the review washburn university
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Washburn’s offensive line shows what they’re made of. Page A5 Serving Washburn University since 1897
volume 136, Issue 7 • wednesday, september 30, 2009
Families play at Family Day...
University provides fun, education and excitement for Washburn students and their visiting families
Meghan Ryan WASHBURN REVIEW
Washburn University had a busy campus of pre-game fun and activities on Saturday’s Family Day before the football game against the University of Central Missouri. Throughout campus families of all shapes and sizes enjoyed an array of activity tents and tailgating opportunities. The event was created with all ages in mind, especially the younger crowd. “When I walked up here, I thought it was so sweet to see all these children having fun,” said freshman BodSquad member Rachael Johnson on the young children enjoying the free activities. There was definitely fun to be had with the inflated Rat Race Obstacle Course, Washburn tattoo and coloring contest tent and carnival like games. Many Washburn clubs and interest groups participated with the free Family Day games. A large Operation board game was used by the American Medical Student Association and the musical fraternity Sigma Phi Iota sang during games of musical chairs. The Leadership Institute’s Pit Stop Challenge and Modern Languages Department’s bucket toss game were also part of the fun on Memorial Lawn. For the less competitive crowd Alan Dietrich’s fossil display of Mosasaur and Xiphactinus skeletons allowed the campus to view creatures more ancient than the stereotypical professor. The School of Nursing and St. Francis Health Center reminded families of health issues amidst a sea of hot dogs and hamburgers at their free blood pressure screening tent. Level One nursing students were able to practice taking blood pressure readings in a non-traditional environment full of distractions like the chiming bell tower and crowds. This allowed the students to get clinical experience and gave the family members of the Washburn University community valuable insight on their health. Traffic at the tent kept the volunteers busy. One family stopped by together to settle the score in their competition for best blood pressure. Informative
Photo by Matt Wilper, Washburn Review
Family Day: Statistics professor Mike Mosier scampers through the Rat Race Obstacle Course during Family Day. The Sept. 26 event on the Memorial Union Lawn provided an opportunity for families to visit booths for various campus organizations, play games and interact with the Washburn community before the afternoon football game. pamphlets were offered on the H1N1 virus, pre-diabetes, health tips on food and wallet-sized walking log cards. Other activities on campus spread the fun beyond Yager Stadium and Memorial lawn. The Mabee Library hosted Caddy Stacks which allowed families to play mini golf throughout the maze of books. A new art exhibit by Ken Butler called Hybrid Visions debuted in the Mulvane Art Museum. The Washburn Bookstore was bustling with business because of its biggest sale of the year. Shoppers who
bought one Washburn-imprinted item got a second one half off. Such a great deal had many people walking out of the bookstore with some new Ichabod paraphernalia to wear with pride. Outside, grills fired up and delicious-smelling smoke wafted all over campus thanks to tailgaters getting ready for the Ichabods game against the University of Central Missouri. The Alumni Association, BodSquad and Greek houses such as Delta Chi and Sigma Phi Epsilon had food tents for their members
ternational mom, helps the international students get through the red tape and onto campus, then assists Washburn has become an interna- them with legal and practical orientational destination for learning and local tions, cultural and social adjustments students can influence and benefit from and any questions they may have. the experience of these visiting students. Visiting students are also supThis year, 163 students came to ported by the Topeka Friendship NetWashburn from 34 countries scat- work. It helps to match up interested tered around the world. students with American Favoring programs in friendship families. business, nursing, mu- INTERNATIONAL “They get together STUDENTS sic and English, Heidi at least once a month for Staerkel, coordinator of maybe dinner, or go to a international student acsoccer game or just give tivities said 76 of this year’s students them the opportunity to participate come from China and Hong Kong, 12 in American culture,” said Staerkel. more from Paraguay, nine from Ke- “And [they] practice English.” nya and eight from Honduras. Fifteen Yet family and university support countries are represented by only one is not the only thing international stustudent leaving lots of opportunity for dents need, something senior business international students to feel alone. major Travis Byers learned during his Staerkel, a self-described in- studies in Rosenberg, Germany. Be-
ing a stranger in a strange land speaking a strange language he discovered his university’s buddy bystem, which matched visiting students with locals, to be invaluable on a practical level. It was both culturally enriching and a great way to foster lifelong friendships. Byers discussed his international experience with other students and it became clear that having a buddy made a huge difference. Simple things like getting from the airport to the school, selecting classes and instructors, where to eat, where to shop, what to wear, places to go and places to avoid can be quite daunting for a first time visitor to a school, town or country. Add language and cultural barriers and suddenly the concept of having a local buddy makes a lot of sense. It was out of that need for
and guests. Chartwells also offered culinary treats indoors with its Family Day picnic in the Washburn room. Food and sales aside, it was the people that made Family Day successful. Families from all across the region came to participate in the gathering. Sheila Karlin and her family from Garden City, Kan. had to wake up at 4 a.m. for an almost six-hour trip to see freshman daughter Kelli Jo on Saturday. Even after the long journey and lack of sleep, Karlin was still excited for the game, “Go Bods,” she said.
Karlin’s 7-month old granddaughter Hayden Schaffer was also in attendance and cheered on the Ichabods with a blue and white pom-pom, making the Karlin family was a perfect example of a dedicated family. Not only were they there supporting their current Ichabod, but introducing Wasbhurn to a possible future one.
Jennie Loucks WASHBURN REVIEW
and on the module,” said Mike Gunter, director of Information Systems and Services. “There are about 12 upgrades per year, not including patches.” The upgrade that led to all the recent e-mail problems at Washburn was done by SunGard, the company who provides the university with the Banner system. The main problem with the upgrade was that the e-mail server would not function. There were also more minor problems that were fixed along the way. SunGard indicated to Washburn that it had never had issues on such a scale as our before. This was caused by a design failure of the software itself. The failure was discovered on
Meghan Ryan is a writer for the Washburn Review. Reach her at meghan.ryan@ washburn.edu.
Buddy program connects students SunGard accepts blame for technical negligence
Recieve a flu shot this week in the Union.
Please see BUDDY page A3
The e-mail debacle that plagued Washburn’s campus for the first part of this semester is almost over. On Friday, Sept. 18, the 12-member Technology Steering Committee sent out an e-mail to the Washburn community explaining in detail the extended outage. It explained the reasoning for the upgrade, which led to all the problems that occurred, as well as how the problems progressed and were eventually resolved. On the Banner system that Washburn has been running on since 2004, there have been at least three major upgrades. “The upgrades depend on the area
The RoadRunners being their third season with high expectations.
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Please see SOFTWARE page A3
Topeka Youth Project’s 25th annual Battle of the Bands drew a crowd.
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A&E
sports
news
Brian Allen WASHBURN REVIEW
Football Special October 2 & 3
25% off all Caps & Hats 25% off all Zip Hooded Sweatshirts * not valid with any other offers or coupons
News Briefs • Wednesday, September 30, 2009
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The Bod Beat Campus News • Topeka News • Kansas News • Police Report • Weather
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ampus alendar
Thursday, October 1 German Table Memorial Union, Sunflower Room 2:30 p.m.. to 3:30 p.m. Student Success Skills Workshop Mabee Library 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. French Conversation Table Memorial Union, Sunflower Room 3:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. OPEN Memorial Union, Crane Room 5:00 p.m. Crane Observatory Open House Stoffer Hall, Crane Observatory 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Friday, October 2 Volleyball Invitational Lee Arena 2 p.m., 6 p.m. Opening Reception for “Ken Butler: Hybrid Visions” Mulvane Art Museum 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Young Alumni After Hours Bradbury Thompson Alumni Center 5 p.m. Friday Night Live (Chi Alpha) International House 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Ichabods at Night
Saturday, October 3 5K Fun Run and Walk 8:30 a.m. Car Wash Sixth and Branner, Topeka 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Alumni Association Tailgate Yager Stadium at Moore Bowl 11:30 a.m. Mulvane Art Museum’s Family and Community Day Mulvane Art Museum 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Volleyball Invitational Lee Arena 1 p.m., 5 p.m. Football Yager Stadium at Moore Bowl 1 p.m. Soccer Yager Stadium at Moore Bowl 6 p.m. Ichabods at Night
Sunday, October 4 Miniature Golf Mabee Library 1 p.m. to 11 p.m.
