12/2/10

DHRC hosts Christmas bazaar

The

2

Coach Kearly continues tradition of excellence

Theater Company presents Ultimate Audio Book

4

7

Michigan Tech Lode

December 2, 2010

Serving the Michigan Tech Community Since 1921

Blood Michigan Tech goes green drive through sustainability & recycling coming to campus Going green and being sustainable is every University’s goal when it comes to eliminating their carbon footprint.

Michigan Technological University has been making sustainability an essential part of its existence for many years through the University Student Commission and 41 other student organizations and academic departments.

The University Student Commission was created six years ago and has been one of the leading groups on campus to help make Michigan Tech more sustainable. During those six years, the Student Commission has worked on, and explored over 100 projects to make Michigan Tech’s campus more student friendly, with some of those projects being focused on campus wide sustainability.

“Projects for sustainability are going on all the time,” said James Schultz, Coordinator of Sustainability. “It’s ongoing, everyday something new is uncovered.”

In recent years Michigan Tech

has placed around 100 recycle bins by trash cans throughout the campus, created a battery recycling program, landscaped over campus to cut back on chemical fertilizers, and even found a way to recycle old electronics to save the University money and to reduce the amount of waste placed in landfills.

“For a number of years when we had old computers we had nothing to do with them.

Often times we had to pay to have Waste Management take stuff away. A couple years ago we found a program through Apple Computer, and once a year they will recycle any of your used electronics. This past fall, for example, we collected just on campus 61 pallets of electronics that weighed about 32,000 pounds. All of it is being recycled and reprocessed in the United States. By recycling instead of just having to dump it, it saved the University about $16,000” stated Schultz.

Sustainability not only reduces Michigan Tech’s carbon footprint, but it also saves the University money on waste disposal, and energy consumption.

Michigan Tech recycled about 15% of its waste last year saving the University around $4,400.

Michigan Tech also purchased energy star refrigerators for all

a wind turbine or turbines on campus,” stated Schultz.

Michigan Tech’s Facilities Management has also jumped at the opportunity to help the environment by switching completely to green cleaning products and has been using them for four years. These products are natural and non-hazardous, making them safe to be used by the custodial staff, and for the environment at large.

The University Student Commission is made up of faculty, staff, and students who wish to make Michigan Tech’s campus a better place for everyone involved. It is open to any student interested in making Michigan Tech a better place for students and employees.

“It [sustainability] is an important aspect of life on campus. People are interested in things that are cost effective.

looking at the potential of wind “We’re energy on campus. There’s a study going on right now to study wind speeds... of the residence halls and apartments within the last few years to make them more energy efficient.

“We’re looking at the potential of wind energy on campus.

There’s a study going on right now to study wind speeds in two locations, one in east Houghton just outside of the campus, and then one up on Quincy Hill.

The Green Campus Enterprise was instrumental in helping us get some funding through the University to make that study to see if it’s cost effective to build

“

LAUREN KORS Lode Writer

continued on 3

ROTC named best of Midwest ERIKA PEABODY Lode Writer The Michigan Tech Army ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) was recently named one of the best programs in the Midwest at a yearly Army national leadership conference.

Michigan Tech’s Army ROTC program was ranked first in their template, which consisted of ten other small schools as well as ranked third out of all forty programs in their Brigade.

All of the ROTC programs received their rankings based on three categories: the grades received by third-year students at the Leader Development Assessment Camp (LDAC) that all cadets in the country are required to attend, recruitment rate and retention rate. Michigan Tech’s Army ROTC program is proud to have a retention rate of over 90 percent.

To obtain their standing, MTU’s Army ROTC program compared to all of the other schools in the Upper Penin-

sula, as well as schools from Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

The program here at Michigan Tech has never been ranked this high.

Some of the training that the current ROTC cadets have been participating in this semester includes: learning to rappel, modern Army combat, running battle drills on the Tech Trails, combat water survival training and basic rifle marksmanship.

All of this training goes to

help prepare the cadets for LDAC as well as their future Army careers. The grades cadets receive at LDAC is one of the categories that goes into the yearly rankings, and is one of the reasons that the program was ranked so high this year.

Currently there are 67 students in Michigan Tech’s Army ROTC program, making it one of the smaller battalions. However, with the new rankings naming Michigan Tech as one if the best, these numbers are expected to grow.

like bicycling and the bus service is also great.” They also enjoy the vicinity of the Downtown and the Houghton City Park located on the waterfront.

“We love to spend time and meet new people in the park.

their first few days here as they hunted for their residence.

When it comes to recreation the Fifth Street Gang (popularly known so among other Indians) never spare an avenue. They enjoy playing sports and games

On Friday nights, they go to the movie shown at the Film Board.

“The week before Thanksgiving, the movie A-Team had released it was raining heavily and we trekked the entire distance from our home to the campus .

We eventually enjoyed the movie and it was worth the o r d e a l .” said Muktesh.

F o r Thanksgiving, the Fifth Street Gang went for the bus trip organized by the International Programs and Services to the City of Lakes-Minneapolis. They reached there on the night of

CAMERON SCHWACH News Editor The Upper Peninsula Regional Blood Center from Marquette General Hospital will be offering a blood drive on Tuesday, Dec. 14 sponsored by Staff Council.

Donations to the Regional Blood Center help local hospitals save money by supplying them with the free blood donated by volunteers. Anyone interested in scheduling an appointment to find out more or to set up a time to donate, please contact Arlene Collins (acollins@ mtu.edu) at 487-1779.

Donors will have to pass a screening process before they can donate blood. This is to help ensure that each donation is free from blood contaminants such as the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, West Nile virus and smallpox.

Any healthy adult is encouraged to donate to help increase reserve supply of blood. Blood types O-negative and A-negative are in critical need right now, however all blood types are welcome to this drive. The average time it takes for a blood donation is 30-45 minutes.

A donor is required to be 17 years old or older. Anyone under the age of 17 can donate with written permission from their parent or guardian. A donor must be at least 110 pounds or more with a healthy diet. A driver’s license or another form of photo-ID is also required. If you have donated blood before, make sure it has been at least eight weeks since your last donation.

Tips to Five graduate students embracing change help prepare for finals The transition of life from native to foreign land and from a metropolis to a city of 7000 may make one feel as a shift with complications. But this group of five graduate students from India – Aniket, Muktesh, Mandar, Mihir and Tejas are 8000 miles from their home in Pune (India’s 8th largest metropolitan area with 5.5 million people),and they are quintessential of making life in Michigan Tech and Houghton as joyful as possible.

They live around 11/2 miles away from the campus in Fifth Street, but they speed the distance comfortably in their bicycles. Aniket says, “Strangely we live closer to Wal-Mart than the university campus. But we

“

It is the first time we had seen a frozen lake in our lives, we threw pebbles into the lake to realize that. It was incredible.

