November 30, 2009

WHATS INSIDE

NEWS 1–2

SPORTS 4–5

OPINION 3

The Independent Student Voice of Boise State Since 1933

CULTURE 7–8 I SSU E

27 Volume 22

First Issue

F R E E NOVEMBER 30, 2009

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Recognize one of these victims?

3

Men’s basketball rolls North Texas

4

Kathy Griffin stops by Boise

7

Gov. Otter endorses transformational education KIM KING Journalist

Boise State fans Collin Hershey, right, and Rhiley Zahm, back left, cheer from the student section Friday night.

MITCH ESPLIN/THE ARBITER

WAC Championship Broncos clinch share of WAC title after beating Nevada TRENT LOOTENS Producer

Sophomore fullback Dan Paul caught three of Kellen Moore’s five touchdown passes on a night when Moore established himself as the most dominant quarterback in Bronco single season history.

Moore passed Bart Hendricks’ mark of 34 touchdowns passes set in 2000 and ended the night with 38 TD’s on the season. It may have been the most subtle five TD per-

formance of the sophomore quarterback’s career as Moore ended the night completing 17-of-33 passes for 262 yards.

“He’s a great quarterback. He really is,” Boise State head coach Chris Petersen said. “I think Coach (Bryan) Harsin does a great job with him. They work so well together.”

Nevada 8-4 (7-1 WAC) came into the game as one of the hottest teams in the nation. Boise State didn’t allow that to continue on

the blue - a place where they have never lost a WAC game. BSU held junior quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the previously unstoppable Nevada offense to only 383 total yards, which was well below its season average “Overall I think we were able to contain Kaepernick besides a couple creases we needed to fill that we didn’t that gave up those big runs,” junior nickel back Winston Venable said.

Venable had the biggest play

of the game when he recovered Nevada running back Vai Taua’s fumble in the fourth quarter with Nevada only down by eight.

Junior wide receiver Titus Young had the Broncos 12-0 (7-0 WAC) rolling early after he returned the opening kickoff 95 yards to the house giving BSU an early 7-0 lead.

The touchdown led to a huge first quarter for BSU and for Boise

See WAC I page 5

Entrepreneurship week

Students get two minutes to present one great idea SONIA TREVIZO News Editor

Global Entrepreneurship week took place Nov. 16-22 at Boise State University. Boise State’s Center for Entrepreneurship, Office of Technology Transfer and the Idaho Small Business Development Center created events for students, faculty and the public.

The purpose of the events was to teach about entrepreneurship and how Boise State can engage in the economic development of the community.

The events throughout the week let students connect through local, national and global activities designed to help them explore his or her potential as self-starters and innovators. Students, educators, entrepreneurs, business leaders, employees, non-profit leaders and government officials participated in a variety of events.

The last events of the week, the “elevator pitch competition” and “business plan competition,” took place Friday, Nov. 20 in the Student Union Building Lookout Room.

In the elevator pitch competition undergraduate and graduate students had two minutes to pres-

GLENN LANDBERG/THE ARBITER

Professor Kent Neupert, left, and second place undergraduate winners Tyler Casperson and Tim Smith. Casperson and Smith won the judges over with their mouth brush system. ent his or her idea for a new product, service or business concept.

The presentation was followed by two minutes of questions by a panel of five judges and two more minutes for the judges to give each participant a score.

The business plan competition consisted of a Graduate Track

and a Undergraduate Track. The Graduate Track allowed for a 15 minute presentation followed by a 10 minute question session. The Undergraduate Track gave the presenters 10 minutes and the judges five minutes for questions.

Some participants entered the competition just for fun while oth-

ers did so as part of a class. The 16 elevator pitch competitors and 11 business plan competitors were judged by a panel of judges comprised of Idaho government officials, CEO’s, developmental specialists, CFO’s, company

See ENTREPRENEUR I page 2

Gov. C. L. “Butch” Otter announced his full endorsement of the recommendations created by the Education Alliance of Idaho during a public appearance Wednesday.

“I’m happy to be able to facilitate and encourage this effort to create a world class education system that will enable our students to compete in the global marketplace of ideas,” he said.

Otter approached the Idaho Business Coalition for Education Excellence with the task of submitting recommendations for a transformational education agenda more than two years ago.

A committee was formed and founded as the Education Alliance of Idaho.

Membership includes representatives from local businesses, school associations and state agencies.

Three questions signify the transformational agenda, “How far can we go?,” “How fast can we get there?” and “How will we define success?”

Not everyone has supported the idea of new input by this committee in the past.

The State Board of Education discussed its formation and possible goals during a strategic planning meeting at the Stueckle Sky Center earlier this month.

Some members labeled the new committee as problematic, saying it might send mixed messages to the state and the public about what needs to be accomplished.

Secretary Ken Edmunds said he didn’t know how he felt about people outside of the education arena influencing the future.

“Somehow someone got the notion that things weren’t being done,” he said. “Not true. They are trying to build on what is already there. This is not the plan. This does not accomplish what we are trying to accomplish.”

Paul Agidius, the State Board of Education’s President, suggested a possible collaboration.

“We need to work with them before the governor surprises us with new information from their input,” Agidius said.

Chief Communications and Legislative Affairs Officer for the Idaho State Board of Education Mark Browning spoke candidly about the governor’s announcement Wednesday.

“We are part of this alliance,” he said.

“Together we will find ways to identify steps to meet the boards goals. I have spoken with Ken and he is absolutely supportive of them and their recommendations.”

Edmunds was not available for comment. Press Secretary Jon Hanian issued a statement from the governor’s office in response to speculation of divided support.

“The IBOE is in complete support,” Hanian said. “Mark Browning was here when the governor made his statement.”

He said the support of businesses like the Albertson Foundation are instrumental in funding and providing a beneficial opportunity to all residents of Idaho.

“Governor Otter knew what he was doing,” he said. “He turned to the best and brightest - not only in business, but education as well.”

Correction: In the Nov. 16 issue of The Arbiter, it was reported that students are able to possess alcohol in the B building of Suites. That information is incorrect. It was valid for last year’s policy which has since changed.

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2

NEWS

NOVEMBER 30, 2009

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U.S. military putting higher priority on training Afghan police MCT KOLK, Afghanistan - With the Taliban on the offensive and gaining ground, the U.S. military has taken major steps to boost the training of the Afghan police forces, particularly since American Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal arrived in June to command the U.S. and NATO forces.

The U.S. now is using larger units attached to full brigades to train the police. Second Lt. Hans Beutel’s platoon of about 25 men is tasked with mentoring the 180-man national police force in Kandahar province’s Zhari district. It’s part of a brigade of more than 3,000 82nd Airborne Division soldiers from Fort Bragg, N.C., that doubled the number of troops who were mentoring Afghan security forces when it arrived in late August.

Using full brigades as trainers provides more direct control over assets such as intelligence gathering and supplies than the previous system did, which had 12-man units reporting to a central command.

The military also is giving the training mission new prominence, naming Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV to lead a new NATO command.

American military leaders in Afghanistan agree that the Afghan army has improved after years of working with the U.S.led coalition but that the police have lagged.

