March 1, 2010

WHAT’S INSIDE

NEWS 1–2

OPINION 3

SPORTS 4–5

The Independent Student Voice of Boise State Since 1933

CULTURE 7–8 I SSU E

44 Volume 22

First Issue

F R E E MARCH 1, 2010

Broncos bested by Bulldogs

4

Texting law almost ready for roads

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2

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Ro's controversial fliers dissected

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ARBITERONLINE.COM

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ASBSU election packets available Monday Kim King Journalist

nik bjurstrom/THE ARBITER

Boise State senior sprinter Marlon Douglas races over hurdles in the WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships Saturday.

BSU men place second at

WAC Indoor Championships Daniel Priddy Journalist

T

he Bronco men came within an inch of victory this Saturday at the Western Athletic Conference Indoor Championships in Nampa, falling short to the Utah State Aggies by a scant 9.5 points. The women finished the tournament in seventh place.

The Bronco men were in the lead for most of the three-day competition, losing ground to the Aggies in one of the last events of the tournament--the 400-meter dash. BSU’s WAC Freshman of the Year recipient Jeff Howard took first place in the event, edging

out a win by less than a tenth of a second, but the Aggies took the remainder of the top spots, pushing victory just out of grasp for the Broncos.

Former conference title winner and race favorite Sawyer Bosch was inexplicably disqualified on a technicality at the onset of the race.

The disqualification of the experienced Bosch ended up leaving a huge void in scoring that the Aggies took advantage of. Bosch declined to comment.

The men’s jumpers dominated.

BSU’s Zach Arnos carved out a name for himself as one of the all-time Bronco greats, achieving first place in both events. Arnos

won scoring a personal best of 16.05m in the triple jump. Currently ranked No. 8 in the nation in the triple jump, Arnos’ chances of competing in nationals are assured.

“I give coach Petersmeyer a lot of credit,” Arnos said. “He really knows how to train us and pull us together. Taking the top five spots was unexpected.”

As a senior, Arnos came into the event knowing that this would be his last opportunity at a title.

“It’s a great way to finish out college. I really concentrated. I came in thinking today was my day,” Arnos said. The ever-improving Arnos now looks forward to national competition.

Sophomore Kirk Felix had an exceptional three days. Felix took home a first place title in the men’s heptathlon with a total score 906 points to set a new BSU record.

Felix earned second in the long jump and third in the triple jump.

When asked if such a rigorous schedule was tiresome or taxing, Felix’s answer was straight forward, “I am used to it.”

Mele Vaisima pulled off an upset in the women’s weight throw, achieving a title with a toss of 18.93 m. Mele had done very well all season but surpassed expectations on Saturday. Vaisima took a meditative approach to the event.

See TRACK I page 4

Students' voices silenced Kim King Journalist

In an unprecedented move, ASBSU Vice President Joe Bunt asked a student to let the meeting proceed without further discussion during gallery comments Thursday.

“I was basically told to sit down and shut up,” counseling education graduate student Lucia Venegas said. “I felt disrespected.”

She says working at the Cultural Center as an assistant has taught her to value all human rights. She is from Mexico and says she felt misrepresented by student senate President Trevor Grigg when he and Bunt appeared on the Austin Hill radio show Feb. 19.

She was asking Grigg and Bunt to be accountable for statements made during the interview.

“After Joe’s anger display, it got me upset,” she said. “I was just asking a question.”

She said she was humiliated when she was asked to let the meeting continue instead of voicing her concerns.

According to Grigg, he was invited to the show because of an illustration on Cultural Center Coordinator Ro Parker’s personal

Facebook page.

The illustration depicts two black women looking down at a white man. The caption reads “Shut the f*** up, Whiteboy.”

During the interview with Hill, Grigg said Parker receives more than $40,000 per year to represent the Cultural Center, whose mission is to promote and embrace inclusiveness and diversity. He called the illustration inappropriate for someone in her position at Boise State.

Venegas said she disagreed with everything Grigg and Bunt said during the interview.

“I believe even if we don’t personally elect someone, they still represent us,” she said. “They need to better represent all students.”

Since the interview, Grigg and Bunt have received negative feedback from senators who say they should have known about the radio show in advance so they could have participated in forming an ASBSU opinion.

Grigg said they were asked one hour before airtime to appear on the show and there was not enough time to consult with everyone.

During the student senate meeting, Grigg expressed concern

for students and senators disagreeing with statements made at the interview.

“As elected president, I am president all the time, wherever I go,” he said. “Who do you represent when you are elected? You can’t please everyone. What you can do is represent your values and principles.”

He said he wants more accountability from the university.

“It’s being ignored and swept under the carpet and not being dealt with on our campus,” he said. “Many students were outraged and we represented them.”

When Venegas asked for further discussion, Grigg suggested she make an appointment and he would be glad to sit down with her and talk about the interview further.

Venegas said she wanted to be heard.

“Isn’t that what gallery comments are for?” she asked.

Bunt said it had already been discussed in two previous meetings and it was time to move on with other items on the agenda.

“This is not the place and time,” he said. “We can schedule a private meeting. The senate is trying to get things done.”

Another guest sitting with Venegas asked to participate in gallery comments and said it didn’t matter how many times the issue had been addressed, he was asking for the senate to reach out to him.

He accused Grigg of refusing to meet with the cultural center to bring the issue to an end.

At the end of the senate meeting the guest was unavailable for further comment.

Bunt stated the behavior was rude and unacceptable. “At this moment, at this time, at this table, nothing will be accomplished.”

After the meeting Bunt clarified what his intentions were when he asked Venegas and her guest not to discuss it further.

“They were showing disrespect toward Trevor and I,” he said.

He said the Austin Hill show was strictly about him and Grigg and had nothing to do with the other senators.

Because the comments were not supported by ASBSU, their meeting was not the appropriate venue for this discussion.

“I was saddened,” he said. “As students, they do have a right to voice their opinion here. But this was kind of rude, kind of disruptive, and not appropriate.”

Election packets for all ASBSU elected positions will be available Monday in the student senate office on the second floor of the SUB. According to Election Board Chair Johnni Wuest, each packet will include an application, a calendar of election deadlines, and job descriptions for all positions. Completed information is due by March 10 and campaigning will officially begin March 15.

Requirements for students wanting to apply are simple.

“They must be full-time students with a 2.5 GPA, and have the signatures required,” Wuest said. “For the executive ticket, 300 are needed, at-large senators need 50, and college senators 25. There has to be enough interest for them to be on the ballot.”

Wuest says some students assume ASBSU elections are like ones they experienced in high school.

“This is not like high school where all they do is plan the prom,” she said. “At college level they attend fee hearings, serve on boards and committees, and the senate is the final place to go for academic grievance.”

Voting dates have been set for April 7 and 8.

Wuest says voter turnout has been low in the past, but after speaking with members of different student organizations, she has identified possible reasons and is preparing to make changes.

“They don’t feel there is fair representation,” she said. “When some senators win with 600 votes, that doesn’t represent the entire school.”

Wuest says she has worked with Sen. Chase Johnson and Executive Chief of Staff Ashlee Mendive to write legislation to change the election code.

“I am available to answer questions or things of that sort at the ASBSU offices, or via phone or e-mail,” she said.

