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tan cardinal
otterbein university wednesday, nov. 30, 2011 vol. 93, issue 14 www.otterbein360.com
Thumbs down Texting and driving may soon result in fines 2
New VPEM candidates Faculty and students unmasked 3 weigh in on future semester plans 4 nixing texting:
Westerville City Council is expected to vote Dec. 6 to ban texting while driving.
Volleyball duo makes first-ever spike into school history 11 photo by blythe malone
opinion 8 Semester schedule Senior misses long break Returning in December is a foreign feeling for most upperclassmen disappoints student wednesday, nov. 30, 2011
Tan & Cardinal
The semester system can be beneficial, but Otterbein doesn’t quite have the hang of it Thirty-two weeks vs. 33 weeks, 10 classes vs. 12. Statistically, the pace of semesters appears to be more appealing to the academic lifestyle of a typical college student. However, one must LINDSAY take into LOSHBOUGH consideration that the idea of semesters is only alluring to students who attend a university capable of regulating them properly. With a scholastic program based on the system of quarters, the schedule of meeting for a total of 20 classes for Tuesday/ Thursday classes requires the establishment of a significantly dense course load. The opposition to this quarter-based system, semesters, is supposedly designed to minimize the intensity of school work and alleviate some of the burden. However, as previously mentioned, the effectiveness of the semester-based system is heavily reliant upon the academic establishment and its faculty. With the introduction to semesters proving to be relatively unfamiliar territory for a campus accustomed to quarters, Otterbein University and some of its staff have struggled considerably to grasp this concept of time management and correctly pace their curriculum. Sure, the slight 15-minute schedule difference of Monday/ Wednesday/Friday classes with the transition to semesters is not a change dramatic enough for the student population to become irate over, but the institution of three-and-a-half-hour night classes might be asking too much. Just to clarify my statement so it is not misinterpreted, I do
agree that there are in fact some course curriculums within certain areas of study where the scheduled three-and-a-half-hour class period is appropriate, including any academic course that requires a lab or field study where students are participating in an active learning environment. Yet, those exceptions aside, what about the three-and-a-halfhour courses that are strictly lecture-based? Is it too much to ask Otterbein students to give their undivided attention to redundant subject material for hours on end with the incorporation of only one or two 10-minute breaks? According to the Teaching Resource Center of Indiana University, most typical adult learners can stay tuned in to a lecture for no more than 15-20 minutes at a time. This statistic of 15 minutes applies to the beginning of the lecture only. As the class period continues, the length of a student’s attention span becomes increasingly shorter, sometimes ending the class with three- or four-minute spans. These statistics from Indiana University are based upon the observation of 50-75 minute classes. So take a moment to consider our night classes that last a total of 198 minutes and how depleted a student’s attention span is by the conclusion of class. Perhaps to some portion of Otterbein students, only meeting for 15 sessions may seem like a beneficial argument in favor of night classes, but for the students like myself who lose any trace of academic focus after 2 p.m., the threat of three hours of attention in the evening can be daunting enough to drop a course.
t&c
LINDSAY LOSHBOUGH IS A SOPHOMORE ENGLISH EDUCATION MAJOR AND A STAFF WRITER FOR THE t&c.
I should be done. We all should be done, and we would be done if Otterbein hadn’t gone from quarters to semesters. Instead, we had a little less than a week to relax, go home, see the family and stress out over the assignments and exams that waited JULIA for us back at Ot- ROBIDEAU terbein. Personally, I looked forward to the long break we got when we were on quarters. There was tons of time to go home, come back to Westerville, go home again, see friends from all over the place, do all my Christmas shopping and get a job doing seasonal work because I had no homework or classes to worry about. Exams were over and I could enjoy the holidays not having to think about my big, long
list of things to do waiting on my desk at home. Well, I don’t know about you, but this break threw me off. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I sat at home, aware that I could very well do some school work, but this was supposed to be a vacation, not a prerequisite to get myself ready for exams. I was ready to stay home and get into a schedule that didn’t revolve around school. I know that some of you are thinking the same things I am. We also have one other little thing on our minds — where’s the motivation? I have absolutely no motivation to do anything anymore. Nothing is harder than pushing yourself to do something you really don’t want to do. “It’s really hard to go home for Thanksgiving, then having to come back and be motivated to keep going. I’m so used to being done,” senior early childhood
education major Kelsey McMahon said. The only plus side about not having a super-long break is not getting bored. It doesn’t take much to get most people bored, and a long break calls for longterm boredom if you don’t have a job, your friends are gone, etc. But, then again, when it boils down to being bored or doing homework, I pick being bored. This new semester thing is going to take a while to get used to, and while I hate the breaks that it involves, it’s not going anywhere. So I leave you with this: Good luck, think positive thoughts and get things that you can get done finished as early as possible. Even though it’s not what you want to be doing, it will probably make the upcoming break a bit more relaxing. t&c JULIA ROBIDEAU IS A SENIOR JOURNALISM MAJOR AND A STAFF WRITER FOR THE t&c.
