Check out the Dance of the Decades photospread! See Living, page 8 - 9
The
Vol. 112, Issue 14
BEACON The University of Portland’s student newspaper
Thursday February 3, 2011 www.upbeacon.net
Drinking sends three from dance to hospital Dance of the Decades’ future uncertain due to binge drinking
Corey Fawcett Staff Writer fawcett13@up.edu Saturday night, three University of Portland students were sent from the Dance of the Decades to the hospital for possible alcohol poisoning, according to
dance at the Crystal Ballroom for being visibly intoxicated. Five students were issued MIP (Minor in Possession) citations on campus. The behavior of another student led Crystal Ballroom management to shut down the 21-and-over bar. At 10:45 p.m., the
Dance of the Decades roundup: • • • •
3 taken to hospital 1 taken to detox by Police 3 sent back to campus 5 Minor in Possession citations issued on campus • Bar shut down after student stole ID bracelets
the Department of Public Safety. One student was sent to a detoxification facility. Three students were sent back to campus from the
student reportedly grabbed a stack of ID wristbands that permitted of-age students to legally drink alcohol at the bar in the adjacent
Terrace Room. According to security staff at the Crystal Ballroom, he randomly distributed them to a crowd of students before bolting to the bathroom to hide. The bar was shut down for the night. “There have always been issues with dances, but they increased a lot with this dance,” Scott Chia | THE BEACON Assistant A student at the dance grabbed a stack of wristbands, which allowed students 21 and Director for over to drink alcohol at the bar in the Crystal Ballroom. Because of this theft, the bar Student Clubs was closed down. Jillian Smith problems urgent enough for dance.” said. Not only did Public Safety The overwhelming majority of Public Safety to intervene. Extra these issues were alcohol-related. security was called in, and the have a busy night, but the Portland “We do our best but of course staff endured verbal abuse from Police Bureau was called in to provide extra security in case there’s no way to monitor binge multiple dancegoers. “Is it worth it?” Koffler asked. intoxicated students turned drinking,” Campus Program Board Director Hillary White, a “It’s unfortunate that students felt violent. they had to get drunk to enjoy junior, said. the event. You don’t have to be According to Director of See Dance, page 4 completely blitz drunk to Student Activities Jeromy have fun Koffler, 10 to 15 at the intoxicated students caused
Kevin Kadooka | THE BEACON
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NEWS
February 3, 2011
On On Campus Campus
Can Crew Club stay afloat?
MICHAEL POLLAN TICKETS AVAILABLE
UP students, faculty and staff can register for free tickets to see the best-selling author of “In Defense of Food” and “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” Michael Pollan. Pollan is scheduled to give the keynote address at UP’s Food For Thought conference. The event is open to the public and will be at the Chiles Center on April 16 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20-$25 but are free for University of Portland students, faculty and staff. You can register online at pilots. up.edu/web/foodforthought or at the UP box office. Space is limited, so be sure to get your tickets ahead of time. HUNGER AWARENESS WEEK Tonight, Hunger Awareness Week will host its Hunger Banquet in The Bauccio Commons from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will be an interactive simulation to see the disparities between wealth and hunger in the world. $5 in meal point donations or cash will go toward Catholic Relief Services to address hunger issues. Walk-ins are welcome, but admission is limited to the first 100 people. Tomorrow, see how hunger affects the local community at the Blanchet House from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., the Downtown Chapel from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., or the Oregon Food Bank from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. You can sign up in The Commons at the Hunger Awareness Week table. Sign-up is required. CPB COFFEEHOUSE WITH MEG AND DIA Tomorrow, CPB Coffeehouse continues with Meg and Dia, made famous by their single “Monster,” which appeared on several MTV shows. They will play in St. Mary’s from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. There will be free music, food and coffee. ‘MORNING GLORY’ Friday and Saturday, “Morning Glory” will play in the Buckley Center Auditorium beginning at 10 p.m. CORRECTIONS In the Jan. 27 issue, Samantha Heathcote’s name was misspelled in the bylines for the art graphics on pages 11 and 12. The Beacon regrets the error.
Accuracy in The Beacon
The Beacon strives to be fair and accurate. The newspaper corrects any significant errors of fact brought to the attention of the editors. If you think an error has been made, contact us at beacon@up.edu. Corrections will be printed above.
Crew Club faces cuts in its budget, forcing club members to look to outside funding
Scott Chia | THE BEACON
Crew Club members practice their rowing skills for the season. Crew Club requested $9,300 from ASUP for its off-campus boat house rental, insurance and coaching fees but received only $3,080. Regardless, the club members have high hopes about bouncing back. Amanda Blas Staff Writer blas13@up.edu Crew Club may hit some rocky waters because of a lack of stable funding. For spring semester, the Crew Club requested $9,300 from ASUP for its major expenses, including its off-campus boat house rental, insurance and coaching fees. “It’s essentially money we need,” Crew Club President Kyle “Seamus” McDonnell said. However, the Crew Club only received only $3,080 in funding to cover their costs. “It’s unfortunate that we can’t fund the whole thing,” ASUP Treasurer Ben Thompson said. “They had one of the largest requests, reason specifically being the boat house.” Though the club initially requested $5,000 for its boat house rental, it was given only $1,080 for it, with the remaining $2,000 going toward coaching and insurance costs. Now, Crew Club is forced to find other ways to bring in money. “We’ve had to increase club dues,” McDonnell said. “Last
year, our club due was $150 and we’ve had to increase it to $250.” The Crew Club has also had to make changes when it comes to its races. “We’ve had to be more selective,” Brittany Powers, a fourth-year member of the Crew Club, said. “Instead of entering all boats in regattas, we can only enter specific boats.” “What this means is that it limits the race time that rowers get,” McDonnell said. “And it limits the amount of boats we can put out to win awards.” ASUP made several considerations in cutting the Crew Club’s funding. “There were a number of factors that went into it,” Thompson said. “For starters, they have the fourth-largest allocation.” The club’s size also played a crucial role in ASUP’s decision. “It is a fairly small group with a dozen, maybe, to 20 members,” Thompson said. “Ultimately, the finance committee couldn’t justify fully funding the request. Just because crew is an expensive sport doesn’t mean that select individuals should automatically
be entitled to a greater level of funding.” The UP athletic department’s decision to add crew as a sport for next year also influenced the funding decision. “With the Division I crew team coming, the finance committee feared club membership numbers would decline, which made it harder to give them all of the money,” Thompson said. Funding problems are not new for the Crew Club. “It seems like every
year we’re cut more,” Powers said. “Last year rent was covered, and coaching was covered as well. Why are we barely able to make rent now?” The Crew Club’s funding request is minimal compared to the actual cost of running the club. Apart from their major expenses, members also have to See Crew, page 4
Scott Chia | THE BEACON
PilotsUP, how you want it Jocelyne LaFortune Staff Writer lafortun12@up.edu What annoys you most about the UP online portal? What new features would make your life easier? The University is beginning a ninemonth campaign to improve PilotsUP, the online portal for students, faculty and staff. Students are invited to give their input and suggestions to help make the portal more relevant to them. “We want to improve the ease and accessibility of information of the portal,” Director of Web and Administrative Systems Jenny Walsh said. “The portal should make it easier to do what you need to do.”
The first step toward improving the portal is gathering information from students, faculty and staff about specific improvements that should be made, according to Walsh. Possible improvements include online project collaboration spaces, real-time online chat and increased customization of one’s own personal portal view, according to Walsh. “We’re calling this semester our ‘spring sponge,’” Walsh said. “We have some ideas for improvements, but in order to make sure it works for our school specifically, we need some feedback.” Walsh has planned a series of five “town hall” style meetings, during which students and staff can drop in and give suggestions. The first meeting was Tuesday.
