October 9, 2012 Online Edition

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VOL. 116 NO. 26 |

MARSHALL UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER | MARSHALLPARTHENON.COM

Unemployment rate falls to 7.8 percent

By SARAH LINK

BADGER HERALD, U. WISCONSIN VIA UWIRE The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced Friday the national unemployment rate dropped to 7.8 percent, potentially giving President Barack Obama a lift as election day nears.

The numbers, according to the Associated Press, are the

lowest the country has seen in almost four years.

According to Common Cause Wisconsin Executive Director Jay Heck, the results can only mean positive things for the Obama administration.

“This is the lowest figure since Obama took office,” Heck said. “When Obama took office the economy was shedding jobs at a rate of

800,000 jobs a month.”

The report said employment increased the most in health care, transportation and warehousing with little change in most other major industries. About 456,000 people found employment in September, the report said.

According to Heck, the numbers contradict the frequent criticisms offered by

Republicans as they relate to the stimulus package passed in 2009 and others.

In light of the recent numbers, Heck believes Obama’s initiatives must have played a role in job creation, although he did acknowledge the government’s limited control.

“How much does the Congress and President really control the economy?

Probably not a great deal.”

Heck then adds, “This is an economic cycle.”

The fact the jobless rate fell below eight percent also supplies an emotional significance, Heck said.

According to Heck, unemployment below eight percent was a “magic figure” set by Democrats and Republicans, who were both surprised the number

actually reached that goal.

“No one expected it to drop so low.” Heck says.

“It’s a big psychological mark.”

Nevertheless, some experts are not certain the new numbers will necessarily persuade undecided voters.

U. Wisconsin political science professor Andrew

See UNEMPLOYMENT | Page 5

Meet the candidate event set for Thursday

By KATIE WISE

THE PARTHENON Marshall University’s Women’s Studies and Women’s Center are hosting a meet the candidate event and voter registration drive from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Thursday in the Shawkey Dining Hall, located in the Memorial Student Center.

The forum will give students, faculty and community members a chance to meet Democratic and Republican candidates running for governor, attorney general, house of delegates in the 16th and 17th districts, county commissioner, assessor, as well as candidates running for mayor of Huntington, Cabell County magistrates and Huntington City Council.

Candidates will discuss matters of economic, civic, commercial, cultural, industrial and educational interests of the Huntington area.

Marshall counselor for Women’s Studies, Kim White, said she hopes the event will spark enthusiasm among young voters.

“We are expecting a strong turn out,” White said. “This is an important election and the races are tight. There is energy and enthusiasm among many voters and we hope students come out and share in the excitement.”

The League of Women Voters will register eligible voters and representatives from the Republican, Democrat and Libertarian Parties.

Sponsor tables with candidate information, party platforms and suggestions for how to get involved in this year’s election will also be given out.

The forum will allow candidates to introduce themselves to the audience as well as hold one-on-one discussion with any student, faculty or community member who would like to do so.

See CANDIDATES | Page 5

Lectures discuss sex and politics

By JEREMY BROWN

THE PARTHENON With the Presidential election less than a month away. It is a time for vigorous debate and a time when various political issues are pushed to the forefront. The issues surrounding gender and gay rights have all been heavily featured in this year’s political season.

Monday evening, sexuality studies at Marshall University sponsored a series of lectures to examine these issues at Drinko Library. Four professors from four disciplines spoke on topics ranging from rape and gender to gay marriage and the gay vote. Even this summer’s Chick-Fil-A controversy was discussed.

E. Del Chrol, chair of sexuality studies, stressed the importance of these kinds of events.

“When all we hear is the shrill rhetoric of politicians, hacks and pundits, frequently detached from facts, history or perspective, it’s easy to be swept up and to think shallowly,” he said.

Clayton McNearny, chair of religious studies at Marshall, was the one

to address the Chick-FilA issue that arose when Chick-Fil-A President Dan Cathy made comments critical of gay marriage.

McNearny talked about the protests and counter protests that followed the comment. After initial backlash over Cathy’s remarks, former Ark. Governor Mike Huckabee called for customers to support the restaurant chain. In response, gay rights activists called for gay couples to kiss outside of Chick-Fil-As around the country.

McNearny used these protests and rallies to suggest that such public displays stimulate conversation, and in the end might help the opposing sides reconcile.

“If you focus on assumptions, you bring them to consciousness and you force the person you are trying to dialogue with to rethink what they have assumed was the case,” McNearny said.

History professor Kat Williams, spoke on the roots of gender and gay rights issues in the country. She contended that many conflicts over

PHOTOS BY ANDREA STEELE | THE PARTHENON

TOP: Sociology and anthropology professor Robin Conley gives a lecture discussing a politician’s comments on legitimate and illegitimate rape during a lecture series on sex and politics in Drinko Library on Monday.

BOTTOM: A member of the audience provides a comment during a lecture series in Drinko Library.

See LECTURE | Page 5

INSIDE: NEWS, 2 | SPORTS, 3 | OPINION, 4 | LIFE!, 6 HI 64°

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Huntington CVB an economic engine for local community

By ERIKA RITTENHOUSE

THE PARTHENON The Convention and Visitors Bureau is an economic engine for bringing dollars into the community. The CVB connects vacationers, businesses, families and sporting events to Huntington and shows them what the city has to offer.

The purpose of the CVB is to “sell” Huntington. They want people to see all the great things going on in Huntington such as events, performances and locations. By encouraging people to bring their business to Huntington, the Bureau vacationers and business bring a lot of money to the city.

“Our work in very general terms is to bring people to Huntington (for meetings, vacations, sporting events, reunions, etc) and then connect them with everything there is to see and do while here,” Tyson Compton, CVB President, said.

The CVB gets funds to advertise, as well as to get and give publicity through a state grant managed by Hedrick.

A part of this publicity includes a quarterly article run in the Herald Dispatch about upcoming events, news and events going on around Huntington as well as at the CVB. Located at Heritage Station,

the CVB is surrounded by shops and eateries, some old and some new. The newest shop in Heritage Station is The Wild Ramp. The Wild Ramp is a local food market that carries food from local farmers and producers.