The first time we went there, we met 15 undergrad students and clicked pictures. It was fun” recalls Muktesh. The sociable nature of these young men gave them friends like Good Times Music owner Susie Landers and their local mailman within

and spend most of the weekend evenings playing tennis at the Gates Tennis Center or bowling or playing billiards at the Memorial Union Building (MUB).

They rarely miss the university hockey matches in the Student Development Complex (SDC).

“

ANAND SUNDAR RAM Lode Writer

continued on 2

KIMBERLY GRIGG Lode Writer As finals approach many students are wondering what are the best ways to study and what some good study tips are.

COMPASS has some very good tips for what students should do to improve their study habits.

One of the biggest tips is to start early. Many students do not start early enough to study for their exams. Studying early continued on 3

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

facebook.com/mtulode Regular holiday content until break

Text “like mtulode” to “32665” to follow us on Facebook. Regular prizes offered to our Facebook fans.

twitter.com/mtulode Text “follow mtulode” to “40404” to follow us on Twitter. Receive an update for every new article.

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, December 2, 2010

NEWS

2

Enterprise of the week:

Efficency Through Engineering and Construction Enterprise The Efficiency Through Engineering and Construction (ETEC) Enterprise focuses to improve local buildings for the community while having fun.

“We are dedicated to the principals of efficient design, social impact, environmental stewardship and value to our customers.”

ETEC has a wide variety of projects. Past projects include working with Habitat for Humanity, the Sweatwater Café, the Lake Linden Ice Rink and Teen Center, and the MTU Bike Shelter Design. This enterprise is also striving to go green and is encouraging this through their projects.

Other projects are the Generations of Energy, Energy Works, and Ford Forestry Retrofit for Energy Efficiency. “Generations of Energy provides assistance to low income elderly people by providing the materials and labor to make homes more efficient in the winter months by insulating homes and sealing air passages.” This project began as a direct result of the Calumet Winterization (with

“

help from Melissa Davis at New Power Tour, the Kiwanis Club, and ETEC.) Thirty homes were winterized between August 2009 and May 2010. The Energy Works project participates with local high schools to teach students how a building loses energy and how to improve energy efficiency. The Ford Forestry Retrofit project focuses on improving the efficiency of the Ford Forestry Center. The

es that members enjoy are, “Working with the high school students from the generations of energy program and teaching them about cost effective building efficiency techniques that can be easily implemented, as well as the interaction with elderly citizens who share the history of the area and their experiences with us.” Lynn Artman, advisor, describes this enterprise as a “loud family who likes

We are dedicated to the principals of efficent design, social impact, environmental stewardship and value to our customers.

Forestry Center was built with poor insulation and pre-energy efficient standards. ETEC students were able to improve the building’s efficiency by 95%.

Students in this enterprise learn a lot about Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. Students are also trained in using a thermal imaging camera which allows them to see the heat transfer of air around any type of object. HVAC and thermal imaging help ETEC to determine the energy efficiency and insulation systems of the buildings in their projects.

Some favorite experienc-

“

REBEKAH PRICE Lode Writer

to work hard and play hard.” At the end of each semester, ETEC throws a party for its members.

When asked about these parties, both Artman and Dianna Cacko, President, laughed and smiled. Whatever happens at ETEC parties must be a blast.

The Executive Board includes: Dianna Cacko, President; Markus Manderfield, Vice President; Alicia Haydamack, Secretary; Ryon Barker, Treasurer; and Lynn Artman, Advisor. If you are interested in joining this enterprise, email Dianna Cacko (dmcacko@mtu. edu) or Lynn Artman (laartman@mtu.edu).

Five graduate students, from front

HUNTERS The Lode would like to know how this year’s hunting season went for our readers.

What are some of your favorite experiences from hunting? Do you have any advice for new hunters to the area? Do you have any complaints about this season’s hunt?

If you have stories or pictures, feel free to send them to lodesubmit@mtu.edu for possible publication. Please keep in mind that pictures containing large amounts of blood can not be shown.

Thanksgiving Day, only to see the city closed for the occasion.

But the next day, off went the young men in the wee hours of Friday morning and they were on their toes until midnight.

After shopping for Black Friday, they started their excursion of the city. Firstly, they visited the Weisman Arts Museum in the University of Minnesota. Then they saw Lake Harriet which had already frozen for the winter. “It is the first time we had seen a frozen lake in our lives, we threw pebbles into the lake to realize that. It was incredible.” said Mandar. They explored

downtown and then went for a movie show in IMAX, the dome cinema found in most big cities.

The movie was a documentary on the Hubble telescope and its discoveries. “It was a ‘star studded’ experience” said Muktesh.

Even big cities have wild animals. They felt intimidated by what seemed like a fox walked towards them for a while right outside the cinema but later running away. Well, they knew that they could quench their thirst of a Bollywood movie and they did it, even when it required travelling to the farther end of the city. “The city is well

connected by the mass rapid transit and buses, so it wasn’t an issue.” The name of the movie was “Guzaarish” which translates to “Request” in Hindi.

They also found an Indian restaurant in the city to have the delicacies which they missed all these days.

The life of the Fifth Street Gang is a lesson in itself. As the saying goes “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Although they hail from a big city in India, they have never complained the city is “boring” but instead made the best use of the resources available.

NEWS

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, December 2, 2010

3

A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum

Holiday Sale 20% off Holiday Sale at the Museum Gift Shop is in progress and goes through Saturday, December 18th.

Visit the Museum Gift Shop in its new (temporary) location at the Memorial Union Building, Campus Food Court Area, Ground Floor (G-002).

Gift Shop Hours will be: From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday; Nov. 29 to Dec. 3 AND from noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 4.

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday; Dec. 6 to Dec.10; AND from noon to 4:00 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 11.

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday; Dec. 13 to Dec.17; AND from noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 18.

The museum gift shop has a wide selection of distinctive gifts: locallyhandcrafted gemstone jewelry, many varieties of book ends, candleholders, agate and sandstone coasters, decorative amethyst and agate slices, local native copper specimens, crystal growing kits, books, and much more.

Check out the assortment of ponder stones, worry stones, geodes, crack-open geodes and tumbled stones that would make perfect stocking stuffers!

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

mtulode.com

just as important as ever, since we announce breaking news, give you a chance to provide your opinion, and give out prizes ever now and then as well.

Our sites are also mobile

friendly. Start by scanning the codes below with a smartphone barcode scanner. We will be incorporating more of these codes in the future.

We always welcome feedback!

facebook.com/ mtulode

Michigan Tech goes green, from front Most people want to keep our environment nice like it is. We’re hoping in the future to involve more students,” said Schultz.

While going green is not a new idea to anyone, Michigan Tech’s students, staff, and faculty members are teaming up to make the University a better place for ev-

DHRC hosts Christmas bazaar DHRC (Daniell Heights Residence Council) Will be hosting its 40th annual Christmas Craft Bazaar this coming Sunday, Dec. 5 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Student Development Complex (SDC) Wood Gym. This is a great opportunity to find something unique and locally made for that special someone or pick up a nice treat for yourself!