Only one student attended, but suggestions from faculty and staff at the meeting included streamlining the login process to a single time login. Dates and times of future meetings are posted on the PilotsUP – Ahead blog on the portal, and Walsh encourages students to attend or post suggestions on the blog. She is also posting tweets about the project on a new Twitter account: @pilotsUPahead. “If we don’t hear from students and staff, we won’t know what should be improved,” Walsh said. Walsh hopes to have the basic portal in place by the upcoming fall semester, but the portal will continue to be updated and adapted to the university’s needs, she said.
NEWS
The Beacon — www.upbeacon.net 3
ASUP office theft called ‘inside job’ Hannah Gray | THE BEACON
Someone took $510 in cash and checks from this drawer in the ASUP office. Philippe Boutros Staff Writer boutros14@up.edu For the second year in a row, someone has stolen cash and checks from ASUP that were intended to buy individualized sweatshirts for senators. Public Safety suspects the same person is responsible for both thefts. “It was an inside job,” ASUP Vice President and senior Katie Scally said. “It was a student, someone who was a part of ASUP, but I can’t say in what context,” she said. Over $500 was stolen from a drawer inside the ASUP treasurer’s desk in St. Mary’s Student Center. “It wasn’t student government money, it was a number of individual senators’ money,” ASUP President and senior Colin Dorwart said.
ASUP reported the theft to Public Safety on Dec. 14, 2010. “Within a day or two, they had a primary suspect,” ASUP Treasurer Ben Thompson. “I was really surprised that they put all their resources into the case; they really went above and beyond to help.” Director of Public Safety Harold Burke-Sivers also declined to name their suspect. “The person that we suspect did not come back this semester,” Burke-Sivers said. The suspect was interviewed, according to Burke-Sivers. “It was reported to us too long after the fact. Had we been notified immediately, we would have been able to bring it to a successful resolution,” BurkeSivers said. “Five-hundred and ten dollars is a lot to lose, but it is less than the cost of recouping it,” Thompson said. “There wasn’t
$510 was stolen from the ASUP office. This is the second time the senator’s sweatshirt fund was stolen
enough money to justify having the desk fingerprinted and tracing the information. It’s kind of unfortunate that it wasn’t more so that we could pursue it.” “It surprised me that it did disappear – it was mainly checks. As far as I know, none of them have been cashed, so maybe around $100 of cash were stolen,” Thompson said. “I assume that this is embarrassing for ASUP,” Jeromy Koffler, director of Student Activities, said. “We have a safe located in the Student Activities Center near the printer; we’ve given ASUP access to it. It’s a resource for them.” ASUP will likely have to
take money out of its discretionary fund in order to compensate for the loss,
and do stuff for them,” freshman Senator Gilbert Resendez said. “We each lost $35 – people were pretty shocked.”
according to Dorwart and Scally. “It’s pretty disappointing that people stole from ASUP when we manage all the clubs Photo from Google images
Service learning trips no longer offer credit
Photo courtesy of Yaneira Romero | THE BEACON
The Border Plunge members in Cascabel, Ariz. Because of reaccreditation, UP no longer offers academic credit for the service learning trips, including the Border Plunges. However, credit will still be offered for the Nicaragua and East Africa trips, both of which require a class.
Due to the reaccreditation process, students cannot get academic credit for service learning Sarah Hansell Staff Writer hansell14@up.edu Effective this academic year, UP is no longer offering academic credit for service learning trips through the Moreau Center for Service and Learning, with the exception of classes for the Nicaragua and East Africa trips. The decision came from the Office of the Provost, which is in the midst of renewing UP’s accreditation with the Northwest
Commission on Colleges and Universities. As part of that process, UP must ensure it meets certain academic standards. There was concern the process for earning credit through service learning trips, which entailed reading articles about social issues and writing papers in response, did not meet NWCCU’s accreditation criteria. “There is no certified instructor, and you don’t spend enough time in the classroom, and it has to have an academic home,” Provost Br. Donald Stabrowski, C.S.C., explained at the Jan. 24 ASUP meeting. Director of the Moreau Center Laura Goble said she understood the reasons for the policy change. “It is part of the mission of the
university to produce students that are academically excellent and aware of what’s going on in the world,” Goble said. “We really want to make sure the programs are strong, robust and clear so that students can access the academic credits and we can justify that.” However, some students think the learning experiences offered by service learning trips are worthy of academic credit. One of them is Carolyn Farris, a senior who has gone on several service learning trips through UP and is going on the Nicaragua Immersion. “I definitely am pro-credit for plunges,” Farris said. Sophomore Allie Beck, who also is going on the Nicaragua Immersion this summer, agrees.
“It just blows my mind that a university that prides itself on social justice and service isn’t recognizing us,” Beck said. Junior Yaneira Romero, who has coordinated the Border Plunge in the past, believes the time commitment required for service learning trips is deserving of credit. “Since they’re spending so much time already, I feel they should get some type of credit,” Romero said. “It should be offered.” However, the academic standards required by accreditation go beyond how much time students spend in a learning activity or principles of social justice. According to the NWCCU Standards for Accreditation, UP
must document that its academic programs meet certain learning objectives and “faculty with teaching responsibilities are responsible for evaluating student achievement.” However, UP’s policy change is not necessarily permanent. The Moreau Center hopes in the future to restore credit opportunities for service learning trips that meet accreditation standards. Although there is currently no official timeline for credit opportunities to be restored, the Moreau Center and the Office of the Provost are working together to find a solution. “We’re taking this year as a pause,” Goble said. “We’re in conversation about how that credit can be reinstated.”
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NEWS
February 3, 2011
DANCE: Students taken away on stretchers Continued from page 1 Also, for the first time in UP history, Portland police officers helped patrol campus for drunk driving and other dangerous behavior. “They saw that all these kids were drunk at the dance, and thought, ‘Hey, these kids aren’t going back to campus and doing their homework,’” Director of Public Safety Harold Burke-Sivers said. Students who appeared to have been drinking were required to take a breathalyzer before getting on the bus to the dance, but many students were able to slip through the cracks by driving their own cars to the Crystal Ballroom. “I just want our students to be safe,” Burke-Sivers said. “I don’t want to have to call up their parents and say that their kid’s in the hospital, or that they’ve been involved in a drunk driving accident or that they got sexually assaulted because they had no idea who they were leaving with.” Burke-Sivers attributes the escalation of alcohol-related problems to the increasing popularity of hard alcohol.
“My guess is the drink of choice has changed,” Burke-Sivers, who found empty bottles of vodka by the bus arrival and departure area on campus, said. “You have to drink beer all day to get drunk from it, but hard alcohol hits you faster without having to drink much of it. A lot of students don’t know how much alcohol is right for them,” he said. Burke-Sivers believes the best alternative is not to drink at all. “I don’t know why so many students think you need to get drunk to have a good time,” he said. “It looked to me like a lot of students were having too good of a time,” sophomore Juliana Flores said. One of the students who was sent to the hospital was found unresponsive on the floor of the Crystal Ballroom. “I saw someone being taken away on a stretcher,” sophomore Ka’iulani Moku Paiva said. After every dance, Student Activities staff, ASUP and Public Safety meet to go over securityrelated issues at the event. The Dance of the Decades debriefing is scheduled for today. “We’re going to look at the
event and reevaluate what it means to students,” Koffler said. “The organizers have to think critically about what our mission is. Is the event doing what it’s supposed to do?” At this point, the future of the dance is hazy. There might not be a bar. Breathalyzer tests might become random and more frequent. If things go as they’ve gone at Gonzaga University (where a number of social events were recently canceled due to poor behavior), there may be no dance at all. “We don’t know if the venue will let us back. It’s all very much up in the air,” Koffler said. Although there will be discussion at the debriefing of what UP can do to decrease binge drinking-related behavior, many believe the issue is out of the school’s hands. “We’ve put a lot of stuff into place,” Smith said. “We try to make it as safe as possible. But we can’t be there, standing over students’ shoulders. Culturally, it’s up to the student body to be responsible.” “Students need to take responsibility for themselves,” Burke-Sivers said. “We can’t control student behavior. At this point, there’s not much to do.” Kevin Kadooka | THE BEACON
CREW: Club remains optimistic about cuts
Continued from page 2
worry about other costs, such as uniforms. “We cover most of this from our own pockets and through our club dues and fundraising,” McDonnell said. “It’s worth
every cent I put into it.” Another large expense the Crew Club faces is race fees. “Our race dues will amount to over $1,000 this semester,” McDonnell said. “And we didn’t even put that in the budget for Senate.”