“New shops such as Brand Yourself and SIP Wine Bar and Bottle and Wedge have added new life to this area,” Cara Hedrick, CVB marketing director, said.

The CVB has a Visitors Guide, which gives a description and background of local vendors, attracting visitors and even Huntington locals to support local business.

“Our main Visitors Guide describes local eateries along with a history and description for some, shopping locations throughout the county based on your taste for locations, attractions in the area such as Camden Park and Heritage Farm Museum and Village, and an events list which highlights events based on the season or month throughout the year,” Hedrick said.

The promotion and connection of the area, to visitors and business has been a huge revenue factor for the city as well as the cities economy.

Erika Rittenhouse can be contacted at rittenhouse4@ marshall.edu.

Career Services announces employers for 2012 Fall Expo

By EVAN FOWLER

THE PARTHENON Marshall University students can dress to impress Wednesday, as the Fall 2012 Career Expo will play host to an extensive list of companies seeking to hire from the student body.

Approximately 80 employers will be present Wednesday for the expo that will take place in the Don Morris Room of the Memorial Student Center.

Employers range in everything from sales, marketing, retail, management, customer services, specialties and more. The expo will also host several state and federal employers as well.

Debbie Stoler, assistant director for Career Services Center, said she does not think students realize all the opportunities they could potentially be missing out on by not attending.

“Students need to understand there will be a good variety of industries that are represented,” Stoler said. “No matter what your major is, your going to be able to find several employers that are relevant in regards to what you are looking for.”

Specific companies will also be hosting interviews afterwards for students they are interested in hiring.

“CSX will be hiring for their management training programs and will be conducting interviews the following day on Oct. 11, and students will be able to sign up for these interviews at the expo if the company is interested in them,” Stoler said.

“The same thing with Kroger Mid-Atlantic. Students will be able to sign up at the expo for an interview if the company is interested in hiring them, they will follow up with interviews here on campus on Oct. 31.”

Stoler said she would also encourage students who may not be looking for employment as an immediate option to still attend the event.

“Even if you’re not searching right at this moment for a career opportunity, it’s always a good idea to come to the expo and introduce yourself to employers.” Stoler said.

“A lot of employers will bring business cards to events like this so you will have a contact for companies, where most of the time you can’t find contact information. It’s a great opportunity to make contacts and network for your future.”

Students can currently view a list of employers scheduled to attend the expo on the Career Services site. The event is free and open to all students.

Evan Fowler can be contacted at fowler68@ marshall.edu.

PHOTOS BY MARCUS CONSTANTINO | THE PARTHENON

TOP: Donny Prevost, freshman criminal justice major from Fairmont, W.Va., registers to vote as Grant Jacobs, graduate student from Huntington, looks on during a voter registration drive at Marshall University’s Memorial Student Center on Monday. RIGHT: Jordan Bean, event organizer holds up posters in an attempt to convince students to register to vote.

MU students register to vote

By MARCUS CONSTANTINO

THE PARTHENON As the November general election nears, a group of Marshall students is sharing the power of the vote with other students.

Vox: Students for Choice, a new student organization at Marshall aiming to promote sexual and reproductive equality, is hosting a voter registration drive today and Wednesday from noon to 3 p.m. in the Memorial Student Center.

Jordan Bean, senior public relations major from Huntington, started the club

as part of her internship with Planned Parenthood. She said the voter registration drive is a way of encouraging students to let their voice be heard.

“We just want to register as many young voters as possible, and we also want to make our group’s presence known on campus,” Bean said Monday during the first day of the registration drive. “We’ve only been here for a couple of weeks, so we’re really trying to make people know that we’re around and that they can be involved if they want.”

Bean said her organization hopes to

THE PARTHENON West Virginia University College of Law is hosting a presentation on “How to Apply to Law School” Tuesday Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. in the Shawkey Room of the Memorial Student Center. “‘How to Apply to Law School’” is an event designed to cover the nuts

See VOTER REGISTRATION | Page 5

MCT DIRECT

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney greets supporters after speaking at a campaign rally at Victory Landing Park in Newport News, Virginia, on Monday.

Romney says Obama’s ‘passivity’ has made Middle East less secure

By MAEVE RESTON

TRIBUNE WASHINGTON BUREAU VIA MCT LEXINGTON, Va. — President Barack Obama’s chief foreign policy achievement in his first term was his order to carry out the daring raid in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden. But Mitt Romney challenged his rival on that turf Monday, arguing Obama has not done enough to secure peace in the Middle East, allowing terrorist networks to build strength while

“leaving our destiny at the mercy of events.”

During a formal foreign policy address at the Virginia Military Institute, Romney said Americans should take pride “in the blows that our military and intelligence professionals have inflicted on al-Qaida” in Pakistan and Afghanistan — which he called “real achievements won at a high cost.”

But he argued that al-Qaida “remains a strong force in Yemen and Somalia,

WVU College of Law to sponsor presentation

By SARAH HAGERTY

empower the Marshall community to advocate for equality and engage in debate about important social issues.

Bean said one of the biggest and most important ways students can put their voice to action is by voting. She said she hopes all students exercise their right to vote.

But students cannot vote if they are not registered. According to statistics collected by the Campus Vote Project, more than 25 percent of college students reported in 2010 that they

and bolts of the law school application process,” Tina Jernigan, director of admissions at the WVU College of Law, said.

Jernigan will be discussing everything from choosing a major in undergraduate school to the LSAT exam. She will also cover the actual application process and will be taking page designed and edited by JOHN GIBB | gibb@marshall.edu

questions from the students.

“I work very closely with our admissions committee and see every application that comes through the door,” Jernigan said. “So this is basically the students’ opportunity to hear it from the source.”

Sarah Hagerty can be contacted at hagerty5@marshall.edu.

in Libya and other parts of North Africa, in Iraq, and now in Syria.”

“Drones and the modern instruments of war are important tools in our fight, but they are no substitute for a national security strategy for the Middle East,” Romney said.

