The Beacon - Issue 4 - Sept. 20

Need your caffiene fix? Check out the Portland Coffee Crawl. Living, pgs 8-9

The

Who’s got jokes? Living pg 7

BEACON

Vol. 114, Issue 4

Thursday September 20, 2012

THE UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

www.upbeacon.net

‘Too much curiosity’ is a good thing

Angela Hoffman, a chemistry professor and Benedictine Sister, researches a cure for cancer Philip Ellefson Staff Writer ellefson14@up.edu Sister Angela Hoffman has been researching the same chemical – Taxol, an anti-cancer drug – for over 20 years. But to her, it’s still as exciting as it was in 1990.

“It’s like a treasure hunt, and you just want to keep looking and looking and looking, and you keep asking questions,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman, a chemistry professor, was awarded a fellowship last month by the American Chemical Society (ACS) for her work with the society and her contributions to scientific research. During her 23 years at UP, Hoffman has advised the ACS student group at UP, held demonstrations at OMSI and helped sponsor National

Chemistry Week.

Hoffman’s research on Taxol is focused primarily on how it is created by plants like the yew tree and the hazelnut tree, as well as some fungi. This research has led Hoffman to file four patents, which cover different methods of extracting Taxol from various plants.

“God puts stuff out there in the environment. I’m just out there trying to figure out what’s going on. I’m the treasure person, and the treasure’s already out there.”

Angela Hoffman Chemistry professor

She was originally drawn to this area of research in 1990,

Stephanie Matusiefsky | THE BEACON

Angela Hoffman was given a fellowship award by the American Chemical Society last month for her contribtions to scientific research. Hoffman’s research focuses on Taxol, an anticancer drug, and she has filed four patents about different ways to extract the drug from plants. when a senior chemistry major wanted to do a project on trees.

He got the idea of researching the yew tree from an Oregonian article, and Hoffman helped him with his project.

Since then, Hoffman has continued to work with students – over 150 of them, by her estimate. She sees her student collaborators as important

contributors of her research.

“You don’t do these kinds of projects on your own. You do them as a collaboration,” Hoffman said. “So people who think scientists work alone in the lab by themselves are totally wrong. You can’t do it.”

Bill Miechelson, a senior biology major, took his first college class – an 8:10 a.m.

general chemistry class – from Hoffman.

“She’s really invested not only in my learning, but also in all the classes she teaches,” Miechelson said.

See Chemistry, page 3

Bollywood brings energy to Fall Cultural Festival Annual multicultural night at Espresso UP on Wednesday, Sept. 19 featured a Bollywood dance show in front of St. Mary’s Student Center.

Students danced along with the performers and enjoyed free Indian food.

Jackie Jeffers | THE BEACON

Jackie Jeffers | THE BEACON

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NEWS

September 20, 2012

On On Campus Campus

Fall Dance Tickets on Sale

Tickets to the dance will be on sale from Sept. 24 to Sept 28.

Tickets are $10, and will be sold in the Office of Student Activities in St. Mary’s Student Lounge from 10 to 11:15 a.m. and 1 to 4:45 p.m.

Tickets will also be for sale in The Bauccio Commons 11:20 a.m. to 1:20 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets are available in both locations Monday through Friday.

CPB Movie

The movie this week is The Amazing Spiderman. The movie is free and will be played at 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Pilots After Dark Event Residence Life will host Fall Fest on the West Quad at 10 p.m. on Saturday night.

Activities will include music and a bonfire with free bratwurst and rootbeer. The first 100 students can decorate their own purple pride flag.

Students are encouraged to bring a blanket for sitting on the lawn.

Women’s self-defense class Tuesday at 8:30 p.m., there will be a free class on self defense in the Mehling Hall Ballroom. Classes are open to all female students, faculty, staff and family members.

The class will be taught by Stan Miller. More information can be found at www. portlandjujitsu.com Internship and Volunteer Fair Career Services and the Moreau Center host representatives from more than 40 organizations Wednesday from 1 to 4 p.m. in Franz Hall and Buckley Center room 163. Students can stop by at any time and get information about internship and volunteer opportunities.

Annual Zahm Lecture Carolyn Woo, CEO of Catholic Relief Services and former dean of the Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame, will speak at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Woo’s lecture, titled “Let Love Lead” will be in Buckley Center Auditorium, and is free to the public.

Club Volleyball Tryouts The University of Portland Club Volleyball team will hold tryouts Sunday from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Howard Hall gym.

Vote UP Event

From 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Vote UP will hosts a panel discussion about Health Care and the Election in St. Mary’s Student Lounge.

Cambridge professor to visit campus John Morrill, a professor of English and Irish history, will speak at Buckley Center room 163 on Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. Morrill will headline “Faith of our Fathers: Legacies of the English Catholic History” presented by the Garaventa Center Harry Blakeman Staff Writer blakeman15@up.edu

Q&A

Q: Is this your first time in Portland?

A: I have been several times.

One of my oldest friends whom I met when we both at Oxford University in 1966 has lived in Portland since 1970 (conducting Latin church choirs and the annual Byrd Festival) and I have visited him several times.

One of my first graduate students came to Cambridge from Portland State University and he helped set it up for me to come with my wife and four daughters for seven weeks to teach a summer school at PSU in 1982. I visited UP then because my late wife did a summer programme in Renaissance English polyphony on campus and I heard her sing in a production of Carissimi’s Jeptha.

Q: Was history always your favorite subject, or was there something else that appealed to

you in college?

A: I had a wonderful High School teacher who turned me on not just to History but to Tudors and Stuarts and I have been hooked on it ever since – and that was in 1961 and 1962!

Q: Is there any particular subject you’d like to share with students?

A: As I have got older I have become more and more passionate about Irish History and especially about the terrible events of the mid seventeenth century: when many thousands of English settlers were massacred by the Catholic population in 1641 and 1642 and the revolutionary regime under Cromwell took a terrible revenge a decade later -being an English Catholic makes me as neutral as it is possible to get!

But I am also passionate about the dilemmas of Catholics during the centuries of persecution, what an old English Catholic hymn calls the period of ‘dungeon, fire and sword’ and that is the starting point for my lecture.

Q: Why do you think history is important when thinking about faith?

A: As well as being a Professor of History I am an ordained permanent deacon and preach regularly (VERY different from lecturing!) I also teach Church History at a seminary at weekends and try to help those in formation to put themselves into the mental worlds of the past and how men and women made sense of their worlds and struggled with dilemmas which are echoed in our own.

Q: Do you have a favorite historical figure?

A: Embarrassingly, I have to say Oliver Cromwell a man of great (if misguided) faith whose attempts to live out the gospel as he understood it are a great deal more edifying than some of the results!

But I also have a huge admiration for other people of faith who struggle to work out how to live in the world as it is with all its brokenness and not to live in the world as they would

Photo courtesty of historycambridge.com

like it to be. This will become clear from my lecture, I hope!

Q: How you do think being Catholic affects your views of English history?

A: I was brought up as a Protestant, spent 10 years in agonized agnosticism and became a Catholic in December 1977 at the age of 31. I was ordained in 1996. Being a Christian affects what interests me in the past; being a Catholic has only made a difference since I had to teach the whole of Church history from the death of Jesus to the Second Vatican Council in 12 hours!

At the end of my lecture, you will understand more about the relationship of my faith and my views than I will ever see for myself.

German professor wins teaching award Laura McLary is recognized by the Confederation in Oregon for Foreign Languages Teaching Amanda Blas Staff Writer blas13@up.edu German professor Laura McLary is now a part of the COFLT (Confederation in Oregon for Foreign Languages Teaching) Honor Roll, after winning the award for Outstanding Teaching in Foreign Language at the college or university level.

“I am deeply grateful to be recognized,” McLary said. “I feel that having access to a culture through language is key to the study of any culture, and being conversant in another language expands your entire sense of the rest of the world.

Getting the award is some sort of confirmation of those things that I really believe about German and about the study of language.”

McLary first began teaching German while attending graduate school at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she also received her doctorate.

After receiving her doctorate in Germanic languages and literature in 1996, she took on her first full-time teaching job as an assistant professor of German at University of Mississippi. In 1999, she joined the University of Portland’s foreign language department as a German professor.

McLary said she knew she wanted to work at UP when she saw there was an open position.

“Before I even applied for the job, I saw the job ad and thought, ‘I think this is the job for me,’” McLary said.

Since then, McLary has helped expand UP’s German

Giovanna Solano | THE BEACON

Laura McLary teaches German, and has helped establish UP’s German Studies Major. McLary is the second UP professor to win the COFLT award. studies.

“When I arrived in 1999, we only had a German minor and a certificate, which is a hybrid between a minor and a major,” McLary said. “It was all still an undefined thing. We just didn’t have enough students at the time to support a major.”

As campus grew, McLary helped to develop the German studies major, which was officially introduced in 2004.

Hill credits McLary with most of the program’s success.

“It was a lot of her hard work that helped the German studies program to grow to what it is today,” Hill said.

McLary also plays a role in students’ success with Fulbright scholarships and other programs in Austria, working with students

on their applications and other necessary preparations.

In addition to receiving the COFLT honor, McLary also received UP’s Teaching Award this past May, recognizing her ability to effectively enhance student learning and her commitment to student learning, motivation and development.

For McLary’s colleagues, her awards were well deserved.

“Nobody who has seen Laura teach is surprised she got the award,” fellow German professor Alexandra Hill said. “She got the award because it’s so well deserved.”

For her students, it is no surprise that she received these awards.

“She relates to her students so well,” junior Catherine Kendrick

said. “It’s because of that that she’s able to keep her students so interested in classes.”

Senior Erin Burns agrees that it is McLary’s relationship with her students that make her a great professor.

“She has so many students, yet she’s still able to point out each student and understands their strengths and weaknesses,” Burns said.

McLary will receive her award Oct. 12 at an awards reception that will take place at the annual COFLT conference in Vancouver Wash.

McLary is the second recipient of the award from UP. Spanish professor Kate Regan recieved the award in 2010.

NEWS

www.upbeacon.net

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Chemistry: experiments inspired by faith Continued from page 1 “She’s really devoted to helping every student.”

Miechelson is working with Hoffman to identify another chemical produced by yew trees that kills insects. The research could possibly lead to a useful natural pesticide.

“This project is something nobody’s done before,” Miechelson said. “It’s really fun to do something no one’s thought about.”

Hoffman enjoys watching students go through the process of research.

“I like to see them discover things. You see the light turn on, and they say, ‘Oh wow, look at that!’ and then they’re hooked,” Hoffman said. “That’s pretty cool to see.”

