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OPINION | PAGE 4

SPORTS | PAGE 3 Mustangs break home winning streak

ED Board’s take on campus drug use

VOLUME 96, ISSUE 68

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2011

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Guildhall students win international competition

MONDAY High 70, Low 41 TUESDAY High 68, Low 55

A SIDE OF NEWS

U.S. celebrates Presidents Day

By PATRICIA BOH Contributing Writer pboh@smu.edu

Monday is Presidents Day. The federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February is not officially called President’s Day, instead it is recognized by the federal government as “Washington’s Birthday.” However, most states celebrate Lincoln’s birthday concurrently with Washington’s, making it Presidents Day. Photo Courtesy of Tessa Gartin

Violent clashes escalate in Libya Anti-government protests in Libya are growing and more than 200 people have been reported dead.

Protesters used an explosives-laden car in an attempt to break into a military camp Sunday. Witnesses report that the Internet is down and food shortages are spreading.

Bahrain plans next step Seven opposition groups are meeting in Bahrain after an appeal from the crown prince called for national dialogue. The groups are attempting to coordinate a common position. Around a thousand protesters still remain at the Pearl Roundabout, Bahrain’s equivalent to Egypt’s Tahrir Square.

SMU students from Chi Omega help build a house as part of a Habitat for Humanity service initiative on Saturday.

SMU’s Habitat chapter takes on challenge: two houses in two weeks

By STEPHANIE EMBREE Staff Writer sembree@smu.edu

Billboards with the words “Dallas has a new reality show” portray the launch of Habitat for Humanity’s new website, imgoodpeople.org, along Dallas highways.

These billboards are part of Habitat for Humanity’s effort to

reach out to the “iPhone generation” and show them the faces, stories and movements they support.

SMU has had a group involved with Habitat for a total of five years, and received its charter three years ago.

Chapter President Greg Nelson explained that the chapter’s main goal “is to create a service opportunity for

the SMU students and also get them out into Dallas to see how fortunate all of us are and how different living situations are only 10 minutes off campus.”

Working with Highland Park United Methodist Church’s (HPUMC) chapter, Carpenters for

See HABITAT on Page 6

Most students think of XBOX games only as entertainment. At SMU’s Guildhall, video games are both a fun activity and a serious academic subject.

For the eight SMU graduate students of Team Hermes, video games are their claim to fame.

Team Hermes recently won the Indie Games Challenge, earning $130,000 in cash and prizes. This is the first international win for Guildhall. Their video game, Inertia, is a 2D arcade game in which the player navigates out of a decaying spaceship by manipulating gravity.

Online ratings of professors influence student decisions Contributing Writer sdashe@smu.edu

Students use RateMyProfessors. com to avoid the hard classes, but professors find it all a little discouraging.

Many students perform extensive research to craft the perfect combination of ease and interest or difficulty and intrigue when choosing their courses for the next semester.

The site has been the focus of continuous controversy, because for some, this site is seriously deterring in attendance.

The website is designed so

Security cracks down in Iran Security increased in Iran at landmark protest sites in Iran’s capital and other major cities on Sunday. Some officers launched their own pro-government protests ,carrying signs and chanting, “I will give my life for the leader.” Clashes between the two sides have turned violent leaving many wounded and at least one dead.

See GUILDHALL on Page 6

SOCIAL MEDIA

By SUMMER DASHE

FOOTBALL

Inertia is now available for purchase on XBOX Live Indie for $1 or 80 Microsoft Points.

No one involved in Team Hermes predicted the outcome.

Ron Jenkins, the deputy director of development and external affairs at Guildhall, explains that Team Hermes could only work on Inertia for “12 weeks, while at other schools, graduate students would work on their projects for about two years.”

Erasmo Simo described the development process as “rushed.”

“We decided to enter like a week before the deadline . . . and submit[ted] the game right at last minute,” Simo

students can anonymously post comments about professors and rate them on a scale from one to five in four different categories: easiness, helpfulness, clarity and interest level.

Students are also given the option of assigning a chili pepper to signify a professor’s good looks.

SMU students flood the website every semester investigating these ratings.

I use it every time I have to register for classes, mainly if I’m deciding between which professor to take,” sophomore Matt Alexander, said.

In many cases, professors say

See WEBSITE on Page 6

CAMPUS EVENT

Madison civil protests continue Sunday marked the sixth straight day of union protests at the Wisconsin Capitol. The crowd has grown to almost 70,000 people, but Governor Scott Walker has not yet backed down. The protesters have mobilized over a bill that would eliminate most of the public employees’ collective bargaining rights.

Gaga breaks iTunes record “Born This Way” has become the fastest-selling single on Itunes.

After being released last Friday, the song that many relate to one of Madonna’s became number one in 23 countries and sold more than a million copies in just five days.

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Index News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,6 Arts & Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . 5 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Politics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

TY WILLIAMS/The Daily Campus

Oregon running back LaMichael James poses with the Doak Walker award after receiving it from CBS sportscaster Verne Lundquist during the Doak Walker ceremony honoring the nation’s top running back, at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Friday evening.

Oregon’s LaMichael James receives Doak Walker Award

By EJ HOLLAND Sports Editor eholland@smu.edu

Last Friday, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum presented the Doak Walker Award to Oregon running back LaMichael James at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas. The Doak Walker Award has been presented annually since 1989 to the nation’s best running back on and off the field.

“It’s a pleasure for me to be able to enjoy this award with my family, my high school coach and my position coach,” said James, who originally received the award in Orlando, Florida in December. “It’s just an honor to be here.”

James makes up for his small stature (5’9, 180) with his ankle breaking jukes and undeniable speed that helped lead Oregon to the BCS National Championship game. The sophomore led the nation in yards per game and compiled over 1,700 yards while scoring 21 touchdowns enroute to being named 1st team All-America and 1st team All Pac-10. In the title game, James rushed for 49 yards, recorded four receptions for 39 yards, and scored two touchdowns, however, Oregon fell short of being crowned champions losing to Auburn

21-19. James was not satisfied with just playing for a national championship and is determined to bring a title to Eugene, Oregon.

“I don’t think so close exists, you have to keep getting better,” he said.

