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Volume 24
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Boise, Idaho
First issue free
Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Week
Top Stories
Huck it!
Natalie Craig Journalist
Two Broncos earn recognition at NCAA Indoor Championships
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Rush apology
Sí, se puede Civil rights and labor activist, Caesar Chavez, leaves his mark Journalist
Learn how not to apologize from Rush Limbaugh.
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‘Project X’
Is this party flick worth an hour and a half and your beer money?
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If you walk from the Albertsons Library to Friendship Bridge and pause just beyond the bus terminal, you will be on Cesar Chavez Lane. In 2005, faculty and students voted to rename this lane in honor of the civil rights and labor activist. Multicultural Student Services will present Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Week March 14-20. March 31, Chavez’s birthday, is widely recognized as a day of celebration and promotion of community service. In 1948, he found work in California’s orchards and vineyards where conditions for farm laborers had barely improved since the Great Depression. Migrant families still haunted Steinbeckian labor camps and barefoot children worked alongside their parents in the fields. Chavez was recruited by the Community Service Organization (CSO) to work as an organizer. In 1962, when the CSO turned down a request to organize farm laborers, Chavez and fellow organizer Dolores Huerta founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) which would later become the United Farm Workers of America (UFW). In 1965, when Delano, Calif. grape growers cut wages during the harvest, the NFWA joined the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) in a strike and boycott against growers. During the Delano
grape strike, farm workers demonstrated alongside other civil rights activists outside of supermarkets. The demonstrators asked consumers not to buy grapes until the Delano Grape growers had signed contracts granting fair wages and collective bargaining rights to agricultural workers. The Delano grape growers signed contracts with the union in 1969. Chavez and Huerta continued to lead the UFW as it worked to secure rights for farm workers. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) was founded in 1993, the year Chavez passed away. It is a grassroots organization of farm laborers currently working to secure fair wages and working conditions for agricultural workers in Florida. In 2004 CIW representatives traveled to Boise State to participate in protests against the naming of the Taco Bell Arena. At the time, CIW was in conflict with Taco Bell’s parent company Yum Brands, Inc. because the company was sourcing tomatoes from Florida farms where workers were subjected to inhumane working conditions. More recently, CIW was in the news when it signed an agreement ending a boycott of the Trader Joe’s supermarket chain. On March 5, CIW demonstrators began a six-day Fast for Fair Food with the goal of convincing Publix Supermarkets, Inc. to sign a Fair Food Agreement. Bob McCarl, Ph.D., is a professor of sociology at Boise State who was an
“
I recall my dad talking about him (Chavez), thinking it was a great thing that finally a union was organized because when he and my mother were out in the fields, they didn’t have anybody to stick up for them. —Alicia Garza, Ph.D.
outspoken critic of the naming of the Taco Bell Arena and a proponent for the naming of Cesar Chavez Lane. McCarl views CIW as an organization that is continuing the work begun by Chavez, Huerta and the UFW. While McCarl is heartened by the successes of groups like CIW, he is wary of neo-McCarthyist rhetoric that uses terms such as “socialist” in an accusatory fashion “Right now, we are being told by a lot of people that unions are a threat,” McCarl said. “We’ve got to heal that wound and move on.” Alicia Garza, Ph.D., is a Spanish professor at Boise State. Garza grew up in Yuma, the same Arizona town where Cesar Chavez spent his childhood. Like Chavez, Garza’s parents had been farm laborers. When she was about 10 years old, Chavez and UFW organizers came to town asking workers from Yuma’s orange groves and lettuce fields to join the union. “I recall my dad talking about (Chavez), thinking it was a great thing that finally a union was organized because when he and my mother were out in the fields, they didn’t have anybody to stick up for them,” Garza said.
According to Garza, many aspects of Chicano culture, such as art and political theatre, grew out of the UFW movement. Enrique Camarena, a junior majoring in international business, is the current treasurer for the Boise State chapter of el Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de Aztlán (MEChA). While Camarena is proud of his Chicano culture and heritage, the teachings of Cesar Chavez hit home in other ways. Camarena is from the rural agricultural town of Jerome, Idaho where he knows undocumented laborers who work in the dairy industry. In Camarena’s experience, these workers are often forced to suffer harsh working conditions because they have few alternatives. “Employers, especially in that industry, take advantage of them because they don’t know how to write, they don’t know how to express themselves and a lot of times they’re scared because they’ve got bills to pay,” Camarena said. Cesar Chavez died in San Luis, Arizona on April 23, 1993. He was in Arizona on union business. Chavez fought to protect the rights of farm workers until his death. The movement did not die with him.
Vehicles parked on Occupy camp removed The Occupy Boise movement woke up to two new protesters Friday morning. Canyon County Republican Women party chairperson Ronalee Linsemann and resident Ike Sweesy decided to park their vehicles on the Occupy camp. Sweesy’s black Corvette and Linsemann’s red hatch-back sedan represented a protest to the Occupy protest. Though camping on state grounds was ruled as a version of free speech, parking on state grounds is not. Ada Country has laws requiring individuals to park in a designated parking zone. The Idaho State Police shut down the connecting street between 6th and Jefferson to allow for Boise Valley Towing to remove the vehicles from the state property. The Occupy Boise protesters did not pay much attention to the vehicle removal. At 9:26 a.m. the Corvette was removed, followed by the sedan. Sweesy and Linsemann were each billed for the towing.