There will be a variety of vendors selling things like Christmas

decorations, homemade soaps, paintings, organic lotions, jewelry, chainsaw carvings, all the things you need to keep warm this winter, and everything in between! This is a family friendly event. There will be a kids coloring table so they can color while you shop and Santa will be visiting from 3 p.m. 4 p.m! There will also be door prizes raffled off and the Michigan Tech Concession stand will also be open.

eryone. The beauty of Houghton has been, and will continue to be preserved by everything students are doing now to reduce Michigan Tech’s carbon footprint. Meetings are held by the University Student Commission every other Thursday in the Memorial Union Building.

Tips to help prepare for finals, from front can gives the time to make sure that one knows all the material covered in the course. Also plan out your study time. A student can have up to three exams in one day. This means that a student needs to plan out what they are going to study and when. It should also be taken into consideration that more time will be needed when studying for harder and higher level courses than easier and lower level courses.

Another thing that is recommended is to attend all study sessions, put on by a professor, instructor, and TA. These are the people that know what will be on the exam, so studying with them will be very beneficial. Also attend group study sessions put on by students. Not only does this make it easier to study, but it also helps expand one’s knowledge in the subject. Studying in groups can also bring about ideas one has never thought about.

twitter.com/ mtulode

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 four. This one is harder than normal. 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.

Remember to take into consideration what kind of class you are taking. When studying for a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) class do more problem solving, because problem solving is more likely to be on the exam than vocabulary and things of that nature. If you are studying for a multiple choice, fill in the blank, or essay exam remember to practice taking exams like those as well.

The final piece of advice is to take care of yourself. It is important to eat correctly and get eight hours of sleep a night. This will not only help you feel good and stay awake, but it will also help you remember everything you learned along with preserving your higher level thinking skills.

For more advice on how to prepare for final exams week, check out the backpage of this week’s paper for a Top-10 list to help you prepare for finals.

Students, the next time a cold interrupts your life

here’s your chance to get it back . . . fast.

Just $49 per visit (including lab).

And we’ll even bill your insurance.

Being a student is a stressful job. Here is how we give you some of that time back when you are sick with colds, fevers, sore throats and a host of other minor health problems.

M - F 9 am - 8:30 pm • Sat 9 am - 5 pm Sun 10 am - 5 pm • Holidays 10 am - 2 pm 906-483-0668

900 Memorial Road • Houghton, MI

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, December 2, 2010

Pulse

Tech Theater Company presents Ultimate Audio Book KIMBERLY GRIGG Lode Writer The play ‘The Ultimate Audio Book’ was performed Nov. 12,13, 18 and 19. The play involved tons of audience participation. The audience did everything from recording sounds to use later on in the play, to be characters within the play. Every audience member was required to participate, whether it was making the sounds of the wind or pretending to be a crow on the stage.

The play was about three different fairy tales. The first one was about a fisherman and his wife. The fisherman caught a beautiful magical fish. The fish said he would grant him any wish, as long as he let the fish go. The fisherman agrees to this and lets the fish go.

The fisherman does not wish for anything at first, but goes home and tells his wife what

had happened. The wife was very greedy and keeps wishing for better houses and more power, but eventually the fish asks the fisherman what he wanted. The fisherman responds that he just wants everything to be back to normal, so the fish makes it so it seemed like the wishes were never made.

The second story was about a handsome prince turned into a bear by a troll. The only way for the handsome prince to turn back into a human was to find true love. The prince goes to a house one day, because he was injured. There he meets a beautiful girl named Miranda. Miranda takes care of the prince until he gets better, then the bear started to prince started to provide for the family throughout the winter. At the end of the winter the prince tells the family that they would continue to be taken care of as long as Miranda goes with him to his castle.

Miranda agrees and then heads to his castle. Every night the prince sleeps at the end of Miranda’s bed, but one night Miranda sees the prince in his true form. The prince then has to go back to the troll, because Miranda saw his true form before the curse was up. Miranda then seeks out the help of the four winds and finds where the prince is being kept. With the wind’s help Miranda finds the troll and saves her prince.

The final story was about two daughters. The first daughter was beautiful and kind, while the second one was ugly and cold hearted. A handsome young gentleman comes to woo the first daughter, but her mother does not like the first daughter and wants her other daughter to be with the young gentleman. The mother then pushes the first daughter down the well. The daughter met several different things and helped them accomplish a certain task, they then lead her

to Grandmother Hilda’s house.

At Grandmother Hilda’s house she is given several tasks to accomplish for Grandmother Hilda. With the crows help she accomplished all the tasks.

Grandmother Hilda then gives the girl three chests to choose from. With one last piece of advice from the crows, the girl picks the correct chest. When she got back in the real world she finds many jewels and gold in the chest she picked.

The mother then sends the second daughter to get a chest, but since the daughter is cold hearted she helps no one and does not complete Grandmother Hilda’s tasks.

She then picks the wrong chest and when she gets back the mother and her fight over the chest. This resulted in the mother and the second daughter falling into the well. The handsome young gentleman then comes back to come get the first daughter to be with him.

4

KSO December concert Saturday NICK BLECHA Pulse Editor The Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra will be celebrating their 40th anniversary season by performing Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony at the Rozsa Center this Friday at 7:30 p.m..

After their previous concert at the Calumet Theater, the KSO is returning to Houghton once again.

In addition to Beethoven’s Fifth, famous for its obsessive four-note motif, the KSO will also be performing George Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody No. 1, heavily inspired by gypsy music, as well as the impressionist “Pavane for a Dead Princess”

by Maurice Ravel.

Tickets are available in the Rozsa box office, or online at rozsa.mtu.edu. The cost is $15 for the general public, or $7 for students under 18. Tickets are free for Michigan Tech students.

Harry Potter finale shows benifits of two-part split NICK BLECHA Pulse Editor Nine years after the release of the first Harry Potter film, the series is about to be brought to a close. On Nov. 19, the first part in the final film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was released in theaters, with the second part due to be released in July.

While watching the film, the benefits of splitting it into two parts are quite evident. While many of the previous films were forced to sacrifice important subplots to keep the film within reasonable running time and budgetary constraints, the splitting of the film into two parts means that many of those subplots can be retained. Of course, adapting a film in this manner can sometimes result in pacing problems, and indeed there are times when it feels like

the film should just get on with it. Still, for the greater part, the film does a good job of fitting content into the available time.

Those who have not seen the previous films in the series beware though: there isn’t much time spent on exposition and without sufficient background knowledge one could easily be confused by what’s going on.

There is not much to say about the actors in the film that hasn’t been said already.