Romney’s comments contradict the Obama administration’s arguments that its years of counter-terrorism

efforts have decimated alQaida, the primary terrorist threat. But U.S. officials and private terrorism experts acknowledge that militant groups with ties to al-Qaida or at least similar aims continue to flourish in many parts of the world, including the Middle East and North Africa. Terrorist groups in Yemen, Somalia, Libya and

See ROMNEY | Page 5

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Victims to have the chance to address Jerry Sandusky at Tuesday sentencing

By MIKE DAWSON

TULSA HOUSTON SMU TULANE UTEP RICE

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

CENTRE DAILY TIMES (STATE COLLEGE, PA.) (MCT) STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The young men who testified that Jerry Sandusky sexually abused them finally will have the chance Tuesday to say exactly how the abuse by the man they trusted has affected them.

They may look Sandusky in the eye. They may speak out in anger. They may be somber. Some may not want anything to do with the moment, instead choosing to keep their feelings private.

That opportunity, in open court face to face with their abuser, is called a victim impact statement and will come during Sandusky's sentencing hearing Tuesday.

It is just one part of the sentencing hearing, which is when a defendant receives his or her punishment from the judge.

In Sandusky's case, he was convicted in June of 45 counts of abusing the young boys he met through The Second Mile, the charity he started. Given the number of counts, the 68-year-old Sandusky is facing the rest of his life in a state prison.

Sandusky was convicted of eight counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, which are first-degree felonies that alone carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years behind bars. He was also convicted of multiple counts of indecent assault, corruption of minors, child endangerment and unlawful contact with minors.

The jury found that some of the offenses, like corruption of minors, were ongoing instead if a one-time occurrence. The ongoing nature, legally called a course of conduct, provides for a harsher punishment.

The fines associated with the counts could be substantial, too.

Prosecutor Joseph E. McGettigan likely will ask Senior Judge John Cleland to make as many of the counts run consecutive to one another.

McGettigan also likely will ask for the judge to hand down the maximum sentence for each count.

Defense attorney Joe Amendola has said he would ask the judge to run some of the counts concurrent to one another, although he acknowledged that might be futile.

"I anticipate Jerry will make a statement at his sentencing hearing on Tuesday in which he maintains his innocence," Amendola said. "He will not

ask for leniency although I will ask the court to impose concurrent sentences in the mitigated range of the sentencing guidelines."

But before any of the attorneys make their passionate pleadings for or against sending Sandusky away forever, there will be a separate hearing to have the judge declare the former coach a sexually violent predator.

Sandusky underwent an assessment from the state's Sexual Offender Assessment Board because he was convicted of at least one sexual crime according to the provisions of Pennsylvania's version of Megan's Law. The prosecution will ask Cleland to have Sandusky declared a sexually violent predator, which would mean he would have to register as a sex offender for the rest if his life if he ever gets out if prison. That means notifying state police of his address, employer information and any changes if he would move or change jobs.

Sandusky would qualify as someone required to register for life because he was convicted of more than one of the offenses under the Megan's Law statute.

Sandusky also will be given the chance to address the court, and Amendola has said before that his client was weighing that option. Amendola said Sandusky, who has maintained his innocence, has been writing his version of the events. That can be provided to the judge on paper, too, instead of vocalized, for the judge's consideration of his punishment.

But Sandusky saying he maintains his innocence could backfire.

Oftentimes, judges take into account how remorseful someone is when determining the person's punishment.

The sentencing may be the first time Cleland says anything about the case, which attracted national attention because the fallout tarnished the reputation of Penn State

See SANDUSKY | Page 5

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Herd tennis competes at Tribe Invitational

By LAKE MOREHOUSE

SANDUSKY

C-USA

THE PARTHENON The Marshall women’s tennis team competed in the Tribe Invitational this weekend at the College of William and Mary.

The Thundering Herd made the trip to Williamsburg, Va. without three of its top five players competing in the tournament. The Invitational included prestigious programs such as Harvard, Penn State, Kanasas and Penn University.

Senior Kara Kucin did not travel with the team due to an injury, while Dominika Zaprazna and Maria Voscekova stayed home for required rest from a previous tournament in Los Angeles.

Junior Karli Timko and sophomore Kai Broomfield won their opening singles matches, but were defeated in the semi-finals on Saturday.

Sophomore Ellie Ball teamed up with Broomfield to win their first doubles match of the weekend; Timko and freshman Dana Oppinger made for the

other doubles pairing.

Timko said she would have liked to come away with more success from the weekend.

“I expected a little more out of ourselves,” Timko said. “We’re still trying to learn each other’s (herself and Oppinger) games.”

The Houston, Pa. native said she likes the current direction that the team is heading in.

“We’ve been working really hard,” Timko said.

“We’re in the weight room three times a week now.

We’re all working towards the same goal, which is the conference tournament.”

Kai Broomfield said the tournament over the weekend made for a good stepping-stone for the team’s progress.

“I feel like we played a lot better than our first tournament,” Broomfield said.

“I saw a lot more improvement and I think we gained a lot of good experience from the Invitational.”

Broomfield said the team possesses a tight knit quality that fuels the team

and its drive.

“We’re all just one big family,” Broomfield said. “We’re all so competitive and want to win every match.”

The next tournament for the Thundering Herd is the Atlantic Regional, which begins on Oct. 19 in Blacksburg, Va. Lake Morehouse can be contacted at morehouse1@marshall.edu.

COURTESY OF HERDZONE

Marshall University tennis player Ellie Ball retturns a serve from the opposing team.

The doubles play of Ball and teammate Kai Broomfield finished in third place at the Tribe Invitational.

An aging Dwyane Wade not ready for senior citizenship

By SHANDEL RICHARDSON

SUN SENTINEL(MCT) MIAMI — The subject is dead to Dwyane Wade.

He plans this season to politely decline answering any questions about the matter.

A reporter would have a better chance of getting Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra to mention the word "repeat" than Wade respond to anything regarding his supposed diminishing skills.

The whispers of Wade

declining began during last year's playoffs and have continued with the notion he's "NBA old" at the age of 30.

So, will Wade struggle early? It's unlikely, considering Wade kept a log of the "old man" articles from last season. He actually viewed it as an energy drink, an extra boost heading into his 10th season.

Did the premature retirement party tick him off? You bet.

