October 8, 2012

NDSU Ignites Kiln Inaugural fire of wood kiln lit at Renaissance Hall Page 4 MONDAY

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OCTOBER 8, 2012

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Center for Creativity Art center opens to F-M community Page 6

SERVING NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1896

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VOL 116 ISSUE 12

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NDSU Defeats YSU in a Blowout...Page 11

Homecoming Success Bresciani Addresses Students, Faculty and Community

Above: Homecoming King, Courtland Miller, and homecoming Queen, Alyssa Lipsea sit at their thrones during the Blue Key Homecoming Show Below: Delta Tau Delta fraternity celebrates its win taking both the People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice awards.

Mataya Armstrong | The Spectrum

NDSU President Dean Bresciani gave the annual State of the University Address Thursday in Festival Concert Hall.

Blue Key Homecoming Show Presents NDSU Student Organization’s Talent

Show crowns homecoming king and queen

Contributing Writer

INDEX

Blue Key’s annual homecoming talent show entertained the crowd at Festival Concert Hall Friday. The theme for this year’s show was ‘Remember the Bison.’

The show featured everything from guys dressed as cheerleaders to a cow, Mr..

Rodgers, flash mobs, a Hip Hop performance of ‘dance through the decades’ and more.

Delta Tau Delta fraternity won both the People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice awards.

The men put on a hilarious performance to Rihanna’s “Where Have You Been,” then proceeded to dance to the latest new dance craze, “Gangnam

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NDSU President Dean Bresciani gave a positive speech for the annual State of the University Address Thursday.

Bresciani spoke of four future commitments of NDSU: to advance higher ranks for our school, better retain graduate time and get jobs right after college, increasingly draw new talent on a long term basis and to contribute to be an economic engine.

“Our university’s graduates, whether from North Dakota or beyond, are increasingly staying in the state to be the foundation of the future,” Bresciani said.

“Enriching North Dakota in ways people could have never have imagined.”

Bresciani spoke of NDSU’s past accomplishments, as well as

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Meaghan Tobin

Style.”

The men and women of Kappa Delta and Theta Chi won the SPAM award for their “Remember the Titans” flash mob performance.

The MC’s kept everyone laughing throughout the show, while the marching band got everyone pepped up. The talent show illustrated school pride and was aimed at pepping students for the football game on Saturday against Youngstown State.

After the talent show, the homecoming coronation took place. The 2012 homecoming candidates were announced, and then the king and queen, who were voted for by students, were named.

The 2012 homecoming queen title went to Alyssa Lipsiea, and the homecoming king went to Courtland Miller.

Contributing Writer

innovative ideas that head the University into the future.

Bresciani went on to notably mention some new developments and improvements for NDSU. He announced that NDSU is now honored to present the Music Department as the School of Music. This makes NDSU the 49th school in the nation to be accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. Students can now receive a doctorate in conducting.

Thanks to the generosity of the Katherine Kilbourne Burgum Leadership Fund, Bresciani also announced the receiver of the Distinguished Professor Award, the highest honor that NDSU awards faculty. Elias Elias of the department of plant science was awarded this honor.

“Dr. Elias’ scholarly accomplishments and contributions to some of

Pinterest Interest: Pumpkin Spice Pecan Muffins

Page 8

the most pressing needs of our state, nation and increasingly the world define this recognition, which he so richly deserves,” Bresciani said.

This year also marks the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Land Grant Act. The act granted each eligible state 30,000 acres of federal land.

This act allowed colleges to teach and help students better learn in departments like agriculture and mechanical arts. Justin Smith Morrill authored the act in 1862 and it was then passed and signed by Abraham Lincoln. “[The act] wisely envisioned a well-rounded higher class education,” Bresciani said.

President Bresciani mentioned how NDSU and North Dakota are “increasingly one of the most vibrant, healthy, exciting economies in the nation.” NDSU has a cumulative student body of 17,000 and is ranked

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in the top 2 percent of all public and private schools.

“We are a lean, mean scholarship machine,” Bresciani said.

Bresciani said people are recognizing the stability of North Dakota; they see it more as a home instead of just a place to pass through.

“We are unique. We are and remain committed to students and citizens,” he stated.

Bresciani ended his speech with a challenging question asking current NDSU students to invest for their generation and generations to come.

“What if our grandparents and parents had not invested in our futures?” he asked.

The NDSU Concert Choir concluded the event by singing The Yellow and the Green.

The speech can be found online at www. ndsu.edu/president/ speeches/.

• “Pink Out” • Bras on Broadway • Cupcakes for a Cure

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Monday, October 8, 2012 | The Spectrum

News

Josie Tafelmeyer Head-News Editor Phone: 701.231.7414 | Email: co.news@ndsuspectrum.com

Mental Health NDSU NDSU Alumni Center NDSU Counseling Center offers events Celebrates Donation for Mental Illness Awareness Week Hannah Dillon Staff Writer Mental Health NDSU is gearing up for its second year of classes, presentations and screenings. These events coincide with Mental Illness Awareness Week, an ideology of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

The U.S. Congress declared the first full week in October to be dedicated to mental illness awareness in recognition of N.A.M.I’s efforts.

Mental Health NDSU features events to help students, faculty and staff learn how to handle things like stress and depression, also featuring a national screening event.

The Counseling Center will give tours of their facility from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday in Ceres 212.

Bill Burns, director of the Counseling Center, said that the center has been remodeled recently, and that this is a good chance for students to check out the facilities.

Burns also said Brinkley, the center’s therapy dog, will visit.

The center will host a DeStress Fest from 3 to 5

p.m. on Wednesday in the Wellness Center. Burns said that there were more DeStress Fests during last year’s event, but decided to narrow down and only offer one this year.

At the DeStress Fest, students can come to learn ways to handle and dispel their stress. Handouts and other resources will be available as well.

Three or four therapy dogs from the area will also be present at the DeStress Fest.

On Thursday and Friday, the center will hold multiple depression screenings.

Depression screenings are held annually across the nation during Mental Illness Awareness week, and Burns said that NDSU has participated since their initiation in 1991.

On Thursday, screenings will be offered in the following places: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Memorial Union between the Student Activities Office and Student Government Office; 3 to 5 p.m. in the Wellness Center; and 3 to 5 p.m. in the ACE Tutoring Center.

On Friday, there will be one screening offered from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Barry Hall Atrium.

The screening gives students a measure of how

depressed they are feeling at that moment. If a student scores exceptionally high on the screening, a counselor will sit down and talk with them about options for dealing with depression.

All students, faculty and staff are welcome to attend all three of these events.

If anyone feels uncomfortable with the group-like setting of Mental Health NDSU but is interested in what the Counseling Center offers, they are welcome to contact the center to set up an initial assessment with a counselor.

The Counseling Center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday.

The center has eight fulltime counselors and seven graduate students on staff.

A psychiatrist also visits the center two days a month and is available to students for a subsidized fee.

The center offers many counseling programs for singles, groups or couples and there are no session limits at this time.

For more information about the Counseling Center and Mental Health NDSU, visit http://www.ndsu.edu/ counseling/.

Center dedicates building in honor of $1 million donation Emilee Ruhland Contributing Writer The NDSU Alumni Center celebrated a donation to the Development Foundation with an open house Saturday morning.

Alumnus Harry D. McGovern donated $1 million, and the Alumni Center building was dedicated to him to recognize the generous donation. The event ran most of the morning and was open to students, alumni and friends.

The Harry D. McGovern Alumni Center will be a reminder of McGovern’s gift and his philanthropy for cur-

rent students, alumni and the community.

The Center is a “welcome place, a gathering place for alumni and friends and an excellent environment in which to conduct the business of the foundation and the association,” Development Foundation Board President Jonal Uglem said.

McGovern graduated from NDSU in 1966 and is now a co-owner of MCM Construction Inc. “NDSU was perfect for me and will always be remembered as four of the best years of my life,” McGovern said according to a University Relations press release.

McGovern said he has great pride for the NDSU. The dedication took place

outside the center, where McGovern spoke about his experiences. McGovern said that even though his company is based out of California, his “heart is still with North Dakota, and with North Dakota State.”

After the dedication, students and alumni sang The Yellow and Green.

Then the audience was invited into the center for refreshments. The band played and the Yell Team Leaders welcomed McGovern into the center before the rest of the crowd made their way inside.

The Alumni Center is used by many members of the community and campus, as well as alumni for their events.

