WHAT’S INSIDE
NEWS 1
OPINION 2
SPORTS 3–4
CULTURE 6 I SSU E
09
The Independent Student Voice of Boise State Since 1933
Volume 23
First Issue
F R E E SEPTEMBER 13, 2010
NIK BJURSTROM/THE ARBITER
PAC NEWS: LaRouche supporters shout against inflation, hope for Obama impeachment marina hunley Journalist
A political action committee (PAC) bannered images of President Obama with Hitler’s famous mustache in attempt to promote impeaching Obama in the Quad. The LaRouche PAC hopes to start a project that will create jobs through new light rail, nuclear reactors and new cities. The representatives of the group declined to be identified asked, “Are you ready for hyper-inflation?” The group, who talked to prospective members yards away from the 9/11 memorial, tried to gain membership of students to spread word of the North American Water and Power Alliance (NAWAPA), a bill they would like to pass in Congress. Jacob Sternberg, a freshman English education major from Boise, argued with the group. “I asked why they had a Hitler mustache on Obama and what that had to do with anything. I don’t understand why they would Photoshop it the way they did.” A group representative said Obama is killing people and the economy by lowering funding for Medicare and Medicaid. Sternberg was angry that the group was recruiting in front of the 9/11 memorial. “It’s a vessel to attract attention,” he said. For information, visit their website, http://LaRouchePAC.com.
NIK BJURSTROM/THE ARBITER
Need a break from normative views?
2
Alive After Five finishes season
PAGE
3
PAGE
Interview with break-out Bronco!
PAGE
ARBITERONLINE.COM
6
Student club plans to build, race vegetable oil powered truck SAMANTHA ROYCE Journalist
“Innovate at Boise State,” proclaims the university’s latest TV ad. The members of the student club Greenspeed are doing just that. Greenspeed hopes to build the world’s fastest vegetable oil powered truck and race it at the Bonneville Speed Week in Utah next year. The group wants to raise awareness about vegetable oil as a viable fuel alternative. The club was founded by Dave Schenker, a non-traditional student and mechanical engineering major. “It’s been a dream of mine for the last 10 years,” Schenker said. “I’ve been involved in diesel performance for a long time so it’s right after I got a diesel pickup for work, thinking that I would run it on vegetable oil, and then I found out how easy it is to
hot-rod them.” Modifying his truck got him interested in going to Boise State and pursuing an engineering degree, after he realized there was so much more to the engine than what was on the surface. He wanted to learn more. For almost two years Schenker couldn’t get any other students interested in his idea to build a vegetable oil powered vehicle to drive at the annual Bonneville racing event. Finally, he got an enthusiastic response from mechanical engineering student Jozey Mitcham, who comes from a racing family. After that it seemed like everybody came together at once, according to Schenker. There are now eight group members: seven engineering students and one recently graduated engineer. “There’s definitely passion, a lot of passion,” said Adrian
cody finney/THE ARBITER
Adrian Rothenbuhler and Dave Schenker, mechanical engineering majors, plan to build a vegetable-oil powered truck. "The ultimate goal of this club is to change public perception of alternative fuels for the better," Schenker said. Rothenbuhler, an electrical engineering major. Right now they’re still planning, looking for sponsors so they can get all the parts they need, including the vehicle itself. They hope to get their fuel from University Dining Services. “They’ve shown some preliminary interest in wanting to work with us and provide us their used cooking oil that we can filter, test and whatnot,” Schenker said. So why use vegetable oil? “We’re called Greenspeed for a reason,” Rothenbuhler said. “It should be something green, something sustainable … I think that if we can use something that would be thrown away anyway, and we can use it one more time,
I think that really makes it green.” There are a lot of misconceptions about vegetable oil fuel, Schenker and Rothenbuhler say. A lot of people think that trucks don’t run as well on vegetable oil or that it is bad for the vehicle. In fact, if the fuel is prepared right and a diesel engine is used, vegetable oil can be better for the vehicle than petroleum diesel. The goal is to have the truck built and ready to race by next year’s Speed Week in August. An optimistic estimate for completing the vehicle is three to five months. “Hopefully it will never be completed, hopefully it will become a program here at
BSU,” Schenker said. There is a similar group at The Ohio State University that builds and races electric cars. They’ve built three of them in the past eight years or so. This program now draws engineers to The Ohio State from all over the world. The group hasn't figured out what color they'll paint the truck yet. Green and white or blue and orange? “It would be really cool if we could do a paint job like the Bronco truck at the football game,” Rothenbuhler said. “But then again, it’s called Greenspeed.” To learn more about Greenspeed and what they need to complete their project, visit their website, http://greenspeed.me.
with G reen s p e e d f oun d e r Dave S che n k e r
Dave Schenker, the founder of Greenspeed, is a non-traditional mechanical engineering major. Before coming to Boise State, Schenker worked in industry for some time. Before he started this group, he modified his own truck to run on vegetable oil.
