12/09/2014

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Should minimum wage be increased?

December 4, 2014

PAGE 7

Diwali night celebrates the Festival of Lights

PAGE 14

Tech Soccer fall 2014 recap

Photo by Colton Wesoloski

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NEWS

Tuesday, December 9

Michigan Tech Lode

The world at a glance RAND SILVERS News Editor

The Philippines

On Sunday, Typhoon Hagupit hit the Philippines, killing 22 and destroying 1,500 homes. Hagupit, which means “smash” in Filipino, had at one time been classified as a Super Typhoon, and had weakened significantly before making landfall. High sustained winds were recorded at 65 miles per hour with gusts up to 86 miles per hour. There was minor flooding, which dissipated qucikly.

Hagupit comes only 13 months after Super Typhoon Haiyan, which wiped out entire towns and villages and left over 7,000 people dead or missing.

Since then, increased efforts on the part of the government and foreign nongovernmental organizations have raised awareness of proper disaster response.

Leading up to Hagupit, more than one million residents were evacuated to storm shelters, described as a “huge accomplishment” by aid workers in the area.

There has also been increasing awareness of the kinds of risks that exist in a typhoon. Last year, the town of Tacloban was devastated by a storm surge that collapsed concrete buildings and was responsible for hundreds of deaths.

In the wake of the storm, it was revealed that most did not even realize this was something that could happen during a typhoon. Greater understanding of the risks involved has been hailed as crucial in getting the population to follow through with disaster preparedness strategies.

The storm is expected to continue to weaken as it heads northwest and strikes Manila, which has a population of 12 million.

Climate change experts have continued to point out the growing threat of severe weather events as the planet warms.

Island nations in the Pacific such as the Philippines are the most at risk populations.

Following Haiyan, Philippines Climate Commissioner Naderev “Yeb” Sano made a passionate appeal at the year’s climate conference, pointing out the thousands of lives that had been lost as a result of global climate change.

For more information and to track the storm as it progresses, follow the QR code below.

USG leaders engage in discussion with members of the student body during a USG Consitution Reform Townhall Meeting held last Thursday. The org is in the process of revising their constitution after receiving student feedback and approval.

Photo by Maxwell Curtis

Undergraduate Student Government constitution reform SYLVANA FINKBEINER Lode Writer Undergraduate Student Government [USG] is the representation of the Student Assembly at Michigan Tech. The student organization is in charge of organizing policies and regulations, promoting student activities, and executing methods to strengthen relationships among student and staff on campus.

The current USG constitution has not been updated in over a decade, and USG recognizes this lowers the potential benefit to students. The constitution has already been reformed earlier this year, but the organization is now asking for student feedback and approval. In order for any changes to take place, USG needs at least 25 percent of students to participate in a vote and at least two-thirds of them to approve the changes.

MTU students will be voice of many important improvements to the constitution. The reformed document includes changes to better represent student opinion, create a more efficient

political structure, and improve clarity of duties and goals. The goal is to create “a total reinvention of the Undergraduate Student Government to better serve and represent the student body,” according to USG leadership.

The changes begin with introducing a more diverse and accurate representation of opinion. Instead of just class representatives divided according to credit standing, new representation will come class representatives according to semesters attended at Michigan Tech along with students from each residence hall, two AtLarge, and nine from each college weighted by student enrollment respectively.

USG also plans to add bylaws to increase the level of involvement with student activates by recognizing accomplishments.

“We provide a lot of support to students and student organizations through student

activity fees which everyone pays. But instead of just giving them money, we will be on the sidelines cheering them on with the opportunities we have provided to them,” said Kara Bakowski, Constitution Task Force Co-Chair.

The constitution will also improve efficiency of political positions by adding and deleting tasks accordingly.

For example, according to Daniel LaForest, fourth year representative, “[Vice President] is the office manager which no one really knows what that means. We have had four different definitions of that in the past few years. It’s hard to hold them accountable if they are unsure of what to do.”

Through all these changes, the overall efficiency constitution language will Continued on page 5

“A lot people do not know what USG is, other than a money source, and that is something we are trying to change.”

-Kendra Grossman

Michigan Tech Lode

NEWS

Tuesday, December 9

Peace Corps Master’s International EVAN MAYER Lode Writer There is no doubt that the Michigan Technological University experience is not quite complete without having to endure the tons of snow that gets dumped on its campus annually. By the time that an undergraduate’s degree is obtained, the snow’s nostalgic value is just not quite there anymore to say the least. So would it not be nice after graduation to get an opportunity to escape the Houghton winter, while still working towards a Master’s degree?

That is just one of the many benefits that are part of going through Michigan Tech’s Peace Corps Master’s International [PCMI] Program. The program is offered through ten departments, two of which, computer science and electrical and computer engineering, are new this year. The school of Forest Resources and Environmental Science also expanded its PCMI program to include a Master of Geographic Information Science program.

The design of the programs is to have the participant first spend two semesters

“Alumni gain a lot of patience and perseverance as well. They learn how complex life is and how many different factors weigh into a problem... These are all things that can be taught in class, but may not be fully understood until experienced outside the classroom.”

-Kari Henquinet on campus, which is then followed by two years of Peace Corps service. During Peace Corps service, there is a report due each semester and emails are frequently sent back and forth to keep the students up to date on their research projects for their Master thesis.

During their Peace Corps service, participants also have the usual Peace Corps assignments, such as teaching in schools.

There is also the opportunity to use their field of study in a real world application.

One example of this is a civil engineering student graduating this month, Paul Pebler, who developed a research project in when

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Help for flood clean-up needed ANDREA SPENCER Lode Writer Heavy rain descended upon southeast Michigan on Aug 11, setting one-day rainfall total records and causing a myriad of houses to flood in Detroit. Thus began Project Detroit, the volunteer effort of a dozen volunteer organizations and disaster relief services to help the people who were affected. All of the greater Detroit area was affected by the flood; the houses in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties were hit the hardest.

For the past nine years, Tech has ranked been ranked as the number one university in the nation for number of Peace Corps Master’s International (PCMI) student volunteers currently serving. Please visit the website (pictured above at www.mtu. edu/peacecorps) or contact contact Kari Henquinet for more information.

Photo courtesy of www.mtu.edu/peacecorps

he experimented and took measurements to determine the appropriate technology and standards for a double vault composting latrine in Paraguay.

There also can be a lot of independence and variation on what students in the program can do for the community they find themselves in, because they can get a chance to identify what the community’s wants and needs are. They then develop a project that can be most beneficial.

Some of the other benefits for the program’s participants include reduced tuition when on campus, having tuition covered by the university while serving in the Peace Corps, and receiving all the benefits of the Peace Corps volunteers, such as readjustment allowance, funding for travel, and noncompetitive eligibility for federal jobs. Not to mention, having

the opportunity to offer aid in a region that needs it.

Kari Henquinet, the PCMI director, added many other benefits she sees alumni gain including gaining skills of working with other people and in teams and learning a new culture and language.

“Alumni gain a lot of patience and perseverance as well,” Henquinet said.

“They learn how complex life is and how many different factors weigh into a problem.

For example, contaminated water is not a problem fixed only by technology. The issue also has social, environmental, and many other dimensions that must be addressed.

These are all things that can be taught in class, but may not be fully understood until experienced outside the classroom.”

Continued on page 5

“We are ramping up our traditional response, putting volunteers into the field to help owners salvage belongings, gut out damaged basements, and whatever else we can do to help get these communities back on their feet.”

-Annelie Marcilese, Volunteer Coordinator “We are ramping up our traditional response, putting volunteers into the field to help owners salvage belongings, gut out damaged basements, and whatever else we can do to help get these communities back on their feet,” said Annelie Marcilese, the Volunteer Coordinator at All Hands. “Believe it or not, we are still taking assessments as there are still many homeowners with damage.”

