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Volume 24
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Boise, Idaho
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ASBSU election forums this week Associates Students of Boise State University (ASBSU) is holding elections to appoint new officers for the upcoming academic year. Online voting will take place March 20 and 21. All students are en-
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Four wrestlers are headed to NCAA Championships.
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St. Pat’s Day
couraged to vote. Voting is for the positions of President, Vice President, Assembly Speaker, Secretary of Academic Affairs, Secretary of Clubs and Organizations, and Secretary of External Communication.
[ ]
The President & Vice President
Secretary:
The following forums forum took place Wednesday, will take place this week on the Student Union Building March 14. (SUB) Dining Stage:
Thursday, March 15 Noon-1 p.m.
Assembly Speaker:
Friday, March 16 Noon-1 p.m.
More information will be available on the candidates once completed election packets are submitted. Further information can be found on ASBSU’s website, Facebook page and twitter account.
Look for more coverage of ASBSU elections at arbiteronline.com and in upcoming issues of The Arbiter.
Young, ambitious politician Boise State student has hopes to give a voice to students, university in the Statehouse Bryce DunhamZemberi Whatever the reason for this holiday, it’s a good excuse to party.
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Expensive textbooks
Should students have to spend so much on their textbooks?
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Weather Today
Journalist
Gus Voss, a senior political science major, is running for the Idaho House of Representatives, seat 17A, in the 2012 election. Voss feels he has a moral duty to fix the legislature. “Given our current political climate, I feel it is my ethical duty to run for office,” Voss said. “I feel that constituents of district 17 deserve a lot more than that, especially since we are much more intelligent than the candidates of district 17 are willing to demonstrate.” Voss is a Boise native and said he was largely influenced by his father and grandparents who, “taught me a hard work ethic and a strong sense of morality.” He said he believes this work ethic helped him through a variety of occupations. Voss has worked several customer service jobs such as the Boise Co-Op as stock-boy and the Owyhee Plaza Hotel as a banquet server during his four years at Boise State. According to Voss, these occupations helped him develop a stronger character. While studying politics, he worked for three student-run organizations, including the Poverty Issues coordinator on the Volunteer Services Board,
CODY FINNEY/THE ARBITER
Gus Voss, senior, is running for a seat in Idaho State’s House of Representatives. and he is currently the ASBSU ethics officer. He also started a nonpartisan political group, Democracy Matters (DM). “I have been involved in political organizing for the last two years with Democracy Matters, which is dedicated toward getting the money out of politics and people back in,” Voss said. Prior to college, he did volunteer work for the Obama campaign. “I was a co-chair of the
Timberline High School Students for Obama,” Voss said. According to Voss, his views have shifted from a partisan Obama supporter to a peopleonly party line. “Part of the reason I am running is because I think people are the only sources the government should look to,” Voss said. He also believes corporations, unions and political action committees should not be involved in politics.
“Government should not look to business. We should look to people. We shouldn’t look to party lines, we should (look) to people, not political action committees, corporations or even the ACLU and unions for advice,” Voss said. If elected, Voss plans on being a politician who works to solve differences between opposing parties. “I want to go into the community and ask what they want and then figure out the
way to get over the minor differences and try to implement it,” Voss said. Voss wants to represent the Boise State community in the Idaho legislature. “I also think that BSU students need a representative who will fight really hard for equitable funding. That is something that I have not seen (current seat holder) Bill Killen do much of,” Voss said. Because Boise State is a major asset to district 17, Voss said he wants to see more student-representative interaction. “I would like to see more public forums at BSU. I would like to communicate with my constituents on a face-to-face basis,” Voss said. According to Voss, representatives publicly interacting with their constituents is the most authentic form of representation. “I am less interested in pushing my own personal objectives,” Voss said. Voss said he does not have any ulterior motives in the House of Representatives other than supporting the needs of his voters, which in this case, are Boise State students. For more information about Voss and his campaign visit his Facebook page at facebook. com/Voss/4house.
Few Showers
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Idaho mourns victims of Japanese earthquake, tsunami
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The candlelight vigil for Japan took place at the Statehouse steps last Sunday.
Boise community members gathered Sunday night to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that shook Japan on March 11, 2011. There were several members from the Japanese and Japanese-American community in attendence, as well as people from the Idaho Japanese Association who are interested in keeping attention focused on those who are still hurting from the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. “We are really honored as Idaho’s nuclear watchdog to have been able to take part in a vigil with the Idaho Japanese Association to commemorate the devastation of the nuclear disaster and tsunami that happened in Japan,” said Liz Woodruff, executive director of the Snake River Alliance. Before the moment of silence, a number of participants read short statements from victims of the catastrophic event.