The police are particularly important to McChrystal’s emphasis on protecting the Afghan population. Unlike Afghan sol-

Theft continues to plague campus BENJAMIN MACK

diers, the police are usually from the areas in which they work.

They understand the tribal structures, the people and the geography, making it easier to figure out who’s likely to be sympathetic, who the insurgents are and what they’re doing.

Col. Brian Drinkwine, the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team, which is the first brigade to undertake a training mission, said that much of the earlier training had focused on the Afghan army.

Now his soldiers, who are spread over 34 locations across the south and west of Afghanistan, are spending perhaps 60 percent of their time working with the police.

Drinkwine cautioned against expecting rapid improvement or measuring success by increases in the size of the police force and military. The stronger emphasis on training is “an investment strategy,” he said.

“It’s not going to be a Jiffy Bake, and if you did see it that quick, it probably wouldn’t be legitimate,” he said.

The number of police officers trained is important, he said, but the real yardsticks, if the Afghans are going to stand on their own, are about improving each police district’s abilities.

That includes matters as simple as police units that come back from a patrol and conduct proper debriefings on their own, commanders who request supplies before they run out, or police who are competent enough to train other Afghans themselves.

Journalist

MCT CAMPUS

Afghan National Police officer Mahmed Nabi, front, waits with other officers at a checkpoint near the village of Kolk, Afghanistan on Nov. 20, 2009.

Boise State library receives Pete Cenarrusa papers Courtesy Boise State News Former Idaho Secretary of State Pete Cenarrusa has donated his extensive papers to BSU’s Albertsons Library. Cenarrusa’s 52 years of uninterrupted public service to Idaho, beginning with his election to the Idaho House of Representatives in 1950, is a record for the state.

“Pete Cenarrusa has long been an asset to the citizens of Idaho and to the Basque community here and abroad,” said Boise State President Bob Kustra. “Scholars across campus and throughout the nation will benefit from this invaluable gift that represents his life’s work. Boise State is honored to receive this extensive collection.”

Cenarrusa and his wife, Freda, have a history of collaboration with Boise State. The couple helped establish the Basque Studies Program, which builds on the work of the Cenarrusa Foundation for Basque Studies founded in 2003. The program is a multi-disciplinary course of advanced study that involves all aspects of the language, culture and history of the Basque people.

JOSH RASMUSSEN/THE ARBITER

Pete Cenarrusa began his career as a high school instructor. He served as a naval aviator during World War II. The collection includes 100 boxes containing letters, clippings, photos, reports and memorabilia related to Cenarrusa’s long political career.

The tens of thousands of items will take more than a year to catalog.

In addition, both Pete and Freda Cenarrusa, and Roy and Miren Eiguren, made a gift of $5,000 each to

assist the library in processing the papers.

The collection was donated in pieces, beginning in 2004 with papers related to Cenarrusa’s support of the Basque community in Idaho and ending with the bulk of the political materials received this September. Much of the content of the

Basque collection can be found online at http://library.boisestate.edu/ Special/ (search for Cenarrusa).

An exhibit on Cenarrusa will be available for viewing through the holidays in the Special Collections window display cases on the second floor of the Albertsons Library.

The son of Basque immigrants, Cenarrusa began his career as a high school educator. He served as a naval aviator during World War II, then in the Marine Ready Reserve squadron, retiring as a major in 1963. He has been an ardent supporter of Basque-American cultural issues over many years, as evidenced by his dedication to Basque concerns during his political career. He also has been a lifelong sheep rancher and has championed agricultural causes in all facets of government.

He served as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives from 1950-1967, then as secretary of state from 1967-2002. For more information about the Cenarrusa papers, contact Alan Virta, head of Special Collections, at 426-3958, or Marilyn Moody, dean of University Libraries, at 426-1234.

The recent trend of thefts occurring on campus continued last week, with University Security responding to five separate incidents for a second consecutive week.

Ten incidents have been reported overall since Monday Nov. 9, bringing the monthly total to 13.

So far, theft is up nearly 86 percent from October, when only seven incidents were reported.

Thieves on campus are becoming bolder. In addition to stealing bicycles and cash, an unknown suspect entered a construction trailer Wednesday Nov. 18 near the intersection of Belmont and Michigan and stole construction equipment. An unknown suspect also broke into a car in the Brady Garage Tuesday Nov. 17 and took some cash, reports show.

Statistics suggest the thefts are occurring in spurts. Thieves struck three times Nov. 18, which is uncommon considering most crimes occur on weekends. Interestingly, there were no incidents reported either Friday or Saturday.

According to University Security, a person can avoid becoming a victim of theft by keeping valuable belongings with them at all times, and not leaving items such as laptops, cell phones and iPods unattended. When locking a bike, it is recommended to use a sturdy metal lock rather than a rope or chain, as thieves can cut them with wire or bolt cutters. It is also recommended to always lock car doors, and students who live in dorms are advised to lock their doors when they’re not in the room.

There were no reports of sexual assault on campus in the past week.

More resources are available by visiting University Security’s website, http://finad.boisestate.edu/ security.

Campus Crime Log:

Nov. 16-22 Courtesy of University Security Nov. 16 — Bike Theft – An unknown suspect cut a lock and took a bike from a rack outside of Chaffee Hall.

Nov. 17 — Theft – An unknown suspect broke into a vehicle parked in the Brady Garage and took some cash.

Nov. 18 — Bike Theft – An unknown suspect cut a lock and took a bike from a rack outside of the Health Sciences Riverside building.

Nov. 18 — Bike Theft – An unsecured bike was taken from a rack outside the Health and Wellness Center.

Nov. 18 — Grand Theft – An unknown suspect entered a construction trailer near the intersection of Belmont and Michigan and stole construction equipment.

presidents, product specialists, CTO’s, research and evaluation specialists and business catalysts.

Over $1,600 was given for award money. First place winners received $250, $100 for second and $50 for third.

“This is open to all students across campus and all majors can participate,” director for the Center for Entrepreneurship Kent Neupert said. “This gives (students) an opportunity take an idea and make it into something more.”

The 2009 elevator pitch undergraduate first place title went to junior Trevor Shephard. Shephard and junior Mark Stewart developed the idea of an online scheduling software for businesses.

“The elevator pitch compe-

tition was a good way to test our idea and get feedback,” Shephard said.

“By winning the competition it shows that our idea is respected among local business professionals. After winning we have more confidence in our idea, and we are even more eager to develop our idea into a real business.”

Shephard plans to invest his winnings in the software creation process. He also

DID YOU KNOW?

ENTREPRENEUR [News page 1] The College of Business and Economics is one of only 4 percent of schools worldwide to earn AACSB accreditation.

plans to enter other business competitions in the spring.

“It would make me more than happy if we could see

our idea become a reality by having our software used in the community. There is no better feeling for an entrepreneur to see his or her product or service being used and enjoyed in the community,” Shephard said.

The graduate track first place winner was David Rush for his WAW green ammonia idea.

Undergraduate first place winner for the business plan challenge was MyRoadTrip. com, presented by Shawn Philips, Brittany Reed, Steven Schrader and Alisher Siddikov.