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson all perform their characters in much the same way as previous installments, and this film isn’t likely to change anyone’s opinions of them. Many of the supporting cast are still cast quite well; Guy Henry as Pius Thicknesse fits well into his minor role, and of course Imelda Staunton absolutely owns the role of Dolores Umbridge.

The action scenes are also

NSLS to host community service event STEPHEN ANDERSON Editor in Chief On Saturday, Dec. 4, Michigan Tech’s chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success will host a dog-walking community service event through the Copper Country Humane Society.

All Michigan Tech students are welcome to attend the event to volunteer to walk dogs at the

human society.

Meet in front of the Memorial Union Building on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 2 p.m. for rides.

The event will help raise awareness for the humane society, which always seeks volunteers for dog walking, animal grooming, foster pet-parenting and many other opportunities.

For more information about the Copper Country Humane Society, visit them online at www.cchumanesociety.com.

done well. While the film doesn’t have many action scenes, focusing more on the main trio’s travels searching for the Horcruxes (the source of the evil Voldemort’s immortality), the few that exist are well executed. The film even does a good job of expanding on some of the action, : for example, a

flying chase scene near the beginning of the film works in a highway and tunnel chase that wasn’t in the book, but nonetheless fits well in the scene.

As an adaptation, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is quite possibly the best film in the series since the Chris Columbus films. On its own, it

This week at Film Board:

Inception

is still a fairly good film. The actors continue to do their roles well, the directing and choreography is good and the tone of the film is entirely appropriate.

A few issues with pacing aside, this is still a solid film, and for anyone who’s seen the previous films, there should be no reason not to go see this one.

Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb’s rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming.

Written by Warner Bros. Pictures

Friday and Saturday Showtimes 5:30, 8:30, 11:30 p.m.

Tickets $3.00 Runtime 148 minutes Tickets available at the door.

Limited seating, arrive early.

Concessions available.

Fisher 135 | (906) 487-2704

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, December 2, 2010

OPINION

The Bike Bell Sing-a-long LENA WILSON Opinion Editor Regardless of how busy we all are, biking is a wonderful way to get around campus. There is this great invention for the bicycle. You can attach it to the handle bars and pull on a little trigger to make a ringing, piercing noise.

Yep, it’s a bike bell! Those charming little devices aren ‘t just toys to mess around with while one rides a bike around in circles, they actually have a function.

When a biker is approaching a pedestrian from behind, they can pull the trigger, resulting in the piercing noise, and alarm the person of their presence. Then the person(s) won’t get knicked as a biker tries to get by.

Although, when there are herds or flocks of people all operating around the same bells that ring to release them from their obligations it is wise not to bicycle through

denser masses. Bicyclists, because of their increased agility and speed, should choose the paths less often taken. Since they are indeed moving at faster rates, it really isn’t necessary to take the absolutely shortest path from A to B. The sidewalk closest to the highway the goes in front of Fisher and the Library is usually less crowded and a better decision.

Recently, campus authorities of some sort have decided to block paths on campus going through green patches with shrubberries and garden decorations. These paths were previously interstellar highways for bikers to avoid pedestrians and be the speedy demons they are.

It is somehow appropriate to allocate even more of the campus lawn for a sidewalk going between Fisher and the DOW, even though there is another sidewalk not 10 ft away. The beaten dirt paths weren’t the most gorgeous of things, but they were definitely better than another sidewalk.

Ask Sassy Dear Sassy No one can pronounce my name properly. When I tell them how my name is really pronounced I have to show them my license to prove how it’s spelled. I’m considering just telling them to call me by my nickname to avoid the whole thing. Should I keep explaining my name or change it for the sake of ease? I’m deeply conflicted about this issue. Should I change my name?

Should I disappear? Should I become someone else? Help!

Sincerely, Name games

Dear Name From the looks of your letter, your hard-to-pronounce name is the least of your problem. Clearly this is a deep-seated identity crisis. On one hand you want to be the person you were born as, on the other you want be appealing and approachable to the people around you. Your quandary has a name: life.

I’d hold on to your name like grim death. Your bizarre, unique name is one of the few things that differentiate you from everyone else around you. Sure, it would be easier if your name was Mike or Sally or Bill, but is sacrificing your identity for the sake of ease the best course of action?

On closing, I’d like you to relax a little. So your name is hard to pronounce, big deal. It’s not like you have a terminal illness or something.

Dear Sassy Everyday when I come home, my girlfriend’s cat meows at me incessantly. It only stops meowing for an hour or to if I feed it. How can I trick or scare this cat into not meowing anymore without my girlfriend knowing? I think she loves the cat more than me. What do I do?

Sincerely, Cat crisis

Dear Cat Many animals (and children) have a very strange desire to make noise constantly. It’s as if silence is an arch-enemy that must be kept at bay by a constant barrage of harsh, peace-shattering noises. Cats are particularly gifted at this. Just when you thing they’ve emitted their last yowl, another one rips through the air like an air-raid siren.

Short of locking it in a sound-proof room (which is certainly viable option if one is available), silencing a cat can be tricky. I suggest giving Mr. Kitty a treat. Not a scrap of turkey or a fishshaped mystery nugget, but simple cube of caramel. The cat, being unable to resist the sweet-smelling morsel, will take a small bite of the caramel which will then render his mouth useless. He’ll be so busy trying to extricate the sticky caramel from his canines that meowing will be the last thing on his mind.

Or give him to a cat lady, your choice.

Dear Sassy I have a big problem. My roommate brought her friend over last night to our room. They watched a movie and were talking very loudly until at least 10:00 at night. I think it was very inconsiderate of her to not ask me first. How do I make sure this never happens again?

Sincerely, Dorm diva

Dear Dorm I’m sorry I have to be the one to tell you this, but you are not Queen of the Universe and therefore do not have the power to control the lives of your fellow human beings. I know this must come as a shock to you, but the world was actually not made to cater to your every need. Dissatisfaction, a state of being which you refuse to embrace, is a part of life. Sometimes you must accept things that are not to your liking.

Although I was not expecting to have to give a lesson in common decency to a college-aged person, I hope you take my words to heart.

The biker and pedestrian compatability is definitely an issue on campus. The campus isn’t exactly biker friendly when there are swarms of people around, so bikers are forced to ride their bikes but as mentioned before, there are slightly longer routes for speeding priviledges.

Even more pressing and awful is biker and motorist compatabilty.

A biker may clip a pedestrian and there is a 0.01% that pedestrian will die. The bikabilty, and walkabilty in some cases, of areas between campus and student housing off campus and downtown are lethal. The worst areas known to man are the intersection entering the Pearl Street Mall area from the highway and the crossing at the end of campus of College Avenue and Cliff Drive.

I’ve seen two bodies laying in this general area. These cases may have been the bikers’ fault completely, but just like pedestrians should have the right away over bikers on campus, bikers should be looked out for by motorists.