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Boise State and Multicultural Student Services will celebrate and honor Cesar Chavez’s legacy and struggle by providing students with information on Chavez and educating them about how to be heard. Starting Wednesday, March 14, a celebration dinner will be held from 6-8 p.m. at the Barnwell Room in the Student Union Building (SUB). This dinner will celebrate the hard work of the civil rights activists who helped form the United Farm Workers Union. A guest speaker will discuss Chavez’s life and impact on human rights. Thursday, March 15 a “Crossroads Of Identity” workshop will be held from 5-7 p.m. at the Barnwell Room in the SUB. The workshop will focus on building a movement. Local and regional movement organizers such as Occupy Boise, Free Palestine, Idaho Peace Coalition and Add the Words, Idaho will discuss the importance of coming together for a cause. Friday, March 16 an open house and birthday celebration will be held from 2-5 p.m. at the Student Diversity Center (second floor, SUB). This event celebrates Chavez’s birthday and the civil rights activists who founded the United Farm Workers of America. The free event includes birthday cake, beverages, music and games. Monday, March 19 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Quad, students will act out street theater style skits based on Chavez’s life in an event called “Street Teatro.” Tuesday, March 20 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. an open mic event called “Find Your Voice” will be held at the Student Union Brava! Stage. Participants will read and perform pieces that pay allegiance to Chavez’s work as a civil rights activist and inspiring individual. This event will conclude Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Week. For more information on the listed events and to RSVP for the March 14 dinner, call 426-5950.
CODY FINNEY/THE ARBITER
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March 12, 2012
World
Greek debt settlement reached, now look to elections NEW YORK CITY —Greek Finance Minister, Evangelos Venizelos, submitted his candidacy to lead the Socialist PASOK party on Saturday, with attention turning to elections now that Athens has sealed a $266 billion debt restructuring. “There is now more than just recession, budget cuts and tax increases. There’s the hope to turn the wheel of growth,” Venizelos said to Reuters. Venizelos, appointed to his finance position by former Prime Minister George Pa-
pandreou last year, was expected to win PASOK’s leadership in an internal vote. But his party is behind the conservative New Democracy party in public opinion polls. Elections are expected to take place by the middle of May, if not sooner. A panel of creditdefault swaps traders will facilitate an auction to settle about $3 billion of contracts tied to Greece. On March 19, traders will conduct the auction to set a recovery value on the underlying bonds, according to The Wall Street Journal. The debt swap will be done on April 20, when a batch of bonds worth at least 20-billion euros will be exchanged. At that point, Greece’s elections will have a green light.
Local
Police prepare for St. Patrick’s Day BOISE—The Idaho State Police received extra funding to up patrols this week in order to deter dangerous habits, such as drunk driving. This extra funding means officers are coming in for overtime—adding 16 patrols to their normal amount. “We’ll be looking for seatbelt violations,
speeding, hazardous movers and we’re going to have an emphasis on DUI,” Sergeant John Burke of the Idaho State Police said to KTVB. “Our primary objective is to take drunk drivers off the highway.” The extra funding is from a federal grant administered through the Idaho Transportation Department.
Employment rates on the rise WALL STREET— The nation’s employment rate is rising. The past three months have averaged 250,000 new jobs per month. This brisk hiring extended into February, according to a recent report made by the Labor Department. If this trend continues, it is likely it will affect the presidential elections, possibly giving President Barack Obama a boost for his reelection campaign. The nation’s unemployment rate still holds steady at 8.3 percent in February, after falling for the previous five months. According to economists,
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You share one husband! TACOMA, WASH. —A common scene: Facebook recommends a friend, saying there are such-andsuch shared friends. Clicking on the link to see who this person is, the profile picture is of a woman dressed up next to a wedding cake and your husband. According to The News Tribune, this scenario played out last week. Alan O’Neill, corrections
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officer, was put on unpaid leave after the incident was reported. Apparently, years ago he was known as Alan Fulk and married Wife 1 (the two women remain unnamed). They seperated eight years ago, but were never legally divorced. Instead of contacting her and finally getting around to filing the paperwork when he had a new bride, Fulk changed his name to Alan O’Neill
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and married Wife 2. He didn’t tell either women of the other’s existence. Facebook took care of it for him. Wife 1 saw the photo, logged out, and called her mother-inlaw to ask what was going on. Initially, O’Neill asked her to keep quiet and said he’d take care of it. After it wasn’t taken care of, she called the authorities and now O’Neill is being brought up on bigamy charges on March 22.
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from 150,000 to 200,000 a month. The forecast for slightly slower job creation reflects weaker U.S. economic growth this quarter. Lingering problems from the housing collapse, as well as weakness in Europe and more recently higher oil prices, are weighing on the economy’s recovery. Moreover, it’s unclear to what extent the recent job gains have been inflated by the mild winter weather. That could mean less need in the spring for new employees at businesses such as restaurants, trucking and construction firms.
this is because the nation’s labor force (the people looking for work) swelled by nearly half a million from January. Most states have seen more consistent and solid job growth recently, though the progress has been uneven and unemployment remains high in many areas. Although analysts said job growth was likely to slow somewhat in the next several months, the latest report was widely seen as an indication the economy is now on a steady growth path after two years of a bumpy recovery. Estimates for job growth in the next several months range
WTF
Correction: In the March 8 issue, The Arbiter incorrectly referred to Gowen Field as an Air Force Base. It is actually an Air Gaurd Station.