"Any time someone

DAVID SANTIAGO | EL NUEVO HERALD/MCT

The Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade during practice at training camp on Thursday at American Airlines Arena in Miami.

questions you, it's going to bother you if you have any kind of competitive nature," Wade said. "It fuels you. You want to see what you're made of in a sense.

You want to come back and not only answer the bell, but do a little bit more than expected."

The issues for Wade began last year when he missed 17 of 66 games of a lockout-shortened season.

He was held out because of various nagging injuries, but it appeared different to doubters. It was almost as if Spoelstra wrote "DNPOLD" next to Wade's name on the lineup card as Spurs coach Gregg Popovich did last season to aging star Tim Duncan.

Wade kept the severity of the injuries within the team until he could no longer hide it. It became visible when he shot 2 of 13 and scored just five points in a 19-point, second-round loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Days later, it was revealed Wade had his left knee drained before the game. In the interim, questions about his age and durability were aplenty.

Suddenly, his nickname was Wade Bounty.

Even after helping the Heat reach the NBA Finals for a second straight season, Wade was once again under fire. He shot 7 of 19 in a Game 1 loss to a younger

Oklahoma City team. One headline read: "Dwyane Wade looks old." Another claimed: "Heat need flashback from the old Dwyane Wade."

"I'm not really worried about it, I'm going forward," Wade said. "If anyone asks me anything about that, I'm not answering. I don't want to talk about it. We can talk about all that when I get done playing basketball.

Right now, I'm one of the best players in the league, and I come in every year and try to work as hard as I can to try to stay there."

Part of the reason Wade is no longer a preseason MVP candidate or on top of all the fantasy draft lists is because of a scoring decline.

Many focus on Wade last year averaging 22.1 points, the lowest since his rookie season.

Few realized his 49.7 field goal percentage was the second-highest of his career.

"At the end of the day, everyone looks at points," Wade said. "That's what they look at. No one said anything about how my defense has been as good as it's been. No one said anything about how efficient I was last year. I shot 49.7 percent from the field, so that means I hit half the shots I took. People don't look at that. I can't worry myself with that. The only thing I can do is, whatever role I have to play, is play it."

With show of force, Cards tie series with Nats

By DERRICK GOOLD

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH (MCT) After weeks of teasing and tormenting their manager who believed that his lineup was capable of doing so much more_so much more consistently_as an offense, the Cardinals flexed their might. In a show of unbridled and unrelenting offense, the Cardinals thumped the Washington Nationals, 12-4, to tie the National League division series at one game apiece.

The best-of-five series shifts to Washington for Game 3 on Wednesday.

The Cardinals drilled four home runs, including two from Carlos

Beltran, and got a combined total of six RBIs from the top batters in the order, Beltran and leadoff man Jon Jay. Every starter for the Cardinals except for the pitcher, Jaime Garcia, scored a run. Every starter but Matt Holliday had a hit. As a lineup, they combined for a postseason record eight extra-base hits.

The 12 runs were the most scored by the Cardinals in a division series game since October 2002 when they hung a dozen on Arizona.

Washington used seven different pitchers to try and halt the offense.

Only one kept them without a hit.

Beltran clubbed two home runs in his final two at-bats of the game, giving him 13 postseason home runs in his career. Both of his homers traveled more than 435 feet according to estimates.

The offensive outbreak, however, came only after Lance Lynn rescued the club from falling behind just as rapidly. Garcia labored through both

page designed and edited by JEREMY JOHNSON | johnson783@marshall.edu

of his innings, inviting trouble that never happened but always seemed one swing away. He needed 51 pitches to collect six outs. Manager Mike Matheny had a quick hook and went to his bullpen as Garcia wobbled to finish the second inning.

The Cardinals were down 1-0 when Garcia threw his final pitch.

Lynn threw three innings. He allowed only two solo home runs, but by the time he yielded them the Cardinals had built a 7-1 lead. Lynn struck out five, pitched two scoreless innings as the Cardinals rallied, and scored the victory.

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ABOUT US

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Column

THE FIRST AMENDMENT

Visit marshallparthenon.com to share your opinion.

TYLER KES

The Constitution of the United States of America

Editorial

Voting gap should be filled by college students The figures don’t quite add up with regards to voting in America. With nearly 200 million American citizens age 18 and over, there remains a significant gap between the amount of eligible voters and those who are registered, and another huge gap separating registered voters and those who will vote in the upcoming Presidential election.

Let’s take a closer look: There are over 200 million votingage citizens in America, about 150 million registered voters, and a generous two-thirds of the registered voters will cast their vote in the election.

When it all boils down, the election will reflect the sentiment of roughly half of Americans over the age of 18.

There is always a push for voter registration and voting

participation in an election year, especially this late in the season, but these figures should serve to scare you into voting. We are college students. We are the educated population. We are the ones who will be entering the workforce in just a matter of years, or perhaps a matter of months.

At some point since the last election, we grew up. The issues effecting the populous are actually affecting us. We made it. We are adults. And it is our responsibility to vote, it is our civic duty.

So don’t make any more excuses. Vote early if necessary, or report to your polling places at your convenience on Nov. 6. Maybe you’ll get a sticker, and you are certain to get a smile.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble; and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Column

Stewart vs. O’Reilly: The debate that mattered

By HENRY CULVYHOUSE

COLUMNIST Over the weekend, I was privileged to watch the Jon Stewart-Bill O’Reilly debate. It was a fine debate, where both men were able to go one on one, forwarding their alternative visions for America but still keep their humor.

To me this debate had more of a political impact than any presidential debate since 1992.

The nature of a presidential debate is to persuade the American people to elect a candidate to office. It’s sales pitch for two politicians. They’re basically two nine-yearold boys who want convince mommy to let them play in the Oval Office for the next four years. They’ll lie and cheat to get their point across, to persuade the American people.

The Stewart-O’Reilly debate did one better. It pitted two men, who strongly believe in their political views, in a venue to discuss the principles of our country. These men have nothing to gain from this debate; their ratings will probably have a temporary boost and then level off. They were allowed to speak however they wanted, in whatever manner. If they alienated a viewer, that’s fine---------they aren’t running for office.