One statement read, “The tsunami is washing away cars, buildings, ships, and many people … thousands of people are missing, and many, many thousands are suddenly homeless. The death toll is rising.” After the testimonials, the group gathered together in a moment of silence to remember those who were lost or affected by the earthquake and tsunami. A feeling of solemnity and respect fell over the crowd as the attendees stood in silent remembrance of those who were lost. Even the children’s stirring lessened as the feelings of empathy touched their souls as well. A statement from February read, “Someday, I’ll tell my future children and grandchildren, ‘When Grandma was young, people all over the world came together as one after the Great Tohoku Earthquake. Everyone was working desperately to support a common cause and it was beautiful to see.’ ” arbiteronline.com
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March 15, 2012
World
National
Afghan president’s brothers attacked
Competition remains fierce within Republican party
AFGHANISTAN — Senior investigation team members, including Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s brothers, were attacked Tuesday while they looked into the massacre of 16 civilians by a lone U.S. soldier. The Taliban has declared it will have vengeance for the civilian deaths, threatening to “behead your murdering, sadistic soldiers,” according to Reuters. Shortly after this declaration, the investigation team led by Karzai’s brothers were attacked by longrange gunmen as they headed to the Kandahar province, where the attack occured. The brothers were not injured, but some members of the team were wounded during the attack. This assault underscored the ability of insurgent groups to attack the young government’s forces. An unnamed soldier, who is believed to have not been in the country very long, is accused of walking off his base in a Kandahar province
E ditor - in -C hief
in the middle of the night and gunning down at least 16 villagers. A U.S. official reported the soldier had suffered a traumatic brain injury during a previous deployment to Iraq. President Barack Obama, speaking after a phone call with Karzai, said the shootings had only increased his determination to get American troops out of Afghanistan as planned. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrived in Afghanistan on Wednesday for an unanounced visit. Officials say the visit has been planned for months prior to this attack, but it is likely the recent attack will be the focus of Panetta’s visit. In an effort to show their willingness to investigate the case, U.S. officials have reported showing the Afghan government a video of the soldier turning himself in. A plan to cut the number of troops in Afghanistan from 90,000 to 68,000 including 10,000 Marines by September is still in the works.
MISSISSIPPI— One week after Super Tuesday failed to narrow the field for Republican Party candidates, another round of primary votes has proved just as inconclusive. Mississippi and Alabama held primaries on Tuesday and the results were too close to call at 9
Local
p.m. that night. On Wednesday morning, it was revealed former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum narrowly won both states. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was right behind him, and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney came in third. So far, Romney
still holds the lead for the delegate count. But the other candidates are taking heart to Romney’s inability to win Southern votes, typically a conservative stronghold. Romney did win Hawaii and American Samoa. The next primaries are in Puerto Rico and Illinois.
WTF
Toilet paper crisis may Local artists shut down city hall T R E N T O N — scheduled to vote win big Concern is mount- on the budget for a BOISE —Local artists returned with awards in tow from a Salt Lake City convention for tattoo artists. At the ninth annual SLC Tattoo International Convention, Darcy Nutt, owner of Chalice Tattoo Studio on Latah St., took home three awards. Andrew Pontius, another artist from Chalice, won a first place award, too. The main result of these awards is recognition and, in turn, increased clientele. “I’m booked out about two years right now,” Nutt said to KTVB. Now, she must find space for the plaques.
ing as the toilet paper stock dwindles in public buildings in Trenton, N.J. A proposed contract for paper products for the city’s buildings has been thrown out three times so far. The main concerns appear to be over the high unit cost of paper cups, according to The Times of Trenton. If the toilet paper dispensers are left empty for too long, the state health code will force all cityowned buildings to shut down until the problem is fixed. The City Council is
fourth time soon, but will they be able to stretch their supplies long enough to last the week? Mayor Tony Mack is not pleased with this scenario. Her administration tried to solve the problem by simply striking the controversial paper cups line from the contract, but opponents still claim the contract is not good enough. “I’m embarrassed,” Mack said to The Times. “I’m a little disgusted and I feel we’re doing an injustice to the residents of the city and the employees.”
Information MCT Campus/The Arbiter
Clubs & Orgs
M anaging E ditor
managingeditor@ arbiteronline.com
N ews E ditor
2 Cutting-in word 3 Grate 4 Amass 5 Simple soup 6 Tote with difficulty 7 Starting money of a sort 8 Dilbert creator Adams 9 One may be seen behind an ear 10 Sinister stare 11 Capital of 62Across 12 Sooner State city 13 Puts on 18 Strong urge 24 Italian director Sergio 26 TV's "The Amazing __" 27 Scary nestful 28 Allergic reaction 29 With 30-Down, capitals of 62Across? 30 See 29-Down 32 Oddball 33 Deceived 36 1976 Olympics headlines name 39 Coach
For more information contact MIGUEL VARELA
BY LINDA C. BLACK Tribune Media Services
Today’s Birthday (03/15/12) Love is the answer. Where do you want to grow this year? Set goals for finances and career, and aim for what you love. In the second half of the year, home and family exert a stronger pull. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.
miguelvarela@u.boisestate.edu
Cancer (June 22-July 22) Today is an 8 - People seek you out for advice. It could be your philosophical view or your brilliant wit. Take advantage of the interest to move a pet project forward.
John Garretson sports@ arbiteronline.com
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
Open to all skill levels
Today is an 8 - Your enthusiasm are getting attention. Figure out your strategy, and make your move in a way that everyone benefits. Leave your money in the bank. Patience.
for competitive and non-competitive play
Contact Sean at seancampbell@u.boisestate.edu for more information.
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Adventures of a crazy sports fan/Alyssa Cumpton
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3/15/12
Monday’s Puzzle Solved Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved
(c)2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
40 Reference site for travelers 43 Images used by Wii players 45 With "the," band with the 2006 remix album "Love" 47 Keep under control 49 Metamorphosis stage
3/15/12
51 Instructions opener 53 Crying spells 54 Old Testament twin 56 Party loot 58 Flower in Bern? 59 Make a wool cap, say 60 "Mother Ireland" writer O'Brien 63 When repeated, a Gabor
The Future
Today is an 8 - Study, grow and expand early today with ample energy to get you moving. Others get magnetically drawn into your game.
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DOWN 1 Levels the playing field?