“The only way we can get better is to win a a national championship, next year we have to play harder.”

Instead of bolting for the NFL, the talented Oregon star decided to stay in college and pursue a degree in Sports Business.

“I have to get my degree, it’s really important to me,” James said.

The Doak Walker Award is the only major collegiate award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing. James currently maintains a 3.0 GPA and was named Pac-10 AllAcademic First Team.

Before all the glamor and fame, James grew up in Texarkana, Texas so a return to his native state where it all began to accept this prestigious award was only fitting. During his senior year at Texarkana Liberty-Eylau, James rushed for 2,043 yards and 26 touchdowns and led the Leopards to a Class 3A Texas State Championship.

“He was something special and we knew that early,” James’ high school

Head Coach Pat Brady said. “We tried to build things around him and showcase his talents.”

A four-star prospect, James originally committed to TCU but decided staying in Texas wasn’t for him and switched his commitment to Oregon. The small Texas town athlete embarked on a 2,000mile journey across the nation,and the rest is history.

“Sometimes it’s good to get away so you can get focused,” James said of his decision to leave Texas. “Leaving Texas was really big for me, it helped me mature and I learned to be on my own. Being 40 hours from home is like being in another world.”

James’ arrival on campus came without much excitement and fanfare.

Instead of making an immediate impact, James was redshirted for the entire 2008 season and contemplated a return back to Texas. However, James worked hard on the scout team and returned to Oregon for the 2009 season.

Opportunity came knocking when starting running back LeGarrette Blount was suspended after punching Boise State’s Bryan Hout in the 2009 opener.

See AWARDS on Page 3

JOSHUA PARR/The Daily Campus

The University of Texas’ Bhangra team competes at the sixth annual Raas Rave and Bhangra Blitz at McFarlin Auditorium Saturday.

Program Council holds Indian dance competition

By JOSHUA PARR Managing Editor jrparr@smu.edu

Some people might mistake R2B2 for a “Star Wars” convention, but they would be wrong.

The sixth annual Raas Rave and Bhangra Blitz (R2B2) brought 12 Indian dance teams to compete at McFarlin Auditorium Saturday.

The event was put on by SMU Program Council.

“I think it really brings culture to the campus,” Program Council

R2B2 chair Ashmi Patel said. “R2B2 is nationally recognized and it’s really cool that students can experience South Asian culture because dance is such a huge part of it.”

The program was hosted by junior Trigg Burrage who performed magic tricks during dance routine breaks.

“I thought it was great. All of the teams were so talented that there really wasn’t a slump in the excitement. The event was clearly well organized, and

See R2B2 on Page 6

2

Politics

• Monday, February 21, 2011

The Daily Campus

A

MIDDLE EAST

Protests have turned violent in Jordan, where thousands have taken to the streets to demand more political freedom and lower food prices.

Eight people have been injured so far, and this past Friday was the seventh Friday in a row that protesters rallied. The king of Jordan has almost absolute power. While he does have a parliament, he has the power to dismiss them at any time. Jordanians are calling for immediate dismissal of the current government and free and fair elections.

There are also reports of violence at protest in Iran. Facebook and Twitter are abuzz with reports of government backlash against protesters, including an account of a man being shot and killed in Tehran, which the government denies.

Source: Al Jazeera At least seven have been killed and hundreds injured since Feb. 14 in Bahrain. Protests are not uncommon in this country, as pro-democracy protesters have been taking to the streets since the 90s.

Protesters are demanding the abolishment of the monarchy’s ability to appoint all key political posts.

They are also demanding an end to the discrimination against Shiites, who represent about 70 percent of

Campus Events Feb. 20-26

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is celebrated.

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Bahrain’s population. The Bahraini government now seems desperate to open dialogue, as they face increasing criticism from western allies.

Source: Associated Press

AFRICA Doctors are reporting that at least 200 people in Libya have died in a recent crackdown by police on protesters in Benghazi and more than 900 are reportedly injured. The event is now being called the “Benghazi Massacre.” Funeral processions that were gunned down were among the bloodiest.

Sayf al-Islam, Muammar Gaddafi’s son, admitted on state-run television that they had made mistakes with the protesters, saying that troops had opened fire because they were not trained in civil unrest.

He also said that opposition and Islamists were trying to break up the country. He also said “some” protesters had been killed but accused foreign media of overstating the violence, saying that reports of high numbers were “imaginary.”

Source: BBC

NORTH AMERICA The U.S. House of Representatives has passed $60 billion in spending

PRSSA’s 3rd Annual Communications Career Workshop

cuts. The vote was passed just before dawn after an all night session where congressmen debated literally hundreds of amendments. The vote came down at 235-189. While the process was largely civil, the vote was split down party lines and received no votes from Democrats. The cuts will greatly impact Obama’s plans for both the U.S. and abroad. Foreign aid and State Department operations are cut $10 billion from Obama’s request; School Turnaround Grants cut by almost two-thirds; and Pell Grants for low-income college students are reduced.

Source: Politico

EUROPE: Two German journalists have been released from prison in Iran. The two were arrested after interviewing the son of a woman sentenced to death by stoning for committing adultery.

Guido Westerwelle, Germany’s foreign minister, paid Tehran a rare top-level visit in order to bring the reporters home. An Iranian court tossed the 20-month prison sentence, commuting it to a fine of $50,000 each and allowed them to be released.

Source: The Guardian

Hall Pass

24

8 p.m. in the Hughes Trigg Theater, “Hall Pass” will be shown as an advanced screening.

Ballroom

Board of Trustees

Do The Right Thing “Do the right thing.”

releases taking place over the past two weeks.

Source: BBC

ASIA In China, police are being dispersed to major cities to quell potential protests after an online call for a “jasmine revolution.”

First posted on a Chinese-language website in the United States, Chinese microblogs circulated calls for people to chant “we want food, we want work, we want housing, we want fairness.”

Police broke up small crowds in two cities, and so far no protests are reported in any of the other 11 cities where protests were encouraged.

