtulode.com/sports/2010/11/18/ editors-shootout-polls-7/. The majority of the vote for each match-up will be the chosen team, and your cumulative record will get put alongside our three wannabe experts. We’ll run this feature through the entire year and see who comes out on top.

Hockey Split Badgers 35-17

Hockey Split Wolverines 28-25

Vikings 17-15 Badgers 1-0-1 Badgers 38-13 Last week’s picks: Tie Penguins Nittany Lions

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, November 18, 2010

Sports

Women’s Basketball hosts pair of games

DAVER KARNOSKY Sports Editor This weekend, the No. 17 women’s basketball Huskies will host a pair of games to officially start their season. On Friday, the Hancock-based Finlandia Lions come to the SDC Gym and on Saturday, the Huskies will host the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs.

“We’re playing to win,” said Huskies’ head coach Kim Cameron. “It does help that we get to have the settling feeling of being here on our home rims and home court.”

The Lions, who finished 1015 overall, come into Friday’s game looking to continue building off the strong finish they had last season, as they went 7-3 in their final 10 games. They return with only one of their top six scorers from last season, however, so the early going may not be easy.

Lions’ senior guard Deanna

Makela only played in six games last season, but she averaged 6.2 points and 21.2 minutes in those games. Senior guard Linzy Monticello, who averaged

22.0 minutes and 3.7 points per game will be looking to build on that production.

“Their guards are very good,” said Cameron. “They are going

to press us and be able to run a little bit…you always have to be in great defensive position.”

Up front, the Lions have very little experience. Makela can play up front, but after her, freshmen Brooke Arnold and Janele Linna will have plenty of opportunities to see floor time, as will untested junior Brittany Hartley.

The Bulldogs will come into Saturday’s game having already played two games.

The Bulldogs finished 20-11 on the season last year, and 13-7 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

The most difficult Protect this house: Senior center Lisa Staehlin protects her hoop against problem for the Finlandia last season.

Bulldogs in the early Photo by Ben Wittbrodt going will be how

7

they attempt to replace WBCA All-American Jheri Booker, who averaged 20.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

“Duluth lost one of their best players from last year, but they have some great returning players,” said Cameron. “They gave us a run for our money last year and I think that they are ready for some revenge on us.”

Bulldogs’ junior guard Lindsay Miller will be one of the girls likely to pick up some of the offensive slack, as she averaged 11.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 27.4 minutes per game. Senior forward Kelsey Hewitt and junior forward Shelly Stemper will also be counted on to improve their numbers from last season.

Hewitt notched 10.0 points 6.6 rebounds a game while Stemper blossomed into a lineup regular with 6.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. continued at mtulode.com

Milbrath named Men’s Basketball travels for finalist for Harlon Hillyard Classic Hill Award DAVER KARNOSKY Sports Editor Despite becoming one of first two Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference two-loss teams to not make the playoffs, the Huskies have plenty to celebrate. A perfect record at home, a win over then-No. 1 Grand Valley State, and now, senior running back Phil Milbrath being named a regional finalist for the Harlon Hill Award, given annually to the top player in NCAA Division II football.

Milbrath, who became the first Huskies’ finalist since Lee Marana in 2004, ranks second in the nation with 1,412 rushing yards, third in all-purpose offense with 1,787 yards, and fifth in scoring, with 16 touchdowns.

The Huskies’ starting running back, who missed significant time last season with injury, returned stronger than ever this season, posting eight 100-yard games, giving him 18 100-yard games in his career. He also racked up a personal-best 293 rushing yards with two touchdowns in the win at home over Grand Valley.

Milbrath finished his career

as the fourth-highest rusher in school history with 3,934 yards.

He is also fourth in total touchdowns with 51. He is also ninth all time in total offense.

With his total from this season, Milbrath holds the third-best rushing season in school history.

He also holds the sixth-best rushing season, when he ran for 1,391 yards in 2008.

Milbrath joins five others from the region as finalists. There are four regions from which players are chosen. The field will be reduced to eight, two from each region. The National Harlon Hill Committee will announce the winner of the 25th annual trophy in a presentation banquet on Friday, Dec. 17.