“We are there to represent you.”

Letter to the Editor

Review Bunt's actions I am asking that Joseph Bunt be put on administrative leave from being protemp of the BSU student Senate. This last Thursday, he silenced me and told me to sit down after I spoke during gallery comments asking for his accountability on misrepresenting Boise State Students on a public radio show. During this time he said that the issue had already been brought up three times, even though this was a new issue and it was the first time it was brought up. He also raised his voice to me and became very visibly angry when I continued. I felt he used his position to silence me.

This was my first time I spoke at Senate and I felt mistreated, patronized and intimidated. Gallery comments are the place where students go to be heard. As my elected officials, they need to be receptive of my concerns. I feel that due to the nature of my concern, he was not able to be objective. I feel he has lost his ability to be objective when hearing student concerns. If he remains in his current position in Senate, he will prevent students from voicing their issues.

I ask that he be suspended immediately and per a review of this situation, not be allowed to sit in Senate.

Lucia Venegas BSU graduate student, counseling

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March 1, 2010

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Fliers in a clearer sky

Glenn landberg/THE ARBITER

Francisco Salinas, left, is director of student diversity and inclusion at Boise State.

David Gasch Journalist

Recent events have made the Boise State University Cultural Center and its coordinator, Ro Parker, the center of a controversy.

Weeks ago, an unknown person spread fliers in the student union building that sported images taken from Parker’s personal profile on Facebook. com. During the time since, Parker and the Cultural Center have received numerous hateful e-mails and letters.

The event has been mistaken for other flier distributions, many reacted to the images without understanding the

context and many disputed the appropriateness of the picture.

“What is disheartening about this episode is the outrage momentum directed at Ro based solely upon the most negative possible interpretation of the existence of this graphic on Ro’s Facebook page,” director of student diversity and inclusion Francisco Salinas said.

Responses to the situation ranged from complete understanding of Parker’s intentions to heated attacks. Several aspects of the entire situation proved confusing and misunderstood by many.

Flier Confusion Many have connected these fliers with others previously

distributed on the BSU campus. In December, fliers that targeted African Americans and homosexuals were spread that created an enormous response from BSU students.

They inspired a rally, student and media responses and ignited discussions.

The fliers distributed in January that involve Ro Parker questioned the appropriateness of a picture (completely separate from the other fliers) on her personal profile on Facebook.com.

Though Parker intended it to spark a discussion about sexism, racism and identity development, the image alone could be seen as racist

GOVERNOR OTTER

:

and inappropriate.

The police spoke to the individual who spread the December fliers and decided he did not break any laws. The distribution in the SUB, however, violated the building’s solicitation policy.

“Our number one goal is to make this building safe and comfortable for all students, and this individual has violated that right. If they return, I will issue a citation,” student union director Jack Rahmann said. Soliciting is allowed in the SUB, but the time, place and manner are controlled by the student union.

To understand these events, Boise State students and the public must understand the distinction between previous fliers and those pertaining to Ro Parker.

Flier Controversy Some feel the image inappropriate considering Parker’s status as one the major voices for diversity at Boise State University -- or as a representative of the school in general.

One comment on a past article about the issue stated “I have seen the flier printed in The Arbiter and am outraged that such a picture would find its way to the Facebook account of an ambassador for diversity for Boise State.”

Other comments include, verbatim: “By being dumb enough to have a picture like that on your facebook, you have guarunteed being taken out of context,” and also, “if you hve something like this

on a public social networking site and you are the director of a center that was setup to educate individuals about hateful and negative points of view and to provide a safe place for people to go to escape that same ignorant and out of date attitude, than you should probably pull your head out of your ass and at least have some kind of description and, or statement posted with a picture such as this.”

Others, however, believe there is more to the story and feel that a basic understanding could easily clarify and justify Parker’s intentions.

One major concern expressed on the issue was the level of understanding the public achieved before forming opinions on the matter and making demands, which at times were as bold enough to call for Parker’s dismissal.

“Before people jump to conclusions I urge them to dig a little deeper on this issue, and have the audacity to fully analyze the implications of this picture,” ASBSU Senator Chase Johnson said. “Of course if one is to act on the subject matter of the picture immediately the reaction will be negative; however, if one considered the context as articulated by Ro, I think it gets to the heart of the issue.”

Parker’s Response “I am in complete understanding of how someone can look at the picture that has been circulated so widely… and have a strong emotional

reaction to it. And if it truly was reflective of my personal sentiment, then I could understand the concern that surrounds this," Parker said.

"But I want to make it very clear that this is not my personal sentiment. I believe that students need to hear this after the damage this flier has caused… This picture was taken off my personal Facebook page out of context."

She continues, "It was out of context because the account was only three days old. I had created it with the intent to come back later to add text and more pictures. This page was in no way ready for people to look at."

"This, coupled with the fact that I did not consider privacy settings, created a situation that without context would seem confusing at best… I do however, understand the nature of offense and I understand that there are students out there that saw the picture on the fliers and are offended," she said.

"The apology that I freely offer is to those students that because of the lack of context surrounding the picture were offended based on an erroneous assumption that this reflected my personal sentiment.

It does not.”

For complete responses of Ro Parker, Francisco Salinas or Elijah Udeochu, as well as to listen to a podcast with Elijah Udeochu and Ibrahim Nurudeen, visit arbiteronline.com.

SBOE is inhibiting universities’ individual rights, so educational quality will decrease, and competitive edge will be lost to private institutions.

I understand Kustra’s frustration Bureaucracy inhibits -BSU President Bob Kustra

kim king Journalist

Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter spoke Wednesday in response to Boise State President Bob Kustra’s remarks at the Idaho State Board of Education meeting last week.

Kustra voiced frustration at the lack of freedom in making university decisions.

“I’m not asking for more money, we just want to do our jobs,” Kustra said.

When Otter was asked if he would like to see a change in the amount of freedom university presidents have in making decisions and what his role would be in accomplishing this goal, he responded with interest.

“I understand Bob’s frustration,” he said. “In not only what he thinks is his responsibility, but especially when he overlays the Land Grant Institution and how it operates.”

Otter said he didn’t want to go into a discussion of the land grants even though he understood Kustra’s position.

“They (land grants) are constitutionally protected,”

Otter said. “Neither I or legislature can change it.”

He said people have to change it and there is nothing in the works to do so now.

Referring to the question of his role in accomplishing the goal of more freedom in decision making, he said things have already been changed in the area of state purchasing.

“It has affected savings in his operational needs and venues,” he said. “Dr. Kustra knew what he was getting into when he came to the university.”

Otter said Kustra also knows he can go before the legislature to make further changes.

“He is a good friend,” Otter said. “I hope he still considers me a good friend after this legislative session.”

Otter addressed members of the Idaho Press Club on other issues including current legislation, the F-35 project, budget cuts and his legacy. He said the high profile in the F-35 project has generated aerospace interest from other companies.

“When I became governor there were less than 50 com-

panies interested in coming to Idaho,” he said. “Now there are 107 other opportunities in the pipeline. We want them to know they are welcome.”

Otter said he understands what it means to have tough struggles, tough discipline, and to make tough choices.

He said he learned it first hand while attending college.