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Romney and Obama Go Head to Head 1st Presidential debate illustrates contrast between 2 candidates Grant Johnson Contributing Writer Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama went headto-head for the first time Wednesday in Denver, Colo.

The night progressed quickly from greetings and Romney’s congratulations of Obama’s 20th wedding anniversary to big questions about the economy.

Taxes, education, energy, deficit reduction, small businesses, regulations, healthcare and social security were hot button topics. Both candidates pointed out the differences in each other’s strategies.

On the subject of taxes, both candidates presented points that they thought would help strengthen the middle class. For example,

such as wind and sun. Both agreed that energy independence is important, but their views on how to achieve this goal are very different.

Much time in the debate was spent discussing how to create private sector jobs. Small business was deemed the workhorse in getting America back on track. This led to discussion about current regulations for businesses and how they can make the small business field attractive to more people.

Healthcare was another topic that got some attention by each candidate. Romney said he would like to “repeal Obamacare” and to enact a healthcare reform of his own. Obama defended and explained his healthcare reform that was upheld this summer by the Supreme Court.

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Romney favors tax cuts across the board and Obama would like to raise taxes on higher income individuals.

One thing the candidates agreed on was getting America’s schools back on top. However, the ways of getting to that point where clearly opposite.

Obama plans to hire “100,000 more teachers,” he said during the debate.

Romney would like to open up restrictions on schools so that parents can decide to enroll their child in a school of their choosing.

Obama and Romney also discussed energy policies. Romney stated clearly that he would open up more public lands for oil exploration, build the pipeline from Canada to the Gulf, and drill more in Alaska. Obama said that he would like to invest more in green technologies

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Please limit letters to 500 words. Letters will be edited for clarity. They should include the writer’s name, telephone number, major and year in school.

Social security, Medicaid and Medicare were also discussed. Obama and Romney both plan on changing the way these systems work.

Obama and Romney are creating a clear contrast for this November at the election booth. Both have big

dreams for America but different ways of approaching them.

The next debates take place Oct. 11 with the vice president candidates; Oct. 16 with presidential candidates in a town hall setting talking about foreign and

domestic policy; and Oct. 22 with presidential candidates talking about foreign policy. All debates start at 8 p.m. central time and can be viewed on any news channel.

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Monday, October 8, 2012 | The Spectrum Larisa Bosserman Co-News Editor Phone: 701.231.7414 | Email: co.news1@ndsuspectrum.com

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Monday, October 8, 2012 | The Spectrum

Features

Jaime Jarmin Features Editor Phone: 701.231.5262 | Email: features@ndsuspectrum.com

NDSU Ignites a New Light for Art Yasser Shaikh Staff Writer

With so much happening in the art community around town, NDSU was not far behind in contributing to the scene. Wednesday marked a new chapter in the history of NDSU as the inaugural fire of the wood kiln was lit at Renaissance Hall.

After eight years of laborious efforts and months of ingenious designing, NDSU now has a wood kiln at their art building. Although this is not the first time the art department has had a wood kiln for firing pottery, the latest installation is better than any of the wood kilns around and has been custom designed by two faculty members from the Department of Visual Arts, David G. Swenson and Daniel Wade Siverson.

The wood kiln is large enough to fire a couple thousand pieces at one time.

Although wood kilns have been used since an-

cient ages, this kiln attempts to overcome the difficulties posed by conventional design. Associate Professor David Swenson explained, “The older kiln had less wide bricks, but this has much thicker bricks. Also, the door has been custom-made and made of strong refractory cast material.”

The wide opening of the kiln facilitates firing of larger pieces. Because the opening was so wide, the door had to be made larger than usual.

David and Daniel designed the door by themselves, too.

When asked about the funding for this kiln, David said, “It was not an easy task, because a kiln so large was going to cost us a lot. But when Michael Strand became the department head, he realized that this was a necessary expense.”

Glazing of fired works requires three components: glass former, flux and sticker. The most common problem in a wooden kiln is the glazing of the pottery, as the ash from the wood hinders the binding of the glaze. But in this kiln, the ash from the

Mataya Armstrong | The Spectrum

wood is used as a flux, which solves the problem.

The kiln was fired at 5 p.m. on Wednesday and the first cycle would be completed by Sunday.

This kiln was tested out in June for the first time. David joked, “It was middle of June and not the right time we would want to be around a 2300-degree Fahrenheit kiln. But we are glad everything worked out perfectly.”

This kiln is not only for the NDSU students, but also for freelance and other artists. “The artists can have their works fired here at NDSU kiln for a reasonable fee,” David added.

Meg Roberts, an NDSU graduate in arts who turned down offers from a number of science and math colleges to study art, was very excited about the kiln inauguration.

“The art students will now

have one more skill they can learn. We have all the modern methods to fire pottery, but the conventional method has its advantages and it will be great if students got a wider exposure,” she said.

The artists around town are happy that art is getting recognition that it deserves in the modern society. It has taken a lot of time and effort and the change is only small yet substantial, but art is no

longer just a hobby; in fact it is fast-growing to become a competitive profession.

“In years to come, I would not be surprised if art gains more momentum as it is already being included at a more basic level in our education system,” Meg concluded.

PINTEREST INTEREST

Cooking Corner: Pumpkin Spice Pecan Muffins Jaime Jarmin Features Editor

Fall is the time for pumpkins to parade around in their orange glory. Art is created with them, food is baked with them and drinks are drunk with them.

For this week’s “Pinterest Interest” column, we pinned two different recipes involving pumpkin on our Pinterest page.

The “Pumpkin Muffins” recipe came from a blog called “100 Days of Real Food” and the “Pumpkin Cupcakes” came from the blog “Everybody Loves Raymond … And Kat.” These pumpkin muffins combine ingredients from both recipes mentioned above that will form a fall frenzy in your mouth.

In addition to filling the fall void that we have been waiting for all year, these muffins are also healthier than the average pumpkin muffins.

Mataya Armstrong | The Spectrum

Just in time for fall, these pumpkin spice muffins are fairly simple to bake and are made with healthier ingredients including whole-wheat flour instead of regular bleached flour, and natural honey instead of sugar.

The reason they are healthier is because the recipe calls for honey instead of granulated sugar, coconut oil instead of vegetable oil and whole-wheat flour instead of bleached white flour.

The original recipe also called for 1/2 cup of coconut oil, but I found that the

muffins didn’t need the extra oil. Therefore, I cut the oil amount down to 1/4 cup.

The sugar-crusted pecan topping was not necessary, however, I felt like the muffins needed some extra texture. Therefore, I found the sugar-crusted pecan recipe on the “Pumpkin Cupcakes”

follow the herd. @NDSUSpectrum Good for you . . . Good for your community!

Flu season is here. Getting a flu shot early is the best thing you can do to protect yourself and others.

FLU SHOT CLINIC Thursday, October 11 9:30 am —3:30 pm Prairie Rose Room, MU

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Check or cash ( exact amount appreciated).

Student charge may be billed to student account.

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pin to be a great addition without being quite as heavy as a frosting or glaze.

Here are the simple steps toward making this fun fall muffin.

Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the paper muffin cups into the muffin

pan.

In the meantime, you may whisk together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Once they are thoroughly mixed, create a hole in the mixture and add in your honey, oil, eggs and vanilla.

Do not over mix -- this will make your muffins tough.

Finally, fold in the pumpkin puree. Once that is finished, fill each muffin cup 3/4 of the way full.

For the sugar-crusted pecan topping, melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl.

Add the pecans. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Once mixed, combine the ingredients together.

Place the coated pecans on a paper plate evenly spread out. Next, microwave for 45 seconds, and once they are finished in the microwave, simply sprinkle the mixture on each muffin.

Bake for roughly 18-20 minutes. Check for doneness by poking a toothpick in the center of each muffin and making sure it comes out clean.

This recipe should yield

almost exactly a dozen muffins. Each muffin will contain around 250-300 calories, less if you substitute coconut oil for vegetable oil.

SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate What you will need: 12 paper muffin cups 1 paper plate 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup honey 1/4 cup coconut oil (or vegetable oil if you don’t have coconut oil) 2 eggs 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup canned pumpkin puree Sugar-crusted pecan topping: 1/4 cup crushed pecans (optional) 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter 1/8 cup granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon A pinch of ground nutmeg

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Monday, October 8, 2012 | The Spectrum Jaime Jarmin Features Editor Phone: 701.231.5262 | Email: features@ndsuspectrum.com

Features

International Perspective: Greek Life welcomes international herd Yasser Shaikh Staff Writer

After being formally inducted as a staff writer at The Spectrum, I realized how cool my job is. With my work at this newspaper, I have had the chance to meet some of the most creative and thoughtful minds in Fargo; both on and off campus, and yes that surely includes my co-workers at The Spectrum.