The Crew Club decided not to include race dues in its request in an effort to prioritize its spending. “We need money to pay our rent more,” McDonnell said. “We’d also rather get money for all the stuff we have to have,
rather than get some money for everything.” The Crew Club’s funding cut is not likely to affect the team this semester. “Crew club pays for its rental six months in advance,” Thompson said. “It’s for security,” Powers added. “What we request in fall semester will cover fall semester next year.” The Crew Club also hopes it will be able to bounce back from its funding cut as it did before.
“We’ve survived in the past,” McDonnell said. “We have high hopes.” The Crew Club was not the only group that did not receive the funding it requested. “Other clubs did experience cuts, some of which had greater or smaller cuts made to their requests,” Thompson said. “It looks as if there are more than a dozen or so other clubs that experienced even larger cuts than those that crew experienced.”
The UP Public Safety Report 3 2
1. Jan. 29, 10:17 p.m. - Public Safety made contact with an intoxicated student in front of Buckley Center. Portland Police also responded and the student was sent to detox. 2. Jan. 29, 10:20 p.m. - Public Safety made contact with an intoxicated student in front of Buckley Center. AMR also responded and the student was transported to Emanuel Hospital by ambulance. 3. Jan. 29, 10:45 p.m. - Public Safety issued an MIP to an intoxicated student at the dance at the Crystal Ballroom. The student was sent back to campus on the bus. 4. Jan. 29, 10:49 p.m. - Public Safety and AMR responded to a medical call at the dance. The student was transported to OHSU by ambulance.
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5. Jan. 29, 11:54 p.m. - Public Safety made contact with an intoxicated student in front of Buckley Center. AMR also responded and the student was transported to Emanuel Hospital by ambulance.
NEWS
The Beacon — www.upbeacon.net 5
The Beacon takes it to the streets Opinions Editor Megan Osborn spends her Saturday night with Public Safety Photo from Google images
Megan Osborn Opinions Editor osborn11@up.edu It’s ten o’clock at night on a Saturday, and I’m in the last place a UP student probably wants to be: a Public Safety vehicle. I sit down in the passenger’s seat and look behind me to see the bulletproof glass. When Officer Dirk Fledderjohann extends a reading lamp out of the console and adjusts it for my notebook, I know I’m on the right side of that glass. Officer Fledderjohann – I call him Dirk – likes to work the graveyard shift at Public Safety. Rather like a comic book hero, he takes classes by day at UP and patrols the school by night. He lists off almost a dozen classes that he’s taken at UP, taking full advantage of the 95 percent discount on 18 credits per year that comes as a benefit of his job. Fledderjohann has a wideranging educational appetite. He’s taken everything, it seems, from hula dancing to astronomy. “I figure I’ll be 85 when I run out of classes,” Fledderjohann said with a chuckle. Getting a little more serious, I ask Fledderjohann what the best part of his job is. “Interacting with students,” he said without hesitation. The worst thing? “Interacting with students,” he said, laughing, “Actually, I really have had very few negative interactions with students.” Fledderjohann does admit there is a downside to his job. “Seeing people get themselves in bad situations that they could have avoided that may have long term consequences,” he said. However, Fledderjohann explains the main kinds of situations Public Safety gets called to are not too dire. “We get calls from students who leave books in buildings with term papers that are due the next morning, lost items,” Fledderjohann said. Fledderjohann explains that Public Safety is usually the first contact for students who find themselves in a bind. “Our goal is not to hand out as many MIPs and parking tickets as possible,” Fledderjohann said, “though those who receive them might think otherwise.” Some of the main duties performed by Public Safety are general security measures, Fledderjohann explains as we circle campus.
“We establish a presence,” he said. “People doing things they shouldn’t be doing don’t like to be observed.” Fledderjohann explains that Public Safety also performs general security duties, which can be boring, to keep the campus safe. These include locking classroom buildings and dormitories at night. He mentions he sees engineering students working into all hours of the night on their design projects. He waves to them as he makes his rounds. “If we can provide a bit of comfort, that’s a benefit,” he said. At 10:30 p.m., Fledderjohann receives a dispatch about some UP students who got off at the wrong bus stop in St. Johns and can’t get back to campus. Even though St. Johns is far beyond Public Safety’s usual patrol area and taxiing students isn’t in Public Safety list of duties, Fledderjohann responds immediately. Five minutes later, we pick up a few frightened-looking girls from the Safeway in St. Johns who incessantly express gratitude to us for rescuing them. The night is far from over. Fledderjohann receives another dispatch; this time it’s a noise complaint about two parties from a resident of University Park. Fledderjohann drives across Willamette Blvd. into the University Park neighborhood to respond to the complaint. He explains the officers will first establish whether it is safe to make contact with the house that received the complaint. Safety of the officers is not a problem most of the time, he assures me. Fledderjohann and a fellow officer pull up to the house and confirm this was the location the dispatch reported. Stepping out of the car, I heard a cacophony of voices and loud music coming from the house. A few students who have spotted the Public Safety cars can be heard yelling to the others. The officers walk up to the doorstep and are immediately greeted by two students who identify themselves as the renters of the house. The officers ask to see the students’ UP ID cards. When one of them doesn’t have it the officers ask for his social security number. The students and the officers are both polite. The officers tell them to shut the party down.
Dirk Fledderjohann
Megan Osborn | THE BEACON
Megan Osborn
Hannah Gray | THE BEACON
The officers stand on the sidewalk in front of the house as the renters go back inside to tell their guests it’s time to go home. Fledderjohann tells me the house is private property. “We do our best to respect that,” he said. Fledderjohann also explains that once a noise complaint about a party comes in, the officers shut it down. There are no second chances. He explains that Public Safety used to issue warnings. However, since most parties did not quiet down after being given a warning, officers now immediately shut the party down. Student renters are usually cooperative and apologetic when Public Safety comes to their door, according to Fledderjohann. Standing calmly, the officers do not hand out citations to the flood of intoxicated and possibly underage students coming out of the house. They simply tell them the party’s over and they should go home. The second party, two houses down from the one that has just been broken up, is noticed by the officers who hear loud music blaring as the front door is repeatedly opened by students. This party is also shut down and students flood out to the street. Fledderjohann is generally satisfied with the student compliance, although he mentions students usually take longer than Public Safety would like to clear out of parties. The officers remain in front of the house until a large amount of students disperse, making sure students are not simply waiting until Public Safety leaves to carry on. Fledderjohann explains that they will return in a little while to make sure the party hasn’t started up again. After seeing that both parties have dispersed, Fledderjohann and I hop back into the car and drive back to campus. “We’re trying to teach students responsible, adult behavior,” he said. “We have to be considerate of our neighbors — that’s what it’s all about.”