LATIN AMERICA

5 p.m. - 7 p.m. in the 23 Hughes Trigg Student Center

p.m. in the Hughes Trigg 23 8Theater, PC and ABS present

Cuba has set free Ivan Hernandez, a political dissident who refused to go into exile as a condition for release in 2003 when the Roman Catholic Church brokered his, and 75 others’, release from prison. Hernandez said that, even though he was told to go home and stay quiet, he plans to continue working as an independent journalist.

The Columbian Farc has released two hostages that they had been holding for more than two years.

The hostages were a police major and an army corporal, and were handed over to a humanitarian delegation located in a rural area of southwestern Colombia. After they were handed over, they were taken to Bogata where they reunited with their families.

These are the latest in a succession of

d the Wor l

d

Political News from...

un ro

24

SMU’s Board of Trustees will meet Feb. 24 - 25.

Check The Daily Campus next week for more info.

Police Reports FEBRUARY 15

8:06 p.m., Fondren Science Building. A non-affiliated person reported the theft of their bicycle. The theft occurred sometime between 7:45 a.m. on the 15th to 2:45 a.m. on the 16th.

Open.

FEBRUARY 15 9:57 a.m., Lambdi Chi House. A student reported theft of a shelf, The Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity Education Manual and a cow skull. Open.

10:57 a.m., Beta House: A student who is a member of the house reported theft of three insignia fraternity letters. Open.

11:42 a.m.,West Quad Lot/3300 Peyton Parkway. A student reported her unoccupied vehicle was struck and damaged. No contact information was left at the scene. Open.

8:22 a.m. SMU Police Department/3128 Dyer Street. A student reported she has received several harassing comments through an internet website. Open.

FEBRUARY 17

10:08 a.m., Hughes Trigg Student Center/3140 Dyer St. A student reported theft of her iPhone. The theft occurred sometime between 2:15 - 3:15 p.m. Open.

10:39 p.m. McElvaney Hall/Mac’s Place/6000 Bishop Blvd. A student reported theft of her wallet containing gift cards, cash and an SMU ID. The theft occurred sometime between 8:30 - 10 p.m. Open.

Sports

The Daily Campus

Monday, February 21, 2011 •

MEN’S BASKETBALL

3

MEN’S GOLF

SMU places sixth at John Burns Intercollegiate; Sambol finishes eighth

By EJ HOLLAND Sports Editor eholland@smu.edu

MICHAEL DANSER/ The Daily Campus

SMU guard Jeremiah Samarrippas goes for a layup that would be blocked by Tulsa guard Jordan Clarkson Saturday afternoon inside Moody Coliseum. SMU lost the match 74-66.

Mustangs fall at home to Tulsa 74-66

By NICOLE JACOBSEN Senior Staff Writer njacobse@smu.edu

Despite three SMU players posting 10 or more points in Saturday’s game against Tulsa University, the Mustangs three-game home winning streak was snapped in a 75-66 loss to the Golden Hurricane.

Led by Jordan Clark with 17 points, Tulsa’s bench totaled 38 points, propelling the Golden Hurricane into the No. 3 spot in Conference USA polls while SMU, despite having won six of their last eight games, remains in fourth place.

SMU defeated Tulsa on Jan. 26 in a 59-58 victory but a sloppy pass game, poor ball control and several missed shots from senior Papa Dia handed the Mustangs their second

loss in three games.

The Mustangs managed to take a brief lead in the first half, but the Golden Hurricane quickly pulled ahead, creating 11 points off SMU turnovers to end the half up 34-29.

“We turned the ball over way too much,” Head Coach Matt Doherty said. “There were some sloppy passes and we’re better than that. You can’t have 19 assists and ten turnovers and expect to beat anyone.”

The Golden Hurricane, shooting 50 percent from the field compared to 45 percent from SMU, also outscored SMU in the paint, 36-22 and on second-chance points, 15-5. Tulsa, the No. 3 offensive rebounding team in the league, also had 16 offensive rebounds compared to SMU’s nine.

In the second half the Mustangs

had a chance to stage a comeback following a pair of three-pointers from Robert Nyakundi that put SMU on top 35-34 but the lead was fleeting.

Tulsa’s Steven Idlet, who finished the night with six points, hit a pair of free throws following a foul by Jeremiah Samarrippas to give his team the lead for the remainder of the game.

While the Mustangs were able to cut a 13-point lead down to three in the second half and generate 14 and 10 points from Nyakundi and Dia respectively, SMU surrendered 14 more points of turnovers and shot only 46 percent from the field.

Only down by three with three minutes left, SMU looked as if it could overcome their opponent’s

lead but Tulsa’s rebounding kept the ball out of the Mustangs’ hands until, with 30 seconds left, Samarrippas missed a three off a steal, leading to another SMU turnover.

“We’ve done a relatively good job of taking care of the basketball,” Doherty said. “This is hopefully not who we are. This is disappointing.”

Nyakundi, with a game-high 22 points, also went 5-of-7 in threespointers and helped set a new school record for the most threes in a single season. With 220 shots from behind the arc already, SMU surpassed the 215 shots made during the 20062007 season.

SMU has four games left in the regular season before playing in the Conference USA Tournament starting on March 9 in El Paso, TX.

AWARD: James honored to receive accolade CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

James saw his chance and busted onto the scene as he became the first Oregon freshman to surpass 1,000 yards rushing and finished with a Pac-10 Conference freshman rushing record of 1,546 yards.

Although James is in the national spotlight and receives endless amounts of media coverage, he remains humble, an attribute that Oregon Head Coach Chip Kelly admires the most.

“I’m really blessed and grateful, I think I live more of my dreams in one day than most people live in their entire life so I’m just really honored,” James said. “You just can’t really take anything for granted because everything can be taken away from you.”

The PwC SMU Athletic Forum also honored former LSU and Green Bay Packers running back Jim Taylor with the Doak Walker Legends Award.

Taylor was the 15th overall pick

in the 1958 NFL Draft after an All American senior season at LSU. He went on to help lead the Packers to a 35-10 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl I and scored the first touchdown in Super Bowl history. Taylor finished his NFL career with the New Orleans Saints in 1967 and was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976.

“I’m so humbled and it’s a great feeling to receive this accolade,” Taylor said.