Chemistry professor Ronda Bard said Hoffman is responsible for motivating student researchers’ curiosity.

“They have loved the opportunity to do the work. They put in a lot more work than they’re required to, because they want

to,” Bard said. “That curiosity in the students is derived from Dr. Hoffman.”

Nhan Tran, a sophomore biochemistry major is also conducting research with Hoffman, agrees that his research with Hoffman has been exciting.

“I do really enjoy it.

Sometimes I spend an entire day doing my work,” Tran said.

Tran’s work with Hoffman is related to another potential anticancer drug found in a medicinal plant. His family is from Vietnam and has been using for generations.

Although it is serious research, Tran and Hoffman have fun working in the lab.

“She and I were joking about how we might get a Nobel Prize,” Tran said.

As a Benedictine religious sister, Hoffman’s curiosity about chemicals in the natural world is driven by her faith.

“God puts stuff out there in the environment. I’m just out there trying to figure out what’s going on,” Hoffman said. “I’m the treasure person, and the treasure’s already out there.”

Stephanie Matusiefsky | THE BEACON

During her 23 years at UP, Angela Hoffman has worked with about 150 students on chemistry research.

Hoffman is also a Benedictine sister, and said her research is inspired by her faith.

Bard said Hoffman’s love of discovery shows in the way she works.

“She has passionate curiosity.

She has a blast, she loves science,” Bard said. “That’s a great benefit for the department and the University, I think.”

The “treasure hunt” is what Hoffman sees as the primary reason for doing research.

“That’s what research is all about – to find the things that are in nature or the things that are really interesting that nobody thought about before,” Hoffman

said. “So too much curiosity can get you somewhere.”

Fall dance returns with ‘Explosion of Color’ theme Campus Program Boards brings back the fall dance after replacing last years with a carnival

Kate Stringer Staff Writer stringer14@up.edu Get ready for an explosion of color.

After a year in retirement, Campus Program Board’s fall dance is back, except this time it has a new name. The Fall Dance: Explosion of Color will replace what used to be the homecoming dance.

After meeting with students and administrators, CPB decided to change the name because the dance did not reflect a traditional homecoming which is when alumni at UP return for a weekend in the summer, not a dance for current students in the fall.

The dance will take place Saturday, Sept. 29 at the Melody Ballroom from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Buses will be available to transport students to the dance, but students may also

make their own transportation arrangements.

While attire isn’t strictly formal like previous dances, CPB notes on its Facebook page that “The theme of this dance promotes a creative use of as much color as one wishes! If an individual would like to dress formally or informally that is up to them!”

Tickets are $10 and will be available starting Sept. 24 in the Office of Student Activities and The Commons.

Free tickets were given to to students who attended the alcohol education event Sept. 19 in the Chiles Center. The talk was meant to educate students about the safe use of alcohol.

After binge drinking at the 2011 Dance of the Decades resulted in three student hospitalizations, last year’s fall dance was canceled. Instead, CPB hosted a fall carnival. CPB

New York Times Academic Passes now available!

UP students can now read the New York Times online for free. The passes are a new benefit of the New York Times Readership Program, sponosored by Residence Life, ASUP and the Office of the Provost. Each pass allows full complimentary access for 24 hours to NYTimes.com and the NYTimes smartphone apps.

To register for a pass with a valid up.edu email, go to https://www.NYTimes.com/Passes.

There are only a limited number of passes per day, so students are advised to check back throughout the day if there are no passes available the first time they try.

Director Sean Ducey reflects that while the carnival was fun, attendance numbers showed that the dance was more popular.

“The year before, we had a homecoming dance with 1100 students – the carnival we had 490 students. So looking at school numbers you can see that students like to dance,” Ducey said. “We’re trying to appeal to the student population on campus by bringing back the dance.”

Jillian Smith, assistant director for student clubs, notes that the success of last February’s Dance of the Decades also contributed to bringing back a fall dance.

“Everything went really well at Dance of the Decades last year,” Smith said. “It was decided that it was okay to have a second dance this year.”

Smith encourages responsibility for personal safety

when it comes to alcohol. “[We] want to make sure students are safe and that we’re not putting on events that would enable or suggest drinking behavior that would cause someone to be harmed,” Smith said. “[We’re] making sure that things are safe to help students have a fun, safe night because dances are fun, everybody loves them.”

Sophomore Victoria Wellock said she thinks students understand the consequences if they drink at the dance.

“People know that if they drink, the dance will be cancelled,” Wellock said.

Ducey agrees that student responsibility has improved from past dances.

“They showed us last year that we can put the trust in them to have a fun dance,” Ducey said. “Let’s do it again.”

While students are excited for

the dance, some upperclassmen miss the formal dress associated with the past homecoming dances.

“In terms of attire, I think the Fall Dance is very similar to what Dance of the Decades represents,” junior Katrina Welborn said. “Dressing up for homecoming makes it feel more special and separates the two [dances].” CPB has been planning the dance for several months and is excited to see students’ reactions to the final product.

“We had some really cool, fun ideas on the vision of this dance – like a rainbow just exploding the venue,” Ducey said. “I’m excited to see what students will wear, how students will reflect [the theme], and how students will participate in this dance.”

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NEWS

September 20, 2012

VoteUP takes on campaign finance reform

On Constitution Day, UP’s political science department discussed the role money plays in politics Hannah Kintner Staff Writer Kintner13@up.edu Voter registration,informative political discussion and a cake adorned with the American flag marked the 225th anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution at the University of Portland on Monday.

The political science department hosted the second Vote UP event titled “The Constitution and the Election” in St. Mary’s lounge. Political science professors William Curtis and Gary Malecha collaborated to inform students about the issues and history of campaign finance reform, the political effort to change the role of money in politics.

Curtis spoke about the details of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, a 2010 landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, as well as the technicalities of campaign finance reform, the key issue of the case.

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission was a controversial case in which the Supreme Court ruled that financial political contributions by corporations and unions were protected under free speech.

On a broader spectrum, Malecha discussed the impact of money in elections before and after Citizens United.

While hundreds of millions of dollars go into developing campaign advertisements, Malecha noted that these advertisements are aimed at a small percentage of the population. The advertisements have the ability to sway only the votes of those who have not already determined whether they will vote Republican or Democrat.

Campaign advertisements are meant to appeal to independent voters, but that portion of the population may be even smaller than you think.

“If you take a look at independents in the United States, about 40 percent [or] 35 percent of the population consider themselves to be independent, but that’s really a roguery,” Malecha said. “The fact of the matter is out of that percentage about nine to 11 percent are truly independents. Most independents tend to vote one way or another and I don’t believe they are capable of being swayed.”

Malecha said spending money on a campaign helps people feel personally involved in the campaign: When a person donates money to a specific candidate no matter how small the sum, they become more likely to vote when the election comes because they are financially invested.

About 20 students and community members attended

Jackie Jeffers| THE BEACON

Political Science professor William Curtis speaks about Campaign Finance Reform at Vote UP’s constition day event. The lecture discussed a controversial supreme court case about campaign spending. the event including junior Sam Schelfhout, an economics and political science double major who attend the event because he is in classes taught by both Curtis and Malecha.

“I thought it was really interesting and it made me think outside the box about campaign finance reform,” Schelfhout said, “It was also really neat to hear my professors’ prospective on it.”

Senior Stephanie Fekete, who hopes to attend law school, also enjoyed the event.

“I thought it was very intellectually stimulating,” Fekete said. “I’ve just been wanting to go to all of the Vote UP events because I’m really adamant about being an informed voter.”

The next Vote UP event will be Sept. 25 in St. Mary’s Student Lounge. The discussion is titled “Health Care and the Election” at 7:30 p.m, and is sponsored by UPSNA (University of Portland Student Nurse Association).

Also, voter registration tables

will be in the Bauccio Commons on weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and also in the Moreau Center 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Application time for May 2013 graduation is now

Seniors must fill out a form and return in to the registrar’s office Oct. 1 to be eligible for spring graduation Kate Stringer Staff Writer stringer14@up.edu For UP seniors, the melodic march of “Pomp and Circumstance” is probably the last thing on their mind. The swing of the semester workload clouds the image of a swinging tassel, and the dream of handing in capstone projects trumps the thought of being handed a college diploma.

But don’t forget, Oct. 1 marks the deadline for spring 2013

graduation registration.

Seniors are required to fill out a graduation registration form, which can be found on the registrar’s webpage. Each student must electronically fill out the form, print it out and deliver it to the registrar by Oct. 1 in order to be eligible for graduation in May 2013.

The form requests information such as the name students want on their diploma, address, degree and major.

According to Fr. Jeff Allison, graduation and degree audit

coordinator in the office of the registrar, after returning the form to the registrar’s office, the dean of each student’s respective school must sign off stating that the student has completed the credit hours necessary to graduate.

If a student doesn’t fulfill requirements, the dean will write a letter to the student listing the credits still needed.

Registration does not include purchasing caps and gowns.

Instead University Events deals with all activities when

commencement day is closer.

This means that there is no fee attached to the registration process.

Allison points out that while each school can send out an email informing students about the graduation registration deadline, the registrar does not directly notify students about registering.

Allison said the responsibility falls on seniors to stay informed about the graduation process.

“It’s part of the routine,” Allison said. “Read all the instructions on the website

– it gives instructions for graduation.”

For some seniors, this adds to the stress of registering.

“I hope there’s a little more publicity about it,” senior Hannah Billett said. “And I hope it’s not too confusing.”

Senior Olivia McCracken said that the registration deadline makes a distant event closer.

“It’s just weird that it’s due so early because it makes it [graduation] come a lot faster,” McCracken said. “It’s weird and unreal.”

The UP Public Safety Report 4 3

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1. Sept. 16, 12:31 a.m. - Public Safety responded to a medical call at Kenna where a student had hit their head. AMR and Portland Fire also responded and the student was transported to Legacy Emanuel Hospital by ambulance.

2. Sept. 15, 2:17 a.m. - Officer found a student unconscious on Willamette Blvd. The student was transported to Hooper by Portland Police Bureau.

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3. Sept. 14, 12:23 a.m. - Officers contacted two students on the corner of N. Willamette and N. Portsmouth. The students were referred to the judicial coordinator for violating alcohol policy.

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4. Sept. 14, 10:30 p.m. - A student was reported lying in a lawn near the intersection of N. Fiske and N. Girard. Officers found the student and sent them to the hospital for medical care.

5. Sept. 14, 9:00 a.m. - A student reported the theft of three front wheels from bicycles in the 5500 block of N. Willamette. Student was referred to Portland Police Bureau to for reporting.