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Nov 18th at Rediscovered Books The EMA is now taking submissions for its second Fall’11 mixed-genre reading. Submit your poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction to bsuema@gmail.com
Crossword FOR RELEASE MARCH 12, 2012
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
ACROSS 1 Professional org. 6 Like bachelor parties 10 Slightly open 14 Gift from an oyster 15 Old El Paso product 16 General principle 17 Motto of 50-Across 19 Whodunit hint 20 Org. for mature audiences only? 21 "Small" allegations 23 Climbs 27 Common takeout cuisine 28 Seats at the bar 29 Hot-platter stand 30 State flower of Indiana 31 Argentina neighbor 32 Sunbather's goal 35 Invisible or indelible fluids 36 Practiced, as a trade 37 Video game giant 38 Show with regional spinoffs 39 Epic 40 Pastrami peddlers 41 Donkey of kiddie lit 43 Giant among Giants 44 Actor Armand 46 Clean up, as one's toys 47 Pure as the driven snow 48 Capitol topper 49 Easter bloom 50 Organization that held its first troop meeting 3/12/1912 56 Vicinity 57 Airline that serves only kosher meals 58 Patty Hearst's nom de guerre 59 Pigsty, so to speak 60 Hardwood trees 61 Enjoyed Aspen DOWN 1 Police dept.'s "Be on the lookout!" alert
By Donna S. Levin
2 Observe 3 Sticky trunk stuff 4 Bobby of hockey 5 With no mistakes 6 Red carpet interviewees 7 Rain delay rollout 8 Expert 9 Baby sponsored at a baptism 10 Mysterious 11 Founder of 50Across 12 Reunion attendees, for short 13 Witherspoon of "Walk the Line" 18 Walks on little cat feet 22 In real time 23 Fancy-shmancy jelly 24 British submachine guns 25 Popular funding source for 50-Across 26 Eternities, seemingly 27 Shed some tears 29 Yours of yore 31 Saint of Assisi
BY LINDA C. BLACK Tribune Media Services
Today’s Birthday (03/12/12) Family and friends are there for you, no matter what. Get detailed about finances for increased power. Insurance, inheritance, taxes and loans could figure in. Make time for yourself amidst all the hustle..To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.
Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is an 8 - Mercury goes retrograde today in your sign. Don’t take it personally. This chaotic frequency is broadcasting confusion. Stick to your deadlines.
Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today is an 8 - Take care of your well-being with plenty of rest and fluids. Patience pays, and slowing the pace forestalls accidents.
Gemini (May 21-June 21) Today is a 7 - The next 24 days of Mercury in retrograde throw static into communications, especially in groups. Say it twice. Put it in writing.
Cancer (June 22-July 22)
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Today is a 6 - Your professional status could take a tumble. Pick yourself up, dust off and get back to the great service you’re known for. It works out.
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Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
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Today is an 8 - Focus your attention, the breakthroughs. Confusion could arise around education, philosophy or writing. Take it in stride. No need to decide.
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33 High anxiety 34 Objectionable, as a habit 36 Eliza Doolittle, to Henry Higgins 37 "The Fugitive" actress Ward 39 Ibsen's "Peer __" 40 Picks up on 42 Courses taken to boost one's GPA 43 Many-petaled flowers, familiarly
3/12/12
44 Happy as __ 45 British county 46 Surveys 48 Wee bit o' Scotch, say 51 Under the weather 52 Tree on the Connecticut quarter 53 Prefix with verse 54 Deadlock 55 Unhappy
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Thursday’s Puzzle Saturday’s PuzzleSolved Solved
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is an 8 - You feel balanced and assured, as the rest of the story swirls. Even with breakdowns, things get worked out.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today is a 7 - Mercury in Aries goes retrograde for you, Libra, in your seventh house of partnership. Sync schedules and reconfirm reservations.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is a 7 - There could be disruption in service and health today, and over the next month. Prepare and back up what you can.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is an 8-Beef up communication and travel infrastructure to avoid breakdown in the fun zone. Artistic expression, romance, kids and pets could get a bit hectic.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is a 7 -- Mercury affects you in your fourth house of home and roots, muddling family communications or adding travel delays. Persistence and humor carry the day.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is an 8 - For around the next month, expect delays and miscommunications, in general. Double-check important ones.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is a 6 - Go ahead and seek funding. Expect wacky interruptions, with some energy and chaos involved. Back up hard drives. ___ (c) 2012, Tribune Media Services Inc.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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Levy determines future of high schools Elena Soto Arbiter Staff
Alx Stickel/THE ARBITER
Boise High, one of Boise School District’s four tradtional high schools, could suffer from budget cuts.
Boise School District (BSD) high school students are on track to shape and build a better global economy. However, they could academically suffer if citizens vote no to the BSD Supplemental Levy on Tuesday. On March 13, BSD will ask voters to approve a fiveyear levy to keep class sizes small and to preserve programs that help students succeed. BSD currently offers small classroom sizes and college and career readiness programs such as Advanced Placement (AP) classes and the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program. According to its website, AVID is an elementary through postsecondary college readiness system designed for students to increase schoolwide learning and performance. In the last three years, state funding cuts have forced BSD to make $22 million in budget cuts. The district has responded by scaling back administrative and operational spending in order to keep the money in programs devoted to academic excellence and maintaining class sizes. This leaves the district to cover a deficit projected at $15 million for the beginning of the 2012-13 school year. “If this levy does not pass, we will be in grave danger of losing our ability to maintain the quality of our district of-
ferings,” said Dan Hollar, administrator of public affairs. The current programs offered at the high schools seem to be paying off—57 percent of BSD graduates attend college. The Washington Post also ranked all four of Boise’s traditional high schools in the top high schools nationwide. “The district’s goal is to maintain the programs and low class sizes in the school district and to keep preparing students for college careers, technical careers and overall good citizenship through these rigorous programs,” Deputy Superintendent Pete Bailey said. Joe Lovelace, a 17-year-old junior at Boise High, has taken four AP classes and is challenging himself to do more than the average student. “It’s all about preparing yourself for the kind of writing you have to do in college,” Lovelace said. Before Lovelace started taking AP classes, he didn’t care much for world studies or history classes. However, when he in enrolled in the AP U.S. history class his thoughts changed. “There is a huge difference in AP classes than in regular classes,” Lovelace said. “In my U.S. history class it’s not your usual note taking the facts of history, but understanding the ideas of what and why things happened.” To find a polling location to vote on the levy, call Ada County Elections at (208) -287-6860. Voting is Tuesday from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Broncos study throughout country with student exchange Ellie Parton Journalist
Studying abroad can be an enriching opportunity filled with once-in-a-lifetime chances to truly experience the diversity of the world. Some students have also found the same kind of experience can take place here in the United States. Boise State is one of about 200 member universities of National Student Exchange. This program allows students to study at different member universities for either the cost that university’s in-state tuition or the tuition of the student’s home university. Students may participate in the program for a semester or a year and can choose to study within the United States, Canada, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam or Puerto Rico. According to Sara Dart, education abroad and National Student Exhange advisor, for most programs, students must be full-time and have a 2.5 GPA to be eligible to participate. Louisa Hanson, sophomore marketing major, chose to study for a semester at Louisiana State University.