Innovative Cardiology received first place on the graduate track and was presented by Michelle Sabick, Lisa Laajala, Mike Mercil and Sara Gomez.

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OPINION

3

NOVEMBER 30, 2009

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Awareness is a means, not an end

Thanksgiving

STEPHEN HELEKER Assistant Online Editor

MCT CAMPUS

Close to 100 billion pounds of food is wasted each year in America, a figure that could be drastically reduced.

Some gorge, some starve CODY GITTINGS Journalist

Traditionally, Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for those things that we are, well… thankful for.

For most, these “things” are often friends and family, food, shelter and those other things necessary for a comfortable living. In maintaining the tradition and the spirit of the season, I must say that I am truly thankful for my friends and family, as well as for all of those things that allow me to attend a university, type this article on a MacBook Pro (courtesy of Apple and my parents), and wake up every morning knowing that I do not have to work a minimum wage job in order to ensure my family’s and my own survival.

The scene at my home in Lamoille, Nevada this Thanksgiving holiday was that of a typical middle-class American household. The air outside was crisp and cold, while inside I put another log to the toasty fire ablaze in the fireplace. Delightful aromas emanated from the kitchen as the dinner hour quickly approached, and my uncle watched the Denver Broncos battle the New York Giants on television. A short while later, I

found myself sitting amongst family at the dinner table, devouring the massive plate of food that lay before me and sipping from a glass half-full of a delicious Riesling wine. Amidst all of this luxury though, I found myself thinking not of these things that surrounded me, but rather of those people who are much less fortunate than myself.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 35.9 million people live below the poverty line in America. Of these people, 12.9 million are children, and despite an abundance of food resources in the United States, these people go hungry.

According to soundvision.com in an article titled “Statistics on Poverty and Food Wastage in America,” almost 100 billion pounds of food is wasted each year in America. Further, according to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service titled “Estimating and Addressing America’s Food Losses,” this waste accounts for more than a quarter of the 356 billion pounds of food available for consumption in the United States.

Knowing this, I find it quite disturbing that the typical middle-class

American is able to gorge his or herself so comfortably and carelessly on a day like Thanksgiving – a holiday based upon the principles of care and consideration of others.

Now, you may be saying, “Hey! My family welcomes plenty of family members into our home for the holidays. We do care about people!”

Frankly though, this isn’t enough.

I believe it’s our responsibility as citizens of this nation to reach out to those who are less fortunate than us, and to provide them with the tools necessary to live comfortably and combat poverty. When the average American wastes an average of 130 pounds of food each year (according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture), there is no reason that we cannot muster some small donation to families living below the poverty line, especially on a day like Thanksgiving when a good chunk of this waste occurs.

Fortunately, there are organizations that exist today that enable citizens to help the many millions of Americans that go hungry on a day-to-day basis. According to uspoverty.change.org, since President Obama has taken office, The White House, USDA and Corporation for

National and Community Service have joined forces to launch a new volunteer initiative called “United We Serve: Feed a Neighbor.” This initiative is designed to inspire Americans to serve their communities and to build a better future for our country. In addition to this program, there are many other organizations seeking to combat poverty and injustice in the U.S. like Oxfam America, which hopes to allow people to grow more food, access clean water, start small businesses or rebuild after disasters.

Like myself, I am sure that many of you have thought about those less fortunate than yourself this Thanksgiving holiday. However, in order to truly realize the magnitude of the epidemic that is poverty in America, we must become aware of the fact that poverty exists daily, and that we must take action not only on major holidays, but on a regular basis throughout our lives. I implore you all to take action against poverty in America by any means that you have available. For more information on “United We Serve: Feed a Neighbor,” visit www.serve.gov, and to learn more about Oxfam America, visit www.oxfamamerica.org.

Mammogram debate and a false economy Courtesy MCT Campus Obviously, I am not more knowledgeable about breast cancer than a government-led panel of experts.

Yet I know enough to look askance at advice that only women 50 and older get mammograms every two years and those in their 40s skip the test altogether.

New cancer-screening guidelines, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, fly in the face of conventional wisdom and long-standing consensus from cancer groups, radiologists and other experts that women get annual mammograms starting at age 40.

Science routinely second-guesses itself and women have often been caught in the middle. The controversy about estrogen-replacement therapy is one example where women were forced to weigh conflicting medical advice.

Moreover, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force isn’t nixing mammograms. They acknowledge the test’s early detection benefits.

But here’s what galls me: Not enough lives are saved, the experts say, to justify mammography as a routine screener for breast cancer.

Here’s a question: Of the lives saved by mammograms, which ones weren’t worth the effort? Certainly my sister’s life - saved not only by a mammogram’s detection of something amiss, but by subsequent biopsies, surgeries and rounds of chemotherapy - was worth the effort and more.

But, says the panel of experts, mammograms’ potential for harm outweigh their benefits. In about 10 percent of cases, they produce falsepositive results, leading women to undergo unnecessary follow-up tests such as biopsies, and in worse case scenarios, surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

Women are not to blame for falsepositive readings. The solution is not to take away a woman’s choice to have a mammogram, but rather to work to reduce the rate of false readings.

I can only imagine that if men were

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experiencing abnormally high rates of false positives on tests for testicular cancer, heads would be rolling in radiology departments nationwide.

Mammograms are not a walk in the park. I speak with experience as fresh as Monday when I rested against a chilly slab and experienced that familiar whack and intense pressure from a large machine built to flatten one’s chest to the width of a slice of pita bread.

Would I prefer to forgo this experience? Absolutely, which explains why my annual exams tend to get scheduled only after a friendly, firm reminder from my physician.

I don’t want to get mammograms.

I have to. Spurring me on is not just my family narrative, but this reality: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in American women, excluding skin cancer.

It kills more women than any other cancer except lung cancer.

Last year, more than 182,000 American women were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and 40,000 died of it.

If only those 40,000 women could be asked how they feel about being rescued from the trials of mammography. Better yet, how they feel about the guidelines’ advice to eschew monthly breast self-exams because they have not proven to reduce mortality from breast cancer.

Adding to my annoyance is this intrusion of politics into medicine. Under health-care-reform legislation in Congress, the new recommendations would help set standards for what preventive services insurance plans would be required to cover.

Have insurance companies just been given a green light to refuse to cover mammograms for women under 50?

If so, at nearly $200 a test, working women and those who are lowincome have been dealt a life-threatening blow.

I know science must operate in large statistical terms but people are not numbers. If the life saved by a mammogram is my own, I am more than justified in wanting early and routine screenings.

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I recently heard a Boise State student refer to the Invisible Children movement as “that Darfur fad.” It’s unfortunate that many of us become so jaded. After all, Invisible Children is one of the most passionate and active human rights movements in the world. I can see the student’s point though - we’re all really tired of these awareness trends.

We’ve all seen the pink ribbons, or the flyers displaying the most recent and horrifying statistics about AIDS or poverty.

There appear to be hundreds of concerned citizens devoting their time, energy and money to ensuring that the rest of us know that this stuff exists. The pink ribbons, at least, must have been effective; we all know what breast cancer is, right?