Say what? &How do you feel about coming back after Thanksgiving? “I hate the fact that I have to come back and study for exams.”
–Mitch Kaeser sophomore art
“It’s past the 11-week mark of quarters. My brain is officially burnt out. I’m more than ready for winter break.” –Michelle Oberst senior international studies
“This sucks. I’m fried at this point. Concentration equals zero. It’s hard to motivate myself to keep up with classes I know I could have been done with four weeks sooner.”
“For a lot of students, an extended six-week break allows for job opportunities that they are missing out on.”
–Berlyn Drabik senior theatre design and tech
–Jordan Hussey senior life science photoS anD inFoRmation CompileD by Kaity VoRbRoKeR
opinion
vol. 93, issue 14
www.otterbein360.com
Student asks friends to take break from texting
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Cellphones cause inattention, disrespect and disconnect Cellphones have changed the way we communicate — that is easy to see. From talking on the phone to texting, we communicate more frequently. But cellphone usage has also changed the way we communicate in person. From sitting in KARLY a dorm lounge to SMITH sitting around a bonfire or eating at a restaurant, cell phones are a constant presence. My friends look at their texts, Facebook and Twitter almost constantly. I have watched conversations in which statements and stories have to be repeated because someone was looking at their phone and not focused on what was happening in the room. Attention was not focused on the conversation at hand.
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Seniors say goodbye
According to Alton Barbour, author of “Louder Than Words: Nonverbal Communication,” a communicated message breaks down into three parts: verbal, vocal and nonverbal. Seven percent of a message is verbal, meaning just the words that are spoken. Of the remaining part of the message, 34 percent is vocal, which is pitch, rhythm and volume. The last 55 percent is nonverbal. By being constantly distracted by phones, we are missing the nonverbal message. We aren’t focused on looking at people when they talk to us. Even if we do look at them part of the time, the focus isn’t on reading those nonverbal signals. I think we have become a little disrespectful because we use cellphones so much; I am prone to it too. We are enamored with our shiny devices that connect us
to people hundreds of miles away. They can be great for those connections that could easily be lost, but what about the connections in our lives now? We are missing the people around us and what they are telling us. I think we are all a little disconnected from the world we are in because we photo by blythe malone are too connected ttyl: Communication is at our fingertips, even when we are face-to-face with friends. to the world that cellphones provide. choices we make with cellphones to immerse myself in the moIt isn’t the fault of the are wise. ment and invest my attention in cellphones. The cellphone does So maybe we should put our the people close to me, because not do anything; it is our choice cellphones down for an hour they deserve my attention and to use the cellphone in the way or so and focus on the people respect. t&c that we do. The cellphone has around us. Watch people, learn KARLY SMITH IS A JUNIOR ENGLISH opened an amazing world and their nonverbal expressions, abEDUCATION MAJOR AND A STAFF WRITER FOR THE t&c. done great things, but not all the sorb the whole message. I want
Senior ends year on a quirky note
Arts & Entertainment Editor heads toward graduation next semester and thanks those who helped along the way You know what’s strange? Someone going around and telling everyone they know to remember the Alamo. Oh, wait. I do that. There’s no doubt about it. I’m weird. Frankly, I’m nuttier than STEVEN squirrel poop. COLLINS But I think that I’m the good kind of weird and nutty that makes life interesting. I see things from a different perspective most of the time, which gives me this quirkiness that also makes me one loveable dude. I’ve got hundreds of Chuck Norris jokes filed away in my memory that I can recall at random. (Chuck Norris is the best thing before, during and after sliced bread, for instance.) I’ve also been known on occasion to bust out in song or dance, even
when there isn’t any music playing. The good thing is, my weirdness has found a home, and that home is the Tan & Cardinal. I’ve been the Arts & Entertainment editor for a full quarter and almost a whole semester. It’s been a fun ride and I’ve had a blast meeting and interviewing some of the people that Otterbein has to offer. A big thrill for me was getting to meet Judson Laipply, who came to campus and performed his famous “Evolution of Dance” during the First Flight weekend. The people I’ve worked with aren’t just coworkers or friends, we’re family. No matter how crazy, borderline dysfunctional that I can be, they have always kept me grounded and put up with my epic randomness for the last few years. Thanks goes out to Lindsey, aka Captain, our editor-in-chief, for not laughing at me whenever I’m struggling to get my idea out into the world, and not
destroying my big dreams for my projects. It also gives me great pleasure when you tell me, “Steve, you are so weird!” mostly because it’s what I strive for. Mike, thanks for being my go-to person when I get stuck, or when I have a crazy idea I’m almost too embarrassed to discuss. Congrats on becoming E-i-C next year. You’ll do great things, I’m sure. Josh, I’m sorry I let you eat all those donuts. I won’t let it happen again … or will I? Kaity, I applaud you for your handling of Josh. I would have probably harmed him beyond repair due to all his shenanigans. Leah, you forgot the Alamo? How could you? I’m now crying incessantly on the inside. Whether that’s from laughter or from tears is your call. Alyssa, thanks for all your help with stories and editing and Web and copy and all the other things that you do. You are a total badass and it’s rare these days.