And just when I thought I would run out of topics to write, I met the coolest bunch down here -- the Greeks.

I am of course talking about the various fraternities and sororities at NDSU. My first exposure to the Greek Life of American colleges was obviously through Hollywood films and other media that I came across while in my home country.

And it was not the least bit encouraging, but now as I prepare to join the ranks of the frat boys, I am proud of it. Also, I realize how wrong I was in judging them.

Fraternities and sororities, which form such an integral part of American campuses, have always been portrayed in a negative light.

I remember my parents warning me against ever stepping into any fraternity house, but I am a curious cat by nature. And I am so glad I let my curiosity overwhelm me this time too.

With just 12 fraternities and three sororities, the Greek life at NDSU is not very big, but the activities

they are involved in are really huge and fun. And I’m talking about being involved in raising money for philanthropic activities.

I know that most international students are afraid of hazing in fraternity or sorority houses, but that is not the case here. Sigma Alpha Epsilon President Thomas Brown said, “Hazing is strictly not tolerated in the fraternity house or by any fraternity member. Any reports of involvement in such activities will have serious consequences.”

Although there have been incidents in the distant past at other universities, with stricter state and federal laws, there have been no reports of any form of hazing on this campus.

In fact, Thomas informs that, “The whole chapter of a fraternity in a southern state was shut down not too long ago, because one person got reported for hazing.”

The feeling of brotherhood promoted at all fraternities is universal. Jeremy Ahlers, Vice President (External Relations) of Delta Upsilon said that, “Being in a fraternity means having someone to watch your back at all times. It’s like having an elder brother away from home.”

These brothers not only take care of keeping your studies on track, but also help you out when you graduate. It is fairly easy to land a job or that wonderful internship if you have an alumnus from your fraternity to vouch for you.

Tyler Turgeon-Schramm, Vice President of Tau Kappa Epsilon, states that, “Alumni

are the backing of fraternities. It is amazing how they take time out of their busy lives to help fellow brothers. This just makes it much easier for us to face the real world when we get out of school.”

When asked what the responsibilities are of a fraternity member, Erik Schwarzkopf of Delta Upsilon said, “One must first be a responsible human being, manage to keep good grades, participate in the development of the fraternity and the community.”

All fraternities and sororities-- except for three-are open to students of all majors. Sororities at NDSU are only three in number, but they are not too far behind.

Natalie Schlagel, who is the Vice President of Finance of Alpha Gamma Delta, says that the sororities may be in lesser numbers, but total membership in the three sororities is almost as much as the number of boys in fraternities. These Greek houses participate in raising awareness and money about different issues plaguing the society today, from medical to social causes.

With all said and done, we must not forget that parents of international students are often worried about the apparent boozing and smoking rampant in fraternity buildings.

When confronted about this, Macy Royston, a member of Alpha Gamma Delta assures that, “Alcohol and tobacco use is strictly prohibited on most fraternity premises.”

M

eMe

Chapter 1: The Rising Yasser Shaikh Staff Writer

Yasser Shaikh, a senior majoring in biotechnology, will provide The Spectrum with a chapter from his fiction story that depicts the life of a college senior law student who happens to get involved in a Mexican mafia drug cartel and soon finds himself running from the cops. This is chapter one, “The Rising.”

Chapter 1 Born in the family of a gunsmith, Mario Ramirez was never afraid of guns. He spent his childhood, and the later years, looking down corroded and jammed barrels of AK-47s and Beretta 93Rs. Except for one occasion, where the residual gunpowder combusted and burnt his hair, Mario was never scared viewing through a barrel.

But this was different. He was looking down the barrel of a Glock 18, but he was not cleaning it this time. Rather, it was about to clean him off.

The man holding the gun was a friend. But that didn’t do anything to alleviate his anxiety. The El Salvadorian asked him in a rough tone, “I will ask you one last time Mario, quien mató a mi hermano? Who killed my brother? Say it!”

Mario was already saying his prayers. He couldn’t tell

even if he knew the name of the person. “I dont know. Lo juro por mi madre. You have to believe me amigo.”

But Eduardo was not taking no for an answer. His brother Edmundo was killed last night. And he knew it had to do something with the Mafia. He had seen the pictures of the Black Hand tattoo on the back of his brother’s lifeless body. It was flashed over the news. It was a deshonra for his family. And Eduardo decided to take revenge.

The last person to have seen his brother was Mario, who was Edmundo’s boss and friend of two years. Ever since he had sneaked into the land of América. And Eduardo, better known as the killing machine-máquina de matar-amongst his friends, knew that Mario was privy to something he was not telling. But Mario knew he would be in trouble if he spoke anything against the dreaded eMe. If he did not speak Eduardo would only kill him, but if he did pass out a word against the Mafia, his family would be killed, his daughters raped and his sons castrated. He would trade his life anytime for the safety of his family. It was the Hispanic Code, “familia es lo primero”- family came first.

Ed knew that Mario would not say anything. But he wanted to send a message to the people who had

taken his brother away. He pulled the trigger on his silenced pistol twice in a row.

And in a matter of seconds, Mario was dead. “Que tenga paz” he muttered under his breath, as if he had just killed a priest. He then tore a sheaf of page from the register at the counter and wrote in Mario’s blood, “Yo te encontraré. ¡Hijo de puta!”

This was a strong enough message, he thought. He sneaked out the back door and by the time he reached Flatbush Avenue Subway Station, the body was found and reported by Mario’s youngest daughter Elvira.

Eduardo huddled in the crowded train and kept his head immersed behind a copy of “El Diario.” There was news about his brother’s death on the front page with a picture of the “M” tattoo on his back. The writer was a Dominican and criticized the Mexicans for shaming the Hispanic community in New York. But Eduardo was least interested in knowing her views about the Hispanic Moral Code.

He got off the train at Bowery a little while later.

He had to make one more stop before he returned to his safe haven in the Bronx. But he was not here to kill anyone. Instead he was here to meet a friend, someone who had been his information network for the past eight years, Sergeant Jim “Ricochet” Hernández.

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She’s setting a new pace for electronics.

Doctoral student Kathryn Mireles seeks new ways to accelerate the electronic devices of the future. Her research could drive a whole new standard of electronics performance.

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Submit your relationship, friendship, or personal problems for another perspective. “The Honest Truth” will take you questions at features@ndsuspectrum.com

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Monday, October 8, 2012 | The Spectrum

Arts & Entertainment

Steven Strom A&E Editor Phone: 701.231.5262 | Email: ae@ndsuspectrum.com

Mataya Armstrong | The Spectrum

Center for Creativity Opens to F-M Public Yasser Shaikh Contributing Writer

Sept. 30 Fargo: It was a wonderful sunny Sunday morning and just about the perfect weather. The huge crowd of merry little kids accompanied by excited parents was a beautiful sight to see near downtown Fargo.

The Plains Art Museum in collaboration with Fargo Public Schools has set up a 25,500 square foot extension for the Center for Creativity.

Rightly named after Katherine Kilbourne Burgum, a pioneering leader, arts advocate and teacher in North Dakota, and former Dean at North Dakota State University, this center was built as an “Art Hub.” Pottery, shirt painting, sketching, tile painting and a lot more activities had the huge mass of K-5 children running around and having fun. Kids took turns at a pottery wheel to design their own personalized clay ice cream bowls and drinking cups. Head of visual arts at North Dakota State University, Professor Mi-

chael J. Strand, conducted a Clay-Karaoke activity where each participant was asked to think of a favorite drink and the shape of the cup they wanted to drink it in. The participant then drew the design and without visual contact guided Michael to shape the clay as close as possible to what they had drawn. Children aged five to ten came up with exotic designs for lemonade and green tea cups.

Upon seeing the variety of shapes that came out on the wheel, Michael said, “I have been an artist for a long time; nonetheless, I

Faith Hill Revives Career with Patriotic New Single Jack Dura Contributing Writer She’s back. That’s right, Faith Hill, the singer who gave us “Breathe” and “This Kiss,” has waltzed back onto the country charts after nearly five years of dormancy.