A number of service organizations are pitching in to help, including All Hands, the Michigan Community Service Commission [MCSC], Team Continued on page 4

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NEWS

Tuesday, December 9

Help for flood clean-up needed

Continued from page 3

Rubicon, Southern Baptists, the Islamic Circle of North America [ICNA], World Renew, and Samaritan’s Purse.

Students have the opportunity to join the efforts and volunteer through All Hands. The organization is taking a break from Dec 22-29, but students are welcome to submit a volunteer form now at hands.org/ projectdetroit/.

“The work is often very satisfying for the volunteers and brings on a sense of teamwork and camaraderie, “ said Marcilsese.

Volunteers who are 16-17 years old must bring a parental consent form.

A packed lunch, drinking water, work clothes, and gloves should be brought by the volunteers, and eye protection and masks are recommended. A day of volunteering consists of seven to eight hours of service. Damaged furniture, drywall, and flooring needs to taken out of flooded basements and then the area needs to be sanitized.

1,000 homes have been helped, but 600 are still in need of assistance, 200 of which are critical. “Nearly four months after the flood, some basements are still wet and damp.

There is mold growing. Elderly people and those with functional needs are still in desperate need of assistance. Our goal is to help as many people as we can with the resources we have, “ said Jason Alexander, Communications Specialist of the MCSC. So far 328 people have volunteered, most from out of state or even from out of the country. The volunteer organizations are having a hard time getting volunteers from Michigan, and would welcome any students who want to lend a hand.The relief efforts are currently scheduled to conclude Feb 15t.

“[People] are still in desperate need of assistance.”

-Jason Alexander, Communications Specialist

Michigan Tech Lode

Course evaluations RAND SILVERS News Editor The course evaluation process is one of the few formal ways Tech students can comment on their instructors and courses of the previous semester. However, many students do not take advantage of this opportunity, largely because they do not realize the impact it can have.

“The research says that students value their time a lot,” said Mike Meyer, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning.

“If they’re going to take five minutes out of their day and they believe there’s going to be change, they’re much more likely to do it. If they believe it’s going to sit in a data pit somewhere, it’s a useless waste of their time.”

Students certainly have strong opinions about their classes and instructors, but often do not see how the concrete changes

“There are certainly people who received or are denied promotions based on these scores. There are also people who stay at the University or don’t based on these scores.”

-Michael Meyer, made when these opinions are expressed.

“Every instructor has some sort of tenure or promotion process. Tenure track faculty are working during their first six years here toward the possibility of becoming tenured, and non-tenure track faculty have a promotion process that they go through.

A significant part of that is an evaluation of their teaching. That evaluation is not just the survey, but it’s often a significant part,” said Meyer. “There are certainly people who received or are denied promotions based on these scores. There are also people who stay at the University or don’t based on these scores.”

The survey process has been greatly changed over the last several years. The most obvious change has been the switch to online, rather than paper surveys. The online program using EvaluationKIT, originally piloted last fall, was fully introduced for the first time last spring. Although there are still some with reservations, the system has largely been hailed as a success.

One of the largest reasons to move away from paper surveys was sample bias. With

The William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning develops the online course evaluation process, which allows students the opportunity to provide feedback on their classroom experience.

Photo by Colton Wesoloski

paper surveys, between 65-70 percent of students filled out a survey, which was handed out in class. The sample of students that are in class during a low-attendance day is a highly biased sample. The online surveys last spring received similar response rates without this sample bias.

At the same time as the survey was moved online, the questions were changed.

The survey was redesigned by a University Senate committee, and focused on assessing the “seven dimensions of teaching,” which is a group of seven characteristics in an instructor that are widely perceived as necessary for effective teaching.

“The nice thing about the seven dimensions is that they’re actionable.

Virtually every instructor has strengths and weaknesses,” said Meyer. “Even our most awesome instructors have at least one area that they can take away from this and say ‘I

need to do better.’”

The previous survey only had one question regarding the quality of the instructor: “Overall, do you consider this individual to be an excellent instructor?”

This question will be kept on the survey for the next several years as a way to make the new and old surveys comparable, but has been widely criticized as unactionable.

The university has sent out 32,000 surveys this fall. These surveys will be used to help instructors teach future classes of Tech students better than they have before, and decide whether those instructors should be rewarded for their efforts. The deadline closes on Sunday, Dec 12.

As of press time, around 37 percent of surveys had been filled out. Any questions, comments or concerns about the evaluation process can be directed to Mike Meyer at mrmeyer@mtu.edu.

NEWS

Michigan Tech Lode

Tuesday, December 9

Student Org Spotlight:

Medlife

EVAN MAYER Lode Writer For an individual looking to join a club, make a difference in the community and the world, as well as build up volunteer hours for their resume, the local chapter of Medlife may just be the ticket to accomplish all of these goals. Medlife is a national organization that partners with low-income communities in Latin America to improve their access to medicine, education and community development initiatives.

One of the ways it builds support for its cause is through building chapters for student involvement at more than 150 universities.

One of these chapters can be found on the campus of Michigan Technological University.

The Michigan Tech chapter originated as a special committee of the Pre-Health Association at Tech. The individuals that make up the Michigan Tech chapter are largely involved in volunteer work and community service around the area.

One of the club’s more consistent activities

is going to the Houghton County Medical Facility every Sunday to visit and play games with the residents. There are special events that happen annually though including Relay for Life, Make A Difference Day, making Christmas cards for residents at the Houghton County Medical Facility and holding various fundraising events that help pay for Medlife projects, such as their mobile clinics.

Medlife also gives members an opportunity to travel, as last summer several members got to travel to Lima, Peru to assist a mobile clinic that was helping to provide basic dental and medical care to the area’s residents.

The 29 members that comprise the organization are predominantly Pre-Health/ Biological Science majors, which is due to the organization original ties to the PreHealth Association at Tech. This has resulted in a heavy crossover between members of

the club, but does not mean it is exclusive to Pre- Health majors. “Medlife is for people who are looking to make a positive impact and want to do something meaningful,” the organization’s president Brittany Erickson said as everyone is welcome and encouraged to join. The requirements are only $5 semester dues and having to attend at least three events a semester.

To join the club, find the page on the Involvement Link or attend one of their meetings, which occurred every other Tuesday during this semester in Fisher 326 at 6 p.m., but are subject to change in the spring semester. The last meeting of this semester was held on Dec 9.

If volunteering time and effort towards the community, while also supporting and assisting a bigger cause sounds like a good time, join Michigan Tech’s Medlife and get involved.

“Medlife is a national organization that partners with low-income communities in Latin America to improve their access to medicine, education and community development initiatives.”

Peace Corps Master’s International A new feature of the Peace Corps this year is that applicants can put down their top three choices on their application to improve their likelihood of going where they want. In the past, placement was based much more on an assignment the Peace Corps chose.

If this sounds like a possible option, Henquinet recommends possibly taking some classes during undergraduate study, especially in foreign languages and crosscultural awareness, that can help prepare for living in a different country. Also she suggests getting involved in service

Michigan Tech Lode

activities and activities that are crosscultural to begin to gain an understanding for other cultures.

To get more information and see all the departments that offer programs, check out the website at www.mtu.edu/peacecorps or contact Kari Henquinet.

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

Staff Writers - Katherine Baeckeroot, Zach Evans, Sarah Harttung, Ian Hatzilias, Evan Mayer, Aric Rhodes, Autumn Channey, Parker McColl, John Reynolds, David Morehouse, Joseph Pietrzyk, Joe Andres, George Castle, Andrea Spencer, Gage Herringa, Sylvana Finkbeiner Circulation - Neil Noack, James Wood Visuals Staff - Maxwell Curtis, Colton Wesoloski, Manjusha Khaire, Margaret Darrow Copy Editors - Erin Norton, Savannah de

Luca

Undergraduate Student Government constitution reform

Continued from page 3

naturally follow as a result of reformation.

“We are currently at our public feedback period… We work to serve [the students] and do not want to be doing something that the student body does not approve of or does not feel is best for the university,” said Kendra Grossman, fourth year representative. The constitution is posted on USG’s website at http://usg. mtu.edu/usg/constitution/, along with a feedback submission form available until January 16.