It was the lack of incentive that allowed these men to engage in a fruitful political dialogue. Much like the dialogues you find in Plato, I felt like these two men were attempting to arrive at the truth, whatever that may be. Granted, it was not as civil as Socrates speaking to his students, but it allowed for two contrasting views to be revealed for all its worth and to let the viewer decide. This was a discussion about whether if our society should develop into a European style social democracy or a quasi-lazier faire capitalistic society.

Now, whenever a political commentator discusses a debate, they almost invariably call a winner. Political debate is much like boxing; there are low blows, upper cuts and the contenders leave the stage soar and worn out. But unlike boxing, it’s not the ref who decides a knockout, but the announcer.

Stewart won. If Stewart would have gone out there and just pelted O’Reilly with standard liberal talking points (the GOP House has blocked progress etc.), I would have called it a draw. What set Stewart above O’Reilly was Stewart’s ability to analyze causation. He was able to string together how developments since the early 2000’s set up the tough times we now face. Stewart also dissected the conservative “I raised myself by my own bootstraps” argument by pointing out how O’Reilly, like almost all Americans, have in some way benefited from government incentives and programs. O’Reilly largely stuck to his talking points, occasionally throwing a curve ball at Stewart on a point of fact. He lacked a level of analytical dissection that is key to taking out an argument.

Finally, I believe Stewart brought up a point that set him apart from other commentators on the left. “The conversation we’re having in this country is about a fundamental clash of civilizations when I think we have basically agreed that we’re a social democracy,” Stewart said. That was masterful. It implies we need to seek pragmatic not dogmatic solutions.

If only they knew that on Capitol Hill.

Henry Culvyhouse can be contacted at culvyhouse@ marshall.edu.

Column

First presidential debate leaves race undecided

By DAVID FREED

HARVARD U. VIA UWIRE Since the first presidential debate, we have political pundits decrying Obama’s passive tactics, a new Twitter account for Silent Jim Lehrer, and a series of Big Bird memes. Public backlash was strong against Obama, and commentator Andrew Sullivan even suggested that Obama might have lost the election Wednesday night. However, when sorting through these myriad opinions, it is important to use a historical viewpoint and to also view the debate with perspective.

Yes, Romney won. While Obama effused confidence in his plan and maintained a calm demeanor, there was something listless about his movements all night. Perhaps unaware that, for the first time, debates would be viewed on split-screen television, Obama spent much of the night looking down and taking notes while Romney was talking. He was unprepared for Romney’s blatant denial of Obama’s assertions that the plan Romney champions would add $5 trillion to the deficit through tax cuts for the rich, repeating it as though stunned when Romney insisted this wasn’t the case.

To his credit, Romney— who trailed Obama in the polls coming into the night— played the attacker from the beginning and went after the president’s record on issues from the economy to

energy policy. He was animated from the onset and nothing, not even moderator Jim Lehrer, stopped him from a harrowing attack on Obama’s record. The aggression was borne out of desperation; Romney has steadily been falling further and further back in the polls since the Democratic National Convention, and nothing truly positive has bolstered his campaign since.

Yet, if the expectations for Romney had not been so low coming into the debate would we have been all that surprised? The knock on Mitt is his inability to empathize with his constituents—his comments about the “47 percent” refueled criticism that he is out-of touch—but he displayed a talent for debating during the Republican primaries.

His one gaffe, offering to bet Rick Perry $10,000 on an outcome, was tactless but displayed his comfort on the stage.

You could have watched this debate without sound and proclaimed him the victor, much as you could during the Republican primaries. Here Mitt looks more comfortable than at formal functions; his body language is positive, and his expression reflects his eagerness for confrontation. Obama’s reputation as a great orator is well deserved, but Romney is no slouch in this department. Had we come into

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this debate acknowledging Romney’s skills, perhaps the result would not have been so shocking.

Similarly, it is important to acknowledge the nature of the first debate. The discussion topics—the economy and health care—lent themselves to a discussion of Obama’s record. They are major topics in the election, no doubt, but topics that Obama was unable to turn into a discussion of Romney’s history. Phrases like “the one percent,” “Bain Capital,” and “the forty-seven percent” were conspicuously absent from the president’s lexicon as he abstained from a full-on attack of Romney’s record.

The first debate routinely goes in favor of the challenger, and there are two more to come. In the meantime, Obama will likely regroup and prepare to come out focused and on the attack from the first question. In the first debate, as The Atlantic’s James Fallows writes, challengers are “elevated simply by being matched on equal footing with the president.” Obama was also forced to publicly argue with someonwe directly opposed to his views for the first time in four years, while Romney spent his winter crisscrossing the country swapping intellectual banter with Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, and Newt Gingrich. While not the liberal standard-bearer Romney faced Wednesday, the trio

provided a diverse array of attacks on Romney’s record he quickly learned to parry and avoid.

Polling shows a wide discrepancy in the number of Americans who declared Romney the victor—as much as three to one by CNN’s estimate— but we should view these findings with caution. A simple random dialing method of polling American households still riding the emotional crest of the debate is insufficient evidence for how this will affect the race moving forward. The number of undecided voters remaining is a minute fraction of the total electorate, and few committed votes likely switched sides after Wednesday night.

Media hyperbole like Sullivan’s draws good ratings but is too preemptive. There are three more debates and, if the 67.2 million Americans that tuned in Wednesday night are any indicator, the country will be watching.

Next week’s matchup of two political bulldogs in Joe Biden and Paul Ryan should set the tone for a more adversarial Barack Obama and Mitt Romney matchup the week after.

Certainly Romney outperformed expectations, but lest we forget, some were on the edge of declaring the race over as little as a week ago. The first debate favors the challenger, the second the incumbent. This story is far from over.

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Meet the candidates: Kim Wolfe THE PARTHENON With one term under his belt, Kim Wolfe is running in the 2012 general election to remain mayor of Huntington.

Wolfe said drastic improvements have been made to the Huntington and would like the chance to continue to build on the groundwork he said he has laid since he took office in 2009.

“We’ve got the momentum,” Wolfe said. “You don’t want to stop the train and change crews.”

Wolfe, a life-long resident of Huntington with decades of experience in law enforcement, said safety is the backbone for any city.

“The first priority is to protect your citizens and their

WOLFE liberties,” Wolfe said. “That’s monumental, and then everything else follows.”