DAVER KARNOSKY Sports Editor

While the season didn’t go the way the volleyball Huskies hoped it would, two individuals were honored by the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for their efforts. Junior outside hitter Kristine Sexton, an All-GLIAC First Team selection as a sophomore, was named to the Second Team. Senior middle blocker Alicia Schneider was named AllGLIAC Honorable Mention.

Sexton led the Huskies with 300 kills this season. While that was down from her 373 as a sophomore, Sexton battled her way through nagging injuries all season and was a consistent offensive threat for the Huskies.

“It’s a great statement for [Kristine],” said head coach Orlando Gonzalez. “With the injury situation she had this year and the recovery process she’s had to battle

through…we’re pleased with what she was able to do.”

Sexton posted at least 10 kills in 15 matches during the season. Of those 15 matches, Sexton notched 15 kills nine times. She also finished third on the team in blocks with 45.

Schneider, playing her second season of volleyball after a successful basketball career, netted 172 kills, good for third on the team.

“Alicia made a pretty good conversion from basketball to volleyball,” said Gonzalez. “Alicia is ending her athletic career with class and accomplishment.”

Schneider was the top Huskies’ player in service aces with 30. She was second in blocks with 56, 14 of which were solo blocks. She also finished fourth in digs with 144.

The Huskies finished 5-21 overall and 3-16 in the GLIAC in 2010, good for sixth in the North

Visit mtulode.com/sports to catch up on all your Huskies sports and keep your eye out for athlete features throughout the semester

utes of play.

The Huskies will need to find ways to keep sophomore center Brett Hornung and junior forward Tom Shirley away from the basket as they combined for nine rebounds in the game against Saint Louis.

The Missouri Western State Griffins open their season on Friday against Avila University before facing the Huskies on Saturday. The Griffins have a veteran lineup with three seniors and 11 upperclassmen.

Senior guard P’Allen Stinnett leads the Griffins offense. He put up 15 points in Griffins’ exhibition opener against Living the Dream. Junior point guard T.J. Johnson notched eight assists in the exhibition opener, and also a team-high 12 rebounds.

Junior forward Jeffrey West will be a tough test in close to the hoop for Huskies’ defenders. He picked up four points and four rebounds in 19 minutes of action in the exhibition game. Senior forward Brandon Beck was second on the Griffins with seven rebounds.

The men’s basketball Huskies continue their ambitious nonconference schedule by traveling this weekend to take part in the Hillyard Classic in St. Joseph, Mo. The Huskies will face Rockhurst and Missouri Western State on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

“In the past, both of these programs have done a good job recruiting junior college kids and Division I transfers,” said Huskies’ head coach Kevin Luke.

“It’s going to be our systems against their athleticism.”

The Rockhurst Hawks (0-1 overall) opened their season on Sunday with a game against Saint Louis University. Despite losing 72-45, the Hawks did some nice things and will present a challenge for the Huskies.

Senior forward Aaron Morrissey put up 14 points against the Billikens to lead the Hawks. He was twoLooking up: Sophomore forward Ali for-five from beyond the Haider looks to score against Bemidji. arc. Junior guard Terance Photo by Ben Wittbrodt Tatum, who notched nine

GLIAC honors Sexton and Schneider DAVER KARNOSKY Sports Editor

points in 29 minutes of action, is also a deep threat after shooting .500 from behind the three-point line. Junior guard Martin Roper put up eight points in just 15 min-

Division. To give a sense of just how tough the North Division was, the Tiffin Dragons finished 15-15 overall and 11-8 in GLIAC play, good for third in the South and had no players honored by the GLIAC. Gonzalez could not stress enough just how much of a team sport volleyball is.

“I’m not really big on acknowledging individual awards because we are such a team sport,” said Gonzalez. “None of that happens without someone getting the ball from a great set, and someone getting a great pass to the setter.”

Gonzalez admits there is plenty for the Huskies to work on heading into next season, but certainly there is a good base to work from, as Sexton returns for her final season.