A second town hall meeting will be held during the first week of Spring Semester open to all student body. USG members will also be around campus wearing “Ask us about constitutional reform” buttons and hope to gain much student review this time to voting starting Feb 2. Voters in February will be entered in a drawing to win one of two $25 gift cards, one of fifty hats, and grand prize iPad Air. “A lot people do not know what USG is, other than a money source, and that is something we are trying to change,” said Grossman.

Continued from page 3

Advertising - Michael Groess

Editor in Chief .........................Sasha Burnett Business Manager....................Trevyn Payne Distribution Manager.................Neil Noack Design Editor............................Kaila Pietila Media Editor..................................Pratik Joshi News Editor..................................Rand Silvers Opinion Editor.....................Adam Romanko Pulse Editor......................................Jane Kirby Sports Editor .........................Ellie Furmanski Advisor .............................................Kara Sokol

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The Peace Corps Master’s International programs is just one of the ways that Michigan Tech allows its students the opportunity to continue with higher education, while letting them escape the Houghton winter and apply the skills they have learned around the globe.

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

The Lode is designed, written and edited by Michigan Tech students.

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

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

To the best of its ability, The Lode subscribes to the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional

Journalists.

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

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

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

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

Submissions should not exceed 500 words.

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Tuesday, December 9

PULSE

Michigan Tech Lode

Diwali night celebrates the Festival of Lights SARAH HARTTUNG Lode Writer Last Saturday night, December 6, the Indian Students Association (ISA) celebrated Diwali with a dinner and a performance. Tickets were $15 for general attendees and $8 for ISA members. Included in the cost were traditional cuisine, served in the MUB ballroom and two hours of entertainment in the Rozsa.

Those who came with a hungry stomach

were not disappointed. After a brief introduction, a meal that took two days to prepare was served from 5 to 7. With the help of Dining Services, members if ISA presented a two-line buffet with: Hara Bhara kabab, chicken mughlai, paneer kadai, pita bread, kashmire pulav and for dessert, vermicelli kheer.

After dinner, extremely full guests were directed to the Rozsa for “The Wonder Years.” This performance followed a group of friend at Xavier College through a year that began in disagreement and ended in friendship. The ISA band welcomed all to

the show and were followed by a classical southern Indian dance Bharatnatyam.

Other dancers performed included folk Bhangra or Punjabi from the north and Lavani from the west. Even western hiphop had a place during the evening.

The skits had the whole audience laughing and playing along. Embedded in the jokes and silliness were lessons about friendship and overcoming differences to focus of greater good. The performers took nearly 100 hours each over a month and a half to make the show as perfect as possible, and their hard work paid off for one night of fun.

Diwali is an Indian celebration known as “the Festival of Lights.” It is traditional celebrated at the end of October, but any time is a good time to have a party. The holiday has different origins, depending on who is asked. Nonetheless, all are invited to participate in the festivities, including nonHindus. Diwali celebrations are held far from home, including in England, Guyana, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritius, and South Africa.

Be sure to attend next year’s event and have fun with the energetic members of the ISA.

The Indian Students Association at Michigan Tech put on an impressive Diwali Night perormance, featuring traditional Indian food, music and dance.

Photos by Colton Wesoloski

Holiday specials: not just for kids ARIC RHODES Lode Writer Oh, the Holiday Season, between childhood nostalgia and a massive consumer culture, it’s hard not to celebrate regardless of personal beliefs. Thoughts of tinsley trees and sleigh bells are practically unavoidable around this time of year. Not to be left out, many television specials play around the holidays, whether trying to capitalize on a market or foster the holiday spirit.

Many of the older holiday specials even take on their own place in the tradition, becoming practically a part of the celebration for many. A couple Michigan Tech students were asked about specials they watch every year.

When asked for his traditional holiday

specials, fourth-year student John D. had the following to say, “I just watch the big ones, y’know. Frosty, Rudolph, Grinch, all them.”

A very traditional list, his includes specials which have been aired for many years. Rudolph, for example, is having its fiftieth anniversary this year.

John couldn’t quite put into words why exactly he watches these specials every year, as he put it, “I don’t know why. I mean, I’ve just watched those specials since I was a kid.

Guess they kind of take me back.”

Indeed, this nostalgia is a large factor into the continued success of many of these holiday specials, as they have been watched by several generations of children near the holidays.

A somewhat different opinion was to be had from second-year student Matt S., who said the following, “I’m not big on those

old specials, they just seem kind of bad these days. I watched them as a kid, but not anymore.”

This raises an interesting point, when many specials are looked at through a critical lens, they tend to fall short. While much of this is due to their age and, generally, low production values, some are simply bad.

Despite this, they are loved by millions.

When asked about this, Matt had the following to say, “A lot of it’s nostalgia I guess, people get all wrapped up in it, and they forget what they’re watching.”

An interesting point to be sure, and one which is not without merit. Nostalgia often blurs the lines between what is and is not acceptable, and holiday specials are surely no different.

Whether you like them or not, holiday specials are here to stay. From the old classics, to the seasonal holiday specials put

on by many television series, there is simply a niche to be filled. While it may be true that the classic specials rely on nostalgia to blind viewers of their flaws, this doesn’t mean that

“I’m not big on those old specials, they just seem kind of bad these days. I watched them as a kid, but not anymore.”

-Matt S. they are without merit.

Sometimes, things don’t have to be all that good to be great, and that’s how it works for these specials. Here’s wishing you happy holidays! Over this holiday season, feel free to take some time out to watch a special or two.

Michigan Tech Lode

PULSE

7 Pinterest Christmas

Tuesday, December 9

AUTUMN CHANNEY Lode Writer These are 25 simple pinterest gifts that you can make for Christmas this year. They are great for secret santa or white elephant gifts as well. The best thing is that they are fairly cheap to make. Enjoy the Holiday season!

1. Mason jar candles 2. Mason jar banks 3. M&M gift card jar 4. Spa in a jar Superior, a coming of age film set around Lake Superior was filmed in the Keweenaw. Information can be found on their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/superiorthemovie

Photos courtesy of Superior : The movie

A ‘Superior’ adventure, locally filmed JANE KIRBY Pulse Editor Many of us, if not all of us, have been fortunate enough to stand on the shores of North America’s largest body of freshwater, Lake Superior. And most of us can agree that it is an unforgettable experience, especially for those who haven’t seen the Great Lake before. Lake Superior is comparable to an ocean; one can’t see all the way across it even on the most crystal clear, sunny summer days.

It’s also a force of nature that shouldn’t be messed with. Lake Superior is home to countless and legendary adventures, ranging from the old stories of shipwrecks like the Edmond Fitzgerald to any local’s tall tale of the November gales, the frozen ice craters in the winter or adventures of hiking, camping and fishing along it’s incredible and diverse shorelines. Some are even brave enough to jump in the icy waters for a refreshing swim.

There are even people who have explored the entire circumference of the Great Lake by foot, by water, and by bike. One story of two adventurers in particular who took on Lake Superior’s shorelines by bike is to

be told in a locally filmed production that released its trailer last week. Beyond the Porch Productions, an independent movie company from Los Angeles, California, was up in the Keweenaw this past summer filming their recent production entitled “Superior.”

“Superior” is the story of writer and director Edd Benda’s uncle and his uncle’s cousin, who took on the 1300-mile journey around Lake Superior by bike back in 1971.

Benda grew up spending his summers in the Keweenaw, so he is familiar with the unique and unmatched beauty of the area and wanted to showcase it in this unforgettable story. So he decided to film “Superior” in none other than the Copper Country itself.

Benda is excited about it because he really wanted to tell the adventure of his uncle while “showing and capturing this incredible place that not a lot of people know about.”

Benda and the cast and crew spent a month up here this summer filming in local areas. They got shots everywhere in the Keweenaw, from Copper Harbor to Calumet to our very own Houghton and Hancock, and as far south as South Range. When asked where his favorite location was to film during their month here, Benda paused, laughed and said “that’s tough.”