Ironically, LSU will take on

Oregon in the 2011 season opener at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX. When asked what he was looking forward to most about the 2011 season, it came as no surprise when James said “playing LSU.” A victory over Taylor’s Tigers will be the ultimate homecoming gift for James who overcame every obstacle one can face to become the extraordinary man he is today.

Note: Doak Walker was an All American running back at SMU and winner of the 1948 Heisman Trophy.

The SMU Men’s Golf Team traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii to take part in the John Burns Intercollegiate.

The Mustangs finished sixth with a 7-under 857 in the 17-team, threeday event.

SMU bounced back from two subpar rounds in day one (289) and day two (291) to post their lowest score (277) on the tournament’s final day which helped the Mustangs secure their sixth place finish.

SMU had a solid showing from junior Marc Sambol who individually placed 8th overall with a six under (210) after a final round 67.

As a sophomore, Sambol, a Highland Park native, qualified for the U.S. Amateur Championship by winning the U.S. Amateur qualifying event at the Texas Star Golf Club.

SMU senior Kelly Kraft also finished in the top 20 (20th) after

recording a two under (214).

Kraft is in the process of completing his illustrious career as a Mustang that has seen him win countless amounts of accolades including Conference USA Men’s Golfer of the Year last season.

Also competing for the Ponies were juniors Max Buckley and Matt Schovee who finished 22nd and 61st, respectively.

Freshman Harry Higgs finished tied for 35th place with a two over (218).

The John Burns Intercollegiate was won by No. 23 ranked California with a 30-under 834.

Virginia’s Ben Kohles won the individual title with a ten under (206) after a three-way playoff with Cal’s Max Homa and Texas A&M’s John Hurley.

SMU will return to the course on March 7, as they head to Lafayette to participate in the Louisiana Classics.

EQUESTRIAN

Mustangs split matches on Saturday against Baylor and Sacred Heart

By EJ HOLLAND Sports Editor eholland@smu.edu

The SMU Equestrian Team picked up their second victory of the spring season on Saturday but also suffered their second defeat as they took on both Sacred Heart University and Baylor University at the Willis Family Equestrian Center in Waco, Texas.

The Mustangs defeated the Pioneers 7-1 but lost to the Bears 5-2 and now move to 2-2 overall this spring.

Against Sacred Heart, the Mustangs jumped out to a 4-0 lead as they swept on the flat behind freshman Juliana Fischer who earned MVP. SMU continued their dominant performance over fences winning three out of four match-ups.

Katie Jones, Jordyn Petterson and Emily Gardener all gathered victories over fences for the Mustangs. SMU tallied 543 total points overall while the Pioneers finished with 489.

Despite outscoring Baylor 564-561 in SMU’s second match of the day,

the Mustangs found themselves on the wrong end of the spectrum as the Bears were still crowned champions.

Fischer once again was a bright for SMU as she earned her second MVP of the day after scoring an 83 over fences and following with a 72 on the flat.

Baylor began the match with a 3-0 sweep of SMU over fences. All three victories came by 8 points or less.

No point was awarded to either SMU or Baylor when Mustang freshman Renick Townsend and Kim Woodsum finished deadlocked at 65-65.

On the flat, SMU split its matchups which allowed Baylor to clinch the victory. Trailing 5-0, the Mustangs won two straight matches.

Fisher destroyed Lisa Goldman 83-55 and Petterson edged out Kara Fergusson 74-69.

SMU will not have another match until March 26 when Baylor comes to Dallas to square off in a highly anticipated rematch.

4

Opinion

• Wednesday, February 21, 2011

A Publication of Student Media Company, Inc. Editorial Staff Editor in Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taylor Adams Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Josh Parr News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sarah Kramer Associate News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ashley Withers Arts & Entertainment Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lauren Smart Associate Arts & Entertainment Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chase Wade Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EJ Holland Associate Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jennifer Buntz Style Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sarah Bray Health & Fitness Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Katie Tufts Politics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jessica Huseman Opinion Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adriana Martinez Associate Opinion Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Michael Dearman Chief Copy Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tashika Varma Copy Editors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amanda Oldham, Katie Simon, Bethany Suba Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Danser Associate Photo Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spencer Eggers Graphics & Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Helena Bologna Online Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Meredith Shamburger

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The Daily Campus

We, American drug market fuel international war on drugs ASSOCIATE EDITOR

It is generally common knowledge that there is a drug war going on in Mexico.

Cartels run rampant through the Michael Dearman entire country, making unfathomable sums of money from the drug trade. None of these drug cartels would exist if there was not a market for the illicit substances they sell.

We are their market. You see, America has a drug problem. No matter where you go, whether it is on the SMU campus or to the poorest neighborhoods in the United States, there will be drugs. It is as much a part of us as Ford, hamburgers or apple pie.

In particular, marijuana use is

extremely high. By the time students graduate from high school 42 percent will have tried marijuana, says the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This is where the cartels come in. Marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamines enter from the southern border and make their way to your home.

In fact, in 2005 the University of Michigan surveyed high school seniors and discovered that nearly one-in-five had used marijuana in the past 30 days.

If these are the numbers that are being used, then it is no wonder that the United States serves as an extremely lucrative market for marijuana.

Through a long chain of suppliers, dealers and buyers, drugs can be yours.

But it is that chain that concerns me. At the beginning of it, our neighbor, Mexico, had witnessed the deaths of over 34,612 people in drug related killings since Mexican President Calderon declared a

war on drugs four years ago, according to the Huffington Post.

We, the market, own those deaths.

Sure, your drug dealer might be friendly enough but what about the drug cartels in Mexico that murder countless people in competition over territory or because innocents get caught in the crossfire or still because some have the courage to stand up against a scourge that is poisoning their country.

It is easy to ignore these deaths when we refuse to make the connection between our habits and the livelihood of others. What if a human face is put on the issue? Then it is much harder to ignore the facts. There are plenty of SMU students that are Mexican nationals with families in Mexico who are day in and day out affected by the drug war.

When our own students and friends are hurt because of the drug use that our culture glorifies, the Mexican drug war

becomes our problem. Of course, I can acknowledge that drug use in the United States is not going to stop instantly; in fact it won’t stop at all. What anyone who feels a moral tinge at the implications of this nation’s habits can do, however, is affect those immediately around them.