“It prepared me to choose the right kind of people for this time,” he said. “I didn’t know we would have this tremendous downturn.” He said looking back, he would have chosen the same people.

When asked about his legacy, he said, “Happiness would be a good start.”

He said when he first became governor in the 2006 session, he wanted to build up $100 million for the Idaho Opportunity Scholarship Fund during his time in office, but because of the downturn he has been unable to do so.

“I would like to see some compassion,” he said. “I have to pick and choose. When I make choices, I have to live with it. It’s not always fun. But I still have to say this is the best job I’ve ever had.”

BSU purchasing

sarah murphy Journalist

The bureaucracy of state governed entities has caused time and money to Boise State University according to Boise State President Bob Kustra. The purchasing practices of BSU are littered with steps, procedures, and committees.

According to Kustra, the purchasing department is responsible “for the procurement of all University equipment, supplies and services” with the “lowest possible cost,” but this can be bogged down with the bureaucracy the department faces.

There are state laws, federal regulations, Idaho State Board of Education (SBOE), as well as BSU policies that must be considered.

According to BSU purchasing policy, the University’s facilities director must review purchases for any unusually large or heavy equipment or if it needs a special connection prior to the submission of requisition. The same applies to purchases for modifications of buildings, grounds, or the construction of a new

building. In some cases the State of Idaho Division of Public Works (DPW) becomes involved. In this case, the project stops being a part of the purchasing department and “separate rules, procedures and delegated authorities apply.” Bids over $75,000 must go through state purchasing with mandated timetables.

Purchases over $250,000 must go through state purchasing as well as reviewed and approved by the State Board executive director of SBOE. Lastly, purchases exceeding $500,000 become an agenda item at a SBOE meeting.

These limits become a roadblock for the purchasing department because “at a dollar limit, it must go outside the university, we’re not the only state agency, there may be a bit of a delay. We can take it to a certain point and then hand it off to state purchasing and that adds time,” purchasing director Terri Spinazza said.

“It can take up to 24 weeks to get through the purchasing process on large purchases,” Spinazza said. In the past, “with grant money, we’ve endangered the ability to get

(purchasing) done in time” because the process, “delays how quickly an order is placed and delivered.”

In last year’s speech to the SBOE, Kustra called for a “proposal for how the Board can offer a change in state law that would treat all state universities and colleges in the same manner as the University of Idaho is currently treated by Idaho state government.”

Boise State University and other state colleges and universities face regulations on their purchasing authority, all except University of Idaho because they are a land grant university. “Kustra has been working with the board to be more efficient and they are supportive of what we’re trying to do,” Spinazza said.

During Kustra’s speech earlier this month to the State Board of Education (SBOE), he addressed the idea the purchasing authority of BSU is “being diminished or at the very least, inhibited, by the state.” If the trend continues, “SBOE is inhibiting universities’ individual rights, so educational quality will decrease, and competitive edge will be lost to private institutions.”

Also, in last year’s speech, Kustra said, “if the responsibility was entirely within the university as it is at the University of Idaho, believe me, we would zero in on those delays, mistakes and bureaucratic processes that dueling agencies trade back and forth as though it were a tennis match.”

Spinazza said, “to give us the ability to handle the entire process ourselves,” would be a change she’d like to see. “We have professional staff and we can handle it.

There would be more flexibility to work with others like U of I, who may be making similar purchases.

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Opinion

3 Go to arbiteronline.com to read more letters to the editor and video-taped interviews of student comments.

March 1, 2010

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Forgive Parker and move on Haley Robinson Journalist

R

o Parker made a mistake. Not an unforgivable one, not one that merits a massive career-ending upheaval, but a mistake nonetheless.

Earlier this month, Parker, the coordinator of the Cultural Center, decided to open a Facebook account and, in a moment of poor judgment, set her default picture as one of two black women shouting “Shut the f**k up, white boy!” at a white male. The picture had no explanation, igniting an intense controversy.

Was the posting of this picture without context a good decision? Absolutely not. As a representative of the Cultural Center, she compromised her reputation as well as that of the department she is heavily

The distribution of fliers about a picture on Cultural Center coordinator Ro Parker's Facebook page caused controversy on campus. involved with. A department that, according to its mission statement, "is committed to raising awareness and understanding about marginal-

ized and oppressed groups."

If negative (and certainly not understood) material is seen on Parker’s profile, it will quickly be associated with

LETTERS Students must be heard Editor: I would like to offer my support in Lucia Venegas's request. [See "Students voices sileneced" on Page 1 for more information.] So many students go unrepresented on our campus, and even fewer take advantage of the "voice" that we have through ASBSU. After discussing the issue with another senator, it seems they do not support Joe's treatment of Lucia either. Issues of race are exacerbated through misunderstanding and miscommunication.

Gallery comments are certainly the opportunity to clear the air and ensure that we are all on the same page.

We do not necessarily have to agree and most of the time we

don't, but if our opportunity to be heard is hindered or stifled in any way, then we are certainly falling short in our effort to encourage diversity and equality on campus.

We are falling short of our commitment to be respectful and supportive of one another. The purpose of ASBSU: "The mission of the Associated Students of Boise State University Senate is to lead, inspire, encourage, and serve all students. To ensure that student needs are being met by serving as an outlet for student concerns, facilitating student participation in campus activities, and seeking solutions to issues and problems. By being a voice for students and constantly working towards the future."

I especially support the sentiment that ASBSU positions are meant to serve the student body

the Cultural Center. Whether this is fair or not is irrelevant.

It was her responsibility to consider this before posting strongly controversial material in such a manner.

Parker has repeatedly assured the public that the picture was meant to be used to spur conversation about racism and was intended to be utilized as a tool for learning.

The lack of explanation about the purpose of the picture, according to Parker, was because the Facebook account was new and not yet ready to be viewed.

The establishment of a social networking site comes with the obligation to accept responsibility for what you post. Putting the picture on Facebook without immediate explanation or clarification of its purpose begs the question: how else is this expected

to the

in a positive way. I am not even certain of recourse in this situation, but I believe there should be an accountability mechanism.

Student voices should never be silenced. Lucia is a respected student leader on campus. She is strong and represents the attitudes of many students.

We've vested our confidence in her. If she is shushed and quieted in one of our most public avenues to voice opinion, then many students may be discouraged to ever come forward with their opinions.

I offer my opinions and support as a concerned student and as a student leader. Your time and attention are appreciated.

Tai Simpson President, BSU Intertribal Native Council

Student Voices:

What do you think of the Ro Parker controversy?

Andy McCutcheon

Aubrey Brinton

Junior Communication with PR emphasis

Sophomore Multi-ethnic Studies

"I'm not against the picture, I'm not offended in any way.

And mainly because it's about time some white people figure out, 'Hey, this is what it's like.'"

"It's not really thought through very well to put something up like that in a public forum where a lot of people can see it and trace it back to an organization that could be held responsible for it."

Editor: We have come together, as a white woman and a black woman, to talk about the controversy surrounding Ro Parker and The Cultural Center at Boise State. First of all we’d like to say that we stand in support of Ro, her personal decisions, and her capability as leader of The Cultural Center.