NEWS

ASUP fills 32 of 34 senate positions For the fall election, ASUP had 3 contested senate positons. Last year, 15 senate positions were left vacant due to lack of applicants Megan Walsh Staff Writer walsh15@up.edu ASUP senate election results are in, and they are especially newsworthy this year because the end result is a nearly full senate.

In the election with the highest voter turnout in ten years, with 30 percent voter particpation, only two positions of the thirtyfour senate positions are vacant due to lack of applicants. There were three contested races.

That may seem like little to celebrate, but there were 15 vacant senate positions and not a single contested position last fall due to a lack of candidates.

Members of the current ASUP Executive Board said the increased participation was encouraging.

“It was a huge shock to us,” ASUP Secretary senior Julia Balistreri said. “We were kind of expecting the same amount as last year and then one day we jumped from about twenty applicants to a number in the thirties, which we haven’t had in a while.”

The contested races were for the senate positions representing the College of Arts and Science, Mehling Hall and Schoenfeldt.

There are no senators representing an off-campus position and the non-traditional student position, which is open to students 25 and older.

Jeromy Koffler, director of Student Activities, said ASUP is off to a good start by getting close to filling all the senator spots.

“It’s always better to start off the year with a whole senate,” Koffler said. “Recruiting more people to petition takes time, if the senate if full then they can be more efficient and spend that time getting to business.”

According to Balistreri, obtaining applicants for senator positions has been a problem because of the time commitment senate requires.

A second problem is that past ASUP members have not put getting the word out about elections and applications at their top of their list, Balestreri said.

“A big problem has been that students haven’t really known about senate in the past,” Balistreri said. “Sure, there are Facebook posts and what not ,but that doesn’t really engage the students. This year we have worked harder to be more engaging and have personally been recruiting people.”

At the beginning of the semester, Balistreri, who is the head of elections, along with the other executive members put a great deal of effort into recruiting students. They went out and recruited people in person, took advantage of the Activities Fair

and used online advertising.

“We went out a lot more than we ever had which was a lot more personal,” Balistreri said. “Our president, Brock, went out to Masses almost every night with the election forms, passing them out and recruiting people.”

Although the number of senator applicants is a problem that still exists, this year marked a turning point. Not only was the number of applicants encouraging for ASUP, but the fact that about ten of these applicants were returning senate members boosts the executive board’s morale as well.

“The returners now have their feet under them; they know what to do now and are a lot more confident in going forward with resolutions, getting reports filed and getting everything worked out,” Balistreri said. “I think it’s going to help a lot with the new incoming senate.”

Matthew Baer, newly elected Schoenfeldt Hall senator, is looking forward to participating at a higher level of student government. Baer, a sophomore wants to bring more events to his dorm.

“Schodenfeldt at this point lacks tradition because we have only four years under out belt,” he said. “Getting some of those traditions is part of my senate goal.”

Sophomore Farin Nikdel, who campaigned with her roommate for the Mehling Hall senator position, said winning the spot was more exciting because it was contested.

“The fact there was competition kind of upped the ante,” she said. “Getting the news was more exciting because it wasn’t just handed over.”

Although the contested races meant that some people did not obtain the positions on senate they had wanted, it does not mean that their voices cannot be heard.

“We always have open meetings so people can come by,” Balistreri said. “Senate is a really good doorway into what’s happening in the school – we have at least one person from the administration talk to us every week. You get to see your efforts come to life, and being involved in that is pretty special.”

Laura Frazier contributed to this report

www.upbeacon.net

ASUP Senate election results

Freshman class: Killian Mustain, Chelsea Christensen Sophomore class: *Quinten Chadwick, *Jessie Robinson Junior class: *Patrick Huynh, Anndres Olson Senior class: Corey Trujillo, *Adam Harnden College of Arts and Sciences: *Derek Block, *Elvia Gaona- Mandujano, Sharon Cortez, Megan Leon Guerrero Pamplin School of Business: Brooke Murphy School of Education: *Sarah Weedin Shiley School of Engineering: Matt Wellnitz, Taylor Spooner School of Nursing: Josh Cleary

Christie Hall: Anthony Montoya Corrado Hall: Dorcas Kaweesa Fields Hall: Alysse Thomas Kenna Hall: London Ballard Mehling Hall: Farin Nikdel, Brenagh Sanford Schoenfeldt Hall: Matthew Baer Shipstad Hall: Andrew Bosomworth Villa Maria: *Mitchell Stricker Haggerty/Tyson Halls: *Walker Ross Off-Campus: Thomas Bluth, *Charlie Taylor, Tyler Rockhill, Caleb Patterson International Students: Fahad AlAyyadhi

* denotes a returning member ASUP has 2 current vacancies: offcampus (1), non-traditional student (1).

Voter Participation The voter participation was 30.6%, the largest recorded turnout in 10 years. This is a 6.6% increase from last year’s 24% turnout.

Voter Participation by Class: Freshmen: 28.9% Sophomore: 33.5% Junior: 27.3% Senior: 26.9% Voter Participation by School: CAS: 27.1% Business: 309% Engineering: 33.3% Nursing: 23.1% Education: 30.7%

Voter Participation by Residence Hall Mehling: 41.5% Villa Maria: 54.4% Corrado: 31.4% Fields: 36.1% Schoenfeldt: 35.9% Haggerty/Tyson Halls: 36.9% Shipstad: 27.8% Kenna: 32.9% Christie: 44.6% Off-Campus: 20.5% International: 10.2%

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September 20, 2012

LIVING Sam Bridgman: seeking a cure UP encouraged to rally behind a student and remember “Impossible is Nothing.”

Lydia Laythe Staff Writer laythe16@up.edu Each step hitting the pavement, pushing away from the concrete slabs, propelling us forward; we never think about how it feels. Walking down the sidewalk is simple. We do that every day.

But we never stop to think about how it feels to walk on the sidewalk.

Senior Sam Bridgman has been slowly losing his ability to control his own body since he was a freshman in high school.

As Bridgman rolls down the sidewalk in his motorized wheelchair, he understands how to appreciate the feeling of walking. Bridgman has Friedreich’s Ataxia, a rare, hereditary disease which can affect all the muscles in the human body.

“Currently, there’s no treatment or cure, so it’s really imperative that we find funds for research so that researchers can find cures quickly. It may not [be able] to save my life, but it can save someone else’s life,” Bridgman said.

“I thought that this was the best way for me to give back to him because he’s done so much for me. He’s a one-ofa-kind person.”

Photo courtesy of University of Portland Marketing

Senior Sam Bridgman surrounded by friends at the Sam Jam in 2011. The Sam Jam is held annually. This year, Bridgeman started a ride at Sauvie’s Island to raise money for Friedreich’s Ataxia research.

because he’s done so much His mantra: “Impossible is “It warms my heart to know Brian Frattali him for me. He’s a one-of-a-kind per- Nothing.” that I have friends that love me Senior son,” Frattali said.

Bridgman said the support of and a community that loves me

FARA (Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance) in partnership with Outback Steakhouse, is holding a day-long, biking event Sept. 22 at Sauvie’s Island called “Ride Ataxia.” The event offers various lengths of routes for cyclists who can ride and support research for a cure for FA. “It’s important to raise the funds but it’s also important to let people know that this is a problem and it needs to be fixed. And it can be fixed,” Bridgman said.

Bridgman admitted that being a college student might mean not having money to donate, but that even giving a little means a lot.

“Giving money is great but not everyone has money to give,” Bridgman said. “It’s a bigger deal when someone with little money gives some money because they’re giving all that they have.”

Senior Brian Frattali, a close friend to Bridgman, said Bridgman had helped him many times.

“I thought that this was the best way for me to give back to

Bridgman also expressed his hopes in raising awareness, another way to give back without giving money.

“The goal is to get the word out about Friedreich’s Ataxia, because it’s such a rare disease. It affects one in 50,000 people, so not many people know about it,” Bridgman said.

Bridgman also listed some alternatives to donating money.

“Just coming out and riding, or volunteering, or just coming for lunch and just showing your support,” he said.

Gwynn Klobes, director of professional development for the business school, has known Bridgman for several years.

“The UP community has really embraced Sam and made him a part of the community in an altruistic way,” Klobes said.

Bridgman experiences some of the physical symptoms of FA, like abnormal speech and muscle weakness. But he remains emotionally strong and forever optimistic.

the UP community, friends and family make all the difference in the world.

Ride Ataxia

Sept. 22 7 a.m. at Sauvie’s Island

and wants [to help] me with what I’m trying to do,” Bridgman said. “When you have a good community base then you always have people to fall back on when times get tough, and you always have someone to lean on, or to ask for help [from].”

Cost ranges from $20 to $55, depending on a fundraising minimum and early registration.

The first 300 people to register can participate in the event.

After the event, lunch will be provided.

Ride Ataxia will offer 6, 12, 25, 37 and 50 mile route lengths on the scenic Sauvie Island.

On Sept. 21 from 5-7 p.m. at Outback Steakhouse, there will be a packet for early registration cyclists to pick up.

Visit rideataxia.kintera.org for more information.

Photo courtesy of University of Portland Marketing

Senior Sam Bridgman is the UP baseball team manager. He suffers from FA, and has slowly been losing control of his body since he was a high school freshman.

Tunes + studying = possible learning problems Amanda Munro Staff Writer munroa15@up.edu In a time when one in five people between the ages of 18 and 28 have iPods or MP3 players (according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project), it’s hard to imagine walking into a college study space without seeing students wearing ear buds. Music serves to isolate students from audible distractions and create a private, enjoyable atmosphere while they work. But recent stud-

ies show that listening to music while studying may actually harm learning ability.

Stanford University professor and researcher of human-technology interaction Clifford Nass and University of Toronto psychology professor and researcher of music and cognition Glenn Schellenberg found that although music can be helpful in creating an ideal mood for studying, listening to music with lyrics usually has a negative effect on writing or reading. Lyrics appeal to the language center of the brain, so when students are doing language-related

work, focusing on the music and their work at the same time can be difficult.

Sophomore Evan Mackall listens to music every time he studies.

“If I’m reading or writing a paper, I’ll listen to acoustic. But if I’m doing something like math or Spanish, I’ll listen to rock or something more upbeat,” Mackall said. Mackall reports that acoustic or instrumental music helps him think.

“Sometimes I listen to Native American instrumental music,” Mackall said. “The drums and

flutes are really relaxing.”

Listening to music while studying could help with mood and focus as long as students avoid lyrical music while doing language-based work according to Nass and Schellnberg. However, researchers at the University of Wales conducted a study which found that students had a harder time memorizing when listening to music, regardless of whether they liked the music or not. Researchers asked participants between the ages of 18 and 30 to memorize and then recall a list of letters in order under differ-

ent background noise conditions, including quiet, music they liked, music they didn’t like, a voice saying random numbers, and a voice repeating the number three.