By Michael Doran
Gemini (May 21-June 21)
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Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
ACROSS 1 "The Fiddler" painter Chagall 5 Brooch part 10 Scraped (out) 14 Miami River locale 15 Postal scale unit 16 Ristorante bottle 17 Capital of 62Across 19 Victorious cry 20 Refines, in a way 21 List-ending abbr. 22 Coffee bar stack 23 Biol. branch 25 Too pooped to pop 27 First ones to spot the king's ghost, in "Hamlet" 31 "Stop bugging me!" 34 Eight, in Essen 35 Bellyache 37 Yo-Yo's strings 38 Pronoun on the briny 39 Mark Twain, e.g. 41 Overly permissive 42 Insanely cold 44 Icelandic work that influenced Tolkien 45 Swelter 46 In any way 48 Closed, as a sleeping bag 50 Sealing aids 52 Greenish-blue 53 "Bad Reputation" singer 55 "__ only money!" 57 Mental grasp 61 Clueless 62 Where "The Lord of the Rings" movies were filmed 64 Actress Teri 65 Bridge call 66 Activist Brockovich 67 Dope (out) 68 Bother a lot 69 Stiff hair
Today is an 8 - You’re especially persuasive in the morning and easily convince others that you’re right. Build up resources, and add players to the team.
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Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Haley Robinson
Wyatt Martin sports@ arbiteronline.com
FOR RELEASE MARCH 15, 2012
day is an 8 - You feel good in your skin today. Your magnetism and charm attract what you ask for, so consider your requests.
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Crossword
Aries (March 21-April 19)To-
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Suzanne Craig news@ arbiteronline.com
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Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is a 7 - Decide where best to put your energy. You can get whatever you need. Compromise will be necessary. Be careful not to overspend.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today is a 7 - You’re inspired by freedom and justice. Apply your passion to a current project. Continue to gather data.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is an 8 - You’ve got someone under a spell. Ignore that little voice in your head. It’s not very nice, usually. Trust your real intuition.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is a 9 - You’re becoming more attractive with age. Your willingness to solve problems and take action is inspiring.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is a 5 - Don’t be afraid to pull the necessary strings so the music plays your way. Prepare your lessons well, and go for the honor roll.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is an 8 - Friends help you solve great philosophical problems. Combine your powers and dreams for more effectiveness.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is a 9 -- Enjoy home. Give your career more flavor by adding some passion. The more you enjoy your work, the better you’ll do and the happier you’ll be. ___ (c) 2012, Tribune Media Services Inc.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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Boise celebrates all things Irish Trevor Villagrana
Assistant Lifestyles Editor
St. Patrick’s Day has been a celebration of inebriation and debauchery for decades, but how are bar owners in the valley going to prepare for all you green beer fanatics this weekend? For Todd Kaebisch, manager of Humpin’ Hannah’s, it’s simply a matter of falling back into his ageold routine of promotion, decoration and a frenzy of high-spirited Celtic fusion. However, after 33 years of the same party, the festivities seem to be on the decline. “It hasn’t really grown,” Kaebisch said. “In fact, I would say as far as the tradition of St. Patty’s Day, it seems to have subsided.” Having departed from the traditional 8 a.m. kickoff complete with green donuts and other emerald fanfare, the staff at Hannah’s will still be hosting quite the bash, although not as culturally legitimate as previous years. “We go full strength,” Kaebisch said. “We try to do the kegs, the green beer and stuff like that and we try to have a good time with it.” When asked about the history of the holiday, Kaebisch was quick to say he was unsure of the origin, but it was knowledge he should possess given the importance of it to his bar, monetarily. The cultural significance
of St. Patty’s seems to be lost to many drinkers and party historians here in Boise, but according to Dell Jaha, co-owner of the Ha’Penny Bridge Pub in BODO, people need an excuse to party regardless of historical accuracy. Being a traditional Irish pub, March 17 is quite the cash cow for Jaha and the Ha’Penny crowd. The party starts at 10 a.m., but for those eager to get down, it is recommended to show up early and beat the line which is expected to circle the entire block. “They can’t find us all year round, but on St. Patty’s Day everybody knows where we are,” Jaha said. “Tell me how to do it once a month and I’d be the happiest guy in the bar.” For those keen to this delectable holiday but not so fond of the bar atmosphere or want to stick to campus, the 33rd annual International Food, Song and Dance Festival is set to be housed in the Jordan Ballroom, Saturday at 6 p.m. The festival features multicultural cuisine from locales such as Taiwan, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and Japan, along with a cultural exhibition starting at 5 p.m. General admission tickets can be purchased at the door or at the Information Desk in the SUB for $15. Students can get their tickets at the door for $5 with ID, and the first 250 students get in at no cost. Kids under five eat for free.
illustration by alyssa cumpton/THE ARBITER
With a wee bit o’ that Irish luck, local bars hope to bring in a pot of gold this St. Patrick’s day.