Alissa White | THE BEACON
LIVING
6 February 3, 2011
Joanna Goodwin Staff Writer goodwin12@up.edu
At the beginning of the semester, the area in front of Franz Hall turned into an obstacle course filled with hoses, pumps, dirt piles and caution tape. On Jan. 13, a three-foot wide spot right next to the manhole in front of Franz Hall dropped four feet, giving way to a cavity known as a sinkhole. Paul Luty, director of facilities planning and construction, was one of the first people to know about the sinkhole. He was determined to find the source of the problem. “The campus is old and infrastructure dates to the 1800’s,” Luty said as he explained why these kinds of things happen on campus. “In the past, the clay terracotta pipe from Buckley Center to Franz Hall used as rainwater drainage has had problems with plugging,” Luty said. Roto Rooter has noticed these problems with many pipes on The Bluff, keeping Physical Plant workers busy. “The pipes around campus have been going through a concrete lining process,” Luty said. “They will replace
the old clay pipes with new concrete pipes that will last a lot longer.” This procedure has already been completed with the sewage pipes from The Commons to the pump house and was on the agenda for other pipes nearby. Because the pipes in front of Franz Hall were not redone, the sinkhole formed. Fr. Ron Wasowski, C.S.C., was the one who discovered the sinkhole. “I was walking from my apartment and I looked over and there was a hole in the ground,” Wasowski said. “It was about three feet wide, five feet long and six feet deep when I found it. Just by chance a Physical Plant worker was walking by, and I asked him if he knew about this sinkhole.” “All of a sudden, whereever there is a lot of water in a pipe that is cracked, the void will get bigger,” Luty explained. “With all of the rain lately, it makes the problem worse.” This isn’t the first time this kind of thing has happened on campus.
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“A year ago, there was an even larger sinkhole in the parking lot of Physical Plant that sunk a corner of a car,” Luty said. There was so much damage they ended up replacing over 30 feet of the pipe that carried rainwater and sewage from all over campus. “This was with total costs to over $130,000,” Luty said. According to Luty, in order to fix the most recent sinkhole, Physical Plant got a $5,000 estimate from the same company that fixed the last sinkhole. Roto Rooter diverted rain water and crews dug five to six feet to remove the broken pipe and put in a new one. Although the problem is fixed now, Wasowski still expressed concern. “The earth-moving machine they brought out to fix it drove over the sidewalk by the pipe and broke it into almost eight pieces. This may have cracked more of the same pipe causing the problem to happen again,” Wasowski said.
Sinkholes 101 There are two kinds of sinkholes that can be formed. One type occurs due to geological factors. The other kind is confused by deteriorating pipes. The eroding pipes were in front of Franz were most likely built to last 50 years, and that was 60 years ago. These pipes, over time, begin to decay and crack; space is then opened up for soil to be deposited inside of the pipe. When it rains, the soil gets set into the damaged pipe and carries more and more soil through the pipes and away from the surroundings of the pipe. Over time, the surface drainage, erosion and deposited soil turn the space into an overarching cavity above the pipe. Eventually the ground surface collapses into the cavity, creating a sudden sinkhole.
Photo submitted by Fr. Ron Wasowski, C.S.C.
Sinkhole step by step
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A clay terracotta pipe is set into the ground for storm water 5060 years ago.
These pipes, over time, begin to decay and cracks. Space is then opened up for soil to be deposited inside of the pipe.
When it rains, the soil gets set into the damaged pipe and carries more and more soil through the pipes and away from the pipe’s surrounding area.
Over time, the surface drainage, erosion and deposited soil turn the space into an overarching cavity above the pipe.
Eventually, the ground surface collapses into the cavity, creating a sudden sinkhole. Illustrations by Samantha Heathcote | THE BEACON Information from insituform.com
The Beacon — www.upbeacon.net 7
E N T ER T A IN SEE ... COUNTRY STRONG Even if you don’t claim to be a country bumpkin when it comes to music, it won’t be hard to go weak at the knees for actor Garrett Hedlund’s raspy, sexy voice. In the movie “Country Strong,” he portrays Beau Hutton, a rehab janitor turned rising singer-songwriter. At that very same rehab facility, the alcoholic country star Kelly Canter (Gwyneth Paltrow) is being treated after some embarrassing and dismal drunken moments that threatened her career.
along with the tour as the opening act. Different love triangles and Kelly Canter’s alcoholism pose constant risks to ending the concerts. Every song is well placed and builds the characters’ stories even further. One of the main songs, “Coming Home,” was nominated for Best Original Song at the Golden Globes. Gwyneth Paltrow did a great job with her first stab at singing country music. Her extremely depressing and deep character can pull at our heartstrings and will us to believe the best advice she can give: “Don’t be afraid to fall in love. It’s the only thing that matters in life.” – Joanna Goodwin GO WATCH ... 127 HOURS
Photo Courtesy of indiegeniusprod.com
Once she is released, her husband and manager, James Canter (Tim McGraw), starts an Encore Tour to help the public remember her in a better light. Beau and the blossoming yet anxious Chiles Stanton (Leighton Meester) go
How could a director ever make the pain of cutting through a nerve immediate for an audience? Director Danny Boyle (“Slumdog Millionaire”) accomplishes this seemingly impossible feat with excruciating precision in “127 Hours.” The movie brings Aron Ralston’s lonely near-death experience to audiences everywhere. In April 2003, Ralston,
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an avid hiker and climber, found himself trapped in the Utah desert after a boulder fell on his arm while hiking in a canyon. In order to survive, he cut off his own arm with a dull knife.
The Beacon’s one-stop guide to music, film, dining and culture.
on real life and we know Ralston lived to tell his story, there is not much suspense. However, the movie is an interesting study of the human psyche and survival ability. Despite the pain and gore, the movie ends with a celebration of human perseverance and our dependence on one another.
or night and have to do whatever the other person wants. But soon the question arises: Can two friends have sex without love getting in the way? Kutcher and Portman are absolutely hilarious. They have great chemistry in that they push and pull against each other in a way that you can really believe.
– Elizabeth Vogel SEE ... NO STRINGS ATTACHED
Photo Courtesy of rowthree.com
The movie is rather graphic in the sense that we see actor James Franco break his own bone and saw through layers of skin, muscle and nerves. However, even the weak can stomach the five – minute scene since the majority of the movie consists of beautiful shots of the Utah desert. Franco brilliantly captures Ralston’s pain, dehydration and loss of sanity that occurred over the 127 hours he was trapped alone at the bottom of a canyon. As pretty much the only actor in the movie, aside from brief encounters with other hikers and short flashbacks, Franco is able to show off his incredible talent. Because the movie is based
Imagine a prepubescent Ashton Kutcher trying to get with Natalie Portman as a teenager. Unsurprinsgly, she quickly shoots him down. Through various times they meet up later in life, it becomes clear she is an awkward, emotionless girl who is purely dysfunctional in any relationship. After a relapse in judgment, the two of them eventually get together. They know a relationship won’t work so they decide to give each other what they need, “no strings attached.” They present a set of rules that cannot be broken including no jealousy, no fighting, no staring into each other’s eyes and most importantly, no falling in love. They will respond to each other’s call at any time of the day
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They both have so many witty little one-liners I am still annoyingly quoting because they are just too darn funny. This fresh movie topic could be considered old news for college students who already have put the “no strings attached” title on relationships. But watching Kutcher and Portman go from best friends to sex friends is almost better, and definitely a lot funnier, than the real thing. – Joanna Goodwin
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Go to http://www. youtube. com/user/ UPBeaconVideo to watch clips from the dance!
