3.22.11

Maher stirs MSU

Students protest Sunday’s speaker at Juanita K. H a mm o n s H a l l

P a ge 4

Tuesday • March 22, 2011 • Vol. 104 Issue 24

Briefs

Construction will cause more delays

SGA ballot items available to students

Potential items to appear on the student body elections ballot are now available for the student body to view at sga.missouristate.edu. Issues on the ballot will include student body president and vice president tickets, senior class president, Wyrick Proposals and potential changes to the Student Government Constitution and Wyrick Commission Guidelines. All of these will require a certain amount of thoughtful consideration, and all will have an impact on the future of the student body, SGA said.

Students can vote on these issues during elections, which will run from 12:01 a.m. April 4 to 5 p.m. on April 6.

Calendar March 22 to March 28

Tuesday

SAC meeting 4 to 5 p.m., PSU 313 Student Senate meeting, 5:30 to 8 p.m., PSU 313 Exploring Careers: Health Care Panel 1 to 2:30 p.m., PSU 313

Wednesday Exploring Careers: Communication/Arts Panel 3 to 4:30 p.m., PSU 313

Long-range Plan Open Forum 3 to 4 p.m., Meyer Library auditorium “Home Again” 4 to 5 p.m., PSU 314 “Women's History Month: Getting the Vote and Using It” 5 to 8:20 p.m.

Interfraternity Council meeting 5:15 to 6 p.m., PSU 313 Panhellenic Council meeting 6 to 7 p.m., PSU 313 Tunnel of Oppression 7 to 11 p.m., Wells House basement Professor Kanan Makiya speaks 7:30 to 10 p.m., PSU 313

Thursday

Greek Week: Philanthropy Fair noon to 4 p.m., North Mall

Group Nutrition Counseling: Healthy Snacks 4 to 5 p.m., Taylor Health and Wellness Students for a sustainable Future meeting 4 to 5 p.m., Temple Hall pit Coronary Health Improvement Project session 5:15 to 6 p.m., Taylor Health and Wellness Tunnel of Oppression 7 to 11 p.m., Wells House basement

Monday

Coronary Health Improvement Project session 5:15 to 6 p.m., Taylor Health and Wellness WikiLeaks Panel 1 to 3 p.m., PSU 313

Recreation Center Information Forum 5:15 to 6 p.m., PSU 317AB

By Damien M. DiPlacido The Standard

Matt Kile/THE STANDARD

MSU and community volunteers made bracelets and collected donations Friday for the Japan relief effort.

Bears ‘illuminate’ Japan Students do their part to aid disaster

By Lauren Healey The Standard

Japan’s recent series of disasters is bringing Bears together to collect donations and helping hands for the country in need.

The “Bears Bringing Hope: Illuminating Japan” campaign launched Friday with a free concert in the PSU Theater.

The concert featured an acoustic/alternative rock show by local performers Berch, Melissa Harper and Nathaniel Carroll. Volunteers collected donations in buckets at the show.

Jeremy Schenk, director of the Office of Student Engagement, said SAC President Victoria Culver was at the first Bears Bringing Hope meeting to look at what could be done to raise money for Japan and suggested kicking off the campaign by changing the “Go Green” concert to “Illuminating Japan.”

Culver, who is serving as chair of “Bears Bringing Hope,” said it is our civic responsibility to help support those in need.

“I have always had a sense of responsibility that drives me to help others,” she said. “I strive to use the skills I have acquired in my various leadership positions to try to help others as much as I can. There is clearly a very strong need in Japan right now; it continues to grow worse.”

Andrew Schiller, a graduate student in the Geography, Geology and Planning Department, said this disaster is very severe because it was one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded.

“Japan sits on top of a subduction zone where the Pacific Plate is sliding under the Philippine and Eurasian plates,” he said. “When enough pressure builds up, it will slip in certain spots and cause earthquakes. Japan experiences a couple hundred earthquakes each year and has invested a large amount of resources in construction practices, which reduce the amount of damage caused by earthquakes.”

Schiller said when the 9.0 earthquake hit, the structures withstood the effects fairly well but still sustained some structural damage.

“To compound the problem, Japan was struck by a tsunami caused by the earthquake,” he said.

“When an earthquake occurs under the ocean floor, the movement of the crust displaces the water on top of it.

Gravity pulls the water back down, and the energy moves away from the epicenter.

“When the waves reach a shoreline, the energy pushes the water onto land and can travel a large distance. Since it is seawater, any fresh water will be contaminated and agriculture will be ruined. Most of the land that is used for agriculture is at a low elevation and is close to the shoreline.”

Mélida Gutiérrez, a professor in the Geography, Geology and Planning Department, said that the earlier the Japanese people are helped, the less damage they will experience.

“Things will get worse with

time,” she said. “Broken water pipelines may cause cross-contamination between water and sewage.

Bodies buried under the rubble that decompose may lead to unsanitary conditions. This may trigger terrible illnesses and can start an epidemic of astonishing proportions. The sooner the country starts cleaning up the mess left by the earthquake, the better the situation for them and the rest of the world. The economies of countries are so intertwined that what happens in Japan will directly affect us, as well as all other countries in the world.”

Schiller said it will be a long time before Japan can recover from this disaster, if it ever does.

“Japan has to import most of the materials it needs since it has few natural resources — like oil,” he said. “The economy in Japan has been down for years, and with a natural disaster like this, it will only get worse. In one day, the market dropped 16 points. Consider our economy, and then imagine what it would be like if there was a natural disaster that caused damage to the entire United States. I’m not saying we have an economy like Japan, but with as bad as things have been during the past few years, picture how much worse it would be if we had to contend with wide-spread destruction and no resources.”

Culver said two of the main ways students can get involved with the Bears Bringing Hope event is to donate to the cause and volunteer.

“There will be buckets around campus for the next month, and any donation can help Japan,” she said.

“In the Bears Backing Haiti cam-

See JAPAN page 2

A project is underway to replace the deteriorating Kansas Expressway bridge that sits above the Burlington NorthernSanta Fe rail yard on Kansas Expressway between Division Street and Atlantic Street in north Springfield.

Several years ago, MODOT decided to begin a rehabilitation project on the bridge’s crumbling deck, said Angela Eden, a 14-year community relations specialist of Springfield’s MODOT district.

The bridge’s reconstruction could be a major traffic inconvenience to Springfield’s motorists. The bridge will be reduced from four lanes to only one northbound and one southbound lane, Eden said.

“This has been a bridge that we’ve had ongoing maintenance issues with,” she said.

“MODOT crews have continually had to patch the bridge. We knew we needed to do something more permanent to fix it.”

Lehman Construction of California, Mo., was contracted to complete the rehabilitation project for the low bid of $6.8 million, Eden said.

“The bridge deck will be removed one half at a time and some minor repairs will be done to the girders and the bridge’s substructure,” she said. “A new bridge deck will then be put in place.”

On March 20, the bridge was closed completely at 8 p.m. and did not reopen until 5 a.m. the next day.

“The closing will allow contract crews to re-stripe the bridge,” Eden said.

“After reopening it on Monday morning, it will be in the two-lane configuration and will remain like that until Oct. 1.”

A detour around the bridge has already been signed, using Kearney Street, West Bypass and Chestnut Expressway. The detour will remain open day and night until Oct. 1, Eden said.

Motorists are encouraged to find alternate routes that work best for them.

Missouri State alum John O’Connor said he uses Kansas Expressway several times a month.

“Fixing a dangerous bridge is a good thing, but it’s terrible because of the amount of daily traffic that uses that road,” O’Connor said. “I’m sure a lot of people are going to be upset about the delays.”

See BRIDGE page 2

Art department makes full switch to Brick City

By Amanda Hess The Standard

Rachael Seale, a sophomore photography major, has been late to her class in Siceluff all week because her three-dimensional design class moved to Brick City Gallery over spring break.

“I am really aggravated by how much time it takes to get to Brick City,” Seale said. “I have to be in Siceluff in 15 minutes from my 3D-design class, and it takes 20 (minutes) on the shuttle, so I’m always late. The buses do what they can, but it takes time to drive from downtown to campus.”

She had enrolled in the class in the Art Annex to make sure she had enough time to get to her other class in Siceluff, she said. But that changed when the Art and Design Department completely moved out of the Art Annex and into Brick City Gallery.

“My teacher is trying to help us out by starting the class later and ending the class earlier, but it is cutting into my learning,” Seale said. “The class is very time-intensive, and we need that time to do our projects.”