“I’ve always wanted to study abroad, but (National Student Exchange) was so much more convenient,” Hanson said. Hanson decided to participate in the program to try something new. “I wanted to try something different and I knew LSU was big into sports and school spirit,” she said. Adjusting to new surroundings is a major part of participating in this program. Homesickness was only an issue for Hanson during the first few weeks of her program. “The hardest part was that I was there and all my friends were back in Boise having fun,” Hanson said. Hanson was able have experiences at LSU that aren’t necessarily part of Boise State’s culture. “LSU has more of a school spirit aspect to it. Everyone gets into tailgating at games. At the tailgating it’s socially acceptable to be drunk at eight in the morning, it’s just not a big deal,” she said. While in the program, Hanson was able to meet other National Student Exchange students.
“I got a lot of culture, not just from Louisiana, but from other parts of the country,” she said. Not only do Boise State students choose to study at other schools around the country, but students from other member universities choose to come to Boise State as well. Allie Liebig, sophomore sociology major, is a student from Sonoma State University studying at Boise State through National Student Exchange. Boise State was Liebig’s first choice. “I decided to try something new and the process was ridiculously easy,” she said. This is Liebig’s first time in Idaho, but she has been able to adapt to the differences at Boise State. “I think it’s good to push yourself past what you’re comfortable with,” she said. Liebig has noted a difference in the way classes are structured at Boise State. “There is more freedom here to choose what you want to take. At Sonoma, the classes you have to take are very specific, but here it’s super relaxed and I love that,” she said.
Hanson and Liebig placed themselves in new learning environments surrounded by unfamiliar people and social
norms when they took part in National Student Exchange. Liebig encourages other students to take advantage of
the program. “There are so many upsides, it’s 100 percent worth the risk,” Liebig said.
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“Hangover” Director Todd Phillips produced “Project X,” another bawdy party movie, starring Thomas Mann and Oliver Cooper.
Movie review
‘Project X’ simply made to entertain Tony Madonna Opinion Editor
“Project X” has been advertised as the epitome of epic party movies—claiming in previews it’s “Superbad on crack.” Although it was entertaining to watch 88 minutes of a large-scale party, complete with a D.J., under-age drinking, nudity, drugs, angry neighbors, 12-year-old security guards, a guy with a flame-thrower and cops attempting to stop the
madness, it was no “Superbad.” Right off the bat we see Thomas, the timid birthday boy with strict parents, Costa, the cocky party planner from Queens and JB, the quiet nerd who just wants to be a part of the plan. What else do you need to know? It’s a party movie. It’s meant to be funny and visually entertaining, not plot-driven. There was no moral to be taken away from the film. “Project X” is meant to be an epic party au-
diences get to watch unfold as it gets wildly out of hand. There are many parallels between “Superbad” and “X.” “Superbad” had memorable faces, characters and quotes that can be recounted endlessly after the film. Comparably, in “X,” the character Costa combines Seth (Jonah Hill) and Fogell (Christopher MintzPlasse) and Thomas mirrored Evan (Michael Cera). However, Thomas and Costa’s goal of throwing the
biggest party didn’t live up to Seth, Evan and Fogell’s journey of buying alcohol for their “last party as high school people.” Many people couldn’t see the meaning of “Project X,” but low and behold, it doesn’t have one. It wasn’t made to win an Oscar—it was made to be entertaining. Audiences watch as three high school seniors throw a progressively outof-control birthday party for Thomas to make a name for
themselves. And their conflict is simple: avoid getting caught by Thomas’ parents at all costs while throwing the biggest party of all time. The audience members find themselves rooting for Thomas and his friends to pull off their stunt as 1,500 people filter into Thomas’ house. Other sub-plots surface throughout the story including Costa stealing a lawn gnome from a drug dealer and Thomas wanting to get with the hottest
girl in school while juggling his true feelings for his long-time girl best friend, Kirby. After worrying all night, Thomas eventually flips off a news helicopter from his roof and stops caring about the outrageous party downstairs. At that point, audience members should do the same: stop caring about characters and plot and savor the chaos. You’re invited. Don’t worry about the little things—let loose and enjoy the party.