Designed by Andrea Jackle & Rosemary Peters | THE BEACON Photos by Scott Chia | THE BEACON
FAITH & FELLOWSHIP
10 February 3, 2011
Jo Cecilio Guest Commentary Nine strangers, picked to live in a house and work together, to see what happens… sound familiar? No, it’s not MTV’s “The Real World” — it was my sophomore year. Two years ago, I had the opportunity to live in the Faith and Leadership House. Let me tell you, it was a REAL experience. Nine of us were chosen that year to live together, learn together, pray together and serve together. The Faith and Leadership House’s program is shaped by five pillars: Faith, Prayer, Intellectual Life, Community and Service. Living in the house both challenged and cultivated these areas. Let’s start with Prayer. I knew a couple of years ago that my prayer life was lacking. I was doing crazy things, as many sophomores do, and still hadn’t found my fit in the University. My housemates and I were fantastic about praying together every day, even if it meant praying at 11 o’clock at night. It was an opportunity for us to share our praying styles and explore God in different ways. Now
A ‘Real World’ experience
prayer is a daily part of my life. I start and end my day with a conversation with the big G-O-D. Even at meals with friends, we have made it a habit to join hands and thank God for our food. I became incredibly academically motivated living in the house. There was always someone to study with, walk to class with and look over my Bib Trad papers. Once a week a professor or faculty from the university would come over and speak on a topic. I looked forward to those speakers every week. The FLH brought learning right to my doorstep and engaged me in ways I had not experienced. This piece of the program enhanced my academic life incredibly, making me excited for classes. Community was the most challenging piece in the program. The thing about living in
intentional community is that you don’t just get to pick up and leave. This community needs to work through rough times and celebrate in the better times. The best thing about this particular community is that it isn’t just you and your housemates. A useful tool that I use to this day is the “Speaker/Listener” tool or what Stacey Noem calls the “Power Tool.” Basically, it involves allowing a housemate to say his or her piece, then restating back to him or her in your own words what you heard. It has helped in making me more patient in my relationships and allowing us to say what we need while feeling heard. The best thing about living in community is the automatic support system it creates. When tragedy strikes, and be-
lieve me, it does, the housemates mobilize quickly and creates a space filled with love, comfort and safety. What’s different about living in this community is that those key elements are grounded in the understanding that we are a faith-filled community and that is what sustains us through rougher times. Two years later, I have learned to create that support system. The support system that has been built up around me is just as solid, if not more so, and is filled with unconditional love, comfort and safety. Those people, my community, are whom I turn to in crisis and whom I rejoice with when I’ve made it to the other side. Service has always been a part of my life. My freshman year, I started working at the Boys and Girls Club just up the street from UP. The house requirement is one placement of individual service and a placement for group service. The
housemates collectively agreed to do the House service project at my Boys and Girls Club. This experience solidified how much I truly enjoy this work and know that this is what I want to do. I’ve saved the first pillar for last because it is by Faith that the rest of the pillars were able to move through my life. I have been humbled over the last two years as I realize how much living in the house affected my life. Without a doubt, my faith was strengthened through the process. The program is really built to cultivate and promote growth in the whole person. The lessons I took from the year have stayed with me. I am more intentional in everything I say and do. It may have broken me down spiritually, academically, emotionally and physically. However, it built me up in those very same ways. The house provided a way for me to explore my faith, become more self-aware and academically motivated, be more attentive to others and discover God’s movement in my life. Did it make me better? Heaven YES! Jo Cecilio is a senior social work major. She can be contacted at cecilio11@up.edu
Photo submitted by Jo Cecilio
OPINIONS Dance or drunkfest?
The Beacon — www.upbeacon.net 11
Stolen wristbands. Shut down bar. Ambulances shuttling kids to the ER. Detox. MIPs. The Dance of the Decades was full of debacles last weekend. Not to mention a lot of us didn’t look that classy. Many costumes covered little more than a bikini would. Dressing up like a cave person doesn’t give you license to devolve in decency. Dances are meant to be a good time for students to dance and hang out with their friends, but this is not MTV’s “Spring Break.” Sure, it’s inevitable that many students will drink with their friends and have a good time, but students need to be more aware of their limits, not only for the sake of their health and safety, but also for the sake of staying out of trouble. Students know Public Safety comes to these dances and will give citations for any number of
alcohol-related violations. If students don’t want the cops or Public Safety involved, they need to police themselves. Know your limits and know when to tell friends they’re at their limit. In addition to going overboard on drinking, dressing up for themed parties can be fun, but it shouldn’t be an excuse to push things beyond the point of promiscuity. Believe it or not, it’s possible to look cute without looking like you belong on the corner of 82nd Ave. and Skanky St. The point is UP is full of bright students who overachieve in the classroom. We should bring those brains to the party too. Everyone knows the phrase “It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.” We shouldn’t have to get to the point of sending kids to the hospital and detox before we rein in the fun.
Samantha Heathcote | THE BEACON
Take our poll about alcohol problems at dance of the decades www.upbeacon.net! 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.
Help the other 85 percent
Lisa Nims Guest Commentary As a child, I was constantly reminded to appreciate my food because there were starving people in Africa who didn’t have any. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized that the starving people aren’t just in Africa, they are everywhere. Global hunger has become a growing problem. The global economic crisis has increased food costs and depleted the world’s reserves. The road to food security is long, but that should not leave you without hope. The children dying of malnu-
trition and the families forced to live on less than a dollar a day are never far from our minds, but it is not often that we really dwell on what it means to be truly hungry. That’s where Hunger Awareness Week comes in: a week dedicated to intentional mindfulness about the issues of hunger and the people that are affected by it. It is a time when students can engage in conversations about policy and commit to a focus on solidarity. It is an opportunity for students to become active members of their global community. The week kicked off with a movie about hunger shown in The Commons to address some of the causes of the global food crisis. On Tuesday, over 120 students participated in a 12-hour hunger fast to be in solidarity with those who suffer from hunger. Tonight at 5:30 there will be
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a Hunger Banquet which allows students to participate in an interactive exposure to hunger disparity. The asked donation is $5 and the profits will go to Catholic Relief Services to address hunger issues. On Friday, students will go out and volunteer at local agencies that address the hunger plaguinging our own community. We have seen what UP students can accomplish when they get engaged and excited. With this in mind, it is my hope that Hunger Awareness Week will spark something in a whole new generation of movers and shakers, that students will become a part of the discussion and question the policies and failures that contribute to the gigantic issue of global hunger. I hope that students will think about how they can become a part of the solution
and move forward with a commitment to change things. Food security is something that only 15 percent of the world is lucky enough to have. I challenge you to ask yourself: “What about that other 85 percent?” For more information on how to get involved, contact the Moreau Center at moreaucenter@up.edu Lisa Nims is a sophomore social work major. She can be contacted at nims13@up.edu.
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OPINIONS
February 3, 2011
Numbers add up for Donald Shiley Aziz Inan Guest Commentary Donald P. Shiley, who was born on January 19, 1920 (1-191920 or simply 1191920) and died on July 31, 2010 (7312010), began his studies at the University of Portland on September 20, 1948 (9201948) and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in General Engineering on June 3, 1951 (6031951). A talented inventor, Donald revolutionized artificial heart valves. In 1971, he and his partner patented the first heart valve, the Pfizer BjorkShiley heart valve. In addition to being very successful financially, this invention has saved over 500,000 lives. Throughout his life, Donald and his wife Darlene generously donated millions of dollars to many good causes. On March 19, 2007
(3192007), the University of Portland announced it had received the largest gift in its history, a $12 million gift from the Shileys to jump-start the renovation and expansion of the fiftyyear-old Engineering Hall, originally constructed in 1948, where Donald started his education on The Bluff. In a dedication ceremony on October 10, 2009 (10102009), the newly expanded and renovated Engineering Hall was officially renamed Donald P. Shiley Hall. A second ceremony took place over two days beginning on December 2, 2010 (12022010), during which an additional gift of $8 million by the Shileys was announced to fund engineering scholarships and further elevate the quality of the engineering school at the University of Portland, which was at that time renamed the Donald P. Shiley School of Engineering. As I examined the above dates and other related numbers for fun, I observed some interesting and fascinating connections. I decided to summarize my observations in this article as a gift of appreciation to the Shileys for their generosity and commitment to our school and institution. First of all, September 20 in 1948, when Donald began his education at University of Portland is represented by 920, which corresponds to the last three digits of his birth year, 1920. Second, if one splits Donald’s birthday 1191920 as 119 and 1920, the reverses of these two numbers (911 and 291) add up to 1202, that is, December 2. Note that this is the first day of the Donald P. Shiley School of Engineering renaming ceremony which took place last year.