Every time someone offers you a hit, pulls out a bong or asks you to buy from them, there should be a constant reminder of the blood it took to put those drugs in your hands. Smoking marijuana is more than just a habit that is debated in Congress or in the student forum, it changes the lives of people, real people, with real lives.

Michael Dearman is a first year majoring in the pursuit of truth and the overthrow of systems. He can be reached for comments or questions at mdearman@ smu.edu

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EDITORIAL

The Daily Campus evaluates progress in drug policy over four years Four years ago SMU was rocked by the deaths of sophomore Jacob Stiles, freshman Jordan Crist and senior Meaghan Bosch due to drugs and alcohol.

Amidst the sadness, many loudly criticized SMU’s drug culture. It was this culture, they say, which contributed to the three deaths.

"Drugs are woven into the Greek system and the social fabric of the university," Bosch’s father, Joseph Bosch, said.

Four years later, what has changed?

It’s true that SMU has become more involved in efforts to curb and prevent drug and alcohol abuse. The Task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention delivered 30 recommendations to President R. Gerald Turner; 21 of those were accepted. Now the Task Force is called the Commission on Substance Abuse Prevention and Education.

Student Senate passed resolutions regarding medical amnesty and good Samaritan policies. These resolutions were then put into University policy. Campus leaders became TIPS trained.

SMU’s student population has also changed. Gone are the students who choose between mutually exclusive options to either study or party. Today’s students are much more well-rounded. They’ve got the resumes to prove it.

What we’ve noticed is that all of these efforts haven’t put a dent in drug and alcohol use. SMU students used to choose between partying and studying.

Now they do both. The disconnect between the more academicminded and the party-minded has all but dissolved. The notable increase in SAT scores and grades, while there is no visible decrease in partying proves this.

However, SMU’s efforts have created more responsible students.

Whereas students of the past didn’t always look out for their fellow partiers, today’s students do. Today’s students are also more open about their drug use. Many tell their parents of their activities.

This is certainly a change for the better, and we’ve got to hand it to SMU (as well as parents) for instilling a mentality of responsibility in students’ minds.

But SMU’s drug culture still remains. “Softer” drugs, such as marijuana, are no longer taboo to do or speak about. Rather, it is these that have become commonplace and common parlance.

Four years later, SMU has come a long way. There’s still much to do.

The University should continue to work to lessen the presence of drugs and alcohol (and subsequent abuse of those products).

The University should continue to educate students about personal responsibility and emergency training.

Above all, SMU shouldn’t forget about Stiles, Crist and Bosch.

Their deaths were tragic, and they spoke of a larger problem at this University. The dangers of substance abuse and a culture where drugs are the norm still remain even with a more responsibility-minded student population. These three students should forever remind SMU and its students that this issue has real and tragic consequences.

Four years later, we urge SMU to continue its efforts to change the campus drug culture.

Taylor Adams Adriana Martinez

EDITORIAL BOARD Meredith Shamburger Jessica Huseman

Sarah Kramer Ashley Withers

Opinions expressed in each unsigned editorial represent a consensus decision of the editorial board. All other columns on this page reflect the views of individual authors and not necessarily those of the editorial staff.

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Submissions must be in either text format (.txt) or rich text format (.rtf).

For verification, letters and columns must include the author’s name, signature, major or department, e-mail address and telephone number. The Daily Campus will not print anonymous letters. A photograph will be required to publish columns. The editor reserves the right to edit for length, spelling, grammar and style.

The results of this poll are not scientific and reflect only the views of those who voted online. To take part in future polls, go to smudailycampus.com

CARTOON

WEAPONS IN MEXICO

OPINION

Knowledge for knowledge’s sake is more useful than expected STAFF

A few nights ago, as we got ready to watch “Inception,” my friends Emilee, Jessica and I realized we’re the worst kind of stereotypical Nathaniel French Americans.

The three of us are smart cookies, but we know next to nothing about the rest of the world. We decided to test our knowledge by taking a blank map of Europe and seeing how many of the countries we could name.

Emilee suggested we use the website “Sporcle,” which provides quizzes in all kinds of topics, from literature to entertainment to geography. For the next eight minutes, we rattled off every Slavic republic and land-locked city state we could think of.

We ended up getting 39 of the 47 countries; not bad, perhaps, by American

standards, but somewhere there’s a French guy in a beret shaking a baguette at us in disgust.

Perhaps to make ourselves feel better, we decided to explore “Sporcle” a little more and took the “Harry Potter Name Chain” quiz. We did significantly better on that, although we did get stumped by which Hufflepuff student was petrified by the basilisk (Justin Finch-Fletchley).

And thus began our three hour quiztaking extravaganza.

We spent most of our time in literature. We guessed books by their opening lines, by their main characters and by their covers.

I particularly enjoyed the quiz “Literature FMLs,” which featured such gems as: “Today, I found my girlfriend dead so I poisoned myself. Turns out she was only sleeping” (Romeo and Juliet); “Today, on my 30th birthday, I was arrested. I have no idea what for” (The Trial); and my personal favorite, “Today, I waited to meet someone. He

didn’t come. The same thing happened yesterday. FML” (Waiting for Godot).

Now, I know what you’re thinking— these kids know how to party. But it was actually a surprisingly enjoyable way to spend a Saturday night.

Knowledge is fun. There’s nothing better than having read a great book—except, perhaps, reading a great book—and being able to talk about it with friends. When a clever person on the web has found a way to parody social media at the same time, it’s even better.

So much of our learning as college students is based on utility. It’s about helping us find jobs when we graduate so we can make lots of money and get good health benefits. If we can’t see a concrete use for a fact, we often write it off as a waste of time.

But there’s another side to learning, one that has absolutely no application to the real world. It’s about the excitement you feel when you come across an idiosyncratic fact from history—which,

in the case of my Soviet Revolution class, has far too often included disturbing details about Rasputin’s genitalia.