“Superior” even features local actors and actresses. The two leads are actors that Benda has worked with before in LA, but the rest of the cast was found in an open audition held up here by Early Spring Production’s Rick Allen. They spent 8 hours viewing over one hundred auditions to select their secondary cast.

Ten cast and crew members who have never set foot in the Keweenaw came up to film from California with Benda. One of Benda’s favorite parts about filming was watching them experience and enjoy both the Finnish and the Yooper cultures for the first time, as well as the natural beauty of the area.

You can look for updates on the release of “Superior” on their Facebook page by searching “Superior The Movie” and view the trailer on YouTube, or scan the QR code.

5. Refreshment in a jar 6. Chocolate chip cookie mix in a jar 7. Elf Christmas mason jars 8. Shake and pour pancake jar 9. Sugar lip scrubs 10. Hand scrub 11. Vicks shower tablets 12. Pedicure in a bag 13. Bath bombs 14. Lip gloss 15. Ice cream sundae in a box 16. Movie theater in a box 17. Root beer float kit 18. “Do you want to build a snowman?” kit 19. Cookie in a oven mitt 20. Hot chocolate in a Christmas bulb 21. Chocolate dipped spoons 22. Dry erase board 23. Framed earring holder 24. Menu board 25. Microwavable heat packs

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Tuesday, December 9

COMICS

Michigan Tech Lode

Tests

Comic courtesy of XKCD

‘In fact, one of the boxes is full of Staphylococcus. The wrapping paper is coated in E. coli, though, so it’s an understandable mistake. You know, we should really stop accepting gifts from that guy.’

Words For Small Sets

Virus Venn Diagram

Comic courtesy of XKCD

‘If things are too quiet, try asking a couple of friends whether a “couple” should always mean “two”. As with the quesiton of how many spaces should go after a period, it can turn acrimonious surprisginly fast unless all three of them agree.’

CLASSIFIEDS FOR RENT: VERY NICE SPACIOUS 3 BEDROOM APARTMENTS HOUGHTON $500-$550 MONTH INCLUDES WATER/SEWER & PLOWING. ALSO A NICE 4 BEDROOM HOUSE IN HOUGHTON FOR SALE. $79,500. (906) 482-1437

Comic courtesy of XKCD

‘Within five minutes of the Singularity appearing, somebody will suggest defragging it.’

Hipsters

MINI FRIDGE FOR SALE. Wishing that you had purchased a fridge before coming to college? Now is your chance to purchase a fully functional fridge for only $50. Please contact The Michigan Tech Lode at lodesubmit@mtu.edu or by calling 906-487-2404.

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

Comic courtesy of XKCD

‘You may point out that this very retreat into ironic detachment while still celarly participating in the thing in question is the very definition of contemporary hipsterdom. But on the other hand, wait, you’re in an empty room. Who are you talking to?.’

PUZZLES

Michigan Tech Lode Puzzle 1 (Hard, difficulty rating 0.74)

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

Last Solution...

PuzzleWeek’s 1 (Hard, difficulty rating 0.67)

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Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/~jdhildeb/software/sudokugen/ on Sun Dec 7 18:53:18 2014 GMT. Enjoy!

No. 1207 HOLDUP MAN

BY JEFF CHEN / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ A CR O S S

RELEASE DATE: 12/14/2014

1 Mariner’s array 5 Bubs 9 “Take ___” (exec’s request) 14 Get cracking on 19 “Superfood” used in smoothies 21 Devilfish 22 Like some college halls 23 *One who’s not leading 25 Broad valleys 26 Group of jerks 27 Excoriates 28 Goes like hotcakes 29 *“I have some bad news …”

33 Fish on many a sashimi platter 35 Bryn ___ 39 Yankees teammate of Captain Clutch 40 Compos mentis 41 Relieved (of) 42 Bread at a restaurant, typically 44 ID provider 47 Conk out 49 Unrefined material 50 Muttered commentary 51 Get a cut of 55 Transplants 57 Jubilance 58 Middle line of many an address: Abbr.

59 Google statistic Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 4,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).

60 Part of OTOH 62 Java holder 63 Two will get you turned around 65 Cereal box abbr.

68 Paws 69 *Very durable 71 Bartiromo of Fox Business 72 Charmin competitor 73 City in which “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is set 74 Bald-spot coverer 75 Have a loan from 76 Charges 78 Content that’s hard for a search engine to access 80 All-___ 81 Standard of measurement 83 F.D.R. purchased the first one of these bonds 84 Sci-fi shooter 87 Result of a firing 88 Not pay attention at all 90 Was idle 91 Paid at the end, say 92 Big pitcher 93 U.S. city that becomes another U.S. city if you move the last letter to the front 96 An eternity 98 Mother of Eos and Helios 99 Animal’s mouth 100 *What a massage may relieve

105 Ones with muses 107 Breather?

108 Big Three conference site 113 Create, as a canyon 114 *Not shirk a difficult task 117 Warren who wrote “The War of the Roses” 118 One with dreads 119 Engineers’ competition set in a ring 120 Director Almodóvar 121 Arches in Gothic architecture 122 Be a busy beaver?

123 Written paeans

16 *Comfort provider during difficult times 17 Concert souvenir 18 Has way too much, briefly 20 Flame out 24 Jocund 28 Christmas gift holder 30 Rear 31 Is for two?

32 Armageddon 34 Day to beware 35 Juilliard deg.

36 MGM motto opener 37 *Crushing burden 38 Having special significance 43 Something handled in a bar 44 Dollop DOWN 45 *Arnold 1 Force ÷ acceleration Schwarzenegger, 2 Small bra once specification 46 Perturbed 3 Smurf in red 48 She played Joanie 4 Nurses on “Joanie Loves 5 French sea Chachi” 6 It’s often left 51 Goes viral, say hanging 52 Puff the Magic 7 It’s been shortening Dragon’s land since 1911 53 Imbues, as with 8 Matched up flavor 9 Operatic baritone 54 Option in “Hamlet” Pasquale 56 Corroded 10 ___ Picchu 60 Mantra sounds (Peruvian high 61 Idiosyncrasy spot) 62 Sounds edited out of 11 Crosses a threshold some audio 12 Greek high spot 64 Barrett of Pink 13 Sculling implement Floyd 14 Like some TVs, 66 Native ___ informally 67 Chinese “way” 15 Track, often 70 Zigs or zags

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89 Vim 91 It contains uracil 94 “The Little Mermaid” villainess, for one 95 Melodious 96 “La Dolce Vita” actress 97 Coordinated gene cluster 100 Gestating, after “in”

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77 April foolers, e.g.

79 Like some bars and blankets 80 “The Godfather” enforcer who “sleeps with the fishes” 81 The “m” of “yes’m” 82 Deed of derring-do 85 Mideast inits.

86 Org. with the Larry O’Brien Trophy

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110 Forte 111 Break 112 Kerfuffles 113 Ceiling

103 Something to chew 114 Sign of success? on 115 Scheduling placeholder 104 Da’s opposite 106 Eternally

116 “And ___!”

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Tuesday, December 9

OPINION

Michigan Tech Lode

Pro: JOE ANDRES

Opinion Editor

ROUND 1

?

ADAM ROMANKO

The United States of America has had a federal minimum wage sense 1938. At 25 cents, the minimum wage was intended to ensure everyone with a job could support themselves. In 1938 this idea worked. While it is true that minimum wage has increased more than inflation, it certainly has not kept up with purchasing power.

In recent decades we have seen the rise of extreme American wealth. The top one percent has grown fabulously wealthy and have seen their purchasing power increase drastically. In contrast, the middle class’s purchasing power has languished. Where it was common for our parent’s generation, most families can no longer support themselves on a single income. If you look at people taking home minimum wage, their purchasing power has dropped significantly. Minimum wage jobs often have little opportunity for advancement. Earnings are so low that the hours where one could attend college or get training for a better job must be used to work on order to put food on the table. This forces people to work to stay afloat not get ahead. This kills the American dream.