Third, the difference of the prime factors of 119 (which
equals 7 x 17) is 10 and the prime factors of 1920 (which equals 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 3 x 5) add up to 10, so these two 10’s put together side-by-side results in 1010, representing October 10, the date of the first dedication ceremony in 2009. Fourth, if one eliminates the leftmost, middle and rightmost
Donald P. Shiley digits of Donald’s birthday date number 1191920, number 1992 is left behind and if this number is split into 19 and 92, the sum of the squares of 19 and reverse of 92 yields 1202! Fifth, if the first dedication ceremony date number 10102009 is split as 1010 and 2009, the reverse of 1010 which is 101 plus 1920 (Donald’s birth year) yields 2021 which is the reverse of 1202. Note that Donald’s 101st birthday will occur in 2021. Sixth, Donald’s birth date 1191920 can easily be obtained from dedication date 10102009 as follows: Switch the places of 20 and 09 to obtain 10100920; then, add the 10 and the 09 at the center to one another to obtain 10191920; then, reverse the leftmost 10 to obtain 01191920! Seventh, if the October 10 date number 1010 is split as 10 and 10, 10 + 10 yields 20, 10 minus reverse of 10 is 09 and numbers 20 and 09 side by side make up the year number 2009. Also, 1010 equals 101 x 10 where the difference of 101 and 10 is 91, which equals 7 x 13. Note that the reverse of 91 is 19 and 7 plus 13 is 20, and 19 and 20 together side by side yield 1920, Donald’s birth year. Next, 2009 is 41 x 49, where
41 plus 49 yields 90, which equals Donald’s age at death as well as the reverse of the last two digits of 2009. Note also that on 10102009, Donald was 89 and 101 days short of his 90th birthday where 101 is the reverse of 1010. Interestingly enough, the reverse of 89 equals 98, which is 2 x 49 where 49 is 10 + 10 + 20 + 09. Also, number 90 equals 43 + 47 where 43 x 47 yields 2021, which equals the reverse of 1202. Donald passed away on July 31 (731). If number 731 is split into 7 and 31, the sum of the squares of these two numbers yields 1010, the date of the dedication ceremony in 2009! Also, the average of 7 and 31 is 19 and reverse of 31 plus 7 equals 20, and numbers 19 and 20 put sideby-side is 1920, Donald’s birth year. Donald’s 100th birthday will occur in 2020 on 01192020. The reverse of this date number equals 10 x 283 x 717 where these three numbers add up to 1010! The 11th anniversary of the 1010 dedication day in 2020 will also be special since this date number will be 10102020 (where 2020 is twice 1010). Note that Donald’s birth year 1920 equals 15 x 128, where 128 corresponds to the sum of the numbers assigned to the name Donald Shiley (assuming letter A is assigned 1, B is 2, …, and Z is 26). Also, consider 1010 date in 1920, that is, 10101920. Split this date number into 1010 and 1920, divide 1920 by 10 and add the result to 1010 which yields 1202! Also, on 10101920, Donald was 265 days old. Eight times 265 yields 2120 and reversing the leftmost and rightmost two digits of this num-
ber also yield 1202! Note also that the reverse of last year’s dedi-
What Tucson can teach
Caitlin Yilek Staff Commentary Several years ago, I traded an icy spring break in Minnesota for a vacation of warmth in Tucson, Ariz. Not only was the Tucson sun full of warmth, but so too were the people. Therefore, it came of great surprise to me when I heard the tragic news of the shooting that wounded U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords and also wounded and
killed many others at a Safeway, of all places. Though this event was heartbreaking and senseless, I believe the media drifted out of control in their blame of this attack. Soon after this horrific act of violence, the media made Sarah Palin a scapegoat because of the map she created with crosshairs over certain districts, including Congresswoman Giffords’ district. Although I am not a Palin supporter, besides loving her TV show “Sarah Palin’s Alaska,” I believe the fault should not lie on anyone except the person who pulled the trigger, Jared Loughner. In instances like this regret-
table event, I am a firm believer that blame should be placed only on the attacker and any accomplices. However, our society is choosing to target Palin in the same way that she targeted certain districts. We are supposed to be a united nation, yet our actions are hypocritical. It appears as though the media are more concerned with blaming Palin rather than Loughner and they have forgotten about the innocent lives that were taken, the mourning families and the individuals still fighting for their lives. While the aftermath created by the media was a futile attempt to honor the victims, Obama reminded us we cannot use this
tragedy as one more occasion to turn on one another. Though it is difficult to understand the amount of pain the people who are involved are feeling, I have hopes the U.S. will rise above this difficult time as soon as we
cation ceremony date 12022010 is 1022021 which equal 1001 x 1021, where 1001 equals the product of 13 and 77 which add up to 90, Donald’s age on that day. Also, 1001 is 11 x 91, where 91 is Donald’s new age this year. Also, date number 319 representing March 19 in 2007 (the first announcement day of the Shileys’ $12 million gift) can be obtained from Donald’s birthday 1191920 by first deleting the rightmost digit zero and then taking the product of number 11 on the left side and the reverse of number 92 on its right side. Lastly, 10 and 210 years later, dedication date 1202 (December 2) will be a palindrome day written as 12022021 and 1222221. All this adds up to a grateful salute to Donald and Darlene Shiley for their commitment to and support of our University community. Aziz Inan is a Professor of Electrical Engineering at University of Portland. He can be reached at ainan@up.edu.
Megan Osborn | THE BEACON
stand united rather than against one another. Caitlin Yilek is a junior German and Spanish studies major she can be contacted at yilek12@ up.edu
The Beacon — www.upbeacon.net
OPINIONS
Letters to the Editor Funny professors disputed Dear Beacon Editors, We feel the need to address a very serious problem with the Dec. 2, 2010 issue Mikel Johnson of The Beacon. We realize the enormity and prestige of UP’s campus and the inevitability of leaving people out, but we feel that a very imporBeverly Scott tant and most humorous person was excluded from the list of funniest professors. This was a tragic mistake. The self-proclaimed George Clooney of English professors, Dr. Louis James Masson is, without a doubt, the most hilarious professor on campus, if not the world. His charming anecdotes and mischievous mockings brighten the classroom experience. When Dr. Masson rapped along to Eminem, wished there was in a liquor cabinet in every classroom and reminded us that he was “not all that into tribal mating rituals,” it made all of us English majors aspire to be just
like him. Who else has a Facebook fan page devoted solely to his fashion sense? Who else can repeat the same story multiple times and still leave us laughing? Who else sticks to a strict regimen of Junior High Fridays? You see, Dr. Masson’s exclusion from the list of funniest professors is no laughing matter. Maybe it’s because you are too young for his humor. Or maybe his IQ far surpasses that of the average student. But we beg of you, give Dr. Masson a chance. You only have to laugh at his jokes for one final semester. -Dr. Masson’s favorite students, Beverly “The Juvenile Delinquent” Scott (scottb12@up.edu) and Mikel “Quite the Character” Johnson (johnsomi11@up.edu). Paper fliers go away One of the things I like about our university is how we’ve taken steps to reduce our carbon footprint. HowSteven Cathcart ever, the important part is making sure we’re taking a step forward. Though purchased with the best intentions, the televi-
sions for posting advertisements to save paper are actually creating a larger impact. The reason: WE STILL HAVE THE PAPER FLIERS! Okay, so I might have gotten overzealous with my caps lock, but come on. The reason we have these televisions is to get rid of the paper fliers, and they have been posted with the same frequency as before the screens. Now in addition to using paper to make fliers, we’re also paying for electricity to power the completely redundant screens 24/7. Often the screens don’t even display fliers. At the time of this writing, the screen in Kenna has been displaying a message that it needs to update Java for several days. The worst part about this is that while it’s not doing the job it’s supposed to, the screen is still turned on, wasting even more power. Now I don’t know the whole
story behind the TVs. Maybe someone found out they aren’t effective at advertising campus events or for whatever reason the paper fliers are better. That’s fine. All I ask is that the administration chooses either to keep the screens and stop the fliers or turn the screens off. Good intentions aren’t enough to save our planet. We have to follow through.