Cancer, deadly diseases, hunger and all the rest of the myriad of tragedies happening around the world at this very moment have one characteristic in common: they will not be solved by awareness.

Other issues, like drug abuse and cigarette smoking, may be more strongly effected by awareness. However, recent research shows that these awareness campaigns bring only mixed results.

Imagine, for a moment, that you are sitting outside a classroom, reviewing your notes for an exam. A friend tells you that Zach (or Mary, Sam or whoever) misplaced his or her notes and is unprepared for the test. You, aware of your civic duty, tell the rest of the class about Zach’s dilemma. Everyone feels bad for Zach. Unfortunately, he will still fail the exam.

Perhaps I am being a bit unfair to awareness programs. At the very least I am committing the sin of grouping legitimate activist groups into my criticism.

HERO (Human Equality and Rights Organization), a club on campus, is taking tremendous steps toward actively confronting world issues. In fact, they are preparing now for a trip to Mexico in January, when they will be part of an effort to provide aid to the homeless victims of deportation. By backing its awareness campaigns with legitimate action, HERO is an excellent example of what most awareness groups are not.

My point is this - awareness is good, but it is often a cop-out. If we spend all our time preaching about the sorry state of the world, but never go anywhere or do anything to fix it, then we aren’t doing anything. Peter Pan needed all the children of the world to believe and clap their hands so that Tinker Bell would come back to life. Unfortunately, that isn’t what reality is like. We are clapping our hands, but people are still starving, killing each other, contracting diseases and being sold into slavery.

When I see an awareness campaign I am reminded of Isaiah 58, where true fasting is described as “loosing the chains of injustice”, opposed to fasting just to be hungry. We need to stop being aware just to be aware. We need to stop giving our change so that we can feel better about our inaction. Get out there and do something.

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4

SPORTS

NOVEMBER 30, 2009

ARBITERONLINE.COM

Ideally, Boise State should bust BCS

MITCH ESPLIN/THE ARBITER

Boise State fans state their case with signs during the Broncos downing of the Nevada Wolf Pack Friday night.

KIRK BELL

Sports Editor The Boise State Broncos (12-0, 7-0 Western Athletic Conference) took one more step toward their hopeful BCS postseason bid with a convincing victory over the Nevada Wolf Pack (84, 7-1 WAC) Friday night at

Bronco Stadium.

The Broncos managed it without production from their most dangerous offensive weapon with junior wide receiver Austin Pettis going out early. Following their second score during the first quarter on a botched twopoint conversion attempt, Pettis went down with a

broken ankle.

With the last big test behind them and one more WAC foe awaiting the Broncos in New Mexico State, there is still little discussion through the inner workings of the program to whether or not they belong.

“We try not to think about those things,” sopho-

more running back Doug Martin said.

Martin ran for 118 second half yards against Nevada.

It would seem that following a victory for a shared WAC title and pending victory against NMSU next weekend, there might be a little more excitement floating around the team. But there was little

explosion of emotion by the Broncos. One thing could not be ignored. The fans were committed to making their case by chanting “BCS, BCS,” as the clock wound down and the game was all but in the pockets of Petersen and his young guns.

“We’ve got one more game,” Petersen said. “We’ve taken care of business and done everything that we can possibly do if we can win one more game. We’ve done it for two years in a row. We have confidence in the system and we have faith in the system.

That it’s going to take care of the teams that should be in there.”

A major part of that faith rested on the team that the Broncos faced in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. The Oklahoma Sooners (7-5, 5-3 Big 12) hosted the former spoilers of Boise State's BCS dreams, Oklahoma State (9-3, 6-2 Big 12). The Sooners shut down the Cowboy's offense and defeated their defense in a pull away victory 27-0.

But the argument should go backward to last year’s Poinsettia Bowl against the BCS busting shoe-in TCU Horned Frogs. There is no question that TCU has earned its spot ahead of the Broncos this season. But after watching them compete head-tohead with somewhat similar rosters coming into this season, it raises the question of

how good are both of these teams, really? Or maybe the question is how scary would it be for AQ's to know they were vulnerable to the up and coming Boise State, TCU, BYU and Utah programs that have shown consistent and sometimes dominant teams who have proven themselves worthy of more competition than they are traditionally granted.

The only way surely answer this question is to allow it to happen.

The Broncos have had quality wins over opponents who have proven themselves at the back end of the season.

Their team has shown dynamic performances without key components on offenese and the defense stepping up against some of the most potent offensive attacks that college football could muster during the 2009 season. If the Broncos haven’t proven themselves thus far, what do they have to do? Besides, the argument that fans wouldn’t show to see them play is an empty statement. The program is renowned with seven nationally televised games and following their final stand this season, a possibly unblemished record. If the BCS fails to take a pending 13-0 Broncos team, they will have a lot more to answer to than angry fans when a disappointing three-loss AQ brings a bowl game sad results.

BSU men's basketball pulls away for win JOEY MCCULLOUGH Journalist

On the first home game of the year for the Boise State men's basketball team, they were matched up against North Texas. The Broncos and the Green Machine were once rivals when both teams were members in the Big West Conference.

Though the Green Machine is playing in a seemingly weaker conference, it does not reflect in how they play basketball.

Both teams traded points through out the first half.

BSU’s Paul Noonan’s threepointer just before the first half buzzer gave the Broncos a 38-37 lead headed into the locker room.

Senior Kurt Cunningham in the first half led the Broncos.

Cunningham was BSU's top scorer with nine points. The first half was a good team effort by BSU. All but two Broncos in the first half scored.

For North Texas, junior Josh White led the way. White, who is listed at 5-foot 10 inch-

es, played anything but short.

With a team high of 16 points, White kept North Texas in the ball game.

In the second half, the game play didn’t change. The Green Machine jumped to a 58-53 lead but BSU’s defense closed the gap.

Back-to-back three-pointers from BSU’s Anthony Thomas and Reggie Arnold spear-headed a 17-4 run and turned the momentum for BSU. The Broncos held a 7062 lead with under three minutes to go.

“We had a stretch there where we went in and shut them down,” Head Coach Greg Graham said. “We were able to get some loose balls and some turnovers and score on the other end."

Ultimately, it was BSU’s defense late in the game that preserved the Broncos lead.

In the final seconds, Arnold’s highflying dunk sealed the deal the Broncos.

“Coach has told us all year that what’s going to win the games is the defense and getting stops,” Cunningham

said. “You saw that down the stretch.”

Cunningham and Arnold both scored 17 points for the Broncos. Ike Okoye and Noonan added 13 points and 11 points.

White had the game high 23 points. In the second half, the Broncos changed their defense to limit White’s scoring opportunities.

“We knew he was a good player,” Cunningham said.

“We squared him up in the second half and contained him better.”

The 79-73 victory puts the Broncos’ record to 4-2 and a good start to the season.

“We just stayed after it all along,” Cunningham said.

“We knew the key was going to be stops and pushing the ball after the stops.”

The Broncos next will travel to Illinois to face the 20th ranked Fighting Illini.

"They’ve been playing tough this year,” Cunningham said. “It’ll be a good challenge to see where they’re at and see if we can give them a good ball game."