Catalyst event uses interaction to teach leadership Cheyenne Perry Senior Journalist
Approximately 50 students attended the Catalyst Leadership Workshop Saturday, March 3 at Boise State. From 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., students gathered in groups, participated in projects and watched videos focused on enhancing leadership qualities led by Kimberly Bowie Treacy, a Community Liaison at Sonora Behavioral Health in Tucson, Ariz. At the beginning of the workshop, students were informed they were a part of the “inclusive community” of Cat-
alyst and everyone would act as a “teacher and learner.” Students would interact with one another and were challenged to meet and get to know four new people by the end of the workshop. “I wasn’t really expecting to ... talk to as many people in depth,” said junior Kim Copeland, who attended the event. Copeland, who is majoring in social work, said the Catalyst event helped affirm the path she’s chosen in college. “It definitely reinforced where I’m at right now like with school and just kind of in my life, so it was kind of empowering for me,”
Copeland said. With previous experience of leadership training in high school, Copeland saw Catalyst as another opportunity to enhance her skills. The Catalyst program focused on helping students identify, define and understand their own personalities as well as personalities different from theirs. Each student filled out a test called I-Sight. These tests had students choose descriptions of themselves and then placed them in one of four classifications- direct and active (D), interested and lively (I), steady and cooperative (S) and concerned
and correct (C). Students then gathered into these four categorizations and described what their group could contribute to other personality types. The goal of this was to learn how to work with people with different personalities and increase efficiency. Junior Thomas Camara, majoring in entrepreneurship, said this was his favorite part of Catalyst. “The personalities is what really surprised me,” Camara said. His definition of leadership changed after attending the workshop and taking personalities into consideration.
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“Being a leader to me is more defined as getting different personalities and getting them to work together whereas before I didn’t really ever think about that … (Treacy) taught us that having people with the same personality (in a group) is not a good thing and it’s better to have people with different personalities,” Camara said. Camara attended the workshop partly because of his fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi, and partly because he enjoys being a leader and learning how to improve his leadership qualities. Recently, he attended the Greek-oriented Regional
Leadership Academy (RLA) in San Francisco. He plans to use the skills he learned in Catalyst on committees for the four organizations he currently belongs to. Catalyst, a one-day workshop, is similar to Leadershape in some ways. Leadershape is a workshop which lasts for approximately six days and focuses on developing leadership skills through collaboration with other students and individuals. The upcoming Leadershape will take place in May. Additional details can be found at www.involvement. boisestate.edu.
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Rush Limbaugh’s apology to Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke has been deemed unsatisfactory.
Apology falls short
Everyone can learn from Rush Limbaugh. Everyone can choose whether to believe in his daily radio vision of “the Left.” Everyone can decide whether to listen. Now everyone, listener or not, has an opportunity to learn from Limbaugh about one of the essentials in life: the apology. Contrary to what he has said, what he has offered to Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke was not an apology. It was phrased to resemble one, but it was not the real deal. No one can get by in life without being able to issue a sincere apology, and no one can get by without being able to distinguish a sincere apology from something that falls short. It’s simple, really. An apology has three parts: (1) I’m sorry. (2) What I did was wrong. (3) What can I do to make it up to you? Some people mistake the first part for an apol-
ogy, but it’s too shallow. A sincere apology should include open ownership (part 2) of the misdeed and an offer of penance (part 3) to demonstrate contrition. Anyone who can’t honestly take the last two steps can’t honorably take the first. Limbaugh simply backtracked on two words he used to describe Fluke during a three-day rampage last week. Fluke testified to a House Democratic subcommittee Feb. 23 about her views on the need for health insurance to cover the high cost of contraceptives. Georgetown University, where she attends law school, is a Catholic institution that does not offer that coverage in its medical plans. On Feb. 29, Limbaugh told his listeners that Fluke was “having so much sex she can’t afford her own birth control pills.” He asked, “What does it say about the college co-ed Sandra Fluke, who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she
Response to sweatshops
must be paid to have sex, what does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute.” The next day, Thursday, he said Fluke’s request came “because they want to have sex any time, as many times and as often as they want, with as many partners as they want.” He said the contraceptive cost figures cited by Fluke, about $1,000 a year, mean “she and her co-ed classmates are having sex nearly three times a day for three years straight, apparently.” Fluke “and the rest of you feminazis,” he said, in return for contraceptives, should “post the videos online so we can all watch.” On his Friday show, he called that request “illustrating absurdity by being absurd.” Yet he had described himself as “the mayor of Realville. I live in Literalville.” “As frequently as she has sex and to not be pregnant, she’s obviously succeeding in contraception,” Limbaugh said. His initial stab at an
L e tt e r t o t h e e d i t o r
Jason Barlow is a sophomore theatre major. I strongly disagree with the article about sweatshops that was posted in The Arbiter on March 8th. First of all, in reference to the opening sentence of the article, I must emphasize that activists fighting against sweatshops are not ignorant. In fact, they are the exact opposite of
ignorant. They are trying to convince Apple, as well as other companies who use sweatshops to manufacture their goods, to pay the people working at the sweatshops a decent wage, in addition to providing them with better working conditions and more decent hours, particularly those companies that have made significant profits in
recent years. If that is ignorant, then I simply do not know what is not ignorant. Don’t get me wrong; I commend the fact that these companies are providing jobs to citizens of third world countries to begin with, and I feel great sympathy for the people of the world who are forced to work at sweatshops to make ends meet. In fact, that is the precise reason why I am writing today. I just want the people being employed by these companies to be treated fairly. The bottom line is that these companies are
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apology came Saturday in a statement that said, “I chose the wrong words” and “I did not mean a personal attack” and “I sincerely apologize.” A generous person could call that the first step. Step 2 came Monday when he said, “Those two words were inappropriate. They were uncalled for ... I do not think she is either of those two words.” Two words? That must be slut and prostitute. No apology for his claims of frequency and randomness in her sex life? No, “my apology to her was for simply using inappropriate words.” He said Fluke is “a fullfledged feminist activist” who “organized activities centered on the farleft feminist and gender equality movements.” That makes her fair game for the most personal insults? Limbaugh’s apology and his ownership of his offense are partial at best, and he shows no trace of contrition. Still, everyone can learn from his negative example.