“Safe and clean” is the slogan Wolfe uses when he describes his vision for Huntington.

The city has seen visual improvements, with the revitalization of Fourth Avenue, (the Old Main Corridor project) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation recently released a report, which indicates Huntington has been at its safest point since 1985. Wolfe, a former Huntington Police officer and Cabell County Sheriff, gives credit to William “Skip” Holbrook, chief of police, and the city police department, but said the safety improvements were part of his vision.

“I came with a pledge to clean the city up,” Wolfe said.

“Violent crime and property crime are down 38 percent.”

Wolfe said the cities crime rate is not the only thing that

has improved in his first term as mayor. He said hundreds of jobs have been brought to the city.

“I was born here and I have eight children,” Wolfe said.

“We want to see them come back, we have created 600 new jobs, and Kinetic Park is growing.”

Wolfe said experience in executive office is what sets him different from his competition, Steve Williams (D), in the mayoral race.

“I’ve been mayor,” Wolfe said. “If you like what’s going on, why would you want to change that, crime’s down, it’s quite simple.”

The Parthenon can be contacted at parthenon@ marshall.edu.

Chavez wins Venezuelan presidential election

By JIM WYSS

THE MIAMI HERALD (MCT) CARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez — the former soldier and Latin American socialist who has led this nation for almost 14 years — won an additional six-year term Sunday night.

Chavez won 54.42 percent of the vote against former Miranda Gov. Henrique Capriles, the National Election Council, or CNE, reported.

As the results were announced the skies of Caracas lighted up with red fireworks and crowds began to gather at the Miraflores presidential palace.

Authorities said turnout for the vote was 80.94 percent — a decades-long record for this oil-rich nation.

The results capped a day where many of the country’s 19 million registered voters swarmed the polls in a process that was largely free of violence despite the incendiary rhetoric that marked the race.

Chavez, 58, has been in power since 1999 and used the nation’s oil wealth to promote socialist reforms and welfare programs that have made him a hero to the poor. He said he would use the additional six years to deepen his “21st Century Socialism” to build more public housing, end unemployment and create 10 new public universities.

Capriles, 40, had pledged to bridge the country’s deep ideological divides and roll out Brazilian-style reforms that would jump-start the economy without

Lecture

Continued from Page 3 those issues are born from a fear of feminization and that feminization has long been a method used to demonize opponents.

“Americans have a very long history of using the combination of gender and sexuality to make political points,” Williams said. “We feminize to brutalize.”

Williams spoke about the scandalous photos from at Abu Ghraib and the wording media used in the aftermath.

She noted the Muslim men in the pictures were described

Unemployment Continued from Page 1

Reschovsky, who specializes in finance, tax policy and government spending, said the economy was recovering but at a relatively slow rate and was unsure if it would win over extra votes.

“The potential effects on the upcoming election remain to be seen,” Reschovsky said. ”While this could definitely be used as political ammunition by the Obama administration, it is uncertain whether these numbers will really change the minds of the voting populace.”

leaving the poor behind.

Wearing a long-sleeve blue shirt, Chavez cast his vote in the working-class 23 de Enero neighborhood surrounded by family, Cabinet members and international celebrities, including Hollywood’s Danny Glover and Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu of Guatemala.

Amid speculation that Chavez might be reluctant to hand over power, the leader vowed early in the day to respect the outcome.

“Whether it’s a one-vote difference or 3 million votes, the responsible political actors must recognize the results,” he said. “Also, this is an electoral system that is absolutely transparent.”

Minutes later, Capriles cast his vote in the municipality of Baruta, where he was once mayor.

After pushing through a crowd of supporters and showing reporters his “lucky shoes” that have helped him win four consecutive elections, he also vowed to play by the rules.

“What the people say today is a sacred word,” Capriles said. “To know how to win, you also have to know how to lose.”

The words seemed to have a calming effect on a nation that often fretted that either side might not accept defeat. In the waning days of the campaign, Chavez had gone as far as to suggest that if he were to lose, it might spark a civil war.

Carolina Haskour, 41, was wearing a

as being sexually humiliated.

Williams said in cases where women are raped the victims are said to have been abused or tortured. She argued that the media’s use of the term humiliation shows the men were considered to have been degraded to women’s status, that the humiliation came from being victimized in a way we typically associate with women.

Sociology and anthropology professor Robin Conley continued the discussion of rape in her lecture. In her presentation, she talked about recent comments by politician Todd Akin about legitimate UW assistant professor of journalism Michael Wagner, an expert in elections, public opinion and American politics, agreed and said the political effects of these numbers are debatable.

“Unemployment rates are not very highly correlated with election results,” Wagner says.

“On the other hand, the state of the economy as a whole, of which unemployment is a part, is a key factor in predicting election results.”

Wagner said there is also the possibility these numbers come too late in the election to have any

shirt that read “You snooze you lose” and waiting at the Baruta polling station hoping to catch a glimpse of Capriles.

She said she voted for the former mayor, governor and legislator because she’s tired of the nation’s political polarization and soaring crime rate.

“I want the country to be what it was before,” she said. “There’s so much hate now. I want a country where we don’t fight with each other just because we have different political views.”

But others still see Chavez as the only person willing to fight for them.

“I am 82 years old and I can tell you we’ve never had a president as good as this,” said Maria Pinzon, who lives in Antimano. “He’s made mistakes, but there’s no one else like him.”

On the campaign trail, Chavez highlighted his social programs and presented himself in his motto and jingles as the “heart of the nation.”

If that’s the case, then “I voted for a heart transplant,” said Jorge San Martin, a 48-year-old computer engineer.

San Martin said he had to wait three hours due to voting-machine failures in his neighborhood, La Florida.

For many, the day kicked off at 3 a.m. when fireworks began popping over Caracas, followed later by sound trucks playing reveille. Chavez had told supporters to rise early to assure his victory before noon.

and illegitimate rape. She spoke about these definitions of rape and how society views date rape as a less legitimate issue. She talked about dangers of a divided definition, and the danger of a culture in which some rape victims are considered fragile or untrustworthy.