Working on neutrality Stephen Percy Journalist
In 2007, Boise State President Bob Kustra signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), which is sponsored by the Bostonbased nonprofit organization Second Nature. In order to meet the requirements laid out by ACUPCC, the university needed to develop an institutional action plan for becoming climate-neutral within two years of signing the document. However, so far the university has not submitted such a plan. The ACUPCC defines “climate neutrality” as having no net greenhouse gas emissions and states they can be minimized as much as possible by using carbon offsets or other measures to mitigate the remaining emissions if necessary. According to the ACUPCC, “Generally, offsets fall into two categories: 1) emissions reductions or avoidance, such as replacing a diesel generator with solar panels, and 2) sequestration, or removing GHGs from the atmosphere, such as planting trees that will absorb CO2
as they grow.” There are no penalties for not complying with the ACUPCC. However, Second Nature does give annual Climate Leadership Awards and grants schools money to aid in sustainability projects. Institutions that achieve certain levels of sustainability can also qualify to receive bronze, silver or gold ratings from the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) which is similar to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ratings given for buildings. John Gardner, Ph.D., is the chair of the Campus Sustainability Advisory Board and a professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering and director of the Energy Efficiency Research Institute. On the campus sustainability website, Gardner states that “dwindling state support coupled with increased demand for services” are challenges the university faces as it tries to move toward a more sustainable campus. Despite setbacks, Gardner remains optimistic in a podcast produced by the
power plants. According to Boise State’s 2004 to 2008 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory, which the university published to comply with ACUPCC standards, consumption of electricity accounted for 37 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions released by the main campus; 33 percent of emissions were attributed to commuting, 15 percent to natural gas used for heating and the remaining 15 percent to university travel, athletic travel and fleet vehicles. According to the GHG inventory, Boise State’s carbon footprint grew consistently from 2004 to 2008. “The rate of increase was three percent per year, for a total increase of just under 12 percent over five years. Most of that increase is attributable to increased consumption of utilities,” states the Boise State GHG Inventory website. The inventory links growth in the carbon footprint and increased utility consumption with the growth of the campus in general. Brown and Lipple said they believe, despite the challenges posed by growth, the university should be able to implement policies to make itself more sustainable and energyefficient.
university. “Even though I can’t see the path that will get us through our current challenges, I have no doubt that we’ll find one,” Gardner said. Gardner stresses the importance of being mindful. “We must value energy more than it costs,” he said. Brock Lipple and Dixie Brown are both seniors majoring in environmental studies who would like to help Boise State achieve climate neutrality. Brown and Lipple are part of a larger group of students who are working with Gardner and other faculty members to draft an energy action policy proposal as part of a senior class project. Brown and Lipple’s proposal focuses on reducing carbon emissions by reducing the amount of non-renewable energy consumed by the main campus. Much of the energy used at Boise State comes from renewable sources such as hydro-electric power plants. However, Brown and Lipple point out the university also consumes electricity produced by coal and natural gas-fired
Brown and Lipple would like to reduce consumption of energy by two percent each year initially, progressing to three to five percent per year after that. Their proposal divides strategies for achieving this goal into six main categories. Category 1 is conservation. They propose introducing motion sensors on indoor lights that would override manual controls when rooms were not in use and implementing sleep features on all computers and computer monitors across campus. Category 2 asks for high-efficiency lighting and insulation to be installed campus-wide. Category 3 would like the university to collaborate with Idaho Power Co. to utilize hydroelectric power more effectively. Category 4 is solar power. Brown and Lipple would like to see solar power implemented through use of photovoltaic-powered street lights, on-site photovoltaic power generation for off-grid items such as soda machines, and a passive solar water heating system for residence halls. Category 5 of the policy proposal urges the university to expand its use of geothermal energy. Such expansions could
include the installation of a geothermal turbine for electricity generation. Category 6 proposes the university contract with Idaho Power Co. to use more wind energy for base line power generation. Brown and Lipple feel this plan would benefit the university financially, the environment in general and students by expanding their opportunities to learn about renewable energy. As they move forward, Brown and Lipple will be looking for student input. They will send out a survey to random students later in the semester. They hope students will get involved to urge the university to continue working toward a climate-neutral campus. Brown feels diversification of energy sources is key for a truly sustainable campus. “Having all of your eggs in one basket really isn’t the best plan,” she said. Lipple recognizes Boise State has made notable progress toward sustainability but he feels there is always room for improvement. “You can always do more,” he said. “We’re not the worst, but we want to be the best.” The text of the ACUPCC can be viewed at presidentsclimatecommitment.org
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Followers
based on true stories
The first day, redux Trevor Villagrana
Assistant Lifestyles Editor
A lot changed over winter break. Cameron finished his first semester and landed a job at a skate shop. Collin was not so lucky. “Dropping out is the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Collin said, grudgingly. “How are your classes going so far?” “Let’s just say I could use a drink,” Cameron replied from behind the counter. “What’s up with Sally?” “Last thing I heard from her was don’t let my door hit your ass.” “Ouch. Her loss man.” 7:40, Liberal Arts Building, Boise State Part I: Longest Winter Cameron was learning he will never grow accustomed to the bleak, foreboding nature of January in Idaho. With his hands lost in the warmth of his pockets he headed toward his first class of the spring semester. Loss was becoming more frequent as each morning Cameron trudged through the several inches of snow, thumbing at the screen on his phone and tracing his indecisiveness to call her. “Hey, your shoe’s untied.” He ousted himself from between his headphones to see two immaculate emerald pools nestled inside the security of a furry hood. Her figure was slender but endowed and her olive skin was unseasonably tan given the current climate. “Made you look.” Thoughts of Sally dissipated as Cameron scrambled for a response. “You’re Collin’s friend, right?” “Well, yeah. I mean…last time I checked,” said Cameron as her warm demeanor melted into a scowl. “You look like you just saw a ghost,” she paused to assess his painfully apparent lapse in memory. “Your name is Cameron, isn’t it?” All at once, like a thousand bad dreams, Cameron remembered. “Pantyhose,” he said softly to quell the few seconds of deathly, awkward silence. “My name is Julie, you tremendous douche!” And like a foxy hourglass she reached and slapped Cameron upside the head, not sparing the spectacle that had now caught the attention of passersby. Before Cameron had a chance to offer up a life preserver she stormed into the library, nearly colliding with another student. Cameron’s head found his shoelaces. Humiliated, he hastily dialed Sally’s number. But a male voice answered, assuring Cameron he faced certain death if he called again. “Followers” is a quasiautobiographical mini-series about a college senior looking back on his freshman year at Boise State University.
illustration by alyssa cumpton/THE ARBITER
During a fire drill, student housing staff is required to make sure all rooms are empty which has led them to find visible paraphernalia.