In future town planning, perhaps Houghton and Michigan Tech should consider making the place more bikable and pedestrian friendly.

Downtown bikers are expected to either go down by the water or lug themselves of the hill to ride on montezuma’s sidewalk... even though the sidewalk along Montezuma is scary.

The sidewalks downtown are certainly not safe for walkers or bikers to ride on because of all the doors and traffic. The road is even more awful because of possible doors opening and collisions due to the fact that many motorists simply aren’t looking for bikers. I admit to be guilty of the awful crime of not being mindful of possible bikers in the appropriate weather conditions.

The bikers are stuck in the inbetween, and there are many pedestrian issues to be solved. I would think we should encourage bikers and walkers by making travel without motors easier and safer. Alas, the motor vehicle has long dominated the road - even for the strenuous 2 mile treks. The next step would be to encourage snowshoers and skiers!!

Co-curricular education demands

Many students lead very active and industrius lives, but none of their co-curricular education endeavors outside of the university’s courses are recognized. All students, regardless of their personal and unique situation, must take 3 credits of some sort of activity, usually mundane, through the university.

I have no idea how just taking a random bowling class is better than a student creatively finding an activity that appeals to them and then discoering a means of integrating it into their life.

The university could require the student exemplifies some achievement in a co-curricular activity. This would support community classes in the least and perhaps even facilitate students in reaching out and traveling to a certification program or finding specialized class like yurt building or Qi-chong.

This flexibilty still requires the student becomes a well rounded individual worthy of a bachelor’s degree.

Many, if the not the majority of students, would probably choose to still take these credits through the university because it is easy. But the students who want to go beyond and explore would not be hindered and forced into classes they don’t need.

Universities shouldn’t ignore these options for students!

CLASSIFIED

Worn out zippers replaced on boots and jackets. We also tractionalize slippery heels and soles on shoes and boots at Johnson’s Shoe Repair, 311 E. Lake Ave. Houghton (under the deck) 482-3711, since 1965 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.

Ice Fishing supplies can be found at Northwoods, 120 Quincy St. Hancock. We have lures, live bait, fishing tents, heaters and much much more. All you need is right here at Northwoods 482-5210 E-mail lodeads@mtu.edu for information about placing a classified ad.

5A

He Said, She Said Are Ugg boots practical?

Carl Drache, Pimpology (Mechanical Engineering), Second year I do not own a pair of Ugg boots, nor have I ever tried a pair on, but just based on their outer appearance, they do not look to be a very practical winter boot.

Jennifer Fuller Phone Psychic Sciences, 3.75 year Although I happen to own the most fashionable pair, I would have to say no!

They make my socks soggy and I slip and fall in them all the time.

Sean Boyden, Chemical Engineering, Third year They are not practical. They are meant to be warm and dry, which they are neither when wet. Most people don’t maintain them which also bothers me. Leather has to be taken care of so that it continues to work for you and keep you dry.

Christine Dempsey Social Sciences, Fourth year No. Absolutely not, especially up here in the wet, cold snow. You need something waterproof with good treads. Not to mention they have no support what so ever and they’re not even stylish this season Lydia Patch Biology/Pre-med, Third year They are basically the best shoes I have never owned. Uggs are a definite staple in my wardrobe and life. For sure.

Emma Getty Biomedical Engineering, Third year They put the ‘Ugg’ in ugly

Michigan Tech Lode

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

Editor in Chief ...................................Stephen Anderson Business Manager.....................................Jacob Vehring Online Editor.........................................Rachel Plafchan Design Editor...............................................Yunhua Li News Editor.....................................Cameron Schwach Opinion Editor...........................................Lena Wilson Sports Editor .........................................Daver Karnosky Pulse Editor...................................................Nick Blecha Advisor ........................................................Kara Sokol

Staff Writers - Jack Ammerman,

Jordan Erickson, Michael Friesen, Kimberly Grigg, Elijah Haines, Lauren Kors, Matt McGuire, Priyanka Moharir, Jun Ni, Liz Nigro, Zachary Page, Erika Peabody, Rebekah Price, Anand Sundar Ram, Jodhbir Singh

Circulation - Abhishek Gupta

Visuals Staff - Alex Cotton, Ahsan Iqbal, Anti Knutas, Caitlin Pionke, Jacob Shuler, Sneha Virdi, Ben Wittbrodt

Copy Editors - Anirudh Balram, Alexandra Beguhn, Lacie Hollenbeck, Kyle VerHoef, Zach Ziemke

Advertising Sales - Elizabeth LaRouche, Travis Neu, Hao Xie

Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials represent the consensus of opinion of the senior editorial staff of the Michigan Tech Lode.

Opinions expressed in the Lode are not necessarily those of the student body, faculty, staff or administration of Michigan Technological University or the Michigan Tech Lode.

The Michigan Tech Lode is designed, written and edited by Michigan Tech students. The paper is printed every Thursday during fall and spring semesters.

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

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

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

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

2. lodeads@mtu.edu for submitting classified ads to the Lode. Messages posted to this address are received by the business manager and secretary.

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

Please submit all work as a Microsoft Word or plain text attachment.

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

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, December 2, 2010

Sports

Men’s basketball looks to By # continue building off strong start thember nu DAVER KARNOSKY Sports Editor

Starting the season 5-1 should be an accomplishment, especially for a program that won only nine games all of last season, but head coach Kevin Luke and the men’s basketball Huskies have barely had any time to reflect on their early success. Having played six games in 13 days and winning five of them, the Huskies are determined to show the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference that they mean business. They will have to start with a trip to face rival Northern Michigan on Saturday.

“At this stage in the game, I do feel like the schedule is in our favor to prepare us for the league,” said Luke. “That’s what I’m most excited about. We’re a lot better club than we were a year ago.”

The Wildcats (3-2 overall) come into Saturday’s game having lost to the Gannon Knights after winning three straight games.

They have scored at least 60 points in every contest and have scored over 80 in two of their three wins.

The Wildcats have a dominant inside game that is tough to defend.

Junior center Jared Benson has been the Wildcats’ go-to guy night-in and night-out, leading the

team in scoring every game and averaging 17.4 points per game.

He also averages 6.6 rebounds per game.

Sophomore center Mylan Murphy has also played strong up front, averaging 8.8 points per game.

The Wildcats’ backcourt is also dangerous. Junior guard DeAndre Taylor is second in scoring with 12.4 points per game, and he leads the Wildcats with 11 steals. Junior guard Raymont McElroy has been dangerous both shooting (11.8 points per game) and passing (4.8 assists per game).

“McElroy is one of the best point guards in the league and Benson is one of the best bigs,” said Luke.

“We have to get back to basics to defend them and give ourselves a chance.”

For the Huskies to be successful, they are going to rely on

Elevation: Freshman guard Jordan Reetz gets ready to launch a three-pointer early this season.