NIK BJURSTROM/THE ARBITER

Boise State men’s basketball head coach Greg Graham stands courtside as he directs the 2009-10 team, the Broncos improved to 4-2 this season.

to you: Entrance sets tone for Broncos BRITTNEY JOHNSON Community Manager

Boise State’s big start Friday night against Nevada showed the nation just what kind of game was going to be witnessed. No, this isn’t about the impressive 95-yard kickoff return by Titus Young. This is about the way the Broncos took the field.

Around the nation, the way a team enters the stadium is a repeated tradition that sets the tone of the game for the home team. Clemson has “the Rock,” and Notre Dame is led by its coach.

Since the Fiesta Bowl, Boise State’s staple has been the horse leading them onto the field.

Friday night, before the game versus Nevada it stayed the same, the fog machine blasted and the horse thundered onto the field - one of the defining images of the season.

Several long seconds went by as the fog bil-

lowed and collected more than ever before.

The Broncos still hadn’t emerged behind their sledgehammer carrier for the week. Just as the lull of wondering set over the crowd, Kellen Moore, Ryan Winterswyk, Winston Venable with sledgehammer in hand - Kyle Wilson and Austin Pettis emerged as the first line of Broncos linked arm in arm. Line by line they slowly appeared.

Walking stride for stride through the fog onto the blue, the scene was a sign of solidarity that sent chills throughout those in attendance. The chills the crowd felt led to the stadium shaking in applause and cheers as the Broncos emerged.

The Broncos looked ready to take on their Western Athletic Conference foes - a team many thought could pull an upset.

Once most of the team emerged from the fog, they rumbled through the rest of the bandmade tunnel. Although it ended in similar fash-

ion to how they begin every game, the moments of how they entered are images that stuck out as the Broncos stampeded away with one of the best wins of the season.

The way the Broncos entered the field is the way the Broncos played the game. They played together as a team, tackled as a team, scored with team effort and beat a tough foe as a team.

The win would have never come if the Broncos played as individuals. The simple act of togetherness prefaced how the Broncos would perform.

The way Boise State entered the field may happen in select games, or may happen before every game. If this newfound tradition ensues it will be because the entrance is a physical embodiment of how the Broncos play and work together as a team. The fitting image of teammate solidarity is a perfect way to begin any game and for the Broncos an image of protecting the blue.

The Arbiter ! arbiteronline.com

SPORTS

NOVEMBER 30, 2009

Weekend Roundup: Nov. 22-29 COURTESY BRONCO SPORTS

5 ARBITERONLINE.COM

Hockey club finds first wins of season

on-three power play and were able to turn their advantage into a goal.

“We set it up. We pulled the goalie so it was five on three,” said Thomas (T.J.) Stanton, who scored the goal. “We were working the outside. A shot went off, the rebound came out, and it happened to come up on my stick. There were a few guys lying on the ground in front of me and I just put it over them.”

It was the second five-onthree Boise State had during the game. The other was half way through the second period during which BSU defenseman David Kvapil scored on a rocket from the point, through traffic.

Penalties appeared to be the difference as Boise State tallied 14, 11 of which came in the final two periods when BSU was working on a comeback.

“It hurts us through momentum,” Smith said. “We’re playing defense instead of offense.”

Overall, the Broncos were good on special teams, especially the penalty kill, but gave up the first goal of the game short-handed, 3 minutes and 47 seconds in, during a Smith penalty -- also the first penalty of the game.

“We definitely had a lot of penalties and that did not help us at all,” Stanton said.

“We need to work on team play. We’re moving ahead.

Communication is what we need for sure.”

Kvapil was a physical force defensively all night applying the majority of the Broncos’ pressure in their own zone. BSU won the physical battle but failed to turn their opportunities into goals.

“Finishing is our worst problem,” Smith said. “We have talent, we’re getting our opportunities, we’re just not finishing.”

Boise State next takes the ice in McCall Dec. 4-6, for a tournament where they are scheduled to play the University of Washington, Washington St. and the University of Utah.

Their next home games are Jan. 22 and 23 at Idaho Ice World at 10 p.m. against Portland St.

cos were relieved they’d clinched a share of the Western Athletic Conference title, but know they still have work to do to clinch the title outright.

“We’re not into sharing a

WAC title. That’s not what we’re trying to do. We want to play for something really big,” Paul said following the greatest game of his life and possibly the best win of the season for the Broncos.

Boise State women's basketball remain undefeated through Saturday in Lady Rebel Round-Up Boise State used a 17-2 run to break open a tight game as the Broncos defeated UNLV 74-66 in the opening game of the Lady Rebel Round-Up in Las Vegas. Boise State out scored UNLV 10-2 to close the first half and 7-0 to open the second to seize control of the game. Jessica Van Hoogen scored a season-high 26 points to lead Boise State who is off to its best start in 24 years at 6-0, the 1985-86 team opened 6-0.

Van Hoogen led Boise State with 26 points, going 10-of-20 from the floor, to go with two rebounds, one assist and four steals. Tasha Harris followed with 13 points, five boards, and one assist. Janie Bos added 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and one steal, while Rebecca Kepilino chipped in with eight points, six rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal. Heather Pilcher recorded seven points, two rebounds, four assists, one block and three steals.

The Broncos played in the Lady Rebel Round-Up championship game Sunday against Washington State. The Cougars defeated Bradley 80-66 in Saturday's second contest. This will be a rematch with Washington State who defeated the Broncos in Boise last year 85-76. The Cougars are coached by former Boise State coach June Daugherty who is 7-1 against the Broncos.

Results for the championship game were not available by press time and are available at arbiteronline.com in this week's Weekend Roundup.

Women's volleyball sets new team benchmark with best season in conference history The Boise State volleyball season came to an end on Tuesday night in the semifinal round of the 2009 Western Athletic Conference Tournament at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The No. 6-seeded Broncos (8-22) finished their season with their third 3-0 loss to No. 2-seeded New Mexico State (19-8) this season, but had a very successful run at the end of their season.

The Broncos advanced further into the WAC Tournament than any other Boise State volleyball team since they joined the conference in 2001 as well as earning their best conference record (7-9) ever in the WAC. The Aggies did control the net leading 8-3 in blocks as well as 48-24 in kills. NMSU also held a .391 hitting percentage while Boise State recorded a .067 percentage.

The Broncos were led by sophomore Elizabeth Griffin who tallied nine kills and a .160 hitting percentage on the night.

Sophomore Breann Nesselhuf added 23 assists and led the team in blocks with two while junior Lauren Hamm led the match with two service aces. Senior Jeanene Rose finished her career with a team-leading eight digs, bringing her career total to 851 digs.

The Broncos ended their season with an 8-22 record, turning a 0-11 start to the season into a semifinal WAC tournament berth.

Three Broncos made their way into the all-time record books this season, with Sadie Maughan leading the way by holding the No. 3 spot in career points with 817.0. Alisha Young moved into the No. 5 spot with 772.0 points. The pair also made their way onto the season points chart with Maughan sitting at tie for No. 5 with 345.0 season points while Young holds the No. 7 spot with 344.0 season points. Maughan also holds the No. 10 spot for career total blocks with 291 while Lauren Hamm took over the No. 8 spot in career digs totaling 1,026 digs.