Parker has a keen ability to facilitate workshops, and promote events that encourage understanding of diverse cultures, including but not limited to race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity. What we have been talking about recently has been mostly based around racial issues. Parker’s experience and competence as an educator to discuss racial identity development have been overlooked. Many people have skipped ahead to being offended about a teaching tool she had posted on her personal Facebook page.

In the most diplomatic terms we feel misrepresented… or even betrayed by our elected representatives.

Trevor Grigg and Joe Bunt, our student body president and vice president, respectively, went on a local, conservative talk show with host Austin Hill on Friday, Feb. 19. They went on there under the titles of president and vice president “representing” the student body. Many senators from ASBSU didn’t even know they were going on the show; therefore Grigg and Bunt couldn’t possibly have gained input from the students who those senators represent. By claiming to embody the whole student population at Boise State, they have done us a horrible injustice. We, and other students, were not asked what we thought of the picture, or what we think of Parker’s ability to lead The Cultural Center, before Grigg and Bunt went on the show.

Grigg and Bunt not only misrepresented Boise State, but also per-

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petuated the hate mail Parker and the other Cultural Center staff members have been getting from white supremacist groups, through misleading statements about the opinions of students. Grigg and Bunt are probably not aware that hate groups such as European Americans United and Stormfront use student voices like theirs to “legitimize” racist claims.

However, their appearance and statements have been misused as a catalyst to encourage people with deeply held white supremacist beliefs to send threatening and racist e-mails and letters to Parker and her staff members. We feel that an apology from Grigg and Bunt is in order.

As a white person, Lindsey feels that this is really unfortunate. The Cultural Center has given her an opportunity to be an ally to people of marginalized races, to educate others on how to work with people of diverse backgrounds, and to raise awareness of institutionalized racism in the community. It is frustrating that our own student body president and vice president aren’t comfortable admitting their privilege and becoming allies as well when we have the awesome resource of The Cultural Center available for all students to utilize.

Tuesday’s meeting of the Equal Rights Committee offered us some hope. Justin White, head of the committee, assured the large turnout of students and professional staff members who showed up to the meeting in support of Parker, that he will work to create justice for those who have been misrepresented, including Parker. He will work to ensure the students feel safe at the university, and do his best to talk to Grigg and Bunt about the inappropriate comments they made on the radio. White says he is “more than happy to facilitate these discussions.” We are also ready and willing to talk.

Lindsey Matson BSU junior, social work Verdell Brookens BSU junior, sociology

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Editor-In-Chief Shannon Morgan

online editor Stephen Heleker

What Parker did was irresponsible, but to what degree is she going to be punished?

After an apology, assurance that the picture did not reflect her sentiment, and understanding of the confusion, many students are still making the situation a huge deal.

My question is how long do we ignore her apologies before we are ready to accept her acknowledgment of making a mistake?

Parker has been willing to discuss the issue from the first day and has been trying to emphasize the way that the picture was intended to be interpreted.

She is sorry. And I would venture to guess she has learned something from this experience.

It’s time to understand her position, accept her apology, and move on.

Editor

Parker, Cultural Center deserve support

e ditorial S taff

Media manager Glenn Landberg

to be taken? To not anticipate that response and to neglect to provide adequate background is careless.

This, however, is something that Parker understands. In a statement to the Arbiter, Parker acknowledged that these factors, “created a situation that, without context, would seem confusing at best.”

In other words, Parker is acknowledging that she did something clearly baffling.

On top of understanding the perceptions of the situation, Parker has also apologized.

“The apology that I freely offer is to those students that, because of the lack of context surrounding the picture, were offended based on an erroneous assumption that this reflected my personal sentiment. It does not,” Parker said in her statement to the Arbiter.

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Guest opinions (500 word limit) and Letters to the Editor (300 word limit) can be e-mailed to managingeditor@arbiteronline.com

The Arbiter cannot verify the accuracy of statements made in guest submissions. Opinions expressed by guest and staff columnists reflect the diversity of opinion in the academic community and often will be controversial, but they do not represent the institutional opinion of The Arbiter or any organization the author may be affiliated with unless it is labeled as such.

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Sports

March 1, 2010

ARBITERONLINE.COM

Disappointing defeat for Broncos

Weekend Roundup WAC Champs in just four years After a short four years of existence, the Boise State swimming and diving team has risen to the top of the Western Athletic Conference.

The Broncos turned in another solid day on Saturday to take their first-ever WAC crown.

Amber Boucher was also named the WAC Swimmer of the Year, earning five gold medals at the WAC Championships.

"This was an amazing week for our program.

The plan has always been to contend for the championship title in the fifth year of our program,” said head coach Kristin Hill. “To win it in just the fourth year of our program is a huge testament to the hard work of each individual on this team and our staff, as well as the support of our athletic department and Boise State.”

On Saturday, the Broncos won three more events, pushing their team total to eight WAC titles in 2010.

Stephanie North repeated as the WAC champion in the 100 free with a NCAA provisional time of 49.86, which is also a school record.

Boucher finished directly behind her fellow Bronco for the second consecutive year with another provisional time of 49.96.

Christine Raininger earned her second individual title of the meet in the 200 butterfly with a school record time of 2:01.56. Senior Chelsea Lopus placed eighth in the event as well.

The third title of the day came in the last event of the day – the 400 freestyle relay. The Broncos edged out San Jose State with a school record and NCAA provisional time of 3:23.02.

Another Bronco record fell in the 200 backstroke when Denise Green earned a fourthplace finish with a time of 2:01.48. Teammate Morgan McLain finished in fifth in the event with a 2:03.51. Emily Irvin also earned a sixthplace finish in the 200 breaststroke to help the Broncos to their first-ever WAC title. Senior Lauren Keele also scored for the Broncos in 14th. Fellow senior Katelyn Lofland placed tenth in mile in Saturday’s first event.

Over the four-day meet, the Broncos broke 15 school records and earned eight WAC titles. In addition, the Broncos’ 547 points also shattered the school record for WAC scoring.

The Broncos dominated the final standings with 587 points. San Jose State posed the closest threat with 466 points. The Spartans were followed by New Mexico State, Northern Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, San Diego, Idaho and Fresno State.

Gymnastics continues to climb The Boise State gymnastics team continued to build on their recent bests against Southern Utah Friday night at Cedar City Utah.

The Broncos (9-1, 4-0 WAC) scored a season high 196.10 overall score against the Thunderbirds (7-1, 5-1 WAC) who scored 195.425, respectively.

The Broncos overall score ranks the twelfth highest score in school history. The Broncos scored a 49.350 on the vault to set a new school record in the event.

The Broncos set a new season best on beam (49.150) and tied for the season best on bars (48.925).

Despite their victory, BSU only laid claim to one event first-place showing with junior Hannah Redmon’s win on vault, posting a 9.925.

Multiple bests were posted on bars included senior Taylor Jacob with a season best 9.850, Mallory Dziawura with a season best 9.775 to place fifth in the event.

On the vault all six competitors posted a score of 9.80 or better. Along with Redmon’s 9.925 score on vault, Amy Glass tied her career best with a 9.90 for a tie at second place. Freshman Brittany Potvin-Green posted a career-best score of 9.850 to tie for fifth place for fellow freshman Hailey Gaspar.