Wade Thompson, head of the

Art and Design Department, said the department has been in the process of moving all classes to Brick City Gallery for a while.

“Two years ago, part of the Art and Design Department moved to Brick City,” Thompson said. “It was phase one; we moved areas of painting and drawing and the gallery on the first move. What we did over break was move more parts of Art and Design. We moved art education, metals, 2D and 3D classes. As of right now, all of Art and Design has moved out of Art Annex.”

Seale said she thinks the department could have dealt with the move in a better way.

“We found out a couple weeks before,” she said. “We were never sent emails about it; it was up to the instructor to tell us. We had to make sure we had enough space for our projects and that nothing got broken or damaged in the move. It was definitely stressful.”

The move was decided upon quickly, Thompson said. The department was told by the developers the classes were allowed to

Britney Shryer/THE STANDARD

All art classes that used to be held in the Art Annex have since See ART page 2 been moved to the downtown location at Brick City.

2

News

Japan Continued from page 1

paign, over $18,000 was raised just from pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters.”

If you can’t contribute financially, a great way to help out is to volunteer, Culver said.

“During the weeks of March 28 through April 1 and April 11 through April 15, Bears Bringing Hope will be sponsoring bucket collection from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day,” she said. “We currently need volunteers for all of those times. Students can sign up to volunteer in the Office of Student Engagement.”

Culver said another way to contribute to the Bears Bringing Hope campaign is to text BEARS to 50555, which will donate $10 (that will be applied to your cell phone bill) to Convoy of Hope’s efforts for Japan.

Schenk said the group is

focusing on raising money instead of water or canned food because the amount of time it takes to collect it and the cost to ship it won’t be immediately available.

“We will give the money raised to Convoy of Hope, a global disaster relief organization whose headquarters are in Springfield,” Schenk said.

“They have processes and systems in place to take that money and really do something with it. At the end of the Haiti fundraiser, we had about $50,500 that Convoy of Hope was able to multiply by seven.

That ended up being almost $350,000 worth of product we were able to get in the hands of people in Haiti.”

Schenk said the Bears Bringing Hope goal is to raise $30,000 in 30 days.

“It’s a number that will stretch us but is still realistic,” he said. “With Bears Backing Haiti, we did a campaign that raised $34,000 in 50 hours.

We have a lot of events we want to connect this campaign

A rt Continued from page 1

move in before scheduled, during the summer.

“We had the opportunity to move since it was a slow period for the movers, and we were able to have a large crew move everything quickly,” he said. “It was very important that we had enough people to move and do it quickly.”

The department tried to make the move as easy a transition as possible, he said.

The department simply outgrew the building and had to move downtown for more space.

“We developed a program. We had professors take the students on the shuttle and show them the rooms they were going to be in,” he said. “We didn’t want to have them walk into a strange place. They were

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

The Standard

with, however. One of the concluding events will be a Springfield Cardinals game that we’ll be trying to sell 1,000 tickets for.”

Culver said Bears Bringing Hope will cosponsor the game with Convoy of Hope on April 15.

“For each ticket the group sells, the Springfield Cardinals will donate $4 for our cause,” she said.

“Ticket sale procedures will be announced next week.”

Schenk said Bears Bringing Hope will also mimic certain fundraising campaigns that ask for a dollar and give you a small piece of paper to write your name on and tape it up somewhere in the store.

“We’re going to create a Japanese lantern version of that with the Japanese symbol for hope,” he said, “thus the name ‘Illuminating Hope.’”

More than 25 students showed up for the first Bears Bringing Hope meeting, Schenk said.

“The sheer number of peo-

given maps as well so they would know their way around.”

The Annex has also been occupied by Theatre and Dance Department over the last year, Thompson said. Theatre and Dance has one of the large rooms and a few smaller rooms in the Annex.

Bob Willenbrink, department head of the Theatre and Dance Department, said it was the department’s intention to take over the Art Annex over the summer.

“It is all part of a set of dominoes,” Willenbrink said. “Carrington is going to be reconfigured, so any classes in Carrington will be moved out. It will be used for non-traditional, large classes. We have six classes there and they will be moved to the Annex. Eventually, we will consume all of Art Annex.”

There is a current issue with noise for some of the classes that practice acting, he said. The Annex will be used for such classes and desperately needed storage.

ple who died in Haiti far surpasses what we know of right now in Japan,” he said. “But looking at the amount of devastation Japan faces — earthquake, tsunami and now issues with nuclear power plants — your heart really goes out for the country. Students who know what’s going on feel compelled to do something.”

There will be a lot more of this type of response at MSU in the future, and Bears Bringing Hope may be a group that continues, Schenk said.

“Students want to react, but often they wonder how,” he said. “Our office’s job is to pull them together and show them how. The success of the campaign rests on the students’ shoulders, but we’ll be here to make sure they feel supported.”

Elizabeth Strong, director of the study away program, said MSU had one student studying in Japan, but the program evacuated him and he arrived home safely Thursday night.

Bridge Continued from page 1

In addition to the bridge deck being rebuilt, new traffic signals will be installed on Kansas Expressway at Division Street and another at Atlantic Street. New sidewalks will also be built on both sides of the bridge.

The entire project is scheduled to be completed

by Dec.1, Eden said. Additional information is available at MODOT’s website, www.modot.gov/springfield

Last Weekʼs Sudoku Answers

Weekly Crossword © 2011 King Features Synd., Inc.

ACROSS 1 Cornfield comment 4 However 7 Nerdy sort 12 Historic period 13 Eventual aves 14 Heart line 15 Benicio - Toro 16 Mentionables?

18 Pismire 19 Fire 20 Bronx cheer 22 Schedule abbr.

23 Bean curd 27 Type measures 29 Handsome lad 31 “Survivor” team 34 Phantom’s bailiwick 35 Fireplace part 37 Modern-day evidence 38 Sicilian spouter 39 Carte intro 41 Region 45 Donkey’s sounds 47 Transmit electronically 48 Flotation device 52 “A pox upon thee!”

53 Go 54 Rule, for short 55 Listener 56 Worked (up) 57 Fuss 58 Banned bug spray DOWN 1 Fragrant wood 2 Sports venue 3 Ballroom favorite 4 Nitwit 5 Palatal

pendants 6 Turkic tongue 7 Challenge 8 “Holy mackerel!”

9 Before 10 Seventh letter 11 Tavern 17 Poet Pound 21 Marty, in “Madagascar” 23 November birthstone 24 Inseparable 25 Ever-green type 26 “- Today” 28 Profit 30 Dress in 31 Commonest English word 32 On Soc. Sec. 33 Writer Fleming 36 Rodgers collaborator 37 Convertible

Last Weekʼs Puzzle Answers

sofa 40 First lady after Hillary 42 Slain, gangster style 43 Water nymph 44 Put forth, as

strength 45 Raised 46 Lily variety 48 Sort 49 Born 50 Aye opponent 51 Leading lady?

Tuesday

March 22, 2011

It’s not too early to discuss the 2012 election

A few days ago, as I was scanning the online daily News-Leader, I caught a glimpse of one of my favorite syndicated columnist’s recent articles — “It’s too early to care about 2012 GOP presidential hopefuls” said the headline. Because all I hear on political talk radio is the potential candidates for the 2012 election, I was intrigued and read further.

As Kathleen Parker’s columns consistently tend to inspire irritation with her readers (a characteristic I find oddly comforting), I found myself grouped alongside the other anonymous and angry nobodies that felt the need to comment on the famous writer’s recent article. Any nobody with a brain knows that the likelihood of Parker reading those comments is slim to none, but facts like these will not stop the closetconfrontationalists from spilling their rage onto the keyboard. (When else will people listen to them if not on an open-online forum?)

It is not too early to be considering potential candidates for 2012. It is never too early to be following leaders in the country and holding them accountable for their actions. As much as I admonish professional politicians for using half of their time to campaign, I do not blame commentators and journalists for keeping a watchful eye on the powerful.

Those who claim they are exhausted of hearing news about potential candidates have the option to tune out. It is a fact of this day and age that 24-hour news coverage will undoubtedly be feeding listeners and readers inconsequential news at some point in the cycle. There is not 24

Brittany Forell hours worth of groundbreaking news every day.

As a result, we look further into the future. We speculate.