Nesselhuff was named to the WAC All-Tournament team with her performance in Las Vegas.

Bronco wrestling remains undefeated, earn first Pac-10 win of the season The No. 8 ranked (NWCA/USA Today) Boise State wrestling team earned a pair of big wins on Sunday, Nov. 22, when the Broncos traveled to Corvallis, Ore., for a double-header of duals against No. 13 Wisconsin and Oregon State. The Broncos won seven matches against the Badgers and eight matches against the Beavers to improve their overall record to 3-0, 1-0 against Pac-10 Conference opponents.

Boise State earned its first win of the afternoon, taking down Wisconsin 30-9. The Broncos earned victories in seven matches, which included three wins by fall to blow open what was a close dual early.

Boise State completed its sweep in their double-header by earning a 25-7 win over Pac-10 conference rival Oregon State in the evening night-cap. The Broncos won eight matches in a row, dropping only the 125-pound and heavyweight matches to the Beavers.

Boise State is off the mat again until Dec. 4-5, when the Broncos travel to Primm, Nev., for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Boise State returns home on Dec. 11 (Friday) for its second of three home duals this season. The Broncos will host Montana State-Northern at 7 p.m. in Taco Bell Arena.

JOSH RASMUSSEN/THE ARBITER

Broncos’ forward Cameron Smith carries the puck along the boards during a game against Montana. BSU recorded its first victory over BYU last week.

JOSH RASMUSSEN Media Manager

Boise State’s hockey club found its first pair of wins in Spokane, Wash., but dropped two games at home against BYU Friday, Nov. 20, and Saturday, Nov 21.

The Broncos traveled to Spokane the weekend of Nov. 13 and took two games from Gonzaga -- the first BSU wins of the season. Team captain and hockey club president Dalton Smith described what the wins meant to the team.

“Winning for us is huge,” he said. “It was definitely a big deal for our team -- for our team to grow. We’re trying to recruit some more, ad-

vanced players.”

Smith said winning is huge for the Broncos, but during their first home stand since beating the Bulldogs, they let two games get away to BYU, each by one goal -- 3-2 Saturday and 5-4 Friday.

Boise State began the third period down 3-1. They took four penalties in the first 11 minutes and were ultimately forced to pull goalie Dan Beaudreau with 1:30 remaining in the game. A late penalty to BYU convinced the Broncos to take a timeout. With the man advantage and head coach Ken Beaudreau’s decision to keep Dan Beaudreau on the bench, the Broncos found themselves on a five-

WAC Championship [News page 1] State sophomore Dan Paul. Against Nevada, Paul caught TD passes on consecutive drives helping BSU jump out to a commanding 20-0 lead. Paul entered the game with only one catch on the season.

“It was unbelievable. I didn’t really even know what to expect. It was the greatest feeling ever,” Paul said, grinning ear to ear.

Paul caught his third TD pass with 9:59 remaining in the second quarter which catapulted BSU to a 27-3 lead before Nevada’s offense began fighting back.

Nevada put together two solid scoring drives just before the half, capped off by a 3-yard TD pass from Kaepernick to wide receiver Brandon Wimberly. The drives revived the Wolf Pack offense and closed the gap to 27-16 at the half.

BSU’s offense sputtered to start the second half due to Moore’s number one target, junior wide receiver Austin Pettis, leaving the game with a broken ankle in the first quarter and Nevada's defense game planning adjusting accordingly. Having to

rely heavily on their defense, the Broncos kept Nevada at bay through most of the third quarter.

Taua got the break he had been waiting for and provided much needed momentum for the Wolf Pack. Taua broke through the line and outran BSU’s secondary for a 71- yard TD, cutting into BSU’s lead 34-26.

Sophomore running back Doug Martin then took it upon himself to keep BSU's offense moving when it was reeling for answers most.

Martin’s hard running gained him 128 yards on only 16 carries, something Martin has grown accustomed to during his time at running back.

“Playmakers have to show up so I just ran hard and did my job and did what I needed to do,” Martin said.

BSU kicker Kyle Brotzman added a 27-yard field goal to give the Broncos some much needed breathing room to start the fourth quarter. Later, Moore hooked up with his brother, freshman Kirby Moore, on a fancy 6-yard fade route that sank the Wolf Pack for good.

After the game the Bron-

MITCH ESPLIN/THE ARBITER

Sophomore quarterback Kellen Moore celebrates Friday with teammates Tommy Gallarda, Titus Young and Kirby Moore after Gallarda’s third quarter touchdown at Bronco Stadium.

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e

6

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The Future

Monday. Still, be sure to make extra time for the ones you love.

BY LINDA C. BLACK Tribune Media Services

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Birthday (11/30/09) This year your energy shifts toward greater imagination and independence. Maintain a practical perspective as you move forward with fresh ideas. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to dump the past in order to make this year a huge success. To get the advantage, check the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Today is an 8 -- Group effort moves a project forward. Get everyone on the same emotional wavelength for best results.

Scorpio (Oct. 23--Nov. 21) Today is a 7 -- Put in special effort to understand the work you have in front of you. Ten minutes of thought can saves hours of wasted effort.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is a 7 -- Start the new week with high energy. Emotions respond to physical work.

Today is a 7 -- Apply your effort to something you love. This could mean putting a less enjoyable task on hold until tomorrow.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Today is an 8 -- Present your findings as though youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re certain.

Others introduce emotional diversions. Stick to your point.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) Today is a 7 -- Even though itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Monday, spend extra time at home.

Can you take a mental health day?

It would be nice.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) Today is an 8 -- Try to check one thing off your list at work today. If you get more than one, give yourself a gold star.

Today is an 8 -- Back to work on changing the group dynamic.

Reassign tasks to suit each personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skills and interests.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is an 8 -- Rested and ready, you blast through work that has piled up recently. Then clean -- yes, clean -- your desk.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is an 8 -- Back to the daily routine after a holiday. Actually, you feel pretty good about yourself and your work now. Enjoy.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Today is an 8 -- Getting back into the workload takes effort. Apply physical energy to relieve emotional stress.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is a 7 -- Yeah, sure, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

___ (c) 2009, Tribune Media Services Inc.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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Make the cro and gr need t with th curren -Brend

CULTURE

7

NOVEMBER 30, 2009

ARBITERONLINE.COM

An ‘International’ thanks ANDREW FORD Culture Editor

Igor is familiar with the tradition of sitting down to eat with family, but the tradition of an American-style Thanksgiving is still new to the 29-year-old masters of business administration student, and soon to be, father.

Zagorskiy, a second-year graduate student from Turan, Kazakhstan gathered with about 175 other International students the Saturday before Thanksgiving break to get a Thanksgiving history 101 lesson, be entertained with dancing and chow on a traditional, though catered, Thanksgiving meal.

The differences between the U.S. and Kazakhstan are big, but there are a few holidays where they unite food and friends, despite not sharing a pilgrim-permeated Thanksgiving.

While Kazakhstan doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving, its biggest holidays include Indepdendence Day, Christmas, International Women's Day and Victory in WW II, Zagorskiy said.