It’s about making the connection between two seemingly unrelated fields, like when my friend Joseph finds a way to move effortlessly from string theory to classical philosophy. It’s about exploring the world and learning for the sake of learning.

When I graduate, I will know all kinds of things. Many of them, like how to scan a Shakespearean text, I’ll be able to apply directly to my work. But I’ll also know about the giant wart on the end of Rasputin’s penis, which will come in handy only when I’m out with friends at the Ginger Man Pub and have had a pint too many of Old Rasputin Imperial Stout.

True story.

Nathaniel French is a senior theater major. He can be reached for comment at nfrench@smu.edu.

Arts & Entertainment

The Daily Campus

Monday, February 21, 2011 •

MUSIC

5

THEATER

A capella groups grow on campus ‘Memphos!’ makes magic

By MEGHAN SIKKEL Cpntributing Writer msikkel@smu.edu

Lady Gaga. The Beatles. Billy Joel. These are just a few of the many artists performed by SMU’s a cappella groups Southern Gentlemen and the SMU Belle Tones.

“They are ‘a cappella’ groups in the traditional sense,” said Dr. Pamela Elrod, the official faculty advisor for both groups. “Ivy League a cappella groups have existed for decades – it’s a long-standing tradition that is perfectly suited to the talent here at SMU.” The musical groups, which perform only with vocals and without instrumental sound, sing a large variety of music ranging from classical to pop.

“We prefer pop music because it’s better suited for our skills,” senior and Southern Gentlemen founder and director Trey Pratt said .

The all-male group frequently performs a cappella versions of popular songs, including songs like “Yesterday” by The Beatles, “The Longest Time” by Billy Joel and “In the Still of the Night” by the Five Satins.

“With shows like ‘Glee’ and ‘American Idol’ these days, people like the idea of having pop music at events,” Pratt said. “The style of pop music that we perform is interesting and different from what you hear on CDs.” The SMU Belle Tones, an allfemale group, also performs pop music, including the music of artists like Ingrid Michaelson, Lady Gaga, LMNT and The Beatles.

“We usually arrange pop songs that everybody will know,” sophomore Abi Clark, SMU Belle Tones founder and director, said.

According to Clark, the Belle Tones is split about half-and-half between music majors and non-music majors.

“A lot of our girls haven’t had any vocal training,” Clark said. Members include engineering students, biology students and business students.

Southern Gentlemen may even consist of more non-music majors than music majors, according to Pratt.

“That’s actually my favorite thing about the group,” Pratt said. “We have a really large variety of majors.”

Junior environmental engineering major Daniel Shnider joined Southern

By LAUREN SMART A&E Editor lsmart@smu.edu

The Ochre House Theater is once again making theater magic, only this time with a magician on the stage – sort of.

“Memphos!” is the newest creation of this one-of-a-kind theater in Exposition Park and tells the story of a vaudeville act as it tries to survive the rise of new forms of entertainment.

It’s a relevant story as arts organizations around the country try to survive the strains of budget cuts and the absurd humor brings the space to life in a way that the Ochre House has never been before.

The usual crew takes the stage, with artistic director Matt Posey MICHAEL DANSER/ The Daily Campus

Members of the SMU Belltones A Capella group perform the National Anthem at the George W. Bush Presidential Library groundbreaking, Nov. 12, 2010.

Gentlemen because he enjoys singing and entertaining people as an extracurricular outlet.

“Every member has something musical to offer, even though they aren’t necessarily studying music for college credit,” Shnider said.

Junior Steven Robinson, a vocal performance and economics double major, was drawn to Southern Gentlemen, he said, to sing repertoire “that we don’t usually get the opportunity to sing in choir or our normal voice studies.”

Because the groups consist of more than just music majors, members can escape the monotony of structured classes and choirs.

“Music majors get kind of tired of music after a while,” Pratt said. “It’s nice to work with people that like it.”

SMU sophomore and Belle Tones member Laura Smolik shared a similar opinion.

“I love singing, but I’m usually learning and performing opera arias and foreign language art songs,” Smolik said. “Belle Tones offers a fresh and fun way to perform music that people our age are more familiar with and can easily relate to.”

Southern Gentlemen and the Belle Tones perform both on and off campus

at private and public events, such as parties, dinners, and concerts.

One of the most memorable performances for the two groups was singing the U.S. National Anthem at the groundbreaking ceremony for the George W. Bush Presidential Library in November 2010.

“It was fun to see everybody so excited no matter what their political beliefs were or their opinion about President Bush,” Clark said.

“Everyone was so excited to be a part of that history.”

Smolik sang a solo during the national anthem at the groundbreaking ceremony.

“I was so extremely nervous, but I knew that everyone in the group supported me and wanted me to succeed,” Smolik said. “It was such an amazing experience. One that will definitely not be soon forgotten.”

The groundbreaking ceremony was “without a doubt” Southern Gentlemen member junior Matthew Evans’ favorite performance thus far.

“Being invited to sing the national anthem at such a tremendous, nationally-televised event, followed by shaking the former president’s hand was entirely over-the-top,” Evans said.

Dr. Elrod conducted the groups at the ceremony.

“It was so moving. I’ll never forget that moment,” Dr. Elrod said. “I was proud of the singers, and I was proud to be a part of history.”

Upcoming performances by the Belle Tones include “Lunch Belles” every Friday at noon in HughesTrigg Student Center and “Belles are Ringin’,” a winter concert this Friday at noon in Meadows. The group also hopes to have a ‘90s throwback concert this spring.

Southern Gentlemen hopes to perform for sororities during Monday night chapter meetings this semester, along with an annual semester concert.

The Belle Tones will hold auditions sometime next fall, and auditions may also take place sporadically throughout the semester.

Southern Gentlemen holds auditions at the beginning of every semester and may have auditions at the end of this semester for the fall 2011 semester.

The Belle Tones will have their winter concert in the Meadows Atrium on Friday Feb. 25 at 12 p.m.

playing the tired magician, Elizabeth Evans playing his wife/assistant Gigi Lamour and Kevin Grammer as their faithless manager Lou Castor, who is eager to rush off to Hollywood and take Gigi with him.