With her first album of new material in more than seven years due out in the spring of next year, Hill has rejoined the ranks of the women of country music.

Hill conquered the country charts in the 1990s and early 2000s, charting number one singles such as “Wild One” and “The Secret of Life.” Her marriage to fellow country singer Tim McGraw in 1996 won her even more fans and their Soul2Soul II Tour of 2006 became the highest grossing country music tour in history. After eight number one singles, Hill was sitting pretty when she slid out of sight following 2007’s “Red Umbrella.”

“American Heart,” Hill’s first official single off of 2013’s Illusion, debuted at number 57 during the last days of September on country radio across the United States. The song is catchy and cute, but does not compare with Hill’s earlier work, such as “Piece of My Heart” and “It Matters To Me.” It feels like you have heard it before, but in bits and pieces of other songs by other artists. In short, “American Heart” seems a lot like a Reba McEntire anthem with mellowed-down Toby Keith lyrics.

Its lyrics are well written, but are not very original. “It bleeds, it scars/but it shines when times get hard/ You can’t break an American heart.” It all sounds a little too familiar. That’s no big deal for Hill, who is sure to have renewed success after being on an album hiatus since 2005. Other artists like Hill have jolted sleeping careers with a successful single as well. Shania Twain had a Top 40 country hit in the summer of 2011 with

“Today Is Your Day” after lying low for six years.

Undoubtedly, “American Heart” was a smart choice to release as a first single. With the presidential election less than a month away, this song seems like an appropriate anthem for the time. Other singles will no doubt be released in the months leading up to the 2013 release of “Illusion.” One other song on the album, “Come Home,” was performed by Hill at the CMA Awards in November 2011, but did not receive as much attention as “American Heart” has.

Hopefully Hill’s future singles off Illusion will win her over again in the hearts of country music listeners, as the album’s release date looms closer. While it is unlikely she will find as much success as with “Breathe,” one thing is certain: Faith Hill is not done giving us something to listen to, and if the past two decades are any indication, we like what we’ve heard.

could never come up with any of these wonderful designs. He believes that art is the best for of accelerated learning. Michael was grateful to the Plains Art Museum for giving an opportunity to artists. The Center for Creativity is aimed at motivating art and crafts in young students. More than 5000 students from Fargo Schools will visit the museum in this school year. This number is expected to grow to 16,000 in a couple years. The Center for Creativity also looks forward to including Moorhead school kids in these activities.

This project has been in progress for eight years now.

Museum Director Coleen Sheehy said, “The artists in Fargo Moorhead area had been taking art classes in a basement at the Fargo Public Schools, and the space was not enough. The number of students participating in art classes kept growing each year.” The Fargo Public Schools approached the Plains Art Museum and they raised the money from local, national and organizational funding. However, the majority of the funding and planning was contributed by Burgum’s children, Doug,

Barbara and the late Brad Burgum.

Sheehy also said that the Plains Art Museum wishes to hold many art classes in the studios, such as the Ceramic Studio. The Museum will also unveil nine new exhibitions throughout the two buildings and host two in-residence artists throughout October. A lot of parents were very happy. The parent of a nine-year-old girl said, ‘’She is usually so shy and does not talk to anyone she does not know, but look how she is running around making friends and playing.”

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Monday, October 8, 2012 | The Spectrum Steven Strom A&E Editor Phone: 701.231.5262 | Email: ae@ndsuspectrum.com

A&E

Seth MacFarlane ‘FIFA 13’ Breaks Sales Records to Host Academy The fastest selling sports game ever is also the biggest game of 2012 Awards Matt Paulsen Spectrum Staff When it comes time to pick a host for the Academy Awards, being an established actor seems to be part of the criteria. Hosts include names such as Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman and now Seth MacFarlane?

He may not be the most conventional pick, but it was recently announced that Seth MacFarlane will host the 85th Annual Academy Awards.

Most known as the creator of his animated shows on FOX including “Family Guy,” “American Dad” and “The Cleveland Show,” MacFarlane made his first foray into film with “Ted,” the surprise hit of last summer. In the movie, Macfarlane voiced a teddy bear that came to life when John (Mark Wahlberg) was just a kid, and became his best friend for life. The R rated comedy ended up grossing over 217 Million dollars at the box office.

At first glance MacFarlane may seem like an odd selection, but he is known for his impressions and singing voice. One can expect some kind of musical performance that has become more prominent since Hugh Jackman in 2009 and Anne Hathaway in 2011. In this regard, MacFarlane is more than qualified.

Those against MacFarlane will point out that his raunchy brand of humor may not exactly mesh with the more mainstream and primetime focused show. It may be a concern, but it is not the first time the Academy has made a somewhat controversial pick to host the show.

Comic Chris Rock hosted the show in 2005. Rock, best known for his more mature stand up routines ended up

working out in the end.

This will be the second time in three years that the Academy has decided to go for a younger demographic.

In 2010 James Franco and Anne Hathaway hosted the show to middling reviews.

Last year Eddie Murphy was scheduled to host, but dropped out and was replaced with Oscar mainstay Billy Crystal.

The Academy tends to go with established hosts such as Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg and Steve Martin, who have hosted 15 out of the last 23 shows. Three people have hosted about 65 percent of the shows the last two decades. It will be interesting to see if MacFarlane succeeds, whether the Academy will decide to keep going for a younger demographic and branch away from their select list of hosts.

MacFarlane may not have a lot of experience in front of the camera, as most of his work comes behind the scenes creating his animated shows and “Ted,” but he does have some acting experience.

He has appeared in a couple episodes of “Gilmore Girls” in 2003, and two episodes of “Star Trek: Enterprise” in 2005. MacFarlane also hosted “Comedy Central’s Roast of Charlie Sheen,” and was able to get some live hosting experience under his belt last month when he hosted the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live” in what very well could have been an audition for the show.

MacFarlane may seem out of place hosting the Academy Awards, and he may bomb, but at least the Academy is taking a chance and keeping things interesting. To find out for yourself how MacFarlane fares, you can watch the 85th Academy Awards air live Feb. 24, 2013 on ABC.

Steven Strom A&E Editor

“FIFA 13” is officially the fastest selling sports game of all time.

Just five days after the game’s worldwide launch on Sept. 25, Electronic Arts sent out a press release announced that the latest in their line of football simulators had sold 4.5 million copies worldwide. That makes it not only the fastest selling sports video game of all time, but the bestselling video game of any genre in 2012 thus far.

The game was also only

the second video game in history to sell more than a million units in less than 24 hours in the United Kingdom (the first being “Call of Duty”). By shifting 1.26 million copies in less than a day, “FIFA 13” also represented 80 percent of all entertainment software sales amongst the British population. However, it’s not just England that loves its football, as the game was also the number one selling title in more than 40 countries globally.

This handily beats out last year’s model, as the game’s 2012 roster iteration (which was also a recordbreaker at the time) was surpassed in both total units and revenue by 27 and 31 percent.

But the record breaking doesn’t end there. On Sept.

30, “FIFA 13” also became Electronic Arts’ number one title for most concurrent online users. Over 800,000 users played FIFA 13 simultaneously over the weekend.

For reference, Electronic Arts is also the publisher behind such games as “Star Wars: The Old Republic,” “Need for Speed” and “Battlefield 3.” Every game in each of these franchises has just been surpassed in concurrent players by the sports title.

Electronic Arts hasn’t missed out on the significance of these numbers.

“FIFA Soccer 13 is a critical and commercial success unprecedented in sports en-

tertainment,” Andrew Wilson, the head of EA Sports said. “Every minute of every day millions of fans around the world are experiencing what the critics have already said - FIFA Soccer 13 is the biggest and best sports game we have ever created.”

We’ll see if “FIFA 13” can maintain its chart topping spot once “Call of Duty: Black Ops 2” drops next month (it probably won’t) but regardless of whether or not it winds up as the bestselling game of 2012, it will still be a massive achievement for the publisher and a sure sign that people the world over sure love their football.