Glass posted a career-best of 9.825 on floor to place second. Junior Kelsey Lang tied her season-best with a 9.70. Potvin-Green scored a career-best of 9.750 in the event.

Jacob scored a season-best on the beam with a 9.875. Gaspar posted a career-best with a 9.825 to tie for third place.

Glass posted a season-best in the all-around with 39.30 to place second at the meet.

The Broncos return home to host BYU and Utah State Fri., Mar. 5 at Taco Bell Arena. The event starts at 7 p.m.

Men’s tennis splits matches over weekend The No. 29 BSU men’s tennis team beat No. 70 Utah Utes (6-1) but fell to No. 45 BYU (5-2) during a trip to Utah over the weekend.

Friday the Broncos (4-4 overall) swept double’s play against the Utes for the double’s point and dropped one singles match take home a road victory. Harry Skinner posted the only loss against Alex Golding 6-4, 6-2. No. 36 James Meredith defeated Phillip Eilers 7-6 (7-3), 6-2.

Other BSU wins included Vicente Joli over Jason Smits (6-4, 6-4), Filipp Pogostkin defeated Dmytro Mamedov (6-4, 6-2), Cristian Hodel beat Timmy Allin (6-2, 6-2) and Jeff Mullen defeated Stephen Jacobs (6-4, 6-3).

The Broncos weren’t able to roll on their victory over Utah, falling to BYU 5-2. They were swept in doubles play to drop the first point of the match.

BSU’s No. 36 James Meredith defeated No. 98 T. Shubert 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. The Broncos’ second point came from Mullen’s victory over Utah’s Daniel Hwang 6-4, 4-6 (10-8).

BYU’s singles victories included Evan Urbina over Vicente Joli (6-4, 7-6(14)), Cassidy Mears over Skinner (6-4, 6-2), George Batrakov over Pogostkin (6-1, 6-2) and Spencer Smith over Hodel (6-1, 7-6 (7-4)).W

Kayla Bartling Journalist

nik bjurstrom/THE ARBITER

BSU’s Melissa Rima goes up for a layup against Idaho Feb. 17 at Taco Bell Arena. Rima was injured early against Fresno State Saturday night.

The ladies of the Boise State women’s basketball team suffered a disappointing loss against the Fresno State Bulldogs Saturday night at Taco Bell Arena. The final score was Boise State 72-95.

With a home game record of 12-1, playing on the Broncos' home turf brought little comfort at the start of the game.

Boise State junior Melissa Rima scored the first three points of the game and just seconds later suffered a knee injury with took her out of the game.

“All of us are in this together, it is hard to watch a team member walk off the court,” freshman Lauren Lenhardt stated.

The effect of such a traumatic injury to a fellow teammate so early in the game could be seen by a change in spirits and the performance of the first period. The Broncos shot 30 percent from beyond the arc while scored on 46.7 percent of their 3-point shots. The Broncos shot 33.3 percent from the field and the Bulldogs scored on 48.7 percent of their first half attempts. BSU went into the locker room after a lackluster first half down 29-49.

“We had a very poor first half, we did not handle their (Fresno State) athleticism and they shot the three ball very well,” Boise State head coach Gordy Presnell said in response to the disappointing first half.

Three freshman Broncos showed their ability to maneuver the ball and scoring just under half of the points collectively for the team by the end of the game. Freshman Julia Marshall scored a total of 15 points, Kinzi Poteet six points, and Lauren Lenhardt 14 points. Another high scorer for the Broncos was junior Janie Bos with a total of 10 points.

The second period saw the Bulldogs pull away with a definitive lead till the end of the game. Boise State had a better field goal percentage of 51.6 percent during the second half to Fresno State’s 48.3 percent.

BSU also dealt with another injury as freshman Julia Marshall took a blow to the face and had to sit out.

The mood in the arena had dropped in enthusiasm but the Broncos kept on trying.

“We are still playing for the teammates and our school; we’re not giving up. There is no reason to quit or back down,” Lenhardt said.

After losing to Hawai’i on Wednesday last week, the Broncos now must work out of a two-game losing streak.

“Every team is beatable, we have to put our best effort forward, and we didn’t play hard enough our first half and that’s on us,” senior Tasha Harris said.

Despite the disappointing performance, the team still hopes to continue and improve as it takes on Utah State at Logan, Utah on March 3. The Broncos finish their regular season against Louisiana Tech at home March 6 at Taco Bell Arena.

Defense looks to hit hard with Kwiatkowski

Pete Kwiatkowski Matt Bedinger Journalist

Shortly following the departure of former defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, defensive line coach Pete Kwiatkowski was promoted to the newly vacated defensive coordinator position.

Head coach Chris Petersen described the promotion as a "slam dunk hire,” and doesn’t think the Broncos will miss a beat.

After coaching at Montana State for six years in a defensive coordinator position, Kwiatkowski chose to return to Boise State, his alma mater, to become the defensive line coach under the new regime of Petersen in 2006.

“How Coach Petersen runs the program is important. Everybody has a low ego, is highly motivated, he lets everybody do their job. At the same time, you do your work, you go home, and you’ve got time away from football, whether it’s with your family or whatever it may be. That culture that Coach Petersen has developed here, the guys that he brings in, the staff, just melds well together,” Kwiatkowski said.

Kwiatkowski has learned under the direction of Petersen and Wilcox what it’s going to take to keep the ball rolling in the program.

“Through experience and age, you understand there’s not one magic call that defends everything,” Kwiatkowski said. “There are times where guys make plays.

They’ve got guys on scholarship too and I think just handling that, I’m going to be much better at that as far as just keeping things in perspective when offenses make plays.”

Although Kwiatkowski stresses that his age and maturity have played a factor in becoming a better coach, and acknowledges that he is one of the oldest coaches on the staff, he is still just 45-years-old.

“Players have a way of keeping you young. The body gets older, you learn more, your knowledge increases, but I still feel like I’m in college mentally. I think it’s an

advantage just from the standpoint that we have a lot of years left before we retire.

I think the kids seem to like younger guys because they feel like there’s a closer relationship,” Kwiatkowski said.

Surely, part of Petersen’s motivation to hire Kwiatkowski was his approach to the job.

His belief that you should only focus on the job you have at hand is a rare trait in today’s college football environment.

Boise State is lucky to have a collection of coaches who hold that belief.

“From my point of view, I’ve always gone about my business doing my job or my responsibility for the program whatever that may entail, to the best of my ability,” Kwiatkowski said. “I’ve never gone into a job trying to get another job. You hear a lot of people say that and that’s what I’ve always done. It’s just the way it worked out. If you’re worried about something else then you’re taking away some energy from what you should be doing.”

When asked about his personal goals, Kwiatkowski said he wanted to focus on the challenge of keeping the ball rolling and not losing focus of what the program wants to do in the future.

“We have a lot of guys coming back and I think our biggest challenge, one of my goals, is to make

sure we don’t fall back on what we’ve done in the past. It’s what we’re going to do (that's important),” Kwiatkowski said.

Focusing on moving forward, one thing that’s for sure is coach Pete got a man with the right philosophy for this position and program.

“The statistics that matter are wins and losses, points, and turnovers,” Kwiatkowski said.