NAMI WU’s poetic experience to bring students mental health NAMI Washburn will be holding a meeting on Oct. 5 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Kansas Room in Memorial Union. We will have an open forum, Creativity for Mental Health for anyone and everyone to read personal poetry, their favorite poets, sing songs and enjoy a POETIC event. Mental Health isn't just about illness, it is also about inspiration. Writing poetry, singing/song writing is a cathartic way to cope with experiences of anxiety, depression and unhappiness but also all the good feelings that happen in ones life that become something more than just
feelings inside our hearts and bodies. Please come and join us for a wonderful event. Refreshments will be available. Contact Alice M. Harnisch President NAMI WU at 785-969-0321 or NAMIWA S H B U R N . G M A I L . C O M (National Alliance on Mental Illness) for more information. NAMI WU is a student organization that provides education and advocacy on the topics of Mental Illness.
The Washburn University Men’s Basketball team will be holding open try-outs on Oct. 8. Auditions will be held in Lee Arena in Petro Allied Health Center from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Interested participants need to
bring a completed physical form conducted within the last six months. For more information, contact Cody Ziegler at (785) 410-0208 or (785) 670-1356.
Washburn University reports fall 2009 enrollment figures TOPEKA - Fall enrollment at Washburn University totals 6,652 students enrolled in 74,185 credit hours. Head count enrollment is up from fall 2008 by 107 students (1.6 percent) and student credit hours rose by 984 (1.3 percent). “The University is aggressively pursuing strategies and procedures to get information in the hands of potential students who would benefit from a Washburn education,” said Jerry B. Far-
ley, president. “We are pleased enrollment is up, which continues to confirm the value of a Washburn education.” The increase reverses two consecutive years of enrollment declines and was fueled by increases in enrollment by both Kansas residents and students from out of state. More than 90 percent of students attend classes on campus and two-thirds are enrolled on a full-time basis.
Ichabod Mascot Auditions
Tuesday, October 6 Brown Bag International Lecture International House 12 p.m.
-Press Release
-Campus Announcement
-Press Release
5K to boost fund Ichabod mascot TOPEKA - Join Washburn University President Jerry B. Farley in registration due a 5K run through the College Hill neighborhood and onto the Washburn campus, or enjoy a leisurely twomile campus walk this Saturday, Oct. 3. The run/walk is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. in front of the Bradbury Thompson Alumni Center on the Washburn campus. Registration on the morning of the event begins at 7 a.m. The cost is $20 for runners and $15 for walkers. Children 12 years of age and under are free. First place medals will be awarded to male and female runners in various age divisions. Refreshments will be provided after the run/walk, and there will be drawings for various prizes. All of the proceeds benefit the Washburn Alumni Scholarship Fund, which has been providing scholarships since 1944. “In this tough economy, these scholarships mean a lot to our students,” said Susie Hoffmann, director of the Washburn Alumni Association. For additional information, call (785) 670-1641. To see a map of the run and walk courses, visit w w w. w a s h b u r n . e d u / s e r v i c e s / alumni/funrun/2009runwalk.htm.
Photo by Matt Wilper, Washburn Review
Flu season: Alex Mitts receives his flu shot from Maggie Habercanp. The clinic is hosted by the student health office and the School of Nursing across from the corner store and is scheduled to run Monday, Sept. 28 through Friday, Oct. 2.
Registration is due today for students interested in becoming the new face of Washburn by sporting the Ichabod mascot costume this year. All students interested in this position should contact Amanda Hughes at 670-2153 or e-mail amanda.hughes@washburn.edu. To be eligible for the position, the student(s) selected must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours at Washburn University and maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5. The student(s) selected will receive a $1,000 stipend per semester in addition to up to $150 per semester for the purchase of textbooks at the Washburn Bookstore, along with other selected benefits. The Ichabod mascot is the official mascot of Washburn University and is intended to enhance the tradition and spirit of the audience through exaggeration, characterization and entertainment. Mascot auditions will be held on Monday, Oct. 5, and pre-registration is required. -Campus Announcement
-Press Release
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President’s Press -paid for by WSGA-
Students of Washburn, It has been a great start to a great week! In big news for the university, total enrollment hours rose this semester. While it may not be our responsibility, I think now more than ever students need to distribute the message that Washburn is an outstanding school. Most high school students across the state have no idea what we have to offer. They don’t know about our excellent campus, incredible resources, and most importantly, our professors, who actually care and want to see us succeed. We should take it upon ourselves to let prospective students know. I was talking with a friend the other day, and the conversation moved to “bucket lists”- what do I want to do before I die? It has been a lot of fun processing and putting it together. Some people regard this as a solemn thought they don’t want to consider, and often realize too late the power it can hold. Our life will pass in the
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blink of an eye. My challenge to you is to make your own “bucket list.” What are 20 things that YOU want to do in your life? Consider that question, think about your answers, and then go out and act on them. There won’t be a better time in your life to start. Congratulations to the WU football team for their big win this past week against Top 10 ranked Central Missouri. We have an important week for WU athletics this coming week as well. The football team is playing Saturday at 1:00 p.m., soccer on Saturday at 6:00pm, and the volleyball team will compete in two games Friday (2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.) and Saturday (1 p.m. and 5 p.m.). I hope to see you there. GO BODS! Garrett Love President, WSGA
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09/22/09 - Info. report, check welfare, 09/25/09 - Info. report, fire alarm, LLC, 09/25/09 - Info. report, possible illegal Stoffer Science Hall, report taken, Fire Department responded, set off my items, LLC, room searched, no items individual contacted, advised was fine thrown object, alarm reset found
Don’t see your event in the calendar? Call the Review newsroom at 670-2506 to have your event included in an upcoming edition. It’s FREE. For upcoming Washburn athletic events, go to www.wusports. com.
1972, annually publishes creative works from the region and beyond, selected and assembled by upperlevel creative writing students. Inscape aims to serve as a vibrant element of the literary landscape by inviting creative risks, by publishing quality works and by fostering community among writers. The 2010 editor in chief can be reached at matt h e w. l e e p e r @ w a s h b u r n . e d u .