The biggest problem with promoting a minimum wage hike is that we are ultimately talking about benefiting some at the expense of others. It is true that people who earn a minimum wage have very low purchasing power, but this is to be expected- the minimum wage should not be something that we all strive to make one day. It’s a starting point for workers to build skills and experience that will help them to one day get the job they really want. If you choose to raise the minimum wage, you increase the purchasing power of all the people who are still employed. However, at 15 dollars per hour pay, it is more than likely that large chains will quickly phase out unskilled workers and replace them with machines or people who are much more qualified for the higher rate.

It’s really hard to show someone how a minimum wage increase benefits them if they are laid off after it goes into effect, or if they couldn’t find a job to begin with. Politicians cannot create the American dream for us, we have to build it ourselves.

ROUND 2

Lode Writer

Con:

If you cannot make enough money at a single job to support yourself or your family, you have to get a second or even a third job. This is the situation many Americans, working minimum wage, find themselves in. Publicly, we like to think minimum wage is enough, but even large corporations know they don’t pay their employees enough to support themselves. McDonalds created a website to teach its employees how to manage their finances on a McDonalds salary. Their proposed budget includes earnings from a second job. The reality for people working two jobs is each job is only part of what they need to get by. If a single job does not support you, there is no sense of pride associated with that job because it does not provide enough. When people do not take pride in their work, the quality suffers. This holds true for anything you do. If you care, your output is better.

I have to give credit where credit is due- it is true that if you do not care about your work, then your output will be subpar. However, the overlooking question is simple- should someone employed at minimum wage only have to work one job to support themselves and their family? In most situations where people work at the minimum wage, we face the problem of businesses not paying more per hour because financially, the skills of the workers do not match the higher level of pay. It is also important to note that many minimum wage earners are young people, and typically, are still living with their parents while they have the job. They are trying to acquire skills through school to find a better job, not raising a family. People who need to support themselves and others should be making plans to acquire higher paying jobs; the minimum wage shouldn’t be a final destination.

ROUND 3

Debate:

In the wake of Ebola, Ferguson and other national headlines, minimum wage has slipped from front-page news. However, earlier in this year, it was a very big issue and one that still ought to be addressed. Should minimum wage be increased?

If you ignore the fact that an overwhelming majority of economists argue that increasing minimum wage actually creates jobs, you see that paying workers more means costs go up. Michigan Tech saw this and decided paying its workers $8.15 instead of $7.40 was a burden that was just too big. In response to this apparently onerous burden, Tech chose to cut costs by closing front desks two hours earlier. Their solution may have more consequences than they realized. When considering the big picture, paying a single person 16 dollars for an extra two hours of service does not cost the school much. But it does create an opportunity for students to have access to all the opportunities desks provide. Additionally, 16 dollars is not a lot but to a college student, that is a night out, or food for a couple days. That extra 16 dollars does add up, but it is hard to justify that additional cost is not worth all the benefit it creates.

By closing the front desks earlier, Michigan Tech made my own point for meraising the minimum wage generates unintended consequences for workers, not for businesses. Tech had a critical choice to make, spend more money, or keep costs down to the original level. When they chose to keep costs low, they did in fact hurt workers. But Michigan Tech is not to blame for this; they had to make a financial choice due to policy changes. Any business that is forced by the government into any unreasonable position has the right to handle it any way they want. Policy does not always solve problems, more often than not it simply creates new ones. Even if paying out more money would benefit the economy as a whole, that does not mean that the minimum wage could ever create that type of scenario. If it did, we should all demand businesses to pay workers a minimum of 50 dollars per hour. But of course, that is insane.

Michigan Tech Lode

OPINION

Tuesday, December 9

Shopping consumption extravaganzas Lode Writer To be honest, I haven’t been paying much attention to all the different types of sales that occur over the holiday Thanksgiving weekend. If you had a Grinch-like figure for Thanksgiving, I would emulate that form. The endless shopping and sales irks me more than having the power go out repeatedly for every holiday celebration since you have come to Tech.

So I personally spend the entire weekend in my pajamas, with a book, and no desire to interact with the world. When I continued to see information for “CyberMonday” all over my news feeds, I began to take an interest in at least knowing what was going on. Which unsurprisingly was a lot.

For 2014, technology companies such as Adobe and IBM are predicting that as of 6 p.m. Monday evening the total amount of online sales increased approximately 20 percent from last year alone. This accounts for the $2.65 billion in sales that occurred

Our capitalistic nation and cultural tendencies have apparently created a shift in focus during this holiday season.

As we prepare for Christmas, the deals and sales for Thanksgiving weekend are just too good to pass up, especially with unemployment rates so high and the difficulty to find jobs. Rather than enjoying a day at home, we stuff our faces and then go prepare for a mad day of shopping and spending. We give thanks by spending and consuming more- rather than being thankful for the things we do have.

I personally feel conflicted as to whether or not I should so harshly judge those who spend their weekend aggressively hunting the sales and potentially snatching items from old ladies. It is true that many families bond through their Black Friday adventures, it is just simply a way that I personally would not choose to spend it myself.

I am interested to see how the holiday will continue to shift over the years as well. I hope that in time it does gravitate once more toward a greater celebration of thanks rather than “what can I get super cheap for Uncle Fred this Christmas?”

The educated persons’ obligtion GAGE HEERINGA Lode Writer In this country, it is easy to be comfortably ignorant of the historical systematic oppression of groups of people when you sit in a position or privilege. However, there arises a case like the death of Eric Garner that harbors no room for doubt nor any contradicting evidence, such that the most outspoken figures of the conservative media are willing to admit his death was an injustice: but instead pin the blame on high cigarette taxes in New York and Eric Garner being out of shape. This makes one wonder what is happening to people in the land of liberty and justice for all.

At least two separate filmed footages of the arrest of Eric Garner, an African American father of six, provide clarity in the case of his death. While being arrested under suspicion of selling loose cigarettes on the street, Garner’s frustrations come out in his interaction with the police: he begins to resist arrest and then is dog-piled by four officers and placed under a chokehold by

officer Daniel Pantaleo. A description of the event doesn’t do justice to the video of the arrest that can be seen online. In the most well-known video, Eric Garner’s last words, crying “I can’t breathe!” eleven times, are recorded.

In the Ferguson case, there were contradicting statements between dozens of eyewitnesses, as is to be expected when asking more than fifty people to recall the same incident from memory. In the case of Eric Garner’s death, it is on tape for everyone to see. The medical examiner’s office ruled Eric Garner’s death a homicide.

Pantaleo already settled two lawsuits prior to this case: a lawsuit settled this year regarding two black men who were subjected to an unlawful strip search in which they were ordered to pull their pants and underwear down, then squat and cough. In the second, Pantaleo was accused of misrepresenting facts in a police report. By the overwhelming evidence that African Americans are commonly treated differently than whites in the criminal justice system, currently being popularized by the #CrimingWhileWhite hashtag trending in

social media, it is not ungrounded to suspect this officer would’ve been charged with something, anything, if the man who died was white.

“It is easy to be comfortably ignorant of the historical systematic oppression of groups when you sit in a position of privilege.”

When a jury fails to bring justice to a case, the only way I’m aware of to circumvent double jeopardy is to open a federal civil rights investigation. If it is decided that there is not reasonable evidence to consider this a civil rights violation, then why is an officer whose chokehold resulted in the death of a non-violent man not charged, at the very least, with involuntary manslaughter?

As students and faculty at an institute of higher education, it is our responsibility to be educated, rational people so that this sequence of events becomes legally unacceptable in this country.

Meg Darrow

LODE

ing

ZONE

KATHERINE BAECKEROOT

on Monday alone.

Traditionally, these types of statistics were more likely to have been in the news for Black Friday shopping. When in fact, the amount of sales for Black Friday spending was lower than statisticians had anticipated (at $1 billion), however, good news for businesses, the overall amount of money spent by consumers during the weekend was higher than ever. The final total for online sales is $89 billion.