I’ve got to be honest. I’m extremely jelly of Jordan LaBatte’s hair. It’s both feathery and lethal. I just hope that my hair can be half as awesome as his is someday. I cannot thank Kristen A. Sapp enough. She makes every piddly idea I have come to life, and makes everything about the paper come alive as well. She’s practically Buddha with InDesign and Photoshop. Anna. Oh, how wonderful, awesome and epic you are. Anna is the sole reason that I get to go to New York next year. She’s paid for our wonderful paper and set us up for years to come. The best part is she has at least another semester with the T&C. Laina and Kathy: my minions, my supporters. Oh, how I’ve enjoyed your accompaniment during the semester. I wish you luck with your future journalistic endeavors. One good thing about the quarter being over is that Swags
is finally off my back about everything. The epicness that Dr. Warren has been is amazing. She singlehandedly got me an internship at ThisWeek, has helped me schedule my classes and ensured that I graduate on time this spring. I cannot thank her enough for all her effort, support and guidance. Lastly, I’d like to thank Diane Wooten for all she does. She makes life as a comm student so much easier. All that’s left now is a handful of classes and graduation, which coincidentally falls on my birthday in May. What a strange way to end an Otterbein career. But for those of you who are staying behind as I move forward to the next part of my life, whatever that may be, I have one last piece of advice: Remember the Alamo. t&c STEVEN COLLINS IS A SENIOR JOURNALISM MAJOR AND THE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR FOR THE t&c.
sports
vol. 93, issue 14
Volleyball gains two All-Americans Ally Nagle and Lindsey Russell honors are first for the program BY JORDAN LABATTE Sports Editor
The Otterbein women’s volleyball players Ally Nagle and Lindsey Russell have become the first Cardinal volleyball players to achieve a place on the All-American team in program history. “I think it was just almost a release for me as a coach and also for the program. It was a long time coming and the fact that we never had All-Americans made it a little bit more special,” head volleyball coach Monica McDonald said. Selected by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), the two have led the conference and the team in multiple categories. “With all of our success, whether it be team or individual, they put a lot of time and effort, and both Lindsey and Ally put in so much to the program so I am extremely happy for them,” McDonald said. Ally Nagle, a junior middle hitter, who earned a spot on this year’s First Team All-OAC was selected for leading the conference for the third year in a row with a .401 hitting percentage, which also placed her in the top-10 nationally in that category, according to NCAA statistics. She also led the team in kills, averaging 2.91 kills per game. “I was definitely surprised and excited. It is such an honor to be recognized as an AllAmerican,” Nagle said. Nagle’s other accolades include two-time First Team AllOAC honors during her sophomore and junior year, two-time OAC Player of the Week and Freshman of the Year in 2009. “It wouldn’t have been possible without the talent of my teammates. It’s nice to know that all my hard work over the years is being acknowledged. I am very grateful,” Nagle said. Russell, a senior libero, made a personal achievement by breaking every dig record held by the program with 6.7 digs per set, 44 in a match, 774 in a season and 2,428 total digs in her four-year career at Otterbein. These achievements landed her
photoS by KRiSten DaViS
FoR the aCe:
Senior Lindsey Russell goes for the serve and hopes to gain another point for the Cards. She has 30 service aces on the season.
the fourth-ranked spot on the OAC all-time list in digs. “It feels great,” Russell said. “I have set a lot of goals over the years and I have been lucky enough to accomplish most of them. This wasn’t an award I was expecting so it was an amazing surprise.” Like Nagle, Russell also gained first team All-Conference honors for a second consecutive season, ranking her 28th nationally with 575 digs in the 2011 season. She has also achieved academically, earning Academic All-OAC and Academic All-District during her junior year.
This season, the two helped lead the Cardinals to a 26-6 overall record, including a 15game winning streak that led them to receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row before falling to Hope College in their first game. Wittenberg University, who won the NCAA DIII National Championship, was upset by Otterbein in five matches on Oct. 1. “It means a lot and we put ourselves on the map,” McDonald said.
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