Trent Stephenson plays “The Impenetrable Leopold” or Lenny, the young assistant to Memphos, who performs various tricks including heavy lifting while dressed as a pygmy with girl’s underwear on his head.

Mitchell Parrack as Mickey Two Soups, the stage manager really does run the light board and Ross Mackey as Charlie B. Sharp creates the music.

If you’re willing to suspend your disbelief and have a theater experience that demands a reaction, this show is for you.

For more information visit, ochrehousetheater.com

FILM

Annual movie slump inspires complaints

By CHASE WADE Assoc. A&E Editor cdwade@smu.edu

Every year, movies cycle into theatres in waves. There are noticeable trends and patterns that have been dictating when and where studios decide to distribute their films for years.

In the summer, studios try to release their glitzy high priced blockbuster hoping to gather huge box office numbers from people trying to escape the heat. In the winter, the studios elect to release the movies they hope will be raking up awards during awards season.

So here we sit, stuck at the end of February, floating around in some cycle-less form of movie releases where we see studios desperately trying to attract any form of audience at all.

Like a trash can, February to

April are hosts to some of the year’s worst movies.

This year, not much is different.

February has been a pretty rough time in terms of movie releases. This month, audiences had to struggle through cinematic catastrophes such as “Sanctum,” and “The Green Hornet.” This week alone, the three films that opened, “Big Mama’s House 3,” “I am Number Four” and “Unknown,” all debuted to less than stellar reviews.

However, as February continues to be a dumping ground for the following weeks, don’t expect it to provide much solace.

March openings include the already cheesy looking “Beastly” and “Mars Needs Moms.”

Even though the next two months may not be something to look forward to, in terms of film, the summer is looking to be quite promising.

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Sudoku

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02/21/11

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ACROSS 1 Grew older 5 American __: Pacific territory 10 Employee protection org.

14 Chore list heading 15 Old Geo model 16 Carrot or turnip 17 Legendary spring that creates spring chickens?

20 Garment border 21 “I’ll treat!”

22 Three, in Turin 23 College concentration 26 Pungent salad green 27 Mighty long time 28 Stat for Mariano Rivera 29 CEO’s degree 31 Ford classics 33 Carvey of “Wayne’s World” 35 Karaoke singer, usually 38 Grammy revoked from Milli Vanilli 42 Polite “Ready to go?”

43 Linger in the tub 45 Start to melt 48 Bordeaux brushoff 50 Paranormal showman Geller 51 “Fresh Air” airer 52 Rear end 55 Political aficionado’s station 57 Absorbed, as a cost 58 Circular cookie 59 Stable tidbit 60 Portland Trail Blazers’ home 66 Good fortune 67 Cursor controller 68 Diabolical 69 Fawn’s father 70 Campfire remains 71 Name that can precede the first word of 17-, 38or 60-Across DOWN 1 DOJ division 2 Bit of baby babble

For solutions to our Sodoku puzzles, checkout our website at www.smudailycampus.com/puzzles. © 2011 Michael Mepham. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

By

3 Academic URL ender 4 Hawaiian who sang “Pearly Shells” 5 Inbox junk 6 Magnate Onassis 7 23-Across opposite 8 Atmospheric layer 9 Car sound system 10 El Dorado gold 11 Justice replaced

by Sotomayor 12 Souped-up ride 13 Aegean capital 18 Time in office 19 “I agree, however ...’’

23 __ school 24 Part of U.A.E. 25 Dick’s storybook partner 26 Caravan creature 30 Girl group with the 1986 #1 hit “Venus” 32 Spring blossom 34 Admin. aide 36 Pointy tool 37 Like a lion’s coat 39 It “comes on little cat feet,” in a Sandburg poem

2/21/11 Friday’s Puzzle Solved

(c)2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

40 Campbell’s product 41 Fictional plantation 44 Reunion group 45 Entangles 46 Decline to participate 47 Grapefruitflavored diet drink 49 Academic sports org.

53 Detective Wolfe and an emperor 54 “Obviously!”

56 Throat bacteria 59 Tip jar bills 61 Heart test letters 62 Suffix with Canton 63 Anticipatory time 64 Trivial point 65 Drink by a dartboard

Can’t wait until tomorrow for Crossword solutions?

For solutions to our Crossword puzzles now, checkout our website at www.smudailycampus.com.

6

• Monday, February 21, 2011

HABITAT:

SMU chapter building for Dallas communities CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Christ, and faculty advisor Doug Reinelt, the chapter focuses on gathering volunteers to help build houses.

The development coordinator for Habitat and SMU alumna, Channing Cass, believes there is a specific desire for the construction of homes.

Nelson said, “These families are very deserving, hard-working people.”

As part of what they call the “SMU Blitz Build” in south Dallas, the SMU chapter has taken on the challenge of building two complete homes in only two weeks.

Their next step is to continue working with HPUMC and continue building two to three homes per school year and begin fundraising for a build in Costa Rica this May. Nelson believes it is important for SMU students to get involved.

“It is important to understand that the community stretches much farther then just a two or so mile radius. All of us here at SMU have so much to offer and be thankful for, so it is important for everyone to see how lucky we really are,” he said.

The SMU chapter is in action building homes for families in places that Nelson describes as “areas that students and faculty would not normally drive to and spend time in.”

SMU’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity’s next event is this Wednesday.

Students who are over 21 can donate 10 dollars and participate in the “Hammered for Habitat” at M Street Bar.

News

The Daily Campus

WEBSITE: Professors think ratings hinder student learning CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

students search for the wrong qualities in a course. Rather than utilizing difficult and rigorous professors, students may choose a professor who received a five on the easy scale.

Many professors feel that this does not render the quality learning experience parent’s pay thousands of dollars for.

Some students look for professors who rate highly in the easiness category, while others base their opinions solely on the comments posted by other students.

“It is the comments, not the ratings, that I feel really offer the best individual input on each prospective professor,” sophomore Bryce Johnson said.

Since its creation in 1999, RateMyProfessors.com has received over 11 million ratings. SMU’s page has 724 professors listed, each with an average of seven ratings or comments.

For professors who do not receive high scores it can be somewhat

daunting.

“A lot of people who have left feedback for me are actually very disgruntled,” English professor Pauline Newton said.