WU enrollment figures released
IchaCast
EPIC Campus Ministry Kuehne Bell Tower 8:15 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Inscape, the literary journal of Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, seeks written works of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry and visual art for its 2010 issue. Best-of-genre prizes will be awarded. The submission deadline is October 20, 2009. Please visit inscapewashburn.wordpress.com for submission guidelines. The 2009 issue of the journal was celebrated with a public reading attended by more than 100 people. The journal is currently in its second print run. Inscape, which premiered in
Basketball team to hold try-outs
Monday, October 5 NAMI Washburn Memorial Union, Kansas Room 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Campus Announcement
Inscape seeks submissions for upcoming publication
Graphic by Karl Fundenberger
09/23/09 - Info. report, harassment, 09/25/09 - Info. report, possible alcohol 09/28/09 - Info. report, intrusion alarm, LLC, report taken, referred to Dean of violation, LLC, room and individual Washburn Institute of Technology, Students checked, no alcohol found area checked by TPD, early personnel arrival set off alarm 09/24/09 - Info. report, fire alarm, LLC, 09/25/09 - Info. report, obstructing legal Fire Department responded, set off by process, LLC, suspect arrested, booked 09/28/09 - Info. report, damage to burned food, alarm reset in department of corrections property, Yager Stadium, report taken, photos taken, cause of damage unknown
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Wednesday, September 30, 2009 • News
Future Ichabods sleep on it
Faulty software causes outage
Washburn gives potential students an over-night college experience Continued from page A1
Meghan Ryan WASHBURN REVIEW
On Sept. 25 a group of teenagers loaded with blankets and sleeping bags invaded campus to take Washburn University for a test drive. The high school students were here for the Ichabods at Night event, an opportunity for prospective students to see what Washburn has to offer them. Not only did they have the opportunity to stay on campus with student hosts, the 15 students had a chance to check out classes, extra-curricular activities and financial aid opportunities. It’s all part of an effort to help prospective students decide whether Washburn University is the right place for them or not. The event traded traditional college visits for experiences of actual college life. Instead of stuffy tour guides, the students were paired with actual Washburn students and stayed in the residence halls rather than in hotels with their parents. Ichabods at Night started Friday night with a quick campus tour, followed by a college-favorite pizza dinner before the Lady Blues volleyball game against the University
of Central Missouri. Prospective students were then introduced to some of the resident advisors of the Living Learning Center at an ice cream social. Then it was off to the residence halls for some much-needed rest to prepare for a busy second day. Saturday the participants joined their Washburn hosts for Family Day pre-football fun. They tailgated and enjoyed the day’s activities then headed to Yager Stadium to watch the Ichabods take on the University of Central Missouri. For students interested in helping the university with future Ichabods at Night events, information on being a student host is available in the Admissions Office. The next event will bring high school students to campus Oct. 2 and 3 and any student living on campus is encouraged to sign up to host prospective students. “We can never have too many hosts,” said Priscilla Samarripa, admissions counselor. Meghan Ryan is a writer for the Washburn Review. Reach her at meghan.ryan@ washburn.edu.
International buddy system Continued from page A1
peer contact that Byers helped launch the WU Buddy Program, “There was a group of Chinese girls who walked three and a half miles just to shop at Wal-Mart,” said Byers. He also described how a Japanese student, a visitor from a stoic culture, unnecessarily postponed seeking medical care for an injury. Both of these instances could have been avoided if these students had a friend they could have sought advice or confided in. Byers, Staerkel and Angie Swim, launched the WU Buddy Program “to advise, encourage and assist incoming international students to achieve the fullest potential of the study abroad experience at Washburn University and the Community.” Buddies are expected to meet three hours or more a month, maintain open communication, become a friend, be an ambassador of the United States and
lend a helping hand. Buddies should understand that there are different cultural beliefs, attitudes, and norms between our international students. The humanitarian, educational and culturally enriching experience of being a WU Buddy is obvious but there are practical benefits as well. The program offers Washburn students an opportunity to create friendships on an international level, something that is increasingly important in the global market. Interested students can visit the International House for more information. After filling out a form to help match the students with similar interests. To get started sharing culture with the international community, students can attend the WU Celebration of Cultures, Nov. 21 in White Concert Hall from 7 to 9 p.m. to share music, dance and fashion. Brian Allen is a returning alumni. Reach him at brian.allen@washburn.edu.
solve existing problems as well as successfully complete an upgrade. “There are at least six people that we are for sure interfacing with, and many more doing work in the
Monday, Aug. 17, around noon. Two days later, unrelated events occurred, when the core router crashed, and the e-mail system continued to corrupt. “ Today Washburn is running on the original e-mail software, part SunGard promised of the resolution of the problem. they would deliver... Wednesday, Sept. 23, a design review meeting between Sunbut they failed. Gard representatives and Gunter’s team began the process of finding and deciding on new software. “These were just problems that were not foreseen, and it took a long time to get things back up, - Mike Gunter but it takes a long time to move Information Systems & Services millions of messages,” said Gunter. The amount of time it took ” to configure the systems stemmed from restoring the millions of messages in the 17,000 washburn.edu e-mail accounts. All told, the fix took background,” said Gunter. “We have approximately 40 hours to complete. been patched through to Sun MicroGunter said that they moved at the systems people around the world, and quickest pace that they could, work- everyone has been fully cooperative.” ing 12 hour days, including weekends. SunGard understands that this The ISS team at Washburn spent has been a major inconvenience to weeks, and is still communicating a lot of people and it has accepted with Sun Microsystems, the com- full responsibility for the failure. pany who created the software, to “SunGard promised they would
Jennie Loucks is a sophomore mass media/Spanish major. Reach her at jennifer. loucks@washburn.edu.
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deliver, configure, and make the upgrade work, but they failed,” said Gunter. “They have been very responsive. We’ve been meeting a lot, and they are bringing in their partners from Sun Microsystems.” Washburn hired SunGard on a firm fixed price, which means they paid one sum for the entire conversion. As soon as the problems were discovered as a design failure SunGard began fixing everything for free. There is no limit on the compensation that Washburn will receive. SunGard has promised to foot the bill until the conversion is complete, and the system is up and running problem-free. “We did get some benefit out of the upgrade,” said Gunter. “We changed out a lot of our systems, and most of them are working OK.” Gunter also said that he would like everyone to know that he and his counter partners are taking notes of exactly what happened from start to finish of the process that will be published as soon as all problems are resolved.
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Find out how to increase your chances of surviving if a shooting happened on campus. Visit: www.washburn.edu/admin/police/video.html
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Opinion • Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Emerging generation must focus on the future
Nicole Stejskal WASHBURN REVIEW Like many Americans, the current state of affairs in our nation has sparked my concern about the future of our country. With all of the problems our nation’s leaders are currently struggling to solve, questions continue to arise for me about why these issues keep occurring and what we’re doing to finally fix them. I spent this past weekend in Washington, D.C. at a conference focused on leadership, and my time spent in our nation’s capital gave me a different perspective on the situation – a view that many people in our generation fail to see. I know that we’ve all heard it before – family members, teachers or mentors encourage us to do great things because “we are the future” and “we have the power to change the world.” And if you’re anything like me, you’ve entertained the thought for a couple of minutes before dismissing it, thinking there was no way you could possibly impact the world any time in the near future. I also never thought that a weekend, and in particular a dinner conversation, could change my views about any serious topic concerning myself and my future. However, I was very wrong. I spent last Saturday evening sharing dinner and conversation with two Senate FROM THE c o m m i t t e e members. EDITOR One of the members, Michelle, worked for the appropriations committee, which delegates federal money to foreign countries. The fact that she’s only in her early thirties was surprising enough, but what shocked me even more was that she had already spent seven years working at the capitol, meaning she had started shortly after college. Michelle went on to talk about her first time visiting the capitol before she started her first job. After spending some time in that environment, she realized how many young people were working there and asked why they had so many interns working for them. She was in turn surprised to find that many of those people she saw were actually full-time employees, not interns. After the discussion in that conversation and a weekend spent with national student leaders, I realized just how much power and importance we really have in our world today. Many of the people I met and heard speak were members of our generation who are making an impact right now. And it’s not until you actually see these people in action that you can really understand the ways you may be able to make that difference, too. While the problems in our nation may be caused by previous generations, we have to face the reality of what we’ve been given and step up to the challenges our nation faces. We really are the future, and we are the ones making the decisions for our nation right now. I encourage you to find the way you can make a difference. I encourage you to be the future. Nicole Stejskal is a junior mass media major. Reach her at nicole.stejskal@ washburn.edu.
Clarification In the “Students seek meaning of body” article featured in Issue 6, a sentence regarding Patti Lyon’s viewpoint was vague. We want to clarify that she does not support Hugh Hefner’s lifestyle or his choices. If you have any questions regarding the topics and viewpoints discussed in the Theology of the Body Series, please contact Patti Lyon, Catholic Campus Center.