It is a sure thing that Americans grow tired of hearing about the scandals of Sarah Palin and the “outrageously” forthright speeches she so commonly makes. It is clear to me that Palin will be an agent of destruction for the Republican party in a 2012 election, and this is a common opinion of both political experts and “everyday Joe’s,” so I will only quickly make mention of a “Palin for President” possibility.

I cannot bring myself to take seriously the claims that Donald Trump will run in 2012, so onward to more likely candidates.

As a moderate voter, I do not pray for an extremely powerful Republican to elbow his way in front of Obama. I hope to find a strong candidate to combat another strong candidate.

Well-balanced elections make for good choices for the American people. Of the many hopefuls, there are few that stand out so far.

I encourage everyone to take a close look at Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich, David Petraeus and Tim Pawlenty — all Republican candidates that may have a shot against our most controversial presidential incumbent, Barack Obama. As I have limited space, I only wish to take a detailed exploration into one interesting potential 2012-er.

Columnist

Fred Karger is a potential candidate that I can’t help but find intriguing. To sum up his current popularity, his campaign slogan is, “Fred Who?” Karger is a Californiabased political consultant and activist who lists Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford among his clients. Karger has extensive experience in politics and governmental affairs that has spanned over 35 years. Although he’s an active gay rights supporter, Karger swears by his solid Republican credentials, claiming that his “DNA is Republican” although just a “little more moderate.”

The moderate part probably explains why, in 2008, he maxed out his legal campaign contributions to Hillary Clinton’s campaign and why he voted for Ralph Nader in the general election.

Aside from his gay rights platform, moderation is likely what Karger hopes will set him apart from his challengers in 2012. In a year, when most Republicans will be running to the right and denouncing big government, big taxes and the Obama agenda, Karger plans to plant himself firmly in the middle, supporting the legalization of medical marijuana and sensible gun control regulations. He’s even taken up the label “Independent Republican.”

I wonder if Karger would have taken up the label “Independent Democrat” if it were 2008 instead of 2012. It seems Karger recognizes the cycle Americans practice with a twoparty system. The status quo is being criticized, a Democrat is in the Oval Office, and so we must now elect a Republican. There-

Do you have an Opinion?

fore, the independent tacks “Republican” to his label.

The man clearly knows how to campaign.

As I’ve stated in several columns, America cannot be a successful democratic republic without eliminating the two-party system.

We need an independent in a place of power. The majority of Americans are moderate, not polarized. If you disagree, I encourage you to read the book “Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America” by Morris P. Fiorina with Samuel J. Abrams and Jeremy C. Pope.

Karger is quirky and different from traditional politicians but has enough experience in government and business to be a powerful 2012 candidate. Unfortunately, the fact that he is a gay presidential candidate will most likely overshadow his sensible and moderate views on issues. I hate to underestimate the American people, so I can only hope that America is ready for an openly gay presidential candidate. If not, we may be handing the country over to a celebrity real estate magnate who’s company has filed repeated chapter 11 bankruptcies, leaning on the American system to keep his company afloat. Unethical and bull-headed business moguls make for bad presidents.

Karger is an interesting possibility to keep tabs on, but there are many potentials for the 2012 election. It is not too early to know the powerful players in your country and government.

Don’t allow the disinterested or apathetic to curb interest in political activity. The less you know, the less you’re worth in the voting booths. I say keep the news feeds coming.

Social media is more than just a connection to friends

For as long as most of us students have been alive, the Middle East has been a place of turmoil and unrest: A place often associated with violence.

Since December 2010, violence there has escalated as youth, meaning 20-somethings like us, have led protests in several Middle Eastern countries, including Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain and Libya.

Many of their protests were largely organized via social media, and these websites have served as news outlets for people both in the United States and abroad.

Though it is too early to tell how large and what kind of a role social media has played in these youthful demonstrations, what we do know is that sites like Facebook and Twitter have certainly played some kind of role.

The fact that the people using Facebook and Twitter in this fashion are 20-somethings like us makes our own usage of social media seem even more trivial and juvenile.

Think about the pictures of yourself on Facebook. In how many of them do you appear intoxicated? And, out of those pictures in which you appear to be intoxicated, in how many of those are you under the age of 21?

What kinds of things do you post in Facebook or Twitter updates? Complaints about how much homework you have to do?

As demonstrated in this issue’s story about social media, there are several students on this campus who have found a way to use this technology responsibly. However, for every student who uses it responsibly, there’s probably another one posting drunken photos.

As journalism professor Andy Cline says, social media is still young, and we’re still exploring the ways in which these tools can be used.

However, one thing is certain: Social media is not a toy. It can be used to organize anti-government protests. It can destroy your chances with a potential employer.

If you’re still posting drunken photos of yourself, it’s time to remove them.

send a letter to the editor

Standard@MissouriState.edu or Student Media Center 113 Cartoon by Rachel Brown

Republicans need to back a candidate soon

When someone comes up to me and says they have some good news and some bad news, I always want to hear the good news first. So, I’ll do unto others how I want them to do unto me and immediately share the good news.

These days, the Republican Party seems to be kicking ass and taking names.

When Republicans recently took over the United States House of Representatives and obtained more Senate seats and governor positions, the media called the conservative shift everything from a tidal wave to a hurricane.

Frankly, it’s no secret that the Republican Party is in a great place. People didn’t like what they saw with the Democrats, and they voted Republicans into office in all levels of gov-

ernment.

Now for the dreaded bad news. Even though Republicans are energized and there has been a massive conservative shift throughout the country, nobody knows who the heck they should actually be energized for. I’m totally clueless as to who will become the front-runner to step up and beat Obama, and I’m not alone.

Usually, both political parties already have a decent idea of which former candidate or other senior party member will be pegged as the election’s front-runner, but, for some reason, that doesn’t appear to be the case this time around.

Oh, yeah, there are a lot of very well-known Republicans who are considering running, but it seems like

The Standard

sions are also welcome. The Standard reserves the right to edit all submissions for punctuation, spelling, length and good taste. Letters should be mailed to The Standard, 901 S. National Ave., Springfield, MO 65897 or e-mailed to Standard@Missouri State.edu.

Editorial Policy The Standard is the official student-run newspaper of Missouri State University. Student editors and staff members are responsible for all content. The views expressed do not represent those of the university.

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Greg Edwards Columnist

there isn’t a candidate who will make it easy for the party to unite behind them.

Some of the candidates who come to mind have become more “celebrity politicians” than anything else, complete with their own TV shows.

Quite a few Republicans have some serious, obvious concerns with Sarah Palin.

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is acting like he may run, but even he has a shady past and is a political tease. Mitt Romney will probably run, The Standard reserves the right to edit or reject any advertising copy at any time. The Standard encourages responsibility and good taste in advertising. Political advertisements must show clear endorsement, such as “Paid for by (Advertiser).” A sample of all mail-order items must be submitted prior to the publication of the advertisement. Advertising having the appearance of news must have the word “advertisement” printed above. Such ads must be bordered.

Clear sponsorship must be shown on each advertisement. Position requests will be honored when possible but are not guaranteed.

In case of error or omission, The

but sadly his reputation as a flip-flopper follows him around like Wile E. Coyote after the Road Runner.

Of course, Ron Paul will run, and truth be told, he has some good ideas. But, like it or not, some of his ideas are just too “out there” for him to get the support necessary to win. Even if his candidacy is a “revolution,” he just doesn’t have the necessary base.

It is interesting to note, though, that Paul has won CPAC’s annual straw poll for the last two years. And this year he didn’t even get booed.

It’s gotten to the point now, because everyone is struggling to determine who will ultimately challenge Obama, that even Donald Trump is contemplating running. That’s right. I said Donald Trump.

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Things have to be a mess when somebody like “The Donald” has just as good of a shot as anybody at winning the Republican nomination. Oh well, at least he’d have no problem firing anybody and everybody that he doesn’t get along with.

We also have to consider Mike Huckabee, Tim Pawlenty and a ton of others as serious contenders. And that’s the problem. There are a whole lot of people to consider, but nobody has any clue which person to back as the top contender.

Basically, it’s like Republicans have all the crayons out of the presidential candidate box, but they can’t figure out which color to choose to complete their presidential art project.

If the party doesn’t come together and pick someone The Standard Physical address: Student Media Center 744 E. Cherry St. Postal address: 901 S. National Ave. Springfield, MO 65897

to be more enthused about soon, they may be screwed.

The country may be screwed.