Don’t leave your bong out BSU policy prohibits drugs, paraphernalia but students still violate rules Stephen Percy Journalist
It might behoove residents of student housing to heed the warning of the Johnny Cash song, “Don’t Take Your Guns to Town.” Except in this case, it would go, “Don’t take your guns, bongs, electric skillets, fog machines, window air conditioning units, or anything else prohibited in the student housing policies and procedures manual to town.” Lately, some students have been bringing their narcotics. As of March 4, there have been 38 narcotics violations recorded in the Boise State crime log. Of those violations, 35 occurred in University Housing. Chaffee Hall, the largest first-year residence hall on campus, has been leading the pack, racking up 12 narcotics violations. One sure way to get your stash confiscated is to leave it out during a fire drill. When a fire drill occurs in student housing, staff is required to check rooms to make sure everyone has evacuated the building safely. While the staff won’t go rifling through students’ personal belongings, it is hard for them to ignore blatant violations of housing policy. Furthermore, according to the housing policies and procedures manual, “The odor of marijuana is suffi-
cient evidence for a referral to the student conduct system and possible removal from University Housing.” Housing staff is schooled in the art of marijuanasmelling during training sessions facilitated by Boise Police Department. To find out if students understand it would be inadvisable to set up opium dens in their rooms, The Arbiter caught up with some Chaffee Hall residents as they made their way to class one morning. John Dennehy, Ethan Wolery and Conor Skiveness are three freshman engineering majors. When asked what they knew about the risks of leaving contraband lying around especially during fire drills, the trio responded, “I think I … didn’t Jane*?” Skiveness said. “Yeah, Jane did get caught like that,” Dennehy said. “They went into her room and they saw a pipe out.” They paused to contemplate. “I do know of people who, the fire alarm has gone off and then they’ll run back to their room to hide all their shit and then go outside,” Skiveness said. “Yesterday I got my room searched when I wasn’t even there just for safety inspection,” Dennehy said. “I heard a couple of weeks ago that they were going
to be doing it sometime soon.” “But it’s completely random so you can’t hide all of your illegal stuff,” Wolery added. When asked if they had any advice for student miscreants, the future engineers recommended they be more careful. “Just keep it hidden at all times,” Wolery said with a laugh. Of course, the best way to not get caught is to not do drugs at all. As director of the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (OSRR), Blaine Eckles, Ph.D., is in charge of holding students accountable for violations of university policy. When it comes to narcotics violations, Eckles takes a philosophical approach. “We recognize it’s a part of our culture,” Eckles said. “Some students are going to try drugs, we don’t condone it, but we don’t con-
demn it.” The OSRR focuses on education first and encourages students to reflect on their behavior. The office also notifies parents of violations. “The vast majority of students who go through a disciplinary process are not removed from the university,” Eckles said. Eckles does not toler-
ate the selling of drugs on campus and expulsion is a likely consequence for this sort of violation. At the end of the day Eckles wants to create a safe environment in which students can succeed. “We want students to be successful, both socially as well as academically,” Eckles said. *Name has been changed.
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Opinion
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March 15, 2012
05
Put it in Print
Poor Rush Bryce DunhamZemberi Columnist
Guest opinions and Letters to the Editor (300 to 500 word limit each) can be emailed to letters@ arbiteronline.com
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Senior Konstantin Kitchev determines which books to send back to the Boise State Bookstore’s wholesaler and publisher.
Textbooks too expensive Kelsey Crow Journalist
Textbooks cost an exorbitant amount of money and it’s time for an intervention. Tuition for higher education is already extremely expensive, but carving out hundreds of dollars each semester for textbooks is absolutely ludicrous—a solution must be found. The Bosie State website estimates the yearly cost of textbooks to be $1,200—a little more than a fifth of the cost of tuition. Lauren Albright, freshman marketing major, spent nearly $800 on books for one semester and was upset about it. Noah Conger, freshman mechanical engineering major, also spent large amounts of money on
textbooks last semester and said it severely limited his funds. “I had no personal budget after that,” he said. Making a bad situation even worse is the inability to sell books back to the university bookstore for more than a tiny fraction of the original price. Oftentimes bookstores seek profit by purchasing textbooks for cheap prices and then marking them up about 30 or 40 percent to resell, according to Henry Roediger, a professor at Washington University in Saint Louis. The textbook industry continues to grow and is currently an $8 billion industry, according to USA Today. With such an emphasis being put on higher education in America, it seems silly and counterproductive that textbooks
would be so commercialized and expensive. KaliKai Declements, freshman Spanish major, wishes textbooks could be distributed online for no cost. “But it ruins the textbook business so it’s never going to happen,” she said. Thankfully, some groups have been working to counteract this commercial exploitation of higher education. According to USA Today, “A plan funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other nonprofit groups, Rice University (last) month announced it will provide free online textbooks for five of the nation’s mostattended college courses.” Another way of pursuing cheaper textbooks is by converting to digital textbooks.