Leaders stop and consider Editorial Board WASHBURN REVIEW
the war effort on Afghanistan and destroying al qaeda. The rabid attacks on the previous administration for As many officials in politics are diverting the war effort to Iraq might celebrating the stabilization of Iraq well be on point but he ring hollow as a nation of democratic thought now that Obama is no longer a “yes in a region that has no democracy we can” man and is now a “crap many have turned their attention to we have to do this for real guy.” Conservative commentator George what is poised to be “the next war.” Afghanistan, a small central Asian Will is among a group of voices who country that has seen war come and go have been advocating a more surgical approach to Afghanistan and come again throughout have been leaning on history, is poised to be the REVIEW’S that lessons from the past and next sight of American VIEW point to the experience of military bloodletting and the now defunct Soviet the current administration seems to be having second thoughts. Union’s experience in Afghanistan Most in the military establishment, during the entire decade of the 1980s. The last great superpower to the current ground forces commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal included, set foot in the rugged surroundings have called for as many as 40,000 of Afghanistan saw 14,000 dead as more troops to be deployed almost well as more than 550,000 injured or immediately to the theater of operations. sick soldiers during their occupation In contrast the president along from 1979 to 1989 and sapped the with his foreign advisors seem to public will to support any future have backed off of what seemed to misadventures abroad. As this took have been a liberal rallying cry during place the soviet economy continued the election to “Take the war back to to struggle and eventually collapse with their government. where it should be,” by refocusing along
Your source for all things about WU, Wednesday afternoons.
While the United States military is more technically advanced than the Soviet war machine in just about every aspect of warfare the great equalizer will be the mountains themselves. The kind of fighting that will win this war, will be fought by soldiers climbing their way through the same mountains that claimed the lives of soviet men more than 30 years ago. There will be no awesome assortment of armor and heavy equipment to support them. Hopefully the president and his team will think long and hard about what they are committing the nation to before we get ourselves in further than we really want to be and experience this generation’s Vietnam with an unwinnable quagmire.
The Washburn Review Contact Us
Phone: (785) 670-2506 Fax: (785) 670-1131 www.washburnreview.org Executive Editor Nicole Stejskal News Editor Mikki Burcher Assistant News Editor Lauren Eckert Sports Editor Josh Rouse Assistant Sports Editor Eric Smith
The views expressed in the Review’s View are those of the Washburn Review editorial board, and not necessarily the views of Washburn University.
The Washburn Review
What intramural activities are you doing or interested in doing? Tesa DeForest WASHBURN REVIEW
A&E Editor Regina Budden Assistant A&E Editor Leia Karimul Bashar Opinion Editor Robert Burkett Online Editor Valerie Caviglia Online Staff Max Bur Brian Dulle Kate Hampson Kasim Hardaway Mariauna Hernandez Jordan Shefte Copy Editor Josh King Assistant Copy Editors Ben Fitch Ashley Nadeau
Shane Kennedy Freshman “I’m playing rugby right now.”
Calvin Grosshuesch Senior “I’m too busy right now, but I want to play basketball.”
Andrew Holmes Junior
Joeseph Smith Junior
“I’m playing intramural football. My back hurts because I carry the squad.”
“I play flag football. Our team only has five people and we’re kicking ass!”
Alexandria Hamilton Sophomore “I’m going to do powder puff!”
Derek Holovach Senior “I play intramural football.”
Don’t Miss Out on Homecoming 2009 MONDAY, OCTOBER 12
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14
WU Chef Competition 12 p.m.
Top Hat Voting and wuBay Auction 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Top Hat Voting and wuBay Auction 10 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Office Decorating Judging 3:30 p.m.
Miniature Golf Mabee Library 12 p.m.
Top Hats Due 12 p.m. Top Hat Judging 5:00 p.m. Homecoming Ball 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Breakfast Union Market 10 p.m. to Midnight
Banner Judging 4:00 p.m. Ichabod Race 7 p.m.
Residence Hall and House Decoration Judging 4:00 p.m. Homecoming Ball 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Union Luau 7 p.m.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17
Top Hat Voting and wuBay Auction 10 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Washburn After Hours and Top Hat Auction 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Parade 10 a.m.
Octoberfest Memorial Union 11 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Friday Night Madness 10 p.m. and 10:45 p.m.
Yell Like Hell Pep Rally 7:30 p.m.
Homecoming Football Game/King/Queen Crowning 1 p.m.
Photo Editors Mike Goehring Matt Wilper Graphics Kady Boyd Maggie Pilcher Ashley Shepard K.J. Thies Stephanie Woodman Cameron Wrightsman Writers James Ahrens Brian Allen Michelle Boltz Jaime Brown Richard Kelly Jennie Loucks Meghan Ryan David Wiens Photographers Aaron Deffenbaugh Tesa DeForest Cody Lohse Lauren Mersman Mallory Shehi Arissa Utemark Advertising Manager Angie Marquart Advertising Staff Anna Henry Lauren Journot Business Manager Chuck Stephens Adviser Regina Cassell
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review sports washburn university
wednesday, september 30, 2009
Recovery period Volleyball team looks to regain composure this weekend at home Eric Smith WASHBURN REVIEW
Photo by Mallory Shehi, Washburn Review
Huddle buddies: The offensive line has made protecting the quarterback their number one priority, allowing only three sacks in their first five games. The rushing game is quite healthy, as well, as the Ichabods average 4.9 yards per rush.
Pocket protection through each game. One of the reasons for this feeling is the continuity of the unit thus far this season. “Last year we had a lot of injuries along the line and had to play a lot of different positions,” Robert Burkett said Ty Lewis, junior center. WASHBURN REVIEW As the season has started to take shape, the offensive line has attemptMost coaches will tell you that ed to keep up the pressure on opposgames are won and lost in the trenches. ing defensive units by denying them For Washburn’s offense, the the opportunities to attack the quarfoundation of everything that they terback, having only surrendered two accomplish starts up front along sacks so far this season and opening the offensive line. As a team that up holes for the running attack that has steadily grown over has been as potent as the past few seasons, so offensive attack in OFFENSIVE any too has an offensive line the conference this year. LINEMEN that has come up togethAs for goals, the ofer since their freshman fensive line is unique year and have steadily incorporated in how they measure their success other newcomers into their fold. as a group. Unlike other positions “We’ve really tried to adopt on the field that can point to yards, the younger guys into our group,” catches, touchdowns and a myriad said Ian Vistine, junior left guard. of other statistical measures, the Indeed, as the 2009 season has offensive line relies on others acprogressed, all the players along the complishments to help them meaoffensive line have come together as a sure if they are keeping on track. unit and feel like they have improved “We’d like to get 400 yards a
O-line finds other means than individual stats for judging performance
Check out the live football blog at
www.washburnreview.org
game on the ground and hold opponents to zero sacks,” said Brian Folkerts, sophomore right tackle. Despite all their success on the field this season, all the players agree that activities off the field have helped to develop the chemistry that the unit relies on during games as well. Various activities have included social gatherings and dinners on set days, which allow the team to build the spirit of brotherhood and work around busy schedules. As for what brought the offensive linemen to Washburn varies. Some desire competition at the top levels. “I came from Colorado where the [Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference] is,” said Lewis “I decided I wanted to play at Washburn in the MIAA since it really is the best conference in division two football.” Other members of the offensive line came to Washburn as the program was starting to come up the ranks of MIAA powers and asserting itself as a competitive program. “We just wanted to come here and make our mark at Washburn and help take the team to the next level,” said Bill Boyer, junior left tackle.
Robert Burkett is a junior mass media major. Reach him at robert.burkett@ washburn.edu.