S.H.I.E.L.D. TV Series in the Works

A Marvel-ous TV series from the writer, director of The Avengers Steven Strom A&E Editor

Hot on the heels of “The Avengers’” success, Disney and Marvel are moving forward with a pilot for a television series based on everyone’s favorite superhero support group and management group, S.H.I.E.L.D. Joss Whedon, the writer and director of this year’s “Avengers” film (as well as the creator of “Firefly,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Cabin in the Woods”) will be co-writing, producing and possibly even directing a TV series based on the popular Marvel intellectual property. This is just one of the results of Whedon’s current deal with Marvel, which ties him to the company exclusively for the next three years. This deal also includes him writing and di- Courtesy of Marvel recting The Avengers 2, as well as overseeing the entire in and fix a problem and then incredibly excited about the than established agents from Marvel Cinematic Universe. leave without obligation. It’s next story that I’m going to the comics. However, it’s Whedon had originally fun! I also love these char- tell. For me, it’s a huge win.” quite unlikely that we won’t This is a huge win for see small-screen versions of expressed some doubt about acters and the Marvel universe, and I grew up reading comic book fans, who are famous characters should the returning to the Marvel films the books, and I’ve been govery likely familiar with show go forward. Instead, so quickly, saying that he ing back and reading the old Whedon’s work.

Not only what’s more likely is that might have wanted to do books and realizing that they does he have a background the series and its characters a self-made project first. shaped my storytelling way in comic books (his run on will be used as a jumping off Clearly, that’s not the case. more than I give them credit “Uncanny X-Men” remains point to get more involved So what made him jump onfor.

Now I’m starting up a one of the best takes on the with minor and major heroes board with Marvel in such a TV show, which is somefranchise), but his work in and villains from the greater big, bad way? thing I really wanted to do, television has made him a comic and film continuity.

In a lengthy quote to mebut I thought it wasn’t going go-to guy concerning nerdy Whatever the case, it dia outlet Vulture, Whedon to be a part of my life for the series. looks like the future of Marexplained. next several years.

It’s like Whedon has since gone vel’s film, and now televi“It was part of what made a tapas menus of projects on to explain that the new sion, franchises are in good it attractive to me. I loved that excite me, in addition to S.H.I.E.L.D. series will hands.

At least for the next the idea of being a consithe Avengers sequel, which probably focus on a cast of three years. gliere. Every writer loves the idea of being able to go I’m excited for because I’m all new characters, rather

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YOU

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Monday, October 8, 2012 | The Spectrum

Opinion

Nathan Stottler Opinion Editor Phone: 701.231.6287 | Email: opinion@ndsuspectrum.com

Seeing the World The Myth of ‘Awareness’

Why don’t you just Enough with the colored ribbons, please leave already?

Opinion Editor

Dear readers, I hope you are all enjoying the flighty autumn weather way up there in North Dakota. As I type this, I am sitting at a sidewalk café on the sunny streets of Old San Juan, on the island of Puerto Rico, and enjoying the steady rays bathing the landscape in fuzzy warm light.

“

“Travelling is one of the greatest experiences you can have as not only a student, but a human being.”

And why am I skipping class and shirking responsibility for a weeklong escape to a tropical paradise, you ask?

Why, for class, say I! Yes, I am fortunate enough to be a student of landscape architecture here at NDSU, which allows me to take a field trip with my classmates each year of my study. Last year we spent a weekend in Chicago, this year it is a week in Puerto Rico. And while we do actually use our time to benefit our education and do a good bit of studying, we also have plenty of time to immerse ourselves in the local culture in a non-educational setting.

I know not everyone can be in a program that is so wonderful about promoting travel. And know, too, that your tuition and fees are not going towards my travels – our own course and program fees cover a portion of our travels, and we use personal money to cover the rest.

And, knowing that it is quite possible for me to pay for a number of wonderful trips over the course of my college career, I have to say that it is entirely possible for every student to do the same.

Travelling is one of the greatest experiences you can have as not only a student, but a human being. Expanding your worldview to encompass as many cultures, landscapes, and peoples as possible can serve you in so many ways.

Travel does not have to be an elitist luxury. In fact, your college years may be the best opportunity you ever have to do extensive – or any – travelling, despite the fact that we essential have no money to our names. If you wait until you have a career and money

“Miss Adventure”

TESSA TORGESON Staff Writer

Two weeks ago, I was imbibing in a greasy burger and fries at the bastion of fast food empires. I noticed a little placard decorating the otherwise sterile, white table. The placard read, “Team McDonald’s: Celebrating together. This week, during National People Week, we say “Thank you” to our employees.”

I started laughing, wondering if it was a joke. It seems downright humorous that ”people” need a week dedicated to them and need reminders of their existence complete with a placard, banners, a week and even the McDonald’s website promising employee appreciation. The website encourages patrons to thank employees, complete with a bad pun: “We call it Mission McPossible!”

I’m guessing that Mission McPossible was conceived by some well-intentioned corporate executive stroking his beard, thinking we must find a way to tame our masses before there is a revolt! After all, McDonald’s empire is right up there with Wal-Mart in complaints about poor treatment of their employees and low wages.

“Aha!” corporate executive said, “Instead of raising wages or providing bonuses, we will christen a week

GOOD HUMOR

“A Thought Less Traveled”

NATHAN STOTTLER

to pay for your travel, there are many more responsibilities around to inhibit any travel aspirations you may have. A spouse, children, and – don’t forget – your big-kid job can all get in the way of travel dreams.

Besides, if you plan your trips wisely, and do not mind giving up a few creature comforts here and there, you can take some fabulous trips on a fairly small budget.

Setting up a savings plan is all it takes to get started travelling. Of course, you must have income in order to save money. It may be miserable having a job without a degree, but it is a sacrifice definitely worth making in order to save up money for travelling.

And if you want to make a more significant excursion, say a semester or summer program abroad, taking out a student loan to pay for it is totally justifiable. You will have a job in the future that can help you pay off those loans, and I think you may find that your experience abroad is worth far more than the monetary cost you pay. Not only will you have the time of your life, you will make new friends, forge new connections, create new memories, and – if you are lucky – maybe even grow as a person.

Finally, any amount of travel or foreign study looks fabulous on a resume. Employers love applicants who are open to working with diverse groups of people and have immersed themselves in various cultures.

My absolute favorite part of travel, however, has nothing to do with such tangibles.

No, my wanderlust is born from something entirely untouchable: the thrill of going, of seeing, of doing and of being in a place I am completely new to. The sensation of stepping off a train or airplane in a new city and venturing forth into a society and landscape that I have never explored is unlike any other to be had the world over. The thrill of travel is to me what cocaine is to Charlie Sheen. I just can’t get enough.

Well, it’s getting a tad warmish sitting here in the sunshine. I think it’s time to wrap this column up, stash my computer back at the hostel, and stroll down to the beach for a quick swim.

I’d ask you to join me, but, you know, you’re still back in “good ‘ol Fargo.” Shame.

Adios!

“National People Week” and print oodles of placards, posters and feel better about ourselves!”

Sorry, Mr. McCorporate-- you did not have me fooled or get me to treat employees better by raising “awareness” during your invented “National People Week.” I try to be considerate of people all of the time and do not need a placard to tell me to do so. Nor do I think said placard would get a rude customer to change his ways and start treating customer service workers with respect and dignity.

This McDonalds “National People Week” is just as fake as their burgers.

It might taste good going down, but there’s no substance. I think the same goes for all of the awarenessraising causes, events and products that we are inundated with on a daily basis. I think it is a myth that raising awareness actually creates sustainable change.

Yes, I realize this is not a popular opinion to disagree with awareness-raising.

Spoiler alert: It seems like being on par with telling a three year old that Santa Clause does not exist. In writing this, I run the risk of sounding like a cynical curmudgeon. I might be.

But I prefer to believe that I am a critical thinker.

In other words, I am Mr. McCorporate’s nightmare. I question and challenge most things, because there always seems to be layers of fluffy bologna (insert expletive

here) to peel off in order to reveal the truth.

The fluff is that people freaking love awareness because it makes us feel good about ourselves and we are naïve enough to think that wearing a color or sharing a link on Facebook will instigate change. I am including myself in here because I have a fleece pink coat with a breast cancer ribbon in my closet. I have had pins on my purse for various causes, and magnets on my fridge. It did not change anything.

I wish changing social problems or curing diseases or stopping people from being big huge jerks to the cashier at McDonald’s were as simple as wearing a color or tying a ribbon to a tree trunk.

It’s not. Complex problems require complex solutions.

We are a society that demands quick fixes and solutions in 4G speed! Now! We demand answers now!

The diligence, patience, time, research, money and effort are the stuff that real solutions, real cures and changes are made of. But these things are not nearly as glamorous or profitable!

These cannot be packaged and sold to mass markets.