Participants in this study did better when listening to the voice repeating the number three or while studying in silence.

Music major David Yee prefers quiet studying, but is still able to work in a musical environment.

“I prefer not to listen to music, See Name, page 7

www.upbeacon.net

Bluffoons fill The Bluff with laughs The Bluffoons held their first improv performance on Sept. 14 to a full house.

Rachelle Leduc Staff Writer leduc13@up.edu As the house lights went down and the stage lit up, it was clear that everything was not as it seemed. Devin Helmgren and Jackie Ackerson emerged from the curtains dressed in vibrant ties that wrapped around their heads, necks and waists. These two Bluffoons would serve as the MCs for a night filled with mouth guards, macaroni and teen fiction panel experts.

Kayla Wong | THE BEACON

Sophomore Beau Borek practices “count down,” an improv game in which performers practice a scene over and over again, faster each time.

Just after 7:30 on Friday night, once the audience had done its fair share of the work in raising the excitement in the room, the remaining Bluffoons took the stage ready to act out scenes based off audience suggestions.

The audience watched in elation as UP’s student improv comedy group, The Bluffoons, performed scenes around building planes and computers out of mouth guards with the use fellow Bluffoons as stunt doubles or

around the story of Thumbelina and winning her, or in the Bluffoons case, his, love, as proposed by the audience.

Without audience suggestions, the shows would not be what they have become.

“I don’t know where to start without a suggestion,” junior Ryan Belisle said. “Shows don’t work without our fans; and the more people in the room, the better the performance.”

In a place where chairs become fences and single ties become full costumes, The Bluffoons invite the audience to enter into another world where the sun always shines and a dark room becomes a cloud-filled sky.

“We’re actually in the cloud appreciation society, but scheduled our meetings too late in the evening,” junior Olivia AlseptEllis said.

Although The Bluffoons consist of as many as 30 members, only ten members perform each night on a volunteer first-come first-serve bases. Last Friday, the ten Bluffoons performing were President Ryan Belisle, VicePresident Jackie Ackerson, Treasurer Rachel Van-Nes, senior Matt Tominaga, juniors Devin Helmgren, Stan Peck, Ben Mesches and Matt Sepeda, and sophomores Allie Seibert and Beau Borek.

“The number of members waxes and wanes during the year,” junior Devein Helmgren said. “But there is a core group of ten or 15 people.”

Members of The Bluffoons join for a number of reasons, whether to perform in the show or to simply have fun.

“For some of us, it’s like church. It’s like priority number high,” Helmgren said.

Regardless of the importance of comedy improv team, The Bluffoons welcome anyone interested in improv even if it is not their number one priority.

“We are a very diverse group, but all united because we like having fun,” Belisle said. “I don’t

think I’ve ever met an improv person I don’t like.”

“If people came to our practice, people would be surprised by who came and did improve,” Helmgren said, referring to UP alum and basketball player Luke Sikma, who joined The Bluffoons when he was a student.

The Bluffoons hold practices every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. in the Mago Hunt Recital Hall and the Buckley Center Auditorium, and welcome all UP students interested in joining.

“I was introduced by a friend,” Helmgren said. “It sucked me in body and soul, in a beautiful way.”

Bluffoon members find improv comedy to be usefulin multiple aspects of their lives.

“Being part of The Bluffoons is great because it causes you to think on your feet, you’re able to develop skills, other than being funny, and apply them to the rest of your life,” Van-Nes said. “It makes it easier to adopt to situ-

foons to be a significant contributor to their health.

“It is a great way to relieve stress, and it is a lot of fun,” junior Natalie Vierra said.

The Bluffoons are constantly encouraging people to join, whether they are new or returning members.

Next performances

7:30 p.m. in Mago Hunt

• • • •

Sept. 28th Oct. 12th Oct.19th Dec. 1st

“I was gone all last year [in Salzburg], and I missed it,” returning member junior Olivia Alsept-Ellis said.

The comedy improv team is run by members of the board of Bluffoons who understand the busy schedules of UP students and the possibility of the inability to attend every rehearsal.

Those not wanting to simply

Kayla Wong | THE BEACON

Juniors Stan Peck and Chelsea Davidson practice a scene Thursday before their perfomance in Mago Hunt on Friday. ations.”

People continue to join the Bluffoons via word of mouth, through a friend or after attending a show.

“I initially joined freshman year because my friend dragged me to it,” Van-Nes said.

Many of the members also found participating in the Bluf-

watch The Bluffoons can find them on Moodle, Facebook and YouTube, or at one of their four remaining shows this semester.

“I’ve seen them last year, and I really enjoyed it,” junior Ross Hallauer said.

The Bluffoons’ next show is on Sept. 28 in Mago Hunt Hall at 7:30 p.m.

7

Music: learn your style Continued from page 6 but I can. It just takes more energy and power to focus,” Yee said.

Yee says he likes to listen to every part of the music and study the song itself, so it’s difficult to focus on something else when music is playing.

“I consider listening to music an active activity rather than a passive activity,” he said. “If I’m running or doing yoga, I’ll listen to music. But when I’m reading or writing or trying to comprehend what I read, I feel like it’s best to do that without music.”

Education professor Eric Anctil believes that whether or not music is beneficial depends on the person.

“Some people like to study in quiet, some people like a crowded coffee house, and some people like music in the background,” Anctil said. “As educators, we have to be more open minded about the different environments that support student learning.”

Anctil believes that if students enjoy listening to music while studying and they feel it makes them a better student, that’s what they should do, whether the research points otherwise or not.

“Demonstrating the learning link is important for marketers who want to sell you Einstein CDs and tell you how Bach will make you better at Algebra,” Anctil said.

He does agree that listening to lyrical music while doing language-based work could affect concentration, the same way it would be difficult to take notes in a room while two other people are talking. But Anctil believes that the important thing is to relax and not worry so much about what the science says about our study habits.

“If lyrics are distracting, don’t listen to music with lyrics,” Anctil said. “It’s not like you’re adopting a cat and can’t get rid of it. If it’s distracting, turn it off!”

Whether or not listening to music affects the ability to study may depend on the person. For those who like a musical atmosphere while studying, but would like to maintain reading comprehension and writing skills, creating an instrumental music playlist may be the answer.

Here are some suggestions: • “Hot Math” – Andrew Bird • “Flying” – The Beatles • “Erase” – Beats Antique • “Your Hand in Mine” – Explosions in the Sky • “The Cascades” – Fleet Foxes • “Livingston Storm” – Lotus • “Window” – The Album Leaf • “Any Colour You Like” – Pink Floyd • “Cherry” – Ratatat • “Coastal Brake” – Tycho

8

September 20, 2012

Portland Coffee Crawl Kelsey Thomas Staff Writer thomask15@up.edu

1996 SE Ladd Ave Portland

Monday - Friday 7 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Weekends 8 a.m. - 11 p.m.

A few weeks into a new school year, a remarkable phenomenon happens. I call it ‘I-can-no-longer-study-inmy-room-I-am-going-crazy-itis.’ With our lack of a library and limited, overcrowded study rooms around campus this year, what is a Pilot to do? Fortunately, UP is located in a city where it is difficult to find a block without at least one coffee joint to wake you up, help you focus, and tempt you off our beloved bluff. Whether you need to study, socialize, procrastinate, flirt or relax, PDX coffee shops have got you covered.

Perfect for: Writing the next great American novel (or just reading the last one) Order an: Americano, and save room for dessert Stepping into Palio Dessert and Coffee House is like stepping back in time. Locals sit out front enjoying the sun and sharing neighborhood gossip. Inside, relaxing and subtle fifties jazz sounds from the speakers and comfortable chairs are surrounded by shelves of books and lit by mismatched vintage lights. If you have some serious studying to accomplish, head to the library-style side room which is filled with long tables and industrious students. However, Palio just might inspire you to put away the electronics, pull out a book (or more realistically, a textbook) and settle down in the main room to soak in the hum of the espresso machine and the sound of friendly chatting between the barista and customers at the bar. Studious by its nature, Palio is not the place to bring your 15 best friends for a rousing debate, especially in the evening.

Palio Dessert and Coffee Hou 2387 NW Thurman St. Portland Monday - Thursday 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Friday 6:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Saturday 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sunday 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Perfect for: An afternoon of studying Order a: Bees Knees Latte (with your choice of dairy, coconut, almond or hemp milk) Students, professionals, yoga instructors, hipsters and the hipsters’ grandmas all gather harmoniously in this light, unpretentious shop to partake in a delicious cup of Dragonfly brew and read Willamette Weekly or pluck away on their laptops. Come prepared with an afternoon’s worth of homework or a few friends to keep you company and sink into one of the many comfy chairs. When you get hungry, treat yourself to a locally-made snack (Vegan? Gluten free? They’ve got you covered.) Sometimes called Portland’s own Central Perk, this friendly gem is even worth braving downtown traffic and parking for.

Dragonfly Coffeehouse

1934 North Rosa Parks Way Portland Everyday 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Perfect for: When you need a confidence boost along with your caffeine Order a: Hazelnut Soy Latte GrindHouse Coffee is putting the sexy in coffee, one impeccably pulled shot of espresso at a time. Located along Rosa Parks a short jaunt from the University of Portland, stop by when you are on your way off campus, back to campus, or just craving a fantastic cup of coffee (only $1.25 for a small.) Enjoy your drink on a bench in their open-air seating area or take it to go. Don’t expect a comfy couch by an outlet to settle into for hours of research, but do expect a delicious drink and good service.

GrindHouse Coffee

use

www.upbeacon.net

9

1725 NE Alberta Street Portland

Monday - Friday 6 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Weekends 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Perfect for: A date Order an: Espresso From the ceiling-high windows to the facial hair clad baristas making intricately swirled lattes, the atmosphere at Barista is undeniably hip. Stop in at their Alberta St. location with a significant other to enjoy their pulsing music and some strong caffeine. If you are 21, you can also indulge in a craft beer or glass of wine from their bar. After enjoying the ambiance and top-notchpeople watching at Barista, take a stroll around the Alberta Arts District and another date will be sure to come your way.