Playing at home is usually an advantage. And despite a rare home loss for the Washburn volleyball team last Friday versus top 25 MIAA foe Central Missouri, the Lady Blues still consider Lee Arena a tough place to play. “We were really upset,” said Jessica Wade, sophomore middle hitter. “We had higher hopes and a standard where we don’t like to lose at home. “We’re hoping for a recovery and a turnaround.” With only two losses for Washburn in the last three seasons on its home court (the other being a NCAA tournament semifinal loss to Western Washington in 2007), the ninth-ranked Lady Blues look to restore order this Friday and Saturday when they host the Holiday Inn Lady Blues Regional Crossover Tournament. “It should be some good competition. I know there’s at least one ranked team that’s going to be in there that we’ll get to play [No. 6 West Texas A&M],” said Jennifer Kolarik, sophomore outside hitter. “So it’ll be good to get away from conference and that stress and everything. It’ll be a good chance to show that we’re still up to the competition.” While the Lady Blues (15-2, 3-2) are just as good on the road, home cooking is always better, and the team knows Lee Arena like the back of its hand. “It’s easy when you get to stay at home, sleep in your own bed, so you’re in your own element,” said Kolarik. “It’s not like you have to get off the bus and get ready to play. It’s fun to play in front of your own crowd and everybody you know. We’re used to this gym, we’re in here all the time. So it’s good to be in our own place.” Herron agreed, saying that Washburn fans were some of the greatest in the conference and that Lee Arena is truly home sweet home. “I think the biggest thing is you’re in your surroundings, in a gym you practice in everyday,” said Her-
ron, who is 92-13 all time in Lee Arena. “You know what the temperature is and what the court feels like. The other thing is we get crowds here. You know you go to other schools and they don’t get anything like the MIAA gets. “The crowds at Washburn are a lot of fun to play in front of. And we got to have that on Friday night when we play West Texas.” The Lady Buffs, who are also 15-2, are a member of the Lone Star Conference and are in the South Central Region with the Lady Blues. The two teams will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. “It’s our conference versus their conference so this region match is important for region rankings,” said Herron. “This tournament is a sort of a crossover tournament and it’s important to us because you have to finish ranked in the top eight in your region. The winner of the MIAA, the winner of the Heartland and the winner of the Lone Star all have automatic qualifiers. And the other teams have to be ranked in the top eight in the region.” Other competition for Washburn this weekend includes Southeastern Oklahoma State at 2 p.m. Friday, as well as matches versus Tarleton State and Angelo State at 1 and 5 p.m. on Saturday. While the Lady Blues are prepping for all the teams this weekend, Herron said the Lady Buffs are going to be a handful. “They’re going to be here and it’s going to be a tough task ahead of us,” he said. “They return three All-Americans. So that match alone will prepare us for what’s ahead in conference. It’ll be a challenge.” Eric Smith is a senior mass media major. Reach him at eric.smith1@ washburn.edu.
Boom goes the dynamite: Freshman outside hitter Hillary Hughes and the Lady Blues host the Lady Blues Regional Crossover Tournament this weekend where they’ll look to recover from two straight losses.
Photo by Aaron Deffenbaugh, Washburn Review
RoadRunners chasing elusive championship Richard Kelly WASHBURN REVIEW
ning one game and losing one game, the team now holds a 3-2-1 record going into this weekend’s games. The team returns eight players Maybe the third time will be the from last year’s squad but is a precharm for the Topeka RoadRunners. dominantly young team that may Looking to build off of a strong take a few weeks to gel as the season season last year and many offseason begins. But the team hopes to see acquisitions, the North American positive production out of returning players Hockey League’s including Alec Topeka Road- “ Hagaman, Runners will Jeff Burke play their first The atmosphere at a and newly seregular season RoadRunner game lected captain home game at of the team the Kansas Expois vibrant, and a Kurtis Anton. centre’s Landon delight to the senses. The aforemenArena this Fritioned Hagaday night at 7:05 man leads p.m. against the the team with Texas Tornado. three goals The Road- Arch Ecker and one assist Runners opened Director of media, broadcasting for four points their season on is also Sept. 17 and ” and tied with three played four other playgames in four ers who have days through Sept. 20 at the annual NAHL Show- four points apiece. A slew of Roadcase. The RoadRunners lost their first Runners are right behind them game of the tournament, but bounced with three points, so production back in games two and three and lost has been by a variety of players. But for most, it’s hard to find their fourth in a shootout to come away with a 2-1-1 record. And this the time or money to catch a game past weekend, the team made its way with already so much on their schedto Frisco, Texas to take on the Texas ules. Tickets though start at $10 for a Tornado and after a weekend of win- single game, so it’s easy to not break
the bank. It should be noted though that there is a five dollar parking charge, so carpooling is advocated. Also, the RoadRunners provide promotions at select games. Some upcoming promotions include WIBW’s Radio Cash Machine on Saturday, Breast Cancer Awareness Night on Oct. 22, Team Poster Night on Oct. 23 and Halloween Costume Night on Oct. 24, said Arch Ecker, director of media and broadcasting for the RoadRunners. Kansas isn’t exactly a hotbed for hockey, but a loyal fan base exists for the RoadRunners, as they averaged about 1,700 fans last year. Ecker said the RoadRunners are looking to increase that number for this season and welcome anyone who has never been to a hockey game to come out to at least one. “[Hockey’s] a combination of fluid movement and graceful skill combined with speed and bone jarring contact. The atmosphere at a RoadRunner game is vibrant, and a delight to the senses,” said Ecker. “We have the best fans in the NAHL and our home ice advantage is second to none. It’s more than just a game, when you come to a RoadRunner game, it’s an event.” Richard Kelly is a sophomore mass media major. Reach him at richard. kelly@washburn.edu.
Photo by Richard Kelly, Washburn Review
Meep meep: The RoadRunners look to make their third season worthwhile with a championship, but face a tough divisional schedule. Some of the upcoming promotions for the ‘Runners include WIBW’s Radio Cash Machine and Team Poster Night.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009 • Sports
A6
WU’s Piles wins first tourney
Sports Report
Eric Smith WASHBURN REVIEW
Football Standings Conf. 3-0 3-0 2-1 2-1 2-1 2-1 1-2 0-3 0-3 0-3
Overall 5-0 4-1 4-1 4-1 4-1 3-2 1-3 2-3 1-4 1-4
( )- Division II national ranking
Results Sept. 27
Games Saturday
PF 224 200 157 188 233 185 116 147 123 98
PA 133 70 112 147 124 104 128 124 147 187
WU schedule Oct. 10
WU 36, UCM 21
FHSU at WU, 1 p.m.
UNO 44, MSSU 36
TSU at UCM, 1:30 p.m.
PSU at WU, 1:08 p.m.
PSU at MSSU, 2 p.m.
WU at NWMSU, 1:30 p.m.
NWMSU 70, TSU 0
MWSU 45, PSU 40
FHSU 40, ESU 20
WU at UNO, 1 p.m.
UNO at ESU, 1 p.m.
Oct. 17
NWMSU at MWSU, 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 24
Standings Overall 15-3 15-4 14-1 12-5 15-2 12-6 7-6 7-10 8-9 4-14 7-11
( )- Division II national ranking
WU recent results Sept. 19
Washburn 3, Mo. Western 0
Sept. 23
Nebraska-Omaha 3, Washburn 2
Sept. 25
Central Missouri 3, Washburn 2
Sets won Sets lost 46 14 51 21 42 11 43 22 49 8 43 27 28 29 30 38 29 32 20 45 30 38
WU upcoming schedule Friday
SE Oklahoma at Washburn, 2 p.m. West Texas A&M at Washburn, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday
Tarleton State at Washburn, 1 p.m. Angelo State at Washburn, 5 p.m.