Sure, Obama loses popularity every day, but it’s crucial for Republicans to make a move and have a clear idea about someone if they want to see Obama go down as a one-termer.

It’s pointless for Republicans out there to be energized if no one is clear who they should be energized about right now. Almost any Republican would be better than Obama, but by this point people should have a strong feeling about who will actually step up to lead the party.

If the Republicans play their cards right, they may take over the White House in 2012. But, if they don’t…

Well, I don’t even want to consider that possibility.

Editor in Chief Sarah Bennett 417-836-5272

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Tuesday

March 22, 2011

Calendar March 22 to March 28

Tuesday

SAC Comedy presents: “Quite Tickled Tuesday” 7 p.m., PSU Kaldi’s Lounge

MSU Symphony Concerto concert 7:30 p.m., Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts Carrie’s Restaurant open 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Professional Building 426

Wednesday

Mija, Golden Giant and The Nighthawks concert 10 p.m., The Outland “Home Again” seminar 4 p.m., PSU 314 The Vine meeting 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Carrington Theatre

Thursday

SAC presents: Texas Hold ‘em 9 p.m., PSU food court

Fundraiser for Haven of the Ozarks 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Panera Bread 3837 S. Campbell St.

Friday

“Art on Africa” exhibit 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Meyer Library 306

Springfield Roller Girls present: Bible Belt Sinners 9 p.m., Outland Ballroom “My First Time” 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Springfield Contemporary Theatre at the Vandivort Centre Golden Giant with Nigel and The Ghost and Archimedian Point concert 9 p.m., The Highlife

Saturday

Greek Jam 7 p.m. to 11 p.m, McDonald Arena Battle to play Green Mountain Eco Fest 9 p.m., Outland Ballroom Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin 9 p.m., The Outland

Sunday

SAC Films presents: “Mona Lisa Smile” 9 p.m., PSU Theater

Monday

WikiLeaks Panel Discussion 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., PSU 313

Briefs Social activity studies prejudice

Residence Life and Services is hosting “Tunnel of Oppression,” a two-day activity designed to bring awareness to hate words and stereotypes and their impact on society, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday in the Wells House basement. The event is free and open to the public.

Speaker sheds light on Iraqi society

Professor Kanan Makiya, founder of the Iraq Memory Foundation, a Baghdad and United States-based organization dedicated to issues of remembrance and identity formation, will speak from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday in Plaster Student Union room 313.

Makiya’s talk is titled “The Fall of the Dictators: What’s Next?,” which will focus on the Iraqi identity in a post-Saddam Hussein society.

Makiya is a professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies at Brandeis University and the author of four books. He founded the Iraq Memory Foundation in 2003.

Panel to discuss voting among women

The Gerontology Program will host “Getting the Vote and Using It,” a panel on the women’s suffrage movement, from 5 p.m. to 8:20 p.m. Wednesday in the PSU Theater.

The panel will focus on the history of women’s voting around the world, the women’s suffrage movement and the current impact on women voters.

The event is free and open to the public.

Britney Shryer/THE STANDARD

Students and community members showed up to counterprotest the members of the Westboro Baptist Church on Sunday evening. Bill Maher’s performance at Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts prompted the protest and subsequent counterprotest.

Standing against hate

Students react to controversial church’s protest

By Abby Webster The Standard

The infamous Westboro Baptist Church and their signs showed up before Bill Maher’s visit to Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts on March 20, and many Missouri State students and community members reacted with their own signs.

Bill Maher is an activist, comedian and actor.

He’s primarily liberal — pro-choice and pro-gay marriage — and considers himself an apatheist, rather than an agnostic or atheist.

Jacob Phelps, grandson of pastor Fred Phelps and member of the Topeka-based Westboro Baptist Church, had this to say about Maher’s upcoming performance: “Well, he did that movie ‘Religulous.’ But he doesn’t get to the full matter of truth. All these religions speak lies, except for us. And that’s what he should have been preaching on.”

So what exactly does the WBC believe?

Phelps gave some information on the subject.

“Our message is that God hates. Not only does he hate, but he abhors all workers of iniquity. Our message is to warn people to flee the wrath to come.”

Phelps explained why God would be punishing the nation. He also outlined the signals of the coming wrath, according to the church.

“He says, ‘If you obey me, I’ll bless you. If you disobey me, I’ll curse you.’ So that’s what this nation is going through right now. That’s what Japan just faced with that earthquake and tsunami.”

The WBC believe’s the nation’s gravest sin is its toleration for homosexuality. Natural disasters, the collapse of the Twin Towers and deaths of American soldiers are the nation’s punishment for tolerating homosexuality. Hence, they picket funerals.

When asked if there was any compassion or guilt that went in to the picketing of funerals, Phelps answered “no” and went on to explain why.

“Death time is the time when you should be teaching the truth of God, and so they’re using these funerals as an instrument. They’re using funerals as a propaganda machine. They’re using the military funerals to say ‘God bless America’ and ‘America’s great’ even though God killed that soldier at a very young age.”

Kevin Pybus, a political science instructor at Missouri State, discussed why the law permits the group’s funeral picketing.

“The most recent lawsuit, Snyder vs. Phelps, was an 8-to-1 decision. The Supreme Court states that speech is something the government can’t regulate. Picketing and protesting a funeral at the death of a child may be very offensive, but it’s simply been our tradition, rightly or wrongly, that census speech should not be regulated but countered with more speech. The Supreme Court is not siding with the conduct of the WBC; they just can’t regulate things like this unless there is an incitement to violence.”

And counterprotest many students did.

Vocal performance major Molly Flannigan explained why she attended the counterprotest.

Britney Shryer/THE STANDARD

Westboro Baptist Church came to protest.

“I’ve actually had previous experience with this church because in high school we did a show ‘The Laramie Project,’ which is about Matthew Shepard, who was beaten to death because he was gay. They came and protested the show. I don’t agree with their church at all, and I feel like people should take a stand against them,” she said.

Missouri State Student Heather Stole expressed her reasoning for protesting the church.

“I think the things they’re saying are so crude.

They’re portraying God as being evil yet they’re a church. God is all loving,” she said.

Philosophy major Mark Nichols explained what he thinks the WBC is trying to accomplish.

“I’m actually coming to the conclusion that they really don’t believe this,” he said. “They figured out some way to kind of work the system to their advantage and make a few bucks on the side, and this is their sort of career I guess. If it makes them happy, that’s fine.”

Nichols mentioned that the huge turn out of counterprotesters is uplifting.

“I’m inspired by all of this non-hate though.

Speaker reveals reality of sex trafficking

By Kaycie Surrell The Standard

You would never guess by looking at guest speaker Katie Rhoades that she was anything other than a graduate student struggling like the rest of us with work, school, bills and the impending future. You would certainly never have been able to tell that she was once a victim of sex trafficking.

When we think of sex trafficking, we tend to gravitate toward images of Liam Neeson standing in dirty hallways of international hostels searching for his daughter who was forced into the slave trade. According to Rhoades’ story, the sex trade isn’t limited to foreign countries; it happens right here in the United States under the guise of prostitution.

Prostitution isn’t a very wellrespected profession in this country, but it isn’t exactly flying under anyone’s radar either. Movies like “Pretty Woman,” “Hustle and Flow” and “Taxi Driver” all feature prostitutes as main characters and seem to lighten the nature of the profession. The truth is, the women who are portrayed in those movies and women that work as prostitutes day to day are part of the sex trade.

“It is how thousands of women in this country live, and it’s not a party,” Rhoades said.

Courtney Current, SAC Lectures chair and junior public relations major, said they originally wanted someone to visit Missouri State who would debate the legalization of prostitution, but they were led in a different direction toward Rhoades who, due to the nature of her involvement with the sex trade, wouldn’t debate the topic. Instead, she provided an insider’s perspective.

“I think that human trafficking is a terrible thing that is kind of overlooked or looked at like it only happens in foreign countries and not in

Michael Gulledge/THE STANDARD

Katie Rhoades talked about her experience with sex trafficking. our own backyards and in American cities. I think people should be made aware that it does happen,” Current said. “It happens in St. Louis, and I’m sure it happens in Springfield.”

Rhoades’ story is a heart-wrenching one that proves that even a city like Springfield isn’t free from the dangers of the sex trade.

Rhoades was 19 years old living in Portland, Ore., when she was trafficked. She had been working in a strip club and was approached by the “bottom girl” of her future pimp.