While these packaged products with a rainbow of ribbons for various causes can be beneficial to raise money for research and prevention, they often do so with the intent of selling the product itself. It’s a case of classic self-interest.

I’ve heard people say that change often begins

small and every bit counts. I agree. What I disagree with is this distinctly American brand of what various media buffs have dubbed “slacktivism.” “Slacktivism” or “clicktivism” is passively supporting causes on the internet, through social media, or wearing colors for a cause.

Is slacktivism going to hurt anyone? No! It just takes a lancet right through common sense in the name of niceties and warm, fluffy bunnies. For example, in January 2011 a rumor was spread within Facebook that the FDA would donate a dollar to a homeless shelter every time someone changed their profile pictures. All of a sudden pictures of chocolate, pizza and bacon popped up on my newsfeed. The rumor was quickly debunked by “Snopes,” a thoroughly researched internet reference site that investigates urban legends, rumors, myths and misinformation.

Now each month features at least 20 causes to be “aware of:” everything from every disease imaginable, to ice cream awareness, to liver awareness, to cat awareness. Don’t forget about optimism month, but unfortunately this month is sarcasm month. Every time this article is read, twenty cans of spam will be donated to your nearest dumpster.

Tessa is a senior majoring in English.

Steven Strom | The Spectrum

@NDSUSpectrum

Nathan is a senior studying landscape architecture.

Follow him on twitter @ nwstottler.

Bison Bits:

What was your first thought when you woke up to snow Thursday?

Kendra Meyer Junior

“I thought it was pretty, but I’m definitely not ready for the cold.”

Tommy Schwandt Junior

Walter Lanza Senior

“No school! Snow day!

Hey. Walter that’s my snowman!”

“I wish I were back in Brazil right now.”

Cam Knutson Senior

Jordyn Giesenhof Junior

“Oh no! Only six months “Now I really need to fix left until our snowmen the heat in my car!” melt away!”

Denham McDermott Senior

I guess I can’t wear my Speedo today.”

9

Monday, October 8, 2012 | The Spectrum Nathan Stottler Opinion Editor Phone: 701.231.6287 | Email: opinion@ndsuspectrum.com

Opinion

Pondering Home

A little thought

The Health and Human Services Mandate, effective Aug. 1, 2012, has generated a lot of controversy. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued several open letters and briefs stating their united opposition to the mandate, while “support” has also come in the form of some particularly tasteless comments from Rush Limbaugh.

Supporters of the mandate, meanwhile, have had their own share of reasonable and implausible arguments. While some claim that contraceptive coverage is necessary for the health and well-being of women, others have suggested that Republicans “want to take us back to the Dark ages… when women were property” or that an exception for religious motivations would “allow big corporations to deny health care options to their female employees.”

Both sides have strong feelings on the matter, even though the implications of the mandate’s content seem unclear. However, on a closer look, it is clear that the Mandate narrowly defines “religious employer” in such a way that, should Christian employers, especially Catholic employers, be forced to comply with it, they would be forced to violate their consciences.

This issue is of particular importance to practicing, orthodox Catholics, who believe that the use, purchase, or provision of contraceptives or sterilization is immoral. This teaching has been held from the time the subject was written on by the early church fathers and was most famously and controversially reaffirmed in Pope Paul VI’s papal encyclical Humane Vitae, which, along with rehearsing the Church’s condemnation of contraception, made four predictions about the consequences of wide-spread contraceptive use which loomed ahead of the 1960s when it was written.

It is a key component of the Catholic life ethic, which cannot be compromised without causing the entire Catholic Church in America to engage in heresy. The most immediate cause for concern is the four-part test for determining whether an employer may be considered “religious.” This test requires that a “religious employer” must “have the inculcation of religious values as its purpose”; “primarily hire those who share its religious tenets”; “primarily serve those who share its religious tenets”, and “be a church, convention or association of churches, integrated auxiliary, or religious order.”

Employers which would not qualify as religious employers under this definition include Catholic hospitals, Catholic charities, as well as the Tyndale Publishing House, which publishes exclusively Christian books and other material, including the Bible in several forms.

Tyndale cannot object to providing insurance, which

they object to on account of the fact that it provides the RU486 abortifacient pill.

Though they clearly have a religious purpose, hire (presumably) primarily those of Christian persuasions, and serve primarily those of Christian persuasions, they are not exempt from providing objectionable insurance because they are for-profit and not a church or other allowed organization. The government has no business in defining which employers count as “religious.”

An attorney that defended Tyndale and other employers who have filed suits rightly called this differentiation “arbitrary,” and pointed out that many employers which are obviously religious in character and whose employees would reject the use of contraception fail this constrictive standard. This definition lacks common sense.

Further, the HHS Mandate stipulates that, per Federal Regulation 77 and a bulletin released on the same day the Mandate became effective, contraception will be provided at no charge and without cost-sharing by employees, thus making contraception one of the most easily accessible services under the Affordable Care Act and the Mandate.

If the government has first mandated that insurance covering contraceptives is required to be provided by the vast majority of employers, and if it has purposely made contraception one of the most accessible services it offers, the government not only endorses but is aggressively attempting to persuade Americans to adopt a contraceptive worldview, which holds, without a clear consensus and against much well-evidenced opposition, that contraceptives, sterilization and abortion are somehow necessary for women’s and men’s health.

This is despite the observations that all of these are elective procedures with viable alternatives, and that most if not all of these, including the condom, have well-established adverse side effects or defects. Keep in mind that people were more than capable of surviving and flourishing far before the advent of contraceptives, the vast majority of which came about only in the last 60 years. The government, again, has no business forcing this highly questionable worldview on its citizens.

The HHS Mandate has overstepped the boundaries of governmental power in the extreme. It has gone against all precedent for government interference with religion. In addition, this mandate’s supporters have suggested that the motives of those who oppose it come from a hatred of women, when religious liberty is the obvious issue at hand. The HHS Mandate inhibits religious freedom, and Americans everywhere, regardless of their position on contraception and other “preventative” services, must speak up to reform this unjust law.

I can have sex if I want to. If I’m in love with my boyfriend and we choose to have sex, we can. You can choose not to. If it’s against your religion or your mom will “like, totally kill you if she found out,” then you keep it in your pants. The choice is yours to make because of the freedom we have in America. What reasons you have behind your decisions are your own personal business.

This point seems to have been forgotten about: the separation of Church and State. We can have certain availabilities to all people to make sure everyone is taken care of if needed- and you have the choice to take advantage of these availabilities or not. We can have birth control and other contraceptive drugs available to all people in our country because the government thinks it’s important, and you can choose not to take that birth control if it is against your religion. Just because birth control is available to you does not mean you are required to take it.

People seem to believe that requiring contraceptives to be offered by all employers is an attack on the Christian faith that restricts their ability to follow their religion. I understand that the HHS mandate requires religious employers to allow these contraceptives, but there is something we all need to understand- no one is required to take these contraceptives. There is a difference between offering birth control and taking birth control. If you are not taking contraceptives, you are not violating your belief that taking contraceptives is wrong.

Just like if a Hindu sees someone eating beef, but does not eat it himself, he is not violating his belief that eating beef is wrong.

Through the choice you have to take or not take the offered birth control, eat or not eat beef, you are able to practice your religion. In my opinion, this mandate is not prohibiting you from practicing your religion, but presenting an opportunity to do just that. The laws of our country differ from the rules of your religion because the two do not go hand in hand.

This mandate is not an attack on the Christian faith because it is not targeting any one religious party. If it required only Christian employers to offer birth control, that would be a completely different story, but the mandate is across the board. It’s for our nation.

Like it or not, our nation is not a strictly Christian one.

There are Sikhs and Muslims and Jews and Buddhists and people who don’t even believe in a god.

Just like people may practice different religions, people may practice the same religion differently.

Not all Christians practice abstinence. We cannot tailor to the needs of each religion and all the variations of practicing each religion because there are just too many to account for. Instead we can look at the people of our nation based on the fact that they are Americans, and see what is best for them in response to that fact and that fact only.

Making birth control available to all people is something our country finds important so that is something we follow through our laws. If not taking birth control is something your religion finds important that is something you follow through your faith.

To say it was an attack on Christians is also ridiculous as Obama has ties to the Christian faith himself.

Instead, it was about doing something to make sure all women have the same advantages where family planning, unwanted pregnancies and health in general are concerned. It was just to make sure all women had the same chance to take their lives in the direction of their dreams- which in most cases includes the chance to have a family when it is best for them and that said family.