Barista

8716 N Lombard St Portland

Monday - Thursday 6:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Friday 6:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Saturday 7:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Sunday 7:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Perfect for: Pretending to work on your laptop… but actually socializing Order a: Specialty Mocha (trying every flavor is necessary) Walking into Anna Bannanas is like entering an extension of your living room, albeit one where you have to hand over $4 for a cup of coffee. However, a few sips into one of their specialty mochas, such as the Borgea, a blend of espresso, dark chocolate and orange and you will forget all about the hit to your wallet. If you are looking for a perfectly quiet place to study, do not head there in the evenings when Anna Bannanas functions as part coffee shop, part local bar hangout. If, you are seeking a relaxed place close to campus where you can put your feet up, play a board game, or have a group project meeting, then this St. John’s favorite is the perfect spot for you. Throw in their ample food selections extending far beyond just the typical pastry and you might just want to move in.

Anna Bannanas 707 Southeast 12th Ave Portland

Sunday - Thursday 7 p.m. - 12 a.m.

Friday - Saturday 7 p.m. - 1 a.m.

Perfect for: Taking out of town visitors for a true Portland experience Order a: Pot of tea and an ice cream sundae If anyone has ever asked you if Portlandia is an accurate depiction of Portland, bring them to RimskyKorsakoffee. Grab a menu from the front and sit down at one of the sporadic combinations of tables, chairs, tablecloths, and couches scattered throughout the main floor. If you choose a table near other costumers you may be lucky enough to overhear a rousing discussion of fish pedicures or feline PDA. Beware of the rotating table in the back room and other various unexpected quirks. While waiting for someone to take your order, check out the cranes, leaves and other random (and often unidentifiable) objects hung from the ceiling on strings of beads. The dark lighting and lack of wifi do not lend themselves to accompany a productive evening, so plan to enjoy the live acoustic music and good conversation.

Rimsky-Korsakoffe House

1507 N Rosa Parks Way Portland Monday - Friday 6:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Weekends 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Perfect for: Catching up with friends Order an: Iced Toddy (a strong, cold-brewed coffee) It took two hours of people watching and sipping iced coffee to figure out what makes Arbor Lodge so cool: they are not trying to be “cool.” The decorations are simple. The mason jar coffee cups are simple. Even the facial piercings of the barista who poured my drink were simple. But do not mistake simple for boring. Their coffee will delight your taste buds and the shop still has plenty of PDX charm (keep an eye out for the kilt-wearing owner). Located only a two and a half mile jaunt from the University of Portland, Arbor Lodge is a likely contestant for your new regular coffee stop. Its large windows, local art displayed, and cheerful North Portlanders create a relaxed atmosphere perfect for chatting with friends or having a group study session.

Arbor Lodge

712 Northwest 21st Ave Portland

Monday - Thursday 6:30 a.m. to 12 a.m.

Friday 6:30 a.m. - 1 a.m.

Saturday 7 a.m. - 1 a.m.

Sunday 7 a.m. - 12 a.m.

Perfect for: A late night, procrastination-induced, study session Order a: Cappuccino Coffee Time has everything a Portland coffee shop should: comfy chairs, booths to spread out books or huddle over a board game (chess or Scrabble anyone?), locally made pastries, relaxed indie tunes and bulletin boards full of individuals “looking for artists” or advertising their space science star trek group (if interested, call Rodney at Galaxa Stars United).

However, Coffee Time also has one perk that sets it apart: it is open until midnight on weeknights and 1 a.m. on weekends. While you may come for the good coffee and late hours, you will stay for the experience. If you use hippies as a derogatory term and the potential for being serenaded by a drunk individual makes you apprehensive, this may not be the coffee shop for you. Also, parking is hard, especially on weekends, and it is a bit of a trek by public transit.

Coffee Time Art by Ann Truong | THE BEACON Design by Shellie Adams | THE BEACON

10

FAITH & FELLOWSHIP

September 20, 2012

Campus Ministry reaches out to prospective Catholics

Anthony Paz Staff Commentary If you haven’t been fully initiated into the Catholic Church, I’m inviting you to consider it. Three Sacraments mark entrance into the Church and they are truly beautiful: Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation. Water, oil, candles, robes, bread, wine, family, friends: the experience of initiation into the Church is

Jackie Jeffers | THE BEACON

sensual in the best sense of the word. Catholics don’t simply profess their belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior; we feel it in our bones. We consent to being taken into something ancient and mysterious and we do so with the help of others at every step of the way.

We mold and shape our minds, bodies and hearts all at once.

And, as adults, we thoroughly prepare for the life-altering experiences of the Sacraments.

For non-Catholics, we offer an amazing year-long process known as the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).

Whether you’re unbaptized or have been part of another Christian tradition, you can have a group of students and staff accompany you on a journey to receive the Sacraments at Easter.

Through a combination of doctrine and spiritual experience, the RCIA consistently transforms people into women and men on fire for God. Over the course of the year, members of the RCIA will dive into Scripture at Mass, learn about central Catholic Doctrines from theologians and students, and find themselves being directly mentored by a community of faithful men and women.

RCIA will meet each Sunday

afternoon and culminate with reception into the Church on Easter.

“We consent to being taken into something ancient and mysterious and we do so with the help of others at every step of the way. ”

Anthony Paz Ass. Director for Faith Formation Campus Ministry

For those who are already Catholic, but have not completed their initiation with the Sacrament of Confirmation, we offer a program just for you. Over the course of the school year, you will meet a handful of times together. The Adult Confirmation program is designed to refresh and strengthen a faith that is already present. You will find that, as an unconfirmed Catholic, you are not alone, and that God calls you closer to Him at this place and time. You will join a community to walk with you. You will learn what it means to call yourself a Christian man or woman in a difficult world. In turn, it will open the doors of Marriage and

Ordination to you. Confirmation will be celebrated in its fullness by the Archbishop in April.

Through Sacramental Prep at UP, learning to be a Christian is not just a matter of intellectual assent. Instead, it is a process of becoming the person God created you to be. This process involves participation of the whole person in concert with the whole community. If you are at all interested in receiving any Sacrament in the future please get in touch with us as soon as possible – no final commitment necessary to ask. It’s not too late to join either group this year!

For RCIA, e-mail Anthony Paz, paz@up.edu. For Confirmation, e-mail Dcn. Mark DeMott, CSC, demott@up.edu.

Anothony Paz is the Assistant Director for Faith Formation for Campus Ministry. He can be reached at paz@up.edu.

Maureen Briare receives 2012 Spirit of Holy Cross award

Maureen Briare is the associate director of music for campus ministry.

The Spirit of Holy Cross Award is given annually to lay collaborators of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers and acknowledges the critical importance they play in living out the vision and mission of Holy Cross founder Blessed Basil Moreau to make God known, loved, and served through education, parish and mission settings.

OPINIONS

www.upbeacon.net

11

Despite tough times, UP remains as a solid choice for a degree The cover story in last week’s issue of Newsweek posed the question, “Is College a Lousy Investment?” Correspondent Megan McArdle argues that investing in a college education can be a terrible decision and the business of higher education is starting to look an awful lot like the housing and dotcom bubble right before it burst. While Newsweek points out the mounting obstacles and challenges for many individuals seeking a college degree, a University of Portland education stands up against many of McArdle’s criticisms.

The fact of the matter is that the cost of college has increased twice as fast as other goods and services over the past two decades, yet having a college degree is more and more important to getting a job after graduation.

McArdle contends that this increased cost makes college inappropriate for students who do not know what to major in and whose families are too stretched to provide support due to the large debt students have to take on.

With college loan debt eclipsing credit card debt as the highest source of loans to be paid back in the U.S., McArdle may just have the economic argument against college nailed. A lot of times students forget the purpose of taking

out loans: to invest money that will help you generate money later. Unfortunately, in today’s job market the likelihood of getting a job right out of college that will generate the kind of income needed to pay back student loans is incredibly low. As long as college students have to take jobs that they are over-educated for, student debt will be a debt they have for a long time. McArdle uses the example that 15 percent of our mail carriers now have college degrees.

McArdle’s bleak but candid outlook may be true, but college grads are still more likely to get a job and earn more money after graduation, even if it isn’t exactly the job they want. According to a 2011 study by Georgetown University, college grads will make 84 percent more than those with only a high school diploma or equivalency degree, up from 75 percent in 1999.

With this need to simultaneously get a job right out of college and get a degree for the lowest price, UP is a good option.

On Sept. 12, U.S. World News and Report named the University number six out of 121 schools in the West region in the “Great Schools, Great Prices,” category, which compares the academic performance of schools in con-

junction with how much they cost. But most UP students and families still feel the financial sacrifices of attending this University. We have way too much student loan debt to let learning interfere with our education. So, why do students keep coming back every semester?

Maybe the first reason is the certainty of obtaining a degree.

During a time when many public universities are slashing classes, enrolling more students and raising tuition, a snug organic chemistry lab where at least the professor knows your name suddenly doesn’t seem so bad.

Professors are probably the second reason UP students return to The Bluff every fall. We get attached to department favorites and the meaningful individual relationships we enjoy with particular professors. This, more than anything, you can’t put a price on.

And yet, there is a price attached and it’s increasing. Universities trying to woo a higher quantity and quality of student spend money on unnecessary things. In this new phase of the University, administrators need to keep in mind what investments they are making to improve UP’s infrastructure and decide if these investsments are worth tuition

increases.

Perhaps the base problem is a culture change across all college campuses in the U.S. Instead of bastions of higher learning, in many ways college has become what McArdle calls a “credential” system. The role of college in society today is far different from our parents’.

Now it is a way to weed out unqualified job candidates, a certificate stating that you are, as McArdle says, “smart enough to get into college, conformist enough to go and compliant enough to stay for four years.”

If you are smart, conformist and compliant enough to stay at UP, you are likely receiving some help along the way. In the 2011-12 academic year 96 percent of students received some form of financial aid. Last year alone the University, state and federal government, and outside sources (excluding loans) totalled $105,894,104.

Even with the large amount

Ann Truong | THE BEACON

of aid that UP provides, financing college is one of the greatest burdens families bare. For those that are lucky enough to attend UP by mingling financial aid, student loans and jobs, college remains the single greatest way to reach your career goals.

Not only in finances you stand to gain post graduation but also in the ideas you expose yourself to.

Four years on The Bluff are not a “lousy investment.”

EDITORIAL POLICY

The editorial reflects the majority view of The Beacon Editorial Board. The editorial does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the collective staff or the Administration of the University of Portland. Other submissions in this section are signed commentaries that reflect the opinion of the individual writer. The Student Media Committee, providing recommendation to the publisher, oversees the general operation of the newspaper. Policy set by the committee and publisher dictates that the responsibility for the newspaper’s editorial and advertising content lies solely in the hands of its student employees.

UP–Can you hear me?

Monica Down Guest Commentary While it has been months since the 20 percent budget cut of student employment passed, I was still not surprised to see yet another Beacon article printed on such a critical topic. As a student

worker, I too am still bitter. Our hours are cut and we are left to try to scrap by.