gress because I love Idaho and we can do better,” LeFavour said, in a Twitter post. LeFavour’s recent actions indicate her faith in state legislation has withered, but her faith in Idaho remains unwavering. “Last year, the cuts to education, Medicaid and Medicare were so heartless,” LeFavour said when asked why she wanted to leave the state Senate. “I just couldn’t see myself be a participant in it anymore. Some of the laws hurt people in many ways when it doesn’t have to, and they did it again this year.” But it’s not all doom and gloom. LeFavour praised a handful of fellow legislators and local activists for not giving up. Representatives Leon Smith, a Republican from Twin Falls, and Cherie Buckner-Webb, a Democrat from Boise, have pushed for Add The Words to be heard again. Mistie Tolman, a Boise mother, student and volunteer, acts as the spokesperson for Safe Schools and Fair Employment Working Group (SSFEWG), an organization that actively promotes support for Add The Words. Lindsey Matson, a recent Boise State graduate, told SSFEWG: “If you ask, you’ll find Idahoans agree: no one should be harassed or bullied at school, fired from a job, denied housing or denied public services for no other reason than that they are gay or because of how they express their gender. Today is a day people are speaking their minds, standing up with their neighbors and co-workers and saying, ‘Hey, it’s time to change the laws.’ ” According to 4idaho. org, 61 percent of students reported feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation. Add The Words would cost taxpayers nothing, and would take a step toward changing that number. Please, lawmakers— Add the words. Give all of your constituents the right to be human and don’t embarrass yourselves a second time. The Way We See It is based on the majority opinions of The Arbiter’s editorial board. Members of the board are Editor-in-Chief Rebecca De León; Managing Editor Haley Robinson; section editors Wyatt Martin, Lindsey Hileman, Suzanne Craig , Tasha Adams, Eva Hart, Tony Madonna; and multimedia editor Cody Finney.
mainly hiring workers in third world countries for the sake of making bigger profits than they would by providing the same jobs to the American workforce. If we want to help these people in the third world, then we should no longer allow these companies to exploit these innocent people in order to just make a few extra bucks. Instead, we should be helping them further by giving them the same jobs, but with more pay and safer, more tolerable working conditions, the likes of which we take for granted here at home. Then may-
be, just maybe, we can help the third world become economically competitive and bring these people out of poverty once and for all. But then again, I am merely thinking positively, since I know for a fact that no big shot corporate CEO would ever listen to the ideas of a normal American citizen, such as myself. However, I do find it reasonable to ask that the next time you listen to your iPods or buy Nike shoes, please think about where the products in question are actually coming from, and then try
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to do everything in your power to fight for what is basically the rights of workers all over the world, because after all, we are all human, and therefore we are all entitled to reasonable pay and working conditions, regardless of where we live. Thank you for your consideration.
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Legislators have embarrassed Idaho, despite citizen wants. A month ago, a bill called “Add The Words” was introduced to the Senate State Affairs Committee and was rejected. Fellow legislators, constituents and media outlets are still unclear about the reasoning behind the bill’s death. It is now being proposed to the House State Affairs Committee and still aims to change the Idaho Human Rights Act to include the words “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the list of reasons for which one cannot be discriminated against when dealing with employment, housing, education and public services. To reiterate, it is the Human Rights Act, which means it isn’t even addressing civil liberties–it addresses the right to be human. And lawmakers won’t even allow such a no-brainer addition to be heard in the state Senate. This is a cowardly move made by backward-thinking legislators that makes the entire state seem ignorant. Idaho Senator Nicole LeFavour, the state’s only openly gay legislator, believes Add The Words failed because legislators are responsible to their constituents and they are afraid of losing support by voting in favor of this bill. “We were only two votes shy of passing this bill,” LeFavour said. “The problem is the lack of political will. (Legislators) assume their constituents are antigay, but if you really ask, most Idahoans have no problem with gay rights. The decision not to even print the bill is a profound statement.” Now, Add The Words is striving for a second chance in the state House. The plea to the House State Affairs Committee is to at least give this bill a chance to be heard in the House. This is the chance to right a wrong, not back down because of political pressure. LeFavour commented on the rejection she felt from people she works alongside every day. “I think my colleagues think all gay people are like me,” she said. “It really is a shame they don’t meet a lot of gay people. I wish they could meet gay parents, gay people who have lost their jobs, gay people who just graduated from college.” For this reason, she decided not to run for her position again next year, but instead decided to run for Congress. “I’m running for Con-
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March 12, 2012
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Broncos conclude season Young team learns from up and down year Ty Hawkins
Senior Journalist
Believe it or not, the Boise State men’s basketball program is headed in the right direction. As former Michigan head coach of the iconic ‘Fab Five,’ current San Diego State Aztecs coach Steve Fisher said “You know what the best thing about freshmen is? They become sophomores.” At the peak of his career playing career, Michael Jordan said his favorite time of the year was summer because he had time to work on his individual game. The Broncos will only lose two players to graduation this spring. Experience and senior leadership are major bonuses in a college basketball program, but the learning experience Head Coach Leon Rice’s young platoon has gained is something that can’t be taught. Rice needed guys who could play immediately which meant
the guys this year were forced to learn on the fly. You’re probably wondering how a team that finished 13-17 and lost in the first round of the conference tournament can be headed in the right direction? If you watched any of the games or followed the Broncos this season, you’d have noticed progress being made almost every game, which should alleviate some of the doubts. They took three NCAAtournament-bound teams to the wire, which would have given them three more conference wins. We can say could’ve, would’ve, or should’ve, but the fact is they lost those games. Now let’s fast forward to next season. A team that’s a year older and wiser, coaches included, could probably turn a couple of those L’s into W’s. If you didn’t catch the Mountain West tournament, you probably missed one of the best conference tournaments this March. BSU again fell to SDSU, on an amazing shot by Jamaal Franklin that won the game for the Aztecs 65-62. A majority of this past weekend’s games came down to the
final minutes of play. With the Pac-12 stinking up the joint this season, it was clear the MW was, hands down, the best conference on the west coast, mid-major or not. Next fall, Rice will finally be playing with his own cards. This means, and with no disrespect to the departing seniors, he will be coaching guys his staff directly targeted in recruiting as the cornerstone of Bronco hoops. The major reason I think BSU will be better is because they believe in themselves. I was at every home game this season and at the post-game press conferences they all remained on the same page win or lose. They didn’t let the blown leads get to them. The lack of support from Bronco fans who only showed up for the big games didn’t affect their targeted path. They hated losing, you could see it in their young faces, and when they won a few you could see the excitement. I’m excited to see Rice get these guys to play at the highest level and see the Corral going nuts at the Bell next winter— you should be too.