Contraceptives have been made available to religious and non-religious women in America. If they don’t want to use them, that is their choice. At least it’s an option to you. Whether you had birth control, want birth control or have never been able to afford it, it is available to you now. But you don’t have to take it.

Even going back home it doesn’t feel the same, or it doesn’t hold that special place in their hearts like it did before.

Living on our own, we’re away from the familiar smells of mom’s or dad’s cooked dinners, not having to do our own laundry, not having to shop for groceries or pay rent the first of the month. Even cleaning on our own is taxing with time and money, buying our own household items like silverware or garbage bags and organizing the place to make us feel comfortable. But is it the responsibility that makes it feel less like “Home Sweet Home?” Do the materialistic things we buy for self-fulfillment make us feel more content and all warm and fuzzy inside?

One day will we all feel content; will we feel comfortable under the roof beneath which we chose to reside; what color will we paint the walls to reflect our personal flair? There are so many questions to be asked in the society we live. The answers can be found in the oddest places if any place at all. Of all the questioning I’ve dealt myself these last few months, I’ve come to find that home is wherever you place your heart. It can be back home with your parents and in your old room or can be carried with you until you build the perfect shelf to set it and shine that proud light.

SUZY CAVALIER Contributing Writer

School has been in session for a few months, and they have already been a very emotional and taxing time for most students, and me as well. With Homecoming week being last week, rent checks being written out, groceries being bought to fill a hungry student after a ridiculously long day and after having a visit from the family last weekend, I begin to long for a sense of home and comfort aside blustery ol’ Fargo.

I moved to Fargo this last summer with no job or classes to worry about after doing a two-year degree at a community college and living life how I wanted with so much spare time and freedom. Everything seemed attainable; love, adventure, self-growing and maybe some answers to be found.

Moving away from everything I’ve known the majority of my life has made me truly ponder on the aspect of what makes people feel at home. What is it that gives home that feel of comfort and stability? How do we know we are where we are destined to be or where we belong?

After talking a bit with some friends of mine that have lived in Fargo for a couple years, I’ve noticed that most of them have yet to feel at home anywhere.

Suzy is a junior majoring in journalism.

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MISCELLANEOUS:

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Spirituality with a Discipline

In contemporary society, many young people claim they are not religious, but instead spiritual. According to the Pew Research Center’s “Forum on Religion & Public Life,” Americans ages 18 to 29 are considerably less religious than older Americans. However, this notion makes me speculate the actual meaning behind the claim “spiritual but not religious.”

As I understand, the people who claim that they are not religious but spiritual seem to have selected a personal way of connecting with a higher power, or an intellectual truth without participating in institutions such as the church. Even though they may find spirituality, what they lack is the discipline given by religious

practices.

To justify my point, consider this: If somebody thinks that smoking marijuana helps them to be spiritual, they may be saying the truth, because when looking through the lens of their individual way of embracing spirituality, there is no disciplinary system to claim that they are doing something wrong. So the problem is that spirituality without a correct disciplinary system is ambiguous and arbitrary.

Comprehensibly, some people have problems with religion and they are drifting towards something much more sensible because some religious practices seem to be creating inequality and chaos in society. But religion contains discipline and a systematic structure, which

allows us to test our beliefs and virtues through our own convictions. Indeed, we are drifting away from these disciplinary systems, rather than rejecting the malpractices that are embedded within religion.

How many young Muslims pray five times a day?

How many young Buddhists are meditating on a daily basis? How many young Christians are going to church and following the teachings of Christ? We need to read the Baghawth Gita, the Quran and the Bible. We need to analyze these practices that religions have to offer. This discipline that I’m talking about is not driven by blind faith. The other extreme of this argument is to be “disciplined but not spiritual.”

There can be many people

who follow disciplinary practices but never question or have intellectual discussions of their practices.

We don’t want either of these extremes. We need discipline and spirituality together. Suppose you don’t follow a religion and you are an atheist; still I would argue that you need to be spiritual and unite the atheist community through disciplinary practices.

At a time where discipline is difficult to be implemented, we need to think seriously about disciplining ourselves and test our perceptions by participating in religious or other institutional practices.

Samantha Wickramasinghe is a junior majoring in journalism.

Monday, October 8, 2012 | The Spectrum

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Sports

Sam Herder Sports Editor Phone: 701.231.5262 | Email: sports@ndsuspectrum.com

VOLLEYBALL

Bison Volleyball Beats Kansas City NDSU Women Sweep Coyotes Corrie Dunshee Contributing Writer With home-field advantage, the NDSU women’s volleyball team came away with a three-game sweep over South Dakota Friday at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse. In the 25-16, 25-16, and 25-19 wins, NDSU produced a season-high .317 hitting percentage and a season-low 8 attacking errors.

Friday’s match improved

Pace Maier Contributing Writer The NDSU Bison volleyball team beat the Kansas City in a total of four sets Saturday. Brynn Joki set the tone with 17 kills and the Bison made 13 1/2 blocks to bet their Summit League opponent. The Bison took the first two sets, 25-16, 2520. UMKC came back with a 27-29 set win, but the Bison brought it all together in the fourth set to finish off the UMKC, with the score of 25-21.

The Bison improve to 7-11 overall and are .500 in the Summit League with a record of 4-4. Megan Lambertson had 12 kills for the Bison and the Bison move into

a three-way tie for fourth place in the Summit League.

Kansas City’s Emily Hagedorn had a .357 and added 14 kills. Teammate Skyler Muff had 13 kills and three blocks for Kansas City The Kangaroos dropped to 12-8 and are third in the Summit League with the record of 5-3.

NDSU had four blocks that came against UMKC’s outside hitter Emily Lucas, she just hit .059 with 14 kills but the two games before she had 64 kills and hit .361 against the opponents, South Dakota and South Dakota State.

NDSU was led by Carissa Whalen with six blocks and six kills. She finished with three blocks in the

Time to Move On Sam Herder Sports Editor I think closure is the right word for it. NDSU President Dean Bresciani, Athletic Director Gene Taylor and head football coach Craig Bohl held a press conference last Tuesday that they hope will put an end to the voter fraud

fiasco that took the Bison program by storm.

The situation died down in the media after a couple weeks of bashing, but sparked back up after the 10 players pleaded guilty in their court appearance last week. The three NDSU honchos did a great job with their press conference that I believe will put the situation

fourth set. Teammate Jenni Fassbender had a total of six kills and two solo blocks.

UMKC rallied from a 24-20 deficit in the third set.

Skyler Muff got a kill and teammate Jessica Hendin had an ace to win the third set for Kansas City.

NDSU broke open a 1717 game in the fourth and final set. The Bison had six blocks in the fourth and final set, which included a pair of late stuffs on Hendin to get to the match point.

The Bison will be back in action when they face UND at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. UND has a record of 8-10 overall and they are 4-4 in the Big Sky Conference.

at rest, as it should be.

Bresciani issued a written explanation, Taylor apologized for his remarks after the CSU game and Bohl suspended starting running back Sam Ojuri for one game and gave his reasoning for doing so. They each fielded questions from the media and then walked out of the room and out of the situation.

Sports are funny, really.

Off the field issues usually draw more attention from media than on field performances. That’s just the nature of the media beast, I suppose. NDSU should realize this, considering the football team had plenty of legal issues just a few years ago.

But this situation had a

Women’s Soccer Falls to Oakland Contributing Writer

The Spectrum

The NDSU women’s soccer team attempted to make a comeback against Oakland but was unable to do so in their early two-goal deficit, losing 2-1 on Fiday.

The Bison faced the Summit League preseason favorite Oakland in 55-degree and rainy weather. Oakland stands undefeated in the Summit League.

Oakland shot and scored two goals in the first 20 minutes of play. Oakland starting midfielder Marlen Knoph

assisted Abigail Haelewyn who gained a goal for the team within the fist 10 minutes. Knoph took a shot after a save by NDSU, sinking a goal of her own just before the 20 minute mark.

North Dakota State goalkeeper, Sierra Bonham, made nine successful saves on Friday allowing only the two game detrimental goals.

Bonham is a redshirt freshman for the Bison and acquired her third-highest save total for the season.

Bonham has registered six or more saves in eight of her 10 appearances this year, and she is on pace to set the

son, along with contributing three blocks apiece by Joki and Carissa Whalen, resulting in an 8-2 advantage in total blocks against their opponent.