The Obama Administration has already “called for schools to put digital textbooks in the hands of students by 2017,” according to La Crosse Tribune. “Honestly I think electronic (textbooks) would be much better. Once the whole market switches to electronic, it should be much cheaper,” Albright said. Also, an interesting way to lower textbooks prices that many people don’t consider is cutting down used books sales. While many view purchasing used books as a cheaper alternative, they don’t realize it comes with heavy consequences. According to Roediger, textbook companies invest large amounts of money into making books, expecting profit on each one. However, if a book is
sold over and over again by the used book markets, the textbook company only gets paid once. The textbook companies are then forced to raise prices in order to make adequate money off the books they do sell. They must publish frequent revisions to render the used books obsolete. Whether the necessary solution involves nongovernmental organizations donating money to shoulder the burden or a conversion of the market to digital textbooks, regulation of used book sales or a combination of several methods—it really doesn’t matter. What matters is the expensive problem of textbook prices needs to be fixed so students can breathe easier and afford college without having three jobs.
l e tt e r t o t h e e d i t o r Deserét Baker is an adjunct faculty member teaching American sign language at Boise State. Generations ago, my great, great grandfather emigrated from Denmark to the United States. Upon arrival, his last name was changed slightly – rather than spelling it JespersEn, it became JespersOn. In course of time, my grandfather was born, and utterly refused to spell his name according to the assignment his family had received on arriving in America. He steadfastly rebelled, spelling his name with an “e.” My grandfather rejected the idea that the new culture he encountered somehow trumped the one his forefathers left behind. In the same way, on December 6, 2005, my daughter was diagnosed with a significant hearing loss, which spirited my family into yet another new culture. Just as differing The Arbiter cannot verify the accuracy of statements made in guest submissions. Opinions expressed by guest and staff colum-
opinions met my forebears at their port of entry, we encountered the same. Those who saw my daughter as broken insisted that we not “throw her into the deaf world with both hands.” Thankfully, we found safe refuge in the Deaf world, where both hands could be used for something better than wringing in angst. We were welcomed and offered support. We learned the stories of others who had traveled that same road, meeting some that had accepted the proverbial “spelling change to their last name” and others who refused it. We encountered professionals who used fear as a weapon against uninformed parents, and professionals who gave information to help guide us in our options. At twenty-two months of age, our daughter had learned all of three words. Once we nists reflect the diversity of opinion in the academic community and often will be controversial, but they do not represent the institution-
began to sign, she started acquiring about ten words a day. I still remember the wonder I experienced as she stood in the middle of a stairway and signed her first sign, “help me.” I am humbled at the simple yet profound first prayer she offered, in which she signed only, “Thank Thee, thank Thee, thank Thee.” And I marvel at the remembrance of carrying her to her bedroom for a nap, while she signed, for the first time, “I love you.” Today, my daughter is in second grade. She reads at a fifth grade level. She is pulled from class to do advanced math. She teaches a class every Thursday afternoon in which her second grade peers come to learn signs. Is that to say that we have no difficult experiences? Hardly. An unfortunate reality exists – a misconception that if one can speak, one can also hear. al opinion of The Arbiter or any organization the author may be affiliated with unless it is labeled as such. The Arbiter cannot guarantee
For some reason those two attributes exist as one in the mind of too many. Because my daughter has the skill to speak, and because she performs so well in school, certain administrators in her district oppose providing an interpreter for her. An unspoken agenda surfaces on occasion, with quips about how she rarely signs herself and therefore, obviously, doesn’t require interpretation. I find myself amazed that some people understand so little about receptive language versus expressive language. After all, one must only watch a baby for a moment to realize that the baby’s receptive language (what he understands) far exceeds his expressive language (what he is able to produce in order to communicate effectively.) Despite the fact that my daughter can speak, she needs sign to receive information. submissions will make it to print due to time and space constraints. The content of the opinion does not affect its eligibility to be printed.
I get that funding for education is limited. I really do. However, she has a right to a free and appropriate public education. I sometimes feel as worn as sun bleached bones defending this right. And it sickens me that in order to preserve this right, she is labeled “disabled”—an unfortunate child who is comparatively “broken.” I stand with the Deaf when I say that she’s not broken, she’s culturally distinctive. A few years ago I penned some thoughts about my daughter. It was true then, and it is true now: With my hands, I make the sun set, the moon rise, and the stars shine. My hands rain, snow, make autumn leaves fall, and spring flowers bloom. Using my hands, I smile and laugh. My mouth never has to say a word; my hands are how I’m heard.