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Jr. Kenny Buckner works his post position during the last home game.
Jake Essman/THE ARBITER
Fr. Amber Vandiver shoots during a home game prior to the MW Tournament.
MW tourney title not in the cards for women Broncos fall to Lobos in heartbreaking fashion at the MW conference semi-finals 51-50 John Garretson
Online Sports Editor
Las Vegas turned to “Heartbreak City” this past weekend for Boise State basketball. First, the men’s team lost by the dagger of Jamaal Franklin’s 3-pointer for
jOin us fOR lunch…
a 65-62 San Diego State victory over the Bronco’s in the first round of the Mountain West tournament Thursday afternoon. Then, in similar fashion, the women’s team fell short in 51-50 heartbreaking loss to the New Mexico Lobos in the MW
tournament semi-finals on Friday. The tragedy for the women’s game was that, unlike the men, they controlled the last possession of the game. Entering the tournament as the No. 6 seed, the Broncos were not expect-
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ed to make a big splash, but with their 68-63 upset over No. 3 Colorado State, it became evident the ladies meant serious business. New Mexico, who also had an 61-58 underdog win against No. 2 UNLV, also entered into the surprising semi-final equation. One of these two high-seeded teams were scheduled to enter the MW final against No. 1 San Diego State. As soon as the game tipped-off Friday afternoon, the first half belonged to the Lobos, going into the half with a 29-17 lead. Head Coach Gordy Presnell rallied his girls and inspired some of the best basketball the ladies executed all season. The
Broncos even managed to garner a three point 4441 lead with six minutes to go off of junior forward Lauren Lenhardt’s layup and a pair of free throws from senior guard Heather Pilcher. Fighting tooth and nail until the end, the future of the remainder of the season was in the hands of the women’s team. With 27 seconds left and down by one, Boise State had time for one last drive. Orchestrated by senior guard Kati Isham, the Eagle-native drove it down the lane, but pulled back for a jump shot under the free throw line. It rimmed out, but there was still life as redshirt sophomore guard Julia Marshall came up with the rebound. Seconds later, her shot
was blocked. The magical ride was over. The women’s season ended in front of the crowd at the Thomas and Mack Arena. Lenhardt led the Bronco squad with her third double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Redshirt senior Nicole Brady added 13 points while Pilcher recorded eight points and a teamhigh 4 assists. It may not have been the fairy tale ending the girls were looking for, but they grabbed the attention of their opponents in their first season in the Mountain West. And by the looks of it, their presence will continue to be heard into next season.
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March 12, 2012
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Vaisima, Felix end run at Nationals John Engel Journalist
Two seniors concluded their athletic careers Saturday, in one of the best ways possible—while competing for a national championship. Boise State track and field team members Kurt Felix and Mele Vaisima competed in the 2012 NCAA Indoor Track and Field National Championships in Nampa. Felix finished fifth overall with 4,221 points in the heptathlon and earned second team NCAA All-American honors in the long jump with a ninth place finish Friday. Vaisima finished sixth in the women’s weight throw in her first trip to the national championships and came away with first team All-American honors. Vaisima’s throw of 65 feet, 10.50 inches was the second best of her career after setting the Boise State record at the Mountain West Conference Championships only two
weeks prior. Her record setting throw of 69 feet, 8.25 inches punched her ticket to the national championships. “Coming in here and making it to nationals has been a great experience for me, a great achievement and an honor to compete on my home track in front of my friends and family and just be able to compete with elite athletes,” Vaisima said. “The experience is overwhelming and awesome.” Southern Illinois senior Jeneva McCall won the women’s throwing event with a distance of 75 feet, 1.75 inches. Through the first day of the two-day competition, Felix was poised to win a national championship in the heptathlon after finishing second overall on Friday. The senior also competed in the long jump, but was challenged by an ankle injury he sustained during his first four events. Felix finish ninth with a distance of 24 feet, 10 inches.
“I finished ninth, not bad. I was trying to get into the top eight but those guys came here to do that, basically,” Felix said. “To have that ankle that I hurt in the heptathlon earlier, I’m satisfied.” Day Two looked promising for Felix, who entered the day down only 13 points behind the heptathlon leader, Gray Thorn from the University of Florida, but ended with him dropping out of the competition. In his first competition of the day, Felix finished 13th overall in 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.43 seconds, also an apparent product of the prior ankle injury. Unable to score any points in the pole vault event, and slowly falling in the overall standings, Felix opted not to participate in the 1,000 meter race. The Broncos will begin their outdoor season with the ASU Invitational in Tempe, Ariz. on March 23. Follow: @engelsportsguy
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Senior Kurt Felix eyes his landing as he clears the high-jump pole during the men’s high jump. Felix finished Day One in the second spot for the men’s heptathlon, but was unable to finish on the second due to an injury.
CODY FINNEY/THE ARBITER
Senior Mele Vaisima yanks the weight in the Women’s Weight Throw at The NCAA National Championship that took place in Jacksons Indoor Track FridaySaturday March 9-10. Vaisima threw the weight 20.07 meters.