Soccer Standings Truman St. Nebraska-Omaha NW Missouri St. Southwest Baptist Central Missouri Washburn Missouri Western Emporia St. Missouri Southern
Conf. 5-1-0 4-1-0 3-2-0 3-2-0 3-2-0 2-3-0 2-4-0 1-4-0 1-5-0
Overall 6-2-2 5-4-0 7-2-0 5-2-1 4-4-1 4-4-0 4-6-0 1-6-1 3-7-0
GF 16 19 13 19 12 12 16 5 12
GA 8 15 7 12 8 14 17 20 23
WU recent results Sept. 19
WU upcoming schedule Tonight
Sept. 24
Saturday
Missouri Western 3, Washburn 0 Rockhurst at Washburn, 6 p.m. Washburn 1, Central Missouri 0
Missouri Southern at Washburn, 6 p.m.
Washburn 4, Southwest Baptist 3
Washburn at NW Missouri St., 6 p.m.
Sept. 26
Oct. 8
Blues ready for Rockhurst Eric Smith WASHBURN REVIEW After beginning the MIAA schedule 0-3, the Washburn soccer team is on a two-game winning streak with recent home wins against Central Missouri and Southwest Baptist. Tonight at 6 versus Rockhurst (5-3-1) in Yager Stadium, the Lady Blues (4-4-0) close out their fourgame homestand and play their last nonconference regular season game of 2009. The last time the Lady Blues played the Lions was just last season when they won 2-1 in overtime. Rockhurst leads the all-time series 2-1-1. Eric Smith is a senior mass media major. Reach him at eric.smith1@ washburn.edu.
Gliding through college Mike Goehring WASHBURN REVIEW
Volleyball Conf. Central Missouri (5) 5-1 Nebraska-Omaha (15) 5-1 Emporia St. (T6) 4-1 Pittsburg St. (21) 4-2 Washburn (9) 3-2 Truman St. (20) 3-3 Missouri Southern 2-2 Southwest Baptist 2-3 NW Missouri St. 1-4 Fort Hays St. 1-5 Missouri Western 0-6
Photo by Mike Goehring, Washburn Review
Taking it easy: Washburn art student Daniel Salazar sits outside Midwest Skate, a skate shop that he runs in downtown Topeka. The shop recently moved from its location in West Ridge Mall.
skateboarding retail in Garden City. Wanting to go to school at Washburn he decided to move his shop with him to Washburn student Daniel Salazar runs the City of Topeka. He later expanded to a local skate shop in downtown Topeka owning a shop in Lawrence as well but that is home for local skateboarding and a due to the high rise in gas in 2006 the recently dying lifestyle. second location closed. For the last three “It has allowed me to explore the world years Midwest was located in West Ridge on four little wheels,” said Salazar. Mall and recently moved to a new location Midwest Skate is known for its unique where a mini ramp is planned to be built. style, individualism, and raw skateboarding. They also recently constructed a Web site Run by skateboarders, you’re guaranteed at www.midwestskateonline.com a place the best product review and where you can learn more SKATING awesome skate tips, as well about the shop, new products, as being part of a community. and its team. COLUMN Located downtown on 6th and Salazar is going to school Kansas, the shop adds color for a major in art and hopes to to the ghostly atmosphere, attracting a continue working in the skateboarding younger crowd. With the recent outburst industry as long as he can. “I don’t have of corporate invasion, the sales are to sit on the sidelines and be like yeah… I definitely suffering along with a style that can do it anytime I want” said Salazar. is increasingly becoming not so unique. No matter what you might be into Skateboarding has always been know for always be true to it and never sell out. taking care of itself, a very independent business, but the recent amount of exposure Michael Goehring is a sophomore mass media major. Reach him at michael. is making it more corporate. Salazar originally started in goehring@washburn.edu.
Eric Smith is a senior mass media major. Reach him at eric.smith1@ washburn.edu.
w e i v e Staff Pick ‘Em R e Th Week Five
the staff
Missouri Western (12) NW Missouri St. (6) Central Missouri (20) Fort Hays St. Washburn (17) Nebraska-Omaha Missouri Southern Pittsburg St. Emporia St. Truman St.
As a high school golfer at Hayden High School, Riley Piles was a part of one 4A state championship and two more second-place finishes. Tuesday at the Division II National Championship Preview in Noblesville, Ind., he added another golf accomplishment to his repertoire, with his first individual victory in a college tournament. “It feels pretty good,” said Piles, who finished second in a tournament earlier this season after losing to teammate Dustin Yeager in a playoff. “It’s a little bittersweet with the team not doing so well but it’s a big stepping stone in my college career.” The Ichabods, which began the final round of the two-day tournament at the Sagamore Club in second, finished fifth overall as a team with a score of 626, four shots back of second place Bellarmine. MIAA rival Central Missouri ran away with the tournament with a score of 610 as a team. Piles, who was tied for the individual lead after day one, won the tourney by shooting a 75 and 73 for a 4-over 148, one shot ahead of Casey Pine of Lewis. Piles leads the team in stroke average for 2009 at 73.8 and has had the highest finish for the Bods in each of the three tournaments he’s played this season. Other individual results for the Bods included Yeager, who finished in a tie for 13th with a pair of 78’s for a 12-over 156 and Brian Walker, who tied for 38th with a 78 and 82 for 160 overall. Also for the Bods, Nate Hoefflin finished tied for 46th with an 83 and 79 (162), and Nate Sargent rounded out the Washburn individuals tying for 70th with a 169 (86-83). The Ichabods will close out the fall season next Monday and Tuesday at the Fort Hays State Invitational. The MIAA points tournament will be the last competition until March for Washburn. “We’re just going to practice putting and chipping. The easy shots are the ones that killed us this week. The ones in the wind,” said Yeager, a senior who has the second highest stroke average for WU in 2009 at 75.8. “We’ll have to reevaluate and go from there. Obviously we’d love to do a little better and beat Central next week.”
the games
Josh
Eric
Mike
Nicole
Aaron
Robert
Fort Hays State @ Washburn
WASHBURN
WASHBURN
WASHBURN
WASHBURN
WASHBURN
WASHBURN
Kansas State @ Iowa State
IOWA STATE
IOWA STATE
IOWA STATE
IOWA STATE
IOWA STATE
IOWA STATE
No. 4 LSU @ No. 18 Georgia
GEORGIA
GEORGIA
GEORGIA
LSU
GEORGIA
GEORGIA
No. 7 USC @ No. 24 Cal
USC
USC
USC
USC
USC
CAL
No. 8 Oklahoma @ No. 17 Miami
OKLAHOMA
OKLAHOMA
OKLAHOMA
OKLAHOMA
OKLAHOMA
MIAMI
N.Y. Giants @ Kansas City Chiefs
GIANTS
GIANTS
GIANTS
GIANTS
GIANTS
GIANTS
Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots
RAVENS
PATRIOTS
PATRIOTS
RAVENS
RAVENS
PATRIOTS
N.Y. Jets @ New Orleans Saints
SAINTS
SAINTS
JETS
SAINTS
SAINTS
SAINTS
San Diego Chargers @ Pittsburgh Steelers
STEELERS
STEELERS
STEELERS
STEELERS
CHARGERS
CHARGERS
Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings
VIKINGS
VIKINGS
VIKINGS
PACKERS
VIKINGS
PACKERS
LAST WEEK
5-5
7-3
6-4
9-1
6-4
7-3
OVERALL RECORDS
26-14
30-10
24-16
30-10
21-19
28-12
The Review Staff Pick ‘Em is a weekly feature where we pick the winners of college and pro football games around the country. Check back weekly to see our standings!
Friday Night
Late Night-Owl Special
If you tweet it, they will come.
Unlimited Bowling and Rental Shoes 9 p.m. till Midnight $35.00 plus tax Share the price and the fun! Photo by Aaron Deffenbaugh, Washburn Review
Head games: Lauren Henry, 99, and Washburn face Rockhurst at 6 tonight in Yager Stadium.