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It’s easy to attack one branch of a culturally rooted problem. People seem to be mad at Rush Limbaugh for calling Sandra Fluke a slut and a prostitute, but he isn’t the problem. The problem is the demand for culturally insensitive material for entertainment purposes. In South Park’s fourth episode of season eight—“The Passion of the Jew”—Cartman leads an anti-Semitic march in Nazi regalia to the cadence of, “es ist zeit zu säubern.” The march translates to, “It’s time to clean,” in reference to the ethnic cleansing of the Jewish population. In our society, mocking genocide is considered entertainment and even funny. In Jersey Shore’s third episode of season two, “Creepin’,” they say, “I splashed water on my face and realized we got grenades in here, man.” During the show, “The Situation” describes grenades as illfavored females who are attractive during intoxicated moments but not attractive when sober. In our society, a woman’s worth is confined to the physical appearance of her body. Yet the exploitation of this ideology is considered entertainment. In Nelly’s music video, “Tip Drill” Nelly objectifies African American women by marching them around like sexual property. He showers them with money telling them they are tip drills. The song’s lyrics are, “It must be ya money, ‘cause it ain’t ya face. You a tip drill, ni**a you a tip drill.” In our society unattractive women are only considered worthy if they have money. How is this entertainment? Culturally insensitive material is more than a Limbaugh problem—it is an entertainment problem. When Limbaugh says blatantly insensitive things he gets more attention. He’s trying to be cutting-edge while criticizing the birth control mandate. The only thing that makes Limbaugh an easier target than the other forms of entertainment previously mentioned is that Limbaugh’s show is focused on political discourse and he’s not funny. But just because he is a political icon to some does not mean we cannot ignore the need for racy material. Limbaugh, South Park and Nelly could have gotten their points across without being so racy. It is the consumers who demand edgier material, forcing the entertainment industry to produce the smut. All Limbaugh is doing is expanding the parameters that have been set before him. He is the overly sarcastic, rightwing extremist bent on entertainment. So let’s not get our pretty pink panties in a bunch and realize Limbaugh is not the problem—Americans are the ones perpetuating the entertainment problem.
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Gateway to the West Wrestlers head to St. Louis for the NCAA Tournament
David Wuerth/THE ARBITER
BSU wrestler Shawn Jones takes down Oregon State’s Garrett Drucker in their contest Friday night at Taco Bell Arena. Jones went on to win his match.
Nikki Hanson
Assistant Sports Editor
Four wrestlers will represent Boise State when they compete in the NCAA 2012 Division I Wrestling Championships. Redshirt junior Brian Owen, junior George Ivanov, redshirt sophomore Jake Swartz and redshirt junior Brent Chriswell will each take to the mats in the heated competition. The NCAA tournament will take place in Scottrade Center in St. Louis beginning Thursday March 15, and concluding Saturday, March 17.
Background on the Broncos:
Owens has been recover-
ing from an injury for most of the season, but came back into the lineup in February. He currently boasts an 8-1 record, wrestling at 133-pound and won the California Collegiate Open in his season debut. Ivanov, a junior transfer from the University of Nebraska Omaha, has recorded a total of 22 wins, the most by any Bronco this season. With a 22-6 record, Ivanov made a name for himself with an impressive comeback, stringing together five wins in a row— three against a wrestler with top 20 ranking, at the Reno Tournament of Champions, Dec. 18. Swartz won the Pac-12
Tournament at 184 pounds and will enter competition play with an 18-4 record. The Washington native is ranked 10 in the latest Intermat poll and is on a hot streak, having won 10 of his last 11 matches. Chriswell returned to the Bronco lineup this season after serving a two-year mission. With a 14-2 record, Chriswell enters his third conference championship wrestling at 197 pounds. He was named the Pac-12 Championship’s Most Outstanding Wrestler and was the lowest seed to be crowned champion. Chriswell also claims the best winning percentage of any Boise State
wrestler this season with a .875. He also has an eight matchwinning streak upon entering the NCAA tournament.
The Pac-12 Championship:
The Broncos took second at the 2012 Pac-12 Championships with 129 points— nine behind champion Oregon State. Owen entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed and needed three wins to claim victory. He defeated Stanford’s Matt Scencenbaugh 20-9 in the first round before earning a last-second decision against Garrett Drucker in the semifinals. Owen capped off his run with a 4-2 decision over the
No. 2 seed Frank Lomas. Ivanov finished second, falling to Roger Pena in the finals, 5-2. After the tournament, Ivanov wrestled thirdplace finisher Garrett Schaner of Stanford to determine a true second-place finisher. The result had no impact on the tournament results and was strictly used for NCAA qualifier purposes. Ivanov defeated Schaner by decision, redeeming his earlier loss. Swartz wrestled in two matches after getting a bye in the first round. The No. 1 seed turned the tide with an athletic pin against Oregon State’s Ty Vinson in the semifinals and defeated Boise native Spence
Patrick in the finals (5-1) to advance to the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive season. The final Boise State champion, Chriswell, came into the tournament as the No. 3 seed. After beating Alan Yen in the first round, Chriswell upset Ryan Smith in the semifinals by a 5-2 decision, moving on to the finals where he would face Oregon State’s Taylor Meeks. Chriswell finished the upset bid with another 5-2 decision. ESPN will provide live coverage of the event on its family of networks, along with ESPN3.com, the company’s online station. Results will also be updated at ncaa.com.
Broncos split games in Mesquite tournament Scott Thornton Arbiter Staff
The Boise State club baseball team opened their season over the first weekend of March in the Swing into Summer Tournament in Mesquite, Nev. The Broncos went 2-2 overall and had a successful showing. “We saw a lot of good things from our new freshman, as well as our returning veterans so this year should be good,” senior Ben Halverson said. They started the tournament on Thursday, March 1, beating the Idaho State Uni-
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versity Bengals, 8-7. Friday, the Broncos started their double-header with a two-run loss to Weber State and followed by beating UC Santa Cruz, 5-2. They concluded the tournament Saturday with a loss to the Utes of University of Utah in an 18-11 slugfest. Brayden Dunning, Carson Wooten, Pat Corbett and Jon Wylie were the starting pitchers for the Broncos over the four games. They will continue their season this weekend with a three game set against the University of Montana.
Their first league games of the season will be played at Bishop Kelly High School. Times are 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. on Sunday.
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photo Courtesy Boise State baseball club
The Boise State Baseball club poses for a team photo at Fort Boise field.