Lizabeth Vogel Staff Commentary Forgive me these few paragraphs in which I defend UP’s current library. Everyone has heard the complaints, noticed that tour guides do not take prospective students and parents into the library to avoid embarrassment and has probably been looking forward to a shiny, brand new library. To be frank, this makes
Faces on The Bluff By Bryan Brenize Photographer
We asked:
What is your dream job?
“Definitely an F-35 Pilot. It’s easily better than the F-22.” Brian Walker, senior, mechanical engineering
My love affair with the library other productive students and the ideas flow like manna from heaven. My muses live in the library. I don’t know if it is the brickwork set off by blue walls, the giant windows that let in light, the rows and rows of unread thoughts, the dying plants, the orange desks, the big curling staircase to the second floor, the strange artwork or the bucket chairs that cradle my rear end oh-so-perfectly, but something about that library makes me love it. Too many people speak badly of the library. It’s too old, they should tear it down, it’s an embarrassment. I want people to know
13
-Steven Cathcart cathcart13@ up.edu
chemspider.com | THE BEACON
me sad. Due to all the late nights, midafternoon naps and papers the library has seen me through, it has become an old and dear friend to me. I often sit at home fretting over a paper due (tomorrow) getting distracted by housemates and television until I concede to the inevitable and throw my laptop and books into my backpack and trudge to Wilson W. Clark Memorial Library. I journey through the rain, brave the Willamette crosswalk and finally see the library’s lights shining like a beacon of warmth and productivity. I get situated, do a quick look around at the
some of us love the library as it is, not to mention it already fulfills all my needs. Any book I want I can order from Summit, the librarians are happy to help, there are printers, copiers and even a three-hole-punch. When people talk badly about it, it pains my heart as if they are talking about an innocent friend behind his back. I say throw in some more outlets and let the library alone. We don’t need some fancy, bleak modern-architecture library. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Elizabeth Vogel is a senior German and English studies major, she can be contacted a vogel11@up.edu.
“Flying the F-22…way better than the F-35!” Mike Darnell, senior, mechanical engineering
“Master falconer.” Andy Berigan, senior, math
“Rapunzel.” Kourtney Kugler, junior, chemistry
“Techno dancer!” Julia Gomes, junior, nursing Samantha Heathcote | THE BEACON
SPORTS
14 February 3, 2011
The paths one can forge as a Pilot invite service John McCarty Staff Commentary Why did you come to UP? Maybe you’re a student athlete and you simply couldn’t pass up the generous scholarship and the opportunity to be a part of a nationally renowned athletic program. Maybe you really like purple. Or maybe you’re just another student who got sucked in by the deceptively nice weather during Weekend on The Bluff. More likely than not, the real answer is none of the above. Let’s face it, all scholarships, majors and sub-par workout facilities aside, the real reason you’re here today is the community. The first time I visited campus I wasn’t drawn in by the stunning architecture at Buckley Center or the delicious scents emanating from The Commons, rather, it was the fact that my tour guide seemed to know everyone we passed on a first-name basis. As a smaller private school, UP is inherently more community oriented in its mission and the implementation thereof, a luxury you and I pay for and benefit from on a daily basis. Ask any athlete about his (or her) relationship
with his teammates and he’ll tell you the team is more of a family than anything. Fortunately for us muggles, there are clubs, dorms, intramurals and a host of other roads into the UP community. The moral of the story is this: No matter who you are or what you’re into there is a place in the community for you. If these four-plus years are supposed to be the best of your life, while you expand your knowledge and truly come into your own as an independent person why not get involved with other like-minded individuals? Assuming you haven’t lost interest and/or discredited everything I’ve said up until now, you might be wondering what in the name of Wally Pilot this commentary is doing in the sports section. I suggest you prepare yourself for a nice juicy sports pun. You don’t need to be a member of the tennis team to truly appreciate the value of service. It’s like this: a community is best judged by the way in which its members interact and support each other, so when the student section is packed with roaring fans it’s not just a show of force, but also a testament to the solidarity of our community. Support isn’t just showing up and being loud, and the microcosm of UP isn’t the only community in need of our support, not by a long shot. Shockingly enough, as a Holy
Cross school, UP is all about that community service. This commitment to service is precisely what makes UP stand out from other colleges, and it extends well beyond the four years the average student spends here. I’m talking about UP soccer standouts Cori Alexander and Rachael Rapinoe taking a break from global football domination to teach Indonesian youths about the game. I’m talking about the men’s basketball team volunteering at the Special Olympics, or the men’s soccer team shaving their beautiful locks for cancer research. I’m talking about service plunges too numerous to keep track of, and more fundraisers than Jared Stohl three-pointers. If even the athletes are getting in on the whole service thing in spite of their highly regimented schedules, what exactly is holding you back? The countless hours of service logged by UP students is a testament to the value of an education that works both the mind and body. The unparalleled prosperity of the University, especially in regard to increased enrollment and development plans, simply goes to show that you benefit based upon the effort you put into the community. Support your fellow students, foster your own education and get involved because you’ve got nothing to lose.
Samantha Heathcote | THE BEACON
SPORTS
The Beacon — www.upbeacon.net 15
Junior Pilot guard makes waves from deep This week Joanna Goodwin Staff Writer goodwin12@up.edu Another tough practice ends and junior Nemanja Mitrovic and the other players huddle up around Head Coach Eric Reveno for the final pep talk of the day. Reveno reminds them of the competition they have against (then) No. 24 St. Mary’s the following day and that they need to put in all of their effort for this one. “You’ve got to have moxy! You’ve got to have balls!” he shouts in closing. On the court, Nemanja Mitrovic is the 6’5”, 200-pound, guard who is currently ranked fourth in the country in threepoint field goal percentage. In December, he was named West Coast Conference Men’s Basketball Co-Player of the Month. On the other hand, Mitrovic the student is a junior finance major with a 12-year-old brother and parents back home in Toronto, Canada. He is taking his time to enjoy life and make his college experience everything he ever wanted and more. So how does he keep it all balanced? What makes him tick? “Sometimes, people think you can do whatever you want, but it’s really not true,” Mitrovic said. According to Mitrovic, his success did not come overnight. He had to work hard to get where he is today. “There was not a huge push for me to get into sports, but I always had a lot of support,” Mitrovic said. His father spent 18 years playing basketball professionally throughout Europe and was on the Yugoslavian National Team. “(My dad) really helped with my knowledge of the game,” Mitrovic said. He never thought about attending UP until Reveno pursued
him. “I had coaches tell me about him and I was able to see videos of him on YouTube,” Reveno said. Reveno’s became impressed with Mitrovic’s athleticism and his ability to shoot at a high level. Once Mitrovic decided to go to UP, he knew he had done the right thing. “There was a big adjustment period,” Mitrovic said. “Freshman year as whole tested me in every aspect and I came out of it stronger than I could’ve ever imagined.” According to Mitrovic, after any new player becomes a part of a team, it takes time to really feel a part of the group. “The team was a really tightknit group and they had an impressive chemistry,” he said. “When you spend so much time with people, especially on the road, it really makes the guys feel more together.” Besides his respect for the team dynamic, Mitrovic loves seeing the student section full of fans and finds the support from the community incredible. Often times after the game, Mitrovic will sign posters and tshirts for enthusiastic kids who attended. “They may not even know what is going on during the game,” Mitrovic said. “But seeing them get so excited makes us excited.” Senior Jared Stohl, Mitrovic’s teammate and last year’s number one three-point shooter in the nation, also acknowledges the Pilots’ team atmosphere. “No one guy outshines the other. We are a balanced team that focuses on winning. Everyone just needs to find their role,” he said. “(Mitrovic) is a great competitor and he loves to win,” Stohl said, jokingly following
in sports
Men’s Basketball (conference play) 1) St. Mary’s (6-1) 2) San Francisco (5-2) 3) Santa Clara (5-2) 4) Portland (4-3) 5) Gonzaga (4-3) 6) Pepperdine (3-4) 7) LMU (1-6) 8) San Diego (0-7) The Pilots trounced St. Mary’s Saturday, following a victory over the San Diego Torreros on Thursday. The Pilots will play tonight against conference rival Gonzaga in a key matchup. The Pilots are undefeated so far this year in the Chiles Center and are looking to secure fourth place in the WCC. The Pilots travel to face Seattle at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Bryan Brenize | THE BEACON
Junior guard Nemanja Mitrovic shoots free throws during the Pilots’ practice. Mitovic is fourth nationally in three-point percentage. his praise with a warning that Mitrovic “better not break my (three-point) record!” Reveno shared similar sentiments on Mitrovic’s adjustment. “He and the rest of the team do a great job at learning lessons of teamwork and creating goals as a group,” Reveno said. “Nem only had 43 minutes of playing time his freshman year, but when Nick Ravio was injured, Nem was prepared to step in.” Mitrovic hopes to continue with basketball after college and would love the chance to coach.