“At the end of the day…we have a job to do,” said Gonzalez. “We’re getting after it already this week.

Right now our focus is on making our program better.”

Would you like your club team featured in this section? E-mail dbkarnos@mtu.edu

continued at mtulode.com

This week on www.mtulode.com:

Today (Nov. 18): Stephen Anderson’s Football blog Friday: Hockey , Men’s and Women’s Basketball recaps Saturday: Hockey, Men’s and Women’s Basketball recaps Sunday: Editor’s blog Monday: Michael Rittenhour feature Tuesday: Feature blog Wednesday: Hockey, Men’s Basketball, and Women’s Basketball previews

Every week on www.mtulode.com:

• • • • • •

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8

Husky Hodgepodge

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, November 18, 2010

Thanksgiving break is so close that you can practically smell the turkey! It’s easy to let your brain take a week after the grueling stretch of school leading up to break, but don’t forget that finals are on the horizon. Here are ten ways you can enjoy your break while making sure to stay on top of school: STEPHEN ANDERSON Editor in Chief

1. Plan your break ahead of time, including time for both relaxation and studying.

Build in free time in your schedule, but make sure you remain disciplined about how much free time you allow yourself. It’s easy to get to the Sunday before classes resume and realize that break was entirely wasted!

2. Stick to (or get on) a healthy sleep schedule.

Aim for 6-8 hours of sleep per night, with a system that will work for you once you get back from break as well. Discipline yourself to get up at a reasonable hour, even if there is nothing specific to get up for. Catching up on sleep does not work, and any extra sleep you get will not be put into a sleep account that you can collect from during finals week, so you might as well stick to or develop a good habit over break.

3. If traveling, build in time for potential delays.

Airports are pretty crazy over the holidays (though you can possibly save money and a few hassles by traveling on Thanksgiving day itself ), and roads can be pretty challenging as winter really starts to crack down (Make sure your car is equipped for the journey, or you are carpooling with somebody whose car is).

4. Try to make the best of family relationships.

Sometimes it can be tense returning home to your parents house since you’re an adult, but your parents may still want to treat you as a kid. Realize that it’s very normal for such negotiations to take place, as parents become friends and mentors instead of authority figures.

5. Spend time with your significant other (particularly if you’re in a long-distance relationship) and friends back home… …but realize that the months apart have probably changed the relationships a little bit. If you realize ahead of time that things will not likely be just as they were before, you will be able to better accept the differences while still enjoying your time with them.

6. Don’t slip into unhealthy eating habits.

It’s OK to load up on a huge Thanksgiving dinner, but don’t let the whole break be a chance to let yourself go. If you have good eating habits, keep them up. If you don’t, it will be a great chance for you to develop good habits.

7. Take advantage of “Black Friday” deals.

The biggest shopping day of the year and the best deals of the year are offered the day after Thanksgiving.

This is a great time for you to get some Christmas shopping done (if you don’t do it over break, you might not get to it until a few days before Christmas!), and stock up on anything you might need during the final weeks of the semester.

8. Give yourself time every day to work on schoolwork.

If you’re really behind this semester, and need to catch up, by all means, schedule even more time for

schoolwork, but even if you’re ahead of schedule, it’s best to allocate some time toward staying on top of your game over break.

9. Develop a post-break plan of attack.

Make a list of assignments, projects, presentations, and exams that you will have during the final two weeks of classes and finals week, and figure out when and how you’re going to prepare for and do them. It’s easy for it all to get overwhelming after a laid back break, but planning ahead could ease the process.

10. Have fun!

Yes, self-discipline and balance is important, but it can definitely be a refreshing time of relaxation and time with family and friends. Keep the right perspective on what’s still coming after break, but enjoy every minute of break and make the most of it!

How much will you focus on school overThanksgiving Break?

• • •

None -- it’s break!

Some -- can’t get too rusty!

A lot -- I’m way behind!

vote now on mtulode.com

Last week’s poll results: Will the Michigan Tech football team make the Division II playoffs?

Yes - 59% No - 41%