Arbiter: What made you interested in doing the project? Schenker: I can’t really say that there’s one thing. It grew over the last 10 years, something like that. I spent a lot of time working on my truck, being involved in the diesel performance world. I get a lot of enjoyment out of building things, designing things. Eventually I would like to have my own engineering firm and so this is giving me the opportunity to really explore and practice that kind of thing. Arbiter: You modified your own truck to run on vegetable oil. How similar will this process be? Schenker: The conver-
sion is fairly simple. It really doesn’t take much. It’s just a matter of plumbing and putting in some pumps and stuff like that. It’s pretty basic. The challenge of this project is going to be squeezing every last bit of power out of the vehicle and working within the design constraints of the competition. Arbiter: Why vegetable oil, instead of another type of biofuel? Schenker: Well, vegetable oil has many sources, and they’re all very renewable, very fast reproducing, especially something like algae that can reproduce at an exponential rate. You can get a lot of fuel in a little bit of space.
Arbiter: Was it easy to get other students involved in the project or was it difficult? What was the reaction when you shared the idea with others? Schenker: For the first year and a half or so there was no response. I’d bring it up in all my classes any time I had to give a presentation … and nobody was really interested. But all of a sudden it seemed like everybody kind of came together at once and was pretty interested in it. Arbiter: So your primary interest with the project is the racing and not so much for general use? Schenker: The ultimate goal of this club is to change public perception of alter-
native fuels for the better. To help them understand that vegetable oil as a fuel is completely viable. And so hopefully by competing head to head against a petroleum diesel vehicle, showing them that wow, you don’t lose power, it works. Arbiter: How much further do you have to go with the project? Schenker: We’re seeking funding now … That’s going to continue throughout the program. We’re aggressively doing that right now. As soon as we find a place (to work) and a vehicle, then we can start tearing apart the vehicle and there’s going to be a lot of internal modifications and stuff like that.
ASBSU 101: student legislation, step by step
edina macic Journalist
Here is the Associated Students of Boise State University (ASBSU) take on the bill process for student government. Seven members of the senate start the process of legislation. The bill is then passed down to one of the seven committees, then back to senate for a final vote. The Accountability Bill, written by Mark Gehrke, senator at-large, is the only bill
pending. Gehrke said he expects the bill will be passed because it shows students how much work ASBSU accomplishes.
The seven step process: 1. Research and Network ASBSU listens to students’ issues and concerns to see if possible legislation could fix the problem. This can be as simple as creating a project on campus to get students involved or any idea that will concern a big group of people.
2. Drafting To draft the legislation itself does not mean typing it up. The Senate checks all of the government values and documents to evaluate what the bill's budget will cost. 3. Introducing the legislation Before the bill can even be voted on, it must be read. The first reading takes place by ASBSU President Stephen Heleker. Fifteen minutes is allowed to introduce the bill to the senate. Questions are taken from the senators and debate and discussion are
followed by the questions or concerns. 4. Kicking the legislation Depending on the type of bill, it is then passed on to one of the seven committees. Once the committee meets they have the option to propose amendments to the bill and then let the senate know of their recommendations. 5. Second Reading In the first reading ASBSU or senators introduce the bill, then the second reading consists of senators getting together after the legislation went through one of the
committees. Here they raise questions or concerns about the amendments that were purposed from the committee. This is followed by, once again, debate and discussion. 6. To veto or not to veto This is a third reading which concludes all the questions, concerns, amendments or changes to the bill that were made in the process and makes it into the hands of the president. The ASBSU president then decides if he should sign the legislation or veto it.
7. Last stop: Administration If the president signs the legislation, one last stop is made before the bill can be active. It needs to pass through the administrative outlets depending on what the bill may be about. If the bill is concerning a club or program, the administrative outlet would be advisers and the academic department it falls under. To keep in mind, anytime during the process of a legislation the bill can be kicked off.
The Arbiter • arbiteronline.com