"I think we both focus a lot on food. So thats kinda a common point between us.”

Independence Day is close

GLENN LANDBERG/THE ARBITER

“M.J.”, a student-employee in the international program performs “Thriller” Nov. 20.

to the hearts of Kazakhstanians, because the country only became independent in 1991.

"Our country became independent quite recently, so we don't have a long standing tradition of celebrating it really," he said.

International Women's Day is a national holiday, though absent in the U.S. "It's quite peculiar to our Country," Zagorskiy said. "We celebrate it quite seriously."

Due to differences in Calendar, Christmas falls on Jan. 7.

Though Christmas is important, he said that because of the previous Soviet culture, it’s less prominent than in the U.S. "This is also celebrated seriously by religious people, but the problem is there are many people that don't believe in god," he said.

Igor came to Boise State to get an education, explaining that the education here is of a higher caliber than back home, but said the diverse student population and friendly community has made Boise a place he'd prefer not to leave.

Because of limitations of his visa though, he'll have to return home after

he graduates.

Zagorskiy said at BSU there is a higher emphasis on group work than in Kazakhstan. In his home country, he said the focus is generally on individual performance and individual work.

Over Thanksgiving break, he planned to have Thanksgiving with a classmate that invited him as well as visit more of Idaho.

"I find people very hospitable here," he said.

After he graduates, Igor plans to get a managerial position in banking and finance and gain experience as a manager before starting his own business long-term.

Igor said that consequences of the current economy don't affect Kazakhstan as much because its economy doesn't rely heavily on the U.S., but instead primarily on the exportation of raw materials.

"Unfortunately, there is no high tech. or heavy industry there, which makes it a developing country," he said.

Igor said that while in the U.S. there is a large middle class, in Kazakhstan it's much, much smaller, 20 percent or less of the population. About 50 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.

GLENN LANDBERG/THE ARBITER

About 175 students took part in the american-style Thanksgiving buffett Saturday.

Griffin's humor lights up Morrison Center with laughter MIKE JOHNSON Journalist

At some point during a typical introduction, comedienne Kathy Griffin usually asks the question, “where my gays at?”

Appropriately, Boise’s gays were in full force Thursday to see their favorite funny girl’s first visit to Boise at the Morrison Center.

Known for her foul mouth and merciless tirades about celebrities, Griffin’s particular brand of comedy leads people to either love her or hate her. She’s been banned from countless talk and award shows for her unfiltered and often obscene mouth, and was fired from the red carpet

by E! for allegedly claiming on air that child-star Dakota Fanning had checked herself into rehab for drug and alcohol abuse – yet has garnered multiple Emmys for her popular Bravo reality show, "My Life on the D-List."

Griffin began her show with a short video montage of pictures from her past and clips from her multitude of television appearances – including her famous slip on CNN’s New Years special last year with Anderson Cooper (YouTube it!) and her equally famous “Suck it, Jesus” Emmy acceptance speech.

She greeted the crowd in sweat pants and a Bronco tshirt because her luggage had been delayed - she had some choice words for United Airlines during the show.

She started her shtick with Boise-specific banter – receiving a roar of applause when she shouted “Go Broncos,” after which, in

I just love how big fat Oprah is back!

Kathy Griffin true Kathy Griffin form, she wished us the “best hockey season ever.” She commented on how crazy we Boiseans are for having live fishing bait in vending machines at Albertsons and how disgusting she finds local eatery Donnie Mac’s.

No current celebrity topic went untouched by Griffin.

She discussed everything from Sarah Palin, John and Kate Gosselin, “Carrie (expletive) Prejean” and her eight sex-tapes. Griffin even talked about Andre Agassi’s recent tell-all of meth abuse and hair extensions. As always, Griffin made incredibly delightful jokes about Oprah, exclaiming “I just love how big fat Oprah is back!”

Another common theme of Griffin’s show is discussion of her mother, Maggie Griffin, and her affinity for boxed wine and cognac. Griffin’s mother has accumulated somewhat of a celebrity status herself, due to her role on "D-List."

She ended her show abruptly in a way that only Kathy Griffin would, with a wonderfully tasteless joke about Barbara Walters and the female anatomy, after which she proceeded to wish the audience a good night while prancing and posing like a drag queen.

Griffin can soon be seen on the sixth season of her show "My Life on the D-List." She

has also recently released a holiday-themed comedy album called "Suckin’ It for the Holidays" and will appear as a guest star on "Law & Order: SVU," where she’ll play a lesbian gay-rights activist who, as Griffin hopes, will make out with "Law & Order" star Mariska Hargitay.

Overall, the reception from the crows seemed quite positive.

Student Victoria Pollard said, “It was delightfully obscene. I especially loved her description of Renee Zellweger as a sweaty, puffy, coke addict.”

Griffin’s routine is laden with foul language and impropriety, which is why her fans love her. This is probably why a few people got up in the middle of the show and vacated the venue – people who probably knew Kathy Griffin was a comedian and a show sounded like a nice way to spend a Thursday evening, but didn’t know what they were getting into.

Surprisingly, the house was almost full, which inspires some intense and refreshing confidence for Idaho’s sense of humor.

Truth be told, society need more foul-mouthed spit-fires like Kathy Griffin. She gives hope to negative and cynical folks that there is, indeed, a place for them in this world.

Her candor and vulgarity are truly inspiring.

Comedienne Kathy Griffin struts her saucy stuff on the red carpet.

MCT

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8

CULTURE

NOVEMBER 30, 2009

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Once in a lifetime

An informal dinner with Ann Patchett TONY ROGERS Journalist

NIK BJURSTROM/THE ARBITER

Ann Patchett gives a lecture in the Simplot Ballroom during her visit at Boise State.

A unique event occurred during Ann Patchett’s tip to Boise state, an inclusive event that not only gave those in attendance a privilege to talk with the author, but also let them get to know an author at a more personal level.

Everyone can agree: a dinner with a published author doesn’t come around every year, you know.

Many students would jump at any offer to have dinner with an accomplished author like Patchett, and it was surprising that only about 15 people came to dinner, even though the event was featured on many displays in the SUB. Yet, in a way it was that low number of people that let the dinner be much more enjoyable.

By five o’clock when the dinner officially started, food was already coming out of the

kitchen, and Patchett was engaging all of us in conversation. It seemed that everyone had questions for the author, however Patchett just took them with stride. She didn’t just merely answer the questions posed to her, but she expanded on the ideas, and helped to encourage an educated discussion among students. What was surprising was the attentiveness of the author, especially when one would think that someone of such high profile would have little interest in what the little people had to say.

Yet a mere 15 minutes after the first question, Patchett had begun telling the guests about things like her favorite book "Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norwell" by Susanna Clarke, and how she doesn't know what to do with eight copies of her book that have been translated into Sri Lankan. everyone's interest was sparked by

the authors answers and soon topics were ranging from her early childhood to her opinion of film adaptations. as a matter of fact, discussions remained strong as the end of the event approached.

But Patchett stayed with everyone, and the discussions that the table engaged themselves in launched the event 45 minutes past its six o'clock end time.

Even then, it took a while to pull everyone toward the fact that Patchett had a lecture to give in 15 minutes.