Now, there are a few larger issues here that we all are missing. Yes, our immediate attention gravitates to the fact that we no longer have the resources, time, or support to successfully execute our respected responsibilities. But alas, the problem is much deeper – How is it that after obvious student discontent, University

Submission Policy

Letters and commentaries from readers are encouraged.

All contributions must include the writer’s address and phone number for verification purposes. The Beacon does not accept submissions written by a group, although pieces written by an individual on behalf of a group are acceptable.

Letters to the editor must not exceed 250 words. Those with longer opinions are encouraged to submit guest columns. The Beacon reserves the right to edit any contributions for length and style, and/or reject them without notification. University students must include their major and year in school. Nonstudents must include their affiliation to the University, if any.

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of Portland’s administration and financial advisors still have not felt the need to directly address this issue? As a student body, we need to be outraged that an explanation of why such drastic cuts were made has never been offered. Does the administration care so little about me, they cannot even throw out a warning before cutting off my arm?

When did UP’s ambitions trade in recognizing individual student needs for better statistics and

“As a student worker, I am still bitter. Our hours are cut and we are left to scrap by.”

Monica Down Student Worker/Senior

lower margins?

Tuition has risen, but student employment has been cut. The math doesn’t add up. Depleting our financial support with a week notice is simply bad business. It is time UP lowers its focus on

THE BEACON Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief.. . . . . . . . Elizabeth Tertadian News Editor . . . . . . . . . . ��������� Laura Frazier Living Editor �����������������������Rachel McIntosh Opinions Editor. . . . . . ������������� Will Lyons Sports Editor . . . . . . . . �Kyle Cape-Lindelin Design Editor. . . . . . . . . �������� Shellie Adams Photo Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jackie Jeffers Asst. Design Editor . . . ������� Emily Strocher

Contacting The Beacon

E-mail: beacon@up.edu Website: www.upbeacon.net Address: 5000 N. Willamette Blvd. ● Portland, OR 97203-5798

prospective students and alums and instead shows consideration for the students that currently attend the school. This is by no means a rant or list of grievances-- it is a demand for respect.

Monica Down is a senior english major. She can be reached at down13@up.edu

Staff Writers

Amanda Blas, Harry Blakeman, Kaitlyn Dunn, Philip Ellefson, Hannah Kintner, Lydia Laythe, Rachelle Leduc, PJ Marcello, Amanda Munro, Kate Stringer, Kelsey Thomas, Taylor Tobin, Megan Walsh

Photographers

Stephanie Matusiefsky, Giovanna Solano, Kayla Wong

Staff Members

Business & Ad Manager. . .Morgan Rapozo Artist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ann Truong Web Technician . . . . . . . . . . . . Et Begert Circulation Manager. . . . . . Anne Uruu Adviser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nancy Copic Publisher . . Fr. E. William Beauchamp, C.S.C.

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September 20, 2012

Record Breaking Elections Julia Balistreri Guest Commentary Elections are over and I am exhausted. Since the moment I hit campus I have put all of my time and effort into Wednesday’s ASUP Senator elections, and I am thrilled with the results. Last spring, the Executive Board and myself all ran with similar goals: make ASUP more transparent and get students more involved.

Sitting at my desk on the Friday applications were due, I saw this goal achieved. We almost had enough candidates (only two seats were left open) to fill the Senate and even then there were still contested positions. In all the time I have been on campus, I have never seen such a large turnout for this election. And in return for how much enthusiasm the candidates showed I did my best to make sure students were aware of the election.

“In all the time I have been on campus, I have never seen such a large turnout for this election. And in return for how much enthusiasm the candidates showed I did my best to make sure students were aware of the election.”

Julia Balistreri ASUP Secretary/Senior Though Senate has been my family since I arrived at UP, I understand that not many students know of Senate and I wanted to do everything in my power to make students aware of our existence. With the help of my brilliant Elections Committee, we set up more tabling

spots and interacted with more students than ever before. For the past two days, the Elections Committee and I have been stationed at the entrance to Franz, in the Cove and the Commons, offering up our laptops to students to vote and the response was phenomenal.

Tonight as the polls closed at eight, I was jumping up and down in St. Mary’s because Pilots, you rocked it this year. A record number of you voted and every single election was valid, which means that every single one of you now has three senators (residence, class and major) representing you and your voice.

The huge voter turnout signaled to me that, as the Executive Board, we are fulfilling our goals of becoming more transparent and I hope that, in the future, this trend continues and you feel comfortable contacting us, or your senators with any compliments or concerns regarding life on The Bluff. Thank you for voting and showing your support for the candidates because you have made every stress absolutely worth it. Remember that our senate meetings are open to all and we would love to see you there. Our next meeting is this Monday at 4:30p.m. in Shiley 301. Fr. John Donato, Associate Vice President for Student Development, will be speaking so come with any questions for him, or just to check us out.

Hope to see you there!

Julia Balistreri is a senior chemistry major and the ASUP secretary. She can be reached at balistre13@up.edu

OPINIONS

The long view of writing

Lars Larson Guest Commentary Writing is weird. Our minds aren’t structured in the mode of most writing we’re asked to do. The mind wants to long and loaf, to connect and digress, to zag and zig in a fury of over-caffeinated neuro-pyrotechnics, followed by a nap. But most genres of writing (at least, those you’ll encounter at college) insist on the orderly march of ideas, outfitted in the uniform of standard citation and grammar.

Moreover, few of us – if any – are confident writers. I take solace in the German novelist Thomas Mann’s insistence that “A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” Perhaps that unifying lack of confidence – that recognition that writing is hard – shows at least we know the high stakes involved.

Stephen King once compared writing to telepathy – writing as a kind of paranormal ability to telegraph complex ideas to other minds. Of course, there’s nothing magic about it, for it’s just a tool our ancestors built, of creating and decoding an system of arbitrary squiggles.

But O how long it takes each of us to work well within that system! Humans have been writing for at least 6,400 years, yet it still takes the first two decades of our lives to learn to control our messages (and to read with precision those of others).

No doubt you’ve heard the common adult complaint that young people are losing their ability to write. Take solace in the fact that it’s an unoriginal claim. On one of the oldest pieces of writing – an ancient Sumerian clay tablet – we find a complaint about the poor quality of the latest generation of scribes. Likely,

when you become supervisors and parents and senior citizens, you too will join this intergenerational chorus with its tired refrain about the abysmal writing of the young. But youth is not the main reason for poor communication.

A shift in technology is sometimes fingered as the problem.

Apocalyptic warnings about the end of good writing erupted at such moments as when the Romans hooked us on the codex (bound book) 2,000 years ago, or when that hotshot Gutenberg sold us on movable type. Steve Jobs, inventor of the apple from which so many of us have chomped, is only the latest in the line of innovators of scribe platforms. But while these technologies (and genres and demands) shift over the centuries, forceful constructions of words resist the rub of time.

One other fact to consider is that your generation writes more than any other human generation that has come before. Much of this output is informal correspondence (emailing, texting, posting), but it still involves the brainwork of composition on a daily basis, at a scale that far outweighs past generations of scribblers.

All writing, regardless of the mode, is a way of participating in humanity’s Great Conversation. And while the internet era has made it easier to participate than ever, the one essential way to be an effective participant is to nurture an awareness of audience. Attention to your readers’ needs is a sure way of making your work stand out.

When I ask students in class what a text needs in order to hold their attention as readers in this distractable era, their answers show they’re demanding: what they read has to be magnetic, informative, clear, authoritative.

We need only recruit this kind of readerly discernment as a guide to our own writing.

So, to arrest a reader’s attention, good writing is choos-

ing one thing to say rather than a lot of little things. It’s cultivating our common delight in surprise. It’s finding something that takes us beyond the common sense we all already possess, and foregrounding that significance prominently. It’s taking the time to be clear (as grammarian Patricia O’Conner puts it, “Turning out flashy, dense, complicated prose is a breeze; putting things down in simple terms that anyone can understand takes brainwork”). And it’s making the time for revision – that act of generosity to ensure we’re not just writing for ourselves but for our true reason-for-being: our reader.

An ideal place to start a conversation about your writing is in your professor’s office hours. But let that conversation continue by visiting the trained assistants in the Writing Center (see the website for our schedule). Remember as well the single reference book that unifies our university, The Pocket Wadsworth Handbook, which should answer most of your technical questions.

Writing is weird, but as you know from daily composition, it’s an inexpensive way of participating in the world. It gives us a chance to air our ideas clearly, to make up for where our mouth fails, and to make us momentarily feel, as one UP Writing Assistant says “that you’ve got the world figured out.”

Steve Jobs left us with a challenge: “We are here to make a dent in the universe.” Audiencecentered writing is one way you can hit it with your best shot.

Lars Larson is an english professor and director of the Integrated Writing Program.

He can be reached at larson@ up.edu

How to Make a Writing Center Appointment b Visit up.edu/Irc/writing b Sign in or Register to reach the assistant schedules b click on an available spot (white box) next to an assistant’s name, then fill out your class and instructor b fill out a session goals form through the email confirmation for your appointment prior to your visit b if all slots are full email the writing center: writing@up.edu b check out the writing center website for more resources

OPINIONS

www.upbeacon.net

13

Teachers’ Why the Chicago teachers strike matters Faces on The Bluff Strike Eric Anctil We asked: Fast Facts Guest

Commentary As of Wednesday, the Chicago teachers’ strike ended This week 26,000 Chicago with a tentative agreement. teachers continue their strike What the Teachers get: b 17.6 percent raise over four years. b The removal of a merit based pay system based on students standardized test scores b Only 30 percent of teacher evaluations will be based on test scores b Health insurance costs will not be increased What the Mayor gets: b The school day and year will be longer. b Teacher evaluations will still be based in part on test scores.

What the kids get: b For students starting school this year, 2.5 more years of school due to the longer school day and year.

-Source: CNN

which leaves 400,000 students in the third-largest school system in the country at home. At the heart of the strike are the teachers’ objections to proposed changes to teacher-evaluation procedures which would place more emphasis on student performance on standardized test scores in assessing teacher performance. The teachers’ union also seeks a 29 percent pay raise for an increase in daily instructional time, smaller class sizes, and better facility maintenance at the schools.

Despite the details that are in dispute, what is really at stake is how the country’s largest school systems – like Chicago – are going to meet the challenge of educating many of America’s poorest and most vulnerable students with less money and increased pressure to perform.

Almost 80% of the students in the Chicago school system qualify for free and reduce lunch.

These students have much larger problems in their lives than poor performance on standardized tests; they are individuals fighting to survive in a largely hostile world in which school is just a small part of the daily struggle.