What I have learned this past year is that Thanksgiving has culturally shifted into something much different and quite honestly very ironic. Thanksgiving- the day created for thanks, was first established in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln; a day proclaimed to “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”

We generally sit around a large family table filled with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, the infamous green-bean casserole and the beloved pumpkin pie.

Prior to stuffing our faces, we give thanks and express our gratitude for all of our blessings that we have accumulated over the past year.

Un

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As the semester nears its conclusion, I find that I was unfounded in my fear of college. I am a first year chemical engineer enrolled in organic chemistry, and I was told by the vast majority of people that this class was practically impossible and required an ungodly amount of work. I came into college expectating hell in a handbasket. I was extremely underwhelmed.

The problem is this: orientation week consists of a vast number of people telling you all these scary things about college all at once. I panicked in the face of what I see now as scare tactics and ended up wanting to go home.

Obviously I didn’t go home, and that turned out to be the best decision I ever made. What I failed to realize is that it was necessary to temper all the warnings I was getting about my first semester and stay calm. Instead, I took everything seriously and probably worked a little too hard.

I sit at the end of the semester now, and none of the ominous things I was told affected me in the least. Organic chemistry is my favorite class, one I am passing with flying colors, and all my other classes have respectable exam averages going into finals.

I am nowhere close to failing.

Compared to high school, college is a blessed release. I know how to study and working hard is nothing new to me.

What everyone said during orientation was scary, but after a panicky semester I have finally uncovered the truth: take your work seriously, work hard and study hard and you will pass. I got out of college exactly what I put into it, which means that it’s within anyone’s reach to do as well as they desire. This semester gave me a sense of self, and an overwhelming sense that after all the horror stories, I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

12

SPORTS

Tuesday, December 9

# the By

s r e b m nu

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Points by which Women’s Basketball led Walsh on Dec. 6, earning a 82-65 victory

5

Consecutive games won

by Women’s Basketball, including their opening two GLIAC games at Malone and Walsh

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Place earned by sophomore cross country runner Sean Pengelly out of 245 runners at the NCAA National Championships

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Sean Pengelly

ELLIE FURMANSKI Sports Editor Sophomore cross country runner Sean Pengelly capped off what was a very successful cross country season last Saturday at the NCAA National Championships.

He became only the second runner in school history to represent Michigan Tech at the NCAA National Championships, earning a 57th place finish along the way out of 245 runners in the men’s 10-kilometer race.

Heading into the NCAA Midwest Region Championships, the men’s team was ranked No. 8 in the region. Although the team as a whole did not qualify, Pengelly earned a 13th place finish and was the third runner from a non-qualifying team to finish the race, which earned him an individual spot at nationals.

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Michigan Tech Hockey’s latest ranking in the USCHO poll behind North Dakota, Minnesota State, Boston University and Miami

It was a soggy day on Dec. 6 out at Sawyer Park in Louisville, Ky., but Pengelly managed to put forth a strong race nonetheless in his first NCAA National Championships appearance. He started the race in 100th place and climbed all the way to 50 before finishing 57th in 31:47.

Pengelly was just 18 seconds back from placing in the top-40 and earning AllAmerican status.

Pengelly led the men’s team throughout the entire cross country season, earning the squad’s top finish in every race. Highlights included his back-to-back first place finishes at the Lucian Rosa Invitational and UP Championships. Taking first place at the Lucian Rosa Invitational on Oct. 11 was his first collegiate win.

Throughout the season, Pengelly was awarded honors multiple times. He was recognized as the GLIAC Runner of the Week two times and also earned a spot on the All-GLIAC Second Team.

With two cross country

Photo courtesy of Michigan Tech Athletics

seasons left for this exceptional runner, Pengelly will undoubtedly continue to be a leader and strong competitor for Michigan Tech Cross Country. He will look to carry the momentum from this year’s experiences and success into next fall.

Ridge Roamers teach new climbers Lode Writer

Place earned by skier Alice Flanders in the women’s 5-kilometer freestyle race as Tech hosted Northern at the UP Duals on Dec. 6

5

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

JOHN REYNOLDS

Days until the Hockey Huskies open play in the 50th annual Great Lakes Invitational at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena

Michigan Tech Lode

The Ridge Roamers are starting some programs to focus on getting new climbers the skills they need to start a climbing career. Starting next semester, there will be a few beginner workshops in addition to a beginning ice climbing day to get people familiar with climbing indoors and outdoors.

“We are trying to let people know you don’t have to be familiar with climbing to enjoy Ridge Roamers,” said Joel Mancewicz, president of the club.

They have already seen an increase in membership this year and are pushing their limits with over 20 people coming to their open climbs, but they are trying to increase member retention with new beginner workshops.

One of the focuses of these workshops is getting the terminology down. Toprope climbing, for instance, is what the Ridge Roamers do indoors. This uses a rope that is secured to the top of the climb and connected to the climber.

“We want to teach people the differences in climbing between toprope, traditional and sport,” said Shayle

Murray, group coordinator for the club.

The beginning ice climbing day is something the club does every semester, and in the fall semester they just do regular rock climbing. Getting people familiar with the equipment and to try something new is the focus of these events.

“These are really days for the current members to help out and teach Tech students how to climb,” said Mancewicz.

On the day of the climb, the interested parties meet up at the SDC where the Ridge Roamers will get the participants sized up and in the proper equipment.

The club has all of their own equipment for member use. After that, everyone carpools to a site like Hungarian Falls or Red Ridge, and the Ridge Roamers will set up the climb area for the group.

“We like to get as many people going as possible so nobody sits in the cold,” said Mancewicz. Usually the club takes about fifteen people out for four hours.

“Most people who join this club aren’t

formally trained, and we just pass on the information we got from the people before us,” said Mancewicz. Seeing as some members are out climbing every weekend, it seems to be working pretty well.

After attending these beginning days, it is up to you to choose your involvement.

“There is no experience necessary,” said Mancewicz.

Membership costs $20 a semester, and with that you can become belay certified, which means you can be the one holding the rope at the bottom of top rope climbing.

Hopefully the club can use these events to further expand the club.

“We don’t usually start semesters with a consistent base of climbers,” said Murray. With these new programs in place, there should be a lot more interest in beginners learning the sport. The club seems to be on the up and up, and their increasing membership is a testament to that.

“We are trying to let people know you don’t have to be familiar with climbing to enjoy Ridge Roamers.”

-Joel Mancewicz

Michigan Tech Lode

SPORTS

Tuesday, December 9

Women’s Basketball sweeps road trip IAN HATZILIAS

Junior Mackenzie Perttu defends her opponent, a guard from Minnesota State.

Photo by Pratik Joshi

a 48.3 field goal percentage and 11 three-pointers. Fourteen points came from Morgan Andersen, who netted numerous three-point shots and got hot in the second half just as the Huskies’ opponent was setting their sights on Guy after her dominant first half.

The defense held the Cavaliers to just 25 points in the first half and let up in the second half, allowing 40 points from the home team. Holding Walsh to a score of 65 is impressive when referring to their season average of 83 points per game.

The Women’s Basketball Huskies swept Canton, Ohio, and remain undefeated as

they prepare for their next home games.

Given the team’s early success, it can be expected to see them appear in the USA Today Coaches’ poll, as they are already receiving votes. They’ve got momentum rolling along, and if they keep it up, they will be turning heads.

The ladies will host Findlay on Dec. 11 at 5:30 p.m. in the Varsity Gym and then Wayne State on Dec. 13 at 1:00 p.m.

Join the Michigan Tech Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams this week to show support for the Michigan Tech Huskies just before everyone prepares for finals week.

Men’s Basketball drops two on the road IAN HATZILIAS Lode Writer Prior to the start of the weekend, Michigan Tech’s Men’s Basketball team was ranked at No. 20 in the NCAA coaches’ poll. However, the team dropped two straight games over the weekend while on a road trip and will likely see a drop in the rankings.