The bottom girl is a pimp’s main girl and is also in charge of recruiting other women. This particular bottom girl convinced Rhoades, with the lure of more money, to come with her to San Francisco where she would work as a stripper and an escort. Rhoades was taught how to make money and was expected to bring home $1,000 a night.

Although it may have been a voluntary decision to go to San Francisco, Rhoades said the threats of violence and her pimp’s manipulation are

what kept her from getting out of the business.

“Once you believe that stuff, you don’t know any other way to get out,” she said. “I knew if I ran and got caught, I was going to end up in a Dumpster.”

The fear that women involved in U.S. sex trafficking feel is the same fear felt by the women sold into the sex trade in foreign countries but is hardly thought of as the same thing.

Women in this situation in our country are rarely thought of as victims but are instead thought of as common criminals, juvenile delinquents, runaways, addicts and, of course, prostitutes. The men who control them are simply referred to as pimps.

A pimp doesn’t seem to have the same negative connotation as sex trafficker, though what they share are tools of the same trade. By definition, both coerce women into the sex trade by using tools of manipulation and, often, force.

According to a presentation on victims of commercial sexual

exploitation on behalf of Motivating, Inspiring, Supporting and Serving Sexually Exploited Youth, most victims have reported being raped by their pimp and his associates. Others have reported being forced by their pimps to consume drugs and alcohol.

Rhoades made her escape in 2002 with the help of her former family nurse practitioner. She was able to get into an in-patient rehab clinic and begin taking the difficult steps toward recovery.

Though Rhoades was lucky enough to get out of the sex trade, she admitted that, at first, it was hard to keep from going back to her old lifestyle.

“Just a couple years ago, I was flat broke,” Rhoades said. “I seriously considered going back to stripping. I convinced myself that I could go back to just that, but it’s the same thinking that got me into that in the first place.”

Rhoades’ story shows the reality of working in the sex trade.

It isn’t at all like what is portrayed in music videos and movies; it’s real women literally selling themselves for survival. They often feel that they have no choice once they’re involved with a pimp or sex trafficker because the alternative can be life-threatening, she said.

Rhoades challenged her audience to question what we think of as entertainment and to think of it a little differently in light of her story.

“Anywhere there is adult entertainment, there is a demand for sex. And anywhere there is a demand for sex, there is a demand for women,” she said.

To learn about what you can do to help those affected by sex trafficking, visit the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (www.caase.org), Men Can Stop Rape (www.mencanstoprape.org) and A Call To Men (www.acalltomen.org).

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

The Standard

Life

5

Sci-fi comedy ‘Paul’ scores big with geeky gags

Aliens attack!

Run for your lives! Actually, I’m kidding. In Karman fact, when it Bowers comes to aliens, “Paul” is probaMovie bly the most Reviewer harmless and funny one around.

The story goes something like this: Two British nerds (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost), fresh from Comic-Con, rent an RV, go on a road trip across America and stop at every famous location associated with extraterrestrials. Things go well until they run into Paul

(voiced by Seth Rogen), an alien who needs their help getting home. Let the games begin.

Now, before we really get into this, there is one thing you must know: If you’re expecting the next “Shaun of the Dead” or “Hot Fuzz,” don’t be. “Paul” is not the next in what is sometimes referred to as the Cornetto Trilogy; it is simply Pegg and Frost’s side project that they were able to bring to life.

However, this is definitely a comedy. The question is, a comedy for whom? There were lots of all-around jokes and funny bits, but there was also a bit of humor that you had to have already had the cultural references to get.

It certainly seemed to be a movie made more for the American audience than something like “Hot Fuzz,” considering it is set in the States, but there were a few bits of comedy thrown in that you might not catch if you weren’t familiar with British humor or even culture.

That’s not all. Above all else, the type of comedy found in “Paul” is what I’m going to call “geek humor.” If you’re not up to speed on some classic sci-fi, then a lot of the jokes may breeze right past you. Sure, there is some “on the nose” stuff in there, but the best stuff is very subtle.

Now, let’s talk about the character that stole every scene. Of course, it’s Paul. He was fantastically done. He looked real, or as

real as an alien can, and the interaction between the animated Paul and live actors was flawless as far as I could tell. I was genuinely surprised and pleased at how welldone he was.

Another character who stole the show was Jason Bateman’s Agent Zoil. He was brilliant as the hard-assed agent hot on Paul’s trail. He was also quite brutal, as were all the deaths in the movie which, to be honest, was a little surprising.

What isn’t surprising was that “Paul” is just a good movie. It wasn’t “Shaun of the Dead,” but then again, it’s a totally different movie. It was funny and had some heart.

Your own personal level of “geek” is what’s going to make all the difference.

Scholarly slumber: Expert says sleep leads to success

By Rachel Bonar The Standard

Catch some Z’s. Crash. Doze. Dream.

Hit the hay. Hit the sack. Slumber. Snooze.

It has many names, but it is more simply known as sleep. We all do it. But the question is, do we do it enough?

This was the main topic in a lecture presented to the student body on March 15.

“I had somebody mention to me the other day that they think sleep is a waste of their life,” said Paul Durham, professor of cell biology and director of the Center for Biomedical and Life Sciences. “What I am hoping to do is show how important sleep is. That actually getting that seven to nine hours of sleep is very important.”

Sleep has a many different effects on the body, Durham said.

“When you don’t get enough sleep, your body wants to store calories,” he said.

“There is a real, direct link between obesity and lack of sleep.”

Along with weight gain, lack of sleep can leave the body defenseless against sickness, Durham said.

“A good night of sleep is very important for our immune functions and fighting off diseases,” he said. “There is a statistic this year where, if there was the flu going around in your house and you were getting more than eight hours of sleep, you were something like 75 percent less likely to get the flu than if you were getting less than seven hours of sleep.”

Bad sleeping habits can also alter a person’s mood, Durham said.

“With lack of sleep, there is a risk of mood alterations,” he said. “People can go from getting a little bit cranky all the way to being outright depressed.”

Some students find that they can relate to what Durham said.

“When I don’t get enough sleep, I feel like I have a hangover or like a zombie,” said Matt Noe, sophomore graphic design major. “Usually, if I don’t get enough sleep, I will just skip class.”

Other students find that, when they don’t get enough sleep, it’s not only their moods that are altered.

“When I don’t get what I need to function, which is about six hours, I have awful migraines, and I feel sick for the remainder of the day,” said Renee Schmickley, a sophomore undeclared major. “Usually, if this happens, I nap for about four hours to make up for the energy lost.”

In our culture, sleep deprivation often goes unnoticed, Durham said.

“I think, in our culture, we don’t really know how sleep deprived we are,” he said.

There are many solutions to help ease the disadvantages that are tacked onto sleep deprivation.

“People often ask, ‘If I take a nap, how long should I take?’” Durham said. “What they say is it should probably not be more than two hours. It should probably be kept close to a half hour to an hour. In other words, if you take too long of a siesta, it could actually interfere with your regular sleep cycle for the night.”

Meditation, as well as naps, is a good way to fight the feelings of fatigue, he said.

“If you can’t get a good nights sleep, one thing to do is meditation,” Durham said. “What you do is a breathing exercise in the middle part of the day. What they have shown is, if you do a deep breathing exercise for 20 minutes, it is the equivalent to two hours of rest.”

So whether it’s a catnap, siesta, deep breathing or catching a few winks, keeping well-rested should be at the top of the perpetual to-do list.

Tuesday

March 22, 2011

Scorebox

Baseball Tuesday, March 15 (13 innings) Southeast Missouri State 0020500000001–8 Missouri State 3000400000000–7 Wednesday, March 16 SEMO 010000000–1 Mo. State 001000001–2 Friday, March 18 West. Ill. 000001000–1 Mo. State 01220013X–9 Saturday, March 19 West. Ill. 000100010–2 Mo. State 01002101X–5 Men’s Basketball Tuesday, March 15 Murray State 31 45 – 76 Missouri State 38 51 – 89 Monday, March 21 Miami 25 56 – 81 Missouri State 32 40 – 72 Softball Tuesday, March 15 ND State 0001000–1 Missouri State 0000000–0 Wednesday, March 16 Minnesota 0000001–1 Missouri State 000200X–2 Thursday, March 17 Minnesota 0000010–1 Missouri State 001010X–2 Saturday, March 19 Northern Iowa 0000201–3 Missouri State 0100000–1 Sunday, March 21 Northern Iowa 1000040–5 Missouri State 101130X–6 Women’s Basketball Thursday, March 17 Rice 34 31 – 65 Missouri State 37 39 – 76 Sunday, March 20 Arkansas 34 31 – 65 Missouri State 28 36 – 64 Women’s Golf Tuesday, March 15 Jackrabbit Invitational 2nd of 14 Women’s Soccer Sunday, March 21 (three periods) Missouri S&T 000–0 Missouri State 001–1

Calendar

March 22 to March 28

Tuesday

Softball at home vs. Oklahoma State, 5 p.m.