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The madness of March John Garretson Online Sports Editor
The Arbiter
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Boise State will send four swimmers to the NCAA championships in Auburn, Ala. this weekend.
Broncos swim for NCAA Championships Lucio Prado Journalist
Boise State women’s swimming and diving team had four of its members invited to the NCAA Championships this weekend. This is the second time Boise State will be represented at the NCAA Championship. Seniors Amber Boucher and Stephanie North are familiar with the pressure, both having gone to the meet last year. Boucher finished No. 12 at the 2011 NCAA Championships in the 100-yard butterfly that scored the first five points in Boise State history for swimming. It was enough to earn an honorable mention All-American recognition. For the two other members, junior Stevie Hughey and freshman Sydney Johansen, it will be a first chance to capture a championship for the Broncos. The championships are held at the James E. Martin Aquatic Center in Auburn, Ala. and begin Thursday. These four Bronco women made history as the first relay team invited to the championships for Boise State. It was the first time in MW conference history a relay team qualified for a national meet. The Broncos’ provisional qualifying times in all five relay events allowed the team to bring together a relay squad out of the four participants. The Broncos are allowed to enter up to four relay events. In the 400-yard freestyle relay, the team entered the meet ranked No. 17 and in the 400-yard medley relay the team came in at No. 19. Along with their relay success, Boucher and North were invited to individual events. Boucher is currently ranked 17 in the 50-yard freestyle, 15 in the 100yard freestyle and 11 in the 100-yard butterfly. North does not have to worry about being overshadowed by Boucher—she comes in ranked 19 in the 50 freestyle and 10 in the 100-yard freestyle. North will presumably be swimming the 200yard freestyle as well. Freshman Heather Harper made
headlines with her time of 1:112.14 in the 100-meter breaststroke, which was good enough to qualify for the Olympic Trials. The Broncos will now have five swimmers qualifying for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials which will be held June 25 through July 2, in Omaha, Neb. Boucher (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle,
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It’s still a head-scratcher as to why it hasn’t been dubbed a national holiday. Or why the BCS hasn’t taken detailed notes on its workings. And let’s not forget about the fact absolutely ANYTHING can happen. Yup, it’s here, folks—embrace the March Madness. It’s the time of year when work, school, family, significant others and anything of importance, becomes irrelevant as you strive to fill out the 64-team bracket. It’s completed to perfection (you think) and it should punch the golden ticket to the office pool grand prize. You think this is Kansas’ year, kind of like it was their year in 2011, and 2010 and 2009 ... while on the other hand, you promise to push VCU farther, because Shaka Smart and the Rams did some serious damage on your bracket last year. It’s a sporting event where you don’t need any special sports package, no inside access—just straight basketball. The sounds of Dick Vitale make you want to drown yourself in his colloquial insanity, while the tenacity in Gus Johnson’s announcing gives you life again. It brings out the bracket-filling dark horses, such as your younger sister who can name Justin Bieber’s discography but couldn’t tell who’s on offense or defense. Or the co-workers who make their picks by collegiate mascots. And the girlfriends who pick the schools by jersey colors. No matter their lack of knowledge, its those rookies who come up big in their brackets or pools, because it’s a crap shoot from the get-go and they’re the ones who unintentionally understand that. It’s a tournament that doesn’t take days, or weeks, but nearly an entire month to complete. It’s a gauntlet that engulfs your attention longer than anything you can think of: the Masters, the NFL playoffs, NBC’s The Voice ... was that last one out loud? You get the point. It’s an act of unity that brings people of all kinds together in front of the flat screen, whether it’s forced or not. It’s the only function that garners it’s own social media experiment. The average fan turns into a bracketologist, nitpicking at his or her friend’s bracket for all the wrong teams they chose. Twitter and Facebook become public forums where friends battle over who they believe will win it all. It’s our sidebar from reality, a break room from life, a thrill that has you up in arms, even if you’re hundreds of miles away from the gameplay. Take it in, everyone, sports fan or not. Not only does the integrity and excitement provide a source of excellent entertainment, but it’s an excuse to put everything going on in that hectic environment we call life on hold.
100 butterfly), North (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle), Rachel Heaney (200 butterfly) and Chelsea Miller (200 breaststroke) have all earned a spot at the trials. The Broncos will also make an international splash with junior Christine Raininger, who will compete at the 2012 Canadian Olympic Trials March 27 to April 1, in Montreal.
Check out The Arbiter’s coverage of the swimming and diving and wrestling championships in next Monday’s edition.
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Collect your coins for one amazing St. Patrick’s Day
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Woody’s
Pub & Grill $1.50 green pabst pints, $3.50 Guiness pints, Corned beef & cabbage, Guiness lamb stew & live music by Dying Famous 650 South Vista Boise
Crescent “No Lawyers” Bar & Grill Tullamore Dew & 6oz Guinness special $5.50 $2.50 green beers Highlander bagpipers @ 1pm-5pm & 9pm March Madness all day 5500 W. Franklin Rd Boise
Tablerock Brewery Get Your Green On with "Blaggard’s Irish Red" & "Dublin’ Up Irish Stout" and "Hopzilla" is pouring as big as ever! 705 W Fulton St. Boise
R Bar Crescent “No Lawyers” Bar & Grill Open @ 11am with Kobe corned beef - only place to get it. Kobe lunch/dinner, sannies & r famous Irish potato sausage soup.
$3 Jameson $3 Drafts $3 Guinness
1041 S. Broadway Ave. www.rbarboise.com Boise
www.no-lawyers.com Boise, ID
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