Starting in Canton, Ohio, at Malone, the Huskies took the lead in the second half of the game after trailing at the end of the first.

The effort was not enough, however, as the Pioneers walked away with a 65-59 victory over the Huskies.

Ben Stelzer led his team in scoring with 19 points, a career high for the senior, with 15 of those coming in the first half and the remaining four coming in a quieted second half.

Malone just barely outshot the Huskies, edging them in shot attempts by two with 53

Sidelines

Toys for Tots teddybear toss

Lode Writer Where the men’s team couldn’t capitalize, Tech’s Women’s Basketball team did, defeating both Malone and Walsh on a weekend road trip.

On Thursday when Tech was at Malone, the ladies walked away with a 65-58 win. Breanna Heise led the Huskies with 12 points on the game.

While the Pioneers went 18-46 in shots, good for a 39.1 field goal percentage, the Huskies went 22-52 and landed a 42.3 field goal percentage throughout the game.

The Huskies were out of sync throughout the game though and took a lot of penalties because of it. They held at the highest a 12 point lead in the second half but then allowed the home team to catch up and bounce the lead back and forth before Tech pulled away.

With the score close at 58-56 in favor of the Huskies with just under a minute to play, Malone got called on a penalty and allowed two points for the Huskies.

The Pioneers could not maintain possession in their own zone, giving Tech the opportunity to take the game away.

Come Saturday, the Huskies looked even better as they out-played Walsh for the entire game, leaving Ohio with a 5-0 record, 2-0 in the GLIAC. The 82-65 win came largely from point leader Kelli Guy’s 20-point game,

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“Senior Ben Stelzer beat his own previous best from just a few nights before, posting 27 points on the game.” attempts. They shot well enough for a 47.2 field goal percentage while Tech shot for 43.1 percent.

Tech went at it again on Saturday to try and make up for the close loss but was unable to overcome the offensive accuracy of the Walsh Cavaliers.

Senior Ben Stelzer beat his own previous best from just a few nights before, posting 27 points on the game. Jason Hawke was the only other Husky to reach over 10 points in the game. If this team wants to see consistent wins, the depth of scoring needs to improve.

The Huskies were strong for the duration of the game but gave up a lead they developed early in the first half and couldn’t get it back.

Tech shot 23-54 of their attempts for a 42.6 field goal percentage, out-attempting Walsh by a wide margin. Walsh shot 22-40,

making 55 percent of their attempts.

Although the team didn’t win either of the games throughout the weekend road trip, the Huskies showed improvement on the court when comparing the two games.

After starting the season out with three wins, Men’s Basketball is now 3-2 overall and 0-2 in GLIAC play after this past weekend.

Since three out-of-conference games kicked their season off, the Huskies will only see one more inter-conference game this regular season. That game will take place at UW-Parkside on Dec. 20. But before that, the boys go back at it again this Thursday when Tech hosts Findlay University at 7:30 p.m. Then on Saturday, they host the Warriors of Wayne State in an afternoon contest at 3:00 p.m.

The Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) is hosting their next event this coming Friday, Dec. 12 at the Michigan Tech vs. Minnesota Duluth hockey game. Fans are encouraged to bring a brand new stuffed animal, either teddy-bears or other new plush toys, to participate in the Toys for Tots teddy-bear toss. Participants will throw their stuffed animals onto the ice during intermission, and the donations will be collected and donated locally to Toys for Tots. Help SAAC and the local community and brighten someone’s day this holiday season. Puck drop is set for 7:07 p.m. at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena.

OAP Wilderness First Responder Course Sometimes the difference between life and death is being prepared. Join OAP Jan. 5-9 as they host a five-day Wilderness First Responder course in conjunction with Northern Cairn, a company specialized in wilderness, remote and travel medicine. The course will feature both classroom lecture and hands-on work out in the snow and cold, covering all essential principles and skills necessary to assess and manage medical problems in isolated and extreme environments.

The cost is $600 for Michigan Tech students and $699 for non-students.

Keep in mind, 25 hours of pre-course material must be completed online prior to starting classes. Outdoorsy students, faculty, hunters, and general UP adventurers are encouraged to attend. For more information or to begin registration, visit Northern Cairn’s website at http://www. northerncairn.com/register.html.

Participants must register by Dec. 22.

Huskies Scoreboard Men’s Basketball: The Huskies dropped their first two conference games of the season, falling 59-65 to Malone and 63-69 to Walsh on Dec. 4 and 6, respectively, on the road.

Women’s Basketball: Tech Basketball picked up their fourth and fifth consecutive wins on the road with a 65-58 victory at Malone on Dec. 4 and an 82-65 win at Walsh on Dec. 6.

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SPORTS

Tuesday, December 9

Michigan Tech Lode

Tech Soccer fall 2014 recap ELLIE FURMANSKI Sports Editor

In only the program’s fifth year here at the Michigan Tech, the Women’s Soccer team had another very successful fall. The team finished off the season with a GLIAC record of 8-2-2, placing third in the conference standings, and went 11-5-2 overall. They capped off their season with a NCAA Tournament appearance for the second consecutive year, the second time in school history.

The team lost five seniors from last year’s squad, who largely led the team to the program’s first NCAA appearance in 2013, but the Huskies did not let that hinder their performance. Actually, over half of this year’s roster was filled with underclassmen; they only carried three seniors this fall. Despite this team’s youthfulness, the players’ collective experience and work ethic out on the pitch proved to make them a competitive team in the conference nonetheless.

The season started out with a 2-1 loss to Winona State in non-conference play, but from there the Huskies managed to post a seven-game win streak. Their longest victory stretch of the season included five GLIAC matches, one of which happened to be a 2-1 win over

“To me, seeing how hard this team worked in the GVSU game was so moving. Although we were only able to pull off a tie, the amount of effort put into that game was a highlight.”

-Michelle Jacob

Ohio Dominican, who ended the season tied for first in the conference standings alongside Grand Valley.

Tech’s game of the season was when the Huskies saw Grand Valley come to Sherman field back on Oct. 26.

The Lakers have by and large been one of the Huskies’ top competitors in the conference every season, and the two teams managed to settle on a 0-0 stalemate even after two overtime periods. Head Coach of the Huskies

The soccer huskies celebrate after a home win during their fall season. In the program’s fifth season of existence, the team finished third in the conference standings and went 11-5-2 overall.

Photo by Maxwell Curtis

Michelle Jacob commented, “To me, seeing how hard this team worked in the GVSU game was so moving.

Although we were only able to pull off a tie, the amount of effort put into that game was a highlight.”

The Huskies met Grand Valley once more in the GLIAC Tournament semifinal game, although this time the Lakers walked away with a 5-0 win. They would go on to capture their second consecutive NCAA Championship.

From the get-go, the team’s goal has always been to put in the work and keep gradually improving every day, and the Huskies did just that this season. Much of their success can be attributed to their work ethic and the supportive environment fostered by players both on and off the field.

“Whether they were 90 minute players or not, this team supports each other and pushes each other day in and day out. That kind of atmosphere has allowed us to keep getting better and making the most of our opportunities,” noted Jacob.

The team improved in all aspects as the season progressed, but what stood out the most was their ability to create scoring chances. One of their main points of focus was to combine possession with the intent to attack. Carrying this mentality, the Huskies ended the season with a 1.5 goals per game average. Four games were won by a margin of two goals or greater.

Varsity Events Schedule: December 9 - 15 Tuesday, 9 Women’s Basketball Men’s Basketball Hockey Nordic Skiing

Wednesday, 10

Thursday, 11 Vs. Findlay @ 5:30 p.m. ** Vs. Findlay @ 7:30 p.m. **

Friday, 12

Vs. Minnesota Duluth @ 7:07 p.m.

Saturday, 13

Continued on page 15

Home Game ** Conference Match Sunday, 14

Vs. Wayne State @ 1:00 p.m. ** Vs. Wayne State @ 3:00 p.m. ** Vs. Minnesota Duluth @ 7:07 p.m. @ Wildcat Open @ Wildcat Open -MQT, Mich.