He continues, “our sort of motto around here is what’s important now or be where you’re at. It’s about the process. We’ll have team goals and all that but it’s about today, showing up for weights, those guys busting their tails, coaches recruiting and getting ready for spring ball. Day by day, it’s a bunch of baby steps. If you do that well, the result usually takes care of itself.”

Kwiatkowski played on the defensive line for Boise State from 1984-1987, earning All-American honors his senior year.

He earned a degree from Boise State in 1990, and served as a defensive coach for BSU from 1988-1996.

He has also coached at Snow Junior College, Montana State University and Eastern Washington University.

The Broncos start spring football practices on Mar. 10, with their spring game being played April 11.

TRACK [News page 1] “I relaxed, gathered all my thoughts, all the stuff I learned through out the season, and things came into play,” Vaisima said. “It was the best throw of my life, it felt so good to win and help my team.”

Vaisima, a sophomore, also earned provisional status Saturday.

Men’s weight thrower Trevor Kraychir came in favored to win and did not disappoint. Trevor was a warrior in the ring, overcoming a back injury two days before the tournament, and sustaining a painful gash to the hand in the early part of the event. Trevor nonetheless took home the gold with a toss of 19.60 m.

“The adrenalin got pumping and I didn’t feel a thing,” said Kraychir. “I wanted to stake my claim and say, ‘hey, I am here everybody!’ winning today felt phenomenal.”

Throws coach Keith Vance had nothing but good things to say about Kraychir, “Trevor is a competitor,” Vance said. “He’s one of those guys who you can throw into any meet and

he’ll compete.”

Kraychir is intensity embodied. Loud and proud, he lets off a mighty bellow as he throws, intentionally ensuring that everybody in the stadium including the athletes he is competing against know when his turn is up.

“Throwers are under-respected,” Kraychir said. “I want to bring respect to the sport.” Trevor approaches throwing the way an artist does a painting.

“To me, throwing is a form of expression,” Kraychir said. “I’ve got an old school mentality in that no matter what happens I got to put on a show for these people. Mechanics aren’t enough. You have to put your heart into it. I want to give people poetry, and that’s what throwing is--it’s poetry in motion.”

Qualifiers for the NCAA Indoor Championships at Fayetteville, Ark. take place Mar. 12-13. The Broncos’ track and field team returns to competition for their outdoor season beginning Mar. 26-27 at the Arizona State Team Invitational at Tempe, Ariz.

nik bjurstrom/THE ARBITER

Women’s thrower Mele Vaisima competes at the 2010 WAC Indoor Championships.

The Arbiter • arbiteronline.com

C SPORTS ULTURE

5 B

March 1, 2010

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INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR:

Jochimsen has passion for the experience Marshell M. Martinez Journalist

ARBITER PHILE PHOTO/THE ARBITER

Senior Bianca Jochimsen finishes her career at BSU this season.

Jochimsen came to the U.S. from Rodgau, Germany. The Broncos currently have five of seven active women’s tennis players who are international athletes.

Coming into her final season on the Boise State women's tennis team, senior Bianca Jochimsen has a lot to look forward to. With an overall singles record of 10-11 and a doubles record of 7-5 with partner Stephanie Jasper and 2-2 with partner Elyse Edwards, Jochimsen is ready to finish her tennis career strong.

Jochimsen plays both doubles and singles, but favors doubles.

“I feel like I can be more relaxed and have someone to talk (with) during the match,” Jochimsen stated. Either way, enjoying the tennis experience is what matters the most to her.

Jochimsen is from Rodgau, Germany and was recruited in 2006 to join the lady Broncos.

“I was interested in Boise State because I had a friend from Germany who played tennis here (BSU) and said she really liked it,” Jochimsen stated. “She (Jochimsen) was recommended by a former tennis player and friend of hers, who has a great judge of character and knew Jochimsen would be a great asset to the team.

From then on I contacted and recruited onto the team,” head coach Mark Tichenor said.

Beginning to play at age 3, Jochimsen has always had a passion for tennis. Playing at an early age with her father and friends, she knew this was something she wanted to do. Looking up to Steffi Graf, professional tennis player from Germany, Jochimsen realized she was someone she wanted to emulate and strive to be like.

I enjoyed Boise State because it is full of nice, friendly, and open people. I also liked living in Boise because the city is small enough to get around, but is still big enough to keep yourself entertained.

-Bianca Jochimsen She has what it takes to be a successful asset to a team with a strong work ethic and motivation to strive for the better.

“Jochimsen has one of the biggest forehands in BSU’s women’s tennis," Tichenor said. "She is willing to learn and ready to play.

She works extra hard on what she needs to improve, which has helped her a lot.”

Throughout her career at BSU, Jochimsen has been recognized for many honorable awards for tennis and academics. Her freshman season she was selected to the Western Athletic Conference All-Academic Team and was chosen as WAC scholar athlete as well as selected Second Team AllWAC in doubles with partner Tiffany Coll. Jochimsen continued to receive recognition for her outstanding academic achievements.

Her sophomore season was not different, this time she was named ITA All-American Scholar and WAC All-Academic Scholar Athlete again being awarded her

junior season.

Since this is Jochimsen’s last season at BSU, she has enjoyed her experience and stay in America.

“I enjoyed Boise State because it is full of nice, friendly, and open people. I also liked living in Boise because the city is small enough to get around, but is still big enough to keep yourself entertained.”

Being a part of a team made-up of different cultural backgrounds, Jochimsen was able to learn more about them.

“I was able to learn about their differences and how to be opened minded to them,” Jochimsen said.

One of the biggest things she is going miss is her teammates and playing competitively. Even though Jochimsen will graduate this spring semester with a degree in international business with a minor in marketing, she is excited and hoping to finish her tennis career with a WAC tournament win and attend the NCAA tournament.

Go to arbiteronline.com to read more on Women's tennis against Washington State, the Pac-10 Conference Championship results, and to listen to Arbiter Sports Talk with Trent, Kirk and Brittney as they discuss multiple local, BSU and national sports news.

BSU Track and Field Club mixes fun, business

Mia Parrett Journalist

As the spring sport clubs commence at Boise State University, one club in the spectrum stands out from the others.

Starting in 2008 and becoming an official club in 2009, the Track and Field Club is a smaller section of the sport, and is quickly becoming more popular.

Starting as part of the coaching staff for the varsity track and field team, graduate student, Wijnand Rijkenberg, created the club as, “a group of people that just want to go and run,” in the fall of 2008.

This quickly began to grow into an official club in 2009, and now the Track and Field Club thrives as an individual-based group that focuses on their personal scores and having a good time.

With 16 members, the group looks to improve their personal records and expand their club. Currently, the club does not have any field events but is searching for a coaching staff and motivated students as an addition.

The main events the group takes on include distance running, cross country and

relays, but focus mainly on endurance.

“We don’t have any field events,” senior Weston Carmichael said. “But that is something that we want to work on.”

Carmichael, who ran for Treasure Valley Community College, enjoys Track Club for the increased fitness, and the fun he has.

“I do it for fun. It’s fun for me to go to meets and see old friends from other teams I know that I used to run with, and it’s a fun club atmosphere,” Carmichael said.

Most schools do not have Track Clubs, but other organizations such as the Greater Boise Running Club is an inspiration for the Track Club, giving students an opportunity to join an organization here at BSU that is less costly, and more social for students to make friends.