Photo by Ben Wittbrodt

moving the ball well inside, making the most out of the play they get from junior forward Mike Hojnacki, and sophomore forward Ali Haider, who are the top two scorers at 19.3 and 15.8 points per game, respectively.

One other advantage the Huskies will have, at least for a little while around the GLIAC, will be their improved perimeter game.

Freshman guards Austin Armga and Alex Culy have been devastating at times, averaging 11.7 and 11.0 points per game, respectively.

S a t u r d a y ’s game will take place at 11 a.m. at the Berry Events Center. Check out our web site, mtulode.com/sports, for a detailed recap of the action.

Women’s basketball looks to bounce back from tough loss

Looking in: Junior forward Lindsey Lindstrom drives the lane in a game against Ashland last season.

Photo by Ben Wittbrodt

After a disappointing weekend in St. Paul, Minn., in which the No. 14 women’s basketball Huskies dropped their first game of the season last Saturday afternoon, the Huskies look to rebound with a big victory to open their Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference season this Sat. against their rivals, the Northern Michigan Wildcats. The game will be head coach Kim Cameron’s first GLIAC match as the top dog.

“This is a great opportunity for us as a team to come out and be able to play our rivals right away,”

said Cameron. “We have to be ready to bounce back from this loss and be ready to play another close, gritty, hard-fought game.”

The Wildcats (4-2 overall) have had a bit of a strange start to their season. They opened with a loss at Minnesota Duluth before defeating Missouri Western State.

After another loss, the Wildcats have won three straight, including wins over Concordia-St. Paul and Southwest Minnesota State.

“Northern is good. They are tough,” said Cameron. “Probably one of the most physical teams in the conference.”

Junior forward Staci Beckel has been the most consistent scorer for the Wildcats through their first six games. She averages 13.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. She’s also the only scorer to lead the team more than once.

Senior center Erin Powers has also played strong around the hoop, averaging 8.3 points and a team-high 9.2 rebounds per game. Junior forward Hillary Bowling rounds out the front

DAVER KARNOSKY Sports Editor three starters with her 6.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

The Wildcats’ backcourt is full of experience in senior guards Kellie Rietveld and Steffani Stoeger. Rietveld is always dangerous, averaging 9.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Stoeger has been a reliable point guard, notching 9.8 points and 2.5 assists per game.

“They have a great point guard in Steffani Stoeger,” said Cameron. “Kellie Rietveld is playing very well. [They have] a couple of good returners who are good leaders. It’s going to be a tough matchup for us.”

The Huskies have had the advantage of seeing the Wildcats in action already this season, and look to use that to their advantage. Junior forward Lindsey Lindstrom and senior forward Lucy Dernovsek will also need to have strong games. continued at mtulode.com

2

players on the women’s basketball team, Lucy Dernovsek and Lindsey Lindstrom, who are averaging at least 7.0 rebounds per game.

4

players on the men’s basketball team (Mike Hojnacki, Ali Haider,AustinArmga, and Alex Culy) in double figures in points per game.

6

goals by freshman winger Milos Gordic, the most by any hockey Huskies’ player so far this season.

Gordic is one of eight players with 7+ points.

9

finalists left for the Harlon Hill Trophy. Huskies’ running back Phil Milbrath is one of the remaining contenders.

25

finishing place of nordic skiier Luke Gesior, the top Huskies’ male finisher, at the West Yellowstone Super Tour classic sprint during Thanksgiving break.

Schedules/Results Visit gliac.org for full standings W. Basketball (3-1, 0-0 GLIAC) Nov. 26 vs. SWMSU., W, 74-53 Nov. 27 vs. CSP, W, 78-70 Sat. at North. Mich., 1 p.m.

Dec. 4 at Ohio Dom., 7:30 p.m.

M. Basketball (5-1, 0-0 GLIAC) Nov. 26 at Minnesota St., L, 63-61 Nov. 28 at UW-Parkside, W, 71-62 Sat. at North. Mich., 11 a.m.

Dec. 4 at Ohio Dom., 5:30 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

Hockey (3-6-2, 1-6-1 WCHA) Nov. 19 vs. Minnesota, L, 6-4 Nov. 20 vs. Minnesota, L, 4-1 Fri. vs. Colorado College, 7 p.m.

Sat. vs. Colorado College, 7 p.m.

Visit wcha.com for full standings

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: Auburn Tigers vs. South Carolina Gamecocks, Detroit Red Wings at Los Angeles Kings, New York Jets at New England Patriots

JACOB VEHRING Business Manager 2-1 Last Week, 24-12 Overall

STEPHEN ANDERSON Editor in Chief 1-2 Last Week, 20-16 Overall

DAVER KARNOSKY Sports Editor 1-2 Last Week, 13-23 Overall

YOU Readers 1-2 Last Week, 18-18 Overall

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. This weekend the Jets and Patriots face off in a game with home field advantage for the playoffs possibly on the line. The Patriots just do not lose big games with Brady at the helm. After Auburn’s incredible comeback last week I think they are on their way to a BCS National Championship, and South Carolina is just not good enough to prevent that from happening. The Red Wings are having an excellent start to their season and that will continue as they will easily hand the Kings another loss.

Rex Ryan has a great sense of humor, but Bill Belichick will have the final laugh in this AFC East battle. The Jets’ luck will run out as Brady’s hot hand and the cold weather will be too much to handle. Cam Newton will give South Carolina more than they can handle as well, proving their championship caliber. Picking against the Wings worked for me a few weeks ago, but there’s no way I can betray my allegiance twice in a row -- Detroit all the way in L.A.

I cannot honestly remember if the Jets have ever beaten the Patriots twice in a season before. This season, I really think they have the best chance to do so as the Patriots just do not look good. They are winning, but the wins aren’t pretty. The Wings will be getting tired on their road trip out west, and the Kings are much improved this season.

Jarret Stoll and company just might be the class of the Pacific Division. Finally, I think as long as Cameron Newton is eligible, the Tigers are darn near indestructable.

Each week, we’ll let you the reader vote in our Editor’s Shootout online poll at www.mtulode.com/sports/2010/12/2/ 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.

Tigers, 31-21 Wings, 5-2 Patriots, 20-13

Tigers, 34-24 Red Wings, 4-2 Patriots, 30-23

Tigers, 23-13 Kings, 4-1 Jets, 34-30 Last week’s picks: Tie Badgers (hockey) Badgers (football)

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, December 2, 2010

Sports

7

Hockey Huskies ready to return to action JORDAN ERICKSON Lode Writer The hockey Huskies will be home for the last time until mid-January and will be taking advantage of their home ice, as they are 1-2-1 at home and 0-4-0 on the road. The Huskies’ youth seems to be one of their strengths as their top three point leaders are all underclassmen, sophomore defenseman Steven Seigo leading the team with 11 points (three goals and eight assists). Freshman forwards Milos Gordic and Ryan Furne round out the top three with nine points each.