The evening’s final speaker, Shawn Schulenberg, spoke on gay marriage and how the gay community influences elections. He noted for years gay voters chose Democrats over Republicans because the Democrats were more sympathetic to their community. However, he explained, real effect. According to Wagner, the economic conditions of the summer are better predictors of election results.

However, the importance of the drop in the unemployment rate on voters’ psyche should not be overlooked.

“A lower unemployment rate likely feeds into improved perceptions of the state of the economy for some voters,” Wagner said.

“In general, the condition of the economy this year predicts a really close race with a slight advantage to the president, which, coincidentally, is just what we have.”

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this loyalty allowed Democrats to essentially go slow on gay rights, knowing gay voters were unlikely to vote Republican in any case.

Schulenberg continued that change in public attitude has caused Democrats to increase support of gay matters and gay marriage. He spoke about how these changes might impact not only this election, but also elections in the future.

He talked about how support of gay rights could influence some Democrats to look away from the party.

Jeremy Brown can be reached at brown654@marshall.edu.

Candidates

Continued from Page 1 “We are holding this event to make candidates and the electoral process accessible to students,” White said. “Lawmakers propose and pass legislation that has real life applicability in the lives of student. Topics like interest rates on student loans, tuition assistance, health care, environment and the economy all directly affect students’ lives, but in the mind of young students, there is often a disconnect between what happen in Congress or at the legislature and the day to day student life.”

Katie Wise can be reached at wise37@marshall.edu.

Voter registration Continued from Page 2

did not register to vote because they did not know where or how to register, or they missed the deadline to register.

Adam Butz, assistant professor of political science at Marshall, said college students face a disproportionately high number of barriers to getting to the polls. “(Youth) have the least amount of resources at their disposal, (and) they have the least amount of experience,” Butz said.

“How do they know where to register? We need these information campaigns to be able to even know that you have an avenue to do something. It’s that important.”

Sandusky

Continued from Page 3 and senior officials such as former head coach Joe Paterno and former President Graham Spanier.

Cleland, who was eventempered during the trial, could reflect on how he came up with the sentence he did or he could admonish Sandusky.

Amendola has made it known he plans to appeal the conviction and sentence, but he has to wait until after sentencing. He was quick to say that during a news conference that followed the verdict the night of June 22.

Amendola said the defense will have 10 days after the sentencing to file post-sentence motions.

Cleland will have up to four months to decide on those motions. If he denies

Romney

Continued from Page 2 Mali, among other places, have become a growing focus of U.S. and Western efforts.

The influence of al-Qaida is a new point of emphasis for Romney, and a clear pivot from the economy, after many months in which foreign policy has been an afterthought for

Butz also attributed the low number of youth at the polls to inexperience and the lack of staying informed.

“Participating in an election is tough, often times,” Butz said. “There’s a lot of different issues, a lot of different concerns. I think younger people, especially, can feel overwhelmed if it’s their first time trying to participate … “If we want a thriving democracy, it is imperative that we have participation and input from a broad swath of the electorate, and that includes younger people, who oftentimes feels the most isolated and alienated from the political system.”

Marcus Constantino can be contacted at constantino2@marshall.edu.

Sandusky's post-sentence motions, the defense would have 30 days to file an appeal in the state Superior Court, he said.

Amendola has said he and his co-counsel, Karl Rominger, did not have enough time to prepare for trial, which came eight months after Sandusky was indicted.

The recently released transcripts even show they wanted out of the case the morning that jury selection started. The judge denied the request.

Amendola has said he may have to be a witness during the appeal process, so he could not represent Sandusky through that process.

The defense has 10 days to file post-sentence motions to the trial judge and 30 days for appeals to the state's Superior Court. his campaign. With little foreign policy expertise of his own and after a difficult foreign trip where he managed to offend both the Brits (over the handling of the Olympics) and later the Palestinians (with an offhand comment about the wealth disparity between Israel and Palestine), the area has long appeared to be a vulnerability for Romney.

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Life!

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Marco: The life of a busy bison

By ASHLEY KILLINGSWORTH

THE PARTHENON While the old Marco moseyed off to greener pastures, a new Marco has thundered his way onto Marshall University’s campus this semester.

If the first months of school are any indication, Marco will be dancing to “Thunderstruck” on the sidelines for a while.

“I love it, so it’s something I’ll probably continue for awhile,” Marco said.

This year Marco the mascot is a sophomore, pre-med major from Russell, Ky. Marco found out the position was open through a friend. The friend told him he was really tall and thought he would be perfect for providing entertainment to Thundering Herd fans.

“My audition was at Scott Teays Elementary School,” Marco said.

“It was West Virginia Day there. It was in front of a bunch of kids and

it finished with me doing the wobble, which they all loved. So after that I took on the role because I loved it as well.”

Being Marco is a huge time commitment.

“There’s practice three times a week,” Marco said. “As well as there’s volleyball games, football games, and I haven’t even begun basketball yet. So there’s a good bit of time that it takes just from day to day activities but it’s all worth it in the end.”

Marco works out with the cheerleading team, but more often than not you’ll find him studying.

“I work out with the team, I condition with the team, because without the team I would be nothing and I like to think vice versa,” Marco said.

Marco said he has a huge responsibility because he is the face of Marshall and appears at a variety of events representing the university.

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Marco entertains the crowd during a basketball game at the Cam Henderson Center.

“I’ve had alumni played Marco before, and I’ve had several members of the university and several students tell me that I’m the best

who

have

Marco that they’ve seen in years,” Marco said.

“Which means a lot considering it’s a huge role. Basically the face of Marshall University, you take it on day by day.”

Marco said he loves his role on Marshall’s campus.

“It’s all about the fans; it’s all about the school, school spirit definitely. I just love it all,” Marco said.

Marco likes to keep his identity secret when not livening up crowds. Only a few people know who he is when he isn’t at official functions.

“There are a handful of people who know I’m Marco,” Marco said.

“I like to keep it close because I can walk up to somebody and dance with them.”

Students may notice Marco is on the sidelines for the entire game this year. Marco believes he is there for the fans and needs to be there for the entire game.