Erik Sheldon returns a shot to Montana. The Broncos battled to a 4-3 victory over Montana on Friday March 7, 2012, at the Appleton Tennis Center.
Coming away unscathed Men’s tennis ends perfect weekend with Cal Poly win
John Garretson Online Sports Editor
After a clean 7-0 victory of Montana Saturday morning, the Boise State men’s tennis team defeated the No. 56 Cal Poly Mustangs 5-2 despite a rough start to commence the afternoon’s play at the Appleton Tennis Center. Normally a dominant team for the doubles point, the Broncos looked a bit off against the Mustangs, specifically in the No.1 seed of redshirt junior James Meredith and sophomore Nathan Sereke. The duo came up short against No. 25 nationallyranked Andre Dome and Matt Fawcett 8-6, and the veteran tandem of redshirt junior Scott Sears and senior
Damian Hume, seeded at No. 2, lost to Jordan Bridges and Brian McPhee 8-6. “I wasn’t happy with their doubles at all. It’s like saying you’re happy with the flu,” Head Coach Greg Patton said. “I told them we have to
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stay focused on our court for single and play with good enthusiasm and we got to play our games and can’t get in trouble.” The message was heard loud and clear for the men’s squad, as they came out with a vengeance for the singles play. Capitalizing on the first Bronco victory was Sears, breezing past Sebastian Ball 7-5, 6-4 for the No. 6 seed. There seemed to be a domino effect that followed suit, as the wins continued to pile for Boise State.
Sophomore Andy Bettles and Sereke finished with back-to-back wins, as Bettles took a 7-5, 6-1 win from Bridges in the No. 3 seed, and Sereke defeated Marco Cozummo 6-2, 6-4 for the No. 4 seed win. “For us to come out like that after losing the doubles point and winning the match is big for us,” Sears said of the re-energized Broncos. After junior Filipp Pogostkin’s 6-3, 6-2 win in the No. 5 seed against Jurgen De-
Jager, it came down to Hume versus McPhee for the final point. With McPhee drawing first blood from the doubles match, it was Hume who had the last laugh with the roaring crowd at his back, coming away with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 No. 2 seeded victory. “I get all the strength and energy from the crowd and my team. I can keep going and playing for these guys, these guys give me 100 percent,” Hume said. Even with the overall victory for the afternoon, there were some errors in Boise
State’s gameplay that Patton wasn’t too happy about it, specifically on the men’s service game. “You don’t deliver a pizza when it’s cold, we got to deliver the hot stuff. And we got to make it. It’s like driving the pizza to your home, and the driver eats your pizza before you can eat it,” Patton said in describing the importance of the serves. The Broncos continue to roll on their home stretch with a match against the University of Arizona Wildcats on Friday, at the Appleton Tennis Center.
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The Bucking Broncos Nikki Hanson
Assistant Sports Editor
When one mentions the phrase “Buck Off,” a climbing competition is usually not the first thought that pops into your head. However, for Boise State, that is exactly what students were thinking as they prepared to climb in the 20th annual Buck Off Competition, Saturday. The events began with youth at 9 a.m., beginners at 9:30 a.m., followed by intermediate at 12 p.m., advanced at 2:30 p.m. and the finals at 4 p.m. Each route that had been set had a nominal value and to achieve the highest scoring possible, the goal was to complete the route in one attempt. However, competitors had three tries to complete each route and a set amount of time to complete all of the routes available during thier designated time slots. Alana Giddings and Ian Overton tied for the youth division. Ryan Weinert claimed first place of the beginners. Megan Crotteau gave an impressive showing to notch the win for the intermediate division. Finally, in the advanced division, Matt Fultz came out on top, climbing with an ease that was superior to the other competitors. Outdoor Program Coordinator Nicole Gallaher and Senior Climbing Gym Manager Luke Rowley were responsible for putting on the event. However, they could not have had such a successful Buck Off without the help Of Tedd Thompson. “Tedd Thompson, for the last four years, has just been the heart of our setting and he’s what makes this thing happen,” Gallaher said. “Unfortunately for us, fortunately for him, he’s graduating this year. He’s going to move to Bend, Ore. to work for Metolius. He worked for them before he came here.” Students, faculty, volunteers,
competitors and fans brought the Buck Off to life. The climbing gym was filled to its maximum with 57 competitors, and over 100 spectators. In the week preceding the Buck Off, there were easily over 20 people involved in setting and assisting in putting up the competition routes, fixing holds, picking up the little pieces of tape that littered the floor and rating the routes. “This is our twentieth annual Buck Off. It started from a small group of BSU climbing students who were initially climbing in our old gym and wanted to create a competition and it’s been going on annually ever since then. The climbing community at Boise State has grown over the years and so has the Buck Off,” Rowley said. Dedication, hard work, time and commitment went into the Buck Off, and amazingly enough, attention was brought to the event with a grass roots method—word of mouth. “We had a group from Oregon State, they left at 4 in the morning, drove out here and showed up for the comp, and we got a handful of students from Idaho University to compete, and CWI, College of Western Idaho,” Rowley said. The sponsors for the Buck Off included: Asana Climbing, Five Ten, Entre Prises Climbing Wall, Boise State University Health and Recreation, The Front Climbing Club, Metolius, Bogus, Singing Rock, Climb Idaho, Liberty Mountain and Core Concepts. “We have been working since December getting all of our sponsors on to it and planning the overall event,” Rowley said. The Buck Off was not an event planned on a whim, it’s a competition that holds a lot of prestige for Boise State. Not only did it bring the climbing community together, but provided a fun and competitive atmosphere for all of those in attendance.
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Spectators watch as a competitor climbs up the Rec Center’s rock wall Saturday during the finals round.
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