Many lack basic school supplies, live far below the poverty line, and have parents who work all the time and are rarely home or who don’t live with them at all.

We live in country where many middle and upper-middle class families have chosen to move their kids to better funded suburban schools or opt out of public schools for a private school education. This leaves urban public school teachers scrambling to educate a community’s poorest and most vulnerable students in schools that lack basic resources, are often crumbling down around them, and where the most pressing question isn’t “What did you learn today?” but “How did you do the on test?”

Student performance – and evaluating and compensating teachers based on student performance – is at the heart of President Obama’s education reform strategy and is what Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is proposing as he looks to redefine the Chicago school system’s relationship to its teachers.

Unfortunately, none of the

proposed solutions offered by Mayor Emanuel or President Obama (or past administrations)

By Giovanna Solano address the real problem with urban education which is the troubling social conditions which Have you seen the contribute to low test scores, high drop-out rates, and bleak futures black cat on campus? for many urban school students.

What’s its Name?

Blaming teachers for their students’ test scores ignores the larger social problems these Trent Hashimoto-Noguchi, freshman, engineering teachers confront in classrooms.

We don’t blame doctors for their patient’s illnesses; likewise, we shouldn’t blame these teachers because their students are poor and lead troubled lives.

In medicine, we look to the larger system factors that contribute to poor health and try to affect system-wide change. We need to do the same in education.

Better access to affordable hous“The cat is very cute. ing and healthcare is a start. LivName rhymes with our ing wages for parents and safer neighborhoods for kids would all other Corrado pets/ make a difference and are more mascots, Lawrence.” likely to bring up test scores than laying the blame at the feet of the teachers who agree to teach Caitie Stangier, sophoin the most challenging environmore, nursing ments and are often vilified by the public when their patients don’t magically get better.

Eric Anctil is an education professor. He can be reached at anctil@up.edu

Actions Speak Louder than words? Not in Generation Y Amanda Blas Staff Commentary “Actions speak louder than words” is how the old cliché goes.

But in this world of social media, words may lead to actions you would never expect.

There is no doubt that we are the generation of social media.

All of us are guilty of being on Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr— just to name a few of our social media favorites—at some point of the day.

In fact, according to a study

by Johnson and Wales University, the average college student spends six to eight hours a day on social media. Compared to the 3.3 hours that the American Time Use Survey found college students spend studying each day, I would say social media is definitely our generation’s guilty pleasure.

While we have come to terms with being Generation Y, there are still some things many of us fail to consider when it comes to social media.

Yes, we have been warned about the dangers of having our online profiles public. Don’t post up pictures of you with that red solo cup if you’re underage, and don’t you dare put up any photos of you taking part in illegal or incriminating activities. We get it: things like that can get you into trouble and potentially cost you

your job or job opportunities.

But what about the words that comes with social media use? How careful are we when it comes to those Facebook status updates and comments and late night tweets?

While most of us don’t give much thought to answering Facebook’s question of “What’s on your mind,” the answers we give through status updates may get us into more trouble than we’d ever expect.

Ask University of Minnesota student Amanda Tatro, who was failed from a class for posting what classmates perceived to be as threatening and offensive statuses on Facebook. Tatro’s Facebook statuses may have been just words—as she had argued in court—but those words had led to her having to retake the class, take an additional class on ethics and undergo a psychological evaluation. Talk about taking those words on Facebook seriously.

Now many of us will never have to face such consequences for our use of words on social media, but it’s important that we be more careful of what words we do use.

According to an article recently published by CNN, social media will soon be responsible for employers saying goodbye to the good old resume we’ve come to know as part of job applications.

Think about it: if pictures can get you into trouble, can you imagine what your words— which are essentially your

thoughts—can get you into?

Sounds like those words have potential to speak loud and clear.

But let’s not be all negative.

The power behind the words of social media has the ability to cause some commotion on issues that may not have gotten attention otherwise. Think about Obama’s hashtag “#dontdoublemyrate,” which gave people a way to speak out to Congress about increasing student loan interest rates.

Bottom line: in this age of so-

cial media, words are definitely capable of speaking louder than any action could. We just need to remember when and how to use these words.

“Yes, the cat is adorable. Its name matches the Corrado Beta fish.”

Amanda Blas is a senior sociology major. She can be reached at blas13@up.edu

Tomas Bluth, junio, english &philosophy

Sudoku

Find the answers at www.upbeacon.net in the Opinions section.

“Yes I have seen the black cat, behind Franz, its name is Hobbes.”

Katharina Cochran, sophomore, business

“Yes, his name is Lawrence, the Corrado cat.”

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SPORTS

September 20, 2012

The new kid on campus: Devlyn Jeter Freshmen Devlyn Jeter gives some insight into her decision to come to UP and play a key role on one of the most talented women’s soccer teams in the country.

PJ Marcello Staff Writer marcello13@up.edu Now, introducing for your University of Portland Pilots, standing 6’0” tall, hailing from Sacramento, California, freshman midfielder Devlyn Jeter!

The Pilots may have just found its next soccer star with this 2012 four star recruit. Jeter also shares the same background of UP soccer royalty.

In high school, Jeter played for Elk Grove FC where she was a five-year team captain. Elk Grove FC is the same club team that produced former UP stars and current pros Stephanie Cox and the Rapinoe sisters, Megan and Rachael.

“I want to be like them, they are my inspirations,” Jeter said.

“I brag about coming from the same city as them because they are such great players.”

However, Jeter’s first experience with UP and Megan Rapinoe did not make her future here seem so promising.

“I came here as a guest on a U-16 team when I was 13 and Megan Rapinoe led a tour of the school,” Jeter said. “I remember thinking I did not want to come here because the school was just

XC: running to a title Continued from page 16 really fast. Their bodies need to get used to the race pace before they even start.

Davis is excited to be competing close to home this year because she loves having the support of her family and friends.

“Having a bunch of our family members, friends, students, classmates and professors at the race is a lot of pressure, but I think it’ll really help our team and it’s really exciting,” Davis said.

The women’s cross country team will be on the road for their next four competitions. They will be back in Portland on Oct. 13 for the Concordia Invitational.

Photo courtesy of portlandpilots.com

too small.”

In high school her sentiment changed and the small size that disinterested her at first became one of the main reasons she chose UP. “Over time I came to appreciate that about UP, it gave me a feeling that it was a home away from home,” Jeter said. “All the other schools were just too big; I thought I would get lost.”

So far the choice to come to Portland has proven to work out well for her, the team and her teammates, who have already notice her presence on the field.

Senior Kendall Johnson has been impressed with how well Jeter has been able to fit into the team

and contribute right away.

“DJ keeps getting better and more confident,” Johnson said.

“It’s unique that she is a big player but has so much ball skills and can use her feet well. She fits in well with the way we like to play and is a good overall fit for the team.”

Jeter has certainly found a home at Merlo. The atmosphere is something she says is unmatched anywhere in the country.

“I’m not gonna lie, my favorite place I’ve played is here,” Jeter said. “At first I was nervous but I realized the community support helped us play better and gave an emphasis to how we play. Playing in front of fans like the Villa Drum Squad and being under the lights is a fun environment.”

Jeter does not shy away from big time soccer. Her experience playing for the National U-18 team has certainly prepared her for the change of pace from high school to college.

“It’s crazy to go from club soccer in high school and then be thrown into an environment with the best players in the country,” Jeter said. “It really shows you what you are good at and what you need to improve on, but it is very fun and I made a lot of close friends already.”

Jackie Jeffers | THE BEACON

Freshman Devlyn Jeter handles the ball down the field against Notre Dame. Despite being her first year on the team, Jeter has garnered As far as preparing for games, Jeter and her roommates have a more loose approach to help them get ready.

“The team always has pregame at 3:30, after that Haylee (DeGrood), Sara Bindl and I go back and blast Pandora. Our favorite stations are Salt-n-Pepa and TLC,” Jeter said.

Obviously pregame throw-

back music works. The Pilots are only seven games in but Jeter’s game is already improving.

“I think she has a lot of potential,” Johnson said. “I am excited to see what the future holds for her.”

You can next see Jeter on the field on Friday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. when the Pilots take on Seattle University on Merlo Field.

Volleyball: looking to the future Continued from page 16 into conference play at 4-7.

Loper wants to use this week to get ready for what’s ahead.

“I think it’s really important to start playing some tougher, top level teams to get us ready for our league,” Loper said.

Portland’s challenging start to WCC play begins with the Pepperdine Waves. Pepperdine leaves tournament play with a record of 9-4 and the 2011 WCC title under their belt.

“Gonzaga is a natural rivalry but we really want Pepperdine.

We want to play Pepperdine every single night. That’ll be a fun one,” Houck said.

The Gonzaga University Bulldogs will be the Pilot’s next home game, Thursday Sept.27 at

Chiles Center. The Bulldogs go into conference play 8-5. Gonzaga and Pepperdine will be the two biggest games for the Pilots this season, as they fight against a long history of rivalry.

Portland hopes to keep their solid defense and aggressive offense strong for the rest of the season. The team needs to hit hard and keep digging everything to be in the top of the WCC. Determination and communication will help the Pilots achieve this.

Houck is pleased with how the team works together and how they talk to each other so much.

Although it is a young team, they are learning together and making each other better every game.

“We’re playing pretty much everybody,” Houck said. “Our

freshmen are out there, our sophomores are out there and contributing a ton.”

Portland aims to bring the fire they have to start conference play. If the Pilots can manage to

play on the road the way they have been at home, where they’re 3-1, they should compete in the the WCC. “We’re ready to come out and kick some butt,” Loper said.

Jackie Jeffers | THE BEACON

Freshman Lexi Dempsey leaps into the air to set a ball for a teammate’s kill attempt against Washington.

SPORTS

www.upbeacon.net

This week in sports

Pilots

Women’s Soccer

in the

Spotlight: Kim Spir Taylor Tobin Staff Writer tobint16@up.edu

Both coaches are just great people and there is a vibe that comes out of University of Portland that is terrific. The team is so proud. I talked to Lyndy Davis at the Pier Park meet and she was giving me an overview of the team. You could see how proud she was of this year’s team’s chances. Also, the fact that they’re doing so well on this campus and they don’t get the attention they deserve.

When did you start becoming a fan of University of Portland cross country?

How does the team impress you outside of athletics?

I don’t quite know how it started, except I went to the University of Oregon and I ran on the track and cross country teams there. I have been a fan of Oregon athletics for a long time, but, in paying attention to the sport, you notice other teams in the region. I have always admired University of Portland.

How did your admiration of UP start?