“When we compete, it’s usually in local track meets that are organized by Eastern Oregon, or Northwest Nazarene University, and we basically compete against other universities,” Rijkenberg said. “We’re just a club, we’re not on a varsity team, but it’s fun to compete against universities as a club team.

We can participate in relays and university meets at the same time.”

Some events the club has participated in include Beat Pete, Turkey Trot and Barber to Boise, in which most cases some members of the club have won prizes or have been in the top five of the winner’s circle.

Sophomore Wesley Porter finished second place in the Beat Pete race last year and senior Jessie Ward finished second as well for the womens' division.

Porter is the top runner of the men in the group and holds most of the club records, which include 9:44

for a 3-kilometer indoors, and 4:18 for a 1500-meter outdoor score.

“It’s a lot better to work out as a group than by yourself,” Porter said.

The club is often recruited for members by other schools’ track team, and members from varsity that don’t necessarily exceed expectations tend to join the club to continue competing and have fun. Practices begin at the track field at BSU and the runs take members everywhere around Boise. They start every week day at 4 p.m. and occasionally on Saturdays. With the Jackson Indoor Track in Nampa, the club continues year-round even when the weather disagrees.

“We train all year,” Ward said. “There’s either cross country, indoor or outdoor track, so we always have something going on.”

Senior Jessie Ward from Priest River is the top women's runner in the group, placing second in Beat Pete and third in Barber to Boise.

As a personal goal, she decided to run every day for an entire year, nothing under three miles per day. In March, it will have been a full year.

“I did it just to see if I could do it,” she said. Ward mentioned that to complete her goal she had to run on the off-days of the club, but for her, it was an easy task. “The most impressive part is that I haven’t been injured, so I’ve never had to take a day off.”

Having already competed in the Bronco Invitational and the United Heritage Invitational, the club is well into their 2010 schedule and will tackle the Northwest Nazarene University Open on Mar. 12 in Nampa. The club is still open for anyone to join at anytime.

For information, go to rec.boisestate.edu/clubs.

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By Doug Peterson

64 Casual dissent

the future

BY NANCY BLACK AND STEPHANIE CLEMENT Tribune Media Services

you can’t go wrong. The more you understand their motivation, the less you have to worry.

Today’s birthday (3/1/10). Your mission for the next year -- and it does feel like a mission -- is to work within groups while refining your individual voice. Research each issue until you understand it from several perspectives. In the process you develop compassion and reason together. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Funnies

The

Today is a 6 -- Focus, focus, focus!

Of course, you won’t be able to do anything else, as you’ll be driven to complete work in a timely fashion before you go on to the next thing.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today is a 6 -- The point of your efforts today revolves around the need to finish what you started by the deadline. Decide whether perfection is required.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) Today is a 6 -- You’re anxious to get the focus back on yourself.

This happens today, so relax in the morning and just let it unfold.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) Today is a 6 -- Drop criticism. You’ve already stated your case, and repetition just irritates. Take a philosophical perspective. You won’t care later.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Today is a 6 -- Finances worry you more today than usual. Seek reasonable understanding of unusual expenses.

Continue working in the established direction.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today is a 6 -- The transition from recreational activities to work is troublesome today. The pressure to get down to business involves all members of your team.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is a 6 -- Set creative goals.

They may not amount to anything practical today, but they get you headed in the right direction. Context matters.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is a 6 -- Nothing succeeds like success. Your only limit today is your capacity to remain flexible under duress. Bring in an expert to sort out details.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is a 6 -- If you have plans to head off into the sunset, you’re on the right track. This could mean business travel or meeting your partner for a lovely rendezvous.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is a 7 -- Your ideas carry more weight with co-workers if you remove the word “I” from your statements. You don’t need recognition or to get your way to have it work.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is a 7 -- Group efforts thrive because everyone is on the same page concerning practical issues.

Today you feel like you really are where you belong. ___ (c) 2010, Tribune Media Services Inc.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is a 7 -- Focus on others and

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Culture

7

March 1, 2010

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Shld txting n drving b a crime?

Bill approved in Senate Transportation Committee Rebecca De Leon Journalist

P

ut down that phone and keep your hands on the wheel.

Thursday, the Senate Transportation Committee approved a bill which proposed making texting while driving illegal. The legislation now moves on to the full Senate. If approved by the Senate and the House, it will go to Governor Otter to sign into law.

No punishment exists for drivers who text on their cell phones while operating a vehicle. A motorist can be cited for inattentive driving only if texting contributed to an accident.

The new bill will allow police officers to pull over a motorist if they are suspected of texting while driving. If found guilty, motorists could rack up $300 in fines and 90 days in jail.

The bill has stirred up much controversy. While some argue the legislation would not make a dent in the number of would-be offenders, others argue the bill could save lives.

"No statistics are available for the number of crashes caused by texting and driving for Ada County since residents previously could not be pulled over for texting while driving," said Andrea Dearden, spokesperson for the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.

“We certainly know that texting is becoming more popular and that it’s definitely distracting,” Dearden

said. “We don’t argue that at all. But then, by creating a new law that sets specific guidelines for enforcement, the question becomes: How do we enforce that?”

The two chief causes of vehicle accidents are impaired driving and aggressive driving, according to Reed Hollinshead, public information specialist for the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD).

The ITD does not take an official stance to support or oppose the bill.

“Our role is to support it if it passes,” Hollinshead said.

Those opposed to the bill argue that instead of laws, businesses and lawmakers should instead focus on public education. Sprint-Nextel launched a campaign featuring the saying, “Cell phone: 4 oz. Car: 2,800 pounds. Talking while driving is a ton of responsibility.”

Opposers of the bill also maintain that texting while driving does not hinder motorists. Democratic Senator Les Bock, a strong supporter of the bill, disagrees.

“I think (the bill) gives you an opportunity to educate the public regarding the fact that it’s illegal to text while driving,” Bock said. “I think there is definitely a benefit for people to understand that they could get a ticket for it.”

Bock contests that not only will the bill raise awareness and encourage people to stop texting while driving, but no downfalls to the bill exist since it will not cost taxpayers extra money.

“If anything, it will save

photo illustration by zach ganschow/ photos by glenn landberg/THE ARBITER

The double task of driving while texting could become illegal as part of a bill Idaho lawmakers are debating. taxpayers money because it’s pretty clear that the risks of texting are far greater than driving while drunk,” Bock said. “So it would help to reduce the public cost as it would be affected by people who are injured and can’t pay their medical bills. Public safety almost always saves money in some way.”

Bock assisted in the drafting of the bill last year, which was defeated. This year, however, Republican Senator John McGee also supports

the bill. McGee, who opposed last year’s legislation, now functions as chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee. He helped draft this year’s bill, which is slightly different than the original.

“Some argue that the existing inattentive driving laws will be sufficient in combating this problem,” McGee said on his Web site. “But other behaviors, such as drinking and driving, pose such a clear hazard that they need to be singled out and

prohibited. To date, at least 24 other states -- including Utah -- have banned texting while driving."

According to a 2009 study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, teen drivers remain four times more likely than adults to get into car crashes or near crash events directly related to talking on a cell phone or texting.