“As far as football, I want to be out there the whole time, no matter

if we’re losing, no matter if we’re winning, because Marco is again that face that everyone wants to see,” Marco said. “The student section started chanting at the first home football game, ‘In Marco We Trust,’ and that kind of got me so he’s just a figure that needs to be there.”

Marco can take breaks, but he doesn’t plan on taking any.

“It gets hot, I sweat a lot, but it comes with the job,” Marco says. “There have been Marcos in the past who take breaks and they take long breaks.

Marco is there for the fans.”

Marco said one of the best parts is seeing the fans happy whenever he shows up.

“It’s everyone just coming up, just taking pictures, telling me that I’m the best Marco that they’ve seen in years,” Marco said.

“You know to me that’s worth it, so people are worth it, this school is worth it.”

Marco does not rule out being in one of the mascot tussles on ESPN at the end of the season.

“I wouldn’t call them mascot fights but tussles,” Marco said.

“Especially at Rice University, Rice has their owl and he’s short and decided to push Marco, and Marco

decided to face palm the owl to back off. It could happen, I’m okay with some national TV time.”

Marco was not shy when it came to talking about Purdue’s mascot, Purdue Pete.

“The Purdue guy, his name is Purdue Pete,” Marco said.

“There’s four of them actually.

They’re all great guys, but kind of a creepy mascot if you ask me.

They actually make the heads themselves.”

Marco had his own idea on whether or not we would continue to see the rivalry with West Virginia University in the future.

“I’m pretty sure we’ll see them in the future,” Marco said. “There’s no way. We take away that rival for a good couple of years and everyone’s excited for it to come back.”

There’s never a boring moment in the life of Marco, the head of the Thundering Herd.

“It’s never a dull moment, it’s all beautiful places, beautiful schools and overall fans,” Marco said.

There is one school that Marco said has a bad reputation.

“WVU has a huge reputation and it’s not good,” Marco said. “Their football team is obviously doing well, but they’re rude especially to our players and to Marco.”

Marco said that although he is a busy bison, he knew what he was in for from the beginning and has plans on achieving anything.

“There is many a night that I have stayed all night at Drinko,” Marco said. “As soon as you sign up, you know what you’re getting in to. You know how it works and then you know what you’ve got to do in order to achieve just anything.”

Marco can be seen getting the crowd excited at a variety of campus and area events as well as most athletic contests.

Ashley Killingsworth can be contacted at ashley.killingsworth@marshall.edu.

Adoré seeks to reverse misconceptions surrounding faith in the LGBTO community

By SAMUEL SPECIALE

THE PARTHENON Phillip Wright is quietly counseling students at Marshall University in order to reverse the misconception that members of the LGBTO community are irreligious and disenchanted with Christian ideas and beliefs.

Wright, a Marshall graduate and staff member of MU CRU, has set out to correct that ideology from within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community by offering a Bible study that allows open and inclusive discussions about God, identity and life.

The Bible study that Wright leads is called Adoré, which, according to the Oxford Dictionary, means, “to love and respect deeply, and to worship.”

Wright said he was asked to start Adoré because CRU was looking to reach everyone on the campus.

“I always wanted to reach out to that group because I have had friends in the LGBTO community,” Wright said.

Wright said the goal of Adoré is to give the LGBTO community a chance to have interactions with Christians.

“There is a stigma that Christian and gay don’t go together,” Wright said. “So, we just want to kind of remove the stigma and barriers so we can have an open flowing conversation so we can understand each other and get to know where each side is coming from.”

Wright said his purpose is to use the Bible study to reach

SAMUEL SPECIALE | THE PARTHENON

Phillip Wright reads his Bible in the Memorial Student Center. the LGBTO community with the gospel in a loving way that they are not accustomed to.

“We have a Bible study every week,” Wright said. “It’s very simple and anyone could come and understand what was going on from the start.”

Wright said Adoré has events planned throughout the semester to give the LGBTO community opportunities to interact with members of campus ministries.

“We are going to do a panel with different ministers and activists and have an open conversation about what the Bible says,” Wright said. “It gives the LGBTO community a chance to ask questions and pastors on campus a chance to tell them what they believe and what they think the Bible says.”

Wright said he also plans to conduct a workshop with

the Christian organizations on campus to help them communicate to the LGBTO community and start bridging the gaps between the two.

“Through this Bible study we have seen a lot of bridges mended,” Wright said. “I feel like it is something the LGBTO community wants – there are many LGBT students on campus that want to get involved in some kind of Christian group and want to feel like that can talk about Christian ideas.”

Wright said that Adoré has been safe space trained with the LGBTO office.

Raymond Blevins, director of the LGBTO office at Marshall University, said that for someone to be a member of the safe space program they must identify themselves as a person who is not going to judge students based on their sexual orientation.

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“The main goal of the safe space program is to increase visibility on campus of those safe spaces and people,” Blevins said. “It is a program of visibility because while the LGBTO population has suffered from invisibility in the past, our allies really suffer from invisibility.”

Wright said it was this kind of safe space environment and open mindedness that helped him to come to terms with his identity and faith.

“It took someone sharing what the Bible said without prejudice and assumption,” Wright said. “It was what led me to wanting to know God personally and to understand the gospel.”

Wright said the counseling he received led him to question his life, who he was and where his emotions stood.

“I found that God was telling me all those things don’t matter and that he had a plan for me to follow,” Wright said. “It brought me out of a lot of very hard things.”

Wright said that because of his experiences, he feels he can help students through counseling and Bible study.

“It’s very difficult to reconcile the Christian and gay part of someone’s life,” Wright said.

“However, I feel it’s through this community, through the gospel and by talking about it that we kind of find in ourselves how that works. It’s really God who takes that over for your life.”

Wright said Adoré seeks to

help those who are struggling with the same questions.

“There was a young man who started coming out to the Bible study last year,” Wright said. “The last night of the Bible study, he thanked me for just listening. Anyone can come and express anything about their life or what is going on; it gives them relief and a chance to really find out who they are inside in relation to God.”

Wright said he wants to encourage people reach out and help friends or family who are LGBT. “That is how we help people heal and how we reverse misconceptions,” Wright said.

Adoré meets Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. by the fireplace in the Memorial Student Center.

Samuel Speciale can be contacted at special@marshall.edu.

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