After I graduated from Oregon I noticed that they started to slide and there were some dark years at Oregon. It was really hard to root for the team sometimes, but I’ve always been so impressed with the way that University of Portland can rise to the occasion—the men’s team and the women’s team. I think this year is going to be really exciting.

What are you most excited about this season?

To see them perform and move up the rankings. I like to watch them and I like their spirit.

What do you like about their spirit?

There’s a kinship with these athletes. There is a beauty in cross country. It’s you against the clock and your team against other teams. It’s just really pure.

There’s an elegance to cross country. There’s something about the way the human body moves and they way people are inspired and they run out of their heads, run better than they think they would. It’s like the epitome of the human spirit.

The athletes at the University of Portland are student athletes. At Oregon, when you’re on scholarship you treat it more like a job.

But here, your academics and your athletics are on the same level. I think the athletes here balance that really well. The Shiley School of Engineering has a number of engineering and computer science students on the track and field and cross country teams. The accomplishments of our students are an added plus to being a fan. To see them everyday and to say “hi” is great.

How do you see the coaches helping the team?

The coaches know what pace you need to run and where you are at any given time during the race.

They’re just really essential in letting you know where you are and inspiring you to get up there and get up a couple more places. They’re able to convey team strategy and tactics really well.

How long have you been attending the meets?

Well, I am staff photographer for Track and Field News, I go to the regional meets and take pictures and submit photos to the magazine. Then I started taking pictures for The Beacon, The Log, and the athletic department at UP. What do you do for Track & Field news?

There are at least 20 U.S. and another 15 international staff photographers for Track and Field News, a magazine that started in 1948. I am one of a number of

UP begins a four game home stretch after beating USC 3-2 Sept. 16. The team takes on Seattle University tomorrow at 7 p.m., University of Denver Sept. 23 at 1 p.m., Cal State Northridge Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. and San Diego State Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. before going into WCC conference play.

Men’s Soccer

What do you feel is the reason for UP’s success?

Kim Spir, Shiley School of Engineering’s administrative assistant to the Dean, is considered a super fan of the UP cross country team.

Spir was a runner herself in college, competing for both the track and field and cross country teams at the University of Oregon. She is now in the process of writing her first novel about women’s athletics in Oregon.

15

The Pilots travel to Seattle, Wash. for the Husky Fever Classic tomarrow to face Seattle University at 4 p.m.

On Sept. 23 UP takes on Brown University 3 p.m. before heading home to start conference play against rival Gonzaga University on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.

Cross Country Photo courtesy of Kim Spir

photographers listed in the staff box, and was included in the staff box about five years ago. Track and Field News did not include women’s coverage until the late 1970s. As an athlete at UO, I was always seconds short of being listed in the national rankings in the magazine. Having my name in the staff box is just as thrilling.

When looking back on your experience competing for UO, what do you remember specifically?

Well, victory laps at Hayward Field were just amazing because you have everybody clapping for you. Back when I was running at Oregon, they had an inside track that you used after you raced to do laps and watch the meet that was taking place. That was just the coolest thing. You were able to cheer people on while you were on the track yourself.

Hayward Field is a special place.

That’s why I think it’d be so cool if University of Portland could get a track, because having a place to go to and having a home base is great. I would hope in my dreams that something like that could be created here at UP. Can you share an exciting story about the UP cross country team?

Last year or the year before, University of Portland actually beat University of Oregon down at the Dillinger classic. They got second, and UP had the fans and the flag and the purple power shirts.

It was exciting and it was so cool to see. I was jumping up and

down; I was almost crying.

What do you wish people knew about UP cross country?

I wish more people at the University of Portland realized what being ranked 5th in the nation for a school of this size, with no track, means. The cross country teams here are just amazing; it’s really something.

Tell me about the book you are writing.

It’s about a history of women’s track and field and cross country in the state of Oregon. I plan to concentrate a lot on University of Oregon, which is where I’m from, but also on the evolution of women’s athletics in the state.

There are some really interesting stories out there of women who have persevered before the days of scholarships and track shoes. I’ve been working on it for a couple of years. [It] will hopefully be completed by the end of 2014, and is tentatively titled “Women of Oregon: A History 1928-2012.”

How long do you plan on staying such a big fan of UP’s cross country team?

Forever. I’ll always support University of Portland. The student athletes who go through this program are really special people.

Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams showed their talent at the WCC Preview on Sept. 15 at Fernhill Park with the men taking first place behind senior Scott Fauble’s first place finish in the 8k with a run time of 23:14.09. The men’s team also had four other runners finish in the top 10 with junior David Perry placing third, senior Aiden Irish taking fifth, sophomore Woody Kincaid right behind him at sixth place and junior Charlie McDonald taking eighth place finish.

The women’s squad placed fourth with rival Gonzaga placing first. Senior Gina Daletta led the team with a sixth place finish while junior Kellie Houser followed her for seventh place.

Both teams head out on the road with the men going to Eugene, Ore. for the Bill Dellinger Invitational on Sept. 29 and the women traveling to the Toledo Bubblebuster on Sept. 21 in Toledo, Ohio

Volleyball The UP volleyball team heads out on the road for a harsh start to WCC as they face No. 18 Pepperdine on Sept. 22 at 1 p.m. before taking on Saint Mary’s at 7 p.m. The team then heads home to face rival Gonzaga at 7 p.m. (courtesy portlandpilots.com)

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SPORTS THE BEACON

September 20, 2012

Runnin’ through the mind of a runner

www.upbeacon.net

An inside look into the mind of cross country runner senior Lyndy Davis about what it takes mentally and physically to compete and train for national meets.

Taylor Tobin Staff Writer tobint16@up.edu Imagine wearing a Pilot’s cross country jersey, standing at the starting line of a race.

The crowd is silent.

Your teammates are silent.

Your opponents are silent.

Butterflies crowd your stomach in anticipation of one single sound—Bang!

What you feel is what fifth-year cross country runner Lyndy Davis feels everytime she steps behind the starting line to race.

“Your gut just drops and you want to start,” Davis said.

“Because once you start, you’re in it. It’s that standing on the line right before the gun’s shot off that’s freaky.”

Davis has run competitively since her sophomore year in high school, but she still gets nervous before a race. Unlike most collegiate sports, college-level cross country runners race only four or five times in a season.

“It gives you anxiety when you do put your jersey on,” Davis said. “It’s a big deal and it’s really exciting.”

Davis thrives on nervousness. It’s the nerves that get her to run fast.

After the initial excitement of starting a race, Davis zones out.

“For me, if I start being distracted and thinking about something that happened in the day, I know my race is falling to pieces,” Davis said. “That’s

a sign I’m not going to be happy when I cross the finish line.”

Davis adds that the best thing for elite runners to do mentally during a race is to reach runner’s utopia—learning how to run while feeling pain, and pushing through that pain.

Besides pushing through pain, finding a rhythm also helps.

“Sometimes if I have a song I was listening to right before the race, a lyric might repeat in my mind, like five words from a song that repeat to your stride and your steps. It’s kind of annoying, but [it] happens,” Davis said.

Although running is an individual sport, the women’s cross country team is focusing on a more team-oriented approach this year.

“What we’ve really been working on this year is running with a group and running at least with a partner in a race. That’s one of our big goals this year. It’s important because at the end of a race, if you’re coming in with a teammate, you’re keeping the points. It’s really motivating to have them behind you,” Davis said. “[Racing is] definitely not an individual thing.”

Having a teammate by her side motivates Davis.

Just seeing the Pilot jersey next to her is encouraging. Seeing her coaches during a race and hearing them cheer her on also motivates Davis.

“It would freak me out if my coach wasn’t there. I need Ian to be at the races. I can hear him whenever he says something throughout a race. Whenever I run past [him] I probably run faster,” Davis said. “It’s important to have your coach at your competition, he’s the one who see’s you at all your workouts and

Courtesy of Kim Spir

Senior Scott Fauble pushes himself to the limit as the men’s 8k race draws to a close. Fauble’s effort rewarded him with first place in the WCC Preview and helped the men take first place as a team. everything.”

Head coach Ian Solof knows that it is natural for athletes to want the support of their coach through a race. Solof believes that there is only so much he can do to encourage his athletes during a race and most of the support from the coaches comes during the practices before the day of the competition.

“Getting [the athletes] to be relaxed and confident in their fitness and ability, and making sure they go into the race with the right objective is important,” Solof said. “We encourage the athletes to be competitive and, at the same time, not get freaked out and turn it into something bigger than it is. It’s a race, and you run as hard as you can.”

During a race, Solof can get on the course to encourage his team. He will occasionally yell to an athlete and tell them to run harder, so they can move up to the next group.

Warming up and cooling down before and after a race is a large part of competing and avoiding injury.

“Our three-mile warm up is probably longer than most people run in a day. We warm up and then we race, and then we do a three or four mile cool down,” Davis said.

According to Davis, warming up gets a runner’s muscles loose so their bodies do not go into shock when they start running See XC, page 14

Giovanna Solano | THE BEACON

Tough week prepares Pilots for WCC After tough defeats against Penn State and Washington to round out nonconference play, Pilots volleyball prepares for No. 18 Pepperdine and the WCC conference.

Katie Dunn Staff Writer dunn16@up.edu When the Pilots head to Malibu Saturday, Sept. 22 to play their first WCC game of the season against Pepperdine, they hope to bounce back from a tough week that had them playing two teams ranked in the top five in the nation. It began against University of Washington Huskies on Sept.

11. Portland hung with the Huskies, but eventually fell in a 3-0 loss. Washington came to The Bluff ranked No.5 overall, but

that didn’t change the way the Pilots approached the game.

“Its just focusing on each rally all the way through,” head coach Joe Houck said. “There’s no difference; it’s good preparation.”

On Sept. 14, the team traveled to the Penn State Classic and began the tournament against the No. 4 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions. The Pilots battled against the Penn State defense but lost 3-0. Portland then faced Eastern Illinois on Sept. 15 in what would be the fifth five-set match this season. The Pilots brought the extra pressure in the fifth set

to take the match 3-2. This was the fifth time the Pilots have gone to five sets. They have won every one of those matches. That same night, the Pilots fell to the Duquesne Dukes 3-1 to finish the tournament 1-2.

“It’s good for us to really get in there and start completing with every team that we play,” said middle blocker Bea Loper.

The Penn State Classic concludes tournament play, where the Pilots are 6-8, and marks the beginning of WCC conference play. Last season, Portland went See Volleyball, page 14

Jackie Jeffers | THE BEACON

Sophomore Katie Mardesich gets ready to spike the ball against No. 5 Washington. UP goes on to lose to Washington 3-0.