Patchett's friendliness toward the guests that Tuesday night made the event one of the most exciting that I have had the pleasure of attending. Talking with Patchett made everyone feel welcome, just as I'm sure she felt welcomed by the students at BSU. The dinner was by far a great success and I hope that BSU considers doing another one soon.

Novelist Ann Patchett visits Boise State JENNIFER SPENCER Journalist

“Imagination is like a muscle, if you don’t use it, it will atrophy,” author Ann Patchett told more than 100 people in the SUB Simplot Ballroom on Nov. 17.

Patchett visited the university as part of New Student and Family Programs’ First Year Read Program. In order to promote a sense of community and discussion, the program provides incoming first-year students with the same book to read in preparation for their first semester. Fall 2009 freshmen read Patchett’s 2007 novel, Run. Run tells the story of a widowed Irish Boston-based politician, Bernard Doyle, and his two adopted African American sons, Teddy and Tip. In a 24-hour time span, events occur that drastically alter the family’s life.

“I certainly am obsessed with the idea of class and race

because I think they are the underpinnings of this country...” Patchett said, referring to the novel’s overarching themes.

Patchett’s idea for Run came from a dream she had about God moving into her neighborhood and adopting two sons, one of which would become the new savior of the world. The novel took shape from the dream’s concept.

“It’s always the… thing that strikes the first match, not the thing that causes the whole bonfire…” she said.

Since 1992, Patchett has published five novels and two works of nonfiction. She rose to fame with the publication of 2001’s Bel Canto. The novel revolves around a group of terrorists who invade a dinner party, taking executives, civilians and an opera singer hostage. According to Patchett, Bel Canto is loosely based on the 1996 Lima Crisis, a Japanese embassy hostage crisis in Peru.

“With all of my books, I can pretty much go back and pinpoint the moment that I first got the idea,” she said.

In her talk Tuesday night, the Nashville-based author engaged the crowd with stories from her childhood, a recent family reunion in Mississippi, and her friendship with renowned opera singer, Renée Fleming. During her speech, Patchett emphasized the concept of practice in writing.

“You don’t put a piece of corn in the ground and expect to eat corn tomorrow,” she said.

Her trilogy of writing concepts- experience, muse and work- leads Patchett to discount the idea of writer’s block. Patchett said she continuously seeks out new information as she writes a novel instead of relying on her current knowledge.

“We think that art informs our life, but in fact it works both ways,” she said.

In addition to students, members of the community came to hear Patchett speak.

Christine Simon, an elementary teacher, came with her book club who previously read Bel Canto. Her son, a freshman, read Run as part of the First Year Read Program.

Jill Hunt, a sophomore majoring in social work, came to the event without having read Patchett’s novels.

Patchett’s discussion of Run inspired Hunt to read the novel.

Hunt plans on reading the book now In a podcast with The Arbiter, Patchett offered suggestions for aspiring authors.

“My advice is volume; read everything,” she said. “…

You should write a lot when you’re young.”

A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, New York Times best-seller and winner of a Guggenheim Fellowship, Patchett never doubted her calling as a author.

NIK BJURSTROM/THE ARBITER

Ann Patchett signs “Run” for Dorothy O’Mealia, Biology major, during her visit to Boise State.

Swell Season's Glen Hansard Life after the Oscars and dinner with Streisand There’s a difference between melancholy music and despairing music Glen Hansard

MCT

Glen Hansard, front, performs with Marketa Irglova at the Chicago Theater on June 15, 2008, in Chicago, Illinois.

MCT CAMPUS Glen Hansard never imagined he would one day be having dinner at Barbra Streisand's place in Malibu, Calif., but there he was at Babs' mansion with his songwriting partner in the Swell Season, Marketa Irglova.

It was during the run-up to the 2008 Academy Awards when Hansard and Irglova found themselves in the company of Hollywood royalty. Hansard and Irglova

had been nominated for a best-song Oscar, for "Falling Slowly" from their indie movie "Once," and Streisand had invited a few of her pals over to the house to drum up support for her new pet project.

"I had a bunch of questions to ask about Kris Kristofferson," Hansard says of Streisand's "A Star is Born" movie co-star. "It was a little more political than Mar and I assumed. The party included Oscar winners, and Oscar voters. She had bought cop-

ies of the 'Once' DVD for everyone at the party and it was basically Barbra staying, 'These are my picks.'"

The Streisand get-out-thevote campaign must have worked, because they ended up winning the Oscar. What started out as a word-ofmouth hit blossomed into the toast of Hollywood, and Hansard and Irglova found a huge audience ready for their pensive music on tour.

"Once" blurred the reality between life and art. The odd

but endearing couple depicted in the movie by Hansard and Irglova ends up developing a deep personal bond through music, not unlike Hansard and Irglova in real life. They fell in love while making the movie and were a couple for two years before breaking up, just as they were writing the Swell Season's latest album, "Strict Joy" (Anti-).

Naturally, the album is being widely interpreted as the story of the couple's break-up.

"I don't mind that people hear it that way," Hansard says. "But it's not purely a break-up record. It's not like we had this big violent breakup and couldn't play with each other. We're still in the same band. But, yeah, that chapter of our lives is documented somewhat in these songs."

Hansard says he and Irglova remain "great mates."

"Me and Mar sat down one day and said this [the romantic relationship] isn't working, let's go back to being pals," Hansard says. "But we make good music together, this is our job. Let's continue doing it. It would be sad and cynical for us to continue if we hated

each other. But it's exactly the opposite."

The music attests to how well Hansard and Irglova continue to work together musically. More richly orchestrated than "Once," it makes for bittersweet listening: beautiful music about a dissolving relationship.

"There's a difference between melancholy music and despairing music," Hansard says. "If you're completely lost, there is no hope, and when there's no hope, your music will appeal to a very small number of people. But if there's sadness with redemption, the alchemy of sadness meeting joy_I would hope that's where our music takes people."

Hansard acknowledges it wasn't always so. With his longtime Irish rock band the Frames, he bottomed out on the 2007 album "The Cost."

"I listen to that album and it's like, 'Dude, what were you thinking?' " Hansard says.

"It's dark as hell. That's not good. It's the one record of ours I can write off. I had a bit of an epiphany recently when I saw a couple of U2 shows.

I was deeply moved. Bono's

whole thing is to throw his arms around the world, embrace the good. Same thing with this Cat Stevens tape I've been playing lately. He writes life-affirming songs.

For me, the next batch of songs I write will explicitly have to deal with that idea of redemption. We are the 'imagineers' _ we imagine our life and it happens. If you imagine darkness, then darkness abounds."

It ties in with an increasing sense of responsibility born by the "Once" Hollywood whirlwind.

Dinner with Streisand is a nice memory, but for Hansard the endorsement he received as an artist is far more meaningful than the 15 minutes of celebrity he won.

"It does up the ante. It puts everything in super plain perspective. It's not good enough to just have an idea and record it. It didn't change how I write songs. It changed how I finish them. The starting of any song is always the same, almost a grunt: 'Oh, that's interesting.' It's having the presence of mind to finish it. That's where the work and the craft come in."

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