But he also acknowledges the other possibilites for his life and career in basketball. “I want to be remembered as a guy who worked hard to get where I’m at and the success that I have had didn’t come overnight,” Mitrovic said. Reveno also believes that Mitrovic has the potential to continue on with basketball. “I want to let him dream and I believe he can make it someday,” Reveno said.
A Pilot fan with a mission: Pack the Chiles Center PJ Marcello Staff Writer marcello13@up.edu Pilot alumnus and lifelong fan Pat Becker Jr. is a man on a mission. His goal: fill Chiles Center with as many Pilot fans as it can hold for tonight’s men’s basketball game against Gonzaga. “In past years, Gonzaga games at the Chiles Center have been essentially home games for the Bulldogs,” Becker said. Last year, Athletic Director Larry Williams told Becker tickets were going on sale for the game, which would almost certainly be swooped by a majority of Gonzaga fans. In response, Becker told him he would buy some. He bought 500. The news of Becker’s purchase spread as he sold the tickets, intended to fill the Chiles Center with UP fans for the big game.
This year, Becker swooped tickets again in order to rally UP fans and to continue the foundaton for a tradition of a rowdy environment for Pilot games. “This team and recent teams that (Reveno) has put together is one of the greatest stretches in Pilot basketball history,” Becker said. “If they put up 20 wins again this year, it will be the third season in a row. I don’t think that’s happened here before, what better time to start some tradition?” Becker has been to games at Gonzaga and Duke, and watched the Pilots play in the 1996 NCAA Tournament. He has witnessed the impact a crowd can have on a game and on a team. This is something he hopes the success of the Pilot men’s basketball team can instill in fans starting with the Gonzaga game. “I don’t know if we have had lazy fans or they’ve just been spoiled, but let’s get more rabid
and start a tradition,” Becker said. But just what makes this Gonzaga game so special to Becker? “I went to Jesuit (High School) in Portland, so many of my buddies chose to go to Gonzaga so these games have always meant a little bit more,” Becker said. Not only does the rivalry spark his interest in this game, but also admiration for the building process of the Gonzaga basketball team. “I have watched what they have built there and it didn’t happen overnight,” Becker said. “I have a lot of respect for their program but there is no reason we can’t be as good as them or better. I mean, we are in Portland, which most would say is better than Spokane.” This year may be the Pilots’ best chance to beat a struggling but always dangerous Gonzaga team. Coming off a huge win
against No. 24 St. Mary’s and building a 12-0 home record this season along with a packed Chiles Center should create a great environment for such an important game. Students are expecting a raucous gym and a victory over the typically dominant Bulldogs. “Crowds have been a little small but we need it like the last game,” sophomore Phil Stenberg said, “The St. Mary’s game was great, packed to the top. We need that same atmosphere. Fans goin’ crazy every time they made a dunk.” “I’m feelin’ like a 68 to 59 win! It’ll be close but the free throws at the end will add to our victory margin,” Stenberg said. The Pilots tip off against the Bulldogs tonight at 8:00 at the Chiles Center. The game will be broadcast on ESPN 2. In the words of Pat Becker, “Go Pilots!”
Women’s Basketball (conference play) 1) Gonzaga (7-0) 2) Saint Mary’s (5-2) 3) Pepperdine (4-3) 4) LMU (4-3) 5) Portland (3-4) 6) Santa Clara (3-4) 7) San Diego (1-6) 8) San Francisco (1-6) The Pilots begin the second half of conference play, traveling to Spokane to face the Gonzaga Bulldogs, who are undefeated in conference play. The Pilots return to the Chiles Center next Thursday to play Pepperdine at 7 p.m.
Men’s Tennis The Pilots opened their spring season with two straight victories, over Weber State 6-1, and then over Eastern Washington 6-1. The Pilots will take on the Idaho Vandals Friday at home in the Louisiana-Pacific Tennis Center at 2 p.m. The Pilots will continue the homestand this week with a match on Saturday against Gonzaga and on Sunday against UC Davis.
(courtesy portlandpilots.com, WCCsports.com)
The Beacon
16 February 3, 2011
www.upbeacon.net
Sports
BOOM! Pilots fly high over No. 24 St. Mary’s Led by freshman Tim Douglas’ 26 points, the Pilots’ 85-70 dismantling of the No. 24 St. Mary’s Gaels (now unranked) leads to a crucial game against rival Gonzaga Kevin Kadooka | THE BEACON
Bruce Garlinghouse Staff Writer garlingh13@up.edu Senior Kramer Knutson was at dinner with his girlfriend and parents when he received a text from fellow teammates telling him to check out SportsCenter. Knutson then realized his electrifying one handed put-back had made it onto a list that every athlete dreams of being selected for: SportsCenter’s Top Ten. “It was really cool,” Knutson said. “We always watch it in The Cove and talk about being on it. Especially beating out Blake Griffin.”
Midway through the second half, Knutson followed a missed jump shot with a left-handed putback that electrified the Chiles Center and landed Knutson the number five spot on SportsCenter’s Weekend Top Ten. Knutson’s dunk was one of many highlights that made up the Pilots’ convincing victory over conference favorite St. Mary’s, beating the Gaels 85-70. With the win, the Pilots remain undefeated in the friendly confines of the Chiles Center and picked up a much needed conference win after their tough road trip a week prior.
“All week, coach has been talking about making plays that win games. And that’s what we did. We made plays that win,” Knutson said. Many of those plays can be attributed to freshman Tim Douglas. The point guard erupted with 26 points, four assists and five rebounds. “I told Tim I don’t consider him a freshman anymore. After the St. Mary’s game I told him he needed to elevate his game, limit mistakes and produce consistent positives,” Head Coach Eric Reveno said. While Douglas showed an
elevated level of play, senior Jared Stohl and junior Nemanja Mitrovic continued their offensive production, scoring 38 points between them and remaining threats beyond the arc. The Pilots led by two going into half, but went on a 16-0 run after consecutive threes from Stohl and Mitrovic, capped off by eight points straight by Douglas. Despite St. Mary’s senior guard Mickey McConnel’s 32 points, the Pilots’ refocus on defense proved successful against the sharpshooting Gaels. St. Mary’s entered the game
shooting over 50 percent from the field, but the Gaels were held to 39 percent from field and 32 percent from three. St. Mary’s marked the first half of a rivalry week for the Pilots as they prepare for tonight’s game against Gonzaga. Gonzaga lost 71-73 to the Gaels earlier in the week and are 14-8 (4-3). Knutson said the win over St. Mary’s has given the Pilots a lot of confidence. “Everybody played well so we’re all feeling really good going into the game against Gonzaga,” Knutson said.