For many professors the idea of being rated and reviewed on a public site is discerning.

Students say harsh things on this site ranging from name calling to paragraph length rants about a particularly “horrible” experience.

“I look for a professor who keeps the class entertaining and interesting,” junior Summer Davidson said.

Today people are used to quick, accurate answers and when searching for them they tend to go directly to the Internet.

As with any site, students must learn how to dissect the information and separate truth from banter.

“Consider the responses, but take them with a grain of salt. Notice if the evaluations seem carefully composed or hastily written,” Newton said.

R2B2: Dance teams compete during 6th annual event CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Trigg Burrage did a great job as emcee.

All in all, just a fantastic show,” junior Alex Ehmke said.

The show consisted of two types of Indian dance. Raas is a dance that originated from the state of Gujurat, India, involving dancing with sticks called Dandiyas. A Bhangra is a type of dance originating in Punjab, India.

The teams that make it to the competition go through an application process involving audition videos that are ranked by Program Council. There were 30 to 40 teams that applied to R2B2.

The 12 teams that made the cut came from many different universities to compete. The teams practice around

three hours a day all year and travel around the country to compete at dozens of other Indian dance competitions.

The teams are judged on formations, choreography, stage presents, facial expressions and innovation.

The University of Texas team came in first place followed by Washington University in second for the Raas category. In the Bhangra section, Michigan State University took home first followed by the University of Michigan.

Each first place team received $1,500 and each second place team won $1,000.

“I think we are so lucky to have these different wonderful cultural events available, free to our students,” said junior Seth Dennis

Photo Courtesy of Ron Jenkins

SMU Guildhall graduate students, Evan Skarin (from left) Michelle Hayden, John Bevis, Brandon Stephens, William Swannack, and Wayland Fong receive the Indie Game Challenge award for their video game, “Inertia,” on Jan. 20.

GUILDHALL: Team surprised by win CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

said.

According to Stephens, Team Hermes had to develop Inertia along “with a full work load from other classes.”

“We expected to get to semifinals, even the finals, and use that as a good point on our resumes. I don’t think any of us was shooting for the grand prize,” Simo said.

Inertia won the Non-Professional Grand Prize of $100,000, Gamers’ Choice Award (voted on by the

public), Achievement in Gameplay and in Technical Achievement.

C. Brandon Stephens explained the structure of the Team Hermes as “a conjunction of two teams.”

Evan Skarin was team leader and was also a part of art. Wayland Fong and William Swannick were responsible for programming, John Bevis was the sound engineer and Michelle Hayden was leader of art design. Skarin, Fong, and Bevis all also worked on level design.

Team productions was responsible

for creating six news levels and two new game modes for the XBOX Live Indie version of Inertia. Stephens was executive producer, McCrimmons was producer and Simo was programmer.

The Guildhall is ranked as the premier video game design school in the nation. Team Hermes’ victory only furthers its stellar reputation.

“We want to be the Harvard Medical School of video games,” Jenkins said.

The Guildhall at SMU is located on the SMU-in-Plano campus.

CAMPUS CULTURE

Students share how they balance school and work

By KATE GARDNER Contributing Writer kateg@smu.edu

Traditionally known for its wealthy student body, SMU is gradually seeing more working students come through its doors.

With high expectations from professors and employers, striking the balance between being a “good student” and a “good employee” often forces students to make some decisions when it comes to dividing time between the two.

Whether students seek employment to pay tuition costs, cover living expenses or simply to make some extra spending money, having a job while attending classes offers its own unique set of challenges, as senior Adrian Hilliard knows all too well.

As a model with the Kim Dawson Agency located here in Dallas, Hilliard has neither a set schedule nor income. Working in a freelance profession, jobs come up sporadically and can last from a couple hours to a few days.

“Such short notice makes it difficult to speak to professors in advance and to gauge whether or not you can afford to miss a particular class,” she said.

In past semesters, Hilliard has attempted to plan classes so that she has at least one day off from school per week, but was unable to do so due to class availability.

She does not believe that work

should count as an excused absence from school, as it is the student’s responsibility to determine whether he or she can miss a class.

“I think most professors want to support their students’ pursuits outside of school, but feel conflicted to make exceptions because of the school’s absence policy,” she said.

International relations professor Dr. Chelsea Brown agrees that while teachers are understanding of the occasional absence, she believes it is important for students to prioritize.

“I strongly feel that part of the university experience is learning to be selfmotivated and self-disciplined,” she said.

“If work is a higher priority than school, that’s fine, but there is still a consequence for that order of priorities.”

Although Dr. Brown does not adhere to a strict attendance policy herself, she notes that the students who succeed in her classes typically have better attendance.

“If students don’t want to participate, then they need to think about why they are enrolled at a university in the first place,” she said.

Junior Wendy Blackburn works both on and off campus. Blackburn regularly works at the Meadows Box Office and in the theater’s costume shop, but also works occasional shifts at a restaurant in Cedar Hill where she lives, which is 30 minutes away from campus.

Taking 18 hours this semester, she enjoys working on campus due to the flexibility it affords her already busy schedule as a double major in theater and creative advertising.

“I can work between classes for an hour or so and that is ok with my bosses,” she said.

Juggling school and work certainly presents obstacles, but just trying to find a job for students like Binit Jaiswal can prove equally as challenging at times.

A second-year graduate student from India, Jaiswal is already limited to working jobs solely on campus, due to his status as an international student in the United States.

“In the beginning, I found it difficult,” he said, referencing his job search.

After a year of pursuing job openings, Jaiswal finally found work in Fondren Library processing periodicals. A friend who previously held the position wrote his recommendation.

“It’s important to make your network here so that you can find a job,” he said.

Student Employment Coordinator Meredith Dawson frequently assists students with their on-campus job search.

Dawson reports that there are currently about 1,350 active student jobs held throughout the university, with roughly 130 students working more than one job.

She emphasizes the need for teamwork between students and the university, wanting to give students the opportunity to gain real job experience, but still focus on school as their number one priority.

“It’s kind of a balancing act.

Encouraging students to work and participate, but not to over commit,” she said.