Liz Catherman, who recently testified in front of the Idaho Legislature, knows

the devastation of this statistic. She lost her 18-year-old daughter, Kassandra Kerfoot, in a car accident on Dec. 29.

Kerfoot was texting right before her car careened into oncoming traffic on Eagle Road.

Catherman made posters to hang in three Meridian high schools, warning young people of the dangers of texting while driving.

To read the bill in full, visit the Idaho State Legislature's Web site at legislature.idaho. gov/legislation/2010.

Student Voices:

Do you oppose the texting while driving bill or are you in favor of it?

Josh Tankersly

Sara Kirby

Zak Godsill

Sophomore Criminal Justice

Sophomore Anthropology

I’m in favor of it because I’ll admit I used to do it.

Over time, you realize that it’s not safe at all. I don’t do it any longer.

I’m in favor. Texting and driving is worse than drinking and driving because you’re not even looking at the road for part of the time. You could get distracted looking at your phone then look up and run into somebody or another car, so it’s dangerous.

It would be a lot safer. I really think they should pass the bill. I think a lot of people would like it. I know that I’ve texted and drove, but it would be a lot safer if people didn’t text and drive.

Freshman Anthropology

Students place second in regional competition Matt Dalley Journalist

Thanks to four supply chain management students, Boise State University now has even more bragging rights.

Members of the the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS) student chapter took second place in the APICS Student Case Study Competition. Luke Telfer, Erin Downey, Jacob Blanchard and Erin Gibson participated in the conference held Feb. 19-20 in Phoenix, Ariz.

Gibson's graduate student status required BSU to compete in the graduate level competition.

Participants examined a case study regarding an oper-

ations-related business issue.

The study concerned a company which produces children's products that recalled much of their supply due to issues with their China plant.

Students had six hours to find a solution and put together a presentation.

“It was a really good experience working on the team.

It was like a regular job,” Downey said. “I had to learn everybody’s learning styles then complete the tasks that were required. Luckily, we did it successfully.”

Upon placing second out of four teams including California State UniversityNorthridge and The Thunderbird School of Global Management , the students won $500 for the organization. Arizona

It’s really a good idea for business majors to be involved in some kind of professional organization.

-Luke Telfer State claimed first prize.

APICS is a national professional society that focuses on operations management and related certifications. Student chapters of APICS strive to educate students, usually supply chain management majors and provide professional networking opportunities.

“APICS is a great place to

interact with successful business professionals- especially in operations. It’s really a good idea for business majors to be involved in some kind of professional organization,” Telfer said.

To learn more about Boise State APICS chapter visit their Web site at apics.boisestate.edu.

COURTEST APICS

(from top left going cloclwise) Luke Telfer, Jacob Blanchard, Erin Gibson and Erin Downey at the APICS Student Case Study Compettion

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8

CULTURE

March 1, 2010

ARBITERONLINE.COM

Smoking ban in bars sparks controversy Nikki Houston Journalist

With three popular clubs banning smoking as of Mar. 5, how will this affect the nightlife scene in Boise?

China Blue, Dirty Little Roddy’s and Main Street Bistro will now require smokers to step outside if they wish to light up.

“I disagree with the ban, mainly due to the fact that now those people that are going out front to smoke are all going to pile in front of the bar entrance," said Sarah Coombs, a senior psychology major. “Other laws have been passed down-

town to limit the amount of people that hang outside of the bars in attempt to decrease fights... so to me, the smoking ban is pretty pointless.”

Inconvenience aside, the ban limits non-smokers' exposure to second-hand smoke. According to the World Health Organization, second-hand smoke can cause serious cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including coronary heart disease and lung cancer.

Along with health issues, the topic of business revenue comes into question.

Ranch Club owner, Al Vogt, does not forsee any signifi-

cant changes in sales.

“It is hard to tell what will happen. I don't think that it will affect them (sales) that much. People that smoke will go outside or just not come in at all," he said.

Coombs, an employee at Hannah’s for five years, has a different take on how the ban will affect sales.

“People like to smoke and drink at the same time, kind of comes hand and hand, and if they now have to go outside to do so, they obviously aren’t able to drink out there so I'm not making that potential sale," she said.

The ban also extends

beyond the issue of profits. Some have concerns that the government is getting involved in a personal choice.

“We (the Ranch Club) don't think that the government should tell us what to do. We also think that people that smoke have rights and should have places where they can enjoy their person freedom," Vogt said. “We... maintain all of the smoke eaters and try to keep the place as fresh as possible. I think that people have a choice to work or visit a place that is smoke free or smoking. If you don't like it don't go!”

mct campus

Ditch the workout! Join the Party! ZUMBA!

Amy Kelly instructs energetic participants in a Zumba dance class at the west YMCA in Boise.

Nikki Houston Journalist

Zumba, Zumba, Zumba!

Most have heard of it, but what exactly is it?

Founded in the mid 1990s

by Alberto “Beto” Perez in his home country of Columbia, Zumba combines Latin dance moves, aerobics and cardio into an easy-tolearn workout.

Zumba did not grace Boise with its overwhelming popularity until 2008. The bigger cities such as Miami and New York City started the buzz which then slowly started moving to smaller cities.

“People wanted Zumba, there was 60-70 people in the morning class. We had to bring it because of the demand," said Crystal Duskey, a coordinator for the

West YMCA. Latin rhythms combined with new music make Zumba unique.

“Zumba is a great cardiovascular workout. Participants work hard for an hour, get their heart rates up, and have fun doing it,” said Kate Shaine, assistant director of the fitness programs for Boise State University.

All ages benefit from

nik bjurstrom/THE ARBITER

Zumba; the YMCA provides classes in Zumba toning and Zumbatomic, which is geared toward kids.

“People leave really happy.

They can get lost in the dance moves and it’s a good stress reliever," Duskey said.

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, Zumba burns up to 1,000 calories in the hour class. It also provides a workout for

your abs, lower and upper body muscles.

“I like it because it gives me variety. Not only in breaking up the monotone routine of going to the gym, doing some cardio, lifting some weights but also the variety in muscles worked," said Norma Andrade, a regular Zumba attendee and operations manager for Big D Builders.

“It works some muscles that I have never really worked before. It’s always nice to feel sore in different places.”

In addition to getting one in shape, Zumba aims to create a welcoming environment.

“I liked that you didn’t feel singled out and the teacher wasn’t like, wow, that girl has no rhythm," said Lisa Nelson, a first time attendee and stay at home mom from Boise.

If scheduling a workout session remains difficult, one can still improve cardiovascular health without going to the gym.

“If you are having trouble committing to a large chunk of time each day for these activities, remember that you can benefit from adding a few 10 minute bouts of exercise throughout the day. For ex-

ample, walk for 10 minutes at lunchtime, after classes and after dinner. This accumulation of 30 minutes of exercise is a great way to fit in more activity," Shaine said.

Along with the YMCA, Boise State University offers two sessions of Zumba at the Campus Recreation Center. Sessions are Tuesdays from 6:40 p.m. to 7:40 p.m. and Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. For more information on Zumba, visit zumba.com. Visit ymcatvidaho.org for the West YMCA's Zumba schedules.

Visit arbiteronline.com to watch a video of zumba participants in action at the west YMCA.

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