-MQT, Mich.

Monday, 15

Michigan Tech Lode

SPORTS

Tuesday, December 9

15

Tech Soccer fall 2014 recap Continued from page 14

Nordic Ski hosted teams from all over the region in races held this past weekend at the Tech Trails.

Photos by Colton Wesoloski

MTU Nordic Ski hosts UP Dual races MACKENZIE PLETCHER Lode Writer The Michigan Tech Nordic Ski teams faced off against multiple teams from all over the region this past weekend, including teams such as Northern Michigan University and the Kingston Carolers. The races were held at the Tech Trails over a two-day period with racing distances of five, 10 and 15 kilometers.

For the women’s 5k frestyle race on Saturday, Tech racer Alice Flanders dominated over the competition with a time of 13:56, four seconds ahead of NMU racer Jordyn Ross. Despite the close finish, Flanders placed first overall in the race.

Other Tech racers included Anna Kubek and Deedra Irwin with seventh and eighth place finishes, respectively.

In the men’s freestyle 10k this past Saturday, racer Thomas Bye scored fifth place with a time of 25:21, the best finish for the Huskies that day. Other Husky racers for the 10k included Kyle Hanson with a ninth place finish and Thomas Kendrick in 13th place.

On Sunday, the Huskies continued to hold high rank on the standings in the classic races. Tech racer Ulrika Axelsson achieved sixth place in the women’s 10k.

Other racers included Alice Flanders,

Carolyn Lucca, Ruth Oppliger, Lisa König, Sonja Hedblom and MaKenna Stelpflug.

Kyle Hanson finished with a seventh place finish on Sunday in the men’s 15k race. Husky David Joda closely followed behind his teammate with a ninth place finish. Michigan Tech racers for the 15k race also included Samuel Holmes, Thomas Kendrick, Scott Pederson, Thomas Bye and Logan Brueck.

“So far the season has been fantastic, especially with the early snowfall before Thanksgiving,” said Tech Nordic racer Thomas Bye. “Back in the Midwest, we had some races with Northern Michigan University and the College of St. Scholastica; they went fairly well and it was a great way to kick off the season for us.”

The Huskies have been practicing for their season this year since the early fall, with many different tactics for strength and endurance training.

“The fall consisted of training both dry land and roller skiing. We had a major focus on getting in lots of volume,

“So far the season has been fantastic, especially with the early snowfall before Thanksgiving.”

-Thomas Bye technique and strength work. [Coach Haggenmiller] and [Coach Joda] do a great job at getting us what we need for each workout,” noted Bye. “The team is looking promising this year,” stated assistant Coach Andrew Joda.

“We have a few men and a few women that will be mixing it up with the best in the NCAA as the season progresses. These first few weekends it’s good to have decent results, but it’s much more important to just get out and race, especially if there are other fast skiers not from the team that we can ski against.”

The Michigan Tech Nordic Ski teams’ next race will be held next weekend in Marquette at the Wildcat Open.

“The team is looking promising this year. We have a few men and a few women that will be mixing it up with the best in the NCAA as the season progresses.”

-Andrew Joda

Defensively the Huskies saw improvement as well. They improved their goals against average from last year, allowing 0.97 goals per game on average. On the season, Tech earned seven shutouts, which speaks volumes about the team’s defensive effort.

“We were very strong defensively, from our forwards pressuring all the way back to our goalkeeping,” said Jacob.

A season’s worth of hard work culminated in an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. Tech earned the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region and faced off against the No. 6 seed Bellarmine on Nov. 14 in the first round game. A solid defensive effort led to a 0-0 result at the end of the first half.

Bellarmine scored on a penalty kick in the 54th minute, but the Huskies tied the game with a comeback PK of their own 27 minutes later. Katie Fife earned the foul in the box, and Jenelle Riedl earned the tally. A late goal by the Knights, however, ended Tech’s NCAA run with a 1-2 loss. Despite the result, making the tournament for a second consecutive season was most definitely a feat for this young program.

This season, three Huskies were recognized with All-GLIAC accolades.

Sophomore midfielder Jacqueline Mielke and sophomore defender Emily Morin were named to the All-GLIAC Second Team, and senior midfielder Annie Dahlquist earned All-GLIAC Honorable Mention. Mielke, who led the team in goals and total points with nine and 21, respectively, was also a Daktronics All-Midwest Region First Team selection.

With many of the players carrying over from this season to next fall, the Huskies will stand a good chance at rolling into the 2015 season with momentum from this year’s success.

In the meantime, players will continue to work on becoming fitter, faster and stronger and will continue developing their technical skills. If hard work pays off, the Huskies could very well see a third consecutive NCAA appearance next fall.

The Michigan Tech Women’s Soccer team would like to recognize the fans out there for their continued support.

“It means so much to us to have people at our games and cheering us from afar,” expressed Jacob. “We are fortunate to be able to represent the Huskies!”

Until next season, footballers.

Upcoming

Events December 9 - December 15 Sugar Shack-IRHC

Friday Dec. 12. 8 p.m. - 10 p.m. Wadsworth Dining Hall

Every year, IRHC puts on their coveted holiday event, the Sugar Shack. From 8 - 10 p.m. this Friday, Dec. 12, students are welcome to join IRHC in the Wadsworth Dining Hall to build gingerbread houses. There will be candy a plenty for decorating and eating (of course). Student gingerbread houses will be put on display in the Wads Dining Hall for the final days of the semester leading up to winter break. This is a free event!

Hot Chocolate Fundraiser for Parker-Alpha Sigma Tau - Beta Xi

Tuesday, Dec. 9 - Friday, Dec. 12.

2 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Outside Fisher

Alpha Sigma Tau - Beta Xi is holding a fundraiser for Parker, a one year old boy recently diagnosed with melanoma. Parker will be undergiong surgery, and his family needs support to help cover the building medical costs. Members of Alpha Sigma Tau - Beta Xi will be selling hot chocolate outside of Fisher Hall from 2 - 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 9, Thursday, Dec. 11 and Friday, Dec. 12 in hopes of raising money for Parker. Share and invite your friends to partake in this event.

Snowfall Contest-Alumni Relations

Tuesday, Dec. 9.

By 11:59 p.m.

Online

The snow is here to stay in Copper Country, and Tech’s fifth annual Snowfall Contest is now officially open! Students, faculty, staff, retirees, alumni and friends are invited to predict Houghton’s monthy snowfall and grand total for the 2014-15 season. Enter your best guess for the monthly snowfall total by Dec. 10 onine at http://www.mtu. edu/alumni/favorites/snowfall/monthly/. If your guess is the closest, you’ll win a cool prize like a winter survival kit, pasty vouchers, a pint glass or Tech gear.

OTL Information Sessions-Orientation Programs

Wednesday, Dec. 10 and Thursday, Dec. 11. 8 - 9 p.m. DOW 641/Fisher 139

Are you interested in being an Orientation Team Leader (OTL) for Orientation Week 2015? If so, make sure to attend one of the upcoming information sessions.

Orientation Programs will hold two sessions this week on Wednesday, Dec. 10 and Thursday, Dec. 11, as well as two more sessions in January. Wednesday’s session will be held from 8 - 9 p.m. in DOW 641, and Thursday’s will be from 8 - 9 p.m. in Fisher 139. Prospective OTLs are required to attend one information session to receive an application. Consider providing leadership, building community and promoting learning for new students next August. Be an OTL!

Place your ad here!

Special rates on events page advertising. Contact us at lodeads@mtu.edu or for more information call (906) 487-2404.

ASK TECH Adrien Steinhurst “Planning to spend a lot of time with my family.”

Ali Tateosian “Spend a lot of time outside enjoying the winter weather with my family and old friends.”

What are your plans for Christmas break?

-Manjusha Khaire

Lin Liu “I will go back to China and stay with my family.”

Nischal Kapoor “Enjoy good weather and some steak in Dallas.”