Team Scope: The Tigers: The Tigers will be coming to Houghton after a close weekend series that ended in an overtime loss of 3-4 to Alaska Anchorage and a 2-0 win. The Tigers are currently averaging 34.8 shots on net per game, an advantage when compared to the Huskies average of 25.8.

The Huskies: The hockey Huskies have been looking to get into the

Big goal: Freshman winger Milos Gordic scores one of his two goals against Minnesota.

Photo by Ben Wittbrodt

rhythm of playing games, something which has proven to be difficult since they have already had three of their off-weekends in the first half of the season.

The Huskies return to the ice after having the previous week off of practice due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

“Coming off an off-week you always wonder your teams reaction in is their timing going to be there,” said Huskies head coach Jamie Russell.

The Huskies dominating size and tough physical play continue to be some of the team’s strengths as they are

able to use it to their advantage during play and will be an important part of the determining factor this weekend.

Who’s Hot: The Tigers: Tiger freshman forward Jaden Schwartz is their current point leader with nine goals and nine

assists giving him 18 points in his 14 games played. Senior Stephen Schultz is also averaging a point a game with 12 points achieved in his 12 played games.

The Huskies: The Huskies Seigo continues to impress as he leads the team in overall points, averaging a point a game overall. Freshman forward Jacob Johnstone is also proving himself worthy with the third most shots on the team overall and one of the few players and only freshman to have a positive ranking.

The Bottom Line: “You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take,” said hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.

The Huskies will need to heed this advice and get more shots on net if they want to win the upcoming games. The Huskies will also need to find their legs right away and skate like they forgot there was an off weekend to come out hard against the Tigers. The puck drops at 7:07 p.m. Friday and Saturday night at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena.

Coach Kearly continues tradition of excellence STEPHEN ANDERSON Editor in Chief

Leader of the pack: Football head coach Tom Kearly addresses the team after its big victory over Grand Valley State.

Photo by Ben Wittbrodt

Aside from the injury-riddled 2009 football season, the Michigan Tech football team has consistently been in the upper echelon of the GLIAC. Head coach Tom Kearly is a big key to that success.

Even with the 2-8 season of 2009, Kearly has led the Huskies to a 2220 overall record in his five years at the helm. His story begins long before Michigan Tech came into the picture.

Kearly was originally interested in pursuing journalism when he went to Winona State for college, but midway through, he realized that his true passion was coaching. He spent the 1979 season there as a student assistant before helping with the secondary at Michigan Tech in 1980.

“I think the big break for me was being a graduate assistant at Central Michigan (in 1981),” said Kearly, who received his master’s in athletic administration from CMU. Shortly after graduation,

Hojnacki honored as GLIAC Player of the Week DAVER KARNOSKY Sports Editor After picking up 20 points against Finlandia, 19 points against Minnesota State, and a season-high 22 points against Wisconsin-Parkside, junior forward Mike Hojnacki of the men’s basketball Huskies was named GLIAC North Division Player of the Week. “[Mike] has the confidence to know he can get it done in this league as a junior,” said Huskies’ head coach Kevin Luke. “[Mike] has been our go-to guy.”

With the big week, Hojnacki is now second in the GLIAC in points per game with 19.3. He is also among the nation’s leaders in that category as well.

Along with all the points, Hojnacki picked up five rebounds and four assists against the Lions. On Friday, Hojnacki notched five rebounds and three

Top dog: Junior forward Mike Hojnacki in action last season.

Photo by Ben Wittbrodt

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

assists. On Sunday, he scored 18 of his points in the second half and added seven rebounds.

Hojnacki is shooting 59.7 percent from the field including 53.8 percent on three-pointers.

His 6.5 rebounds per game are second best on the team as well.

“We’re going to have to continue to get the ball to [Mike],” said Luke. “If our inside game stays strong, we’re going to have a chance [every night].”

This weekend, the Huskies travel to Marquette, Mich., to face the Northern Michigan Wildcats at 11 a.m.

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

he was promoted to full-time outside linebackers coach under longtime Chippewas’ coach and mentor Herb Deromedi, who is now in the College Football Hall of Fame.

“I still think he (Deromedi) walks on water, and he played a huge role in my development as a coach,” said Kearly. The experience on defense helped Kearly understand “the other side of the ball” after playing quarterback in high school and college.

In 1987, Kearly made the switch back to offense, coaching the backfield for Central Michigan before eventually being promoted to offensive coordinator in 1991.

During his nine years manning the offense, he coached 13 All-MidAmerica Conference players, two MAC most valuable players and the school’s only NCAA Division I First Team All-American. During the 1996 season, the Chippewas set a then-MAC record of 477 yards of offense per game.

A coaching shake-up at CMU in 1999 could have led to a promotion for Kearly, but then-Michigan Tech head coach Bernie Anderson

called him up to offer him the offensive coordinator position.

“Coming to Michigan Tech was not in the plan at all,” said Kearly.

“Coach Anderson had made a change up here and asked if we wanted to make a family move – that’s exactly what it was for us.”

Kearly’s kids were in elementary school, and he and his wife Patty decided to make the move.

Long-time Michigan Tech fans are more than familiar with the last name Kearly. Tom’s father Ted coached Tech to a 29-7 overall record between 1969 and 1972, before serving as Michigan Tech athletic director for 17 years.

The offensive system was basically the same coming from Central to Tech, but the recruiting was the major difference between Division I and Division II. Recruiting is an every-day process at the D1 level, but D2 brings its own challenges, particularly at a small school like Michigan Tech. “The major thing we have going for us is... continued at mtulode.com

This week on www.mtulode.com:

Today (Dec. 2): Nordic Skiing recap Friday: Hockey recap Saturday: Hockey, Men’s and Women’s Basketball recaps Sunday: Editor’s blog Monday: Cross Country season review Tuesday: Feature blog Wednesday: Hockey, Men’s Basketball, and Women’s Basketball previews

Every week on www.mtulode.com:

• • • • • •

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

Look for our special “Reader Interaction” section at www.mtulode.com/sports

Lode SportS Talk Radio

91.9 FM Sat. 9-Noon Check out the “Michigan Tech Lode” Facebook page on Friday night to see this weekend’s special guests!

8

Husky Hodgepodge

I

t is that time of year – final exams are nearly here! Stress levels are rising. Motivation levels are falling. Sleep is at a premium.

Believe it or not, it does not have to be this way. Check out these 10 tips to ensure yourself success on your final exams: 1. Develop a study schedule now It can be hard to balance study time with projects, papers, and presentations during the final week of class before finals week, but set apart even an hour a day for studying for final exams. The exact amount of time will depend on how far behind you are and how many exams you have, but make sure you do what you can to avoid cramming the night before the exam.