With 36 assists and 10 digs, setter Catherine Yager accomplished a doubledouble for the third straight time. Cammack made 10 digs, as well as a team-high 13 digs from libero Andrea Henning, who also completed three aces.

Yasser Shaikh | The Spectrum

SOCCER

Tanya May

the Bison’s season record to 6-11 overall and 3-4 in Summit League play.

In their sixth straight loss, South Dakota only hit .078 as a team, and made 25 attacking errors against the Bison.

NDSU outside hitter made 12 kills on the night, matching a season high. Megan Lambertson and outside hitter Lauren Cammack both assembled nine kills each on the night. Lambertson also made four blocks for the Bi-

Bison single-season record with her average of 7.0 saves per match.

Oakland’s (5-3-3, 2-0-0 Summit) goalkeeper, Shannon Coley, made two saves allowing only one goal.

Freshman Lizzie Lukas made the Bison’s only goal of the game and her third goal of the season, tying her for the team lead.

Lukas scored off a Anisha Kinnarath corner kick to cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 78th minute, but the Bison could not net the equalizer over the final 12 minutes of the contest.

North Dakota State (4-

7-0, 1-1-0 Summit) was outshot by Oakland 18-12 overall and held an 11-3 advantage in shots on goal.

NDSU owned a 4-2 edge in corner kicks, with Kinnarath taking the one that led to Lukas’ goal.

The Bison fired off 11 of their 12 shots in the second half.

Freshman Megan Johnston shot a season-high three shots for the Bison, while Kinnarath led the team with four.

The Bison were in action again on Sunday vs. Fort Wayne. Check Thursday’s issue for coverage.

new dimension. No one ever expected football players to be involved in a voter fraud case. I don’t think the college officials, coaches, or even the media really knew how to handle it. Taylor and Bohl decided to let it play out. Some agreed and some didn’t.

Once the court handed out the punishment-- almost

Jessie Battest | The Spectrum

a year of unsupervised probation and hours of community service-- I think many may have realized the media coverage on the situation went overboard. NDSU was more known

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Monday, October 8, 2012 | The Spectrum

Sports

Sam Herder Sports Editor Phone: 701.231.5262 | Email: sports@ndsuspectrum.com

NDSU Defeats YSU in a Blowout Colton Pool

Contributing Writer Going into the game against Youngstown State, a lot of pressure was put on the No. 1 ranked NDSU football program. NDSU’s starting junior running back Sam Ojuri was serving a one game suspension, forcing sophomore John Crocket into the starting role. Plus, the third ranked YSU Penguins were the only team to beat the Bison last season on their championship run.

NDSU overcame this pressure and earned some payback, beating YSU in front of a record crowd of 19,065 in the Fargodome.

“It was in the back of our minds,” junior quarterback Brock Jensen said. “We realize that they came in last year and stole one from us at the dome. We just didn’t want that to happen again and we did everything we could last week in practice to prepare for this game.”

NDSU had an exceptional start after they kicked the ball off. On the first play from scrimmage, their defense forced a fumble and recovered in Penguin territory. The Bison took over and nearly had a fumble of their own when Jensen mishandled the ball near the

goal line on a scramble, but was quickly scooped up by NDSU. The Bison capped off their first drive with a one yard touchdown run from John Crockett, giving the Bison an early 7-0 lead.

“We came out of the gate hot just like we talked about,” Jensen said.

The Penguins replied with a scoring drive of their own, which ended with a one yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Kurt Hess to junior tight end Carson Sharbaugh to make the score 7-7.

The Bison kept their poise and struck right back.

Jensen kept looking for the deep bomb, and finally got it on a 46 yard flea flicker to sophomore wide receiver Zach Vraa for a Bison score.

“It was a great play call,” Jensen said. “A play like that has to be called at the right time for it to work.”

After the Adam Keller extra point, it was 14-7. YSU and NDSU kept battling it out during a couple of exchanged punts, bringing an end to the first quarter.

At the beginning of the second quarter, the Penguins took a drive to deep into Bison territory. The Penguins were threatening to score until Hess’s pass was intercepted by junior cornerback Marcus Williams, who took

it back 98 yards for a score.

“It gave us a lot of momentum,” junior middle linebacker Grant Olson said on the interception. “Big time players make big time plays and that’s what he did.”

It was William’s 14th pick of his career, and he’s now tied with Rudy Baranko for second on NDSU’s all time interception list.

On the ensuing possession, NDSU held the Pen-

guins to a three-and-out and got the ball back on their own 27-yard line. The Bison methodically marched back downfield with a poised assault. Crockett led the Bison on the drive with five carries for 40 yards, and broke many tackles along the way.

Bison converted on the eleventh play of the possession with a one yard punch in by Crockett, giving him his second touchdown of the day.

“We just wanted to play great football,” Jensen said.

“We were clicking on all cylinders.”

This added to the Bison lead, giving them a 28-7 advantage with 1:45 left in the second quarter.

After the following kickoff, sophomore linebacker Carlton Littlejohn picked off Hess with the first play of YSU’s drive. This gave Hess his second interception of the game and in the entire season. Three Bison plays later, Jensen hit junior wide receiver Ryan Smith for a touchdown, Jensen’s second touchdown pass on the day. With Keller’s point after kick, it gave the Bison a commanding lead of 35-7

going into halftime.

Drew Weber | The Spectrum

...time continued from page 2...

for the voter fraud case than defending National Champions for a few weeks.

The entire football program was the target of criticism. They were ambushed with insults and ridicules.

Looking back, was it too harsh? I mean, many jumped to conclusions and threw their opinions out to the public right away.

Letting the situation play out probably enhanced these criticisms. But finally, a press conference with a final statement was held. Explanations were given, questions were answered, and the Univer-

sity as a whole is moving on.

Everyone else should follow these men’s lead.

The players will serve their punishments with the law and within the team. The school officials handled the situation their way and stuck to it. The team as a whole hasn’t shown any signs of distraction on the field. Not much more can be asked for.

It is hard to use the word “class” when it comes to a school surrounded in controversy, but I believe NDSU handled the whole situation with class. Although it

dragged out, officials followed protocol. And once the court punishments were handed out, Bresciani, Taylor and Bohl issued statements and then simply moved on.

some point later this season.

A long playoff run will just reignite the critics. That is bound to happen and I think everyone will embrace it with expectancy.

As for this issue, the media coverage has been calm. Articles on the press conference and court case appeared along with some mild columns. Critics were still heard, but not as strong as before. I think it is evident that everyone is ready to move forward.

As of now though, the situation is put to rest. People are tired of writing about it and people are tired of reading about it. And I can speak on the Spectrum’s behalf here when I say coverage of this situation is done with unless some unforeseen incident occurs.

The voter fraud case will no doubt be brought up at

“We showed how great of football team we can be if we stay consistent throughout the game,” Smith said.

“It was a lot of fun today.”

At halftime, the Bison led the Penguins 250-162 in total yards. NDSU also won the first half turnover differential 3-0. All of those turnovers led to touchdowns for the Bison.

The Bison kept the charge going into the third quarter. The Bison kept their balanced attack and got into YSU territory yet again.

This was close enough for Keller to boot it for his career high of 49 yards, which gave the Bison a 38-7 lead.

That 36 yard drive from NDSU drained nearly half of the third quarter.

“We just played how we wanted to play,” Jensen said.

“I thought that was important for us to do early on.”

After the Bison forced another three-and-out, the Penguins punted it to Smith, who returned it for a 76 yard score.

The Penguins responded with a drive in the Bison’s red zone, but was stopped when Hess was sacked on fourth down.

Drew Weber | The Spectrum

“We kind of got into a rhythm, but they were constantly harassing our quarterback,” YSU head coach Eric Wolford said. “That was something that got Kurt (Hess) a little frustrated.

Anytime you can harass a quarterback with a defensive line, you’re going to create problems.”

The turnover of downs kept the Bison’s lead to 45-7 going into the fourth quarter.

NDSU ran the ball out for most of the final quarter, getting into position for another Keller field goal early in the fourth to give the Bison an even larger lead.

The backups came in and finished the job out for the Bison and held the score to the same for the rest of the game. The Bison ended the blowout 48-7 against YSU. The Bison are 5-0 and are 2-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference. NDSU will play against Indiana State at home next Saturday.

“There’s a lot of football left to play,” NDSU head coach Craig Bohl said. “But we have a good football team.”

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Monday, October 8, 2012 | The Spectrum

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