Friday

Track and Field away at Stanford Invitational, 9 a.m.

Track and Field away at SIU Spring Classic, 9 a.m.

Baseball away at Oral Roberts, 3 p.m.

Saturday

Softball away at Indiana State (doubleheader), noon

Women’s Soccer at home vs.

Missouri Valley College (spring exhibition), 1 p.m.

Baseball at home vs.

Oral Roberts, 2 p.m.

Sunday

Softball away at Indiana State, noon

Baseball at home vs. Oral Roberts, 1 p.m.

Monday

Men’s Golf away at UALR Intercollegiate, 8:30 a.m.

Women’s Golf away at UALR Classic, 8 a.m.

Briefs

Softball takes two of three from UNI

Sophomore Madison Hargrove went 2-for-4 including a walk-off single in the eighth inning as the Missouri State softball team (1110, 2-1) took the final two games of the Valley series against UNI (14-13, 1-2) at Killian Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Bears scored a 6-5 win in the completion of Saturday's suspended game and rallied for a 3-2 extrainning win in the series finale.

Welber sets record

Junior Kelsey Welber led the Missouri State women's golf team to a second-place finish at the Jackrabbit Invitational on the back of a record-setting performance. Welber's 54-hole score of 215 is a new school record for lowest score. The previous record was held by Missy Linnens set in 2007. Welber shot rounds of 70 (one under par), 68 (three under par) and 77 (six over par). She finished second overall.

The team champion was Oral Roberts, who shot 872 (20 over par).

Missouri State placed fourth with a score of 883. North Dakota State's Amy Anderson topped the individual leaderboard with rounds of 7174-68-213 to finish at par over 54 holes.

Four seniors end careers in Miami

By Jon Poorman The Standard

A season full of magical moments and historic accomplishments came to an end for the Bears Monday night as they lost their second-round NIT game against Miami, 81-72.

MSU could not hold off a hot Hurricane team in the second half and dug themselves into a hole too deep to climb out of.

The Bears started the game off slow, and Miami took an early 9-2 lead. MSU started the game 1-for-9 from the field.

They were getting good, open looks but weren’t connecting on many of their attempts.

However, the Bears settled in and went on an 8-0 run to take their first lead of the game with about eight minutes into the game.

From that point, the Bears began to hit more of their shots. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Adam Leonard and Nathan Scheer gave Missouri State a 25-19 lead with 4:35 left in the first half.

The Bears continued to control the game for the rest of the half and took a 3225 lead into halftime after the Hurricanes banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Despite being down by seven at halftime, the Hurricanes came out hot in the second half and took a 39-36 lead three minutes in.

With a flurry of 3-pointers, Miami extended their lead to eight points five minutes into the half, and took a 13-point lead seven minutes in. The Hurricanes made 10 of their first 12 shots in the second period.

Two 3-pointers each from Weems and Leonard kept the Bears within striking distance of the Hurricanes. Weems 3-pointer with about seven minutes left in the game cut Miami’s lead to six points.

However, that is the closest the Bears would get, and the Hurricanes held on for the victory.

Despite the loss, Leonard ended his career with a bang, hitting seven of nine Steven Levy/THE MIAMI HURRICANE shots from behind the arc and tallying 26 points. Weems added 18 points and five Kyle Weems and the Bears fell to Miami 81-72 Monday. rebounds.

The Bears end their season with a 26-9 record.

Arkansas ends MSU’s season

Student joins the WolfPack

By Harrison Keegan The Standard

Garrison, Shorter unable to sink final shot attempts

By Jon Poorman The Standard

In the game of basketball, most coaches want the ball in the hands of their best player when the game is on the line.

Missouri State had that opportunity on Sunday, but Casey Garrison’s last-second shot and Christiana Shorter’s put-back both eluded the basket as the Lady Bears lost a heartbreaker to Arkansas 65-64 at JQH Arena.

“You have it in your best player’s hands with a layup to win the ball game, and then a second opportunity by a great offensive rebounder, and it just didn’t go,” head coach Nyla Milleson said.

Shorter talked about the final seconds from her perspective.

“We wanted to get the ball to our best player, Casey,” Shorter said. “She missed a shot, and my main thing was to get a rebound and just get a put-back. I just guess it wasn’t meant to be.”

Senior Kendra Roberts said the Bears’ perseverance allowed them to stay in the game in the second half and have a chance to come away with a victory.

“I think we just got that buckle-down mentality,” Roberts said. “We’re going to play our hardest. We’re going to give ourselves a shot at the end of the game to win this, and that’s what we did.”

With the loss, MSU’s season came to an end while Arkansas advanced to the third round of the WNIT. A subplot to the game was the fact that MSU’s only active senior, Roberts, is a former player for the Razorbacks. At the end of the game, Roberts was comforted by her former coaches and teammates.

They all surrounded her at midcourt, and almost everyone on the Arkansas team gave her a hug.

“They’re a class-act team,” Roberts said. “It was going

Matt Kile/THE STANDARD

Casey Garrison and Christiana Shorter embrace each other after the Lady Bears’ loss on Sunday.

to be a tough game to play against the school and the staff that you used to play under. I respect them a whole bunch.”

Arkansas coach Tom Collen said he has been a fan of Roberts since she first joined the Razorbacks.

“It’s always good to see Kendra,” Collen said. “She’s a great kid. I loved Kendra when she was there (at Arkansas). I think everyone in the stands appreciates her and knows how she is. I know she didn’t want to lose this game. It didn’t surprise me that she stepped up and played as well as she did today.”

As for her contributions on the court, Roberts came in off the bench and immediately energized the Lady Bears when they were struggling. With her help, MSU went on an 18-6 run in the first half that put them back in the game.

Roberts ended the game with nine points, five rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes of action.

Roberts was thankful to her team for being there for her through the whole experience of playing her former school.

“My teammates just gave a lot of faith in me,” Roberts said. “Coach Milleson left me on the floor. There was a lot of faith going into it and a lot of positive things. (My teammates) knew where my emotions were, and they knew how much I wanted it.”

Shorter led the Bears with 15 points and seven rebounds, while sophomore Whitney Edie scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

The Lady Bears ended their 2010-11 season with a 2411 overall record.

Football players work out for scouts

By John Cook The Standard

Missouri State held its annual football “Pro Day” last Friday at the Plaster Sports Complex. Seven of the Bears were there to try to prove they belong in the NFL next year.

Fourteen NFL scouts were there to try to gauge whether or not the players had the talent to make it beyond the college level.

Senior consensus all-American David Arkin headlined the group.

“It wasn’t until after the season ended and I started getting calls from agents that I actually realized this could be a career opportunity,” Arkin said. “It’s been a wild ride since the season ended, and I’m just ready for it all to be over with.”

Seniors Jake Duron, Kolby Hurt, Cody Kirby, Justin Fuselier, Terian Washington and Antoine Wilkinson all joined Arkin in the workouts for the scouts.

Of the group, Arkin has the strongest chance to be drafted in late

Steph Anderson/THE STANDARD

David Arkin talks with a scout from the Jacksonville Jaguars.

April, but MSU football head coach Terry Allen said there are some players who could be picked up in free agency.

“I don’t think there’s anyone other than Arkin who will get drafted,” Allen said, “but I do think there are a few of them who could get picked up after the draft in free agency. I think all three linebackers — Antoine Wilkinson, Terian Washington and Kolby Hurt — all have the skills to make a roster.”

The scouts were not available to

speak about their evaluations, but Allen did say that a particular Jacksonville Jaguars scout was eyeing Arkin pretty hard.

“That Jacksonville scout is an offensive line coach,” he said. “It’s a good sign when teams send their offensive line coaches, because that means they’re pretty interested. The Jacksonville guy is only going to see four players. So, for Arkin to be one of those four tells you a lot.”

Arkin’s journey in the off-season has taken him all around the country.

The standout lineman competed in the East-West Shrine Game and the Texas vs. the Nation All-Star Game before really making a name for himself at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis a couple of weeks ago.