2. Organize notes and study materials Sometimes organization slips through the cracks mid-semester, but now is the time to gather and sort everything out so you have everything you need when

it comes time to study. Staying organized will not only make studying easier, but it will help you avoid anxiety as exam time approaches.

3. Study with a group of classmates Everyone prepares for exams a little bit differently, but being exposed to different study techniques and bouncing ideas off each other can be valuable.

Discussing the material can encourage memory retention, and if you do not quite understand a concept, maybe somebody in the group might. Just make sure the group study time is used wisely.

Meeting at a coffee shop or café can work, but beware of it becoming a distraction to effective studying.

4. Stay motivated With the end of the semester in sight and the stress building, it can be easy to lose motivation for academics. However, maintaining high motivation level will promote much stronger study habits and better exam results.

Focusing on the big picture can

help regain motivation. How will the grade in this class and what you learn in the class affect you over the long-term? How will your approach affect your longterm academic goals?

5. Find out what exactly will be on the exam Make sure you have a very specific idea of the format of the final exam, and find out as much information as possible about the final. Look back on midterm exams and ask the professor how similar or different the final exam format will be from it. Ask a friend who has previously taken the class what to expect on the final. The more information you gather about the final, the better you can prepare.

6. Start developing good sleeping and eating habits now All-nighters and caffeine binges are common this time of semester, but lack of proper sleep habits only harm the student.

One of the best ways to ensure exam success is to study regularly in the days and weeks before the exam, and sleep well the night

before. The best way to do that is develop a good sleep habit now and stay disciplined with time so as to maintain that habit. Make sure you allow time to have a healthy breakfast the morning of your exam as well.

7. Use study time wisely Schedules get pretty busy this time of semester, and it is obviously important to keep time for studying. However, the quality of the study time is much more important than the amount of time spent. Turn off your cell phone, stay off Facebook, and tell friends and family not to disturb you during your study time. Concentrate solely on understanding the material relevant for the exam.

8. Be aware of and use all possible resources Your lecture notes may be quite thorough, but do not limit yourself to them. Think hard about anything that could be beneficial to studying. Sometimes professors make old exams or study guides available. Ask classmates or people who took the class previously for any

Michigan Tech Lode Thursday, December 2, 2010

advice. Let tip No. 5 above help guide you to the right information, but do not limit yourself to your own notes.

9. Relax!

Getting stressed out will negatively affect everything you do.

Take even just a few seconds to stop and take a few breaths. Offer rewards for yourself for engaged study time. Listen to relaxing music. Exam time is a critical time of year, but anxiety will not help anything.

10. Take these tips seriously Yes, these tips are fairly generic, but do not blow them off.

Everyone wants a magic pill to success, but hard work, organization, motivation, good study habits, lots of sleep, disciplined preparation, time management and stress reduction are your best bet to ensure the best results on your final exams!

STEPHEN ANDERSON Editor in Chief

Winter Break

STEPHEN ANDERSON Editor in Chief

1. Develop a plan Maybe you are sick of planning after a semester full of it, but it can be helpful to plan out what you need or want to do over winter break. Whether it is last-minute Christmas shopping, traveling, career development or family time, having a plan ahead of time can be helpful to making the most of winter break.

2. Prepare for travel complications Speaking of planning, it is important to have travel back-up plans, or at least build in a little extra time for possible travel delays. Weather can be nasty and people can get stressed, but you can avoid travel anxiety if you plan ahead of time for possible problems.

3. Do not wait until the last minute for holiday shopping This tip is particularly true if you buy online – you will want to make sure any gifts you buy online have plenty of time to ship before Christmas. Continue to check stores for sales on items – the hottest items will sell quickly, so being aware of when sales is important, particularly if you are shopping on a limited budget. Establish a shopping budget and stick to it!

6. Make the most of New Year’s Resolutions It is quite common to create resolutions at the beginning of the year.

One of the best ways to prepare for 2011 is to start to develop habits at the end of 2010. Habits are never formed in a day, and it can be easy to fall short on your resolutions if you start suddenly and expect to maintain them. Make realistic solutions. It can be invigorating to accomplish a ton in a few days, but is it realistic to expect that level of accomplishment day after day, particularly once school and work start up again.

7. Enjoy break, but be disciplined With nearly a month off between classes, it can be easy to completely lose any self-discipline. It is fine to sleep in, watch TV and movies, and entirely avoid anything that even remotely reminds you of school.

Take a few days to do that, but do not waste your entire break. You can still relax while getting things done, as detailed in the tips below.

8. Prepare for your career This might sound strange, but sometimes it can be really challenging to adequately prepare for your career during the semester. The Career Center and many classes offer opportunities to develop resumes, cover letters, portfolios, etc., but it can be hard to make the most of the opportunities or take them to the next level. Break can be a great time to line up references, apply for jobs, arrange interviews, etc.

4. Expect family relationship changes We mentioned a similar tip over Thanksgiving break, but 9. Develop a post-break plan of attack.

9. Get ready for next semester it is even truer over a much longer winter break. Family and Nobody wants tothat evenyou think about this just now, but it is impora list ofwill assignments, and exams will friend tensions can easily rise.Make Your parents probably be projects, presentations, tant.

Take some time to think about havedays during the final two weeks of classes and finals week, and figure out when what you learned from previous fine with you spending a couple doing absolutely nothsemesters ing, but it will only be a matter of time before they expect you for and do them. and how you’re going to prepare It’s easyand forhow it allyou to can get learn over-from previous experiences. Learn from your own and other people’s mistakes – anything you can do to to help around the house. Sit down at the beginning of break whelming after a laid back break, but planning ahead could easeinthe process. improve yourself future semesters is valuable to think about. Buy and iron out your expectations so conflict does not ruin a your books and supplies early so once the semester starts, you can perfectly good break. fully focus on academics.

10. Have fun!

Yes, self-discipline and balance is important, but it can definitely be a refresh5. Be prepared for culture shock 10. Make the most out ofperspecbreak It might not hit you righting away, butof returning home for time with family and friends. time relaxation and Keep the right You probably changed a lot since you left for college. Well, your famnearly a month after being away at college can be completely tive on what’s still coming after break, but enjoy ily every of break and minute friends back home and probably did, too. Do not let it catch you off different, beyond just family complications mentioned above. most of it! guard. Break can also be very tiring if you spend all your time catching High school friendships willmake neverthe be the same, and the home up with friends and family, traveling and working. Find a balance that environment will likely seem completely different from what is right for you, and make the best of break, even if it turns out a little it was when you left for college. If you prepare yourself in different than you expected! advance, the culture shock will not seem so, well, shocking.

How many hours of sleep do you average each night?

• • •

5 or less 6-7 8 or more

vote now on mtulode.com

Last week’s poll results: How much will you focus on school over Thanksgiving Break?

Some -- can’t get too rusty - 47% None -- it’s break! - 40% A lot -- I’m way behind! - 13%