“Your Hometown Family Bowling Center”
Gage Center Bowl • 4200 SW Huntoon • Topeka, KS 66604 • 785-272-1881 Gage Bowl North • 200 E. Hwy 24 • Topeka, KS 66608 • 785-234-5506
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wednesday, september 30, 2009
Mulvane features performance, exhibition Michelle Boltz WASHBURN REVIEW
Seeing is believing at the Mulvane Art Museum’s newest exhibit, “Ken Butler: Hybrid Visions, where umbrellas become violins.” This unique exhibit is on display at the Mulvane until Jan. 24. The Mulvane will be the last museum to have this exhibit before it is shipped back to New York City, where Ken Butler currently resides. “This exhibit will help reach out to the music department on campus, and [they] may find it to be both intriguing and educational,” said Cindi Morrison, Mulvane art director. Originally from Portland, Ore., Butler studied the viola as a child. He earned a bachelor’s degree in studio art from Colorado College and a master’s degree in fine arts from Portland State University in painting. Fascinated with the relationship
between the human form on a large will take place in the Art Lab. Children X-ray form to a Harmony guitar, will have an opportunity to create their Butler was inspired to create his own instruments and perform a minifirst instrument, made with a hatchet concert with their creations. combined with the tailpiece, bridge, Patrick Dougherty is the other neck and strings of a violin. He refers featured artist at the Mulvane. He will to himself as a bricouleur, a French arrive on Nov. 2, and he will be at the term meaning “handyman” or “jack Mulvane until Nov. 20to work on his of all trades.” latest sculpture, which is Since moving to New MULVANE made from tree saplings. York City in the late 1980s, It will be located on the EXHIBITS Butler has performed at front lawn across from the the Stedelyk Museum in Yu-Yu-Yang sculpture. It Amsterdam, the Brooklyn Museum of is a three-week progressive piece that Art, and he has been featured on PBS, people can actually walk through. CNN, MTV, and NBC’s Tonight Show “It’s an unusual opportunity to see with Jay Leno. His CD, called “Voices an artist at work and have the option to of Anxious Objects,” is featured on ask questions, and for the art students John Zorn’s Tzadik label. to have an opportunity to help him There will be two opportunities with the exhibit,” said Morrison. to hear Butler’s live performances, There will be an opening reception on Oct. 2 from 5 to 8 p.m., and a second performance will take place during Michelle Boltz is a freshman mass media Family and Community Day, Oct. 3 major. Reach her at michelle.boltz@ from 1 to 4 p.m. Both performances washburn.edu.
Photo by Arissa Utemark, Washburn Review
Hybrid Vision: Ken Butler combines art and music to create hybrid musical instruments. His artwork, which explores the transformation of common objects and sounds and altered images, was placed in the Mulvane for exhibition.
Gallery technician lives his passion Kristen Grimmer WASHBURN REVIEW
When most people walk into a museum they don’t wonder how the art came to be on the walls, instead it’s almost assumed that some magic is responsible for setting the exhibit up. For the Mulvane Art Museum Michael Hager is the sorcerer who wields this magic behind the scenes. Tuesday Hager is a man who enjoys a good conversation, especially when it’s about what he does every day: appreciate art and make it possible for others to do the same. He’s been working at Washburn University as faculty and at the Mulvane Art Museum since 2007 and although he teaches sculpting and print-making, he also carries the titles of exhibition preparatory and gallery technician. “This isn’t a job, it’s a way of life,” Hager said as he was standing in the upstairs gallery. While he fished sculptures out of a large packing crate he talked. “Viewing it that way makes coming to work natural,” he said. “The level of commitment that you have to put into it, especially teaching, if you only see it as a job then in six months you’d be burned out.” Hager carefully unwraps piece
after piece of Ken Butler’s travelling exhibit called Hybrid Visions. This exhibit consists of sculptures themed around musical instruments and will be open to the public from Sept. 26 through Jan. 24. Ken Butler will also visit Friday, Oct. 2 from 5 – 8 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 3 from 1 – 4 p.m. Cindi Morrison, director of the Mulvane Art Museum, said they got this exhibit on its way back to New York from a museum in Portland, Ore. She looks down at the array of artwork lying on the floor that are each made from something different but that resemble banjos. She said she had met Ken Butler back in 2005 and heard his show before. When she had talked to him again he had suggested she get Hybrid Visions before it got back to him. Hager said that the show of photos he just took down were all prepackaged and labeled. All he really had to do was slip them back into their boxes and put them in the storage facility in the basement, but Hybrid Visions is different. There’s a sense of chaos in the gallery with all the packing crates and bubble wrap cluttering the floor, but Hager is slowly bringing a sense of order wherever he works. “With myself, Carol and Cindi there’s three sets of eyes, so if I miss anything they’ll pick up on it. We
make a great team,” he says. It’s easy to see how well they work together as they move around unpacking boxes. Hybrid Visions doesn’t have pictures to look at of each piece of art that most exhibit packets come with when they are sent to the museum weeks before the actual art arrives. Hager says that those packets are crucial because they give the dimensions for each piece of art so that the museum knows in advance if they are able to house it or not. Carol Emert, curator of collections and exhibitions, says that they do have some slides and she holds up a laminated page containing a set. The overhead light shines through the pictures vaguely and the tiny sculptures portrayed inside each slide are visible. Unfortunately there are not pictures of everything in the exhibit. Hager says that the show came to the museum through a special service that only transports artwork and is the best way to send a collection across the country. The crates were delivered and the unpacking began on both floors of the gallery after the old exhibits had been taken down. “Each show is its own monster, but the great thing about this job is that nothing repeats,” Hager says. Blankets are spread across the floor and as Hager continues to unpack he lays each piece out so it’s easy to
see what’s there. He finishes with the big crate and walks over to the bench where his bag is resting. He’s pausing with his work now. He reaches into the bag and brings out a coffee cup and a thermos and pours himself a cup of hot black coffee. “This can be tedious work, so you have to take breaks,” Hager says as he sips his drink. He also says that if you’re too careful or if you don’t respect the art you break things and that’s why it’s necessary to change it up now and then. He’s a tall man at 6 feet 1 inch tall with silver hair and black rimmed glasses and is dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up over a T-shirt. Hager sets down his coffee and goes over to another box to start the unpacking again. This time the box is long and rectangular but not very deep. This one is a piano that is in three main parts: the body and two legs. Together he and Carol start cutting the tape that binds the cardboard. They discuss the best way to open it and the lid finally comes back. Inside there are two long rectangle pieces of Styrofoam on top of each other with various small objects, such as a playing card and part of a scroll that once belonged to a string instrument, fitted into grooves carved into the Styrofoam. How the piano
will fit together seems baffling, but Hager is already seeing the completed piece in his mind. Together Hager and Emert gently lift the piano out of the box and set each part of it to the side. By the end of the week they will have put all of the pieces together and have put them up onto the wall. Morrison unfolds a large piece of paper and spreads it out onto the floor. It has a diagram of a group of small sculptures and how they can be placed on the wall. She says this is a rare item to come with an exhibit and that this will make things easier because all they will have to do now is spread the paper up on the wall where they want the cluster to go and put the nails in the wall. Something like this diagram can help to speed the process of putting the exhibit up greatly. The plan for the rest of the day is to finish unpacking everything and to get the boxes moved into the basement so only the artwork will remain.
