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Find out what’s inside Boise State’s greenhouses.
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Local journalist and filmmaker creates documentary about hunger in Uganda.
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Runner Emma Bates will compete for the NCAA.
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March 13, 2014 • Issue no. 48 Volume 26
Boise, Idaho
! T $ S%
First issue free
! K # % F EXPLICIT!
B*%*H
B*%*H
$%!@!*!@
F%@K!
D@@*
S%#T!
B*%*H
Most students find swearing in class inoffensive Keely Mills @PelozaJ
Connor Nagel, a sophomore chemistry major, thinks he has a liberal take on swearing but that there is a time and place for it. “I think it’s sort of the same way it goes with a job; you’re not supposed to do that in a public area,” Nagel said. “It’s always kind of been taboo.” For Associate Professor Stephen Crowley of the Philosophy Department, swearing is just a part of life. “I come from a culture where there is more cussing,” Crowley said. Being raised in Australia and having spent time in Europe, swearing sounds normal to Crowley. “My basic view is that
Idahoans must be the politest, ‘non-swearingest’ folk I know,” Crowley said. Though when Crowley hears cursing in the classroom, he has a different reaction. “You have to first make sure that it hasn’t bent anyone else out of shape, because that’s really bad,” Crowley said. Crowley noted that learning is something people won’t respond to if they are stressed. So when a classroom setting is stressful for students they won’t receive and retain the new information as well as they would if the classroom setting was comfortable. “Swearing means that everyone is feeling really comfortable,” Crowley said. “Comfortable people are en-
gaged people.” Crowley noted that this isn’t always the case. “On the other hand, cursing can sometimes make stress, which means the learning environment is down the tubes,” Crowley said. So when students are cursing in the classroom, Crowley evaluates the scenario to decide how to respond. “This is either really good or really bad,” Crowley said. “I have to work out which one it is fast.” Crowley judges the reaction of the class to cursing by acknowledging everyone’s body language. Students are used to figuring out what people are thinking by studying their facial and vocal expressions.
“And, like anything, it works better in a group of six or 15 than it does in a group of 35,” Crowley said. Niether Crowley nor Brian Kierland, associate professor of philosophy, address cursing specifically in their syllabi, but they have never had a problem with it, so they see no need to change it. In Kierland’s syllabus, however, he has a guideline that says, “do your part in maintaining a learning friendly classroom,” which he believes covers any potential issue that could arise from cursing. “I would expect that at some point it (cursing) would start to offend some other students,” Kierland said. “I don’t think anything is really gained by the curs-
ing and it would distract other students so I would ask them to tone it down.” Laura Winslow, sophomore marketing major, thinks swearing comes off as unintelligent, though it doesn’t offend her. “We’re all 20-something year olds; we’ve heard a couple swear words here and there,” Winslow said. Winslow adds that cursing in the classroom has never even crossed her mind. “I just generally don’t cuss,” Winslow said. Though neither Kierland nor Crowley have ever had severe issues with students cursing in their classroom, sophomore Travis Scranton, a business marketing major, had a friend who had a bad experience in the
classroom. “A friend of mine was sworn at,” Scranton said. He found this highly inappropriate and said he feels swearing in the classroom in general is unprofessional. Kierland, however, has an experiment in class where he uses swearing to his advantage. “If you don’t do it very often people respond to it,” Kierland said. “Sometimes I intentionally throw in a curse word because it helps to get students attention.” In one of Kierland’s examples in class he described a thought experiment to his students which involves them thinking “what the fuck,” Kierland said when he throws in that line he always gets the class’ focus.
Alx Stickel @AlxStickel
Boone Bartlome’s home is currently in a state of transformation following his football injury, playing for Kuna Highschool, last November. Carpets have been ripped out for hardwood floors, door frames have been widened and the doors have been reoriented, and Boone’s room is an empty shell of what it used to be. At a rifle auction held to raise money for the Bartlome family, students in Boise State’s Department of Construction Management stepped up and asked how they could help with the Bartlomes’ need to remodel their home. Construction Management Assistant Professor Casey Cline, who is a good friend of Boone’s father, set up the connection and the project commenced. Boone’s room needs to have hardwood flooring, his bathroom needs to be more easily
maneuverable, a recreation and physical therapy space is being implemented, a wheelchair ramp to the front door and porch area off of Boone’s bedroom are being constructed. Robin Ward, a close family friend of the Bartlomes, said the journey to returning to a “normal” life has felt long and anxious for the Bartlomes. They have been rotating staying in homes of family friends. Having been out of their home for months has been taxing, but the project is necessary and will help facilitate Boone’s recovery. Now, after two full months the project is nearly complete. Project Manager and Boise State student Danny Hinson said the project has been a rewarding learning experience. “We wanted to make sure he could be as self-reliant as possible and I feel like we’ve done a lot to help with that and not make him rely on help from his parents and other things,” Hin-
son said. Outside help has been a large factor in the project though. Local companies have donated supplies and people in the area have offered their time in the construction. In addition to the 30 members of the Boise State construction management team, about 70 other individuals have contributed their time and resources to the project, and many community members have offered their well wishes to the family. Hinson and Ward said the Bartlomes have been overwhelmed with the kindness, and they express their thanks to everyone who has helped with this experience. “Any time you can give back to your community, especially in hard times like this that Bartlomes are going through it’s a great feeling and it’s rewarding to be
courtesy /Danny Hinson
Construction Management helps injured athlete
Justin Misseldine and Jake Hinson work on the Bartlomes’ home. able to do that especially when they don’t really have the means to do this project themselves,” Hinson said. “When you can bring a group of people in the construction industry together and do it at such a small cost for them (the family)…that in itself is payment enough to be able to give back and do something like that.” Ward acknowledged that
Boone’s athletic lifestyle has been dealt a blow, but he’s been staying positive and transitioning back into school. Boone is also planning on speaking at elementary schools and motivating kids to be strong in facing life challenges. “He loves doing anything because he’s just so athletic. (He’s) very ambitious, very driven,” Ward said. “He just goes out and does it and does
it well.” Ward said the family is still unsure of how Boone’s recovery process is going to unfold. The home remodel is a big adjustment for everyone, but it is hoped to help with Boone’s development. “(Boone) tends to be successful at anything he does and that’s why he’ll be successful at this (recovering),” Ward said.
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