“I had a pretty good combine, so I knew if I just improved a couple numbers and tweaked a couple of things, I’d be in as good of shape as I could be,” Arkin said.

Arkin didn’t want to speculate

See PRO DAY page 7

Missouri State senior Josh Pell wanted to do his internship with the promotions department for the Springfield WolfPack, the local arena football team. The bad news: He might have to look for a different internship. The good news: It turns out he’s a pretty good wide receiver.

One day last year, the WolfPack was practicing at one of the intramural fields on campus while Pell was playing in an intramural game on the next field over. Coach Marcus Wolfe noticed the team’s newest intern making some nice plays, so he left practice to get a better look.

“I was over there playing flag football, and apparently coach had his eye on me a little bit and saw what I was doing out there,” Pell said. “He said I was playing for the wrong team, so he asked if I would come over and play with the WolfPack.”

The most unlikely part of the story is that Pell has not played organized football since he was in eighth grade. Wolfe said this lack of experience works in his favor sometimes.

“He was a little cautious at times,” Wolfe said. “But sometimes he’s just playing straight over the top, going for it because he doesn’t know any better, and that’s a good thing.

You have eight guys on the other team plus the wall all the way around, so you can’t play with fear.”

Most of the guys on the team have some college experience with a large number of them having played at Southwest Baptist University and Evangel University.

Anthony Vibbard, an MSU senior who plays receiver for the Wolfpack, said the team didn’t treat Pell any differently because of his lack of experience.

“He just showed up one day and was tall and looked like he was fast, so I didn’t give it much thought one way or the other,” Vibbard said. “He ended up being good, though.”

He said Pell has not needed much help regaining that eighth-grade form.

“He picks up on things quickly,” Vibbard said. “I remember the first time I talked to him, I told him to watch himself and get down quick because you take hard hits. He’s pretty much picked up everything else on his own.”

Wolfe said this smooth adjustment from flag to arena football was the product of putting in extra work after practice and watching film.

“He’s a sponge,” he said. “He’s absorbing everything that we’re teaching him. He’s learning everything fresh, the way we want it to be See WOLFPACK page 7

Baseball team wins weekend series against Western Illinois Bears improve to 9-8 on season

By Benjamen Loewnau The Standard

A late surge by the Missouri State baseball team was not enough to capture the weekend sweep of the Western Illinois Leathernecks in Sunday’s 9-8 loss.

“I thought we came and played the first two games; we did a good job. (For) the third game, we didn’t come to play,” head coach Keith Guttin said.

The Bears outscored the Leathernecks 14-3 in the first two games combined but found themselves in a hole early on, trailing 8-0 after the

fifth inning of Sunday’s game.

Going into the weekend series, Missouri State was batting .332 against starting pitchers.

However, the Leathernecks’ starter gave the Bears trouble in his six innings pitched with only three earned runs.

“Their pitcher did a good job throwing us off balance,” junior designated hitter Brock Chaffin said.

“He was really quick to the plate, so it was really hard to get rhythms off of him. He held us, and that was kind of our big thing for the first six.”

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Missouri State batters started to show signs of life with timely hitting from Chaffin and junior infielder Kevin Medrano.

See BASEBALL page 7

Steph Anderson/THE STANDARD

Aaron Conway slides into second base ahead of the tag by WIU.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Sports

The Standard

7

Women’s soccer opens up spring exhibition play with win over Missouri S&T

By Kyle Boaz The Standard

The women’s soccer team reached the Missouri Valley Conference tournament final last season. This year, just getting to that point won’t be enough.

“The goal is always to win the MVC tournament; if we get there, we’re happy but not satisfied,” coach Rob Brewer said.

While the MVC tournament is a long way off, right now the team is going through a learning period.

“Spring is going to be a learning process, getting used to new formations,” sophomore defenseman Nia

Williams said. “We’re getting used to new dynamics and chemistry.”

Brewer said the purpose of the team’s spring exhibition games is to improve and gain experience.

“We’re evaluating and seeing who is making progress,” Brewer said. “We want to win, but experience with players and lines is our focus. We graduated some stars this year, (but we’re) waiting for the new stars to emerge. The younger players are better than we’ve had in the past. The team is mostly healthy. The only injury was to Rachel Weimer, who had a knee issue and was redshirted.”

Brewer said his team will

have a lot of talent next season.

“Our goalkeeping and defense front-to-back (are our strong points),” he said. “This year’s team has a unique technical level. In the past, we’ve relied on athleticism. You always hope for a mix of both.”

The defense was the biggest factor in their first exhibition game against the Missouri S&T Miners on Sunday. The two teams played a 3-period game. Katelyn Frederickson scored the only goal off a deflection from Tiffany Laughlin’s shot in the third period to give Missouri State a 1-0 win in a defensive-minded game.

Missouri State did not allow a shot until the third period and finally took advantage of their

his sophomore and junior years at MSU before being switched to tackle his senior year.

“He just needs to get used to playing at that next level,” Allen said of what Arkin needs to improve on. “I’m convinced, with his work ethic and ability, that no matter where he gets drafted he’ll stand a very good chance of making a team.”

Arkin said it was cool to actually be a part of the Pro Day this year after watching it last year and seeing Clay Harbor work out. Harbor, a former allAmerican tight end for the Bears, was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the

fourth round of last year’s NFL Draft.

“I was here last year to see Clay Harbor’s workout,” he said, “so to actually be a part of it myself is crazy. I never expected to be here.”

For Arkin and the rest of the MSU hopefuls, it’s just a waiting game now. The NFL Draft takes place April 28-30 on ESPN and its family of networks.

“I’m probably not even going to watch the draft,” Arkin said. “Hopefully, I’ll get the call at some point, because there’s no way I could just sit there for three days and agonize over when it’ll happen.”

about Pell is his versatility. He played soccer for two years in high school and handles some kicking duties for the team. But Continued from page 6 more than anything he does on done. He doesn’t have any bad the field, the coach has been habits.” most impressed with Pell’s perWolfe said another positive sonality.

WolfPack Pro day

Continued from page 6

where he might end up being drafted.

“As far as where I’ll be picked, I don’t even want to speculate,” he said. “You don’t want to jinx yourself or anything like that, so I’m just going to let the chips fall and hope for the best.”

The 6-foot-5, 302-pound NFL prospect has recently had to move back to guard, where most NFL teams think he’ll play best. Arkin played guard

Baseball

Continued from page 6

Western Illinois went up 93 in the top of the eighth, but the Bears fired back with five runs of their own in the bottom of the inning.

The five-run inning, which included an RBI double from junior infielder Travis McComack who plated three runs for Missouri State, proved to be too little too late.

“I was just trying to get a pitch to hit. I knew we needed runs, and I just didn’t want to expand on my zone, but 3-2 count, just tried to poke one out there, and it landed,” McComack said.

Getting on base was not the issue for the Bears, as shown by 14 hits and 12 runners left on base, but cashing in on base runners early on halted early-inning production. “(It would have) been nice if we did some things early in the game and had some energy going early in the game,” Guttin said.

One hour prior to Sunday’s game, the Bears had to finish up the final three innings of Saturday’s game that was postponed due to rain.

Missouri State finished off the postponed game and won 5-2 to secure the series win.

Six solid innings from sophomore starting pitcher Grant Gordon led the way on

“He’s the kind of guy I would trust with my kids, and that’s probably the best compliment I can give someone,” he said.

The WolfPack plays in the American Professional Football League, and the players don’t

multiple offensive opportunities with the Frederickson goal.

The Bears never let the Miners get comfortable on the offensive end.

The first period started with play around midfield, with neither team being able to seize ball control or get into an offensive rhythm. Each team used the 4-4-2 formation throughout the game.

Frederickson started the offensive push by Missouri State with two breakaways, coming up empty both times.

The rest of the period’s momentum went toward Missouri State, who had a number of scoring opportunities but couldn’t get the ball to bounce in their favor. get paid to play. They play home games at Mediacom Ice Park, and their home opener is at 7:05 p.m. on April 9 against the Iowa Blackhawks.

Pell said although he has come a long way since joining the team, don’t expect to see

Lauren Wendt also helped get the offense going in the first period. Wendt got physical by stealing the ball and turning up the field. Her shot headed straight for the lower right corner, but a diving save halted the scoring chance. At the end of the period, Michelle Sommer took a breakaway shot, but the goalie was able to get just enough on the shot to deflect it wide.