Thursday By the time Thursday comes the gallery looks like a completely different place. The packing materials have disappeared and various sculptures are resting against the wall. Please see ART page A8
Kansas fossils shown on campus ‘Informant’ flabbergasts
expectations in good way David Wiens WASHBURN REVIEW
Photo by Arissa Utemark, Washburn Review
Hybrid Visions: This Mosasaur fossil was one of two fossils outside the Memorial Union on Thursday. Fossil hunter Alan Detrich set up the display in order to increase local interest for a Kansas state fossil.
work for him are making. The odd little musings and factoids enforce the idea that Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon) is either a mild genius who simply Hard as it was tearing myself amuses himself when people talk away from my computer now that about things he already understands, my internet connection is working or a fool with a mild Attention-Deficit properly, the bitter taste left over Disorder who somehow was able to from “Julie & Julia,” coupled with the stumble into a Ph.D. and a cushy job, fact that my queue on Hulu was now both of which seem true at one point empty, told me it was time was time to or another. Despite having quite a few good get out of the apartment and go sit on laughs, “The Informant” is my ass somewhere else and a very subtle film, amusing stare at a bigger screen for a MOVIE the audience mostly couple of hours. REVIEW through the reactions “The Informant” is a bit to Whitacre’s foolish of a curious film. When you look at the names Steven Soderbergh confidence in the face of criminal and Matt Damon, with a supporting activity, as well as some of his more cast including Joel McHale (“The outlandish behavior towards the end Soup”) and Tony Hale (“Arrested of the film as he desperately tries to Development”), one of the last things deal with the actions coming from the you’d expect is a low-key movie based company he turned in and the criminal on the true story of an informant who accusations against himself that came was helping the FBI get evidence of to light as a result. Although “The Informant” is not international price-setting. “The Informant” further confounds at all what you would expect from expectations with one of the most looking at the names in the credits, it’s wonderfully irrelevant narrations of definitely worth going to see. the main character’s inner monologue, which frequently covers up dialogue David Wiens is a sophomore English mawith musings about animal coloring jor. Reach him at david.wiens@washburn. and how much money people who edu.
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Wednesday, September 30, 2009 • Arts & Entertainment
A8
Gage rocks for youth ART: Museum guru
works behind scenes Continued from page A7
Photo by Mallory Shehi Washburn Review
Crowded stage: Echo Lake, a five-member guitar, bass, sax and drum ensemble, rocks a winning performance to a crowd of excited spectators. This stage prescence won Echo Lake first place in the Topeka Youth Project’s Battle of the Bands.
Michael Goehring WASHBURN REVIEW
Electrifying sounds and heavy vibrations moved through spectators as they gathered in front of Gage Stage on Saturday, Sept. 26, as Fear Not Tomorrow opened at the Topeka Youth Project’s 25th annual Battle of the Bands. The battle of the bands was brought back to the Gage amphitheater after the 25 years of history in Topeka. The original show was in 1984 and was called Barefoot in the park where the winner walked away with a 60ford mustang. The battle of the bands supports the Topeka youth project. Fear Not Tomorrow brought their alternative sound and put on a very intense show. You could feel the energy the music was portraying through the thrashing solos and intense self-image. Next to take the stage was Shunga Nunga who brought three out of their five members to bring about a mellower atmosphere. Echo Lake, a Washburn-based band, added to the party with some funky music. Bringing their crap from the basement the Basement Buds presented their very own unique style. Next on the list was Head Change, who sounded similar to Kill Switch Engaged and was definitely a crowd favorite. A Weezer look alike, Part Two, finished off the show with a fun performance. Echo Lake took first place and was followed by Head Change who took second place. Echo Lake plays a lot of shows in Topeka but this was there second outside gig. “We didn’t expect to win we just wanted to come out and have a good time” said their drummer, Matt Mirsch, “it was amazingly awesome … yeah it was awesome.” Michael Goehring is a sophomore mass media major. Reach him at michael.goehring@washburn.edu.
Photo by Michael Goehring, Washburn Review
Full-Body experience: The lead guitarrist of Head Change head-bangs to one of his many fiery solos. He was the smoke to Head Change’s fire Saturday, which earned them second place in the Battle that night.
Some have been hung but now there are two pianos, one is resting on the floor still in pieces. Morrison is working to put the finishing touches on the piano she has just put together. She has used toothpicks to keep everything in place and to make it sturdy. Hager and Morrison start working on the next piano and use art clips to hold the legs onto the body. “I have dozens of these clips in my office. They’re an artist’s best friend,” Hager says. The clips hold the legs in place and together they turn the piano over so the lid can be opened. Hager places the platforms for the pianos and Morrison carefully judges the placement for both pianos. “Museums have different goals than galleries do. We focus on education,” Morrison says. She also says that when they place the art they’re not trying to sell it but let it be appreciated for what it is. Morrison says that the things to worry about when setting the art in place is the public’s safety and the art’s safety. “We have to watch for traffic patterns and make sure that when people turn around they won’t bump into things,” she says. With the pianos in place, it’s time to go down and put together the last free-standing sculpture, another piano. This one will be a little more difficult because there’s no picture showing how it should look once it’s put together. Morrison and Hager start by making sure the legs are attached and then setting it on the platform. The lid is in layers and each one must be held apart by small pegs that need to be glued in place. The piano itself is only a frame of thin wooden pieces carefully constructed to keep the weight distributed equally enough so it won’t collapse. “We have one peg left,” Hager says when they’ve finished opening the lids, “and I’m not sure where it goes.” Morrison, Emert and Hager examine the piano again, looking for where the peg could possibly go. “It’s like making an atomic bomb and finding one screw left over after you’re finished,” Hager says. Emert laughs and shakes her head, “Or like putting together a parachute and finding some leftover string when you’re done,” she says. Morrison says that they’ll figure it out eventually, but sometimes they
have to take a step back and really look at the art. They do find where it goes.
Friday The last work day spent on the exhibit is for putting on the finishing touches. Emert is putting up the wording over the exhibits and Morrison is posting placards next to each piece. Hager, however, is working with another set of skills: lighting the art. He’s trying to spotlight each sculpture and keep one piece from being too dim when compared with the others. “Aside from moisture, UV rays are the worst thing for art. That’s why the lights here in the gallery all have UV filters. They’re also only 45 watts so I can easily touch them when I need to take down the extras,” Hager says. He first turns off each individual spotlight instead of using the master switches so that he can relight the exhibit piece by piece. There are three tracks on the ceiling in the gallery downstairs. “When people tell me I did a good job installing the show I feel like it’s a dubious compliment because I’d rather someone say the art looks great,” Hager says. When he puts lights directly on a piece he doesn’t set them too high because making the shadows disappear lets the art come forward. “All shows can be seen as a work in progress. If I see something later I don’t like I’ll come back and fix it,” Hager says. He also has to watch for the reflection of the light from the walls and floor and says that having wooden floors in a museum is almost against the rules because the light doesn’t get soaked up. About halfway through he takes a coffee break and talks about the exhibit itself. “I think this exhibit will hold my interest for a while because I like the three-dimensionality of it and there’s a playful intellect that appeals to me. Also the fact that he will visit on the first Friday and actually perform makes it even better,” Hager says. He finishes placing the last light and turns around. “Well, now you’ve seen me put up a show,” he says. The Mulvane Art Museum encourages everyone to come and appreciate Hybrid Visions by Ken Butler and see him perform Friday, Oct. 2 from 5 – 8 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 3 from 1 – 4 p.m. Kristen Grimmer is a senior mass media major. Reach her at kristen. grimmer@washburn.edu.
iSave helps students manage their money • WSGA presents I-Save—the student discount program designed to give students special price reductions at their favorite businesses.
• While the 24 participating businesses benefit from the increased traffic, students save money and enjoy discounts at venues such as Gage Bowl, Hair Slingers, Papa Johns and University of Flowers. • Students can show their Washburn ID at participating businesses to take advantage of the discount. And any business with an I-Save sticker in its window will give a discount to Washburn students. • For more information on who offers I-Save, students can look in the back of their planner, or visit the WSGA website at mywsga.com. • “I use my Washburn discount anywhere I can, I just wish more places would offer it.” - Washburn student Tim Hutton.
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Entries Due/Managers’ Meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 13 @ 4 p.m. Play Begins: Tuesday, Oct. 20 All matches will take place at the SRWC
Entries Due/Managers’ Meeting: Wednesday, Oct. 14 @ 4 p.m. Play Begins: Wednesday, Oct. 21 All matches will take place at the SRWC