The second period was similar to the play of the first, with strong defense on both sides and a constant battle for ball control. The game was played on the Miners’ side of the field for the majority of the period, with Adrianna Kalogerou having a couple offensive shots for him in a Chiefs jersey if there’s an NFL lockout next season.

“This is just for fun,” he said.

“It’s always been pick-up for me, so being able to put on the pads and play with men rather than playing with friends is fun.”

MSU. Kalogerou took a hard shot, but it flew just wide of the upper right-hand corner. She had another opportunity, but her shot was cradled by the goalie.

The Bears finally broke the tie in the third period after a barrage of shots. Sommer took a shot at point-blank range but was stopped by the goalie.

Shortly after, Laughlin fired a shot on goal that was saved but deflected right. Frederickson was there to bury it home for the only goal scored in the matchup.

The Bears’ next game is at 1 p.m. on Saturday at home against Missouri Valley College.

Pell doesn’t have any aspirations of playing football at a higher level, but if he decides to use his entertainment management degree to get a promotions job in the NFL, he might bring his shoulder pads with him when he applies, just in case.

Friday night in a 9-1 win that kicked off the weekend.

“Grant’s got great stuff,” Guttin said. “When he starts getting his command like he can, I mean, he’ll be outstanding.”

Following Gordon’s six innings without an earned run, senior pitcher J.C. Casey went to the hill and gave Missouri State three more scoreless innings to lock up the 9-1 victory for the Bears.

“J.C.’s been good,” Guttin said. “He’s been good in that role; he’s very durable. He comes in. He throws strikes and keeps that momentum for us.”

Next up, the Bears will play at 3 p.m. on March 25 at Oral Roberts University.

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8

News

The Standard

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Social media evolves beyond personal connections

By Megan Gates The Standard

In the past several years, it seems like everywhere you look social media is involved. From commercials to newscasts to event planning, social media appears to have taken over and become a marketable tool not just for creating personal connections but also professional ones as well.

Andy Cline, journalism professor, blogger and social media user, said social media has been successful because the cost is low, which encourages people to use it.

“The thing that’s interesting about the Internet and social media in general is that the cost to develop things, to try ideas, is pretty low,” he said. “The cost of entry into the Internet is so low that it encourages people to just try stuff out, and so you try it out and throw stuff out there and see what people use. Facebook and Twitter have been some of those ideas that have been massively successful.”

Cline said, even though both are social media outlets, he uses Facebook and Twitter very differently.

“Facebook for me is a keeping-in-touchwith-friends medium primarily and promoting my profession and other things I do secondarily.

Through that, I let people know what I’ve been up to during the day,” he said. “Twitter is promoting my professional interests primarily and personal stuff secondarily. The reason for that is that Twitter is an excellent platform for quick exchanges of information.”

For those who don’t know, Twitter is limited to 140 characters per Tweet, forcing users to keep their posts short and to the point. In turn, this has allowed for rapid and immediate exchange of information through Twitter, which Cline said, has affected the distribution of news.

“It might be too soon to say that Twitter has changed anything about journalism,” he said.

“But what Twitter has done is provide an immediacy tool that’s pretty popular. Twitter is also a really good vehicle for rapid dissemination among people for interesting things they find in the news media and what’s going on in the world.”

Weston Bland, senior Middle Eastern studies and global studies major studying in the United Arab Emirates, spent time in Cairo during the protests in February. He said in an email that he used Twitter to find out what was happening in the city during curfew hours.

“When we were under curfew, some of the other students in Cairo and myself would gather around in common areas of our dorm with our laptops pulled to the Twitter feed from Egypt, looking for any updates and reports on what was happening and what would be coming next,” he said.

Besides using Twitter to find out what was happening in time of conflict, Bland said he used Facebook to let people at home know he was safe.

“My primary use of Facebook in Cairo was to keep people in the States updated on what the

daily situation in Egypt was from my perspective,” he said. “When the Internet block was lifted, I had a lot of worried messages from people back home, and social media was basically my only means to get in touch with everyone and let them know I was O.K., as well as to keep people continuously updated on developments.”

In times of less turmoil, Bland said he uses Facebook to keep in touch with people at home and to share his experiences abroad.

“As a pretty big traveler, I mainly use Facebook as a tool to keep up relationships wherever I happen to be,” he said. “It’s a great asset for keeping in touch with people at home when I’m abroad and to maintain relationships when I return from wherever I have traveled.”

Bland said in addition to allowing him to create personal connections, social media has benefited him as a global studies major.

“As a global studies major, the main focus of my degree is to gain an insight into the thoughts and values of people across the world, something that can only be taken so far in the classroom,” he said. “Through mediums like Facebook, I’ve been able to create something like a values database for the various people I’ve encountered across the world and now have constant access to views on life and world developments from a wide variety of cultural lenses.”

Bethany Parry, a senior public relations major, is another student who said social media has had a positive impact on her major.

“Twitter is a great way to get to know organizations you are interested in working for and to get tips from professionals already in the field,” she said. “I used it to get my homework done, getting an informational interview from Twitter for a PR class because I mentioned Convoy of Hope in a Tweet and the social media started following me. It is that easy.”

Twitter also allows her to promote the blog “Coffee, Culture and Community” that she created originally for class and has continued writing for, Parry said.

“I am a barista at The Coffee Ethic downtown, lover of traveling and culture, and I enjoy the non-profit sector and community development, so I write about coffee tips, places I want to go (to) and (places I actually) go to, what I am learning in my PR classes and what I’m doing in the community to make a difference,” she said.

“Social media are vital tools to promoting my blog. Every time I post something to my blog, I will send a link to Twitter and sometimes Facebook as well.”

Parry’s blog has allowed her to make connections with people in the Springfield area and experience the benefits of using social media to further her professional goals, she said.

“There are so many benefits of using social media. It is just a tool though; it’s how you use the tool that counts,” she said. “Being on Twitter does not automatically get you a job, but if you join the conversation, who knows the people you will meet with real-life benefits.”

Convoy of Hope is one of the many humanitarian agencies that uses social media to create connections on the Internet that impact its work,

Social media helps with planning protest In just five years, Twitter has more than 175 million registered users, according to its website.

More than one billion Tweets are posted in a week. An average of 460,000 new accounts are created per day, and on average 140 million new Tweets are posted each day, according to the article “Twitter: 140 million tweets per day and counting” by Caroline McCarthy on CNET.com.

So what effect did these 175 million users have on protests in the Middle East?

Weston Bland, senior Middle Eastern and global studies major who was in Cairo during the protests in Egypt, said protesters organized and became involved in the effort through social media.

“Social media definitely played a huge role in the Egyptian protests,” he said.

“The Facebook page commemorating the death of Khalid Said at the hands of police played a major role in galvanizing discontent, and the initial protests that broke out on Jan. 25 were largely organized through social media.

“In states where an overwhelming security apparatus has citizens afraid to speak out, mediums like Facebook or Twitter can grant the anonymity needed to organize opposition. The first things to get blocked by the government were Twitter and Facebook, so I think that very early on it was recognized how much of an impact social media could make.”

said Jeff Nene, public relations officer for Convoy of Hope.

“Within the past week, with everything that has happened in Japan, our Twitter feed has had high visibility from high profile organizations,” he said. “We set up the ability to text the word ‘tsunami’ to donate money to help with the efforts in Japan and promoted it through our Twitter.

“Sprint and Verizon saw what we were doing and Tweeted to their followers that they would waive the traditional texting fee for those who participated. Time Magazine online also saw what we were doing and put a plug in for us and that has definitely helped our efforts.”

In addition to connecting with corporations around the world, Convoy of Hope uses its Twitter feed to give updates to its followers about what’s happening with its humanitarian effort, Nene said.

“With Twitter, we can send short frequent

messages to our followers so they can stay on top of the information,” he said. “For instance, with the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, we’ve used it to hit a headline or write a few sentences on what’s happening right now to give short quick updates.

“Our followers see that, and they can then reTweet it for their followers to see, allowing news to reach far more than our original number of followers.”

Despite all of the current advantages of social media, it is continuing to evolve, and users are still trying to understand how it can be used, Cline said.

“Like any other electronic medium, we’re still trying to figure it out,” he said. “The Internet is still new enough, and the technology involved is still rapidly changing that there’s just no way to stay ahead of it in saying what it all means. What we describe now is already a-dayand-a-half old.”